Reviving Graham

by Becca Jameson

  Dade glanced at them. “Temple has a lot on her plate right now. She doesn’t have time to check in with every one of you or even deal with the prospect of moving you yet. As far as she’s concerned, you, Bianca, Khloe, and Josiah need about three weeks before you could even leave your various safe locations.

  “So, that’s our time frame. I can’t stick around long, but there wasn’t anyone else who could run down here and ensure all of your safety while remaining totally under the radar.”

  Graham’s brain was racing.

  Dade spoke again. “I hate to do this to you, but we’re going to have to leave you two in a safe location for a few days and come back. We need to snag Bianca before someone finds her.”

  “Who’s with Bianca?” Kate asked.

  “Grayson.”

  Graham ran a hand over his face and then set it on Kate’s thigh. He was holding on to the door with his other hand, doing everything in his power to gain stability. “My head is spinning.” He didn’t mean that literally, and no one took it that way either.

  Kate set her hand on top of his as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if they had touched each other like this for years.

  It calmed him. She was an anchor to him in this tornado. He would be totally overwhelmed without her. He also wished he weren’t so dependent on her, and he hoped to rectify that as fast as possible. He wasn’t used to depending on other people. It made him uncomfortable.

  Blair twisted to face them more fully. “I know it’s a lot to take in, and we promise to bring you more up to speed as soon as we can get back to you.” She reached over the back of the seat and handed Kate a phone. “It’s a burner. No one has the number except us and Ryan. One of us will call you when we can.”

  While Blair spoke to Kate, Graham watched Dade diligently keep an eye on both the road in front of him and every single detail around them. Did he think they might be followed?

  A shudder ran down Graham’s spine.

  Kate gave his hand a squeeze but didn’t comment. How was she so in tune with him? It was illogical how the two of them fell into sync together as if they’d been married for fifteen years when really they’d barely spoken to each other until three days ago and had only acknowledged being interested in each other yesterday.

  Graham shifted his gaze to Blair when he realized she was holding out a second phone. Her voice was soft as she said, “Use this one to call your parents. And then destroy it.”

  He nodded slowly, palming the phone. His parents…

  In a few moments, Blair continued. “After we pick up Bianca and Grayson, our plan is to bring them to join you. It might take us a day or two.”

  “And then what?” Graham asked.

  Dade glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled. “We have sanctuary.”

  “Where?” Kate leaned forward slightly.

  “Montana.” Blair handed a slip of paper to Kate. “If for any reason you run into a snag or don’t hear from us, do what you have to do to head for this address.”

  Graham leaned toward Kate to see it was an address in Denver. “Did Denver move to Montana while I was hibernating?”

  Blair smiled. “The organization helping us is called SURVIVE. They have an entire underground system to help people disappear all over the country. They’re good at it. They were the ones harboring Tushar and Trish.”

  Graham turned his attention to Kate. “I thought you said someone found them and tried to kill them at that ranch in Montana.”

  Dade responded. “They were wearing trackers. The man who tracked them—our new friend, Spencer—had access to the GPS coordinates. You’re not wearing or carrying anything that can be traced.”

  “Can we trust this Spencer?” Graham asked.

  Dade nodded. “Pretty sure. He’s already helped a lot.”

  Kate tipped her head to one side. “But SURVIVE? We’re going back to the same place where Tushar and Trish were attacked? Doesn’t that seem obvious? Why do you even trust them?”

  Blair shook her head. “We’ve set up a home base at one of their ranches in Montana. Not the same one where Tushar and Trish stayed. I know it seems irrational, but we thoroughly checked them out. The majority of their employees are former military. Their reputation is impeccable.”

  “I hate to point this out,” said Kate, “but we don’t have money.”

  Blair snapped her fingers and reached into a bag next to her on the seat. A moment later she handed Kate an envelope. “Cash. It’s the only way to be sure you aren’t traceable. Divide it up into several pockets and locations just in case.”

  “You’re going to leave us at a hotel?” Graham asked. He couldn’t imagine how they could possibly sneak him into a hotel without raising eyebrows.

  “No. We’re taking you to a SURVIVE safe house. I’m not kidding when I say they run an underground system you can’t begin to imagine.”

  “Is it…legal?” Graham asked.

  Dade chuckled. “We’ve got unknown enemies tracking us down all over the country. Right now, I don’t give a fuck about legalities. I’m just trying to get my team to safety.”

  Blair shot him a look and then returned to Graham. “SURVIVE isn’t running around shooting good guys, if that makes you feel better. Do they skirt the edge of the law? Probably. They’re like vigilantes. They take the hard cases like ours. But they also take government contract jobs. That’s how Tushar and Trish wound up with them in the first place.”

  Damn, this was complicated. “What can I do to help? No way in hell am I going to hang around hiding while the rest of the team work their asses off to figure out who’s trying to eliminate us.”

  Dade shot him a grin in the rearview mirror. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

  Graham would beg to differ, but he didn’t. “Not about my team, no. Did you think I would turn my back and crawl into a cave?”

  Dade shook his head. “Nope. But I need you strong physically before you can be of help. We’ve got an essential role for you, but we need you physically and mentally fit first. Get your hands on Kate’s computer and familiarize yourself with the latest technology too. It’s imperative. We’re all useless until we jump forward ten years.”

  Graham nodded and then turned his head to look out the window. He flipped his hand over on Kate’s thigh and threaded his fingers with hers. She didn’t object.

  They were driving up a windy mountain road now. He hoped for his sake and Kate’s that Dade and Blair were making the right choices. It wasn’t as if Graham was in a position to argue with Dade. He needed to trust his team members. He also needed bring himself up-to-date with technology. While he was waiting for his body to catch up with his brain, he could at least educate himself.

  Chapter 9

  When Dade finally pulled up to a rural mountain home, Kate realized she’d been sitting so stiffly for so long that she was exhausted and her body ached. Her tension had been half mental from absorbing so much confusing information and half physical from supporting Graham next to her.

  A man and a woman came out of the house as Dade and Blair jumped down from the SUV. Dade shook the man’s hand as he approached.

  Kate was in the center seat, and she didn’t want to leave Graham, so she waited. It was only a few seconds before Dade turned around and opened Graham’s door.

  Now that the man was closer, Kate could see he was older, perhaps in his sixties. He had gray hair and a nicely trimmed gray beard and mustache. The woman also had gray hair that hung in a bob at her shoulders. They looked like the average retired couple who now spent their days hiking and enjoying life.

  Apparently they also ran a safe house.

  The older man dipped his head to smile at Kate and Graham. He held out a hand to Graham. “Jerry Kobrick.” He pointed to the woman behind him. “This is my wife, Eliza.” He reached across Graham next to shake Kate’s hand.

  “Kate Bauer,” she informed him.

  Graham cleared his throat. “Graham Wentz. Thank you for your h
ospitality.”

  Jerry smiled broadly. “Let’s get you inside, shall we?” As if it were no big deal, he gripped Graham’s forearm and helped him slide down from the SUV.

  Kate held her breath out of fear that Graham would collapse. She didn’t trust his legs at all, and she knew Graham’s pride would prevent him from pointing out how weak he was.

  But she needn’t have worried because Dade was at his other side in an instant, and the two men supported the majority of Graham’s weight as they helped him into the house.

  Eliza followed Blair to the rear of the SUV and by the time Kate joined them, they had all the bags out. Kate took one of them and followed the other two women inside.

  In short order, Graham was situated on one end of an enormous brown leather sofa.

  Kate eyed him suspiciously, watching for any sign that he was losing a battle to fatigue, but so far he seemed to be supporting his upper body fine.

  Eliza rushed across the great room toward the kitchen area.

  “Your place is stunning,” Kate stated as she eased farther into the room and let her gaze wander. It was intentionally rustic with every modern convenience. The walls looked as though they were simply inside a log cabin. The floors were hardwood with throw rugs. The long dining table looked like it had been cut from the same tree as the rest of the home.

  “Thank you,” Eliza responded from the kitchen. “We built it five years ago to enjoy our retirement.”

  Kate wondered how often their retirement was interrupted by unintended guests. She wandered over to the fireplace and admired the artwork on the walls as well as the frame pictures in clusters on every surface—bookcases, mantel, and end tables. She ascertained quickly that Eliza and Jerry Kobrick had three adult kids and several grandchildren. In addition, Jerry had served in the navy. Several photos depicted a much younger Jerry in uniform.

  When Kate turned around, Eliza handed her a glass of water. She had already served everyone else. “Please feel free to sit if you’d like,” Eliza said.

  Kate took a drink of water and then smiled at her. “I’ve been sitting for a while in the car. I think my legs would appreciate being stretched.” She would also bet Graham’s legs were in dire need of stretching. They hadn’t done any physical therapy yet that morning.

  When she turned toward him, she found him watching her. For the first time in her life, she felt self-conscious. Rarely had she found herself in a situation when she cared what she was wearing or what her hair might look like. Even though she’d taken the time to fix her makeup and straighten her hair the other day, today she could feel his gaze all over her body.

  She was wearing scrubs. She was always wearing scrubs. They weren’t flattering. In fact, there probably weren’t many articles of clothing in the world that could be less flattering. Ordinary pale green today. For years her days of the week had revolved around what color her scrubs were.

  Hell, she didn’t own much else. She’d only been awakened three months ago herself. Emily had helped her order several things online, but they’d stuck to the practical. Jeans, tennis shoes, ordinary bra and panty sets. Nothing fancy.

  And now Graham was watching her wander closer to him as if she were the most attractive person in the room, and he’d just noticed her for the first time. It was nice to feel his gaze on her after he’d spent so many years avoiding eye contact.

  Dade had settled on the sofa next to Graham and was speaking to both him and Jerry. Blair was behind the sofa with her elbows on the back, leaning her cheek on one palm next to Dade’s shoulder.

  Kate realized she had been distracted by the cabin and then her own thoughts as she tuned back in to the conversation.

  Eliza smiled broadly at her and set a hand on her biceps. “We built this house with two separate wings.” She pointed toward a hallway on one side of the great room and then another at the far end. “Gives our children and grandkids some privacy and plenty of space when they visit.” Still facing the second entry she’d pointed out, Eliza continued. “You two will be in that wing. I’ll let you explore and figure out what rooms you’d like to use.”

  “Your home is gorgeous. And we can’t thank you enough for letting us stay here.” Kate swallowed through the emotion that climbed up her throat. The generosity of this couple was remarkable. Obviously they were employed by SURVIVE, but they did their job by choice. It had to be stressful taking in total strangers and keeping them safe.

  Dade stood, leaned down to give Graham a hug, and then turned toward Kate. “I’m sorry. We have to go. Hopefully we can get back to you tomorrow, but plan for two days just in case. We’ll either return or contact you on the burner phone. If you don’t hear from one of us for any reason and you have to leave here, use the address I gave you.”

  Kate nodded. “Got it.”

  “In the meantime,” Dade continued, “give Graham a tutorial on the latest technology. I need him up-to-date fast.”

  She swallowed.

  Graham spoke next. “You haven’t told us what you’ll be needing from me.”

  Dade nodded. “I know, and I don’t have time to explain it right now. I’ll go into more detail later when we’re sure of the plan. It’s imperative you be physically stronger as well as mentally sharp, though.”

  “I can do that. Give me a few days.”

  Dade chuckled. “This is why I knew I could count on you.”

  Kate closed the distance between her and Dade and pulled him in for a hug. “Thank you. Please be careful.” She lifted her face to his and smiled. “I still can’t believe you’re even alive, let alone standing vibrantly in front of me.”

  As she released him, Blair hugged her too. “I know we just met, but I want you to know we’re working hard to make the world a safe place for both of you. Stay strong.”

  That lump returned to Kate’s throat as she nodded again. She shoved away from Blair before her emotions could take over, and then she followed the two of them outside to their SUV. “How much do the Kobricks know about us?” she asked when the three of them were alone next to the SUV.

  Dade responded. “Enough. They’re well vetted.”

  Kate nodded. “Go. Get to Bianca and Grayson. I can’t stand the thought of anyone in harm’s way.”

  Two minutes later, Dade and Blair pulled away from the front porch, and Kate took a deep breath and returned to the house. She clapped her hands together and put on her business face for Graham. “Okay, let’s get you stronger. Top priority.”

  He smiled at her as she reached his side. And then he grabbed her hand. “Go figure out where you want me, and then we’ll get me flat somewhere. I need my legs to start cooperating ASAP.”

  She squeezed his hand, resisting the urge to lean down and kiss him as if they were an established couple before she walked away. It was uncanny how close they’d gotten in just a few days. It felt like the mere fact that they’d both verbally admitted their mutual attraction automatically made them a couple.

  The truth was they hadn’t discussed their relationship in those terms, and they really needed to spend some time getting to know each other first to see if their attraction existed on a level that wasn’t just physical. But first, she needed to get him settled. And then he needed to start serious exercises. Little things that had to happen on the to-do list before they could even begin to define what they might be to each other in the future.

  She had concerns. Namely that Graham had woken up gung ho about reuniting with the team, and now that he’d gotten caught up with Dade, she felt confident that as soon as he was physically able, he would take the next bus to Montana and jump into the fray. Twenty hours a day. Seven days a week. That was his style. She could tell he was fidgeting to get back to it.

  Montana. Did she want to go to Montana and work in a secret location with twenty-some-odd people in hiding while life continued to go past her? She wasn’t certain how she felt about that. Not that she needed to make any rash decisions today. First things first.

  Kate rel
eased Graham’s hand and followed Eliza toward the guest wing. Every item in the home had been lovingly chosen to give a welcoming ambiance. Just being inside the walls of this house was calming. Deep browns and rust and maroon made up the color scheme, and that extended to the guest wing too.

  Eliza pointed to the first door on the left. “Guest bath. There’s another larger one in the master suite on this hall, though. It might be easier for Graham.” She kept walking to the second door on the right. “In here.”

  Kate followed her inside, admiring the furniture and the inviting feel. The master bed, dresser, and nightstands looked like they had been intentionally cut from the same wood as the floors and walls—same as the kitchen table and chairs had been.

  The comforter was a thick fluffy maroon, as was the large oval rug on the floor next to the bed.

  Eliza pointed to a door to the left. “Master bath. My husband can get him in and out of the bathroom or whatever you need.”

  Kate smiled at her. “I suspect Graham will be running circles around me before he should be. If Jerry can help me get him down the hallway, Graham will probably figure things out from there. His pride and frustration will give him the adrenaline boost to get back on his feet.” Probably not in the few days they were be staying here, but she wouldn’t be shocked if he was walking tentatively by then.

  Eliza turned around and pointed out a linen closet inside the bathroom. “Towels. Shampoo. Soap. Anything you can’t find, just let me know.”

  A noise behind them had Kate turning around to find Jerry assisting Graham into the bedroom. Not surprising.

  She set her hands on her hips. “You’re so impatient.”

  “You took too long,” he teased.

  She rushed forward to take the weight from his other side. “You’ll be comfortable in this room. I’ll take the one next door. Let’s get you on the bed.”

  He shook his head. “Let’s get me in the bathroom. I’m dying to take a shower.”