“Naysayers are positive that if we give Mexico our surveillance systems, they’ll use them to spy on us, or turn around and sell them to our enemies. I have a list of those who’ve objected to the program—mostly extremists who predict the end of the world no matter what we do.” The senator warmed to the topic. “I can tell you this—we’ve worked hard on both sides of the aisle and, for the most part, gained bipartisan support on the Hill for this program.”
“Providing the names of any dissenters will help the investigation.” Riley pointed out. “As soon as you can get a list together, give it to Byron. He’ll forward the information to us in New Mexico.”
“Of course,” said the senator.
“Can you elaborate on how this program affects national security?” Riley continued to explore the ramifications.
General Anderson interjected. “Any time a policy changes the way the United States deals with a foreign government, it impacts security at home.”
The senator looked at Chip. “You know how much I love my wife. But we don’t—we can’t—negotiate with terrorists.”
She realized Andrew’s earlier statement was a foregone conclusion. The vote would go through. Unless she and Riley changed the outcome, the women’s lives would be sacrificed for national security.
Chip refused to let that happen. As long as she had breath left in her body, she’d search for the women. “I—we’ll—do everything we can to bring both Fiona and Lorraine home.”
****
After concluding the interview with the senator, Riley retrieved the airline boarding passes and agenda from Allison. As there was no time to prepare false IDs, the boarding passes were in Chip and Riley’s real names. Knowing many newlyweds faced similar issues, the director was confident this small discrepancy wouldn’t hinder their cover. Riley hoped so as he stuffed the documents in his breast pocket, then grabbed his bag containing his laptop tablet and the lockbox with his Glock from his locker. He met Chip in the foyer and led her through Northstar’s parking lot to his silver SUV.
She gave directions to her apartment, which was surprisingly close to his place near Rock Creek Park. Once inside, he got an entirely different perspective of his bride.
While she hurried into the bedroom to change from her uniform, he studied the small living room with its large flat screen TV worthy of any man-cave. Next to the TV was a stack of martial arts DVDs. Inspecting the titles, he found most of them starred Jackie Chan or Jet Li. A couple featured Chinese actors he’d never heard of.
He recalled the leg sweep that took him to the floor at the gang house. It hadn’t been luck that she’d dropped him. She had training. Good information to know if they found themselves in a sticky situation. He turned to call out a question about her training, when Chip appeared from her bedroom.
“I’m ready.”
Riley stared at the transformation. Her civilian attire was very different from the staid military style she’d worn earlier. Gone was the shapeless uniform with those impressive ribbons. In its place, she wore a sleeveless ivory shell tucked into a straight light blue skirt. A matching jacket draped over her arm and she held a black duffel with a Washington Nationals logo on the side.
Something about this woman upset his equilibrium. When he looked into her eyes, he felt as if he were stranded in the desert by a blinding sandstorm. He disliked feeling as though he’d lost all control. He sucked in a breath. “Is that all you’re taking?” He nodded at the bag.
“I know we’re undercover, but this isn’t a pleasure trip.” She scowled at him. “I’m not some wimpy female who needs pampering. I think I’ve packed enough.”
Riley failed to see where this woman had ever been vulnerable in her life. Maybe she didn’t realize she carried an invisible shroud of armor—one with no chinks. He shrugged. There was no time for an in-depth analysis of her character. “Okay, then. Let’s go.” He turned and waited in the hallway while she pulled a key from her purse and locked up.
As she led the way out of the building, Riley noticed her braided bun was still pinned high off her neck. Even tied up, the rich brown color reminded him of mink fur. He wondered if the severe look would soften with her hair loose about her face. The desire to pull out the pins and let that braid fall took him by surprise. He balled his fingers into a fist and crushed his wayward thoughts. He knew better than to allow his mind to travel down that forbidden road. Regardless of their cover story, for this assignment she was his partner, nothing less, and definitely nothing more.
The firm’s policy regarding partners was clear: no personal involvement. Intimacy had a way of distracting agents from their assignments. It was a good rule. One he would follow to the letter.
Partners are off limits. The lieutenant was his partner.
Repeat often and with feeling.
As Chip dropped her jacket on the backseat in deference to the warm weather still hovering over the East coast, Riley found it hard to ignore her toned, bare arms. She hadn’t bothered with stockings, either, and when she stepped into the car, her skirt rode up to mid-thigh exposing smooth, tanned legs. Simple white sandals on her petite feet completed the ensemble—and produced a slight rise in his blood pressure. He put on his sunglasses to mute the view and opened the driver’s-side door.
Silence permeated the car as they drove to the airport. Even without conversation, Riley was acutely aware of her presence. She sat perfectly still with eyes forward, and seemed as distant as she could get without actually leaving the car. He knew she was thinking about the case because she constantly twisted the wedding band he’d placed on her finger. It gave him some satisfaction to see she wasn’t as indifferent as she pretended.
His satisfaction was short-lived when he caught himself flicking his own ring with his thumbnail. Apparently, he wasn’t immune, either.
****
Playing with the ring kept Chip from clenching her fists. She wasn’t accustomed to wearing jewelry, and the ring felt as constricting as the proverbial ball and chain. The ride to the airport seemed to take forever. What she wouldn’t give to have the travelling behind them so they could start searching for Fiona and Lorraine.
The confrontation with Riley in the conference room was seared into her brain. Then he practically ignored her when they interviewed Andrew. So far, they’d barely been civil to each other and now they were partners—scratch that, they were married. On paper. Make-believe newlyweds. Chip didn’t know how convincingly she could play an adoring wife. If she slipped up, even a little, Fiona and Lorraine would suffer the consequences. And that wasn’t an option.
Riley drove into the airport economy parking lot and found an open space. As soon as he turned off the ignition, Chip opened the door to step out of the SUV, more than ready to put some distance between herself and her husband.
Before she could slide off the seat, he reached across the middle console and stopped her. Heat coursed over her skin where he touched. Alarmed at the sensation, she glared at him, then caught herself and controlled her reaction. “What?”
He angled in his seat to face her. “We need to discuss something.”
“Now?”
“Yes.” He glanced at where his hand still covered hers and snatched it away, then stared out the windshield. “I know we got off to a bad start.”
“Which time?”
He jerked his head to look at her. His firm mouth thinned. “Both times. But the opportunity to hash it out has passed. From this point forward, we present a united front. If anyone suspects we’re not who we say we are, our cover is blown. There’s no time to brief another set of agents. We have to do this.”
“I understand my role.”
Riley pulled off his sunglasses and searched her face. “This is our first test as partners.”
“You think I’ll undermine the mission?”
“I need you to trust me. Follow my lead. The lives of these women depend on us finding them—fast. We can’t do that if we’re working against each other.”
“I don’t know you very well.”
“I’ll grant that, but surely you can see that Byron, the senator, and General Anderson are confident I can find Fiona and Lorraine. I can and I will complete this assignment.”
His eyes narrowed. “My father has good judgment, most of the time. But I’ve learned to trust my instincts, too.”
“And what are your instincts telling you?” She hoped her voice didn’t sound as worried as she felt.
He didn’t answer for a moment. Then his expression changed to one of resolve. “That we’ll just have to work our way through this rocky start.” He glanced at his watch. “So what do you say, wife? Ready to catch that plane?”
Chapter Four
As airline flights went, unpleasant didn’t begin to describe Riley’s experience. The first delay came when he checked in his 9mm Glock and was grilled by the TSA agent behind the counter. Then he was singled out after going through the security checkpoint, and searched as part of a random check. All of this was on top of an already challenging day where he’d found his missing runaway—who wasn’t a runaway.
In spite of the delays, he and Chip made it to the gate just as their flight was called. The day should have been winding down, yet they had another eight hours before they reached their destination. He wasn’t sure how Chip would take the news when he told her they weren’t sleeping when they got to the resort. He planned to start the investigation immediately.
By the time they reached the first layover at the Atlanta airport, Riley’s mood had degraded from frustrated to downright sour, in spite of the short rest on the plane. As they deplaned, he grabbed Chip’s hand and led her toward a group of overhead monitors.
“What’s with the manhandling?” She slung her purse over her shoulder and faced him.
“Newlyweds. Remember?” Although any husbandly thoughts fled his mind when he saw her stubborn expression.
“Well, where I’m going, you can’t follow.”
“We need to stick together.” He tugged her hand again, unwilling to let her out of his sight for some reason.
She tugged back. “And I need to use the ladies’ room.”
“Fine.” He released her. “Be quick. I’m starved.” He eyed the monitors for their connecting flight information then pointed toward a wall of food venues. “Those are near our next boarding gate. Join me there.”
While he waited for Chip, he found a place that served burgers and beer, got his order, and settled back in his chair. He pulled out his phone after taking the first bite of his burger. It wasn’t bad, for airport food, and his empty stomach appreciated the attention.
Chip joined him at the table a few minutes later, and scooted into a chair. “Any updates?” She nodded at his phone.
“I was about to check with Northstar. You were fast.”
“You said to be quick.” She leaned an elbow on the table and stole a French fry off his plate. “Why didn’t you get me something?”
“Didn’t know what you liked to eat.” Riley pulled a twenty from his wallet. “Here. Order some dinner.”
“Thanks.” She grabbed the money and headed toward the counter.
Instead of giving in to the urge to watch her walk away, he brought up his e-mail and started scrolling through his messages, glad to see some news from Northstar about the case.
Chip returned with a chicken sandwich and her own plate of fries. “Anything?”
“Allison has the video running through rendering software. So far, she hasn’t dissected any usable information, but says she’s got a few more tricks to try.”
“Allison sounds like quite the tech.”
Riley nodded. “She’s a geek through and through. Cyber queen of the lab.”
“That sounds suspiciously like a compliment. Should your new bride be worried about stepping on toes?”
“What?” He glanced up, confused at the question.
She held up her left hand and waggled her ring finger.
“Oh, right. No. You’re not stepping on anyone’s toes. I’m not dating. Besides, Allison is a coworker. That’s all. She’s been with the firm a little under a year, but her work has been exceptional.” He expected Allison to come through for them like she always did. The fact that Chip’s question startled him was as disconcerting as why he felt compelled to share his relationship status. The buzz he was suddenly feeling wasn’t from the beer.
****
Chip considered the praise Riley doled out about his coworker. She didn’t know what had made her question him. This whole setup was pretend, and it shouldn’t matter if Riley was involved with someone. She told herself she didn’t want him feeling guilty about cheating on a significant other if they had a situation that called for some playacting, but deep down, she was relieved to learn he was unattached.
She swirled a fry in a glob of ketchup and put her mind back on the assignment. “Let’s hope Allison is as exceptional on this case, too.” She’d briefly met the lab tech, not even a formal introduction, and had no sense of how capable the woman was. All she knew was that Fiona and Lorraine’s life depended on whatever extraordinary job Northstar’s lab tech could pull off. They were several hours away from any real investigation and this downtime added to her concern for the women. “Has there been any more contact from the kidnapper?”
“Shh. Keep your voice down.” Riley glanced around, as though checking for anyone listening to them. “Nothing.”
Chip put down her sandwich, her appetite disappearing faster than the jets swooping into the clouds above the airport. Maybe no news was a good sign. She leaned closer to whisper. “Have you worked a kid—a case like this before?”
Riley leaned in as well. To an observer, they would appear like a couple sharing secrets. “I’ve never worked one where the abduction was politically motivated.” He spoke softly, then leaned back and took a healthy pull on his beer. “But we’ve been called in on a couple of others where money was involved. The typical scenario involves a cash drop in return for the victim. Since these guys don’t want money, we have to assume the demand on that video is the endgame.”
Chip pushed her half-eaten sandwich aside. “That’s not good enough.”
“I agree, but it’s all we have for now.” He pointed at her food. “Finish eating. You’re going to need the fuel for what’s ahead of us.”
“Care to share your plan?”
Riley checked his watch. “On the plane.” He shoved his chair back. “We need to head over to the gate for our next flight.”
If Chip had learned anything through her military training, it was to eat when she had the chance. She polished off her sandwich before tossing her plate in the trash. At least for this flight, their seats were together. They’d be able to review the assignment and hit the ground running the minute they got to the resort.
****
Riley groaned when he saw the restricted accommodations for the three-hour flight to Albuquerque. The narrow space didn’t seem to affect Chip in the slightest. He watched her settle next to the window and pull out a paperback from her purse. After securing her seatbelt, she took a moment to look around the cabin, eyeing each passenger without appearing overly interested in any one person.
Riley recognized the drill. He’d done the same thing as he’d entered the plane. Scan the surroundings. Know who was near. Stay alert. Stay alive. In spite of his earlier doubts, he was pleased to see her skills from military police training.
Having completed her unobtrusive surveillance, Chip turned and dazzled him with a smile that tripled his heart rate.
The unexpected gesture awakened a long dormant place within him. Responding like a teenager, he returned her smile with a lightheartedness he hadn’t felt in years.
“Young love,” an older woman said as a flight attendant helped her to her seat in the row behind theirs.
Right. His partner was playing the part of the loving wife. Surprised by his reaction, Riley grinned sheepishly at the grandmotherly figure as she shuffled down the aisle. He kept his smile in place when he turned back to Chip. The playacting was over and she’d retreated behind her book.
Riley disguised his disappointment by checking his seatbelt. He brushed Chip’s shoulder, and caught the faint aroma of her strawberry-scented perfume even through the lingering odor of jet fuel. The skin on her exposed shoulders begged to be touched. Was it as silky as it looked? He gave into the temptation and stroked a finger down her arm.
Chip’s reaction was immediate and violent. The backward pressure on his finger was painful and would only take a slight adjustment to snap the bone. “You’re taking this newlywed act a bit far, don’t you think?” She kept her voice low, so only he could hear.
Riley countered her move by capturing her chin with his other hand and leaned closer, his mouth hovering over hers. “Release my hand or I’ll take the act even farther.”
She released him and curled her fists into her lap, her wide eyes scanning his face for sincerity.
Her breath brushed his face, making it hard for him to concentrate. “Follow my lead, remember?” As much as those ripe lips begged to be kissed, he released her chin and backed off.
A mischievous light entered her eyes. “Of course.” She stretched up and gave him a peck on the cheek before he could straighten.
He touched the spot on his cheek, while warmth flooded body parts below his seatbelt. Damn. He’d expected a challenge balancing the newlywed act against professional boundaries, but she was making it more difficult than he’d anticipated. Even if they’d been real newlyweds, decorum in public was still preferred. “You’d better get back to your reading.” He leaned closer to her ear. “Unless you want to keep pushing me.”
Beyond Duty Page 5