Under Fire (10 page)

What a time to realize he hadn’t even really been kissing
her
on the roadside. He’d been drawn to the woman she once was.

He spun the steering wheel, guiding the vehicle into a parking lot. “We’re here.”

Relief shuddered through her until she realized. “What about Disco?”

“Bring him.”

She wouldn’t have left him anyway. Rachel hooked Disco’s leash and hopped from the Jeep. Liam was already at her side, his hand on a handgun strapped to his waist. When had he put that on, and why hadn’t she noticed?

A series of entrances, passageways, and security codes later, Liam opened a final door into… not at all what she’d expected. She’d imagined being escorted into some kind of cold, sterile inquisition room. Instead she looked around what appeared to be more of a comfy lounge area. Granted it was all industrial, military-issue furniture. But the space contained a sofa, a couple of chairs, a table in the corner with a laptop computer and LCD projector. A television monitor hung from the ceiling.

Disco plastered himself to her leg. She sat uneasily on the sofa while Liam paced.

She toyed with her dog’s leash, weaving the rough hemp length between her fingers. “What happens next?”

“We wait for my friend.” He pivoted to face her just as the door opened again.

Rachel shot to her feet, her dog’s ears radaring forward.

A man and woman stepped in—one in uniform, the other in civilian clothes. Not surprising, since the OSI was a mix of military and civilian employees. Still, Rachel was caught off guard. She’d expected older grim secret service–looking sorts, given that this building was full of grizzled men in camo and nondescript suits. The man—probably in his early thirties, despite a surplus of gray in his salt-and-pepper hair—wore a blue air force uniform and a huge grin. The woman—Liam’s “friend”—sported sleek designer slacks and sky-high heels and brought with her an air of crisp efficiency and subtle perfume.

“Sylvia.” Liam stepped forward, his hand falling to rest familiarly on the woman’s shoulder. “Thanks for meeting us so quickly.”

Sylvia patted his wrist quickly before he pulled away. “Absolutely. We’ll do our best to sort this out.” She gestured to the man beside her. “This is my associate, Captain Bernard. And I assume this is Ms. Flores? I’m Special Agent Cramer.”

Standing, Rachel thrust out her hand and shook hands with both of them. “Yes, and thank you. I know you’re here because of Liam, but still, I’m grateful.”

Sylvia tucked her iPad under her arm. “That’s what friends are for—and it also happens to be my job.”

Friends, or more? If it had been more, then it was in the past. That much she was sure of. Liam had always been straight with her. While he may have had three wives—God, that freaked her out—he had a code about being faithful. He wouldn’t have kissed one woman in the car while dating another woman.

But if Sylvia Cramer was in his past, was this his type? Sylvia, who wore sleek black designer pants and a white silk shirt, crisp pleats and her lanyard precisely aligned? Her pearl earrings matched her pearly white perfect teeth, which were a little large in a way that made her smile seem… off. But then, all that might be jealousy, since this woman could have leaped out of an airplane without a hair sliding out of place.

Sylvia gestured to the door. “Liam, if you wouldn’t mind stepping out, please? Captain Bernard will accompany you.”

As if there were really a question in there anywhere. And she’d used his first name, just as he’d used hers.

Rachel chewed her kissed-tender bottom lip.

“Of course.” Liam turned to Rachel, squeezing her shoulder, and yes, she wanted to believe there was something more when he touched her. Especially with his kiss still imprinted on her lips and brain. “I’ll be just a few feet away if you need me.”

The door clicked closed behind Liam and Captain Bernard. Was it her imagination that it hissed like a portal, trapping her in a vacuum-sealed chamber with someone who’d shifted from ally to jailer?

Her inquisitor pulled a Coke from her purse and popped the top. Offering the soda can, she nodded back to the sofa, green with an iron framework. “Make yourself comfortable. I wish I had something to offer your dog, too. Would you like me to call for a bowl of water?”

“Thank you. If we stay here too long, then yes, he will need that and a trip outside.” Rachel wasn’t fooled for a second by the show of niceties. The woman was trying to work an angle, get closer with the drink and the concern for Disco.

Which should have been fine.

Special Agent Cramer actually was here to help, right? She’d come in late at night just because Liam called. Except Rachel felt the investigator’s suspicion all the way to her toes. This agent was a person who didn’t trust anyone.

“Relax,” Sylvia said, settling into the chair by the sofa, resting her iPad on her knees.

“Easy for you to say.” Rachel clasped the soda can between her palms. “No one tried to blow up your home today or run you off the road.”

Poison one of her dogs.

Threaten her on the phone.

But hey, one thing at a time. No need to sound like a paranoid lunatic straight out of the gate.

“You’re right. My day was quite mundane until now.” She smiled again, pearly teeth flashing as the chilly gust of the air conditioner wafted around more of her subtle signature scent.

Sylvia smelled like expensive perfume and Rachel smelled of Liam’s soap. And Liam had appreciated her just fine when she’d been covered in grime, working an earthquake rescue. He didn’t need glam. She grinned inside.

Then remembered why she was here in the first place. “What happened to my condo?”

“The police are still investigating. But from what my people hear, it appears to be a kitchen fire that spread… quickly.” She assessed her with icy-sharp blue eyes. “Now let’s talk about what’s been going on for the past few weeks.”

“Talk?” Like chitchat over tea and finger sandwiches? While she trusted Liam, she didn’t know this person, and clearly things on this base weren’t as secure as they should be. “I’m not sure where to begin.”

“Wherever you wish. I’m here to listen and do what I can to sort through everything. I can also provide protection if need be. This is a win-win situation… as long as you tell me the truth.”

“This just seems so informal.” Rachel lifted the Coke, shifting on the sofa.

“I can assure you, I’m taking this very seriously.” Sylvia tapped her iPad. “Our session is being taped, if that makes you feel any better.”

“Ah, so you just officially informed me.”

“That I did.”

Rachel cocked her head to the side, starting to feel more than a little claustrophobic. “Should I have a lawyer?”

“This isn’t a civilian police setting.” Sylvia placed her iPad on the side table. “I have no jurisdiction over you. And nobody’s read you your rights. I understood from Liam—Major McCabe—that you
want
my help.”

“Of course I do. I’m sorry for acting paranoid. This has just been an insane couple of weeks where I’ve been let down by law enforcement. So forgive me if I’m overly cautious.” She rested a hand on her dog’s head, grateful they’d let her keep Disco with her. “Have you been able to track Brandon down yet? I’m worried about him.”

“As well you should be, and we’ve got people searching now.” She scooped up her iPad and, glancing down, tapped along the touch screen. “Let’s just review everything again, in your own words rather than via Major McCabe. It’s surprising what different people will pick up on or things that will come to mind for you because I ask a certain question.”

“Ask away, then.”

Sylvia tipped up her iPad, shifting her full attention back to Rachel. Not that she’d ever actually taken it off her. “Let’s start with this surveillance video of you breaking into Major McCabe’s Jeep.”

***

Liam leaned against the wall across from the observation glass, wishing he could listen in as well, but Captain Bernard had already gone above and beyond in letting him stay to watch. The guy was a butt-kisser to anyone who outranked him. Usually that grated on Liam’s every last nerve, but right now? He wasn’t sure he could have let Rachel out of his sight completely. While he trusted Sylvia, the rest of the world was still suspect. Until they had some answers, he preferred to keep Rachel front and center.

Although she seemed to be holding her own—staying alert and apparently not fooled one bit by Sylvia Cramer’s attempt to put her at ease and catch her off guard. Liam had watched his old friend often enough to know she was just giving Rachel a chance to calm down, to feel secure, and then she would attempt to rattle her story.

Or at the very least, shake new information free.

So he kept his eyes glued to the two women, unable to stop himself from comparing them. Sylvia—a sleek, sexy redhead he’d dated who should have been perfect for him. She was totally married to her job as a civilian employee with the OSI. She understood his lifestyle, the secrets, the long separations. She had the same in her job. They’d been a perfect—cool, chilly—match.

Zip for chemistry.

And then there was Rachel, with her uncontrollably wavy hair as wild as the way she attacked life. Even when it zapped her to the core, as the earthquake SAR in the Bahamas had. Rachel threw herself right into the fire all over again here, helping veterans wounded in such a deep way, it couldn’t possibly help but slice into her as well.

She was anything but calm. Anything but cool. And completely, sensually
alive
.

A hiss from behind him snapped him around quickly. Captain Bernard tensed, his hand slipping to his weapon strapped in an arm holster. A cipher-locked door opened—and two of his teammates stepped through.

Wade Rocha and Jose James filled the small observation room, both in uniform, but Rocha barely had the sleep wiped from his eyes, a mug of coffee in one hand and a candy bar in the other. The captain relaxed, his ever-ready smile sliding back into place.

Damn, but this long day was stretching into a long night.

Wade shot a quick assessing look at Bernard.

Liam smiled. “He’s my baby-sitter, guard, handler.” Also known to be a suck-up, but that was probably best left unsaid. “Take your pick.”

Bernard just grinned.

Wade pressed deeper into the room. “Good evening, Captain Bernard. I saw the base commander out in the hall, and I could have sworn she was looking for you.”

Bernard stood taller. “Really?”

“Yeah, Colonel Zogby’s just out there. If you hurry you can catch her. We’ll be right here while you speak with her. Can’t leave without going past you.”

“Right,” Bernard said. “Thanks.”

The captain rushed out the door, obviously eager for face time with a colonel.

Laughing softly, Wade pressed deeper into the room and clapped Liam on the shoulder. “What happened out there on the road tonight?”

“How did you know to find me here?” So much for security.

“We were called in by someone from the OSI. They didn’t say why, other than that you’d been in an accident.”

Jose stepped alongside them, an unregulation marathon T-shirt just visible through the open neck of his camos. “Major, saw your Jeep in the parking lot and it looks like shit.”

Liam winced. “I know.”

“I mean really shitty,” Jose said, whistling softly. “Totaled-and-headed-to-the-junkyard shitty.”

“Thanks. Wanna pour salt in the wound while you’re at it?”

Jose pulled his hand out of his pocket. “I thought you might want these before they tow it away.”

His fist opened to reveal the three garters that had hung from Liam’s rearview mirror.

“Not funny today.” Liam smiled tightly. “But thanks anyway.”

“Just worried about you, old man.” Jose stuffed the garters back in his pocket.

“Sorry for snapping at you. Having someone try to run you off the road has left me a little on edge.” He backed toward the one-way mirror, grateful they’d both walked away unharmed.

Wade stepped closer. “Are you okay?”

His swim buddy looked straight into his eyes, no doubt checking pupils to make sure they were equal, which is exactly what Liam would have done. That medic training came in handy.

“I’m good.” Liam brushed aside the concern. “Really. The Jeep did its job keeping us safe.”

“Us?” Jose’s eyebrows shot up. His eyes went to the one-way mirror framing Rachel seated across from Sylvia. “Hey now, wasn’t she with one of the search and rescue canine units back in the Bahamas?”

Liam nodded, the heat, the dust, the intensity of that time rolling over him again. “Great memory you’ve got there, Cuervo.”

“Memorable mission.” Rocha nodded. “You kept in touch with her all this time and didn’t mention it? I do believe my feelings are hurt.”

Before Liam could answer, Jose continued, “But your Jeep. How did you even drive it the rest of the way here after you got hit?”

As they tag-teamed him with questions, he just let it keep rolling. It was easier than answering, and it left him free to study Rachel and try to figure out why his teammates had been called in as well. “Guess it’s time to buy a new car.”