by R E Gauthier
“So, this Ghost is who is still hunting your father, can’t all the International agencies work to stop him?” Kelsey didn’t understand how one man could allude to the most powerful intelligence around the world.
“His name is Ghost for a reason. No one can find him. Once they had him cornered and he evaded a group of agents working for six different agencies. No one can prove it, but Dad thought…I mean, he thinks a mole is working for him that feeds him intelligence from inside the taskforces. The mole has yet to be proven. One possible clue leads to a dead-end, and then the hunt is on again. The Ghost gets close to finding my father, and then when they think they have found him, he disappears, not to be heard from for months. This pattern has repeated itself for years.”
“But why this cat-and-mouse game? Why hasn’t the Ghost been able to find and kill your father; why hasn’t he found and killed you and Aunt Cat in retaliation?”
Aisling grew quiet and then shook her head and shrugged. “I began working undercover several years ago. I have many aliases and disguises. My father is deep undercover in some undisclosed location, working with an agency that thinks they have the Ghost holed up somewhere in Turkey. We have spent our whole life running, hiding, and never staying in one place for more than a few weeks. This is the first time in years that mother and I have been in one place together for more than a day or two.” Aisling sniffed back a sob and stood.
Kelsey felt the immediate pain in her cousin’s heart. Aisling couldn’t keep much from her when they were children, but over the years, Aisling made deception a necessity. This was one of the few times Kelsey sensed what her cousin felt. “What is it? What have you been hiding from me?”
“Right around the same time you started making ripples looking into that night, mother was not feeling well. Two weeks ago, she heard back from her doctor. They found a growth over her heart. A biopsy was done, and the tests were inclusive. The doctors are treating it as Cancer. We may not have much time left with her. Her wish is to go home before she dies. I want to help grant her that wish.”
The pain radiated from her heart to every part of her body. Tears burned as they spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks. Kelsey had thought until a week or so ago that her aunt died many years ago. She thought she had her Aunt Cat back and would spend many years getting back what they had lost. Today she learned that the horrible disease that took her mother away wanted to take her aunt away as well. “No.” This cannot be happening. “I’m sorry, Ais’, is there anything the doctors can do?”
“No more than what they’re doing. The growth is continuing to grow over her heart and is inoperable. They’re using chemo drugs to keep it from growing, but they are not able to kill off the tumor enough to give her more time. They have given her six months or less. Her mind used to be sharper than mine, but now she fades into moments of delusions, and she wants to be with Nanna.”
“Then let’s take her there to be with her. What can this Ghost do to stop us?” Kelsey could only see solutions, not problems.
“I want to and would, but I need to stay here in case the Ghost resurfaces. I don’t want her to travel without me, and if she dies while I’m off helping, I’ll never forgive myself.” Aisling’s shoulders slumped, and her chin trembled. “I need her with me, but she needs to be with Nanna. I don’t know what to do.”
Kelsey thought about how she could help. “Let me contact Nikki. I can help you, and she can help me. Together, we can find and stop this Ghost. You and Aunt Cat can come home, and you can give your mother her final wish.”
Pursing her lips together and crossing her arms, Aisling shook her head. “What is this obsession you have for that woman?”
Taken aback, Kelsey paused for a moment to think of why her cousin had such an adverse reaction to her mention of her best friend helping her. It didn’t make much sense why Aisling got angry whenever she spoke about Nikki. “It isn’t an obsession. I’m only saying that Nikki is good at what she does. She can find this Ghost if you give her a chance, and then we can take him down.”
“You think that some woman from a backwater town in the southern United States has more talent than all of the intelligence agencies in the world? She may be good at her job, but she’ll be out of her depths in the mire of real-world espionage. People like him hide their tracks for a living, and no IT student with mediocre skills can do much to find the Ghost.”
“Nicole Hyland is more than an IT student from a backwater town, as you put it. She’s my best friend, and I trust her more than anyone else. You will be surprised by what Nikki is capable of accomplishing. She was able to find out the truth about your father’s identity without even trying that hard. If she were to put her full attention on finding me, she will; you watch.”
Aisling growled. “That’s what I’m afraid of; she almost got you killed the last time. I cannot have someone messing things up, not this time. If the Ghost gets tipped off by your Nikki meddling in matters, she shouldn’t; she will be the one who dies.” The hard set to her jaw and hand on her hips backed those words up.
Kelsey’s mouth fell open, and her eyes widened. She felt the blood rush from her face and hands. She didn’t know the woman in front of her. Her cousin spent her whole life running, and today she looked like a woman cornered and threatened. “I don’t even know you.”
“No, you don’t. You have an animal to blame for that. That monster took away my innocence that night, and then he hunted and tortured me for years with the fear he would kill me, my mother, and my father. I didn’t know when or where he would appear. Now, I need to stop him, and I’m not about to let anyone keep me from doing that.”
Kelsey knew what one unrelenting need did to a person. She recalled how one goal focused her mind until she saw nothing else. Aisling had more to lose now if the Ghost went into hiding. This Ghost had been the one who hurt Aisling and her Aunt Cat that night; he was Kelsey’s new prey. I’ll help you, Aisling. That man will not get away with it, I promise.
Chapter Twenty
Nikki’s Bunker, April 15, 2012
Last night’s awkwardness extended into this morning’s avoiding each other. Willow hadn’t wanted to talk about what happened at Torres’s office. Nikki didn’t want to face the issue either, but now it stood between her and Willow. Deciding that it was better to get it over with it, Nikki took a deep cleansing breath and jumped right in. “Deb and I had a …I’m not sure what you’d call it. It was supposed to be casual and brief, but it was more for Deb.”
Willow laughed without the humor, reaching her eyes.
Nikki knew the woman in front of her wasn’t amused. “I did what I have done many times before with women. I was reminded earlier this week that I hurt women without knowing I do. I tried to have fun and not get serious, but I forget that not everyone is built that way.”
“No one is, Nikki. You think you are, but you’re just as affected by intimacy as anyone else. You’re only good at closing it off when it suits you.” The steeliness in Willow’s eyes softened.
Mack told Nikki almost the same thing last year. There must be some truth in it if two women had told her so. Especially when those two women were considered by Nikki to be the most trustworthy women in her life. “I didn’t want to get involved with Deb because one of the last things Mack did was to forbid me to pursue the attraction between Deb and I. I gave Mack my word that I wouldn’t touch her. When I thought Mack was dead, I thought I could do whatever I wanted. My first mistake was to believe Mack was dead.”
“I’m sure Mack won’t hold anything against you for not keeping your promise.”
“Maybe not at first, but when Mack gets back and wants to put the Cold Case Behavioral Unit back together, she’ll be pissed that I’m the reason there is tension between Deb and I.”
“I’m confused. IF you kept things casual with Deb, then why would she be upset when she saw you and I together? It doesn’t sound like she has much to be upset about.”
Nikki frowned. Deb was able to s
ee that whatever was between she and Willow wasn’t casual or straightforward friendship. “Maybe it’s because she’s good at what she does. As a detective or an agent, you need to be good at reading people. I’m sure she saw the way we were with each other and knew…”
“Knew what? Willow asked.
Nikki hesitated for a few moments before replying because she wanted to make sure she worded it correctly. Rubbing her face and closing her eyes, Nikki began her summation of the situation between her and Willow. “Deb could see that I’m not just having fun with you. She could see the history between you and I. She and I never had that.” Nikki stopped and nibbled on her lower lip. “What I’m trying to say is…after I’ve brought Mack back home, I want to see what we have and what we can be.”
Willow’s eyes widened. A huge smile spread across her face, and she looked down at her feet. “Nikki, I…”
Nikki loved how the woman could look so alluring and sheepish at the same time. “I hope you want that as well.” Willow’s silence worried Nikki, and she nibbled on her lower lip. Willow looked into Nikki’s eye, and the smile Nikki saw there spoke volumes. Nikki gulped. She had both hoped and dreaded this happening. Getting ready to leave for the UK made her realize she would be away for days or weeks. Her body reacted every time she was close to Willow. Her resolve to keep it light and wait for things to develop organically between her and Willow, slipped when that smile appeared on her old friend’s face. Seeing that Willow looked thrilled about her growing feelings, Nikki reached out to touch her cheek.
Willow closed her eyes. “Come here, Nikki, we need to say a proper goodbye before you go.”
Nikki did as she was told. Happily, she went into Willow’s arms and dropped her mouth onto those smiling lips.
Several climaxes later, Nikki was lying on her back on her bed; her eyes closed, listening to her heartbeats in her ears. The bed shifted, causing Nikki to open her eyes.
Willow leaned over Nikki, smiling. “I knew there was some unfinished business between you and Deb when I saw the immediate dislike for me in her eyes. What I cannot understand is why Torres didn’t seem to warm up to me.” Willow’s finger circled one nipple as she spoke.
Nikki’s mind focused only partly on the words. “I told you she doesn’t warm up to people easily.”
Willow’s circles got slower. “I know you said that, but she seemed to dislike me. I tried everything I could think of to get her to see I meant no harm. She closed me out every time.”
Nikki’s head swam with her growing passion. Willow’s voice and finger were making it harder to concentrate on talking about Torres. “I’m sure it’s just she's careful. It’s part of her job and has been a way of life for so long; she finds it difficult to trust people.”
“But I’m as trustful as they come. You trust me, don’t you?” Willow’s finger was traveling down Nikki’s midriff to her belly button
Nikki nodded because her voice wasn’t working at that moment.
“I want to be able to help you when I can, and if Torres doesn’t trust me, how will I be able to access her contacts for you?” Willow’s hand cupped Nikki, and one finger slipped between her folds.
Nikki closed her eyes. What had Willow asked? Shaking her head, she said, “I’m sure she’ll help you when you need it…Oh, God, don’t stop.”
Willow had begun a slow rhythm of deep penetration.
Nikki’s mind went to feeling the climax that was just out of her reach. She wasn’t able to speak coherently any longer. She moved her body in opposition to Willow’s caresses. Her breaths held and were let out in gasps. Willow encouraged with whispers and a tongue in Willow’s ear.
“Yes, that’s it…come on, Nikki. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere…come for me.”
Nikki obeyed and bucked against Willow’s hand.
“That’s my girl. You can count on me while you’re away; I’ll take care of everyone and everything.”
***
“I don’t see how that plan can work. It hinges on the fact that this woman Nikki spoke to might be Mack’s aunt and that her family is holding Mack at their estate near Glasgow. There are so many unanswered components. Nikki could be walking into a trap.” Deb put a voice to the same concerns Torres had as well.
“I know, and I don’t trust how Red got this information. I don’t trust this Willow. Red said Willow is some friend that comes out of the woodwork after seventeen years, and she’s been keeping close tabs on Red all this time. Who does that? What kind of woman stalks a woman and comes back into her life after all those years?” Torres had tried to look into the woman, but she couldn’t find anything but what Red had told her. Willow Matheson had been married to David Patterson after college and traveled abroad as a Computer Analyst for her Tech Company. They had a son, and about one year ago, David and their son, Adam, died in a car accident on a highway in Vermont. She found nothing to support her mistrust of the woman.
Deb shook her head. “I think Nikki isn’t thinking clearly. There must have been some unfinished business between them because Willow wasn’t acting like a grieving mother and wife. I could see an obvious intimacy between her and Nikki that I have only seen with Mack.”
“Do you think Mack and Red had something between them other than friendship?”
Deb chuckled. “Nikki said that they’d be like oil and water. No, Mack only came out recently, but Nikki did have a crush on her once. I think Nikki had a crush on Willow, and until recently, those feelings were not shared.”
Torres did have to admit that she had seen a closeness between Red and Willow she didn’t think was from a past friendship. “I did think that it was odd for Red to be okay with a woman stalking her, but Willow is pretty, so I thought it was Nikki being hopeful. You think they’ve already slept together, don’t you?”
“I know they have; Nikki admitted as much. Willow contacted her, and that same night they were having sex in Willow’s hotel room.”
Torres recalled Red telling her she had run into a detective in Canonsburg that she knew from years ago. By the sounds of that exchange, Nikki may have slept with that detective to gain access to a crime scene. “Mack did warn you about Red. There had to be a reason she did that.”
Deb scowled. “I thought it was because Mack didn’t like the complications of co-workers in a relationship. Now, I know she knew Nikki wasn’t the type to get serious about anyone.”
Nodding Torres said, “I’m sure that Mack was worried about working with people having a relationship outside of work. Friendship is one thing, but being lovers or friends with benefits can cloud a person’s judgment so much more. But if anyone knew Red had trouble making lasting relationships, it was Mack.”
“So, what do we do? What if Nikki is falling into the trap of Willow’s making; what can we do to help her?” Deb nibbled on her lip. “If Mack were here, she would know what to do.”
Torres knew Deb’s fears because they were her own, as well. “I’m going to reach out to everyone I can find who knows anything about the area of Scotland where this estate is located. I have some CI’s who know people that know more people. If there is anything untoward to the information Willow found for Red, I’ll make sure Red knows about it. Until then, you know what they say about keeping enemies closer? I’m going to make Willow feel as though I trust her so that I can keep a closer eye on her while Red is away.”
Deb smiled. “That’s a relief knowing you can have Nikki’s back when she goes down this path of hers to bring Mack home. She could count on Mack to keep her in line all these years; I’m afraid without her, Nikki could lose more than her way.”
Torres smiled; Deb didn’t have anything to worry about. “I won’t let that happen. I made a promise to Mack a few months back to keep an eye on Red when she couldn’t. I’m not about to forget about that promise, especially when Mack will kick my ass if she learns, I was worried about this plan from the start.”
“So, you do think Nikki will find her, then?” Deb asked.
Torres believed that Red wouldn’t stop until she brought Mack home, but she had her doubts whether Red could find the woman if her capturers wanted to keep Mack’s whereabouts a secret. “Red won’t give up, but she’s going to need help if Mack’s family doesn’t want to be found. That is why I cannot believe Willow was able to trace Mack’s disappearance to a phone and the phone to a home in Scotland. It doesn’t sound like something a family, who have been hiding in the shadows for over twenty-one years, would do; does it?”
Deb frowned. “No, but Nikki isn’t thinking clearly.”
“That’s why she has us and why we’ll save her from herself,” Torres said while she punched a code on her computer. “I put a tracker and listening device on Willow’s Smartwatch while she wasn’t looking. She thought I didn’t know anything about computers, but I asked if she could show me how her Sony Smartwatch synced with her phone.”
“Where did you get the technology to do that?” Deb asked, smiling.
“You already know where. Red gave it to me to try out. She has no idea I used it to spy on her new girlfriend. Willow will have no idea she’s being watched through her watch.”
Both women smiled conspiratorially.
Chapter Twenty-One
Aisling and Aunt Cat’s House, Near Edinburgh, Scotland, April 15, 2012
Kelsey missed Miranda’s smile more than she could say. Closing her eyes, she held her amulet tight. “Bidh spioradan a ’leigeil leam mo chridhe fhaicinn, leig dhomh fhaicinn an gaol a chaill mi.” Spirits let me see my heart, let me see the love who has lost me. Miranda should be asleep in their bed at that moment, and Kelsey wanted to reach out to her fiancée in her dreams. A few moments of blackness, and then Kelsey saw her room materialize before her eyes. There lay Miranda in their bed. Mo Chridhe.