Deadly Echoes (Donovan Nash Series) by Philip Donlay

Author:Philip Donlay [Donlay, Philip]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Published: 2014-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Lauren woke to a silent house and she struggled for a moment to collect her bearings. She was in Laguna Beach, the house Buck had arranged. She glanced at the clock and discovered it was late morning. She threw on a pair of sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt from William’s stock of clothes, grabbed the folded sheets of paper she’d been working on the night before, and in stocking feet went to check on her daughter. Abigail might sleep for another couple hours. She’d been excited last night to see Grandpa William, and, thankfully, the combination of travel and playing with William had worn her out. The door to Stephanie’s room was closed, so she was probably still asleep.

Lauren went to the great room and through the expansive picture windows took in the Pacific Ocean.

“Good morning,” William called from the kitchen. “Coffee?”

Lauren turned to see William, he in his suit, standing with another man she didn’t recognize. The stranger was probably late-twenties, longish blond hair, unshaven. Definitely not FBI, maybe CIA. Curious, she joined them.

“Who are you?”

“I’m security, Dr. McKenna, my name is Marcus.”

“Are you a friend of Buck’s?”

“No, ma’am, I never had the privilege of serving with Lt. Buckley, but it would have been an honor. I hear from my former commanding officer that he’s done some amazing things.”

“Buck set all this up,” William said. “There’s a small team of people watching out for our safety.”

“Have you been briefed on Nikolett Kovarik and what she managed to do in Paris?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Marcus’s eyes shot from Lauren to William and then back to Lauren. “I promise, Dr. McKenna. She won’t get past us.”

“How many are in your detail?” Lauren asked.

“There are five of us, ma’am. We’re running twenty-four-hour surveillance from multiple vantage points. The cliff out back goes straight down eighty feet all the way to the beach, there’re motion detectors and infrared cameras. There’s no way anyone gets in that way. We’re on a cul-de-sac on a quiet street. Only one way in or out. You’re safe, ma’am.”

Lauren could hear Henri telling her the same thing not three days ago. Then she pictured him collapsing in the department store, Philippe shot multiple times before he succumbed, and Giselle coming to their rescue in the car only to take a bullet to the neck. “I hope so, Marcus, for all our sakes.” Lauren found some orange juice, poured a glass, then headed to the deck for the fresh morning air.

“I’m sorry,” Marcus said. “I need to ask you to stay inside the house and try not to loiter in front of any open windows.”

Instead of the inviting table and chairs in the sun, Lauren settled for the kitchen table. She switched on her phone. As soon as it powered up, she heard the beeping that meant she had multiple messages.

First, she glanced at her e-mails, finding nothing of significance, and then she listened to her voice mail. The first was from Aaron calling from Paris, imploring her to make contact.

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