Under the Sheets (Capitol Chronicles Book 1)

by Shirley Hailstock

  Wyatt was instantly awake. "Are you all right?" he asked, pushing himself up and looking at her.

  "I'm fine," she lied. There was so much concern in his eyes she didn't want to destroy it by telling him the truth.

  "You're not," he told her. She should have known he could see through her and read the truth.

  "You're right. I feel like I fell off a truck."

  "You said that last night. I thought it was the pill Suzanne gave you."

  She combed through her hair with her right hand. "That’s why I feel so groggy. She told me it was a pain pill."

  "You needed the sleep."

  "Wyatt, I have to tell you about Lance." Her eyes were heavy and her head felt as if it were surrounded with cotton wool. She rolled onto her side and threw her legs over the edge of the bed. Her muscles shouted their displeasure at her movement. She ignored them. She had to wake up. There was little time. She looked at her arm, but her watch was gone.

  "What time is it?"

  "Ten o'clock." Wyatt got out of bed and slipped into his jeans. His chest remained bare as he came around to sit next to her. He held her close and pushed her head to his shoulder.

  She let herself be pampered for a moment. Sandra liked being next to him. She wanted nothing more than to stay where she was and let the world go away. She couldn't. She knew it was temporary. They had to get to the Pentagon and find out where the other system had been taken. Only a few hours remained. She didn't know how many. Lance had thrown the information at her, sure she would be unable to do anything to stop him. She wasn't sure they had time, but they had to try.

  "What about Desque?" he asked. His voice was low but she heard the underlying hate in it.

  "He's going to—" A knock on the door interrupted her. At Wyatt's call the door opened Annie rushed into the room. For the first time in years she wasn't perfectly groomed. Taking one look at Sandra, she rushed toward her.

  "Are you all right, Sand?"

  "Sand?" Annie hadn't called her that in years. The last time had been when they were still friends, still sisters. Could her accident last night have made Annie forget that she'd told her never to return? Sandra stared at her. She was clearly nervous. The cup and saucer she held visibly shook and she'd sloshed coffee over the rim of the cup. Wyatt stood up and took it from her. Sandra stood, too. She winced. Her feet hurt, but she remained standing. She didn't want Annie or Wyatt to know how much effort the small act took. She reached for the cup and took a drink of the coffee. It was the most won­derful drink she'd ever had. Taking another gulp, she replaced the cup.

  Annie picked up the robe that matched the nightgown San­dra wore and helped her into it. "Breakfast is waiting. You must be hungry."

  She was. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten, but she wanted to talk to Annie first.

  "Annie," Sandra said as she turned back to her sister. "How are you involved in all this? The stones? Grant Richards? You seem to know a lot you haven't told me."

  Annie didn't immediately answer. "I don't really know a lot. I suppose it was just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'd just completed an assignment in Japan and was on my way back to the U.S. when I overheard a con­versation in an airport that seemed to have something to do with national security. The two men were Americans but they spoke in Japanese. At first I thought I was reading more into it than was actually there. Then I was frightened. Suppose what I heard was true?" She stopped and looked from Sandra to Wyatt. “When the men left, one of them dropped a small scrap of paper on the floor. I picked it up and slipped it into my purse. I got on the plane and when I got here I went to see Dad and told him what I'd heard. The next morning the FBI came to see me and I was brought here to repeat my story. I met Grant Richards there." "What was written on the paper?" Wyatt asked. "Eagle's span," she said. "The paper was a map of the world. The words were written over all of it." "What happened?" Sandra asked. “The FBI asked me a lot of questions. I was there for hours. When it was over they flew me back to New York, thanked me, and I never heard from them again."

  "Didn't they tell you what Eagle's span meant?" Sandra asked.

  "They didn't have to. There was a folder on the desk. It had Top Secret written on the outside. They didn't know how well I could read upside down. I read what was on the pages and I knew all about Project Eagle even before you and the senator here got mixed up in it.” "Why didn’t you say something?" "At the time I didn't want to."

  Sandra knew why. Annie wanted nothing to do with her. She knew if she mentioned it, Sandra would begin asking questions. Sandra wondered why she'd changed her mind. “Come on, our breakfast is getting cold." Jordon Ames was already seated when Wyatt and Annie helped her limp to the table. Sam Parker sat at the desk, a laptop computer open in front of him. The desk was cluttered with papers. He looked as if he'd been at work a long time. Annie lifted the silver cover off the hot dish in front of Sandra as if she were a waitress. Sam left his work and took a seat near Jordon.

  "Sand, there is so much I have to tell you." She sat down, excitement showing in her body. "Jordon, Wyatt . . ." She glanced from one to the other. Sandra looked at them for the secret they were obviously sharing.

  "They know about Lance?" Sandra asked.

  "It's not about Lance. It's about Dad."

  Sandra knew about Dad. She knew he was working with Lance. "I already know about Dad," she told her sister. "He and Lance are activating the system tonight."

  "What!" Sam spoke. He pushed his plate away and sat for­ward in his chair. "Are you sure?"

  "Lance told me."

  "When, where?" Wyatt asked. "We've got to stop him."

  Sandra felt inadequate. "I don’t know where. He said that this time tomorrow everything would be over. That was last night. Which means he's planning to do it before the night is over."

  "We've got to find and stop him." Wyatt directed his com­ment at Sam.

  "That's not going to be hard," Annie said.

  Everyone turned to stare at her. "Why not?" Sandra asked.

  "Tonight is the reception at the Japanese Embassy. Lance is very friendly with the prime minister. He wouldn't miss it.” No one disputed Annie's information. "It's in today’s paper." Sam picked up the copy of the Post and scanned the front page. He confirmed the fact that Lance was known for at­tending embassy functions.

  "Dad mentioned the Japanese wanted the system," Sandra said flatly. "Why would he tell me that?"

  "It could have been a ruse," Wyatt suggested.

  "I don't think so," Sam said. "Information on the disks that Jackson left mentioned the Japanese more than any other country or person. With what Sandra tells us, our time frame has been cut to the next twelve hours. We have to decide which place is better to crash. Getting into and out of the Pentagon would be risky at best Getting in there during broad daylight is like passing rifles out to your own firing squad. It’s a better risk if we try the embassy."

  Sandra poured another cup of coffee. She'd eaten the eggs, bacon, and toast ladled with orange marmalade. She felt better after eating and the coffee was working on clearing the sleep-big pill hangover from her head.

  'We have the stones," Sandra reminded them. "We know they are the only ones that will work with the system. How can Lance possibly claim something he can't deliver? He could have been trying to confuse me."

  Wyatt nodded agreement.

  "Where are these stones?" Annie asked.

  "In my briefcase," Sam said. He got up and went to the case sitting next to the sofa on which he'd spent the night. When Wyatt hadn't returned to the car, he'd become con­cerned. Locking the stones in the trunk inside his briefcase, he came to investigate. He found Wyatt hovering over Sandra Rutledge. Discovering nothing had happened to Wyatt, he'd returned to the car and brought the case up. It hadn't been out of his sight since.

  Unlocking the combination, he retrieved the navy-blue vel­vet case and brought it back to the breakfast table. Like a jeweler displaying his new prize
, he opened the lid.

  Sandra gasped.

  It was empty.

  ***

  The limousine Jordon ordered pulled into the semicircular driveway of the Japanese Embassy. The chauffeur got out with practiced ease and opened the door. Jordon exited first and helped the two sisters out Wyatt and Sam Parker followed.

  Sam's anger at the loss of the stones had not cooled since they were discovered missing at breakfast. They had only been out of his sight for the time he'd gone to check on Wyatt's lengthy visit to Sandra's sister's suite. Only fifteen minutes and the stones had somehow disappeared. The car showed no signs of being broken into. The briefcase was untouched, but the stones were nowhere to be found.

  Wyatt knew Sam felt as if everyone was accusing him of taking the stones. It was natural to doubt his story. The stones had been entrusted to his care and no one had seen them since he'd taken possession of them. Wyatt couldn't help his doubts. He'd doubted and mistrusted everyone since this adventure began. Tonight it would come to an end. Either they retrieved the stones or they turned themselves in. He knew a life of running wasn't for him.

  When Sandra had stumbled through the door last night, cold and frightened, he knew he could no longer subject her to the strain of trying to find the system. He would appeal to Everett Horton, tell him the whole truth and see if the President had enough power to get Lance Desque to tell him what he'd done with the stones.

  Wyatt knew he'd been behind the theft. Whether Sam had been involved he would not judge. Sam's behavior since the discovery had been controlled anger. While Suzanne and he had argued with Sandra that she was too ill to leave, Sam had paced the room like an animal chained to a pole.

  His only reaction had been when Sandra told them there was a duplicate necklace and earring set. He'd turned to her as if she'd handed him a governor's reprieve at the hour of his execution.

  Sandra took Jordon's hand and alighted the limo. She stood a moment with the fur cape around her shoulders while the others got out. Sandra felt scared. This was a show they had not rehearsed. Their plan for getting into the Pentagon had been detailed and discussed. Going to this reception had been the product of an afternoon's speculation. Most of the discus­sion took place after the duplicates arrived. Sam detailed the financial information Annie had found on Lance.

  The suite had been littered with clothes ordered from the hotel shops on the ground floor. Annie had taken over the grooming of everyone. She'd ordered tuxedos and shuts and every conceivable accessory needed for the event.

  She'd also remembered to order something for Sandra's feet and her bruises. Sandra was afraid to ask her why she was being so nice. Only a day ago she'd told her she never wanted to see her again. Today she was bathing her feet and asking her if her head still hurt.

  When they'd left the suite thirty minutes ago they looked like a party of five out for a wonderful evening. Sandra wore a black velvet gown. Its fitted bodice and full skirt covered all the places on which she had bruises. Her feet were cush­ioned inside gold sandals that Sandra had ordered to prevent any irritation to her tender and swollen feet. The duplicate necklace hung around her neck and the earrings cast shadows on her neck as they danced from her ears.

  Annie took Jordon's arm and smiled at him. She was a golden girl, dressed in a gold pleated gown that flowed and swirled like liquid when she moved. Its brilliance had a light, but it wasn't bright enough to cancel out the light in her eyes as she looked at Jordon.

  Sam Parker joined Wyatt on the pavement. He'd been an angry bull all day, and she feared that he'd do something to play their hand before they were ready. Wyatt had assured her his military training would win out and he would act accord­ing to plan. She didn't find that comforting since the plan was weak at best. When they should have been on a search and destroy mission they had little more advantage on their side than trial and error. But Sam was supposed to be their backup. Lance wouldn't expect him to be there. Obviously, if she and Wyatt were there, they would need someone outside waiting to spirit them away as soon as they found the com­ponents. Wyatt had told her he could bide in plain sight. She wasn't sure he was right Sam was too much the bull in a china shop.

  Annie and Jordon entered and joined the reception line. Sam skirted it When they reached the prime minister, Annie spoke to him in rapid Japanese. The prime minister laughed as did his wife. Then they switched to English and she intro­duced Jordon, Sam, and Sandra. They all bowed. Mrs. Nagano admired her earrings and moved on.

  "Now what?" Sandra asked Wyatt. "Do you think the ear­rings meant anything to her?"

  "I'm not sure. I'm suspicious of anyone who takes an in­terest in those stones."

  Sam moved about the crowded room, searching. If he in­tended to be inconspicuous, he'd already failed. If he wanted people to believe he was there to enjoy himself, he'd never pull it off.

  Wyatt guided her toward a bar and ordered a glass of min­eral water. They needed nothing to dull their senses.

  "I think you should dance with Sam."

  She took a sip of her water and glanced at Sam. "You're right. He looks rather . . . intense," she smiled, hoping the strain she felt wasn’t as apparent as Sam's. Handing her glass to Wyatt, she said, "Don't get too far from me."

  "I won't."

  She stepped lightly on her cushioned soles and went to the colonel. "Dance with me, Sam."

  He turned to her, his expression stern.

  "You look as if you're searching for someone."

  "I am."

  Sandra took his arm and placed it on her waist. She led him to the floor. Surprisingly, he was a good dancer. He took over the lead and guided her around the crowded couples.

  "When you find him, what are you planning to do?"

  Sam's head scanned the room. Like a periscope, he swung around searching. Then he gave her his attention. "I want to break his neck."

  "That won't help us," she told him. "Remember, we need to stick to the plan if we're to discover if the system is here. When we find it, we simply exchange the stones and bid the prime minister and his lovely wife good night."

  Sam swung her around. The execution made her lift to the balls of her feet and turn. She winced at the pain.

  "Excuse me," he said. "I forgot about your feet." He moved slower with wide, easy turns.

  Sam knew she was right. His instincts were warlike, but he had to be practical. For the welfare of the country they needed to retrieve the stones, but for himself, for the way he'd felt when he opened that case and found the empty depressions, he'd take unbridled pleasure in beating Lance Desque to a pulp.

  ***

  Annie and Jordon danced among the throngs of visiting dignitaries. Every country's representatives came in native garb. The Africans wore bright-colored fabrics, including headdresses wrapped into intricate designs that looked as if they had fabric flowers embedded in them. The silk of the Indian sari blended with the stylish western gowns and eve­rywhere there were Japanese kimonos.

  Annie kept track of her sister and the senator. She watched everyone who took an interest in them.

  "Too bad we didn't have more time," Jordon whispered in her ear. "I could have called the FBI back and seen if we could have gotten the floor plan to this building."

  "Jordon, this is foreign soil. We might as well be in Japan."

  "They probably have the plans to the U.S. Embassy in the Japanese version of the FBI."

  Annie stared at him. "Do you think he would have given it to you?"

  "If he knew the stakes, I think it would have been no ques­tion."

  Jordon danced well. Suzanne had danced with him for years. They'd been paired through his camera, but tonight was the first time she'd danced with him where she could admit more than casual friendship. She loved the way his strong arms held her close and guided her through the steps as the two of them moved in the same time and space.

  They kept dancing and kept looking. Lance had not put in an appearance yet. She wondered where he was. He was kno
wn for being on time and staying until the end of an event. He never overstayed his welcome and never did anything that would be considered rude. Lance would study the culture, its mores and rules to make sure he did nothing to insult his hosts.

  Wyatt and Sandra disappeared through a door at the end of the room. Sam Parker, no longer with murder in his eyes, casually went through an archway at the opposite end of the room.

  "Did you see them?" she asked.

  "Yes." Jordon danced her through the crowd toward the door where Wyatt and Sandra had gone.

  ***

  They had agreed to try the basement first. Sam was going to keep an eye out for Lance. Wyatt hoped he was moving in the right direction. Basements were usually close to kitchens.

  The kitchen would be bustling with activity. Sandra would say she had to have a glass of milk if anyone stopped them. They would get the opportunity to look around, see if there were any doors.

  If luck was with them they'd find the right one immediately, but they could end up in a closet or pantry. They could always say they couldn't find their way back if they were seen. Play as you go and make it up when needed, Wyatt thought.

  With his arm draped around her waist, they passed waiters carrying dishes of canapés and drinks. One or two nodded at them. Wyatt took a champagne glass from an offered tray, then shook his head and patted Sandra's stomach. The look on his face told the waiter she could not have the alcohol. He smiled knowingly and continued on his way to serve the rest of his tray.

  Three doors stood closed off the hallway leading to the kitchen. The kitchen double doors were wide open. White-clad cooks moved at speeds too great for the small amount of floor space. Food covered every available space. Gleaming copper pots steamed on the stove and wonderful aromas floated through the air.