"A man is tailing."

"Keep on him."

Liam clenched his jaw and turned to look back at Charlotte. She wasn't noticing anything that was going on around her. Deep into her podcast, she held up the paper map that Zach had given her at the airport. He could only guess what she was divulging.

I'm not getting a call so she's keeping it PG.

Turning back to the front, he watched motionless as one of his men caught up slowly to the dark Egyptian that had Charlotte as his target. His man was nondescript and blended in seamlessly with everyone else in the park. If anyone looked, they would see a soccer dad. Clearing his throat, he tapped on his earpiece.

"Go at first contact."

The man suddenly caught up and took the Egyptian by the arm, silently yanking him into a set of bushes. Liam clenched his jaw as the bushes slightly shook then went still. A few beats later, his man came back out onto the grass. He took out his phone and pretended to be online, scrolling. Glancing around, Liam saw that no one had taken notice.

"Second team come in and get the body, as soon as we leave the area."

"Roger that," a reply came into his ear.

He scanned the area, slowly and methodically. A mom and her daughter were running with a set of bubble wands to the right. In the middle he saw an elderly couple walking hand in hand and to the left he noticed a few younger men about to play soccer. None of these noticed him or his counterpart. Or even Charlotte. She was still talking on the computer. But he knew better than to relax.

"Boss, a truck to your six. Scoping her out."

Turning, Liam tapped his sunglasses. He zoomed in instantly on the men in question. They were recognized by the software embedded. A warning flashed across his eyes causing him to tap again to rid the message. Technology could be annoying.

"They are detected. Want us to take them out?"

Liam hesitated as he studied the men. They were part of the Egyptian group that were sent to guard the stones. He didn't think they needed to be killed, yet though.

"Negative," he said softly.

If they had firearms ready to use, they would bring them up any second. Charlotte had unknowingly positioned herself as a sitting duck, out in the open. But it turned out to be perfect. She was drawing all the assassins in. And this park was the best backdrop for taking them out one by one. A lot of activity can hide a lot of ill deeds. No one out walking and playing were the wiser.

"Hold and stay close. Team two, have them in sights?"

"Yep. In sights. Give the go and they sleep."

In all of his training, Liam had never had to defend a woman like Charlotte. An innocent. All the female clients or marks rather, were evil and part of activities he would like to forget. In this case though, he felt he wanted to protect her. At any cost. And that fact scared him more than a little.

I am getting in deep, just like Zach. Why would they bring me in on this case?

His position in the organization was much more than the Denver International Airport. The big boss knew it too. He had to have a lot to lose with Charlotte's presence. All the more reason to keep the best eye on her that he could.

That and I could lose my life if I fail.

Shoving those thoughts aside, he saw the men watching with binoculars from the truck. They weren't the team sent to kill her. Just lookouts.

"There are men here. But not in the truck. Find them."

He gave the order to the teams. Wanting to thwart it before it happened, he knew he had to get closer to Charlotte. Without her noticing.

"Katie, time to roll," he said.

"Enroute," a sweet voice softly replied.

A short and petite brunette walked up, her lips a bright red and a well-fitting ball cap on her head. Wordlessly, she took Liam's hand in hers, and he hugged her to his side, kissing the top of her head. Smiling as smitten teenagers would, they began to walk towards Charlotte. Katie's hair fluttered in the breeze, sending long dark brown tendrils to graze Liam's arm. He used his sunglasses to quickly scan behind the trees surrounding Charlotte.

There was a man, concealed, two trees back.

"Ten meters," he muttered.

"On it."

Men from the other team slowly converged on the tree and took the one hiding out. Then a couple walking with a large rolling suitcase came and put the man inside without detection and continued on the walking path.

"Kiss me," Katie said, reaching up for Liam's face.

He grunted and slid a hand on the side of her cheek, drawing her upwards as their lips met in passion. Sliding his tongue into her mouth, he felt her press onto his chest. Her breasts were warm and inviting. This used to be a part of the job he got excited for. Under cover, he and Katie having to pretend that they were in love, and then just the physical intimacy of it. Ever since his wife died, he often looked for distractions.

"More," Katie breathed into his mouth, deepening the kiss.

Cupping her ass with one hand, he slipped the fingers of the other into her long dark hair, right under the ball cap she was wearing. There was a purpose for this, and it wasn't because he was dating Katie. Far from it. They never talked after each mission but rather avoided each other. She had a husband on the outside.

But damn can she kiss. He is a lucky fucker.

And her husband was a member of his team six. He knew what they did but never complained. Everyone lived for the cause. Finally, she lessened her veracity on his lips and softly kissed. Playing along, he rubbed his hips against her stomach, showing her what he had. It elicited a groan and he chuckled.

"Ok. Done," she breathed softly against his mouth, pulling back.

Finally looking up, he glanced at Charlotte. She was packing up. His heart panged at the sight of her in the late afternoon sun. What he had just done with his colleague as a means to evade her detection was exactly what he wanted to do with her. Long strands of auburn hair blew in the breeze, and his fingers itched to swipe them back and to stare into her blue eyes.

Snap the fuck out of it.

Charlotte began talking to Josh, from the coffee shop. He was there and had been watching her the whole time. The barista knew of their presence as well, he could tell. But thankfully, Josh had ignored them and let them work. As the pair packed up together, Liam took Katie's hand again and they strolled past.

"All the Egyptians are gone. Cleaned up," a team leaders voice said into his earpiece.

Liam nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the path ahead. It was time to go, but he would stay back, and shadow Charlotte as she walked to the hotel. Though he needed to attend to a mission at the launch site in a few hours, he wanted to ensure she made it back safely. Josh was good, but not that good.

Finally reaching the parking area, Katie stopped and glanced at her boss.

"Liam, be careful with her."

"I will, she isn't going to hurt me."

Shuffling her feet as the brunette took her car keys out of her pocket, she scoffed, "Not you. I don't you to hurt her."

Giving a tiny wave, she sauntered off to her SUV and got in. That wasn't what he was expecting. Frowning, he watched as she took off onto the main street, blending into traffic. Her words echoed in his head. Don't want you to hurt her.

Shaking it off, he watched as Charlotte and Josh made their way to the closest sidewalk. They laughed and talked; Josh clearly enamored. He wondered if her beauty had gotten to him as well. She seemed to have that effect on everyone. Some of which was natural but there was more to it, and he aimed to find out why. Her having awoken the stones was a huge thing. And she held powers he had no doubts.

They were far enough in front of him that he felt comfortable trailing. As he began to walk, another report came in through his ear. There was a team of Egyptian snipers that just landed at DIA. They managed to bypass security but not undetected. Just without being stopped. A team was on them. They would try to stay near Charlotte's hotel, but not too close. It would unfold over a matter of days most likely.

Liam had dealt with them before, and they were on par with operators in his old job. Highly trained and highly skilled. Familiar.

"The launch is delayed boss. Weather patterns not conducive. Want us to stay the rest of the night?" a voice asked in his ear.

"Roger that. I will be out there in a few hours. Tailing."

Looking up, he noticed dark clouds rolling in from the west. It was going to storm soon. In more ways than one.