Dark Deceptions Read online

  “It’s my mess,” she said, defiantly, her momentary panic passing. “I’ll clean it up.”

  “There’s no point in you calling attention to yourself. Besides, we need to check for evidence. Maybe there’s something here besides the gym card and the knife. And they’re professionals, Annie. They know what to do.”

  “I’m a professional, too. Or did you forget that?” She sounded petulant and she knew it, but then Nash did have a tendency to bring out the worst in her.

  “Of course I didn’t forget.” He frowned. “But you have to admit you’re out of practice.”

  Considering Bruebaker had almost killed her, she didn’t have much ground for argument, so she decided to ignore the comment. “Okay, but what if someone is watching?”

  “I think we just established that they’re not. You’ve changed hotels several times already and, if I know you, taken all kinds of other evasive measures. But if it makes you feel better, we’ll clear out and then I’ll call.”

  “What will make me feel better is to hear from Rivon. I need to know that Adam is still alive.”

  “It’s the same as with you, Annie. Until Dominico is dead, they have no reason to hurt Adam. He’s their only bargaining chip.”

  “I’m sure you’re right, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying.” Turning her back to hide the tears filling her eyes, she made a play of straightening her things.

  “Look, I know this is hard for you.”

  “You have no idea. It’s been Adam and me on our own for so long. I thought I could protect him. I thought that I was enough. That as long as we stayed under the radar, nothing would happen. No one from the past could find me.”

  “I can’t imagine what it was like for you.” He frowned, studying her. “On your own with a kid. It must have been hell.”

  “Adam is my child. I would do anything for him. Anything. He’s changed everything. All my priorities now center on him. Simple as that. Unlike you, I’ve never had trouble stepping up.” The last bit came of its own accord and she immediately wished the words back.

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing. I’m sorry. I was just sounding off.” The last thing she needed was to alienate her only ally. “I guess I was thinking of us. Of the fact that we couldn’t make it work.”

  “No need to apologize,” he said, his mouth folded into a grimace. “You’re right. I don’t do relationships.”

  “So there’s no wife hidden away somewhere?” Again with the wild words. “I’m sorry. My mouth seems to be working overtime. Your private life is none of my business.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” he said, shaking his head. “You already know the answer anyway. There’s no one. My lifestyle isn’t exactly conducive to white picket fences.”

  “Espionage will do that to you.” She tried to keep her voice light but it cracked anyway.

  “Maybe”—he shrugged—“or maybe it’s just me. But you made it work, with Adam—and his father.”

  “With Adam, yes. But not with his father. I seem to have made a practice of putting my faith in the wrong men.”

  “That’s sounds pretty cynical.”

  “You know my history.” She shrugged. Her father had walked out on her when she was just a kid. Left her to fend for herself after her mother’s death. She’d survived. But she’d never forgotten his betrayal. It had taken years for her to work up the courage to trust Nash—to take a chance on the two of them. And then he’d thrown it back in her face, rejecting her just like her father. “If I’m cynical, it’s with good reason.”

  “I’m sorry.” His voice was soft, and she felt the weight of his body as he sat down next to her on the bed, his hand warm against her shoulder. It would be so easy to melt into his arms. To let him hold her close. But it was only an illusion, and Annie had learned long ago the cost of believing in something that wasn’t real.

  “Don’t,” she said, shaking her head, pulling back. “I’m hanging on by a thread here. And I’m not sure I can take it if you’re nice to me.”

  He nodded, his expression grim as he released her. “So where’s the phone?”

  She whirled around, reality slamming back into place, as she plowed through the things scattered across the bed, heart pounding. “It’s not here. Oh, God, what if he took it?”

  “Just stay calm. We haven’t even had a look yet.”

  “You’re right. I’m jumping to conclusions. I’m just not thinking clearly,” she said, angry with herself for letting fear get the upper hand. “Help me search the room.”

  She checked her duffel and under the bed, then carefully went through the drawers of the bedside table. All to no avail.

  “Nothing in the television cabinet,” Nash reported, heading for the bureau to check the drawers. “Where did you leave it?”

  “Over there on the table by the landline.”

  She walked to the cubicle serving as a closet, but except for her leather jacket, the space was empty. That left the bathroom. She walked inside, scanning the countertop, her stomach sinking when there was no sign of the missing phone.

  “Where the hell is it?” she muttered, anger warring with dismay.

  As if on cue, the staccato brring of the phone filled the hotel room, Nash and Annie both scrambling to locate the source of the sound. By the fourth ring, they’d found it, on the floor behind a chair where it must have fallen when Bruebaker was rifling through her things.

  Annie scooped it up, only to stand staring as it vibrated against her hand.

  “Answer it,” Nash said. “Just pretend nothing’s happened. And if you can, try to arrange a meeting. That way if we can’t get anything from the phone, we’ll have another firsthand shot to get information.”

  She nodded and swallowed, then clicked the button to answer the call. “Gallagher.”

  “Where the hell have you been?” Rivon’s angry voice filled her ear.

  “Actually, you’re late. You were supposed to call”—she glanced down at her watch—“seven minutes ago.”

  “I called half an hour ago and nobody answered.”

  “I went out for something to eat,” she said, sounding much calmer than she felt. “I didn’t take the phone with me.”

  “Well, I suggest, in the future, you keep it with you.”

  “When can I talk to my son?” she asked, her heart pounding.

  “After you’ve given us something to verify that you’re cooperating.”

  “Other than handing you Dominico’s body, I’m not sure how you expect me to do that. I did spend the morning casing his apartment. I think it’s our best chance at access. But it’s going to be more difficult than I expected.”

  “In what way?”

  “The man’s got security out the wazoo. My best chance is a long-distance shot, and for that I’ll need specialized equipment.”

  “So get it.”

  “It’s not something you can just pick up on the street, and as you are well aware, I haven’t got those kinds of contacts anymore.”

  “And you think I do?”

  “I think if you don’t, you’ll know someone who does.”

  “So what is it exactly that you want?”

  “I can’t explain it over the phone. The modifications are tricky. I’ll have to show you specifically what it is I want. I’ll draw up schematics.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  “Then all bets are off. I can’t just waltz in and take the man out. It doesn’t work like that. It takes planning. Which brings me to another point,” she said, frowning over at Nash, as she frantically tried to think of something else to convince Rivon they had to meet. “I’m going to need blueprints of the building across the way, as well as a floor plan for Dominico’s apartment. The one you gave me isn’t to scale, and I need everything to be precise if this is going to work.”

  Nash nodded, circling his hand to urge her on.

  “I’m not sure we’ll have access to blueprints,” Rivon said.

&n
bsp; “If you want this to happen, you’ll find a way.” She hoped she sounded more confident than she actually felt. She was bargaining with Adam’s life. “And I’ll need to talk to Adam again.”

  “I’m not in a position to make that kind of promise. But if I can make it happen, it won’t be until after we finalize plans. As I said, we need proof of cooperation.”

  “So when do you want to meet?”

  “I need to clear everything with my bosses. But I know they’re anxious to conclude our business.”

  Annie nodded, shooting a thumbs-up at Nash. “Well, move as quickly as you can. The window of opportunity isn’t going to last forever. People are always watching and listening, and if they figure out Dominico is a target, you can bet your ass they’ll pull him from public access.”

  “So you’ll just have to work a little harder. I’ll be in touch.”

  “Make it soon.” She clicked to disconnect, and then sank down on the bed, all signs of bravado evaporating. “Oh, God, Nash, what have I done?”

  “You’ve set the wheels in motion to rescue Adam. All we need is to figure out where they’re holding him. And Rivon is our best bet.”

  “You can’t take him.” She lifted her head. “They’ll kill Adam if anything happens to that bastard.”

  “Only as a last resort. As I said before, Jason is a whiz with all things electronic. So first order of business is to show him the phone. It may be possible to trace the call back to wherever they’re holding Adam. And if that doesn’t work, he’ll figure out a way to use the meeting with Rivon to tag him.”

  “And then we follow him to Adam.”

  “At least it gives us options.”

  She nodded, not certain at all that she’d made the right decision, to work with Nash and his friends, but oddly relieved nevertheless to have him here—on her side.

  At least for now.

  CHAPTER 8

  The phone’s clean,” Jason said, looking up from the body of Annie’s disassembled phone. “There’s nothing here connecting back to the source. But on the plus side, there isn’t a tracking device either. So if they’re watching you, it isn’t through the phone.”

  “But there’s no way to use the phone to give us Adam’s location?” Nash asked from his perch on a chair in the corner.

  The three of them were in the latest of Annie’s hotel rooms, this one a little smaller than the last, but not quite as seedy. Annie had wanted to meet Jason here instead of at the brownstone. She wasn’t all that keen on dealing with Tom. And although Nash had no problem with the guy, there was no avoiding the fact that as far as A-Tac was concerned, his old handler was an outsider working his own agenda. So meeting here had suited him as well.

  “No,” Jason said. “My guess is they’re scrambling or relaying their locations. We might be able to pull something off it if we run the next call through our computers. But it’s far from a sure thing.”

  “And there’s always the chance they’ll figure out we’re trying to get in, right?” Annie asked, eyes narrowed as she considered the possibilities.

  “Exactly.” Jason nodded, working to reassemble the phone. “Which makes it an option of last resort, in my opinion.”

  “So we’ve got nothing.” She offered a tight smile, then stood up and walked over to the window out of Jason’s earshot.

  “We’re going to get him back, Annie,” Nash said, coming to stand behind her, his hands on her shoulders. He knew the words were an empty promise, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. In truth, Annie’s pain felt a hell of a lot more personal than it should have. And the idea that she could lose her son—well, it just wasn’t an acceptable option. At least not as long as he had any say in the matter.

  She nodded, still staring out the window. “He’s just so innocent. You know? And none of this is his fault. It’s mine. I’m the one with the past. A mother should protect her son, not throw him in the middle of danger.”

  “You couldn’t have known any of this would happen.”

  “Yes. But I knew there was a risk.”

  “Annie,” he said, turning her to face him, “thinking like that isn’t doing anyone any good.”

  She looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes. “But it was my job to keep him safe.”

  “Well, right now he’s counting on you to find him. So you’ve got to stay focused. Concentrate on us bringing him home. Okay?”

  “Yeah,” she sighed, lifting her chin. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

  “You’ll be fine,” he said. “If for no other reason than because you have to be. Adam is counting on you.”

  He grimaced, flashing back to the days after she’d left. The weeks in the hospital, waiting for her to come back. To explain why she’d walked out when he’d needed her most. She was his partner. He’d trusted her. But she’d betrayed him. At the time, he’d thought he would never forgive her. But in this moment, watching her pain, he suddenly wasn’t as sure.

  Maybe…

  Anger surged, and he jerked away, ignoring the flash of hurt in her eyes. There was nothing to be gained in letting his imagination run away with him. It was over. And he’d survived. Lesson learned.

  It was better to stay detached. To keep his head clear.

  “Here you go,” Jason was saying as he handed Annie the restored cell. “I’ve got it all together again. No one will be the wiser.”

  “I hope you’re right,” she said, her expression guarded.

  “Believe me, we’re not going to do anything to jeopardize the mission,” Nash said.

  “It isn’t the mission I’m worried about.”

  Behind them, someone rapped on the door. Instantly all three of them swung to face it, guns drawn.

  Annie held a finger to her lips, shaking her head for silence as she moved toward the door, Nash flanking her to the right, Jason to the left. “Who is it?”

  “Drake Flynn.” The voice was deep and resonant.

  Annie turned to Nash, eyebrows raised in question.

  “It’s okay. He’s with us,” Nash confirmed as he lowered his gun and opened the door. “So what have you got?”

  “Everything’s sanitized. Hotel will never know anything happened,” Drake said, striding across the room as Jason and Annie lowered their weapons. “You’re letting her carry?”

  “Seemed prudent at the time.” Nash shrugged. “People do seem to be trying to kill her.”

  Annie shot him a look and then turned her attention back to Drake. “I take it you looked for the guy.”

  “Yeah. No sign of him. Nothing much on the roof either.”

  “But everything’s all sorted?”

  “Yeah,” Drake snarled with a frown. “Like I said, it’s sanitized. Look, it’s not like we don’t know what we’re doing. Although you sure as hell didn’t make it an easy job with all the action on the balcony.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t have time to negotiate terms of attack.” She glared up at him, her shoulders rigid. “I was kind of busy trying to stay alive.”

  “Kinda mouthy for a suspected assassin,” Drake said with a nod. “Did she have this much attitude when she was with you?”

  “More.” Nash laughed. “Much, much more.”

  “Like hell,” she responded, swinging around to face him. “If anything I was the one who kept things grounded.”

  “Right. Like now.” He glanced pointedly down at her clenched fists. “Completely calm and in control.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, but then clearly thought better of the idea, turning to Drake instead. “We haven’t been formally introduced.” She stuck out her hand. “Annie Gallagher. Although you already know that.”

  “Drake Flynn,” he said, shaking her hand. “Nash’s right-hand man.”

  “Tough gig.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Drake shrugged and then sobered. “Looks like your missing man was into impersonations or the card wasn’t his.”

  “What do you mean?” Nash asked
, dropping back into the chair in the corner. Jason had already settled in at the desk and his computer. Annie’d moved across the room to lean against the window sill, leaving Drake to sit on the end of the bed.

  “Seems that Leland Bruebaker died a year ago,” he said. “In Queens. Hit by a street sweeper while walking his dog.”

  “So our guy wasn’t Bruebaker,” Jason sighed.

  “Not unless he’s discovered the secret to everlasting life.”

  “So what does that mean? Are we back to thinking the intruder was working for Rivon?” Annie asked.

  “Not necessarily.” Drake shook his head. “It’s possible the card wasn’t our guy’s at all.”

  “So you’re saying a dead guy leaves his gym card in my hotel room and some other yahoo just happens to be breaking in as well?” Her voice cracked, her fear making her sound harsh.

  “Well, when you put it like that.” Nash shrugged, purposely keeping his tone neutral.

  “So what the hell was he doing there?” she asked.

  “Waiting for you, if I had to call it.” Drake frowned.

  “Or maybe he was just casing the joint,” Nash suggested.

  “Why would he do that?” Annie shook her head. “I’ve been jumping through their hoops from the very beginning. There’s not much use in checking me out.”

  “So maybe we’re looking at a third player,” Nash mused. “Someone separate from Rivon and whoever’s pulling his strings.”

  “I’m with Drake,” Jason said. “I’m betting the guy was after Annie. Any chance they know we’ve joined the mix?”

  “Anything’s possible.” Drake shrugged.

  “Well, pray that they don’t know,” Annie said, expression defiant. “Adam’s life depends on it. Anyway, Nash and I have been over it. You guys took precautions. And I’m pretty damn certain I covered my tracks. I haven’t gone totally soft. And Rivon seemed perfectly normal when he called. I can’t imagine he’d have agreed to a meeting if they had any doubts.”

  “There’s truth in that,” Jason conceded. “Maybe it was Rivon’s guy and he was just supposed to rough you up. Convince you that they were in control.”

  “Doesn’t make sense,” Annie said. “As I said, I’ve been playing by their rules.”