Conspiracy (Alex and Cassidy Book 4)

by Nancy Ann Healy

  “Cassie,” he addressed his daughter. “She loves you a great deal,” he observed.

  Cassidy smiled earnestly in spite of the situation. “Yes, she does,” Cassidy agreed. “Not half as much as I love her—believe me,” she told him.

  McCollum nodded. He was struck by the devotion to Cassidy he had seen in Alex’s eyes as she addressed him. He saw the exact same expression in his daughter’s now. “Cassie, I know that you…”

  Cassidy held up her hand. “No,” she stopped him. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to walk in here after all these years and assume you know anything about me,” she said firmly.

  McCollum nodded again. “You must have questions,” he said.

  “Right now? Right now, I am not interested in your answers,” Cassidy said honestly. “Nothing you could say to me would change anything. I want you to hear what I have to say.”

  “I’m listening,” he said.

  Cassidy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She licked her lips and pressed them together tightly for a moment. “You broke my heart,” she said pointedly. “You broke Mom’s heart. You left us. Worse, you left us by choice in a lie that I cannot even fathom,” she said. She closed her eyes and tried to steady the wave of emotion descending upon her. “I said goodbye to my father as a child.”

  “I’m sorry, Cassie. I don’t expect you to forgive me. If I could have changed anything…”

  “What? If you could have changed anything?” Cassidy asked, her voice dripping with venom. “What would you have changed?”

  “All of it,” he said. “But, if I had…”

  “Don’t you dare,” Cassidy warned him. “Don’t.” Cassidy looked upward, sighed heavily, and then returned her focus to her father. She closed her eyes in a futile attempt to stave off her mounting tears. “Do you know how many nights I prayed that you would walk through that door?” she asked him. Her voice dropped to a faint whisper. “Do you know how much I want to hate you right now?” McCollum took a step closer just as Cassidy opened her eyes. She shook her head and held up her hand again. “I should hate you,” she said softly as her tears began to flow over forcefully.

  McCollum stepped up to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her as she started to sob. Cassidy struck him with her fists forcefully. “How could you?” she pounded his flesh. McCollum only held on tighter. “How could you leave me?” she demanded. “How could you?” Cassidy collapsed into his arms.

  “My Cassie,” he said lovingly as he began to rock her. “I missed you.”

  “I should hate you,” she cried, helpless to do anything but allow the man she once considered her knight in shining armor to hold her.

  “I know,” he said.

  “Why can’t I hate you?” she asked in frustration.

  James McCollum kissed the top of his daughter’s head. “Because you are a better person than I am, Cassie. A better person than anyone I know,” he said proudly. “You don’t have the ability to hate, Princess. It’s not who you are.”

  Cassidy cried into her father’s chest. “You’re not real,” she said repeatedly. “This is not real.”

  McCollum sighed. He stroked Cassidy’s back and silently cursed himself for the pain he had caused the person he loved more than anyone. He could list his reasons. He could mount his defense. All of those reasons he once believed justified his actions had been suddenly reduced to nothing beyond pathetic excuses. Alex was right. He was a coward. “I love you, Cassie,” he told her as she continued to sob in his arms.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Agent Brady, I need you to be clear,” Jane Merrow said.

  “I’m being as clear as I possibly can be.”

  “What do you mean there was nothing on the security server at Carecom?” she asked.

  “What part of that was unclear, Jane?” he asked in frustration. “Who else was there?” he asked her.

  “How should I know that?”

  “Don’t jerk my chain,” Brady said abrasively. “In case you missed some part of what I just told you, Fallon nearly was killed, Alex nearly got shot, Brackett did, and McCollum offed Kargen, so I would like to know what you haven’t told me.”

  “Steven…”

  “Not good enough, Jane. I’ve followed your lead for the last two years. A good part of which I spent locked away in something akin to a fucking dungeon with a dead man, so do me a favor? Why don’t you give me a clear picture for a change?”

  “Sometimes, Steven, it is safer not to know everything. Have you forgotten that? What happens when you end up in the chair that Dmitri’s cohorts are in now?” Jane challenged him.

  “Protect the assets….”

  “You are the asset, Steven,” Jane reminded him. “You think this is fun for me? It isn’t. I might remind you how I ended up in this position.”

  Steven Brady huffed and then relented. “I do remember,” he said. “But, Jane, someone else was there. You’re telling me that you have no idea who that was?” he asked her. Silence hung in the air. “Brackett did not go there alone. How would she even know to look there? Why would she bother?” he asked. Silence. “Where is Marcus?” Brady asked.

  Jane sighed. “Steven, you need to trust me on this one. Please.”

  “It’s not an issue of trust. It’s an issue of transparency.”

  “He’s on his way to Joshua now.”

  “Tate? Why Tate?” Brady wondered.

  “Steven, Joshua can utilize things that even I cannot right now.”

  “Marcus took that footage,” Brady surmised.

  “Only part of it, and he did not wipe the server,” Jane said.

  “Then who did?”

  “I don’t know and that is a concern. If it wasn’t you and it wasn’t Marcus, assuming Dmitri’s men are telling you the truth…”

  “Who else would have interest?” he asked.

  “Use your imagination,” she said. “Just trust me. Let Joshua take this one.”

  “What about Hawk?”

  “Successful.”

  “Do I want to know what was in the package she delivered?” he asked.

  “Probably best you don’t,” Jane replied.

  “What do you want me to do now?” Brady asked.

  “Stick with Agent Fallon for now. Let Alex call the shots,” Jane said.

  “You know, she’s not going to let you off so easily.”

  “No, I don’t expect she will.”

  “What are you going to tell her?” Brady asked.

  “The truth,” Jane said. “It’s all I have left.”

  ***

  March 3rd

  The late evening had stretched into early morning quickly. Alex wanted answers, concrete ones. She needed them to plan her next move. Something more important needed to take precedence—Cassidy. The emotional tension in the house was palpable. Everyone was raw. Alex worried that the answers they each sought might serve as a tipping point to disaster if she persisted now. A few hours would not make any difference in her efforts.

  Claire needed to be attended to. Cassidy needed Alex, and Alex needed to step away and be with Cassidy. She needed to center herself, and Cassidy remained the place that Alex could do that. Telling Cassidy the details of what had transpired would not be easy. Informing Cassidy that Claire Brackett would be their guest was not something Alex was looking forward to.

  “Cass?” Alex asked gently as Cassidy stepped into the bedroom. She could tell from the redness surrounding Cassidy’s eyes that Cassidy had been crying. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be,” Cassidy promised. She smiled at Alex who was stretched out on the bed with Mackenzie cuddled beside her.

  “What did he say?” Alex asked.

  “Nothing really,” Cassidy said as she flopped down on the other side of Mackenzie. She kissed their daughter’s head and looked at Alex. “I didn’t give him a chance to say much,” she admitted. Cassidy looked at Alex. “I love you,” she said.

  Alex smiled. “Where did that co
me from?”

  “He did tell me a few things,” Cassidy said.

  “Oh?” Alex asked curiously.

  “He told me how he ended up here,” Cassidy raised a brow. Alex sighed. “Where is Claire?” Cassidy asked.

  “What?” Alex startled slightly.

  “He told me, Alex…What happened at Carecom tonight.”

  “Jesus…”

  “You would have told me and I forced the issue of how he got here.”

  Alex nodded. “Right now, she’s in the safe room.”

  “You can’t leave her there,” Cassidy said.

  “I know. You’re not mad?” Alex asked.

  Cassidy looked down at Mackenzie and then back at Alex. “Mad? I don’t know what I am, Alex. I haven’t had time to examine that. From what he told me, Claire Brackett tried to save your life. Is that true?” Cassidy asked. Alex nodded. “Why?”

  “I don’t know. My best guess is that it has something to do with Eleana,” Alex explained. “Cass, what about…”

  “I don’t know where to begin,” Cassidy said. “I mean, I don’t even know why he is back. I don’t even know why he left. What do you think?” Cassidy asked Alex. “That man, he looks like my father. I know it is him, but I don’t know who he is,” Cassidy observed painfully.

  “I know. I’m not sure right now is the time. You’ve been through enough today.”

  “What about you?” Cassidy asked.

  “I’m fine,” Alex said. “Just worried about you.”

  “Ummm. Nice try, Agent Toles. I haven’t lost my sight nor my hearing. You were groaning before I came in here, and you are not exactly walking straight.”

  Alex chuckled. “My back is hardly anything for you to worry about.”

  “I always worry about you, Alex. I almost lost you tonight.”

  “But, you didn’t,” Alex reminded Cassidy.

  “What now?” Cassidy asked.

  “Now? Now, I get Pip and we move Claire into Nicky’s old room. Your father can stay in the safe room.”

  “You don’t think he would…”

  Alex sighed heavily. “No, I don’t think he’s a threat to us, but I’m not going out of my way to make him comfortable.” Cassidy bit back a smile at the protective tone in Alex’s voice. Alex rose slowly from the bed. “Do you want me to put Kenzie down?”

  Cassidy looked at their daughter and shook her head. “No,” she answered. “Would you mind if she slept with us tonight?”

  Alex smiled. “Not at all,” she said. “I’ll be back once everyone is settled. Try and rest.” Alex leaned over and kissed Cassidy gently. “I love you, Cass.”

  “I know. Alex, I don’t know how to….”

  “You don’t need to figure anything out now. Just snuggle Kenzie and relax. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

  “Alex?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you think he means it?” Cassidy asked softly. Alex was perplexed. “My father,” Cassidy said.

  “Do I think he means what?”

  “That he loves me?” Cassidy asked tearfully.

  Alex thought the sadness that rose within her would choke her. “I’m sure of it,” Alex said.

  “How can you be?”

  Alex smiled. She hardly trusted James McCollum, and she had her own set of emotions to sort out regarding his return. She could not stand seeing Cassidy in so much pain. It infuriated her and it broke her heart at the same time. No matter what her concerns, she had seen the way James McCollum looked at his daughter. Alex had never met anyone that disliked Cassidy. She doubted that very many people would have that capacity. She moved back to the bed and kissed Cassidy’s head.

  “He loves you, Cass. I can’t promise you anything else, but I believe that. He does love you.” Cassidy nodded weakly and pulled Mackenzie closer to her. “Rest,” Alex said again. “I’ll be back soon. I love you.”

  ***

  Claire moaned slightly and Eleana flinched at the sound. “Claire?” Eleana called to her. Krause set Claire on the bed as gently as he could manage and stepped away. “Claire?” Eleana called again.

  “Hey,” Claire opened her eyes slightly. “What are you doing here?”

  Eleana smiled gently and brushed the hair out of Claire’s eyes. “You don’t remember,” she said. “It’s the medicine,” she told Claire.

  “So tired,” Claire said.

  “I know you are,” Eleana replied. She looked at Claire and struggled not to cry. Claire looked fragile, lost. It reminded Eleana of a young girl she knew many years ago. “Just sleep,” she said.

  Krause made his way from the room, not wanting to disrupt the private moment inside. He smiled at Alex as her foot hit the top of the stairs.

  “How is she?” Alex asked.

  Krause shrugged. “How’s your other guest?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, Pip. Did he say anything to you?”

  “Not much.”

  “What do you think?” Alex asked.

  “About him?” Krause asked for clarification. Alex nodded. “I don’t know, Alex. I have a feeling this has something to do with some project called Lynx. That place where he was?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Alex, there’s a lot more we need to talk about,” he said.

  Alex nodded. “Not tonight,” she said wearily letting her gaze fall to the end of the hallway where Cassidy awaited her.

  “How is she?” Krause wondered.

  “How would you be?”

  “I don’t know,” he confessed. “Honestly, I didn’t know what I was going to do if….”

  “If you had found our father instead. I know. I thought about that too—constantly, in fact. I just can’t imagine what would make someone do that,” Alex told her brother.

  “You know, Claire was aiming for Kargen. We were just coming in when you knocked her back with that shot.”

  Alex looked toward the room that Claire was in. “Yeah, I know she did.”

  “You think it’s about Eleana, don’t you?” he asked.

  Alex sensed Krause’s worry. “Jonathan….”

  “She still loves her.”

  “Maybe. She’s in love with you, though. If you weren’t so dense you’d do something about that,” Alex said.

  “I don’t think my love life is really a hot issue right now,” Krause replied.

  “No?” Alex challenged him. “If you hadn’t gotten there when you did, it might be me that Brady and Fallon were cleaning up after and not Kargen.”

  “Don’t even go there,” Krause warned. “There’s no point.”

  “Wrong. It’s the only point. Any one of us could be Dmitri. You’re just wasting time,” Alex said.

  “Easy for you to say.”

  “Not really,” Alex replied. “Stop fighting it.”

  “What about Claire?” Krause tried to change the subject.

  “Time will tell. For now, we keep her close.”

  “You trust her?” Krause asked.

  “No. I am curious. And, that is enough right now,” she explained just as Eleana emerged. “How’s she doing?”

  “I managed to get another pill into her. I think she’ll sleep for a while,” Eleana said.

  Alex nodded. “You have my old room,” Alex said to Eleana. “Unless you prefer the guest room,” she winked. “Goodnight.”

  Eleana smiled. “You tired?” she asked Krause.

  “Not really,” he said.

  “Up for some company?”

  Krause smiled. “Yeah, I think I am.”

  ***

  “And?” Tate asked

  “They are all together.”

  “It worked,” he said.

  “It appears so. I just hope we’re right about this,” Jane said.

  “It was inevitable. You didn’t have a choice. Now, you know where The Sparrow sits,” Tate said.

  “Perhaps,” Jane replied.

  “You suspect something, don’t you?” Tate inquired.

  “I suspect many
things.”

  “You think McCollum is still hiding something?” he asked.

  “From me? Definitely. But, he won’t hide it from Alex, at least, I don’t believe he will.”

  “Jane, you think this is really what led to John’s assassination?”

  “Partly. Partly, I think it was the fact that he was onto O’Brien,” Jane said.

  “Any idea yet who placed O’Brien?” Tate asked.

  “There are the usual trails to Congress—The Admiral, General Compton, that upper echelon. That’s not what concerns me. The bigger question is whether or not someone placed him with Cassidy, and if they did, who made that call? Congress came later. The question is what O’Brien’s real objective was.”

  "You think someone set him up at Stanford to meet Cassidy?"

  "I think that is a distinct possibility—yes,” Jane admitted.

  “I need to ask you something,” Tate said cautiously.

  “Go ahead.”

  “It’s bothered me for a long time. It’s been eclipsed by more pressing matters. O’Brien’s car accident that weekend in D.C.? Why? That didn’t fit with the letters. Why would they implement something like that when they already had the letters?”

  Jane’s answer came in the form of one name. “Nicolaus.”

  “Alex’s father arranged that?” he asked. Jane nodded. “Why?”

  Jane opened her eyes and looked squarely at Joshua Tate. “At that point, he’d hoped O’Brien’s demise would signal the same for Carl Fisher.”

  “Jesus Christ. Are you saying that O’Brien put Fisher on Cassidy?” Jane’s sorrowful gaze answered the question. “Why?”

  “To flush out Lynx, I would imagine,” Jane said.

  “Jesus Christ. The letters? He orchestrated that so Fisher could have free reign with Cassidy? Just to try and flush out someone that no one was even sure was alive?"

  "It's not as crazy as it sounds," Jane told him. "Sphinx holds a lot of cards, Joshua. No one knew who that was. Everyone wanted what he had."

  "And so...What? It just went awry?" Tate was confused.

  “Even O’Brien couldn’t have guessed what a nut job Fisher was. I doubt he expected Fisher would become honestly infatuated with Cassidy.”

  Jane was hoping that was the truth. She recalled that time vividly. Her husband, John Merrow had spent hours pacing the halls of The White House, worrying about Cassidy O’Brien and her son Dylan. It was a story that only a handful of people understood with any clarity, and the majority of those people still only held glimpses of the truth. And, it was the story that had led Alex Toles to meet Cassidy O’Brien.