Southern Delight (Southern Desires Series Book 3)

by Jeannette Winters

  “And you think your badge will work if mine doesn’t? Why is that, Mr. Farrell?”

  Don was concerned he may have given himself away. “Can’t blame a guy for trying. Besides, how am I supposed to do my job if we can’t get inside? I can’t clear this with the insurance companies without a date-stamped photo. They’re not going to accept ‘no access granted’ as an excuse for why you didn’t comply.”

  “I wish I could help you,” she said. “But my card won’t unlock that door or any other on this floor. I’ve tried. I’ve taken every credential card here and tried, but only one worked, and it disappeared when the general . . .”

  It was the first glimpse of her not being a machine. No matter what happened to Floyd, he knew she wasn’t the one who shot him. Does she even know he was murdered? The web of lies runs deep, and it wasn’t information that Mark had obtained easily.

  “I’m sorry for your loss. The general was a great man, but it doesn’t change the fact that I need to see what is beyond this door. I don’t care how you choose to open it, but I’d start with calling a locksmith,” Don said. This wouldn’t fly on any other job site; I don’t see why I should let it slide here.

  “I can’t do that,” she said. “Any locksmith who could get in this door is on a list and carefully watched. They don’t even have enough clearance to look in the direction of The Mountain.”

  “Then I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to shut this facility down.”

  “I’m not stopping you from taking photos,” she said. “You can take a picture of whatever you can see through that window.”

  Don bit back his anger. The angle wasn’t bad, it was just a few feet farther back than before. So he put his lens to the glass of the small window and took a picture. He looked in the window and saw nothing. Nothing on the walls, no furniture. He turned so Maggie couldn’t see his screen and reviewed the photo. He looked through the glass closely, then back to the screen. He left the number twenty-one in infrared ink. Invisible to the eye, but a digital camera can pick it up. That’s why he asked what kind of camera I use.

  “I’ve got what I need from this floor,” he said, turning to face Maggie.

  He led her back to the elevator, and they went to the third floor. He turned around and took a picture after the elevator doors closed behind him. C. One photo left.

  “Why do you take pictures of elevators and floor numbers? The insurance company surely doesn’t need that as well.”

  “It’s a placeholder so I can remember what level I was on when I took the next photo.”

  Thankfully Maggie accepted his answer, and they continued back into the elevator and headed to the first floor. He was about to head back out toward his truck, but stopped to take a picture in an office of the wall and the broken clock on it. It’s 4:57 somewhere, just not here.

  “That’s all I need for today,” Don said, or at least he hoped so because coming back would not be prudent. Bringing the others up to date on his findings just became crucial in order to determine what all this meant. “I’m giving you one week to grant me access to the eighth floor. If I can’t take pictures of that floor, I can’t give a positive review to the insurance company. They’ll shut you down. One week, Maggie.”

  “It’s Master Sergeant to you,” Maggie snapped back. “And I make no promises.”

  Don shook his head and headed back to his truck. Each picture in order flashed in his mind as he walked. As he put the pieces together, they formed what looked like a file number or code. F#61925-21C457. That’s the first part . . . where the file is and what it contains, that’s the information we need.

  When he approached the gate, two guards now stood with their hands on their weapons. He wasn’t sure they were going to let him out. He couldn’t read the look on their faces. I’ve made it this far. C’mon, just a few hundred yards more.

  They stood in front of his truck, causing him to stop. He met their eyes and knew he was going to lose if he didn’t back down. This was a fight he wasn’t going to win.

  “First you don’t want me in, now you don’t want me to leave. You guys really need to work on your hospitality, or you won’t ever get any guests to visit.” Don forced a laugh.

  The two men exchanged looks and one nodded and stepped out from in front of Don’s truck. The other waved him off. Don slowly put his foot on the gas and drove through the gates. All the control he had demonstrated a moment earlier was quickly disintegrating. Once he was out of sight of the facility his hands begin to tremble and shake uncontrollably. He gripped the steering wheel as tight as he could. There was no way he was stopping until he was at least a few miles from the gate. I don’t know how Mark, Kevin, and Johnson do this every day. Maybe someday I’ll ask Johnson for some pointers, not that I plan on playing action hero every day.

  Don needed to get back to his jet and in the air. There was a call he needed to make. If he was right, that file was what Floyd wanted Mark to have. The problem was Mark was on his honeymoon. Okay, Kevin. Time to see what you’re made of. Don’t disappoint. I didn’t just risk my neck for no reason.

  When he arrived at the jet, Daniel was there waiting. “You look like shit. Everything okay?”

  “Let’s get in the air,” Don said as he headed over to the cabinet. He opened it and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Don didn’t even look for a glass. He brought the bottle to his lips and downed a few ounces to clear his head. It wasn’t fear that was flooding through him at The Mountain. It was pure adrenaline running through him. Espionage isn’t a career choice he would’ve made, but he found it was one he could do better than he ever thought. If I couldn’t hack it, then I don’t think I would’ve made it out of there today. Something about those guards said they know how to dispose of a body. Don wasn’t a coward by any means, but this last trip to The Mountain gave him a whole new level of respect for what Mark and the others faced on their job.

  Don didn’t bother to buckle in as the jet was cleared for takeoff. Daniel sat watching him closely.

  “The pilot is headed back to Buffalo unless you have another destination you’d like, Savannah maybe?”

  Don shot Daniel a sharp look. The last thing he needed was to be around Bailey. The guys may have let him go, but that didn’t mean they trusted him.

  “Not sure where we’re headed yet.”

  He pulled out the secure phone and dialed Kevin.

  “Talk to me.”

  “Kevin, I got in and out. Johnson was right. A lot has changed on The Mountain. The person in charge is Master Sergeant Margaret Graham. When I first met her, I thought she was General Floyd’s aide. That’s not the case. She’s overseeing the security for the facility. But she’s not the one you guys are looking for. Even though she’s in charge, she doesn’t have access to the whole facility; there’s one room in particular she can’t access. She’s just another puppet. Whatever is in there is what you guys want and what the terrorists want.”

  “Have you ever been in that room before?”

  “Yeah, with General Floyd. From what I could see, the room still appears to be empty. I have a special camera. It allows me to see things you won’t see with the normal eye.”

  “And what did you find out?”

  “I might be way off, but I retraced the exact route I took with the general the last time we met. He had me take pictures of things that at the time meant nothing. They were blank walls or corners. When I went back, some of the rooms were no longer empty. Room numbers have been painted on the walls, and some furniture was in place. I’ve done my best to piece them together, but they appear to be a code or a file number. I’m sending the photos as we speak.”

  “Got them. What am I looking at?”

  “Go in the order I took them in.”

  “Okay, a file cabinet. Then a scale.”

  “Right. The file cabinet wasn’t there last time. The scale only allows measurements in pounds. If you continue to use that method of thinking for each picture, this is what you come up with: F#619
25-21C457. I don’t know what it means, but it has to be what he wanted me to find. There is nothing else there.”

  “That is a case file number. If I don’t have access to it, Mark might.”

  “He’s on his honeymoon. Are you telling me we might still have to pull him back?” If that was going to happen, then it was Kevin’s call to make. Mark wouldn’t even say where they were going. And with Hannah along, that probably was the best thing to do. Keep her safe, Mark.

  “Don, if this was just about you and me, maybe we could wait. The magnitude of this could be bigger than any of us even suspected.”

  “Should we come to you? Are you still in Savannah?”

  “No.”

  That’s short. When did you get so close-lipped? “Where are you?”

  “Helping a friend.”

  Don could hear a woman laughing in the background. The sound tugged at him, calling out to him. Then the woman spoke, and Don wanted to jump through the phone and pound Kevin.

  “Come here, you big handsome fella.” Bailey’s voice was crystal clear, which meant she was right next to Kevin. “Hmm, oh yeah. I can tell you like that. Feels good, doesn’t it?”

  “What the hell in going on, Kevin? Where the hell are you?” Don’s voice blared, and he wasn’t holding back his anger.

  “Can’t tell you that.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  “Both.”

  Don didn’t know what game Kevin was playing, but he better put an end to it quickly before Mark had to be called back to attend a funeral for his kid brother.

  “Is this part of your protection protocol, Kevin?” Don knew it wasn’t, but he asked anyway.

  “This is personal.”

  I bet it is. “Then let me remind you, Kevin. There is only one reason I’m not the man with her right now, and that’s because of the target on my back. What makes you think she’s any safer with you?”

  “You build and I protect.” Kevin said. Don could almost hear Kevin grinning.

  Bastard. “I also know how to build a pine box.”

  Kevin laughed, which only stoked Don’s uncontrollable fury.

  “Good, you go do that. It might keep you out of trouble long enough for the rest of us to figure out what the hell is going on. I’ll be in touch once Mark and I talk.”

  “I want her with me, Kevin.”

  “None of this is about what we want, Don. It’s all about what is necessary. So get your head out of your ass and think of the mission.”

  He knew Kevin was right, but what did any of it matter if Bailey wasn’t safe? “What about Bailey?”

  “She’s like family to me. I’ll do whatever needs to be done to ensure her safety. Even if that means keeping her away from you.”

  Kevin ended the call abruptly. Calling back wasn’t going to change anything. As long as those guys were out there, Bailey should be as far away from him as possible. He better not let anything happen to her. I’m not sure I’ll survive if anything does . . .

  “Where to, boss?” Daniel had been listening in on the conversation the entire time, yet was smart enough not to make any snide remarks.

  “Let’s get back to the office. I’m sure that’s where they expect me to be, so let’s give them what they want.”

  Don could see the concern on his face regarding the orders he’d been given. “And if it’s your life they want? What then?” Daniel asked.

  Don glared at him. “Then you better not be carrying that gun strapped to your shoulder just for show.”

  Daniel didn’t argue. “And the photos?”

  “Upload only a few and then add some dummy ones from the other file I gave you. Even if they’re smart enough to figure out it’s a code for a case file they won’t find the right one.”

  “Once they figure that out, Don, they’ll know everything we gave them was a fake. You’re rattling the cage of an angry dog. When it opens, it’s coming right at you, and it’ll bite anything that’s standing in its way.”

  “Then maybe it’s time I give you a raise, because it sounds like you’re about to earn it.”

  “Won’t do me any good if you’re not alive to sign the check. So from now on, consider me your shadow.”

  Daniel may have laughed after saying it, but Don knew he wasn’t joking. The odds weren’t in his favor to start with, and Daniel was right, it was going to get worse real quick when they figured shit out. It didn’t matter if Mark’s team or Daniel was out to protect him. No one could be there twenty-four seven. All they had to do was wait long enough and they’d have what they want, whether that was him, the information, or both. Damn it.

  You’re right, Kevin. Keep her away. If I’m the reason she got hurt, I’d never forgive myself.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Kevin, you really should’ve seen me. I can’t believe it. I never thought I could do it again. I thought I had just gotten lucky when they liked me in Chicago yesterday, but here in Boston I had the same reaction from the audience. Maybe my dreams aren’t as unattainable as I thought.” Bailey was still riding the high and the excitement of hearing laughter and applause as she climbed into Kevin’s F-250 after her show.

  Somehow everything was falling back into place since seeing Don again. He makes me feel so alive. I feel as though I can do anything, be anything, just because he says I can. I trust Don, I trust him completely, but I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t trust me with whatever is going on. It hurts knowing he left me—not knowing when I’ll see him again—but why the radio silence?

  Even though her heart ached, she still wished he could be here with her on this little journey. It was like she was finding herself all over again. Maybe I wasn’t really gone. Maybe my sense of humor was only in remission. Hey, that’s kind of funny. I wonder if I can use that in a routine. Bailey chuckled to herself softly. A lot of the material she used was from personal experiences. Was it possible that one day she could joke about cancer? She hoped so, but right now, it was too soon, too fresh.

  “Good.”

  She shot him a quick look. He seemed different. Bailey understood why. He did all the driving and the shows weren’t close by. Fifteen hours each way, and he refused to sleep. When she offered to drive, he had made a comment about women drivers. She normally would have told him what to do with such an attitude, but instead she used the opportunity to work on her material. For Bailey it was a win. Now looking at Kevin, maybe she should’ve taken a day between gigs so he could get some rest too. Too late now. I’m on a roll, and I’m not stopping for anything.

  “So there is another one in New York that I want to go to, too. They already called and asked. I said yes.”

  “Not happening, Bailey.” Kevin’s voice was not what she was used to. Normally he was easygoing and ready for anything. She looked, and even his face was stern.

  “Kevin, what’s going on?”

  He didn’t answer her as he put the truck in drive.

  “If you don’t want me to jump out of this truck, you better start talking now.”

  “We’re going back to Savannah.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Mark said to take you there.”

  “And since when do I answer to Mark or anyone else?” She was boiling angry. If she wasn’t going to let her cancer control her any longer, she sure as hell wasn’t going to let anyone else control her either.

  “Not up for discussion, Bailey. We’re heading back now.”

  “Does this have to do with what Don was telling me Saturday night?” She was hoping he would fall for it, even though Don was as tight-lipped as they come. At one point she’d even accused Don of not being in construction and actually part of the Navy SEALs with Mark, but he still didn’t open up.

  “What did he tell you?”

  “Things that I’m not at liberty to discuss,” she lied.

  “That makes two of us then. So it looks like it’s going to be a very quiet ride back.”

  She pulled out her cell phone and started
to dial Don’s number.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “Don. Or is that not allowed either?”

  Kevin reached out and snatched the phone from her hand.

  “Bailey, do you love him?”

  What the hell does that have to do with anything? “What is the answer that will get my phone back?” Bailey asked, snarky.

  “You have no idea what’s going on, Bailey. If you call him, you could—”

  “Will someone just tell me what the hell is going on?” Bailey shouted and stomped her feet on the floor of his truck. She knew she was behaving like a child having a tantrum, but she didn’t care. She was frustrated with the entire situation. First everyone treated her as though she was dying and watched what they said as not to sadden her, and now they were treating her like she was a delicate flower to be protected at all costs. Well, this is bullshit. Hannah’s the delicate rose. I’m a bee, and if people don’t watch it, they’re going to feel my sting.

  “There are things you can’t know, shouldn’t know.”

  “Because you don’t want me to, or because Don doesn’t want me to?”

  “Both. Hannah and Casey don’t know either.”

  I guess that’s supposed to make me feel better, but it doesn’t. All it does is scare the shit out of me. That means whatever is going on is so bad they can’t even tell their own wives. “Don isn’t in the military. Why is he involved?”

  “He’s the one who brought the information to us. So much is riding on his ability to stay focused and do what he needs to do. I’m telling you, Bailey, if you reach out and call him, you will be only one thing to him: a distraction. So if you love him, don’t call him. Because if you call him, you might be the reason he doesn’t make it out alive.”

  Out alive? “Kevin, are you serious?” Bailey’s voice was soft and shaking as she asked. She hoped he’d say it was only a joke, but her heart already said it wasn’t. She somehow knew before he’d even told her. Something about the way Don said goodbye to her before had said it all: he knew he might not be returning to her.

  Oh God, Don. Why didn’t I tell him that I loved him before he left? If anything happens, I’ll never get to tell him, I’ll . . .