Неизвестный - 06. Honor Under Siege

“It’s never wise to underestimate the enemy,” Matheson said mildly, spearing a fluffy mound of egg. “It’s unfortunate that eliminating her will cost us an inside link to several of our primary targets, but the longer she stays alive, the greater the likelihood you’ll be compromised.”

“I’ve warned her she’s in danger, but she won’t agree to a meet.” “You’re not using the right enticement.” “What do you suggest?”

Matheson told him, disconnected, and punched in another number. “He has forty-eight hours to take care of his mess, then we’ll clean house ourselves, starting with him.”

“Yes sir. It’s a pleasure to serve you, sir.”

“Valerie?” Diane called urgently in the dark. The bed beside her was warm, but empty. The nightmare of the past few weeks instantly closed in around her, and she felt as if she were smothering. Bolting upright, she gasped, “Oh God.”

“I’m here.” Valerie hurried to the side of the bed and pulled Diane into her arms. “I found some clothes I’d left here last month, and I was trying not to wake you while I dressed.”

“Where are you going?”

“A briefing with Cameron.”

Diane held her tightly, running her hands over Valerie’s back. She wore only a snug tank top and panties. “You’re cold. Go finish dressing.”

Valerie pulled the covers back and slid underneath. “I frightened you. I’m sorry.”

Diane shook her head. “Just for a second. I wish you didn’t have to go.”

“I’ll be back.” Valerie stretched out above Diane and kissed her throat. “I wouldn’t leave now except I might be able to help.”

“You won’t do anything foolish, will you?”

Valerie laughed softly. “There are times I think my whole life might have been foolish.”

“No,” Diane said with certainty. She feathered her fingers through the short hair at the base of Valerie’s neck. “You’re the most remarkable woman I’ve ever met.”

“Diane,” Valerie murmured, kissing her deeply. When Diane tightened her hold and strained beneath her, wrapping both legs around the back of Valerie’s thighs, Valerie immersed herself in the heat pouring off Diane’s body. Diane’s passion was like nothing she’d ever felt. The fire burned effortlessly, searing into those dark, barren places where she’d learned to hide her feelings, not realizing that eventually that which was buried, died. Desperate not to lose the connection, Valerie tightened her grip on Diane’s upper arms, digging her fingers into the firm, pliable flesh. When Diane moaned, she instantly pulled away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“No. More.” Diane dragged Valerie’s head back down, her fingers twisting through Valerie’s hair. She pressed her mouth to Valerie’s ear. “You can’t hurt me. Not by touching me. I’m dying to have you inside me.”

Valerie sobbed out a cry of need and wonder. She pushed herself down until her face was pressed to Diane’s stomach, then she cupped Diane’s breast with one hand and filled her with the other. She squeezed and rolled Diane’s nipple as she pushed into her, higher and deeper, thrust after thrust.

“God,” Diane gasped, arching frantically to meet each stroke. “I don’t want to come but you’re going to make me.”

“Yes,” Valerie whispered urgently. She kissed her way lower, gliding her tongue over soft skin and trembling muscles and into the fragrant heat. She hummed as her lips found Diane’s clitoris and she licked lightly.

“Oh no,” Diane pleaded. “Don’t make me come so soon.”

“I want you,” Valerie whispered, before sucking her even more firmly.

Diane gripped the sheets and pushed down hard around Valerie’s fingers as her clitoris swelled to fill Valerie’s mouth. “So good, so wonderful, so… oh, oh I’m…”

Valerie watched Diane’s face reflect the pleasure that rippled around her fingers and pulsed between her lips, and thought she’d never seen anyone as beautiful. She didn’t stop caressing her, inside and out, until Diane murmured a weak protest and twisted away.

“Love,” Diane whispered. “I won’t be able to walk today if you don’t stop.”

Tenderly, Valerie placed a delicate kiss at the apex of Diane’s sex, then rested her cheek in the hollow adjacent to her hipbone. She continued to fondle her breast, smiling as Diane’s mouth curved in obvious enjoyment. “That’s what you say, but that’s not what your body is telling me.”

“My body is greedy.” Diane gazed down through heavy lidded eyes. “Insatiable, in fact, for you.”

“Really?” Valerie kissed low on Diane’s belly, then nuzzled her face a little lower. “I can handle that.”

“Oh, I know you can. Take your clothes off and come up here first,” Diane murmured. “I want you, too.”

Valerie shed her tank and panties and slid into Diane’s embrace, easing her swollen center against Diane’s leg. She kissed her lingeringly, slowly rocking against her. “I only have a minute.”

“Can you come this way?”

“I think so, if you… help me.”

“Anything.”

“Play with my breasts,” Valerie said thickly, already sliding faster up and down Diane’s thigh.

“You’re so wet. So beautiful.” Diane pulled on Valerie’s nipples. “Does it feel good, darling? Rubbing against me like that? Getting me all wet? Will you come for me?”

“Oh, yes. I’m almost…almost,” Valerie gasped. “Kiss me. Kiss me…oh god, I’m so close.”

“Soon,” Diane breathed, capturing Valerie’s mouth and squeezing her breasts rhythmically. As Valerie’s motions grew more frantic, Diane plunged her tongue deeper, matching Valerie’s frenzied thrusts. Sensing Valerie struggling to orgasm, Diane drove her hips up and forced her leg more tightly against Valerie’s clitoris. “Harder, darling. Press yourself har—”

“I’m going to come.” Valerie’s head fell back, her eyes wide and fixed on Diane’s. “God, I love you.”

“I love you,” Diane cried.

Shuddering, Valerie spilled onto Diane’s welcoming body and collapsed into her arms.

With several minutes to spare before the briefing, Valerie knocked on the door to the guesthouse. Savard answered.

“Hey,” Savard said, holding the door wide. “You missed a good show at Matheson’s compound a couple of weeks ago.”

“So I hear.” Valerie stepped inside but hesitated before going any further. “I’m sorry I didn’t make it.”

“Yeah, me too.” Savard glanced toward the adjoining room where Cam and Felicia waited. “It could have been any of us in your spot. I’m glad it wasn’t me.”

“I appreciate that.” Valerie grasped Savard’s arm. “Listen. Cam told me about what happened in Boston. I owe you for taking care of Diane.”

“No you don’t,” Savard said dismissively. “But if you really feel like you do, you can plan on sticking around here where your friends are for a while.”

“Thank you,” Valerie softly. “I’ll do that.”

“Good.” Savard turned and started toward the command center. “Then let’s go to work.”

“Good morning,” Cam said as Valerie came in. Felicia nodded to her. “Our priority for the day, and every day until it’s accomplished, is to identify your handler. We’ll work from the assumption that he’s an associate of Matheson’s, because otherwise we don’t even have a starting place.”

“All right.”

“I want you to scan the files Davis has compiled of known Matheson associates, including the academy students. We might get lucky.”

Valerie smiled ruefully. “We could use some luck.”

“Before we get to that,” Cam said, “I want Stark to join us so she can hear how you got behind our lines.” She opened her phone and pushed several buttons. “Chief, can you come down for a minute? Thanks.”

While they waited, Valerie and Felicia got coffee and opened several boxes of doughnuts that Tanner’s day crew had delivered.

“It’s good to have the team back together,” Felicia said.

“It is.” Valerie opened the refrigerator for milk. “How’s Mac?”

“He’s back on the team, too. He’s up at the main house seconding for Stark. I’m sure you’ll see him later.” Felicia smiled and stirred her coffee. “He’s…making a remarkable recovery.”

Valerie studied her with interest. “Really.”

Felicia met her gaze. “Quite.”

“Well, good for you.”

“Yes, it is.” She sipped her coffee. “Ah, Diane?”

“Luckily, she’s forgiven me.”

Felicia shook her head. “I don’t believe she ever thought there was anything to forgive.”

“I hope you’re right.”

At the sound of the front door closing sharply, Felicia said, “Time for round two. Stark’s not going to be happy.”

“I don’t blame her.” Valerie followed Felicia back into the other room and sat at the table next to Cam. Stark sat stiffly across from her.

“Good morning, Chief,” Valerie said formally.

“Agent Lawrence.”

“Valerie will do,” Valerie said softly.

Stark seemed to relax by degrees. “Sorry. That was quite a stunt you pulled last night. We could have killed you.”

“I wanted to talk to Cameron.”

“Did you ever hear of a phone?”

“I don’t like phones.”

“How about a car? You could have driven right up to the foot of this road and our people would have stopped you, checked your ID, and called me.”

“Assuming they were all your people, and trustworthy.”

“You don’t trust us?” Paula flicked her gaze to Cam, who said nothing.

“I trust you and the other people in this room. And Mac, and Hara, and Wozinski. I don’t trust people I don’t know.” Valerie’s face was hard to read. “Besides, I might have been followed.”

“How do you know you weren’t?” Paula couldn’t keep the anger from her voice. “You know you’re a target, and you could have led whoever might be following you right here. And showed them a back door in.”

“Number one,” Valerie said, “anyone who might want me dead already knows where you are. I was extracted from here a few weeks ago, remember?”

Paula said nothing, but the muscles along her jaw tightened.

“Number two, no one followed me last night.”

“How do you know that?” Paula demanded.

“Because I’ve been on the island since late last week. No one has been following me.”

“The marina,” Cam said, annoyed with herself for not having anticipating that.

Felicia laughed. Stark merely stared. Savard made a point of not looking at her lover.

Valerie smiled. “Yes.”

“You came in by boat?”

“I rented a slip at the marina for my cabin cruiser a while ago.”

Cam glanced out the window, realizing how far ahead Valerie had planned her moves. On some level, she must have been uneasy with her assignment from the beginning. “You set up an alternate identity when you were here working with us last month. So when we did a sweep for any newly registered guests last week, you didn’t turn up. You were already there.”

“I worried when the Company sent me in to infiltrate your team that it wasn’t going to turn out well. It’s always prudent to establish a new identity when you can’t be certain that any of your old ones will be safe.” Valerie spoke directly to Cam. “And I knew if you wanted to get Blair to someplace inaccessible, you’d come back here.”

“Your handler doesn’t know about any of this?”

“No.”

Stark made an exasperated sound. “So last night you just circled around the tip of the island on foot and walked down the beach.”