Wormhole (The Rho Agenda #3)(98)

Bob Jones shrugged. “Shit happens.”

“Like hell it does. Not on my team. Not to three of my top people.”

Charley got to his feet, stretching his six-and-a-half-foot frame.

“You’re saying Artan and Yuzman both took a tumble while racing on the confidence course?”

“Yep. Right near the top of the high log climb. Artan slipped, tumbled into Hedo, and they both fell.”

“Right on top of Diego.”

“Actually Diego tried to break their fall.”

Charley stood nose to nose with Bob, his gray eyes locking with the other man’s brown ones. “Now tell me the real story. No attribution.”

“Does that apply to the whole team?”

“It does.”

Bob nodded, plopping down on the couch across from Charley’s desk. “You’re going to want to sit down for this one, boss.

“You know how you told the boys to show our new recruit a proper welcome, make sure she has what it takes?”

“I remember.”

“Well, they’ve been giving her the business. Nothing major. Just screwing with her stuff. Sexual comments alternating with the silent treatment. Letting her know the president may have put her here, but she isn’t one of us. Basically making her life hell.

“This morning she’d had enough of it. We were formed up for PT out where we’ve rigged our hand-to-hand-combat training pit, when she stepped out of formation and walked right up beside me, in front of them all.

“I thought she was going to break down, call it quits, start pleading, or something. You could hear the fellas laughing, so I stepped aside and let her have the floor. You know what she said?”

“No, I don’t know what she said, and I don’t want to guess. Get to the damned point.”

“She just stood there, with the team gathered around her in an arc. I’ll never forget her voice if I live a thousand years. It was throaty, smooth as silk, the sexiest voice I’ve ever heard. She looked them all up and down, then said, ‘Let’s make a deal. You pick your best man. If he beats me hand to hand here in the pit, every one of you can have a turn at me, and I’ll be the best piece of ass you’ve ever had.’

“Shit, you could’ve heard a pin drop. There was so much testosterone in the air it was flammable.

“Then she said, ‘But if I win, you’re going to show me the same respect you show each other. Do we have a deal?’”

“And?”

“And she had a deal. The boys argued about who would do the fighting, but finally Diego Vasquez won out.”

Charley nodded. Vasquez was the only guy on the team stronger than he was, and quick as a mongoose.

“So what happened?”

“Diego came at her full bore, just exploded out of the pack. It was the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. It was like Inga knew his moves before he made them. She cracked his ribs on that first charge, just used his momentum to add power to her kick. It dropped him to his knees, left him gasping for air.

“But she was already on his back, her arms locked around his neck in a submission choke hold, cutting off the blood supply to his brain. Diego’s eyes just stared in disbelief, then rolled up in his head. Once he was out, she dropped him at her feet.

“I was so surprised, the two Turks charged before I could stop them. Artan reached her first, tried a flying takedown and got a mouthful of his own teeth when her elbow flattened him. Hedo pulled up in a fighter’s stance. He might as well have been blindfolded with his arms tied behind his back. Her first kick broke his kneecap, her next one caved in the side of his face. Once he was on the ground she stomped his rib cage. Thought she was going to kill him.”

“About that time, Artan distracted her by climbing back to his feet. He didn’t stay there long though. Anyway, when she was done, she turned around to face the rest of us. I swear to God, she wasn’t even breathing hard. All she said was ‘Anyone else?’ but she didn’t get any volunteers. Then she turned her back on us and walked away.

“So that’s why those three are in the hospital. Diego’s in the best shape. He’ll probably be released tomorrow. Artan and Hedo are going to be there for a while.”

“I guess she didn’t take kindly to the Turks breaking her deal.”

“I tell you what, boss, I wouldn’t screw with her.”

Charley nodded. “So it was a training accident.”

“Just like I said.”

“Looks like we’ve got a new teammate. Spread the word.”

Bob rose to his feet, opened the door, and paused.

“I don’t have to.”

The door to the command hooch banged closed behind him.





The knock on his door roused Freddy from the light doze that had almost allowed the glass of Crown Royal to slip from his fingers.

Shit. What time was it? The LED lights on the cable box read 11:45. Who the hell would come knocking at midnight?

Freddy thought about grabbing his snub-nosed thirty-eight. But what if it was the Ripper? The thirty-eight would just get him killed.

Setting the glass on the end table, Freddy slid out of the easy chair and stumbled to the door. Wiping a hand over his face, he took a deep breath to clear his head and opened the door.

It took a full five seconds for Freddy’s mind to process the girl standing before him. She was a petite Asian in jeans and a purple camisole that left her navel exposed. At least he didn’t see any piercings.