Chapter Twenty-Two
MARS
I took hold of Cam’s hand and boosted him up into the back of the BearCat twenty minutes later.
I climbed in after him and opened a cabinet, pulling gear out of it as Nash started the engine.
The vehicle lurched away from the curb as he reached out, taking hold of my forearm to steady himself.
I smiled at him and handed him a vest before climbing into black Tac pants and my own vest. I put on a helmet and felt everyone staring at us.
There were five of my team in the back with us, Rex, Patsy, Miguel, Raven, and Alain.
Candy sat up front with Nash who was once again driving the BearCat…
my BearCat. It was hard getting used to being relegated to the back, but I was picking that was Candy’s doing since Cam was with us.
Napoleon, and Mickey weren’t with us, no doubt still on guard duty, watching over Cam’s mum.
I sat down beside Cam after pulling on my helmet and took hold of his hand.
I met his gaze and nodded to him. He smiled shyly.
After a few seconds, I dragged my gaze away from him.
Everyone was watching us, all giving us slightly smug, yet knowing looks.
Alain gave me an upward jut of his chin and then smiled, looking handsome and sophisticated, always posh, as usual.
I liked our former SAS medic a lot, counting him as one of my best mates.
He reached inside his vest and pulled out a can of face paint, holding it out to me.
“Thanks, mate.” I glanced at Cam when I felt his eyes on me and opened the can. I ran two fingers through the black paint, before brushing it over both my cheeks, across my nose, forehead, and chin. I passed it back to Alain, rubbing the excess paint on my Tac pants before retaking Cam’s hand.
The drive to the port in San Pedro took an hour and a half.
We pulled off the freeway, stopping at a staging area a mile from our destination, where we parked near several black SUVs and a large, black bus we used as a control center.
Everyone exited the vehicle as I turned to Cam.
I was about to open my mouth to say something, when Candy turned around and said, “Please stay in the vehicle, Mr. Demarco. I’ve got to get everyone situated and then Mars will be back to tell you where we’ll need you. ”
“Okay, Captain.” Cam turned to look at me. “Where will you be?”
“I’ll be over there.” I pointed to a tent where tables had been set up along with lights on stands. Snow and his team crowded around the table, looking down at what were probably maps which had been laid out. There were more people I didn’t know. Several looked familiar, though.
SAC Clara Bowman from vehicle theft was flanked by a tall, brunette woman who’d sat in on the briefing after we’d flown back from Vegas.
I couldn’t remember her name, though, I’d been introduced to her.
Marcello Biagi greeted Alain with a slow smile, and Alain laughed.
Not his usual laugh, though. Something else.
Mickey shot them a strange look. Hmmm interesting.
He was a friend of Rex’s husband, Cachi, and I’d met him on the big case when Rex got shot.
Biagi was around the office a lot lately because he was classified as a floater, going from unit to unit, usually doing the grunt work more senior agents delegated to him. I didn’t envy the guy.
I reached out to Cam, squeezing his shoulder. “I’m going to go get my marching orders, then I’ll be right back. Stay inside. The truck locks when the doors are closed, so no one can get in without a key, Cam.”
“Okay, Mars.” I began to move away when he reached out and grabbed my bicep. “You’ll be right back?”
I smiled at him; he looked so sweet with the helmet and vest on. His eyes were wide with worry. I slid my hand around his back and pulled him to me, dropping a quick kiss on his lips before letting go. “I’ll be right back, luv.”
“Okay.”
It was difficult to drag myself away from him, but I had no choice. When I got to the tables and the group of agents, I headed for Rex. He grinned before leaning close. “I’m so damned happy for you, Mars,” he whispered.
I frowned, looking around before turning back. “’Appy for me? What are ya talking about?”
He shook his head. “You ain’t fooling anyone, buddy. Trust me, I know a man in love when I see one.”
“In love?”
“Don’t be an ass. You and Cam, dimwit. For what it’s worth, the two of you make a nice couple,” he drawled.
“He’s jolly well, right, you know,” Alain said.
I turned to find him standing on the other side of me. “What? You too?”
“Of course, Mars. Don’t be a silly sausage.
The man is rather smitten.” He smirked. “It only proves there’s no accounting for taste.
” He bumped my shoulder and something about that simple gesture made me feel crazy happy inside.
Maybe they were seeing something I was still in denial about.
It was too soon for me to contemplate a future with Cam, but the second I thought it, I realized that’s exactly what I’d been thinking about... and planning for.
I wanted the man, as I’d told him, but it wasn’t until these men who knew me better than anyone, forced me to see that I’d blown way past falling for Cam. I was…in love. Fuuuck me sideways.
“Can you all hear me?”
I looked back at Lincoln who was frowning in our direction. I blushed, lifting my hand. “I can.”
“Good. Now, listen up,” he said, looking at his watch.
“Sterling is due to take possession of the drugs in a little less two hours. Thanks to Agent Burgess, we’ve isolated his new location.
It’s not a warehouse but a series of containers grouped together.
There are ten of them at the north end of the terminal, so everyone needs to head there and take your assigned positions.
” He turned to look at Candy. “Your two snipers will set up on either side of the open area just south of the containers. It’s the only place Sterling can pull up a vehicle to load the heroin once his men have removed it from the cars.
” He turned to look at SAC Bowman, holding out a hand to her and the agents she stood with.
“SAC Bowman, I’ll need your agents on the east side while my agents cover the west. My team will be making the actual arrests.”
She nodded, exchanging a glance with the agent beside her.
Snow pointed at Candy. “Captain Sorensen, you’ll need to position your team around the perimeter to cover Sterling and his men if and when they try to escape.
” He nodded in my direction. “Captain Sorensen…please tell Agents Clifford and Monroe where to set up the sniper perches. Is everyone clear where you’re going to be?
” There were nods all around. “You all know where to park to stay out of sight. Okay, let’s get going. ”
The group broke up, heading for the vehicles.
I headed back to the BearCat with the rest of the team and waited impatiently for Nash to unlock the door.
Cam jumped up as soon as the doors were open and moved out of the way as we all climbed in.
I took Cam’s hand and led him to the front, as Patsy and Miguel started pulling weapons out of the cage and passing them out to everyone.
I was given a sniper rifle, as was Rex. I sat down beside Cam and immediately began checking the rifle. Patsy handed me a box of ammo.
“Thanks, Pats.”
“Gotcha, boyo,” Patsy said, smiling widely at me as he winked.
I nodded, returning his smile before glancing at Cam as the truck started up and Nash drove us to the terminal.
Once we were moving, the truck became quiet except for the sounds of the men checking and loading their weapons, making sure that they had plenty of extra clips stuffed into their Tac pants as well as several flash bangs.
Nash drove for about three minutes and then brought the vehicle to a smooth stop.
Adrenaline flooded through me as it always did before an Op.
We had only two goals here…to make sure Josiah Sterling got arrested and that we stopped his plans to flood the city of LA with more deadly heroin by shutting down his organization once and for all.
Nash and Candy exited the front, and we all stood as Raven opened the door for us.
I held the rifle in one hand and took Cam’s hand in the other as I helped him down.
Our bus was pulling into the parking lot behind us.
We’d chosen an employee lot where we wouldn’t be seen when Sterling arrived at the terminal, presuming that’s where he’d be parking a van or similar to carry the heroin.
“I’m gonna take Cam to the bus and get ‘im situated in front of the monitors so ‘e can make the ID, boss.”
“Okay, Clifford,” Candy said. “Hurry back. I need you up on top of that stack of containers and in position in less than five.”
“You got it.” I looked at Cam. “Come on. We’ve both got a job to do.
” I tugged him to the bus, then opened the door.
We both stepped inside and I was relieved to see Judy Mendez was already there, sitting at the console which ran the full length of the bus from front to back.
Positioned over the desk were five separate monitors which were already lit.
She was working her mouse like a shooting gallery and had started to broadcast the different views of the port, but she paused and turned our way when she heard the door open.
“Hey, nice to see you, Mars,” Judy said with a smile.
“Nice to see ya too, Judy. ‘Ave ya met Cam Demarco?”
She stood up and held out a hand. “No. It’s nice to meet you, Cam. I guess you’ll be with me tonight.”
Cam shook her hand, smiling at her. “Nice to meet you, Judy.”
I tugged on his sleeve and he turned. “Gotta go, luv.”
He reached for me, sliding his arms around my middle and lifting his face for a kiss. I complied, leaning down and kissing him soundly before giving him an encouraging smile. “Please be careful, Mars,” he pleaded, looking at me with such sweetness, it almost took my breath away.