Page 72 of Beyond the Rules
“It doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “These IP addresses are all over the place. We know Calamity can’t be in China and Somalia at the same time. So he’s got to be using some sophisticated communication software that allows him to bounce all over theworld.”
“The IP addresses are as random as he is.” Tanner yawned and knuckled his eyes. “The guy is systematic, smart and skilled. But above all, he’s careful, which is why he’s so hardtofind.”
“Hundreds of geniuses looking for him and nothing.” Nina let out a frustrated huff. “What are wemissing?”
The three of us exchanged hollow looks. We were going on fumes. The atmosphere in the bunker felt stuffy, as if the oxygen levels had been depleted to a minimum, burned off by our futile efforts. Just as my stomach growled, Noah Blake’s call sign beeped on myscreen.
“Rover, this is Mariner, reporting for duty. Permission to comeaboard?”
I clicked on my mike. “Permission to come aboard granted. Transmitting progress report…” I punched in the key codes with the day’s findings and hitsend. “Now.”
“Reception confirmed.” Noah’s voice smiled. “You guys havebeenbusy.”
“No slouches on this side of the world,” I said. “How’sClara?”
“Beautiful. Perfect. Mine.” I could hear the glee in Noah’svoice.
“Way to go, Mariner.” I was happy for Noah, who I’d met through Josh Lane and our support group, and who’d been battling a badass variation of PTSD that kept him trapped in his Chesapeake Bay island home. After years apart, he’d reconnected with his first love, Clara Luz, and now they were together again, giving their dreamsago.
“I’ve got the conn,” Noah said. “See you on theotherside.”
“Roger that.Roverout.”
With the op transferred, the hunt continued 24/7, and we were now free to get some food and rest. My stomach seconded the motion with a growl. I got up from my chair, stretching my cramped muscles and stiff joints. Nina was still going throughthedata.
“There’s got to be something we’re not seeing…” she muttered under herbreath.
I laid my hands at the base of her neck and dug into the tension stored there. Her muscles crackled beneath my thumbs. Boy, she was tight. She closed her eyes and let out a grateful moan that reminded me of last night. We’d started right after dinner and smoked the sheets until early morning. She was like me. She used sex to burn up steam and deal with her anxiety. I knew she was worried about Zar. So was I. But all of us who served knew what we’d signed up for. Shame that those who loved us had to suffer the uncertainties that came with ourchoices.
Did Nina love us? I sank my fingers deeper into her flesh. I thought she did, even if she couldn’t admit to it. Sure, this was physical, no way around it. Her pussy was the ultimate getaway, a wonder world for my cock. I fucking loved fucking her. I wanted to be sucking her nipples and plunging my dick in her allthetime.
But there was more. She was always there for me, when I was good, when I was down. She made me forget everything that was wrong with me and with the world. She made me laugh. Sometimes, she made me want to cry with her kindness. Best of all, she never wanted me to be someone I was not. In a world where everyone had to fit into a certain category, I liked being free to be my fucked-up self. She was cool with who I was, no explanationsrequired.
But loving me was not the same thing as lovingusor wanting to build a life with the three of us up here in our mountain house. What would happen if she decided she didn’t want us? I couldn’t go after her, not until I was better. And even if I managed to go with her, I couldn’t betray my brothers, break my oath, or desertmyteam.
“Aiden?”
Her voice brought me back from the void, where the black hole inside of me gaped whenever I thought about having to choose between Nina and my brothers. The bunker looked colorless in grayscale and my hands were just laying on her shoulders like a pair of heavybricks.
“What’swrong?”
“Nothing,” I mumbled, embarrassed that she had noticed my black mood and my mental absence. “Why don’t you go upstairs? You must bestarving.”
“Come on, sweetheart.” Tanner gave me an imperceptible nod and offered Nina his hand. “Time to stop. Let’s leave Aiden to close up and we’ll get dinnerstarted.”
I gave silent thanks for Tanner’s assist. I could always count on him to have my back. This was the same SEAL who’d survived for ten days on a Syrian ridge without use of his legs, the same guy who, despite being paralyzed, had set himself up on overwatch with an MK12 and laid out sniper protective fire while we took over an ISIS outpost. We survived because Tanner was up on the hill, watching our backs. All of which went to reinforce the point that Tanner made every day: A pair of crutches wasn’t gonna keep him out ofthefray.
But as soon as they left the bunker I slumped in my chair. The gloom steamed toward me like a destroyer at full speed. I wished I could just go upstairs, get in Nina’s bed and make love to her until the mood passed me by. But we’d reached an unspoken agreement and it was Tanner’s turn to sleep with Nina. Damn if I was gonna allow my misery to rain all over Tanner’sparade.
I forced myself to finish the day’s work and run the security scans. Before I shut down, I checked the classified reports on Dimayev. All of Nina’s friends plus her mom were secured. No new messages. One other thing. I checked on Nina’s little side hack. Zar and Tanner didn’t know about it and Nina had no clue I was onto her. But I was game, because even though she’d gone over Zar’s line, there was justice toherhack.
I turned off the lights and locked up the bunker. The sounds of Tanner and Nina’s laughter reached me from upstairs. Hell, they didn’t need me around to throw a cloud over their night. The misery was coming and I didn’t want to give it an audience. I grabbed a couple of six-packs from my stash, slipped out through the side door, and made for thehills.
* * *
Tanner
Nina dropped her fork and set aside her plate, leaving her steak untouched. “Where is he?” she asked, her eyes begging for thetruth.