Dangerous Liaisons (20 page)

Jesse sat in the passenger seat of Cole’s Silverado as he drove along Highway 9 twenty miles outside Galveston, Texas. A bone-white rail fence flicked by her open window. Beyond the fence, green pasture dotted with chestnut quarter horses and sandy Appaloosas rolled past. Up ahead, a sprawling ranch house the color of buttercups sat two hundred yards off the road. Hard to believe only twelve hours ago they had been stranded in the Colombian jungle.

At least she could breathe a little easier. Amanda was all right. According to Harris, she hadn’t seemed to notice Jesse hadn’t visited in two months. Maybe her older sister was forgetting even more easily than Jesse had imagined. That, she decided, was for the best. Once she got Amanda to safety, she would stay away until she proved Lanton’s guilt.

No sign of him or OIA agents at Houghton house. A fact that wasn’t as comforting as it should have been. Jesse hid her sister’s whereabouts to safeguard against enemy attacks. It hadn’t occurred to her the enemy would be in her own camp. Cole hadn’t mentioned Amanda again, but his comment about making sure she was all right indicated he knew her location.

Jesse cast a covert glance at him. His right hand lightly gripped the wheel; the left, with the broken index and middle fingers, rested on the windowsill. His forearm, half exposed by a rolled up, light blue sleeve, mesmerized her. If not for Caruthers and Fletcher, she might have ended up in those arms last night.

Jesse shifted her gaze to the ranch house that drew near. Caruthers and Fletcher were in Nicaragua following her—or the woman Lanton would be made to think was her: Ernesta. Tom would be waiting for them at the ranch. She should have been relieved. If ever she needed him, it was now. But knowing he’d be in the same room with her and Cole for the next two days redlined her anxiety level.

The truck slowed and turned onto a packed gravel drive lined with hundred year-old oaks leading to the yellow house. Two barns, a long, narrow stable, paddock, and two sheds large enough to enclose a two-bedroom house in her hometown of Morristown, New Jersey, came into view beyond the house.

She breathed deeply of the balmy air blowing across her face, then grimaced when she got a whiff of manure. “God, Cole, you
are
a Texan,” she said over the crunch of gravel.

He ripped a wide grin. Even the facial bruises and remainder of the swelling over his right eye didn’t mar his good looks. “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “My family has been here since the homesteaders. Fought in the Spanish-American war. Two even died at the Alamo.”

Jesse blew out a breath. When Cole reported his Uncle Tyler had a place outside Galveston they could use while Tyler was away, she figured they’d hit upon some good luck at finding a safe house so close to the Mexican border. But this place was so big she wondered how they could remain inconspicuous.

“Are all your family’s homes like this?” she asked.

Cole chuckled. “No. Some are larger.”

As they neared the ranch, the driveway curved into a wide circular turnaround. Jesse raised a brow at sight of a three-tiered fountain in the center of the circle. A lone Toyota 4-Runner stood in the drive alongside a full length, wraparound porch.

“Must be Tom’s rental,” Cole said as he pulled alongside the Toyota and killed the engine.

Jesse exited the truck and paused to study the massive house. White trim, porch posts, railing, and real wood shutters completed the idyllic picture. She turned a full three hundred and sixty degrees and surveyed the flat terrain that met cloudless blue skies in the distant horizon. A hint of alfalfa and clover wafted past on a light breeze. Nothing broke the silence.

“Where are the hands?” she asked.

Cole nodded toward the outbuildings. “A couple men are tending stock. The rest are taking time off. I’ve left strict orders to steer clear of the house while we’re here.”

The porch floorboards creaked and Jesse turned to see The Professor stroll around the far corner of the porch. He sidestepped the porch swing, his concentration on a bug sniffer he held. Affection rippled through her. She couldn’t help being glad to see him. She needed him. Not to mention, being alone with Cole was a worse idea than facing them together.

Tom looked up and jerked to a halt. He smiled and tugged one of the ear buds from his ear. “It’s good to see you.” He turned his gaze onto Cole. “I must say, Cole, this place is magnificent.” The Professor pulled the other ear bud loose and wrapped the cable around the sniffer. “I made a point of arriving early to sweep for bugs. So far, the place is clean.”

Cole nodded and climbed the two steps to the porch. His boots clumped on the thick oaken treads. Jesse followed to the double front door and eyed the windows that flanked the entry. Through sheer curtains, she saw no evidence of movement in the foyer or in the shadows beyond.

Cole opened the doors and stepped aside. Jesse entered an air-conditioned foyer and halted on a dark patterned Persian carpet, stunned by the wide staircase in front of her. The white balusters and sweeping circular design looked like something from
Gone With the Wind
. Jesse ran her gaze up the railing and along the fine trim woodwork, life-size paintings of southern gentleman and ladies, and carved plaster ceiling.

Tom brushed past her, working the scanner again, and disappeared into the nearest of two rooms on the left. A chandelier hung overhead and, to her right, a mirror-backed bench seat with hat pegs rested against the wall. Through an open door next to the bench, she caught sight of a massive fireplace big enough to crawl into.

Cole closed the front doors, then crossed to the parlor on the right and motioned her inside. Jesse stepped up beside him and surveyed the Queen-Ann love seat opposite a full sized sofa, the floor-to-ceiling draperies, and fine wood inlayed harpsichord. Maroon wallpaper sported embossed roses in velvet and satin. He started forward and she followed at a slow pace. Whatever seat he chose, she would choose the other. Tom had known her too long to miss any reaction she may not be able to hide.

Cole turned toward the wet bar that sat against the right wall. “You want a drink?”

“Scotch.” Jesse winced inwardly. Her answer sounded like a croak. What had gotten into her? She had been in mansions, well-appointed embassies, even a castle. Opulent settings didn’t intimidate her. Yeah, but none of those settings had contained Cole Smith. Even Emma Peel had her…her what, John Steed?

Jesse lowered herself onto the loveseat as she studied Cole’s back, the play of muscle in his arm as he reached for the scotch bottle, the tug of his shirt across his shoulders. How would that muscle tighten beneath her fingers as he strained while thrusting inside her? Even Emma might have had a hard time resisting such a temptation.

Jesse looked up when Tom entered, wrapping the ear-bud cord around his sniffer. “The house looks clean,” he said.

“Drink?” Cole rose from where he’d planted himself on the arm of the loveseat beside her.

“Later.”

Cole sank back onto the loveseat arm and Jesse willed her heartbeat to slow as Tom sat on the eight-foot sofa opposite Jesse. He set his sniffer on the teak coffee table between them and split a glance between her and Cole.

“You two look like hell.”

Jesse scowled. “Thanks a lot.” She set her drink on the coffee table next to an issue of Southern Living magazine. “Any news on Perez’s death?”

Tom shook his head. “I checked all the way up to level seven at OIA. Nothing there or in the media.”

He hadn’t uncovered the truth about Maria. Maybe his contacts weren’t as good as they used to be. Or maybe Lanton was one crafty son-of-a-bitch. “Greed is a predictable vice,” she said. “The cartels are keeping quiet. I wonder if they’ll find Perez’s money.”

Tom leaned forward, his expression eager. “Jesse, you’ve never told me what you have that has Green Leader running scared.”

She paused, surprised by the change in subject. “You said Perez murdered Maria Hamilton. Perez said he never had her.”

Tom looked startled. “The reports said she was dead. That’s what—” He broke off, and Jesse finished with, “Lanton said.”

Tom whistled. “What do you know? Green Leader sucker punched me.” He gave an appreciative nod. “If someone is planting misinformation,
I’ll
find out who.”

“We know the why,” Jesse said.

Tom’s gaze intensified. “I’m all ears.”

Jesse related Perez’s story, and Tom whistled again. “Green Leader was using his own men to assassinate Perez? I wouldn’t have believed it if anyone else told me.”

“Truth is, I didn’t have enough on Lanton to put into a thimble,” Jesse went on. “His membership in
Submissions
.”

Tom’s brows shot up. “The BDSM club? You never mentioned that.”

“That was a more recent discovery I was focused on the two missions that went bad. Three years ago in Madrid, the only way the gunrunners could have been waiting for you is if they were tipped off.”

Tom nodded. “You never said anything about a second mission.”

“Hong Kong. I was on lone recon. A shipment of Chinese Silkworm missiles were outbound to Iran. I was there to find out what ship and their route so we could quietly intercept them in international waters. I tracked the shipment to a warehouse, reported by satellite phone, and went in. Fifteen minutes later, a gang of armed men showed up led by a Chinese Secret Service type. Fortunately, the men were inexperienced mercenaries. The leader, however, nearly killed me hand-to-hand.” Jesse paused. “Someone tipped them I was there—just like with you in Madrid.”

“Could be coincidence,” he replied. “It does happen.” Tom shifted his gaze to Cole. “You know Lanton. Ever suspect he was on the take?”

Cole shook his head. “He recruited me seven years ago, but I worked under him for only a year, then was moved to Chambers’ unit. We’re all Green Teams, but we’re compartmentalized even more so than Blue Team. I haven’t worked directly with him until Colombia.”

Jesse reached for her drink. Heat filled her cheeks when Cole’s blue eyes followed her movements. Dammit, if Tom noticed…Cole slid from the arm of the loveseat into the seat beside her. She caught the scent of Drakar, and the memory of the Newark hotel and his hands on her leg returned.

She took a sip of her drink, then addressed Tom. “Did you bring the info I asked for?”

He reached inside his back jeans pocket, pulled out folded papers, and handed them to her. Jesse unfolded them to reveal a fifteen year old, fuzzy photo of Perez on the top page.

She set the photo on the table. “That’s the only photo we have of Perez. With the right nudging, it’s enough for Lanton to jump to the conclusion he’s seeing Perez in Langley.”

Tom raised a brow. “Langley?”

Jesse nodded. “We’re cranking up the heat. Lanton’s going to believe Perez and I made a deal.”

Tom’s eyes registered surprise, then he looked at Cole. Jesse could see the wheels inside his head turning. He didn’t have five Ph.D.s for nothing.

“Cole and I are the only agents who have seen Perez in the flesh,” she went on. “Perez and Cole are about the same height and build. Lanton can’t be certain the man he’s seeing isn’t Perez.”

“Right.” Cole said. “Jesse and I’ll be waiting for him outside the parking garage when he shows up for work.”

Tom shook his head. “He knows Jesse is out to get him. He’ll be on his guard.”

“We have that covered,” Jesse said. “Remember Ernesta?”

Tom nodded.

“She’s in Nicaragua disguised as me. Cole’s men are keeping an eye on her under the guise of following Cole’s orders. She’s using one of my known aliases and doing what Lanton thinks I would do: laying low and waiting for this to blow over.”

“I report back to Lanton tomorrow,” Cole said. “Tonight, I’ll submit my report on how Jesse killed Perez. The report will also say my men and I interrogated a member of the Gilbero cartel, who told us the Gilbero and Flores cartels want Jesse because they believe she’s got a line on Perez’s money.”

Tom gave a low whistle. “With the Interpol warrant and a price on her head set by the drug lords, Green Leader will believe she’s got nowhere to go.”

“Right,” she agreed. “This is where you come in. With nothing coming through the wire to confirm Cole’s report, Lanton will be desperate for news. You dig up the information and put it in front of him.”

Tom raised a brow. “Make something up?”

Her heart broke.

Yes, make something up. Lie. For me.

“It’s a lot to ask,” Jesse said. “I’ll understand if you can’t do it.”

Tom nodded as if in thought. “Lanton will wet himself when he sees Perez and Jesse together.” He grinned. “That alone is worth the risk.”

Suddenly she wasn’t so sure. “Tom,” she began, but he cut her off.

“It’s important he breathe easy for the couple of days it’ll take his sources to corroborate Cole’s report.” Tom shifted his attention to Cole, and Jesse wanted to cry. What had she done to deserve such a good friend? “You’ll get grilled right away,” he told Cole. “And he’s good. He’ll know you’re lying.”

“We’re counting on him coming to me,” Cole said. “He comes in early. I’ll be in his office fifteen minutes later. I’ll tell him how Jesse pronounced Perez dead, not me. We had no other choice but to scatter, and I lost her. That’s close enough to the truth that it’ll take some time for him to sort out the details. The reports he’ll get from Caruthers about tracking Jesse through Panama then Nicaragua will feed into his doubt.”

“With any luck, he’ll be desperate enough to move his money, or try to find where Perez is hiding,” Jesse said. “We need you to work surveillance. Can you bug his office?”

“No. I do have access to the security camera in the hall outside his office and his phones, though. But I don’t think he’s that soft. He won’t crack just because he saw you and Perez.”

Jesse shook her head. “We don’t expect him to. We’ll let him stew and dig. He’ll grill Cole. He’ll probably interview you, as well.”

“Yeah,” Tom agreed. “I’m the closest thing to family you have.”

Surprise, then tenderness filled her. This was the first time he had ever referred to himself as family.

“I don’t work for him,” Tom said “so I can put him off for a little while. That’ll make him sweat.”

“Good,” she said. “We let him worry until just before noon, then Cole will call his secure line using Perez’s voice.”

The Professor looked at Cole. “No kidding?”

Cole cleared his throat. “Senor Lanton,” he said in a near perfect approximation of Perez’s voice. “You have double crossed me.”

Jesse gave a nod of approval. “A little longer O in
Lanton
and it’ll be perfect. Tom, you’ll be watching him inside, while Cole and I are outside. We’ll have to be in constant contact, so we’ll need spread spectrum radios.”

“Won’t work,” he said. “I’ll never get away with that inside the building.”

“Okay,” she said. “You’ll use a secure line to call when he leaves the building.”

“What if he does nothing after Perez’s call? He’s smart.”

“That’s where Perez comes in again,” Cole said. “I’ll call and demand we meet.”

“We need a surveillance van,” Jesse said.

“Done.”

“We meet Lanton. I’ll be armed with blanks,” Cole said. “The idea is to get him to talk. If he gives us what we want, we’ll simply disarm him. If he plays hard-ball, Jesse will shoot me.”

Tom looked nonplussed. “That’s going a bit far, even for your country.”

Cole shook his head. “Her gun will be loaded with blanks. The special effects device I’ll wear will blow the studio blood strapped under my suit, and I go down dead.”

“Ahh,” Tom said. “Green Leader will then feel closer to Jesse Evans.”

Jesse nodded. “He’ll deal with us once and for all. Cole and I will be wearing wires.”

Cole shook his head. “No wire for me.”

She looked sharply at him. “Why?”

“The special effects have sonic triggered charges that blow out the blood bags. They’re highly sensitive in order to sense where a weapon is aimed and discharge the correct bag. If the gun is pointed at my stomach and my chest explodes, it’s all over. The radio transmission could interfere with the sensors. I’ve seen it happen.”

Dammit. She didn’t like it, but he was right. “There’s no guarantee any of this will go down the way we plan. I see your point about not wearing the wire. You will be wearing a vest.”

He nodded. “On one condition. If we don’t get him to talk, and he shoots me, you get him to talk. I don’t want you running to my rescue. I want him.”

She recalled his words at the Dan Hotel,
“My men gave their lives for that mission, and the people they loved weren’t given any explanations for why they died.”

She had her mission. He had his. “All right. No running to your rescue.”