SECRETS AND SPIES

Chapter Sixteen

"Are they still behind us," I yell as Bella flings the car around another corner. I'm sure she went up on two wheels two corners ago and she's hit the curb more than once.

"Yep!" Bella yells back as she floors the gas pedal again and motors past a queue of traffic on the wrong side of the road. "I don't know this city, Edward. Do you have any idea where we are?"

"No. I lost my bearings after the fourth corner. Careful!" I hiss as a truck pulls out in front of us. Bella slams on the brake then accelerates to overtake the truck, flings the car around the next corner, and puts her foot on the gas again."

"Victoria did the same defensive driving training as me. Shit!" Bella exclaims as we race up the hill. "Bump coming," she warns as the car takes off into the air.

"Fuck. We're going to die!" I groan as we hit the road with a bang. Bella controls the vehicle expertly and immediately swings off right heading back towards the business center of the city. She keeps glancing in the mirror as I watch over my shoulder or the side mirror. The Jeep appears again and attempts to pass a slow-moving truck that has conveniently pulled away from the curb.

"Why are you running from Victoria. If she's ex-military, shouldn't she be a friend?"

"She should be, but there's no reason for her to be in the city other than she's watching me. I suspect James has sent her to keep an eye on us."

"Are you sure she's working for James?"

"No, but I've heard a friend of hers is, and he's no friend of mine. Look, I'll explain later. Let me concentrate on losing her, okay?"

A traffic queue is up ahead so Bella turns right into a side road, spins on the handbrake, and motors back to the junction. We pass the jeep just as it's turning in to follow us. Bella sticks her middle finger up at the red-haired woman at the wheel and shouts, "You can't catch me, bitch," and then pulls out in front of oncoming traffic and forces her way onto the opposite side of the road.

"Fuck," I hear her whisper, which I take as meaning she spotted the guy in the passenger seat.

"We've got a chance," she growls as she throws the car around the next corner, then shoots down the hill before turning right again. "Crap!" she hisses as the Jeep appears in the rearview mirror before she's fully made the turn. "Victoria's a better driver than I remember."

"There was a guy in the front seat with her," I remark. "Did you see him?"

Bella nods but doesn't say anything. She's frantically looking from side to side, possibly looking for somewhere to hide.

We're heading away from the city now and entering a residential area. "I know where we are," I shout as I recognize an art deco building I've always admired. "Keep going along here then turn left and head uphill again." I find my cell and hit the call button.

"This isn't the time to make phone calls, Edward," Bella spits as she hits 50. I ignore that remark.

"After this turn, go to the end of this street and do a right," I order. The phone connects and it's answered immediately.

"Mike!" I shout. "No time to talk. Is your drive empty?"

"Yeah. Jess has just taken the kids swimming. Why?"

"I'm thirty seconds away. Can you open your garage?"

"It's already open. What's the problem."

"I'll explain when I get there. Bella next left."

"Who's Bella?"

"A friend. Stay inside the house, okay."

"Sure … see you in …"

I disconnect and point to the road ahead. "Go over the top of the hill, first right on the other side, then first left. Go as fast as you can and be prepared to turn quickly into a drive. Okay?"

Bella nods her head while I watch the road behind. The Jeep is closing on us and I'm estimating we have about five seconds of advantage.

"Left here," I shout then maniacally point at the first house in the street which has a wide driveway leading to an open garage.

"Down there," I yell. Bella hits the brakes and flings the car down the slope and into the cavernous space, slamming the brakes again and screeching to a halt but colliding with a motorcycle. I pull her head down so we can't be seen from the street until we hear the Jeep zooming past followed by the rumbling noise of the garage door being closed automatically.

For a few seconds, the garage is plunged into darkness before an internal door on the house wall opens up and light streams out, silhouetting Mike in the frame.

"Go back in the house, Mike," I shout. "See if you can spot a military Jeep anywhere in the road."

"Do you want me to call the cops?" Mike asks.

We both yell 'no' in unison so Mike shrugs his shoulders and disappears.

Bella climbs out, grabs her backpack, and shoves a cigarette between her lips before following me into the house.

"I'll head to the back yard for a think and a smoke while you talk to your friend," she mumbles under her breath. "Can you leave me alone for a while?

I lead her through the house I know well where I show her where she can get to the yard through the kitchen. As she crosses the lawn she lights up and takes a long drag before sitting on the kids' swing.

The adrenalin that a few minutes ago was rushing through my system has drained away and is now a virtual puddle on the floor. My body feels like it's been hit by a train from being thrown and jolted during the chase. The biggest shock though is knowing trouble has followed me to San Francisco. I guessed it would, but not this quick.

I have to focus now on how to explain our situation to Mike who I can hear coming down from upstairs, without giving anything away. Seeing Bella with a cigarette makes me regret giving up smoking because right now I need something to calm me down, and it's definitely too early in the morning for alcohol.

Mike appears in the hallway and pushes me further into the kitchen.

"What the fuck's going on, Ed," he spits. I can tell he's seriously pissed which is understandable. "I can't have you bringing trouble anywhere near Jess and the kids."

"I'm sorry," I respond. "I'll get out your hair as soon as possible. Bella and I only got in from Denver last night to try and get some questions answered and I wasn't expecting shit like this to happen."

"What questions?" Mike huffs, but his anger has turned to interest.

"Dad's body was identified through his dental records. I've just visited his dentist and discovered they didn't give the cops his x-rays until almost four hours after they confirmed to me they identified him that way. I've suspected all along the police weren't being honest. I've come back to find out why. When we left the dentist, Bella spotted we were being followed so we've been trying to shake them off."

"Who's Bella?"

"A colleague from Denver. She's ex-military. She's been giving me some advice. Good advice too."

Mike stares at me hard and then walks over to the coffee machine.

"There's more to this, isn't there? If you don't want to say anything that's fine, but I was going to call you this weekend anyway, and not to ask how you were holding up."

"Do you know something I don't?" I ask, immediately presuming Microsoft is involved.

"No, but my connection to you is causing some of my colleagues to act very strangely around me. I'm not suggesting Microsoft is in any way connected with Carlisle's death, but since I got back from Hawaii I've been invited to have lunch with some of the board members and promotion has been hinted at by my boss's boss. Either I'm genuinely being considered for promotion, or I guess I'm having the proverbial carrot dangled in front of my nose in return for information which I'll be expected to glean from you in future."

"Don't they know I'm a landscape gardener for fuck-sake?"

"I'm not sure. No-one has mentioned your name yet but I'm waiting for it."

"Christ! I'm living in Crazy Town. If what you're saying is true, then at least that lets Microsoft off the hook."

"What hook?"

"Someone murdered my dad, Mike. As soon as I got back to Colorado I got a call warning me to back off investigating his death or I'd end up like him, 'burned to an effing crisp' was their exact words. Dad's house was broken into again while I was in Colorado, but I don't know whether that was the people who kidnapped him or another organization."

"Why do you say 'kidnap'? Was there a ransom note?"

"No, but I'm a hundred percent certain he didn't leave his house voluntarily. Maybe abduct is a better word. Look, Mike, I don't want to lie to you as we've been friends for years, but I don't want to say anymore either. Bella and I are trying to find out what happened to him as the police are doing fuck-all. We haven't got much to go on, other than my laptop was stolen from the cabin and we've traced it to north of here, to Fort Bragg, which was where we were heading before we were followed."

Mike opens his mouth to respond then shakes his head instead and concentrates on making the coffee.

"How does Bella like it?" he asks, holding up a mug.

"Black without. Just leave it on the counter; she'll come in after she's finished her cigarette."

With coffee in hand, I wander over to the window and look out to where Bella is sitting on the swing. She's talking on the phone now and I can tell she's agitated as two vertical frown lines above her nose are apparent even from twenty yards away. She spots me looking at her and waves in acknowledgment and then turns her back on me which is a strange thing to do.

Bella's body-language rings my internal alarm bell and resurrects the Deli incident. This was when the question, 'who is Bella' first occurred to me. Witnessing her supposedly reaching for a pistol under her jacket as the suspicious SUV passed by had cemented my guess she was the traitor in the camp, but I'd believed her explanation when she said the action was a pretense. Later events in the hideout proved otherwise.

I'm still curious about why we tried to lose this Victoria person whoever she is. If she's ex-military, surely she should be Bella's friend rather than a foe? Bella could've pulled over and fronted her up, so why didn't she? There's obviously a back-story here that I'll have to find out when we've left here and on the road again.

Mike is chattering about work as he makes Bella's coffee while I study Bella through the kitchen window. Sat astride a child's swing, Bella's petite frame fits comfortably on the bright yellow seat. From a distance, she could be mistaken for a teenager. Long hair pulled back in a ponytail. Youthful attire. Eyes fixed on a cell phone. The only clues to her maturity is the cigarette traveling from fingers to mouth and an occasional smoke ring appearing above her head; evidence she's a seasoned smoker.

Mike places Bella's coffee on the counter and nudges me in the ribs.

"Anything going on between you two?" he asks, followed by the statutory suggestive wink.

"Early days, Mike."

Mike chuckles and continues to babble about his job at Microsoft. I'm only half-listening as Bella taps another number on her phone. Her animated hand gestures indicate the exchange is confrontational and I'm itching to open the window, only Mike would need an explanation why I want to eavesdrop on Bella's calls.

I have to think fast now. I've placed my life in her hands more than once now and entrusted her with knowledge dad told me not to divulge to anyone. Bella turning her back on me to ensure I can't lip read her conversations has demolished that trust in an instant, but there's no-one else I can turn to who has the capability of taking me further in my quest to discover what happened to him.

The paradox, Catch-22, describes my situation perfectly.

"When is Jess back," I ask while keeping my eyes on Bella.

"Not for a couple of hours. She takes them for lunch after their swimming lesson. I usually join them but it looks like you've totaled my motorcycle."

"Sorry about that. Send me the bill."

Mike laughs and shakes his head. "I'm sure it's just scratched. I'll check after you've gone. Are you still heading north?"

"I'm not sure now. I'll wait to hear what Bella thinks. She's in charge."

"That's right, I'm in charge," Bella echoes as she appears at the door. "Hi, Mike. Sorry for the intrusion. I'm Bella Swan. I presume Edward's told you I'm ex-military?"

"Errrr, yes, but you could've fooled me. You don't exactly fit the stereotype."

Bella eye-rolls at his comment. "Edward says the same. My physique's a brilliant disguise; I work on it every day. Is this mine?" Bella picks up the spare coffee cup without waiting for confirmation.

"Who were you on the phone to," I ask trying to sound nonchalant.

"I made two calls. One to dad to ask him to check the license plate and then I checked on mom. She's winding me up as usual. She thinks she's ready to go back to work but there's no way she's fit enough. I might as well be talking to the cat. I love her but she drives me crazy."

"Right," I say but I'm even more suspicious now. She said she wanted to think but she got straight on the phone.

I'm not the best reader of body-language but I'm convinced she wasn't talking to her mom. Why choose now to call her when we've just been chased by someone Bella has already presumed isn't trustworthy. The license plate of the Jeep wouldn't give us any useful information either. She knows who was following us so why bother checking it out. Her explanation doesn't add up but I can't challenge her in front of Mike. Her only explanation for what I believe is a blatant lie is she doesn't want to talk about her phone conversations in front of Mike.

"What's the plan then?" I ask.

"Don't know," Bella replies shaking her head. "Seeing Victoria has changed everything. I couldn't see clearly who else was in the Jeep but I'm going to take an educated guess it was a guy she was having a relationship with a few years ago who was in Special Ops the same time as me. If it's him we're in trouble. He's a nasty bastard."

"What's his name?"

"Laurent. He's originally from Louisiana but he pretends he's from Jamaica to make himself more interesting. Fake accent and if it was him, he now has dreadlocks. Undercover no-one would guess he's ex-military; he can play a Ganja'd up Rastafarian like a pro."

"So why should we be in trouble if he's a fake?"

"Coz I got him dishonorably discharged from the army. Long story; short version. He was part of a task force staking out drug runs in the Caribbean. After the dealers were arrested, the drugs disappeared. I got a tip-off he was selling the drugs in Miami and reported him to my Commanding Officer. Laurent got wind we were on to him and got rid of the drugs, but the idiot had a quarter-million dollars in his bank account he couldn't explain away. A Court Martial couldn't get a drug conviction to stick so he got away with it. He served two years in a military prison for minor offenses but had to forfeit the money. While he was in jail, he made sure I got to know he'd come after me when he was out. Victoria has obviously picked up their relationship again which I'm amazed at as I remember her reaction when she found out what he'd been up to."

I glance over at Mike who looks like he's in a state of shock – eyes wide, mouth slightly open, holding his coffee cup in mid-air. I finish my coffee in one gulp and head for the door as Bella's story will need either a long explanation or no explanation. I choose the latter.

"C'mon, Bella, we have to go. Mike and his family aren't safe while we're here. Finish your coffee."

Bella gives me the thumbs-up sign as she downs the coffee then grabs her bag.

"Bye, Mike. Sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. Hopefully catch up when this is all over?"

"Sure," Mike responds weakly.

"I'll call you later," I say as I follow Bella out the door. "Don't worry – I'm in good hands," I quip trying to make light of the situation even though I'm more worried than I've ever been. Dealing with anonymous assholes making threats is one thing. Being chased by ex-Special Ops and disgruntled drug dealers is a totally different ball game. On top of that, not trusting Bella once more is a problem I wasn't expecting to deal with again.

Bella jumps in the driving seat as the garage door rumbles open but stops me before I get in.

"Go out on the street and check if it's clear."

Feeling sick with nerves as lunatics with guns could be lurking in the shrubs, I creep up the drive and look along the street. There's nothing resembling the Jeep to be seen so I wave at Bella to reverse out. Once the back wheels are on the sidewalk I jump in. She deftly spins the car in the opposite direction and heads towards the city.

"Where are we going now?" I ask.

"A parking lot somewhere. I want to check whether your laptop has moved."

"Why?"

"It could be in the back of someone's car so I don't want to do a long journey unnecessarily. Also, if Victoria and Laurent work for James, this means he'll know we're in the city now and he'll want to know what I'm up to. I didn't tell him you or I were coming here so I'm trying to work out how he found out."

"What's that got to do with my laptop? Do you think he has it?"

"Don't know … I've just got a hunch. I may be wrong."

I shrug my shoulders and prepare myself for some more of Bella's mad driving skills but she steers sedately through the residential area until she spots a church with a small parking lot out front. She pulls in, switches off the engine, and holds her hand out for my cell which I hand over without question.

I try to watch what she's doing only her fingers are too quick on the keypad. A map appears and she stares intently at the screen for about ten seconds.

"Shit!" she hisses.

"What!" I exclaim.

"It's on the highway above a place called Bodega Bay. Hold on.

I stay quiet while she zooms in and out of the map until she lets out a sigh.

"What now?" I ask feeling totally inept.

"Wait for an hour. If it stays put then we can go looking for it. If it moves, we follow it."

"Why don't we drive towards it now?"

"We could do but it might be a wasted journey. I imagine the traffic over the Golden Gate Bridge will be busy this time of day so I'd rather wait a while."

I can see the logic behind waiting, but for the first time I want to get out there and confront the assholes who have my laptop and probably my dad too. I have the feeling that Bella is stalling for some reason and also she's holding back information. She was raring to go north when we left the house, but now she's being cautious, which makes me wonder who she was talking to on the phone.

If the people who kidnapped dad are close at hand, and he's still alive, I need to get to him as soon as possible and rescue him, preferably unharmed. My own safety is important to me, but I'm guessing this might be our only chance to surprise these assholes.

And then I start thinking logically …

If we discover who and where these people are, Bella and I can hardly burst in unarmed and hope to snatch dad back, especially if these guys are connected to the ones who shot Jake. It comes to me that what we're doing is ridiculous. We're a two-man army against possibly a well-oiled machine used to using illegal methods of obtaining wealth. I've been living in a dream world thinking we could solve this on our own.

"What are we doing here?" I blurt out. I can't help it but my words sound accusatory.

"What do you mean?" Bella responds as she turns her eyes away from my cell to look at me.

"Even if we find out where my laptop is and hopefully where my dad is as well, we're not James Bond, Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne … or even Charlies Angels. We can't just walk in there and say, 'Hey! Give me my dad and laptop back.' They'll laugh in our faces or shoot us. Have you got any sort of plan how we're going to do this?"

Bella screws her face up into a sort-of frown and then looks at me as though I'm dense.

"Of course I've got a plan, Edward."

(She's pissed I can tell).

"Well … spill it. I'm all ears."

"We find out where they are. We watch. We wait. We check who's going in and out. And when we've got evidence that these are the guys we're looking for ….."

"Yes?"

"We call for backup – you effing idiot! What did you think we were going to do? I've no idea what we'd be walking into. It could be a two-man set-up or a state-sponsored organization."

"I don't trust cops anymore, Bella. I've just proved at least two of them are dishonest. Why should I trust any of them now?"

"Because it's our only option, Edward, I won't be calling 911 though. I still have contacts in the secret services but I'd rather not call them yet."

"Why not?"

"They're shifty bastards. A totally different breed of law enforcement. I don't know where they recruit from but all of them have issues of some description. They haven't earned the nickname 'Spooks' for nothing."

"Right," I reply, attempting to sound knowledgeable.

Bella's answered my question without thinking up a response, but I'm still not convinced.

I'm beginning to realize there's a whole world out there that my life has never encountered. CIA, FBI, Secret Service, and the military, who spend their lives dealing with matters that the general population never gets to hear about. The whole country would be on Valium if we knew half of it.

I wish more than ever I could turn the clock back a month when all that concerned me is whether my plants were good quality or we'd get enough rainfall this summer to allow the gardens to thrive. This isn't going to happen and when all this is over, I doubt whether I'll ever be able to return to life as it was, which is a depressing thought.

I'm staring through the windshield at a statue of Jesus, which is a miniature version of Rio's Christ the Redeemer, when my cell buzzes. Bella hands it to me and I connect.

"Hey, Emmett. Any news?"

"Yep! They've found Jake. He was dumped outside Porter's ER an hour ago. He's unconscious with a bullet wound in his left shoulder. He's lost a lot of blood, got bruises on his body and a broken wrist but he's going to be okay. The police are guarding his room and no-one is allowed to see him until he's come round and been interviewed."

"Did they spot who dumped him?"

"The police are checking the security cameras now. He's alive and he'll be fine once they've got some blood in him. The bullet didn't catch any vital organs, thank God."

"Bastards."

"Yeah right! We're getting this info through the ranch's local cops. We're not Jake's next of kin."

"Who is then? I didn't think Jake had any relatives."

"He's got an uncle and some cousins somewhere. Don't know if they're local."

"Okay. Keep me informed. I'm relieved but fucking furious."

"We are too. How's it going there?"

"Stressful. I'll call you later and fill you in."

"Cool. Look after yourself, boss. These guys definitely mean business."

Bella could hear Emmett's booming voice so didn't need to have the conversation repeated. I can tell something's on her mind.

"What?" I question.

"I'm surprised he's still alive, that's what. I can only guess he passed out quickly. Once they realized he wasn't you, they torpedoed him. I doubt whether he'll remember anything useful."

"Do you suspect it's James's people who got him?"

"I don't know, Edward. I truly don't. What I am sure of though is whoever did this aren't the ones who drugged Jake in the bar. They would've recognized Jake instantly which is proof we're dealing with two separate groups, gangs, whatever."

I fix my eyes on the statue of Jesus hoping for some divine inspiration. I want to believe Bella but doubt is nagging me again. She's a good actress; that's a given, as she duped me over her resume, carrying a gun at the Deli, pretending not to be shocked when I told her that the basement had been raided and being my bodyguard for a month without me realizing. I just don't know what to do for the best.

There's too much going on in my head to think clearly. I'm still effectively handing control over to Bella, even though I don't trust her because she turned her back on me. I want to trust her, especially after last night. I need to trust her, and that's the problem. I'm not thinking things through objectively and my feelings for her are getting in the way of making decisions I'm happy with.

"I need to go back to the house," I say quite assertively.

"Sure," Bella replies.

I'm surprised she doesn't argue with my request as Victoria and Laurent could be waiting for us there, or maybe she thinks that they'll think that's the last place we'll go. Holy shit! I haven't got the head for this sort of intrigue!

She spins the car in the lot and heads towards home. During the journey, I'm constantly checking the mirrors to see whether we're being followed but we make it to the house without any drama.

I'm out of the passenger seat and at the driver's door before Bella gets out.

"Leave the keys in the ignition," I say as I hand the house keys to Bella.

"Why?" she asks as she grabs her backpack and drops onto the sidewalk.

"Something to do," I reply slightly more curtly than intended as I slide behind the wheel.

Before she has a chance to question me further I slam the car into drive, spin it and head downhill. I need to be somewhere quiet so I can think, which means getting out of the city.

As I drive towards the bay the clouds lift which gives me a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge even though the towers are still topped by cloud. Across the water and now bathed in glorious sunshine I can see Hawk Hill in the distance; the highest point of the Marin Headlands. It's beckoning to me and I know that's where I need to be. There's a special place there where I might find the answers to the questions that are now bugging me, namely …

Who is Bella actually working for, and more importantly,

Can I trust her anymore?

Victoria and Laurent - hiss boo! The Three (not very nice) Amigos are back together.

Edward is on a roller coaster of 'can I/can't I' trust Bella again. Turning her back so he couldn't lip-read what she was saying was not a good move on her part.

Edward likes his space, so he's disappearing for a few hours to think things through. He's starting to think more objectively about his situation now rather than leaving Bella to take all the decisions.

Joan x