Chapter Two

 

 

 

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Will Bryson almost knocked the files stacked on his desk to the floor. The paperwork was in jeopardy of toppling even without David Jansen’s announcement that Sara Stevens was missing,

He grabbed the top file too quickly and hit another pile with his elbow. He’d only gotten through one of the cases so far today. It was two in the afternoon. At the rate he was going, the other fifty weren’t getting checked through until next Christmas.

All that took a back seat because suddenly nothing mattered as much as Jansen’s response.

“What do you think I’ve been trying to tell you for the past six months? She’s in trouble. She might be hurt more than we guessed. Duke’s drug was tough, you know? If she was given that shit, well, we’re worried.”

Will knew that. He’d been troubled, too, but he’d tried to keep his mind off her as much as possible. He’d failed utterly. “What makes you think she’s missing?”

“She hasn’t answered Paris’ calls in weeks.”

She wasn’t missing—she wasn’t answering the phone. Women do that. Right? They get busy, like guys, and lose track of time. He tipped his chair back so he could stare at the ceiling.

“We want you to go look her up and check on her, casual like. Act like you happen to be there, on a case. You must have something down there.”

“In Florida?”

“Yeah, Florida. And I might add, what a shock that you know where she lives.” Jansen’s tone was filled with enough sarcasm that Will ditched denying he’d kept track of Sara’s whereabouts. The woman had a way of going off the radar that impressed him. But he’d found her, down in Florida, where she’d gotten her degree in education while working two jobs. One of those jobs had made the hair on the back of his neck shiver every time he’d thought about it. Sara dancing had to be a thing of beauty. Maybe not where she’d been doing it, but he couldn’t judge the woman for doing what she had to do to get her diploma.

How much longer can I wait, and hold back, before I end up down there?

“There’s no way I can head down there.” He rubbed his hand over his hair. Not yet. I need more time.

Jansen cussed. “That’s not the answer I wanted, Bryson. I need you to go and get Paris some assurances that her best goddamn friend is safe.”

The idea made him sick. “So, you think the Duke drug had side effects that are still messing with her?” He’d learned firsthand what DNA-altering drugs could do when he’d signed up for the Sentinel Program. He’d never taken Duke’s serum, but he knew that it was a copycat of the original Sentinel drug.

“Yeah, we think so.” Jansen lowered his voice. Will guessed Paris had no idea Jansen was making the call. He wondered at that, since she knew what he did, and what he could do, especially to help a friend. “That, or something else is wrong, and that’s why we’re worried. Paris believes it’s something else.”

Goosebumps skittered up his arms. He forgot the worry that Paris didn’t trust him with her friend. “What are you talking about? What else?”

“We don’t know, man. Hold on a second.” The sound of Jansen mumbling filled the line, but Will thought he’d put his hand over the phone. So, she was there, or had stepped in on the call. Why was Jansen hiding? This was her friend, if she wanted answers, it made sense to ask Will. He was all about answers now. Unless Paris had guessed he was interested in Sara and didn’t like the idea. He’d been sloppy the last time he’d been out with the couple, asking way too many questions.

He moved his mouse, waking his computer, and clicked to the screen to run Sara’s license. Nothing new came up. No new address, no new number, place of employment, nothing. He found a change of address, but the mail had been shipped back to Canada and he knew damn good and well she wasn’t there.

So, where are you? What are you running from?

Months ago, he’d caught her heading off the compound, away from Derek, a man working under Duke. He’d assumed Derek had slipped her a dose of the sex drug, she’d found out and dumped the sorry bastard on the spot. He’d been partially right. Derek had slipped her the drug, but she’d not given him hell for it—she’d run.

When he’d offered to give her a ride into town, she’d accepted, but had been nervous the entire ride. But she’d thanked him, smiled briefly then hopped out of the truck and raced up the steps of the hotel.

The next time he’d seen her had been a different story.

She’d been scared—and coming back to the compound right when the mission was unraveling around them. He’d herded her out of there as fast as he could. He’d worried about her then, but had been too caught up in being near her, too busying trying to tame his reaction to her, to ask why she’d returned or why she seemed frightened.

Now, regrets flooded him. Something had been wrong. Something had frightened her enough to end up back at Duke’s. She’d been searching for Paris and the car. She’d wanted to go back to Canada immediately. He’d ended that idea and driven her to a hotel a few towns over and left her there, secure in a room he paid for.

Safe.

Only she hadn’t stayed. Not even the one night.

“Will, man? Are you there?”

At Jansen’s growl, Will glanced around, realizing he’d been lost in thought while his buddy had been talking.

“I’m here.” He switched to another screen, but found no trace of her in Canada, either. “You’re certain she’s still in Florida?”

“Well, that’s what the hell I need you for. Go find out. We need some answers, Will, and you are in the business of getting those, aren’t you?”

“Jansen, it’s not that easy, but let me do some checking,” he added when Jansen started swearing again. He clicked on a secure link and typed in the coded password to gain entrance into some of the most advanced search engines in the world. Being ex-special forces had some benefits. Within a minute, he had her location, under a new name, and an employment address. He sat forward when he found a rent-to-own agreement with the different name on it. Frowning, he got satellite images of the location and studied it. “She’s in Florida, under a new name.”

“Damn, that’s good news.”

A red flag appeared in the window and the goosebumps returned to shiver up his arms and down his back. “Shit.”

“Shit?”

He opened the operation details after locating and finding who was running the show. Carson.

“Bryson, the silences are pissing me—”

“She’s in trouble. Carson is set up down there. A team’s in place.” Sweat blossomed on his forehead and his heart went crazy as if he had to jump out first in a combat situation. “Fuck, man, they think Ashton Potter has her in his sights.”

Silence, then cursing from Jansen. He read the rest of the report, quickly skimming it until Paris’ name came up under a section describing who they felt were possible targets. “Man, are you in the know on this?”

“I know that fucker wanted a piece of Paris, if that’s what you’re asking. Why do you think I can’t go assure Paris that her friend is safe?”

“Why didn’t you tell me—?”

“Carson made a call on the side. He and I are in contact over the little MIT shit, but he didn’t say a word on Sara.”

“He might not know that she’s a friend of Paris’s…”

“Or he didn’t want me chewing his ass and—”

“He knows you can’t help on this one.” He logged off and stood. “But I can. I’ll be on a plane down there as soon as I can arrange it.”

“Good.” Jansen sighed and sounded as if he’d sat down heavily. “Keep one thing in that head of yours. She’s not Stephanie. She’s not a hook-up. Don’t fucking hurt her, and don’t let Potter within a hundred miles of her.”

“Jansen.” He slung his jacket on and tried to tame the anger roiling through him. “Stephanie is the past and best forgotten. She and I have been done for years. Why are bringing her up now?”

“Because she’s the one you had your dreams pinned on. You got her dear John, you tossed all possibilities of finding someone else out the window.”

“I did—”

“You go through women like they’re drive-thrus. You don’t wait for any of them to dig a way past that fence you’ve built around your heart. So, I’m telling you now, if you save that girl’s life, then break her heart, I will break both your legs so you always walk with a limp.”

Will took the lecture and laughed at the threat, but Jansen knew him way too well. “You do that, buddy. While you’re waiting for me to go save the girl, consider the fact that I don’t need your advice, and your threats really don’t impress me.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, it won’t be me, Will. Paris is aware of your interest, and more, she knows Sara shares it, so I’m warning you. Fuck with her, and she’ll make certain you regret it.”

He shook his head, but didn’t respond to the direct challenge except to fist his hands. Sara is interested in me? “If you’re done?”

“Yeah, I’m done.”

“I’d better see what I can do. I’m not on the payroll any longer, remember?”

“Like that fucking matters. Get down there and send us some reassurances. Paris is sick with worry.”

Paris was quite possibly the sweetest woman he’d ever met. She’d saved his ass once and never asked for a thing in return. He glanced out of the window. But keep my hands off Sara if she wants what I’m dying to give her? “I’ll call as soon as I have more.”