A Nash Mystery Box Set

by Vella Day

  The creeper edged along the wall in starts and stops almost as if he was debating his next move. Something wasn’t right. If he was a worker, why wasn’t he going inside?

  From the gait, height, and small build, he’d swear he was a she. She turned her head, and the moonlight reflected off her face. Oh, shit. His NVG’s allowed him to see her clearly. It was Sky. His pulse raced as he fisted his hands. She’d promised not to come here. What the hell was she thinking? If anyone else rounded the corner, she’d be a goner. Intruders were shot first and questioned later. The best case would be she’d lose her job, and the worst case, her life.

  Kane stood and quietly darted to the east side of the building to check if anyone else was coming. All clear. He dashed along the back of the perfume factory while Sky closed in on the shed door that led to the parking garage.

  Fearing she might cry out if he called to her, he snuck up behind her and clamped a hand over her mouth. No surprise, the feisty little woman elbowed him in the gut and stomped on the arch of his foot. He had to hand it to her. She was tough.

  “Sky, it’s me,” he whispered in her ear.

  She stilled, her chest heaving. He slowly lowered his hand and turned her around. Her lips were pressed together, and her eyes narrowed. Before he could question her or yell at her for being stupid for coming, another set of voices rang out from the side of the building, and escape routes raced through his mind. He needed to get them out of there.

  Kane tugged on her arm to move her away from the perfume factory just as several people came around the side of the building. He did the only thing he could think of.

  He kissed her, goggles and all.

  He wasn’t sure if she was grinding against him to get away or if she enjoyed the passionate kiss, but he wanted to believe it was the second option. The men closed in. Her cheeks were chilled and her nose frozen, so he softened his lips and drank in her lavender scent for one more second.

  “Hey,” one of the men yelled then followed it with a laugh. “Get a room.” Sky pulled back and pressed her hands on Kane’s chest, but he didn’t lessen the pressure of his body against hers. He had no idea what she’d do if he let go.

  Another companion chuckled. “That you, Starman?”

  Starman? He wasn’t sure how he could answer and not give himself away. Every muscle tensed. He then planted a hand next to Sky’s face to block their view and placed the other on his weapon. He leaned close, and with their lips almost touching, he moaned loud enough to wake the dead. “Oh, baby, what you do to me.” To his dismay, he didn’t have to fake it.

  “Yo, lover Boy. Better hurry before the Colonel catches you. He’s on his way.” The first one cackled, but they didn’t harass him anymore, thank God. Instead, they continued to the door.

  Shit. The parade of personnel seemed non-stop. Kane waited a few seconds to make sure his tormenters wouldn’t return, and then he and Sky ran toward the far end of the building away from the parking lot. Thankfully, she didn’t complain. As soon as they rounded the far corner, he stopped, and planted her back against the wall.

  She opened her mouth and he placed a finger on her lips. “Shh.” Now wasn’t the time for their much-needed conversation or her excuses as to why she was there.

  “Where did you park?” Dumb question, but he needed time to assess the situation since his head was swimming from that kiss, one that had been intense and exciting.

  “Next to you.”

  How had she found his Jeep? The problem now was how to escape without being seen. If he’d been alone it wouldn’t have been an issue. Perhaps if Sky had been closer to five-foot eight instead of five two, she might have passed for a military man.

  “You packing?” he whispered.

  “Yes.”

  At least they both had firepower, but he didn’t want to have to resort to a shoot-out. They’d lose against the automatic rifles. The sound of rocks rolling down a hill put his senses on high alert. Someone was near, and he motioned with his hands for her to go north. Taking the south route would take them in front of the factory.

  She nodded and took off at a trot. From the east, a flashlight hit Sky’s face, the rays nearly blinding her. She stopped. Kane whipped off his goggles as the owner of the light raced toward them.

  “Who are you?” the sentry asked.

  He flashed the light directly in Sky’s face and held up something. A click sounded that was too soft to be a gun. Sky squinted, but from the way her legs were spread and her shoulders squared, she was more pissed than afraid. Please don’t pull out your badge and act hostile.

  Kane stepped forward. “Yo, man. It’s cool. I was showing my little lady here how I used to do it in the Special Forces. We have a few minutes before my shift starts.” He knew he probably sounded like Sylvester Stallone, only not with as heavy an accent. Kane wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “That’s right, doll?” This was worse than a bad B-movie.

  The guard stood up taller. “Well, the game’s over. You know the rules. No fraternizing. Now get inside. And check your watch. You’re late.”

  That answered one question about shift times. Kane could probably take him down, but if Sky were hurt in the scuffle, he’d never be able to live with himself.

  She then waved something small and white in front of her. “That’s right, Tony. We need to get to work. We don’t want to piss off the boss.”

  Tony? Either she knew the sentry or she was calling Kane by that name to throw off the guard. If that was the case, he had to admire her fast thinking.

  She took off toward the shed and he followed, the light from the sentry’s flashlight leading the way. He bet the guard was running names through his head to see if he could figure out just who the hell they were. Kane half expected the sentry to use some high tech equipment to check them out, but he didn’t. Kane also wondered why he hadn’t asked for ID. The General would have a heyday with this guy.

  At the door, Sky swiped a card and miracles of miracles, the door opened, and his shoulders relaxed. Luck was on their side when the sentry didn’t follow them inside. Kane checked out the small space. No one was standing guard, but he noted a ramp sloping downward that had to lead to a garage. The metal shed looked rickety from the outside, but the interior walls were reinforced with steel, and low wattage lights rimmed the ceiling. He wouldn’t be surprised if they had mounted cameras around the inside. Kane turned his head away from the interior and leaned over her. “Is that the card Earl found?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did you know the card would open this door?” He made sure his body blocked her face.

  “I didn’t, but I suspected it might be for the factory or this underground Base.”

  He wanted to question her logic further, but they needed to leave now. The only way out as far as he could see was the same way they came in. “Let me check to see if the coast is clear.”

  He pushed open the door and looked outside. The sentry wasn’t there. Kane grabbed her hand and tugged her outside, and they headed south, this time toward the safety of the ledge. They were halfway there when the sound of more vehicles came toward them. Perhaps one contained the Colonel.

  He dragged on his goggles and ran with Sky along the ridge. At the ledge’s location, he stopped. “Climb down.” Her hand tightened.

  “No way.”

  “Don’t worry, there’s a ledge. Okay fine. I’ll go first and then help you down.” Kane dropped to his haunches and jumped the four feet to the flat surface below then held up his arms to help her, but Sky didn’t move. The engine noise got louder. “Get on your butt. You have to jump.”

  “I can’t.”

  Gravel crunched under tires as a vehicle approached. In a few seconds, she'd be found.

  “Come on.” He lifted the rope he’d left there, to ensure she wouldn’t get tangled in it, since Sky probably couldn’t see a damned thing.

  The engine noises were getting louder—and closer. If she didn’t trust him, she’d get caught and life a
s she knew it would be over.

  She crouched on the edge of the ravine and as she leaned forward to take his stretched fingers, she must have tripped, because she tumbled outward as if an invisible hand pushed her—right over the edge.

  Chapter 20

  Arms waving, Sky propelled into the darkness. No. No. No. The air rushed from her lungs, and all that escaped was a small eke. She belly-landed on top of Kane’s face, and the momentum of her fall pushed him off his solid perch into the blackness below. Oh my God. Even though they were free falling, he managed to keep a hold of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and her hands clamped down hard on his head so they would stay as one.

  “Whoa.” The sound came out muffled since his face was buried under her.

  So black. So cold. So deathly.

  Fear paralyzed her. Rushing air sent her hair upward, and she was going to die without telling Kane she was falling in love with him.

  They sped downward, his back to the ground into the nothingness below. Regrets and fear filled her veins. Then abruptly, their free fall ended with a hard jerk, and they bounced upward for a few feet.

  Her heart raced so fast, she couldn’t talk. All she could figure was that he’d landed on a branch jutting out from the rock wall, but the blood pounding in her ears prevented rational thought from breaking through.

  Before she could comprehend why they’d stopped, the wind pushed them into the wall, and a sharp rock stabbed her arm, pain speeding throughout her body.

  “You’re safe,” he whispered, as he cradled her back. “I’m here. Nothing’s going to happen.” His arm tightened around her waist.

  “Safe?” She wanted to yell or rub her arm, but nothing was going to make her let go of Kane’s rock hard body. She looked up and saw nothing but a big black sky dotted with gray swirling clouds. The river below roared, but she refused to check out that scene. Kane and she were upright but he was standing on air. “How did we stop?”

  “As soon as I made it to the ledge, I attached a clip from my harness to a rope that I’d previously fastened to the rock face.”

  His preparation astounded her. She squeezed Kane tighter, as they swayed in the wind. “Thank you.”

  “We’re not home free yet. Slip down a little so you have a better grip.” He was talking with his cheek to her stomach.

  With his help, she lowered her body a foot, feeling more in control even though her heart threatened to leap out of her chest. “Now what?”

  “We have to climb up unless you want to live face-to-face with me for the rest of your life.”

  How could he joke at a time like this? “Up?”

  Of course, they had to go up. Her brain had short-circuited. She’d never been into rock climbing like many of her friends and wasn’t all that certain she could do this, especially in the dark, without losing her footing.

  “I’ll need my hands to haul us up, so hang on for dear life—literally. I’ll do all the heavy lifting.”

  The second he let go of her, she sucked in a breath. Even though she couldn’t see a damn thing and was dangling a thousand feet over a river, she wasn’t as petrified as she thought she would be. After all, she was in Kane’s arms, or rather Kane was in her arms.

  Hand over hand he pulled them up the rope until they reached the bottom of the ledge. He then swung his leg over and hauled her up into his warm, safe embrace, and relief flooded her as he kissed her forehead then her lips.

  “Are you hurt? Is anything broken?” he asked.

  She was still spinning from fear. Sky moved her neck, hands, hips, and feet. “No. For nearly dying, I’m doing quite well, thanks to you,” she whispered.

  While Kane claimed she wasn’t in any condition to drive her car home from the factory, she didn’t want to leave any evidence of them having been there. She had to admit that driving after her near death experience had been hard.

  Once home, Kane thankfully didn’t lambast her for going to the Base. Tomorrow would be soon enough. Exhausted, Sky slid under the covers and fell into a deep sleep, but awoke a few hours later, because Kane was clomping around outside her door making a lot of noise. She hoped he wasn’t planning another expedition. They’d both only had a few hours of sleep, and she was still weary from the adrenaline rush.

  He was a guy who was probably used to keeping watch, standing for days on end. Clearly, he wanted her up, and it wouldn’t be to praise her efforts.

  Fine. She tossed on some jeans and a T-shirt and headed into the kitchen. Kane sat at the table scowling. Wonderful.

  She tossed him a smile, hoping to soften him somewhat. “I need coffee and food. Can I make you something?” A little bribe might go a long way.

  “I already ate.” He was in a sour, dour mood.

  He was such a liar. There were no dishes in the sink. While she fixed something for herself, she needed to convince Kane she needed answers as much as he did. “I know you’re upset with what went down last night, but all I wanted was to find out if Randall’s swipe card gave me access to any of the buildings on the perfume factory property.” Her breath came out fast. “I tried each of the greenhouse doors, but that didn’t work. If the card hadn’t opened the shed, I would have left. Besides, I knew you were there.”

  He stood so fast the chair nearly tipped over. “Do you understand they could have shot you for trespassing?”

  “You’re overreacting. I became a cop with the understanding there would be risks.” Her statement was made with as much calm as she could muster.

  He stepped closer, and her breath caught. For some unexplained reason, she was angry and in lust at the same time. Stupid hormones.

  “Reasonable risks? No, they were too-stupid-to-live risks. I can’t let you do something like that again.”

  I can’t let you do something like that again. Like he was her guardian? “I took precautions—going at night, sneaking along the side of the building, having the swipe card in my possession.” He stared at her. Now she could see that having him on the case wasn’t such a good idea. “Like it was safe for you to go there?” It didn’t matter if he was a super hero in his former life.

  Kane didn’t respond. He turned and paced, acting like he was trying to decide how to punish her or if he should tie her up for the rest of her life—as if that would work.

  She wiped down the counters, straightened the canisters, and filled the saltshaker. The adrenaline still hadn’t left her system because of that damned fall. She shut her eyes tight, but the images remained.

  “Can you stop fussing and sit?” That was the best he could come up with? He was practically admitting it wasn’t safe for him either.

  She gritted her teeth at him and sat. “Fine.” Somehow, it was okay for him to pace and wear off his excess energy, but she couldn’t?

  He stabbed a hand through his short, thick hair and walked up to the table then leaned over real close. “How did you know I was there?”

  She leaned back in her seat and smiled—albeit one that didn’t come from her heart. A shame he’d underestimated her deductive reasoning powers. “Your backpack wasn’t in the bedroom, and your Jeep wasn’t in front of the house.” She lifted her chin, daring him to find fault with her logic.

  His brows pinched. “I could have gone to Page or into town.”

  “At midnight?” She gulped some of her coffee, nearly burning her tongue. “You wouldn’t have left me alone unless it was important. The only place you would have gone was to the factory.”

  His face softened. “You’re right this time, but that doesn’t excuse your behavior.” He held her gaze longer than usual as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to phrase it. “Listen, I need to be someplace in a few minutes. We can continue this discussion later.”

  “I can’t wait.” She was surprised he’d leave her alone.

  He placed a hand on the table and leaned over. “Please don’t…” He shook his head and straightened. “Just be careful. If anything happened to you, I’d feel… respon
sible.”

  That was all? Just responsible? He wouldn’t be upset?

  His shoulders sagged, and her sympathy heightened. “I promise I won’t even drive on 89 today. I’ll go straight to work and stay there.” She looked up through her lashes and turned her mouth into a pout in an attempt to lighten his mood. “Where ya goin’?”

  That almost got a smile out of him. “It’s a secret.”

  She rolled her eyes. The man had been put on this earth to infuriate her. He wasn’t a detective, yet he acted like he knew everything. The least he could do was have the decency to discuss his plans and theories with her.

  “Be that way. The next time I learn something important about the case, I just might keep that info to myself.” Unless it benefited her to tell him.

  He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, suddenly acting as if they were some married couple who’d just made up after a fight. As if. However, she did soak in the comfortable act for a brief moment, despite not being ready to forgive his holier-than-though attitude.

  Once Kane left on his ever-so-special mission, she poured a second cup of coffee, needing the caffeine to help her through the day. Despite rushing through the chore of pouring her drink, getting the cream, and locating the sugar, her mind wouldn’t let go of the fact that Kane had been right in not divulging his plan. If he had told her, she would have wanted to go with him. In which case, he’d be saddled with having to keep her safe.

  As for today’s plan, she absolutely didn’t have the time to follow Kane Cornell all over town. She dressed in her uniform, but this time the house seemed emptier than before Kane had stepped foot in her place—colder even, in more ways than the temperature. It might not be healthy for her to dwell on their indefinable relationship, which had started flirtatiously, then after one disastrous kiss, had turned a little contentious, but she couldn’t help it. If only she could stop her mind from running through what had happened in the past few days—especially the night at the Senator’s RV when they’d kissed.