Betrayal (42 page)

Cassidy made her way down to the kitchen and found a note in front of a full coffee pot.

Morning
,

I didn’t want to wake you or Dylan. I just had to run a few errands. I know what you are thinking, but I am okay. I might even be back before you see this, which would probably be a good thing. Don’t be mad
.

Thanks for last night
.

By the way, I was kind of hoping for tacos tonight
.

Je t’aime
.

“Tacos,” Cassidy giggled. “What is it with you and tacos?” she mumbled as she poured herself some coffee and caught sight of a sleepy boy walking into the kitchen. Dylan made his way to her side and collapsed against her hip. “Still tired, sweetie?” He nodded. “Why don’t you go watch some cartoons? I’ll make you some breakfast.” Dylan rubbed his eyes and looked lazily up to his mother. “Are you feeling okay, Dylan?” Cassidy asked with some concern. She felt his head and frowned at his sniffling. “Come on,” Cassidy said, putting her coffee down and leading her son to the other room. “I think this is going to be a quiet day.” She plopped him onto the sofa and covered him with a blanket. “Maybe this will at least keep Alex quiet,” she mused. “She wanted boring.”

Cassidy heard the front door and headed into the hallway. Alex was juggling two large grocery bags and her keys. Picking up her pace, the teacher reached the agent and relieved her of the bags. “What are you doing?”

“Thanks,” Alex said as she placed a gentle kiss on her lover’s forehead and followed Cassidy into the kitchen.

“Alex, you are supposed to be taking it easy.”

“Am I in trouble?” Alex raised an eyebrow.

Cassidy set down the bags and turned, immediately noticing the slight wince that accompanied her lover’s pleasantries. “What am I going to do with you?”

“I have some ideas on that particular subject,” Alex winked.

Cassidy laughed. “You,” she shook her head, “are wobbling as it is. Let’s get you settled in with Dylan.”

“Why? Where’s Dylan?”

“Sick on the couch.”

“What do you mean he’s sick?”

“He has a little fever. Probably a cold.” Alex looked at Cassidy skeptically. “He’s okay, Alex. Come on.” Cassidy took Alex’s hand and led her to the living room.

“Speed?” Alex looked at him. “You okay?” He nodded and offered her a weak smile.

“Come on,” Cassidy urged. “Let me help you get your jacket off.” Alex turned pale and began fidgeting with the zipper on the jacket. “Alex? Are you okay?” The agent stared blankly at her lover. “Are you getting sick too? Are you cold?” Alex shook her head. “Oooookaay…” Cassidy chuckled. The agent sat down next to Dylan and pulled the covers over both of them.

“Maybe I am a little cold, Cass.”

“Uh huh,” Cassidy tipped her head and shook it slightly. Alex fidgeted on the couch for a second and then stood back up. “You’re right. I should take it off.” Cassidy raised her eyebrows at the agent as Alex maneuvered the fleece jacket off and gave the teacher a grin.

“You must have hit your head when you fell. I think I will have to ask the major about that.” Cassidy rolled her eyes. Alex just shrugged and kissed Cassidy’s cheek before plopping back down beside Dylan. “Did you get my note?”

“Which note is that?” Cassidy asked playfully.

“I bought all the stuff.”

“What stuff?”

“You know, for tacos,” Alex said nudging Dylan slightly.

“Oh? Is someone making tacos?”

Alex bit her lip and opened her eyes wide. Dylan scooted into her side and looked at his mother. “I like tacos,” he said.

“I suppose that means I can expect a day of cartoons then too?” Alex smiled again. “I give up,” Cassidy laughed. “You two relax.”

“Where are you going?” Alex asked. “Don’t you want to watch cartoons with us?”

“Tempting, Agent Toles, but…No. I have some things I need to do myself this morning. Starting with putting away those groceries you brought home.”

“I thought we were going to spend the day together?” the agent asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“We are. You wanted boring, right?” Alex nodded. “Well, Dylan is sick, you are still in pain,” Alex started to object and Cassidy immediately intensified her gaze. “You two need to relax. Both of you.” Dylan wiggled closer to the agent and put his head against her. “I need to do some laundry and run to the pharmacy, all that boring stuff you seem to cherish. Then I will make you two some tacos and then, maybe I will watch some crazy movie with you.”

Cassidy looked down at the pair on the sofa and smiled. Alex was unconsciously playing with Dylan’s hair and Dylan’s eyes were closing slowly as he cuddled against her. The teacher gestured to her son and immediately saw Alex’s expression change. “Cass, he’s hot.”

“I gave him some Tylenol a while ago. He just needs to rest, and so do you.”

Alex laid back and guided the boy next to her. “I should help you.”

“You are helping me; keeping him quiet and keeping yourself out of trouble.”

“Okay. I just want to take care of you both.”

“I know you do, Alex. Sometimes, maybe it’s my job to take care of you. That’s how it works.” Alex sighed her compliance. “No files today, okay? Just take it easy; for me?”

“That’s playing dirty,” Alex frowned.

“I know. Did it work?”

Alex laughed. “Yeah.”

Cassidy kissed the agent’s forehead and then her son’s. “No files. Cartoons and rest. Promise?”

“I promise, but we all have tacos together later, right?”

Cassidy laughed. “Deal,” she said heading out of the room.

Dylan had fallen asleep and Alex whispered to him as if he were really paying attention. “She has no idea, Speed.”

“I may have no idea what you are up to,” a voice called back. “But, don’t think I am not watching you.”

“Watch away,” Alex said slyly to herself.

“I will,” the answer came. “You want those tacos, you’ll behave.”

“Alex,” a muffled voice called to the tall agent sleeping beside him.

“Hey, Speed.”

“I don’t feel good.”

The agent forced her eyes open and focused on the blue eyes searching hers. “What’s wrong, Speed? You are burning up.” Dylan rolled his head to the side and rubbed his ear. “Is it your ear?” He nodded. “Okay, I’m gonna go find Mom,
alright?” He nodded again and let his small head fall onto the couch. Alex looked back at him briefly and headed into the kitchen where Cassidy had begun her taco preparation. “Cass?”

“Hey, did you have a good rest?”

“Cass, Dylan’s ear is bothering him. He doesn’t look so good. He’s burning up.”

Cassidy sighed. She wiped her hands on a towel and cupped Alex’s pale face in her hands. “Ear infection,” she said. “Do me a favor and put that away,” she gestured to the cutting board. “I think we might be headed to the doctor.” Alex nodded sheepishly. “I’ll go see,” Cassidy reassured. “Looks like your taco night might be on hold.”

Alex nodded again and started cleaning up the kitchen. The day was not going exactly as she had planned or hoped. She fought the deep ache in her stomach thinking about the expression on Dylan’s face. She couldn’t bear seeing him in pain, even for a minute. A voice broke her silent pondering. “I’m going to take him.”

“Let me get my jacket,” Alex said.

“Alex, why don’t you just relax? Who knows how long it will take. He’s okay. He just needs an antibiotic.”

“Cass, if you are taking Dylan I am going with you.” Alex was firm and Cassidy knew an argument would be pointless. “We can do tacos tomorrow. Let’s just take care of Dylan.” Cassidy smiled and kissed the agent’s cheek before turning to retrieve Dylan. “Never a dull moment,” Alex whispered.

“Not in this family,” Cassidy called back.

Alex stood outside the small clinic absentmindedly toying with the zipper on her jacket as she spoke on her phone. “I can’t get there…….I don’t know how long we will be, a while……. Yeah, I know……….I am sure. Not even a question……You know where it is? Okay….Can you pick up something for….
okay……I will. Thanks.” The agent hung up her phone and faced the afternoon sky. “Never boring,” she mused and headed back through the automatic door.

Michael Taylor paced the floor as he listened carefully to the voice at the other end of the call. He let out a sigh. “You need to get in there. They are likely to cover more tracks if the admiral figures out that you are onto anything…That’s a huge accusation. You’d better be sure that he was CIA before….. London too? Shit….I can do that. If you are certain I will contact Brady…If you are right, shit……watch yourself……I’ll be in touch.” The NSA director disconnected the call and flopped into his oversized chair. “Jesus, Colonel. Who are you?”

Alex walked in the door with Dylan close at her side. “Feeling punkie, huh, Speed?” He nodded. “Well, guess what?” He shrugged. “I heard that there is a Batman movie waiting for you in the family room, all ready to go.” Cassidy raised her eyebrow inquisitively at the agent. Alex just smiled and continued. “Mom says you need to eat to take your medicine.” He nodded. “Maybe not tacos…how about some really awesome chicken soup?”

“Alex?” Cassidy asked.

“It’s nothing. Why don’t you go into the family room with Dylan and I will bring some in for all of us.”

“Alex, where did you get chicken soup?”

The agent shrugged and then winked. “I have connections, Cassidy. Powerful ones, remember?”

Cassidy shook her head and rolled her eyes playfully. “I do remember,” she laughed. There was no point in pressing Alex for details. The agent had a way of taking care of things; big
things, little things, anything that she could. Cassidy suspected that seeing Dylan sick was almost as painful for Alex as it was for her son. Alex would call the White House for chicken soup if she thought it would make Dylan feel better. It was one of the agent’s most endearing qualities and one of the many reasons Cassidy had fallen so deeply in love with Alex Toles. “Why don’t you let me get the soup, though? You go sit with Dylan.”

“Nope,” the agent said as she scooted mother and son toward the family room. “I slept for hours earlier. You have been going all day. Go sit with Dylan. I promise; I can heat soup.”

“Uh-huh…don’t burn anything, Agent…like yourself,” Cassidy joked.

“Cute, Cass.” Cassidy laughed. “Go on.”