Free Dangerous to Hold by Merline Lovelace

inner grin.
    â€œI must admit, the idea of seeing you in a nun’s habit is an intriguing prospect,” Adam admitted, his blue eyes gleaming.
    She leaned forward and placed both palms on his desk. “It’s perfect, Adam. The sisters move freely in the country, and their chapter house in Cartoza’s capital is less than twenty minutes by helicopter from Jake’s last known location. Assuming he hasn’t moved, and assuming the senator’s daughter is still with him, I can get to the target area as soon as he calls for an extraction.”
    â€œAnd if he doesn’t?”
    â€œThen I’ll do some intelligence gathering of my own among the locals, and at least be prepared if Senator Chandler decides to play his own hand.”
    â€œJake hasn’t called for backup,” he reminded her, playing devil’s advocate. “He might not appreciate you jumping into his operation.”
    She worried her lower lip a moment. “I know. But I just have this—”
    â€œPrickling sensation at the base of your spine,” Adam finished dryly. He rose and flicked down the cuffs of his icy blue silk shirt. “All right, Maggie. Go down to Cartoza. I think I can hold off Senator Chandler at this end for a while.”
    The cool assurance in Adam’s voice convinced Maggie that he could hold off a half-dozen Senator Chandlers. For as long as he wished. Not for the first time, she wondered just where and how Adam Ridgeway had developed his air of authority.
    In his public life, he was the son of a wealthy Boston philanthropist, had served a brief stint in the navy after college, and then settled down to the serious pleasures of an international jet-setter. His friendship with and very hefty campaign contribution to the dynamic young congressman who had become President had led to Adam’s appointment as special envoy.
    During his jet-setting years, however, Adam had also led a private, secret double life. The agents at OMEGA knew that over the years he’d provided the government with vital information that only someone who frequented the big-money world of casinos, Greek shipping magnates and international art auctions would have access to. But none of them knew exactly how he’d collected the bullet wound that scarred the flesh of his upper chest. Or how he’d gained his sharp, incisive knowledge of field operations, a knowledge that made them trust him implicity with the lives they regularly put on the line.
    Someday, Maggie thought, she just might find out.
    Right now, however, she had a mission to prepare for.Flashing her boss a quick grin, Maggie whirled and left his office.
    Adam’s private secretary paused in the act of arranging a bouquet of daffodils in the crystal vase set on her delicate Louis XV desk. “Well, did you get the go-ahead?”
    Maggie gave Elizabeth a thumbs-up. The gray-haired woman had worked for the special envoy since the position was created and was a favorite with the OMEGA agents. Multilingual, well-groomed and unfailingly polite, Elizabeth also qualified each year as an expert marksman with the 9 mm Sig Sauer Model P225 handgun she kept in a drawer at immediate hand level. Specially loaded with Glazer Teflon bullets, the weapon was devastatingly accurate at close quarters and would do serious damage to anyone unwise enough to try to force his way past the security screens on the first floor. Even the specialists who regularly tested OMEGA’s state-of-the-art security systems joked that they wouldn’t want to test Elizabeth.
    She gave Maggie the motherly smile that so endeared her to the occasionally cynical and hard-bitten agents. “I’m glad to hear someone’s going in, dear. I’ll admit I’ve been worried about Jaguar. Although now I’ll just worry about you, as well.”
    Maggie’s eyes twinkled. “You always worry, no matter who goes in. You can rest easy this time, though. I’ll