Deadly Disclosure

by Meghan Carver

  SEVEN

  One more flash of the badge had convinced the bus driver to head to the airport straight away. Their position had been undetected, and a couple of miles out of downtown, Derek had motioned Hannah up into a seat. He still wasn’t sure what their overnight plan would be, but as they pulled away from the city lights, he could see the stars twinkling in the cool, clear night.

  At least they would be a long, long way from Heartwood Hill, on the other side of Indianapolis. Hopefully away from anywhere those jerks might think to look for Hannah. At Derek’s instruction, the bus driver pulled up to the passenger drop-off at the airport. He said thanks to the driver as he dragged his shoe across the pavement in a vain effort to get the gum loose.

  As they descended the steps, he held Hannah’s elbow. “Just smile and look straight ahead.”

  She plastered on a grin, but he could still see the worry in the lines around her eyes. “What are we doing here?”

  “A friend of mine is with the airport police. We were on the force in Heartwood Hill together. And we can rent another vehicle.”

  With a thorough look around, he led her through the automatic doors and into the main terminal. A handful of people sat in a waiting area, and one man watched the arrival and departure boards. Even though Indianapolis was considered a major metropolitan airport, it turned fairly quiet later in the evening. Only so many flights could come and go based on customer capacity.

  They walked calmly and approached the escalator down to the baggage claim. At the bottom, he stopped to pretend to look at a large map on a lit board. If anyone was tailing them, they wouldn’t be able to hide in such a sparse crowd. Five minutes later, Derek was convinced they had not been followed.

  “We’re almost there. Ready to stop and take a break?”

  She slung her purse over her shoulder to carry it cross-body style and sighed. “I’m ready to eat something and lie down for the night. Is that possible?”

  He wouldn’t promise anything he couldn’t follow through on, but he wanted to reassure her. “I think so, but let me make a call first.”

  He quickly dialed his friend from his days on the force, sending up a quick prayer that he would be on duty. Three rings later, his prayer was answered, and Tyler had offered a place to crash for the night. He had also offered to send a car for them, but Derek thought it might be best if they approached under cover of darkness rather than in a marked police vehicle.

  Hannah had leaned against the sign and closed her eyes.

  He put a hand on her shoulder, and she opened one eye at him.

  “We’re good.”

  She adopted a weary smile, and his heart flopped as he took her hand. He couldn’t help holding her hand as they walked. It felt so natural. And yet, he really shouldn’t. Once she was safe and the assignment was over, he would move on, and she would return to law school. There was no point in either of them having unrealistic expectations or hopes. Leading Hannah out the automatic doors and onto the sidewalk outside baggage claim, Derek stepped into the landscaping. He skirted the building, down toward the runways around the back of the large structure. Only moonlight guided them, as well as whatever florescent glow reached that far from passenger pickup and the parking areas in the distance. Dew had begun to gather on the grass, and Hannah slipped into his arms as they descended. He quickly righted her and set her aside despite the thumping of his heart.

  As they approached the bottom and secure pavement again, a rustling in the bushes spooked her. She leaped toward Derek and grabbed onto his shirt sleeve as a raccoon waddled from the foliage. They stood for a moment, watching the masked bandit make his way across the mulch. A memory surfaced from high school, a time in their secluded part of the library when she had asked for help understanding a complicated math concept. He had scooted his chair closer to hers and laid his arm on the back of her chair. But before they were done with the tutorial, his arm had completely enclosed her shoulders. Derek hadn’t moved his arm for the rest of the study session, despite the fact that it had gone tingly with sleep after just thirty minutes.

  Now, ten years later, he was prepared to protect her from all sorts of scary things.

  But there was only one sort of scary thing he was responsible for now, and those guys seemed lost at the moment.

  Around the corner, the runways stretched in front of them. To the side, a large glowing sign—Indianapolis Airport Police Department—beckoned them. The entrance was an out-of-the-way place with what looked like virtually no foot or vehicular traffic this time of night, but Derek hoped and prayed that safety and rest and refreshment were within reach.

  Tyler opened the door as they approached. When Derek walked through behind Hannah, Tyler slapped him on the shoulder, a gesture of comfort and reassurance that he hadn’t realized he needed. There had been no doubt in his mind months ago at the beginning of his training at the FBI academy that this was what he had wanted. Ever since his parents’ murders, he had been bound and determined to join the FBI. But now that he had reached his goal, it would take some adjustment. And his reunion with his high school sweetheart had added to the stress of a first assignment.

  Along with the slap on the back from Tyler came raised eyebrows and a nod toward Hannah. Derek shook his head. No, they were not a couple, although he increasingly wanted them to be.

  Once they were inside, Tyler pulled the door closed and a lock clicked inside. “We’re hidden away on the back side of the terminal, and it gets pretty quiet. But after hours, no one gets in without their security pass.” He pulled an ID card out of his pocket to show them how it electronically unlocked the door. “Not many come and go through the night, but you’ll be safe here.”

  A lingering odor of stale coffee assaulted him upon entry. Without passing anyone on the way, Tyler escorted them to the break room, which had fluorescent lights, a couple of black leather tufted sofas and a kitchenette flanked by a full garbage can. He was appreciative of Tyler’s offer and knew that cleanup would happen whenever it could, around a police officer’s busy shift.

  Tyler gestured toward a couple of vending machines, one that dispensed plastic bottles of pop and another that had chips and cookies and candy bars. “We don’t have much, but make yourself at home. You can get a snack from the machines, and we have bottles of water in the refrigerator. You can make some coffee, but I’m guessing you’d rather catch some sleep. Settle in on the sofas. We have a couple of blankets in the storage cabinet.” At Hannah’s inquisitive look, he explained, “Sometimes officers take a quick nap in between shifts. It saves time from going home.”

  Derek shook his hand. “Thanks. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

  “No need. Whatever your case, I’ve never known any perps to walk right into a police station. During the day, officers might be in and out for break time or to get some paperwork done. But in the middle of the night, you may not see anyone. If you do, they’ll be quiet.”

  “Thanks again.”

  “We’ll catch up another time, pal, all right? Right now, I’m getting home, and you need some rest.” Tyler smiled at Hannah and left them alone.

  Derek ambled to the vending machine and took his time selecting a few items for both of them. They were safe, it was quiet and Hannah’s floral scent was beginning to overpower the stale feel of the room. He breathed deeply, savoring the moment, uncertain when there might be another pause in the chase.

  He turned to find that she had set the table as best she could. Paper plates sat in front of chairs across from each other. Paper napkins were set to the left. A bottle of water finished the place setting at the upper right. She would probably have placed a vase of fresh flowers in the middle if she could have found some, and he admired her all the more for her ability to turn even the most dire of circumstances into something worth relishing.

  He held out his findings to her. “Do yo
u want the plain potato chips or the ones with sour cream and chives?” He offered what felt like a weak grin, but there wasn’t anything more he could do.

  “Whichever you don’t want.”

  “I don’t care. You choose.”

  “You choose first. I’ll take whatever’s left.” A smile played around her lips.

  “Come on. This is an on-the-job meal for me. I was warned at the academy that there would be plenty of drive-thrus and vending machines in my future career. But you’ve sacrificed a lot to be here.”

  “Like what? A microwaved meal?”

  “Like steak and lobster and fresh homemade bread served to you on fine china.” He figured she lived in the family mansion, and this was a long way from that opulent lifestyle. Their differences, and the reason they could never be together, could not be more obvious than right there in the police-station break room.

  “No one serves me in my apartment. It’s me and my new best friend, the microwave.”

  “Really? Hannah McClarnon eats microwave meals?” He regretted it as soon as he said it.

  Hurt filled her soft, brown eyes.

  How could he say such a thing to her? Where was his faith? Had the frustration of his first assignment been too much? He placed both bags of chips on her paper plate. “I’m sorry. Here. You take them both. I’m not hungry anyway.”

  She selected one and opened it, dumping the chips on her plate. Whether or not it was her first choice he didn’t know, but it didn’t seem to matter now. She put a chip in her mouth and chewed slowly, a tear slipping down her cheek.

  He grasped one of her hands. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I just... I know I’m not good enough for you. Your father made that clear. And I guess it just slipped out. Please forgive me.”

  She nodded, and he prayed that was her assent.

  “So you’re really serious about this legal career, huh? Your own apartment?”

  “Definitely, despite what my parents want.”

  “Being a little rebellious?” He forced a smile to ease the moment. Hannah was so gentle and devoted to her family that he couldn’t imagine her as an all-out rebel.

  “This is as much rebellion as I can muster. I just feel really strongly that this is God’s will for me. That I can do more good with a law degree than I can attending country-club receptions and directing the gardener where to plant the zinnias.”

  “Your parents can’t see that?” he asked softly.

  “If they do, they don’t show it. It would be nice to get a word of encouragement every now and then, but for the moment, it’s enough to know that I’m in God’s will.”

  He released her hand reluctantly and twisted the cap on his water bottle. “They’ll come around eventually. It’s obvious how much they love and admire you. Once they see what a terrific lawyer you become, it’ll be fine.”

  She ran a hand through her hair, then stood and threw away her plate. “I’m tired of thinking about it all. I need to lie down.”

  * * *

  With her face turned toward the back of the sofa, Hannah listened to Derek’s whispers. It seemed that he was praying, but she couldn’t make out the words. She trusted Derek, even if he didn’t seem to trust himself.

  She had always had faith in him, but apparently others had not. That comment about her father was mystifying. Had something happened or someone said something that she didn’t know about? She had told Derek she didn’t want to think about it all, but she couldn’t shut down her mind.

  Hannah shifted to face him, pulling the blanket around with her and smoothing it. He sat on the opposite sofa, his head bowed but his eyes open. Always alert. Always vigilant.

  Footsteps sounded outside the door, and a bumping came from down the hall. Voices rose and fell. All normal noises from a police station at night, she assumed. The door to the break room swung open, and a uniformed police officer entered. He nodded at Derek, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and left.

  “I can’t sleep.”

  He ran a hand through his hair then scrubbed it against his cheek. “You should try to rest. I hope this all ends soon, but if it doesn’t, you should sleep now.”

  “What about you? You need rest, too.”

  “Nope. FBI agents don’t sleep. Didn’t you know?” He offered a smile, but even in the faint glow of the fluorescent lights, she could see how weary he was.

  “I keep thinking that this is just not the day I thought it was going to be. All I wanted to do was go to work, get some great experience that might lead to a permanent position after law school, then go home and read a novel.” She swiped hair off her forehead. “And now? Now, I’ve been shot at—how many times? Not exactly a normal occurrence in an average citizen’s life. I’m glad we have a place to rest, but a couch at the airport police station? I’m not complaining, but I never would have predicted this when I woke up this morning.”

  “I’m sure it’s been a little confusing for you, especially with the news I had to bring to you.”

  “So this is going to be your life now, as an FBI agent? Always on the run?”

  “I can’t say I know for sure, since I’m a newbie. Some parts of the job will probably be boring, but there’s also sure to be more of this.”

  “More girls that need your protection?” Where did that come from? He had been hers at one point in time, but not anymore. Before today, she hadn’t heard from him in years. Now, he returned with a job to do, but that didn’t mean he was here to see her. Not for personal reasons, at least, despite how much she was beginning to want it to be so. Yet, a knot had formed in her stomach at the thought of him with someone else. She pressed a hand to her middle as if that would assuage the onslaught. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

  Mixed emotions crossed his handsome face. Frustration? Or was there a hint of pleasure in her possessiveness there as well?

  Maybe she should come right out and ask. Honesty was the best policy and all that. A lump clogged her throat. The question that was at the forefront of her mind seemed riskier somehow than running from the bad guys with guns. “I’ve just been wondering. Not all this time, of course. But since you reappeared this afternoon. What ever happened with us? One day things were great, and we were planning which college we could attend together. The next day, you wanted nothing to do with me.”

  She swallowed hard. “The last time I saw you was at graduation. I spotted your cap a couple of rows over, but you never turned to make eye contact. I guess we both suspected from the beginning that our relationship couldn’t work. That’s why we kept it secret. But then, by the end, I thought we were thinking of ways to make a go of it. What did I do?”

  She’d pushed those thoughts of rejection out of her mind for years, focusing first on college and then law school, rejecting the advances of any other man. It couldn’t have been her, could it have been? Did guys just decide one day that they were done with a relationship and leave? Hannah hadn’t thought that Derek was one of those types.

  He cleared his throat and adopted a look of chagrin, taking a long look at the floor before he finally met her gaze. “There’s probably something you should know. I should have told you then, but I didn’t want to come between you and your parents.”

  “My parents? What do they have to do with it? They never knew of our relationship.” She raised a trembling hand to her forehead. Or did they?

  “Actually, they did. I don’t know how they found out. I’ll probably never know. Your father tends to issue commands more than reveal his inner thoughts.” A wry smile crossed his face, and he shook his head.

  “That’s true enough.”

  “That next day, after we were talking about colleges, your father summoned me to your house. He wanted me to come directly after school. Our meeting didn’t last long. I guess it didn’t need to, because I never got to say a wor
d. He told me that I wasn’t right for you and that I should stop spending time with you.” He spread his hands wide. “What else was I to do, Hannah? I knew I wasn’t good enough. He was only confirming the very reasons why we hadn’t told anyone. My parents had died just a few years before, and my aunt and uncle were not exactly the same caliber as your family. I didn’t have anything to offer you. No money. No status. No job prospects. I wasn’t even sure how I was going to pay for college.”

  “Father told you to stay away from me?”

  “Yes. But don’t think ill of him. He wasn’t harsh, just firm. And he was thinking of what he thought was best for you. A bad match can ruin lives.”

  “So you never talked to me again.”

  “I didn’t know what else to do. I still saw you plenty. You just didn’t see me.”

  Hannah’s heart thudded against her chest, and she pressed her hands together. “I saw you at graduation, and you wouldn’t look at me.” She had blinked back tears for most of the ceremony, completely unable to enjoy the celebration of her huge accomplishment.

  “Your father was at graduation, and I knew he’d have his eye on me. I didn’t want to risk anything by even looking at you. I was a nobody from the wrong side of the tracks, as the saying goes. I didn’t want to be on the outs with a wealthy and powerful man in the community.”

  “You could have found me, Derek. I didn’t go far. You could have made it right.” The rejection engulfed her, and she closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning around her.

  “And what would have been the point? You would have had to choose between your family and me. I wasn’t willing to put you in that position.” He stood and went to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

  If that was a signal that the conversation was over, she wasn’t accepting it. She waited until he returned to his sofa and sipped his water. Then, she spoke in a hushed tone. “It’s not societal position or amount of wealth that makes a man. It’s who you are on the inside.”