Questionable Job Security

*** Book 6 in the Extreme Travel Series ***

Kes and two teams travel to Turkey for a two-fold mission -- save a kidnapped child and investigate a murder of one of their own agents. Thanks to her antics, Kes proves to be a force to be reckoned with, especially since she thinks her job's at risk. It's time to up the ante and actually save the world.

Excerpt

Red and blue police lights lit up my rearview mirror, making me think it was going to be a rough Monday morning.

I was driving through the suburbs of Denver to get to work at our travel agency, and had even completely stopped at the stop sign just before I'd turned left. I wasn't speeding, but I was drinking a humungous delicious cup of coffee I'd just purchased at a coffee shop. I didn't think drinking coffee while driving was a reason to pull someone over, but I didn't keep up with any new laws or ordinances.

While watching the police car behind me, I pulled over to the side of the road. The radio was playing my favorite song, too, and I'd been singing along at the top of my lungs.

I turned off the car and flipped on my cell phone, laying it beside me on the passenger's seat just in case I needed to call for help.

As I watched the officer in the rearview mirror, I dug the license and registration out of my wallet. The man got out of the car, adjusted his pants, and put his billy club in his hand. I swallowed hard while trying to see the cop's face. His hat was low on his head, so I couldn't see his eyes, but I thought he wore sunglasses. He yanked his handcuffs out of his pocket and approached my car. I was in trouble. Routine traffic stops didn't include handcuffs or a club. It made me wonder what I'd done wrong.

Even though it was a very warm mid-September morning, I wound my window up to about an inch from the top and locked all the doors. I thought my late-model four-door dark blue coupe sedan would be invisible to cops, since it was so generic.

He stood beside my car, his sunglasses hiding his eyes.

"Good morning, officer," I said with a smile. "Nice day out."

The officer lifted his pad of paper high and wrote something, juggling his night stick and handcuffs in the hand holding the paper. "Do you know what you did wrong?" His tone was low and surly as he removed his sunglasses in slow motion with his hand holding the pen.

Wait. I knew that voice but couldn't place it right away. "No, sir," I said.

He lowered the paper and laughed at me as he lifted his hat a bit. "Gotcha."

My heart skipped a beat as my hand flew to my chest. "Doug? What are you doing, pulling me over? You almost made me wet myself. Very funny…not."

Doug was a CIA agent in the Denver office where I worked. He and his agency partner, Dave, were some of the best agents in the nation. They were also gamblers and practical jokers, so I figured he was up to no good.

Doug glanced up and down the street before he spoke, as if he worried someone might be watching. "I had to stop you, Kes. I needed to warn you about something."

I lifted my humungo cup of coffee to my lips and took a drink before swallowing. "What?" I wasn't about to lower my window any more, in case I was to be the subject of yet another practical joke. I wouldn't put it past him to pull me out of my car, handcuff me, and make it look like he was going to use his nightstick, just to embarrass me. That was Doug's sick sense of humor.

I put my cup back into the holder and glanced up at his dark hair and dark brown eyes. "What did you want to warn me about?"

He was writing and had to concentrate. Men were so linear when they thought and really couldn't multitask.

"I had to write it down." He leaned closer. "You never know who's listening," he said in a low tone.

I sighed. Like my car would be bugged.

"Whisper it to me," I murmured.

"Nope."

He finished writing and pushed the paper through the crack in the window. I grabbed it just before it hit the floor. It said, 'Ian's looking for you for a physical. We're on a mission together.'

"I see." I nodded. "Thank you so much for the ticket."

"There's more," he said with a grin. "Look again."

I read the note once more. He'd written something under the 'offense' section.

"Huh?" I asked. "Going too slow a stop sign? How is that even possible?"

"Twenty-five dollars, at the courthouse."

He laughed at his own joke and I shook my head. "You're not serious."

"Sure, Kes. Or, you can pay me now, if you want." He winked. "Red hair and green eyes are just my thing today."

"I'll pay you all right." I pointed to the note. "Who will be joining me?"

He pointed to himself and nodded. I was sure he knew I was talking about the mission.

"Lucky me." I sighed. "First time together, huh? Would you like a flying lesson when I'm with you…without a parachute?" I grinned and winked, because he knew I'd throw him out of the airplane on the mission if I had to. He may or may not have a parachute, depending on my mood.

He swallowed hard. "Not really. I'll take that paper back if you want." He held out his hand for the ticket.

Instead of giving it to him, I laid it on the passenger's side of the car. "No, I think Wilson needs to see this one, and maybe I should show it to the Denver P.D." I laughed at his fearful face at just the mention of our big Washington D.C. boss and local cops. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

"Thanks. Just think…together at last."

"What about James?" I was asking if my handsome husband would be joining us. James had medium-brown hair, light blue eyes, and spoke with a sexy slightly British accent. He also had a Ph.D. in psychology.

"Of course." Doug moaned. "Someday, you know…" He winked in an exaggerated manner. I had to laugh at him, because many of the agents had a thing for me. It was almost a competition, even though they all knew I was devoted to James.

I shook my head. "It'll never happen. Hey, thanks for the ticket. I'm going to run some 'errands.'" I used my 'quotey' fingers so I could give him the male visual indicator. With men, I had to make things visual or they just didn't get it.

"Have fun on your trip." He walked away from me, got back into the police car, and pulled into traffic, almost cutting someone off. After flipping on his lights and siren, he took off down the street going about twice the speed limit. I chuckled at his actions while I chugged the rest of my coffee.

As I pulled out into traffic, my cell phone rang. I glanced at the caller id and groaned. Good old Ian, just doing his job. There was no way I'd let that guy get his ice-cold hands on me today. He'd have to knock me out for it.