Alluring Temptation (Bayou Stix #3) (30 page)

She glanced around her townhouse and was suddenly more aware than ever that it held nothing personal that could be related to her or anyone she cared about. She left that all behind, three long years ago. Truth is, she still saw all the pictures, faces, and smiles in her mind. She heard the laughs and voices. She felt the warmth of the hugs and kisses. Everyone she ever loved believed she had been dead for the last three years from a plane crash, along with Richard Hollingsworth.

Only three people in the world knew she wasn’t on that plane three years ago. Kristina Miller, her current name. U.S. Marshal Stevens.
And Richard Hollingsworth
.

*     *     *

“Yeah. She went in a while ago and hasn’t left. No, she didn’t see me. OK.” The man, dressed all in black, gave short, clipped answers into the burn phone. He was accustomed to waiting out his targets and knew how to be invisible when he needed to be. He noticed she was already on edge when she returned from her run. When she opened the paper, he could visibly see the panic rising in her.

He had been watching her for a few days now and knew she ran in the same area, though never the exact same route. She varied her routine from day to day, so she could tell if someone was following her.
Smart girl….Just not smart enough, evidently
. She hadn’t noticed him watching from behind the trees in the park, or from his tree stand in the woods across the street from her townhouse.

He saw the curtains move ever so slightly in the upstairs window and knew she was looking along the tree line. Maybe if she had just looked higher, she would have spotted him. But for now, luck was on his side. She had no clue and he was prepared to stay here as long as needed. He’d been in worse conditions than this, even with the threat of rain. This job was a piece of cake. He straightened his legs to rest on a nearby tree branch, folded his arms behind his head, and waited.

In Miami, Richard Hollingsworth hung up the phone and smiled. Soon all the loose ends from the past would be taken care of. Three long years he looked for her – that nosey, investigative reporter bitch, that wouldn’t quit digging until she had discovered his secret life and made him hide out all this time. He figured it out just in time, too, before he was arrested and sent to prison for life, or worse, hung for treason.

Vengeance would soon be his.

A knock on his hotel door drew his attention. As he opened the door, he was drawn into a hug by a grizzly of a man, his best friend from years ago. “Noah Steele, so good to see you, brother!

T
hat feeling of being watched wouldn’t go away. So as her new identification said, Leslie Solomon made airline reservations for a flight leaving from Denver early that afternoon. In the beginning of her three years of WITSEC living, she had purchased an older car and had it parked in the garage that was just over a mile from her current house.

One thing about her townhouse she was grateful for was how the backyards were arranged. Around each yard stood an eight-foot tall wood privacy fence with a built-in gate that led to the next yard. Another gate was positioned along the back line of fencing that led to the neighborhood directly behind the townhouses.

Her neighbor to the right of her townhouse was close to her age and had small kids. They talked at least once a week. They had each left the gate unlocked, in case the kids’ toys ended up in her backyard. Feeling it wasn’t safe to leave through the front door, she eased out the back sliding glass door, through the gate to her neighbor’s yard, and then on to the back gate.

With her current disguise, no one watching would recognize she didn’t belong to that yard, as she walked through the back gate. It would appear as if she was just walking to another neighbor’s house for a nice chat. She continued walking through the bordering neighborhood and on to her hidden, second car.

In the Denver airport, she checked in for her flight and walked to security. She knew there were cameras all through the airport, especially at the security checkpoint, so she tried to keep her head down while waiting in line, without appearing suspicious. As she neared the TSA agent checking identification and boarding passes, a moment of panic hit her, as she realized it had been three years since the other license had been made.

Drastic changes in appearance raised too many questions in an airport. She handed her license and boarding pass to him and held her breath. He looked at the picture on the license, then at her, then back at the picture, then back at her. He finally made a few marks on her boarding pass and handed it, along with her license, back to her. He eyed her somewhat suspiciously, but when she spoke with her southern twang, “Thank you so much,” his look softened. He smiled and said, “Have a good flight,” before turning to the next person in line.

She made her way through the checkpoint and on to her gate to wait for her flight to Miami. She was certain that her
Kristina Miller
alias had been compromised, but wasn’t sure if
Leslie Solomon
had been or not. Until she knew for sure, she would be extra careful when she arrived in Miami. The paper said Richard Hollingsworth was in Miami, so she knew it wasn’t him watching her. But then he wouldn’t do it himself, would he? No, he would be in Miami….with Noah.

With that thought, she let out an exaggerated and exasperated sigh. She would have to think this through carefully. There were things she had to see herself and plans she had to carefully lay out, until this fiasco was over, one way or another. She had never felt completely safe in trusting Marshal Stevens. Something about the man just didn’t seem right from the beginning, and his lack of surprise over the recent turn of events solidified her resolve.

She heard the airline attendant announce over the intercom that her flight was beginning to board. Brianna collected her purse, stood with her boarding pass in hand, and waited for her zone to be called. As she walked down the jet way, she wasn’t sure if she was walking to or from hell, but she had a sneaking suspicion this would be the hardest trip to Miami she would ever make.

Brianna settled into her seat, buckled her seatbelt, and listened as the flight attendant reviewed the safety information on the TV screen in front of her. As the plane began to move, she leaned her head back against the seat, closed her eyes, and let her mind rest. She’d been running on an adrenalin-high for several hours now and was starting to crash. She knew she was safe, for at least the next four hours.

Even if the Leslie Solomon alias had been compromised, no one would try anything on a plane full of people. Once she landed in Miami, she would find a small hotel, pay with cash, and try to stay out of sight. If anyone recognized her, it wouldn’t matter what name she went by.

*     *     *

Noah Steele stood looking at his friend, Richard, whom he had thought was dead. He couldn’t believe the man was standing before him now. He’d attended Richard’s memorial service, had grieved his friend’s passing, and visited his grave once a year to pay his respects. And all this time, an anti-American terrorist group with a known affiliation with the Islamic Jihadist Union had held his friend hostage.

Smaller fractions of the union were located all through the Middle East and northern Africa. Noah knew Richard frequently traveled to those areas on business. Noah had never guessed that his friend was in trouble, needed his help, and was waiting for someone to rescue him.

When Noah received news of the plane crash, he wanted to travel to the site himself, but the U.S. government stopped all civilian travel to the area, because of the terrorist threat. He had been living in the comfort and safety of home while his friend fought for his life every day. The guilt of leaving a brother behind was overwhelming. Noah’s thoughts kept circling back to one question.
What about her?

“Richard, I still can’t believe this. I should have pushed harder, I should have looked for you.”

“No way, there was no way you could’ve known, and had you somehow made it out of the States, you would’ve been taken hostage, or even killed.” Richard was so convincing, he almost convinced himself it was true. Almost.

Richard still felt Noah’s dark piercing eyes on him, thinking through the scenarios and cover story he had concocted to explain his sudden return. He knew Noah was very intelligent. They had been Airborne Rangers and later part of the elite Delta Force together, so he was also very skilled in terrorism and counter-terrorism measures.

Richard knew that eventually Noah would find a hole in his story, but he planned to have obtained exactly what he needed and be gone again by then. And if Noah had to die, because he figured it all out too soon, so be it.
He’s just another casualty of war – or of money. Take your pick,
Richard thought to himself.

Noah’s face became hard as he said, “We never leave a man behind.
De oppresso liber
.”

What was that quick flicker in Richard’s eye? Guilt?
It was gone as quickly as it came, so Noah didn’t push it. No telling what the man had been through.

Richard responded, “Liberate the oppressed. And I am liberated, so let’s celebrate.”

“I have to ask you something, Richard.” Noah hesitated for a moment, not sure if he wanted the answer or not, then pushed ahead. “Was Brianna taken hostage with you? Or was she on that plane?”

Richard knew this question would come sooner or later. Letting out a deep breath, he replied, “No, Noah, she wasn’t with me. I’m sorry, man.”

Noah nodded, never lowering his eyes from Richard’s. “At least you’re home safe.”

They continued to chat about the business. Richard peppered Noah with questions about how their joint venture was going. Noah had started a private security firm after leaving the military, with financial help from Richard. After Richard left the military, he went to work for the Department of Defense in Washington, DC.

With Noah’s extensive elite military training, he had built a successful private security firm over the past five years, providing close-contact security for visiting foreign dignitaries and world business leaders. He also worked with American politicians visiting foreign countries, and from time to time, America’s elite class would throw some extravagant party that needed extensive security to keep the paparazzi out.

Noah didn’t need the financial help from Richard since, technically, his family was one of those that fit in the American elite class. But, his friend wanted to be a part of it and had frequently sent work his way. Richard was more of a silent partner. At first, Noah was concerned about Richard’s involvement being a conflict of interest. Every time Richard sent a security request to Steele Security, it was through the official channels, complete with contracts, official signatures, and notaries. Richard convinced Noah to stop worrying. After Noah received several commendations from various Senators and DoD leaders, he no longer questioned his friend. Richard could be very persuasive when he wanted something.

For the last three years, the work continued to come in from all the usual sources. Noah and Richard easily engaged in a light banter, as Noah relayed some of the more memorable stories. Noah felt like a part of him had been restored in getting his friend back, but another part of his heart felt like it had been ripped in half again.

When the news first broke of Richard, he had held onto some hope that Brianna would emerge alive, too. But when Richard confirmed she wasn’t with him, he knew she had been on that fateful flight, and he felt like he had lost her all over again.

It was hard to keep his mind on the conversation at times, even though he was very happy to be with his old friend again. His mind kept going back to Brianna and how tense their relationship had become those last few weeks they were together. If only he had one more chance with her.

The conversation lagged and Noah finally said, “I’m going to go now and let you get some rest. You probably have people coming out of the woodwork to talk to you. I’m just glad you’re home, man.” They each gave a manly hug and pat on the back and Noah left, trying to push down the thoughts and feelings he thought he had put to rest.

Noah thought about his friend’s sudden return. They had been friends in high school and joined the Army at roughly the same time. Moving through the ranks and trainings, they both became Airborne Rangers. When Noah decided to go for the elite Delta Force group, Richard soon followed. They were brothers and worked well together.

Noah felt guilty for the fleeting wish that Brianna had returned, instead of Richard…or even
with
Richard. He was glad for his friend, but something was off about the circumstances. There had been no report of any demands for his release. The US government doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, so that wasn’t an option, either. Something didn’t add up in the way that Richard suddenly appeared on the scene, in Miami, and seemingly unscathed.

You’re sounding like a conspiracy theorist now.
He shook off his suspicious thoughts and chalked it up to the fact the press hadn’t been given a lot of information, yet. More would come to light after all of the government officials debriefed Richard, and they decided what unclassified information could be released. His military career had taught him all too well how some top-secret information would never be declassified.

Climbing in his truck, he pulled out his cell phone and punched in his friend’s number. He recounted his visit with Richard to Bull, another of his long-term Army buddies, and one of his closest friends. Bull worked at Steele Security for Noah and had frequently been at his side during some of the worst skirmishes they’d ever encountered. They ended the call with Bull promising to relay the information to Rebel, too. They were all glad, and shocked, to hear of Richard’s return.

“N
oah, can we talk about what’s going on?” Her voice was quiet, and for the first time since he met Brianna, she seemed almost afraid to ask him a question. Her eyes moved around the room, not settling on any one thing for too long. He saw the sadness in her eyes and didn’t know how to respond.