Undercover Twin
Heather Woodhaven
A deadly identity swap…The first exciting Twins Separated at Birth novel Audrey Clark never knew she was a twin—until she stumbled onto a covert operation. Now with her FBI agent sister shot and in critical condition, going undercover with Agent Lee Benson is the only way to protect her newfound twin. And as her pretend husband, Lee must keep Audrey safe…or pay twice the deadly price.
A deadly identity swap...
The first exciting Twins Separated at Birth novel
Audrey Clark never knew she was a twin—until she stumbled onto a covert operation. Now with her FBI agent sister shot and in critical condition, going undercover with Agent Lee Benson is the only way to protect her newfound twin. And as her pretend husband, Lee must keep Audrey safe...or pay twice the deadly price.
HEATHER WOODHAVEN earned her pilot’s license, rode a hot-air balloon over the safari lands of Kenya, parasailed over Caribbean seas, lived through an accidental detour onto a black-diamond ski trail in Aspen and snorkeled among stingrays before becoming a mother of three and wife of one. She channels her love for adventure into writing characters who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
Also By Heather Woodhaven (#u9dc933ba-dec5-5ebb-ba17-9a4d5b4e9703)
Twins Separated at Birth
Undercover Twin
Calculated Risk
Surviving the Storm
Code of Silence
Countdown
Texas Takedown
Tracking Secrets
Credible Threat
Protected Secrets
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Undercover Twin
Heather Woodhaven
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-09738-3
UNDERCOVER TWIN
© 2019 Heather Humrichouse
Published in Great Britain 2019
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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Note to Readers (#u9dc933ba-dec5-5ebb-ba17-9a4d5b4e9703)
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Text to speech
“You want me to be a spy, don’t you? What exactly does taking her place involve?” Audrey asked in hushed tones.
“We have a very well-developed cover in place,” Lee replied. “Essentially we turn dirty money into clean—”
“Laundering money.” She blew out a long breath. “You’re asking me to pretend to be a criminal?”
“We go in and shake some hands, get on the network and get out with the evidence.”
“A fact-finding mission.” She placed a hand on her stomach and shook her head. “This is going to be a stretch for me. But I’ve also lived my life feeling like there was a giant puzzle piece missing, and finding I have a sister...” She clasped her hands together and shook her head. “I’ll do it. But I have conditions.”
If Audrey took Kendra’s place, she’d definitely be in danger, but at least Lee could be in control of keeping her safe. If she didn’t go through with the mission, the threat would never go away.
This was their only chance.
Dear Reader (#u9dc933ba-dec5-5ebb-ba17-9a4d5b4e9703),
I hope you enjoyed Audrey’s unexpected adventure with Lee. I do try to do hands-on research as much as possible but often it’s simply not possible. While I earned my solo pilot’s license at a young age, most people don’t know that the moment after I earned it, I never flew again. I loved flying with an instructor by my side. But once I was alone, flying over Iowa skies and required to perform touch-and-go landings, I stepped out of the plane barely able to walk before I about lost my lunch. I think I’d be just as terrified if piloting a hot-air balloon alone, though I do have wonderful memories of soaring in one over Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Often news stories inspire me, as well. While this is entirely a work of fiction, I marveled at the FBI’s takedown of Phantom Secure, an encrypted communication service utilized by international organized crime. I’ve also had a story about separated twins percolating for years. I’m thrilled the story ideas meshed together so well, and I can’t wait for you to read Kendra’s story, Covert Christmas Twin, next month.
Blessings,
Heather Woodhaven
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
—Psalms 139:14
To my parents—thank you for letting me stay up to watch those ’80s spy and mystery shows with you and introducing me to the romantic suspense genre.
Contents
Cover (#u86b89972-529e-5457-a5f9-508e38c8fe5b)
Back Cover Text (#u11986249-c80a-51a6-8f28-19968ca6db9b)
About the Author (#ue4ef25d6-09f8-5d7f-ba73-ed80b9d5d7bc)
Booklist (#u4207b323-a9b4-53dc-b44c-09edba8a2303)
Title Page (#u4f0732e4-9ae9-5ab8-bcd9-b3fbe3e7d467)
Copyright (#u5e896013-a5f5-5302-9984-65e33cdbf032)
Note to Readers
Introduction (#u4e117763-93b4-5fe3-9d45-defa76429f15)
Dear Reader (#ub4f4b806-68b4-576f-98a1-7a47a5e81563)
Bible Verse (#u64881a08-7efc-5186-99d0-d76aa67bdd6b)
Dedication (#uc073ce18-44f4-504c-9b74-5a9387ec831a)
ONE (#u2d90a9ec-e738-5f55-8219-0d7b326b283d)
TWO (#ud358815f-3c61-5b5b-9ca8-d3160f84f85c)
THREE (#ue85863c6-de5a-539f-a540-52622b82349a)
FOUR (#u80c87c37-3966-5b5d-b387-3b9371991779)
FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
ONE (#u9dc933ba-dec5-5ebb-ba17-9a4d5b4e9703)
Audrey Clark adjusted her cross-body bag as she stepped out, under the cover of stars. The atmosphere matched her mood, dark and uncomfortable.
“You sure you want to be dropped off here, sweetie?”
A valid question as the university campus was empty in June, before the beginning of summer school. Audrey looked back at the gray sedan still parked at the curb and nodded at the grandmotherly driver. “I’ve been here once before, thank you.” The driver’s response was a heavy foot to the gas pedal.
Audrey had missed registration for the Postdoctoral Symposium, thanks to a delayed flight, even though the Stanford organizer she spoke with on the phone insisted Audrey had already picked up her credentials and itinerary. As if Audrey only imagined being stuck on a plane. Ridiculous.
But she was here now, and if she hurried, she’d catch the end of the reception, grab her registration packet and take the group shuttle to the hotel. Her missing luggage should arrive by morning.
The path lights lining the sidewalk bolstered her courage. She’d forget the miserable day and proclaim a do-over. Starting now. The reception should be in the building ahead, but the moonlight made everything appear different than she remembered. To her left, the roofs resembled interlocking building bricks. She followed the student path and spotted a sign listing five departments and their corresponding numbers, confirming she was headed in the right direction.
The mirrored windows of the Learning and Knowledge Center came into view, past a dozen empty benches underneath a grove of trees and the long shadows they created. Audrey fisted the tactical flashlight inside her open bag and strode forward. A campus security officer once told her it was the most effective thing to carry at night without a concealed weapon permit, as a flashlight beam could both blind an attacker and draw attention to a struggle. Plus, the metal handle could pack a wallop. Not that she’d ever needed to use it.
A man rounded the corner and approached. Middle-aged and wearing a jacket despite the unseasonable heat, his gaze swung from side to side. Was he looking for someone or was he scared? She stepped to the right side of the sidewalk and averted eye contact.
“Here? I thought we were meeting at Beckman Center.” His voice was soft with a touch of Southern dialect. Maybe he was on the phone, using an earpiece she couldn’t see. He looked over his shoulder once more before making eye contact, clearly waiting for Audrey to answer.
She pulled out the flashlight, her finger hovering over the button that would turn the light from dim to blinding. “You must be mistaken. I’m not—”
“Take it. We don’t have much time.” His left hand fisted at his waist. “I’ve been trying to lose someone all day.”
He shoved his hand into the front pocket of her purse.
“Hey!” She struck his shoulder with the flashlight, the beam of light sweeping across the sidewalk and landing on his face—
Gunshots peppered the ground around her. A scream escaped, and she hunched over, covering her head. The man fell against her, and they toppled to the ground, the flashlight bouncing and rolling away.
The impact rattled her spine, and the side of the bench’s leg dug into the top of her head. Her ribs ached from the man’s weight, making only shallow breaths possible. She twisted her shoulders inward, providing just enough space to fully gasp as her legs and feet fought for momentum to shove the man off her, but it was pointless. He weighed at least two hundred pounds, and he made no effort to try to move. Maybe he’d fainted. She strained against him. “Please...get off.”
He budged slightly, but only his head moved as he lifted his chin and flopped against her shoulder. “Your covers.” The man’s voice shook. “Not first one. Several.” His rasp grew louder between sentences. “You need—” He groaned, seemingly unable to speak further.
Moisture, warm and sticky, seeped through Audrey’s blouse. Blood. She started to shake, her muscles vibrating involuntarily. “I think... I think you’ve been shot.” Her heart pounded so fast she fought against nausea.
A few more gunshots resounded, loud enough they must still be close, followed by tinkling glass in the distance. So a gunman was still out there, but it almost sounded as if someone was shooting back. Please let it be the police. She strained to slide her hand into her purse. She could feel her phone’s corner digging into her hip. A few more inches and she could grab it, but Audrey couldn’t get her fingers past the man’s draped leg. “If you could just move a little—roll over—I could get my phone out of my purse. For help.” Except, if he rolled away, she might be exposed to the bullets.
“Don’t trust...”
Hot air hit her neck with his words. He grew heavier, though she hadn’t thought that possible. His breathing stopped, and his chest no longer rose and fell. “No, no, no. Keep talking. It doesn’t even have to make sense. Just stay with me. If you could just move, we can put pressure on the wound.” Despite her encouragement, his forehead turned cold and clammy against her collarbone. “Sir!”
He was dead.
She closed her eyes against the hot tears forming. Strong hands reached underneath her arms and pulled her out from under the man’s body. Knees tapped along her back as someone dragged her backward, her heels sliding over the gravel and then grass. A final heave and she was propped upright, her hands reaching for a tree for balance. Fingers tugged on her arm, turning her around.
“You’re covered in blood. Were you shot, too?” Her rescuer’s hands moved to her shoulders and gave a small shake. “Were you?”
The dark silhouette drilled her with questions, but words wouldn’t form in Audrey’s mouth. She couldn’t focus on questions or answers. A man had died on her a mere second ago. An inch in either direction, Audrey would’ve been the lifeless one.
The lights over the pathway no longer shined. Had they been blasted out? Another bullet sounded as landscape rock flew up and stung her ankles.
The man dropped to a knee, pulled a gun from his side and took a shot around the tree. He ducked back, grabbed Audrey’s wrist and led her into a run in the opposite direction, between bushes and weaving through trees. Her legs barely cooperated. Maybe he was with the police or maybe not. She didn’t care anymore as long as he was leading her far away from the bullets.
They ran past an alley where the lights still worked. She stumbled over a curb and the stranger’s arms caught her and a beam illuminated the most structured jawline she’d ever seen, surrounded by light stubble that wouldn’t quite qualify as a beard. Wavy brown hair with touches of golden highlights framed his tan, heart-shaped face. Kind blue eyes narrowed as he pulled her upright again. “Are you sure you weren’t shot? Sometimes the adrenaline can hide it for a bit.”
Audrey looked down at her navy blouse, now covered with a plate-size wet spot over her abdomen. Her stomach flipped at the thought of wearing a dead man’s blood.
“That’s it,” he said. “You’re done.”
Something pressed behind her knees, and her legs flew out from under her. She screamed as a strong arm caught her head. It took her a second to realize the stranger had picked her up.
He took off on a run again.
She slapped his chest. Okay, now she did need to know who this guy thought he was. “Who—”
“We can’t stand around! What happened?” His fingers clutched her shoulder and knees as if emphasizing his demand. “Why would you abandon the plan and meet out in the open? What possible—You know what? You can tell me later. I parked around the corner. Let’s get to the van and get you checked out at the hospital.”
A van? She blinked rapidly, willing her brain to start firing on all cylinders again. “No. Let me down. Call the police.”
He slowed his pace and, though she was still in his arms, he looked into her eyes this time. His eyebrows rose.
“Lee! What happ—Who is she?”A female voice that seemed oddly familiar spoke from the darkness.
The man, who Audrey assumed was Lee, spun toward the woman’s voice. His jaw dropped, and for a heartbeat Audrey feared he would drop her. “Kendra?”
Audrey fought to twist her head, cradled against Lee’s arm. As soon as she met the woman’s eyes she fought to stand. Lee dropped her legs first so she could face her mirror image. Though their hairstyles didn’t match, the woman facing her had exactly the same features.
They were identical.
Even in the dim light, Audrey marveled at the same square-shaped face, light green eyes, rounded eyebrows and wide mouth. The only thing different was that this version of her sported straight hair and a sleek black wardrobe straight out of a fashion magazine.
“I guess I don’t need to ask why the meet went off plan.” Lee kept a hand on Audrey’s back as if scared she was about to faint. “We’re going to have a lot of questions for you.”
She turned to face him. “Me? You have questions for me? You can’t be serious. I’m here for a conference and instead—” The conference name tag on her clone demanded attention. “You’re wearing my badge. Audrey Clark is my name. You’re wearing my face.” The photo on the badge was Audrey’s photo, the one she’d sent in for registration. Her heart pumped so hard she started to shiver. No wonder the organizers thought she’d already registered. She took a small step back. “You’ve stolen my identity.”
“I didn’t steal anything.” The woman almost shouted it.
That was exactly what she’d want everyone to think. And Audrey had let this man—this Lee—lead her toward a van in the alley. To take her to who knew where to do who knows what... She would not end up like the other man, cold and lifeless, without a fight.
Audrey took several more steps backward, eyes trained on the two of them, as she slipped her hand into her purse. Oh, yeah. The tactical flashlight was no longer there. Her phone would have to do. Her thumb tried to find the home button by feel.
Lee held his hands up as if in surrender. “We’re not stealing anyone’s identity. We’re federal agents. You walked in and ruined our operation tonight.”
If that was the case, why was one of the supposed agents wearing her name with her photo on it? “Are you trying to tell me this is all a coincidence?” The statistical probability that would happen would be astronomical.
“I don’t believe in coincidences.” Kendra pointed to Audrey’s stomach. “Were you hit?” When Audrey didn’t answer fast enough, she turned to Lee. “Was she hit? I took out the shooter.”
Audrey put her hand over her chest. “Why do both of you even have to ask? I think I would know if I’d been shot.” Maybe it was a stalling tactic while they regrouped to attack her.
Kendra’s high heels clicked as she ran to peek around the corner of the brick alley. “The adrenaline can mask it for a little—”
“Yeah, I told her.” Lee kept his hand on the handle of the gun on his holster. “Look, we see blood. It’s a natural question.” He turned toward the other woman. “I think the blood is Adam’s. He was gone by the time I reached them.”
Kendra returned, but she kept her hand on her gun and her eyes trained on Audrey. She groaned and dropped her shoulders. “He was a good man, not to mention our best chance. I think the shooter came alone, but we shouldn’t wait around. A team is on the way to sweep the grounds before the conference attendees are released.” She put a hand over her chest and sucked in a sharp breath.
Audrey had made the same gesture, the same sound even, a second earlier. Chills rushed up her spine.
“Let’s get to the most immediate question.” Lee’s head swiveled back and forth between them before resting on Kendra. “Is it possible you two are related? Weren’t you adopted?”
“Yeah, but—”
Audrey found herself nodding. “Born October—”
“Seventh,” Kendra finished.
Wait. They’d both been adopted? So it was theoretically possible she had a twin. A real life, flesh-and-blood relative? She studied Kendra again, this time with new eyes. She had a sister?
It was like discovering that all of Audrey’s wildest dreams could’ve already been true if she’d just exercised more, shopped better or taken the right vitamins. The evidence stood right in front of her. Audrey could have obtained great skin, shiny hair, gleaming teeth, a smaller waist and, not only been able to run in high-heeled boots, but also look self-assured while taking down bad guys and making the world a better place.
That federal agent could’ve been her.
Audrey bit her lip and focused on the sensation so she could stay in the present moment. “You really think we could be—”
“—twins.”
They both said the word at the same time. Their voices reverberated in the same pitch, the same inflection, as if slamming the truth into her brain through both ears.
Lee shook his head. “Whoa.”
Kendra’s eyes rolled back, her eyelids flickering, and crumpled to the ground. Her head hit the edge where grass met pavement. Audrey and Lee both vaulted to her side.
“Did she faint?” Audrey grabbed her wrist to feel for a pulse. A drop of blood rolled across her fingers.
Lee exhaled. “She’s been shot.”
No. Her throat burned. She couldn’t find out she had a twin sister only to lose her a second later.
* * *
One for the books. The thought kept running through Lee’s brain as he maneuvered full-speed to the closest hospital with Kendra and her possible twin behind him in the back of the gutted van. There was no entry in the field manual for finding out your partner had a twin, something the Bureau should’ve already known.
Meanwhile, Audrey chattered a mile a minute. She rattled off questions faster than his brain could compute, but he ignored them for the moment out of necessity. There would be time to figure things out after they got Kendra into the hands of medical professionals. “Just keep pressure on the wound.”
“Which one?”
It hadn’t taken them long to find a bullet had impaled the back of Kendra’s shoulder and remained in there somewhere. The back of her black shirt had been drenched in blood, but the impact her head took when hitting the sidewalk’s edge couldn’t be dismissed. He imagined Kendra knew she’d been shot before demanding to know if Audrey had taken a bullet. It figured Kendra wouldn’t admit she needed help. She always acted as if she didn’t even have a partner, determined to be a one-woman, superundercover FBI agent.
Lee pulled off his jacket with one hand while on a straight stretch of street and threw it behind him. “Put pressure on both, if you can. Use this for the head wound. I think that’s probably more important.”
Lee pulled up to the Emergency entrance and glanced in the rearview mirror. Audrey’s reflection startled him. Identical features, yes, but the expression in her eyes, flashing emotion, proved she was different than Kendra. “Audrey, I need you to run in and tell them your sister has been shot. No more, no less. I need to find her identification.”
Mercifully, Audrey didn’t ask any questions as she pulled the door handle open and darted out the side door. He turned off the van and removed the keys. He found the hidden latch underneath the console and opened it to reveal a lock. In the space of ten seconds, he removed and chose the most unused credentials for Kendra. Until he knew what they were dealing with, remaining in deep cover seemed the safest course of action, for all parties involved.
He climbed into the back of the van and stored her gun in the storage compartment underneath the passenger seat. “Sorry, Kendra. If you can hear me, I’m just getting your phone. Help is on the way.” He slipped her phone from her pocket as the automatic sliding doors to the hospital slid open once more.
Two women and one man, all in gray medical scrubs, darted past Audrey’s pointing finger to the van. Two others pushed a gurney behind them. At the last second, Lee removed the conference badge—the one with Audrey’s name displayed—from Kendra’s neck, stuffed it into his pocket and stepped out of the van.
Lee rattled off the two wound locations before the staff could ask. The attendants nodded as they counted and moved her in unison onto the bed. And then Lee looked at Kendra, really looked, for the first time since she’d initially hit the ground. He’d never seen his partner look so peaceful, yet so broken.
They wheeled her away and he was left underneath the harsh glare of the fluorescent lights mounted on the overhang, staring at Kendra’s twin, the air still, with only the sound of beeping trucks and traffic speeding nearby.
“Are...are you okay?” Audrey said as her face lost its color.
Lee tilted his head and studied her. Kendra only paled when she was deathly afraid. “I think I should be asking you that question.”
She blinked rapidly, turning slightly away from him. “When I woke up this morning I was ready for the beginning of an amazing life change. I said goodbye to my alma mater and headed to a conference at Stanford as a post-doctorate from Duke. Next week I’m supposed to enjoy my very first vacation in seven years, and then lead my very own lab at Caltech in the fall. Do you have any idea how many Nobel laureates are on staff? It’s beyond what I ever imagined.” She sniffed and shook her head. “And then I meet her, and none of that seems very important anymore.”
If Kendra had ever spouted such disjointed information, he’d have physically carried her into a counselor’s office. He had no way of knowing if it was normal discourse for Audrey, though. Since he had no idea how to respond, he remained silent.
She gestured toward the closed door and let out a shaky sigh. “I’ve got a sister, and I might never even get to know her.”
“Hey.” Lee put an arm around her shoulder to give an encouraging squeeze, but Audrey spun into his chest, her hands against her eyes. Lee wasn’t sure what to do. He put a hand on her back, tense enough to be obvious she was trying to pull herself together. Kendra would’ve never let herself be so vulnerable. In all the years they’d worked together, she’d never shared so much as a feeling about the weather. “On second thought, are you sure you’re twins?” He forced a small laugh.
“Sorry. I’m not usually like this. You have no idea how exhausted I am, and then a man died—” She reared back, a touch of mascara underneath both eyes. “She probably never cries. Am I right? Great. I’m the weaker twin. I’ve heard that’s what can happen when—”
“That’s not what I meant.”
The doors opened again and an attendant stood on the indoor motion sensor pad, waving them forward. Audrey pulled her shoulders back, nodded and followed the woman with the laptop on a pushcart until they reached a small sitting room. If they hadn’t been interrupted, Lee would’ve told Audrey that vulnerability was a unique strength, but perhaps it was best to shift back into work mode. Lee answered the hospital registration questions as fast as he could, using the cover for Kendra he’d selected.
The attendant tapped her diamond-encrusted pink nails over the keyboard. “And you are the patient’s sister and...” She lifted her head and looked at Lee.
“Husband.”
Audrey’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. She looked down at his hand and zeroed in on the silver silicone wedding ring on his left hand. “You’re married?” She all but shouted the words.
Two men waiting in the chairs outside the open room looked up, curious. Lee offered a tense smile and soft laugh. If she blew their covers over such a small detail, keeping Audrey Clark safe wasn’t going to be an easy task.
TWO (#u9dc933ba-dec5-5ebb-ba17-9a4d5b4e9703)
“It’s...it’s new. Eloped. We were waiting to tell you after dinner.” Lee looked between her and the attendant, who didn’t seem surprised.
Of course they would be married. Audrey didn’t know why it bothered her so much. The tingling in the back of her neck called her bluff. She was jealous, even though she had no right to be. Her new sister not only was her better in every way but had also married a superhero. They probably saved the world by night and enjoyed intellectual pursuits during the day. For fun.
She blew out a breath and focused on the geometric pattern of the gray carpet to silence her internal rant. She needed to get her hands on research journals about twins. Many studies had been done or were in progress. Could this surge of ridiculous feelings be catch-up on thirty-three years of sibling rivalry? Maybe it was to be expected.
Lee touched the back of her arm and she realized she’d missed the rest of the registration process. He pointed toward a hallway. “She said we should head down to the surgery waiting room.”
Her knees wobbled as she straightened. “Sur-surgery?” She thought she’d get a chance to see Kendra again—conscious—before anything drastic.
“They need to remove the bullet.” Lee gently cradled her arm and led her down the hallway. “Let’s take a little detour,” he whispered. He looked over his shoulder and pulled her into a dimly lit room with chairs set in rows.
The cross at the far end caught her attention. “This isn’t the waiting room.” Maybe he wanted them to pray for Kendra together. Audrey wasn’t averse to it, but she’d admit to being a little out of practice.
He gestured for them to sit in the back row. “I know, but it’s empty and private.” He exhaled and slumped forward. “Listen, you can’t do stuff like that.”
“What?”
“Have a huge reaction when I’m referencing our covers.”
“Our?” She pointed at herself.
“No. Yes. I mean, your sister and I work as a married couple. We’re not actually married. The cover makes it convenient to work as partners in certain undercover missions.”
“So you’re not my brother-in-law?”
The left side of his lips curled up. “No. Sorry.”
The knots in her stomach unfurled and while she felt genuine relief, it was followed by a slam-dunk of guilt. Sure, she found Lee attractive. Who wouldn’t with those kind eyes, thick hair and a strong physique capable of carrying her away from danger? Not to mention the way he listened and comforted her.
The emotional roller coaster made no logical sense. Kendra should have someone in her life, even though Audrey didn’t. She didn’t consider herself to be an envious person so the feelings caught her off guard. Maybe she just wasn’t mentally ready to gain a brother, as well as a sister. Her shoulders dropped. She was going to fail at being a good sister. She could already tell.
Lee turned his body perpendicular to hers to face her. “I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I need to get answers before I can determine the current threat. I need to know if that man said anything to you before shots were fired.”
“The man you said was Adam?” The man who had bled to death on her. The thought worked like a magnet, pulling her gaze back down to her bloodied blouse.
“Yes.”
“It...” Her mouth went dry as if she’d just chewed on cotton balls. “It happened so fast. I thought for sure he had the wrong person, which it turned out he did.”
“I know it’s hard to remember but please try. Any detail might help.”
She faced forward and studied the light fixtures, willing her mind to return her to that dark sidewalk. “He said not to trust anyone.” Her eyes widened. He’d shoved his fist into the front of her bag and had told her to take it. Was there something in her bag? “He said something about not the first one.”
“Not the first one?” He frowned and looked up to the ceiling as if trying to decipher the meaning.
She tried to slip her hand into the front of her bag without Lee noticing. Her fingers reached a smooth metal object the size of a tube of lipstick. A thumb drive perhaps?
“Was there anything else?”
Audrey hesitated. How was she to know whether she should trust Lee? Granted, he had saved her life and wasn’t the one who shot at her. “Why was Kendra using my name at the conference?”
His forehead wrinkled in thought, but his lips formed a tight line.
Audrey knew it. If she didn’t play hardball, Lee wouldn’t answer any of her questions. She narrowed her eyes. “My memory is coming into focus, but I’m sure it would be a lot clearer if I had some answers.”
He reared back and raised an eyebrow. A second later a smile crossed his lips. “Every time I start to doubt you could really be her twin, you surprise me.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and faced forward. “Fine. You already know that Kendra and I are undercover federal agents.”
“That’s so vague.” She still hadn’t seen so much as a badge. He had identification for both of them—obviously fake—that he provided for hospital registration, but he didn’t have any insurance cards for the attendant. Instead, Lee had rattled off Kendra’s insurance member number and said it was a Federal Blue Cross account.
“We’re FBI special agents. But before I say more, I need to know why the Bureau didn’t know you existed.”
“I didn’t know Kendra existed, either.”
“But we do a comprehensive background search on agents.”
“Obviously, the fact we had a twin wasn’t disclosed at our adoption. I’m positive my papers said I was an only child.” Her voice rose as she processed her statement. Perhaps they weren’t twins after all, but that didn’t explain their shared birthdays.
He narrowed his eyes. “Where do your adopted parents live?”
“Michigan.” She leaned into his gaze. “Do you know where Kendra’s are?”
“Montana.”
The fact they both started with M struck her as funny. Why would their birth parents adopt them separately? A wave of sorrow took her breath away. She could’ve had a sister growing up.
“But why didn’t the Bureau find you?” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “What social media are you on?”
“None. My parents have always thought those sites were untrustworthy. They were passionate about parental controls until I graduated high school. By then, I knew I was going into academia, and didn’t have any interest in risking my career over a tagged photo or rumor being spread about me.” Though it did seem odd how passionate her parents were about avoiding social media. Was it possible they knew something? “Okay, I answered your question so back to mine. Why was my sister using my name?”
He shrugged. “The best I can figure is it was a mistake.”
“That seems highly unlikely. I’m going to need more.”
He blew out a forceful breath. “I can’t give you an easy answer. What you want to know is classified.” He studied her for a moment. “We’re allowed a bit of wiggle room to gain informants or assets. In fact, we often recruit from college campuses, and since you are in academia...” He shook his head as if belittling himself for what he was about to do. “If, in the future, the FBI should need your expertise or services in any way, Dr. Clark, do I have your word that you will help us to the best of your abilities?”
She didn’t even have to think twice. There was no way the FBI would ever need her help, and if saying she would was what it would take to learn more about her sister, so be it. “You have my word.”
He placed an elbow on the back of his chair and leaned sideways. “Well then, as my asset, I can tell you the man that approached you is—was an FBI agent. While undercover within a drug trafficking enterprise—the less you know, the better—he was able to move up the ranks to a lieutenant. At that time he gained access to something much bigger. Have you ever heard of The Masked Network?”
She shook her head.
“It’s essentially a cellular network for criminals. They use smartphones that are wiped of all normal capability and equipped with encrypted software. Members within their organized crime sect can only talk to each other.”
“So it’s like a private cell phone group?”
He shrugged. “For lack of a better explanation. It’s impervious to any attempts at tracking, hacking or eavesdropping. Criminal enterprises use the service to plan murders, drug and human trafficking, weapons deals... You name it, the network helps facilitate the crime. Only, no one can join the network without personally meeting the so-called CEO, and he only agrees to meet through a referral of a high-ranking current subscriber.”
She leaned back, processing. “You said Adam moved up the ranks in an organization. Was he one of those high-ranking subscribers willing to give you guys a referral?”
He regarded her with surprise and admiration. “You catch on fast. What was your doctorate in?”
“Electrical engineering.”
He nodded but seemed disappointed. Her stomach suddenly felt hollow, a weird sensation she couldn’t shake. There was no reason to care what he thought. She loved her field, excelled in it.
“We certainly hoped that’s what Adam wanted to meet about. Kendra and I have been undercover for years working toward that very goal. Adam arranged a meet with Kendra. He chose the location. It was last-minute because there was a raid scheduled to take down his organization today. Today was the earliest we could meet.”
The flash drive grew hot in her hand. If she’d known that its contents had the potential to hit most of the criminal organizations in the country at its knees she would’ve handed it over the moment she’d remembered. But she still didn’t know why Kendra had used her name, so she nodded for him to continue.
“Like other federal agencies, the FBI has arrangements with many colleges. They’re usually perfect public places to meet. Our university liaison—who isn’t an FBI agent—assigned Kendra your name as a cover. If I were to make an educated guess, I imagine the liaison thought Kendra already had a cover because her photo was already in the system—except it was really you—so all she had to do was add me as her husband.”
A lightbulb went off. “Yes, my photo was already on file with conference attendees. They required one when I signed up for the conference, along with my bio.”
He shrugged. “If we want more answers on how the mix-up happened, we’ll have to wait until Kendra is awake.” He smiled as his eyes searched hers. The extra scrutiny increased her pulse. “For your safety, Kendra is registered with the last name Catmull at the hospital. No one should be able to connect the dots between you two.”
The speakers crackled and invaded the silent room. “Lee Catmull, please report to the surgery waiting room.”
Lee’s face turned white. If Audrey hadn’t known better, she would’ve believed that Kendra was his wife in that moment. Maybe their covers had become so ingrained that he loved her like one. She tried to imagine him as a future brother-in-law, but her brain refused. Too much to wrap her head around in one day, especially since her newfound sister might not live through the night. She reached over and grabbed Lee’s hand, squeezing to keep her fingers from shaking. She bowed her head before either of them could object. “Lord, please help.”
It was probably the lamest prayer in the history of prayers, but it was all she could vocalize. An unbidden thought surfaced. If her sister died, would a target suddenly be on her back instead?
* * *
Lee didn’t let go of Audrey’s hand, but instead helped her to standing and walked back out of the chapel. He’d just made her an FBI asset—he didn’t even want to think about the paperwork that awaited him in the future—but after what he’d just told her, he needed to make sure she wasn’t a flight risk. They still had so much to talk about.
They strode together to the open doorway of the surgery waiting area. He continued to hold her hand because it seemed to help her remain calm. Besides, she was the one who’d reached for his hand in the chapel, and if it kept her from breaking down like she did at the hospital entrance, it would be rude to let go before she was ready. Rows of chairs faced monitors displaying lines of patient numbers and surgery status updates.
“Look at your bracelet.” Audrey pulled her hand from his and reached for his wrist.
He’d forgotten the registration attendant had placed the plastic-coated identification on him. He looked down at the number and found its match on the screen. “Surgery in progress.”
A man in scrubs approached, holding a blue bag. “Can I see your wrist?”
Lee held it up and the man handed him the bag. “Thanks for answering the page. Here are her things. The doctor will be out shortly, after surgery, to update you.”
Lee opened the bag enough to see Kendra’s clothes, folded, and the white gold wedding band she wore. He took the nearest chair, far enough away from listening ears.
“I think it’s time you have this.” Audrey pressed a flash drive into his hand.
Lee looked between the silver object and Audrey. His blood burned hot. “Is this from—”
“Yes. Don’t be mad. I had no idea if I should trust you or not. I’m still not sure exactly what mess I’ve landed in. And to be fair, I didn’t realize Adam had put something in my purse until a few minutes ago. I thought he was trying to steal from me.”
Lee took a deep breath in through the nose. His partner was in surgery and her lookalike had no inkling of what was at stake on the mission. Anger wouldn’t benefit anyone.
He rolled the drive in between his fingers. Two caps bookended either end of the drive. He flipped off one side to find the standard USB adapter but the other cap was designed for iPhones. He inserted the adapter into the charging port. The screen flashed an encryption notice.
“I’m going to need you to look away.”
She rolled her eyes and twisted her torso in the opposite direction. Lee keyed in his credentials and opened the FBI software to read the contents. An image of Lee and Kendra popped up on the screen with the covers they’d started developing three years ago. Lately, he’d started to wonder if he would ever get to be himself again.
The notice listed an address Lee recognized and tomorrow’s date. Adam had made the referral happen.
From what Lee and Kendra had gathered before the meet, a referral meant the CEO of the Masked Network was planning to meet them and had their photos to boot. Their covers would’ve been investigated and held up to scrutiny.
Except, Lee and Kendra’s covers were a package deal. Kendra would in no way be recovered in time, but if she didn’t go, the network would want to confirm where she was and why she didn’t show.
Any unnecessary attention could lead them to discover Audrey and, worse, the discovery of Adam’s death, which would prompt the network to go farther underground than ever. If Lee lost the chance to take the network down, more senseless assassination orders like the murder of Diego, the teenage boy he’d mentored in Seattle, would continue to happen without law enforcement being able to find evidence. If clients of the Masked Network were ever arrested, they only had to say three little words and their phones would automatically erase all data. Lee had seen it happen with his own eyes.
A man in scrubs, complete with cap and a surgical mask hanging from his neck, exited the double doors at the end of the room. He approached the nursing station, and an attendant pointed at Audrey. Lee unplugged the drive from the phone and pocketed it. He placed a hand on Audrey’s back as they were led to a consultation room the size of an office cubicle.
The doctor’s dark brown eyes and kind smile focused on Audrey. “We think your sister is going to make it.” He finally looked at Lee. “We removed the bullet from your wife. It missed the brachial artery by a fraction of a centimeter. We’ll need to keep a careful eye on—”
“What about her head? She hit the ground hard.”
Lee inhaled deeply at Audrey’s interruption. He wanted to hear everything the doctor had to say.
“There was a small fracture of the skull.”
It was as if cold liquid ran through Lee’s bones. Audrey placed her hand over her mouth.
The doctor shook his head. “Believe it or not, it’s actually a good thing in this situation. The skull works as a helmet of sorts, and the crack will hopefully work to prevent swelling. We don’t see any signs of brain damage at this point, but we will need to watch for any symptoms of nerve injuries or bleeding.” He leaned back, seemingly pleased. “Everything went well today. She’s just going to need a lot of rest to heal up.”
The doctor leaned forward and asked if they had any other questions. Lee remained silent and let Audrey question him on other possible things that could go wrong. Lee preferred to worry when there was actually a problem to address. And right now the biggest problem was the upcoming mission.
If Audrey went for his idea, she would be in danger, but if she refused, she’d likely be in even more danger. He owed it to Kendra to make the right decision.
“My understanding is the police are on the way, and they’ll want to talk to you. And my nurse will be in shortly to ask you some more routine questions.”
Audrey fell silent and the doctor finally exited, leaving them alone on the padded bench. Her light green eyes met his again. He had the oddest sensation that each time she did that she could figure out his thoughts, something he never worried about with his partner.
She tilted her head. “Is this sort of thing old hat for you? Getting shot at and waiting to see if a colleague survives?” She threw a thumb over her shoulder before he could answer. “And did you notice? The doctor didn’t even ask why someone was shooting at her.”
“They have their training. Someone is required to report a gunshot to the police—we should be gone before the questions start—but you’re right. These guys are focused on saving lives. There’s no time or place to stop and judge.”
“It’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Their job, your job, so many people trained to do the right thing automatically without question.” She blushed, a rosy spread across her cheeks.
His job was nothing worth envying, at least most of the time, but he didn’t want to discourage her impression. If she admired the career then it would make what he was about to propose easier, though.
She slumped against the back of the bench. “In my career we have to second-guess everything we do. We have to prove ourselves, that our pursuit is worthwhile and has the potential to make a difference every step of the way.” She sighed. “I don’t know why I told you that. I like my job. I do. It’s just... I want to make sense of what happened—is happening—today, and I don’t have even an inkling of how to do that.”
He wasn’t going to help matters. “Remember when I said agreeing to be an asset would mean you might be called upon sometime?”
“It was ten minutes ago.” She blinked hard once.
“I’m not insulting your memory. This drive had more information than I expected.”
Her eyebrows rose but she remained silent.
“Adam was successful in referring us to the Masked Network.”
“That’s great, isn’t it?”
“Kendra’s photograph was sent to the head of the Masked Network.” He paused, and as he hoped, her eyes widened with understanding. “If she doesn’t come that likely warrants—”
“Attention.” She gasped. “And Kendra was wearing my name when the shooter took down Adam. Do you even know for sure that Adam was the target?”
“By all accounts, it seems that was the case. The raid of the drug trafficking group Adam took down accounted for all members. The only one missing was a man scheduled for initiation tonight. Low risk as he’s not on the network yet, but he might’ve seen what went down and pegged Adam as the traitor. My guess is he’ll be the shooter Kendra took down.”
“You said referrals to the Masked Network could only happen by high-ranking members of criminal enterprises on the network, right? So when you arrested the drug group, what about the phones?”
Lee grinned. Audrey caught on so fast, he was certain this would be easy. “The FBI used a sonic device so no one could utter those words to erase the phones. They were all confiscated. The arrests aren’t public knowledge, but that’s part of the time crunch. We can’t keep it a secret forever, but if we get evidence and a facial identification of the CEO, those phones can be used as leverage to get them to talk and take the whole network down.”
“You want me to be a spy, don’t you?” Her words were loud, clipped and, despite being in the consultation room, two heads from opposite directions leaned from their chairs to look at Lee and Audrey.
Audrey cleared her throat. “Because playing I Spy feels childish, even if it does pass the time.” She stood and paced before she whispered. “Think they bought it?”
Lee hung his head. “Probably.” She was a quick thinker, albeit a little unbelievable in her delivery. “Though we are actually special agents. Not spies.”
She shrugged. “Semantics. Look up the synonyms for spy, and I’m sure undercover special agent is somewhere on the list.” She sat down next to him, so close he could smell the vanilla and rose-scented fabric softener from her clothes. “What exactly does taking her place involve?” she asked, this time in hushed tones.
“We have a very well-developed cover in place. Essentially we turn dirty money into clean—”
“Laundering money.” She blew out a long breath. “You’re asking me to pretend to be a criminal?”
“Kendra’s cover is known to be very good at what she does. It’s not as if you would have to do anything. If anyone asks, you want to offer services to some criminal enterprises higher up on the food chain, but staying under the radar requires a little help from Masked. I’m the right-hand man and an excellent lawyer and visionary so I should be able to do all the talking. We go in and shake some hands, get on the network and get out with the evidence. I’ll ensure your safety before the team goes in and takes down the CEO.”
“A fact-finding mission.” She crossed her legs and leaned back. “So I would play the part of a smart, ambitious criminal with an equally immoral husband?” She placed a finger on her chin and shook her head. “I’m not sure. I once had a nightmare that I made a mistake on my tax deductions. I woke up in a panic and ended up in the hospital.”
He reared back. “Why? A heart attack?”
“No. Ulcer.” She sighed. “Well, I thought I had an ulcer. Turned out my bedtime snack of jalapeño poppers coupled with Google searches at three in the morning weren’t a good idea. What I’m saying is that this is going to be a stretch for me. But I’ve also lived my life feeling like there was a giant puzzle piece missing, and finding Kendra...” She clasped her hands together and shook her head. “I’m desperate for the day when we can get to know each other without danger over either of our heads so I’ll do it. But I have conditions.”
Well, of course she did because nothing was going to be easy today. “Come on. We’ll get a quick blood draw and DNA swab for the Bureau on our way out.”
“For the Bureau?”
“They’ll want definitive proof whether you’re twins or not. In my view, it’s extraneous. But that way you and Kendra will have no doubts.”
If Audrey took Kendra’s place, she’d definitely be in danger, but at least he could be in control of keeping her safe. If she didn’t go through with the mission, he couldn’t foresee the threat ever going away. This was their only chance.
THREE (#u9dc933ba-dec5-5ebb-ba17-9a4d5b4e9703)
Audrey had a twin sister, a spy, who was pretend-married to a gorgeous, intelligent and compassionate man. She replayed the thought in her mind, hoping it would help her accept the reality faster. She twisted the tassels hanging from her purse zipper as tight as they could go as she rode the hotel elevator with Lee.
On a normal day it would be a lot to handle, but the news she needed to take Kendra’s place in an undercover mission rattled her. A few terse sentences, without knowing Kendra was shot, probably didn’t give the most accurate impression of a person. How was Audrey supposed to impersonate a sister she didn’t know, while pretending to be a white-collar criminal?
The elevators opened and she stiffened. Lee expected her to try on Kendra’s clothes—she hoped they fit—and practice mastering the persona of the cover, but all Audrey wanted to do was to go to bed. At one in the morning, her eyes struggled to stay open. Yet, one of the conditions she’d given Lee involved going over every detail of the operation several times before she made her final decision.
She’d read spies were trained in the art of manipulation, so she wondered if Lee could see right through her attempts to act confident and bold. The truth was she’d already decided she’d do whatever it took to keep her sister safe, but she wanted leverage to make sure she got enough details to feel properly equipped for the mission. Success came from the details in her line of work.
Lee pointed to the room at the far end of the hall. He pulled out a key card and opened the door. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”
She’d been up since seven in the morning, Eastern Time, which was 4:00 a.m. Pacific Time. That meant she’d been awake—ugh. Math after being awake over twenty-one hours didn’t come naturally. “You have your own room, right? Not just like separate beds?”
Lee nodded.
She exhaled, relieved. It was odd to think if they hadn’t met on campus, they would’ve met at the hotel since Kendra had already checked in under Audrey’s name and upgraded her reservation. All she wanted was her favorite yoga pants, T-shirt and a pair of fuzzy socks. Kendra probably only packed pajamas made with fashion in mind. The only thing Audrey had was the purse wrapped across her torso. Her luggage was who knew where as the airline still hadn’t called to let her know it had been found, and the rest of her apartment belongings would take their sweet time in a moving truck scheduled to arrive in Pasadena after three weeks.
Lee turned to walk back down the hallway when he stopped at the very next door. He slipped a card into the lock while sporting a broad grin. She flashed a sheepish smile and waved as she closed the door behind her.
She kicked her shoes off at the closet. Her feet stung after being in flats without arch support all day long, but the plush carpet underneath her toes relaxed her. She took two steps before a man’s silhouette appeared. She gasped and jumped back as Lee’s face came into view.
“Don’t worry. I’m just closing the connecting doors.” Lee shrugged. “It doesn’t seem like you are up for hearing how we usually do things, so how about I explain everything tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” Exhaustion made it hard to utter more than a word. She closed the additional door on her side behind him and flipped the dead bolt. A suitcase rested on a luggage rack.
Audrey took a deep breath. It felt like snooping without permission, but desperate times... She lifted the top to reveal two very different wardrobes. On the right, sophisticated outfits, many in black, were neatly folded. On the left, a jumble of unfolded activewear, hoodies and T-shirts beckoned. She’d never been so thankful for someone else’s wardrobe.
The pajamas slipped on, neither too tight nor loose. The knot behind her shoulder blade relaxed as she stretched and found socks in the zippered compartment along with a leather-bound wallet. She gingerly opened it.
The top half read “Federal Bureau of Investigation” with a photograph of Kendra Parker. She said the name aloud. Her sister’s real last name was Parker. Were the Parkers all law enforcement agents?
Audrey let her fingers glide over the protective cover. What would it have been like if she’d grown up with her? Would they have switched places so many times for various reasons it would’ve been old hat by now? Would Audrey have taken all Kendra’s science and math tests while Kendra made sure they both won the Presidential Fitness Award? Her fingers slid down to the gold badge and felt the engraved words “Department of Justice.” Audrey’s heart ached for her sister, clinging to life in the hospital.
The sheets on the queen bed closest to the window looked untouched whereas the other bed’s comforter was rolled up on one side. Audrey noted her sister hated for the sheets to be tucked in at the bottom corners, just like she did. She pulled out the sheets of her bed and closed her eyes the moment her head hit the pillow.
The sound of a hammer, a relentless pounding, dragged her eyes right back open. A piercing, beeping sound flooded the lit room. She’d forgotten to turn the lights off, especially disconcerting since she had no idea how much time had passed.
“Audrey! It’s Lee. Open up!”
She sat up and tried to focus on her surroundings. She could see but couldn’t process through the brain fog. Oh, yeah, she was in a hotel room.
“Coming.” Her voice croaked. She took a sip from the water bottle on her nightstand. The beeping continued. “Coming!” She tried to shout louder. Did she smell smoke? The air looked hazy, but it was hard to tell since her vision was so blurry from sleep. Her muscles objected as she shuffled, acting as if they’d been dispatched to swim through quicksand. She flipped the lock and opened the connecting door.
Lee’s concerned face looked her up and down. Audrey glanced down, making sure she was still appropriate. Yep. She’d picked silver yoga pants and a long shirt that read, Do Not Disturb: In Training For Sleep Marathon.
Lee held a gun in his right hand, which he slid into the band of his jeans and covered with a royal blue polo. “I can’t get confirmation if there’s a real fire or not. No one’s answering the front desk. I need you to stay with me just in case. Slip your shoes on, please.”
Alertness rushed up her spine. She shoved her feet inside her flats, the same ones she’d worn all day yesterday. “Just how long have you been trying to wake me up?”
He reached for her hand, and she let him take it. “Maybe thirty seconds. Come on.” They rushed through the door into the hallway. It sounded as if the phones in their rooms started ringing. Maybe to tell everyone the fire was real? Her throat tightened at what they might be about to face.
Despite the overhead lights still on, strobes flashed at incremental spots. She kept her gaze down to avoid a migraine, since her head already felt as if it’d been left in a vise.
“I tell you what, though,” Lee said as he opened the door to the stairs and released her hand. “If I’m going to keep you safe there will be no more locking doors inside a suite we share. I need to be able to get to you.”
Her cheeks heated. She could understand his frustration, but in her defense, she had no real reason to trust him besides the small favor of getting her out from under a dead man and away from gunfire. And while she’d seen Kendra’s official badge, she’d yet to see his. “As soon as we lay down some ground rules, I might agree.”
He grunted but didn’t reply. Her feet barely kept up with him down the stairs. After two flights her breathing grew heavy, but Lee didn’t so much as pant. He glanced at her loafers and raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t Kendra’s sneakers fit you?”
“I didn’t take the time to look through all of her stuff.”
Lee jumped to the landing and shoved the crash bar to open the door. “Stay here.” He peeked around the corner. “Clear.”
“Where is everyone?” The fire alarms continued their cry.
“I imagine they’re still in their rooms trying to decide whether to come down or not. Unfortunately, false alarms are common in hotels. I didn’t want to take the risk.” She stayed behind him as he slowed his pace in the hallway. “I feel a lot better being on the ground floor and seeing no signs of smoke.”
A police officer rushed toward them, his hand on his gun. The alarm cut off midcry. He held up a hand. “Sorry, folks, I need to escort you back to your room.” Behind the officer, he saw other officers approaching, and three more at the opposite end of the hall, accompanying a group of older ladies in quilted robes and slippers.
Lee pulled out a wallet-size badge like the one Kendra had stashed in her suitcase. Audrey resisted the impulse to grab it and compare. He flashed it open to the officer so fast she couldn’t read anything. “Off-duty FBI. Can you tell me what’s going on? Why can’t we exit?”
The officer didn’t so much as blink at the badge. “We’ve issued a shelter-in-place. According to the hotel manager, a gunman in a ski mask was seen on the security footage pulling the fire alarm. No one saw him exit, but we haven’t been able to locate him yet, either. The hotel was supposed to have called all the rooms to inform everyone to stay put until we could get the alarm off, but a few of you were too quick.”
Lee asked another question, but Audrey didn’t hear him. She was still stuck on the word gunman. Had the danger Lee forecasted already found them?
* * *
What the officer described sounded like a plan to ambush innocents as they left the hotel. Despite the officer doing a good job guarding them up the stairs, Lee still kept a hand on his own weapon. He handed Audrey the room key so that both directions of the hallway could be covered as she opened it. The officer insisted on sweeping the room while they waited near the bathroom, but Lee could hear the man’s radio go off.
“Both rooms are clear, so I’ll mark you off.”
“Any news?” Lee asked, pointing to the radio attached to the officer’s shoulder.
The officer shrugged. “Possibly a disgruntled ex stalking his girlfriend, but until it’s confirmed, we’ll be checking all rooms until we’re sure there is no threat,” the officer said. “Make sure you lock up behind me and—”
Lee had to bite his lip from interrupting when the officer reminded them to use the peephole and not open the door for any strangers. FBI agents didn’t need lessons on security. Instead, Lee thanked the man and locked up behind him.
“Are you worried?” Audrey crossed her arms over her chest.
“They’re checking every nook and cranny of this hotel. I trust they know how to do their jobs. You can go back to sleep with confidence.”
“Do you think the gunman was trying to lure us into the open, or does the story about the stalker ring true?”
That was exactly what he was wondering, but he didn’t want to worry her. “As far as the Masked Network knows, we are due to arrive at the resort tomorrow afternoon. I see no sign that our covers have been broken.” Despite saying it aloud, he couldn’t shake the uneasiness. The timing bothered him, but he didn’t want to worry Audrey. “Crime and danger happen, Audrey. It’s Palo Alto and—”
“The chance of being assaulted is one in forty-four people.” Audrey finished with a nod, even though that wasn’t at all what he was going to say.
“How do you know that?”
“I always look up crime statistics before I visit a new place. Doesn’t everyone?”
He tried not to laugh but feared a smirk was evident. “I don’t believe so, no.”
She yawned and looked adorable as she covered her mouth up a second too late. He blinked hard. Maybe it was being woken in the middle of the night, but he’d never once thought of Kendra as adorable so why was he thinking of Audrey that way? Audrey eyed him as her cheeks flushed, clearly wondering why he was studying her so intensely. “I’m finding that you’re very unique,” he said.
“As someone trying to get used to the idea of having an identical twin, I don’t feel unique right now.” Her shoulders sagged. “I hope I can go back to sleep.”
He stepped through the connecting threshold into his room and turned to face her.
“I have a wake-up call set for 7:00 a.m. I’ll make a few calls regarding the investigation at the campus and, after ensuring we’re still a go, we’ll leave.”
“Fine.” Another yawn escaped as she moved to close the connecting door on him.
He placed his foot to stop it. Her eyes widened and he regretted the aggressiveness of the move. “Sorry. Please don’t let it latch. I need to be able to get to you fast if there’s a threat.”
She blinked slowly and nodded. He removed his foot and she resumed closing the door, stopping right at the door frame. Lee flipped his light off, slipped his gun underneath the pillow next to him and stretched out on the bed. He wondered if Kendra had woken yet. The hospital said they would notify him, but he’d given them the number of their bureau handler instead. A call from the hospital once the mission began would jeopardize their cover.
He closed his eyes, but the image of Audrey’s trusting eyes filled his mind. They affected him in a way that alarmed him but pinpointing why would take a lot more brain cells than he had in the middle of the night. He moved to the chair in the room. He wouldn’t sleep now that there was a potential threat in the hotel.
A few hours later the phone rang and he sat up straight, his hand automatically reaching for his gun before he picked up the handset. The automated voice declared the time. The moment he hung up, it rang again, only this time he heard the ring echoing in Audrey’s room, as well. He answered and listened as a prerecorded voice proclaimed the shelter-in-place to be lifted.
A knock sounded at the connecting door.
He rushed to open it. Dressed in a light blue chiffon blouse, white linen pants and tan high-heels, Audrey stood ready for the day with a closed suitcase behind her. When Kendra had worn the same outfit, she’d seemed ready to walk into a boardroom to lay down the law, but Audrey looked ready to go on a luxury vacation. Lee couldn’t understand how they could look exactly the same in every other way except—“Your hair,” he said.
She fingered the sleek, straight brown hair self-consciously. “Did I do it right? I don’t usually straighten it, but I noticed Kendra did.”
He nodded despite an irrational disappointment that the waves no longer framed her face. “Yes. I’m not too worried about your hair being the same as Kendra’s photo. It’s my experience women can change their hair at a moment’s notice.”
Audrey’s eyes sparkled. “Jealous?”
He laughed despite himself. “I admit it would be useful in my line of work.”
“Did you hear? The message said the threat has been lifted.”
That was not how he interpreted the message. “They also said that officers would remain on site for the remainder of the day to ensure the safety of guests.” In his mind, that meant the gunman had escaped, but he didn’t want to worry Audrey. “But yes, we will go ahead as planned.” He tapped his wrist as if wearing an invisible watch. He still had a few calls to make. “Give me fifteen minutes.”
“I think I should know our cover names before we leave. The more time I can get used to it, the better.”
A sensible request. “We are Lee and Andrea Kimmet. It shouldn’t be too big of a stretch for you to remember since your real name also starts with A.”
“They sound completely different, so I wouldn’t make assumptions if I were you. You’re still going as Lee? Isn’t that your real name?”
“Keeps it simple. It’s my prerogative. Kendra prefers different names.” He shrugged. “Either way.”
“And your real last name?”
He stiffened. “It’s best you only think of me as Lee Kimmet.”
“I know Kendra’s real last name.”
“I actually think it’s safer for both of us if you don’t know mine.” She was already in danger no matter what choice he made, and he didn’t want anything else to put a target on her back. Since Kendra hadn’t given her real name on campus, there was only one way Audrey knew. “I’m going to need her badge from you before we leave.”
“Okay, but I’m not going anywhere without seeing your badge. What if something happens to you? I need to be able to tell the authorities your real name.”
Lee didn’t have the patience to point out that the FBI already knew who she was so it wouldn’t be an issue. He supposed in her position he wouldn’t budge without seeing an ID, either. He bent over and slipped it out of the compartment of his gun case and handed it to her.
She flipped it open and her gaze bounced between the photo and him, a smile creasing her lips. The back of his neck heated. “What? What’s so funny?” He reached out to take his badge back.
“Nothing, Lee Benson. It’s just you are so clean-shaven and young in your badge photo. How long ago was that taken?”
“I’m pretty sure we’re the same age.” He grabbed the badge back but couldn’t help but mirror her smile. He rubbed his jaw. “I like to grow a beard before meetings like we’re about to do. Making me seem older can be a good thing.” He hadn’t crossed thirty-five yet, but he couldn’t deny he felt his aging accelerate over the past few years of high stress.
A knock at the door prompted Audrey’s wide eyes. Lee rushed forward into her room and peeked through the hole to see a bellhop with rolling luggage. He exhaled. “I think your missing luggage is here.”
He stepped aside for Audrey to retrieve it. She closed the door and beamed. “Oh, I’m so glad. I worried it’d arrive after we left.”
“You won’t be able to take it with us. I’ll have to leave it in a bus station locker along with the FBI badges and anything identifying you as Audrey Clark. You don’t have any medication or anything, do you?”
She blushed. “No, nothing like that. It’s just I would prefer my own clothes for some of the time.”
“Of course. Just nothing with your name on it.” He tried not to laugh as he turned back to his own room to get ready. To be fair, he wouldn’t want to wear his brother’s clothes all the time, either.
Fourteen minutes and thirty seconds later he grabbed his gear. Today was the day he’d fulfill the reason he became an FBI agent in the first place. Energy coursed through his veins at the thought of taking down the Network. He strode with Audrey through the hallway.
“What if the gunman from last night was wanting to lure us out? Watching and waiting for us to get into the van?”
Thankfully, he’d already taken precautions before the gunman entered the picture. They stepped into the elevator as he pressed the button for the lobby. “Then we’ll be one step ahead of him. While you were getting your blood drawn at the hospital, I arranged for a rental car to be delivered at the hotel this morning. We should have a silver Lexus waiting underneath the portico. Mr. and Mrs. Kimmet would never be caught dead arriving in a van.”
“See? That’s exactly why I said I wouldn’t do this unless you shared all the details.”
Lee tried to keep his frustration from showing. “I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you. When have we had any time to discuss anything?” He wasn’t used to sharing details, even with Kendra. They may have been partners, but in many ways they did their own thing, like two coworkers with their own priorities on a project.
“I understand that, but I’d like to be let in on the plan from here on out so I don’t feel like I’m playing the part of a poor, helpless spy.”
“Again, special agent, not spy.” Lee doubted anyone would categorize Audrey as helpless. He caught his reflection in the elevator doors and immediately remedied his grin.
“Will your operation involve any secret collecting, any gathering of information covertly?”
In other words, she wanted to know if there would be any spying. She had him there, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “I’ll tell you everything, as promised, in the car. I’m afraid we have a long journey ahead so breakfast will be drive-through.”
“Any word on Kendra?” She asked so softly he almost didn’t hear her.
His back tensed. “I’m afraid not.” Her head dipped and he reached out to give her arm a squeeze. “She’s a fighter. She’s going to come through.”
Audrey squared her shoulders and looked forward. “Of course.”
It was the first time he questioned whether she meant what she’d said. “They did identify the shooter Kendra took out. As suspected, it was the missing man due for initiation. We’re still waiting on your DNA test, but your blood type is the same. So we’re headed for the meet as planned.”
Audrey bit her lip and nodded, her eyes taking on a glossy sheen. “Wow. Okay.”
The car sat waiting just as he’d expected. The officer stationed at the front entrance took a step forward, keeping watch, as Lee hustled Audrey to the passenger side of the vehicle.
A man in a navy ski mask rounded the corner, pointing a gun straight at Audrey.
FOUR (#u9dc933ba-dec5-5ebb-ba17-9a4d5b4e9703)
Audrey jumped, arms flailing upward as a scream escaped. In her peripheral, the cop dropped to a modified lunge, weapon pointed. A shot sounded. She tensed as Lee yanked open the passenger door with his right hand and gently pushed her so she dropped below the line of the window. He yelled, but Audrey wasn’t sure what he’d said.
The smell of leather conditioning and car wax assaulted her senses as she came nose to nose with the electronic seat lever. She clenched her jaw, trying to control the involuntary quaking of her limbs. Shouts and shuffling feet approached, but Audrey didn’t dare look up. She closed her eyes, praying for the second time in twenty-four hours.
A professor once told her she was too verbose and yet the only word that could come to mind was help. And finally, Keep Lee safe...and heal Kendra. She exhaled and breathed deeply, counting to five. Her knees pressed into the concrete, guaranteeing that the white linen pants wouldn’t pass muster at a resort later.
“Audrey.” Lee said her name so softly she almost didn’t hear him. “Audrey,” he said again.
She looked up, not allowing herself the luxury of enjoying the way he said her name, drawing out the last syllable just a split second longer than most. Lee reached his hand out and helped her to a standing position.
He glanced at her hand before a quick once-over from head to toe. “Let’s get you inside for a minute. Are you okay? No injuries?”
“I’m fine.” Although, not really. Her heart pounded so fast and furiously that she still had to think through her breaths. Inhale for two seconds now, breathe out for two seconds. Hopefully, it would come naturally again, soon. “Did they catch him? Did the bullet hit someone?”
Lee led her inside the lobby. “The police took over. I’m sure they’ll catch him.”
An officer approached. Lee led Audrey to a nearby chair next to the complimentary coffee carafe. “Can you wait here a second while I talk to them?”
“Of course.”
Lee and the officer stepped just far enough away that Audrey couldn’t hear them. The deep breaths began to irritate her throat.
“Do you want a water?” A woman in her late twenties, with long dark hair, approached. She held out the bottle, glistening with condensation.
Audrey nodded and accepted, eagerly taking off the cap and gulping a few swallows. The cold soothed her throat. Lee returned, the cop at his elbow.
“Let’s try this again. Shall we?” Lee reached for her hand, and Audrey let him lead her outside, this time with the cop directly on her left as Lee took the right. Once inside the car, with the door closed and the seat belt on, she breathed a sigh of relief. Although, she didn’t know why. Last night shots were fired near her. Today shots were fired at her. Who was to say tomorrow wouldn’t bring the same thing on the fact-finding mission they were about to do? What made her think she could ever take her sister’s place?
Lee sat in the driver’s seat and shook his head. “What a morning.” He glanced at her. “Sure you’re okay?”
“No.”
He blinked and hesitated.
She exhaled, her heart rate finally slowing slightly. “Was that man trying to kill me? Is he related to those shooters last night?”
Lee’s eyes softened. “I have confirmation there was only one shooter last night on the campus, and Kendra really did take him out, despite having been shot herself. As far as today’s shooter, I don’t have all the facts. What I do know is the guy was nervous in a way I wouldn’t expect for a hitman.”
“Why?”
The Lexus purred with the slightest touch of a button, and Lee glided the car toward the highway. “He didn’t look like he knew how to use a gun. His hand shook, and he didn’t come close to hitting you before he took off running.”
“Probably because he saw he was outnumbered.”
“Maybe, but either way, the police are on it. We have our orders to continue the operation as planned.” Lee tilted his head side to side as he slowed to a stop at a light. “I think this would be a good time to ask if you have any enemies.”
She pulled her chin back until she hit the headrest. “Me?”
“Doing my due diligence before we walk into an operation. Your preliminary background check was clear.”
She felt her mouth gape open. “You already ran a check on me?”
“Of course. Any colleagues indicate they’re jealous of your work? Do you have any potential for blackmail?”
It’d probably seem childish if she rolled her eyes, but if there were a contest for most boring, goody-goody, she’d be a finalist. “No, nothing like that. My parents are both in academia. It seemed like a natural progression for me, as well. I’ve been focused on my future career since high school. I didn’t want anything to jeopardize it.” She stared out the window. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”
“There’s nothing crazy about this. It’s brave and you’re serving your country.” He hesitated. “Maybe it goes without saying, but you can’t tell anyone about any of this.”
She figured as much. The silence would be worth it, though, if it gave her the chance to get to know her sister without looking over their shoulders for an assassin. She’d always had a sense that she didn’t really know who she was. Maybe the feeling was common for adopted children, but she’d never been able to shake it.
He nodded forward. “We’re about to make a quick stop at the bus station.”
She gripped her purse. After this, there’d be no changing her mind, no turning back. Her identity would be Mrs. Kimmet, lawyer and white-collar criminal. “Just so you know, I’m keeping my phone.”
He shook his head. “Not a good idea.”
She’d spent thirty minutes preparing her phone this morning, making the necessary changes so she could have access to the outside world, safely. “I’ve changed my name to Andrea Kimmet in the settings, and I’ve blocked all my personal contacts so no one will be able to reach me. In fact, I sent out a mass email this morning—”
“You did what?” His face flushed as he glanced between her and the road, his eyes wide.
Honestly, it was as if he hadn’t heard her when she explained she had a doctorate...and was about to work at Caltech. She may not be spy material, but she could be trusted not to do anything foolish. “There’s no need to get upset. The email explained that my conference at Stanford is turning out to be more of an intensive—in the academic world that means it’s going to be very vigorous—so they won’t be surprised if I don’t check my phone for a week. Plus, I’ve removed my email accounts from the phone. No way to blow our covers.”
He pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow. “So if you aren’t calling anyone, why do you want it with you?”
“The browser. I’m trying to make sure I know everything there is to know about money laundering. You’re not the only one worried I might blow my cover. If someone asks me something I don’t know, maybe I can excuse myself to the restroom and look it up quickly.” Besides, while Lee was getting ready for the day, she’d read a fascinating article that one in eighty births were twins, so separated-at-birth adoptions weren’t so uncommon. There were so many studies on twins she still wanted to read.
Besides, she needed to keep her mind occupied. Every time she let her thoughts drift, even for a split second, her brain replayed the sensation of the dead man’s blood drenching her shirt and the shock of seeing her mirror image shot.
Lee sighed deeply, shaking her out of her mental spiral. “It’s my job to keep you safe, and I can’t do that if you take your own phone. I do, however, have a few burner phones. As long as you don’t call anyone, you can use the browser within certain parameters.”
“Thank you. You should also know I’m not willing to give up my identification at the bus stop until I’m satisfied with the details of the plan.”
His eyes widened as he gave her a side glance. “You’ll be with me the whole time. Just follow my lead. What exactly do you need to know?”
“First of all, where are we going?”
“The Aislado Club.” The Spanish accent rolled off his tongue.
“Aislado means...isolated, doesn’t it?” Her forehead wrinkled.
“Or excluded.” He leaned back in his seat and placed one hand on the top of the steering wheel. “But yes, that’s a pretty literal translation of the name. Do you speak Spanish?”
“Un petit.” She nodded, sporting a smile that disappeared as he barked a laugh, an expression that made his eyes sparkle. She replayed her answer in her head. “Oh, that’s French, isn’t it? So, I guess no.” She shrugged. The romantic languages, much like a romantic life, didn’t come easily to her. “I tried to study both and understand a fair amount, but I always get them mixed up when I try to speak them. Where is The Aislado Club? Somewhere remote, I imagine.”
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