She licked her lips nervously. Whatever she was going to say next was going to hurt him he was sure, but he wouldn’t let her see it.
“Before that weekend, I was going to stop seeing you, not because I didn’t like you, but because I didn’t think I could handle the hold your job had on you. I almost cancelled the trip to Vermont, but Mom was on the cruise ... Obviously, I didn’t and got over that if I married you. Maybe our marriage wasn’t perfect, but we had some really bad luck, didn’t we?”
He nodded. Things would’ve been so different if Trevor had lived.
“You’re a marshal, and from what you told me this morning, you must be an awesome one. Now, you’re giving up that job for me. I don’t remember anything after that day on the slopes—no, that’s not true. I remember some pretty steamy kisses in the spa, and a fantastic dinner, but that’s where everything ends for me. I want to make this as easy on you as possible. If living together is best, then so be it. Married or not doesn’t really matter to me. Whichever you prefer is fine. I know I’m asking a lot, considering Trevor and everything, but this is my life now. Can we sort of pick up where we left off?”
He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and smiled. Standing, he moved the chair and knelt beside the chaise. “When I knew I was going to Baltimore, I hoped to persuade you to give us another chance. I was convinced that you don’t get do-overs in life, but maybe I was wrong. I think picking up where we left off is a wonderful idea.”
Leaning forward, he pulled her into his arms. Gazing into her eyes, waiting for a sign he was moving faster than she wanted, he brushed her lips with his, gently at first so as not to scare her. When he felt her response, he deepened the kiss, curbing his intense desire. She tasted like raspberry gelatin. Her lips parted under his, and his tongue moved tentatively into her mouth, savoring her nectar, a taste denied him far too long. His tongue tangled with hers, and he lost himself in her.
“Ahem.”
Todd’s voice startled them, and Neil sprung away from Nancy like a teenager caught necking by his girlfriend’s father.
“I’m really sorry to intrude, but we have a situation, Neil.” Todd’s face was flushed and he rubbed the top of his head again, shifting from one foot to the other. “Julia should be here shortly. I need you to come with me right now. Nancy will be fine on her own for a few minutes.”
Neil frowned, worried by the dismay on Nancy’s face and Todd’s words.
“They’ve found me, haven’t they?” she asked, her face almost as white as it had been in the hospital.
“We don’t know that for sure, but we can’t take any chances,” Todd said. The door opened and he looked back. “Here’s Julia. She’s going to get you ready. It looks like you’ll be doing some traveling tonight.”
She nodded.
“Are you okay?” Neil asked. Something had happened, and from the way Todd was acting, it was probably far worse than he was letting on.
“I’ll be fine. Go.” She pulled the nearby walker over to her and stood. “No spun sugar here. I’m tougher than you think.”
“Yes, you are. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He kissed her quickly and followed Todd out of the room.
“What’s the matter?” he asked as soon as the door closed behind them. “You’ve scared Nancy half to death.”
Todd looked around as if he was afraid someone might overhear them.
“The safe house in Baltimore was attacked two hours ago,” he whispered, barely loud enough for Neil to hear. “We’d been keeping a skeleton staff there, and as far as the FBI were concerned, Fred was in residence. Everyone’s dead. Up until earlier this morning, the Paxton girls were there, too.”
“Shit. Who was behind the hit? What did they find?” The acid in his gut boiled.
“Lots of AK 47 shells, two bodies that weren’t ours. Maybe the Russians, but I’m not talking about the ones from New Jersey. Could be Ramirez. If they went inside, they know Fred wasn’t there.”
Neil nodded. “And they’ll keep looking for him. If they found one safe house, they’ll find another. But how did they find it?”
Sweat beaded on Todd’s forehead and his face was so red, Neil knew his blood pressure had to be off the charts. He was jittery, shifting his body as if his skin didn’t fit right.
“They’ve got an informer.”
“Damn, another mole?”
Todd nodded.
Neil’s eyes narrowed. There was that lousy poker face again. “There’s something else. You’re as jittery as a wild turkey the day before Thanksgiving. Give.”
“We’ve been made,” Todd’s face was now almost purple in a combination of what had to be fear and indignation.
“How the hell did that happen?” Neil shouted.
“Keep it down. Not here.”
Todd pulled his arm away, leading Neil into the pantry at the back of the kitchen. He closed and locked the door.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on, or is it my turn to read your mind?” Neil shuddered in his anger.
“The place is bugged—maybe that’s not the right word for it—but the electronics controlling the place have been compromised and someone may be watching us and listening in now.”
Neil slammed his fist into the steel door and winced at the pain. “Who? How?”
“I don’t know who,” Todd said, pacing from one end of the small room to the other, resembling a caged tiger. “Nancy’s room, this one, as well as Fred’s are impervious to outside surveillance, so whoever is listening in may not know they’re here, but that twelve digit file of hers set off all kinds of bells and whistles.”
Neil’s heart pounded in his chest. If they knew Nancy was here…
“How?” he asked. “What happened?”
Todd rubbed the back of his neck and stopped in front of him. “You know that cute little blinking icon at the bottom of Ewan’s computer screen?”
Neil frowned. “The one he said masks his signature online?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “It seems someone somehow managed to plant a second set of code into it that was activated when he used the decryption program to open Nancy’s files. We don’t know what else they’ve discovered or whether they’ve been watching us through the surveillance cameras, which Ewan says is possible.” He resumed his pacing.
“Do you think they’ll come after him?” Neil asked, understanding Todd’s concerns. If they’d hit the house in Baltimore, they would find this place since GPS would lead them right to it, and anyone else around would be in danger as well.
“I think so, and it won’t take them long to get here. We’ve got six hours at best.”
Neil nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose, before huffing out a frustrated breath.
“Ewan’s decryption program had identified the first eight characters on that file of hers when everything blew up in his face. He thinks there might’ve been hacker-alert code built into the dossier designed to destroy the data if anyone who didn’t have the exact combination of numbers tried to open it.”
Neil furrowed his brow and chewed his lower lip. “That’s nuts. Nancy was security conscious, but…”
“I’m not finished.” Todd kneaded the top of his head as if he were trying to massage his brain. “Whatever this is, it originated in Washington, which is where the software comes from. Neil, I don’t know who that file belongs to, but I don’t think it’s Nancy’s. It could be something she transferred there when she was looking through Paxton’s records. The virus embedded in the security protocol basically ate whatever data was in the file. Ewan shut it down, but there’s less than ten percent left. Whatever was in that file has to be important, and whoever encrypted that file is going to come looking for copies.”
Neil looked up at the ceiling and then ran a hand through his hair. This was far worse than anything he’d imagined.
“I’d assumed that USB drive had gotten between the leather and the lining by acc
ident, but what if Nancy purposely hid it there? If she did, then it means she knows what’s on it, and that’s why someone wants her dead.”
Todd nodded. “Ewan managed to shut down the system before the virus migrated into anything else, but right now, not having her remember the shooting is nothing. It’s knowing what’s on that file that’s critical. If they realize she’s alive...”
Stunned, Neil leaned against the freezer for support. This couldn’t be happening.
“Where the hell did Ewan get that security program in the first place?” he asked, his fear and anger making it hard to stay in control of his emotions.
“From the FBI who apparently got it from the CIA the day after the shootings, when we thought it was a terrorist attack. Hell, it still could be.” Todd rolled his eyes. “Someone on our side’s involved in this. They’ve been watching us, waiting to see if we found anything or anyone they wanted. This is worse than the mole four years ago.”
“Are you saying we’re looking at dirty FBI agents?”
“Maybe, but I don’t know and neither does Anderson. He can’t get hold of Mahoney ... Ewan figures we’ve been seriously compromised and have to abandon this location. He’s backed everything up to the cloud, and then he’s going to set a timer and fry the computers here.”
Neil started to pace, he and Todd moving around each other like two reluctant boxers in a ring.
“This makes no sense. Are you saying someone in our government could be behind this?”
“That’s what it looks like, but it doesn’t have to be our government. There are lots of ways to hack the system. The Russians have done it before ... There are people in Washington right now who don’t agree with this administration’s choices. It could be that whatever’s on that file constitutes treason and has to be kept secret at all costs. I mean if someone’s getting foreign money to foment rebellion ... This country has enemies. The last thing we need is someone trying to take it apart from the inside out.” He shook his head, his brow so furrowed his face looked half its size.
“What about Mac and Meredith?” Neil asked, worried about them. If whoever was after Fred and Nancy went after them first, they didn’t stand a chance.
“They’re gone. I sent them across the lake. Because of you, the path was clear. I don’t know why I asked you to do that today, but thank God you did. I’ll catch up with them later after I get you, Julia, Dan, and Nancy settled. They’re getting her ready to travel. She’s got a couple of long days ahead of her, and they won’t be pleasant.”
“What about Fred and the others? You can’t just leave them here to be gunned down like sitting ducks.”
“Hell, Neil. I can’t believe you would even think that, let alone say it. Ewan will reboot the computer system in an hour. He’s putting some last minute touches to the cameras to make it look like we’re business as usual. As soon as he’s finished, he, Tony, and Chuck will take Fred with them and go out through the garage, hike through the back of the estate and the national park around the lake, and make their way to another safe house near Tallahassee. From there Anderson will get Fred to safety.”
Neil shook his head. “The guy’s a shmuck, and I’d like to see him get what’s coming to him, but I don’t want to see anyone else killed. There was talk Ramirez was connected on the hill, but no one believed it. That’s what the JD were hoping Fred would give up. What if that’s what this is about? What if Paxton was part of this whole damn mess?”
Todd shook his head. “Hard to ask him about it now, isn’t it? There’s a lot of anti-government sentiment in Washington at the moment. We can’t do much about it—let Homeland Security worry about that. We’ve got to take care of our own.”
“You’re right. Our number one priority is to get the hell out of here fast. How are we getting away? We can’t hike out, not with Nancy the way she is. Is there a chopper en route?”
“The others think so, but no. The terrain is too rough to go either the way the guys are going or the way the women did, but you’re getting out of here on foot, too. The hike will be easier, but you’ve still got a hell of a walk ahead of you. You, Dan, and I can take turns carrying her. She can’t take much with her, only what Julia can pack in that purse of hers. You get a backpack and make sure you take at least four extra magazines of ammo. If we have a firefight, we want to be able to defend ourselves.”
“I’ll carry her myself. You and Dan can split the gear. Are you sure a hundred rounds will be enough?”
The muscle in Todd’s jaw jumped. “It’ll have to be. I’ve made plans, but I don’t know how secure they are.”
“Hey, don’t sweat it. None of us saw this coming. Hell, we don’t even know what this really is. How are we getting out?”
“You’re going under and west.” Todd moved over to one of the shelves and moved the canned goods aside. He fiddled with the wall, and Neil heard a loud click before it opened.
“What’s that?” He stared at the opening in the wall.
“It’s an old escape tunnel left over from the days of prohibition. Al Capone and his buddies up north weren’t the only ones bringing in illegal booze. It’s sound. I went through it when I first arrived. The air’s a little stale but breathable.”
“Where does it lead?”
“To Plan C, an old farmhouse three miles away. There’s an SUV in the garage. The tank’s full. Here.”
Neil reached for the envelope Todd handed him and looked inside. He whistled.
“There has to be ten grand here.”
“I know it isn’t as much as I’d like to give you, but it’s all there was in the safe. You can’t use credit cards or an ATM. Those things are easily monitored by a good hacker, and Ewan’s convinced whoever is behind all this is one of the best. Dan’s wife and son are being moved too, just in case the enemy realize he’s here and not at sea. The last thing anyone wants is more collateral damage.”
“But you’re coming with us, aren’t you?”
Todd shook his head. “Only as far as the farmhouse. I have to meet Mac and Meredith and get her to safety.”
“Where are we going from the farmhouse?”
“Unsure at this point. I’m waiting to hear from Anderson. I’m to call in at three-thirty.” Todd closed the secret door. “Now, go talk to your wife, calm her down, and hope to hell we all get out of here in one piece. I’ll get some food ready. It’s a little early for supper, but I don’t know when you’ll have a chance to fuel up, and you’re going to need your energy.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost three, and we go as soon as we eat. By the way, the others don’t know about the secret passage, so don’t say anything. If they get caught, we don’t want anyone to know how we got out or where we went. It may be our only edge.”
Todd unlocked the door and stepped back into the kitchen.
Neil followed, not at all convinced that things would run as smoothly as Todd expected they would.
Neil was on his way back to the solarium when Ewan stopped him, and dragged him into the powder room off the kitchen.
“Here.” He handed Neil a tablet and Nancy’s cat USB flash drive. I uploaded a copy of this to the cloud before I started trying to open it. You keep this original, put it back wherever she had it hidden. Maybe if she gets her memory back she’ll be able to open it and tell us what the hell it is.”
Neil nodded and pocketed the drive. “What’s this for?” He indicated the electronic tablet.
“Todd thought that maybe Nancy could take a look at the Paxton files again when she feels up to it. She might see whatever she saw before. I’ve downloaded them for her. The contents of the USB are on there, too.” Ewan shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s really messed up. I’ve got to go. Be careful.”
He opened the door and hurried down the hall as if the hounds of Hell were after him. Maybe they were—maybe they were after all of them.
Chapter Fifteen
Nancy stared at herself in the hand mirror, amazed at the image
looking back at her. The chin-length, dark wig, the color so black it seemed impossible to believe it could be made of human hair, completely changed her appearance, making her look almost ethereal thanks to her pallor. Strangely, it also made her eyes seem browner than usual, and she’d put in her extended wear, disposable, contact lenses, the process far easier to do than she would’ve expected. She’d put on makeup for the first time, since she couldn’t remember ever being a fan of it, and Julia had plucked her eyebrows, making her look far more polished than she recalled.
The jeans and long-sleeve t-shirt were a little baggy, but she would make do with them and the royal blue jacket on the bed. The runners fit fine even though she was unlikely to take up jogging again in the near future. At one time, running had been her way of coping with life’s snafus, but judging by the scars on her legs, she might’ve found that less freeing after the accident. While part of her wanted to know more about that incident, another part told her she was better off not knowing. All that trip down memory lane would do was hurt Neil, and he’d been hurt enough already.
Julia, similarly dressed, tossed a few changes of underwear, a short-sleeved top, and a nightgown into Nancy’s purse along with her cosmetic case.
“Any pain or discomfort?” she asked, adding a first aid kit and her medication to the bag before zipping it closed.
“No, I’m fine,” Nancy answered and bit her lower lip. “What’s going to happen to the rest of my stuff?”
“I don’t know. Todd said to pack it all into the case and make sure there was nothing left in the room to identify you.”
“Then can we fit the quilt into my purse somehow?” she asked, hoping they could. “My mother made it, and she’ll never make another.”
The door opened, and Neil entered the room, carrying a tray with soup bowls and a plate of sandwiches on it as well as a couple of mugs.
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