Bane (14 page)

After going inside for a quick second to get a beer out of the refrigerator, Bane found her sitting on the dock by the lake. Without saying anything, he pulled her up into his arms. “You okay, baby?”

She looked up at him and nodded. “Yes. Everyone is so nice to me.”

He smiled and reached out and caressed her cheek. “And why wouldn’t they be nice to you? You’re a nice person.”

“B-but you and I used to cause your family so many headaches. We did some crazy stuff and got into a lot of trouble.”

“Yes.” He nodded. “We did. But look at us now, Crystal. I finished the naval academy and I’m a SEAL, and you’re just a few months shy of getting your PhD. I think Dr. Crystal Westmoreland will sound damn good, don’t you?”

Swiping tears away from her eyes, she said, “Yes. I think so, as well.”

“All I’m saying is that you and I have changed, Crystal. We aren’t the same people we were back then. We’re older, better and more mature, although I’ll admit we still have a lot of growing to do. But above all, what didn’t change was our love for each other. That’s the one thing that remained constant.”

Crystal knew Bane was right. Their love
had
been the one thing to remain constant. “I love you, Bane,” she whispered.

“And I love you back, baby.”

Standing on tiptoe, she slanted her mouth over his, doubting that she could or would ever tire of kissing him. And when he wrapped his arms around her and returned her kiss, she knew she could stay in his arms like that forever. Or maybe not, she thought, when she began feeling weak in the knees.

It was the sound of a car door slamming that made them pull their mouths apart. They both turned to look toward the clearing at the people getting out of the cars that had just pulled up. There were three men and a woman. The only person Crystal recognized was the woman. It was Bane’s cousin Bailey.

“I’ll be damned,” Bane said. “That guy... The one in the black leather jacket sure does look like—”

“Riley,” she finished for him. “Riley doesn’t have a twin, so who is he?” she asked staring.

“That has to be Garth Outlaw. I never met him but I’d heard how he and his five siblings look just like the Westmorelands. And they
are
Westmorelands. I told you we found out that my great-grandfather Raphel had a son he hadn’t known about who was adopted by the Outlaws as a baby.”

“Well, if anyone doubts Garth Outlaw is related to your family all they have to do is put him and Riley side by side.”

“That’s true,” Bane agreed. “And the man with Bailey is her fiancé, Walker Rafferty. I wonder why they decided to come here instead of flying back to Alaska. When I talked to her the other day that’s where they were headed. And I have no idea who the third guy is. The one in the dark suit.”

Bane took Crystal’s hand in his. “Come on. Quade is beckoning us to join them.”

A few moments later when they reached Quade, introductions were made. Just as Bane said, Riley’s lookalike was one of their newfound cousins from Alaska, the Outlaws, and the man with Bailey was her fiancé, Walker. However, the third man, the one in the dark suit, was just what Crystal had figured him to be—a government man. She wasn’t surprised when Quade said, “Bane and Crystal, this here is Hugh Oakwood. He was recently appointed by the president to head a special agency under the Department of Defense.”

Bane raised a brow. “Department of Defense? I don’t understand why this would involve the DOD. Their primary concern is with military actions abroad. The Department of Homeland Security’s role is to handle things domestically.”

Hugh Oakwood nodded as he glanced from Bane to Crystal. “Typically that would be true, but what’s going on here isn’t typical. We think we’re dealing with an international group. And it’s highly likely that some of our own people at Homeland Security are involved. That’s why the president has authorized my agency to handle things.’’

The man glanced around and saw he had an audience. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Is there someplace where we can talk privately?”

Quade spoke up and said, “Yes, come this way, Hugh. I got just the place.”

Seventeen

B
ane had heard that after Jamal had purchased the cabin for Delaney, he’d hired a builder to quadruple the size of it to expand the kitchen, add three additional bedrooms, three more bathrooms, a huge family room and a study. The spacious study was where they were now.

He couldn’t imagine anyone getting any studying done in here. Not with the gorgeous view of the mountains and the lake. And if those two things didn’t grab you then there was the room itself, with its oak walls and beautiful rustic decor. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf took up one wall and another wall consisted entirely of a large plate-glass window.

Bane sat beside Crystal on a sofa facing the huge fireplace. Dillon, Quade, Clint, Cole and Dare grabbed chairs around the room. It seemed that Hugh Oakwood preferred standing, which made perfect sense since he had the floor. It was obvious that everyone was interested in what he had to say.

The man turned to Crystal. “I read the report and you, Dr. Westmoreland, have a brilliant mind.”

Bane noticed that everyone’s gaze had settled on Crystal and she seemed uncomfortable with all the attention she was getting. They were realizing what he’d always known. His wife was a very smart woman.

Crystal blushed. “I wouldn’t say that. And officially I’m not a doctor yet.”

“I
would
say that. And it’s only a matter of months before you get your PhD. After going over all your research, at least what I have access to, there’s no doubt that you’ll get it,” Oakwood said. “And if you don’t mind, although I noted you’ve never used the Westmoreland name, I prefer using it now.”

“No, I don’t mind,” she said. “Bane and I decided years ago to keep our marriage a secret.”

Oakwood nodded. “That in itself might be a blessing in disguise. Because no one knows of your marriage, the group that’s looking for you has no leads as to where you might be right now.”

He paused a moment, then said, “In your research you’ve basically come up with a formula to make items invisible. Similar testing and research have been done by others, but it seems you might have perfected it to the degree where it’s almost ready to use.”

“So what does all this mean?” Bane asked.

“It means that in the wrong hands it can be a threat to national security. Right now one particular terrorist group, PFBW, which stands for People for a Better World, sees it as a way to smuggle things in and out of countries undetected.”

“Things like what?”

“Drugs, bombs, weapons, you name it. Right, Dr. Westmoreland?”

Crystal nodded. “Yes. Although there’s quite a bit of research that still needs to be done before that can happen.”

Oakwood nodded. “PFBW have already nabbed the other two chemists, as you all know, and would have grabbed you if your husband hadn’t intervened.”

“I got that note from someone as a warning,” Crystal said.

“Yes, you did. PFBW started recruiting members a few years ago. But we managed to infiltrate the group. That’s the only way we know what’s going on. When you join, you join for life and the only way to get out is death. We’re lucky that our informant hasn’t been identified so far.”

He paused a minute and then added, “The best we can figure is that although Jasmine Ross started out as part of the group, somewhere along the way she had a change of heart and is the one who slipped you that note. It seems that she tried to disappear as well but wasn’t as lucky as you. They found her.”

And Bane was sure everyone in the room was aware of the outcome of that. “My wife can’t continue to hide out and be on the run forever.”

“I agree,” Oakwood said. “The problem we’re facing is not knowing who we can trust in Homeland Security. The one thing we do know is that PFBW still wants you, Dr. Westmoreland. You’re the missing link. The other chemists’ work can only go so far. You have researched a key component they lack, and it’s your work that’s needed to put their scheme in place.”

“Sorry, but they won’t be getting her,” Bane said through clenched teeth as he wrapped his arms around Crystal’s shoulders.

“That’s why we have a plan,” Oakwood said, finally taking a chair.

“What’s the plan?” Bane asked, removing his arm from around Crystal to lean forward.

From the looks exchanged between Quade and Oakwood, Bane had a feeling whatever plan Oakwood had come up with, he wasn’t going to like it.

* * *

Bane was off the sofa in a flash. “No! Hell no! No one is using my wife as bait!”

Crystal reached out and touched Bane’s arm. “Calm down, Bane. It doesn’t sound too bad.”

Bane stared down at her. “They want to set you up someplace and then tell PFBW where you are so they can grab you and—”

“When they do come for me, it sounds as if Oakwood and his men will be ready to arrest them.”

Bane rolled his eyes. As a SEAL, he of all people knew things didn’t always go as planned. “But what if something goes wrong? What if they fail to protect you? What if—”

“Their mission is successful?” Crystal asked, still trying to calm her husband down. “I have to take the chance their plan will work. Like you said, I can’t be on the run for the rest of my life.”

Bane pulled her up into his arms. “I know, baby, but I can’t take a chance with your life. I can’t have you back just to lose you.”

Crystal heard the agony in his voice, but she needed to make him understand. “And I can’t have you back just to lose you, either, but every time you’ll leave to go on covert operations as a SEAL I’ll face that possibility.”

“It’s not the same. I’m trained to go into risky places. You aren’t.”

He was right; she wasn’t. “But I’ll be well guarded from a distance. Right, Mr. Oakwood?”

The man nodded. “Right. And we do have an informant on the inside.”

A muscle twitched in Bane’s jaw. “Not good enough,” he said, bracing his legs apart and crossing his arms over his chest. “She won’t be alone. I will be with her.”

Oakwood shook his head. “That won’t work. The people looking for her expect her to be alone.”

Bane frowned. “Damn their expectations. I refuse to let my wife go anywhere alone. At some point they’ll suspect she had help. They probably already do from the way we’ve successfully eluded them up to now. I don’t like your plan, Oakwood, and the only way I’ll even consider it is if I’m the one protecting my wife.”

“May I make a suggestion?” Everyone in the room glanced over at Quade.

“What’s your suggestion, Quade?” Crystal asked when it was obvious neither Bane nor Oakwood was going to. Tension was so thick in the room you could cut it with a knife.

“Oakwood ran his idea by me earlier and knowing Bane like I do, I figured he wouldn’t go along with it, so I came up with a plan B, which I’m hoping everyone will accept. It still requires using Crystal as bait, but at least Bane will get to stay with her.”

Oakwood stared at Quade for a moment and then said, “Okay, what’s your plan?”

Quade stood. “Before I explain things, I need to get two other people in here who will be instrumental to the success of this plan. The three of us discussed it last night and feel it will work.”

He then went to the door, opened it and beckoned for someone. Moments later, Bailey’s fiancé, Walker Rafferty, and the Westmorelands’ newfound cousin Garth Outlaw entered the room.

Crystal studied Walker and could see how Bailey had fallen for him. He was a looker, but so was Bane. In Crystal’s mind, no man looked better. And Garth Outlaw looked so much like Riley it was uncanny. And she found out that like Walker, Garth was an ex-Marine.

Garth began talking. “Quade brought me up-to-date as to what’s going on. If you want to set a trap by using Crystal as bait then I suggest you do it in Alaska.”

“Alaska?” Bane asked, frowning. “Why Alaska?”

“Because the Outlaws happen to own a cabin on Kodiak Island and it’s in a very secluded area. But it’s also secured and the cabin has an underground tunnel,” Garth said.

Quade moved forward. “If word intentionally leaks out as to where Crystal is, then the people wanting her won’t lose any time going after her.”

“In Alaska?” Now it was Crystal’s turn to ask doubtfully.

“Yes, in Alaska,” Oakwood said, rubbing his chin, as if giving plan B serious thought. “They will check things out to make sure it’s not a trap, though. Why would Dr. Westmoreland escape to Alaska? The dots will have to connect.”

“They will,” Garth spoke up and said. “I understand Crystal attended Harvard. Coincidentally, my brother Cash went there at the same time. He was working on his master’s degree. Who says their paths didn’t cross?”

“I’m following you,” Oakwood said thoughtfully. “The people looking for Dr. Westmoreland will assume that their paths
did
cross, and that in desperation, Dr. Westmoreland, you reached out to Outlaw and he offered you safe haven at a cabin he owns in Alaska.”

“Exactly,” Quade said. “And from what Garth says, this cabin will be perfect. It’s in a secluded location on Outlaw property, and the underground tunnel will provide an escape route if needed.”

“And in addition to all of that,” Garth said, smiling, “thanks to those strong Westmoreland genes, Bane and Cash look alike. Probably just as much as me and Riley resemble each other. That will work in our favor if someone knows Crystal had help and has gotten a glimpse of the guy she’s been seen with. They would expect that same guy to be there with her, still protecting her. They will think it’s Cash when it will be Bane.”

Dillon spoke up. “That plan will work if no one knows that Crystal is married to Bane. Are you guys absolutely certain no one knows?”

“So far that’s a guarded secret,” Oakwood said. “I checked and Dr. Westmoreland never indicated Brisbane Westmoreland as her husband on any official school records or other documentation. I wasn’t even aware of the marriage until Quade brought it to my attention. However, on the other hand,” he said, shifting in his chair, “Brisbane Westmoreland has always indicated on any of his official paperwork that he was married and Crystal Newsome Westmoreland is listed as his wife.”

Bane shrugged. “I needed to make sure Crystal was taken care of if anything ever happened to me,” he said, pulling her closer to him and placing a kiss on her forehead. “I also have medical coverage on her as well, just in case she ever needed it, and I established a bank account in her name.”

“All traceable if someone really started to dig,” Dare said. It was obvious his former FBI agent’s mind was at work.

“Let’s hope no one feels the need to dig that far,” Clint Westmoreland said. He then looked over at Oakwood. “Can’t that information be blocked?”

“Yes, but because I don’t know who’s the mole at Homeland Security and how high up in the department he or she is, blocking it might raise a red flag,” Oakwood said. “Our main goal is to try to flush out the mole. Right now he is a danger to our national security. To know he might be someone in authority is even more of a reason for concern.”

Neither Bane nor Crystal said anything as everyone looked over at them. The decision was theirs.

“It’s a big decision. You might want to sleep on it,” Cole suggested.

Crystal stood. “Thanks, but there’s no need to sleep on it. And I appreciate everyone wanting to help me. However, what concerns me more than anything is that those people want me alive, but they won’t think twice about taking out Bane if he gets in their way. For that reason, I prefer that Bane not be with me.”

“Like hell!”

When Bane stood up to object further, Crystal reached out and placed a finger over his lips. “I figured that would be your reaction, Bane.” She shook her head. “There’s no way you’ll let me put my life at risk without trying to protect me, is there?”

He removed her finger from his lips and stared down at her with an unwavering expression on his face. “No.”

She released a deep breath. “Then, I guess that means we’ll be together in Alaska.”

* * *

A gusty winter’s breeze caused Bane to pull his jacket tighter as he wrapped his arms around Crystal and they walked inside the hotel. It was late. Close to midnight. After making the decision that they would be traveling to Alaska, they’d needed to put in place concrete plans. Crystal had trusted him to handle things and asked to be excused to join the ladies who’d been outside sitting on the patio.

In a way he was glad she’d left when she had, because more than once he’d ripped into Oakwood. Too often it appeared that the man was so determined to find out the identity of the mole at Homeland Security that he was willing to overlook Crystal’s safety. And Bane wasn’t having that.

It had taken Dillon, Quade and Dare to soothe his ruffled feathers and remove the boiling tension in the room by assuring him that Crystal’s safety was the most important thing. Only after that could they finally agree on anything.

He still didn’t like it, but more than anything he wanted to bring those responsible to justice so that he and Crystal could have normal lives...something they hadn’t had since the day they married.

“You’ve been quiet, Bane,” Crystal said a short while later after they’d checked into the hotel and gone to their room.

“Been thinking,” he said, glancing around at the furnishings. They were staying at the Saxon Hotel, and it was as if they’d walked right into paradise.

Dare had offered them the use of one of the bedrooms at Delaney’s cabin, but since some of his kin also planned to stay there for the night, he had opted out. He preferred having Crystal to himself, and was not up to sharing space with anyone, not even his family. After he said that he and Crystal would spend the night at a hotel in town, Quade had offered him his room at the Saxon Hotel. The penthouse suite.

It just so happened Quade’s brother-in-law was Dominic Saxon, the owner of the luxurious five-star Saxon Hotels and the Saxon Cruise Line. Quade had a standing reservation at any Saxon Hotel, but since his wife, Cheyenne, hadn’t accompanied him on this trip, he preferred hanging out with his cousins and brother at the cabin, figuring a card game would be taking place later.

“Wow! This place is simply gorgeous,” Crystal said.