Lindsay McKenna - Woman Of Innocence

“Happy birthday, Jenny,” Morgan called to his assistant. He looked fondly over at her as she hurried into the war room, where all assignments were handed out. Laura stood at his side, smiling.

Jenny came to a halt in front of Morgan, who sat opposite her at the huge, oval table. Her eyes grew huge at the sight of the white frosted cake decorated with yellow roses. “A cake?” she gasped. Her hand flew to her heart when she saw the lit candles—all twenty-five of them. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said, touched. With a lump in her throat, she made a wish and blew out all the candles, while the Trayherns applauded.

To the left of the cake was a blue folder. She recognized the file as a merc assignment. On top of it was placed a bright red-and-silver bow. What stymied her was the fact that her name was on that file. Clasping her hands in nervous anticipation, she asked, “What’s this?”

Laura smiled fondly. “Your gift, Jenny. From all of us to you. Go on, open it.”

She saw the smile that Morgan traded with Laura. They looked like they knew the punch line to a joke she wasn’t privy to. Anticipation wound through her. “B-but,” Jenny stammered, gesturing toward the file, “that’s a merc assignment file. Did I not file it correctly?” She took pride in her filing system and had never lost a folder yet.

“Yes,” Morgan murmured in his deep voice, “that’s exactly what it is. And no, it’s not misfiled.”

Giving them a confused look, Jenny slid her fingers beneath the bow, then carefully set it aside. Balancing the folder in her hand, she gave them a perplexed look. “It has my name on it. That’s not right. The merc who’s assigned this duty should have his or her name on it….”

Morgan allowed a hint of a smile. Jenny was truly confused. “Why don’t you open it up and look at the assignment? I think a lot of your confusion will be put to rest.”

Sitting down, Jenny placed the file in her lap and opened it. Her eyes widened. She gasped. Snapping a look up at Morgan and Laura, she whispered, “This can’t be!”

“Why not?” Morgan demanded.

“Why, er, I’m just an assistant to you, Morgan…for Perseus….” She stared disbelievingly at the assignment. It had her name on it as the commander in charge of the mission. Below it was another name: Matt Davis. He was second-in-command. Looking farther, she saw that the assignment was to Agua Caliente, Peru, to a top-secret military installation known as the Black Jaguar Base.

Her heart began skipping beats as she continued to rapidly scan the information. She was being assigned to interview all volunteer candidates at the Black Jaguar Base who would want to work undercover for Perseus on an upcoming mission along the Mexican-American border. She was to lead this mission! Her! She was to interview all the pilots and then select the three she considered best qualified for the tasks. It was a level one mission, which meant there was no risk or danger to it.

Morgan traded a warm look with Laura. He turned his attention back to Jenny, whose head was still bent over the file as she read voraciously. She nervously chewed on her full lower lip, and her thin, arched brows worked up and down as she read. She had a very open, readable face, and Morgan enjoyed watching her response.

“Jenny, we felt that you’ve worked here long enough to undertake a safe, but very necessary mission for Perseus,” he told her in an authoritative voice. Jenny lifted her chin, her full attention on him. Morgan saw tears in her eyes. He felt Laura gently squeeze his shoulder. “We know you’ve dreamed of going on a mission rather than just sitting here behind your desk processing orders and reports. I felt that if you undertook a mission, that would help you understand your job here better. And Laura felt this was a worthy birthday gift to you. Is it?”

Choking on tears, Jenny fought them back. Her gaze swung from Morgan’s gentle look to Laura’s proud and smiling features. She knew in her heart that Laura had engineered this. “I—I don’t know what to say….”

“Yes will suffice.” Morgan chuckled indulgently.

“But…how do you know I’m up for it? I mean, I’m not a trained merc. I have no experience in the military. I’ve never picked up a pistol to fire it….” She suddenly stood up, gripping the file to her chest, and her voice went off-key with anxiety. “Oh, I know I’ve told you a million times I wished for a chance to go on a mission…but I know better. I really do. I know I’m a big ’fraidy-cat, not a hero or heroine like the wonderful people you employ, Morgan. I’m a mouse. A plain, dull little mouse with absolutely no military background like your mercenaries.”

Laura smiled gently. “Not all missions require military might, Jenny. You have a degree in psychology. We felt that you were the best qualified person for this mission. You’ve been here a year with us and you know the routine. And you’ve also met most of our employees and know the type of people we’re looking for.” Laura pointed to the folder Jenny held in a death grip against her chest. “Major Maya Stevenson has agreed to let you and your partner come down to her base and interview any interested Boeing Apache helicopter pilots who may want to take part in these upcoming missions.”

Stymied, her heart beating hard in her chest because she’d never in a million years believed she’d be given a merc mission, Jenny said in a wobbly voice, “But, Laura, I don’t know anything about the military except what I’ve learned here. I wouldn’t know how to assess the volunteers….” She gave Laura a panicked look.

Morgan cleared his throat. “That’s why Matt Davis has been assigned. He’s ex-Navy SEAL. He knows the military and he also knows what we’re looking for on this mission. He can help you with the type of questions you might want to pose to the volunteers, as well as guide you in your selection. Of course, you are the team leader and he’s your assistant. In the end, your judgment, your choices, are the ones we’ll go with.”

“Oh dear…” Jenny quickly sat down before she fell down from the shock of it all. What a birthday gift! Going on a merc mission. It was one of those silly, idealistic dreams she held secret within her heart, one she never believed would come true. Shaking her head, she muttered more to herself than to them, “All my life, I’ve dreamed of doing something heroic…something that would help others….”

“We felt you deserved this opportunity,” Morgan said genially. He grinned as Jenny looked over at him. Her large blue eyes were huge with shock and wonder. “Will you accept your birthday gift so we can get on with cutting the cake?”

Laughing breathlessly, Jenny leaped from the chair. “Of course. Wow! I’m in shock. I mean, I really am! I never dreamed of this…oh, I mean I did, but I never thought my dream would come true.” And she smiled bashfully at them. Putting the file aside, she picked up the serving knife and pulled a white china plate with gold trim from the stack at her elbow.

Chuckling, Morgan said, “You’ve earned the chance, Jenny. And you can cut me an extra large piece, please.”

“Morgan,” Laura warned lightly, “you’re trying to watch your waistline, darling. Remember?”

Giving the white frosted cake a fond look, he said, “Just a little larger than usual? Chocolate cake is my favorite.”

With a short laugh, Jenny sliced him a large piece. Dropping it onto the plate, she said, “Listen, you deserve a big piece for giving me this chance. I promise you I won’t let you down—I really won’t.”

And yet, as she cut Laura a much thinner slice of the cake at her request, Jenny was already feeling deep angst. Could she do this? How? She’d never done anything like it before. Yet there wasn’t a day that went by when she didn’t yearn, heart and soul, to take off on a mission with a merc.