by The Saint
Apparently, bringing her father's murderer to justice had been her fate. That, and meeting Jake again. Nothing, not even thoughts of Dirk Templeton, could spoil that realization.
"Let's go," he urged, unwilling to relax until he knew she was safe.
On the brisk walk across the parking deck, Courtney snagged the keys from her purse and handed them to Jake. Hopping inside the Jeep, she slammed the door on a whole lot more than Dirk Templeton. Today, she had rectified the biggest mistake she had ever made in her life. Not believing in Jake–enough.
Jake laughed to himself when he saw the paranoid way she had parked. Backing into the space, she'd put the concrete wall behind her, which situated the front of the car facing the elevator. Not that he blamed her. The past few days must have been pure hell.
Jake hated what Courtney had gone through, but selfishly, he was glad she'd reappeared in his life. He had waited a long time to find her again. It may have taken six years, but Courtney had finally said she trusted him and meant it. Some things, he decided, were definitely worth waiting for. Because without them, no amount booze, no undercover gig, no string of hot, willing women, could ever fill the void. Finally, he could live the rest of his life in peace.
Jake started the ignition and smiled at Courtney, pleased that she could still muster enough spunk to offer him a shaky grin in return. Before he could completely pull out of the parking space, the ear piercing sound of squalling tires echoed off the concrete walls. Jake barely had time to slam on the brakes before Templeton's black sedan screeched to a rubber burning halt in front of the Jeep, blocking them in.
Eddie got out and approached Jake. Another one of Templeton's men, threw open the passenger side's door and stood, but remained behind the car, peering at them over the roof.
Without bending down to speak through the window, Eddie adjusted the cuff of his white shirt beneath his suit sleeve and spoke without looking at Jake. "Mr. Templeton wants to see you both."
"Eddie. Eddie. Eddie." Jake clucked his tongue in disgust. "When will you learn to deliver your messages on time?"
"Look–"
"No, you look," Jake threatened, his voice sharp as a razor. "I just left Dirk, so don't jerk me around."
The Jeep had died, so Jake continued his bluff by restarting the engine. "Now move that monstrosity and get the hell out of my way."
Options. The entire time Jake talked, he racked his brain for options. And came up with nothing. Zip. Zero. Sonofa–He could take out Eddie, no problem. But that would give the moron standing behind the car way too much time. Dammit, Courtney was sitting too close to take that kind of a chance.
Eddie pulled a small, flip phone from his pocket. "I'll check with the boss."
He had hit two numbers before Courtney gathered her wits.
"Eddie," she called, holding her breath until his fingers paused, and he stooped to look in Jake's window. "Mr. Templeton knows I'm leaving…"
He pushed another.
…"He told Jake to take me home…
Two more.
…"Because I'm not feeling well."
The last two.
Eddie had already placed the call, but she made one last ditch attempt to cut their losses. "Just tell Dirk I'll call him the minute I get home."
Jake gave her credit for trying. Not to mention thinking on her feet. Unfortunately, Templeton would sell his own mother to the highest bidder, and that was something Courtney would never understand, much less believe. In some small way, Jake was thankful for that. Right now, he had to figure out a way to get her the hell out of here.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Montgomery." Eddie folded up the phone and dropped it into his pocket. "He wants to see you both now."
Unsure whether or not she could stand going one-on-one with Templeton again, she raised her voice. "But, Eddie, you don't understand–"
"Surely you can hang on just a few more minutes," Jake interrupted. "Can't you, Sweetness?"
Jake had turned to face Courtney. Like a lawyer running interference between the defendant and the accused, he blocked Eddie from her view. Eye contact with Courtney was all he had to work with, but he had to shut her up.
Courtney took one look at Jake's face and knew they were screwed. She took a deep breath. "Of course, I can wait a little longer," she assured him, conveying both her comprehension of the situation and her understanding that she and Jake were in this together.
She was certain that Leonard, brilliant as he was, hadn't had time to crack her little merry-go-round of information. So what Templeton wanted from them was anybody's guess.
"You're sure?" he asked in his most soothing voice.
She sought his hand for reassurance before lying through her teeth, "Positive."
When Jake squeezed her fingers, her heart smiled. Trust Jake? she thought. Only with my life. And so much more. Somehow that admission gave her the strength to face Dirk Templeton one…more…time.
CHAPTER 8
>"Hey boss, what's up?" Jake leaned against the wall in Dirk's office, seemingly relaxed and unconcerned. He jerked his head toward Eddie and Sal who had positioned themselves to the right of the desk, hands clasped behind their backs. "You could have called my cell phone."
The fact that Dirk had sent Eddie to find them was enough to piss Jake off. But that was not the point. Far from it. As shrewd as Templeton was at playing the game, sending both Eddie and his slack-jawed buddy had been nothing more than a well-aimed message. Dirk meant business. And he wanted Jake to know it, which triggered a whole separate set of alarms in Ciora's head. And they had not stopped ringing yet.
In all his years on the Force, Jake's instincts had never failed him, and right now they were systematically eating a hole in his gut. Bad vibes. And if that weren't enough, the risk factor compounded in direct proportion to the fact that he was not working this case alone. Damn O’Shea's stubborn hide. For Courtney's sake, Jake had to find out where he stood with Templeton. Still in the loop? Or out? And the faster he found out, the better.
If Courtney's plan had been exposed, and Templeton thought Jake might protect her, they were both in deep trouble. Or, if Jake's cover had somehow been blown, he knew Templeton would not hesitate taking Courtney out right along with him.
Either way, something had gone sour. Jake knew it. And after the hopeful turn last night had taken with Courtney and the way their relationship was slowly shaping up, his life was not all he would be risking. His future dangled before his eyes like an earthworm on a fishhook.
Eat or be eaten, Ciora?
Dirk's high-back leather chair creaked as he eased away from his desk. Prolonging the nerve-racking silence, he made no attempt to answer Jake. Instead, Templeton snapped his fingers and waited while Eddie hustled to light his cigar. Clenching it tightly between his teeth, Templeton slowly puffed life into the expensive Cuban. He dismissed Eddie with an irritated wave of his hand and took his own sweet time turning his attention to Jake. "You're absolutely right." He shrugged. "I could have called you."
Courtney swallowed hard. Something was happening. Something so not good that it made her bones rattle. And she wasn't the only one who had noticed. Leonard who had positioned himself somewhat behind Templeton hadn't taken his eyes off Jake and Dirk. Wallis' expression might have been unreadable, but his demeanor had changed noticeably. She couldn't put her finger on the exact difference, but his normal nervous state seemed to have been replaced by a strange air of–confidence? Maybe, she hoped, it stemmed from having their computer system up and running again.
On the other hand, she decided the exchange between Dirk and Jake resembled some ancient rite of passage. Although more sophisticated than primal, it was no less a test of wills. So much, that if played out in its entirety, she was certain only one man would remain standing. She could only thank God that for the time being, their bizarre, territorial exchange had pointedly excluded her.
Courtney watched Dirk size up Jake like a rabid dog circling a bowl of water. She cringed at the ev
entuality of Templeton turning that same unnerving stare on her. But frightened or not, she took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. Dirk Templeton was a murderer. With connections. Without conscience. But she had not come this far to lose.
"I'm sorry to drag you back up here, Mrs. Montgomery," Dirk told her, flicking his ashes into the empty garbage can next to his desk. "But I had a couple of questions, and I wanted to catch you before you left. I trust that's not a problem."
Courtney felt the full impact as Dirk nailed her with his stare. "Not at all," she lied, struggling to maintain eye contact. "What can I help you with?"
Jake decided to test his hand while Dirk spoke with Courtney. Confident she could withstand Dirk's cross-examination, Jake moved toward the door only to have Sal block his way.
"Move it." Jake's order was short. His temper shorter. He needed to update O’Shea in case all hell broke loose here. Like it or not, pressing his luck by trying to leave was one quick way to find out exactly where he stood with Templeton.
Sal looked at Dirk.
Dirk shook his head.
Sal stood his ground.
"Stay with us Jake," Dirk suggested. "This won't take long."
"Sure, boss." Jake had gotten his answer in spades. For the moment, all he could do was play out his hand and wait.
Templeton refocused on Courtney. "I can't tell you how impressed I was by your work." He blew three perfect smoke rings, then smiled. "Thank you." Courtney was much more anxious to answer his questions and leave than to receive
meaningless compliments. "How did you finish up so quickly this morning, considering the time you spent on the phone?" "The phone?" Courtney repeated, vying for time. Her mind kicked into high gear, frantically
searching every possible avenue his question might be leading. Praying his accusation wasn't significant, but certain in her heart that it was, she did the only thing she could. She told the truth. "I didn't make any calls."
"Not that I care," Dirk assured her, folding his hands as though he hadn't accepted her denial. "But, I didn't use the phone," she insisted, fighting an impending sense of panic. He puffed his cigar until its tip was blood red. "You're sure?" "Positive." Dread bubbled and churned inside her. Why was she certain her response, as simple and
honest as it had been, had just buried her? "Well, that's too bad." Dirk shook his head. "An attractive girl like you. I'd hoped, for your sake, you had at least phoned your boyfriend or someone." What on earth did he mean for my sake? Courtney wondered. Maybe he knew she and Jake spent the night together. If so, the snide, boyfriend remark could have been aimed at that. "I rarely make personal phone calls on company time," she told him, more than ready for him to get
to the point. "Then, I guess Sandy was mistaken," Dirk continued. "Why? What did she say?" Courtney asked, giving in. Dirk obviously wasn't going to drop the
subject, so the sooner they hashed it out, the better. "Sandy said that she came in early to make up for leaving early yesterday and noticed the phone
line"–he paused, then nodded–"oh, no, now I remember." Courtney waited for him to finish. "Hold on. My mistake. Now I remember–she said my phone line was busy." He leaned forward as
he finished, "So it couldn't have been you, could it?"
"Like I said, I never used the phone this morning." Courtney challenged Leonard's beady gaze with a confident-on-the-outside, scared-to-death on-the-inside smile. And then it hit her!
Oh…my…God. Courtney fought the sinking feeling. And lost. The damn modem she had used in Dirk's office must have been a regular phone, not a dedicated modem line. So, when she used the main frame, it registered on the switchboard. Good Lord, nobody used those anymore. They were so uncommon; she had not given it a thought. She looked at the gleam in Leonard's eyes and realized it had been the modem activation, not a phone call that Sandy had seen.
"And I certainly couldn't have called from your office, Mr. Templeton. Why, how on earth would I have gotten in there?" she asked, praying a teasing tone and a coy smile would corroborate her innocence. And get them out of there before anyone else got a clue.
Jake felt the bottom drop out of his world. Unless he missed his guess, Courtney had just figured out what the hell Templeton was talking about. He hoped to hell she knew enough to tread softly.
"Were there any computer related problems you needed to discuss?" She repositioned the shoulder strap of her purse, readying herself to leave.
"Just one." Dirk steepled his fingers. "Lenny here ran a quick check of our system, and he tells me our secure files have been accessed. Can you explain how that happened?"
What was left of Jake's gut saved him the trouble and bottomed out on its own. Not that it mattered. Dirk Templeton's ruthlessness precluded any hope of a last supper.
The thought of dying had never frightened Jake. But the thought of Courtney dying ripped his heart out. Inconceivable. Unbearable. Especially at the hands of garbage like Dirk Templeton. Jake would get her out of this mess, even if it killed him.
Courtney conjured up her most incredulous look. "I don't have a clue," she assured Dirk, her wide-eyed innocence unquestionable.
"Yes, you do." Still calm, Templeton stood. "You entered the secure files and downloaded the information. What I don't know is where you sent it."
"Look, Mr. Templeton, if I accidentally–"
"Save it," Dirk snapped. "Lenny may not know his butt from a microscope about your Boomerang Virus, but he's still damned brilliant when it comes to computers. Now, it may take him longer, but he will get to the bottom of this–or else."
Courtney saw Leonard gulp, sweat popping out across his forehead. Okay, it was clear they knew about her accessing Templeton's secure files and modem use, she reasoned, but they would play hell tracing the entire transfer she'd set up.
Jake did the only thing he could do, and that was play the used guy act to the hilt. He turned on Courtney and exploded, "You what?" Ignoring her shock, he shoved her toward the door. “So that’s why you took my Jeep and left me stranded before daybreak?”
Dirk rounded the desk and faced Jake. He blew smoke out of the corner of his mouth as if to think before answering. "I think you and Courtney should take a little trip to my cabin."
"Sure, boss." That's all Jake needed, one window of opportunity to get her the hell out of here.
"Eddie, drive them," Dirk instructed. "And take Sal with you."
"Eddie, hell." Jake turned to meet Courtney's genuinely horrified gasp. Eyes wide. Lips parted. Keep it up, Sweetness, he willed silently. Just follow along. "She didn't use Eddie, Boss. She used me."
"Jake?" her voice trembled. Jake had startled her, yelling like that, but it had to be an act. Courtney knew if Eddie was driving instead of Jake, they were both in deep trouble. Jake must have know that, and now so did she. He was trying like hell to bail them out, but there was no reason for him to do it alone. She would keep her wits and follow his lead, starting now.
Clinging to Jake's arm, Courtney played along. "After last night, how can you say that?"
"Shut up." He shoved her closer to the door and turned to Dirk.
Calling on her college portrayal of the broken hearted Juliet, she released the practiced tears she'd cried for Romeo. "But, Jake, I swear–"
"You used me." Jake growled, honing his voice to a threatening edge, backing her into the door. "Nobody does that and gets away with it."
"Back off, Deluka." Dirk turned his back to Jake and ground out his cigar in the potted cactus on the edge of his desk. Without looking up he instructed Eddie, "Leave both of them at the cabin until I tell you otherwise."
Without warning, Sal slammed Jake against the door, removing the .45 automatic from his shoulder rig and a backup gun, his Walther PPK, from his ankle holster. All the while Jake methodically searched his brain. He had absolutely no idea what cabin Templeton was talking about. Whoever ran the intelligence on this case and missed this little tidbit was going to get their ass kicked when this w
as over. He would see to that personally.
"What the hell do you mean, both of us?" Jake demanded, the side of his face pressed against the wall. "I'm the one with the score to settle."
"Considering where your clever Mrs. Montgomery transferred the first leg of information, do you think so?" Dirk asked. "Where do you suppose that first stop was, Jake?"
"How the hell should I know?" He jerked hard against Sal's vice-like grip.
Dirk shrugged. "I figured you would, since Lenny traced it to your phone number."
Jake shot Courtney a murderous look. This time for real. With his right wrist pinned against his left shoulder blade, Jake struggled. Unfortunately fifty pounds and a lobotomy tipped the scales in Sal's favor.
For the time being.
How could I have dragged Jake into this mess? Courtney wondered. It was one thing to take on O’Shea's case; it was quite another to deliberately involve someone the way she'd involved Jake. Watching Sal manhandle him like this was breaking her heart. So, the way she saw it, her best bet was the path of least resistance. She couldn't do him any good by ticking off Eddie or Sal. What she could do was try to outsmart Dumb and Dumber.
So when Eddie stripped away her purse and grabbed her by the arm, she didn't say a word. He ushered down the hallway, but instead of struggling, she walked obediently by his side. Down the stairs and through the parking deck, she did exactly as she was told. No hassle. No argument.
From the commotion she heard going on behind her, however, Jake wasn't leaving quite so willingly.
Between his vicious threats and shameless references to Sal's mother and various barnyard animals, she heard Jake hit the wall once and the steps twice on the way out of the building. Sal tossed him head first into the back seat of Templeton's limo practically in her lap. The divided front and back seats cut them off as effectively from Eddie and Sal as the automatic locks prevented them from escaping.
