Every Secret Thing

by Rebecca Hartt

  “They’re gaining on us, Saul.”

  “I know. Put your phone away,” he said, shaking off his seatbelt.

  “What are you doing?” she cried, as he slid his seat way back. They were hurtling down a slick and hilly but mercifully straight road, with towering trees on either side. This was not the time to be taking off his seatbelt.

  “I’m shooting,” he replied. “You’re going to drive.”

  “What? I’m in the backseat!”

  “Listen to me and keep calm.”

  His firm tone had her closing her mouth with a snap.

  “The car is on cruise control. All you have to do is hold the wheel straight and don’t let me bump your arm.”

  Fear and dread squeezed Charlotte’s heart, causing her to balk momentarily. “I can’t do that.”

  “If you want us to shake our tail, you have to,” he said. “Let’s go. Get ready to take the wheel.”

  Charlotte hesitated. There had to be another way. Peering behind them, she was horrified to see headlights practically on their bumper. The second car had pulled alongside the first, so that they now occupied both lanes. It couldn’t be more obvious they meant to nudge Saul’s Camaro off the road. At this speed, the results would be deadly.

  Saul pushed the button that opened the sunroof and hefted the semi-automatic, thumbing off the safety.

  Chilly air blasted into the car, rousing Charlotte to sharp awareness. With no more hesitation, she released her seatbelt and lunged between the two front seats to grip the steering wheel.

  Keep your eyes on the road.

  Careful not to touch her, Saul gripped the edge of the sunroof and pulled himself straight up and slightly over, sticking his head and shoulders out the window. Twisting his upper body, he put an elbow on the roof to aim behind them. Charlotte kept her eyes glued to the road.

  A barrage of gunfire, scarcely audible for the wind roaring into the car, rang out.

  Grateful that she couldn’t see into the rearview mirror from her current perspective, she cringed at the screeching of tires that followed.

  Hold steady! She gripped the wheel so hard her knuckles ached.

  Lowering himself back into the car, Saul accidently bumped her arm with his hip.

  No! The car jerked, then righted itself with a wobble as Saul dropped into his seat and seized control in the nick of time.

  “You can let go,” he said.

  It took all her strength to pry her hands free. Numb with shock, Charlotte threw herself over a recumbent Lucas, hugging him for comfort, even though he couldn’t respond.

  “You did good, ma’am,” Saul said, ruffling her wig.

  “Did we kill them?” she asked.

  “No.”

  Saul’s calm tone reassured her enough to sit back and put on her seatbelt.

  “One car lost control,” he elaborated, “but it didn’t hit the trees. I’m sure the air bags kept anyone from dying.”

  We’re not going to die either, Charlotte realized, closing her eyes with profound relief. The sweetness of life broke over her along with a warm rush of gratitude.

  “Thank You, God,” she whispered, aware that she’d prayed for the first time in three years. She felt immediately better for it.

  Saul had slowed their speed to something survivable while still making good time.

  “How’s Little John’s pulse?” Saul asked. “I need to know if we can afford to stop and look for the tracking device.”

  Charlotte felt for Lucas’s jugular. “He’s freezing,” she realized, wishing they had a blanket. “But his pulse is good,” she added as Saul turned up the heat.

  “How much farther to Pax River?” she asked, looking at the map.

  “Fifteen miles or so. We gotta find that tracker now so they don’t realize where we’re going.”

  “Agreed,” she said. “Let’s be quick about it.”

  Lucas will make it, she assured herself.

  God had many more plans for Lucas Strong before calling him home. She pictured him on harrowing missions with his SEAL troop, then pictured him returning home to a wife who put her husband and her kids ahead of her career. A gust of loneliness blew through her. At least he would be happy.

  “Welcome back, Lieutenant.”

  Prying open sticky eyelids, Lucas found himself in what appeared to be a hospital recovery room. The sterile space was crammed with tubes and instruments. Two other patients slumbered in beds nearby. Taking inventory of himself, Lucas found an IV needle imbedded in the back of his left hand. His right arm was strapped to his chest by Velcro strips banding his torso. The last thing he could recall was passing out in Saul’s car as they sped away from the Sabena police.

  Where am I? he went to ask the behemoth-sized woman looming over him, only he found he had to clear his dry throat first. “Did I have surgery?” he asked instead.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  Blinking her into focus, Lucas noted with puzzlement the frown on her dark face and the disapproving line of her lips.

  “I’m Rexanne,” she informed him.

  He found her pretty name at odds with her ferocious appearance. The name T-Rex would have suited her better, even though he would have to borrow it from a former SEAL, a member of Blue Squadron whose foot had been crushed during an op-gone-wrong.

  “And I know who you are,” she added, reaching for him.

  Lucas flinched, but all she did was check his pulse while looking at her watch.

  Releasing him, she entered data into the computer on the wheeled table next to him.

  “You used to play for the Dallas Cowboys,” she continued. Her tone turned downright condemning. “And ever since you left, they haven’t gone to a single Super Bowl.”

  Many of his fans had yet to forgive him for quitting football. T-Rex was apparently among that number.

  “Do you know where my friends are?” he asked, trying to sit up.

  “Unh-uh!” She halted his ascent with a man-sized hand on his chest. “You ain’t goin’ nowhere just yet. Give yourself a day or two.”

  “What day is it?”

  “Thursday.”

  Jaguar’s motion hearing was tomorrow. He simply didn’t have a day or two.

  “Where am I?” he asked with growing agitation.

  “Patuxent Naval Air Station. And your friends are waitin’ for you in the room I’m about to move you to.” She pointed a threatening finger at him. “Don’t you even think about leavin’ until the hospital commander gives the all-clear.” Her dark eyes bulged as she added, “I’ve dealt with your kind before. You think taking a bullet’s like getting stung by a bee. Well, it ain’t. We had to dig deep to get that sucker out. You move before you’re ready, and you’re gonna start bleedin’ internally.”

  Lucas heard her words, but he planned on leaving anyway.

  “And just so you know,” she added, “Patient Safety’s going to want to know how you got shot in the first place. A rep will be stopping by your room to talk to you.”

  Nonplussed, Lucas wondered what he was going to say to explain his circumstances.

  Cranking the handle that had kept his gurney immobile, the nurse proceeded to wheel him out of the recovery room. They moved briskly down a hallway in dire need of renovation and turned into the open elevator where T-Rex pushed the button for the fourth floor.

  Lucas struck the option of escaping through a window. He was in no condition to rappel down the side of the hospital from that height.

  A minute later, they turned into room 402, and Lucas sighed in relief to see Saul passed out in the armchair and Charlotte sprawled on the bed.

  At their noisy entrance, she sat straight up, jostling her wig. “Lucas!” Relief brimmed behind the lenses of her glasses. His own spirits lifted abruptly.

  “Off!” T-Rex ordered, pushing the gurney alongside the bed.

  Charlotte vaulted off it, and Saul sprang up from the armchair into a position of attention. Lucas looked at him and blinked. Saul’s long hair was a t
angled mess and his goatee resembled a pin-cushion.

  “You look like you survived a tornado,” he commented.

  “Something like that,” Saul affirmed, while sliding T-Rex a wary look. “How do you feel, sir?”

  The nurse answered for him. “He needs to rest for forty-eight hours,” she instructed, setting the brake on the gurney. “No excitement and no sudden movements.”

  Transferring his IV bag first, she pulled down the bedding Charlotte had been sleeping on and fluffed up the pillow.

  Lucas, who was afraid T-Rex might try to pick him up, wriggled off the gurney into the bed himself, using his good arm. The mattress was still warm from Charlotte’s body heat. He was pleased not to feel any pain with the movement, but then he was likely still benefiting from a nerve block, which would wear off soon enough.

  T-Rex confirmed his suspicion with her next words.

  “Before your nerve block wears off completely, I’ll be back to give you a muscle relaxer mixed with acetaminophen. Or would you rather have that now?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

  “No.” Acetaminophen was one thing, but muscle relaxers made him sleepy.

  The nurse propped her hands on her ample hips. “You best not be acting macho for your friends. Soon as your back starts to hurt, you press the call button and I’ll take care of you.”

  He was afraid of that.

  T-Rex wasn’t done with her instructions. “If you need to use the restroom, you get one of them to help you.” She sent Charlotte a pointed look. “If you’re here by yourself, hit the call button and I’ll escort you myself.”

  Lucas vowed he was never going to hit that call button.

  Saul made a choking sound and earned the nurse’s hard stare.

  “It’s your job to make sure he rests.” She pointed a warning finger at him. “I am holdin’ you accountable.”

  Saul saluted her. “Yes, ma’am,” he said with vigor.

  The nurse scowled at his antics, then turned a narrow-eyed look back at Lucas.

  “Like I said, I’ve dealt with your kind before. Don’t try pullin’ no tricks on me. I’ll be watchin’ you.” Her eyes opened wide with the threat.

  Lucas had met terrorists who scared him less. He murmured something to appease her, then followed her progress all the way to the door. No one said anything until it closed and the sound of her footsteps faded.

  “Phew.” Lucas expelled a breath. “What happened? Tell me everything.”

  Moving closer to him, Charlotte gestured for Saul to answer. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a smashed bit of hardware. “This is a tracking device. We found it in one of the Camaro’s wheel wells.”

  Given its mangled state, the device wasn’t betraying their location anymore.

  Charlotte added, “Remember Blanchard saying he likes to keep tabs on who comes and goes? That’s how he does it. I’m betting he did the same thing to Lloyd’s car.”

  Lucas looked back at Saul. “So, you outran the cops?”

  “Nope.” Saul put the device away and crossed his arms. “They caught up to us, planning to run us off the road.”

  “Just like they did to Lloyd,” Charlotte inserted darkly.

  “So, how did you lose them?” Lucas asked.

  Saul shrugged. “Shot out their tires.”

  “While you were driving?” Lucas couldn’t begin to envision how that was possible.

  “Sort of. I set the cruise control, and Charlotte held the wheel so I could stick my head out of the sunroof.”

  Lucas swung an astonished look back Charlotte. “You held the wheel from the backseat?” He could only imagine her terror.

  “Yep,” she said, with a brave little smile. “I also videotaped the chase. If I can prove Blanchard put a tracker on Lloyd’s car, too, I’m going to see he goes to jail for murder.”

  Taking in the determined glint in her eyes, Lucas could imagine her succeeding.

  Saul summed up the rest. “By the time all this happened, we were fifteen miles south of Pax River, so we brought you onto the base and straight to the hospital.”

  “Thank you,” Lucas said, marveling that he couldn’t remember a thing. “I’m sure you saved my life.” He focused on what needed to be done now. “Unfortunately, we’ve got a couple of situations on our hands. First, some rep from Patient Safety is going to ask me how I got shot.”

  “Taken care of,” Saul assured him. “I called Master Chief this morning and told him what had happened. He’s going to call Patient Safety and explain that you were injured in a live-fire training exercise, top secret.”

  Lucas thanked Saul for his forethought. “Our next problem is Jaguar’s motion hearing is tomorrow, and they don’t want to release me for forty-eight hours. We need to get back to The Beach tonight if we want our evidence approved. Those pictures from the warehouse will destroy Dwyer’s integrity.”

  “I thought we couldn’t mention The Entity,” Charlotte reminded him.

  “We won’t. We’ll merely make the panel wonder what Dwyer’s up to. Wait, where’s the camera?” Lucas cried, realizing his shorts were no longer on his body.

  “Right here, sir.” Saul produced it from the pocket of his camouflaged jacket. “And your clothes are in a plastic bag in that closet,” he added, pointing.

  “Can I have it?” Lucas asked, holding out a hand for the camera. “What about my cell phone?” Charlotte produced his cell phone from her purse and put it into his hands.

  “Thanks.” Looking from his phone to the camera, Lucas added, “I’m going to try to download the pictures from the camera so I can send them to people.”

  “Are you sure you’re up to that, sir?” Saul asked. “You just had surgery.”

  Lucas looked up at them. Saul’s eyes were bloodshot. Charlotte stifled a yawn. “You’re the ones who’ve been up all night. I feel fine,” he assured them. “Why don’t you leave me here and find some shady place to sleep in the car, or maybe even at one of the motels outside the gate.” He knew he could trust Saul to be a gentleman. “Come back for me at seven this evening, and we’ll take off then. I don’t want to have taken a bullet for nothing,” he added persuasively.

  Saul nodded in agreement. “I could use some sleep,” he muttered.

  Charlotte hovered over Lucas. “Do you need anything before we leave? Can we help you get to the restroom?” she asked, worry etched on her face.

  Lucas pictured the tiny gown he was wearing. He was almost certain it gaped in the back. “I’ll be fine by myself,” he growled. “I’ve been in worse shape than this.”

  “Hold onto the IV pole for support if you get up,” she advised, fingering his blanket. For a moment, it looked like she might hug him or even kiss him. “Call Saul’s phone if you need anything,” she urged, patting his arm instead.

  Saul was already headed for the door. Charlotte followed him reluctantly.

  Watching her walk away, Lucas was struck with a feeling of abandonment. Charlotte’s backward glance suggested she felt the same way.

  In just a few days’ time, they’d gotten used to each other.

  Finding himself alone, he eased awkwardly out of bed, leaving the phone and camera under the sheet. Grabbing hold of his IV pole like Charlotte had suggested, he shuffled to the bathroom.

  By the time he returned, he was shaky and a little lightheaded. He got back into bed and accessed Fitz’s number on his phone, only to have his call go to voicemail. It was all he could do to leave a coherent message about Dwyer’s connection to the warehouse in Sabena.

  Lowering his phone onto his chest, Lucas closed his eyes and succumbed to lethargy. In a minute, he would rouse himself and figure out how to transfer the photos from the camera to his cell phone.

  With no idea of how much time had passed, he came awake knowing someone was standing over him. Opening his eyes, he sucked in a startled breath to find Special Agent Fitz holding the camera and scanning the digital pictures.

  “You’re here already?” Lu
cas asked, slurring his words. Groping for his phone, he checked what time it was and discovered he’d snoozed about an hour—not just the few minutes he’d planned on.

  Fitz couldn’t possibly have driven from Norfolk to Patuxent in only one hour. He must have taken a plane the moment he received the voicemail.

  The agent’s green eyes focused on him intently. “How are you feeling?” he asked, ignoring the question.

  “I’m fine,” Lucas managed, though he could tell the nerve block was wearing off fast, and the subsequent pain in his back wasn’t going to be pleasant.

  Fitz held up the camera. “Excellent work, Lieutenant, but I’m afraid you injured yourself for no reason. I already knew about the warehouse in Sabena. There’s no reason for you to have these pictures.”

  Lucas realized Fitz wasn’t simply looking at their pictures; he was deleting them.

  “Sir!” he protested, trying to sit up. A sharp pain knifed deep into his shoulder blade, causing him to arch and fall back, swallowing a scream.

  “I’m sorry,” he heard Fitz say. “But I can’t take the chance that you’ll be so moved to save your colleague, you’ll ruin my investigation in the process. I’m at a very delicate juncture right now.”

  Fighting waves of agony, Lucas couldn’t manage a single word of protest.

  Suddenly, Fitz was digging his fingers into the base of Lucas’s neck, adding yet another layer of pain to his almost unbearable discomfort.

  “Have you made any copies yet? Downloaded the pictures onto your phone or any other device?” he growled, his voice as hard as nails.

  Slitting his eyes, Lucas took in the ruthless set to Fitz’s foxlike face and realized Charlotte might have been right not to trust him. At every turn, Fitz seemed intent on destroying any evidence that could damage Dwyer’s reputation. Was it possible he wasn’t investigating The Entity but, in fact, doing damage control for them and protecting Dwyer?

  “No, sir,” he grated.

  His suspicions continued to bubble as Fitz released him. The man stood a moment, looking down his nose at Lucas.

  “I’ll let the nurse know about the pain you’re in,” he offered on a kinder note. “Please give my regards to Charlotte. Whatever you do, don’t let your guard down. Anything could happen to her.”