CHAPTER ONE
Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Trinidad
Shark!
Lacey nervously eyed the approaching hammerhead. In her anxiety she bumped into her dive partner, Reno. Her breathing sped up to match her pounding heart. Even knowing it wasn’t the killer from the deep you had to stay alert. The silent reminder did nothing to calm the fear.
The creature didn’t give them a moment’s pause as it moved on. Its sensitive feelers scanning for electric charges from food sources deep below the white Caribbean sand.
Such an odd feeling to bob up and down on the surface of the ocean. To think she’d actually considered the blue sky and water surrounding them boring.
Reno pointed to a crawling octopus making its way over a rock formation. She shuddered. There was something creepy about an octopus. She looked at her guard. He already knew she didn’t care for octopus. She needed to break the habit of rambling when he was with her. Especially, since he rarely spoke to her.
He pointed at the side-winding shark below them and then back at the octopus.
Lacey shook her head. Reno was teasing her. She couldn’t pick between the two evils. Both creatures were frightening.
Turning her back on her diving partner she swam lower. At times like this, she could almost forget Reno was her guard.
They had dived at three sites today, clear turquoise waters and reefs rising out of shipwrecks and sand bars miles out at sea, all rich in marine life. This last one the captain had announced was uncharted and newly established. Its pristine coral reef rising from an old sunken fishing vessel. Bursting with life and color. Green moray eels darted out then retreated back into their safe burrows; large dark stingrays seemed to fly through the waters. Schools of silver moonfish danced a ballet around them, while a line of lobsters with shells in blues and greens stirred up the sand. But what was most wonderful about it was its distance from the man she had come to fear and detest.
Lacey had thrived and rejuvenated in her leisure time away from the man who had become her captor. She didn’t want this getaway to end. So, she allowed herself to linger at the magnificent reef. She’d be happy to stay down here. This had been the best dive site yet.
She didn’t think the same for Reno. Even though he had been kind to her, there was no denying, he had no more desire to be down here than he had on the boat sunbathing. Babysitting the boss’s woman than back where the action was. But she had given thanks it’d been Reno and not another one of Vasco’s men assigned to keep her company.
The reef absolutely teemed with life. She swam to watch a green sea turtle hovering over the copper coral.
Reno caught her hand and released it only to reach out and pet a passing reef shark. She smiled. What a showoff.
He waved her over. Lacey rolled her eyes. She didn’t pet sharks.
Wistfully, she looked at the wreck some distance away now. It had been such fun exploring it. Lacey pointed in the direction of the wreck. Her diving partner firmly shook his head no.
Casting Reno a pleading look, she not only received another no, but he tapped his watch, before pointing above to the surface.
Fine.
Freedom was over.
By sunset, she’d be back in captivity.
Vasco Casimiro, her captor, frightened her terribly. Yet, there was something more fearsome about Reno, so she followed his big shadowy body to the surface.
Once on the surface she removed her mask to look for the boat. She squinted her eyes against the sunlight hitting her face and glaring off the water. Again and again, she swam in a circle in the water. “Where’s the boat?” She swam around again to stop in front of Reno, who hadn’t moved from his position. “OhmyGod, Reno, where is the boat?” She stared at her guard. He looked so calm. She had to be mistaken.
The boat was nearby.
It had to be nearby.
“I don’t want you to panic. It won’t change anything.” Reno’s Spanish accent was thick and soothing.
The man doesn’t want me to panic.
Immediately her stomach knotted as fear beat to life in her heart. “OhmyGod, Reno, where in the world is the boat?” Nothing could stop her voice from rising. Her blood thundered in her ears. “OhmyGod, where is the boat?” Spinning once more she looked around them. No boat was in sight. “Are we in the wrong spot?”
“Stay calm. No we aren’t in the wrong spot.” She drew in a calming breath that did nothing to help the rolling in her stomach. The use of the endearment didn’t slip past her. They were in serious trouble. He’d never called her that before. She would have remembered.
Tears welled in her eyes. “OhmyGod, the boat’s left us, hasn’t it? How could this happen?” A wild, hysterical panic burst in her chest. Nausea rolled in her stomach. Her legs suddenly felt leaden, she stopped kicking, and her head bobbed beneath the surface.
Reno pulled her up. “Deep steady breaths.” He grasped her shoulders. “Don’t freak out on me, we’re going to be fine.” His expression remained calm as their gazes held.
Fine.
She stared. Out in the middle of the ocean and he thought they were going to be fine. She nodded as her throat burned with tears. This was far worse than when she woke to find herself alone on Vasco Casimiro’s yacht. He’d purposely taken her captive. Kidnapped. At least she’d had hope of escape.
This…them…left alone in the middle of the ocean. How did someone survive open water?
“Querida, I need you to listen to me. I need you to trust me.”
Lacey closed her eyes. Did he think she’d forgotten that he was a strong arm for the man who held her captive? “They’ll come back for us, won’t they?”
At the feel of a strong finger crooked beneath her chin, directing her to him, she opened her eyes. “We’re not going to risk waiting for a group that was incompetent enough to leave us.”
She glanced around them wildly. This could not be happening to them. The boat had to come back for them. It has to.
Lacey could see nothing breaking the horizon of the waves. Nothing but deep blue sea and pale blue sky.
She inhaled sharply through her nose, swallowed the salty taste in her mouth. She would not fall apart. Vasco Casimiro hadn’t broken her spirit, she could deal with this development. She brushed a few strands of hair back from her face as a sob tore from her throat. She clenched her teeth in hopes to keep the tears a bay. When Reno wrapped a strong arm around her, helped her stay buoyant…it was no use. She cried.
“Shhh… Querida, it will be all right.”
“I am so sorry. Oh God, I’m so sorry.” Lacey wiped her face.
“There is nothing for you to be sorry about. You weren’t a guide on the boat, now were you?” A tic beat in Reno’s cheek.
“I am so sorry. They probably won’t even remember us.”
“They’ll remember you, querida.”
She clutched at his shoulders. They wouldn’t remember them. She had stayed as far away from the group as she could. Vasco had threatened her with physical harm if any pictures were taken. The man had reminded her of what would happen to her, to her family. And with Reno with her, she couldn’t risk getting close to anyone.
She sniffled and wiped her eyes, which did no good with the way her body bobbed in the water. Salty tears mixed with the salt of the ocean. “Oh God, I’m so sorry.”
Vasco Casimiro had brought her to Trinidad for a popular festival.
A holiday, Vasco had called it.
Dear God, the man had come to Trinidad to make contacts for his drug trafficking. That’s what he was doing while she and Reno dived in the middle of the ocean. After the hell of the last few months, the pretending…death she could face. Reno on the other hand looked very determined to escape its clutches.
“Shhh… Querida…”
Her teeth chattered. Tears once again welled, blinding her.
“No more crying, Lacey. It’s a waste of energy and you‘re going to need all you have.” He released the weights from her belt, letting them sink into the water. “Looks like we’re going to have to swim for it.”
“Swim?” Her head had stopped buzzing. “Shouldn’t we stay here?” Wasn’t that what she’d read? If the boat returned, they’d never find them if they swam away.
“Trust me.” His eyes held hers and she agreed. Reno had been an exceptional diver.
No way did she want to stay out in open water. “How far?” Not that it mattered; she’d never swum in open water like this before. It seemed rougher to her now, more menacing. There was no way she’d make it a mile.
Reno looked up at the sky, and then down at the high-tech watch he wore. After fiddling with it a moment, he nodded behind her. “About five miles.”
Lacey closed her eyes as a wave sent her into his solid body. She moaned as she rested against him. Five miles. She’d never make it.
Treading water in hopes of not crashing into him again, she opened her eyes. “I can’t make it. I know I can’t.”
“Mierda,” he snapped at her, “the hell you can’t. I don’t want to hear that from you. We’re going to go one stroke at a time. And we’re going now.” He unsnapped her tank, slipped it from her shoulders and released it. Next he inflated her life jacket. “Treading like this is tiring us more.” He dumped his gear to inflate his life jacket. “I can’t go back without you.”
Lacey momentarily held his deep brown gaze. Of course he couldn’t. Vasco would torture him to death. No. Vasco would have someone just like Reno tortured him to death as he watched.
Yes. The bastard got off watching others suffer.
She thrust herself into the water, stretching out into a side stroke. She would swim for Reno. The man had been the only kind person to her in the whole of the cartel’s compound.
So she swam, scissor kicking her legs her arms pulling and pushing through the water to move herself along.
“That’s it, querida. Sidestroke, one at a time.”
* * * * *
He’d lied to her. Not that everything she knew about him, from the reason he was here to his very name, wasn’t one anyway. But he had just cut the distance and the severity of the situation in half. He’d had to get her moving. Even though it was a clear blue sky, he could tell by the choppiness of the water and the increasing wind that a storm approached.
Even in tropical waters the temperature wasn’t warm enough for prolonged exposure and the more than two hour wait they were looking at could bring on hypothermia. Swimming would lower her body temperature faster. Still, it was more probable for them to reach shore before hypothermia set in than wading in the water during a storm waiting for rescue. He’d make sure of it.
He grit his teeth. Damn it!
For an ex SEAL this swim was going to be simple. For someone whose job was to be arm candy for a lowlife, well, it’d be damned taxing. He paced his strokes to stay alongside her. For the first time today he was glad to be stuck watching after her, enduring the torment she put him through, instead of collecting the evidence he needed. If any of the other yahoos had been sent she wouldn’t have a chance. The thought of her sinking to a watery grave made his gut clench.
He could easily end this, signal for help, but it wasn’t necessary yet. The woman could swim. He would bet her capable of a lot more than she gave herself credit for. Why she ever let herself become a lapdog for Vasco, he had no idea. That was her choice.
If he wanted to stay in the game he couldn’t go back without her. He’d be damned if he’d put an end to all he had accomplished, now, when he had made it this far. It was only a matter of time before the largest known drug cartel was brought to its knees. Vasco was within his grasp, the identity of the American and European connections, the new routes of drug trafficking through the Amazon just within their reach. Then the bastard would pay for all he had taken from him.
“That’s it, querida, you’ve got a nice stroke going. Slow down the pace a little. We’re going with the current. Let it carry you, do the work. Save your energy.”
“Okay,” she said breathlessly, blowing water away from her mouth and tilting her head back to avoid more. “What is it they say, slow and steady wins the race?”
“So I’ve heard.” He ignored how nicely the length of her petite body fit alongside his. How her small, heart-shaped face was covered with a fierce determination that made his heart swell. Instead, he kept his gaze on the western horizon as they went. A smile twitched his lips as she started humming “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” to the timing of her strokes.
He hoped they would reach landfall before dusk settled in or the storm caught up with them. They were making good progress, and after her initial shock she hadn’t complained once about the distance. It wasn’t until the halfway mark she showed her first sign of tiring, her strokes and humming faltered. A mouthful of salt water had her splashing and coughing.
A twinge of panic gripped his heart. “Easy, querida.” He cut through the water and wrapped her in a rescue hold, her head resting against his shoulder, his arm tucked around her, pressing her back to him. She gasped and struggled briefly. He held her firmly. “Relax, Lacey. Just float, I have you.”
“Reno?” she choked through another cough. “How far?”
“We’re about halfway. You’re doing great.” She moaned and pulled away to start swimming again. He held her fast. “Rest awhile.”
She rolled her head back and wet lashes blinked over huge green eyes. “Is it colder?”
A second twinge of panic gripped his heart. The water temperature had dropped, but what had him worried was her small frame and prolonged exposure to the water. He doubted the woman had an ounce of excess fat to her. The full breasts resting against his arm indicated otherwise. Whoever said cold water and stressful situations impeded certain reactions lied. “It’s almost dusk. The sun isn’t as strong.” It wasn’t a total lie. Why did he feel guilty every time he lied to this woman?
“Oh.” Her eyelids fluttered.
With a renewed sense of urgency he used the opportunity of having her in the hold to put his full strength into his kicks and strokes for a faster pace, to put a dent in the distance they still had to travel and get her out of the water.
Night clouds hazed the red-gold sunset. Dusk had arrived. But his major concern was the menacing gray ceiling edging closer from the northern horizon, turning the turquoise waters into dark, shadowy fingers reaching for them.
Lacey moaned as she woke, her small pink tongue darting out in an attempt to moisten her lips. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, then blinked quickly, her circumstances coming back to her. “I’m so sorry. I fell asleep.” She shivered.
“It’s all right, querida. I told you to rest. But I think it’s best you go back to swimming.” He reluctantly began to tread and released his hold on her.
Something bumped the back of his legs.
“Oh look, a dolphin.” She pointed a shaky finger.
He took one look at the visible dorsal and tail fin where she pointed and went for the knife strapped to his thigh. Palmed the blade to keep what was left of daylight from shining off it.
“That is a dolphin, isn’t it?” she said, her voice becoming a fear-edged whisper.
“No, it isn’t. Lacey, I want you to stay behind me.” He kept himself between her and the shark, his eyes on it as it circled. “When I tell you, start swimming, long strong strokes, try not to splash and keep going. Keep the sunset to your right side.”
“OhmyGod, you’re not going to try and kill it, are you?”
“Only if it gives me reason to.” He deflated his lifejacket.
“I can’t go without you,” she squeaked. “Maybe it will just go away.”
“Maybe.” He doubted it. It was dusk. They were near an underwater drop off. Perfect hunting conditions for the predator circling them. Its shading told him it was a tiger shark, an aggressive hunter, another reason to doubt it would just swim away. “You have to promise you’ll swim away, querida. Promise.”
She whimpered with each teeth chattering breath.
“Promise me!” he bit out.
“I promise.” Her voice quivered. Whispers to God followed. She screamed as the shark submerged.
“Go now!” he growled as he filled his lungs and dove under. He ignored the initial sting of the water on his eyes and his heart pounding in his ears. He felt the adrenaline coarse through him as he set about flutter kicking. He watched for it. He moved his arms and legs, letting the knife blade flash to call the shark’s attention to him and not to Lacey, who he prayed kept her promise.
The undulating tail propelled the shark from the drop off’s shadows. Schools of fish darted for safety, clearing its path. Its body climbed fast from the depths for its attack. Luckily for him the shark wasn’t used to prey that fought back. If he could avoid spilling blood he would. Who knew how many others were in the area that it would attract.
He slammed his fist on top of the approaching shark’s nose. Bubbles exploded in the water, from the air forced from his lungs as the contact knocked him backward, and the shark’s thrashing as it swam away.
He did his best not to lose sight of it. Mierda! If possible his blood turned colder. It was turning back. The beast rose to attack again. Come on you fucker! Rage soared through his veins. This shark picked the wrong time. As long as the Casimiro cartel operated and Vasco drew breath, he wasn’t about to die. Its eyes rolled back as its jaws opened, baring rows of teeth with their lethal specter-like grin ready to bite.
Waiting for the right moment, he pushed himself down, deeper into the water. With the rush of current from the approaching attack, he kicked to rise with the shark, arching back so his body passed underneath it. As the shark moved over him he grabbed hold around its white belly, his hand hooked tight to the dorsal fin.
The angry shark slashed and rolled as it tried to throw him off. Its sandpaper skin abraded his wrist, tore at his gloves and suit. Every movement jarred his body. He felt it painfully in every bone. The animal swam deeper then rose up through the water, clearing the surface as its jaw snapped and body bucked. Breaking stallions came nowhere near this ride, but he wasn’t about to give up.
Lacey’s muffled scream met his ears as they submerged again.
With all his strength he thrust the knife into the beast’s eye, extracted quickly and plunged it into the gill. Blood filled the water. It tainted his mouth with its acrid taste and temporarily blinded him, confusing him even more to the direction of the surface. He continued his knife assault to the gills and the shark’s body until the thrashing stopped.
He released the body and shoved it away. His lungs burned, about to burst for want of air. Disoriented he let himself float, let his buoyancy help him find the surface. Once he cleared most of the blood he saw the dying light rippling in the water above him. With a strong kick he broke through the surface and filled his lungs, gulping in air to put out the fire in them.
“Reno!” Lacey’s scream reached him. The fear in it wrenched his heart. He was pleased to see she had listened and swam away but she hadn’t gone as far as he would have liked. Now she was swimming back toward him.
“Stay there!” He sheathed the knife and ignored the sting of wounds, body-battered aches and exhaustion as he swam to her with swift strokes, amazed at the relief he felt seeing her. What was it about this woman? From the moment he’d crossed her path on the compound months ago, he’d been drawn to her presence.
Logically he knew being around her was part of the assignment and he better not blow it. He was deep undercover and couldn’t risk the mission for a woman. Unfortunately desire and attraction were rarely logical, and every moment he was near her turned into pure hell.
Why was she throwing her life away with the likes of Vasco Casimiro? Whatever compelled her to come to his compound and endure his harsh treatment? Did she thrive on his wealth, his power? Everything he had witnessed about her said she didn’t belong to any of this. Or maybe that was what he wanted to believe.
The sky above was now completely blanketed in clouds. If they made it to the island alive, it looked like he would have time to try and figure it out.
“Oh my God, I thought you were dead!” She wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him tight once he reached her, nearly dunking them both. Tears streamed down her face, her body shook. “Tell me you’re okay.”
He held her to him while his legs kicked and one arm kept them both afloat. Pain he could ignore, her tears were becoming another story. He clenched his jaw to stop from kissing them away and capturing her mouth. “Shhh, I’m fine, Lacey. It’s over.” Her teeth were chattering and he cursed. “We have to swim hard for a bit. We have to put some distance between us and here. The blood will attract any other predators in the area.”
She loosened her hold around his neck and nodded, her eyes wide and round. Her courage touched him. He knew she was tired, cold, and terrified, still she did what needed to be done for them to survive.
* * * * *
Shivers racked Lacey’s body. Reno had fought a shark. Dear God. A freaking shark. How could he remain so calm? So unfazed? Didn’t the man have emotions? He had been the one to confront the monster, yet she was the one left shaking.
She wanted to scream like a wild banshee.
“We’ve made good distance. We can slow our pace now, Lacey. Let’s backstroke for a while.” He floated beside her.
Obediently she did as he instructed. Continuously, she scanned the water. She hated not knowing what was under them. It was so much worse now than it had been before the attack. There was no pretending they were safe.
“Stop thinking about them.”
Could he read her mind? “I’m not thinking about them.”
“Liar. I know you are, because I am.”
“Really?” She glanced over.
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes and simply wind-milled her arms. Oddly, his admission eased her heart rate. “I am so thirsty.”
“Don’t drink the water. It will only dehydrate you faster and give you diarrhea.”
She moaned, her shoulder muscles aching as she swung her arms. That wasn’t something she needed.
Reno muttered something in Spanish, but she was too tired to ask what it’d been. Over and over she swung her arms a half second behind his, and worked her feet to push herself through the water.
“I have a surprise for you.”
She laughed. “A surprise?” He had to be joking. What kind of surprise could he have? Though, the big knife he had strapped to his thigh had surprised her earlier. And it ended up saving their lives.
“Yes.” They stopped swimming. “Would you like a mint?”
“A mint?” She gasped. “You’ve been holding out!”
He unwrapped a candy before pressing it to her lips. She moaned, taking it into her mouth. She was greedy. She made sure her tongue lapped at his fingertips.
Reno’s dark water-soaked lashes lowered, and she looked away. “Thank you, for the mint.”
“You’re welcome, querida. There is another one for later.”
She sucked hard on the mint, working up moisture in her mouth. “I am not taking your last mint.”
“We’ll see.”
She squinted into the distance and stopped swimming.
A boat cruised along.
She flailed her arms over her head in the universal sign of distress. “Hey! Over here! Help!” She slipped under the water and he pulled her up
“Save your energy. They can’t see us.”
She ignored him, only to raise her voice. “Hey! Help us please!”
“They’re not even heading this way.”
Her arm movements turned farcical as she waved them frantically. “Hey! Help! Help us!” Her voice was hoarse and cracking.
“Querida, enough. They cannot see us.” He pulled her back against him and clasped her hands in his. “You’re using precious energy for nothing.”
She clutched at his larger blunt hands. “OhmyGod, they can’t see us.” Bile rose in her throat. She swallowed hard. They weren’t going to make it. She was so tired. They had been swimming forever. Her body pulsed with white-hot burning in the overworked muscles. Her bones ached from the cold.
“You’re not giving up now. We’re nearly there.” Reno reassured her with his ever soothing tone.
No. She pushed away from him. “I can’t swim any farther. We’ve been swimming for forever.”
“Not forever. Only hours.”
“How many hours?” She eyed him.
“A few. But, I swear we are almost to shore.”
Groaning, she laid back on her back, letting the waves take her where they would. Reno moved to her side and caressed her chin, his thumb lingered. “Querida, trust me and keep swimming.”
She regarded him. His dark eyes drew her attention. Always had. Even in the ocean in the middle of nowhere, his eyes captured her. They were so determined; he was a man driven by something. She broke the eye contact and looked off into the horizon, the way they had come.
Trust him. She wanted to. Underneath it was need that drove her on. She needed to believe in someone. To trust someone. If, by the grace of God, they made it to shore, she could pretend her belief in him didn’t exist.
She was good at pretending.
A wave startled her. She gasped.
“Shhh, I’ve got you.” A strong arm held her close.
Lacey whimpered. “Did I drift off again?”
“I’ll carry you for a while.”
She wanted to protest but instead rested her head back and relaxed. “Just for a minute. I’m so tired.” She should be ashamed of herself. She had napped earlier. “How are you? Aren’t you tired?
“I plan to sleep tonight.” A large wave lifted and dropped them. She stuck out her tongue as raindrops misted over them. “Just relax.”
“It’s raining.”
“A drizzle. It started a few minutes ago.”
The sky had grown dark. That couldn’t be a good sign. She didn’t want to think about an incoming storm. Didn’t want to think of how cold she was. She turned her mind to thoughts of Reno—she’d done that more and more as the days had passed. “You’ve been in the water like this before, haven’t you?”
Reno hesitated.
She’d had to ask. He was so capable. She’d be dead if it weren’t for him. “It’s okay.” Her chattering teeth wouldn’t let her say too much. “Just glad you’re here.”
He remained silent as his powerful legs cut them through the water. The silence lasted until he stopped swimming. “Look out there and tell me what you see.” Raising an arm he pointed behind her.
She floated around to gaze in awe in the distance, blinking through the increasing rain. “Oh Reno, it’s an island! Right?” She blinked a few times to make sure the land stayed in her vision. “It’s not a mirage?”
His lip curled up only the slightest. “No, it is not your imagination playing tricks.”
“It’s an island!”
“Yes.” He opened his watch and used his pinkie to press some buttons. The watch interested her greatly, but she’d learned early on that to survive in Vasco’s company, she shouldn’t ask too many questions. He closed the gadget. “But, now we face the hard part.”
“Hard part?” Had he forgotten about the shark, particularly the one he’d fought? She tried hard to control her shivering, her arms and legs felt so sluggish.
“We’ve been lucky so far and have been able to swim with the current. Now we must swim slightly against it to reach shore.”
She moaned, muscles tensing at the mere mention of extra work. “Oh, I’m not sure I can. I’m so tired.”
“You can. You’ve done great so far.”
Laughter bubbled up from her tummy. “I have not. I’m a wreck. I keep falling asleep.” She met his brown eyes. “You can make it. I know you can. You are such a strong swimmer.”
“The hypothermia is making you sleepy. You have to fight it.” He grabbed her wrist and tugged her along. “And we’re going to make it.” She kicked her feet while paddling her free hand. “I am proud of you, querida. As soon as we get to the island, I’ll get you warmed up.”
Her shivering was constant now. “It is so far still.”
“Not nearly as far as we have already swum.” His voice was gruff, he seemed pale to her.
Okay. If he could find a final burst of energy, she could, couldn’t she? She wanted to live. Maybe after this he wouldn’t make her return to Vasco. With possible freedom within her reach, she nodded.
“You’ll need to focus. And keep the island in your line of vision. We cannot miss it.” Reno’s hands disappeared under the surface, to emerge with a rope. She watched as he made a fancy knot on a loop on her life jacket. Next he hooked the loose end to his belt. His hands shook some.
A clap of thunder burst overhead. She looked up. Oddly awed by the hovering storm, forgetting briefly to be afraid.
“I’m going to keep you close to me. Remember to swim hard and focus.”
She nodded. “I will.”
“It’s our best shot at survival.”
Lightning flashed.
Enforces & Shields of Intelligence mobile headquarters.
Former United Nations interpreter Lily Leslie, now known as Garnett, frowned as she waited for Gallant’s global tracking unit to be activated once again. With their satellite optics they could find anything, especially a covert team member. She’d gone from working with the heads of states of the world to a secret elite mission organization. Carefully selected operatives from around the world made up the team.
What in the world had her team member, Reno, in the middle of the ocean and moving so damn slow? She’d trained with the man. She knew he could keep up with a dolphin if he needed to.
Her companion, Hutch, sat forward and braced his elbows on the giant computer console. “The bloke has gotten his arse into one bugger of a mess.”
Ignoring the man’s Australian accent, which she’d learned months ago she enjoyed hearing, she typed some commands into her keyboard and all twelve monitors lit up. She pointed to the far top right corner’s screen. “Check that out.”
Hutch winced at the approaching storm on the screen. “The bloke is fucked. Bloody nasty storm heading his way.”
“Big time.”
“Has TTDF been notified?” Their missions came from someone deep inside the United Nations, so they worked on a global scale. She’d already considered contacting the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force. They had contacts everywhere and her fingers itched to call in the coast guard.
She shook her head. “Stone says no. He has faith Reno will make it to shore.” She shrugged. Their boss always knew best. “We can’t risk blowing his cover.” She silently added, if it’s not already been blown. Reno had been deep undercover for well over a year. The man had sacrificed a great deal to go so deep into the underbelly of the drug world.
“Garnett.” Hutch got her attention once more with the use of her nickname. Codename. They all had them in this line business. “My money’s on a death sentence of being shark bait.”
Lily leaned bake to withdraw a handy hundred dollar bill. She loved to bet with the team. “My money is something went haywire. I’ve yet to see Gallant get sloppy. His covered hasn’t been blow.” Yeah, she’d make that bet.
Hutch grinned. “You’re on, mate.”
Fingertips clicked keys as she entered command after command in search of a satellite that could call up images of Gallant’s struggle in the water. It was useless. The storm had everything iffy.
So instead she called up a private island she’d located earlier, and hoped he would make it to shelter before the growing storm overtook him. She had a hundred bucks that said so. “That’s his goal.”
“Any inhabitants on the island?”
“Data shows there is a house along with two outbuildings. I haven’t seen any signs of life on the thermal grids, yet.”
“Probably away at the festival.”
She shrugged.
The door slid opened behind them.
Hutch swung his chair around. “Speak of the bastard and he appears.” A grin, flashing white teeth.
Ignoring Hutch’s friendly dig, Stone—their captain—dropped a picture on the desk. “Finally got word from Lobo.” The knot in her stomach eased a bit. Lobo was a second agent that had infiltrated the compound of the Casimiro cartel, only Lobo hadn’t gotten nearly as close as Reno. “Gallant isn’t alone,” Stone said. “He’s on guard duty again.” Their boss reached out and redirected one of the monitors they’d been watching.
She raised an eyebrow as she angled her chair to address Stone. “He’s babysitting Vasco’s girlfriend?”
Hutch snickered and picked up the money she’d laid on the desk. “Well mate, there isn’t any way an unseasoned swimmer is making it across that current to the island.” Being a former member of the Royal Australian Navy, reconnaissance, sabotage, and shipping raids were the Aussie’s specialty.
With a salute of her middle finger, she flipped Hutch off. At least now they knew what was taking Reno so damn long to reach shore.
“She’s no girlfriend.” From a central monitor the face of Tex, an intelligence specialist station in VA, joined the meeting. She liked the quiet man now speaking. They contacted Tex from time-to-time when they needed his help. He knew his stuff; he had eyes and ears everywhere. “Lacey Manning is a missing Florida college student.” They listened as Tex’s fingers tapped keys. “Check your inbox. You’ve now got all the details I have on her. From what I’ve gathered, she’s an American captive of Vasco Casimiro. She was last seen in Miami celebrating college graduation with friends.”
“Damn.” Lily sat up straight as she scanned the document. “The young lady’s in serious hell.” Lacey’s parents had filed a missing person report, but nothing had come of it. Did Reno know of Lacey’s circumstances? He’d never mentioned it in any of his communications. No. If Reno had any inkling Lacey wasn’t with Vasco of her own free will, he’d have said so.
Stone nodded. “Thanks, Tex.”
“Anytime.” The intelligence guru disappeared as the screen immediately filled with the brewing storm.
Hutch tapped the picture and whistled. Gallant took up most of the shot, but the blonde stood out. Lacey equaled traditional American beauty. Slim. Blond. Eye catching in her contrast with Gallant’s dark looks.
“This is the only photo we’ve got of her.” Stone addressed the image. “Vasco has kept her hidden and away from the public eye.”
Hutch leaned back, his lower lip momentarily caught between his teeth. “I’d do her.”
“You’d do a kangaroo.” She rolled her eyes. “Gallant won’t cross that line.”
Stone’s face revealed nothing of his thoughts. “He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. Vasco isn’t going to like the two spending time alone on that island.”
Their leader had a point. The mission’s time clock just started ticking.
Once again facing her work station, Lily cropped the image to cut away Gallant and isolate the woman. Entering the picture into several systems, she ran a check through the data bases. She’s see what she could find that Tex might have missed. Now to wait while the software did its thing.
She set up straighter and read aloud what Tex had gathered. “Lacey J. Manning, age twenty-two, went missing five months ago from a dance club in South Beach, Miami, Florida.” Lily scanned the report, which remained an open missing persons. Quickly she scanned other documents. “Lacey was accepted to grad school.” She’s missed her start date for a Master’s program.
“Damn it,” Stone growled. “Gallant’s so fucked if he lets himself get caught up in her.”
The entire mission was forfeited if Gallant compromised himself with Lacey.
Lily stared at the picture. Just what type of woman was this Lacey Manning, and not that it mattered to the mission but was Tex right? Was Lacey an involuntary missing person? Or had the young lady decided she needed some adventure in her life before things got real? College students did stupid stuff all the time. No way to be sure until Gallant checked in with the whole story.