by Zoe Dawson
“I got a change when I went out for the Danish. So, let’s go clean up and we’ll get some lunch before you have to go to work.”
She lifted away from him and looked out the window. “Ugh. I hate days like this when the winds blow. I always feel…on edge and gritty by the end of the day.”
“I know exactly what you’re talking about…damn Santa Anas.”
After a shower where there was more kissing and fondling than there was washing, he stood in front of her mirror and shaved. She was doing her thing behind him.
“I like your hair,” he said, rinsing his razor in the sink as she combed out her hair.
“I cut it after my divorce.”
“It’s curlier.”
“That’s all natural.”
“You kept it so straight in Ja’arbah.”
“It’s the way Robert liked it. He said it looked perfect straight and long. When I saw him to finalize our divorce settlement, he was very disapproving. I told him that it was my hair and my life and for him to mind his own business. That felt really good.”
He scraped off the last of his whiskers. “Good for you. Sounds like he had a heavy hand in your marriage. No kids, how to wear your hair? Geez. Did he dress you, too?”
He looked up and the look on her face made him realize that Robert Webb had had control of every aspect of Jenna’s life. Pulling his gaze away from her reflection in the mirror, he turned around at her stricken and ashamed expression.
“I’m sorry. I just blundered into it like a bull in a china shop.”
“No, it’s true. He ruled like a king. I had no say, no voice, and I usually went along with it. He put me on a pedestal, said I had to be protected and cherished.” She looked up at him with sad eyes. “But that was the problem. He didn’t cherish me—he had the vision of a perfect woman in his head, and that’s what he wanted me to be. I wasn’t perfect, and after Ja’arbah, I couldn’t really pretend anymore.”
“Because of me?”
“Yes, Austin, that was part of it. I realized that if I could have those kind of feelings for you, then what foundation was my marriage based on? Simply vows. It seemed as if nothing was real, but it took me six years to get where I am now. I wasn’t ever in love with Robert. I was in love with what I thought my life would be like with him. I still have doubts and am struggling with my own voice and what I want out of life. I’m wandering a little aimlessly right now.”
“Sometimes wandering leads you right to the place you need to be.”
She nodded and rested her forearms on his shoulders. “I think I like the desperado look better than the clean-shaven special agent.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, I like you just the way you are, Jenna, curls and all.”
It was true, even back then. With her smooth, styled hair, big, cobalt blue eyes and an air of sophistication about her, she had been dressed to the nines, looking cool, composed, and aloof—until she smiled.
That’s what had knocked his socks off. The first time she smiled at him, even behind that bullet- and blast-proof glass, he’d felt as if he’d just been sniped right in the heart. He reached up and ran his hands through her hair and her eyes searched his. “We’ll be okay, Austin, whatever happens,” she said quietly. “Just one day at a time is about all I can manage.”
He nodded and just for the hell of it, ran his hand through her hair again. He couldn’t shake the sense that he was taking advantage of this situation but had to remind himself it had been her who had ambushed him with her deliciously naked body this morning. He hadn’t been able to take a breath since.
Because if he was being honest with himself, she wasn’t the only vulnerable one here and it wasn’t only her heart that was involved. It was his, too.
She leaned in, her eyes on his until the moment her mouth connected with his. She gave him a gentle, searching kiss and his arms came around her and dragged her against him as he deepened it.
Later, as the chopper lifted off from NAF, his laptop open while he worked at Sarah’s encryption app, the sun blazed in the bright blue, cloudless sky and beat down on the tan, dusty, scrubby desert below him, causing shimmering waves of heat to rise. The hills and gullies lay like enormous, heaving wrinkles in the earth’s surface, the folds held in place by the sharply defined Chocolate Mountains rising in the northwest. The relentless Santa Anas sent dust swirling and a vast cloud hung in the air, forming a golden aura that cloaked the landscape and distorted the horizon. To his left, two red-tailed hawks circled, watching for unwary prey. He tried to focus on what he was doing, but the erotic memories of his morning with Jenna kept intruding. He sat back as the pilot said over the headset, “Five minutes, sir.”
“Roger,” Austin replied over the rotor noise, frustration making him shut the laptop with force. He looked out over the expanse of San Diego, the traffic moving below him like ants on an anthill, the ocean stretching out as far as the eye could see. Winds buffeted them as the pilot navigated the helicopter to the huge, rolling and pitching carrier, his target a large round circle on the deck. As they set down, the whine of the rotor charging down, Austin slipped his laptop into the backpack. He and most agents carried them as their ready bag.
As soon as the pilot gave him the all-clear, he opened the door and saw two men waiting for him. Ducking his head, he shrugged into the backpack and walked briskly across the pitching deck.
“Good afternoon, Special Agent Beck. Welcome aboard,” the man closest to him shouted. He held out his hand and Austin shook it. “I’m Captain David Weaver, XO, and this is the CAG, Captain Gill Everson.” Austin knew that the XO, or executive officer, pretty much ran the ship, leaving the captain free to work on the tactical and logistical planning. CAG stood for carrier aviation group commander, who handled the carrier wing.
“I’m going to escort you to the bridge to have a few words with Captain Dahl, then CAG will take you to meet with Lieutenant Torres.”
“Sounds good.”
“This way,” the XO said as they headed toward the main command center, then up a set of metal ladders until they reached the interior of the ship and entered the bridge.
The captain was looking over a map in the center of the bridge. He looked up when they entered. “Agent Beck, welcome aboard.”
“Thank you, sir.” He shook Captain Dahl's hand.
“Is it true? Lieutenant Taylor has been murdered?”
“Yes, two days ago.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that news. She was a fine pilot and sailor, one of my best. We were so proud to have her rush for the Blue Angels. It’s a terrible shame she’ll never get to fly with them.”
“Yes, it is, but I’m here to hopefully find her killer.”
“Lieutenant Torres? I’m afraid you’re barking up the wrong tree there. He’s been on this ship doing maneuvers for the last two weeks. We haven’t had anyone leave this ship between our deployment and redocking.”
“Do you know the nature of their relationship?”
“Same strike fighter wing as Lieutenant Taylor, and as far as I know, they worked well together, no complaints and no problems.”
“How about Lieutenant Taylor? Did she have any enemies aboard ship?”
“No. None. She was an exemplary pilot. CAG, if you will take Agent Beck to the Ready Room.”
“Aye, sir. This way, Agent Beck.”
The CAG led him through the ship until they reached the room where pilots got prepared to fly missions. They entered a small room and the man at the table stood to attention.
“At ease.” Torres relaxed but remained standing. “This is Special Agent Beck,” he said to Torres. Then he faced Austin. “Just let me know when you’re finished.”
“Aye,” Austin said. As soon as the door closed, he indicated the chair and said, “Why don’t you have a seat?”
The man gave him a wary look and sat.
“Do you know why I’m here?” Austin asked.
Torres shook his head. “I have no idea. I was told there woul
d be an NCIS agent on board who had questions for me, but not why.”
“How well do you know Lieutenant Sarah Taylor?”
He blinked a couple of times and frowned. “Sarah and I are wingmen in the same squadron…at least we were, until she rushed the Blue Angels.” His eyes lit with pride. “She’s going to be flying with them. That’s Sarah for you.”
Austin realized two things—this kid was in love with her and he didn’t know she was dead. Suddenly this was about delivering terrible news instead of discovering information about her killer. Worst part of the damn job, and these dead ends were beginning to make him rethink this whole investigation.
Austin leaned back and composed himself. “When was the last time you talked to Sarah?”
“What makes you think I talk to her?”
“Lieutenant, she has an encryption app on her phone. I think it’s there so that the two of you can keep your relationship quiet and under wraps because you’re in the same squadron and there could be repercussions if the brass knew.”
He swallowed and his eyes shuttered. “I’m not saying anything about that. Are you here to bust us? It’s a moot point because she’s flying with the Blue Angels now.”
“We both know that doesn’t matter and your previous behavior still stands. It’s an offense against the UCMJ.”
He looked away. Torres knew they had both violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice. “You’d have to prove it, and Sarah and I aren’t going to talk.”
“I can hack the app, Lieutenant. I just haven’t had success at it just yet. But it’s only a matter of time.” The lieutenant’s mouth tightened, and he looked away. “Were you and Sarah involved?”
He huffed a breath and said, “Do I need a lawyer?”
“No, because I’m not here about your violation of the UCMJ.”
“You’re not?”
“No.”
“Why are you here?”
Austin took a breath and leaned forward. “Two days ago someone murdered Sarah.”
Torres just stared at him, then his eyes began to well up. “What? That’s not possible.” Tears spilled over and ran down his cheeks. His voice was thick and broken. “Are you sure it was Sarah?” Devastation and shock in his eyes, he bowed his head. Austin was now certain this guy had nothing to do with Sarah’s death.
Jenna hummed as she checked in the books in the return box, unable to stop smiling. So, this is happiness. She simply couldn’t wait until her shift was over and to get back to Austin. Just being with him made her happy.
Sarah’s death had brought them together and Jenna had to wonder if it was fate. Although she hadn’t really thought much about destiny, it was a cruel way to bring him back into her life. He was here and regardless of what was going on, it was a chance to see what happened between them.
A little boy walked up to the counter; he must have been about eight. “Could you help me find a book?”
“Did you have anything specific in mind?”
“One with words in it,” he said decisively.
Jenna smiled and came around the desk. “I meant more along the idea of a subject.”
“No. I just need one with words so I can learn better.”
“To read?”
“Yeah.”
“All right, come with me.” She walked into the children’s stacks and pulled out a book. “Have a seat…”
“Dustin.”
“Dustin. Very nice. I’m Jenna.” He reached out his hand, and she shook it with a chuckle. She pulled out a chair and he sat down. Settling into the small chair next to him, she set the book in front of him. It was a story about a bunch of birds who lived in a manor. They got loose and the owner had to go throughout the house to find them. Jenna loved this one and recommended it often.
She sat with him as he opened the book and looked at the first page. For the next ten minutes she read with him, helped him with the words he didn’t know. Her resentment toward Robert was now tempered after six years and so much distance between them along with the divorce. He had been completely…unemotional about the whole thing and it only made her realize how much power she’d given him in their marriage. Looking at this little boy made her only want kids even more. She was determined that would be her future.
The more he stumbled, the more frustrated he got, but she soothed him and sounded out the words with him until he had the first page down pat.
Pam, the manager and a full-time employee, called her name and Jenna looked over her shoulder toward the front desk. “I’ve got to go, Dustin, but you can come in anytime, and I’ll help you with any book you want.”
“Thanks, Miss Jenna. May I take this one home?”
“Sure. Let’s get you checked out.”
She took care of Dustin’s borrow, then said to Pam as she watched him walk out of the library, “Do you think there is a possibility that I could suggest a function each week where kids would be invited to read and there could be people on hand to help them?”
Pam sighed. “I think that’s a great idea, but with the tight budget we have, it’s probably unlikely.”
Jenna thought about Dustin and kids like him who could benefit from this type of programming and so much more, but she got it that small libraries needed funding. “How about fundraising?”
“Believe it or not, that costs money, too. Thanks for thinking about it, Jenna. It’s really appreciated. I wish you weren’t going back to DC.”
“Me, too. But with Sarah gone…”
“I understand.”
"Pam, let me donate enough funds to get you through the first year. Then we can talk after that about continuing the program. Would you be all right with that?"
"Would I! Thank you, Jenna. That is so generous of you." Pam reached out and squeezed Jenna's arm, and they got back to work. The day dwindled down, and Pam left. Jenna did some cleanup and got ready to shut down the equipment, shelved her last book, and headed toward the front desk. Just then, the lights went out.
Chapter Nine
Jenna froze in the pitch black. The only light to guide her was coming from the front bank of windows and the glass doors. Must be a power outage. Wait, if it was a power outage, the streetlights would be out as well. Jenna looked around; where was the emergency lighting that always came on when the power went out?
She heard someone at the front doors, then the rasp of something metallic. She turned back to the front and saw a big man’s silhouette. Fear washed through her, telling her to be quiet. He turned to the darkened area where she was standing. Nerves trilled at the base of her neck. Panic climbed up the back of her throat. She immediately ducked down. For a moment, her breathing harsh, she thought about what to do. Without any light, she was almost blind. Almost.
She knew this library like the back of her hand. She’d head to the rear emergency door. Not only was it a way out of here, but it would set off an alarm. She cursed. Her purse was locked in a drawer at the front desk with her phone. When she peeked up to track the progress of the man, he was already at the front desk, and she swallowed hard, her mouth dry; he had a flashlight. His search for her was menacing, without eyes or face. As her skin crawled and pebbled with goose bumps, the light flowed around the front desk, checkering the space. That route was cut off.
Her only choice was the back door.
She turned and started to crawl toward the exit, navigating the tables, chairs, stacks until she reached it. She pushed on the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge.
“Oh, God,” she whispered, her throat nearly closing on the words. “He’s locked me inside.”
The knowledge hit her like a sledgehammer, literally knocking her back into the wall. This door should have opened easily, but someone had disabled it. There was no doubt in her mind he was here to do her harm. What the hell was this about?
The sense of dread and shock seeped deep into her bones as she considered what to do next. Getting to her purse or the front door was her only hope. If he caught her… Her though
ts trailed off. He would harm her, or worse…kill her.
Like Sarah in the dark.
A flash of light appeared in the dark space near the door. He’d heard her attempt to open the door, of course, and was now headed this way, his progress slow.
Jenna slid along the wall, disappearing behind a large bookcase. At least she had the light to tell her where he might be.
She took off her shoe and with all her might threw it over the stacks, as far as she possibly could. It hit with an audible smack and the light turned away from her. Jenna let out a soft, imperceptible breath, scared even her breathing could be heard in the silent dark.
Had this been the same man who had killed Sarah? Why? What was this all about?
As she stood there, panting for breath in the cool shadows, the sounds of traffic rumbled in the background like the murmur of the waves of a distant ocean. Cold sweat trickled between her shoulder blades and tracked down her temples.
She mustered the courage to move. She couldn’t stand here like a frozen ninny. He would find her and then it would be over. But even as she started to move, she was determined that she would put up the fight of her life.
She clamped a hand over her mouth as her stomach heaved. She bent over, putting her head between her knees, and gagged as terrible images flashed behind her eyes. The memory of Sarah’s dead, cold face, her fixed, terrified gaze looking as if she’d pleaded with her murderer. Her heart thumping at the base of her throat, Jenna hardened her resolve.
She crouched down on all fours and wound her way through the stacks, always keeping her eyes on the light that was now on the other side of the library. She looked toward the front doors, illuminated by the streetlights. He would see her the moment she made a beeline for them. She would have to hope she got out and found help before he caught her. It was her only chance.
She took off her other shoe and again, with everything she had in her, she threw it to the back of the library. Her muscles bunched, waiting. The light froze then, after a soft curse in the darkness, bobbed at a pace that caused the man holding it to hit tables and chairs in his haste to find her. That gave her a great amount of satisfaction, but also sent a chill skittering along her taut nerves. He was pissed.