Chapter 17 Bad Girl #2
He kissed her, softly. “Your heart is already mine, Sydney.”
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
“You’re okay,” he replied. “I will always have your back, for the rest of our lives.”
Tears slid down her cheeks while she clung to him.
And that’s when he realized the depth of her apology.
She wasn’t just apologizing for leaving tonight.
She was apologizing for feeling like she let Naomi down.
Not just a teammate, but a friend. She was apologizing for taking the life of every single person she’d killed.
Yes, it was a job, but it was a hard one. Taking a life, even an evil one, took a very specific kind of person. Someone who’d looked into the eyes of God and felt unworthy, despite dispensing God’s justice for the injustice of evildoers.
She’d left her parent’s house because they were at risk the longer she stayed. Because of the Haqazzii terror cell, BLACK OPS was being hunted.
“Let the pain go,” he murmured as he kissed her forehead. “Let it all go. It’s a job. The hardest job, but we didn’t ask for it.”
She peered up with moist eyes. He wiped her streaked cheeks with his thumb, dropped a loving kiss on her lips.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Everyone has a purpose,” he said. “Some purposes are noble. Others are service-oriented. Some are designed to move the world forward. Some are evil.”
“Where do we fit in?”
“Your childhood tragedy shaped you. Your parents’ careers shaped you, despite what you thought you knew. Your skills determined a lot of it. Maybe you’re here to ensure that good people get to live as long as they can. But that comes at a cost.”
She hugged him hard. “Thank you for letting me be my most authentic self.”
“How was the spanking for you?”
Through the sadness, she smiled. “The best.” She paused for a beat. “Did you like it?”
“It’s very sexy.”
“I know, right? Kinda blows my mind.”
“I’ve never spanked anyone.”
“I’ve never been spanked by anyone.” After they shared another kiss, she said, “This is it, isn’t it?”
“For the rest of our lives,” he replied.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, after an hour of target practice in the woods behind the building, Teddy led himself and Sydney through the BLACK OPS exercise program. When finished, they were soaked in sweat, exhausted, yet invigorated at the same time.
Back inside, they showered, collected their laptops and headed to the conference room.
“I’m researching who owns the lake house cabin,” Sydney said. “Can you flash that photo up on the screen?”
Teddy hooked up his laptop and, seconds later, the photo of Haqazzii, his lieutenants, and Sydney’s cousin, Robby, loomed on the back wall.
Teddy’s phone rang. It was Greystone.
“Hey,” he answered.
“How’s everyone doin’?” Greystone asked.
“We’re good.”
“Get any sleep?”
Teddy and Sydney smiled. They were doing everything but sleeping.
“I didn’t realize we were comparing our sleep schedules,” Teddy said. “Do you want to know what we had for breakfast?”
“We had each other,” Sydney murmured.
“I heard that,” Caroline said.
Everyone laughed, which helped ease the constant tension.
“The cops arrested the five guys from last night,” Greystone said. “The driver and passenger were multiple-time convicted criminals. You name it—”
“Rape?” Sydney asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Greystone replied.
She shuddered. “I hope payback in prison is hell.”
“One was out on parole. The other two had been arrested and jailed, but released after serving time.”
“Where are they now?” Sydney asked.
“In jail, no bond,” Caroline replied.
“I’m relieved they got picked up,” Sydney said. “We have news that’s mind-blowing.”
“You eloped,” Caroline said.
Sydney and Teddy laughed. “No,” they answered.
“Stryker’s IDware found a recent pic of Haqazzii,” Teddy said. “Do you want the good news first or the bad news?”
Greystone chuckled. “You choose.”
“Turns out,” Teddy continued, “Sydney and Caroline’s cousin is in the pic.”
“What?” Caroline blurted. “Our cousin Robby?”
“Yup,” Sydney replied.
“Are you sure?” Caroline asked.
“I uploaded the pic to the portal,” Teddy said.
“Got it,” Greystone said.
“Those men are in the Haqazzii terror cell,” Caroline said.
“Look in the background,” Sydney said.
“Whoa, that is Robby,” Caroline said.
“About Robby Waters,” Teddy said. “We’ve played poker together.”
“I’m impressed,” Caroline said. “Our cousin’s a pro.”
“No,” Teddy said. “He’s terrible and he’s using an alias—Burt Goodson.”
“Car, that’s his family’s summer cabin,” Sydney said.
“Hmm,” Caroline replied. “Didn’t Robby say his uncle sold it? It could be a different one.”
“Or the background is AI,” Greystone added.
“My gut says that’s his family’s cabin, so Tank and I are trying to find out who owns it,” Sydney said.
“Gotcha,” Greystone said. “When are you doing the dry run for tomorrow’s event?”
“Later,” Teddy replied.
“Good luck and keep us posted,” Greystone said, before ending the call.
“I’ll look for aerial footage of the cabin,” Teddy said.
They grew silent while they worked.
Teddy pulled up Lake Willow through Google Maps, but the picture had been taken in the summer, so the dense foliage made it impossible to see most of the homes.
So, Teddy did what he does best. He hacked into the tax records.
After an exhaustive search that required a large bowl of ice cream for fuel, he found his answer.
“Hey, babe,” Teddy said, breaking their long silence.
Sydney was so focused on her laptop, she didn’t respond.
“Sydney, I’ve got info.”
“Oh, wow.” She slid her gaze to him. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“The cabin was sold to someone five years ago.”
She grinned. “And I just found out who bought it. Robby’s uncle sold it a year after his dad died. Those people sold it five years ago. Wanna know to whom?”
“Your cousin.”
“Bullseye.” She pushed out of her chair and stretched, causing her shirt to ride up. He glanced at her muscular abs.
“You’re our big winner today,” she continued. “Here are your prizes.”
Leaning back in the chair, he crossed his knee over his thigh, and clasped his hands behind his head.
“You’ve won another bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
You can choose to smother it in whipped cream, or you can use the cream later, on me.
” With a playful grin, she waggled her eyebrows.
“You’ve won an all-expenses-paid trip to the cabin, armed with your favorite weapons, so we can check out the location.
And we should bring all our closest friends. ”
He chuffed out a laugh. “Sounds like fun.”
She sat on his lap, and the chair almost toppled over backward. After he got control of it, she said, “And you won me… if you want me.”
“I did win you,” he replied, “and I always want you.”
She kissed him, then pushed out of the chair. “We’ll come up with a plan to check out the cabin when we get back.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s four o’clock,” she said. “We gotta head out. And I’ma need more than a pistol.”
“We’ve got weapons,” Teddy said.
“Show me the Haqazzii terrorists again,” she said.
He projected their photos on the back wall. She grew silent, studying each of the pictures. “This will be a challenge, so I’ll need my spotters to triple confirm I’m taking out a terrorist. The last thing I want to do is get it wrong. That would be a mistake I wouldn’t be able to get over.
“You and me both, babe,” he replied. “You and me both.”
SYDNEY
Sydney had weaponed up. One bag held an assault rifle. Over her other shoulder, the second bag housed a different rifle. Since they were doing a dry run, no live rounds in either.
Tank also shouldered two long bags.
After securing them into the SUV, Tank turned off the traffic cameras in Alexandria, then deactivated as many security cameras as he could, including the building they’d be using as their shooter’s tower.
At five in the afternoon, they headed toward Alexandria. Their destination? An eleven-story office building located across the street and down the block from Santini Ristorante.
Once there, Tank parked out back. The night guard wasn’t expected to arrive until seven that evening. Even so, they entered the building from the back, took the service elevator, then made their way to the rooftop.
They were at a clear disadvantage. The roads were open to traffic and the streets were busy, both with cars and with pedestrians walking the sidewalks. Since they couldn’t wear ski masks, they settled for baseball caps.
On the rooftop, they each got busy extracting their items.
From that point, Sydney’s training kicked in. As she approached the edge, she laid down. Her long sleeves and gloved hands helped keep her arms from getting scraped on the rough roof, but it was more about her not leaving any DNA.
Tank crouched beside her. “I’m turning on the external building cams so I can watch for the guard.”
She unearthed the rifle, confirmed for a second time that the barrel was clear.
Seconds later, she’d set up the stump tripod.
Lying prone, she stared through the lens, aimed the weapon east, waited until a car drove into view.
She homed in on the driver, using the scope to get the woman’s head in the center.
Then, she moved to the passenger. Next to the driver sat a teenage boy.
She had a clear shot, no problem at one hundred yards.
“Ped,” Tank said. “two hundred yards, west.”
In seconds, she repositioned herself and the equipment. While she could have looked real-time, the scope offered more accuracy. A lone person was walking down the sidewalk. In three seconds, she had him in the crosshairs.
“Got him,” she said.
After pointing the non-loaded rifle away from the pedestrian, she studied each building through the lens.
They agreed this was the best location, so she repeated the drill with the second unloaded weapon.
Tank was doing a solid job of being her spotter all while checking surveillance cams for anyone entering or exiting the building.
Thirty-five minutes into the drill, he said, “We got company.”
Showtime.
She removed the scope from the long gun, put everything back in their bags. He pulled out the acoustic guitars from the bags he’d brought, laid them on the rooftop.
Next, he closed all the windows on his laptop and activated the laptop camera.
“Here we go,” he said as she turned to face him.
She didn’t know how to play, but she could sing, so she started singing one of her favorite Gaga songs. And that’s when Theodore Santini gave her the biggest surprise yet. He started strumming along as the rooftop door opened.
The security guard looked around.
Tank offered a friendly wave. “How you doing?” And then, he went right back to strumming.
As the guard approached them, his hand rested on his holstered gun. Sydney offered a friendly smile, but continued singing.
When he got closer, they stopped.
“What are you doing up here?” asked the guard.
“Enjoying the sunset,” Tank replied.
“How’d you get in?” the guard asked.
“I work for Davis and Davis Law, on the second floor.” The lie rolled out of him with ease. “Wanted to do something special for my lady, so I brought her up here for the sunset. How’d you see us?”
The guard eyed Tank for several seconds. “I always check the rooftop when I start my shift. We had some problems with teens a few years back. Now, I gotta clear the area.”
“I get that,” Tank said. “We’re not teens.”
The guard regarded Sydney. “How you doin’, ma’am.”
“Fine, thanks. How are you?”
“Doing alright. Can’t complain.” The guard eyed their black bags and Teddy’s laptop.
Tension gripped Sydney’s guts.
Please don’t ask to see in the other two.
“No wine or cheese?” asked the man.
“Actually,” Tank said, “your timing is perfect.” He set down the guitar, and the guard pulled his gun from the holster.
Sydney’s heart rate jumped as she fought against the urge to unearth her own weapon, holstered beneath her jacket.
Tank’s easygoing smile kept her from reaching for her gun.
“It’s all good, my friend,” Tank said. “Your badge says your name’s Joe.”
“I’m Joe.”
“Joe, would you mind doing me a favor?”
“Depends.”
“I want to hand you my phone so you can record us,” Tank said.
“Doing what?” Joe asked.
“I was gonna surprise my girl, but you busted in, and I don’t want us kicked off the roof before I get this question out. I’ve been sweating bullets, trying to figure out the right time to ask… if you know what I mean.”
Joe regarded Tank for a beat, then he smiled. “I got you.”
Tank lifted his phone off the roof, made sure all its windows were closed, and opened the camera. As he held it out, Joe holstered his gun.
Sydney breathed.
Joe took the phone as Tank got down on one knee.
“Sierra Turner, you are my entire world. I can’t imagine going through this insane life without you. I love you from the depths of my wicked soul.”
Her heart rate kicked into triple digits. Didn’t matter that the proposal was a red herring. The words were coming out of his mouth and they sounded so damn convincing.
“Oh, wow,” she murmured, her attention locked on his.
“Sierra, my angel, I’d be honored if you would marry me.”
Sydney’s heart blossomed. She leaned up, sandwiched his handsome face in her palms, and kissed him. “Yes,” she murmured. “I will absolutely be your Mrs. One hundred percent.”
The tender kiss ended, and they both grinned at Joe.
“She said yes!” Tank exclaimed.
“Got it,” said Joe.
Tank rose, took his phone, shook Joe’s hand. “Appreciate you. You want us to clear out?”
“Nah, you can hang here a little longer. Did you forget the ring?”
“Honestly,” Tank said, “I went ring shopping alone. Too many options and not something I wanted to get wrong.”
“I hear you on that,” Joe said.
They thanked him before he retreated through the fire door.
“Whew,” Sydney murmured. “That was seriously brilliant.” She slid the guitar into the soft bag. “I assumed they were back-up rifles.”
“I’m one step ahead.”
“Nice work,” she said. “I’m not pulling out a rifle, but I got what I needed. By the way, you’re a great spotter. Are you with me tomorrow or positioned nearby?”
“With you,” he replied.
“Perfect,” she said as he drew her close.
“What did you think of my proposal?” he asked.
She stared into his eyes. “Cosa ne pensi della tua proposta? What did you think of the proposal?”
“Nice job with the Italian,” he said. “I didn’t get down on one knee. That’s only gonna happen once.”
“I’m sure, if you drop and pop the question, you’ll get a yes.”
He chuffed out a laugh, then kissed her.
Despite what they were up against, she smiled. How could she not? If his fake proposal could make her this happy, she couldn’t wait for his real one.
She just needed them to stay alive long enough for him to propose… for real. Then, she wanted them to spend the rest of their lives together.
As they shouldered their bags and headed back down, she wondered if she was asking the universe for more than she deserved.