Past Sins (5 page)
He so did not know the meaning of the word
brutal.
“I understand.”
Why argue? It wouldn’t accomplish anything and she was too damn tired to really care what he thought at the moment. Unfortunately for him it was only going to get worse from here.
She drove around to the rear of the hotel, spotting their unit number near the middle of the building. She backed into the parking spot directly in front of the door, grabbed her handbag and got out.
Her passenger climbed out on the opposite side and, to his credit, he didn’t make a run for it. Rather, he took their two overnight bags from the cargo area and transported them into the room. She appreciated his gentlemanly act, which left her the Neiman Marcus bag to grab.
“Two beds?” He stared at her, confusion joining the mixture of other emotions currently cluttering his face when they’d entered the room.
“I wasn’t sure you’d feel comfortable sleeping with me under the circumstances.”
He dropped the bags near the chair and table on the east side of the room. “You have a point.” He kicked off his shoes and sat down on the end of the bed closest to the door. He studied her with mounting concern. “Make me understand what’s going on, Olivia. I’m worried about you.”
Olivia placed the shopping bag, as well as her purse, on the floor next to her bed, then sat down. She untied her hiking boots and toed them off.
For several minutes they both sat there, physically depleted and mentally distressed. There were so many aspects of this situation that she didn’t understand. None of it really made sense. She could imagine that it was even more confusing and shocking to Jeffrey. How did she make him understand what was happening when she wasn’t even sure?
“Olivia, please tell me what’s happened. You must know that I’ll try my best to understand and that I’ll help any way possible.” A small humorless laugh choked out of him. “Despite the fact that you pointed a gun at me. Handcuffed me, for Christ’s sake. But I care about you. Otherwise I’d be out of here instead of hanging around asking for more. Let me help you,” he urged.
Every word he said was true. No matter how shocking her actions, he wouldn’t dare leave her alone. He might try to call for helpfor herbut he’d never abandon her, especially in a time of obvious distress. Unlike the last man with whom she’d shared a relationship.
She wanted to reassure Jeffrey by saying that everything was fine, but she wasn’t sure it ever would be again. She didn’t like doing this to him any more than he liked her doing it. Not that she was really in love with him…she wasn’t. She wasn’t sure she could love anyone. Not after…well, she wasn’t going there.
But she did care about Jeffrey. He was comfortable. Reliable. Familiar. Like a favorite old bathrobe. She knew exactly what to expect out of him. He was safe. She liked safe. Her current life was all about careful and…to be honest…boring. Boring was better than dangerous. She’d faced enough danger to last a dozen lifetimes.
“Jeffrey, everything I told you is the truth. There are things about my past that I can’t disclose, but you have to believe that I wouldn’t lie to you about anything like this.”
He scooted back on his bed and lay against the pillows, whether to put some distance between them or just to relax she couldn’t be sure. “I don’t think you’re lying. I hesitate to go so far as to call what I’ve witnessed in the past twenty-four hours delusional, but you must admit that it feels exactly like that…as if you’ve crossed some boundary. Are you certain there isn’t some stressor your mind is attempting to escape?”
There were stressors her mind wanted to escape rightly enough, but he was wrong on all other counts. How did she make a civilian understand how things worked in the world that had once been her life?
She didn’t. It was as simple as that. There were reasons that security measures were doled out on a need-to-know basis. In this instance, Jeffrey didn’t need to know any more than absolutely necessary to ensure his continued cooperation.
“You’re right, Jeffrey.” Might as well play along. Anything to get him to remain calm. “I’ve suffered a traumatic event. The man I’m going to see in Virginia is involved. I need to see this through.”
“Virginia?” A new kind of shock claimed his expression. “We’re going to Virginia?”
“We don’t have a choice.” Olivia curled up against her own pillows and met his gaze. “I need you to understand that my continued well-being hinges upon doing this. I need to be able to count on you.”
His gaze narrowed slightly. “Then what about the picture of me and the personal information? Are you saying you made that part up?”
She shook her head. “I believe that someone wants to hurt me and they’re trying to use you to get to me. It’s complicated. And dangerous.”
“I see.” He searched her eyes as if looking for any glimmer of deceit. His own reflected his worry, his need to take care of her. “You don’t think calling the authorities would be the best way to take care of this situation?”
“I have to do this myself. It’s very important.”
She hated this. Hated using his loyalty to what they’d shared these past nine months. Lies, lies, lies. She’d thought she was through with that way of life. The reality that she wasn’t churned in her stomach.
“We should try to sleep.” He yawned, gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll be able to think more clearly when we’ve rested. Whatever this is about, we’ll work it out.”
When his breathing had slowed to a deep, steady rhythm, she finally let herself relax fully. She wasn’t worried about him trying to run out on her. Like he said, he cared. He wouldn’t leave her.
How the hell had this happened? Now, after all this time?
She flopped onto her back and tried to reason out some partany partof this situation. There was no rhyme or reason to it.
For the first time since the insanity began she let herself think about him…the Phantom.
Holt Landry
. She closed her eyes and permitted the memories she’d kept tightly compartmentalized to rush over her.
They’d met on an assignment just over five years ago. A joint CIA/Interpol operation. She’d been charmed. He’d been relentless. They’d become lovers almost immediately. For two years they’d had an intense physical relationship. Like a fool, she’d fallen in love with him. She hadn’t planned it; it simply happened.
She and Landry hadn’t lived together as she and Jeffrey did, but their relationship had been far more powerful. On fire. She’d felt disconnected when separated from him, which was quite frequently.
Somehow he’d always made it worth her while when they were together again. No one had ever made love to her the way Landry had.
Damn him.
Those damn muscles in her face hardened again, clenching her teeth in a way that threatened to damage the enamel.
He’d stolen her heart and then he’d walked away when she needed him most.
Those last days after her final assignment came pouring into the thoughts already disturbing her sanity. She’d killed an innocent man. But he’d been her target! She’d had orders. Orders Landry could have confirmed when the Agency denied the operation.
Instead, Landry had disappeared, leaving her to face the consequences alone. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Followed orders, that was all. CIA-sanctioned orders. But she couldn’t prove it. She’d been the scapegoat for whoever had decided the target needed to die. End of story.
If it hadn’t been for her faithful friend and deputy director, she would have gone to prison, or worse. Rogue agents disappeared quite frequently. Quietly terminated to ensure the world never learned their secrets.
But Hamilton had taken care of her. He’d faked her death and convinced all involved that she was indeed dead. No one had ever come looking for her…until now.
To her knowledge, Hamilton was the only person on Earth who knew that she was alive.
Had he betrayed her? For what reason? And why use Jeffrey to lure her out of hiding? If he knew where she was, why set up such an unnecessary ruse?
Even Hamilton hadn’t known her new identity or her location. He’d wanted it that way. She’d set up her new life. No one she’d ever associated with or ever known had been in on it. She’d walked away from everything and everyone.
Hamilton was her only connection to the past. Had he sold her out to Landry?
That theory didn’t seem reasonable. There was nothing to gain. Even the CIA’s top brass wouldn’t likely care if they learned she was alive at this point. The political repercussions of her actions three years ago had gone out with the former White House administration. No one in the new administration would give a damn, as far as she could see.
Olivia pushed the troubling thoughts out of her head. She had to sleep. She still had a long way to go.
Staying on her toes was absolutely necessary if she wanted to survive this. And there was no way she would allow Jeffrey to be used as a pawn. He was innocent…had nothing to do with her past. Whoever was behind this little reunion would not be allowed to harm him. She couldn’t rule out the idea that someone might have targeted him, but the likelihood of her being chosen as the assassin in that case was so remote, so damn coincidental, she had a hard time lending any merit at all to the idea.
She would have her answers.
All she had to do was get to Hamilton. He had full access…he would know what to do.
Slipping past his security wouldn’t be easy, especially for someone as out of practice as she was. But since when had she been afraid of six or seven guys with guns? Determination fired inside her.
Since never.
She was Sheara, Goddess of Death. She wasn’t afraid of anyone.
All she had to do was remember that.
“I
refuse to take another step.”
Olivia shoved her night-vision goggles up to her forehead and turned to glare at the man behind her. Not that he would notice. It was past midnight and darker than a cave in these damn woods.
“You’re right.” She moved a step in his direction. The tension roiling through him was audible in his words as well as his ragged respiration. He’d long ago lost patience. Now panic had begun to set in. He wanted to be angry, Olivia sensed, but his concern for her kept his emotions bogged down in escalating anxiety. She was lucky he’d come this far with her.
“You’ve been extremely flexible about this whole thing, Jeffrey, and I appreciate it immensely. You’ve made what I have to do a lot easier so far. At this point, though, there are additional risks involved in what I’m about to do. It would probably be in your best interest to stay here, clear of any fallout.”
“Wait a minute…” He reached for her, his movement barely visible in the sparse moonlight filtering down through the dense canopy of trees. “What is it you’re going to do, Olivia? You’ve been far too vague about your plans. I don’t understand any of this. I’ve told you repeatedly that not going to the authorities is a mistake.” His fingers closed around her arms and he pulled her closer. “I can see that this situation has you terrified, but reacting rashly won’t solve the problem. There are laws to protect the innocent. Those same laws prosecute those who threaten us.” A breath of frustration and worry heaved out of him. “We’re out here in the dark, traipsing through the woods. What could you possibly hope to gain by doing this?”
She was reasonably certain he wouldn’t want to know the truth. But giving him some fraction of the truth might keep him following her orders. He’d left the hotel in Memphis without much of a fuss. Had remained amicable during the long drive that followed. She couldn’t call him unreasonable at this point. They’d left the SUV hidden in the bushes well off the road and started their trek through the woods about an hour ago, and even faced with that strange request he hadn’t complained much.
How could she expect any more of him?
She couldn’t.
“About fifteen minutes west of our current position there’s a farm,” she explained. “The owner of that farm is the man I need to see.” Director Hamilton had always spent his weekends at his farm a couple of hours outside Arlington. It was where he decompressed and contemplated the many decisions he had to make during the workweek at the Agency. He would be here tonight, there wasn’t a doubt in Olivia’s mind. But security would be there, as well. Bypassing them wouldn’t be a problem for her, but Jeffrey was a different matter.
She’d been waiting for the right moment to break the news to him. He would stay back and she would move on, do what she had to do, then return for him. It was the best course of action.
“You expect me to stay here while you go have your meeting? Alone? Olivia, have you lost your mind? Why didn’t we just drive to this farm? Surely there’s access from the main road. I’m not letting you do this alone.”
A new kind of determination had edged into his voice.
Maybe she had lost her mind. But she didn’t really have any better ideas at the moment. And she couldn’t let him get in the way…too much was at stake, including his life.
“I need the element of surprise on my side, Jeffrey. That’s all I can tell you. I’ll be fine. I’ve done this before.”
“When have you done this before?” Exasperation overtook some of the determination. “This is”
She fisted her fingers into his shirtfront. “Jeffrey, you have to trust me. I swear I know what I’m doing. If you don’t let me get this done…” She licked her lips, tried to think of some rational reason he might accept. “I’ll be in very serious trouble. Please trust me on this.”
Another lungful of frustration burst from him. “I swear this is my final compromise. I’ll wait here, but you’d better hurry back. If this situation isn’t resolved after this, we’re going to the authorities. No negotiation.”
She could live with that. For now. “Okay.” She tugged the .32 from her waistband, then turned on the flashlight long enough to give him a quick block of instruction in the gun’s use. “Just stay in the bushes and keep quiet.”
“You know how I feel about guns.”
“I’ll feel a lot better if you take these.” She held out the gun and the flashlight.
A beat of silence passed before he relented. “Don’t worry about me.” His fingers closed reluctantly around the butt of the weapon and he took it from her. He accepted the flashlight a little more readily. “I can take care of myself. You’re the one I’m worried about.”
“Don’t use your phone unless you have no other choice. If you call the authorities, Jeffrey, my situation could be compromised.” She’d given back his BlackBerry as a sign of good faith when he’d agreed to make the rest of the trip with her.
“I won’t call anyone unless absolutely necessary.” Another disinclined conciliation.
Olivia considered what might happen if she didn’t return. “It’s one-fifteen. If I’m not back by three, I want you to make your way back to the SUV and disappear for a while. Take a vacation somewhere. Just don’t go back to California for the next week or so.” She wasn’t completely certain he would be safe even then, but it was the best advice she could offer at this point.
He made a sound that might have been a laugh had it not been chock-full of worry. “If you’re not back soon, I’m going to the police.”
She supposed she couldn’t expect to control his actions if she didn’t return. She could only offer her best advice. There simply was no way to make him fully understand the situation. The concept was too foreign for a normal person’s mind to wrap around.
Nothing would ever be the same from this moment forward. Jeffrey still believed in her, cared about her, wanted to protect her. But once he knew the whole truth, any feelings he had for her would disappear like so much smoke in the wind. Regret trickled through her. Once again her life had been taken away from her. Ripped from her as if she was so insignificant that her feelingsher happinessdidn’t matter.
“I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”
She disappeared into the dense woods without saying more. Anything else would only make what she knew came next more difficult. Jeffrey didn’t deserve to have his life at risk. It was her problem.
If she didn’t make it out, Jeffrey might never be safe againdepending upon what the enemy wanted. No one deserved to die for someone else’s sins.
Determination roared through her. That settled it then. She’d just have to get through this and make sure Jeffrey didn’t pay for her transgressions.
Deputy Director David Hamilton’s log home, nestled amid the soaring evergreens and hardwoods of the Virginia countryside, presented the perfect Norman Rockwell setting. Serene, natural and welcoming. But she knew better than to be fooled by the lovely picture spotlighted in its meticulously landscaped clearing by the low-slung moon.
Bulletproof windows. Half a dozen armed security guards. Motion sensors. Maybe even a few booby traps.
A walk in the park for Sheara. But Olivia hadn’t played this game in a long time. Stepping on an unexpected “boom” rig or stumbling over a trip wire that would warn security of her presence held no appeal whatsoever.
With her Beretta tucked in her waistband and the hunting knife sheathed in her right hiking boot, she slowly slipped into stealth mode. Her movements were a little stilted at first. She made more noise than she would have liked. So she took her time breaching the boundary into the clearing. No need to rush. She had to get her groove back.
She held her breath as she took the first step. When no explosion sounded and the pounding of booted feet didn’t echo nearby, she figured she’d cleared the first hurdle.
She hunkered down behind a cluster of shrubs as two guards emerged from the shadows at the far corner of the house. Rounds. She checked her watch. Probably made on the half hour. There would likely be two more in the house and perhaps an additional one or two making rounds in the woods that bordered the clearing. Since she hadn’t encountered security inside the treeline she had to assume that the rounds were alternated, or maybe she’d gotten lucky and they’d been on the west side of the property as she approached from the east.
Okay. There was no going in at this point without being made and that could prove hazardous to her health.
That left only one other option. She needed a “pass go” authorization. Only one way to get her hands on that kind of access.
She eased back into the woods and waited. Fifteen minutes, she estimated. The outer-boundary scout or scouts should move through her area within fifteen minutes. Thirty tops. She hated to waste the time but better to be safe than sorry.
Fourteen minutes and thirty seconds later and the soft crunch of footsteps crackled through the darkness.
Perfect timing.
Anticipation fired through her veins, the adrenaline burning her insides. Her heart rate accelerated into a fight-or-flight rhythm.
If there were two, the job would be a little trickier.
With her night-vision goggles in place, she watched the approach. One man. Her pulse reacted to the upturn in her luck. There could still be another one out there, but taking them out one at a time would greatly increase her odds of success.
He passed not three feet from her and she was ready. She lunged into his back, her right arm going around his throat, her left hand over his mouth. He struggled. He was strong. But she was desperate. Adrenaline won out.
The guy dropped to his knees. Not taking any chances, Olivia blocked his airflow a few seconds longer to ensure he’d truly lost consciousness. He crumpled against her and she lowered him to the ground. Her intent had not been to kill him, only to disable him. He’d regain consciousness pretty quickly, so she had to work fast.
She stripped off his clothes, dragged them on over her own, including the black skull cap. She left him naked and unarmed on the ground, his hands cuffed behind his back. Her belt fastened behind his head with the wide leather strap tucked between his teeth gag style.
After surveying the clearing, she stepped from the cover of the woods. She walked straight up to the generous front porch and climbed the steps. She’d found a key card in the guard’s pocket. One look at the front door and she knew what it was used for. She swiped the card and entered the house. Just like a hotel room. Shame on the director. He, of all people, should have retinal- or fingerprint-scan requirements. He had to be getting soft.
The entry hall was dimly lit. She was surprised to find herself seemingly alone inside. Maybe her luck was going to hold out.
Her steps silent, she’d made it halfway to the staircase when the unmistakable feel of a muzzle nudged the back of her skull.
“Don’t move.”
Her hands went up in classic surrender fashion. Damn. She hadn’t even heard him coming. “I’m here to see Director Hamilton.”
The guard’s radio crackled and he responded. “I have the intruder.”
He patted her down, removed the Beretta and the knife, then the guard’s .45 she’d taken.
“On the floor.”
“I said I’m here to see the director.”
“The director isn’t home.”
Olivia held her ground. “You tell him Sheara needs to see him.”
“I told you”
“That’ll be all, Smith.”
Olivia’s head went up. Deputy Director David Hamilton stood at the top of the staircase, a dim light from somewhere beyond him highlighting his silhouette.
“Sir, she came in heavily armed, used Bedwell’s key card.”
“I said, that’ll be all, Smith.”
Retreating footsteps told Olivia the guard had moved away from her. She slowly lowered her hands.
Hamilton didn’t really look that different. A little older and thinner maybe. More gray hair. Nothing significant. He actually looked pretty damn good for a man closer to sixty than fifty. He wore an elegant robe over comfortable-looking pajamas. He’d taken the time to put on house slippers and smooth his hair before leaving his room. Hamilton was never one to be caught with his trousers down. He probably had a weapon somewhere on his person. Maybe two.
“Hello, Vanessa.”
The chill of danger, however familiar, whispered through her.
Vanessa.
That had been her name before. The name she’d been given at birth. Vanessa Clark.
“Hamilton,” she acknowledged, instinctively moving to a posture of full attention.
His hands tucked casually into the pockets of his robe, he descended a couple of steps. “The key card you used is biometrics, new technology. The card itself recognizes the fingerprints of the carrier. Though it allowed you access, it also sent a warning to the head of security.”
“Interesting.” She should have known he’d have that base covered.
“I assume you have a good reason for breaking cover.”
“I didn’t break cover.” She suddenly felt like a recruit facing her instructor after having made a stupid mistake in training. “My code name was reactivated.”
Two more steps disappeared behind him. “Someone activated Sheara?” He sounded sincerely surprised.
“That’s right.”
The frown that furrowed his brow looked genuine enough. “I sunk that code name along with your last assignment and complete personnel file when you died.”
“Yeah, well, someone resurrected me.”
He paused, eight treads up from her position. His right hand moved from his pocket to caress his chin thoughtfully. She’d watched him do that a million times. The familiarity felt almost surreal.
“No one at the Agency, I’m certain.”
Two more steps down.
“No one else knew I was alive.” Her pulse slammed wildly. He understood that she’d just openly accused him: the apprehension was right there in those wise gray eyes.
“Absolutely no one,” he agreed. “I personally made sure of that.”
She angled her head to stare directly up at him. “How do you suppose this happened?”
He moved down the final step. “That’s what we’re going to find out.”
Profound relief gushed through Olivia. She’d felt as if she was in this all alone when that call had come. She’d relied heavily on the idea that she could count on Hamilton. Thankfully her instincts had been right.
