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I’d called it something else entirely. There wasn’t room to say no, or my pension would be squashed for an indeterminant amount of time. In other words, the bastards had put the screws to me. I had some money saved, but not enough to live on for the rest of my life.
“You will erase the name of the organization from your memory banks,” the director stated. “If you are ever captured or questioned, you are simply working for the United States government.” He moved around the computer, taking deliberate steps in our direction. “As noted, this is a private, sanctioned yet invisible division of the government. There are very few people who will ever know of our existence.”
“Who the hell are we eliminating?” Santiago asked, eyeing me with disdain in his eyes.
“Whoever is necessary in order to achieve your goal.” Broderick moved to a locked cabinet, pressing his fingers against the scanning pad. Then he removed three iPads, handing them out. “These are your lifelines and must be protected at all costs. There is a button that you must press if you are compromised. That will destroy the unit in your hands.”
I glanced down at the screen as I pressed the button. The device was waiting for a passcode.
“Our work is vital to the security of the United States, gentlemen. As such, we only accept the best into this elite division. The three of you are considered the best at what you do. While you are allowed to hire temporary individuals for certain necessary operations, you will mostly be on your own. You have a single point of contact for every mission, but only request assistance if absolutely necessary. Our enemies will stop at nothing to obtain information, our technology and the mark you’ve been assigned to rescue or protect. Are there any questions?”
“Yeah. How much are we getting paid?” Gabriel asked, the sneer on his face a clear indication of the way I felt.
The director returned to the locked cabinet, removing three envelopes, once again doling them out. He waited until he’d returned to the computer system before addressing the question. “Inside you will find passcodes, keys to several vehicles at your disposal, and other pertinent information including your compensation package. All three of you have been given your first assignments. After that, the missions will come as needed. In between, you are allowed to return to your normal lives, but no one is to know about the existence of this location or the work you are doing. And I assure you, gentlemen, you will be monitored.”
“What is this place?” I finally asked.
“This is a sanctuary as well as the headquarters of the operation for now. However, it will be altered from time to time in order to protect our anonymity. Your fingerprints and retinal scans have been uploaded into the main computer system so at this point, you have full access to every room and piece of equipment. The house is nothing more than a furnished environment that each one of you will be allowed to use on a temporary basis if necessary. As you might imagine, that will need to be coordinated. However, you will be responsible for providing a more permanent safe location for the marks as required. Tell no one. Not even me.” The director’s even inflection was starting to irritate me.
“And what if we get into trouble?” Santiago rebutted.
“That will depend on the situation and what your handler determines is necessary,” the director answered.
“In other words, soldiers, we could be left to die,” I summarized.
Director Broderick turned his head in my direction, slowly nodding.
Well, at least I knew the fucking score. What the hell? I’d earned the moniker and craved danger like the air I breathed.
“You will find your initial passcodes to get into your lifeline as well as your communications device, which will be handed out momentarily. Please take a moment to study your targets. You will also need to change your passcodes to a unique series of numbers and symbols that you will memorize.”
He moved to a water cooler, grabbing one of the plastic cups.
I glanced at the other two men, who were doing the same thing as I was. Trying to figure out how to get out of this shitstorm. I moved to one of the tables, opening the envelope. The paperwork was light, but the figure offered for this mission did cause my heart to beat a little faster. Who the hell was the mark? After entering the passcode, I scrolled through the files, finding the name and picture of the person in question.
Fuck. Me.
I quickly read over her dossier, sucking in my breath.
Then I glanced at one of several pictures and for the love of fuck, my heart stopped, my cock immediately twitching. I hadn’t been attracted to a woman in a hell of a long time. I had no time for antics, relationships off the table, but I could spend a few nights indulging in learning every inch of her body. While she tried very hard to hide her stunning looks behind wire-rimmed glasses, a severe hairstyle, and what appeared to be a doctor’s jacket, there was no denying her natural beauty. And dear God, her smile could light up a room.
“Any additional questions?” Director Broderick asked.
I glanced at the other two men and took another deep breath.
“I almost forgot to mention,” Broderick continued. “There is only one rule, and it cannot be broken. If it is, that will result in your instant termination.” He took the time to lock eyes with each one of us. I could only imagine what he was about to say. “No involvement with your mark. None.”
Smirking, I shook my head. What he was trying to say in his typical bureaucratic way was we couldn’t fuck them. I’d never been much for rules, finding alternative methods of handling business. As I glanced at her picture again, I knew it would take every ounce of control to maintain the silent oath I’d made to this clandestine organization.
“Excellent. You have four hours to survey the equipment in this facility as well as familiarizing yourself with the dossier. Then you will have another full day of preparation before your assignments are to begin. Good luck, gentlemen. I’m proud to have all three of you on this team.”
Proud.
It had been a long time since I’d heard the word.
But for once, it felt good.
Damn good.
