by Rhea Wilde
I was reluctant.
“I’ll be okay,” she said. “Please. We’re running out of time. I can take care of myself. Just trust me.”
“All right,” I said with a nod. “Just…”
Looking at her, so vulnerable…
I don’t know what came over me.
I moved closer to her and put my lips to hers. My eyes closed, I enjoyed the feeling of her mouth. The soft skin of her cheeks made me forget about everything happening for just a moment.
The kiss was over as soon as it began. I pulled away from her. Eva’s eyes were still closed. After a few seconds, she looked at me.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “It just… seemed like you needed it.”
She smiled slightly at me.
“Come on,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Chapter 14
EVA
The Taurus building was conveniently located in the center of downtown New Gardens. There was a time when there were multiple skyscrapers that rivaled it, but it was before I arrived. Now it was the only building that towered over everybody to the point it was always in view.
People always talked about how impressive it was. They mentioned how remarkable Lee Taurus was for being a man who accumulated enough wealth to be the richest man in the city. He was a millionaire. Rumors said he was approaching a billion.
It wasn’t a surprise. Taurus had his stamp on nearly everything in this city. From all of the property being built and renovated to the charities being run, Taurus spread his money around like it was going out of style. And if you didn’t see his face on a billboard or the front page of the paper, his building was always there to remind you he was there.
If anybody asked me, the Taurus building was just him compensating for something else. There was no need for such a gaudy building in a city like this. Then again, he had the money to spend and I was in no position to tell him what to do.
I was paranoid I was being followed as I got closer but when I stepped inside the Taurus building, any anxiety I had melted away. There were enough security cameras to catch anything that happened from every angle in the main lobby.
I was joined by countless business people, men and women who looked like they used money as toilet paper. They had an air about them that was hard to explain. It was almost as if their heads were tilted slightly higher so that their noses were in the air. Just the lobby of the building was more posh than any building in New Gardens. I was just happy with the air-conditioning. The leather couches, fancy bar and spacious seating made the lobby that much more luxurious.
I immediately caught the eye of some people as I made my way forward. Everybody was in a fancy suit, men and women alike. I felt like the only person in the world wearing jeans. It didn’t help that they were one of my oldest pairs and the rips revealed the pale skin of my legs. A modest white top with short sleeves wasn’t helping matters.
I walked over to the reception desk at the other end of the lobby. There were two security guards there, both of them distracted by something they were watching on television.
“Hey.”
I tried to get their attention and they both turned to me. One of them returned his attention to the small TV and the other groaned as he looked up at me.
“How can I help you?” he sighed.
He was a middle-aged man. Balding with a few scraps of thin gray hair around the sides of his head. His face was wrinkled and blemished with liver spots. On his mustache, there was a dusting of powdered sugar, probably from a donut he’d scarfed down in a hurry. His white security guard shirt was tight against his body. His belly stuck out and made his belt strain.
“I’m here to see Lee Taurus,” I said.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No, I don’t have an appointment—”
“Then you can’t see him. Lee Taurus is a busy man. You can’t see him without making an appointment.”
“All right… How do I make an appointment?”
“You have to speak to his assistant.”
“Fine. How can I contact his assistant?”
“His assistant is busy.”
“What?”
“She’s busy. If you come back in a few business days.”
“I don’t have a few business days. I need to see him now!”
I pounded my fist on the counter. A split-second after I said it, I realized I’d yelled when I heard my echo through the lobby. Some of the conversations stopped as the men and women around me all turned to see what was going on.
Shit…
The last thing I wanted was to draw attention to myself. Reese could have been lurking anywhere.
The security guard looked at me and crossed his arms. It was clear he didn’t appreciate my tone.
“Look,” I said, exhaling a deep breath. “I know he’s a busy man. But this is important. I really need to talk to him. This is an emergency.”
“An emergency? Are you dying?”
“…I’m about to.”
“Well, Mr. Taurus isn’t a doctor. Maybe you should go to the hospital.”
He chuckled to himself and nudged the security guard next to him with his elbow. The other guard didn’t pay any attention to him. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, trying to maintain my composure and keep a low profile.
“Listen, lady. We get a lot of people coming in trying to talk to the boss man. You can’t just waltz in here without an appointment. You haven’t even been screened. How do I know you’re not some crazy loon who’s trying to take a shot at him?”
“Do I look like some crazy loon?”
“Well—”
“Don’t answer that,” I said, putting my index finger up. “Can you at least ask him? Tell him Eva Lynch needs to see him and it’s important. I’m working for him. If he doesn’t want to see me, then I’ll stop bothering you, okay? But he’s gonna wanna hear what I have to say. If something bad happens, you’re the one who’s gonna have to explain everything to him.”
The security guard bit the bottom corner of his lip as he eyeballed me. He shifted his eyes up and down, sizing me up. I stared back at him, my eyes wide, waiting for a response.
“Hold on,” the man said.
He grabbed a nearby phone and dialed into it. He held the receiver up to his ear, the entire time his eyes locked on me.
“Hey,” he said. “I’ve got a woman here. Says her name is Eve something.”
“Lynch. Eva Lynch.”
“Eva Lynch. She needs to talk to the man. Says it’s important… Yeah…”
He was silent. He kept staring at me like he was listening in on the other end. I waited patiently, hoping Taurus would give me a chance to talk to him. After a few moments, the man finally started talking again.
“Yeah… Okay… I got it…”
He put the phone down then looked me up and down again.
“Well?” I said, holding my hands out. “What did he say?”
“He’ll see you. But only if you make it quick. He’s a busy man—”
“Fine. Where is he?”
“Just take the elevator over there to the top floor. The access code is 188. Don’t bother telling anybody. We change it all the time.”
“Yes, yes, yes. I get it. You don’t have to spell it out for me.”
I breathed a sigh of relief after managing to make it past the security desk. I stepped into the elevator and quickly punched in the access code. I stood there, alone with my thoughts, as I ascended to the top floor. The elevator ride was the longest I’d ever taken in my life. It was another reminder of how ridiculously tall Taurus’s building was.
When I arrived at the top floor, the elevator doors opened. I stepped out and my knees buckled when I looked around me. I immediately noticed how high up I was from the view. The massive window walls stretched all the way around the floor. The entire city was in view. I could see all the way to the horizon. I was floating on a cloud,
looking down on everything else.
I shook my head and immediately regained my senses. There wasn’t much at the top floor. The only thing I noticed was a reception desk in the distance where a young woman sat. Lee Taurus’s assistant most likely. I wondered how often he slept with the poor girl. She was probably fascinated with his wealth and his fancy suits. I had to throw those thoughts away to stay focused on more important matters.
I approached the desk and the young blond woman sitting there didn’t pay me any attention. She was occupied by about four computer monitors, a headset and a tablet on her desk. She definitely didn’t know I was there.
“Whatever…”
I muttered to myself as I walked around the desk and kept walking forward.
“Miss? Miss?”
I heard her voice behind me as I walked down the hall. I kept moving until I found a set of double doors.
“Miss! Hold on a second!”
I ignored the young receptionist and pushed the double doors open. I was greeted with another spacious room with marbled floors and the same gorgeous view of the city I had just seen in the previous room.
Lee Taurus sat at his desk about twenty meters away, facing me while he spoke to a man across from him. Taurus looked the same as he always did. Rich, stuck-up, arrogant, egotistical, and every other word you’d use to describe a man who spent more on his suits than the average man in this city earned in an entire year.
I watched his eyes shift to me as I made my way to his desk. Behind me, I could hear the blond woman’s heels clicking against the marble floor.
“I’m sorry, sir,” she said. “She just barged in and—”
“It’s all right,” Lee said, his voice calm and his hand raised. “I’ll take it from here, Robin.”
I turned around and the woman bowed her head before excusing herself. She closed the double doors shut, leaving me alone in the room with Taurus and the man sitting in front of his desk.
I stood next to the man who sat quietly in his chair. He was an older man, probably over 50. Even though his skin was dark and blemished, it was still tight with few wrinkles. His head was shaved but I could see the gray just beginning to grow out on his head. He wore a suit that was loose on his body. I suppose it looked strange compared to Taurus, who undoubtedly had his suits custom-tailored to his exact physique.
He didn’t pay any attention to me. I thought it was strange that he was staring into space but didn’t focus on him. Instead, I looked at Lee, who was staring back at me with half of a smile on his face.
“Eva. I wasn’t expecting to see you back so soon. Did you solve the case? Come here to collect your bounty?”
“Don’t patronize me. This is serious.”
“I know it is. I wouldn’t have offered you so much to investigate if it weren’t.”
“If it’s serious, that means you’re willing to help me.”
“Sure. I don’t know how much help I can be. I know as much as the New Gardens police department does and to be honest with you, they don’t know much. Though I doubt that surprises you.”
“No,” I sighed. “It doesn’t.”
“I’m assuming you’re close though. You wouldn’t be here if that weren’t the case. Am I right?”
“You’re right.”
“I make no promises but what do you need from me?”
“Information.”
“You’ll have to be a little more specific.”
I leaned forward against his desk and pushed my palms down on it. I deliberately turned and looked at the man sitting down next to me. He finally acknowledged me, shifting his eyes toward me but not saying another word. I turned back to Lee and widened my eyes at him.
“This is a sensitive case,” I said. “Some privacy?”
“Oh. Right. We’ll get to introductions later. But rest assured anything you say in front of me, you can say in front of Agent Neville.
Agent Neville. Who is he? Police? Private investigation? Working for Reese?
The alarms immediately went off in my head. I’d never seen this man before in my life but there was no reason to trust him. I shook my head at Lee and put my hands up.
“I don’t know who he is,” I said. “You don’t expect me to share sensitive information with you and let him listen—”
“It’s all right,” the man said, his voice more polite than I expected. “I have no interest in you or your case or anything pertaining to this city. I’m only here to speak with Lee about some personal business.”
“Personal business, huh? That’s not very reassuring.”
“Listen, Eva,” Lee joined in. “You can ask me now or you can leave. Agent Neville had an appointment. You didn’t.”
They both stared at me. I looked back at the both of them and shook my head. I wasn’t in the position to make any demands.
“Fine,” I sighed. “I just need the information.”
“And what information is that?” Taurus asked.
“My primary suspect is building something. A facility. He started construction on it recently. I thought you’d have the information on anybody who’s purchased property in the past six months. The plot would be about a square mile.”
“A square mile? That’s considerable.”
“He’s planning a big operation.”
“Hmm… You would think that kind of property purchase wouldn’t go unnoticed.”
“Do you have the information or not, Taurus? It will help me locate where he’s planning to build his base of operations.”
“It might take some time.”
“I don’t have a lot of time—”
“Scanning records takes time, Eva. I’m sorry. My assistant can send you the information in a few hours, at best. I can’t promise you any faster than that.”
“Fine.”
“My assistant will take down your information on the way out.”
I turned around to leave when Taurus called out to me.
“Eva.”
I spun back around and put my hands in the air.
“What?” I sighed.
“While you’re here, maybe you can help my new friend here. His name is Michael Neville. He’s an Agent for the Army Criminal Investigation Command.”
“I’m not interested.”
“It will only take a second. Agent…”
Lee held his hand out to the man, offering the floor to him. The older man slowly rose from his seat and faced me. Despite how old he was, he didn’t look as fragile as most men his age.
“You’ll have to forgive me,” he explained. “I’m not familiar with this city but I need all the help I can get.”
“I don’t know how much I can help you,” I replied. “I’m quite busy at the moment.”
I glanced over at Lee, who was sitting calmly at his desk, his hands in his lap.
“I’m with the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, as Mr. Taurus just explained. I’m looking for someone.”
“You’re gonna have to be more specific,” I said.
“Of course.”
Neville reached down for a small manila folder resting on the desk. I watched him open it up and pull a small piece of paper out. He then held it out to me. I took it from him and realized it wasn’t a paper but a photograph.
“Listen, I don’t know—”
I stopped talking when I glanced down at the photograph and immediately, there was a lump in my throat.
John?
It was him. There was no doubt about it. The picture of John looked little different from when I just said goodbye to him at the hotel. His hair was a little shorter but it was the same color of blond. His eyes were just as auburn as they always were when he stared at me.
I swallowed anxiously, trying my best not to react.
“This is Captain Derek Jacobs,” Agent Neville said.
“Derek… Jacobs?” I said, blinking my eyes in confusion. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure,” he said with a soft laugh. “I
know him personally. His records are on file. Why would you ask that?”
“No, it’s just…”
I looked at the photo then back to the Neville, who was staring at me intently.
“Who is he?” I asked.
“He’s a member of a special forces unit. A Green Beret. We take every member of our special forces very seriously but this case is peculiar.”
“In what way?”
“Jacobs is one of our most decorated officers. Him leaving so suddenly isn’t like him.”
“Why are you looking for him?” I said with a shrug. “Did he do something?”
“We asked his squad to report in for a briefing. Everybody reported. Everybody except for him. We take AWOL very seriously. Captain Jacobs didn’t report and instead chose to come here to New Gardens.”
“W-what is he doing here? What business does he have in a town like this?”
“That’s not your concern. The CID will handle it once we’ve apprehended him.”
“Maybe he had some important business to take care of.”
“Again, that’s not your concern, Miss Lynch. He was ordered to report and he didn’t. He did not receive authorization to come to this city. Your concern for the moment should be whether or not you’ve seen him.”
Agent Neville stared at me, unblinking with no emotion on his face. I clenched my jaw then shifted my eyes to the photo of John.
“You said his name is Derek Jacobs,” I said.
“That’s correct.”
“…No,” I said as I stared at the photo. “I haven’t seen him.”
“I suppose it was a long shot,” Neville sighed. “If you do see him, please contact me as soon as possible. Thank you for your time, Miss Lynch.”
He took the photo from me and handed me his card. I looked down at it and read all of the information.
Special Agent Michael Neville
USACIDC
I was paralyzed thinking about the portrait I’d just seen. I could only stand there with the card in my hand.
“Miss Lynch?”
I raised my head up and both Taurus and Neville were staring at me.
“Are you all right, Eva?” Lee said.
“I’m… I’m fine. I’m just… I’m a little worried about this case. You’ve got me in deep, Taurus.”
