“What are you thinking? You’ve had that look on your face before,” Surya noted.
“What look?” He turned his attention back to her.
Her smile was slow, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “When I tied you up and spanked you. You have the same look now. Very determined, like a man on a mission.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Yeah.” He remembered his exact thoughts then. “I was thinking of exacting similar revenge when I found you, with some extra punishment.”
“It was only a couple of very light smacks!” she protested. “Your bare butt was tempting, that’s all. You should forgive and forget.”
He put his hand on her knee and squeezed lightly. He felt her slight shiver.
“So much to think about for after this adventure,” he said. The sexy come-hither look in her eyes made him hot again, even though the air in the car was cool. He wanted to lean over and kiss those lips. He ran his hand over her thigh before changing the subject back to their current problem. “I was wondering about the SEALs who had turned on the MacKenzies.”
“Well, we know the one they caught—Holland, wasn’t it?—told them they were going to hurt his family. I’m assuming these turncoats are also following orders because of Petrovich’s threats. That’s why I said what I said back there, just to test his reaction.”
He liked having a partner who could jump back and forth with his thoughts so seamlessly. He remembered how he’d missed her when she left him. That quick wit. The way she connected his ideas and also brought in her own. He wondered if she felt the same connection with him. Obviously not, because she’d disappeared. He tamped down the disappointment. Hewouldconvince her later, but now they had to strategize.
“The thing is, these guys lured our scientists for the Russian moles, right?” he continued. “According to Declan, the current situation is their Plan B because Petrovich died without paying the terrorists off. So, why are these SEALs here, guarding prisoners, if they were no longer under threat? They have to know Petrovich is dead or the demand for ransom wouldn’t make sense.”
“So there is a new Russian handler who took Petrovich’s place. That’s nothing new. They have been hidden in our system for at least ten years, Kirk.”
Kirk nodded. “I know, but something still doesn’t feel right.”
Surya chewed on her lip. After a few seconds, she said, “Agreed. Why isn’t the new Russian handler paying them off? We know the Russians really wanted the scientists.”
“That’s exactly what’s bothering me.”
“We’re almost at Gasi’s,” Surya said. “I’ll keep mulling this over while we get ready for our short trek.”
“I’ll make another quick call to Dec to make sure he gets our signals to the SEALs who are waiting.”
“Where are they waiting?” Surya asked.
He pointed east. “It’s all islands here, babe. They’re SEALs, so they’re either on a ship or to be even closer, they’re in some kind of pod nearby.”
She made a turn and he could see a small hut at the end of the dirt driveway. She flashed her beams several times.
“SEALs hunting SEALs,” Surya murmured. “It’s so sad. And there’s Gasi waiting for me.”
Kirk leaned forward to check out this guide about whom Surya kept talking. It took him a few long seconds to make out the lone figure standing on a rock. He was leaning on a very big stick, camouflaged in brown and green attire.
Kirk turned. “He’s…ah…very short for a man nicknamed Giant.”
Surya laughed.
