Deadly Testimony

by Piper J. Drake

  At first, Kyle had thought the man had been irritating, unsupportive of his son’s talents. But after some time and research into the actual career a player of Ji Sung’s talents could build, Kyle realized the father was standing in the way of a huge opportunity. The gaming industry was booming. South Korean players at the professional level could bring in substantial earnings via tournaments.

  In fact, when one took a look at developing markets for the gaming industry globally, South Korea was arguably the leader in many ways. Several players had actually been awarded special visas to the United States usually reserved for baseball players or other athletes. It was a chance for Ji Sung to pursue an incredible career.

  Frustrated, Kyle pushed to his feet and began to pace. In his fishbowl, Frederick seemed to keep pace.

  Without access to any of his personal accounts or email, Kyle had no way of communicating with his sister. There could be no video calls or texts, no emails or other messages. He’d warned her he would be out of communication for a time.

  But the streaming video broadcast would’ve been a way for Kyle to see his nephew and be reassured that both Ji Sung and his mother, Eun-bi, were well. With the boy off-line, Kyle was left to wonder...and worry.

  For the first time since coming under Lizzy’s protection, Kyle chafed at his restrictions.

  He did not take well to sitting and waiting for things to happen. He preferred to be proactive, shape events based on his planning. This entire situation had left him powerless and vulnerable until he was able to testify. It left his pride bruised in countless ways.

  Needing something to do, he moved back to the bedroom area and gathered the few clothes Lizzy had obtained for him besides the suit she’d saved and the clothes he’d had on his back when they’d bolted from the initial hiding place. He shook each article of clothing out and folded it carefully. After a moment’s thought, he also retrieved the toiletries in the bathroom and tucked them into the bag.

  If they had to run again, at least he’d be ready to grab the bag and leave quickly. Besides, it kept his hands busy.

  He was alone with too many thoughts. It’d happened too, over the weeks he’d been in protective custody and the other night when he’d met Lizzy. His frustration had driven him to leave the room to move, to walk, to do anything but remain in one place while he waited for events to happen around him. How anyone could come under witness protection and not lose their sanity was a mystery to him.

  But he’d promised Lizzy he would stay in this room, within the safety she’d established for him. A promise to her held weight where he hadn’t cared about the police officers.

  Perhaps she was his only chance to get through all of this. Or it could be something about her as a person. She was certainly a woman of action and determination. Her ability to assess situations and make definitive choices quickly had impressed him. He respected her.

  And so a promise to her meant something to him.

  She was worth admiring, a reminder that he was striving to be a better person himself. And the more she inspired him to evolve and improve, the more he wondered what past had shaped who she was today.

  * * *

  “When I invited you to contact me directly, Miss Scott, I had hoped it would be more immediately following any issue requiring my attention.” Nguyen stood this time by the chocolate bar.

  Lizzy sat perched on a stool with her back to the wall so she could see both the front and back of the store. “I reached out once my client was secure again and I had something to report.”

  Nguyen stared at her for a long moment. There was no temper in his eyes, no telltale reddening of his face. The only sign of his anger was a tiny muscle jumping as he tightened his jaw. “I see. Will you be sharing the location of your client so I can have Decker join you in surveillance?”

  Not yet.

  “How are Austin and Weaver?” Lizzy wasn’t ready for Nguyen to lead this discussion.

  His nostrils flared. “Alive. It was touch and go for a few hours but they will both make it through and be able to return to their jobs if they want to after a recovery period and some physical therapy.”

  Good. She hadn’t particularly liked them but she hadn’t disliked them either. In general, she respected police officers and wouldn’t wish them harm.

  “I’d like to get a copy of the ballistics report for any bullets found in them or their car. Both if possible.” Maybe she should have made it a request. Her temper was short and her patience was running low.

  Kyle had not been happy when she’d left him and she wanted to get back before he got antsy. If the man got it into his head to go wandering again, she was going to have to resort to freaking tying him up.

  On the other hand, the shooting and the subsequent retreat to a new safe location had seemed to put a healthy dose of fear into him. And that was a good thing. But their little outing earlier in the afternoon had left him cocky. Could be bad, sure, but he wasn’t the type to remain cowed by fear for any length of time.

  As risks went, she’d rather the risk be with her nearby.

  She grabbed her drink and took a sip to hide her ghost of a smile. It was a dark Valrhona hot chocolate this time. Rich, complex, with just a hint of bittersweet. Dealing with Kyle required fortification of the chocolate kind even if she did reluctantly respect his desire to take action.

  He wasn’t the type to sit around and wait for things to fall into place. A preference she shared.

  Nguyen placed his hand on the counter beside them and drummed his fingers on the surface. “I thought you said you had something to report to me.”

  “I do. But I think the ballistics report will let me know if I have even more to share.” She lifted one shoulder briefly.

  Nguyen snorted. “All right. We’ll trade. I’ll have the report sent to the email account you provided.”

  Lizzy shook her head. “I’m in blackout. Whoever took out our colleagues might know I took this contract. I don’t plan to leave a virtual bread crumb trail. Leave a USB here for me.”

  After a moment, Nguyen nodded.

  Interesting.

  “How much confidence do you have in Decker?” She tossed the question out there because she didn’t have the time to be circumspect. Besides, she preferred the direct approach.

  Nguyen scowled. “Absolute. He is dedicated and trustworthy. No doubts.”

  “But you made sure I knew how to contact you directly.” She considered her own statement. “He’s too dedicated. Does everything by the book.”

  “He never misses a step in any procedure. Meticulous. Thorough.” Nguyen pressed his lips together. “Sometimes it takes him longer to get to the right conclusion because he does everything step-by-step.”

  A person could do worse. Decker probably rarely made a mistake with his approach.

  “There are situations when there’s no time to think through a situation.” Her ability to take action, the right action, in those instances had kept her team alive in the past. “He’d probably argue.”

  “Oh, he’s jotted down notes to make sure he doesn’t forget any points he wants to make when he comes face-to-face with you again.” Nguyen actually smiled with that statement. “He’s incensed you broke protocol and just disappeared.”

  “We passed through his line of sight.” Sort of. They’d been in a heavy crowd and there’d been a slim chance the deputy marshal would’ve been able to identify them in his line of sight. She hadn’t been sure he hadn’t been a part of the attack meant to take out a portion of their security and flush Kyle out into the open.

  “I’ll let him know.” Funny how Nguyen didn’t seem concerned.

  She stayed silent and waited.

  Nguyen sighed. “I’m aware of the possibility of a leak internal to either my organization or the police. I don’t think they’d set up the
ir own to be shot and I can tell you I haven’t found any sign of a leak in my organization. Can’t blame you for being wary but I’m telling you it’s not a leak.”

  Could be true. But then again he could be wrong.

  “There’s the possibility the shooter was canvasing the area and spotted Austin and Weaver based on their driving pattern. It’d explain why Decker wasn’t shot but he was probably observed when he didn’t react the way any normal person would witnessing the incident.” Another reason she didn’t want him reengaged. Having the deputy marshal sitting a short way from their new location, establishing his line of sight, would be like placing a big neon sign indicating their location. “If that’s the case, they’re good. And they know Decker’s face.”

  “I almost prefer there be a leak.” Nguyen shook his head.

  “No you don’t.” An internal breach in security was any organization’s worst nightmare. Suddenly, one of the people you rely on to watch your back could literally be the one to shoot you. Gabe had found that out the hard way.

  Speaking of which.

  “Ballistics report is still something I want, but quick question.” She finished off her drinking chocolate. “Did they identify what kind of rifle fired those shots?”

  “An AK-101.” Nguyen stared at her, intent on catching whatever tells her expression would give him.

  Not the best news she’d heard all day. But it wasn’t definitive. For one thing, Jewel didn’t smoke. Not even e-cigs. A sniper who also set small explosives didn’t necessarily mean it had been the former Centurion.

  Jewel preferred to be unpredictable. Too much about what had been in the building she and Kyle had visited that day had been predictable. Boring.

  No one who’d ever worked in the Centurion Corporation could be described that way.

  “Were you all called in for the explosion in the elevator earlier today?” She’d figured he would be. It’d been too close to their initial location to ignore.

  “If that was you, we can’t ignore it.” A warning note entered Nguyen’s voice.

  She shook her head. “I was there and I took a look at the top floor. I did not place any explosives.”

  Silence greeted her.

  “Forensics should take a close look around that top floor.” Pressing on seemed like a good idea.

  She and the Safeguard team had managed to operate within the letter of the law within city limits thus far. But eventually, any job could push a person into questionable circumstances. This was one of those days where she had to choose her words carefully.

  She hadn’t placed the explosives, but she had triggered them.

  “Anyone hurt?”

  It was another few long seconds before Nguyen answered her. “No. A few very frightened people and one seriously confused security guard, but no one physically harmed. Forensics teams found a lot to occupy them on the top floor.”

  She nodded. Good.

  During the time they’d been there, Kyle hadn’t touched anything. Something she’d noted and been grateful for. She hadn’t wanted to have to wipe down after him, potentially obliterating other evidence. Their predecessor had handily blown all the dust away from the floor making it very unlikely either she or Kyle had left footprints either.

  Forensics might get lucky and if they did, her job would be easier. But she was guessing the sniper was too professional to have left enough to identify himself or herself.

  She was more interested in the police reaction to the finding.

  “I’ll look forward to the findings along with the rest of the information I requested.” She slid off the stool and stood.

  Nguyen offered his hand. “Working solo isn’t easy. You have to sleep sometime. What do you do with him when you do?”

  A few choices images popped into her head.

  “I’ve considered several options to keep him secure.” It was all she would admit to Nguyen.

  “If you change your mind about backup, let me know.” A wry smile spread across the federal marshal’s face. “But I hear from Safeguard that you do well on your own.”

  She shrugged. “I’m alive.”

  Nguyen’s smile broadened. “Exactly.”

  He might be complimenting her. It wasn’t something she was proud of.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “What are you doing?” Lizzy’s voice was a hissed whisper.

  Kyle hadn’t heard her return at all. A feat, considering the way most hotel room doors eased close with a rather loud click. Then again, exercise was his form of meditation in many ways so maybe it wasn’t so much of a surprise that he’d stopped paying attention to his surroundings. He completed his set with two more push-ups and stood to face her. “Exercising. Again. What else is there to do in this room?”

  A pause. There were several possible answers to his question and the sight of her expressions as she obviously thought through some of them made him grin. He was standing in nothing but his boxer briefs, after all. The rose flush rising up on her cheeks was incredibly intriguing.

  The open vulnerability lasted only a moment, then she recovered and scowled at him. “Pants.”

  Not a response he’d anticipated. But then, it was part of why he enjoyed her company. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Excuse me?”

  “From here on out, you need to be wearing at least pants.” She stayed rooted where she was, back to the door with her arms now crossed.

  Other women did it with calculated intent to enhance what assets they had. When Lizzy took on the posture, it indicated a completely different attitude and seemed generally the time to cede with prudent haste.

  The pants he had on the bed were his suit pants. They’d do for the time being but he’d probably wear sweatpants the next time he chose to work out.

  He picked up the pants then turned to her, holding them loosely in one hand. She might make the decisions when it came to his safety, but in this, he was going to point out the ridiculous. “I have limited clothing and I doubt you’d want to allow me to make use of the hotel’s dry cleaning service. I thought it best to minimize the need for laundering by working out in my boxer briefs. At least these, I can rinse in the sink as a minimal effort to keep my clothing somewhat less soiled.”

  An exasperated sigh let loose and she dropped her arms to her side. “Point taken. It would still be a lot better if you had pants on.”

  A momentary pang hit him, right where his pride should be. Normally would be. But he found with Lizzy, all sorts of things were amusing he’d never noticed before and other quirks of hers were endearing where he would normally be grinding his teeth and posturing for control of a situation. She spun his perspective around and set it off-kilter.

  And here he was, sure he was considered an attractive male to most women of the interested orientation, hurt because Lizzy wanted him to put his pants on.

  Or...

  Want and prefer could be two very different things. In fact, one tended to be more honest than the other.

  While Lizzy had been quite brutally candid and straightforward with him from the very beginning, he was getting the impression she tended to avoid it with herself.

  “We are two grown adults, to the best of my knowledge.” He watched her carefully as her eyes strayed back to her laptop. It wasn’t just that she was dedicated to her work, he thought, it was a refuge for her. Especially from things she didn’t want to pay attention to. Like him. “Is it really that much of a distraction for me to be walking around in my boxer briefs? Surely your teammates and you have done the same in certain times of rest.”

  Her lips pressed together, pursed, as her gaze remained on the laptop.

  “Dare I ask whether most of the men you work with wear boxers or briefs?” His amusement was leaking into his voice now and he didn’t bother to hold it back. She wasn’t angry
with him. If anything she was giving way little by little, her shoulders relaxing almost imperceptibly. “Or do they go...commando?”

  He might even see the corner of her mouth lifting. Maybe. A tiny bit.

  This was not the time to be jealous. He had no reason to be. Wasn’t sure if he wanted one. But pondering whether her teammates wore underwear or not wasn’t having the intended outcome in his own damned brain.

  He’d really prefer to consider what she tended to wear. Or not. “Do you go commando?”

  Temper sparked in those chocolate-brown eyes and she glared at him. “Seriously?”

  Inordinately pleased with having succeeded in baiting her, he took a step toward her. “Hard to know what a person prefers under their clothing.”

  She might be counting to ten under her breath. “Not a good idea to go without under a combat uniform. Foundation garments are key.”

  “For comfort or for practicality as well?” He hadn’t expected her to play along with this line of conversation but he was delighted. Discussion with her never seemed to go where he thought it would.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Both. Especially for women. A good bra helps in a lot of ways on an active day.”

  He could imagine too much, and the way she was staring at him just about dared him to make an ill-advised comment regarding her mention of a bra. No. The both of them could take unexpected turns in conversation. Keep things lively.

  “When you’re not on assignment protecting people, what do you do to keep up your level of fitness?” He’d honestly been curious in any case.

  “I work out every day,” she admitted, her tone wry. “Even on this assignment I did a modified workout while you were showering.”

  He was sorry he’d missed it.

  “Why?” He could guess, but knowing her, he had a fifty-fifty chance of being incorrect.

  She rolled her shoulders, possibly to ease strain across her back. “I prefer to work out alone unless I’m doing hand-to-hand drills.”

  If she’d been one of the normal type of companions he spent time with, he’d have offered a massage. The suggestion was not likely to be received well in this case.