Harlequin Intrigue June 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: To Honor and To Protect\Cornered\Untraceable (22 page)

“What if someone calls the real police chief?” Ned asked.

“He's busy running around the island right now, and we have control of the phones.” Besides, Ray liked this cover. He could get used to wearing the uniform. It went with the gun. “My bigger concerns are Cameron Roth and Julia White, the woman with him.”

Now Ray knew her name. Knew the boss wanted her tracked down and brought to him. Apparently Ms. White didn't live on the island and wasn't supposed to be there. She was the type who liked to stick her nose where it didn't belong. She'd learn the hard way what a bad idea that was.

“They can't get far. We have the marina in lockdown and they're about to run out of ferry service. There's only one more after this.” The one who wasn't Ned delivered the information.

Ray didn't remember his man's name, because it didn't matter. The guy's job was to not mess up as he followed orders. “What about a boat on another part of the island?”

Ned pointed to the boats docked around them. “Possible, but they didn't come in with a boat, so that should lead them back here if they want to find one. We also have a few guys watching the water and checking private boats.”

“Do we have the okay to shoot?” the other one asked.

The guy suddenly became more interesting. Ray liked where his head was in this. “Not the woman. The boss wants her brought in and this Corcoran Team guy taken out.”

Ned's eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Just do it.”

Ned shrugged. “I'm just saying it would be easier to kill them both. Set up some sort of lovers' argument gone wrong.”

Ray agreed, but he didn't have the final say. Not in this. He took care of logistics and security for the business. He was the reason they'd been tipped off about Roth showing up in the first place. A guy like that, with his reputation and background, made enemies, and when a DC business associate heard Roth was headed for Calapan, he'd passed the word on. Ray had taken it from there.

But whether he liked this Roth guy or not didn't matter. Ray knew the guy was dangerous.

“Don't underestimate them. This guy Cameron took down two of our men.” Really only one but Ray guessed it would be bad for morale if he told them how expendable they were.

Ned stared at Ray. “Roth couldn't get to you.”

Ray would not let that happen. He would win that battle every time. “Not me.”

Chapter Five

The trek to Rudy's house went easier than Julia had expected. Probably had something to do with the fact that Cam hot-wired a car and drove them most of the way there. He insisted on using the word
borrowed
, but she preferred being factual.

The rocky drive ended a good five hundred feet from the shack. Not that she could see it. The place was so much worse than she remembered. Tall weeds and overgrown trees obscured the building where it sat in a small valley.

In her memory she saw a small one-story building with a front porch. Now that she was older and bigger, it looked like a shed someone might keep in their backyard to store lawn equipment.

Cam pushed away the tall grasses and forged a path ahead of her. The way he trampled down a strip in front of her made it easier to walk. So did the combination of the ice, wrap and painkillers.

Then there was the view. Cameron Roth was not hard on the eyes. Walking behind him, she could see the broad shoulders and how they fell in a V to a trim waist.

He picked that moment to glance back at her. “This is a house?”

She had the same reaction to the falling-down place, but something about his tone struck her the wrong way. “Not refined enough for you?”

He stopped and turned to face her. “I was in the navy.”

Okay...
She had no idea what he was trying to tell her. “Is that code for something?”

“I've been in the jungle, on a ship for months at a time, crawled through mud and sat point in a swamp for days.” He hitched his thumb over his shoulder toward the house. “A falling-down house doesn't scare me.”

Then he started walking again. Snapped right back into undercover-protector mode.

She'd caught a glimpse into the man behind the gun. The ship and navy part made sense. The rest sort of blurred as it sped by her. But that was the most he'd shared. The only personal thing he'd shared, actually. She wanted him to keep going. “What did you do in the navy?”

“Flew missions.”

And like that the window slammed shut again. “That's specific.”

“It's as specific as I can be.” They reached the area where the tall grass gave way to a shorter unkempt stretch of lawn right in front of the house. “Anyone else live here?”

Cam had led them wandering off to the side. A group of trees blocked their direct view, but she guessed the real point was it shielded the view of them.

“I have no idea,” she said as she looked for any movement around the place.

Cam backed her up into the trunk of the tree and shielded her body with his as he talked. “When is the last time you saw Rudy?”

“Graduation, so, like, eight years ago.” The years had ticked by and she'd visited the island as little as possible, but some things never changed and Rudy was one of those.

Cam's eyes narrowed. “How do you know he still lives here?”

Spoken like a guy who didn't grow up in a very small town. “A guy like Rudy doesn't venture very far. He sticks close to home, never gets a real job and lives with his mom.”

Cam pointed toward the ground. “Here?”

“She died a couple of years ago.” Thanks to the internet, Julia had a direct line to gossip on Calapan...whether she wanted it or not.

“You're sure?”

Cam didn't stop leaning and Julia had to fight to keep from resting her palms against his chest. “She was the high school gym teacher and her car went off the road in an ice storm, so the news made the rounds.”

With a nod Cam took out his gun and took a step toward the house. “Stay back.”

She grabbed his shirt before he could get very far. “He'll recognize me.”

“He could be dangerous.”

“Only if you try to take his drugs.” Truth was, the outside of this place made her more nervous than the inside. Who knew what lurked about out here? But the house couldn't consist of more than two rooms. Cam could cover that without trouble.

“Anyone ever tell you that you have an answer for everything?” He sounded more amused than angry.

“I'm the one who lives here and knows the people.” And she still didn't want to sit out here by herself.

“Lived. Past tense.”

She had to concede that one. “You got me there.”

With a hand on her wrist, he moved her clinch from his shirt to his back belt loop. “Hang close to me but let me move.”

They didn't head straight for the porch. Cam guided them out in a half circle and they came up the side of the porch and stopped next to the door frame. He never put them straight in front of a door or window.

She guessed that was a safety precaution thing. She supported him using any and all of his training to protect her.

“It's quiet,” Cam said in a whisper.

She'd expected music. She remembered Rudy blaring music. “Maybe he's gone.”

“Huh.” Cam looked through the curtain-covered window at the top of the door. “Maybe.”

He turned the knob and the front door opened with a creak. It sounded like a bad horror movie. Other than a strange humming sound, she didn't hear anything. Most of the house was cast in shadows, but a stream of sunshine sneaked in and dust danced wherever it shined.

But the smell hit her. Rotten meat.

“What is that?” She guessed Rudy had forgotten to pay the electric bills and ended up with a refrigerator full of ruined food.

The stench made her gag. She put a hand over her nose and tried not to breathe, but that didn't work. Then she buried her face in the back of Cam's shirt. Still, the smell got in her senses. It was like a living, breathing thing and it slowly choked the life out of her.

Cam started backing up. “Go stand outside.”

“Why? I don't...” Her gaze landed on the shoe and traveled up the leg to a knee. “Is that a foot?”

With his hands on her shoulders, Cam pushed her against the wall and out of the direct viewing line of the body. Not roughly. More like to rest her back against something hard. She wasn't sure if it was for protection or out of a concern that she might fall down. Because that was her worry, as well.

She shifted until she stood by the front door. They'd closed it behind them and now she wanted to fling it open and run outside. She looked at Cam and had no idea how he stayed so calm. He loomed over the body without any reaction.

Then he bent down. His hands moved quickly, going into pockets and picking through the papers lying around the body by using the end of a pen.

When he stood up, he shook his head. “He's been out more than a day.”

She wasn't sure what that meant for his assignment. Her main concern was for him to get whatever information he needed so they could leave. “What happened?”

“Looks like someone hit him in the head with something hard.” Cam's footsteps tapped against the hard floor as he came toward her.

“It could have been an accident.” She hoped. Part of her wanted this all to be one big misunderstanding. Better yet, one terrible nightmare, and as soon as she woke up the horrible pictures in her mind would blink out for good.

“I don't see blood anywhere but on him, and whatever hit him is gone.”

He sounded so sure. So much in charge as he spouted off his expertise. Normally that would bring her comfort, but the more they talked about death and stood surrounded by it, the more her mind muddled.

She knew they should do something, but she couldn't kick-start her mind enough to figure out what. “So, we need—”

“We have to leave. Now.” He caught her by the elbow as he made his way for the door.

She didn't slow him down. Last place she wanted to be was at this house with this awful discovery waiting inside. In two steps she was at the front door. She opened it, ushering in some needed fresh air.

Cam swore behind her. “I should go out there first just to check.”

As far as she was concerned, he was lucky she didn't run out screaming. “Next time.”

Her foot hit the front porch, and the lights registered, flashing red and out of the line of sight from the inside of the house. Chief Kreider stood there with a line of four officers, possibly every officer on the island. All had their guns up and ready to go.

She tried to make sense of what she was seeing and couldn't.

“Hands up!”

The order crashed through her. The words registered, as did all the weapons. The police were here, but instead of investigating what was happening with Rudy, they'd turned on her. Maybe on Cam. She couldn't really be sure.

Cam stumbled to the door behind her, and his eyes narrowed on their unwanted guests. “Wait. Who is that?”

She felt as confused as he sounded. The only thing that overwhelmed the confusion was the lump of fear clogging her throat. “That is the real police chief. Bud Kreider. Real name is Brian.”

“Interesting choice to go with Bud.” Cam stepped around her and out onto the porch. “We can explain.”

If anything the wall of police officers closed in. Kreider moved to the front and his attention never left Cam. What had started out as an awful find morphed into something else. Julia's heart hammered hard enough to echo in her ears.

Kreider widened his stance as he took careful aim. “Put the gun down now.”

“Damn.” Cam made a face. Quickly, then it disappeared to be replaced with that blank, unreadable expression he seemed to have perfected.

Her gaze shot over to him. “What?”

“I have three more on me,” he mumbled half under his breath.

She knew he'd come armed, but the answer seemed so odd. So unlike what normal people did and how they acted. “What?”

“Both of you, down on the ground now. I'm not asking again.” Kreider and one of his men got closer. She and Cam had their hands in the air, but that didn't seem to matter to the police chief. He all but shook as he gave each order.

She rushed to explain, because between the anxiety welling inside her and the tension spinning around all of them, she sensed a rash action headed right for them. “We didn't do anything.”

“Julia White?” Kreider lowered his gun as his eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here? You haven't been to Calapan in years.”

Mundane chitchat. She could handle this. Maybe while she did, some great plan would pop into Cam's head. “Cleaning up Dad's house.”

“Out here?” Kreider shook his head. “You'll have to come up with a better excuse than that.”

He might as well know. Refusing to look at Cam in case he disagreed with telling the truth, she answered, “We're looking for Rudy.”

She held her breath and waited for the fallout.

“We? You know this man?” Kreider pointed toward Cam as he asked.

There was no good way to answer that question. She felt she did know him, sort of, despite only meeting hours ago. In the end she went with the answer that seemed closest to the truth. “Yes. We came to talk with Rudy, but when we got here and he was...”

“Julia,” Cam said, his voice like a warning, and it was enough for her to stop talking.

Kreider was almost on top of her now. “What?”

He'd know in five seconds anyway. If he touched the door, the smell would hit him. Seeing the body, no matter how hardened he was from years on the job and all that drinking, should hit with a punch. She still wanted to retch.

“Rudy is dead.” Saying the words didn't help. If anything they brought home the reality that he was gone.

Close or not, Rudy was a human being. Someone had decided to end his life. Julia was convinced of it.

Kreider snapped to attention. “On the ground.” He motioned to his men with his head. “Check inside.”

“Chief, this isn't what it looks like.” It grated against her to show the guy any deference. He was younger than her dad, but she'd seen him in action. He liked to throw his weight around and threaten. Suggest he had more power than he did.

Cam took a step. The move didn't put him in front of her, but his body did shield hers. “You had a meeting with me earlier.”

Kreider's eyes narrowed even further. “You're Gideon Rodgers?”

The name didn't make sense. How many did the guy have? “Cam?”

“You giving out aliases?” Kreider shook his head. “Julia, what would your daddy think?”

She had no idea. None of this made sense. She tried to replay every minute since she'd come inside after the attack. Cam had told her who he was. Cam had told her why he was on the island. Cam had brought a firefight to her door.

For a second she questioned him. Maybe Cam had set up this elaborate ruse all while protecting his drug operation on the island. She'd never demanded verification, which meant he could be anyone. And the extra name didn't help.

Footsteps sounded behind her and she glanced around to see a policeman on the porch. “Sir, we have a body.”

Kreider took the gun out of Cam's hand and the other policeman started a pat down. “Is there anything you want to tell me, son?”

“I'm not Gideon Rodgers.”

“Whatever your name is, you are under arrest for the murder of Rudy Bleesher.”

She didn't understand Cam having multiple names and all the other pieces of his job, but she knew Cam had been with her all day and didn't have any idea how to get to Rudy's house without her help. The man she'd walked around with, the one who'd played rescuer every minute, could not also be a cold-blooded killer. She'd never believe that.

“He didn't do—”

Cam shook his head. “Julia, it's okay.”

“That's not correct, but wait.” Kreider pointed a finger in her direction. “You are one step away from being arrested.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “I didn't do anything.”

Alarms blew in the distance and a line of official-looking county vehicles headed toward the shack. She didn't understand how they got there so fast. Rudy's place sat away from the neighbors—who had called them? Unless things had radically changed, Rudy didn't have the type of friends who would check in on him.