Conspiracy (Alex and Cassidy Book 4)

by Nancy Ann Healy

  “Why am I not surprised the NSA is listening to my company’s business?”

  Hawk shrugged. “You know how it is. He didn’t get much.”

  “What did he get?” Krause asked.

  “Something about a distraction.”

  “Okay?” Alex sought an explanation. “And?”

  “I know….I’m getting there. At first, that was all he had. There are some other words: keep, place, Admiral, and, well, it sounded like FBI, but that one was hard to discern. And, Alex? It was two voices. One might have been your security guy. Who is doing your background checks?” Hawk added.

  “Why? Need a job?” Alex asked.

  “Alex?” Krause shook his head. “Marcus saw two people that night. We already assumed one was your security man, and that there is a reason he has disappeared. But, think about it. The only words McCollum got from him were compromise and see.”

  Alex sighed. “I know. You’re thinking what I am thinking?”

  “Hello! What are you thinking?” Hawk asked.

  “The break into Carecom was a distraction from something else. I’m sure there were some incentives, but they wanted us on another trail,” Alex asserted.

  “Think they are looking to compromise MyoGen for some reason? Maybe Ivanov knows something we don’t,” Krause said. “You heard McCollum. What if that program got so big that Ivanov somehow maneuvered ASA into the middle of it?” Krause asked.

  “Shit,” Alex rubbed her forehead. “Think that is why my father cut off the funnel to ASA? He suspected it?”

  “Maybe,” Krause said.

  Alex looked at Edmond as he entered the room. “What did Jane say?”

  Edmond shook his head. “She doesn’t know where Brady and Fallon are.”

  “What do you mean?” Alex asked.

  “I mean, she doesn’t know, Alexis. They are off the grid—completely. She had them working some files from Rand and ASA….”

  “Maybe they picked up on the same thing,” Krause guessed.

  “Why wouldn’t they call in?” Hawk asked. “That’s not like Brady.”

  “Yeah, well, Brady spent a year under, Hawk. He might not operate the way you remember,” Alex said.

  “You’re not thinking he is working with The Admiral?” Krause asked.

  “Not really, no, but I do want to talk to my father-in-law and get his take on that,” Alex said.

  “You trust McCollum to tell you the truth?” Krause was shocked.

  “About that? Yeah, I do,” Alex said. She had little reason to trust James McCollum, but his actions did not lead her to believe he would compromise them now, certainly not if he loved Cassidy. And, that was about the only thing Alex was sure about where McCollum was concerned—he loved Cassidy.

  “Perhaps, they headed to MyoGen,” Edmond suggested. “If they thought that you might be…”

  Krause agreed. “Makes sense, Alex,” he said. “When do you….”

  “I can’t go,” Alex said. “Cass and I are on our way to Maine.”

  “You’re leaving?” Edmond asked.

  “Yep. You and your old friend are too,” Alex told him. “It’ll give you a chance to catch up with Mom,” she said with a smirk. “And, you’re going to help with something.” She glanced back to Krause. “Dylan got hurt.”

  “Is he….”

  “Okay, I think. Badly enough that they are taking him to the hospital. Cass and I need to go.”

  “It’s okay. Eleana and I will see if we can’t catch up with Fallon and Brady at MyoGen,” Krause offered.

  “What about me?” Hawk asked.

  Alex’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. “Oh, I have the perfect assignment for you.”

  ***

  “You can’t be serious,” McCollum looked at Cassidy in complete disbelief.

  “I’m completely serious,” she said as she closed a suitcase.

  “Cassie, I don’t think that is a good idea. I never intended to tell your mother…”

  “I’m sure. If I heard you correctly earlier, you never intended a lot of things,” she replied. “What did you intend?” she asked her father. “Wait, let me guess? You thought you could come in here, turn all of our lives upside down and then just leave again? Am I right?”

  “It would be for the best.”

  “For whom? For you?” Cassidy challenged.

  “For you, for Rose…For all of you.”

  Cassidy nodded. “Is that what you think? That you can just come into people’s lives and open old wounds—that you can profess that you love someone and then just walk away?”

  “I’ve hurt you enough.”

  “So? Your answer would be to hurt me more?”

  McCollum was confused. “I don’t think…”

  “No, you don’t think. At least, not like I do. I told you—it’s your decision. If you want to be a part of my life, it can’t be what it was. You don’t know me anymore. I’m not sure I ever knew you at all. It doesn’t change the fact that I love my father,” Cassidy sensed her father was about to speak. “I’m not finished. You can make whatever decision you wish. You should know, I am done with the lies and done with all the secrets.”

  “Did you hear what I told you earlier?” he asked.

  “Every word. What did you think? That would scare me into submission? I’m not your asset, Dad. No matter what you decide, I will tell Mom the truth. And, I will tell my children when they are old enough, and I do mean all of it,” Cassidy said. “For now, I will tell them only what they need to know, but I will not protect your lie. I have one of my own that has torn me apart for too long already.”

  “You did what you had to do,” McCollum said.

  “No, I did what I chose to do, just like you. I have to live with that for the rest of my life. I don’t have to live with protecting yours, and I don’t intend to.”

  “Cassie.”

  Cassidy picked up Mackenzie. She stepped closer to her father. “Everything you have missed,” she said to him. “For what? It’s your choice, Dad. But, I don’t care about the answers or the issues in the world right now. I care about my family. So, if you aren’t going to come with us—don’t be here when we get back.”

  “My staying could endanger you all the…”

  “Your leaving will do that too,” Cassidy said. “For what it’s worth,” she said as she took her leave. “I hope you stay.”

  ***

  “Claire?”

  Claire rolled over and looked at Eleana. “You’ve been crying,” she observed. Eleana looked at her friend helplessly. “Come here,” Claire told Eleana.

  Eleana walked slowly to the bed and fell into Claire’s arms. “Are you going to send me away again?”

  Claire sighed and pulled Eleana closer. “Why are you crying?”

  “Why did they do it?” Eleana asked.

  “I don’t know,” Claire said. “I don’t know why any of us do what we do at times,” she confessed.

  “Some of us weren’t given much choice,” Eleana said softly.

  Claire hadn’t needed to hear the conversation downstairs to imagine what had happened. She kissed Eleana on the forehead. “Whatever he told you, now you get to choose what to do with it,” Claire said.

  “What about you?” Eleana said. “I…”

  “I will be okay,” Claire promised.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” Claire asked.

  “For not knowing, for leaving you, for…”

  “Stop,” Claire said. “Stop.” She pushed Eleana away slightly so that she could look into her eyes. “You can’t save me, Eleana. Wasn’t it you that told me that?”

  “I didn’t know that…”

  “That doesn’t matter.”

  “Yes, it does,” Eleana said.

  “Maybe. It doesn’t change things. You can’t change who I have been.”

  “I don’t want to change you, Claire. I love you. I just want to…”

  “Help me? I know. Maybe one day you will
be able to. Now is not that time.”

  “Why do you keep pushing me away?” Eleana asked painfully.

  “Because I need to change me, Eleana. I don’t know if I can. The one good thing I have done in my life is love you. It’s the one thing I would never change. And, I need to start there. Someone helped me realize that,” Claire said.

  “Cassidy,” Eleana guessed. “Cassidy told you to…”

  “No, you know her better than me,” Claire reminded Eleana. “She just said some things that made sense to me.”

  Eleana sniffled. “She does that.”

  “She reminds me of my mother,” Claire spoke so softly that Eleana barely heard her.

  Eleana smiled as she recalled Claire’s mother. She had been a gentle woman. Eleana’s mother was far more rigid and disciplined with her than Claire’s mother had been. For years, looking back, Eleana wondered how Marjorie Brackett survived living with The Admiral. The thought made Eleana sick—she hadn’t. Eleana took a minute to think about Claire’s words. She felt the sincerity in them, and she could see the likeness as well.

  “I guess she’s kind of like everyone’s mother sometimes,” Eleana said. “I always have thought of it more as an older sister, but it’s true. It’s kind of spooky, actually. She just knows things. I wonder if that happens when you become a mom,” Eleana mused.

  Claire smiled at Eleana’s curious expression. “One day you can tell me if it does,” Claire said.

  “What?”

  Claire kissed Eleana gently on the lips. “I love you, El. You need to let me go.”

  “I don’t know how.”

  “I know, that’s why I am doing it for you. See? Being the bitch can come in handy sometimes,” Claire tried to lighten the mood.

  “You’re not a bitch.”

  “You see something no one else does.”

  “That’s not true, Claire. And, it doesn’t matter anyway. You need to see it for yourself,” Eleana said.

  “I know,” Claire replied.

  “You really want me to go?”

  “No,” Claire confessed. “But, you need to.”

  Eleana nodded. She leaned in and captured Claire’s’ lips in a tender kiss. “Not goodbye,” she whispered. “Just…”

  “I’ll see you,” Claire said. She watched Eleana as Eleana opened the door and then closed her eyes.

  Cassidy bumped into Eleana in the hallway. “Eleana?” Eleana shook her head. Cassidy smiled knowingly. “It’s because she loves you,” Cassidy offered.

  “I know, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

  “It never does,” Cassidy agreed. She kissed Eleana on the cheek. “Jonathan is looking for you.” Eleana nodded. “Let him in,” she said. Eleana nodded silently again and walked down the stairs.

  Cassidy looked at Mackenzie. “This family is a mess,” she said.

  “Bah…Moo. Moo.”

  Cassidy giggled and stepped into Claire’s room. “You okay?”

  “Nope,” Claire replied honestly. Cassidy chuckled. “I told you,” Claire said. “I don’t tend to lie. Just, people don’t usually like what I have to say.”

  “Alex and I have to leave.”

  Claire surprised herself with her question. “Everything okay?”

  “Nope,” Cassidy answered. This time, Claire chuckled. “I don’t like to lie either. Too messy,” Cassidy said.

  Cassidy smiled at the lingering question in Claire’s eyes. She knew that everyone in the house, except Eleana, doubted Claire would ever change at all. Cassidy didn’t care much what anyone thought at the moment. She had no idea how much Claire would change or whether the changes would ultimately be for the good. But, she had no doubt that Claire had already begun.

  “Dylan wiped out skiing. We need to get to Maine.”

  “Is he okay?” Claire asked genuinely.

  “I’m sure he’ll survive. If it puts him out of commission for any time, he will not be happy.”

  “Cassidy?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Is there like some weird thing that happens when you have kids? Like a radar thing or something?” Claire asked.

  Cassidy laughed. “I don’t think so, why?”

  “No reason.”

  Cassidy scratched her brow and pursed her lips. “Take it easy on those pills. Jen will be here tomorrow.”’

  “I’m not stoned!” Claire defended herself. “Why does everyone think that?”

  “Just behave yourself,” Cassidy warned as she began to leave.

  “Hey, Cassidy,” Claire stopped her. “I hope Dylan is okay.”

  Cassidy nodded. “I’ll see you.”

  “Yeah,” Claire whispered as Cassidy closed the bedroom door. “See you.”

  ***

  “Anyone who can tame Alex deserves my respect,” Hawk poked Cassidy as they approached Claire’s room.

  “It’s nice to have a face to accompany the name,” Cassidy said sincerely.

  “Oh no, I don’t think I want to know what she told you,” Hawk said.

  “All good,” Cassidy promised. “Well, most of it anyway,” she winked.

  “She thinks so highly of me she’s letting me babysit,” Hawk complained.

  Cassidy laughed. “You might find the company more interesting than you’d imagine,” she said.

  “I’ve no doubt Brackett is interesting. I never wanted children,” Hawk chided. “Don’t have the patience.”

  Cassidy nodded. “She might surprise you.”

  “Do I detect a note of admiration in your voice?” Hawk asked curiously.

  “You detect a note of empathy,” Cassidy corrected Alex’s former partner.

  “You do realize who that is in there?”

  “I do. I just wonder if any of you really do,” Cassidy offered. As if on cue, Kenzie started babbling loudly in the distance. “Sorry,” she said. “Duty calls.”

  Hawk watched Cassidy head toward the sound of Mackenzie’s voice. She looked the bedroom door in front of her and groaned. “Duty? Ugh. Thanks a lot, Alex. What did I do to deserve this? I didn’t think it was that bad.”

  ***

  Alex wished that they had Cassidy’s SUV as she loaded two bags into her mother’s trunk.

  “Maybe it’s a good thing he’s not coming. Besides the fact that Edmond is ready to kill someone, this car is small,” Alex tried to make light of the fact that James McCollum had seemingly decided to stay behind.

  Cassidy’s defeated smile made Alex want to pummel the older man all over again. There was a part of her that was relieved. She had no idea how they would handle the news with Rose, and at the cabin, they would have to tell Dylan something. But, that all seemed inevitable no matter what. And, Alex had thought that the cabin would be safer both emotionally and physically for the fallout. She leaned in to kiss Cassidy on the forehead and caught sight of McCollum carrying a small bag.

  Alex whispered in Cassidy’s ear. “Don’t look now.” Cassidy turned around slowly. Alex extracted Mackenzie from Cassidy’s arms. “I’ll get Kenz strapped in.”

  McCollum took a step forward. “Hi,” Cassidy said.

  “I’m still not convinced this is a good idea,” he said.

  “Me neither,” Cassidy said flatly. McCollum looked at her in amusement. “I told you, I am done with lies,” Cassidy said.

  “Cassie, what about Dylan? How are you…”

  “Well, I guess we tell him the truth,” she said. “The parts we can. You had to go away somewhere. There was an accident. It was so far away that no one found you until Uncle Pip did, and he brought you home. Until then, we all thought you were dead.”

  “Sounds crazy to hear it.”

  “It is crazy,” Cassidy said. “Doesn’t make it not true. Come on,” she told him.

  “Your mother….”

  “That’s between the two of you. Alex will call Helen on our way.”

  “You think that will help?” Buffer the shock I mean?”

  “Nope,” Cassidy replied flatly as
she climbed into the back seat with Mackenzie. McCollum froze, not sure what to do.

  “You do remember how to get into a car?” Cassidy asked.

  “I….”

  “Sit next to your granddaughter,” she instructed him.

  Alex turned around from the front seat. “Is it me, or does this feel more like National Lampoon’s than the X-Files?”

  “This is a bad idea,” McCollum whispered to himself outside the door.

  “I heard that,” Cassidy said. “Get in the car, Dad.”

  McCollum took his seat and looked at Cassidy in amazement. “How did…”

  Alex laughed in the front seat. “You want to keep your secrets safe in this family, don’t speak,” she advised him. “Cass has bat hearing.

  “Drive the car, Alfred,” Cassidy said.

  “Yes, Mrs. Wayne.”

  “Bah!” Kenzie screamed out. “Moooooo!”

  “See? The cow!” Alex declared as she pulled out of the driveway.

  Cassidy closed her eyes. National Lampoons—accurate.

  Chap ter Seventeen

  Eleana had been silent during their flight and still had not spoken. Krause had been trying to sort through the facts. Somehow, his thoughts kept turning to the woman beside him. Cassidy had pulled him aside before she left.

  “You need to tell her the truth.”

  “Who?” Krause asked Cassidy.

  “Eleana. Tell her, Pip. She needs you right now. Her whole life just got ripped out from under her. Claire, who she might have been, all of it.”

  “So did you,” he replied.

  “Yes, but I have what I need,” Cassidy said. “It doesn’t stop the anger and the hurt, but it does help. You need her too.”

  “Cassie…”

  “Pip, she is not me. You never lost me, because you never really had me,” Cassidy said truthfully. “There’s only ever been one person for me. I just hadn’t met her yet.”

  “I know.”

  “You have Eleana. Don’t lose her,” Cassidy said.

  “I don’t know where to begin.”

  “Yes, you do,” Cassidy said. She kissed him on the cheek.

  “Tell Dylan I said hi, okay?”

  “I will. Tell Eleana,” Cassidy said again.

  “What do you think?” Eleana asked Krause softly from the passenger seat of the rental car.