DOMINIC (Dragon Security Book 3) (9 page)

I turned and then jumped when this huge boom sent vibrations through the room. I turned to find Dominic had thrown the computer against the wall.

“What did you do that for?”

“They could have put a bug on it to track us.”

I started to ask if he was paranoid much, but then realized that a little paranoia might have served my sister well. I quickly grabbed my things, shoving them back into the Walmart bags they’d come from. Rather than take the stolen car, Dominic scouted out a couple of cars in the parking lot, letting himself into a Prius parked in a solitary little corner around the back of the building. We took off before anyone noticed, a gun once again slipped under the driver’s side seat. This time I was almost glad for it.

“Emily’s thumb drive?”

Dominic patted a pocket. “I took it with me when we left.”

“Do you think they found anything?”

“No. I was careful not to leave anything on the computer.”

“What now?”

He glanced at me. “Now I introduce you to Dragon Security.”

Megan

Sam tapped on my door, sticking her head in.

“Do you have a minute?”

I’d just set down the phone after talking to my lawyer, trying to see if we could block the warrant that cop was sure to come back with. He explained that our hands were essentially tied and that we should cooperate as best as we could. That wasn’t really the answer I wanted.

“What’s up?”

“The hard drive from your brother’s computer. I know this isn’t the best time—”

“No, it’s fine. Did you get something off of it?”

I’d taken a hard drive from my brother, Peter’s, work computer from his office at our family business, Bradford Telecommunications. Peter was killed in a car accident more than eighteen months ago, an accident that I now had reason to believe wasn’t as much of an accident as the police thought it was. But we’d hit a bunch of dead ends over the seven months we’d been investigating. The hard drive was one of our last leads.

Sam came into the room and closed the door. Then she handed me a sheaf of papers.

There were numbers and dates, some of them corrupted and jumbled. There were lists of names. There were graphs that must have had something to do with what Peter did at Bradford Telecommunications.

“Do you know what any of this is?”

Sam came around my desk and shuffled through the papers, pointing to a few lines here and there. “This looks like notes on the software he was tracing. I think maybe he was tracing places where it was used. And this”—she pulled out another piece of paper—“looks like a list of phone numbers. Maybe the phones the illegal sold software was used on.”

“Were any of these in that envelope he left with Amber before he died?”

“No. But there was a file name. I think it was listed on some of those papers.”

“Then he was telling us where to find this information. He knew how important it was.”

“I think he knew what he was getting himself into, Megan. I think he gave those papers to Amber because he knew someone was following him.”

I leaned back in my chair and studied Sam’s face. “You think—?”

“I think you’re on the right track. I’m just not sure how deep all this goes.”

“Keep working on the hard drive.”

She nodded. “Will do.”

The door opened suddenly, Hayden sticking his head in.

“Boss lady? Got a minute?”

Sam looked at him, a blush beginning to bloom on her pretty face. She started for the door, clearly intent on going around him. But then she stumbled, tripping over nothing in the middle of the floor. Hayden grabbed her, catching her before she could face plant right in front of him.

“Sam!”

I jumped out of my chair and went to her, fear slicing through me. This wasn’t the first time she’d had a dizzy spell in my office. It’d happened once before, a few weeks ago. She promised then that she’d go to a doctor, but she clearly hadn’t.

Hayden lifted her into his arms and carried her to a chair, sitting her down and kneeling in front of her, taking her hands in his. She looked absolutely woozy, her head unsteady on her neck.

“Do I need to call an ambulance?” I demanded.

“No,” Sam muttered. “I just…I forgot to eat this morning.”

“That was stupid,” Hayden said, that familiar charm oozing from his voice. “You’re too smart for that.”

“Yeah? I thought grandmas were forgetful.”

He smiled, his handsome face lighting up with it. “Not grandmas as beautiful and young as you.”

She focused on him, this warmth coming into her expression that belied the paleness of her skin. “I’m not a grandma, you know. Not even a mom.”

“I know. But you certainly dress like one.” He touched a ruffle on the front of her oversized blouse. “I think my great-grandmother has a shirt like this one.”

She brushed his hand away. “I’ll have you know that my mom bought me this shirt. She said I look like an angel in it.”

“An angel ready for the retirement home.”

She hit him square on the shoulder, making him fall back a little, grabbing the spot and moaning softly.

“Baby,” she said.

“I’d rather be a baby than a grandma.” She hit him again, and he laughed. “That’s more like it.”

He stood and winked at me. “I think she’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah, I think so.”

He touched my arm as he moved passed me to leave the room. He never said what it was he wanted. But I was more concerned with Sam than him.

“Don’t do that,” I said, leaning against the front of my desk as I studied her, the paleness that persisted in her face. “You scared the shit out of me!”

“I’m fine,” she said, running her fingers through her hair. “I just…he picked me up like I weighed no more than a feather.”

“You don’t.”

She smiled. “I wish.”

“Is that what’s going on? You just wanted to get Hayden’s attention?”

“Maybe.”

I smacked her thigh. “Don’t go scaring me like that! We’ve known each other too long for you to play games like that with me.”

“I won’t.”

She got up slowly, moving just as slowly to the door. “I’ll keep working on that hard drive.” She was about to leave when she looked back. “There’s been no word from Dominic?”

“No. But I’m hoping he’ll call soon.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

I watched her go, worry lingering. Then I pulled out my personal cellphone and dialed a familiar number.

“Cole? I think we might have something…”

Dominic

The four hours to Houston seemed longer with every mile the car ate up. I caught myself leaning forward a few times, as though I was urging the car to go faster with the weight of my body. Amy reached over and rested a hand on my knee, clearly trying to help me relax. Or maybe trying to help ease her own tension.

“Do you think they’re following us?”

I glanced at her. “I don’t know.”

She nodded. “Do you think you’ll find him? The one who killed Emily?”

“Yes. But first I need to get you somewhere safe.”

“What?” She shifted in her seat so that she could look me in the face. Or at least, my profile. “You’re not leaving me.”

“I can’t put you in harm’s way.”

“We’re both already in harm’s way. What different does it make?”

“It makes a huge difference. I don’t want you getting caught in the cross fire.”

“I won’t leave you.”

I glanced over at her, sliding my hand over her leg. “You won’t be. You’ll simply be staying with a few friends for a couple of hours.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“Not yet. But I’ll find him.”

“Then why are you in a hurry to get rid of me?”

I squeezed her inner thigh, as I pressed the gas to the floor of the tiny car. We needed to get to Houston; we needed to get somewhere where she wouldn’t be in the line of fire. The message on the computer back at the motel was not a game. I didn’t want Amy ending up in the same place as Emily.

How did I explain that to her?

“Do you remember the weekend we moved in together? Your parents drove down, and they were watching us, judging us.”

“They were worried about me. They thought I was moving too fast.”

“I can understand that. My mom wasn’t sure it was a good idea, either.”

“Why not?”

I shrugged, remembering my mom’s voice over the phone.

What if you move in together, sign a lease, and then realize you really can’t stand her? What if she complains about you leaving the toilet seat up or putting the milk carton back in the fridge with only a swallow of milk in it? Are you going to be able to put up with that until the lease is over?

“They didn’t understand how much we loved each other.”

She was quiet for a minute, chewing her bottom lip as if she was really thinking it over. “They thought we were too young to know what love was.”

“But they didn’t know what was really going on between us.”

“Did we?”

I slid my hand a little further up her thigh, squeezing again. She sighed softly, resting her hand on the top of mine. I glanced at her again, more excited than I could explain to see her there without the handcuffs, without the anger that had consumed her over the last few days. There was still something there, something different. But it was slowly dissolving as we moved toward the place where we’d once been.

“You have to trust me, Amy. This is a complicated situation that requires a lot of finesse. I don’t want you getting caught in the middle.”

“Have you called all your other girlfriends and let them know I’m coming home with you?”

“Not yet. But I will.”

She shook her head, but the smile on her full lips told me that she wasn’t nearly as upset as her body language suggested.

We pulled into a small diner just outside of a little town called Ada a little after three. I needed to make phone calls—not to girlfriends, but to Megan—and she needed to stretch. I watched her disappear into the diner’s bathroom through the windows of the diner, aware of the way the men at the counter were looking at her. There was a thin line between pride and jealousy. I bit them both back and turned away, dialing the first call.

“Dominic?”

“We’re on our way to Houston.”

“We?” Megan asked, caution in her voice.

“I have a companion. And I might need a little help once we arrive. Is there a safe house we could use for a day or two?”

“Is this the girl the police claim you’ve kidnapped?”

I closed my eyes, a little embarrassed to have my boss ask me such a question. I nodded even though I knew she couldn’t see me.

“It’s complicated.”

“You’ll need to answer a few questions when you get to town.” She was quiet for a second. “The police are watching our offices. Probably your apartment, too. You should go to Sam’s. Do you know where that is?”

“Yeah.”

“We’ll meet you there.”

“They’ll probably tail you.”

“I know. We’ll be careful.”

“Thanks, Megan. I really appreciate this.”

“You’re a Dragon,” she said. “Be careful, Crow.”

I hung up, frowning a little. She’d used my code name after telling me not to use it. Was that some sort of message? Was there someone there with her?

I had to trust her. I had no one else.

I called Elizabeth to check in. I would have called Edgar, but he wouldn’t talk over the phone. It’d been a bit of a problem getting him to agree to a meeting when we arrived in San Diego. He was former CIA. He knew how powerful some of these government spies could be.

I hoped his paranoia would keep him protected.

Amy came out of the diner, looking a little refreshed. She’d washed her face, her hair damp around the edges. I brushed it back, slipping my fingers into its depths.

“Did you see the way everyone was staring at you in there?”

“Just because I was a stranger. These small town places are like that.”

“I don’t think that’s the only reason.”

I drew her close and kissed her softly. She immediately melted against me, a soft sigh escaping from between her lips before I stole them. I found myself thinking about all the things I wanted to do with her once all this was over. A trip to somewhere tropical, bikinis and water and a nice, big, soft bed. I’d had this plan once upon a time, the moments we would spend together once I got out of the service. It was what got me through some of the darker times overseas, the nights when I found myself rethinking all my choices. The thought of her waiting for me was the only thing I needed to get through it all.

I’d missed that these last few years.

“We should go,” I whispered against her lips.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m not sure about anything right now, darlin’.”

She licked her lip, making my heart do a funny little flip. If we’d been alone…

But one second she’s looking deep into my eyes, desire burning there. The next, she pulling back, a hiss slipping from between her lips as she grabbed her arm. Blood oozed between her fingers.

I reacted immediately, pulling her back behind the tiny car, wishing I’d taken the huge SUV that had been in the parking lot of the motel instead. Another shot ricocheted off the front bumper of the car, narrowly missing my thigh. My gun was inside the car, under the driver’s seat. I cursed myself for not grabbing it before leaving the car.

Whoever was shooting at us was using a silencer. I peeked over the edge of the car, trying to see where he was, but there were too many cars parked along the front edge of the dusty lot. Amy whimpered. I squatted back down beside her and pulled up the sleeve of her thin t-shirt. There was a long, red strip of raw flesh. No holes. It was clearly a flesh wound, not serious.

I pulled my cellphone out of my back pocket and pushed it into her hand along with the keys to the car.

“I’m going to get my gun. You get into the driver’s seat, stay low, and get the hell out of here. If I don’t call you within fifteen minutes, you call Megan. Her number is on the call log, the second one listed for today. Do you understand?”

“Dom—”

I grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look at me. “Do you understand?”

She nodded.

I silently opened the passenger side door and pulled my duffle onto the ground. I took the 9mm Glock and a box of ammunition and then tossed it back into the back of the car. Amy watched, her eyes wide with fear.

“Don’t panic on me.”

She just nodded.

“Do what I told you. Drive as fast as you can and get a few miles away. If you see someone following you, drive to Houston. Don’t stop for anything, okay?”

She nodded again.

I kissed her, then pushed her into the car. She climbed over the passenger seat, slipping into the driver’s seat from a weird angle, trying to keep her head down below the line of the windshield. The car started a second later. I shut the door as quietly as I could and moved away, slipping around behind the pickup that was parked next to us.

Several shots hit the tailgate of the truck as Amy peeled out of the parking lot, going a lot faster on the gravel surface than was probably safe. But the direction of the shots helped me figure out where the shooter was hiding.

Why didn’t I see it before? There was another SUV parked four down from us. The windows were tinted, but one was rolled down just far enough to allow the barrel of a gun with a silencer to poke out.

I fired, my gun exceedingly loud compared to the silenced pistol. The side window and mirror imploded on the SUV, showering the ground with glass. The shooter dipped down in his seat, trying to get out of range. I ran over, still squatting down. By now, we’d gained the attention of the people in the diner. They were coming to the windows and out the door, someone yelling at me.

“What the hell are you doing?”

The SUV peeled out just as Amy had done. But I managed to grab onto the side door, holding onto the frame that the broken window had left exposed. The shooter tried to use the butt of his gun to knock me loose, but I reached in and pressed my gun to his forehead.

“Who the fuck are you?!”

He lifted his gun, but I managed to slam his wrist back against the seat multiple times, forcing him to drop it. Then I hit him square on the temple, knocking him out with the single blow. The driver was watching, driving erratically in an attempt to knock me off. A car came within inches of hitting me, but managed to swerve at the last instant. I fired wildly, aiming vaguely toward the driver. I missed. Fired again, my arm twisting at an odd angle as my body swung around against the side of the vehicle. This one hit.

It registered that I was in trouble when I saw the guy’s blood spray from the wound in his side. He lost control, driving the SUV off the side of the road. I barely had time to throw myself away from the vehicle before it slammed into a tree.

That was going to hurt in the morning. But, right now, there was too much adrenaline for it to register.

I ran to the driver’s side of the SUV, disgusted by the odd twist of the man’s head. He must have broken his neck on impact. I ignored the blood as I dug through his pockets, looking for some sort of ID. There was nothing. I went around to the other side, aware of sirens in the distance. I only had a few more minutes. This guy…no ID. But the glove box had fallen open and there was a picture of me attached to a sheaf of papers. I grabbed them and turned, trying to decide if I’d be better off staying on the road, or hitting the trees. Just as I was about to take my chances in the woods, the Prius reappeared.

“Get in!” Amy yelled.

I was never so happy to see her. Or to have her disobey my instructions.