Blowback (The Black Cipher Files Book 1) (31 page)

Lucas didn’t start the car.

Now that I was here, all my resistance was gone. Bella was only a mile or so away. The temptation to reach out to her, to connect with her was immense. “I know this isn’t the greatest idea--”

“This is a train wreck.” But he started the car, then crept down the road at a snail’s pace.

“Hurry.”

“I’m giving you time to change your mind.”

“No. Go faster.”

Lucas inched up to a whole ten miles per hour. As we wound up and down the drive, every light in the house blazed like a welcome beacon. Warmth poured from the dormer windows shining down onto the ever-lightening yard.

He pulled up behind the Ford Escort, blocking its path. “In case they try to bolt.”

Bella wouldn’t, but Johnny Wishbone might. I inhaled a long calming breath.

Lucas pulled his Glock from the pocket in the duffel. “Weapon?”

I didn’t want to take a firearm near Bella’s house. Didn’t want to bring the violence of my life into hers. Yet...what if Johnny Wishbone forced the issue?

I debated the pros and cons in my head.

“They’re going to notice us sitting here.” Lucas huffed out a sigh and handed me a Sig Sauer P226.

We opened our car doors simultaneously and closed them with a near silent thunk. On the way to the door, I touched the hood of the Escort.

Warm. He hadn’t gotten here much before us.

As I tiptoed toward the wraparound porch, I was struck by an unusual hesitation. Maybe this was the wrong thing to do.

“You could wait in the car,” he murmured. “I’ve got a listening device.”

Then I could at least hear Bella. But if anything happened I’d be too far away. I shook my head.

Lucas moved up to the leaded glass doorway with its fancy scrollwork and flimsy security. By silent agreement, I stood two steps to the right on the side opposite the hinges, while Lucas stood in front of the oval glass.

He pressed the doorbell.

I heard Bella’s giggle before Johnny/Donald shushed her. I visualized their positions in the house, listening to their footsteps as they strode to the door.

Lucas stood in military at-rest position. His hands, with weapon, clasped behind his back.

“Who’s there?”

Stupid kid shouldn’t have even come to the door. He should have made reconnaissance from another vantage point. If Lucas had been an assassin, they’d both be dead.

“It’s six o’clock in the damn morning,” Lucas snarled. “You shouldn’t have answered the bell.”

The door flew open. “Lucas?” Surprise, astonishment lit the kid’s face.

I wanted to pivot and scare the crap out of him. But I didn’t want to frighten my sister, so I snuffed the impulse to swing my weapon up to his nose and stayed still.

Lucas slid his gaze to mine, transmitting that he could keep the kid from coming outside.

I nodded.

“Donald. Do you know him?” Bella’s voice hit me. I hadn’t heard her speak in forever. Once, years ago, Carson had given me a tape of Bella, a school speech about improving the food in the cafeteria.

Oh God. My sister.

“How are you kid?” Lucas asked Johnny.

I could feel the ‘oh shit’ moment hit and Johnny’s instinctive move to shut the door. Lucas saw it and angled his hip to block the door from slamming shut.

“We need to talk.”

“Uh....” Johnny’s gaze bounced from Lucas’s leg and back to Bella and back to Lucas. Something must have snapped into place because the kid recovered. “This isn’t a real good time.”

“No shit,” Lucas said drily.

“Donald, who is this guy?”

Johnny gave Lucas a pleading, ‘Don’t blow my cover’ look.

Lucas tucked his weapon into his right hand and held out his left. “Lucas Goodman. Friend of the family.”

Bella hesitated then extended her hand toward Lucas. “It’s a little early for a social call.”

“This isn’t social.” Lucas still hadn’t moved his leg. He held his right arm behind his back awkwardly.

“If you don’t move your leg, I’m calling the police.”

“Bella, no. You don’t understand,” Johnny/Donald stopped her.

“Make me understand quick.”

Pride flowed through me. My baby sister was no pushover.

“Lucas is a former FBI agent. It’s fine.”

“FBI?” Bella still sounded suspicious.

I recalled the file. Bella had a distrust of the U.S. government. Shit. Maybe we should have factored that in before we knocked on the door.

“Yeah.” Johnny cleared his throat. “I just can’t figure out why he’s here.”

”Maybe you should have called home,
Donald
,” Lucas said.

Johnny straightened and took a step backward.

“You told me your parents were dead.” Bella’s voice had risen.

“They are.” Johnny gave Lucas another look.

The liar.
I thought Johnny’s mother might have little something to say about that.

“We should have this discussion in private.” Lucas motioned to the car.

“Yeah. Good idea.”

I hated staying hidden still able to watch but what I really want was to be there in the kid’s face, scaring him.

“I’ll come with you,” Bella insisted.

Not a good idea.

“I’d prefer to keep the conversation private.” Lucas’s tone was firm and inviolate.

“My house, my rules.”

You go, girl.

“Bella,” Johnny placated. “Maybe I should talk to Lucas alone.”

Lucas shifted slightly toward me. It was a mistake.

“Who else is out there--skulking?”

“Excuse me?” Lucas was unfailingly polite, but Bella refused to back down.

“Who else is out there?” She flipped on the overhead light, pushed her way out of the house and onto the porch. I stepped back into the shadows.

“Who are you?” she demanded. “And what the hell is going on?”

Bella faced me, demanding answers.

I’m your sister. I love you.
I held the words captive. “I’m...a friend.”

She raised her arm, the small .38 special weapon visible in the glow of the overhead light. “Move slowly. Step into the light,” Bella said harshly.

I couldn’t stay in the shadows now. Even though I knew it would be the prudent thing to do.

Lucas’s hand jerked up swiftly, weapon cocked. “Drop it.”

Slow as molasses events unfolded before I could move. Her weapon on me, Lucas’s weapon aimed at Bella. Johnny tensed, ready to charge Lucas.

“Stop.” I stepped into the light.

Bella’s hand dropped. Her skin lost color and her eyes widened and darkened in her pale, pale face. She looked at me with total bewilderment.

“Mama?”

THIRTY-FOUR

“Shit.” I heard Lucas whisper in a far off, hazy sort of way.

My vision fuzzed, tunneling to grey at the edges. The light from overhead must be about to fritz because a loud buzz sounded in my ears and I couldn’t seem to hear anything else. I couldn’t move, my feet cemented to the wood porch, as I stared at my sister.

Bella thought I was Mama.

I looked like my mother? I didn’t know that. I...didn’t realize. How could I? I had no pictures of my family, only memories. Memories which I’d locked away years ago as too painful to contemplate, too agonizing to remember.

“Who is she?” I saw Johnny’s lips move, but I couldn’t hear him.

“You look just like her pictures, but you...you can’t be her.” The weapon hung limply from her right hand. “Mama’s dead.”

Lucas said softly, “Give Donald your weapon, honey.”

“Who is she?” Johnny asked, louder this time.

“She won’t hurt anyone.” Lucas shifted closer to me.

Don’t bet on it.

Johnny reached slowly for the .38 special, peeling Bella’s fingers from the weapon. Lucas held out his hand palm up, and Johnny flipped the barrel down to hand it over. Lucas tucked the gun away.

“You and Donald should go inside,” I directed Lucas.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Johnny said belligerently.

Bella stood unmoving. The light fell over her pale head illuminating her white blond hair like an angel’s halo.

My little angel
, Papa had always called Bella.

Confusion darkened her cornflower blue eyes. “Who
are
you?”

I’d imagined this moment so many times in the darkest hours of the night, lying awake wherever I happened to be, lonely, always alone. I’d dream and imagine deep in my heart that Bella and I could be a family again. Sisters.

I’d developed an instinct about when to wait, when to stay silent. Usually, I cultivated silence letting the potential asset work through what I’d given them. I knew when to press and when to back off. But my instincts were a mess. I wasn’t trying to use Bella, wasn’t trying to coerce her.

Bella tilted her head to the right, a tiny frown pushed her eyebrows into a V as if trying to place me, as if she should know me.

The glow from the open doorway highlighted her cheek. Suddenly I was fifteen again and teaching Bella to read. She’d tilted her head in that exact manner when she was five and sounding out some new word.

Too many images from the past bombarded me. And I found myself wanting to help her understand this moment, just as I’d helped her sound out her words.

“Come closer.” Bella’s voice was rough with confusion.

I stepped slowly toward Bella. I had to tell her. Years of holding my identity inside were hard to break. The thought of saying my name out loud was terrifying. I’d rather face a loaded syringe than speak my true name.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

Not in front of Johnny Wishbone. I jerked my head at Lucas indicating he get Johnny out. But the kid refused to budge.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Johnny planted his feet and glared at me.

If I wanted this reunion, this connection, I had to speak out now. I cleared the ball of emotion from my throat. Exhaling slowly I released my fear, my apprehension.

“It’s Helena.”

As I moved, Johnny edged closer to Bella.

“Helena?” Bella squeezed her eyes shut. “That can’t be. She’s dead.”

“No. I’m not.” I halted, not saying anything else, giving her space, giving her time. Bella would accept the truth faster if I didn’t try to persuade her.

I could feel Lucas willing me to look at him. The need to check in, to get his reaction was extreme but I couldn’t look away from my sister.

Finally she moved. She lifted her hand. Fingers shaking, her whole body shuddering, she traced my features with her fingertips.

Hope and a profound sense of relief burst in me like a giant bubble.

Lucas flanked Bella, his instinct to protect me. Not her.

No one spoke. Dawn trembled in the sky, a morning dove cooed its early call, somewhere far off in the distance a truck rumbled along the lane.

“We should take this inside.” Lucas’s gravelly voice interrupted Bella’s stare.

She blinked. “It really is you?”

I saw the acceptance. “Yes.”

“You aren’t dead.”

“No.”

She lifted her hand, swung her arm back. In disbelief, I watched the blade of her hand come toward me in slow motion. Staring in horror, I waited for the physical blow to hit me.

But it never came.

Lucas chopped Bella’s wrist, breaking her momentum, forcing her to take a step back.

I stood frozen, already crushed, waiting for another blow. Of all the scenarios I’d imagined when I thought of this day, physical assault wasn’t on the list.

“How could you do that to me!” Bella wailed, crossing her arms over her waist.

To her? I thought of my life for the past thirteen years. About everything I’d done. All for love of my little sister.

“
For
you.” I tried to swallow. “I did it for you.”

“Right.” She laughed bitterly. “Growing up an orphan was a great experience. Watching my whole family explode and burn to a crisp in front of me was fantastic.”

Her words hit like punches, pummeling me.

“That’s enough,” Lucas said harshly.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Your sister’s friend.”

“Well you know nothing about it, so back off.”

Lucas crowded into her space getting right in her face, using his physical presence to intimidate.

Years of thinking of my sister’s protection kicked in, instinctively I interceded.

“Don’t,” I said roughly. But the hand I placed on his forearm was gentle, soft even. With an ease that surprised me, I pleaded silently for his understanding.

His muscles tensed, but he backed off.

“I can’t deal with this right now.” The melodramatic statement drew everyone’s attention back to Bella.

Johnny curved his arm around Bella. “Lucas. Ease up, dude.”

I glared at his arm around her. “Who are you to talk?” I sneered.

“It’s a little too late to start acting like a big sister.” Bella’s stab hit its mark with deadly accuracy.

I drew in a sharp breath. “Maybe. But your boyfriend here has been lying about his name, among other things.”

Bella gasped. “What?”

Johnny glared at me. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are.”

“You should have gone inside with Lucas when you had the chance.” I grabbed his wrist from her shoulder and twisted him into an arm lock. We didn’t have much more time. “Who are you working for?”

“Working for?” Bella snatched ineffectually at my arm. “He’s a student, Helena.”

The sound of my name on her lips was weird. Foreign. Surreal. “I don’t use that name anymore,” I said quietly.

“It doesn’t matter what name you use.” Bella fell into a fighting stance. “Let go of him.”

“That’s enough,” Lucas reprimanded. “Inside.”

He had the same itchy feeling I did. “Now.”

I squeezed Johnny’s wrist then let him go.

Bella stomped her foot on the old, painted porch. “What is wrong with you two?”

Johnny shook out his arm, then tugged Bella toward the door. “Going inside is a good idea.”

Lucas hustled everyone into the house.

“What is this about?” Bella asked petulantly.

The itchy feeling didn’t go away when we got inside. Lucas made a quiet motion with his index finger against his lips.

I agreed.

He leaned over and whispered in Johnny’s ear, asking if he swept the house when he’d arrived.