Commitment (13 page)

“Are you telling me that your house is bugged?”

Alex shrugged. For the last few months, she and Cassidy had taken Krause’s suggested precautions in dialogue. Alex and Krause had located the “ears” in the house fairly easily. She was able to render them useless when needed, but she was still vigilant. She and Krause were on the radar. That meant devising numerous ways to hold conversations that seemed entirely mundane that in fact, were dealing with matters of great interest to anyone who might be listening. “It comes with the package, Fallon. I have it under control. What concerns me is who wants to listen in on my life that does not have access.” Alex had two needs now. The first was to ensure Dylan was safe in every way, and the second was to determine who O’Brien’s puppeteer was. She had wondered why he had begun to show a sudden revitalized interest in Dylan. Now, it made sense.

“Alex, how are…”

“Krause will call in twenty-five minutes.” She began walking back toward the house and stopped at the patio. “Do me a favor?” she asked. Fallon nodded. “Bring the wood in and tell Cass I realized I forgot to pick up dessert. I’m just going to run downtown and get something.”

“It’s not important,” Fallon said as Alex opened the back door for him.

“No. I know,” she said stepping into the kitchen and retrieving her keys from the counter. “I think after what just happened, Dylan and Cassidy could both use something to sweeten their day. I’ll be back by the time Cass has dinner ready. Just tell her….and start that fire, will you?” Alex laughed.

“Sure thing,” Fallon replied. “You sure have taken to the role of boss,” he joked as Alex opened the door to the garage.

“I was always your boss,” Alex mocked him playfully as she took her leave. “You just weren’t paying attention.”

“Probably so,” Fallon muttered. He looked at the toy on the table and sighed wondering what else could befall his friend and her family.

Alex accepted a small bag from the clerk and nodded her thanks. She looked at the phone in her hand as the message appeared, “3-21”. She smiled back at the young girl behind the counter and began to head for the door when a voice called to her. “Miss Toles?” Alex turned back. “Sandy says your brother is on the phone. She’s in her office if you want to grab it there.”

Alex smiled. “Thanks, Jeannie.” It had been the perfect plan. Nick and the owner of the pastry shop in town had been friends for years. They had attended culinary school together, and Alex frequented the bakery. She was considered family. The cordial relationship provided a terrific means of communication for Alex and Krause. It was a contingency plan they had yet to utilize, and Alex was grateful they had concocted it now. She moved past the young woman and into a small side office.

“Hey, Alex,” Sandy greeted. “Sorry, that you missed Tony. He just left.” Alex smiled. “Take as long as you need. Hope everything is okay.”

“Yeah, I probably have last minute requests,” Alex joked. She waited for the door to close and picked up the phone. “This is Alex,” she said lightly.

“Better get extra cupcakes,” Krause replied.

“Yeah. Well, that might be a good idea, actually. Seems we have extra company,” she answered.

“Who?”

“Not sure,” she said.

“Where?”

“O’Brien sent home a present with Dylan,” she responded.

“Is he all right?” Krause asked immediately. Alex let out a sigh. “Cassidy?” Alex let out another audible breath. “Alex?”

“We need to talk.” Now it was Krause’s turn to release his tension in a sigh. “You with Callier?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he responded. “Can you tell?” he asked. “Can you tell whose it is?”

“It’s not CIA or NSA issue. If it is, I’ve never seen it. God knows I’ve seen enough of them. It’s subtle. Most people would never have noticed it.”

“How did you…”

“Dylan threw it. Toy truck. Broke it in a couple of places. Just in the right place. A tiny shiny piece behind a wire that doesn’t quite match,” she paused. “Listen, I don’t like this. Brackett is on her way to London. Tate said something to Fallon about you and me; something to the effect that people didn’t want us to find each other.” Alex listened to the marked silence filling the line. “Now, O’Brien shows his face all of a sudden, making overtures toward Dylan…”

“What kind of overtures?” Krause asked.

“Threats,” Alex answered. “We both know that this is not about Dylan.”

“Shit…Alex…Callier just told me that Dimitri is headed to London as well.”

“Great.” Alex pinched the bridge of her nose and released it. Her father’s letter was plaguing her thoughts, and if she was right, it was at the center of Cassidy’s now as well. “There’s something else….my father….Pip, he…”

“Alex….”

“He left a letter for Cassidy,” Alex whispered through the line.

“What?” Krause asked.

“Yeah, I know…listen we need to talk face to face.”

“I agree,” he said quietly.

“You think you can get Mitchell on Brackett; subtly?” Alex wondered.

“Yeah. They want us to follow her to London,” he observed.

“So, where don’t they want us?” Alex asked.

Krause looked over toward Callier, who was leaning against the wall. “Good question. Can you get here this weekend?”

“France?” Alex asked.

“Yes.”

Alex let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t….”

“Dylan?” he asked. There was no response. Krause was hoping to bring Alex to Callier, but the lack of response from his partner told him everything he needed to know. “I’ll be back Saturday. The train station.”

“All right,” Alex agreed.

“Alex, leave it on…don’t let them know you found…”

“I won’t. I think we should give them something to think about,” she replied.

“You want to plant false information,” Krause surmised.

“Yes, I do.”

“All right. I’ll see what more I can learn here. Alex….”

“Yeah?”

“In that letter was there anything about….”

Alex closed her eyes. “We’ll talk when I see you Saturday,” she said softly.

“Yeah. Just be careful,” he reminded her.

“You too,” she said, disconnecting the call with a sudden feeling that there was something more Jonathan Krause wanted to say. Alex mentally stored the conversation away and walked back to the counter. ‘Never too cautious’ was her motto now. “Seems I’ll need another couple of cupcakes,” she explained.

lex shut off the light and pulled Cassidy into her arms.

“How are you doing?” she asked.

“Better now,” Cassidy sighed.

“I want you to go with Dylan to your mom’s. I’ll pick you up there Saturday night.”

Cassidy propped herself up on her elbow. “Are you worried he might try something with Dylan?”

“No, I’m not,” Alex assured as she pulled Cassidy back into her arms. “I’m curious about who he is trying to impress though. And, I have a few things to take care of,” she whispered. “It will be easier if you are there; no curious eyes. I am worried about you and Dylan.” Feeling Cassidy tense Alex quickly clarified her meaning. “I’m not worried about your safety, Cass. I am worried about both of you emotionally. I just think it would be good for you both.”

“Alex…”

“I know. School. I know. It’s only two days, Cass.” Alex felt Cassidy tighten her hold. “What is it?”

“I’ve been thinking; about Pip….about your father’s…”

“Yeah. I know. Me too,” Alex admitted.

“I know it’s not,” Cassidy sat up slightly to regard Alex in the faint light. “I can’t believe I am about to say this.”

Alex nodded her head in quiet understanding. “It’s not my first choice either. It does solve the immediate problem. And,” Alex stopped abruptly.

“And what?” Cassidy urged.

“Right now, I want Dylan to feel safe. It’s the best alternative. If we can show that O’Brien is not Dylan’s…”

Cassidy blew out a heavy breath and laid back on Alex. “What do you think he’ll say?”

“Pip?” Alex asked and felt Cassidy’s affirmative nod. “He loves Dylan as much as he loves you. John was like his brother. On some level I think he feels he is betraying that,” Alex said plainly. “That’s why I hate asking him. Doesn’t really make sense if I think about it, though.”

“Why is that?” Cassidy asked, tracing light patterns over Alex.

“John apparently agreed to this,” Alex paused. “And, Pip has proven it more than once. He’d do anything for you.”

“Mmm,” was the only response.

“What?” Alex asked.

“I think you are missing something in that statement,” Cassidy offered.

“I don’t think so. It was John’s idea. We both know Pip would do anything for…”

“Yes, I know that,” Cassidy admitted. “It isn’t just me that he would do anything for.”

“Well, of course not. Dylan is…”

“No, Alex. You don’t see it,” Cassidy said.

“See what?” Alex asked.

“You and Pip. You can’t see it. You’re too close.”

“What are you talking about?” Alex asked somewhat defensively.

Cassidy chuckled softly. “Honey, I don’t know how it happened, but I’ve never seen you so comfortable with another person.”

“You,” Alex answered.

“Yes. That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Cassidy scolded playfully. “You care about him.” Alex squirmed slightly beneath Cassidy and Cassidy giggled again. “Like it or not, Agent Toles, you and Pip are friends.” Alex sighed. She had admitted it to herself long ago, but she had never voiced
it to anyone else. Cassidy heard another uncomfortable sigh escape her wife. “Why is that so hard for you?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Alex confessed. “For years at the NSA Jonathan Krause was on my radar as a player. There’s no logical reason I should trust him. Well, other than the fact that he would die before he let anyone hurt you.”

“But?” Cassidy encouraged.

“I don’t know. I just do.”

“Just do what?” Cassidy asked.

“Trust him,” Alex answered.

“And?”

“Should there be more?” Alex laughed.

“You care about him,” Cassidy said plainly.

“I….”

“Alex, he’s your friend. Just like Brian…like Nick, like everyone you love, you worry about protecting him.”

“He can take care of himself,” Alex observed.

“Everyone needs someone to take care of them sometimes, even Pip,” Cassidy said softly.