Erica Spindler - Cause for Alarm

"Nice cup."

"Thanks. Publisher premiums."

She filled it with coffee, added cream, then sipped, murmuring a sound of pleasure. "This is Kona, isn't it?"

"It is." He grinned. "I got hooked on it while I was in Hawaii researching Last Dance. There's bacon under the paper towel. And a loaf of homemade raisin bread on the cutting board. Help yourself."

She did, suddenly famished. "When did you become Mr. Betty Crocker?" She carried her plate and mug to the table and sat down.

"Live alone long enough and you get pretty sick of Big Macs and Domino's pizza." The lopsided grin made another appearance. "My repertoire's pretty limited, but I figured you'd be hungry."

"Starving." Kate ripped off a hunk of her bread and took a bite. "I love homemade bread. You have a machine?"

"Mmm-hmm." Emma squirmed in his arms. He popped out the bottle, eyeballed what was left, then popped it back in. She began to suck voraciously. "My kid sister gave it to me for Christmas last year."

Kate couldn't believe they were sitting here talking about such mundane things as bread machines and coffee beans. Only minutes ago she had been sure John Powers had stolen Emma away.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Surprisingly well." Sometime during the night her nightmares had retreated and she had been left with a feeling of peace. Of being safe and protected. "And you?"

"Great. Like a baby."

Emma noisily slurped down the last of her bottle, the now empty liner making a wheezing sound as she continued to suck on it. Luke popped out the bottle, brought the infant to his shoulder and began patting her on the back.

Kate watched his movements, astounded by how assuredly he handled the child. She told him so. "I have five younger siblings. And now three of them have children of their own. I've spent a good part of my life burping babies."

"I'd forgotten you come from such a big family."

Emma let out a deep, wet burp, one a sailor would be proud of. Luke and Kate looked at each other and laughed. "Nice burp, sport," he said. "Very ladylike."

Kate laughed again and held out her arms. "Spend a bit of time around her, that's nothing. And she has absolutely no shame about where-or how-she breaks wind. Speaking of which, I'd better change her diaper. She must be soaked by now."

"Done," he said, settling the child in her arms.

"Done," she repeated, astounded.

"Mmm-hmm. Changed her right before you got up." He went to the carafe and refilled his mug. That done, he met her eyes, the expression in his serious. "We need to talk, Kate. I've been thinking about your situation, and I've come to the conclusion that you and Julianna are going about this all wrong."

"You do?"

"Mmm." He brought the coffee mug to his lips and sipped, as if using the time to collect his thoughts. Kate waited, heart pounding, hoping against hope that during the night he had come up with a miracle.

"Seems to me," he said, "if you start running, you'll never stop. There has to be another way."

"And what is it?"

"I don't know. Yet." He returned to the table and sat down, his gaze never leaving hers. "I know this guy who's after you, Kate. Not personally, but from research for my books. He's a hunter, above the law because of skills that keep him there. He has no compunction about taking a human life, to him death is merely an extension of life, the act of killing no different than that of taking out the trash. Necessary. Warranted."

"Thanks for cheering me up," she whispered. "I needed that."

"There's more," he said grimly. "And it's worse, so hold on. What you're contemplating's not a hiatus until things cool down, it's not disappearing for a month or two or a year, then returning to your regular life. It'll never cool down, Kate. This guy's on a personal mission. He'll hunt you down. Even if it takes years, he'll find you. And when he does-"

"He'll kill us."

"Yes." He went to her and squatted in front of her, forcing her to look him dead in the eyes. "We have to find a way to stop him. It's the only way you'll be safe."

"We, Luke?" She shook her head. "I've already put your life in danger by involving you this much. I can't-"

"Yes, you can. I'm not going to abandon you to this monster, Kate. Not you or Emma."

Kate struggled for an even breath, fought to control the fear that had her in a death grip. Fighting, too, the urge to lean on him and to completely fall apart. It wasn't fair or right. It could get him killed.

"I can't let you do this, Luke. You don't understand what you're getting yourself into."

"Yes, I do." He brought a hand to her face and cupped her cheek. "You don't have a choice in this, Katie-girl, you've involved me, now you're stuck with me."

He'd used her father's pet name for her. Tears flooded her eyes and she covered his hand with her own. "What do you think we should do?"

"I have a couple of contacts with the Agency. Let me get in touch with them, ask their advice. In the meantime, you and Julianna crash here. Rest, get healthy-"

"No."

They looked up to find Julianna standing in the kitchen doorway, her expression panicked. "Julianna-"

"No!" She shook her head. "You don't know what he's capable of! You didn't see-"

"I do know, Julianna." Luke stood. "That's why I'm convinced running is futile."

"He's right. We have to have a plan. We have to find a way to stop him." Kate glanced at Emma, asleep in her arms, then back up at Julianna. "You can do what you think's best for you, but I'm staying with Luke."

The younger woman stared silently at them a moment, as if considering her options, then turned and left the kitchen. She returned a moment later with her purse, a backpack-style tote. She set it on the table, opened it and rummaged inside for a moment. She pulled out a Ziploc plastic bag that appeared to contain three items.

She handed it to Luke. "Maybe this will help."

He opened the bag and retrieved the items, a small, black leather binder, like an address book; a used envelope and an airplane ticket stub. "What are these?" Luke asked.

"They're John's. I took them after I talked to my mother, when I left D.C." Luke flipped through the black book. "It's in some sort of code," she offered. "John never spoke of what he did for a living. I was never to question him about it. I got curious."

"And you began to snoop?"

"Yes." She pulled out a chair and sank onto it, her expression at once defiant and defeated. "The black binder was hidden in the freezer, sandwiched between two packages of frozen meat. So I figured it must be really important."

"This is good," Luke murmured. "It could be very good."

Kate came up behind Luke and peered at the items. "What do they mean?"

"See this ticket stub?" He held it up. "The ticket was issued to a Wendell White." He held up the envelope. "This was sent to David Snow. But both were in our man's possession. Why? Because they're both aliases of John Powers'. And this address is to one of his dead drops."

Julianna drew her eyebrows together. "How do you know?"

"Don't. But I'd bet money I'm right."

"Dead drop?" Kate asked, amazed that Luke knew this stuff. "Like your book."

"Yeah, that's right." His lips lifted slightly. "A dead drop's a dummy address. Used for correspondence and deliveries but untraceable back to a real person, in this case John Powers. At any time an agent might have a dozen- or more-of them scattered throughout the country. Or countries."

"So they can conduct business without fear of being discovered," Kate murmured.

"Exactly. I know a private investigator, a good one. He helped me with some research a couple years back. I'll give him a call, see what he can dig up on these names."

"What about the other?" Kate asked. "That…book?"