Body Double (26 page)
That would come with time. For now, they were content to give love and receive love without speaking of it.
Both had heard enough empty words in their lifetimes. They would never hear them from each other.
When the sun sank beneath the horizon, they returned to the house, made dinner—fish and salad and fresh greens with
apple pie for dessert. They ate too much, and then tidied up the kitchen grumbling because they were stuffed.
When they were done, Amanda turned out the light and asked Mark about his laptop. “Are you ready to show me the secret path to winning Dirty Side Down?”
“Sure, but why the laptop?” he asked. “There’s a desktop in the computer room.”
“Is there a bed in the computer room?”
He smiled. “No, actually there isn’t.”
“There you are then.” She lifted a hand and walked out of the kitchen and back to the bedroom.
Mark snagged a couple bottles of water from the fridge and his laptop from the computer room, then followed her. Amazing, but with all the hell they’d both been through, he could never remember a time in his life when he’d been happier.
And that struck him hard. Ordinarily, he’d just pull back. Not say a word and dive into avoidance. But this was Amanda. And he had no intentions of avoiding her. “Are you happy?”
“Reasonably.” She sat up in bed. The sheet slid down her chest to her waist.
“I mean with me.” He didn’t move. Hell, he couldn’t breathe.
“Oh, yeah.” She smiled and tapped the mattress beside her. “Very.”
“Good.” He walked over, set the water bottles on the nightstand and passed her the laptop. “Because I’m really happy with you.”
Her smile lit up his world. “I’m glad. Saves us both the trouble of getting testy.”
He went to open the laptop, but Amanda lifted herself, shoved the computer out of the way and straddled him. “Later. Right now, I’m happy and I want to be happy with you.”
“You’re killing me, woman.”
He didn’t look like a man dying. They rarely smiled. “You complaining?”
“No. Absolutely not.” He reached for her. “Make love with me, Amanda.”
She growled low and deep, close to his ear. “For how long? Six dates?”
He stroked her hair, pushed it behind her ear. “For as long as it takes.”
“For as long as
what
takes?” Her forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“For as long as it takes for you to realize you’ll always want to make love with me—in and out of bed.”
She glared down at him, half startled, half confused. “Are you talking about sex or sharing a life?”
“Making love consists of both, don’t you think?” He smiled at her twisted mouth, all primed to blast him. “Great sex, great life, love in and out of bed. I was kind of hoping it was all a package deal.”
Inside, her spirits soared. “It is a package deal.”
“For how long?”
“For as long as it takes,” she said, throwing his words back at him and punctuating them with a nip to his chest.
“For what?”
She rolled her gaze ceilingward and held it so he wouldn’t miss it. “To see if we’re as good together when there’s peace as we are in crises.”
He looped his arms around her shoulders, let his hands glide over her back and up underneath her bunched T-shirt. “Honey, I hate to point this out—in fact, I’m thinking I’m a damn fool to do it, especially when you’re looking at me like you could devour me.” He tilted his head on the pillow. “Have I mentioned that you’re incredibly sexy, Amanda?”
“No, I don’t believe you have.” She captured his hands and cupped them on her breasts.
His Adam’s apple bobbed hard in his throat. “Well, you are.”
“You know, your judgment is looking better all the time.” She smiled and rewarded him, rubbing their noses. “What do you hate to point out?”
“Um?” He hesitated, obviously having difficulty holding on to his thoughts.
“You said ‘Honey, I hate to point this out, but—’”
He had to dig for it, but finally he grasped the thought. “But in our jobs, we’re seldom at peace and we’re nearly always in crisis.”
“I know that, but still it seems like sound judgment.” She gave a little shrug and his T-shirt slipped off her shoulder.
“Logical.” He kissed her exposed skin, then grunted and kissed it again. “Completely.”
As if any of it really mattered. They’d taken the fall and that was that. It was just a question of how long they’d both fight the inevitable. Hell, from the looks of things the fight was over before it had begun. It was the admitting it that was holding out. “Good.” She smiled against his mouth. “Now show me how to win this game, and I’ll forgive you for out-fishing me today.” She stretched to reach for the computer.
“Forgive me later.” He pulled her back, until she half-draped his body. “Love me now.”
She sank against him, eager to grant his wish.
P
romptly at 10:00 a.m. Amanda and Mark entered headquarters. For the past two hours they had been discussing the challenges of long-distance relationships and how they could avoid them. The thing was, as best either of them could tell, there were no real solutions. The challenges were facts and they could only be endured.
Headquarters was wild: phones hopping, people running from desk to desk information sharing, updating each other in informal briefings. A task force was operational and pulling simultaneous arrests on known Kunz doubles, and three OSI agents had been assigned responsibility for tracking and maintaining the umbrella: keeping tabs on the big picture of what was going on where and with whom at all times. They would issue all future Compilation, Assimilation and Assessment Reports.
“Looks chaotic, but it’s actually pretty well organized already.” Kate slid off her seat and walked around the edge of
her desk to where Amanda and Mark stood observing. “Colonels Drake and Gray are waiting in the conference room. We have a 10:10 teleconference with Secretary Reynolds.”
“General status briefing?” Mark asked. “Or is Reynolds going to announce his decision on my reassignment?”
“I wasn’t informed, but I don’t think it’s general.” Kate dropped her voice, checked for extra ears within hearing distance. Assured there were none, she added, “Whatever it is has a briar up Colonel Drake’s ass and a feather up Colonel Gray’s. It’s the first time I’ve seen him smile since we’ve been here.”
“He never smiles unless someone else is in pain,” Mark warned Amanda. “Prepare for anything.”
They walked into the conference room and took their seats. The colonels were the only other people present and, as warned, Colonel Drake looked as if her face had been carved out of rock and Gray looked as giddy as a circus clown. If they got out of the briefing without Drake decking him, Amanda would consider the meeting a resounding success. “Morning,” she said.
“Morning.” Colonel Drake nodded for them to sit down.
Amanda wasn’t slow. Whatever this was about, it was part of the pissing contest between the two commanding officers. She motioned to Mark, and they sat down on Colonel Drake’s side of the table. So did Kate. The move earned Mark a glare from Colonel Gray that would shatter steel, which Mark resolutely ignored. Clearly, he felt no obligation for loyalty to a commander who had sold him out to the FBI, where he’d be kept at arm’s length because he was an outsider. The different branches of security and defense were extremely territorial, and Colonel Gray certainly knew it. That added insult to injury for Mark, and for Amanda and Kate.
The conference link came through at exactly 10:10, and Secretary Reynolds’s face appeared on the computer screen. “Morning, everyone.”
“Good morning, sir,” they all replied pretty much in unison.
“Thanks for joining me,” he said. “I’ve just been updated by Intel, who consulted with the task forces there and in Afghanistan, and with the FBI at the compound down in Texas. Across the board, they’re convinced GRID has been severely crippled with Paul Reese dead and Thomas Kunz in custody. I’m assured we have enough hard evidence to keep Kunz in jail for the rest of his natural life. Dr. Joan Foster has delivered extensive reports detailing some of the duplicates. The SAIC in Texas reports locating a small cache more.”
From where?
Amanda slid a look at Mark. He’d seen the empty records room, too, and his puzzled expression mirrored Amanda’s.
“Apparently Gaston,” Secretary Reynolds went on, “one of the detainees you rescued, had been responsible for hand-carrying this cache to the Middle Eastern compound when they were evacuated. He buried them instead.”
Ah, Amanda relaxed. Now it made sense.
“There’s no way to determine how many doubles are operational at this point. Intel has proof of nearly ninety.”
“Sir?” Drake interrupted. “I’m told Thomas Kunz literally laughed at that number, which has interrogators certain there are far more of them currently installed and operational in sensitive positions within our ranks.”
“That’s the report I’ve gotten, too, Sally.”
“S.A.S.S. will eventually get them all, sir,” Colonel Drake said. “GRID leadership and the doubles.”
“I have every confidence it will,” he said. “Which is one of the reasons I’m transferring Captain Cross to the S.A.S.S. to assist you. I’m impressed with the work he and Captain West have done together. Have his security clearance reinstated right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
Everyone at the table, including apparently Colonel Drake, knew that Mark’s clearance had never actually been down
graded. But no one so much as blinked. The order was for show, and to get it on record in case the subject ever arose in this room, in the unit, or outside it.
“Good.” He looked as if he had mixed emotions on what he was to say next. “The president feels it would be wise to move the S.A.S.S. out of Washington. Intel, the FBI and the CIA have all advised him that it would be best to distance the S.A.S.S. from easy access by interested congressional parties, if you know what I mean.”
And diminish deliberate leaks, Amanda thought, as well as interference.
“Where are we relocating, sir?”
“Providence,” he said. “Colonel Gray has been kind enough to offer facilities north of the actual base. You and the S.A.S.S. will have total autonomy.” He looked at Gray from the screen. “I’m sure you’ll be a gracious host.”
“Of course, sir.”
Of course, sir?
Gray would be a freaking nightmare. But this did explain why he was so happy. He would have control over S.A.S.S.’s facilities and well-being, if not control of its missions.
“Make it effective immediately, Colonel.” The secretary sighed. “I know it’s a pain to face the upheaval of relocating during an ongoing mission, but there’s always an ongoing mission with the S.A.S.S. Do the best you can to make it painless, Sally.”
“Yes, sir,” Colonel Drake said through gritted teeth.
“Dismissed,” Reynolds said, then the screen went blank.
Mark spoke up. “Colonel Gray, what quarters are available to the north of the base?”
“The abandoned bombing range.” Gray openly smiled, folded his arms over his chest.
Colonel Drake frowned but held her temper. Kate and Amanda kept their mouths shut. This was not a time to get in the middle of anything.
“But there’s nothing out there,” Mark protested. “No facilities, nothing but an abandoned water well and a dilapidated shack.”
“I’m sure Colonel Drake has served in more primitive conditions, and it won’t affect the mission—unless you think it’ll be a problem, Colonel.”
“It’ll be fine.” Drake stood up. “If you’ll excuse us, Colonel Gray, I need to confer with my staff.”
“I’m sure you do.” He sauntered to the door and as he closed it, he laughed out loud.
Drake turned to Mark. “Is it that bad?”
“I’m afraid so, ma’am.” He couldn’t lie to her. “But give me a week. You all have things to settle in D.C. before setting up shop here, right?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Then do that this week, Colonel, and leave Regret to me.”
“Regret?”
“The range,” Mark said, his jaw tight. “If Gray thinks he’s going to give us a rash by pulling this stunt, he’s going to regret it. We won’t oblige him.”
“I like your style, Mark.” Colonel Drake smiled. “But Gray’s never going to authorize funds for a building, much less for the electronics we need.”
“We have the electronics. Hell, we have all the equipment,” Kate reminded her. “We just don’t have a place to put it once we get it here.”
“You will.” Mark shook his head. “You know, sometimes it’s hard to remember that bastard is on our side.”
“Amen.” Colonel Drake smiled again.
“Colonel,” Amanda interjected, uneasy about discussing this but knowing it was the right thing to do. “You need to know that Mark and I are exploring a personal relationship. I don’t expect it to adversely affect my work, and I’m sure Mark doesn’t either, but, well, you should know it.”
“I’m aware of it, Captain.” The look in Drake’s eyes softened. “I’d about given up hope on you ever letting a man get close, Amanda.” Her eyes sparkling, she walked out of the room. “Come on, Kate. Let’s give them a minute or two.”
As soon as the door closed, Amanda stepped into Mark’s arms. “I’m going to miss you, honey,” he said.
“Me, too.” A little wisp of doubt clouded her eyes. “This is going to work out for you—us working together, right?”
“Absolutely.” He let his fingertips slide down her face. “You know, Kunz’s successor has likely already taken the helm. It could take a long, long time for us to run down all the doubles and demolish GRID’s organization. Actually, it could take a lifetime.” He looked very pleased with that prospect.
And so was she. A lifetime with Mark might just be long enough to satisfy her. A day less, and she’d be left wanting. “I could live with that.”
“In plain sight?”
“Oh, yeah.” She looped her arms around his neck and smiled into his eyes. “In plain sight.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-5301-2
BODY DOUBLE
Copyright © 2004 by Vicki Hinze
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