Chapter 25

Alexis could see that Seb was memorizing each twist in the road, just like she was—in case they needed to leave the safe house in a hurry. Ever since the phone call Vance had received from his boss, he'd been on edge. His smile was a little too wide, and his laugh was a little too loud.

The scattered patches of gravel along the road hinted it had once been passable. Now, it was nothing more than ruts in bare dirt. While Vance knew every dip and rise in the road, if she and Seb had to drive it on their own, they'd need to give themselves plenty of time.

The full moon would light the road, but it would also draw out the wildlife. The Everglades were swarming with nocturnal creatures. Alexis shivered at the thought of running over a python, slithering across the stretch of dirt.

The landscape surrounding them had a grace of its own, but it didn't call to her. The sea was her home.

"How far before we reach this place?" Alexis asked Vance, knowing she sounded like a whiny child. They hadn't traveled far, but the constant bouncing up and down was draining.

"We're two miles from the last turnoff, but the road makes it seem farther," he said as he made a right into a gap among the trees. "Too few people live out here, for the county to be bothered maintaining it."

Vance pulled onto a dirt patch to the side of a lush green lawn that bordered an immaculate double wide manufactured home. A barbeque sat on a huge, raised deck attached to the front of the trailer at one end. A veranda ran from the end of the deck along the front of the home. It was broken in the middle by the stairs leading to the front door.

A rugged, weathered man Alexis judged to be in his mid-forties sat in a rocker beside the door, watching them park. He raised a cigarette to his lips, which were peeking out of a scruffy beard. His worn-out cargo pants, faded t-shirt, and beat-up pair of work boots clashed with the clean white siding.

"Who's the man sitting on the porch?" Alexis asked.

"He owns the place." Vance turned off the car and threw the keys on the dashboard.

"Do you know the guy well?" He didn't look like the pals the Marshal would hang with.

"He's my brother." Vance pushed the car door open and got out.

Vance's brother stood up and walked toward them, a slight limp to his gait. "Watch where you're stepping. This place backs onto the water and animals wander into the yard. It was their home long before mine."

He tossed his cigarette onto a patch of dirt and crushed it with his boot before offering Seb his hand. "Orlan Westberg. Vance's brother. Pleased to meet you."

"Seb Tremblay." Seb shook the man's hand and then gestured to Alexis and Emery. "Alexis and Sofia. Thank you for allowing us to spend a few hours here."

"Stay as long as you need. No one will find you out here." Orlan cracked a smile. "Vance mentioned you're Navy. You'll find several of us out here. The Everglades have always been my home, but it's also a peaceful place for folks who no longer fit in the city."

Alexis knew he was talking about military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Finlay had written an excellent article that she'd pushed hard to get into as many publications as she could. There was an eerie tranquility to the land. She could understand the appeal.

"Your leg?" Seb gestured to Orlan's right leg.

"IED. Lost it from the knee down. I was one of the lucky ones, but it ended my career, and I returned home."

Orlan turned to her and Emery and gestured to the house. "Ladies, I figured you'd be tired and hungry from the bits and pieces, Vance texted. I have a stew simmering on the stove. Let's eat first and then we can figure out what I can do for you folks."

Alexis stood in the entryway, closed her eyes, and inhaled. Whatever Orlan was cooking, she was having seconds. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted over her, making her even more hungry.

He chuckled. "I love a woman with an appetite. Darlin', I promise you a home cooked meal you won't forget." Alexis laughed as he turned to Seb and Vance. "You boys might learn a thing or two tonight. The way to a woman's heart is through her stomach."

The interior of the home matched the pristine exterior. She had expected it to be as rough and unkempt as its owner.

Alexis didn't know what to make of Orlan. Much older than Vance, his craggy face spoke of a lifetime of experiences. Other than their tall, muscular build, the brothers were nothing alike.

"We're eating in twenty minutes, so everyone get cleaned up," Orlan said and headed for the kitchen.

"Sofia, I'll show you where the guest room is. There's an ensuite so you'll have some privacy." Vance ran a hand up and down his neck. "It's been a day. We should catch a couple hours' rest before we go to Miami. Alexis, you can use my room. Seb and I will flip a coin to see who gets the couch and who gets stuck with the recliner. We'll need to share the main bathroom."

"I'll take the recliner if you can help me move it into the room Alexis is using," Seb said. "I'd rather be in the same room. Protocol."

Alexis knew it wasn't Shadow Defense protocol, but it would allow them to talk without being overheard by the others.

Vance nodded. "Let's move the recliner while the ladies wash up for supper."

Alexis's stomach rumbled as she walked to the bathroom. Orlan was right about one thing. The way to her heart was definitely through her stomach.

Seb and Vance were still moving the recliner into the bedroom when she finished washing up for supper. She could hide out in the bathroom for a few minutes and text Finlay.

Alexis pulled her cell phone out of the crossbody bag Daphney had packed and swiped the screen. She typed quickly as she listened to the men's progress with the recliner.

Are you at the hospital?

We just got here. Vala had to make a stop before she joined me. What's it like hiding out in Gatorland?

Hah! Funny!

Vala says hi. She wants you to find out Emery's real name.

I'll try, but no guarantees.

Gotta go. The doctor walked in. I need to make sure everyone is keeping to the script.

Alexis hoped she'd get a minute alone with Emery. She preferred thinking of her as Emery. Vance rubbed Alexis the wrong way. Each time she spoke with the man, she felt more agitated.

When Vance spoke to Emery, his voice was void of emotion, detached. Sofia was nothing more than a label when he tired of referring to her as his witness. Ignoring her most of the time, he treated her like an object he'd been assigned to guard.

Face it, Alexis. You don't like the guy and you don't trust him.

Emerywas a person, not a job. Alexis felt guilty leaving her with the jerk. Maybe there was something Shadow Defense could do. She'd ask Seb.

Alexis dropped the cell phone into the crossbody bag and left the bathroom. Seb and Vance stood in the bedroom doorway, congratulating themselves for fitting the recliner in the small space.

"You go ahead and wash up for dinner," Seb told Vance when he spotted Alexis, following her to the living room.

"I sent Finlay a text message." Alexis sunk into the comfy couch and sighed. The ride in the clunker on the dirt road had to have left bruises on her butt. "There appear to be no problems on her end."

"Drake has been watching Butler and Overlin," Seb said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. He kept his voice low to avoid being overheard by the others. "Overlin and Butler arrived at work together. It looks like they're carpooling, and Overlin drove today. Drake is watching the lab and will let Javier know when the men watching the building leave."

"What if they don't?" There was no guarantee Antoine would pull the men on campus and send them to the hospital. It was all guesswork on their part. "What's Plan B for getting into the building?"

"Drake and I will come up with something. Let's wait and watch." Seb stared out the living room window for a moment. "I know Vala checked into Marshal Vance Westberg, but I keep feeling he hasn't shared everything with us. If I had to choose, I'd trust Orlan over the Marshal."

Alexis looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. Interesting. He shared her mistrust of the man.

Before Alexis could ask why, Vance walked into the living room, his cell phone going off in his pocket. "I'm sure it's my boss. I have to take it. Bathroom is free." He yanked the front door open and walked onto the veranda as he spoke. "Deputy U.S. Marshal Vance Westberg."

"I better wash up." Seb rose and glanced out the window at Vance. "A little eavesdropping may give us a few answers."

Great.He wanted her to eavesdrop. She walked over to the plant beside the open window Orlan had left open a crack. It was gorgeous. She didn't have to pretend to admire it as her cover story. Orlan could add horticulturist to his list of accomplishments. There were plants throughout the house.

Vance was doing more listening than talking. His voice was hushed, allowing Alexis to catch only fragments, but it was clear from his body language the conversation had moved beyond a slight disagreement. He'd run his hand through his hair several times and shook his head as he stared at the scuffed toes of his cowboy boots.

The intensity of the conversation increased. Alexis froze as she heard her name.

"Pretty plant." Alexis jumped as Emery flopped down on the couch. "Orlan has a green thumb."

Alexis pivoted and forced a smile as she fought the fear swirling in her stomach. Vance's argument with his boss had something to do with her.

"It won't be so bad being stuck out here if Vance leaves and it's just me and Orlan." Emery's brows furrowed as she chewed on her thumbnail. "Judging from the scents coming from the kitchen, I'll eat well. The guest bedroom is nice."

Alexis sat on the couch beside Emery and pulled her hand away from her mouth. It was time to find out what had forced her to run for her life. "Emery, why are you in witness protection?"

"I saw my ex-father-in-law kill a woman." Emery shuddered, closing her eyes. "His house is a mansion. Since there was plenty of room, he expected us to live with him. I'd moved in a few weeks previously before it happened."

Emery's hands shook and Alexis held them between hers, offering her what little comfort she could.

"He loved to party. Everyone had finally left. I… I took a bottle of champagne out to the pool. There was only a glass left. You know… a few moments to myself," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I must have fallen asleep. Antoine's voice woke me up."

"Antoine?" Alexis asked casually, masking her shock at hearing the man's name.

"I don't know his official business role. He just always seemed to be there." Emery shrugged off the question. "There was a woman with Antoine and my ex-father-in-law in the hot tub. They couldn't see me. I'd chosen a lounge chair that was tucked away in a corner of the patio."

Emery looked up at Alexis, her eyes wide. "I didn't know what to do."

Alexis understood. She was worried they'd think she'd been eavesdropping.

"My… my…"

"Let's call him Dick, to make it simpler. I'm certain the name is appropriate," Alexis said.

"Dick Sr. would be more accurate." Emery's mouth curved into a grin. "I didn't understand most of their conversation. He asked the woman about her trip to Paris. She said it'd been successful. She'd given my ex… Dick Jr. the computer."

The swirling in Alexis's stomach returned. Finlay had mentioned a woman and had been ticked about a missing computer. Alexis had been preoccupied with her role in exposing the Paris nightclub and hadn't paid attention to her friend's mutterings. She never did ask Finlay about it.

"After Antoine left, the woman undressed and joined him in the hot tub. After they had sex, he drowned her." A violent shudder ran through Emery, and Alexis wrapped her arm around the young woman's shoulders. "He put his hand on her head and pushed her under the water. When… when it was all over, he got out of the tub and walked away. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move." Another shudder ran through Emery. "If he'd known I was there, he would have killed me, too. I didn't know what to do, so I stayed put and pretended to be asleep when the maid's screams woke me. Everyone assumed the bottle of champagne had been full and I'd passed out drunk."

"How did you end up in witness protection?"

"I packed a suitcase and left when they were both at work. A friend I'd never introduced them to helped me." Emery turned to Alexis, her eyes haunted and empty. "My real name is Esther Gayle. The U.S. Marshals can't keep me safe. Dick Sr. will keep looking, and when he finds me, he'll kill me."