Deadly Escape

by Colleen Helme

  Ramos didn’t hesitate to climb in the back and sit beside me, leaving Gabriel to take the front passenger seat. Sloan buckled her seat belt, irritated that Gabriel had chosen to sit up front with her instead of Ramos. She needed to get Ramos alone to convince him to take her for a drink. How could she do that without inviting me and Gabriel?

  Hmm…good question. I glanced at Ramos and smiled, glad that he wasn’t falling for her. “So what hotel are we staying at?”

  “The Watergate,” Gabriel answered. “Ever heard of it?”

  I laughed. “Really? That’s awesome.”

  “Oui. I thought so too. There were several empty rooms on my floor, so I persuaded Wells to get one for you and Ramos.” He was thinking that he was on Wells’ good side because of Cypher, so he was going to use it to his advantage.

  Sloan inhaled sharply. Wait…was Ramos sharing a room with me? No…he’d said rooms plural…so that had to mean we each had our own. But what did it matter if we were together. Ramos was awfully protective of me. But she knew he liked strong women, and I didn’t fit the bill, so maybe it was true that we were just friends. Still, that didn’t mean things couldn’t change in an instant. Getting thrown together like this was just an excuse for indulging in an affair. How could I resist?

  She’d thought she was over him until she saw him again, then all she’d wanted to do was run her fingers through his hair. That old spark hadn’t faded at all. It grated on her nerves to have him so close and yet so far away. She’d just have to snag Ramos before he left and see if he would meet her for that drink. She wanted him to know she had nothing to do with this.

  I could have told her she was worried for nothing but, on some level, I was happy about her discomfort, especially since she didn’t think I was a strong woman. I may not have her skills, but I wasn’t a shrinking violet. I’d been through a lot, and I’d managed to come out alive every single time.

  So this was about her. What had she done to Ramos? She carried enough guilt to tell me it was something bad. Ramos thought so too. Even if there was a physical attraction between them, Ramos wasn’t about to fall into that trap again. At least, I hoped not.

  It took close to twenty minutes before we arrived at the huge hotel. In person, it was lots bigger than I’d realized. Sloan pulled up to the front doors and stopped to let us out. She turned off the engine and hurried around to the doors in time to pull Ramos away from us.

  I couldn’t hear her hushed tones, but I knew she was pleading with him to meet her later for a drink in the hotel bar. To my surprise, he agreed and then caught up to us. I listened to his thoughts but found the only thing seeping through was a desire to set Sloan straight. Which, I had to admit, was a relief.

  It didn’t take long to check in and find our rooms. I was grateful to use the bathroom and freshen up. I was even happier to find a complimentary bag of essentials, including floss, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, and some personal hygiene products.

  I did have a basic make-up kit in my purse, so that was a plus. And, if we were going out tonight, I hoped to find a shop with a large t-shirt or something that I could wear to bed. I also needed to charge my phone and hoped the hotel could provide for that as well.

  A knock sounded at my door, so I opened it to find Ramos on the other side. He smiled, thinking that if he was truly the bad guy everyone thought he was, he’d definitely throw me onto the bed and have his way with me.

  I felt my cheeks flame and shook my head, hoping he’d stop looking at me like a yummy piece of chocolate cake. Lucky for me, Gabriel stepped from his room next to mine and joined us. He glanced between us and his brows twitched. Had he just interrupted something?

  “No,” I answered. “Not at all. We’re just waiting for you. Where should we go for dinner?” I glanced behind him. “Do you have agents with you, or did you come to the states alone?”

  “There were several that came with me to insure Cypher’s safety. Once Cypher was secure, I dismissed them. If Cypher returns with me to France, your government will provide an escort for him, but I will accompany them as well.”

  “That makes sense,” I said. “Do you think that will happen?”

  He shrugged. “I do not know. We shall see. But for now, let us enjoy our evening together, yes?”

  “Yes.” I smiled, glancing at both him and Ramos, determined to enjoy this evening in the company of two handsome men. My smile widened to remember that, back in Paris, I had kissed both of them – on the lips.

  Of course it was a “joie de vivre” moment, since we’d managed to capture Cypher and diffuse a bomb, ensuring that we didn’t get blown up along with a lot of people and the Luxembourg Palace. I had to admit, it was certainly a night I’d never forget.

  We took the elevator back to the ground floor, and Gabriel asked the concierge for a suggestion of a good restaurant. She gave him a brochure, and he consulted us on which one we wanted. We finally settled on one that was close to the mall.

  “I’d love to see the Lincoln Memorial at night,” I said, unable to contain my excitement. “And maybe some of the others if we get a chance.”

  My enthusiasm proved contagious, and we all looked forward to an evening out after the stress of the day. The hotel doorman got us a taxi and we climbed inside. Just before the taxi cab door closed, I caught a familiar woman’s thought and knew that Sloan was watching us. I glanced out the back window to find her rushing to hail a cab to follow us. She was serious about this, and it surprised me.

  “What it is?” Ramos asked.

  “It’s Sloan. She’s following us.” I turned back around. “Wells wanted her to keep an eye on us, but this seems like overkill to me.”

  Ramos shrugged. “I guess she’ll do anything for that man.”

  His comment had an edge to it, and I caught his gaze. In his mind he agreed that, yes, there was a story behind his comment, but it was something to tell me later. I shrugged, settling into my seat between Ramos and Gabriel, glad that neither of them minded sitting so close. I even picked up that they both thought I smelled good.

  I smiled, grateful for the small spray bottle of perfume in my purse. Spending more money for good perfume was totally worth it. As we got closer to the monuments, I glanced out at the streets of Washington DC, excited to take in as much of the city as I could.

  The taxi came to a stop at our restaurant. In front of the restaurant, two lion statues flanked the doors. We passed them by and entered to find dark wood paneling covering the walls in a perfect mix of dark luxury and sleek sophistication.

  The tables were covered with white tablecloths and flower centerpieces, surrounded by soft, upholstered chairs. The whole place oozed luxury and sophistication, and I knew the prices would be outrageous, so I decided not to pay too much attention to that side of the menu and ordered something that I knew I would like.

  At first, I kept watch on the entrance, but I never caught sight of Sloan. Maybe she’d missed us or was watching from outside. That didn’t sound fun but, what could I say, it sucked to be her?

  After our food arrived, all thoughts of Sloan, Cypher, and everything else left my brain. I enjoyed my mouthwatering meal and the great company. There was a moment when I experienced a pang of guilt that my family was home eating pizza tonight. But at least I was here against my will, so I couldn’t feel too bad.

  “I hate to bring it up after we’ve shared such an enjoyable meal, but is there anything else you want to tell me about Cypher?” Gabriel asked. “Or questions you think I should ask him in the morning?”

  I sat back in my chair and nodded. “Yes. I think you need to take him back to France as soon as possible. Bringing him here was a mistake. He has something planned, and coming to the states was the way for him to accomplish that. I don’t know how he can do anything from his prison cell, but he must have someone on the outside helping him.”

  “This is not good,” Gabriel said. “How am I to get Wells to agree to that? If the information Cypher gave him is good,
Wells will be reluctant to let him go. It is also hard to believe that someone is helping him. Who would have the power to do so right under Wells’s nose? He will not think it possible.”

  I nodded. “I don’t get it either. But I’m not sure the information is worth the risk of whatever Cypher has planned. I wish I could have picked up what it was, but Cypher was guarding his thoughts. Seeing me reminded him of what happened in Paris, and he blames me for his failure. He wondered how I did it and thought that I might be psychic. He even blocked his thoughts by doing mathematics in his head.”

  Ramos glanced at Gabriel. “You need to take him out, or take him back to France, no matter what Wells wants.” He was thinking that he wouldn’t have a problem killing Cypher if he could get away with it.

  That thought should have bothered me, but I happened to agree with him. Did that mean I was spending too much time with a hit-man?

  “Oui. I agree.” Gabriel let out a breath. “Then it is up to you, Shelby. You must tell Wells that Cypher is bluffing. That he has nothing to offer and is hoping to escape. Convince him that it is in our best interests to return him to France immediately.”

  “Okay. I can do it.”

  “Très bien ma chérie. We will be in your debt.”

  I nodded, hoping that Wells would believe me. I’d find out soon enough.

  We left the restaurant and strolled to the mall. “I guess we just missed all the cherry blossoms,” I said. “But it’s still beautiful here with all the flowers and trees.” We walked to a spot on the mall, near the Washington Monument just in time to see the sky turn from shades of orange to pink as the sun set. “Wow. That’s beautiful.”

  “Did you know,” Gabriel began, “That Washington DC was initially designed by the Frenchman Pierre Charles L’Enfant? I believe the area is patterned after the Champs Elysees in Paris, with the Arc de Triomphe at one end and the Place de la Concorde at the other. Can you see the similarities?”

  “You mean with the Capitol on one end and the Lincoln Memorial on the other? Wow! I didn’t know that, but you’re right.”

  Gabriel beamed that he knew something we Americans didn’t. “It is a beautiful night for a stroll. Should we walk to the Lincoln Memorial?”

  “Sounds good to me.” I could use the exercise after sitting around all day. We strolled into the World War II Memorial, taking a moment to peruse the large, semicircle plaza surrounded by huge pillars with triumphal arches on opposite sides, representing both the Pacific and Atlantic areas of conflict.

  The center of the plaza held a beautiful pool with a spraying fountain. The surrounding walls depicted scenes of the war in bas relief. Each pillar in the semicircle was inscribed with the name of a state and topped by a granite wreath.

  As we passed through to the west side, we found the freedom wall with a view of the reflecting pool and the Lincoln Memorial behind it. The freedom wall had thousands of gold stars representing soldiers who died in the war, with the inscription: “Here we mark the price of freedom.”

  Each star represented one hundred Americans who had died in the war and it took my breath away to see that there were over four thousand stars. I hadn’t realized how many soldiers’ lives were lost in that conflict, and my heart ached for their loss.

  We continued our walk in subdued silence and arrived at the Lincoln Memorial just after the sun had set. With the cooling breeze ruffling my hair, we ascended the steps to the top. Built in the form of a Greek temple, the large, seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln rested inside.

  Lights shone down upon the statue with the words: “In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the union the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.”

  On one side of the temple, the words from the Gettysburg Address were engraved in the stone. On the other side was Lincoln’s second inaugural address. As I read through the words, a profound feeling of reverence washed over me.

  We left the temple and headed back to the steps. There we found the spot where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. From this point we could see all the way back to the Capital building, with the Washington Memorial in the center.

  It was a beautiful, spring evening with the scent of blossoms and fresh earth on the breeze. I snapped several pictures of all three of us and even managed to capture one of Ramos. He didn’t like that much, but he said I could keep it as long as I didn’t put it anywhere on social media.

  I promised that I wouldn’t and breathed a happy sigh that I finally had a picture of him. If nothing else, at least I could show it to my best friend, Holly, so we could drool over it together.

  The peace of this place did wonders for my soul. After dealing with Cypher’s dark soul, being here lifted me to a higher purpose. I realized that, in a way, I was doing a small part to help my country and the cause of freedom so many people had given their lives for. It made it all worth it.

  We lingered for several minutes longer, then decided it was time to head back to our hotel. We found a taxi and arrived a few minutes after nine. After walking inside, Ramos excused himself to meet Sloan at the bar. Of course, he didn’t tell us that, and I didn’t make him explain. I just smiled and nodded, silently wishing him luck.

  Gabriel escorted me back to my room and left me with the promise to come to my door at seven-thirty sharp in the morning. “I wish to thank you for coming,” he said, taking my hands and kissing both my cheeks. “I know it was a surprise, and I hope your family will forgive the intrusion. I am sure, once you tell them the importance of your visit, all will be well. Yes?”

  “Yes. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

  “Bien. Tomorrow, with your help, I will insist Cypher return with all haste to France where he will be locked away for good. I do not take lightly that he threatened to have you killed, even from prison, and I will make sure he has no chance to correspond with anyone to give such an order.”

  “Thanks Gabriel. I appreciate that more than you know.”

  “It is my pleasure. Bonne nuit, ma chérie.”

  “Good night Gabriel.”

  I entered my room, flipped on the lights, and slid the lock into place. Since my bathroom had a great bathtub, I decided to indulge and take a relaxing bubble bath, using some of the complementary shampoo for bubbles.

  Letting my anxiety slip away, I relaxed in the hot water until my fingers got wrinkly, then I rinsed off under the shower and washed my hair. Done with that, I washed my underwear and hung it up to dry.

  A soft bathrobe hung on the door, and I slipped it on, loving the feel of it against my skin. I could get used to this, but a stab of loneliness washed over me. Wells may not want me to tell Chris what was going on, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t call him. He answered right away.

  “Hey honey,” I began. “How are things at home?”

  “Good. What about you?”

  “Okay. I can’t tell you what’s going on, but I have a meeting in the morning and, after that, I should be done here, so that’s a plus.”

  “That’s good to hear. I don’t like the idea that they can just swoop in and take you away like that.”

  “I know, I don’t like it one bit, but it’s kind of a matter of national security. Still, I’ll see what I can do to make sure it doesn’t happen again. So how are the kids? Did you do anything fun tonight?”

  Chris filled me in, and it sounded like another normal night at our house, only without me. We spoke for a few more minutes, and I told him I’d call as soon as I knew what time I’d be home. “I’m glad we got to talk. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good. And Shelby…please stay out of trouble.”

  “Hey…nothing’s going to happen,” I said. “I know I have a lousy track record, but I’m completely safe here, probably more than at home.”

  He huffed out a breath. “I sure hope so.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  We disconnected
and I lay back on the bed, a wistful smile on my face. It had been great to hear his voice, and I hoped it was enough to dispel my loneliness of sleeping in such a big bed by myself. A few minutes later, I set my phone alarm for six-thirty and set it on the phone charger resting on the nightstand.

  I flipped off the lights and climbed under the sheets, wearing nothing but the soft bathrobe for warmth. Lying alone in the dark, my thoughts drifted to Ramos and Sloan. What was going on with them? Had they made up? Would he spend the night with her, even though that was a bad idea?

  I let out my breath and turned to my side. It was none of my business. Still, I hoped he knew what he was doing, especially since I gathered that the last time they’d been together, it hadn’t gone well.

  My phone buzzed, and I quickly picked it up. The caller ID said it was Ramos. “Hello?”

  “Babe. Just making sure you’re okay.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I just got in bed. I guess we have to get up early tomorrow. How about you? Did things go okay with Sloan?”

  “Yeah. I’m good.” He sighed long and hard, so I knew there was a lot more going on. I wanted to find out what had happened, but I couldn’t exactly invite him into my room. Not with me clothed in only a bathrobe and lying in a king size bed. I just couldn’t risk it, not when I felt lonely and vulnerable.

  “I…um…do you want to talk about it?” Then I quickly added, “Uh…on the phone?” I swallowed, knowing that sounded pretty lame, but it was the best I could do. Was he waiting outside my door for an invitation to come in? Temptation gnawed a big hole in my chest, causing my heart to race. “Uh…or…I could get dressed and…”

  “Hey, I’m beat. Why don’t we talk tomorrow?”

  “Oh…uh…sure.”

  “Goodnight, Shelby.”

  He disconnected before I could reply, and my heart broke a little. He wasn’t with Sloan, but he wasn’t with me either. He wasn’t with anyone. Maybe being with her was better than being alone? I just didn’t know anymore.