Moving Target

by Desiree Holt

  Dean Morgan was Jake’s immediate boss, and once had also been Quinn’s.

  Damn you, Jake. You told him about our talk, didn’t you. “Yeah?”

  “And before you start chewing me out, I didn’t give away any secrets, but he could tell I was holding something back. Jesus, Quinn. You have no idea how big this thing is.

  “And how is our old friend?” Quinn asked, sliding a glance at Kate.

  She was leaning back in her seat, eyes closed. Maybe, hopefully, even dozing.

  “I’ll try to do this as briefly as possible, buddy,” Jake said.

  “That would be very good, since my patience is getting shorter by the minute.”

  “I’m going to give you a little more detail than I did when we met. Then you’ll understand why I couldn’t keep this to myself.”

  “Well, that’s very nice of you,” Quinn drawled, his voice edged with sarcasm. He glanced sideways again. Kate hadn’t moved, her eyes still closed.

  “Listen,” Jake protested. “Friends or not, I have a job to do and a duty to perform. Even if you were my wife, I couldn’t just ignore what I think is going on.”

  “If I were your wife, we’d really be screwed up. So give.”

  “Okay.” There was one heartbeat of silence. “Here it is. Our office—especially Dean’s staff—is part of a Strike Force involving the FBI and the Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Section of the Department of Justice. For more than two years, we’ve been after the Osuna cartel. Ever since a major dealer killed a DEA undercover agent, was careless afterwards and left a trail that led back to the Osunas. The DEA caught him and managed to flip him.”

  “Well, that’s real interesting, buddy,” Quinn drawled. “And how are those boys doing now?”

  “Better than we are,” Jake told him. “He told us the Osuna distribution center is here in San Antonio, which is why this is where they set up the Strike Force. But Miguel, the younger brother, runs the money operation from Florida where the law firm we discussed is located. That brings in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Miami.”

  “Well, sounds like all our old friends are having a great time.” Quinn was trying his best to keep the edginess out of his voice. What the hell was Jake getting at here? “But what’s going on? Are they having a party or something? You know I’m not much for socializing anymore.”

  “We’ve been stymied everyplace we tried to crack the wall. Electronic surveillance doesn’t help us. Their computers have multiple firewalls, and their satellite phones use complex encryptions. We can’t get evidence of anything. Nada. I’m telling you all this for a reason, you know.”

  “Who’s that?” Kate stirred in her seat and looked at Quinn.

  He pressed the cell phone to his thigh, blocking out the sounds in the cab. “The friend I met with this afternoon. He has some more information for me. This is part of what we need to discuss later. Meantime, darlin’, just close your eyes again if you can.” He put the cell back up to his ear. “So, Jake. Is there a point to this call other than shooting the bull a little more?”

  “These people aren’t just involved with drugs. You can add arms sales to terrorists, human smuggling, white slave trade. You name it, they do it. These are not nice people, Ace. If you’ve got John Burke’s daughter tucked away somewhere, we have to talk to her. She could be our first break. This is critical, Ace, and that’s no shit.”

  “Thank you very much for that report.” Quinn was getting very impatient. “I’ll see if I can find out anything to add to it. Oh, and Jake?” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice. “Thanks for keeping the lid on things.”

  “Quinn, I don’t want to come barging into your house looking for her. Give this some serious thought and call me, okay? And quickly.”

  “I’ll get back to you.” He snapped the phone shut, put it in the console, and reached for Kate’s hand.

  “It’s not good, is it?” she asked, her eyes open her voice troubled.

  “No, but we’ll handle it together. When we get home we’ll lay it all out and make some decisions.”

  “I’m scared, Quinn.”

  He felt her trembling beside him on the seat. “I know you are, darlin’. But the important thing is to get the right information in the right hands. And get these people off your back. Right?”

  “I guess so.” But her voice trembled and her hand clutched tightly at his.”

  “Then maybe I can think of something to help you forget about it for a couple of hours,” he teased.

  He was rewarded with another hand squeeze and a sliding glance at her saw her effort at a smile.

  “Okay. I trust you, Quinn. I never thought I’d say that to anyone ever again.”

  “I promised you’d be safe with me, right? I don’t intend to break that promise.” He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers.

  I hope I’m doing this right. God knows how close they are to finding her, especially with headquarters in San Antonio. But who the hell would look for her up here? The tough thing will be making Jake and the others understand that.

  The worst part was, he knew in the end they might not have any choice except for Kate to talk to Jake. If God forbid there was a leak in that office… No, he wouldn’t think about that. He’d protect her whatever he had to do.

  Chapter Nine

  They finally left the worst of the traffic behind at the exit for Windswept. Kate straightened in her seat and fiddled with her seat belt.

  “I hate to bring this up,” she said, “but I really have to go shopping.”

  “Shopping?” Quinn pulled up to one of the few stop lights in town and looked at her.

  “You know, like going to a store and buying things?” She almost giggled. “You should try it sometime.”

  “Very funny.” He moved forward with the traffic. “So what kind of store do you need?”

  “I’ve been traveling pretty light. I’m sure you know I don’t have much with me, and there are some things I need. Clothing type things, toiletries, that kind of stuff.” She fiddled with her seat belt again. “Is there a Wal-Mart in town?”

  “That means you’re staying for sure, right? Not trying to run off? Even after we talk?”

  She sighed and swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m through running, Quinn. For the first time in what feels like forever I feel safe. With you. And after…everything else that’s happened, I really don’t want to leave.”

  “I hope you still feel that way after you hear what I have to say,” he said slowly. “Just remember, as long as you’re with me, you’ll be okay. Got it?”

  “Got it. So about the shopping.”

  “All right, then. Wal-Mart, coming right up. I’m pretty short on groceries, too. This is a Super Wal-Mart so I can pick up some grub while you do your thing.”

  It seemed to Kate she needed everything. Her entire wardrobe at the moment consisted of what she could carry in her duffel. Everything else she’d had to leave behind. Not that she was looking for an entire array of clothing, but it would be nice to have some variety. And she discovered Wal-Mart even had some pretty sexy lingerie. She giggled as she tossed it into her basket, amazed that she could still laugh.

  They met up at the checkout, then loaded all the sacks into the truck. Kate waited for Quinn to unlock the doors, but he startled her by pulling her into his arms right there in the parking lot and kissing her. It wasn’t any little discreet peck on the cheeks, either. One hand molded to her head, and he pressed his tongue along the seam of her lips until she opened for him, then it swept inside.

  His kiss made her weak-kneed and sped up her heartbeat. She pressed herself against him heedless of their surroundings, her breasts against the hard wall of his chest. When he fitted his groin into the notch between her thighs, his erection was completely discernible beneath the faded denim.

  She was breathless when he released her, cheeks heated as she looked around and caught a few people staring at them. She was sure this was not the kind of thing Quinn usually did.
>
  “I think people are staring.” She glanced around, her cheeks hot.

  “Let ’em watch.” His voice was low and thick with hunger. “They probably think what a lucky bastard I am. Listen. I think we need to get something to eat so we don’t have to worry about cooking tonight. How about I treat you to hot dogs and ice cream before we head home.” His half-smile lifted a corner of his mouth. “I understand all little kids are crazy about it.”

  Quinn walked her over to a tiny restaurant with an outdoor patio. At the walk up window, he ordered them hot dogs fully loaded, which they ate sitting at one of the tables. Then he bought ice cream cones at a little stand two doors down. They sat on one of the sidewalk benches to eat them, people-watching. For a little while, Kate even managed to forget how and why she’d ended up here.

  It didn’t take long to unload their packages at home. Quinn showed her where to put everything in his closet and bathroom, then left her to it while he attended to the groceries. When she was finished, she wandered back into the kitchen. He was just opening two cold bottles of beer.

  “Want to sit out on the porch and watch the sunset?” he asked.

  “I thought you were going to tell me about your meeting.”

  “I am. Would you rather sit in here?”

  She shrugged. “Outside is okay. No place will be good, so whatever.”

  When they were settled in the rocking chairs, Quinn’s feet propped on the porch railing, Kate gripped her beer tightly and said, “Okay, let’s have it. What did your friend tell you that’s got you so uptight?”

  “Not uptight, darlin’. Just very concerned. About you.” He took a large swallow of beer. “First I need to tell you more about Jake, so you know where he’s coming from.”

  “All right.” She forced herself to relax. How much worse could things be? “Tell me about Jake.”

  Don’t panic until you have to.

  He reached over with his free hand and enfolded one of hers, wrapping his fingers around it. “I met Jake Garza when I first graduated law school and we were wild-eyed young turks. We joined the federal prosecutor’s office at the same time and were even on the staff. We became very close. Very good friends.”

  Kate nearly spilled her bear. “A federal prosecutor? Damn you, Quinn.”

  We pay them off everywhere…cops, prosecutors, even judges. Everyone’s in our pocket. The vicious words rattled in her brain, and her heart was practically beating in her throat.

  “Will you just simmer down a minute? Not every one of us is crooked, you know.”

  She tried to tug her hand from his tight grip, tried to get up from the chair and move away from him, but he held on tight. “What have you done?” She tried again to pull away from him. He wasn’t letting go. “What on earth have you done to me? You went to a prosecutor. A federal prosecutor. I told you what Peter said.”

  “Kate—”

  She was trembling all over. “You said you were going to see a friend. I had no idea…Damn it, I should have figured.” She dropped back into her chair and smacked her forehead with a shaking hand. “Oh my God, Quinn. What have you done?”

  “Shh, shh. Settle down, darlin’.” He was out of his chair and kneeling in front of her, holding both of her hands and pressing his lips to them. “I told you we needed help with this, and I went to the best place to get it. These people aren’t going to forget about you.”

  “Did you tell him…you know.”

  “About the flash drive? No. Not yet. I wanted us—you and me—to talk first.”

  “What if he knows…them, and he’s on their payroll? What if he tells them about me?”

  “Kate, listen to me.”

  “Jesus, Quinn, they want to kill me, and I don’t even know why. This friend of yours could lead them right to me.”

  Quinn moved one hand to cup her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I told you this before. Jake Garza is the most honest person I know. He’d never accept a bribe from anyone. I swear to you on both our lives, there is no way he’s on anyone’s payroll except the U.S. government.”

  “You can’t be sure about that,” she protested.

  “Yes. I can. I would never do anything to put your life in danger. Okay? Just listen to me. You have to know what you’re facing. And you’re right. These people have you targeted.”

  “Who are these people anyway? What kind of crimes are they into? How did my father get mixed up with them? And why did he bring Peter in as a partner?” She pulled her hands away and twisted them together. “I don’t even know who the man was in Peter’s office except for his name. Miguel.”

  “If you’ll let me tell you, we can figure out what to do. Okay?”

  “All right.” A shudder racked her body. “I’ll listen.”

  Quinn lifted her from her chair and settled back in his rocker, cuddling her on his lap. “Okay? Now just listen to me so you have a good idea of what you’re facing.”

  “A-all right.” She pressed herself into his body.

  “I do want you to know I’m damn mad at Jake Garza for jumping the gun on this,” he told her. “He promised me twenty-four hours. Although, if I were in his shoes, I’d probably do the same thing.”

  Her eyes widened. “What did he do?”

  “Apparently, when he got back to his office, things were suddenly heating up again and the twenty-four hours deadline is off. And before you go jumping up again, no one actually knows you’re here or anything else. He’s kept that to himself. So let’s get all this out in the open, and then you can scream and yell.”

  “What did you tell him?” The fear was ripe in her voice.

  “I just asked questions, Kate. That was all. But asking him about Peter and the law firm, I unexpectedly tripped over something big they’ve got going. Jake’s smart enough to follow the thread. Pretty much as we got into the conversation he figured things out. But I never confirmed anything.”

  “What did he tell you about Peter that’s so awful? Much worse than him wanting to kill me? I can hear it in your voice. Please,” she begged. “I have to know what he said.

  “I’ll tell you what I know,” he soothed, “which at the moment isn’t all that much. Let me just give you the bare bones. Which is pretty much all I have right now, anyway.”

  In a slow, calm voice Quinn laid out everything he’d learned from Jake, including what he’d added on the cell phone. “That’s all I could get out of him. He really has to clear it with his boss to tell me anything else, and I didn’t want to push the envelope.” He reached for her hand again. “There’s something else you need to know, but I don’t want you to freak, okay?”

  “Oh, God, what now?” Everything that Quinn told her made her sick with fear. She fisted her hands in an effort to stop her trembling.

  What could possibly be worse?

  “According to Jake, the Osuna cartel covers the entire Southern United States, with two major bases of operation. Tampa is only one of them. The other is here, in San Antonio.”

  Her skin was suddenly cold and clammy, her heart lodged in her throat. This couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. She wet her lips with her tongue and tried to draw a steadying breath.

  “You mean, all this running I’ve done, living on buses like some derelict, scared out of my mind, and I somehow end up in their back yard?” She felt the blood drain from her head and a wave of dizziness swept over her.

  “Remember—” Quinn pressed his lips to her forehead “—the Osunas still have no idea where you are. And it’s good to know the feds are already onto them and building a case.”

  “God, I think I’m going to be sick.” She shook her head wildly, as if she could shake all the ugly information out of it. “Quinn, I just can’t see my father or my uncle involved in something this illegal. This ugly.”

  “It’s never easy to think people close to us can do something very bad, but you don’t know the circumstances. That’s something Jake might be able to explain to us.”

  “I know why Peter and h
is friends are after me now, but not why they wanted to kill me in the first place.”

  He shifted her on his lap. “Kate, there’s something else we have to look at. Another reason why Jake doesn’t think he can keep this to himself.”

  “What else could there possibly be?”

  “The folks downtown have quite a file on everything to do with the Osunas and the law firm. And you’re in it.”

  “Oh, God.” She pressed her body to his, seeking his strength and his warmth.

  “The feds don’t think you’re connected with the cartel,” he assured her, “but they’re wondering why the organization is conducting a manhunt for you out of all proportions to the situation.”

  “The flash drive,” she whispered.

  “Right on the mark. I know it’s your insurance policy, but giving it to Jake could be our best move. They have people who can read it and decipher it.”

  “But we don’t know who’s on the Osuna payroll.” She clutched at his shirt as if it was a lifeline. “Anyone in that office could be taking money from them.

  We pay people off everywhere. Cops, prosecutors…

  She believed it. These people were everywhere.

  “I can guarantee you one thing. It’s not Jake. He pretty much guessed you’re the major part of the equation with me, but he didn’t give it up to his boss. Or the Osunas, or else they’d be out here in full force.”

  She looked at him helplessly. “So now what happens?”

  “You’ve probably got the one thing that could blow this cartel wide open. That could make the feds case for them. We have to do something with it. It won’t help to keep hiding it in my safe forever.”

  “But I don’t know who to trust,” she blurted out. “Besides you, that is. What if…” She shook her head.

  He stroked the side of her face, and Kate could tell he was being deliberately gentle. “You do trust me, don’t you? No bullshit here, Kate.”

  She nodded. “Yes. I do.” And that was no lie.

  “I told Jake I’d call him back in the morning. I bought us at least that much time. I don’t want him barging out here and taking control of the situation, which is always a possibility. Let’s invite him out for dinner tomorrow night and tell him your story. He’s doing his job, but he’s also a reasonable man. And he won’t want to put you at risk.”