The Safe Hostage by Cassie Miles

Author:Cassie Miles
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
ISBN: 9780373225293
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1999-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

At the edge of dusk, when the red summer sun dipped behind the mountains, they sashayed into the Brown Palace Hotel. Ryan’s only disguise was the blond hair and a pair of sunglasses, but he was pretty sure nobody noticed him as he followed Carrie through the elegant marble lobby to the front desk. All eyes were on Caroline Elizabeth Leigh.

Just as she’d modified her walk to suit her mousy-brunette appearance, she had a whole different stride to match the slinky platinum-blond wig. Her back arched, and her bottom swung back and forth like a pendulum. If he hadn’t been enjoying the view so much, Ryan would’ve thought her motion was too much.

As expected, the desk clerk was so intrigued with her cleavage that he barely noticed Carrie’s face. Speaking directly to her breasts, he said, “And how long will you be staying, Ms. Leigh?”

“Through the Fourth of July,” she said in a breathy voice.

“Make it through the fifth.”

As Carrie made the arrangements, Ryan checked out the columned lobby.

Behind the dark glasses, his eyes moved constantly, scanning for potential threats amid the potted plants, the well-heeled visitors and the uniformed hotel staff. Bodyguard work was more typical of his Secret Service training.

Usual assignments were to protect the president, visiting foreign dignitaries and candidates.

Most people weren’t aware of the scope of the Secret Service, which was actually the first national law enforcement agency. Before the CIA and FBI, the Secret Service had been established by the U. S. Treasury Department under President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 to seek out counterfeiters. Obviously, the responsibilities of the Service had changed and expanded.

Ryan wondered if Nyland had resented his status. But why? Ryan hadn’t been paid more money, and anybody who thought undercover work was glamorous had to be crazy.

If Nyland had, in fact, sold out, the betrayal wasn’t a slap at the Service. Maybe Nyland had accepted a small bribe, stuck in his toe and then found himself up to his neck in hot water. Maybe he did a small job for the mysterious cowboy named Cortez, not knowing the man was tied to Fulton O’Shea. But Nyland wasn’t stupid; he would have figured out the connection. And when he realized the depth of his misjudgment, he might have hoped to compensate by showing up at the bank, fully armed and prepared to disrupt the operation. When Nyland pulled his gun in the bank, he might have been trying to correct his betrayal.

Ryan shook his head. It didn’t make sense for a career agent who was only a few years away from retirement to hook up with the bad guys. On the other hand, Nyland hadn’t been part of many covert sting operations. He was basically a pencil pusher with a very small staff, who mobilized forces when the president or political candidates came through Denver.

All this speculation was worthless. Ryan needed proof. He needed to talk face-to-face with Nyland.

His focus returned to the Brown Palace lobby. A classy place.

Air-conditioning lowered the temperature to sweat-less perfection.

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