by Anna Hackett
“You have an address?” Seth asked.
Brooks shook his head. “Not yet.”
A bunch of email text appeared on the screens, and January leaned against the bench to study them.
“Andelman took some small, early payments.”
“Luring him in.” Seth crossed his arms. “Start small, prove themselves to him.”
“Ahh…” Brooks fidgeted.
“Brooks?” Lachlan frowned at the man.
Another email appeared on the screen, and January saw her name mentioned in the text. She straightened, and felt the vibe in the room change.
Another email appeared, and her name was in there, too.
Brooks shot her a careful look. “The Knights say they contacted Andelman and January.”
“That isn’t true.” She laughed, but it was halfhearted. “I never had any emails from them. I’d never even heard of them before the jungle.”
“They say they paid you money to bring them the spheres,” Brooks said.
She couldn’t believe this. “That’s ludicrous! You can check my account.”
She looked around, feeling the chill in the air. Goose bumps broke out on her skin. She looked at Seth, and saw something working in his eyes.
“Seth—”
“I did check.” Brooks pushed his glasses farther up on his nose. “You received a large transfer into your account.”
She went stiff as a board. “What? I never received any money.”
She looked at Seth again. What she saw on his face made her feel like he’d punched her. His face was completely closed down, his eyes devoid of any emotion, and his jaw tight.
“Seth, this is bullshit. You know me.” She looked around at the bunch of serious faces. “You all know me.” God, she hated being forced to defend herself. She felt chilled to the bone. “I am not involved. They shot down my plane, for God’s sake.”
“Is there any chance the emails have been tampered with?” Lachlan asked.
She was glad to hear Lachlan ask the question. She just wished it had been Seth.
“I’ve checked.” Brooks sounded like he was sorry. “They look legit.”
“No way January would be involved with this,” Blair said.
January felt a tiny spurt of relief.
“We can’t take any chances.” Lachlan’s golden eyes were intense. “We need to check this out.”
The relief evaporated.
She looked back to the man who’d held her tight all night, who’d touched her, who she’d shared her darkest secrets with. “Seth—”
“You’ll be confined to quarters until we sort this out.” His tone was ice cold.
January’s heart cracked. “You don’t believe me.”
God. She’d forgotten. For a little while, she’d forgotten that good things weren’t forever. The things you loved most always disappeared. Besides, Seth had never opened up to her. He’d shared his body, but not his secrets. He’d never trusted her.
“I’ll escort you to your quarters.” Seth moved to take her arm.
She jerked away and wrapped her arms around her middle. “Fine. Whatever.”
Air hissed out of Seth as he did another set of chin-ups in the base gym. He was soaked with sweat, but he kept moving. Up, down, up, down.
He kept seeing January’s name in those damning emails.
Shit. He’d been blindsided by this. Unable to sort through the chaos in his head, he’d come to the gym. He’d already run ten miles, and hit the punching bag until it split.
He didn’t want to believe the worst. He pictured January naked in his bed. Smiling at him. Her talking about her past, her mom. He’d sent the pictures from his camera to his phone. The pictures of her in no more than his shirt, smiling at him.
And then he’d seen those fucking emails.
He knew. He knew people were rarely what they seemed. They could smile, go faithfully to church, and then turn around and murder the people they cared for the most. They could work at your side for years, then betray you to the enemy.
But his damn gut wanted to believe January was innocent, even when his head was telling him to assess the facts and remember the past.
He saw another image—January’s face as he’d escorted her back to her quarters.
She’d shut down. All the life in her gone.
He’d hated that.
Shit, why would she sell out her dig? His gut churned. It didn’t make any sense.
“Seth.”
Lachlan stood in front of him. Seth didn’t pause his chin-ups.
“You okay?” his friend asked.
“No.”
“I have Brooks checking to see if the emails are fake—”
“You should have him focused on finding the cell in California.”
Lachlan released a breath. “I know you feel something for January, and if you want to talk about—”
“No.” Seth knew his voice was sharp.
“She looked pretty cut up.”
“Seen lots of good actors, Lachlan. Especially when their asses are on the line.”
Lachlan tilted his head. “You really think that? That she’s playing us?”
Seth dropped down from the bar then spun and kicked a workout bench. It flew across the gym.
“No, dammit. I don’t think she’s guilty. But I can’t let personal feelings cloud my judgment.” He met Lachlan’s gaze. “We have a job to do. An important one.” He thrust his hands in his hair. “Fuck!”
“You let her in,” Lachlan said quietly. “You care about her.”
Seth pressed a hand to the back of his neck, hating that this hurt so much.
“Does this make any sense to you?” Lachlan continued. “January, of all people, taking money and selling artifacts?”
No. “People do fucked-up things all the time.”
“I’m not talking about spies or traitors, Lynch.”
Seth dropped his hand. “No, it doesn’t make any sense.” He wanted to believe. He wanted to shout to the world that she was innocent. But he’d felt this way before, defending the agent who’d sold him out, right up until his captors had shoved a knife through his cheek, his arm, and his chest.
“You’ve been getting to know January,” Lachlan said. “You need some trust, Seth. I know you trusted the wrong people in the past, but you’ve got good instincts.”
Seth gritted his teeth.
Lachlan’s eyes narrowed. “You know her.”
Seth blew out a breath. “She wouldn’t do this.” The words burst out of him and instantly the horrible pressure in his chest eased. January was life, enthusiasm, and energy. She wasn’t shady deals and selling out what she was passionate about. “She wouldn’t sell out. One, because she loves her work. And two, because of what drives her.” Seth thought of her mother.
The gym doors slammed open and Brooks hurried in.
Seth went stiff. “Did you find tampering in the emails?”
“Nope,” Brooks answered. “But the money went into a new bank account in January’s name. Opened two days before the plane crash.”
Seth lifted his chin. “Where was the account opened?”
“In Los Angeles. In person.”
Seth felt a chill run down his spine, and heard Lachlan curse. “And January was in Guatemala then.”
He hadn’t believed her. In his heart, yes, but not out loud when she’d needed him. Not when she’d told him point-blank that she’d had nothing to do with it.
He hurried out of the gym, striding down the hall.
“Seth—” Lachlan called after him.
“I didn’t trust her, Lachlan. She’s been through shit before, and I left her alone to deal with this. I—” Dammit. He’d apologize. He’d beg and grovel. Whatever he had to do to make it up to her.
He reached her quarters and pounded on the door.
There was no answer.
“January? Open up.”
Still no answer. He expected the door to wrench open and for her to come
out with guns blazing. But he remembered her pale, hurt face.
Screw this. Seth stepped back and then kicked down the door.
“Hell.” Axel’s voice.
The man was standing in the hall watching Seth, Lachlan coming up behind him.
“We having a party?” Axel asked.
“No,” Seth barked.
“Seth is extracting his head from his ass,” Lachlan said.
Ignoring his friends, Seth entered January’s quarters. He looked around, but he knew she wasn’t there.
“Empty,” he said.
“Shit,” Lachlan muttered.
Seth moved to the phone, snatched it up, and hit Brooks’ line. “Brooks, you know where January is?”
“Confined to quarters,” Brooks said. “Hey, I found it. Whoever the hell did it was good.”
“Found what?”
“The emails are fake. They were inserted into Josh’s inbox at a later date.” Brooks cleared his throat. “You’re going to have to grovel to get her to forgive you.”
“I will do that as soon as I find her. January’s not in her quarters.”
“What?”
“She’s gone.”
Brooks swore. “Hang on. Searching the security footage now.”
Seth slammed the phone down and strode down the corridor, flanked by Lachlan and Axel.
“You’re going to need some charming footwork, amigo,” Axel said.
Seth nodded sharply. That wasn’t his top priority. First, Seth just wanted to make sure that she was okay.
Blair appeared, shaking her head at Seth. “You messed up, my friend.”
“I fucked up. Big time. I know.” He growled. “Now I need to fix it, but I can’t find her.”
Blair’s eyes widened. “What?”
Panic slid into Seth’s veins. He knew she’d fight him, and he deserved it, but right now, he had to find her.
He heard running footsteps from behind and spun. Brooks powered down the hall, tablet in hand.
“We have a problem,” Brooks said.
“What?” Seth demanded.
“January is gone.”
“Gone?” Seth bit out.
Lachlan crossed his arms. “We’re in a secure fucking base, she can’t be gone.”
“And January is a smart, resourceful woman,” Brooks said. “She lifted a key card from a guard. She got out, and somehow made it to the front gate.”
Brooks tilted his tablet and it showed an image of January glancing over her shoulder as she exited the front gate of Area 52.
“Dammit to hell.” Seth turned and punched the wall.
Brooks frowned. “Where do you think—?”
Seth clenched his fists. “The little fool is going to clear her name. She’s going to try and get the sphere back.”
There were gasps and curses all around.
January was going to put herself in danger, and it was all his fault.
Chapter Fifteen
January felt sand get in her socks and sighed. She continued to put one foot in front of the other, walking along the dusty edge of the highway. The very empty highway. Since she’d started walking, there’d been no cars on this lonely stretch of road.
She lifted her head, pulling in a lungful of hot, dry, desert air. That’s all there was around—desert. The landscape was flat, beige sand with the odd sagebrush, and mountains in the distance.
As she walked, she felt horribly alone. Memories of another highway she’d been left on tried to crowd into her head, but she straightened her shoulders. The past was the past, and she had bigger problems to worry about.
She’d been accused of treason. Of selling out her work and colluding with ecoterrorists.
Seth had believed the lies.
Tears pricked at her eyes, and she ruthlessly fought them back. Oh, no. She was not thinking about Seth Lynch.
Ever.
January sniffed, her throat tight. Minutes ticked by, beads of sweat sliding between her shoulder blades.
Her plan was to get herself to Los Angeles. She had a damn artifact to rescue.
The rumble of a car’s engine came from behind her. She turned, her muscles tensing. She half expected to see a military vehicle from Area 52 bearing down on her.
Instead, it was a beaten-up, white station wagon. She waved and stuck her thumb out.
The car slowed down and pulled to a stop in front of her in a cloud of dust. The back of the vehicle was packed full of junk. She made out some camping gear, boxes, blankets, other things she couldn’t identify. Her gaze fell on the stickers plastered over the side window. All of them featured flying saucers or alien heads.
UFO Hunter
Area 51 Patrol
I want to believe
UFO Chase Vehicle
Hmm. She leaned down to look through the windows and studied the three men inside…okay, men was stretching it. They didn’t look like they were much over twenty, so maybe man-boys was more appropriate.
The trio had “geek-boy nerd” stamped all over them. And not in the hot, sexy way Brooks did, more of a sweet, earnest way.
The young man behind the wheel was wearing thick-framed glasses, and had a mop of curly, blond hair. The one lounging in the back seat looked like he was all arms and legs, and had brown hair and cheeks pitted with acne scars. The one in the passenger seat had black hair that framed a face that was damn near close to pretty, with large, blue eyes and long eyelashes January would kill for.
“Hi, guys” she said.
The one in the passenger seat nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Hi.”
“Can I get a ride?” she asked.
“Sure, sure.” The young man in the back pushed open the door, almost tripping over himself to let her in. Several empty soda cans and candy wrappers fell out.
“I’m Calvin.” He scrambled to grab the trash and scooted back across the seat.
“Hi, Calvin.” She climbed in and a funky smell hit her. Lucky she was used to rough, dirty archeological digs. She smiled brightly.
The driver swiveled to look back, peering through his glasses. He had pretty brown eyes.
“I’m Artie.” Then he pointed a finger to the passenger. “And that’s Sammy.”
Sammy looked back. Yep, definitely the face of an angel. When he filled out some more, he’d be a heartbreaker.
“Hi, guys. I’m January.”
Artie gripped the wheel and pulled back out onto the road.
“Where are you headed?” Artie asked.
“Wherever. I’m actually trying to get to Los Angeles.” She had an artifact to find and bad guys to stop. “What are you guys doing out here?”
“We’re on vacation,” Artie said.
“Best time of the year to spot activity around Area 51,” Calvin added.
January raised her brows. “Activity?”
“Unidentified flying activity.”
She glanced at the stickers on the windows. “You guys are UFO hunters?”
They all nodded.
“We’re all studying astrophysics at college,” Calvin said. “On our vacations, we come out here, camp, stargaze, and try to record potential alien or suspicious military activity.”
“A-ha,” she murmured.
Artie looked at her in the rear-view mirror. “What are you doing here? There isn’t much out here.”
“Escaping from a top-secret military base.” She winked.
The young men all stared at her for a beat, then they all burst into laughter. January smiled.
“So, have you spotted any UFOs this trip?” she asked.
That was apparently all the young men needed. They launched into a blow-by-blow description of what they’d been doing, what they’d spotted, and then segued into all their theories on the alien wreckage and bodies they believed were being kept at Area 51.
“We’ve also been recording any potential experimental aircraft we see,” Sammy said.
“Aircraft made from secret alien technology,” Calvin added.
January smiled at them. “Right.” Or by a genius tech guru, from ancient technology.
“What do you do?” Sammy asked.
“I’m an archeologist.”
“Cool,” Artie breathed. “I plan to take a few archeology classes when I get back to school.”
She saw Sammy eyeing her with a serious look.
“Why are you really here, January?” he asked.
She sighed. “It’s a long story, Sammy.”
Calvin touched her arm gently. “I’m sorry.”
She raised a brow. “About what?”
“I can see you’re hurting.”
Her nose tingled. God save her from perceptive, sensitive geeks.
“Quit hitting on January, Cal,” Artie said. “She’s waaaay out of your league. Plus, she’ll absolutely have a boyfriend.” His gaze met hers in the rearview mirror. “You have one, right?”
“That’s another long story,” she told him.
The three man-boys sighed.
“I bet he’s a rich, good-looking badass,” Cal said.
Seth’s image formed in front of her eyes. “Um—”
Another set of gusty sighs.
“So,” Artie said. “The activity hasn’t quite been what we’d been hoping for. We wouldn’t mind driving to California. Right, guys?”
Their chorus of yeses made January feel warm inside. “Thanks, guys. I’ve had a few rough days, so that’s really kind of you.”
“Because of your badass boyfriend?” Sammy asked.
She sighed. “Because of a badass asshole.”
Suddenly, there was a rush of noise overhead and dust kicked up around the car.
The men and January leaned forward. A black helicopter swept past them.
“Holy frelling frak,” Artie breathed.
“It’s some sort of stealth helicopter,” Cal said, gripping the back of Artie’s seat.
The helicopter spun in mid-air to face them, and January’s heart sank. Oh, no.
“That badass boyfriend of yours, is he a pilot?” Sammy asked.
“Maybe,” she said.
Then the guns mounted on either side of the helicopter swung in their direction. January tensed. What the hell?
Artie’s hands clenched on the wheel. “Oh, shit—”