Jae's Assignment

by Bernice Layton

  Watching her now, he wasn’t the least bit surprised when Madeline clapped her hands, rocked from side to side, and started singing a joyful, upbeat hymn. When his sisters joined in, singing slightly off-key, he also noticed his father’s chagrin.

  It was the perfect time for him to slip out of the heavy double doors, but oh how he wished he could stay just to watch them, hear them. When he spotted the black limousine parked a few feet away at the curb, he pulled the khaki baseball cap from his pocket and put it on, tugging the brim down to cover his face.

  Slipping behind the church, he disappeared out of sight.

  For the rest of the afternoon, Trevor drove around the back roads that were familiar to him. He had taken a chance even coming back to his hometown, but nothing would have kept him away, not today.

  As day gave way to night, he drove past a sub shop. Stopping the car and rolling down the window, he inhaled deeply. He even considered going inside to buy his favorite ham and cheese hoagie then smiled. He remembered eating two or three of them every week.

  To him the sub shop represented all he had given up when he made the sacrifice to save the lives of his family. That couldn’t have been wrong, he thought. Not now, not when he could see them, hear their voices, and almost touch them. They were alive and well and that was all that mattered to him.

  Since it was getting late, he decided to head out by the interstate to find a motel for the night. First thing tomorrow morning he would drive to the Eastern Shore.

  His Internet searches had led to the address of a vacation property owned by Dr. Ross Moran. He was the only person Trevor had sent a copy of his research findings to. He recalled the doctor calling him in the middle of the night, warning him to keep quiet about his research until he’d been able to review everything. He also warned him of the serious consequences that could possibly outweigh the pros of delving into such a project.

  Trevor had heard the doctor’s warnings, but the positive responses to continue the research combined with the positive results, were just too encouraging to stop. With the funding he’d received, he’d continued to recruit more research and test subjects…soldiers.

  Now, Trevor wanted to know what those consequences were that Dr. Moran had cautioned him about, and if his former colleague had told anyone else.

  Spotting a pay phone in a strip mall, he got out of the car and called a 24-hour diner and ordered dinner to go. Then he drove to the interstate to find a motel.

  * * * * *

  After finding Trevor Grant’s intel from the manual, Jae decided to check out Trevor’s hometown, which wasn’t on the Eastern Shore like he’d told her.

  Her first stop in Rockville, Maryland, was to the cemetery where his mother and brother were buried. After exiting the car, she was about to walk over to the area where the graves were located, but her attention was drawn to a tall man and three women emerging from a black limousine.

  As the man walked up the sidewalk and climbed the steps leading inside the chapel, he turned to look out over the tranquil setting of the garden. Jae lifted her high-powered binoculars. Even from her position about one hundred feet away, there was no doubt who the man was. The resemblance was uncanny and having now seen Trevor’s real face, Jae recognized the man as his father and the two younger women as his sisters, the older woman, his stepmother.

  Several minutes later, she spotted a tall man leaving the chapel, pulling a baseball cap low on his forehead, obscuring his face. Dipping the binoculars slightly lower to his feet, Jae noticed the black boots. It was Trevor.

  He hurried down the steps and ducked behind the church, where she watched him sprint across the cemetery. He walked at a fast pace and moments later Jae saw why when his family walked out of the chapel.

  Walking back out of the cemetery to where she’d parked the Lexus, Jae kept one eye on the back area of the cemetery. Once inside the Lexus, she glanced up in the rearview mirror and watched a red car approaching, then scrunched down in the driver’s seat. She sat up just in time to catch a glimpse of the small yellow emblem painted on the back quarter panel of the driver’s side of the Mustang.

  That’s my car!

  With one eye narrowing dangerously, Jae also noticed the license plate had been switched.

  “Trevor Grant, I’m going to strangle you,” she screeched.

  She swung around, making a tight U-turn, narrowly missing a headstone perched closely by the road. “Sorry,” she called out the window as she followed the Mustang at a discreet distance.

  It was dark but early evening when she watched her Mustang pull off the road. After making a quick stop at a diner, Trevor pulled back into traffic and Jae followed at a discreet distance. She had no idea where he was going but one thing was for certain, she was going to punch his lights out for stealing her car.

  Soon, the Mustang pulled around the pool side of a motel off the interstate. She continued driving with the flow of traffic but watched him get out of the car.

  Two blocks down the road, Jae headed into the parking lot of a convenience store. Using her binoculars she could see him park the car in front of room 106 then collect his bags from the trunk before sprinting up the steps to the second level. He casually walked down the platform and entered room 216.

  Jae drove back down the road and parked the Lexus across from the motel.

  Mindful not to park under the road light, she maneuvered the car to face the motel.

  Reclining the seat, Jae picked up the bottle of orange soda pop and pack of chocolate chip cookies she’d purchased earlier. Pressing the illumination button on her watch she noted the time. She decided to give Trevor time to settle in and eat his dinner before she went in.

  But first, she had something else to do just for the fun of it.

  Jae needed to torment Iverson one more time.

  When he answered his office line gruffly Jae was positive then that he’d broken down and told Darius about her taking his cell phone. “Hey, you mad at me?” she asked.

  “Uh-huh.”

  Jae munched on a cookie. He sounded pissed.

  “Sorry about that. Darius around?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Jae was biting her lips to keep from laughing when she pictured Iverson’s handsome face all red after getting chewed out by Darius. “Hey, don’t let Darius punk you down. He’ll be getting his own ass handed to him when Sheila finds out he brought a Lexus instead of a minivan, and hopefully, we’ll get to see it, right?”

  “That’s a good one, Jae,” Darius said dryly.

  Jae bolted upright in the seat. Oh, damn!

  “What’s wrong? You don’t feel like talking any more crap for Iverson’s big red ears?” Darius asked. “What’s going on?”

  Jae let out a cautious sigh. “I’m working my assignment,” she said, all teasing gone.

  “Really? Well, as the assistant special agent in charge, when I issue you a directive to stay put, I expect you to follow it. You didn’t, Jae. So where’s the ape-man?”

  “He’s on my radar,” Jae said, holding the binoculars up to her eyes when she saw Trevor come out of his room carrying a bag to the trash bin at the end of the walkway.

  “Don’t go after him. We’ll handle it.”

  “There’s a connection between the two.” Jae spoke cryptically.

  “With the ape-man and the other one we talked about on the patio?”

  “He saw y’all coming,” she said, watching Trevor walk back to his room, pulling off his T-shirt as he carelessly strolled inside. “Did you get my note?”

  “I did… A gut thing?”

  “The people who want him six feet under want some intel first,” she said. “Did you put a BOLO out on my baby?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Do me a favor and hold off?”

  “Why should I? You sprinted on me.”

  “My
baby was stolen,” she said.

  “No it wasn’t. You took it, didn’t you?”

  “Nope, the ape-man did.” She heard Darius curse.

  Time was of the essence now because she knew Darius would trace Iverson’s cell network for the closest tower location, that is, after he tracked the GPS on her Mustang.

  Finishing her soda, Jae grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and exited the Lexus.

  She made a quick dash across the road holding her bag securely to her side. It contained vital information and she hoped her timing was perfect to catch Trevor off guard.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Randy stood behind the one-way mirror. He didn’t think he needed to hide his identity any longer seeing that Grainger was no longer a threat to him.

  With his arms folded over his chest, Randy watched Otis issue a command to Grainger. It was a simple task. He was instructed to get up from the chair, pick up a notepad from the desk, and return to his seat.

  Grainger couldn’t do it. He would get up, take a step, look confused, then sit back down in an exhausted heap. He’d failed several tasks he had been instructed to do while under hypnosis, that is, after being administered medications.

  To test the limits of the experiment, Otis had taken Grainger to a small clothing store, and instructed him to go inside and purchase one white dress shirt.

  It was then that either the medication had worn off or he’d awakened from the hypnotic state. Things had gone terribly wrong. While paying for the shirt, Grainger had become confused, stumbled into the displays, mumbling incoherently, then begging for help. The store clerks assumed he was drunk and were seconds from calling the police when Otis hurried in apologizing profusely. He’d told them his mentally challenged, adult son had wandered away from him. He had given him a sedative and then guided a lethargic and disoriented Grainger from the store.

  Frustrated, Randy raked a hand through his blond hair. He’d hoped by now Otis would have perfected the correct combination of medication and hypnosis for Grainger to follow the given commands. He hadn’t. Several of their test subjects couldn’t stay under long enough to test its accuracy either. So what was wrong? Why wasn’t it working?

  Watching Grainger’s blank expression filled Randy with a sense of satisfaction. To see the once powerful, highly disciplined former Marine reduced to this had been worth his efforts to get to Grant.

  Smiling wickedly, Randy had to admit that Grainger had been an excellent subject. He had a strong, focused mind. He really had been a superior soldier, a strong-willed and determined fighter to the end. Breaking him down mentally and physically had proven to be a challenge. Initially, Grainger had fought so hard against the effects of the medication and restraints that Otis had to keep him sedated. But gradually, Grainger lost the battle and succumbed; his mind became malleable, susceptible, the blank slate that Otis needed to work with.

  After being hypnotized and commanded to perform a series of tasks, which Grainger did successfully, Randy was satisfied that Grainger could do what Randy wanted, which was lead him to Grant.

  Randy also needed Grainger to rescind his suspension of duty orders and promote him as the new assistant special agent in charge. It was Randy’s perk to replace that smug bastard Darius Hall. Nobody would question or oppose Grainger’s orders. However, given the fact that both he and Jae Randall called his behavior extremely inappropriate and insubordinate in that bank robbery fiasco, their report called for an immediate psychological examination. Fortunately, Randy had intercepted the results of the examination before it hit Grainger’s desk. If Grainger had received the results and read the report, Randy would have been deemed unfit for duty and Grainger would have demanded Randy’s immediate termination from the FBI.

  Now, as he watched the once fearsome Grainger sitting there practically catatonic, Randy could barely suppress a giggle. He was heady from the surge of power he now felt—power that had been denied him for so long.

  As he stared into Grainger’s empty eyes the man stared back at his reflection in the one-way mirror. Randy knew what he would have to do in the end.

  Eliminate Grainger.

  With questions arising about Grainger’s special OP, Randy needed to step up his game. Not a problem, he thought, turning away from the glass.

  He was in the driver’s seat

  * * * * *

  With her weapon drawn, Jae snorted at the TV once she’d entered the room. She couldn’t believe he had been watching an FBI drama series. With a shake of her head she continued looking around.

  Absently, Jae guessed this is what Trevor’s life must have been like: solitary, trusting no one, conversing with only a few, looking over his shoulder and seeing loved ones from afar. She had to wonder if he would trust her enough to take him in. It was for his own protection.

  Spotting his large backpack on a chair, she dug inside with her left hand, searching for the gun he’d had at her apartment. Not finding it, she searched the dresser drawers, but they were empty.

  When her eyes landed on the nightstand, the key to her Mustang gleamed brightly. She leapt across the bed and snatched it up as if it were a winning lottery ticket. The shower suddenly stopped running and she heard him let out several ohs and ahs, causing her to wonder what he was doing. It was a mistake for her to wonder about that because now curiosity was gnawing at the pit of her stomach and she couldn’t stop imagining how he looked naked. Probably hot, if she’d assessed him correctly. Tight abs, buns, rock hard powerful thighs…Pulling her thoughts to a halt, Jae couldn’t understand why she couldn’t stamp down the erratic beating of her heart whenever she thought about him.

  Okay, so he’s sexy as hell and I’m attracted to him. There, I admit it.

  Walking around the bed away from the door, Jae crouched down and reached into her back pocket, pulling out a pair of plastic handcuffs. She looped one end around her wrist for easy access because she had every intention of taking him in. But she would wait until he stretched out on the bed and then…

  Ah, damn! What if he was naked?

  Jae went completely still when the bathroom door opened. As steam swirled around her, she was positive her blown-out hair was going to need some TLC and a flat iron later.

  She could hear Trevor moving about and prayed he was putting on a pair of underwear. She had to shake a quick vision of him parading around in a pair of boxer briefs when heat rose to her face. She wasn’t sure if it was from the steam filling the room or the prospect of seeing Trevor in all his naked glory.

  As she waited for him to lie down on the bed, Jae planned her takedown. She would spring on him and cuff his right hand to…what? She didn’t recall seeing a bedpost, and glancing around the bottom of the bed she didn’t see a metal rail, either.

  No problem. I’ll get up on his chest, weapon aimed down center mass, and cuff him.

  The idea of straddling him led her thoughts astray once again. Commanding herself to remain focused, she thought about how often she’d done this. She knew how to handle herself.

  After silently counting to three, Jae sprung up from her crouched position and barked out, “Don’t move!”

  That’s when her mouth dropped open and, to her disappointment, it wasn’t because Trevor was naked.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” he said casually as the steam from the shower rose to the ceiling. When her eyes swept from his face, down to his feet, and back again, Trevor smiled. “Disappointed?”

  Getting out of her crouched position, Jae kept the gun aimed at his chest. “Shut up, Trevor,” she said, dumbfounded to find him fully dressed. He’d played her well because he had been expecting her.

  “I should shoot you right now for what you did,” she snarled, gripping the gun tighter.

  Trevor kept a face of pure innocence. “What do you think I did?”

  “You stole my car, you fool!”

  “Oh, that. I
thought you meant the other thing I did.”

  “What other thing you did?”

  “The orange soda pop I brought to you out on the patio.”

  “What about it?” she asked.

  “I only used a small amount of a sleep aid, just enough so I could get my things together,” he said.

  “You drugged me, again? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t blow a hole in your ass, right now?”

  “Oh, well in that case, I should also tell you that I kissed you before I left, too.” Not giving her a chance to react, Trevor reached over with both hands, lifted her up off her feet, and swung her over to rest on top of him. “And I don’t think you really want to shoot me, do you? Besides, the safety is still on,” he added, removing the gun from her slackened hand.

  Caught off guard, all Jae could do was relax when he applied just enough pressure to her upper back to bring her in close proximity of his lips. Her subtle protests went unheard. And when his arms circled her in a blanket of comfort, strength, and pure masculinity, longing filled her. The touch of his lips evoked a heady sensation that melted her from head to toe. Relaxing even more, she indulged and savored the sweetness of kissing him. The hands traveling up and down her back were better than any massage she had paid for at the spa. Her reasoning evaporated into the atmosphere with the steam from the bathroom.

  Trevor broke off the kiss but only long enough to kiss her forehead, then her eyes and her nose before reclaiming possession of her mouth. The kiss lasted several minutes before she opened her eyes and pulled away. Holding her close, Trevor lightly traced the outline of her face and her mouth before his hand drifted down to her backside.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” he said again, caressing her cheek.