Chapter Twelve
Rick put the phone down and walked around to where Kelly was still tussling with Xena, rubbing the grit from her sleep-deprived eyes. When he crouched down next to her, taking one of her hands in his, her stomach knotted. This wasn’t good.
“What? Who was that? It’s something bad, isn’t it?”
“That was Mike.”
Xena had stopped pulling at Kelly and now rested her head on Rick’s knees. The sound she made was one of great distress. Rick rubbed the huge head. “Yeah, sweetheart, I know,” he told the animal. “You knew about it, right? That’s what was bothering you.”
Kelly rubbed at her arm with her free hand. Now, instead of being overheated she was suddenly chilled. “What’s going on? It’s bad, isn’t it? I can tell by the look on your face.”
Rick squeezed her hand. “Don’t freak, okay? Yes, it’s bad, but we’ll take care of it.”
“Please tell me what he said,” she cried.
“He was just flying over Bangor when there was an explosion north of him. He circled over it several times just to make sure he knew what he was seeing. Kelly, I know where the heat is coming from. It’s generating from Xena. I get her message. I’m sorry, Red, but someone blew up your farm, and the whole place is on fire.”
She felt every bit of blood leave her head and dizziness wash over her. She tried to say something, but no words would come out of her mouth. Her farm? The only home she’d ever known? The farm her great-grandfather had built? Gone? That would be like erasing most of her life.
“This is a joke, right?” she asked when she could make her throat muscles work. “It’s a mistake.” She grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. “Tell me it’s a mistake.”
Wincing slightly, Rick pried her fingers off and curved his arm around her, drawing her against him. “I wish it was, honey. Believe me. I’m so sorry. And I hate the fact that this is all our fault. Every bit of it. We never should have gotten you involved.”
She pinched back the tears that stung her eyes and her nose. “Your fault? Did you blow it up?”
“No, but if you weren’t mixed up with me—with us—this probably wouldn’t have happened.”
She shifted slightly so she could look at him. “You think someone did this because I’m here with you? Xena and me?”
“I can’t think of any other reason.” He forked his fingers through his sleep-disheveled hair. “Damn it, I wish I could. But I’d bet money they either wanted to draw the two of you away from me or maybe get you and me out in the open and have another chance at us.”
“You’re right. The heat was transference from Xena.” Kelly swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, then suddenly leaped off the bed. “I have to get down there. My God, I have to check everything out. I have to get down there. Right now.” She cursed under her breath in frustration as she fumbled with the buttons on her blouse.
“Stop.” Rick’s hand was firm on her arm. “Red, stop right now and listen to me. You can’t go down there.”
“No, I have to. Please.” She tried to shove his hands away, but her own hands were shaking too badly. “Oh, God, I don’t even have a car here to get there.” She looked up at Rick, feeling completely helpless.
He gripped her shoulders in his big hand and turned her to face him. “Take a deep breath, Red, and listen to what I’m going to say. I told you. This is exactly what they want—to draw you out so they can get to you. And me.”
She tried to steady herself, but her breath was coming so fast she felt lightheaded.
Rick sat her down on the bed, his hands firm on her arms.
“I’d say there are three options to their plan,” he went on. “None of them acceptable as far as I’m concerned. One, you show up, and they pick you off. Maybe they think that will drag me out into the open so they have another chance at me. Second, you don’t show up, but you get the message. Stay away from Rick Latrobe. Or third, we both show up, and they get rid of both of us, me especially.”
“This is all to keep me and Xena away from you? Or make you leave your hiding place?”
He nodded. “That’s about the size of it. Somehow they’ve found out about you and done their research, or they wouldn’t have targeted the farm. That means they probably know about Xena, too. Whoever was casing my house obviously took pictures, and they searched you out.”
“But how could they know about Xena’s special abilities?” Her voice held a plaintive note.
“Ever been interviewed? Ever talked about her? Not to mention the fact that the Internet is full of information about Ovcharkas. Whoever is running this show is smart enough to put two and two together.”
“That place is my life, Rick.” She sniffed back the tears stinging her nose. “It’s my family’s legacy. I can’t not go down there.”
Shoving her feet into her shoes, Kelly headed for the door, only to be stopped by Xena’s enormous bulk. The dog punctuated her displeasure with three loud barks.
“She wants you up and dressed but not out of the cabin,” Rick pointed out. “Like I said, they’ve obviously Googled the dog. Read stories about the Psi abilities. They may not believe in them, but Xena’s thwarted them twice now. And they can’t afford any more screw-ups. Even if this doesn’t bring me out into target range, Red, if they can eliminate you or shake you up badly enough to walk away, they’ll take away one of my safeguards. And a big one at that.”
Kelly dropped into the chair, stunned. Her pulse was racing, and she still couldn’t seem to get her breathing under control. “I guess they don’t know me too well. I don’t run away from things.”
“Maybe not, but we ought to take another look at the danger we’ve put you in.”
“My choice,” she insisted, and Xena, now sitting next to Rick, gave an approving bark.
Rick shook his head. “We’ll discuss it when Mike gets back here.” Visibly ignoring his pain, Rick squatted down in front of Kelly and took her hands. “Listen, Red, he’ll be here in a minute. He called 9-1-1. They know him. This cabin was his grandfather’s, and he used to come up here a lot in the summer. It won’t set off any alarms if he tells them he was flying up here and saw the explosion.”
“But what about my people? Graham and Sandy will hear the sirens and know where they’re headed. There isn’t much out on this road, as you well know.”
Rick handed her the sat phone. “Call them. Tell them a friend was in the area and called to let you know what was happening. Everything’s under control. They should just stay away.”
“They won’t want to do that,” she protested. “This place means almost as much to them as it does to me. Anyway, you know this is a small town. The police and fire department will think it’s weird if they don’t show up.”
Rick threw up his hands. “Okay. Call them. Tell them what I said about things being under control. If they need to take a look, fine. But they should then go home and wait for you to call them.” He pressed the phone into her hand. “Make them understand. You can do that.”
She took the phone from him and gave him a watery smile. “Thanks. Then I guess I’d better make some fresh coffee. I hear the chopper right now.”
As she finished buttoning her shirt, she watched Rick snap his jeans and pull on a shirt, swallow three more aspirin from the bathroom and leave the room to disengage the alarm. The man had a constitution like a black bear, but she hoped tonight didn’t set back his recovery. They were all going to need whatever strength they had to get through this thing.
*****
Denny Hammond drove until he reached the outskirts of Blue Fork, the small village where the farm was located. Pulling into the darkened lot of a closed service station, he plucked his cell phone from his pocket and speed-dialed a number.
“It’s done,” he told the man who answered.
“Was she there?”
“No. You said it didn’t matter as long as everything else was destroyed. There’s no way she can keep away from this when she’s notified. I’ll get her then. After she leads me to Latrobe.”
“I almost think you’d be better going for the dog instead of her. She’s supposed to be the one with the weird abilities.”
Denny snorted. “Don’t tell me you believe in that shit.”
“I don’t have to as long as they do. Let’s take away their magic link and see how well they do.”
“And if no one shows up?”
“Someone will. I promise you. It would be almost too much to hope for, the woman, the dog, and Latrobe in one fell swoop, but we take what we get. Did you leave the note I told you to?”
“Yes. And signed just as you dictated. I’ll wait around through the day to see what happens. There’s a diner here where I can spend a good bit of time. But then I’m outta here.”
“Very well. Report in before you leave. Do you have your laptop with you?”
The man nodded, even though he knew his caller couldn’t see him. “Always.”
“Check your offshore account. The money’s there, waiting for you.”
“You’ll have my final report by tomorrow,” Denny told him. “Pleasure doing business with you, as always.”
*****
Xena almost didn’t let Mike back into the cabin, finally placing herself directly in front of Rick, seated but poised to leap if necessary. It took both Rick and Kelly a good ten minutes to make sure the dog understood that Mike was still one of the good guys. Then Kelly poured coffee for everyone, and they sat around the small kitchen table.
“All right, let’s have it,” Rick said at last. “Whatever details you’ve got.”
“Not much at the moment. In a few minutes I plan to take the Jeep we keep out in the shed and drive down, scope it out for myself.”
“I really want to go with you,” Kelly tried again.
“We’ve been over that, Red.” Rick covered her hand with his. “Mike will take lots of pictures and get a damage assessment from the fire department. And he’ll do his own evaluation of the scene, checking things they might not be looking for.”
“Everyone’s out of there, right?” Mike asked.
Kelly nodded. “Safe and sound. Like I told Dan when I got to Maryland, Graham and Sandy are both on paid vacation. And I’ve called and talked to them.”
“Good, good, good.” Mike took a healthy swallow of coffee. “Then let’s take a hard look at the whole situation.”
“Greg Jordan’s not pulling the strings on this,” Rick spat out. “He’s a string being pulled himself. Someone with a lot more brains and power is calling these shots. That’s pretty obvious.”
“Okay, but let’s look at Greg for a minute. No doubt in my mind that he’s the one who took the shot at you, but since then he’s disappeared off the planet. Andy wrote a new program to, shall we say, ‘tap into’ some different databases and see what he could find.”
Sometimes they wondered how they’d ever functioned without Andy, geek extraordinaire. He was a friend of Faith’s and her contribution to the agency.
“Find the money,” Rick pointed out. “You can bet he got a shitload for this. He was the man on the line over there. Wherever the money is, that’s where we’ll catch up with Greg.”
“You know he’ll have a new identity,” Mike reminded him, “and have buried himself as deep as he can.”
Rick’s mouth twisted in a cold smile. “That’s what we have Andy for.”
“The next thing we have to figure out is who all the major players could be.”
Kelly was listening carefully to the men, absorbing the back-and-forth before intruding into it. “Has anyone uncovered anything about who shot out Rick’s tires, causing his accident on the interstate?” she asked. “Could this Greg Jordan have arranged it from Iraq? Does he have those kinds of contacts here? Or are we dealing with more than one faction?”
Both men turned to look at her. “She has to come to work for us,” Mike said. “She can still do her dog-training thing, maybe even work it into our protocols. And certainly train more Ovcharkas. But we can’t miss out on a mind like this.”
“I told you.” Rick grinned.
“Hey, wait a minute, guys.” She held up her hands, not about to let them steamroller her into something she hadn’t given a lot of thought to. “I’m just brainstorming here with you.”
“And with an extra-special brain, Red,” Rick told her. Despite the fact that Mike was sitting right there, he leaned over and placed a light kiss on her lips, breaking away before the instant heat could consume them.
Mike studied the coffee in his mug, carefully ignoring the two people across from him.
Rick whispered, “Later, Red,” against Kelly’s lips, then straightened up. “Okay, back to business.”
Kelly lowered her eyelids, wondering what kind of vitamins this man took, that despite what they’d shared earlier, and despite the fact he’d had little sleep and was still recovering from the wound that nearly killed him, he obviously wanted her again. “Masculine” was too weak a word to describe Rick Latrobe.
Mike rose from his chair and carried his cup to the sink. “Time for me to check out the scene at the farm. Take those pictures. Do a little low-key snooping.”
“Tell whoever is there you know me,” Kelly said. “That we met through my grandfather. You were up here, called me, and I asked you to see what’s going on.”
“Okay, but like I said, they know me around here.” He pulled his jacket back on, opened a cupboard door, and pulled a ring of keys off a hook. “On my way. Rick, if you’re up to it, you two better start making lists and checking them twice. We need to know just how many factions we could be dealing with here.”
Kelly cast an appraising glance over Rick after Mike left. Despite his earlier words, she could see that everything was taking its toll on him. She pushed her chair away from the table. “Let me get you some more coffee and those pain pills.” When he started to protest, she shook her head. “Just one pill. That’s all I ask. Then we’ll work until you can fall asleep again.”
Rick told her where to find yellow pads of paper and plenty of pencils and pens.
“You know,” he said, when she sat down again, “the longer you stay involved the more danger you’re in.”
“Well, lucky me—they didn’t get what they wanted this time.” She looked across at him. “Okay. We’re going to solve this riddle, so let’s get started.”
*****
When Zarife’s phone rang at three in the morning, he was tempted not to answer it. The phones, both of them, had become instruments of hell. Each time he received a call, his simple life got worse.
“What is it?” he asked, snapping open the cell.
“I have not heard back from your father,” the dreaded voice said. “He is supposed to be making contact with people in the States to handle Rick Latrobe once and for all.”
“I am sure he is doing his best,” Zarife said. “These things take time.”
“Doing his best doesn’t cut it. Have you seen the newspapers? The story’s front and center every day. And television news channels constantly lead off with it. They’re worse than the government when it comes to looking into all our dirty little secrets.”
Zarife could hear the edge of danger in the man’s voice, and nausea choked him. “We are working on it. He is working on it.”
“I think we may have figured out a way to separate Latrobe from that woman and the so-called wonder dog and leave him exposed. If the federal agents get hold of him . . . if there’s a trial and he gets to testify about this . . . we’re all dead.”
“But won’t killing him just raise more eyebrows?” Zarife protested.
“Not at all. As we speak I’m planning to plant some anonymous tips that he was behind this whole thing, that he cheated the people he sold the weapons to, and that they’re hunting him.”
“But that will throw suspicion on us,” Zarife cried. In Allah’s name, please help me.
“So what? You’ve got your shipment, and you’re halfway home to reclaiming your territory. Just set off a few more bombs, kill a few more coalition soldiers, and no one will touch you.”
“Easy for you to say.” Zarife couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice. “All you have to do is sit in your office like nothing’s wrong until this blows over, and you come out completely clean and millions of dollars richer.”
“Brains, Zarife. That’s what I get the big bucks for. Now get hold of your father and tell him to call me ASAP.”
*****
Penobscot County Sheriff Link Cabot was easy to spot when Mike pulled down the driveway to the farm. He’d flashed his Phoenix credentials at the two deputies stationed out at the road, and after some radio discussion with their boss they had waved him on through. Cabot was standing at the edge of the clearing where the house had been, his tall, thick body outlined by the still-flickering flames. Two self-contained fire trucks were pumping water as fast as they could, but it was obvious to anyone they were just killing the fire. Both the house and kennel were completely destroyed.
“Mike.” Cabot nodded a tight-lipped greeting. “Someone didn’t want Miss Monroe to have a home to come back to.”
“I’d say that’s pretty obvious,” Mike agreed. “Any idea yet what caused it?”
Cabot’s face tightened. “I’ve got the arson team starting their workup, but it’s pretty obvious incendiary devices were used. More than one. These were well-placed, timed explosions geared to do the most damage. It’s a good thing that little girl wasn’t here when it happened.”
Mike swallowed a grin at hearing anyone refer to Kelly as a “little girl” but pushed ahead with his questions.
“You didn’t find any bodies, did you? When Kelly called me, she said her two assistants were on vacation. So there shouldn’t have been anyone here.”
“Nope. No bodies. Thank God.” He sighed, a weary sound. “Whoever did this knew exactly what he was doing. This was no amateur activity.”
“If I watch where I step, is it okay if I take a quick look around?”
“Sure. Just stay outside the taped areas.”
The more he walked around and the more he saw, the sicker Mike got. Cabot was right. This was a professional job. Someone had been able to breach the security system, plant the devices, and get away without leaving a trace. And the devices had been placed in such a way as to level both the kennels and the house.
He took his cell phone out of his pocket, punched the camera button. and began shooting pictures. Much as he was going to hate showing them to her, he knew Kelly would insist on seeing for herself. Since they couldn’t allow her down here, he figured he’d better get plenty of shots.
When he headed back toward the front of the area, he saw Cabot waving him over.
“Got something you might want to see.” The sheriff held up a clear plastic evidence bag containing a torn sheet of paper.
“What’s that?” Mike squinted at it.
“One of my guys found it right by the gate in the cyclone fence. Held down by a rock and far enough away that it didn’t get burned.”
“Whoever left it took quite a chance. Someone else could have kicked the rock over and picked it up.”
“Nah. He chose his place pretty carefully. Read what it says.”
Although portable lights had been set up around the perimeter, reading was still difficult, so Mike pulled out his penlight flash and scanned it over the paper.
Next time it will be you. Don’t get killed over Rick Latrobe. He’s a crook, and he’s going to jail.
“Pretty much says it all.”
“Do you know this Rick Latrobe?” Cabot narrowed his eyes at Mike.
“Yeah, I do. But I can’t imagine what he has to do with this,” he fudged.
Cabot studied his face. “You’d tell me if there was something I needed to know, wouldn’t you, Mike?”
His face a bland mask, Mike said, “Sure. You bet.” He handed the evidence bag back to Cabot. “I know you need to test it, but you think if I come by tomorrow, I can get a copy?”
“Sure. Just give me a call first.”
“Okay. Meantime, let me just shoot it with my phone.” He took the picture and then stuck the cell back in his pocket. “Okay. I got what I came for. I’ll take another look around tomorrow when it’s light.”
“I hope Kelly’s somewhere safe,” Cabot told him. “Someone’s sure after her hide.”
“I promise you, she’s well taken care of.”
The two men shook hands, and Mike climbed back into the Jeep. He wasn’t looking forward to giving his report to Kelly. Lucky for him, when he returned to the cabin, it was to find the kitchen table covered with pages of notes and the door to Rick’s bedroom firmly closed, Xena planted stolidly in front of it.
Mike winked at her. “I get the message.”
Lying on the bed in the other bedroom, he tried to blank his mind and fall asleep. Morning would come far too soon for him.
*****
“Father, please tell me you’ve made the proper arrangements,” Zarife pleaded. “I don’t want this man calling again.”
“All is as it should be,” his father said. “I have contacted the right people and set things in motion.”
“The man says Latrobe must be killed and evidence delivered to place all the blame on him, or we will all be in trouble.”
“Nothing is going to happen,” the elder al-Dulami assured him. “All will be taken care of. With Latrobe’s death the case will be closed. Even now we are planting the seeds.”
“Can you tell me what?”
But Zarife could almost see his father shaking his head. “No, my son. It is not good for you to know. You must be totally clear of anything that happens.”
“And the campaign you are waging?”
Al-Dulami chuckled. “To counteract the setback we had and not bring either the coalition troops down on our heads or face attacks by other insurgent groups, we have constructed a multipronged plan. In two weeks we will be ready to strike again, and all will be ours again. No one will dare to ask us questions or even chance crossing the borders of our territory.”
“And then I may come home?”
Al-Dulami hesitated only a moment. “And then you may come home.”
*****
“God damn it, Dan.”
Charlie Grainger had tried to storm his way past security and bully his way into Dan’s office. Building security guards had escorted him up from the lobby after first calling Dan, but they weren’t going anywhere without the head honcho’s okay.
“We’re fine,” he told them.
“If it’s all the same to you, Mr. Romeo,” the older one said. “We’ll just hang around in the corner until you’re through with your meeting. Our replacements are already in the lobby.”
Dan swallowed a smile of satisfaction. He and Mike had handpicked the entire security staff for the building, paid them a more than sufficient salary, and given extraordinary training. They dressed in dark suits rather than uniforms, could kill with one blow, and were intensely loyal to their employers.
“That’s fine,” he told them, then again was an unhealthy purple. “If you don’t get hold of yourself, you’re going to have a stroke.”
“I just might anyway.” The big man dropped an armload of papers on the polished surface of the desk. “Have you seen these?” He stabbed the pile with a thick forefinger.
“I’d have to be blind not to.” Dan kept his voice deliberately mild.
“Well, do something.” Charlie dropped heavily into one of the armchairs. “My office is crawling with government agents. My lawyer is spending all his time fighting subpoenas. There’s a lock on our government contracts. And every source tells me Rick Latrobe is the guilty party and the DOJ is just minutes away from arresting him.” He banged his fist on the arm of the chair. “I wish I could be calm like Matt. He just rolls with it all and refuses to let anyone rattle him.”
“That’s why the two of you make good partners,” Dan pointed out. “You balance each other.”
“By the way.” Charlie’s voice softened slightly. “Thanks for sending someone over to Iraq to straighten out the security situation so we aren’t just standing around picking our noses.”
Dan shrugged. He’d picked Ken Murphy, his Beta Team leader, to step into the mess. Ken had been one of the first Phoenix employees when the partners decided they needed more manpower. Their client list had grown, and they’d needed more men to handle training and also to teach corporate security. Dan had found Ken through a longtime friend, and he’d never regretted hiring him for one minute.
“You pay us to do a job. One way or the other, we get it done.” He opened the single folder that was sitting on his desk. “The heavy weapons might be gone, but you’re got enough small arms and rifles for your immediate needs. We don’t have the Humvees to ride shotgun to each work site, but the men we have there have figured out a way around that.”
“And who is still there? How many guards do we have?”
Dan flipped to another sheet of paper. “All the ones we brought from the States are still good to go. We lost most of the locals, but the ones we kept are reliable. Several of the men we sent speak Arabic, so they can keep everyone in shape. And there’s no downtime for the guards. When the day shift is sleeping, we’ve got a full complement on watch at night. More than we had before.”
“Matt tells me with your help we’re actually moving forward with the projects.” Charlie’s tone was grudging. “That’s good, but I want to know what you’re going to do about Latrobe.”
Dan sat watching the man for a long moment. Finally he put down the pen he’d been playing with. “Rick Latrobe has yet to be proven guilty of anything. The media is very good at speculating, and yes, he was the front man on this project. At your request, I might point out.”
Charlie huffed a breath. “We’ve worked with Rick for a long time. I sure would never have figured him for anything like this.”
“Then don’t figure him. Wait for proof. Don’t let him be judged and tried in the media. Charlie, whatever this is, we’ll make it right. You know that.”
“Damn straight you will. So what do I tell people in the meantime?”
“You let your attorneys handle the inquiries, let your public relations department handle the media, and you and Matt take care of your projects.”
“I thought we were going to lose a bunch of contracts at first,” Charlie admitted. “But I turned Matt loose on them, and we’re still a go on most of them. Balancing on the wire but doing it.” He pushed up from his chair. “You can tell your pit bulls out there I’m just going back down in the elevator. I’ll try to keep my shouting to a minimum, but you damn well better find Latrobe for me. I won’t draw a steady breath until I talk to him myself.”
“That’s going to be a while, Charlie. In the meantime, I’m here when you need me.” He opened the door and signaled to the men in the reception area. “Our guest is looking to head back downstairs, gentlemen. There may be reporters outside. Please see that he gets safely to his car.”
They nodded and fell in behind Charlie.
Dan sat back down at his desk, propped his feet on the surface, and picked up his pen, rolling it back and forth between his fingers. Something in the conversation with Charlie had tickled at his brain, and he couldn’t quite catch it. But he’d picked up a general feeling of unease that was more than just the current crisis. Something was wrong, and he’d have to figure out what it was.
*****
Kelly felt sluggish as she pried her eyelids open, nudged awake by Xena’s cold nose.
“Oh, ugh,” she groaned, rolled over, and found Rick’s blue eyes blazing at her. She giggled. “I didn’t mean you.”
“Better not, Red.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “Don’t worry about Xena the Warrior over there. I heard Mike let her out when he came back. Then she tried to knock the bedroom door down, so he let her in here.”
Kelly was suddenly aware of the fact that the covers on her side had slid down and her nightshirt was up around her waist. “Ohmigod.” She slapped her forehead. “Did he see me like this?”
“Don’t worry, sugar. I made sure you were decent.”
“I feel like we just got into bed,” she complained.
“We almost did.” He pulled the covers all the way back and ran his hand over her thigh and the curve of her hip. “A shower will fix us up. Come on.”
“You want us to shower together? I know you. Where’s all this energy coming from? Last night when Mike came back you looked like you were two steps away from the morgue.”
“I have amazing powers of recuperation.” He winked and gave her a light tap on her bottom. “Let’s go. Save water. Shower with a friend.”
She managed to convince him that they should save playtime for later. But she couldn’t help focusing her eyes on the angry red scar on his chest, and her desire screeched to a halt. Tentatively she traced the thick ridge with her fingertip, her breath hissing between her teeth.
His hand came up and trapped hers. “Don’t. You don’t have to look at it. I know what it looks like.”
Her eyes traveled up the length of him until they met his, now a stormy blue, beads of water dripping from the thick golden lashes. “Is that what you think? That it disgusts me? Oh, Rick. You are so far from the truth. It scares me to think of how close you came to dying. That we might never have . . .”
He touched a forefinger to her lips. “Sssh. I didn’t, and we did. I’ll only die if I can’t be with you. Touch you. Make love to you. Tell me we belong together, Red. Say you’ll marry me when this is all over. I told you I’d wait for your answer, but I’m a very impatient man.”
“M-marry?” Whatever air she still had trapped in her lungs disappeared. “Oh, Rick. I don’t . . . I want . . .”
“Yesterday made me realize even more how precious each day is, how fleeting life can be. I don’t want to waste another minute of it. This is meant to be. We’re meant to be.” He put his mouth close to her ear. “Besides, Xena told me. In a dream.”
She looked up at him, eyes wide, trying to focus. “A dream?”
“Yeah. Just like the ones you have. She says the three of us have to stay together.”
Kelly closed her eyes and rocked into the movement of his hand. Marry him. Oh, God. The rightness of it flooded her with intense feeling, centering her in a way nothing else ever had. “I-I guess my answer has to be yes.”
“We’ll do it just as soon as this is over.” He breathed the words into her mouth, his lips against hers.
Kelly leaned her head against his chest, her hand resting on the scar, and breathed a prayer of thanks for whatever Fate had brought them together.
*****
Mike already had coffee brewing and was fixing breakfast when they came out of their room. They were both freshly showered and somewhat rested, and there was no mistaking the glow surrounding them. Mike was happy for his friend. Rick needed someone like Kelly who could keep him anchored.
But Kelly’s eyes held a haunted look, and Mike could see the banked rage in Rick’s eyes.
“Thought I’d make myself useful.” He indicated what he was doing and grinned. “Just don’t expect a caterer every day.”
“Let me give you a hand.” Kelly began opening cupboards and drawers, searching for plates and silverware.
“You can set the table, but that’s all. You guys have had a rough couple of days, and after we eat we’re going to have an intense skull session. So take what you can get when you can get it.”
One corner of Kelly’s mouth turned up. “Yes, sir.”
No one said a word about the previous night until they were seated at the table. Mike pulled his cell phone from his pocket, pushed the button for pictures, and handed it to Kelly.
“I debated about showing these to you, but you’re entitled to see them.” He touched her hand briefly. “It’s bad, but try not to freak out, okay?”
She nodded and began scrolling through the pictures. She said nothing as scene after scene of destruction rolled across the screen, but fat tears leaked from her eyes and ran unheeded down her cheeks. Rick leaned closer to view the shots with her, the rage in his eyes growing more and more intense.
Kelly’s hands were shaking by the time she’d finished.
“There’s nothing . . .” She swallowed hard and tried again. “There’s nothing left. Nothing. Everything’s gone.”
“It’s okay, Red. When this is all done, we’ll build it again as good as new.” Rick slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against him.
“Be careful,” she told him. “You almost skewered yourself on my elbow.” Even in her grief her first concern was for him.
He rubbed his chest lightly with his free hand. “I’m good. Didn’t you see how good when we showered just now?”
Mike swallowed a grin as he looked from one to the other, and Kelly cursed out loud at the blush that rose to her hairline.
When they had come to the picture of the note, the look in Rick’s eyes had been close to murderous.
“That tears it,” he said in a tight voice. “We need to get these bastards right now.”
“Don’t even think of starting that business about sending me away from here,” she warned. “I don’t want to waste time arguing about it, okay?”
Tactfully changing the subject, Mike pointed to the sheets of paper on the table.
“I see you two were busy while I was gone last night.”
“Busy but maybe not too productive,” Rick told him. “I laid everything out for Kelly from the day GC hired us to set up their security in Iraq. Threw everything on the table, hoping she could spot something I hadn’t.”
“And?” Mike prodded.
Rick rubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin. “I just don’t know, Mike. There’s so much information out there, but no answers. I can’t make sense of it.”
Mike’s jaw tightened. “I know Greg Jordan’s the key to this, so don’t spare my feelings. Somehow along the way I missed something about him. The question is, did he have a contact in his pocket all along, waiting for something like this, or was he approached by someone who sensed he could be had?”
“How would they know?” Rick mused. “You can’t just walk up to someone and say, hey, I’ve got a quick way for you to make a lot of money. You’d have to be pretty sure that person would be amenable and not toss you to the authorities.”
“There’s gotta be something in his history. Some little thing that’s a clue. And we have to find it.”
“And what about the Iraqi who’s been helping him? What’s going on with him?”
“Amin?” Mike shrugged. “Ken says he’s still working, helping with the few locals that stayed on. He says he gets strange vibes from him, but he can’t pin it down. Right now he feels better keeping him close and knowing what he’s doing all the time. But he’s doing his own checking there.”
Rick rubbed the back of his neck. “You know, there’s something lodged in my brain that I can’t knock loose. I have this gut feeling that if I could we’d have the answer to everything.” He sipped his coffee, then slapped the mug down, his eyes suddenly alight. “What a dummy I am. I am so totally stupid I need a keeper.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Where’s the phone? I need to call Faith. Her Aunt Vivi will know someone from The Lotus Circle who will be able to help me.”
Kelly looked skeptical. “From this distance? Without being here with you?”
“I hope so. Let’s give it a try.”
“Fine. I want to talk to her, too. Go ahead and call.”
*****
The man sat in his car, deep in thought. Unpleasant thought. Everything was coming unglued, and what he’d learned just made it that much worse. How did a man work all his life to reach the pinnacle of his business, his profession, his career, and suddenly see it dissolving beneath him like snow turned to slush? This was getting worse and worse. A simple operation had turned into the biggest screw-up of all time, and he could see it leaking toward him. That was unacceptable. He’d kill everyone if he had to, to protect himself and his family.
He regretted destroying the woman’s farm and home but pigeonholed it as collateral damage. There was likely to be a lot more before this was over. He just hoped he wasn’t on the receiving end.
For whatever reason, no matter what they did, no one was able to locate Rick Latrobe. The man knew all about making himself disappear. Apparently Latrobe was as good at it as he was. But the knowledge that he was out there, running around loose, with the ability to blow everything to kingdom come, made his ulcer burn and his head throb.
He should have had better sense than to do this. Temptation had always been his downfall. Nothing was surefire. But when he had the whole picture in front of him, he realized how enticing it had been. And his ego had blinded him to the pitfalls.
Stupid, that was the word for it. Just plain stupid. He had to find a way out of this and come out clean, but nothing seemed to be working.
Since he couldn’t find Latrobe, then he had to get rid of Greg Jordan. He’d have to find someone to do it, just as he had the incident in Maine, someone more afraid of him than the police or the government. Someone who could do the job so it would never come back to him. That meant the body would have to disappear completely, and all traces of the man would need to be erased. With enough money, he mused, anything was possible.
Although on second thought, this might be something he supervised himself. He was tired of other people’s incompetence.
He’d never be able to get rid of al-Dulami, but that wily old Arab wouldn’t open his mouth, anyway. His son was another matter. A car accident might be in his future. That one he could handle himself.
He sighed, feeling the weight of everything pressing on him like a mountain of concrete. At least it would be worth it for the money. He could walk away from everything and never have another worry in his life.
He hoped.
*****
“Tell your friend the arrangements are being made,” al-Dulami told his son. “But first we have to locate the elusive Mr. Latrobe, and that he can do better from there.”
“He won’t like that,” Zarife pointed out.
“I’m beginning not to care what this man likes. Tell him there is no sign of the target, and he should put out his feelers.”
“I’ll tell him,” Zarife agreed with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
“On the other hand, perhaps this is something you can do for us.”
Zarife held the phone away from his ear and looked at it. What was he supposed to do now? “I don’t understand. How am I supposed to find a man who doesn’t want to be found?”
“Use the people you’ve met. Your sources. Whoever was the conduit to bring your name to this man. Someone will know something.”
“Just like I told you before, I could be killed, sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong,” he protested. “You don’t know these people.”
“Use your contacts,” his father insisted. “Use that fancy computer you have. Use the brains I spent so much money educating. And do it quickly. There’s a clue there somewhere. Find it.” He paused. “None of us can afford to have this man alive. It could be the end for everyone.”
“But why? He’s no one special. He’s just the man who ferried the shipment.”
“In Rick Latrobe’s head are the pieces of the puzzle if he ever puts it together. None of us can afford that. So do this. And quickly.”
Zarife would have argued again, but the call had been disconnected. The old man was gone, leaving him only empty air and a sick feeling.
*****
Kelly had done her best to concentrate on helping Rick, but now he was busy at the computer, e-mailing with Andy and doing his own research. By late morning her nerves were rubbed raw. She paced, Xena paced with her, and Rick, glancing at her every so often, watched through narrowed eyes.
They had both talked to Faith’s Aunt Vivi. She’d given them the name of a woman who could give them mental exercises to do that would help loosen the block in Rick’s brain.
“I’m delighted to finally get to speak with you,” she told Kelly. “Emails can be so unsatisfactory.”
“That goes for me, too,” Kelly told her, suddenly shy.
“I’ve talked to the others about you, and as soon as this nasty business is wrapped up, we’d love to have you and Xena come to San Antonio. Meet all of us. Let us help you learn more about how to harness this gift.”
“I’d love to. Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to it.”
They decided they’d try the exercises after Mike left and they had the cabin to themselves again. Rick went back to the computer, and Kelly resumed pacing. She nearly threw herself at Mike when he finally returned from Blue Fork.
“Well? Did you find out anything? Does the sheriff know any more? What’s happening at the farm?”
Mike’s chuckle was dry as he held up his hands. “Whoa, honey. One thing at a time.”
Kelly backed up, a blush heating her cheeks. “Sorry, Mike.” She blew out a breath. “I didn’t mean to attack you. It’s just I’ve been so . . . so . . .”
“Edgy. And I understand it. If you can pull Rick away from the computer, let’s have some coffee, and I’ll tell you what I found out. It’s not much, but it’s something.”
He had very little news to relate as far as the situation at the farm itself. Nothing they didn’t already know.
“It’s completely gone,” he repeated to Kelly. “I’m very, very sorry about that. But they were able to contain the blaze so it didn’t reach any of your trees. The land is intact.”
“I just wish I could see it.” She squeezed back the tears that kept hovering.
“Tell you what. In a few minutes, how about if I fly you over the scene. I’ve got a camera here that you can take pictures with for yourself, if you want to.”
“Thank you. And again, I’m sorry I leaped on you like a starving lion.”
Mike winked at her, breaking the tension. “I understand how you feel. Now, I do have a few things to report. Business first. I called Dan, and he’s got our attorney on top of it with your insurance company.”
Kelly’s jaw dropped. “But I didn’t even get you the information.”
“The Dragon knows all,” Rick told her. “Andy pumps in your name, and all your secrets are revealed.”
“No privacy with you guys, I guess.”
Rick had the good grace to look uncomfortable. “Sorry, Red. I didn’t think about the fact we’d be invading your privacy. We just thought it important to get on this right away. Our attorney will have his own investigators on it, just in case the locals miss anything.”
Kelly fiddled with her coffee mug, then the tension in her body eased visibly. “That’s okay. I have nothing to hide, anyway. It’s just . . . weird.”
“Back to the news,” Mike broke in, defusing the situation. “Blue Fork is a small enough town that everyone knows what everyone else drives. If a strange vehicle shows up at all, people will wonder who it belongs to.”
“And one did?” Kelly’s voice was edged with excitement. “Did anyone find out who it belongs to?”
“Not yet. But a black panel truck that no one recognized—”
“Around here,” Kelly interrupted, “that means it didn’t have the requisite number of bumper stickers.”
“An unfortunate oversight for our unsub. Whoever it was stopped at Henry’s Gas-and-Go yesterday for gas and food, then again for coffee last night. We got a little lucky here. Henry’s got a kid working for him nights and Saturdays that apparently he doesn’t trust too much, so he installed a hidden camera.”
“Only inside?” Rick asked.
“Yes, but it also catches activity through the big glass window.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a jump drive, handing it to Rick. “We may or may not get something, but it’s worth a shot. Let’s take a look.”
Kelly and Mike watched over Rick’s shoulder as he inserted the disk, typed commands into the computer and instantly a video came up on the screen.
“It’s fuzzy,” Kelly complained. “How can we see anything?”
“Hold on, Red.” Rick’s fingers danced over the keyboard. “We can fix that a little bit.”
The end result wasn’t a whole lot better, and the driver managed to keep his face away from the camera, even when he was inside the store. But kissed by a stroke of luck, they were able to make out part of the license plate.
“I’m sending this to Andy,” Rick told them. “He can run this faster than I can. Hold on.”
In seconds the e-mail with the information had been sent. In less than a minute an animated dragon flashed on the screen at them, waving its tail. A text balloon carried the words, “Got it.”
Rick typed back, “I need it yesterday.”
The dragon replied, “Would I expect any less? Running it right now.”
“I found some other things,” Rick said, swiveling around in his chair, “while Kelly was pacing and Xena was guarding the door. Mike, about a year before you contacted Greg Jordan, he worked a long stretch as security at a private resort on Camellia Cay in the Caribbean.”
Mike raised his eyebrows. “And?”
“And, using a program Andy sent me, while he’s trying to track the money, I’m going to run through the list of guests for the entire time Greg was there. Let’s see if anyone we know shows up. That could be where the original contact was made.”
“That long ago?”
“Some things simmer for a long time, waiting for the right opportunity. Anyway, why don’t you take Kelly for her look-see, and I’ll see what I can find. I’m hoping this is where Jordan also chose to go to ground when he disappeared. It’s a place he knows and where he’d feel secure.”
“Good idea. Maybe we’ll have more to work with when I get back. Ready, Kelly?”
But as they headed toward the door, Xena stepped in their path. “Oh, oh.” Kelly smiled at the huge animal. “You want to go, too, right?”
The dog snuffled at her hand.
She turned to Mike. “Is that okay?”
“Why not. She behaved better on the trip up here than some of my human passengers.”
Five minutes later they were airborne, leaving Rick totally absorbed at the computer.