Unmasked (Godmother Security Book 1) (7 page)

As Faye predicted, by lunch the ten person hotline that had been set up was taking calls nonstop.  By early afternoon a couple of viable candidates had been weeded out from the crazies and crackpots and the first appointments had been set up. 

Of course Cindy knew it was all a ridiculous charade, and Faye was quick to let Cindy know that she was also aware how futile the search would be.  As she left the office that morning to go finish up details of the surveillance she’d asked Cindy to step out in the hall with her. 

“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” Faye asked once they were alone.  Her tone wasn’t the crisp annoyance of an employer that had caught her employee in a compromising position.  It was that of an aunt concerned about her niece.

“Only if my job depends upon it,” Cindy replied.

Faye smiled.  “It doesn’t.  I won’t pry, but I can’t guarantee you won’t have explaining to do at some point.  You’ve done a pretty good job at making yourself look mousy and unremarkable, but it’s not going to fool him forever.  Do you want me to pull you off this duty, and put you on building surveillance?  Greer is back from her latest assignment and could easily take over.”

“No, I’ll be fine,” Cindy replied.

The next several days were a study in frustration and boredom for Cindy.  By Wednesday she was wishing she’d taken Faye up on her offer of reassignment.  In between appointments with women claiming to be the owner of the necklace it was business as usual at Prince Industries.    As it turned out, Sebastian’s personal assistant’s office was a small room that doubled as the file and storage room for the office suite, and had doors opening both to Prince’s inner office and Mrs. Porterfield’s outer office.   Leaving the door open so that she could see the entrance of Sebastian’s inner office, Cindy used the room as her base of operations.  She wanted as little face time with Sebastian as possible.  Yet, there was little for Cindy to do in between appointments.  Both Della and Sebastian’s real personal assistant, Eric, were aware of Cindy’s role as body guard.  Eric was working from home via computer, so Cindy didn’t have any real tasks on that front, except to follow Sebastian to meetings and record them with her laptop so that Eric could type up the minutes later. 

To stave off boredom, in her downtime Cindy analyzed the normal security practices of the Prince Industries building, and found several areas that could be improved and made a full report.  That took all of two hours, and after that she began helping Mrs. Porterfield with minor tasks like photocopying and filing, since both the copy machine and filing cabinets were in Cindy’s temporary office. 

There were two interviews with callers claiming to have been the woman Sebastian met at the ball on Monday, but by Tuesday there was an interview every hour.  Each one followed the same routine.  Frank, who was stationed at the security guard station, escorted each visitor to Mrs. Porterfield’s office.  From there Cindy escorted them into Sebastian’s office then took her place, as his personal assistant, at a small writing desk in the corner of the room behind Sebastian’s desk.  From there she recorded the interview, streaming the video up to Faye and the FBI tech analyst in the building’s video surveillance room.  They would run facial recognition there, but Cindy had faces of a few known assassins that were top suspects on her screen to check each claimant by, just in case.

But there were no hits.  It had been nothing but fraud after nutcase.  They came in, flirted, and gave a fake description of the necklace.  Each time Sebastian thanked them for their time, and they were escorted out of the building, some of them kicking and screaming.  Cindy’s frustration came from the fact that before each meeting Sebastian would get a hopeful look on his face, then be crest fallen as the woman walked in.  Each time Cindy wanted to smack him in the face.  Of course those women were fakes.  She was the one he was looking for.  She alternated between making sure to stay out of his line of sight as much as she could, speaking around him only when necessary, and wanting to shake him for not noticing her. 

By Wednesday afternoon Cindy was almost wishing for an assassination attempt.  She was afraid if something didn’t happen soon she would either go into a coma from sheer boredom or push Prince against the wall and kiss him until he recognized her.  She was saved from both fates by Sebastian’s three o’clock appointment.

As she had so many times that week, Cindy waited with Della as Frank escorted the latest fake into the office. The woman was tall and slender and impeccably dressed in a navy blue, sleeveless sheath with a wide brimmed, floppy hat pulled down over her professionally highlighted blond hair.  Her eyes were covered with expensive, dark sunglasses.  She looked familiar, but then, she looked a lot like most of the women that had come in during the week.      

She’s just another crackpot society butterfly that thinks this is a chance to snag a billionaire husband.
Cindy thought.

Looking down at the appointment list, Cindy said, “Ms. Gatlin?”

“Oh, please call me Darla,” the woman said in a thick southern accent, offering her hand.

Cindy shook the proffered hand, forcing a smile.  She couldn’t be sure, but there was something off about the accent.  Was it just a little too thick?   She wouldn’t be able to tell until the woman spoke more.

“I’m Mr. Prince’s assistant, he’ll see you now,” she said, not sure why she’d refrained from giving her name to this woman.  “Please follow me.”

“Mr. Prince, Ms. Darla Gatlin to see you,” she said in a crisp, practiced tone. 

“Ms. Gatlin,” Sebastian said, in the cool tone he’d started adopting every time a woman he knew wasn’t Ella came into the room. 

“Please, call me Darla,” the woman said again in the same thick accent.  “And I’m going to tell you right now, I didn’t go to that ball or lose a necklace.”

“I know.”

Darla didn’t let the coldness in his voice deter her.  She kept on talking in a warm, cheery voice that she might have used with someone she’d known all her life.  “I know it was just horrible of me, but I saw on the news that you would be meeting with people to find the owner of a necklace you had found, and well, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.  You see, I’m just in town for the week, but back in Atlanta I work with a children’s charity; and well, it’s very hard to get your foundation’s attention.  We are very small, but we help so many children.  But times have been tough, and if we can’t make next year’s budget we may have to close.  I know it was wrong to lie, but I never would have forgiven myself if I hadn’t tried.”

At her desk, Cindy rolled her eyes, but when Sebastian spoke the warmth was back in his voice.  “I do understand, Ms. Gatlin.  Darla.  Please, have a seat.”

“Oh, thank you,” Darla said, giving a high pitched giggle as she sat down and took her sunglasses off.

She said something else, but Cindy didn’t hear.  She was staring too hard at the image on her computer screen.  The camera was discreetly placed so that Cindy could get a full on view of her face.  With the sunglasses off she was more than just a little familiar.  It had been over twelve years since Cindy had seen her and she’d changed a little—Cindy would bet the changes had been made via surgical knife—but she was sure she knew the woman.  When she let out that high pitched giggle for a second time, Cindy was positive her name was not Darla Gatlin.

Cindy shuddered, pushing back the memories that hearing that sound dredged up.  Despite her years of work to put that part of her life behind her, it seemed the memories were still just beneath the surface, lurking, waiting to bring the nightmares back.  Hands shaking, Cindy pulled up the chat window she was using to silently communicate with Faye in the security office.

Cindy: Are you getting this feed?

Faye: Yes.  Is there a problem?

Cindy: You could say that.  That woman is Kimber Bauer.

Faye: Are you positive.

Cindy: 99.9%.  She’s 12 years older and has had some work done, but it’s her.  I’d know that laugh anywhere.

Faye: I’ll have Frank detain her while we look into it.

“Ms. Ashe?  Would you please see Darla out now,” Sebastian said, breaking through Cindy’s thoughts.

Forcing a smile, Cindy stood.  “Of course, Mr. Prince,” she said, her voice pleasant and professional, though she felt anything but.  “This way, Ms. Gatlin.”

As they neared the door Darla-Kimber paused and turned back.  “Thank you again, Sebastian.  I’m looking forward to having lunch with you to discuss the children.”

Then she let Cindy usher her out.  As Frank took over and escorted her out of Della’s office, Cindy saw the woman from the side and a flash of memory nearly overwhelmed her.  The moment the door was shut behind them Cindy touched the bluetooth headset at her ear that disguised her com unit.  “Faye, you can’t detain Kimber.”

“Why not?” Faye demanded in her ear.

“The woman in red at the ball, it was Audra Bauer.”

There was a long silence, then Faye said, “Okay.  I gave Frank the all clear and Greer is following her.  Are you sure you’ve seen both Bauer sisters?”

“Yes.  They must be working as a team.”

“Did either of them recognize you?”

“I don’t think so, but I’m not sure.  Prince used my name, but then they didn’t know me as Cindy Ashe.”

“Okay.  Okay,” Faye said, as if trying to convince herself.  “I’m going to run the facial recognition and do some research, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Okay.” Cindy said, then tapped the com unit off.  She turned and realized Della was still sitting at her desk.  She’d heard everything, including Cindy admit she’d been at the charity ball.

Wordlessly Della lifted her hand to her mouth, mimed zipping her lips, locking and tossing away the key. 

Cindy smiled and Della smiled back, giving her a wink.  Cindy liked the older woman, and was going to miss her once the assignment was over.  Speaking of the assignment…

Cindy turned on her heel and strode back into Sebastian’s office.

“You can’t have lunch with that woman.”

“For your information, I never had any intention of doing so, I was simply being polite.  You might try it sometime.  I will have Eric call and make my apologies, and send her a check to cover her charity’s expenses for six months.  But, please tell me why it is that you feel you can tell me what I can and can’t do.”

“That woman plans to kill you,” Cindy said conversationally.  When Sebastian’s jaw dropped open she couldn’t resist adding, “On a more positive note, the charity is fake, so you’ll save a little money.”

While Faye and Cindy had the information they needed, they couldn’t call a halt to the search for Ella without outing Cindy.  The two women had already decided that the ruse had gone on for so long at this point that it was best to continue on.  There were two more appointments that afternoon, all of which were uneventful.  Then Frank took Sebastian home and Cindy went home to her own apartment, despite Faye’s protests.  

Though she’d told Faye she wasn’t afraid, that night she had nightmares for the first time in ten years. The thing was, she’d told Faye the truth.  She wasn’t afraid of the Bauer sisters.  Her nightmares weren’t about them, and they never had been.  From the first night she slept under the same roof as Faye her nightmares had always been about being sent back to that school.  Sometimes she’d been ripped, kicking and screaming, from Faye’s arms, and at other times Faye had pushed her into the school telling her she didn’t want her and never had.  The incessant bullying of the older kids, especially the Bauer sisters, and cruel neglect of the Headmistress, Mother Bauer, were tolerable. 

What Cindy feared most was being alone again--not belonging to anyone.  She hadn’t known it was something she was missing until the day, when she was fifteen, that Faye Littleton showed up to shut down the school.  While the other girls were lined up and put into vans to be taken off to who knew where, Faye took Cindy aside and told her that she was her aunt and Godmother, and would take care of her.  Then she had hugged Cindy and told her she loved her.  Cindy couldn’t remember ever being hugged before or hearing those words.  It was the first time in her life she felt like she belonged. 

In her dreams that night she was fifteen again, lying in the dark on her narrow cot in the dormitory sad and alone, and afraid to go to sleep, knowing she would likely be woken up by one of the other girls punching her for some slight they thought she’d dealt them.  She woke in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, and it took her a few minutes to remember she was an adult now, in her own bed, in her own apartment. She was safe.

The next day Cindy was in no mood to go through the ‘Ella’ charade again, and was relieved when the search was put on hold due to Prince Industries business.  Sebastian, his father, and his father’s lawyers spent the entire day in meetings to finalize the paperwork for the handing over of the corporate reins that was to take place the next day.  Della and the elder Prince’s secretary sat in on the meetings, so Cindy’s recording services as personal assistant weren’t needed.  Instead she sat outside the conference room using her computer to search out every bit of information on the Bauer sisters she could. 

Unfortunately that wasn’t much.  Actually, she found nothing on her own.  She couldn’t find any public record of Kimber and Audra Bauer more recent than twelve years.  Then the only thing she could find were official German records of their adoption by Ingrid Bauer when they were toddlers, shortly before the opening of The Bauer School for the Gifted. 

It was Faye who had, through her CIA contacts, found out that the sisters were assassins for hire.  They had been working as a team for the past twelve years under the supervision of their mother.  They had been operating primarily in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  They weren’t high on the wanted list, as they were generally hired by criminals to take out other criminals.  Despite their low level, they were competent at their job and had been elusive.  There were no photos on file of Kimber or Audra, and the most recent photo of Ingrid Bauer was over twenty years old. 

While Cindy sat guarding a conference room full of executives and lawyers, Faye, Greer Beckett’s team, and a team of FBI agents tried to track down the Bauers.  Cindy had been irritated when she learned that Greer lost Kimber after she’d left Sebastian’s office.  Greer had tracked her to a hotel in Tribeca, but no sign of any of the Bauers when the FBI canvassed the hotel.  Greer was certain she hadn’t been made by Kimber and slipping into the hotel must have been a pre-arranged countermeasure.

Cindy wasn’t so sure.  She had a feeling Kimber had recognized her and had been on her guard as she left.  She’d probably spotted Greer immediately. But Cindy wasn’t a good judge of things at the moment.  She knew Greer was good at her job, but Cindy wanted to be the one out there looking instead of sitting on her ass wasting time on the Internet, and it was making her cranky.

For his part, Sebastian didn’t seem ruffled by the encounter at all.  He accepted Faye’s explanation that the blond southern woman was a known assassin that worked with a partner, and now everyone on the case was working towards capturing them before they could go through with their contract.  Instead of having his assistant call and cancel the lunch date he and ‘Darla’ had made for Friday, Cindy called to confirm the date and the restaurant at which they would be meeting. 

Sebastian had even offered to show up at the meeting as bait.  Cindy wasn’t sure if he was incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.  It didn’t matter, though.  Sebastian’s father and Faye both shot the idea down the instant it was voiced.  The four of them met Thursday evening in Sebastian’s office to go over the plans for the next day. 

“Absolutely not.  This has gone far enough.  If it weren’t for the chaos it would cause, I’d cancel the press conference and turnover all together.  But the press would have a field day with speculation and it would cause panic.  But, Son, your life is more important than any of that.  That woman was in your office.  That was too close to call.  I want you out of the city the moment the conference is over.  Before, if possible.”  Jackson Prince railed as he paced nervously around his son’s office.

Cindy opened her mouth to protest that Sebastian had never been in any danger the day before, and that if he went to the lunch meeting she could protect him, but Faye spoke first.

“I agree with you, Jackson.  There’s no reason to put Sebastian in harm’s way.  As a matter of fact, I would like to enhance his security tonight.”  She turned to Cindy.  “Is your go-bag packed?”

Bewildered, Cindy answered, “Yes, but…”

“Good.  I’ll swing by and pick it up and bring it to you.  I’ve booked you a room at Sebastian’s hotel.  I want two people on duty at all times, one in the suite and one outside the door,” she glanced at her watch. “It’s nearly seven now. Gus and Jack will take the evening shift.  You and Frank will take over at five and accompany Sebastian to the office in the morning.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Cindy replied dutifully, despite her inner frustration.  Faye’s tone had brooked no argument, and Cindy hadn’t given one.  But she wanted to.  There was no real reason she couldn’t spend the night at her own apartment and be at the hotel in time to take over guard duty.  But as she studied Faye, she saw strain on her aunt’s ageless face she’d never seen before. 

Curious as to what could be bothering Faye, and afraid she knew the answer, Cindy barely paid attention as plans were made for Sebastian to go to his country house until the Bauers were caught. 

She got the chance to question her aunt when the two of them stepped into the outer office to give the two Princes a few moments of privacy.  “Faye, what’s up?  And before you try to say nothing, give me a little credit.  I can see it in your eyes.  There is something bothering you that has nothing to do with Sebastian Prince.  But I do suspect it has something to do with the Bauers.”

Faye sighed.  “I have no idea why I thought I could keep it from you.  Kimber recognized you.  I have no concrete proof, but I had your name flagged and there has been some search activity.”

Cindy didn’t ask how her aunt could get such information.  She didn’t want to know, and knew she wouldn’t get a straight answer if she did. 

“And you think it was the Bauers?  Were you able to trace it?”

“No.  That’s why I’m sure it was the Bauers.  They have been pretty good at avoiding too much attention from the authorities, and the best FBI analysts couldn’t track the correspondence on Duke’s computer.  Whatever else they may be, at least one of them is excellent with a computer.”

“Audra was the best in computer science class.  She cracked every security program the teacher gave us faster than anyone else,” Cindy said, long buried memories resurfacing.  Cindy had been third in the class after a thin, dark haired boy whose name she couldn’t remember.  It had been one of her favorite classes, though at the time she hadn’t realized that most twelve year olds didn’t learn how to hack sophisticated security systems in their computer classes.  “But why would that matter?  Perhaps Kimber did recognize me, and maybe they know I’m ex-FBI and I work for a security firm now.  All that would tell them is that Prince is being guarded.  That might actually deter them, right?”

“It’s not the sisters I’m worried about.  I doubt they could care less about you.  What little intelligence we’ve been able to gather points to them working with Ingrid Bauer.  She’s the ringleader, and they do her bidding.”

“Some things never change,” Cindy snorted derisively.  Mother Bauer, as she insisted all of the students call her, was an advocate of bullying the children that didn’t measure up to her high standards.  Not that Audra and Kimber had needed any encouragement.  They got a perverse joy out of pushing around the younger kids.  But Cindy had once overheard Mother Bauer giving them the names of a couple of girls that had done poorly in classes that week, along with instructions to teach the girls a lesson.  The girls in question had turned up a few days later bruised and battered after taking a walk in the woods behind the school. 

“No, they don’t.  And Ingrid Bauer is a nasty, vindictive woman.  I’m sure she knows who destroyed her school, and it wouldn’t be hard for her to find out that you are my niece.  That in itself is enough reason for you to be under lock and key.  Add in the fact that you were one of her top students, and she had dreams of you being her protégé, it makes you a prime target.”

“I’m not afraid of her.”

“I am.”  Faye’s voice shook.  “I know you can take care of yourself, but I want you out of the line of fire.  And I want Jack and Gus at your back.  You just do your job, and get Prince out of town and keep him safe.  And I don’t have to worry about you while I find that woman and put her behind bars to keep
you
safe.”