Chapter Two

The air in the conference room went absolutely still after the senator spoke. Riley sat straighter in his chair and swallowed. If he and Lt. Anderson couldn’t locate Fiona Burnsworth and Lorraine Voras in time, then with those words, the senator had effectively signed their death warrants. He glanced at Chip who stood clutching the back of her chair with white-knuckled fingers. Her gray eyes were huge as the unspoken message of the senator’s statement sank in.

We don’t negotiate with terrorists.

“I understand.” She lifted her chin. “We’ll find them, and bring them home.”

The senator nodded, his expression resolute, yet there was a defeated slump to his shoulders. Clearly, the duty this man bore outweighed his personal needs, but that didn’t lessen his pain. Without saying more, he turned and preceded the general as they left the conference room.

“Chip.” Byron paused at the door looking back at her before following the others. “Why don’t you take a moment to fill in Riley on your background? And Riley,” he added, with a hint of authority in his voice. “You do the same. I’ll return in a moment.” The door latch clicked behind him, sounding unnaturally loud in the silence.

Riley studied the woman across the table. Chip seemed to shake herself after Senator Burnsworth’s dire proclamation.

“So.” He gestured toward the door. “General Anderson is your father?”

She looked at Riley as though seeing him for the first time. “Yes.”

“Military service runs in the family?”

“Yes.”

Riley felt a bubble of frustration. “And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to conversation.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Your point?”

He gave a slight smile to ease the tension. “Don’t have one. But since this is a get-to-know-you session, how about ladies first?”

“Fine.” She took a breath. “I see you made it out of the raid okay. How’s the leg?”

Because of her earlier actions, he hadn’t expected her to reference their first meeting. He hid his surprise quite well, he thought. “Very well. Thanks for asking.”

“I did apologize, if you remember.” Chip fiddled with the cuff on her jacket.

“I remember.” Wishing every day he could forget that humiliating take down and the events that followed.

The memory of that night still haunted him. Even though the taskforce arrested all the gang members, the supplier had slipped through their fingers. Unable to do more, Riley returned to the safe house to check on the kids. No one had seen Lisa or Mary. He later found Lisa at the hospital and expected to find Mary with her, but she’d vanished. Lisa had no idea where Mary had gone or why she left.

For weeks, he’d searched homeless shelters, watched police reports on missing persons, even asked local morgues to notify him of any Jane Doe who matched Mary’s description. It was a gruesome task. Each time the sheet was pulled back to reveal an unknown face, he felt a sense of relief. Then he felt ashamed. Somewhere, someone had lost a loved one, and all he could feel was relief it wasn’t Mary. He’d thought she was still out there alone, in one of the most crime-ridden cities in the country.

Riley’s investigative skills were some of the best in the business, yet he’d never found any trace of Mary after that night. Nearly a year later, mystery had still surrounded the runaway like a shroud. He’d given up trying to justify his fascination. He cared what happened to her because she was a kid, like the others. Except she wasn’t like the others. And the woman who stood across from him now was proof that she wasn’t a kid, either.

“I’m picking up some uneasiness on your part.” Chip interjected into his thoughts. “Do you have a problem with me specifically, or is it just my gender?”

And here he thought he’d kept his feelings hidden. He added intuitive to the list of things he was learning about her. “Let’s just say, now that we’ve been properly introduced, I have doubts about the two of us working together.”

She pushed aside her chair as though unleashing pent-up energy. With fingers splayed on the table, she leaned toward him. “Look, I’m here under orders. The fact that I am a woman is irrelevant. Now that I understand what’s happened, I believe I’m capable of finding Fiona on my own.”

“No one is going on this assignment alone.”

She continued as though he hadn’t interrupted. “However, if this arrangement is some sort of partnership, I will hold up my end. I’ll work with you to find Fiona and Lorraine and get the evidence to put the kidnapper behind bars. Then I’ll return to my routine and you can go back to yours.” Her lovely face flushed and her lips pulled tight as she straightened.

Riley waited a moment to be sure her outburst was over before he spoke. He measured his words. “Lieutenant Chip, your gender isn’t an issue—and it won’t be unless you choose to make it one. Like you, I’m under orders. So yes, it’s a partnership.” He jabbed a finger at her. “And don’t forget, there are lives at stake.”

He rose from his chair to make his next point, forcing her to look up at him. “If you can’t watch my back or trust me to watch yours, then this mission has failed before it’s begun.” He paused to let that sink in. “I will not tolerate failure on my watch. Is that clear?”

Chip came to attention, her backbone stiff, but she didn’t shrink away from him. “Crystal.”

“Good.” Riley thumped the table with his palm. “Then I think we can proceed, don’t you?”

At that moment, the director entered the room, followed by Allison Richards, one of Northstar’s lab techs, which prevented Chip from responding.

Allison closed the door and stood beside it, while his father headed around the table carrying a small manila envelope and a piece of paper in his hand. He looked from Riley to Chip then glanced at the thermostat on the wall.

In the few minutes Byron had been gone, it seemed the temperature in the once comfortable conference room had dropped ten degrees.

Byron stood beside his chair, ignoring Riley and Chip’s battle positions. “I take it you two know each other a little better?” Without waiting for an answer, he continued. “Good. Then, what I have here are the final trappings that will make this official.” He indicated the items in his hand.

Riley looked at his father. As did Mary.

No, not Mary. Lieutenant Chip-on-Her-Shoulder.

The director placed an official-looking document on the table. Beside it, he laid the envelope.

Riley picked up the paper and saw his name and the name of Mary Anderson. “What’s this?”

“A marriage license.” Byron gave one of his lopsided smiles. “Congratulations. You’re newlyweds.”

“What?” Chip exclaimed.

“No!” Riley said at the same time.

Chip’s eyes narrowed at Byron, then she turned and glared at Riley.

“Don’t look at me.” He lifted his hands. “This is the first I’ve heard of it.” The gender reference resurfaced with new meaning. It did matter that his partner was a woman.

“My apologies for springing this on you. In the short amount of time we’ve had to pull this together, posing the two of you as newlyweds was the best scenario we could devise. We don’t have any solid leads on who is behind the abduction. We don’t fully understand the kidnapper’s resources, so we can’t take any chances by sending the two of you into the fray without some form of documentation to back up your story.” He pointed to the license in Riley’s hand. “In the unlikely event anyone should go digging, the marriage will be on public record. All it needs are your signatures for authenticity.” He glanced over at Chip. “By the way, your change in duty now reflects an emergency leave of absence.”

“This has to be a joke.” Riley stared at his father. Byron’s green eyes, so like his own, were deadly serious. “I suppose there’s a pastor waiting for us at a little white chapel down the street, too?”

“No need for a ceremony. Your signatures will do.” Byron smiled coolly.

“Does my father know about the cover for this assignment?” Chip sounded worried.

Riley wondered if she was going to back out.

“He’s the one who suggested it.” Byron said. “I’ll admit I was surprised, but on further consideration, I think the cover story is brilliant. You’ll be able to stay together during the investigation without raising suspicion that could put Mrs. Burnsworth and Ms. Voras in additional jeopardy.”

Chip didn’t reply. The reminder of the kidnapped women clearly put the mission objective in perspective.

Byron produced a pen. Riley hesitated a moment then grabbed it and scribbled his signature on the license. When he finished, he shoved the pen and paper over to Chip. She glanced through the text, took a deep breath, and added her signature more calmly.

Byron reached for the pen and signed as witness. “Allison?”

Riley had forgotten Allison was in the room, and only now realized she’d observed the entire conversation. It would’ve been nice to keep this part of the assignment a bit more private—not that it mattered. What mattered was a successful outcome.

Allison came around the table and stood beside Byron. He handed her the pen and she signed the license. “Thank you, Allison.” Byron handed the paper to her. “Please make sure it’s filed with the proper agencies.”

“Of course.” She took the official document and nodded.

“Also, I want to know as soon as you have a breakdown on that video.”

“We think we’ll have something in a couple of hours,” she replied. Then she faced Riley and Chip with a mischievous smile. “Good luck to you both and…congratulations.” She left before either could respond.

Riley waited until the conference door closed and then picked up the sealed envelope on the table. “What’s this?”

His father gestured with his hand. “Open it.”

Riley tore one end of the envelope. Not seeing anything at first, he tipped it upside down. Two gold bands slid out. The innocent symbols of eternal love clattered ominously on the table. The larger one spun a moment before coming to rest, barely touching the smaller ring.

Chip gasped.

Riley felt immobilized by the significance of the gold glinting under the room’s fluorescent lights. As though on cue, they both reached for the rings. When their hands collided, Chip snatched hers back and balled it into a fist.

He picked up the smaller ring first, and rolled the smooth metal between his fingers. He strode around the table and stopped in front of the petite lieutenant. She stood her ground.

Taking her left hand, he heard her draw a breath. His gaze locked on to the violent storm brewing inside her gray eyes. The temperature inside the room increased. His breathing matched the rise and fall of her chest as the room filled with white noise.

Her slender hand trembled ever so slightly as he slipped the band onto her fourth finger. It fit perfectly. He stared into the dark pools of her eyes, like a man dying of thirst in the scorched desert. Uninvited, the timeless words from the marriage ceremony echoed through his head. “With this ring…”

Stunned by the thought, he stopped short of speaking the words aloud.

At the head of the table, Byron cleared his throat and broke the spell.

Riley dropped her hand as though he’d been burned. He returned to his side of the table, picked up the other ring, and slid it on the fourth finger of his left hand. No fanfare. No ceremony. Only an unfamiliar burden he was about to carry. A partner—a wife as a cover story—with two lives and the nation’s security at stake.

“With that out of the way,” Byron opened his laptop and pressed a key, “let’s get to our first order of business.” He sat and slid his chair closer to the table. Riley and Chip returned to their seats facing each other.

“Obviously, you’ll need to investigate the resort where the women were last seen. You’ll be heading into the Jemez Mountains near the Santa Fe National Forest. Remember, both women have ties to New Mexico. Because of the kidnapper’s stipulations, you’ll need to use covert measures in your investigation. No one can know the real reason you’re there.”

“Exactly how did Senator Burnsworth obtain that video?” Chip sounded wary. “Surely, if it was sent to his public account, the kidnapping would be all over the news.”

“We believe his wife was coerced into revealing the senator’s private e-mail,” Byron said.

“You believe?” Chip tilted her head, her eyebrows drawn together.

Byron looked worried for the first time since the briefing began, and that bothered Riley. It was unusual for the director to be anything but confident during mission briefings.

“The alternative is that someone close to the senator has a direct line to him.” Byron sighed and rubbed his neck. “If that’s true, it means the kidnapper is someone who knows the senator personally, and may already know he’s contacted Northstar for help.”

The air in the room grew heavy with the implication the mission might already be compromised.

Byron continued. “We don’t have any more than that video to work with. We’ve not been able to track the GPS on Mrs. Burnsworth’s phone because we believe it’s turned off. However, by the time you arrive at the resort, we anticipate more specifics from the video and possibly the location it was sent from. Allison and her team will work around the clock to get you as many details as they can to guide your search. I’ll also expect regular progress reports.” He checked his watch. “Your flight leaves at fifteen hundred hours.” He turned to Chip. “Do you have civilian clothes with you?”

“No, sir.” She brought herself back into military mode. “I was instructed to drive directly here. I have a go-bag, but it doesn’t contain clothing for this type of assignment. I’ll need to return to my apartment to pack.”

“You have a little time, but make it quick.” Byron gestured to his son. “Riley will drive you there on the way to the airport. You can leave your car here at Northstar. It’ll be secure.”

Chip looked uncertain about the offer, but nodded. “Thank you. May I talk with the senator before we leave?”

“Of course. He’s in my office. Out this door and to your left.” Byron pointed.

“If you’ll excuse me, then.” She stood. Both Byron and Riley stood as well. She didn’t look at Riley as she left the room.

Riley waited until he was certain she was gone, then turned to his father. “Newlyweds? That was the best you could do?”

“We’ve examined all the angles and, based on the need for secrecy, this is the ideal scenario.” His father spoke with a mild rebuke in his tone. “But since you brought up the subject, perhaps you’ll enjoy a taste of female companionship and think about making it a regular meal.”

“I don’t need your help getting women—”

“You haven’t dated for almost a year.” Byron interrupted. “In contrast, look at your sister. She’s quite content now that she and Egan have set a wedding date. In fact, even Caitlin Malone found marital bliss. Although I wish she hadn’t resigned from the firm to find it.”

“I’m happy for Kellee and Egan. I know it wasn’t an easy go for them, especially dealing with the Russian mob and learning about Kellee’s real parents. That part was a challenge for all of us. But they’re together now and deserve that happiness.” Riley stared at the closed door where Chip had disappeared. “Their situation, and Caitlin’s, is totally different from mine. I’m not ready for a commitment. Besides, my love life isn’t the issue here.”

“What problem do you have with Lieutenant Anderson, son?”

He looked back at his father. “I don’t know if I can work with her.”

“Why not?” Byron looked concerned.

“Because she’s—”

“Mary?” His father supplied.

“Yeah.” Riley swallowed. “About that. Did you know she was the one who almost compromised that sting on the gang house last year?”

Byron shook his head, then gave a little smile. “Not until I saw the photo. Then I recalled your assignment debrief. It makes sense now that I’ve met her.”

“What makes sense?” Riley wasn’t sure why his father looked amused.

“How she was able to take you down.” His father chuckled. “You’ll want to polish your manners and remember that ring on her finger is just for show.”

“I won’t forget.” Riley had put the ring on her finger, and suddenly he felt like…what? He couldn’t find words for the strange feelings she stirred in him. What the hell was happening to his usual objectivity?

“Are you refusing this assignment?”

“No!” Riley ran a hand through his hair. In calmer tones he continued, “It’s just that…”

“You know, she reminds me a lot of your mother.”

“Mom?” Riley stared at Byron. “She’s nothing like Mom. Lieutenant Anderson may be disciplined, but she’s still rash and stubborn.”

“Hmmm…” Byron pursed his lips. “I agree. A lot like your mother.”

“I don’t see it.” How could his father detect any of his late mother’s wonderful qualities in Chip? “I’m not sure how I’ll make this arrangement work.”

“Then you’d better figure it out. And quick.” Byron was stern in his reply. “Whatever problem you’ve got with Lieutenant Anderson, you only have a couple of hours to get over it.”

Riley cringed. “Yes, sir.” He left the conference room to find the new Mrs. O’Neal.