Deadly Testimony (12 page)

Kyle was silent for a moment. “But why do it at all?”

“To disable it before someone goes up there to do real work.” Which was true but not her main motive. “And to bring some attention to that building. Here. Out of the suit. We’ll put you in jeans with a T-shirt and vest. Keep the other vest on.”

Kyle took the items without argument but he looked unsettled.

She didn’t blame him. Of course there were doubts. Especially in a heavily populated area like a city, she figured an operative good enough to hide the evidence of their presence the way they did would also be sure to limit collateral damage unless absolutely necessary. It was a gamble, but it was almost certain she was right.

And she needed the police to investigate that building. And the fact that it’d been an explosion and not just a broken elevator added to her suspicions.

Safeguard had crossed paths with another skilled sniper not too long ago, one with an added joy for setting up explosives. The presence of explosives right here in combination with the connection to Phoenix Biotech was starting to point to Edict.

And Jewel.

Which meant Lizzy needed to take steps to confirm or rule out the possibility. Gabe would need to know for certain if this was more of Jewel’s work. This was a lead, but it wasn’t irrefutable. Lizzy liked to dig until she had the clear picture.

She needed more pieces to the puzzle.

It took her just a minute to change, clip a few dyed hair extensions into her hair, then twist it into a bun. With a cute cap on and just the hair extensions falling in loose curls, her look was sufficiently changed. She also pulled on jeans over the tight dress she’d been wearing and threw on a jacket.

Done, she exited the bathroom and tapped on the men’s room door. Kyle emerged a few seconds later.

“I don’t think I want coffee after all. Let’s go. We’ll pick up a late lunch on the way back.” She took his hand in hers and they proceeded to stroll out onto the street.

Sirens announced the arrival of police cars and they stopped to stare along with everyone else before heading toward Pike Place Market.

“What’s next?” Kyle adjusted his hand in hers until their fingers were linked.

A funny butterflies-in-the-belly feeling tickled her and she immediately decided to ignore it. “Lunch. Like I said. And some thinking.”

He released her hand and a pang of disappointment hit her just as quickly as the butterflies had happened. Then he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, whispering in her ear. “There was a bomb in the elevator I wanted to get into a few minutes ago. That doesn’t bother you at all?”

It was a fair question. Normal people would probably be very unsettled. Some of the people who worked in the building would probably be seriously freaked out.

“We weren’t in it. It’s been set off before someone else triggered it.” She turned her face toward his and pressed a kiss against his jaw, playfully. “I call it a win-win situation.”

Chapter Thirteen

There were few greater challenges than to put a project manager in the midst of events he could not control. For Kyle, it was torture, and he was back in the hotel room.

Alone.

Lizzy had stepped out soon after they’d returned and no amount of argument could convince her to take him with her this time. In fact, she’d seemed very much prepared to restrain him if necessary. Not something he generally found exciting but the threat, coming from her, had given him a few lightning quick fantasies as distraction.

Ah, the woman was delightfully uncommon. He was oddly grateful he’d met her now, in the midst of change, as opposed to prior to this insanity when he might have wasted the opportunity to get to her know her on a one-night stand.

That was, of course, assuming she’d have accepted his offer.

She was too sensual, too full of vitality to be the type to abstain. No. He was certain she did entertain propositions on occasion. But he was also equally sure she chose her trysts with more care than he had in the past.

Restless, Kyle rose from the bed and walked across the room, stopping in front of the fishbowl. Frederick swam in lazy circles, stopping only here and there to pick at the colorful gravel in the bottom of the bowl.

There had been conference rooms at Phoenix Biotech casually referred to as fishbowls. All four walls had been made entirely of glass with minimal or no frosted section to provide any sort of privacy for groups utilizing them. The fishbowl conference rooms had normally been on the executive levels, ostensibly to allow natural light farther into the interior of the floor. But it was more obvious that the company had taken transparency very literally and the executives kept an eye on everything.

Some people were like Frederick, content with their existence.

Kyle might have been too, but in the past several months, things had changed. As self-centered as he’d grown to be in his adulthood, and perhaps even a bit narcissistic if certain disenchanted ladies were to be believed, he had compelling reasons to adjust his lifestyle. There were more important things in the world than his bachelor life.

Speaking of which...

He headed over to the sofa and sat facing the laptop Lizzy had left behind. Using login information she’d given him for the guest profile, he accessed the desktop and brought up a browser. He typed in a URL by memory and a site loaded.

It was a live streaming video platform with a forum community for gamers. Normally, the broadcaster he was looking for was online at this time, even though it was late night in South Korea. But at the moment, the boy was off-line. Odd.

Personally, Kyle had no interest in games. It was the broadcaster he was looking for.

Ji Sung was diligent, both in his studies and in his game play. Kyle’s sister had written him many emails about his nephew. In fact, the boy’s abilities were professional level and there had been more than one team to offer Ji Sung a place. Ji Sung’s father had refused though.

At first, Kyle had thought the man had been irritating, unsupportive of his son’s talents. But after some time and research into the actual career a player of Ji Sung’s talents could build, Kyle realized the father was standing in the way of a huge opportunity. The gaming industry was booming. South Korean players at the professional level could bring in substantial earnings via tournaments.

In fact, when one took a look at developing markets for the gaming industry globally, South Korea was arguably the leader in many ways. Several players had actually been awarded special visas to the United States usually reserved for baseball players or other athletes. It was a chance for Ji Sung to pursue an incredible career.

Frustrated, Kyle pushed to his feet and began to pace. In his fishbowl, Frederick seemed to keep pace.

Without access to any of his personal accounts or email, Kyle had no way of communicating with his sister. There could be no video calls or texts, no emails or other messages. He’d warned her he would be out of communication for a time.

But the streaming video broadcast would’ve been a way for Kyle to see his nephew and be reassured that both Ji Sung and his mother, Eun-bi, were well. With the boy off-line, Kyle was left to wonder...and worry.

For the first time since coming under Lizzy’s protection, Kyle chafed at his restrictions.

He did not take well to sitting and waiting for things to happen. He preferred to be proactive, shape events based on his planning. This entire situation had left him powerless and vulnerable until he was able to testify. It left his pride bruised in countless ways.

Needing something to do, he moved back to the bedroom area and gathered the few clothes Lizzy had obtained for him besides the suit she’d saved and the clothes he’d had on his back when they’d bolted from the initial hiding place. He shook each article of clothing out and folded it carefully. After a moment’s thought, he also retrieved the toiletries in the bathroom and tucked them into the bag.

If they had to run again, at least he’d be ready to grab the bag and leave quickly. Besides, it kept his hands busy.

He was alone with too many thoughts. It’d happened too, over the weeks he’d been in protective custody and the other night when he’d met Lizzy. His frustration had driven him to leave the room to move, to walk, to do anything but remain in one place while he waited for events to happen around him. How anyone could come under witness protection and not lose their sanity was a mystery to him.

But he’d promised Lizzy he would stay in this room, within the safety she’d established for him. A promise to her held weight where he hadn’t cared about the police officers.

Perhaps she was his only chance to get through all of this. Or it could be something about her as a person. She was certainly a woman of action and determination. Her ability to assess situations and make definitive choices quickly had impressed him. He respected her.

And so a promise to her meant something to him.

She was worth admiring, a reminder that he was striving to be a better person himself. And the more she inspired him to evolve and improve, the more he wondered what past had shaped who she was today.

* * *

“When I invited you to contact me directly, Miss Scott, I had hoped it would be more immediately following any issue requiring my attention.” Nguyen stood this time by the chocolate bar.

Lizzy sat perched on a stool with her back to the wall so she could see both the front and back of the store. “I reached out once my client was secure again and I had something to report.”

Nguyen stared at her for a long moment. There was no temper in his eyes, no telltale reddening of his face. The only sign of his anger was a tiny muscle jumping as he tightened his jaw. “I see. Will you be sharing the location of your client so I can have Decker join you in surveillance?”

Not yet.

“How are Austin and Weaver?” Lizzy wasn’t ready for Nguyen to lead this discussion.

His nostrils flared. “Alive. It was touch and go for a few hours but they will both make it through and be able to return to their jobs if they want to after a recovery period and some physical therapy.”

Good. She hadn’t particularly liked them but she hadn’t disliked them either. In general, she respected police officers and wouldn’t wish them harm.

“I’d like to get a copy of the ballistics report for any bullets found in them or their car. Both if possible.” Maybe she should have made it a request. Her temper was short and her patience was running low.

Kyle had not been happy when she’d left him and she wanted to get back before he got antsy. If the man got it into his head to go wandering again, she was going to have to resort to freaking tying him up.

On the other hand, the shooting and the subsequent retreat to a new safe location had seemed to put a healthy dose of fear into him. And that was a good thing. But their little outing earlier in the afternoon had left him cocky. Could be bad, sure, but he wasn’t the type to remain cowed by fear for any length of time.

As risks went, she’d rather the risk be with her nearby.

She grabbed her drink and took a sip to hide her ghost of a smile. It was a dark Valrhona hot chocolate this time. Rich, complex, with just a hint of bittersweet. Dealing with Kyle required fortification of the chocolate kind even if she did reluctantly respect his desire to take action.

He wasn’t the type to sit around and wait for things to fall into place. A preference she shared.

Nguyen placed his hand on the counter beside them and drummed his fingers on the surface. “I thought you said you had something to report to me.”

“I do. But I think the ballistics report will let me know if I have even more to share.” She lifted one shoulder briefly.

Nguyen snorted. “All right. We’ll trade. I’ll have the report sent to the email account you provided.”

Lizzy shook her head. “I’m in blackout. Whoever took out our colleagues might know I took this contract. I don’t plan to leave a virtual bread crumb trail. Leave a USB here for me.”

After a moment, Nguyen nodded.

Interesting.

“How much confidence do you have in Decker?” She tossed the question out there because she didn’t have the time to be circumspect. Besides, she preferred the direct approach.

Nguyen scowled. “Absolute. He is dedicated and trustworthy. No doubts.”

“But you made sure I knew how to contact you directly.” She considered her own statement. “He’s too dedicated. Does everything by the book.”

“He never misses a step in any procedure. Meticulous. Thorough.” Nguyen pressed his lips together. “Sometimes it takes him longer to get to the right conclusion because he does everything step-by-step.”

A person could do worse. Decker probably rarely made a mistake with his approach.

“There are situations when there’s no time to think through a situation.” Her ability to take action, the right action, in those instances had kept her team alive in the past. “He’d probably argue.”

“Oh, he’s jotted down notes to make sure he doesn’t forget any points he wants to make when he comes face-to-face with you again.” Nguyen actually smiled with that statement. “He’s incensed you broke protocol and just disappeared.”

“We passed through his line of sight.” Sort of. They’d been in a heavy crowd and there’d been a slim chance the deputy marshal would’ve been able to identify them in his line of sight. She hadn’t been sure he hadn’t been a part of the attack meant to take out a portion of their security and flush Kyle out into the open.

“I’ll let him know.” Funny how Nguyen didn’t seem concerned.

She stayed silent and waited.

Nguyen sighed. “I’m aware of the possibility of a leak internal to either my organization or the police. I don’t think they’d set up their own to be shot and I can tell you I haven’t found any sign of a leak in my organization. Can’t blame you for being wary but I’m telling you it’s not a leak.”

Could be true. But then again he could be wrong.

“There’s the possibility the shooter was canvasing the area and spotted Austin and Weaver based on their driving pattern. It’d explain why Decker wasn’t shot but he was probably observed when he didn’t react the way any normal person would witnessing the incident.” Another reason she didn’t want him reengaged. Having the deputy marshal sitting a short way from their new location, establishing his line of sight, would be like placing a big neon sign indicating their location. “If that’s the case, they’re good. And they know Decker’s face.”

“I almost prefer there be a leak.” Nguyen shook his head.

“No you don’t.” An internal breach in security was any organization’s worst nightmare. Suddenly, one of the people you rely on to watch your back could literally be the one to shoot you. Gabe had found that out the hard way.

Speaking of which.

“Ballistics report is still something I want, but quick question.” She finished off her drinking chocolate. “Did they identify what kind of rifle fired those shots?”

“An AK-101.” Nguyen stared at her, intent on catching whatever tells her expression would give him.

Not the best news she’d heard all day. But it wasn’t definitive. For one thing, Jewel didn’t smoke. Not even e-cigs. A sniper who also set small explosives didn’t necessarily mean it had been the former Centurion.

Jewel preferred to be unpredictable. Too much about what had been in the building she and Kyle had visited that day had been predictable. Boring.

No one who’d ever worked in the Centurion Corporation could be described that way.

“Were you all called in for the explosion in the elevator earlier today?” She’d figured he would be. It’d been too close to their initial location to ignore.

“If that was you, we can’t ignore it.” A warning note entered Nguyen’s voice.

She shook her head. “I was there and I took a look at the top floor. I did not place any explosives.”

Silence greeted her.

“Forensics should take a close look around that top floor.” Pressing on seemed like a good idea.

She and the Safeguard team had managed to operate within the letter of the law within city limits thus far. But eventually, any job could push a person into questionable circumstances. This was one of those days where she had to choose her words carefully.

She hadn’t placed the explosives, but she had triggered them.

“Anyone hurt?”

It was another few long seconds before Nguyen answered her. “No. A few very frightened people and one seriously confused security guard, but no one physically harmed. Forensics teams found a lot to occupy them on the top floor.”

She nodded. Good.

During the time they’d been there, Kyle hadn’t touched anything. Something she’d noted and been grateful for. She hadn’t wanted to have to wipe down after him, potentially obliterating other evidence. Their predecessor had handily blown all the dust away from the floor making it very unlikely either she or Kyle had left footprints either.

Forensics might get lucky and if they did, her job would be easier. But she was guessing the sniper was too professional to have left enough to identify himself or herself.