Crash and Burn

by Maggie Nash

  The scent of jasmine was almost overpowering as Daniel cautiously got out of the car. Where the hell was Will? He should have heard him pull up, so why didn’t he come out to meet him?

  The hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. Something wasn’t right here. He surveyed the land around the house. Nothing was obvious at this stage as Daniel concentrated on the sounds around him. All he could hear was the chirping of the native birds that made their home in the bush, and the distant sound of traffic from the highway.

  He cursed himself for not recovering his Glock from the gear he’d left with Kevin. Not being a field agent anymore meant that he didn’t have clearance to carry a weapon, except in extreme emergencies, and he sure as hell hadn’t expected trouble here with Will. What a stupid decision that had been. Someone seemed to be following his every move. He should have known better.

  He scanned the ground for anything that could double as a weapon. He spotted a block of wood over near the step to the veranda. The termites had gotten to it, but he picked it up anyway. He hit the wood against his palm to test, and it didn’t disintegrate. It’d do until he found something better.

  There was a small wooden building just visible to the right of the house. It could be a storage shed or even a garage. He listened carefully as he walked toward the double doors. They were locked with a rusting chain and padlock. He pulled on it firmly. Locked tight. He peered through a crack between the two doors. A late model Subaru Outback was parked inside, but it took up so much room he couldn’t see anything else.

  Turning to his left, he spied the rear entrance to the house. The ancient screen door was open and the door behind ajar. He approached it slowly, checking from side to side as he went, listening hard for any sound of unwanted company.

  The house was silent. Entering the kitchen, he took in the signs of occupation. There was an open loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter on the counter. A coffee cup sat next to an electric kettle. He touched the kettle. It was still warm. Someone had been in here and recently. Where are you, Will? This was bad. Very bad.

  Moving slowly up the hall, he noticed a wet stain on the wall. The drops continued across the floor toward the front room. He touched the stain on the wall then sniffed the liquid staining his fingers. Metallic. It was blood. Fuck.

  He raced down the hall to the front room and stopped dead in his tracks at the doorway. There he found Will, face down on the floor. A pool of blood had formed at the side of his head. Daniel didn’t need to feel for a pulse. He could see what was left of his head and he knew.

  * * * *

  Beth was just finishing washing the cups and glasses, placing them on the drainer, when Kevin came into the kitchen after making several phone calls in his study.

  “You hungry?” he said, as she turned around just in time to see the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

  She couldn’t help but smile back. “Not really. Shouldn’t we wait for Daniel?”

  “Aw, do we have to?”

  Beth laughed. “It would be the polite thing to do, wouldn’t it?”

  Kevin grinned back at her. “Aw, jeez. I suppose we should wait for Danny boy. But he wouldn’t mind. He’s used to feeding himself.” He gestured for her to return to the lounge room.

  “So I’ve noticed,” she said, going back into the hallway. “He manages pretty well for a desk jockey.”

  “He wasn’t always a desk jockey, you know.” He followed her into the lounge and smiled at her as she sat down on the couch. “He used to be pretty good at fieldwork. In fact, he was one of the best.”

  “Yeah, he mentioned that he used to have a different job.” She moved to the edge of the seat. “So why did he give it up?”

  Kevin shifted from one foot to the other and looked out of the window, avoiding her gaze. Taking a deep breath, he turned to her again. “I think that’s something you need to ask Daniel.”

  “I did.” She glanced down at her hands, inspecting her nails. “He wouldn’t say.”

  “Then I guess you’ll just have to wait until he’s ready.”

  She shifted her gaze to Kevin again. “But you know.”

  Daniel nodded. “Yeah, I know, but it’s not my story to tell. Ask him again when you know him better.”

  “I don’t think I’ll be around him long enough to know him better.”

  Kevin smiled then and peered over his shoulder at her as he made his way to the door. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

  What the heck did he mean by that? She hesitated before following him back to the kitchen. He surely couldn’t think there was anything going on with her and Daniel, could he? Is there something going on? Nah, of course there isn’t. It was just a few kisses. A few hot, fiery melt-your-bones kisses, but still just kisses. That’s what Daniel had said anyway. That’s what she thought, wasn’t it? She couldn’t afford to think anything else. She didn’t know him well enough and he came from a different world to her.

  Hell, what am I doing? It was ridiculous even thinking about this. She was just a job to him—a means to an end. Once they caught whomever it was who shot that man on the train—presumably the same man who was following them—he’d have no reason to hang around. And the sooner the better, so she could get on with her life. Now if she could only forget how devastating his kisses were and stop fantasizing about his body doing amazing things to hers.

  As she walked into the lounge, she caught the tail end of Kevin talking to someone on his mobile.

  “Fine, we’ll be ready, mate. See you soon.” He shoved the phone into his jeans pocket.

  “Daniel?” she asked expectantly.

  “Yep. We need to get ready. Apparently we’re moving.”

  “We’re moving? You’re coming, too?”

  “Seems so.” His manner was so matter-of-fact she was left thinking this was all in a day’s work for Kevin the spy. Nothing seemed to faze him. Not so her. She had questions—a million of them.

  “Why now? We just got here.”

  “Danny says it’s necessary and I believe him. He’ll tell us when he gets here. Come on. Let’s get this gear of his out to the back lane. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  Kevin disappeared into his study and reappeared in a couple of minutes with a backpack of his own. When Beth started lugging the tent bag, Kevin stopped her.

  “We won’t need that, just the smaller duffel bags. Don’t forget your clothes and pretties.”

  Beth smiled. “Pretties?”

  Kevin grinned. “Whatever it is you ladies need for—you know…personal stuff.”

  “No problem, I haven’t even unpacked yet.” She smiled to herself. This guy was cute. Not her type, but cute all the same.

  It was less than ten minutes later as Beth was waiting behind the gate to the back lane that she heard the car approaching. The laneway was dark and the car’s lights were turned off. Beth opened the gate after she saw Daniel through the gap in the fence.

  Without stopping to speak, he picked up several bags and headed back to the car. She followed and joined him at the boot. It was a dark station wagon—their third car in four days. This must’ve been something of a record.

  As Beth went back to the yard to collect her last bag, Daniel finally spoke. “Where’s Donnelly?”

  “He’s getting the last bag. He should be here any minute.”

  “Good, we need to get out of here.”

  “What happened, Daniel?”

  Beth could see Daniel’s eyes narrow and his face draw tight. “I’ll tell you when I’m sure we’re safe.”

  The sound of the back door closing had them both turning back to the path and at Kevin while he approached. Without speaking, they all got in the car with Daniel driving, Kevin riding shotgun and Beth in the back, resting her leg on the bench seat after she’d clicked on the seat belt.

  Kevin glanced over his shoulder. “What’s up with the leg?”

  “I damaged my knee in the crash. It still gets a little stiff now and then.”
<
br />   “She’s had major reconstruction work on it. She should be in rehabilitation.”

  Beth laughed. “I think it’s gotten a lot more exercise these past few days than in a month of rehab. It’s moving better than it was before.”

  “At least you’re finding something beneficial in all this excitement,” said Kevin.

  “Just call me Pollyanna,” she answered.

  “I hate to interrupt your private joke, but you should really get some sleep, Beth. We have a long night ahead of us.”

  “Why? Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Brisbane.”

  “Brisbane? That’s over a twelve hour drive! We don’t have time for that. The Conference is in three days.”

  “We’re not driving all the way. Just go to sleep, and I’ll wake you when we get to the next stop.”

  “Okay, but if we’re going to be traveling great distances, we need to eat. Can we stop off at a drive-through? I’m not sleeping until I know you’ve eaten something.”

  Kevin coughed, but stopped quickly when Daniel glared at him. Kevin glanced over his shoulder at Beth and winked.

  Beth’s stomach called again. Loudly.

  Daniel snorted. “Okay, you win. Food it is.”

  Chapter Nine

  They stopped off at a burger restaurant a little way before the entrance to the freeway heading north. After ordering enough to feed an army, they took the food back to the car to eat. Daniel raised an eyebrow at the two burgers, large fries and apple pie that Beth had ordered. She’d warned him she ate more when she was stressed, but now she was trying to convince him that she wanted to make sure he was fed. Cute.

  Sure, that was it. As if she had any reason to care about what he did. Not after the way she’d been lied to, taken on this rollercoaster ride across the country, then to top it off he cops a feel when she slips in the shower. It was a goddamned miracle she hadn’t run away from him, or listened to anything he said. Damn, but she certainly filled out that towel well. He felt the blood go south even thinking about it. Don’t even go there, Daniel.

  Nah, she was just trying to hide her amazing appetite from Kevin. She’d become pretty chummy with him in a very short time. And why not? Kevin never had much trouble attracting women. It was the Irish charm and that blarney he came out with. He was such a flirt. But why did it bother him so much? He and Kevin always competed for women. It was a friendly rivalry. All he had to do was tell Kevin to back off and he would. But did he have a right to ask? And if he did, what would Kevin make of it? When this was over, he’d probably never see Beth again, but why did that thought make him feel just a little empty?

  “So are you going to tell us what happened?” asked Beth.

  Daniel stiffened and took a deep breath. There is only one way to do this, he thought. Just tell her straight.

  “Someone got to Will.”

  “The helicopter pilot?”

  Daniel nodded. “He’s dead.”

  Beth paled. “Who did this?”

  “He arranged to get me a car, and before I showed up to collect it, someone shot him.”

  “Oh God.” Beth buried her face in her hands. Daniel fought the urge to jump over the seat and take her in his arms. He settled for reaching over and squeezing her shoulder instead.

  “It’s not your fault, Beth. You do know that, don’t you?”

  “I don’t know what to think, Daniel. Ever since we’ve met, I’ve been followed and shot at and I’m constantly scared. And now someone else has been killed, all because of something I can’t even remember. I just don’t see a way out of this.”

  Kevin cleared his throat. “I think this is when I put in my two cents worth. I think I should put you both in an ASIO safe house. I know a place not too far from here. No one in the AFP knows about it.”

  Daniel shook his head. “No, I don’t agree. We need to get to Brisbane and find a place for us without outside help. Somewhere no one knows about. There are obviously some security breaches going on here and I think we’ll be safer without anyone knowing—you included, Kevin.”

  “You don’t suspect me?”

  “Of course not, but I’m also thinking of your safety. If you don’t know, they won’t come after you.”

  “So Kevin’s not coming with us?”

  “No, I’ve changed my mind. This is where you get out, mate.”

  “I understand where you’re coming from, Danny boy. You know where to find me if you need anything. I’d better get off the bus then. It’s been a pleasure, Beth,” said Kevin, as he took her hand and gently kissed her knuckles.

  Beth laughed. “Yes, it has been, you flirt you.” Her smile faded. “You be careful, Kevin.”

  “I’m always careful,” he said. He opened the car door and jumped out. “Farewell, fair lady.”

  “Cut it out, Kevin, before I throw up.”

  Daniel joined Kevin at the boot of the car and handed him his backpack. “I meant it, Kevin. Sorry about the change of plan, but it’s safer for all of us this way.”

  “I know, Danny boy, but if you get stuck, you know where to reach me.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Daniel watched Kevin walk out of the car park and head for the railway station before he rejoined Beth in the car. She’d moved to the front seat and was stuffing the uneaten food into a paper bag. Her hands shook as she twisted the end of the bag closed before tossing it toward the bin outside the open window, missing it by several inches.

  “Damn,” she said, grabbing the door handle.

  “Leave it.”

  “I can’t leave litter lying around…”

  Daniel started the car up and shoved the gearstick into reverse. “Leave it. We haven’t got time.”

  The car roared to life as Daniel reversed and drove out of the car park. He headed down some back streets, avoiding the highway.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Not Brisbane…yet. We need to stay in Sydney for another day at least to check up on some things.”

  “Like who killed Will?”

  “Among other things.”

  “So why did you tell Kevin we were going to Brisbane?”

  “The less people who know where we are, the better.”

  Daniel pulled over to the side of the road next to a large wall. The sign indicated a waste management site. The stench of rotting garbage made Beth nauseous and she cupped her hands over her nose.

  “Why are we stopping here? This is a rubbish tip.”

  “Get your bags. We’re dumping them.”

  “Dumping them? Whatever for?”

  “Someone knew I was meeting Will. I can’t take a chance that there’s some sort of tracking or listening device hidden in any of our gear. We’ll dump it all here, including the phones. I’ll keep the money and we can replace anything we need.”

  “So you think that’s how they keep finding us,” said Beth, as she handed Daniel the bags to throw over the wall.

  “I don’t know, but I can’t afford to take the chance.”

  “So where to now?”

  Daniel opened Beth’s door for her. “Let’s go shopping.”

  * * * *

  The shopping mall was crowded, making it easy for them to blend in with the masses. Loaded up with purchases, they’d changed clothes, including their underwear and shoes, discarding what they’d been wearing. Daniel led them to an electronics shop where they replaced the laptop and bought a couple of prepaid mobile phones. Beth followed Daniel in a daze, still not quite able to take in the fact that Will had been killed. With that public servant on the train and the train driver, that made three people dead. The whole thing was so surreal. This couldn’t be happening to her—ordinary Beth Hamilton, receptionist and computer student. It was inconceivable that someone wished her dead. The worst part was not knowing who—never knowing if the person behind her was one of those trying to kill her. Never knowing when they would strike.

  Daniel walked beside her with such confidence. He appeared relaxe
d as he pushed the supermarket trolley he’d commandeered to carry the load of articles they’d bought. They could be any other couple out enjoying shopping together. How does he do it? How does he live with the constant danger that comes with his choice of job? Oh yes, he doesn’t do it anymore. He has a desk job now.

  Now Beth understood a little of why he’d left the field. It must’ve been so tough living with all that stress on a daily basis. She’d only experienced it for a few days. She couldn’t imagine living with it day in and day out.

  Daniel’s eyes lit up as he stopped and stared at something in the distance.

  “Cool. I think it’s time for a little indulgence, don’t you?”

  “Indulgence?”

  He laughed as they pulled up to an ice cream vendor.

  “Chocolate chip? Or are you a pistachio fan like me?”

  “Pistachio? Oh, ice cream. Yes, I love pistachio. Double scoop, waffle cone, thanks.”

  Daniel chuckled again. “Coming right up. Take a seat. Watch the trolley and I’ll be right back.”

  “So where to now?” asked Beth, when Daniel returned a few minutes later with their ice cream. “I thought we were heading to the Conference? At least, that’s what you’d told Kevin.”

  Beth watched as Daniel licked a small drizzle of ice cream from his fingers. Sudden heat surged through her as she zeroed in on his lips, remembering the feel of them on her own. His eyes met hers as he stopped mid-lick then brought his mouth down and sucked on his fingertips one by one, his eyes never leaving hers. She felt a tingle between her legs and moisture in her panties as she imagined him doing things to her in the same slow rhythm as his finger, moving in and out of his mouth. Oh God!

  Not now, don’t think about it now. She bowed her flushed face, staring at her own fingers and wiped them roughly with a napkin.

  Daniel hesitated, winking at her before swallowing the last of the cone. He reached behind him and threw his crumpled napkin in the rubbish bin. When he turned back, he was all business again. “For the time being, we need a place to crash and get on with my computer search. There has to be something we’re missing. Someone knew where we were in Canberra and I’m not sure how, but at least now we’re clean of possible bugs and if I’m right, we’re safe for the time being.”