Hidden Impact (4 page)

“Not that high profile. She’s got a thesis and some promising research, but she’s still up-and-coming in the academic world as far as I can tell.” Lizzy tipped her head to one side. “‘Bright future’ and similar commentary popped up in any newsletters related to the conference. She’s at the beginning of her career. Not important enough to make big waves now that she’s missing.”

Gabe nodded. “No ransom request either.”

“No.” There, Lizzy’s tone edged into regret. She recovered though and returned to a brisk tone. “I left a few search strings running. I’ll keep you updated if anything new turns up.”

No ransom meant An-mei’s kidnappers had taken her for other reasons, and the likelihood of finding the young woman alive were headed toward the minuscule. Maylin’s extraordinary green eyes came to mind. An-mei had the same unusual color. Bilingual, attractive and possessed of a striking feature to set her apart. Human trafficking was a strong possibility.

“All right, I’ll look through the background.” Gabe was dog tired. He was going to need to think of a plan of action before Maylin woke later in the morning. Least he could do was call in a couple of favors over at the Beijing embassy. He’d place a video call in while they were still up and working.

“Your girl is clean, no shady history. Nothing to tie her to other reasons for tonight’s attempt,” Lizzy volunteered, still not looking in his direction. “But she’s alone. Her and her little sister lost their parents. Mother died ten years ago in a plane crash and father died of a heart attack a few years back. Stepmother doesn’t seem to have anything to do with them.”

Didn’t that make everything a little more awful? Lizzy was already invested. No way was the rest of his team going to walk away from his girl once they got a look at this intel.

His girl?

Ah, well shit. He was in denial and swimming upriver.

Chapter Four

The front door was open.

Maylin resisted the urge to lean in and call out a hello to the silent house. Mostly because she half suspected an alarm would go off, complete with sirens and bars dropping around her as an automated voice barked at her to remain where she was.

As she stepped inside, a jovial male voice called out to her instead. “Come on in. Kitchen’s just down the hall. Gabe will meet you there.”

Okay then.

A quick glance around the foyer revealed no shoe rack. She’d grown up in a household where you took off your shoes as you came in the door. Force of habit to check and she couldn’t ever quite shake the feeling she was tracking in dirt as she walked through a home no matter how thoroughly she’d wiped her shoes on the doormat out front. It wasn’t just an Asian thing, either. She’d had plenty of friends with parents who wanted to keep the carpets for as long as possible.

All grown up now and memories of childhood and school days clung to her. She’d dreamed of her sister and her parents. They’d been a family, doing normal family things. Routine. And now, none of it was there for her to find solace in.

Past the foyer and the sitting room, she wandered down the long hallway. A door was open on the left, presumably where the earlier voice had come from. As she passed, she got a glimpse of monitors. There were rows of them, set up three high and several wide. Multiple laptops sat on a tabletop and there was a familiar-looking man sitting there with his feet propped up, a tablet in his lap. He glanced in her direction and gave her a quick wave before returning his attention to the monitors.

“Right down the hall. Keep going. And good morning!”

“Thanks.” She’d meant it to come out just as hearty, but to her ears, she’d sounded like a mouse. Ah, she’d have to pull herself together better than this. Strength, confidence were what she’d need to keep these people helping her and her sister.

First, she needed to find Gabe.

“You’re up early.”

She squeaked, then scowled.
“Tā mā de!”

And there he was, filling the previously empty hallway and standing not a few inches from her. He’d come out of nowhere.

Gabe’s eyebrows rose and a slow smile spread across his face. “But maybe not awake yet.”

Probably not. Coffee could fix so many things and she was not going to wonder how he could look so good first thing in the morning. Well, late morning. It was well past her normal wake-up time but they’d been out very late and she couldn’t remember arriving. Giving him a glare, she drew herself up to her full height. “Don’t even try that. You like sneaking up on people.”

If anything, his smile grew broader and a dimple made an appearance. A really cute...

She shook her head. “I was directed down here because there’s a kitchen?”

Gabe stepped to one side and gestured for her to continue down the hallway.

Gathering what dignity she could muster under the circumstances, she marched past him. A few more steps and the hallway opened up to a surprisingly large kitchen area. The marble surfaces were clear of anything but the most minimal countertop appliances. All wiped down to a shine. Good, clean work area.

There was a restaurant-grade cooking range with eight,
eight
, gas burners and two ovens. A dual sink sported a handy pull-out kitchen faucet. Plus, the refrigerator. Oh, the kind of catering she could plan with a refrigerator that big.
This
was a great place to cook. So much better than the small utility kitchen at her apartment.

“There’s coffee.” Amusement spiced the suggestion and she tried to ignore the little shivers Gabe’s voice sent down her spine.

He was standing inside her personal space and she pointedly ignored him. Only, it was very hard to overlook the way he loomed over her. Not in a scary way, no. Leaning back into his very solid chest was incredibly tempting and she had no idea why the urge to do so was clouding her brain.

Cooking. Yup. And coffee. He’d mentioned coffee.

“I promised to make omelets.” She glanced around for cooking tools, at least a spatula. Maybe they were in a drawer. Her box was sitting on the counter of a sideboard. Oh, good. But those were all specific to Chinese cooking, and she didn’t need them just to make omelets.

He stepped away and the space he’d occupied cooled in his absence, or maybe she imagined it. “You don’t have to make them, but if you’re hungry anything in the refrigerator is fair game.”

Determined to stay on track, she strode to the refrigerator to see what they had in stock.

If she had high hopes based on the appliances, there were no words for the desolation of the interior. Looked like Mexican, Chinese and pizza either delivered or were within quick driving distance, based on the neatly stacked take-out containers occupying the bottom shelf. One drawer contained a few packages of deli meats and cheeses all on the verge of expiring. There was also a random jar of olives. The rest of the cooled space was wiped down and pristine. A lone carton of two-percent milk and several dozen eggs sat waiting on a middle shelf.

He must’ve gone out to get those while she’d been sleeping. The realization sank in as she closed the refrigerator. When she peeked into the freezer, all she found was a random loaf of ciabatta bread that must have come with some large order of takeout. She took a closer look at the cooking range. Barely used. The cabinets probably didn’t have much besides ready-to-eat cereals. Call it a guess.

“Doesn’t anyone living here actually cook?” She immediately bit her lip. Way to go, coming into the man’s home and being rude.

“These are temporary quarters.” Gabe didn’t take offense. If anything, the amusement was threaded back into his voice again. The same tone she remembered from last night. “The kitchen is here in case a chef is brought in to help out or if someone staying likes to cook, but no one currently here does.”

A mug appeared at her side. Did the man ever make any noise? At least she hadn’t jumped and made a fool of herself again. Instead, she took the proffered coffee and considered the kitchen. “I was thinking about what additional information I can give you to help find An-mei. Where’s the rest of your team? Is the man in the computer room near the front going to join us?”

Gabe hooked a stool with his foot and pulled it out from under the breakfast counter in the center of the kitchen. “They’ll be along shortly. And like I said, you don’t need to cook.”

“Can they hurry? Are they far away?” More questions threatened to tumble out of her mouth, each one sharper than the previous. Instead of letting those loose, she took a sip and tried not to grimace. “You all use those instant coffeemakers with the individual cups, don’t you?”

“It’s decent and quick. Easy cleanup.” He shrugged. Then he jerked his head in the direction of the hallway. “Marc is on surveillance right now but he’ll join us when Lizzy and Victoria come out of their rooms. We’re all in this building.”

She debated asking him to check on them. But her sister needed this man and his team. Teams? She needed to give him the best answers possible, which meant she needed to refrain from antagonizing him and do her best to get her brain moving.

She bit back her request to go get Lizzy and Victoria, whoever they were, turning back to the refrigerator instead. She pulled out the milk and the eggs, feta cheese, plus a container of what looked like leftover salsa verde, then the remains of a spinach salad. When she placed her armload on the center island, she was caught by his stare. She blinked and swallowed. “Anything is fair game, right?”

His brows drew together in a scowl. Intimidating, yes, but not frightening this morning. Not compared to how angry he’d been the previous night. “We need you to concentrate, tell us every possible detail.”

She met his glare with a steady stare of her own. “There’s only you here right now and I focus better if my hands are busy cooking. Honestly.”

This was how she worked best, multitasking.

“Can’t hurt to let the woman cook. Some of us actually enjoy breakfast.” A dark-haired woman with olive skin stalked around the corner from the portion of the hallway that went past the kitchen. Eyes so dark they were almost black pierced Maylin with a sharp glance. “I’m Isabelle, but the team calls me Lizzy. We sort of met last night for a few seconds before they tossed you in the back of the ambulance.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t remember.” And Maylin wasn’t sure how anyone could forget Lizzy after meeting her. Intimidating wasn’t a strong enough word for her.

Lizzy shrugged. “You got flattened into the sidewalk. No worries.”

Maylin didn’t know what to say to that. Despite the impact of the initial introduction, Lizzy seemed to be satisfied with leaning her forearms on the counter and just...hanging out.

After a moment, Gabe sighed. “Skillets are in the lower cabinet to the left of the stove.”

Oh good, she hadn’t been sure they had much in the way of actual pots and pans. Being in motion helped steady her, and organizing her thoughts on what she was going to make pulled other thoughts into more logical order too. Like what information they’d need to find her sister.

“Anyone have an issue with green in their omelets?” She’d assume no one was allergic since it wasn’t likely they’d keep those all on the same shelf. Usually anything someone was allergic to would be segregated.

“We all eat anything,” another female voice called out, and when Maylin turned, a lovely pale blonde was leaning on the counter next to Lizzy. They made a striking pair side by side, Victoria’s ivory and gold a perfect foil for Lizzy’s dark tanned complexion, but the contrast was in basic appearance only. Both women had an air of ready competence. “And it is lovely to have someone ask what we might prefer in any case. I heard something about omelets? I’m Victoria, by the way. The team calls me Vic.”

“Maylin.”

“We know.” Victoria gave her a friendly smile, maybe a little on the feral side. “Gabe and Lizzy gave us a little on your background. Hope you don’t mind.”

What kind of information had they gathered? Did it matter? She was nobody. Her sister was nobody. And still, people were exerting a lot of effort in regard to both of them.

Maylin tipped her head to the side. “Will it help convince you to find An-mei with me?”

No commitment in either Victoria’s blue eyes or Lizzy’s dark gaze. It was Victoria who answered her, though. “It means we’re here to listen.”

“And have breakfast.” The man from the surveillance room, Marc, walked in and took a seat on a stool near Victoria. He grinned expectantly. “Seth is covering me while we have this chat. I promised to bring him back some chow.”

A laugh escaped, bubbling up from her belly in a release of tension. Maylin decided to roll with it because any more stress would make her snap. At least they were all here now. “Breakfast it is, then. So do you all like sweet omelets or savory?”

She considered her ingredients. Could go either way.

Marc’s eyes crossed in a comic expression. “Who likes sweet omelets? Is that a thing?”

Victoria shrugged. “I didn’t know it was a thing.”

“I think she said ‘almonds.’” Marc didn’t sound sure, though.

“No, she said omelets,” Lizzy interjected. “And there’s no almonds in the pantry unless someone bought trail mix.”

Marc waved a hand. “Unless it’s one of those sweet omelet rolls off a nude Japanese woman, I’ll pass.”

Gabe growled. Perhaps he thought she’d be insulted.

But Maylin had spent her share of time around rowdy people. Maybe not as dangerous as these, but definitely uncensored. This was nothing. She kept her expression politely inquisitive. “Does she have to be Japanese? Or just nude? If you’re only worried about body temperature, I don’t think ethnic background is a prerequisite to maintain sushi at optimal serving temperature.”

Lizzy barked out a laugh. Victoria gave her a nod.

Shouldn’t please her so much to see Gabe’s dimple reappear, but really, she liked his smile. It was rakish, like he was daring her to do naughty things. It was fun speaking out around him. Fun to surprise him.

“What do you need to know from me?” Pulling out a good-sized skillet, she blew through the other cabinets for something to serve as a mixing bowl and started recreating things from leftovers.

It was Gabe who gave her the first prompt, his presence to one side an anchor already. “We know your sister was at some sort of genetic research conference. How did she become a guest speaker? Did she propose a topic or was she invited?”

“Invited.” It was reassuring, actually, to hear what they’d already found out overnight. Encouraging. “She was incredibly excited to be invited to speak on her research.”

“Did she seem worried at all before she left?”

Maylin paused in beating eggs and frowned. “Stressed over getting her presentation just right. Aside from defending her thesis, she hadn’t had much experience in public speaking. But not worried about the actual trip. She was really looking forward to visiting China for the first time.”

Victoria shifted on her stool. “She’d never been?”

“Neither of us had.” Maylin set a skillet on the stove, bending to watch the flame as she set it to the height she wanted it. When she straightened, she figured more information was better. “We’re first-generation Chinese American and Mom always meant to take us when we got old enough, whenever that was going to be, but she died. And then Dad remarried and his new wife didn’t have much interest in us, so we never went.”

Daddy’s new wife had only been interested in climbing the social ladder of the local Chinese society. The woman had shown no enthusiasm for Maylin or An-mei when neither would play her matchmaking games. They were leftovers to her, disappointing and little better than old baggage after their father died.

But they’d both kept up on their Mandarin, planning to go on their own.

Maylin bit her lip. “When this opportunity came up I didn’t want her to give up the chance to go just because I couldn’t take the time away from my catering business to join her. I’m the owner and I haven’t trained up a senior enough assistant to leave things in someone else’s hands for that long.”