In the Enemy's Sights Read online

  “I’m sorry. For all of it. If I could have taken your place, I would have.”

  “I know. I—”

  Before she could finish whatever she intended to say, an unmarked car pulled up next to them. Sam got out, coming toward them quickly with his characteristic long stride. A woman who must be his partner walked off toward the uniformed officers, presumably to hear what they had to say.

  Ken slid out of the car so that Sam could take his place. “About time you were getting here.”

  Sam shot him a sharp glance. “Take it easy, cousin. We’re doing our best.”

  It wasn’t fair to blame Sam. After all, he’d also been in on the decision to keep this whole affair unofficial.

  But that was before Juli had become a target. That changed everything.

  He listened as she told her story to Sam. More details were coming out this time—enough details to terrify him. If he hadn’t gotten here when he did, Juli might be dead. This wasn’t simply a matter of vandalism anymore. Whatever Quinn thought, they had to take this seriously.

  Quinn, arriving just as Sam finished hearing Juli’s story, looked shaken. “Are you sure she’s all right?” He grabbed Ken’s arm in a painful grip.

  “Sure as I can be, but it was close. Too close.”

  The female officer—the one who’d come with Sam—joined them as Sam and Juli slid out of the car.

  “This is my partner, Becca Hilliard.” Sam gestured to them. “This is Julianna Red Feather. My cousin, Kenneth Vance, and Quinn Montgomery, whose company is building the hospital wing.”

  Ms. Hilliard nodded to them, apparently reserving judgment on Sam’s family connection to the protagonists in this little drama. “Patrolmen think it’s a simple case of vandalism. Ms. Red Feather intruded, and the perp turned ugly.”

  Sam shook his head before Ken could burst out with what he thought of that reasoning. He couldn’t blame the woman. After all, she hadn’t been privy to what had gone before.

  “It’s not the first problem that’s come up,” Sam said. “It started with vandalism, all right, but it’s escalated. There have been attacks on both my cousin and Ms. Red Feather.”

  The woman’s eyes darkened. “And there’s been no formal complaint?”

  “Not until an arson attempt at Julianna’s home a few nights ago.” Sam held up his hand. “Listen, I know what you’re going to say, and you’re right. I should have brought you in on it sooner.”

  “Yes.” Her voice was crisp. “You should have.”

  “I’m sorry,” Quinn said. “This is my fault. I’ve been too worried about the company to use good sense.”

  Sam shrugged. “Let’s not start blaming each other. The thing to do now is get to the bottom of this.”

  But that, they all knew, wasn’t going to be easy. The man, whoever he was, had covered his tracks well, leaving no evidence behind.

  “We’ll pick up Crale for questioning,” Sam said. “Maybe we can shake something loose. Ken, you’d better drive Julianna home. I think she’s had enough for one day.”

  “My car—” Juli began, but Sam shook his head.

  “You’re not driving. It’s either Ken or a police car. You decide.”

  Juli looked too tired to argue. “Ken,” she said quietly. “He can drive me.”

  He ought to be happy she was turning to him, but she didn’t look particularly pleased about it. Truth to tell, he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Juli had put on that impassive expression of hers, and she looked determined not to let him in.

  Juli’s emotions were in tatters as she sat beside Ken for the ride back to her grandparents’ house. If Ken didn’t know by now that she loved him, he wasn’t as smart as she thought he was. All she could do now was hope he didn’t say anything about it.

  “I should have called my grandparents. They’ll be worried because I’m so late, and if they heard something on the news about the incident at the work site, they’ll jump to conclusions.”

  “Those conclusions would be right, wouldn’t they?” Ken’s jaw was tight. “Don’t worry about it. I called them while you were talking to Sam, just to be sure they didn’t hear about it in some more unpleasant way.”

  “Thank you.” The words were soft because there was a huge lump in her throat. Ken was a caring person—that was all it was, not a matter of caring for her in any romantic way.

  “Quinn thinks you ought to take some time off work.”

  “I can’t. I already took time off when Angel was hurt. Besides, I need this job.”

  He sent her a sideways glance. “Quinn has no intention of docking your pay. He thinks—we both think—that it would be safer for you.”

  “No.” She shook her head, surprised at how strongly she felt about it.

  “You’d take time off if you were called on a mission.” He sounded frustrated. No doubt Quinn would, too.

  “That’s different. I’d go if we were deployed, because that’s my duty. But I won’t stay home because I’m afraid. That’s letting the bad guys win.”

  “And you don’t let the bad guys win.”

  “Not if I can help it. And I won’t let my friends down.”

  There was silence in the car. Ken negotiated the turn onto her grandparents’ street. Then he reached out, as if to touch her, but drew his hand back.

  It wasn’t a comfortable silence. It sizzled with all the things that were unsaid between them. Things like how they felt about each other.

  Ken cleared his throat. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I haven’t had the opportunity.”

  “Oh?” She didn’t want to look at his face, because it might be too telling, so she looked at his hands instead. They were tense on the steering wheel.

  “I’ve been notified that I’ll get a date soon for my medical exam. I’ll go out to Peterson Air Base and see a doctor there.”

  “I see.” She should have been expecting it. Clearly Ken wouldn’t just go on the way he was.

  His fingers tightened until his knuckles were white. “I expect to be cleared to go back to work. I don’t want to let anyone down either, but when I get my orders, I’ll have to leave.”

  She ought to say she understood, that Quinn would understand, but the words wouldn’t come out. She knew what he was really saying. He was giving her fair warning that there was no place for her in his life.

  Fortunately he pulled into her grandparents’ driveway then, so she didn’t have to say anything. Her grandmother and grandfather were out of the house the instant the car stopped. She slid out of the car and darted into their arms.

  She wanted to run into the house and hide under the covers. Or cry herself to sleep. But of course she couldn’t do either of those things, because it would worry them.

  Instead she had to assure them, over and over, that she was all right. Finally, with her grandmother’s arm around her, they went into the house.

  She expected Ken to make his escape then, but her grandfather had him by the arm, asking him questions. What did he think, what did the police think, what were they doing about this? Poor Ken didn’t have many answers.

  She sank down on the soft brown leather couch, curling her feet under her and pulling the woven blanket over her legs. This had been her favorite spot when she was a child, overwhelmed by life. It still felt comforting.

  Her grandmother came softly back from the kitchen and handed her a steaming mug of tea. She sipped, feeling the warmth down to the pit of her stomach, soothing and unraveling her nerves.

  Ken and her grandfather came in, continuing to carry on a soft-voiced conversation. Ken should look out of place in her grandparents’ living room, with its adobe-colored walls, colorful braided hangings and pottery lamps, but he didn’t. He seemed perfectly at ease, and when they looked at her, he and Grandfather wore identical expressions of concern.

  The doorbell rang, the sound making her wince. One of the neighbors probably, coming to see what was going on. But it was Holly. She started to
introduce herself to Grandfather, saw Juli and rushed to her.

  “I came as soon as I heard.” She knelt next to her, giving her a warm hug. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “You shouldn’t have come rushing over here.” Tears pricked her eyes. “I’m sure Jake would rather you didn’t.”

  “Jake’s turned into a nag since I’ve been pregnant. If I listened to him, I’d spend nine months in bed.” She hugged Juli again. “I had to see for myself that you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine,” she said again, and then glanced up, tensing, as someone else came in the room. It was Jay, looking ill-at-ease but determined.

  He hovered on the edge of the carpet. “You okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Someone chased her at the hospital site.” Ken frowned. “She could have been…badly hurt.” He’d probably intended to say killed, but changed it in deference to Grandmother’s feelings. “How did you find out about it?”

  Jay took a step back, as if he’d been accused. “I just know what everyone’s saying. I didn’t know anything.”

  “We know.” Ken’s voice softened, and he took a step toward Jay and put his arm around Jay’s shoulders. “I just thought you might have heard something.”

  Jay shook his head. “Those guys haven’t come anywhere near me lately.” He grimaced. “I’ve been steering clear of their hangouts.”

  “Good,” Juli said.

  Jay looked from her to Ken. “I could try to find out—”

  “No.” Ken’s arm tightened around him. “No way. We’d rather have you safe.”

  Jay looked up at him, and Julie’s throat tightened at the look in the boy’s eyes. Ken could do so much good for Jay.

  But he wouldn’t be here—not for Jay, and not for her.

  “Are you sure this new display cabinet is going to be big enough?”

  Dahlia stood in the exhibit room at the museum, her hand on Quinn Montgomery’s arm. It pleased her that she could have him at her beck and call. She could feel his tension in the taut muscles under her manicured fingertips. He wanted to go, but he couldn’t risk offending her.

  “It’s exactly the size you specified.” He snapped a metal ruler closed. “As I’ve just demonstrated. Now if that’s all you need—”

  “That relieves my mind so much.” As if she cared about the museum or its displays. The only thing that interested her about it was whether she might be able to take a few choice pieces with her when she left this town. “I’m sure you’re eager to get back to the hospital construction site, especially after the trouble there yesterday.”

  He shrugged. “The news reporters made more of it than was warranted. But I am rather busy today.”

  “Oh, I understand completely.” She kept her hand on his arm, preventing him from leaving without shaking her off, enjoying the sense of power over one of the high-and-mighty Montgomerys. “Your poor little secretary must have been frightened out of her wits.”

  “It would take more than that to frighten Julianna Red Feather out of her wits,” he snapped. “If you’ll excuse me, I really must go.”

  “What about the damage? There must have been damage.”

  “No. There wasn’t.” He seemed to be biting the words out.

  “But there’s been damage in the past. You must admit, it’s worrisome for those of us who’ve hired your firm. I’m responsible for the museum. What if this person decided to come after us?”

  “I can assure you, Ms. Sainsbury, that’s not going to happen.” He yanked his arm free. “I’m sure your high-tech security is up to any challenge. If you have any other questions, just leave a message at my office.”

  He stalked off before she could say anything else. It didn’t matter.

  She watched his tall figure disappear into the hallway with a slight smile. It didn’t matter, because nothing Quinn Montgomery did or didn’t do would change the day of reckoning that was coming to them.

  She turned toward her office, the smile dimming a little. Still, Escalante would be angry that the woman had escaped without a scratch. Perhaps if she avoided the tunnels for a few hours, he’d have enough time to cool off.

  Not that that seemed likely. If anything, he grew more unstable everyday. That made her challenge more exciting, balancing on the tightrope, knowing that eventually she’d bring him down. But only after she’d gotten everything she could from him.

  She was a gambler by nature, just as her half brother had been. They took their chances. If she miscalculated with Escalante, she’d pay the price, but the potential payoff made it worth the risk.

  At least she wouldn’t have to deal with his temper for a few more hours. She slipped into her office, closing the door behind her and froze. She knew, without looking, that he was there.

  He glided behind her, smooth and deadly as a rattlesnake. “You have been ignoring me, querida.” His hands slid around her neck in a caress that could easily change into something else entirely. “Why have you not reported?”

  “I have been busy. I called Quinn Montgomery over to see if I could get any further information from him about their reactions to what happened yesterday.”

  The grip of his hands eased slightly. “And?”

  “They are frightened. All of them. Shaking in their boots about what is going to happen to them next.”

  That was an exaggeration, of course, but it was what he wanted to hear. His enemies must fear him. Even his allies must fear him.

  “Good. They should be afraid.” He let go of her, and it was all she could do not to let out of a sigh of relief when he moved toward the hidden panel that led to the tunnels.

  “They don’t know where you’ll strike next. It terrifies them.”

  Let him believe that. It kept his attention focused on the enemies he knew about, instead of the one who was as close as his skin.

  “Their wondering will end soon enough.” His eyes glittered in a way that turned her stomach. “The Montgomerys and Vances will go to their punishment in a fiery blast, as all my enemies will die.” He focused on her for a moment, and she wondered how much sanity he had left. “Remember that, querida. All my enemies will perish.”

  FOURTEEN

  Ken got out of his car at the office, stretching tiredly. They’d all been working extra hours in the week since the attack on Juli at the hospital wing.

  Quinn worked himself harder than anyone, determined to have the project finished without any further problems. What it was costing him in additional security and overtime, Ken couldn’t even imagine.

  He reached for the office door, glancing at his watch. Juli would be gone by now, and that was probably just as well. They didn’t seem to have much left to say to each other.

  But when he opened the door, Angel sat up with a soft woof. Juli paused for a moment in the act of pulling something from her desk drawer, as if arrested by the sight of him.

  “Hi.” Her voice was soft. “I didn’t expect to see you here. You haven’t been around the office much.”

  He shrugged, trying not to show that he was affected by seeing her. “Quinn’s been working everyone hard down at the site. Including himself.”

  “It’s paying off, isn’t it?” She frowned, vertical creases forming between her level brows. “Surely, with the ribbon-cutting tomorrow, success is in sight.”

  “None too soon.” He bent to ruffle Angel’s ears, and the dog leaned against him, as if accepting him as a friend. “I see you’re still bringing your own security force with you.”

  “Quinn would send me home if I showed up without her.” Juli took her purse from the drawer and locked her desk.

  “You’re not driving yourself home, are you?” Now it was his turn to frown. “I thought your grandfather was supposed to pick you up everyday.”

  She shot him an annoyed look at the reminder. “He’ll be here shortly. I called and told him I needed a little extra time to finish up the details for tomorrow’s ceremony.”

  Juli had been annoyed with all of t
hem since they’d insisted on having someone drive her to and from work, and also insisted on her keeping Angel with her the rest of the time. He could hardly blame her—Juli was an independent person who could ordinarily take care of herself. But these weren’t ordinary circumstances.

  “Still think we’re overreacting?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She frowned. “But I guess I have to admit that it seems to be working. Nobody dares so much as to look cross-eyed at me with all my bodyguards.”

  “That’s what we want.” He tried to say it lightly. He didn’t want her to know just how terrified for her he’d been that day at the hospital.

  “I haven’t been back there since,” she said. It was as if their minds worked on the same wavelength. “Is it really ready to open?”

  “Near as it can be. The offices on the top floor aren’t completely finished, but that won’t take long. I know Quinn will be glad to see the last of this project.”

  She nodded, her gaze fixed gravely on his face. “And then you’ll be leaving, won’t you?”

  “Yes.” There was no point evading the question. “My physical is set up for tomorrow morning out at Peterson. By the time the ribbon-cutting is over, I should be ready to hand Quinn my resignation.”

  “I see.” Her dark eyes gave nothing away, but somehow Ken felt the doubt that emanated from her.

  His jaw tightened. “I’m fine. I’m going back to flying.” He would. He couldn’t let himself believe anything else.

  And he’d been right to keep Juli at arm’s length. If he passed the exam, he’d leave as soon as possible. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be fit company for anyone. Either way, if they’d had a relationship, Juli would lose.

  She was already hurt by his attitude, he could sense that. But it could have been a lot worse. The thought that he’d protected her was cold comfort when what he wanted to do was put his arms around her.

  Angel, as if sensing tension in the air, pressed her head against Juli’s knee and whined.

  One thing about the dog—she made a good subject of conversation when he didn’t want to talk about what he was really thinking. “Angel looks like she’s back to normal after her ordeal.”