Dangerous Secrets (47 page)

The thought came to Morgan at the same time her
feet began to move. The uneven bars were directly in front of her. She grabbed
the lower bar, swung her legs into a kip and piked to roll under the bar and
come up on the wood at thigh level. For a moment she remained poised there, her
chalkless hands aligned with her shoulders, gripping the bar, elbows locked in
place, her weight supported on her legs and hands. She leaned forward,
overbalancing until her body′s center of gravity propelled her forward.
Going over the bar she executed a perfect circle, keeping her entire body as
straight as a ruler. She did it two more times, then, with feet and hands on
the same bar and her body bent in half, she executed the circle again, coming
out of it and flying through the short distance to grip the higher bar. Here she
swung, piking her body and pulling her long legs up so they missed the lower
bar. She did a half-giant, standing for several seconds completely straight,
but upside-down as she reversed direction and swung the other way. Two giants
later, another reversal and then preparation for the dismount. She swung
forward, but didn′t let go of the bar. Usually she′d tuck her body
and do a half-twist, then a tumble before straightening and sticking to the
padded floor. But she was unsure of her leg. So she swung up to the higher bar
and balanced on the short piece of wood.

Without volition her hands reached for the
ceiling. Her training was ingrained. Ending with a salute was what she′d
learned to do. For a moment, no one said anything. Morgan couldn′t see
Jack or the other agent who stood in the doorway. Jan′s mouth dropped
open and Allie′s eyes widened into an incredulous stare.

Then both of them were on their feet. Morgan
dropped softly to the floor. The three women ran toward each other. They
collided in a bear hug that sent them tumbling onto the floor.

‶
I can′t believe you can
still do that,″ Allie said.
‶
This near-thirty-year-old would
be out of commission for days if I tried that maneuver.″

Morgan laughed.
‶
Mine might be too.″ She
hadn′t forgotten about the bullet wound to her leg. The leg was better.
She barely limped much, but sticking to the floor would have forced her to lift
that leg in an unintentional Kerri Strug maneuver.
‶
How are you
two?″

‶
Fine,″ Jan said.
‶
We
were so worried about you. No calls in months and then out of the blue that
story on the news.″

‶
I never thought you would take
off for St. Charles looking for me. Who did you think you were?″ She
swung her gaze from one to the other.
‶
Sherlock Holmes?″

‶
We′re your friends,
Morgan.″ Allie′s voice was a sharp reprimand. She stood, affronted.
‶
We
made a pact. What did you think we′d do?″

Morgan didn′t think they′d remember
the pact. Her heart filled when Allie made the statement. After twelve years,
there were people who cared about her.

‶
I′m glad you′re all
right,″ Allie said, lowering her voice. Morgan remembered Allie′s
methods. She only used the gruff, I-don′t-care voice when she was really
scared. It was Morgan′s guess that Allie had been hiding her feelings
from everyone, even Jan.

‶
Ladies, I hate to interrupt. .
.″ Jack began.

***

Morgan was instantly on her feet. She went to
Jack, unable to avoid the limp, and pulled him forward.
‶
Guys, I want you to
meet—″

‶
Jack Temple,″ Allie
completed the introduction without surprise. She and Jan stood. Allie offered
her hand and Jack shook it.
‶
We were in Korea together.″

‶
I remember,″ Jack said.
He looked at Jan.
‶
Both of you.″

‶
Nice to see you again,″
Jan offered.

‶
This is wonderful,″ Allie
said.

‶
We′ll order some junk
food and revisit old times. Like we used to do. We′ll even invite Agents
Burton and Tilden to join us.″ Allie threw Jan a glance, but the other
woman ignored her.

‶
I′m afraid we′ll
have to postpone that,″ Jack said. Morgan suddenly remembered their
purpose for being there.

‶
Is something wrong?″ Jan
asked. She took a step forward.
‶
You′re limping,″
Jan noticed.

‶
There′s no danger,″
Jack said at the same time.

‶
Jan, don′t worry. The
school is fine,″ Morgan told her.
‶
I need to get something and
then we have to go.″

‶
Get what?″ Allie asked.

‶
It′s better if you
don′t know,″ Jack answered before Morgan could tell them the truth.

‶
Don′t know
what?′′ Jan asked, a hand coming to her throat. Morgan recognized
the nervous gesture.

‶
Jan, I have to get something I
left here,″ Morgan appealed to her.

‶
What did you leave?″
Allie asked.
‶
And
when?″

‶
You don′t have to say it
like I left a ticking bomb.″ Allie could always get her anger up.
‶
I
left nothing dangerous, but I need to get it and then we have to go.″

‶
Why are you limping?″
Allie demanded.

‶
Allie, don′t,″
Morgan warned.
‶
I
wouldn′t have come here if I′d had any other choice.″

‶
Have you seen a doctor? You
know how a simple—″ she started the memorized speech.

‶
She′s all right,″
Jack said. His voice was calm and had a calming effect on the room, which seemed
to be spinning out of control.
‶
Morgan hurt her leg when she was trying to get
through a door. She′s had medical attention.″ He didn′t tell
them he was the medic.
‶
All she needs now is to let it heal. Jumping off
those bars wasn′t the best thing she could do for her leg, but could
anyone ever talk her into anything that was good for her?″

Her friends looked at each other and then at
her. She knew they were silently agreeing with Jack. He′d manipulated
them and they didn′t know it. He′d taken the heat out of their
discussion and told them only a portion of the truth.

‶
There′s a doctor who
comes to the camp every day. He′ll be here tomorrow. You can have him
look at it.″ Jan wanted assurance. Morgan nearly smiled. It had been
years, but they were all the same.

‶
Where are you going from
here?″ Allie asked.

Morgan felt Jack′s hand on her shoulder
before she said anything. She looked up at him, knowing she couldn′t tell
them the truth. It was better if they didn′t know.
‶
Washington,
D.C.,″ she said finally. It was the original destination, but she knew as
soon as they had the ring, they wouldn′t even leave the state of West
Virginia. The FBI office was only ninety miles away in Clarksburg. That′s
where they were headed.

Morgan had spent her life lying. She′d
lied to everyone from the crooks on the streets to the federal government.
She′d lied to Jack when they′d started their run. Lying to the two
women in the world who′d been her true friends, who′d staked their
lives on helping her, even if they didn′t know it, made her feel as if
her heart was bleeding.

She was never going to see them again. Once she
did get to Washington, she′d be relocated, put safely somewhere without
friends and without anyone who knew her from the past. She hadn′t been a
good friend. She′d let the years separate them. Now that she knew this
was possibly the last time they would be together, she wanted to stay. She
wanted to spend the night, the week, a month. She wanted to talk to them, tell
them everything. She wanted to learn everything about them, about the years
that stood between their last meeting and this one. But Jack had spoken. She
knew he was right. They had to leave. There was danger.

‶
I already found the
ring,″ Jan interrupted her thoughts. Jan′s words stopped
everything. Even the pain sliding up her calf seemed to halt. Morgan stared at
her, trying to think of something to say.
‶
What?′′ she asked
without emphasis.

‶
A few years ago we expanded the
gym. All the equipment was moved for renovation and to put down the new carpet.
I suppose years of pounding on the beam dislodged the package inside.″

Morgan′s throat dried and speech was cut
off.

‶
I heard the rattle and thought
something might be wrong with the apparatus. I thought the metal was bent and
it could be a future hazard.″

Jan always put safety first. She would check
the equipment several times to make sure it was properly set up before allowing
anyone to use it.

‶
One night after everyone was
gone I decided to find out what caused the noise. I found the hidden
package.″

‶
Where is it now?′′
Jack asked.

She moved her gaze to Jack.
‶
In
a safe place.″ She looked back at Morgan. Her eyes were piercing, but
Morgan saw hurt in them too.
‶
I knew you didn′t just give me the equipment
because I wanted to start a school.″

‶
I did.″ Morgan
contradicted her with the absolute truth.

‶
It was convenient too.″
She said it as a challenge, almost defying Morgan to disagree with her.

‶
It was convenient.″ Morgan
dropped her gaze to the floor.
‶
I needed to make sure it was safe and I
couldn′t keep it with me.″

‶
Jan, you knew Morgan would come
here,″ Allie spoke up.
‶
This is why you insisted the FBI agents bring us
here. It had nothing to do with you needing to run the camp.″

Jan didn′t answer. No one in the room
expected her to.

‶
Where is the package
now?″ Jack asked. Morgan could feel the insistence in him.

‶
We can′t get it tonight.
It′s in a safety deposit box at the bank. I have a full camp turnover
starting at six a.m. I′ll be up to my ears in work. I can′t
possibly get there tomorrow.″

Morgan could feel Jack′s defeat. He
didn′t want to stay here. She shouldn′t either. She told her
friends there was no danger, but there was danger. She was uncertain how much
of it existed.

Jack, she knew, had assessed the situation.
Unfortunately, there was little he could do about it.

‶
I guess that means you′re
stuck here until Monday morning,″ Allie stated the obvious.

‶
Now we can call for the junk
food,″ Jan said.

***

‶
Does he ever sleep?″
Allie asked, nodding toward the man in the garden below the bedroom Jan had
assigned Morgan. The two women stood on the balcony overlooking the vast
grounds.

‶
I don′t think so,″
Morgan said.

Jack prowled the property, checking to make sure
everything was secure. Morgan felt safe around him.

This place is gorgeous.′′ Morgan
hoped to change the subject.
‶
Jan has turned it into something to be proud
of.″ Jan had a school in town, and a camp only a few miles away. The
school was first-class and the camp was internationally known. Set
picturesquely in the hills near Clay, there was a park nearby and plenty of
wooded areas, giving the camp a country club look that parents would enjoy, but
which also made the kids feel comfortable. The gyms, pools and cabins were
well-lighted and airy, with equipment that sparkled due to a constantly on-call
maintenance staff. Morgan wouldn′t mind practicing here herself. Every
summer the top athletes in gymnastics spent part of their time here, meeting with
campers and helping out with training.
‶
Remember when we used to go to
places like this?″

‶
Yeah,″ Allie nodded.
‶
After
the Korean games I signed more and smiled for more photos with kids and their
parents than I did helping out with skills.″ She sat down in one of the
balcony chairs.

‶
I think I would have liked
teaching.″ Morgan stopped, unwilling to bring up things that could never
happen.
‶
There
was this one kid at a camp in Pennsylvania. His mouth dropped open when he saw
me and—″

‶
He′s the one, isn′t
he, Morgan?″ Allie interrupted, her tone serious.

Morgan didn′t need to ask who the
‶
he′′
was she referred to. Allie had been dividing her glances between them since
they arrived. ″There hasn′t been anyone serious since Korea, has
there?″

Allie had a facade to her, a hidden personality
inside an invisible casing. She didn′t often let you see the real Alicia
Tremaine. Morgan supposed that was why she liked her. She reminded her so much
of herself. It also made her a good actress. She could hide inside that wall and
only show the public what they wanted to see. But just as she would hide
herself, her ability to see through another person was uncanny.

‶
I didn′t quite think it
showed so clearly.″ She hadn′t seen Allie in years except on the
movie screen. Yet in a matter of a couple of hours, Morgan′s life was an
open book.

‶
It′s only apparent to
people who can see,″ she said.
‶
I doubt he even knows
you′re in love with him.″

It was on the tip of her tongue to deny she was
in love with Jack, but at the last second she bit the comment and held it
inside. Morgan moved from the balcony railing and took the chair opposite one
of the only two friends she had in the world. Jack was no longer in sight below
her.