Her Undercover Defender

by Debra Webb

  “Yes,” Casey replied. “I have analysts going over every available camera angle from the hospital’s security system and throughout the surrounding area. We’ll figure out what they learned today. If Barnhart attempts to use his sister against Dr. Palmer, we need to intervene immediately.”

  “I’ll get it done,” David promised. He stared at the phone long after the director had ended the call.

  Eventually, he returned to the file on Trey, crossing it with the background they had on Terri, Dr. Palmer and Rediscover. Something in here would show him the next step. It had to. Sure, he could use the personal angle and become the charming new boyfriend, but it would be nice if Terri didn’t hate him when this was over.

  It wasn’t a normal in-and-out covert operation here. When the Rediscover strike team was caught—and he would make sure that happened—David still had to work within his new cover here in Charleston. For life.

  He laughed at himself. When he’d been presented with this assignment, he thought he’d worked all the scenarios. He hadn’t anticipated finding a woman he liked, a woman he’d like to know better. Sure, a long-term relationship would help him adjust here, but he’d be dead in the water if Terri ever found out he’d used her. No woman wanted to learn her trust had been misplaced or abused.

  He pushed his hands through his hair and turned his attention back to Trey. What vulnerability had Rediscover exploited? More important, how could David turn that into an advantage? Assuming, of course, that Trey’s efforts today hadn’t given Rediscover what they needed to steal or destroy Dr. Palmer’s research.

  David knew he was missing something. They all were. Since they’d met, on the occasions they’d talked about family, Terri described her younger brother as a stable teenager. The accident had changed more than his athletic ability, naturally. But what would make the teenager whose sister had been with him through every step of his recovery turn into a young man who would betray her?

  Taking another long pull on the beer, David paced away from the files and the computer. He changed into sweats and hit the treadmill in the home gym he’d set up on the screened porch. Movement helped him think. A pool would be better, but a hard run would suffice. He matched his breath to his stride, letting the case drift through his mind.

  Dr. Palmer, a renowned researcher, had been part of Terri’s life for a few years. No one kept that a secret. In fact, she’d divided her time since her parents died almost equally between Trey, the doctor and her career. How much time had the doctor spent with Trey?

  David’s feet kept going, his arms pumping for mile after manufactured mile. His sweatshirt was soaked and he’d drained the bottle of water in the holder when a new theory dawned on him. Trey wasn’t about betrayal; he was about salvation. He wanted to shuffle the hand he’d been dealt and come out the hero.

  “Damn.” David gradually slowed the treadmill to a walk as he tested the idea from all angles. From the brief intel the bugs had gathered last night, Trey had returned with confidence and little regret. When he had visited Terri at work, he’d acted like a young man wanting more than attention; he’d wanted to be noticed. By Terri, sure, but who else had been watching? He considered where and when the team might have been while waiting for the lights to go out.

  David went back to his computer and found a message from the Specialist team. The message urged him to review the footage. He opened the link to surveillance footage for the hours before Trey visited Terri’s workstation.

  The first image was Trey’s approach through the front entrance of the hospital. The view widened to the streets around the hospital campus. Four men had approached on foot from the direction of the Market. The men had split up a block away, with Trey heading straight for the main entrance. He was easy to spot in his Arizona sweatshirt. As the footage moved back in time, trolling the street views, David spotted what had prompted the team to send him this video. A fifth man, Joseph Keller, one of Rediscover’s shady associates, relaxed at a sidewalk café, soaking up sunshine and coffee.

  “Damn.” David opened a second window and brought up the file on Joseph Keller to refresh his memory. Ruthless, downright mean, Keller worked only for profit, but he often preached rhetoric of hope and equality. Keller had ties to disgruntled, grassroots independent organizations worldwide. Rediscover was one of several programs planted to gather up lost sheep searching for life’s meaning and purpose. Terri had been right to think her brother’s account of his time missing sounded like a cult. David’s pulse rate started to climb as Director Casey’s original scenario took shape. It wasn’t just an abstract theory in a file anymore. A woman he cared about was in danger. Trey had been targeted by a known, violent expert. Through Trey, Keller could get to Terri and through her to Dr. Palmer. Dear God.

  David resisted the urge to run out of the house and straight to Terri with this news. Trey had joined Keller an hour before the blackout according to the time stamp. Keller didn’t make any effort to be discreet as he handed Trey a button camera and a card reader. Dread pooled in David’s gut. Assuming that button cam had worked, Joe Keller could very well know David’s face after the fight in the basement. The Specialist-supplied background would hold up under dissection—hell, it was mostly true anyway.

  He thought of his family in Georgia, targets now if Keller deemed David a threat to his plan. He thought of Terri. Trey was in her house, the bugs were busted and David was two blocks away. What a mess.

  His phone chimed with a text message. He picked it up in a hurry when he saw Terri’s number. Had Trey or Keller already taken the next step? He relaxed when he saw the message was her request for a ride to work in the morning. As Casey predicted, Dr. Palmer had asked for her to fill in for the injured nurses on the project. David sent a reply confirming he could give her a lift. If he could get away with spending the night guarding her house, he would.

  The attack today might have been a practice run, but David was certain it had also achieved one of Keller’s primary goals. All the elements were falling into place now. Through Trey, Keller and his organization now had better access to Palmer’s secure wing.

  Unable to sit there and wonder, David went for a run through the dark neighborhood. As he passed Terri’s house he saw her and Trey setting up the Christmas tree. He hoped like hell she was right to believe Trey wouldn’t hurt her. It would be far better if David felt more confident that Trey would only use that card reader and leave before Keller got close enough to hurt her.

  But life didn’t offer guarantees.

  For the sake of his sanity, David jogged up and down the neighborhood, looking for any sign of the strike team. Wishing he could stamp out the threat before Terri was even aware it existed, he was disappointed when he didn’t find the bad guys.

  He would find them and he would protect her, he promised silently as he passed her house once more.

  Chapter Eight

  Thursday, December 12, 7:05 a.m.

  David left the house early, giving himself time to pick up coffee as a surprise for Terri. He’d planned to do it anyway just to check in. Now, as her designated driver, he had a stronger reason to show up. Since the motorcycle was still there, he ordered three seasonal lattes at the coffee shop drive-through.

  “Just being a thoughtful friend,” he murmured as he carried the cardboard tray of drinks to Terri’s door.

  He had his excuses ready for arriving so early, but knowing Terri, it wouldn’t be necessary. Both of them preferred to be fifteen minutes early rather than a minute late for anything. He rang the doorbell and found himself hoping Trey wasn’t a late sleeper. Knowing he’d likely been identified, David resisted the urge to rattle the guy’s cage a little. It would be better for everyone if he could find a positive way to connect with her brother.

  When the door opened, it wasn’t Terri’s pretty green eyes or sweet smile that greeted him. It was her brother’s tough glare. David smiled. “Good morning. You must be Terri’s brother.”

  “Who the hell are you?�
�

  “David Martin.” He made a small production out of switching hands for a polite handshake.

  “Martin?” Trey’s grip was hard, his palm dry. “She’s never mentioned you.” Trey shrugged. “I’ll tell her you stopped by.”

  “No need,” David countered, sticking with the nice-guy approach. “I know I’m early. Is that your bike in the driveway?”

  “Yeah. How do you know my sister?”

  “We work together at the hospital,” David said, moving closer to the threshold, forcing the other man back. “We’re carpooling today.”

  “No, you’re not. I’ll take her in,” Trey said, reluctantly stepping back far enough for David to get inside. “Looks like you might have a concussion,” he said with a smirk and a nod toward David’s forehead as he closed the door.

  It was all the confirmation David needed. He’d been identified all right. Irritated that the kid didn’t seem to have suffered at all from their scuffle, he thought about giving Trey a preview of what he was really up against. Bad idea. Trey—and therefore Keller—knew David could handle himself in a close-quarters fight. That particular skill could still be explained by his time with the Coast Guard. What David wanted to do to this guy right now would be tougher to write off as basic self-defense training. He couldn’t afford to give Keller another advantage.

  David shrugged. “It’s cold this morning. I think Terri will prefer my car over the motorcycle.”

  “You’re wrong.” Trey shrugged. “You don’t know her like I do.”

  “I know her differently than a brother, that’s true,” David said calmly.

  Trey’s reaction as the implication took root was priceless. His eyes hot with anger, he moved a step closer to David. “You son of a—”

  “Trey?” Terri stepped into the entry hall, dressed in her scrubs. “Did I hear the—” She stopped short, her hand going to her hair when she spotted her company. “David? Wow, you’re early.”

  “Thought we’d make time for coffee.” He held up the tray. “Your brother was just telling me about his bike.”

  “I was going to make introductions,” she said, her face pinched with concern. “After work.”

  “We managed.” David extended the tray of coffees. “The whipped cream is melting.”

  “Can’t have that.” She took the tray and headed for the kitchen. “I’m just about ready. Three coffees?”

  “You caught me red-handed trying to break the ice.” David grinned and turned to Trey. “I took a chance that you drink coffee, too.”

  “Wrong.” Trey glowered at David. “I’ll catch up with you later,” he said to Terri, clearly irritated. Without a backward glance, he headed upstairs.

  “Something I said?” David asked under his breath.

  Terri dismissed his concern with a careless wave. “Not at all. He’s unhappy because I have to go in today.” She looked for the markers on each cup. “Which one is mine?”

  “Here.” David worked it out of the holder. “Would you rather ride in with him? I’d understand.”

  “On that beast? In this weather? No way.”

  David smothered the urge to gloat. This wasn’t simply about winning with the woman he wanted to date. The stakes were much higher than that. It was his job to make sure neither she nor the research was destroyed by Trey’s misplaced ideals and warped loyalties.

  “Thank you,” she said after a long sip that left a thin line of whipped cream on her lip. She licked it away and caught him staring. “You have excellent timing.”

  “I do?”

  She nodded, taking another long sip and then setting the cup aside. “I was about to scramble some eggs for a breakfast burrito. Should I make one for you?”

  “That would be great.”

  David took advantage of her distraction as she simultaneously prepped breakfast and packed her lunch bag. He glanced around to be sure Trey wasn’t lurking around, then planted a bug near the kitchen table. “I could take you out to lunch in repayment.”

  “I appreciate the invitation, but I have no idea when I’ll have a break.”

  “Maybe another time.” He wouldn’t push, not while her brother might overhear them. Coffee in one hand, bugs in his pocket, David walked a few paces away. He’d been in Terri’s house a couple of times. The first time was after a hospital staff picnic, when she’d invited him for a beer to unwind. She’d also asked him in when he picked her up on the way to a sea kayak lesson.

  Only once had he been through the whole place without her knowledge. It was a good house, well maintained, if a little on the lonely side. If only there was a reason to believe that would change with her brother’s arrival. Instead, David knew the opposite—more heartache—was the most likely outcome. He wished he could warn her or shield her from the worst of Trey’s new alliances.

  “Nice tree,” he said, venturing into the family room that was actually a part of the big open space that included the kitchen. He covertly planted another bug to replace the one no doubt found and disabled by Trey.

  Terri’s lips curved into a warm smile. “Thanks. Trey and I decided to get in the holiday spirit last night. It went pretty well.”

  David heard the undertones in her voice. There was more to the story, but she wouldn’t tell him now. It could be something as simple as the melancholy of old memories or something as complex as an argument about Trey dropping out of school.

  He walked closer to the tree, pretending to admire the ornaments while he looked for opportunity and placement options for the remaining bugs. Noticing a closed laptop on the end table that had to be Trey’s, David did one more double check and planted a bug there, too, on his way back to the kitchen.

  “Breakfast is ready,” she called from the kitchen.

  “That was fast,” David said, accepting the wrapped burrito she handed him.

  “I’ve got a system,” she said.

  “I like it.” He’d stepped in to brush a quick kiss to her cheek when her brother stomped down the stairs.

  She gave Trey a goodbye hug, and David picked up her lunch bag, wondering if she could sense the glare Trey aimed his way. They’d barely cleared the threshold when he heard the dead bolt slam into place behind them. It was all he could do not to laugh.

  “I don’t think your brother likes me much,” he said when they were in his car.

  “Trey has his moody moments,” she allowed. “I don’t think he slept well.”

  “How come?” He took a bite of breakfast as they waited for the light to change.

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure. When I got up this morning I found him asleep on the couch with his computer open. Maybe telecommuting isn’t the best option for him.”

  “He’s a big boy. He’ll figure it out.”

  “I hope so.” She sipped her coffee. “Thanks for this.”

  “No problem.” Having her along made the short commute downtown more fun. If only he could figure out how to make it more informative. “How was Dr. Palmer doing?”

  “He sounded okay. Not great, just okay.”

  “Should I be worried about you in that ward after yesterday?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Franklin assured me he increased security up there.”

  “Right.”

  “Everyone is on alert for anything out of the ordinary now,” she said. “If those men tried again, I don’t think they’d make it past the lobby.”

  But Trey was the only one who’d come into the hospital via that route. David cleared his throat, searching for the happy medium between what he wanted to say and what he could say. “Don’t forget you can call me if something happens.”

  He felt her eyes on him and he wondered what she saw.

  “Thanks.” It was hardly more than a whisper.

  “Hey.” He glanced at her, saw her trying to hold back some heavy emotion. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nice.” Her sigh filled the car. “Having someone care.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” he sai
d. “Because I can’t imagine not caring about you.”

  Though he hadn’t planned to say anything of the kind, he wouldn’t take the words back even if he could. They were true. Before she could respond, he shifted the conversation to safer topics for the rest of the drive, and when he dropped her off at the main lobby doors, her smile was warm and bright once more.

  * * *

  TERRI FELT LIKE a brand-new person as she stepped off the elevator on Franklin’s floor. Decorating the tree with Trey last night had been an excellent idea. It had broken the tension and given them something positive to share. Taking a page from David’s mother’s book, she’d turned on a radio station playing Christmas carols. It was almost impossible to argue with the happy, familiar songs going on in the background. It wasn’t perfect, but they were family and it seemed they could agree on that much at least.

  Then having David show up with coffee this morning, hearing him all but declare they were in a relationship...that was immensely heartwarming.

  She showed her badge to the man standing guard at the doors. The signs of yesterday’s attack were everywhere. The wall and desk where the nurses had been attacked were blocked with yellow caution tape, but that did nothing to hide the bullet holes. Terri counted three on the desk alone. To her right, near the doors, the security panel was smashed, the cover dangling open and all surfaces smudged with residue from the crime scene technicians. “Good morning,” she said after a moment.

  “Morning.” He inspected her hospital ID closely.

  In a navy polo shirt and khakis, with a menacing-looking gun at his hip, he didn’t wear a name tag or uniform like the hospital security team she was familiar with. She couldn’t be sure if his presence was new since the blackout. Maybe Franklin had hired private security to protect his patient.

  “You can go in,” he announced, snapping her back to attention.

  “Thanks.”