The Mercenary and the Shifters (The Turning Stone Chronicles) (9 page)

Chapter 14

Kyle arrived at Fiona’s house at seven sharp. George answered the door, insisting she wait in the upstairs hallway until he checked Kyle. She watched from her perch leaning against the balustrade, covering her mouth to keep from giggling out loud as George wanded Kyle, searching for weapons. When George finished his inspection, he waved her down from the hallway.

“Do all your dates get this treatment?” Kyle asked as she descended the staircase.

“Only the important ones.” She flashed him a disarming smile. “You won’t mind if George trails us tonight, will you?”

“Depends on how close. I had hoped for some alone time.”

“You could bring him home after the date,” George said. “I can make myself scarce once I know you’re safe.”

She thought about Mike’s arrival. Explaining a date to him didn’t set well with her. “It’s okay, George. We’ll probably make an early night of it.”

George’s grin clearly said he understood, and her face heated. His comment about Mike and the women, and her, had not been far from her thoughts today. At least when she wasn’t being threatened and terrified by Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, and the insurance company. She looped her arm in Kyle’s, determined for a few hours to forget the problems she faced and enjoy herself.

“Where are we going tonight?”

“Dinner and dancing.”

“You didn’t dance enough last night?” Fiona asked.

“Nope.” Kyle leaned in close and whispered, “It’s the only way I know I’ll get to hold you in my arms.” Straightening, he continued in a normal voice, “I know a great club with Big Band music. Do you like Big Band?”

“I grew up on it. Dad loved Big Band. Big Band Christmas music. Big Band love songs. Big Band everything.”

George handed Kyle her coat, and he helped her put it on. Then he wrapped his arm around her and tucked her against his side as he steered her toward the door. “I knew I liked you.”

When they reached the drive, Kyle started to help her into his car, but George stopped him.

“You and Ms. Kayler need to let me drive,” he said, opening the rear door to her vehicle.

Kyle raised a questioning eyebrow at her. “You wanded me when I entered the house and now I can’t drive you? What’s going on?”

“Bodyguard rules,” she said with a shrug. “Don’t you have one?”

“No, and I’m wondering why you do. Are you in trouble, Fiona?”

“Someone shot at me the other day. I thought it prudent to get some protection.” She studied him to see how he took the news.

“You must be terrified,” he said, hugging her tighter.

“I am. But George is doing a fine job.” She rotated to face Kyle. “Can we not talk about it? I don’t want to spoil our date.”

“Absolutely,” Kyle replied. He helped her into the car then skirted around the rear bumper to the other door. When he slipped onto the seat, he raised his fisted hands in front of his face in a boxer’s position. “I was not only on the Harvard rowing team, but I fence and box.”

She giggled at his attempt to make her feel secure. “I feel so much safer. If someone comes at us shouting ‘
en-guarde’
you can jump in front of me.”

George started the engine and the interior lights dimmed. Kyle reached for her hand and entwined his fingers in hers, his grip warm and strong.

For an instant Fiona thought of Mike, and the first time he held her hand. Then she shoved him from her mind. She had no future with Mike, in spite of what she might feel for him.

Kyle, however, could be her salvation. She could marry him for his money and use it to keep her company viable. She could marry him to gain his company and give it to OmniWorld. Or she could use him to double-cross OmniWorld. Every option had its risks. She only had to decide how to go about acquiring the deliverance he offered and how to live with herself once she made her decision.

Mike and Mary Kate rolled up in front of Falhman’s apartment on Mike’s motorcycle and dismounted. A man leaning against a light post hailed him, and Mike slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and strode to the man’s side.

“George said you were coming.” He held out his hand.

Mike shook it and introduced Mary Kate. “Any action?”

“Nothing. No one answering to the description you gave, or children, have entered or left this apartment building.”

“How long have ye been here?” Mary Kate asked.

“About thirty minutes after George got your instructions. Nearly all day.”

“Do you think they might have left before we got our tail set?” Mike asked.

“There’s one way to tell,” Mary Kate said. “I’ll go check.”

“We’ll go in,” Mike said. “No telling what you might find in there. You’ll need backup.”

“Give me your phone,” Mike said to the guard. “I’ll put my number in. If you see anything suspicious while we’re in there, call.” Mike tapped his cell number into the man’s phone and handed it to him.

As he and Mary Kate crossed the street, Mike asked, “Just how are you going to figure out if there are shifters in there?”

“With the special magic I mentioned. We can sense each other. If there’s a shifter within thirty feet of us, I’ll know.”

“Handy skill.”

“Aye, and it’s why ye need me.” She opened the door to the building and stopped.

“Got anything?”

“Nothing yet.” She moved to the front desk. “I’m looking for Mr. Falhman,” she said. “Can ye tell me what apartment he’s in?”

“I’m sorry, Miss, but we respect the privacy of our tenants,” said the young man at the desk.

Mike elbowed his way in front of Mary Kate and spun the textbook on the desk around. “Med school? What year are you in?”

“Sophomore,” the clerk said.

“I started out in med school, but ran out of money and had to quit. Damn shame, because I’d have made a great doc. You going for a specialty?”

Mary Kate made sputtering noises behind him. Mike motioned behind his back for her to hush.

“Surgeon.”

Mike whistled. “Expensive. Loans out the wahzoo, I’ll bet.”

The clerk’s face fell. “I’ll be paying for this until I’m forty, if I even make the grade.”

Mike reached in his pocket and withdrew a roll of bills. “I’d like to help a fellow med student.” He peeled off a hundred-dollar bill and laid it on top of the textbook. “Do you know which apartment is Falhman’s?”

The young man’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the cash. Then his mouth drew into a straight line. “I can’t,” he said with a shake of his head.

Mike laid another bill on the pages. “Two Benjamins will go a long way for a starving med student.”

Greed shone in the student’s eyes, but he shook his head.

“Last chance,” Mike said as he laid two more bills on the counter.

The clerk licked his lips, indecision all over his face.

“Well, if you don’t want it.” Mike reached for the four hundred dollars, and the clerk snatched them.

“Penthouse,” he said, as he crammed the bills in his pocket. “But it’s a locked floor. You can’t get in.”

“Thanks, kid.” Mike stuffed the wad of money into his pants.

“Locked? What a waste of yer money,” Mary Kate said as they walked away from the desk.

Mike pulled a small case from his pocket and flipped it open to reveal a lockset. “There’s not a lock I can’t open.”

“You’re a burglar?”

“Security specialist. Breaking into places to check their security is part of my job.” He punched the elevator button. “You coming, or are you going to stand there insulting me, Red?”

Mary Kate double-timed her stride, slipping in behind him as the elevator doors closed.

Mike surveyed the interior of the elevator for a surveillance camera. In the upper left corner he saw what he looked for. He punched the seventh floor.

“We’re not going to the penthouse?” Mary Kate asked.

“Cameras,” Mike replied. “They’ll catch me picking the lock. Do you have any chewing gum?”

“Aye.” She reached for her backpack slung over her shoulder.

“Not now. Wait until we’re on seven. We’ll chew a big wad and stick it on the camera.”

The elevator dinged announcing they’d reached the seventh floor. Mike and Mary Kate exited. She handed Mike several sticks of gum and unwrapped some for herself.

“How are you going to get it on the camera without being seen?” she asked.

Unzipping the duffel, Mike extracted a ski mask, a brightly colored sweatshirt, and a black hoodie. “We’ll take the stairs to the tenth floor,” he said as he tugged on the sweatshirt. “Then I’ll put the gum on the camera lens. Once I’ve picked the penthouse lock, we’ll be home free.” He handed her the hoodie, indicating she should put it on.

“Won’t they realize something’s wrong with the camera when it stops recording?” she asked as she pulled the hood over her red hair.

“Apartment systems generally use the cameras to view problems after they’ve happened. We’ll be gone by then.”

“And if Falhman’s home?”

“Use your magic voodoo. We’ll hightail it if you sense anything.”

They climbed to the tenth floor and waited until the hallway was empty before calling for the elevator. When the door opened and there were no passengers, Mike slipped the ski mask over his head while Mary Kate held the door open and popped the wad of chewing gum out of her mouth. Mike mashed his gum and hers together in his palm, then slipped into the elevator, hugging the wall, and applied the gum to the camera lens.

The job done, he motioned her inside. The door closed, and she jammed her finger on the close button, holding it there while Mike jimmied the lock. After a couple of seconds, he turned his lock pick tools then pressed the penthouse button. The elevator rose and the doors opened at the top floor.

“Sense anything?” he asked.

Mary Kate shook her head.

“The second you do, let me know and we’re outta here.”

“Aye.”

They moved toward the only other door in the hallway. Mike watched Mary Kate closely. She strode forward with confidence, and he wondered how this shifter sensing worked.

As they neared the door, she shook her head. “Still nothing. I don’t like it. Even if Falhman’s not here, I should be sensing shifters. He’s got a league of rogues serving him, and some of them should be here.”

When they reached the door Mike tried the handle. Unlocked.

“I don’t like that either.”

Easing the door open, they slipped through the entrance. Mike’s gaze cut to Mary Kate and she shook her head. She moved ahead of him, but he stopped her.

“No shifters doesn’t mean there aren’t bad humans,” he whispered. “Stay behind me.” He didn’t have to be a shifter to feel the bristles coming from her.

“I can take care of myself,” she whispered. “I don’t need ye.”

“But I need you. Please do as I ask.” His declaration seemed to soothe her, and she dropped behind him.

Together they explored the penthouse. No humans or shifters appeared. After a few minutes Mike’s fear of ambush eased, but his anxiety over finding the children mounted, especially when they discovered the empty bureau drawers in the bedrooms.

Mary Kate sank onto the bed in the last room they checked, her face twisted in pain. “He’s gone.”

“Seems so.” Sighing, Mike joined her on the mattress. “Any idea where we should search now?”

“No idea. But we have to let Eli know.” She started to dial, but Mike stopped her.

“Since he’s gone, let’s make another sweep. Maybe we’ll find a clue. Something positive we can tell Eli.”

She pocketed her phone and stood. “I’ll check the bedrooms.”

“I’ll take the office.”

As Mary Kate started taking out the chest drawers, Mike headed for the office. Executives always had secret security systems, hidden cameras, or wall safes. Something hiding a tidbit of information to help them.

He searched the wood paneled office methodically, examining the room top to bottom with a trained eye. No additional cameras appeared in the walls and the only safe he found was empty. So much for forgetfulness on Falhman’s part. Then he poked around in the big mahogany desk, probing the edges of each drawer, tapping on the bottoms for hollowness. He found a false bottom in one drawer. Empty.

The desk phone rang, the chime resonating in the quietness of the room. Mike debated whether or not to answer. As he reached for the receiver, the answering machine kicked on and a heavily brogued Scottish voice spoke.

“This is Ewan, Mr. Falhman. We’re here with the children, but we’ve car troubles. We’ll not be arriving at yer compound at the expected time. I couldnae reach ye on yer mobile. I thought I’d better ring ye here. Just in case, sir.”

The caller disconnected. Mike checked the number. Blocked. He dialed *69 to retrace the call.

“Hullo?” said a Scottish voice.

“This is Falhman,” Mike said. “There’s been a change of plans. Don’t come to the compound. Meet me at the penthouse instead.”

“Why are ye nae ringing me on my line?”

“I’m returning your call from my office. Why aren’t you calling me from your line?”

“Because ye told me to use a burner phone. Ye also told me what number ye would always call me from. And this is nae it.”

The line went dead, and Mike slammed the phone into the cradle. A burner phone. The chance to figure out where the kids were had just gone down the toilet. He bolted from the office, shouting Mary Kate’s name.

“The kids are in the States being delivered to some compound Falhman owns.”