Page 103 of No Regrets
“Yeah, right. You mean you checked me out when looking to recruit Dex.”
Sam smiled.“Joe was good friends with your former CO, Dave Senata. Apparently, you’re strong willed, stubborn, head strong, but also the best intelligence officer Dave ever worked with.”
“Right on all counts.”
Sam’s smile widened and he held up his hands. “OK, it seems like we’ve got off on the wrong foot.”
Kelly sighed. “Captain Harrison, sir, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, and I apologize. But I can’t sit around and do nothing. It’s not who I am.”
“I understand that. I do. But Dexter is on a plane right now about to undertake an op, and in our last conversation, it was very clear he was worried about you. I can’t have my team leader being distracted and you of all people should know that. I promised him I would take care of it and that is what I intend to do.”
“I don’t want him being distracted either. Let me help. You know I can.”
Sam leaned back against her dining table.
“Alright. I can put you in touch with one of my team, Mira. She can help with the image.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He held out a card. “Here’s my personal cell number. If you need anything while Dexter is away, call me.”
“I appreciate that, sir. And you have my word, I won’t tell anyone about what you guys do.”
“You shouldn’t know in the first place.” He and Dex were going to be having another conversation when he got back.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“You are sure”?
“Yes.” Amir Saleem reported to Lazir with delight. He had discovered the woman Dexter Dawson had been seen with was none other Lieutenant Kelly Kimber. Reborn had captured her, but she had been rescued by Dawson and his SEAL team.
“This is very good news. And you believe they are friends?”
“Yes. They have a long history. They are more than friends it seems.”
“Ah, so when he came to rescue her, it was not just professional it was personal. Interesting. I want the woman. Alive.”
“Yes, but Dawson still needs to pay for capturing my brother.”
“Take them both and deliver me the woman. You can do whatever you want with him, but I want the woman alive. Understood?’
“Yes.”
“Good work. Peace be with you.”
“And you.”
Amir put down the phone. Killing Dawson would be too easy. Knowing he cared about this Kimber woman was knowledge he could use. Yes, he would deliver Kimber alive to Lazir, but before that he planned to use her to make Dawson suffer. He would break him, watch him crumble and enjoy every minute.
KELLY WORKED WELL INTO the night to get an ID for the man in the image. True to his word, Sam had introduced her to Mira from his intel team. She’d been able to clean up the picture further. The guy looked to be in his late teens, just a damn kid, but facial recognition gave them nothing. What she needed were the details of the other threats. Times, days, then she could cross-reference and see if he’d gotten caught on camera anywhere else. Sam’s intel team were probably doing it already, but no one knew this island better than her, knew what streets and cameras to check. All the back streets. Shame the image they had hadn’t captured the license plate of the car. Another dead end.
Unable to keep her eyes open, Kelly finally slept. A couple of hours' rest, a quick shower and a coffee, and then she was ready to go again. Her fingers moved expertly across the keyboard for hours as she lost track of time. Stretching, she rubbed her neck to release the ache from looking at the screen for so long. Standing up, she stretched some more. She needed some fresh air. A few minutes outside would re-energize her. Kelly opened the front door and stepped onto the porch. It was dull today, dark gray clouds hung low in the sky. Looked like rain was coming. For a few minutes, she leaned on the front railing, breathing in the cooler air. She wondered where Dex was, what he was doing. It had never bothered her before, but now she didn’t like not knowing if he was OK.
When she turned to go back inside, she saw the envelope. The same style envelope that had been in Dex’s mailbox. Glancing around, her stomach twisted, but everything was quiet. All the anxiety and fear she’d worked so hard to forget bubbled up, practically choking her. Someone had been on her porch, while she was alone inside. She picked up the brown envelope, unable to control her shaking hands. Nervously she pulled out the note.
Lieutenant Kimber what a lovely surprise. It’s a small world.
A gasp escaped her. He knew who she was. Hurrying inside, she slammed the door shut, sliding the dead bolt in place. Frantically, she rummaged through the papers on her dining table and found Sam’s card.