Chapter Three

Chip leaned against the wall outside the conference room and took a moment to get her head around Fiona’s kidnapping. She needed to talk with Andrew, and she wanted to understand what her father was doing here—how he was involved in all of this. Finding those answers were important, of course, but who was she kidding? What she really needed was to quell her racing heart after being blindsided by Riley O’Neal.

Riley and Byron were still inside the room. She wouldn’t be surprised if Riley was asking for another partner. He’d seemed as disconcerted as she was during the briefing. She supposed there’d always been a chance of meeting him again. They lived in the same city, after all. But what were the odds that the angry agent who saved Lisa would be the same Northstar agent she was now expected to partner with? He was taller than she remembered, and of course, looked even better in a suit than he had in jeans and a T-shirt a year ago. His rugged jaw and high forehead were even more fascinating without that distracting tattoo.

She hoped no one noticed how she’d clung to him during introductions. Then, when he put the ring on her finger, he’d triggered a reaction that scared her more than live-fire training exercises. Her hand still tingled where he’d touched it.

She wiped her palm down the side of her skirt, dismayed at how quickly the man had gotten under her skin. Every time she thought of the incident at the gang house, she cringed in shame. Her overconfidence nearly cost her, Lisa, and Riley, their lives. She should have divulged her identity at the same time Riley shared his. Instead, she’d been disarmed by his protectiveness for both Lisa and herself. Getting Lisa out of that hellhole had eased her guilty conscience for hurting him. But it was still a struggle to bury the vivid memories of the man who invaded her dreams.

Now they were working together in a pretend marriage as a cover story. How was she going to pull that off? The closest she’d been to a man in the past year was hand-to-hand combat training. In her line of work, and in the military, she had to be careful. Any hint of a sexual come-on would be disastrous for both careers. For the next few days, she had to put all that aside and act like a loving wife, because what mattered most was finding Fiona and Lorraine.

Chip pushed away from the wall and glanced across the hall. The doors that had been closed earlier were propped open.

The large windowless room was filled with all sorts of technical equipment, from computers to microscopes, on stainless-steel tables. This must be the lab, the nerve center of Northstar Security. It looked like a command center with all that state-of-the-art technology—enough to be the envy of any military installation. If Northstar’s techs were skilled enough to run this equipment, she felt confident the assignment might succeed.

The woman named Allison stood near one wall conversing with another tech in a white lab coat. She glanced up and gave a friendly nod. Chip offered a quick smile and then turned toward Byron’s office.

If the lab was the brain of Northstar Security, then Byron O’Neal’s office was surely the heart and soul. She didn’t know much about the firm, but had once overheard her father call Northstar one of the most elite private security agencies in the country. Coming from a two-star general in charge of his own intelligence corps, that was quite a compliment.

She hesitated outside the door. Andrew was probably watching the sickening video of his wife again, hoping he’d done the right thing by reaching out to Northstar.

She tapped lightly on the door, then opened it and peeked inside. “Senator?” She used his title in deference to his position. Had they been back at Fiona and Andrew’s apartment, she would have been far more casual.

“Chip.” The senator stood and pulled her into another hug as she entered the office. “I can’t thank you enough for helping us.”

Chip returned the hug. “I want Fiona and Lorraine safely back, too.” She turned and faced the general, who was standing at the far end of the room. “Sir.”

“Come on in, Lieutenant.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Chip resisted the urge to hide her left hand with the shiny new ring on it. Her father had agreed to the cover story and she’d do her best to not show embarrassment about the situation, but it made her uncomfortable to know he suggested the cover story. “I’d like to learn more about Fiona’s trip to New Mexico. Would it be all right to talk with the senator for a few minutes?”

“I would expect nothing less.” The general gestured to a pair of leather chairs in front of a huge mahogany desk. “Have a seat.”

Chip took in the room as she crossed to the chair. On a credenza beside the desk, sat a flat panel monitor displaying the Northstar logo—a world atlas overlaid with a compass. The large window behind the desk overlooked the parking lot. Regardless of the busy street next to the lot, no traffic noise made it inside. The exterior walls and windows must be soundproof.

She perched on the edge of the chair and faced the senator. “Wasn’t Fiona supposed to be back from New Mexico today?”

Andrew nodded as he sat across from her. “I had a special brunch planned. When she didn’t show and wasn’t returning my messages, I tried calling Lorraine’s phone. She didn’t answer either. Shortly after that, my e-mail pinged with the video.” He took a shuddering breath. “Who would do such a thing to my wife?”

“I’m going to find out.” Chip infused confidence in her tone. “Try not to worry. Fiona’s a strong woman and I promise we’ll bring her home.” She inched to the edge of her chair. “After you got the video, what did you do next?”

The office door opened suddenly. “Excuse the interruption.” Riley entered the room. “I’d like to join you, if I may?”

Chip stiffened, but didn’t deny his right to hear what the senator had to say.

Riley nodded to the general and senator. He crossed to the big desk and leaned a hip on it. A hint of his spicy aftershave wafted toward Chip and she felt her body temperature rise. She took a discreet breath to calm her racing heart.

Riley folded his arms and nodded. “Please continue.”

Chip refocused on the task and repeated her question to the senator. “After you saw the video, what did you do?”

The senator looked uncomfortable. “Frankly, I panicked. My first instinct was to call the police or FBI in spite of the warnings, but I calmed down and contacted your dad instead.”

Riley glanced curiously at the general. “Why call General Anderson?”

“He’s a friend,” the senator said. “He’s also the military advisor on the committee for the surveillance systems. He knows the importance of this program better than anyone else. He suggested I reach out to Northstar.” Andrew leaned back with a concerned look. “I’m still afraid the kidnapper will find out I’ve contacted you. But between General Anderson and Byron, and now you and Chip, I have a greater hope of getting Fiona and Lorraine back alive.”

Chip knew her father had assisted with projects for the government before, but until now, she hadn’t realized the extent of his involvement. She turned back to Andrew. “The video is less than two hours old. What time did you get it?”

His expression turned bleak. “Around eleven this morning.” He rubbed his unshaven jaw.

“And between the east coast and New Mexico, there’s a two-hour time difference,” Chip added. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Riley nod. “You know, you could have called me right then.”

“I know, but you have to understand how scared I was.” The senator shuddered. “I decided I had to tell someone, so I called the general. I’m glad he got you involved as quickly as he did.”

General Anderson stepped forward, adding to the conversation. “I went to the senator’s apartment. And stayed with him until we arranged this meeting. His office thinks we’re taking a working lunch. When we’re through here, I’ll drive him back home.”

“That’s good.” Chip smiled to ease Andrew’s fears. “Especially if the kidnapper is somehow able to monitor your apartment.” She glanced at Riley before continuing. “Byron’s sending us to check out the resort where Fiona and Lorraine spent this last week. We need to understand how the kidnapper found them. Did either of them go into Santa Fe or visit any other places while they were there?”

“As far as I know, neither Fiona nor Lorraine left the resort.” Andrew shook his head. “I didn’t want Fiona to go to the house, or check on her projects. She’s been working around-the-clock on my economics program, in addition to building the new facility for Runaway Home, I was afraid she’d burn out. The R&R wasn’t planned, but her itinerary wasn’t a secret, either. I suppose someone could have learned where she’d gone.”

Chip knew Fiona worked hard. In fact, it had been almost three weeks since she’d last seen her at the impromptu party when Chip returned from Afghanistan. Right after the party, Fiona buried herself in her latest project with a promise to call when it was finished. But even with all her duties, she’d been returning Chip’s texts until yesterday.

Andrew buried his face in his hands. “This is my fault. She didn’t want to go. She took Lorraine to keep up with work while she was there. Against my wishes, I might add.”

“Andrew.” Chip took the senator’s hand and looked into his defeated eyes. “This isn’t your fault. Some terrible bastard is doing this and we’re going to stop him.” She squeezed his hand. “What more can you tell me—us—about the UAS program?”

Andrew seemed to hesitate as he glanced from Chip to Riley.

“We need to learn what we can about the importance of these unmanned aerial systems,” Riley added, looking between the senator and the general. “Any details you can share could help us find your wife and Ms. Voras.”

The senator’s expression changed from one of a desperate husband to a statesman. “Understand this information is highly confidential.”

“Of course.” Chip nodded.

“As I mentioned earlier, we’re proposing a joint security venture with Mexico. I’m sure you’ve heard for years that the majority of the drug traffic brought in through Mexico comes from Central and South America. We can’t ignore this exceptional opportunity with the current Mexican government to squeeze the pipeline shut, or at the very least, tighten entry points between our own borders.”

Riley shifted slightly against the desk. “Today’s the first time I’ve heard about selling U.S. surveillance drones. Must’ve been a tightly held secret. You mentioned earlier that you’re selling the technology, too?”

The senator continued. “Typically, we loan the unmanned aerial vehicles, not sell them. The committee has positioned the United States to take a stand, and share our technology for the benefit of both countries. This program will let Mexico monitor their borders and coastlines with impunity. The U.S and Mexican UAVs will deploy in a coordinated effort to locate and disable drug traffickers, much as they’re used for intelligence gathering in the Middle East. When the referendum passes, both governments will be able to effectively block the drug trade.”

“Obviously the cartels won’t like this joint effort.” Chip bit the corner of her lip. “Is anyone else opposed to the program? Anyone here in the United States?”

“Naysayers are positive that if we give Mexico our surveillance systems, they’ll use them to spy on us, or turn around and sell them to our enemies. I have a list of those who’ve objected to the program—mostly extremists who predict the end of the world no matter what we do.” The senator warmed to the topic. “I can tell you this—we’ve worked hard on both sides of the aisle and, for the most part, gained bipartisan support on the Hill for this program.”

“Providing the names of any dissenters will help the investigation.” Riley pointed out. “As soon as you can get a list together, give it to Byron. He’ll forward the information to us in New Mexico.”

“Of course,” said the senator.

“Can you elaborate on how this program affects national security?” Riley continued to explore the ramifications.

General Anderson interjected. “Any time a policy changes the way the United States deals with a foreign government, it impacts security at home.”

The senator looked at Chip. “You know how much I love my wife. But we don’t—we can’t—negotiate with terrorists.”

She realized Andrew’s earlier statement was a foregone conclusion. The vote would go through. Unless she and Riley changed the outcome, the women’s lives would be sacrificed for national security.

Chip refused to let that happen. As long as she had breath left in her body, she’d search for the women. “I—we’ll—do everything we can to bring both Fiona and Lorraine home.”

****

After concluding the interview with the senator, Riley retrieved the airline boarding passes and agenda from Allison. As there was no time to prepare false IDs, the boarding passes were in Chip and Riley’s real names. Knowing many newlyweds faced similar issues, the director was confident this small discrepancy wouldn’t hinder their cover. Riley hoped so as he stuffed the documents in his breast pocket, then grabbed his bag containing his laptop tablet and the lockbox with his Glock from his locker. He met Chip in the foyer and led her through Northstar’s parking lot to his silver SUV.

She gave directions to her apartment, which was surprisingly close to his place near Rock Creek Park. Once inside, he got an entirely different perspective of his bride.

While she hurried into the bedroom to change from her uniform, he studied the small living room with its large flat screen TV worthy of any man-cave. Next to the TV was a stack of martial arts DVDs. Inspecting the titles, he found most of them starred Jackie Chan or Jet Li. A couple featured Chinese actors he’d never heard of.

He recalled the leg sweep that took him to the floor at the gang house. It hadn’t been luck that she’d dropped him. She had training. Good information to know if they found themselves in a sticky situation. He turned to call out a question about her training, when Chip appeared from her bedroom.

“I’m ready.”

Riley stared at the transformation. Her civilian attire was very different from the staid military style she’d worn earlier. Gone was the shapeless uniform with those impressive ribbons. In its place, she wore a sleeveless ivory shell tucked into a straight light blue skirt. A matching jacket draped over her arm and she held a black duffel with a Washington Nationals logo on the side.

Something about this woman upset his equilibrium. When he looked into her eyes, he felt as if he were stranded in the desert by a blinding sandstorm. He disliked feeling as though he’d lost all control. He sucked in a breath. “Is that all you’re taking?” He nodded at the bag.

“I know we’re undercover, but this isn’t a pleasure trip.” She scowled at him. “I’m not some wimpy female who needs pampering. I think I’ve packed enough.”

Riley failed to see where this woman had ever been vulnerable in her life. Maybe she didn’t realize she carried an invisible shroud of armor—one with no chinks. He shrugged. There was no time for an in-depth analysis of her character. “Okay, then. Let’s go.” He turned and waited in the hallway while she pulled a key from her purse and locked up.

As she led the way out of the building, Riley noticed her braided bun was still pinned high off her neck. Even tied up, the rich brown color reminded him of mink fur. He wondered if the severe look would soften with her hair loose about her face. The desire to pull out the pins and let that braid fall took him by surprise. He balled his fingers into a fist and crushed his wayward thoughts. He knew better than to allow his mind to travel down that forbidden road. Regardless of their cover story, for this assignment she was his partner, nothing less, and definitely nothing more.

The firm’s policy regarding partners was clear: no personal involvement. Intimacy had a way of distracting agents from their assignments. It was a good rule. One he would follow to the letter.

Partners are off limits. The lieutenant was his partner.

Repeat often and with feeling.

As Chip dropped her jacket on the backseat in deference to the warm weather still hovering over the East coast, Riley found it hard to ignore her toned, bare arms. She hadn’t bothered with stockings, either, and when she stepped into the car, her skirt rode up to mid-thigh exposing smooth, tanned legs. Simple white sandals on her petite feet completed the ensemble—and produced a slight rise in his blood pressure. He put on his sunglasses to mute the view and opened the driver’s-side door.

Silence permeated the car as they drove to the airport. Even without conversation, Riley was acutely aware of her presence. She sat perfectly still with eyes forward, and seemed as distant as she could get without actually leaving the car. He knew she was thinking about the case because she constantly twisted the wedding band he’d placed on her finger. It gave him some satisfaction to see she wasn’t as indifferent as she pretended.

His satisfaction was short-lived when he caught himself flicking his own ring with his thumbnail. Apparently, he wasn’t immune, either.

****

Playing with the ring kept Chip from clenching her fists. She wasn’t accustomed to wearing jewelry, and the ring felt as constricting as the proverbial ball and chain. The ride to the airport seemed to take forever. What she wouldn’t give to have the travelling behind them so they could start searching for Fiona and Lorraine.

The confrontation with Riley in the conference room was seared into her brain. Then he practically ignored her when they interviewed Andrew. So far, they’d barely been civil to each other and now they were partners—scratch that, they were married. On paper. Make-believe newlyweds. Chip didn’t know how convincingly she could play an adoring wife. If she slipped up, even a little, Fiona and Lorraine would suffer the consequences. And that wasn’t an option.

Riley drove into the airport economy parking lot and found an open space. As soon as he turned off the ignition, Chip opened the door to step out of the SUV, more than ready to put some distance between herself and her husband.

Before she could slide off the seat, he reached across the middle console and stopped her. Heat coursed over her skin where he touched. Alarmed at the sensation, she glared at him, then caught herself and controlled her reaction. “What?”

He angled in his seat to face her. “We need to discuss something.”

“Now?”

“Yes.” He glanced at where his hand still covered hers and snatched it away, then stared out the windshield. “I know we got off to a bad start.”

“Which time?”

He jerked his head to look at her. His firm mouth thinned. “Both times. But the opportunity to hash it out has passed. From this point forward, we present a united front. If anyone suspects we’re not who we say we are, our cover is blown. There’s no time to brief another set of agents. We have to do this.”

“I understand my role.”

Riley pulled off his sunglasses and searched her face. “This is our first test as partners.”

“You think I’ll undermine the mission?”

“I need you to trust me. Follow my lead. The lives of these women depend on us finding them—fast. We can’t do that if we’re working against each other.”

She’d been thinking that same thing, but having him say it out loud irritated her. “I know the job, O’Neal. I won’t melt at the first sign of trouble. You can count on me.” Chip met his guarded look with a bravado she didn’t feel. All this talk about trust cinched another knot in the rope coiling in her stomach. Riley was right. They couldn’t afford to blow their cover. When he didn’t reply, she glared at him. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“I don’t know you very well.”

“I’ll grant that, but surely you can see that Byron, the senator, and General Anderson are confident I can find Fiona and Lorraine. I can and I will complete this assignment.”

His eyes narrowed. “My father has good judgment, most of the time. But I’ve learned to trust my instincts, too.”

“And what are your instincts telling you?” She hoped her voice didn’t sound as worried as she felt.

He didn’t answer for a moment. Then his expression changed to one of resolve. “That we’ll just have to work our way through this rocky start.” He glanced at his watch. “So what do you say, wife? Ready to catch that plane?”