“So, you weren’t looking for me?” Honey asked.
“No. But now I can take both of you in together.”
Honey and Angelo looked at each other and burst out laughing. When they caught their breath, Angelo found a place to pull in before getting back on the highway. They were far from the checkpoint to cross over into California now, and it appeared the snowplows had done a good job making it passable. After unbuckling his seat belt, he turned to look at his passengers.
“That is nonsense, Agent Martin. This is what you’re going to do. You are going to make sure Tessa and Honey are never associated with what may or may not have happened in Reno in the last ten hours. And, in return, I will give up the Russian oligarch I stole the money from by giving you his location and his plans for the next week. I’m sure my information will put him away for a very long time. Honey, I’m sure, will have a treat to offer as well, but it is her decision to make.”
“And I’m sure you want something in return.”
“I want only to see law and order…well, and the money I have taken from the Russian. He has plenty more, and I can provide the outlets for money laundering he uses. It would be frosting on the cake. That should make you quite the rock star at headquarters.”
Tessa reached out to touch Agent Martin’s arm, but he pulled away before she could make contact. “Please, Agent Martin. I will so owe you, big-time!” She grabbed his cuffed hands. “I would never survive in jail. Doesn’t all I’ve done for the country mean anything? You and I have been through so much together and…”
“Oh stop,” he moaned. “You have become the manipulating little mouse Enigma hoped you’d become when they signed you up.” He held out his hands. “And stop with the fake tear at the corner of your eye and get me out of these. It’s a deal. But if Angelo and your Irish buddy don’t come through for me, you’re toast.”
Angelo passed Tessa the key so she could free him. Before he could adjust to a more comfortable position, she hugged him then landed a kiss on his cheek. He frowned at her and made a big effort to show his irritation by wiping it away.
“You’re a menace, Tessa Scott.” He rubbed his wrists before leveling a look of contempt toward Honey who watched him like an angry wolverine. “Why were you two teamed up anyway? I thought you ran with a better class of people. And you.” He snarled at Honey with a crooked lip. “Where’s my weapon by the way?”
The agent was baiting a dangerous woman, hoping to force her into an out-of-control rage so he could still haul her off to jail. Clicking her seat belt, she leaned forward to get him focused on her again.
“I’ll give it back when we return to Grass Valley.” Honey smiled.
Tessa tried to get his attention by snapping her fingers in front of his nose to distract him from glaring at Honey like he was ready to cuff and mirandize her. “She found out there was a hit out on Hunter. It was supposed to happen tonight.”
“So? He’s a big boy. I’m sure he can take care of himself. Can’t be anything new for him.”
“Well, he was babysitting my kids,” Tessa said. “We tried to warn him in time. But you never know what my kids could be exposed to. They could also get hurt.”
Agent Martin pursed his lips and pointed to Honey. “This is probably your fault. I’m keeping you on my radar.”
She narrowed her eyes and blew him a kiss. If the woman wanted to, she could climb over the back seat and land a killing blow to his throat faster than he could lean back. No doubt she would give him a passionate kiss on the mouth before he died. Tessa put her hand on Honey’s shoulder and squeezed gently, drawing her death stare to her. It softened immediately.
“Don’t pay him any attention. Okay?”
Honey nodded and turned away. “Okay.”
Angelo laid his hand on his heart. “I feel like God has brought a miracle right here before us this night.”
In unison, the other three groaned as Angelo started the car.
Chapter Twenty
Chase opened one eye when the first rays of morning pierced the sheer curtains in Tessa’s bedroom. He noticed immediately the boys had dragged their sleeping bags onto the floor in front of him. Heather had climbed up in his lap and laid her head against his chest. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her curly head. A fleeting thought of Tessa touched his brain. He hoped she had gotten the message that all was well on the home front and not to worry. In seconds, he fell back asleep, knowing this little domestic scene would soon be replaced by his real world.
~ ~ ~ ~
The four unlikely partners in crime had to pull over three more times to wait for the snowplow to clear enough road for them. From Reno to Grass Valley was less than one hundred miles over the mountains. It should have taken only about an hour and a half to cross over, but with the snow and unexpected distractions, they were coming up on eight hours. The sun rose and intermittent streams of light sliced through the billowy clouds and seemed blinding at times.
After a call came through, Angelo willingly handed Tessa her stolen cell phone. “It was for your own good,” he explained.
The news had been good. Chase and the children were safe, and the hitman had been captured, according to Vernon Kemp. He relayed how he’d been trying to track them all night and put in place a few roadblocks of the cyber kind to help if she needed it. She informed him Agent Martin was with her along with Honey Lynch. She thought it best not to mention Angelo.
Shortly after, the director of Enigma entered the conversation and asked to speak to Agent Martin. The two of them talked the rest of the way to Grass Valley and sounded like they’d come to an understanding concerning the night’s events.
A calm washed over her as they neared her subdivision, now a winter wonderland filled with beautiful snow. She couldn’t wait to hold her babies and tell them how much she loved them. Hopefully, they wouldn’t require therapy after wondering where their mother might be or having to suffer the drill sergeant mentality of Captain Hunter. He wasn’t used to compromise, and he certainly didn’t know anything about kids. But she had trusted him nonetheless, to stay a couple of hours so she could pick up her parents. There had been no way of knowing how the events would shift everything.
When she got out of the car in her driveway, Honey joined her. “Here’s your keys. The only one missing is your car key. Angelo says he had to give it to the repair man to drive back.” The two women tried to avoid eye contact and ran the toes of their boots through the snow.
“Thanks for being my wingman, Tessa. You’re all right.”
“Merry Christmas, Honey. I guess you’re okay, too.”
The two women embraced. Tessa quickly checked to see if the woman had lifted anything from her pockets, drawing a smile from the assassin before she slipped back inside the car. Tessa leaned down to wink at Angelo then gave a thumbs-up to Agent Martin. They’d already said their goodbyes, and it was probably a good idea not to let them tarry too long.
After punching in the security code and letting herself in, Tessa quickly turned off the alarm and looked around the house. It was immaculate. She moved through the rooms quietly, knowing everyone probably continued to sleep. Besides the dining room window having cardboard taped over the outside, the only thing that looked a little out of place was a string of garland and some Christmas lights in the trash. She pulled them out only to notice they were charred black. The back door also looked as if it had undergone some repairs.
After a few minutes, she headed upstairs and was surprised the children weren’t in their rooms. Walking into her room, she found Chase’s body half on and half off the small love seat and the children asleep in various positions near him. With his head propped up on one of her chenille pillows, someone—probably Heather—had managed to place a pink sparkly tiara, at an angle, on his head. The feathers of a purple boa wrapped around his neck moved each time he exhaled. He held Heather in one arm, and the other hand gripped one of the boys’ light sabers.
Tessa grabbed her phone and took
several pictures of the scene. She’d frame the best one and give it to Chase for Christmas. She stared at them a few more minutes before reaching down and touching the boys who woke immediately.
“Mom!” they chorused and scrambled up into her arms. She kissed them and tousled their hair.
Heather awoke and tried to climb down. Chase opened his eyes. Tessa leaned over Chase, lifted her daughter into her arms, and squeezed. “How’s my girl?”
“Good. We had so much fun, Mommy.”
“Really? How about you boys?”
They nodded and talked at the same time about a few exploits that sounded more than a little concerning to her. By now, Chase had sat up and yawned.
“Mimi and Poppy should be on their way from the airport. They had to fly into Sacramento because of the weather. So, I missed them. Sorry it took so long.” The last comment had been intended for Chase. “Tell you what. How about I fix everyone some breakfast in a few minutes. Go change your clothes and clean up. Okay?”
Their exit sounded like galloping horses as she turned her eyes back on Chase who rubbed tired eyes and stretched.
“Do you realize you’re wearing a tiara and a purple boa?”
“I’m getting in touch with my princess side.”
Tessa couldn’t help but offer a light laugh. “I see. Is this a career move?”
“Hell no. This is too hard. I’m giving you a raise after Christmas and more time off. I’m exhausted. Several hours ago, they got up, and Heather demanded we still have our princess school. I agreed, if they’d go lie down for a few hours afterward. I’m not wearing any lipstick, am I?”
She tugged at his outstretched hand to pull him up. Turning his face this way and that, she then grabbed a tissue off the dresser and brushed it across his cheek. “All good now. Thank you for taking such good care of them. Anything you want to share with me before they start giving me a play-by-play of last night’s activities?”
“Not really. Anything I need to know about the last twelve hours or so with you?” Chase rubbed his eyes and yawned.
Tessa shrugged and fluffed a Christmas tree pillow on the love seat. “No. I can’t think of anything.” She smiled up at him.
“Oh, I did have to repair your back door. And I folded three baskets of laundry. I also ran the vacuum and organized your pantry.”
“You’re sweet-talkin’ me now.”
A grin toyed with the corner of one side of his mouth. “Yes, I am.”
Tessa stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the mouth. “Thank you. Maybe there is something I can do for you.”
That steamy look she so loved in his dark eyes appeared but quickly evaporated as he moved toward the bedroom door. “I’m too tired. And I may have a headache. I need coffee.”
She started to laugh and rub his back.
“Come on. I’ll help you cook breakfast. I want to make sure the kids get their stories straight. Then, after I get a nap, and if you still want to thank me, we’ll talk.”
THE END
Meet Tierney James
Tierney James decided to become a full-time writer after working in education for over thirty years. Besides serving as a Solar System Ambassador for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, and attending Space Camp for Educators, Tierney served as a Geo-teacher for National Geographic. Her love of travel and cultures took her on adventures throughout Africa, Asia and Europe. From the Great Wall of China to floating the Okavango Delta of Botswana, Tierney weaves her unique experiences into the adventures she loves to write. Living on a Native American reservation and in a mining town, fuels the characters in the Enigma and Wind Dancer series.
After moving to Owasso, Oklahoma the love of teaching continued in her marketing and writing workshops along with the creation of educational materials and children’s books. Try some of her other books to bring a little adventure to your life. http://www.tierneyjames.com Speaking at book clubs, school functions, church and community groups are a few of the things Tierney enjoys doing when not writing her next adventure. She also helps beginning writers in their quest to becoming a published author through her workshops and classes.
Invisible Goodbye – Enigma 7
Chapter 1
Darkness always felt eternal flying over the ocean at night. The lights were dimmed several hours earlier. Most passengers fell asleep in spite of the twenty minutes of turbulence earlier in the flight. The occasional flash of distant lightning was the only evidence the plane remained at 34,000 feet. This somehow comforted Joel Sandy as he clicked on the video screen embedded in the back of the seat in front of him.
He’d always enjoyed watching the flight path of the plane as it moved along the lines of latitude on the virtual map. Noting the wind speed, altitude, weather forecast and various other statistics most of his friends ignored, gave him pleasure and a certain amount of comfort that all was right with this part of the world.
Since he had an aisle seat, he stretched out one of his long legs, then eased out to stand up and use the restroom one more time before slipping on his comfy socks to put him in the mood. He could feel the antihistamine he’d taken an hour earlier start to take effect. When he returned to his seat, he fished out the sleep mask provided to all first-class ticket holders.
For a few seconds he felt his body tilt to the right as if the plane made a turn. He glanced at the screen again to check their location. The plane was gently moving away from the route he’d expected in order to reach their morning stop in Dubai. He pushed the call button.
“Yes, sir?” The flight attendant had boarded the plane ahead of the passengers. He noticed her and that she didn’t look so much like someone from Singapore, but maybe Central Asia. “I didn’t expect you to still be awake?” Her smile seemed a little taunt.
“According to this map, we are turning north. Is there a problem?”
“Not at all. Just an adjustment. There’s a storm up ahead and the pilot wishes to avoid any turbulence.”
Suddenly the plane bounced as if it were losing altitude. “Something is wrong.”
“Please buckle up. I’ll go check it out.”
Even as he kept an eye on the plane moving across the map, sleep caressed his fears until his eyelids began to feel heavy. He spotted the flight attendant talking to someone who appeared to be the pilot. She pointed toward Joel and the pilot eased down the aisle and squatted down by him. The attendant followed.
“I think it is okay. He’s almost out.” The pilot stood and smiled at the attendant. “This will soon be over.”
Joel tried to call out to the others, but his voice wouldn’t work, or the rest of his body. Had he been poisoned or medicated? With his sight starting to fade he watched the small airplane on the map disappear just before the screen went dark. They were going to crash.
~ ~ ~ ~
President Buck Austin was just sitting down for a late lunch with his guests, the ambassadors from Western Europe. He’d decided they needed a “Come to Jesus” speech about their support of NATO and their monetary contributions. The United Nations Ambassador, Talala Anderson, also attended to make her case for greater support for sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea.
The president’s Chief of Staff entered and bent down to whisper in his ear. He stood and motioned for everyone to begin eating. Something needed his attention and would return as soon as possible.
“Just give it to me straight,” he ordered in his no nonsense manner when irritated.
The Chief of Staff remained standing as the president leaned against his desk in the Oval Office and crossed his arms. “A plane went missing several hours ago on its flight from Singapore. About twenty of the two hundred passengers were Americans.”
“Was it a terrorist attack?” The president knew he should be use to this kind of thing, but it never got easy, knowing precious lives were lost due to some crazed individual who had no respect for human life.
“We are just getting information. The Pentagon has been alerted, sir.”
�
�The Pentagon? Why? What are you not telling me?” The president straightened and frowned.
“Those twenty Americans were some of our best scientists and engineers. They were working with DARPA and the Pentagon on a revolutionary cloaking device for our military aircraft and body armor for combat. The project was nearing completion. Several traveled to Singapore for a conference and some of the others were visiting relatives in neighboring countries. They were also guest lecturers at universities. All of them met up yesterday to return back to the States and their work.”
“Are they the only ones working on this project?” The president knew he should care more about the possible loss of life than a protected government project—but he didn’t. “And did it not occur to anyone at DARPA sending twenty scientists and engineers to Asia was a bad idea? Sometimes I think they don’t have enough sense to wad a shotgun,” he complained in his Texas accent.
“Yes sir. They were working in conjunction with DARPA but not exclusively. Jango International Aeronautics, out of New Mexico was contracted through the Pentagon for this project.”
“Then we didn’t lose everyone?”
The Chief of Staff checked his notes. “We don’t know yet, Mr. President.”
“Then find someone who does know,” he shouted. “Someone is going to pay for this screw up. This is what I want to know; what happened to that plane, who was responsible, and who the hell let so many brains leave the country? Am I clear?”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
“And when you find the idiot who let them leave, drag his ass in here so I can rip him a new one. And I want all that by tonight,” he fumed as he walked to the door. “Now I’m going to have a nice lunch and suggest our so called ‘allies’, get ready for some trouble. Hopefully, that plane is at the bottom of the ocean and not in some third world hell-hole selling our people to the highest bidder.”
The Knight Before Chaos Page 13
