Cowboy Command (3 page)

“
Did you get my clothes?”

Marisa pressed her lips together. 
“Unfortunately, no.  Have you been watching the news?”

Evan turned back to the forgotten television. 
“Earlier.  What’s going on?”

“
They got there first, Evan.  The place was a disaster, fire and smoke.  The fire department was already there.  We high-tailed it back here to make sure this location was still secure.  I left Donovan back there so he could search the remains for any laptops or electronic devices.  Assuming they didn’t get them before they torched the place.  We also tried to retrieve the cell phone she left behind at the restaurant.  It’s gone.  They must have got there first.”

“
Shit,” Evan muttered under his breath.  “Is there anything left?”

Marisa shook her head. 
“Nothing.”  She turned to Katie.  “I’m sorry about your house.”

Katie desperately wanted to wake up from this nightmare. 
“My house was on fire?  It’s destroyed?”

Evan put his hand on her shoulder as she fell back into the cushions of the chair. 
“I’m sorry, Katie.  They probably thought you might have paperwork or any sort of evidence at your house.  They wanted to destroy anything that might incriminate them.”

“
I didn’t have anything work related at home.”  Tears stung the back of her eyes.  “My stepfather left me that house when he died.”

She felt a welcome numbness spread through her body. 
It was a relief from the pain and confusion she’d been feeling since she’d met these people.  It was better to not feel anything.  She couldn’t deal with reality at the moment.  She swallowed hard and looked up at Evan.  His eyes were sad but his expression was determined.

“
I need to see it,” Katie said.  She wasn’t sure she could trust these people to tell her the truth.  They’d say anything to get her to go into hiding.

“
You need to see it?” Marisa looked at Katie like she had two heads.

“
I’m not sure I can believe you.  I need to see it with my own two eyes.”

Evan crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrow
ing.  “If I arrange for you to see your home, and it is in fact burned to the ground, will you go to Montana?  Will you go into protection?”

She swallowed hard, her throat still raw from the smoke. 
“We’ll see.”

Evan shook his head. 
“Not good enough, Katie.  I’ll be taking a huge risk letting you go back to your home.  I need some assurances that it’s worth it.”

She might be beaten and battered, but she wouldn
’t be bullied.  “You’ll have to take the chance because if I don’t get to see my house, I’m definitely not going.  Let’s say if I saw my house burned to the ground, I might be in more of a frame of mind to cooperate with you.”

Evan swore and shook his head. 
“Fine.  After dark we’ll take you to see your house.”  He pointed to her, his jaw set and firm.  “But you will not get out of the car no matter what.  You will stay in the vehicle, see your house, then come right back here.”  He nodded to Marisa.  “We’ll take you about ten o’clock tonight.”

They suggested she take a nap, but she was too wire
d to sleep.  Instead, she paced back and forth and watched the local cable news as they covered the car bombing.  By the time ten o’clock rolled around, she was as nervous as a cat.  She was also starting to feel sick to her stomach as the inevitability of what she was going to see started to creep into her consciousness. 

If they were willing to let her see her house then she figured it had, indeed, been on fire.  The only question was the extent of the damage.  She prayed there might be something she could salvage, something familiar.

When the car pulled onto her street and she saw the smoke rising from the pile of rubble, she clapped her hand over her mouth, determined not to be sick.  Marisa didn’t pull up in front of the house, which was surrounded by yellow tape, but she did park close enough that Katie could see there really was nothing left.  Tears leaked from her eyes and ran down her cheeks unheeded. 

“
I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” Katie said quietly. 

Evan patted her shoulder. 
“You didn’t do anything, Katie.  You’re an innocent pawn in all of this.  These are ruthless people, people who value money over life.  That’s why I’m determined to get you somewhere safe.”

Evan let her stare at the charred remains of her home for quite a
while before signaling to Marisa they should go.

“
We can’t stay here, Katie.  People will get suspicious about a car parked here for a long time.  We need to move.”

She nodded, the numbness back.  She welcomed it
.  The pain was too acute to bear.  It was better to feel nothing until she could feel everything.  She dashed the tears away with her fingers, making her decision silently.  She really didn’t have any choice.  Someone wanted her dead and she wanted to live more than anything. 

“
What part of Montana am I going to?”

Chapter Two

Evan carefully watched the woman sitting in front of him instead of looking
out the window of the airplane.  Katie Johnson had been through hell and back in the last twenty-four hours and, other than fainting and being incredibly stubborn, she’d been remarkably resilient.  After his partner had delivered the news yesterday that her home had been destroyed, the life seemed to have leaked from her and she’d been quiet, stoic, and compliant with their requests.

It all added up to someone who could fall apart at any minute.  He wouldn
’t blame her if she did.  She probably deserved a good cry and a couple of drinks, although he’d deliberately kept her away from alcohol.  She was currently sipping a root beer as he reviewed her new identity and life.

“
How long do I have to stay here?” she asked finally, peering out the window at the mountainous terrain.  She’d told him she’d never traveled to the west so this would be strange and new to her. 

“
Until the Grand Jury testimony, at least.  Afterward, if it’s still not safe, well, maybe we can find you another new place.  A new identity.”  He flipped open a file folder and pushed it toward her.  “I think you’ll like Harper.  It’s a nice little town with friendly people.  I served in the Army with the sheriff there.  Seth Reilly is a good man who’ll protect you.”

She gave him a quivering smile. 
“Let’s hope he doesn’t have to.”

Evan admired her bravery.  She wasn
’t a whiner, which was a point in her favor.  Seth wasn’t the most patient of men.

“
Let’s go over your new identity again.  What’s your name?”

“
Presley Abigail Lawson.  I’m twenty-six and I grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, which is just outside of Chicago.  I root for the Cubs and the Bears and I like deep dish pizza.”

He nodded.  She was also a damn quick study.  She
’d barely glanced at the file and she’d been spouting facts to him the entire flight.

“
That’s great.  From now on, we never mention Katie again.  You have to start thinking of yourself as Presley.  No one else knows your former identity.  What else can you remember?  It’s all the details that make this believable, Presley.”

“
Can I ask you first where you get these personas?  Is this someone’s job to make up people and build them a life?”

“
Actually, yes, it’s someone’s job.  Now what else can you remember?”

To his amazement, she reeled off the entire file in practically one breath.  He sat back in his chair, dumbfounded.  If she
’d memorized a third of the file they would have been thrilled.

“
How did you do that?  You only looked at the file for a short time.”

Presley shifted in her chair and shrugged. 
“I have a good memory.”

“
You have a terrific memory.  That’s amazing.  I’ve never seen anyone remember the entire file before.”

Presley took a drink of her root beer before answering. 
“As I said, I have a really good memory.”

She didn
’t want to talk about it.  Fine.  “We can move on then.  Harper, Montana has about ten thousand people.  Small enough to keep an eye on you, but large enough that you can blend in.  And make no mistake, Presley, we want you to blend in.  That’s what the clothes are all about.”

Presley lifted a foot in the air and regarded the cowboy boots solemnly. 
“I didn’t think the clothes Marisa bought me were about my taste, I assure you.  I’ve never worn a pair of cowboy boots in my life.”

“
We filled your wardrobe with jeans, sweaters, and boots because that’s what the residents of the town wear.  You need to blend in.  Look like one of them.  That’s why we changed your hair, too.”

Katie Johnson had been a stunning blonde.  Presley Lawson was a sultry brunette.  Marisa had suggested cutting Presley
’s hair short as well, but when he’d seen the tears well up in her eyes he just couldn’t make her do it.  He had talked her into wearing her hair pulled back in a French braid instead of wild around her shoulders. 

It hadn
’t made one bit of difference to how beautiful this woman really was.  She was someone who was going to get attention wherever she went, which was why Evan had chosen Harper.  If she’d been plain or even ugly, he would have hid her in a big city.  He didn’t know why those particular combinations worked for witness protection, but they did. 

Presley laughed this time. 
“Actually, all you did was change my hair to its natural color.”

Evan smiled. 
“That’s why it looks so good on you then.”  He pushed a plastic bag across the table.  “This is your new driver’s license, social security card, credit card, and check book.  All the things you’ll need to start fresh.  There’s money in the checking account and a decent credit limit on the card based on what Seth’s going to pay you to be his secretary.  Don’t worry, you’ll earn every penny of it.”

“
I’m sure I will.  Is he okay with my being his assistant?”

Evan cleared his throat.  She might as well know what she was getting into.  So far, she
’d had a strong backbone on her.  “About that, well, Seth can be tough to work for.  He’s gone through quite a few secretaries.  He’s a little impatient, but don’t worry, you’ll be fine.  He knows you’re coming and is glad to have someone take the job.”

“
You mean assistant.”

Evan frowned. 
“Pardon?”

“
You called it a secretarial job.  Those don’t exist anymore.  The modern term is administrative assistant.”

“
You may find some things in Harper haven’t changed,” he laughed.  “You’ll get plenty of respect, don’t worry, but they may refer to you as a secretary.  They don’t mean anything bad by it.”

She shrugged. 
“I guess it doesn’t matter what they call me.  I won’t be there very long.”

Evan sighed.  The only thing this woman wanted was her life back. 
“Ka—, Presley, it could be months before we convene a Grand Jury, maybe years before he comes to trial.  He’s got a phalanx of lawyers that will delay as long as they can until witnesses have hazy memories or—” He broke off abruptly.

She rolled her eyes. 
“Or disappear?  Or end up dead?  That’s what he’s counting on, right?”

“
We’re not going to let him get to you.  You’ll be safe in Harper with Seth.  All you have to do is sit tight while we build a case against him.  Once he’s behind bars and all his assets seized he won’t have any power to hurt you.  No one will do his dirty work for him if he can’t pay them.”

“
That’s the truth,” she snorted.  “He employed a bunch of vultures who were only out for themselves.  His friends weren’t much different.”  She turned and looked out the window.  “Is my sister okay?  I feel badly that she has a funeral to arrange for a body that doesn’t really exist.  I still wish you’d let me call her.”

That was the last thing Evan was going to allow.  His investigation had found Presley
’s sister, Nora, to be one cold-hearted bitch, living off her dead father’s and ex-husband’s money.  A rather plain woman, she didn’t appear to be as fond of Presley as Presley was of her, although she was putting on a good show of grief for her society friends. 

“
Your sister is fine.  I’m going out on a limb here and guessing your sister is always fine.”

She turned back, her mouth drooping. 
“Yes, Nora’s that kind of person.  Always fine.  She’ll move on without me pretty quickly.”

It appeared she already had but this wasn
’t the time for telling Presley that.  The plane was starting to descend and the Fasten Seat Belt light came on.  They would be landing in a few minutes.

He leaned forward and patted her hand, knowing she
wouldn’t believe what he was about to say.  “We’re almost there.  Time for your new life.  Just think, a brand new start.  Lots of people would love to trade places with you.”

* * * *
*

Evan was only doing his job
, but she had to resist the urge to kick him in the shin.  He’d been so nice to her this far that she didn’t have the heart to tell him he was full of shit.  She’d happily change places with anyone who wanted a brand new start.  She’d loved her old life.

Okay, maybe loved was a strong word, but she
’d liked it.  She might not have made all the best decisions but she’d done her best.  She’d had a good job. 

Scratch that
.  My boss is a criminal.

She
’d had friends and family.

Her sister had been a little cold, but she did have a few good friends.  They would probably be sad when they learned she was dead.  Her neighbor would probably be sad, too.  She
picked up the mail for her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Sanborn, every day.  Mrs. Sanborn was eighty-five and her children never visited her.  She couldn’t get around well so Katie, no, Presley, tried to help out when she could.  She needed to start thinking of herself as Presley, not Katie.

The plane landed with a few bumps and then smoothly taxied down a deserted landing strip.  Presley peered out the window and saw nothing but darkness.  Not one building, or other planes to break up the blackness outside. 

The door to the aircraft opened and a bone-chilling blast of cold blew into the cabin.

“
Holy shit, that’s cold!  It’s fucking October!”  She grabbed the jacket they’d purchased for her, but it wasn’t much protection from the biting wind. 

Evan chuckled. 
“October is winter in Montana.  That’s why we bought you warm clothes.  As warm as we could find in Florida, anyway.  I warned Seth you’d need a few things.  Hopefully he brought you a real winter coat.”

As they descended the stairs, Evan led her toward an oversized truck with big tires.  Presley dragg
ed her feet.  As crappy as the last twenty-four hours had been, at least she’d been in Tampa, her hometown.  Now she was in a strange place with a strange man who was supposed to protect her.

Evan guided her towards the man standing by the truck.  She didn
’t know much about cars and trucks, but it looked powerful, its tires massive.  The wind easily penetrated her thin jacket so by the time they reached him, Presley was blue from the cold, her teeth chattering.

Evan grinned and shook the man
’s hand.  “Good to see you, Seth.  Thanks for doing this.  This young woman is Presley.  Presley, this is Sheriff Seth Reilly.  He’s going to take over from here, okay?”

He phrased it as a question but it wasn
’t really a question.  He wasn’t asking permission.  Evan was going to get back on the plane and it was going to turn around and head back to Florida, or maybe someplace else.  He was dumping her here. Evan was the only familiar person in her life now and she didn’t want to see him go. 

He patted her shoulder. 
“We’ll be checking on you.”  Evan leaned forward to look into her eyes.  “You’re going to be okay, Presley.  I promise.”

She nodded mutely.  She didn
’t know what to say.  If she spoke, she’d beg him not to leave her here, but she knew she couldn’t do that.

The Sheriff held up a long coat he
’d had draped over his arm.  “It looks like you need this.”

“
Thank you,” she croaked, reaching gratefully for its warmth.  “I’m freezing.”

She didn
’t even bother to take off the thin jacket she was wearing.  She simply pulled the long wool coat over it buttoning it up with relief.  She shoved her hands in the pockets and found leather gloves, which she quickly pulled on her cold fingers.

Evan nodded in approval. 
“Glad you didn’t forget.  Presley’s from a southern state.”

The sheriff
’s eyes appraised her head to toe, not giving away his thoughts, before turning back to Evan.  “I’ll take it from here.  Next time you come, stay for awhile and I’ll buy the first round.”

Evan slapped him on the back. 
“I’ll hold you to that.”  He turned to Presley and handed her the carry-on.  “Take care.  Do what Seth says and you’ll be safe.”

She didn
’t even have time to answer before he was hurrying back to the plane, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he left. 

She was alone in the middle of Montana with a man she didn
’t know.  And it was freezing. 

“
I’ll get your bags.”  He strode toward the large suitcase the flight crew had placed on the runway.  He lifted it effortlessly, despite the fact she’d shoved her entire new wardrobe in that bag.  He came back and stopped in front of her. 

He didn
’t say anything else, just reached for the shoulder strap of her carry-on and slid it off her arm, turning toward the vehicle.  She followed reluctantly, maneuvering around him to the passenger seat, but he was quicker and opened the door for her, offering a hand up.  She murmured her thanks as he stowed her bags in the back seat, then swung into the driver’s side of the truck.