by Debra Webb
Olivia tugged her blouse down and let herself take a much-needed deep breath. That touching her didn’t appear to have fazed him made her all the more annoyed with herself.
Jeffrey hadn’t stopped pacing since he’d gotten up. Even as he’d nibbled at his lunch, chips and a sandwich, he’d been restless. He was concerned about her. He still thought they should call the authorities.
Landry slipped his earpiece into place. “Let’s take her for a test run.” He hitched his thumb toward the back door. “Go for fifty yards.”
Olivia nodded her agreement and slipped in her own earpiece. Hers was much less conspicuous than Landry’s, fitting like a tiny hearing aid.
As soon as Landry left the room, Jeffrey rushed over to her. “Olivia, this is outrageous.” His face, his posture, his entire being backed up his assertion. He was scared. For her mostly. “I don’t really understand what the two of you hope to accomplish but it sounds very dangerous for you. We should call off this whole thing.” He cupped her face with his hands. “As much as it seems I don’t know the real you, I don’t want you hurt.”
“I’ll be okay.” She took one of his hands in hers. “I’ve done this hundreds of times.” She didn’t mention how out of practice she was, since keeping him calm was her goal.
Jeffrey nodded as if he understood, but then resumed pacing around the kitchen. She turned away, stared out the window over the sink as Landry made his way to the edge of the yard.
She’d thought about the truth a few times in the past three years. Sure, it would have been nice to clear her name. To be free to reclaim her position at the Agency if she so chose. But she’d known something Landry had apparently overlooked. There wasn’t any going back. She had a new and completely satisfying career. Why would she want to go back to her old job? She shuddered inwardly at the memories that bobbed to the surface of that ominous lake of history. She worked so hard to keep that dark surface still and calm. Kept all those painful flashes from the past tightly compartmentalized beneath that glassy surface. She couldn’t go back. She never wanted to take another life, no matter the cause.
She couldn’t be that person anymore. At one time her work had been her calling. She’d felt the passion for serving her country as deeply as anyone who chooses to go into the priesthood. She’d started out as a typical field operative but her ability to infiltrate the enemy, as well as her unparalleled marksmanship, had gotten the Agency’s notice. Moving into the position of surgical assassin had been the logical progression.
Heat chased away the icy sensations of resignation as she toyed with the idea that Landry had spoken about more than clearing her name. He’d said that she mattered to him.
He’d watched her from afar all this time. Why hadn’t he contacted her sooner? Why let her endure the grief she’d suffered? Didn’t he realize how badly the idea that he’d betrayed her had damaged her? There was a part of her that would never recover from the devastation.
So many questions. Not nearly enough answers.
He was keeping secrets…still. She could feel it. He was going to offer himself as bait, on the premise that he had information they would need. Something, besides the obvious, was totally off here.
“Jeffrey’s right, you know.”
She tensed as Landry’s voice filled her senses.
“This is extremely dangerous,” he said. “I’m thinking I should do this alone.”
He’d been able to do that before…read her mind.
A new kind of frustration obliterated any aspect of reason she wanted to maintain.
From the corner of her eye she checked on Jeffrey. He’d finally grown weary of pacing and had retired to the sofa. The way he fidgeted, changed positions repeatedly, made her regret all the more palpable.
“Too late for second thoughts now,” she said, keeping her voice low enough not to attract Jeffrey’s attention. “We don’t have a choice.”
“I didn’t…” He let go a big breath. “I won’t let them hurt you again, Nessa. This time I’ll have your back the whole distance.”
The guilt steeped in his tone echoed in her earpiece, surprising her with its fervor. She fought the powerful sensations that comprehension evoked and ordered herself to focus.
“You never said what you’d been up to for the past three years.” Besides watching her from afar, she didn’t add.
“No, I didn’t.”
That certainly wasn’t the answer she’d been digging for. Why the evasiveness? More lies by omission?
She closed her eyes and shook her head in self-disgust. What did she expect? This was the life they had led…before.
“Communications are a go.” She wasn’t dragging this out any longer than necessary. He wanted to get to her, just like before. And just like before, he wouldn’t give as good as he got. She might be a fool but she wasn’t totally stupid. Their relationship had always left her desperate for more. She couldn’t go there again.
Time to get out of here.
“Jeffrey.” She walked into the living room. “We’ll be leaving in five minutes. We should gather our things.” There was no way to know if they’d be coming back here.
“You’re sure you’ll be all right with this plan?” he asked again, those brown eyes searching hers for reassurance.
“Sure. This isn’t nearly as dangerous as you think.”
“Don’t lie to him, Nessa.”
Olivia jerked the communications piece from her ear and muttered, “Jerk.”
Jeffrey, the strap of his bag hefted onto his shoulder, turned to her and frowned. “Hmm?”
She grabbed her overnight bag. “Nothing. I was thinking about Landry.”
“I hope this will be over soon,” he said as they moved up the hall. “Our neighbors may file a missing person’s report. Unlike your friend,” he said, pausing for a moment, “we had a life.”
Since Landry could hear every word they said via the wire taped to her torso, she imagined that he wouldn’t care for the reminder. She had the distinct impression that he didn’t like her relationship with Jeffrey. Good. There were a lot of things he’d done that she didn’t particularly like. She resisted the urge to tuck the earpiece back into place just to hear what snide remark he might make in response to Jeffrey’s comments, but that would be a mistake. The sound of his voice whispering in her ear was far too intimate for her comfort.
They’d loaded their bags into the Land Rover by the time Landry caught up with them. His obvious irritation gave Olivia a refreshing dose of glee.
“We’ve got plenty of time to check out the situation and get into place.” He stowed his bag in the cargo area and went around to the driver’s-side door.
Olivia settled into the passenger seat while Jeffrey loaded into the back.
The call to Director Woods had been made.
He was at the top of the suspect list. He had the most power. He wasn’t the director of the CIA, but he was the director of field operations. A high-ranking staffer.
It wasn’t totally out of the sphere of reality that Hamilton had briefed his superior as well as the special adviser to the president regarding the steps he’d taken to protect Olivia. It just didn’t feel right. He would have been risking so much when he could have kept his mouth shut and risked nothing. Had it been necessary for him to get authorization? She didn’t know.
She would soon know at least part of the truth. Woods’s reaction would tell the tale. She wasn’t prepared to label Hamilton as her traitor until she had proof. She’d trusted him for too long. She wasn’t naive enough to completely ignore the possibility, but she wasn’t going there first.
She’d taken the fall for the CIA three years ago and now they wanted more? Wasn’t one life enough to give? That was part of the big mystery. She had to know why her name had suddenly come up again. Why someone suddenly wanted her dead again.
If Woods was the one…
She’d do what? Shoot him? Slug him?
Watching Landry in her peripheral vision, her
respiration reacted to the emotions churning inside her.
She couldn’t go into the operation like this. Control was key.
If they could stop whoever wanted her dead, maybe they could prove she was innocent of the accusations she’d had thrown at her three years ago.
The idea of clearing her name brought with it a calming effect. Maybe she did deserve to have her name cleared…to have her life back if she wanted it.
The Agency had done this to her and Landry had let it happen. That was the bottom line. Maybe he was back now out of some belated sense of guilt. She just didn’t care. She had to find out who the hell had started this new threat to her and find a way to end it. She had to protect Jeffrey. He was the one who didn’t deserve any of this. If she were lucky enough to clear her name in the process, well, that was great.
Better than great.
She focused on the burn of anger. She needed that heat to fuel her Sheara persona. When she was angry was the only time she felt any sort of connection to the person she used to be.
That connection might very well be the only thing that stood between her and certain death.
Her gaze shifted fully to the driver and she looked away just as quickly. She’d counted on him once and he’d let her down. Would this time be different?
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she needed him for this. They couldn’t fail.
The people who had held the power over her past were about to learn that Vanessa Clark wouldn’t be so damn easy to kill twice.
The rendezvous point was the Springfield Mall, only a few minutes from the nation’s Capitol. The food court would have been too obvious. She’d chosen the Victoria’s Secret store instead.
To ensure Woods didn’t set a trap for her, he wasn’t apprised of the exact location of the meet until he arrived on-site at 4:00 p.m.
This was the moment of truth. What high-ranking CIA official would put himself through the paces for a ghost from the past? If Woods showed, she would know without doubt that this was big. She would know that it wasn’t over as she’d thought for three years.
Olivia picked through a rack of silky lingerie as she covertly watched the front entrance to the store. Landry and Jeffrey were stationed on a bench only five or six yards outside the entrance. Landry wore an iPod on his belt to cover for the earpiece, which was considerably more noticeable than the one she had slipped into her ear. A New York Yankees ball cap camouflaged his face to some degree. Jeffrey sat on the other end of the bench, appearing engrossed in a hardback from the bookstore two stores down.
Landry would listen to the conversation and jump in to back her up if necessary.
Olivia had already checked out the dressing area as well as the employee exit in the rear. A fast getaway wouldn’t be a problem.
“Heads up.”
Her hand missed the next hanger as Landry’s voice reverberated softly in her ear.
“The target has arrived,” he warned.
Adrenaline roared like a fire through her veins. Olivia studied a lovely turquoise silk gown. “I see him,” she murmured.
He was there.
CIA Field Operations Director Arvin Woods entered the lingerie shop alone. But he wouldn’t be alone. It didn’t take a lot of imagination to figure out several of the patrons loitering in the spacious corridor outside the shop were probably undercover agents serving as his personal security and backup.
She maintained her position as he crossed to an adjacent rack of sexy nightwear and started to sift through the glamorous items, feigning interest.
Taking her time, she sized up the man she had not seen in three years. She remembered when he accepted the position eight years ago at age thirty-nine, the youngest director in the Agency’s history. His blond hair no doubt required help to stay that way these days. The tan hadn’t come from lying on the beach. The suit likely sported a designer label and a hefty price tag. He looked well, hadn’t really aged. Not like Hamilton. She imagined the major shit ran downhill. The deputy director wound up taking the heat more often than the director himself.
The possibility that she might have been his scapegoat sent a new surge of outrage roaring through her. The realization that he was here solely because she had called and asked him to be was all the proof she needed that Landry had told her the truth.
She moved to a table where delicate thongs were stacked in mounds of mint green, baby blue, girlie pink and virgin white. She felt the director’s scrutiny on her but she didn’t let the attention make her nervous. He wanted to be sure it was her before he approached.
Her hair was darker and longer than before. She’d stayed in shape out of habit more so than desire. Now she was glad she’d stuck with her workouts.
He walked in her direction, fingered the lacy edge of a pink thong as he paused at the table.
“Hello, Miss Clark.”
“Director Woods.”
“I’m sure you’ll understand when I say I thought you were dead.”
“I was.” She met that analyzing gray gaze. “Until someone resurrected me.”
He picked up the panties that appeared to strike his fancy, shifted his attention to the sexy feminine textures as he spoke. “Hamilton will certainly have some explaining to do.”
He sounded sincere. No way, however, would she assume he hadn’t known just because he said so. Sadly, no one did that anymore. At least not in this business.
“Hamilton did what he had to do to protect his agent.”
Those gray eyes bored into hers. “He lied to his superior. He allowed the Agency to believe you were dead and an international incident of significant proportions went unresolved as a result.”
“The explanation is simple,” she told him without hesitation. “I was set up to take the fall for someone else’s scheme. Now I want my life back. I want my name cleared. I want you to make that happen for me.”
He selected the baby blue panties to go along with the pink ones he’d already picked up. “I can assure you, Vanessa, if you were wronged I will make it right. To do that, however, I’ll need your full cooperation.” He settled his full attention back on her. “We need to finally clear up the mess that happened three years ago. You can help us do that. But I can’t help you if you aren’t willing to come in.”
Like she would do that. Come in was spookspeak for give yourself up. No way was she going down that path. Hamilton had saved her from that fate several years ago and she wasn’t about to get caught in that trap now.
“In that case, I’ll take my chances on my own.”
“If that’s your decision, I’m afraid I won’t be able to support your endeavor, Miss Clark.”
She picked up a pair of mint green panties as well as a pair of white ones and passed them to him. “Buy three get one free.”
“Don’t make this mistake, Miss Clark,” he cautioned firmly. “It could have devastating consequences. Whatever you and Hamilton arranged three years ago is clearly no longer valid. You’ll lose whatever life you’ve managed to salvage these last three years. Is that what you want?”
“I’ve already lost it.” Keeping the bitterness out of her tone was impossible. “Besides, I have backup this time.”
“I’m not sure what that means, Miss Clark.”
“Holt Landry is prepared to confirm everything I say. If you can’t help me, then we’ll just have to go to the media.” She studied him closely, didn’t want to miss the slightest shift in his expression or his posture as he absorbed her blatant threat. If he was guilty she wanted to read it on his face, in his eyes or in his voice.
“Threatening me won’t help you, Miss Clark. I cannot measure the relativity of what you’re trying to say. I’ve offered my help. What you do from here is your choice.”
She wanted to believe he was manipulating her, but there was no outward indication, no subtle change in the tone of his voice or indicative physical manifestations of deceit. Then again, like her, he knew all the tricks. He could be lying. But if she only had
what she saw and heard upon which to judge his sincerity, she would have to say he was telling the truth.
“In that case, this meeting is over.”
He sighed. His hands found the edge of the table as if he needed the extra support to stay vertical. “My offer stands, Miss Clark. Think long and hard before you betray the Agency or your country.”
That he would throw a blow that low infuriated her all the more. “Considering I eliminated a target that shouldn’t have been a target because the Agency ordered me to, I’d say my loyalty has never been in question.” Emotion welled in her voice, betraying her resolve. Dammit.
“That decision was not mine.” His gaze pressed in on hers once more. “The order came straight from the president. However badly you want to clear your name, Miss Clark, you have to know the likelihood of that happening in a public forum is very low. Going to the media with information you can’t officially substantiate will only harm you.”
“So you’ve wasted your time as well as mine with this little discussion.” She laughed softly. “I was certain a man as busy as yourself doesn’t have that kind of time to waste.”
“Come in with me, Miss Clark, and we’ll work this out. You have my word.”
“No, thanks.”
He squared his shoulders, the elegant blue silk suit regal against the crisp white of his shirt and the power-red tie he wore. “In that case, there’s nothing I can do for you. Good luck, Miss Clark.”
She watched him walk out of the store, the panties he’d considered buying left in a crumpled heap on the table.
“You okay?”
Landry.
“Yeah.”
“I’m going to follow him out. Make sure he leaves without talking to anyone else. Then I’ll make my way over to the Land Rover. You and Jeffrey meet me there in five minutes.”
Through the glass front of the shop she watched Landry fall into step a few yards behind the director, his baseball cap pulled low. Jeffrey got up from the bench and wandered into the shop to join her.
“I assume things didn’t go the way you’d hoped.” He frowned at the rumpled panties the director had left behind. Jeffrey liked things neat.
