Chapter 10
Mia woke with an awful crick in her neck. She rubbed the spot, grimacing as she pulled open a desk drawer and found the large bottle of Tylenol.
This wasn’t the first time she’d fallen asleep at her desk. In fact, she hadn’t slept at her apartment since Orrin had been taken.
There was just too much fear and worry for her to feel safe enough to crawl into her bed. Ah, but she missed her soft mattress and fluffy pillows. The nights were getting colder, and she longed to curl up and snuggle beneath her plush blanket and flannel sheets.
But that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
She opened the bottle and dumped two pills into her hand. Then she swiveled her chair around to the small fridge she kept stocked with drinks and the occasional sandwich.
Inside the refrigerator were two bottles of water, a Coke, half of her sandwich from two days ago, some raspberries, and a slice of cheesecake.
Mia grabbed the carton of raspberries and a water and kicked the door closed before turning back to her desk. Her gaze landed on the sofa and the very awake, very male specimen who watched her.
“Hungry?” she asked.
He gave a shake of his head. “I’m fine.”
Good. More for her. She hadn’t eaten anything since . . . Mia frowned. When was the last time she’d eaten? She’d tried to put a few bites of the fried egg and toast in her mouth at the diner, but she’d been too wound up. Now, she was regretting not eating more.
Her stomach rumbled at the thought of the rich, greasy food. Oh, how she wanted to sink her teeth into that fried egg now.
She opened the carton of berries and popped one in her mouth. The wonderful flavor rejuvenated her. She ate another handful before she opened the water and took a long swallow. Then she took the pills and went back to eating the rest of the berries.
A look at her watch showed it was just after six. Those few hours of sleep had done wonders. To save her neck and back, she was going to have to learn to make it to the couch and stretch out.
An image of her curled against Cullen there made her breath catch. If only she weren’t so aware of him and everything he did. It was unnerving.
“What time does Davis get in?” Cullen asked.
She shrugged, grateful to have something to think about other than him. “Early, but not this early.”
Cullen rose and went to the coffee pot. He set about brewing some without uttering a word. She used that time to study him more. What had he done while she slept?
He looked as if he’d gotten a full eight hours of sleep. And though she had no need to find a mirror, she was positive she had large bags under her eyes and was in need of a shower.
It wasn’t until after the coffee was brewed and he had a cup in hand that he turned toward her. “You’ve been sleeping here.”
“Sometimes, yes.”
“I’d say from the bag of clothes behind me that it’s been a lot more than sometimes.”
She put the last of the raspberries in her mouth and chewed. It gave her time to think of an answer. The truth was that she was scared. But she didn’t want Cullen to know just how much.
“I don’t know who to trust,” she confessed.
That was the God’s honest truth. Everywhere she looked there was a potential enemy. She was doing everything she could just to keep her head above water, but she was sinking fast.
Was it luck that brought Cullen to her? Or was it fate finally telling her that her time was up?
“Is there a place to shower?”
Now that she hadn’t been expecting. She pushed back her chair and stood. “It’s not far. I noticed you didn’t bring a bag. There will be clothes you can use.”
“Good. Let’s go.” He set his coffee down and bent to retrieve her bag.
She didn’t bother to take it from him. If he wanted to lug it around, then she’d happily let him. She shut her office door behind them, the automatic lock clicking into place.
Then she led the way to another hangar where the back portion had showers. That’s when she reached for her bag and took it, turning to the right for the women’s. Cullen had a smile on his face as he strode into the men’s shower.
She took out all her weapons, hiding them in her bag.
Next, she removed her clothes and folded them to set on the bench next to the bag.
When she stepped beneath the spray of water, she closed her eyes and sighed.
She remained beneath the hot water longer than usual as she tried to work out the pain in her neck.
It was another twenty minutes before she walked from the showers with her hair still damp but in clean clothes.
She stopped short when she spotted Cullen in a sand colored tee that made his sun-kissed skin appear even darker.
He hadn’t tucked the shirt into his jeans, instead letting it hang about his trim hips.
His jeans encased those long legs of his.
When her gaze rose back to his face, his hazel eyes were trained on her. He gave a nod to a group he’d been talking to and met her as they walked toward each other.
“How’s your neck?” he asked.
“The Tylenol has kicked in, and the shower helped. I’ll be fine.”
“Of course, you will.”
He said it without a smile, as if he believed it. She wasn’t sure what to think of him. Every time she thought she had him figured out, he’d do or say something to make her rethink everything.
The talk last night at the diner had shown a side of him she hadn’t realized he had. He really didn’t like doing his job. She couldn’t understand why he didn’t just leave the military. He’d served his time.
It made her long to ask him what he really wanted to do with his life. All she wanted to do was fly. It had led her to make some very questionable decisions along the way. That then put her in this position.
After a quick detour back to her hangar to put away her bag, she led him toward the dining facility. The closer they got, the more her stomach churned with anxiety. Mainly because she wasn’t exactly sure of what Cullen was thinking. And that frightened her.
This was her livelihood. The situation she had with General Davis and Dover AFB was a fluid one. It was a give and take. For the last three years, it had worked. And frankly, she wasn’t ready for it to end.
Though she had probably already done that herself by being arrested.
She halted before they reached the building and turned to Cullen. “I need to know what you plan.”
“I already told you,” he replied.
“Tell me again.”
He held her gaze for a long moment. “How many men do you think came into your hangar, killed the team, and took Orrin?”
She blinked, trying to recall the scene she’d walked up to. “I don’t know. Four. Maybe five.”
“There had to be at least eight.”
“Eight? That’s not possible.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. “Really? All six of my father’s highly trained men were on their knees. Would they fight after the first one was shot, or remain still, waiting for their turn?”
“They’d fight,” she answered immediately. Then it dawned on her. “There had to be at least one Russian for each of the six team members.”
“Exactly. Another two or four to stand guard and grab Orrin.”
She glanced around to make sure no one was listening as she took a step closer to Cullen. “Two or three of them might have been able to slip through and get onto the base. But eight or ten? Someone helped them.”
“That’s what I concluded last night. Someone with the authority and power not to have an order questioned.”
“Davis.” She turned her head toward the dining hall.
“The truth is that it could be a number of people on this base.”
She shot him a glare. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“Good. Because this is the biggest pile of shit, and it’s growing. You were right to believe that you couldn’t trust anyone.”
Though he didn’t say it, the only one she could trust was Cullen. He was looking for his father, and willing to do whatever it took to uncover all the ugly truths of what had happened.
It was simply a matter of time before he discovered hers.
“Davis’s wife makes him eat egg whites every morning with no coffee allowed. As soon as he arrives on base, he comes to the dining hall and grabs a donut and coffee,” she told Cullen.
He smiled, dropping his arms to his sides. “Is there a lot of people inside.”
“More than I’d like listening.”
“Perhaps we’ll get his attention enough to either answer us where no one can overhear and find out the truth, or he’ll bring us to his office.”
She snorted. “You obviously don’t know Davis if you really believe you’ll get anything out of him easily. He’s tighter than Fort Knox.”
“We’ll see,” Cullen said as he started toward the doors.
She caught up with him and entered the dining facility first. She scanned the tables and spotted the General’s salt-and-pepper hair off to the left in a corner.
She didn’t look to see if Cullen was with her as she walked toward Davis. Halfway to the table, the general looked up and saw her. There was a small frown that deepened when he looked over her shoulder.
Mia had no idea if Davis knew Cullen. Anyone who was close to Orrin knew about his sons. Though she knew there had been a rift between Orrin and his three sons that had to do with his wife’s death, she didn’t know specifics.
Did Davis? Was that why he was scowling as he looked at Cullen? She’d get her answers soon enough because they reached his table.
“Good morning, General,” she said, forcing a smile she didn’t feel.
He gave a nod toward her. “Carter. I’m dying to hear your explanation of what happened in Florida.”
“I’ll be happy to tell you.”
“I see you brought a friend.”
“Cullen Loughman, sir,” he said as he stepped around her.
Davis set down his half-eaten donut and blew out a breath. Then he motioned to the chairs. “Sit. Both of you.”
She took one side of Davis while Cullen sat on the other. Cullen kept his face devoid of emotion. It was a trait she really needed to learn. There hadn’t ever been cause for her to want to hide anything.
Until now.
The general pushed away his donut and leaned his elbows on the table. “You’re Orrin’s youngest.”
Cullen nodded. “I am.”
“And you’re here to find him,” Davis said.
“Yes, sir.”
Mia watched the exchange with interest. The men were feeling each other out. Though she knew the kind of power Davis wielded, she put her money on Cullen coming out the victor.
Davis glanced at her. “I’m sure she’s told you everything we know.”
“She’s told me what she knows,” Cullen said. “I’d like to know your thoughts on a few things.”
The general leaned back in his chair. “All right.”
She hurried to speak before Cullen did. She knew Davis from her years in the Air Force, and as a civilian contractor working on the base. He was an exceptional liar, but she knew he had a tell. As he lied, his right eye narrowed.
“General,” she said. “We were looking at the scene where Orrin’s men were murdered. Cullen pointed out the fact that those men would’ve been killed together, not one at a time. The number of men that got onto the base would have to be double what we initially thought.”
Davis’s lips thinned as he looked between the two of them.
“That many Russians couldn’t have snuck in,” she continued. “Someone had to give the order to allow them onto the base.”
“And you believe it was me? You’re wrong.”
Mia laughed because she was nearly frozen in terror. Davis’s right eye had narrowed. He was lying. “I told Cullen it couldn’t be you. You’re a good man who would never betray a friend like that.”
“Damn right,” Davis said. He leaned forward again. “Is that all? Or was there something else you wanted to accuse me of?”
“That’s all,” she said, keeping her smile as she stood. Thankfully, Cullen followed suit. “We’re very sorry to interrupt your breakfast.”
Davis grabbed her wrist as she tried to walk away. She jerked around to him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Cullen was slowly moving toward the general.
“I expect you in my office for an explanation about your arrest and suspended license,” Davis said.
She licked her lips. “Yes, sir.”
“I’ll see you in an hour.”
“She’ll be there, sir,” Cullen said.