Tia's Redemption Read online

  When you need a job done, you need a woman.

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  Tia—codename Cat—knows all about loss. Orphaned at a young age, she’s made it through a series of foster homes, with one single aim in sight. Joining the Australian army. Now an accomplished sniper with the Alathea Rangers—an all-woman team, begun in Greece and now based in America—covert operations team, she’s found where she belongs. Or has she?

  When she’s sent to retrieve the child of an Australian diplomat, she drops into Zabuti—an unstable African country — with no illusions about her importance in the greater scheme of things.

  When Cal sees Cat’s landing, he’s unsure about the man. His misgivings are even more grave when he realises Cat’s female. Can this slight woman do the job? He’s supposed to be her in-country guide, but though he packs a gun and is a CIA operative, he can’t keep them safe.

  The stakes are raised on the wild race across Zabuti, and nothing can prepare him for what’s to come, including the passion that rises between them.

  In the end, nothing is certain, including their survival.

  ALATHEA RANGERS

  The Alathea Rangers were formed by Cara Xenopoulos—a half American half Greek national— pulling together the best and the brightest warriors seeking new challenges.

  When Cara’s brother Xander died on a mission off the coast of Libya, Cara was a member of the Greek Army, but the mission wasn’t just covert, it represented the dark underbelly of military services. Cara was disgusted and withdrew from the army and later formed the original team, many of whom have moved on, having come to terms with the darkness they’ve seen and the deeds they’ve done.

  With the assistance of an independently wealthy backer, Cara moved her team to America and now runs the Alathea Rangers, personally authorising team members missions.

  They exist outside the government, for honour and for the protection of society and to save the weak.

  Tia’s Redemption

  * * *

  Copyright © 2022 by Imogene Nix ®

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  Cover Art by Jocelyn Dex - Dexpress Covers

  https://dexpresscovers.com

  Editing by Hot Tree Editing

  * * *

  EBook ISBN 978-1-922369-55-0

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  The Celtic Cupid Trilogy

  Star of Ishtar

  The Blood Bride by Imogene Nix

  Also by Imogene Nix

  About the Author

  PROLOGUE

  Tia dragged herself from the pool, chest heaving and arms shaking. "Fifty fucking laps. I did it." Once on the concrete, she slumped, ignoring the scratch and the wet patch.

  "Mum'll have a cow because you're swearing again," called Vanessa, her much younger foster sister.

  Tia closed her eyes. One-one hundred, two-one hundred. It wasn't that Vanessa was difficult. She was just young and still very innocent.

  Tia knew the house rules, so there wasn't any way she could claim ignorance after seventeen and a half months.

  Hell, she'd been through a myriad of similar arguments already—at least four other times. But this was her last foster care placement. Only three weeks left of school to go; then she'd be gone and on her own. Freedom never felt sweeter, she silently acknowledged. The letter she'd been waiting for arrived yesterday, confirming she'd made it through the rigorous army intake process.

  "Sorry," she muttered, knowing full well if she didn't, Vanessa would tell, and all Tia wanted now was an easy transition out of care. She pushed up from the ground. "We should go home."

  Vanessa's eyes drew together. "What about your run?"

  Tia couldn't restrain the laugh. "I did that while you were still asleep, kiddo. This morning. Five kilometres isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, you know." And it wasn't when you only slept five to six hours a night. Less when memories haunted her.

  Even now, after years of therapy, they still cropped up, stressed her like sitting final exams or waiting for a letter that would ultimately allow her to start her life.

  Tia stepped over to her bag where it sat on the polished aluminium seating and slid into the coverall she'd stashed at the top. Then she tugged the rope handles of the canvas bag over her shoulder.

  Tia stared at the younger girl, hoping she'd wordlessly gather her swim bag. At eleven, Vanessa was cute but pushy, with curling blonde hair and sweet blue eyes to fit the round face and Cupid’s bow lips. When she grows up, the boys will be lining up.

  The only natural child of her foster carer, Vanessa had seen kids come and go and handled it like a pro. Not that Tia was concerned. She treated her the same way she treated her classmates. Did what she had to but nothing more. Encouraging any kind of lasting relationship wasn't on Tia's radar.

  "Mummy said you got a letter from the army. When are you leaving?"

  It took Tia every ounce of willpower not to retort “as soon as possible” and instead answered, "Three weeks, kiddo."

  "But you'll come back and see us, right? Like some of the others?" Vanessa didn't whine so much as attack the words as a fact. That set Tia's teeth on edge.

  "Maybe," she muttered as she unlocked the aging Toyota she'd bought with money given by the executors of her parents’ will. There was more, but she kept it stashed for the proverbial “rainy day” she was sure would come at some point. "Come on. Get in and buckle up. You've got homework, and I need to get my dress out for tonight."

  The leaver's dinner was one small highlight in the lead-up to getting out of this central Queensland town that she wouldn't forego. It was a rite of passage. She'd even sprung for her hair to be styled this afternoon and her make-up to be applied.

  ONE

  Several Years Later

  Somewhere in Western Zabuti, Africa

  Sarah whimpered in the near dark.

  She hated it. The scuttling of creatures and the horrible smelly rag they'd shoved in her mouth. Her belly hurt with hunger, and she really had to go to the toilet. Sarah squirmed again, trying to hold on a little longer.

  All she wanted was to go home to her daddy. Tears burned in her eyes, and she blinked. It didn't make them go away.

  The hut at least meant she was out of the sun, Sarah thought, glancing up to the roof. It was still day. She knew because sunbeams covered bits of the ground. If only she could scoot over, but they'd tied her tight to this pole, and it itched.

  The door opened, and a woman stepped in. Came close. "You need a toilet. Eat and drink."

  The bucket didn't look like any toilet she'd ever used, but the pain from holding on meant she had to accept assistance from the woman who loomed over her. She wasn't dark-skinned like the people in the uniforms who'd taken her. She was older and white, her hair streaked with grey through the black strands, and her breath stank. Sarah edged away because it upset her tummy.

  When s
he'd finished, the woman dragged the cloth from her mouth, and she sipped cautiously at the water. It didn't taste great, but Sarah was thirsty. At least they'd given her a straw. When the water was gone, the woman fed her bits of bread before shoving the cloth back into her mouth.

  "Gleg meh gaah," Sarah yelled, but the woman smiled.

  "Soon, little buttercup. You're still useful to us." Then the woman retreated, and the door shut, leaving Sarah alone again.

  She bowed her head and cried.

  Looking down at the folder Cara had shoved into her hands, Tia wondered what the latest mission would entail.

  The familiar fizz of excitement hummed through her veins at the thought of what might lie ahead. It wasn't so much that Tia enjoyed the danger, just that she was bloody good at her job.

  "Where and what?" She glanced up, noting how Cara’s gaze ran over her. She knew what the other woman saw. A fair and delicate face, totally at odds with the person she'd become over the years—dark eyes with a tiny hint of an almond shape, a leftover from some long-forgotten antecedent. A woman not really tall, but neither could she be considered tiny. A package that hid who and what she really was: a trained assassin and sniper when Alathea Rangers required it.

  "It's an extraction. But we'll be needing your sniper skills and cunning." Cara frowned as she explained.

  Tia shook her head. "I don't usually do extractions, Cara. You know that. One of the others…." They really weren't her forte, though she'd been on enough such missions and helped organize her part in the role to know the ropes.

  "This one is sensitive, Tia. You've been particularly chosen because you're Australian." Cara inhaled deeply, and for a moment, apprehension filled Tia, but she shrugged it off.

  "Why?"

  Cara's eyes turned hard. "The young daughter of an Australian diplomat was abducted from embassy grounds in Zabuti. They don't want to send in national forces because that would undermine some very fragile negotiations they're involved in, but the kid is in serious danger from the militia. There's even talk of connections to Al-Qaeda. You know what that means."

  Tia's stomach dropped hard. "Why the kid, though? Why not the father?"

  "The kid's seven, Tia, and we think it's a leverage kind of situation. She was snatched from the embassy where she'd been playing on the grounds and should have been safe."

  Tia frowned. Kids. She wasn't so great with them. "And?"

  "Her father thinks she'd be leery of anyone not from Australia, so we're sending you in. She's more likely to trust you when you speak. Your task is to find her, extract her to awaiting transport. You'll have a contact within the American embassy, but you can't take her back there because they'll simply try again. We believe she's still alive, though we can't confirm that. Realistically, if they get their hands on her after successful extraction, that won't be the case again." Cara steepled her fingers, pinning Tia with cold, dead eyes.

  Tia had seen enough of Cara in action to know the woman was just as deadly with and without a weapon. "And I'm the only Aussie on the team."

  Cara nodded as if reading her thoughts. "You're going to have to travel overland through the desert, then cross the border. On foot, Tia. With the kid in tow. It'll be rough, but you'll meet up with a contact, and they'll escort you across the border."

  Tia's nostrils flared, and heat shot through her. "I don't need a bodyguard, Cara."

  The other woman smiled, but it was slight and barely reached her eyes. "No, you don't. But the kid will. You can't be awake 24/7, Tia, and to be frank, we have so little knowledge of this locality, unlike our contact. This case could have serious political ramifications, so you're going to have to accept a partner." Cara shoved the file again. "Read it. Memorize the facts and information. Learn the kid's face, then return the file."

  Tia looked down at the manila folder in her hand. It wasn't very thick, and that alone gave her pause. They usually had more information to even begin the planning process.

  "Where you're going, there can't be any paperwork or mistakes because she could die. The kid is counting on you for her survival. It's going to be hell out there."

  "Sure," Tia answered and settled down at the desk, flipping the front cover open as Cara left her alone.

  Tia scoured the kid's face. The bright blue eyes, the small dimple in her still chubby cheeks. No earrings, but a little mole on her left cheek. An identifying feature she could rely on. She learned the girl—Sarah—was the only child of a senior Aussie diplomat. His wife had died two years previously from cancer, and as the stay had been expected to be prolonged, he'd chosen to bring his daughter with him. "Big mistake." Tia shook her head.

  Reading on, she gleaned he was there to help the tiny African country throw off the military administration chains resulting from a coup that had succeeded twenty years before.

  "I remember that. Zabuti was just emerging, and the situation was violent," she muttered to herself. Many deaths occurred during the revolt. The military had hung on for grim death until nearly fifteen years later. Even now, democracy emerged battered and confused. The fledgling government would fail without western countries' support, she knew, having seen the regular updates on the news channels.

  Tia read the report on the security on the embassy grounds. Two guards at the main entrance and only three patrolling at any given time. The lax measures came about because the externally sourced guards had become complacent.

  Her mind whirred as she tapped the computer screen to her left. It gave them access to most any database in the world, and not for the first time, Tia silently thanked Sharon, their resident tech-head, for her magic ability with the machines that bedevilled Tia.

  "I can barely program my coffee machine," she groused even as she checked the detailed maps, looking for the best possible location for a drop zone, and formulated her entry into Zabuti. Everywhere she looked, there appeared to be desert, but here and there, she noted small villages and townships. "I'll need to steer clear of any populated areas." It would be rough, but she needed to get in fast, set up a meet, and then get on with the mission at hand. "There's only one way, Tia."

  Her favourite tried-and-true measure would be employed for insertion.

  Finally satisfied, Tia rose and walked to the in-tray by the door, slid the file on top of the pile, and then opened the door. "Cara? I'm going to grab supplies before heading out. I should be ready to go by 1900 hours. Scare up transport for me, would you? I'll also need some papers for the kid and me, courtesy of our good friend Sharon. I'll be back in an hour and will fill you in on my plan then."

  Tia settled herself at the table and drank her coffee while waiting for Cara to drop opposite her. "So, all ready?" Cara asked.

  Scrunching up her face, Tia nodded. "Yeah. I've got my stuff together and requisitioned the weapons. All I need is a map. The rest? It's all up here." She tapped the side of her head. "Zabuti. Population 1.1 million approximately. A small country sitting on the edge of the Kalahari—specifically the Kalahari Basin. Neighbours include Namibia, Angola, and Botswana. Political conditions are unstable due to the government moving to a democratic electoral system post–militia coup some twenty years ago. Languages spoken include Buntu, English, and a range of other local dialects."

  "You've been busy," Cara murmured.

  "Thank heavens for my near eidetic memory," Tia added drily.

  "When will you be ready?"

  She eyed Cara, wondering not for the first time what made this woman really tick. She was beautiful, accomplished, and yet here she was running a secret pseudo-government-sanctioned specialist team. She knew the basics, but what made her Cara—the intrinsic values the woman held—were hidden well below the surface. If planning was her thing, why did she expect the other team members to make so many arrangements for themselves? Then she shrugged, pushing away the questions. "I need to finish the requisitioning, but barring complications, including accessing documentation, I should be on track for that 1900 hours departure."

  "I'll org
anize the plane, then. You want to fly into—"

  "Not straight into Zabuti." She'd considered this while completing her personal tasks away from headquarters, as she usually did. "Ghanzi in Botswana would be best based on location, but it's a hole in the wall. No fuel, and I'd stick out like a sore thumb. South Africa may be a better option if you can swing me a ride. Get me a chopper or similar. I'll helo out and stay off the radar."

  "You're mad," Cara muttered, and Tia smiled.

  "Perhaps, but you know my motto. Go big or go home."

  When Cara left, Tia turned to her kit bag. Already stuffed with survival ration packs, ammunition, and her favourite tools of the trade, she was nearly ready. All that was left to add was the documents she'd requested from Sarah.

  Tia knew the risks. Accepted them as part of her life—and potential death. She'd long since set up a trust with a beneficiary. No matter how she tried to ignore the person she'd leave everything to, Vanessa kept trying to make contact. Like the letter in her back pocket. It irked her that she couldn't ignore it, so in silence, with nothing more to prepare, she slid it out and opened the envelope.

  Vanessa had appealed yet again to her lawyers to find Tia’s location. Tia dropped into the seat and sighed. She'd tried to cut all ties with everyone behind her. Vanessa, it appeared, was more determined than the rest. "Just let me die, okay?"

  The door opened, and in walked Leonie from the Rangers extraction team. "What's that? You wanna die?"