Frank furrowed his brow in a moment’s confusion. “Do you think it’s wise for you to be there?”
He leveled a stern warning at Frank. “You’ve bungled this little problem twice. I’m not leaving it in your hands for a third attempt.”
Frank watched as the figure disappeared around the corner of the hangar. A moment later he saw the car pull out of the parking lot. That cinched it. He had to make sure that Reece Covington would not have an opportunity to say anything that could cause him any repercussions. It was down to the wire. First and foremost, he had to look out for his own safety and well being.
Brandi Doyle was an inconvenience. But Reece Covington was a serious threat to his existence and had to be dealt with.
Permanently.
Chapter Twelve
Joe Hodges swiveled around in his chair until he faced one of his men. The large office looked more like a command center than anything else. “What’s happening with that surveillance?”
“It’s in place and working. Here’s a report of what’s been happening so far.” The agent handed Joe a computer printout.
Joe took the report and glanced through it, paying closer attention to the pertinent details that caught his attention. He poured himself another cup of coffee, took a sip and set the mug on his desk. The nervous energy continued to shove at him, fueled by the excessive amounts of caffeine he had consumed since early that morning. “I don’t like it. We still don’t have the complete picture. This should be straightforward, especially now that I know what it is that Reece has and the woman’s connection to it. In fact, if the Doyle woman had come to us originally—”
“From what you’ve said of your last meeting with Covington, it doesn’t sound like she had an opportunity to contact us. And at the time, all she could do was say she had been abducted. She apparently didn’t have any knowledge of the implications of the people in the background of her photographs.”
Joe took another swallow from his coffee mug. “Yes…I suppose that’s right. But for some reason Reece is still playing it very cagey. There’s something we don’t know, something he’s holding back from me. He still seems to be very concerned about her safety. I even went out on a limb and guaranteed her protection until the trial, although I don’t see any need for her personal testimony against Mitch Mantee. Her deposition saying she took the photographs in question and the reason she took them, which had no connection to the identity of the people caught in the background, is really her only involvement with that.”
“But if Frank James is the one who abducted her, she is the one and only eyewitness as well as being the victim. That should be an area of concern for her.”
“Yes, and there’s the added fact that Reece certainly has a history with Frank James. It was the lieutenant’s direct testimony that put Reece in prison, testimony Reece claims was perjury.”
“Do you think he was really railroaded?”
Joe furrowed his brow in a moment of concentration. “I think there’s a good chance that it went down the way Reece says it did. But that’s not within our jurisdiction.” His concentration turned to a scowl. “There’s something else going on here. We don’t have the complete picture. And knowing Reece, whatever it is that we’re missing is somehow pertinent to the overall picture. The primary question is whether Reece is holding back information for personal reasons based on his past relationship with Frank or if it’s something new and relevant to the current situation.”
He picked up a piece of paper from his desk. “This list of the items Reece purchased at the electronic supply store tells us he’s expecting trouble, but exactly what and from whom? Is it just extra precautions he’s taking against Frank James or is there more? As long as I’ve known Reece, I’ve never been able to really read him. He always gives the impression that there’s so much more going on inside him than he lets anyone see. It’s very difficult to second-guess a person like that. You always feel like you’re playing catch-up rather than ever being ahead of him.”
“Why don’t we just pick him up?”
“He’s already agreed to present himself to us later today so he can turn over the pistol and the photographs. Logistically we can’t really pick him up any sooner than the time we’re supposed to meet. Besides, we have no reason to pick him up. He hasn’t violated any federal laws.”
Joe grabbed his coffee mug and took another swallow. He shook his head in resignation as he mumbled more to himself than to anyone else in the room. “He would have made a terrific FBI agent—good instincts and very resourceful.” Then he clenched his jaw. “Actually, he wouldn’t. He’s not a team player. He would never follow the rules.”
He glanced out the window. “Damn…looks like it’s about to rain again. We sure don’t need that.”
REECE CHECKED THE TIME. “We’d better get ready.” He turned toward Brandi, noting the hint of anxiety that flashed across her face. “Are you sure you want to go with me—to expose yourself to FBI questioning?”
“Yes. Even though I don’t want Joe to hide me away somewhere, that doesn’t mean that I’m not willing to answer whatever questions he might have or cooperate in any way I can with his investigation. Besides, if we are accompanied by FBI agents, then there won’t be any danger in going to my house to search for the bullet that wounded Frank and taking samples of any blood we might find. That way the FBI can claim undisturbed custody of that evidence, and we can prove that Frank was inside my house without my permission or a warrant.”
“I didn’t mention anything to Joe about going to your house.”
A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’ll bet if you offer him that opportunity and tell him why, he won’t have any objections to taking the time.”
He pulled her into his embrace, gazed lovingly into her eyes, then placed a tender kiss on her lips. He closed his eyes as he cradled her head against his shoulder and drew in a steadying breath. “When this is over I want to sit down with you and have a serious talk about the future.”
A nervous energy jittered inside her. “I look forward to it.” But did he want to talk about the same thing that she wanted to hear? About a future they could share? Or did he intend to gracefully let her down and explain why it would never work? That it had been an exciting adventure, but not something that could be the basis for a lifetime? She loved him. That was an absolute fact. But the future left her uncertain and anxiety-ridden. He held her a moment longer, the warmth of his arms once again filling her with a sense that everything would be all right.
He finally let go of her. “We need to get ready for our meeting with Joe.” He did a quick glance at the security monitors, as he had done every few minutes. Then he turned his attention toward the items he had spread out on the sofa. Prints of the photographs—both the original pictures where the people in the background were discernable but not recognizable, then the blowups of the section with the people in the background so that their faces were clearly shown. A sealed plastic bag containing the .25-caliber Beretta Bobcat pistol and a detailed description of how he came to be in possession of the pistol and who it belonged to.
And last, but not least, he checked the magazine of his own 9 mm pistol, reinserted it into the handle, loaded a cartridge into the chamber, then placed the pistol in the holster.
She looked at him curiously, her concern obvious in her tone of voice. “Are you going to take that with you to meet an FBI agent? Won’t that be risky if something happens and he decides to search you?”
“I’m not feeling very confident about any of this. Something—call it instinct if you want—is nagging at me. We’re missing something, but I don’t know what it is. I don’t want to be caught unprepared.”
He placed his laptop computer into its carrying case, then stuck the flash drive into an outside pocket of the case. “And to that end I want to copy the files and e-mails sent to me by your agent, both the original scanning of all twelve photographs and the rescanning of the two pertinent ones. That w
ill also show the nature of the photographs you had been taking and how the two in question fit into that series and that what you had captured was obviously accidental, making you an innocent bystander. I’ll transfer the material to the flash drive with Joe as a witness, then turn the flash drive over to him.”
“That should take care of everything.”
He heard her words, but the apprehension in the depths of her eyes told him something else. Over the past few days his priorities had changed dramatically. Helping Brandi as a means of settling an old score with Frank James was no longer the primary focus of his efforts. She was now his main concern. It had all happened so quickly, but he knew that she meant more to him than any other person he had ever known. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe, and if that meant another physical confrontation with Frank James, then that’s what would happen.
He loved her. There was no other way to say it, no other way to think about it. Straightforward and simple—he loved Brandi Doyle. And when their nightmare was finally over… The thought trailed off. Unless he was able to clear his record he had nothing to offer her. True, he had a lot of money stashed away from the sale of his Mercer Island house, but he no longer had a career or any positive direction for the future. He couldn’t expect her to make a commitment to a man who had nothing to offer and didn’t even know what path his future would take.
Nothing to offer other than his love.
He shook the thoughts from his head. This wasn’t the time or the place. They had a meeting and needed to be on the road. It had started raining again. He wanted to allow some extra travel time.
The sound of the monitor alarm grabbed his attention. A quick jolt of trepidation raced through his body. He shot a quick glance at Brandi, then checked the monitor. A car had stopped on the fire road, and three people emerged from the vehicle. He switched the monitor from the thermal imaging camera to a regular camera. An image of Frank James popped onto the screen.
“We’ve got to get the hell out of here now!”
Reece’s tone of voice and clipped words told Brandi everything she needed to know. They were in trouble. She grabbed her purse and tucked the envelope containing the photographs inside her jacket to protect them from the rain. Reece slung the strap of his computer case over his head and across his chest. He shoved the plastic bag containing the Beretta into an inside jacket pocket. Then he grabbed his holstered 9 mm pistol and clipped it to the waistband of his jeans at the small of his back and covered it with his sweatshirt.
“Stay with me. We’re going to head into the woods, then circle back to the car while they’re running around looking for us.”
They charged out to the front porch. He paused just long enough to pull the door shut. He heard the lock click. “If they want inside my cabin, they’re going to have to take the time to break in.” They bolted down the front steps and headed toward the cover of the forest with its trees and underbrush.
The voice came toward them from the direction of the fire road. “There they go. Don’t let them get away!”
Brandi’s heart lodged in her throat. A shot rang out. Her heart pounded wildly. She heard the bullet hit a tree not more than five feet from her. It took all her will-power to keep her panic shoved aside. It was as if she had been transported back in time by six days. There she was, running through the woods in the rain. Running for her life again. Her shoes digging into the mud as she raced forward trying to escape her pursuer. Only this time the pursuer was truly on her heels, and he was shooting at her.
Reece had a firm grasp on her hand as he led the way. The rain increased to a drenching downpour. The pelting raindrops stung her face and obscured her vision as they ran into her eyes. She gasped for air, wondering if each lung full would be her last.
She lost her traction and fought to maintain her balance, but to no avail. A moment later she landed on her rear end in the mud, jerking Reece to an abrupt halt. He quickly scanned the woods, seeking any hint of where their pursuers were. He caught a quick glimpse of two men who seemed a little uncertain about which direction to go in.
He pulled Brandi to her feet. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
They took off running again. Another two hundred yards and Reece pulled her down between some large rocks and thick brush so that they were concealed from all sides. He sucked in several deep breaths in an effort to force some calm to his breathing. Brandi did the same.
They continued to watch from their hiding place, straining to see any little movement among the trees or catch a glimpse of the color of clothing. His words were a raspy whisper in her ear. “We’ll stay here for a little bit until we know that whoever is out there has continued on so that we’re behind them rather than in front. Then we can circle back to the cabin and get the car. Once we’re on the road I’ll be able to lose whoever is foolish enough to try and follow us.”
Reece felt Brandi’s muscles tense as the two men came into view. He immediately recognized one of them as Frank James. Neither he nor Brandi moved or spoke as the two men made their way through the underbrush. A flicker of satisfaction ignited inside Reece. It was obvious that their pursuers didn’t know much about mountains and forests or about how to track someone while being inconspicuous. One of them was even wearing a bright red jacket—fine if he was a hunter and wanted to be seen by other hunters for his own protection, but stupid if he was trying to trail someone through the woods.
He watched as the two men conferred, then split up and went in different directions. They continued to move away from the cabin and farther into the woods. He kept his eye on them until they had disappeared from sight.
He tugged on her hand. “Come on. Let’s go. Stay down as low as you can and keep your eyes open. We only saw Frank and one other man. The third one may be out here, too, or he may have stayed behind in case we doubled back. We need to be on the lookout for him.”
Brandi sucked in a steadying breath in an attempt to still her tattered nerves. They started back toward the cabin. He continued to keep her hand firmly clasped in his, providing her with the confidence that told her everything would work out. She had faith in him. She trusted him implicitly.
They ran as fast as the muddy ground allowed. He slowed the pace as they neared the cabin, then stopped when they were within fifty feet of the carport. They hid from sight of anyone around the cabin or his vehicle. The front door of the cabin was still closed and appeared to be intact rather than looking as if anyone had kicked it in. He carefully scrutinized the area, ever mindful of the third person who had arrived in the vehicle on the fire road—a third person whose location was unknown.
He tugged on her hand, pulling her close so that she could hear his whispered words. “We can’t wait any longer. If we stay here trying to spot the third person, it will give the other two enough time to realize we doubled back. We need to make a break for the carport.” He squeezed her hand. “Are you ready?”
She returned the squeeze. “Let’s go.”
The tension knotted in his stomach. Everything was on the line. Once they were in the car and out on the fire road, the immediate danger would be behind them. Once they were on the road he would be able to lose whoever was following them. He corrected the thought. Once they were on the road he would be able to lose Frank James. Then as soon as they turned their evidence over to Joe Hodges, the FBI would take Frank into custody. The nightmare would be over.
He sucked in a calming breath, then they left the safety of underbrush concealing them. They made a dash across the clearing toward his SUV. He continually scanned the area, searching for any sign of the third man. As soon as they reached the carport, he pulled his keys from his pocket and clicked the door unlock button. Safety was only a moment away.
“Hold it right there, Covington.”
The words sent a deathly chill slicing through Brandi’s body. She whirled around and saw the man step from behind the corner of the carport…holding a shotgun. She didn’t know wh
o he was, but one glance at Reece told her he recognized the man.
Reece’s voice held an eerie calm, belying the tension she felt coursing through her body. Every muscle seemed to be drawn into taut, hard lines. “Lyle Hanover. This certainly explains a lot. Now all the pieces are in place. Frank James answers to you. He perjured himself on the witness stand in a case you prosecuted.”
She may not have recognized the man’s face, but she knew the name—the name of the assistant district attorney. Could he have been the third man in the pho tograph—the one with his back to the camera? If so, then what she captured on film was even more damaging than they’d originally thought.
“You don’t really think you can get away with this, do you, Lyle? You put me in prison for two years. Wasn’t that enough? Why are you still after me?”
“Don’t try to play me for a fool. You know this isn’t about you.” Lyle shot a quick glance in Brandi’s direction. “It’s about her and her photographs. I’m not sure how you got involved in this, but you sealed your fate when you did.”
Reece stepped in front of Brandi, putting himself protectively between her and Lyle. “I’m not sure exactly what you’re talking about or why strange things have been happening. For some reason Frank James has been stalking Miss Doyle, then he decided to abduct her. I’ve been trying to protect her from the lieutenant and figure out why he’s doing this. Of course, I’ve known for a long time that Frank is a dirty cop. I just didn’t know how high up it reached.”
Lyle shook his head, his voice a combination of exasperation and irritation. “Knock it off. I’m not buying any of this I don’t know what’s going on line you’re trying to hand me.” He motioned with the shotgun, gesturing toward Reece’s laptop computer. “I want that computer.”
“My computer? There’s nothing in it of interest to anyone but me. It’s just a few games and the start of a novel I’ve been working on based on some of my past cases as a private investigator.”
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? Page 18