Rough Pt. 02

The same thought was at the top of his mind in the morning. When his eyes opened, hers were gazing at him. He leaned for a quick kiss, and asked if he could bring breakfast in bed.

"May I trade that for something else?" Her eyes were dancing.

"I am yours for at least a few days. What is your heart's desire?"

She sat nakedly on his chest with a wicked smile. "I want the trip to the mine I didn't get last week."

She reached behind and squeezed his hardness. "This seems to be in good operating condition."

He used his gruff voice. "Wench, I should take you this instant."

She danced across the room, "Stay away!"

He growled and headed for the toilet. "I met a fine woman on the trip."

She looked up from the coffee maker, "What? You found another lover in less than twelve hours?"

"Her name is Julia Collins and she is an aspiring artist from San Francisco, and I didn't make a pass."

He picked up his phone and dialed Jason, who answered on the first ring. "You are safe and sound in the arms of your woman?"

"I am. Wanted to thank you for all the hard work on my behalf."

"Well, you sure impressed that roomful of brass. One of them called me and said he'd never seen an agent do a performance like yours. Do I get to know what you said?"

"One of these days, after a couple of beers. On another subject, that woman on the plane has a lot of talent and asked if she could link up with us. Is there a way we could transfer her into a short training program for field people?

"You're not behaving out of school, are you?"

"This is on the up and up. There is someone here who has me by the short hair."

"I guess I could magically create a dossier and throw it in your pile. If we do this, she has to drop everything and be ready to report on Monday. I'll run a background check this morning. There already should be one in the file for her current job."

"I have a card and will call her in a few minutes. She said there is a guy in her life and she is probably still in bed with him."

"Do you always do things on the spur of the moment?"

"You sat there with me. You saw the poise and confidence. She could be a valuable asset to the team. Speaking of that, when do I start on the dossiers?"

"We've got to get a security curtain in place. A new phone and the other usual stuff. I think maybe I should come to you early next week. Will attract less attention."

Angie took the phone away from him. "Jason, this is Angie. If you'd like, there is space here. You could bring your friend if she doesn't mind desert dust."

There was a pause before he said, "Darn, you folks have good ideas. Let me check that out at this end and call you back. Emmy has a full time job, but maybe she has some vacation days available."

As they rang off, Angie turned from the eggs and sank her nails into the impressive erection. "Julia has talent to be an artist, is poised and confident, and would be a valuable team asset?"

"Yes, that's right. Didn't you tell me one time you weren't a territorial kind of woman?"

She dropped him and turned back to the skillet. "You are too much sometimes, Arnie. Why on earth didn't you hit on her?"

"I would have, if there wasn't a woman I am tight with. You should say hello if she answers my phone call."

After breakfast, they took a second cup of coffee to the porch and sat on the swing in the early slanting sun. He had found the card in his clothes from yesterday and dialed the number in San Francisco. On the third ring, a sleepy voice said, "Hello?"

"Julia, this is Arnie. Do you remember me from last night's flight?"

The response was sharp and alert. "Yes, of course. What do you need?"

"I don't want to intrude if you've got company."

"I don't," came back sharply. "When I got to my apartment after eleven, there was a 'Dear Julia' note on the kitchen table. He's been transferred to London and is gone already."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but maybe it connects with what I am calling about. How would you like to have a new job? Better pay, better working conditions, lots of challenges, and sometimes some danger."

Julia squealed and Angie poked him. "You've got to be kidding! This can't be serious. You only spent a few hours with me yesterday."

"How much vacation do you have on the books?"

"About a week, I guess."

"My friend Jason, the guy you met yesterday, has a lot of pull with HR departments. If he can swing instant approval for several days of vacation, would you like to come over here and talk about it? Do you have a car?"

"Yes and yes. I have a little red Miata that I love. The two of us go to Mammoth in ski season, so I know the way to where you are."

"Hang on a minute. I'm putting the phone on speaker, there is someone who needs to speak with you."

"Julia, this is Angie, Arnie's friend. I'd love to have you come here, but this is a fixed up miner's shack in the middle of nowhere. Sort of flop down in the dust, although we do have indoor plumbing."

"Angie, I grew up camping. Have been on the John Muir Trail. Know the High Country. You can put me anywhere. I'll bring my bag and pad."

Arnie took the phone back. "Ok, I'll have Jason call to work out details. Hope to see you soon."

"Oh yes. I hope so too. This is so exciting." Click

Angie crawled into his arms. "She sounds like a winner, just like you said. When you met me, did you get good vibrations right away?"

He pulled up her robe and rubbed the tough globes beneath. "No, I was totally bewitched. Especially when you just about led me home by the nose."

They relaxed and giggled together about their first date. "Do I get to know any more about the supersecret assignment?"

His fingers lightly caressed her back. "I'll keep you as up to date as I can. We didn't get very far into the details yesterday. It's not clear where the team and I will be and how long we will be in the field. This thing is so sensitive that you don't know anything except that my employer called with instructions to report to the Pentagon. No details. Nothing unusual. I'm sorry it has to be that way, but it is for your safety, and also mine. There are serious bad guys involved and we are not going to underestimate what they can do, including infiltrating our own ranks."

The gentle mood was broken and Angie sat up, pulling her robe closed. "You are going to take Julia into danger? Is that fair?"

"Julia is not going to be any kind of front line soldier. Teams like this, operating in secrecy with cover stories, need first class logistics support. I think she will be good at it. And we can also see that her college fund gets a large infusion."

Angie worked on sandwiches for lunch while he checked in with Jason again. "Hey, I have a go from Julia. Asked her to come here asap if you get her turned loose. Said you would call with details."

"Well, well. She's negative on a first pass security review. And she is two blocked on every performance review. My Emmy says she has always wanted a chance to do some desert hiking. Completed the AT last year and is plotting to drag me along on some section hiking of the Pacific Crest Trail as soon as I stop doing stupid things like working with you."

"We may be in trouble, Jason. Three strong, tough hikers. They could gang up on us. Should be a fun get together. You and I have a lot of homework putting this plan together. Start writing down questions back there, and I'll start here. When do you think Julia will have the ok to join us?"

"I have a friend in the right place. Might even happen today. I guess I should tell her to hop in the car and start driving?"

"Hell yes. Angie will go wild. And when do you and Emmy show up?"

"Two days max. Have to call in a chip for the Gulfstream again. The NSC guys make it happen."

"Jason?"

"Yes sir?"

"We're scared shitless but still smiling. That is the team motto."

"Yes sir. I'll memorize that sir."

He was standing there, thinking, when Angie karate chopped him. Hard too.

"Damn you."

"Really?"

"Scared shitless but still smiling. What kind of talk is that?"

He pinched her bottom and said he would tell her on the way.

They parked the Jeep in the same draw as last week. He shouldered the pack after checking for both beer and water. Angie wanted to lead. He could understand why. It must be hard to be a smart woman on the fringe of your lover's dangerous missions, never knowing all that much except that he might not come back from any given one of them.

Puffing on the steep trail worked out some of the frustration. And gave him a view of her muscular calves and thighs.

He reached for her hand and drew her into a kiss. "I'm thinking about how to make this easier for you, but haven't figured anything out."

She turned and moved forward. "I haven't either. Don't worry about it. I'm not the first woman whose man has to disappear from time to time to make a living."

They reached the viewpoint breathing hard. She headbutted him.

"What's that for?"

"You know what. I'm working out my problems."

He undid the buttons on her shorts and eased them to the ground. There was nothing underneath.

"You're naughty."

"No, I'm needy. Does that nasty weapon still work after sucking up to Generals?"

He said nothing but concentrated on folding her over a convenient boulder and driving fully inside.

"Aahh. That's better. Prove your miserable cock still loves me."

It took a while to work out accumulated tension. She called him names but froze into orgasm more than once. He paddled her ass and said she was the very best woman he knew. He unrolled the pad and they leaned together, enjoying the amazing view.

"What are we going to do when the artist arrives? What if she is lovelorn and climbs in bed with us?"

"She will discover you are as horny as I am. Please don't jump her in the first five minutes. We are still in recruiting mode."

"Can she work for you and have sex with you too?"

He raised her to her feet and pointed up the mountain. "Lunch on top."

She reached for her shorts but he shook his head and applied a gentle slap. "The sun will work on your tan lines."

"Every time we get to the top of something, you come after me."

Arm around her waist, he said, "Can you think of a better way to celebrate a summit?"

She tried to bat his head and joked, "I think it is going to be a long day for my woman parts."

"Being around you makes me a little crazy. Especially after messing with Generals."

"I like the crazy you. My body likes you. You said retirement was going to be sooner rather than later. Do I get a ring when you come back from the last assignment?" She stopped and folded into him, breathing hard from the climb.

"I'd be a damn fool if you didn't, wouldn't I?"

They turned and resumed climbing, each silent and thinking about the dangers of an assignment straight from the White House.

They were just at the rocky summit when his phone pinged.

"How about that. There is enough signal up here for me to get texts. Julia says she is coming through the pass in Yosemite and should be here by 4."

She lay on him and closed her eyes. "Good thing there is that small roast in the freezer you rigged up."

"I admit a solar freezer sounds crazy but it hasn't let us down yet."

She poked him. "You're not a letting down kind of guy, are you."

Before he could respond, she added, "Maybe Julia and I are kindred spirits? Writing is an art, isn't it? What kind of art does she do?"

"I haven't the faintest idea, except my experience with you makes me partial to artists."

For the second time in a week, Angie's desire for sex had been muted by Arnie's work. She started down the faint trail, not bothering with her shorts. He enjoyed the view and hoped the two artists would get along.

(Continued in Part 3 - A Very Secret Assignment)