CL Hart -From A Distance (24 page)

"Big Polly, I need to make a secure call to the States," Kenzie said after she took a sip from her bottle.

"Not a problem," he answered. Moving out from behind the bar, he walked over to his desk and sat down. There were several phones within reach on the desk, but he opened a drawer and pulled out a small box of cell phones. "They're throwaways." He handed one to Kenzie. "Will this work for you?"

"Uh huh," she said, taking the phone from his hand.

"If you need a call back number..." He turned the phone over, showing Kenzie the cell's number taped to the back.

Kenzie nodded in understanding. "Thanks," she said as she dialed a number deeply embedded in her memory.

"Can I get you something to drink, Cori?" Big Polly offered as he returned to the bar.

"Do you have another one of those?" she asked, pointing to Kenzie's bottle.

He reached under the counter and retrieved another bottle from the small fridge. Cori smiled politely as she accepted the cold mineral water. She pulled out one of the stools beside the small bar, sat down, and silently observed Kenzie entering numbers into the cell.

After only one ring, the phone was answered and a woman's voice greeted Kenzie from the other end of the line. "Judge Woodward's office. This is Shelby, how may I help you?"

"Is the judge in?"

A judge?
The inquiry took Cori by surprise, but she tried not to change her expression.

"No, I'm sorry. He's in court at the moment. Is there something I can help you with?" Her voice was pleasant, honeyed with a strong Southern accent.

Kenzie knew the contact she was about to make could be dangerous if not deadly for her mentor and friend. She hesitated for a long moment, but she knew she didn't have many choices. "I...ah...I need to get a message to him."

"I'm sorry, but he can't be disturbed while he's on the bench."

"Yes, he can, and we both know it. Tell him I have a collector's edition of a Zippo lighter if he's interested, and to call me if he can." Kenzie felt a little foolish using the code the judge had given her years ago. She had never had a reason to use it - until now.

Shelby's normally bright demeanor changed to a tone of concern. "Can you hold the line, please?"

"No, but I'll give you the number where he can reach me." Shelby's pen was poised over a notepad, "Go ahead." Kenzie gave her the number off the back of another cell phone. "Tell him to call me immediately if, and only if, he deems it safe to do so. Is that understood?"

"Yes. Where are you?"

"It doesn't matter, we're safe for now. Just tell him, if I don't hear from him, I'll try him at another time. Understood?"

"Understood."

Kenzie ended the call. She sat quietly for a moment, staring at the phone in her hand. Part of her wanted to call her commanding officer, to let him know all that had happened. It was the military thing to do - follow orders as directed. But she was not following orders, and had not been for a long time. Part of what she did, and part of who she was, required her to think for herself and to rely on only herself. She was not required to check in with anyone, not until the job was done. Then there were the questions in her mind, the ones that would not go away. And they pointed in one direction. Colonel Manuck was her supervisor, her superior, but he was also the one who sent her to Mexico. Kenzie placed the cell phone into the pocket of her pants.

"Okay, that's done, now come and tell me what the hell has been going on." Big Polly had patiently waited for Kenzie to finish her call. Now that the phone call was over, he wanted information. Taking a seat on the sofa, Kenzie gave a brief description of their recent adventures while on the run through Mexico.

Taking a sip of the bubbly, cool liquid, Cori took the opportunity to observe Big Polly as he listened intently to Kenzie.

He seemed friendly enough, but something told her that she didn't want this man as an enemy.

"Did you know the shooter?" Big Polly asked as Kenzie finished her story.

"No, not the one on the road," she said, shaking her head, "But the one in Santa Rosalia, I know by his call sign, Cobra. Do you know him?" Kenzie watched him closely as she waited for his answer.

"I've never dealt with him directly, but I do know of him. He would be a formidable adversary, I'm sure."

She nodded, both agreeing with, and weighing his words. "Believe it. So, can you set me up with a new bag?"

"Have I ever let you down?"

"No."

"Do you want me to load you a new bag here, or would you prefer it to be shipped to
Helen
in San Diego?"

Moving away from the bar, Cori sat down on the other sofa.
Helen, who is Helen?
Easing her tired body onto the fine leather, she waited with interest for Kenzie's answer.

Kenzie found herself slightly amused by the expression on Cori's face, but decided to satisfy her curiosity immediately. "Can you have it waiting for us on the
Helen?
I don't want to have to deal with anything else besides getting the two of us across the border," Kenzie said as she stretched out her injured side.

Big Polly noticed the dried blood on her shirt. "Battle scar?" he asked, pointing.

Kenzie waved off his concern, but Cori was a little wiser this time than the last time she had tried to intervene. "She's hurt," she said firmly as she screwed the lid back onto her bottle and placed it on the coffee table between the two sofas.

Big Polly looked at Kenzie in surprise. "Is it serious?" When she didn't answer him directly, his tone changed. "Is it serious?"

Looking a little more perturbed than concerned, Kenzie kept her eyes away from Cori's worried stare. "Like I said, we've had a little excitement."

"Let me see." Big Polly lowered his massive frame to the floor so that he was even with her side. He gestured with his fingers for her to show him and, without a shadow of modesty, Kenzie lifted up her shirt.

The wound was red, swollen and angry looking. There were splotches of fresh blood around the sutures Cori had so carefully sewn aboard the fishing boat.

"Jeez, Kenzie," Big Polly said, looking over the injury as Cori moved in to investigate.

"I knew it was bad, but she wouldn't let me look at it earlier." Cori touched Kenzie's warm skin. "And you're running a temperature."

Kenzie pulled away in annoyance at the unwanted attention. "The only thing I'm running is for the border. I'm fine."

Big Polly saw the look of determination on Cori's face and he was a little surprised. Kenzie was stubborn, that he knew, but this time around, he would put his money on the young blonde.

Settling back on her haunches, Cori looked intently into Kenzie's eyes. "And what is your plan when you start dripping blood on the border agent?"

"I'm not dripping blood," she answered, annoyed at Cori's hyperbole.

"But you're not exactly in any shape to be trying to cross a border, either."

Kenzie sighed deeply and looked at the large man. "Big Polly, we don't have a lot of time here. Everywhere we go, someone is right on our heels. We need some paperwork so we can get across the border and out of your hair."

He studied her for a moment, contemplating her words, knowing she was not one to exaggerate a problem. "Well, you're going to have to make time. You're waiting for a call, and I have to get your papers together, for which I'm going to need a photo of each of you. Plus, there's no way you can pass through the border looking like that. You don't want to be attracting any kind of attention to yourselves. A shower and some fresh clothes?"

"We also need to get that wound cleaned up." Cori turned to Big Polly, "Do you have any medical supplies? Antibiotics?"

He looked from Cori's determined face to Kenzie's steely-eyed stare. "Your friend's right, Kenzie. We need to get you fixed up and you both need to be cleaned up. I've got what we need, I'll be right back." Big Polly had to hide the smirk that crept across his face as he watched Kenzie glare at Cori. He knew Cori was in for a fight, but he was sure she could handle it.

Kenzie waited for the door to close behind Big Polly before she fired her first volley. "Why did you do that? I'm fine."

"Anyone can see you're not fine." Cori leaned forward, intent on looking at Kenzie's side, but the angry woman would not have it.

Kenzie slapped at Cori's outstretched hand and pulled down her shirt. "Backoff!"

"No," Cori responded firmly. Once again, she reached out, determined to look at Kenzie's injury. Kenzie slapped at her hand so fast she barely saw it coming. Cori glared back at Kenzie, defiantly locking eyes with the woman she had once feared.

"You know, when this all started, that hard-ass tough-girl attitude would have scared me into the corner, but not today, girlfriend! I've been assaulted, kidnapped, shot at, set on fire, dumped overboard, smuggled across half the states of Mexico, and flown in a plane that was built by the Wright brothers, so don't even think that your little hissy fit is going to intimidate me!"

Kenzie watched her with surprised interest. This woman was very different from the woman with whom she had left Guadalajara. Kenzie regretted that she was one of the main reasons behind the change in Cori. "Look," Kenzie's tone was firm, but apologetic, "I don't need a mother, all right?"

"I never said I wanted to be your mother, I just want to look at your side. For reasons that should be apparent, I need you. I don't understand what's going on, but I do know that I stand a better chance getting out of it alive if I'm with you. It's not going to do either of us any good if you don't at least appear healthy when we get to the border. Now, can you please lift your shirt? I'd like to see your side."

Kenzie's stare softened. Cori's outburst had calmed her anger. She tilted her head in curious question. "Why is it that every time I turn around, you're trying to get your hands on my naked body?"

Cori's face instantly flushed a bright crimson. The comment caught her completely off guard, and she stuttered and stammered, not knowing what to say. The heat traveling up her neck told her that her mind had not forgotten the feel of Kenzie's bare skin or the kisses they had shared in Santa Rosalia.

Finding fun in Cori's embarrassment, Kenzie couldn't help but continue to tease her. "If you're trying to cop a feel, all you have to do is ask."

"I am not trying to 'cop a feel', I'm concerned with your well being, that's all."

"Nothing more?" Kenzie's eyebrow rose slightly as she played with her tongue against the inside of her cheek. "Really?"
Oh, blush some more, Cori. I thought you were cute before, but that shade of red is definitely your color.
Kenzie forgot why she'd been angry as Cori's face grew redder with each passing second. For a brief moment, she pondered what she would be like in bed.
A fireball, I bet.

"I oughta slap you," Cori fumed.

"For what I'm thinking, you probably should." Surprising even herself, Cori did - an open handed slap to the side of Kenzie's face. It was quick and justified, but unexpected. The sharp sound echoed around the room as the two women locked eyes, each waiting for a reaction from the other. Within moments, a white handprint emerged on Kenzie's cheek and the stunned woman reached to touch it. Her eyes narrowed as she worked her jaw back and forth. "I can't believe you just did that."

"You asked for it." Cori's words assigned blame, but her tone had lost its rancor. Cori broke their stare first, swallowing hard as she second-guessed what she had done. It wasn't fear that made her look away, but shame and embarrassment at letting her temper get the better of her.

The door to the office opened and Big Polly walked in with the medical supplies he had promised. It was immediately apparent to him that he had interrupted something. He watched with mild interest as Cori suddenly moved away from Kenzie's side.