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Alina watched as Michael drove away with Angela in the truck next to him. She shook her head slightly, not envious of that drive. When she and Michael returned to the house, Angela pounced on them. Alina was pretty sure that Angela would still be talking now if Michael hadn't finally told her to be quiet. Alina grinned now and turned away from the plasma screen above the mantel when the truck pulled out of the trees and onto the road. Michael had no idea what he had let himself in for by offering to drive Angela home to pick up some things.
For that matter, Viper wasn't quite sure what she had got herself into by telling Angela to stay with her until they found out who was following her and why.
The grin on her face faded as Alina went into the kitchen and pulled a mug out of the cabinet. She was already regretting the necessity of having Angela stay here, but there was nowhere else she could go where Viper knew she would be safe. Setting the mug under the coffee spout, she hit the brew button on her coffeemaker and leaned on the counter. At least if Angela was here, she could keep an eye on her.
Viper glanced at her watch as coffee began pouring into her mug. She was glad Michael had agreed to help. She still had Jessica Nuñez to deal with, and that would take up most of the evening. With Michael babysitting Angela, Alina could focus on getting Jessica somewhere safe.
“Good Lord, why is nothing ever simple in this state?” she muttered, pulling out the mug and sipping the hot coffee.
Alina turned and carried her mug over to the bar, setting it on the shiny black marble before grabbing her laptop. She settled down on a stool and opened the computer, sipping her coffee gratefully and taking a moment to enjoy the silence. Viper had a feeling it would be a while before she had the house to herself again. She savored her coffee for a moment, then turned her attention to the laptop. It was time to get to work.
She was still sitting there an hour later when Damon slid open the door to the deck and stepped into the living room.
“Whose car is that?” he asked, sliding the door closed behind him.
Alina glanced over her shoulder.
“Angela's,” she murmured. “She's staying here for a few days.”
Damon raised an eyebrow and moved into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, holding it up questioningly. Alina nodded and he pulled a second bottle out. Closing the fridge, he walked over to hand her the water.
“What's going on?” he asked.
Alina stretched and took the bottle.
“Someone's following her,” she told him. “She's managed to get herself involved with the Rodrigo mess. He used her network passwords to hack into the bank mainframe, and now someone's been following her for the past twenty-four hours.”
“That's not good,” Damon murmured. “How did she know Rodrigo?”
“To hear her tell it, she didn't.” Alina sipped her water. “She says she barely knew him and she has no idea how he got her credentials.”
“And now someone's following her? How do we know?”
“I saw them,” Alina told him grimly. “Blue sedan. He was parked inside my perimeter, in the trees. I went to find out who he was, but Michael beat me to him and scared him away.”
Damon drank some water, watching her with his sharp eyes.
“Is Michael still alive?” he asked dryly and Alina grinned despite herself.
“Yes. He's paying for it by babysitting Angela,” she said.
Damon laughed.
“Ouch,” he murmured. “You play hardball. Where are they?”
“He took her to pick up some things from home that she'll need.” Alina turned her attention back to the laptop and Damon and moved around the bar. He glanced over her shoulder at the monitor. A shining black Audi A7 was on the screen. He raised an eyebrow.
“Shopping?” he asked in surprise.
“Browsing,” Alina answered evasively.
“I saw the Camaro was missing.” Damon sat down on the stool next to her and looked at her. “Did I miss anything fun?”
“Not especially.” Alina yawned and stretched her arms high over her head. “Let's just say it was compromised.”
“I don't think the Audi is really your style,” Hawk said thoughtfully, accepting her cryptic explanation without question.
“Do I have a style?” Viper asked, smiling faintly.
“Oh, you have a certain flair, yes,” he murmured. “What else are you looking at?”
“Nothing in particular.” Alina shrugged. “I have the Jeep for now. It's not pressing.”
“Hmm...” Hawk reached over and minimized the Audi window. Behind it was another window with the Aston Martin Vanquish. “Now, that's more your style,” he said approvingly.
“A little conspicuous for Jersey, though,” Alina said, smacking his hand away from the laptop. “It would be nice in Europe.”
“That's true.” Damon nodded, smacked her back, and swiftly minimized the Aston Martin. “Wow! Now, that's a surprise!” he exclaimed, staring at the next car. He just caught Alina's soft sigh.
“You really can be a nuisance, you know that?” she asked, trying to minimize the car.
Hawk grinned and pushed her hand away.
“So this is the one you're really looking at,” he stated, rather than asked. When she was silent, he glanced at her just in time to catch the slight flush on her cheeks. “Interesting.”
“It's just a car,” Viper muttered, not meeting his bright blue gaze. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so exposed. It was just a car.
A car she had loved since she was a teenager.
“This is not just a car.” Hawk shook his head. “It's a piece of American history. This is the Shelby GT 500.”
“Yes, I'm aware of that,” Alina retorted dryly.
“I would never have pegged you as a Mustang girl,” Damon told her. He was looking at her with a faint smile, and something in his eyes made her cheeks heat up again.
Alina cleared her throat. Her heart skipped a beat, and she tried once again to minimize the screen. He ruthlessly smacked her hand away with a grin.
“See that? You learn something new every day,” she said tartly.
“With you, yes.” Hawk sat back and they both stared at the car on the screen. It was the latest model, fully loaded, and cobalt blue with white racing stripes. He glanced at her. “How long have you wanted one of these?”
“Since high school,” Alina admitted with a faint smile.
She raised her eyes from the car and met his bright blue ones. That strange look was back on his face, the one that made her feel like he knew something about her that she didn't. Her heart started beating faster and her mouth went dry.
“Then I think it's about time you gave in,” he murmured softly.
Alina stared at him, feeling completely exposed for a moment. He wasn't supposed to know about the Mustang. The Shelby was a little piece of her from long ago, a part of her that she wasn't sure she wanted Damon to know. It was a silly thing, but it was representative of a younger, more carefree girl. A girl she had buried deep inside her years ago.
“We'll see,” Viper said, reaching out and closing the browser window. “It's not high on my list of priorities right now.”
“What is?” Damon asked, dropping the subject of the car as her mask slid into place, closing her off from him. He had rattled her somehow, and he wasn't quite sure how.
“Jessica Nuñez,” Alina answered promptly.
“Talk to me.”
“I have her.”
Hawk stared at her for a beat.
“I'm sorry. Care to run that by me again?” he asked softly.
Viper smiled slowly.
“I have Jessica Nuñez,” she repeated.
Damon was speechless for a moment, then his lips twitched and he shook his head.
“Ok. You win,” he told her. “Tell me what happened.”
Alina grinned and picked up her water again, turning to face him. Her eyes were sparkling and Damon couldn't stop the reluctant grin pulling at his lips.
“I was watching her this morning, to see where she went, etc., etc. Nothing serious, just doing some research,” Alina explained. “She went into work and then came running out again a few minutes later. She headed to her car and one of Gomez's men took a shot at her.”
Damon's eyes narrowed and he stared at her, his attention arrested.
“What?”
“Right in the parking lot, with no silencer, right in broad daylight,” Viper said disgustedly. “You should have seen the rifle they used. These guys really are ridiculous. They have no sense of discretion whatsoever.”
“Not everyone can be as skilled as we are,” Damon murmured, his eyes dancing. “I'm assuming he missed?”
“She dropped her keys and bent down to get them as he fired,” Alina answered. “I had a split second to make a decision.”
“So, of course, you decided to take the witness,” Hawk said dryly.
“Well, it seemed a shame to just let our only solid lead get shot in the head,” Viper retorted.
“What happened to the shooter?” Damon asked, sipping his water innocently.
“I slowed him down,” Alina said with a shrug.
Hawk nodded, a slow smile lighting his face.
“Of course you did,” he murmured, picturing the bullet hole in a black truck's windshield. “Where is Ms. Nuñez now?”
“Safe.” Viper capped her water bottle and glanced at her watch. “I have to move her to another location.”
“What have you found out from her so far?” Damon asked.
“Gomez is threatening her family.”
Alina closed her laptop and stood up.
“What does she have that he needs?” Hawk wondered with a frown.
“I'm going to find out when I move her tonight,” Alina said grimly. “If everything goes the way I want it to, she'll lead me right to Gomez.”
“If she does, hands off,” Hawk said sharply. His eyes were suddenly arctic. “Gomez is mine.”
Viper met his gaze and smiled slightly.
“Understood.”
Angela unlocked the front door to her townhouse and glanced at Michael. His hazel eyes were scanning the street, looking for any sign of surveillance. She had to admit she felt much safer with him standing next to her.
“Come on in and make yourself at home,” she told him, stepping into the house. “It will only take me a few minutes to get everything together.”
“Take your time,” Michael said as he followed her in and closed the door behind them.
He glanced around the living room, taking in the wood floors and white walls. The house was spotless, and he was somewhat surprised at the classic elegance of the furniture. Angela had decorated with dark, classical wood furniture contrasting with pristine white walls and light sage-colored sheers at the windows. There was no clutter anywhere and the gleaming wood side tables and coffee table were void of knick-knacks. Aside from a vase here and a framed photograph there, there was nothing to take away from the instant feeling of having stepped into a model room in a furniture store. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but this was not it.
“I'll just run up and get some things together,” Angela answered, dropping her keys on a hall stand just inside the door. “Finding the carrier will take a few minutes.”
“Carrier?” Michael repeated, his eyes meeting hers in question.
“For Annabelle,” Angela explained, “my cat.”
Michael's eyebrows raised into his forehead and he turned his head at the sound of a bell tingling down the stairs. An orange tabby cat came trotting into view as if on cue.
“Does Alina know you're bringing your cat?” Michael asked, watching as the cat strutted up to Angela and rubbed its head on her leg. Catching sight of Michael, it stopped and pinned him with a curious look from green cat eyes.
“I may have failed to mention it,” Angela admitted with a grin. “Annabelle will be fine there. She's a good cat, and she loves Alina.”
Annabelle stared at Michael, unblinking, and he bent down to rub his fingers together. Responding to the invitation, Annabelle cautiously moved toward him, watching him warily.
“I get the feeling all animals love Alina,” Michael murmured, watching as Annabelle lifted her face to sniff his hand. After a few seconds of sniffing, she tentatively nudged his hand with her nose. “You do realize she has a wild hawk living in her house, right?”
“It'll be fine,” Angela said, unconcerned. “Raven only goes into her bedroom, and Annabelle won't be in there.”
Michael stroked the cat and smiled slightly as it started to purr.
“Well, don't say I didn't warn you,” he said, glancing at Angela.
“I'll be down in a few,” Angela said, waving away the warning with a smile. “There's soda in the fridge if you're thirsty.”
She turned to jog up the stairs and Annabelle turned away from Michael abruptly, trotting after her mistress. Michael straightened back up and wandered through the living room into the kitchen. The kitchen was small, but bright and cheerful. The counters were spotless, and the only thing showing signs of heavy use was the coffeemaker in the corner. Opening the fridge, Michael pulled out a Diet Pepsi and closed the door, noting that the fridge was half-empty. Clearly, Angela was not a cook. In fact, Michael got the impression she didn't spend much time at home at all.
Carrying his soda into the living room, he sat down on the couch and pulled out his phone. He was scrolling through his email a few minutes later when his text message alert went off and a message icon appeared on his phone. Touching it, Michael opened the text from Blake.
Are you sure your girl isn't up to something?
Michael grinned and typed a reply.
She's not my girl, and I can't be sure of anything. Why?
He closed his email and waited for Blake to reply. It took a few minutes before his alert went off again.
I just got off a conference call with Stephanie Walker's boss. Looks like her investigation is running into mine. Last time I ran into Ms. Walker, your girl was neck deep in it.
Michael frowned and raised his eyes to stare unseeingly at the white wall on the other side of the room, lost in thought. Was Alina involved again? It was a bit of coincidence that the SEAL was back and Angela had been dragged into Stephanie's investigation, albeit through no fault of her own.
I don't know about her, but one of her friends is neck deep in it.
Michael finally typed back reluctantly. If Blake was going to be working alongside Stephanie, he was going to find out about Angela's involvement eventually.
Great. What am I looking forward to?
A bell jingled as Annabelle came trotting down the stairs and Michael glanced up as Angela followed. She had a large, leopard print overnight bag thrown over her shoulder and a rolling suitcase in either hand. She looked like she packed half her wardrobe. Michaels lips twitched and he lowered his eyes to his phone again.
I can tell you this much, you won't be bored!
Stephanie glanced up as John motioned to her from the door of the make-shift operating room in the maze. Larry had removed Rodrigo's remains and the techs had finished analyzing the real bodily fluid from the fake. She was listening as one of them explained how Rodrigo's torso had to have been positioned when he was cut open, trying not to show her repulsion on her face, when John appeared in the doorway.
“Excuse me a moment,” Stephanie murmured, interrupting the tech. “Hold that thought.”
She moved out of the area and joined John in the walkway.
“What?”
“You're gonna love this,” John told her. “Jessica Nuñez is gone.”
Stephanie stared at him.
“What do you mean, gone?” she demanded.
“There was a shooting at her place of work this morning,” John answered. “She got to work on time, as usual, and then went flying out again. Her boss said she had a message waiting for her and when she read it, she became visibly upset. As she ran out the door, she said there was an emergency with her husband. Obviously, her boss didn't press her for details. A few minutes later, gunshots were fired in the parking lot. Witnesses say a black sports car, most likely a Camaro, was seen speeding out of the parking lot.”
“Did anyone get plates?” Stephanie asked.
“Of course not,” John replied. “But it gets better. A black pick-up truck was crashed into another car, right near Jessica's, and witnesses say a man who appeared to be of Latin American descent got out of the truck and fired off rounds at the Camaro as it was leaving.”
Stephanie's mouth dropped open.
“We have witnesses to this?”
“Yep. Local police already have the statements and photos.” John tucked his hands into his pockets and leaned back on his heels. “Jessica Nuñez hasn't been seen since. Her husband says she called him around the time of the shooting, probably just before, as he was heading into class. He hasn't heard from her since.”
“Holy crap,” Stephanie breathed, running a hand through her hair. “Get over there and get the statements and photos. Get everything. Interview the husband and the boss. See if anyone saw the driver of the Camaro, or how many people were in it. Whoever it was must have taken Jessica.”
“On it,” John said, turning to head out of the maze. He paused, then turned to look back at Stephanie. “Sounds like whoever was in the car may have saved Jessica's life.”
“Let's find out who it was before we make assumptions,” Stephanie said grimly. “Get a BOLO out on Jessica, the pickup truck and the Camaro. Let's find her before the Cartel does.”
Viper pulled into the underground parking garage and swiped a badge through the access box. The iron gate blocking the entrance ponderously began to open and she glanced at Jessica.
“No one can get into the parking garage without a resident access card,” she told her. “The same card is used to access the elevators. Once you're inside, it's as safe as it can get.”
Jessica nodded.
“Thank you,” she said.
Alina eased the Jeep forward through the gate and drove onto the ramp leading to the upper levels of the parking garage. She acquired the safe house a month before when she was replacing those that had been compromised two months ago. The building was in the heart of Old City Philadelphia, where the residents paid for a certain level of exclusive elegance and security. She had been impressed with the high level of security provided, and as she pulled around to the assigned parking spot for the condo, Viper took note of the bright lights illuminating the parking level and the abundance of security cameras.
“Once I get you inside, there's no coming out again until I come get you,” Alina said, switching off the engine and looking at Jessica. “You understand?”
“I understand,” Jessica answered. “I won't do anything stupid. My family's lives depend on it.”
“Your life depends on it,” Alina retorted.
Jessica nodded.
“I know.”
Alina nodded and got out of the Jeep, her eyes scanning the parking level. They were the only people there and when she slammed the door shut, the sound echoed through the garage. Jessica climbed out and joined her, looking around.
“There are a lot of cameras,” she commented.
“That's a good thing for you,” Alina answered, turning toward the alcove a few feet away that led to the elevators. “Come on. Let's get you inside.”
Jessica followed her to the elevators and watched as Alina swiped the badge through a scanner at the elevator doors. The doors opened silently and they stepped into the elevator. Once the doors closed, Alina pressed a button and the elevator started moving up.
“How will I know when it's safe?” Jessica asked.
“I'll contact you,” Alina told her. “There's a phone in the condo. You can use it to contact me, but not for anything else. You can have no contact with your family, friends, work, not even pizza delivery. You have to assume Gomez has an ear on everyone and everything you've ever known.”
“Knowing him, he probably does,” Jessica said bitterly.
The elevator stopped with just the slightest of bumps and the doors slid open silently. They stepped into a long hallway, thickly carpeted with deep burgundy pile, and Alina led the way down the hall to a door halfway down and on the left. She pulled out a key and unlocked it, stepping inside.
“It's beautiful!” Jessica exclaimed, following her.
The condo was richly furnished with cream furniture and dove gray carpet. The small entryway was pale gray marble and opened directly into the living room. A large bay window with burgundy drapes over-looked the city, and a wood-burning fireplace took up part of the wall to the left. On the right was a large, eat-in kitchen, and on the left was a hallway leading to the master bedroom.
“There's food in the freezer and I've arranged for more to be delivered if you're still here in a few days,” Alina told her, dropping the keys on a side table. “I'm afraid I didn't know what you ate, so I had it stocked with meat. If you're vegetarian, we'll have to arrange something.”
“Oh, meat's fine,” Jessica assured her with a smile.
Alina nodded and went over to the windows, pulling the drapes across to seal out the night.
“You have cable and a game system, but you can't access the internet from the game system, so don't bother trying,” she said, turning to face Jessica. “Do you read?”
“Yes.”
“There's a Kindle in the bedroom. You can download whatever books you want to keep yourself occupied.”
Alina crossed over to the small dining room and drew the curtains there.
“Why are you doing this for me?” Jessica asked.
Viper glanced at her.
“Because there's no one else who can,” she answered simply.
Jessica stared at her for a beat before dropping onto the overstuffed cream sofa.
“Well, thank you,” she murmured.
“Tell me why Gomez came after your family,” Viper said, crossing back over into the living room and perching on the arm of a matching armchair. “Why you?”
“When I lived in Mexico, before my husband and I were married, Jenaro Gomez was already coming up in the ranks of the Casa Reino Cartel,” Jessica began quietly. She raised her dark eyes to Alina's and slipped into Spanish unconsciously. “Even then, he was a ruthless, evil man. I was home from university, visiting my parents, when he came for them. The Cartel was demanding what they called a protection fee from the villagers. They wanted two hundred and fifty dollars a month from them, ostensibly to protect them from other cartels. In reality, it was just extortion. My father refused to pay them. I was not home when Jenaro came. He did unspeakable things to my mother, forcing my father to watch, and then he cut off his head. When I got home, my father's head was hanging from a tree out front by its own ponytail, and my mother was unconscious, laying in a pool of her own blood. They left her to die. I was able to get her to a hospital and she regained consciousness long enough to tell us what happened. She died later that night.”
Jessica paused and Alina stood up. She went into the kitchen and returned a moment later with a bottle of water, which she handed to the woman. Jessica nodded thankfully.
“I went back to university with the single goal of getting my degree and getting out of Mexico,” she continued after a long drink. “My fiancé was already a professor at that point and he agreed that we would move. He did not want us to raise a family there. Even then, the cartels were starting to take over the local governments and we knew it was only a matter of time before they took over completely. I got my degree and we were married. A few months later, he received a job offer from a college in Arizona. It was the best thing to happen to us. We moved to Arizona and immediately applied for US citizenship. I thought we were safe.”
“You weren't?” Viper prompted softly when Jessica didn't continue.
She shook her head slowly.
“No,” she said. “What I didn't know was that after the murder of my parents, my cousin went after the Cartel. He managed to kill four soldiers before Jenaro got a hold of him. That's when Jenaro found out about me. He didn't know, until then, that I had been home from school when he massacred my family. He followed us to Arizona. He told me they held me responsible for my cousin's actions and he demanded payment for the four soldiers he killed. It took all our savings, but my husband paid him the money. Jenaro left and went back to Mexico, but we knew he would be back. A man like that, he never lets go once he has you. My husband started talking to head hunters for universities on the east coast, trying to get us as far away as he could. When the offer came from Rutgers, he took it.”
“And now Jenaro's back,” Viper murmured. “Why? What brought him here?”
Jessica shook her head and sipped the water.
“I don't know,” she said. “He's in the middle of something, but I don't know what. He took Marcus, my son, and said if I wanted him back I had to do exactly when he wanted.”
“What did he want?”
“All kinds of things,” Jessica told her. “He needed identifications and transportation. He made me give him my car for them to use, and made me order breads for the Day of the Dead festival in a week. Then he found out about Rachel.”
“Rachel?”
“A good friend of mine. She works at the Mt. Holly Prison Museum. She's a guide there.” Jessica drank some more water. “He made me ask for the key to the Dungeon upstairs. I told her I wanted to show someone the cell. He sent one of his soldiers to me and I took him there. He made me carry this heavy bag. When we got inside the cell, he opened it and pulled out...he pulled out an arm.”
Jessica shuddered at the memory and Alina raised an eyebrow slightly.
“An arm?” she repeated.
“Yes.” Jessica looked at her. “It was wrapped up in a white plastic bag.”
“What did he do with it?”
“He made me put it behind the dummy in the cell,” Jessica told her tiredly.