Keeping the Spy

by Victoria Pinder

  "Tengo que ir. Bese a los bebés para mí y le ver en cuatro días."

  She gripped her bag and her heart nearly exploded. What? She flinched and stared at a man on his phone.

  Again, she ran as fast she could. She slowed when she could no longer breathe. She told herself to calm down at the corner, and stared at the coffee shop behind her. So many people walked out with their white cups with plastic lids. Any one of them might be after her.

  Someone bumped into her and her chest hurt. Whoever the boy was yelled out, "Cafe Cubano por favor."

  Perhaps coffee might give her an edge. Perhaps it was poison. She had no idea. She shook her head no as the man behind her said, "Si. Uno cafe cubano."

  Her mind began to understand. Had she been in the way of a coffee run? None of this mattered. She took another step forward, but every instinct was to run. If she did, would she stand out in the crowd? She needed to blend. Sherry hugged her waist and continued to baggage claim. With her dog, she'd go outside and there had to be a cab. She wouldn’t use an online app. Someone might be watching her accounts and then know where she was.

  A woman gave her an evil face, then reached down to check her baby.

  Sherry licked her lips not sure what she had done. Was the woman part of the conspiracy against her? She sped up.

  The loud music blared salsa music from the walls. She covered her lips and shook her head. None of this made sense. Wasn't Miami still the United States and not South America?

  Every second she had a moment of clarity as she bobbed her way through the heavy crowd. Her gaze took in everything. Had she taken the wrong plane? Her fingers shook, but she dug into her purse. She took out the boarding pass and read the three initials MIA. No other airports had the same initials, right? She had to make it to Joe and then her mind would function.

  A shadow of a man loomed over her. She saw the reflection in the fluorescent light right above her as she held her breath. Her knees locked and it made her walk uncomfortable. As the shadow grew bigger she closed her eyes. This was it. She was dead. She turned around to yell at the man and at least pretend she'd have the fight in her to escape. She clenched her hand. Then she rammed into the man.

  Hard muscles caught her waist and her body heated up. She smelled the Atlantic Ocean and the New England pine trees and her body went slack. Her heart thumped for a new reason. She licked her lips and let the sense of home overtake her. Slowly her gaze met the man's piercing blue eyes. She had never forgotten him. Her mouth dropped and all she could say was, "Liam."

  The boy who never spoke a word to her, ever. The boy that fueled her own teenage romantic wishes held her. There was a first time for everything. His body heat fired some heat inside her.

  "Sherry. I need you to come with me." Liam's hand on the small of her back made her lips pucker, but no. She couldn't fall for this. His voice was deep and tender and she wanted to trust him. She couldn't. What if it was Liam Collins who was after her?

  "I need to go get Joe in baggage claim."

  Then she twisted out of his arms and used her bag as a buffer. Then she took off at a fast pace.

  What if Liam killed Victor?

  Her heart thumped no, but her head guided her feet. She had no reason to trust her dream guy. At security, a thrill ran down her body. She'd outrun Liam.

  But then his muscular arm went around her waist and stopped her mid-stride.

  He whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry sweetheart."

  Then she smelled something foul. A cough formed in her throat, but she couldn't release. A second later, the world went black. She must have been right. Liam was her enemy.

  3

  Liam

  Liam ran his hands through his hair and grimaced. He grabbed her before she fell and picked her up gently. A circle formed of people avoiding him and he tugged out his badge. Once he placed it on his belt, people avoided their eyes. He released a deep breath slowly as his gaze avoided direct eye contact with people. He swallowed and then walked as he held her. She still smelled like vanilla ice cream sundaes. He saw her eating one as children and never understood how she maintained that smell for the rest of their lives. For years, he stared at Sherry from a distance, and today, he spoke two words before he drugged her. He couldn't let her run outside, but he'd get her dog. Who knows who would be out in public like that, and he refused to let one more innocent woman get shot on his watch.

  With his CIA badge, no one questioned him and he hauled her unconscious to his private jet. Once she woke, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach. She might not understand why he did this. He'd broken every protocol as he marched through the airport. TSA assumed she was a prisoner, and his chest tightened.

  He handed the security guard her ticket and baggage claim number, "I need this evidence brought to me at once."

  "At once, sir."

  He rearranged her in his arms and continued.

  What if she refused to cooperate because he gassed her? Now the report said someone had been after her in the airport, but no one came near him. What if the intelligence was wrong?

  He weighed his options as he marched her towards his family's private jet. At least his billions meant they'd have privacy, and Sherry deserved to better than a holding cell. He whiffed the ice cream sundae on a summer day smell and knew he had to protect her. No one said anything to him on his flight. He set her in a seat, fastened her, and then brushed her hair out of her face. Sherry Worthing was innocent. He sighed, stood, and ordered the pilots, "Bangor, Maine."

  Maine was not terribly far from their hometown of Hyannis, Massachusetts. His family had a winter cabin up there and the spot was perfect to keep Sherry out of sight. He gazed at the floor.

  Last time he drugged someone, the woman had been a real spy. He took a seat and tapped his index finger against his lip. Sherry might not believe someone had been after her. His heart thundered he had to act fast. He muttered to himself, "This was the right thing to do."

  So why did he have trouble believing that? A moment later a dog crate and a bag were delivered into the main cabin. Once everything was secured, the airplane took off and she jerked in her seat. She was still drugged, but her position would be uncomfortable. He positioned her head into the seat cushion and ensured she was upright. Then he brushed her hair back from her face and stared at her. How had she involved herself with a spy? His stomach did flips at the thought that she was with a dangerous criminal and he hadn't protected her. He hadn't even known. He had forced himself to not spy on her, though whenever he went home to visit, he checked on her. Good girls deserve good boys, and for years, he observed from the sidelines how she blossomed into a good woman.

  The rocks in his stomach didn't lessen though the plane found its’ altitude.

  The captain of his ship then spoke on the speaker overhead.

  "Sir, you have a phone call."

  He picked up his phone and said, "Hello."

  "Did you apprehend the potential threat?" his boss, Nebraska, asked.

  He'd clear her name then disappear from her life. Liam glanced at the woman sitting next to him.

  "Yeah, I have her."

  "What facility are you taking her to?"

  "That's classified. I'll check in tomorrow."

  "Wait..."

  "Goodbye."

  He hung up the phone and then dialed the flight deck.

  The captain answered, "Yes sir."

  "Keep our flight plan confidential."

  Liam tugged his ear. Sherry had to explain how she had four hundred million dollars in an account with her name on it in the Grand Caymans. Librarians and her grandparents don't make that much. At least his staff understood how to avert the government protocols. He trained them. He then picked up the report on Sherry and reread it. The more he read, the guiltier she seemed.

  A bark echoed through the cabin.

  Sherry sighed and moved her head.

  His pulse sped up, and his gaze sharpened to stay on her face. There had to be answer. A spli
t second her brown eyes stared at him, and he lost the ability to breathe. He waited as the haziness of the drug wore off fast on her. Her eyes grew larger and a split second later, she screamed.

  Her dog howled in the crate.

  Her fingers unbuckled her seat and she moved to stand. He held his hands to his sides to not scare her as he stood, but then the plane jostled her into him. His manhood woke up, though he tucked it away and helped her stand.

  "Private planes need us to be seated Sherry."

  "You know my name."

  She jumped out of his arms and into the small aisle. The plane began to shake as lightening streaked outside the window. Her gaze narrowed.

  The drugs must have affected her. He motioned for her to sit. She stayed where she was. He inhaled and told himself to speak. There was something about her that struck him dumb.

  "Liam Collins."

  She crossed her arms and then checked her necklace.

  She swallowed and said, "You didn't come and visit your mother this summer. Were you off becoming a kidnapper and assassin?"

  "No." There he formed a syllable. He swallowed and then took a deep breath. He told himself he could do this. Then he said, "Sherry, I'm not going to hurt you."

  She shook her head and averted her blue eyes as her brown hair cascaded around her.

  "You drugged me. Now you're taking me to who knows where..."

  "Maine," he interrupted.

  "Ugh."

  She rolled her eyes and then grabbed the seat to hold onto the rocky plane. His pilot must have hit a rough patch because they never wobbled this much.

  He never blinked as she then said, "I can't even be kidnapped to someplace new or even warm. Maine? It's a few hours from our home."

  "Sherry. I'll keep you safe there. It's the best plan, unless you have a better one."

  "Safe? You? You hate me. You always hated me."

  The plane jerked again and she clutched the seat until she climbed to sit next to him.

  "I never understood how someone like you came from your sweet mother."

  Again, her dog barked and his crate banged.

  "My mother raised me right."

  She rolled her eyes.

  "If you say so. You were always so rude."

  He scooted closer to her, but his arm rest and the aisle kept him stationary.

  "Why were you engaged to Victor, Sherry?"

  "Why is it so hard for everyone to believe?" Her chin darted up. "My fiancé died. You could at least sound remorseful as you bring me to god-knows-where-to-do-who-knows-what."

  He gritted his teeth. He had so much to straighten out.

  "You're better than that guy, Sherry. You deserved better."

  Her chin trembled then she turned away.

  "Liam Collins, I'm not an idiot and I don't fall for cheap compliments to calm me down. I need you to let me go once this plane lands."

  The plane jerked again. The dog's crate shook as a clear growl echoed in the air. He should pick up his phone and check on the pilot. This wasn't normal. He licked his lips and met her icy stare at him.

  "Sherry, you're running straight into danger. You need me to protect you."

  "You drugged me."

  She shook her head.

  He rubbed his neck. He had to tell her the truth.

  "Someone was after you."

  She let out a snort.

  "My grandmother's will seemed to have changed my life. Victor died two days after the reading, thieves destroyed my house and car, and now you kidnapped me."

  He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer.

  "I'm sorry about her. She was always nice to me."

  Her fingers brushed against his and a jolt rushed through him. He stared at her as the plane jostled.

  She quieted down and said, "She liked you better than Victor. Your mother and my grandmother loved to talk about you to me."

  "Victor Kravenski was a traitor and a rogue spy. You should never have met him."

  "That's so stupid." She clutched her necklace and then covered her lips as her eyes widened. "Grandma warned me not to trust him, but I don't date traitors. He had a library card."

  "That doesn't prove anything."

  He reached out to hold her hand, but she closed her fingers into a fist in her lap. He froze.

  "I don't know what he's intending to do with you, but he intended to betray his country and ours. Your implicated in a number of his crimes already."

  She clenched her jaw.

  "That's impossible. You're lying."

  "I work for the CIA."

  "FBI. Don't lie to me. I am friends with your mother and the gun shots when Kate's family tried to kill her was the talk of the town."

  "No, CIA. My family believes I'm in the FBI."

  "Why would I believe you?"

  Her eyes stared straight into his.

  "I don't want to talk to you. You drugged me."

  He let out a deep breath then admitted the truth, "I work for the CIA, for two more weeks."

  She let out a groan and crossed her arms.

  "What happens in two weeks?"

  "I move home, buy a house, and forget this life."

  She opened her mouth to say something, but no words formed. He pressed his lips together. None of this was protocol to get a witness to talk.

  A loud bang echoed in his ears as the dog howled. Liam stood. The pilot door flew open and the plane took a nose dive. Liam's mind clicked that the storm hadn't been what caused all the turbulence. The bruise on the copilot’s face told him there had been a fight. He jumped in front of Sherry, who unbuckled, then stood up behind him. The bruiser of a copilot charged forward.

  Liam's gaze caught the metal knife the copilot tried to hide in his arm.

  Liam launched to pummel his would-be attacker and knock off his swing. The co-pilot tried to sidestep him and get past him.

  Liam's muscular arms went right for the man's throat and a huge burst echoed behind him.

  Sherry kneed the guy as he went down.

  He tried to swing his knife at her. Then a huge Cane Corso jumped in front of Sherry and she backed away.

  Liam's held him tighter, and then he heard the bone adjust.

  "Why are you doing this?"

  "They have my daughter." He kept his fingers around his neck and on the pressure points. "They said they'd kill her."

  The dog's fierce barks echoed as a threat. Liam ignored the dog and asked, "Who?"

  "I don't know. They wanted her."

  He pressed into the man's neck, and a moment later, the copilot fell to the ground.

  Liam's gaze went to Sherry who nursed a cut on her arm. The dog growled at him and then stood in front of Sherry. She pet the dog as her voice cracked. "Is he dead?"

  "No, but he won't wake up anytime soon."

  Liam turned toward the front. The plane took a nose dive and her dog howled. He rushed forward. He'd not die today. Liam took a deep breath the second he took the helm. He counted calmly in his head what he had to do. The CIA and the Marines trained him well under pressure, and he leveled the plane then went back to cruising altitude.

  "What's your dog's name?"

  "Joe or Joey."

  "You gave him a human name?"

  "It was my grandmother's idea before she died. Joe was to take care of me."

  "Clearly he takes that job seriously.”

  She stepped over the dead pilot and sat beside him. The dog jumped to follow. Her hand brushed his shoulder and his gaze went up to meet hers.

  "Why are people after me?"

  Time froze as he gazed right at her.

  "You tell me. I think you know."

  She averted her eyes, but her cheeks blushed.

  "Let me go, Liam."

  He stood taller.

  "I'm your best shot."

  She shook her head.

  "No. You can't protect me from your own men."

  Liam's eyelids grew heavier. He'd not lie to Sherry though every protocol out th
ere said too.

  "I told you. Victor intended to betray his country and America. You have a huge mark on your back as a target Sherry."

  "That's not half the story."

  She clutched her necklace again and gazed at the instruments. Sherry took her hand off his shoulder and crossed her arms around her waist.

  "What can I do to help?"

  Once they were calm and adrenaline didn't pump in his veins, he'd get the story from her. Right now, he pressed his lips together.

  "I have to fly the plane. Get my bag in the back and bring me my tablet."

  She nodded but stayed still.

  "You know how to fly and land a plane?"

  "Yes," his hands pointed to a gauge and told her, "this is our altitude."

  Her shoulders dropped. "Okay. Be right back."

  Joe paced the small hallway as she left. Sherry deserved far better than a random death and he wouldn’t wrap his conscience in the flag if anything happened to her. The air lost the smell of ice cream and it was replaced with death. His heart raced still. If Victor wasn't dead, he'd kill him for involving Sherry in his lies.

  Her footsteps came closer and the plane shook. His gaze focused on the instruments. No. He took in a deep breath then told her, "Strap in. The left engine is a dead stick and I'm landing this plane."

  She ran and grabbed a leash, then she huddled Joe between them and sat beside him. He kept his eyes on the trajectory as she closed her eyes to pray.

  She then opened them and asked, "If you need me to help, tell me what to do."

  His mind screamed she was innocent and not a threat. He had to prove it. He gulped then nodded.

  "We're close to our destination, angel."

  "Don't call me angel. Don't call me anything once this is over Liam Collins." Her chin stuck out and reminded him. "We'll live through this and we'll return to the time where you never speak to me. Life was calmer then."