Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Maya (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  “See what I mean? It’s all a big production,” Ms. Bexley said as more people arrived with clothes to dress her and food to feed the journalists, followed by her assistant who directed each person in and out of the living area—aka the interview spot.

  Ms. Bexley sat in the same seat and greeted various people, answering their questions and smiling politely. Once they were finished with their allotted time they were moved into the dining room to grab a snack before they were ushered out the door.

  I had no idea how she did it and continued to have a smile on her beautiful face. I was exhausted and bored after I heard the same questions repeated over and over. I wasn’t sure that my presence was needed. There appeared to be no real danger, but she had asked to have full protection so I did as instructed. I really couldn’t complain too much when it allowed me to look at her with her ever present smile, eat good food and receive a few pats on my arm when she took a break after every few interviews.

  “Hang in there, handsome. We’ll get through this together.”

  Was she for real or was I living in some weird version of life where we were part of a romantic comedy? She delivered lines like a…an actress. I needed to tell myself to get a grip and remember who I was; a strong, military-trained man hired to serve and protect—nothing more.

  Chapter Four

  Maya

  One day down. Check.

  Kept hands to myself. Boring.

  No notes. A huge relief.

  Time to myself in the morning. Hit the treadmill.

  I would’ve loved to pop down to the gym to get a full workout with weights instead of small hand ones that I took on sets with me. Or even hit the pavement for a nice, steady pace jog under the warmth of the morning sunshine. However, I needed to make do with the machine I had rented and installed in the living room area not far from the balcony which gave me a view.

  I loved being outdoors. I always had. The only times I was inside as a kid were early mornings and evenings after the sun went down. I was one of those kids that was fortunate enough to stay outside until the street lights came on. Something my parents instilled in me from their youth and why they moved our family into a completely gated community that was totally family oriented. There was even a team of security guards who cruised around the streets in golf carts at all hours of the day.

  My parents loved the layout which included a clubhouse featuring a huge pool, tennis courts and a recreation center. I never had time to say “I’m bored” with all of the outdoor activities available. Another plus was that the neighborhood was full of kids that had similar parents who pushed us to play outside safely. Of course there were a few kids that refused to join in and some that shared a video game addiction which connected them with headphones.

  Summertime seemed to bring everyone outdoors with a program designed for kids of all ages. I loved it and spent my days from morning to night at the recreation center participating in a variety of activities. They even had things to do that didn’t involve sports like crafts, sing-alongs, dancing and putting on skits to be performed at the end of the summer. I was so happy to be surrounded by so many friends, playing and enjoying the snack bar.

  They had the best French fries and I had them every day along with whatever I ordered. I confess to skipping burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, fried chicken strips or whatever else they had on their menu in favor of only eating their yummy crispy fries… Oh, and ice cream. Both of which remained a favorite treat with my newest craving being vanilla frozen yogurt layered with colorful mini M & M candies. Hence the need for lots of cardio since I refused to give up foods I loved. Running at least an hour on the treadmill afforded me those treats.

  The weight training and power yoga was added to my daily exercise routine along with my role as a super hero. I never imagined that I would play a comic book character, ever. Definitely not a hero type. But, when I was offered the lead role in my own movie, turning down an opportunity like that would’ve been crazy.

  I was in the best shape of my life in an effort to not use a body double and to keep everything in place while I was squeezed into a formfitting costume. What I didn’t sweat off in the gym with a personal trainer happened on the set as I worked my ass off. I never complained about how difficult it was to move and hold my bodyweight while being harnessed in front of a green board since one of my powers included flying. But when it came to the intense jumping, rolling, fighting, driving…basically the intense stuff, I gladly stepped aside to let the stunt double people takeover.

  Knowing about all of the physical elements that went into making the movie, I was surprised that none of the journalists asked about my exercise program or commented on the ugly metal and plastic, lit-up beast marring the beautifully decorated suite.

  A few did make reference to the handsome feature never too far away from me. In fact, he was everywhere I went except for the bathroom… Well, I take that back since he did make sure the hotel’s ladies room was empty before I used it later that evening while we were out of my room for the meet and greet.

  Sleeping alone in my suite was another downtime but I knew he was on the other side of the wall in his own hotel room. Not an easy visual to dismiss. It had me wondering if he slept nude like I did or did he wear boxer briefs so he was ready to spring into action. Then I was off to naughtyland imagining what kind of action he would perform with his massive hard body that pressed against the fabric of his clothing.

  He looked great in a suit and tie when he accompanied me down to the ballroom set up for champagne cocktails—still not the Bikini Sunset one—and delicious hand-passed treasures. One thing I had no complaints about…in fact, I loved it way more than I should have; the way Logan placed his hands on my body. Nothing inappropriate. Just his firm, yet gentle, touch to guide me out of my room, down the hall, into the elevator and out… You get the idea. It warmed my insides and did funny things to my playful bits which was so silly of me, but I couldn’t stop myself from flirting and calling him handsome.

  Poor man. He was just doing his job and there I was ogling and objectifying him like he was a yummy piece of filet mignon on my plate. Luckily, Logan remained professional without telling me to cut the shit or, worse yet, walking off the job. Of course he wouldn’t do that as I knew he had a military background and most likely endured far worse than a silly actress acting like a love-struck teenage girl.

  If he did find me annoying in any way, he was quite a remarkable actor because it felt like a part of him really liked me.

  Chapter Five

  Logan

  Full disclosure. That was what should’ve been given to me before I took on the mission of Maya Bexley. Just looking her up on the internet had not been enough. It didn’t provide me access to her flirtation and alluring ways. There was no way for me to be prepared for all of that. Going out on missions was far easier than containing myself when I was around her.

  First of all, deployments never involved women specifically. We may have rescued a few females but they were not strutting around in fitted clothing and smiling. They most often were in fear of losing their lives and couldn’t care less about wooing us. However, generally no one saw us coming or leaving. My team mainly entered wherever we needed to be via water since we were all highly skilled at swimming. Yes, SEALs are all good swimmers but then there are exceptional swimmers who most of the time find themselves in water. All three of my missions involved water access and my buddies Fin and King were also considered elite swimmers on their own teams.

  I may have failed to mention that I knew Fin and King long before becoming SEALs, back when they were just Barlow and Roman. We all went to the same high school and were on the swim team. Many of my fellow swimmers talked about being SEALs. It seemed like the thing to do and to challenge ourselves we did beach training every summer. Then we got the wild idea to swim to Catalina Island as a challenge as well as a charity event which raised money for ataxia. It was a crazy experience—twenty-six miles, thirteen swimmers, one-mile
relay, and two miles each. We were all sure we could do it since we all swam yards and yards daily for high school in season and club when not competing for school.

  Swimming in the ocean was a completely different beast. There were no walls to push off. The water temperature was colder than a regulated temp. Not to mention, you wanted to avoid taking in salt water and spitting it out like we often did in the chlorinated pool. Then there was the element of fighting the currents and stroking over waves. And there was the mental part of hoping a shark wasn’t hungry for swimmer flesh. It was not easy. By the time our turns were over, our bodies were shaking and we were exhausted. But when our time was up again, we jumped back in and gave it our all.

  I think that accomplishment was what cemented the idea of becoming Navy SEALs for three of us. Barlow “Fin”, who was a senior at the time we made the trek from Long Beach to Catalina, was the first to apply. Roman “King”, a couple years behind Barlow, joined up second. I followed years later after they had already been deployed a few times since my parents refused to let me join up without finishing college. In fact, by the time I was finally ready to deploy, Barlow was already out and Roman was at the end of his service. Roman and I, actually, went out on one mission together when our two teams joined forces before he left me behind.

  The annual film festival was what brought us back together after my royal fuckup and early retirement. We all seemed to agree that the most chill part of the week was watching the films—some good, some horribly painful to stand through—as we stood guard at the back of the theatre. Listening to the questions and answers portion after each film was often more interesting than the film itself. I guess that proved it wasn’t always easy to depict your visions. Like reading a book and seeing its counterpart brought to life before your eyes—not that I read much—and waiting for things you wanted to see a certain way. To be honest, the festival provided me with my fill of movies for the year.

  It was a bit different sitting in a seat next to the star of the film. I was seeing a completely different person…creature…character on the screen. The beauty of make-believe. The beauty part was real. The inside, personal stuff I had only seen a hint of between her appearances. She hadn’t completely let down her guard or even told me what had her needing me constantly at her side other than when she slept.

  I hadn’t planned on a middle of the night scream to reveal the mystery behind my protection detail. But I did what I was trained to do; dressed within seconds, grabbed my gun along with the passkey for her suite and was rushing in to find a sobbing Maya on the floor by the door I had just come through.

  She was mumbling. “Delivery. Feathers. Blood. So much. Note. Candy box.”

  I wasn’t sure what she was trying to tell me, but I wanted to make sure no one was in her room. “Stay right there, Maya. Don’t move.”

  She nodded her head and I moved away from her, checking the room we were in and the adjacent dining room area before checking the empty bedroom where her assistant should’ve been and then the room Maya was sleeping in along with the bathrooms in all rooms. It was when I took a closer look in her room that I noticed feathers on the floor and began to investigate.

  What looked like a fancy candy box was upside down near the feathers. That had to have been what she was talking about so I reached down to pick it up, using a wad of tissues from a box next to her bedside—I should’ve grabbed plastic gloves before I rushed to Maya’s room.

  “What the fuck?!” Inside of the velvet-lined box was a bloody bird with its beak gaped open and its wings missing. It was when I read the note that I understood the relevance to the poor bird and why she wanted my protection:

  You can’t fly!

  I’ll clip your wings yet.

  I told you I’d see you in Palm Springs!

  Chapter Six

  Maya

  I loved hearing Logan’s low, soothing voice say my name as I crouched near the door rather than calling me Ms. Bexley—something I told him to ditch when we headed to the Q and A at the theatre. I didn’t mind if people thought he was my date rather than my bodyguard. I was not interested in making it obvious that I required extra protection.

  I was relieved when he burst through the door. He calmed me in a matter of seconds as he rubbed my bare arm before moving off. I had no idea when the delivery was made, by whom or if he had somehow gained access into my room.

  Whoever was sending me stuff was a sick person to keep hurting beautiful birds. I had received three others all with the same message, just varying the last line to coincide with things or events I was about to attend. Each time the bird and box style changed. I had received a brown and orange finch, a bright green parrot, a white dove, and then a peach and turquoise love bird. All arrived looking terrified and missing their wings. Each time I ached for the pain they had suffered on my behalf.

  Most of them had been delivered to my door. None of them had ever been placed on a nightstand next to my bed or anywhere else inside. That was probably what caused me to scream so loud. I had been shocked in the past when I had opened each package but I had never actually let out a bloodcurdling scream.

  “Maya, let’s get you dressed.” He held out an opened white hotel robe for me and I stood and let him wrap it around me—I hadn’t even noticed that I was huddled up in the corner naked. He continued to speak, directing me to sit on the sofa and handing me a bottled water. “I don’t want to touch too much. We can let the police see if there are any fingerprints other than yours and mine—”

  “No police! They can’t be involved. Not good for the studio and the movie and…”

  I could hear my agent warning me about making a big deal. Drawing attention to the fan was not a good idea.

  “Fan?” I had questioned immediately. “What kind of fan does this?”

  Logan almost used my same exact words as I explained to him how I was told to keep the bird deliveries out of the press. They could cause bad press. The public could think it was a publicity stunt. It wasn’t common for someone to receive dead birds. They also believed that if I ignored them, the fan would lose interest when the deliveries weren’t revealed to the media. And they told me to get used to crazy people coming out of the woodwork to get close to me after the movie released worldwide.

  I did as they instructed but became a little more scared when a location was mentioned on the second bird which kept me away from that event. I couldn’t do the same when the film festival was named on the third note.

  “So that was why I was hired by your agency?”

  “Yes. I insisted on extra protection. They gave in, asking me to not make it so obvious that you were my bodyguard. They actually mentioned having you act as my boyfriend. I told them no way and that it sounded more like they just wanted me to hire an escort. I just wanted the bird killer to know I had someone looking after me.”

  “Speaking of your people, where is your assistant? I assumed she was staying in your suite.” I shook my head and explained that I liked my privacy.

  She ran a variety of errands for me, showed up at my door when I needed her and accompanied me everywhere I needed her. However, when it came to our travel accommodations, she usually stayed down the hall and helped me whenever I asked or according to a schedule.

  “That works out perfectly. When my buddies arrive, I will go grab my things and move right into your second room. I will respect your privacy to a point because me staying anywhere else is not going to happen.”

  Part of me wanted to say that it wasn’t necessary but I had a feeling that it would do me absolutely no good. Also, I wasn’t about to go against him when two good looking musclebound men arrived to go over the bedroom with a fine-tooth comb before other people arrived to clean up the room. It was all taken care of in a matter of a couple of hours without the hotel or police being involved.

  I didn’t even bother to mention anything to my assistant—at least one of us had to be on the ball for all of the events. I was going to be running on fumes and pr
ayed that I didn’t fly right off the back of my treadmill from lack of sleep. And truthfully, I didn’t need to lose her to the psycho, she was scared enough when she handed me one of the boxes at my house.

  I may have to figure out how to explain to her why Logan was sleeping in my suite without divulging the bird incident. Maybe I just needed to let him handle it since he seemed to know what to say and do about everything. If he didn’t, it appeared that his team did. They were even going to run a battery of tests on the bird, the note and the box through their security company filled with ex-military personnel. And they already had one of their guys tapping into the hotel’s security system.

  I felt safe thanks to Logan. It had been months since I felt that I could breathe.

  “Get some rest, Maya. I’ll get you up for a run in a few hours.”

  His words were magic to my ears. I was going to get out on the street instead of running on the dreaded treadmill in a room that was once beautiful to me. If I hadn’t been so exhausted I may have spent hours imagining Logan in a pair of shorts and shirtless jogging. But after a few yawns, I crashed hard.

  Chapter Seven

  Logan

  Sleepless nights or limited sleep was not a big deal. On some of our missions I think we stayed awake for thirty-six hours before crashing and even then we only got a few hours of shuteye. Part of the deal. Until I was done protecting Maya or at least found the sick bastard who mutilated defenseless birds, I wouldn’t rest comfortably.

  My guys had arrived right away with some of Sutton’s crew and had everything checked out and cleaned, leaving the room pristine as if nothing had ever happened. I was happy that Maya didn’t put up a fight about me moving into the room not far from hers in the suite or going back into her room to get some shuteye.