Sacrifice Love: Saints Protection & Investigations (18 page)

Dani sat in the meeting, looking over the latest project she had been assigned. The military was interested in the newest explosives, especially the C-4, along with the CH-6, as well as the HMX line. They were also interested in the newer detonators being developed, which was her specialty. As the meeting droned on, her eyes shifted from Jahfar to Ethan. Now that she had discussed her reticence about Jahfar to Ethan, she noticed Ethan observed him closely.

She never observed Jahfar doing anything untoward, but the way he always seemed to be interested in anything she did, made her nervous. As the meeting concluded, she noted he left quickly, leaving a few papers behind. About to follow him she was halted by a committee member needing her input. As she finally walked down the hall toward her office, she saw Jahfar’s door open, with his computer on, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Looking for Jahfar?” one of the secretaries asked. “He said he was grabbing an early lunch.”

“Thanks,” she responded. “I’ll just lay these papers on his desk.” Walking in, she moved to his desk, taking a look at his laptop. Leaning over, she tried to see what he had open.

“Can I help you?” his voice called from the doorway.

“Oh, Jahfar. Sorry. You left these papers at the meeting. I thought you might need them.”

He walked around her to the desk, closing his laptop with a click while smiling at her. “Thank you, Dani. It’s nice to know you are looking out for me.”

His dark eyes pierced her gaze and she blinked, determined not to look away. “Sure thing, Jahfar. I’ll see you later.”

As she left his office, his door closed firmly behind her.
Damn, that was unproductive.
She stood for a moment in indecision of what she wanted to do next, when she heard his voice—soft, but discernable.

“Yeah, I think she was snooping.”

Dani’s heart pounded as she moved quickly away from his door and hustled back to her office. Grabbing her purse and briefcase, she made her way to the secretary. “I’m taking half a sick day,” she said. “I think a migraine is coming on.”

With wishes for feeling better ringing in her ears, she made her way out of the building and into her car. Sitting there for a moment, she let the pieces of the puzzle swirl around her. Adam. Jahfar. Chad and the Saints’ mission. All unrelated…and yet, her stomach seized in apprehension. Glancing down at her baby bump, she placed her hand carefully on it.
Oh, Sweet Pea, what a mess your mom is in.

*

Arriving home after
a visit with Adam’s mom and stepdad, Dani dropped her purse beside her on the sofa. She was pleased, but not surprised, they had taken the news about Chad in her life so well. They always liked Chad and she secretly thought they wish Adam had been as steady as his friend. She smiled as she remembered his mother hugging her tightly, whispering in her ear how happy she was that Dani had a man like Chad in her life now.

Kicking her shoes off, she curled her legs up under her as she reached into her bag and pulled out the key. No doubt about it…it was a bank’s safety deposit box key.

Twirling it around in her fingers, she tried to remain calm, but her heart pounded.
What bank is it from? And what’s there?
The realization slammed into her once again that the man she married had more secrets…and they kept coming out.

She spied a picture of Adam on the mantle. Her legs moved of their own accord taking her closer, and she scrutinized his face.
Smiling…always smiling…as though he didn’t have a care in the world.
Rage began to build, coloring her vision red.

“What the hell were you doing, Adam?” she screamed at the photograph, holding the key in her uplifted hand.

A noise from the front of the house sounded, but the roar of fury in her ears kept her from responding. A few seconds later she looked up as Chad walked into the room.

Seeing Dani’s car outside but hearing her scream, he had charged into the house only to find her standing at the mantle, yelling at a picture of Adam. Rushing forward, he cried out, “What’s wrong?”

As he held her body, ready to crush it to his, he saw she was holding an object in her fingers. A key.
A key to a bank’s safety deposit box?

S
taring at the
key in her hand, he reached out and gently put his hands on her shoulders. “Okay, Dani. Talk to me, baby.”

“I came home early. I’m not even sure why…just overwhelmed with everything going on.” She halted and he led her to her room to sit on the bed, brushing her hair from her face. “I got a call from Adam’s parents. They had found a key with the things I gave them and wanted me to have it.” Her eyes implored his to understand. “Chad, I keep seeing conspiracy theories all around me. With Adam…at work. I just want to know what’s going on. Now, I’m wondering if Adam hid something and that’s why someone was searching my things.”

“Do you recognize the key?”

“No, not at all.”

“What bank does it belong to?” Chad asked.

“I don’t know. We had a joint banking account but very little in it.” Shoulders lifting in a slight shrug, she confessed, “We both put money in the account to cover our bills, but we still kept our separate savings accounts.”

Chad took the key from her cold fingers and moved it around in his hand, hoping an answer would pop up clearly.
Of course not. Come on, Adam, what were you trying to do?

The thick, flat key only had a number engraved on it, indicating the bank box number. “Do you have a magnifying glass?”

Her brow knit as she thought. “Um, maybe in the junk drawer. I’ll go take a look.” In a minute, she came back with one in her hand. “I found one,” she exclaimed as she handed it to him. “Did you find any marks on it?”

Chad held the key where the thin edge was facing up and looked through the magnifying glass carefully. “There’re scratches on the edge that look like just indiscriminate scratches. But maybe they mean something.” The marks were tiny and he wasn’t able to discern what they were. Looking up in frustration, he said, “We need a microscope. Something with strong magnification.”

“Where can we find one?”

Chad paced the room for a moment before pulling out his phone. “Blaise? Got a strange request. Do you happen to have a microscope at your house? Perfect. Dani and I need to come over now. Gotcha. Thanks, man.”

Dani looked up in confusion. “Blaise has a microscope?”

“He’s a veterinarian. Doesn’t practice in private. He worked for DEA.” Seeing her questioning expression, he said, “Yeah, DEA hires veterinarians, mostly for work with their dogs and also biological warfare. He’s trained as a vet, but also drug enforcement, and has one of the most analytical minds we have with the Saints.”

Grabbing her hand as they quickly alarmed the house and headed toward his truck, he settled her in. “He also has a menagerie of rescue animals so I’m sure he has vet equipment at his place.”

Shaking her head, Dani confessed, “I have no idea how Jack managed to recruit such a diverse group of men, but it works!”

About twenty minutes later, Chad turned off the road onto a long, gravel driveway. “This kind of looks like Jack’s driveway, without the security gate,” she observed.

Laughing, he warned, “Don’t get your hopes up, babe. Blaise’s place is more of an animal shelter than a luxury cabin.”

As they came around a curve in the drive and into a clearing, she saw what he meant. A modest house sat in the middle, with numerous outbuildings to the side. As they approached, she viewed kennels with fenced dog-runs to the side. Parking, Chad assisted her down from the truck and they were immediately surrounded by barking dogs.

A loud whistle cut through the cacophony and the dogs stopped barking, each sitting. Blaise came from the house. “Sorry, guys. They’re excited to see visitors.”

“They’re all gorgeous,” Dani exuded, bending to pet one.

“Thanks,” Blaise said, smiling as he rubbed the ears of the closest dog. Looking at Chad, he said, “Follow me and I’ll show you the microscope.”

They walked into the house and Dani noticed the room was exceptionally clean and neat for so many animals running around. They bypassed the living room and kitchen, heading to a large room built onto the back, equipped just like the inside of any veterinarian’s office. “Wow,” Dani said. “This is amazing.”

Blaise shrugged. “I examine all of the animals that I find, making sure they are well and inoculated before I try to adopt them out.”

They moved over to the counter with the microscope and Chad pulled out the key. As he examined at it under the scope, Blaise turned to Dani with a questioning expression.

“Adam’s parents came across this when they went through his things, but we have no way of knowing what bank it goes to. Chad noticed scratches on the thin edge of the key.”

Nodding, Blaise leaned over Chad, adjusting the light to its maximum potential.

“Got it,” Chad said. “It’s barely visible, but the scratches make up CNB.”

“Charlestown National Bank. That’s not where we banked, of course, since we lived about forty miles north of Charlestown.”

As the three walked out of the house, Blaise pulled Chad to the side as Dani walked ahead to pet the friendly dogs. “Man, do you think she’s ready for whatever may be in that box?”

Chad watched Dani as she laughed at the dogs’ antics. “I don’t know, Blaise. Hell, I’m not sure I’m ready.” Clapping Blaise on the shoulder, he added, “But we’ve got to find out what he was doing for either of us to have any peace.”

*

Dani nervously stood
in the Charlestown National Bank lobby as a man approached, introducing himself, and asked if he could assist.

“Yes, I have an unusual request,” she said. “My deceased husband left this safety-deposit key for me, but I haven’t been in this bank before. I brought his death certificate and my identification, as well as our marriage license, if that helps.”

Mr. Sedwick looked at her paperwork and then went back to the safety deposit box vault. He motioned for her to follow him. Chad walked with her, his hand resting on the small of her back.

“According to our records, Adam Turner rented the box a month before his death certificate was issued. Normally, anyone obtaining access to the box has to sign the signature card ahead of time, but he wrote on the application that his wife was to have full access if he were deceased. Since you have all your documentation, there’s no problem. May I have the key?”

Chad felt her quiver underneath his fingertips and hoped whatever was in the box would supply them with answers. Bracing himself, he watched as the box was pulled from its vault and handed to Dani. The banker left the room and she looked up at Chad, her heart pounding.

“I’m terrified,” she confessed.

“Babe, I’m right here.”

Nodding, she lifted the lid and peered inside. A single piece of paper, folded in half was the only contents. With shaking fingers, she lifted it out, but said, “Chad, I can’t do this here. Please take me out of here.”

Leaving immediately, with the paper still clutched in her hand, he helped her to his truck. Sliding to the middle of the front seat so that they were side by side, she opened the missive so they could both read it at the same time.

Dani, if you are reading this then I’m gone. I’m so sorry. I became involved in something and I’m trying to not have it blow back on you. Please find Chad and trust him to know how to take care of you now. I need you to understand that not everything is as it seems. Even this note needed to be hidden and I took a chance that you might never find it. Just know that, for the time we were together…I was happy. I did care for you, even if I didn’t always show it. Honest Dani, I’d hoped to see you rock our child in that old rocking chair of yours, but maybe in the future, you’ll still be able to. I know I wasn’t the husband you wanted and, honestly, if anyone were to take my place, I hope it would be Chad. He’s a good man…the only one I can think deserving of you. With love, Adam

The note dropped into her lap as shaking overtook her. Chad pulled her into his lap, holding her body as tightly as he could, letting her tears flow. “Let it out, babe,” he murmured into her hair as her body bucked with sobs. He tried to give her his strength, but his mind ran over and over the words of the note.
Damnit, Adam. What the hell were you involved with? And what were you trying to tell us?