Page 42 of Corey
“Fuck, don’t say that.” Xander visibly shivered, and Corey laughed softly before jogging away into the darkness.
He wasn’t afraid of encountering an apex predator unless you counted the men roaming back and forth on the docks.
“Going radio silent,” Corey said into his comms unit. Although it was waterproof and he’d keep it in his ear, he wasn’t planning on communicating unless there was an emergency. “Get a warm towel ready for me, Murph. I’m about to get a really up close look at the docks.”
Wes chuckled in his ear. “Enjoy your swim, CD.”
The old nickname made him pause on the shoreline. No one had called him that in a very long time, but strangely enough, he found it bolstering, not triggering.
Stepping into the surf, he pulled his face mask down then wrapped his mouth around the snorkel’s mouthpiece, breathing in and out a few times. Once he’d verified the valve was clear, he waded out a little deeper before diving into a wave and disappearing beneath the surface.
The water was cold, but he’d learned fast as a SEAL there wasn’t time to get used to it. Best to just jump in and forget about it. It was strange not to have a swim buddy, but it wasn’t a luxury they could afford at the moment. And he had a job to do.
He swam further out then turned and began to swim parallel to the shoreline. Although focused on the op, his mind returned to what Wes had said, particularly how you can’t let loss steal the beauty of living away from you. And Corey wanted to fucking live. When he thought about Sera back in Cielo Springs, waiting for him to return, a surge of adrenaline filled him. He couldn’t wait to get back to her.
Powering through the waves, Corey headed straight for the shadow of a large boat. He’d use it as cover as he snuck around, trying to garner intel. Treading water, he laid a hand against itsbarnacled side, spit his mouthpiece out, lifted his face mask onto his forehead and smiled to himself. He’d handled that swim like he was still a twenty-something frog fresh out of SQT. He mock-polished his chest where a shiny Trident pin would have been.Fuck yeah.
Moving along the boat’s stern, he paused at the corner and got eyes on the dock. It seemed slightly quieter than earlier, which worked in his favor. Once the coast was clear, he swam over to the next vessel.
Corey unclipped the tiny, waterproof camera from his belt and began snapping pictures. He made sure to get the names of the boats and any identification or registration numbers painted on their hulls, as well as their flags or ports of registry. He also took some covert shots of crew members. Maybe something would pan out and help the CIA.
Then he struck gold.
A submarine surfaced at the end of the dock, water spilling down its sides.Holy shit.Mitch had mentioned narco subs. Guess he knew what he was talking about. Staying out of sight, Corey waited. After a minute, the hatch opened and four men crawled out.
At the sub’s arrival, several dock workers hustled over to secure it. The men on board walked away, speaking rapidly in Spanish. Straining to hear, Corey dared to swim closer and snapped more pictures. His Spanish was rusty, but a few key words jumped out at him—weapons, Lazaro Cartel and the Villarreals.
After checking his watch, he decided he’d better swim back to Lex and Xander before his thirty minutes was up. He’d gotten what they’d come for, and more. Pulling his face mask backdown and clearing his valve, he dove below the surface and swam away from the docks.
As he sluiced through the cold water, he realized this mission to help Sera was reinvigorating him. Giving him new life and reason. Purpose flowed through his body, and he couldn’t wait to get back to the woman who’d helped him come alive again in more ways than one.
Once he reached the shore, he gleefully shook the water off himself like a happy Golden Retriever fresh from a much-loved swim. Jogging back over to where he left Lex and Xander, he grinned like a fool at absolutely nothing as he dropped his gear onto the sand.
“I’m guessing it went well,” Xander commented.
“Sure did.”
Lex stood up and tossed Corey’s clothes at him. “What’s with the shit-eating grin, Emerson? You just fuck a mermaid or something?”
Or something,Corey thought, on a high from the mission and knowing he’d be back with Sera soon. “I got some good pictures to send Mitch. And it felt good getting back in the water. Any word from the others?”
As if in answer, Brand’s voice filled his earpiece. “We got what we were looking for, and more,” he said. “Head back to the SUV.”
“Roger that,” Lex said.
As they hiked back to the waiting car, Corey told them about the narco sub surfacing.Because what the hell else could it be?Xander tensed, looking back over his shoulder, and for a moment, Corey thought he was going to turn around. But hekept walking, and it didn’t take long to reach the SUV. Wes tossed Corey a towel. He thanked him and rubbed it over his head, face and arms.
“How was your swim?” Wes asked.
“Enlightening,” Corey answered, and Wes clapped him on the back.
Once they were all seated inside the vehicle, Jayson started it up and turned them toward the airport.
“We used the P.O. numbers Sera provided and found the ‘missing’ cartons,” Brand said. “They’re filled with weapons, waiting to be shipped out.”
“And the sub just docked,” Corey added, glad Sera had snapped a picture of the purchase order numbers.
“We’ll forward all intel to Mitch. Good job, guys.”
