Chapter Sixteen #4
“It’s in Kurd country. And he might have to travel through Pakistan to retrieve it. Shahrukh would be able to go in and out of those places better than a blond blue-eyed hotshot, Flyboy.”
“There’s always another way,” Flyboy objected heatedly. “No one’s playing with a Stealth without me.”
“Stealth parts, Flyboy,” Shahrukh corrected. “There wouldn’t be much left of it for you to fly.”
“I don’t—”
“You two can discuss this later,” Jed interrupted, “although I’d prefer you handle Project X-S Bot, Number Five. It’s flight simulation and nano-technology, something you’re familiar with.”
Flyboy scowled. “Give me the file. But that doesn’t mean I’m dropping the Stealth discussion, Rukh. Even if I have to fight you with a sword for it.”
“That’d be a stupid bet,” Shahrukh said, white teeth showing.
Helen couldn’t help grinning. Testosterone overload was so fun to watch.
T winked at her and rolled her eyes.
“Alex, I know your plate’s already full with Maximillian Shoggi. I think we need to talk about setting him up with the decoder. Thanks to us, he’s already lost out on several important weapon bids. He’s a very hungry arms dealer at the moment.”
Alex’s eyes glittered. “That’d be a pleasure.” He turned to T. “Time to get back into your Tasha skin. Mad Max thinks you’re his link to me.”
T tapped her fingers on the table before turning to Jed. “Evil.” She examined her nails. “I think I should be the one going after the Stealth parts.”
Helen watched with growing amusement when both Alex and Jed didn’t spare her a glance, as if the whole thing was settled. That was so not the way to get T to cooperate.
“Armando,” Jed said, his gaze catching Helen’s. She saw the knowing gleam there. “You’re going to go undercover at the same place where that remote viewer is. It’s a place called Stratter’s Pointe.”
“What, a quest for which no one will fight me?” Armando asked sardonically.
His mask of bored attentiveness was back in place.
Helen hid her smirk. That earlier outburst, though, had already betrayed him.
Armando was more eager than he let on. His explanation about the pain disappearing made her question her own reaction to “crashing” into the remote viewer.
She’d like to ask him later if he’d felt the odd sensation when it’d happened.
Another question occurred. How were Armando’s bouts with pain connected to her own unique reaction?
Using the chemical imbalance theory, she’d been sexually deprived the last few years, and her body overcompensated, so what was Armando’s “chemical” problem?
When no one answered him, Armando continued, in a faux accent, “No send the Asian to no exotic places? No illusion with simulation? No rescuing the maiden in a locked box? I get...a prison ward?”
“It’s not just any prison ward. A section of Stratter’s Pointe is for political prisoners, which your background would suit nicely.
If they check, they’ll see that you’re connected to the Triads.
The other section of Stratter’s is actually something you’ll find interesting.
” Jed pushed a file toward his direction.
“I was once there, a long time ago, and I met a few people who helped give me some direction. Read up on this place and we’ll talk about your next assignment. ”
Smooth. So smooth. Helen knew exactly what he was doing.
It was NOPAIN at its best, manipulation without force.
She recalled Jed saying something about him convalescing at that place, but the old photograph on the wall showed him so young.
What could he have been recovering from at that age?
Stratter’s Pointe didn’t look like a hospital, although it felt like a medical place in that new wing.
Another reason to get to talk to Armando privately.
She wanted to look at that file sitting in front of him.
“Political prisoners—like someone who was a captured operative?” Helen asked.
She wanted to draw T’s attention to it. There was so much about this man she didn’t know and she didn’t think he was going to volunteer more information than necessary.
She wanted more from him. “What did you do when you were there?”
There was one of those pauses before he answered. She could feel him withdrawing into himself. He was a hard man to read, with that impassive expression honed, no doubt, from years of sidestepping and evading direct questions.
“Stratter’s Pointe was actually my first U.S.
home,” Jed finally said. “I was at a military hospital healing from some wounds before that and was brought to Stratter’s for the rest of my therapy.
It was a state medical facility for those injured during active duty who needed a place to disappear to after emergency hospitalization.
It still is, but I suppose it has expanded its use.
Since Armando has been using the SYMBIOS 2 serum, he’s somewhat familiar with the drug.
I’m suspecting they’re experimenting with similar serums with their remote viewers, and putting our own man inside can find out more.
” He turned, the intensity in those silver eyes pinning.
“You and Armando have bouts of pain. This man too. I think it’s all connected.
Once we figure out why, we can understand more about these ‘psychic crashes’, as Armando called them. ”
It was disconcerting how he echoed her own thoughts. Every time she tried to corner him, get him defensive, he’d surprise her by giving in to her. She really hated that.
“Then why not send me in there?” Helen asked, knowing the answer, but she was spoiling for a fight. “What will I be doing?”
The way he kept looking at her made her feel like one of those caught butterflies about to be put in a relaxing jar. Couldn’t fly away. Going to be pinned. Her heart was thudding even though she knew nothing was showing on her face. At least, she hoped not.
“You’re coming with me to the summit, of course, supersoldier-spy. But only if you take the mandatory rest after an RV session. That means no strenuous activity, Hell, for the next two days while prep work’s being done. Go home.”
Those were fighting words. If she weren’t feeling ridiculously pleased with having one-upped him by attending the debriefing, she’d have blown a gasket.
But he’d given her some answers, even handed her the reins for a little while, and dammit, she was actually beginning to get why he was acting this way.
It was Jed McNeil’s way of saying he was sorry for what he did last night.
“Okay. But I think I should be the one to retrieve the Stealth parts, boys. Pakistan and Kurds? I bet they’re into female commandos.”
Quiet chuckles rumbled around the table. She’d surprised all the men with her apparent meekness. After all, they all had big assignments, and she was given nothing. She batted her eyes innocently. She doubted they were buying her act.
“Prepare for the Summit in Skopje with Number Eight. Something’s going down there, and of course, I’d want a well-rested supersoldier-spy there with me as my companion.”
Did every woman react to him like she did? Because that sounded very sexy to her ears. And she wasn’t going off the damn serum yet, so why was she suddenly turned on at the thought of being with him as a stupid companion?