To Love and Protect (9 page)

“Someone lured the guard away and beat the crap out of him,” he said.

“I figured that when I saw you walking him to the car.” She wrapped her arms around her chest and bit her lower lip. “So they’re willing to attack people and break into rooms just to get Natasha. She must be some baby.”

He crossed to her and tugged her to her feet. When she stood next to him, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

“I’m right here,” he said.

“I know.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.”

Her words were muffled against his shoulder.

He didn’t like the resignation in her voice, nor the truth in what she said. It wasn’t okay. Until he figured out what the hell was going on, it might never be okay.

“I just have to get through to the hearing,” she whispered. “I can do that, right? One more day.”

One more day and then she would be gone. He knew it was for the best—that she would be safe once she was back home—but he didn’t want her to go.

He moved to the chair and sat down, then pulled Liz onto his lap. She settled gracefully and leaned against him. He stroked her long hair.

“You’ll be fine,” he said. “Between now and the hearing, I’ll make sure you’re not alone. If I can’t be here, I’ll arrange for someone from the embassy staff to be with you. You’ll have an escort to the hearing.”

A shiver rippled through her. “I appreciate all that.”

“Has Maggie explained what happens at the hearing?” he asked.

She nodded. “We have to see a judge. It’s the last step before we can get visas for the children. There’s a ten-day waiting period, but that’s always waived. So once we finish with the hearing, we go to the embassy to get the visas, then back to the hotel to pack. Our flight leaves at midnight.”

One more day, he thought grimly.

“Do you want to come to my apartment tonight?” he asked.

She raised her head and looked at him. “I’d rather not move Natasha. She’s slept through all of this, but I don’t want to push my luck.”

“Then I’ll stay here.”

When she glanced at the bed, he added, “In the chair.”

“You won’t get much sleep.”

“I’ve survived on less.”

She leaned back against him. “Do you spend a lot of your day rescuing Americans in trouble?”

“Not usually, but I’m happy to make an exception.”

“I don’t know what I would have done without you,” she whispered.

“It’s not an issue. I’m here.”

He would stay with her until she left, he told himself. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. The wanting, always there below the surface, flared to life. He ignored it and the subtle pressure in his groin. Neither mattered. This was about keeping Liz and Natasha safe. Once they were on the plane and heading home, he would forget about her. Or at least try.

It rained the next morning and the gray weather matched Liz’s mood. She hadn’t slept the previous night. Worry had combined with her awareness of David in the same room. Both had kept her tossing and turning until sunrise, when David had returned to his apartment.

But it would soon be over, she thought as she finished dressing. And it would be worth it.

She turned and smiled at Natasha who lay propped up on several pillows. The baby held a terry-cloth giraffe in her pudgy hand and stared at it with delight.

When someone knocked on the door, Liz jumped, but only a little. Maggie had already been by to check on her and tell her what time they were leaving. David had phoned to let her know when to expect the agent who would escort them to the court hearing.

Liz checked the peephole, then opened her door to admit a tall, beautiful, slender blonde holding out an official-looking identification card.

“Elizabeth Duncan?” the woman said. “I’m Ainsley Johnson. I work with David Logan. I’m here to make sure your day goes smoothly.”

“Thank you. Please come in.”

Liz smiled and tried not to tug on the hem of her T-shirt. She felt ratty when compared with the agent’s exquisitely tailored pale blue suit and matching leather sandals.

Ainsley stepped into the hotel room. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired, but all right.”

“David filled me on what’s been happening. I’m sorry your adoption experience has been so difficult.”

“Thank you.”

Liz tried not to picture David and the gorgeous blonde breakfasting on a terrace somewhere after a night spent together. Ainsley wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

Liz shook off the unwelcome thought. She knew her lack of sleep made her edgy. What did it matter if David and Ainsley were involved? Except it did matter, which made no sense.

Ainsley crossed to the bed and smiled at Natasha. “So you’re what all this fuss is about. You’re certainly a pretty baby. Are you ready to dazzle the judge and go home with your new mommy?”

Natasha giggled and waved, which caused her to drop her giraffe. Ainsley leaned over and picked it up.

“You’re a very special girl,” she cooed. “Your new mommy must be very happy.” She turned to Liz. “I know all this is stressful, but it will be over soon.”

Great. Ainsley was beautiful
and
nice. This was so not how Liz wanted to start her day.

“I’m just about ready,” she said. “The diaper bag is jammed with food and diapers, along with a change of clothing.”

“Good. The individual hearings don’t usually take too long,” Ainsley told her. “I’ve spoken with your social worker already. Because of what’s been happening we thought it best to travel as a group. Everyone will stay in the courtroom for all the hearings, then we’ll caravan over to the American embassy when it’s finished. Once you get your visa, you’ll stay there until it’s time to go to the airport.”

Liz panicked. “But I haven’t packed.”

“Not to worry. I’ll take care of it. Part of our full-service protection plan.”

Liz glanced at her watch and realized there was no time to pack everything in the few minutes she had left. But she could at least pack up this temporary room. Ten minutes later, Ainsley said it was time to leave.

The other parents were waiting in the lobby and talking excitedly. They were all eager to go home and start their new lives with their children. Maggie broke them into small groups, then ushered them out to the waiting cars.

As they drove to the hearing, Ainsley pointed out the various sights of the city. For Liz, Moscow had lost much of its appeal. To her, this was the city where she’d almost lost Natasha.

Just a few more hours, she told herself. First the court hearing, then she would be at the embassy until she flew home.

“I think you’ll like your new house,” she told the baby. “You have a beautiful room that gets plenty of light. I’ve bought you a new crib and toys and lots of pretty clothes. We’ll be so happy.”

And safe. Right now not being afraid seemed like an impossible dream.

The hearings were held in a large buff-colored stone building. Liz carried Natasha up the front steps. Ainsley closely followed, carrying the diaper bag and her own satchel.

Eight sets of parents held on to their children. Ainsley maneuvered Liz into the center of the group and kept her there as they moved into the large room where they would meet the judge.

The chamber could have easily fit a hundred people. The ceiling stretched up nearly twenty feet and the whole space echoed eerily as they filed toward wooden benches and took their seats.

One by one the parents were called up to meet the judge, a stern-looking man with gray hair and glasses. He looked through their paperwork, asked a few questions that were translated by the small man on his left, then signed a piece of paper. When it was finished, he said the same thing.

“The ten-day waiting period is waived. Congratulations.”

Clutching their precious documents, the happy family returned to the benches.

“Elizabeth Duncan.”

Liz stood and held Natasha to her chest. Maggie accompanied her up to the judge, as she had with all the other parents. She held a folder in her hand with all the duplicate copies of the paperwork.

The judge didn’t look at her. Instead he flipped through the pages several times. Liz felt her stomach sink as the fear returned. She swallowed and tried to relax. Finally the gray-haired man looked at her and said something in Russian.

She froze, unable to breathe or move.

“Please state your full name.”

Liz nearly fell to her knees in relief. It was the same first question he’d asked the other parents. Everything was going to be fine.

She gave her name, then the other answers. Her heartbeat slowed to something close to normal. The judged signed several documents.

He spoke again.

“You have a beautiful little girl,” the translator said. “In ten days you may apply to the embassy for your visa. Between now and then you may not take the child out of the country. Next.”

Liz stared at him. “What? What did he say?”

Maggie took the paperwork the translator offered her and led Liz back to the benches.

Liz couldn’t believe it. “This isn’t happening,” she said. Her whole body went numb.

“I’m sorry,” Maggie said. “Sometimes they get fussy. You shouldn’t read anything into it.”

Ainsley joined them. The blond agent didn’t look happy. “This isn’t good,” she said. “I don’t like it at all.”

Liz stared at Maggie. “We have to be able to do something. Can’t we talk to someone? I can’t stay here another ten days. They’ll get her for sure.”

“There’s nothing we can do,” Maggie said. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”

But she didn’t look convinced, nor did Ainsley. Liz looked at the other parents—the happy parents who would be leaving that night, while she would be forced to stay behind.

She held Natasha close and squeezed her eyes shut. “I won’t let them get you,” she whispered to the little girl.

She meant the words with all her heart, but how was she supposed make them come true?

D
avid stared at a detailed diagram of the port and tried to figure out how large quantities of antiaircraft guns were being shipped out of the country. His men had been over every inch of area—the loading docks, receiving, long-and short-term storage.

Trying to gather information while not being seen by dock employees or caught by the local police added to the challenge of his work. He tapped his pen on the east entrance and looked at the man sitting across from him.

“What isn’t inspected?” he asked.

Brian Arlington, one of David’s field agents, shrugged. “We’ve looked at everything bigger than a bread box. I swear, boss.”

David picked up a list of cargo leaving the port. Was there anything too disgusting or strange to inspect?

“No garbage,” he muttered.

Brian grinned. “I don’t mind those inspections, as long as there’s a new guy to do it.”

He read the eclectic list of cargo, then grinned. “Produce,” he said triumphantly.

“What?”

“Beets, cabbages, whatever is being shipped out. Is it in small boxes or big bins?”

Brian frowned. “Good question. I’ll have to ask. But you’re right. If it’s big bins, they could store the weapons in the middle. Small boxes stacked inside larger ones could hide a false bottom.” He shook his head and swore. “I’ll check it out, boss, and get back to you.”

“Do it fast. We’ve heard rumors of another weapons delivery due to go out by the end of the month.”

“Sure thing.” Brian rose and left the office.

David put down the papers. If he wasn’t right, if they were using some other method, then he and his team were going to have to figure it out.

Brian returned to his office and stuck his head in. “Hey, I didn’t know you were married. She’s beautiful enough that I can see why you keep her under wraps.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The woman with Ainsley. Is that your wife and kid?”

“No.”

Even as he spoke, David pushed to his feet and headed out the door. There was only one reason Ainsley would bring Liz here to his office and not take her directly to the embassy. Something had gone wrong.

He walked down the main corridor and turned right. When he entered Ainsley’s office, the agent hung up the phone.

“I was just calling you,” she said.

Liz sat on one of the chairs in front of Ainsley’s desk. She had Natasha in her arms. The baby squealed when she saw him and held out her arms. Liz looked up and tried to smile, but there were tears in her eyes. Tears and fear.

He took the chair next to Liz’s and reached for the baby. Natasha snuggled close as he held her against his chest.

“What happened?”

“I have to s-stay,” she said, her voice quivering. “The judge didn’t waive the ten-day waiting period for Natasha, but he d-did for everyone else.”

She brushed away her tears, even as more spilled onto her cheeks.

“It’s a giant mess,” Ainsley told him. “Somebody got to the judge. I’m sure of it. He cleared all the other families, but not only does Liz have to wait out the ten days, the judge specifically said Natasha couldn’t leave the country.”

Liz looked at him. “I don’t understand. Where would I take her? I can’t leave without a visa.”

But David got it. Anger tightened his jaw. “What he’s saying is that you can’t take her to the American embassy for the next ten days.”

At Liz’s look of confusion, Ainsley leaned toward her. “It’s considered American soil.”

The bastard was trying to keep them in the open, David thought grimly. So Natasha would be an easier target.

“Any other restrictions?” he asked.

“Liz has to check in with the orphanage every day,” Ainsley told him. “
With
the baby.”

Of course. That would get her out of the hotel. Make her vulnerable. Damn whoever was behind this.

He shifted Natasha so he could see her face. Her wide blue eyes gazed back at him with complete trust. She had three fingers in her mouth and happily sucked away.

“We’re going to keep you safe,” he promised the baby.

“Can you?” Liz asked. “I’m not sure I can make it for ten days. What will they try?”

“We can’t know,” David told her, “but you’re not going to have to worry. I’ll take care of everything. First, we’re going to get you out of that hotel. While I’m taking care of that, Ainsley, I want you to get started on tracking these people down.”

She nodded. “I’ll start talking to contacts and find out what I can.”

He knew what she was thinking. If they could figure out why
this
baby was so special, they would be closer to figuring out who wanted her.

“I appreciate your help,” he said.

“Just doing my job.”

David turned his attention to Liz who stared at him with a mixture of hope and desperation.

“Come on,” he said gently. “We’ll go back to the hotel so you can collect your things, then you’ll stay with me.”

“Won’t they find me there?” she asked.

“They shouldn’t.” Not for a few days at least. “Because of what I do over here, my address is kept secret. If they start digging to look for it, they’ll come up with false addresses that will take them all over the city.”

“Okay.” She rose and swallowed. “You’re being so good to me.”

He was about to repeat Ainsley’s statement that he was just doing his job when he realized this was about more than that. He cared about Liz and Natasha. He wanted to keep them safe, not only because it was the right thing to do, but because they mattered.

Given the choice, he would have preferred Liz and Natasha to leave on the midnight flight so they could get home safely. But a part of him couldn’t regret that they were going to be around longer.

Liz waited in the hallway while David went into the hotel room to make sure no one was waiting to grab her. He hadn’t said as much, but what other reason could there be for having her stand back by the stairs?

He stepped out a few seconds later and smiled. “Everything looks fine. Let’s finish getting you packed.”

She’d already moved out of her temporary room that morning, so all that was left was to collect her toiletries and the rest of the baby supplies. David took Natasha from her, allowing her to work quickly and more easily.

Liz moved automatically, picking up a sweater and folding it, checking the bathtub for shampoo and the nightstand drawer for a book. She felt as if she were moving through water and seeing everything from a distance. Her arms and legs seemed heavy and irresponsive.

Maybe she was in shock. A part of her couldn’t believe this was happening. It wasn’t fair or right or even comprehensible.

Natasha giggled. Liz glanced up and saw David holding her in the crook of his arm and tickling her tummy. The baby laughed.

Under the circumstances, both she and Natasha were incredibly lucky. Without David to help them, to lean on, she didn’t think she’d get through this.

Until a week ago they hadn’t seen each other in almost five years, and that meeting hadn’t been an entire day. Yet she felt as if she’d known him forever. He made her feel safe and with all that was going on in her life, safety seemed like a miracle.

“Knock, knock.” Maggie stepped into the room. She nodded at David and turned to Liz. “How are you holding up?”

Liz didn’t know how to answer the question. “Can I get back to you?” she asked at last.

The social worker smiled. “I know it seems really overwhelming, Liz, but sometimes the judges insist on the waiting period. There’s nothing we can do about it except wait out the time. I don’t want you to worry. I’ll stay here with you until it’s time to fly home.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Actually I do. I need to be at the orphanage when you check in each day.” She glanced at the open suitcase on the bed. “After what happened last night, I was thinking maybe we should change hotels, but you seem to be ahead of me on that.”

“I’ll handle Liz and Natasha’s living arrangements for the next ten days,” David said. “What are the rules for her visits to the orphanage? I’d prefer to avoid a set time.”

Maggie frowned slightly. Liz thought maybe she would try to protest David’s intervention, but instead she said, “I guess whatever is convenient for the two of you. I’ll be there most of the day.”

“Good. We want to avoid patterns.”

Patterns? Liz had the sudden sense of being dropped into a badly written spy movie.

All this was too much. She wanted to collapse on the bed and pull the covers over her head. Instead she forced herself to finish packing.

When she was done, Maggie crossed to her and gave her a hug. “I’ll be here if you need me,” she said. “I’ve also made additional copies of Natasha’s paperwork. I have one file with me in the lockbox and I took another set to the American embassy. I don’t want you to worry. This will all be fine.”

“I know. Thanks.”

Liz said the words because they were expected, but she didn’t believe them even for a second.

After Maggie left, David put Natasha in the crib. Then he took Liz’s hands in his and stared into her eyes.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he said.

“You don’t want to know.”

“Yes, I do.”

His concern was nearly more than she could handle. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and make this trouble all go away. She wanted to be magically transported home, with all this behind her.

“I’m okay.”

“You’re not a very good liar.”

She sighed. “Normally that’s a good thing.”

“It still is. I need you to hang on for another couple of hours and then you can collapse. Can you do that?”

She had a feeling she would be better at the collapsing than the hanging on, but she nodded.

“Here’s the plan,” he said. “We’re going to take Natasha over to my apartment. But we’re not going to drive there directly just in case someone is watching us. In the meantime, a member of my staff will come here and get your luggage. It will be taken to the embassy, then I’ll collect it later.”

Good precautions, she thought, wishing they weren’t necessary.

“What about all the baby supplies?” she asked.

“They’ll be brought with the luggage. Don’t worry about the crib. My landlady has grandchildren and she’s already offered to loan us the one she uses. It should be in my place by the time we arrive.”

He urged her to sit in the chair, then he crouched in front of her. “I’m going to say something, Liz, and I want you to listen very carefully. I know you want to adopt a baby. You’ve connected with Natasha and she’s a great kid, but you don’t have to follow through with this. You could simply take her back to the orphanage and get on the midnight flight home.”

She stared at him, unable to believe what he was saying. Her heart nearly stopped beating as adrenaline pumped into her body. “No! I can’t leave her. They would take her away. No! She’s mine. I love her.”

She started to push out of the chair. David rose and pulled her against him.

“It’s okay,” he said, brushing his lips across her forehead. “Shh. I’m sorry. I wanted to make sure
you
were sure.”

Tears filled her eyes. “Don’t take my baby away.”

“I won’t. I swear. I’ll do everything I can to keep the two of you safe. Do you trust me?”

She understood why he’d done what he’d done, even if she didn’t like it. But trust was another matter. She was willing to trust David with her life, and Natasha’s.

She nodded.

“Then let’s go.”

The next two hours passed in a blur. They left the hotel in a cab. David insisted they leave the car seat behind so they would be able to move faster. By the Kremlin, they left the cab and walked around to the ticket booths, where they picked up a second cab. From there, they seemed to travel halfway to the center of the earth before emerging in a clean, bright metro station.

“This way,” David said, leading her to the right platform.

She hurried after him.

He managed both Natasha and the heavy diaper bag. Liz only had to worry about herself. Obviously the man kept in good shape. She hoped they wouldn’t have to run for it—if so, she would be left behind.

They changed trains twice, then emerged onto a quiet, tree-lined street where a black car waited. They got into it and were driven into an underground parking lot. Two sets of stairs, a long corridor and an elevator ride later, they were in front of David’s apartment.

She looked around in confusion. “I don’t understand. How did we get here? Your apartment doesn’t have underground parking, does it?”

“Nope.”

He opened the front door and ushered her inside. When he’d secured the lock, he popped open a panel and typed in a code on a keypad to activate a security system. Liz had the feeling that many things were not as they had first seemed.

“So how did we get here?” she asked.

“There’s an underground passageway from a parking lot on the other side of the block. We’ll use it while you’re here so no one sees us coming or going from this building.”

She was both relieved and exhausted. “I don’t know what to think.”

“You don’t have to.”

He led the way into the bedroom and opened a door. Instead of leading her into a closet or the bathroom, she found herself in a small office. A beautiful, ornate crib stood in the center of the room.

“Compliments of Mrs. P.,” he said.

“Who?”

“My landlady. She oversees the building. Her mother was American, and now Mrs. P. works for the embassy.” He smiled. “She has a real last name, but I can’t begin to pronounce it. Mrs. P. also told me she would leave a portable playpen in the living room.”

He shifted Natasha to his left arm and moved close to Liz. “You look exhausted. I know you haven’t been sleeping. I’m going to call Mrs. P. and have her come look after Natasha for the rest of the afternoon so you can get some rest.”

She wanted to protest, but she couldn’t seem to form the words. The thought of sleep was too tempting.

“Are you sure she’s not one of them?” she asked.

“Yes. You don’t have to worry. I need to get back to the office for a few hours, but I’ll be back around seven. Will you be all right?”