License to Love (An Agent Ex Novel)

  “I can,” Tate said.

  Lani stared at Tate. He could be an arrogant bastard. He was born to privilege and played hard. But he was an amazingly talented spy and loyal. The rule in the spy business was to trust no one. Sometimes you had to break the rule. Her gut told her to trust Tate. At least in this instance.

  Tate’s gaze bounced between Rock and Lani. He sighed, somewhat dramatically. But that was Tate for you. He laughed, even though Lani couldn’t find anything funny in the situation. “It’s obvious I’m going to have to prove it to you. Let’s just give the chief a call and see what he has to say for himself, shall we?”

  “No!” Lani protested. “What if—”

  “What if Emmett’s a double agent? Sounds like the plot of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. We can’t perform our mission without confidence in our chief. He’ll want to be apprised of this latest wrinkle in the plans.

  “Rock, hand over that laptop you’re using to control the lights. Let’s Skype Emmett and see what he has to say for himself.”

  Rock grabbed the laptop and held it out to Tate.

  “If the chief isn’t Random, you’re committing career suicide,” Lani said. “And if he is, you’ve just betrayed your country. Either way, it’s your hide.”

  Tate took the laptop from Rock. “The Kobayashi Maru scenario. Bring it on.”

  Lani shook her head. “Didn’t know you were a Star Trek geek, Tate. Who would have thought?”

  Tate put in a Skype call to the chief on his top-secret, for-emergency-use-only Skype address—Chief Among Problems.

  Lani shook her head. “You’re calling on the equivalent of the red phone. Hope the chief doesn’t chew your head off.”

  Tate ignored her. “Look closely for that scar,” he whispered to Rock. “If he’s an imposter, we hang up and call the director. Or the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee.”

  Lani rolled her eyes.

  “Oh, hell, what now?” Emmett picked up holding a putter in one hand and an expensive golf ball in the other. He wore a navy-blue golf shirt with the distinctive CIA emblem on the left where a pocket would ordinarily be. He looked directly into the camera.

  “See any scar?” Tate whispered to Rock.

  Rock tilted his head back and forth. “Hard to tell. The angle’s bad. It was more evident by his ears.”

  The chief frowned into the camera. “What are you two whispering about?”

  “Security protocol. Just verifying your identity. Chief, can you give us a profile from each side?” Tate said.

  Emmett rolled his eyes and complied.

  “He has good features,” Rock said.

  “Yeah, a nice, dominant profile. Just what you want in a chief.”

  “And no discernible scars.” Rock looked as relieved as Lani felt.

  “Satisfied?” the chief said. “This had better be important. I have a game with the commander in chief, the chief justice, and the joint chiefs in less than an hour. I need to get the hang of this ball R and D gave me before I head out.” Emmett’s gleeful grin was positively evil.

  “It’s not time for the chiefs’ tournament again, already?” Tate shook his head.

  “It is indeed that time of year already. After suffering through the tight budget debacle these last years, I’m going to make sure Intelligence wins on points this time.” Emmett tossed his ball in the air and caught it.

  “On points?” Rock looked confused. “Isn’t the point of golf to make as few points as possible?”

  Tate shook his head. “That’s a roundabout way of saying the president and the chief justice have to win the actual game of golf.

  “The points are figurative and depend on how much sport you can make of the president and chief justice while at the same time currying as much of their good favor for the Agency as possible. You want a kind eye during budget proposals and Supreme Court decisions.”

  Emmett was swinging his putter. “I really got the rest of those so-called chiefs last year with that self-destructing ball. The vice chairman of the joint chiefs spent a good half hour looking in the rough for it. Then I handed him another and detonated it once it hit the green. You’d think a military man would be more savvy about weaponry.

  “This year I expect one of the joint chiefs to play dirty with a drone ball. It would be just like them.” Emmett laughed again.

  “What do you have for them this year?” Tate asked. “Anything special about your putter?”

  Emmett looked at his putter and shrugged. “It’s top of the line. And has a nice semiautomatic rifle feature. For emergencies only if the Secret Service doesn’t do their job.”

  Emmett leaned the putter against his desk and picked up his ball again. “This is our real secret weapon—a remote-controlled ball with GPS. It flies out of sand traps. Literally. With this baby,” he shook the ball at the camera, “I’m unbeatable.”

  Emmett grinned. “And so is the commander in chief. I’m going to gift him some for the game. The guys at Langley will be playing his balls remotely and making sure they fly where they need to to guarantee the president lowers his handicap and comes out victorious. It allows me time to network without worrying about the president’s game.”

  “Yeah,” Tate said with a twinkle in his eye. “That explains why the guys at HQ have been playing so much Wii golf on the job. They’ve been practicing for the chiefs’ tourney. You’ll be playing your own ball, sir?”

  Emmett gave Tate a serious shut your trap look. “Naturally.” He scowled at Tate. “Enough of this bullshit. What’s up?”

  “Not much,” Tate said.

  He must have had a career death wish.

  “Just thought you’d like to know Archibald Random is impersonating you. So if you run into yourself, don’t freak out. Reach for your gun.”

  The chief cocked a brow. “How reliable is your source?”

  Tate hitched a thumb at Rock. “Rock, tell the chief what you saw during your little audience with the RIOT chief.”

  “You met with Random?” The chief sounded suddenly interested.

  “You could say he issued an invitation I couldn’t resist,” Rock said.

  “You mean he kidnapped you,” the chief said.

  Rock nodded and explained about Random’s likeness to the chief and what had happened to PI Davo.

  “Still using tiger fish and mansions.” The chief shook his head. “Someone should tell Archie to get a good villain’s cave like all maniacal supervillains. Have you located the mansion?”

  “We’re on it, sir,” Lani said.

  “Ah, Lani, you’re there, too. Good. Hang in there, kiddo. We’ll get your boy back safely. I promise.”

  The chief’s promise made Lani feel marginally better. The chief kept his promises and if Stone was on the chief’s radar, he had at least a fighting chance.

  Emmett turned his gaze back to the boys. “The mansion will be empty before you get there.”

  The chief cursed beneath his breath and showed them his jawline and ears to erase any lingering doubts. “It was only a matter of time until Archie tried something like this.” The chief set his ball down. “With the high-tech state of makeup and plastic surgery, I’m surprised he hasn’t tried it sooner.”

  The chief shrugged. “Damn. It appears I’m banned from Area 51 until we can clear this matter up. I’ll send out the memo and notify the appropriate authorities. If anyone bearing any resemblance to me is caught anywhere near the perimeters of Area 51, let alone inside, they’re to be arrested and confined immediately.”

  The chief rolled his ball back and forth on his desk. It zigged and zagged in an unnatural manner. The chief was stealthily controlling it somehow. The man was a skilled magician. His sleight of hand was undetectable. “Good work, Rock. We’ve been waiting for a chance to apprehend Archie and catch him red-handed. You’ve just given us the golden opportunity.

  “No doubt he plans to use this magical mission to get into 51 and personally retrieve what he’s looking for.”


  As the chief spoke, Lani watched Rock. As angry as she was with him, she couldn’t really blame him for what he’d done. He wasn’t a seasoned spy. Curiosity was in his soul. And she’d hurt him terribly. Even so, he looked strong, stoic, and determined. The non-spy part of her, the purely womanly part, wanted to throw herself in his arms and feel his strength. As much as she craved the contact and the comfort, she pushed it below the surface and acted indifferent.

  “What, exactly, does Random want you to do?” the chief asked.

  Rock looked Lani directly in the eye. If she hadn’t known better, she’d have suspected he was trying to hypnotize her again. The truth was he’d had her under his spell from the beginning.

  He turned his attention to the chief. “Random wants me to throw the prestige, bungle it or not perform it in time so the crowd panics and storms the perimeters of Dreamland, just like they’d planned for Sol to do when he was orchestrating this tactical illusion.”

  “Predictable,” the chief said.

  “How are the plans for the terror attack we need coming along?” Tate asked.

  “We have an elevated terror alert out at Hoover Dam, Area 51, the casinos, anyplace that would be advantageous for Random to attack. I’m going to elevate it even further. We’ll make it nearly impossible for RIOT to strike.

  “We have the intel leak to the media in the works. We’ll publicly raise the terror alert level to red.

  “My theory is that people will still be expecting an attack, primed for one, even though there hasn’t been one. It’s safer this time than calling out the sonic illusion team.”

  “Archie won’t order an attack unless he has to. It’s risky and expensive.”

  “Expensive, Chief?” Rock asked.

  The chief laughed. “Yeah, believe it or not, even dastardly villains have budgets.” The chief leaned back in his chair. “How close are you to being ready to perform, Rock, realizing this is the performance of your life? Are your baby magicians ready and up to the task?”

  Rock flicked his hand and one of the flame cones behind them shot fire. “Sorry,” he said. “Just letting off a little steam.

  “My young apprentices will be ready. They’re all hard workers, talented, and dedicated. How about my flying saucer—will it be ready?”

  The chief grinned. “You’ll have your spy plane. The camofleurs are working night and day to make it even more UFO-like. The schedule’s tight. But they’ll have it ready.”

  Rock whistled and mumbled something beneath his breath about spy planes being the ultimate flying saucers. “I hope it’s impressive.”

  “It’ll blow your socks off.”

  Rock tented his fingers in front of him, looking as if he was suddenly itching to get going. “We generate the crowd and the panic as we planned. We impress the NUFO group. But now…” He swallowed hard. “With this new wrinkle, do I still reveal the illusion for what it is—a trick? If my boy’s still in any danger then—”

  “Yes,” the chief said. “If we’re smart about this, we’ll take down some of RIOT’s most wanted. If we get lucky, we’ll take the ace of spades, Random himself.”

  “It’s risky, Chief,” Lani protested. “My baby—”

  “Everything we do is risky,” the chief said. “Our rescue team will have your baby back before the big show.”

  “I don’t like this.” Something felt off to Lani. “Random’s a forked-tongued monster who’s incapable of speaking the truth. He could just as easily be setting us up.”

  “Like we’re setting him up?” the chief said. “You know the way the game is played. Spying is more a chess match than anything. The best we can do is guess and anticipate our opponent’s next move. If it’s any consolation—he’s at the same disadvantage. We proceed as discussed.”

  The chief glanced at his watch. “I have to run. Good luck, all of you. Keep me informed. Oh, and Rock, wear the spy ring and keep the thumb gun and wand gun on you. We don’t just invent these devices willy-nilly, you know. There’ll come another time when you need them. Count on it.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Rock was staring out the window of his master bedroom suite into the darkness of midnight when the door softly opened and Lani slid in almost silently. He sensed her hesitation as she hovered just inside the door. He could almost feel her gaze boring into his back. But he didn’t turn around or invite her in. Call him a coward, but he wasn’t sure he could face her. Why the hell had he thought he was smarter than the CIA?

  From the time he’d first fallen in love with her, he’d believed she loved him back, deeply, passionately, with every part of her that she allowed herself to love with. She was an outsider, someone who’d never really belonged, someone like him. They belonged together, and that was all that mattered. He knew there was a part of Lani she didn’t, or couldn’t, share with him. Or anyone else.

  But everyone had secrets, including him, and he’d have been a hypocrite to hold it against her. In time, when she was ready, if there was a need, she’d share hers with him. Yeah, that she was a CIA agent. Now that had been a shock.

  And later, after her return, after the big secret agent reveal, he knew she kept another secret, as it turned out, his son. He should have trusted her with that secret, trusted her enough to act to protect those she loved. He should have waited for her to come to him with it. Trust was the true magic of a relationship.

  If he’d only left well enough alone, waited out the mission, and wooed his way back into Lani’s life, he believed she would have told him about Stone. Once the mission was over and the danger was past. Once RIOT no longer had a use for him.

  Rock saw it all clearly now, the reason Lani had risked everything to come on this mission. It was their only chance to be a family.

  And he’d messed up royally, proving he didn’t trust her and putting their baby’s life in danger. He wanted nothing more than to see his son, hold him in his arms, see the look of forgiveness in Lani’s eyes. He’d do anything to make it right. “Any news?”

  He pictured her shaking her head, could almost hear the movement in the silent room.

  “RIOT has them,” she said. “Our team is tracking them down, but they believe both Nanny and Stone are alive and safe for now. RIOT needs them alive at least until the illusion goes off as they want.” She paused. “You okay?”

  What could he say? Hell no, he wasn’t okay. He wondered whether he’d ever be okay again. If Random killed Stone, nothing would ever be the same again.

  “I’m sorry, Lani,” he said instead. She didn’t need him laying his guilt trip on her. He didn’t feel like talking about it anyway. “This Nanny person, is she undercover?”

  Lani nodded. “As an old friend of mine who’s watching Stone until I bring him out and use him to extort money from you. That was the cover story we planned.

  “Of course, when you rescued me and we had a happy reunion, the story had to change. Now Nanny is keeping Stone until I can find a good way to tell you about him.” She snorted. “I guess I blew that one.”

  “Yeah.” Rock paused. “Sol’s all over the papers and social media taking credit for finding you and saying he’s worried about you, that he fears you were becoming addicted to prescription painkillers. You were acting strangely just before the act.” Rock snorted. “He must be sweating bullets not knowing how you survived and what accusations we might make against him.”

  “I’ve seen them. I’ve also seen the picture of us in the limo with the window open and the flash powder smoke pouring out. Smokin’ Hot Reunion, I think was the headline.”

  “Sol won’t take this quietly. He’ll retaliate again if he can. He was dangerous before, but now he’s terrifying. If he can find a way to mess up our illusion, he will. And if we fail—” His voice broke.

  They both knew what Rock meant.

  She came up behind him so close he could feel her heat behind him. He saw her hesitation reflected in the window glass before him.

  “We’re watching Sol.” She l
aid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed softly, not saying anything. “Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know.”

  “I should have trusted you. I should have left well enough alone. You would have told me. Eventually. When the time was right.”

  He spun around to face her and took her gently by the arms. “Stone, the baby, that’s why you resisted making love with me. That’s why you pushed me away.

  “You were afraid you’d be tempted to tell me about him. The closer we got, the more tempted you’d be. You were afraid you might even slip up.”

  “You’re too observant, Rock. That’s always been your curse. You’re exactly right.” She bowed her head. “I was afraid, all along, you’d find out about him. I almost turned down this mission. But the chief made it impossible.

  “Becoming a mother does something to a woman’s soul, makes her into a different person. I was never afraid before. Not for myself. Now I’m afraid all the time. For Stone. I’ve become softer. More vulnerable.” Her voice went very soft. “Fear isn’t good for a spy.”

  Rock swallowed hard and let go of her arms. To his surprise, she slid her arms around him and pressed her head against his chest, tucking her head beneath his chin. He held her tightly, afraid she’d pull away and he’d lose her forever. He kissed the top of her head.

  “If you could see him, Rock. He’s so precious, so precocious. Like you.” Her voice caught. “His hair is the coarsest baby hair I’ve ever felt, and yet as soft as anything you could imagine. It stands straight up like a buzz cut and sometimes I want nothing more than to run my hands lightly over it.

  “He laughs all the time and when he does it comes from deep in his belly, a real baby chortle that can’t help but make me smile, even on the worst of days. He walked before he crawled and he rolled everywhere before he walked. He has tiny stubby legs, and dimples in his hand, and his diaper gives him a big bubble butt he’s always falling over on. And yet, when he wants he can practically outrun me.

  “He sleeps with a stuffed rabbit that lights up at night and projects magical stars on the ceiling. During the day he carries it around by the ears, along with a toy magic wand he likes to wave around as he says something that sounds kind of like abracadabra. But his first word was daddy…” Lani grabbed Rock’s shirt in her fist and squeezed it tight. Her body trembled in his arms as if she was trying not to cry.