Blind Ambition - Just.Us.Friendz (free ebooks for android .txt) 📗

He could only ask; he knew he had no right, or even the desire, to give her orders. Annie was a strong, intelligent woman with a firm will of her own.

"It's only a precaution against something that may never happen. I'd really like you to hang on to it. Open it only if you don't know where I am and you can't find me for a period of 24 hours or more. It has information you might need then."

He couldn't see the worried frown that put creases in the creamy skin of her forehead, but he heard it in her voice. "Auggie, isn't this going a little overboard? I know you've been worried about some sort of threat, but it's still so vague. You don't have to do anything special for me. I can take care of myself."

His warm baritone was gentle, persuasive. "I know you can, Annie, but it's possible I might need your help. I'll always let you know where I'll be – even in the unlikely event that they send me out on a mission. If I vanish one day for no reason you can see, please, open the envelope. After all, we are 'spies,' 'secret agents,' whatever you like. Unexpected things can happen. I hope that envelope will just molder away in the bottom of your safe, but I want you to have it."

"Will it make you feel better, Augs, if I say yes?"

"It will. More than you know." He got up and edged around the table until he was behind her chair. He draped his arms around her shoulders and bent to kiss the top of her head. Her hair smelled so clean and wonderful, as it always did. "Please, do it for me. I'll make it worth your while." He nibbled at the edge of her ear.

Annie bent her head back until her lips touched his cheeks. "Yeah, what did you have in mind, soldier?"

Chapter 7 Poison In The Well

Annie had just dropped Auggie off at his apartment after an evening of beer and laughter at Allen's. It had been all she could do to keep from pulling his mouth against hers and throwing all caution to the winds. For her it had gone beyond the friendship he always offered. She wanted more, but she couldn't get the old cliché of the student who fell in love with her teacher out of her head. It would hurt too much if he smiled kindly and rejected her advance.

When she pulled into the driveway of the house she shared with Danielle and Michael, she was more than ready for a shower and her bed in the guest cottage. Ben Mercer stepped out of the shadows just as she locked her car and turned toward home.

Annie jumped back! Her hand plunged instinctively into her purse for pepper spray. She had last seen Ben less than a month ago when they said goodbye after the hostage situation in Mexico. Now, he had popped up again like a bad penny.

Ben raised his hands in mock surrender. "Please, Annie, you don't need protection from me." There was affection and laughter in his voice.

"Ben, you startled me. Not a safe approach to a trained CIA agent. Suppose I'd had a gun?" The pepper spray was still in Annie's hand.

"You don't carry a gun. It's well known in the inner circles. I rather wish you did. Surely they taught you to shoot."

"I know how to shoot; my father taught me." He was trying to lead her off the subject. "What are you doing here, and why didn't you let me know you were in town?" she asked. His habit of appearing unannounced and suddenly was beginning to annoy her.

"I apologize for startling you." He was trying to make amends. "I only have a few hours before I have to be on a flight to Beirut. I wanted to see you. It's been too long since Guam."

"You saw me in Mexico on that hostage mission."

"And you turned down the offer of two weeks decompression time with me on a secluded beach, as I recall. What's wrong, Annie? I thought there was something real growing between us. Now you seem to be spending most of your spare time with that blind computer tech … what's his name … ah, Anderson. It shows your kind heart, Annie dear, that you're willing to share so much of yourself with a disabled veteran, but you need to be careful. Don't let him fall in love with you; he's had enough tragedy in his life. You don't want to spend your life leading some helpless blind cripple around by the hand."

Annie found herself speechless. Auggie … a cripple … helpless? By God, far from it! And she didn't lead him by the hand; she guided him by a light grip on her elbow. Ben had no idea what he was talking about. All of her carefully controlled and long suppressed feelings for Auggie rushed to the surface, and she was suddenly furious. She could feel the heat of a flush as it spread over her face and throat.

Even in the dim light from a clear sky and the neighboring houses, Ben could tell something was wrong. "Annie, what is it?" he exclaimed. "Did I say something wrong? Surely, you're not falling for that pitiful half-man?"

Annie raised the pepper spray. "Leave, leave now before you make it worse – if that's possible! Don't come back until you learn something about the blind and their abilities. Auggie's smarter, tougher and more capable than half the sighted people I know! And he doesn't vanish between one minute and the next, either. In fact, he's more likely to turn up when you need help the most. He's a friend, and a damn good one!"

She spun away from Ben and stomped off toward the house without another word.

Ben slid into his car and sat for a long time watching Annie's lights as they went on and shortly afterward off again. So, he thought, Tech. Op. August Anderson. He had scarcely registered in Ben's consciousness before, but he was about to become one of the central objects of his attention and hatred. He would take Annie's advice and find out more about the blind – particularly one special blind computer geek. Annie was his. He'd found her, claimed her, even killed for her. And hadn't he caught hell from his terrorist bosses for that one. Nobody else had the right to seek her affections, especially one sad, blind, has-been covert op. Ben laughed quietly. The stupid guy had no idea how much trouble he was asking for.

Ben did his research well, and the next time he spoke with Arthur Campbell, he made a casual mention at the end of their conversation. "I've been hearing some whispers lately about one of your special ops guys," he said.

Arthur was immediately interested and demanded details.

"I don't have many," Ben said, but it appears one of your techno-geeks took his blind mobility training with a minor member of the Saudi royal family. Seems strange enough that you have a blind tech, but I hear he has remained in contact with his Saudi buddy. Maybe you should look into it. Can't be too many blind techs around." With that he dropped the subject.

Arthur immediately asked Joan to quiz Auggie on the subject.

Auggie readily admitted to the friendship. "Abdul is a very minor member of the al Saud royal family," he told her. "We met when I went for advanced mobility training. He got knocked in the head in a polo match and fell under the horse's hooves. Among his other injuries he lost his sight. The family felt he was too much of a playboy to begin with, and now with his disabilities, he's even less likely to ever have any power or influence."

"Still, Auggie," Joan said to him, "it may not be wise to keep up a friendship with someone who might be questionable." She watched him closely for any reaction.

Auggie's grin was relaxed and confident. "I wouldn't exactly call it a bromance, Joan. Abdul's experience led him to make some changes in his life. When he went back home, he started a school for poor blind kids. He contacts me once in a while to ask about new equipment to help the kids learn to read and do other daily tasks. I try to help out when I can. I've gotten him some donations from manufacturers, that sort of thing. He has no idea what I do, and probably could care less if he did. He's just not political."

Joan seemed satisfied, but that was just the first drop of poison in what was to become a steady trickle of darkling innuendo and hatred.

In their next conversation, Arthur answered Ben's question about the tip he had given him. "We checked it out, Mercer. It's just a very minimal contact about helping blind kids in Arabia. Nothing to worry about."

"Excellent," Ben said, " I did hear that the man involved is a grandnephew of the head of The General Intelligence Directorate, but if you're sure … " He moved on to other subjects, but left a tiny worm to eat away at Arthur's former total trust in Auggie.

h)m$c*a!v%

Arthur Campbell had used his special line to alert Ben Mercer that Annie might once again be in trouble in Mexico. Ben threw a few essentials in a shoulder bag and waited for the call to go. It didn't come. Instead, Arthur phoned to say that Annie was safely out of Mexico and on her way home. "Auggie did some amazing work in guiding her through the cave system," Arthur had mentioned in passing. He had no idea how much his words inflamed Ben's hatred of the blind technician.

After speaking with Arthur, Ben rushed to his observation post near the entrance of the Langley offices. He was in time to see Annie entered the offices. She looked frazzled and as tired as he had ever seen her. He kept watch until she exited with a look of determination on her face and a re-energized stride.

He lost her little red car in the heavy Washington traffic. On a hunch he parked where he could see the entrance to Auggie's apartment building. It was early afternoon when Annie entered loaded with a bulging tote and arms full of groceries. It was past midnight when Ben gave up the watch and returned to his rented room. He kicked the furniture and smashed a lamp. He deleted a message on his cell phone from Elfe. Anger at Annie had driven the German temptress from his mind. Annie had betrayed him with a cripple, one of Joan's effete techno-geeks, a pitiful figure of a man. Auggie could never love her or take care of her as he could. He spent what was left of the night tossing and turning in a fever of envy and hatred.

Dawn found him outside the apartment complex once again. It was afternoon when Auggie and Annie emerged to stroll arm in arm through the golden sunlight of late August. Ben used all his spy craft to shadow them through the streets. When a radiantly smiling Annie and a grinning Auggie exited a shop that specialized in pearls, he nearly rushed them. Annie carried a smart shop bag that held something she looked at repeatedly. Auggie looked blissfully content. He had obviously bought her some trinket; women were so easily pleased.

Only the crowds of Sunday strollers and shoppers protected Auggie that lovely afternoon. If he were even