Deep Cover

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  “Whoa, Kels! It’s just me.”

  “Justin?” Kelsey asked, recognizing her older brother’s voice. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came by to check up on you.” He pulled off his cap and sunglasses. His eyes narrowed, and he motioned to the gun she held. “Would you mind putting that thing away?”

  “Sorry.” She lowered it and then slipped it into the back of her waistband.

  “Since when do you carry a gun?”

  “Since everyone keeps walking into the house like it’s Grand Central Station.” She gripped the railing and used it to make her way down the stairs. As soon as she reached the main floor, she asked her brother, “How did you even know I was here?”

  “Mom told me.”

  “She sent you to check on me?”

  “Something like that. And I promised her I would come pack up the kitchen before the contractors show up this week.” He scooped her up into a hug. “You look good, except for the cane . . . and the gun.”

  “Did you ever think it might be a good idea to call and tell me you’re coming?”

  “I thought I would surprise you.”

  “Oh, you surprised me all right.” She shook her head but couldn’t fight back the grin. “Come on inside and tell me how everything is going. How is Alyssa doing? And the kids?”

  “They’re fine. Alyssa is pregnant again, so she’s tired a lot, but everything is good.”

  “Congratulations.” Her grin widened. “I can’t believe you’re going to have three kids.”

  “That makes two of us.” He walked into the kitchen and plopped down on a stool at the kitchen counter. The same stool Noah had occupied the day before when she had made him breakfast.

  “Are you expecting me to make you breakfast?”

  “Actually, I sent out for breakfast.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Before he could answer, a knock sounded at the door. “Come on in!” Justin shouted out. “It’s open.”

  Kelsey tensed briefly until she saw Noah walk through the door carrying a box of fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Justin waved him in and said, “Noah owed me a dozen doughnuts. I told him I was coming down, so he offered to bring them over.”

  “Why do you owe my brother doughnuts?” Kelsey asked Noah. She cocked her head to the side and added, “And why didn’t you tell me last night that he was coming down here today?”

  Justin’s eyebrows lifted. “I gather you two have met.”

  “Oh yeah,” Kelsey said.

  Noah didn’t respond to Justin but rather answered Kelsey’s question. “Justin didn’t tell me he was coming down until after you left last night. And the doughnuts were a little thank you for helping me out of a sticky situation a few weeks ago.”

  “How is Heather doing, anyway?” Justin asked.

  “She’s still coming to the family ward,” Noah said with exasperation. “I don’t know what else I can do.”

  “Maybe Kelsey can help you out.” Justin put his hand on Noah’s shoulder and then turned his attention to Kelsey. “Noah has a stalker.”

  Noah shifted his weight, and Kelsey could have sworn she saw his cheeks color with embarrassment. “She isn’t a stalker. She just isn’t getting the message that I’m not interested.” He glanced over at Justin and then looked back at Kelsey thoughtfully. “Actually, your brother might be on to something. Would you mind going to church with me tomorrow? If she sees me come with someone else, maybe she’ll leave me alone.”

  Kelsey stared at him for several seconds. “You realize that if we show up together, everyone will think we’re a couple.”

  “I think that’s the point,” Justin told her.

  Kelsey noticed the hopeful look on Noah’s face and considered his suggestion. She wasn’t likely to remain in the States for more than a month or two, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt for her to help Noah out. After all, it wasn’t like she had anyone she was dating who would be upset about the rouse. “If you think it will help, you can pick me up in the morning.”

  “Thanks, Kelsey,” Noah said with a look of relief. “I really owe you.”

  Kelsey reached out and took the box of doughnuts out of his hands. “I think these will make us even.”

  “Hey!” Justin leaned forward to snatch the box away from her. “He brought those for me.”

  Kelsey grinned at him. “Yeah, but I know you want to share.”

  “And to think I was going to tell you I missed you.”

  * * *

  “What do you mean you haven’t found her yet? It’s been over a month.” Salman seethed with disgust.

  “We’ve talked to everyone. The hospital personnel, the security forces in the city. No one has seen any sign of her since she was taken in for surgery,” Gabir Nassar told his father.

  “Are you sure she survived the surgery?” Salman asked suspiciously. “I paid good money to bring that woman here. I don’t have time to find a replacement, and I need my daughters occupied, especially right now.”

  “The doctors insist they never had the chance to perform the surgery.”

  “Do you believe their story that some gas leak knocked everyone out?”

  “I do,” Gabir said. “I also believe there’s no way she could have made it out of the country on her own, which means someone either took her or helped her get over the border.”

  “You still think Taja was Bealton’s inside source?”

  “Someone was,” Gabir insisted. “Since Taja disappeared from the hospital, the leaks have completely stopped, except for that one shipment that was almost intercepted in Virginia.”

  “Of course they slowed down,” Salman said with annoyance. “We killed the man who was spying on us.”

  “Is it really that critical to know where she is?”

  Salman’s eyes darkened. “Taja has seen too many of our associates, including Medrano, and I know she has been present often when we have discussed information we would not want to become public. I need to know if anyone has access to what she knows. We need to know if she was kidnapped by Bealton’s friends or if it was someone here in Abolstan trying to use her as a pawn against me.”

  “No one seems to know who is behind her disappearance.”

  Salman swiped at the papers on his desk, sending them flying. “If one of Bealton’s friends has taken her and manages to convince her to share her knowledge, the leaks from the past year are going to seem like nothing.”

  Gabir was silent for a moment. “What do you want me to do now?”

  “Check again with the local military and the airport. See if they have anything that might help us find out who took Taja from us.”

  Gabir bowed slightly. “Yes, Father.”

  * * *

  Kelsey had expected people to notice her when she walked into church with Noah. What she hadn’t thought about was how anxious the curious stares would make her feel. Because of her injury, their progress down the aisle was slow—slow enough that most of the ward members who were already seated had time to take notice of them.

  A few people greeted Noah as they passed, and Kelsey didn’t miss the accompanying looks of curiosity and a few hastily concealed grins. Noah and Kelsey were just stepping into one of the side pews when a tall blonde walked in and spotted them. The expression on her face was anything but approving.

  Kelsey took her seat and leaned toward him as he settled beside her. “I gather the blonde over there is Heather?”

  Noah simply nodded.

  “Do you mind if I ask how long you dated?”

  “We only went out twice,” Noah admitted. “And that was over three months ago.”

  Kelsey leaned closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “So she really is a stalker.”

  Noah rolled his eyes and kept his voice low. “I like to think of her as misguided. She’s nice enough, but she just isn’t my type.”

  Humor and curiosity lit Kelsey’s eyes when she asked, “What is your type?”

  “I’m not sure yet,
but I know what it’s not.”

  Kelsey smiled knowingly at him and leaned her cane against the wall. “That’s a start.”

  Noah shifted closer and reached his arm out to rest it on the back of the pew behind her. “Hopefully she’ll buy the idea that we’re a couple.”

  Kelsey shifted a little closer and glanced behind her where Heather had taken a seat two rows back. “Oh, I think she’s buying it.”

  “Any chance you want to come with me to family home evening tomorrow night?” Noah asked. “You know, just to make sure she keeps buying it?”

  “They have that for the family ward?”

  “No, but the singles branch opens it up to all of the young single adults in the stake, even if they don’t attend their Sunday meetings.”

  “What time?”

  “Seven thirty down at the stake center.”

  She thought about the prospects of studying the gospel with people her own age and spending time with Noah. Both appealed to her. “I guess I could do that.”

  “Great.” Noah smiled down at her and shifted his arm so it rested on her shoulder. “It’s a date.”

  Kelsey settled against the back of the pew, her thoughts focused on the warmth radiating from Noah’s arm that currently rested behind her shoulders. The sensation wasn’t an uncomfortable one, but it was certainly unfamiliar.

  She knew the subtle display of affection was just for show, but the time she had spent with him over the past few days made her wonder if maybe she could have this for real someday. Old dreams stirred somewhere deep inside her, images of Saturday-night barbeques and kids playing in the yard. She glanced up at Noah and wondered if he was living his future or if he too hoped for something more.

  He had spent yesterday helping her and Justin pack up and sort everything in her parents’ kitchen. He had indeed taken the electric skillet and bread maker, along with her mother’s pizza stones, choosing to store them in his kitchen in case Kelsey wanted to cook something over there. She had also kept some supplies out so she could function without the kitchen. Or at least eat a bowl of cereal if she wanted to.

  She still wasn’t sure what to think about the man sitting beside her. He seemed completely at ease with his choices and the life he was making for himself, yet the woman sitting two rows back was able to unsettle him simply by walking into the room. How was it that a man with his training could come unraveled at the mere appearance of an infatuated wannabe girlfriend?

  Kelsey’s attention shifted to the pulpit when a member of the bishopric stood and gave the opening announcements. When the chords of the opening hymn sounded, she could feel her throat closing up with emotion. The music was beautiful, the large congregation only adding to the sacred words.

  When the sacrament was blessed and passed, she blinked rapidly several times to fight back the tears that threatened. The pure joy of hearing the sacrament prayers read aloud was overpowering, as was the warmth that seeped through her.

  She kept her eyes lowered when she took a piece of bread from the tray that Noah held out to her. When the water was passed, she noticed the quizzical look on his face as she brushed away a tear that escaped.

  Her heart squeezed in her chest, and a little of the weight she had been carrying for the past two years lifted off of her shoulders. She took a deep breath in an attempt to settle her emotions. She had been back in the United States for just under a week, but until this moment, she hadn’t felt truly free.

  Chapter 9

  Noah had called it a date. His easygoing words hadn’t sunk in until after he had dropped her off after church yesterday. Now those words wouldn’t stop circling through Kelsey’s thoughts. Or more precisely, she couldn’t stop wondering if he was asking her to go with him to keep up pretenses or if perhaps he might really be interested in her. After all, they had sort of had a date on Friday night when he asked her over for dinner.

  She hadn’t thought of it that way at the time. Rather, she had seen it as a friendly gesture from the man who had barged into her house with his weapon drawn. Now she found herself analyzing Noah’s motives.

  Even at work she had struggled to stay focused, though she knew she needed to catch up on the latest intel from Abolstan. Activity from Salman’s camp had been frequent over the past weeks, but no one was quite sure how to interpret the satellite data or the few communications intercepts they had managed to secure.

  After putting in nearly six hours trying to analyze the data, she had left to meet with her physical therapist. That’s when her nerves had started to surface.

  She pulled a yogurt out of her refrigerator, annoyed that she was overthinking her evening plans. She needed to go back to where she had been before she had gone to church with Noah, before she knew what it felt like to have his arm around her. She grabbed a spoon, settled onto a chair at the kitchen table, and glanced at her watch: six thirty. Noah said he would pick her up at six forty-five.

  A new thought occurred to her when she glanced down at the pencil skirt and button-up top she had worn to work. What was she supposed to wear to an FHE group? She hadn’t been to one since graduating from BYU. Was college casual the norm here in Virginia, or did people dress up for family home evening? And how could she find out before Noah came to pick her up?

  Noah. Her eyebrows drew together. Surely he could give her some insight into the dress code for the evening. She reached for her purse and retrieved her cell phone from inside. Her fingers started scrolling through contacts before logic surfaced. She didn’t have Noah’s phone number. Every time they talked, it was in person.

  Convinced that her mother would have a ward directory somewhere, she finished off her yogurt and made her way to the study. She opened the top drawer of her dad’s desk only to find a half dozen takeout menus. Apparently her dad still favored Chinese food.

  Before she could search any further, the doorbell sounded. She opened the door to Noah, who was dressed casually in a pair of khakis and a polo.

  “Hi. I was just looking for your phone number so I could call you.”

  He looked at her warily. “You weren’t calling to cancel, were you?”

  “No.” A smile spread across her face, and her earlier nerves eased. “I was just trying to figure out what to wear. I haven’t been to one of these since college.”

  His eyes skimmed down to take in her attire. “What you’re wearing is fine.”

  “I won’t be overdressed?”

  He shook his head. “A lot of people have to come straight from work because of the traffic around here. Anything you want to wear is fine.”

  She glanced behind her and decided she’d rather be a bit overdressed than have to conquer walking up the stairs any sooner than necessary. “In that case, I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

  “Great.” Noah motioned to his car in the driveway. “I wanted to leave a little early. Traffic is pretty slow on 95 tonight.”

  As soon as they got into Noah’s car, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Do me a favor and put your number in my phone.” His voice sparked with amusement. “And I’ll give you my number for the next time you need to call me.”

  Kelsey just smiled. She plugged their phone numbers in as Noah started asking about her day. She was brief about her workday; she could hardly tell him she had spent her morning hours at CIA headquarters. Instead, she focused on relaying the latest news from her physical therapist.

  Traffic was indeed heavy, and they arrived only a few minutes early. They had barely entered the building when Kelsey heard her name called.

  “Kelsey Weber!”

  A tall redhead rushed toward her, and Kelsey barely had time to glance at her face before the girl enveloped her in a hug. Then whoever it was stepped back and started firing off comments. “I haven’t seen you in forever! I heard you’ve been living overseas. How long are you in town for?” Her gaze shifted as she noticed Noah beside her. “Are you two dating?”

  Kelsey recognized Lily now, the ove
rly exuberant friend she had gone through middle and high school with. Even when they had been teenagers, Lily had talked a mile a minute. Delighted to see someone from her past, she smiled warmly. “I’m just home visiting for a month or two. How have you been?”

  The single question was all it took for Lily to get distracted from the other questions she had fired off, instead launching into a long-winded explanation of what she had been doing since high school. Kelsey was relieved when everyone headed into the Relief Society room, where the evening’s activities would begin.

  Kelsey shot Noah a look of gratitude when he guided her to a row where there was room for only the two of them. Lily cheerfully ended her conversation with Kelsey and found another friend to sit beside. The meeting started, and after the opening song and prayer, a member of the branch presidency gave a brief lesson.

  After the lesson, everyone divided into groups for the game night that followed. “Let’s join this one over here,” Noah suggested, taking her hand and tugging her toward four others who appeared to be in their mid- to late-twenties. “Do you guys know Kelsey?”

  All four of the others shook their heads and exchanged introductions with Kelsey. They settled down at a table with the game Apples to Apples.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to play,” Kelsey told Noah.

  “You’ve never played Apples to Apples?” a girl named Lauren asked with a stunned look on her face.

  Feeling awkward and foolish, Kelsey shook her head.

  “Kelsey has been living overseas for the past few years,” Noah explained for her.

  “Oh, well, it’s really simple.” Lauren proceeded to explain the card game. Within minutes, laughter and lighthearted banter became the norm.

  Their game was still going when the FHE leader called for a closing prayer and refreshments. They all opted to spend a few extra minutes playing until they crowned a winner.

  When they headed for the refreshment table, Kelsey caught sight of Heather. Noah must have noticed her too because he made a point of putting his hand on Kelsey’s back and steering her to the other side of the room.