Page 9 of Logan
6
Logan
I stagger through the door to my hotel room and collapse on the bed. I’ve been up all night with Jane. Just talking. Holding her in my arms and getting to know each other.
It’s been the best night of my life, and I can’t wait to see her again.
Only another couple of hours and I’ll be fresh out of the shower and sitting across from her in a coffee shop. Just where I belong.
Closing my eyes, I let my mind drift off into the ether.
Jane’s face is clear as day before me. We’re walking through a forest. Birds are chirping all around us. A gentle breeze cools the balmy summer air. My hand is wrapped around her waist, the edges of my fingers brush against the top of her perfect, round ass. I can feel my cock thicken in my jeans even as I’m falling asleep. I imagine holding her gorgeous face in my hand, just like I’d been doing an hour before. I imagine the feel of her lips caressing my mouth as our tongues collide in a steamy, love-induced tango.
She’s just pulling down my pants and wrapping her hands around my cock when the all too familiar buzz of my pager wakes me.
Opening my eyes, I wipe the sleep from my face and read the message.
“Shit,” I growl. “Can’t I get a minute to just be a normal frigging person?”
A banging on my door wakes me up even further, and I jump off the bed and let in my handler.
“Logan,” she says, pushing past me in her black suit. Two huge goons in nondescript military-style attire, and wraparound Oakley sunglasses, follow close behind.
“Prazinzky,” I say. “Nice of you to join me. Make yourself at home, why don’t you?”
She looks around my room, her eyes landing on the unslept in bed. An eyebrow rises and a slither of a smile flickers across her face. It’s the closest I’ve ever seen her come to a laugh in all the time I’ve known her.
She sits down at the desk by the window and pulls out her tablet. “Sit down, Logan,” she orders me. “It’s debrief time. You know the score.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I give her a mock salute and slouch into the chair.
For three hours we go over every last detail of my recently completed mission. Every second accounted for. Performance analysis. Situation analysis. A rundown of all the intel I managed to pick up and my opinions about the lay of the land and the problems our government and military are likely to encounter in the region.
By the time we finish, my stomach is rumbling and it’s a second-by-second battle just to keep my eyes open. But worst of all, I’ve missed my date with Jane. I was meant to be meeting her an hour ago, but Prazinzky isn’t the kind of person I can reschedule. I haven't even had a chance to call her or message her.
I tried rushing through things, but there’s no accounting for a love life in the methodical, detail-obsessed world of clandestine military operations.
“Okay, good.” Prazinzky puts her tablet back in her bag and crosses her legs. She taps her finger against the table and looks at me like she’s trying to read my fortune.
“Logan,” she says, “you look like shit.”
“It’s just a bit of jetlag,” I tell her, straightening up my posture and shaking my head. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Hmmm.” She stands up and looks out the window. The thin, angular lines of her face seem to glow in the sunlight. “I need you back out in the field. First thing in the morning. Expect to receive further details later tonight. In the meantime, clean yourself up, get some rest, and be ready for deployment at oh-four-hundred hours. Understand?”
I take a deep breath and close my eyes.
This is maybe the hardest thing I’ve had to do in all my life. But, after spending the night with Jane, I know it’s the only option for me.
“No,” I tell her. “No can do, boss. You’re gonna have to find yourself another man.”
She whips around and stares at me. The two goons, who up until now have been sitting quietly on my bed, stand up and close in.
Prazinzky puts out a hand, holding them back.
“What do you mean, no?” She takes a few steps towards me until she’s standing over me. She may only be five feet-nothing, but she’s a badass motherfucker, as intimidating as a Mike Tyson if she wants to be.
“It’s like I said,” I say, managing to keep my voice calm and reasonable. “You’re gonna have to find yourself another man. I want out of the ops. It’s as simple as that.
“I’ve been in the field too long. I’m getting old. I need to take some time to myself. I’ll train people. I’ll be an advisor. I’ll serve my country to the best of my abilities, just like I always have. But, I can’t be flying off all over the world at a moment's notice anymore. And if that’s not good enough for you, then I guess we’ve got a problem.”
A wry grin spreads across her face and she sits back down in front of me. She leans forward, perching her chin on her hands and her elbows on her knees. “What’s brought this on, Logan? Something bad happen out there that you’re not telling me about? This doesn’t sound like you. How long have we been working together? Ten years? Twelve years? Not once have you turned down a mission. You’re my go-to guy. You’re dependable. Professional. Ruthlessly efficient. You’re one of my top operatives, and… I hate to say this… but I need you.
“If it’s about money, then I’m sure we can sort something out. Maybe hire you on as a private contractor some of the time. We’ll work something out.”
“Hell, it’s not the money.” I stand up and help myself to a bottle of water from the hotel mini-fridge. “I love this job… it’s just, there’s something else I love more.”
“You’ve met someone…”
“Not just anyone,” I tell her. “I’ve met the woman of my dreams. And I’m not about to let anything come between us.”
