Helen Brenna - The Moon That Night

Washington, D.C.
Sunday, 10:36 p.m.

G ET BACK OR GET DEAD . Riley inserted a detonator into a small amount of C-4. Im blowing the door. While he preferred all the assholes surrounding him dead, that particular objective would have to wait. He spun around the dark corner. When this goes, he said to the supreme asshole behind him, well have less than five minutes to get the statue and get out of here.

Youre really going to pull this off, arent you? David March said, grinning.

What has to be done gets done.

The consummate soldier. March chuckled. I knew you were the best man for this job.

When this was all over Riley was going to show March what being best was all about. He turned as the small explosion blew the lock to smithereens and the door swung open.

March pointed to Riley. Clear the room.

A cloud of smoke and tiny particles of debris hung in the air, making it impossible for Riley to see more than several inches in front of his face. Slowly he stepped across the threshold. From nowhere a chair came at him. He put up his hand, grabbed the leg and yanked it away. The unknown attacker screeched. A woman. Perfect.

Wrapping his arms around her midsection and pinning her hands at her sides, he quickly immobilized her. Although theyd anticipated someone could be working in the room, they hadnt expected any resistance, and he sure hadnt expected to feel curves this nice on the likes of a museum curator.

Let me go, you big ape!

The woman struggled against him, but despite the fact that she had fairly well-defined muscles, there was no contest. A good foot shorter than him and little more than a hundred pounds, she was about as much trouble as a pesky gnat buzzing around his neck.

Who are you? she yelled. And what do you want?

That voice. Something about the surly tone had a distinctly unpleasant familiarity. He was frantically trying to make the connection when the woman slammed her heel down on top of his foot. Enough, he said quietly, despite the fact that his foot now throbbed. Im not going to hurt you.

As the smoke cleared, he let her go. She spun around and wound up, preparing to wallop him. The sight of herpale skin contrasting with dark hair and golden-brown eyes firing as bright as a sunlit tigers eyehit him like a rubber pellet to the chest, knocking the wind from him and leaving him totally unprepared. Kate Dillon?

Her fist connected with his diaphragm, and he sucked in a breath. For a lightweight she packed one hell of a punch.

Riley? Surprised, she jumped back and studied him. Is that you?

It might have been almost ten years since hed last seen her, but a man didnt easily forget a girl like Kate. Shed been all of about seventeen years old and a pistol then, too. One little stint as a bodyguard during a personal leave and hed been more than happy to get back to active duty. He and Kate hadnt seen eye to eye on anything, and while he wouldve liked nothing more at the time than to tie her up and put a muzzle on that sassy mouth, shed been a job. Hed promised to protect, and protect is what hed done for three hellish days. And nights.

Back then shed been attractive in a promising sort of way, but hed never been into robbing cradles. While her youthful beauty might have turned into an I-eat-men-for-midnight-snacks kind of allure, with no makeup and her hair bunched in two short, braided pigtails she looked as if she still couldnt walk into a bar and order a beer without getting carded.

What are you doing here? he asked, glancing at his watch. Time was ticking.

Shouldnt I be asking that? You just blew off my door.

He glanced around the room. A lab of sorts. Youre working here, arent you?

Whats it to you?

Surprise, surprise. Her mouth and attitude hadnt improved. Double the reason hed never made a move on her all those years ago. Not only had she been too young, shed also been too outspoken for his tastes.