Chapter Seventeen

 

Kassidy, you’re a selfish jerk. For the umpteenth time, Becca imagined slapping her stepsister and then tossing every foul word in the English language at her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t do it. All she could do was mentally curse as she sent a final email to a colleague and powered off her computer.

Connor had been uneasy since they left her house. His mood hadn’t improved as she dragged him from one meeting to another. It had hit an all-time low since they left her final one for the day and returned to her office. With all her obligations over, he wanted her out of the building and back to her place, where he had complete control over who came and went.

She’d never admit it, but she was anxious to get out of the building as well. Normally, having people around didn’t bother her. Today she kept looking at each and every face, wondering if one of them was behind the kidnapping attempt the night before, regardless of whether it was a person she knew or not. At this point, except for Connor and perhaps the senator, she didn’t know who else in the building to trust.

Becca checked her briefcase one last time. She had no idea when she’d set foot in her office again. If she hoped to get work accomplished from home, she needed to take everything today, because Connor would never let her come back.

The knock on the office door brought Connor to his feet, and his hand went for the pistol under his jacket. “I’ll answer it.”

I don’t think bad guys knock on doors she wanted to tell him, but kept silent. Connor protected people for a living. He knew what he was doing, and she’d let him do his job.

“Good, you’re still here,” Senator Lynch said, entering the room.

She’d explained the situation to him the first chance she got. He’d been speechless, a condition Ted Lynch never experienced. She might love him much like an uncle, but the man loved to hear his own voice. Regardless of the topic, he never found himself without a comment or opinion. Until today.

Becca closed the briefcase and slipped the strap onto her shoulder. “I’m getting ready to leave. Did you need anything before I go?”

Connor would have a fit, but if the senator needed something, she couldn’t tell him no. Family friend or not, he was her boss and he expected her to do her job.

Senator Lynch closed the door. “No, I’m all set. I wanted to ask you again to come and stay with us. Kathleen and I would feel much better if you did.”

He’d made the same offer earlier. Since she had a second shadow named Connor Anderson, she didn’t see how she’d be any safer at Ted’s house than at her own. And Connor really had been her shadow today. The only time she’d been alone was when she used the private bathroom attached to her office.

As a general rule, she treated Ted the same as she would any other senator while in the office. This afternoon, the only other person in the room with them was Connor. He already knew Ted Lynch was a close family friend. Becca came around her desk and hugged the man she’d grown up calling Uncle Ted. “I appreciate it, but I’ll be fine.” She forced a smile for Ted’s sake. “Connor will make sure I’m back to work soon.”

Hopefully. She had full confidence in Connor’s ability to keep her safe; it was whether the situation would be straightened out quickly that she doubted.

The senator’s frown remained. “If you change your mind, our doors are open to you. No need to call first. Just come.” He hugged her back, nearly breaking all her ribs in the process. “Please keep me updated on everything. Including any news regarding Kassidy.”

Becca caught Connor shake his head slightly and then point toward the door. “We need to go. I’ll call you when I can,” she promised.

Many of the office doors remained closed when they stepped out into the hallway, making it difficult to gauge how many still slaved away. “Stay on my left,” he instructed as she closed and locked the office door.

He’d told her to do the same earlier. It hadn’t required much thought to figure out why he wanted her there. Connor was right-handed. If he needed to draw and fire his weapon, he didn’t want her in the way.

 

Connor moved, positioning his body between the elevator door and Becca. As the doors opened, his hand moved toward his weapon. He hadn’t seen anyone suspicious so far today, but if someone was waiting on the other side, he wanted to be ready. He did a quick sweep of the area. “Let’s go.” He didn’t need to tell her to hurry. She kept up with him despite the three-inch heels she wore.

He got her locked inside the SUV before sweeping the area again and walking around to the driver side. Whoever was after Becca wouldn’t just give up, and parking garages like this were great spots to grab someone.

“Do you think I should’ve accepted Ted’s offer to stay with him and Kathleen?” she asked when he got behind the wheel.

“No. There’s nothing to say someone wouldn’t go after you there.” He ignored the posted speed limit and drove down the ramp toward the exit. “You’d be putting the senator and his wife in danger.”

“You’re right. I didn’t consider that.” She pulled out the long chopstick-looking decorations holding her hair up in a tight bun and dropped them into her purse. If they got into a tight bind, he could probably use the ridiculous things as weapons.

They remained silent as they left the parking garage behind and joined the usual busy D.C. traffic.

She didn’t speak again until they turned onto Independence Avenue. “Any word from Ax?”

The car in front of them just made it through before the traffic light changed, forcing Connor to stop. “Nothing.” He glanced into the rearview mirror, taking note of each vehicle behind them. “I got a message from Ryan. All clear at your house.” There wasn’t anything more boring than surveillance. Sometimes it was the only way to get information. Or, in this case, make sure a location remained safe so they could return to it at least temporarily. “When we get to your place, pack enough for a week.”

Taking her back home last night had been a calculated risk. Last night the kidnapper had failed, and in his experience, when a plan went south, you needed to regroup. So, after discussing it with Ax, they’d decided with three team members outside and him inside it’d be safe for Becca to sleep in her own bed.

Tonight they’d stay somewhere else, allowing Ryan, Neil, and Matt to get back to searching for Kassidy and whoever was after Becca.

“If it’s been quiet at my house, why can’t we stay there again?”

The light turned green, and he crossed the intersection. “The asshole would’ve kept a low profile last night after you got away. With Neil, Matt, and Ryan outside all night and me inside, it was safe. But from now on we’ll avoid any places you normally visit.”

Turning the corner, he watched in the mirror as the vehicle directly behind him continued straight. However, the white one two cars back with heavily tinted windows followed them.

“Where are we staying?”

They drove through another intersection, and he sped up. The driver of the white car behind him almost took out a dude on a motorcycle who managed to sneak his way into the traffic.

“Somewhere safe.” Connor gripped the steering wheel, half his attention on the white car behind them and the other on the traffic. He knew this area well. The next right- hand turn was a one-way, so it wasn’t an option. Thanks to the red light up ahead, taking a left was out too. A line of traffic six cars long waited for the light to change.

Without using his turn signal, he went down the next possible street, cutting off another vehicle in the process. As expected, the driver of the BMW he cut off laid on the horn and threw him the bird. “Check and see if there’s a white car behind us.”

Becca turned in her seat. “One with dark windows?”

Damn it. “Yeah.” He never should’ve taken her into the office. He should’ve let her rest for a few hours last night and then made her pack her bags.

Up ahead the traffic light switched from yellow to red and Connor accelerated, making it through the intersection without getting hit by any other vehicles. He checked the mirror again. The white car had run the light too, but as he watched, another vehicle cut between them.

“Keep an eye on it. And see if you can get a look at the license plate.” He took the first on-ramp to the highway he reached.

While the jerk could be leaving D.C. like half the cars on the road, his instincts told him otherwise. So before he could get her anywhere safe, he had to get rid of the tail behind him. His best bet was getting her back to Elite Force. Once inside, no one would be able to get close to her. He ran various routes through his head.

“He’s still there, but now there are two cars between us,” she said.

Tearing his eyes away from the road, he checked the mirror. An old lady barely able to see over the steering wheel was driving the car directly behind them. He couldn’t see the driver of the second car between them and their tail.

“Watch out!” Becca shouted.

Connor hit the brake in time to avoid crashing into the large SUV that had suddenly pulled in front of him and then immediately slowed down.

Shit. Was this guy working with the dude in the white sedan, or was the driver of the SUV just an asshole? Trapping a vehicle and forcing it to stop wasn’t uncommon, but doing it on a busy highway with plenty of witnesses around was risky.

Traffic around them remained heavy, making it impossible to even try to cut into another lane as they crossed into Virginia. Despite the driver’s previous recklessness to cut them off, the SUV in front of them never went over the speed limit.

A car in the next lane sped up and then exited the highway, leaving an opening. Connor jerked the wheel, taking its spot, then accelerated past the SUV he’d previously been stuck behind. If the two vehicles were working together, he’d rather have them both behind him.

Connor spotted the next exit off the highway. “Hold on.”

He pressed the accelerator to the floor and waited until the last possible moment to take the exit. Despite the “dangerous curve” warning, he didn’t slow down. He ignored the stop sign and merged onto the road, flying past the other vehicles as if they stood still.

“Anything behind us?” he asked.

Becca twisted in her seat and looked out the back window. “I don’t see anyone.”

He wasn’t taking any chances. Connor passed a busy shopping center and through two more sets of traffic lights before he hopped back on the highway.

 

***

She thought she’d ridden some jaw-dropping roller coasters over the years. However, compared to the little drive she’d just experienced with Connor, even the most thrilling roller coaster in the world seemed tame. How they’d managed to avoid getting into an accident was beyond her. More than once she’d squeezed her eyes shut and prayed, fully expecting to hear the sound of tires squealing followed by the crunching of metal.

Instead, all she’d heard was the blood thundering in her ears. Actually, she could still hear it even though they were safely behind the security gates of Elite Force and on their way up to the fourth floor.

Afraid of distracting him, she’d kept her mouth shut since Connor hopped back on the highway. Before they had an audience, she needed to take responsibility for what they’d just gone through. “I’m sorry.”

“For?”

“Not listening to you. By going into work, I put you in danger.” The elevator reached the fourth floor and the doors slid open.

He pressed the button, closing the doors and giving them some privacy. “You put yourself in danger.”

They were both right. Her refusal to listen had put them both in danger. And if anything had happened to him because of her stupid decision, she never would’ve forgiven herself.

He moved in closer and touched her face. “It’s done and you’re safe. But from now on we’ll do things my way.”

She’d learned her lesson. At least until the danger passed, he wouldn’t get a single argument from her. “Got it. I promise.”

The door to the team’s meeting room she’d sat in last night was closed. Leaving her, Connor entered, shutting it behind him. Obviously, whatever was being discussed by heaven knew who on the other side wasn’t meant for her ears. Perhaps for the moment, it was for the best anyway. She was already feeling a bit like Alice after her little trip down the rabbit hole. Who knew how she’d feel if she heard the conversation taking place?

When Connor came back out, he wasn’t alone. “Give Mad Dog your clothing size.” Putting an arm over her shoulder, he gestured toward the woman who followed him out of the meeting room. “She’ll take care of it, and we’ll wait here until she gets back.”

She never would’ve guessed this was Mad Dog. Becca could easily picture the woman starring in movies rather than working for a security firm. “Uh, sure.”

Becca couldn’t remember the last time someone had picked out her clothes. She didn’t see a way around it. Even if Connor agreed to take her shopping, which he never would, she had no desire to risk going anywhere near a store. And after their high-speed race to the firm, she knew going back to her house for clothes was out of the question.

Connor’s coworker handed her a notepad and pen. “Men.” She shook her head and extended her hand. “My normal friends call me Maddie.” She pointed in Connor’s direction. “He’s not what I call normal.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, she couldn’t contain her smile. “Becca. Connor’s mentioned you. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

“Please make a list of any essentials you need. Shampoo, toothpaste, whatever,” Maddie said. “And if you prefer a specific brand of anything put it down. I’ll do my best to get it. Somewhere on there write down your clothing and shoe size.”

She started her list, keeping it as a simple as possible. All things considered, what brand of toothpaste she used seemed unimportant for the foreseeable future.

“This should be good.” She handed the notepad back, glad it was Maddie, AKA Mad Dog, and not one of Connor’s male colleagues doing the shopping. Since she had no idea how long it’d be before she returned home, she’d added tampons, razors, and shaving cream to the list. Becca couldn’t picture someone like Keith carrying a box of tampons and women’s razors to a store checkout.

Maddie read over the list and glanced back at her. “I won’t be long. Are you sure you didn’t forget anything?” Her eyes darted in Connor’s direction before meeting Becca’s again, her real question clear. The other woman wanted to know if Becca wanted condoms in addition to mint toothpaste and shampoo. As much as she enjoyed sex with Connor, it and condoms were the furthest things from her mind right now.

Clearly Connor understood what his coworker was referring to as well. “If we need anything not on the list, I’ve got it.”

“Whatever you say. See you both soon.”

She watched the other woman walk away. “She’s not what I expected.” She could avoid her real questions and pretend this was any other normal day. But talking about his coworkers or the weather wouldn’t get her answers. “What’s next?”

“When Mad Dog gets back, we’ll head to one of the firm’s safe houses.”

There he went again, using a word she’d never thought she’d associate with her life.

“You’ll need to leave your cell phone here.”

Go without her cell phone? What if someone in her family needed her? Or the senator? “Why? I don’t see how having my phone with me will help whoever went after me.”

He led her into a small kitchen and went to the commercial-grade coffee maker on one counter. “Until we know who’s after you and perhaps Kassidy, we don’t know what capabilities they have. With the right equipment, any cell phone can be easily tracked.”

“I guess I won’t be checking my email while we’re away either.”

Connor handed her a paper cup before he took a sip from his own. “Where we’re headed, there isn’t any internet.”

The last time she’d gone with no internet for more than a few hours, she’d been away at summer camp. It had been perhaps the single worst experience of her life until this week. And, truthfully, she wasn’t sure she’d survive without access to the internet and her email. “Tell me we’ll at least have running water.”

If he said they’d be drinking bottled water and using an outhouse, she’d ask if she could sleep here on the floor instead.

“Water yes, but if you want electricity, it’ll cost you.” He winked at her, but his attempt at humor did nothing to improve her mood.

***

“Thank you.” Becca accepted the bags from Maddie and placed them near her purse and briefcase. She didn’t bother to ask how much she owed her. No doubt whatever the woman had spent on clothes and toiletries would be added to her final bill from the firm—assuming she lived long enough to get a final bill.

“Not a problem.” Maddie poured herself a cup of what masqueraded as coffee.

During her life, she’d had a lot of coffee, but what Connor had poured for her earlier was the most bitter she’d ever tasted. She’d poured half of it out so she could add a ridiculous amount of milk and sugar to it. Somehow he’d managed to get down not one, but two cups of the stuff black.

Becca watched Connor’s coworker add several sugar packets to the cup before taking a sip of the black liquid.

“It wasn’t on the list, but I picked up a few magazines and a couple books. If you want to take it, I have a book of Sudoku puzzles in my car.”

“I’m more of a crossword person, but thanks.”

“Anytime,” she said before leaning against the counter. “You’ll be fine. Connor’s one of the best here.”

“She meant to say the best.” Connor’s voice came from the doorway behind her.

He’d left to discuss final arrangements with Ax more than thirty minutes ago. At least that’s what he’d told her. It wouldn’t surprise her if they’d been discussing other things as well. Things they couldn’t or wouldn’t say in her presence.

Maddie rolled her eyes. “I don’t know how you fit your damn head through the door, Anderson.” She took another sip of the world’s worst coffee and pushed off the counter. “Good luck, Becca. You have my sympathies being stuck with him.” She walked out before Becca could come up with a response that didn’t make her sound like she’d lost her mind. Because, as much as she hated the need to hide away in a safe house, she didn’t mind for a moment having Connor to herself.

Connor moved inside the room. He had a large backpack slung over one shoulder and two other large bags in his hand. “Ready?” he asked.

She hadn’t seen the white car again after they exited the highway. And nothing Connor said during the final stretch of the mad dash back to the firm suggested he believed they were still being followed. But what if they had been?

What if someone was sitting outside now, waiting for them to exit the parking lot? Or what if the people after her did have the technology necessary to locate her cell phone, and they’d tracked it back to the firm?

“Do you think anyone’s out there, waiting for us to leave?”

“It’s possible.” He sounded unconcerned as he readjusted the strap over his shoulder. “But they won’t see us.”

“Let me guess—the firm has developed some kind of technology that makes cars invisible, right?”

“It’d make my job a hell of a lot easier.” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Trust me, you’ll see. If someone is out there watching the main exits, they won’t see us.”

She followed him down the hall, past the elevator they’d used to come upstairs, and to another one at the far end of the building. Inside he pressed the button marked with a large letter G. “Are we off to a secret cave?”

He only chuckled as the door opened, revealing a well-lit enclosed parking area. “Only the firm’s bigwigs are allowed to park down here, so they don’t get their hair wet when it rains. All company-owned vehicles are stored down here too. We’re using one of those. Ryan will leave in my SUV and drive around for a while in case anyone’s out there watching for it. Later he’ll bring it back here.”

Connor led her past a nice display of imported vehicles, each parked in a spot labeled with a lofty title indicating just who each car belonged to, and letting her know how well the firm’s management must be paid.

The taillights of a midnight-blue two-door with windows so dark no one would ever see who was on the other side flashed. After popping the trunk, he dropped two of his bags inside and then added hers before slamming it. She couldn’t help but notice the bag he kept with him was the same one he’d referred to as a tactical go-bag when she’d asked him about it last night. She hadn’t asked for a full inventory. Still, she knew whatever items he kept in the bag were ones she’d never thought would be part of her daily life.

He put the last bag in the back, within arm’s reach, and started the car.

She didn’t bother to ask where they were headed. One, it didn’t matter, and two, she doubted he’d tell her anyway.

She remained quiet as he drove through the garage, down a narrow two-way tunnel to a security gate. He punched in a code and the gates moved aside, allowing them to exit onto a street behind the firm. At the moment, except for them, there wasn’t a soul around. Maybe they would make it out of the city without being detected.

“We’ve got a possible location on Kassidy,” Connor shared, breaking the silence.

She suspected neither the FBI nor any one of the other government agencies involved had obtained the location. Going through the proper channels to get information from companies, regardless of the type, took time. Even considering the urgency of the situation, enough time hadn’t passed since she told Connor about the text messages and call from Kassidy. If Kassidy’s location was known, a tech-savvy individual, most likely one from the firm’s cyber division, had hacked into whatever company controlled the apps her stepsister used.

“Where is she?”

“Sorry, I can’t share anything else.”

Was he joking? “Seriously, Connor, where does the firm think she is?”

“If I could tell you, I would. Right now all I’m allowed to share is that we have a possible location and that HRT, along with agents from the FBI and Air Force OSI, are looking into it.”

He’s only the messenger. Her mental reminder didn’t alleviate her annoyance. “Who the hell am I going to tell? I’m going to be stuck in some stupid safe house, probably in the middle of nowhere. Is your boss afraid I’ll tell a chipmunk or maybe a bunny rabbit?” Crossing her arms, she glared out the window. “When they find her, will they let me know?” Would they keep her in the dark about that too?

Connor took the Interstate 495 West exit and merged with traffic. Unlike the last time they’d been in a car together, Becca didn’t feel the need to close her eyes and pray.

“Ax will contact me when they have Kassidy.”