In the Dead of the Night

by Spear, Terry

  Garcia cleared his throat. “Jenny Brant is fully aware you’re not her husband, that you’re an agent with A.T.A., and that Wilson was the one we’re after. Correct?”

  “Yes, sir.” Allan looked at Jenny. Lights along the road spilled into the car, showing her sleep-filled face.

  “And you’ve explained to her the importance of her marrying you?”

  Allan ground his teeth. Garcia was like a dog with a chew bone. Once he sank his teeth in it, he wasn’t about to let go. “This isn’t the time. Not in her condition.”

  Cameron said, “We’re at the airport.”

  “We’re at the airport,” Allan relayed to Garcia, hoping to get his boss off his back for the moment.

  But Garcia wasn’t through. “Tell her, and A.S.A.P. We need to get that money transferred for her protection.”

  Allan wasn’t certain that transferring the money was going to take her out of harm’s way. What if Wilson still wanted to kill her? He wasn’t the kind of man who left loose ends dangling to trip him up.

  “Yes, sir.”

  His boss was turning the screws good this time. Poor Jenny hadn’t gotten over the initial shock of Allan’s not being her husband in the first place. Now she had to accept that he had to marry her for real for her own safety even if just for a time. Then there was the transferring of her money to the A.T.A.’s accounts to keep it secure.

  No way was he going to broach the subject with her until she’d had a good night’s sleep and a chance to sort out her feelings somewhat.

  ***

  Jenny leaned against the ice cold windowpane of the Boeing 727, trying to remove herself as far as she could get from Allan who sat on the aisle seat, leaving the middle seat between them empty. She pulled a navy blanket tighter around her and reclined the bright blue seat back.

  She was torn between really caring for the man who had been her husband briefly, and despising him for the lie. Her mind kept rerunning the tape in her head of how she had acted toward him in front of his partners.

  Way too intimately with a man she hadn’t even known. She wanted to crawl into a crab hole at the beach and never come out.

  On the other hand, Allan had acted the gentleman at every turn, despite her come-ons. She groaned with the notion. He seemed genuinely concerned about her, and she had acted like a total fool.

  She grunted under her breath. He was only doing his job. And a good one at that. Only…only if he’d really wanted to pretend, he would have made love to her. God, she was glad she hadn’t pushed it that far. What would he have done? Probably shunned her like he had attempted to do all along. The guy had moral fibers of steel. And here she thought he was gay.

  Her face heated in morbid embarrassment. And she was certain his fellow agents would rib him good over it.

  What must he have thought of her? She shied away from his touch when he leaned over and patted her shoulder.

  She stared out the window. There wasn’t anything to see outside of the commercial plane, but unending blackness, a total void, just like her past life.

  Inside, the shuffling of papers, a sneeze, a woman’s prattling nonstop behind them, and the overwhelming roar of the engines filled the air. The cabin was too bright for her weepy eyes. She closed them and smelled coffee being served all around her.

  “Jenny, do you want to lay your head in my lap? Try to get some sleep? You really ought to lie down after all you’ve been through.” His voice coaxed her, but she had no need for a faux husband.

  “No.” Defiant, and resilient, she was her own woman. Somehow, she had to show these A.T.A. agents she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself once she understood what she was up against.

  “Do you remember anything else, Jenny?”

  “No.”

  “Does riding on the plane give you any more memories?”

  Taking a deep breath, she let the air out of her lungs in exasperation.

  “Well, let me know if you do. Arrangements have been made to have your best friend, Roxie Adams, see you tomorrow.”

  A pang of worry sprang into Jenny’s stomach. She turned to Allan. “She’s not at risk, is she?”

  “Do you remember her?” His voice sounded hopeful.

  “No. I just worried that maybe if Wilson knew about her being my friend, he’d try to use her as leverage.”

  “We’ve had her under protection.”

  “What about my parents?”

  “Same thing for them.”

  “Thank God.” She leaned her head against the glass.

  “The man is ruthless, Jenny. In the other cases, he…”

  She turned to face him when he quit speaking. “In the other cases, what?”

  “He’s killed at least fifteen women to date that we know of. There are probably more unsolved murders we don’t even have a clue about.”

  Her throat grew parched. “But he didn’t hurt their families or friends?”

  “No, not that we know of. It would have complicated things for him. He only used the women and when they were done being useful, he murdered them.”

  “Used them? In what way? To commit terrorist acts?”

  Allan glanced at Dale and Samuel who sat across the aisle from them. Dale nodded at him, while Samuel slept.

  “Allan, how did he use them?”

  “He likes women, Jenny. Only after he’s tired of them, he kills them.”

  “But why didn’t he…” She touched her forehead. “Oh, he did try to have me killed.”

  “We think it was a mistake. The man who hit you, we figure, was supposed to take you to Wilson’s hideaway. Only—”

  “You and the others stopped them.”

  “Yeah.”

  She pulled the blanket tighter around her body. “How could I have been taken in by such a fiend?”

  Allan stared at the seat in front of him. “He’s charming, like other serial killers. Has a way with women, evidently, considering how many he’s killed. That’s all we can figure.”

  “Why would he want me? I mean, why would you think it was a mistake that one of his henchmen hit me, but wasn’t supposed to kill me?”

  “You didn’t fit the profile, Jenny. You’re smart—”

  “Yeah, right. So smart I get tangled up with some terrorist. How smart can that be?”

  He studied her for a moment, then looked down at his lap. “Guys like that have ways with women. That’s all I can say.”

  She felt violated and a wave of nausea threatened to undo her. How could she have been so stupid to take up with some mass murderer? “What does he look like?”

  “We don’t know. He’s had cosmetic surgery and seems to be a master of disguise. One of our agents thought he looked vaguely familiar when he spotted him near your tax office. When he headed in his direction, Wilson quickly vanished. Our agent was certain then, he was our man. The forces were called in to locate him. One of the agents saw him with you briefly, then lost him, but followed you to your home.

  “After that, all we could do was stake out your place and hope we’d catch him before he harmed you.”

  “A.T.A.,” she said under her breath. She’d heard of them before, but how? The more she tried to think, the more her head pounded and the memory eluded her.

  Allan broke into her thoughts. “He had curly red shoulder-length hair this time. We haven’t any idea what his natural hair color is. He changes it often like a fickle spring breeze switches direction in Texas. He’s six-foot, normally lean build, though he’s added on pounds to disguise himself, and put lifts in his shoes to make himself appear taller at times.”

  She frowned, trying to recollect. “I don’t remember anyone like that. Do you have any pictures of him?”

  “We have some artist sketches we’ll show you when we get to South Padre Island.”

  She sighed deeply. “You didn’t say why he didn’t have me killed.”

  “I thought we’d discuss it after you have time to rest.”

  Her blood reached the boilin
g point instantly. “Switch seats with Dale.”

  “Why?” His voice sounded confused.

  She refused to be kept in the dark any longer. “Because I want the truth. If you’re not going to give it to me, I’ll speak with some of your partners.”

  Allan folded his arms across his chest. “You’ve been injured, killers are after you, you haven’t had enough rest, and—”

  Jenny yanked off her seatbelt and threw the blanket in the empty seat. “For your information, Agent Allan, I’m perfectly fine, and I will find out what’s going on with me, with or without your help.” She proceeded to climb over the middle seat.

  “Jenny, what are you doing now?”

  “It’s none of your business.” She tried to climb over his legs, but he grabbed her arms and pushed her back into the middle seat. Infuriated beyond belief, she felt the blood rush to her temple.

  Holding her wrists firmly, he said, “Listen, I’ve been trained in advanced emergency medical procedures, and I believe emotionally and physically you’re not ready to handle anything more right now.”

  She was torn between loving the way he held her securely and wanting to sock him for being so controlling. She had every right to know what was going on, and he wasn’t going to prevent her from learning the truth.

  Samuel and Dale watched them to her embarrassment, her face heating in response. She jerked her arms free from Allan. “Tell me now, Allan, or…or someone else will.”

  “This is not the most secure place to speak of it, not on a commercial plane full of passengers.” His tone was soothing in an attempt to calm.

  “So it’s not my health that you’re really concerned about.” She couldn’t keep her voice from elevating.

  His brows rose. “Of course it is. Frankly, you’re teetering on the edge of hysteria.” Again he spoke calmly, trying to diffuse the situation.

  “I am not hysterical!” Well, maybe slightly, but she didn’t need him telling her what she was, or wasn’t.

  Again she tried to climb over his lap. He grabbed her waist and forced her into the seat. She could have screamed he infuriated her so. Her temple pounded with renewed gusto. Perspiration trickled down her cheek. The muscles in her arms tensed with determination.

  When he grabbed her wrists and leaned close against her body, trying to keep her still, every ounce of strength seemed to drain from her. She fought the urge to breathe in his aromatic scent, or to enjoy his warm touch. His dark eyes grew darker and his lips cemented in a line of exasperation. She had every right to know whatever the truth of the matter was concerning her. And she would, as soon as she could get loose from his confining grasp.

  ***

  Allan had worried it could come to this. Having a hysterical passenger on a plane couldn’t be allowed. Yet he knew if they administered a drug to calm her, she would never forgive him.

  And the worst part was, it shouldn’t have mattered. He was only doing a job. But everything concerning her mattered to him. He knew then, he should ask for an immediate reassignment, to keep them both safe.

  He kept her pinned against the seat, her struggles quieting as she grew tired. He was certain if he released her though, she would make another attempt to leave her seat. Continuing to grip her wrists, he held on, hoping the fight in her would soon be exhausted.

  “I’ll tell you everything you need to know, tomorrow, Jenny.” He spoke softly, but with authority, trying to reason with her. She had quickly turned from a broken colt to an untamed filly, wild-eyed and unreasonable.

  She glared at him, the venom in her eyes deadly. Her lips pursed, as she remained silent, but he knew her seeming resignation could easily be a ploy. If he let up on her, she would attempt to get by him. He would have staked his next paycheck on it.

  It wasn’t that he liked holding her this close, smelling her perfumed scent, or the flowery fragrance she wore in her hair. Or that the touch of her warm skin under his firm grasp triggered a fresh surge of traitorous desire raging through his loins. It wasn’t that her rapid warm breath against his neck sparked further interest in wanting to be close, or that her dress had risen high on her thigh giving him another glimpse at her long shapely legs. It was just that he had to keep her under control, for the safety of the other passengers, and for her sake, too.

  Dale leaned over him. “Did you need something to help quiet her?”

  He could have slugged his partner. Not only did he not want to be the one who said to go ahead with giving her the sedative, he knew he would no longer have an excuse to hold her close once she quieted down.

  Yet his Agency training told him to give the go ahead. He nodded, hating to have to do it.

  Her green eyes widened as Dale produced the hypodermic needle. She pressed against the seat attempting to get away from the inevitable.

  “Relax, Jenny,” Allan said, trying to calm her. “It’ll only help you to sleep for a while.”

  “Don’t you dare,” she growled. Her petite frame slipped around in the seat, squirming to get free of him.

  Allan pressed his body against hers, trying to get her to be still while Dale prepared the needle. “Relax, Jenny.”

  Dale inserted the needle into her arm, and she shrieked. Her eyes focused on the hypodermic and the medicine that disappeared from the vial, but she no longer struggled, seemingly admitting defeat.

  When Dale removed the needle, he nodded at Allan and returned to his seat.

  Allan still held on to Jenny, waiting for the sedative to take effect. Her breathing and heart rate were still rapid, and he knew she could bolt from the seat if he released her at this point.

  “Bastard,” she ground out.

  It didn’t matter that he was only trying to keep her safe. She had every right to call him names. But getting her to agree to marry him was going to be the next real fight. Then he thought of Randy Stevens. Damn. If she didn’t agree to marry him, Randy was the next in line to stake a claim to the heiress.

  Allan’s hands still locked onto her wrists, her pulse quieting with every passing second. He didn’t want to let go, not ever. She aroused every sense of need in him, just feeling her close.

  Her eyelids grew droopy, but he didn’t trust she was relaxed enough. Or was it that he just didn’t want to pull away from her, as he knew he would have to when she fell asleep?

  He knew, too, Dale and Samuel would be watching their every move. They were sure to rib him further later on that evening. He sighed deeply, not caring.

  After relaxing his grip on her wrists, she didn’t resist. He let go of her hand and reached over her to grab the blanket, intending to cover her. Immediately, her fingers curled into a fist, but before he could stop her, she hit him in the eye.

  Pain radiated through his eye and spread to his temple. He cursed under his breath and grabbed her hand, confining it to her lap. Chastising himself further, he couldn’t believe she’d gotten the upper hand with him. “Behave yourself, honey.”

  She clenched her teeth. “Don’t you dare call me that, you…you bastard!”

  Dale chuckled.

  Allan was about to give up his charge. Let Dale get socked in the eye.

  She squirmed slightly, but the fight was nearly out of her. Even the fist in the eye probably had a lot less wallop than she could have given him if she hadn’t been halfway sedated.

  When she closed her eyes and her breathing grew shallow, he had hope she was finally going to sleep. But still he held her wrists securely, just in case.

  Her knee jerked and her head tilted to the side finally. He released her wrists, but kept his hands in place just in case. She didn’t move.

  He leaned over her and grabbed the blanket. After wrapping it around her, he pulled her down so that her head rested in his lap. She sighed and squirmed to get comfortable.

  Dale motioned to the airline hostess. When the black-haired, middle-aged woman approached him, he said, “My partner needs an ice pack.”

  She looked over at Allan, then nodded. “Right away.
”

  Allan shook his head as Dale grinned at him.

  “Feisty, isn’t she?” Dale stroked his trim beard. “Can you imagine what she’s going to be like when you propose to marry her?”

  “Yeah, lots of fun. And she’s not going along with it, I can tell you that right now.”

  “Think she’ll be more agreeable to marry Randy?”

  Allan’s face heated. “With that jerk’s moves, probably.” But he couldn’t let her marry him. Not even as a ruse. “I suppose the word was sent to him to go to South Padre Island instead of Grand Cayman.”

  “Yeah, you know it would have been.”

  The stewardess returned with the ice pack.

  “Thanks.”

  She tucked a loose curl back into her bun. “Is the young woman going to be all right?”

  “Yes, just sleeping.”

  A bit of turbulence shook the plane, and the stewardess grabbed the seat in front of her to steady herself. “The pilot was concerned she was disturbing the other passengers.”

  “She won’t wake until well after we’ve landed.”

  “All right. Do you need anything else?”

  A strong drink. He shook his head and applied the ice pack to his eye. She walked off down the aisle. He didn’t drink much, and he was especially careful on assignment, but about now, he could use a really stiff anything.

  He turned to Dale. “You know you could’ve just given her the sedative without asking my permission.” He couldn’t help the way his voice sounded so irritated.

  Dale’s mouth turned up into a devilish grin. “Yeah, but then I would have been the villain. Besides, where the lady’s concerned, you make all the decisions. That’s the deal on this assignment. Boss said it was your call.”

  It didn’t matter that Dale was right. Allan still wished Dale had taken the initiative and given her the shot without Allan having to give him permission.

  He leaned against his headrest, with one hand on the ice pack and the other on Jenny’s bare shoulder. Somehow he had to convince her to marry him before that bastard, Randy Stevens, showed up.

  Chapter 8

  Thurman Wilson wiped the sticky fresh red blood off his sword, then turned to Caruso. “They were supposed to wait until Angel was in place. What the hell did they jump the gun for?”