“This is she.”
“Please hold for Mrs. Starling.”
Tess covered the receiver and glanced up. Ryan was looking out from between the crack in the drapes. She snapped her fingers. “A Mrs. Starling,” she hissed. “She asked for me by name.”
“Starling?” Ryan frowned. “As in Mrs. Starling the vice president’s wife?”
Tess gave him an exasperated look. “Of course it’s not the vice president’s wife. What would the vice president’s wife want with me?”
Ryan shrugged. “It’s possible. You had a pretty significant reaction to Starling’s appearance on TV the other night.”
Tess’s fingers tightened on the receiver. Was he right? Was this the vice president’s wife calling her? Why couldn’t she remember if she knew her or not? Sweat broke out on the back of her neck and her fingers tingled, threatening to go numb.
Ryan moved to stand beside her, pressing his head next to hers so he could listen. The warmth of his closeness gave her comfort and she took a deep breath. She’d get through this with his help.
“Tess, it’s me, Paige,” a slightly breathless voice gushed over the phone line. “Where have you been, sweetie? Jacob and I have been worried sick about you.”
Tess watched an expression of total surprise cross Ryan’s face at the mention of Jacob Starling. She dropped down onto the hassock next to the telephone table, her knees slightly wobbly. Ryan followed her down, crouching next to her. “Hell-hello, Mrs. Starling,” she managed.
The remarkably clear tones of amused laughter filtered across the phone’s receiver. “Mrs. Starling? Heavens, Tess, you’ve been overseas way too long. When did you ever not call me Paige?”
“I—I’m sorry—Paige. You took me by surprise. How did you know I was home?”
“Don’t ask me to divulge my sources. You should know by now that I have spies all over Washington—a person can’t sneeze without me knowing about it.” Paige Starling laughed again. “Actually, Nancy Taylor saw you walking down the street with an absolutely adorable man. She called to ask me who you’re dating now. Be careful, she’ll try to steal him away. Who is he anyway?”
“Just an old friend.”
“Of course he is. They’re all old friends. But enough about that. Jacob is beside himself with worry. He didn’t think you’d make it home in time to attend the reception tonight. I, on the other hand, have harbored no such fears. I’ve told him repeatedly that you never go back on a promise.”
Tess heard several people speaking softly in the background.
“Hang on a moment, Tess.” The voices were muffled for a moment and then the vice president’s wife returned. “I’m sorry, Tess, it’s crazy here. This evening’s plans have my entire staff spinning. Please put my poor husband out of his misery and reassure me that you’re coming tonight.”
Tess shot a questioning look at Ryan. “What should I say?” she whispered.
“Say yes,” he said. “Whatever she’s talking about might give us more clues as to what we’re searching for.”
Tess nodded. “I’m coming, Paige—wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Good Lord, what was she agreeing to? She looked into Ryan’s eyes and took comfort in the composed, unruffled expression on his face. He flashed her a quick grin, his eyes telling her that he knew what she was feeling.
The single glance was enough to extinguish the squirt of anxiety that threatened to send her over the edge. The man was her rock, her anchor.
“Oh, Tess, that’s wonderful. Jacob is going to be so pleased. This means so much to him. He talks constantly about how he wishes your father could be there, too. But he’ll take comfort in having you there.” She barely took a breath before prattling on. “I’m going to have a courier bring over a set of passes. You are still bringing a date, aren’t you? What was that young man’s name you put down in your e-mail as your escort…” Paige’s voice trailed off and Tess could hear her shuffling through papers. “Oh! Here it is. McCaffrey. Ian McCaffrey, right?”
Tess gave Ryan another panicked look, but he nodded his head and mouthed the words, Say yes.
“Yes—that’s right. Ian McCaffrey.”
“Be sure to get there before eight. In fact, I’m making a note to myself to send a car for you and your date.” Paige laughed softly. “You know how chronically late you are. The car will pick you up at seven-thirty sharp. I’m messaging the invitations over as we speak. Jacob makes his announcement at eight-thirty, so come right up to the dais as soon as you arrive. Okay?”
“I’ll be there on time, Paige.” In the background, Tess could again hear someone whispering to the vice president’s wife.
She came back on, her words rushed and slightly harassed.
“Listen, I’ve got to run. Things are heating up here. We’ll see you tonight. Don’t you dare be late!”
The phone clicked off and Tess dropped the receiver into its cradle. “Well, that was totally bizarre. What do we do now?”
“We make a quick stop at a local drugstore for some supplies and then we go to a party.”
“Supplies?”
He nodded. “Something tells me that we won’t be able to bring any weapons to this shindig, but I don’t intend to go unarmed.” He smiled. “I’ll be bringing a few professional tools of the trade.”
She stared at him as a deep, undeniable feeling of dread rolled over her. She knew without saying anything that going to the party was a mistake. A mistake they would both pay for. A voice inside her head screamed at her to run, to take Ryan and run as far and as fast as they could in the opposite direction. She opened her mouth to say that, to tell Ryan they needed to escape. To get out of Washington.
But no words came out. Her throat was frozen. Paralyzed. Instead, she nodded in agreement. Yes, they’d go to the party. She had a job to do. What that job was, she wasn’t sure, but something told her it was waiting for her.
The word destiny floated to the surface, hovering in front of her eyes, and it was at that moment that Tess realized there was no going back. Her path had been predetermined. No matter how much she loved and trusted Ryan, even he couldn’t change things.
Oblivious to her feeling of impending doom, Ryan stood up, his hand reaching out to lightly caress her cheek. She leaned her head against his hand and closed her eyes, soaking in his strength and courage. And as she basked in the radiance of his touch, she pushed back the dread. Somehow she’d survive this night. Because of him, she had to.
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Ryan and Tess arrived at the Washington Excel. Television crews and reporters jockeyed for position behind carefully erected police barricades around the posh hotel. Camera flashes lit up the darkness blanketing the city.
Ryan stepped out of the limo and reached to offer a hand to Tess. She slipped her hand into his and smiled up at him. As she gracefully swung her legs out, her dress—an elegant red sheath with a daring slit up one side—parted slightly, giving him a clear view of one long leg. Fierce possessiveness flooded him, surprising him with its intensity. He wished he could usher her back into the car and slam the door against the crowds pressing in on them.
But something in her eyes, the grim determination, told Ryan that wasn’t a possibility. They didn’t have a choice. They had come to find answers and Tess wouldn’t leave until she had them.
She took his arm, her smile confident. But he knew without question that she was frightened, worried about what they faced once they walked through the doors of the hotel.
The air around them held a charge of heightened expectation. Even the crowd seemed to sense this was a momentous occasion. At the entrance to the lobby, a uniformed employee and two men in suits checked their invitations and then directed them to a private elevator leading to the terrace reception.
They crowded into the elevator with six other couples. The mood was festive with everyone talking at once. They were dressed in formal attire, the men in crisp white shirts and immaculate tuxes, and the women in expensive gowns, thei
r necks and ears dripping with precious gems.
When the doors opened on the top floor, the group surged out into the hall. People lined the corridor and at the opposite end of the hall leading to the rooftop terrace, Ryan spied the security detail. Five Marine guards stood at attention on either side of the four doors leading to the terrace. Through the doors filtered the sound of music, clinking glass and many voices engaged in animated conversation.
In front of the marines stood a group of men dressed in conservative dark suits and sporting tiny headphones in their ears. Ryan knew they were the Secret Service detail assigned to guard the vice president.
The Secret Service checked handbags and ran sophisticated metal detectors over everyone awaiting admittance to the gala. None of the people waiting seemed impatient or put off by the security routine. Ryan figured that all of them were seasoned Washington partygoers. They knew the routine. Knew what to expect.
As he and Tess got into line, waiting their turn, the elevator doors opened again, discharging another group. The group waiting in the hall swelled to approximately twenty-five people.
The group shifted and moved. Two couples jostled for position next to him, their voices loud and boisterous. The smell of liquor was strong. Apparently they had started their partying a little earlier than the rest.
Ryan moved aside as one of the men’s elbows jabbed him in the rib. The man mumbled an apology. Ryan nodded and turned to say something to Tess. But she had gotten separated from him, moving farther up the line and closer to the security checkpoint.
He watched her hand one of the men her invitation and her beaded purse. The agent examined it carefully, comparing it to a list on his clipboard. Another of the Secret Service men ran a metal detector over her slender frame.
Eager to join her, Ryan tapped the person ahead of him, motioning that he needed to get by. But the man shot him an impatient look and closed ranks. Unless he wanted to do an end run around the group ahead of him, he was going to have to wait.
The agent waved Tess through, and Ryan was surprised when she didn’t turn to find him in the crowd. But as he moved forward, he decided that her anxiety had gotten the better of her and she wasn’t even aware that they had become separated.
“May I have your invitation, sir?” one of the Secret Service men asked politely.
Distracted, his eyes still on Tess standing in the huge doorway leading to the outside terrace, Ryan handed the agent the envelope with his invitation. The man slid it out and compared it to the names on his clipboard.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll have to wait here.” Another agent, not either of the two conducting the security check, stepped in front of Ryan, blocking his way.
Ryan’s pulse rate hit a new high. “Is there a problem?”
“Just a slight irregularity with the invitation, sir. We’ll have it all cleared up in no time. If you’ll just follow me please.”
The agent made a quick motion with one hand and two marine guards materialized, closing in on either side of Ryan. The people around him backed away, as if frightened to be associated with him. They stared and whispered.
The two guards didn’t touch Ryan, but he knew without question that they wouldn’t hesitate to take him down if he made any move to indicate he wasn’t in a cooperative mood.
He glanced again in Tess’s direction, hoping she’d noticed that he hadn’t been able to get clear of the security detail. But she stood with her back to him, oblivious to his difficulties.
“Tess?” he called.
She turned and looked over her shoulder, and in that instant, their eyes met. A chill of fear overwhelmed Ryan. Her familiar green eyes looked right through him, her gaze vacant, devoid of expression.
He realized that she didn’t see him, didn’t recognize him. It was if he’d suddenly ceased to exist. Something drastic had happened.
He watched as two men in tuxes closed in on either side of her, one gently taking her arm and leading her back down the hall toward him. The man leaned down and whispered in her ear, speaking to her as if they were old friends. She listened, her face blank. They brushed past him and Tess glanced at him, but no recognition entered her eyes.
Fear clawed at Ryan’s belly. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. The two guards nudged him down the hall in the same direction. Their demeanor was polite, but their attitude didn’t allow room for protest.
All avenues of escape were now effectively cut off. Ryan knew that, within minutes, the Secret Service would find out he wasn’t who he pretended to be.
The only positive thing up to this point was they were taking him in the same direction as Tess. At least for now they weren’t going to be separated.
When they reached the elevator, the agent turned to the guards. “We’ll take it from here, gentlemen.”
The marine guards nodded and waited until Ryan, Tess and the three agents were safely on the elevator before heading back down the hall to their post.
Tess stood between the two agents in total silence, staring straight ahead. When Ryan attempted to speak to her, the two agents closed ranks, blocking her from his view.
“Where are you taking us?” Ryan asked the man standing next to him.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Are you Secret Service?”
The three men laughed.
“Who are you then?”
The man next to Ryan exchanged amused glances with the other two men. “Just good friends and supporters of the president.”
The elevator doors slid open and he ushered Ryan across the empty hall to the door of one of two suites on the floor. The door was open a crack, and he pushed it wider, waving Ryan and Tess in ahead of him.
“How nice of you to join us, Dr. Donovan,” a familiar voice greeted him.
Across the room, Ryan saw Flynn sitting in a comfortable leather chair. He didn’t look terribly pleased to see him, but he didn’t appear surprised, either.
Ryan stiffened when he noticed who stood directly behind the general. Ian McCaffrey. The big man nodded in Ryan’s direction, the cold blue of his eyes slightly mocking.
Both men were dressed in formal dinner wear, McCaffrey in a tux and Flynn in a dress uniform. The two agents with Tess guided her to a chair off to the side. Ryan watched as she sat down and folded her hands in her lap. She stared calmly straight ahead, her eyes unfocused, dreamy.
Flynn motioned to a chair directly in front of him. “Please join us, Doctor. We’ve been expecting you. We have a bit of unfinished business to wrap up.” He glanced in the direction of the men who had accompanied them to the suite. “You have the invitation?”
The man nodded and stepped forward to hand the general the pristine white envelope. Flynn took it and then waved the man off. “Wait outside until I need you.”
The men let themselves out. They didn’t appear in the least put off by the general’s seemingly abrupt dismissal.
Flynn nodded again in the direction of the chair. “Sit down. We have things to discuss.”
“Thanks, but I prefer to stand.”
Flynn shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He passed the envelope over his shoulder to McCaffrey. “I think it’s time you and Tess joined the celebration.”
McCaffrey accepted the envelope and nodded in Ryan’s direction. “Thanks for making sure my date arrived on time.”
He strolled across the room to Tess and bent down, offering his arm to her. She barely glanced at him, but obediently accepted his offer, wrapping her arm around his and standing up.
“Tess,” Ryan said urgently. “Tess, look at me.”
She turned slowly as if in a dream and stared across the room at him. It was as if she was frozen.
“Tess, please, baby, don’t go with him. Fight it.”
She stared at him blankly.
“Listen to me, Tess. Don’t go. Don’t listen to anything they’re saying.”
Nothing touched her face. No reaction. No flicker of recognition.
Ryan
turned to Flynn. “What’s wrong with her?”
Flynn raised an eyebrow. “You’re a doctor, why don’t you tell me?”
“If you’ve harmed her in some way, I’ll—”
“You’ll what, Doctor? I don’t think you’re in a position to do anything. Besides, does she look harmed?” Flynn waved a hand at Tess. “Personally, I think she looks like her stunning self. A little stiff, perhaps, but maybe that’s her nervousness. Her anticipation of what’s to come.”
“What’s to come? What did you do to her?”
Flynn steepled his hands, his expression amused. “I simply prepared her for her destiny.” He nodded at McCaffrey. “Go ahead. I’ll keep Donovan company. Give my regards to Starling.”
Ryan took a step in Tess’s direction, but Flynn stopped him. “Don’t be foolish, Doctor. You’ll be dead before you get halfway to her.”
Ryan glanced back, not in the least surprised to see a gun trained on him. The muzzle of the gun waved slightly as Flynn motioned him toward the chair. “Now sit down and behave.”
McCaffrey gave him a jaunty salute and then slipped out the door, Tess following compliantly.
“What destiny are you sending her to?” Ryan asked, not sure he really wanted to know, a terrible feeling of trepidation creeping through his system.
“As the daughter of Senator William Ross, the Don Quixote of leftist causes, it is only fitting that she be the one to take care of her father’s crown prince, Jacob Starling. That she be the one to teach him the ultimate lesson in what happens to traitorous turncoats.”
Dread crawled up Ryan’s spine and he dropped into the chair across from Flynn. “You can’t be serious?”
“Oh, but I am, Doctor,” Flynn assured him. “Tonight, our darling Tess will calmly and purposefully assassinate the vice president of the United States as he announces his intention to resign from the Republican Party and run for president.”
“Are you really so crazy that you’d believe that you can get away with assassinating the vice president of the United States?”
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