MEGA-AX1 The Inferno (2 page)

Jessie responded in Arabic, “We want everything. First, tell me, has the Amuruhana been reconstituted?”

A security guard that had been left for dead was still very alive. He snuck up behind Jessie and put a gun to back of her head. He was simply too quick for Jake to stop.

In a thick accent he spoke to Jessie, “Drop the gun.”

Jessie dropped the gun and raised her arms to the height of her shoulders in a show of surrender.

“Now everyone stop what you’re doing and move to the center of the room or I’ll kill her.”

Jessie waited for the right moment. She knew he had to be wounded. When he started to speak again she moved her head out of the way of the gun and then elbowed him in the ribs. This allowed her the moment she needed to put space between the two of them and Jake the opportunity to shoot him between the eyes.

In the other corridor, Max and Tony terminated everyone on sight. Since they didn’t find the leaders of the militant group they must have been on the other side with Jessie and Jake.

They hustled back to the other side just as Jessie fired the final shot into the guard. Shortly thereafter, Téa and Gray arrived. Téa stepped over the guard and went directly inside the room where there were laptops and other electronic devices sitting on tables. She then attached her equipment to extract all available information from them as Max and Tony went to search the dead bodies and leaders of the militant group for flash drives and anything else they might have on them.

After Téa extracted all the information from the devices she yelled out, “I’ve got it. I’ve got it all.” She packed up the valuable information as Max and Tony finished their search. “Gray and I gave us six minutes to get out of here.”

Jessie and her team started backing out of the room. Then closed the door and blew off the handle so no one could leave out behind them.

Chapter 2

The past forty-eight hours had been hell. Most missions were hell and that’s why after every assignment, someone from MEGA-AX1 always chose a place in the good old US of A where no one knew them to decompress. This was a necessary step to feel somewhat normal before everyone went home to their friends and family. Nothing said all-American like this little old town that Gray chose in Alabama. Jessie just wanted to crawl into the comfort of her bed and sleep forever. But she’d let the guys talk her into a celebratory drink at a place on the outskirts of town, Frank’s Bar and Grill. Thank goodness it was early afternoon. She hoped that less people would mean less smoke and less everything else that went along with being in a bar.

Jessie didn’t feel like dealing with onlookers today. Whenever they went out anywhere together, which wasn’t often outside of work, other people seemed to find them a bit intimidating. Although the six of them were wearing street clothes, they still made for an unsavory looking group. And, given that Frank’s was more like a country and western bar, Jessie knew it was going to be nearly impossible to blend in.

When they entered the bar, it was mostly empty, except for a rowdy group in the back left corner and a gentleman sitting at the bar; however, the further inside they went, the patrons started to stare and fall silent.

Jessie knew they looked like a bunch of vagabonds especially since none of them had any sleep over the last couple of days. Jake, Max, and Gray wore two days’ worth of growth on their faces. Lucky for Tony, he had a baby face and couldn’t grow facial hair if his life depended on it. Yet, he still managed an intimidating presence. Actually, all of the guys were intimidating. They stood at least six feet tall with muscles bulging from underneath their shirts with striking sun-darkened skin courtesy of the last assignment. Except for Max, his skin was always a smooth chocolate Mocha. All of them were built like an Adonis. Max and Gray liked to keep things low key, but Jake and Tony were like bulls in a china shop.

After working together for so long, Jessie didn’t think the guys even noticed that she and Téa were women. They treated them like one of the guys. But, unlike Téa, Jessie was more reserved. Jessie, for example, kept her hair tucked underneath her cap and pulled down over her eyes. She would have been content with taking a seat in a private corner to sip on her beer for the next hour. Téa on the other hand was more likely to let her blonde hair down and tell the bartender to turn the music up while dancing on tables. It wouldn’t matter that it was early afternoon or that there was no one to dance with her. If no one else was dancing, she’d dance all by herself. If Jessie were honest, aside from the fact that Téa was sometimes over the top, she secretly admired her spirit.

Jessie put her backpack on one of the chairs, and from her vantage point she had a good view of the entire bar. She took a good, long look at her team and smiled. This group was rowdy, loud, and so much more but they were her family. She wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Téa walked over to the table and swept her snapback off her head. As she shook out her mane of honey-blonde hair, she yelled, “Hey bartender, what’s up with the music in this place? Can you turn the station to some hip-hop?” It was at that moment the gentleman sitting at the bar decided it was time for him to go.

Jake and Max walked over to the bar to order the first round of beers. Tony and Gray walked back toward the tables at the back corner opposite that rowdy group of people.

The sheer presence of Jake and Max had the bartender changing the radio tuner until he found a hip-hop station. Of course, everyone else sat down but Téa. Once she heard Jay-Z’s “Dirt off Your Shoulder” she couldn’t help herself. It must have been contagious because Gray and Tony started rapping the lyrics before getting up to dance and dusting the dirt off their shoulders, too.

Jake and Max got in on the celebration when they got back with the beers. Everyone was rapping and dancing.

As tired as Jessie was, she even found herself dancing in her chair until Gray reached out and pulled her to her feet, “Come on, Jessie. We just saved the world! I think we’re entitled to brush our shoulders off.”

It was probably a weird looking scene, the six of them losing their minds wherever they stood instead of the dance floor.

All of a sudden the group of people on the other side of the bar started shouting out the lyrics, “You got to get that dirt off your shoulder.”

Of course Gray, Téa, and Tony took that as a challenge and screamed even louder, “You got to get that dirt off your shoulder!”

Not to be outdone, the other group got up out of their seats and yelled even louder, “You got to get that dirt off your shoulder,” while moving closer and closer toward the middle of the bar.

Jake, Max, and Jessie joined in the battle, too. It went back and forth for a minute between the groups rapping and dancing. They were having their own private party in the middle of the afternoon.

It was clear the bartender wasn’t used to a hip-hop environment. He just stood behind the bar wild-eyed, as if at any moment gunfire was going to erupt.

When the song ended everyone laughed and went back to their seats. Except for Téa, she lingered just a moment longer to talk to one of the guys from the other group. After a few more minutes, she made her way back to her friends.

Tony was shaking his head at her, “So, did you get his number?”

Téa smiled like a Cheshire cat, “Now Jake what do you think?”

Gray gave Téa a high five, “Now that’s how you do it. I hate women who try to play hard to get. If you see something you like just go and get it…right Jessie?”

Gray, Tony, and Téa were all nodding their heads in agreement. They were usually in agreement on things.

Jessie took a sip of her beer before responding, “Some of us like to take a more subtle approach.”

Gray put his glass down mid-sip, “That’s the one thing that puzzles me about you. You’re absolutely fearless in every other aspect of your life except for men.”

Max and Jake didn’t say anything. They continued to sip on their beer and knew better than to weigh in on this conversation. Everyone just looked at Jessie and waited for her response.

Jessie sat up straighter with her elbows on the table; she put her drink down and entwined her fingers together before responding. “Gray, I’m fearless in all aspects of my life and that includes men. Just because the approach is different doesn’t mean it’s lacking.”

Tony being the trouble maker chimed into the conversation, “Max and Jake, you guys are awfully quiet, what do you think? What’s your preference, bold or a subtle?”

Max and Téa had known Jessie the longest. They understood why she was so reserved. It was survival for her. None of them could possibly understand the weight she carried on her shoulders.

All eyes turned to Jake. “I’m married to a wonderful woman; I’m not chasing any, so this doesn’t really pertain to me. What about you Max?”

Just like Jake. He always managed to find ways to get out of an intra-family squabble and pass the buck to Max.

Max considered his words for a moment, as he rubbed the stubble on the bottom of his chin before answering, “I don’t think the answer is bold or subtle. I want a woman to be both.”

It was silent for a moment before everyone started laughing.

Tony still laughing slapped Max on the back, “Leave it to Max to get philosophical on us and, as usual, not take a side.”

The team spent the next few hours laughing and talking until they were the only people left in the bar. Once the bartender changed the radio station back to country music, everyone knew it was time to go. It was purposely timed as the after work crowd started to file into the bar.

Everyone exchanged hugs and goodbyes in the parking lot as they left to go their separate ways, everyone except for Téa and Jessie. Jessie was going to hang out at Téa’s place for the next few days before flying home to Phoenix.

Téa fired up her jeep. She and Jessie were the last to pull out of the parking lot as they drove off into the direction of Téa’s condo.

*****

Three hours later,
Téa and Jessie had kicked off their shoes and were spread out on opposite ends of Téa’s oversized sofa. A half empty pitcher of adult lemonade sat on her table as they sipped their drinks and stared out of the picture window. The orange and purplish view of the sky was breathtakingly beautiful. The fireplace was blazing even though the sun hadn’t fully set, and somewhere in the background music was playing softly.

“This day is almost over Jessie.”

Jessie nodded. “Thank you for not allowing me to spend it alone.”

“I never have and I never will.”

A tear rolled down Jessie’s cheek, “This day comes every year, and every year I still feel this ache, deep within my heart, as if it was just yesterday.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here. You’re my sister in every way and when you hurt…I hurt. Whatever I can do to make this anniversary easier for you, then you’ll find me trying to do it.”

Jessie was physically and emotionally exhausted. Her eyes felt so heavy. She blinked a few times before the darkness finally took over.

Chapter 3

Early the next morning,
Téa left to run some errands. It worked out perfectly; for as much as Jessie loved hanging out with her, this was definitely one of those times where she needed her space and solitude. Jessie typically started her day with a vigorous routine of yoga. It helped to clear her mind and made her feel refreshed. After a physically and emotionally draining week, this was just what she needed.

The view from Téa‘s balcony alone was worth whatever ridiculous amount she paid for the condo. Who could ever argue that there wasn’t something greater than themselves while watching the arrival of morning? The sky changed from a deep purple to an orange to the clearest of blue with what looked like the fluffiest cotton balls placed delicately throughout; a fitting playground for the gulls flying through them as they skimmed the ocean for their morning meal. The sun wouldn’t let you forget who was really in charge. It glowed brightly and took its rightful place high above everything else, establishing its majestic power. As Jessie finished up her morning routine, she closed her eyes one last time to bask in the sun’s warmth while listening to the oceans waves roll gently onto the beach. Jessie deeply inhaled the salty fragrance of the ocean and then slowly exhaled.

The timing couldn’t have been better because just as Jessie was coming inside, Téa was walking through the front door. She’d come back from where ever she’d gone and hung a garment back in the hall closet. Then she walked over toward the kitchen with a small brown bag and two hot steaming cups of tea.

Téa was all sugar and saccharine. Jessie knew she was up to something. “Good morning! I picked up breakfast. I know how you are before you eat something, so I got your favorite tea and a gluten free banana nut muffin.”

Jessie eagerly reached out for the goodies. She would deal with the shenanigans sure to come later, but right now she was starving. She sipped the cup full of happiness and closed her eyes while savoring the flavor “Mmmm…this is so good, and it’s exactly what I needed. Everybody needs a Téa in their lives.”

Téa thought she had Jessie exactly where she wanted her. She was relaxed from working out and having one of her favorite drinks. Hopefully, this would put her in an accommodating mood.