One of the Good Guys

by Carla Cassidy

  “I am tired,” he admitted. “It’s been about a week since I got a really good night’s sleep.”

  “You look tired,” she said, fighting the impulse to reach out and stroke his brow. “Surely an hour nap will make us both feel better.”

  “Okay,” he said reluctantly. “I guess a short stop won’t hurt anything.” He drove a few more minutes, then found an area where they could pull far enough off the road so the car wasn’t visible. “We should be okay here,” he said, shutting off the engine.

  “Why don’t you get into the back seat. You’d have more room to stretch out back there,” she suggested, knowing she could fit her small frame in the front seat and not be hindered by the steering wheel and column.

  Tony nodded. He climbed out of the car and got into the back seat, folding himself awkwardly to find a position of comfort in the small confines of the area. Within seconds he was breathing deeply and regularly, sound asleep.

  Libby peeked over the top of the front seat, studying him, feeling slightly guilty, as if she were intruding on a private moment by watching him sleep. Yet she was unable to stop herself from taking the opportunity to look at him without his dark eyes returning the gaze.

  She crossed her arms on the back of the seat and rested her chin there, drinking her fill of the man in the back seat. He looked younger, more vulnerable with the lines of tension on his face eased and his mouth slightly open.

  She’d seen the hard edge of danger on his features, she’d marveled at the fires of passion in his eyes and now she eyed him covetously, noting the dark stubble that had begun to appear on his cheeks and chin, the furrow between his dark brows that even in sleep didn’t totally disappear. His smile was magnetic, charming in its openness. It was only when one looked into his eyes that they realized the smile didn’t quite reach that deep.

  She noted the firm planes of his stomach where his T-shirt had ridden up slightly. There wasn’t a spare inch of fat on him, but that didn’t mean he was thin. He was rip-cord lean but possessed a wiry strength and broad shoulders. Her gaze went farther down his body, noting how the tight jeans hugged his flesh, emphasizing his muscular thighs.

  She closed her eyes, remembering the heat of his kiss, the hunger that had coiled up in her stomach like a king cobra snake. He’d stoked a flame in her that hadn’t been tended to in a long time. She hadn’t thought about sex since her divorce, had rarely thought about it in the last year of her marriage. With Bill, lovemaking had always been on his terms, when he felt the need. It had been quick and emotionless. But Tony made her think of sex…wild, abandoned, uninhibited sex that lasted for hours. He made her think of hot, sultry nights, equally hot hands caressing her skin and peaks of pleasure reached again and again.

  She mentally shook herself. These kinds of thoughts were counterproductive. She had a feeling Tony Pandolinni had some heavy emotional baggage. He definitely wasn’t a good bet for happily-ever-after. And she wasn’t the type to indulge in a good old-fashioned bout of lovemaking just for the physical pleasure that could be achieved. She was a happily-ever-after kind of woman. And at the moment she had more important things on her mind than making love with Tony Pandolinni.

  Feeling restless and not wanting to bother Tony’s much-needed sleep, Libby quietly opened the car door and slipped into the warm spring sunshine. She stood next to the car and stretched languidly, feeling her muscles uncramp from the long hours in the car.

  She looked around with interest, enjoying the beauty of the surrounding countryside. In the distance she could hear what sounded like the faint trickling of a stream. She followed the sound, stepping carefully through the thick underbrush that lined the side of the road. She made her way slowly, pushing aside the high weeds and thornbushes that attempted to grab and scratch at her as she made her way toward the sound of the water. The scent of spring surrounded her, the smell of flowers and greenery.

  About fifty feet from the road, she broke into a small clearing and caught her breath as she saw a small stream of brilliant blue, sparkling water. Oh, the beauty of this area… She felt like an explorer, the first human being ever to find this particular stream.

  She spotted a large rock jutting out at the edge of the water and carefully made her way to it. Perching precariously atop it, she looked around and took a deep breath, tilting her head upward to the afternoon sunshine.

  Oh, it would be so easy to forget everything that had happened to her in the past two days. It would be so easy to fall into a false sense of security.

  Sitting here on the mossy rock, smelling the scent of the wildflowers and clean spring water, it would be easy to dismiss the events of the past couple of days as nothing more than the horrendous lingering memories of a nightmare.

  She reached up and touched her neck beneath the heavy gold necklace. But nightmares didn’t produce welts and bruises. She frowned, remembering the shattered items in her pawnshop, the total disrespect for the things in her apartment. Damn those people, whoever they were. Damn them for their vicious attacks on her. Where before, she might have handed them the necklace and washed her hands of the whole mess, now she’d be damned before they would get their hands on what they wanted.

  She fumbled with the latch on the necklace, finally unlatching the clasp, allowing it to fall into her hand. It was a beautiful piece. The minute she had seen it, she’d known she would give the man whatever he wanted for it. The craftsmanship of the piece was exquisite. The delicate locket in the center was attached to meshlike gold.

  She clutched it tightly in her hands, thinking of the little old man who’d brought it in. Jasper Higgens had reminded her of a little elf…diminutive, with big ears and gray hair. It was difficult to believe that he was now dead.

  She squeezed the necklace even tighter. She could fling it into the woods. Chances were nobody would ever find it again. Or she could bury it deep in the rich earth and nobody would ever see it again. But even as these thoughts crossed her mind, she dismissed them. She was intrigued and wanted to know what secret the necklace held…a secret that had already cost a man his life.

  She wasn’t a quitter. The harder she was pushed, the more she’d push back. Of course, it was nice to know she wasn’t in this mess all alone. Tony was turning out to be something of a guardian angel. If he hadn’t come to her aid in the parking lot, she had a feeling the albino would have strangled her to death.

  Tony… Again, thoughts of the man brought a rush of strange heat to her stomach. It was obvious there was some sort of sexual attraction between them, but as long as that could be held in check, their partnership was comfortable. It was possible they could come out of this as good friends, and this thought was certainly not unpleasant. The one thing Libby had missed most since her divorce was male companionship. Being raised by her father, she’d always been comfortable in the company of males.

  With this pleasant thought in mind, she placed the necklace back around her neck, closed her eyes and scooted into a more comfortable position on the rock.

  * * *

  Tony awoke suddenly, an emptiness gnawing in the pit of his stomach. For a moment he was disoriented as to where he was. He looked around without moving, tense and ready for anything. Then he remembered. He was in the back seat of his car. He sat up, fully expecting to see Libby sound asleep in the front seat.

  His heart gave an erratic thud as he looked over the seat and saw nothing there. He quickly scanned the immediate area outside of the car, feeling his heartbeats increase when there was no sign of Libby.

  Where was she? Surely he hadn’t slept so soundly that he wouldn’t have heard if somebody had found them and taken her. His heart nearly exploded out of his chest as he thought about the scene in the parking lot at the fast-food place. Surely he would have heard something…a struggle of some sort…wouldn’t he?

  He stumbled out of the back seat, his stomach muscles clenching tightly. He pulled his small pistol from the top of his boot and walked several steps away from the car. “Libby?�
�� he called, his voice taut with tension. He felt sick to his stomach when there was no answer. Where was she? Had something happened? God, he’d never forgive himself if something happened to her. He gripped his gun painfully tight, his whole body vibrant with energy. “Libby, where the hell are you?”

  “Hi. Did you have a good nap?” She stepped out of the underbrush right next to Tony, smiling brightly. Her smile faded as she saw the gun leveled at her chest.

  “Damn it, Libby, you almost got yourself shot!” he exploded, uncocking the gun and shoving it back into the top of his boot.

  His utter relief at seeing her safe and unharmed gave way to irrational anger. “Don’t you ever do that again.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a small shake. “Don’t you ever leave and not tell me where you’re going. And don’t you ever sneak up on me like that.”

  He glared at her, his anger suddenly spent as he saw the bewilderment in her vivid blue eyes. “I’m sorry.” He released his grip on her and stepped back, running a hand through his dark hair in distraction. “I woke up and you weren’t anywhere to be seen, and I thought…”

  “No, I’m sorry.” She reached out and touched his arm lightly, her blue eyes contrite and huge. “I didn’t even think about you being worried if you woke up and found me gone. It was very thoughtless of me.”

  The last of Tony’s anger left him as he gazed at her. She was so different from any woman he’d ever known—so ready to admit fault if fault was hers. He knew she would be just as quick to demand an apology should the fault not be hers.

  “It’s all right. I overreacted, and yes, I had a good nap.” He looked at his watch, surprised to see that he had slept for a little over two hours. “We’d better get moving. We’ve lost a great deal of time today.”

  An hour later they drove into the first town they had seen since leaving Sedalia so many hours earlier. Cob Corners was actually not even much of a town, boasting only a general store, a filling station and a small engine-repair shop.

  “I’ll get some directions here,” Tony said, pulling into the gas station. “I also need to make a few phone calls.” He hoped a call to Cliff would provide some information about the men who were after them.

  Libby nodded. “I think I’ll check and see if they have any interesting soda or vending machines.”

  “Ah, looking for junk food?” he asked with a grin.

  “You know it. A couple of candy bars and a can of soda and I’ll feel fresh as a daisy.”

  “Did you folks pull in here for some gas, or just to find a place to jaw with each other?” a gruff voice asked from outside Tony’s car window.

  They both looked to see an old man clad in faded overalls. His faded blue eyes gazed at them curiously.

  “You can fill it up with unleaded,” Tony told the man as he got out of the car. “Do you have a pay phone inside?”

  “Yup,” he answered, and began to fill up the car as Libby and Tony went inside the station.

  “Evening, folks.” A plump woman with brilliant pink cheeks and curly gray hair sat behind the cash register in the dimly lit interior of the station.

  “Good evening,” Tony responded. “The man outside said there was a pay phone in here.” He smiled his thanks as the woman pointed to a phone on a wall.

  “Beautiful evening, isn’t it?” the woman said with friendliness as Libby perused the contents of an antiquated vending machine.

  “Beautiful,” Libby agreed with a smile, making her decision and feeding in the proper coins.

  “Yes, sir, I suppose a pretty spring day like this makes everyone want to get out and take a drive,” the woman continued chattering as Libby made another selection. “We’ve had more business this afternoon than we’ve had in a month of Sundays. We had a nice family stop in right after noon. Out for a drive, they were, but the kids had to use the rest room.” The woman grinned, showing several spaces where teeth had once been. “You know how little tykes are, bladders no bigger than peanuts.”

  Libby murmured something appropriate and fed in the last of her coins as the woman continued. “But some folks we get passing through here, they aren’t worth God’s spit. Like those two who were here a while ago…one dark as the devil himself and the other pale like a ghost.”

  Libby’s heart dropped to her feet at the woman’s innocent words. She turned away from the machine and stared at the woman. “The pale man…he was an albino?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Yes.” The woman’s eyes narrowed and she looked at Libby suspiciously. “Friends of yours?” Gone was the aura of country friendliness from the old woman.

  “On the contrary,” Libby murmured, a chill dancing up and down her spine. “We…uh…encountered them on the road some time ago and they nearly caused us to have an accident,” she improvised, grabbing her snacks from the vending machine.

  The woman clucked her tongue sympathetically, friendliness back in her twinkling eyes. “Some days I just wonder what the good Lord was thinking about when he put men like that on this earth.”

  Libby nodded and smiled absently, her eyes searching for Tony, who was still talking in low murmurs on the phone across the room. “S’cuse me,” she said to the woman and hurried over to Tony. “Tony…” The urgency of her voice made him turn and look at her immediately. “They were here…the albino and his friend in the sports car. They were here just a while ago. They must still be looking for us.”

  “Cliff, I’ll call you later tonight,” Tony said into the phone. “I need anything and everything you can find out. I’ll get back to you later.” Tony hung up the phone and put an arm around Libby’s trembling shoulders. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  Moments later they were driving again, this time with directions from the attendant who had filled up their gas tank. “Damn, I hate functioning in the dark,” Tony muttered, his eyes constantly checking his rearview mirror as he drove. “If we knew exactly what value that necklace had, we’d know which authorities to hand it over to, but until we know what it represents, I can’t just give it to anyone. CIA men can be bought just as easily as anyone else,” Tony said. “You have no idea how many double agents there are in the agency.”

  “Surely there’s one honest, patriotic man working for the CIA,” Libby countered, equally impatient.

  “Give me his name and I’ll be glad to hand the necklace to him,” Tony stated emphatically.

  Libby hugged her displeasure. “You are a cynic,” she exclaimed. “Working for the police department for so many years has made you perceive everyone as an enemy.”

  “And you are naive,” Tony returned. “Working in the confines of a neighborhood pawnshop amid your antiques and treasures has made you see everything through a rose-tinted veil. Haven’t you heard, spying is big business…. Ask Mrs. Walker.”

  “Who’s Mrs. Walker?” she asked curiously.

  Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation. “The Walker case was only one of the most well-publicized cases of spying this country has seen.”

  “Well, excuse my ignorance,” Libby said stiffly. “Had I known I was going to get caught up in the middle of a national security crisis I would have taken a class in how to evade spies and protect national secrets.” She glared at him, suddenly angry at him for making her feel stupid. She was not having a red-letter day, and his condescending attitude was the last straw.

  “It would have been helpful if you had read a book or taken a class in picking an agency man you can trust,” Tony exclaimed, his mustache twitching with amusement.

  “Or taken notes the last time I went to see a James Bond movie,” she replied, her anger dissipating as she recognized the completely ludicrous nature of their argument.

  “Or at least watched reruns of ‘Get Smart,’” Tony said with a wide grin.

  “That’s definitely more in my league.” Libby giggled, taking off her shoe and holding it up to her ear like a telephone. “Hello, Control. Could you tell me again, who are the bad guys?”

  Sudde
nly they were both laughing. Uproarious laughter that fed upon itself. Libby recognized the laughter for exactly what it was, a release of the tension they’d felt since leaving Kansas City and encountering so many problems. Yet, even realizing this, she allowed the laughter to overtake her. As she wiped at the tears in her eyes and held her aching sides, she realized this was the first time she’d heard Tony really laugh. He had a pleasant one, a low, full rumble that caused a funny sensation in the pit of her stomach. The sound of his laughter was one she would like to hear more often.

  It was Tony who sobered first, the light slowly fading from his dark eyes. “Libby, I think it’s obvious these men know where we’re going. They know about the lab and they’ve guessed that’s where we’re headed.” He paused a moment, then continued. “I think maybe it would be a good idea for us to hole up for a day or two. Maybe if we don’t turn up at the lab today or tomorrow, those goons will think we turned around and headed back to Kansas City.”

  “You really believe that?” she asked dubiously, rather uncomfortable at the idea of sharing a motel room with him, yet even more uncomfortable at the thought of being in a room alone or at the mercy of the man with the deathlike eyes.

  Tony shrugged. “I don’t know what to believe. I do know those men are anticipating our moves, so perhaps it’s time we change the game. By holing up for a day or two, maybe we can throw them off the track.”

  “Whatever you think is best is fine with me,” she said, then frowned worriedly.

  “What’s wrong?” Tony asked.

  “Twilight. I assumed we’d be back at your place late tonight, and I didn’t leave much food out for him.”