Kara Lennox - Under Deepest Cover

But that was a selfish fantasy. He couldn’t expect Lucy just to sit at home waiting patiently for him to return, never knowing where he was or what he was doing or whether he was in danger. All of the reasons he’d had for staying unattached still applied.

Once they got away from the city, it was easier for Bryan to determine that no one was following them. He did some basic evasive driving, taking exits at the last minute, pulling U-turns, zig-zagging through residential streets. But no one was tailing them. He stopped to buy gas, casually sweeping the car for tracking devices while the tank filled. Of course he didn’t find any; his unseen enemy would have had to anticipate Bryan borrowing Stash’s car. But at this point, there was no such thing as paranoia. The bad guys could figure out at any time what car Bryan was driving; by then he wanted to be well away from New York City.

He could take Lucy to a hotel, but hotels required credit cards, of which he had dozens in different names-none of them safe to use. And any hotel that operated on a cash-only basis wasn’t some place he wanted Lucy to stay.

Bryan’s satellite phone rang. His nerves already on edge, he jumped at the sound of it. He’d always been told that his location could not be traced using this phone, but he suddenly didn’t trust anything he’d ever been told by anyone.

“You aren’t going to get that?” Lucy asked.

“No.” The Caller ID screen was blank-not a good sign.

“So we’re totally on our own?”

Bryan didn’t know how to answer that. He had the might of the United States Government behind him. But he had to use a certain chain of command, and if he trusted the wrong link in the chain, they were likely both dead.

He decided, though, that he had to trust someone. And if he had to pick only one person, it would be the man currently calling himself Siberia-the man who’d trained him when he’d first moved over to Homeland Security, the man who’d been his mentor. Siberia was not a particularly likable man-his nickname wasn’t random. He was cold. But he was smart and capable, and right now, he was the only choice Bryan had.

He dialed the number. “Casanova?” the familiar voice answered on the other end of the line.

“Did you try to call me just now?”

“No. Why?”

“There’ve been some new developments.” He explained to his superior about the photograph, likely published on the Internet, and the kidnapping attempt. “I have to take her someplace safe. But the safe houses that are available aren’t safe from our own people-and unfortunately I’m more sure than ever that’s where the threat lies.”

Siberia was silent for a long time, so long that Bryan feared they’d lost their connection. Finally he spoke again. “There is a place, a new safe house that’s just come available. No one in the agency knows of it but me.”

“Where is it?”

“In the Catskills. Very isolated. Put Lucy there. Then you and I will put an end to this thing. I have some new intelligence. I believe I know now who our turncoat is. And I know how to catch her and Vargov. But it will require us working together.”

Her. So Siberia believed the traitor was Orchid. He didn’t know what to say.

He’d always thought Orchid was solid. She was middle-aged, plain, unremarkable-all the things that made for a forgettable person, which was good for an agent.

“I think someone got to her with romance,” Siberia said. “She probably never had a lot of boyfriends. Women are vulnerable that way.”

Privately Bryan didn’t think women were any more vulnerable than men, whose brains started to misfire the moment a beautiful women entered the room. But he didn’t want to argue about it. Presumably Siberia had more to go on than Orchid’s gender.

He had a hard time believing Orchid would fall prey to some Romeo terrorist sympathizer. But by the nature of their work, he didn’t know her that well, so he couldn’t say for sure.

“So where is this little safe house in the woods?” He didn’t like it, but he felt he had no choice. He would have to leave Lucy alone, unprotected. But if they could end this thing once and for all, Lucy would finally be safe. And maybe his stomach, which had been twisted in knots for days, could return to normal.

Siberia gave him directions to the cabin in the Catskills, which he memorized.

One of his strengths as an agent was his perfect recall. He seldom had to write anything down.

He told Lucy the plan. She didn’t seem easy with it, either, but she didn’t object. She probably thought he knew best. He wished he thought that was true.

“It’ll take two or three hours to get there,” he said. He wanted to avoid the toll roads, because often there were cameras at toll plazas. There wasn’t much chance their enemy would know what direction they’d gone, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

The countryside was beautiful, lush and green and dotted with small lakes that shimmered in the setting sun, but Bryan hardly saw it. He kept thinking of the confrontation ahead, and wondering if he would have to kill one of his comrades.

And whether he would return to Lucy-or someone else would come for her, breaking the news of his demise.

Now that the shock of Lucy’s almost-kidnapping had worn off, she looked tired. A bruise had formed on her cheekbone, and he noticed her reaching up to touch it, to test the soreness. She probably hadn’t even known she had the injury until the adrenaline had worn off.

They stopped long before they neared their destination to buy provisions, choosing a crowded chain grocery store in the town of Monticello, where they weren’t likely to be noticed or remembered. Bryan included a deli sandwich Lucy could eat in the car. He wasn’t hungry, but he’d had the stew earlier. She hadn’t eaten since God knew when.

She claimed not to be hungry, either, but she did nibble at the sandwich and sip at a bottle of juice to make him happy.

It was almost nightfall by the time they reached the cabin. Bryan was glad he hadn’t had to find it in total darkness. It was up a twisty, narrow mountain road where one false turn could land a car in a ditch-or worse. He’d been relieved to see the cabin when it finally appeared around a bend. It was larger than he expected, well maintained, but old. Probably no air-conditioning or heat.

“It looks nice,” Lucy said optimistically. “I’ve never stayed in a mountain cabin. It’ll be like a vacation.”

“You should be working on your book.”

She grimaced. “Ah, yes. Scarlet offered to put me in touch with a literary agent. What are they going to think when I never write anything? Then again, I won’t be here to explain. You’ll have to tell them we broke up.”

Bryan was sad to say he hadn’t even thought that far ahead. “I dread telling the family that almost as much as telling them I’m a spy.”

“Why’s that? I’m sure women have come and gone from your life before.”

He shook his head. “My family is absolutely nuts about you. Gram is already planning the wedding. And Cullen-Ever since he found love, he thinks everyone should be matched up, married and having kids.”

“Unfortunately, not everyone has a happy ending. C’mon, let’s check this place out,” she said brightly, clearly wanting to drop the subject.

The cabin was quaint, and it had been aired and cleaned recently. They carried the groceries into the kitchen, which was small with outdated appliances.

“I think you’ll be comfortable enough here for a few days.”

“You aren’t going to stay with me.” It was a statement, not a question.

“I have work to do.”

“Couldn’t Siberia do it?”

“This is my case. I owe it to Stungun to see it through. It’s my fault the man is dead.”