The moment she began to talk weapons in that sweet, soft voice, heat curled in the pit of his stomach. He sank down onto the bed to prevent himself from making a total fool of himself and falling at her feet. "Nice. I have mine sewn into the seams of my jeans."
She nodded. "I do that as well." She drew a pair of soft, straight-legged black trousers up her slender legs. The material was deceiving, stretching, easily moving with her body. She added a red silk blouse and picked up an intricate belt. She smiled and handed it to him.
Sam took the belt into his palm, lifting it carefully to weigh it. The belt was made of several strands of woven rope. The weave was artwork, decorative and attractive. The belt buckle was small to fit her size, a flat silver, sturdy, with what appeared to be a sunburst carved into it. "Very lightweight."
"And handy. The rope can hold up to a thousand pounds and yet is easily shot from a crossbow to be used as an anchor to reach another building. The belt buckle is actually a throwing star, or, in a pinch, a grappling hook, reinforced titanium."
"Very handy. That's my woman, the walking arsenal."
She laughed softly. "That's not the half of it." The belt went around her narrow waist and she bent to pull on socks.
"Are those made of explosives?"
Her dark eyes regarded him soberly. "I thought of that, but no, too difficult to get to." She straightened and took a ring from the nightstand, slipping it on her finger. The ruby stone was small, yet it sparkled when she moved her hand. "A tiny amount of powder that can render temporary blindness."
Sam shook his head and caught up his clothes. She really was a walking arsenal and, God help him, all the sexier for it. He watched her reach for her ruby earrings. They dangled delicately from her ears, twin fiery stones at her lobe and several rounded pearls on the end of five braided chains. He raised his eyebrow. No way did he believe the simple jewelry was just that.
She sent him another smile. She touched the white balls at the end of the chains. "These are not real pearls, just shells to house the ammunition for my blow gun. It gives me ten extra needles in a fight."
"I'm getting another hard-on just thinking about you with all those weapons." His hand snaked out, fingers settling around her wrist. He tugged until she was between his legs. "How am I going to get through the day knowing you're so damned sexy, woman?"
Her eyes, heavy-lidded, drifted over his face and down his body, clearly marking him as her territory. "The same way I will. I look forward to our evening together."
"I know there's no public displays of affection," Sam said as he buttoned his jeans, "but if it gets too bad, don't be surprised if I drag you into a closet and tug those trousers down."
Her eyes jumped to his face. "You are a very brave man, Sammy."
"You have no idea what I'm willing to sacrifice if it means more sex with you."
Laughter danced in her eyes as she secured a necklace around her neck. A single pendant hung from the slender chain. "I will look forward to an adventure in the closet," she said with a demure sweep of her lashes.
"That has to be a knife of some kind." The pendant was short, no more than an inch and a half, shaped like a very slender heart. "Is it made of ceramic?"
"Every lady needs one."
He stepped close to examine each piece of jewelry. The craftsmanship was amazing, the details simplistic but appealing. He raised his eyebrow. "You?"
"My father was renowned and I learned from him." She pushed a bracelet made of thin spirals of twisted hemp onto her wrist. The bracelet was quite unique but attractive. She held up her arm. "For my bow or crossbow. I can assemble one in under a minute." She reached for a second bracelet, which she pushed close to the first, a wrap of strands of beads.
Sam didn't have to be told that was a weapon, he'd seen warrior beads before, but hers looked ornate, very beautiful with carved beads. No one would ever suspect that the bracelet was lethal.
Azami added a slim, beautifully crafted watch to her left wrist. He raised his eyebrows.
She laughed. "A lady has to have some secrets."
On top of everything, she looked beautiful in her red silk blouse and black suit trousers. He could see how she could move fast and easily dressed as she was. The blouse was loose-fitting enough that she could have a few knives placed strategically if she was going into battle.
She reached for her shoes. Boots, he corrected himself. Stylish. Low heels with fancy grills going up the front of the pair. He studied the eyelets made of strong metal--titanium? Definitely more than boots, but he had no idea what--only that in Azami's hands, they would be lethal.
Azami swung around as a soft vibration accompanied the flash of a strobe light throughout the room. Sam, who had looked lazy and content, leapt off the bed and dragged on clothes fast. She didn't ask questions but hurried into her jacket, shoving knives into the specially made sheaths. Jamming a gun down into one boot, she added a knife to the second.
Sam shoved the floor rug aside and yanked open a trapdoor in the floor. "Move it, Azami, now." He stepped back to allow her to precede him.
Azami didn't hesitate. She went down the stairs fast, using the rail to slide into the basement, Sam right behind her. She waited in the darkness. She could see, another "gift" from Whitney's enhancements, probably the cat DNA. The basement looked like any man's basement: tools, pegboards, and workbenches. She remained absolutely still--waiting.
Sam went to the side wall closest to them and ran his palm over what appeared to be a light switch. She would bet it actually turned on a light too. A door built into the wall swung open without a sound. Small trace lights ran along a tunnel. This time Sam went in first. Azami followed him in silence. She flexed her fingers and ran a checklist over her body, ensuring every muscle was stretched and limber, ready for anything.
Sam halted in a small alcove, once again using his palm and then his eye on a retinal scan to open another door. Azami's breath caught in her throat.
"Sexy," she commented, peering around him. "I'm impressed."
"We've got them scattered through the tunnels. You'll have to be programmed in to open them. We have maps in our heads to all the various weapons caches," he said as he shoved guns and ammunition into belts and harnesses as well as his boot. "Need anything?"
"Another gun. My crossbow's in my room. I have a mini, but it's not terribly effective at great distances."
She saw his eyes flick to her face, assessing her capability with a gun. She grinned at him, sheer audacity. His features relaxed and he gestured toward the armory.
Azami had already spotted the small automatic she was most familiar with. It fit in her hands easily. She had small hands, and often a weapon just didn't sit right in her palm, but she liked the little automatic. She caught up the belt and ammunition and stepped back, indicating she was ready to go. She didn't like taking an unproven weapon into combat, so she would rely mainly on her speed and up-close fighting if there was need, but the weapon might come in handy.
The moment Sam closed the doors, they began to jog through the tunnel, heading, Azami could tell, straight back to the main compound.
My brothers?
They'll be in the tunnels with Daniel and Lily. No one will take chances with them, Sam assured.
I'm not worried about them. They are samurai. They'll be an asset to you. They fight with great skill and can handle multiple weapons.
Azami was unconcerned for their safety as he seemed to think she would be. She knew both Daiki and Eiji would protect Daniel and Lily if anything went wrong. Sam didn't know them as she did. She'd trained with them and had no doubts about their skills. They weren't afraid to die any more than she was, but the world would lose two incredible and intelligent human beings if they were killed.
What are we facing?
I have no idea. The signal is just for preparation. Someone is approaching the compound. We don't take chances, and it's good practice to stay alert. Most of the time, it's some lost hiker or a group of hunters, but
we've had a couple of suspicious vehicles that turn around the moment they realize they're under surveillance.
She loved that Sam believed so much in her. They'd made love over and over. She could feel his love and support surrounding her, yet he still saw her as she was: a woman who would never go into the tunnels and wait to be told it was all clear. He understood--without her having to explain--that she would have his back no matter what.
Tunnels run completely underground from our compound to Team Two's compound and between each of the houses. Each section of tunnel every twenty feet has an activation switch and we can blow precise direction blasts.
She noted every turn they made and where each overhead opening to escape was. There were no ladders, but she could feel the difference in the air and just make out a black painted hand grip above her head. There was a way to the surface in five places that she'd counted. She didn't yet know how to use them, but she was grateful they were there. Tunnels could be used to a great advantage, but they could also be terrible traps.
Are those grips trapdoors to the surface?
Yes. You have to jump to them. You catch the grip, invert, plant your feet on either side of the trapdoor, and using the rings to brace your body, heave upward.
So only someone with enhanced strength can open the doors?
He glanced over his shoulder at her, obviously assessing her size and strength. That's it. And they have to know they're there. He didn't break stride, jogging at a fast pace down the long tunnel toward the main compound.
I can do it. Remember, I have cat DNA in me, she assured.
I was fairly certain you wouldn't have trouble. There was approval, even pride, in his voice. This branch takes you to Jack and Ken Norton's compound. It's farther up the mountain, so you're running uphill. It's quite a distance, but if you ever need to get there without being seen, this is your best way. The ground and trees above us keep anyone from finding the tunnels from the sky. You can move freely down here. The passageway may come in handy if we have a houseful of kids.
The laughter in his voice warmed her. Sam Johnson was no throwaway, and if General Ranier had agreed to trade his life because Whitney needed a diamond, the general was going to die very fast.
Sam stopped abruptly, so fast she actually bumped into him. His head snapped around and he gripped her upper arms with bruising strength. "You won't touch the general. Not for any reason." He actually gave her a little shake.
A shiver went through her at the tone of his voice. She didn't struggle against his hold but looked up at him steadily. "I would protect you with my life, even from yourself, Sam. If this man is betraying you . . ."
"That man is the only father I've known."
"Whitney is the only father Lily has ever known," she pointed out, refusing to flinch or hedge the truth. "I hope your father is everything you believe him to be, but, Sam, there have been little indications over the course of our investigation that've pointed toward him working with Whitney."
"You investigated the general? Do you have any idea who he really is? What he's given to this country?" Sam demanded.
"Sam, that really isn't the point, is it?" She kept very calm on the outside, but inside, for the first time, she was aware she had a great deal to lose. "You know I'm after Whitney and I'm attempting to cut his ties to legitimacy--especially the military. What would you want done if you find he's betraying not only you but your entire team?"
"You're telling me that if Daiki or Eiji was betraying you, you'd want me to kill them?"
"I would hope you would want to spare me that great sorrow," she admitted.
Sam opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, slowly letting go of her arms, as if he was only just aware he was gripping her tightly. "I don't want to think he's capable of betraying the men in his command," he admitted reluctantly. "I shouldn't be taking out my anger on you. I do believe in him, but once in a while, some little thing will cause me to doubt him and then I get angry at myself. It isn't you, Azami."
She put her arms around him and held him for a brief moment. "I know that."
He dropped a kiss on top of her head. "We've got to hustle."
"Then go, I'm right behind you." Relief was overwhelming. Their first argument and he hadn't told her to get out of his life.
She was still that white-haired child expecting to be thrown away. Her father had always told her that her past would haunt her and she'd have to fight it. The past shaped the future. How many times had he said that to her? She hoped it didn't shame him that she still needed reassurance she was worth something.
She sprinted behind Sam, moving faster now, mapping the tunnel automatically should she ever need to use it. The ground sloped downward, but gently, so that it was easy enough to run. The curving walls were thick and made of concrete and steel. Lily had spared no expense in the building of escape routes.
The tunnel came out at the main house, where the team had already gathered, all armed and spreading out to defend their homes.
"Helicopter approaching," Ryland said as they entered. He didn't even blink twice when he saw Azami armed.
"I'll get my bow," she said and ran for her room.
"It appears to be General Ranier, although he didn't schedule a visit with us and always has in the past," Ryland said, looking at Sam.
Sam shook his head. "He hasn't contacted me."
Azami rushed back to her room, noting the halls were empty and Lily and Daniel were gone. All computers were shut down and the building was eerily quiet in spite of the fact that ten men were ready for combat. She snatched up her bow and arrows, shouldering them along with her crossbow, and raced back to the war room.
Sam was already gone, guarding some part of the compound. "What can I do? I'm telepathic, so you can convey your orders to me as well without a radio," she told Ryland.
"You're a respected guest in this house."
"I'm a GhostWalker," she said. "And Sam's woman. Let me help. I'm better outside than in." For the first time she actually felt as if she did belong and she was ready to fight for that right.
"Take the east side of the roof. I'll let the others know you'll be there."
Azami didn't wait to see if he changed his mind, she sprinted for the roof. She simply poured herself into Sam's mind and she could hear Ryland giving orders and relaying the fact that she would be defending the property with them.
Helicopter landed.
That was the one they called Nico.
General Ranier and the pilot only. No one else in sight. He's come in without even his aide. No gunners. He's alone, Rye.
Kadan, escort him in. Nico, keep an eye on the pilot.
Azami made her way to the roof in spite of the fact that everything looked as if it was all right. She wanted to see the layout of the compound and how much cover was available. Clearly even the roof had been built with combat in mind. There were numerous places for a soldier to stay in cover yet defend the roof and grounds around him. She could see the helicopter on the helicopter pad several yards from the main grounds. Kadan was running beside the man she'd only seen in pictures. General Ranier. She really hoped he was as good a man as Sam believed.
All clear. Assemble in the war room. Nico, keep your eye on the pilot.
The command came several minutes after the general disappeared into the house. Azami wasn't certain if she was included in the command, but she made her way to the war room. If they threw her out, she'd find another way to listen in. Daiki had planted a tiny camera and transmitter when they'd first been shown around the building. The cameras enabled her to move around without fear of getting hurt when she teleported. She didn't need them for most of the rooms, she had the coordinates in her mind now, but they hadn't yet retrieved their equipment, although two of the cameras had been found by the GhostWalkers.
She entered the room in the samurai way, quietly but with absolute confidence. The general glanced up, frowned, and turned to Ryland.
"This is Azami Yoshiie. She's a GhostW
alker, sir," Ryland said. "She's one of us."
"And engaged to me," Sam added. "We're going to marry as soon as it can be arranged."
The general looked as if Sam had hit him with a two-by-four. "What the hell are you talking about? We're in a big enough mess without you losing your mind, boy."
"I'm a man, sir," Sam corrected. "I grew up a long time ago. Azami and I want to get married soon. I thought you should know. She'll be an asset to us. She's a skilled fighter."
"She owns one of the biggest satellite companies in the world," Ranier corrected. "She's corporate, not one of us." He sounded brusque, bordering on rude.
Azami continued to watch him, her demeanor demure and serene. It mattered little to her what he said about her, only what he had come to do here. His visit was obviously unusual. The men, although they knew him and had settled into seats around the table, were still very much on alert, ready for anything.
"Sir, what brings you out to our compound?" Ryland asked.
The general glared at Sam for a few more minutes before he sighed. "It's classified. You know I can't discuss it in front of a civilian."
Sam opened his mouth to protest, but Azami inclined her head and left the room immediately. There was no point in arguing. She put on a burst of speed and made it back to her room, quickly turning on the small video screen to watch what transpired.
The general pulled a sheaf of papers from his jacket. "This is why I came." His voice was grim as he tossed the papers down in front of Ryland.
Ryland picked them up slowly, scanned them quickly, and passed them to Kadan. "I pick my own team on any mission, General. You know that."
Azami was surprised Ryland could keep suspicion from his voice. Her heart sank for Sam. The orders had come down to go to the Congo, she was certain of it, and from what Ryland had just said, the general had specified Sam go, just as she'd predicted. Her heart might ache for Sam, but her determination to protect him didn't falter.
"Exactly." The general roared the word. "Why do you think I'm here? I tried to follow this order up the chain, but suddenly, no one is talking. I can see taking a team into the Congo and destroying vehicles and artillery as well as taking out the present leader, that idiot who calls himself General Armine, and the one fighting him for the rebel force, Eudes Ekabela's brother, Ezekial. Both have got to go if the president in that country is ever going to stabilize it."