by Lynn Ames
“Thanks,” Max laughed, “I think I’ll stick with boring for a while longer.”
“That’s what I figured.”
“Where do you want to start?” Max asked.
“The way I see it, we’ve got three items that need immediate attention.”
“Find Barbara,” Max said.
“That’s number one on my list at the moment,” Peter agreed. “We also need to pay a visit to the mysterious Dr. Englert. Maybe we can find something out on that end.”
“I imagine the third thing is keeping Kate safe.”
“Right.”
Max thought for a minute. “I could call a buddy of mine at the Albany County Airport. He’s a controller there—if whoever took Barbara got her out on a private plane as you suspect, he’d be able to help us.”
Lynn Ames
Peter nodded. “He could tell us if any private planes took off in our time frame.”
“Yes, and where they were headed. If you’re right in your hunch that they brought her here to D.C., he could confirm that. He could also give us the plane’s call number and who it’s registered to.”
“Good thinking. Get on it. While you’re doing that, I’m going to check in with my guy on the ground in New Zealand and make sure the package got delivered safely.”
Max smiled. “I do love a happy ending. I can’t imagine Kate’s face when she sees Jay.”
“I can.” Peter smiled just thinking about it.
Jay was sleeping peacefully, sprawled across the bed in the cottage where they had retreated to have some privacy. Kate wanted to nap, too, but she was too afraid that she would wake and Jay would be gone.
Kate rolled over and cupped Jay’s breast with shaking fingers; tears leaked slowly out of her eyes. She couldn’t keep herself from wanting her lover, but she was terrified of making herself vulnerable again. The agony of losing Jay was still so fresh. She knew her heart couldn’t stand going through that again.
Jay stirred, rolling over to face Kate, her fingers finding Kate’s silky hair. She sighed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“What is it, sweetheart?” Jay asked again, still in a state of semi-shock. Kate was really lying here with her. She closed her eyes and savored the moment.
Kate merely shook her head, unable to put words to the confusion she was feeling. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes tightly, but the panic stayed with her.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Jay whispered, “being here, together like this.” Slowly, carefully, she traced the outline of Kate’s strong face, first with her fingertips, then with her mouth. To feel those familiar features, to look into her lover’s eyes—it was almost too much.
Kate’s mind screamed for her to turn away—to run—but she couldn’t. Her body craved Jay’s touch.
Jay continued her reverent exploration, trailing gentle fingers down Kate’s neck and along the planes of her collarbone, again leaving kisses in the wake of her touch. When she came to Kate’s breasts, Jay rubbed her cheek against the softness before licking and biting the salty skin, reveling in, and moaning softly at, the exquisite taste.
Jay sighed. “To be able to be with you like this again…” Her voice failed her as she buried her face in Kate’s soft skin. How could she The Value of Valor
possibly convey everything Kate meant to her, what it felt like to be able to make love?
With her hands and mouth, she worshipped Kate, leaving no millimeter of skin unloved, until at last she arrived at her center. Jay’s hands shook slightly and her lips quivered as she brushed her thumbs and tongue over the sensitive folds. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, losing herself in the tastes and sensations that she had thought she’d never experience again.
Kate tried to resist the pull of her body—tried not to accept the love Jay was offering, but it was impossible. She surrendered to her need.
As Jay felt the first wave of Kate’s orgasm, her heart overflowed with joy and gratitude. “There are no words to tell you how much I love you, Kate,” she managed to say through her tears.
“You just did,” Kate said in a choked whisper, as she pulled Jay up into a tender embrace. “You just did.” Despite her best intentions, Kate felt her eyelids grow heavy. She fell into a fitful sleep.
Lynn Ames
CHAPTER NINETEEN
arbara felt disconnected from her body. She tried her best to stay B focused. She blinked slowly, her swollen eyelids making the process more difficult.
“All right, Dr. Jones, let’s try this again, shall we? How are you feeling?”
“Happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve been drunk. In fact, I can’t ever remember feeling quite this tipsy.” Oh, boy. I’m in trouble.
“That’s good. We want you to be happy. In fact, we’d like to share that euphoria with you.”
“That’s a laugh.”
“No, we truly would. You know, we admire you—you’re a gutsy lady.”
“Yeah?”
“That’s right. Not many women would stand up to us the way you have. You’ve got moxie.”
She giggled. “That’s what Peter always says.”
The Viper appeared instantly alert. “Peter?”
Barbara nodded. “Mmm hmm,” she said dreamily.
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“Who? Peter?” She laughed. “Not by a long shot.”
“Is he Kate’s boyfriend?”
This made Barbara laugh even harder. “Good heavens, no. Kate likes girls. Well, one girl in particular, but she’s gone now.”
“Jamison Parker?”
“Yes. Poor Jay. Poor Kate.”
“She’s lucky that she’s got friends like you and Peter to rely on.”
Barbara nodded. “We’re all lucky to have one another.”
“Sort of like the three musketeers, eh? All for one and one for all?”
“Yep, that’s us.”
“You’d do anything for each other, wouldn’t you?”
“Sure, that’s what friends do.”
“So then, you must know where Kate is.”
“Nope. Haven’t a clue.”
“You don’t?” The Viper’s tone was light.
The Value of Valor
“Nope.” She shook her head vehemently. “We decided it would be better if I didn’t know.”
“Who is ‘we’?”
“Ah, ah, ah.” She wagged her finger at him, leaning her head down to her cuffed hands and “zipping” her lips shut with the fingers on her other hand.
“I guess as long as Peter knows, everything will be fine.”
“Peter is a handy guy to have around,” Barbara said in a singsong voice. That’s it, Barbara. Don’t answer the question directly.
“Where is Peter, anyway?”
“Good question. Wish I knew,” Barbara slurred her words.
“Very well, Doctor. I think we know enough now to find Ms. Kyle.”
Barbara looked at him, her eyes going wide.
The smile the Viper gave her was altogether unpleasant. “Don’t go away,” he said, patting her cheek with his open hand.
She laughed as they walked away, grateful that the questions were over.
Steven said, “What do you mean we have enough to find Kyle? She didn’t tell us anything.”
“Yes, she did,” the Viper said. “She told us the key—Peter Enright.”
“She didn’t give you a last name.”
“She didn’t have to. She was with Enright at the funeral; we know he and Kyle are very close. He knows where she is. Not only that, but I’m willing to bet he’s the one responsible for the phony ATM transactions.”
“You got all that out of her gibberish?”
“Yep,” the Viper nodded in satisfaction.
“You want me to waste her? She’s useless now.”
“I’ll let you know shortly. In the meantime, watch her.”
The Viper left the room and walked next door, where he had set up a makeshift of
fice. He sat down and dialed a phone number from memory.
“Grayson.”
“We’ve interrogated her.”
“Well, what do you have for me?”
“She doesn’t know anything, but she led us in the right direction.”
“Elaborate.”
“Peter Enright is the key—Kyle’s definitely been in touch with him.
If we can find him, we’ll have Kyle.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. She all but told us when we put her under.”
“Did she tell you where to find him?”
“No, she was very resistant—she either doesn’t know or wouldn’t tell us.”
Lynn Ames
“I see.”
“You want me to kill her?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “No. No, not yet. If we can’t find him ourselves, we may have to torture it out of her.”
“You want me to do that now?”
“No, let’s see what happens if we leave her alone for a bit. Who knows, maybe she’ll let down her guard. And if all else fails, we can always use her as bait.”
“Yes, sir. I do believe I might enjoy that.”
“I’ve got something.” Max hung up the phone and went in search of Peter.
“What is it?”
“You were right—a snazzy little private plane sat on the runway in Albany for a few hours late last night. The pilot never let the plane out of his sight, which some of the guys at the airport thought was odd—he didn’t even go into the Signature terminal for food. All of a sudden, he’s in a real rush—files a hasty flight plan to D.C. A dark sedan pulls up, the passengers are loaded, and they take off. All within our time frame.”
“Your buddy does good work.”
“That’s not all,” Max boasted.
“Oh?”
“He ran the registration; guess who owns the bird?”
“Grayson Enterprises.”
“Hey, no fair. How’d you know that?”
“Call it a hunch,” Peter said, winking.
“Now what?”
“Good question.” Peter began to pace. “D.C.’s a big place. I suppose we should start by taking a look at what kind of properties Grayson has in the area.” He moved to the phone and dialed Gustav’s number.
“Pietro, you are going to have to start paying me, no?”
“Your payment is your freedom, my friend. But,” Peter continued over Gustav’s grumbling, “if you come through this time, there might be some cash in it for you.”
“That’s more like it. Tell me again what you want.”
“Any properties owned by Grayson Enterprises or Wayne Grayson in the D.C. area. Also, I’d like to see who’s on his payroll.”
Gustav muttered to himself for several seconds before saying, “Okay.
Give me an hour.”
“An hour? You’re slowing down in your old age.”
“Insulting me will not make me work any faster, Pietro.” He hung up.
Peter turned to Max. “We’ve got an hour to kill. Perhaps we ought to see if we can track down the elusive Dr. Englert.”
The Value of Valor
“I’m game.”
“Let’s go.”
Jonathan Englert finished reviewing the patient’s chart. He issued a series of instructions, signed some forms, and exited the treatment area as his beeper went off. He looked at the number and frowned, heading down the hall to find a phone.
“I thought I told you I was not to be disturbed.”
“You did, Doctor, but I thought you’d want to know…”
“Want to know what?” he snapped.
“Two men were just here looking for you. They asked a lot of questions.”
Englert began to perspire. “What kind of questions?”
“Where you were, when you were in the office last, what type of patients you typically saw, how long you’d been with the hospital…stuff like that.”
“What’d you tell them?” His voice was tight.
“Nothing. I told them you were a very busy man and that at the moment, you were doing rounds.”
“That’s good. What did they look like?”
“Oh, they were both very good-looking—tall and handsome.”
Englert rolled his eyes. “Where are they now?”
“I don’t know. They left after I told them you were doing rounds.”
“Okay. Let me know if they come back.” He hung up. Who would be asking questions? Were they cops? Should he tell Grayson? If they were cops, it would almost be a relief—at least he knew they wouldn’t kill him. He thought of his last meeting with Grayson and shivered. No, he wouldn’t tell Grayson for now.
“We start in Albany with his house,” Steven said.
“You think with all this going on, Enright’s going to be sitting at home eating bon bons?” Lorraine asked.
“No, but he has to be operating from a base. Since we don’t have anything else at the moment, we start there and see what we can find.”
“What about her?” Paul motioned to Barbara, who still sat shackled to the chair, her chin lolling forward onto her chest.
“Lock her in the supply closet,” Steven ordered.
“You can’t do that—she’ll suffocate in there.”
“What—are you getting soft?”
“No,” Lorraine replied. “Our instructions were clear—keep her alive and treat her better.”
“Fine.” He waved dismissively. “You got a better spot for her, put her there.”
Lynn Ames
Lorraine walked over to where Barbara sat. “Give me the keys to these,” she barked at Steven, indicating the leg irons and handcuffs.
He threw them at her; Lorraine snatched them effortlessly out of midair. She unlocked the shackles and handcuffs, recuffing Barbara’s hands behind her back once she stood up.
“W-where are you taking me?” Barbara was still a bit woozy from the sodium pentothal.
Lorraine jerked once on the handcuffs. “Don’t try anything.”
Barbara laughed derisively. “As if I could right now.”
“Can you walk?” Lorraine asked gruffly.
“I think so.” Barbara tried to move her stiff, aching legs. The best she could manage was a shuffle.
“This way.” Lorraine led her to the bathroom. “Better go now. This may be your only opportunity.”
Barbara looked up at her captor. Even through the fog of the drugs, it seemed an oddly compassionate gesture. “I need help.” She moved her shoulder to indicate that she couldn’t reach to unzip her pants.
“Make one funny move and I’ll blow your head off,” Lorraine said, as she unlocked Barbara’s hands and recuffed them in front of her.
Barbara maneuvered her hands as best she could, unzipping her pants and pulling them down along with her underwear. Awkwardly, she sat on the toilet seat and peed. “Thank you,” she said, looking up at Lorraine, who wore a stoic expression.
“Hurry up.”
When Barbara was done and had rezipped her pants, Lorraine undid the cuffs once more and repositioned Barbara’s hands behind her back.
“Let’s move.”
“Where are we going?”
Lorraine yanked Barbara’s left arm and pulled her roughly down the hall to an empty room. “This is your new home for now.”
“It could use some redecorating.”
Lorraine pushed her inside and locked the door from the outside. As she walked away, she could hear the thud as Barbara fell against the wall.
“She’s secure,” she said to Steven and Paul as she rejoined them.
“Okay, let’s go,” Steven said.
Kate and Jay strolled along the black sand beach holding hands as the sun made its descent over the ocean. The water, as it reflected the sun’s glow, looked as though it was on fire.
Jay was worried. Kate had been so quiet. “It’s so beautiful here,” she said, trying to make conversation.
“
Yes, it is. The first day I got here, I walked like this for about five strides before I sat down and cried.”
The Value of Valor
Jay tightened her grip on Kate’s hand and stopped walking. “Why?”
“Because this was a place I wanted to experience with you, like so many others, and I knew I was never going to get the chance.”
“I’m so sorry, Kate.”
“Don’t.” Kate’s voice was thick with emotion—she didn’t think she could hold it together anymore.
“I have to.” Jay tugged on Kate’s hand and started to walk again, wondering if she was beginning to see the problem. “I feel like I cheated you out of time—like because of me you lost something vital that you can never regain.”
“I did lose something vital, Jay—I lost you, and when I did, I lost the best part of me.”
“And now?” Jay asked, biting her lower lip.
Kate shrugged. “Here we are, together again.”
“But?” Jay pressed on, knowing that if they didn’t address what they’d each been through and what it had done to them, this emotional chasm would always be between them.
Kate brought them up short and turned to face Jay—it was time to face the music—she owed her lover that much. “But I’m terrified.” Her voice trembled as tears soaked her lashes. “I can’t go through that again—I can’t lose you.” Her breath came in short gasps.
“You won’t, love.”
“You can’t promise that, Jay. You can’t. We both know it can be over in an instant. In one horrific, cruel second.” Kate’s eyes clouded over with tears and pain.
“You’re right. It can be. But we can’t live our lives looking over our shoulders, waiting for that moment. We can’t be afraid to love with the same intensity we had before because we’re scared of losing each other again.” Jay’s heart lurched as she watched Kate’s face transform into a mask. “Please, please, Kate. Tell me you won’t disappear or hold me at arm’s length or shut me out because you might get hurt. I-I don’t think I could bear it.”
“You don’t know what I went through, Jay. You don’t know how it felt,” Kate said in a harsh whisper.
Jay couldn’t accept that Kate wouldn’t love her with the same deep feeling that she had before, she just couldn’t. “No, you’re right, I don’t.
