Hidden Impact

by Piper J. Drake

  Noiseless, she pressed against him for another minute, maybe two at most. Not a single sound to give her away to the invisible listeners in her home. Then she was taking a deep breath. When she stepped out of his arms, he might not have known she’d been crying at all but for the hint of bloodshot in the corners of her eyes.

  She looked him in the eye and nodded.

  Okay then.

  He led the way to her bedroom, watchful for anything he might have missed the first time, any cameras especially, but it seemed all they’d done was install audio. He hoped he was right.

  She approached her closet with hesitation, taking a long look at the open door. He stepped toward her but she shook her head and began to move with brisk efficiency. A duffel bag came out of a corner and clothing went into it, rolled tight to take up minimal space. When she turned to a drawer by her nightstand, he looked away politely when he caught a glimpse of lace and satin.

  Oy. The drawer had been a rainbow explosion. She liked her underwear colorful and he was all sorts of interested in seeing more. Absolutely the wrong line of thought to be following at the current moment. Probably ever.

  He shot a glance back in her direction and caught sight of a satin emerald bra. Maybe not never.

  * * *

  Maylin focused on drawing in air through her nose and letting it out slow, willing away the shivers threatening to take over her entire body. She wasn’t in shock anymore. The emergency room doctor had cleared her. And yet, she couldn’t stop shaking.

  From the edge of her vision, she watched Gabe settle into the driver’s side of her car and turn his head in her direction. He didn’t say anything though, only turned up the heat and set the fans to blow on high.

  Her trembling had very little to do with being cold, and she’d bet he knew it. Still, the warm air chased away the clammy chill of the late night. It was late spring but the nights still had some bite to them, especially after a good rain.

  “Where are we going?” If she wanted to pay this man and the rest of his team to help her get her sister back, she didn’t have the funds to spare for a night in a hotel. Not one. And she wouldn’t, couldn’t take her focus away from An-mei, even to consider how long it would be before her own apartment was safe again. “Any hotel, either downtown or on the outskirts of the city, is going to cost too much.”

  One crisis at a time. It was the way to navigate through every mess, and she’d find a way through it all. Had to.

  “No hotel. Even if you wanted one, we’ve got a tail, so wherever I put you someone is likely to find the room not long after I leave.” Gabe didn’t sound worried. How in hell did he not?

  It was probably too much to hope he might be mistaken. “Somebody following us? How do you know?”

  He glanced up at the rearview mirror then turned his attention back to the road in front of them. “Same car’s been behind us since about a block away from your parking garage. It’s harder to tell at night, but the headlights are the same shape, and whenever we turn I confirm the car color. They’re being smart and staying back with a car or two between us. On the plus side, it’ll make it easier for me to lose whoever it is.”

  She hunched her shoulders and resisted the urge to shrink down in her seat. Fear twisted her stomach into a pretzel. “You’re pretty confident you can lose them, I guess?”

  “Do you get carsick?”

  Oh, this was getting worse and not better. “Yes.”

  “Keep talking to me, then, and don’t look out the windows. Try not to pay attention to where I’m driving and concentrate on conversation instead.” He took one hand off the steering wheel and engulfed her hand in his, giving her a gentle squeeze. Warmth spread through her chest at the gesture, but he released her hand every bit as quickly and had both of his on the steering wheel again.

  Swallowing hard, she tried to find her spine. “Notice how the minute you’re supposed to strike up a conversation, you can’t think of anything to say?”

  He barked out a laugh.

  The awful knot in her belly eased at the abrupt noise. He didn’t seem gentle or nice. And neither of those were what she needed right now. Strange what comforted her at the moment. Of course, what finally came to mind to ask probably wasn’t likely to keep her calm either. “Is all this because I’ve been looking for An-mei? How long do you think someone’s been listening to me?”

  “Not long. Maybe not at all yet. Impossible to tell exactly when unless we ask a few questions and put together a likely timeline.”

  Comforting thought. He hadn’t answered her first question, though. She decided to tuck it away for now but when she was out of this car with her feet steady under her, she planned to press the issue. As much as he’d already helped Maylin, An-mei needed him and his team.

  “I guess you’re accustomed to those sorts of invasions of privacy?” Possibly not the best question to ask, but she was curious.

  A pause. “I’ve had to find and get rid of a lot of that sort of equipment.”

  “Have you ever placed it?”

  “Yes.” Terse. Guarded. He spoke as if she might judge him for it.

  “To be honest, it is good to know.” She swallowed hard. “Knowing a mercenary team is the best based on a person’s opinion and seeing them in action are two different things. You’ve saved me twice in one night.”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Not that I’d set something like this up just to test you all.” The words came out in a rush as they braked hard. God, she hoped he didn’t think she had. The urge to turn in her seat to look behind them popped into her mind and she thoroughly squashed the idea. Facing backwards in a car would only make her car sickness worse, and potentially tragic, the way he was making free with the acceleration and sudden deceleration.

  “You didn’t. We’re good enough to know a setup when we walk into it.” The amusement was back in his voice. He must enjoy it when she babbled like an idiot.

  “Okay.” She got the acknowledgment out in a small whisper.

  The car swerved as he took a hard turn and accelerated enough to push her back into the seat. “Try to look far ahead or close your eyes. This won’t take long.”

  “Okay.” She glued her eyes shut instead and held on to the conversation.

  “I’m guessing they put the listening equipment in when they learned their driver didn’t take you out. It was quick work and means a lot of things.” His voice had a gravelly tone to it and his words filled the close space of her car.

  “They knew who I was and where I lived. I’m getting that. I don’t want to. But I am. I must’ve left my name, phone number and even mailing address on at least a dozen voice mails while I was calling around trying to get information on my little sister.” She swallowed hard. “I might need chocolate cake before this all sinks in as real.”

  A pause followed by a quiet chuckle. “Cake?”

  “Double chocolate. I have a special recipe.” She chewed on her lip and wondered if she liked the abrupt laugh from earlier or the softer one from just now. Either one gave her butterflies to chase away the anxiety. “Actually, I’ll make cupcakes and share.”

  “Sharing is good.”

  And her brain hit a dead end again. She doubted he wanted to listen to her babble about Guinness-infused cupcake batter and ganache spiked with Irish whiskey. He would probably rather drink either. So who could blame her when her thoughts circled back to the bigger elephants in the car?

  “Who are they? Why would they be out to squash me flat?” She hoped against common sense that he had answers for her. He’d only met her tonight and still didn’t know even as much as she did about her sister’s disappearance.

  Still, she had several more interrogatives lined up for him whether he had the answers or not. They were jumbled up inside her head, bursting to be let out on someone. Anyone. But
preferably a person who could help her.

  “The hit-and-run wannabe wouldn’t have made a pancake out of you. It would’ve been a sort of smashed and broken kind of mess...which I’ll stop telling you about right now. The point is whoever wanted you dead probably got a look at me and my partners.” He glanced up at the rearview mirror again, then cursed under his breath and made another sharp turn, then another. “They might’ve withdrawn to reassess and get a better idea of how much protection you had before attempting a second attack. That’s a good thing.”

  “Oh.” Not sure how it was, but she’d opt for believing him since he was currently driving her away from harm.

  “Hey.”

  She looked at him, responding to the sharp command in his tone.

  “You’re under my protection now. Centurion Corporation isn’t about to give them another opening to get to you.” He turned his head and his gaze burned into her for a long moment before he turned his attention back to the road. “We’ve lost your tail and I’m taking you out of the city. The rest we can start on in the morning. It’s going to be okay.”

  His words sank in, and for the first time since she’d gone to the airport to pick up her little sister—and not found her—Maylin started to hope.

  “So you’re going to help me find my sister?” It was a tenacious thing, this feeling, and she held her breath waiting for his answer.

  He sighed. “I’m going to listen to what you know about your little sister’s disappearance. I can’t promise you’ll find her.”

  She fell silent and stared out the window as the city lights gave way to the darkness of highway. Trees were huge shadows beyond the sides of the roads. She knew exactly what she wanted to say this time, but the majority of it was nasty, bad-tempered and definitely ill-advised considering how much he’d already helped her. Plus, his actions had only convinced her more that he and the Centurion Corporation were the help she needed.

  “You’re not going to recommend a private investigator in the morning, though, are you?” And there was only a minimal amount of snark there. Honest. She’d tried.

  “No.” His tone had gone flat.

  See? Not wise. At all. And not even a leftover fortune cookie stashed in her purse to help her get back to firmer ground.

  “I’m sorry.” Sincerity was the best she could dredge up. “I’m not sure how to give you the information you need, and I really want to present it in the most convincing way possible.”

  “We’re going to want to hear out your whole story when you’re better rested.” His words had defrosted a bit. “You’ll be able to think clearer and won’t be as likely to fumble any details. My entire team will be asking you questions—not just me—and we’ll need to do some research.”

  “But time...”

  “I’ll be using what little we have left of tonight to find out what I can about your new friends. They’re the most immediate link to what’s going on and probably connected to your sister’s disappearance. I will not be wasting time.”

  So much confidence, assurance. She wanted to believe him.

  “I really want to say you should get rest too. But I want you to get closer to figuring out what happened tonight and how it relates to An-mei more.” She cleared her throat. “Wherever it is we’re going... I don’t have a hosting gift. Does it have a kitchen and can I make you breakfast as a thank-you instead?”

  He laughed again and flashed her a grin.

  She was unreasonably giddy in response. “So do you like omelets? Or eggs Benedict?”

  Chapter Three

  Gabe pulled up next to the guest cabin and put the car into Park.

  The last twenty minutes of the car ride had been quiet, peaceful even, as the twilight gave way to dawn and the events of the night had finally taken their toll on Maylin Cheng. She sat slumped in the passenger seat, her head tipped far to one side as she napped.

  Impressive. As a soldier, he’d learned to nap anywhere, but she looked damned uncomfortable. Considering the best way to make sure she didn’t fall on her face the minute she got out of the car, he opted to disembark and walk around to the passenger side. Opening the door, he spoke quietly, trying not to scare the bejeezus out of her. “Maylin. Hey.”

  She woke with a start, sitting bolt upright and pinning him with a wide-eyed stare.

  So much for not scaring her. He held up his hands to show he meant no harm. “Remember me? Gabriel Diaz.”

  Her eyes remained wild for a moment before recognition eased into them. “Ngh.”

  He wasn’t sure she’d spoken coherently in any language.

  “Let’s get you settled in to the guest cabin.” He took both her hands in his and helped her out of the car.

  She bumped her head on the way out.

  “Whoop. Careful there.” He sucked at this. If she ended up with a second bump, he had no good excuse for letting it happen. Thank god she didn’t have a concussion.

  Her eyelids shuttered closed. She was asleep on her feet. Literally.

  “Hey, c’mon.”

  No dice. Her eyes fluttered open and she focused on him for a moment before her lids were too heavy to lift again. He led her forward a couple of steps and she stumbled with him, blind.

  Okay, fine. She was exhausted. He could understand that. And he should not have let her bump her head again, however lightly. She didn’t have a drop of energy left in her.

  Giving up, he let her stand for a second. He bent over and gently put his shoulder into her midriff, hefting her over his shoulder. He could’ve been chivalrous and shit about carrying her in his arms but then he wouldn’t have a hand free to get the door to the cabin open.

  Either he was going to regret having met Maylin Cheng or she was going to hate him. One or the other.

  * * *

  “It’s not like you to bring home strays.” The voice in the dark wasn’t angry or malicious. In fact, Lizzy had a way of maintaining the kind of completely neutral tone that left a man wondering if he’d see the dawn.

  “Safest place for her, for now.” Gabe rubbed his jaw. “Everyone in for the night?”

  “Yup.” His teammate stepped out of the shadows of the surveillance room and into the dimly lit hallway. Her hair was tied back and she wore a simple black T-shirt and jeans. Still wore her holster since she was on night watch. Even though she’d come out to greet him, she kept her gaze fixed on the security displays inside the room. “You were saying it wasn’t any kind of drunk-driving hit-and-run. I was thinking the trajectory of the car was straight as an arrow, heading toward the girl and on its way out of range. The girl all right?”

  He shook his head. “Got to her apartment, found it bugged. Some fairly high-end audio surveillance. The team will need to head back to do a full sweep.”

  One man trying to conduct that sort of search was definitely going to miss something. It was better completed as a team.

  Even in profile, he could see Lizzy’s brows draw together. “Lot of effort invested in keeping tabs on a single woman. Wasn’t she part of the catering crew? Manager or something? Not usually the type to rate that much effort.”

  He nodded. “Makes me wonder what is going on with her missing sister.”

  Maylin Cheng didn’t seem the type to be involved with drugs or the black market. Outside of those, there wasn’t a lot to draw enough attention to a person to rate surveillance and assassination attempts. Mafia, maybe.

  “You put her in the guest house?”

  “At least until we decide on a safe house or secure hotel where she’d be more comfortable. Something we can look into in the morning. I checked over her car back at her parking garage. No obvious signs of tampering or tracking devices.” Course, he and Maylin had only been upstairs in her apartment for a very short time and he’d parked her car in full view of two different secur
ity cameras. There hadn’t been sufficient surveillance in the garage, but he’d made sure not to park in one of the blind spots. His mind moved on to the line of investigation he had for tonight. “If you can run queries on An-mei Cheng’s disappearance and background checks on both the Chengs while you’re on watch, I’d consider it a favor.”

  Lizzy raised an eyebrow. “Any reason you’re not making it an order?”

  As leader of their fire team, he was commanding officer. But they weren’t active duty military anymore. They didn’t have to live rank and position twenty-four seven. The structure of Centurion Corporation was more a hybrid of military and corporate organization. The corporate influence was especially apparent back at HQ in DC. His superiors at HQ oversaw contract acquisition and decided on resource allocation, sending squadrons made up of four to five fire teams, each all around the world.

  For the most part, Gabe kept it simple. He commanded his fire team when they were actively on a contracted mission. Otherwise, they were more casual about their interactions within the bounds of earned respect.

  He shrugged. “We’re not on official contract and I haven’t decided if we’re taking the job yet.”

  She nodded. “Fair.”

  Lizzy was more than familiar with the way he operated, so her response made him pause. He wasn’t committing to the job yet. “I’ll be in my room, but call me if anything comes up.”

  “You got it.”

  Centurion Corporation Training and Recovery was a five-acre property tucked into the northwest corner of the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park just east of Seattle. Heavily wooded, the acreage didn’t offer any clear line of sight for potential onlookers, but hidden cameras were installed all over the property in addition to the more obvious perimeter fence and no-trespassing signage for normal passersby.

  The men and women stationed at the training center and barracks were responsible for surveillance over the main perimeter and training grounds. The recovery cabins were set apart and to the edge of the property to give people on R & R space. Almost always having returned fresh from hot spots overseas, the Centurions staying there were operating on a high level of awareness, so they maintained their own second-layer surveillance of their section of the perimeter. Mostly for the structure of scheduled watches and for peace of mind.