“You know when I’m along you don’t get to enjoy yourself. You’re having to watch out for me.”
“Ben and Susan were planning to go along. I bet they would still like to come.”
A day of fresh air would do Sara a world of good. He watched her bite her lower lip. He could twist her arm when he had to, when it was for a good cause. “Come on, squirt. I want to go, but I’m only going if you come along. You’ll enjoy it. I’ll feed you junk food, and you’ll get some exercise. You’ll have fun.”
She looked over at him and he wisely hid his smile. “When do we have to leave?”
“Five. That gives you twenty minutes to change.”
She finally laughed. “All right, if I don’t say yes you’ll just badger me until I agree. I’ll go.”
Ben and Susan were more than willing to go along. It was the type of day that gave them a good break. They met at the airport as Dave worked down the preflight checklist for the private jet.
Dave watched his sister during the day, saw her begin to truly relax. She was enjoying herself. She wasn’t into planes and aviation the way he was, but she was a good sport, trailing him around dozens of planes. He fed her the junk food he had promised, hot dogs and popcorn, and shared the saltwater taffy he bought. She marveled with the rest of the crowd at some of the maneuvers the stunt pilots made during the course of the four-hour air show.
When it was finally time to head home, she had color in her cheeks and the contented look of someone who had spent a relaxing day outside.
Dave was glad he pushed her to come. Sara needed the day away. She sat beside him in the cockpit as he flew home, pestering him with questions. She wanted to do a children’s book about an air show. Dave answered the ones he could, tried to deflect others, and wished after a while there was an off switch for her ideas. When she was on a roll, she generated ideas too fast for him to follow her train of thought.
Dave set down the plane, pleased with the nearly flawless touch of the wheels to the runway. He loved this plane and the way it handled.
The airport was busier than it had been when they left at 5 A.M. Sara unloaded their souvenirs from the day, transferring them to the car, as Dave completed his walk around the Lear jet. He slipped his sunglasses back on and nodded to the flight line mechanic. The plane was maneuvered back into its hangar bay.
They had another two hours of daylight. Enough time to get home and start the grill. End a good day on an equally good note.
Sara joined him. “That was worth the trip.”
Dave dropped his arm around her shoulders. “Glad you let me talk you into going?”
“Yes.”
Dave smiled. “You were decent company.” He chuckled at the elbow he got in the ribs.
He dug out keys to the car. “Do you want brats or polish on the grill tonight?”
“One of each,” Sara replied, fastening her seat belt.
Dave waved to Ben and Susan and drove through the airport security gate. Tollway traffic was relatively light this afternoon. As he did on most drives, he was watching the mirrors for any signs of trouble while mentally reviewing the security plans for the next few days. “Are you looking forward to tomorrow’s date with Adam?”
“Of course.”
Dave was surprised to catch her blush. “What?”
“He said formal. Do you think my peach dress would be okay?”
Dave might live with Sara, but he rarely was consulted on her clothes. His hand tightened on the steering wheel. He couldn’t decide if this was good or bad. If she was asking a guy’s advice, it meant she wanted to make an impression. “You look nice in it.” That was like saying the sun was bright.
Was Adam this serious too, or was it just Sara? He should have asked the guy his intentions before now. He liked Adam. The guy had some depth to him to go along with the fame. He wasn’t the type to take a relationship lightly. Dave tried to figure out the implications and simply couldn’t. This was Sara.
His sister grinned. “Should I gather from the silence you have something else to say?”
“I think I’ll keep it to myself, thank you.” Dave was grateful he had kept his mouth shut to date. The last thing he needed was Sara getting engaged. That would be a security nightmare to figure out. He didn’t mind the occasional date; they were good for her. Something serious…that could be an entirely different matter.
“Are you sure you won’t join us for dinner tomorrow? I mean as more than just security?”
She didn’t hide her amusement deep enough. He sent her a withering gaze that had her laughing. “You know what Adam would think about that, squirt.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I think I like having a social life. I’ll have to see if Adam wants to go out more often.”
“Just as long as you play by the rules. I don’t want you ducking security just for the fun of it.”
Her laughter smoothed out as she touched his arm. “I won’t, Dave. You have my word.”
He nodded, relieved to hear it. If his sister had to grow up and have a boyfriend, he didn’t want to have to spy on her constantly to make sure she hadn’t ducked away from security.
It was, however, time to seriously talk to Adam. Besides laying down the strict security ground rules, it was time Adam had security with him. The risk was simply too great. They had to take that basic precaution.
Dave sighed. He hated being the one to bear bad news. Adam wouldn’t agree to the suggestion easily. Dave would probably have to force the issue and lay down an ultimatum. Accept the security or don’t see Sara.
The dress still fit perfectly. Sara swirled in front of the mirror, enjoying the flair of the peach-colored silk. Adam had said formal, so she would give him formal. The neckline was a high choker collar of peach satin and white pearls. The sleeves were three-quarter length. She wore pearl earrings.
The dress had cost a minor fortune two years ago. It was her favorite outfit when she wanted to make a statement.
She wanted Adam to notice her tonight. She swirled around again. If she was lucky, he would.
She was looking forward to tonight out.
She had done her best with the makeup to remove the worst evidence of her bad nights. With Adam, she hoped to forget the past for a while.
She glanced at the clock. He would be here soon. He had promised her a private, quiet, elegant night out. She was going to hold him to it.
Humming softly, she went to finish curling her hair. She had not intended to wear her hair down, but when she went to get her pearl hair clasp, she hadn’t been able to locate it. Normally she kept it in her top left dresser drawer; it hadn’t been there.
She couldn’t afford to lose the clasp. It had deep sentimental value. Her mother had given it to her. Sara knew she had worn it when she had dinner with Ellen. She couldn’t remember having seen it since.
Dave had promised to help her look around when they got home. It was possible she had taken it off downstairs and never carried it back upstairs.
She heard Dave answer the front door. With a last look in the mirror, Sara set down the hairbrush. It was time to go.
Adam’s hold on the bouquet of peach roses he had brought about slipped when he saw her coming down the stairs.
Sara grinned and pivoted in the foyer, showing off her dress. “Like it?”
“Absolutely.” He was glad she stuck to casual elegance most of her life. This full-blown display took a guy’s breath away. He wasn’t sharing this lady. Not with anyone from her past, present, or future.
Adam felt himself crossing an invisible line. Engagement and wedding rings were not as much a woman’s domain as they liked to think. They represented a man staking his claim. Men only remained reluctant until they found the claim they wanted to stake. Then anyone in their way had better watch out. Sara was his; she just didn’t know it yet.
“Down, Adam. This is my sister, remember?”
“Relax, Dave. Everything ready?”
“Yes.”
&n
bsp; “Then let’s go eat.” He formally offered Sara the bouquet of roses and his arm.
He had chosen a downtown French restaurant, booking its private dining room. He was determined to give Sara an enjoyable, stress-free night out. He could see the shadows under her eyes from the bad nights. Tonight would be different. If he had anything to do with it, by the end of the evening she would have too many good memories for the dark ones to find her.
Dave slipped into the background of their evening. He drove but was the silent chauffeur.
Adam asked about her latest children’s book and listened with enjoyment to her tell the story. They might be children’s stories, but they were messages about life. Every one of the books told him something new about Sara. He watched the animation in her face, finding delight in the way she gestured, the way she talked.…
And with each passing moment, Adam knew this enchanting, courageous, challenging woman was becoming one of the most important people in his life.
Sara found Adam’s attention endearing. Dave listened to her children’s stories the same way. They were important to her, so they were important to him. It said something special that Adam cared enough to pursue a subject so far from his everyday life. He listened and asked insightful questions. He was learning to appreciate the book business.
She enjoyed every minute of the drive for another reason too—Adam never let go of her hand. His thumb occasionally rubbed over the back of her hand. Sara had to stop the tingle in her arm from going straight to her heart. He didn’t mean anything that profound by the gesture, he was just holding her hand. It was a very nice way to start the evening.
Dinner exceeded her expectations; Adam kept her laughing for most of the night. It was the kind of evening that built on itself, one story spawning another. They were good stories about his sister Mary Beth and his father. He seemed determined to keep the subject off of anything that might dim her spirits. Sara loved him for it.
He was treating her with courtesy, kindness, and compliments, making her feel special, making her laugh. The night was turning into one she would treasure all her life.
She was falling in love with him.
Sara paused in eating her meal just to enjoy the emotion. To have met such a man as Adam by accident could be no accident. God had a hand somewhere in this. The touch was too complete to be unplanned. It was an interesting dilemma. She was falling in love, and it was not after she was free of the past as she had always assumed would be required. She was falling in love at a time the past was very much affecting the present.
Adam showed a remarkable ability to cope with the realities of her life. He brought back to life part of a dream that someday her life would be normal. Someday she would be free. Sara wondered what God had planned and knew she would never be able to figure it out. She was along for the duration, day by day. But life was good. Life was very good.
She hadn’t felt so hopeful for years. The love came with a sense of peace. There would be a way through the trouble. Over it, under it, around it…somehow there would be a life in spite of it.
“I am very glad we got this date arranged.”
“So am I.” Sara wished the evening would never come to an end.
They were sharing crepes for dessert when Dave came into the room.
Sara froze. She had seen that look of tension on his face only a few times in her life. His hand was on his gun.
“Sara, we’re out of here, now!”
CHAPTER 12
Sara felt the crush of being overwhelmed by security as agents appeared behind Dave. The security blanket came down on her and Adam like a sticky cocoon. They were hustled through the back of the restaurant and into a car she recognized as one from the FBI general security pool, not Dave’s car or one from her normal detail.
Ben and Susan were there; Travis was scanning the roofs, looking outward. Dave pushed her head down to help her clear the door frame. She was propelled into the car by the force of his shove.
She forgave him the sound of her dress tearing. Her dignity was not his mission, getting her behind the bulletproof glass was. She could feel his fear, and Dave was not a man to get afraid.
Adam was pushed in nearly as fast; he landed almost on top of her. A fist struck the top of the car, and they immediately pulled away.
Sara picked up three cars with them in the detail. Dave sat in the front passenger seat, scanning all directions. Ben drove. Within moments she realized they were not heading toward their home. “What’s happened?”
Dave handed a folded newspaper over the seat. “Section 2.”
It was a week-old copy of a suburban newspaper. Section 2 was local news.
The photo of her and Adam at the ice cream shop, the laughter and closeness between them made the short paragraph in the People in the News column leap out. It didn’t say much, just speculated whether a local eligible bachelor was heading toward settling down. They listed her name simply as Sara.
“Your teenager with a crush has been doing summer internships with the local paper for the last two years. She uses their lab to develop her film; one of the employees picked up on the picture.”
“It’s still just a suburban paper.” Sara hoped for something, anything, that was good news.
Dave turned toward the back of the car. “And an hour ago a package got delivered in London.” He handed over a faxed picture.
Sara looked at it. She went white. “No!”
“He was in the house, Sara. He was in the house.”
Her hands were shaking. She was looking at a faxed picture of her pearl hair clasp. It had been a commissioned piece. It was one of a kind. “We checked security. It was clean.”
“He got inside. Whatever you picked up last week, whatever he moved, you subconsciously knew it. A sniper rifle could have picked us all off tonight so easily. We walked right out the front door and stood around admiring the nice evening weather.”
Instead, the man chose to simply leave that possibility hanging out there. “What did the note say?” Sara asked, her voice dull. There was always a note in the package. He always destroyed her life in the same way. A note and a souvenir.
“ ‘Want to play again?’ “
She shivered, the words echoing in the recesses of her mind she could not access. She held up the newspaper. “Why didn’t we see this? We’ve been scanning all the papers.”
“I don’t know. Believe me, I’ll find out. It’s the south region edition of the paper; we should have been covering all editions. But we missed it, and now we are behind the curve. If he can compromise security at the house, he can be anywhere he wants to be. Your name and office are gone, Sara. He knows them. We’ll get you to ground and hope he stays in the area long enough for us to finally establish a lead. There is already a team dusting down the house.”
Adam was horrified by what he was hearing. He should have left well enough alone when Dave wanted to take the film. But he hadn’t. He’d walked Sara straight into danger. His heart went cold. It was rage, iced down; it would flare when he had this madman in his hands, when there was something he could do. Right now the emotion would get in his way. “Where are we going, Dave?”
“The airport. Sara just disappeared.”
Adam looked at Sara, could see the resigned acceptance. How many times had she been through this before? three? five? more?
“Adam, you’ve got to decide what you want to do. I can provide security, but you’ll have to assume that for now your condo and your office are both known places where you will be a target. You’ll have to stay away from both places. When this guy can’t find Sara, he’s going to turn his focus toward you.”
Adam could feel Sara trembling against him. He made one personal decision. He wasn’t adding to her danger. He wanted to stay close to her, but he couldn’t, not when doing so would put her at additional risk. His face was too well known. It felt like part of his heart was getting ripped out. Lord, why are You allowing this to happen?
“What do you
suggest, Dave?”
“You’ve got friends all over the country. Call one and go spend a few days, then call another and spend a few more days. Stay out of town for the next several weeks. Use cash, not your credit cards. That includes buying the plane tickets. The one thing we have in our favor is that the picture didn’t show the ice cream shop’s name, but it’s only a matter of time before he finds it. That immediately gives him the Little League games and from there, your sister. It’s going to get messy.”
“What about my sister and her family?”
“There will be security there, I promise you. Agents are already picking up Jordan.”
Adam could only imagine what his brother-in-law was feeling right now. He finally understood why Sara tried so desperately to shut people out of her life, even at her own cost. It was frightening to realize you had put someone else in danger. He closed his eyes, sick with dread. He opened them, resolving to cope. Sara didn’t need him adding to her own pressure. Adam looked at her, sitting white faced beside him, clenching the fax in fingers that curled. He looked over at his friend in the front seat. Adam didn’t like what he saw there any better. Sara looked scared. He looked dangerous. Dave had the look of a man playing a game of Russian roulette.
“Adam, I’m going to catch this guy. The fact he’s suddenly become something more than a shadow is a real break in this case. I’ll get him.”
Her suitcase landed on the bed with a thud. The safe house bedroom looked like many others Sara had slept in during her life. She was somewhere in Colorado. It was after 2 A.M.
Fatigue and fury fought for dominance.
She had lost Adam. The pain would come later. Right now, anger controlled.
She unzipped the suitcase. She called it her hot case because it was always waiting for just this contingency. Every item inside had been chosen with care. Every time they had to abruptly relocate it hit her hard, was a disorienting shock to her system. She needed something to be familiar when she was tossed into a new location.