The Value Of Valor - KJ3

by Lynn Ames

  No, I’m quite alive for the moment, though I won’t be for long unless I can disappear.”

  “Disappear? What’s going on?” Barbara knew she shouldn’t ask—

  knew that she should warn Kate in case anyone had tapped Peter’s line, but she couldn’t help herself.

  “I can’t explain it right now. Suffice it to say I don’t know who to trust anymore and I need to find someplace safe to hide.”

  “Where are you?”

  Kate considered for a moment. She wanted to tell her good friend the whole story. Just hearing a friendly voice made her want to weep. But she also didn’t want to place Barbara in any jeopardy. “I think the less you know, the better. Where’s Peter?”

  “Out trying to find you.”

  “Any idea where he’s looking?”

  “No. He asked me to come down and look after Fred for a while.”

  Despite the dire nature of the situation, Kate smiled. She always knew she could count on her friends, especially Peter, when it came to Fred.

  “I’m glad you’re there.”

  “Do you have any money?” Barbara asked.

  The Value of Valor

  “Only about one hundred thirty cash and my credit cards. I don’t want to use the cards because they’re traceable.”

  “Who is chasing you? And why are they lying about your death?”

  “They have to explain my absence somehow, friend.” She could almost hear Barbara processing the information on the other end.

  “How is Peter going to find you?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “He said he would call me with an update.”

  “Okay.” Kate thought for a minute. She had joked with Peter before about wanting to move to Arizona, but he had said it was too hot. She had responded that it was hot, but it was a “dry” heat. He had replied that it was—but so was sticking your head in an oven. She knew he would remember. “When he does, tell him you’re thinking about taking a vacation someplace hot and dry.”

  “Hot and dry?”

  “Right.”

  “Got it. Kate?”

  “Hmm?”

  “When will I hear from you again?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  “Be careful out there, honey.”

  “I’m trying. Give…give Fred a scratch for me, okay?”

  “You bet. A big hug.”

  Kate hung up, wishing with all her heart that she could just go home.

  Instead she rested her forehead against the cool surface of the stall door, trying to figure out what to do next.

  Barbara had just hung up the phone when it rang again. “Hello?”

  “It’s Peter.”

  “Hey.”

  “I saw the news.” His voice was grim.

  “Don’t believe everything you see.”

  “Of course not.”

  “You had a call.” Barbara thought about telling Peter that she had thrown caution to the wind in her non-cryptic conversation with Kate, but she wasn’t in the mood for the tongue-lashing that would no doubt elicit.

  “When?”

  “Just now. It was very brief.”

  “Schedule must be a bit tight, eh?”

  “Sounded that way. Speaking of schedules, have I told you that I was thinking about taking a vacation somewhere hot and dry?”

  After several seconds of silence on the line, Peter said, “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  Lynn Ames

  “That’s an interesting choice.”

  “You know, when you’re really low on cash, what could be nicer?”

  “You have a point.”

  In an effort to ensure that Peter understood what she was telling him, Barbara added, “I’m thinking it will be a very short break, though.”

  After a second, Peter asked, “When’s Kate’s funeral?”

  “I think they’ve scheduled it for the day after tomorrow. Will you be here?”

  “Miss my best friend’s funeral? Never. I’ll be there.”

  “Anything I can do for you in your mourning?”

  “Take care of the boy.”

  “Done. Any messages for anyone?”

  “Just let folks know that I’ll be out of town until the funeral.”

  “Okay.”

  His eyelids fluttered open, and he blinked several times trying to clear his vision. The room was dark and eerily quiet. Where was he? What had happened? The last thing he remembered was being in the middle of his remarks at the National Press Club, then the whole world had gone black.

  President Hyland tried to sit up. He couldn’t move. He tried to turn his head; nothing happened. He tried to speak but couldn’t. It was only then that he realized he was hooked up to a series of machines that were beeping and whirring.

  “How is the patient doing?”

  “Stable and incapacitated, as you requested.”

  The president tried to focus on the conversation taking place nearby.

  “Good. Everything is going according to plan. You’ll keep him alive and well-nourished for now. We don’t know if there are things he has set in motion that will counteract our plans. We can’t kill him until we are sure. Is he conscious?”

  “Not yet.”

  The president closed his eyes, not wanting to give himself away. The voice asking the questions sounded vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn’t place it.

  “How much longer before he wakes?”

  “It could be any time now.”

  “All right. Let’s go through this again. He will be able to comprehend speech, to hear, to see, to think, but unable to move. Correct?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And if we need information from him?”

  “We can reverse the effects of the pancuronium at any time.”

  “Good.”

  The Value of Valor

  The voices became more distant. Pancuronium? The president was no doctor, but he knew that pancuronium was a poison sometimes used in lethal injections. Why did someone want him out of the way? He fought sleep, trying to stay focused.

  The China thing. Keith. Kate. Oh, God.

  The command center was a condo in Georgetown. There were phones, maps, half-empty coffee cups, plates of food, and computers everywhere. A large diagram of the city was tacked to a wall, a map of all the transportation hubs covered a second wall, and an easel with a large pad of paper and magic markers was set up off to the side. Voices were raised in conversation, printers cranked out paper, and the Viper stood in the center, barking out orders.

  “All right. I want to know where we stand.”

  The Secret Service agent who had lost Kate at the reception rose from his chair. He was too ashamed to look the Viper in the eye, so he instead focused on the reports in his hands. “We know she made at least eight plane reservations leaving out of the three major airports and a train reservation. She also reserved a spot on the shuttle going to BWI.”

  The Viper waved his hand dismissively. “Do we really think a woman who is resourceful enough to give us the slip and smart enough to make multiple reservations is stupid enough to leave us a simple trail to follow?”

  “No, sir,” the agent answered. “So we’ve discounted BWI.”

  “Discount nothing. I’m simply telling you she didn’t take the shuttle to get there.”

  “Right.”

  “Which leaves us where?”

  “We found the cab she used to get away. The driver says he took her to the Washington Hilton to catch the shuttle. After that, her trail is cold.”

  “Cold? Cold? I don’t want to hear cold!”

  The agents in the room shrank back slightly, unnerved by the Viper’s intensity.

  “Here’s what we know,” he started pacing. “She most likely left D.C., and she didn’t do it on foot. So either she took another cab or found another means of transportation. Her car is gone, so that’s one possibility, although we’ve had a silent APB out on it ever since and haven’t found it.”r />
  “Sir?” One of the agents who’d been listening with half an ear while carrying on a phone conversation broke in. “I think we’ve got something.”

  “What is it?”

  Lynn Ames

  “A security camera at National Airport shows her checking in at the USAir ticket counter last night.”

  “Good work. How many reservations did Kyle have out of National and how many were for USAir?”

  “One—it was headed to Phoenix—a red-eye that arrived this morning at 5:23.”

  “Bingo. Let’s go get her.” The Viper’s smile was altogether sinister.

  The Value of Valor

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  eter sat in seat 12D on the 10:05 a.m. flight bound for Phoenix.

  P He selected the aisle seat because he wanted to be able to watch the other passengers embark. He paid the gate attendant to allow him to board the aircraft first, so he could see every individual’s face.

  By his calculation, Kate had a seven-hour head start on him based on the time Barbara had indicated she’d called and the fact that it was a four-hour flight. He hoped she would wait for him. He touched the pouch hidden underneath his shirt. He’d had just enough time before the flight to stop at Gustav’s for a few supplies—a false passport, driver’s license, and bogus credit cards for Kate. He’d also arranged for Gustav to put a trace on Kate’s cards so that if anyone tried to access information about her, he’d know. Peter smiled to himself; he’d always believed saving the Russian’s backside would come in handy.

  He examined every person who boarded while pretending to read the New York Times. Halfway through the boarding process, he spotted two men and a woman who stuck out like a sore thumb. He’d been hoping they’d have more lead time to formulate a plan, but it was plain that any advantage Kate had gained in making her getaway had been nearly wiped out.

  Mentally, he recalculated his strategy. He knew Kate, and they didn’t—that would work to his benefit. He tried to put himself inside her head. What would she do? Barbara said in so many words she didn’t have much cash and she didn’t plan to stay in Phoenix long. Kate was familiar with Sedona, would she go there? He didn’t think so—there weren’t enough places to hide. Because her face was so recognizable, would she try to disguise herself? Or go someplace where she could blend in?

  He tried to remember whether she knew anybody in the area, but he didn’t think she did. He imagined that Kate had considered dyeing her hair or otherwise altering her appearance and decided against it. It wasn’t that she was vain—she wasn’t. It was more that she understood that these were professionals; short of plastic surgery, the advantage to taking the time to alter her appearance would be minimal. Better to focus on staying out of sight altogether.

  Lynn Ames

  Kate would never endanger anyone else, so Peter was sure she wouldn’t ask anyone to give her shelter. No, she would most likely find someplace away from civilization to hide. He pulled out one of the maps of the area and began to study. Barbara most likely told Kate he was out looking for her; so she would probably try to wait for him as long as she thought she could. She would position herself someplace where she could see any danger coming—the top of a mountain. He smiled, remembering Kate’s description of climbing the mountain that looked like a camel. He put his finger on the map—there it was—Camelback Mountain. She would know that he would remember the story. He was glad he was in good shape.

  Terri didn’t know how long they’d been on the floor, but the sun was coming up and her joints were stiff. She was worried. Alexa—Jamison—

  hadn’t said a word beyond the phrase she kept repeating. Terri had gleaned more from the news reports on CNN than she had from the woman lying broken beside her. She wanted to apologize—wanted to tell Alexa of her grave error, but she didn’t dare for fear that it would make things worse.

  She decided to try a new tactic. She stroked Jay’s back, whispering softly in her ear, “Tell me about Katherine, Jamison. I’ve been admiring her for months on television.”

  Through the fog of her grief, Jay heard Terri’s gentle words. She tried to formulate an answer. “Kate—she’s my partner, my lover, my everything.” Jay sobbed.

  Terri hugged her tighter.

  Jay felt an uncontrollable urge to bolt. She pushed herself to her feet, throwing Terri away from her in the process. Blinded by tears, she ran out the front door without any clear idea of where she was going.

  She gulped in breaths of the cool dawn air, her pulse pounding like a time bomb in her ears. When she finally came to a halt, she found herself standing in the creek. The coldness of it seeped through the legs of her jeans and soaked her sneakers, but she barely registered the feeling.

  “Kate,” she screamed, the name echoing back at her from the canyon walls. “Kate,” she sobbed, as she squatted down, resting her forehead on her knees. “Kate,” she whispered, as her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

  Jay stumbled out of the water and leaned on a nearby rock. Its rough texture scraped against the skin on her forearms, reminding her that she was alive. Inside, she felt quite dead. Or did she? She wasn’t sure anymore. One second she hadn’t known who she was or where she belonged. In the next instant, she knew it all and lost it all.

  The Value of Valor

  “Oh, God.” She turned to the side and vomited bile, as there was nothing in her stomach to lose. How am I supposed to go on without you, Kate? Please, please tell me this is all a bad nightmare and I’m going to wake up in the morning beside you, feeling the strength and calm I always get from being near you. She closed her eyes against the emptiness that was creeping like a cold fog into her very being.

  Eventually, she noticed that she was freezing and wet. It occurred to her that Terri must be worried sick about her. She took a deep breath, trying to muster the energy to face a woman who had saved her life and offered her shelter. She deserved better than what Jay had done. She felt ashamed of herself.

  When Jay got back to the house, Terri was sitting at the kitchen table with her hands folded in her lap.

  “Hi.”

  “Hello. You’re wet.” It took every ounce of self-restraint Terri had not to run the few steps to Jay and mother her. When Jay had run out, Terri had called Andrea for advice.

  “Let her go. She’ll come back. She’s got a tremendous amount of information and emotion to process. She needs the space in which to do that.”

  “How long should I give her?”

  “At least an hour or two.”

  “Should I tell her I mistook the dead woman for her?”

  “I think you need to be truthful with her, yes. But pick your opportunity carefully. You need to be prepared for the reality that she may get very angry with you.”

  “I know; I wouldn’t blame her.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up, Terri. I jumped to the same conclusion myself. It was a terrible, tragic mistake—but that’s all it was. You would never have intentionally kept Jamison from her life or her lover.

  Somewhere inside, she’ll know that.”

  “ I hope you’re right. Thanks again, friend.”

  “You’re always welcome, Terri. I wish you’d come visit.”

  “Soon.”

  “I-I’m sorry I ran out like that.”

  “Don’t be, my child. Rediscovering your life—that would be a lot to think about under normal conditions. Add to that everything else you have to deal with, and it becomes overwhelming. I understand.”

  “You deserve better than that.”

  “All that matters to me is you, Jamison. I can’t imagine your pain, yet I wish I could take it from you. The heart is strong and yet fragile. A broken heart takes much time to mend.”

  Lynn Ames

  Jay, who had thought she had none left to give, felt the tears fall again. “I want to tell you about her—about us.”

  “And I want to hear. But not until you’ve taken a hot shower and gotten out of those wet clothes.”

 
Jay let the hot spray wash over her body. She leaned her head against the wall. Could she talk about Kate? She wasn’t sure. Maybe talking about her would make it hurt less. She knew that wasn’t true—nothing would take away the pain. But Terri deserved to know and so did Trystan.

  Jay swallowed a lump in her throat. Trystan. Over the course of her time on the reservation, she’d become very attached to her. It had hurt her when Trystan had rebuffed her the other day. She would have to see her before she went home.

  Home. Was there any home without Kate? Fred would need her. She had a job to go back to and friends who had mourned her. Kate, who had mourned her and died for her. Jay choked out a wrenching sob and pounded her fist against the wall. How could she have done that?

  Jay thought about how she felt at this very moment. She knew exactly how Kate must have felt. But to end her life? That wasn’t like Kate at all.

  Jay would go back and try to understand—try to make sense of what had happened to her lover in the last two months.

  She shut off the water, dried herself, dressed, and prepared to give something back to the women who had given her everything over the course of her stay with them and asked for nothing in return.

  She found Terri in the living room, CNN still playing in the background.

  “Do you feel better?”

  “A little.”

  “Can I get you anything?”

  “No, thanks. I want to talk to you about Kate.” Jay stumbled over the name.

  Terri took a deep breath, seemingly bracing herself for what was to come. “Before you do, I have a confession to make.”

  “What is it?” Alexa noticed Terri’s agitation and was further shocked to see tears on her lashes. She’d never seen Terri cry.

  “I don’t know if you can ever forgive me.”

  “Forgive you? For what?” Alexa asked, confused.

  “I-I made an assumption that turned out to be very wrong.”

  “We all make mistakes.”

  “You don’t understand,” Terri said, looking up at Jay with wounded eyes. “When I first heard about the accident, the death of the press secretary’s lover was all people talked about. But I was busy with your The Value of Valor