Secret Passage

by Amanda Stevens

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m talking about crates full of explosives. What do you think they’re going to do with all that dynamite, Camille? There’s enough TNT in that mine to take out the whole city, your grandfather included.”

  “There won’t be an explosion. We know that from history.”

  His gaze deepened. “But what if we’re the ones who are supposed to stop it?”

  The question stopped her cold. “We can’t be.”

  “How do you know? It’s like I said earlier, our very presence here has changed everything. What if the FBI or the police or whoever stopped the saboteurs the first time around become so preoccupied with investigating us that they ignore the real threat?”

  Camille stared at him helplessly. “What exactly are you proposing we do?”

  “We find out who’s responsible for stockpiling those explosives and what they plan to do with them. And if necessary, we stop them.”

  “And how do we do that?”

  Zac shrugged. “In order to get close enough to plant the explosives, they’ll need someone working with them behind the fence. Someone with a high-level security clearance. You can keep your eyes and ears open for any suspicious behavior behind the fence, and, in the meantime, I’ll stake out the mine.”

  Camille got up and started to pace. “Actually, I’m already concerned about someone at work,” she admitted. “A woman named Alice Nichols. She befriended me when I first came to the reservation. I thought at first that she was just one of those gregarious types who makes friends with everyone, but for the past few days, I’ve had the feeling she’s watching me.”

  “You think she’s on to you?”

  “I don’t see how she could be. My credentials and cover are solid. Grandfather made sure of that.” Camille turned to Zac. “But that’s not all. The other day, an FBI agent came to see me at work. He asked a lot of questions about you. He even wanted me to spy on you.”

  Zac’s gaze sharpened. “What was this agent’s name?”

  “Talbott.”

  He nodded grimly. “Yeah, we’ve met. He came to see me in the hospital.”

  “What did he want?”

  “Just to make sure that I knew he’d be watching me.”

  Camille started to pace again. “I don’t like this, Zac. You don’t suppose…”

  “What?”

  “You don’t suppose someone else came through the wormhole, do you? Someone who’s trying to blow our covers.”

  He thought about that for a moment. “It’s possible. But it’s not unusual for the FBI to be suspicious of strangers. Especially in wartime. Especially in the vicinity of a top secret nuclear lab.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Camille tried to shake off her unease. “I guess that could explain why I saw Talbott and Alice in the cafeteria together after he’d talked to me, but I got the distinct impression that they knew each other. And then Alice dropped a piece of paper on the floor and when Talbott retrieved it, he put it in his pocket rather than returning it to her.”

  “You think she’s passing secrets to him?”

  “I don’t know. But she told me once that she’s seeing a young research assistant from my grandfather’s lab. And she knows something big is going to happen on the fifteenth.”

  “She said that?”

  Camille grew pensive. “The more I think about it, the more I’m starting to believe that Alice is the one we need to watch. And I haven’t even told you everything.” She turned. “I saw her and Talbott again today. They’d arranged to meet in the supply closet at work.”

  “Could it have been a lovers’ assignation?”

  “Maybe. But I followed her again this afternoon. She got off the bus in Ashton, walked several blocks over and then got into Daniel Clutter’s car.”

  “Clutter?” Zac whistled. “Sounds like Alice Nichols likes to get around. An FBI agent, a research assistant and an engineer who all have high-level security clearances behind the fence. Are we starting to see a pattern here?”

  “So what do we do about it?” Camille asked worriedly.

  “Keep your eye on her,” Zac said. “But be careful. Don’t let her know that you’re on to her. If she feels cornered, she could be dangerous.”

  Camille stared at him for a moment. “I don’t know about this. I don’t know about any of this. We’re not supposed to interfere, Zac. Any little thing we do could have devastating consequences. We can’t just go around changing history like that.”

  “Yes, we can.” He got up and walked slowly toward her. “We have the power to change the future, to alter the course of history. Think about it, Camille.”

  She was thinking about it. Or trying to. But he wasn’t making it easy. He was standing too near, gazing down at her in a way that made her breathless.

  Camille wanted to back away from him, but she knew if she didn’t stand her ground now, she would never trust herself with him again. She had to prove to herself once and for all that she was over Zac Riley. That he couldn’t hurt her again.

  But the moment he put his hand to her face, something stilled inside her. Her heart began to pound, and her knees grew weak just looking at him.

  He lifted the locket to her neck and fastened it beneath her hair. When it was back in place, nestled in the hollow of her throat, he touched it with his fingertip. “We have the chance to make things right.”

  Was he talking about the world…or the two of them?

  “Some things aren’t meant to be,” she whispered.

  His gaze lifted. “Do you really believe that?”

  “Yes.” She closed her eyes. “I have to believe that. I couldn’t make it through the day if I didn’t believe that.”

  He bent then and kissed her, and it was all Camille could do not to respond. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t kiss him back, either, and when he lifted his head, his gaze burned into hers. “Kiss me, Camille.

  “I can’t. If I kiss you…”

  “What?”

  She swallowed. “If I kiss you, I’ll be lost.”

  “I’m lost, too,” he said, and then he kissed her again.

  HE DIDN’T BREAK THE KISS even when he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. Or when he set her on her feet and began to untie her robe. He didn’t stop kissing her as he pushed her nightgown down her arms and over her hips to puddle at her feet. He didn’t stop kissing her as she fumbled with his belt and then his zipper. He didn’t stop kissing her…because Camille wouldn’t let him stop.

  She clung to him desperately, kissing him so deeply and so utterly that Zac could feel whatever willpower he might once have had ebb away. He wanted her. Now. He wanted her hot and trembling in his arms. He wanted to be inside her, watching her face as she climaxed….

  She pulled him down on the bed, and their arms and legs entangled as she kissed him again. Over and over.

  When he finally pulled away, her gaze met his in the moonlight. “I want you,” she whispered.

  “I want you, too. More than you’ll ever know.”

  HE KNELT AT THE FOOT of the bed. Camille lay on her back, gazing up at him through hooded eyes as he encircled her ankle, then slowly glided his hand up the length of her leg. Bending, he kissed the back of her knee, skimmed his lips along her inner thigh until Camille began to tremble violently. She couldn’t stop. She plunged her hands into his hair and pulled him up to her.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, sliding into her.

  Camille closed her eyes as she arched her hips to meet him. Yes, yes, she thought in desperation. This is what she wanted. What she’d been missing for so long. Zac’s body on hers, in hers, making her feel as if the two of them were meant to be.

  They took it slowly at first, and then as they kissed again, their movements became more frenzied. Soft moans and whispers mingled in the darkness. Zac clasped his hands with hers, and she clung to him fiercely as their gazes met. And, for a few glorious moments, time stood still.

 
SOMETIME LATER, Camille lay spooned against Zac’s warm body, her head cradled in her hand.

  “Are you sleeping?” he asked softly.

  “No, just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  She sighed. “Adam.”

  Zac’s arm tightened around her. “I thought so. I was thinking about him, too.” The deep sadness in his voice caused tears to burn behind Camille’s lids.

  She rolled over and nestled her head against his chest. “I can only imagine what this must be like for you. Since it happened, life’s been a living hell for me, but I wouldn’t want the pain to go away if it meant losing my memories of him. I’m sorry you don’t have those memories.”

  Zac cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, too. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to save him.”

  Camille glanced up at him. “It wasn’t your fault. There was a time when I convinced myself that it was, but I know now that placing blame on you was easier than facing up to my own guilt. I was there…and I couldn’t save him.”

  Zac smoothed back her hair. “You can’t blame yourself.”

  “But if I’d listened to my instincts…if I’d made him leave the park when I knew we should…” She closed her eyes. “He begged me to stay and I didn’t have the heart to say no.”

  “Because you loved him. You wanted to make him happy.”

  “And now he’s gone.”

  Zac was silent for a moment. “We’ve got a score to settle, Camille.”

  She lifted her head. “Von Meter?”

  “And Vogel. They won’t get away with what they’ve done. I promise you that.”

  “You can’t take them down. They’re too powerful. They’ll kill you.”

  “We’ll see.” His mouth thinned cruelly, giving Camille a glimpse of the super soldier inside him. The super soldier who would do anything to succeed at his mission.

  Chapter Twelve

  After Camille left for work the next morning, Zac went back up to the mine to make sure the crates hadn’t been moved overnight. He had no idea what the would-be saboteurs’ time frame or target might be, but the proximity to Oak Ridge made the plants a fair bet. And if they’d somehow gotten wind of Project Rainbow, it was conceivable that Dr. Kessler’s laboratory could be targeted. And that meant Camille could be in danger, as well.

  Zac knew that he would do everything in his power to protect her, but what if that wasn’t enough? He hadn’t been able to protect Adam.

  A knot of pain formed in Zac’s heart, but he wouldn’t let himself dwell on that now. There was too much to do, too much at stake, and he couldn’t afford to distract himself—torment himself—with questions about what might have been.

  He couldn’t afford to think about Camille, either, and how their night together might affect his mission. He still had every intention of making sure those generators were turned off after the Eldridge rematerialized because, in spite of Camille’s reservations, leaving the wormhole was too dangerous. Which meant he still had to find a way to get to Dr. Kessler. Preferably with Camille’s cooperation, but if not…

  Finding the crates undisturbed, Zac searched through several of the nearby tunnels, but locating nothing else suspicious, he went back to the cottage to set up surveillance. From the west-facing windows, he watched the ridge through field glasses, hoping to detect any movement that might be out of the ordinary.

  He stayed at the windows throughout most of the day, then late that afternoon, when the shadows on the ridge grew longer and deeper, making the surveillance more difficult, he went outside to hike back up to the mine.

  Billy was outside waiting for him. He came running with his ball and glove. “Hey, Zac, wanna play some catch?”

  “I can’t today. I’ve got some errands to run.” At Billy’s crestfallen look, Zac knelt. “What’s the matter? Can’t you get the twins to play with you?”

  “They’re not home. Mrs. Fowler sent Donny into town, and Davy went back up to—” He broke off, his eyes widening in apprehension as he realized his blunder.

  “Davy went where?” Zac asked suspiciously.

  “Nowhere,” Billy mumbled, glancing away.

  Zac put his hand on Billy’s shoulder, forcing the boy to look at him. “Billy, did Davy go back up to the mine?”

  He shook his head vigorously, but his eyes gave him away. He couldn’t quite meet Zac’s gaze.

  How the hell had that kid slipped by him? Zac wondered. He’d been watching the trail all day. And if Davy had gotten by him, who else might have?

  His grip tightened on Billy’s shoulder. “Billy, this is important. Did Davy go up to the mine?”

  Billy’s bottom lip began to tremble at Zac’s harsh tone.

  “Just tell the truth, son.” Zac tried to soften his tone. “You don’t want Davy to get hurt, do you? Is he at the mine?”

  Billy nodded miserably. “He’ll be mad at me for telling.”

  Zac squeezed the boy’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. That mine is a dangerous place. Your brother could get seriously hurt up there.” Especially if enemy saboteurs caught him snooping around those crates. “I’m going up there to find him. I want you to go home and wait for us. Understood?”

  Billy nodded and gulped. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. Now take off.” The sooner he got to the mine, Zac thought grimly, the sooner he could put the fear of God into Davy Clutter.

  Collecting a flashlight and his weapon from the house, Zac hurried up the trail, keeping a careful watch for any other signs of life. Pausing just inside the mine’s entrance, he listened for a moment before turning on his light. He heard nothing but the usual sounds at first—the constant drip of water, the creaking of ancient timbers. And then from somewhere deep in the mine came the clang of something metal hitting the floor.

  Zac was pretty sure he knew where that sound had come from. Following the railroad tracks back into the mine, he made the same trek he’d made earlier that morning.

  He approached the opening with caution. Light emanated from inside, and he could hear someone moving about. Flattening himself against the wall, Zac glanced around the corner, expecting to see Davy inside. But the person feverishly working at the crates was female.

  She had her back to Zac, but he thought he recognized the blond hair and slender figure.

  He drew his weapon and stepped inside. “Put your hands up and turn around slowly.”

  The sound of his voice startled her so badly, she jumped and dropped the crowbar. It landed with another loud clang against the floor.

  Her trembling hands lifted high in the air, Betty Wilson slowly turned. When she saw who he was, her first reaction was one of relief. “Zac! Oh, thank goodness it’s you—” Then she saw his weapon and her gaze widened. “Wh-why do you have a gun?”

  “What are you doing here?” he countered. “What do you know about those crates?” He maneuvered himself into the room so that he could watch both the entrance and Betty.

  “Oh, are they yours?” she asked innocently.

  Zac gave her a cold glare. “I think you know who they belong to. I think you helped him move them in here three days ago.”

  Her blue eyes rounded even wider. “I didn’t! I swear I didn’t know anything about them until he brought me here last night.”

  “He?”

  She blushed and glanced away. “Look, can I…” Tentatively, she lowered her arms.

  “Keep your hands where I can see them,” Zac warned.

  She clasped her fingers together in front of her. “It’s not what you think. I only met him a few days ago when he came to the hospital to see you. We went out a few times. Nothing serious. I just wanted…to have a little fun, and there aren’t many eligible men around in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  She paused and drew a long breath. “Anyway, after we’d gone out a few times, he told me he had contacts. He could get things for me, nylons and sugar and things like that. And all I had to do was keep an eye on you, let him know if you did or said anything suspici
ous. It sounded exciting at first, all cloak-and-dagger.” Nervously, she moistened her lips. “But I would never have told him anything about you, Zac. Nothing important.”

  Zac’s gaze darkened. He didn’t believe her, of course. Not for a moment. “You never told me his name.”

  She opened her mouth to answer, but a loud crash brought on a scream instead. The lantern had somehow fallen from the peg, and, as the glass smashed against the floor, the kerosene exploded.

  Zac rushed to stomp out the flames before they could spread to the crates. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow move in the doorway, but, before he could turn to defend himself, something struck the back of his head and he staggered forward in agony.

  CAMILLE SAT AT HER DESK and wondered what Zac was doing at that very moment. She didn’t want to think about him, but she couldn’t help herself. She didn’t want to think about what last night might mean for her future, because, deep down, she knew it meant nothing at all. Zac had left her once before. There was no reason to believe he wouldn’t do so again as long as he was under Von Meter’s control. How could she put herself through that again?

  And yet…how could she not? How could she turn her back on him when a part of her still believed that she could save him?

  You’re a fool, a little voice warned her.

  “Camille Somersby?”

  She glanced up to find a young man she’d never seen before standing in front of her desk. He wore a dark suit and a badge that identified him as being from the Security and Intelligence Division. “Yes?”

  “Would you come with me please?”

  Camille’s heart quickened. “What’s this about?”

  “Just come with me, please.”

  Reluctantly, Camille got up and followed him into the hall, but, even away from the curious stares of the other clerks, he still wouldn’t answer any of her questions. He led her down a series of corridors and stairwells until they were so deeply beneath the building Camille wondered if she would ever find her way out.

  Finally the agent stopped in front of a door, knocked once, waited a moment, then motioned for her to enter. The moment she walked inside, Camille expected a bright light to hit her eyes, one so blinding that she wouldn’t be able to see the faces of her interrogators. Instead, the guard nodded to one of his colleagues, then led her through two more sets of doors and finally into a laboratory containing long rows of electronic equipment with complicated-looking gauges and meters.