Sacrifice Love: Saints Protection & Investigations

by Maryann Jordan

  I nodded, understanding dawning. He was right. The old days of an unidentified object in a public place would not signify anything. But now…we went in with full protection, robots, and a desire to keep others safe.

  Not finished, Adam kept going as we drew nearer to our destination. “Every single time we head to one of these, I always wonder if it’ll be my last. And swear to God, Chad…when it’s my time to go, I’ll be damned if it’s at the hands of a fuckin’ terrorist.”

  Nodding my agreement, we pull up to the blockade at the Metro station and show our identification. My mind flashes to Dani—it always does nowadays.

  Glancing over to Adam as we hop out of our SUV to begin suiting up, I wonder who he’s thinking of.

  Suddenly realizing all eyes were on him, Chad looked over at Jack. “Sorry, boss. My mind’s on Adam. And Dani. And the baby.”

  The others gave him their attention as he heaved a sigh. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “I’m committed to Dani. I’ve loved her for almost two years and I’m not fuckin’ things up again. I want her…and I want the baby. Adam was a good friend, at one time, and I’m determined to care for the child as my own, but always let it know who Adam was.”

  Looking around at his friends, he added, “At least, as long as I find out he wasn’t a traitor.”

  “That’s maybe why Dani is so defensive about Adam,” Blaise observed. “She’s under a lot of stress and the thought that her husband was in the deep pockets of terrorists, may be more than she can deal with.”

  “Jack, I realize you’re handing out new assignments, but I’d like to focus for a few days, continuing to find out what Adam may have become involved with. If for no other reason than to protect Dani. If someone at MES is involved, then this may be bigger than what we think.”

  Jack nodded his agreement. “I think you’re right. Take time to see if you can dig up anything on what Adam was doing.” Pinning Chad with a hard stare, he added, “But Chad? Be prepared to accept whatever you learn…even if it’s not what you want to.”

  Accepting that piece of tough advice, he offered a head jerk before leaving the compound.

  *

  Dani looked at the time on her computer and realized she needed to prepare for the afternoon meeting. Before she left her office, her phone rang. Seeing Adam’s mother’s phone number on the display, she answered. “Janice?”

  “Hello, Dani,” Mrs. Turner greeted. “I know you’re at work and don’t want to bother you, but Terry and I wanted to thank you for giving us some of Adam’s things.”

  “Oh, Janice, you don’t have to thank me. I’m still going through some of the pictures and will make sure to send copies to you as well.”

  “That would be lovely, dear. I also wanted you to know that we found a key in the things you gave us. It was somewhat buried in the box, but it looks like a bank’s safety deposit box key. We thought you included it by mistake or maybe didn’t see it, so I’d like to get it to you.”

  A key? We didn’t have a safety-deposit box. “Um…okay. I don’t really know what it goes to, but I’ll certainly come pick it up.”

  Dani settled on a time she would come by before they disconnected. Glancing back at the clock, she hustled down the hall to the conference room, her mind whirling. Key? Oh, Adam, what now?

  Dani sat in the meeting, looking over the latest project she had been assigned. The military was interested in the newest explosives, especially the C-4, along with the CH-6, as well as the HMX line. They were also interested in the newer detonators being developed, which was her specialty. As the meeting droned on, her eyes shifted from Jahfar to Ethan. Now that she had discussed her reticence about Jahfar to Ethan, she noticed Ethan observed him closely.

  She never observed Jahfar doing anything untoward, but the way he always seemed to be interested in anything she did, made her nervous. As the meeting concluded, she noted he left quickly, leaving a few papers behind. About to follow him she was halted by a committee member needing her input. As she finally walked down the hall toward her office, she saw Jahfar’s door open, with his computer on, but he was nowhere to be found.

  “Looking for Jahfar?” one of the secretaries asked. “He said he was grabbing an early lunch.”

  “Thanks,” she responded. “I’ll just lay these papers on his desk.” Walking in, she moved to his desk, taking a look at his laptop. Leaning over, she tried to see what he had open.

  “Can I help you?” his voice called from the doorway.

  “Oh, Jahfar. Sorry. You left these papers at the meeting. I thought you might need them.”

  He walked around her to the desk, closing his laptop with a click while smiling at her. “Thank you, Dani. It’s nice to know you are looking out for me.”

  His dark eyes pierced her gaze and she blinked, determined not to look away. “Sure thing, Jahfar. I’ll see you later.”

  As she left his office, his door closed firmly behind her. Damn, that was unproductive. She stood for a moment in indecision of what she wanted to do next, when she heard his voice—soft, but discernable.

  “Yeah, I think she was snooping.”

  Dani’s heart pounded as she moved quickly away from his door and hustled back to her office. Grabbing her purse and briefcase, she made her way to the secretary. “I’m taking half a sick day,” she said. “I think a migraine is coming on.”

  With wishes for feeling better ringing in her ears, she made her way out of the building and into her car. Sitting there for a moment, she let the pieces of the puzzle swirl around her. Adam. Jahfar. Chad and the Saints’ mission. All unrelated…and yet, her stomach seized in apprehension. Glancing down at her baby bump, she placed her hand carefully on it. Oh, Sweet Pea, what a mess your mom is in.

  *

  Arriving home after a visit with Adam’s mom and stepdad, Dani dropped her purse beside her on the sofa. She was pleased, but not surprised, they had taken the news about Chad in her life so well. They always liked Chad and she secretly thought they wish Adam had been as steady as his friend. She smiled as she remembered his mother hugging her tightly, whispering in her ear how happy she was that Dani had a man like Chad in her life now.

  Kicking her shoes off, she curled her legs up under her as she reached into her bag and pulled out the key. No doubt about it…it was a bank’s safety deposit box key.

  Twirling it around in her fingers, she tried to remain calm, but her heart pounded. What bank is it from? And what’s there? The realization slammed into her once again that the man she married had more secrets…and they kept coming out.

  She spied a picture of Adam on the mantle. Her legs moved of their own accord taking her closer, and she scrutinized his face. Smiling…always smiling…as though he didn’t have a care in the world. Rage began to build, coloring her vision red.

  “What the hell were you doing, Adam?” she screamed at the photograph, holding the key in her uplifted hand.

  A noise from the front of the house sounded, but the roar of fury in her ears kept her from responding. A few seconds later she looked up as Chad walked into the room.

  Seeing Dani’s car outside but hearing her scream, he had charged into the house only to find her standing at the mantle, yelling at a picture of Adam. Rushing forward, he cried out, “What’s wrong?”

  As he held her body, ready to crush it to his, he saw she was holding an object in her fingers. A key. A key to a bank’s safety deposit box?

  Chapter 15

  Staring at the key in her hand, he reached out and gently put his hands on her shoulders. “Okay, Dani. Talk to me, baby.”

  “I came home early. I’m not even sure why…just overwhelmed with everything going on.” She halted and he led her to her room to sit on the bed, brushing her hair from her face. “I got a call from Adam’s parents. They had found a key with the things I gave them and wanted me to have it.” Her eyes implored his to understand. “Chad, I keep seeing conspiracy theories all around me. With Adam…at work. I just want to know what�
�s going on. Now, I’m wondering if Adam hid something and that’s why someone was searching my things.”

  “Do you recognize the key?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “What bank does it belong to?” Chad asked.

  “I don’t know. We had a joint banking account but very little in it.” Shoulders lifting in a slight shrug, she confessed, “We both put money in the account to cover our bills, but we still kept our separate savings accounts.”

  Chad took the key from her cold fingers and moved it around in his hand, hoping an answer would pop up clearly. Of course not. Come on, Adam, what were you trying to do?

  The thick, flat key only had a number engraved on it, indicating the bank box number. “Do you have a magnifying glass?”

  Her brow knit as she thought. “Um, maybe in the junk drawer. I’ll go take a look.” In a minute, she came back with one in her hand. “I found one,” she exclaimed as she handed it to him. “Did you find any marks on it?”

  Chad held the key where the thin edge was facing up and looked through the magnifying glass carefully. “There’re scratches on the edge that look like just indiscriminate scratches. But maybe they mean something.” The marks were tiny and he wasn’t able to discern what they were. Looking up in frustration, he said, “We need a microscope. Something with strong magnification.”

  “Where can we find one?”

  Chad paced the room for a moment before pulling out his phone. “Blaise? Got a strange request. Do you happen to have a microscope at your house? Perfect. Dani and I need to come over now. Gotcha. Thanks, man.”

  Dani looked up in confusion. “Blaise has a microscope?”

  “He’s a veterinarian. Doesn’t practice in private. He worked for DEA.” Seeing her questioning expression, he said, “Yeah, DEA hires veterinarians, mostly for work with their dogs and also biological warfare. He’s trained as a vet, but also drug enforcement, and has one of the most analytical minds we have with the Saints.”

  Grabbing her hand as they quickly alarmed the house and headed toward his truck, he settled her in. “He also has a menagerie of rescue animals so I’m sure he has vet equipment at his place.”

  Shaking her head, Dani confessed, “I have no idea how Jack managed to recruit such a diverse group of men, but it works!”

  About twenty minutes later, Chad turned off the road onto a long, gravel driveway. “This kind of looks like Jack’s driveway, without the security gate,” she observed.

  Laughing, he warned, “Don’t get your hopes up, babe. Blaise’s place is more of an animal shelter than a luxury cabin.”

  As they came around a curve in the drive and into a clearing, she saw what he meant. A modest house sat in the middle, with numerous outbuildings to the side. As they approached, she viewed kennels with fenced dog-runs to the side. Parking, Chad assisted her down from the truck and they were immediately surrounded by barking dogs.

  A loud whistle cut through the cacophony and the dogs stopped barking, each sitting. Blaise came from the house. “Sorry, guys. They’re excited to see visitors.”

  “They’re all gorgeous,” Dani exuded, bending to pet one.

  “Thanks,” Blaise said, smiling as he rubbed the ears of the closest dog. Looking at Chad, he said, “Follow me and I’ll show you the microscope.”

  They walked into the house and Dani noticed the room was exceptionally clean and neat for so many animals running around. They bypassed the living room and kitchen, heading to a large room built onto the back, equipped just like the inside of any veterinarian’s office. “Wow,” Dani said. “This is amazing.”

  Blaise shrugged. “I examine all of the animals that I find, making sure they are well and inoculated before I try to adopt them out.”

  They moved over to the counter with the microscope and Chad pulled out the key. As he examined at it under the scope, Blaise turned to Dani with a questioning expression.

  “Adam’s parents came across this when they went through his things, but we have no way of knowing what bank it goes to. Chad noticed scratches on the thin edge of the key.”

  Nodding, Blaise leaned over Chad, adjusting the light to its maximum potential.

  “Got it,” Chad said. “It’s barely visible, but the scratches make up CNB.”

  “Charlestown National Bank. That’s not where we banked, of course, since we lived about forty miles north of Charlestown.”

  As the three walked out of the house, Blaise pulled Chad to the side as Dani walked ahead to pet the friendly dogs. “Man, do you think she’s ready for whatever may be in that box?”

  Chad watched Dani as she laughed at the dogs’ antics. “I don’t know, Blaise. Hell, I’m not sure I’m ready.” Clapping Blaise on the shoulder, he added, “But we’ve got to find out what he was doing for either of us to have any peace.”

  *

  Dani nervously stood in the Charlestown National Bank lobby as a man approached, introducing himself, and asked if he could assist.

  “Yes, I have an unusual request,” she said. “My deceased husband left this safety-deposit key for me, but I haven’t been in this bank before. I brought his death certificate and my identification, as well as our marriage license, if that helps.”

  Mr. Sedwick looked at her paperwork and then went back to the safety deposit box vault. He motioned for her to follow him. Chad walked with her, his hand resting on the small of her back.

  “According to our records, Adam Turner rented the box a month before his death certificate was issued. Normally, anyone obtaining access to the box has to sign the signature card ahead of time, but he wrote on the application that his wife was to have full access if he were deceased. Since you have all your documentation, there’s no problem. May I have the key?”

  Chad felt her quiver underneath his fingertips and hoped whatever was in the box would supply them with answers. Bracing himself, he watched as the box was pulled from its vault and handed to Dani. The banker left the room and she looked up at Chad, her heart pounding.

  “I’m terrified,” she confessed.

  “Babe, I’m right here.”

  Nodding, she lifted the lid and peered inside. A single piece of paper, folded in half was the only contents. With shaking fingers, she lifted it out, but said, “Chad, I can’t do this here. Please take me out of here.”

  Leaving immediately, with the paper still clutched in her hand, he helped her to his truck. Sliding to the middle of the front seat so that they were side by side, she opened the missive so they could both read it at the same time.

  Dani, if you are reading this then I’m gone. I’m so sorry. I became involved in something and I’m trying to not have it blow back on you. Please find Chad and trust him to know how to take care of you now. I need you to understand that not everything is as it seems. Even this note needed to be hidden and I took a chance that you might never find it. Just know that, for the time we were together…I was happy. I did care for you, even if I didn’t always show it. Honest Dani, I’d hoped to see you rock our child in that old rocking chair of yours, but maybe in the future, you’ll still be able to. I know I wasn’t the husband you wanted and, honestly, if anyone were to take my place, I hope it would be Chad. He’s a good man…the only one I can think deserving of you. With love, Adam

  The note dropped into her lap as shaking overtook her. Chad pulled her into his lap, holding her body as tightly as he could, letting her tears flow. “Let it out, babe,” he murmured into her hair as her body bucked with sobs. He tried to give her his strength, but his mind ran over and over the words of the note. Damnit, Adam. What the hell were you involved with? And what were you trying to tell us?

  Slowly Dani’s sobs lessened and she lifted her tear-swollen eyes to his. “I was so happy earlier after talking to Adams’s parents and now…now, I don’t know what I think about everything!”

  Chad wiped tears from her cheeks and tentatively asked, “So, Adam’s mom was okay about us?”

  Nodding, she sniffed loudly,
then answered with a watery smile. “She always liked you, Chad. She told me she was glad I had a man like you in my life.”

  Letting his breath out in a whoosh, Chad felt relief flood his body. Well, at least that’s one less thing hanging over her head.

  “Take me home, please,” she begged. Nodding, he shifted her to the middle of the seat and buckled her in. The drive was silent except for the hitching of her breath. Pulling onto his road, she became aware of her surroundings.

  “I want you here tonight, Dani,” Chad explained. “Here. In my place. Surrounded by everything that is me…and only me.”

  Looking over at his strong profile, she nodded. “I’d like that. I need that.”

  *

  Unlike with Blaise’s property, Dani barely registered when Chad pulled off the road and drove down a long drive. As the fog in her mind slowly cleared, she saw the wooded property and the old two-story farmhouse at the end of the drive. The white painted house with dark green shutters stood out starkly with the pine and cedar trees surrounding it. The front porch held a porch swing as well as several rocking chairs.

  “It’s lovely,” she said, truthfully. Chad pulled her gently from the truck cab and easily lifted her down to the ground. Linking fingers, he led her up the steps and into the house, not stopping until he made it to the master bathroom upstairs.

  The modern space, finished with blue, white, and grey tile, sported a huge, jetted tub along with a separate shower. Looking around wide-eyed, she said, “Chad, I hardly know what to say. Did you do all the work on the house?”

  “Most of it,” he admitted, smiling at her pleasure. “I work on projects during weekends and down time.”

  “You hustled me up here so fast, I didn’t have a chance to see the rest of it.”

  Laughing, he said, “Well, I started in the bathroom and kitchen first. So a lot of the house still has projects to complete.” Leaning over, he turned on the faucet to the tub, saying, “Take a hot bath and try to let some of the stress drift away.”

  He left the room and she turned back to the tub filling with steaming water. Walking over to the small window, she looked out onto the green yard flanked by woods. Stripping, she settled into the water, sliding down until her head leaned comfortably back on the tub edge and closed her eyes.