The words cut him to the quick.Jack had dedicated himself to Nick when he’d given him a second chance after the Navy discharged him.He owed everything to Nick.He didn’t want to disappoint him.Jack just felt pulled in two different directions.
His attraction to Andrea and loyalty to Nick.He was going to have to make a choice.“She’s at work now, sir.I’ll go over as soon as I get off the phone with you.”
“No more excuses, Jack.Get it done, or I’m pulling you and finding someone willing to complete the mission.”
“I’ll get it done, sir.”
“See that you do.”
Jack hung up and scrubbed a hand over his face.He didn’t want to go over there but knew he didn’t have a choice.If he didn’t start getting answers, Nick would follow through on his threat and pull him, giving the assignment to someone else who wouldn’t care about hurting Andrea to get answers.He couldn’t let that happen.He slipped into a long-sleeved black shirt and pants and ran across the street.
Hopefully, it was late enough none of the neighbors were awake or could see him very well.
He pulled out his lock pick kit, undid the door, and was inside in seconds.He didn’t dare turn on any lights.Instead, he used his memory to guide him to the office.The blinds were already drawn, so that helped to conceal him.
Jack settled in at Andrea’s desk and turned on the computer.He wasn’t put off when he saw the password request; he’d been watching Andrea logging on all week.He typed in her password, and the computer opened to the desktop.
“Alright, sweetheart, where are you hiding intel?”he whispered to himself.Not that Jack wanted to find something, but he knew if he didn’t, Nick would pull him, and the next person wouldn’t be so gentle about getting information from her.
Jack wasn’t the computer expert Barry was, but he knew enough to know what he was looking for and where.He went through file folders and browser history.It was just as empty as her phone.
Even her email didn’t have anything on her calendar or saved people in her address book.There was nothing but spam in her deleted messages.Nothing in her sent.There was only one other place he could think of to look.
Jack opened the recycle bin icon and again found nothing to help.It was just old files on charity work from over the years.Just to be on the safe side, Jack pulled out of a flash drive and downloaded all the files from then until now.He’d go through them later.Maybe she’d labelled one differently, and he was overlooking it.
“Damn it,” he muttered, pushing away from the computer.His eyes scanned around the room as if the answer would somehow reveal itself, but there was nothing.
Without the fear of discovery, Jack moved along the house into Andrea’s bedroom.He had yet to be in there.The blinds were drawn in here too, but he didn’t dare turn on a light and alert a neighbor someone was in the house.He used a low lit flashlight to aid him.
His gaze fell on the large queen-size bed.It had a yellow floral bedspread that was neatly made.Maybe next time they made love, they could break in this bad boy.
The room was neat and orderly like the rest of her house.Only a few pictures on the wall.Still nothing of her or a hint of family.She didn’t have any clutter on the dresser or her nightstand.Nothing personal.It looked like his house, but he wasn’t actually living there.It was just a place to stay until the mission was over.
His house back home was different.He had pictures of his family on the walls.It was homier.This reminded him of a staged house about to go on market.It was just a shell of a house to show its potential.
Redirecting his focus and wanting to get this over with so he could leave, Jack went through the dresser first.Typical clothes inside.Underwear and such then shirts and shorts.He kept his focus clinical when looking through the garments and tried not to imagine Andrea modeling in them for him.
He went through all of the drawers, even tested for a false bottom, and didn’t find anything.Jack pulled the drawers completely out and looked underneath.Not even a dust bunny.
He moved on to the closet.It was a decent-size walk-in.There were only a few clothes hanging up.He could tell her comfort level was more casual than business.He went through the room with a fine-tooth comb and still came up empty.
Next he went to the bathroom.Jack almost shuddered at all the pink tile around him.It was like Pepto-Bismol threw up in here.It had one sink with a shower/tub combination and a pink shower curtain.No way Andrea could like pink that much.He’d never seen her dress in pink before.Not even her underwear.
At least his bathroom was blue but with just as much tile.Apparently no one updated their houses around here.Funny, the only thing Andrea did change was the kitchen.
Instead of lingering on that thought too long, Jack went through the drawers.Toothbrush, toothpaste, and such—everything you’d expect to find in a bedroom.
“Come on, babe, you have to have one skeleton in this place.”No way someone living here seven years hadn’t accumulated something or made one mistake in all her dealings with criminals.
Jack stormed back into the bedroom a few minutes later, his frustration getting the better of him.Nothing.Either she didn’t keep anything that could be used against her here, or she was careful enough to destroy anything that would tie back to her.
Once again his eyes fell on the bed, and he chuckled.“What the hell.”He shrugged and got on his knees and looked under.He was shocked to discover a suitcase just pushed past the frame.
He dragged it out and opened it to find it was already full of clothes and toiletries.She was obviously ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Jack went through the toiletry bag, hoping against hope to find something incriminating.The only thing in it besides toiletries was a necklace with a half a heart medallion with the words ‘forever’ etched into it.Odd thing to find there.
He dug through other pockets of the suitcase and found a burner phone.Jack turned it on and saw there was one number stored in it.Jack wrote down the number and put the luggage back where he’d found it.It was time to leave.
