Lightning Lingers

by Barbara Freethy

  "And I was there in the morning," she reminded him.

  "Will you always be there, Kat?" he asked sleepily, his brain shutting down even as he asked what was probably the most important question he could have asked. He just wished he could have stayed awake long enough to hear the answer.

  * * *

  Would she always be there?

  How could she say yes?

  On the other hand, how could she say no?

  Leaving Jake before had been horrible, but at that time she'd been angry and hurt and desperate to get on with her life before she lost it.

  Leaving Jake now…again…

  That seemed impossible to contemplate. They'd bonded on their journey. They'd not only found each other again, they'd also found themselves. At least, she had.

  She'd been hiding from so many things the past decade, but the biggest thing had been herself. She'd never wanted to look too closely at her thoughts or her actions, always afraid they would derail her. But trekking through Mexico had stripped all of her barriers away and changed her forever. She wasn't the same woman she was a week ago, and she was happy about that.

  She'd been far too one-dimensional. That would change. She was going to be there for everyone; not just her patients, but her friends, her family, the people who really mattered—two of whom were in the plane with her.

  As she watched Jake sleep, she felt a protective tenderness and an overwhelming love.

  Would she always be there when Jake woke up?

  How could she be anywhere else?

  * * *

  When Jake woke up, they were landing in DC. He couldn't believe he'd slept the entire flight. He looked over at Katherine, who was rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Did you catch a nap?"

  "A long one," she said. "How about you?"

  "I feel better now."

  "I'm glad."

  As she looked back at him, a hazy memory went around in his head. He felt like he should remember something, but he couldn't think what it was.

  Katherine unbuckled her seat belt as the plane came to a stop. "We're back in the States."

  "I've never been so happy to be home."

  He looked over at TJ, who gave him a nod that finished with a long yawn. "You ready for what's coming TJ?" he asked.

  TJ shrugged. "It can't be any worse than what we've been through."

  He couldn't help but agree.

  After they got off the plane, Alicia met them at the gate and had apparently cleared their way into the country, because they were quickly on their way in a hired SUV to Danielle's Georgetown apartment.

  "Special Agent Wolfe is going to meet us at Dani's place," Alicia said. "He wanted to pick you up at the airport, but I told him I had to see you first. I wanted to make sure you were all okay."

  "And you want to get answers to your questions before the FBI whisks us away," Jake said dryly, knowing his baby sister very well.

  "Maybe," Alicia conceded. "Can you blame me?"

  "I guess not," Jake said. "Where's Michael?"

  "He's in Miami. He had to work. He said to tell you he's glad you're okay." She gave Jake a speculative glance. "You look like shit, Jake. And what's with the ripped jeans and the bandage around your leg?"

  "I got hurt, but I'm fine."

  "He got shot," Katherine corrected.

  Alicia's lips parted. "Are you serious?"

  "Yep. Katherine dug a bullet out of my leg last night and stitched me up," Jake said.

  "Are you going to be all right?"

  "Fine."

  "Katherine?" Alicia asked, obviously not taking his answer for truth.

  "He will be fine; he's not quite there yet," Katherine said, sending him a pointed look.

  "I can't believe it," Alicia said. "You should have told me that on the phone, Jake."

  "I wanted to save that happy conversation for now," he replied. "Ease up, Alicia. It's all good."

  She made a face at him, and then turned to Katherine. "Thanks for taking care of him, even though I'm quite sure he's been a pain in the ass."

  Katherine smiled. "He has definitely been that, but he also saved my life and TJ's, too, so I can't complain."

  "See, not just a pain in the ass," he told his sister.

  The car stopped in front of a brownstone, and they made their way up to Danielle's second-story apartment.

  His sister greeted them at the door with a worried expression. She gave him a quick hug and then waved them inside.

  "You remember Katherine?" Jake said.

  "Of course I remember her," Dani said, giving Katherine a smile. "I have to say I am a little surprised you're together, though. Alicia has filled me in on some of what's been going on, but there are a lot of holes in the story."

  "We'll try to fill them in," Jake said.

  "This is my brother, TJ," Katherine said.

  TJ gave Danielle a nod. "You probably don't remember me."

  "I remember you were a lot shorter and skinnier," she said. "But good to see you again."

  "Mind if I use your restroom?" TJ asked.

  Danielle pointed down the hall.

  As TJ left the room, Jake sat down on the couch. He felt tired, dirty, and hungry, and he would have loved to take a break before talking to the FBI, but on the other hand, the sooner they got TJ under federal protection, the better.

  "We have water, juice, soda, and we ordered tons of Chinese food in case you're hungry," Alicia said.

  "All of the above," he replied.

  "And Dani and I went out and got you all some clothes," Alicia continued. "We had to guess at the men's sizes, but there's a bag for each of you. You said you lost everything."

  "We did." He stretched his leg out on the coffee table.

  "What happened to you?" Danielle asked as Alicia went into the kitchen to get the food and drinks.

  "He got shot," Alicia yelled from the kitchen.

  Dani raised an eyebrow as she looked at her brother. "I hope you shot back."

  He grinned. "Spoken like a true Texas woman. Unfortunately, I didn't have a gun. But it turned out I didn't need one."

  Alicia returned to the room and set cartons of Chinese food on the coffee table, along with forks and chopsticks. She made a quick trip back for drinks and then they settled in to eat when TJ came back from the bathroom.

  "Okay," Alicia said. "Tell us what happened."

  "It's a long story," Jake said, not sure where to begin.

  "Jump to the part where Katherine and TJ were being held by a drug leader."

  He looked at Katherine. "You want to explain? Some of what happened last night is fuzzy in my head."

  "It was a ranch run by Rodrigo Calderon," Katherine said. "He was the leader of a drug cartel, but he was also amassing weapons."

  "The most advanced weapons MDT makes," TJ put in. "I'm pretty sure he bought them from Jerry Caldwell."

  Alicia nodded. "Finally, we know who Jerry was selling to."

  "He had a couple smaller versions of our new railguns in the barn at the ranch, but they weren't working," TJ added. "They brought me in to fix the software that controls the weapon. I wasn't going to help them. And then Katherine showed up."

  "They kidnapped me behind your great-grandmother's house," Katherine added. "And then they used me as leverage to get TJ to fix the system."

  "Fortunately, none of that happened, because Jake created a diversionary fire," TJ continued. "It was massive."

  "And I got some help from a fierce lightning storm," Jake put in, seeing the gleam in Alicia's eyes. "That's right. Lightning. Mamich told me she was going to call the lightning down from the sky at the same time I lit the hillside on fire. And that's exactly what happened."

  "The fire was so big," Katherine continued. "All the men went running. TJ and I broke out of the room we were in, and we saw Jake running toward us, but he got shot. The guard was going to take another shot, but the barn exploded. We ran to Jake and got him to safety."

  "Thank God," Alicia murmured.

&nb
sp; "Rodrigo and his men—at least some of them—are dead," Jake said. "But there's still a connection to MDT that needs to be figured out."

  "I have a fairly good idea of at least one person who's involved," TJ said. "But I'm sure there's more, because she's not high enough in the company to have the kind of power to move those weapons. And I don't know what other weapons have been sold or to whom. Rodrigo hinted at a big plan to use those weapons. I don't think he was acting alone."

  "That's why you need to get the Feds involved," Jake said. Hearing the story told again while he was conscious enough to make sense of it made him realize just how close they'd come to a really bad ending.

  "They should be here soon," Alicia said.

  "Before they come, I want to try my mother again," Katherine said. "Do you have a phone I can borrow?"

  "Of course," Alicia said, handing over her cell phone.

  "I'll call her with you," TJ said.

  "You can use my bedroom if you want," Danielle offered.

  "Thanks," Katherine said, as she and TJ went into the other room to make their call.

  As Jake shifted his seat, something dug into his side, and he remembered the ring. He pulled it out of his pocket. "I have something for you, Danielle. This is from Mamich." He opened his palm to reveal the wedding ring. "She asked me to give it to you."

  Danielle looked at the ring as if it might bite her and made no attempt to take it out of the palm of his hand. "Is that her wedding ring?"

  He nodded. "Yes. She wanted you to have it. She said it would protect you, guide you, give you wisdom."

  "How's it going to do that?" she asked doubtfully.

  Jake sighed. "Just take it, Dani."

  "I don't really want it. Maybe Alicia does."

  "Sorry, Alicia, but she wanted Danielle to have it."

  Both of his sisters looked unhappy with his reply.

  "Look, Dani, Mamich said she knew you wouldn't want this, but I had to insist you take it. She said you don't have to wear it, but she wants you to keep it. One day she believes it will be important to you and that it will protect you."

  "God, you sound just like her," Danielle said with a frown.

  "I'm just telling you what she told me. So take the ring."

  Dani reluctantly took the ring and then put it down on the coffee table.

  "She didn't send me anything?" Alicia asked, a jealous note in her voice.

  He smiled. "She told me to tell you that she is leaving you everything else—her house, her herb garden, Dad's letters and her house. You're in charge of guiding the next generation, making sure her story is told."

  "You make it sound like she's dying," Alicia said.

  He met her troubled gaze. "To be honest, she made it sound that way. I didn't want to hear any of it, but she forced me to listen."

  "What did she leave you?" Dani asked curiously. "If I get the ring and Alicia gets everything else, what about you?"

  He'd almost forgotten. His brain was definitely fuzzy and weaker than it normally was. He opened his shirt and pulled off the medallion he wore around his neck. "This belonged to our great-grandfather. She gave it to me before I went to rescue Katherine and TJ. She said it would protect me, and it did. One of the bullets ricocheted off of it, saving my heart."

  "Seriously?" Dani asked in amazement.

  "That looks like the medallion Dad used to wear," Alicia commented.

  "It's an exact match." He reached back into his pocket and pulled out the second medallion. "This one was Dad's. It has his initials on it."

  "I remember this." Alicia took it from Jake's hand. "He never took this off." She raised her gaze to Jake's, puzzlement in her dark eyes. "Wait a second. Dad had this on the night he crashed." She sucked in a breath. "Where did you find it?"

  "At the ranch in the mountains where TJ and Katherine were being held."

  "It was just sitting out on a table?" Alicia asked in bemusement.

  "No, it was in the dirt on the outskirts of the property." He took a breath and held Alicia's gaze. "Only you would believe this, but when the lightning flashed, I saw the gold on the ground."

  "You're both insane," Dani said, shaking her head. "I thought it was bad enough that Alicia chased storms. Now you're going to join her?"

  "Trust me, I won't be chasing any more lightning," he said. "I've seen enough for a lifetime, but I can't deny what happened. On my way to Mexico, the lightning struck my instrument panel and took away my steering capabilities, which was why Katherine and I crashed in the jungle. In the middle of that storm, I saw Dad. He said 'Follow me' and I didn't know what choice I had since the plane was going down whether I liked it or not. I saw him again in the lightning flashes at the ranch. He was pointing toward the spot where I found the medallion."

  Alicia leaned forward, enthralled by the story. "That's amazing. You actually saw Dad?"

  "I thought it was my imagination."

  "That's exactly what it was," Dani said. "Dad isn't a ghost lurking in the sky."

  "Mamich believes there are many layers within the universe and that we travel from one to the other when we die," Alicia told Dani. "It's very possible that his spirit is strong enough to make contact with us."

  Dani rolled her eyes. "Look, I think we need to stop investigating Dad's death."

  "Are you kidding?" Alicia asked in shock. "We finally have a clue, Dani."

  "What clue?"

  "Dad's medallion was in Mexico. His plane didn't go down in the Gulf," Alicia said. "Right, Jake? He had to be at that ranch."

  "I can't think of any other way his medallion got onto the property. I definitely don't think he crashed in the Gulf anymore."

  "Maybe he lost the medallion or gave it to someone else," Dani suggested.

  "He was wearing it that night," Alicia argued. "He always wore it when he flew. It was blessed."

  "So what do you think happened, Jake?" Dani asked him.

  "Yes, Jake, what do you think?" Alicia echoed.

  He looked at both of his sisters and wished he had a good answer. "I think Dad was at the ranch, and it's possible he was killed there. I also think his death ties back to Jerry and what Jerry told you. Maybe Dad learned what Jerry was up to and tried to stop it."

  "Was Jerry selling weapons and secrets ten years ago?" Dani challenged. "Do you know if his operation went that far back?"

  He looked at Alicia. "Do you know?"

  She shrugged. "I don't. It's certainly possible. But why wouldn't Dad have told anyone he was going to Mexico?"

  "I'm not sure we'll ever know," he said.

  "Well, I'm not ready to give up on finding out," Alicia said. "I'll give Colin, my investigator, this information. Maybe it will lead him in a new direction. What about Mamich? Did you tell her that you think Dad was killed in Mexico?"

  "She said she'd known for a long time that Dad's bones weren’t where they were supposed to be."

  Dani shuddered at his words. "That's a lovely thing to say."

  "You know how she talks. Or maybe you don't," he said. "When did you last speak to her?"

  "Years ago," Dani admitted. "That's why I don't understand why she sent me her wedding ring. We've never been close."

  "She told me that you are the last piece of the puzzle."

  "What does that mean?"

  "I don't know. Maybe she just wants you to believe in her."

  "Why would she care?"

  "She cares about all of us. We're her family."

  "Distant family."

  "We're blood," he said. "In her world, blood matters."

  "I want to go to Mexico," Alicia said. "I want to see Mamich and the ranch where Dad might have died."

  "There may not be anything left to see. The buildings went down in the fire."

  "But the land is still there. I feel like I need to walk in Dad's footsteps. We should all go together."

  He could understand her desire, but they couldn't go yet. "Maybe in a while," he said. "It's too dangerous for any of us to be in Mexi
co right now."

  "When this is over…" Alicia began.

  "I'll go with you," he said. "And maybe Dani will come."

  "I wouldn't count on it," Dani said.

  He looked up as Katherine and TJ came back to the couch. "How is your mom?"

  Katherine smiled. "She sounds better than she did the last time I spoke to her. She said Rebecca stopped by and changed her medication. TJ and I called Rebecca to corroborate, and she told me that my mom was being overmedicated and that she actually could find no record of the doctor who wrote the prescription."

  "What does that mean?" he asked in surprise.

  "We think it means that Jasmine got someone to make Mom's condition worse," TJ replied heavily. "I gave her access to my life, and she took it."

  "Why would she want to hurt your mother?" Alicia asked.

  "Leverage," TJ said. "She might have thought she could use my mom's illness to make me desperate for money so I'd get involved in the operation. But when I shut her down on doing anything freelance, she went to plan B and got me to Mexico so Rodrigo's men could get to me." He paused. "I hope the Feds get here soon, because I want someone knocking on Jasmine's door as soon as possible, and preferably before she knows I'm alive and Calderon is dead."

  The apartment buzzer went off. "Looks like you got your wish," Jake said as Danielle opened the door for two agents from the FBI.

  Help had finally arrived.

  Nineteen

  The next three hours passed in a hazy blur for Katherine. Damon Wolfe, the lead agent, was an attractive man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes that were intelligent and impossible to read. His partner was an attractive brunette woman named Abby James. They both asked a lot of questions and rarely answered any that were directed at them.

  She let TJ do most of the talking, although she and Jake made lengthy statements as well. Alicia also got involved, providing background from the case she'd been involved in. Katherine wished the agents had given more credence to Alicia's instincts. Maybe TJ's problems could have all been avoided if the FBI had not dropped the investigation into MDT quite so quickly. The fact that they had also led her to believe someone high up in the company was involved in a massive cover-up. She hoped now they would finally get caught.