Bound by Danger (25 page)

An hour later, Johnson shook him awake. Dave rubbed the sleep from his eyes and wrinkled his temple. “What’s up?”

“Miss Roux’s acting really strange. She’s standing at the front door, and she won’t answer me or anything.”

Dave smiled. He had the perfect idea in mind to keep the little lady from sleepwalking any longer.

Chapter 17

Dave jumped off the cot, again left the bedroom, and walked across the living room to take Deidre back to bed. “Didn’t Bill tell you she sleepwalks?” Dave asked Johnson.

“Huh?”

Dave slipped his fingers between Deidre’s, led her back to the bedroom, and shut the door. After she lay down, he crawled in beside her. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close. With her back against his chest, he sighed deeply, kissed her cheek, and closed his eyes. Yeah, that’s just what he wanted. Any excuse to hold her close, peach scent and all—the whole night through.

***

Early the next morning, Deidre rubbed Dave’s arm, still wrapped around her body. Then finally realizing they were together in bed, she quickly untangled herself from both the covers and him. She folded her arms as he smiled up at her. “Good morning, Deidre.”

“You were supposed to be sleeping on the cot. Did you get cold?”

He chuckled under his breath. “You were sleepwalking. I thought if I held you tight the rest of the night, you wouldn’t keep roaming around the living room.”

Deidre glanced back at the door. The other guys couldn’t have seen her half naked. Her whole body chilled with the idea.

“Yes, unfortunately, both the guys saw you in your nightie. I wasn’t sure what else you might try while you were sound asleep so—”

“Ahh,” she said with exasperation. “I’m getting dressed.” She considered the black cocktail dress hanging in the closet and shook her head. “Where are my other clothes?”

“They should be back from the cleaners this morning. The guys sent them out yesterday.”

“Good. I couldn’t wear that the rest of the week.”

A rap on the door made Deidre dive for the covers. Dave chuckled and reached for her.

She pushed him away. “Go get the door.”

He climbed out of bed and grabbed his shirt. “Yes?”

“Some news, Boss.”

Dave pulled the door open. “Yeah, what’s up, Bill?”

“They found the guy hit by the car—you know the one where the driver suffered a broken arm.”

Buttoning his shirt, Dave nodded. “And he was dead, I presume, the way our luck has been on this case.”

“He lived for a while. Long enough to tell us Red, that’s the only name he had for him, hired him for the job.”

“To?”

“Kill Charlie and his sister and locate the manuscript.”

“Who was the author of the manuscript?”

“Laston, the hired killer, said he didn’t know any more details than that.”

“How would he have known which manuscript was the correct one then?”

“It was titled, ‘The Truth about the Black Market Trade in Rebel Causes.’”

“An exposé.”

“That’s what the big boss says. The author must have uncovered something that happened during one of the terrorist activities somewhere in the world. Only whoever he was exposing didn’t like the idea. Kind of ironic, isn’t it?”

“What’s that?”

“The author of the manuscript tries to expose one kind of fraud and sends his work to a literary agent who’s the master of another.”

“I imagine the author isn’t around any longer to give us the information.”

Deidre cleared her throat. “Uhm, excuse me, but did the cleaners return my clothes yet?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Bill smiled at Deidre. “Johnson said you had another bout of sleepwalking last night.”

Dave punched Bill in the arm. “You were supposed to tell Johnson about it.”

“Sorry, Dave. Forgot. By the time Johnson relieved me, I was wiped out.”

Deidre took a deep breath. “As long as this doesn’t get back to my superior officer.”

“Wouldn’t whisper a word of it.” Bill winked at her.

Johnson walked into the doorway. “Got something for you.”

“My clothes!” She twisted her mouth. “Can I have some privacy, boys?”

They all grinned back at her. “So how was your night, Boss?” Johnson pulled the door closed behind them.

“Couldn’t have been better.” Dave spoke the words loud enough for Deidre to hear. She threw a pillow at the door in response.

***

At breakfast that morning, Dave’s new cell phone rang. “Caruthers here.”

“We’ve had a major breakthrough. The manuscript has been located. We’re airing the information over all of the major networks. If Red and his cohorts see this, the Rouxs should no longer be at risk.”

Dave took a tentative sigh of relief. “You want us to continue to maintain security for them, don’t you?”

“Most assuredly, just in case Red and the rest of his thugs don’t get word. Just thought you might pass along the news to Charlie and his sister.”

Dave clicked the phone off, then grabbed Deidre’s hand. “Come on, gang. Let’s watch some television.”

Bill jumped up from his seat. “What’s up, Boss?”

“Headquarters found the manuscript. They’re airing the information on network news right now.”

Deidre squeezed Dave’s hand. “Then Red isn’t a threat any longer.”

“No, that trip to Hawaii is going to be a reality sooner than you think.”

“The only reality is I’m going back to work sooner than I’d planned.”

Dave had other plans. As soon as he was given the all clear for certain.

For hours, the agents and Deidre and Charlie watched the news repeat over and over about the crime a first lieutenant had committed.

Dave shook his head. “It sounds like someone’s making the lieutenant the fall guy.”

Deidre rose from the couch. “It doesn’t make sense. Some lieutenant black markets weapons to various rebel causes, and then another discovers this and writes a book about it? Why didn’t the author report it to the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division?”

“Maybe he wanted to make money off the story. He probably didn’t want some other unemployed writer jumping at the chance to author the book.”

“Shhh.” Bill pointed at the newsflash.

“This news just in. Captain Matthew Smith, formerly the first lieutenant under investigation for black marketing weapons, was found hanging from a rafter at his home near Fort Ord, California in an apparent suicide. A suicide note was found on his computer.”

“Damn!” Dave punched the sofa with his fist.

Johnson cleared his throat. “Hey, at least the taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill on this one.”

“Just once, I’d like for one of these guys to live long enough for us to get the whole story.” Dave’s phone rang. “Caruthers.”

“Looks like a closed case. We want Mr. Roux to return to Washington and work with us on his martial arts techniques. We’ll provide security for him there. Return Miss Roux to Killeen. You can keep your team and provide security for her for another week. If nothing else happens, you can pack it up.”

“Yes, sir.” Dave sighed deeply as he turned his phone off. “The boss wants Charlie and the others to return to D.C. Bill, Johnson, the two of you will return with Miss Roux and me to Killeen.”

Deidre smiled, though the tone of her voice indicated the news saddened her. “I knew the honeymoon couldn’t last forever.”

***

The sun shone brightly overhead as Deidre and her entourage arrived back home. She considered the pool, its blue waters inviting her in. Dave slipped his fingers between hers. “Want to go for a swim?”

“I’d like that. It might help to get all of the kinks out of my muscles after such a long flight.”

They followed Johnson and Bill up the steps. The two men walked into Dave and Deidre’s apartments with weapons readied while Dave stayed with Deidre on the landing.

“All clear, Boss.” Johnson relocked Dave’s door.

“Same here.” Bill motioned for them to enter.

With mixed emotions, Deidre walked into her apartment. The place had been her refuge from work. After all that had happened here, she couldn’t help reliving the deadly encounters. And though there seemed to be a resolution in the matter, just the fact agents still shadowed her every move indicated someone higher up didn’t believe her brother or she were totally out of danger.

Then there was the vision she’d had of Red. Somewhere he waited for her. But where?

Trying to get her mind off the matter, she peeked into her fridge. Wrinkling her nose, she pulled out the soured milk. “I’ll need to run to the store and get some fresh milk.”

Dave clicked his fingers and pointed at Johnson.

Johnson nodded. “Anything else the lady needs?”

This
she could get used to! She shook her head. “Freezer’s stocked full.”

Dave considered the food in the refrigerator. “Get us a couple of pizzas at the pizzeria on the corner while you’re at it, will you, Johnson? We’re all a little tired from the flight and nobody feels much like cooking, I bet.”

“Can you pick up my accumulated mail?” Deidre asked.

“Sure thing, Miss Roux.”

Johnson closed the door behind him while Bill shuffled his feet. “Uh, do you mind if I get some sleep in your apartment, Dave?”

“Go right ahead. We’ll call you when the pizza’s here.”

Bill hurried out of the apartment while Deidre collapsed on her couch. She ran her hands through her hair. “I sure hate going back to work tomorrow.”

“It’d probably be good for you. Get back into the swing of things. Besides, I’ll be there writing that story on you. The guys will stay behind. Look too suspicious otherwise.” He pulled her from the couch. “Let’s go for a swim.”

She shook her head. “I’m still not sure I like the new bathing suit I bought. I really hate having to pick up something like that in a hurry.”

He pulled her close and kissed her cheeks. “I think the new black one looks as good as the blue one you had.” He carried her borrowed bag into the room.

“I didn’t get a chance to thank Marilyn for loaning me one of her bags.”

“When the guys return home, they can take it and Charlie’s stuff back east, too.”

She motioned for him to shut the door. He grinned and winked, then closed it. He was too cute for his own good.

When Dave accompanied her to the pool, she stared at the blue water. It hadn’t been that long ago since Charlie, Dave, and she had played Marco Polo, and yet, after all that had happened in the last several days it seemed like an eternity. She slipped off her sandals and pulled her T-shirt over her head. She smiled as Dave studied her black bathing suit with interest. Poking him in the bare chest with her finger, she said, “It’s not even wet yet.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

His words both tickled and embarrassed her as her cheeks grew warm.

His dimples appeared. “You have all the right curves to give the suit that really hmm-hmm look.”

She laughed. “Let’s go swimming before the sun makes me hotter than I already am.”

***

Later that afternoon, Deidre sorted through her mail on the couch. “Ah, yes!”

Dave sipped a cup of coffee as he studied her from the dining room. “Good news?”

“My insurance company sent the check for my totaled car.” She tucked the check into her wallet. “But I won’t need to buy a new vehicle for a while. Charlie told me to use his truck in the meantime.”

“Charlie’s truck can sit a little longer. The SUVs are bulletproof. We’ll be riding in one of those. Johnson can deposit the money in your bank account.”

“I thought you wanted me to get back to my normal business.”

“Just your regular job.”

She ripped open the next three envelopes. “Bill, bill, bill.” She pulled out her checkbook and wrote checks to pay the bills.

Looking up, she frowned to see Dave watching her every move. “What would you do if I had a love letter from someone? Can’t I have any privacy?”

He chuckled. “Charlie said you hadn’t had a date in several months.”

“Three months. Several sounds like lots more.” She sealed the payment envelopes closed. A nine by twelve envelope sat next in her pile of mail, and Dave walked closer. She ripped open the package and smiled. “My mother sent me writing paper. It’s a hint I don’t write her enough. She doesn’t like computers so email is out.”

Dave’s phone rang, and he walked back into the kitchen.

Deidre tore open a mailer and a disk fell out.

She glanced back at the addressee. It was addressed to C. Roux, but the “c” was so scribbled the postal clerks must have mixed it up with her mail. There was no return address. Dave’s muffled voice still spoke into the phone in the kitchen. Deidre tapped her finger to her lips.

“All right,” Dave said.

Deidre slipped the disk into the couch cushion. It couldn’t be the manuscript. The news said the manuscript had been found. Now she wondered if it really had been. She sighed deeply. If she gave the disk to Dave and it was the manuscript, he’d probably never let her see what it contained—for her own protection. But after all she’d been through, she deserved to know the truth.

Dave walked into the room. “Anything wrong?”

Deidre dropped her hand from her forehead. She had to be so careful around him to not let him see her puzzling over things. She smiled. “Just sorting through all of this garbage. Half of it is junk mail.”

“Wait until you check your email.”

“My computer hard drive crashed the day before I met you. Then there you were, and I didn’t have a chance to have it repaired.”

“You want Johnson to take it into a computer repair shop and have it looked at?”

“It’ll probably need a new hard drive.” Deidre ran her hand over the couch cushion. “Sure, if he wouldn’t mind so awfully much.”

“He gets kind of stir crazy when he has to do a lot of house sitting.”

Dave walked across to his apartment, and Deidre jumped from the couch with disk in hand. Dashing for the bedroom, she shoved the disk between the box springs and mattress.

“Miss Roux?”

“Coming!”

“Where’s your hard drive?”

“In here, Johnson. Thanks so much. Dave said you’d take my check to the bank, too. I’ll get it for you.”