Page 53 of Once a Killer

“You think he will? After you confronted him?”

“I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure he’s done with us. If he tries something else, he knows I’ll go straight to the police. But I need to check.”

He nodded as he stared down at her, shocked by how much he wanted her in his bed. It had been a game at the beginning. But now? It wasn’t a game anymore. “If I don’t wake up in the middle of the night, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll be here,” she said, her voice low. Quiet.

“Good night, Bree,” he said, taking one last glance at her as he turned and headed for his bedroom.

* * *

Six hours later, Bree crept once more into the living room, trying to avoid the places where the floor squeaked. Her gun was a reassuring weight at her side, and she’d thrown on a sweatshirt against the drafts from the old windows. She took up her place at Jameson’s window and slid her night vision binoculars carefully into place beneath the shade. Then she knelt on the floor and put her face against the binocs.

Nothing to the south of Jameson’s building.

She stayed there for at least fifteen minutes, then switched to the other side of the radiator. Nothing to the north of the building, either.

She hoped she’d scared Smith away. She still spent an hour in the living room, watching, but he never appeared. So she returned to her bed to get a few more hours of sleep before they’d have to leave for the lab.

Neither of them were morning people, so they got ready, had their coffee and breakfast without saying much beyond ‘good morning’. As she backed out of the garage, she felt Jameson’s eyes on her. Once she was on the street and headed for the lab, he asked, “You see anything last night?”

She shook her head. “Smith never showed up. I checked all the cars on both sides of the street, figuring he’d need a different vehicle because his SUV was smashed up. But I doubt we’ll see him again. If he’s a pro, and I’m almost certain he is, he knows his cover is blown. He’d be stupid to come at you again, and stupid professional hitmen don’t last long in the business.”

“Even if he wanted to, with the injuries he has? I doubt he’s going to try and crash into us again. At least not anytime soon.”

“Probably not,” she agreed. “But we can’t let down our guard.”

“Don’t worry,” he said quietly. “I won’t.”

And neither would she.

Several hours later, however, a different kind of problem showed up in the lab. Someone rapped hard on the door into the lab, and Jameson got up to answer it. She followed him, and when he opened the door, she saw a man in a military uniform on the other side of the door. She scanned his uniform. Army. A general. Determined.

Jameson stiffened. Finally, in a stilted voice, he said, “General Dailey. I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Didn’t want to give you time to tell me you were too busy. May I come in? I need to talk to you.”

Jameson hesitated, and Bree was sure he’d refuse. After a pause that grew uncomfortably long, Jameson finally stepped aside and the general marched into the lab. A younger man followed him, wearing the silver eagles of a colonel.

Jameson opened his office door, and the general stepped in front of Bree and walked in. The colonel waved Bree in ahead of him, then Jameson followed her. The colonel walked in last, pulling the door closed behind him.

She sat down at her desk. The general settled himself in Jameson’s visitor’s chair. The colonel stood against the wall. The general narrowed his eyes at her. Scowled. Jerked his head toward the door. “Get out.”

Chapter 19

Bree folded her hands on her desk and stared at the general.Pig. Held his gaze as she said, “Not leaving. Sir.”

He clenched his teeth. Stared back at her, as if he thought he could intimidate her with his nasty expression and the fruit salad on his uniform. “You most certainly are, young lady. I have business with Mr. Ford. Classified. You can’t be in the room.”

‘I have classified clearance,” she said, her voice cool. “A very high level.” She studied him for a moment. “Possibly higher than yours. So, yes, Icanbe in the room.”

“No, you can’t,” Dailey said.

Bree sat up straighter. “My job right now is to protect Jameson Ford. So I’m not leaving the room. If you don’t like that, you’re free to leave. Come back when Jameson no longer needs protection.”

He stared at her, scowling. “It has to be now.”

“Then have at it. But I’m not going anywhere.”

---