Nori's Delta (Delta Team Three #1) - Lori Ryan Page 0,5
in the distance.
“Step on it, Mer.” This came from Zip.
“That’s Zip,” Heath said as Zip grinned and waved. Zip was always smiling. They could be knee deep in shit with a shit storm brewing and more shit headed at them on a tidal wave, and that man would grin and talk about how much he loved shit.
He gestured to Duff who sat on the other side of her. “This is Duff.” To her credit, she didn’t blink at the size of the enormous man or the fact he wore a perpetual glower on his face as she turned and nodded her greeting.
“Jangles is in the back,” he said tipping his head toward the only blond on their team. Jangles had his head in a laptop and Heath would guess he was working on deleting video footage from the airport, but he looked up and nodded at Eleanor.
Heath returned his gaze to Eleanor, watching her as he spoke to see if her heart rate and breathing were starting to return to normal. He could no longer see the small vein in her neck pumping and she wasn’t gulping for air like she had been. That was good.
He had to give her credit. She had calmed herself faster than a lot of people would in that situation.
“We’ve been assigned to protect you. We’re going to make sure you get to the meeting with Demir on time and in one piece,” Heath said, willing himself to be professional where this woman was concerned. What he wanted to do was haul her into his lap and hold her till her shaking stopped.
“On time, every time.” This quip came from Jangles. “That’s our motto.” He didn’t look up from the laptop as he spoke.
“I’m pretty sure that’s taken already. Some moving company or insurance company or something,” said Duff.
“Damn, should’ve trademarked that shit when we had the chance,” Jangles said. He shut the laptop. “Video’s scrubbed,” he said, letting them all know he’d erased any airport security video of what had just gone down.
Heath could see the wheels turning in Eleanor’s head. She was smart, she would put it all together quickly, he was sure.
“You went into the Army,” she said, “but you guys have to be special forces. Rangers? Green Berets?” She tilted her head, studying him and he could guess she was taking in the way his hair wasn’t really military short on top and the scruff on his chin. Someone in her position would know special forces were allowed a lot more leeway in their appearance than your average soldier. “Delta?”
He shook his head. “Can’t discuss that.”
She rolled her eyes and he knew she was thinking of her security clearance. As Delta forces, they had top secret clearance, but so did she. In fact, she probably had a few ticks higher than that, but they still didn’t need to discuss who and what his team was. It just wasn’t something they did unless they had to.
Eleanor seemed to move on then, accepting his response. “He said my assistant had already landed, but she hadn’t.” She tensed beside him, sitting up straighter. “My team is on their way here. Will these people go after them? Are they safe?”
He reassured her. “There’s another team grabbing them. They’ll take them to Kazarus using a different route and we’ll meet up with them just ahead of the summit with Demir.”
“I’m supposed to go to the US Air Force base here in Adana.” Eleanor shifted around to look around them at the roads outside the car. “I have to get to the meet with Demir. It’s too important not to.”
“We’ll get you there,” Heath said quietly.
“Just going to have a change of plans, mix things up a little,” said Merlin from the front seat. “Someone fed them your itinerary. We need to change things up to keep you safe. From now on, no one outside this car is going to know our plans or your itinerary.”
Eleanor gave another of those too-jerky nods and he saw her press her hands to her thighs to control the shaking that had started moments before. “Why did they want me? Where was he planning to take me?”
There was a stillness in the car at her question and she looked to Heath, searching his expression. He stayed carefully neutral.
“We don’t know for sure but there’s been some chatter someone wants to make sure you don’t make it to this meeting. Could be the Kazarus government. Could be members of the terrorist groups