Black and Shadow (3 page)

She picked up the letter from Joe.
Instead of putting it in the suitcase, she added it to the pictures
in her purse. Mr. Running Bear would answer her questions, one way
or the other.

She opened her laptop and made the
plane reservations. It was an early flight, so she could visit
Isanti before the offices closed for the day. Lastly, she called
Dan. The phone rang a couple of times before he answered. She could
hear the noise of the club in the background.

“Yeah?”

“Dan. I got the tickets. The flight
leaves at 7:30 in the morning. Meet me here at 5:30. We can share a
cab.”

“Man, that’s early. All right, I’ll be
there.” Dan hung up.

Jessica hoped he’d pull out. Leave it
to a man to feel like he needed to take care of her. She took care
of herself.

She should sleep, but she could sleep
on the plane, too. Sighing, she switched on the television. A
commentator’s voice from a twenty-four hour news channel reported a
car bombing in Albuquerque last week. The local sheriff died in the
blast. Officials still searched for the responsible
party.

Morning came, and Jessica glared at
the clock when the alarm went off. She was ready in thirty minutes
and kept looking at her watch when Dan didn’t show up on time. She
paced the floor. She should’ve known better than to let Dan invite
himself to come along. He could be a pain in the neck, especially
with flying. Funny, a man with no problem breaking up a knife fight
panicked over a little air turbulence. The doorbell rang and a
ragged-looking Dan stood waiting.

“About time you got here.” Jessica
winced at her waspish tone. “You look terrible. Are you sure you
want to go with me? It’s not too late to stay here.”

“I’d never forgive myself if something
happened to you, Jesse. I’m coming.”

Jessica hurried out to a cab and got
inside. Security always went slow at JFK International and they
needed to get through traffic. She could not miss her
flight.

“Take us to the airport, and hurry,”
Jessica told the cabbie.

Jessica drove her rental
car north across the desert toward the headquarters of Isanti, Inc.
Dan was so easy. She mentioned “shoe shopping” and he quickly
shoved the keys into her hand and said
hasta la vista
. Bringing him along
to Isanti would have ruined everything. She easily convinced him to
rest at the hotel when faced with clothes shopping.

With their late arrival at the
airport, they’d been forced to run to the gate to catch their
flight. The giant of a man didn’t take well to planes and being
squished into a coach seat. He had sweated and whined through the
whole flight. She’d been close to killing him.

Jessica sighed as she pulled up to the
security shed in front of the Isanti offices. She would find out
the truth about her brother’s murder. She rolled down the window
and leaned forward to look at the huge chain-link fence topped with
barbed wire surrounding the property. She gave the guard one of her
high voltage smiles, while making sure he got a good look at her
low-cut halter dress. The man leaned down over the car, his arm
resting on the roof. If he’d been a dog, he would’ve been
salivating.

“Hi, my name is Jessica Black. I have
an appointment to see Joseph Running Bear.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Black, but I don’t see
your name on my roster.” He flipped through the pages on his
clipboard.

Jessica batted her eyelashes at the
man. She hated to take over someone’s mind, but she didn’t see any
other way. She reached for her gift, and catching the guard’s eye
she connected with his mind. Most people didn’t have shields to
protect their thoughts and this man was no exception. She looked at
his name tag.

“Mr. Slocum, you just missed it. It’s
right there at 3:30 PM. Jessica Black. You do see it now, don’t
you?”

“I see it now,” the guard answered in
a monotone voice.

“Once you let me through the gate,
you’ll have no memory of my name. Only you are sure I was on the
roster for today.”

“On the roster for today.”

“Good. Now open the gate.” The guard
went into the shack and pushed the button to lift the barrier. She
released his mind as she drove through the entrance. A little
niggle of guilt let her know that one more time she had taken
advantage of someone’s weakness. But this concerned Fred’s murder.
She couldn’t allow anyone to interfere with finding out the
truth.

She pulled into one of the visitor
parking spots and got out of the car. A wave of desert heat hit her
the moment she stepped out, and she grimaced. She could almost feel
her skin drying. As she walked into the six story glass and metal
building, she noticed the security section in the lobby included a
metal detector and screening machine. Good thing she came unarmed
today. She’d have to mesmerize everyone who questioned her. She
could get through with a little luck. Straightening her spine, she
walked up to the security counter.

When she walked into Joseph Running
Bear’s office she had a headache coming on. Mrs. Hampton, his
secretary, assured her Mr. Running Bear would return in thirty
minutes for their supposed meeting. She didn’t have much time to
find the information she needed.

She glanced at the warm butternut
toned walls with pictures of horses running across the desert and
let the calm of her surroundings revive her senses. Normally, she
wouldn’t have used her gift to this extent. But the security at
Isanti was impressive and multi-layered, with guards standing near
every entrance and elevator.

She sat at the computer, her fingers
quickly running across the keyboard, and surprisingly found the
security here stronger than getting into the building. Frowning,
she began typing. She was a computer wiz. Breaking into computer
systems was one of her jobs for Contel Security. She relished
getting into Isanti’s system.

It took a lot longer than she
originally thought, but she got in. She pulled up the folder marked
Fred Black. It contained police reports, as well as government
reports. She quickly scanned the information, looking for clues.
She winced at the pictures of the body, but then she looked
closer.

It appeared he hadn’t struggled. She
saw no defensive wounds, no marks of bindings on his arms, no
scratches. Fred looked peaceful, like he could be sleeping. The
report also said whoever shot him closed his eyes. The shot was
quick and killed him instantly. That didn’t sound like the work of
a terrorist group. Jessica sat back and closed her eyes. Something
wasn’t adding up and she needed to figure out what really
happened.

“Who the hell are you and what are you
doing in my office?”

Jessica jumped. She looked at the door
and saw a man with very broad shoulders dressed in a dark business
suit. This must be Joseph Running Bear, head of security, and her
brother’s friend. A quiver ran through her. He looked quite
handsome in his dark suit, and even though the outfit appeared
well-tailored it couldn’t take away the aura of danger clinging to
him like a second skin. She licked her lips.

His dark hair and chocolate eyes added
to the strong aquiline nose and chin. He was tall, taller than her,
and maybe even taller than Dan. His shirt must hide six-pack abs.
He was a hunk. From the look on his face, he was an angry hunk. She
reached for her gift and smiled into his eyes.

“You expected me. I have an
appointment.”

He smiled at her and closed the door.
She heard the lock click. Then he stalked her. She moved around the
desk, keeping it between them. But he lunged, grabbing her arms. He
pushed her up against the wall and held her easily. She should
struggle. Maybe surprise him with a kick to the groin. But she
found herself staying still. She needed to get control with her
mind. She looked deep into his eyes.

“You will release me and allow me to
leave. Once I am out of your sight you will forget everything about
me.”

“Oh, I doubt I could ever forget you,
sweetheart,” he said.

It wasn’t working. A shiver
of fear coursed through her. She couldn’t take control of his mind.
She looked into his eyes again, attempting to connect. Nothing. He
looked amused, but also wary.
God he is
gorgeous.

Unable to help herself, she glanced at
his lips. What would they taste like? Breathing deeply she took in
his scent of sage and something else that made her think of the
desert. She could feel a blush coloring her skin.

“Definitely unforgettable,” he
said.

If this was Joseph Running Bear then
he wouldn’t hurt her. Her brother had trusted him completely.
Perhaps she should tell the truth. She moistened her dry lips and
the amusement in his look turned to smoky desire. He wanted her.
She wished he would kiss her before she admitted to breaking in.
His head dipped and she lifted her face. A whisper of air brushed
her lips.

“We’ll get to that later. First,
you’re Fred’s little sister. Right?”

He was teasing her?
Jessica felt the anger rush through her and sent
it straight as an arrow into his head. He groaned, releasing her
and staggered back, his hands holding his head. Slowly, he sank
into his desk chair.

She could run, but she probably
wouldn’t get far. She straightened, walked around to the other side
of the desk, and sat with a huff.

“Nice trick,” he said. “Okay, I
probably deserved that. But if you don’t start talking, I’m calling
for back up and having your pretty little ass thrown in jail.” He
thought she was pretty?

“Yes, I’m Fred Black’s sister,
Jessica. I came to investigate his murder,” she said.

“By breaking into my office?” He
glared at her.

She shrugged. “I needed information.
The police refused to give me any.”

“Did it occur to you to ask?” He sat
forward, leaning his elbows on the desk, a smile flirting with his
face.

“Look, I don’t know you and you don’t
know me. I didn’t think you would help me, so I made other plans.”
Jessica crossed her arms. He wasn’t taking her
seriously.

“Which included breaking into my
office.”

“Yes.”

“How did you get into the building?” A
frown crossed his features. He returned to glaring at her
again.

“How do you think?”

“You used mind control.” He clenched
his hands together.

Jessica gasped. He knew she tried to
control him? “How do you know?”

“You tried it on me. I assumed you’d
used it before. You’re lucky you didn’t run into any tribal
members. Your trick won’t work on the Nuni Nagi tribe. They might
have killed you and asked questions later.” He actually looked like
that might’ve bothered him. Her heart gave a little
flutter.

Jessica smiled. “Why doesn’t it work
on you? I’ve never known anyone I couldn’t control.”

“That must have made dating
interesting. Fred spoke of you often. Can I see ID?”

“Why? You already know who I am.”
Jessica crossed her arms.

“Because if I have to call the cops,
it’ll make it easier for them to process you.” Joe winked at
her.

“You’re pressing charges?” she asked,
her tone outraged.

“If you don’t cooperate,” Joe said
with a stern look.

“Fine. My purse is sitting on the
floor by your chair. You’ll find my wallet inside.”

“Do you mind?”

“Would it matter?” she
asked.

§

Joe smiled at her and then reached for
her purse. She was here. The woman he’d been obsessing over stood
in his office. Thank goodness she didn’t find the picture of her
stashed in the drawer. He inspected the contents of her purse,
looking for a weapon, before opening her wallet. Her driver’s
license and concealed carry permit sat in the front next to the
letter he’d sent her.

He glanced at her, drawn to her in a
way he’d never felt before. He took in her long red hair that
brushed her arms and her curvy figure in the yellow halter dress.
Her hair was shorter in the picture. He decided he liked it long
and didn’t need the tightening of his briefs to tell him he wanted
her. “Your brother said you worked for Contel Security in New York.
He had hoped to bring you out for an interview.”

“I’m here about his murder, not for a
job interview.”

“With the amount of life insurance he
carried, you probably don’t need to work.”

“I’ll decide that after I find the
killer. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Well, I see you hacked into my
computer.” Joe noticed that the moment he sat down. Instead of
anger he felt something like pride. It seemed Fred’s little sister
possessed a lot of talents. He shook his head. “I probably should
pay you a retainer for showing me how easily it can be
done.”

“It wasn’t easy. It took me twenty
minutes to get in.”

“But you got in.” So, she was modest.
Until today, Joe would have said no one could break into the Isanti
computer network.