by Violet Paige
“What?”
AJ scowled. “Just go along with it. Ok? But this web has gotten more tangled. Canson needs to talk to you about the flight. And the units here are going to want to know everything about the farmhouse. You arrived at the scene before I did.”
“But you saw what it looked like,” I argued. “You were there. I didn’t even break into the house. That was you.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re going to be in New Orleans for a while. You’re the center of two open investigations.”
I considered what he said. “But you won’t leave?”
“No. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Because of Project Compass,” I stated. “That’s why they’re letting you stay.”
“Yes. They want you on the team. I think you’re in too deep to turn away.”
“Or is that just what everyone wants me to think?”
He shook his head. “What does that mean?”
“I was fine. I was happy. None of this insane shit was happening to me until Project Compass.” I shoved off the bed.
“That’s not true.” AJ eyed me. “I told you on the flight someone has been trailing you. And everything we found in the farmhouse proves that. I don’t even want to say the fucking word.”
“What word?”
His jaw clenched. “It’s a stalker, Syd. Everything points to that.”
My stomach rolled with nausea. “Oh my God.” I sat down again. “The emails,” I whispered.
“What emails?”
“I haven’t had a chance to tell you. Everything keeps happening so quickly. And more things are piling on top of each other. I feel like we’re drowning in all this.”
I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made the connection before. When would I finally learn that none of this could be coincidence? I felt like a puppet on the end of a string, pulling me further and further into the dark. And AJ was following me.
I buried my head in my hands. A ragged gasp shook my body.
“Take a big breath and start at the beginning.” AJ’s voice brought me back to reality. “There’s an agent at the door. We’ll order room service. We’ll stay all night. Ok? It’s time for you to tell me everything”
I nodded.
“Besides,” he cracked a smile. “You can’t run this time even if you want to.”
I felt a smile creep onto my face in spite of everything. I playfully shoved his chest.
“Ow.” He grabbed his ribs.
“Oh my God. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I was so wrapped up in my fear I kept forgetting his pain.
He winced. “I’ll live.” He struggled for breath.
“You haven’t even showered yet. You need hot water and at least to take some ibuprofen. You haven’t slept. I’m worried about you.”
“Is this you playing nurse?”
I bit my lip. My cheeks turned red. How did he do that so easily? We were in the middle of the most serious situation of my life and he had a way of taking my mind somewhere fun and dirty. Somewhere in time that reminded me of a freer, more adventurous me. A time when I didn’t know AJ could break my heart.
“You were never a good patient,” I reminded him.
“True. I won’t ever be. And I’m not heading to the shower until you tell me about these emails.”
“The last one was in my inbox Sunday morning. Just before I left for the airport.”
“And the first one?” he questioned.
“I think about six months ago.” I leaned into a stack of pillows on the bed. From the dirt bike ride, the lack of sleep, the tropical storm, and now finally landing somewhere soft it was hard not to feel the exhaustion settle in.
“Who were they from?”
“I don’t know. It was just a shell dot com address. I tried to trace it.” My eyes sharpened. “Just using a search engine. No hacking.”
“And it went back to nothing?”
“Right. There were a few at first. I thought they were a scam. And then I realized they weren’t. But just when I started to be concerned, they stopped. I hadn’t received one until Friday when I landed in Dallas. And then I had another one Saturday. Back to back, which was weird after he hadn’t sent any in so long.”
AJ rubbed the side of his face. “Do you have the one from Friday on your phone?”
“Yes. I didn’t delete it.” I reached for my phone on the bedside table. It had charged over the last hour. I powered it on and tapped my email icon. I scrolled through, searching for Friday’s emails first. I needed to do a better job of sorting my junk mail. My inbox was filled with sales offers and coupons.
“I kept them both.” I kept searching. I checked my spam and my trash boxes. I checked the dates for Friday and Saturday. My days were getting mixed up in my head, but I knew I had flown into Dallas for the weekend. Friday and Saturday were definitely where they should be, but the emails weren’t there.
I looked at AJ. “They were both here. I swear.”
“Damn it,” he swore. “They must have had time encryption in them. Ok. So, what did they say? Do you remember?”
I nodded. “I’ll never forget them.”
“Syd, this might be the connection to the guy at the farmhouse. You might have him.” He looked hopeful. “Anything you can remember will help. A single word can be a piece of the puzzle. This is huge.”
I closed my eyes. “I-I thought it was a sick joke. You know? Some prank. Like I was on one of those weird list serves or something. It didn’t seem real.”
“Syd, what did he say?”
I swallowed hard. “I didn’t tell anyone. I thought he was gone. He was supposed to be gone.”
AJ cupped the side of my face. “Do you want to write it down instead? If it’s too hard to tell me, you can write it. I need to know so I can keep you safe. However you want to tell me is fine, babe. Please, just tell me.”
“Destiny,” I whispered. “He said I was his destiny.”
Chapter Fifteen
I think it was only the second week we dated when AJ and I went to this swanky jazz bar below the street. We took the M for several stops before we found it. It felt like we were sneaking into a speak easy, but once we got there we ordered drinks and sat in the corner. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other. We had finally hit the three-date mark and discovered sex together was incredible. I wanted our nights together to start early so we could end up back in bed.
That night I had worn a cute dress. The hem was lined with sequins. It was short. I already knew AJ had a fondness for my legs and ass. I wore it for him. Not for the asshole sitting at the bar. Not for the string of assholes scattered around the night club.
Becca and I had gone shopping the day before. We walked out of the boutique excited about our dresses. Proud of how good they looked on us. Eager to wear them on date night.
But all it took was one lewd comment when I strolled to the restroom for all hell to break loose.
“I have something nice and hard for you to sit on, baby.”
I knew better than to acknowledge the taunt. I would have walked faster, but I was blocked by a line of people ordering drinks from the bartender.
“Just lift it a little higher and I can give you a ride right here.” He chuckled.
I didn’t want him to see me do it, but I tugged on the sequins, forcing more coverage over my thighs. I needed to find a way around the line, but instead of making a path to the right I was forced left when a waitress plowed forward with a tray of drinks.
I stepped into his space and felt his fingers circle my arm. “I bet you’ve never had it the way I give it up the a—”
I’d never seen a fight break out that fast. I didn’t know when AJ became aware of what was happening, but he was now. I’d never witnessed anything like it. AJ was all over him. Pinning the dick to the bar in a choke hold. I was in awe. No one had done anything like that for me before. No one had defended me. In all the times I had to listen to cat calls and vulgar comments, no one came to my defense.
/> I was used to going to bars and fending off guys as they tried to grab me, or touch me in places their hands should never be. Becca and I had war stories from clubs and bars in the city. The sad thing was, I could swat hands. I could protest. I could call a bouncer over, but I couldn’t fight back. I knew that was asking for the kind of trouble I couldn’t handle. And it pissed me off. But that was my reality. How were we supposed to stand up to men twice our size? How did we tell them to back the fuck off without putting ourselves in more danger?
We had been taught to always go out in pairs. Always have a girlfriend system. We had checks and balances to keep each other safe. But there was no way to keep vulgar taunts from happening. There was no way on a beautiful night, wearing a beautiful dress to stop a prick like this from thinking he had the right to verbally assault me.
AJ did what I’d never been able to do. He had that asshole’s throat in his hand.
“Don’t you ever talk to a woman that way.” He glared in his eyes. “Do you understand?”
The man gurgled. His face was red.
“AJ.” I tugged on his arm.
“I’m waiting for an answer. Are you going to speak to women like that?”
I stared in amazement when he started to twist his head back and forth.
AJ let up. The man reached for his throat, rubbing where AJ’s hands had been.
He glared at me. “Sorry your girlfriend can’t take a joke.”
I froze.
AJ stepped closer. “You think what you said was funny? I didn’t hear the joke.”
The people around us stared. I was about things were about to escalate again. The bartender held his phone in his hand as if he was ready to call for backup at any second.
The asshole laughed. “Oh I get it. You’re trying to impress her. That’s it. You’re hoping you’ll get some tonight. I get it, man. She’s a fine piece of ass.”
“Oh shit,” I groaned.
AJ practically lifted him off the ground, taking his throat in his fist.
“He’s drunk, AJ,” I whispered. “Put him down.” He had to be drunk. No rationale man would stoke embers like this.
“If she was someone I’d never met, I’d do the same exact thing a hundred times over. You have a problem man.”
He let go and the man fell, doubling over, gasping for air.
He moved me away from the bar where the crowd still gawked.
“Are you ok?” AJ asked.
I nodded. “Shocked, but I’m fine.”
He took my hand, threading our fingers together. I felt the heat of his palm. “Let’s get out of here. Ok? I don’t think we should stick around.”
We climbed the stairs and I felt the cool air at the street level.
“How about you? Are you ok?” I asked. “Did you hurt your hand? He looked heavy.”
He chuckled. “No. I’m fine. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you or made you uncomfortable back there. But that asshole isn’t going to speak to you like that. He’s disgusting. What a dick.”
I looped my hand through the crook of AJ’s arm and sidled up to him. “Have you done that before?”
We walked along the sidewalk.
“Get in bar fights? I try not to.”
“You know what I mean.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “No. It’s not really ok with the Academy. I wouldn’t let him speak to a waitress that way, or one of those women at the bachelorette party in the corner. That bastard pissed me off.”
I looked up at AJ’s square jaw, shadowed when we stepped away from a street light. “Maybe you stopped him from making that mistake with another girl who won’t have someone to defend her. Maybe that’s the last time he’ll say something so gross.”
“I hope so.”
I leaned my head on his arm. “Thank you. More than thank you.”
“Does that happen often?” he asked. “Do guys pull that shit all the time?”
I shrugged. “I guess so.”
“Fuck. I thought I saw stars when he grabbed your arm.”
“He was drunk.”
“That’s no excuse.” AJ stopped walking. Another couple walked past us. “Why are guys such assholes?”
“You’re not.” I smiled at him. I appreciated his anger. I appreciated his loathing. I didn’t advocate violence, but I loved how he stood up for me. “You are the least asshole-ish guy I know.”
I pulled on the lapels of his jacket. He leaned over me.
“You deserve better than that trash, Syd.”
I looked in his eyes, and I believed this man wanted to give me the world.
I believed every word he said. He would have done the same thing if a soccer mom had been attacked, or one of the barbacks. It didn’t matter to him who the woman was. He wasn’t going to stand for it. His rage was justified. A little part of me felt better knowing there were good men in the world like AJ who were looking for the bad guys. He would do whatever he could to protect. He was willing to stand in front of ugliness, no matter how small. Even if it was in a quaint jazz bar on a date night.
That was five years ago. The rage I witnessed now was something far beyond what I had seen on his face during that scuffle in the swanky D.C. bar. I thought I knew how fiery his anger was.
“AJ.” I pulled on his arm. “Sit down.”
He paced and ripped into the mini-bar. There was a full bottle of bourbon. He yanked off the cork and began to pour into one of the highball glasses. I watched him knock it back in one swallow. I hoped it calmed him. Slowed him.
“I’m going to kill him. I’m going to put a bullet in him,” he seethed.
“Oh whoa, whoa, whoa.” I raced from the side of the bed, taking the bottle from him. “Just stop.” I poured a drink for myself. It burned the back of my throat, but I didn’t care. “You are supposed to be the professional,” I lectured. “I don’t think you’re an authorized assassin.”
“There is a fucking psycho out there who thinks you belong with him. To him. And you want me to be calm? No.” He paced in front of the window. “I didn’t know it ran this deep. I swear I didn’t know it was this bad.”
I bit my lip, waiting for him to walk it off, but I knew the suite wasn’t big enough. There were several rooms, but he needed a full football field. A place where he could run and pummel his frustrations into the ground.
“And you’ve known about this for six months?”
“Me?” I glared at him. “You’ve been following me and didn’t tell me. It wasn’t like you were in my life. Or at least in a way I knew about.”
“I thought your shadow was related to Project Compass somehow. Not like this.”
“You could have told me,” I answered flatly.
He groaned. “Ok. We can’t do this.”
“No. We can’t.” I poured us both another round of drinks. “We just have to be level-headed. Clear. We have to get ahead of him.”
AJ took the refill from me. “And why haven’t you hacked him? Why didn’t you track him down?”
I shook my head. “Because the emails stopped, and by then I was too busy to worry about it. I just thought it was a prank. I don’t think it really hit me how serious it was until Dallas. When they resurfaced is when I realized it wasn’t an accident. I wasn’t some random email account he targeted. It was me he was writing.” I took a smaller sip of bourbon this time. “There were no more excuses I could come up with. It hit me when I was in Dallas, that I was dealing with someone’s dark personality.”
I sat on the edge of the bed. “He mentioned destiny in every email. I didn’t want to think there was a creepy stalker out there who knew me. I should have dug into it, or reported him.”
AJ exhaled. I was glad he wasn’t pacing anymore.
“From what we have to go on, it sounds likely he is the man at the farmhouse. And that means he sent you those texts.” He stopped. “What do you know about Ethan Howard?”
“Ethan? He was someone I interviewed. He lived on the same hall as my mom at US
C.”
“You met him in person?”
I nodded. “Yes. I drove to his house. He lives outside of Dallas. I don’t know much about him. He’s single. He has a dog named Max. He’s a little non-descript, honestly. I do have the recordings from our conversation. Do you want to hear them? Would that help you if you could hear what we talked about?”
I was willing to do whatever I could to figure out who was stalking me. Who was scaring the hell out of me. It had to stop.
I knew why AJ was suspicious of Ethan, but it didn’t make any sense for a man like Ethan Howard to do this, and especially to expose himself so openly as a suspect. It was too obvious. But I wasn’t the FBI agent.
Chapter Sixteen
I knew what AJ’s answer would be.
“Yes. Yes. Let’s hear them. I want to know exactly what Ethan Howard said to you. There may be something there that points us in the right direction. We’re going to need this in a full transcript.”
“All right. We brought everything from my equipment bag, so I can set it up,” I offered. I hadn’t wanted AJ to collect my laptop when we escaped the farmhouse. I wanted to leave it behind and option that gave me the tools to hack, but now there was a use for it.
I hadn’t used it since the airplane. Turning it on felt strange, as if the first thing I was going to see was the marketplace. I sort of expected it when my screen blinked open. I reached for the recorder and inserted the plug into the side port and connected it to my laptop.
“I need to cue the interview, and I have to run the audio program,” I explained. “It’s going to take a few minutes.”
“Take your time.” AJ watched me work.
I plucked my headphones from his bag and fastened them over my ears. I needed to run through the audio before I played the interview with Ethan Howard.
AJ tapped me on the shoulder and motioned to his phone. “I have a call. It’s the Bureau.”
“I’ll just keep going.”
He huddled in the corner while I shuffled through the multiple recordings. I never felt comfortable listening to the sound of my voice on playback. I was glad I had a chance to skip over my monologue before AJ heard the interview.