by Lynn Ames
She was a killer. It was what she did. There was no place in her life for a woman like Sage with her moral compass set firmly on north. It was just as well that they were interrupted by Sielig when they were. From this moment forward, she would do everything in her power to ensure that she was never alone with Sage. It was best for both of them. “What the hell were you thinking to get involved with her in the first place? How else did you think it would go down? You saw how she looked at you—like you were a monster.”
Pain of a different sort pierced Vaughn’s chest. She hadn’t wanted to care, hadn’t meant to want, didn’t want to feel the sharp stab of heartache, loneliness, and disappointment. A single tear streaked her cheek and she didn’t bother to wipe it away. Instead, she vowed that it would be the last she would cry until all of this was over. Then, if she survived, she’d go somewhere quiet and remote and get back her emotional bearings.
When she returned to the barn two hours later, having napped after the bath, Sabastien and Justine were staring at multiple computer consoles. Sage was dozing on a couch.
“What’ve you got?” Vaughn asked.
“Your hunch was right. We’ve been declared rogues. Worldwide bulletin to all field agents to kill us on sight without asking any questions.”
“All of us?”
“No, just you and me,” Justine said.
“Well, bucko, at least they left you out.” Vaughn clapped Sabastien on the back.
“I’m thrilled. Of course, they’re probably still hunting me from before…”
“Probably,” Vaughn agreed amiably. “How’d they handle me? After all, I’m not Company property anymore.”
Justine was the one who answered. “Seems you deserted your post, thereby endangering the lives of the members of the visiting delegation. The kill order says you are a threat to the senate majority leader and that I’m believed to be traveling with you.”
“Oh, and you’ve been fired from the State Department,” Sabastien added. “Hope you weren’t too attached to the job.”
Vaughn pressed her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose to stave off the onset of a headache. “What about Sage?”
“Not a word about her. I guess their only interest in her was in what she knew. Since they’ve assumed she’s already told you, they’re apparently not hunting her anymore.”
“Wrong, Sabastien. They can’t possibly peg her as a threat to national security, and they can’t publicly justify shooting her. But please don’t make the mistake of assuming that if Fairhaven gets the chance he won’t eliminate her. Since the Tuareg who took her can’t talk, Fairhaven can’t know what she might’ve seen and how much of the plot she might’ve figured out. She’s a witness—a loose end—and you can be sure they don’t intend to leave any of those.”
“You have to admit,” Justine said, “he’s done a good job of covering his bases. Now, he can legitimately have every available agent looking for us, and he’s ensured that we can’t get within a mile of the majority leader to protect her.”
“We’ll find a way,” Vaughn said.
“I wouldn’t suggest calling her,” Sabastien said. “If it were me, I’d have cloned or bugged her phones.”
“We’ll have to find some other way to get in touch with her,” Justine said.
“Actually, I’m not sure we want to get in touch with her at all,” Vaughn said.
“Are you suggesting that we shouldn’t warn her that she’s in danger?”
“I think there are bunches of things we should discuss before we make a determination what course of action we should take.” Vaughn leaned her back against the wall to keep from falling over. Although she badly needed more rest, she would never let that show. “For instance, is the plan still in play?”
“If Fairhaven is smart, he’ll realize there’s too much heat, and he’ll put the plan on the shelf,” Justine said.
“I disagree.” Vaughn shook her head. “He’s got too much invested. He still needs to take us out because we know that, at the very least, there was a real plan. He can’t leave us alive to testify to that fact, and if he’s going to take us out anyway, he might as well go ahead with the plan.”
Justine picked up her line of thinking. “The majority leader could be caught in the crossfire and killed by a ‘stray’ shot if an agent was shooting at us to protect her.”
“That’s one possibility,” Vaughn agreed. “It could also be that Fairhaven uses locals to kill her and makes it look like we hired them.”
“After all,” Justine pointed out, “using indigenous peoples was his original plan.”
“Let’s not forget that it cuts down on the paperwork and internal investigations too.”
“Okay, so we assume that the plan is still in the works. Where does it take place?” Sabastien asked, never taking his eyes off the bank of computer screens in front of him.
“He wouldn’t dare do it in Mali now, would he?” Sage asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
“I don’t think so,” Vaughn said. She examined a non-existent cuticle rather than look at Sage in her sleep-tousled state.
“I don’t think so either,” Sabastien said. “Check this out.” He rolled his chair back and pointed at one of the screens.
“What is it?” Vaughn asked, trying to make sense of the words on the screen.
“What does it look like? This, Elliott, is Senate Majority Leader Madeline Stowe’s personal electronic calendar.”
“How did you…?”
“Never mind how, Justine, my sweet. Just concede that I am a genius.”
“Okay, genius,” Vaughn said, using the mouse to scroll through the days, “what did you find?”
“The calendar was updated this morning. It seems an additional stop has been added to the congressional tour.”
“Isn’t that handy. Where and when?”
Sabastien nudged Vaughn and Justine aside. “See here? Stowe already visited Cameroon and Ghana and is on her way to Senegal.”
Vaughn watched over Sabastien’s shoulder as he scrolled through the calendar. “You won’t believe this,” she said, looking back at Justine. “Guess what the added stop is?”
“What?”
“Mauritania.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Absolutely serious.”
“He’s lost his mind,” Justine said.
“I don’t think so.” Vaughn turned and sat on the edge of the table. “It conveniently shares borders with Senegal and Mali, it moves the timetable for the hit up by a few days, and he knows we’ve already been there and left—”
“When is the delegation scheduled to be there?” Justine asked.
“I don’t think the delegation is going at all,” Sabastien said. “The notation on the calendar says the delegation will stay in Senegal. The majority leader will take a solo day trip to Mauritania and rejoin the group for their scheduled arrival in Mali.”
“When?” Vaughn asked. She didn’t like the sound of that at all. Isolating the majority leader would make her an easy target and limit the possibility of collateral damage. Ideal conditions for a hit.
“Day after tomorrow.”
“Good,” Vaughn said. “For a second there, I thought this was going to be difficult.” She rolled her eyes. “Justine, do you have a way to contact Nate?”
Justine nodded and pulled out her cell phone. She highlighted his number on her call log and handed it to Vaughn as the call connected.
“Nate? Hey, it’s Vaughn.”
“You sound much stronger than you did a few days ago. I am glad.”
“Thanks. I don’t suppose you’ve gotten wind of a surprise visit by United States Senate Majority Leader Stowe, have you?”
“As fate would have it, I was just informed. Why?”
“She’s the target. Can you tell me what you know about the itinerary?”
“She is to meet with the president and prime minister day after tomorrow. Following the meeting, she will be given a
tour of several places of historical significance to Mauritanians. Then she will be on a plane to Mali.”
“Will the tour involve any walking outdoors?” Vaughn asked. In her gut, she knew the answer, but she needed confirmation.
“Yes. In fact, there will be an outdoor procession.”
“Any likelihood of protests?”
Nate’s laugh was rich. “This is Mauritania. Of course there will be protests.”
“That’s it, then,” Vaughn said. “They’re going to use the chaos of a demonstration to mask the hit.”
“I will do my best to ensure that such a thing does not happen on my watch.”
“I know you will. Do you keep a list of known agitators? Anyone you can think of who would be happy to see a high-ranking American official dead?”
“The list is long, Vaughn.”
“I don’t suppose there’s any chance you could round them up quietly between now and day after tomorrow?”
“If I do, we will tip our hand and they will send surrogates. Perhaps of more use to you would be for me to use some of my back channels to find out who would’ve accepted such an assignment.”
“Yes, please.” Vaughn hesitated. “Nate, I don’t want to endanger you any further, but I need to find a way to have a moment alone with the senate majority leader before the procession. It can’t be public. A restroom following the presidential meeting would be ideal.”
“A restroom?”
“Yes. Agents of my government have been ordered to kill me on sight. I can’t be seen anywhere in the area. So I would need to be in the restroom at least three hours before the majority leader arrives in the building.”
“I can arrange it.”
“The only other issue is how to get me into your fair city without being made.”
“I can handle things at the airport on my end, but you know I will not be the only person watching flights.”
“Yes, I’m sure I’ll be expected.” Vaughn needed to know one more piece of information. “Is anyone else traveling with Ms. Stowe, and have they attached any U.S. security to you for the visit?”
“I’ve been told there will be one, what you would call, pool reporter traveling with the majority leader, and the regional security officer and assistant regional security officer from your embassy will be assisting with the protective detail.”
“Do you know the security officers?”
“Yes, they’ve been here for several years.”
“Okay. Do you have a name for the pool reporter?”
“I only know that he is from the Los Angeles Times. A newspaper, I think, yes?”
“Yes. Okay, I’ll check into him on my end. If I were to arrive tomorrow, could you keep me out of sight? I’ll be traveling under the name Lucinda Barrett, a French philanthropist looking to help the Mauritanians build a new hospital in Nouakchott.”
“I will have someone meet you. I do not think it wise to go myself, in case I am also being watched. I will send someone I trust with my life—my wife.”
“I’ll call you back when I have flight times.”
“No need. I have access to that information. I assume you will not look like yourself, but she will have enough of a description to find you.”
“Thank you, my friend. See you tomorrow.” Vaughn closed the phone. It was only then that she noticed the three unhappy faces in the room.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“What?” Vaughn asked.
“There’s no way in hell you’re going by yourself,” Justine said. She stood with her hands on her hips. Fire smoldered in her eyes.
“Of course I am, don’t be ridiculous. They’re expecting two or three of us. It will be a lot easier for me to slip in unnoticed, take care of this, and get back out.”
“Just what, exactly, does ‘take care of this’ entail?” Sage asked.
“I’m going to talk to the majority leader, warn her about the plot, find out why she’s being targeted, stop the hit, and get out.”
“Oh, is that all?” Anger propelled Sage to her feet. “Are we supposed to sit here and knit sweaters in the meantime?”
“No,” Vaughn fired back. “You’re going back to the States to get your shoulder properly cared for, get your stitches out, and get the hell out of the line of fire.”
“Vaughn,” Justine began.
Vaughn whirled to face her. “This is not negotiable. I need you to make sure Sage gets tucked away somewhere safe until this is all over.” She held up her hand to stave off Justine’s objection. “I’m also going to need you in place to keep an eye on the principals so that they can’t run before we wrap this up.”
Justine opened her mouth to speak and closed it, her lips forming a thin line of displeasure.
“Sabastien.” Vaughn redirected her attention. “You have been working while I was on the phone, right?”
“I’m on it. I’ve booked a ticket for Lucinda. I also booked a flight under your real names. The three of you supposedly are leaving Zurich ten minutes from now for New York.”
“What happens when we don’t get on that plane?”
“I’ll rig the passenger manifest so it looks like you did.” Sabastien worked the mouse for one PC with one hand, and a second mouse for a second PC with his other. “I’ll have Lucinda’s passport ready within the hour. I’ll also create new identities for Sage and Justine.”
“Thanks.”
Sabastien shrugged. “I like having you owe me.”
“Does anybody care what I want?” Sage took a step forward.
“No.” Vaughn and Justine answered at the same time.
“Sage,” Justine said, “you’re a key witness in the middle of a federal investigation. Vaughn and I have an obligation to keep you out of harm’s way and under wraps until we’ve seen this through to a successful conclusion.”
“A minute ago you were spitting nails at Vaughn for excluding us.”
“Correction—for excluding me, not you. But I realize that Vaughn is right. This isn’t just about keeping the majority leader alive. These men already have committed federal crimes, and they must be held accountable. As soon as they figure out that the plot failed, they’ll cover their tracks and disappear.”
“Where do you want to go?” Sabastien asked Justine.
“Denver, Colorado.”
“Denver?” Sage asked.
“I’ve got a great orthopedic surgeon there and a hideaway in the mountains where you can recuperate afterward. You’ll be protected round the clock.”
“You mean while you’re in Washington waiting for a call from Vaughn,” Sage said, clearly unhappy with the arrangement.
“I’ll fly with you to Denver and get you settled in,” Justine said.
“Then fly right back out.”
“Yes. It’s the only way.”
“It’s inefficient. You should go directly to D.C.”
“Sage is right,” Vaughn broke in. “We’re going to need you in position with plenty of time to spare.”
Justine pursed her lips. “I’ve already got somebody on the ground there. My brother is FBI. I’m sure he and his partner would keep an eye on our boys if I explained things. All I need to do is make a phone call.”
When Vaughn raised an eyebrow, Justine said, “Paul is a member of the fibbie’s Public Corruption Task Force.”
“I’m glad for the fact that you’ve got very handy allies, but I still want you directing things personally,” Vaughn said.
“Fine.” Justine touched Sabastien on the sleeve. “But take us in via Baltimore, and give us an out-of-the-way plane change with another ID swap. I don’t want to take any chances. That’s too close to Fairhaven’s den.”
“No problem,” Sabastien said.
“What about you?” Sage addressed Sabastien.
“Moi? This is my home. I’m safe here. Besides, you will still need me. I can help get Vaughn out, cause all manner of mayhem, intercept communications…”
“I get the idea,” Sage said.
“I suggest we all get ready.” Vaughn itched to get moving.
“Yes, Elliott,” Sabastien agreed. “Your plane leaves in less than four hours and it will take a half hour to get you to the airport.”
“I’ll need a stop at a department store and a pharmacy on the way.”
“No need. I’ve got all sorts of hair dyes, wigs, and wardrobes here.”
“You have women’s clothes and wigs in your closet?” Vaughn asked incredulously.
“My father had many mistresses,” Sabastien answered, nonplussed. “At least one of them must have been your size.”
Sage paced back and forth in one of the spare bedrooms of the main house. She hadn’t had any opportunity to talk to Vaughn alone since those frantic moments on the balcony in Zurich. She hadn’t even been able to get Vaughn to look at her. Now it was entirely possible that they would never see each other again. No, I have to tell her.
She found Vaughn in the main bedroom, half-naked and fresh from the shower. Sage swallowed hard, clamping down on the surge of desire that swamped her senses. You are so beautiful.
She imagined the hunger must have shown in her eyes, because Vaughn quickly turned away and put on a robe.
“I’m sorry,” Sage started, “I didn’t know…”
“If you had knocked, you might’ve known,” Vaughn said.
Don’t be angry with me. “I-I didn’t know if you’d want to see me.”
In fact, Vaughn was not looking at her. Instead, she busied herself around the room, laying clothes out on the bed.
“So you charged right in because you thought I might’ve said no?”
Vaughn’s tone of voice was cold and hard, and Sage was reminded of their first couple of meetings.
“There are things I want to say.”
“What makes you think I want to hear them?”
“Vaughn, please. Don’t do this. I may never get to see you again, never get the chance to tell you I’m sorry for making judgments I had no business making. Never get the chance…” Sage paused to collect herself. She lifted her head up high and jutted her chin out. “I might never get the chance to say thank you again. You saved my life three times. You came after me when you could’ve just stayed at your post and done your job. You took a bullet because of me, and you comforted me when I was terrified. I don’t know how I could ever repay you…”