Silent Pursuit (9 page)

Hammers started pounding on her temples and she shut her eyes.
Lord, I don't know what to do. I don't know why all of this has happened, and I don't know what was going on with Mario and what it is I'm supposed to have. I guess I don't know much of anything. Please, God, get us safely through this…and help me figure out these feelings I seem to be developing for this man beside me. Is it okay, God, to have these feelings? Is it right? And how do I ignore them until I find out why Ian left the unit? Or do I even
need
to know?

Her prayer seemed to loop over itself with a string of endless questions. Finally, her prayers faded, her muscles relaxed and she drifted.

With a start, she jerked awake and looked at the clock. Eight-thirty in the morning. She'd been asleep for three and a half hours.

And during that time, no one had shot at them or tried to run them off the road. Amazing.

She looked at Ian. He sat straight, almost rigid, eyes on the road, the only sign of his own weariness in the grooves beside his mouth and a few extra wrinkles around his eyes. Other than that, he looked as if he could keep going for several more days. That was a Ranger for you. A thought hit her. “Did you check on Nicholas? Is he all right?”

“I talked to him a little while ago. He has a little hideaway not on the house blueprints. He's fine.”

Relief flooded her. Then she looked at him. “Are you okay?”

He glanced her way. “Yeah, I'm all right. How about you? Feel better?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“We've got about another thirty minutes. Then I need you to give me directions to Joseph's house.”

“Okay. So, tomorrow…” She paused and frowned. “What's today anyway?”

“Thursday.”

She gasped and sat up straight. “It's Thanksgiving Day?”

Ian barked a short laugh. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

“I don't think I should try to see my family today. I don't want to lead whoever is after me to them. What about you and your family? What will they be doing? I'm making you miss Thanksgiving. I'm so sorry.”

Ian shrugged and gave another laugh. “Relax, Gina. It's really not that big a deal. Carly will probably go home. Mom and Dad are used to not hearing from me and not being there for holidays. They won't even try to call.”

“Ian, that's awful.” She was appalled.

His lips twitched. “It does sound rather pitiful when I say it like that, doesn't it?” He blew out a resigned sigh. “But it's okay. This is my job, what I chose to do. Really—” he paused “—I suppose it's become my life.”

“Why?”

He didn't answer and for a moment wondered if he would. Then he said, “I don't know. There's so much injustice in this world. So much hate. So many who are power hungry and greedy….” He shook his head. “It's wrong and shouldn't be that way, so each time we're successful on a mission, the feelings I get are…indescribable. I can almost call it a drugless high.”

“Mario was like that.”

“Yeah, I remember. Most of us are. We all have our reasons for choosing this profession.”

“Mario's childhood had a lot to do with his career choice.”

“He never said much about it to me, just that it was rough.”

“His mother was involved in some pretty nasty stuff—drugs, prostitution, that kind of thing. By the time he was eleven, he'd seen more in his life than anyone, adult or child, should see. Thank God child-protection services finally stepped in and sent him and his sister to live with his grandmother.”

Ian shook his head. “I never knew all that. He never said a word about his past, but he had a raging passion to get the bad guys off the streets—no matter what it took.”

“Probably because of his mother. He could hardly stand to talk about her. Blamed her drug addiction and inability to care for them on the crooks who sold the stuff.”

“He loved the undercover assignments the most.”

She smiled a little. “Yeah, he did.” Then she sighed and looked at the ceiling. “What went wrong?” she whispered. “Where did he go wrong? What did he take that would make someone willing to kill indiscriminately to get it back?”

I
an gripped Gina's fingers as he wheeled into Joseph and Catelyn's paved driveway. “I don't know, Gina, but we'll figure it out.”

The door opened and Catelyn—in full detective uniform, gun and all—stepped out. “Gina! I'm so glad to see you.” She rushed forward to throw her arms around Gina, who gladly gave the woman a tight squeeze.

“Hey, Catelyn, thanks so much for letting us stay here. This is Ian Masterson. Ian, my sister-in-law, Catelyn Santino.”

The two exchanged greetings; then Gina asked Catelyn, “Where's Joseph?”

“He's tying up the loose ends of a case, but he promised me he'd call your mother and explain why we won't be there today.”

“We? What?” Gina's eyes went wide. “No, no way. We're not ruining your Thanksgiving. This is Stefano's first, and I know Ethan and Marianna want to show him off.” Marianna, Gina's sister, had married Ethan O'Hara, the detective who'd been in charge of finding the killer of Marianna's roommate a year and a half ago. Marianna had given birth three weeks ago to a son, her parents' first grandchild. Gina
had popped in at the hospital to see the little guy; then a week later she'd walked in on the goons tearing her house apart.

Catelyn offered a little laugh. “We've been by to see that kid a dozen times since he was born. I promise, your mom and dad will be glad for two less people around to hog his attention. There's no way we're letting you spend Thanksgiving alone. Plus, we want to help you figure out what's going on and we can't do that in a room full of people.” She turned serious. “Now, come on in and let's get you guys settled.”

“Did we pull you from a case?” Ian asked as he stepped inside the house.

“Well, you know there's always a case. But nothing that won't wait an hour or two—and it is Thanksgiving. I'll get Gina settled in the guest room.” She pointed Ian in the direction of the kitchen. “Ian, why don't you take the apartment across the drive? It's kind of like a mother-in-law suite. Just go back out the way you came in. You'll be able to figure it out.”

“Thanks.” He grabbed up his backpack and disappeared.

Catelyn turned to Gina and pulled her in the direction of the guest room. “Now spill it. What's going on?”

And so for the next twenty minutes, Gina filled her in on the details of what her life had been for the past two weeks. And how Ian fit into the picture.

“So, you trust him? With your life? After the fuss Mario pitched about the guy leaving?” Catelyn's skeptical expression said a lot.

“Mario sent me to him. Him, Catelyn. Not you, not Joseph. Ian. That says a lot to me. And I don't know why he asked for a transfer. He hasn't shared that with me, but obviously it's not anything that's going to put me in danger. Rather, he's saved my life a couple of times already.” She shrugged. “I don't know what to think, to be honest with you.”

Catelyn stood from where she'd been sitting and paced. “I only met Mario a couple of times. He was intense, a loner. But he was crazy about you. I'm having a hard time believing he'd do anything to put you in danger.”

Gina pulled the letter from her pocket and handed it to her sister-in-law. Catelyn read it and gave a low whistle. “Wow.”

“Yeah. A key was in my locket. So now I just have to figure out which bank he might have used. We called yesterday, but they were already closed. Even if they'd been open, we couldn't have gotten there on time.”

“And no one is open today.”

“Right.”

A door shut and Gina jumped.

Had the people after them found them already?

Catelyn whirled, placing a hand on her weapon as she slipped out of the room and down the hall. Gina, heart in her throat, followed silently behind her.

They met Ian coming out of the kitchen, gun pointed in the direction of the sound they'd all heard. He must have come back in the house just as the door shut. Catelyn and Ian made eye contact, and Catelyn drew her weapon, moving with quiet stealth to the den area, then through to the back. Ian coordinated his movements to support Catelyn's. Gina bit her lip and tried to stay as silent as she could. Her eyes darted around the area, looking for a potential weapon.

“Hey, Catie? Gina? Where are you guys?”

Ian halted, Catelyn breathed in deep and Gina wilted against the nearest wall, the tension falling from her. “Joseph!”

Her brother rounded the corner and Gina threw herself into his arms. He held her close for a moment, then pushed her away. Spying Ian, Catelyn and the guns, he raised a brow. “Guess I should have called first.”

Catelyn nodded. “Might have been a good idea. What are you doing here?”

“I got things settled a little earlier than I thought I would and wanted to check on my baby sister here.”

Gina gave him another hug and then introduced the two men. Joseph studied Ian carefully. Ian held his gaze steady and let the man come to his own conclusions.

Finally Joseph gave a small smile and held out a hand. “So you're the one. Good to meet you.”

“Thanks.” Ian shook his hand.

“All right, guys, what's the plan?” Gina asked as her pulse returned to normal.

The four of them walked into the den and settled onto the comfortable furniture to discuss what they needed to do next.

Ian spoke up. “Joseph, is there any way you can help us find out who to contact at First Spartanburg and Palmetto National banks? I know it's Thanksgiving, but…” He shrugged. “I just feel like we can't sit around eating turkey while someone out there is after Gina.”

Her brother nodded. “I agree. I've got some pull around here. Let me see what I can find out.”

He left the room and Catelyn turned to Gina and Ian. “You two are exhausted. Why don't you go grab a couple of hours of rest while Joseph works on this? I'm sure he'll let you know as soon as he figures something out. And I'll be on the lookout for anything hinky.” She patted the weapon at her side.

Gina stood and ran a hand through her hair. “I'll take you up on that. I had a few hours sleep in the car, but I don't know the last time Ian slept.”

He waved aside her concern. “I'm fine.”

Catelyn gave him a stern look. “You're not fine. Even Rangers have to rest at some point. Go.” She pointed toward the kitchen, the direction of the detached apartment.

Ian flushed and ducked his head. “Yes, ma'am.”

Gina knew he gave in so easily because he knew Catelyn was right. Even he had to have some sleep eventually. And now was the time to do it, with an FBI agent and a homicide detective in the house as protection.

He made his way from the den to the porch door that led outside. “Wake me if Joseph finds out something.”

Gina nodded. “We will.” Ian finally exited the house. She turned to Catelyn. “Are Mom and Dad terribly worried?”

“Pretty anxious, but Joseph's reassured them that you're all right, you're just mixed up in a legal issue that needs to be solved.”

“Good. Has he got someone watching them? To make sure they're all right, I mean?”

“Yeah, they don't know it, but they're under a 24/7 guard.”

A weight fell from her shoulders. The thought of something happening to her family made her stomach clench.

Catelyn took Gina by the shoulders and steered her toward the bedrooms. “Go, rest while you can.”

“Right.” Gina gave her one more hug and said, “Thank you so much for doing this.”

“I'd have been mad if you hadn't asked.”

 

Ian awakened with a start, heart pounding, sweat running down his face. He'd been dreaming. He laid back with a grunt. All was quiet, the studio apartment still and cozy warm. Too warm. Getting up, he padded across the room to open the window. It cracked slightly and cool air rushed in.
He noticed the bars on the outside of the glass and wondered who had felt the need for such protection. Which brought him back to Gina. Protection and his responsibility for keeping her safe.

He let himself begin to process all that had happened. He thought about the man he'd seen in the hallway at Nicholas's house. Decked out in army fatigues carrying all the right hardware.

A Ranger. No doubt about it. Or if he wasn't a Ranger, he'd been supplied with all the right Ranger equipment.

So, Mario had been right. There was a traitor in the unit. Maybe more than one. Although, one question that surfaced was whether the traitor was actually from Mario's unit—or a different one? There was no way to tell at this point. The only thing they could do was watch their steps and cover their backs.

One thing was for sure: only someone with highly developed skills such as a Ranger—or some other branch of special ops—could have breached Nicholas's security. The person would've had to have been able to get his hands on a set of blueprints of the house, acquiring not only the layout but also the alarm-system plans.

Only the attackers hadn't counted on Nicholas's justified paranoia. As a judge he received death threats on a regular basis. With a nephew and niece to protect, he'd personally installed his own secondary silent alarm. That was the alarm that had alerted them to the presence of last night's intruders.

While Gina slept in the car, Ian had called Nicholas to check in. He'd learned that as soon as the attackers realized their prey had escaped, they'd left the premises as quietly as
they'd approached. The authorities had tried to follow but were quickly left behind.

Nicholas was unharmed, having hidden in his private haven behind his house—something else that was not on the blueprints.

So, where did that leave him and Gina?

Who had betrayed them? How did they know where to find them?

Jase?

Mac?

He hadn't told either of these men where he was going. His cell phone was encrypted, virtually untraceable.

So, how?

His mind clicked through the possibilities.

And landed on the only possible explanation.

The computer he'd used at Nicholas's to access the decoding software.

The breath rushed out of him.

So, someone was tracking his movements, too, someone who had his information at his fingertips. Someone who knew he might access that kind of software. He hadn't been tracked from Nicholas's end; he'd been tracked through a secure software he'd used on numerous occasions.

This was not good.

A knock on his door had him pulling the gun from under his pillow and rolling to face the possible threat. However, he realized if the person on the other side of the door wanted to harm him, he probably wouldn't have knocked.

“Who is it?”

“Joseph. I've got something for you.”

Ian shoved the gun back under his pillow. “Come on in.”

Joseph opened the door and stepped inside the small studio house. He had a tray of food and a thermos of coffee. Ian felt his mouth start to water and gratefully took the burden from Joseph's hands. “What'd you find out?”

Joseph took a seat in the desk chair and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I called the bank managers and had them go in and look up the information for me.”

Ian grimaced as he took a sip of coffee. “Bet they loved that.”

Joseph shrugged. “I told them a woman's life was on the line and they were pretty willing to help out.”

“And?”

“And Mario did bank there, but he didn't have a safe-deposit box at either one.”

Ian frowned. “That's odd.”

“Then the only thing left to do is to go to my place and let me go through Mario's things.”

Both men turned at the sound of Gina's voice. She stood there, looking small and vulnerable, her dark curls unbound and wild about her head.

Ian swallowed hard, nearly choking on the coffee he'd just drunk. Dressed in baggy jeans with fashionable holes and a pink, long-sleeved T-shirt, she was beautiful.

She was also barefoot.

“Don't you ever wear shoes?” he blurted.

One dark brow reached up to disappear underneath a black curl. “Not if I don't have to.”

“How's your foot?” he asked, referring to the place she'd cut during their mad dash from their attackers.

She wiggled her toes. “Fine. Sore but fine.”

Joseph's gaze ping-ponged back and forth between the two, and when Ian finally turned his attention back to Gina's brother, speculation gleamed in the man's eyes. Ian just smiled.

“Well?” she asked.

Ian blinked. “Well what?”

“Are we going to my house to see if we can find something in Mario's things about a safe-deposit box?”

“Yeah. Let's do that.”