Catalyst (Dogs of War Book 4)

by J. M. Madden

  “Yes,” she whispered, thinking of the brush of his lips all those weeks ago. It had lit her on fire and she’d been waiting for him to approach her again, but he never did. Which made her wonder if it had meant anything to him at all. Obviously not, she had thought.

  They saw each other, in a professional sense, but he hadn’t allowed them to get any closer. If she’d had more courage, she might have approached him, but Noah was way out of her league. It may have just been a momentary…aberration on his part, or something. Maybe he’d just kissed her because she looked so desperate at that moment.

  Raine sighed, trying not to be bitter. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that anyway, no matter how good he looked sitting there in the morning sunlight. She turned her head to look out the window. “I’m going to run over to the gas station and use the bathroom, if you don’t mind.”

  Immediately he started the truck. “No, let me take you somewhere a little better than a gas station.”

  He managed to find a Panera, which was fine with her. She went inside, ordered a few sandwiches and coffees to go and used the bathroom while she waited for her order to be ready. Noah grinned when she returned, taking the tray of coffees from her.

  “I hoped you were getting us something to eat.”

  Raine handed him a couple of sandwiches and indicated which coffee was his. Elizabeth called as they were finishing their breakfast.

  “Yes,” Raine answered, her heart picking up.

  “Okay, so Senator Hall is abruptly on his way back to New York City. His private plane just left. He’s been here for four days and was scheduled for a few more.”

  Raine’s gaze hooked on Noah’s. “Why would he leave?”

  “We’re not sure. But we do know that he cancelled several appointments and interviews, as well as one vote. He said there was an illness in the family, but we haven’t been able to confirm that. Officer Rose is trying to do what he can, but he’s trying not to be too obvious. Domestic issues usually fall under the FBI or NSA’s jurisdiction. If you see any of his men, they may be off-duty, he said. He’s going to call a buddy to see if we can get some support, but our hands are tied a little. We need help but we can’t broadcast to everyone in DC that we have former military in our care, like this.”

  “I understand,” Raine said thoughtfully. “Do you have Hall’s address in New York? Should we head there?”

  Elizabeth sighed. “I honestly don’t know. We can’t just leave Haven to fend for himself.”

  Raine glanced at Noah. Without a word he started the SUV and pulled out of the parking lot. Raine heard murmuring on the other end of the line.

  “Okay,” Elizabeth said, coming back. “Officer Rose just reported that they found the CCTV from the airport. Senator Hall, a dark-haired woman, and at least four security guards just left. Haven was not with them.”

  “Shoot,” Raine whispered. “So, where the heck is he?”

  “If, by chance he was after Hall, would he head to New York?” Noah asked.

  They were all silent for a bit.

  “I have no idea,” Elizabeth admitted. “I don’t think anyone does. I wish we knew what made him run.”

  “He kept saying that they were coming for him, and that she was bad and angry but that she kept reaching out for him. That’s why I was asking about women that had been experimented upon.”

  “Who is the woman in the footage,” Noah asked.

  Again, there was murmuring on the other end of the line. “Aiden is coming up empty. Let us get back to you. If you can, hang out for just a bit until we figure out what’s going on.”

  “Okay,” Raine murmured, hanging up. She looked at Noah. “I hate not knowing anything.”

  “I do, too. I vote we keep heading north. If he’s this determined to get in touch with Hall or at the very least near him, I think Haven will find a way to get to New York, as well.”

  “I agree.”

  Chapter 4

  Without further talk Noah merged onto 95 north. Raine punched New York into her GPS. Four hours, assuming they didn’t hit rush hour somewhere. They had to go through Baltimore and Philadelphia traffic and there were several tolls. Such a short space on the map for all the stuff they had to go through.

  “I wish I’d have known I was going on a sightseeing tour today. I would have packed better,” she laughed, looking down at her coat and small backpack.

  “You’re fine. Literally, New York is the city of everything you can imagine.”

  “Have you been there a lot? I’ve not been out of Tennessee very much at all.”

  He glanced at her, his full lips quirking. “I know you haven’t.”

  Raine colored slightly. “That obvious, isn’t it? What can I say? We lived in the country and I loved it.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with the country. Think I would like the quiet.”

  “Oh, you would,” she breathed. “It’s never completely quiet though. You have the sound of the insects and the water rushing in the streams after a rain storm. And the peepers! Oh, I love peepers,” she gushed.

  Noah glanced at her. “What the heck are peepers?”

  “Frogs, actually. But they sing at night and it’s the most amazing thing…”

  Noah frowned, looking back at the road. “Sounds a little noisy.”

  She shook her head. “No, they sing together in the spring and you know winter is mostly gone.”

  He shook his head, watching the converging traffic on the road.

  “Where did you grow up?” she asked.

  “Philadelphia. We’ll be going past my old stomping grounds in a bit. I lived in an apartment with my grandmother and aunt and two cousins. Till I turned eighteen anyway, then I joined the Marines.”

  He seemed like he was going to stop there, but she wanted to know more. “Did you enjoy the Marines?”

  His face turned thoughtful. “For the most part, yes. It served a purpose. Put me through school.”

  “What did you go to school for?” she asked curiously.

  “Engineering.”

  She frowned at him. “So, how did you go from the Marines and an engineering degree to working security for Damon Wilkes?”

  “Well,” he said thoughtfully, resting one arm on the wheel. “I was deployed when I was in the Marines, and I went to Iraq just like everyone else did.”

  Raine found herself holding her breath. She hoped he hadn’t been hurt.

  “Several times we got into altercations with the enemy which led to firefights. I was shot a few times, but the years of dealing with the percussive effects of the artillery we used led to me having issues when I got back to the states. Ten, twelve years ago they didn’t know as much about TBIs as they do now. I went to the VA because I was having problems concentrating. There was ringing in my right ear. But it was infrequent enough that they couldn’t diagnose anything. So, I went to school and finished my degree, even though I had terrible time getting there.”

  Wow. He’d been so determined. “But you managed it…”

  “Yeah, I did.” He looked over his left shoulder and merged into the next lane. “The ringing in my ear was driving me nuts, though, and I kept going in to have it looked at. None of the doctors could pinpoint what exactly was happening, but it was seriously interrupting my life. The only thing that got rid of the anxiety was bourbon. Not a lot of engineering jobs you can do while swilling bourbon, though.” He glanced at her, as if gauging her reaction. Raine kept her face completely calm. It was a theme she’d heard before, using liquor to make up for the shortfalls of the medical community.

  “I have a buddy that kept after me,” Noah continued. “Jax. He had been shot, though, when he was in, and was still getting up every morning. One day he came and got me, kicked my ass and made me go workout with him. It took a while but after a few days I started feeling better. Wasn’t so focused on the bourbon anymore. We worked out every day for months and I felt five million percent better.” He flashed her his bright smile. “Then on
e day a regular came in talking about a guy that wanted to hire bodyguards. Muscular guards, preferably with military experience. He was offering really good money. Enough I could get out of the hole I was in, so I went and met with him. Damon Wilkes was nothing if not persuasive. Somehow, he had researched my career, told me everything I wanted to hear. Promised to pay off my grandmother’s mortgage. Before he even met me, he had all these things in place and wanted me on the job. When I wavered, he doubled the sign-on bonus and promised me I wouldn’t have to deal with any bullshit, and that he would get me help for the hearing thing. The job seemed easy, so I took it.”

  She grinned at him. “So, you appreciate having your ego stroked.”

  He gave her a long glance, then a slow grin. “Well…”

  Raine realized what she’d said, and what his possible responses could have been. Her cheeks flushed and she appreciated his restraint. Noah laughed outright at her embarrassment, but he didn’t say anything.

  “I don’t know why I say that stuff,” she grumbled.

  “Because you’re genuine and you don’t play word games,” he told her, voice firm.

  “I suppose. I don’t think I play word games.”

  Noah chuckled, quirking a brow at her as if to say exactly.

  “So, you signed on with Wilkes,” she prodded.

  “It wasn’t until later that I realized that he just wanted more men for the testing program. All of the guys he hired right around that time had some issue. Nothing major, but something chronic. Bad joints, some early arthritis, migraines, other TBIs. Most of them never had the same issue again. Dr. Shu was a genius, there’s no doubt about that, they just approached everything wrong.”

  “I think you’re right.” She watched his face closely. “I know Elizabeth has been working on a reversal. Would you consider taking it?”

  He was quiet for a long time, staring out the windshield. “I don’t know. It’s hard being so sensitive I can literally hear your heartbeat right now, even over the sound of the road and vehicle, but I think I would feel…stripped, or weak, if I wasn’t able to. If she can come up with a way to soften the effects? Maybe. But if it’s all or nothing, I’ll keep it, in spite of the pain.” He gave her a glance. “It might get bad in the city. If I have to take in everything going on in order to find Haven, it’s going to wear me out.”

  She nodded. “Just let me know when you need to take a break. You have noise cancelling headphones too, right? In addition to your music ones.”

  “I do. And ear plugs.” He patted his chest pocket. “Just not sure how much I’ll be able to use them.”

  Raine could tell the kind of guy Noah was. He would search tirelessly for his lost man, even to the detriment of his own safety. It might be up to her to remind him when he needed to take a breath. If, by chance, they ended up in Times Square or something, she could imagine Noah being bombarded and overwhelmed. Her heart thudded as she thought about him being hurt, and she didn’t like the hollow feeling in her stomach. They needed to find Haven and get home as soon as possible.

  As they drove toward New York, Noah began to remember how much he used to love driving. He’d gotten used to people hauling his ass around, or not having to go anywhere at all. Living in the Elton building had made him a little lazy.

  He glanced over at Raine. She must have been reading a book or something on her phone, because her hand was cupped around the screen for shade. Even as he watched, she sighed and set it away, her delicate fingers squeezing the power button. She glanced up at him. “Can I use your charger?”

  Noah nodded toward the cord in the center console. “Help yourself.”

  Raine plugged in her phone and sank back against the chair. “Why don’t you take a nap,” he suggested. “It’ll be a couple hours before we get to New York.”

  “I’m okay. Want me to drive?”

  Noah grinned. “No, I’m good. I’m enjoying it actually.”

  “We forget what we miss helping the guys. Maybe we need to make more of an effort to get out.”

  “Yeah.”

  Funny how their thoughts ran along the same lines. It would be nice if Elizabeth would call and let them know they were heading in the right direction. Right now, he was operating on a hunch. Yes, it was a strong hunch, but still.

  The Fates must have been listening because Raine’s phone rang. She answered it quickly.

  “We found Haven,” he heard through her earpiece. “One of the CIA spotted him on an Amtrak train headed North.”

  Raine glanced at him to make sure he’d heard and he nodded.

  “We’re about halfway to New York. We thought he might be coming this way.”

  “Oh, excellent,” Elizabeth said. “You need to go here, to this address. Officer Rose will meet you there.” She reeled off a set of numbers and a street name Raine jotted onto the Panera bag. “He has given us the warning that he probably can’t help us much more than he already has. This is not their jurisdiction, but he’s trying to find someone he trusts. That we all can trust.”

  “Okay. Hopefully someone high up that won’t mind taking on a senator.”

  “Exactly. And as long as Hall has been on Capitol Hill, I have a feeling he has a lot of friends.”

  “As well as a lot of enemies,” Noah said. He wracked his brain. There had been one man that hadn’t put up with Wilkes’ demands. Who had that been? “Have him check out… I believe he was a general in the Air Force… I'm pretty sure it was the Air Force, anyway. Hoffman or Higgins. I think it started with an H.”

  “Did you hear that, Elizabeth?”

  “I did,” she confirmed. “We’ll see what we can dig up. I’ll let Rose know you’re on your way.”

  Once she hung up, Raine sank into her seat, looking a little lost. “This stuff kinda freaks me out. I mean, I knew when I hired on that there were things going on, but I never imagined I would be hunting down one of my patients with the help of the CIA.”

  Noah snorted. “Don’t put them on a pedestal. They help out when it benefits them, believe me. Rose is an okay guy but if they can leverage some kind of information out of the situation, they absolutely will.”

  “Noted.”

  “Just stick close to me. No matter what.”

  “I will.”

  Raine punched the address into the GPS and set the phone where he could see the screen.

  “That seat reclines,” he told her. “Why don’t you lay back and get a nap in while you have a chance.”

  Turning, she smiled at him. “Thank you. I was already getting a little drowsy sitting in the sunshine. Wake me if you want me to drive.”

  He gave her a nod, though he knew he wouldn’t wake her. Against his own volition, he watched her as she reclined the chair and closed her eyes. God damn, she was beautiful. Her thick hair was like a river of honey over the seat. He wanted to feel it, but he knew if he tried to reach it, she would open her eyes. Forcing his head back to watch traffic, he made himself breathe. The woman was too appealing to him. And she had no idea.

  Philly passed by in a blur. He needed to get back and see his family, it just hadn’t been convenient. Or rather, he hadn’t felt like he could leave the men. He was just getting to know them, know their fears. He’d always been worried about veterans in general. Jax, the friend that got his ass back in the gym and moving, was involved in a bunch of different veterans' projects, but Noah felt like working with the men in the Elton Building was more. He would be there for them, no matter what, because in a way, he was one of them. The only difference was that he hadn’t been active military at the time.

  Just outside the city, traffic began to stack up, slowing to a crawl, then a stop. Raine murmured in her sleep and turned her head, and he found himself watching as the sun glistened on her hair. There were about ten different shades of gold to pale yellow in there, and he really wanted to feel the texture with his fingertips. The traffic was still stopped, so why not? Reaching out he picked up a chunk of her hair, rubbing it between his fin
gertips. It was truly like silk. And heavy. He didn’t realize a woman’s hair could be this heavy. What did the entire mass weigh?

  There was a honk behind him. By the time he looked back at Raine she had opened her bright blue eyes and was staring at him. Still holding her hair. Embarrassment washed over him and he dropped the strands. “Sorry. I was just curious if it was as heavy as it looked.”

  He stared out the windshield, feeling a flush crawl across his skin. Hopefully she couldn’t see his embarrassment.

  Beside him, she straightened her chair and glanced at the clock. “I didn’t realize I had slept so long. You should have woken me,” she said, obviously trying to wake up. If he wasn’t so embarrassed, he would tell her how cute she was. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and drowsy, her cheek red where she’d lain on the center console cushion.

  “No need.”

  Noah prided himself on not being one of those useless guys that couldn’t drive a few hours without stopping. He could go as long as the truck could. Besides, it was quiet in here. Glancing down, he realized he would need gas soon, and he wouldn’t mind stopping himself. Traffic began to move, and he started the laborious process of merging over to the right. There were exits everywhere but he preferred to take one that he could get back onto the interstate fairly quickly. The less he had to deal with the public the better.

  It took them just a few minutes to stop, get gas and snacks, use the facilities and get back on the road. Another hour and they were in the city proper. If he wasn’t concentrated on driving, Noah would have enjoyed watching Raine experience the city. Her wide-eyed wonder was innocent and refreshing, and he wanted to soak in her joy and wonder. It had been a long time since anything had made him react that way and he hoped she never lost that ability to be thrilled. Though it was still damn cold, they lowered the windows and just breathed in the life of the city. Even inside the SUV Noah could tell that there would be an incredible barrage on his senses. It was like an ocean tide rolling into the shore. It started with gentle brushes along the sand and built up to giant breakers crashing against the rocks. Noah parked his ear buds in his ears and plugged into music to try to prepare for the onslaught.