Chapter 12 #2
“Keep records and send them to my boss, Royce. Having copies of all your data is vital. I can have our tech guy do a background check on Helvetic and the Global Conservancy Initiative,” Crusher said.
“I’d like to know who owns them and who’s pulling their strings in case there’s something more nefarious than negligent oversight. ”
“That would be great,” Priya said. “You two be careful, and good luck stopping Vasquez.”
After Crusher gave Priya Royce’s contact information, Priya ended the call and Marta drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Crusher pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to the sensitive skin below her ear. “That’s a pretty big problem Helvetic could have on their hands if they’re killing people with their clean water solution,” Crusher noted as he touched his lips across her cheek.
“Not as big a problem as the pandemic Vasquez could unleash.” Marta tipped her head back, giving him access to her neck. “How much time do we have?”
“We should get going.” Crusher cupped one of her breasts and bent to nibble on the tip. “We meet Marsh in less than an hour.”
Marta cupped the back of his neck, holding him there for a moment before lifting his chin. “I need to shower before we meet. Care to join me?”
“I’d love to.” Crusher disengaged, rolled out of the bed and scooped Marta up into his arms.
She squealed, completely unprepared for the move. “You don’t have to carry me.”
“Might be the last time I can demonstrate my incredible strength.” As if she weighed nothing, he strode toward the bathroom, entered and set her bottom on the cool counter.
Then he turned on the shower and adjusted the water.
When he spun to collect her, he lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as they entered the shower together.
They explored every inch of each other’s bodies and made love against the tile wall. Not until the water cooled did they shut it off and reach for towels.
Crusher dried Marta, moving slowly over her breasts and sex.
Marta returned the favor, pausing at his engorged cock, always amazed at how long, thick and hard he was, already aching for him to take her again.
But time was running out.
Marsh would be in the lobby at eight. She had to be dressed and ready to go with him, hopefully to a lab where she could work on a way to stop the virus from spreading before it got loose on the world.
As she dressed, Crusher interrupted often to kiss her bare skin before she covered it.
A few minutes before eight, she stood with her bag of extra clothes, her heart aching at the thought of leaving Crusher.
He pulled her into his arms and held her. “You’re going to be okay.”
“If not?”
“I’ll find you and make everything okay.”
“Promise?” she whispered.
“Promise,” he answered and kissed her again.
A knock on the door had them stepping away from each other and turning for the exit.
Crusher opened the door to Draco and Phantom.
“Ready?” Draco asked.
Marta wanted to shake her head, close the door and stay with Crusher. Instead, she lifted her chin and nodded. “Ready.”
Draco pulled a handgun out of the waistband of his jeans and handed it to Crusher. “You might need this.”
Crusher inspected it quickly and tucked it beneath the light jacket he’d purchased the day before. He drew in a deep breath and said, “Let’s go.”
Draco took the stairs while Marta, Crusher and Phantom descended in the elevator.
Crusher reached for Marta’s hand and held it all the way down.
When the door slid open on the lobby level, Marta held her breath, her gaze darting from left to right, searching for signs of dangerous men carrying weapons ready to pounce on them.
Draco appeared from a side door and made a broad circle around the lobby, coming to a halt a few yards from where Crusher, Marta and Phantom stood. He gave a brief nod and focused on the entrance.
Crusher’s gaze swept the room, his eyes narrowing.
“Is Marsh here?” Marta whispered.
Crusher shook his head. “Not yet.” He glanced down at his watch. “It’s a minute to eight.”
The revolving door at the entrance to the hotel spun, and a man with salt-and-pepper hair, wearing sunglasses, a dark polo shirt and trousers stepped through it.
Marta tensed.
“That’s him,” Crusher said, his jaw tight.
Marta blew out her breath. This was it. Crusher squeezed her hand and then released it.
Devon Marsh looked around the lobby, took off his sunglasses and looked again.
When he spotted Crusher and Marta, he strode toward them and stopped in front of them.
“Crusher, I’m glad you two made it.” He shook hands briefly with Crusher and then gave his full attention to Marta.
“Dr. Hale, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My apologies for the roundabout way you had to come to get back to the States. ” He held out his hand to Marta.
She took it with some reluctance. This was the handoff. Her time with Crusher was over. “Mr. Marsh. I suppose I should thank you and the State Department for sending someone in to retrieve me from Colombia.” She wanted to ask him what had taken them so long.
“I understand you’re in need of a place to work and are in a bit of a time crunch.”
She dipped her head. “I do, and I am.”
“If you’ll come with me, I’ll get you to a lab where you can work.” Marsh reached for Marta’s elbow.
Instinctively, she moved backward, out of his range.
Crusher stepped between them. “What about her security?” He looked purposely around the lobby. “You didn’t bring a team?”
Marsh gave Crusher a tight smile. “I did. They’re waiting outside.”
“Then we’ll escort Dr. Hale to that point. She’s had enough people trying to get to her. It would be remiss of us to let you, an unarmed man, walk out the door with her.” Crusher gripped Marta’s arm. “Isn’t that right, men?”
Phantom and Draco moved closer.
Marsh frowned. “Really, it’s not necessary. They’re right outside the door, waiting near the transport.”
“I’d like them to accompany me,” Marta said, glad for the show of support. Marsh hadn’t been with her and Crusher the past few days. He hadn’t seen how desperate Vasquez had been to activate his men to retrieve her. She laid her hand over Crusher’s on his arm. “Shall we?”
Marsh stared from Marta to Crusher and back and then shrugged. “If you’ll follow me.” He led the way to the revolving door.
Crusher and Marta followed through in the next gap, emerging into the early morning Miami sunshine. The heat had already baked the sidewalk, and in the glare it took a moment for her eyes to adjust.
A dark van stood a few yards away from the entrance.
As Marsh walked toward it, three men fell in step. One with Marsh, the other two bringing up the rear behind Marta, Crusher, Phantom and Draco.
Marsh stopped beside the van. The man who’d flanked him slid the side door open and came to parade rest beside Marsh.
Marsh faced Marta. “As you can see, I came with a security team. You’ll be safe with us, and we’ll get you to where you can work.”
Marta stared at the dark interior of the van and shivered. She wasn’t sure why she was so hesitant, but she wasn’t getting any closer to stopping Vasquez’s plan to release the virus by standing on a sidewalk in the Miami heat.
She turned to Crusher and held out her hand.
“Thanks again,” she said, the words so incredibly inadequate to express her appreciation for him rescuing her.
Marta wanted to throw her arms around Crusher one last time.
Surrounded by a bunch of men who didn’t need to see how much it broke her heart to leave the man who’d saved her, kept her from making a fool out of herself and embarrassing Crusher in front of his team and Marsh’s.
He took her hand, a frown forming on his forehead. “My pleasure.”
Marta shook his hand briefly, determined to make it quick and get in the van before she started bawling like a baby. When she started to pull her hand out of his grip, his fingers tightened around hers.
Only for a second longer.
Then he let go and stepped back. “Take care of her,” he said to Marsh, his tone strong, his gaze on Marta.
Marta pulled the fake passport from her pocket and handed it to Crusher. “I don’t think I’ll need this anymore.” She turned and walked to the van, emotion welling in her chest.
One of Marsh’s security team climbed in first. Marta stepped up into the dark interior of the van. The other security guy got in beside her, and Marsh got in last.
Marta leaned around the men as the door slid closed.
Crusher stood with his teammates, his gaze on her. The last words she heard from him were, “Asset delivered.”
The words hit her in the gut. Asset. Was that all she was to him?
She sat back in the seat, tears filling her eyes. Anger should have kept them from falling. Instead, a deep, relentless sadness tore at her heart.
Pain doesn’t kill you, she reminded herself.
Yet, it felt as if something inside her had died.