so very much. But she couldn’t bring her self to feel comfortable here. It took a special kind of human being to fit into this world. Her gaze flitted to the man in the front passenger seat. A man like him. Dark, quiet, enigmatic. A man fully prepared to die…to kill…for what he believed in.
A dangerous man.
But not dangerous to her…never again. No more dangerous men in her life, she promised herself as she did her level best to ignore the premonition of dread welling in her chest. Safe. Occasionally spontaneous maybe, but safe. She had her new life all mapped out and the dead last thing it included was danger.
Chapter Two
The main lobby of the CIA headquarters always took Elizabeth’s breath away. The granite wall with its stars honoring fallen agents. The flags and statues…the grandeur that represented the solemn undertaking of all those who risked their lives to make the world a safer place. The shadow warriors.
Elizabeth looked away from that honorary wall, knowing that one of those stars represented David. Though she would never know which one since his name would not be listed. Anonymous even in death.
For the first time since his death she wondered if she’d known him at all. Was his name even David Maddox?
Her heart squeezed instantly at the thought. This was precisely why she had promised herself she would not think about the past. Not today, not any day.
She had to get on with the present, move into the future.
Like David, the past was over. She was thirty-seven for Christ’s sake. Her fantasy of some day having a family was swiftly slipping away. Never before had she been so keenly aware of just how much time she had wasted. Though she loved her work, she didn’t regret for a moment the sacrifices she had made to become the respected surgeon she was; it was time to have a personal life as well.
The rubber soles of her running shoes whispered against the gleaming granite floor where the CIA’s emblem sprawled proudly, welcoming all who entered. The guards and the metal detectors beyond that proved a little less welcoming, reminding Elizabeth of the threat that loomed wherever government offices could be found. Even in her lifetime the world had changed so much. Maybe part of her sudden impatience to move forward was somehow related to current events as well as the recent past. Whatever the case, it was the right thing to do.
Dawson led her to the bank of elevators and depressed the down button. Uneasiness stirred inside her again. Somehow she doubted that the director’s office had been moved to the basement. Before she could question his selection the doors slid open and the three of them boarded the waiting car.
When he selected a lower level, she felt compelled to ask, “Aren’t we going to the director’s office?”
Agent Dawson smiled kindly. He’d always had a nice smile, a calming demeanor. She was glad for that. “We’re meeting in a special conference room this time. The director is there now waiting for your arrival.”
Elizabeth managed a curt nod, still feeling a bit uneasy with the situation despite her handler’s assurances. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end the way they did whenever she sensed a deviation in the status quo of a patient’s condition. She could always predict when things were about to go wrong. This felt wrong. For the first time since she’d agreed to support the CIA from time to time, she felt seriously uncomfortable with the arrangement. That premonition of dread just wouldn’t go away though it refused to clarify itself fully.
The other agent, the one whose presence added to her discomfort and who hadn’t been introduced to her as of yet, shifted slightly, drawing her attention in his direction.
He still wore those confounding sunglasses. Elizabeth found the continued behavior to be rude and purposely intimidating. Fury fueling an uncharacteristic boldness she opened her mouth to say just that and he looked at her. Turned his head toward her, tilting it slightly downward and looked straight at her as if he’d sensed her intent. She didn’t have to see his eyes. She could feel him watching her. Something fierce surged through her. Fear, she told herself. But it didn’t feel quite like fear.
Who the hell was this man?
She swung her attention back to Agent Dawson, intent on demanding the identity of the other man, but the elevator bumped to a halt. The doors yawned open and Dawson motioned for her to precede him. Pushing her irrational annoyance with the other man to the back burner, she stepped out of the car and moved in the direction Dawson indicated. She would likely never see this stranger again after today, what was the point in making a scene?
ON SOME LEVEL she recognized him. Special Agent Joe Hennessey couldn’t jeopardize this mission by allowing her to recognize him before the decision was made. He’d kept the concealing eyewear in place to throw her off, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t be fooled for long. He’d been careful not to speak and not to get too close.
But there was no denying the chemistry that still sizzled between them…it was there in full force. He could only hope that she was disconcerted with the unexpected trip to Langley and was off balance enough to give a commitment before the full ramifications of the situation became crystal clear.
The long corridor stretched out before them, the occasional door on one side or the other interrupting the monotonous white walls. Tile polished to a high sheen flowed like an endless sea of glass. Surface mounted fluorescent lights provided ample lighting if not an elegant atmosphere. He could feel her uneasiness growing with each step. She didn’t like this deviation from the usual routine.
Hennessey knew this was her first trip to the bowels of the Agency and she probably hoped it would be the last. The adrenaline no doubt pumping through her veins would make the air feel heavier, thicker. It didn’t take a psychic to know she was seriously antsy in the situation. Didn’t like it one damned bit.
Dawson stayed to her right, a step ahead, leading the way. Hennessey stayed to her left, kept his movements perfectly aligned with hers, not moving ahead, never falling behind. If the overhead lights were to suddenly go out and the generators were to fail, he would still know she was there. He could feel her next to him. For someone who loved clinging to a routine, her energy was strong…her presence nearly overwhelming. With every fiber of his being he knew she was even now scrolling through her memory banks searching for what it was that felt familiar about him.
Thankfully they reached their destination. Dawson stopped at the next door on the left. “The director is waiting for you inside, Dr. Cameron.” He reached for the door and opened it.
Elizabeth looked from him to Hennessey and back. “Aren’t you coming in, Agent Dawson?”
She didn’t like this at all. Hennessey could feel the tension vibrating inside her mounting.
“Not this time, ma’am.”
SHE DIDN’T LIKE THIS. Her frown deepening, Elizabeth pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and moved through the open door. She had been briefed long ago about the various levels of security clearances within the CIA. Some were so secret that even the designation was classified. In most cases, the rule that every agent lived by was the “need-to-know” rule. One knew what one needed to know and nothing more.
Clearly Agent Dawson and his friend didn’t need to know whatever the director was about to discuss with her. The door closed behind her with a resolute thud and she shivered. The sound echoed through her, shaking loose a memory from months ago. It had been dark…she’d scarcely seen his face, but she had
