Unmasked (Godmother Security Book 1) (13 page)

“Done. “  Sebastian said.

“Good, grab that deflated life raft and throw it over here.”  He did as she asked and they arranged it over the seats. 

“What the hell are you doing?  The bright yellow of the raft will make us easy targets.” He said.

“No, it will make those pillows easy targets, but it will look like we are trying to keep them from getting a clear shot. “ She said, climbing out of the boat. 

“It will look like we are crouching beneath the raft to stay out of their line of site, but we won’t actually be in the boat,” he said slowly as if he were beginning to understand it even as he spoke.  “We are swimming out of here.” 

It wasn’t really a question, so Cindy didn’t answer.  Instead she took the gun she’d kept out of the bag and went to the boat opening and leaned out as far as she could without falling.  She took careful aim and with four short pops the boathouse and surrounding dock went dark as she shot out the security lights. 

“Okay, start the boat.”

Sebastian did as she said and hopped onto the dock just as the boat sped out into the open water towards the middle of the lake.  Immediately a barrage of bullets hit the boat.  They’d taken the bait, but Cindy and Sebastian weren’t out of the woods yet. 

“Come on,” Cindy said into the dark.  “We’ve got to get out of here before they figure out we are not on that boat.  Take your shoes off and put them in here.”  She held the waterproof bag out to him.  She followed suit and tucked her shoes and gun into the bag and tied the long strap around her waist.  They eased into the water. 

“We need to get somewhere secure to hide.  Do you think you can make it across the lake?” She asked Sebastian.  Though she knew he was a very strong swimmer she wasn’t sure how tired he might be. 

“Yes, but we shouldn’t have to go that far.  There is cave about a quarter of a mile to the east.  If we get past the house we can stick close to the shoreline.  The mouth of the cave is just a few yards off the edge of the lake, but hidden.  If you don’t know it’s there, you will never find it.”

“Okay. You lead the way, stay in the shadows as much as you can.  Swim underwater in the lighted areas.”  She ordered.

They began swimming.  They’d only gone about twenty yards when the night exploded with sound and light.  Stifling the instinct to scream, Cindy stopped and looked back.  Out in the middle of the lake Sebastian’s speedboat was a fireball, bits of burning wreckage floating around it. 

“Oh my God!” Sebastian said, stunned.  “I really liked that boat.”

The whir of a boat motor broke them both out of their stupor.  Someone was out on the lake and on their way towards the wreckage.  They had no way of knowing if the inhabitants of the boat were friend or foe. 

“Swim!”  Cindy urged in a forceful whisper. 

Sebastian immediately began gliding through the water in strong, powerful strokes.  Cindy followed as closely as she could so she didn’t lose him in the murky darkness.  Though she was a strong swimmer and in good shape, she wasn’t used to swimming so far.  She was about to throw her pride to the wind and call out for Sebastian to rest a moment when he stopped and pointed to an almost hidden cove a few yards from them. 

“Here we are,” he said. 

They swam over and found a sandy stretch of beach they could crawl up on.  Though she knew they needed to keep moving, Cindy collapsed sand.  Her muscles screamed and her lungs ached.  While they rested they put on their shoes and Cindy armed herself.

“How far is that cave?  Can you find it in the dark?” she asked.   Though her eyes had adjusted to the dark, the area they were in was heavily wooded and darker than it had been in the middle of the lake.  Though they were quite a ways away from Sebastian’s house and the shooters, she still didn’t feel safe turning on the flashlight out in the open.

“It’s just over there,” he said, pointing into the trees.  “I can get us there.  Can you walk?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” She said, but let him take her arm to help her up and didn’t protest when the held on to her hand as he led her deeper into the woods.  They walked just a few yards until they were in front of a rocky outcropping that blocked them from going any further.

“Here, watch your step,” he said.   From the looks of it there wasn’t anywhere to step, but then he took a step and he half disappeared.  Cindy strained her eyes and realized he’d stepped down.  She followed, they were standing in a very narrow crevice.  He shuffled to the side until he was at a junction where the rock hit another facing of rock, then he stepped forward and disappeared completely.   Cindy followed and found herself in complete darkness.  A moment of fumbling and she flipped on the flashlight she’d gotten out of Jack’s emergency pack and looked around. 

They were in a small cave.  The ceiling was low and Sebastian had to crouch just a bit.    “Just a minute, “he said. 

Then she heard the strike of a match and the next thing she knew the room was illuminated.  It truly did look like a room, not a cave.  It was about eight feet wide and ten feet long with a neatly swept floor with a round rag rug in the center.   There was a small shelf of books against one wall, a cushioned rocking chair and small table in the middle of the room.  On the table was the gas lantern Sebastian had just lit and against the back wall was a small army cot with a pillow and quilt neatly folded on top.

“What the hell is this place?” She asked, full of shock and a little anger.

“This is my sanctuary.  I found it when I was a little boy.  I used to come here and read.  When my mom got worried about me disappearing and was going to forbid me from going into the woods alone, I showed it to her and my father.  It was safe enough, so they let me keep coming.  Even though I’m grown up now and I live in the lake house when I’m not in the city, sometimes I still need to get away.  This is where I come when I need time to myself.  Other than my parents I’ve never showed it to anyone. “He sounded a bit like a little boy showing off his secret hideout to his new best friend.

“You know, you really should have told me about this earlier.  Someplace like this would be a perfect place for an assassin to set up camp.”  She wanted to feel like it was special that he brought her here, but it wasn’t.  They were running for their lives.  She had to remember that, had to remember her job.  She’d been distracted out on the pier and they’d both nearly been killed.

He ignored her annoyed tone and began taking off his shirt.  “Look, this place wasn’t a risk.  You have to know what you are looking for to find it.  I wasn’t worried.  And see, it’s just as I left it.  No assassins.  We are safe here.”

Cindy stared at his bare chest.  “What are you doing?” 

“I’m getting dry.”  He tossed the blanket from the cot.  “I suggest you do the same.  You also might want to turn around.”  Without further warning he turned his back to her and stripped off his jeans. 

Cindy whirled around. 
Get it together, Ashe!
She chided herself.  Now was not the time to go weak kneed.    He was right, they would be more comfortable dry and they were safe enough now that she could take a little time to figure out what to do. 

She stripped off her shirt and sweatpants, but opted to leave on her underwear.  They’d dry fast enough.  She wrapped the blanket firmly around her and turned around cautiously.  Sebastian was lounging on the cot, his back against the cave wall.  He was wearing a clean, dry pair of jean shorts and a faded and holey black t-shirt with “Star Wars” printed cross the front in faded, barely readable letters.  He laughed at her puzzled look.  “I keep clothes in that,” he pointed to a footlocker she’d missed earlier.  “I camp out here quite a bit.  Here,” he tossed a t-shirt to her.   

The t-shirt was light faded blue, but had clearly been darker in its early years.  There had been lettering on it at one point, but it was so faded it was impossible to tell what it said. The shirt had seen better days.  “I guess you stay rich by not buying new clothes,” she quipped.  

“Hey, don’t knock the clothes.  They are a hell of a lot more comfortable than the crap I have to wear in public.”

“I get that,” she said.  And, she did.  She hated wearing suits and dresses for high profile assignments.  She was most comfortable in jeans or cargo pants, a t-shirt and boots or sneakers.  “Besides, I doubt looking like a Star Wars geek would be good for your millionaire playboy image.  Now, close your eyes so I can put this on.”

He shot her that thousand watt grin.  “I’m a man of many layers. “  Then he did as he was told and closed his eyes.  She quickly pulled the t-shirt on.  She was so much smaller than him that it fell to her mid-thigh, so she tossed the blanket back on the cot and let him open his eyes.

Sebastian lounged on the cot while she emptied the contents of the waterproof bag on the small table.  In addition to the guns and ammo she’d grabbed four energy bars and two bottles of water.  Not much in the way of survival gear, but hopefully they wouldn’t need much.

With any luck the Bauers thought Cindy and Sebastian had died in the boat explosion and wouldn’t be searching for them.  Unfortunately, that also meant Jack, Gus, and Faye also thought they were dead, assuming Jack and Gus survived the firefight.  Cindy’s cell phone had been in her pocket when they rolled into the water.  It was useless.  Even if she could dry it out, there was no way she’d be able to pick up a signal inside the cave.  They had no way of finding out what exactly had happened at the house or of letting anyone know they were alive.   

She slipped outside to do a quick recon of the area.  She was happy to note that once outside she couldn’t see the light from the lantern, no matter where she stood, and as long as they kept their voices low sound wouldn’t travel out either.  Even if someone ventured right next to the rock wall, they wouldn’t know anyone was inside.

As much as she hated to admit it, Sebastian had done the right thing by bringing her to the cave.  If they’d swam across the lake, as she’d intended, they would have been out in the open with nowhere to rest or hide.  The old sawmill was much further away than the cave, and probably wasn’t safe to spend the night in.  They would have had to keep moving and tried to make it several miles to a populated area.  The safest thing for them to do now would be to stay in the cave until dawn.  She had no way of knowing if the shooters would still be out there, but at least daylight would give them a fighting chance. 

When Cindy stepped back into the cave, Sebastian was still sitting on the cot, his face a little pale.  She tossed him an energy bar and bottle of water.  “Eat that, but ration the water.  It has to last you until sometime tomorrow.  We will rest here tonight and then try to get back to the house in the morning. “

Sebastian took the food, wordlessly, and began eating.   Cindy grabbed an energy bar and the other bottle of water for herself and settled into the rocking chair to eat it.  She had to admit, he had made a comfortable little area for himself, though she couldn’t imagine how he’d managed to get the furniture into the cave. 

“I can’t believe they blew up my boat.” Sebastian said, flatly.

“I’m sure you can afford a new one,” Cindy shot back.  Seriously?  They had nearly been killed and were still in danger and he was worried about his boat.

“They blew up my boat.  They thought we were in it and they blew it up,” he continued, as if he hadn’t heard her.

Cindy turned and looked at him, really looked this time.  He was still sitting in the same position he’d been in since they had changed clothes.  He sat with his back against the cave wall, the water bottle rested against his thigh, and stared straight ahead at the wall opposite without appearing to really see it.  He was ashen under his tan. 

Oh crap!
  He was going into shock.  She went to the cot and sat down next to him. 

“Hey, you okay?” she asked, touching his hand.  His skin was cool.

It took him a few moments to answer.  Then he shook his head, “Huh? Uh, yeah.  I’m fine.”  He turned to look at her, his eyes filled with an emotion she couldn’t decipher.  “Look, I’m sorry about back there, beneath the pier.  I didn’t mean to sound like an idiot.  It’s just, well, it’s just that…”

He trailed off, but she understood immediately.  “It’s just that it all suddenly became real to you.”

He smiled, just a little.  “Yeah, a little too real.  I mean, I’m not an idiot.  I knew, intellectually, that Andy had put a hit out on me.  I knew that meant someone was going to try to kill me.  But, somehow it wasn’t real.  Even though I volunteered to be bait, somehow the thought that I would actually get shot at never entered my mind.”

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the stone.  When Cindy didn’t say anything, he continued.  “I guess some part of me thought I wasn’t truly in any danger.  I guess I thought the assassins would have been caught long before they tried anything.  I know you and your team are doing everything you can to keep me safe.  You guys are doing your jobs, I guess I just never took into account the fact that the hit men would be just as vigilant in their jobs.  I’m just having a hard time coping with the fact that Andy really does want me dead.”

Cindy took his hand and he opened his eyes and looked deep into hers.  For a moment she forgot everything but the feel of his skin against hers.  She blinked and gathered herself.

“Sebastian, it isn’t normal to have someone want you dead so much that they hire someone to kill you.  But in such an abnormal situation, what you are feeling is normal.  I’ve guarded many people, from all sorts of backgrounds, and not one of them really understood the danger they were in.  In a lot of cases the suspects were caught before any actual attempts on their life were made and those people went on in ignorant bliss, but not everyone is so lucky.”

She ran his fingertips up his arm.  “We are safe in the cave for the night and I swear I will get you out of here safely in the morning.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we get back to the house to find out Jack and Gus apprehended the shooters already.  Which by the way, we are certain are “hit women” not men.”

“So, you are pretty sure it is those sisters you were telling me about?  Did you see them?”

“I’m sure.  I didn’t see them, but once I realized there were two shooters I knew for sure.  I don’t know of any other assassins for hire that work in a two person team.  Maybe some mob hitters, but not anyone that would have taken a job from your cousin.  Besides, Audra’s presence at your ball and Kimber coming to see you at your office couldn’t be a coincidence.  There could be other explanations, such as they were planning to run a scam or were hired to do some spying, but both are highly unlikely.  They have been prime suspects from the start, and now I am positive.  Now all we have to do is find them, if Jack and Gus don’t have them already.”

“Do you think you will find them?” he asked, his eyes intense.

“Truth?  I don’t really know.  That explosion would have brought police and media pretty quickly.  If it is assumed we are dead and the FBI releases the information about the hit on you, then no, we won’t find them.  They will go into deep hiding and get out of the country.  They survive because they are smart.  If we are lucky we will be reported as dead and it will be reported as an accident.  Something with the motor.  That will give Faye and the FBI a better chance at finding them.  The Bauer’s won’t be on guard.  If anything they may get sloppy.  If they have a flaw when it comes to their work, it is their greed.  When they don’t get their money, they will want to know why.   They may even go looking for Andrew Duke.  If they do, it won’t be hard to spring a trap on them.”

Sebastian shook his head.  “So no real guarantees?  No way of knowing if they will try again?  Is there any way to keep my family from thinking I’m dead?”

“I can’t promise they will be caught.  But the odds that they will try again once it is known you are alive are low.  If they go looking for Duke the FBI will be there waiting. If the hit is made public, they will disappear.  Either way the likelihood of them coming after you again drops to zero.  As for your family, no.  Tonight there is no way to let them know you are alive.  It will be safer to hike out of here in the daylight.”  She put her hand on his cheek.  “I’m sorry they will have to go through that.  I will get you back to them tomorrow.  I promise.”  She meant it.  She would get him to safety.   It was her job, but it was so much more than that now.  No matter what, she wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

Sebastian was quite for a long time, just staring into her eyes.  Then he put his hand on the nape of her neck and pulled her to him.  The kiss was soft, gentle at first.  Then it deepened, becoming hungry and a little frantic as they both tried to hold on to their emotions, their control.

Cindy didn’t resist when Sebastian pulled her onto his lap so that she was straddling him.  She did resist a little when he pulled back from the kiss leaving her breathless.

“Are we safe here in the cave tonight?” he asked, his eyes unreadable.

“Yes, we are safe. “ She stared into his dark eyes.  “You are safe, and I swear I will keep you that way.  I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Because it’s your job?”  His voice was gruff and his grip on her thighs tightened. 

She should just answer with a simple ‘yes’ and let it go at that, Cindy knew.  But when she opened her mouth to do so, the truth flew out instead.  “Because I would die if anything happened to you.”

“Good answer.”  He pulled her mouth down to his and ended all conversation.