Black Pawn (Michael Cailen Book 1) (14 page)

Michael had been in bed most of the past ten days.  The ache
in his shoulder woke him.  It was still dark. Jessica was asleep next to him. 
The alarm clock said 3:40 a.m.  Thirsty and in need of more pain killers, he
gingerly crawled out of bed.  Moving hurt and he didn't want to wake Jessica. 
He grabbed the bottle of Vicodin and walked out of the bedroom.  As he entered
the hallway, he could see the light from the TV though he couldn't hear it.  He
walked into the living room and saw Josh sitting on the couch watching TV.

“You're up late,” Michael remarked.

“I've been sleeping days,” Josh replied.

“Keeping watch?”

“Yeah.”

“Good idea,” Michael said as he walked into the kitchen to
get a glass of water.  He downed a Vicodin and sat down next to Josh.  “I need
you to do something for me.”

“What do you need?”

“I need to destroy the two phones I have and get three burn
phones.”

“No problem.  What's on your mind?”

“If I had been killed or they got hold of my cell phone, it
would have led them right to you.  That can't happen.  We'll get disposables
and only use those to talk to each other.  If I get caught, at least it will
just be a dead end.”

“What about Brook?  You called her on that phone, too.”

“Not to seem cold, but honestly I don't care.  I've thought
about killing her myself sometimes.”

“That bad, huh?”

“She's a beast.  I called her on my other prepaid and told
her I lost my old phone.  I told her I had also come down with the flu.  She
told me to call her when I was feeling better and hasn't called once since to
check up on me.  Not that I'm complaining about that.  But she only thinks of
herself.”

“Sounds like a real catch,” Josh said sarcastically.

“Yeah, if you're looking to catch a disease,” Michael
retorted.  “She's the epitome of a slut.  I don't even like kissing her.”

“Why don't you take her out and I'll search her place while
she's gone,” Josh suggested

“That's not a bad idea.  You don't mind?”

“Not at all.  The sooner you can get away from her the
better.”

Michael stared at the TV and nodded in agreement.  He would
be happy to be done with her.

“Do you know what's on this flash drive Jessica's been
trying to decrypt?” Josh asked.

“Besides the photos, we have no idea.  But it's something
someone doesn't want found.”

“She's having a tough time with it.”

“Yeah, she is.  She's under a lot of stress.  It's affecting
her concentration.”  Michael paused. “She has a friend who can probably crack
it but I don't really want to get him involved.”

“Who is he?”

“Probably the closest thing she's had to a father.”

“Uhhh ..  I know you're pretty enamored with her but ... 
That sounds like a big no no.”

Michael chuckled.  “It's different.”  He went on to explain
about Jessica running away although he withheld the reasons why.  He told Josh
how Kevin had saved her and taught her about hacking.  Also about her new
identity.

“So what you're saying is Jessica Nickoli has no connection
with this Kevin guy?”

“That's what she tells me,” Michael replied.

“Well you'd better make sure before you show up at his
door.”

“Yeah, I know.  I'm worried there could be a connection she
forgot about or just isn't telling me.”

“You're the master of interrogation, Michael.  Why don't you
find out?”

Michael didn't say anything.

“You can't interrogate her, can you?” Josh looked at him.

Michael was silent.  Interrogating Jessica would mean
putting pressure on her and making her uncomfortable, possibly even being rough
with her.  He didn't relish the thought.

“You want me to do it?” Josh asked.

Michael looked away.  As unappealing as interrogating
Jessica was, the thought of someone else doing it was worse. “No,” he sighed.
“I'll do it.”

“You sure you can handle it?”

“I said, I'll do it.”  He knew Josh didn't think he could
handle it and even though he was probably right, he wouldn't admit it.

Jessica woke and shuffled out of the bedroom.  She saw the
guys watching TV and sat next to Michael as Josh prepared to leave.  “How are
you feeling?” she asked.

“Shoulder aches.”

She frowned.  “I'm sorry.”

“It's healing.”  He gave her a smile.

“Kevin's flight gets in this evening.”  She said it almost
in the form of a question.

Michael nodded, but didn't say anything.

“I'm sure he can crack the drive,” she offered.

It was then that a thought occurred to Michael.  Was she
unable to decrypt the drive, or unwilling?  Was she pretending to have trouble
so they would be forced to go to Kevin?  He turned to her.  She didn't seem to
be acting deceptive.  He shook away the thought.  She wouldn't lie to him about
that.

Josh left to take care of the cell phones while Michael and
Jessica moved to the kitchen to have breakfast.  He returned just when they
finished eating.  Jessica cleared the table as Josh set down the phones he had
just purchased.  Michael grabbed one and saved the other two numbers on it.  He
handed it to Jessica.  “I'm giving you a phone.  The number labeled 'Dad' is me
and 'Work' is Josh.”

“Oh, alright.”

“You are not to call anyone else on that phone.”  He looked
at her solemnly.  “These are just so the three of us can stay in touch.  You
compromise anyone else you call with this phone.  Do you understand what I'm
saying?”

“I think so,” she said nervously.

“I'm saying if you call Kevin on this phone and one of us
gets caught, you will have killed him.”

She got the point this time.  “I get it.”

He programmed the other two phones and handed one to Josh,
who was leaning against the counter.  Josh gave him a look saying it was time
to ask Jessica a few questions.  Michael took a deep breath then turned to
Jessica who was playing with her new phone.

“Jessica, I need to know that there is no connection between
you and Kevin.”

She looked up at him. “I told you.  There isn't.”

“Maybe something that happened a long time ago.”

“No.  We never talked in any way that could connect us,” she
insisted.  “He was adamant about that.  There's no connection.”

“Michael.”  Josh got his attention.

He turned to Josh and could tell by the look on his face
that he didn't believe her.  He looked down at the table and then back at
Jessica.  She looked nervous and for the first time he saw a glimmer of
deception that he hadn't seen before.  She was keeping something from him.

“What are you hiding?” he asked her.

She sat up straight. “I'm not hiding anything, Michael.”

Now he could tell she was lying.  “You're lying.”

She started to get upset.  “Michael, I'm not lying.  I used
a prepaid cell, paid for with cash to talk to him.  We never exchanged emails
on my personal computers.  The only way they might have connected us is if they
had gotten my journal.  There's no way they can connect us.”

Michael looked in her eyes and shook his head.  He was
starting to get angry.  There was no doubt she was hiding something.  He stood
from his chair and stepped towards her.  He put one hand on the table in front
of her and the other on the back of her chair.  He leaned down so his face was
close to hers.  The move made her extremely nervous.  She couldn't look at him,
she just stared down at the table.

“You're hiding something and you're lying about it.”

“There's no way they can connect us.  Why won't you believe
me?”  Tears rolled down her cheeks.  She still wouldn't look at him.

Josh looked on, wondering who would break first, Michael or
Jessica.  Right now, he wasn't sure.  He saw Michael's demeanor change as soon
as the tears fell.

“I think you're withholding something because you're afraid
if you tell me, I won't let you see him.  But let me assure you, until you tell
me you, will not see him.”

“Please, there's no way they could know about him,” she
pleaded.

“Then why are you so afraid to tell me?”   She didn't say
anything she just sat there looking down at the table.  It was time to get
tough. 

“What are you hiding?!” he shouted.

His tone and volume surprised and scared her.  There was no
point in trying to hide it any longer.  She knew he would keep his word and she
wouldn't see Kevin until she told him.  “I did a job for him.”

Michael exchanged glances with Josh.  “What kind of job?”

“When I first moved out.  He had one of his companies hire
me to check its security.  It was a company owned by a company that was owned
by him.  He did it to get me started, so I'd have a reference.  Would be easier
to get future work.”

“How much did he pay you and how was it paid?”

“The company paid me directly.  Two hundred thousand.”

Michael and Josh were both surprised by the amount.  “That's
a lot of money,” Michael remarked.

“I've had similar jobs since then.”  She wiped a tear away.

Michael was having a hard time processing that.  She must be
loaded.

“Are you going to let me see him?” she asked.

“I don't know.”

She started crying and got up to leave.  Michael didn't stop
her.  She went into the bedroom and closed the door.

“She's still hiding something,  Michael,” Josh said.

“I know.”

“It has to do with why she wants to see him,” Josh stated.

“I know.”  Michael looked toward the bedroom.

“You also know you could have easily found out what it was.”

“She's had enough for now.  Leave it alone.”  He gave Josh a
look telling him to drop it.

“It's unlikely they will link her to a distant owner of a
company that hired her six years ago.” Josh changed the subject.

“Yeah, that's what I was thinking.  You should get some
rest.  I might need you later.”

“Bed sounds good.  Wake me if you need me.”

Josh walked to his bedroom and closed the door.  Michael
stood in the kitchen, trying to decide if he should try and smooth things out
with Jessica or give her some time alone.  He decided to try and smooth things
out, but first called Brook on his new phone.  He told her he switched phones
again because he didn't like the other one.  She asked how he was feeling and
he said he was doing better but not one hundred percent.  She again said to
call when he was feeling up to going out and that was the end of the
conversation.

Michael sighed and walked to the bedroom to talk to
Jessica.  She really wanted to see Kevin and was scared he wasn't going to let
her.  He told her he hadn't made up his mind about it yet.  He needed to make
sure it would be safe.  Jessica was relieved to hear that it wasn't a no.  At
least she still had hope.

He asked her where Kevin lived and when his flight would get
in.  He needed to formulate a plan, but was starting to feel tired.  His body
was still trying to recover from his recent brush with death.  He grabbed his
gun and walked into the living room.  He set it on the coffee table and settled
on the couch for a light nap.

MICHAEL WOKE
about an hour later.  His shoulder was
aching again.  This time, he took over-the-counter pain medicine.  He didn't
want to become dependent on the Vicodin.  As long as the pain was tolerable, he
would try to work through it.

He went to check on Jessica.  She was lying on the bed
facing out the window.  He saw her journal on the nightstand next to her with a
pen on top.  She didn't move when he entered the room and he thought maybe she
was asleep.  He walked to the foot of the bed and looked down at her.  She was
awake, just looking out the window. 
She looks depressed
, he thought. 
After a minute she looked at him.  He gave her a smile and she smiled back.  He
climbed on the bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Fine,” she sighed.

“You don't look fine.”

“I just can't believe any of this is happening.  It's like a
terrible dream.”

“We're working on ending it, Jess.”  He kissed her neck and
laid his head back down on the pillow.

“And what happens when it is over?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“What happens to us?  Will I see you again?”

“Why wouldn't you?”  He propped himself up on his elbow and
looked at her.  She looked distraught.  She didn't answer, she just shrugged
her shoulders.  He was getting ready to say something when they heard a knock
on the front door.  They both sat up quickly as if someone had jolted them with
electricity.

“Wake Josh and stay in his room.”  Michael grabbed his gun
and slipped out of the bedroom.  He crept slowly up to the door and looked out
the peephole.  It was a woman.  Blonde hair and blue eyes, she looked about in
her late thirties or early forties.  A few seconds passed before he was joined
by Josh, who was wearing a t-shirt and boxers and holding a gun.

“Who is it?” Josh whispered.

Michael looked Josh over. “You know you could have thrown
some pants on.”

“Bite me.”

“I think it's your sister.”  Michael stepped away from the
door so Josh could move in.

“Yeah, it is.”  Josh handed his gun to Michael and told him
to stay in the bedroom with Jessica while he found out what she wanted.  After
about ten minutes, Josh let them out.

“All clear,” he said.

“What did she want?” Michael asked.

“She was in the area and just thought she'd drop by.  She
hasn't seen me as much since I got my own place.  She wanted to go out for
lunch, but I told her I wasn't feeling very well and just wanted to rest.”

“Well you look like crap, so I think that will hold up,”
Michael grinned.

“Yeah, whatever.” Josh rolled his eyes fighting off a smirk.
“Get out of my room now so I can go back to bed.”