Chapter 1

Augie gripped Liza's neck firmly as he pulled her into his signature, passionate embrace. Their bodies blended together, their lips made contact, and his mind was lost.

It was just another average morning at his apartment. Liza had stayed the night and Augie admitted to himself that he had once again taken full advantage of his assignment. He knew it was wrong to sleep with the renowned news reporter while he was playing her for information but with Tasha gone, and Annie just out of reach, a man had his needs.

Tasha hadn't been on his mind in a very long time. She would always have a place in his heart, but they were over now. Augie had fully accepted that he was never going to see the love of his life ever again.

He had never expected Annie Walker to come into his complicated life so soon after Tasha had abandoned it. Annie had been brought to the CIA agency early; she hadn't even finished her training before she had been sent on a real, dangerous mission. After meeting her at the front desk, he had coincidentally been assigned as her go-to tech manager for nearly every single one of her missions. They had not only become great partners, but they'd also become amazing friends.

Annie understood and trusted Augie more than anyone at the agency and he had grown more attracted to her than he cared to admit. They had a deep bond that couldn't be denied. She laughed at all his jokes and he could hear her smirks as they fluttered through the air. He also didn't have to be able to see to know she was undeniably and extremely attractive.

Augie wasn't bad looking himself. Although he was a technology department head now, he had started out as a field agent. That was until he lost his sight in a mission that had gone wrong in Iraq. Since then, he was the brains of the dangerous operations, and yet still he maintained his physique. He had a medium build with muscles that were undeniably strong and defined. He wasn't your average looking computer geek.

Annie and Augie had flirted occasionally, but nothing ever seemed to happen between them. He knew relationships within the agency were unadvised and he knew she still harbored feelings for some mystery man from her past, but Augie couldn't help but hope.

Recently, his attraction and caring for Annie had taken a new turn. He found that she always seemed to turn up in his head as he was making love to Liza. Every curve of Liza's body and every moan he forced out of her lips belonged to Annie. He imagined doing to Annie all the things he did to Liza that made her squirm underneath his gentle, yet persistent, fingertips. As he embraced Liza in the light of that crips morning air, with only the lower half of his body covered by the towel he'd grabbed after jumping out of the shower, he knew he couldn't resist his desire for Annie much longer.

He released her as the phone rang. He felt his way along the kitchen counter and reached for his phone. "Hello," he answered in his deep, beautiful ring of a voice.

"Augie, you need to come in early today. We have a new assignment that we need your help with." Joan's voice sounded calm and even. Stress never seemed to show in any his boss's features, but only Augie was able to pick up on the miniscule changes in the tone and flow of her low voice that threatened a dangerous CIA operation.

"I'll be right there," Augie said placing the slim phone back on its receiver. "I have to go," he said in Liza's general direction. He could hear her scopping up her clothes from his hardwood floor.

"Me too," she sighed, returning to his side as her heels clicked on the floor. He followed her touch as she gently kissed him. "I'll see you later," she whispered. After more heels clicking, he heard the front door slide open and shut as she left.

He slowly felt his way to the bathroom and reached into his closet. He pulled out a grey dress shirt and one of his black vests. He quickly pulled the clothing over his tight muscles as he rushed to get ready.

Once dressed, he grabbed his walking stick and laser light from the keychain hook and hurried out the front door. By the time he reached the CIA headquarters, he could tell the place was in an uproar. The sound of thousands of feet pounding around filled Augie's head as he made his way to his office.

"Augie I need you to gather all the information you have on decoding microwaves of date." Joan's voice rang through the door as he took his seat.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Illegal data transfers were detecting leaving a Senator's office. The transfer was sent to some location in China. We managed to confiscate the transfer they sent back, however it's all coded in microwaves that none of our hackers can decode. If there's anyone here who can figure out what the Chinese are saying, it's you."

Augie smirked at the compliment and pulled out his Braille computer pad. "I'm on it."

"So is Annie. She's questioning the Senator and his closest employees. When she's done, I'm sending you both into the senator's building to investigate the scene of the transfer. You'll be able to gain access to his personal computer as well so be prepared to hack through some serious government firewall."

"I'm going out into the field?" Augie said with excitement clearly ringing throughout his voice.

Joan smiled. "Yes. If there's any data or information found, you can translate it on the spot. It'll keep this investigation from getting messy if we don't have to take evidence from the scene of the crime. Perhaps this will keep the FBI off our radar. I really would like to avoid having to deal with their complaints that we once again interfered in an FBI investigation."

Augie nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Alright, we'll have a field meeting in an hour to compile our current date." Joan said before sliding the glass door to the office shut with a small clinking sound.

Augie couldn't hold back his smile as he dived into his work.