Lightbringer
Page 6
“Good. He hates riding in the car.” Cassie refreshed Edgar’s bowls with kibble and water. A few minutes later she locked the front door behind her. “For all the good it will do,” she muttered. Louder she said, “I’ll drive my own car.”
Her declaration didn’t surprise him. She wasn’t going to let what was happening to her rob her of her independence. He just wished she could see that accepting help didn’t make her weak. Jared walked Cassie to her Volvo and reluctantly handed her the pack. She tossed it onto the passenger seat, then turned to face him.
“Thanks for the invitation, but I can’t accept. I’ll go to the Hilton and stay with Linda.”
Jared nodded. He’d expected this too, but he still felt a cold splash of disappointment. “I’ll follow you there.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Humor me. I won’t be able to sleep until I know you’re settled.” He deliberately echoed her words to Linda.
Cassie opened her mouth, then shut it, then finally sighed and said, “Okay.”
Jared smiled. Finally!
Dave Hopkins watched the cameras’ monitors from the back of his van. Cassie Lewis was leaving her house. Something had tipped her to his visit, but she hadn’t found the cameras, and neither had the cops. For a minute he’d been afraid that Jared character would see them, but the man had walked on by the placements and hadn’t said anything to the girl. He must be her boyfriend, the way they were nuzzling each other.
Dave made an adjustment that zoomed the focus in on Jared’s license plate, then wrote down the number. Too bad the boyfriend wasn’t staying; Dave would have enjoyed watching the show.
At least she’d be back tomorrow. He’d seen her appointment book. She had clients off and on from eight until four. He’d watch and listen. See if she mentioned Pankrit to anyone. Figure out how much she knew about Afghanistan.
He reluctantly punched in his employer’s private number. The CEO of MissionOne Security would want to know about any potential breach of secure information, but the only thing worse than making this call would be not making it.
“Crandall.”
He briefed his boss about Ms. Lewis’s weird mention of Pankrit.
“What did you say to her?”
“I didn’t say anything! She came up with it out of the blue. Maybe she’s psychic; she’s got enough books about that shit in her office.”
“Progeny,” Crandall murmured.
“What?”
“Never mind.”
Dave shrugged. “Anyway, I’ve got eyes and ears on her. If she knows anything and tries to tell someone, we’ll know about it.”
“I don’t believe in coincidence,” Crandall said. “It’s obvious she knows something. I want this situation contained.”
“It will be. She won’t piss without my knowing it. And by watching her, we might learn where she got her information.”
Crandall fell silent for a moment, then said, “Listen very carefully. I’m giving the orders here. You do what I tell you.” His voice was as cold as a North Dakota winter.
Dave spoke through clenched teeth. “I’m not a murderer.”
“No?” Crandall put a world of meaning into that one word.
“Not civilians. Not on U.S. soil.” That meant something. It was a line he’d never crossed.
“Those weren’t civilians in Pankrit?”
Something sharp twisted inside Dave. “What do you know about it? You weren’t there.” All Crandall could know was what the op reports contained.
“I have the communications transcripts. I know everything that was said, every order given.”
Hot anger washed through Dave. And shame. Some of those so-called civilians had been shooting his men. But not all of them. He’d made no distinction when he’d given the order to neutralize the threat.
“We were there on your orders, doing your bidding,” he said. “You won’t expose your part in this.”
Crandall’s laugh sounded genuinely amused. “You think I can’t have the recordings edited? Now take care of this problem,” Crandall demanded.
Dave mentally gave Crandall the finger. If Crandall made those recordings public, it wouldn’t be just Dave’s reputation he’d destroy. His men would suffer right alongside him. “I’ll take care of it.”
At the hotel, Cassie parked her car in one of the last spots remaining, at the far edge of the lot. Jared found a space just a few cars away. She let him carry her pack and walk her into the lobby, his hand on the small of her back. Her skin tingled under his touch, even through her sweater and jacket. It was an old-fashioned gesture, but comforting just the same. She’d told him it wasn’t necessary for him to follow her here, and it wasn’t. She could have managed this just fine without his supervision. But she was glad he hadn’t listened to her. After the visions and the cameras, she wouldn’t have wanted to walk across the long parking lot alone tonight.
“Thanks for walking me in,” Cassie said, feeling awkward.
His eyes crinkled and his cheeks dimpled. “You’re welcome.”
At the elevators Cassie pushed the “up” button. “You don’t need to go all the way to the room with me. I can make it from here.” She held out her hand for her backpack.
Jared just lifted a brow.
Cassie tried to ignore her body’s awareness of his. It would be so easy to give in to her inclination to lean against his tall, broad strength. Too easy. A part of her wanted to trust him, while another part remained wary. Why did this have to be so difficult? Jared had been nothing but kind. He’d given her a glimpse inside; she knew he just wanted to make sure she was safe. But why is he taking such an interest in me? And what is he hiding behind that mental barrier of his?
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Jared started to follow her into the car, but Cassie turned and blocked him.
Jared said softly, “You can trust me, you know.”
No, I don’t know. Her instincts and her psychic ability said she could trust him, but her reason had no proof. He’d lowered his barrier and shared a little of himself, but what if she’d misinterpreted what he shown her? What if she’d seen only what he wanted her to see? Or what she wanted? She wouldn’t make that mistake again. Especially since she had wanted to see him again tonight.
She held out her hand. “I’ll take it from here. Thank you for all you’ve done.” She steeled herself for an argument, but Jared just handed her the pack.
“You’re welcome.” He wasn’t smiling now, but she couldn’t back down.
She was embarrassed by her stiff words. “I mean, you’ve been great. Really. You didn’t have to come over the way you did. It’s just …”
Jared lifted one corner of his mouth, showing a hint of humor. “It’s just you’d rather I didn’t know exactly which room you and Linda are in.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes. Stated so baldly it sounded awful, but it was the truth, and she wasn’t going to change her mind.
“It’s okay. I understand. It’s good to be cautious.” He stepped back. “I’ll call you tomorrow morning,” he said as the doors closed.
Cassie stared at the seam in the brushed steel, not sure if what she felt was guilt, or fear, or relief, or all three. She glanced at her watch. It was a quarter to one in the morning. One thing was certain. It would be three o’clock before Linda finished grilling her about what happened tonight.
Cassie woke up, disoriented for a moment. A shower was running. The room was too dark, and Edgar wasn’t kneading her stomach and meowing for his breakfast. She wasn’t in her own bed.
Memory flooded back. Cameras in her house. Jared. A vision of Linda, dead. Cassie curled around her pillow as fear washed through her. It was happening again. No, this was worse, because this time she had no idea who was responsible, and this time her best friend was in danger.
But she wasn’t alone this time. Jared had come to help without being asked. Was he really that nice, or did he have some other agenda? She relaxed at the memory of his warm brow
n eyes filled with concern, his dimples, his dark curling hair. Her body heated as she remembered pressing against him the night before, and her nipples tightened.
He barely knew her, but he’d come running when he thought she needed him. He’d found the cameras the police had missed, and held her hair back while she barfed. She groaned at the memory. Way to impress a guy, Cass. Even better than blowing that drink out my nose.
Not that she wanted to impress him. The man had an impenetrable mental shield, after all. A shield she’d only seen behind because he’d let her. What is he hiding?
She forced herself to set the question aside. She’d worry it like a dog with a bone and drive herself crazy if she didn’t let go. There was no way to answer that question anyway, short of Jared telling her.
She glanced at the clock and groaned. Nine-fifteen. Five and a half hours of sleep. Not nearly enough.
The water stopped, and a few minutes later Linda came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. She saw Cassie was awake and opened the blackout curtains about a foot. Bright southern Arizona sunshine blasted into the room like a laser beam. “Good morning, sleepyhead. What do you want to do today?”
Cassie didn’t want to do anything today. She certainly didn’t want to go to a house and office full of mics and cameras. She rolled to her back and put the pillow over her face. “Sleep?” Thoughts of her office reminded her. “Oh hell!” she snapped, flipping the pillow down to her waist.
“What?” Linda asked, alarm in her voice.
“I have appointments today.” Cassie sat up. “I’m already late.”
“Don’t scare me like that!”
“Damn, I’ll have to cancel them all. I can’t have clients come to my office until I get rid of those cameras.” Cassie reached for her purse and dug out her cell phone. Luckily her first appointment was a long-time client who would forgive Cassie for standing her up.
Linda sat down on the other bed and waited until Cassie finished canceling her appointments. “Are you going to call the police?”
“As soon as I get home. They may not be much help, but I have to do something. I’m not going to just lie down for this guy and let him run me out of my house.”
Linda’s cell phone rang with the oldie “You’re Still the One.” She picked up, saying, “Hey, babe, what’s up?”
Cassie knew Linda would be billing and cooing with her husband for several minutes, so she went to the bathroom to spend some quality time with a hot shower. When she came out Linda was still wrapped in her towel, staring at her closed cell.
“You okay?” she asked.
Linda’s gaze didn’t meet Cassie’s. “I’m fine.”
She didn’t look fine. She looked…hunted. Cassie sat on the foot of Linda’s bed. “What’s up, Linnie?”
“Nothing!”
Cassie raised an eyebrow and scooted closer to put her arm around her friend.
Linda put up her hands drew away from her touch. “Don’t.”
The rejection felt like a slap.
Linda’s face crumpled, and she reached out to take Cassie’s hands. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! It’s just—”
Cassie felt the tight, dark, knot inside Linda. A secret wrapped in guilt and sorrow and shame. And fear.
“God! What is it Linnie? What’s the matter?”
“It’s Greg. He said he thought we ought to go to a fertility specialist.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“I can’t.”
“Of course you can. You’ve been trying to get pregnant for over a year. A doctor can …” As Cassie spoke, the secret in Linda’s soul started to unravel. A secret she’d hidden even from Cassie. “You can’t have children.”
“No.” Linda covered her face.
“And Greg doesn’t know.” Cassie bit her lip. “He loves you, Linnie. He’ll be sad, but that won’t change.”
Linda dropped her hands revealing tear dampened cheeks. “He’ll hate me. I lied to him. Didn’t you see?” She grabbed Cassie’s wrist with icy fingers. Linda’s panic and guilt poured in along with her words. “I knew before we got married, and I didn’t tell him. He wants a big family, just like the one he grew up in, and I was afraid if I told him…But we can’t have that, and it’s my fault. My insides are all scarred up. The doctor said it was probably something I caught in college.”
“You’ve got to tell him. He’ll understand.”
“No. No, I can’t.” Linda took a deep breath and shook her head. “Look at me. Dumping my petty problems on you when your house is bugged.”
Cassie put an arm around Linda’s shoulders. “You’re my friend! Your problems aren’t petty to me.”
Linda’s face lit up. “Maybe you could read Greg, or me, just before I tell him. Then I’ll know how bad it’s going to be. Or what to tell him. I could pretend I just found out.”
Cassie pulled back a little. She didn’t like the idea of helping her friend lie to the one person she should trust most in the world.
Linda frowned. “Never mind. Don’t worry about me. I’ll figure something else out.”
Cassie opened her mouth, shut it again. Linda went into the bathroom to splash water on her face. Cassie wished she could tell Linda everything would be all right, but she hadn’t had a vision when Linda touched her. All she’d seen was Linda’s fear looming like a dark roiling cloud, blocking out everything else.
Cassie went to her backpack and dug out the teal turtleneck she’d packed.
“What about Jared?” Linda asked from the bathroom. The subject of her infertility was apparently closed.
Cassie popped her head out of the long tube of the neck. “What about him?” Lust curled in her belly.
“You obviously made quite an impression on him. He came running to the rescue last night. You probably could have gone home with him if you’d played your cards right.”
“He offered his spare bedroom.”
“And you didn’t take him up on it?” Linda rolled her eyes. “I thought The Cass was back?”
“Even The Cass wouldn’t go home with a man she just met, right after finding out her house had been bugged.” That’s something you would have done. But she kept the snarky comment to herself, feeling guilty for the hurtful thought, even if it was true.
Linda shook her head. “At least tell me you’re going to see him again. You’ve been on maybe three dates in the last four years. It’s time to move on.”
Cassie shrugged, pretending nonchalance. “He said he’d call.” She could tell from Linda’s expression that her friend wasn’t fooled.
The hotel room phone rang and Cassie jumped.
Linda lifted her brows, then picked up. After a second, she held out the receiver to Cassie. “Speak of the devil.”
It was almost eleven when Jared saw Cassie exit the elevator, Linda a step behind her. He rose from the overstuffed chair in the hotel lobby and knew the moment she noticed him. He dismissed the way his heart did a little two-step as her quick smile erased the fatigue around her eyes. I’m just glad she’s recovered from last night’s ordeal, he assured himself. That’s all.
Beside him, Gideon said, “You two look lovely this morning.”
Jared nodded in agreement, noticing how Cassie’s sweater made her green eyes more vivid.
“You are such a liar.” Linda speared Gideon with a stern look, then smiled. “But it’s nice to hear anyway.”
“It isn’t necessary for you to escort us,” Cassie said, her eyes on Jared. “I can call the police on my own.”
“Of course you can, but this gives us the chance to impress you with our manly protectiveness,” Gideon answered.
Cassie rolled her eyes but the corners of her mouth lifted. “If it makes you feel better, Linda’s going to ride with me. You can follow.”
So Cassie still didn’t trust them. What will it take? A signed affidavit from Michael himself? Jared nodded, resigned. “Fine.” Trust wasn’t something that could be forced.
Cassie glared at her friend, but didn’t object.
“That’s an excellent idea.” Gideon grinned.
They trooped outside, through the automatic doors, into the cool October sunshine. Jared walked beside Cassie as she marched across the parking lot, Gideon and Linda trailing some distance behind. He opened his senses and scanned the area. All he detected was the sound of traffic and Gideon bantering with Linda. Across the lot a couple got into their car and left, another pulled in.
“I went to the hotel business center and Googled you this morning,” Cassie said to him. “You’re quite the philanthropist.”
Jared suppressed a smile. He liked that she’d gone after another source of information about him. “I do what I can.”
“I like your choice of charities. Especially the counseling and tuition grants to battered women’s shelters.”
Her approval pleased him and made him uncomfortable at the same time. He shrugged. “They need help, and I can give it.”
Cassie stopped near the trunk of her car, rummaging in her purse for her keys.
Jared leaned casually on the fender, opening himself to the car’s recent history. It flooded his mind like an overwhelming smell. The man who’d been in Cassie’s house had been touching her car. Careful attention to detail. Explosives. Intent to kill.
“Bomb!” he shouted, warning Gideon. Moving faster than any human could, Jared snatched Cassie and ran.
A massive concussion and the sound of shattering glass pounded his back, the force of the blast reverberating in his chest. The shockwave threw the two of them into the air. Jared twisted, taking the impact of the fall on his back. Cassie landed on him, her weight driving the air from his lungs. Flames and smoke blossomed from her Volvo. Car alarms throughout the lot whooped and wailed.
“Are you all right?” he shouted when he got his breath back. He began to run his hands over her body, afraid of finding blood and broken bones, trying to sense any injuries. He touched her face. Her mind was a chaos of shock and fear, but she wasn’t feeling any pain. Yet.