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By the time he’d returned to his home base, her number had been disconnected.
He hadn’t known where to begin looking for her. In all their conversations, she’d barely revealed much about her life other than both her parents were dead, having been killed in a Hamas strike in Israel.
Because of her reference to her parents being killed in a Hamas strike, he’d assumed she was from Israel. She’d talked about her mother having been from Greece and her father from Israel. Like him, her father had been on vacation in Athens when he’d met her.
Ace had searched for her online, hoping to find out something about her whereabouts, but failed miserably. On his next vacation, he’d gone back to Greece, to the same restaurant where they’d met, hoping by some strange coincidence he’d find her there. He’d walked the same paths they’d walked through the city, looking for her. He’d stayed in the same hotel where they’d stayed, even insisting on the same room.
She hadn’t been there. He’d gone to Tel Aviv and talked with some acquaintances he’d met during joint training exercises with the Israeli military. They hadn’t heard of her.
As many people as there were in Israel, Ace hadn’t expected to find her just by asking around. But he’d hoped that the same magic that had brought them together the first time would help him find her again. After a year, he’d admitted defeat and tried to forget her.
That had never happened. Every woman he’d dated after Jasmine had never sparked in him the fire and desire he’d felt with the woman he’d met in Athens.
Now, here he was, freshly out of the military, working with Hank Patterson and his team of Brotherhood Protectors in Amman, Jordan. Nowhere near Athens and four years after that fated affair, she walked back into his life.
New to the Brotherhood Protectors, Ace had agreed to accompany Hank and members of his team to Jordan to provide security for the film crew and actors who were friends of Hank’s wife, Sadie McClain, on her latest movie set. He’d be an extra, there to observe one of the team’s assignments.
They didn’t always provide security for film crews, but since significant unrest existed in the countries surrounding the relatively stable Jordan, the film producers and studio had budgeted for a staff of security specialists.
Hank had worked with the studio and cut them a deal to ensure his people provided security for his wife and the crew there to make movie magic. Brotherhood Protectors were the most qualified to provide the safety net they might need if fighting spilled over the borders from countries surrounding Jordan.
Though he’d been excited and curious about the mechanics of making a movie, Ace’s attention had shifted the moment Jasmine entered the museum.
His gaze followed her as she moved among the Jordanian film crew, standing between Americans and Jordanians, interpreting instructions when needed.
As the camera crew set up, Jasmine left them to wander around the museum, looking at ancient artifacts on display. At one point, she disappeared into a side room and remained gone for several minutes.
Ace started to follow when Hank approached him. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Ace nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Hank grinned. “I never imagined the amount of people it takes to produce a film until I accompanied Sadie on set for the first time.”
Though Ace would rather focus his attention on Jasmine’s movements, he gave his new boss all his attention. “I never realized there was so much involved.”
“Right? It takes an incredible amount of coordination to set up a gig like this, from securing a location to getting permission, in this case, from the government to film here, to transporting all the equipment. Not to mention hiring people to do all aspects, including lighting, sound, video, makeup and costumes.”
Ace’s gaze remained on the door through which Jasmine had disappeared. “And that’s just the filming,” he commented, mentally counting the seconds Jasmine was out of his sight.
Then, she emerged from the room and rejoined her camera crew.
Ace let go of the breath he’d been holding.
Hank continued the conversation Ace had lost track of. “After the filming, there’s the editing, music, marketing and more.” The former Navy SEAL shook his head, his lips forming a wry smile. “I have so much more respect for all those names that scroll across the screen in the movie theater when they show the credits.” He chuckled. “I always wondered, and now I know, what a key grip is.”
Jasmine worked with the cameramen once more, then stepped back into the shadows.
Once the cameramen were in place, the lighting guy gave a thumbs-up. The director nodded, spoke with Sadie and then stepped back.
“They’re about to start filming,” Hank said.
When the director raised a hand, everyone grew quiet.
The director looked around at the placement of the cameras, Sadie and the lighting, then nodded.
Ace felt as though everyone took a collective breath, waiting for it...
“Action!” the director called out.
