Authors: Ann Vaughn
Her
mind shifted to her upcoming assignment. The Texas Mountain Naturalists
were a separatist group who believed Texas should once again be it’s own
nation. They were also a pseudo-religious group who believed their
Supreme Leader, Nathaniel Helton and his younger brother, Paul, were direct
descendants of Jesus, a la the DaVinci Code. She really even hesitated to
put them in the religious cult category, though, because they were basically
anarchists using their own twisted interpretations of the Bible to cover their
subjugation of women, both physically and emotionally.
She looked up when the door opened and Shane came in.
He was still nude from their last round and not a bit bashful.
“You
OK?” he asked, massaging her shoulders.
“Mm,
that feels good,” she moaned. “I’m fine…just getting my thoughts
organized for tomorrow.”
He
kissed the top of her head and continued the massage. “I just checked my
messages. Gibson’s got your condo and bank account ready to go.
Closet is stocked so you won’t be taking any of your own stuff.”
She
nodded. “How long do you think it will take them to recruit me?”
“Not
long once they run a check on your financials, which I believe they will
somehow do tomorrow while you’re in their tent.”
“Think
so?”
“You’ll
present just enough class for them to notice you. Just remember to act
like Missy Andrews and you’ll be all set,” he chuckled, referring to an old
classmate of theirs.
“Noticed
I was imitating her, did you?”
“You
nailed her. ‘Why, Pete, whatever do you mean?’” he singsonged.
Tessa
smiled. “She always did have that perfect Southern Belle thing going for
her.”
“I’m
surprised she didn’t end up in a group like the Naturalists. She was so
naïve.”
“Maybe
she has more brains than you give her credit for. Didn’t she end up
marrying a doctor from Dallas?”
“A
plastic surgeon at that,” he laughed. “Come on, come to bed. You
need to sleep.”
“I’ll
be there in a bit. I just need some time to myself.”
He
nodded and kissed her. “Don’t take too long, OK?”
“OK.
Shane?”
“Yeah?”
he said, stopping at the door.
“I
love you.”
He
came back to her and lifted her left hand, placing a lingering kiss over the
engagement ring. For a moment, he stayed, gazing into her eyes, then
winked at her and left. She almost called him back but her body was too
deliciously sore for another round with him, and honestly, she didn’t know how
much time she would have to herself in the weeks to come.
The
ride back to Austin and the offices went much too quickly for them both.
In spite of their best efforts, neither slept much the night before. They
lay wrapped in each other’s arms, dozing periodically, but always waking at the
other’s touch.
She
made him stop by his condo before going to the office; there were a couple of
things she needed to take care of before she left. Last night she’d written
two letters on hotel stationary, one to him and one to her mother, just in case
anything were to go wrong. She placed them under his pillow then
retrieved her Army dog tags.
Shane
was standing out on the balcony when she emerged from the bedroom. She
went to him, took his hand, and placed the dog tags in it.
“Hang
on to these for me?” she asked.
He
looked at his hand, saw that she had placed his ring on the chain with the
tags.
“It’s
a beautiful ring,” she said, smiling, “I don’t think I told you that last
night.”
He
was solemn as he slipped the chain over his head and tucked it beneath his
shirt.
“Promise
me you’ll come back to claim these.”
“I’ll
do my best,” she offered.
He
pressed his forehead to hers a moment, running his hands up and down her arms,
just needing to touch her. It was killing him, knowing what she was walking
into, knowing he couldn’t stop her.
“We’re
going to be late,” she said softly, “Gib’ll have a cow.”
He
kissed her forehead. “I know. Bruce has already called and texted
several times.”
She
cupped his face in her hands and kissed him with every ounce of passion she
possessed. “I love you, Shane McCanton.”
“I
love you, too. You take care of my Tessa, Maddie Parker,” he said, using
her undercover name.
She
kissed him once again and then stepped back. It was the hardest step
she’d ever taken.
“Let’s
get this show on the road, Serg.”
Everyone
was waiting for them in the Briefing Room when they arrived just ten minutes
late. Gibson gave them a stern glare but wisely kept silent. They
went over last minute details, quizzed her and Ian, the other agent going
undercover, on their personas, then implanted each with a GPS tracker under their
skin and a listening device attached to their scalps.
“We
will be able to monitor everything whenever you press it to activate it,”
Crownover explained, “but the only time you’ll hear us is when you insert the
ear piece.”
“It
stays fairly well concealed but don’t press your luck with it,” Shane told her,
“try only to use it when you’re checking in.”
“The
glasses are a camera,” Crownover continued, “wear them as often as you can when
you first arrive at the compound. Look at everything and everyone.
They may not allow you to keep these and insist on giving you some of
their own so the first few hours are crucial.”
She
nodded. “Are you ever going to tell me your first name, Crownover?” she
asked, making them all laugh.
“Not
likely,” he said.
“OK,
well, I should go. It’s going to take nearly an hour to get to their
revival tent from here.”
“Be
careful, Tessa,” Gibson told her.
“Always.”
“I’ll
walk you down to your car,” Shane said when she turned to him. She nodded
and together they headed for the elevator. “If things get too rough, if
you need me, you work San Antonio into a conversation and I’ll be there in a
heartbeat, you hear me?” She nodded. “I mean it, Tess. I’ll
tell the others too in case I’m not monitoring. If things go south, you
say San Antonio and we’re there.”
“I
will.” She placed her hand on his heart, over her initials in his tattoo.
“I love you.”
“I
love you, too. You come back to me, Tessa Kelly.”
“Always.”
The
instant she was out of his sight, Shane felt a cold emptiness settle in his
chest. He rubbed the heel of his hand over the tattoo, over his heart and
prayed God would help them both through the coming days.
Getting
recruited by the Naturalists turned out to be easier than Tessa had expected.
She went to their so-called “revival” meeting Saturday evening, which
turned out to be little more than a cattle call in her opinion. The
“sermon” lasted just over 45 minutes and was followed by a mixer. She was
amused to see that the “Supreme Leader”, Nathaniel Helton, had stepped off the
stage and walked directly to her. Shane and his guys had a good chuckle
over it.
“Make
a bee line to the hot blonde in designer clothes,” Pete had teased.
It
had been the perfect thing to say to put a smile on her face as Nathaniel
approached. She had to admit he was handsome. He had dark blonde
hair and golden eyes. She knew he was in his mid-forties but looked much
younger.
“Welcome
to our meeting,” he greeted, a warm smile pasted on his face. A smile,
Tessa noted, that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Thank
you,” she said, adding a bit of a breathless tone to her voice. “It was
most enlightening.”
“I
am Nathaniel Helton,” he said, taking her hand into his. “And you are?”
“Madalyn
Parker,” she replied.
“Ah,
Maddie, there you are,” Ian said, coming up to join them. “Nathaniel, I
see you’ve met Maddie. She is the friend I was telling you about.”
“You
failed to mention how absolutely stunning she is, Ian,” Nathaniel said, raising
her hand to his lips and placing a lingering kiss to her knuckles.
“Aren’t
you sweet,” Tessa purred to him, smiling brightly.
“Just stating the obvious,” he said, giving her
hand a squeeze before releasing it. She noted that his hands were
smooth, no working man’s callouses. It was probably a good bet that the
man had never done any physical labor in his life.
“Maddie
was saying that she was interested in exploring new experiences and so I
thought she may enjoy your little group,” Ian told Nathaniel, “excuse me, won’t
you? I want a word with Paul.”
“Nathaniel,”
a man across the way called out to him.
“Yes,
John, give me just a moment,” he replied, then turned his attention back to
Tessa. “Forgive me, Ms. Parker, I’m afraid duty calls.
“Of
course,” she replied.
“I
would like to speak more with you on our group. How about lunch
tomorrow?”
“That
would be wonderful.”
“I
could pick you up around noon?”
“All
right,” she agreed. She gave him her address and phone number then
watched as he again raised her hand to his lips.
“Until
tomorrow then,” he said.
“Until
tomorrow,” she echoed.
She
watched him cross the room to join the men who had called out to him. She
wandered the tent for a few more moments then decided to call it a night.
Making eye contact with Ian, she nodded to him then began walking out of the
tent.
“Leaving
already?” she heard Gib question.
“It’s
OK,” Shane spoke up, “she secured a meeting for tomorrow, Helton has her
address and number now. There really isn’t more she can accomplish
tonight.”
“Fine,”
Gib relented, “but Tessa, go straight to the condo. You and Shane can
have no contact in case they are monitoring.”
“I
know that, Gib,” she spoke when she was safely in her car.
“Come
on, man,” Pete spoke, “chances that they will already have someone on her condo
are slim to none, and transmissions...”
“It’s
OK, Pete,” Shane broke in, “I wasn’t planning on going over there. I
don’t need to be seen by anyone in the building. It’s all good.”
“All
right, guys, I’m unplugging until the morning. You’re all going to be
living in my life soon enough. I’m taking every last second of privacy I
can get.”
“No
worries, Tess. We’ll talk more in the morning,” Gib assured her.
When
she got to her condo, Tessa powered up her personal phone and sent a text to
Shane.
I’m
back now. That meeting was really weird. I’m still not clear on
exactly
what their appeal is, but it is clear to see
Nathaniel’s appeal. He is much
more handsome in person than in pictures.
She hit send and poured herself a glass of wine
while waiting for his reply. She didn’t have to wait long.
Should
I be worried?
She laughed.
He’s handsome but he gives
me the creeps. His eyes are cold.
He’s
a bastard, Tess. Don’t lose sight of that,
he replied.
Yes,
dear.
I’m
serious. The man is a master manipulator.
I
know. I’ll be fine, I promise. I’d better get in bed so I can be
fresh for tomorrow.
I
wish I were there with you,
he
sent.
Me,
too. I love you. Good night.
Tessa
dressed carefully for her lunch date the next day. He didn’t specify what
type of restaurant they would be going to, but she was banking on him wanting
to impress her so she wore a Valentino form-fitting dress in a pale pink that
showed off her tan and hit at a respectably conservative two-inches above her
knee. She kept her legs bare and paired it with Louboutin stillies in a
matching color. She wore her hair in a sleek braided knot at the nape of
her neck, but allowed a few flirtatious wisps to remain free to fall on her
left cheek. She kept her jewelry elegant but simple. Diamond stud
earrings, no necklace, a simple cocktail ring on her right hand and a diamond
tennis bracelet to complete the ensemble.
Her
doorbell rang and she noticed he was precisely on time.
“Show
time,” she said, checking her hair in the hallway mirror.
“You
look perfect, babe,” Shane encouraged.
“Of
course I do.”
His
laughter filled her ear as she opened the door to greet Nathaniel.
“Don’t
you look stunning,” he greeted her. “These are for you,” he said, handing
her a dozen long-stemmed white roses.
“They’re
beautiful,” she said, opening the door wider. “Come in while I put these
in a vase.”
“Bottom
right cabinet in the kitchen,” Crownover advised her.
“Would
you like a drink, Nathaniel?” she asked when she went into the kitchen.
“I’m
good, but thanks.”
“They’re
running your financials right now,” Shane told her.
“What
did you think of our service last night, Madelyn?” Nathaniel asked her as she
arranged the roses in a vase. “I didn’t get a chance to ask you last night.”
“You
know, it wasn’t so bad. I’ve always been skeptical of revivals, but yours
wasn’t like I’ve always heard about them.”
He
flashed her a smile, showing perfectly straight and whitened teeth. “No
fire and brimstone threats?”
Tessa
laughed. “Exactly. My friend Ian has visited several times and told
me I would find your services enjoyable.”
“How
do you know Ian?” he asked.
“We
went to college together. He dated my friend for a while, that’s how we
met.”
“Nothing
romantic between the two of you? Ian is a handsome fellow.”
“No,
he’s just a friend.”
Nathaniel
nodded. “Ian has visited our retreat several times. Has he spoken of it?”
“Just
that he thought your group might be good for me.”
“Why
would he think that?”
“He
said your group seemed like a family. I’ve never really had much family
to speak of. It appeals to me.”
Nathaniel
smiled and looked around her condo with an appraising eye.
“Your
home is nice,” he said, changing the subject. “What do you do for a
living?”
“Oh,
well, I live off my trust fund. My parents were killed in a plane crash
just after I graduated college. Although, I went to school to be a
teacher.”
His
face brightened at that. “Really? We are always looking for
teachers at the Retreat. Do you think you would be interested?”
“Possibly,”
she hedged.
“Well,
if you’re ready, lets discuss it over lunch.”
“I
am ready,” she agreed, following him out the door. He led her down to a
black Cadillac Escalade with a driver waiting to open the door for them.
“Seriously
trying to impress the lady,” Joe’s voice sounded in her ear. “Fancy car,
uniformed driver. Pull out all the stops.”
She
tapped the mike to get him to cut the chatter so she could concentrate.
Their drive into town was short. They stopped at a small bistro that she
knew was hard to get reservations for. When they walked in, she wasn’t
surprised to see that the hostess was one of Nathaniel’s starry-eyed admirers
who led them directly back to an intimate table in a quiet corner near a serene
water feature. Nathaniel ordered for them both, without even asking her
which irritated Tessa but she decided to let Maddie just go with the flow about
it.
To
her surprise, conversation flowed freely between them. She found herself
oddly relaxed in his presence and began to see even more of his appeal.
He had a way about him that put her at ease in spite of the fact that she knew she
had to keep on her toes with him. Conversation ran so smoothly that at
one point, Shane actually growled in her ear to remember who he was, which made
her inadvertently laugh out so that she had to offer a hasty explanation for
it. Other than that, she felt everything was moving along well.
“I
would love to show you around The Retreat,” he said as they were finishing
their meal. “You could see how we live and see whether you would want to
take on teaching the children who live on the grounds.”
“I’d
like that, Nathaniel.”
“Yeah?”
he asked, smiling. He took her hand in his and once more brought it to
her lips, this time kissing her fingertips and then her knuckles. Had
Shane ever done this, kiss her hand like this? She tried to recall but
didn’t believe he had...they were kids when they got together, he hadn’t needed
this type of courting, and since she hadn’t really dated anyone but him, she
really didn’t have anything to compare this to. She found that, while
pleasant, she didn’t really think she’d like someone who was overly
demonstrative like that. It wasn’t real affection and it felt that way,
and she wouldn’t want Shane to be any way other than he was with her.
“I
could pick you up tomorrow,” Nathaniel offered, pulling her from her thoughts.
“That’s
OK, I can drive myself,” she said, not wanting to surrender that little bit of
freedom.
“Are
you sure? It’s no trouble for me to come get you, and The Retreat is a
bit of a drive from here.”
“I
don’t mind driving. Just give me the address and I’ll plug it into my
GPS. What time would you like me to come?”