“About getting into MyoGen?” Krause asked.
“About any of it,” Eleana said.
“I think, I love you,” Krause said, surprising Eleana.
“What did you say?”
“I said that I love you,” he repeated.
Eleana laughed. “You have interesting timing,” she commented.
“I’m kind of new at this,” he said.
“Breaking into buildings?” she quipped.
“Relationships.”
“Is that what we have?” Eleana asked hesitantly.
“I hope it can be,” Krause said honestly.
“You think we’re going to die, don’t you?” she asked him.
“What?”
“You do. You think that we’re walking into a hornet nest.”
Krause chuckled. “Distinct possibility,” he said. “I do.”
“Think we’re going to die?” she asked.
“No,” he laughed. “Love you.”
“Gets easier to say, huh?” she teased him.
“I guess it does.”
“You could have picked a time when we were alone.”
“We are alone,” he reminded her.
“Not in a car, at night, on our way to possibly be killed by hornets,” she said.
“Did you take one of Claire’s pills?” he asked.
“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Eleana replied. “And, I love you too.”
“Well, good—we can die in love,” he joked.
“Not funny.”
***
“What did you do to Toles?” Claire asked Hawk.
“Excuse me?”
“To pull babysitting duty,” Claire said. “Pass the chips.”
Hawk stuck a potato chip in her mouth and handed Claire the bag she was holding. “I could ask you the same thing. You’re like her captive. Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” Hawk said. “Sparrow falls from the sky.”
“Clever—Hawk.”
“I thought so.”
“I’m sure. So?” Claire munched a chip. “We’re stuck here. What do you want to do?” Claire asked. Hawk grinned. “Not that I wouldn’t, but, at least, let me shower first.”
“Clever,” Hawk returned.
“That’s what my daddy always said.”
Hawk nodded. “No offense, Brackett, but your father is the biggest asshole I have ever met.”
“Made a good impression, huh?”
“Almost as good as that idiot Kargen,” Hawk said. “Pass that bag.”
Claire took a handful of chips and threw the bag gently to Hawk. “Kargen was a Tool.”
“I agree.”
“So? You were Toles’, what? Girlfriend?” Brackett asked.
“Could ask you the same thing.”
Claire choked on a chip. “Great sex a handful of times does not make a relationship,” Brackett said. “You?”
“Short lived. Alex doesn’t do relationships.”
“Does now,” Claire said.
“What’s up with that?” Hawk asked curiously.
“She could do a lot worse,” Claire commented as she reached for the soda next to the bed.
“Alex is a good catch.”
“I didn’t mean Cassidy,” Claire chuckled. “You ask me, Cassidy got the short end of the stick in the deal.”
“Got a crush on Mrs. Toles?” Hawk poked.
“Nope. Just telling it like I see it.”
“So? If we are really stuck here, what do you want to do?”
“Shower.”
“Okay? You need help?” Hawk asked.
“Are you offering?” Claire flirted.
“Beats watching you munch chips in that bed.”
“You know, if I felt better, I might take that as a come on,” Claire said.
“If you felt better, it would be one.”
Claire laughed. “You sure you can handle this?”
Hawk smirked. “I think I should be asking you that question.”
“Smooth,” Claire said.
“Most of the time,” Hawk replied as she helped Claire up. “Why didn’t Alex get you some crutches or something?”
“You know how it is,” Claire said. “Anything to keep me in bed.”
Hawk laughed. “You’re not what I expected.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot lately,” Claire replied.
Hawk opened the bathroom door and looked at Claire. Claire reached for the shower and winced. “Oh yeah, you can do this yourself,” Hawk said.
“I can do it,” Claire said.
“You get hurt any worse and Alex will kill me. No way. For whatever reason she wants you safe.”
“She wants me watched.”
“Probably true. She made me swear that I would take care of you,” Hawk said. “She didn’t even offer to pay me. Don’t they have kids? Since when is babysitting free?” Hawk complained.
“She actually said that?” Claire asked.
“Yeah, she did. So, help me help you. Make it easier for both of us.”
“Trust me, Hawk, when you get my clothes off, it is going to be anything other than easier for both of us,” Claire smirked.
“I’m going to kill Alex,” Hawk groaned.
***
“What the hell is this place?” Brady asked Fallon.
“You tell me, I’m just a beat cop, remember?”
“Fallon, you are hardly a beat cop and everyone knows it,” Brady replied. “And, anyway, I think that’s a more noble profession.”
“I’d have to agree,” Fallon said.
“Thinking of going back to your roots?” Brady asked as he led Fallon deeper into one of Rand Industries’ labs.
“Maybe,” Fallon said. “No offense? This shit is not what I signed up for.”
“Yeah.”
Fallon moved toward a long table that sat at the left side of the room while Brady investigated the beds and machines that were placed at its center. “Hey?” Fallon called over.
“What is it?”
“Not sure. Take a look,” Fallon said. Brady moved beside Fallon and looked at a computer screen. He stroked his chin and groaned. “Think somebody knew we were coming? Wanted us to see this?”
“No,” Brady said. “I think somebody else was here.”
“Why would they leave this open to the world? If they wanted to dump it—why not wait until it finished?” Fallon asked as he typed on the keypad of the computer to try and save the files running and deleting.
“Only one reason,” Brady answered.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“They didn’t expect anyone would ever see it.”
***
Alex pulled into the hospital lot and parked the car. “Not here,” she said to McCollum.
Cassidy moved to unbuckle Mackenzie. McCollum noticed her hand shaking. He understood immediately that he was the cause. Helen had called during their drive to let Cassidy know that Dylan did not have a concussion. He did have a broken wrist and a sprained ankle. She had told Cassidy that they were waiting for some more x-rays to determine if anything needed to be done before setting his wrist and casting it. Cassidy was relieved about Dylan, but her uneasiness was increasing steadily about seeing her mother. She wanted to put the task on her father. The more she thought about it, the more Cassidy understood how cruel that would be to do to Rose. Somehow, Cassidy needed to find a way to prepare her mother for the unfathomable.
McCollum moved to unbuckle Mackenzie and took Cassidy’s hand.
“Cassie, you don’t have to do this. I will tell her.”
Cassidy shook her head. “I need to prepare her,” she said. “You can’t know what it was like for me to see you standing there. And, I owe that to her. Mom is…Mom was the most important person in my life for nearly all of it. If I don’t tell her, I would feel like I was lying to her. I can’t bear that.”
“I understand,” he told Cassidy.
Cassidy took a deep breath. “Will you be all right here?” she asked
with concern.
“I have spent time in much darker accommodations,” he told Cassidy. Cassidy offered him a somber smile and nodded as she exited the car. Alex peered into the backseat. “I’ll be here,” McCollum promised. “Take Edmond. It might help.”
Alex remained still for a moment. “Whatever happens, you should know one thing,” she said.
“You’ll kill me if I hurt her again?”
“Probably, but that’s not what I was going to say,” Alex told him. “It means a lot to her that you came,” she said. “I can’t say I understand, but she really does love you.” Alex was positive the older man was beginning to tear up. “Don’t let her down.”
“I don’t know if I can promise that.”
“Don’t bag on her,” Alex said. “Take the blows and stick it out.” Alex closed the door to the car and took Cassidy’s hand. “Ready?”
“What did you say to him?” Cassidy wondered.
“I just told him the truth.”
***
“I can’t get any signal,” Brady said. “You?”
“No.”
“Shit. Is it still downloading?”
“Yeah,” Fallon answered. “But, if I did this right, it should be downloading to Alex in real time on her secure server at Carecom.”
“Definitely not your everyday cop,” Brady said. “Let it run.”
“Just let me check one thing,” Fallon said. “I want to make sure she sees it.”
“Make it fast, Fallon. There’s a reason it wasn’t completely wiped.”
“I know,” Fallon said. “That’s why I have to get it to Alex—no matter what.”
***
“Mom!” Dylan yelled when he saw Cassidy open the door to the examination room he was in.
“I’ll let you two talk,” Rose said. She kissed Cassidy on the cheek. “I’m sorry, Cassie.”
“Not your fault, Mom,” Cassidy assured her with a smile.
“I’ll see you in a bit, Dylan,” Rose promised.
“Okay, Grandma. Can we still get pizza?”
Rose laughed. “I’ll see what we can arrange,” she said as she left the room.
“I bagged, Mom,” Dylan said sadly.
Cassidy smiled at him. “I heard. How’s the arm?” Cassidy moved swiftly to his side. She kissed him on the forehead and ran her fingers through his hair.
“You’re not mad?” he asked.
“Mad? Dylan, why on earth would you think I would be mad at you?”
“Mom, Black Bear is like a bunny slope,” Dylan said.
Cassidy bit back a laugh. “It happens,” she said.
“Not to you,” Dylan proclaimed.
“Oh, yes, to me too,” Cassidy admitted. “I just have been lucky that I haven’t broken anything.”
“It hurts,” he confessed.
“I’ll bet it does,” Cassidy replied just as Alex peeked in.
“Hey? Up for some more company?” Alex asked.
“Alex!”
“Hey, Speed. How are you feeling?” Alex asked him.
“My ankle hurts worse than my wrist,” he said.
“I’m sorry, Speed.”
“It’s okay. It was my fault,” Dylan said.
“Your fault? That you fell?” Alex was puzzled.
“Yeah. I got ahead of Grandma.”
“Dylan,” Cassidy said firmly. “You know that you need to stay with an adult.”
“I know, Mom. Just, I was doing so good! You should have seen it…I don’t know what happened,” he said sadly.
Cassidy smiled. “It happens, Dylan. It will happen again,” she said. Cassidy caught Alex’s stare as Alex’s eyes flew open. Cassidy chuckled. Something about skiing made Alex’s overprotective nature kick into high gear. “Hopefully, next time you will land a little softer. Learning to fall is part of the deal, Dylan.”
“I know. I tried to do what you taught me,” he said. “It just happened so fast.”
“Usually does,” Cassidy observed. “You know, your grandfather broke his nose once skiing Black Bear.”
“No way!”
“He did. He was skiing backward, teaching me. He hit some ice, I think. He went over backward like a cartoon. It was actually kind of funny,” Cassidy recalled, “until he sat up and I saw the blood pouring down his face.”
“Gross,” Dylan said.
“Pretty much,” Cassidy agreed. “I was scared to ski the next day. He made me go anyway, right back to Black Bear.”
“I won’t be able to ski anymore this year.”
“I know,” Cassidy sighed.
“Am I going to miss soccer?” Dylan asked fearfully.
“I don’t know, sweetie,” Cassidy said honestly.
“Hey? Where’s Kenzie?”
Alex answered. “She’s with Grandma and YaYa.”
Cassidy looked at Dylan proudly. “I’m proud of you.”
“You are? I bagged!”
Cassidy chuckled. Dylan could be a perfectionist at times, and he was quite competitive. It reminded her of Alex. “Yeah, I am. YaYa told me you made Grandma laugh.”
“Grandma was upset,” Dylan said. “I think she was scared.”
“I’m sure she was,” Cassidy agreed. “Would it be okay if Alex stayed with you for a bit while I go see Grandma?”
“Am I in trouble?” he asked nervously.
“No,” Cassidy answered. “You learned a lesson, I hope.”
“Yeah, don’t lean so far right.”
“Dylan….”
Dylan smiled mischievously. “Don’t get too far ahead of you or Grandma.”
Cassidy grinned. Dylan had grown up so much in the last year that it scared her at times. He was quickly becoming a young man. “You can tell Alex about the trails,” she said. “She doesn’t know much about all of that.”
“Okay,” he agreed happily.
Cassidy kissed Alex on the cheek. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be here,” Alex promised. She whispered in Cassidy’s ear. “Mom knows,” Alex said. “She’ll be nearby. Lean on her if you need to.”
Cassidy nodded. “I’ll see you in a bit. Come get me if the doctor comes in?” Cassidy asked.
“You know it,” Alex said. She sat down on the edge of Dylan’s bed. “So…Tell me what this double diamond thing is.”
***
Hawk studied Claire Brackett as she slept. Claire had fallen asleep on the couch in Alex’s mother’s living room after Hawk had helped her downstairs. Claire needed a change of scenery, and so did Hawk. Eventually, they had opted to flip on the television and Claire had drifted off during a marathon of Get Smart reruns. One moment, Claire had been laughing. The next, Hawk heard soft snoring coming from the couch.
Helping Claire shower had proved both humorous and a bit disconcerting. Hawk could not deny that Claire Brackett was a beautiful woman. And, Claire was an incurable flirt. It took more restraint than Hawk had expected not to seduce Claire. She had not taken a lover in longer than she preferred to think about, and she had little doubt that Claire could have quelled the dull ache that had taken up residence in various parts of her body. But, Claire had met the situation with humor, another surprise for Charlie Hawkins.
Claire Brackett did not fit the profile of the agent Hawk had always heard about. She seemed to Hawk to be amazingly unguarded. At first, Hawk had assumed that it had to do with the medication that both Alex and Cassidy had warned her about. But, Claire had not taken anything since before Hawk had arrived. Claire had grown quiet a few times, but most of their time had been spent in conversation that flowed more naturally as the hours passed.
The first couple of hours had been strained between them, both attempting to gauge the other’s motives and personality. Hawk had seen glimpses of the agent referred to as Sparrow a few times in those hours. She had caught Claire watching her with a discerning eye. It didn’t offend her any more than she expected her examination of The Sparrow bothered Claire. It was in both their nature to be cautious, an
d for good reason.
Hawk still wasn’t sure how or when it happened, but at some point, their conversation had turned. She had raided Helen’s kitchen and the two would be rivals called a truce that included polishing off a tray full of junk food and a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke. Hawk smiled remembering Claire’s puzzlement regarding their snacks.
“Can you explain to me why anyone who stocks this much junk food has diet soda in their house?” Claire asked seriously. Hawk shrugged. “It makes no sense,” Claire griped. She picked up a package of cupcakes. “180 calories! For one fucking cupcake, Hawk! One! Diet soda? Why? It’s useless like non-alcoholic beer. Who the hell wants non-alcoholic beer?”
Hawk chuckled at the memory. “Who are you, Claire?”
***
“Mom?”
“Cassie, I’m sorry about Dylan. He’s so fast. He just…”
Cassidy smiled sympathetically. “He knows better than to go off. It’s not your fault.”
“That may be, but I still feel awful,” Rose said. “He tried to be brave,” she told Cassidy. “He didn’t even cry, but I could tell he was afraid when the ski patrol came. That wrist…”
“He’s okay, Mom,” Cassidy reminded her mother. “He’ll have a story to tell.”
“He reminds me of your father sometimes,” Rose said a bit wistfully. “So competitive at times. You were never like that, always wanted to include everyone, not surpass them. Must have skipped through you to Dylan.”
Cassidy could feel her hands shaking. Her stomach was turning violently. She moved to sit beside her mother. “Mom…”
“What’s wrong, Cassie? You look a little flushed? Are you sick?”
“No, I’m not sick.”
“Oh, my God! Are you pregnant again?” Rose asked excitedly. Cassidy let out a nervous chuckle. “You are! I don’t believe it….You’re going to need that farm….”
“Mom,” Cassidy chuckled again. “I’m not pregnant.” Rose looked at Cassidy doubtfully. “I swear, I’m not pregnant.”
“Cassie, you…”
“I’m not, Mom, although we are talking about it. Not for a while,” Cassidy said.
“Then what is it?” Rose grew concerned.
Cassidy strained to offer her mother a smile. “I’ve never told you about Alex’s….Well, what she does at Carecom.”
Rose smiled. “You mean she’s not the president of the company?”
“No, she is. She just…”
Conspiracy (Alex and Cassidy Book 4) Page 30