The Protector (34 page)

Joed snickered next to me and a huge grin crossed Jack’s face. Noor sighed in total exasperation as I continued, “I trust Jack. Plain and simple. I also know Eric enough to know that he will be happy enough to see me and not ask questions.”  That was a lie, and I am sure Jack could read that on my face.  Eric would ask all sorts of questions. He would want to know why all of a sudden I had changed my mind and came up to see him. 

Jack did read the lie on my face and turned back to Noor.  “She’s simply visiting him Noor. That is the story. As far as we are concerned, we stay a safe distance.  With three of us, we can take turns keeping her safe until we have a guarantee that she is ok.” Jack had not elaborated on his original plan with her and for that I was grateful.

I sat there quietly. Part of me felt sorry for Noor, being out voted by Jack and I. But I kept my mouth shut. Joed shifted in his seat and looked back and forth between Jack and Noor.  His dark eyes were intense as he sat there in deep thought, listening and absorbing every word.  Finally he spoke, “Jack has a point. We need to set up some kind of negotiation to keep Alison safe. We can’t do that on the road.  We need to be in one place and I think between the two of us Jack and I can work on negotiating the deal.  The Israeli’s want who is behind this on your end and on ours. We all have a pretty good idea of who it is,  Noor, This could be a good thing.”

Noor shook her head, “Unbelievable Joed, you too? You are supposed to be the level headed one.  We need to head back to Washington.”

“Noor, don’t you get it? That is the last place we need to be.  I think Tom was being paid by someone within our government to give the wrong people the processor. He chickened out.”  Jack looked back at me. “I am not taking Alison to DC where she will be in more danger.  She is safe here with me.”

“Safe with us,” Joed corrected.  I glanced at him as he smiled at me. “Tell us about this police officer friend of yours Alison.”

I looked at Jack for some direction. I wasn’t sure how much to tell that they didn’t already know.  It took only a few minutes to fill them in.  “He’s a family friend that’s about it.” Elaborating and explaining my relationship with Eric was not high on my list, especially in front of Jack.

Noor’s face was confirmation enough that she wasn’t keen on the idea of going to Oregon.  I could tell the sooner she was rid of me the better.

“We still need some sort of cover story.  It is going to be odd for all of us to just show up.  Can we hide behind a conference, homeland security doing an inspection anything?”

Jack nodded.  “Not without attracting attention to ourselves and that is the last thing we need.”  Jack pulled a chair from the desk and sat in it facing Joed and me.

The discussion went on for over an hour.  We argued back and forth on how to present ourselves up in Oregon. It was finally decided to stick to Jack’s original plan.  I was simply paying a visit. It was then I decided it was time to truly find out what my feelings were for Eric.  Noor agreed to give the guys a week to negotiate something with Washington. Then she said she was going to haul my ass back whether the men agreed or not.  I could see in Jack’s eyes that this was going to be over his dead body.

The discussion ended and Jack stood and reached for my hand to pull me off the couch.  “Hungry Sonny?”

I was. It had been a long morning and it was almost two in the afternoon. I had not been interested in eating prior to his question, but now. I had been  more worried about being separated from Jack than anything else.

Noor stood up and looked at me. “We still have not resolved sleeping arrangements.”  The hunger I had felt prior suddenly turned into knots deep within my stomach. 

“They will remain the same until we get to Oregon Noor.” Jack’s voice was insistent, “then we will revisit the subject.”

“Impropriety Jack,” Noor hissed under her breath looking back and forth between him and I.

“Screw impropriety Noor.  I want her safe and she is safest when she is with me.”

Noor shook her head, “That is exactly what I am worried about, her safety with you?” Her voice was low but loud enough for us to hear.

Before I could react, Jack took the two steps to reach her and grabbed her arm. “Ee have had it this way for almost two weeks now she is more than ok. So I really don’t think it is any of your concern. You need to apologize.”

Noor wrestled her arm free and looked directly at me with disdain. “I am sorry,” she said through clenched teeth.  She quickly walked out of the room into the room she now had to share with Joed. 

My head began to spin as anger began to fill every vein in my body. Joed reached his hand out to stop me from getting out of my seat.  I looked at him and he nodded his head no. “Let her be,” he whispered.  I sat back and pulled my knees to my chest.   Jack stood there looking at the door.  He didn’t turn and look at me, but instead followed Noor into the other room.

“Why does she have a problem with me?” I asked unsure if I really wanted to hear his answer.

Joed stood and walked to the door that separated the two rooms and closed it. Even with it closed, we could almost hear every word Jack and Noor shared.

“It’s not you Alison.”  He walked back and took the seat next to me once again.

“Yeah,” I huffed. “Last time I checked you followed the same commandments – Thou Shall Not Lie.”

He laughed. “His friend, Seth, thinks Jack is in too deep. He has asked Noor to be the buffer, and put some distance between the two of you. Seth doesn’t like what you have done to Jack.”  Joed bent forward and rubbed his hands together and didn’t look at me as he said it. Instead he stared intently down at the carpet below.

“Mind telling me what I have done to him?” I asked sarcastically.  “Jack is an adult Joed. One who makes his own decisions, which I might add, I have had little say in.”

He finally looked up with a grin on his face. “He’s fallen Alison. And people don’t fall in our line of work.”

“Fallen?” I whispered the words and remembered the same words coming out of Jack’s mouth.  I sat and thought about Joed’s words and Jack’s. I understood the meaning behind them, I wasn’t dumb. But I couldn’t see how a man like Jack could fall for me. The voices grew louder as we sat in silence

“How long have they known each other?”  The curiosity had gotten the best of me and I wanted desperately to change the subject. I moved my legs back down to the floor and sat forward on the couch. 

“I’m not sure.  They have worked together on several things before. Or so Noor said.”

“Do you know if they always fight like this?” Their voices were loud now and I could easily hear the source of their consternation, it was me.

Joed only shrugged his shoulders, unsure how to answer my question.

“So Seth is worried Jack has fallen for me?” I had to know. Suddenly I was becoming more trouble than I was worth to everyone.

“How do I start?  A beautiful woman, let’s rephrase, a smart beautiful woman who makes you think about everything you are.  He could leave you at
any time
and hand over this to someone else. Someone better equipped to deal with the situation but he won’t. I could see that when he stopped us from talking in Tel Aviv.  He was protective of you then. And it has only intensified.”

“He didn’t know what side you were on in Tel Aviv. Didn’t he have to be protective.”

“Yes, he did.”  He ran his hand through his dark, almost black hair.  He was clean shaven and he smelled like a freshly opened bar of soap.  “He did.  But I am referring to the look in his eyes, when he saw you talking to another man. This was not a look of a man who had a job to do. This was a man who had jealousy in his eyes. He didn’t like you talking to me.”

“He thought you posed a danger to me. They still had no clue who I had given the chip to. And weren’t you supposed to delay me from getting on the plane?”

“Yes, to all of the above. But Alison there was something more in his eyes that day. He had fallen then, I just don’t think he realized it. “

The door between the two rooms opened then and Jack walked in, frustration and anger still on his face.  I did not move from where I sat. I only smiled at him as he walked in and grabbed his laptop bag. Joed’s words bothered me. But what bothered me even more was the fact, I was keeping Jack from doing his job.    

Joed stood up and offered me his hand. I took it and stood up next to  him. “Why don’t you put some shoes on and I will take you to get something to eat?” 

I looked at Jack searching for a reaction, but he stood their quietly, refusing to look at me.  Finally as if he were programmed he spoke.  “Sonny, go with Joed and eat?’

I couldn’t help but look at Jack with shock.  “You’re not going to go with us?” I looked at Joed, to reassure him I trusted him. I did trust Joed, ironically, I trusted him in Israel. I just wanted to know why Jack was now more than willing to let me into the protective custody of someone else.

“I need to figure some things out.  Don’t bother asking Noor. She’s pouting.” Jack dug in his pocket and grabbed the keys to the BMW and threw them at Joed.  “Take my car.” 

“Thank you.”  Joed walked to the door between the rooms. “I need to grab my firearm.”  Within seconds he had left us alone in the room.

“Jack?”  I walked close to him and put my hand on his arm as I did so his body grew tense under my touch.

“Go Sonny.  Noor is right I have to trust someone.  I can’t do this by myself. Plus it will give me a chance to plot some things out. I still need to have a contingency plan.”  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He took two of the bills and handed them to me. I didn’t look at the amount, I just shoved them into my pocket.  He wasted no time turning away from me to focus on the computer.

“Ok,” I said hesitantly. “Thank you.” Walking away from him was my only option.

I didn’t give Jack a second chance and followed Joed out of the room once my shoes were on.  A heavy feeling settled in my chest and I wasn’t sure what I was feeling. I knew it would be best if this was all over, but I wasn’t ready to be away from Jack. 

“Didn’t bargain for all of this when you said you would go to Tel Aviv did you?” Joed continued down the hall past the elevator to the stairs.  I followed like a lost little puppy dog not knowing what to expect. I had to laugh, he was right. This was the last thing I bargained for when I agreed to go to Tel Aviv.  And definitely the last thing on my list was finding a man like Jack, or falling for someone for that matter.

I followed him quietly out of the hotel and to the car.  “Tell me did you ever think you would end up in a situation like this?”   I asked as I sat down and watched as him walk to the other side.  He took his time and he didn’t speak either when he first got in. He put the key in the ignition and suddenly I could hear the familiar soft purr of its engine.

“Wow!”  His eyebrows were raised in excitement as he put the car in reverse and hit the gas. The car lurched backward and before I knew it we were in drive speeding out of the parking lot.  Joed had a grin from ear to ear on his face and a soft giggle came from deep in his throat.  “Haven’t driven something like this in a
while. Have you driven this yet?”

I had to suppress the laughter, “Yeah. I thought all spies drove fast luxury cars? Come on Joed, big bucks, fast toys and lots of women.”

“You watch too many movies Alison!”  Joed slowed to stop at a stoplight,

“For a minute there, I thought you were going to fly right through the light?”

“Nah, not a good idea. Hungry for anything in particular?”

I nodded. “I think prisoners at Gitmo get to eat more than I do right now. But frankly staying alive has overwhelmed my pangs of hunger” I added sarcastically.  “Frankly you choose, I don’t care at this point. Food.”

His face turned serious as he drove through Truckee. He had slowed his speed through town, which I was grateful for.  Attracting more attention to us was the last thing I wanted and I knew he didn’t want. Not to mention Jack would probably commit murder if something happened.

“You ready for all of this?” Joed asked as he pulled into what looked like a locally owned restaurant slash bar. 

“Ready for what?”  There were few cars in the parking lot which scared me just a bit. But then I remembered the time and hoped for the best as he pulled into the parking spot.

“What may come?’ I had never really thought about it the way he presented it.  There were so many things that could come out of this whole mishap. I could only hope that the worst was over and I was going to live.  “I am not sure what to expect to be honest?”

“I wish I could give you a hint, but I am afraid I am in the same boat.” Joed opened the door to the small eatery. The smell of fried food, meat and men came drifting out the door as he held it open. The room we entered was surrounded by brown paneling.  It was divided into two, with large tables on one end and small pub style tables on the other side.  There were only a handful of people in place, but by looking at the happy hour signs all over, I figured a local crowd would come before too long.  Joed walked in front of me and headed to a pub table.

I was worried about what was going to happen. But the worry wasn’t so much for me and for my life, but for those that surrounded me. I was worried for Jack and I was worried for Eric and for the two people who had walked into my life. Even if I didn’t like her, Noor was still there to protect me, which in turn put her into danger. I worried about Stacy and what she knew, and for Lance.