Shaking Off the Dust Read online

  “He loves you. You know this,” Bethann said.

  I didn’t say anything. Takeshi gathered me into his arms, smoothing my hair, wiping tears with his fingertips.

  “Why won’t you let him love you, Hannah? Love him back. You should know better than most how fragile life is.”

  “No one’s spoken those words,” I whispered.

  She laughed. “The tattoo he wrote on your ankle, it says ‘my love’. He says it often to you, but in Japanese. He knows you’ve been burned by love and so he doesn’t say meaningless words to scare you off. He shows you nothing but his love. It’s your turn now.”

  “I’m not like you. I want to, but it doesn’t come easy for me.”

  “Tell him you love him.”

  “I do. I just can’t say those words. They are too important, they can’t be taken back.”

  Takeshi spoke in Japanese, his soothing words that he used when I was upset.

  “He’s telling you he loves you, that he’ll always love you and be here holding you,” Bethann translated. “Doesn’t he deserve to know that his love is returned?”

  “Go to Bill now,” I said and she vanished.

  I leaned into him, until my mouth was at his ear. “I do love you, so much it makes me catch my breath. I’m afraid to love you so completely. I’m afraid to love anyone like this.”

  He leaned back, searching my face, questioning. I tried to put everything I felt for him into my eyes.

  He came in for a kiss, his mouth barely touching mine. “I love you, Hannah Campbell. I hoped you’d realize you loved me too.” Then he kissed me, long and sweet.

  We were disturbed by a knock at the door. He lifted his face from mine and cursed in a low voice.

  “We have to get moving soon and you need to know what the plan is. Come out as soon as you can,” Jack yelled through the door.

  “We are endlessly interrupted,” Takeshi growled. “We need to talk, to be together.” He pushed off the bed.

  I laughed at him. I felt light, like a weight had lifted off my heart. I was going to pretend Bethann was right. I wondered if I’d turn into light. I was shining with what I felt for him.

  We walked out a few minutes later. Sharon had returned and was with Bethann. I smiled at both of them.

  “You told him. I’m glad, Hannah. Several things are going on. First off, Sharon needs to tell us what she discovered. Then, Bill arranged for a safe house in the city, we’ll all be going there.” Bethann winked at Sharon and me.

  “Sharon needs to tell us what she found out,” I announced.

  Bill nodded and pulled out the tape recorder.

  “There are some new kids there, three girls and a boy. The boy is older, fourteen. His father is a real pastor at a church and he said that this is no church. They locked him in a small closet and he keeps yelling these things out. His name is Peter Linden and he’s from New Mexico and he really wants to go home.” Sharon’s face puckered up like she was mad too.

  Like usual, I repeated each word she said. She’d learned to pause as she spoke.

  “Mr. Aaron is there. He is the leader of all the churches and he’s visiting to give his blessing to his dicycles. He drove a big white van and I saw the license number. Miss Bethann said that was something you might really like to have. She told me that Bill likes that kind of information.”

  I stumbled over her words in my enthusiasm. We had some evidence that might help.

  Sharon was so proud of herself that she danced with excitement. Bethann kissed her face, then tickled her.

  “Sharon, you did such a good job. I’m so proud of you.” I clapped my hands.

  She beamed and I grinned back at her innocent face.

  I gestured to Bill, so he knew we were done.

  “Jack’s staying here to get this called in and make sure it gets followed up immediately. I’m separating you and Takeshi for the trip to the safe house. I believe that the press is more likely to follow Takeshi. Mateo has a limo waiting for Hannah and Rachel downstairs. We have three female agents arriving to make up a party for a night out with the girls. You will be joining them to go out to the clubs. We plan to lose you in the crowds.”

  Bill nodded at me. “Takeshi, two of your colleagues from the university are arriving and you’ll be having dinner with them. We’ll be switching you with a double. We had to borrow from other agencies to find enough resources to make this happen so quickly.”

  “Why do they believe we are heading to a safe house, and more importantly, will this new house keep us under surveillance? We need the freedom to talk to Tom and the others. I don’t want that to be captured on a camera.” Takeshi used that tone of voice doctors use when they are ordering a nurse to perform some lifesaving task.

  “They’ve been told you are witnesses in a drug-cartel inquiry that was discovered through the plane crash investigation. The safe house is the first stop. I am afraid this may take a while.” Bill paused and took a deep breath. “I need to know Bethann and Sharon will wait until I can be there. I need to be there this time.”

  Bethann nodded her head and I nodded to Bill, then I handed him the braid of hair that was Bethann’s.

  “Keep some of them, so she can be with us both and hold on to Sharon’s too,” Tom suggested.

  I passed on his idea and Takeshi went to the bedroom, coming back with the skin adhesive. He glued a small clipping of their hairs to my tattoo and to his own. “If we are going to be separated, I want a link between us.”

  Takeshi pulled me into the bedroom again. “If something happens, send Tom to me and I will tell him where we should meet. Your safety is more important than anything else. Including Tom. Don’t ever forget that. I don’t like this. I don’t think we should separate.”

  I hugged him and laughed. “You are stressing, Shimodo. Relax, I asked that they move us out of here for more privacy. So all this is my fault, as usual. You go and enjoy the dinner. You can send Tom along to keep an eye on how us girls party.”

  “Don’t drink alcohol, Hannah. It’s bad for your head and heart.” Takeshi frowned. “I’ll be glad when we are out of this situation and can get married.”

  “You and I need to have a long discussion, but I’m a big believer in living together. I will drive you crazy soon enough. You will be glad there’s no legal document to bind you to me.”

  “I’ve already bound myself to you, and tonight I thought you’d bound yourself to me. Was I wrong in believing that?” His expression was very serious.

  “I told you I love you. The rest can wait. It’s not life-and-death tonight. We’re just splitting up for a few hours.”

  “Hardheaded Hannah. Remember, if you get separated from the others, let Tom know and I will tell him where you should meet me.”

  “I’m deaf in my right ear, Shimodo. I’m not stupid. I heard you the first time. I will obey your every command.”

  “Really?”

  “No, but if you repeat those instructions one more time I will be forced to kick your ass and that looks bad for you and me in front of the big bad FBI agents.”

  He grabbed me and kissed my forehead. “You are incorrigible.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The three women helping us looked to be in their mid-to-late twenties. They wore skintight, short black dresses and brought a dress for me. I took it into the bedroom, trying to put it on while Takeshi lay on the bed watching me with interest.

  “This is way too tight.” I tugged at it. “It shows every extra pound. No, every extra ounce.”

  “You’re right, you should not wear that for anyone but me. You can dress in a nice pair of jeans and tee shirt,” Takeshi said.

  “If you help me stretch this a little, I think I can put it on.” I took it off and started pulling it. The material was elastic and I went to the bed and made him hold one side while I held the other.

  He laughed at me and dropped his side. Ignoring my efforts, he started to put on his suit. Somehow he looked even more scrumptious then us
ual.

  “Don’t undress tonight before I get there.” I leered at him as I put the dress back on. “I want to take it off you myself.”

  “I thought you were too tired.” Stepping behind me, he slipped his hand down my leg, pushed up the already too short mini and grabbed my bottom. “Keep in mind that no one else may ever touch you like this.”

  I joined the girls, walking in the middle of them, as we swept through the lobby. A limo was waiting for us and once inside, I was instructed that we would hit two clubs before I’d be separated from them and taken to the safe house.

  The first club was loud and the dance floor crowded. Rachel and two of the girls went straight into the throng of swaying bodies. I stayed at our table and watched the people. I ordered a bottle of water and a shot of tequila. I didn’t drink the shot.

  Tom popped in every few minutes after I called him to check on my man. Announcing that Takeshi was at a boring dinner with two colleagues, he immediately launched into one of his customary rants, this time on why clubs had to be so loud. He generally had something to say about everything. The women dancing drew his full attention and gave me time to wonder if he’d always talked this much, or whether it was something about me that made him so chatty. It was obvious he was enjoying himself.

  We stayed about an hour and moved on to the next club. I was so far removed from my usual reality that it felt like a dream.

  At the second club, we were ushered past the line of people waiting at the door. I assumed arriving by limo got us past the crowds and being scantily clothed probably helped. Again I sat at the table and the girls took turns hanging out with me. Tom had stayed with me since our first stop, but disappeared with the first round of drinks here. I watched the man who took Rachel away from the girls and began dancing with her. He led her through each step with power and grace. I was a huge fan of Dancing with the Stars and appreciated how tight his clothes fit to his muscular body. So much so I couldn’t take my eyes off them. The man was riveting. When they finished, he came back to the table with Rachel, and as he approached, I realized it was Enrique.

  I smiled brightly and he bowed. “You must dance with me.” He held out his hand.

  I started to shake my head, but he pulled me from the table, whispering, “Bring your purse and dance. We’ll fade from here and get you to the safe house.”

  I grabbed my tiny purse and went with him. It was a slower dance and he pulled me near enough that I followed his every movement. We edged closer to the exit behind the stage until he stopped any pretense of dancing and we ducked out the door. By the time we hit the alley, I was breathless.

  “Hector will bring the car. We need to walk a bit farther to meet him. I know it is cold, but soon enough we will be in a car. Is that all right?” Enrique offered me his arm as we walked.

  “Sure. I thought moving to a new location would be a lot easier.” I put my hand lightly on his arm. He was being a gentleman and I felt awkward next to him.

  “It would be, but the press has been like a dog with a bone on this whole investigation. We’ve heard they’ve been trying to interview Dr. Shimodo’s research team members, so it won’t be long before they know we are using you on this inquiry. Some idiot decided they would let it out that you are part of a drug lead found through our investigation.”

  “Was it the FBI?”

  “No. Now we are getting word from our sources that the drug cartels are nervous. They realize we have exposed the baggage handler, who of course we have trailed since Tom made us aware of him.”

  “I thought you were in charge,” I said conversationally.

  He stopped and stared at me. “Why would you think I am in charge?”

  “Don’t pretend you’re not, Enrique. Mateo is your front, but you are the lead on this investigation. You are a chameleon, you proved it tonight. I didn’t recognize you until you were at the table. You look good in that tight jacket, but if you tell Takeshi I said that, I’ll deny it.” I winked at his surprised face.

  He laughed. “You’d make a good agent, Miss Campbell.”

  “I’m already a good nurse, don’t need any other excitement in my life.”

  “Well, you stepped into more than your share.”

  A black car pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down and I watched for Hector’s face. Enrique yelled my name and pushed me aside as a gun came out of the window and fired. I turned to him as he fell to the ground and went to check his pulse, searching for a wound. But what I found was a dart sticking out of his neck. I felt a sting in my arm. I twisted around to see where it hurt, reaching to pull out the dart, but my vision was already blurry.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Hannah. Come on, woman, wake up.”

  I’d been hearing that voice for a while. “Leave me alone,” I mumbled. I was sitting in a chair and my arms wouldn’t move when I tried to get into a less awkward position. I ached all over. Opening my bleary eyes, I tried to focus. It took me a few seconds to remember the gun and the dart.

  It was a dark, dank room with one overhead light bulb. I felt like I was in a movie, a bad, low budget movie. I decided I didn’t like our version. And the awful thought occurred that it might turn in to a Tarantino film.

  Acutely uncomfortable, I discovered I was tied to the chair. When I raised my head and leaned it back to try to get the crick out of my neck, my skull hit someone else’s.

  “Hannah,” Enrique whispered. “You must continue to pretend you are still asleep. We need more time for them to miss us at the safe house.”

  “Then why have you been yelling at me?” I whispered back.

  “I haven’t been, now put your head back down and feign sleep.”

  It must have been Tom yelling. I dropped my head and closed my eyes again. Head lolling is much better unconscious. Now, all I could think was how miserable I was. My arms ached and my neck continued to have a crick.

  “Hannah, please wake up.”

  I felt coldness on my cheek and I cracked open my eyes a sliver. “Tom, it’s so odd, I kept calling for you in my dream.”

  “Thank God, that explains why I was able to find you here.” He looked relieved.

  “Enrique says we need to feign unconsciousness as long as we can. Tell me what’s happening?”

  “You’ve been out a long time, six hours. They found Hector out cold in the car that was supposed to have brought you to the safe house. You’re in a warehouse. I haven’t been able to find anything to tell me where we are. There’s a car, but no plates. Two men are watching you from a surveillance camera. They’re quiet types.”

  “Can they hear us? Does the surveillance camera pick up sound?” I whispered, but I knew Enrique could hear me.

  “I don’t think so. I haven’t heard anything. Let me recheck.”

  When Tom left, I told Enrique what he’d told me.

  Tom blinked back. “No sound, just video. I think they have company coming. One of them mentioned something about expecting a call before they get here.” Tom was talking faster than I’d ever heard him.

  “Is everyone else all right?”

  “They tried for Takeshi when he left the restaurant. He was injured trying to protect the other two men. Bill stopped the attackers from killing anyone, but they got away. He and Takeshi are doing fine.”

  “Who got injured?” I demanded.

  “That reminds me, I need to let Takeshi know you’ve woken. He’s been, well, I don’t even have a word for it. I’ve never seen him like this.”

  “Is he hurt, dammit? Answer my question,” I growled.

  “His leg was sliced up a bit, he got some stitches. I expect that’s why he’s so intense. He’s worried that you’ve been hurt bad, especially since you’ve been unconscious for so long.”

  “Then tell him I’m all right. They used darts on us, tranquilizers most likely.”

  Tom was gone at least five minutes before he returned. He looked pleased with himself. “I’ve never seen a person more relieved than that man
, just now. He said to tell you to keep pretending to sleep. Bethann tagged along with me. We’re going to head in opposite directions and see what we find.”

  “You didn’t do this while we were unconscious?”

  “I checked it out a little, but my best friend insisted I stay with you. That I be there for his girlfriend.”

  “Thank you, Tom,” I said contritely. “I’m sorry I’m such a bitch.”

  I filled Enrique in on what was happening. He grabbed my hand with his and squeezed. “You are not a bitch. Were I Dr. Shimodo and you were mine, I would have insisted my friend stay with you.”

  “Enrique, you are a sentimental thing, aren’t you? But I take offence with you acting as if I belong to someone.”

  “Does your heart not belong to him?”

  “My love, my heart. But loving someone does not imply ownership. What about you, who has your heart? Who’s worrying about you?”

  “My daughter has my heart, but no one worries for me. She is still quite young and her mother has already married again.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m going to have to find you someone.”

  The door to the room opened. I shut up and tried hard to be unconscious. Someone grabbed my hair and jerked my head up. I tried to remember every unconscious patient I’d seen. So despite the hair pulling, I let my head continue to lean forward. Rough fingers opened my eyes and I let them roll back in my head. I prayed they’d believe I was out of it.

  They spoke Spanish. Surprise. It sounded like there were two of them. I couldn’t say anything, but I wished Tom would return. He could tell me what was going on.

  They let my head drop again. I could feel them doing the same to Enrique. They slapped him several times. I guess he wasn’t as good at faking it. Then they weren’t slapping. They were using their fists. It’s a much thicker sound. I almost gave in to the urge to yell “stop it”. But Enrique had grabbed my hand and was squeezing, warning me.

  Tom was at my ear. “Jesus, Hannah, they are beating Enrique.”

  I couldn’t stand it. Whoever was hitting him spoke in a brutish voice.

  “He’s telling Enrique that you are next, unless he wakes up and starts answering questions. I think he’s bluffing.”