Deadly Secrets, page 15
“You have rules for everything, Silva.” Jana slid the helmet on and watched Rafe check the bike. Her face lit up, and she touched the machine with reverence. “You really enjoy riding, don’t you?”
“It’s my guilty pleasure. I could’ve gotten something cheaper, but I wanted speed, dependability, and class. The Kawasaki Ninja H2 has it all.”
“If you say so, Ace.” Jana nudged Rafe and gave her a big smile. “Let’s go.”
“One more thing. The helmets have built-in comm devices. Speak normally. Don’t yell.” She tugged her helmet on and said, “Can you hear me?”
“Nice. Is there SiriusXM as well?”
“Afraid not, but feel free to sing during the non-instructive portions of the program.”
“Was that actually a joke, Silva?”
“Maybe. I’ll show you the neighborhood first. One thing to remember is this street doubles back on itself, and to the right”—she pointed—“is a dead end. We’ll start there.” She straddled the bike and offered her hand to help Jana on.
Rafe’s thighs astride the powerful machine and her legs holding it upright distracted Jana. When Rafe started the bike, the corded muscles in her hands and arms bulged beneath her leather gloves and jacket.
“Are you coming?”
“Yeah. Sorry.” Jana struggled to keep her mind out of the gutter as she wrapped her legs around Rafe’s hips and snugged her crotch against Rafe’s backside. “Oh. My. Goddess.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” She already forgot Rafe could hear everything she said. The engine revved, and Jana bit back another moan as Rafe took off. She hadn’t mentioned the stimulation factor. How would Jana hold it together after that kiss last night and now this?
Rafe slowed the bike at the end of the street. “This once went all the way through to Badin Lake Road. The Carlyle kids and I used to race to the end. The state stopped maintaining it, so this cornfield stretches to the other side with only glimpses of the previous road.”
Jana thought she heard a hint of melancholy in Rafe’s voice, but maybe it was just distortion from the sound system and bike noise. After a quick swing through the neighborhood, Rafe turned onto a street Jana recognized as a main road into the subdivision. “Are we leaving?”
“Just showing you the highlights.” She slowed again and pointed. “Badin Lake General Store and on the other side, Badin Lake Family Restaurant. Both passable if you need essentials or crave a meal you don’t have to cook, but it’s true Southern food. The vegetables are usually brown instead of green and devoid of any original nutrients.”
“Does the general store sell vegetables and fruits? I’d love something fresh.”
“No, but Annette’s Produce Barn is right up the road. Hang on.” Rafe eased away from the stop sign and gunned the throttle.
Jana tightened her grasp around Rafe’s waist and tried to breathe normally barreling down the winding road. She leaned side to side with Rafe in the curves and came back to center in the straightaways. She felt much too comfortable pressed against Rafe’s back. Was it simply Rafe’s courage and confidence that attracted her, or was it the invisible connection she felt whenever they were close? Rafe wasn’t like other women she’d been with, not as easily seduced, understood, or swayed from her principles. Jana had no idea why she was so enamored, but once this scary hide-and-seek game was over, she intended to find out.
Rafe pulled into the parking lot shared by a gas station and Annette’s Produce Barn that was more the size of a shed. “While you check out the produce, I need to get some Gatorade. You want anything?”
Jana waved her off and started toward the crates of fruits and vegetables beckoning her. She squeezed and smelled the fruits, chose a selection of apples, pears, and grapes, and paid before diverting to a graffiti-clad pay phone on the side of the building. She wiped the handle and mouthpiece with a tissue from her pocket and dialed Dayle. “What the actual fuck are you playing at, Hargrave?” She tried to tamp down her anger, but the betrayal was too fresh.
“Jana? What happened to you, baby?”
“Don’t baby me. You ran straight to Fergus about that damn shoebox.”
Dayle was quiet for several seconds. “I tried to call the next day and it went straight to voice mail. I had to tell him, Jana. It’s my job to protect the company first.”
“And throw me under the bus? Thanks for that.”
“Where are you, Jana? We need to talk.”
Jana stared at the phone. “Seriously? Not a chance.”
“We can fix things with the company and return to our…understanding.”
“Dayle, after what you did, I wouldn’t—”
“What are you doing?” Rafe grabbed the phone and hung up the receiver. “Meet me behind the dumpster.”
“Are you kidding?”
Rafe looped the canvas bag with Gatorade over her shoulder and rolled the bike out of sight to the dumpster.
Jana followed. “Do you mind telling me what the hell is going on? We’re not at the house, I wasn’t on my cell, so I thought a call from a public phone wouldn’t matter.”
“So, you called your lover? Who just happens to work for your boss, the man who probably hired the thugs who are after you? Perfect.”
“She’s not my…never mind. She told Fergus I had the shoebox, and I wanted her to know that I knew she betrayed me. Besides, it’s none of your business who I call.” She covered her nose from the stench of rotting trash and vegetables. “And why are we hiding? Behind a dumpster?”
Rafe pointed across the road.
A man exited a black SUV and waved his cell around in the air for several seconds. He cursed loudly and then got back in the vehicle.
Fear skittered up Jana’s spine. “Was that the—”
“The same guy who broke into your condo. Now you understand why it’s important to stay off the grid? These people have money and can locate you quickly from a single contact.”
“Rafe, I’m so sorry. But I was on a public phone. How did they even know to look at Badin Lake?” She pulled for breath. This had to be someone else’s nightmare.
“They probably tracked your cell until you turned it off yesterday, which gave them a general location.” Rafe added the items Jana had bought to her bag and slung it across her body. “And Dayle would be cooperative enough to let them trace her calls.”
“And when I did, they zoomed in on my location,” she said, almost to herself. “What are we doing now?”
“Waiting to see what they do.” Rafe reached into her helmet and pulled out a black elasticized covering with a pull string that resembled a rainhat and slipped it over the license plate. “What did you tell Hargrave?”
“Nothing, and she’s not—”
“It doesn’t matter what she is, only if you told her where you are.”
Jana’s stomach roiled because she kept screwing up with Rafe. “I didn’t.”
“Good. Looks like they’re leaving. We’ll give them a few minutes’ head start. Climb on.”
The SUV cruised the area around the gas station and Annette’s before pulling back onto Highway 49. Rafe started the engine, and they headed toward the cottage. Jana wanted to say something but had no idea how to apologize yet again. The air whizzing past them and the silence on the comm device made her feel a world away from Rafe.
“Hold on,” Rafe suddenly commanded in a tone that offered no alternative. “We’re being followed.”
Jana clutched Rafe’s waist and squeezed her knees tighter around her thighs as they picked up speed. With every bump and dip in the road, Jana felt she was going airborne. “Rafe, I’m scared.”
“Hold on just a few seconds longer. When we get to the bottom of the next hill, I’m going to stop really fast. Jump off and run up the path through the cornfield. It’s the other end of the street I showed you earlier. It’ll take you back to the cottage.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Remember rappelling off the balcony. You can do anything after that. Run, but don’t follow the path exactly, zigzag so they won’t see you. Hide in the boathouse, not the cottage, until I get back. I won’t be long. Are you ready?”
“No, I’m—” Rafe skidded to a stop so abruptly that Jana would’ve gone over the handlebars if Rafe’s body hadn’t stopped her.
“Run, Jana, and don’t look back.”
She stumbled off the bike and before she got her footing, Rafe was gone. She clambered to her feet but slipped and fell in the ditch. What if they found her lying there like a wounded animal? Would they finish her off for a stupid flash drive and some old documents? The black SUV raced by, and she watched it disappear around a curve before darting into the cornfield. Would they catch Rafe? If so, what would happen?
Her life was unraveling. In no version of her future had this scenario even been a possibility—the vice president of a global corporation scrambling through a cornfield in a motorcycle helmet to escape would-be assassins. She jerked the helmet off and followed Rafe’s instructions, weaving back and forth from the barely visible path into the rows of corn. A flock of crows feasting nearby squawked and took flight, and she shrieked but kept running, shielding her face with her arms. “Should’ve left the helmet on,” she muttered.
The path finally ended at the street, but she cowered in the field, afraid to reveal herself. Rafe wouldn’t think she was very brave now. What if her pursuers somehow figured out where she was going? What if they caught Rafe and forced her to talk? She almost chuckled at the thought of trying to make Rafe Silva talk when she didn’t want to. Jana checked the area, crawled to the edge of the corn row, and then bolted toward the nearest house. She snuck through backyards and hid behind shrubbery to lessen her visibility.
When she spotted the Carlyle cottage with its screened back porch, Jana broke into a full sprint. She jerked the boathouse door open. A large beach towel hug on a nail by the door and an inflatable raft lay folded neatly in a corner. She pulled both on top of her and collapsed on the floor, curling into a fetal position. She shook with fear and adrenaline, her face burned, and she started to cry. Irrationally, she stuck the helmet back on her head. Maybe it would stop bullets.
Chapter Nineteen
The SUV revved behind Rafe and inched closer. Soon, they’d be in ramming distance. She kept her speed steady until she saw Jana run into the field in her side mirror and then gunned the throttle. Corporate execs didn’t usually jump off balconies, hide behind dumpsters, dash through cornfields, or run for their lives. Jana would probably be freaking out, but this was just another day in Rafe’s high-octane life. She predicted and managed risk for a living, but Jana would need help.
At the next curve, Rafe made a quick turn into a paved driveway, laid the bike down behind heavy vegetation, and moved closer to the road to get the license tag as the vehicle passed. The SUV slowed before accelerating again. She dialed Bennett’s cell and asked her to check the owner of the vehicle before heading to the cottage.
Was she the right person to help Jana through this ordeal? She didn’t listen or follow orders, even for her own safety. She wasn’t a soldier Rafe could cajole or bolster into the next battle. How could she get through to a pampered corporate executive with no concept of danger or death? She probably needed emotional comfort and reassurance Rafe couldn’t provide.
The sun was setting by the time she made it back to the cottage. She stowed the bike in the shed and headed to the boathouse. The door creaked when it opened, and she strained to see in the dim light. “Jana, are you here?”
A shuffling sound in the corner drew Rafe’s attention to a large, deflated raft. It moved, and Jana stuck her helmeted head from underneath. Rafe almost laughed at the comical sight, but when Jana took off the covering, her eyes were wide, and her face covered with scratches and dried blood. Rafe clenched her fists against the anger that bubbled up inside.
“Rafe, I thought you’d never get here.” She started swinging and kicking like she had the night of the fire alarm, but this time Rafe moved quicker. “Where…have you been? I was scared. Do you…have any…idea how much…I hate…feeling helpless? Totally hate it.”
Rafe’s own anger vanished. No point lecturing about Jana’s reckless phone call now. She hugged Jana to stop the thrashing and hopefully ease her fear. “Yes. I do. Let’s get you inside.” She pulled back and looked at Jana. “You’re wet. Did you go for a swim?”
Jana shoved past her. “Monstrously heavy rubber float plus beach towel equals hot. And the helmet made my head feel like it was in a sauna. So yeah, I’m a little sweaty.”
“Which I’m guessing doesn’t happen often in your line of work.” This time, Rafe laughed, and Jana glared at her over her shoulder.
“You really need to work on your comedic timing, Silva.” She stopped at the back door and dug the key out of her jeans pocket, but her hand trembled so badly she dropped it. “Damn.”
Rafe picked it up, opened the door, and waved her inside.
“I’m going to take a long, soaking bath.” Her voice was steadier, the wildness in her eyes calmer, but she looked like she was ready to collapse. “If you think it’s safe. Where are those guys? Will they find us again?”
“I lost them, and they’ll need help to pinpoint our location. As I said, this spot is a tech dead zone. You’re safe for now.” While Jana filled the tub, Rafe poured a glass of wine and handed it along with her secure phone to Jana before she entered the bathroom. “Why don’t you call someone. It might help you unwind. Just please, don’t tell them what’s going on or where you are.”
Jana’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you.”
While Jana talked softly in the background, Rafe turned on the gas logs to warm the space. She grabbed a bottle of Gatorade, opened Jana’s laptop, and accessed the files containing the mystery notations. It was time to get proactive instead of being on defense. She studied the figures and compared them to other codes and her limited knowledge of codebreaking, but these numbers looked simplistic. She stared into the flames and allowed the sequence to morph as she considered every option. There. Why hadn’t she seen it sooner? Simple. “Damn.”
“What?” Jana asked from behind her.
The scent of Jana’s freshly washed hair and perfumed body wafted over Rafe, and she inhaled deeply to memorize the fragrance. Her light pajamas revealed puckered nipples and every nuance of her curved body. Rafe stared too long before pulling a throw from under the ottoman. “Take a seat in front of the fire.” She patted the sofa beside her, gave Jana plenty of room, and decided against revealing what she thought the numbers meant. Jana had been through enough for one day. “Feel better?”
“Much. Thanks.” She handed Rafe’s phone back. “Talking to Kerstin helped. And I spoke with Camille. They’re safe, no contact from the company. Everything is fine.”
“Do those cuts hurt? Did you put something on them?” The hair rose on the back of her neck again. She wanted to vanquish the enemy and return Jana to her safe, insulated life. That’s what she did, restore peace and normalcy. Jana shouldn’t have to endure this kind of upheaval.
“I’m okay.” Jana wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and snuggled into the sofa. “You neglected to mention corn leaves are like razor blades. By the way, Bennett said the license plate was reported stolen about ten miles from here this morning.”
“That’s good.”
“Why?”
“Because it probably means they haven’t been in the area long, stole the plates as cover, and don’t know exactly where we are. So, that’s all positive.” Which is pretty much what Rafe expected. “Are you hungry?” She needed to keep busy because Jana looked entirely too small and vulnerable draped in the bulky blanket with scratches all over her face.
“Not really, but I wouldn’t mind another glass of wine.”
The firelight flickered across Jana’s face, reflecting tears pooled in her eyes, and Rafe’s chest ached. “Stay put. I’ll get it.” She poured the wine and then assembled a plate of cheese, crackers, and some of the grapes Jana had bought at the fruit stand. “In case you want to nibble.”
“My goodness, Silva, is that a nurturing gene I detect?”
At least Jana was joking again. Rafe plopped a cheese topped cracker in her mouth and grinned. “I’m just not as good at starvation as you, and this is the extent of my culinary skills.”
“You really are an enigma, Rafaella Silva,” Jana said. “Just when I think I have you figured out, you surprise me.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“I’m not sure.” Jana pointed to her laptop still open on the ottoman. “What did you find?”
“We can talk about it tomorrow. You’ve had enough for one day.”
“Tell me. Take my mind off what happened.” Jana sipped her wine and gave Rafe her full attention. “Please?”
When Jana looked at her with those stormy eyes, Rafe would do anything. She refocused on the files, hoping Jana couldn’t read the confusion she was feeling. Giving mixed signals to a woman as intuitive and sexy as Jana Elliott was dangerous. “Was your mother British or Australian or did she spend time in either place?”
“My maternal grandparents were British, and Mom spent her childhood in the Midlands. We used to go back for holidays when I was young. Why?”
Rafe pointed to the numbers at the bottom of the first page. “I think this is a date.”
Jana stared at the screen for several seconds. “Of course. Mom always wrote dates with the day first followed by the month and year. I should’ve noticed immediately. You cracked it, Silva.”
“We cracked it. You figured out the IM part. This means the memos are dated, which will make creating our timeline easier when we sort through the insurance claims, medical files, and media coverage.”
