Love & Honor

Chapter Nineteen

Ten minutes later, Cam stood at the door, brushing a strand of damp hair from Blairs cheek.

«Ill be back tomorrow. Noon at the latest. If theres any delay, Ill call you from DC.

«Okay. Blair regarded her seriously, her gaze probing Cams face. "The photograph of you in the bar last nightdoes it have anything to do with the call in San Francisco?"

"I don't know," Cam said after a moment's hesitation. "there are too many things that don't make sense right now. I'm hoping I'll be able to find some answers in DC."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Blair," if there were an...investigation into...irregularities, you could be called to testify. Anything you know about me-or information I've shared with you-would be fair game. I can't put you in that position."

"I'm your lover, Cam," Blair insisted quietly, realizing she had never before thought of herself that way in relationship to another person. It was so much more than physical, and the thought of being excluded from Cam's life bothered her. "I want to know what's happening to you."

Cam brushed her thumb across Blair's cheek and let her fingers trail over her neck to her shoulder. With her palm lightly stroking Blair's bare upper arm, she murmured, "I don't want to keep secrets from you, but there's more than just us involved."

"You can't forget who I am, can you?" Blair said, her tone more sorrowful than accusatory.

"You're a lot more to me than the First Daughter," Cam replied, her tone gentle. "When you're not angry with me, you remember that, right?"

"I'm not angry with you now. I just can't stand feeling like there's something standing between us, even though I know what you said makes sense. Ihate that I'll miss you the minute you walk out the door, and I'll worry about what's happening to you, and I'll wonder about who you're with."

"Do you really hate those things?" Cam's eyes had gone gray black and they bore into Blair's.

"No," Blair whispered, resting her palm under Cam's jacket over the place where her heart beat beneath. "God, no."

"I promise I'll tell you as much as I can."

"All right. I don't like it, but I'll accept that for now."

"Thank you."

Blair rubbed her hand lightly back and forth over Cam's chest. "Youll be careful, right?

"Swear." Cam kissed her, gently this time, without the urgency of earlier passion but with the certainty of belonging. "Dont disappear on Mac if you go out, okay? Take someone with you, no matter where youre going.

Sighing, Blair nodded. "Only for you, Commander."

Lightly, Cam stroked her cheek. "I love you."

Then she opened the door and crossed the foyer to the elevator. Blair watched until the elevator doors closed behind her.

And then the longing, the other side of love, began.

*****

Downstairs in Command Central, Cam found Mac in a cubbyhole in one corner of the main room, reviewing the pre-Paris intelligence reports. "Where's Stark?"

"In the gym, I think. She's got the swing shift today. I didn't have any intel that Egret would be flying. Do you need her now?"

"Not for Egret". Shes settled in the nest. Cam pointed to the ceiling and Blairs apartment above. "But I want to talk to both of you. Let's go find her."

Five minutes later, they discovered Stark flat on her back on a weight bench, a barbell poised over her chest, counting reps out loud. She was alone in the twenty by thirty foot room outfitted with weights and aerobic equipment that the team used to keep in shape and work off excess adrenalin while waiting for Egret to leave the Aerie, as they referred to her top floor sanctuary.

"You should probably have a spotter," Mac remarked good-naturedly as he lifted the bar from her hands and settled it into the cleats. She sat up, reaching for a towel as she did so. Quickly, she wiped the sweat from her face and off her bare arms. In a sleeveless T-shirt and gym shorts, her body looked sturdy and muscular.

"Sorry," Stark said glancing from Mac to Cam. "I didn't think there was anything on for me. Ill just grab a fast shower and-"

"Relax, Stark," Cam said as she slipped off her suit jacket. The air-conditioning in the workout room left a little something to be desired, and it was humid the way all gyms seemed to be. "This is not about Egret's detail."

Clearly puzzled, Stark remained silent as Cam settled onto a bench facing her and Mac sat down by her side. Automatically, she moved over an inch to give him some room and herself space to maneuver. An agent never let their personal perimeter be encroached upon.

"I have to go to DC this afternoon", Cam said. "Mac, youll have the watch."

"Okay. Do you need me to make flight arrangements?"

"No. Ill just catch a shuttle. I expect to be back tomorrow, butsomething may come up". She paused, then said briskly, "Somethinghas come up."

She handed Mac the manila envelope. "Take a look at that. Handle it carefully-there probably arent any prints, but we could get lucky."

Stark checked the envelope over Macs shoulder. "No post marks."

"It came by courier this morning". Hand delivered.

Mac drew in a quick breath, no doubt having the same uncomfortable feelings of deja vu shed had at first seeing the black block letters spelling out Blair's name. "It went through to her?"

"Yes."

"Who was downstairs?" Stark asked, an edge to her voice.

"Taylor". He scanned it, then had it sent up to Egret. No reason not to.

Carefully, Mac pulled the photograph out by the corner and placed it atop the envelope in his lap. The two agents studied it for a minute without comment. Finally, Mac looked up at her. "Any message with it?"

"No."

"When was it taken," Stark asked, her tone guarded. She wasnt used to questioning her commander about anything, let alone something that was obviously personal.

"Last night about 3:00 a.m."

"Jesus", Mac exclaimed. "How"

"Someone must have tailed me downtown from here, because I never went home."

Neither of them asked how it was possible that she had been followed. Ordinarily, a Secret Service agent didnt worry about their own security. They were just anonymous faces on the fringes of the spotlight, nearly identical and interchangeable. And replaceable.

"What really worries me is that someone probably tailed usfrom Teterboroto here. Which means that we have a problem in terms of Egrets security."

"Do you think that shes a target of some kind?" Mac asked.

"Jesus, not again", Stark breathed, unaware that she had even spoken aloud.

"Probably not physically", Cam replied grimly. "But that remains to be seen. We must assume she is. Maybe this is the same photographer who took the photo in San Francisco."

Stark stared for a second, her thoughts practically written across her broad, smooth face. "On the beach"

"Yes", Cam said quietly.

"Oh, man, Im sorry, Commander", she said miserably. "I had the beach in view the whole time, but he must have gotten by me."

"He got by us both, Stark. Forget it". Cam tried to shrug away the anger that rose every time she thought of someone watching her and Blair together during an innocent, intimate moment. When theyd both felt safe.Christ, is this how she feels all the time? No wonder shes angry. How in hell does she stand it?

"Commander?" Mac asked uncertainly.

Cam flinched imperceptibly, her gaze refocusing on her agents. "Id like to know whos taking such an interest."

"You want me to run this through forensics?"

"Like I saidwe could get lucky. Maybe he licked the envelope and well get a DNA sample."

"Or may be she did", Stark interjected.

"I suppose thats possible", Cam allowed, keeping her tone carefully neutral.

Mac glanced again at the image, seeming to be searching for words. "Do you uh know this woman?"

"No, I dont," Cam answered crisply. "Try calling Walker in the New York City lab to run the tests. Hes good."

"Uh, excuse me, Commander", Stark said, "but maybe thats not such a good idea. Respectfully, maam."

Cam eyed her. "Go ahead."

"Well, this photograph istelling."

"Interesting choice of words", Cam remarked dryly, hating the disclosure of something so private, even to those she trusted. The younger agent colored, and Cam regretted her brief loss of control. "Go ahead, Stark."

"I think we should handle this internally as far as possible."

"Are you up on your forensics?" Mac interjected. "Cause I sure cant walk this through a lab."

"No", Stark answered tentatively, seemingly feeling her way along a narrow ledge that threatened to crumble under her feet. "But I know someone we can trust whocan do it. Renee Savard."

"Shes FBI", Mac exclaimed. "Since when do we trustthem ?"

"Shes a friend", Stark insisted, holding his gaze steadily. "I know she wont betray us. And shes been assigned to a desk at the New York City field office."

"Isnt she still in the hospital?" Cam asked.

"Until today. I'm going there in a few minutes to pick her up. For the first time", she appeared unsure. "To give her a ride homeyou know."

Cam suppressed a grin. "Understood. But shes got to be on medical leave for a while."

Stark laughed derisively. "Sure. For about a day. Shell go in the first chance she gets."

"Mac?" Cam asked.

He thought about the conversations hed had in the past with the FBI agent. She had always dealt with them squarely, and she had been willing to give her life for Egret. Still, he had an inherent distrust of the FBI. "Yeah, I say we keep it in house. And Savard isalmost one of us."

"Agreed". Cam stood. "Stark, mind if I tag along with you to the hospital on my way to the airport?"

"Ill be ready in five, the agent responded, jumping up and heading for the shower."

"Keep me informed of any developments on this end, Mac."

"Dont worry, Commander", he assured her rapidly. "Well be fine here."

"Of course", she said with confidence. But leaving Blair was getting harder every day, and it had less and less to do with her assignment as the First Daughters security chief.