Guarding Light (8 page)

   At the last question Jack felt a bone deep weariness take a hold of him. He opened his office, turned on the light, smiling when he saw post-its with terse instructions on neat stacks of papers. Tasha!

   'Sign these' and 'For your approval' and 'Your dinner is in the fridge. Eat it' Jack tossed that one in the garbage and then broke out laughing as there was another one directly under it reading 'What'd I say?'

   Thank God for Tasha. She had been a godsend when she had shown up looking for work 12 years earlier. Jack admitted his life had become a wreck. Tasha had come breezily into his office stating he needed her in the worst way. Remembering her from his time with Catlyn he couldn't resist hiring her after she more than proved her qualifications for the job.

   Jack shied away from one of the reasons he hired Tasha being a tenuous connection to Catlyn. If Catlyn ever looked up her old friend Tasha, she would also find him. He knew it was crazy and he would never admit it to anyone. Pushing his wishful thinking aside, he quickly finished his work. Obediently nooked the meal Tasha left for him and gulped it down and left for home.

   He knew just from the day he had he would need some help falling asleep. He stopped at the Mobil on the Run bought a six pack, driving home he prayed with the FBI arriving, tomorrow would be a better day.

****

   Catlyn Lyte stood over the bathroom sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She stared for several long minutes. Sometimes she saw the little girl that had been lost in 1988. Other times she saw exactly what she was, a thirty-nine year old, overworked, overtired, civil servant.

   "What do you think you are gonna see by staring at yourself like that?" Jose Sanchez asked from the doorway.

   Catlyn caught his eye in the mirror. "Nothing."

   "Well, you're staring like you see a ghost or something." He came into the bathroom and sat on the toilet lid. "Getting antsy about returning home?" Jose put quotes in the air with his fingers.

   Catlyn titled her head, considering Jose's question. "No, not antsy."

   "Then what?" he persisted.

   Catlyn knew Jose would annoy her until she gave him something real. His tenacity was part of what made him one damn fine lawman. "I am just not looking forward to it that's all."

   She turned away from the mirror and went into the room and lay down on the bed. Indicating the hotel's open connecting door she said. "Is there a reason for this visit?"

   "Don't get pissy with me. I came to offer you some of the pizza I ordered."

   "I am not pissy."

   Jose sat on the end of the bed, his tone serious. "Yes you are. I am betting it has something to do with your hometown. In all the years I've known you, you have never visited. Why?"

   "I don't want any pizza, thanks." Her tone and look were dismissive.

   Jose nodded, getting off the bed, heading to the connecting door between the two rooms. "See, pissy."

   Jose shut the door. Catlyn reached for the remote, knowing she would get no sleep tonight. Tomorrow she was meeting with one of her betrayers. In twenty-five years there wasn't a day she hadn't thought of those who had destroyed her innocence. Tomorrow she would be meeting with the person whose betrayal had hurt the most. Jack Anthony Gard, Chief of Detectives, city of Newburgh, NY.

****

Tasha entered Jack's office carrying a steaming mug of coffee. "Morning, Chief."

Jack looked up from his computer. "Morning."

   "Did you eat breakfast?" Tasha set the coffee down in front of him.

   "Tasha, could you stop with the nagging wife routine?" He sipped at the coffee. Perfect, as always.

   "Boy, if I was your wife I'd kick your ass. My man wouldn't be working eighteen hour days." She smiled wide. "I'd keep you too busy in bed."

   Since the first day they met Tasha was able to make him blush and still was one of only two women who could make him blush. "Stop, go type something and send in the FBI guys as soon as they get here."

   About an hour later Jack was going over the latest preliminary M.E. report on the young girl from last night. Her cause of death was like all the others, exsanguination. After raping and torturing these women, the animal had let them bleed out. They needed to capture this psycho before anymore citizens were killed. He was about to go to the 'murder room' where all the pertinent information was tagged on the case when his phone beeped. He pushed a button. "Yeah, Tash?"

   "Uh, Jack the FBI is here…"

   "So what are you waiting for? I told you to send them right in."

   "But, uh, Jack…"

   "Tash, just send them in." He disconnected, stood and put his suit jacket back on that he had taken off earlier. He straightened his tie as his office door opened. Tasha hurried over blocking Jack's view of the agents that entered the room.

   "Jack, I think you should excuse yourself for a minute and talk to me…"

   "Tash, I don't have time. Bring in the case packets for the agents."

"But, Jack…" Tasha persisted.

"Is there a problem?" a male voice enquired.

   Jack moved around Tasha offering his hand to the agent. "No, no, of course not, my assistant was just going to get the updated case packets for you. Hi, Jack Gard, Chief of Detectives." The two men shook hands.

   "Supervisory Special Agent Jose Sanchez, HCD. My partner, Supervisory Special Agent …"

   Jack had been reaching his hand out when he looked into the eyes of Sanchez's partner. "Catlyn!"

   Green clashed with brown. Jack froze with his hand out, staring while some of his questions were answered. Yes, she was ok. Yes she was still gorgeous. Seeing her cold eyes, YES she still hated him.

   "That's right, Catlyn. I wasn't aware you two know each other." Agent Sanchez split a look between him and Catlyn. Jack waited to follow her lead.

   "We don't." She said. "I'm Catlyn Lyte."

   Clearing his throat he stretched out his hand again. "Jack Gard."

   Catlyn looked at the hand he offered, ignoring it, she dipped her head. "Gard."

   The other woman who could make him blush just did. At a lost for a few seconds he heard Tasha's voice. "Please right this way. We have everything all set for you."

   Jack found himself once again thanking God for Tasha. Holy shit! Out of all the ways he dreamed meeting Catlyn again, this didn't come close. This was in an alternate universe.

   Bringing up the rear he followed Tasha and the agents into the murder room. Against a whiteboard the victims' timelines were listed under each of their pictures. The agents went towards the board, both looking it over silently.

   Tasha came over to him, handing him a folder. Last night's victim, slipping the photo out, tacking it to an empty column on the board he took up a marker and quickly put in the information on the latest victim.

   The two agents watched as each item was added. When he was done Jack placed the folder on the conference table.

   Both agents remained silent as they continued to study the board. While they looked at the board Jack looked at Catlyn.

   God she was beautiful. A couple of inches taller, hair no longer jet black but a dark brown streaked with a lighter brown, feathered in flattering waves falling past her shoulders. It was what Tasha called salon magic. He didn't even pretend to understand what-all women did in those salons but he had to admit he loved the results. Her breasts were bigger and even sexier if that were possible. Her waist tiny, cinched with a belt. On the belt her weapon looked huge compared to her waist. Her badge glistened brightly in the front. A cell phone was clipped on the opposite side of her gun. With her hands on her hips, it accentuated her womanly curves and highlighted how small her waist was, how nicely curved her hips and ass were. There was something clipped to the back of her pants as well but her jacket partially covered it. Jack assumed they were cuffs.

   Catlyn faced her partner, took off her jacket, draping it across a chair. She gathered her thick hair, creating a tight ponytail with her hand. She put her back to the whiteboard, lining her face up with the victims' pictures. Tilting her chin this way and that she asked her partner, "What do you think?"

   "You're right again." Her partner smiled at her. "It's disgusting how you can pass for twenty-something when you're almost forty?"

   Horrified, realization dawned on Jack. "Hell, no!" He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud, or rather growled aloud, until all pairs of eyes turned on him with varying degrees of shock.

   "Excuse me?" Agent Sanchez raised his brows.

   "That's right. Excuse you." Pointing to the door he rapped out, "You too Tash."

   "Now just a min-"Agent Sanchez began. Jack grabbed the other man's arm and forcibly led him to the door, Tasha had already left. "Hey, what do you thi-" Jack slammed the door on the rest of Agent Sanchez's sentence. Locking the door, he heard Tasha say something to the offended agent. Jack didn't care what as long as he stayed out.

   "It's a federal offense to assault a federal agent, Chief Gard." Catlyn informed in a bored tone.

   Jack turned from the door and started towards her. He was brought up short when Catlyn's hand rested on her weapon and she took on a defensive stance. He then realized he had been rushing towards her. Taking a deep breath he continued more slowly. She still kept her hand on the gun at her side.

   "Is there a problem, Chief Gard?" Catlyn asked with that I've-got-better-things-to-do-than-humor-you tone.

   "You're damn right there is, if your solution to these murders is setting yourself up as bait."

   "I assure you I've done undercover work many times before." Catlyn's inflection implied she was indeed humoring him. She didn't have to justify anything to him.

   Tough, Jack thought. "I don't give a shit."

   Catlyn's eyebrows rose, disappearing under her bangs, but she remained silent studying him from beneath her long lashes. Damn she still did that. And it still turned him to jelly inside.

   Her silence underlined just how out of line his outburst was, making Jack angrier. Here he was all tied up in knots both physically and emotionally from seeing her again and she just stood there being indifferent. She hadn't even wanted her partner to know they knew one another. His hands shook and she was steady as a rock. Well, he knew her! He knew what would make her unsteady and shake.

   Jack moved in close. To her credit she stood her ground, not giving up an inch. But Jack saw the nervousness in her eyes when she had to look up at him. He was much bigger than her. He knew grown men who were intimidated by his size, the muscular breath of his shoulders. He almost felt bad when he saw her hand tremble when she adjusted it on her weapon, almost but not quite. He couldn't allow her to put herself in harm's way in his city, on his watch, especially not for a fucking serial killer!

   He moved to take her wrist. Before he could take a hold she moved, had his wrist. Quickly he countered, putting her in a restraining hold but not hurting her. She slipped easily out and countered with a strike with her elbow. Jack blocked and swung and found he was blocked. Again and again he tried a move and found himself blocked or her able to break his restraining hold.

   Very quickly, Jack knew Catlyn was very well trained. And, not just in defensive tactics. She had successfully employed several different martial art moves on him, expertly executed. She moved so swiftly and agilely that it was hard to get a hold of her. And her strikes were fast and hard! She hadn't used any below the belt moves but some of her other moves were just as effective. Her main advantage, hands down, was the element of surprise. No one, including himself, expected such power and strength from such a small frame. By the time her opponent realized she was a lot more to contend with, it would be too late and Catlyn would be the victor.

   Jack admitted she was fast. But, although, she had power it was nowhere near his. He didn't want to hurt her and was pulling some of his strength. Realizing he wasn't going to win this way he stopped holding back some. She felt the change in him and tried to adjust her moves.

   As she was coming out of yet another one of his holds, he grabbed her upper arms with brute strength, forcing her back with great speed not giving her a chance to orient. He pushed her down onto the conference table. She almost got up and away. He put both her wrists in one of his hands and pushed her down against the table again, forcing her to lay back with the weight of his upper body. He grabbed her upper thigh with his free hand and pulled her towards the edge of the table, using his thighs to part her legs so he could stand between hers.

   She futilely tried to pull her wrists from his grasp and kicked out as he stood between her legs. Jack put more of his upper body weight on her, stilling most of her struggles.

   She lay beneath him, breathing heavily, hair wild, eyes flashing brown daggers at him. "Chief Gard, get off me right now!" She didn't shout but her voice carried a threat.

   Jack also breathing heavy, his chest against her breasts, put his free hand at her waist, started to un-tuck her shirt from her pants, "Or what, Agent Lyte?"

   Her FBI façade started to crumble, lips trembling and tears in her eyes. She whispered. "Get off me".

   Jack looked deeply into her eyes. She had almost sounded like the sweet Catlyn he once knew. But he made himself ignore his response to her plea. He needed to prove she couldn't handle going up against a crazed killer who was killing people who just happen to look like her.

   "Is that all you got, agent? Think that will work with the killer, maybe add a please?"

   She gave a frustrated shout and renewed her struggle. Jack held her wrists tightly. The more she struggled the tighter his hold. Jack knew she was getting angry. He smiled, hoping she would forgive him later, after she gave up this crazy undercover idea, he teased, "Oh, yes. Move just like that babe. It's turning me on. F.Y.I that is
not
my gun
and
I am very happy to see you!"