Secrets and Shadows

by L. T. Marie

  “No worries. I guess I don’t talk much about those days anymore.”

  “I heard from Tory you were going to be a Ranger—the only woman to ever get accepted into the program.”

  Physically, Lee was still sitting in the chair, but mentally her barren gaze screamed she was a thousand miles away. Jo had no idea if Lee was even aware of her hands balled into fists, but the sudden stiffness in her body suggested that a thick barrier existed around the subject, which made Jo want to dig deeper to discover her secrets.

  “That was my plan, but it didn’t work out.”

  “Sorry. Can I ask what stopped you?”

  “Ms. West—”

  “Enough with that already,” Jo said in exasperation. “Look, I understand you have a job to do, but that job involves me. I don’t understand all the formality. Why can’t we get to know each other? You know…like friends.”

  “Ma’am, I don’t need friends, but I would appreciate your cooperation.”

  “My cooperation.” Yeah, like that would ever happen. “Oh, I get it. You want me to be a good girl to make your cushy babysitting job easier.”

  “No. That’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what did you mean?”

  Lee stood, obviously intent on putting distance between them. Tory used a similar tactic when she was about to say something Jo wasn’t going to like. “Since we’re going to be spending a lot of time together, I would appreciate if you took the protection seriously. Maybe we can even come to some kind of agreement—”

  “Stop. Did Tory send you in here to give me this little pep talk?”

  “Yes. But she was only thinking of you.”

  “I don’t give a shit what Tory was thinking. Jesus! First my sister, and now you. You all need to get off my back. Protect me…fine. From what or who while I’m cooped up in this house, I don’t know. I suppose the boogeyman could be in my closet.”

  “Not possible. I already checked.”

  “A sense of humor.” Jo smiled and her shoulders relaxed slightly. “I underestimated you.”

  “You’re not the first one to say that to me. But seriously, my job is to keep you safe.”

  “And that means what exactly?”

  “That means I’m your shadow. Where you go—I go.”

  Jo sighed and was suddenly very tired. The John Wayne routine was running thin, but the pill she’d taken was starting to kick in and she could barely keep her eyes open. “I understand,” she said with a yawn. “Now sit and tell me why you aren’t a Ranger. Or do you really think I didn’t catch you changing the subject?”

  Lee returned to her chair and held Jo’s steady gaze. The barriers were still there, but a flicker of something else in Lee’s eyes hinted at vulnerability. “I was injured and released from duty.”

  Even though Jo knew very little about Lee, their brief exchange made her sure of one thing. Lee Winters didn’t do anything halfway. She’d obviously been the best to even have been considered for the Ranger program, and her injuries had to have been substantial for her to have lost that chance. The thought of that loss and the pain she must have endured saddened Jo. “But you’re okay now, right?”

  “I’m fine. But you should get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Wait!”

  “Yes?”

  “I wanted to thank you. You know. For helping me earlier.”

  Lee glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “You’re welcome. Good night.”

  Jo sank back into the pillows as Lee closed the door behind her. She was exhausted from a mixture of their conversation and the pill she’d taken earlier and was glad for the moment of peace. Closing her eyes she drifted off, eventually falling asleep while imagining strong arms wrapped around her in a secure and comforting embrace.

  Chapter Six

  Lee leaned against the open balcony doors of her apartment, studying the angry mass of grayish-black clouds that cluttered the eerie night sky. Absently twirling the amber liquid inside her glass, she knew she’d already begun to fall victim to the calming effects of Don Julio’s best tequila. She needed the intervention more often this past year to help her sleep. If sleep continued to elude her, the hallucinations she’d suffer from would be worse than her nightmares. All she was really doing was trading one demon for another. But this was definitely the lesser of two evils.

  Particles of debris swirled through the air, a sure sign of the impending storm. The cool, powerful gusts helped dry the sweat that had accumulated on her cotton T-shirt during her evening run, the exercise a necessity to get her back into the type of shape she was accustomed to. Diligence was the key to her success in life. Routine gave her the ability to push past the pain and accept any challenge that she needed to face. The loss of both of those things had nearly led her to an early grave. Now that she had a reason to get up every day, she felt like she had her feet back under her once more.

  Two weeks had passed since she’d shared a few private minutes alone with Jo. Since then they’d barely spoken. There had been a few hellos here and there, but Jo rarely left the confines of her house, or her room, for that matter. Lee had used the free time to get acquainted with the other bodyguards and gain a better sense of the layout and routine of the occupants and staff of the West home.

  Security cameras had been installed the day after Jo’s Houdini routine. Tory had actually protested at first, saying they were unnecessary, but all it took was for Lee to point out how easily Jo had escaped everyone’s notice and that it wouldn’t be all that difficult for someone else to gain access to the grounds. Security guards had been hired to man the front gate, which caused another commotion. Lee explained, again, that if the sisters were adamant about maintaining as much privacy as possible, certain security measures would be necessary. Tory finally conceded after a lengthy discussion, but she clearly wasn’t entirely convinced. She felt having Lee as Jo’s personal body guard should be all that was necessary, and while Lee was glad Tory had so much faith in her, she pointed out that she wasn’t in the house twenty-four hours a day.

  There’d been no further incidents with the stalker since she’d taken the job—no letters, no calls or contact of any kind. It would be nice to think he’d given up on stalking Tory, faded into the woodwork, and found someone else to occupy his time. But after reading everything available about stalkers, Lee was sure it would only be a matter of time before he surfaced and contacted Tory again.

  Gary had been subdued the last few times she’d spoken with him. He kept his answers brief, which was fine with her as long as she was getting all the information necessary to do the job effectively. His emotional state worried her though, especially since his distraction most likely had to do with Tory. He was the only family she had left, a brother of sorts. They’d served together, seen death daily, survived when no one else had. They both had to live with those demons, but her job now was to make sure nothing got in the way of Jo’s protection. If his focus was compromised in any way, it could put Jo’s life in unnecessary danger.

  People began to scurry around on the streets below as the rain picked up in intensity. She could hear quarter-sized raindrops slapping the pavement, which reminded her that a few weeks ago the ominous scene playing out in front of her would have matched her mood. But since then her life had changed considerably. She tried focusing on another one of Gary’s reports, but the pages might as well have been blank. This lapse of attention still scared her, especially since Jo had become her responsibility. She was almost obsessive with every detail of a mission. Missteps of any kind were unacceptable, and she couldn’t live with herself if something happened to Jo on her watch. Eight hours of rest, a well-rounded exercise program, and eating right would be her modus operandi until her job was complete. Her only indulgence, every now and then, was the small glass of liquor that offered temporary comfort and warmth.

  True, human comfort was an indulgence she’d rather have for the exact same reasons. She missed the feeling of a warm body below h
er, the touch of another on her skin. She wanted to let go with someone, to fall asleep enveloped in someone else’s arms. But since the night terrors would never allow that possibility, she’d allow the alcohol to help her let down her guard and relax. A good drink was the only thing during the war that she and her friends could look forward to after dealing with death and destruction all around them every day. The unique taste of spice and blue agave reminded her of better times and was the one vice she wasn’t willing to let go of, because it kept the bad memories from overwhelming the good ones.

  Stretching out on the sofa she closed her eyes, allowing the warming sensation to take over her mind and body. Instantly, images of Jo surfaced. She couldn’t decide what was more captivating, the stylishly cut, silky blond hair or the enchanting smile that could light up a room. But what intrigued her most was that, hidden behind that fiery façade, was a potent vulnerability that drew her in. She’d like to get to know Jo better but couldn’t get personal. Personal blurred boundaries. Jo would become more than just a job. Even though the thought was appealing it was also scary as hell and could never happen.

  Lee jumped when the phone rang unexpectedly. Minutes seemed to have passed instead of hours but it was dark outside, so she’d clearly been lying there thinking far longer than she realized. She swore out loud at the way her heart was racing, frustrated at such skittish behavior. Edginess had never been a part of her chemical makeup until she’d returned injured from the war. The thought pissed her off. “Winters.”

  “Hey, buddy, it’s me,” Gary said. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  Wiping the fatigue from her eyes, she checked her watch. Midnight. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. “What’s wrong?”

  “Sorry to wake you but Tory has received another letter. She’s frantic and wanted to meet with you an hour earlier tomorrow morning, if possible?”

  Lee bolted to her feet, a sudden surge of adrenaline overcoming the exhaustion and effects of the alcohol. Another letter meant trouble, and no way in hell would she get to sleep without knowing everything was okay. “Forget tomorrow. Tell her I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  *

  Lee pulled up in front of the West home to find Tory pacing on the front porch surrounded by two of her bodyguards. Even in the dim light, Dan Powers stood out, his rigid stance and perfectly trimmed goatee clearly marking him as more than just part of Tory’s entourage. Lee hadn’t been introduced to the new guard, whom she recognized thanks to a photograph Gary had given her. Amanda Franklin, the other guard watching Tory pace, was not only a new addition assigned to Tory’s security, but the first female shadow Tory had ever used.

  Amanda was a good three inches shorter than Lee, with curly auburn hair and deep-set hazel eyes. According to the docket Gary had given her, Amanda had spent the last four years in Naval Intelligence and was as equally skilled in acquiring information as he was. Gary saw Amanda as a potential asset in the future in case they needed information from sources even he couldn’t access. But Lee had questioned how effective Amanda would be at guarding someone, since she’d spent more time behind the scenes in the military instead of engaged in actual combat. Since it wasn’t her call to make because Tory wasn’t her responsibility, she had to leave the decision up to Gary, even though she didn’t agree with it.

  Lee followed Tory into the house, and Tory gestured for Dan and Amanda to remain outside her study. She reached into her desk drawer and handed over a manila folder. Lee opened the flap, removing its contents with care.

  You are mine. Mine! I watch. I wait. Yet still you refuse me. No one loves you more than I. We will be together soon. You can count on it. I will never let you go.

  “What do you think?” Tory asked, visibly shaken.

  “I’m no expert, but from what I’ve read he seems to be getting desperate. We may need some additional help, and I don’t mean more bodyguards.”

  “You mean the police.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes. But I was thinking more FBI.”

  “No!”

  Why did that not surprise her? “Ms. West, it’s the right thing to do. They have tools that Gary may not have access to—databases with criminal histories, psychologists who can tell us more about his personality. We need everything we can get our hands on, and we need it yesterday.”

  Tory closed her eyes and slumped in her chair, the stress of the evening apparently taking its toll on her. “Lee, my sister doesn’t want a bodyguard—let alone the cops, FBI, or whoever you’re suggesting—crawling all over our lives. The security cameras and security guards already irritate her. I can’t push her any more than I am. You’ve seen her. She’s feeling better every day, and we won’t be able to talk her into staying in this house for much longer. If we keep tightening the reins she’ll eventually break loose and I’ll lose her forever. She already resents me for the attack. I can see it in her eyes every time she looks at me.

  “What you probably don’t know is that even though we’re twins, I’ve always had it easier than Jo. Things like school and my talent have always come naturally to me. Jo has always had to struggle, and it kills me to see her in this condition when it should have been me. Deep down, I know she doesn’t wish it was me in that bed, even though I’d take her place in a heartbeat. She hates me right now. I get it. But at least I’m certain she’s safe with you, and I don’t want to involve the authorities until I’m positive we don’t have any other options.”

  For the first time since Lee had met Tory, she felt respect for her. She ran a hand through her disheveled hair, still not happy with Tory’s refusal for outside help, but she could accept her reasons for now. “Very well, but you do realize until we work with people who are capable of tracking this lunatic down and stopping him, this situation may only get worse. Gary says the UNSUB—”

  “UNSUB?”

  “My apologizes, ma’am. UNSUB stands for unidentified subject.”

  “Oh, right. I keep forgetting you people talk a secret language that we civilians aren’t supposed to understand. So tell me again why you think we need help. I thought Gary had everything under control?”

  “I’m sure he’s trying his best, but he’s only one person. If this escalates any further, I’m going to strongly suggest getting the authorities involved.” Tory nodded and closed her eyes, and Lee took the hint that the conversation was over for the moment. “Before I go, would you mind if I checked on your sister. I promise, I won’t wake her if she’s asleep.”

  “Of course,” Tory said tiredly. “Good night.”

  *

  Jo was too wound up to sleep and had no excuse for her growing uneasiness. She’d been restless all evening. Not even reading about hot steamy sex in her new lesbian romance novel could hold her attention. Deciding a little tryptophan was in order, she was about to go downstairs for a glass of milk when a light knock sounded on her bedroom door. “Yes?”

  “Ms. West, it’s me,” Lee said, peeking around the partially opened door. “Sorry to bother you but I noticed the light.”

  “What are you doing here this time of night? Is something wrong?”

  Lee took her usual seat on the chair next to Jo’s bed, staring at her in concern. “I came by to check on you before I went home. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m wired and can’t sleep.”

  “I get that way sometimes too.”

  “What do you do about it?”

  “Have a drink.” Lee smiled. “Helps me sleep like a baby.”

  Jo studied Lee, accepting the tidbit of information as a sign of Lee’s humanity. “Maybe I’ll try that.”

  “Not advisable with the meds. See you tomorrow.”

  “Wait!” Jo grabbed Lee’s arm to stop her. “You never said why you’re here.”

  Lee sighed and returned to the chair, running a hand through her hair. “I’m here because your sister has received another letter.”

  “Oh, no.” Jo threw the covers off herself. “Where is she? Is she okay? Did
he threaten—”

  “Calm down,” Lee said, keeping Jo from rising. “She’s here. She’s fine. And yes.”

  “Then I need to see her.” Jo tried pushing Lee’s hands away but was unsuccessful.

  “Ma’am,” Lee said gently. “Please calm down. I don’t want you to reinjure yourself. Your sister is tucked away for the night. I promise you, she’s in good hands.”

  “Fine! And I really wish you’d quit that ma’am stuff.”

  “I’ll work on it. You should get some sleep.”

  “No, not yet,” Jo said, placing her hand on Lee’s forearm to stop her from rising. “Please…don’t go.”

  “All right,” Lee said. “I’ll stay, but only for a little bit.”

  “Thank you. And I’m sorry…for pushing you.”

  “No harm, no foul,” Lee said, her eyes softening.

  “I guess I’ve been cooped up for so long I’ve forgotten how to interact with people.”

  “I understand.”

  “Somehow, I believe you do. Can I ask you a question?”

  “Something tells me that you’re going to ask it whether I say yes or no, so shoot.”

  Jo laughed. “I see you’ve been talking with Tory. She’d call it my inquisitive bullish nature.”

  “Bullish?”

  “Yeah, as in Taurus the bull. My sign. Hers too, of course, but I take it more to heart. It’s that stubborn, never-back-down side of me. Tends to get me into a lot of trouble. So back to my question. Why did you become a soldier?”

  “I’ve never been asked that before,” she said carefully. “I guess because I liked the order, the discipline. Everything is black or white. The gray areas are what I call the unknown and are a mystery to me. I don’t particularly like mysteries or surprises.”

  “And you risked your life for your country, for other people.” Jo watched as Lee closed her eyes and a wounded expression washed over her face. Her question had caused Lee pain, and that was the last thing she’d wanted to do. Lee had already healed from an injury bad enough to have caused her to leave the service. She didn’t want to think of Lee being injured or suffering in any way. “Hey, I’m sorry,” Jo said, placing her hand on top of Lee’s to gain her attention. “Are you okay?”