by Matt Lincoln
“That’s wonderful!” she exclaimed, genuinely happy for him. “What did you find out?”
Ethan spent some time going over the dive where they uncovered the Searcher’s Chance, detailing their finds and Winston Marcus’s log, which was in amazing condition considering they had found it within the wreck. When he reached the part where Dr. Silver referred him to a friend of his that worked out of New Jersey, Tessa paused.
“I wonder what his friend’s name is,” she wondered aloud. “We have a lot of connections at the EcoStar. It’s possible that we know him. Maybe we can reach out to him since you’re here. He’s significantly closer to New York than to Miami.”
Ethan shrugged off her statement, but she saw the excitement in his eyes. Tessa knew he didn’t want to get his hopes up too soon, but she hoped that she would be able to make something happen for him while he was up here. After all, this was New York City. This place was swarming with knowledge and resources. Somewhere in this city, there had to be someone that held a thread to another clue. They just needed to find the right person.
Tessa could smell the steaks before she saw their server round the corner. As the plate lowered to the table in front of her, her mouth watered at the sight. The meat looked perfectly cooked, and the mashed potatoes were incredibly smooth and creamy. Even the asparagus looked amazing, wrapped in bacon and drizzled in some sort of reduction.
“So, I guess this is where we stop talking?” she teased, picking up her fork and knife.
“Temporarily,” he assured her. He jabbed his fork in her direction as he spoke. “I still want to hear all about you. I’ve talked about myself too much tonight.”
“Fair enough,” she giggled before cutting into her steak. She had been right. The steak was perfectly cooked, with just the right amount of pink on the inside for her taste. After taking her first bite, she chased it with the wine and discovered that it really was the perfect pairing. The two of them ate in silence for a while, pausing only to gush about how delicious the food was on occasion. When their plates were mostly empty, Tessa sat back in her seat and took a deep breath.
“Whew!” she muttered. “This was a perfect meal.”
“I’m glad you loved it,” he replied softly, taking a sip of his wine.
“I did,” she assured him. “Thank you. Seriously, we could have gone anywhere. We didn’t have to do all this.”
“I know.” He sat back with his glass in his hand as he watched her. “I don’t know how much spare time I’ll have, so I wanted to do as much as I could tonight.”
“Well, you did a great job.” Tessa laughed along with Ethan. She grabbed her glass before sitting back again, comfortably full and content.
“So, it’s your turn,” he informed her, looking at her over his glass. “What have you been up to?”
“Oh!” Tessa had completely forgotten about her side of the conversation. “I don’t know. I’ve been on a couple of crazy assignments. Turns out that fighting with Uncle Donald finally started to wear him down. He’s sent me on a couple of jobs that seemed downright dangerous.”
“Like what?” Ethan’s eyes sharpened, and he sat forward slightly. Tessa didn’t need another man trying to protect her from herself, so she brushed him off.
“Nothing to worry about,” she assured him. “It’s all over now. Right now, though, I’m working on a side piece in Central Park.” She shrugged indifferently. “The best part about it is that it’s simple, and I get to go home to my own bed each night.”
Ethan chuckled. “I know how that feels,” he assured her. “As much as I love the big assignments that take me to interesting places, it sure is nice to come home after work.”
“Exactly!” Tessa beamed at him and then, feeling suddenly a bit awkward, looked down and away from him.
For the first time since they’d arrived, she took in the details of the restaurant. The dark patterned floor had crimson and chocolate accents that trailed the length of the room, and the oversized windows and mirrors made the space look much more expansive than it really was. Most of the guests were huddled in conversation, and she noticed that the vast majority of the guests were seated in pairs. This was definitely a place for couples as opposed to families, although after seeing the menu prices, Tessa could understand why.
Her eyes landed on one table in particular. The man at the table sat alone, with nothing in front of him save for a rocks glass with a small amount of amber liquid inside. She could have sworn he was watching her, but when she looked over at him, he looked down and swirled his drink against the walls of the glass before taking a sip and casually scanning the rest of the room. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked. Tessa looked back over at him and saw concern etched into the crease between his brows.
She shuddered and tried to rationalize with herself. “Nothing,” she muttered before looking up and meeting his worried eyes. “Have you ever gotten the feeling that you were being watched?”
Ethan barked out a laugh which made her realize what a silly question that had been. Given Ethan’s line of work, the answer to the question was obviously yes, and unlike her uneasy feeling, his had most likely been warranted. She was sure she was just imagining things tonight, although she had a hard time shaking that feeling.
“I am very familiar with that feeling,” he assured her, but she noticed his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. He began rambling on about a case he’d been on back in his early days at MBLIS that had resulted in him being followed around for miles, but she watched as his eyes scanned the restaurant, coming to rest by the man with the rocks glass.
Tessa waited patiently for Ethan to turn back to her.
“Let me guess,” he murmured conspiratorially, leaning in close. “It’s the lonely whiskey guy.”
“That’s the one,” she giggled, feeling truly foolish now.
“He does seem a bit out of place.”
Ethan’s statement took Tessa aback. Was he saying he believed her?
“What do we do?” she asked quietly as her hands began to tremble.
“Let’s get the check and get out of here,” he offered. “We will take a cab and get dessert elsewhere.”
“I’d love that,” she gushed, unable to control the smile on her face. Ethan caught the attention of their server, who kindly recorked the wine bottle so that they could take it with them, and he took care of the bill while Tessa tried to stay alert and aware of her surroundings. She placed a special emphasis on the man with the whiskey, but he didn’t seem to be doing anything of note.
“We’re all set,” Ethan announced as he finished his signature and slipped his card back into his wallet. He stood up and held a hand out to her, and she took it, momentarily forgetting about the shaky feeling that had been brewing as they headed toward the front doors. His hand felt warm and rough against hers, and she savored the moment as they stepped out into the cold night air. With her free hand, she pulled her cardigan tighter across her chest to shield herself from the wind, and Ethan pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist.
They had just approached the curb to scan the streets for an available cab when the first crack rang out through the night air. Ethan spun around, yanking Tessa behind him as a second crack pierced her ears. She heard high-pitched screams as people began running away from the restaurant, and she watched from her vantage point in the small of Ethan’s back as he reached for his waistband to grab for a gun that wasn’t there. He let out a few colorful curse words as he turned back to Tessa and began yanking her behind a nearby car.
“Special Agent Ethan Marston!” a gravelly voice called out over the screaming crowd. “You’re on our turf now!”
Ethan turned to Tessa, his face mere inches from hers, and he stared daggers at her as he barked out her orders. “Stay low, and if they get closer, run.” His eyes were sharp and angry, which made Tessa officially terrified. Whoever it was that had just turned her date’s eyes to ice, she did
not want to mess with them.
Instead of going to face the shooters, Ethan pulled out his phone.
“We’re being shot at on Water Street. We need backup.” He hung up the phone and reassessed the situation before grabbing Tessa’s wrist and pulling her further down the row of parked cars.
She wasn’t sure what his game plan was, or if he even had one. Ethan was supposed to be shooting back. What kind of freelancing was he doing that didn’t allow him a firearm? Whatever it was, she was officially not a fan of it. Ethan without his gun was like her without her camera. It made no sense.
She pressed her back against the cold surface of the dark blue sedan that hid them, praying for the gunshots to stop and for them to be safe again. That didn’t happen though, as much as she’d hoped for it. Ethan’s hand was on her knee, offering her a bit of comfort in the midst of this chaos, but it wasn’t enough. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears, and a knot was in her throat from the nerves and adrenaline.
More gunshots rang out through the night, this time coming from a different direction. She lifted her head slightly to see what had happened, but Ethan kept her pinned in place. A set of tires suddenly squealed up beside them, and she heard a booming voice from the driver’s seat.
“What are you waiting for, brother? Get in!”
Ethan scrambled forward and swung the back door open as the driver opened fire on the shooters. He yanked her into the car with him, and she ended up tumbling across his lap. He struggled awkwardly to reach past her and slam the door, and as soon as he did, the car took off, leaving the shooters behind in their wake.
“What the hell did you do?” The driver’s voice was loud and demanding, yet it was also vaguely familiar. She locked eyes with the emerald green ones reflected in the rearview mirror. Yes. Tessa had seen those eyes before. They weren’t easy to forget. “How have you been, Tessa?” His voice softened on her name, which seemed almost comical amongst the commotion.
Tessa tried to smile, but she was sure it came out as more of a grimace. “I’ve been good,” she replied as she shrugged off of Ethan’s lap and into her own seat. “How about you?”
“Well, I wasn’t the one getting shot at,” he pointed out through the mirror as he ripped through the now-dark streets of Manhattan. “So, I’m doing a hell of a lot better than you guys. I’ll ask it again. Marston, what did you do?”
Tessa glanced over at Ethan. His face was taut, and he looked angry.
“We were minding our own business,” he grumbled loudly. “It was them. I know it is. How did they know I would be there? I thought we took precautions.”
“We did,” Jake replied, his voice a bit calmer now that the immediate threat was gone. “So, I honestly don’t know.”
“I know one thing,” Ethan announced, looking between Tessa and Jake. “If they knew about my plans for the night, then they might also know where we’re staying.”
“Don’t say it,” Jake grumbled. Tessa looked back and forth between them, feeling a bit lost.
“I’m going to say it,” Ethan argued. “I love the suite too, but Header? It’s dangerous. We can’t stay there.”
“Aww, hell,” Jake spat. “I know you’re right, but I was hoping for at least one night there. It’s a nice spot.”
“I know,” Ethan mumbled, looking just as frustrated as Jake did.
“Where can we go?” Jake asked, looking back at Ethan through the rearview mirror.
“I don’t know,” Ethan muttered, resigned to his decision. “I don’t know this city. I don’t know what’s safe. It looks like we’re going to be calling Farr.”
“He’ll be thrilled,” Jake muttered sarcastically.
Tessa looked up at Ethan as he pulled out his phone. She knew that Uncle Donald would be furious to know someone had shot at her on her first day seeing Ethan again. Chances are, he would be watching her like a hawk for the remainder of their mission, however long that happened to be. It was something she would fight tooth and nail, though. Despite his concern for her well-being, she had no intention of steering clear from Ethan Marston any time soon.
Chapter 7: Ethan
“Farr.” Donald Farr may have been retired, but he still retained all of the gruff of a seasoned serviceman.
“It’s Marston,” I replied, although I had a hunch he knew who was on the other end of the phone line. “We’ve got a problem.” A couple of horns honked in the background as Header began driving aimlessly through the city. We needed a place to stay for the night that was safe and secure and available. Also, I’d be damned if I was going to let Tessa go off on her own after what had just happened, so I was ready to fight for her to stay with us, too.
As I quickly recapped the evening’s events with him, I realized that I wouldn’t be getting much in the way of pushback from him. He wanted us all safe, especially Tessa.
“Good lord, Marston,” he snapped after I had finished my tale. “This is night one. You’re already getting shot at?”
“Worse than that,” I muttered. “They know who I am and where I am. They said I’m on their turf now, for whatever that’s worth.”
“How?” Farr was screaming into the phone, and my eardrums were getting the brunt of it. “How do they know?”
“I don’t know,” I muttered, annoyed at his tone. “We need Warner and Bonnie.”
“I’ll collect them,” he grumbled. “Call them and tell them to pack up. I’ll be there as soon as possible. I’ll text you the address of where to meet me.”
“Thanks, Farr.” I hung up after he grunted in confirmation. I typed up a quick message for Bonnie and Warner and then recited Farr’s rendezvous address for Header before glancing over at Tessa.
“Are you okay?” I whispered, reaching over to touch her hand, which sat innocently on the seat between us.
“Not really,” she muttered. “I’m not hurt, but I have to admit, that wasn’t fun.”
“It never is,” I pointed out, squeezing her hand beneath mine. “I’m sorry you had to experience that. There goes my perfect date.”
Tessa chuckled lightly, which warmed my heart. I knew this had to be traumatic for her, but she seemed to be taking it all in stride as best as she could.
“Luckily for you,” she added with a smirk, “I managed to hold on to the wine bottle.” She reached down to the floor well and lifted the narrow bag that housed the remainder of our wine from dinner, and I laughed as she waggled her eyebrows playfully at me.
“That’s amazing!” I admitted, truly impressed at how she had kept herself together out there. “That will be the bright spot in our evening for sure.”
“I don’t know,” she muttered sheepishly. “The dinner itself sure was a bright spot all on its own.”
“You two are making me sick,” Header announced from the driver’s seat. “I’d tell you to get a room, but we don’t have one.”
Apparently, Farr’s planned rendezvous point was in Brooklyn, and after weaving in and out of the city streets to try to shake any tails that we may have picked up, Header made his way through another tunnel and emerged onto yet another packed highway. As we were forced to merge due to some upcoming construction, I saw a sign for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway half-hidden behind a couple of yellow construction vehicles. What should have been a wide multi-lane expressway was half-torn to shreds as the crowd leaving Manhattan was packed into the last two lanes. The only benefit to this was that maybe it would allow Farr to catch up to us after picking up Bonnie and Warner at the hotel. I wasn’t about to complain about more time spent sitting next to Tessa, either.
“Marston,” Header barked suddenly after we’d been inching along for a while.
“Yeah,” I replied, bringing myself back into the conversation.
“To answer your question about why I don’t spend time in Miami,” he continued, “you’re looking at it. Still, I have to hand it to New York. This is much worse than Miami traffic.”
I snorted in response. I doubte
d that traffic was the sole reason he didn’t check in stateside more often, but I let him have it. Tessa giggled beside me, but she didn’t argue either. It was hard to argue his point while sitting still on an expressway.
We eventually made our way through the traffic and into Brooklyn. We drove underneath the Verrazano Bridge, which was lit up with long strands of light blue lights that traced its shape, and then exited the highway onto the bumpy, uneven Brooklyn streets. The area seemed mostly residential, and I was growing increasingly curious about Farr’s choice of alternative housing. It all made sense, however, when we pulled up to the front gates of an Army base.
I couldn’t help but bark out a humorless laugh.
“What’s so funny about this?” Header groaned.
“How much pull do you think Farr really has?” I pointed out as Header lowered his window and held his hand out for my ID. I obliged, and Tessa wordlessly followed my lead. With Farr as her uncle, I was sure this wasn’t her first time going on base.
“I sure as hell hope he has some pull,” Header sighed. He handed the IDs over to the gate guard, who flipped through them slowly. “I have a strong suspicion I know where we’re staying tonight.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Ten bucks says it ain’t a luxury hotel.” Header snorted as he took the IDs back and waited for them to open the gate for us. Farr must have known that Header and I could get on base with our retiree IDs, but now that we were on base, I wasn’t sure what the next step was.
Header found the commissary parking lot and pulled in, shifting into park and sitting back against his seat.
“I can’t believe we went from a luxury hotel to the freaking barracks,” he grumbled.
“Hey,” I reminded him. “We are on a secure military base. We’ve shaken our tails. I think we’re doing pretty well. I’d rather be in the barracks and safe than dead in a luxury hotel suite.” I felt Tessa stiffen beside me at my last few words, and I placed a hand gently on her knee in a fruitless attempt to reassure her.
