by Vella Day
She sat up straighter. “How do you propose we do that? We can’t go back there without getting into deep trouble.” She held up a finger. “Didn’t Harriet tell you I’m on suspension until further notice?”
“Yes. That’s why you need to tell them I was with you.”
She was impressed he was willing to sacrifice himself for her, but she wouldn’t do it. “They’ll arrest you. You can’t find anything out from jail.” And you can’t protect me from there either.
“True.” He placed his hand on her thigh, and her leg tingled. “I guess one good thing about being on suspension is that you won’t have to spend time at the office.” There was a gleam in his eye.
“Meaning what?”
“You won’t have to lie about your whereabouts, and I’m betting they won’t be checking up on you.” He lifted a lock of her hair and twirled it around his fingers, and the sensation ignited her body.
“Good point,” she said, trying to keep her breathing under control.
“What if we contact Whistleblower2 and find out what he knows about getting inside the Base undetected?”
Her pulse shot up. “Are you kidding? You must not be well versed in conspiracy theories. From what I’ve read, the government kills whistleblowers or harms their families. The real whistleblower wouldn’t chance coming out of the cold for us. Even if he were willing, how do you propose we find him? If the military can’t find him, I doubt we can.”
Kane leaned in closer, his face having a predatory look. “Ah, my pretty. You underestimate the power of the computer.”
“Don’t tell me you’re a hacker?” Kane was bright and strong, but she didn’t picture him as the computer geek type.
He laughed, and the sound lightened her mood, almost to the point of excitement. “No, but the General has the best talent in the world at his fingertips.”
“Wow. You’re going to use the military to fight the military.” She kissed his cheek. “You truly are a superhero.”
* * *
After Kane’s bright idea of trying to find the whistleblower, she’d spent most of the day contacting more than ten people who she considered diehard conspiracy theorists, but they had no idea about how to reach him despite the fact he was well known in the alien believer community.
Exhausted, Sky and Kane headed over to EBE’s for a mental break and some food. Cathy, the waitress, glanced over at her and sent her an, I’m sorry smile. Either she was still remembering what happened to Sky when she was in the bathroom, or she’d somehow found out about the jail time. It didn’t seem to matter that both she and Harriet had agreed not to mention anything to anyone about Sky’s suspension or her arrest. The notoriety would have made asking questions about secret underground facilities difficult.
Sky polished off her now cold coffee just as Kane’s cell rang.
“It’s the General.” Kane answered but didn’t say much. “Thanks.”
She leaned close to him. “So?”
“Nothing. He’s completely frustrated. All of a sudden, the well of information seems to have dried up.”
Typical government stonewalling or else the General was lying. “What about hacking into the whistleblower’s IP address?” Though, if it had been that easy, the Base would have done it by now.
“It didn’t work. They thought they had a lead, but the guy’s smart. Apparently, he uploaded his information to a cloud computer whose IP address isn’t static.”
“Too bad.” She finished her last French fry. “I’m at a dead end too. While everyone I’ve spoken to has heard of him, they have no idea how to contact him either.”
“That sucks. We need him.” Kane bit into his hamburger. How eating a hamburger could be sexy, she didn’t know, but Kane pulled it off.
Cathy came over. “More coffee?”
Sky held her hand over her cup. “I’m about to float away as it is, but thanks.”
Cathy set the white carafe on the table and leaned over. “I stopped by Earl’s this afternoon with some food. I’d heard he was under the weather.”
“That was nice of you.” She hoped his under the weather referred to the beating and not from some bug he’d caught. He was prone to infections due to a weak immune system. Maybe he hadn’t contacted Sky because he felt she was dangerous to his health, or else he was angry because he lost his prized fuel cell because of her.
Nothing she could do about it now. She hoped Pearl had stopped by Earl’s to give him some loving.
Kane pushed his plate to the side indicating he was finished with his meal. “Thanks, Cathy.” He turned to Sky. “Speaking of Earl, when was the last time you spoke with him?” Cathy picked up the coffee and went over to another table.
She shrugged. “Why?”
“I bet if anyone knows about the whistleblower, it would be him.”
“If he knows, he won’t tell me. I seem to cause him problems.” She pushed back her chair.
“You sure?”
“Not a hundred percent.”
“Do you think it’s too late to visit?”
Sky stood. “Maybe, but it’s not too late to call. I don’t want to talk in here though.”
Kane stood and dropped a twenty on the table, enough to cover their meals and a large tip. “Let’s go.”
Outside, dark clouds obscured the moon, and the chill in the air had intensified, forcing her to draw her jacket close around her shoulders. Once in Kane’s Jeep, she pulled out her phone. Earl answered on the second ring.
“Hey, Sky. I heard you ran into some bad luck.” His voice sounded strong.
So much for anyone in this town keeping quiet. Harriet just couldn’t keep from spreading gossip, or in this case, the truth. Good thing the whistleblower didn’t live in Savory, or he’d have been found in an instant.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’m okay. The headache’s still bouncing around in my head from that pounding those guys gave me.”
“You aren’t really sick then?”
“Nothing the medics need to come for.”
Good. “Remember I told you about an article that detailed the existence of a deep underground military base on 89?”
“Sure do.”
“You ever hear of someone called Whistleblower2 or know about his claim?” Other than some heavy breathing, Earl didn’t respond. “Earl? You okay?”
“You know how I hate to break a promise.”
She pumped her free hand. Earl knew this person. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. You contact this guy and tell him about the theft, about me missing for a day, and how the men stole your stuff. Confess anything you want then ask if he’d be willing to meet with me, or rather Kane and me.” She held her breath. When he didn’t answer, she gave one last plea. “We’re on the same side here, you know. I was arrested for entering the Base.”
“Oh, Sky. I didn’t know that. You should have told me.”
She thought the fact he knew she’d run into bad luck implied he’d learned she’d been arrested. “It’s not something I’m proud of. Will you help me out here, Earl?”
“For you, I’ll ask, but no promises. This whistleblower can be slipperier than a greased pig. But since they took you and tried to frame you, not to mention arrest you, I’m thinking he might be willing to cooperate.”
She smiled at Kane. “Tell him I won’t tell anyone about him. I don’t even need to know his name. I want to expose what the government is doing as much as he does. I think whoever is behind this wants me dead too.”
“If I find him, I’ll give you a holler.”
“Sweet. You are a true treasure.” She disconnected, leaned back against the Jeep’s passenger door, and smiled. “Now, we wait.”
* * *
Sunlight streamed through Sky’s kitchen window and bounced off her long, dark hair. She looked extra pretty today despite the circles under her eyes. Kane inhaled, and the rich aroma of bacon, eggs, and strong coffee made his stomach yearn for food. He barely remembered the h
amburger from last night, and he certainly needed more nutrients than that piece of meat provided.
The eggs crackled, and she maneuvered from one part of the kitchen to the other. Sky had to be the bravest woman he’d ever met. If they could meet with the whistleblower, Kane might be able to learn how to get into and out of the Base—alone—and without being caught on any surveillance camera.
He leaned back in his chair and had to remind himself why he was still in this Podunk town. He’d be lucky if he even got paid for his protection detail since the Senator had returned home, safe and sound. Overton had asked that Kane keep trying to find out who’d abducted him, so maybe a paycheck would be forthcoming. Regardless, it was his sense of Marine honor to see this through to completion.
Who was he kidding? His protective instinct was strong, but with Sky it was, no pun intended, sky high. Another reason he was around was because he wanted to see if he and Sky could have a meaningful relationship—assuming she’d give him half a chance.
The scrape of a pan on the kitchen stove returned his attention to her. Kane rose from the table and walked behind her. Watching her cook and swinging her hips back and forth while she hummed a little tune, turned him on. He spun her around. With one hand holding a spatula and the other a fork, he leaned around her, turned off the stove, and removed the utensils from her hands.
“What are you doing?” she asked. “The food’s still cooking.”
“This.” He drew her close and kissed her. Sure, he was still pissed that she’d run to the factory after he’d ordered her not to, and she never seemed to be able to stay out of trouble, but, dammit, she meant something to him. If he didn’t taste her, his body would go crazy.
She broke the kiss, her eyes wide, from either the surprise of him kissing her, or because she felt his erection pressed against her. He wanted to make love to her. Now. It didn’t matter that it was barely daybreak. Last night, he’d had erotic dreams of them together, convincing him they’d make a great pair. She was all fire and passion and strong enough to match his needs. Kane wanted her all right and should have made love with her last night, but even though Harriet told him Sky had dumped Chris, he wanted to hear her say the words.
“What was that about?” she asked.
He wasn’t ready to explain his erratic behavior. “Just felt like it.”
She studied him for a moment. “Well, I liked it.”
Her cell rang, but she didn’t move. “You going to answer it?” Part of him wished, she’d say no because she wanted to continue what he’d started.
Sky huffed out a breath. “Yes.” She grabbed her cell. “It’s Earl. Uh-huh. Sure. We’ll be right there.” She faced him. “Earl has something for us.”
* * *
Once in the bedroom, she closed the door and plastered her back against the wall. Why did Earl have to call at that exact moment—just when things were getting good? That kiss had shot spears of lust straight through her. What that man did to her.
After splashing some water on her face and brushing her teeth, she rushed out. Kane drove and they arrived at Earl’s half an hour later.
As they pulled in front of his house, a car she didn’t recognize sat in the drive and Sky reached for her gun only to realize her spare was in her car. Crap. Being on suspension sucked. She hoped those two men hadn’t come back demanding Earl give them that stupid card.
“Let me go first,” Kane said.
She nodded for him to lead the way. As soon as they stepped from the Jeep, Earl wheeled out the door, and when no men in masks followed him out, she blew out a breath. He was safe. Thankfully, the bruising on his cheek and around his eyes had receded.
“Did the Chief return my cone or maybe your fuel cell?” she asked.
“Better than that.”
The door behind him opened, and someone she thought she’d never see again stepped out.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Mr. Morris?” Sky ran up the ramp and practically threw herself in the arms of her former high school science teacher.
She stepped back and lifted her hand to her heart to quell its rapid tattoo. His face was rather pasty and his hair thin, making him look closer to a vagrant than a respected member of the academic community, but the fact he was alive thrilled her—especially since she thought he’d died ten years ago.
“Yes, it’s me. I know it’s a bit of a shock.”
Her mouth dropped open. “A bit? I went to your funeral and cried for days. You were my favorite teacher.” He’d had a closed casket because of the fiery nature of his death.
“I’m sorry to have put you all through that.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Come inside, and I’ll tell you what happened.”
She glanced back at Kane who appeared a bit perplexed and for good reason. Once inside, she looked around the now cleaned up living room. “Your place looks great.”
“Smells good too,” Kane added as he stepped in behind her.
Earl smiled. Thank goodness, he had his dentures in this time. “That Phyllis sure is a miracle worker, but I could do with a pinch less cinnamon.”
She chuckled. She and Kane sat on the couch, and Mr. Morris pulled up a chair.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll bring your friend up to speed first, Sky. After I left the military, I took a job teaching at Savory High where I taught Sky here.”
She smiled. “I was a terrible student. I always wanted to thank you for putting up with me.”
He waved a dismissive hand. “Nonsense. You were a joy. Three years after you graduated, the military recruited me to work at an underground military base nearby.”
Sky swore her heart nearly stopped. “Blackthorn Base?”
“Yes. Earl told me you’d discovered the government’s little secret.” A corner of his mouth turned up, and he acted as if she’d figured something out no one else had. He seemed proud of her intelligence.
No way. “Don’t tell me you’re whistleblower2?”
“I am.” He didn’t look happy about it.
Oh my God. “I’m so sorry about your family. You never got them back, did you?” According to the Internet article, he’d stolen artifacts from the Base and was told unless he returned the items, they would hold his wife and child hostage.
“No. I know the government. They either killed them right away or did experiments on them.” He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. “It was a tragedy, and that’s why I need your help to expose the murdering military.”
“You have my word I will do my best.” If her family had been taken, she would have tried to save them no matter what. “You never went back in?” Her tone must have been harsh because he flinched.
Mr. Morris gritted his teeth. “You don’t understand. It wouldn’t have mattered if I had been able to get in. I had friends who worked there at the time who looked for them but to no avail, so I assumed they were already dead.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine anything so terrible.” She glanced at Kane whose gaze was off to the side, as if he might be reliving his wife’s death. She wanted to hold his hand to give him comfort, but now wasn’t the right time.
“I feared they’d come after me next.” For the next hour, Morris explained why he had to convince the government that he’d died in a car accident.
“Did you work with any alien technology?” She’d been dying to ask.
“Not personally, but I always believed it existed in other parts of the lab. In fact, I was trying to understand the scope of the place, when I found evidence of a book that appeared to contain alien technology. That’s one of the things I took.”
She glanced from Earl back to Mr. Morris. “Do you still have this book?”
“Not anymore.”
“What happened to it?”
His lip curled. “As soon as I stole the book, I went to Washington and spoke with a General Richard Habberd, along with a panel of men who claimed they were interested in investigating alien life. I gave them what I thought was proof t
hat aliens existed, but they called me a crackpot, booted me out, and then refused to return the book. You don’t know what it’s like to attempt to expose them. The government is too powerful.”
That didn’t surprise her.
Kane leaned forward. “How can I get into the Base and look around without being caught?”
“You can’t.”
“We have a key card that’s in the evidence locker back at the station that gives us access to the first level.” As soon as Sky opened her mouth, Kane’s hand tightened on her knee.
Morris inhaled. “Oh, that’s different. There might be a way if…”
All four bounced ideas around, but in the end, there was no clear-cut solution. The ones that might work, Kane nixed, saying it was too dangerous and that he had to go alone.
Mr. Morris stood. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more, but I need to leave. I never stay in any one place for long.”
“You think after all this time the government wants to kill you?”
“Yes. I’ve had several, obviously failed attempts on my life in the last few months alone.”
She didn’t want this fount of information to slip out of her fingertips. “How can I reach you?”
“Ask Earl. He has his ways.”
Without even waiting for a hug goodbye, Mr. Morris slipped out.
Sky stepped over to Earl, leaned over, and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thank you for contacting him.”
Earl nodded, but from the grim expression, he didn’t seem certain he should have exposed his friend, especially since they weren’t any further ahead than when she’d arrived.
Kane grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.” He led her to the Jeep and held open the door. “How about we stop at the grocery store and pick up some steak. I’m not in the mood to run into anyone else if we go to EBE’s.”
“Great.” Now that sounded like a plan. For a second, she wanted to suggest marshmallows for dessert, but given how the event fizzled last time, she decided against it.