Chardy Walker Lieb
Page 11
Courtney heard Jake huff right before leaving. The moment the door closed, she, in turn, let out a huge sigh of relief. Good Lord, she thought he would never go. Quickly rechecking the monitor, Courtney assessed the final steps necessary before she would need to access the file server in Dirk's office. And while her thought processes were on a roll, she still did not know where Leonard was. And that was no good. She did not like loose ends in business, and under the circumstances, she disliked unaccounted for people even more.
Courtney spent the remainder of the morning and most of the afternoon working around several major obstacles. The diagnostics she ran turned up a mirror image system, which meant another monitor had been attached and would reflect everything she did. That probably explained Leonard’s disappearance.
Racking her brain, she came up with something akin to the loop visual used in the movie Speed. She interjected a temporary, short-term program, maybe five minutes long, that plugged into the system and sent out an innocuous screen to cover her tracks.
A knock on the door startled her. "Come in." "I'm sorry to interrupt you," Sandy began, "but I'm running an errand for Mr. Templeton and I won’t
be back today. Do you needed anything before I go?" Desperate not to appear over anxious, Courtney hesitated, then shrugged. "Can't think of a thing." "Well then, goodnight." Before the door closed, Courtney called, "Sandy." The secretary poked her head back in. "Yes." "Has Dirk left yet?" The secretary checked her watch. "About five minutes ago." One down. "How about Leonard?" Courtney offered the other woman a casual smile. "Is he around?" "No. He went with Mr. Templeton." Two down. "Did Jake drive them?"
Sandy shook her head. "He left a little while ago. I think Leonard planned to drive Mr. Templeton."
Clean sweep.
"Would you like for me to page one of them before I go?" the secretary asked.
"No, thanks," Courtney assured her.
Sandy offered a quick smile. "Have a nice afternoon."
"You, too. See you in the morning." Courtney waited to make sure she left, then hurried down the hallway, formulating her plan as she went. Unfortunately, two Templeton employees who had stopped to chit chat on their way out detoured Courtney back into her office. Mulling over the details one last time, she set her shoulders and decided again to go for it.
Cracking her door, she looked both ways and found the hall deserted. The distance to Dirk's office could have easily been measured in feet but this trip seemed like miles. Standing in front of his door, she surveyed the hall. Still no one in sight. She took one deep breath, then grabbed the knob. Giving it a quick turn, she realized the office was locked. Of course, it's locked, genius, she swore silently.
Stunned, she stood there. Only the threat of voices motivated her to hurry back to the refuge of her office. She weighed the pros and cons of what she was about to do. And decided to do it anyway. Digging through her French twist, she pulled out her trusty, very special hairpin.
Courtney slipped the metal pick, of sorts, up her sleeve. She decided that growing up with a big brother who had always been a cop wanna be, had finally paid off. How many times had Michael handcuffed her to the furniture? Anything with a handle? Or the dog's collar–dog and all–for God's sake?
If necessity was truly the mother of invention, then hanging by the wrist from the oven door while all the neighborhood kids played outside had to be the wickedest stepmother of them all. But what a teacher. That was the afternoon Courtney had taught herself to pick a lock with a bobby pin. It was also the first, and last, time she'd ever bloodied her big brother's nose. She'd have to remember to thank Michael the next time she saw him.
Blowing out a deep enough breath to scatter her bangs, Courtney slipped back into the hall. The coast was clear. Long, quick strides carried her back to Dirk's office undetected. Careful to check both ways, she slid the tool from her sleeve and inserted it in the lock.
Glancing left, she jiggled it.
Scanning right, she wiggled it.
She turned the knob. As it clicked, she exhaled and slipped, undetected, inside Dirk's office. Knees knocking. Palms damp. She took a moment to settle her breathing and re-anchor the pin in her hair.
Grateful for the light from the window, she left the overhead, fluorescent fixture off. Thanks to Leonard's briefing yesterday, she knew the file server was housed in a small alcove at the rear of Dirk's office. She made her way back there, opened the door that enclosed the system and sat down at the desk. When she flipped on the screen, the beep–regardless of its familiarity–made her jump. Good grief, were they always that loud?
She sat perfectly still, listening, waiting. But no one flung open the door. Or burst in and screamed accusations. Instead, the incessant ticking of a clock echoed in time with the beat of her heart. So, apparently she was not dead yet.
Relaxing, she stared at the screen and took a moment to enjoy the smug feeling of beating Templeton at his own game. On his own turf. With his own system. Her smile hadn't even faded, when a large hand clamped down hard over her mouth.
"Shut up," the man whispered in her ear. "Don't as much as breathe until I tell you to."
CHAPTER 6
>Courtney struggled against the man who had grabbed her, wondering frantically why she had not locked the door. Inexperience? Stupidity? Both. Sandy said everyone had gone, and Courtney couldn't believe an employee would enter Dirk's office of his own volition. Apparently she'd been wrong about that– the man tightened his hold–but hopefully she would not end up dead wrong.
The man's large hand hadn't completely cut off Courtney's air, but it might as well have. Her chest ached. Her lungs burned. That's when it dawned on her that she had been holding her breath. She exhaled hard, easing the pain long enough to give her time to think.
Planting both feet for leverage, Courtney pressed her shoulders into his well-muscled body, but he held her head against him, making it impossible to turn. Infuriated as much by his strength as by her helplessness, tears of anger pricked the corners of her eyes. The more she squirmed; the tighter he held her.
And the madder she got. Lashing out with one foot, she kicked back with the two-inch heel of her shoe and connected solidly with his shin. "Dammit–" Mid-curse, he froze. "Shhh," he warned, slowly and carefully shutting the alcove door with the toe of his shoe. "Someone's coming."
In one fluid motion, he grabbed her around the waist, hurrying her across the carpeted floor without making a sound. He opened the louvered door to a storage niche and somehow, through a jumble of arms and legs, unceremoniously shoved her into the tiny closet.
Catching a quick glimpse of him before he followed her inside, Courtney hissed, "You?"
"No, you," he echoed in a sarcastic whisper, ducking beneath the top shelf. Face-to-face, body-to-body, he eased the door shut. Contorted like a pretzel, Jake braced both palms on the wall behind Courtney and dared her to say a word.
Courtney's cheeks burned. In her estimation, dumb mistakes ranked even higher on the humiliation scale than her present state of exasperation. She had definitely passed the stupid test the moment Jake walked in on her. Now, imprisoned in a closet with him tightly pressed against her, well that was about as vulnerable as she ever wanted to be–and still live.
If neither of those little miscues substantiated her humiliation theory, she still hadn't heard any noise that would justify Jake's actions and keep her from pushing open the door. That is, aside from taking his word for it. And when it came to believing Jake, the scales of justice had never been tipped in his favor.
From Courtney's perspective, the only thing Jake was right now…was entirely too close. Body parts–important parts–were definitely touching. Not to mention radiating a slow, teasing warmth. Her curves hugged his hollows like a sports car negotiating a winding mountain road. Racing. Like her pulse. Dangerous. Like his reputation. Exhilarating. Like lightning slashing through thunder for the very first time. Or in their case, the second.
Fighting the hormonal curse
that threatened to reduce her to a puddle, Courtney reminded herself exactly why she was hiding in a broom closet like a common criminal. O’Shea was counting on her, and she had come too far to let anything or anyone stop her now. And that's when she heard it.
The outer door clicked. Open. Closed. Someone was there. My God, what could she have been thinking when she jimmied her way into Dirk's office? Reality slapped her across the face like a jealous lover.
This was not like breaking into the dean's office and filling his desk drawer with earthworms. These people sentenced people like her to sleep with the earthworms, for God's sake. Just like in her dream, fear lodged in her throat at the thought, and perspiration trickled miserably between both breasts.
Jake dug his fingers into the wall behind her to support his weight and to keep from throttling Courtney with his bare hands. If for no other reason than she smelled so damned good. He should have trusted his instincts earlier and not let her out of his sight.
If Templeton discovered them, his butt would be in a major sling, and Courtney, as good as she was, could never talk her way out of this mess. Templeton might be a bastard, but he was not stupid. Jake just hoped like hell, they didn't get caught.
Courtney squirmed. Suddenly, the confines of the small closet and Jake's nearness were just too much. For God's sake, the man generated enough body heat to ignite her new outfit. Surrounded by his spicy scent, his warm breath tenderly caressed her cheek. The tiny space seemed to close in, becoming smaller and smaller by the second. Suffocating. Stifling. She panicked and struggled against him.
Jake immediately pinned Courtney's shoulders. "Shhh," he whispered in her ear. "Templeton plays for keeps."
The immediate comfort and compassion in his voice calmed her, soothing her long enough to hear…
"Dammit, Leonard, the next time you forget something this important, you're gonna to beg me just to fire you. Do you understand?"
It was Dirk. Claustrophobia and lust vanished simultaneously at the sound of his voice. Courtney stood motionless and listened closely.
"Yes, Mr. Templeton."
Courtney heard what sounded like a desk drawer rattle open.
"How–exactly–did you expect me to make the trade without the goods?"
After the desk draw shut, she picked up what sounded like the latches on a suitcase flip open.
"I thought–"
"The hell you did," Dirk boomed, cutting Leonard off. "If you would have thought, we wouldn't have gotten halfway there without the stuff, now would we?"
"No, Mr. Templeton, but I have it now."
"After this deal, you get that Montgomery broad on the stick. And I mean business. You see that she gets this system up and running again, or else."
"Tomorrow, Boss," Leonard promised. "First thing in the morning."
"This is your last chance, Lenny. And speaking of losers, Eddie's late on his security rounds–again. Where the hell is he?"
"Beats me, Dirk."
"Well don't just stand there. Find him and bring him along. I'll meet you both at the car in ten minutes. Now move."
Only the timely click of the outer door kept Courtney from passing out cold. "Oh, my God," Courtney whispered over the pounding of her heart.
"You're welcome."
Eyes finally accustomed to the semi-darkness, Courtney stared. "You didn't give me up."
Jake shrugged. "You didn't scream for help," he pointed out, even though the reason was crystal clear to him. Six years ago, the college girl had walked away, unconvinced. Today, the woman had bet the odds and had given him the benefit of the doubt. Something deep inside Jake settled, ever so slightly.
Courtney's silence was all the answer Jake needed. Tossing caution aside, he bent his knees and eased himself down to eye level. He wanted Courtney to know who was damn well kissing her. Put a face to it. His face–no other's.
How many times had he dreamt of this moment over the years? Courtney melting against him. Her blue eyes fluttering shut. Her lips surrendering softly. But as the kiss deepened and his awareness shifted, so did the control. He opened his eyes. Suddenly, he was the one who needed to see. To remember the face. Her face–no other's.
This should have been familiar, Courtney thought. He should have been familiar. After all, she had kissed him before. But neither her college day clinches nor the comforting embrace at the hotel last night had prepared her for this…this man-woman explosion that erupted between them the moment his mouth touched hers.
Courtney struggled to remember that this was Jake. Jake who had stolen a car. Her dreams. Her heart. And so much more. But she lost the battle, because this was different. This was like kissing someone new and wildly exciting. And the seductive lure of desire frightened her far more than even she was willing to admit.
Pulling away, because time was definitely not on their side, Jake took a leveling breath and cracked the door an inch. He pressed his finger to his lips to insure her silence before stepping from the closet. Holding up one hand, he signaled Courtney to stay put while he checked the hallway. He eased open Dirk's door and glanced both ways before ducking back inside the office… and bumping right into Courtney.
"Dammit. Don't you ever do what you're told?" he barked, wanting nothing more than to shake Courtney until her pretty teeth rattled. How in the hell was he supposed to protect her when she refused to follow orders?
The danger was real. Courtney knew that, but held her ground anyway. With a defiant shake of her head, she told him quite plainly, "No."
Pointing, Jake put a lid on his anger and masked his growing respect for her guts with an order. "Turn off that damned computer." He checked his watch. "Eddie should be here any minute. He’ll make his security check before he leaves."
Jake was right. Courtney had to cut her losses and come back later. Tonight? Tomorrow? She couldn't think about that now. Hurrying to the main frame, she shut down the system and closed the door, revising her plan in her head as she went.
Still completely mystified by Jake's help, she waited while he quickly rechecked the hall and motioned for her to follow. She hurried to keep up as he made his way toward the exit. At the sound of Dirk's voice, Jake grabbed her by the hand and yanked her into a nearby service entrance.
Clanking down a metal stairway, Courtney followed Jake down several flights. She waited on a landing while Jake stepped into the parking deck and did a quick scan of the area surrounding his car.
Thrilled at the prospect of finding a less conspicuous entry in and out of the building–one that didn't require a strip search or, for that matter, even a door key–she was determined to find a way to sneak back inside after hours. That's when the idea occurred to her.
Courtney took advantage of the minute or so that Jake left her alone to find the pack of gum in her pocket and pop several pieces into her mouth. She chewed frantically to moisten, but not soften it.
Jake opened the door and motioned for her. "Hurry."
Courtney nodded, mouth full, unable to speak. The instant he turned his back, she spit the stiff wad into her hand. On the way, she shoved the gum into the hole to keep the latch from locking automatically. Maybe it would work. Maybe it wouldn't. But right now, with Jake walking ahead of her, she couldn't stop to find out.
Besides, she was exhausted. Not too tired to care, simply too tired to worry. Stressed out from the emotional roller coaster she'd ridden for the past couple of days, Courtney was actually glad to hop into Jake's Jeep and let him do the driving.
Fatigue. He saw it bracket her mouth. Heard it soften her voice. Watched it still her competent fingers. Over the years, he had seen veteran cops stress out under less pressure. Unfortunately, he knew as a civilian Courtney didn't have the luxury of their training or their experience. That, coupled with the fact that she still had one helluva job ahead of her tomorrow was all that kept him from raking her over the coals.
Between now and then, Jake decided the least he could do would be to help her through tonight.
As they drove through rush hour traffic, Courtney leaned back, shut her eyes and recounted the close call in Dirk's office. Templeton had not only threatened Leonard, but he had widened the scope of his warning to include her. Jake had cautioned her that Dirk played for keeps, but she knew that. She had already met poor Peggy Baird, thank you very much. Post mortem, no less. And just minutes ago, Courtney had come within what may very well have been an inch of her own life. And where, in God's name, would that have left her daughter? She shuddered, knowing exactly how close she had been to getting caught, if it hadn't been for Jake.
Despite his well-timed appearance and the fact that he had kept her from being discovered, ignoring the undeniable aspect of danger would be ridiculous. Working around it would be imperative. That, she feared, was where Jake might become her biggest problem. If for no other reason than she found it impossible to read him.
Templeton was scum. He was ruthless and cold-blooded. He was a murderer. But at least she had
him pegged. Courtney knew exactly what she was up against with Dirk. But not Jake. What about him?
Her lashes fluttered open, and she inclined her head just enough to study him without being obvious. The late afternoon sun scored the angles and planes of his face as he drove through the intermittent lights and shadows of the building-lined streets. Gaze focused. Attention riveted. He seemed intent on driving, but she instinctively nixed ever taking this man at face value again. That, she decided, would be foolish– especially after her earlier near miss with Dirk. She could not afford one more mistake.
Whatever his reasons, Jake had saved her butt this afternoon, and Courtney gratefully accepted that. She would delve into the whys and the wherefores later, when her fear had settled and her perspective had surfaced. She had to. Until then, she had only one request. "Look, I know I can't see my daughter tonight, but I really want to go home." Courtney looked at Jake and pushed aside the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Please, take me home.” Jake had touched bases with O’Shea earlier. Brian's team had checked out Courtney's apartment last