Releasing her hand, he turned to look back down the street from where they escaped. The two men searching for her uncle were back tracking. Did they know who she was? Had they seen her with Jake Wakefield?
Resembling a drowned terrier, she held the hood of her sweatshirt tightly. Her soaked sweats sagged. A strand of hair of underdetermined color fell down the length of her small nose. The unemotional examination from where he stood caused her to shiver.
“Did they see you?” His gruff voice made her nod a “yes”.
He took one more look. “The trackers have split up. Looking in every doorway.”
Chase found himself weighing whether or not she was their intended target. He strode over to her, invading her personal space.
“You can get into more trouble than anyone I’ve ever known.”
The skies opened up again, dumping rain hard enough to cover the approaching steps of the trackers. The dead end alley didn’t allow escape. He eyed Tessa harshly as he watched her cower under his penetrating stare.
“Those men are looking for you.”
“What about my uncle?” She looked up into his wet face smeared with an impending deadly force.
“Must have gotten away.” He took a quick look to his right before lifting her onto the table as if she weighed no more than a child. She jumped back down. “I know you’re not going to like this, Tessa, but I need to draw those men in to you.”
“How?” She appeared to consider his order before speaking. “No. I can’t, Chase. I’m scared.”
Even before she finished her words, he backed deeper into the shadows. “For once do as you’re told, Tessa.”
~~~
Tessa swallowed so hard it sounded like a thump in her ears. She stood in the open, shivering. Rain drenched the last bit of confidence in her better judgment as a man started by the alley then halted and turned back. His hesitation forced her to take several steps away from the table. The man followed with caution as he called to someone else. When there was no response, he looked over his shoulder and yelled louder in a foreign language.
She didn’t notice where her backward steps took her as the man now approached with more confidence. He looked young, or at least younger than her. Black hair fell into his eyes, dripping rain onto a dark face outlined with a five o’clock shadow and a thick mustache. His large eyes appeared too big for his narrow face and his nose too small. Other than a cold resolve, the man’s face didn’t indicate his next move.
“What have you done to my uncle?” Tessa fell back against another one of the concrete tables, and then yelped as if surprised by its existence. The words caused a thin smile to move his mustache. He motioned with his gun for her to come with him. Reaching back with her hands to touch the table, Tessa tried to move herself along the edge as if by doing so would create distance.
He lifted the gun with such speed that Tessa screamed before covering her head with forearms she pretended could stop a bullet. A flashback of her children, a distraught husband and a life left in California, almost caused her to forget she wasn’t alone. When the man chuckled, she lowered her arms in time to see a large shadow come behind her attacker.
Pulling back her shoulders to look brave she nodded to the stranger. “Okay, just don’t shoot. I’ll come. Please, just put down your gun.”
The man continued to grin as he lowered the weapon just as Chase slammed his pistol into the man’s head, causing him to stumble away. He rallied in time to lift his gun. Chase easily squeezed the trigger twice into the man’s head. It seemed like only seconds for him to drag the body deeper into the darkness.
Blood had spewed out, speckling both Tessa and Chase. With the rain falling so hard it quickly washed away as if it had never appeared.
“What do you have on under that hoodie?” He sounded a little impatient.
Before she could answer he unzipped her jacket revealing a bright yellow tee shirt. She tried to fumble it shut even as Chase pushed her hands away. Yanking it off her shoulders he then pulled her back to one of the tables. Rain quickly soaked Tessa’s body. His eyes lingered driving home the realization she wasn’t wearing a bra. Trying to cover her breasts with folded arms, sent the message of how mortified she was at revealing this much information to him.
“I’m going to need you to fight me.” The captain had removed the jacket of the dead man and now forced his larger, more muscular body into the sleeves.
“Fight you?”
Later she’d experience confusion as to whether he felt any remorse at taking advantage of her.
~~~
Hiding in the back seat of an unlocked car, Jake pulled a blanket on top of him before locking the doors. He could hear the Egyptians speaking English instead of their native tongue. Taking a risk he raised up to look out the back glass when the voices moved away. They doubled back running. Taking advantage of their confusion, he slipped out of the car and into the darkness. Did his niece make her way back to the hotel where she’d be safe? Luckily a cab waiting for a fare was parked near where Jake exited the car. In moments he was in the cab and moving away from a life he might never return to again.
Once back at the hotel with the flickering vacancy sign, he quickly packed up his things. It was time to move to another location. Smashing his cell phone, he slipped the new one in his coat pocket. He’d purchased it at a kiosk earlier in the day, programing any numbers he might need. The memory wasn’t what it used to be. Not that it mattered. Chances were he wasn’t going to come out of this alive.
His thoughts turned back to his niece. Was she really working for the government or had he jumped to conclusions? The mysterious man in the photo sitting with his arm around Tessa did not look like her type.
She had always been so squeaky clean and naïve. The few boyfriends she’d brought home were typical southern boys who liked to hunt, fish, and go to church on Sunday. Careful not to get mixed up with a puffed up high school quarterback or self-inflated rich kid, Tessa spent more Friday nights at home than out with a date. He had always been proud she preferred books over boys. When Robert came into the picture he knew this was the one for his Tessa. That young man was going places and he worshipped the ground she walked on.
So what did she mean they worked together? Wasn’t she a stay at home mom who only recently went back to teaching? How could that sinister looking man possibly help him out of this mess unless he worked for the government?
The night resonated with cars driving too quickly through standing water as he left the hotel behind. A heavy mist, mixed with sudden downpours, fell with the occasional rumble of distant thunder. Jake looked down at his feet as he walked, passing a pimp and a hooker. Forced laughter and an insult followed him when he turned the corner to wait for a cab. He’d call the voice on the phone later. His body was too tired to tackle that tonight.
~~~
Without warning, Chase laid his gun down next to Tessa then forced her legs apart as he stepped between them. Her eyes grew wide as she looked down at her lap then back up at the man towering over her. When she didn’t move he reached up and ripped the sleeve of her tee shirt, causing her to back away.
“Fight, dammit. He knows his partner found you,” he growled. It would be just like her to remember their history, not their present situation. She wasn’t foresighted enough to realize a gunman wanted her dead. The hero worship in her eyes needed a wake-up call.
With his left hand he jerked her against his chest. For good measure he slipped his hand down into the back of her sweats, feeling the bare skin soaked from the rain. Finding Tessa’s mouth, he forced her lips apart, hearing her resist with pain. He knew his unshaven chin scratched. Attempting to twist away, she still didn’t fight back until he put his right hand under the back of her shirt.
Terrified, she came alive, thrashing and beating against the Enigma agent’s chest. Her legs tried to break free enough to kick just as he removed his hand from her shirt. Grabbing her hair, he pulled her head back. A scream escaped from
her throat. Burying his face in her neck, he worked his way back to her mouth. With his peripheral vision, he watched a man enter the oasis.
“Ameen, is that you?” The words were in Arabic. The tracker must have recognized his partner’s jacket.
Chase nodded and answered in his Arabic. “Yes. I’ve found her. Hurry before she draws attention.” He raised his head enough to watch the man approach knowing Tessa’s struggle would draw his attention. “Who says we can’t have a little fun for all our trouble.”
Tessa continued to kick and thrash with all her strength seeing the man marked for death step closer. Lust in his eyes sealed his fate. In that split second Chase released his grip on her hair, lifted his weapon and put a bullet in the forehead of the stranger. With urgency, Chase dragged the man into a dark area near a planter before taking a quick look at the contents of his pockets. His face looked middle-eastern like the other dead man. No identification indicated where he was from.
~~~
Returning to Tessa’s side he looked her in the eyes with reluctance. He’d destroyed any trust they gained a year earlier. “Tessa, I--”
With all the force she could muster she drew back and slapped him across the face. The next motion was a doubled fist which he caught in midair and pulled down behind her back so she couldn’t move.
Pinning her against his chest he put his face in hers. “I’m sorry, Tess. I know I frightened you.” He released her hand with caution, hoping it wouldn’t meet with his stinging face. “I could never hurt you, Babe. Do you know that? Tessa? Do you know that?”
His breath was warm against her mouth as her eyes searched his. Water dripped from what black hair he had, and down his face as he stared at her unblinking. She recognized the deep pain he carried, usually hidden behind angry eyes. The man who saved her would someday die alone in some undetermined battle against America’s enemies.
Tessa nodded half-heartedly. Raising her hand as if to touch his face she stopped when his eyes narrowed, waiting for another one of her deserved reprisals. She let her hand fall back to the concrete table to steady herself.
“I know,” she whispered. Not wanting to look in those dark eyes, Tessa hoped she’d be able to control her emotions long enough to stay alive.
There was no expectation of privacy as he pulled out his phone and dialed. “Both targets down. Need clean-up crew ASAP. Do you have my location? Yes, I’m headed back now with the package,” he said looking over at her shivering. The two dead men were still visible, even in darkness.
“Going to push them under the back of the table. Make it fast. Not much activity but you never know.” He slipped the phone back in his pants pocket. With his finger under her chin, he turned her head toward him. “We need to go, Tess.”
“What about them?” Her small voice forced him to lean in closer.
“Taken care of. Not to worry. But we need to question you about this evening.” As her eyes drifted back over her shoulder where violence had just occurred, his hands grabbed her shoulders as he gently shook her. Tessa’s attention shifted back to him. “They wanted you dead, Tessa. Do you know that? I had to kill them.”
Turning away and heading back to the sidewalk, Chase kept her close. Aware that he constantly scanned the area forced her to realize there might be others looking for her uncle. The rain stopped and a shadowy moon appeared to bounce on clouds moving across the sky.
An occasional car drove past. Pulling her into a doorway or dark corner he would lean against her as if they were in a lovers’ embrace. The thought of resisting the act evaporated each time his hands circled her waist. Once she involuntarily touched his side with open palms. After that she fought the urge to embrace him by visualizing him killing her trackers.
When they neared the hotel Chase slowed his steps and appeared to watch an approaching black van with shaded windows. It drove past then made a U-turn before heading back their way. Slipping an arm around him as his back pressed against her, Tessa stood on tip toes to peek over his shoulder. Her fingers dug into his jacket as the sound of brakes stopped outside their hiding spot.
The echo of doors sliding back bounced off the concrete canyons of Washington D.C. “Come on,” he urged as he stepped toward the van. Taking her hand, she tried to resist. He tugged hard enough to cause her to stumble.
The inside darkness of the van did not shatter with an overhead light. Tessa saw others inside. She looked to her protector in confusion.
“They’re Enigma. You need to go with them. I’ve got to go back and help. Maybe they left something we can use. They’ll get you back to the hotel.” She offered more resistance as he helped her up into the van. “Thanks,” he said to someone sitting in the darkness. The van door slid shut even as it began to pull away from the curb.
A hand guided her into a seat. Someone wrapped a blanket around her shoulders as she looked out the windows to watch Chase storm off toward the crime scene. Her body twisted until he was completely out of site. Turning to face the front she realized they were not stopping at her hotel. A wave of panic washed over her, followed by trembling brought on by fear more than being soaked to the bone.
“We’ll be just a few minutes, Tessa.” The voice across from her was familiar. “The captain will be fine. You need not worry about him.”
Pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders she shivered a response. “Director Benjamin Clark.” Her voice sounded more accusing than relieved.
“Correct.” The director was a man of few words unless the situation demanded more.
“I’m not worried about your agent. I’m worried about my uncle.”
“That makes two of us.”
~~~
It was almost 4a.m. when Tessa entered her hotel room. She half expected someone to be waiting for her. Her nightgown still lay crumbled on the edge of the bed. The French doors were ajar letting in the cooled air. Before removing her clothes she moved to shut them. A hot shower, a couple of Tylenol and half a bottle of water had Tessa yawning. Wrapped in a white terry cloth robe she returned to the bedroom.
She’d been given assurances that someone would be down the hall watching. The director offered to send another agent to stay with her, but Tessa refused. Having someone so near sounded invasive when all you wanted was to be alone. With the dim light of the bedside lamp extinguished, she slipped beneath the sheets. The robe on her naked body remained until she warmed. As her eyelids grew heavy with sleep Tessa tried to force her mind to empty the events of the last few hours. Even as she drifted toward sleep, Tessa kept the image of Enigma’s director in her head.
“Director, sir, where are we?” Tessa asked as the director assisted her out of the van.
Dressed in a suit worn too long, he started removing a crooked tie. The open collar exposed a pale throat above a blue shirt. He looked around as the van moved away. His hand went suspiciously to his hip as if to reassure himself his weapon was ready. The parking lot was well lit next to a brick warehouse.
“We’ll talk here after you get into some dry clothes. I promise not to keep you long.” He opened a metal door then stepped aside for her to enter.
Nodding acceptance, she didn’t wish to prolong the encounter. Even though she wasn’t an agent, experience had taught her a year earlier the director respected her and could be trusted.
Upon entering the warehouse, Tessa noticed it had been scrubbed cleaner than the exterior indicated. Several nondescript vehicles sat idle. A workshop area, a few mismatched tables and chairs were about the extent of the lower floor. The metal stairs leading to the second floor echoed with their footsteps as they neared the sterile gray door. Once again Ben stepped aside for her to enter as he opened the door.
Someone fetched dry clothes for a quick change. The director stood with bent head as several young techie types filled him in, on what Tessa guessed, was information concerning the men who came after her. He returned to her soon enough then ordered her back to the van. Soon they were sitting at an all-night diner ord
ering pancakes and maple coated bacon with lots of hot coffee.
“You’ve stepped into another mess, Tessa.” Ben sat with his back against the wall in the furthest booth from the door. He reached for a mug of steaming coffee the color of crude oil. “Hope you’re hungry. This place makes the best pancakes east of the Mississippi River.” Motioning toward her plate with his fork, he waited for Tessa to begin eating before he took his first bite. “We have not located your uncle. We found where he’d been staying. It appears he packed up and left before we arrived. But we think we’re close.”
“The men after him, who were they?” Tessa tried not to like the warm syrup dripping from her fork, but the director had been correct. The pancakes tasted extraordinary.
“Chase said they spoke Egyptian Arabic, a common language in the Middle East due to Egypt’s influence in business and the cinema.” He took another sip of the black liquid and paused as he met her eyes over the rim of the cup. “There are indications that they may be part of the former secret police.”
“I thought after Arab Spring the Muslim Brotherhood disbanded them.” She felt confusion at this new information.
Her studies in grad school centered on Middle Eastern geography. It both fascinated and disturbed her at the lack of respect for human life some societies had in these countries. It was no secret that the Egyptian police under President Mubarak used whatever means necessary in order to keep dissidents in line. When President Mubarak’s government fell so did his henchmen.
“The Muslim Brotherhood would like for us to believe that. They are still active but go under the name of Homeland Security. It’s a mocking gesture toward the United States implying that our Homeland Security is as ruthless as Egypt. Their point is that we corrupt and violate the human rights of our citizens, just as they practice.”
Winds of Deception (Enigma Series Book 2) Page 9
