Tumult (TSS Series Book 1) by Lea Hart (4)

CHAPTER FOUR

Tuesday, October 3^rd

Carrick walked out of the shoot house and saw Locke walking toward him. “We’re all set for the class this afternoon.”

“Thanks for taking care of it. I was on a conference call all morning with the team that’s going over to Abu Dhabi. We had to go over the schedule and determine if we have what we need.”

Carrick leaned against the exterior wall of the structure and folded his arms. “Glad it’s you and not me spending eight weeks in the UAE.”

“I’m looking forward to it because I’ve never been in that part of the world without bullets or mortars exploding a foot away. The crown prince is taking real good care of the instructors while we’re over there, so it’s going to be nothing but good livin’.”

“As long as you’re happy with the assignment.”

“Speaking of assignments, how did it go with Audrey yesterday?”

“As good as can be expected. I didn’t blow smoke up her ass and give her a bullshit story about what to expect. She wants to be in-country for at least five or six days, and I don’t know if that’s feasible. It’s going to depend on how active ISIS is and how the battle for Raqqa is going. If the YPG is telling the truth and they’re in the final stages of conflict, then the possibility of squirters running North isn’t going to be good news for us. Not to mention the Turkish government’s anger over the Kurds’ success.”

“What kind of assets do we have in the area?”

“I spoke with Leo at the Moyock facility and he said they have a team of a dozen men working in al-Darbasiyah near the Turkish border with coalition forces. The town was hit with Turkish artillery last month and the CIA has contracted our guys to be their eyes and ears on the ground. Apparently, the Kurdish militants in northeastern Syria and Iraq’s Sinjar region are enemy number one for the Turkish government because they fear the more power they gain, the more problems it’s going to present for them down the road. Since we’re supporting the Kurds’ efforts, we need to know what Turkey might do about it and our guys are keeping tabs.”

Locke rubbed his hand over his neck and looked out the open warehouse door. “I hate the idea of Audrey being anywhere near that shit, but talking her out of it is going to be damn near impossible.”

“I’m expecting to get an answer today about who she’s chosen, so if she decides to go with Titan, I’m going to do my best to talk her into a shorter stay.”

“Hopefully the troops that are deployed in the area have a calming influence and Turkey can focus on what’s important and that’s the common enemy ISIS and not on the YPG.”

Carrick let out a snort and straightened up. “Not sure if that’s possible because the YPG is considered a terrorist organization according to the Turkish government.”

“Which just means they’re an armed wing of the leftist Democratic Union Party and that doesn’t work with the Turkish totalitarian rule.”

“As far as I can tell, no other force inside Syria has been as effective battling ISIS as the YPG and YPJ and other countries should ally themselves like we have and focus on getting rid of the jihadists above everything.”

“If they’re as close as they say to taking control of Raqqa, then ISIS’s self-proclaimed caliphate is crumbling quicker than a graham cracker. Mosul is all but done, so I’d say the group’s glory days may be over sooner than we think.”

“That’s what Leo said too, but as we both know, situations change day by day, hour by hour.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

Carrick checked his watch and then started moving toward the door. “We’re running full mission-profile scenarios this afternoon, so can you check the vehicles?”

“Are we starting with vehicular approaches on the first run through or is that the last exercise?”

“Thought we’d start the group out with it and see where they’re at.”

“Sounds good, I’ll take care of the cars and meet you back here in an hour.”

“Roger that,” Carrick replied before he walked toward the offices. As he stepped through the doorway, he saw Clint motion him toward his office. “Yes, sir?”

“A few minutes of your time.”

The grim look on his commander’s face did not bode well for anyone and he wondered what the hell was up. Walking into the office, he took a chair facing the desk and waited.

“Wanted to let you know that I’m going to be out of the office tomorrow and possibly the following day. If you need anything from me, it will have to happen before 0600 tomorrow.”

“Can’t think of anything at the moment, sir. I expect to hear back from Audrey today regarding the watchdog assignment and we’ve got the training classes all set for the rest of the week.”

“Excellent.”

“If there is anything you need from me, please let me know.”

“Appreciate it, Carrick.” Looking down at his desk, he cleared his throat. “Brooke’s going in for some tests tomorrow and I’ll be at the hospital all day.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll keep you both in my thoughts.”

“Appreciate it.” Knocking his fist on the desk, he looked up. “It’s nothing that we’re not going to beat.”

Carrick saw the pain and worry in Clint’s eyes and prayed like hell that Brooke wasn’t going to face a second battle with cancer. “Absolutely.” He looked down at his boots and then stood. “I’ll check in with her tomorrow and see if she needs a McDonald’s delivery.”

Clint let out a bark of laughter. “There’s not a time in my daughter’s life when she doesn’t need a McDonald’s delivery.”

“When I picked her up in Baga Sola, she talked of little else, so I figure it’s going to take a while before she gets her fill.”

“That is absolutely true.”

Carrick heard his phone buzz and pulled it out. “Looks like Ms. Barnes has an answer for us. She’s up at the front desk.”

“Let me know what she decides.”

“I will, and tell Brooke I’m thinking of her.” Seeing Clint nod in acknowledgment, Carrick walked toward the front and wondered what Audrey had decided. On one hand, he wanted to be the one to escort her in and out of Syria, and on the other hand, he wanted nothing to do with the assignment because the beautiful attorney was going to distract him in ways that were going to do neither one of them a bit of good.

Sitting with her yesterday had proven that in no uncertain terms, and he didn’t like the idea of being so attracted to someone he had to keep out of the hands of ISIS. Not having ever experienced anything like it in his career, he had no clue how to handle it, but if she chose Titan, he was going to have to figure out how.

Which he would, one way or another.

***

Audrey stood in the reception area and hoped she was making the right decision. After consulting with SAI, Kelly, and her parents, she’d decided that Titan was the best option. If the publisher accepted the proposal, then she would probably be in Syria within a couple of weeks, which would work perfectly with her trial schedule.

She was still of counsel with Sullivan and Cromwell and she expected to be on a case by the middle of November. Which meant she needed to get in and out of Syria in one piece and get a good chunk of writing done before she got embroiled in the litigation.

Looking at her phone, she saw that Kelly had messaged her and decided to respond after her meeting with Carrick. For all she knew, he had no interest in escorting her on the trip and she needed to know either way before she updated her friend and agent.

Hearing the door swoosh open, she turned and saw Carrick approach and noted the frown that seemed to be his default expression. “I thought I’d stop by before I headed to the airport and give you my decision in person; I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Locke and I have a training session this afternoon, so this works.” He gave her a nod and then held the door open. “Come on back.”

Tipping her head in acknowledgment, she walked past him and noticed again how he towered over her. At 5’10’’ she wasn’t used to the sensation and decided it was probably a good thing, considering she was putting her safety in his hands. And what big hands they were. Taking a surreptitious glance, she noticed he had scars bisecting the top of his left one and his right was nicked up as well. Definitely the hands of a warrior.

But he was more than that, as she had discovered when she researched him last night. Not that his family and upbringing were of any importance, but coming from where he did, it was surprising he’d chosen the Navy.

Following him into a room that was filled with workstations, she took a chair where he indicated. She set down her bag and folded her hands. “I had a great meeting with SAI and enjoyed getting to know Chris and Derrick. They say hi, by the way, and asked me to remind you that you owe them fifty bucks from the Navy at Tulsa game.”

He bit back a laugh and nodded. “Funny how they remember when I owe them money and not the other way around.” Pulling a tablet off the workstation, he powered it on. “What did you decide?”

“I would like Titan to handle the security for my trip to Syria. The men at SAI said your company would be the best option because you have assets in the area.”

“I served with most of the men who work at SAI and that includes the founder and president, Max Bishop. I have a ton of respect for them and truthfully almost went there after I left the Teams. The fact that they considered your safety above everything else tells me they’re still the best teammates a man could ask for.”

“They also advised strongly against the trip and told me in no uncertain terms that I was crazy for even thinking about it.”

“Sounds like Chris and Derrick. They’re absolutely no-bullshit guys and like to cut to the chase in just about everything.”

Tilting her head, Audrey studied Carrick and decided he was handsome after all. She hadn’t noticed it at first because he’d been scowling at her almost constantly, but seeing him talk about his friends opened up something in his face that made her see beneath the stern façade. And thinking about his looks wasn’t a road she needed to travel, so she cleared her throat and pulled a bottle of water out of her bag. “They may be no-bullshit guys but they sure like to talk about their wives and kids. They both showed me a bunch of pictures and had nothing but wonderful things to say about families.”

“They’ve both drunk the Kool-Aid and are fully indoctrinated into the cult of family,” he replied caustically.

Audrey smiled faintly as she lifted the bottle of water to her mouth and took a sip. He certainly had some strong feelings about kids and wives, and she decided it wasn’t necessary to know more. It wasn’t her business and all that mattered was that they survived the trip and one another. “I’ll send you the contact information for myself as well as the publisher for the company’s proposal for the trip. Once they receive it, they should have a response for us within a couple of days. I’m not sure how that works with your company’s schedule, so perhaps once we have an answer from the publisher, we can speak and see if everything lines up.”

“All right, I should be able to send it out by end of business tomorrow.”

“Great, if I can have your card, I’ll send you the info right now.” She watched him lean over and open a drawer and noticed how his shirt stretched across his chest and arms. He may be retired from the Teams, but it was clear that if he had to go back tomorrow, he could. Taking the card from him, she quickly sent the contact info and then slid her phone back into her bag. “I think that’s it.” She stood and gave him a small smile. “Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.”

Carrick stood as well and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I want to try to talk you out of this trip, but I feel like it would be a waste of time.”

“It absolutely would and since you seem like a man who doesn’t like to, let’s just skip it.” Lifting her bag higher on her shoulder, she gave him a shrug. “I know these women’s stories are worth being told and I’m lucky enough to have a publisher willing to get behind the project. If I don’t take advantage of the opportunity, then it may be lost, and I think the world needs to know what’s happening in Syria.”

“Is it the women warrior thing that interests you?”

“Women have been warriors since the beginning of time, so if that’s all this book was going to be about, no one would be interested. What’s fascinating is, there’s a group of women in a remote part of Syria that comes from a culture that gives them zero options for employment or self-expression. Being a Kurd woman pretty much means you get to marry someone your family has chosen for you and you have little say about it. So, for these women to take up the fight to secure their ancestral land is nothing short of amazing. It’s changing the future for the culture and generations to come.”

“I guess that means I need to get you in and out in one piece.”

“That would definitely be preferable.” Holding his card up, she gave him a smile. “If we end up working together, can I pass on your info to my family?” The visible shudder that went through his body was funny as was the grim smile.

“If you feel it’s absolutely necessary.”

“It probably won’t be, but I thought it would be good to check with you first.”

“Where are you from, Audrey?”

“Portland, Maine. Mom’s a high school math teacher and Dad’s a buyer for LL Bean. Our family has been there for generations and most of them have stayed.”

“You being the exception.”

“I loved my childhood and there’s no prettier place in the world than Portland in the fall and spring. But I had bigger dreams than the city would allow, so when I left for college, I never planned on returning permanently.”

“New York City is where you plan on staying?”

“Not sure. If this writing thing becomes a permanent thing, then I may move to southern California. I was in Laguna Beach last week and decided it wouldn’t be a bad place to live.” Hearing her phone buzz, she pulled it out and saw Kelly calling. “I shouldn’t take up any more of your time.”

“Call me if you have any questions after you’ve read the proposal.”

Putting out her hand, she noticed that he was a lot more relaxed and decided if she ended up in the middle of Syria with him, it wouldn’t be utterly horrible. “Will do.” He took her hand and shook it gently and she realized that the hot dry heat emanating from him was nicer than she imagined.

Not that she’d been thinking about what his touch would feel like.

How ridiculous.