Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Who was killed?” Maizie’s voice came through the car speakers.
Kenna leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “What?”
“At the house, that scene,” Maizie said. “Who died?”
“One of those retired guys. I don’t know which number he was. Four. Two. One of them was killed.” She shook her head. “That was months ago, so it has to be one of the others.”
“Two of them showed up to take my blood.”
She opened her eyes and looked at Jax. “Right. You told me that.”
“Something about needing the father’s genetic profile.” He gripped the steering wheel, but they weren’t going anywhere fast in this inching-along traffic.
Jax probably wished he had lights and sirens, as he had during his days as an FBI agent. It certainly made getting somewhere fast a lot easier. But right now, that wasn’t an option, so whoever was waiting for them at the RV would have to wait long enough for them to get there.
He shook his head. “They could’ve asked. Instead, they decided to just take it.”
Ah, so he wasn’t super upset that the guy was dead?
Kenna shrugged. “They wanted to see how your genetics contributed to the outcome.”
He reached over and held her hand.
“One of the retired guys was on the hit list,” she continued.
“Which means whoever is out there trying to run Dominatus is either working against whoever they’re working for, or he’s getting rid of that guy and maybe the rest of them as well in order to tie up loose ends.
And none of this makes any sense. Still. ”
“Because you don’t know what I know,” Maizie said.
Kenna’s brows rose. “You retrieved the information from those photos?”
“Score one for steganography. It’s a great way to embed information in an image. The file ends up way larger than one that is simply a JPEG.”
“More files to pore over?”
“Craig is loving it, but Elizabeth is bored out of her mind. I found her on the couch, snoring under a pile of papers.” The young woman chuckled. “She said it’s because she isn’t a ‘spring chicken’ anymore. But I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean.”
“Me either.” Kenna smiled to herself. “Maybe I’ll find out when I’m old.”
“What we have now, on top of the contents of the packet, is everything the lawyers found out about the Count of Shadows and the network of military personnel he was commanding. He had an entire list of Dominatus assets in the army, and a bunch of other branches. Craig explained the whole Marines under the navy, Delta Force is army, something else about space soldiers. He lost me pretty quickly, but it looks like this Major General Schnell guy was the guy they had in the military.”
“He’s dead. Ramon was there.” Kenna frowned. “Did someone else assume command and they’re moving the plan forward? Or maybe they’re cleaning up loose ends, like you said.”
“They also found three decommissioned army bases in the US and two overseas that his people utilize. One was discovered thanks to Ramon and Zeyla, but I’m checking into the others.”
“Great,” she grumbled, closing her eyes. “Send everything to us and them. We can make a plan and divide up tasks.” And she could take a nap first.
She didn’t like the idea of someone out for blood.
But when had life ever turned out the way she liked?
She could answer with Jax on that one, but it was far from perfect.
He likely hadn’t anticipated any of this would happen and also wasn’t complaining.
Neither of them were. They were both making the best of the situation.
When the lawyers were exonerated and the ghost had been neutralized, they’d get out of here.
Kenna heard the murmur of talking, but her mind didn’t want to decipher what was being said. She let out a long breath and didn’t bother opening her eyes.
Not until the motion of the car came to a stop and she woke up.
“Hey.”
“We’re here?”
He nodded in response to her obvious question, since they were in the space beside the RV. But she couldn’t get out of the car and go crawl into bed. Not with that woman sitting in a plastic chair.
Kenna groaned. “I don’t wanna talk to her.”
“Who is she?” Jax said. “I figured it was one of the lawyers.”
Kenna shook her head. The woman sat in the chair, staring at her. She had blond hair that hung over the shoulders of her big coat with the fluffy hood. Leggings and boots with fluffy edging around the top. Midfifties. “She’s a nurse. From the platform.”
Jax stiffened.
Kenna’s door opened, and Ramon crouched there, letting the cold air in. “I’m not talking to her. She’s Dominatus.”
Jax quickly relayed what she’d told him.
Ramon dug in his pocket. “Comms.” He took two from the case and handed it over.
The car door shut.
Kenna and Jax shoved earbuds in. Ramon and Zeyla did the same, and she heard him say, “Got me?” with his attention on his phone, where an app controlled the whole system over Bluetooth.
Jax said, “We hear you.”
“I’m here to speak to Kenna.” The woman tore her gaze from the windshield through which she could see Kenna and Jax, and looked at Ramon. Then Zeyla. Her expression hardened.
Zeyla stuck one foot out and put her hand on her hip.
Jax muttered, “Uh-oh.”
Kenna watched the interplay. The nurse didn’t move.
“Tell us your name.” Ramon stood with his arms straight, his hands never too far from a weapon.
“You can call me Nurse Smith.” Her tone resonated with an attitude. She wanted what she wanted, and she was gonna get it.
Good luck with that.
Even better, Kenna didn’t put stock in luck at all. She had hope instead—and that hope had a solid foundation.
Zeyla muttered something Kenna didn’t catch.
“Is she getting out of the car, or do I make an appointment or something?” Nurse Smith looked from them, to where Kenna sat in the front seat of the car, then back.
Jax slid his gun from its holster but switched hands with it and reached over to hold hers.
Kenna checked the campsite around them. At least what she could see of it. No sense missing a threat that approached.
“Say what you have to say, then get out of here.” Ramon didn’t ask how she even knew where to find Kenna and Jax’s home on wheels.
Right now, Kenna would like to be anywhere but here.
Preferably back in Wyoming. There was nowhere that Dominatus couldn’t find them if they wanted to, but it felt safe there to her.
Maybe it was all a delusion, or wishful thinking.
It wasn’t that God had seen fit to provide them a place that was safe, although He absolutely could.
She just liked the landscape in Wyoming, where the openness made it seem like she could see the threat coming.
More wishful thinking?
She would much rather trust God, no matter what the outcome. Kenna and Jax had no peace of mind in this, and yet they had the peace of God. The knowledge He had it all in His hands because they’d yielded their lives to Him and allowed Him to be in control of it all.
Nurse Smith looked to the side. They were far enough away that Kenna couldn’t assess the nuances of her expression, and it wasn’t like this woman had ever been her friend. But she looked scared. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go, okay? I need to talk to Kenna.”
“What’s going on?” Zeyla shrugged. “Thought you had a sweet gig going at that platform. What happened to that?”
“You know what happened.” Smith shook her head. “I wasn’t there. I was with the rest of the team on the island when it all went wrong. I escaped before one of you people could gun me down like some kind of animal.”
Kenna bit the inside of her lip. That was exactly how most of them had treated her.
“So you ran.” Zeyla shifted her stance. “And you’ve been running since.”
“I tried to get back in. To rendezvous at one of the research facilities. No one would let me in.”
“We want to know where they are and who works there. Everything about their operation.” Ramon’s tone didn’t invite any argument.
“In exchange for what?” Smith huffed. “I’m running for my life here. People are dying!”
Zeyla said, “You think Kenna can protect you?”
“What else was I supposed to do?”
“So you came here with nothing to offer, and you want a pregnant woman to protect you?” Zeyla’s tone spoke volumes.
Sort of like she thought Kenna being pregnant was the worst outcome, but probably it was just for show.
Or it was about this woman’s intentions.
Zeyla might even be worried that something could happen to Kenna and as a result it had come out sounding like that.
Smith brushed hair back from her face. “I can tell you stuff.” Her gaze searched the area. “I can give you information.”
“Who’s trying to kill you?” Zeyla asked.
“Kenna knows. He was there.”
“They knew what he is,” Kenna said, “and they encouraged it.”
Ramon addressed Smith. “Seems like if some guy you know is trying to kill you, then all you’ve got to do is go to the police with what you know. Tell them who he is, and they’ll put you in protective custody.”
“You think the police can do anything?” She barked a laugh.
“The FBI then. Don’t your people have sympathizers in the Bureau?” Ramon shrugged. “Surely they can arrange for protection.”
“They’re not my people anymore. I’m on my own.” Smith paused. “That much is clear from the fact they’re the ones who sent him to kill me.”
Zeyla said, “I’m still not clear on how this is our problem. He’s after you, not us.”
Kenna wondered if she was going to give them the line about the assassin being after the “offspring” the way the president and Petyr had tried to convince her that she would be on the hit list.
Zeyla continued, “Seems more like you’re here to see what we know. Maybe you’re trying to earn your way back in.” She folded her arms. “Just think what they’re going to offer you if you bring Kenna Banbury back to them. They’ll open the door if you have her.”
Smith stared at her.
“I should kill you right here.” Zeyla slid her gun from her holster, and all of them flinched. “But someone could be watching.”
Kenna let out a breath, staring at the scene through the window.
Jax said, “We need the killer’s name. Or a way to find him.”
Ramon didn’t turn from staring at Smith. “I have a better idea. We use her as bait to draw him out.” He lifted his chin. “Yeah, I like that a lot. She goes back to her business, we follow her, and when he shows up to kill her, we’ll take care of the problem.”
“You can’t do this.” Smith reacted as if certain that meant they’d kill her as well or let the ghost take care of her before they caught him. “I can tell you…” She swore. “You can’t just let them kill me!”
“We don’t owe you anything.” Zeyla shrugged. “Kenna doesn’t owe you anything. You shouldn’t have come here.”
“He’ll find you like I did!”
Ramon dragged her out of the chair by her elbow. “Get lost.”
“Kenna! I can help you!”
Jax’s hand tightened around hers.
Zeyla marched Nurse Smith to the lane that ran between rows of RVs while she yelled for Kenna. A few people came out of their RVs to watch. Thankfully, Zeyla kept it legal, acting as a bodyguard and not drawing the kind of attention that might get her arrested.
Zeyla would probably walk her all the way to the gate.
Ramon glanced at Jax. “Unlock the RV. I’ll clear it before you guys go inside. Then Kenna can take her nap.”
Kenna swiped at the tear that fell from the corner of her eye.
Jax tugged her over and kissed the same spot.