by C L Rowell
“Hello?”
The tension in my chest eased a bit as soon as I heard her voice and I sighed in relief. “Are you okay? Anything weird happened?”
“No, I’m good. Why?”
Not wanting to get sidetracked, I answered her question with another question, “Do you still have a key to your parents’ lake house?”
“Yeah…why?” She drug the word out that time, giving it at least ten y’s.
“Because I want you to pack enough clothes and food stuff in your car to hold you for a few weeks—”
“So, in other words, empty my closet and my end-of-the-world freezer stash?”
“Yep and go hang out at the lake house until you hear from me.” I stressed, “Make extra sure you aren’t being followed before you head over there.”
“And, if I am being followed?”
“Go to the police and tell them someone is watching you and following you and you’re scared for your life. Joey will look out for you. Have him follow you to the cabin—”
She laughed. “Is this a joke to get me and Joey alone together, Millie?”
“It’s no joke. I drove by Miles’ place earlier and someone chased me down the road. They were ramming me and trying to run me into the ditch.”
“Not your Camry! Oh my god, are you okay?”
“I’m okay but it’s going to cost a bit to repair the damage—and that’s if my poor car isn’t declared totaled right up front.”
“Holy crap! How did you get away? Don’t you dare leave anything out. Nothing like this ever happens to me. Tell me everything?”
“I got lucky.”
“Go on.”
“One of my brother’s Marine buddies was in the area. He showed up in the nick of time and rescued me.”
“Oh, and that doesn’t sound suspicious at all.” Snark dripped from the words. “Let me guess…he’s hot and sweet and you feel an overwhelming urge to trust him. Don’t do it. Marines are self-centered dicks. Have Captain Rah bring you to my house—”
“No.” His golden-brown eyes flicked toward me and his hands gripped the wheel until his knuckles whitened. It was a subtle change and I doubt I’d have noticed if I hadn’t already been looking at him.
“I heard that.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes toward the roof of the car. “I don’t think he means me harm, De. Miles talked about him all the time.”
“If he’s so good then why won’t he bring you to my house?”
“It’s my fault,” I admitted. “I—I have something I have to take care of. You’re safer if I don’t come to your house until it’s done. I think he wants to help me and, to be honest, I could use his assistance.”
“Why? What are you doing? Is it legal?”
I prevaricated, knowing she’d worry more if I told the truth, “I can’t go into detail right now. It’s just something I have to do.”
“Uh huh, I bet you told him what it is.”
“No, ma’am, I did not.”
“Oh…” I could tell by her voice she was taken aback by my answer, “well…if your car is messed up, I’m here for you, ya know. I could drive you wherever you need to go. We would be like Thelma and Louise—”
“In your car?”
“Well, you don’t have to say it like that. What’s wrong with my car?”
“It’s old.”
“So is a sixty-eight Mustang.”
I chuckled, leaning my head against the window. “Fine, it’s decrepit.”
“I resent that comment. I like my car.”
“But, can you deny it?”
“No,” she grumbled. “Fine, let Captain Rah take you, but if anything happens to you, I’ll haunt him to the grave.”
“Actually, that’s retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Rah,” he murmured, “and I’ll personally guarantee that they’ll get to you only over my dead body.”
I listened on the phone and laughed way too hard. “You are crazy. I’m not telling him that.”
“Not telling me what?”
He shot me a quizzical look and I lowered my voice, “She said they’d better not get me even then—death is no excuse…and she has an Ouija board.”
“Damn, you have vicious friends.”
“Just this one—the rest are pretty normal.”
6
Todd
∞∞∞
I checked in at the hotel front desk at the Margaritaville Casino Resort and collected my key. I informed them that Butch was an emotional support animal and the lady behind the desk let us bring him along. We headed up to the room and I raised an inquiring brow in the elevator, “Hungry?”
“Yes, actually, I am. I don’t remember when I last ate.” I heard her stomach roar its agreement with her words. She peeked at me and blushed. “See?”
I swallowed a chuckle, not wanting her to think I was laughing at her. “Room service or restaurant?”
“Room service, please—I’m exhausted, and I don’t want to leave Butch alone in a new place. After all the excitement, don’t be surprised if I conk out on the couch as soon as my belly’s full, too.”
“I’ll sleep on the couch. You and Butch take the bed.”
She stomped out of the elevator, shaking her head. “I am not taking your bed. I’m smaller. The couch will be fine.”
“I insist.”
“You can insist all you want to,” she stuck out her tongue as she preceded me into the room. “It doesn’t mean I’ll listen.”
“Are you always this stubborn?”
She flashed me a mischievous grin over her shoulder, “Yep.”
She didn’t even have to think about it. For some reason that feistiness turned me on. I tried to ignore it.
“I can be hardheaded, too.”
She shrugged, unconcerned. “So? You’re obviously not from the South so I’m not too worried about it.”
“Oh, really?” I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall, feigning casual. “Why not?”
“Cuz,” her grin widened, revealing a matching set of deep dimples that reminded me so much of Miles that it hurt, “there’s stubborn, and then there’s southern stubborn.”
“That right?”
“Yep…and on the other side of southern stubborn is Louisiana stubborn.”
I took the bait despite my best intentions, “What’s on the other side of Louisiana stubborn?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nope,” she shook her head. “It takes an especially thick skull to live in the armpit of Hell, knowing Lucifer doesn’t wear deodorant.”
“The armpit of Hell?” I laughed until my stomach ached. “Is it that bad?”
“In the summertime, it’s worse.”
“Okay, well, if you won’t let me sleep on the couch, I guess we’ll just have to split the bed.”
Her eyes rounded along with her full pink lips, and her entire upper body—or at least what I could see—flushed tomato red. “We most certainly will not!”
“It’s a king-size bed, Millie. We can place Butch between us and it’ll be just like two twin beds.”
“No. That’s a bad idea. What would people think?”
“Nothing—no one knows we’re here and I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”
She chewed on her lip hard enough until I worried she’d draw blood. Finally, she sighed and grumbled, giving in. “Fine, but we’re sleeping in our clothes.”
“Fine.” I scooped up the room service menu, changing the subject before she could change her mind. “What would you like to eat?”
She shrugged, still visibly irritated. “A burger and fries is fine.”
“What toppings? They have mushroom and Swiss, bacon and cheese, avocado, egg and queso, chili—”
She jumped up and snatched the paper out of my hands, “What the hell?” She scanned it, sliding a finger down the column until she found the burger menu.
“Extra toppings.”
She glanced up at me, “I don’t see any
extra toppings on here?”
I cheerfully pointed it out to her, smug and a tiny bit mocking, “See?”
“Oh, whatever,” she started to hand it back, then snatched it again. “Oooh, bacon cheese fries! I’ll have those with a side of ranch dressing a bacon cheeseburger.”
“Single, double, or triple—”
“Just a bacon cheeseburger,” she grumbled, making it sound like one long word. Her brows met over her nose and her whole face scrunched adorably as she glared at me. “No double or triple patties, no avocado, no mushroom—just bacon, cheese, one patty, and a bun.”
“So, you don’t want lettuce, tomatoes or mayo?” Her face darkened even more, and I blinked, all innocent. “What?”
“I want everything that normally goes on a bacon cheeseburger and nothing that doesn’t—would you like for me to write it down for you?”
“No,” I grinned again, “I got it.”
“Good—and get Butch a steak.” She flung herself into an overstuffed chair, muttering beneath her breath, just loud enough for me to hear—though I’m relatively sure she didn’t realize I overheard, “I can’t believe I got stuck with this annoying asshole. Why me?”
I paused, unable to resist, and pressed the phone to my chest, fighting a grin, “Did you say something?”
“Nope.” She widened her eyes. Yeah, right. Liar.
The only sound in the room as we waited for our food was the low drone of the TV. The silence continued through the meal as I wisely decided not to press my luck any further. After we stuffed our faces and lay sprawled in front of the television watching the news, she offered a muttered apology.
“It’s fine.” I patted her hand where it lay on the cushion between us, laughing out loud as she snatched it back. “I was asking for it.”
“You really were,” she agreed, nodding.
“I know.” I let a peaceful silence fall between us for a few minutes before my curiosity got the better of me. “So, you never said…”
“Said what?” I could feel the tension radiating from her as she braced herself.
“Where do you need to go?”
“Hmm?” And that fast, our truce was over. I could see the gates slam shut behind her eyes as her whole face blanked like someone had taken an eraser to it.
“I don’t mean to pry. I just figured, since I’m driving you and all…” When she remained tight-lipped, I started to get irritated. After all, I’d rescued her from people who obviously intended her harm, offered to take her where she needed to go, brought her to my hotel where she could rest in safety and fed her a ridiculously high-priced room service meal—and she still didn’t trust me? I rolled my eyes and snorted, not bothering to hide my derision as I lunged to my feet and headed for the door. “Yet another need-to-know mission that I’ll have to navigate blind? Why am I not surprised?”
She sat straighter, alarmed. “Wait! Where are you going?”
“For a walk.”
Butch perked up at the magic word and rose to pace back and forth between us.
“Don’t go.” Millie drooped, dejected. “I’ll fill you in. I’ll tell you what I know.”
“For real?”
“For real.”
I dropped back down in front of my empty plate and stared expectantly, trying not to notice as the brindle boxer with the pink nose did the same toward the door.
7
Millie
∞∞∞
I blew out a heavy sigh, unsure over where to begin my explanation. The third time he glanced in my direction I blurted, “My brother dropped by in the middle of the night a few days before he was reported dead.”
“Wha—?” His eyes widened. “Did you know—?”
“That he was coming?” I shook my head. “He didn’t call first. I had no idea he was coming. I simply woke up in the middle of the night and he was in my kitchen.”
“Did he say why he came?”
I tilted my head from side to side, grimacing, “Yes and no.”
“Which is it? Yes, or no?”
“Both. Are you gonna let me tell this my way or not?” I glared at him for his impatience. We were talking about my dead brother. What did he think I was? An automaton with no feelings? “Maybe I should just take my chances at the airport or ask DeAna to drive me—”
“No, no, tell it in your own way. I’ll sit here quietly.”
I nod, a sharp jerk of my head. Unsure where to start, I chose to stick with the beginning “At first, I was scared. It was three AM, and someone was inside my house, uninvited—but I had Butch and my Louisville Slugger—”
“A Louisville Slugger? Why not a gun?”
“Because I can swing a mean bat, but I don’t know jack about shooting a gun.” When he merely smiled and nodded for me to continue, I did. “I was waiting for screams or gunfire. I never in a million years expected to hear my brother’s laughter. After all, Miles was supposed to be in Norway for a few more days as far as I knew.”
“So, he was AWOL?” He looked confused. Good. That made two of us.
I lifted my shoulder. “Maybe…I think…partially, anyway.”
“Explain.” I narrowed my eyes at the demand in his voice and opened my mouth to tell him what he could do with his bossy attitude but before I could say anything he added, softer, “Please.”
I sighed and continued, “He said they let him come home early, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes when he said it, so I knew something was up. Being my usual smart-ass self, I asked if they knew they let him go.”
“And?”
Frowning, I finally responded, “He said some did.” Remembering back, I rubbed my arms, chilled, “He looked bad, Todd.”
“Bad?”
“He looked like he’d gone weeks without eating. His clothes hung off his body. He was gaunt, skin and bones—he looked old. I thought he was sick, but he insisted he was fine.” I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. When he shifted in his seat, growing restless, I started speaking again, “I asked him if he was in trouble and he said yes, but it wasn’t what I thought. Me being me, I asked him what he thought I was thinking.”
“Did he tell you?”
“Yeah.” I smirked.
“Was he right?”
“Yeah, he knows the way my mind works,” I nodded. “I figured he’d knocked the wrong girl up and had a pissed father on his tail. He assured me he hadn’t. It was way worse, he said.”
“How much worse?”
I met his eyes. “He said he was in big trouble—that they’d kill him when they caught him.”
“They?”
I put my hands in the air and shrugged, “He didn’t say, but when I suggested we go to the police he insisted they couldn’t help. I got the distinct impression he felt like not even the military could help him.”
“But—”
I shot him a look and he swallowed whatever he’d been about to say. “Whatever is going on, it’s the reason he faked my death. He said he needed something delivered to someone—”
“Something?”
I rolled my eyes. “Patience isn’t really your virtue, is it?”
“Not really.”
“I can tell. Fine. It was a nine-by-twelve envelope. It was plain as far as envelopes go, a little beat up but serviceable. He insisted, and I quote, this envelope contains detailed information on a heinous plan that will end the world as we know it if it actually comes to fruition.” I raked my fingers through my tangled tresses, wincing as they snagged and pulled. “He said he couldn’t deliver it because they would be watching for him—”
“Again, with the ambiguous, vague they.”
I raised and dropped my shoulders, as clueless as he was. “He gave me a name and an address and said they wouldn’t be watching for me to deliver the package—”
“How could he be so sure?”
“Well, for one, because I don’t look the same as I did, and also because the world thinks I’m dead.”
“I recognized you.”
&
nbsp; “You recognized me or my car?”
“Both,” his stare was level, as if daring me to keep pushing. “He showed me your picture and there’s the indisputable fact that you look a lot alike.”
I grinned. “Well, you were friends with him, so there’s that. They don’t have that advantage.”
“And yet it appears that they may not have bought your supposed death after all—so, now what? What’s plan two?”
I flung myself against the back of the couch, seriously frustrated. “There is no plan two. I have to get to Washington, DC, and give the envelope to the guy at the address.”
“You’re sure he said Washington, DC?”
“He wrote it down. Duh! Of course, I’m sure.”
“And you’re determined to deliver it, no matter what?”
I nod, “No matter what.”
I watched his hands ball up into fists. The veins in his forearms stood out against the flexed muscles beneath his tan. It was hot as hell. “Even if you end up dead?” he gritted out.
“Even if.”
Todd rocketed to his feet, startling me and Butch. Butch growled and he growled back. Butch wisely backed down and plopped down by the couch.
Prowling the room like a big cat in a cage, Todd demanded, “Did you ask him what was in the envelope?”
“Yes.”
“And?” He gripped the long curtains in fisted hands and stared out the windows, his back to me. Tension radiated from every hard inch of him.
“He said it contained information on a computer virus capable of controlling our long-range missiles—” I forced a laugh, “but, he’s mistaken, isn’t he? America doesn’t have long-range missiles anymore.”
I blinked and he was in front of me again—that fast. “Yes, we do.”
“We…do? But…” I dropped my head, resting my chin on my chest, feeling ashamed. “I accused him of being crazy. I feel terrible. I’ve got to get to Washington, DC, asap, and turn this information over like I promised.”
“We have to assume they called in reinforcements when you got away earlier—”
I shook my head. “I doubt they even knew it was me.”