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As she made her way back to her desk, goose bumps raised the fine hairs on her arms. Her office was still located in the same suite she’d shared with Haddock, but until a replacement was elected next month back in Texas, she’d be working for Crane. Which shouldn’t have been a big deal. Both congressmen worked for the same political party and were on many of the same committees. TJ was familiar with most of the committee agendas and what was at stake.
TJ dodged people moving in and out of offices along the hallway. As she passed Congresswoman Ann Malone’s office the door opened and Gordon Harris stepped out and turned back to say, “John, if you need anything, you have my cell number.”
“Thanks, Gordon.” The low baritone response sounding from inside the office struck a note of familiarity with TJ and she peered around Gordon to see the owner of the voice.
Gordon turned toward her, pulling the door closed behind him. “Oh, TJ, I’m glad you’re here. I have some documents I need you to take a look at and return to me by tomorrow.”
Just as the door closed, she caught a glimpse of the man he’d been talking to. Her heart slammed to a halt and the papers in her hands slipped to the floor.
“Whoa, let me help you with those.” Gordon bent to gather the sheets scattered over the floor. When he stood, he frowned. “You all right? You look as if you’d seen a ghost.”
“I think I have.” Suddenly light-headed, she took the papers from Gordon without looking, her eyes on the door as if willing it to open. “Wh-who was that you were talking to?”
Gordon glanced back at the wood-paneled door as if he could see through it. “You mean John? That’s the new temporary staff assistant for Congresswoman Malone. Name’s John Newman.” He turned back to her, his eyes narrowed. “Why? You know him?”
“No.” The blood returned to her head in a rush. She’d imagined Sean on the jogging trail and now she was hallucinating at the office. What the hell was wrong with her? Her face burned with embarrassment. “I have to go.”
“What about those documents I need reviewed by tomorrow?”
“Bring them by anytime, I’ll look at them.” Just not now. She needed a few minutes alone to get a grip on herself. She dashed to her office, dumped the stack of papers on her desk and headed straight for the ladies restroom. When she reached an individual stall, she slid the bolt home and collapsed against the door.
Why, after a month had passed from the incident, was she having hallucinations? TJ shook her head. As if by shaking her head she could get her brain to return to normal!
Since the bombing, she’d had nightmares about the exploding building, about the hospital afterward and about Sean. She’d never had her bad dreams recur during the daylight hours. Were they taking over her life?
TJ rubbed at the stiff muscles in the back of her neck and stared at the glossy floor and wall tiles. A shaky laugh escaped her lips. Had the bombing in Dindi reduced her to hiding in a bathroom stall? Her shoulders straightened.
No. She was made of sterner stuff than that. After a few cleansing breaths, she opened the door, ready to face the world, her imaginings and herself.
She crossed to the sink and splashed water on her face. With a paper towel, she patted her cheeks dry and gazed at the stranger staring back at her from the mirror. Was that really her? Sure, she went through the motions every day of getting ready for work, but she hadn’t stopped lately to take stock of her appearance. Since when had the dark circles appeared beneath her eyes and why did her cheeks look so sunken? Damn, she looked like walking death.
Just because Haddock and Sean had died in the explosion didn’t mean she had to.
Get a grip, girl.
Less shaky and more in control of her emotions, TJ pinched a little color into her cheeks and stepped out of the ladies restroom into the hall. She poured herself into her work, determined to be too busy to think by the end of the day, hoping that she’d fall into bed so tired, she’d sleep without the awful nightmares.
SEAN WORKED ALL DAY in Congresswoman Malone’s office learning the ropes and the pecking order. Which was fine by him. The more they sent him to deliver documents, the more he got to see and hear.
Each time he worked his way down the hallway, he kept an eye open for TJ Barton. She’d mentioned working in the Rayburn Building and that Haddock had offices here. One half of him wanted to see her just to know where exactly she was. The other, more practical half knew meeting up with her again could blow his cover all to hell. An S.O.S. agent needed anonymity to do his job. The less she knew and the less he saw of her, the better.
On the pretext of making a good impression on the boss, Sean hung around the office late. He planned to stay until after everyone left so he could sneak into Congressman Crane’s office.
After seven in the evening, Sean’s assigned mentor, Gordon Harris, stopped by his desk and plucked a file out of the in-box. “Good, I was expecting this.” Most of the staff had left by six. “Does the congresswoman have you loaded up with assignments already?”
“Not really. I’m reading all the material you gave me earlier and some available on the intranet to better understand what goes on around here.”
Gordon shoved the file folder into his briefcase and zipped the top. “Well don’t stay too long. You’ll absorb a lot of this over time.”
He didn’t have the luxury of time. “I know, but I want to come up to speed quickly. I hear Congresswoman Malone can be tough.”
“She’s demanding, but she knows her stuff. I wouldn’t be surprised if she makes a bid for president some day.”
While he had Gordon, he might as well question him. “I read somewhere that Malone is carrying the banner for the Dindi Millennium Challenge funding. I thought after the bombing, they’d cancel it.”
“She’s a powerhouse when it comes to backing a cause she believes in. The Appropriations Committee will vote on it in a few days. I’m betting my money on Malone.”
The hairs on the back of Sean’s neck stood at attention and he made a mental note to look up the Appropriations Committee’s meeting schedule and location. “Is there any opposition?”
Gordon snorted. “Some.” A diplomatically vague answer to be expected from a legislative assistant.
Sean had overheard rumblings that Congressman Crane was foaming at the mouth because Dindi didn’t get dropped when Haddock died. He’d backed Arobo all along. It would be interesting to see the outcome. Malone and Crane were both from the same party and on the same committee, and they couldn’t agree. But was that reason enough to have Haddock killed? Sean’s mind ticked through the possibilities. Could the members be playing political games gone deadly? “How long have you worked with Malone?”
“Since she was elected six years ago.” Gordon glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to get out of here. I’m supposed to meet a friend for dinner and I’m already late. You need anything before I go?”
“No, I’ll only be another thirty minutes before I cut out.”
“See ya tomorrow.”
After Gordon left, Sean remained in his seat and pulled up the internal roster of congressmen and staff members. Crane had a staff of twenty-one full-timers and four temps; apparently he hadn’t replaced George Fenton. Malone had a staff of twenty-two and four temps, counting him. How many people would they have to cross-reference with the CIA background checks before they got to the right one? He printed a copy of the staff lists to give to Royce. His first stop in Crane’s office had to be George’s desk. He glanced at the time. Eight o’clock. Still early for snooping in another congressman’s office. Instead, he spent time going through all the desks and drawers of the staff members in Malone’s office, saving her inner sanctum for last.
Before he tackled the congresswoman’s office, he made a pass through the suite and poked his head out into the hallway. No one moved and, other than a few lights shining beneath doorways farther down the hallway, he didn’t see anyone. Then a door down the hall opened.
Sean ducked back in and listened for footsteps. They headed in the opposite direction.
Good. If he hurried, he could get into Malone’s office and close the door before anyone saw him. Sean hurried back to the congresswoman’s office, slipping a thin plastic lock pick from his pocket.
TIRED AND READY to call it a day, TJ left her office with a stack of inner-office mail envelopes marked with suspense dates of tomorrow. After she dropped these at various offices along the corridor, she could go home and heat up the leftover Chinese food she had in her refrigerator. Then again, would it be any good after four days?
She dropped two envelopes in Congressman Latke’s office and turned back to hit Crane and Malone’s offices.
Maybe just a piece of toast and a long soak in a hot bath.
Her plans made, TJ entered Malone’s office. Her feet sank into the plush carpeting, muffling the sound of her footfalls as she passed through the suite to get to Gordon’s desk positioned outside Malone’s door.
As she neared the inner-office area, a clicking sound alerted her that she wasn’t alone. Was Gordon still here? If so, she could explain her comments on the report she’d reviewed.
Rounding the corner to Gordon’s office, her mouth open to say hello, TJ stopped and stared at the empty room. Should she add hearing things to her list of hallucinations? Pressing her ear to Malone’s door, she listened for any signs of a late meeting with the congresswoman. No sounds penetrated the wooden door to the office.
The hairs on the back of TJ’s neck rose to attention and she had the uncanny sense of being watched. With more haste than care, she tossed the envelopes into Gordon’s in-box and turned to leave, a chill snaking its way down her spine. She took a step and stopped. Was that the sound of a door? The one leading to the hallway? “Hello? Is anyone in here?” No one answered.
A distinct click sounded from the outer office area. Had she left the door open and it had swung closed behind her? Her breath caught in her throat as she made her way back through the offices to the hallway. The door that she’d left open a moment before was now closed.
Creepy. TJ jerked the door open and stepped out into the hallway and breathed a sigh, chastising herself for letting her imagination get the better of her.
Then she saw him.
A man hurried down the hallway toward the exit.
What the hell? Had he been in Malone’s office snooping around? Should she call the Capitol Police and have him stopped? What if she was wrong and the man was rushing to meet his family for dinner?
TJ’s feet moved in the direction the man had gone. Maybe she’d follow him just to see who it was. What could that hurt? If he had been snooping, at least she might be able to give more of a description than the back of a man’s shadowy head.
The man disappeared around a corner.
Now, she could run and he wouldn’t know she was chasing after him. TJ slipped out of her shoes, clutched them in her hands and ran down the hall as fast as she could in her confining skirt and bare feet. When she neared the corner, she slowed and peered around.
The man had disappeared. How could she describe him if she didn’t actually see his face? If she didn’t hurry, he’d make the parking garage and escape before she had a chance to identify him.
Why she should be so fixated, she didn’t stop to question. Perhaps her earlier Sean “sightings” were making her punchy. Determined to catch up to the unidentified man, she hitched up her skirt and lit out at a jog, rounding the next corner at a flat-out run.
A hand reached out and snagged her arm, jerking her back against a solid wall of muscle. Another hand clamped over her mouth, muffling the scream rising in her throat. Her shoes slipped from her hands, dropping to the floor.
Instinct kicked in and she bit the hand, stomped on the man’s instep and cocked her elbow to jab into his gut.
At that moment, a voice penetrated her fog of panic.
“Damn it. Stop fighting me and I’ll let you go.” That voice. The same voice she’d heard earlier today coming out of Malone’s office. Her body froze, her skin tingling all over.
The hand over her mouth loosened. “Are you going to scream?”
TJ shook her head. She couldn’t scream if all the air had left her lungs. Hell, she couldn’t breathe.
He dropped his hand and slowly turned her to face him. “Why were you chasing me?”
All the blood drained from TJ’s face and the man’s image swam in her vision like an apparition floating through a cloud. When her knees buckled, she staggered backward until her back hit the wall. “Sean?”
Chapter Four
Sean gripped TJ’s arms to keep her from falling. Her face blanched and her eyes widened. Her knees shook as if she was about to drop to the floor in a dead faint, or so he told himself as he pulled her against his chest.
The scent of spring flowers wafted beneath his nose, sending him back to Dindi and the hotel suite he’d shared with this beautiful woman. For a long moment he allowed the good memories to wash over him. He wanted to continue holding her close until he recaptured that feeling of belonging he’d only experienced with her in that faraway room. But the good feelings were chased away by bad memories. The blinding flash of the explosion and the resulting blackness filled his mind.
Marty was dead. Sean had only sustained minor injuries—cuts, scrapes, ruptured eardrums and a mild concussion. He’d survived. Marty hadn’t.
With cold determination, he set TJ at arm’s length and stepped away. Somehow, he had to get through this mission without letting this woman distract him again. Detecting movement to his left, he painted a confused but friendly expression on his face. “Why were you following me? Do I know you?” He bent to retrieve her shoes and handed them to her.
As she slipped them on, her skin went from white to red in a manner of seconds. “Do I—”
The night-duty Capitol Police guard chose that moment to walk by. “Good evening, Ms. Barton.” The guard gave Sean a wary look. “Everything okay here?”
TJ pushed a hand through her shoulder-length hair and gave a shaky laugh. “Oh, hi, Joe. Yes, yes, of course.” When the guard turned away from her, TJ glared at Sean.
“If you’re sure…” Joe didn’t act as if he wanted to leave.
“No, really, Joe,” TJ said. “We were just discussing work, weren’t we?”
Sean nodded, gauging TJ’s words and anticipating her next with some trepidation. “Yes, sir.”
“You new around here?” Joe asked.
“Started today in Congresswoman Malone’s office.” Sean stuck out his hand. “John Newman.”
A soft snort sounded beside him.
As the guard took his extended hand, Sean could feel the heat of TJ’s glare burning into his back. She could blow his cover if she wanted and she was mad enough to do it. He hoped she wouldn’t.
“John Newman,” the guard repeated. “Nice to meet you.” He glanced again at TJ. “If you’re sure you’re okay, I’ll be on my way. Still have my rounds to complete.”
“I’m perfectly fine.” Her brows rose. “And so is Se—John. He’s perfectly fine.” Her lips thinned for a moment before she graced the guard with a dazzling, albeit fake, smile. “Thanks for your concern. It’s nice to know some people still care.”
Joe walked away, glancing back once before he rounded the corner.
TJ clamped her mouth shut and crossed her arms over her chest, watching Sean until the guard’s footsteps receded.
Sean didn’t like pretending with TJ, but he had to maintain his cover. He’d practiced the lies he’d tell her half a dozen times, knowing it was only a matter of time before she discovered he was there.
After the policeman moved on, TJ grabbed Sean’s arm and ushered him, none too gently, down the long hallway back to her empty office.
Sean assumed a casual, natural look in case someone was watching. Surely legislative assistants dragged the new guys down the halls at some point during the day. He didn’t want to cause a scene or draw attention. His job was to blend in.
When she shoved him into her office and slammed the door behind him, her cheeks blazed with twin flags of color. She paced across the room and turned to face him. “I want answers and I want them now.”
He took a deep breath, wondering how much to tell her. “I’m sorry I didn’t acknowledge you in the hallway. I didn’t want to draw a lot of attention.”
“From whom? The place is practically deserted.” She raised her eyebrows, her toe tapping on the floor. “Who are you really? Sean McNeal or John Newman?”
The story he’d concocted froze on his lips. He’d never had trouble lying to maintain his cover, until he’d met TJ. He swallowed hard and forced the lie out. “John Newman.”
“And who is Sean McNeal? Just a name you made up to get me in bed in Dindi?”
He hated doing it, but he’d rather look the bastard than blow his cover and place himself, and possibly her, in danger. “That’s right. I didn’t want any complications after I left Dindi.”
“Complications.” For a moment her face paled again, then darkened into a ruddy red. A muscle ticked in her jaw for several long seconds. Then she shook her head. “I’m not buying it. Tell me what you’re really up to or I’ll call Joe back here and have you arrested.”
Not sure whether or not she was bluffing, Sean’s eyes narrowed. “On what charges?”
“Spying.” Her own eyes widened and a gasp escaped her lips. “For all I know, you could have been the one to bomb the embassy.”
Sean had known she wouldn’t take his reappearance well, but this encounter wasn’t going the way he’d rehearsed. If he didn’t level with her, she could blow his cover. Question was: could he trust her? He stared long and hard at her. Hell, he’d have to. “TJ, I’m working undercover.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? Are you with the CIA or something?”
“Something like that. I can’t tell you everything, but I need everyone to think I’m just staff assistant John Newman.”
“Are you working the Dindi case?”
“Yeah.” He closed the distance between them and lifted her hands in his. “Look, I know this is hard to understand—”
