“I think I need a break.”
“You think? Raine, you never take leave. You call me a workaholic? Well, right back at ya. I know you’re dealing with life-or-death situations in scary places around the world. Terrorism, big scale conflicts. That’s a lot of pressure.”
“Yeah.” Raine started pacing, pulling at her ponytail. She looked so normal, so young, like a woman barely out of college, not some thirty-three-year-old who knew the truth when she heard it.
Jane had always been envious of her cousin’s odd ability to ferret out the truth. They’d had her tested at an early age, because Raine seemed to possess a nearly psychic way of reading people. Her uncle thought it had more to do with understanding micro expressions, interpreting the physical reactions of people who fabricated so easily.
In any event, it had made Raine’s work in the Intelligence branch of the Marine Corps much sought-after.
“I’m on a short leave,.and I’m hoping to talk to Uncle Chris for some advice when he gets back in a few weeks.” Raine stopped pacing and stared at Jane, her mouth firming. “But youneed to come clean, if not with the family, then with me. When you need help, ask for it.”
“Raine, you are thelastperson I’ll ever take advice from when it comes to asking for help.”
“That hurts.”
“Oh please. Suck it up, princess.”
“Who are you calling a princess? You tripped over your own feet and bruised your face, weakling.”
“At least I’m not crying about the Marine Corps being too hard. Waa.”
Raine shot her an evil grin. “Nice.”
“I thought so.”
Raine said something else cutting. Jane answered, getting into the spirit of their argument. The stupid squabble made them both feel better as they called each other names and brought up embarrassing incidents from their youth.
As they wound down, Raine offered one more nugget of clarity. “Make sure you doctor that bruise with makeup if you don’t want everyone all over your case. You make people want to protect you as it is.”
“I’m taller and meaner than most of the people I work with, you know.”
Raine scoffed. “Whatever. But seriously, Jane, that new guy you’re working with? Gunther Rapp, right?” Raine gathered the keys she’d tossed on the counter, readying to leave.
“Yeah?”
“Tall, great body, nice face, attitude to spare?”
“I guess.”
Raine smirked. “He was a big deal in the black ops community for a while. CIA type. Background in Delta or Force Recon before the CIA grabbed him. I’m not sure what he’s doing with your task force, but he’s the real deal. I never heard anything bad about him. He’s something of a legend. Supposedlysaved a few guys from dying at heavy expense. I’m just saying, if you can’t come to family, you can probably go to him.”
Jane realized Hal should have known all this by now, yet he’d curiously said nothing about the guy. Then she noticed that Raine had paused. “But …?”
“But if he ends up not being on your side, you have to call on us—me, Joe, Hal, whoever’s here, for help. Because he will end you and not look back. He’s a one-man wrecking crew.” Then she smiled and waved. “Later, slacker.”
Raine skipped out the door.
“Thanks a lot,” Jane yelled after her, feeling out of sorts.
Why would a guy like Rapp, with her uncle’s qualifications, be chosen tofindtheir Code Blue Killer when he could have just as easily been tasked with eliminating him?
One bullet to the head. Another to the heart.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It tookanother two days for Rapp to call her back in.
Finally. Jane did a great job concealing the damage to her cheek, or at least she hoped she had. The purpling and swelling had spread toward her eye overnight. If asked, she’d say she needed more sleep.
