Seek and Destroy (20 page)

    
Quit feeling sorry for yourself, Charis. You had an amazing experience-one you'll never forget. Stop dwelling.

    She eyed the building. You'd never guess this to be the headquarters for the National Agency of Safety, Security, and Defense. The single-story building had an old primer-colored paint job chipping and peeling off the sides. The parking lot sat hidden in the back. The faded sign over the door read
AAA Consulting
.

    To the everyday passerby, it looked like a rundown building housing a dated and poor consulting firm, although by the sign no one knew what the firm actually did.

    AAA Consulting didn't have many clients. NASSD went through all the proper channels to make sure the firm looked legit in case anyone went snooping. But it ended there. She should know, having done her fair share of the snooping to confirm their legitimacy.

    She walked through the front door and drew in a steady breath. Again, to the average passerby this looked like any other waiting room. Unlike the outside, this inside always looked like it had a fresh coat of paint. The plush gray carpet had specs of magenta throughout, in no particular pattern. The chairs lining the walls had the same design. The basic artwork hanging on the walls wouldn't cause anyone to pause and take a second glance.

    The corner tables had stacks of various outdated magazines scattered across the top, just like every other waiting room in the nation. The large marble reception desk sat off to the left, where Sally Bassett sat smiling at her. A pleasant woman in her late fifties, Sally had been with NASSD for over thirty years. Everyone considered her the mother hen of the Western Region NASSD agents. She wore her gray hair pulled up neatly in a bun on top of her head, and she dressed impeccably. As she smiled at Charis, her pale eyes twinkled in their motherly way.

    "Ms. McKoy. I was wondering if I'd get to see you again. Always a pleasure."

    "Hi, Sally. How's the knee?" She'd blown it out up at Snoqualmie Pass a few weeks back, she'd told her. Even in her late fifties, she held her own against people half her age when she slapped on a snowboard.

    "Nothing that's going to keep me down," she answered, almost singing. "Jack is taking me to Aspen for our anniversary this year. And this is the year I'll beat him on the double diamond."

    "Aspen?" She nodded, impressed. Double diamond? Holy cow. After her accident, you couldn't get Charis off the bunny hill. Sally's husband, Jack, was a few years older than her and ran circles around the majority of the young bucks calling themselves NASSD agents. "I'm sure you'll whoop him."

    Having spent almost three hours with Sally as they coordinated her mission in Maui, she knew more about her than she did the agent she'd just spent the night having sexual congress with.

    "He's expecting you. He's called up here at least three times asking if I've seen you." She smiled her knowing smile.

    "Sorry, I just came in on the plane. It was a long flight."

    "I haven't had to relay any calls from you in over twenty-four hours." That was Sally's way of telling her SD Weber had been expecting her call. "And I'm to remind all agents they should be using the back entrance, not the front."

    "Oh, right." She completely spaced on that little fact. "I forgot."

    "Understood. I should warn you, he is in a mood today." The phone rang then and Sally pushed a button under her desk to buzz Charis through the next door as she answered. "Good afternoon, AAA Consulting. How may I direct your call?"

    Oh goodie. And she knew exactly why.

    "Thank you," she whispered and slipped through the door. Sally waved as she talked to the party on the other end about the various BS services of AAA Consulting. If her vague description of their services didn't thwart the caller, after Sally stated their hourly rate, they'd all but hang up on her.

    Once behind the solid door in the reception area, the appearance of the inside changed completely. The welcoming feel of the waiting room did not follow the agents into the back. The ceiling, the walls, even the shiny linoleum floor was a striking white. It looked like a clean room. She made her way down the long hall, the sound of her heels striking the hard floor the only sound, aside from the thumping of her heart in her ears.

    She approached the next door and unlocked it with the transmitter inserted into the lining of her watchband. Once inside, she walked down another stark white, and completely empty, hall to the retinal scan used to gain access into the elevator. Once behind the double doors, her fingerprint granted her access down to HQ, five floors below the ground.

    The doors slid open to another hallway looking exactly the same as all the others. With a conscious effort to not hyperventilate, she stepped out and started down the hall, wondering how much longer she'd have access into this building. As soon as she told the director David Snyder would
not
be rejoining NASSD, he'd kick her out.

    The sound of her heels clicking against the shiny white linoleum floor echoed throughout the empty corridor. Odd. There were always agents on this floor. She expected the director here, at least. Where was everyone? Rounding the corner, she had her answer.

    Special Director Weber paced the halls, looking pissed and cussing up a storm. No wonder everyone else ran for cover. The man, as big as a doorway, with a blond buzz cut and piercing blue eyes, could cut a person down to tears with just a look. He appeared to be in a bad mood, as Sally had warned, and for good reason.

    She'd failed her mission. She didn't need to add to his mood. She'd come back later when he felt better.

    If that ever happened.

    As soon as he spotted her, she turned around to make a break for it. She almost made it around the corner before his terse voice stopped her.

    "McKoy! What the hell happened to you? Why haven't you checked in? You were due back here over an hour ago!"

    She debated telling him her phone was now somewhere in the waters off Maui. Between her near drowning, and David literally ripping her dress off her body, she'd lost her phone. Because it would have popped out with the rest of her when he ripped the dress off her body, that only left one other place.

    "I lost my phone."

    "Did you also lose the ability to
use
a phone?"

    The heat of humiliation slapped her cheeks. His eyes narrowed in on her. Oh boy. Here it comes.

    "Where is he?"

    "I-" She didn't have to finish. He cursed like a wild man, threw his arms out and went back to pacing.

    "I need him here. Now, goddamn it! We are out of time. He's the only one I trust to do this. Another bombing. Shit! I should have gone myself." He cursed a few more times.

    She started backing up. He had his answer. By all rights she should be able to just go back home. Back to ICE. Go back to boring, uneventful days with her nose glued to a computer screen. If they even allowed her access to a computer after this.

    "In room three. Now."

    Joy of all joys. Closing her eyes, Charis cursed inwardly. This didn't sound good. He didn't need to prolong this. She knew she'd failed. He didn't need to point that fact out to her, thank you very much.

    She followed Special Director Weber into the room and took a seat in one of the metal chairs on the opposite side of the table. The director sighed and pinched the skin between his eyes. "Repeat your objective to me, Agent McKoy."

    "To seek out and return Agent David Snyder to NASSD HQ," she recited from memory. Not to sleep with him. Not to fall in... Severe lust. Not to wake up missing him so much she physically felt the loss.

    "And did you seduce him?"

    She choked on a breath. "What?"

    "I said, did you succeed?"

    Her heart finally started to beat again. Thank God she'd heard him wrong. "Sort of."

    He looked at her. "Care to elaborate?"

    She couldn't very well tell him how close she'd gotten. She couldn't tell him how they spent last night entangled together, having sex like wild bunnies, how the damage deposit she left at the hotel wouldn't begin to pay for what they'd done to the room in the throws of passion. "Not really."

    "Too bad. Tell me how close you got to Snyder."

    "I think that's a bit personal, don't you?" A distinctive and familiar baritone voice reverberated from behind her.

    Charis swung around in her chair and sucked in a slight gasp. When did he get here? Strike that. How in the hell did he get
in
here? He no longer had clearance. The retinal scanner. The fingerprints. The... The... The fact they were five stories below ground. Surely Sally new better than to fall for his devilish charm.

    David Snyder stood in the doorway looking better than ever. Apparently all night sex had done him some good, too. He didn't look anything like he did in Maui. Over there he looked like all of the other locals with his beachcomber shorts, and if the need to dress up arose, a shirt. Today he looked like...

    The
real
David Snyder. Super Spy. Sexy Secret Agent.

    He wore a nice fitting pair of Dockers and a dark shirt, and wore them well. His deep-set dark chocolate eyes seemed to dance as the corners of his mouth pulled up to a grin. He'd combed his hair, even shaved. She gave out a little audible sigh.

    Oh wow.

    He hooked the brown leather jacket over his shoulder and leaned up against the doorframe. "You know, your security in this building could use some work." He commented lightly, his deep brown eyes dancing in mirth. "You're slacking, Weber."

    "You son-of-a-bitch," the director bit off. "How in the hell did you get in here?"

    Her heart skipped to her throat. That wasn't quite the reaction she expected from him. Instead of anger clouding David's features, he flashed a grin that sent her insides purring. "Good to see you too, old friend."

    Weber rose and approached him. He didn't wear any expression. Weber stopped in front of him and David lost his smile. They stood face-to-face, eye-to-eye, for what felt like an eternity. Charis had never been tenser in her life. Would Weber throw a punch? Would David be the first to strike? Oh dear God, why did she just sit there? Should she jump in between them to stop the inevitable blow up?

    And then they threw their arms around each other and embraced, slapping each other on the back and grinning as wide as Cheshire Cats. She didn't remember ever seeing SD Weber smile, let alone laugh. "Damn, Snyder. I was afraid you wouldn't come."

    
Men
.

    "And let you have all the fun? Not a chance." He casually followed the director into the room and took a seat next to her. Her heart flipped around in her chest as she waited for him to look at her. Touch her. Hell, acknowledge her in some way.

    He didn't even throw her a courtesy glance. She refused to let it get to her. Her nose tingled, and she sniffled slightly. Refused. Flat. Out. Refused.

    "What changed your mind?" he asked David.

    His gaze flicked in her direction. "Let's just say I had a personal breakthrough."

    The director studied him, skepticism etched into the lines of his face. "I'll bet." He lost his smile as he pierced her with those unyielding eyes. "We'll talk later."

    She just sat there, numb. Did he just dismiss her? And why the hell wouldn't David look at her?

    "Wait outside, McKoy." The director spelled it out.

    She didn't want to leave without at least pointing out her success. She had to end this meeting on a positive note. "I guess this means I did it."

    "Did what?" Weber asked.

    She eyed David and hummed in the back of her throat. "I brought him home."

    He leaned back in his chair without so much as an arch of his handsome brow over her comment. "Actually,
I
brought me home. Which, of course, I'll be submitting the bill to NASSD. Do you have any idea how expensive it is to fly first class?"

    Weber chuckled, a sound she'd never heard escape from the man. "I never said you could fly first class."

    "I didn't ask permission," David retorted lightly. "Besides, I was on the same flight as McKoy here. I couldn't very well be in the same cabin as her."

    "Why the hell not?" Weber asked.

    Yeah. Why the hell not?

    He shrugged, favoring his good shoulder as she knew he would. "I didn't want her getting a big head." He glanced at her and winked, sending her insides into orbit, her excitement settling into her core.

    It didn't matter whom. It didn't matter how. He'd come back. And that meant she completed her objective. "Welcome back, Agent Snyder." She stood and held out her hand.

    David eyed her hand and, after waiting until she started to pull it back, finally took it in his. The spark of recognition flooded her soul. Those hands were all over her a mere lifetime ago, drawing reactions out of her she didn't even know she had
in
her. He stroked his thumb over the tender part of her wrist, and the chills washed up her spine. When she dropped his hand, she felt the void clean to her toes.

    He imprisoned her with his eyes. "Thank you, Charis."

    The sound of her name on his lips made her insides shimmy. She adjusted her glasses to give her time to regroup. "You're welcome, David."

    Holding her smile until she closed the door behind her, she left the room. She'd deal with his cool greeting later. For now, not even that would dampen her spirits.

    

    

    David turned to make sure the door shut behind her. Damn, that had to be the hardest thing he'd ever done. Not even crawling across the desert during the hottest part of the day or going days on end without a single drop of water and locked in what he'd thought would be his coffin compared to the torture he'd just endured.