“None,” she said. “The shots stopped soon after I got Stanley out of sight.”
“The threat was assessed wrong from the beginning,” he said with a scowl, hating to admit any of that. He was on his phone punching numbers even as he talked. But that was how he ran things. His siblings joked about his ability to take multitasking to the next level.
“I’ve already called the rental agency,” she said. “I mean, if that’s what you’re doing.” Aggravation was thick in her voice. “They’re activating the location device on the vehicle so that I’ll have access.”
Another sign that none of the glowing praise of her abilities had been wrong. The client had slipped away, but he was sure from the evidence presented, and what he knew of Jade, that it was through no fault of hers. His gut told him that nothing short of tying him down could have prevented it. But instead of telling her that, he scowled at her. Then he asked in a voice that would have suited any interrogation room, “You’re sure he’s planning to leave town?”
She nodded. “He’s seriously into photography. As we knew from the file. But what we didn’t know is how passionate he is. I don’t think anything would stop him from taking the landscape pictures he came for. He’s already made that clear. Add to the fact that he had a frightening experience, and that experience was in the city.” She paused. “I suppose terrifying for someone unused to guns. He’s comfortable in the countryside. He spends a lot of time there in Morocco.”
She frowned.
“What is it?”
“You know, on the way here he asked me where the nearest international airport was. I told him that Casper was the largest and closest airport but you required a transfer for anything international. I didn’t even get a chance to explain how limited the flight choice was. The whole topic was dropped because of the elk on the road. I managed to miss it and then we moved on to other topics.”
“You think that’s where he might be headed, Casper?” he said.
“No, at least not to hop a flight.” She shook her head. “Despite the fact that someone tried to kill him, I don’t think it was enough to have him heading home, at least not yet. For all his gaucheness, he has a stubbornness about him. Plus, he loves the States. He told me that this was the trip of a lifetime for him. I don’t think he’s apt to give up so soon. No, I think it’s the opposite. Because of the extreme nature of the experience, he now thinks it’s over. He thinks that he’s safe. They tried and failed.” She looked at him, her eyes seeming to graze his face with the passion of her commitment to this case. “Is that crazy?”
“Nothing at this point is crazy,” he replied. “We’ve got to hit all angles, as you know.”
“He mentioned Casper on more than one occasion as a drive he might like to take while he’s here. There’s some great photography between here and there.”
“You don’t...”
“I think—” she cut him off “—that he’s taking that drive just a little earlier than planned.” She shook her head. “I hope he’s licensed and doesn’t hurt himself in these conditions.”
“We’ll find him before that happens,” Zafir said with gravel in his voice.
“I hope so,” she said as she glanced at her phone messages. Her brow furrowed as her right hand ran through her hair. “The rental agency is having trouble with the app,” she said. She put the phone down. “It could be anywhere from a few minutes to an hour before they get it working.” She frowned. “At least that’s what the tech guesstimated in his message. In the meantime, they’ve pinpointed his last location, so that’s hopeful.”
There was something in the way that she looked at him that held some sort of warning. Yet his attention was fixated on her lips.
Pouty. It was an interesting and decidedly delicious feature, and it was completely distracting. He looked away.
“We don’t have a lot of time. He’s got a head start, and I don’t trust him on his own. He could get himself killed left to his own devices for any length of time.” There was an edge to her voice. “It’s been too long.”
“It only seems that way,” he said calmly. It had only been minutes since his arrival, less than four to be exact.
He opened the driver’s door of the Pathfinder as she got in the passenger side. As he shut the door, he went over what he knew. When he’d arrived, she hadn’t looked directly at him. An admission of guilt. She believed the missing client was her fault. Now she met his look with the determination of a drill sergeant, raking over him, assessing. She’d accepted what she believed was her part in the situation and had moved on. She knew exactly what she was about and wasn’t expecting any less from him.
Each case she’d been on, for one reason or another, had been the talk of the office on both sides of the ocean. They only hired the best. All their agents were cutting edge, yet in case after case her skills had shone above the others. In the fourteen months she’d been with the agency, she’d closed a record number of cases. She’d been lauded by two different municipalities and a women’s group.
She pulled her Colt. She stroked the barrel like it was cherished and loved. But the way her focus remained on him sent a sensual shiver through him even when he realized that she was unaware of either the gesture or the suggestion loaded in it. She slid the weapon back into the holster at her waist.
He put the vehicle in gear.
“And what weapon are you going to use to contain Stanley when you find him?” he asked. He was curious about her, but prodding her for a reaction was a poor way to get information. He knew that, but it had slipped out, a question poorly timed and poorly formed.
“Excuse me?” She frowned, clearly unsure of what he was referring to.
“Got a peek at airport security footage. He’s more of a handful than you’re admitting.” He shrugged as her frown deepened. “Of course, I did all that before you reported in. Just wanted to make sure everything was going all right.”
“You were checking up?” Her face flushed, and the words were tight, controlled, as if he had been doubting her abilities.
Her file mentioned a temper. It was information obtained from her psychiatric evaluation, required screening for all Nassar agents. In her interview, she’d admitted to an impoverished blue-collar, single-parent upbringing. As a result of that, she’d declared she had high goals and expectations for herself. She’d proven that ambition and ability again and again in the field. It was only her quick temper that might cause her to stumble along the way. So far it had proven to be well controlled. She’d mastered even that.
“Actually, at the time I was just briefing myself, in case you needed backup. Which...” His eyes met hers, stormy blue and almost accusatory. “Turns out you do. The case is upgraded and the client has disappeared, has he not?” They were harsh words that held none of his admiration. Instead they were fighting words. He needed any doubts she felt to be replaced by a driving will to succeed.
Silence hung between them for a second, two.
“It could have happened to anyone,” she said with an edge to her voice.
“Right,” he agreed. “But it happened to you.” He couldn’t help pushing the envelope, seeing what her reaction would be.
He knew she was annoyed. His last comments were uncalled for, insensitive if you didn’t know where he was going with them. He might have pushed her too far; he reined it in. “I’m sorry.”
Her lips were compressed and the look in her eyes suggested she’d rather see him in hell than here, and she wasn’t much interested in his apology.
“Look, on this case I’m no one’s boss. I’m sorry for giving that impression or for laying blame when none should be.” He cleared his throat. He needed to eat crow to make this case go smoothly. “I was a jerk.”
“Agreed,” Jade said with a hint of a smile. “Let’s go,” she said. “We need to find Stanley.”
> Chapter Six
“We’ve got a location,” Jade, said looking up from her phone.
“Still moving?” He turned the corner.
“Yes...no. Unbelievable!” She shook her head.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve lost the feed.” She turned the rental’s locating app off and then back on. She smacked her palm against the dash. “Off-line again. I can’t believe it. What are the odds of that?”
Neon lights glared to her right. A convenience store. Ahead of them, a Jeep turned off a side street. There was no sign of the white van, nothing that said Stanley had even been here.
“Exactly,” Zafir said with a small laugh.
“Slow down,” she said, and instead he seemed to speed up as her shoulder hit the door and the seat belt tightened, easing the impact as he took a curve in the road too fast and the vehicle slid.
He glanced at her with a look of apology and slightly raised eyebrows, as if he were hinting that it might be a joke. This was no time...
The thought was broken. A siren flashed and bleeped, once, twice. Zafir slowed down and pulled over.
“Unbelievable,” she muttered. There’d been enough delays. Stanley could be in any kind of danger by now. There was the possibility that they weren’t the only ones on Stanley’s tail. The earlier assailant could be tracking him, too.
“We’ll make this quick,” Zafir replied. “It’s Jake,” he said as he glanced in the rearview mirror.
“This case just won’t catch us a break,” she said as they waited for Jake to approach. The agency had a silent agreement in place with local law enforcement. It allowed them reasonable leeway to operate—the occasional bout of speeds slightly over the limit were usually overlooked. With any luck, they’d be on their way in minutes. Still, minutes were minutes.
She looked back at the police unit and down at the app, which was now showing Stanley’s progress. “He’s moving,” she said. Of all times to be pulled over, just when the rental agency had fixed its software glitch. She looked at her watch and back at the app. “He’s got a ten-mile lead on us.”
“Jake,” Zafir said, acknowledging the sheriff as he came up to the window.
“We’re on the lookout for your sniper,” Jake said with a curious look inside the vehicle.
Jade frowned. She was unsure how the sheriff would have learned of the incident so quickly. There were no witnesses that she knew of and she hadn’t reported it. No witnesses—was that a false assumption?
“I would think that if you leave town, he’ll leave with you,” Jake said. He glanced past Zafir and took her in with an appreciative sweep of hazel eyes.
Jade tensed and bit back what she thought of the sheriff’s unspoken admiration. It wasn’t the first time she’d met up with the man and not the first time he’d offered that type of response. It was unprofessional and made her want to smack him, both times. She bit back the words, and her right hand reached for her Colt. The smooth feel and the power it promised were always soothing, no matter what the emotion.
“There’s a weather warning. Travel isn’t advised,” Jake said drily.
“We don’t have much choice,” Zafir replied.
Snow fell on the windshield. The wipers beat a slow dance. The snow, the wipers, Jake’s slow mannerism, all of it beat like the ticking of a clock, reminding them that they were wasting time.
Jade looked out the passenger window. Hurry up, she thought.
Jake wasn’t the most ambitious sheriff they’d ever had. He was probably thanking the stars or the universe or both that the case was out of his hands. That attitude often made things easy for the agency, but it didn’t give any of them a reason to respect the man.
“I suppose you don’t,” Jake agreed. “I’ll keep my eyes peeled here.”
Jade grimaced at his words and at the second almost-lecherous look he gave her.
“Thanks,” Zafir said, and glanced at her with a smile that said he knew her pain.
She offered him a weak smile.
Zafir nodded and put the Pathfinder in Drive, pulling away from the curb and away from Jake. The police car sat where they had been pulled over, the emergency lights still flashing.
All in all, they’d wasted less than five minutes.
“There’s a coffee shop just around the corner. I’d put odds on Jake making an appearance there now that his services aren’t needed.” He shook his head. “Remind me if I need to cloud an issue with Jake to send you in.”
“That wasn’t even funny,” she said with a smile.
“No, I suppose it wasn’t.”
“He’s the most laid-back sheriff we’ve ever had. Guaranteed to do nothing,” she said. “He’s not even interested in the issue. Just how he can get out of work.”
Zafir laughed. It was a low, almost sexy growl that curled down her spine with a seductive caress. “Good thing there isn’t too much going on in Jackson.”
“Yeah, not too much at all,” she said with irony in her voice. She thought of the earlier sniper and of all the cases that Nassar had quietly worked under the nose of local law enforcement. It had been different once, the law more involved, or so her colleagues told her. That had all been before her time.
Five minutes later they hit the city limits. Her finger ran along the route indicated on the app. “Where the heck is he going?” Jade muttered. “He’s traveling back roads, keeping off the interstate. But there’s miles to go on that road before there’s a more trafficked road.” She ticked off the miles on her fingers. “Too many miles of vulnerability. What is he thinking?”
“I’d assume, from what I know, a lot of panic,” Zafir said. “I really don’t think it’s about photographs at this point.”
“Whatever his reasons, this is crazy.” She shook her head. “We’ve got no idea what or who else is out there.”
Zafir gunned the Pathfinder as they left the city limits. But this wasn’t the interstate, and it wasn’t made for fast travel. The highway was slick, narrow and plagued by antelope straying onto the road. The animals unexpectedly crossed the highway during the dawn and dusk hours, and sometimes in between. It was all unpredictable.
“You might want to slow down,” she said. “We don’t want to die like...” She stopped. Motor vehicle tragedies, death—loss, all of it—the possibility that life could be short. All Nassar employees had been brutally reminded in a recent case. The case exposed a decade-long cover-up.
“In an accident,” she finished lamely. “Could you slow down? Just a bit. The antelope, the snow... It takes one misstep...”
“Do you want Stan to live or die,” he growled.
He gripped the wheel and looked at her with anger in his dark eyes.
She realized then that he’d known what she had been referring to. He recognized exactly what she’d been backtracking over—his parents’ fatal accident.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Don’t be,” he said. “It was a long time ago.”
He gripped the wheel. But the look he gave her seemed like a challenge. There was a charge in the air, an awareness of each other that was different, more pronounced, than it had been before.
Her phone beeped. It was nothing more than a reminder of the passing of time.
* * *
“DANG IT!” STANLEY MUTTERED as the van slipped into a skid and he wrestled with the wheel. The vehicle didn’t respond. The slide continued as if the van wanted to fling itself sideways on purpose. It was unstoppable.
He gritted his teeth and hit the brakes. The van rocked as its tires spun, and the slide seemed to increase in speed rather than decrease. He was heading for the ditch and there was no stopping it.
He turned the wheel—nothing. The van was on a mission of its own. This shouldn’t be happening. He knew
what to do; at least he thought he had. Snow in the mountains of Morocco wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, but he’d never driven in it. In fact, he’d never driven in Morocco, period.
He vaguely remembered that hitting the brakes wasn’t a good idea. He tried to steer, but which way? Into or out of the slide. The advice he’d read was lost.
His heart pounded. Coming here had been a bad idea, and he’d known it would be from the beginning. It was a feeling he’d had on the flight over. Now the feeling was a reality. It had been a mistake. All of it, coming here—running from Morocco, running from Jade. He wasn’t sure where to begin, where to unravel it to make it all right. He gripped the wheel. He remembered something about turning into the skid. Was that right?
He turned the wheel, but even if it made any difference at all, he was too late. The van rocked and then slid off the road, wobbling like it would tip over before it lurched to a stop in the ditch, stopped by a bank of snow.
Stanley stayed where he’d been thrown. His chest was pressed against the steering wheel. He took a breath and then another. He was still alive, and as he became more aware, he realized that a horn was honking.
It was his horn.
He leaned back. The honking stopped.
He put the van into Reverse, and the tires spun. The van didn’t move even as the engine revved. He put it into Drive. The same thing.
Nothing.
“What were you trying to do?” he muttered to himself. He’d wanted peace and quiet. Jade had flustered him, and the attack had terrified him. He hadn’t planned to be gone long. In fact, he’d only wanted to take a few pictures. When he’d come here, to Wyoming, all he’d wanted was peace. Instead, he’d been saddled with a gorgeous type-A-personality woman. She made him jittery. She reminded him of a time when he’d almost had a nervous breakdown. He’d been a child, but the feelings had been real. He’d hated his life, his home. It wasn’t like that anymore.
Sheik's Rescue Page 5