An Unlikely Hero (1)

by Tierney James

  Jamaal released her and backed away from the bars. “I am sorry, Mrs. Scott. I need this more than you, although I appreciate the effort you made on my behalf.”

  Tessa watched as Jamaal reached through the bars. Lifting the pad lock with one hand he inserted the key with the other. “You can’t leave me here for that monster! Please!”

  The sound of the lock opening echoed softly in the room of cells. Jamaal moved to Tessa’s cell and lifted the lock. Tessa hurried to the door. He looked at her sadly and smiled. “You are an American whore. You deserve the treatment waiting for you, Mrs. Scott.” He turned and started to run.

  “No! Wait! Please!” Tessa screamed. “Don’t leave me here! I beg you!” She waited to hear the slamming of the steel door but Jamaal had carefully closed it behind him. Tessa knew his escape would be easy from that point. There were no guards because no hope of escape had been possible.

  Tessa sat down on the cot resigned to waiting for what would come next. How had she gotten herself into this mess? Nothing had ever prepared her for such a scenario. Yet here she was on the doorstep of disaster, her family so far away, her home in ruins most likely, and a dirty bomb set to go off in Sacramento.

  A silent prayer for strength was offered just as the sound of a steel door opening and hurried footsteps reached her ears. Tessa remained on the cot, hands folded patiently in her lap. Closer. More than one person. Who would it be? Zoric? Captain Hunter?

  “Mrs. Scott?” Tessa looked up to see Zoric unlocking the door for Captain Chase Hunter. He rushed in and towered over her. Her eyes darted between the two men before settling on Zoric. Slowly she stood, pulled back her shoulders and jerked her chin up in pride. Chase lifted his hand up in a high-five gesture. Tessa smiled and slapped his palm with her own high-five. “You did it!” he smiled proudly. “Good job!”

  “I pushed the tracking device into his chest when he took the key. He never suspected.”

  “And he won’t. It molds against the skin, thinner than a band aid.” Chase turned to Zoric and continued to smile. “She’s a little spit fire don’t you think?”

  Zoric stepped forward and saw the sudden smile vanish from Tessa’s face. He hated he’d frightened her. “Mrs. Scott,” he lowered his eyes for just a split second. Those beautiful blue eyes of hers, although blood shot from crying, unsettled him. The innocent should never have to go through the fear he’d forced on her. “I beg your forgiveness, Mrs. Scott. I am sorry that I had to mistreat you.” He dared to take another step toward her. “I promise if anyone ever, from this moment on, tries to harm you or your family they will deal with me.”

  Tessa eyed him carefully. She closed the distance between them and stuck out her hand. “Forgiven.” Zoric slipped his large bony hand around hers and they shook. As he started to release her hand Tessa tightened her grip. “But we’re not even,” she warned. Zoric raised his eyebrows in bewilderment as she withdrew her hand.

  “Understood,” he said cautiously.

  Chase flashed a disarming smile at Tessa and laid his hand on her elbow. “Ready to go home?”

  Just as she started out the cell Tessa caught a glance between Zoric and Chase that made her think life wasn’t going to go back to normal just yet.

  Chapter 8

  The kitchen in the Scott house still smoldered from the small fire caused by over baked cookies. Water pooled on the granite counter tops and on the recently installed wood floors. They were ruined now, Tessa realized as she took in her once beautiful home. Water pinged softly as it dripped from the upper cabinets into the stainless steel sink where her rolling pins rested like burnt matchsticks. Holding back the tears, Tessa wandered into the other rooms of her life as a firefighter nearly the size of the Captain Hunter brushed past her to engage him in a quiet conversation. His eyes darted toward Tessa then turned back to the firefighter and nodded knowingly before taking his leave.

  Her grandmother’s dishes shot to pieces inside the once beautiful antique china cabinet she’d bought on eBay for an insanely cheap price, looked like pieces of Swiss cheese. Toppled chairs, damaged walls, and years of memories shattered throughout the main floor of the Scott home avalanched an emotional wall of helplessness onto Tessa so suddenly that she didn’t realize her body trembled violently. A dam of tears burst from her eyes as she covered her mouth to keep from screaming.

  “Mrs. Scott?” It was Chase Hunter. He handed her a bottle of water. It was doubtful there had been any whole glasses left in the house so he’d sent someone out to his Hummer to retrieve this slight distraction. “We’ll make this right, Mrs. Scott. I promise.”

  Tessa looked up at Chase as she sipped the water bottle she held with one hand and brushed silent tears aside with the other. She nodded and glanced around the room again. She lifted a Pottery Barn catalog from the floor and chuckled through an escaped sob. “I was going to make all this,” she waved the book around the room slowly, “into something right out of Pottery Barn before Robert and the kids got back.” After taking one more sip of water, she capped the bottle and smiled bravely up at Captain Hunter. “Kinda has that lived in look now, don’t ya think?”

  “Shabby chic maybe.” Chase Hunter returned the smile, drinking in the fluid blue eyes that fought back further tears. When she laughed at his comment he found himself laughing as well. He didn’t know why. The sound of her voice just seemed to demand it.

  Out of the corner of his eye he noticed several Enigma personnel staring at him. His look quickly went fiercely dark as he nodded for them to return to work.

  One stood firm, her thin black eyebrows raised in disbelief. Like the others, she’d never heard Chase laugh. His threatening pinched brow and narrowed eyes failed to intimidate her. She moved her dark brown fingers across a hand held computer screen about the size of a notepad. Taking a step forward, a piece of glass crunched beneath her small black patent heels.

  “I’m not nearly finished, Captain Hunter. My crew needs a few more hours.” Her light brown eyes stayed focused on the computer screen.

  “Hello,” Tessa said softly. “I’m Tessa Scott.”

  The short woman raised her eyes to Chase then Tessa as if asking permission to speak. With one hand she pulled on the black jacket of her suit then tucked part of her white blouse a little more securely into the waistband of her skirt. Her black hair, tightly bound into a bun, glistened with hair gel. She reached up and touched her bare earlobes before answering. “Mrs. Scott…”

  “Please call me Tessa.”

  “Very well. Tessa, I’m Claudia.”

  She offered nothing more. There appeared to be something off about her. The African American woman’s eyes turned back to her screen where she punched something in quickly, then leveled her gaze on Captain Hunter.

  Chase nodded toward Claudia and smiled politely at Tessa. “Claudia is our librarian. I’m afraid we couldn’t get along without her.” His tone sounded gentle and caring, something Tessa realized he could turn on and off like a faucet. The charm he exuded worked on the truck driver earlier in the day. Tessa couldn’t tell if the compliment affected Claudia or not. “Take as long as you need, Claudia. I’m sure your team will be as efficient as ever.”

  “What is she doing, Captain Hunter?” Tessa felt the soldier’s hand on her arm gently push her away from the librarian. “Is this for insurance purposes? I think I have the name of our agent…” Tessa walked to the kitchen in search of her little phone book she kept with important numbers. His hand guided her carefully toward the stairs.

  “That won’t be necessary, Mrs. Scott. We’ll take care of everything.”

  “Oh.” Tessa turned to face the unnerving Captain Hunter. “I would like to change clothes and pack a bag for a few days before I get started on this mess. I’ll stay in town at a motel.”

  “Do I have your word that you’ll not try and escape, send girlfriends a message or call Robert?” His voice and expression clearly sent a warning. “Because my patience is wearing a little thin.” The tight
smile on his lips spoke volumes.

  Tessa held up two fingers. “Scouts honor!” Before he could comment Tessa bounded up the stairs. Suddenly she stopped and turned back to look down at the captain who surprisingly had been admiring her backside. “Do I have water?”

  Chase looked over at the librarian for confirmation. He then nodded up at Tessa without expression. “Be quick about it, Mrs. Scott.”

  “Tessa. Call me Tessa.”

  Once again he nodded and turned away to speak quietly with the librarian.

  Captain Chase Hunter moved from room to room looking for clues as to why the terrorists thought the bomb would be here. Distracted by toys, mementos, a photo of Tessa and her husband in a loving embrace at a Chinese restaurant, forced Chase to tug at his own ghosts that remained buried most of the time. Concentration wavered as he shook off the feeling of regret that threatened his focus. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, remembering his missionary parents helping others, his older sister singing like an angel in the church choir. Another breath. His grandfather on the Qualla Reservation teaching him to hunt and fish entered his thoughts, followed by the memories of his first kiss, his first love, his first….

  “Captain?” It was the librarian. His eyes narrowed angrily as they landed on the small black woman who still stared at her computer screen. She wasn’t very good at visual clues to people’s mood. Being diagnosed with a mild form of autism, Claudia carefully compartmentalized every scrap of information discovered on a wide range of topics and persons of interest. She managed to win a special place on the Enigma team with this gift. Due to her inability to interrupt Chase’s moods, Claudia usually acquired the job of bringing news he might not want to hear. “You better look at this.” She turned the screen around and lifted it up so he could clearly read the information.

  He did so without touching the computer. Claudia didn’t appreciate anyone touching her baby. His eyes scanned the information as his arms folded across his broad chest. When he finished he looked sharply at the librarian. “I’ll download everything to your hand held, Captain. There’s more. She’s been busy. I’ve never heard you laugh before,” she added as a look of confusion met Chase’s hard glare at his phone.

  “Thank you, Claudia. Continue.” Ignoring the comment he turned to leave, then stopped. “Gather up all the computers, games, etc. before…”

  “Already packed, Captain.” Claudia tried to smile. She wasn’t very good at chit chat. “I’ll be sure Vernon has a look at everything.”

  “Well done!” he snapped, knowing she would appreciate the praise in her own way. He left her and started up the stairs. Tessa was taking too long. Taking the stairs two at a time, Chase quickly moved toward the master bedroom. He’d been in there earlier in the day when he’d pretended to be a plumber. The image of the white and ivory décor jogged his memory as he remembered the tranquil, uncluttered room that Tessa shared with her lawyer husband. Just as he grasped the doorknob, the door flung open and Tessa barreled into his chest, causing her to stumble backwards. Chase did not offer to catch her as he drank in the site before him.

  Tessa had transformed herself into the image of the girl next door. Her still wet hair pulled up into a ponytail, made her soft pale features look much younger than he’d noticed earlier. Dressed in a plain white blouse and blue jeans, that was rolled up into a cuff above the ankle made Tessa look anything but dangerous as her bio had suggested.

  Catching her breath, Tessa smiled innocently at the frowning captain. “Think I’d run off?” When he didn’t respond Tessa realized his eyes were slowly taking in the room, evaluating some obscure information he must think relevant to the day’s activities. Or maybe he was trying to figure her out. That thought amused her. What was to figure out? Her life paralleled paint drying. “I was able to get a message off after all,” she teased.

  Chase’s eyes quickly returned to Tessa like a laser. His forehead furrowed with anger. “How did you do that?”

  Tessa sat down on the edge of the bed and began putting on the tennis shoes she’d held in her hand. They were new so the bright white seemed to glow. She finished tying the strings and looked up to see that Chase had moved closer, this time with a menacing glare aimed at her. “I keep carrier pigeons in the bathroom. Your team hadn’t been up here to find them so I took advantage of my one opportunity to reach my contacts at CNN. You’re in trouble now.” Tessa sighed and bounced up with a teasing smile.

  “Funny.” Chase grumbled as he moved toward the window and moved back the sheer white curtains to view the backyard full of flowers, swings and bicycles. A home. A home he’d never have. “Get your bag,” he said flatly. “I’ll take you to a safe house.”

  Tessa’s smile faded. “Why? I did what you ask. I’m not going anywhere with you,” she complained as she lifted her small leopard overnight bag and a wallet from the bed. She moved toward the door with determination and head held high.

  “Why did you go to Morocco four years ago?” Chase said folding his arms across his chest. Watching her stop suddenly and turn to face him gave Chase suspicions that he was about to hear a lie coming from the mouth of an angel.

  This time Tessa didn’t offer a teasing smile. She looked tired and confused at the whole day’s experience. “Why don’t you ask Claudia? I’m sure she can tell you. That’s what she really does isn’t it? She’s a cyber-cop who spies on innocent people’s lives, assumes the worst, transfers the benign to fit some kind of conspiracy to cover your mistakes at Enigma?”

  Chase eyed her from head to toe. How could someone with angelic looks be this clever and quick? Was she fooling him with this innocent routine? “Why?” He had a way of demanding quietly.

  “Robert took me there because my favorite Bogart movie is Casablanca. If Claudia will dig a little deeper she’ll see that’s where we went on our anniversary!” she said in a low, condescending voice. “And if you’ll check hospital records you’ll see my daughter was born nine months later.” Tessa pulled back her shoulders and readjusted her grip on the overnight bag. “It was a surprise. Robert saved for two years to take me there. Trust me as tight as Robert is with money that was a real treat for me.”

  She didn’t think it was important to include that Robert had an international conference in Rabat on the future of disputed territories and lands of the 21st century. His taking her meant that he only had to pay for half of the trip. Mostly she had sat by the pool and read a book. The trip to Casablanca had been a side trip offered to the attendees to make their trip to Morocco a memorial one. Nine months later Tessa gave birth to a seven pound baby girl. She’d wanted to name her Ingrid after the actress that starred in Casablanca but Robert had thought that was too boring for his beautiful little girl.

  “All in my file,” she said flippantly. “Or it will be when Claudia finishes. Pretty boring stuff. However, I’m sure you guys will do a good job embellishing it so it can fit a specific need or target. Am I in trouble?” Tessa kept her voice steady. She missed her family.

  Chase stormed past her as he relieved her of the faux leopard bag. “You are trouble, Tessa Scott.”

  At the foot of the stairs Chase observed Claudia and two other Enigma personnel watching a computer screen they’d collected from the family room. The small lap top sat precariously atop a broken vase on the dining room table. A desperate voice asking for help reached his ears as he pushed aside the men. The screen had been a video email sent earlier in the day.

  “Mrs. Scott!” the old man pleaded. He held up his hands to show they‘d been tied at the wrist with clothesline cord. A ripped, brown grocery bag partially covered his head. Somehow he‘d managed to contact Tessa Scott. “Please you’ve got to get out of town. There are men here,” he looked behind him as if listening carefully, then back at the screen. “Middle Eastern, radicals. They want me to activate a bomb. They have plans to…” There were voices in the background. Anxious. Rapid. “I think it’s a dirty bomb. They think I …” Several men burst into the room whe
re the old man spoke, shouting and waving handguns. One stood in the background, observing. He moved forward and looked into the computer screen smiling next to Mr. Crawley. Suddenly the old man landed a shoulder into the man, spun around and hit send. The screen went dark. Silence ensued as all eyes turned to Tessa Scott, standing wide eyed on the bottom stair, her hands covering her mouth in horror.

  “Mr. Crawley! My neighbor!”

  Within minutes of Tessa’s identification of the man on the computer screen twenty Enigma personnel had invaded the home of Mr. Jericho Crawley. The reason the terrorists had decided to invade the Scott home now had clearly been defined. If the old man had not tried to warn Tessa, none of this would have occurred. Claudia left her team to finish up at the Scott house so she could get started on the neighbor’s. Ordered to follow, Tessa stayed with Chase as he entered the Crawley home. A wealth of fingerprints revealed four men, two of which were now dead in a ravine near the Yuba River, a third escaped from an Enigma jail and then this fourth man who turned off the computer. Essid.

  Chase recognized him instantly. Their first encounter in Afghanistan revealed the cold, calculating terrorist Essid would become. Essid wanted information on why the American soldiers had come to the village. Refusing to accept the Americans had only brought food and medicine to their starving people, Essid decided to send a message to other villages who accepted help from the Americans. He ordered his men to slaughter every man woman and child. When Delta Force entered two days later, only small smoldering fires of death remained. Another village after hearing about the murders refused any help from the Americans but offered a name of the butcher. Essid, a Libyan who enjoyed killing. The calm voice and face of the man turning off the computer was Essid. Chase knew him, of course, from working in Delta Force and his own experience. His men searched for days to find the Libyan.