Angel Fire

Chapter Thirty-Three

“I’m so ready for this to be over with,” Andrea murmured against Cameron’s lips.

“Me too.”

Cameron kissed her again, but when the kiss deepened, Andrea pulled away. They didn’t have time.

“Rowan will be back soon,” she said.

Cameron sighed. “I know. I’m also ready to get our house back.”

“You’re the one who agreed to let him sleep here tonight,” Andrea reminded her.

“The sooner he finds something, the sooner we can get out of here,” she said. Cameron grabbed her hand and pulled her closer again. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“You were kinda quiet today. I know the thing at that house—”

“I’m fine, sweetheart. Quit beating yourself up over that.” She met her gaze. “Besides, I don’t think we were ever in any danger from Angel.”

Cameron frowned. “Is that what you and Sam went to talk about?”

Andrea smiled, wondering when Cameron would bring that up. She tugged Cameron down beside her on the love seat, moving Lola into her lap. The purring cat stretched out, then crawled over to Cameron’s lap instead. Cameron immediately plunged her fingers in Lola’s black fur.

“Angel never took a shot at us,” she said. “And it couldn’t have been that he was too concerned with the deputies to worry about us. We were in his line of sight.”

“So what’s your theory?”

“He didn’t want to kill Sam’s lover.”

Cameron shook her head. “No. That’s not how it works, Andi. The Angel I knew, he was by the book when it came to this. There are only two concrete rules—accomplish the assigned mission and get out alive. Everything else is simply collateral damage. No matter what it is,” she said. “There can’t be any type of emotional attachment in his line of work. Angel doesn’t care about that. He wouldn’t care that Tori might be out there. He’s a killer.”

“I disagree,” Andrea said. “At least in this case. He does care. He cares about Sam. For whatever reason, he does.”

“So you think because Tori was there, he wasn’t shooting at you?”

“Yes. He could have killed us. He could have killed all six deputies, if he’s as good as you say he is. But he didn’t. No one was killed.” She met Cameron’s gaze. “The Angel that you knew, he would have killed them, right?”

“Yes.”

“So maybe Sam is right. Maybe it was simply a distraction. Maybe his true mission here is the money, nothing else. He’s not just shooting to kill every time he tries to—”

“Distractions are one thing, Andi. But killing that innocent family? Killing eight law enforcement officers to escape?”

“There’s your collateral damage. He was escaping. His goal is the money. That’s it.”

“So are you saying he didn’t shoot you because Tori was there or he didn’t shoot you because there was no need to? That he only needed to distract us long enough to get away?”

Andrea smiled. “Maybe a little of both?”

Cameron smiled too. “Maybe. And I guess we’ll never know.”

Headlights flashed outside and a few seconds later, Rowan was knocking on their door. Andrea took Lola as Cameron got up to let him in. He had a small duffel bag, which he tossed on the floor beside the love seat.

“I’ll get you some sheets,” Andrea offered as she made her way into their bedroom.

Cameron and Rowan went into the small office, and she tuned out their conversation as she mindlessly went about unfolding the love seat and making up Rowan’s bed. She got the coffeepot set for the morning, then ducked into the bathroom. When she came out, Cameron was waiting.

“Ready for bed?”

Andrea nodded. “Yes. It’s been a long day.”

Cameron nodded. “Yeah, it has.” She motioned to the bedroom. “I’ll be right in.”

Andrea touched her arm as she walked by her, squeezing lightly.

“Goodnight, Rowan,” she called as she passed the office.

“Night,” he said, never taking his eyes from the monitor.

* * *

The incessant beeping finally penetrated her sleep. Cameron rolled over, blinking several times before it registered. Andrea was still fast asleep, one hand curled around Cameron’s arm. Cameron reached for her phone. It was nearly four. She gently moved away from Andrea and slipped from the room. She pushed the office door open, the beeping louder now. She stared at the flashing on the monitor’s screen for a moment. Apparently Rowan’s programs had run their course. Hopefully, they had hit on something.

She went into the living room and paused, smiling as she watched Rowan in sleep. He was curled into a ball, looking much like a young boy instead of an FBI agent. She reached out and touched his shoulder lightly.

“Hey…wake up.”

He jumped, his eyes wide. “What’s wrong?”

She held her hands up. “Nothing.” She motioned down the hall with her head. “Your program’s finished. The alert is going off.”

He rubbed his eyes, then swung his legs off the bed. She stifled her laugh at the Batman-themed underwear he wore. He covered them up as he hurriedly stepped into his jeans.

“What time is it?” he asked as he slipped his glasses on and shuffled into the office.

“Early,” she said. “Four.”

He turned back to look at her. “Coffee?” he asked around a yawn.

She nodded, knowing she would not go back to sleep. “Yeah. Coffee.” She took a moment to glance at the closed bedroom door where Andrea and Lola were still asleep. She sighed, wishing she could go back in there and join them. But no. Coffee. Time to get to work.

Cameron went into the small office with two steaming cups of coffee. Rowan didn’t seem to notice her approach.

“You take it black, right?”

He looked up then and nodded. “I think I found him.”

Cameron’s eyebrows shot up as he took the coffee cup from her. “You think?”

“Five months ago, utilities were turned on in a rental house. Maria Joseph.”

“That means what?”

“Maria was his wife’s name. Joseph was his son.”

Cameron stared at him. “That’s it? That’s what you got?”

“I put in everything we know about Angel Figueroa. All the data that I have on him. This rental property is at the top of the list. I’m running a cross-check now, but Maria Joseph doesn’t appear to exist in the Taos area at all until five months ago.”

Cameron ran her hand through her hair. “I don’t know, Rowan. Seems a little improbable, doesn’t it?”

“I thought you didn’t believe in coincidence?”

She nodded. “You’re right. We need to check it out. Who owns the rental property?”

“It appears to be an individual. Margaret Torres. I’ve got her info.”

Cameron nodded. “Okay. I’ll call her. See who this Maria Joseph is.” She sighed. “At a reasonable hour, of course.” She took a sip of her coffee. “What else you got?”

He shook his head. “Nothing else that ranks as high.”

“Shooting in the dark,” she murmured.

“Needle in a haystack,” he countered.