by Toni Leland
Howard sat quietly, gazing into his glass. Before she could lose courage, Jess set her own glass down, and reached for his hand. The warmth of his skin sent a shiver of surprise through her thoughts. His fingers twined through hers and squeezed gently. Their eyes met, and for an instant, Jess saw answers to all her questions. Good answers. The answers she wanted to see.
She leaned into the circle of his arms. At first tentative, then bolder, Howard’s lips caressed hers, jolting her emotions into full throttle. Joy and longing filled her and she kissed him back with every whisper of desire in her body.
A moment later, he slowly pulled back and stroked her hair. “Ahh, Jessie, what a mess.”
She searched his face. “What do you mean?”
He grinned sheepishly. “I’ve broken one of my own rules. Never get involved with a client.”
“I wasn’t your client!”
A deep chuckle rumbled through his chest. “I know–I got it bass-ackwards.” He stroked her shoulder. “We’ll get through this, I promise.”
There was her answer–now, what could she do about it? Geography would definitely be a problem. She smiled. Getting a little ahead of myself.
“Another joke you don’t want to share?”
She slipped a hand into his, feeling comfortable and normal for the first time in a long while.
“Maybe later. . .” She tilted her head and met his ever-startling blue gaze. “I know almost nothing about you. You’re such a master at focusing all conversations on me.”
A chuckle. “Lawyer ploys. Tricks of the trade.”
“Okay, so now I’m cross-examining. When did you retire? Why so early?”
“Whoa! You sound like one of the feebs.”
She affected a serious scowl. “Just stick to the facts, Mr. London.”
“I left the practice exactly four years ago this November.” He shook his head and his voice softened. “Someone was looking out for me. Our offices were next to the Trade Towers.”
“Oh, my God! Did you have partners? I mean–?”
He nodded. “Two. They were both at a convention in Miami when the attack came. But a paralegal and the secretary were there.”
Jess’s heart hammered so heavily against her ribs she couldn’t ask the question hovering on her lips.
Howard exhaled softly. “They were both badly injured.”
“I’m so sorry. . .I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s one of those things every New Yorker carries with him in every fiber. The memory will never go away, but time takes the edge off the pain.” He slipped his hand out of hers, rose, and began to pace. “Every time I visit The City, I feel so out of place. Every cab driver, newsboy, hotdog vendor seems to be a dark foreigner. Are they friend or foe? I watch the throngs of people flowing up and down the sidewalks, inhabitants of a city deeply scarred with pain, citizens who’ve resumed their former lives, but with broken hearts.” He stopped and looked down at her. “I can’t even look at the skyline, knowing what I won’t see.”
Viewing his open wound, Jess felt the tears gathering. “Being in the middle of this mess must be very hard for you.”
“No, not at all. I’ll do anything I can to help bring America’s nightmare to an end.”
Chapter 34
Jess’s eyes burned with lack of sleep. She’d lain awake most of the night, listening to the ticking clock and the quiet sounds of the house, the day’s script playing over and over in her head. The revelation of Howard’s personal pain marred the brief joy of knowing his feelings for her.
She rose to face a day that promised who-knew-what. She planned to spend the morning finalizing arrangements with the suppliers for the show, maybe go riding in the afternoon. While the coffee brewed, she gazed out the window at the faint pink glow silhouetting the trees on the eastern horizon. Her thoughts again turned to Howard. Long ago, she’d stowed her romantic dreams where they couldn’t cause her any pain. He’d set them free with his touch, and she felt young and eager again. When the nightmare was over, she vowed to open herself to those feelings.
Mona phoned a few minutes later. “Hafez is looking for you.”
“Tell him I’ll be over in a minute.”
A cold sensation oozed into her gut. What was so important it couldn’t wait another hour? She grabbed a mug of coffee, and set off toward the barn.
Hafez met her at the door. “Ah, good morning, Miss. Is a beautiful day, no?”
She struggled not to react negatively to the sudden familiarity from a man who seldom acknowledged her existence. “Yes–Mona said you needed something?”
Dark eyes flashed. “Please, we need to travel to New Jersey today. Our college records are complete, and we must pick them up.”
Jess frowned. “Can’t the college mail them?”
An embarrassed smile softened the man’s sharp features. “Ah, yes, but we owe some money first.”
Jess thought for a minute. Sounds like bull to me.
“How long will you be gone?”
“Only until tomorrow morning. Insha’Allaah.”
“Let me check with Mona and see if she’s willing to cover stalls for you.”
Hafez bowed. “Shukran.”
Jess walked down the aisle, her head spinning with possibilities. What if they were planning to simply disappear? If they got away, the specter of another attack would shadow her forever.
Mona stood just inside the office door. “What’d he want?”
As Jess related the request, a wicked smile spread over Mona’s features, and her voice dropped to a whisper.
“Sure, I’ll cover for ’em.”
Jess lowered her own voice, glancing at the open office door. “Aren’t you worried they’re going to do something bad?”
“Jess, these guys are all bugs under a microscope. They can’t even take a whiz without us knowing it.”
Mona headed into the aisle, and Jess watched her confident stride, slightly annoyed at the cocky attitude.
I sure as hell hope so.
Within half an hour, Jess watched from her living room window as the van turned onto the highway. She felt something akin to relief, but wasn’t sure why.
Howard arrived shortly after nine, looking rested and optimistic. He tossed a white paper bag onto the breakfast bar and pulled out a stool.
“Bagels and cream cheese, my passion.” He grinned. “Just try finding that in the backwoods of Idaho.”
She loved the way he looked, sitting there in her kitchen. She set a mug of coffee in front of him, then leaned on the counter.
“What’s the plan, Counselor?”
“We’re going to be as friendly and cooperative as can be. Help them follow the trail of breadcrumbs and make their case.”
She hesitated. “Being friendly to Agent Kerr might be a bit of a stretch.”
Howard glanced up, a frown knitting his eyebrows. “He has the memory of an elephant, and an ego to match.”
“What happened between you two?”
“About ten years ago, an FBI team botched a stakeout, and my client was killed. She was supposed to be fully protected.”
He fell silent. The memory obviously still disturbed him. “I raised a stink and took it all the way to the agency director. Kerr was the team leader, and he caught all the bad press.”
Jess thought about the current scenario and wondered if the conflict would cause problems.
Howard gave her a serious look. “I want you to put everything out of your mind, except things that pertain to the Arabs. Think back, try to remember everything that happened, whether you think it’s important or not.”
Just then, Faith came through the back door, her features relaxed, her eyes alert. “Did I miss anything?”
Howard brought her up to speed on the plan, and Jess slipped down the hall to her room to put on some shoes. Five minutes later, she heard the doorbell and, when she returned to the living room, Kerr and Peterson were sipping coffee from insulated cups.
Peters
on smiled. “Morning. Were you able to get some rest?”
“A little.” She glanced around. “Where’s Mona?”
“Cleaning stalls–doesn’t want to get fired.”
His relaxed, friendly manner put Jess at ease, and she chuckled. She glanced at Howard and saw the warning in his eyes. Right. Don’t stumble into stupidity.
Kerr took out his notebook and wrote something across the top. Howard cleared his throat and opened the conversation.
“Are we all on the same side this morning?”
Peterson nodded. “Yes, of course.” He looked down at his own notes. “We were discussing Jessica’s gambling.”
Howard broke in. “Hold on. You were also implying that my client has something to hide. Let’s clarify the situation before we go any further.”
Kerr broke in. “Give it a rest, London. We’re after the terrorists, not the lady in distress.”
Peterson looked first at Jess, then Faith. “I repeat–neither of you are suspects in this case. Understand?”
Howard cleared his throat. “Thank you. Now, do you have any idea why Mahfood chose this place?”
“We know he was shopping for a rural property. He visited a couple of farms up in the Bristol area, but he concentrated on run-down places–nothing as fancy as this.” Peterson looked directly at Jess. “We also know he tried to buy off your landlord.”
Jess was stunned. No wonder Frank suddenly got pushy.
“We think Mahfood was trying to set up a safe house at that point. Jess stumbled right into his plans, and he used her.”
Before Peterson could continue, Howard asked for a minute to confer with his clients. Kerr pulled out his cigarettes and headed for the porch, and Howard motioned the girls toward the bedroom.
He closed the door and faced them. “Okay, I think we’re on solid ground now, but don’t let your guard down. Even though they appear to be focused on the gang, they’re still observing you.”
Faith spoke for the first time. “What if the A-Rabs do something terrible to us before the FBI catches them?”
“I don’t think that’ll happen. They’re obviously being watched every minute.”
Until that moment, Jess hadn’t considered the physical danger that might accompany their involvement with Samir. All her courage evaporated. Not only had she screwed up the life she and Faith had built, she’d put them both in harm’s way, as well.
Mona had joined the group and, from the dark scowl on her face, didn’t like what Kerr was saying to her. When Jess appeared, the two agents abruptly stopped talking.
Peterson consulted his notes. “Did either of you ever see Hafez or Mustafa with a computer?”
Jess frowned. “Once I caught Mustafa fooling with the one in my office, and gave him hell. He said he was getting some information from the college they attended.”
She immediately noticed Howard’s frown, and realized she’d forgotten to mention the incident. It hadn’t seemed important at the time, other than being an irritation.
Howard cleared his throat. “Agent Peterson, are these men college students?”
The agent snorted. “On paper. Like so many of the terrorist suspects, they registered at a college, but never attended any classes. Foreign nationals used to be able to easily enter the U.S. on a temporary student visa. Then, they’d just disappear. Thousands of foreign students entered the country before 9/11. We’ve been sifting through them for years.”
Jess’s confusion grew. “But the nephews just left this morning to pick up their college records in New Jersey.” She shook her head. “Neither one of them appear to me to be college material.”
Kerr barked a derisive laugh. “You think all these guys are just peasants sitting around reading the Kor-an? Think again. Some of them have advanced training in computer science, and are right up there with the best of our intelligence officers.”
Jess’s brain began to numb with the overload of frightening information being forced through it. How could these vicious people have infiltrated her life so easily? Why hadn’t she seen it happening? The answers to those questions filled her with despair.
Peterson stood up. “Jess, we need to take a look at your computer. The hard drive will disclose al-Ani’s search history. We’ll get a tech over here right away.”
Mona spoke for the first time since she’d arrived.
“The boys seem a little subdued this morning. I’m worried they might be getting ready to slip away. The weapons are still in the loft, but the money’s gone.”
Howard’s tone tensed. “Could you elaborate?”
Mona hesitated, glancing quickly at the other two agents before answering. “I found a large amount of cash buried behind the hay the first time I went up there to look around.” She shook her head, her tone disgusted. “But it looks like they’ve already channeled the money to wherever it was headed.”
Mona’s features tightened as she related the details. Obviously, she was distressed by her failure to secure such critical evidence. Jess recalled the fervor with which Mona had defended her goal of tracking down terrorists, and a small wave of sympathy pervaded her own thoughts.
“Maybe that’s where they’re headed right now. If your guys are following them–”
Kerr interrupted. “The situation is under control. Now, everyone needs to get back to work, business as usual. Mona, you coordinate with the computer lab when they arrive.” He turned to Faith. “You go ahead with your lessons, and whatever else you do.”
Jess interrupted. “What’re you going to do with my computer? The entire business is on that machine.”
“The tech will clone the system onto another hard drive. Your data won’t be harmed.”
Howard closed his notebook. “I’d like to stay involved in the plans, Agent Peterson.”
“No problem. Just stay out of the way, and don’t go near the suspects.”
Jess trailed Mona across the grass toward the barn, an unsettling cloud hovering over her thoughts. So many things could go wrong before this was over.
As she entered the barn, a loud, indignant whinny echoed through the rafters and she grinned. Her old friend felt neglected. Slipping into the dim, cozy stall, Jess left the frightening outside world behind.
“Hey, Casey, how’s my girl?”
She stroked the soft red-brown coat, and felt the magic flow through her, calming her thoughts, slowing her heartbeat. The mare’s velvet muzzle poked inquisitively around Jess’s body, tweaking her shirt, nudging her arm.
“Sorry, baby. I haven’t been to the feed room yet, but I’ll come back.”
As she headed down the aisle, a car passed by the barn door, then Mona emerged from the feed room.
“Computer geek’s here.”
Minutes later, Jess shook hands with a tall, gorgeous, redheaded woman.
Mona grinned. “Sarah here is our expert on data retrieval. She can squeeze information out of thin air.”
Sarah had a warm, throaty voice, and a great smile. She slipped into Jess’s chair and got down to the business of shutting down the computer. Jess suddenly felt dowdy and awkward, and found herself wondering what Howard would think of this charming creature.
Watching the deadly serious work taking place in her personal space, she suddenly wanted to get away, ride through the woods, smell the fresh air, hear the birds, feel horseflesh beneath her legs. The impact of the situation bombarded her and, for an instant, she wanted to run. Hide. Leave the country, leave the terror behind.
Her shoulders sagged and she turned to Mona. “How long do you think it will be before you can arrest these guys?”
“If we catch any kind of break, it’ll be soon. ’Til then, we just have to keep digging.”
Chapter 35
Around one o’clock, Zada’s Lexus pulled up in front of the barn, Dania hopped out, and the car pulled into a parking spot. Jess sighed and turned from the window to paste on a friendly smile she didn’t feel.
“Good afternoon, Zada. Is Dania excit
ed about the show on Saturday?”
The woman’s tone was cool. “Yes, she wants to have a perfect ride for her Papa. Insha’Allaah.”
Jess thought her attitude a little odd. “I’m sure she will. Her natural talent is a gift few riders have, especially at such a young age. We both think she’s national champion material. Faith wants her to come twice a week for lessons, through the winter.”
Zada said nothing, but her features did soften a little with the praise.
Jess continued. “Buster is an excellent mount, but she needs a lot more experience on him before show season next spring. And she needs a good performance saddle. Our schooling tack is okay for practice, but she should have her own equipment if she’s going to show seriously.”
Zada fiddled with the edges of her pale blue hijaab, and Jess tried to assess the body language. Did Zada know anything about her husband’s activities? Not likely, if he’s as clever as everyone thinks.
Jess pushed a little harder. “If you’d like, I can take Dania to Enfield next week, and help her pick out some suitable tack.”
“That will not be necessary. We are leav–. Miss Rayder, Dania’s last ride will be on Saturday.”
“Oh, my! Is something wrong? Are you unhappy with us for some reason?”
Zada’s eyes glowed with condescension. “There are more important things than worldly pleasures. Dania must learn that her own desires are to be put aside. There is no room for sentimental possessions. She must prepare to be a wife and mother, to follow the will of Allaah.”
“Good grief, Zada, she’s only twelve! Why should she think about those things now?”
Zada’s stature seemed to grow taller than her diminutive five feet. Displeasure and scorn settled over her elegant features, and echoed in her speech.
“You Americans will never understand. The will of Allaah is all that matters. Righteous women will be devoutly obedient, and marriage is the way to discourage immorality. It is written in the Holy Qur’an.”
Jess grappled with the nasty retorts raging through her mind. She’d gain nothing by having an argument with the woman. Whether Jess agreed or not, she had to accept that Zada’s cultural ideals were ingrained, a history and pattern spanning thousands of years.