[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
address written in bold magic marker. There was no return address. Outside the vehicles screamed away
from the curb.
Chapter Twentyseven
She had no reason to suspect that it was incendiary or explosive, especially since it had already been
handled with no particular regard for caution by the security guard. She lifted it by the corner. It was light,
and she suspected that it held photographs or documents of some kind.
"Should I call for a bomb squad?" the guard asked, his voice high with tension.
"No. Thanks. I've got it."
Clearly stunned by the rapid evacuation of the remarkably familiar-appearing blond and just as taken
aback by 17 B's commanding attitude, he merely nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am."
She flashed him a wave as she walked out the door. Once outside, she began walking north and radioed
Mac a location to pick her up. A few minutes later, the lead Suburban, Stark at the wheel, appeared and
pulled up beside her.
Once settled in the back with Blair across from her, she leaned forward and said through the privacy
partition, All clear for the airport, Stark. Nice execution, by the way."
When she turned back, she was nearly pinned to seat by the fire shooting from Blair's blue eyes.
"Was that really necessary?" Blair demanded.
"I could hardly let you stand there if there was any possibility that someone had delivered a volatile
package," Cam said reasonably.
"Oh, but it's okay if you get blown into a few million pieces?" Blair asked, biting off each word as she
fisted her hands by her sides to stop the trembling.
"There was very little chance of that, considering that the guard had already handled it--unless someone
was watching for me to pick it up and triggered the device with a remote detonator. It was very unlikely
that it could be harmful."
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"But you were careful enough to getme out of the building."
Of course," Cam said with a hint of genuine confusion in her voice. "Even the slightest risk to you is
unacceptable."
"You don't have any idea what this does to me, do you?" Blair said incredulously.
"It was just routine, Blair," Cam began. "I--"
"Do you haveany idea how I felt watching you get hit that day?" Blair said in a low, tormented voice as if
Cam hadn't spoken. Almost as if Cam was no longer there. "Do you know what that did to me to see
you lying on the sidewalk, blood pouring from your chest, knowing you were dying? Knowing I couldnt
touch you--couldn't stop it? That I was losing you, too?"
Cam's face drained of color. Her voice was hoarse as she whispered, Yes. I know."
Stunned by the transformation in her usually imperturbable lover, Blair suddenly realized what she had
said, and she knew, too, that Cam had experienced almost the same thing the day her lover had died.
"Jesus, Cameron, I'm sorry. I didn't think."
Cam held up her hand. "No. It's all right." She cleared her throat, chased the demons away. "I never
realized...I'm sorry. I would never want you to go through that again."
"I can't seem to get used to you putting me first," Blair said, leaning forward, her fingers touching Cams
hand. "Not just physically--all of it. It will take a little practice."
"I don't put you first just because of the job, Blair," Cam said emphatically. "I do it because I love you,
and I know that if the situation called for it, you'd do the same."
Blair nodded, knowing Cam was right. It wasn't so much about who protected whom, but much more
about the urgency they both felt to keep the other safe. She would die before she let anyone harm Cam.
"Just don't get hurt, OK?" Blair said, her voice breaking.
"I won't. I promise."
As the vehicles turned off the road into the airport, they smiled at each other, peace following in the
wake of trust.
*****
Once on the plane, after everyone was situated, Blair asked Cam, "Are you going to open that
envelope?"
Cam regarded the still unopened package and shook her head. "Not yet. There may be some kind of
forensic evidence on the contents. I'd like to open it somewhere where it can be examined properly."
"Do you know of someone you can trust to do that for you?"
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"Maybe. Savard has been helping out." At Blair's raised eyebrow, she clarified, "Starks suggestion. And
a good one. I'll call her when we get to New York City."
"I want to be there."
Cam's first reaction was to say no, and then she realized that she couldn't. It was likely that whatever
was inside had something to do with her or Blair or both of them, and she had promised Blair that she
would not shut her out. She didn't like it, because her instinct was to keep Blair far away from anything
that might potentially endanger her--emotionallyor physically. But they had gone too far for that now. "All
right."
Pleased, Blair rested her fingers on Cam's thigh. "Thank you."
*****
It was early evening by the time they landed in New York and made the trek into Manhattan to Blair's
apartment. As they disembarked in front of the building, Cam said to Stark, "Would you mind staying a
few moments, Agent?"
Stark, who was technically off-shift, and who had already worked twenty-four hours overtime with the
unexpected trip to DC,and who had missed her date with Savard in the bargain, said immediately, "No
problem. I'll be in the command center."
"Very good."
The agents sorted themselves out, some proceeding upstairs with Stark for the evening shift and others
signing out for the night. Alone, Cam and Blair took the keyed elevator to Blair's apartment.
Once inside, Cam said, "I need to give Mac a call and see if he's turned up anything."
Blair dropped her overnight bag inside the door. "Are you hungry? I can fix us something."
Cam shed her jacket but kept her shoulder harness on over her blended-silk dress shirt. "That would be
great. I'll give you a hand in a minute."
Smiling, Blair shook her head. "Just do what you need to do."
Cam settled into one of the fabric sling chairs which, along with the sofa, defined the lofts central living
area and picked up the phone. She dialed and after a minute said, "It's Roberts. Where are you?...turn up
anything...do you have the tapes?... okay, fine. Call me when you get in."
Sighing, she replaced the receiver and came around the breakfast bar into the kitchen where Blair was
slicing mushrooms on a cutting board. A pot of water boiled on the cook top to her right.
"Can I do something?"
"Plates. What did he say?" Blair asked as she rinsed several tomatoes under the faucet and then cubed
them.
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"The security guard didn't have much more to offer than what he'd already told me. The package was
dropped off at 7:52 this morning."
"Huh--just before my father arrived. Does that mean anything?"
"I don't know. I doubt it."
"What did he say about the courier?"
"He doesn't remember anything in particular except that it was a woman--Caucasian, medium height, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
address written in bold magic marker. There was no return address. Outside the vehicles screamed away
from the curb.
Chapter Twentyseven
She had no reason to suspect that it was incendiary or explosive, especially since it had already been
handled with no particular regard for caution by the security guard. She lifted it by the corner. It was light,
and she suspected that it held photographs or documents of some kind.
"Should I call for a bomb squad?" the guard asked, his voice high with tension.
"No. Thanks. I've got it."
Clearly stunned by the rapid evacuation of the remarkably familiar-appearing blond and just as taken
aback by 17 B's commanding attitude, he merely nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am."
She flashed him a wave as she walked out the door. Once outside, she began walking north and radioed
Mac a location to pick her up. A few minutes later, the lead Suburban, Stark at the wheel, appeared and
pulled up beside her.
Once settled in the back with Blair across from her, she leaned forward and said through the privacy
partition, All clear for the airport, Stark. Nice execution, by the way."
When she turned back, she was nearly pinned to seat by the fire shooting from Blair's blue eyes.
"Was that really necessary?" Blair demanded.
"I could hardly let you stand there if there was any possibility that someone had delivered a volatile
package," Cam said reasonably.
"Oh, but it's okay if you get blown into a few million pieces?" Blair asked, biting off each word as she
fisted her hands by her sides to stop the trembling.
"There was very little chance of that, considering that the guard had already handled it--unless someone
was watching for me to pick it up and triggered the device with a remote detonator. It was very unlikely
that it could be harmful."
Page 109
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"But you were careful enough to getme out of the building."
Of course," Cam said with a hint of genuine confusion in her voice. "Even the slightest risk to you is
unacceptable."
"You don't have any idea what this does to me, do you?" Blair said incredulously.
"It was just routine, Blair," Cam began. "I--"
"Do you haveany idea how I felt watching you get hit that day?" Blair said in a low, tormented voice as if
Cam hadn't spoken. Almost as if Cam was no longer there. "Do you know what that did to me to see
you lying on the sidewalk, blood pouring from your chest, knowing you were dying? Knowing I couldnt
touch you--couldn't stop it? That I was losing you, too?"
Cam's face drained of color. Her voice was hoarse as she whispered, Yes. I know."
Stunned by the transformation in her usually imperturbable lover, Blair suddenly realized what she had
said, and she knew, too, that Cam had experienced almost the same thing the day her lover had died.
"Jesus, Cameron, I'm sorry. I didn't think."
Cam held up her hand. "No. It's all right." She cleared her throat, chased the demons away. "I never
realized...I'm sorry. I would never want you to go through that again."
"I can't seem to get used to you putting me first," Blair said, leaning forward, her fingers touching Cams
hand. "Not just physically--all of it. It will take a little practice."
"I don't put you first just because of the job, Blair," Cam said emphatically. "I do it because I love you,
and I know that if the situation called for it, you'd do the same."
Blair nodded, knowing Cam was right. It wasn't so much about who protected whom, but much more
about the urgency they both felt to keep the other safe. She would die before she let anyone harm Cam.
"Just don't get hurt, OK?" Blair said, her voice breaking.
"I won't. I promise."
As the vehicles turned off the road into the airport, they smiled at each other, peace following in the
wake of trust.
*****
Once on the plane, after everyone was situated, Blair asked Cam, "Are you going to open that
envelope?"
Cam regarded the still unopened package and shook her head. "Not yet. There may be some kind of
forensic evidence on the contents. I'd like to open it somewhere where it can be examined properly."
"Do you know of someone you can trust to do that for you?"
Page 110
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Maybe. Savard has been helping out." At Blair's raised eyebrow, she clarified, "Starks suggestion. And
a good one. I'll call her when we get to New York City."
"I want to be there."
Cam's first reaction was to say no, and then she realized that she couldn't. It was likely that whatever
was inside had something to do with her or Blair or both of them, and she had promised Blair that she
would not shut her out. She didn't like it, because her instinct was to keep Blair far away from anything
that might potentially endanger her--emotionallyor physically. But they had gone too far for that now. "All
right."
Pleased, Blair rested her fingers on Cam's thigh. "Thank you."
*****
It was early evening by the time they landed in New York and made the trek into Manhattan to Blair's
apartment. As they disembarked in front of the building, Cam said to Stark, "Would you mind staying a
few moments, Agent?"
Stark, who was technically off-shift, and who had already worked twenty-four hours overtime with the
unexpected trip to DC,and who had missed her date with Savard in the bargain, said immediately, "No
problem. I'll be in the command center."
"Very good."
The agents sorted themselves out, some proceeding upstairs with Stark for the evening shift and others
signing out for the night. Alone, Cam and Blair took the keyed elevator to Blair's apartment.
Once inside, Cam said, "I need to give Mac a call and see if he's turned up anything."
Blair dropped her overnight bag inside the door. "Are you hungry? I can fix us something."
Cam shed her jacket but kept her shoulder harness on over her blended-silk dress shirt. "That would be
great. I'll give you a hand in a minute."
Smiling, Blair shook her head. "Just do what you need to do."
Cam settled into one of the fabric sling chairs which, along with the sofa, defined the lofts central living
area and picked up the phone. She dialed and after a minute said, "It's Roberts. Where are you?...turn up
anything...do you have the tapes?... okay, fine. Call me when you get in."
Sighing, she replaced the receiver and came around the breakfast bar into the kitchen where Blair was
slicing mushrooms on a cutting board. A pot of water boiled on the cook top to her right.
"Can I do something?"
"Plates. What did he say?" Blair asked as she rinsed several tomatoes under the faucet and then cubed
them.
Page 111
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"The security guard didn't have much more to offer than what he'd already told me. The package was
dropped off at 7:52 this morning."
"Huh--just before my father arrived. Does that mean anything?"
"I don't know. I doubt it."
"What did he say about the courier?"
"He doesn't remember anything in particular except that it was a woman--Caucasian, medium height, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]