Chapter 23
S pecial Agent Martin grimaced at hearing Reeva Kaplan give his people orders. She’d promised to expose her company’s money laundering business for protection, with no charges pressed against her. The night he’d shown up at the San Francisco hotel to clean up Enigma’s mess, he’d realized immediately what he’d stepped into. For over a year, his office had worked on this case, only to see it vaporize in the last month. They’d scrambled to find out where all the players might be hiding. Something had tipped them off. They’d simply vanished—no chatter, no leads, no trace they ever existed.
Then he walked into Robert Scott’s room to find Reeva bound and gagged. It didn’t take him long to call in reinforcements, saying he got a tip from one of her disgruntled customers who had been his informant. Several other agents helped him stage the photo shoot of a violent death then handed her off for interrogation at headquarters. Under other circumstances, like a sporting event, high fives would have been an appropriate gesture. But FBI didn’t high-five much of anything these days.
Agent Martin wasn’t sure why Robert Scott was involved, but he intended to find out since Reeva was scared out of her wits by the time they hauled her off. Something about a couple of missing diamonds and the likelihood she’d be accused of selling them.
“The man—the Robert fella, he has my diamonds. I sold them to him—or I was going to until those criminals burst in on us. I planned to switch them out for fakes when he was in the bathroom but was interrupted.”
“Ahh. Too bad. Guess you’re going to have to help us to make sure you don’t meet with the real bloody end of your operation.”
Although she was sophisticated and easy on the eyes, Agent Martin found her abrasive. The South African accent sounded a little condescending when she answered questions or made requests that were more like demands. His superiors felt confident in the information she provided and planned to move against several law firms, banks, and diamond brokers in the next few weeks. What remained unclear was why she sought out Robert Scott.
From what he could tell, the man really was innocent of any money laundering crime. What he was guilty of was a bad decision concerning letting Reeva Kaplan into his room and buying the diamonds. The story he gave about purchasing them for his wife sounded too good to be true, at first. But after a little digging, he determined Robert remained the good guy, clean and innocent of any crime. Of course, that didn’t mean he was innocent of being a womanizer. He wouldn’t be the first husband in a city like San Francisco who was seduced by a pretty woman with an accent. The number of temptations in The City by the Bay remained endless.
Agent Martin didn’t know Tessa Scott very well, mostly on paper because of her dealings with President Buck Austin. He’d met her a couple of times during her tenure in Washington D.C. when a hurricane nearly sent the country back to the Stone Age in a matter of hours. If she hadn’t been there, he wasn’t sure what the outcome might have been. Because of her quick actions, the president survived an attack by terrorists, and they avoided going to war with Egypt or, possibly, Israel.
Even though she appeared to be a rather ordinary soccer mom with high expectations for her children, educated, and a regular church goer, she was in fact a dangerous woman. Somehow, she’d been recruited for Enigma—maybe because of D.C. or the president’s you-can’t-refuse-my-offer invitation. Maybe the band of shady agents at Enigma wanted a new pet project to make them feel better about being hired guns in the name of national security.
He remained confident her enlistment wasn’t much different from how he’d been dragged into service. Once you help them or they help you, their name is tattooed on your soul, and the only way out is death. But he understood through the grapevine, Tessa’s role in this whole diamond business involved another character named Handsome Jones.
“Never heard of him,” Reeva said, wide-eyed and straight-faced. “Who is he?” The sound of innocence didn’t fit this woman.
Someone higher-up decided Agent Martin should transport her off to US Marshals waiting in Sacramento. They would put her in protective custody until warrants were served and all involved parties were charged.
“He is a person of interest. Used to be in the diamond business, I understand. Thought you might know him.”
“No. I don’t believe I do. At least not by that name,” she offered as a tidbit.
Agent Martin knew the woman could lie with a straight face, and this might be one of those times. No matter. He was tired. It had been a rough couple of days. Handing her off to the Marshals would give him more time to deal with Robert and find out where those diamonds might be. Diamonds weren’t much different from using DNA or fingerprints to track someone down. This might be a higher-tech search, but the Bureau had people for such a job.
He spotted the house where he’d arranged to meet the two Marshals. A white sedan should be parked in the driveway with a bumper sticker reading, Vote for Obi-Wan-Kenobi. He’s our only hope. All the Star Wars mania drove him crazy. He wasn’t sure whose idea it had been to use the bumper sticker, but he found it childish.
“Come on. You’ll stay here until tomorrow.”
“Then what?”
Agent Martin knocked on the door with one knuckle and noticed she canvassed the neighborhood with concern. “This is a safe place. The Office of US Marshals is sending in a plane for you. Remember? I told you yesterday. What’s the problem?” He paused, feeling an uneasiness in his bones. “You didn’t call anyone, right?”
“No. No. No, of course, not.” She shrugged then rubbed her arms as if the February chill had permeated her London Fog jacket.
Three noes equaled a yes in his book. Stealing a glance at her then the street, he shifted his attention back to the door, which was opened by a US Marshal chewing on something. His snack left a spot of mustard in the corner of his mouth.
“You Cline?” Martin asked. The man nodded and stepped aside to let them enter. “Where’s Gauen? Haven’t seen the old reprobate since we hit Vegas two years ago. He tell you about our brush with the law?” Martin surveyed the room and noticed a chair flipped over, a few magazines sticking out from under the coffee table, and a large drink from a nearby fast food restaurant on its side with dripping liquid trailing across the top.
“Said you were an asshole.” The man grinned.
In the time it took to inhale, Agent Martin pulled his Glock and pointed it at the man. “Interesting, considering I don’t know a Cline or Gauen, and there’s no way in hell, I’d go to Vegas if I did.”
Martin wondered where the real Marshals might be. He glanced over his shoulder to say something to Reeva, but she picked up a decorative fleur-de-lis figurine from the entry table and smashed it into his head. The room faded to black as the gun dropped from his hand and the floor swam up to catch him.
~~~
“Vernon, when is this new storm clearing out? The drone won’t do us any good with the wind picking up.” Carter Johnson fumed as he stood staring out the window of the safe house Tessa had been instructed to escape to a few days earlier. The drone could send them a clearer picture of what was going on on the ground.
“Give it a few hours. This is a little one, I think. The interstate is still open, although traffic is being discouraged. Skiers are wanting to get on the fresh powder.”
“Okay. Soon as the wind dies down, I get this puppy up. We’ve got a signal from Chase’s borrowed truck.”
“Good because Mrs. Scott’s trace died. Not sure why. Boss should have checked in by now. Something isn’t right.”
“Zoric and I will locate them, map it then head out to assist.” Carter grinned at the stone-faced Zoric as he put Vernon on speaker. “Any more news? How’d Sam do with Robert?”
“Or how exactly did she do Robert?” the Serbian offered in his thick accent. This question irritated Carter enough to narrow his eyes a little. He shouldn’t offend his partner, even if it were true.
Vernon responded. “Wasn’t there long. She c
alled in to say he decided to stay home with the kids and wait on Mrs. Scott. Ken will pick up her vehicle and meet her in Grass Valley, provided we get her there in time. Robert has got to wonder about all of this.”
“If all else fails, we’ll send Sam back,” Carter suggested. “By the time she’s finished with him, he’ll forget he ever got married to our little Grass Valley commando.”
~~~
Tessa paced the floor from the small kitchen to the front door, past the two men sitting near the fire. Every couple of minutes, she stopped and peered out a different window to check on the storm, exhaled a deep sigh, hugged her arms then repeated the routine. How would she ever explain this to Robert? What if she ended up spending another night in this cabin? All she wanted was to be with her kids, make a difference in the lives of her students, finish up her PhD, and live happily ever after with the love of her life.
The thought stirred her attention to Chase, who glared at Handsome dozing in the chaise lounge she’d rested on last night. His half-closed eyes, which accented his Native American heritage, gave him the threatening appearance he might be ready to strike the much bigger man. With so much winter white surrounding them, his tan skin seemed darker. Once again Tessa realized there wasn’t a soft spot on him. If she hadn’t seen him breathing, he would have resembled a statue.
She remembered the way he’d undressed her; careful not to touch her inappropriately, quick to finish the job, speaking in short sentences in a quiet voice laced with enough urgency to keep her from hurting herself.
Then there was the bed and him pulling her into his body, also cold from taking a dive into the lake to save her. He warmed faster than she thought possible. She’d cast caution and embarrassment to the wind as she took advantage of his nearness. Even when she woke to find his hand on her butt, Chase remained a saint. When her body warmed, she could have withdrawn, but she didn’t. Since they recovered, she’d found it difficult to make eye contact or talk to him. Fortunately, he didn’t push the issue. Maybe he felt as uncomfortable as she did about how he’d undressed her.
“Why are you staring at me?” Chase cut his gaze to engulf her from head to toe.
She rubbed her arms then dropped them to her sides. “What?” she gulped. “I wasn’t staring.”
“Okay.” He adjusted his body in the chair. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m not thinking,” she said pacing past him.
“Exactly.”
She stopped in front of him when she circled back. “Meaning?”
Chase pushed himself up out of the chair to tower over her. She became keenly aware how this stance played to his advantage, but she wasn’t going to budge.
“Meaning, what the hell were you thinking coming up here with this character? Have you lost your mind?”
“I resent your tone, Captain Hunter. I did what I’ve been trained to do. Improvise. He didn’t tell me the whole truth about the Kifaru diamond.”
“The Kifaru?” he asked incredulously. “Does he have it?” he whispered.
“Yes. When I realized it wasn’t in Sacramento, it was too late. I thought you’d be able to follow me. Then I realized we were out of range. I begged him to take me home, Chase. It wasn’t like I planned to come up here or have you put your life in jeopardy again. I’m sorry I nearly got you killed. I suck at this agent stuff. I’m resigning as soon as we get back. I put everyone in danger each time I’m given a job to do.”
Her face and neck grew hot under his penetrating gaze. Was he remembering how she pressed against him, unashamed and even a little clingy? He now knew more about her than she ever wanted him to know. Pivoting on her heels, Tessa stormed into the kitchen with Chase right behind her. He caught her by the arm and pulled her around.
“What is bothering you? Did Handsome hurt you or—”
“No. Of course not,” she snapped, jerking free of his hold. “I want to go home.”
“Are you upset because I undressed you? Because I didn’t have a choice. You were unable to do anything for yourself.”
Tessa diverted her eyes to stare out the window. “I know,” she whispered then cleared her throat.
Using his finger, he moved her chin back so she’d have to look at him. “We are adults and have been through a lot together. Mostly, we are friends. I wasn’t trying to disrespect you.”
“I know. Really. I know. It’s just…”
“What? Are you offended I got into bed with you?” His brow furrowed over his dark eyes. “I needed to warm up fast, too.” She remained quiet. “Tell me. Did I frisk you or something in my sleep…because it wasn’t intentional?”
Tessa couldn’t resist a chuckle. “You didn’t frisk me.”
His eyebrows went up. “Then I guess it must be when you did your own exploring. I’m not sure what you were looking for, but I could’ve assisted with the right kind of encouragement.”
Tessa gasped then landed a punch to his gut. He laughed. “Shut up,” she demanded. “Now you’re wishful thinking.”
“Hmm. Probably,” he said walking away. “Either way, we were in survival mode. Nothing to be embarrassed about, so stop blushing and giving me the cold shoulder.” He glanced back with a mischievous grin on his wide mouth. “No pun intended.”
Handsome yawned and rolled out of the chaise. “How is the weather?”
“Better.” Tessa boiled some water and brought him a cup of hot tea. “We should be able to leave soon.” She sat on the arm of the chair across from Handsome. “Then we can make plans.”
“Whoa.” Chase held up a hand. “Plans?”
Handsome took a gulp of tea before standing and carrying it to the table. As he walked by Tessa, he pinched her cheek then continued to the front door. “We need more wood. Be right back.” The door opened and closed quickly, letting in a gust of cold air.
“What plans, Tessa?” Chase asked with a voice full of caution.
“I’ll explain later. Shush. Here he comes.”
The door reopened and Handsome entered without any wood.
“What’s the matter, sport? Wood too heavy?” Chase teased sarcastically. “Need some help? I’m sure Tessa can lend a hand.”
Tessa elbowed her boss. “He’s teasing. Shut the door. You’re letting all the heat out.” She shivered.
“About that,” Handsome voiced slowly.
Reeva Kaplan shoved her way in around Handsome and leveled a Glock at Tessa. “Handsome is coming with me.”
“Handsome?” Tessa stood, and Chase pushed her behind him.
Chapter 24
“H ow did you find us?” Chase figured his anger showed as his jaws clenched, but he managed to keep his voice even and cool. His question, directed at Reeva, brought a smile to her face.
“Handsome called me.”
Chase shifted his attention to the big man staring at him. His bottom lip protruded, and his eyelids drooped a bit. “You took my phone when I slept.”
Handsome only nodded.
“You look pretty good, Reeva, for someone who died a few days ago.” Chase frowned.
She couldn’t hide her surprise. “Have we met?”
“No.” Lying to her was not a big deal. “But we have a mutual friend I’d like to have a serious conversation with.”
A soft chuckle spluttered across her pale lips, leaving her with an undignified appearance. “Would that be Special Agent Martin?”
“It would. Know where I can find him? He has been keeping secrets from me concerning you.”
“And who are you exactly?” Reeva waved her gun at him in such a careless manner Chase reached back to make sure Tessa remained safe.
When he didn’t respond, Reeva squinted at Handsome for answers. He lifted his chin a little higher to stare at Chase before speaking. “Independent contractor the FBI uses to mop up their messes.”
“Oh. Good to know.” She smiled. “And her?”
“Nobody,” Handsome said opening the door to leave. “This is her place. He brought me here since t
hey’re sleeping together. Thought no one could find me.”
“So, two loose ends.”
Handsome reached around her and relieved her of the weapon so fast she staggered at the surprise. “Let’s go. I have a plane to catch. The way I see it, you’re the loose end.” He exited, leaving her standing before them. She backed out and slammed the door.
“What are we going to do?” Tessa ran to the front window. “She’s taking Handsome. Stop her.”
“He’s going on his own accord, or didn’t you notice?” He searched for his weapon, but it was gone, along with his phone.
“What I noticed was he’s taking your truck with four-wheel drive,” she said, pointing out the window. Two gunshots followed. “Oh. My. Gosh. He shot her!”
“We can only hope, but I wouldn’t count on it.”
Chase felt his pockets for his keys then ran out onto the porch. “Get out of my truck, Handsome.” His words no sooner left his mouth than Handsome put the truck in gear then revved the engine. As Chase ran toward the vehicle, Handsome sped up, and would have hit him if Chase hadn’t jumped out of the way into a snowbank.
Tessa ran to him and helped him up. “Are you okay?” She dusted snow off his tee shirt. Both were exposed to the elements. “At least we have their car,” she said optimistically.
“You mean the one with two flat tires. I’m sure the gunshots were so we wouldn’t follow.”
“Listen. Hear anything?” The snow muffled the sound of Tessa’s voice. Chase tilted his ear toward the hollow sound coming from Reeva’s car.
Both approached the car to hear a moan along with pounding in the trunk. It felt oddly out of place in such a serene setting.
“Pop the trunk, Tess.” She hurried to do so then ran back to join Chase as he lifted the lid.
“Well, as I live and breathe.” Chase smiled triumphantly. “Looks like Christmas is coming a little early this year.” Tessa reached in to help the man with the bloodied face and duct tape across his mouth. His hands and feet were tied behind his back. Chase jerked her away then bent over the man to taunt, “Hello, Special Agent Martin. I guess you didn’t get the memo about never pulling a fast one on your Enigma brothers and sisters.” He clicked his tongue like a teacher reprimanding his students. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to teach you a lesson.”
The Enigma Series Boxed Set Page 120