“No description and no motive, but I think we all know the attack is linked to your investigation. What could someone looking for that case possibly gain by killing Matt?”
“Unless they think he saw something, too.” Ian narrowed his eyes and shifted slightly toward the gorge.
“What about those outcroppings?” Meg pointed toward the waterfall. “You said you noticed something unusual.”
“Almost all of them are bare.” He slipped the binoculars over his head and handed them to Meg, even though this angle didn’t afford them a good look at those ledges to the left of the falls. “Except one.”
Tilting her head, she took the binoculars from him and peered through them. “I know what area you mean. What’s wrong with the one ledge?”
“Nothing wrong with it, but it looks different. It has clumps of greenery on it that look like branches. Can trees grow there?”
She shrugged, thrusting the binoculars out toward him. “It’s nature. Anything’s possible, but I can’t see anything from here.”
“Is there any way to get up there short of rock climbing?” Meg had said she knew this mountain better than anyone…except maybe Matt.
“To get on the actual ledges?” She wrinkled her nose. “No. That cliff face is a rock climber’s paradise, and we have bolts on the way up to prove it. You can look down on those outcroppings from a trail up top, but you can’t get down, unless you want to jump, and you’d have to be incredibly precise to hover a helicopter near the falls.”
A thrill of excitement raced up Ian’s spine. “How long is that hike from here?”
“It’s a good two hours.” Her eyes widened. “Are you thinking of going up there?”
He grabbed her good shoulder and spun her around. “Look at the location, Meg.” He pointed toward the falls in the distance. “Kayla could’ve had a clear view from the observation deck.” Then he gestured toward the gorge beneath them. “And there’s even a better perspective from down there.”
She nodded slowly, a light sparking her blue eyes. “You think the suitcase might be up there?”
“It’s a possibility, the first good lead we’ve had since this whole thing started.” He glanced at his watch. “Do we still have time to get up there?”
She twisted her wrist and peeked beneath the sleeve of her jacket. “It’s just past noon. We have plenty of time.”
“Then let’s go.” He tilted his chin in a challenge. Meg never could resist a challenge.
She grinned, the cold air whipping color into her cheeks. “All right, then. We’ve already canceled a few hikes today, so we should have this side of the mountain to ourselves.”
“And in case we don’t…” Ian peeled open his jacket to reveal his weapon tucked into its holster.
“Good thinking.” Meg glanced over her shoulder, a whisper of fear huffing against the back of her neck. This might be a great opportunity to reconnect with Ian, hiking together like old times, but she’d better not forget their goal…or the forces against them.
Once she’d grown bored with the office work this morning, her eyes kept straying toward the window. Knowing Ian was out there challenged her attention span even more, until she shut down her computer and raced out to join him. She’d told herself she needed to be out there for Matt and for Kayla, but she’d told herself so many little white lies over the past two years, she recognized one when it snuck up and whispered in her ear.
“Lead the way.” Ian nudged her back. “Are you sure that shoulder’s okay?”
“It’s a dull ache, pretty disappointing for a gunshot wound.”
“Count yourself lucky. We don’t want him to get it right next time.”
Swallowing hard, Meg charged up the trail before she changed her mind. During their marriage, she’d always wanted Ian to share his work with her. This time around, he’d made all her dreams come true tenfold. Would she live to regret it?
FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS, they made good time up the sloping trail that zigzagged up the side of the mountain. They stopped occasionally for a water break or to munch on a snack. Meg reveled in sharing the outdoors with Ian again, and he deferred to her knowledge of the terrain.
He understood, after her upbringing in her father’s house, that she needed to feel useful, wanted others to take her seriously. But maybe she’d outgrown that desire, or maybe Travis fulfilled it, because she didn’t bristle every time Ian held the bushes back for her or cupped her elbow over a particularly rough spot.
He helped her and she helped him, sharing like adults. He’d be that kind of father, too.
“The source of the falls is right around that ridge, isn’t it?” Ian waved his hand where the trail took a sharp left turn.
Nodding, she brushed the hair from her forehead with the back of her hand. “Not much farther. And we should have a clear view of that ledge that caught your attention from below.”
A brisk breeze rattled the branches of the trees, which showered leaves on the path before them. Meg crunched along the trail, her heart pounding more from excitement than from exertion. If they found the suitcase, this adventure could end here and now.
Then what?
Ian scrambled across the boulders ahead of her and then turned and held out his hand. She gave it to him without rancor, without fear that it made her less for accepting help.
He pulled her next to him and plucked a leaf from her hair. “Are you ready for this, Meg-o?”
She blew out a frosty breath. “I’m ready.”
They both inched toward the edge of the cliff, slippery with water from the stream that fed the waterfall. Ian dropped to his knees and slithered on his belly toward the drop-off. “Damn!”
“What is it?” Meg crouched beside him. She flattened her body and lay shoulder-to-shoulder with Ian.
He pointed, his finger drawing circles in the air. “That’s the ledge. It’s covered with branches and debris.”
“That’s good.” She sucked in a breath.
“Good? How’s that good?”
“Look above you.” Meg tilted her head back, gesturing at the sky with one arm. “No trees overhanging.”
Ian twisted his head to the side. “You’re right.”
“You know what that means?”
She felt the muscles in his body coil through his jacket, his frame tense and ready. “That pile of foliage down there didn’t get there on its own,” he said.
“Which means,” she continued, the words tumbling from her lips, “someone put it there.”
“To hide something.”
“To hide a suitcase.”
Ian rose to his haunches, testing the edge of the cliff with the toe of his boot. “Is there a way down from here?”
Meg snorted. “Not if you value your life.” She rolled onto her back and scooted into a sitting position. “I guess our friend values his life, too. That’s why he did a cover-up instead of a rescue.”
“So he knows where it is.” Ian scratched his jaw. “He just can’t get to it.”
“But we can.” Meg grabbed Ian’s forearm, adrenaline zinging through her veins. “Our guy can’t rock climb. He’d need a permit for this mountain, and he doesn’t want to expose himself. And he can’t get a chopper up here, or at least he can’t find anyone crazy enough to make the attempt. He must have some other plan, or he’s waiting for reinforcements.”
Ian rested his forearms on his knees. “Maybe that’s why he went after Matt.”
“Matt?” Meg blinked.
“Can Matt intercede and get someone a rock climbing permit, or do the climb himself?”
The blood rushed to Meg’s head and she closed her eyes against the dizziness. “Of course.”
“Maybe this guy asked Matt and Matt refused.”
“Why would Matt refuse?” Meg pressed her fingers against her temples. The thrill of the adventure had obscured the danger…for just a minute, until Ian mentioned Matt. “We get climbers occasionally. He wouldn’t have thought the request out of line.”
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br /> “Unless the manner of the request struck him as odd. Maybe Matt sensed something hinky and refused the request. Maybe the guy came on too strong and offered money—a payoff to keep things hush-hush.”
“We can’t ask him now.”
“Matt warned you, told you to run, right?” Ian reached out and squeezed her knee. Her face must be reflecting her horror at the turn of the conversation.
“Do you think this man, this terrorist, had me pegged as the next one on his list to ask?”
“It makes sense.”
“But he didn’t. Nobody has approached me about a permit to climb or about making a climb myself.”
“Things must’ve gone downhill quickly during his conversation with Matt. Obviously, the guy’s not going to waltz in after that and start asking questions.”
“So what’s he going to do now? Just wander around down in the gorge and shoot at anyone who comes close to a vantage point for this ledge?”
“You said it.” Ian pushed to his feet, extending his hand. “Maybe he’s waiting for reinforcements.”
Meg shivered and brushed a drop of rain from her cheek. “We’d better get back down. We don’t want to get caught in the snow, even a light dusting.”
Ian jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Tomorrow I climb.”
“Tomorrow we climb.”
“Don’t be stubborn, Meg.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her snug against his side. “Your shoulder’s still hurting. You’re not going rock climbing.”
She wriggled in his grasp, but he held her tight. “But I’ve done it before. I can guide you up, Ian. We can lead climb, which will be so much safer than free climbing. I want to help you.”
“And I want your help, Meg-o, but not with a bum shoulder. It’s too dangerous.” He rested his chin on top of her head and she slumped against his chest.
Ian’s reasons for telling her no had nothing to do with her father’s reasons. Ian had her safety in mind and her father had his ego. Had she finally learned to recognize the difference?
Ian rubbed his beard across her hair, catching strands with each pass. “Besides, I’m going to need someone riding shotgun. I’m going to be exposed on the side of that cliff, a sitting duck. You need to have my back, Meg.” He pulled away and wedged a gloved finger beneath her chin. “Do you have my back, Meg?”
Her chest rose and fell. “I do now, Ian.”
He dipped his head, slanting his mouth across hers. His lips felt warm and inviting and she took the plunge, closing her eyes and opening her mouth to his probing tongue.
How had she survived three long years without her husband?
She knew now, she never wanted to be separated from him again. Could he forgive her for Travis? Could she convince him that her reasons never included doubts about his ability to be a good father?
He plowed his fingers through her hair, the strands sticking to the suede trim on his gloves. He whispered against her aching lips, “God, I missed you.”
Her mouth parted, sucking his words into her soul. Then his lips brushed her cheek. “Your face is cold, Meg. Let’s hike back and plan our assault for tomorrow.”
She’d rather plan her assault on him tonight. She dropped her hands from his back, where she’d been about to slip them lower. The man still acted like a drug on her senses. His kiss caused her to lose all concept of place, time and…danger.
Did she have the same effect on him? If so, he’d had another good reason for not mixing business and pleasure—it could be hazardous to his health. Her own issues with her father had blinded her to all of Ian’s good and noble intentions.
She stuffed her hands in her pockets. “Let’s go. I’ll file a permit for you when we get back, and get you outfitted.”
By the time they returned to the Rocky Mountain Adventures office, silence greeted them. A note on the door indicated that all hikes had been suspended for the week.
Meg worried her lower lip. “I hope there’s not more bad news about Matt.”
She slipped her key in the door and nudged it with her hip. She shuffled through the papers on the desk while she cradled the telephone receiver between her jaw and shoulder and punched the message button.
Ian raised his brows. “Anything?”
Meg held her finger to her lips and listened to a couple of messages from disgruntled tourists with hiking plans. Plopping the phone on the desk, she shook her head. “Nothing about Matt.”
“Would Sheriff Cahill know? Do you want to give him a call?” Ian scooped up the phone and held it out to her.
Meg took the phone from him, balancing it in her palm, as if weighing its heft. “Should we call in the sheriff’s department to help out tomorrow? Maybe some of the deputies could stand guard while you climb?”
“No.” Ian snatched the phone from her hand. “I can’t allow that, Meg. What part of ‘covert operation’ don’t you understand? If the sheriff’s department shows up, then the press shows up and this thing gets played out on the national stage. That would have dire consequences for the mission. If the CIA or the FBI gets its hands on this weapon, Prospero will lose any chance of discovering more information to help Jack. The CIA doesn’t care about him. The Agency has already written him off as a traitor. Hell, maybe the Agency had a hand in setting him up.”
“You guys are really paranoid, aren’t you?” She held out her hand, snapping her fingers. “Okay. I’ll follow your lead. I won’t tell Pete anything. Heck, he already suspects we’re holding out on him.”
“Haven’t you been holding out on Pete all along? What’s once more?” Ian winked.
A hot blush marched across her cheeks. “You make it sound like I’m a tease. I never led Pete on. He knew I was still married.”
Ian held out the phone, his eyes never leaving hers. “And don’t you forget it.”
She got Pete on the first try. Covering the mouthpiece with her hand, she whispered to Ian, “Matt’s still unconscious.”
Meg ended the call and tapped the receiver against her hand. “So Matt hasn’t regained consciousness and Pete hasn’t discovered anything nefarious about Hans Birnbacher, except that he overstayed his ninety-day welcome in the States.”
“So he came in as a tourist and stuck around. Of course, the real Hans Birnbacher may not even know he’s dead. Identities can be stolen and appropriated. Happens all the time.”
The hair on the back of Meg’s neck quivered. Maybe Ian had been right during their years together—the less she knew about his business the better.
She flicked her watch. “Time to pick up Travis, just as soon as I file your rock climbing permit, which I can expedite. Y-you’re coming over tonight, right? I mean to work out our plan for tomorrow.”
“Of course. I’m not leaving you two alone tonight. You pick up Travis and I’ll go back to my hotel to shower and change.” He pointed to the back of the office. “Can I check out the rock climbing gear while you work on that permit?”
Meg powered on the computer and then tossed her keys to Ian. “All the stuff is locked up in the back. Help yourself.”
By the time she hit the key to send off Ian’s rock climbing permit, he’d returned to the front of the office loaded down with ropes, carabiners, a harness and a variety of draws, slings and grips.
“Looks like you’re leading an expedition to Everest, instead of doing a solo climb.”
The equipment clanked and creaked as he strode past her toward the door. “This expedition is more dangerous than Everest.”
Meg sucked in a breath and held it as she powered down the computer. Would the danger of this mission make Ian rethink his decision to allow her to help him tomorrow? Did she want him to?
After all, what did she have to prove anymore? She’d already lost a mother, a twin sister, a marriage. Did she really want to lose her life to assert her independence?
IAN LOADED THE TRUNK of his rental car with the gear he probably wouldn’t need and collapsed in the driver’s seat. Exhaustion seeped into
his bones. If he had to keep walking this tightrope with Meg, his muscles would clench up and lock.
He didn’t want her anywhere near this mountain when he climbed that cliff face tomorrow. If he had to hog-tie her and stash her in his trunk to keep her away, he’d do it. Motherhood may have softened her body, but it hadn’t done anything to wear down those prickles that sprang up whenever someone tried to tell her what to do. She couldn’t stop equating every challenge with her father’s attempt to dominate her life.
Had he done any better in slaying his personal demons? He enjoyed being around Travis, but the kid scared the hell out of him.
He waved at Meg in the rearview mirror as she locked up the office and climbed into her SUV. As he followed her down the road into Crestville, he punched in Buzz Richardson’s number on his cell.
“Hey, Ian. What’s up? You find that weapon yet?”
“I might have. That’s why I’m calling. I need your help. Where are you?”
“I’m in D.C. There’s been chatter about President Okeke’s visit to the UN and Slovenka’s name has come up a few times.”
Ian’s nostrils flared. Okeke had been elected president of a newly formed African nation. The U.S. was keeping its eye on him for his former ties to terrorists, but he’d been elected in a seemingly democratic process. The Americans had decided to play hands-off…for now.
“What kind of chatter?”
“Assassination attempt.”
Ian cursed into the phone. “And because Slovenka’s name has been mentioned in connection to this plot, the colonel thinks it’s linked to Jack’s disappearance.”
“It’s like pieces of a puzzle. We start with the bits on the edge and work our way inside. That’s why Colonel Scripps sent me out here, and…ah…Raven’s been assigned as Okeke’s translator.”
“What’s the colonel trying to do? Isn’t one assassination attempt enough?” Ian beeped his horn and waved as he pulled into the parking lot of his hotel, and Meg continued toward Travis’s day care.
“Raven and I split on okay terms. Speaking of splits, I’m sure you’ve run into Meg in Crestville. How’s that going for you?”
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