Wicked Games: The Extended Edition (Steele Security #1) Read online

  In the back of her walk-in closet, she found the small black duffel bag that contained the rest of her new identity: the hair cap, wig, adhesive, black brow pencil, and colored contacts. She pulled her long blond hair into a pile on the top of her head, pulled the head cap over her hair, tucked in any loose strands, and then put the black wig on. After making sure it was straight and looked natural, she applied the adhesive to the underside of the edges to help keep it in place.

  Using the brow pencil, she applied a small amount to each eyebrow to match her new, short hair. The brown-eyed contacts covered her cobalt blue eyes. She then applied eye makeup, using her eyeliner to reshape her eyes. She applied a dark burgundy eye shadow and thick fake eyelashes to complete her transformation. She looked in the mirror at her new image for several long minutes.

  It was still mid-morning yet, on a Saturday, and most of her neighbors were working in their yards. She stood to the side of the window and looked at each person. The trees behind the row of houses across the street from her townhouse were dense. She looked carefully along the line of trees, trying to spot any movement that would symbolize someone watching her. Her inner thoughts were on overload.

  Is anyone out of place?

  Is anyone pretending to be someone they weren’t–besides me, that is?

  She glanced around her townhouse and was suddenly more aware than ever that it held nothing personal that could be related to her or anyone she cared about. She’d left that all behind three long years ago. The truth was, she still saw all the pictures, faces, and smiles in her mind. She heard the laughs and voices. She felt the warmth of the hugs and kisses. Everyone she loved believed she died three years ago in a plane crash, along with Richard Hollingsworth.

  Only three people in the world knew she wasn’t on that plane three years ago.

  Kristina Miller, her current alias.

  U.S. Marshal Stevens.

  And Richard Hollingsworth.

  * * *

  “Bosco here. She went in a while ago and hasn’t left her townhouse since. No, she didn’t see me. Okay.”

  The man, dressed in all black, gave short, clipped answers into the burn phone. He was accustomed to waiting out his targets and knew how to be invisible when he needed to be. He noticed she was suddenly on edge when she returned from her run but had been more relaxed when she first left. Something along the way spooked her. When she opened the paper, he could visibly see the panic rising in her.

  He had been outside her home, watching her for a few days now, and knew she ran in the same area even though she never used the same route. She varied her routine from day to day so she could tell if someone was following her.

  Smart girl. Just not smart enough, evidently, he smirked.

  She hadn’t seen him watching from behind the trees in the park or from his tree stand in the woods across the street from her townhouse. But from her demeanor at the end of her run, he concluded that she knew something was off. From years of watching people, gathering intelligence on them, and using that intelligence against them, he’d learned to sense when his presence had been detected.

  He saw the curtains move ever so slightly in the upstairs window and knew she was looking along the tree line. Maybe if she had just looked a little higher, she would have spotted him. But for now, luck was on his side. She had no clue where he was and he was prepared to stay there as long as needed. He’d been in worse conditions than this, even with the threat of rain. This job was a piece of cake. He straightened his legs to rest on a nearby tree branch, folded his arms behind his head, and waited.

  In Miami, Richard Hollingsworth hung up the hotel phone after his call to Bosco and smiled. Soon all the loose ends from the past would be taken care of. Three long years he’d looked for her. That nosey, investigative reporter bitch wouldn’t quit digging until she’d discovered his secret life and made him go into hiding. He’d figured out that she was onto him just in time-just before he was arrested and sent to prison for life, or worse, hung for treason.

  Vengeance would soon be his.

  A knock on his hotel door drew his attention. As he opened the door, he was drawn into a hug by a grizzly of a man, his best friend from years ago.

  “Noah Steele, so good to see you, brother,” Richard welcomed him.

  Chapter One

  Five Years Earlier

  “Mom! I can’t find my sunglasses!” Brianna yelled from her bedroom.

  Diana stopped at her doorway. “They’re on your head, Brianna.”

  Her hands flew to the top of her head. Finding them there, she smiled ruefully. “Oh. There they are.”

  “Relax, sweetheart. Your father has made sure you’ll be very well guarded while you’re away. You’ll be surrounded by the best soldiers in our military.” Diana tried to reassure Brianna, even though inwardly she felt anything but happy about her daughter’s choice.

  “I know,” she plopped down on her bed. “It’s just that it’ll be such a huge change. I won’t be able to run to the store and get whatever I need, no takeout food. I’m leaving behind so many of the things I take for granted now.”

  “It’ll definitely be a change of pace for you,” Diana agreed as she sat beside her daughter.

  Evan, Brianna’s dad, walked up to the doorway, leaned against the doorframe, and watched his oldest daughter. It seemed like only yesterday when she was born. Looking back over the past few months, he was astonished at how effectively her powers of persuasion had worked on him. Somehow, she had convinced him that her true calling was in investigative reporting–in the Middle East.

  Evan and Dianna Tate owned a chain of luxury hotels across the United States. Their home and headquarters was in the Atlanta area, but Evan often traveled to Washington, DC to secure hotel contracts, negotiate rates, and maintain his hotel’s security clearance for the VIP visits. During those visits, he made many friends who had contacts in every imaginable branch of the government.

  When Brianna first approached him with her request for a special assignment to interview the elite Delta Force Unit of the Army at a ghost-base in the Middle East, Evan feared she’d made an immature, rash decision. Watching her pack, check items off her list, and recheck again, he saw the maturity of a determined young lady.

  Still, he was her father and he worried about his daughter’s safety. “Don’t make me regret this, young lady,” he warned.

  “Never, Daddy,” her smiled beamed back at him. “This is the trip and the chance of a lifetime!”

  “I can’t believe you’re leaving us in a week. You’ll be gone for six weeks,” Evan complained.

  “It’ll fly by and I’ll be back before you know it. I guarantee it.” Brianna replied confidently, even though she hid her own trepidations at leaving the comfort and security of her life.

  At twenty-two, she had recently graduated with a dual Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Journalism with big plans for her future career. While in college, Brianna threw herself into her studies, taking extra classes and pushing herself so she could get out into the world and start living as soon as possible. Using this assignment as her career springboard was a gamble, but it was one she knew was right for her. The thrill of the story, getting out into the field, and putting her feet to the street was where her heart knew she belonged.

  The following night, Brianna’s sisters, Missy, Jessie, and Ashley, coordinated a surprise going away party to celebrate her first big assignment and her free-lance job since graduating college. Missy had just turned twenty-one and was closest to Brianna in every way. Growing up not quite two years apart in age had them sharing everything from clothes to toys to boys. Missy’s job was to bring Brianna to the party without giving away the surprise.

  “Get ready, sis! I’m taking you out for a drink or ten! We need some quality sister time before you go jetting off to the God-forsaken desert,” Missy demanded as she barged into Brianna’s room. “You’re depriving me of six weeks of quality time, so I expect you to make it up to me tonigh
t.”

  “Fine. But only because I know you won’t leave me alone until I do,” Brianna replied with a smile.

  “You know me so well.”

  Once in the car, Missy and Brianna chatted casually until they reached their destination. Brianna was bouncing with excitement as they entered their favorite sports bar. Chatting animatedly with Missy about her upcoming assignment, she completely missed the room full of people gathered to see her off.

  “Surprise,” the crowd yelled in unison.

  Brianna jumped, let out a shriek, and quickly clasped her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were wide open, the shock evident on her face, and she was stunned speechless. Missy wrapped her arm around Brianna’s shoulder, and leaning into her asked, “Did I do good? Or did I do good?”

  Brianna nodded before she spoke. “You definitely did good. I had no idea!”

  Finally moving her feet, she made her way around the room to greet each partygoer individually. Virtually everyone she knew was there to wish her well. The party was in full swing with a full dance floor and drinks flowing freely. By the end of the night, Brianna had lost count of how many drinks she’d fulfilled on her IOU to Missy.

  When Evan approached her, his eyes conveyed his concern over her leaving. He held out his arms and she rushed into them for a final father-daughter dance before they closed the bar. Swaying slowly in her father’s arms, Brianna felt like a little girl again. She couldn’t imagine not having him in her life every day, but moving on with her independence was like a siren’s call. She couldn’t ignore it and she couldn’t resist it.

  Early one morning the following week, Evan and Diana drove Brianna to a secure military airfield. With tears in her eyes, Diana hugged her daughter closely to her a little longer than a normal goodbye.

  “I know you’re in good hands, but you won’t be in my hands,” she said as she released Brianna and wiped her eyes.

  “Don’t worry, Mom,” Brianna smiled reassuringly. “I’m all grown up now. I can take care of myself.”

  “It doesn’t matter how old you are, young lady. You’ll always be my baby,” Diana replied. “Don’t wander off alone. Stay with your escorts. Stay safe. Don’t do anything stupid.”

  Chuckling, Brianna nodded. “You’ve told me that about fifty times this morning already and the sun isn’t even up yet. Not that I’ll have much choice, but I’ll stay close to my military escorts and I won’t wander off alone. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Diana dabbed her watery eyes again and drew in a ragged breath as she watched the soldiers begin boarding the enormous military aircraft. Evan stepped forward, drawing Brianna into a bear hug, and whispered into her ear. “Come back home to us safe and in one piece. I love you, little girl.”

  “I love you, too, Daddy,” she replied, her voice cracking. “I’d better go now.”

  Releasing her from his embrace, Evan and Diana watched as she boarded a C-17 military transport plane leaving out the Atlanta area bound for the ghost-base in the Middle East. A deep feeling of dread settled in Evan’s gut. He worried about his daughters enough as it was, but not knowing exactly where Brianna would be for the next six weeks made him physically ache.

  As Brianna stepped aboard the plane, she immediately knew her days of pampered and comfortable living was coming to a screeching halt. A new respect for the men and women of the military grew in her mind. She decided to capitalize on that and spread it to every news outlet that would pick up her story. Ignoring the headache that threatened to make it a rough trip, she pulled her notebook out and started making notes on the topics she wanted to cover.

  Since Delta Force Operators are considered so clandestine that the government doesn’t even acknowledge their existence, her approval was granted only because the Department of Defense confidential contact was a former Delta Force operative himself and wanted the team to receive the accolades they deserved. He had already given her a list of topics that were off-limits to discuss with civilians. She knew if she asked anything classified, no one would answer her anyway. He was simply trying to save her a little trouble and frustration and help get her started off on the right foot.

  Settling in the uncomfortable seat for the twenty-hour flight, Brianna inserted the earplugs she’d tucked in her pocket. Knowing the planes were known to be noisy inside, she’d already researched the best methods for surviving the long flight. Many of the seats had been removed to make room for the cargo being delivered, allowing the couple dozen people onboard to spread out. Some brought blow up mats and sleeping bags to help them pass the time after takeoff.

  Brianna was too focused on her own mission and how well her article would be received once she returned home to sleep now. She considered what the public would want to know about the team. She wanted to give them due credit for their skills, the intense training they survived, and the improvised ways they kept their skills sharp. She planned to describe the less than desirable conditions they lived in so far from home and the lack of creature comforts most people take for granted.

  But, most of all, she wanted her article to remind people that, at the end of the day, these battle-hardened warriors were still just men. Courage didn’t mean there was a lack of fear–it meant they carried on in spite of their fear. They had dreams and lives outside the military. They had families, wives, girlfriends, and friends they didn’t see for long stretches of time.

  When the plane reached cruising altitude, several people created makeshift beds on the floor of the plane and made themselves comfortable. Anxious to get started, Brianna briefly considered changing seats to start talking to the service men and women on the plane with her, but changed her mind when she realized the engine noise alone would prevent a lengthy conversation.

  Brianna decided that a detailed diary of everything she saw, heard, felt, and experienced on her journey would help her to create the most descriptive article she could produce. With that thought, she began the arduous task of detailing every thought, decision, and conversation that led up to this assignment.

  Spending most of the flight time filling the blank pages with her thoughts and feelings, Brianna began to see a story forming as her words flowed through her fingers. When she could no longer keep her eyes open, or hold the pen with her cramped hand, she reclined the seat as far back as it would go and slept for the remainder of the flight.

  The pilot’s voice booming over the intercom and the flashing lights alerting the crew of an impending landing woke her. Gathering and stowing her things in her backpack, her legs bounced with nervous energy as she waited to begin her exciting adventure. By the time it came to a halt and she was able to deplane, she could hardly stand the anticipation.

  Easily recognizable in her civilian clothing, the escort team immediately picked her out of the crowd. “Miss Tate?” one of the young soldiers addressed her.

  “Yes, I’m Brianna Tate,” she smiled.

  “Come with us, ma’am. We have strict orders to deliver you right away,” he replied.

  She noticed he wore the Military Police left armband and insignia. His name band read Roberts. “Okay, Lieutenant Roberts, lead the way.”

  He smiled politely as three other MPs surrounded her and led her to the waiting Humvee. Once securely seated inside, one of the men tied a black blindfold around her head. “Sorry, ma’am. Orders.”

  “It’s fine. I’ve already been warned about the security measures,” she smiled.

  Brianna attempted to stay alert to the subtle noises, shifts in the vehicle, and stilted conversations inside the vehicle. She made mental notes of everything she needed to document in her diary. The vehicle slowed to a stop after several minutes of riding and she heard three doors open and close. She had to consciously fight back the panic that tried to settle in when she heard more male voices in her near proximity, but no one spoke directly to her.

  Lieutenant Roberts’ voice startled her when he spoke close to her ear. “Miss Tate, I’m getting you out of the vehicle now and transferring
you to another one. This is as far as I’m allowed to take you. These guys will take good care of you from here.”

  “Okay,” she replied, knowing she had no other choice.

  After changing vehicles and driving for another hour, she finally felt the vehicle come to a stop and then heard the engine cut off. An unseen person opened her door and she was helped out of the vehicle.

  When her blindfold was removed, the bright sun blinded her momentarily. Shielding her eyes with her hand as she absently dug her sunglasses out of her bag, she stood motionless for a moment to take in her surroundings. Her initial reaction was that the compound resembled the old TV show MASH, only this one had sand-colored tents instead of the standard Army green.

  Large tents were scattered throughout the base. Humvees, Jeeps, and large trucks moved slowly through the streets. Troops were scattered about in units of three to five, each team handled different functions to keep the miniature city running smoothly.

  The sun was high overhead and incredibly hot, hotter than Atlanta ever thought of being. Beads of perspiration immediately sprung to the surface of her skin. She retrieved one of her notebooks from her backpack and began fanning herself to try to relieve the intense heat. One of her first questions for the men who’d agreed to be interviewed had already formed in her mind. How do you condition your body to stand this intense heat?

  “This way, ma’am,” the private carrying her luggage instructed. “Since you’re our guest, you’ll have your own private tent. It’s right over here.”

  She strode toward the tent her escort pointed out with purpose, feeling both grateful and guilty for receiving special treatment. She began to mentally prepare herself for how she should approach the band of elusive soldiers. Delta Force operators were known for being the quiet professionals. They didn’t boast about their missions to anyone. Handling the most extreme cases, they got in and out of a volatile area without anyone knowing they’d even been there.