Page 88 of The Flame of Carson
“That’s the part I haven’t figured out yet Danny.Now that he’s initiated contact with Stacey physically, that can mean one of two things.Either he’s gearing up for his end game or he’s just trying to throw us off ours.”Ethan answered frustrated, his fingers once more combing through his hair.
“Ethan, give me the stuff on Anderson and I’ll go to Eli, and we’ll get started right away.With this, it should help us with the geographic profile.Did McCandles send anything else beside the psych eval?”Tony spoke up.
“Yeah, a dossier about Anderson’s time with the unit.His specialties and extra training.”Ethan replied, handing both to Tony.Tony nodded and patted Stacey’s shoulder before hurrying out of the room.“While Tony’s taking care of that, Stacey, Gage, you two go home.Grant and Danny will follow you but at a distance.We don’t want to tip our hand yet.”
Stacey frowned as she slowly started speaking.“I know we have a plan not to let on that we know he’s after Gage and that I’m just the means for that, but we need to change that.Gage will take me home, but don’t have Grant and Danny leave.Not completely anyway.In fact, after today I stay home and work from home and Gage stays with me.Maybe have guys from one of the other teams, not on political duty, come and do baby-sitting.Have someone else take Gage’s place on the campaign stuff.”
“She’s right Ethan.”Gage breathed.“I hate to admit it but Stacey’s right.If Anderson has hidden himself, we’re not going to find him by following the previous plan.We must make him reveal himself.”
“You’re saying for us to set you two up as live bait?”Lance demanded.“Fuck that.That was never the plan.Not in this way.”
“You heard Gage, this asshat has a plan, and he knows how to hide.We both know that, in a way, we were bait with the previous plan, but what he did today and this new file changes things.We have to smoke him out damn it.Can you think of an easier way than having him think that we ARE scared and ARE off our game?If you have a better idea, than by all means Archer, I’d love to hear it.”Stacey challenged, her arms crossing over her chest, brace, and all, as she shifted in Gage’s lap to fully face Lance.
Lance and Stacey’s eyes locked and the two squared off silently.Stacey was not afraid of Lance and did not find him as intimidating as most people did.She was not going to back down on this.She knew she was right, and that Gage agreed with her.Now his team had to trust that she and her man knew what they were talking about.Her eyes narrowed as she continued staring at Lance.
Gage watched his woman and his teammate have a staring contest.His heart swelled in pride at the woman in his arms.Stacey was not a meek woman and did not back down.He was about to speak when Lance let out a growl, pushed out of his chair and started pacing.Gage was shocked, as he had never seen Lance Archer back down from anyone, except Alora.
“Fine but I WILL pick which men are watching your house.”Lance growled.
“Then you better pick good.As I said from the beginning, if this guy wants to come for me, it’s his fucking funeral.”Stacey agreed.
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Gage closed the doorbehind him as he followed Stacey into the house.He set the alarm and followed her into the living room.“Can I get you anything babe?”
“Maybe two Aleve, a glass of water and then you come and sit here with me.”Stacey sighed.
“Coming right up.”Gage nodded and turned for the kitchen.
Entering the room, Gage let his mind begin processing the information of the last two hours.The fact that Stacey’s stalker was none other than one of Gage’s former Marine brothers, a man he had not thought of since he joined MARSOC.Then there was the fact that Anderson had caused Stacey to crash this morning, attacked him twice and had attacked Walt in New York.
Fixing a glass of water for Stacey and himself, he reached for the bottle of Aleve that Stacey kept in the kitchen.He shook four pills into his hand.He downed two and drank the water before walking back into the living room.He handed Stacey her glass of water and the pills before sitting beside her.After taking the pills and drinking her own water, Stacey sighed and snuggled into his arms.Gage let out a deep breath and held her close, careful of her braced wrist.
“I’m sorry Stacey.”
“Sorry for what Gage?”
“That this is happening because of me.I never realized that...I mean, I...”
Stacey shifted and moved so she now straddled him and tilted his chin up so their eyes met.“Gage Carson, you listen to me right now.You had no way of knowing that this Anderson guy held such a grudge.You said yourself that a few weeks after he started that fight, you were out and training for MARSOC.How would you know that he was a whack job.”
“I know rationally you’re right, but the guilt is still there.I said I would protect you and yet look at what happened this morning.I mean, it is ridiculous to blame myself when, until this morning he never gave any hint of coming after you physically.”Gage replied.
“Exactly.Tony and Elias will find something, I’m sure of it.We have our watchers outside and my alarm is set.You heard my call with Chase, so I’m covered there, and we now have a new plan.Anderson will believe he’s thrown us off, when, in fact, his stunt this morning has merely helped to build his own cage.”Stacey smiled.
Gage smiled, cupped her face, leaned in, and softly kissed her.She pulled away first, as she sighed and laid her head against his shoulder.Gage sat there, his arms holding her securely against him.He held her a little tighter and eased them down on the sofa and reached up to grab the throw Stacey kept on the back of the sofa.Draping it over them he kissed the top of her head.
“Let’s take a little nap babe.Then we’ll go from there.How does that sound?”
“Sounds perfect Gage.”
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Tony typed away besideEli, his brow furrowing.“Damn, this Oscar Anderson is a ticking time-bomb.”
“What did you dig up?”Eli asked without looking up from his own screen.
