She ran cold water in the sink and splashed her face, surprised to see that her hands were shaking. There were cameras trained on her, she knew that, but she couldn’t be certain how much of her cell was actually under surveillance. She had to be always on guard. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of thinking she was distressed. She dried her hands on the thin white cotton towel and sat on the side of her bed. Let them watch her. The guards didn’t intimidate her—she didn’t give them any thought. They held no real power.

The woman who’d questioned her tonight held all the power. Cameron Roberts, Deputy Director of Homeland Security. Roberts was the one trying to uncover her secrets, expose her identity. She would fail. They had planned for something like this, been prepared for it. She knew what to expect, and under no circumstances would she provide any information. Her father’s words echoed in her mind as clearly as the many times he had repeated them. You are stronger than them. Smarter than them. And you will never be alone. We will always come for you. He would come. She just had to have faith.

Her father had prepared her for this, planned for it. Her identity was safe.

Roberts had asked her about being homeschooled. That wasn’t in any of her background material. The question had caught her by surprise, and it’d taken her a few seconds to realize Roberts was fishing. It was no secret lots of independent Americans were homeschooled. Roberts didn’t really know anything.

Fortunately, she hadn’t given anything away. She shivered lightly, although the warm air trickled from the overhead vent. Her father had promised she wouldn’t be abandoned, but she wasn’t being held captive in some mountain compound where her father and his soldiers could launch an assault to free her. She was in a federal prison cell in the heart of the nation’s capital. Maybe no one was coming for her.

Jennifer straightened her back and set her jaw. She knew what they were trying to do—they hadn’t tortured her, probably wouldn’t. But captivity was itself a form of torture, and they were trying to make her lose faith. They would fail. Her father and his soldiers would come, and if they couldn’t, she would find her own way out.


*


Sky parked her rental car at the far end of a long line of Harley choppers. The defrost in the rental was tepid, and her breath had misted the windshield until she’d had to wipe circles clear with her bare hand to see the road on her way to the Ugly Rooster. She pocketed the keys and jumped out of the car into the frigid night. She couldn’t believe these bikers actually rode in this kind of weather. Leathers or not, they had to be freezing their balls off. Striding toward the door, she smiled to herself when she pictured Loren straddling the big Harley. At least one biker didn’t have to worry about frostbite on her hot spots.

Still smiling, she sauntered into the bar packed with men in biker garb and women in as little as possible, despite the winter freeze outside. Halter tops, bared midriffs, and barely covered backsides shimmied and shook amid the shaved heads and tattooed torsos. The place looked like a convention for hookers on Santa Monica Boulevard. Sky had dressed to fit in and shed her jacket to display her calling cards. Skintight jeans, shiny black vinyl high-heeled boots, no bra, and a tight maroon shirt the color of blood that gaped a little across her chest, providing a peek at the pale skin of her breasts beneath. She got the desired effect. Men stared and women snarled as she strolled toward the bar and eased onto a free stool.

The bartender, one of the shaved-head, no-neck variety with the tattoo of a scythe and sickle extending from ear to collarbone, gave her a hard stare before glancing toward the far corner of the room. If he was looking for permission to serve her, he must’ve gotten it because he slid a slightly damp white square paper napkin in front of her. “What you want, honey?”

Sky smiled. “What you got?”

He laughed, his full face flushing as his eyes slid down to the opening in her blouse. “As much as you can handle.”

“That’s a pretty big promise.”

“It’s a pretty big chunk of prime beef.” He grasped her wrist and tugged until she had to lean up over the bar to take the pressure off her shoulder. He smelled of sweat and beer. The position gave him a nice view of the rest of her breasts, and he took his time looking. “Keep that seat warm, baby, and I’ll let you have a taste later.”

“Why don’t we—”

“That’s a pretty lame line, Wheels.” Loren stepped up beside Sky and put one hand on the middle of her back.

The bartender eyed Loren and shrugged. “Can’t help but tell the truth. Ten inches of Idaho’s finest.”

“Well, keep your burger in the wrapper.” Loren reached around Sky and tapped the bartender’s hand where he still gripped Sky’s wrist. “Red here is with me.”

“You don’t say?” Wheels eyed Sky, his mouth a hard line in his granite face.

Loren leaned down and brushed her mouth over Sky’s ear. “What do you say, Red?”

Ignoring the grip on her wrist, Sky shifted on the bar stool and brought her mouth to Loren’s. Loren had a nice mouth, and since she didn’t have a lot of choice, she might as well take advantage of the opportunity. She took her time, running the tip of her tongue over Loren’s lower lip before pressing her mouth harder to Loren’s, breathing in the fresh, winter-white taste of her. When she eased back, a couple of the nearby bikers hooted.

Loren grinned. “Just got your answer, Wheels.”

“You keep that up,” the burly bartender growled, reluctantly releasing Sky’s wrist, “and I’ll have enough for both of you.”

“How about two beers instead.” Loren slid her arm around Sky’s waist and slid her hand up until she cupped the underside of Sky’s breast. Sky’s nipple hardened against Loren’s palm.

Wheels grunted and pulled two brews from a tap and slammed the mugs down in front of them. When he moved away, Loren nuzzled Sky’s neck, her thighs pressed to Sky’s hip, her fingers cradling Sky’s breast. “You might have told me you were coming.”

“Don’t you like surprises?” Sky sounded a little breathless and her focus wavered for an instant as the brush of Loren’s fingers over her nipple sent a chill down her spine. She’d anticipated they might have to get physical, she just hadn’t expected to be affected by the contact. She had to struggle not to push harder into Loren’s hand.

“I don’t mind them, but if I’m headed into a fight, I like to be prepared.” Loren figured she’d made her point to anyone watching. She’d just staked a claim on Sky, and for the night at least, the men would back off, waiting and watching to see what developed. But Ramsey was watching from across the room, and she didn’t want to leave any doubt of her intentions. And Sky felt too good to let go—the softness of her breast and the lash of heat coming off her body kept her chained in place. She skimmed her mouth over Sky’s neck. She even tasted sweet. Almonds and vanilla. “You took a chance waltzing in here. If the men didn’t eat you alive, the women would have.”

“I could’ve handled them.”

Loren cradled Sky’s chin with her free hand and rubbed her thumb over the faint dent that made her look both tough and vulnerable at same time. “Maybe. But since you’re my girl, it’s up to me to see that no one poaches.”

“Your girl, huh?” Sky tilted her head until their eyes met and their mouths were in kissing range again. She knew they were playing, but she liked the game. And she really liked Loren’s mouth.

Loren leaned down and kissed her. That nice mouth of Loren’s was very talented, skimming lightly over Sky’s lips at first, then more firmly, letting Sky taste her again. The kiss grew deeper and hotter until Sky had to pull back to ease the pressure building between her thighs. She almost couldn’t think. Mistake. Big, big mistake.

Loren murmured against her mouth, “The safest place for you is with me. So yeah, you’re my girl.”

“All right,” Sky whispered, following instinct. “I guess you’ve got yourself an old lady.”


*


Cam called Chuck Ferrell, the agent Eddie Byrnes had suggested. The man didn’t sound surprised to hear from her, and she suspected Eddie had given him a heads-up about their conversation. She couldn’t blame him. Eddie had to protect his sources and his reputation.

“Don’t know that I can help you all that much, Director,” the gruff voice said. “We’ve got agents and CIs undercover out there, sure, but we can’t just pull them out because someone wants intel.”

“Understood,” Cam said calmly. “I’m willing to fly out, meet them on their own turf. No one has to know.”

He laughed. “You know how much organizing that takes? Assuming they even agree to meet you?”

“I know. I’m asking politely to give you time to tell them I’m coming—one way or the other.”

He sighed. “I’ll make some calls. Give me your number.”

She told him. “Thirty-six hours. Then I’m going to start opening files and digging up names.”

“I hear you. I’ll do what I can.”

“Thanks.”

She searched reports on survivalist activities, looking at known activists and paramilitary leaders who might have the resources to pose a realistic threat. She compiled a list of twenty possibles who had the experience, organizational expertise, and contacts to orchestrate the kind of plan Jennifer Pattee had been party to. The money to pull it off was another issue, and that thread was still eluding her. At close to 0200, when she’d done as much as she could from a desk, she closed the computer and caught a cab home.

She let herself into the empty condo, showered, and stretched out naked in bed. She hadn’t slept there alone for a long time. She’d never slept well until Blair. With Blair in her arms, she didn’t dream of her mistakes, wasn’t haunted by those she had failed to protect. Blair chased her ghosts away.