Covert Cover-Up, page 14
“What—what are you doing? We should be calling Barr now that we’ve had breakfast.”
Beck had to work up the courage to get through this day. Part of him wished they could stay here and be safe and warm and dry, and away from the real world. Their real world included being shot at by assassins from the spy world.
“Beck, what’s wrong?”
He choked a chuckle.
“Sorry, that was a stupid question.”
“No, it’s not. I was rereading Mia’s letter earlier. I wanted to make sure I understood everything. Or see if there was some nuance that we missed.”
“As if being attacked and nearly killed multiple times wasn’t enough,” she said, “this is all so hard for you.”
He steadied his breaths. Slowed his heart. “I was thinking about the past. About when I first met Mia. If I had known that she was working as an agent in that capacity, would I have still married her? I was so young and idealistic, I was sure that love could overcome anything at all. I was a world-class climber. I was getting ready to sign on with major advertising campaigns. Mia was a climber, but she wanted no part of the limelight. I gave it all up to marry her. To be with her.”
“Beck, don’t do this to yourself. Risk is always out there, even when we fall for people who aren’t connected to the spy world and assassins.”
He hung his head. “You’re right. It’s always a risk.” He angled his head to look at her. “So what’s your story?”
“Pardon me?”
“You’re beautiful and strong. I can’t believe there isn’t someone. You know. A boyfriend. A husband.”
“Oh.” Her turn to huff a chuckle.
He half expected her to counter with “How do you know?” To which he would have responded with something along the lines of how she’d kissed him. He was relieved her response was far from what he expected.
She curled her legs under her in the corner of the sofa.
She definitely looked snuggle-worthy, and he fought the need to wrap himself around her and join her in that corner. Funny that they were having this conversation as if danger wasn’t facing them at every turn. Maybe neither of them was ready for what came next.
He definitely needed to take a moment to evaluate his life and his choices—as if any of that could change the unknown future.
“Well, I was a cop in Shasta. My partner, Tony, and I grew about as close as anyone. We worked well together.”
“And?”
“We ended up chasing after a dangerous criminal. It quickly turned into a life-threatening situation when he got the best of Tony and held a gun to his head, using him as a hostage. I had my gun aimed at him, and I should have taken that shot. I hadn’t been able to pull the trigger—an essential requirement for the job. Another cop took the shot. The criminal fired, too, and the bullet went through Tony’s shoulder. He was seriously injured.”
“Sounds to me like no one should have taken the shot.”
“There was a moment that I could have shot the guy before he had his weapon on Tony. I let that opportunity pass me. My hesitation could have cost his life.” Katelyn paused, then said, “I saw the counselor and worked through whatever fear I had that stopped me, but at night I had nightmares. Panic attacks. It was always about that moment when I should have taken that guy out. That is, until recently. Now my dreams are filled with the new terror.”
Beck bit back his comments. He wanted to hear the whole story.
“And Tony? You two were close?”
“He never blamed me. I resigned. What else could I do? Tony came over that night with flowers. He kissed me, and that gave me hope that maybe my resignation, the loss of my dream to be an undercover agent...” She gasped and glanced his way. “FBI—that sort of thing. Not...a spy. Not like...”
“It’s okay, Katelyn. Please continue.”
“He gave me hope because now that I wasn’t with the force, we could date. I thought I’d finally found happiness. I even... I even imagined myself married to Tony. I know that sounds silly.”
“Not at all. Most people fall in love and dream of romantic bliss.” He pushed back the ache inside at how horribly his dream had ended. He couldn’t let himself dream like that again. But he could encourage Katelyn.
“Tony cared and I thought we loved each other. That we were going somewhere. I started working as a PI and moonlighting as security around the area. Banks, the hospital. That sort of thing. Someone hired me to follow his cheating spouse. It’s not glamorous work, but that’s the kind of thing that takes up most of a private investigator’s time, which is so sad.”
“I agree.” He had a feeling where this was going, and he wished he hadn’t asked her to share because she was reliving that past. He could hear the pain in her voice.
“I did the work. Followed the woman. Got the picture. She was cheating on her husband with Tony.”
Beck ached for the pain Katelyn had experienced. Though different than what Beck had gone through with Mia, it was no less crushing. He reached for her fingers and gently touched them, bracing himself for the current that ran between them.
Somehow, that current had grown stronger and more dangerous.
EIGHTEEN
Choked with tears, Katelyn’s throat almost closed up completely. What was the matter with her? Beck’s fingers barely touched hers and she knew exactly what that was about. One small spark between them could ignite the hope of a future with this man, and with that thought, she knew that she was well and truly over Tony.
She absolutely wouldn’t cry in front of Beck, at least with respect to Tony. Even though she was over the guy, she wasn’t over what he’d done to her and the pain he’d caused her—even the mere memory ignited inside her. Good thing she was talking about Tony because it served as a reminder that she couldn’t give her heart away no matter how much she wanted to give it to Beck.
But he wasn’t asking for her heart. If anything Beck had been severely emotionally wounded by his wife, so Katelyn could forget about her struggle where Beck was concerned. It didn’t matter. She leaned forward and pressed her elbows on her thighs, then rested her chin in her hands. “We’re procrastinating, aren’t we?”
“You got me. I’m a procrastinator.” Beck’s arm relaxed across the top of the sofa and his gaze held hers. Emotion welled in his gray irises and the current between them suddenly jumped from him and surged up her arms, around her heart and into her belly.
“Beck...” She breathed out his name, and was certain he heard everything that one word on her lips could mean. Her heart was a traitor.
He rose, breaking the current. “I guess we should contact Barr now. I’ll get the information.”
Katelyn couldn’t get enough oxygen. It was like she was on Everest or someplace where the oxygen was limited.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
This was the same panic that overwhelmed her when she had to shoot to save Tony and failed.
It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get a hold of this Barr guy and he’ll take the information and get rid of that guy after us. Then I can go to the wedding tomorrow night, and Beck can go pick up Ollie and go buy a new house.
So much remained to work out, and it was all so complicated.
Beck sat at the table. “Why don’t you join me? I’ll put him on speakerphone. We can talk through what we have and Mia’s instructions. I—I need you. I can’t do this alone.”
Was Katelyn showing that much weakness that Beck needed to beg? “Of course.”
She just hadn’t wanted to overstep. This was, admittedly, over her head.
Katelyn slid out a chair and sat at the table. Morning light spilled into the cabin and chased away the shadows and the overwhelming fear of danger, and certain death. She could almost pretend that the last few days had never happened.
But then, she wouldn’t have gotten to know Beck Goodwin.
He set his cell on the table and turned it on. That in itself was a risk. “Good thing there’s a decent cell signal up here.”
Katelyn nodded and stared at the phone, wishing there was another way out of this, but they had to make this call. “Go ahead and call him.”
Beck punched in the numbers and hit the speaker button. An answering machine came on. He glanced her way. “Not voice mail, but an old answering machine.”
Katelyn shrugged. “Maybe voice mail can be hacked and this is more secure?”
He ended the call.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“What am I supposed to say into an answering machine? ‘Mr. Barr, Mia’s dead and we’re on the run. People are trying to kill us. Please call me or stop by and see me?’”
“Okay, okay. How about you try the number again.”
“What for?”
“Come on. Just one more time.”
Beck redialed the number. Together they listened as the phone rang.
“Hello?” A woman answered.
“Uh, hello! Hi, my name is Katelyn—” she knew this would sound better coming from her so had jumped in “—and I need to speak with Barr.”
“Why? Who are you?”
“Um... Who am I speaking with?” Moisture bloomed on her palms.
“That’s none of your concern. Why are you calling?”
“I’m so sorry, I only feel comfortable speaking to Barr. A friend told me to call if... If I was in trouble.”
A sob cracked over the other end of the line. “I’m sorry, but he can’t help you. He’s dead.”
“Dead?” Full-on panic swelled in her chest. “How? When? What happened?”
“It’s been a year now. I didn’t have the heart to change his number in case... In case someone ever called. But now that someone has, I realize there’s nothing I can do. It’s time to drop this number.”
“No, wait!”
“I’m sorry, there’s nothing anyone can do for you if you needed Barr.”
“But who are you? Are you sure there’s no one else?”
The line went dead.
That fear that kept threatening her, that she kept rising above, now snaked around her throat like a boa constrictor and tightened.
* * *
A painful silence filled the cabin with the terror of an unknown future. Beck shoved from the table and paced. Nothing was good when he had to resort to pacing.
A chair squeaked, letting him know that Katelyn had risen, too. “Well, Beck, I think it’s clear what we have to do next.”
“Yeah, what’s that?” He kept his head down and his back to her as he paced. “We’re out of road here, Katelyn. I don’t know where to go.”
“But I do.”
He wanted to punch the wall and slammed his fist forward, stopping millimeters from even touching it. He needed to climb. That’s what he needed to do. Climbing would purge every foul thought from his brain. From his soul.
Then once he stood at the top of the mountain, he could see as far as his eyes could see. He could take it all in and he would know what to do.
When Katelyn said nothing more, he stopped moving and lifted his face.
Waiting for him, she studied him.
“Well?” he asked.
“Mia’s letter said to run and hide. Pretend that you know nothing. That’s what we have to do now.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Whatever it takes to keep our families safe.” Her brilliant blue-green eyes welled with tears.
Beck would give anything—anything—if Katelyn hadn’t moved in to that house six months ago. If she hadn’t come to check on him that night. Then one way or another this could all be over and Katelyn wouldn’t be involved.
Beck might be dead, or he might not have the safe, but it would be over.
He took two steps forward and wrapped his arms around her. Held her long and hard. Close and tight. They fit perfectly together—from the way he could feel her heart beating, sense the emotions pouring from her, to the way her head rested just beneath his chin.
Holding her was almost like climbing the mountain and standing on the top. He had a great view of the vistas, and right now he knew what he had to do.
She stepped back and turned away. Her turn to pace. “Mia knew what she was talking about,” she said. “She knew more than we know even now. If she told you to run and hide that must mean there’s no other way. I’m not saying any of this because I’m scared. Yes, I’m scared, but sometimes a little fear is a good thing. Don’t you agree if there was another way she would have said so in that letter? She loved you and Ollie. I know she did. I could feel it in her words.”
He raised his hands, gesturing for her to slow down. “Okay, stop. Just stop.”
She continued, rushing on with more words to persuade him.
“Will you stop?”
Katelyn whirled. “Well, then, what’s your big plan? To pace this room? Huh? What has that ever gotten you?”
She rushed out of the cabin.
Well, that’s just great.
He’d let her sit out there a while until she calmed down. Clearly their emotions were running too high. He grabbed some of the juice from the fridge, leaving enough for her to have another glass. He hadn’t planned for them to stay even this long.
Okay. It had been long enough. He left the cabin and found Katelyn sitting on the porch. He plopped next to her.
“I just needed some fresh air. I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s okay. You were right. Pacing doesn’t do much. But I need to expend energy. If I can’t climb, then I pace.”
That elicited a rare laugh, and he loved the sound. Her laugh sounded natural and joined the birdsong. He lifted her hand and weaved his fingers with hers. “I wish that I would have invited you to grill hamburgers when you first moved to the neighborhood.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “I would have liked that.”
She’d said “would have,” so she was tracking with his thoughts on this. They wouldn’t have a future together, and even if they survived this, each of them had too much baggage.
“I wish we could have gotten to know each other in the normal fashion.”
“You mean...? You mean as in dating?” A smile curled the edges of her lips, but not fully.
“Yeah. Like dating. I wish that I didn’t have this mess for a past, and maybe that Tony hadn’t hurt you so much.”
Beck released her hand, but he remained close. “Katelyn, you know that running won’t solve this. It won’t keep your family safe. Our families safe. In fact, it could only put them in more danger. And there’s just no way we can pretend we know nothing, or that we left no one behind. There’s no way my family is going with me using fake IDs.”
She sighed. “You’re right. Even if we left, I couldn’t just leave without telling my family what’s going on. And telling them would put them in danger. It’s like my greatest fear is happening no matter what I do. No matter how hard I try to steer clear. I’ve always been so afraid of putting someone I care about in danger, and that due to my own ineptness. That happened with Tony, but I thought I was past that. And now here I am.”
“Your being here is only because you have skills, and because you cared enough to come into my house and chase away a bad guy. You were smart enough to get a look at his face.”
She shook her head and looked away. He wasn’t making any headway with her. She’d have to process through it on her own.
“But the good news is that I know what to do now.” Maybe that would get her attention.
When she raised her eyes to him, admiration lingered there. “I knew you would figure it out.”
“We’re going to take all this to the highest office in the CIA. Drive or fly across the country. Walk in and hand it over.”
She snorted a laugh. “What makes you think you can do that?”
“I have to try. If we have to face off with Mia’s handler, this Cooley guy, then so be it, but only if it comes to that.”
He didn’t tell her about the worst part yet, because she really wasn’t going to like it.
She was right. He was a procrastinator.
NINETEEN
They had downed protein bars and straightened up the cabin, then grabbed the backpacks, along with the contents of the safe. Katelyn followed Beck out of the cabin. For a short time, it had been a reprieve and she almost regretted having to leave. But it was already growing late in the afternoon. They needed to get on the road and get out of here. A pang went through her heart.
“Okay, well, then. I’m the maid of honor at Tori and Ryan’s wedding. I don’t know what I’m going to do. The worst thing I could do is bring danger to the wedding. What if men showed up and started shooting?” She searched Beck’s gray eyes for answers, even though she knew he had none. “I guess I have to tell them I can’t be there, but I can’t tell them why, which will only hurt them.”
“Shh.” Beck approached, his eyes never leaving hers.
He grabbed her hands and cupped them against his chest. She felt his heart pounding, slow, steady and strong.
“It’s going to be all right. You’re going to be okay.”
“How can you say that?”
“Just trust me. Now, let’s get out of here.”
Katelyn climbed into Beck’s vehicle and watched as he hammered nails into a board that he’d placed across the door and to the adjoining wall, securing it in place. Beck had apologized about the door and promised to send some cash for the fix. He hiked down the path and then got into the driver’s seat, glancing her way before he buckled up.
He was asking her to trust him, but he hadn’t exactly laid out his plans.
Katelyn had briefly turned on her phone because they were leaving, anyway. She’d received several texts from Tori and her brothers. Mom, too, to which Katelyn had replied that she was working a case. That was totally true.
