Sworn to Protect (Vows of the Heart) (7 page)

The phone clicked again. “Edwar
ds,” a voice said softly. “Lancaster, is that you?”

“Yeah, Cap.”

“What the hell is going on over there?”

Ethan gave him the abridged version. “We took Shanahan to the hospital,” he said finally. “Now it’s just me and Bethany.”

“I know,” Edwards said tightly. “Shanahan is still in surgery. He’s in pretty bad shape.”

“As soon as he comes out of it, I’m sure he can tell you the whole story.”

“Yeah,” Edwards replied, but Ethan didn’t like the doubt in his voice. “I’m sure he will.”

“We need a new vehicle and a safe house.”

Edwards was silent for a long moment. “I’d feel better if you’d bring Bethany in.”

“Love to, Cap, but we’re hotter than hell right now. We need a vehicle and a place to lay low a couple of days. Then I can bring her in.”

“Hold on a moment.”

The phone clicked and Ethan waited nervously. His captain finally came back on the line.

“This is going to take a little time. Where can I contact you?”

“I picked up a throw away cell and after I hear back from you, I am throwing it away.” He gave him the number.

“Give me an hour.”

Ethan glanced at his watch. “One hour, you got it. Uh, Cap?”

“Yeah?”

“Keep this low profile. A need to know basis only.”

“You got it.”

Ethan
disconnected the call, trying to ignore the jangling of his instincts. His captain was one man he could trust, but what about the others in his office...like the new guy he had met? Was he also on Cordova’s payroll?

“Well?” Bethany asked.

“Good so far,” he replied, his voice lighter than he really felt. “He’s going to call me back in an hour.”

The hour passed relatively quickly. But Ethan still warred with his instincts and Doris’
s words echoed in his head.
They think you murdered those marshals.

He had killed
, but only because they had been shooting at him. Still, his captain knew he was a good agent. But his instincts continued to nag him. If the captain doubted him, and was worried for Bethany’s safety, then the best thing for him to do was to make Ethan think he believed him. Setting up the vehicle and then the safe house might involve setting up a trap for Ethan.

He shook his head stubbornly. No, he couldn’t think like that.

Finally, the hour was up. Ethan’s cell rang right on time. Edwards gave him brief instructions to the vehicle. “In the glove box will be the directions to the safe house, Ethan. I’ve got one agent waiting there for you. Agent Christine Holly.”

Ethan cursed. “Cap, I don’t even know her. I met her once before I went undercover. I told you to keep this low profile.”

“Take it easy, Lancaster. Holly has an impeccable record and you need backup. Besides, I thought it best if Miss Kress has a female agent with her.”

“All right,” Ethan growled. “But if anything about this starts to smell fishy, I’m getting Bethany out. Do you understand me?”

“I understand, Ethan,” the captain said gently. A little too complacent...almost patronizing. “But you’re going to be okay. Just take her to the safe house and we’ll go from there.”

“All right,” Ethan replied, frowning, and hung up. He turned the Suburban around, heading for the new vehicle. As he drove, he rolled down the window and tossed the cell phone into the street. It shattered into a million pieces.

****

Bethany battled to keep from chewing her fingernails to the nub. Normally, she didn’t have a problem with nervous habits. Although Ethan tried to remain relaxed and confident, she sensed the tension rolling off of him in waves. They were both trying to maintain a casual air, cracking stupid jokes. In truth, the farce was driving them both insane.

Ethan drove to the parking lot where his captain said the car would be, but instead of pulling in, he drove around a few times. Then he found a spot where he could sit and observe the lot.

“Which one is ours?” Bethany asked.

“The Dodge Charger in space twenty seven.”

“Even though its unmarked, it should be the Pursuit model.” She flashed him a grin. “5.7 Hemi V8. It has rear wheel drive so the front end won’t plow when cornering. That Hemi cranks out 370 horsepower with 395 pound-feet of torque. It should handle like a dream.”

Ethan stared at her a long moment. She almost giggled, she had surprised him again. Then he held his hand to his chest in mock exaggeration. “Be still my beating heart. I think I just fell in love.” He hesitated and winked at her. “With the car.”

“You brat!” s
he said swiping at his shoulder

He laughed
, but his humor faded all too quickly. He glanced around and withdrew his gun from his shoulder harness. Ethan ejected the clip, cleared the barrel and put a new one in. “One more clip,” he muttered and put the empty one in his pocket. “I wish we could have checked Shanahan’s trunk before we left the hospital.”

Bethany swallowed hard and ducked her head. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have took off like that.”

“Hey,” he said with surprising gentleness. “You really didn’t have much of a choice. Just let me know if you see anything suspicious before you take off.”

She wanted to cry. She had not ran from a fake doctor but a ghost.

“It seems to be clear,” he said. He turned off the engine and handed Bethany’s tools back. “Let’s go, but keep your eyes open.”

“You got it.”

They cautiously approached the Charger. Ethan stopped at the rear bumper and pulled out a magnetic key holder.

“Are they are watching us?”
she asked.

“Oh yeah,” Ethan said. “The
regs require it. I just hope my captain assigned trustworthy people to the task.”

“They probably are trustworthy, that’s why Cordova makes use of them.”

“Don’t I know it,” Ethan muttered. He hit the button on the key fob, unlocking the doors. He walked around the car, looking underneath it periodically. “More than likely it’s got a GPS trace,” he said.

“That’s part of the car’s normal computer chip set up. If I had my phone I could disable it.”

Ethan again looked at her in surprise. He shook his head, smiling ruefully. “I’ll get used to it, eventually.”

“Used to what?”

“Bethany, you are unlike any woman I’ve ever met.”

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and she looked away. “Is that
a good thing or a bad thing?” she muttered.

“A good thing…a very good thing.”

Her cheeks burned brighter. She hadn’t meant for him to hear her.

Ethan popped the hood, looked under it, then slammed it closed, shaking his head. “I don’t have time to do a complete search, but it really doesn’t matter since we are going to stick with the plan and go to the safe house. Open the glove box.”

Bethany did so and found the directions, along with $500 cash in an envelope, and a cell phone.

“We will only use that phone only if we absolutely have to,” he said. “If we have to run, take the battery out.”

“Okay,” she said, returning it to the glove box.

They climbed into the car and shut the doors.

Ethan hesitated only a second then turned the key. The engine roared to life.

Only then did Bethany breathe a sigh of relief. No explosion, no ignition triggered bomb. They were still in one piece.

Ethan glanced at her. “You worry too much,” he said and his lips lifted. “I was also looking for sabotage.”

“Sorry,” she said, ducking her head.

He chuckled softly, removing his glasses. He curved a finger under her chin and tugged her head up. Bethany’s heart slammed against her ribs with the power of his silver eyes. Her skin tingled with his touch and she fought the urge to lean closer. The air seemed charged with electricity, dancing over her skin.

Ethan’s gaze focused on her mouth and the both froze for a long instant. His fingers traced lightly over her cheek and he abruptly backed away. The spell broken, Bethany forced her attention from him, and out the window. Ethan pulled out of the parking lot without a word.

****

Ethan drove, being cautious to obey the speed limits. He kept watching for a tail out of habit
, but with the GPS, they wouldn’t have one. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded, his department was keeping an eye on him. But not knowing if someone in the department was a mole nearly drove him insane.

The sun descended and Ethan removed his glasses, heading farther into the backwoods of Virginia. The safe house was in a small town, far from public view but still close to civilization.

He checked the directions while Bethany studied the state road map Edwards had included. It was completely dark when they pulled onto the deserted road that lead to the small house.

Bethany straightened in her seat, glancing around nervously. “Are you sure about this, Ethan?”

“No,” he said, grudgingly admitting the truth. “When we pull into the driveway, I’m going to give you the keys. You stay behind me and if I give the word, you run back for the car. Don’t hesitate, don’t wait for me, but drive as if your life depends on it, because it probably will.”

She swallowed hard, Ethan found himself watching the muscles in her slender throat work convulsively.

“I’m not leaving you behind, Ethan.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because if you get killed or captured, what will happen to me? I can drive, I can steal cars but that’s all. I’d be in a car with GPS I can’t shut off, they’d know where I was going before I did. We’re not in L.A., I’m a fish out of water here. I’d be an easy mark for Cordova.”

“Damn. I hate it when you’re right.”

“I’ll head for the car and jump in, but you make sure you’re right behind me.”

Ethan wished she didn’t have a point, but she did. “Okay, sweetheart,” he said softly. “It’s a deal.”

They pulled into the driveway and Ethan turned off the ignition and handed her the keys. By the time she joined Ethan on his side of the car, the front door opened.

A young woman with short brown hair and brown eyes stepped out. She stood stiffly, her hands at her sides, and eyed Ethan and Bethany. “Agent Lancaster?”

“Agent Holly.”

“And this is Bethany Kress?”

Ethan nodded, feeling Bethany press her body against his side. She gripped his right arm and her step hesitated. He looked down at her and frowned as her face rapidly lost color. “Bethany? What is it? What’s wrong?

She moved even closer to him. He felt her shaking violently. Her emerald eyes widened, her pupils dilated. What in the hell had her so frightened?

“Bethany, sweetheart, it’s okay.” Panic marred her beautiful features. He reached for her arm and looked down as he felt the hairs on her skin standing up right and gooseflesh under his hand. A bone chilling cold descended. Jesus, no one could fake that kind of response. She was absolutely terrified.

“Bethany?”

“I…I can’t go in there.”

“What is it? Why are you so frightened?”

“I can’t do it, Ethan, please don’t make me.”

He looked around, trying to determine the source of her fear
, but he only felt the strange cold. Holly hadn’t moved. The agent just stared at them suspiciously.

Ethan wrapped his arm around Bethany’s shoulders. Her shaking lessened. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, unwilling or unable to speak.

“Agent Lancaster,” Holly began.

He held up his hand, fearing any impatience on her part would only make things worse for Bethany. Bethany relaxed a little more.

“It’s all right,” he said softly.

Her gaze snapped from him to Holly to the door of the house. She shivered.

He again ran his hand over her arm. Her skin was ice cold. “Jesus, Bethany, what’s wrong? Tell me, please.”

Again her emerald eyes captured his. She drew a deep breath into her lungs. “It’s fading now.”

“What?”

The strange cold around him eased. Her shaking gradually lessened and color returned to her face.

“You going to be okay?”

“I…I think so.”

His hand rubbed her back, under her thick hair. Only now did he notice her arm was around his waist and she literally clung to him. Again she sucked in a breath, her body finally relaxing and returning to normal. She stared at him and a desire to kiss her roared through him. 

“Miss Kress,” Holly said. “Please step away from Agent Lancaster, I need to check you for weapons.”

Bethany immediately stiffened again and moved closer.

“She doesn’t have any,” Ethan growled.

“You know procedure, Lancaster.”

He couldn’t deny that. The door to the house was still open and the lights on and bright. He didn’t see anyone else. “All right,” he said slowly, but a shiver skittered down his spine. Ethan frowned. Why were his instincts screaming at him now? Was he simply reacting to Bethany’s inexplicable fear?