Deep Rising (An Outside the Lines Novel) (Entangled Select) (7 page)

“A college roommate lived in Saint Bernard Parish. I went to New Orleans after Katrina. There are times I wish I hadn’t. I can’t imagine losing everything. My family, my home, my friends. The memories…hurt.”

He smiled, transforming the hard lines of his face. “We’re gonna get through this.”

He said it like a promise, but she was uncertain of whether to believe him.

Chapter Eight

September 9 - 10:18 am

The island of Hawaii

As the jet taxied along the runway, Jared glanced at Lana from the corner of his eye. He’d meant what he said about wanting to believe her. Having the acumen to determine friend from foe was a prerequisite of his profession. He’d learned early on to decipher the evidence, to view each angle, to analyze a person for signs of stress or the inclination to lie. Lana’s reaction, her outrage and fear, meshed with his previous assessment. She was either genuinely innocent or hands-down the greatest liar to make his acquaintance.

The jet drew to a halt.

“Follow me.” He opened the side door of the jet and waited for the mechanical stairs to reach the ground. When they reached the runway, he lifted the stairs and folded over the last portion, triggering the electronics. He backed away from the aircraft, watching as the side to the fuselage closed and the jet continued taxiing along the runway. Following the pilot’s progress, Jared noticed a man standing at the edge of the tarmac. The man, clad entirely in black, appeared to be of average height. He bore no distinguishing features. The guy’s apparent anonymity triggered immediate alarms.

“Hang back for a minute,” he cautioned Lana.

This could be the agent sent to brief him, Jared mused, or the most obvious hit man he’d ever seen.

He scrutinized the messenger’s face as he drew closer. Something vaguely familiar teased his mind, but he couldn’t place it. The landing strip at this small, private airport appeared otherwise deserted, but the palms and foliage along the lanes could have concealed a small army. He’d intercepted a plane in Cambodia once, along with twenty other operatives in ghillie suits. They’d lain in wait for two days without drawing attention.

Knowing what to look for, he scrutinized the sunny landscape. Nothing stood out as man-made or intentionally deceiving, but that didn’t negate the possibility of someone or something lurking beyond his visual scope.

The man held out a hand. Jared clasped it, palming the tiny computer disk and keys the man extended.

“There’s a black SUV in the employee parking lot,” the operative said. “It’s got dealer tags. In the glove compartment you’ll find all the paperwork, clearance codes, cash, and IDs to check into the Lotus Hotel.”

“Is there anything else?” Jared asked.

“No. My number is in there. Call me if you need backup.”

Jared started toward Lana but turned back. “Evan?”

The other man lowered his glasses, winked, then strolled off the runway.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Jared murmured.

Evan McNally? Here in Hawaii? It must be Gordon’s doing. In any event, he had not anticipated having an old friend here, even if it wasn’t official and he wouldn’t be an active participant in the mission. Jared didn’t trust anyone, but if Evan opted to offer aid, he’d accept it.

Meeting with Lana, he took her by the elbow and propelled her from the taxiing jet. He avoided the main terminal and instead followed the employee signs to the front of the building.

They walked past the main parking lot. Heat billowed off the asphalt in iridescent waves. From the makes and ages of the vehicles in the employee parking area, he immediately discerned that the people working at the private airport lacked the affluence of the wealthy patrons utilizing it.

Pressing the button on the remote key, Jared listened intently. He guided Lana over two rows then cut left. The SUV remained standard issue for a surveillance mission: large, tinted, nondescript in color and model. It would serve its purpose. He cut around to the passenger door and unlocked it. Holding the door open, he waited for Lana to climb inside the vehicle. He crossed around the front of the truck, got in, and buckled up.

A navigation system in the dashboard flickered on. A female voice instructed him to turn right onto the highway.

“I love technology,” Jared admitted as he pulled onto the main roadway.

Lana smiled. She leaned back in the seat and stared at the lush, verdant landscape of the Big Island.

“A couple of places would make particularly good targets,” she said.

“If they’re the ones you noted in your thesis, teams are in place at them already. It’s the ones you didn’t mention or areas that weren’t accessible or available at the time you wrote your paper that I need to investigate.”

“I can think of a few offhand, but I was pretty general in my predictions. Any spot along the flanks of Kilauea can work, if you dig deep enough. Miles of lava fields are completely deserted and unprotected. Getting the proper drilling equipment into position wouldn’t be easy, but it would certainly allow for ease of opportunity.”

Jared grunted. Although he kept his eyes on the road, he frequently checked the rearview mirror. Thus far, they remained alone. Leaning over the passenger seat, he reached for the glove compartment. Lana’s sharp intake of breath caused him to focus his attention on her face. He studied her expression.

“Tense, Lana?” he asked.

“Er, no. You startled me is all.”

There it was again, that teensy little spark of vulnerability—and awareness—that made him want to touch her. As if he needed any reminders. Problem was, when she responded, when she gasped or gaped or stared at him with those pretty eyes, something neolithic kicked in, and his thoughts took a decidedly less-civilized turn. So rather than reaching for the glove box, he wanted to reach for
her
.

Cut the crap, Caldwell
.

He opened the glove compartment and extracted a gun.

At her raised brow, he said, “Another gun can’t hurt.”

“How many are you carrying? Forget it. I don’t want to know.” She tilted her head as though a thought had just occurred to her. “If you notified the government and they have military teams in position, what are we doing here?”

“You cooked up this whole scenario,” he reminded her. “It’s what you didn’t mention in your thesis that we’re here to investigate. And the jury’s still out on you. For all I know, you might be in league with your brother and working with us only to lead our forces astray.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“It is a distinct possibility. In a situation like this, no one is beyond suspicion. Too much is at risk to chance making a mistake. We’ve gone through this already. I’m banking on your innocence. But that truly remains to be seen.”

“You’re tedious. And if I finally convince you, then what? I get a gun of my own and you show me the secret handshake?”

His lips curved. “I was thinking more along the lines of acting on all the fantasies I’ve been weaving since I first set eyes on you.”

She sputtered before blurting, “And what happens if you decide I’m guilty?”

The sexy smile evaporated. “You don’t want to know.”

Chapter Nine

“
What
?
” Lana shrieked.

Jared kept his eyes on the road. “I’d probably just bring you in.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Don’t thank me. If you’re responsible and the Company gets a hold of you…” He shrugged. “I’m the lesser evil.”

For a second, she allowed herself to imagine what could’ve been if they’d met outside of this insanity. If they’d been free to act on the undeniable spark between them. She could only wonder at what fantasies he held—and damn if she wasn’t curious—but she had to draw the line there. Because as he’d told her on more than one occasion—case in point, this discussion now—he would do what he had to do. Attraction, sympathy, compassion—she’d be a fool to think he’d let any form of emotion cloud his purpose. Nothing would.

If only she could prove her innocence…

“I wanted to help,” she insisted. “I thought if people were informed they could protect themselves.”

“Knowledge is dangerous. It becomes a weapon in the wrong hands.”

“If I’d had the prescience… I swear I never would’ve typed a word.”

When he glanced away, frustration rimmed his eyes. No matter how hard she tried, she suspected nothing she said or did would change his opinion of her.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” she muttered.

“Ain’t that the truth.”

From his tone, she suspected he might be referring to his good intentions toward her. She inwardly sighed.
Why, oh why is this happening to me?
Jared’s nearness affected her. Sure, it was likely the adrenaline and the circumstances that had thrown this devastatingly attractive man into her path, but a stupid, very irrational part of her mind occasionally forgot all the negative things he’d done—and potentially would do—and instead she just thought about
him
. The strength and comfort she’d found in his hard arms. The way he was gentle and patient when he could’ve been far more brutal. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners and lightened with—dare she say kindness? Desire?—when he wasn’t busy glaring at her, that is. And then he had to go and admit to fantasizing about her… ’Cause she’d been fantasizing, too.

It was crazy. No,
she
was likely crazy.

With the batshit events of the days past, who could blame her?

She concentrated on the question that had been needling her since they left the tarmac. “Who was the guy at the airport? It looked like you recognized him.”

Jared nodded. “He’s an old friend. Haven’t seen him in a couple of years. I sure as hell didn’t expect to see him now, but I’m glad he’s here.”

“Will he be working with us?”

“Not in an official capacity. But I can call on him if need be.”

“That’s good. Is he, um, in your line of work?”

“Something like that.”

Lana hoped he would elaborate, but when Jared turned his attention back to the road and remained silent, she realized he would not confide in her. It shouldn’t matter, she reminded herself. Jared, his opinion of her, the way he looked at her, none of it bore any pertinence to the issues at hand. But she wanted him to believe her, to trust her, to look at her with something more than annoyance or regret. Pursing her lips, Lana stared out the window.

When they pulled up to the hotel, a valet greeted them. Jared slipped him cash as he passed along their bags. The money disappeared into the tall, stocky man’s hand. A native islander with thick blunt features, wide-set eyes, and a wider smile, Lana would’ve considered him handsome if he didn’t loom so large. She’d witnessed Jared’s strength, how much of it he restrained, and it had forced her to examine all men in a new light. Jared matched the valet in height, but rather than packing extra weight, Jared was in fighting form. In light of his “if you’re guilty you don’t wanna know what’ll happen to you” comment, she would’ve preferred him slack around the middle.

“This way, Lana.”

He cradled her arm and escorted her through the lobby as though she embodied a Southern belle rather than a terrorist’s sister whom he couldn’t decide whether to seduce or strangle.

The heat of his skin permeated hers, invading her space, her air, until with each step she felt infused with him. Physically, the man embodied everything she found attractive. Powerful build, strong will, quick intellect. Emotionally, she thought he had a few screws loose. Realistically speaking, until she figured out what was up with her brother, anything she might or might not feel in response remained completely irrelevant.

The undeniable chemistry, the dangerous circumstances…had she fallen into some twisted James Bond movie? Knowing how they all ended, she hoped she wouldn’t become a Bond girl. The ladyloves of 007 tended to die.

Jared moved directly to the front desk. Hanging back, Lana absorbed her surroundings. The hotel exhibited sleek lines and stylish architecture. Large, gaping arches opened to winding patios that curved around the main building. She could discern the ocean in the distance and a set of stairs leading to it. Aside from a cluster of lounge chairs and several sailboats that had been dragged onto the sandbanks, the beach appeared deserted. Drifting offshore, a handful of people straddled surfboards. Small cabanas perched like coconuts on the sand.

Modern, expensive decor. A sophisticated, trendy hotel. As one passing guest raked Lana from head to toe with a sneer, “exclusive” was the next descriptor to flash in her mind.

Her running sneakers and warm-up outfit might be considered out of place in this tropical environment, but she’d dressed for Washington weather. Jared, on the other hand, had changed clothes while aboard the jet. He wore suit pants, a silk shirt open at the neck, and a light, stylish dinner jacket. A heavy, diamond-encrusted watch weighted his left wrist. He retained the gun, she knew. The jacket must have been specifically tailored to conceal it.

Jared crossed back to her and clasped her hand. “Let’s go.”

He marched through the lobby, and Lana had no choice save to follow or be dragged along.

“We’re staying in the main hotel,” he said. “There are bungalows on the beach, but we’ll be safer and a lot less visible inside. Stay in the room. Stay out of sight. Don’t go traipsing down to the pool. We aren’t on vacation.”

“I didn’t think we were.”

He grunted and hauled her to the end of the hallway. Rather than take the elevator, he opened the door to the stairwell and, with her scampering behind him, he jogged up the concrete stairs to the third floor. Leading her down the hallway, he stopped in front of the last room in the corridor. Lana noted another stairwell and a set of service elevators along the short wall opposite the room.

“Wait here,” he ordered.

She watched him insert a magnetic key into the lock and slip into the room. The door closed behind him. She stared at the polished wood and listened intently for any sounds of a struggle. As the seconds dragged on, she grew edgy. What was he doing? Could someone actually be inside? She raised her hand to knock, and paused with her knuckles an inch from the door. She didn’t want to distract him. Glancing surreptitiously down either length of the hotel corridor, she didn’t note anything out of place. A single housekeeping cart obstructed the desolate hallway. The woman manning the cart, a thin, dark-skinned islander, noticed Lana and waved.

“Are you locked out of your room?” the woman called.

“No,” she replied. “I-I’m just waiting for my husband.”

The maid nodded and grabbed a handful of towels before disappearing into another hotel suite.

Lana turned back to the door. “Come on, Jared,” she whispered nervously. “What’s keeping you?”

Thoughts of the perils he might face sent shock waves of fear coursing through her, and she paced back and forth before the door. She scanned the hallway for routes of escape and considered her options. Not many sprang to mind.

Jared exited a few minutes later.

“It’s clean,” he said.

What if it hadn’t been
? Lana wondered.
What then
? But she didn’t ask because she didn’t think she could handle the answer.

“You’re pale as a ghost,” he commented. “What’s wrong?”

She licked her lips and swallowed past the panic. “Nothing.”

Nothing if you discount the crazy fact that I was worried about you
.

She wasn’t touching that topic with a ten-foot pole.

It was a working relationship—er, arrangement—she reminded herself. Someone had accessed her thesis and was using it to harm innocent people. Her half brother was a suspect. She was drawn to Jared because he would help her set this right. It was his job to apprehend the bad guys. Obviously, if something happened to him, they would never get to the bottom of who was behind the attack.

Jared held the door and Lana entered the suite. She cautiously walked through the sitting area. How the hell had her life turned into this? Some twisted, real-life, high-stakes chase. The thoughts proved too much to conceive and she concentrated on the here and now, on putting one foot in front of the other…on staying sane.

She heard someone knock and she slipped into the marbled bathroom and waited. The hotel room door creaked open and Jared exchanged pleasantries with the bellboy. Right, her luggage. She hated that her heart had hitched again. She needed to get her reactions under control. If she was freaking out at these mundane occurrences, she wouldn’t stand a chance in a hostile situation. Resigned to stay calmer, she exited the bathroom and continued to investigate the spacious hotel room. She passed through a sitting area and entered the bedroom.

“Jared, there’s only one bed.”

He actually chuckled, and it made her want to slap him. “This isn’t going to turn into some ridiculous, maidenly-airs thing, is it?”

“I’m not sharing a bed with you.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you would.” He turned away, all traces of humor gone. “I’ll be back in an hour. Lock the door behind me.”

Lana did as instructed, bolting the door the moment Jared’s broad back disappeared from view. If only she could slam the door on their other problems, beginning with her brother’s insanity, the risks to so many parts of the world, and her own tumultuous relationship with one hardened CIA agent.

But there was no lock for what she had unleashed.

…

Taking the stairs to the roof, Jared inserted a small magnetic key into the door. He pulled what resembled a smartphone from his pocket and attached an electrode to the card. He waited while his nifty little computer calculated the authorization codes. At some point he’d need to hack into the hotel’s mainframe to determine the codes to the other restricted areas. In an exigent situation, he would need every advantage at his disposal, including a convenient exit route.

In the event it all went to hell, he’d need to get Lana out of the hotel. As he opened the door and stepped onto the spacious roof, he discovered that they could arrange for a helicopter. Walking to the edge of the gravel-lined rooftop, Jared glanced out to sea.

He’d request a boat be anchored offshore. Lana was in decent shape. He figured she’d be able to swim to it. The SUV constituted another option.

Jared returned to the stairwell and started down the stairs. Strolling to the hotel’s main entrance, he approached the valet and obtained his car keys. He palmed the man a Benjamin.

“When I get back,” he said, “have a spot ready for me up front. I like to be able to leave when I want to.”

The valet smiled. “If my boss asks, I’ll tell him this SUV is a prototype and more valuable than a Ferrari.”

“Whatever works,” Jared drawled.

He slid into the vehicle and drove away from the hotel. He kept his eyes trained on the rearview again, checking for company. Having seen Evan at the airport, he wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of government-issued fleas adhered to his tail. He didn’t mind. But he wanted to know now. In the event of an unwelcome pest, he needed to be able to distinguish the difference.

He left the hotel and drove along the coast. He didn’t note anything unusual, so when he glimpsed a scenic turnoff, he took it. The mountain peak glowed with blooms of hibiscus. In the distance, the ocean shimmered. Tiny, fragrant, yellow flowers lined the ground. Parking, Jared got out of the car and headed for the rear of the SUV.

He opened the doors to the trunk, lifting the floor mat to expose the spare tire compartment. Within the tire well, he found a metal case. Jared extracted it and punched his PIN into the digital key. The suitcase opened.

About eighty thousand dollars in cash stared back at him. Two grenades, a container of PBX, a polymer-bonded explosive, three guns with their serial numbers acid-washed off, magazines of hollow-point bullets, and an assortment of paperwork in files stamped “classified.” A second partition housed a state-of-the-art laptop computer.

“And so it begins,” he murmured.

He continued his investigation of the briefcase. At the bottom, he exposed a secure satellite phone. Turning it on, Jared pressed send.

“Are you situated?”

Jared would’ve recognized Gordon’s voice anywhere. “Yes, sir. The scientist is with me.”

“Is she cooperating?”

“Thus far.”

“Is she a liability?”

Jared considered the question for a moment. Gut instinct assured him of her innocence. His mind told him no one was. His dick didn’t give a damn either way.

Unfortunately, none of his thoughts pertained to Gordon’s question. “I cannot make an affirmative assessment at this time.”

“Your best guess.”

“Eighty-twenty, she’s innocent.”

“Hmm. Do you want her removed?”

“No. She mentioned a few places we can explore. If anything, she’ll lead me to her brother. If she’s on his team, it’ll draw him to me. If she’s on the fence, it won’t matter.”

Gordon grunted.

“Sir, I’ve been informed of teams in place here on the island, but what about the other vulnerable areas?”

“We have two teams on La Palma, two on the Big Island at the Hilina Slump, one in Alaska at Palmer, and three teams on an island off the coast of Greenland.”

“Greenland?”