'You must be proud.'
'I am. Margaret and I-'
'Margaret's your wife?'
'Yes. She and I have been most fortunate in that our children are…'
John's voice trailed off when he realized one of the security staff was typing into a portable computer.
Seconds later the printer shot out several pieces of paper.
'What is going on here?' he demanded, rising to his feet.
Zane took the pages and handed them to him. Then he turned his attention to the group. 'John just gave the lives of his wife and children to a terrorist group determined to make its mark. In the time it took him to share some general information about his occupation, the type of company he worked for, the name of his wife and the number of his children, we were able to pull together a relatively complete file on him. The data bank already exists. Incomplete profiles are stored and as more details are learned, the profiles grow. One slip-a son in Eton, the name of a spouse-can bring it all together.'
John flipped through the pages and swore softly. 'I didn't know.'
'Most people don't. You got off lightly this time. We've screened everyone. No lurking terrorists. Next time you might not be so lucky.' He pointed to John's name tag. 'That's why first names only.' Zane turned to Ashley. 'Tell us about yourself.'
She couldn't help smiling. 'I don't think I know you well enough to share any details. But thanks for asking.'
'Exactly right,' Zane said, winking at her. 'Better to be considered rude than be found dead. Remember, if you don't know the person, don't take the risk. It's not worth it.' He glanced at his watch and nodded at Jeff. 'Let's switch subjects. If you'll turn to the next section in your notebooks.'
'Security,' Jeff said by way of introduction. 'Having too much staff is just as useless as having too little. Don't get caught up in the game of looking good with an entourage.'
He continued talking, but Ashley wasn't paying attention to his words. She was too mesmerized by how he looked. She took in the fatigues, the baseball-style military cap, the gun strapped to his waist. He was a stranger-a very exciting, very dangerous-looking stranger. He was-
Both sets of side doors burst open and nearly a dozen armed, masked men poured into the room. Someone screamed. Ashley thought it might have been her, but her throat was too dry. Her heart leaped into her throat, making it impossible to breathe.
Before she knew what was happening, the men were grabbing people and forcing them toward the rear of the room. Everything happened so quickly. There was a gunshot and a cry. Instinctively she turned to catch sight of Jeff. At first she couldn't see where he was but then she noticed him by the front wall. He was checking his watch.
She felt someone grab her arm and roughly thrust her toward the rear of the room. Seconds later a voice yelled, 'Clear!'
Jeff looked up. 'Thirty-two seconds. That's how long it took my men to collect you into an easily manageable group. Give them another twenty-five seconds and you'd all be dead.'
The man who had been 'shot' scrambled to his feet. He was one of the security staff. He patted his chest and grinned. 'Blanks on a bulletproof vest. I didn't feel a thing.'
'Now that I have your attention,' Jeff said, 'let's talk about buying the best. Don't be cheap. Get the best people and give them the most dependable equipment available. Newer isn't always better. Figuring out what they should have isn't your job-you have experts for that. But don't skimp. Yes, a clip that holds more bullets costs more. So what? Isn't your life worth that?'
He put down his clipboard. 'Let's take a fifteen-minute break so that your heart rates can get back to normal.'
Ashley pressed her hand to her chest and wondered if that would ever happen. At least her heart had returned to her chest. She moved over to the table set up with sodas and water. She opened a can of a diet drink and sipped. A few of the other participants chatted to each other while most pulled out their cell phones and made calls.
Zane walked over to where she stood and he grinned. 'Great huh? Did you ever feel so alive?'
'Yes,' she said. 'I felt very alive before I thought I was going to die. That was not my idea of a good time.'
Zane laughed as he moved away, but she didn't think it was funny. She turned her attention to Jeff who was busy answering questions. For the first time she was starting to understand who and what he was. A warrior.
She remembered he'd told her Nicole had said he wasn't human. Ashley disagreed. He was very human. He was just better trained and more willing to die than most people. He was also very special. How many men like him would be willing to take the time to braid a little girl's hair or read her a story? How many would bother with things like Easter egg hunts or remember to compliment her on a new hat?
Yes, he was a warrior and she loved him.
Ashley closed her eyes against the sudden burning behind her lids. She didn't want to start crying here, but emotion overwhelmed her. She loved Jeff. It was a thousand kinds of stupid and yet she hadn't been able to stop herself.
To make matters worse, along with the love came fear. She knew what she wanted in her life-someone who would love her completely, more than he'd ever loved anyone else ever. She desperately needed to be first in his life.
Was that Jeff? Did he care about her that way? She wanted to believe it was possible, but she wasn't sure. Could the warrior open himself that much? His life was so different from hers. She couldn't go where he went. Would he be willing to stay on her side of the line?
She felt a hand on her shoulder, turned and saw Jeff standing next to her.
'Are you all right?' he asked, concern deepening his voice.
She forced herself to smile. 'Zane seemed to feel it was all a joke, designed to make us feel alive. I told him I was plenty alive enough before. If anything, the attack scared about three years of life out of me.'
'That's the adrenaline. It's a powerful chemical, but it will fade.'
She touched her chest. 'So I'll be able to breathe without gasping?'
'Just give it a minute.' He brushed his fingers against her cheek. 'How are you holding up? Any regrets?'
'About four dozen, but I'm still enjoying myself. It's really different from my ordinary life.'
'Are you surprised?'
'By the differences? No.' she shrugged. 'I knew what you did, but I never understood the details. There are way too many ways to kill people.'
'My job is to make sure that doesn't happen.'
'Agreed, but is it what you do or who you are?' She knew what she wanted him to say. Unfortunately she also knew what he was going to say.
'It's who I am,' he told her. 'That can't change.'
'I know,' she said with a lightness she didn't feel. 'But a girl can dream.'
He dropped his hand to his side. His gaze grew more intense. 'What do you dream about, Ashley? What do you want?'
She wanted him to be different. To be an ordinary man who worked in a bank or a factory. She didn't want someone who saved the world because causes were often so much more important than people. She wanted him to be the kind of man who would love her back.
She was as foolish as a child crying for the moon. 'Pizza,' she said at last. 'The all-meat kind with sausage and pepperoni. What do think? Is there a take-out pizza place around here?'
At first she didn't think he was going to let her change the subject. But she suspected Jeff didn't want to discuss their differences any more than she did.
'I happen to know a great little place in town. We'll have it delivered.'
'Sounds perfect.' She turned away, then glanced at him over her shoulder. 'And while we're waiting, we can take a bath… together.'
