Code Name: Kayla's Fire (20 page)

She licked her dry lips. “Yes, sir.”

Timmons swiped his jaw with a slow hand. “Lieutenant Law, one hour in
the air. Retrieval ops.”

“Yes, sir.” Law swept from the room, already on his phone.

“Ms. Banks, you do not have clearance to reposition a goddamn United
States Spy Satellite.”

“No, sir.”

Timmons cocked his jaw. Locked and loaded, his tongue was about to
lash out at her. “How long have you been tracking them?”

Hedging was not something you did with an Admiral. “Every day. They’ve
been stagnant in this town for a week.”

“How did you find them? We didn’t even know where they were.”

Shit
. “I tagged them, sir.”

“What?” he blasted at her. “You bugged them?”

“I—yes.” She turned to Captain Redding. “The NCIS team didn’t find all
the bugs in their uniforms. The ones they keep here in their lockers weren’t
checked. The only one that wasn’t mine was the one in my purse. That one must
belong to the Shark. Mine are for SAT tracking only. The frequency is very high,
and hard to detect unless you have the right equipment.” Oh God, she was so
fired. “They can read body vitals without having to be in the body, just next
to it.”

“I see six. You know that’s Cobbs for sure?” The Admiral asked, not
dwelling on her admission.

“Yes, sir, I assigned the numbers myself.”

“Can you tell if they’ve got the Royal?”

“Royal, sir?”

“They were sent in to retrieve a woman who’s part of the Egyptian
monarchy. She’s a hard-liner, and through the back door has a decisive hand in
the Egyptian government. A Syrian group has been holding her, looking for
information she possesses. The squad was sent to retrieve her, but we started
with a three-hundred kilometer radius. They’ve been working for the last two
months gathering intel and narrowing down the circle. Master Chief Briggs
reported that Captain Austen had her in his protection. I trust he still does.
Which one is he?” he asked, his eyes roving over the dots.

“This one,” she said and then pulled her finger away from the screen.
The signal was weakening.

“Something wrong?” the Admiral asked.

“I don’t…he’s not moving, his vitals are getting weaker…his pulse is
slow, blood pressure is decreasing.” She pointed at the small box in the upper
right corner of the screen showing his vitals.

“Is he dying?”

She shook her head, but it was to reject the idea. “There’s no change
in his position.”

“Where’s Mace, Kayla? Has he made it to Germany yet?” Nina stood
amongst the men looking pale and trying hard to remain professional.

Kayla glanced at the admiral and he nodded. She swung the satellite
toward Germany and located Mace’s tag. It was moving, but slowing down. “The
plane’s landing in Berlin.” The tag had an ominous slow, pale blue throb. Her
eyes shot to his vitals. They were barely there. “Please Mace, hold on. You’re
almost there,” she whispered.

She heard Nina choke back a sob. “Sir, Captain Redding?”

“Yes, Nina.” He looked older in that second than she could remember.
“I know I just started, but could I request five days leave?”

Redding cocked a white brow at her, but nodded once.

“Ms. Banks,” Admiral Timmons said sternly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Monitor the signals of the rest of the team. We have a squad close
by, we’ll send them in to retrieve them. I want you to give them the updated
coordinates. When the Alpha squad is back on safe soil, we will be having a
discussion. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

Before reaching the anteroom the Admiral stopped and spun on his heel.
“Ms. Banks.”

Uhhh shit.
Guess he wasn’t an Admiral by default.

“Where did you learn to do this?”

She scanned the group.

“Kayla did this all the time at home,” Barry piped up.

Oh, sweet Barry, he was going to take the fall for her. What a bud.

“All the time? Are you saying Canada knows exactly where our spy
satellites are pointed?”

Now they were in a squeeze. They had all signed a
“rat-trapped-in-the-corner” agreement before they came to San Diego, explicitly
defining what they could divulge from their previous jobs—pretty much zip.

“Kayla broke all the satellite codes,” Barry admitted.

“All?” the Admiral said, turning a narrowed look on him.

“Yes, sir, every country that has one.”

“Can they do it now, without her?”

She and Barry shared a look. “Not sure.”

“Obviously we have more to discuss, Ms. Banks.”

 
Was that the smell of cheese in
the air? And her job threaded to the other end. “Yes, sir.”

Chapter Eighteen

Kayla walked the long corridors of the hospital. She knew a little
German, and picked up on snippets of conversation as she passed by. Nina and
she had already parted company, Nina heading straight for Mace. She followed
Fox’s directions to the tenth floor. Thane had been moved from the ICU ward
while she was in flight.

“Excuse me.” The nurse looked up. “I’m looking for Captain Thane
Austen’s room.”

The nurse spoke good English, but with a heavy accent. “Ten oh two.
Are you family?”

She didn’t know how to answer. “She definitely is,” Kayla said,
touching her swelling stomach. It wasn’t obvious yet with the loose shirts she
wore hiding the bump, but there was definitely a big bump, and soon no shirt
would hide it.

The nurse smiled. “He’s in and out of consciousness due to the pain
medication. You can go in for a vile, but I vud suggest that the princess
leaf.”

“Princess?”

“Demanding voman, she’s some Egyptian monarch, but she’s a pain in the
ass if you vant the truth.”

“How bad are his injuries? Are they serious, he was in ICU?”

“He’ll recover, dear. Those military types are tough. The bullets ver
extracted. Only two did serious damage, but it vill be enough to keep him out
of trouble for a vile.” The nurse gave her a sympathetic smile. “He’s had four
blood transfusions, but vee have stabilized him, and vith time to heal, he vill
be strong as he looks.”

Kayla nodded her thanks. She scanned the hall looking for a familiar
face. Two men in suits, obviously a security detail, stood next to a door.

One of the guards held his hand up. “This is Captain Austen’s room,
isn’t it?

“You can’t go in with the Princess in there unless you’re cleared.”

She gazed around. “Cleared by who, and what’s she doing in there?” Jet
black eyes stared vacantly down from an olive complexion.

“She’s cleared,” a voice said gruffly from behind her.

“Nathan?”

“Hi, Snow White.” He gave her a quick hug. “He’s pretty out of it.”
Nathan looked over at the guard. “Get your royal out of there, the Captain’s
family is here.”

The guard gave him a narrowing look. “The princess leaves when she
wants to,” but he stepped aside so she could enter.

“Come find me afterwards, Kayla. We need to talk, okay?”

She nodded pushing against the door.

A cove box sprayed indirect light up the wall situated above Thane’s
bed. With eyes closed, he rested peacefully. Numerous tubes stretched from the
metal prongs of a stand beside his bed to him. Then she noticed the woman who
sat beside him. She was extraordinarily beautiful. Her coal-colored, straight
black hair shone in the light and striking hazel eyes turned to her.

“He needs morphine. I know he’s in pain. Get it quickly,” she ordered.
Her voice was thick and low, and a wave of deep concern crested her words.
“Don’t stand there, get it.”

Kayla took another step toward the bed, and then another. “I’m not a
nurse,” she said finding her voice and herself on the other side of the bed.

“Then you shouldn’t be in here. Who are you?”

Kayla pulled her gaze from Thane. The woman’s skin was a deep olive
and flawless. She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, tall, and even though
she sat, she sat regally clutching Thane’s hand in both of hers.

“I’m…my name’s Kayla.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?” Her voice withdrew from its
monarchial temperature and swayed to wary.

“I…ah…work with the Captain.”

The woman stiffened. “You’re not a SEAL.”

“No.”

The woman’s gaze turned from wary to unfriendly. “I’m having him
transferred tomorrow. Our hospital in Cairo is state of the art. He’ll have all
the necessary therapy and care under my direction.”

Just looking at this woman made her feel subservient and inadequate.
It wasn’t a stretch to know who she was. “Are you the woman the team rescued?”

She nodded. “I’m Zara, second cousin to Prince Hamuudaah of Egypt. She
brought Thane’s hand to her cheek. “He saved my life more than once. He held me
when I was scared. He reassured me with his words and his strength, and he
stood in front of me and protected me when this happened to him.”

Kayla’s insides twisted, at the same time as she felt a bloom of pride
knowing he would do all of that to save someone.

“He fought valiantly. Those sick bastards wanted to humiliate and
torture me, but Thane stopped them. He is so brave.” Her eyes fell to him with
more than hero worship glowing in them. “His determination was unwavering to me
while we were held in Kaleeg’s mansion. It’s nothing but a bug-infested, filthy
hole, and depraved men surround him. Kaleeg’s mind is twisted with sickness.
Thane remained with me, reassuring me that he would find a way to escape. We
became close in a short time. Intimately close, and I will never forget what he
did to save my life.”

Kayla’s head began to buzz with the woman’s words. Intimately close?
“What…do you mean, intimately close?”

“There was an immediate and intense attraction between us. He’s a
warrior, the strongest I’ve ever known.” Her eyes swayed to Thane and her
fingers grazed his jaw, following the contour of his lips. “I have never been
loved before like that. He is such an amazing man, and an amazing lover.”

Kayla swallowed, her eyes closing to steady herself.

“Are you here to make reports?” Zara asked, her accent making her more
exotic and alluring. “He cannot do that, and I will not leave his side. You’ll
just have to wait, but you can do it outside.”

“They—they can wait,” she whispered. She realized then, Thane’s hand
was in hers. Everything inside her began to crumble, but she took hold of the
raw and unfathomable hurt, and controlled it.

“That other SEAL, Nathan—he was with us. Ask him, but don’t bother
Thane.” Zara watched her with sharp eyes.

“Get well soon, Captain,” she whispered.

Thane moaned.

“No, no darling, sleep—it’s all right,” Zara said soothing him.

Thane’s eyes fluttered. “Kayla?”

“Leave now,” Zara said tightly.

“Just a dream, Captain. I’m just a dream.” She brushed his forehead
with a kiss. “Don’t stay in the darkness. You’ll get lost there.”

“I’m coming home, sweetheart,” he mumbled.

“He’s hallucinating,” Zara said. Please let him rest. Please leave.”

It’s odd—when faced with a terrible truth, the mind doesn’t fold into
a little ball, but strives to make sense of it, accept it. Over the ten years
it took to heal herself, she was able to lock away the pain. Being human meant
dealing with the bad and dwelling in the good. She’d shared both with Thane.
She thought being nearly beaten to death was hard. Walking away from this man
would be harder. “Make sure he has everything he needs.”

Zara’s glare softened. “I will,” She paused. “Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

“No,” Thane breathed. He was struggling to wake up.

She and Zara gazed at one another for a long moment. Thane was always
meant for better. This woman with royal blood and a graceful presence, fit
perfectly. Her nobility matched his. “He’s everything you think he is.” Leaning
close to his ear, biting back the tightness in her throat, she whispered. “I
will always remember.”

Kayla headed straight for the elevator. With every step, the gaping
hole in her heart widened, but she had to see Mace, and then she would leave.
Nathan and Tony stood outside the room with their arms crossed looking damn
unhappy. When they saw her, they began walking toward her. “How is he?”

“Being an ass,” Tinman blurted. She could hear voices and they were
none too quiet. At least Mace’s wasn’t. He sounded angry although she couldn’t
make out the words.

“What’s going on?”

“Doc. Kayla, this is Doctor Hineman.”

Dr. Hineman’s ruby cheeks and white hair, trimmed neatly with a pair
of spectacles on his long nose, reminded her of Santa. “How’s Mace?”

 
“Doing very well considering.
He’s stable, and it’s going to take plenty of therapy, but he’ll recover.”

“He was in critical condition?” she said, looking between Nathan and
Tinman.

“That was due to the blood loss. His strength is returning. Now it’s
about convincing. I’ve treated these SEALs before. Hard-headed bunch. They
don’t like lying on their back. Once he’s transferred back to America, he’s
going to need psychological therapy as well. These men went through hell and
back.”

A sharp “No,” came from the room. “I wouldn’t go in there, Kayla,” Tinman
warned. “Like I said, he’s being an ass. Nina’s doing a good job of not running
for the hills.”

Kayla eyed Tony sensing he wasn’t offering the full picture. “I don’t
understand.”

“Well it’s more than just ligaments; it’s about where he was injured.”
Tony said and bent his head giving her a look from a crooked brow.

“Ohhh,” she said, starting to get the picture.

“Let’s just say he took a direct hit in a place a guy doesn’t want
one,” Nathan added.

“Oh, dear.”

“Doc here says it’s not a permanent injury. Things will—swing the
right way. It’s just gonna take time.”

She pushed her own worries aside and entered Mace’s room. Nina stood
beside the bed, her eyes firing an exasperated look at Mace. “Nina, do you mind
if I talk to Mace for a second.” Kayla looked down at Mace, who stared at the
far wall with his arms crossed tightly on his chest.

Nina swung her willowy arms to her sides, and huffed as she left the
room. When the door shut behind her, Mace sighed and hugged Kayla back when she
wrapped her arms around him. “How’s our captain?” he asked.

“He’s being looked after.”

Mace bowed his head and his mouth tightened to a thin line.

“Not good to piss her off. That red hair means she can get seriously
ornery.” She leaned over kissing Mace on the forehead, and gripped his hand before
sitting in a chair beside the bed. “Now, tell me why you’re giving a woman who
was so worried about you, after only knowing you for a couple of days, and flew
almost six thousand miles to see for herself that you’re alive, a hard time?”

Mace scowled. “I didn’t ask her to come, Kayla.”

“No, you didn’t, but she did anyway. Because after only hours, your
warmth, your wonderful personality, the man that you are, slipped under her
skin, and I’m pretty sure she slipped under yours.”

“My injuries might mean….”

“Your injuries,” she cut him off, “have just started to heal. Remember
Nina is a doctor’s daughter. She’s heard all the war stories over the years.
The miracles, the heartbreak. Nina is not a shallow woman. She feels and thinks
deeply.”

“She shouldn’t think about me. I might not be able to…perform,” he
said, looking away quickly and concentrating on the back wall.

“The doctor disagrees with you.”

“They say that shit so you don’t jump out a window,” he said crossly.

“Mace, in about thirty seconds I’m going to put you over my knee.
Since you’re in a weakened state, I’m betting I can do it. Look at me,” she
said sharply.

“Kayla, give it up.”

“SEAL!” she barked at him. Mace turned toward her although his eyes
were still lowered. “Look—at—me, Mace.” He did, but very slowly. “I was nearly
beaten to death by the man that promised to love, honor and protect me.
Instead, he threw me around and broke my bones, then finally decided the world
would be a better place if I wasn’t breathing in it.” She squeezed his hand
hard. “Try crawling back from that. Try knowing that every smiling face is able
to turn on you, not just with disdain, but with brutal force. I crawled first,
and then I got to my feet and then I ran. I know I’ll never get over all of it.
But for a while,” her voice cracked, and Mace’s brows shot together. “For a
while, I felt happy again. I found someone for a short time I could trust.
You’re going to recover, but you have to do your physio and keep believing
tomorrow and the next day will get better.”

“What do you mean a short time? Are you talking about the Captain?”

Men, they hear what they want to hear. “He found his princess, Mace.
She’s taking care of him.”

Mace’s mouth curved tight. “Kayla, you don’t understand.”

“I do, and I’m happy for him. Listen—you and Nina have a real shot at
finding forever. Don’t push her away because of things that haven’t come to
pass. You’re going to heal, everything is going to be fine. You have to know
Nina like I do. She could have had any guy. Rich men trailed after her like
breadcrumbs, but she’s been waiting for something far more important. She’s
been waiting for a man who she loves and can also love Gabby.” Kayla rose from
the chair and hugged him. “I think you’re that man, Mace.”

“Kayla where are you going?”