The Recruit(44)

Ryan spread his fingers over his knee, long, lean and strong. ‘Lets go for a little walk.’

After they were out of the car and walking down the path he started again. ‘What if I could offer you a job of a lifetime? One where you can do great things for your country?’

Jaz raised her eyebrows, ‘Sounds interesting. But?’ She could tell there was more.

‘But this conversation goes no further than us two. Can you promise me that?’

Jaz nodded and wondered what the Hell she was getting into. Cars drove past as they continued along the path. ‘I haven’t told anyone about your line of work,’ she said. ‘I’m not about to start.’

‘Great. Okay. So you know a bit about what I do, right. Well to put a name to it, I work for MTG Agencies. It is a black ops organisation. The government secretly funds us and we work together on important issues like anti-terrorists and drugs. Basically, we do what we have to, to fight the bad guys.’

‘Oh.’ It was something she could see Ryan doing easily. He fitted that mould perfectly. A thought came to her. ‘And you are telling me this because…?’

‘Because I want, I mean, we want you to join us as an operative. Like me.’

‘Okay. But why me?’

Ryan laughed, his deep chuckle making her smile. ‘Most people are shocked to find out about this and the first thing you want to know is “why you”. Jaz, you are one-of-a-kind. We try to recruit kids with some talent, say the fencing competition for example, and then we train them further on other skills…but you can already fight, you’ve already held a weapon. At first, I didn’t want to see it. I don’t like to recruit women but you just kept amazing me and in the end I couldn’t deny you as a possibility to join. Don’t you see how far out in front you are already? Hell, they recruited me with much less. I went away on the weekend to get approval to speak to you. With the information I brought them there was no hesitation. Jaz, MTG wants to recruit you.’

‘So, what, be a secret spy like you?’ Jaz asked.

‘I guess so, that’s one way of looking at it.’

‘What would I do?’

‘Well first off we train you. But seeing as you are competent in most areas you will pass your assessment sooner, therefore being allowed on duty. You will be trained in surveillance, tracking, codes, weapons and many other things to help you finish certain operations. Some undercover work, as we try to gain information. Things like that.’

Jaz drank in his words. If she didn’t know Ryan she’d think he’d be making all this up and would laugh. But seeing the way he was at the nightclub and how he saved her from the attackers, his hidden tattoos and the pain she saw in his eyes, well it all fitted perfectly.

‘Were you recruited this way?’ she asked.

Ryan nodded. ‘I went when I was sixteen. My uncle recruited me.’

‘Your uncle? Did you know?’ She stopped walking to face him.

‘No, I didn’t know about Uncle Tim. And now my family doesn’t know about either of us.’

‘Really? What is it they think you do?’

‘They know I work as a bouncer, but MTG has a business front of a few faces. Bodyguards, consultants, you name it, whatever fits. It’s amazing how as long as you’re happy they don’t question your lifestyle. And when I go overseas for missions I just pretend I’ve been backpacking around.’

‘I don’t know if I could keep that a secret from everyone.’ Jaz played with the hem of her tartan skirt. ‘That’s a lot of lying to people you love.’

Jaz regretted her words when Ryan winced. She saw the scars of those lies within him.

‘Well you have to, to keep them protected. Believe me it’s easier than you think. A lot of the blokes are married with kids and their families don’t know.’

‘Really? Wow, it’s just a lot to take in, you know.’

Ryan reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. ‘Yep. I do know.’

‘So I would be working with you guys to help bring down drug cartels and stuff?’

‘More or less. You could just be following people, retrieving information that other operatives have collected and small things like that. Because you are young you have a great cover as no one would pick up on it, and especially being a pretty girl.’

Jaz felt a blush burn her cheeks.

‘But you really think I could do this?’

‘I think you are a person who doesn’t belong in a material world. I think you want to make a difference and it’s not everyday you see a girl take on five blokes and sit through stitches.’

He smiled and Jaz was struck with how handsome he was. With his short clipped hair and stubble he was a Stephen Amell lookalike. Arrow was one of her favourite TV shows and she could see Ryan stand in for the role of Oliver Queen any day.