No Place to Hide

by Lynette Eason

  Kara, his wife of twenty-two years, lifted herself on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Now, Toby, you’ll get this settled today and all will be fine.”

  He shook his head and pulled her close, burying his face for one brief moment of comfort in her silky black strands. “They’re going to blame me, you know,” he murmured against her neck.

  She pushed him back and cupped his chin. “It’s not your fault, Tobias. I’ll be praying.”

  He kissed her and breathed his own prayer. One of thanks for his wife, one for wisdom for the moments to come, and one of pleading for the Lord to intervene and keep innocent people safe. “I’ve got to go. They’re waiting on me. Just pray. Pray like you’ve never prayed before.”

  Thirty minutes later, he stepped into the CDC conference room and took in the solemn faces seated at the long table. Faces that consisted of FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Highway Patrol representative, the mayor, and Chief of Police Harvey Parker.

  Tobias loosened his tie and cleared his throat. “Folks, we have a potential disaster on our hands. Let’s make some wise decisions.”

  The chief leaned forward, dark eyes intense. “I say we keep this as quiet as possible. It will give us a better chance of catching the people who’ve done this. If we release the fact that we let someone steal the smallpox virus, we’ll have chaos.”

  Nods all around the table.

  “This is considered a terrorist act,” stated Rebecca Wilson, FBI Special Agent in Charge in Atlanta. Her head bobbed with emphasis. “As such, we’ve formed this additional Joint Terrorism Task Force. We will continue to add people to it as it becomes necessary.”

  Tobias nodded. He’d expected nothing less. “We’ll want to encourage the public to get the smallpox vaccination.” He paused and blew out a slow breath. “I’m not one for lies. I never could have imagined I’d condone lying to the public, but this …” He shook his head. “We’ll have to find a way to protect the people without causing a panic.”

  Special Agent Elizabeth Miller pursed her lips, then offered a quiet sigh. “Unfortunately, you’re right. We can’t tell the truth just yet. What do you think about saying there was an outbreak on a remote island in the Philippines or something?”

  “And as a result of that outbreak, there’ve been several cases reported here in the States,” Special Agent Wilson said.

  Tobias cleared his throat, not at all sure he liked the idea of concocting a lie, but knowing the truth had to be withheld for now. He would get on his knees and ask forgiveness when the time came. Lord, tell me what to do. “Protect the people. That’s the priority.”

  “How did Anwar Goff manage to steal the smallpox virus without any alarms going off? That’s what I want to know.”

  Tobias shook his head. “Goff had top security clearance. He was a long-term trusted employee and often worked late. There was no reason to suspect he’d ever do anything like this.” Tobias paused and met each eye in the room. “And he wouldn’t have if his family hadn’t been threatened.”

  “Now we don’t know for sure his family was threatened,” Rebecca said. “There’s no concrete evidence of that.”

  Tobias lifted a brow. “You mean other than the fact that they’re all dead?”

  Rebecca cleared her throat.

  Tobias honed in on the chief. “You may not know it, but I do. Whoever’s behind this held his family hostage and threatened to kill them if he didn’t get the virus for them. I don’t need any investigation or concrete evidence to tell me that. His actions, his dead family, and the missing virus are all the proof I need.”

  The chief nodded. “I think you’re right, but we still want to prove it without a shadow of a doubt.”

  “Now,” Tobias looked at Rebecca, “you have the lead on this. Who else do we need to bring into this circle of confidence?”

  Rebecca pursed her lips, then leaned forward. “We’ll have all the manpower we need. All of our resources will be going toward finding that virus and getting it back where it belongs. I’ll keep you updated if I think of something.”

  Tobias nodded. “FBI media coordinator Mark Hughes will handle the media. We’ll give him our statement and let him fend off the sharks.” He looked over the top of his glasses. “I think our best defense is a good offense at this point.”

  “You think they’ll connect the murder of the Goff family, one of whom worked for the CDC, to the sudden encouragement for citizens to take the smallpox vaccine?” Rebecca asked.

  “They’ll speculate, but won’t be able to prove anything.”

  Rebecca narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. “What about a connection between Ian Lockwood and the CDC?”

  Tobias nodded. “I’ve thought about that. The timing is just too much to be a coincidence. The smallpox virus goes missing on Thursday and Lockwood, a trusted employee of Wainwright Labs, is accused of working with enemies of the United States to sell a mutated malaria virus?” He steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them. “I’m going with the assumption the two are related.” He looked at Rebecca. “What do you think?”

  “I’m inclined to agree. We’ll work it like it’s the same case—or at least related. I’ll fill in my agents and headquarters. I’ll assign as many as needed to this task force.” She tapped her chin. “As well as the agents from South Carolina where Lockwood started this chase. We may even need to swear in other law enforcement officers as federal marshals at some point if Lockwood and Sellers cross state lines.”

  Tobias narrowed his eyes and once again looked at each individual person. “Right now, we are the only ones aware of what’s going on. If something gets leaked to the media that didn’t come from Hughes, the consequences won’t be pretty. I hope you understand what I’m saying.”

  Rebecca stood. “Indeed. No leaks of any kind, no talking to prosecutors, nothing. I want complete silence on this. Because if this gets out, we’ll all go down. And I don’t plan on being one of the casualties.” She sounded confident, ready to take on this disaster of mammoth proportions and walk away a hero. Tobias could only pray that’s the way the scenario would play out.

  9

  8:15 A.M.

  VIRGINIA

  At the bus station, Jackie left Ian sitting in one of the chairs with Gus at his feet. She’d picked a spot as distant from other people as possible. Ian’s newly dyed hair looked more salt and pepper than the gray color the box promised, but it gave him a distinguished appearance.

  The dark sunglasses and the white piece of PVC pipe with red electrical tape wrapped on both ends gave the impression that he was blind. The orange vest Gus wore completed the disguise.

  Jackie just prayed it was good enough. She hadn’t had time to get as creative with her own looks as she would have liked, but she thought the large glasses and the black hair did the trick. The station attendant didn’t look at her twice as he passed their tickets to her through the slot. “You have about thirty minutes before boarding.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  She turned and nearly ran over a man in his early sixties. He had silver hair, a grey Fedora, and thick glasses. Behind the lenses, his bright blue eyes blinked a rapid beat as he caught her by the forearm.

  Jackie regained her footing. “Excuse me, I’m sorry. I need to watch where I’m going.”

  He tipped his hat and winked. “I never mind running into a pretty young woman.”

  Jackie gave a short laugh and stepped around him. “Excuse me.”

  “Of course.”

  She made her way back to Ian and settled in the seat beside him. “Thirty minutes.”

  “I haven’t noticed any suspicious looks, have you?”

  “Not yet.”

  He shifted. “I feel like scum impersonating a blind person.”

  “You’re not scum. You’re trying to stay alive. I think anyone would understand that.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  Jackie leaned back in her seat and clos
ed her eyes. “Why do you carry Gus’s service vest with you when you don’t need it anymore?”

  He didn’t answer right away and she peeked at him from beneath the dark glasses. His focus was on the dog at his feet. “I don’t know. I suppose because it reminds me of Gina. She took such pride in Gus and all he could do.” He gave her a slight smile. “She trained him herself, you know.”

  “I didn’t realize.”

  He nodded. “I suppose I should let him go to someone who could use his special skills, but—” he gave a micro-shrug—“I just can’t do it yet. He’s a little part of her.”

  Jackie squeezed his hand. “Thanks for sharing that.”

  “Sure.”

  “And now, I’m going to continue my little catnap if that’s all right with you.”

  “Perfectly all right. I’m sorry I zonked out on you last night. I’d been up almost thirty-six hours.” At her frown, he shook his head. “Not all related to our current situation. I was working on something at the lab and I didn’t want to leave until I was finished. By the time I left work and those guys tried to kill me, I was pretty much a zombie. When we got in the car—” He shrugged.

  “No need to apologize.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep my eyes open. You get some rest.”

  A slight smile curved her lips just before she allowed her muscles to relax and sleep to claim her.

  Ian watched Jackie doze. The lines in her face smoothed and she looked peaceful. Young. He was amazed that she could just fall asleep like that. Like she’d flipped a switch. Old feelings rose to the surface as his gaze skimmed her lips. When he’d been a senior in high school, he’d dared to try to kiss her. She’d rebuffed him gently, saving his pride by claiming that she wasn’t in the market for romance at the time, but if she was, he’d be her first pick.

  A slight smile curved his lips at the memory. He wondered what she’d do if he tried to kiss her now?

  Probably knock him senseless.

  Which is what she should do. The reason for their frantic flight to New York swept over him and he turned from her deceptively fragile beauty to stare through the dark lenses at the crowd around them. God, I don’t know what your plan is in this, but just keep us safe so we can see it through.

  What if God’s plan was for him and Jackie to wind up in jail? He felt silly even thinking that, but he was mature enough to admit God worked in weird ways. His mind went to the Bible.

  Innocence hadn’t helped John or Peter, or Paul and Silas—or Jesus. It had happened in biblical times—innocent people going to jail—even dying because they were wrongly accused.

  And it for sure happened in present times.

  But God had used those situations in miraculous ways. What if Ian was just making things worse for the both of them by insisting on running? What if—

  “Bus 591 departing for New York is now boarding.”

  Ian shut off the what-ifs. If God wanted him in jail, he’d put him there one way or another. In the meantime, Ian planned on running and searching for a way to prove his innocence.

  He tapped Jackie on the shoulder. Her eyes opened, clear and aware as though she’d just had a good eight hours of sleep.

  “Ready?”

  “Definitely.” She sat up and grabbed the bags.

  Ian stood. “I bought a new phone at the little store over there and tried Holly again. Still no answer. I’m really worried. I even tried my uncle again.”

  She frowned and he shrugged. “What did he say?” she asked. “Was he able to say if she was all right? Did he say where Lucy was?”

  “He was a bit more kind. He said he hadn’t heard from Holly yet, but expected to soon. He didn’t say anything about Lucy.” He grimaced. “Then he tried to get me to tell him where I was and to turn myself in.”

  Jackie bit her lip. “The feds convinced him to cooperate with them and were probably listening. What about her friends?”

  “I don’t have their numbers and he wouldn’t give them to me. Said he wouldn’t be responsible for letting me get anywhere near them.” He shifted the cane to his other hand.

  “Ouch.”

  “I don’t really care what he thinks of me, I just wish he’d told me where Holly was.”

  “You think he knows?”

  “No. Holly doesn’t have much to do with him since I busted him on his affair with his secretary.” He snorted. “So cliché, it’s stupid.”

  “What about your aunt, Holly’s mother?”

  “She finally took off about three years ago to get away from my uncle. We haven’t heard from her since. At least I haven’t. Holly hasn’t said whether she’s been in touch with her or not.” He paused. “I’m sure my uncle blames me for my aunt’s leaving too.”

  “Wow.” She rubbed her eyes. “Okay, let’s ditch the phone, they’ll have that number now.”

  He tossed it in the trash, then reached for one of the bags.

  She took his hand and gave it a gentle push aside. “You can’t see, remember?”

  “Right, but that doesn’t mean I can’t carry a bag.”

  “Today it does. Just look straight ahead. Hold your cane and Gus’s leash in your left hand. With your right, take my arm just above my elbow. You need to look like you’ve been doing this for a while. Otherwise people are going to stare.” Ian followed her instructions and together they merged with the crowd. He kept his head straight, but let his gaze roam. People were staring anyway. Mostly at Gus.

  “I don’t see anyone that rings alarm bells, do you?”

  “Not yet.”

  Ian kept his hand wrapped securely around her arm. They made their way onto the bus and found their seats. They’d been given priority seating and Ian felt lower than scum. “I can’t take up this seat. Let’s move back.”

  “And draw attention to ourselves?” Jackie asked as Gus settled himself at their feet.

  Ian sighed and settled back in his handicapped seat and turned to look at her. “Fine, but if someone gets on this bus who really needs it, you’re going to have to move us.”

  “Deal.” She glanced at the driver. “And stay in character a little better,” she muttered. “Don’t look directly at me. Look straight ahead. The bus driver’s watching us in the mirror.”

  Ian stiffened. “Sorry, I never was one for the drama department.” He blinked and made his eyes as blank as possible behind the dark glasses, doing his best to stare at nothing and pretend he didn’t see the man watching them.

  The driver shook his head and shut the door.

  Five minutes later, with no one needing the seat Ian occupied, they rolled out of the terminal.

  10

  10:00 A.M.

  Jackie leaned her head against the window and allowed the past to flood in. Ian’s cousin, Holly, was a redheaded, green-eyed little firecracker whose zest for life and fun infected everyone who came in contact with her. Probably one reason Ian enjoyed spending so much time with her.

  Jackie had often escaped her home and found the two of them in his backyard, heads bent over a puzzle book or the newspaper’s daily cryptogram—or creating one of their own. She looked at Ian. “I knew Holly was living in New York. She called me and told me when she and Brant decided it was a great career move for her.”

  “Yes. That was about three years ago. She was super excited about it. It was going to be a big change from that job she had right after college.”

  “The one with the Navy. Yeah, I knew about that.”

  “She served about five years with them, then went civilian and outsourced her skills to the highest bidder. That happened to be a large financial banking institution in New York. She now lives near Central Park. Did she tell you that?”

  Jackie let out a low whistle. “No, she didn’t. That’s not cheap. Good for her.”

  “She’s been there a little over two years. She does well with her job, but she married an Army man who came from money, remember?”

  “I remember. How is Brant?”

  Ian blinked an
d turned to stare at her, then seemed to remember her admonition not to look at her. Shifting his gaze straight ahead again, he cleared his throat. “He disappeared while on tour last year. You didn’t know?”

  Jackie sucked in a deep breath. “What? No. No, I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. Obviously, I … I haven’t talked to Holly in a while.”

  “Why not? You two used to talk every day.”

  She looked away. “Things change, Ian. People change.” She gave a light shrug.

  “Lucy misses him.”

  Jackie felt his hand on her arm and turned back toward him. He still stared through the front window. “How is Lucy?”

  “She’s a great kid.”

  “Yeah,” Jackie whispered. “She is.”

  “You’ve met her?”

  Jackie smiled. “A couple of times.”

  The driver caught her gaze for a moment, then looked back at the road. A sliver of unease slipped up her spine. The driver spoke into his headpiece. She knew he was in constant contact with dispatch and wondered what he was saying. She couldn’t hear over the chatter of the other passengers and the baby crying in the seat behind her.

  “What is it?” Ian asked, his voice low.

  He must have noticed her sudden tension. It amazed her that he was so in tune with her emotions even now. “The driver keeps looking back here at me. Us.” She drew in a deep breath. “Okay, so he may just think you’re faking it to get the good seat on the bus. It doesn’t mean he recognizes you from the news.”

  “Probably not.”

  “So let’s not overreact.”

  “Right.” Jackie saw him take a deep breath. “Right.”

  Jackie curled her fingers around the cell phone in her pocket. Should she call Ron and ask him about a backup plan? She knew he’d have one. He always had one.

  10:45 A.M.

  “A person I care about is in trouble and you’ve waited this long to tell me you knew about it and were helping her?” David asked.