by Dale Mayer
“Which is what we would expect. And on the books it sounds like they had initial good intentions, making some bad decisions, and then quickly moved into an area more helpful for the people. But was it really clothing and shoes, or something else?”
“And of course we didn’t see any addresses where any of this stuff is stored.”
“Actually I think I have an idea about that. But no way in hell can you get a warrant to go in and look. Not there.” His voice slowed. “Given the connection, I think I’ll send somebody around to do it. If I thought guns were in those warehouses, I’d be all over it.”
After hanging up, Rhodes walked back into the hotel room to give an update, but instead of finding her back at work, it looked like she’d nodded off. Her eyes were closed, and her steady deep breathing came from her chest. “I’m not asleep,” she whispered. “Honest.”
He laughed. “Put it away. Tomorrow will come soon enough. We’re waiting on Bullard to get back to us.” He quickly explained their conversation.
She rolled over and stared at him. “It will be interesting to hear what he finds.” She closed the laptop, tucked it into the box, replaced all the papers and moved it to the hotel desk. Then she returned to the bed, folded back the covers and crawled under them.
“Aren’t you getting undressed first?”
“Too much work to do still,” she muttered. “Besides, I won’t get much sleep tonight. This is just a nap.”
“It’s almost nine o’clock. Better to sleep through the night.”
She frowned, and he could see the ideas warring in her expressive face. Finally, she threw back the covers and growled, “Fine.”
She grabbed her bag, pulled out some clothing in a small case and walked into the bathroom. When she returned fifteen minutes later, he was sitting on the bed with his laptop open, taking notes of what had happened during the day.
She was dressed in shorts and a tank top. She stumbled to the bed, threw herself under the covers, turned out the light on her side and muttered, “Good night.”
He grinned. He never thought he’d want somebody who was prickly, but he liked her just fine. More than actually. He’d hoped for a little more interaction tonight, but given her state and the fact he’d already gotten a terrific response from his earlier kiss, it wasn’t the time. … She had to move at the speed she was comfortable with. He wanted her for a long while, not just for a good time. But he hoped for plenty of those through the years too.
“If only Jarrod could see you now,” he muttered, laughing, but then remembered what her last lover had done to her. Well, he was no friend to betrayal, having experienced more of his own than he wanted to. But he’d made peace with it. Now he needed to help her do the same with hers.
“If you tell him, I’ll be in a shitload of trouble.”
“Would he really be upset?” Should he tell her about his conversation with her brother? Or wait until she was awake. The last thing he wanted to do was get involved in a discussion that would potentially upset her. She needed a good night’s sleep. Today had been tough enough on her. Besides, they had time. And the journey was all that much sweeter, knowing where they were going.
“No idea. Not ready to walk that direction. The less he knows, the better. Same for his job. If I don’t know he’s going out on dangerous missions, then I don’t worry. If he doesn’t think I’m involved in something that’ll mess up my life again, then he won’t worry. It’s a good deal all around.”
“It’s a bad one because it leaves you standing out in the cold alone.”
“I’m used to it.” On that note she pulled the blanket higher on her shoulders and sank deeper into the pillow. The conversation was over.
Chapter 8
She woke up suddenly. Lying quietly in the center of the bed, Rhodes was atop the bedding beside her. His eyes were wide open. She leaned up on one arm only to have him immediately raise a hand to stop her from moving. Quietly she sank back down again and waited.
A shadow crossed in front of the hotel room window making her blood run cold. Outside their door stretched a lengthy deck that ran along the front of several hotel rooms. They were all separated by small fences, but in theory, anybody could hop across if they wanted to. She caught her breath again as the shadow retreated across the window once again. She waited anxiously for Rhodes to make some kind of move. But he didn’t. Neither did he relax.
She was rather desperate for the bathroom. Didn’t know if she dared take a chance. Finally, he dropped his hand, turned to look at her and said, “It’s clear.”
She raised her eyebrows but took his words at face value. She threw back the covers, slid off the bed and walked to the bathroom. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was the stuff she’d been working on, but her sense of unease grew. After washing her hands and returning to the bedroom, she worried if she’d fall asleep again. She checked her cell phone to see it was four o’clock in the morning. She glanced over at him and said, “Do you think that shadow had anything to do with us?”
“Yes.”
That was it, short, terse. A typical Rhodes’s answer. He’d been a lot more amiable years ago. But then they hadn’t been in danger back then. He had also been teasing and kind to her as a gawky teenager. She punched up the pillows against the headboard and crawled under the covers, then sat and stared at him. “Do we need to leave?”
He shot her a sharp look and shook his head. “Not yet.”
She waited. But he didn’t elaborate. “Are we waiting for something?” she said in exasperation. “Are we waiting for this to get worse, for somebody to charge into the room and actually attack us?”
His gaze never stopped moving around the room as he checked out something. She didn’t understand what he was looking for, but it seemed he was mentally cataloguing the contents of the room, wondering how fast they could get out.
“You want me to start packing?”
“How long would it take you?”
“Right now, running on adrenaline, five minutes.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Make that two.” He walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
She bounded out of bed and quickly got dressed. She hadn’t brought much in the way of clothing with her, and had already packed the DA’s material with Rhodes’s laptop and the ledger inside the box of documents. So, it was complete and ready to go. If anybody was after her, chances were more than likely they’d want the ledger. Sienna knew something fishy was going on in those accounts, but they had to have the proof. The DA needed a forensic accountant to look in to this deeper. If they had digital copies of all the documents, it didn’t really matter if the box of papers was stolen or not. But it would be much better to have it all.
Still there was no understanding the criminal mind these days. By the time Rhodes came out, she was putting her shoes on. She said, “I’m ready.”
His gaze searched around the room, and he nodded. “You have stuff in the bathroom.”
She walked in, packed the few toiletries she’d brought with her and added them to her backpack. “So where do we go from here?”
“It’s too early to head to the DA’s office, but several coffee shops are around.”
“Okay. That works for me. Especially if we can bring in the laptop and work.”
He glanced down at his watch and nodded. “It’s 4:15. With any luck, there’s an all-night café close by.” He grabbed up his bag. “If I take the box, can you grab your bag?”
She snatched up her backpack, put it on her shoulders and grabbed the laptop, and together they headed out, locking up the hotel room behind them. He went by the registration desk and dropped off the key. Having already prepaid, it didn’t matter when they left. Outside he led the way to the truck. There they stowed what they had and were on their way within minutes.
It felt odd to be up so early. Almost as if they were sneaking out of the hotel room so nobody could see them, but it wasn’t a clandestine affair she was involved in. It was something a lot more dan
gerous.
Although an affair would be a lot more fun.
He drove from the lot and headed down the main street. Within minutes they found several good coffee shops. He pulled into the second one and parked. With Rhodes’s laptop in her hands and a few of her notes, he locked up the truck, and they went inside to get coffee. “You want to eat?”
She shook her head. “Not right now. It’s too early for that.”
She settled back into the chair and opened the laptop. She was really too tired to review the material. Wasn’t even sure what she’d found at this point. When the coffee was delivered, she closed the laptop again and pushed it off to one side, yawning.
“Did you get any sleep?” Rhodes asked as he reached across and covered her hand with his much bigger one.
She smiled. “Still the big-brother attitude?”
He raised his eyebrows at that. “Hey, I knew you back when,” he said with a smile. “Besides, Jarrod’s my friend.”
“I’m no longer a little girl.”
He settled back, gently pulling his hand away from hers.
She was kind of sorry she’d said anything. Something was so damn comforting about his touch. She doubled the cream in her coffee and stirred it.
“Did Jarrod say something to upset you before he left?”
She looked up in surprise. “Hell, no. Jarrod’s a good guy. He knows he can trust me to have common sense.”
“Have it about what?”
She gazed at him innocently over the rim of her cup. “Life, I guess.” She smiled into her mug.
“Why is it I think you’re laughing at me?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Jarrod gave me the same old warnings he’s always given me. His friends are good, decent men, but they played fast and loose with women, so watch it. But he trusts me to make the right decision for me.” She stared at him directly. “I got that warning ten years ago, and again a few days ago.”
“Wow, I didn’t know he still considered all of us that way.”
“I don’t think he does, but I think he was so used to giving that warning that it came out naturally as part of his habitual good-byes.”
“That makes sense. I don’t have a little sister to worry about, but I can see that being a prime concern.”
“What he doesn’t realize is that I’m an adult, and I won’t have an affair with anybody I don’t want to have one with,” she said a little too strongly.
There was a sudden silence as he studied her. Then she realized she and Jarrod hadn’t even discussed something along those lines. It wasn’t like her brother was warning her off having sex; he was warning her off the men at the compound. That they couldn’t be trusted to stick around longer than a one-night stand.
She shook her head. “And that’s just an overly strong reaction of the younger sister having been told off for years and years on the same issue.”
He laughed. “Whatever works.”
She smiled. “You always did have that get-along-with-everybody attitude.”
“I wondered how much you remembered from back then,” he said curiously. “You never say much.”
“What’s to say? I met several of Jarrod’s SEAL friends.” She shrugged. “I’ve seen most of them over the years again too. This is the first I’ve seen of you since then though.”
“Right. You sure don’t look like you did back then. Cocky, skinny, braces, and carrot hair.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “You were adorable. And are a beauty today.”
Her gaze widened in surprise. “Well, I had a hero complex over you back then.” She laughed. “I got rid of the braces, but sometimes I still put my foot in it.”
He grinned. “I think we all do. That’s not a skill you outgrow easily.”
The waitress came back and asked, “Do you want to order anything to eat?”
Sienna shook her head. “Just more coffee for me, please.”
She listened as Rhodes gave a similar answer. The atmosphere had warmed with their confessions. It gave her hope. She stared out the window, seeing the world around her lighten up slightly. That could’ve just been because her eyes were more adjusted, but it seemed like daylight was finally kicking nighttime into the background.
“Can we go home today, do you think?” she asked, pulling out a notepad. “I have a few points for the DA to look in to, but there’s not a whole lot here.”
“In that case, yes, we can go home.”
She brightened. “Good.”
“Glad to hear you consider the compound home.”
“It took a while. After the attacks, I wondered what I’d gotten myself into. But I quickly realized Jarrod knew most of you and that somehow I’d been lucky to end up there. But since then, just sitting back and watching everybody go through their own personal relationship issues, it’s been something else to handle.”
Rhodes laughed. “Isn’t that the truth? Levi and Ice, Stone and Lissa …”
“Merk and Katina,” she added with a laugh. “Those two were destined to be together. I can’t imagine how they even broke up last time.”
“You might’ve felt differently if you’d been the one in the Las Vegas wedding.”
She grinned. “Good point.”
“You are okay staying at the compound?” he asked, his gaze intent, warm.
Warmer than she’d seen before. Instead of making her uncomfortable, she wished they were alone. Still this bubble was intimate. The moment special. She gave him a slow smile. “For the moment. The work is interesting. Lots to learn and do, and I feel safe there.”
“All good reasons.”
“And, of course, I like the people.” She batted her eyes at him playfully. “Some more than others.”
*
Over two hours later, Rhodes put down his empty coffee cup. “Let’s go.” He tapped his watch and said, “The DA’s office will open soon. If we get there soon enough, maybe we can leave early. We could be home just after lunchtime.”
That brought a smile to her face. He watched as she quickly packed up the little bit of material she had with her, drank the last of her coffee and stood up. “I’m leaving the laptop here while I go to the ladies’ room.”
He watched her go. That long, lean, gawky body had turned into a voluptuous woman with legs that seemed to never quit.
He wondered if Jarrod really did believe all of them were the love ’em and leave ’em types. Rhodes could understand the warning ten years ago, but it hardly applied now. Not with all his buddies getting hooked up, and those relationships made the place sound more like a love compound than an actual security one.
While he waited, he paid the bill. When she still didn’t return, he checked his watch and realized she’d been gone ten minutes. He frowned. That wasn’t terribly outlandish, but if she wasn’t back soon, he’d bust down that damn door and haul her out. He picked up the laptop and her notebook, pocketed the receipt from the register and made his way to the ladies’ room. He knocked on the door and it pushed open easily. The room was empty, as were the four stalls.
He stepped back out again and searched the restaurant. Where the hell was she? He glanced at the window in time to see a small van leave the parking lot. Instantly he knew something was wrong. He bolted outside, checked the parking lot to make sure she wasn’t waiting for him, raced to his vehicle, dropped the items inside and headed after the van. He jammed his phone onto the dashboard mount and called Levi. As soon as he came on, Rhodes said, “Sienna’s gone missing.”
He explained what happened and that he was chasing a white van but had no way to know if it had anything to do with her disappearance.
“Did you check the other washroom? Did you check everyone in the restaurant?” Ice asked. “If the place was busy, she could have used the men’s room.”
“The restaurant barely had a few people, and all the stalls were completely empty. Something’s happened to her.”
He knew it inside. His gut clenched. He unlocked his hands from gripping the steering wheel, hi
s knuckles still white. Up ahead he could see the van as it went through several lights. Not giving a shit about the traffic speed, he gave the truck more gas and pulled up as close as he could to the van.
As if suddenly realizing they were being followed, the van’s driver crossed three lanes of traffic and took a left on the next street. It also went through a red light, leaving Rhodes in the middle of the intersection until the cross-traffic passed.
He quickly followed and turned down yet another street. No sign of the van. He drove slowly up and down it, then backtracked, looking for an alleyway, a garage, or something. Only two of the houses had a garage. He went around the back of the place but found nowhere for the van to hide.
Around the front again, he caught sight of one young guy standing outside on the front step. That could easily be him. As Rhodes passed the second house with a garage, he watched a woman and children walk out the front door. Immediately he made a U-turn and headed back to the first house. The man was no longer outside.
Rhodes parked in the driveway so they couldn’t leave. He sent Levi a text with an update. He made it look as if he was heading around the back of the house. Instead he backtracked and snuck inside the garage via the side door.
Bingo. There was the van. He opened the doors, looking for any proof Sienna had actually been inside. The last thing he wanted was to barge into a house and terrorize a family who had nothing to do with her kidnapping.
Unfortunately the van offered nothing helpful.
At the back door, he peered through the window but found no sign of anybody inside. There had been a guy on the front step, but Rhodes didn’t know where he’d gone. Rhodes opened the house door quietly and slipped inside. Stairs to the second story were right in front of him. With a quick glance around the stairwell, not seeing anyone there, he crept up the stairs.
He checked all the bedrooms, and in the last one he found Sienna tossed onto a bed. Her mouth was taped; her hands and feet tied. She appeared to be unconscious. Still no sign of the person, or persons, who had taken her. Hearing a sound below him, he quickly hid in the closet.