Set Me Free (11 page)

Elliot snatched the card from her fingers. "We'll be just fine, don't you worry about it."

She rolled her eyes. "Pick something that looks FBI-ish. I also need you to see if FBI cars have any kind of stickers or labels on the windshields and replicate them for me if they do."

"Got it." Elliot bobbed his head, looking more confident than he probably felt. This eased Zach's nerves a little. If he could fool Lucy then maybe they had a shot with the rental car place the next day.

"Right now I think we need some sleep." Alex clapped his hands as he looked around the table.

Everyone nodded, but no one seemed to agree. Nerves were wound so tight the idea of slumber seemed impossible. Instead the TV was flicked on and they sat up watching old Westerns until they fell asleep where they lay.

*****

The next day moved by in a flurry. Zach and Elliot organized the car while Alex and Lucy shopped their hearts out. That afternoon she disappeared into the bathroom and didn't come out for over an hour. When she emerged, Zach had a brunette for a girlfriend. His flash of disappointment didn't last long as she looked over at him with those blue eyes of her. Her hair could be green and she'd still be stunning. With a grin, he rose from the table and met her by the bathroom door.

Running a finger down her hairline, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"You make one hot brunette."

She chuckled. "I guess we match now." Her eyes sparkled as she tentatively leaned towards him. He captured her lips easily, not caring that his uncle and best friend were no doubt watching.

If she'd let him, he would have kissed her for the rest of the night, but she pulled back and pressed her nose into his face. "I have fake IDs to finish."

With a reluctant grunt, he let her go so she could tie back her hair, get changed into a crisp blue shirt and pose for a photo. The Polaroid camera clicked and whirred producing a clear image of Lucy against the white wall of the motel room.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was whittled away making IDs and going over last minute details. They had chosen the names of agents that already existed, just in case they were scrutinized more carefully at either checkpoint, although Lucy was still hoping to avoid that.

"It's all about distraction. Saying the right line at the right moment can make someone forget to do something or slip up on a task they would usually follow through with." Lucy looked at Alex. "Swapping gender works well, so if the guard at the gate is a guy, I'll do the talking and vice versa on the inside. Whoever does the distracting, the other person needs to back them up with whatever storyline or angle their going with. The distractor takes the lead, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get that." Alex leaned back so his chair was balancing on the back of two legs.

"When we sign this stuff out we want to be talking the whole time so that they forget to look up our ID numbers. One of us can just scribble a name and we can get the hell out of there." Lucy frowned. "You sure you're up for this?"

"You kidding me?" His chair thumped back to the floor. "I can con, little lady. I'm a reporter. I know how to get the goods." His eyebrows rose emphatically, making Lucy grin.

"Good to know." She squashed her smile and shot Zach a look before rising from the table and heading out to the balcony.

Zach found her a few minutes later, her arms resting against the metal ledge. The air was hot and borderline sticky. Lucy had lost the navy shirt and stood there in nothing but jean shorts and a shoe-string tank. She looked hot enough to devour, but Zach quelled the thought immediately. As nice as the distraction might be, it wouldn't get them any closer to their final goal. The last thing Lucy needed was a boyfriend pawing her suggestively. Zach could feel the tension radiating off her as she gazed at the small, lima bean shaped pool, one of the only amenities of the Dunes Inn on Wilshire Boulevard.

"How are you feeling?" He ran his hand up her back and began kneading her neck.

She let out a pleasure filled sigh and dropped her head forward to give him easier access. He moved behind her and worked her tight muscles. Her soft groans of pleasure made him feel triumphant, as did the feel of her body beneath his hands. He could picture himself doing this for years to come, which made a flash of fear skitter through him.

Tomorrow could put a very fast finish to his meandering dreams about the future.

He pinched her shoulders tight.

"Ow." She squawked.

"Sorry." He stepped back as she turned to face him.

"You okay?" She touched his chest, running her fingers over his shirt before resting them on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about tomorrow." He placed his hands on her hips. "If you get caught, it's..."

"It's gonna be real bad. I know." Lucy's voice quivered.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

She looked away for a moment, her lips scrunching. "I'm ready for this to be over, Zach, so I guess I kind of have to be ready for tomorrow." She swallowed and turned back to him. "It is scary, but I know I have the skills to do it. Do you think your uncle can pull it off?

Zach chuckled. "Cause a distraction by flirting with someone? I think he'll do just fine."

Lucy grinned and nodded, moving her hand to his face. "Thank you for everything you're doing."

"I'm not doing anything." He scratched his head and stepped out of reach, finally acknowledging his guilt at having to sit back and wait while she and Alex drove into a lion's den.

She reached for his hand and yanked him back towards her, making sure their bodies were securely melded together before speaking. "You're doing everything I need you to do." Her gaze was sincere as she studied him. "Zach, you always know how to be everything I need. You might not be going into that warehouse with me tomorrow, but just knowing you're waiting for me on the outside is enough."

He smiled at her sweet words.

"We're potentially one day away from ending this. If that evidence can somehow prove Tenner guilty, five years of running will be over. I'm scared and I'm excited and I sort of can't believe it. But if your uncle can write some magic that will get the FBI investigating, then this risk will all be worth it. I know it's not a guarantee, but it's a chance. One that's worth taking."

"Yeah. Yeah it is." Zach tucked a tendril of dark hair behind Lucy's ear, glad that her tune had changed for the better. She seemed confident and in control, a quiet strength emanating from her. With a soft smile, he leaned forward. As their lips met, her arms snaked behind him, her fingers pressing into his back. He pulled her tight against him, wrapping her in a security she deserved and praying that their plan for tomorrow would pay off and they could once and for all set Lucy free.

Chapter 12

LUCY

My nerves felt like electrical wires sparking together as Alex drove towards the warehouse. I couldn't talk. It was nine o'clock in the morning and I hadn't been able to utter a word since getting out of bed. I'd barely slept. This was my first con in a while...and it was a big one...a hell scary one.

Zach had faith in me. I could see it in his expression when he kissed me goodbye. The way his eyes bulged when I walked out of the motel bathroom, all geared up as my persona - Agent Wilcox - told me I had pulled off the look.

"Wow." That was all he'd managed.

Alex looked pretty dashing as well as he turned the car right and led us towards the warehouse entrance.

"You remember everything?" I finally muttered.

"I'm all good, Wilcox. Just relax."

I clicked my tongue. "I should be saying that to you."

"You think you've got more experience at conning people than I do?"

"Well, yeah." I glanced at him.

His white teeth flashed with a broad grin and he winked. "Trust me, honey. I can do this. Now let's go get you that evidence."

Alex braked at the guard's station, his smile disappearing as he held up the ID badge, suddenly looking bored. Perfect. I felt my stomach settle as the tired looking guard took a cursory glance at his ID then looked to me. I flashed my badge up, giving him a little half smile, which he returned before waving us through.

"Told you he wouldn't really check them." I cocked my head.

I buttoned my jacket once I got out of the car, adjusting my low ponytail and making sure I held my shoulders back. I was a confident woman although still a new agent, so I had to have a slight trepidation about me. Not that challenging considering the killer bees demolishing my stomach as we walked towards the warehouse entrance.

I swung open the door and let Alex go through first, watching with a smirk as his serious expression morphed to a soft look of surprise. His blue eyes glinted as he swanned towards the desk.

"Hi." His voice was husky as he flashed his ID badge at the middle-aged lady behind the counter. No wedding ring, a little well-placed make up, short curls and pearl earrings. Nice combination.

Her eyelashes fluttered a little as she took in the charming Agent Green.

He leaned against the counter, his blue gaze drinking her in. "I'm Agent Green and this is my colleague, Agent Wilcox."

I flicked my ID up so she could take a quick glance. "Hi. We're here for an evidence box." I fumbled Alex's phone out of my pocket and looked at the screen. "Case number 42896."

She gave me a hard look.

"Margery." Alex pointed at the badge clipped onto her pocket. "I used to have a girlfriend named Margery. She was a peach. I sometimes wonder if she was the one that got away, you know?" He tipped his head, running his eyes approvingly down her body. "Margery. Mmmm. I think I'll love that name forever."

A blush lit her cheeks as she fluffed the back of her hair. With a flick of the mouse and a few keystrokes she brought up a screen full of numbers that I couldn't quite read. "That's a cold case."

"Yeah." Alex nodded. "Something's popped and our boss wanted us to come and collect. Might be able to reopen the case and solve this puppy." Alex grinned, making Margery chuckle.

"I'll just go and get it for you." She stood, smoothing down her skirt and enjoying the way Alex's eyes lingered over her body as she slowly turned.

The caged door clicked shut behind her and I turned to Alex with a droll frown. "You've had a lot of sex in your life, haven't you?"

He gave me a coy smile and a little shrug that made my eyes roll.

I stepped back from the counter, shoving my hands into my pockets, nerves rounding over me again. I hoped she was quick as I paced away from the counter, keeping my head down so the cameras couldn't get a full view of my face.

The door clicked and I spun to see the lady return with a slight frown.

"Sorry about this, but it's not there."

My heart didn't just sink, it plummeted. I tried to even out my expression and look curious rather than heart broken.

"Let me just recheck this case number and see if I can find some history."

Alex's smile was encouraging as she slipped into her seat. Her gaze kept flicking back to his flirty expression, her cheeks growing redder by the second. I found it irritating, yet knew it was the right move. She'd do a better job for us if she liked him.

It took three centuries of keystrokes and tutting from Margery, but finally she nodded. "Here it is." She cleared her throat. "Okay, so those files were damaged in a flood. I wonder why that wasn't flagged properly. I don't usually have to dig for information like this," she mumbled before squinting at the screen again, obviously not wanting to use the glasses sitting next to her keyboard. "The room the cold case files used to be stored in had a leak in the roof and a bunch of evidence boxes were damaged, so they had to be discarded."

"So there's nothing?" I swallowed my clipped tone and forced a grin. "Nothing was salvaged?"

"According to this, it was all lost."

"Well, that is a shame." Alex tapped the counter. "But not the end of the world. We'll still pursue this lead. Something else will pop, don't you worry, Wilcox. There'll still be photos and digital reports, so we're not left empty-handed." He threw a sideways glance at Margery and whispered, "You gotta love the zest of these newbies though, right?"