Chapter Five
Mallory’s sudden shift in emotions wasn’t lost on Vaulcron. He could sense her guilt as surely as he’d sensed her earlier desire for him.
He trailed behind her as she strode off to the kitchen. “Mallory?”
“Hmmmm?”
“Is everything all right?”
She refilled their wineglasses without looking at him. “Everything is fine. I see that you ate all your sushi. Would you care for dessert?”
Perhaps later. I am hungrier for knowledge at the moment.”
Mallory took a sip of her wine. “What would you like to talk about?”
“You.”
That brought her head up. “Me?”
“I want to know everything about you.”
Her nervous energy assailed him. “There’s not much to tell. I’m a reporter. I travel a lot. No pets, children, or husband. Pretty boring, huh?”
“And your family?” Vaulcron pressed, accepting the glass of wine she offered him.
Mallory drifted back into the living room and took a seat on the couch. She patted the cushion next to her, signaling for Vaulcron to sit.
“My parents divorced when I was five,” she began, taking another drink of her wine. “My mother remarried a couple years later, and Amy was born.”
Vaulcron sat next to her and placed his glass on the wooden table in front of him. “Where is your mother now?”
“She passed away a few years ago.”
“I am sorry,” Vaulcron offered, wanting to remove the sadness in her beautiful blue eyes.
“It was sudden death by supraventricular tachycardia,” Mallory continued, staring at a place over his shoulder. “Mom had been diagnosed at an early age with Wolff-Parkinson-White-Syndrome. While most people with this defect can be treated, there is a small percentage that isn’t so lucky. Mom happened to be one of the unlucky numbers.”
“The medical terms are foreign to me, but I do understand the pain of death. I am truly sorry, Mallory.”
Mallory blinked a couple of times before meeting his gaze. “Thank you. It was a long time ago.”
“And your father?”
“He and my stepmom moved to Chicago when I was still in college. They visit during holidays.”
“And your sister?”
Her father became an alcoholic after my mother passed. He couldn’t take care of Amy by himself. She lived with me for a few years until she became an adult and eventually moved into Piney Point when an apartment became available.”
Vaulcron glanced down at his hands before lifting his gaze once more. “Life has not been easy for you, Mallory Cahill.”
She appeared flustered by his assessment. “I manage. Besides, I have a wonderful career that I love, and my sister is near. What more could I want?”
“A family of your own. Children.”
Mallory took another sip of her wine before responding. “I can’t imagine myself as a mother. Not to mention, my job wouldn’t allow me the time to care for a child.”
A strange feeling overcame Vaulcron. One that felt awfully close to disappointment. What had he expected her to say? “Yet you made time for your sister.”
Mallory cleared her throat. “Would you like to watch some television?”
Ah, a subject change, Vaulcron noticed, leaning back against the couch. He’d obviously struck a nerve. “If that is what you would like.”
“I’ll grab us a movie, after I change clothes once again.” Mallory finished off her wine, and hurried from the room.
Vaulcron watched her go until she disappeared from view. He couldn’t get enough of looking at her.
What was it about Mallory Cahill, that tied his stomach in knots? He didn’t know, but he had a very short time to figure it out. Once he returned to Cuba, he might never see her again.
No, Vaulcron silently swore. He would see her again. Even if it meant staying in the states to be near her.
* * * *
Secretary of Homeland Security, Douglas Jefferies, arrived in Fort Walton Beach, a little before eight pm. He remained seated while his men scoured the area for potential threats.
Very few people were aware of Jefferies trip to Florida, for which Doug couldn’t be more thankful. The last thing he wanted or needed at this point, was a team of reporters, ambushing him as he stepped off the jet.
“It’s all clear, sir. The car is waiting,” Glenn Anderson, announced from the exit door.
Doug stood and made his way toward Anderson. “I need a drink.”
“The car is stocked, sir. As is your room.”
“Thank God,” Jefferies muttered, glancing around before stepping off the plane.
Two large men stood on the stairs, shoulder to shoulder, quiet and alert. Anderson descended behind Jefferies.
Once inside the limo, Glenn poured the secretary of homeland security, a scotch. “The house we rented is directly on the beach. It’s more private than a hotel.”
Doug nodded and downed the drink. “Sounds good. Do you know if Kerik has arrived yet?”
“He has,” Glenn responded, refilling Jefferies glass. “He would like to do a briefing tonight, if at all possible.”
Jefferies turned to stare out the window. “The sooner the better.”
The lights reflecting off the water, sparkled like diamonds amidst the rolling waves of the gulf, mesmerizing Doug with its beauty. “She’s out there, Glenn. I know she is.”
“Who’s out there, sir?”
“Doctor Abbigail Sutherland.”
Anderson cleared his throat. “I don’t see how she could be, sir. These waters have been searched extensively. There are no boats, no underwater bubbles…nothing. There’s no way she could—“
“There is a way,” Doug barked, cutting off Glenn’s words. “I don’t know how they did it yet, but she’s down there. You can bet your ass on it.”
Glenn didn’t look convinced, Doug noticed, abandoning his view to meet the soldier’s gaze. “When did Kerik arrive?”
“He got here yesterday,” Anderson replied. “He’ll be staying at the house with us, sir. It’ll be safer for everyone.”
Jefferies laid his head back against the seat. “None of us are safe as long as those things are still breathing. None of us…”