“Director Whittlefield.”

“Director, its Sampson.”

“Morning, Tasha.”

“Ready for my report?” Tasha asked.

“Just a moment.” There was brief pause and she knew Whittlefield was starting a recorder. Her report would be transcribed by computer and entered into the records. “Proceed.”

“Alpha Team is coming along nicely. They are working well as a team.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Yes, sir. Sergeant Thames has really stepped up as their leader, and their fieldcraft is much better now.”

“So they’re no longer a bunch of Rambos?”

She snickered. “No, sir. Even Chief Petty Officer Tesley has mellowed out.”

“I assume we’re still on schedule?”

“Ahead of schedule, sir. They are progressing much faster than I anticipated. Having Thames on the team really helps. We should recruit more of the Pararescues. He has an instinctive grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

“That was a good call, Sampson, putting him on the team.”

She smiled at the compliment. “I had a feeling about him.”

“What’s our timeline?”

Tasha thought. They were at least three weeks ahead of schedule, but she didn’t want to over-commit her guys. “I think we’ll be ready to activate them in about four months. Maybe less.”

“So, in four weeks, you feel like you’re a month ahead of schedule?”

“Yes, sir, I do.”

There was a short pause. “Okay. There’s nothing on the threat board, so there’s no need to push this. We’ll plan on activating them on your recommendation.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“We’ll begin the selection process for the next group at that time.”

Tasha licked her lips. She’d debated asking this question since her third weekly report. “One thing, Director, if I might. I’d like to stay with these men and continue their training.”

“No. I need to you to break in the raw recruits. You’re the best we’ve got.”

“I understand, sir. But I realize how much more these men can learn. I didn’t expect them to be so adept at covert field work. If we’re going to base all the training off what these men can accomplish, then I think we should really push them. Let’s see what they can actually do.”

Another long pause. She gripped the phone tightly. At least the director hadn’t shot her down immediately.

“I’ll take your recommendation under advisement.”

Tasha grinned. That was far easier than she expected. He hadn’t agreed, but he hadn’t shut her down either. “Thank you, sir.”

“Anything else?”

“No, sir.”

“Carry on, then. And Tasha…”

“Yes, sir?”

“If they are as good as you keep reporting, impress me with what they can do.”

She grinned, her heart thumping in her chest. “Count on it, sir.”

“Very good.”

She hung up the phone and threw her hands up in a victory salute. She knew Whittlefield well enough to know what he was hinting at. If she pulled a rabbit out of the hat with these men, he would give her what she wanted. She was surprised at how possessive of her team she’d become. She didn’t want anyone else meddling with them.

She checked her watch. Fug was probably waiting on her with a car. She picked up her bag with her running gear and headed for the door. They would be cooped up in the building all day today, and she’d want to stretch her legs after that.

She’d taken a liking to Fug after she’d helped her with the first exercise. Whenever she needed a straight man, Fug was her go-to person. She was smart, eager to please, and the men liked her. Best of all, she never asked questions about what they were doing or why. She simply did her job and kept her mouth shut.

Tasha stepped out into the bright Arizona sun. Seven-thirty in the fucking morning, and it was already almost ninety. She slipped her sunglasses on as Fug opened the car door for her. Fug was as put together as ever, but she had a certain bubbliness this morning.

“Fug. How are you this morning?”

“Good. Yourself?”

“Fine.” Fug closed the door and trotted around to the driver’s side. As she slid behind the wheel, she was grinning.

“Okay, what going on?”

Fug looked at her, her smile disappearing and returning wider a moment later. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Bullshit. You look like the cat that just ate the canary.”

Fug pulled away from the curb. “Nothing.”

“Come on, come on. Give.” When Fug didn’t say anything, she smiled. “What, did you get laid last night?” She watched as Fug’s color rose. “You did!” she crowed. “It must have been good.”

Fug glanced at her as she beamed. “It was un-fucking-believable!”

Tasha chuckled. “That’s good. A girl needs her toes curled every now and then. Anyone I know?” Fug’s color darkened. “No! Which one?” she gasped.

Fug swallowed hard. “I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”

“Not from me. What you do in your off-hours is of no concern of mine. Now spill it. Which one? Derrick?” Fug’s smile told her everything she needed to know. “I knew it! He was good, huh?”

“Oh, my God. We fucked all night. I’ve never come so many times in my life.”

Tasha watched as Fug struggled but failed to wipe the smile off her face. Lucky little bitch, she thought with a small smile of her own.

As she and Britney entered the building, she watched the men. Derrick had a bit of a smile as he watched Fug approach, but the other three men gave no indication that anything was out of the ordinary. Tasha nodded mentally, approving of the fact that Derrick didn’t fuck and tell.

“Gentlemen. Today, I’m going to start teaching you how to pick a pocket, and equally important, how to put something into a pocket. Airmen Fug will be your target. This takes a lot of practice, so don’t feel bad if she catches you. I can tell by watching if you have the technique down. Once you have that, all you need to do is practice. Got it? Who wants to go first?”

She spent the next four hours working with the men. She planned to teach them the bump and lift, the slide, the three-finger pass, and the slip and dip. She wouldn’t be able to teach them all four in one day, but over time they would learn them all, choosing the best technique for a given target.

She started with the bump and lift because it was fast, easy, and a classic for women with a purse.

“Okay, Derrick, that was pretty good,” Tasha instructed, “but you need to press yourself into Fug more firmly as you slide past. The bump is the key. You need to distract her so she won’t feel your fingers dipping into her purse.”

She grinned as Fug and Long didn’t look at each other and tried to hide their smiles. They were keeping it professional, but dammit, the sex poured off them like a waterfall. If they had five minutes alone, she was certain Derrick would be up to his balls inside her. The thought of it made her feel itchy.

“Do it again.”

She watched as Derrick and Britney walked toward each other as if they were on a street. Derrick brushed past her and his hand slid into her purse, coming out with the wallet inside. It was still a bit clumsy and it was clear the average woman would have felt him digging in her purse.

“Better! Okay, Dan, you want to give it another try?”

Britney and Dan lined up, and he made the grab. When they were three paces apart, Fug stopped and looked in the purse. She seemed surprised it was empty. Dan help up the wallet with a grin.

“Shit. I thought he missed it!”

Tasha smiled. Dan was her star pupil. He was a quick study and almost always got what she was teaching first, especially if it involved any type of dexterity or grace. His long, graceful fingers and less bulky build was an asset, and he made good use of it.

“Great job! Our first undetected pick!” She smiled as he returned the wallet to Fug for another run.

She wondered what else he could do with those fingers but shoved the thoughts aside again. Focus.

“Ready for a challenge?”

“Sure.”

Tasha took the wallet from Fug and slipped it into her back pocket. “Try that.”

He grinned. “Okay.”

They started walking toward each other. As they passed, he grabbed her arm, whirled her around, and kissed her. The kiss was brief, but she staggered back, shocked.

“What the hell, Dan?” He grinned as he held up the wallet. “Bullshit! That won’t work in the real world.”

“Did you feel me take it?”

“No, but I’d have known something was off! You can’t kiss a random woman on the street!”

He grinned again. “Well, what do you expect? You are always harping on ‘improvise.’ You haven’t shown me how to pick a pocket, so I improvised.”

She stared at him a moment, then began to giggle. “Touché.”

“Wait. I want to improvise next,” Rich cried as everyone else joined in laughing.

As the end of the day approached, all four men could pick a purse, most of the time without getting caught. Dan could do it every time, at least right-handed. He wasn’t as good as the best, but he was at least as good as the average pickpocket with his right hand, though he still needed work with his left.

“Okay. Rich, Derrick, and Thom, you keep working with Fug. You know what to do. I’ll work with Dan one on one to see if he can pick my pocket.”

“If he gets to kiss you again, I’m calling foul!” Thom complained, his tone teasing.

“No more kissing,” Dan promised.

Tasha felt a sinking in her stomach. She wouldn’t mind being kissed again, thoughts of Fug and Long getting all sweaty, gasping and moaning as they tumbled about in the bed leaping to mind. Focus.

“Okay, you’ve got the bump and lift down pretty well. It works on suit pockets as well as purses, but since we don’t have anyone wearing a suit, I’ll teach you the slide. It works much like the bump and lift, but instead of coming at them from the front, you come up from behind. It gives you more time for a difficult lift. Here’s how it works.”

She started Dan walking. She came up behind him, sliding past him as if the street were busy, dragging her hand along his back before dipping her hand quickly into his pocket. She palmed the wallet so he wouldn’t see it and continued past. Five steps in front of him she stopped and showed him his wallet.

“Shit. I didn’t feel a thing.”

“You’re not supposed to. We’ll go through it slow the first time.” She stuffed his wallet into her back pocket. “Come up behind me,” she said as she stood still, “then press your body into mine as you slide past. As you do, let your hand fall to my pocket and pinch the wallet between your first two fingers. As you pass, pull the wallet then palm it like I showed you so the mark can’t see it. Got it? Give it a try.”

She stood as he moved slowly behind her and brushed past. She felt him pull the wallet, but it wasn’t a bad first attempt. “Not bad. Try again.”

They worked at it, his hand sliding along her back as he passed, making her blood run a little faster. Again, the thought of Fug and Long fucking came to mind.

“Shit!” Dan snapped. “Missed it again. This is a lot harder.”

“Yeah. Do it again. Don’t be afraid of giving me a pretty good bump.”

He did it again, bumping her harder than he had before. She put her hand on her hip, and the wallet was gone. He grinned and held it up for her to see.

She smiled. “Not bad. Now, let’s see if you can do it while I’m moving.”

She kept them late because she could tell Dan was close to getting the wallet and she wanted to end on a success. She was walking along when Dan bumped her.

“Sorry,” he muttered as he slid past.

“It’s okay. Try it again,” she replied.

“Why?” he asked, holding up the wallet with a grin.

She slapped at her pocket with a surprised look on her face. “Son-of-a-bitch. You got me.”

His grin spread. “Yeah, I did.”

“We’re done, everyone!” she called. “Dan the man here just stripped me of my pass to the detention cells, and I didn’t suspect a thing.”

The three men and Fug made ape-like calls of encouragement and support as they pumped their fists in the air.

“Good job today, everyone. But don’t use what I’ve taught you for evil. I’m not bailing your asses out of jail if you get caught.” She grinned at the men. “I need to stretch my legs. Who wants to run back to the base with me?”

Fug shook her head. “Not me. I already know I can’t keep up.”

“I’ll run with you,” Dan said.

“Great. I was hoping someone would volunteer. I still get lost out here on all these roads. Anyone else?”

“I’m not feeling it today,” Thom declined. “This fucking Air Force chow is too rich,” he said, placing his hand over his stomach.

Dan tossed him the keys to his Tahoe. “Good. Can you drop my rig at the female visitors’ quarters?”

“Sure.”

“Anyone else?” Tasha asked.

“Yeah, I’ll run with you,” Derrick said, then Rich agreed as well as he grinned at Dan. “Think the Air Force can keep up with the Navy?”

“I guess we’ll see.”

“Hang on. I need to get my running gear out of the car,” Tasha said.

She’d been waiting for Dan to ask her to run with him. She didn’t know if he hadn’t run since he stopped beside her on the road or simply hadn’t called her. Either way, she was interested in testing herself against him. She retrieved her gear from the car and glanced around. The desert was as empty as always. She quickly stripped out of her clothes and into her sports bra and running shorts. She was already wearing her running shoes. She put her clothes into her bag and slammed the car door. Fug and Gregg appeared as she was about to open the door to enter the building.

She winked at Fug. “I’ll try not to wear him out,” she whispered as Thom turned for Dan’s Tahoe.

Britney blushed as she grinned. “Please don’t.”

“Come on. I’m ready,” she called, sticking her head inside the building. “Last one back buys the beer.”

“You’re on,” Rich said they strode toward the door.

As they stepped outside, Dan skinned out of his shirt, the other two men following suit. Tasha’s mouth went dry. Derrick and Rich were built like brick shithouses, but goddamn, Dan was a fucking walking wet dream, ripped and cut to perfection. He wasn’t as bulky as the two SEALs, but that didn’t matter. Fug could have Derrick. She would take Dan over any of the other three men in a second.

They started out slow to loosen up until she began to push them. They wore their daily BDU—Battle Dress Uniform—pants and boots, and she was confident she could run these guys into the ground. At about a mile, they were still with her. All four of them were sweating buckets, but Derrick and Rich’s breathing had become labored. She smiled. Time to bury them. She kicked the pace up again, her feet pounding along the dirt roads. Derrick and Rich hung tough for a while but began to drop behind. She smiled, though she was feeling the pace and the heat.

“This way,” Dan said as they left the unpaved roads of the desert and turned toward the base proper.

She knew where she was now and was glad to be off the dirt roads. The dust coated the inside of her mouth and the back of her throat. She kicked her pace up again and began to creep away from Dan, but she couldn’t hold it and he soon caught her again and began to edge ahead.

No way, asshole, she growled to herself, reaching into her reserves. How can he run like that in long pants and boots?

She pulled up beside him and took some satisfaction that he was hurting as much as she was. They pounded across the base, and there wasn’t a dry thread on her. They made the final turn, and she could see the visitors’ quarters. She dug deep and began to pull away.

Her elation was short lived as Dan gradually passed her, slowly but steadily pulling away. He staggered to a stop maybe fifty feet in front of her as he reached the building. She pulled up beside him, so out of breath she could hardly talk.

“Fuck,” she gasped as she walked in slow circles.

“Yeah.”

“Good run.”

“Yeah, except you…tried to kill me,” he panted.

She giggled then coughed. “How far?”

“About ten miles…give or take.”

The loop she ran at home was about ten miles, but she’d never pushed it that hard before. Dan was a machine. She looked around but Long and Tesley were nowhere in sight. They must have given up. She smiled. They might be bigger and maybe stronger than Dan, but they didn’t have the endurance, and God, did she love a man with endurance. She smiled at her private joke.

“Want to come in? Can I get you anything?”

“Water?”

She bobbed her head and huffed out a hard breath as her breathing finally began to slow. “Sure. Come on in.”

They entered her quarters as he wiped his chest with the shirt he’d been carrying since he took it off. As she ran a glass for him and another for herself, he shrugged into the shirt. She didn’t know why he bothered, because he was coming out of it again, and his pants too, as soon as she recovered.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks,” he replied as the accepted the glass and downed it. He stepped to the small kitchenette and refilled it before downing it again. “I needed that.”

“What I need is a shower,” she purred, making the offer clear in her tone.

She could tell he got the message, but as he looked at her his eyes unfocused. “Yeah, me too.” He shuffled a moment. “I guess I’ll go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She clenched her jaw. She wasn’t going to throw herself at him, the asshole. “Yeah. I’ll see you guys in the morning,” she replied, all the warmth gone from her voice.

He nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. Thanks for the run,” he said before he turned and left, setting the glass on a table as he did.

“Sorry?” she murmured as the door closed. Yeah, she was sorry too.