Running Blind Read Free Page A

autonomy,” he’d said.
    Yikes. Who in any government agency was granted autonomy?
    â€œFor instance,” he’d added, “if someone starts snooping around DOD records, they won’t discover anything, because we’re listed as a private consulting firm, hired on a contractual basis for security and threat assessments.”
    â€œBut that’s not what you—I mean, we—do?” she’d asked him.
    â€œSecurity assessment is one of our functions, yes. In fact, our first field assignment will most likely be a cyber-threat analysis of a high-value military facility. But our primary purpose is rapid response and deployment when a specific threat to national security is confirmed.”
    At that point, it had started to sound a lot like covert operations. And she’d been right.
    The team could deploy to any U.S. military facility for the official reason of assessing potential security breaches, when, in fact, they might be there to take out an Al-Qaeda kingpin.
    â€œSo, we are and we aren’t who everyone thinks we are,” she’d concluded.
    Mike had grinned. “Exactly.”
    It was really quite ingenious. With the security consultant cover, the team could get into facilities stateside and internationally that no one else could.
    Rhonda looked around the table. In private, the team called itself the One-Eyed Jacks; she didn’t know much about the story behind the name. She knew they all carried old, tattered jacks of hearts and spades like they were treasured club membership cards, cards that only came out of their pockets when they were drawing for who bought breakfast. She imagined there was a much bigger story there—just like ITAP had a bigger story.
    â€œBig responsibilities,” she’d said, after absorbing all the information Mike had fed her. “Why so few operators?”
    â€œBecause we run fast and lean. Only the best make the cut. I keep the unit scaled down for that reason, and it’s going to stay that way.”
    She couldn’t help feeling a twinge of pride that Mike considered her among the best at what she did. Turned out she was pretty good with weaponry, too. Passing her probation had involved time on the rifle range and in close-quarters combat drills. But even though her instructor said she was a natural, she had no interest in being part of any shoot-’em-up operations. She wanted to be on the front lines fighting cyber-terrorism with a unit that could make that happen.
    Cooper was the only wrinkle in her game plan. She glared at him when she was sure he wasn’t looking. If she had an Achilles’ heel, unfortunately, he was it—which ticked her off. Not that anyone would ever know. She was not only good at finding secrets, she was also good at keeping them. Nope. No one would ever know that she’d spent far too much time wondering what was behind the pretty boy’s face . . . and what it would be like to sleep with him.
    â€œSo, how’s it going?” Stephanie Green asked, reminding her that this morning was about socializing.
    â€œGood,” Rhonda said with a firm nod, taking advantage of the ordering and male-to-male ribbing that gave them a moment of privacy. “It’s going well.”
    Three years ago, Rhonda and Steph had worked together as cryptologists at the National Security Agency. Then Steph had left the stifling bureaucracy of the NSA for greener pastures. She’d turned in her secret decoder ring for a wedding ring, married Black Ops agent Joe Green, and adopted a street orphan from Sierra Leone who had been instrumental in saving their lives. Steph had also joined Nate Black’s unit and, judging by how happy the pretty brunette looked, was loving every minute of it.
    â€œSo you’re not sorry I talked you into applying for the ITAP position?” Steph asked.
    Rhonda covered Steph’s hand with hers and squeezed. “Are you kidding? You