Cooper moved easily through the security checkpoint at JFK International. There were definitely perks to working for the Agency. Striding down the long hallway to his assigned gate, the hair on the back of his neck started to stand on end. Cooper had been an agent too long to ignore the warning.
Stepping into a deserted alcove, he took a deep breath and tuned into his surroundings. Not sensing any immediate danger, he redirected his energy to retrace everything that had transpired over the past few hours. So much had happened over the previous two years, Cooper was worried he hadn’t taken time to piece everything together. As seemingly unrelated facts moved through his mind, he felt Israel’s unmistakable mental connection.
Twenty minutes after your flight left Austin, someone tried to break into Adler Oil. The son of a bitch got away, but he dropped the small satchel he was carrying. Cooper heard a huge unspoken but, so he waited for Israel to finish. Telepathic communication was unnerving, but it was also damned handy. The asshat had a copy of your preliminary blueprints for the remodel. It took every ounce of control he possessed to withhold the string of curses simmering in his gut like a cauldron of poison. Who knew you were leaving?
Before Cooper could answer, his phone rang. The unique ringtone he’d assigned his handler at the Agency saved him looking at the screen.
“Hicks.” Cooper didn’t feel any obligation to be polite to the man he’d only been working with a few years. He’d never been able to establish any rapport or trust with Damon Garrison. There was something about the man that made him uneasy.
Trust your instincts—always.
Knowing Israel was still plugged into his thoughts was oddly comforting.
“Your contact in Berlin is the same one who cleared Catalina to enter Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.” Cooper felt his blood run cold as realization washed over him. No one at the Agency knew who’d helped him get Cat into the largest military hospital outside the U.S. Cameron Barnes had been his liaison stateside, but even Cam didn’t know who’d facilitated Catalina’s admission into the base and medical center.
Don’t get on the plane, Cooper. It’s a fucking set up. I’m calling Ian now. Don’t leave the airport. Buy a disposable phone and call me. It will take us a half hour to tag your sat phone and make it look like you’re on the plane.
“Hicks? What the fuck? Are you listening to me?” Garrison’s irritation fueled Cooper’s concern. If the man didn’t have a personal stake in the mission, there would be no reason for his impatience.
“It’s rude to speak on the phone while you’re ordering food, Garrison. I will contact him as soon as I land. Thanks for the heads up; text me the rest. My food is ready.” Disconnecting the call without giving the other man a chance to reply might have been rude, but Cooper’s control was slipping. The sudden realization the man who was entrusted with his safety was compromised was damned scary. Piecing together the snippets that hadn’t made any sense was much easier now. Damon Garrison had just signed his life away. Endangering Catalina in his effort to frame Cam and Cooper for whatever the pissant was into was all the motivation Hicks needed to take him out.
Ten minutes later, Cooper walked out of the airport’s phone store. The clerk activated the phone, and Cooper couldn’t hold back his bark of laughter when the damned thing rang five minutes later.
“You’ll only be able to use that phone until you meet my staff outside baggage claim.” Cooper might not have been able to identify the number, but Ian McGregor’s velvet-smooth voice was easy to recognize. There were very few men in the world with the resources to tag a phone within minutes, and Ian was at the top of the list. “Smith will be standing twenty yards to the right of the door leading to the street. He’s almost seven feet tall, so he’ll be easy to spot.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes. I need to get back to Texas.”
“I’ll have a jet waiting for you at a private airport outside Newark. Everything about the flight plan is bogus, so don’t be surprised when the crew clears for Kansas City. There’s a hell of a storm moving into that area, so you’ll be diverted to Austin.” McGregor’s ability to pull a plan together out of thin air never ceased to amaze him. Cooper was grateful for the man’s help and told him so. “You know I have a vested interest, Cooper. I’m looking forward to having you available for security consultations, and I care very much about keeping Catalina safe as well. She is more than a business partner, she’s a friend.”
Cooper didn’t get a chance to respond before Ian ended the call. Shaking his head, Cooper stepped out of the baggage claim area and walked toward the giant leaning against the wall. With any luck, he’d be back in Austin before Catalina woke up. Keeping her in bed all day would be a great way to expend the energy he could feel roiling in his gut.
Following Ian’s man to the car, Israel’s voice sounded loud and clear in Cooper’s mind.
Luke is all over Garrison like a bad rash. What he can’t find, he’ll probably plant. For a nerd, he’s a formidable enemy.
Garrison didn’t get the job of handler by being smart. He’s somebody’s butt plug nephew’s third cousin twice removed.
Good to know, that should make Luke’s work easier and cross one felony off the list.
Cooper caught himself before he laughed out loud. No need to tell everyone around him he was hearing voices. They’d probably alert the authorities, thinking he’d lost his mind. The last place he wanted to be was some damn psych ward, waiting on an evaluation. He’d helped send more than one enemy into those hellholes and had no desire to join them.
Leaning back against the sun-warmed fabric of her lounger, Tobi lifted her glass of iced tea. Rubbing the cool glass over her face, she took a deep breath and giggled.
“Gracie, tell Catalina about the cookbooks we invested in.” When she heard Cat gasp in surprise, Tobi sighed. “Damn, I was hoping you hadn’t already heard about my culinary challenges.”
“Tobi, there isn’t a soul in Austin who hasn’t been regaled with at least one tale of your cooking disasters.” Gracie turned to look at Tobi, pushing her blinged-out sunglasses down her upturned nose and shaking her head at her friend. “I’m not saying my culinary expertise is anything to write home about, but at least I’m not banned from the kitchen.”
“Banned?” Catalina was surprised, despite having heard more than one story about Tobi’s cooking disasters. “Who on earth would ban you from your own kitchen?”
“Oh, I’m not banned from entering, but the staff won’t let me near any appliance that generates heat or spins. I’m going to talk to Ian about inventing a stove that shuts itself off before the smoke detector gets involved… and a blender that won’t start until the lid is secured.”
“Cooper’s sister, Lakyn, is an author. She would love these stories.”
Gracie burst out laughing at Cat’s comment as Tobi visibly flinched.
“She has interviewed Tobi several times. Have you heard Ian talk about his friends in Colorado?”
“He has mentioned Alex and Zach Lamont a couple of times, but it was always related to security issues.” Cat wasn’t sure how the Lamonts fit into this conversation, but she’d learned conversations with Tobi and Gracie didn’t always flow in a linear direction. Before the dynamic duo could explain, the sound of approaching footsteps had Cat sitting up. Her enhanced hearing was a huge advantage on missions. Aside from that, it was often annoyingly distracting when she was working. The soft sound of the footfalls belonged to someone accustomed to moving stealthily—Cam.
Cam Barnes wasn’t given to social calls and certainly wouldn’t voluntarily drop in on three women drinking and lounging around his pool in the middle of the day unless his wife was involved. Not that he was above keeping an eye on them, but that was what surveillance equipment was for. Whatever prompted him to disturb the women must be important.
Nodding to Tobi and Gracie, Cam gave them a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Ladies, there is a car waiting out front to take you back to Prairie Winds. Thank you for visiting my guest. Make sure you let her know what pieces you are interested in and a timeline.” They all three stared at him for long seconds trying to wrap their minds around this strange foray into their business dealings. “I’ve already told your men you are heading home, so it probably isn’t wise to delay.”
“Well, if that doesn’t beat all. Invite us over and then kick us to the curb.” Tobi stood from her chair, hands on her hips, glaring at Cam, though he was clearly unfazed.
“Cameron, I must say, your hospitality skills need polishing.” Gracie might have taken a swipe at their host, but she wasn’t wasting any time gathering her things and heading for the door.
“We’ll be in touch, Catalina. We really are fully committed to working with you. We’ll email our list and plan to meet again after we get a date set for a special event showing.” Stopping in front of Catalina, the petite blonde’s eyes were filled with something between concern and annoyance. Casting a glance to where Cam stood nearby, Tobi’s lips pressed together in a firm line. “If you need us, call. We’ll help in any way we can… and we can be pretty creative.”
Cam’s soft chuckle let them know Tobi’s unspoken message hadn’t been wasted. Waiting until she heard the door close after Tobi left was an exercise in patience, Cat turned to Cam the second she knew they were alone.
“Talk to me, Cam. Is Cooper okay?”
“Cooper is fine, but there have been some complications. I’m worried you are no longer safe here.”
“You know who’s on the inside, don’t you? You’ve figured out who is trying to frame the two of you?” Catalina had never been particularly empathic, but Cam was practically radiating with anger he was trying to hide. “Holy hell, which handler? His point man at the Agency called during the night, so I’m guessing it’s Cooper’s. He has to be setting up the two of you for something, but what?” Cam’s lack of response spoke volumes.
“I’ve had a bag packed for you.” Before he could continue, Cat interrupted.
“Where is your family?” She was terrified they’d brought trouble to Cam’s doorstep.
“Cecelia is at the hospital and safe. I’ll pick her up myself after I take you to the airport.”
Cat wasn’t surprised she was being moved, but she hoped they weren’t sending her anywhere cold. A beach with fruity drinks with little umbrellas would be perfect… which meant they would probably send her to fucking Alaska.
Close. For somebody who traveled all over the world, you sure are a lightweight.
Leave it to Israel to be tapped in when she least expected it. Instead of asking where she was headed, Cat waited.
“The kids are at Kent and Kyle’s. They’ll be safe there, and they’re having a great time. I suspect they are plotting ways to take over the world.” His half-smile was filled with affection. Cameron Barnes would never be fully free from his former life as an operative, but his devotion to his family pushed him to continue taking whatever steps necessary to keep them safe. “Sage and Sam are escorting you to ShadowDance. Jen is tagging along, so you don’t get steamrolled by the testosterone tanks—her words, not mine.”
“I’ll appreciate her company. I’d like to grab a few things you might have forgotten. It’ll take me only a minute.” Dashing inside, Cat grabbed a sketch pad and several small weapons she’d hidden in the cottage. Not only would they come in handy, but she also didn’t want anyone else stumbling upon them. The great thing about flying private was the ease of traveling with the weapons she needed to feel safe.