Tempting Faith Page 13

  “But I—”

  He squeezed her arm briefly. “You’re doing fine. Everyone is having a great time and no one knows you’re nervous.”

  “You know.”

  “It’s my job to know. Go on.” He waved her along the path. “I’ll see you by the habitats in a half hour.”

  *

  Thomas hovered at the back of the crowd. The woman in charge, Faith Newlin, was making a speech about the generosity of the family that had donated the big cage structure in front of them. He took a couple of steps to one side and slipped into the shadows. This was his chance. While everyone was busy, he would find the cubs.

  A few casual questions had told him the tigers weren’t part of the show. That would make his job easier. They were, according to a plump but talkative matron, under guard at the main building. He spun on his heel and stared at the low, one-story structure in front of him. Lights shone from several windows. That had to be it.

  He walked along the back of the building, counting windows and trying to figure out where the cubs would be. The dense undergrowth didn’t allow him to easily go around the structure, so he headed for the glass doors and pulled them open.

  The shabby foyer was empty. In front of him stood another set of doors. They were sturdy and looked new. He pushed on one. It swung open to reveal the parking lot filled with expensive cars and limousines. Excitement flickered in his belly. He could move his car close to the building. That would make his job a lot easier. He would have to carry the cubs out one by one. No way he could wrestle the cage inside, take them, then carry it out without being noticed. He eased the door shut and looked down the long halls.

  On his right, overhead lights shone on signs for the men’s and ladies’ restrooms. To his left, the hallway stretched down with closed doors on both sides. He stepped to his left.

  Thomas slipped his hand into his jacket and rested his palm on the handle of his pistol. He slipped inside the first door. A metal table attached to one wall and open shelves containing bandages and medicine told him this was a medical office. He continued down, opening the doors, one after the other. On the fifth one, he walked into a small area dominated by a cage. He allowed himself a small smile. In the center of the cage, the cubs lay curled up together sleeping. Perfect, he thought. They’d be easier to handle and—

  “Excuse me, sir. This room is off limits to our guests.”

  He turned toward the voice. Thankfully, he had the sense to drop his hand to his side. The khaki-uniformed security guard looked a little startled at seeing him, but not unduly alarmed.

  Thomas thought about taking out the man. The guard wasn’t much over six feet. Before he could decide, another guard joined him.

  “What’s the problem?”

  “I was explaining to the gentleman that this room is private.”

  “My mistake,” Thomas said, figuring he couldn’t take both of them without a commotion that would alert the other guards in the area. “I was looking for the restroom.”

  The first guard smiled and stepped back. “At the other end of the hall, sir. It’s marked.”

  “Thank you.” Thomas adjusted the jacket of his rented tuxedo and stepped past the guard and into the hall. As he walked down the corridor, he counted doors so he’d be able to find his way in from the outside.

  He went through the front doors and into the parking area. Several limo drivers clustered together talking. He circled around the cars, found his rental and slowly maneuvered it as close to the main building as he could. He climbed into the back seat and pulled the blanket off the cage.

  He’d rented this car specifically because, although it was a sedan, it was the executive model with an extrawide back seat. He worked quickly and in about ten minutes had the cage up and secured. He tossed the blanket over the gleaming metal so someone walking by couldn’t see it, then left the car and headed back to the building.

  The cubs were in the second room from the end. He closed his eyes and thought about the layout of the room. There hadn’t been any chairs. The guards weren’t stationed with the cubs. Apparently they were patrolling the halls. He would have to be prepared to take one or both men out quickly, if he had to. He would come around the building, through the bushes, and break the window. The cluster of trees would hide his activity from the parking lot. That would make his job easier.

  As he entered the main building, he glanced at the screens covering the windows, then patted his pockets. The tools he’d

  brought with him would be enough. He adjusted his tuxedo jacket and stepped through to the compound. It was just a matter of time.

  *

  Cort circled around the crowd of people by the new habitats. He kept an eye out for stragglers and anyone who looked too curious for their own good. He wished there was a way to keep people out of the main building, but Faith had pointed out her guests would need access to a restroom. He walked over toAndy.

  “Send two more guards to patrol the outside of the main building,” Cort said.

  The older man pulled out his walkie-talkie and spoke into it. “Done,” he said a moment later. “Seems to be going well, boss.”

  “So far,” Cort answered.

  He moved away, scanning the area. One guard had been posted by the two jaguar cages to make sure no guest came to any harm. Three couples strolled by Tigger’s habitat and spoke to the big cat. The situation wasn’t as controllable as he would like, but it felt damn good to be working again. Every sense was on full alert. His leg felt a hundred percent. He’d been at the way station long enough to become familiar with the noises and smells. It all seemed right. He glanced at his watch. Another couple of hours and it would all be over.

  He turned his back on the crowd and studied the main building. Nothing moving there. He walked toward the jaguar cages to make sure the guard was alert. As he moved through the darkness, something flashed in his mind. He froze. Not a memory. More of a picture. Of walking somewhere else. Where? The dock? He closed his eyes and tried to remember. Nothing.

  Cort swore. When was it going to come back to him? Why couldn’t he remember? He had to. He shook his head and continued toward the guard.

  “Anything?” he asked the man.

  “Nope. A couple of old guys came by, but I told ’em to move on, and they did.”

  “Good. I—” Cort paused. A sixth sense made him turn toward the narrow road leading from the compounds to the Big House. He thought he saw something—or someone—moving there. “I’ll be back later,” he said, walking toward the main building.

  He broke into a jog, trying to remember the people who had been around a moment before. They weren’t there now. Some had gone inside, others had joined the main group. Had one of them tried to slip around the building?

  He saw a man silhouetted against the dense brush and broke into a run.

  “You there,” he called. “Stop.”

  The man froze for a second, then dove into the bushes. Cort raced after him, pulling his radio from his jacket pocket. He was about to call Andy when he stepped from the path into the underbrush. Instantly time tilted. He felt the sturdy floor of the dockside warehouse. The smell of the sea invaded him. He could taste the salt. Up ahead. There. Dan! Cort crouched low behind a stack of crates. His fellow agent opened a briefcase filled with documents. Cort strained to see what they were. The other men—there were six of them—stood with their backs to him. But he knew them. Terrorists, arms dealers, working for no country, instead selling to the highest bidder. He remembered his mission. To get proof that Dan was selling out his country. He stared in disbelief as he watched his friend take the money. Dan’s betrayal tasted bitter on his tongue.

  The scene shifted, grew foggy, then cleared, but it was later. The meeting was over. Cort approached the open area cautiously. He heard a noise behind him and spun. Dan!

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Cort demanded.

  Dan flushed, then grabbed his arm and jerked him close. “We’ve got to get out of here
. They’re going to come back.”

  Cort started to resist, then a cold feeling slid down his spine. He pulled free and started to run for the exit.

  He was too late. The explosion caught him up in its power and tossed him aside like a doll. He struggled to get to his feet, to breathe, but he couldn’t. Then strong hands tugged on him, pulling him to safety. Where there had been smoke, now he could breathe fresh, salty air. He coughed.

  “Why?” he asked groggily, barely able to focus. His head. What had hit him?

  A branch snapped.

  The sharp noise jerked him back into the present. Cort blinked in the darkness of the forest and reached for his gun. As he pushed aside the flashback, he scanned the trees and bushes. The lights strung along the walking path didn’t reach far into the gloom.

  He circled to the front of the building, but couldn’t find any trace of the intruder. He collected two of the guards and had them go around the building twice. They found some footprints made by dress shoes. All the guards wore boots. Cort stared at the tracks. They led from the main compound into the bushes, then disappeared into a pile of leaves. Maybe someone had gotten drunk and wandered off the main path. Perhaps a guest was simply trying to get a look at the cubs, but that didn’t mean he was going to kidnap them.

  The two guards posted with the cubs had mentioned that a half-dozen people had been near the restricted room. A couple had been lost, but the others were obviously hoping for a peek at the prized kittens. None of them, according to the guards, had looked dangerous.

  By the time the last of the guests left, Cort knew that whoever had been stalking around the compound was long gone. If the extra guards hadn’t scared him off, the big lights he had set up in the front of the main building would have. While Faith said her goodbyes, he had Rob and Ken help him move the cubs’ cage to an interior room. Then he locked the door, pocketing the key as he left.

  He walked into Faith’s office and sat behind the desk. He didn’t bother flipping on the overhead lights. Tiredness settled on him like a thick blanket, but he knew he wouldn’t sleep much tonight. The cameras in the hallway had recorded twenty guests entering the main building. Fifteen of them had obvi ously been searching for the cubs. Aside from that, he’d seen nothing out of the ordinary. He didn’t know who had been in the bushes or who he’d been chasing.

  But he had remembered. Not all of it, but enough. He still didn’t know how Dan had died, but he’d recalled most of the mission. Dan had been involved with dangerous characters. What had possessed his friend to cross the line? Had there been money troubles at home? He rubbed his forehead and tried to remember if Dan had a family. He didn’t think so. They’d shared a common belief that traveling alone was always safest. Which made their friendship unusual for both of them.

  Cort leaned back in his chair. The explosion and fire in the South American warehouse had been deliberately set. Someone had tried to get rid of Dan. Or him.

  The thought made him sit upright. Was that it? All this time he’d assumed the bomb in the warehouse had been because of Dan’s activities. Cort frowned. Had he been fingered, as well? Was someone after him? How much of the mission did Jeff really know?

  He didn’t bother glancing at his watch. He drew the phone close and punched out the familiar numbers.

  “Markum.”

  “Could someone be after me?” Cort asked without bothering to introduce himself.

  “Something happen with the cubs?”

  “A guy was creeping around in the dark. Was it about me or the cubs?”

  Jeff exhaled loudly. “As far as I know, you’re clean. I wouldn’t have sent you up to stay with Faith if I’d thought there would be any danger to her or the cubs.”

  “They killed him, didn’t they? The arms dealers turned on Dan.”

  “So you remember.”

  “Not all of it.” Cort leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. “Enough. Did the deal go bad?”

  Silence.

  “You can’t be sure they aren’t after me.”

  “Not a hundred percent, but—”

  “Then replace me.”

  “You want to come out?” Jeff asked.

  Cort felt something bump his leg. He looked down. Sparky sat next to him and butted his thigh. Automatically he reached down and scratched the big cat’s ears.

  “If there’s even a possibility that I’m endangering them, then yes.”

  “I don’t think you are. No one but me knows where you are. Your requests for assistance are being handled outside the agency.”

  Cort stared at the leopard. He glanced around the small office, at the photos on the wall, barely visible from the light in the hallway. He thought about Faith and the way he’d kissed her. He was starting to care about her and this place. He couldn’t afford the distraction.

  “I want out, anyway,” he said abruptly.

  “Why?”

  “I’m a hundred percent, Jeff. Put me back in the field.”

  “You’re still on medical leave and those cubs need protecting.”

  “There has to be someone else you can send.”

  “Sure.” He heard Jeff flipping through papers. “Smith is available at the end of the week. Can you wait that long?”

  Cort grimaced. “Smith? He’s a jerk. Who else?”

  “That’s the best I can do.”

  “It’s not good enough. I won’t leave until I’m sure Faith and the cubs are safe.”

  “Then stay where you are,” Jeff snapped. “You’re supposed to be my best operative. Who can I send in who’s better? Or is there something you’re not telling me? Another reason you want to come out?”

  Cort thought about how Faith had looked that night, a beautiful woman in expensive clothes and makeup. He thought about how he preferred her in jeans and boots, with her hair hanging straight down her back. He remembered how he’d lied to her about his past relationships and the pain in her eyes when she talked about her father deserting her. He thought about how easy it would be to go to her bed and share the passion lurking so close to the surface. The fire between them would probably burn hot enough to scar, but it would be worth it. He thought about how, when this was over, he would return to his world, because fighting was all he knew and believed in. Then he thought about Jeff’s questions. There were a dozen reasons why he wanted to come out. He couldn’t tell his boss even one of them.

  “No,” he said. “There’s no other reason to come out.”

  “Then stay put and do your job.” He hung up the phone.

  Cort sat in the dark listening to Sparky’s breathing as the black leopard slept at his feet. He knew he would pay a big price for letting himself like Faith. Caring could be deadly. Look at what had happened to Jeff’s family.

  But his boss had been right about one thing. Cort was the best. It was up to him to protect Faith and the cubs. No matter what, he couldn’t let his feelings get in the way.

  Chapter 9

  Faith filled Cort’s coffee cup. “You want to talk about why you didn’t sleep much last night?”

  Cort took a sip. “Is it that obvious?”

  Only to me, she wanted to say, but didn’t. “The dark circles under your eyes give you away.”

  “I had a lot on my mind.”

  It was past noon. The day after a fund-raiser was usually slow. Beth and Rob had arrived a half hour before to clean cages. Cort had already been out patrolling the compound when she’d gotten up shortly after eight.

  Sparky came into the kitchen of her apartment, dragging his blanket behind him. He walked over to Cort and dropped it at his feet.

  “I think he wants to play,” Faith said as Sparky stared hopefully.

  “Beast,” Cort said, then jerked his head toward the door. “Come on, Faith. Let’s make it two against one.”

  She followed him outside. The bright sunshine promised a warm afternoon. After all the planning and hard work, it felt good to be out from under the party. She took hold of the blanket at
the middle. Cort stepped up behind her and held on. Sparky grabbed the dangling end. He shook his head playfully and almost ripped the cloth from her fingers.

  “You got it?” she asked, not turning away from the leopard.

  “I’m ready,” Cort said.

  She could hear the smile in his voice and feel him so close behind her. The nearness made her insides feel funny, as if a jolt of electricity had passed through them.

  “Go!” she called.

  Sparky immediately hunched down with his rear end pointing skyward, and started to pull. She could hear his grunts as he strained against them. Faith tightened her grip, but the blanket was slowly being pulled through her hands.

  “He’s strong,” Cort said from behind her, his voice tense with strain. “No you don’t, cat. You’re not going to get the best of me.”

  Sparky’s yellow eyes glittered with excitement. He made low growling noises deep in his throat. The powerful muscles in his shoulders bunched with the effort. Faith held on tight. She felt herself starting to slide forward.

  “He’s pulling us,” she said.

  “That’s not possible. Between us, we weigh more than he does.”

  “I don’t care what you think. It’s happening. Look.” Sparky backed up toward the play area in the center of the compound. Faith’s boots slipped in the dirt. From a habitat, one of the cats howled encouragement. She started to giggle.

  “Don’t you dare laugh,” Cort ordered, bumping against her. “You’ll lose your strength.”

  “I can’t help it. They’re rooting for him.” The laughter became louder, and she felt her fingers slip. She let go of the blanket and immediately sat down hard on her behind. Cort jumped to avoid running into her. Sparky took advantage of his momentary loss of balance, jerked the cloth free and sprang victoriously onto the telephone poles. He held the blanket between his forelegs, as if it were his prey, and gnawed on one end.

  Cort placed his hands on his hips. “We almost had him.” She shaded her eyes and stared up at Cort. He looked tall and strong and very handsome. He’d rolled his long-sleeved blue shirt up to his elbows. Jeans clung to his narrow hips and powerful thighs. She tried to ignore the quivering in her chest and the heat blossoming in her breasts. “We didn’t almost have him, Cort. He never loses in tug-of-war. Even when he was a cub, he was strong.”