by Maggie Nash
“I think so,” Beth answered, continuing to tentatively wipe the cool cloth over his heated face. “How long before we can get out of the car?”
He grabbed her wrist, stalling her progress and searing her skin. The heat in his eyes had nothing to do with the temperature outside and everything to do with their mutual need. Her breath hitched as she waited for his next move.
As he answered, his eyes never left hers and the tension inside the car cranked up several notches. “The ground will still be extremely hot for a while yet. I’ll check on it in another half an hour. I’m more worried about the equipment and the car. If any of that was damaged, we’ll be stuck here for some time.”
He took hold of the cloth as he released her hand. Beth gasped when he reciprocated, wiping the cloth over her cheeks and down to her neck. “Won’t the firefighters find us?” she asked.
Daniel shook his head while he continued to slide the cloth downward, reaching into the opening of her shirt before pulling his hand out and throwing the cloth onto the seat beside her. Damn. Maybe he was right to stop, but her body didn’t want him to.
“Beth…this is the center of a national park. The firefighters will be concentrating their efforts around the edge of the park, near the townships. I’m afraid they’ll probably just let this fire burn itself out.”
Beth turned her face away, her eyes watering and her heart turning somersaults. She forced a couple of slow breaths in and out. “So what’s next then?”
“Pray for rain?” Bloody hell, what am I doing? He’d nearly ripped her shirt off and tasted her there and then. And she might very well have let him. He shifted in place as his jeans tightened over his thickening groin. Down boy—just a job, remember? No attachments, no problems, keep focused.
A muffled buzzing sound filled the car. Turning his head from side to side, Daniel tried to get a fix on where it was coming from.
“What’s that noise?”
“I’m not sure.”
“It sounds like it’s coming from the back of the car.”
The back of the car? It had to be the satellite phone. It must have survived the heat. This was good news.
Daniel reached over the back seat and found the source of the buzzing. He attached a small box, pressed the receive button and raised the phone to his ear. A harried voice started talking immediately, not waiting for Daniel to reply.
“Wyatt! Where in blazes have you been? I’ve been worried shitless. When you didn’t call at the arranged time, I decided I’d better call you.”
“Addison…we’re okay. Just a little delay, that’s all. Sorry I didn’t make the call on time.”
Beth tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth to speak. Daniel shrugged and put up his hand to stop her from talking. He didn’t know who he could trust at this stage and he felt it would be better to keep details to a minimum. There was a leak and he didn’t want to take any chances.
“Delay? Anything I should know about?”
“Everything’s under control for now. Have you learned anything on your end?”
“Nothing yet. I’ve swept my office and my home for bugs. Will’s done the same. So far nothing has shown up. Will is checking the security videos as we speak. I thought it best not to involve anyone else for the moment.”
Daniel closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with his free hand. He hesitated briefly before replying. “I agree. The fewer personnel involved the better. We have to find out who the leak is as soon as possible. Not only is the security of the Conference in jeopardy, but Beth Hamilton’s life is in danger as well.”
“Yours, too, Daniel. You have to be very careful. What’s your position at the moment? Do I need to send Will in to get you?”
Staring out of the window and over the burned landscape, Daniel took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “No, we’re fine for the moment. We’re moving to a new location. I’ll call you in a few hours.” Daniel cut the connection before his boss had a chance to reply. No explanations meant less chance of them being found again.
As soon as Daniel replaced the phone, Beth leaned forward slightly and touched Daniel’s hand. “Why didn’t you tell your boss what happened? Do you think he’s the leak?”
Daniel stared at the place where her skin touched his before turning away. “Of course not. My boss is the one person I do trust, but the only way I can see to keep us safe is to tell no one where we are—and that includes my boss. It’s the only way to plug up the leak.”
Beth picked up the wet cloth she’d used on Daniel’s face and folded it neatly before placing it back on the seat between them. “What about the Conference? If someone knows about us, then what about the security team? They need to know the arrangements have changed.”
“Yes, I thought of that.” He sighed as he blew out a breath. “We need to get out of here and find the leak before it’s too late.”
She stared at Daniel, her voice almost a whisper, “How long do we have?”
He straightened in his seat. “The Conference starts next Tuesday.”
“That’s only five days away,” she gasped, clenching her fists as they lay on her lap.
“That’s why we need to get out of here—the sooner the better.”
* * * *
Silence descended as they waited impatiently for their surroundings to cool down enough to move on. Daniel checked the electronic equipment and found it all to be in working order. The GPS had pinpointed their position and Daniel worked out a route to get them out of the park. All they waited on now was enough time for a drop in temperature in the petrol tank so the fuel would return to liquid, and the tires would be cool enough to take the weight of the vehicle.
Minutes ticked by and Beth tapped her fingers on the armrest beside her. Sighing, she gingerly touched the window. It was still warm, but bearable.
“Should we check the ground temperature? The window isn’t too hot now. Surely the ground would cool down faster than the car?” Beth asked.
“I’d like to wait a little while longer. The tires may still be soft from the heat and I don’t want to risk a blowout. Don’t worry. It won’t be much longer. I promise,” Daniel answered as he flashed her a reassuring grin.
There it was again, that killer smile. Beth smiled shyly back. Feeling her cheeks start to burn, she turned her head and stared out her window again. At least this attraction thing was distracting her from being completely terrified by the situation. That had to be a plus, didn’t it? Beth knew she should control her lascivious thoughts, but she couldn’t help herself, and she was so grateful he was around. She’d be dead now if not for him. Perhaps that was what she was feeling—gratitude. Maybe she was reading too much into this, but then she remembered the burning tingles when she touched his face earlier. And that session with the towel… Hoo wee, talk about intense heat! No, this certainly wasn’t just gratitude, but she couldn’t think about it now. After this was over, she probably wouldn’t see him ever again. Get over it, Beth.
Beth sighed inwardly and straightened her shoulders. A brilliant flash of light suddenly lit up the sky and a crash of thunder sounded a few seconds later.
A few tentative drops of water fell on the glass before the downpour started. Beth and Daniel smiled at each other.
“Your prayers were answered. Somebody up there likes you, Daniel.”
Daniel grinned back at her and winked. “I knew that being an altar boy would come in handy one day. With this rain, we can get moving sooner than we thought. Let’s get out of the car and check the damage before we go.”
Daniel and Beth both opened their doors and climbed out of the Rover. The ground felt warm through their shoes and the steadily increasing rain on the ash was making it very slippery. Beth raised her head toward the sky. She closed her eyes as the rain trickled down her face. She knew the water must have left dirty trails through the smoke dust on her cheeks, but she didn’t care. It felt too good.
Daniel inspected the engine and refilled the radiator with
water. The tires’ pressure had dropped but there was still air in them. Enough to drive on if he used the foot pump he had used on the mattresses, Daniel assured her. Beth took a few tentative steps across the ground in front of them, picking up still warm stray branches from their path to clear the way for the vehicle.
Half an hour later, the car started on the third try. Beth breathed a sigh of relief. The rock they had sheltered behind must have been more protective than she’d thought it would be. She’d really thought the car would be history, but luck had been on their side once more. Daniel released the brake, and they were finally on their way.
The thunder and lightning had now abated, but the rain still fell in a steady downpour. The track was developing rivers of its own as Daniel carefully maneuvered the four-wheel drive over the fire-ravaged terrain. Steam rose from the blackened earth as the cooling rain blanketed the ground. The air was clearer now, the smoke slowly dissipating.
* * * *
The journey out of the park was slow and tortured. They were delayed from leaving by local police who questioned their reasons for being in the park. They weren’t exactly suspects, but the authorities thought that the fire had been deliberately lit. It took all of Daniel’s diplomatic skills and patience to convince the authorities that they were simply a couple who’d been camping and found themselves trapped in a bush fire. Which, in essence, was the truth.
“You handled that well,” remarked Beth as they finally found their way to the highway. “I was worried they were going to accuse us of starting the fire.”
“I was telling them the truth. We were camping. They didn’t need to know why we were there. I usually find if you stick close to the truth, people tend to believe you.”
“Do you think it was coincidence that the fire was deliberately lit?” Beth asked.
“It’s hard to say. Unfortunately a lot of fires are started on purpose, so there’s no reason to think it was anything to do with us. No one knew we were there. Even my boss has no idea where we are. No, I think it’s most likely a coincidence,” said Daniel. “Right now we have more important things to worry about, like finding somewhere safe to crash while I do some investigating.”
“We definitely need to clean up, that’s for sure, and I’m just a little bit hungry, too.”
Daniel grinned at Beth’s attempt to lighten the mood. She managed a slight smile as she gazed back at him.
“Where are we going this time?”
“Canberra. I have a friend who’s out of town for a few months and he lets me use his house sometimes. We should be safe enough for tonight, although tomorrow we may need to move again. And we need to get rid of this car. Someone seems to be good at almost finding us, so I don’t want to take any chances.”
* * * *
It was late afternoon and the sun was low in the sky, shining directly through the windshield, creating a half-light that made visibility difficult. The outer northern suburbs of Canberra were now visible in the distance as they drove smoothly along the Federal Highway. The pit stop they’d made an hour before at the roadhouse in the small township of Wingello had drawn a few curious gazes. It was then Beth had realized they hadn’t washed the soot off their faces. After a quick trip to the bathroom for both of them, Daniel had replenished the air in the tires and petrol in the tank, taking the opportunity to clean the windshield and rear window. Thankfully the car was now running more efficiently, not attracting the attention it had when they’d been hobbling along with half-flat tires, even if the paint was peeling away in places. The greasy hot chips and icy cold colas Beth had bought while Daniel was seeing to the car tasted like manna from heaven. But that meal had been a few hours ago and now Beth’s stomach rumbled. One thing she could always count on was her stomach. Beth could never be without food for long, even when she was upset. In fact, the more upset she was, the more food she seemed to need. And she needed to eat now. Her stomach started to protest—loudly.
“What was that?”
Oh my God! Did my stomach really make that sound?
“What was what?” Beth countered sheepishly, trying to sound innocent.
Daniel laughed. “I could have sworn I heard a stomach growl.” Shaking his head, he turned back toward Beth. “Never mind, we’ll be there soon enough. The house is usually stocked with plenty of food.”
A short time later they approached the sign for Belconnen and Daniel turned off the highway. They’d driven past Canberra University and turned into a side street next to Lake Ginninderra reserve when Daniel slowed the car down and stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Beth whispered.
“I don’t know. I just have a bad feeling about this. Jake’s house is around the corner and there’s a dark blue van parked across the road. I think I’ll just cruise past and check it out before we stop.”
Daniel leaned over and picked up a couple of baseball caps from the back seat. “Here, put this on,” he said as he handed one to Beth and placed the other on his head. Beth rolled her hair into a bun and covered it with the hat. Daniel nodded his approval before he started driving slowly down the street.
“Don’t look at the van.”
“I’m not entirely without brains, you know.”
“Sorry.” Daniel’s face was drawn and he stared straight ahead, but Beth could see him glancing surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye at the van as they approached. “I was just making sure. We don’t want to make them suspicious.”
As the car passed the van, Beth let out a breath and whispered softly to Daniel, “What do you think? Are they waiting for us?”
“I’m not sure, but we’ll know in a minute.” Daniel shifted the car up a gear and planted his foot on the accelerator pedal. The tires shrieked as they took off at high speed down the road. The blue van suddenly came to life and charged after them.
“I think we have our answer,” said Daniel. “They’re definitely following us.”
“Why’d you do that?” Beth shouted. “You said you didn’t want to make them suspicious, then you virtually beg them to come and get us.”
“I wasn’t sure. I didn’t recognize the driver, but I had to find out if they were after us.” Daniel swore as he swerved to avoid a car coming out of a side street. “Shit! Can we talk about this later? I’m kind of busy right now!”
Chapter Five
Beth clung to her seat as best she could while the car sped precariously through the residential streets of Belconnen. Daniel’s face was a mask of sheer concentration as he expertly maneuvered the vehicle away from their pursuers.
“How far away are they now?” asked Daniel.
“About fifty meters, I guess,” said Beth, turning around to check through the back window. “We seem to have gained a lead on them.”
“Good. There’s a shopping center up ahead. We should be able to lose them there if we’re lucky.”
“I’d better cross all my fingers and toes then.”
Daniel smiled wryly. “At least you still have your sense of humor.”
“I wasn’t joking. We need all the luck we can get.”
The shopping center came into view. Daniel entered the car park and slowed down. Dozens of shoppers were driving slowly around the lanes searching for a parking spot.
Everywhere it seemed elderly couples and mothers with children in strollers were negotiating the lanes, making their way to the mall entrance. The blue van followed them into the car park, hovering slowly and checking each lane for signs of their retreat. Daniel saw it creeping up slowly toward them so he waited until another car moved in behind him, then shot out toward the car park exit.
The blue van sped up, but got stuck behind a stream of cars, effectively preventing it from following. The driver blasted the horn, but all that achieved was some rude gestures and shouting from the other drivers. Too easy.
Thank God. Beth started to breathe normally again, which was a bit of an effort since she’d been holding her breath for so long. “Where to now?” she asked.
<
br /> “If we hurry, we can replace the car before the car dealers close then we’ll find a place to stay.”
“O-kay…so you have an unlimited supply of cash in that duffel bag in the back then?”
“Actually, I do,” said Daniel.
Beth turned to him, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, and he chuckled. “Well, almost. I do have enough to get us set up with a different car and to get by for a few days.”
An hour later they were driving off from a used car dealer in a rather nondescript white sedan. Daniel even haggled over the price, much to Beth’s surprise.
Hoping she could stave off the inevitable growls of hunger, Beth turned to Daniel. “So where’s that meal you promised me?”
“Stomach growling again?”
Beth poked her tongue at him. “Enough of the teasing already.”
“Thai food okay?” he said as he pulled into the driveway of a five-star hotel.
“I love Thai food, but what are we doing here? Isn’t this a little public?”
“Not now,” he hushed as the hotel doorman opened the car door for her to get out. “I’ll explain later.”
Daniel checked them into a suite as Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, a couple from Sydney. Beth felt a flush of heat all over her body at the thought of sharing with him, silently hoping that this ‘suite’ had more than one room. She’d tried to deny the attraction she felt for him, but geez it was going to be difficult being this close to him.
Stop worrying about it, Beth. Focus on the problem, not the man. Yeah, right!
She needed to get out of this mess. She didn’t need a fling with someone she may never see again. Definitely not her style at all. She watched him from behind as he charmed the hotel receptionist while leaning forward on the counter, showing a very sexy rear end. She groaned inwardly. Oh God. Focusing on her problems clearly wasn’t working. When this is over, I definitely need to get out more.
* * * *
