Page 89 of Dangerous Liaisons

Chapter Sixty-Five

Jesse leaped behind another elm, dropping to a crouch. After a count of four, she inched forward, peered around the tree, and waited. No second shadow shift occurred. There were no dogs on the grounds. Two Tabbies lived in the house. The only other animals were squirrels or birds. Jesse slid back around the tree. Harris might have reached the side-door by now. She peered around the tree. Nothing moved in the shadows. She cursed her lack of night-vision goggles and UV-glasses.

A dim light flashed in her peripheral vision. The guard had completed a check of the cottages and was headed toward the rear of the mansion. Jesse leaned against the tree, took a deep breath, then started toward the manor. A two-foot corridor of safety between motion sensor lights was all she had until she reached the side of the house, where Harris had blinded the sensors. She rounded the corner of the mansion to find the stoop empty.

Jesse hurried to the house, reached the door, and tried the knob. It turned easily. Shivers raced up her spine. This was too easy. Would the real trouble come when Harris tried to coax Amanda downstairs? If she refused to leave with him, he would meet Jesse at the side door, alone. She would then be forced to go into the house and sedate Amanda—something Harris had opposed from the start.

Houghton House had issued no warning to staff that Jesse was wanted, which didn’t mean the administrators hadn’t been warned. If Harris got caught with Amanda, he had a chance of passing it off as her getting lost. She seldom said more than two words at a time, so it was unlikely she would contradict him. If Jesse were caught with her, things could get stickier.

Jesse pushed the door open a fraction, and peered into the dark kitchen. A thwang sounded. The doorjamb to her right splintered as a bullet hit the wood. She shoved forward, rolling onto tiled floor. She yanked the PPK from her waistband as she flattened against the floor and pointed it at the open door.

Her heart thudded. The silenced shot had to have come from the arboretum—forty yards away. The bullet had missed her by a bare inch. He had sent a pro. Blue Team, Green Team—Cole? She tried remembering if Cole had said anything about being a marksman, but the rush of blood roared in her ears. Not Tom, either. He was strictly intellect.

Morales.

Jesse scrambled to her knees and crawled to the cabinets on her left. The new vantage gave her a sliver’s view of the northern section of the arboretum, where the angle of the shot placed the shooter. She could see nothing in the dense shadows.

A stair-tread squeaked behind her. She twisted toward the sound, gun raised. A man’s large frame filled the landing at the bottom of the stairs. Jesse tightened her finger on the trigger. Something flitted in her peripheral vision outside the door. The figure on the landing paused and she realized he’d seen the open door. He shifted again, this time in her direction.

“Jesse? Jesse! It’s me, girl. Don’t shoot!”

She released the trigger with effort. Harris started toward her.

“Get back!” she hissed.

Another figure appeared on the landing behind him. Her heart leaped into her throat before she realized the figure was too broad to be Amanda. Jesse pushed to her feet. Blinding light slashed across her vision. Someone had turned on the lights!

She lunged forward. “Get down!”

Her arms closed around Harris’ large frame. They went down in unison with the spit of a stealth rifle shot. Harris went limp. Warmth spread across Jesse’s t-shirt, soaking to the skin.

“Jesse!” another voice cried as the room plunged into darkness.

Jesse leaped to her feet and whirled in the direction of Cole’s voice.