Black Smoke (6 page)

“You think I want to fight a woman? I don’t know what kind of men you like honey, but I’m not one who has to get rough with women,” Kong sneered.

“No, you’re the one that can’t stand the thought of being bested by one, which you were earlier. That’s it isn’t it? Your precious pride was hurt because I got the drop on you.”

“Yeah, that’s it honey. You got it,” Kong replied sitting back in his chair and kicking his legs out in front of him.

Sam lost control of her temper. She was trained to be in control, never to lose sight of the mission and yet this man plowed through her defenses like a wrecking ball and burrowed himself deep under her skin, wrapping himself around every nerve ending until she could no longer stand it. Her vision tunneled and red tinged its outskirts. They shared the same training. They both knew it was imperative to remain calm in any situation, yet his annoyance with her seeped past his wall of defense. So be it. If he wanted proof of her capabilities she would give him proof. With two quick steps she launched herself in the air toward Kong. Her feet shoved against his shoulders tipping him backward onto the ground. Kong reacted by kicking his feet up over his head and rolling, taking Sam with him. In the middle of the roll, Sam jabbed both elbows into his solar plexus then brought her head up into his mouth.

Boomer and Ricochet stood to intervene but Walt stopped them. For some reason these two needed to do this and it was better to get it out of the way now rather then out in the field. He winced a few times at the blows they both received but managed to keep out of it. He knew the root of the conflict. It was something he’d seen before and shamefully admitted to feeling at one time. Men weren’t accustomed to women on the battle field and didn’t trust they were capable of getting the job done. Sam knew this, she’d come up against it before. Why she let it bother her to this extent confused and unsettled Walt.

The joust continued for a few more minutes, both of them taking and blocking blows. Neither was ready to give up or back down. Two strong wills collided against each other like the world depended on the result. In Kong’s eyes their lives did depend on it. He couldn’t allow his friends to enter enemy territory blindly with an over sensitive woman that would hesitate pulling the trigger to save their lives.

Sam decided she had allowed the sparring to go on long enough. With a swift jab of her fist into his stomach, then a high kick to his jaw, she laid Kong on his back. Just like before she sat on his chest, pinning his arms with her knees. Kong looked up at her and saw the smoldering hate in her eyes. Somewhere deep inside himself he regretted that, but to him it was necessary.

“Did you learn what you needed to learn Lieutenant?” Sam asked. “Or do we need to go another round? I’ll warn you first, if we do this again I won’t just spar with you I’ll take you out completely.”

Kong drew in a deep breath then looked down at her crotch sitting right in front of him. His body hardened with fierce speed. “We’re cool,” he grumbled, then began to sit up. If he didn’t get her off of him now he would embarrass himself in front of the others.

Sam jumped to her feet and moved away from him. Kong pulled himself up and adjusted his shirt. Boomer and Ricochet just looked at him with blank faces. Walt scrubbed his face with his hands.

“If you two are finished with the playground antics I need to fill you in on the last of the details.” When they all turned back to him he continued, “You’ll fly out at twenty-hundred tonight. What you do until then is your own business. Your pickup after you retrieve the hostage is at eighteen-hundred three days from now. Any questions?”

When they all chorused “No Sir”, Walt continued. “Sam, meet me in my office at the barracks. I want to talk to these guys a moment.”

“That’s not…”

“Please,” Walt interrupted.

Sam gave him a quick glare, then turned and left the tent. She couldn’t believe he was going to lecture them about her. He’d never done that before. She could defend herself. Sam ran with lightning speed back to the barracks, her anger pumping her legs faster. This whole situation was crazy. Hadn’t she proven herself over and over again? Why was she letting this particular man get under her skin? Sam stopped in front of her uncle’s office and bent over to catch her breath. A hot shower, she thought to herself, that’s what she needed. She could use the time to calm herself and think this situation through.

Back at the tent Kong felt Walt’s eyes bore through him. “Sir, I’d like to explain.”

“No need,” Walt replied.

“Yes Sir there is. She’s young, in her twenties as far as I can figure. Surely she hasn’t had the years of training we’ve had and you’re asking us to trust her. I’m sorry Sir, but my trust doesn’t come that easily,” he said, looking at Boomer and Ricochet.

“Is that so? Tell me Lieutenant just what do you know about her?” Walt asked.

“That’s the point. I don’t know anything.” Kong was working hard at keeping his tone low-key.

“Okay, let me enlighten you. She’s twenty-six years old and started her training eighteen years ago.” Walt let that tidbit of information sink in.

“You tellin’ us she started training when she was eight?” Ricochet asked.

“Exactly. By the time she was twelve she’d gone through four martial arts masters, each one teaching her everything he knew. When she was thirteen, she started coming here and training with my men. She watched, listened and learned everything she could. One day I put her out there with some of the guys on an exercise. Twenty minutes into the session she took out four men.

“And if you’re worried about how she’ll handle herself if she’s captured by the Taliban, don’t be. Yesterday she went to Jersey to retrieve a woman who had been kidnapped. Our intelligence told her there were only two men. Imagine her surprise when a third walked in. At this very moment he’s undergoing surgery to repair major damage to his penis and scrotum. Now, she didn’t tell me, but I’m assuming the man thought he’d use her for his entertainment since she had let his intended victim go.”

The men cringed at the thought of what she could have done to him. Kong smiled to himself, these were the answers he needed. She could fight, no doubt about that, his ribs and face would attest to her fighting skills. But now that he knew how she handled herself when she was outnumbered, some of the tension started to ease from his body.

Chapter Five

When Walt finished with the men, they all climbed into the jeep and headed back to base.

Walt knew Sam would be furious with him for talking to them without her being there, but he also knew she’d get over it. One thing he knew about his Sam was that she never held a grudge for very long.

When they pulled up to the building housing Walt’s office he turned to the men and said, “If you want to leave camp for a while you can use this jeep. Just make sure you’re ready to go at twenty hundred.” He climbed the two stairs to the front door and disappeared inside.

Sam was already sitting in his chair showered and changed. The look on her face told him that she wasn’t ready to forgive him yet. That was okay, he deserved it. “Outta my chair.”

She stood and moved to the door. “Did you tell them not to pick on the little girl?”

“No, I gave them reason to fear you if you must know,” he said without looking at her.

“Oh. How’d you do that?”

“I told them about the guy you shot in the balls last night. I don’t think you’ll have any problem with Lieutenant Lowe now,” he said with a smile.

Sam rolled her eyes and left the office. If she’d known that’s all it took to get a man under control she’d have used it lot sooner. She left the building and walked to her red Mustang, which was parked between two buildings. To her surprise, Lieutenant Lowe was looking the car over.

When Sam approached, he looked up at her, then did a double take. His mouth went dry and his throat closed. She was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a white tank top that showed exactly how female she was. Funny he thought to himself, he didn’t remember feeling her breasts brush against him during their sparring match. That was something a man would remember.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “Is this your car?” When she didn’t answer, he said. “Sweet ride.”

Sam tossed her bag into the backseat. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“I just wanted to apologize, that’s all,” he said leaning up against the car and crossing his arms.

“For what?” she asked.

“You knew I was goading you into that fight and you went along with it. Why?”

Sam rubbed her eyes, then placed her hands on her hips. “It was the only way I was going to earn your trust. Well, maybe trust isn’t the right word. You needed to know I was capable of taking care of myself so I showed you. Why apologize for that?”

“I get the feeling you’re not used to people questioning your authority. I didn’t mean any disrespect, honest. It’s just my way of looking out for my men,” he told her.

Sam looked at him. She could see he was being sincere. And she was sure if she thought about it long enough she’d probably do the same thing in his shoes. “You’re right. I’m not used to people questioning me. Look, all we have to do is get through the next four days,” she said opening the car door and sitting inside. “Then we won’t have to see each other ever again.”

Sam started the car, put it in reverse and started backing away. “I’m sure that won’t bother you one bit,” she yelled, then took off toward home.

“Yeah,” Kong said to himself. Yet he couldn’t explain the sinking feeling that gave him.

He was half tempted to jump in the jeep and follow her. Why, he couldn’t say, but he fought the feeling and went to join his friends in the barracks.

When he walked in, the two men stopped talking and quietly went about packing their packs.

Kong went to his bunk and sat, placing his face in his hands. This was supposed to be just another op, but somehow it had gotten out of hand.

“Let’s hear it. You two have something to say to me so say it,” he said into his hands.

When they didn’t answer he stood. “You want to know why I didn’t just instinctively trust her? Well, my question is, why did you?”

“It just felt right,” Boomer explained.

“Look, where I come from, you tick a woman off bad enough and she’ll kick your ass up and down the street without taking a breath. It’s normal to me,” Ricochet explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

“It doesn’t come that easy for me,” Kong said. “I wish it did but it doesn’t.”

“It’s cool. Just don’t bust her ass too much,” Ricochet said as he grabbed a towel from his locker. “Something tells me we may need her in a bad way before this is over.” Then he walked to the back of the barracks for a shower before they left.

“What did you mean it just felt right Boomer?”

“I don’t know. I get these feelings about people, ya know, like whether they’re trustworthy or not. She gives me good feelings,” he said looking up at Kong. “It doesn’t hurt that she’s hot too.”

Kong felt an instinctive surge of jealousy serge through him. Confused by this he banked it down for later scrutiny. He wished he could feel as sure about this as his buddies, but he couldn’t and this was something he didn’t need before leaving for an op.

Sam drove home thinking about Kong and her sparring match with him. That little match didn’t bother her. What bothered her was how turned on she was by the whole thing. When she was sitting on his chest, she could feel herself getting moist between her legs. That was something she’d never experienced before, especially during a fight. He wasn’t even her type of guy. His ego was bigger than he was and he was big. His attitude toward working with a woman just plain sucked and she hadn’t seen much of a personality yet.

So why did this guy turn her on so much? Had it been so long since she’d had a romantic relationship that she was desperate? She started thinking how long it had been since she’d been with a man. Six, no seven months ago. Her last affair had been a dud. Sean was his name. He was a computer geek, nice enough looking, but he lacked fire when it came to the bedroom. And if he couldn’t talk about programs and viruses he wouldn’t talk at all.

That was it, she was horny. It had been months since she’d had sex and even longer since she’d had good sex. Kong was built like a Greek god and her body was responding to him.

Satisfied with that reasoning she continued her drive home listening to the radio, keeping her thoughts clear of him. It would be hard enough working with him the next four days without her mind concentrating on that excellent body.

After another hot bubble bath and rubbing herself down with lotion, Sam started to carefully pack her supplies. Her pack was specially made for her. There were small pockets hidden everywhere inside and out. She didn’t really need too many clothes, but she always made sure she had an extra shirt, mask and underwear.

Next came the Meals Ready to Eat she’d need on the trip. Along with those she packed granola bars, candy bars and trail mix. Then came the essentials. Waterproof matches, a lighter, her pen light, compass, radio. Eight bottles of water, a first-aid kit and a black box that contained tranquilizer darts. Once the inside was full, she started filling up the outside pockets.

She slid her tranq gun into its special pocket then her sidearm into its pocket. She didn’t use it very often, but she never traveled without it. She never knew when a moment would come where she found herself trapped and had to defend herself by taking a life. That was something she didn’t like to think about.