by Vicki Hinze
“The part-time mechanic who hired on there was a CIA operative. He observed Green and Hawkins talking. Green was upset, refusing to do something Hawkins wanted done. The operative couldn’t hear Hawkins’ comments, but on hearing them, Green turned physically ill. He was definitely shaken by the meeting, and the next morning he put the device in Laura’s car. This morning, the operative learned from Mrs. Green that Hawkins had demanded Bill bug the car. He’d threatened her life, and those of their son and his children.”
So Bill had acted against Laura out of fear, which explained why he had harangued her to get rid of the Mustang. He felt he had no choice but to do what Hawkins said, but it preyed on his mind. So he’d done what he could by strongly and repeatedly suggesting Laura get rid of the car. “Why weren’t we told?”
Connor sent him a level look. “Because at the time, Hawkins hadn’t been identified. All we knew was that the head of ROFF was Special Ops-trained, and that your wife had that training.”
“Laura is still a suspect?” Jake fisted his hand around the chair arm. “You put her into protective custody to immobilize her?”
“Yes and no. The team considers her a suspect. I personally don’t. So far as I’m concerned, she’s in protective custody.”
“But the team views it as her being detained.”
“I’m afraid so.”
Fifteen
The Ops Center hummed.
Letting the door swing closed behind him, Jake automatically looked up to the electronic wall map of the world. Three areas were flashing, denoting active hot spots. None were in Florida. The sweep of ROFF headquarters had to be over.
The dozen men and three women were busy on the phone, pounding computer keyboards, or both, and from the crowding, extra personnel had been called in. At the far corner of a long line of desks, Captain David Perry stood up. The phone at his ear, he waved Jake over.
Jake had worked with Perry before; he was a good soldier. A little on the fanatic side about being a soldier, but that only sounded like a liability until you needed a man to cover your back.
As Jake walked up, David hung up the phone and swiped a hand through his close-cropped blond hair. His round face was even more ruddy than usual.
Jake nodded.
“Have a seat.” David pointed toward a chair beside his desk, then yelled over to the man at the next desk. “Director of Safety reported yet?”
“Ten minutes ago,” the guy said, grabbing an incoming fax out of the machine. “They’re pulling together the investigative board now. We’ll have the members’ list ASAP.”
David looked back at Jake. “We’ve got a Class-A in Guam. Convening the board. Twelve men down.”
“I hate to hear it.”
“Don’t we all?” David grunted.
“What’s going on in Saudi?” Jake asked, recalling the map.
“A breach in the No-Fly Zone.” David pulled out a package of gum and offered Jake a piece. When he refused, David tossed the gum back into the drawer. “We’re working a search and rescue out in the Pacific, too. Shipping accident with possible survivors.”
The Ops Center hadn’t just been busy; it’d been a zoo. And suddenly a morning of team conferences, reviewing CIA preliminary reports, and OSI briefings seemed a lot less frantic to Jake than it had at the time.
“When it rains, it pours, eh?” David took a healthy swig of orange juice from a carton on his desk. “General Connor asked me to update you,” he said, then dropped his voice. “He’s tied up with the team and totally pissed. Hawkins eluded arrest on the sweep. ROFF had set up a secondary headquarters, a tent city. Someone got word to them because by the time we were in position and ready to move, they’d bugged out. Intel picked up on it, so our guys didn’t go in. They’re on observatory status. All the factions in the coordinated effort have activated, but so far no signs of Hawkins have surfaced.”
Jake nodded. He could curse, stomp, and raise hell, but that wouldn’t put Hawkins in custody. Jake decided to reserve his energy for something that might help.
“The white Lincoln used to bomb your wife’s car has been located,” David went on. “Three miles east of your house. Gassed and torched. No hope for any evidence that will help identify the other two persons in the car. We traced the Lincoln to an airport rental agency. Bogus credit card, reservation for automatic pickup, so the clerk never saw who actually took the car. That’s about it, Jake. Other than a personal commentary.”
Jake lifted a brow.
“Everyone in the loop is taking this personally. Most of us have wives and kids, and we all know this could be happening to any one of us, or to our families. We’re doing all we can. I just wanted you to know that.” David’s blue eyes glittered. “And to tell you, if you need any help nailing the sons of bitches, you can count on me.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it, David,” Jake said, then left the Ops Center.
He went to check on Laura. Until dark, she was being held in a basement security vault. With nothing to look at but walls, Jake didn’t have to wonder how she was. He knew she was fit to be tied. If she suspected everyone on the team except for Connor still had doubts about her integrity and considered her detained, she’d be even worse. Connor had made Jake’s dilemma of whether or not to tell her about that easy. For Laura’s peace of mind, and Jake’s, Connor had issued Jake a rare direct order not to tell her any of it.
Obviously Connor had meant that sincerely—about her peace of mind—or he’d have pulled Jake off the mission. When push came to shove, Laura was his wife. And yet neither Connor nor anyone from the team had suggested replacing Jake. Unless some team member had suggested it and Connor had interceded.
Actually, odds favored that having taken place. The team would have been obligated to claim conflict of interest. There could be only one reason Jake hadn’t been pulled and replaced. Connor had to have accepted personal responsibility for Jake’s actions. And he’d chosen not to mention it to Jake.
Watching the floor-level lights descend above the elevator door, Jake’s respect for Connor doubled. He genuinely backed his men. No lip service, no bull, and no glory. He just backed them all the way.
Jake stepped off the elevator and passed a guard, then turned the corner leading to the vault and passed two more. At the mouth of the vault, he nodded to the security guard who sat at a small desk reading Grisham’s latest paperback novel. He set the book down, then passed Jake a pen and a clipboard to sign in.
Scraping the pen across the appointed line, Jake gave the clipboard back. “Is she giving you any trouble?”
“No, sir,” he said with a strong Mississippi accent. “Just raising a little hell, sir.”
Jake had to work at it not to smile. He waited for the buzz, for the steel door to open, and then walked through. It slammed shut behind him, halting the draft of fresh air flowing into the stark white ten-by-twelve room.
Laura stood in the middle of the vault pacing the white linoleum. The walls were as bare as the room. The only furnishings were a small black table and a folding chair. Three cans of soda sat on the table. And a pint of raspberries.
Jake’s stomach furled. Damn, but he hated seeing her again upset to the point of eating raspberries. The only time she ever ate them was when she was falling apart inside. Yet seeing them here proved Connor knew her habits well and that he was trying to make her comfortable. Maybe he just had assumed she’d want them, and Laura hadn’t requested them. That was possible. So far, she hadn’t eaten any. The cellophane wrapper covering the green basket was still intact. Jake could only hope that what he had to tell her about Bill Green wouldn’t have her shredding it to get fistfuls of the berries.
Her face flushed, and fury burned in her eyes. “I should break your nose again, Jake Logan.”
“I see you’re doing fine.” Remembering the blow she’d accidentally l
anded on him—a blow intended for Hawkins during their confrontation—Jake rubbed at the bridge of his nose, tempted to kiss the outrage out of her. He strolled over and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You’ve really got to quit all this fawning over me, Laura. It’s going to go to my head.”
She glared up at him. “Kiss my—”
“Is that an invitation?” He dragged a fingertip over her lower lip. What Connor had said about memories had replayed in Jake’s mind off and on all morning. Laura would probably think he’d lost it, considering the regret, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. He damn well intended she have some good memories of their marriage to ease her through the mourning process. “I’ve missed you.”
“Don’t you even think about getting gentle on me.” Her chest heaved. “I agreed to protective custody. I did not agree to be locked up in a windowless vault like a—whatever!”
His wife needed soothing. A lot of it, from the looks of her. “It’s only until dark. Then they’ll move you someplace safe.”
“With windows?”
“Yes. With windows.” Jake nearly smiled. She wasn’t claustrophobic, but being locked inside a windowless vault with concrete walls six feet thick repelled her; made her feel helpless and out of control. Vulnerable. Being closed in had affected her that way back in survival school, too. When they’d been crammed into coffin-like boxes and left there for hours as part of their training, she’d come out steaming. Jake remembered those feelings. They’d been ten times worse than a caged animal sensation. The total sensory deprivation left the person feeling disoriented and totally helpless, like a victim to whatever the captor wanted. He’d hated it, too. Immensely.
She slumped back against the wall. “Have you talked with Timmy?”
The halogen lights were harsh and unforgiving, yet still she looked beautiful. Cream slacks and an emerald green blouse that made her skin look like sweet cream. She was beautiful, but worried.
“No, I haven’t. I’ve been in meetings.”
She looked down to the toes of her shoes. Her hair swung forward like a curtain, blocking her face. She tucked it back behind her ear. “It’s probably not a good idea to call, anyway. If there’s any trouble, Bear will let us know.”
“Yes, he will. He has the Ops Center emergency phone number.”
“Right.” She looked up at him, tense and uneasy. “No news to share?”
He hated to tell her this. But Laura, being Laura, would still be feeling responsible and chewing herself up over Bill Green’s death. She needed to know the truth about that, if not the whole truth about her detention. Jake hated it, but it appeared he had no choice but to step into one of those gray areas he’d griped about her treading in on occasion.
“Jake?” Laura crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re scaring me.”
He glanced at the box of berries, clasped her arms, and let his hands glide up to her shoulders, then down to her elbows. “It’s about Bill Green.”
Her eyes widened, silently pleading with him not to tell her Bill had betrayed her. But she stiffened, bracing herself, as if already surmising he had.
“He did it, Laura. He planted the listening device in your car.”
She swallowed hard. “Are you, um, sure?” Hope lingered in her eyes.
He doused it, nodding. Please, don’t let her reach for the raspberries. I can’t take that. Please.
She blinked, then blinked again. “Jake,” she said, just above a whisper, her eyes misting. “I think I need for you to hold me. Would that be okay, or would it make you feel regret, too?”
The uncertainty in her voice cut through him like a knife. “It’d be okay.” He looped his arms around her, greatly relieved. Weighty resignation etched her face, and she was pale, but she cried no tears and ate no berries. Considering she’d had total faith in the man, her disappointment had to be crushing, but she was coping.
They stood there for long minutes. Him with his arms circling her back, her with her hands at her sides. Then she took in a deep breath that had her breasts flattened against his chest, stepped back, and slumped against the wall.
“He was a good man,” she said, knocking the toe of her shoe against the floor. “They backed him up against a wall, and he had nowhere safe to go.”
“I know.”
“How is Mrs. Green?”
Devastated certainly. “About as well as you would expect.”
Laura looked up at him, and her eyes clouded. “I’m sorry for her.”
So was Jake. If they’d used another automotive center, Bill Green would still be alive and well and fixing cars. But they hadn’t, and neither of them would forget that for the rest of their lives.
Laura let her gaze fall to his chest. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking while I’ve been in here. About everything . . .”
He could imagine. There wasn’t a hell of a lot else to do in here.
“About Hawkins and Colonel James, and even about Madeline and Sean. But mostly about Madeline.” Laura risked glancing into Jake’s eyes, then dropped her gaze back to his chest.
“Bear won’t let her pull anything, honey. While you and Mrs. Barton were settling Timmy into their guest room, I talked with him about the adoption and the hate message she’d left on the answering machine. If she tries to pull anything, he’ll let us and Chief Wilson know immediately.”
“Did you talk with Connor about filing the complaints?”
“Yes. He suggested we hold off until we have a fix on this ROFF situation. It could antagonize it, and make things worse for Timmy.”
“I agree. I should have known you’d think to take care of it.” Laura caressed him with her gaze.
He smiled. “Glad to hear I have my moments.”
Her gaze warmed more. “You do, though you could benefit from a little more practice.”
“I kind of like the sounds of that.”
“Me, too.” She closed her eyes and looked down. “Jake, I know we discussed this, and we both felt regrets about us making love, but I’ve thought about that a lot too, and I want you to know that all I regret is that I broke my word to you.”
What exactly did she mean by that? “Is that all you regret? Really?”
She nodded, unwilling to risk his gaze.
“It’ll be a good memory, then.”
That thought seemed to please him, and she was grateful she could answer honestly. “Yes. It’ll be a good memory.”
She swept back her hair with a careless hand. “This is unrelated, but I want you to know something else, too. Connor wanting to send Timmy to Colonel James got my antenna up.” Her gaze warned she wouldn’t be flexible on this, and she wouldn’t change her mind. “After what happened with him before, I’ll never again ignore my antenna.”
“What are you saying, honey?”
She looked up at him, her eyes wary and her expression tense. “I don’t know exactly. I guess I’m just warning you to be careful. Don’t trust anyone, Jake. Promise me that you won’t.”
Not even the team? Connor? “Anyone?”
“Anyone.” She stepped closer, hesitated, and then touched her hand to his face, her eyes solemn and earnest. “You said you didn’t want to lose me. Well, I don’t want to lose you, either. At this point, I don’t trust anyone, and I don’t want you to trust anyone. It’s important, Jake.”
Feeling her slight tremble, he caressed her upturned face. “I trust you.”
“Of course,” she said, affecting Bear’s matter-of-fact tone.
She believed in his complete faith in her, and pleased at knowing it, Jake smiled. “You trust me, too.”
“Has there ever been a doubt?”
He thought back, sifted through the thirteen years they’d been friends. “Only once. About your reactivation.”
Sadness flickere
d through her eyes. “I’ve never doubted you.”
“No, but I thought you had. I thought I’d somehow failed you, and that’s why you didn’t trust me. But I only felt that way until the shock of seeing your photo wore off, and you explained the reactivation. My mistake. I want you to know that. I’ve always considered you steadfast and loyal, Laura. Always.”
Clearly uncomfortable, she changed the subject. “Any ideas floating around on the identity of the other two people in the Lincoln?”
“Not yet.”
She sighed and backed away. “Then you’d better get out of here and get busy.”
“Okay.” His smile in his eyes, he kissed her once . . . twice . . . then a third time before he could stand to turn her loose. He’d surprised her, and, when she kissed him back, she surprised him. “I’ll be back.”
“You’d better,” she replied, soft and husky.
When he got to the vault door, she called out. “Jake?”
He looked back at her.
“Hurry, will you? It’s kind of cramped in here.”
He winked at her. “I’ll do my best,” he promised, then signaled to the security guard he was ready to leave.
It wasn’t until Jake was back in the Ops Center that it occurred to him Laura hadn’t mentioned getting out of custody until after Jake resolved this issue of ROFF.
She knew she was being detained.
Connor stormed into the Ops Center. “Jake,” he called out, lifting a hand and motioning Jake over to him.
“Yes, sir.”
“Read this on the way back to my office.” Connor thrust a report into Jake’s hand. “CIA preliminary.”
Jake scanned the pages. ROFF intended to contaminate Jacksonville, Florida’s water supply system with botulism bacteria? Good God, didn’t Hawkins have even a fragment of a conscience?
When Connor closed the office door, Jake stopped beside the coffee bar and turned to him. “Hawkins will contaminate it himself.”
“Why would he take those kinds of risks?” The general sat down at his desk, then scanned through a ream of reports that had gathered there since Jake last had been in his office.