Half Moon Rising Read online

  Half Moon Rising

  By Sandrine Gasq-Dion

  ~DEDICATION~

  To my family for putting up with my long hours, and locked doors.

  Jennifer and Kim, I know I drive you nuts, but you love me anyway.

  And to my readers at LRO, as always, for waiting patiently. NOT!

  To Randy and Darius, for all the juicy stories.

  © Copyright 2011

  ~Chapter One~

  “Oh fuck me!” Troy felt the air heat up as round after round of gun fire whizzed past him. He’d taken his target out without a hitch. It was afterwards, that all hell had broken loose. The compound had guard dogs, and those dogs were headed in his direction, as well as men with guns. A lot of men with guns. His boots dug into the leaves and vines on the forest floor of the Congo and he nearly tripped over a tree root as he ran. Thank God he worked out almost every day, or he’d be winded by now. The thick jungle spread for miles around him, and Troy continued looking for a way to evade his pursuers as he ran. To his left, the sound of water flooded his ears, he recalculated his route and ran in the direction of it. Shouts erupted behind him as Troy finally saw an open area. “Oh, thank God!”

  Flying out of the forest, he came to a sliding halt at the edge of a cliff, barely managing not to plummet. A large waterfall was to his right and Troy looked down to the water below. Way down.

  “Oh, shit.”

  Judging by his position and the water below, he was guessing it was about a fifty foot drop. What he didn’t know, was how deep it was. Troy ran a hand through his hair and weighed his options. Shot by the men behind him? Or jump in the water and risk possible paralysis if it wasn’t deep enough. Troy turned his head; the men were much closer now. More gun shots went off behind him. Troy looked back down at the water; it was starting to look better and better. It was moving fast, maybe twenty miles an hour or more. He threw his rifle around his neck and closed his eyes.

  “Fuck it.”

  Hands on his chest, he hit the water cannonball fashion and went under. The current caught him, dragging him under as he fought a nasty undertow. Troy clawed his way to the surface, only to see what looked like a very large cliff looming closer. Oh fuck, another damn waterfall. Troy looked around, hoping to find something, anything to stop his forward progress. A rope landed a few feet in front of him and he grabbed for it. It occurred to him at that moment, that he might not like what was on the other end of it. Looking towards where the rope originated, Troy saw a gathering of men on the bank.

  “Just grab it asshole!” One of them shouted.

  Troy grinned. “Oh, I like you guys already.”

  It took a few minutes and a bit of man power, to pull him close enough to shore for him to get a grip on the rocks that protruded from the water. A hand came out in front of him and Troy looked up into very mesmerizing grey eyes. The man was absolutely breathtaking. His black hair, strong chin and high cheek bones were attached to a UFC fighter’s body. Troy grabbed the offered hand, and was hauled up out of the water.

  “Are you alright?” The man asked.

  Troy shook the water out of his hair, and leaned his head to the side, tapping it to get the water out of his ear. “I think so.” Troy looked at all the men standing there staring at him. It took a minute, but he began to recognize some of them. Holy shit, these were the guys Keegan and Devin were assigned to keep tabs on. Troy put his hand out. “Troy Bishop.”

  “Lorenzo Costa.”

  “Well, Lorenzo,” Troy said. “Thank you, for saving my ass.” He pulled his jacket and shirt off and squeezed the water out. After wiping most of the water off his back, Troy checked the condition of his rifle.

  One of the other men chuckled softly.

  “It’s going to need a lot of TLC.” The man said.

  Troy looked at the man who’d spoken. “And you are?”

  “You don’t know who I am?” The man smiled.

  “Vince, leave the man alone.” Lorenzo sighed. “We’re obviously here for the same reasons.”

  Troy narrowed his eyes at the man. “Vicious Vince Markov.”

  Vince chuckled. “I see my reputation precedes me.” Vince put his hand out. “Nice to meet you, Troy Bishop.”

  One of the other men let out a loud sigh. “Why is it no one knows who I am?”

  Troy looked the man over; a picture from Keegan’s desk came to mind. “Justin Maddox.”

  Justin smiled. “Finally.”

  Lorenzo sighed in frustration. “Can we get to safety, please? The whole complex is about to go boom.” Lorenzo got on his radio. “Dimitri?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you ready?” Lorenzo winked at Troy.

  “We are a go my friend.”

  “Light up the sky.” Lorenzo put the radio back in its holster and eyed the man they’d just pulled from the river. “Government?”

  “Sort of.” Troy treated them to his lopsided grin.

  Lorenzo looked at the blood on Troy’s arm. “You are injured. I will have my husband tend to that.”

  Troy’s mouth fell open. “You’re gay?”

  Lorenzo crossed his arms and looked down on him. “Yes, you have a problem with gays?”

  Troy glanced around at all the men, they all wore wedding rings except for Vince Markov, but even he had a tan line on his ring finger. Troy chuckled softly. “Hell no, I don’t have a problem with gays. I’ve banged my share of men.”

  “Ohhh really?” Vince’s eyes roamed over Troy’s body, giving the man a slow once-over. “Native American?”

  “Vincent,” Lorenzo sighed. “We do not have time for this, can we please get moving?”

  ~~

  They walked for what seemed like miles through the dense jungle, before they finally came upon a clearing. Troy dug out his transmitter and held it up; he had a signal. He’d met the rest of the men on their walk through the jungle, and a few more had joined them after the fireball lit up the sky. It was like looking through Keegan’s files, except it was live. Dimitri Voronova was the man Lorenzo had spoken to on the radio. He was obviously Russian and also drop-dead gorgeous. In fact, they all were. They were like runway models, for Christ sake. A smaller man, maybe five foot ten, jumped out of a hummer and ran right into Lorenzo’s arms.

  “Hello, my love.” Lorenzo smiled. “This man may need some care. Troy Bishop, this is my husband, Reece.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Troy shook Reece’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you too, were they nice to you? Vince can be a dick.” Reece chuckled.

  “Hey!”Vince pouted.

  Dimitri laughed. “You are so vicious when you look like that, Vince.”

  “Anyway,” Reece looked at Troy. “Let me check that out.”

  Troy was shuffled to the hummer and was seated in between Lorenzo and Vince. He radioed Derek, letting him know he was safe, and would call with his extraction point. Derek pelted him with questions.

  “What the hell, Troy? Why didn’t you call us sooner?”

  “Well, let’s see. I jumped into the water and almost went over a hundred foot drop. The good news is, the target is down and thanks to the guys I’m with, the complex no longer exists. It went boom.”

  “Alright, just get on the radio when you’re ready. I’ll let James know you’re okay.”

  “Roger that.” Troy shut off his radio and looked at the two men on either side of him. “So, anyone have coffee?”

  ~~

  Troy sat on the table in a make-shift infirmary as Reece Costa tended to his wound. The guy was adorable with his brown hair and equally brown eyes, which were currently assessing his injury. Reece’s husband, Lorenzo, as well as three other men, now stood guard out front.

  “So, how long have you a
nd Lorenzo been married?”

  Reece smiled. “Almost twenty years, we have a teenage daughter.”

  Troy shivered. “I feel sorry for her dates.”

  Reece giggled. “So do I at times.” Reece looked up, arching a brow. “Do you have any idea who any of us are?”

  “I’m not sure I should answer that.” Troy winked. “The point is, I won’t be telling secrets.”

  Reece sat back on the chair and studied Troy’s bicep. “It’s not bad, looks like a graze. Just keep it clean.” Reece looked at Troy’s back and side. “Seen some combat?”

  Troy nodded. “Afghanistan.”

  “Thank you for your service.” Reece tilted his head, holding back a smile. “You should probably call your ride before Vince decides he needs to get laid.”

  Troy laughed loud. “I’ll do that Reece; it was very nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise, Troy.”

  Troy stood up and looked around. “It would’ve been nice if we’d known you guys were coming to do the same job. I could have passed on it and taken my vacation.” Troy grinned. “Maybe we’ll meet again.”

  “You never know.” Reece shook Troy’s hand.

  ~~

  As the chopper hovered over him, Troy waved at the group of men that’d pulled him from the river. Derek hauled him into the chopper. Troy sat back in the seat with a loud sigh.

  “Jesus, you have nine fucking lives, Troy.” Derek shook his head. “As soon as we get back, you need to be debriefed. Any chance I can get you to tell me who those men were?”

  “I think that was number ten.” Troy closed his eyes. “And no, I’m not going to tell you. I’ll be telling Keegan and James though and they can decide whether or not to tell you. I hate having to repeat myself fifty times.” Troy just wanted to get back to New York. He was going to make a few changes, starting with where he was living. It was time to go to his real home.

  ~~

  A few days later, Troy was sitting in front of James and Keegan. To say Keegan was excited, was an understatement; he was literally bouncing up and down in the chair.

  “You met him?” Keegan’s eyes widened comically and glazed over.

  “He shook my hand.” Troy smiled as Keegan sighed. “I agree with you, by the way.”

  Keegan furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

  “That man is so fucking gorgeous, it should be illegal for him to walk around without a warning attached to him.”

  Keegan giggled. “I told you.”

  “I also got to meet Lorenzo Costa, Justin Maddox and Dimitri Voronova.” Troy almost laughed out loud at the look on Keegan’s face. He looked ready to explode.

  “So unfair.” Keegan mumbled.

  “Okay, as much fun as this is,” James looked at the two of them. “This is exactly what I was talking about, Troy. Once again, we go after a douchebag and they’re already on the scene. It’s like they have access to all the same records we do.”

  Keegan looked up. “Hey, it’s not me! Our classified documents are protected, trust me. I wrote the damn program myself.”

  “I don’t think it’s you, Keegan. These guys have access to the same intelligence we do.” James ran a hand through his hair. “We’re doing the same jobs they are and wasting resources. It would be in their best interest to work with us.”

  Troy shook his head. “I don’t see that happening, James. These guys operate above the law. Hell, above anything.”

  “Who the fuck do you think you work for?” James raised a brow. “I don’t follow the rules. In this outfit, there aren’t any.”

  “I don’t think they know that.” Keegan sat back, chewing his pencil. “I think they were under the assumption that Troy was military. Am I right?” Keegan looked over at Troy.

  “They outright asked me if I was. I told them sort-of, which is kind of truthful. I mean I was military, I’m just not anymore. This team is run by Derek, but you pull the strings, James. Which begs the question…who do you work for James?”

  James leaned back in his chair, and laced his fingers behind his head. “Now that is the million dollar question, isn’t it?”

  “Never mind,” Troy laughed. “I know we aren’t going to get the answer to that question.” Troy looked at Keegan and smiled. “Vince Markov doesn’t strike me as vicious though.”

  Keegan almost choked on his own spit and stammered. “Oh, you have got to see some of the files on this guy.”

  James nodded. “The name was given to him for good reason, Troy; don’t let the good looks fool you. Vince Markov is dangerous.Jame

  “Like… me, Mateo, Josh and Sam dangerous?”

  “Worse.” Keegan raised a brow.

  “Wow, that is bad.” Troy looked at his watch. “Anyway, I have to get my ass in gear. I’m heading out to visit Sam and his fiancé. If you need me, I’ll be at my apartment in New York for a few days before I leave.” Troy stood up and shook James’ hand. Smirking at Keegan, he said. “Maybe one day you’ll meet Vince.”

  Keegan sighed dramatically. “God, I hope so.”

  ~~

  “Come on baby! Pump him harder!” Troy tried to keep from laughing, but watching Rick’s face heat with anger was too much fun. He’d come out to the balcony for his morning cup of calm-the-fuck-down and his paper, only to see Rick Henley, his ex-boyfriend, pounding his newest conquest. After that, it became something of an, I-have-to-fuck-with-him cup. Rick’s new boy toy was embarrassed and Rick refused to back down, so Troy decided to fuck with him some more. “He look’s bored, Rick. Mix it up a little bit!”

  “Fuck you, Troy!” Rick’s face heated even more.

  “Aw, honey. I tried that and I looked about like he does now, Zzzzz.” Troy sat back and enjoyed the show some more, until the new boyfriend had enough. It was too bad, Troy was enjoying the guy’s balls slapping back and forth. The balconies on both buildings were wooden slats and easy to see in between, which was why Troy had such a great view of the sex across the way. Rick stood, giving him the evil eye for a few more minutes.

  “I hope you’re happy, asshole!” Rick shouted.

  Troy smiled wide and winked. “I would have been if you’d made him cum, but we both know your follow through sucks. Sixty second man. I give you a ‘C’ for technique though.”

  Rick flipped him off and Troy responded in kind. Troy was only thirty and Rick was in his early forties and still trying to prove he had what it took to get the young guys. He’d caught him in bed with another man just weeks after they’d started dating. Which, amusingly enough, started out with Troy watching Rick work out naked on the balcony each morning.

  They’d finally met when Troy had gotten pulled over for speeding on his way home from JFK. After a long two weeks in Brazil, he was hurrying home to his apartment in Oceanside, when the lights of a police car caught his attention. To Troy’s surprise, the officer pulling him over was none other than his sexy, naked neighbor. Troy got a warning, and later that night, one hell of a fuck. It’d been good for two weeks, until he’d come home and found Rick banging another man. Probably another speeder, Troy chuckled. What the hell, he didn’t care; he was finally going to take a much needed vacation from his job.

  He’d been on his way to visit Sam and his fiancé when the call came through for a new target. He’d thought about turning it down, but the prospect of another fat paycheck changed his mind. He’d called Sam to let him know and they’d laughed on the phone for a half hour. But the weirdest part was that Sam sounded relieved that he couldn’t make it. He swore Sam was hiding something. Troy chuckled as Rick and his new boyfriend argued, both of them stealing glances his way, until the new boyfriend shut the blinds.

  Troy sighed and sat back in his cushioned deck chair, propping his feet up on the balcony railing. The breakup had been easy for him, but not so easy on Rick, who begged for another chance. He wasn’t the kind of guy that forgave infidelities and made that clear. So now he was alone. Again. Troy rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and scratch
ed at the day’s growth of stubble on his face. Someday he’d find Mr. Right. He just wasn’t finding him right now. Troy chuckled. For a while, the guys he served with in the Army thought he and Sam were a couple. They both had similar backgrounds and a lot of the same hobbies.

  He and Sam became friends when they were five, when Troy’s parents moved them to the reservation. He’d been small for his age, even then. His Mother had always said that one day he would be big and strong like the native warriors. At six foot four and two hundred twenty pounds, she’d been right. His hair was short again; he usually cut it for missions. His hazel eyes made the ladies sigh. Or so he was told. He’d tried dating women before, even fucking some. It just wasn’t his thing. He’d never really hidden his sexual preferences, but he didn’t broadcast them either. His relationships were slim to none; he could count them on one hand. He just didn’t get that, Oh-my-God-this-is-the-one vibe from any of them. He did realize he preferred men over women quite early though.