“What the hell--?”
Lee looked up to see what caught his attention. Mac stood in the main room just beyond the archway while talking to the librarian at the counter. Monroe crouched alongside Lee’s chair, so he wouldn’t be seen. Lee sank in her chair and stared at Monroe.
“How did she find us?” Lee gasped.
“How is she still alive?” he launched back.
“What do we do?”
“Nothing,” Monroe replied softly. “We can’t let her see us. How’s the download coming?”
“Complete,” Lee replied and removed the flash drive.
Monroe extended his hand, but Lee was already stuffing it down the cleavage of her shirt.
“How do we get out of here?” Lee demanded while looking around then saw the back door and became enthusiastic. “There’s a back door.”
“No, that’s an emergency exit,” he informed her. “You open that door, and the alarm will sound.” Monroe removed his cell phone and stared at it. “I have a weak signal. I can try calling Zack, but there’s no telling where he is and if he’ll have a signal. Keep an eye on her at the desk.”
Lee peeked around the side of the monitor to have a look at the mysterious woman. Mac was now leaning on the desk while the librarian checked something on her computer. Monroe crawled around the floor behind the monitors until he found a stronger signal. He sent a text that simply read, ‘911 library; front desk’. As Mac turned in their direction, Lee dove to the floor near Monroe. A few kids walked past and stared at them huddled on the floor together. Lee and Monroe remained still and silent. Monroe looked around the side of the desk from their position on the floor. Mac kept her attention on the librarian. Zack entered the library and paused near the desk. He casually looked around.
Monroe texted him, ‘Distract woman at desk!’ Zack looked at his cell phone then replaced it to his pocket. He glanced at Mac then casually walked past her. He pressed a stun gun into her hip as he passed. She twitched and collapsed to the floor, alarming the librarian. Zack jumped to her fallen side.
“Help, I think she’s had a seizure!” Zack cried out.
Monroe rolled his eyes and hurried Lee from the back room, past the front desk, and out the door. As the librarian joined Zack alongside the woman, he straightened.
“I’ll go for help,” he announced and hurried from the library only a few seconds after Lee and Monroe.
The librarian patted Mac’s hand. She slowly came to and looked around with surprise.
“What happened?” Mac demanded.
“You collapsed,” the librarian replied. “You should remain still until help arrives.”
Mac sneered her annoyance and slowly sat up. “I’ll be fine,” she hissed while gingerly rubbing her hip.
Just outside the library, Zack walked around the corner of the nearby building and almost collided with an enraged Monroe.
“What’s wrong with you?” Monroe demanded. “That’s the woman who was posing as a U.S. Marshal. She’s going to know someone tased her.”
“What did you want me to do?” Zack demanded. “My options were limited. I didn’t know how serious the danger was.”
“Can we just go?” Lee demanded. “She could come this way any minute.”
All three hurried toward the back of the buildings and into the parking lot. The black SUV pulled up to them, startling Lee. The side door opened. Monroe pushed Lee into the vehicle and climbed in behind her. Zack jumped in after them and shut the door. The SUV drove around the building and parked somewhere less obvious. Beck and Ross turned around in the front seat to look at them while Bogart leaned forward from the last row.
“Beck says Sal’s daughter has a musical set in a few hours,” Ross announced.
“We have bigger problems right now,” Monroe informed him. “That woman posing as a U.S. Marshal is here. She somehow found us.”
“That’s impossible,” Ross bellowed.
“I assure you, it was her,” Monroe announced.
“If this chick works for Romano,” Bogart chimed in, “how do you know she’s not here to see his daughter?”
All eyes were suddenly on Bogart.
“He does have a point,” Lee remarked and received several glares.
Ross straightened in the passenger seat. “I’ll find our girl and keep an eye on her. Monroe and Zack will stay in the SUV with Lee.” He glanced at Beck in the driver’s seat. “You’ll make contact with Romano’s daughter.”
Beck nodded and was about to get out of the SUV when Lee protested.
“So we’re just going to sit here for a couple of hours?” she demanded.
“Think of it as a stake-out,” Ross informed her. “I can’t have you and Monroe running around town and chance this woman seeing either of you, especially if she’s not looking for you.”
“What about me?” Bogart asked. “I can do something. Give me an assignment.”
“What can you do?” Beck snarled with irritation.
“I’m pretty damned useful,” Bogart retorted, taking offense to the comment. “I know how to handle myself.” He then looked at Ross. “I also know how to tail people without being caught.”
“And if you’re caught?” Ross demanded.
Bogart grinned charmingly. “I’ll improvise,” he announced proudly. “I’m a master at improvising.”
There was an odd silence as Ross stared at Bogart. Beck glared at Ross with annoyance.
“You’re not seriously considering letting him--?”
“He may be some use,” Ross announced to Beck then looked at Bogart and grinned. “Fine, you’re in. Zack will go with you, since he’s seen her. I’ll stay with Monroe and Lee for now.”
Bogart grinned boyishly. “I won’t let you down.”
“So I’m still stuck in the car?” Lee demanded.
“You wanted to come along,” Ross remarked without care then motioned for the men to leave.
The three men left the vehicle, leaving Lee with Ross and Monroe. Lee sank back on the seat, folded her arms across her chest, and pouted.
“Was that really wise?” Monroe asked Ross.
Ross shrugged without concern. “Worst case scenario, Zack kills Bogart.”
Lee suddenly looked at him with surprise. Ross grinned and chuckled softly. She sneered at him.
“You guys definitely have a warped sense of humor,” she muttered.
“It helps keep us alive,” Ross replied.
Chapter Twenty
Kirk sat on the bottom step of the lodge stairs with the sports section of the newspaper in his hand. The sound of the upstairs bedroom door opening caught his attention. He earmarked the page on the book carefully hidden beneath the newspaper and closed the paperback. Judging by the hot woman with a gun on the cover, it was undoubtedly a romantic thriller. He concealed the book within the pages of the sports section and pretended to read the paper. When there was no sound on the stairs, he looked up them to the second floor. Tonya wasn’t there. Kirk appeared curious, set his paper on the steps, stood, and headed for the second floor. He walked a few yards down the corridor and knocked on the suite door. There was no response. He removed his gun from his shoulder holster and opened the door. After a moment of looking around, it was obvious Tonya wasn’t in her room. Kirk returned to the hallway, appeared curious, and looked around.
“Tonya?”
There was no response. Kirk headed along the hallway in the opposite direction. He approached the rarely used backstairs. Without hesitation, he headed down the stairs, which brought him in the corridor not far from the kitchen. He entered the kitchen and looked around.
“Tonya?”
There was still no response. It was hard to tell if Kirk was concerned or irritated as he left the kitchen. He walked along the main corridor, looking into each room as he passed. He suddenly hesitated, backed up, and entered the lounge. The lounge appeared to be empty.
“Tonya?” he gruffly announced.
Tonya popped up from behi
nd the bar with a container of orange juice in her hand. She smiled and managed a soft, tense laugh while placing her hand to her chest.
“God, you scared me,” she gasped then attempted to relax. “Where is everyone?”
“Town,” he replied without altering his stern expression as he studied her.
“Without me?” she playfully pouted then removed a glass and filled it with orange juice.
“What are you doing?” he inquired.
“Having some orange juice,” she replied and shook the carton. “I didn’t see any in the kitchen, but I remembered Bogart making a screwdriver last night.” She studied him and appeared curious. “Did Lee go too?”
“Yes, she went with them,” he replied and finally returned his gun to his holster.
She fidgeted from his lack of emotion and the way he intently watched her.
“I can’t believe she didn’t wake me. The bitch,” Tonya muttered and sipped her orange juice from the scotch glass. “I would have gone.”
“I doubt you would have been invited,” he replied firmly. “Ross was reluctant to let her go either.”
“Huh?” Tonya teased while grinning slyly. “I wonder how she rates?”
Kirk maintained his stare and didn’t comment. She fidgeted slightly while studying him.
“You’re a ray of sunshine in the morning,” Tonya muttered under her breath.
“It’s almost late afternoon,” he curtly replied. “While it’s just us alone in the lodge, you need to remain in my sight. Don’t make me chase you again.”
Tonya appeared surprised by his gruffness but attempted to hide her concerns.
“Fine,” she scoffed and walked out from behind the bar. “I’m going to the kitchen for something to eat.”
She walked past him and out the lounge door. Kirk watched her then looked back at the bar, hearing a faint humming sound. He approached the bar, leaned over the top, and looked behind it. Kirk straightened with the satellite phone in his hand. It hummed softly. He turned off the power. The humming ceased. He headed for the lounge doorway with the phone in his hand. He walked down the hall and entered the kitchen. Tonya removed a container of yogurt from the refrigerator and turned as Kirk approached the massive island counter. She saw the strange phone in his hand, appeared curious, and immediately indicated it.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“This?” he questioned while raising his brows, showing some emotion for the first time. “This is a satellite phone. It’s our only communication with the rest of the world.” He indicated a switch on the side. “This switch turns it on and off.” He flicked the phone into the ‘on’ position. The humming returned. He then pointed to a button beneath the numbers. “This little button automatically redials the last number called.” Kirk pressed the button and placed the phone to his ear.
Tonya’s expression suddenly dropped as she watched him. “What are you doing?”
“Seeing who you called,” he replied casually.
She frowned and leaned on the counter with less enthusiasm. “I’ll save you the trouble,” Tonya replied while looking guilty. “I called my mother.”
A female voice answered on the other end.
“Is Tonya there?” Kirk asked in his usual, gruff tone. He was silent a moment. “I see. Do you know where she is?” There was another pause. “No, I’ll try again later.” Kirk disconnected the phone and pointed it at Tonya while glaring at her. “No phone calls without our permission. You realize your mother’s phone is probably tapped.”
“I know,” Tonya protested, “but I only talked to her for a minute. I just wanted her to know I was okay. I told her I was in Florida, in case someone was listening.”
“Don’t let it happen again,” Kirk warned her with a chilling look for added emphasis. “Agent Falcone has been known to put his witnesses in the nuthouse for their own protection. You wouldn’t want to spend the next three to six months there.”
Tonya appeared horrified and quickly straightened. “I won’t use the phone again without permission, I promise.”
†
Bogart chattered endlessly to Zack as they walked along the sidewalk in the small town. Mac remained several yards ahead of them and just within sight. She seemed unaware of the two men tailing her.
“The whole secret to tailing someone,” Bogart continued, “is to keep your distance and act disinterested. Typically, I like to have my nose in my cell phone while wearing sunglasses. Damn, I wish I’d remembered to bring my sunglasses.” He grinned more to himself while keeping his eyes on Mac in the distance ahead of him. “Always being aware of your surroundings is essential. Nothing gets past me. I think I’d make a great member of your team. I’m observant, you know?”
Bogart looked alongside him. Zack was gone. He stopped and looked around, but Zack was nowhere to be found. Bogart frowned and shook his head.
“That little prick ditched me.”
Mac entered the country bar and lounge. Bogart waited a moment and then entered after her. Despite still being daylight outside, the lounge remained dimly lit with mood lighting on small, round tables. Larger tables and booths were off to the sides. A massive bar lined the back wall of the large room. The lounge was nearly empty, since the live entertainment wouldn’t start for another hour. The few patrons were seated at the bar grabbing drinks and an early dinner. Mac stood before the bar and talked to the bartender, who seemed charmed by the attractive woman. Bogart approached the bar and took a vacant seat far enough away to avoid being noticed. He snacked on some free peanuts and eavesdropped on Mac’s conversation with the bartender.
“I’m sorry,” the bartender informed her. “Pinto doesn’t like being disturbed before her set. She’s a private lady.”
“I’m aware of that,” Mac announced while attempting to remain cheerful and slightly flirtatious. “I represent her father’s estate. If I could just have a moment of her time--”
The bartender suddenly straightened and turned stern. Any romantic interest he had in Mac faded. “She won’t see you,” he announced gruffly. “I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
“But--”
“Pinto wants nothing to do with her father,” he informed her sternly. “If you don’t leave, I’ll have you removed.”
He nodded across the lounge to a tough looking man, who suddenly stood from his stool near the front door. Mac looked toward the large man then glanced back at the bartender and smiled gently.
“Thank you for your time.”
Mac left the lounge in more of a hurry now. Bogart slid off his chair and casually trailed behind. As he stepped outside the lounge, he saw Mac get into her rental car and drive away. He watched a moment in silence while frowning.
“Guess that solves that little problem,” Zack remarked.
Bogart jumped with surprise and looked at Zack, who now stood alongside him.
“Where the hell did you come from?” he demanded.
“Me?” Zack asked innocently. “I was following you. If you were half as observant as you prided yourself to be, I’d think you would have noticed.”
Bogart cursed Zack under his breath.
Chapter Twenty-one
It was nearly six o’clock that evening and the lounge was starting to fill with patrons from nearby towns and farms. Beck sat alone at one of the tables near the wall with an untouched glass of beer before him. His eyes shifted around the lounge in a slightly uncomfortable manner. He was unusually tense. Bogart and Monroe joined him at the table. He saw them, sank back in his chair, and groaned.
“What are you two doing here?” Beck demanded.
“Ross sent us,” Monroe informed him. “He’s keeping an eye on our other girl, so we decided to help you keep an eye on your girl.” Monroe’s grin mocked his friend.
“She’s not my girl,” Beck growled softly. “Just because I’m considered local, that doesn’t--”
“Okay, don’t get your panties in a bunch,” Monroe announced sternly.
�
�Someone’s got a crush,” Bogart teased.
Beck straightened in his chair, leaned across the table closer to Bogart, and pointed a warning finger at him.
“Would you like to sit on that seat or have it shoved down your throat?” Beck snarled.
Bogart raised his hands in the air defensively, acted surprised, and leaned back.
“Chill, brother.”
“I’m not your brother,” Beck launched back softly then glared at Monroe. “Seriously, get him out of here.”
“Relax, Beck,” Monroe announced while staring at his comrade. “What’s gotten into you lately?”
Beck sank back in his seat and avoided looking at Monroe. “Nothing.”
Monroe and Bogart exchanged looks and silent conversation. The small crowd of mostly men applauded, indicating the show was about to start. All eyes were on the stage. Beck suddenly sat up straight and gave his full attention to the stage area. Monroe and Bogart glanced at him and noticed his focused gaze.
“I called it,” Bogart muttered then returned his attention to the stage.
The lounge owner, a man in his sixties, stood center stage with a microphone in his hand.
“Thank you for coming tonight,” the lounge owner announced. “Please give a warm round of applause for Pinto!”
The crowd roared and applauded. A gorgeous woman in a slinky, sequin dress walked onto stage. Her long, copper colored hair was pulled up to one side and held in place with a sequined clip. She smiled beyond bright red lips to the applause. Monroe and Bogart glanced at Beck and his starry-eyed gaze. A tiny smile crossed his once hardened face.
“My God,” Monroe muttered to Bogart, although loud enough for Beck to hear. “I think he’s blushing.”
Beck’s look immediately hardened. Despite not looking at Monroe, he kicked him under the table. Monroe yelped. Once the attractive, young woman started singing, the room fell silent to her vibrant, strong voice. The men within the room appeared to fall helpless to her singing. Or was it the dress revealing plenty of leg and cleavage that caught their attention? Once she finished the song, there was a roar of applause. She took her bow and immediately started a second song. Monroe leaned across the table toward Beck, breaking his trance-like stare on the attractive woman.
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