Crystal Clear (23 page)

“Heard you had a visitor last night, have fun?”  Her friend teased.

“None of your business, why are you calling so early?”

“Cause, we’ve got a case to settle.  Can’t be playing around in bed all day, no matter how much fun that is.”  Another giggle, and a quick, “stop it,” was whispered before she continued.  “We got the go ahead from Killroy to contact agents on the list given
to Jaguar that are still active. T
he last thing we need is for half out operative to wind up dead because of that traitor.  Meet us in the conference room.” 
Montgomery
was all business.

“’Kay, give me five minutes, we’ll be there.”  Cindy hung up the phone and glanced down at Jack who had woken up during the conversation. 

“Due in the war room in five.”  His hand came up to stroke her naked breast, she smiled.

“Maybe you should have told her fifteen.”  He pulled her mouth down to his and kissed her deeply.  “Too bad.”  His other hand went down to stroke her clit.  She was already damp. 

“I think we might be a little late.”  He moved her on top of him and she felt his heavy erection through the sheet that still covered him.  She rubbed up and down along his length.

“Hmm, I guess we might.”  Cindy grasped the s
heet and tugged. H
is erection sprang free and she immediately grabbed him and pierced herself with his thick shaft.

Nothing like a quickie to wake you up in the morning
, she grinned.

They were indeed a few minutes late.  Cindy couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she entered the room. 

“Feeling better I take it?” 
Montgomery
looked her up and down, and Cindy blushed.

“Um, yeah.  So, what’s the plan?”  Cindy looked over at Garrett who st
ood
to
Montgomery’s
left.

Garrett glanced
at her with his steely silver eyes that were far too perceptive.  She caught the shift slightly to her right as he noted Jack. 

With a barely perceptible nod he began, “We’re contacting all agents, ‘the falcon is striking, bring the mouse home.’  As you know this will alert all undercover agents that their cover is blown.  It’s up to them to get safely back to their home bases.” 

Cindy agreed
, this was the best plan. Once they were back in position the agents could protect each other.

“Sounds good to me.  What would you like us to do?”

“We feel that it’d be best for all of us to also return to our home base of operations in New York.  Several of us have homes there, and none of us have been tagged other than Montgomery’s brother, Chase.  So, we should be relatively safe.  You’re to help us locate the rest of the files that Halverson stole from us so we can plan our best course of action.”  Cindy glanced at
Jack. S
he knew his home was in Bend, so his base would most likely be here on the West Coast.

“Don’t even think it Cindy, I’m going with you.  You can’t get rid of me that easily.”  It was as if he read her mind.  She smiled at him and took his hand.

“Good, cause I’d be lonely, and you’d never know what kind of trouble I can get into when I’m bored.”  Her eyes glinted with a sign of mischief.

“Jesus you two, give it a rest.”

“Hey Luce, you got your turn.  Now I get mine, it’s only fair.” 

Her friend grimaced and made a face at her.

“Fine.”  Cindy shrugged a shapely shoulder.  She got to have Jack, her apartment, and her mission
was considered a success. A
ll things being equal, she was happy.

“I hope you’re apartment takes pets.”

It didn’t take long for them to be boarded onto the F.I.U.W. jet and headed back to New York. 
Jack made sure Patrick was bringing Copper and his things from Bend to New York, but it would be several days before the U-Haul got there.
Cindy opened the door to her tiny studio apartment.  F.I.U.W. paid
well
, but she squirreled away most of her money for the rainy day she hoped would never come.  She stepped back, as she tried not to let the apprehension show on her face.

“Well, this is it, m
y lowly hovel.  It’s not much, but I call it home.”  She hesitated and watched his reaction.  It was small, but she had a great view of the skyline, and the area was all open space.   She didn’t like to feel hemmed in.

“It’s fine.”  He stepped up to her and took her hand letting the heavy door shut behind her.  Jack pulled her into his arms, his lips landing on hers. 

Kissing him back she almost got lost in the moment when her stomach growled. 
Cindy l
augh
ed as
she looked up into his emerald
eyes.

“Looks like we did forget something.  Food.  I’m afraid my apartment’s sadly lacking, and I don’t even want to look in the fridge.”  She made a face.

“Not a problem, I have some cash on me.  I’ll run down to that corner store we passed and buy some groceries.  I’ll just be a moment, and then we can take care of that.”  His hand rubbed her stomach.

Standing on her toes she wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed him again. 

“If it wasn’t for that I’d have you on that bed in a matter of moments, but since my stomach is disagreeing with my libido right now, you’d probably better.”  She grinned as her stomach growled again, this time louder.  “I’ll take a shower while you’re gone and get all this travel grime off.  If you hurry, maybe you can join me.” 

She still h
eld her keychain
which she extended to him, “here’s the key.  I always lock the door.  This is New York after all.”

“Right, be back soon.”  He grabbed her in a swift kiss, opened the door and flew down the hall.  She laughed and locked the door behind him. 

Crossing to her suitcase, she placed it on the bed and popped the lid pulling the toiletries case from inside. 
Cindy g
rabb
ed
a towel from the little stand ju
st outside the bathroom door and
pushed on the door, her hands full.  The door swung open and a meaty fist slammed into her jaw
. S
he dropped her kit and stumbled backward dazed
. S
he looked at the man advancing on her.

“Hello bitch, miss me?”  His hand came up again and before she had time to block
,
he backhanded her across the room. 

“What?”  Cindy shook her head trying to orient herself, “you’re supposed to be dead!”

“You think it’s that easy to take me out?  You filthy whore?” He stalked toward her again.  She tried to ready herself, but she was unbalanced by his last blow.  He grabbed her shirt and tossed her onto the bed, quickly following. 

“What do you think you’re
doing?”  She became desperate. H
e was a large man and if she got trapped on the bed she would be a
goner
.

“What I should have done a long time ago!”  Just as he was about to lean over her his eyes registered that he had made a vital error. 

Cindy’s legs both came up and slammed into his chest.  She followed by rolling off the bed towards her suitcase.  If she could just get to her gun she would be fine. 

Staggering, Halverson caught himself and started to advance again.  “You think you’re so much better than me, don’t you?  Miss high and mighty telling all of us how to play the game of cat and mouse from her little computer terminal.  Well, now you’re the mouse.”  He advanced on her again, this time grabbing the vase from her coffee table.  “How’s it feel little mouse?” 

He
rushed her and she rolled again. H
er hand c
ame
into contact with her suitcase.  She only had seconds, but her fingers reached for the gun inside.  Before she could grasp the handle the vase came crashing down on her back. 

“You think you can treat me like that?”  His hand connected again, only this time her arm was there to block it.  She delivered a quick right cross to his jaw
and
scrambl
ed
out of the way.

She just reached the relative safety of the kitchen area when her lamp landed next to her breaking on the cupboards.  Backing away, Cindy felt behind her for the knife block she knew was there. 

“Oh, looking for the knives?”  His smile was cold as he moved toward her again.  “They’re not there.  I’m saving them for later.” 

Cindy
th
ought
frantically trying to stay calm. 

Where’d she hit him?  That’s right, the right side
.  She let him get in her range, when he drew back for his next blow she let loose with a quick one two directly to his bullet wound.  She wasn’t going to spend a whole lot of energy talking to a psycho.  She raced out from around him. 

If she could wear him down enough, she could get to her gun.  He didn’t know she had one in her suitcase.  Lucy had made her take it when she left the West Coast headquarters. 

“Don’t take the whole kidnapping thing personally Hawke.  Like I said, it’s just business.  This on the other hand, I’m gonna do you just for fun.”  His hand went to the belt he w
ore
and he took it off. 

Cindy eyed the suitcase, still across the room.  She took a dive for it, and slid too low for him to stop her.  Again her hand connected with the case, and she quickly located the gun just as she felt the leather of his belt go around her neck. 

“It’s time I showed you how to treat a real man!” 

She felt the familiar metal in her hand,
and
moved the gun up to press against his side as she thumbed the safety off.
“I already know how to treat a real man, you son of a bitch!  Get your fucking hands off me!” 

Driving the gun barrel into his side she forced him to release the belt and step back.  She didn’t take her
eyes off him for a second.  Cindy
motioned with the gun. 

“Now, down on the floor!” 

Halverson got on the floor and put his hands over his head.  Just as he did she heard the rustling of keys.

“Jack!  Watch out, we have a visitor!”  She tried yelling through the door.

The door crashed back with a loud b
ang.
Jack entered a moment later, gun drawn.

Cindy rose from the bed.
“I said on the floor!”  Halverson got on his knees. 

“You want to do the honors?  Or shall I?”  Jack pulled a pair of flex cuffs from his back pocket. 

“Oh, definitely.”  Cindy walked over to him and took the cuffs as she kissed him on the cheek. 

His gun trained on Halverson the whole time. 

“Now that,” s
he pointed at Jack, “is
a real man.”  She grabbed Halverson’s wrists and wrenched them behind his back slapping on the flex cuffs, making sure they were tight.  She leaned into him, “And I want to make this crystal clear,” she leaned in close, her lips almost brushing his ear, “It’s all personal, you bastard.”  She stood grabbed her cell, and called
Montgomery.  “Luce
, I’ve got a present to deliver to you.”  She smiled, walked around Halverson and gave him a cold stare, “no, I need you to pick it up right away.  I think it’s already spoiling.”  Cindy hung up the phone.  Jack and Cindy sat on the chairs from the kitchen and waited for their team to arrive.

It didn’t take long. 
Montgomery
came through the open door. A cold smile spread across her face when she noticed Halverson on his knees in the little studio. 

Sometimes it paid to live in the same apartment building,
Montgomery
stepped forward, “Ah, for me.  You shouldn’t have.  Thank you guys.”  Her smile evil as she went over and forced Halverson to his feet.  He was twice her size, but the gun pressed up to the middle of his back convinced him to move.

Jack shrugged, “Don’t thank me, Cindy already had him subdued by the time I got back.  I was getting dinner, and walked in with Halverson on his knees and Cindy with the gun pointed right at his thick
skull.  She did all the work.”

Cindy grinn
ed
from ear to ear.  She went over to Jack locking her lips with his. 
Montgomery
eyed her friend.

“You know, I could get used to you on the front lines.  Nice to know there’s another girl on the team that can show these guys who’s the boss.  I always kinda figured you could take care of yourself.  See ya girl.” 
Montgomery
motioned for Halverson to start walking. 

Garrett was a silent figure at the door.  He nodded in respect. “Jack.”  Garrett closed the door behind them. 

Cindy looked around the room, shrugged a shapely shoulder and look
ed at Jack. H
er stomach growled, “So?  What’s for dinner?” 

He ignored her comment, crossed the room and swept her up in his arms.