My 2nd Novel: Hidden Secrets; Chapter 76 (END)

Hidden Secrets
Chapter 76

Hidden Secrets

Leona Palmer Haag

Chapter 76

Monica slipped into her chair across the table and her eyes surveyed Jenn. "Tell me, how does one little girl such as yourself get into so much trouble?" she asked.

Jenn squirmed under the evaluation. "I swear I don't start it."

Monica laughed. "Matt said you'd say something like that. But be honest, how exactly did you get involved this time? From all indications, that Mr. Turpin, as you call him, and the bat wing-eared man had no clue you were in Arizona. From what we've gathered, you happened to be living on the doorstep of something else they were working on. It's odd that when they lost you in Dallas they dropped you completely. I suppose it was because they received word that Nick was captured."

Matt said, "My theory is that Nick's dramatic kitchen episode pulled them away from Jenn. All along she was plan B. Their second choice or back up scheme. They must have figured if they had the wife they could easily reel in the husband."

Jenn shrugged. "We're never going to know, are we? Dead men don't talk. The only thing I've learned about business in your notorious office is that some facts are never fully known. Secrets are born, and some of them disappear without leaving much evidence behind. All that's left are annoying questions that can never be fully answered."

Matt smiled at Jenn. "Well put."

Monica wasn't done with her, though. "It amazes me that you have a knack for stepping into danger. How do you do it so naturally and to such a devastating degree?"

Jenn leaned forward and said, "It's one of those things where if I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Monica's eyes flashed. "Give it a try."

"The killing or the telling?"

Monica laughed. "Both. Are you up to it?"

"Very. Tomorrow morning I'm going to finish the tile floor Kevin had installed but never bothered to seal. I’ve read up on the process and it's going to be a messy, on-your-hands-and-knees type job. Be there at eight. Bring kneepads. You can buy them in the glamour department at the Home Depot. I'll share all my secrets as we work."

Monica held up her hands. Wiggling her perfectly manufactured fingertips. "I don't do kitchen work."

Everyone laughed.

"You did well with your incarceration this time," Matt praised.

"Given the right amount of money, it looks like I can endure anything," Jenn replied.

Dinner arrived and talk switched to a new topic. Sports, to be exact. "I like the diamond," Monica said as the men discussed baseball.

"I like yours too. I'm sure mine is approximately the same size."

Monica smiled. "Possibly, but value is what really matters. I've heard about yours already."

Jenn leaned forward and returned the smile. "Let's hope the office doesn't discuss your diamonds someday, or I'll hear the truth about them too. I've promised Matt I won't bring a jewelers loop over to examine them myself. But I might. Lock your jewelry box."

Monica laughed. "That's nice, but not necessary. Bring one by tomorrow. We'll take a peek at all of them. You'll discover the meaning of the word genuine."

Nick patted Jenn's knee. "Someday I'll replace that little stone with something bigger, brighter and authentic."

"Come on, I'm not into weight lifting or blinding flashes of light," Jenn giggled.

"I'm glad you women are back together and on such pleasant terms," Matt said, keying into the competition and challenges.

Jenn and Monica both laughed. They raised their wine glasses and saluted each other. They were at their best with each other when they were one-upping and down-sizing. As they prepared to leave the restaurant that evening, Monica touched Jenn's arm. "I like your earrings. I really do. They’re very classy and stylish."

Jenn reached up and touched one dangling earring with tiny amber crystals. The pair had cost her less than ten dollars on a clearance sale. Monica pulled one of her diamond earrings off. "Trade me." She quickly pulled the other off and pushed them toward her.

"I can't. I'd probably get the better deal."

Monica laughed and her eyebrows raised. "Possibly."

"Mine don't match your outfit."

Monica glanced at her sleek black top and silky black pants. "Amber and black look stunning together, and I'll look ravishing in diamonds."

Jenn laughed. "That a joke. Cheap metal and glass with silk? And yours will overdress me." She glanced at her simple cotton top and black canvas pants.

Monica wasn't persuaded. "Diamonds go with everything. Trade me."

After more persuasion, Jenn reached for her earrings and slid them off and took Monica's in exchange. Monica put her new earrings on and pulled a tiny mirror from her purse and examined herself, tossing her head to make the crystals bob and dance in the light. She passed the mirror to Jenn. "We'll go jewelry shopping together after we do your kitchen floor. It will be fun."

Jenn frowned. "My last jewelry shopping excursion was memorable, but I'd never call it fun."

"Because you weren't with me." Monica took her mirror back and placed it in her purse. She smiled at Jenn. "Diamonds are precious, and friends are like diamonds, you know. I'm glad both you and Nick are home again."

Jenn caught the sudden symbolism and bit her bottom lip and blinked back tears. "I bet my earrings don't mean as much to you as yours now do to me."

"But they do," Monica said. She grasped Jenn's hand in a tight hug. "They do. This is now my favorite pair."

That evening as Jenn got ready for bed she said, "Nick. What happened?"

He rolled his shirt into a tight ball and tossed it at the hamper, scoring a two-pointer. "What do you mean?"

"The kitchen. Where were you? What were you doing? What happened to it?"

Nick grabbed her and held her in a fierce hug. "We've been home only three days and you're already asking questions?"

"My mind is still reviewing the past and I need answers."

He pressed his finger to her lips. "Not tonight."

"Tonight. I love being clueless, but obviously I need to be informed."

"Why?"

"Because ignorance is blissful death, which I'm not ready for. Education and knowledge mean life—and that's exactly what I want. Please start talking."

Nick sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her onto his lap. "I don't want to tell you."

Jenn traced a thin scab on his forearm with the tip of her finger. "I know. But I'm going to hear it all eventually anyway. I want it from you, not Mitchell, Kevin or Matt."

Nick took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I was captured, but not until after a good fight. You scored well because you’ve  got a new kitchen out of it." He paused.

"Then what? After the capture, what happened?"

He looked over her shoulder at nothing for a moment, then his eyes returned to hers and focused. "I was taken to a mansion that puts the one you stayed in to shame. It was absolutely magnificent."

"I want the truth," Jenn whispered.

He nodded. "I know, and that's the truth. I was kept in a guest room. Locked up tight. The light was always on and the camera never blinked. When I was released, I was given a dagger and instructions."

"What instructions?" Jenn urged when he fell silent again.

"Go. Apparently they were finished with me."

"And?"

Nick smiled. "I came home and here we are. Ready for bed now?"

"You skipped many things."

He shrugged. "Minor details. Nothing important."

Jenn placed her fingers on his cheek and caressed him. "Please fill in the gaps."

He slowly nodded. "Which ones do you want to know about?"

"The night you arrived in Scottsdale."

"It was morning."

"What happened the night before you arrived?"

He sighed and pulled her closer. "They retrieved the bodies you discovered, but you already know that. I arrived later. Around six in the morning."

"But you know what happened while I was hiding, so tell me that part."

He cleared his throat. "Jenn, knowing is my business. My job." His tone of voice added, and it's none of yours. It's better that way. Closed subject.

Jenn didn't buy it. "I know. But I was involved, so it's my business too."

He shrugged. "Okay. The General arrived to check on his man, Saymore."

Chills ran up Jenn's spine and she envisioned bat wing ears in the dark Arizona night beyond her windowpanes. She shivered.

Nick held her tighter. "But Saymore—your friend Davis—was already dead. You stumbled onto his body by accident and changed everything—to yours and Katie's salvation. Our basement men switched off every second or third day while you were there. I suppose you don't know that only the highest officials are allowed to use that house? You were the first, in case you're wondering."

Jenn shook her head.

Nick laughed. "Maybe I should call you Senator Washington or Governor Washington."

Jenn kissed his cheek. "Don't change the subject. Go on. What happened next?"

"Our agents made arrangements that morning for changing of the guard that evening. The man in the basement was going to leave early to meet someone, and Kirk was going to replace him about an hour later. It was going to be the first time they didn't overlap. Do you understand what that means?"

"If I hadn't discovered and reported the deaths, no one would have known the castle was unguarded. Katie and I would have been left alone. We might not have lived through the night," Jenn whispered.

Nick slowly nodded, then shook his head. "Possibly, but probably not. But there were other factors that may have kept you alive or prevented your capture. The doors and walls to that room are reinforced. You chose your bedroom well."

"I swung that door open and shut every day. I slammed it a few times. Nothing seemed unusual. Why didn't I ever guess it was a fortress door?"

Nick shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I might not have guessed."

"Will they send you to Baltimore for additional training if anyone finds out you might miss something like that?" she teased.

"Maybe. I could be in your next class. I’ll flunk and you’ll pass."

Jenn giggled. "I'd like that."

"Because of your little spurious hike and discovery, our agents were on alert. That night an agent stayed in the second basement, as you call it, and three more were in the house. One in the loft, one on the main floor, and one in the basement. You were covered."

Jenn shivered. "If I'd left the room to get my phone or gun, would I have seen them?"

Nick shook his head. "I doubt it. More than once you entered and exited a room where an agent was hiding and never caught them."

Jenn shivered even harder. "You shouldn't have told me that. Now I've got the creeps. You can bet I'll never go to another safe house. Not to save my life!"

"Okay, it happened twice. That's all. You remember the night you saw the vulture?"

"I'll never forget it—the dark omen of death soaring over me!"

"It was Kirk. He thought something felt wrong. He was investigating. He spooked it and it flew up. Our other man was in the loft watching him from the window when you emerged. You never saw him. He hid in a shadow until you left, then he hid in a bedroom until the coast was clear."

Jenn shivered. "What about the other time?"

Nick laughed. "You don't want to know."

"Was I in the shower? Tell me!"

"No. It wasn't anything like that. The day after you got your gun. Sunday. Our agent thought the coast was clear. After all, you'd left, right? Do you want to guess the details now?"

"Okay, here goes. I pulled out of the garage and shut it. I remembered I'd left Katie's sweater on a kitchen barstool, so I opened the garage and pulled back in. I raced inside the house, grabbed it, and ran back out. Is that the time? Where was he?"

Nick started laughing and didn't stop.

"Tell me!" Jenn demanded. "Just tell me!"

He snickered. "You nearly knocked our man over when you opened the door. His hand was on the handle and he was ready to pull it open. In you ran and he high-tailed it to a back bedroom like demons were after him, hoping you’re miss seeing him. He tripped on something. A set of measuring spoons or something on the floor, and almost fell. He almost swore too. You didn't hear a thing, probably because your heels were so noisy on the marble. After you left—really left for good—he pulled down the ladder and planted two cameras. But, because of the fright you gave him, it took him a good twenty minutes to catch his breath before he dared venture from the closet he was hiding in."

"Ahhhh!" Jenn said in frustration. "I can't believe it. I had no clue! But that ladder situation unnerved me."

"And him. He’s heard about that mess up. If either of you had had your timing two seconds off, either he would have been in the garage grabbing the ladder, or strolling through the kitchen with it when you came back."

"I would have freaked out. Katie and I would still be screaming. But that last night—three agents were in the house, you said. There was a break in. I head glass break. No one has said so, but I know there was a fight. And although I never said anything to anyone until now, I smelled the fresh paint that morning and noticed the new carpet in the loft. How do I properly thank the office for what they did for me and Katie?"

"When an agent knows he succeeds, that's usually enough. It's like a natural high. Capturing the General is thanks enough. And they should be thanking you too—you kept your head and never needed their rescue. And you found and identified Kirk, which saved many lives. Maybe you should get a gold medal of honor. A presidential commendation. An apology from Kevin at the least."

Jenn blushed. "I think it's the other way around. I owe all of them for my life. No one from the office died, did they?”

Nick shook his head. “And no one was injured, either.”

“Kevin Curtis put up with a lot from me. He doesn’t need to apologize to me, but I owe him about ten years of apologies. Maybe a chocolate cake too."

Nick chuckled, then grew serious. "Do you believe in fate, baby?"

Jenn slowly shrugged. "After hearing this, I probably should. But I don't know what I believe in, really. Except love, hope, families, Katie and you."

Nick kissed her. "I believe in those too, and I think I believe in God. It seems like despite all the terrible things I witness—all the death and drugs and wars—God is somewhere giving hope and peace. Maybe not peace to a nation or even to an individual, but peace in some small or great measure to someone who seeks it. “

“There is no peace anywhere, Nick. I never knew that until this past few months.”

“But there really is. While in captivity I thought a lot about peace and how precious it is. I kept trusting you were living in peace. It was all I had to cling too, and it gave me peace. I kept praying you didn't arrive home and see the kitchen. It was all I asked of God—your safety and not seeing what happened to the countertops. I never dreamed he'd grant my request. I kept envisioning your shock. Your cries. Your hopelessness. I'd shut those scenes out and pray you were safe and had peace."

Jenn melted into his arms and wept. "I kept trying to feel peace myself. As long as Katie was awake, it was fairly easy. But in the dark of night it was nearly impossible."

He brushed her tears away. "Jenn, because of my job, something like this might happen again. Promise me you'll reach for peace in the night, not just during the day, and not just when Katie is around. It’s too valuable to not claim it."

"It's impossible to have peace when I’m scared."

"It’s not, so promise you’ll try. You've got so much more strength than you think. You're so much sweeter, kinder and more loving than anyone else I know. You can do it. Have it while you’re home, at work, with me, and when I’m gone."

Fresh tears coursed down her cheeks. "But it’s impossible. And I wasn’t entirely sweet with Kevin. I tortured him as much and often as I could, and I did it on purpose."

“You did the exact opposite with Katie. You did your best with everyone.”

She shrugged. “I thought I might kill Matt during one of his visits. He kept pointing at our fake family photos and saying we looked good together, and then he’d snicker. I knew he was teasing me and egging me on, but it infuriated me. I wanted to kill him—feed him poisoned shellfish or something like that and watch him keel over. He is so annoying sometimes. Can we please never ever have him visit me if I’m in hiding again—or better, can you change jobs and never work with him again so I don’t have to deal with him?”

Nick lifter her chin to so she’d have to look directly into his eyes. "You know I love my job, don't you?"

She nodded and wiped at her tears.

"Nick and I are partners, friends, buddies and that’s not going to change. I’ll talk to him about how he treats you and…”

“You don’t have to. I’ll talk to him.”

“And babe, you need to understand that this whole mess isn't over. We've only found our enemies domain, not eliminated him. What I do makes a difference in a lot of lives—the lives of people who are hurting and have no safe house and no one else to rescue them."

Jenn bit her bottom lip. "What about our lives? Me and Katie? You? Our family? We matter too."

He kissed her tenderly. "What I do even makes a difference in our lives. This is what we do as a family. We fight evil and wickedness in some of its ugliest forms—drugs, terrorism and all kinds of depravity. While I fight, you bring sweetness into everything you touch. Our home, our time together, and our attitudes. We're a team, and our individual efforts make up a whole that is incredibly good. I tear down the bad and you build up the good. It’s who we are and what we do. And together, we are good."

"I just want…" Jenn dissolved into tears.

He raised her chin again. "And you get it ninety-nine percent of the time."

"I want it one-hundred percent."

Nick hugged her tightly. "Me too. More than anything. That's why I do my part. Now tell me about Katie. How did she gain so much weight? Don't tell me I lost muscle because I won't believe you." He jumped up and swung Jenn around in his arms to prove it. The dark subject closed and a happier one opened.

Jenn giggled as she clung to her husband. His warm neck. Strong arms. Her cheek pressed against his bristling end-of-the-day beard. "She's growing up. I think she's ready for a big brother or sister."

Nick laughed. "Really? But she's a full-fledged two-year old. Hurricane Katie. Are you sure you want another miniature storm next year?"

"He—or she—won't start out as a two-year old. We'll ease into it."

"What about next summer? Should we give it a try again?" Nick whispered in her ear.

"Perfect. Let's plan on it."

End 

Thank you for joining me for Hidden Secrets. I've enjoyed sharing this novel with you, and hope you've enjoyed it too. It's been a fun adventure sharing two novels on my blog, and I hope to share another one soon. Of course, Jenn will have another adventure.

In the meantime, I've got a house to clean and stage, but check back often

~~Leona