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Jake went up to dress for dinner a little early; he wanted to get some time in with Kat. By the time he made it down to her room, Ryan was just leaving.
“Hey Buddy, I’ll see you upstairs,” Ryan said, clapping him on the back. Kat was sitting up in bed. She was gaining her strength back a little more every day, and Jake was pleased to see that. Kat just watched him as he moved across the room and sat down in his usual spot. She hadn’t seen him so dressed up before. He really is very handsome, she mused. In a rugged, Black Ops kind of way...just my type, she chuckled to herself. Hmmm, I didn’t know I had a type. Jake just sat and watched the variety of thoughts dance through her head.
“You look nice,” she said finally, realizing that he was just sitting there watching her while she let her thoughts run away with her.
“What’s going on in there?” he said, tapping his index finger to his temple.
“Oh...” she blushed, “nothing. Nothing, I thought I remember something, but I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, no it’s nothing really,” she cleared her throat uncomfortably. “So, where you headed all dressed up like that?”
“Dinner is being served in the formal hall tonight. It helps us practice being rich and sophisticated before a new mission.” They laughed together. “Mind if I come back later for a game of chess?”
“Please do.”
“It won’t be much longer before you can join us upstairs for these fancy dinners. I can feel it.”
“I sure hope you’re right.” They shared a smile before he turned and left. The hospital staff came in shortly after with Kat’s dinner. She immediately turned her nose up at it. This is for your own good, she told herself. Just pretend it’s a ribeye, a touch on the rare side. Hmmm, that’s another new one. I didn’t know I liked red meat, let alone a little rare, she pondered as she sipped her broth. After she ate, she pushed the tray aside and tried to nap before Jake returned.
Sarah came down the stairs and found Jake already in the dining room.
“Hey, how’s she doing tonight?” she asked.
“She seems to be in good spirits—getting stronger. You can see it in her eyes.”
“Good! I’ll come down to relieve you around two if that’s alright.”
“Sure. Thanks Sarah.” He poured them both a drink and the two made small talk until the others joined. Half way through their meal, a call came through on Reese’s undercover line. It was Mendoza requesting a meeting for the next day at his club in New Orleans. Ryan suspected that it had something to do with the freighter. Then, the conversation turned back to Kat.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit strange that the CIA is trying so hard to strong arm their way to Kat?” Jake asked the group as a whole. “I mean...think about it. She’s been missing for months. Why are they all of a sudden so worried about her?”
“The CIA doesn’t exactly honor the same code as you all. Not leaving a man or woman behind doesn’t really apply to them. They thought that she was dead, so they wrote her off as a loss to the mission. Now that they know she’s alive, that means their mission is still alive and they are itching to know what she knows,” Ryan explained.
“That is wrong on so many levels,” Reese commented. “This girl must present a serious threat to somebody.” They all agreed. “So, we protect her until she can shed some light on the whole operation.”
“And then we keep protecting her, as far as I’m concerned. She’s one of us now, and we aren’t going to leave her behind,” Jake added passionately. Again, they all agreed. They split up and went their separate ways after dinner. Ryan headed to command to have a call with the Vice President. Professionalism aside, he had to smile when he spoke of what a perfect team they had assembled. Jake went back down to see Kat for that game of chess he promised. When he got there, Kat was ready and waiting with the board already set up. He laughed at the competitive mischief in her eyes as he sat down. He let her win the first game; the next she won all on her own. He could tell that she was getting tired, so he put the board away and helped her get comfortable for the night. She was fast asleep in two minutes flat. He made himself comfortable in that old chair and watched her sleep until he felt himself beginning to doze. As he drifted off into sleep of his own, his last thoughts contemplated that possibility that he may actually be falling in love with this girl.
He was awakened by the sound of Kat thrashing around in her bed. Still asleep, she was actually trying to get out of the bed. He gently put pressure on her shoulders and eased her back onto her pillow. Before he knew what happened, or how it happened, he felt the softness of her lips pressed against his. Jake was brought back to his senses by the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. He quickly straightened and pulled the covers back over Kat’s, now resting, body. Sarah entered the room and smiled at Jake tucking Kat in. Without a word, Jake nodded his greeting to Sarah and left the room.
Sarah shook her head as she sat down. She felt bad for Jake. She knew him to be a loner, but she also knew that you didn’t always have a say in who you fall in love with. Speaking of love, Sarah found her thoughts wandering over in Reese’s direction. She lived by the rule that you should never date a coworker, but she had never worked so closely with such an interesting man before. If they didn’t have each other, they didn’t have anyone.
Janie came down before breakfast to check on Sarah and Kat. Sarah informed her that Kat had slept peacefully through the night. The two women made their way upstairs to eat and get ready for the meeting with Mendoza. Being around Mendoza was by far Sarah’s least favorite part about this mission. He just made her skin crawl without even trying. Jake, on the other hand, was looking forward to going into town today. He figured it was best to put a little distance between himself and Kat, so that he could get his thoughts in order.
The techs fitted them with watches and a necklace with hidden cameras and audio. Their ear wicks were also undetectable. Soon, the limo was waiting out front. They would need to get an early start if they wanted to beat the Mardi Gras traffic. Once again, Jake and Janie would act as bodyguards to the couple.
The streets were packed with party-goers. Once they finally made it to the club, Mendoza’s thugs were waiting for them out front—reserving them a parking spot. Sarah thought this shady strip club was the perfect place for nefarious meetings. She took Reese’s hand as Janie and Jake followed behind at a safe distance. As before, Mendoza was holding court at a table in the very back. The club itself was packed, but Mendoza kicked everyone out as soon as they arrived—just like last time. As always, his manners were impeccable; though he still tended to hold Sarah’s hand for just a few seconds too long. It was all she could do not to cringe when he pressed his vile lips to the top of her hand. Her acting skills were really being pushed to the limit.
Reese stuck his hand out, encouraging Mendoza to release Sarah’s. They shook cordially, and Mendoza invited them to sit down. He ordered them drinks without even asking what they wanted. He was not used to people telling him what to do. At least there wasn’t any coke on the table this time. Reese was learning that Mendoza did not like to get right down to business; he liked to play the big shot for a while and strut around a little bit first.
Two men joined the table a few minutes later. Reese and Sarah immediately recognized one of them as Cadiid. Mendoza politely made all of the necessary introductions. Mendoza and Cadiid spoke in Spanish to one another for a moment before Mendoza turned to Reese.
“Apologies my friends, but something has come up. Can we meet again in a week? I think you will like what I will propose.”
“My time is just as valuable as yours,” Reese countered. Mendoza’s mask of manners slipped a little and Reese could see the shadows in his eyes. But, he quickly recovered.
“Yes, of course, my friend. Unfortunately, this cannot wait. I will call. I will take you and your lovely wife out to make up for the inconvenience—somewhere very special.”
Sarah and Reese took their leave, suspicious as to what was happening. As soon as they were safely in the limo, Ryan’s voice could be heard booming through their ear pieces.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing Reese? What part of making him angry do you think is beneficial for this mission? We’ll talk about this when you get back.”