Release, page 17
“I still won’t have an answer. Face facts, Nate. I’m never going to have a solution for this problem. I’m simply not equipped. The dispersal system is too far outside my expertise. I just don’t know enough.”
He reached a hand over and touched her arm. “You’re goddamn brilliant.”
“Smart doesn’t mean I can know everything.”
“You don’t need to. We’ll find someone to help.”
“Bring someone else into this nightmare? No way. I wouldn’t do that to my worst enemy.”
“I know. It’s been hell.”
“Not just for me,” she said. “For you, too. Especially you.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he said, desperate to believe his own words. “If we can’t get the antidote out there, then we’ll have to stop things before it gets to that point.”
“How?” she asked.
“No idea. But now that it looks like Boone located the manufacturing plant, we’ve got a better chance than ever.”
She didn’t respond. Probably because she couldn’t think of anything positive to say. The plant was in Nevada and it was on restricted government land. It would be a bitch to get in there, let alone to take the place down. Besides, with what they were manufacturing, setting off an explosion would release the gas into the air, which would endanger countless lives.
They drove in silence, but instead of working the problem, his thoughts were on Tam. About how this failure was affecting her. She didn’t deserve it. God, she’d worked so hard.
He got off the freeway and took a convoluted route to the lab. He didn’t believe they were being followed, but he wasn’t about to take any more chances tonight. They’d almost gotten caught. He doubted very much that any of them would last a night in jail. They’d be killed before their fingerprints were dry.
When they got to the condemned building, Nate parked, then got out with Tam. She walked slowly, and he could understand her reluctance to go down into that lab again. At least before, she’d had something to do, to keep her mind occupied. Now all she would see was how she’d fallen short of her goal.
“Listen,” he said as they moved cautiously through the debris. “Start packing. Get all your material ready to be transported. I don’t want you down there any longer than necessary.”
“Where would I go?”
“I don’t know yet. We’ll figure it out. You just worry about your side.”
She didn’t say anything as they reached the door. He opened it and headed down first, his weapon drawn.
Her shoes were silent above him in the dark, but he could feel her there. Nothing felt off about the lab, and when he turned on the lights, it was just as they’d left it earlier.
Tam climbed down next to him and she looked around, too. He’d been right—she looked as if she were at a funeral.
“Want a drink?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not tonight. I just want to crash. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
He hated leaving her like this, but he didn’t want to push. “Okay. If you need me, I’m just a phone call away.”
She tried to muster a smile, but it was badly done.
Nate touched her shoulder, gave it a gentle squeeze, then headed up in the dark. Tam didn’t close the door until he had reached the top of the stairs.
He thought about her the whole way home, worry a tight fist in his gut.
* * * * * *
Seth woke her with a soft kiss on the forehead. Harper opened her eyes to find him sitting on the bed, and he was naked. Her eyes filled with tears as it sank in that he was back, that somehow in the two days since she’d kicked him out he’d seen that she needed his forgiveness. He smiled at her as he pulled the covers off her body.
She’d worn her old, ratty T-shirt to bed. And boxers. And she hated that she wasn’t naked, too. She ripped the shirt over her head and felt his hands at her waist, teasing down the shorts.
The other thing she should have done was shave her legs, but Seth didn’t seem to mind. With every inch of her skin he exposed, he bent over and kissed her there. Her belly button, her hip bone and finally the curls at the junction of her thighs.
Warmth spread through her. Warmth and hunger for more. Her shorts gone, she reached for Seth, and he lay down next to her, pulling her into his arms.
His kiss, when it finally came, was soft but sure. He knew where he was, who he was with. When he pulled away, she used the moonlight to look in his eyes. There was no anger. Only desire.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“For not listening to me. I was scared and stupid and I shouldn’t have sent you away like that.”
“Don’t worry.”
“How could I not? I was horrible.”
He shook his head. “Never. I knew you were scared. Don’t you think I know you by now? The way it’s been for you? I know you try to push people away, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m here and I’m staying.”
She clung to him, the feel of his skin like a balm, his scent an aphrodisiac.
His fingers moved between her legs, and soon she couldn’t stop herself from writhing under his touch. How did he know her body like this? It was scary to be so open to another person. But then she remembered that he was her protector. He would keep her safe, not just in bed but always. Seth was her hero. Her champion. And she could let down her guard. Finally. After a lifetime.
He kissed her chin, the hollow of her neck, her breasts, each one. Not content with that, he trailed kisses down to her tummy and her mound.
His hands spread her legs and his lips replaced his finger. The perfect combination of hard and soft, his tongue was better than anything. He licked her over and over, and then the point of his tongue circled tightly over her clit until she gasped for breath and felt the beginning of her climax.
He shifted his body over hers, his knees between her legs, but the whole time he never let up with his talented tongue.
She gripped the pillows as she got close and closer, as all her muscles tightened, lifting her chest and pointing her toes.
When it hit, it was incredible. Tremors of pleasure, waves of release. He entered her in one swift thrust, making her cry out from the intense pleasure.
She prepared herself for his brutal rhythm, but that wasn’t his plan. He moved slowly, languidly, in and out of her body, rubbing her sensitized clit in a way designed to make her insane.
Her fists loosened from their grip on the pillows and she let herself touch him. His hair, the dark stubble on his chin. She traced his lips with her index finger and watched as he swallowed. She stroked his shoulders and the top of his back. It wasn’t enough, so she curled her legs over his lower back, feeling his movements in a whole new way.
“Tell me you forgive me,” she whispered.
“There’s nothing to forgive.”
“Tell me that you love me.”
“You know I do.”
“Tell me you won’t leave me.”
“Never. No matter what. I’ll always be here. I’ll always keep you safe. No one will ever hurt you, not ever.”
She wept as she lifted her hips, wanting all of him inside her, wanting this connection more than she’d ever wanted anything. They’d left her. They hadn’t cared at all. But Seth did. He wouldn’t go, he wouldn’t hurt her, not the way they had.
His movements quickened and his arms tensed. Suddenly his head went back, and she could see the corded muscles of his neck as his rhythm got even faster yet more erratic. He was going to come and she wanted him to. She wanted him so much, so deeply.
He came then with a cry, straining as he emptied himself inside her. She clung to him, not ready for it to be over. It was the most peace she’d had in years. Maybe ever. “Please,” she whispered.
“I’m here. Don’t cry.”
She hadn’t even realized she was crying, but now the tears were hot on her temples. “I’m sorry,” she said over and over, and he held her so tight.
He held her with both hands.
She woke in the bed, alone. The tears were real and her body felt as though she had come, but all the rest was nothing. A dream.
He’d never forgiven her. He’d never said he loved her. And she was more alone than she could bear.
The tears continued, and for a long time all she could do was try to catch her breath between sobs. But finally she was able to grab the tissues off the bedside and wipe her nose and her eyes. Her heart still raced, but she could swallow again and her eyes were open.
When she sat up, she realized it was the first time in months she hadn’t dreamed about Kosovo. It wasn’t a comfort.
She got out of bed, went to the bathroom. After she’d splashed cold water on her face, she padded to the kitchen and drank some water. Her gaze went to the clock. It was early. Five-thirty. Everyone smart was sleeping. She knew if she called, she’d wake Kate and Vince, and that wasn’t fair. But she didn’t think she could stand waiting even an hour. Hell, even a minute.
She got her cell from her purse and dialed Seth’s number. Maybe she would wake only him. But her message went directly to his voice mail.
Okay, no way around it. She either had to wait for a sensible hour or wake Kate. She hoped Kate would understand.
She dialed. And waited. After six rings, a very sleepy Kate mumbled, “Hello?”
“I’m sorry. I know I woke you. But I need to speak to him.”
“Who? Who is this?”
“It’s Harper. I need to speak to Seth.”
There was a long silence during which Harper imagined Kate getting out of bed to fetch Seth. But it was Kate’s voice who finally answered. “Harper, Seth is gone.”
“What?”
“He’s gone to Nevada. To help Boone.”
Her heart nearly stopped, but somehow she apologized, then hung up the phone.
She sat at her kitchen table, the only light in the room coming from the street. Seth had taken her at her word. She’d told him to get out, and that’s exactly what he’d done.
It truly had been a dream. She had no reason to expect his forgiveness. She’d gotten exactly what she deserved. And she could hardly stand the pain.
* * * * * *
The dawn light made Las Vegas look better than it deserved. The Stratosphere Tower, standing in the mountain’s shadow, the glistening Mandalay Bay and all the spires and pyramids made for an unmistakable silhouette, one that would never be confused with a real city.
Of course, Seth knew that people lived in Vegas, he just didn’t understand why. Not if they had a choice. And it was all about choices, wasn’t it?
He checked the oil gauge on the old Ford Ranger. It was a new purchase for Nate but a damned old truck. One that would probably break down before he reached his destination. That would be just his luck.
It seemed as though somewhere in the last couple of years he should have caught a break. He’d signed up for the Kosovo operation without suspecting a thing, he’d gotten his hand blown off and then he’d gone and fallen in love with a woman who could barely look at him.
Three days ago, he’d come to terms with it as he’d watched Harper in her ugly booth. Maybe they’d entice more kids to come by if the booth had some bright colors or some games or something. The way it looked now, it just reminded him of going to the principal’s office. Which was beside the point. As he’d sat there in the bitter cold, his gun at the ready should anything come down, he’d faced facts.
Stupid as it was, he’d fallen in love with her. He’d tried to come up with a different explanation, but no matter how convoluted his thinking became, he always went back to the bottom line.
It was ironic, considering how deeply he’d hated her. He could still feel the fire burn inside him as he’d used every ounce of his energy to despise the woman who’d taken his hand. Yeah, he’d wanted her, too. But love? That was just plain dumb.
God knows she hadn’t had any delusions. She’d said from the get-go that all she was interested in was sex.
But he was a sentimental ass and he’d let himself get attached.
It wasn’t like the way it was between Boone and Christie or Vince and Kate. They were at least normal. No. He had to fall for Harper. Who wanted no part of him, of the team, of their efforts to get their lives back.
She’d been happy. And then he’d come along and screwed it all up.
Of course, she was worried about the people at the clinic. She’d invested her time, her energy and her heart into that place. It made sense. She’d seen so much death that she wanted to fix people, heal them. She’d done exactly that.
What had he done?
He’d thought he was so clever. Disguises. They might have worked in some other situation, but not at the clinic and not when his picture was in every post office across the country.
He should have thought it through. He should have done his rehab alone, in private. It hadn’t been worth the risk, not at six dollars an hour.
He’d left without cashing his check, which was just another bonehead move in a series of bonehead moves. Boone and Christie were as broke as anybody, and they all had to eat and buy gas and get the right equipment for the job.
Thoughts occupied by the task ahead, it was a good hour before he thought of Harper again. That was a record. He was on the other side of Vegas, on the 15 heading north. There was nothing but desert all around him. He passed the Moapa Truck Stop and Casino, then there was a whole bunch more nothing.
Harper was right there, right in the middle of his head. It was worse because he kept thinking about how they’d made love and how she hadn’t given a thought to the fact that he had only the one hand.
At least he knew she’d really wanted him. No way she’d faked that. To give her credit, she’d never lied to him in any way. She’d told him she wasn’t interested in anything more than a screw.
It was time to start looking for his turnoff. He was glad it was coming up, because he hadn’t slept all night. After the insecticide facility, he’d talked to Nate about his plans. The next day Nate had handed him the keys to the Ford and told him to keep in touch. No question about his ability. Everyone seemed to think he could do the job. Even Harper.
There it was, his turnoff. From the freeway it looked like a flyspeck of a town, but when he got onto the main drag he could see that the mountains had hidden a lot.
He remembered the directions to Boone’s place, and it only took about ten minutes to get there. His new digs were at the Starlight Motel and Apartments. The place had seen better days. The pool in the courtyard was empty, the gate broken. There were three cars in the parking lot. He found number seven and parked by number twelve.
He got his duffel from the back of the truck and knocked on the right door. It was Christie, not Boone, who let him in, and she gave him a ferocious hug.
He remembered the first time he’d seen her, when Boone had gone to help her with the stalker. She’d been painfully thin and she’d looked like a prisoner of war. Now she was nothing but beautiful.
He hugged her back and felt a nudge on his leg. It was her dog, Milo. Damn, he looked good, too.
“Good to see you, Milo. How you been, boy?”
“Well, I can see where I stand in the pecking order.”
Seth looked up to see Boone standing next to Christie. He had his arm across the back of her neck and a smile on his face.
Seth stood and shook his hand, then swore and pulled him into a hug.
“It’s good to see you, man.”
“You, too. It’s been a long time.”
Boone nodded. “We don’t have much room here, but you can have the couch. You want coffee? Breakfast?”
“Sleep. I need a few hours, then we can catch up.”
“Good enough.” He took Christie’s hand. “We’ll be in the bedroom if you need anything.”
“Thanks. Damn. I’m glad you guys are all right.”
Boone slapped him on the shoulder before leading Christie away. Only Milo stayed to watch him wash and brush his teeth. He took off the claw and put it on the coffee table. Then he lay down without even taking off his shoes.
Harper was there when he closed his eyes. All he could think was that he’d finally forgiven her for saving his life. Now he couldn’t forgive her for breaking his heart.
Chapter 18
In the two weeks they’d been patrolling the manufacturing plant, Seth and Boone had made their way inside the perimeter, past guards, motion detectors, air patrols, heat detectors and boredom. Tonight’s foray was all about the security cameras. They’d map as they went, of course, but their true goal was to get the make and design of the cameras outside the plant, diagram them, then find the power sources. It would be a long, tense night, but Seth didn’t care. He needed the work, needed to get out of the motel room.
None of their progress would have been made had it not been for the bugs they’d installed months ago at Omicron headquarters in Los Angeles. There had been two major security meetings about the plant that had given them not only the locale, but the hierarchy of command. Nate had taped and transcribed them both, and the whole team had studied them until they knew everything but what an actual recon would reveal.
The most important fact was that this was a military operation, and if there was one thing Delta knew, it was how those things were run.
Boone was up ahead, crawling under a wire they’d cut last night. They had three minutes until they had to go flat, and in that three they should be able to get halfway to the main processing building.
The damn place was huge. Seth had a feeling they used to do a lot of munitions work here. There were safe rooms, exit strategies posted on practically every wall. Those were helpful as they provided some of the mapping.
The overall objective was to get as much information as possible so that a takeover could be successful.
