Sure enough, one-star up to four-star ranks lined the inside of the drawer. “This is so surreal. I feel like I actually am in some TV show, with our protective detail outside. Except in the movies, room service always turns out to be a bad guy, or the villains kill the guards.”
“No one’s getting through to you.” His hands fell to her shoulders. “I won’t let them.”
He stood so close she could smell the coffee on his breath, and wow, but she was suddenly jonesing for a taste. She should step away. Should. But didn’t.
Rachel soaked up the warm comfort, the strong sensuality of his hands. The heat of him seared through her simple cotton shirt. “I appreciate what you’ve done for me today. I sprung this on you without warning and hauled you into a nightmare… I’m sorry.”
“I’m glad you came to me.”
Her heart sped up. Was he going to kiss her again, and to hell with the consequences? She could see the memory of that earlier kiss scrolling through his eyes.
“Rachel?”
“Yeah.” Was that breathy voice hers?
“Can I get you something to eat or drink?”
She exhaled hard. “I’m good. Thanks. Agent Cramer gave me enough Cokes to keep me awake all night.”
Backing away, he resumed his scoping out of the place. “You held up well in there. I know that had to be tough, getting grilled.” He played with lamp shades and peered out windows. “But she was only covering all her bases.”
Looking in lamps? Did he think the place might be bugged? That seemed extreme, but then she couldn’t have predicted anything that had happened to her recently.
She trailed behind him. “It’s tough knowing who to trust. I can’t blame her for doing her job.” She leaned closer to whisper. “Doesn’t it bother you that someone took my car from base? Brandon insists there’s a mole in his chain of command, and yet we’re here, on base?”
He shrugged. “Well, since the FBI and CIA aren’t listening to anything either of you has to say, this is as good as it gets, unless we strike out on our own. Regardless, I intend to keep you in sight at all times.”
On their own. Alone. Together. The notion sent a shiver of possibility through her. But it also brought a reminder that they had guards a simple shout away. While the briefest stroke of his gaze turned her inside out, sparking barely banked fires from their kiss earlier, there wasn’t a chance of testing out one of those beds together. One wayward noisy moan and they could have guns whipping out left and right. This place might be large, but it was far from private.>Sylvia shifted her attention from her iPad to her briefcase, beside the chair. “Relay what you can of the adoptions and I’ll track the rest. I have… resources.” She passed over a notepad. “Now you can make that list of the names and details you do know.” She smiled dryly. “Unless you have an issue with my hassling any of them with uncomfortable questions?”
“Hassle away.” Rachel scooped up the pen and paper, not in the least ruffled. Damn, she was amazing. “I’m not going to object to any heat you want to bring to an animal abuser.”
“But you don’t think it’s one of them.”
“I wouldn’t presume to do your job.”
“My job is to gather impressions.”
Rachel pressed the notepad to her knees. “Then my impression would be that this doesn’t fit the kind of retaliation I would expect. They would retrieve their dogs and put them back to work, not poison them. And the anonymous calls—”
“What exactly was said during the threatening phone calls?”
“Things like ‘back off’ and ‘you don’t know who you’re taking on’…” Her voice trailed away. “All threats that could have been said by anyone. The timing just seemed too coincidental.”
“I’m not discounting your fears. But we’ll still need to speak to the airman—once we can locate him.”
“He’s actually a first lieutenant.”
“Right, of course,” Sylvia conceded with a professional smile. “I can promise you the interview will be handled compassionately.”
“Thank you.” Her face didn’t broadcast confidence.
“Meanwhile, you need protection because someone, somewhere, for whatever reason, truly is gunning for you.” Sylvia pushed to her feet and stepped closer to the one-way mirror, staring straight through. She tapped her ear where her tiny earbud radio was hidden in case someone needed to feed her information during the process. Nothing had been left to chance.
“If you’ll excuse me, Rachel, I need to step out and have a word with General Sullivan.”
***
“Cat, are you ready to go back home?” Brandon asked, leaning against his truck.