Sealed With a Kiss (19 page)

“Like hell,” Grant muttered. “If I can’t look
after myself, there’s something seriously wrong. Is anyone looking
for the people behind the threats at Oracom?”

John took a sip of water from his glass. “The
CIA and the FBI are working on it. We’ve told the local police
department. There isn’t a lot we can do except keep everyone safe
and wait for Oracom’s next move.”

“Or beat them at their own game,” Grant said.
“Who’s in charge of the case?”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” John warned his
brother. “We’re not in the military now. There’s a process that
needs to be followed and it doesn’t involve you going off on your
own to stop Oracom.”

“Someone needs to. Who do I speak to?”

John stared long and hard at his brother.
“Dan Carter, the Chief of Police in Bozeman, is my first point of
contact. But I’m warning you, if you so much as interfere with
what’s going on, I’ll never trust you again.”

Grant pushed his chair back. “It’s better
than being dead. Mrs. Daniels mentioned that she’d made cheesecake
for dessert. I’m going to get it out of the fridge. Does anyone
want a slice?”

John shook his head.

Rachel’s stomach was churning so much that
she couldn’t have eaten another thing. “No, thanks. I’m going
upstairs to check on Bella.” She picked up her dinner plate and
headed toward the kitchen.

“Are you okay, Rachel?”

John’s voice cut through what she was
thinking. “I’ll be fine.” But she wasn’t. Hearing what was actually
behind the death threats was scarier than assuming she knew. If the
people behind the threats weren’t stopped, the risk of something
happening to any of them could go on for a long time.

And that wasn’t something she was looking
forward to.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The next afternoon, John looked across his desk at
Samantha Jones, his Technical Development Manager. “Did Harry get
back to you?”

Sam shuffled through the folders in front of
her, then passed him a stapled set of papers. “He’s looked at the
financial records and reports that Oracom has made public. They’ve
got a diverse portfolio of interests, ranging from rice production
to solar power technology. There wasn’t a clear reference to
military weapons or equipment, but they did have an emerging
technologies sector with a large multi-billion dollar budget.”

“Were you able to identify who manages that
particular sector?”

Tanner stepped forward. He’d been leaning
against the back wall, watching the small group in front of John
share what they knew. “That’s where it gets interesting. Their
organizational chart shows someone called Darshive Fredericks as
being in charge. Except Darshive Fredericks died six months ago in
a car accident. The executive secretary from another team told me
they were in the process of recruiting for the role. What she
wouldn’t tell me is who’s temporarily doing the job while
recruitment takes place.”

“Has anyone got anything to add?” John looked
at Martin and Sebastian, two of his longest-serving staff. Both men
had been in the military. They were loyal and reliable, two
qualities that John never took for granted.

Martin looked John in the eye. “The CIA won’t
confirm anything, but we think they’ve planted an undercover agent
in the recruitment process.”

“Maybe two,” Sebastian said in his usual
deadpan way. “I’ve tried hacking Oracom’s digital network, but I’m
not getting very far. The firewalls they’ve designed are some of
the best I’ve ever seen.”

“Did you see Dan Carter?”

Sebastian nodded. “He’s increased police
security at the airport and they’re keeping a close eye on what’s
happening around town. It’s not easy. The heavy snow has brought
all of the skiers and snow bunnies out to Big Sky Resort. The
population around Bozeman has almost doubled over the last
month.”

John tried not to be disappointed by the slow
progress they were making. His brother wasn’t the only person
convinced that the government wouldn’t find the people responsible
for the death threats. The Department of Defense’s main concern was
keeping the design of the drone safe from unwanted eyes. Death
threats weren’t high on the National Risk Register, unless you were
the President of the United States.

He turned to Tank. “Did you find out who the
ice-skater was on Emerald Lake?”

“Mallory Fraser. She’s a distant cousin of
Tess Allen.” Tank passed John a folder. “She’s been working in
Orlando as a physical therapist. According to the people I spoke
with, she’s heading home in another month’s time. No prior
convictions. Nothing that would throw a red flag in the air.”

John opened the folder and looked at the
picture of the pretty blonde woman. “Is she staying with Tess and
Logan?”

“No. She’s boarding with the McFallon sisters
in town.”

John closed the folder and handed it back to
Tank. “What’s next?”

“I also did a background check on Frankie
Smith, the kid with red hair that’s become Bella’s friend.” Tank
waited for John to nod before continuing. “His family has had a
tough few years. His dad hit a rough patch a couple of years ago
and dropped out of sight. He lost his job, left home, and didn’t
contact anyone. There was talk about him living in the mountains,
but nothing was ever confirmed. When he came back, his wife left
him. He eventually got a job pumping gas.”

“Does Frankie have any brothers or sisters?”
John asked.

“A younger sister. She goes to Bozeman
Elementary School.”

John leaned back in his chair and stared at
the folder in Tank’s hands.

“Frankie’s a good kid,” Tank said softly. “He
helps at The Lighthouse and with Pastor Stevens’ youth group.”

John knew all about the good work that Pastor
Stevens was doing. He ran a drop-in center for anyone who needed a
hot meal and a safe place to stay. Tess Allen and Annie Bayliss
supplied enough meals for everyone and other people helped where
they could.

John gave Pastor Stevens a substantial
donation each year. It filled the gap when it came to buying
clothes, paying utility bills, or giving people a helping hand they
needed it.

He lifted his gaze from the computer.
“Thanks, Tank.”

“There’s one other thing, boss. Frankie’s dad
used to be in the Detroit Police Department. Something must have
happened to send him over the edge.”

“Has he been getting any help?”

“I don’t know. Do you want me to find
out?”

John picked up the papers Sam had left on his
desk. “Bella and Rachel are your primary concern. But if you get
the opportunity, ask Pastor Stevens about Frankie’s dad. Keep it
discreet. And find out if there’s anything we can do to help
him.”

He flipped through the report about Oracom
and stopped at the financial statements. “If we can’t get evidence
that Oracom are behind the death threats, maybe we can get them
another way. Is Harry looking into any off-shore transactions where
large amounts of money have changed hands?”

“Harry isn’t the only person looking,” Sam
said. “The CIA has been delving into Oracom’s financial practices
as well. If there’s anything remotely illegal, we’ll find it.”

“Hopefully before the CIA,” Tanner muttered.
“You know how those guys are…once they have some information
they’re not happy about sharing it.”

John did know, but he wasn’t going to let
that stop what they were doing. “We’ll be one step ahead of
them.”

And he hoped, one step ahead of the person
threatening to kill him.

***

That evening, Rachel sat quietly in front of
the open fire in John’s living room. She pulled a fluffy blanket
around her shoulders and leaned her head against the sofa.

Grant had been back today, checking on the
security system around the house. Tank and Tanner hadn’t said much
at lunchtime, but they hadn’t looked happy.

After Grant left, the wind had picked up. It
was howling along the shingle roof, sounding like a rattlesnake
warning of danger.

Rachel had never been particularly
superstitious, but with everything going on, even she was jumpy.
She’d made sure Bella was safely tucked up in bed and
double-checked all of the windows and doors before sitting on the
sofa. Tank had shaken his head at her, but he hadn’t stopped her
from checking each catch.

“You’re still awake?”

Rachel turned toward the open doorway. John
was standing just inside the room with a mug in his hands. “I
couldn’t sleep.”

He looked down at the drink in his hands. “Do
you want a hot chocolate? The kettle’s still hot.”

“Sounds good.” She pushed the blanket off her
shoulders and stood up.

“Stay there. I’ll get it for you,” he said
quickly.

“I don’t want to be a nuisance.”

The frown on John’s face was deeper and more
concerned than usual. “You’re not a nuisance. If anything, I’m the
one that’s caused you more grief than you deserve.”

“You couldn’t help what’s happened.”

John’s gaze dropped from her face. “I’ll be
back soon.” He left his mug on a cabinet and left the room.

Rachel sat down and pulled the blanket around
her shoulders. She tried to imagine what she’d be doing now if she
wasn’t here. It was four days until Christmas. The stores would be
full of last minute shoppers all looking for the perfect gift. She
would have been with the crowds, listening to the Christmas music
playing over the speakers, humming along to
Snoopy’s
Christmas
and
Silver Bells
as if she’d never heard them
before.

“You’re smiling,” John said as he walked into
the living room.

“I’m thinking about Christmas. Did you know
that there are about 28 million real Christmas trees sold in
America each year?”

“Really?”

“And there are close to 350 million Christmas
trees being grown at the moment.”

“Fascinating.” John handed her a mug. “Be
careful, it’s hot. What other stupendous facts have you
memorized?”

Rachel narrowed her eyes at his smiling face.
“Don’t be too quick to laugh. I make a great partner in a game of
Trivial Pursuits.”

“I’m sure you do.” John sat beside her and
took a sip of his drink. When she didn’t say anything, he smiled.
“Okay. Blow me away with more intriguing facts.”

“Did you know that the grizzly bear is the
official state animal of California, but no grizzly bears have been
seen there since 1922?”

“No, I can’t say I did know that. Keep
going.”

Rachel went through all of the trivia she’d
filed away inside her head and looked for the oddest fact she could
find. “In more than half of all US states, the highest paid public
employee is a football coach.”

“You’re joking?”

“I kid you not,” Rachel said with a smile.
“And did you know that there are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in
your body. If they were stretched out in a single line, they’d go
around the planet more than twice.”

John held his hand out in front of him. “That
has to be seriously wrong.”

“Nope. I read it in a science journal.”

“You know not to believe everything you read,
don’t you?”

Rachel sighed. “There’s a big difference
between knowing something and believing in it. Take Santa Claus,
for instance.”

“I have no idea where you’re going with
this.”

“You don’t need to. All you have to do is
listen.” She looked over her shoulder in case Bella had come
downstairs. “Most adults know that Santa doesn’t exist. But if all
of those adults suddenly gave up
believing
in Santa, the
world economy would collapse. Last year, there were over three
trillion dollars’ worth of Christmas sales in America alone. People
want to believe in the magic. They want their children to believe
in Santa Claus. We make up stories about how Santa will still visit
houses with no fireplace. We leave carrots and cookies on a plate
by the Christmas tree and make sure there are only crumbs left in
the morning. It’s part of the magic.”

“But blood vessels are different to Santa
Claus.”

Rachel sighed. “Of course, they are. But
isn’t it amazing to think that your blood vessels could stretch
around the world, not once, but twice? Even though it’s true, it’s
still magic.”

“Not for the person who did the calculation.
How do you think they worked it out?”

“I don’t want to know,” Rachel mumbled. “My
imagination isn’t painting a pretty picture.” She blocked the
images crowding her mind and focused on the fire in front of her.
Even though it was late, she was glad of John’s company. When he
wasn’t busy working he had a stillness about him that she
appreciated. His sense of humor wasn’t bad, either. And if she dug
really deep, she was sure she’d find someone who still believed in
magic.

John stretched his legs out. “Bella was born
on a night like this. We’d had the worst weather anyone had seen in
a decade. Snowdrifts were covering people’s vehicles and getting
anywhere was a nightmare.”

“Did you make it to the hospital?”

“Jacinta delivered Bella in our apartment. I
was on leave and Bella wasn’t due for another six weeks.” John’s
gaze settled on the fireplace. The orange and red flames danced in
the grate, moving in time with the wind whistling down the chimney.
“I don’t regret many things in my life, but not spending more time
with Jacinta and Bella is one of them.”

Rachel sipped her hot chocolate. She thought
about her own mom and dad, the loneliness that had become as
familiar to her as breathing. “My parents worked long hours. Even
though we all lived together, there weren’t many times when we were
all in the same place at the same time. It was hard.”

“Is that why you were worried about Bella
being lonely when I first met you?”

Rachel nodded. “I was an only child, too. I
thought Bella wanted a mom because she was on her own all of the
time. I didn’t realize that Bella had friends that helped fill the
gaps. Mrs. Daniels loves her as if she was her own
granddaughter.”