by E B Corbin
Callahan slumped against the back of the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. He remained silent.
Sam rose from her chair and began to pace the room, running her hands through her hair until the short blond locks stood on end. She dug her phone out of her pocket and poked at it for a few seconds. Finally she swung around and held the screen up. “The app’s still showing him in Hagerstown. Damn it! He either left his phone there or he’s tech savvy enough to screw with the app I installed.”
“I’m not surprised,” Roxanne said. “He struck me as sharp enough to cover his tracks.”
Callahan frowned. “Then he could still be the one taking potshots at you.”
“I really doubt it. I didn’t get the sense that he would do such a thing.”
“And yet he was dishonorably discharged,” he said.
“True. Did you ever find out what that was about?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. I haven’t had time.”
Sam tucked her phone back in her pocket. Then she smiled at them. “I have.”
- 19 -
Sam bit her lower lip and frowned. “I don’t know if I should tell you or not. It’s confidential information.”
“Oh, come on,” Roxanne said. “I’ve been held at gunpoint by the man. You can’t say it’s none of my business. And I left Vicki alone with him.”
“W…ell.” The blonde drew out the word until it stretched halfway across the room.
Roxanne circled her hands at her. “Spill the beans.”
Sam relaxed her shoulders and took a deep breath. “Okay. I checked Henry out before I contacted him. By all accounts, the court martial was a set up. He caught his commanding officer with the wife of a team member. Before Henry could report it, though, the commander accused him of taking bribes from an Iranian arms dealer. Since the bribes were more serious than adultery, the commander’s complaint carried more weight. Some members of Henry’s team were coerced into testifying against him.” Sam started to pace again.
“That’s it?” Roxanne asked. “Henry took bribes?”
“Not exactly.” Sam crossed her arms. “It came out later that this commander blackmailed the men on his team to testify against Henry. The court martial was thrown out. They gave Henry the option of returning to his team or accepting an early discharge. According to my source, Henry was so disturbed by the whole situation, he didn’t feel he could perform his duties any longer nor could he trust his team members. He took the early discharge.”
Callahan’s mouth wasn’t exactly hanging open but his expression made it clear what he thought of Sam’s explanation. “That’s a lot of detail. Who’s your source? God?”
Sam smiled at him. “You know I can’t tell you that. But I’m certain it’s credible.”
“So the story Vicki heard about his dishonorable discharge was misleading.” Roxanne patted Callahan’s shoulder. “Does that make you feel better?”
“Maybe a little,” he grumbled. “If it’s true.”
“I may make some errors in judgement about people, but my research is always impeccable,” Sam said. “It’s true. I guarantee it.”
“So what are you going to do about dispensing the money?” Roxanne asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think on it.” Sam looked at Callahan. “You believe Henry should be arrested for his treatment of Roxanne.”
Callahan nodded, giving a sideways glance at Roxanne. “He needs to be held accountable for what he did.”
Sam swiveled to Roxanne. “And you’d rather dismiss Henry’s actions as irrelevant.”
“Yes.” Roxanne spoke in a whisper. “I think he’s all torn up about the path his life’s taking and not acting in his own best interest.”
“Why don’t you two get out of here?” Sam resumed pacing. “I see both your viewpoints but that doesn’t help me decide what to do.”
Roxanne shrugged. “We have to wait for Kate to return with Puka.”
“Well, I need to go up to my room to think about this. See you guys later.” Sam sailed up the stairs without looking back.
Callahan and Roxanne sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, careful to keep from touching. They started to speak simultaneously.
He said, “Listen, I’m sorry I blew up about Henry.”
“I can’t help feeling that Henry is not a threat,” she said.
They regarded each other in surprise until Roxanne’s lips curved up into a smile she couldn’t hold back. Callahan matched it with a lopsided grin and then both laughed. The tension between them dissolved.
“I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.” He stroked her chin. “I’m not over my mad at Henry.”
Roxanne sobered. “And I can understand that. I’m a little ticked, too. I just don’t think he should be punished.”
Before Callahan could respond, the front door flew open. Puka and the puppy bounded in, followed by a joyous Jonathon and a shivering Kate. In spite of her red nose, she was in good spirits.
Trailing his leash, Puka ran to the sofa and rubbed his icy nose against Roxanne’s hand. She jerked at the cold contact, almost knocking the phone out of Callahan’s grasp. He managed to hold onto it and scrolled through several text messages.
“We’ll be going, now,” Callahan said as he stood and pulled Roxanne up beside him.
“You don’t have to run off on my account.” Kate kicked off her boots. “I’m going to give Jonathon his bath. I won’t be hanging around.”
“That’s not it.” Callahan held up his phone. “Tiffany’s been texting me for the past half-hour. She and Ron are hungry and want to know when we’ll get back.”
“Oh, do you need some food for dinner? I can fix you plates to go.”
“Thanks, but Sophie made lasagna and Tiffany’s been jonesing for it since they walked in the door. In his last message, Ron practically begged me to answer. We’ve got to get to Chester’s before they eat it all.” Callahan’s thumbs gave a short answer before he hit “Send” and tucked the phone in his pocket.
During the ten-minute drive, Roxanne searched her mind for a topic that didn’t involve Henry. No point in breaking their uneasy truce and starting another argument. “Did Clancy talk to you today?”
“He did. I’ll tell you about it over dinner.”
Roxanne noticed how Callahan’s eyes drifted from the road to the rear view mirror. “You think someone’s following us?”
“Just habit. Can’t be too careful.”
The stiffness in her spine relaxed at his words. She told him that she planned to be more vigilant herself; she had promised Roxy.
When he pulled into the lane in front of Chester’s, Puka started whining and bouncing in the back. “Hold on, hold on.” Callahan twisted to hold the dog’s head between his hands. He laughed when Puka licked his face. “You’ll be out in a minute.”
Roxanne opened his door and the golden retriever jumped out, dancing through the snow in the front yard. Back and forth he raced until the previously pristine surface resembled the end of a massive landslide.
Callahan whistled and Puka ran onto the porch, shaking his whole body to rid himself of the popcorn-like patches of snow clinging to his fur. Roxanne attempted to remove some of the sticky white balls but as soon as Callahan opened the door, the dog shot inside.
“Puka!” Roxanne called out in vain. She turned to Callahan. “I’m sorry. He’s going to make a mess.”
“No problem. He’s a dog and this is a farmhouse. They were made for each other.”
They heard a screech from the kitchen then Tiffany yelled, “Dammit! Look what you’ve done!”
Roxanne didn’t bother hiding her grin. “Whoops.”
When they entered the eating area, they found Puka dripping on the floor and Tiffany wiping messy paw prints from the sleeve of her sweater. “That damn dog ruined my top.
”
“Sorry,” Roxanne mumbled trying not to smirk. “He’s just happy to see you.”
“He’s happy to see my food, you mean.” Tiffany pointed to the table where Puka stared at her plateful of lasagna.
“I’m happy to see it, too,” Callahan said. “I’m starved.”
“It looks delicious.” Roxanne scooped a portion of the pasta onto an empty plate and grabbed a piece of garlic toast. All four sat around the table too busy shoveling food into their mouths to hold any kind of meaningful conversation.
Boards covered the window above the kitchen sink—a reminder that danger could rear its head again at any moment. She attracted it no matter where she went in this town. She hated putting the lives of people around her at risk. What if someone else died? The thought destroyed her appetite. She pushed the rest of the pasta around on her plate without taking a bite.
“Eat,” Callahan ordered when he saw Roxanne’s plate. “Who knows when we’ll get a home-cooked meal again.”
“It was nice of Sophie to prepare it for us.” Tiffany put in her two cents worth. “Do you think she’ll keep it up when you’re here full time?”
“She did for Gramps. I haven’t talked to her yet about my plans. Although I’d like to get settled in here very soon.”
“I wish you’d change your mind about leaving State. We’ll miss you,” Tiffany said, then sat back and wiped her mouth. “God, she sure can cook.”
Roxanne almost choked on the bite she’d forced into her mouth. She didn’t know if it was because of the woman’s exaggerated praise of the meal or her thinly disguised attempt to keep Callahan in her life. But the fare was exceptional. Apart from one row of lasagna noodles in the baking dish and crumbs in the bread basket, no food remained on the table. Leftovers weren’t an option but that hardly mattered to Roxanne.
She pressed a napkin to her mouth after her last swallow and put up a front she hoped Callahan bought. “Well, that was worth waiting for. I’m stuffed. Now, tell me what Clancy had to say.”
Before he could respond, groans came from Ron and Tiffany. The female agent answered first. “That dickwad. He claims he knows where Pearse and Seamus are but he won’t tell us until we move him to DC.”
“What?” Roxanne asked.
“Says they’ll kill him if he turns on them. He refuses to talk until he’s far away.” Tiffany shook her head.
“Do you believe him? I mean that he knows where they are?” Roxanne stood to scrape her plate, rinse it and put it in the dishwasher. She averted her eyes from the boarded-up window.
Ron answered. “He claims he contacted them using a phone he borrowed from a nursing assistant. They warned him to keep his mouth shut. The bastard admitted he lied about them coming to see him at the hospital just to rile us.”
“So, basically, he talked but told you nothing,” Roxanne said.
“He did tell us that when they last communicated with their boss, they were told to abort the mission and return to Ireland. However, they decided they were tired of taking orders; with five million dollars they could do as they pleased. Clancy’s pretty ticked about losing his share. They’re sticking around until Roxy and Conor find the money, then they plan to take it for themselves.”
“Roxy’s no fool,” Roxanne said. “Once she finds the money she won’t give it up without a fight. Did you tell her about this?”
“Not yet,” Ron said. “Roxy’s cabin was dark when Tiff and I passed by tonight. No car outside, either.”
As Roxanne loaded the rest of the plates into the dishwasher, she wondered what Roxy and Conor were doing. They couldn’t be searching in the dark. She pushed that thought aside and spoke to the room in general. “Do you think Pearse and Seamus were in that black SUV that was following Roxy?”
Tiffany shook her head. “It doesn’t seem likely. If they’re supposed to stop searching for the money, I doubt that their superiors would approve more expenditures. The navy van hasn’t been found yet, but even if they wanted an anonymous vehicle, they’d have to either steal it or rent it. Renting’s out since there’s no place around here that rents cars, let alone tricked out SUVs.”
When Tiffany paused, Callahan continued. “If they stole it, there should be a report. Pete had Gertie monitor all the stolen vehicle reports for the past few days. So far, nothing’s popped.”
Roxanne leaned against the counter. “Maybe Clancy’s lying to give his pals time to get across the border.”
“He could be,” Callahan said. “But he seemed truly afraid they would kill him if he told us they were hanging around. Besides, he has little to gain if we move him to a jail in DC. If I were him, I’d want to stay in the hospital as long as possible. He’s clamoring to be moved.”
“Maybe Pearse and Seamus plan to help him escape when he’s transported to DC.” Roxanne dropped a pod in the open dishwasher then slammed it shut and flicked the switch to start.
Tiffany scoffed. “That kind of thing only happens in books and movies. I can’t think of a time a prisoner escaped while being moved to another facility.”
“That doesn’t mean it can’t happen.” Roxanne found it harder than ever to control her aversion to Tiffany. No matter what she said, the agent found a way to discount or contradict it. What was her game plan? To make her look stupid in front of Callahan?
She expected a smart answer from Tiffany but now the woman only shrugged. Callahan jumped in to ease the strain between them. “Two can play his game. Tomorrow, I’ll tell Clancy the transfer won’t be completed until we have Pearse and Seamus in custody. If he knows anything, which I doubt, he’ll have to tell us. Otherwise he can rot in the hospital until I’m good and ready to have him moved.”
Ron rejoined the conversation. “I confirmed with Lili, the nursing assistant, that Clancy borrowed her phone. He told her he needed to contact his mother and she felt sorry for him.”
“Good grief. Didn’t she know he’s a terrorist?” Tiffany asked. “He’s in there for a gunshot wound.”
“Lili is only on duty a few hours a week. She didn’t know anything about his circumstances. When I told her, she felt terrible. Even offered to give me her phone if it would help.” Ron gave Tiffany a perfunctory glance. “I have the number Clancy called and tried to trace the signal but they must have pulled the battery. We got nothing.”
“Have someone in DC keep the trace on it,” Callahan said. “It’s more than we had yesterday. If we can get a little closer every day, we’ll soon nab those bastards. Clancy may be lying about knowing where they are. He might have a general idea, but not an exact location. If he lets something slip, it could help us zero in on his friends.”
Tiffany yawned. “After last night, I’m beat. I think I’ll turn in.”
“We should all try for a good night’s rest,” Ron trailed behind her with a backhanded wave at Callahan and Roxanne.
Roxanne ran a dishrag over the surface of the counter. Anything to avoid looking at the boarded-up window. Three times she’d dodged bullets in the last few days. It was finally catching up to her.
During the last two days, she’d hardly been aware of the wound on her upper arm, but now it began to twinge. As she thought about her close calls, a chill crept up her spine.
“Looks like we’re alone again,” Callahan swung Roxanne around to face him. His hands remained on her shoulders while his eyes searched her face. “What’s wrong?”
“What, are you a mind reader?” She tried to keep her voice low to prevent Ron and Tiffany from overhearing their conversation, but her words quivered.
“Did you do something I don’t know about?” His eyebrows waggled at her.
“No! You know everything, except maybe…” Her voice trailed off as she lowered her eyes to gaze at the floor.
“Aw, Jesus, what?” Callahan wiped a hand across his face as his smile disappeared.
“Nothi
ng. It just hit me that I’ve been shot at three times in the past three days. The first time, you or Sylvia could have been injured. The second time I was with Puka and the third time anyone here in the kitchen with me could have been killed. And that’s not counting the shooter at the campground.”
He pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “So it’s finally catching up with you.”
Tears formed in her eyes and she tried to blink them away. “I could have been killed.”
“But you weren’t. It’s only natural to be afraid. Hell, I’d be jumping out of my skin if I thought all those attempts were aimed at me. As it is, I’m scared to death for you. I don’t know how you’ve managed to hold on this long.”
“S… s… somehow I… I s… s… seemed to be able to handle it up until n…n… now.” Her shoulders shook as she buried her head in his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. She used his shirt to muffle her sobs while he patted her hair. They remained glued together until she regained a semblance of control.
Wiping her nose on the back of her hand, she put some space between them. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall apart on you.”
“Hey, it’s all right. I’m glad you finally realized the danger. Now you’ll be extra careful.” He lifted her chin to look in her eyes. “I just wish we could figure out who the hell is shooting at you.”
“And why,” she added. “I’m not trying to upset anyone.”
He flashed his crooked, sexy grin. “Not at the moment—if you discount Henry.”
“I thought we established it’s not him.” She tried to pull back but he held her tight. She turned her head to look at the cabinets. “He’s a bit… intense, I’ll admit, but…”
“Twice the shots came when you were around Vicki’s place.” Callahan touched the side of her face to gaze at her. “We can’t ignore that.”
“It’s not Henry.” The words rushed out; it was something she knew in her gut.
He sighed. “If you’re done sticking up for Henry, we should get some sleep.”
“Yeah, you only had a few hours yesterday. I’m sorry about that.” She sniffled once and took a deep breath.