Secret Agent Seduction (A Completed Novella)

CHAPTER 1

There was such a thing as having too much time for online dating. Six coffees, four drinks and two dinners that hadn't led to more were proof of that. Finding a woman, just one woman, who could tolerate his long absences was exhausting. So much for the bright idea of settling down.

Leaving the quiet street, Jude Curran approached the bulletproof door of Tactical Executive Security's headquarters. It had been a long flight from upstate New York to the slowly waking mountain town of Roaring Creek, Colorado, but he was ready to get back to catching killers. His parents would have to wait for a daughter-in-law. And he'd have to wait with them.

The antiquated sign that hung above the door cloaked the building's true purpose. To the casual observer, RC Mountaineering was an outdoor sporting goods shop. But deep within its soundproof walls was the most covert counterterror organization in the world. Tucked in the shadows of towering fourteeners, its headquarters were perfectly disguised in this small western town.

Entering the shop, Jude stepped onto a shiny hardwood floor. The first thing he noticed was the smell of fresh paint. Wide wood trim and soft lighting, dust-free shelves and soft tan walls screamed success. It was nice in here. He lifted a tag on one of the ski jackets. Expensive labels. But some budget friendly racks, as well. This store catered to locals and rich tourists alike. Great cover. And a recent remodel.

"Can I help you?"

Jude looked toward the marble-topped checkout counter in front of a doorway that must lead to the basement. He'd been told about his boss but he'd never met him in person. Only Cullen would put offices in a place like this. Odelia and Jagger Benney had hired him, but it was the legend who was Cullen McQueen that had made him accept.

"I'm here to see Henrietta," he told the beauty behind the shiny new counter.

It was the code name Cullen had instructed him to use. In case there were any real customers in the store.

"I'll let him know you're here," the woman said, smiling.

Wow. She had a wide, toothy smile that said, Let's get naked. Her dark eyes and thick, dark hair only added to the vision. She looked like Odie, only...softer.

He strode forward, her mystery drawing him as much as the door behind the counter she guarded. How had she come to work for Cullen?

Just as she lifted a phone to call her boss, the door behind the counter opened and a towering, broad-shouldered man appeared. "Jude."

Jude moved around the counter, taking Cullen's outstretched hand for a shake.

"I was just about to get everything ready for you."

"Odie showed me the file."

"Let's talk some more." He turned to head down the narrow stairs.

Jude followed, noticing a card reader on the wall and a blinking red light as the door remained open. He emerged in the basement, beneath low ceilings and recessed lighting. His eyes quickly scanned the room. White wood trim. Dark wood floors. Expensive rugs in a small seating area with electronics everywhere. Projector screen, speakers. Movies or surveillance videos could be played here. And it was soundproof. He could tell by the way his footsteps were muffled on the floor. This place had been converted into a secure facility. Nothing surprising there. This was Cullen McQueen, after all, the strong arm of the blackest organization in the United States. Anyone with the clearance or the balls to carry out its missions would deny its existence. Lawless and above politics. But all for the sake of good. That's what had drawn Jude. Working for Tactical Executive Security, or TES, nothing could stop him from doing what he did best.