Her cheeks heated. She could understand his frustration, but in her defense, she had no real reason to trust him besides the small favor of getting her out from under a dead man and away from gunfire. And while she’d seen Kendra’s official badge, she’d yet to see his. “As soon as we lay down some ground rules, I might agree.”
He grunted but didn’t reply. Her feet barely kept up with him down the stairs. After two flights her breathing grew heavy, but Lee didn’t so much as pant. He glanced at her loafers and raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t Kendra’s sneakers fit you?”
“I didn’t take the time to look through all of her stuff.”
Lee jumped to the landing and shoved the crash bar to open the door. “Stay here.” He peeked around the corner. “Clear.”
“Where is everyone?” The fire alarms continued their cry.
“I imagine they’re still in their rooms trying to decide whether to come down or not. Unfortunately, false alarms are common in hotels. I didn’t want to take the risk.” She stayed behind him as he slowed his pace in the hallway. “I feel a lot better being on the ground floor and seeing no signs of smoke.”
A police officer rushed toward them, his hand on his gun. The alarm cut off midcry. He held up a hand. “Sorry, folks, I need to escort you back to your room.” Behind the officer, he saw other officers approaching, and three more at the opposite end of the hall, accompanying a group of older ladies in quilted robes and slippers.
Lee pulled out a wallet-size badge like the one Kendra had stashed in her suitcase. Audrey resisted the impulse to grab it and compare. He flashed it open to the officer so fast she couldn’t read anything. “Off-duty FBI. Can you tell me what’s going on? Why can’t we exit?”
The officer didn’t so much as blink at the badge. “We’ve issued a shelter-in-place. According to the hotel manager, a gunman in a ski mask was seen on the security footage pulling the fire alarm. No one saw him exit, but we haven’t been able to locate him yet, either. The hotel was supposed to have called all the rooms to inform everyone to stay put until we could get the alarm off, but a few of you were too quick.”
Lee asked another question, but Audrey didn’t hear him. She was still stuck on the word gunman. Had the danger Lee forecasted already found them?
* * *
What the officer described sounded like a plan to ambush innocents as they left the hotel. Despite the officer doing a good job guarding them up the stairs, Lee still kept a hand on his own weapon. He handed Audrey the room key so that both directions of the hallway could be covered as she opened it. The officer insisted on sweeping the room while they waited near the bathroom, but Lee could hear the man’s radio go off.
“Both rooms are clear, so I’ll mark you off.”
“Any news?” Lee asked, pointing to the radio attached to the officer’s shoulder.
The officer shrugged. “Possibly a disgruntled ex stalking his girlfriend, but until it’s confirmed, we’ll be checking all rooms until we’re sure there is no threat,” the officer said. “Make sure you lock up behind me and—”
Lee had to bite his lip from interrupting when the officer reminded them to use the peephole and not open the door for any strangers. FBI agents didn’t need lessons on security. Instead, Lee thanked the man and locked up behind him.
“Are you worried?” Audrey crossed her arms over her chest.
“They’re checking every nook and cranny of this hotel. I trust they know how to do their jobs. You can go back to sleep with confidence.”
“Do you think the gunman was trying to lure us into the open, or does the story about the stalker ring true?”
That was exactly what he was wondering, but he didn’t want to worry her. “As far as the Masked Network knows, we are due to arrive at the resort tomorrow afternoon. I see no sign that our covers have been broken.” Despite saying it aloud, he couldn’t shake the uneasiness. The timing bothered him, but he didn’t want to worry Audrey. “Crime and danger happen, Audrey. It’s Palo Alto and—”
“The chance of being assaulted is one in forty-four people.” Audrey finished with a nod, even though that wasn’t at all what he was going to say.
“How do you know that?”
“I always look up crime statistics before I visit a new place. Doesn’t everyone?”
He tried not to laugh but feared a smirk was evident. “I don’t believe so, no.”
She yawned and looked adorable as she covered her mouth up a second too late. He blinked hard. Maybe it was being woken in the middle of the night, but he’d never once thought of Kendra as adorable so why was he thinking of Audrey that way? Audrey eyed him as her cheeks flushed, clearly wondering why he was studying her so intensely. “I’m finding that you’re very unique,” he said.
“As someone trying to get used to the idea of having an identical twin, I don’t feel unique right now.” Her shoulders sagged. “I hope I can go back to sleep.”
He stepped through the connecting threshold into his room and turned to face her.
“I have a wake-up call set for 7:00 a.m. I’ll make a few calls regarding the investigation at the campus and, after ensuring we’re still a go, we’ll leave.”
“Fine.” Another yawn escaped as she moved to close the connecting door on him.
He placed his foot to stop it. Her eyes widened and he regretted the aggressiveness of the move. “Sorry. Please don’t let it latch. I need to be able to get to you fast if there’s a threat.”
She blinked slowly and nodded. He removed his foot and she resumed closing the door, stopping right at the door frame. Lee flipped his light off, slipped his gun underneath the pillow next to him and stretched out on the bed. He wondered if Kendra had woken yet. The hospital said they would notify him, but he’d given them the number of their bureau handler instead. A call from the hospital once the mission began would jeopardize their cover.
He closed his eyes, but the image of Audrey’s trusting eyes filled his mind. They affected him in a way that alarmed him but pinpointing why would take a lot more brain cells than he had in the middle of the night. He moved to the chair in the room. He wouldn’t sleep now that there was a potential threat in the hotel.
A few hours later the phone rang and he sat up straight, his hand automatically reaching for his gun before he picked up the handset. The automated voice declared the time. The moment he hung up, it rang again, only this time he heard the ring echoing in Audrey’s room, as well. He answered and listened as a prerecorded voice proclaimed the shelter-in-place to be lifted.
A knock sounded at the connecting door.
He rushed to open it. Dressed in a light blue chiffon blouse, white linen pants and tan high-heels, Audrey stood ready for the day with a closed suitcase behind her. When Kendra had worn the same outfit, she’d seemed ready to walk into a boardroom to lay down the law, but Audrey looked ready to go on a luxury vacation. Lee couldn’t understand how they could look exactly the same in every other way except—“Your hair,” he said.
She fingered the sleek, straight brown hair self-consciously. “Did I do it right? I don’t usually straighten it, but I noticed Kendra did.”
He nodded despite an irrational disappointment that the waves no longer framed her face. “Yes. I’m not too worried about your hair being the same as Kendra’s photo. It’s my experience women can change their hair at a moment’s notice.”
Audrey’s eyes sparkled. “Jealous?”
He laughed despite himself. “I admit it would be useful in my line of work.”
“Did you hear? The message said the threat has been lifted.”
That was not how he interpreted the message. “They also said that officers would remain on site for the remainder of the day to ensure the safety of guests.” In his mind, that meant the gunman had escaped, but he didn’t want to worry Audrey. “But yes, we will go ahead as planned.” He tapped his wrist
as if wearing an invisible watch. He still had a few calls to make. “Give me fifteen minutes.”
“I think I should know our cover names before we leave. The more time I can get used to it, the better.”
A sensible request. “We are Lee and Andrea Kimmet. It shouldn’t be too big of a stretch for you to remember since your real name also starts with A.”
“They sound completely different, so I wouldn’t make assumptions if I were you. You’re still going as Lee? Isn’t that your real name?”
“Keeps it simple. It’s my prerogative. Kendra prefers different names.” He shrugged. “Either way.”
“And your real last name?”
He stiffened. “It’s best you only think of me as Lee Kimmet.”
“I know Kendra’s real last name.”
“I actually think it’s safer for both of us if you don’t know mine.” She was already in danger no matter what choice he made, and he didn’t want anything else to put a target on her back. Since Kendra hadn’t given her real name on campus, there was only one way Audrey knew. “I’m going to need her badge from you before we leave.”
“Okay, but I’m not going anywhere without seeing your badge. What if something happens to you? I need to be able to tell the authorities your real name.”
Lee didn’t have the patience to point out that the FBI already knew who she was so it wouldn’t be an issue. He supposed in her position he wouldn’t budge without seeing an ID, either. He bent over and slipped it out of the compartment of his gun case and handed it to her.
She flipped it open and her gaze bounced between the photo and him, a smile creasing her lips. The back of his neck heated. “What? What’s so funny?” He reached out to take his badge back.
“Nothing, Lee Benson. It’s just you are so clean-shaven and young in your badge photo. How long ago was that taken?”
“I’m pretty sure we’re the same age.” He grabbed the badge back but couldn’t help but mirror her smile. He rubbed his jaw. “I like to grow a beard before meetings like we’re about to do. Making me seem older can be a good thing.” He hadn’t crossed thirty-five yet, but he couldn’t deny he felt his aging accelerate over the past few years of high stress.
A knock at the door prompted Audrey’s wide eyes. Lee rushed forward into her room and peeked through the hole to see a bellhop with rolling luggage. He exhaled. “I think your missing luggage is here.”
He stepped aside for Audrey to retrieve it. She closed the door and beamed. “Oh, I’m so glad. I worried it’d arrive after we left.”
“You won’t be able to take it with us. I’ll have to leave it in a bus station locker along with the FBI badges and anything identifying you as Audrey Clark. You don’t have any medication or anything, do you?”
She blushed. “No, nothing like that. It’s just I would prefer my own clothes for some of the time.”
“Of course. Just nothing with your name on it.” He tried not to laugh as he turned back to his own room to get ready. To be fair, he wouldn’t want to wear his brother’s clothes all the time, either.
Fourteen minutes and thirty seconds later he grabbed his gear. Today was the day he’d fulfill the reason he became an FBI agent in the first place. Energy coursed through his veins at the thought of taking down the Network. He strode with Audrey through the hallway.
“What if the gunman from last night was wanting to lure us out? Watching and waiting for us to get into the van?”
Thankfully, he’d already taken precautions before the gunman entered the picture. They stepped into the elevator as he pressed the button for the lobby. “Then we’ll be one step ahead of him. While you were getting your blood drawn at the hospital, I arranged for a rental car to be delivered at the hotel this morning. We should have a silver Lexus waiting underneath the portico. Mr. and Mrs. Kimmet would never be caught dead arriving in a van.”
“See? That’s exactly why I said I wouldn’t do this unless you shared all the details.”
Lee tried to keep his frustration from showing. “I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you. When have we had any time to discuss anything?” He wasn’t used to sharing details, even with Kendra. They may have been partners, but in many ways they did their own thing, like two coworkers with their own priorities on a project.
“I understand that, but I’d like to be let in on the plan from here on out so I don’t feel like I’m playing the part of a poor, helpless spy.”
“Again, special agent, not spy.” Lee doubted anyone would categorize Audrey as helpless. He caught his reflection in the elevator doors and immediately remedied his grin.
“Will your operation involve any secret collecting, any gathering of information covertly?”
In other words, she wanted to know if there would be any spying. She had him there, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “I’ll tell you everything, as promised, in the car. I’m afraid we have a long journey ahead so breakfast will be drive-through.”
“Any word on Kendra?” She asked so softly he almost didn’t hear her.
His back tensed. “I’m afraid not.” Her head dipped and he reached out to give her arm a squeeze. “She’s a fighter. She’s going to come through.”
Audrey squared her shoulders and looked forward. “Of course.”
It was the first time he questioned whether she meant what she’d said. “They did identify the shooter Kendra took out. As suspected, it was the missing man due for initiation. We’re still waiting on your DNA test, but your blood type is the same. So we’re headed for the meet as planned.”
Audrey bit her lip and nodded, her eyes taking on a glossy sheen. “Wow. Okay.”
The car sat waiting just as he’d expected. The officer stationed at the front entrance took a step forward, keeping watch, as Lee hustled Audrey to the passenger side of the vehicle.
A man in a navy ski mask rounded the corner, pointing a gun straight at Audrey.
FOUR
Audrey jumped, arms flailing upward as a scream escaped. In her peripheral, the cop dropped to a modified lunge, weapon pointed. A shot sounded. She tensed as Lee yanked open the passenger door with his right hand and gently pushed her so she dropped below the line of the window. He yelled, but Audrey wasn’t sure what he’d said.
The smell of leather conditioning and car wax assaulted her senses as she came nose to nose with the electronic seat lever. She clenched her jaw, trying to control the involuntary quaking of her limbs. Shouts and shuffling feet approached, but Audrey didn’t dare look up. She closed her eyes, praying for the second time in twenty-four hours.
A professor once told her she was too verbose and yet the only word that could come to mind was help. And finally, Keep Lee safe...and heal Kendra. She exhaled and breathed deeply, counting to five. Her knees pressed into the concrete, guaranteeing that the white linen pants wouldn’t pass muster at a resort later.
“Audrey.” Lee said her name so softly she almost didn’t hear him. “Audrey,” he said again.
She looked up, not allowing herself the luxury of enjoying the way he said her name, drawing out the last syllable just a split second longer than most. Lee reached his hand out and helped her to a standing position.
He glanced at her hand before a quick once-over from head to toe. “Let’s get you inside for a minute. Are you okay? No injuries?”
“I’m fine.” Although, not really. Her heart pounded so fast and furiously that she still had to think through her breaths. Inhale for two seconds now, breathe out for two seconds. Hopefully, it would come naturally again, soon. “Did they catch him? Did the bullet hit someone?”
Lee led her inside the lobby. “The police took over. I’m sure they’ll catch him.”
An officer approached. Lee led Audrey to a nearby chair next to the complimentary coffee carafe. “Can you wait here a second while I talk to them?”
“Of course.
”
Lee and the officer stepped just far enough away that Audrey couldn’t hear them. The deep breaths began to irritate her throat.
“Do you want a water?” A woman in her late twenties, with long dark hair, approached. She held out the bottle, glistening with condensation.
Audrey nodded and accepted, eagerly taking off the cap and gulping a few swallows. The cold soothed her throat. Lee returned, the cop at his elbow.
“Let’s try this again. Shall we?” Lee reached for her hand, and Audrey let him lead her outside, this time with the cop directly on her left as Lee took the right. Once inside the car, with the door closed and the seat belt on, she breathed a sigh of relief. Although, she didn’t know why. Last night shots were fired near her. Today shots were fired at her. Who was to say tomorrow wouldn’t bring the same thing on the fact-finding mission they were about to do? What made her think she could ever take her sister’s place?
Lee sat in the driver’s seat and shook his head. “What a morning.” He glanced at her. “Sure you’re okay?”
“No.”
He blinked and hesitated.
She exhaled, her heart rate finally slowing slightly. “Was that man trying to kill me? Is he related to those shooters last night?”
Lee’s eyes softened. “I have confirmation there was only one shooter last night on the campus, and Kendra really did take him out, despite having been shot herself. As far as today’s shooter, I don’t have all the facts. What I do know is the guy was nervous in a way I wouldn’t expect for a hitman.”
“Why?”
The Lexus purred with the slightest touch of a button, and Lee glided the car toward the highway. “He didn’t look like he knew how to use a gun. His hand shook, and he didn’t come close to hitting you before he took off running.”
“Probably because he saw he was outnumbered.”
“Maybe, but either way, the police are on it. We have our orders to continue the operation as planned.” Lee tilted his head side to side as he slowed to a stop at a light. “I think this would be a good time to ask if you have any enemies.”
Undercover Twin Page 4