“Hey, Nick,” Jack answered in his customary jovial tone.It wasn’t fake; he was usually an upbeat guy.It took a lot to upset him.Even after his accident, he hadn’t dwelled on all he had lost.
He had been wondering what he was going to do after the military discharged him when Nick called him.Jack hadn’t had to think about it.He’d said yes on the phone call without learning all of the specifics.It wasn’t like he had anything to go home to.
That wasn’t to say he didn’t have family.He did.His parents and grandparents were still alive.He had several aunts and uncles.He even had a younger brother, but he hadn’t been close to any of them since he’d joined the Navy.
None of them could understand why he would willingly risk his life for people who would never do the same thing for him.Even his grandfather, who had served in World War II, hadn’t supported him.Told him he had seen enough war that he would never wish that on any of his family members.Jack hadn’t cared, he’d signed up anyway.Get-togethers had been strained at times, but as long as conversation stayed away from the military, all was well.
After he’d been injured, his family all had ‘I told you so’ looks, but no one ever muttered a word about it.When the opportunity came to continue his military career in a new capacity, he never told any of them.Jack just told them that he did liaison work so they wouldn’t worry about him.
“How is it going?”
Nick had called him a few days ago with this undercover assignment.Reconnaissance missions were nothing new to him.He had done plenty of them in the Navy and more since he’d switched roles.
Nick had thought he’d be perfect for this role.He was known for charming women, and this woman was in definite need of some charming.
“Good, I just met her.”
“You’ve been there less than an hour.How did you pull that off?”Nick sounded shocked, though Jack didn’t understand why.He was good at his job.It hadn’t hurt the woman had been standing outside.It wasn’t like he’d had to knock on her door to borrow some sugar.
“She and one of her neighbors were standing outside when I showed up with the moving van.I took the opportunity to introduce myself.”
Nick hmphed.“And?”
“She’s leery, but it could be because she’s on the run.I’m having dinner at her neighbor’s house tonight.I’ll find out everything she knows about her.Later, I’m going to check out her work.Figure out what kind of employee she is.”
Nick had given him all the information he had on Andrea Burns.There wasn’t much.Given the fact she was being protected by WITSEC said a lot.Nick had had to pull a lot of strings to get the intel he did get.
Nick had done his own investigation a week ago and called him after to assign the case to him.
“Be careful.This woman is responsible for millions of dollars in theft.I can’t tell you how important her cooperation means to the investigation.”
Nick had given him a brief history about the base attacks over the past year.Different bases had been attacked several months apart.There hadn’t been any rhyme or reason to it, but Nick’s daughter had figured out the pattern.
It turned out the attacks hadn’t been random, but they were looking for something specific.One of team’s intel members had gotten a facial recognition on a woman who had been caught sneaking out of a service tunnel.The woman who was living across the street from him looking at him like a leper.
“Don’t worry about it.Women are my specialty.”He’d thaw out the ice queen.If not, he specialized in other interrogation tactics.
“Which is why I assigned you to this case.”
“I won’t let you down, sir.”Jack was honored that Nick had handpicked him for this mission.He could have used an active duty member or anyone else from his team, but Nick had chosen him.
“Just don’t take all day about it.The sooner she confesses and tells us her accomplices, the better.”
“It shouldn’t take me too long at all, sir,” Jack said confidently.If Jack knew one thing, it was women.Andrea was cold and prickly on the outside, but after a little warming up, he’d have her melting polar ice caps.
Chapter 3
“Thank you again for inviting me to dinner, Mrs.Krantz,” Jack said as he sat down at her dining room table.
“Maya, please, and you are most welcome,” she replied warmly as she took a seat across from him.
It wasn’t a large dining table.Big enough for four.Maybe four normal-size people.His legs stretched across the expanse, brushing the dress she had changed into at some point today.He had to shift his legs to the side and stretch them out, so he didn’t feel contorted.
Jack looked at the spread in front of them.He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but it wasn’t roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas.
“Maya, this looks wonderful.I hope you didn’t put yourself out for my behalf.”
“It wasn’t a trouble.”She waved him off.“Besides, I wanted to give you a proper welcome.We don’t get too many new neighbors anymore.In my day, it was a casserole dish or cookies.I like this much better.”
