by Ali Vali
“Don’t worry, sir. I’m not going to say anything.” The reassurance came out after a series of hiccups and a couple of swipes at his face.
Patrick pulled a bottle of water from his coat pocket and handed it over. The last thing he needed was for this guy to kill Cain from nerves on the way back. “Just a few more minutes and we’ll be on our way. Try and remember the big plane over there has windows.”
Chapter Sixteen
The atmosphere in the plane became a little more tense when Vincent called the young woman who stood near the cockpit over to them. Throughout their conversation she had tried to listen in without being too overtly obvious, but she wasn’t concerned. Whatever she missed, the bugs she had planted would fill in the gaps. Being there to witness the meeting between two of the main figures who ran the city’s underworld was enough for her, and would play well in court when the time came.
“What’s your name again, arling’?” Vincent asked when the blonde leaned over to await his order.
“Shelby, Mr. Carlotti. Shelby Phillips.”
“Cain, meet Shelby. She’s filling in for my usual girl until she gets back from having her second baby.”
“I’m impressed, Vincent, giving maternity leave. What’s next, a dental plan?” Cain joked as she looked at what could be a dead woman standing.
“We’re looking into it, smart-ass. Shelby, this is my friend Cain.” He pointed to Cain and saw the condescending expression the agent quickly tried to hide. “Cain was wondering if she could have a private conversation with you back in the office.”
“If it’s just a talk she’s interested in, I’d be happy to.” Shelby turned to Cain, plastered a fake smile in place, and asked, “Ms…?”
“Derby Cain Casey. That’s C-A-S-E-Y. Do you also need my social and date of birth for the record?”
It happened so quickly Shelby didn’t notice when she lost control of the situation, but she felt a tiny line of perspiration break out along her forehead. Remembering her training, she took a deep breath and tried to make her smile look more genuine. After all, the instructor who had lectured on undercover techniques had said most of the people they would be trying to bring in didn’t have enough brain cells to string a correct sentence together.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to be presumptuous and call you by your first name.”
“Of course not. Do you mind if I call you Shelby, Ms. Phillips?”
“Please do.” Cain led the way to the small room Vincent used as an office when he was on the plane and sat in the old man’s chair.
“Shelby, have a seat.” Cain pointed to one of the other two chairs available. “Can I get you anything?”
She laughed and pointed her index finger at Cain. “That’s my line, Ms. Casey. That’s my job here, remember?”
“Please, feel free to call me Cain. And I don’t really know your purpose for being on this plane, but that’s what we’re here to find out.”
The urge to wipe her brow was becoming overwhelming, but she didn’t want to show fear. She felt like there was already blood in the water, and a display of weakness would only agitate the sharks swimming in her tank that much more. “I’m filling in, like Mr. Carlotti said.”
“I see, so you graduated in the top 1 percent of your class at Stanford—political science I believe was your major—then from Quantico so you could serve drinks on Vincent Carlotti’s plane. That’s the story you’re telling me?”
“I don’t know—” She was scrambling.
“Please, Agent Daniels, don’t insult me by finishing that sentence. One thing I’m always sure of is what I’m talking about. That was what the last part of your statement was going to be, wasn’t it?”
Shelby felt like crawling out of her skin. She needed to get off this plane and now.
“I asked you a question, Agent, and I would appreciate the courtesy of an answer.”
“Yes, that’s what I was going to say. I think you must have me confused with someone else.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Agent Daniels, but yes, I do know Phillips is a cover name so we aren’t going around about that one too. But you’re like a textbook study of clichés. That all you gleaned from Barry’s undercover class at the academy?”
“I’m not the person you think I am.”
Cain stood up and started to re-button her coat. “Then we have nothing else to talk about, Agent Daniels.”
The relief flooded so quickly through her body, she was afraid she might slide out of the chair if she weren’t careful. Barry Trice had been right about the average bad guy’s level of intelligence. “I’m sorry to worry you like that, and please call me Shelby.”
“Okay, Shelby, but don’t waste your air or your time on apologies. My parting advice would be prayer, or whatever it’s going to take to make things in your heart right before you meet your maker.” Her coat fully buttoned, Cain started for the door.
“What do you mean?” She laughed nervously.
“It means when Vincent is cruising at thirty thousand feet, you’ll be doing some cruising of your own without benefit of a parachute. And I’m seriously doubting he’s going to be giving you one of those nifty flotation devises for the dramatic water landing you’ll be making.”
“Do you know the penalty for killing a federal agent, since you’re under the impression that I am one?”
“Capital offenses call for the death penalty, last time I looked up the section of law you’re referring to.”
Cain laughed at the shocked expression on Shelby’s face.
“Never play a game you don’t know all the rules to, Shelby, especially the penalty shots that come when you fuck up. The main thing you have to remember, though, is know who all the players are and what they might know about you. The government isn’t the only one with good sources of information. Good luck to you.”
Shelby was up and pulling on Cain’s arm before she took her third step for the door.
“Don’t go.”
“Like you said, I have you confused with someone else.”
“Is that what you’re going to tell Mr. Carlotti?” Shelby’s desperation was starting to bleed into her voice.
Cain stroked the hand on her arm and smiled. “As a matter of fact, yes, I am.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re wasting time again, Agent. I’m going to tell him that, and since we all know it ain’t so, you’re going to enjoy the rest of your career as fish food. Vincent won’t remember you by the time this thing hits the tarmac in New Orleans, and I’ll just chalk it up as a waste.”
Cain gave her credit for a viselike grip for such a petite woman. Fear was almost as strong a stimulant as adrenaline. “Because I guarantee you this baby’s taking the long way back over the Atlantic.” She waved her hand to the plane around her so Shelby would know what she was talking about.
“What are my choices here?”
“Very limited indeed.”
Shelby tightened her grip on Cain’s arm, trying to fight back the hysteria that was trying to force its way out and make her beg for her life. “I saw you with him tonight. He’ll listen to you.”
“Like a wise man said, Shelby, the truth will set you free, baby.”
“I’m new to the area so I don’t know a whole lot of information about the agency, if that’s what you’re after.”
“I’m not after information, Shelby. Believe me, I just want to see you live out the night. You’re a beautiful young lady who deserves a second chance.”
“What will it cost me?” Her last two years of training and any hopes of an FBI career were quickly disappearing, but it wasn’t worth her life to give in to her more noble side now.
“Very little, really, but that depends on how honorable you are. Because we can do it the hard way, or we can act civilly and live to fight another day.”
“What’s the hard way?”
“You promise me the moon until you feel you’re safe. Then you run to whoever your supervisor is
and start clearing your conscience about how close you came to making a pact with the devil. It will most probably land you a commendation or two and a big promotion.”
“What makes you think I won’t do just that?”
Cain started unbuttoning her coat and chose to sit next to Shelby this time. “You have guts, Shelby. That’ll get you commendations enough. To answer your question, though, you could do that, which will get us to retaliate in some way, even if it’s from a jail cell. Something like dropping by on Mr. Daniels and seeing how he and your mom are enjoying retirement. I mean, what’s one more indictment in the realm of all things?”
“You’re a monster.”
“Maybe so, but like I said, little girl, know the game, its rules, but most importantly, the penalties that come from playing with the big dogs.”
“What do you want?”
“Goodwill toward men.”
Shelby looked at the serious face and tried not to laugh. Considering her situation, humor should have been the last thing she felt. The woman trying to make her feel better had, after all, just threatened her parents. But when Cain winked, the stress broke something inside her and she started laughing, though it quickly turned to tears.
“Shelby, I don’t want to hurt you, and I’d like to leave your old man to build more of his model boats. This isn’t why we’re here. I want you, as a favor to me, to go home and forget about tonight. If you have to give a location, say it was Biloxi for a card game. Unless you’re good and were able to send up smoke signals before you left town, no one with your team even knows you’re gone.”
“You don’t have any respect for authority, do you?”
“Give yourself time, and with time comes skill. When you get to that level and you start to worry me, that I’ll respect. As for the people you work with, none whatsoever.”
“My career’s over, so it doesn’t matter, does it? I didn’t do all this to become a mole or a puppet right out of the gate.”
“Darlin’, you need to work on those clichés, and why don’t you listen to the rest of what I’ve got to say before you go hanging up your spurs.”
She laughed again and started to protest the blatant use of clichés.
Cain grinned. “I couldn’t resist.”
“I forget about tonight, and what else?”
“Somewhere down the line you’ll get a phone call, and the caller will bring to light a different avenue to investigate. All I’m asking is that you do your job and look into what you’ll be told.”
“Trying to put some of your competition out of work?”
“It’s not what you think, so no info on any less-than-reputable citizens, I promise.
She was skeptical. The job and her scruples were important to her. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.” Cain held out her hand. “Shake and you’ve got a binding contract and also a promise you’ll get home safe to Coots tonight.”
“You know my cat’s name?” Shelby was thinking the government would do well to fire Barry and hire Cain to teach a few classes.
“It’s the turtle’s name I haven’t been able to get yet.”
“I don’t have a pet turtle.”
Cain snapped her fingers. “That would explain it, then.”
“Why couldn’t you be a nice accountant I could bring home and introduce to my mother?” She gripped Cain’s arm again, only this time she felt like caressing it.
“You wouldn’t find me this interesting if I crunched numbers for a living. Admit it.”
“True, but as one of the senior agents in the New Orleans office is fond of saying, dating you wouldn’t be a career-advancing move.”
“But think of the fun you’d have if you took a walk with the devil in the moonlight. What do you say, Agent Daniels. Do we have a deal?”
“There’s nothing like being painted into a corner.” She laughed, then reached over and ran her fingers along Cain’s jawline. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I get to live out the night?”
“You have my word.”
“Then yes, we’ve got a deal. I never really thought my fieldwork would end so quickly.”
Cain looked confused as to why she would say that. “Do you think I’m going to post your picture on the gangster Web page?”
“The thought does seem reasonable, you have to agree.”
“Shelby, I wouldn’t recommend you take any other plane trips with Vincent to plant these babies.” Cain dropped the minute listening devices into her palm and pressed her hand closed. “And I’ll have a hard time forgetting such a pretty face, but the only way someone else will blow your cover is to do their homework like I did. It won’t be because I sold you out. Despite my less-than-reputable ways, I understand you have a job to do. You’ve worked hard to get here, and I’m not about to mess that up for you.”
“You’re something else, Cain Casey.” As their time together drew to a close, Shelby felt like she had run up a mountain carrying a boulder on her shoulders. “Thank you for not recommending he just toss me out.”
“You’re welcome, and you be careful from now on. The world’s full of big bad wolves waiting for pretty sheep to come along.”
“I’m a trained agent, Cain, hardly sheep material.”
“Uh-huh. Does the term ‘fish food’ hold any meaning for you?”
Shelby laughed and thanked the heavens Cain had asked for so little in return. Gazing into the beautiful blue eyes any longer would have made it easy to forget which side she was on. “Point taken.”
“Good, and good night.” Cain reached for her coat and started to get ready to leave. The deal had taken longer than she thought, and she would be pushing it to get back before the good citizens of Haywood were awake and witness material. It was a safe bet to say helicopters dropping off outlaws at the feed store weren’t normal occurrences in the small farming town.
“Cain, I hope I get to see you again under better circumstances, but I do want to thank you. I had no idea you two had made me.”
“Rookie mistake, Shelby. You’ll get better, I promise. I was impressed when I read your jacket, but don’t believe Barry when he says all of us are idiots.”
“How did you know?”
“I have a few tricks of my own.” Cain smiled once more and moved to the door.
Shelby stopped her and pulled her down for a thank-you kiss. It was out of character for her, but at the moment she felt like celebrating life. “I won’t forget what you did tonight.”
Cain nodded, and they both made their way back to Vincent.
“Why don’t you entertain Agent Daniels on the way home with stories about your last vacation, Vincent?”
“Are we set to all fly back to New Orleans?” Vincent asked.
His meaning wasn’t lost on Shelby. The seriousness of her situation slammed into her brain so hard she had to sit down.
“Yes, sir, I gave my word you all were going to have a pleasant flight home.”
When Cain stressed the word “all,” Shelby wanted to kiss her again.
“Good, I’ll wait to hear from you, Cain.”
Cain waved them good-bye and headed back to the helicopter. She and her pilot waited for Vincent’s craft to clear the runway before they took to the air themselves.
Shelby watched the ground getting farther away and shuddered at the possibilities of “what ifs.”
“She’s something else, don’t you think?” Vincent’s question dragged her attention back to her travel companions.
“Yes, sir, she is.”
“Now you understand a little better, I think, why Agent Kyle’s hair is a little grayer and a lot thinner.” Vincent smiled at her and arched his brow. “You might want to fix that smudged lipstick before we land. We wouldn’t want the federal government to think you were taken advantage of.”
Shelby laughed and was grateful this was the last bit of small talk she would have to exchange with Carlotti for the rest of the trip. She spent the rest of the flight mentally writing her report of
their night at one of Biloxi’s casinos. She would have to ask Vincent which one he frequented most so there would be no other questions about her absence.
*
Cain addressed the man who had just put down with a little too much force. “Thanks for the ride.” If his shaking hands were any indication, he wasn’t going to be having a long chat with Kyle’s men.
“No problem, ma’am.”
Cain drove back to the farm at the same unhurried pace, with the same company as before, only now the sun was just starting to rise. She used the time to consider her first problem before she could worry about Hannah. For now, she couldn’t afford the luxury of thinking about the little girl or giving in to the anger she felt toward Emma. Now she needed to concentrate on all the pieces that would need to fall into place to make her plan work. Parking in the same spot, she took a deep breath before she stepped out into the cold.
“Morning, Cain, out for an early drive?” Ross stood on his porch drinking a cup of coffee.
“Something like that. I was having trouble sleeping, so I went to talk to a friend.”
She heard the door to the bunkhouse open and surmised it was Hayden in the doorway. “How about breakfast in town, son?”
“Great.” He moved to the passenger-side door in no time, bundled up for the cold.
“Ross, want to ask Emma if she’d like to join us?”
“She’s out running an errand this morning, Cain. I’m sure she’ll be sorry she missed out.”
She could see his discomfort for telling the lie, but she wasn’t about to push. Ross was too honest for the position he found himself in.
“I’m sure you’re right.”
Chapter Seventeen
Emma ran around to the back door of Maddie’s house, eager to spend time with her daughter. Being away from the sweet child was killing her, but she couldn’t take the chance that Cain would see Hannah. It wouldn’t take a DNA test to determine the roots of Hannah’s family tree. The four-year-old was as much a Casey as Hayden.