Heroes In Uniform (99 page)

“I have to get back. I want to inform the captain.”

“You probably should do that. Can he be trusted?”

“The guy is solid. He’ll want to check with our home office, though. If it’s going to be an incident in international waters, we have to inform them first, if we can.”

“Then you do that.” Mark said. “But Teseo, this is no drill. I think we for real have a threat to this ship and everyone on board. And I don’t think we have much time. Kyle is speaking with Moshe right now, so he’ll be in on it.”

“Good. I’d trust him with my life.” Teseo said. “I’ll make sure I have a private conversation with the captain as soon as possible.”

“We don’t know who to trust, so probably a good plan, Tes.” Mark was turning to leave when he remembered something.

“Your guys have any weapons?”

“Not official. Not allowed. But some of us pack anyhow.”

“Roger that. We don’t have much, either. But one thing I could use.” Mark searched Teseo’s face. The Italian officer’s features started looking surreal as the bright sunset bathed him in rosy light.

“What?”

“I might need your rebreather. Can you get me your two extras?”

“Don’t know how I can do that, Mark.”

“I’ve got a stash on Lifeboat 26. It would sure be nice if you could leave anything for me there. Don’t think there’d be anyone who would see you do it, know what I mean? Boats on that side aren’t in front of a restaurant. Private deck off the backside of the galley.”

“I know it. I’ll do it. I’ll stow anything I stash there out of sight, under the vests, or in the lockers.”

“Thanks. I’ll need them by tonight, tomorrow morning at the latest. I plan to be there for a few hours this evening.” Mark hoped the bright orange sky didn’t show the blush he felt on his cheeks. “You could also give them to Sophia.”

“Sophia?”

“The Brazilian dance instructor?”

“Oh yeah, that one. That the one you were talking about?” Teseo’s handsome face cracked a wide grin.

“Um hum. She knows right where Lifeboat 26 is. You give anything to her and she’ll get it to me.” Mark pulled a card out of his pocket. “And here’s Kyle’s cell, my cell,” Mark handed Teseo a card with a small American flag on it that was otherwise completely blank except for the handwritten phone numbers.

Teseo slipped it into his vest pocket behind a small black spiral notebook.

“Kyle’s is a sat phone courtesy of Uncle Sam. My service is spotty,” Mark added.

“Will check back with him as soon as I talk to the captain. Thanks.” Teseo and Mark shook, and then he shook Jones’s hand. “Glad you boys are on board. Who would have thought?”

“I’m hoping they don’t know what we do. But with their advantage of surprise gone, perhaps we can take care of this so no one else knows about it.”

“That’s the plan, then. Talk to you soon.” Teseo ran to the gate, zipped his card against the metal sensor, and headed up the metal stairs to the Bridge. Mark hoped the captain was good under pressure.

Cruisin’ for a Seal: Chapter Twenty-Five

M
aksym had gone
to Helena’s room and collapsed in her arms. He could tell she was startled at his needy behavior. She tried to talk to him. He was rough with her in return, masking insecurity and fear, finally finding one of her scarves and wrapping it around her mouth to shut her up. Her eyes sparkled as he ripped off her clothes, as he shredded her panties and took her. His need was so great he wasn’t careful. She’d started by being gentle with him, drifting her fingers down his back and over his backside and he didn’t want that.

“Niet,” he said, getting right in face. Russian was the code for danger. Well, he was dangerous, all right. He scared her with his Russian. Trouble brewed in her brows. He held her two wrists together above her head with one large paw, hiking up her knees and thrusting himself inside her naked, pink body, pinning her to the bed, biting her neck and groaning guttural pleas in rhythm with his thrusting. He would have a hard time explaining why he felt this was going to be the last fuck of his life, but for some reason, that’s how it seemed. It didn’t matter whether she liked it or not.

He knew she loved the moment when her fear became pleasure, and she didn’t disappoint him now. Subtle, but now she passed that threshold when she commanded him again, because his need was more urgent than hers. In those exchanges of gasping for breath and slapping skin, he had become the submissive and she the dom as he felt her body arch back, and saw her let herself fall into a delicious orgasm that sounded like childbirth. Maybe that’s how it felt, too. The more he pumped her, the more he needed. He gave himself up to her and worshiped, filling her body. Every moan or rolling spasm became what he required, would have at all costs. She could literally kill him by withholding, he had given her so much power.

He flipped her over onto her stomach, pulling a pillow under her lower belly, splaying the cheeks of her flesh as his wet cock rooted up the cleft of her. He kissed her on one side, making a little bite that would draw blood. She arched back in a moan and then presented her peach to him, ripe with their combined juices.

He dove into her with his mouth, sucking her lips, running his canines on her delicate folds, lapping and feeding himself like he was starving. And he was starving for her. He hiked her hips higher, found another pillow and pushed it underneath her abdomen, raising her plump little ass on full display. He held her hair at the back of her neck and pulled, arching her backward like a bow.

He kicked his shoes off, but his shirt, his white pants were still on. The brass belt buckle with an anchor was slapping her ass as he rose up, positioned himself and rammed inside, pressing her down into the bed. He brought himself out, fully out, as she groaned. He let her feel the vacancy he’d created, then gave it back to her, pushing himself deep with a frenzy.

In and out he fucked her, riding her ass, pushing himself in to the right and then the left. He fucked like the more he did it, the bigger and harder he got, and he desperately wanted to be huge, wanted to explode and make her come.

She turned her head and looked at him out of one eye when he leaned over and French kissed her ear. He let her hear his cry of need, his complete despair, and his desire to mate, not to make love.

At last, while he once again pulled her head back by the roots of her hair, he felt her muscles milk him and pull him deeper still as he exploded, pausing to let her feel the force of him, the need of him. Her grunts of pleasure were music to his ears.

Mark heard the
obvious signs of lovemaking on the other side of the cabin door. He thought the cabins on either side and across the hall would be able to hear, too. Jones’ eyes widened and then he wrinkled his nose.

“Can’t tell if they’re fucking each other or killing each other,” he whispered. “Day-am.”

The loud bursts of ecstasy on the other side of the door subsided into silence. Mark heard the vibration of a text message on his cell.

Kyle: Teseo know anything about it?

He answered, “No. Telling the captain now.”

Kyle: Good. You find Maksym?

He texted back: Oh yeah. He’s in the room with her. Fuckin’ animals.

Kyle: lol. Sweeeet. Don’t get any ideas.

He answered: Oh I got ideas. Not sharing any of them with you.

Kyle: We’re on our way down.

He texted his LPO back: Roger that. “I guess we get to babysit, sort of,” he whispered to Jones.

“Um hum. Would be a whole lot more fun if we could watch, too.”

“Don’t push it.”

Several people slid past them in the narrow hallway. Jones and Mark pretended they were waiting for someone from across the aisle. Mark made a point to look at his watch and frown every time someone came close.

At last Kyle and Moshe appeared. Fredo rounded the corner and started to say something off color, but was shushed by the crowd in the corridor. He stepped in line with the others. Moshe was right outside the door, so when Maksym opened it, he got a good view of the angry Israeli.

“What’re you doing here?” Maksym said, then looked to see the other men in the hallway. His shirt was still not tucked in but his buttons were buttoned. His hair was a mess.

He came out and quickly closed the door to give Helena some privacy.

“Fellas,” he said. He made a poor attempt to act like he’d been caught doing something naughty and needed a minor hand slapping.

Moshe was all business. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me, Maksym.”

“Or what?” Maksym grinned like it would save his bacon.

“Not funny, asshole,” Mark chimed in and earned himself a glare from Kyle.

“We are two consenting adults, besides which, what concern is it of yours? The lady and I are in need of comfort. But I hold no claim to her…”

The door opened and Helena’s eyes were daggers. She leaned forward to check out the hallway and then shouted a command.

“Inside, quickly.”

All six of them proceeded. Kyle opened the door to the balcony outside, bringing in two three metal chairs and the table for them to sit on.

“This doesn’t concern her,” Maksym started to say. Helena cut him off.

“Oh, shut up and listen to what they have to say, Maksym.”

She’d yelled at his back and he braced against the sting to his ego.

“Sit down,” Moshe directed. “Next to her.” He pointed to Helena, who was already sitting on the edge of the bed. Kyle and Cooper were on the leather bench seat. Fredo remained standing behind Moshe. Mark and Jones took their seats on the metal chairs from the balcony. Maksym sat, appearing in a daze.

“What is all this about?”

“The bomb,” Moshe said.

“The bomb? What—”

Just then Maksym’s cell phone rang.

“You will answer it, and you will allow us to listen.” Mark was impressed by how commanding Moshe was.

“No. I cannot.”

“Don’t be a fool, Maksym. You have no choice but to cooperate,” Helena spat.

Maksym turned on her, seething. He was going to say something unkind, but Moshe took the wind out of his sales just after the ringing phone went silent.

“Maksym, you’re fucked,” Moshe interrupted. “We know about your little plan, and now we’re gonna tell your boss that we know about it. How valuable are you going to be if that happens? I think he’ll feel some resentment towards you, don’t you think? Your chips have just been taken away.”

The Ukrainian was starting to look like a caged animal. A dangerous caged animal.

The phone began ringing again.

“Answer it. And do as we say,” Moshe hissed.

“Da.” Maksym flashed a look at Helena who shook her head.

“You fuckin asshole,” she screamed and slammed him with a pillow. Maksym’s grip on the phone faltered and it clattered to the ground.

He fell to all fours and scrambled to find it, putting it back to his ear. “My apologies Wolf. I am in a serious argument with my woman.”

He pressed the speaker feature and the Team heard the clipped Italian accent on the other end of the line, full of restraint.

“Are you in a secure location, alone?”

“Helena is here, as you know. But yes, we’re alone in the cabin.” Maksym scanned his audience.

“You are both going to pay with your lives if this is not true.”

“I have found some relief in her arms. The pressure is getting to me a bit, I admit.”

“Time enough for fucking when this is over with. I know enough of Helena not to be concerned. She values her lifestyle, even if she doesn’t value your lives.” There was a pause and the man on the other end sighed as though it pained him to do so with patience. “So how did they find out about the bomb, Maksym? I hold you personally responsible for this.”

Mark saw Maksym react. “Sir, you told me there was no bomb.”

He realized then that the captain’s call to the main office must have tipped this man off. That meant he was connected with the home office. At least they now knew where the enemy was hiding. Or had been hiding.

“It’s the delivery device, assuring us the plan will take place. They can’t stop it now if they can’t find it.”

“Wolf, how can you be sure they found out about it? I’ve heard nothing.”

“Because your captain relayed a suspicion expressed by some Americans on board. You know any such Americans?”

Maksym looked at the SEALs.

“There are several American couples I’ve met. Strictly tourists, I’d say.”

Mark could see Maksym start to sweat. The officer closed his eyes and swallowed. “What is it you would have me do?”

“I want you to guard it with your life.”

“Yes. But what if they contact me?”

“If they contact you, that means you are a dead man. If they know about you, then you are of no use to me. Make sure that they don’t.”

The man called Wolf hung up.

Maksym dropped his head into the palms of his hands, elbows braced on his knees.

“Where is it, Maksym?” Moshe demanded.