Check Mate Part 9

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I had to make a decision about which is more important to me-my career with the bureau or my relations.h.i.+p with you."

Nine.

Jake stared at Mariah, every nerve in his body at full alert, his muscles tense, as he waited for her to say the words he dreaded. He should have realized that she would be forced to choose between her career and him. Of course she would choose her career. What other choice did she have? After all, despite the strong physical attraction between them, they were little more than strangers.

"You do what you have to do," Jake told her. "But don't think that I'll make it easy for you to take me in."

Mariah gazed at him, her vision clear, not muddled with feminine tears. He supposed it took an unemotional type of female to be a federal agent, someone able to do a difficult job without falling apart.

"I'm not going to take you in," she said. "I plan to do all I can to help you find Gideon and rescue him."

Jake squinted, narrowing his gaze. "Are you actually saying that you-"

"That I've chosen loyalty to you over dedication to my career."

"But why? I don't understand. You've said yourself that what's between us is just s.e.x. You don't love me..." Jake's voice failed as he saw the truth in her expression. My G.o.d! She did love him. Or at least she believed she did. And she was willing to put her career on the line for his sake.

So, how does that make you feel? he asked himself.

About ten feet tall.

"We don't need to discuss it," Mariah said. "I mean... if it makes you uncomfortable. And I'm not sure exactly what to call it. Love? Maybe. I don't know. All I know is that I can't-I won't-betray you. And every instinct I have is telling me that the most important thing in my life right now is helping you."

"I'm surprised, to say the least."

"Why? Didn't you suspect how I felt?"

"It's a two-way thing, you know. I feel something for you, too. Something stronger than simple s.e.xual attraction."

"s.e.xual attraction is seldom simple," she said. "Especially not for people like us."

Jake grinned. "You've got that right."

"Look, I think we should fake another session in the morning. Afterward, I'll call my contact and tell him we're making progress and I'll see if I can find out anything new about Gideon."

Jake reached out and caressed Mariah's cheek. "We need to buy more time, enough so that your people can find Gideon." Jake slid his hand down to her shoulder. "No matter what happens, I'll never forget what you're doing for me. When this is all over-"

"No!" Mariah shook her head. "We can't know what the future holds, so let's not make any promises that we might not be able to keep. For now, we're a team. Later, we'll see."

"A very sensible approach to a rather sensitive subject."

"Believe it or not, I usually tend to be very sensible."

"I believe it," he told her. "I don't usually allow anything other than logic to dictate my actions, but lately..."

"Lately we've both been acting out of character."

"Are you saying we bring out the worst in each other?"

Mariah shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe it's the other way around. Maybe we bring out the best in each other. Loyalty, understanding, sympathy and even love, at least some sort of love."

"You're the only woman I've ever known who doesn't brandish that word about as if it was a cure-all for every problem." He squeezed her shoulder, then released his hold. "Saying I love you should mean something important. It should never be said lightly."

"For once we're in complete agreement."

"Friends and partners?" Jake held out his hand.

Mariah stared at his hand for a couple of seconds before clasping it. "Friends and partners." They shook hands."And lovers," Jake added, still holding her hand."Lovers." She whispered the word softly, then slipped her hand from his.Jake suspected that any vulnerability Mariah might feel, she would hide from him. For a strong, independent woman, with a compet.i.tive nature, Mariah must have found it difficult to admit to him that she was willing to risk her career to prove herself to him. Some might see that as a weakness-a woman willing to sacrifice everything for a man. But he actually saw it as a strength, and admired Mariah all the more. And to be completely honest, it deepened his feelings for her. But he couldn't-wouldn't-look too closely at those feelings. Now was not the time to figure out why Mariah Daley was like no other woman he'd ever known or why he felt a connection with her that surpa.s.sed anything else. Even his link to his biological siblings? If it came to a showdown, if he had to choose between his siblings and Mariah, what choice would he make?

"You know that saving Gideon is my top priority," Jake said.

Mariah nodded. "I know. And I understand. I happen to have three big brothers and I'd do just about anything for them."

"Is that one of the reasons you decided to help me?"

"That and the obvious." A fragile smile lifted the comers of her mouth.

"I'd hate to see you wind up in trouble because of me."

"Too late. I'm already in trouble. Actually, I'm in way over my head. Being totally crazy about a guy is not something I've experienced before and I haven't handled things the way I should have."

Jake could not allow himself the luxury of caring too deeply for Mariah, not when his life was so complicated. He needed to focus all his attention on rescuing his brother and retrieving the computer disks. Sorting through his feelings for Mariah was a distraction he couldn't afford.

And last but not least, he couldn't be sure he'd come out of this situation alive. For all he knew he was already living on borrowed time.

"The way I see it, you're handling things a d.a.m.n sight better than I am." Jake wanted to pull Mariah into his arms, hold her, kiss her, comfort her. He wanted to promise her a future for the two of them together.

Drawn to each other, unable to resist the s.e.xual and emotional magnetism that bound them, Mariah and Jake came together in the middle of the room. Standing there, not touching, only looking into each other's eyes, they shared a silent moment of complete understanding. Words were superfluous.

Booted footsteps echoed up the staircase. Mariah jerked backward, away from Jake. He rushed toward the bed and sat down on the edge, then bowed his head and stared at the floor. A couple of minutes later, Burgess paused in the doorway. Mariah turned to greet him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Phone call for you," Burgess replied.

"I'll be right down." She turned to Jake. "Manacling you to the bedpost won't be necessary, will it?"

Jake looked up at her without lifting his head. "No, it won't be necessary."

"Are you planning another session this evening?" Burgess asked.

"No. I've postponed the next session until tomorrow morning."

Mariah turned around and walked out into the hall, directly past Burgess, who quickly fell into step beside her. Jake waited until he was certain they'd reached the bottom of the stairs before he moved. He paced the floor quietly, wondering what Mariah's phone call was about, and if it had anything to do with Gideon.

Mariah picked up the receiver where Burgess had placed it on the table. "Mariah Brooks here," she said.

"Dr. Brooks, we're delighted that you're making progress with Jake."

The feminine voice sounded familiar. Mariah was certain she'd heard it before, but where and when? "He's definitely been more cooperative since learning about his brother's capture."

Before she figured out her caller's ident.i.ty, the woman spoke again. "Oliver and I are eager to see firsthand just how much you've been able to accomplish with our number-one wonder boy."

Oliver? G.o.d help her, she was talking to Agnes Payne, the she-demon who was the true mastermind of the Coalition. Everyone within the organization knew that Agnes simply allowed Willard Croft to believe he was running the show. A malevolent ruthlessness dominated Ms. Payne's personality, and her true soul mate, Oliver Grimble, had been paired with her in marriage and treachery for over thirty years.

"You want to see Jake?'' Mariah asked.

"Yes, of course we do."

"When? If you'll give me another week-"

"Nonsense. A week is far too long."

"A few more days, then."

"Not even a few hours," Agnes said.

"What?"

"Oliver and I are on our way to the cabin as we speak. We should be on your doorstep within five minutes."

Five minutes! That wasn't nearly enough time to prepare Jake. If Dr. Grimble and Dr. Payne examined Jake, they would realize soon enough that he hadn't been reprogrammed, that everything she'd been telling her Coalition contact had been a lie. Dear G.o.d, what was she going to do?

Stay calm, she told herself.

"I look forward to seeing you again. Dr. Payne," Mariah said. "You probably don't remember our first meeting several months ago."

"Of course I remember," Agnes replied. "When you volunteered for the job of reprogramming Jake, I personally okayed you for the a.s.signment. Now I'm quite eager to see your handiwork."

"The reprogramming is not complete. We've only begun to make progress."

"I understand, but now that Jake is cooperating, it shouldn't take Oliver long to complete the job you've begun. He's quite good at this sort of thing."

"Yes, so I understand." Get off the phone, Mariah told herself. Go upstairs and warn Jake. "I should go now and prepare Jake for your arrival."

"No! Don't tell him. I want it to be a surprise."

"Oh. All right."

Adrenaline pumped through Mariah's system at a maddening pace. They were in trouble. Big trouble. And she had only a few minutes to think of a way to save them.

But how could she think when Agnes Payne insisted on continuing their conversation? She kept trying to get off the phone, but the woman didn't stop talking until Mariah heard Agnes and Oliver's vehicle pull up in the driveway. d.a.m.n! They were screwed!

"We've arrived," Agnes said. "Put on some coffee and we'll talk in person."

Bracing herself to face the devil and her obedient husband, Mariah hung up the phone, squared her shoulders and turned to Burgess. "Agnes Payne and Oliver Grimble are here to see Jake Ingram. Please, go outside and meet them and make sure you show them the proper respect. You do know who they are, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know," Burgess said. "They're a couple of high muckety-mucks in the Coalition."

Lester stuck his head around the comer of the kitchen door. "Want me to go with Burgess or should I run upstairs and bring supergenius down here?"

"Neither." Mariah shooed Burgess with her hand and he immediately headed for the front door. "You are to behave and be quiet. Don't say anything unless you're spoken to. Is that understood?"

Stay calm, Mariah cautioned herself once again. Don't panic. Not yet. If only she'd had a couple of hours to prepare Jake, to walk him through some sort of playacting. Or if she'd had more warning-say overnight-she might have been able to persuade Jake to escape. But she didn't have overnight or even a couple of hours. She had minutes.

Agnes Payne entered the house first. A small woman, almost pet.i.te, in her early sixties, with keen brown eyes and a halo of curly dark hair barely touched by gray, she exuded an aura of power, intelligence and evil. A man of about 5' 10", with thick gray hair and tired blue eyes, came into the room following his mate like a dutiful dog, his shoulders slightly slumped as if he carried the weight of the world on them. Although Mariah knew from the report she'd read on Grimble that he was several years younger than Agnes, tonight he looked older. At one glance it was easy to see who the dominant partner was in their relations.h.i.+p. Mariah had no doubt that without his wife, Oliver Grimble would be totally lost.

"Dr. Brooks." Agnes held out her hand.

Mariah exchanged a strong, quick shake with the other woman. "Dr. Payne."

"Where is Jake?" Agnes asked.

"He's upstairs," Mariah answered.

Oliver Grimble glanced around, noting that both Burgess and Lester were in the room. "You've left Jake unguarded?"

"He's quite safe and secure," Mariah a.s.sured them. "There are bars on the upstairs windows and no means of escape."

"Yes, of course." Agnes turned to her husband. "My dear, I know you'd like to be the first to take a look at what Dr. Brooks has accomplished with our Jake, so why don't you go on upstairs and have a talk with him. I'll be up shortly." Agnes removed her coat and handed it to Mariah, then pointed to Burgess. "You go with Dr. Grimble."

"Perhaps I should go," Mariah said, clutching Agnes's coat. "After all, I'm the one who has worked with Jake and the person he'd feel most comfortable with at this point."

"I've promised Oliver a few moments with Jake without any interference." Agnes patted Mariah's arm. "It's frightfully cold outside and I'm quite chilled. Why don't we share a cup of coffee and you can explain the methods you've used that have worked successfully."

Mariah's fake smile made her face ache, but she kept it in place by sheer force of will. All she could do now was pray, because it was going to take a miracle to save them. "I'm afraid I didn't have time to put on coffee, but if you'll come with me into the kitchen, it won't take long to prepare a fresh pot." Mariah laid Agnes's coat on a nearby chair.

As she escorted Agnes into the kitchen, Mariah glanced over her shoulder in time to see Burgess following Oliver up the stairs. How would Jake react when he saw the man who had brainwashed him when he'd been a child? And more importantly, what would Dr. Grimble do when he discovered that she had made absolutely no progress at reprogramming Jake?

While the coffee brewed, Mariah racked her brain for every ounce of knowledge she'd gained in her college psychology courses, hoping her responses to Agnes's questions seemed genuine. As the minutes pa.s.sed, Mariah tried not to glance at her wrist.w.a.tch or the clock on the stove. Thankfully, at the moment, Agnes seemed more interested in enjoying the fresh, hot coffee than anything else.

"Would you care for something to eat?" Mariah asked.

"No, thank you." Agnes lifted the coffee mug to her lips again.

"I really think I should go upstairs and help Dr. Grimble. Jake might respond better if-"

"You seem awfully nervous, Dr. Brooks."