Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Alisa was going crazy. It was two o'clock on Friday afternoon, and she'd been stuck in her mom's hospital room since ten. After their one illuminating conversation, her mother had mostly been asleep, so she'd paced the room, driving herself mad with unanswerable questions. She was about to let go of her promise to stay under guard when Jason walked through the door.

"What's happening?" she asked. "I thought you were going to text me."

"It's been busy. How's your mom doing?"

"She's stable. Just sleeping a lot. I need to get out of this room."

"Let's go," he said, opening the door for her.

As she stepped into the hallway, she let out a breath of relief. "Can we get out of the hospital for a while? I need to talk to you, and I don't want to do it here."

"It's probably best to stay here, Alisa."

"I can't." She gave a helpless shrug. "Maybe that's what's best, but I need to breathe fresh air and feel the sun. Or I'm going to lose my mind."

He smiled. "Okay. You've convinced me. We'll get out of here. "

"Thank you," she said with relief, moving toward the elevators before he could change his mind.

They didn't talk on the way down to the lobby or out to the car, which was once again parked in front of the valet. As he opened the door for her, his jacket opened, and she was startled to see him wearing a gun.

"When did you pick that up?" she asked.

He followed her gaze. "I've had it all along."

"I didn't notice it yesterday when we crashed. Or this morning when we left the safe house."

"Well, you've been a little distracted."

He was right. Or maybe she just hadn't wanted to see the weapon, hadn't wanted to be reminded of the danger she was in. She got into the car and fastened her seatbelt as he went around to the other side and slid behind the wheel.

She thought her tension would ease as soon as they pulled away from the hospital, but the hill of her nightmares immediately brought it back.

She cracked the window open and said, "Did you get any new leads while you were gone? Do you know where my father is?"

"No. We haven't been able to locate him yet. Did you talk to your mother?"

"I did. I'll tell you all about it, but where are we going now?"

"Back to the safe house."

"How about lunch somewhere? If no one is following us, we should be good, right? We can turn off our phones so no one can follow us and just take a break." She could tell he wasn't super thrilled about her idea, but she pressed forward. "There's a great salad and sandwich place called Stella's near the park by the Santa Monica Pier. The food is excellent. It's pretty fast. And there's even a view of the ocean, which would be nice. I've almost forgotten there's an outside world."

"Aren't you used to being in the hospital all day long?" he asked dryly.

"Yes, but that's different, and I usually have my lunch on the rooftop deck. It has a great view of Los Angeles. I'm just a person who needs to be outside for at least part of the day."

"Well, I can relate to that," he said. "Being stuck in an office all day was never my dream. All right. We'll go to Stella's. Do you want to put it in the GPS?"

"I know how to get there," she said, directing him to the nearest entrance for the 405 Freeway.

"So, what did your mother tell you?" he asked.

"She admitted that my dad told her he had a secret past before they married, that he'd changed his name, and he couldn't tell her why. He could never tell her anything except he'd made some positive changes in his life, and he was committed to being a good man for the rest of his days. He said he would understand if she didn't want to move forward with him, knowing he could never answer her questions."

"That's quite a story to tell someone you're dating."

"Isn't it? But what blew me away was her response. She was fine with it. She said she loved him so much she was willing to see what they could have. It makes no sense to me. I couldn't marry someone who told me he had a secret life I could never know about. It would make me crazy."

"Me, too. It's bad enough you never really know who you're marrying until you're in it, but to know going in that there are secrets—that would be a deal-breaker for me."

"My mom said she has no regrets. She reminded me of how great my dad has always been, how he's treated us so well, and how his love has always been there. She said he kept his promise to her to be the best man he could be."

"Until maybe now," Jason muttered. "Obviously, his past caught up to him."

"That has to be what happened, and he's still trying to outrun it. That's why he left. He must have thought that putting distance between us would make us safer."

"He's wrong. You're leverage against him. And there are two of you, which means one of you is…" Jason's voice trailed away. " Never mind. It doesn't matter what he thinks about keeping you safe. He's not doing a good job of it, and we need to find him."

"What were you going to say?" she asked. "I can fill in the blank, but I'm curious what word you were going to use."

"I was talking out of hand. Sometimes, I forget you're under my protection and not my partner," he admitted.

"Can't I be both?"

"No, you can't be both. You're a civilian and I need to keep you safe."

"You were going to say one of us is expendable, weren't you? And I'm probably the expendable one because yesterday they tried to kill me."

"Maybe only because you were easier to get to," he said.

"I wonder if my dad knows everything that's happened."

"Did your mother have any idea where he is?"

"No, but she said it was possible my dad confided in Henry. When Henry came to visit her on Wednesday night, he said something like, I know what you know, and I think we need to talk about it. She was confused and not feeling well, so she just let the comment drop."

"It seems surprising your father would tell anyone after so many years of living a secret life," Jason murmured.

"My mom said they got very close after Henry's wife died. I think we should speak to Henry again, maybe after work when Lauren isn't around. We could go to his house."

"Unless she's living with him."

"I don't think it's gone that far. I'll text him later and tell him I want to speak to him alone." She felt good that they had a plan, even if it might go nowhere. It was one step toward taking back some control over her life.

Shortly before three, Jason pulled into the lot next to Stella's, careful to survey the area before getting out of the car. He'd made several turns and taken many side streets on their way here, and they had both turned off their phones miles back, so hopefully they were untraceable.

Since it was late for lunch and early for dinner, there were plenty of empty tables in the café. He ordered a chicken wrap with a side salad, while Alisa went for a Cobb salad with chicken. They headed for a table by the window, and he took the seat facing the door so he could see anyone coming into the café.

"You look wary," Alisa commented, as they waited for their food. "Are we okay here?"

"Yes. Don't take my wariness for anything more than just wanting to make sure I've covered my bases."

"Okay. That's good to know. I've always been pretty cautious. My dad always warned me to be aware of my surroundings, whether I was at the mall, the beach or even at a party at someone's house. He hammered away at the idea that good people sometimes have hidden motives, and I need to know, really know, someone before I trust them." She paused. "Considering what I've learned about him, those warnings take on a different meaning now. I always thought he was over-the-top protective, but he must have had some lingering fear that one day my life might be in danger because of him." She took a sip of her water. "I just wish he'd told me. Maybe not when I was a kid, but I'm twenty-eight years old. I'm an adult. He should have brought me into the secret."

He could see the pain and also the anger in her gaze. She loved her dad, but she felt betrayed, and he could understand why. "I'm sure he was just terrified that the truth would put a barrier between you, that you might not understand or be able to forgive him," he said, wanting to dissolve some of the heartbreak in her eyes. There was something about Alisa that made him want to make her feel better. Maybe because she was making such a valiant effort to be strong and brave in the face of terrifying danger.

"I definitely would have asked more questions than my mother," she said, taking a swig of her water.

"Another reason for him not to tell you, because he couldn't give you any answers."

"How do you think his life caught up to him?" she asked. "And if his old life was tied to Novikov, what was he doing with a Russian terrorist? Was he a terrorist, too? That seems completely unbelievable to me. He's not a violent person. He never even raises his voice when he's angry. In fact, he gets quiet when he's mad. I can't fathom how he could hurt anyone."

"Well, if he left that life, then he definitely didn't want to hurt people."

"I guess that's something to hang on to." She paused as his phone vibrated. "I thought you turned off your phone."

"I turned off one of my phones. This is an untrackable burner. I rerouted my texts to this phone in case anything urgent came in." He pulled out the phone and read the message, unhappy to see that despite their efforts to keep the status of Novikov within a tight circle, suspicions were flying.

"What is it?" Alisa asked.

"A text from my father's longtime friend and partner, Patrick Hastings. Patrick was also involved in the case three years ago. He heard Novikov might be in town and wants to talk to me."

"Why do you have a grim look on your face? Do you not like him?"

"I like him fine. Patrick was a mentor to me and very close to my dad. They were friends for thirty years. But Patrick was part of the investigation three years ago. In fact, he was with me when we got to the house and found my father and Stephanie…" He drew in a heavy breath. "I told you I believed there was a leak, and that's why I wanted to keep the circle tight on Novikov's reappearance now, but Stephanie caught wind of it and now Patrick. Clearly, the news is out. "

"How big of a concern is that?"

"Maybe not that big. The operational details will still be kept within my task force. But I need to be more careful this time. I have to assume Novikov is playing the same strategic game he always plays, and that involves manipulation and set up."

"He sounds like the worst person in the world."

"He is."

"So, are you going to meet Patrick?"

He thought about that. "I probably should, just to find out what he knows. Patrick retired from the bureau six months after that ambush, so I don't think he'll try to insinuate himself into the investigation. He probably just wants to know what's going on. And maybe I owe it to him. He was my father's best friend, and he helped me a lot when I first started at the bureau. I didn't always take his advice, but I was grateful for it." He paused. "Sometimes, I feel a little guilty that I haven't kept in touch with him."

"Why haven't you?" she asked.

"I've just buried myself in work the last few years. And I haven't wanted to share stories about the good times he had with my dad."

"I can see how that would be difficult. Seeing Patrick would remind you of your father and your loss."

"It would. And his stories would remind me that he had a much closer relationship with my dad than I did."

"Really?" she asked with surprise. "But you're his son."

"I didn't have the kind of relationship with my father that you had with your dad. He wasn't warm and fuzzy. He wasn't even around that much. He was ambitious, and his goals were always bigger than the family. I never could get close to him. And sometimes I was a little envious of Patrick's relationship with my dad, how he brought out this fun, more relaxed side of my father. It wasn't a side I saw very much. My dad wasn't a talker. He didn't express emotion, one reason my mother divorced him. He couldn't say I'm proud of you, or I love you. He just couldn't do it."

"I'm sorry. But I'm sure your dad loved you, even if he couldn't say it. And I bet he was proud of you, too."

He smiled at her words. "You're sweet to say that, Alisa."

"I'm not just saying it; I think it's true. And I'm not that sweet, Jason. I know families can be problematic. Believe me, after working in the ER and seeing how people sometimes treat the people closest to them, I know that not every family is good. But hearing the way you've spoken about your dad and getting to know you, I just can't imagine how he couldn't have cared about you or been proud of you. You're a good guy."

"You don't know me that well."

"I know it's only been a few days, but we've been through such intense moments together, it feels like we know each other on a level I don't get to very often, even with people I've spent time with for weeks."

"Like your last boyfriend?"

"Yes." She paused as a server delivered their dishes. "This looks good. I've been craving a salad."

He was hungry, too. Everything else could wait. For now, he was just going to eat. Then he'd decide what to do about Patrick.

Fifteen minutes later, he felt decidedly better than he had in a while. He'd needed food, air, and a break as much as Alisa had. She looked happier, too, her face filled with color, her brown eyes glowing, no stress tightening her mouth, no nerves making her fidget in her seat. She was relaxed, and so was he. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to last.

He got another text from Patrick. It was urgent that they meet. He just needed a few minutes of his time.

"Patrick again?" Alisa asked.

"Yes."

"He sounds desperate to speak to you. Why don't we just go meet him together?" Alisa suggested.

"I can't take you with me. "

"Why not? He's a retired FBI agent. He's not working the case. And he's not a bad guy, so what's the problem?"

He frowned. "It's not a good idea."

"I'll stay in the car," she offered. "If what he has to say is important, I don't think you should put him off."

She had a point. Taking her back to the hospital would take too much time. He sent Patrick a text, asking if he could meet him at the park across the street.

The answer came flying back. Patrick could be there in twenty minutes.

"Okay, he's coming to the park across the street," he told Alisa. "But you will stay in the car. The car windows have bulletproof glass, so you should be okay."

She frowned. "Really? You had to mention the bulletproof glass? You couldn't just say I'd be fine."

"Sorry," he said with a smile. "I was thinking out loud."

"Maybe some things should be kept in your head. But I'll be fine. It's just a few minutes, right?"

"I'll make it as fast as possible, and hopefully, Patrick has something worth sharing."