Radclyffe - Word of Honor

“Something interesting?” Cam asked as she dropped into a swivel chair next to Paula.

“One of the right-wing paramilitary guys posted a blog blaming Blair for the decline of…just about everything. The family, the church, and the state of the nation.”

Cam frowned and held out her hand. She read the excerpt and handed it back. “He’s on our list of possible Matheson contacts.”

“I know. I got the update from Renee while we were in Washington.” Stark set the stack of papers aside. “Coincidence?”

“What do you think?”

“I think all these guys are in bed together. On the other hand, if he’s got ties to Matheson, he’d be pretty stupid to make a public statement like this.”

“Ego often trumps judgment,” Cam noted.

“It would be nice to have someone inside his camp.”

“Maybe we do, but the FBI has not been forthcoming about their sources.” A muscle bunched along the edge of Cam’s jaw. “And apparently they didn’t get the directive about interagency cooperation.”

“It’s going to take a while for everyone to adjust to this new hierarchy,” Paula said. “I’m not even sure who I work for anymore.”

Cam regarded her steadily.

Stark grinned. “Well, I know who I report to, Commander.”

“Nice save.” Cam laughed briefly, then her eyes grew serious. “We’re going to have serious chain of command issues in Colorado. You know about Tom Turner?”

Paula frowned. “I do now. He called this afternoon to tell me his people were on the ground out there. Coordinating with Mac and Ellen. He was very friendly and made it sound like we’d all be one big happy family.”

“Tom’s priority is POTUS, and it should be,” Cam said. “My concern is Blair.”

“So is mine.” Paula sensed Cam waiting, and she had no problem replying to the unspoken question. “My job is to secure the welfare of the first daughter. Nothing takes priority over that.”

“Thanks, Chief.”

“No problem, Commander.”

“I take it you’ve been briefed on the new member of the team joining us tomorrow?” Cam checked the plain-faced clock on the wall. One a.m. “Today, I should say.”

Paula pointed to a folder. “Dana Barnett.” She hesitated, judging her next words. She did not want to tread into personal territory with the commander, but she needed to know what kind of trouble she was looking at. “I don’t imagine Egret is pleased.”

Cam smiled wryly. “I didn’t know you were given to understatement, Chief.”

“We’ll handle it,” Paula said confidently.

“I imagine you will.” Cam stood, her eyes weary. “Probably better than I have. Good night, Chief.”

Paula watched her go, wishing she knew how to ease her burden. Then she reached for the last of the security bulletins, because they all had their parts to play even if they didn’t understand this new stage they’d been thrust upon.

Chapter Six

Friday

A little after six, Cam got up from the sofa where she’d fallen asleep a few hours earlier and walked into the kitchen. She had slept in a T-shirt and a pair of flannel boxers, and the apartment felt cold. Cold and empty. She contemplated making coffee, but sat at the breakfast bar instead and read the note that she’d read three times when she had returned from the command center the night before.

Cam, I’ve gone to Diane’s. I’ll probably spend the night. I love you, Blair.

Cam touched the lower right hand corner of the slip of paper with the tip of her index finger and slowly turned the note clockwise until the words blurred, although the message remained starkly clear. Blair was angry. Upset and angry. She’d gone to a safe place, not onto the streets or to a club or into a stranger’s bed. She had done that more than once—taken refuge in sex when the invisible bars of her very real cage had become too oppressive and she’d finally broken free. Even before Cam had fallen in love with her, she’d hated to see Blair waste herself on women who couldn’t begin to appreciate what it meant to touch her. Now, the idea of anyone else putting that hazy look of desire in Blair’s eyes, bringing that tremble to her lips, causing that quick catch of excitement in her breath was enough to make Cam lose any semblance of civilized reason. She became animal, primitive, driven by the instinct to guard what was hers. She slowed the revolution of the notepaper and read it again.

I love you, Blair.

Cam smiled dryly. They’d made an agreement not that long ago that neither of them would leave if they were angry. Blair had adhered to the letter of the law. Even though she’d left, she’d told Cam where she was going.

I love you too, Cam thought. She left the note on the counter and went to the bathroom, stripped, and showered. After she pulled on jeans and a workout T-shirt, she called Renee Savard.

“Good morning, Commander,” Renee said, sounding as if she’d been awake for hours.

“I’m going to be a little late this morning. I need you to handle the briefing and find out where they transferred the detainees from Matheson’s compound. I want to question them.”

“We’ve got some of their statements in the FBI reports, such as they are.”

“You mean we have what someone else thinks we should know,” Cam corrected. “Time to gather our own Intel.”

“Yes ma’am. Shall I make flight arrangements?”

“Yes.” Cam paused. “For both of us. Today.”

“Yes ma’am,” Renee said, her excitement apparent even over the phone.

“Thanks.” Cam disconnected and contemplated her next call. It wasn’t difficult to find Blair. Her whereabouts were known to at least half a dozen people at any given moment. All she needed to do was call the shift leader in the command center and ask. She dialed a number and waited.

“Hello?”

“Diane, it’s Cam. Is Blair there?”

“Good morning, Cam. No, I’m afraid you’ve missed her. She left a while ago.”

Cam’s stomach tightened. Why hadn’t she come home? Did Stark’s team have her or had she slipped out on them? For an instant she came close to disconnecting the call to roust Stark and demand a status check. Instead she closed her eyes and remembered the note. I love you. “Did she say where she was going?”

“Forgive me,” Diane replied with a note of disbelief in her voice, “but don’t you have ways of finding out where she is?”

“I do. But she wouldn’t like it.”

Diane laughed, the sound of bells pealing on an impossibly clear, bracingly brisk spring morning. “Oh, you are very good.”

“Apparently not.”

“Well, I shall have to play my part as well. As her best friend, of course, my only concern is her best interests. So I’m not inclined to help you.”

“I know,” Cam said completely seriously.

“Are you appropriately sorry for upsetting her?”

“Completely.”

“Do you have any idea what you’re apologizing for?” Diane asked gently.

“Not entirely, but it doesn’t matter. She’s upset, that’s all I care about.”

“She said she was going to the gym.”

“Thank you,” Cam said. “You could’ve drawn that out quite a bit longer, you know.”

“I know, but there’s no pleasure in it when I know that she needs you to find her as much as you do.”

“I don’t think I’ve mentioned it,” Cam said, “but I appreciate everything you’re doing for the wedding.”

“I’m doing it because I love Blair, and you make her happy. And I’m really quite fond of you too.” Diane drew a breath that sounded shaky. “And you saved Valerie’s life.”

“No thanks are needed for that.”

“But I thank you nevertheless,” Diane whispered. “Now go see to Blair.”