Heroes In Uniform (51 page)

A brisk knock on the door woke her sometime later. Still groggy, she lifted her head from the pillow and looked behind her at the other bunks. Ace was already up and gone, and she was alone. What time was it?

Another knock. “Lieutenant Kelly?”

She sat up, rubbing her aching eyes. “Yes?”

“I’ve been asked to escort you to a debriefing, ma’am.”

Oh, God, another one?
“All right. Hold on a minute.” She got herself together, put her boots on, grabbed a bottle of water and opened the door to find a young sergeant standing there. “Where’s the debriefing?”

“I’ll show you.”

Well, duh.
Who wanted to see her this time? Already cranky due to lack of sleep and being deprived of what had really happened at that checkpoint yesterday, she fell in step with him and chugged half the water during the walk across base. He escorted her into a secure building and down a long linoleum-lined hallway to the door second from the end. When someone responded to her knock, she opened the door to find two forty-ish men dressed in khakis and button-down shirts seated behind a wide metal desk.

“Lieutenant Kelly, come in,” the dark-haired man said.

She crossed to the chair he indicated opposite the desk. The man stood and reached out a hand. “I’m Agent Bertrand, and this is Agent Filiponi,” he said, indicating the blond, balding man beside him.

“Are you with the FBI?” she asked as she shook hands.

“No.” Bertrand sat and when it was clear he wasn’t going to expand on that, Erin sat. She opened her mouth to ask something else, but the door suddenly opened. She glanced up to see Sandberg stride in and her belly did an annoying little flip. He was just so rugged and masculine, radiating all that quiet, controlled power. Coupled with that dark scruff on his face and those intense dark eyes, he was one hell of a distraction.

His irritated expression flared with a hint of surprise when he saw her, but he quickly turned his attention to the two men behind the desk as he sat in the chair beside hers. “Was it necessary to bring her here for this?” he asked, sounding annoyed.

Erin blinked, taken aback by the sharpness of his tone. Why didn’t he want her here?

“Yes,” Bertrand answered. He looked at her. “I’m sure you know by now what a shit storm this incident has caused with the Afghan government. They’re refusing to admit that it could have been a planned attack, or that insurgents could have infiltrated the military and police personnel stationed at the checkpoint. And because of the firefight and the wounded they incurred as a result, they’re not being cooperative with the investigation. But,” he continued, and something in the way he paused sent a shiver of foreboding up Erin’s spine, “we do know a few things.”

“Like?” Sandberg prompted, sounding aggravated. Erin didn’t blame him. As far as she knew he’d been awake the entire time they’d been in that cave and she knew without a doubt he’d been called to far more debriefings than she had since arriving back at Bagram. He had to be exhausted, especially after keeping watch all night.

“Like Lieutenant Kelly’s passport and other ID has gone missing from the checkpoint, as has yours and Sergeant Thompson’s.”

“Is that it?” Sandberg asked in a clipped tone.

“No,” the balding one, Filiponi, responded. “Recent chatter indicates that whoever took your ID at that checkpoint was working for Rahim.” His pale blue gaze shifted to her. “Do you know the name?”

“I recognize it. Don’t know much about him, though.” Except that he was rumored to be a Taliban leader who operated in the mountains to the east, and that he was considered highly dangerous to U.S. forces in the region. She cast a questioning glance at Sandberg, but he was still staring at the two agents. Did his mysterious “job” have something to do with the terrorist leader?

Filiponi continued. “Your information has been passed up the chain of command, so it’s likely already reached Rahim. Based on the chatter we intercepted this morning, he knows you and Agent Sandberg—”

Erin’s eyes shot to the man next to her, and narrowed.
Agent
Sandberg. That shiver of foreboding was more like a full-fledged earthquake now.

“—were seen together at the hospital in Kandahar, and that you left Bagram together, arriving at the checkpoint a few hours later. And after the firefight Agent Sandberg told the village elder you were husband and wife—”

She stifled a gasp and threw an accusatory glance at Sandberg. He had his arms folded, that hard jaw clenched as he stared at Filiponi. The man could’ve been carved from granite from all the expression his face revealed.

“—so it’s likely that’s reached Rahim too,” Filiponi finished.

Erin shot another glare at Sandberg, not that it did any good, since he wasn’t looking at her.
What the hell have you done?
She understood that he’d told the elder that to protect her, but it had backfired big time. Instead of shielding her, apparently that lie had now embroiled her in the bigger picture unfolding around her. An incredibly dangerous one that had her stomach in knots.

“In short,” Agent Bertrand said to her, leaning forward to lace his fingers together atop the desk, “you’ve been linked to Agent Sandberg three different times at three separate locations. By now Rahim will no doubt suspect you’re working together.”

She swung her gaze back to him, her hands tightening on the arms of the uncomfortable plastic chair.

“In short, Lieutenant, until we can prove otherwise, it’s likely you’re now a target of Rahim’s network as well.”

Erin absorbed the words in silence as they crashed through her with the force of a sledgehammer.
Holy. Shit.
For a moment she couldn’t speak, could do nothing but stare.

“Do you understand what I’m saying, Lieutenant?” Bertrand asked.

She nodded, forced herself to swallow past the sudden restriction in her throat. Maybe she didn’t know what Sandberg’s history or involvement with Rahim’s network was, but she understood just how deadly the possible threat against her was.

“Are you all right?” the agent asked her, frowning.

Sandberg snorted. “What the hell do you
think
?” he snapped, glaring at the two other men. “Is that seriously it? That’s the best evidence you’ve got to bring her in here and tell her this shit?”

“It’s protocol,” Bertrand answered evenly.

“The hell it is,” Sandberg fired back. “If you were following protocol, I wouldn’t still be here at Bagram.”

“Oh, you’ll be out of here soon enough,” Filiponi told him. “We’ve looked into how your travel itinerary might’ve been leaked to Rahim’s network. Had to be someone on the outside. And as luck would have it, a tip came in about forty minutes ago.”

Sandberg raised an eyebrow. “And?”

Filiponi stared at him for a moment. “And it’s credible and serious enough that both of you will be going back to Langley to stay in a safe house until we get to the bottom of this investigation and neutralize the threat against you.”

Erin exchanged a disbelieving look with Sandberg as her stomach dropped. CIA headquarters were in Langley. Safe house? She was going to have to spend God only knew how long in a freaking safe house because of this mess?

Pushing out a breath, Sandberg turned his attention back to Bertrand once more. “What tip came in?”

The man’s dark gaze never wavered from Sandberg’s. “We’ve got a few possible leads we’re looking into. One in particular we find very…interesting.”

Erin thought her stomach couldn’t drop any lower, but the way he said it made it feel like she’d just swallowed a chunk of lead. Oh yeah, she definitely wasn’t going home anytime soon, and even though she knew Agent Sandberg had no control over any of this or the terrorist after them, it didn’t mean she wasn’t still pissed as hell at him for involving her in this.

* * *

They weren’t telling him shit because he was officially off the taskforce, Wade realized in disgust as Erin left the room. He couldn’t believe they’d do this to him after all he’d done for The Company and his country during the past three years undercover, but agency bullshit was always a problem. It was why he’d always preferred work in the field rather than being trapped behind a desk and finding himself entangled in miles of red tape.

“You gonna tell me who you’re looking into now that she’s gone?” he said to Bertrand. Erin had been pale, clearly shaken when she’d left a minute ago. Wade wanted to go after her, but he needed to know this first. What exactly was he up against? Who’d set him up?

“You’ll be alerted if anything comes of the probe. Your handler will update you when you get to Langley.”

Wade’s hands clenched into fists as he fought to curb the sharp spike in his temper. Blowing his cool here with these desk jockeys wasn’t going to help his cause. He’d just have to wait until he got to Langley.

Dividing one last icy glare between the two of them, Wade stormed out of the room and into the hall. Erin was already out of the building. He hurried to the far door at the end of the hallway, scanning for her when he stepped outside into the bright sunshine. Shading his eyes with one hand, he spotted her headed toward the Exchange, and broke into a jog. “Hey,” he called out.

She paused to look at him over her shoulder, her eyes shooting daggers at him. Not that he blamed her. If not for him, she’d be on her way to her parents’ ranch right now. Instead, she’d been chased and shot at yesterday, forced to stay the night in a cave and was now stuck here at Bagram until they caught a transport back stateside to whatever safe house the agency had picked out for them. Where they’d be staying
together
, due to budget restrictions or some other shit Bertrand had explained.

He owed her an apology.

He loped up to her and stopped a foot away, trying to think of something to say. Her jaw was tight, her posture rigid, and the accusations in her pretty green eyes made him feel an inch tall. Transitioning back into civilian life was going to be hard enough for him, let alone while in the same house with a woman who couldn’t stand the sight of him. “Look, I’m sorry you got caught up in all this.”

She turned to face him fully, crossing her arms over her chest, which naturally dragged his gaze to the curve of her breasts beneath her BDUs. Small, firm breasts he’d bet would nestle perfectly into his palms if he cupped them. He dragged his eyes back up to her face as she responded. “I know it’s not really your fault and you didn’t plan for this to happen, but I just can’t—” She paused to draw in a steadying breath, and he understood her need to vent her anger.

“Believe me, I never expected anything like this to happen.” Not for someone to leak his travel itinerary to Rahim’s people, anyway. Erin continued staring at him and he resisted the urge to drag a hand through his hair. He wasn’t sure why it was so important for her to believe him and accept his apology, but it was. Usually he didn’t give a shit what people thought of him or his actions, yet with her he did.

She shook her head in bewilderment, her eyes burning with resentment and frustration. “I don’t even know your
name
.”

He sighed, cast a glance around to be sure no one could overhear him before answering. “It’s Wade.”

“Wade
Sandberg
?”

He nodded, and, holding her gaze, offered his hand. “My real name, I swear.”

Her expression was still wary, but she took his hand. “I’m Erin.”

He nodded again, caught off guard by the invisible thread of attraction that wound through him at the simple contact. Her hand was small and soft in his own and he was struck again by how delicate and feminine she was. The overwhelming instinct to protect her swelled within him again, same as it had yesterday. When her head had lolled for the third time against that tunnel wall this morning he’d eased her down against his shoulder and something had twisted inside him at the feel of her sleeping against him so trustingly. In that moment he’d vowed to make up for the damage he’d caused.

He’d gotten her into this mess; he’d make sure she got out okay. It was the least he could do.

Realizing he was still holding her hand, he released it. “So what are—”

“Just tell me one thing.”

That green gaze pinned him, needled his conscience. “If I can,” he acknowledged.

“How were you involved with whatever’s going on with this Rahim guy?”

Okay, most of that he
definitely
couldn’t tell her. “I’ve been…undercover for the past few years.” She was intelligent; she’d figure out the gist of what he was saying.

She studied him for a moment longer as if she was trying to decide whether or not he was telling the truth. His answer must have satisfied her, because after a pause she nodded once. “And you agree that I’m in enough danger now to warrant being put into protective custody when we get back stateside?”

“If he’s identified you as working with me, then yeah.” And shit, he was more sorry about that than he could say. Rahim’s network extended farther than even Wade knew, so it was possible he had people activated in the States right now, waiting for them to arrive. Protective custody was the best option.

Erin looked away, her expression a study in weariness and resignation. For some reason Wade wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her tight. His sister was around her age, late twenties. He hated knowing she was feeling lost and scared because of him. It drove him nuts that he couldn’t fix any of it right now.

Meeting his eyes once more, she swallowed. “And how do I know I’ll be safe if I’m there with you?”

“Because I’ll keep you that way.” He owed her that much. He’d done many fucked-up things over the past few years in the name of duty, but this was one task that might balance the karma scales a little. Wade would do whatever it took to ensure her safety while she was with him. If Rahim was seriously thinking of targeting her, he’d have to get through Wade first.

His answer seemed to surprise her. “Why would you care? I don’t even know you.”

“You don’t have to know me for me to promise that.” Besides, she’d get to know him a hell of a lot more than he wanted her to in the days or weeks ahead once they got to Virginia. “I know this is a shitty-assed mess, and I know you have no reason to trust me, but—” He exhaled, wondered what the hell to say to put her at ease. “Just know that I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?”