Dangerous Secrets (49 page)

‶
The people who sent me
this′′ —he reached for the folder— ″did it for a reason. They
aren′t going to wait for the results of the election.″ He turned
back to his campaign manager.
‶
And, Elliott, there are some things more important
than elections.″

***

Clarence Christopher agreed to help Hart
Lewiston find his daughter. The trio had left his office only moments ago. He
gave them enough time to get down the elevator and exit the building. He could
have told Hart immediately where his daughter was. He withheld the information
because of Hart′s wife and his campaign manager. Hart was a friend and he′d
be a good president if he got elected, and until a few days ago Clarence knew
no reason why he wouldn′t win the election. Hart trusted his campaign
manager and Carla an Hart had been married more than twenty years. But Clarence
exercised caution. And he needed to pass this tidbit on to Brian Ashleigh.

It was almost six o′clock in the morning.
The sun had been up for an hour, but he knew Brian Ashleigh would be in his
office. A widower, Brian had no ties to keep him at home. He lived and breathed
his job.

‶
Ashleigh,″ he identified
himself into the phone.

‶
Good morning, Brian,″
Clarence said. He didn′t identify himself.
‶
I think it′s time we had
another talk.″

‶
What′s happened?″

‶
Hart Lewiston just left my
office. He′s calling a press conference this morning to acknowledge his
daughter.″

‶
Daughter?″ Brian said,
but Clarence heard the muffled curse in the background.

‶
I′m sure it′s no
surprise to you who his daughter is.″

‶
How′d he find out?″
Brian didn′t deny that Clarence had good information.

‶
Someone sent him a file.
It′s complete, comes with photos and text. I have it on my desk.″

***

Saturday was a big day at the camp. Students
left and arrived on that day, departures after breakfast, arrivals after lunch.
More than 150 campers traded places on Saturdays with the maintenance crews
working doubly fast to get the cabins ready for the next group.

Jan and Allie were busy registering and being
useful. Agents Burton and Tilden, whom she′d met the night before, were
apparently doing what agents do. Jack was gone when Morgan woke up, but left
instructions that her face was too well-known for her to help. Someone was
bound to recognize her.

She stayed in her room, watching old movies on
television, while everyone else did something useful. Even Allie, whose face was
much more recognizable than her own, was directing traffic, showing people
where to park and answering questions. Morgan could hear the shout of
recognition whenever anyone put her face with her name. She looked through the
balcony window. Allie wore a bright red and white full-body gymnastics suit
that looked as if she′d had it painted onto that perfect form.

The way she looked, Morgan was surprised Jan
let her direct traffic. She could cause an accident more than prevent one.

Turning away, she looked at the bed. It
reminded her of Jack. The gun had scared her, frightened her because of what
Jack did, the danger he put himself in to save someone else. He was here to
protect her the same as he′d done more times than she knew. The enormity
of him dying while trying to protect someone else hit her harder than the fact
that he′d held a gun to her head.

When he came to her, all she could think of was
losing him. That sometime in the next few days he could be killed trying to
keep her alive. She wanted to tell him how frightened it made her, but she
didn′t. She kissed him and everything seemed to focus. He knew how she
felt. He knew she was afraid. He knew she loved him and that her heart was
involved in every thought she had about him.

They made love. Jack was barely able to undress
her before their need to be together had them trembling. It was fast, fiery
bright and as explosive as nitro. She burst over the edge with him, falling at
G-Forces greater than she′d known. Then together they floated back to
earth, back to the bedroom floor where their legs were entwined with each
other′s and their discarded clothes.

Morgan fell asleep in Jack′s arms. She
remembered the added warmth of his body as she hugged it to her and went into a
dreamland where she and Jack lived blissfully.

In the morning, he was gone. Allie brought her
breakfast and orders that she was to remain where she was.
‶
Or
there′ll be hell to pay,″ Allie added her own quote.

She felt trapped, although getting out of the
room and to the ground by means other than the door was a snap. Jack′s
reasons were sound, even if his delivery method was rough. She′d been
with him a while and understood the danger. Allie hadn′t had anyone
shooting at her, and despite the special effects on the screen, she′d
never run through a copse of trees with guys firing guns behind her, or had a
bullet graze her leg.

Morgan crossed the room again to look through
the window. The bedroom was spacious, appointed in a feminine pink with green
accents. The carpet was a deep green that reminded her of a forest, while the
walls were painted apple green. The comforter on the bed was done in pink and
the accent pillows a deeper shade of the same color. Morgan passed the sitting
area where she′d watch TV. There was a writing desk with a computer and a
phone. Morgan had no one to write or call and nothing to access on the
computer. All she′d done since she showered and dressed this morning was
walk back and forth to the window. It was nearly two o′clock. The
arriving campers had shown up in force right after lunch and were just now
beginning to thin out. Morgan wished she could go to one of the gyms and
practice, but they would be filled with parents looking around or new campers
checking out their surroundings. The last movie she had any interest in went
off an hour ago and soap operas weren′t something she′d ever
watched. She switched the station to one of the all news programs. She
didn′t know if she wanted to see it. It was full of her and what had
happened. No one knew, and in the past few days they′d made up things to
fill airtime left over from the coming Olympics in St. Louis or the
presidential campaign.

She turned the television back on and started
flipping through the stations. Maybe she′d watch something on the
Discovery Channel or relive some war on the History Channel.

There was a short knock on the door and she
heard Jack′s voice. Dropping the remote control, she ran to the door and
pulled it inward.

‶
In,″ she smiled.

He came in, closing the door behind him. She
went into his arms and kissed him. At that moment she felt something was wrong.
Behind her the television droned on with the news.

‶
What′s wrong?″

Jack crossed behind her and picked up the
remote.
‶
In
a surprise move. . .″ He switched the TV off as the newsman began another
story.

‶
Jack?″ He wasn′t
looking at her. He flipped the remote over and over in his hand.

Something was wrong.
‶
What
happened?″

‶
There was a press conference
this morning in Washington. It involves you.″

‶
Me! How? Did someone come
forward about the helicopter?″

‶
This is separate from
that.″

Morgan went to the sitting area. She walked
around him and stood directly in front.
‶
Give it to me straight.″

‶
Your biological father came
forward this morning to acknowledge you. He′s trying to find you.″

‶
I don′t understand. What
biological father?″

‶
The newscast didn′t tell
everything, but he′s sure you′re his daughter.″

‶
Jack, who is it?″

‶
The last man on earth
you′d expect,″ he said, turning around and pointing the remote at
the television. The screen came on instantly.

‶
. . . this news only came to
his attention recently.″ The story started in the middle. Morgan looked
at the photo in the corner. Hart Lewiston smiled his campaign smile from the
right side of the screen.
‶
More on this as details become known.″ The
camera shifted to another angle and the anchorman faced the new camera.
‶
We′ll
have the complete report later in this broadcast.″

The newscaster went on to her story. She looked
at Jack, whose face was quizzical.
‶
What?″ she asked. She
went back to the television listening intently, but there was nothing new
there.
‶
Jack—″

It hit her then. Her head whipped back and
forth between the television and Jack.
‶
Hart Lewiston?″

Jack didn′t reply.

‶
Jack, Hart Lewiston is not my
father. The man′s trying to get elected. This has to be a scam. Somehow
he′s trying to get sympathy for his campaign by coupling himself with
me.″

‶
I called Washington,″
Jack said.

‶
Did you talk to Hart
Lewiston?″

‶
I talked to Brian Ashleigh and
Forrest Washington. They told me the whole story.″

Morgan′s anger got the better of her.
‶
Why
didn′t they tell me? Why didn′t you tell me you were going to do
it? Shouldn′t I have anything to say about my own life? Jack, you
can′t believe this.″ She threw her hands in the air.
‶
I
can′t believe it. What on earth does he have to gain by dropping a story
like this? He could lose the election.″

‶
Exactly,″ Jack agreed,
his voice low.
‶
Which
is why it seems he must be telling the truth. Why else would someone in his
political place commit this kind of suicide?″

‶
I don′t know.″

The door burst open and Jan and Allie almost
fell inside.
‶
Morgan,
are you watching the news?″ Both women stopped when they saw the look on
her face.

‶
It′s a lie,″ she
stated.
‶
It′s
got to be a lie.″

‶
Morgan, I thought you′d
be a Hart Lewiston supporter,″ Jan said.
‶
He represents all the things
you used to say you′d want in a candidate.″

‶
I am a supporter. I plan to
vote for him.″ The implication of his action hit her then. She turned to
Jack, grasping his arms.
‶
Jack, he′ll be a target. You′ve got to
stop this.″

‶
I thought there was no
danger.″ Jan took a step forward.

Morgan looked at the floor, then up at her
friend.
‶
The
idea, Jan, was to come and go quickly. I never thought you′d find the
package and move it. There is danger. Someone is trying to kill me, but you
knew that. I never wanted to or expected to spend the night here. I′ll
understand if you want us to go.″

‶
Don′t bother,″ Jan
said.
‶
I′ll
only worry about you somewhere else. At least here I know where you are.″

‶
What about the school? There
are hundreds of kids here.″

‶
I′ve got it
covered.″ Jack addressed the point. Jan trained her gaze on Jack.
‶
Agents
Tilden and Burton and I have been scouting the place. If anything happens, one
of us will be on top of it.″

‶
I believe you,″ Jan said.
‶
I
have the children of several hundred families at this camp. I can′t risk
any of them.″

‶
I promise you we′ll be
gone minutes after the bank opens on Monday. We can′t go before
that.″

‶
We′re in danger too,
aren′t we?′′ Allie asked a question, but everyone could hear
the statement in it. ″Whoever is looking for Morgan knows about us. We
were on television. Then the two agents showed up and kept us locked away for
two days before bringing us here. This is a control. You expect something might
happen?″

‶
It might. The people after
Morgan want what she has, not particularly her, but I have no doubt
they′ll kill her to get it.″

‶
Why didn′t they try to
kill me?″ Jan asked.

‶
They may not know you have
anything. If they do, you may have saved yourself by putting the package in the
bank,″ Jack answered.

‶
I don′t
understand,″ Jan said.

‶
If anything happens to you,
your safety deposit box will be frozen. It could only be opened in front of a
U.S. Marshal. Everything inside would be scrutinized. Something these people
couldn′t afford.″

‶
What happens now?″ Allie
asked.

‶
We stick with the plan. On
Monday, Morgan and I leave. Agents Burton and Tilden will stay a while longer.
Within a couple of days everything should be back to normal.″

‶
You make it sound like we have
a cold and it′ll go away in a day or two.″

‶
I don′t mean to
trivialize it. There is a real danger.″ Allie moved closer to Jan.
‶
At
the moment I think we′re safe. I promise if anything changes, we′ll
get out of here.″

Jan nodded.

‶
Jan, I think we should leave
now,″ Morgan suggested.
‶
We can go to a hotel or sleep in the SUV.″

‶
No,″ Jan vetoed the idea.
‶
Sticking
together is safer for us all.″

‶
Morgan, what about the
news?″ Allie asked.