As promised, here is the sequel to Surveillance. I highly recommend you read it first, if you haven't already, so you know what's going on in this story. I hope you guys like this one just as much!
Happy reading :)
Kate stood looking out the window at the sights before her. She had been staying in Romania for a while now, and she was ready to go home. She could hear Edward in the other room on the phone. She caught him passing the door frame every so often, his hand twisted up in his brown hair and his glasses on the end of his nose. She imagined his green eyes were focused straight ahead of him as he paced. He was just a little bit taller than she was and stocky. She fingered her engagement ring and wondered for the millionth time if she had done the right thing.
I still love you...
Lee's words echoed in her mind constantly. Seeing him wrecked over what she'd done made her hate herself. It had to be done, though. It had to be done in order to finish what she'd started.
Almost a year and a half ago, she was tasked with a surveillance job with her partner and best friend, Reggie Wayne. They were to keep tabs on Roger Hastings and help take him down. They had met Barney Ross's team, The Expendables, and at first there was friction because Kate didn't want their help, but then they became a valuable asset. Lee Christmas, particularly, became much more than that to her. In the end, Reggie got murdered by Roger, she got trafficked to a brothel, and Roger Hastings got picked up by the CIA courtesy of Barney's team. She'd been rescued by Lee, brought back home where she fell apart, and then she took down her boss, Joe Brown, who turned out to really be Johnny Figgs and wanted for war crimes among other things, including being in cahoots with Roger Hastings. It was over, but it wasn't really over.
Roger Hastings had escaped.
"Desiree?" Edward asked, breaking into her thoughts. "You going to be ready for tonight?"
"Yes," she answered, smiling. She was used to her fake name by now. It had been hard at first.
"Good. I, um, was thinking," he said, coming closer to her.
"About?"
"Our wedding date," he answered. "What if we did it right before Christmas?"
"That's less than three weeks away," Kate said, surprised.
"I just can't wait," Edward grinned sheepishly. "Sorry." He brushed his fingers against her cheek, and she worked very hard not to wince.
"I'll think about it," Kate said, forcing herself to smile.
"I'll take it," Edward laughed. He kissed her lightly before going to put on his coat. "Sorry I have to go to work when I just got here."
"It's okay," she replied.
"I'll see you later?" he asked, shooting her one last look.
"Of course," she replied with another forced smile. She waited for him to leave and watched him drive away from the street before going and pulling out her laptop. She booted it up and chewed on her hangnail while she waited.
The thing that Edward didn't realize was that there was not going to be a wedding. This whole thing was fake. It wasn't something Kate thought she'd ever do, but she wanted Roger Hastings, and this was the way to get to him.
Being undercover.
FlashbackâRoughly a Year and a Half Ago
Kate exited the grocery store to get air after almost assaulting a man by mistake. She thought she was dreaming when she looked and saw Roger Hastings standing across the street and smiling at her.
A very cold, sinister smile. One that said he wasn't finished with her yet.
She started running through the crowd. It couldn't be him. He was in the custody of the CIA. He was going to prison or some black site somewhere in the world. He was no longer going to be a threat to her or anyone else she cared about.
She stopped in the middle of the road, searching. He was somehow already gone. Had she imagined him? Was she losing her mind?
"KATE!" Lee shouted. She turned to see the car coming, but her legs were frozen. Lee grabbed her by the waist and yanked her out of the way. He got her across to the other side, and she started to cry. Roger was free. Roger knew where she was. Roger wasn't finished with her. He'd made that abundantly clear just by his presence and that stare.
Lee gripped her arms as she cried.
"What were you doing?" he demanded. It was obvious he was freaked out.
"I...I don't know," she answered. "I don't know. I just don't know."
"Okay," he said, pulling her into an embrace. "I got you. It's okay."
Kate tried to clear her mind. It couldn't have been Roger she'd seen. It was impossible. She tried to put her focus on Lee holding her, and it started to work after a while. Once she calmed down a little, she pulled away from him.
"I can't do this," she said.
"Do what?" he asked.
"Be here. Be anywhere. I don't know." Roger would hurt Lee. He'd take everything she cared about away from her. She couldn't let that happen, not again. She wouldn't fail Lee the way she'd failed Reggie.
"Kate..." Lee was scared, his tone gave it away.
"I just want to sleep," she said raggedly. "Please just let me sleep."
"We'll go home, and you can get some sleep," Lee promised. She nodded, and he put his arm around her shoulders and took her back across the street on the crosswalk to where Toll was waiting by the car.
"She okay?" he asked.
Kate watched Lee shake his head, and Toll stopped talking. She let them help her get into the back of the car. They drove in silence. Lee looked back at her every so often, but she stared out the window. When they got home, Barney raised a brow when Kate walked in ahead of them and headed for the lift. She didn't look back. She went to Lee's room and started to pace.
If Roger Hastings was out, then it would only be a matter of time before he came for her or Lee. She needed a plan. She needed one now.
If only one would just come to mind.
...
Kate awoke the next morning and paused to appreciate the feel of Lee's arms around her. He stayed with her every night. Nothing happened between them, but having him with her helped her to sleep. She was surprised that he was so dedicated to helping her. She wasn't used to that in a man, especially since they had been intimate in the past. Any other man would have pushed for what she wasn't ready to give, but Lee didn't do that. He did not expect that from her. He was just there for her. He respected her.
She crept out of bed and made her way downstairs. She went out for a walk to clear her head. She took a gun with her, of course. If Roger was around, she wasn't going to take any chances. Once she reached the corner, she stopped.
A man was standing there staring at her.
"I'm a friendly," he said when he saw her go for her gun. His voice sounded rough, aged. His face also looked worn, his eyes like they had seen a lot of hell.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"The name's Drummer," he answered. "And I think you know why I'm here."
"Roger Hastings," she said. It seemed to be the only logical explanation, unless he was referring to someone else.
"Yea. The bastard managed to escape our custody. Turns out he has a guy on the inside on his payroll, a guy I haven't smoked out yet."
"I saw him. Yesterday."
"Yea, I followed him here but lost him. He won't be here long, though. He's a tricky devil," Drummer sighed. "It's unfortunate for us that he escaped, but we can use it to our advantage. He will eventually lead us to the mastermind behind all of this."
"And who's that?" Kate asked.
"I'm not going to say anymore until you answer a question for me," Drummer said.
"What's that?"
"Would you like to work for the CIA?"
Kate paused. She hadn't thought of a career change, but maybe this was a good idea. She really was becoming more and more like Alejandro every day. If only he could see her now. He might be impressed that she was becoming a wolf, just like him. Reggie's eyes stayed with her constantly, the way he'd been looking at her until they were no longer looking at her. She wondered if Alejandro experienced something similar since he'd witnessed his wife and daughter's deaths. She guessed he did.
"What would I be doing?"
"I'll explain when you say yes."
"Okay," Kate nodded slowly. "I'll say yes. I want to take Roger down, and I know I can't do that without help."
"Good." Drummer smiled. "We could use someone like you on our team."
"So tell me what I'll be doing," Kate urged.
"You'll be going undercover. You'll be getting into the circles of one Edward Nash."
"Who is he?"
"He's a small fish in a big pond, but he can lead you to the sharks," Drummer explained. "He doesn't run circles with Roger directly, which is why you'll be fine to do this."
"What if Roger finds out?"
"He won't," Drummer shook his head. "He's not interested in the bottom feeder. He's also going to be keeping his head low for a bit. You'll have a fake name, so unless he sees you directly, he won't figure it out."
"So I meet Edward and get intel on his doings and eventually find Roger," Kate clarified.
"Yes."
"Who is the mastermind?"
"That we still don't know. We are hoping that when you find Roger, you'll find them too. If you want to."
"I'm in," she said instantly. Drummer chuckled.
"I knew you would be. There's just one other thing, though."
"What's that?"
"You gotta lose The Mumbler."
"Who?"
"Christmas. You gotta end that."
Kate inhaled sharply. She stared at Drummer, comprehending what he was saying.
"I...I can't..."
"You have to, or this operation will fail. You are going to be getting close to Edward. That means becoming his girlfriend and possibly living with him. You can't be with another man while doing this."
"I could just tell Lee..."
"No," Drummer stopped her fast. "No one is to know about this. There are too many corrupted people involved."
"Joe Brown," Kate nodded.
"Ah, so you figured that one out," Drummer noted. "We did not too long ago. Roger had his name in his phone. I'm on my way to pick him up, actually, after I leave here. It seems Roger hasn't given Joe the head's up yet, which is good for us. Maybe they're not as close of friends as I thought. Or maybe Roger has told Joe that you're still alive, and he's waiting to take care of you himself before disappearing."
"I realized the knife was his," Kate said, shivers going through her body at Drummer's statement. She finally remembered seeing it in his office before when she had been held captive. She'd had a lot of time to think, and it had hit her out of nowhere. She'd felt such rage. She had decided to keep it to herself until she knew how to bring him down. Here was her chance.
"You want first crack at him?" Drummer asked. "Since he signed both of your death warrants by sending you and Reggie after Roger?"
"Yes. I want him. I want to take him down. I just don't know how to do it, though."
"He'll come to you," Drummer advised. "He'll consider you a loose end and will try to take you out. Be prepared, and we can bring him in. I'll be close by."
"Okay," Kate nodded.
"Wait about a week before going home. Call him. He'll invite himself over. Let him. Make sure he doesn't realize you know what he's all about and then take him down before he gets one over you. Oh, and record his confession. Makes it easier for us."
"You make it sound so easy," Kate laughed nervously.
"It will be. I promise."
Drummer looked at his phone now, which had beeped, and he sighed.
"No rest for the good guys," he commented. He reached into his jacket, pulling out a phone and handing it to her. "I'll contact you on this. Be ready to start the operation once Joe Brown is taken down."
"I will be," Kate promised. Drummer gave a tight smile before walking away. Kate pocketed the phone and started to head back to Tool's place. She had a plan to get Roger and take down Joe. It was perfect. She'd avenge Reggie's death and get revenge for being trafficked.
But losing Lee...that one was a knife to the heart. She loved Lee. She wanted to be with him. To do this meant losing him, and she almost changed her mind, but she realized that if roles were reversed, he would probably do it to finish the job. Sometimes work had to come first.
It's what she tried to convince herself anyway.
Present
Kate thought about how she had distanced herself from Lee after Drummer's talk. Then there was their goodbye in her apartment. She had meant some of what she'd said. She was broken, and she didn't know who she was now. Not telling him the whole truth was very hard, though. His hurt expression stayed with her every day. She had wondered if he'd show up at Reggie's grave on the anniversary of his death, and he did. She'd really broken him then when he found out she was engaged to someone else. It had almost made her call it off and tell him the truth, but she had stuck to her guns.
It was three months later, and she had work to do. She opened her laptop and pulled up her hidden desktop. It was all piecing together. Edward was going to meet Roger at the party tonight, and Kate was going to be there to take him down, which would give the CIA access to finding their mastermind once more. With Roger being out and active for the last year and a half, he'd have more connections and more evidence, more chances of finding the person they were after. It would finally be over.
Then she could go home.
...
Lee half paid attention as Barney took the phone call and arranged for their next mission. He spent a lot of time dissociating from others and getting lost in his own head. Most of the time, he got consumed with thinking about Kate and how it felt to kiss her, be intimate with her, and hold her in his arms. It had been three months since he found out she was engaged to someone else. Three months of flared tempers and things getting thrown randomly. The others on the team stayed out of his way. Only Barney would try to talk him down on occasion. He was left alone otherwise.
"Got a job," Barney said now, putting his phone away.
"Where?" Toll asked.
"Romania."
"Doing what?" Gunner inquired.
"Surprise, surprise," Barney said. "Arms deal."
"Another one?" Caesar asked, sighing.
"Not just guns," Barney said indignantly. "There's a bomb too."
"Well, that just takes it to a whole new level of excitement," Doc said sarcastically.
"Come on, guys," Barney said. "This is what we do, right?"
"Sure," Toll nodded. "Send the kids to do it."
"You were the ones who didn't want to retire," Barney pointed out, making them all grumble slightly.
"When do we leave?" Lee asked.
"Two hours."
"All right then. Let's go," Lee said, getting up and going to pack. He needed something to do or else he'd lose his damn mind.
Romania: Over 24 Hours Later
Lee blended into the crowd. He hated fancy events. He would rather ambush these people than hang around waiting for the deal to start. He tugged at his collar and wished for this to end soon.
"Target in sight," Barney's voice said in his ear. Lee looked to see a brown haired man with glasses making his way up the stairs. Edward Nash. He was the one who arranged this meeting at his friend's house. His friend, Boris Stein, went up the stairs not long after him, giving the room a sweep with his eyes as he went. Dark hair, sharp chin, and muscular. His eyes looked cold, dark.
"It's the last room on the right upstairs," Toll's voice came next. He was late in responding. "That's where they're meeting."
"Got lost did ya?" Barney asked.
"The bathroom's not up there just fyi," Toll replied, chuckling. They knew he was talking to someone else and not them to explain why he had been up there. Lee saw him coming back down the stairs and blend into the crowd again.
"Everyone in position?" Barney questioned.
The others responded with a "yes." Lee looked around the room to see if anyone else was heading for the stairs. There were supposed to be two other people in this meeting, but Drummer didn't know who they were. When he caught sight of someone, he felt his chest tighten and the room start to spin.
"Hold off," he said to the others, surging forward. "Just hold off a minute."
"What's going on?" Barney asked.
"Where are you going?" Doc asked next. Lee ignored them as he pushed through the crowd. This had to be a mistake.
"Lee?" Barney asked again. "What are you doing? Why are we holding off?"
Lee stopped at the bottom of the stairs, taking in the sight of the woman in the emerald green dress that had only one strap going across the left shoulder, slits on either side at the knees, and a fair sized slit down the back from between the shoulder blades to the lower back. It took his breath away. She still took his breath away regardless, but this was double the breathlessness. Lee managed to take a shaky breath before answering Barney.
"It's Kate. She's here."
...
Kate felt her heart hammering as she went up the stairs. She had stayed out of sight as best as she could to avoid Roger. She knew he was there now, though. Edward had excused himself and left the conversation they'd been having with acquaintances of his, and that meant the deal was about to go down. It hadn't been hard excusing herself not long after. She held her dress up as she went up the last few steps. She felt the gun in her leg holster. This was going to end. The plan was to get Roger and bring him out to the team Drummer had waiting outside. She had spoken with the team leader discreetly before entering the building. It was all set. She could taste freedom.
And then someone grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She yelped and lost her footing, crashing into the person who had grabbed her and stumbling after them as they pulled her away from people walking past. She twisted around to give them a what for, and her heart stopped.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Lee demanded. The sight of him in general took her breath away, but him in that tux was even more so. He'd left off the tie, and the collar of his white dress shirt was open.
"No," she said once she recovered. This wasn't happening. He was going to blow this for her.
"'No' what?"
"You can't be here," she said. Why was he here?! She didn't understand. His team wasn't the one Drummer had sent; she'd talked to the team leader. It wasn't Barney. It was some guy named Rick.
"Well, I am, so tell me why you're here," he replied. She regained her senses and hauled him to a quiet room and shut the door.
"You need to leave," she urged, her voice agitated.
"I'm not going anywhere," Lee argued. "I want to know why you're here."
Kate growled in frustration. She was losing her window of opportunity.
"I don't have time to explain. You're messing this up for me," she said angrily.
"Messing up what? Is this your wedding or something?" he asked.
"No!"
"Then tell me!"
"Oh my God, Lee. I can't, okay? Just back off and leave me alone," she said, going for the door. He stopped her, much to her frustration, and turned her to face him.
"Who are you marrying, Kate? What's going on?"
"Stop," she ordered. He had her arms in his hands, and he was standing right there. Kate wanted to tell him everything, but she didn't have time.
"No one has ever hurt me the way you did," he told her. "And I still can't figure out what happened."
Voices were in the hall now, heading for the meeting room, and Kate felt the urgency even more. She saw Lee's face change as well, so she knew someone was talking in his ear. Of course, he wasn't here alone. And if he wasn't here alone...
"You're here for the meeting," she said, realizing. "The arms deal."
"What else?" he asked.
"You don't know," she said. Obviously he hadn't been talking to Drummer because Drummer would have told him about Roger.
"Know what?"
"Let me go, and I'll explain it all to you later. I promise," she said. She gasped when he pushed her against the wall with one hand and reached up her leg with his other. When he found her gun holster, he gave her a look.
"Who are you taking out, Kate?" he asked. "Who are you working for?"
"I'm sorry," she said.
"For what?" he asked.
"This," she answered, punching him in the face fast and kneeing him in the stomach. He cried out and stumbled back, giving her the time to escape. She couldn't miss this. She just couldn't. She'd make it up to Lee later, if he didn't hate her.
"Wait!" Lee called, checking his face quickly and seeing there was no blood. Without even hesitating, he went after her.
...
"We're going in. Where are you, Christmas?" Barney asked.
"Heading to the room," Lee answered. "Just hang on a damn second." He had Kate in his sights, and he wasn't going to let her disappear on him. He still was in shock that she had assaulted him. Whatever she was doing must be extremely important to do that. She turned to see him following and gave him a frustrated look. She paused outside the door and reached up under her dress, pulling out a pistol.
"Who's in there, Kate?" he asked. She looked at him, and he saw it in her eyes as clear as day.
Revenge.
"Roger," she answered, cocking her gun and opening the door.