Her Undercover Panther : A Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance

by Jasmine White

  “I have no comment on that, and we are not pursuing anyone in connection with that incident or any incident surrounding that explosion.”

  He was looking directly into the camera when he said that, and Tara had to wonder if his words carried a message beyond his interview.

  “I think those words were meant for the people that escaped,” Luis said in her ear.

  Tara nodded, squeezing Luis’ hand and smiling at Martin, who sat a short distance away while a medic fussed over him. Martin had an annoyed look on his face, but after wheezing his way up two flights of stairs, he’d decided to let the man attend to him.

  He was still refusing medical transport.

  “The people will retain control of their business,” Andrew continued, “and all those involved in the mistreatment of the locals, including some locals themselves, have been removed from the island and will be prosecuted for their crimes.”

  A brief pause and then Andrew continued again.

  “They are free. The island treaty was created to give the indigenous people a safe place to live without the restrictions of the modern world on them. It was never intended to trap or prevent anyone from leaving. That was all the doing of GRE and their CEO, Ian Cross.”

  Andrew nodded, and Tara fought the urge to laugh. If she didn’t know better, she would swear that he was talking to an actual newscaster. He really was the best at what he did.

  “Mr. Cross is already in custody and will be spending several lifetimes in prison for his crimes,” Andrew paused, “after his day in court, of course.”

  The agent behind the camera gave the universal sign for cut and turned off the camera. Andrew turned, saw Tara sitting there with Luis, and smiled.

  “You did it, Tara,” he said, walking over to where they were and shaking her hand vigorously. “You did more than I had hoped for. Because of you, GRE is no more.”

  “Luis was a big part of that,” Tara said. “If you had assigned me a different partner, I don’t know that it would have gone so well.”

  “Modesty isn’t going to stop me from recommending you for a promotion and a transfer to the DC office.”

  Tara’s eyes grew big.

  “Really?” she asked.

  “You deserve it, and you have for a long time. After this, no one will be able to stop me from promoting you. You’ll have about a month before it takes effect; meanwhile, you have some time to take a small vacation before you have to report back to Fort Worth and start moving your things. I know a little island that’s perfect.”

  His smile was almost imperceptible, and Tara knew that somehow, Andrew Figueroa knew that she wasn’t ready to leave this place.

  She changed the subject, feeling her face heating up at his suggestion.

  “What about the explosion? What actually happened?” she asked.

  “A shifter and his mate blew up one of the personal boats of one of the GRE employees as they made their escape. They’re halfway to the Galapagos airport if they’re smart.”

  “Will we be pursuing them?” Tara asked, afraid of the answer.

  “Absolutely not. In fact, I plan on calling in a few favors when I get back to DC and making sure that both are given immunity by our government. If they hadn’t escaped the first time, we would never have known that there were American citizens being held captive here.”

  “And what about the Americans at the village on this island?” Luis wanted to know.

  “They’re free to go as well, with their families. The agents I sent over to prevent the bloodbath that Ian Cross set into motion to capture the two fugitives will take care of those people. Some will stay, but I think many of them will choose to leave. Wouldn’t you?” Andrew asked, looking from Luis to Tara and back again.

  Tara held her breath, waiting for Luis’ answer, but he never responded.

  “We should turn this building into a school for those that want to stay. And maybe even a small doctor’s office,” Luis said. “Many of the women who live here are pregnant. If they choose to stay, they could likely keep one or two doctors very busy.”

  “That’s already been discussed, Luis,” Andrew said. “I was hoping that you would be up to the task of making that happen, if you wanted to. They’ll need at least two or three teachers to come over in the next few years—maybe sooner if some of the younger shifters who were relocated before they finished school would like to complete their education. I would say a doctor is needed pretty immediately, and from what I’ve seen, there is enough medical equipment here to stock a standalone ER and a family physician. It won’t take much to prepare it for a family practice.”

  “I think that making that happen will go a long way toward making this island self-sufficient so that nothing like GRE happens here again. People are happy here, but no one should be stuck here,” Luis said, looking at Martin. “My friend, I think it’s time that you admit that you need to see a doctor soon and let these fine FBI agents take you to the mainland.”

  “I think you’re right, friend,” Martin said. He looked at Tara and smiled wide. “I can’t believe the woman you’ve grown up to be. Are you still playing?”

  Tara’s stomach flipped, her guilt showing on her face before she could even answer. His smile slipped for an instant, but Martin caught himself.

  “People change,” he said, letting her off the hook without explanation. “It looks like you found your calling, which is all most of us can ask for. I’m glad that you got some enjoyment out of my gift before you quit. And I hope you still pick it up from time to time.”

  “I do. I promise. I’ve taken that violin all over the country; it moves with me every time.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Martin turned his attention to Luis. “I think that the agents need to wrap up a few things so that this young woman can get her vacation started. Will you walk with me out to the docks so that I can catch a ride to the doctor?”

  Tara stood, too, but Martin waved her off.

  “Give me a hug and then get back to it. You’re doing amazing work, and there’s no use both of you walking me out. Luis has it.”

  Tara rushed forward, hugging Martin gently and kissing him on the cheek.

  “I always thought about you,” she said. “I never stopped hoping that we would meet again someday so that I could thank you for saving my life.”

  “You living your life to the fullest and going after your dreams is enough thanks. You were always one of my favorite neighborhood kids, and I’m happy beyond measure that you turned out so well. I couldn’t have imagined a better future for someone like you. I’m proud of you, Tara. So proud.”

  Tara hugged him one more time, then watched them walk away. She went to where Andrew was standing, waiting for him to finish up with another agent before he turned to her.

  “There will be a debriefing tomorrow. I’ll email you the transcript. Anything you want to add?”

  “I’ll be there,” she said.

  “I don’t think you should leave. I think that you should stay here, get to know the locals, and have a week off before you go home.”

  “You keep saying that, and I’m starting to wonder if there’s something you know that I don’t.”

  Andrew took a deep breath, motioning for her to follow him into a nearby office, where he closed the door and stood a few feet from her.

  “Here is the deal. You were amazing on this job, and you have history with some of the main players on the island. I’m not just putting in for you to have a raise and a promotion; I’m looking to suggest a job created specifically for you. A task force, if you will, to head up investigations related to shifters to ensure that they are treated fairly so that the systematic rounding up and exiling of these people never happens again. The last time it happened was entirely because of lack of oversight. I want to put you in charge of that and have you working out of the DC office.”

  Tara sat down in a nearby chair, floored by his proposition.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Of
course I’m serious. I think that you’re the perfect person for the job, and I couldn’t imagine it in more capable hands. Your office would be in DC, but in reality, you would be able to work from anywhere in the world. That way, you can personally oversee any investigation that needs it, and I will even assign a few agents to you so that you can spread work out when you need to. I know sometimes more than one investigation is going on at one time, and I don’t want you to work yourself into the ground. I would like to start with three agents under you, then add more if needed.”

  Tara was sitting there in shocked silence.

  “You can take some time to think about it and let me know at the end of the week.”

  “I can do that,” she said, nodding, but still in awe of how quickly things had changed for her. She was twenty-seven, and here she was about to have her own task force to start from the ground up.

  “Now, if you’d like, you can commandeer one of these GRE boats to get to the village and take a week off. There is more than one that has already been cleared of evidence. Take whichever one you like.”

  “I’m not sure I’m going to stay here for my vacation,” Tara said, not sure how to lay out her thoughts.

  “Well, I guess instead of thinking of it like a vacation, you should think of it like an assignment. With rest involved.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Andrew sat on the edge of the heavy desk, folding his hands together and looking into Tara’s blue eyes.

  “I know you’re not a child, but I want to offer some advice—as someone who has lived a little and made some mistakes. This is an amazing opportunity. This is an opportunity tailor-made for you, and it’s a way for you to connect with people you shouldn’t let go.”

  “Like Luis?”

  “Yes. Like Luis.”

  “Luis is happy here. He’s not going to want to leave. And I can’t live here. Even if I wanted to, with this new assignment, I would be in DC most of the month. That’s no way to live with another person. We would only be drawing out the inevitable.”

  “Or you would be giving something special a chance.”

  “We’re not even paired. I really don’t think that we’re made for each other. I want it to be true, but I just don’t think it is. Wouldn’t he have an announcement dream or something?”

  Andrew leveled a kind look on her that reminded her so much of her father when she was young and she was about to make a huge mistake and he was trying to talk her out of it.

  “Sometimes, Fate screams at us until we listen. And sometimes, Fate engineers a series of events to bring two people together and leaves them to make what they will of it.”

  “I think you’re grasping at straws,” she said, trying not to set herself up for heartbreak. She wanted to leave, to get the pain over with so that she could go on with her life and pretend that she hadn’t felt what she had.

  “Am I? I think maybe you need to consider how amazing it is that you were saved by a shifter over ten years ago, ended up working for a man who was also saved by a shifter, and then ended up working with the man who saved me, while saving the very man who saved you. That sounds like a lot of coincidences.”

  Tara opened her mouth to speak, but Andrew waved his hand to quiet her.

  “I am the senior agent, I am your superior, and I’m ordering you to take some R and R on this island to get to know the people of the village. If you want to ignore Luis the entire time, that’s up to you, though I wouldn’t advise it.”

  He stood, effectively dismissing her. As he was walking out of the office he stopped. “I’ll send someone back with your things, and you can keep whichever boat you use. That way, you are free to leave the island whenever you want.”

  “What is going to happen to the rest of the boats?”

  “We’re going to turn them over to the islanders. It’s not really freedom to leave if they have no way to leave. So we’ll make that possible. And we will make sure that there’s a supply chain set up for the island so that people can get the things that they need without having to make the trek to Peru each time. I’ll need you to gather information from the people that live in the village and see what kind of services and products they would like to see on the island. There’s no use setting up delivery of things that they don’t want or need.”

  “Got it,” she said, slipping into the role of following orders, even ones that she didn’t like.

  “Good. And Tara?”

  “Yes, Sir?”

  “Great work on this job. Topnotch, really. You were instrumental in making this happen so quickly and without losing a single captive. I look forward to writing your recommendation for the promotion, the task force, and the substantial bump in pay. You’ve more than earned it, and it was about time people quit underestimating you.”

  *

  Luis was waiting for her at the dock when she finally made her way across the people bridge and down to the beach.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  “Where am I going?”

  “I thought you were spending the week in the village.”

  She looked up at him, feeling like she was trapped in a fog. The minutes were racing away from her, and pretty soon, she was going to have to say goodbye.

  “I am. Part of my new assignment is to get to know the people who live in the village and want to stay. I need to find out what resources they need to live comfortably, and I need to get a head count to see what type of teachers might be needed. You know, I basically have to write a report that looks more like a novel, and then hand it off to someone who isn’t going to read a word and will only approve half the funds needed to get this project going.”

  “So ask for twice as much,” he said.

  She laughed. “Logic rarely works in these situations. But I might try that, just to make sure that the villagers get what they need.” She looked down at his shoes, surprised to see that he was still dressed in street clothes. “I guess you’re going back to the resort?”

  “No. I thought that you could use some help getting to know the locals.”

  “Oh. Yeah. That would be helpful.”

  She was still looking down, trying not to look into his eyes.

  “Tara?”

  “Yes?”

  “What is wrong?” He reached out to touch her shoulder, and she stiffened.

  “Nothing. I just have a lot on my mind.”

  He looked at her, hands on hips, waiting for her to look up at him. When she still avoided eye contact, he cursed under his breath and walked away.

  “I told Martin that I would make sure you got to the village safe. I’m not going back on my word. Get in the boat.”

  “No,” she said, starting to get angry. Why was he talking to her like that? “You don’t have to babysit me anymore. I’ll drive my own boat.”

  “Really? And which way will you be driving the boat?”

  She pointed south.

  “Guess again, Tara. The village is closer if you go around the northern tip and down the west coast. And that’s where the docks are.”

  “Then I’ll go that way.”

  “You can’t even drive a boat.”

  “I’ll figure it out. I’m not going with you. You can do what you want, but I don’t need someone to take care of me.”

  She stormed down the dock, picking the boat that looked the easiest to drive and getting in. The boat that had exploded had already been removed, the debris that had scattered onto the other boats removed. Cleared of evidence, the keys for each boat had been hung on the hooks beside the ignition, making sure that each boat had a key available to streamline the process of moving the boats that were being moved to the other side of the island for the villagers to use. Some boats would remain at the now empty building’s docks, but even those had the keys hung neatly for any of the agents that needed them to get around.

  “I wouldn’t take that one,” Luis said, standing on the dock and smiling at her.

  “Then it’s the perfect boat
because I’m not taking the one that you would take.”

  “Maybe you should pick another boat like this one, but not this one.”

  “Maybe you should untie me.”

  Luis laughed. “Suit yourself.”

  “Thank you.”

  He untied the boat from the dock and tossed the ropes to her, pointing out where they should be stowed.

  “I’ve got this,” she said, turning on the engine and feeling more and more confident.

  She eased the boat forward, slowly getting a feel for the boat and steering it confidently. She looked back at the dock, and Luis was just standing there, a satisfied smile on his face, making no move to get into his own boat and chase her.

  “So much for that daydream,” she said out loud, laughing at herself and pushing the boat a little faster.

  She went north, circling around the island and coming back down the west coast. She stayed well beyond the breakers, not sure if there were any sandbars that could run her aground. She should have asked about that, but she was so eager to get away from her thoughts for a moment that she had just gotten into the boat and left.

  Grateful that she had spent some time watching Luis handle the other boat, she felt at ease with this small boat, which was only a few feet bigger than the one they had taken from Chiclayo, if that. She went faster, delighting in the way that the wind picked up her hair and swirled it all around. The sun was warm on her skin, and there was nothing but ocean to her right. It was a beautiful day, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she was blissfully alone with her thoughts.

  The boat began to cough, the steering wheel vibrating in her hands. She slowed down looking around the starboard and port side of the boat, wondering if she had run into a kelp forest or something similar. She saw nothing, yet the boat kept coughing and sputtering, the sound getting worse and worse.

  She started shaking, certain that the boat was going to spontaneously sink at any moment. Or explode. She looked around frantically for a life vest, cursing herself for thinking that she could handle a boat alone. She’d ruined this one, or something. She had no idea what she had done because she had no clue when it came to boats.