Cloud Dust: RD-1 (R-D #1)(35)

The driver found a spot in a parking garage, and we walked from there. Just as Rafe asked, I watched everything around us—he did, too. James appeared to be more watchful than I'd ever seen him be, and together the three of us strolled into the mall area and headed toward the department store.

I knew we were followed discreetly; that was also a concern. Someone had gotten to a helicopter pilot; what might keep them from getting to one of those who followed us now?

"Stop being obvious, cabbage," Rafe rumbled at my side.

"Okay." I attempted to breathe out the tension gathering inside me. "This is supposed to be fun. Relaxing," I reminded myself. After my confinement at the Mansion, the mall and its many shops overloaded my senses, especially since my fear was waking and shoving everything else aside. I found I couldn't focus on anything except that.

Rafe's hand went to my neck, gently swept my hair aside and massaged my skin. I wanted to moan at the contact—it felt wonderful. Too soon, we arrived at the department store and he took his hand away.

"Dresses or suits first?" James asked.

"Let's do suits," I said. "I'm too shaky to pick an outfit right now."

"Cori?" James turned his full attention on me.

"It's nothing," I lied and waved away his concern. "Nothing imminent, anyway."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's just the usual," I said.

"Let's look at suits, then," Rafe took charge of the situation as well as my hand and led me toward the nearest escalator.

"Get what you want; we can get it altered faster than they can do it here," James advised as Rafe and I studied the selection of suits. For a funeral, it had to be dark, tasteful and discreet. I forced my mind to focus on Rafe and his selections.

"I like the dark gray and the navy pinstripe," I said after Rafe slipped into several suit coats.

"We'll get both," James said.

"We have to hurry," I said. "They're getting closer. We may have time to run through the dress department, but that's it."

"Who?" Rafe turned to me, then.

"I don't know. I just feel them coming closer."

"To the dress department, then." James led the way downstairs, where the women's clothing was.

I felt as if I were suffocating as I lifted skirts, blouses and jackets off racks and raced toward the checkout. James paid and we headed toward the mall entrance.

"In here," I grabbed Rafe and James' hands and led them into a tiny shop not far away that sold women's lingerie. Pulling them behind a large display sign hanging in a window, we watched as three men walked past. They looked as if they were ready for a golf outing. Two of the three appeared to be identical twins. I released a shaky breath.

Right behind them came some of those who were guarding us. They knew, just as I did, that these three were looking for us. "Go," I hissed. We took off, moving as quickly as we could out of the store without being obvious. Two of our discreet guards caught up with us near the entrance to the parking garage, and they stayed with us until we were safely inside the car.

The driver took off without a word, the screech of the vehicle's tires scraping against my nerves as he drove us away from customer parking. James received a call on his cell halfway back to the Mansion; August was on the line. James put the call on speaker. "We have one of them in custody," August said. "The other two are dead."

"Who?" Rafe asked.

"We have no information, and we're having trouble with identification at the moment," August replied. "Did you get a look at them? Recognize anyone?"

"No, but that's no surprise," Rafe responded. "If I'm the target, they wouldn't want me to recognize a potential shooter. Two of them were twins; I could see that clearly."

"What about you, Cori? Did you see any of them? Know anything about them?"

"One wanted me. The twins wanted Rafe," I said.

"Are you holding up?" August asked—he'd noticed the quaver in my voice.

"I didn't collapse on the floor, but it may be because Rafe and James were holding me up."

"I can have Dr. Shaw waiting for you," August offered.

"No, Auggie. I'll get through this, I think."

*

Shopping bags were dumped inside Auggie's office as we walked in. He already had photographs spread across his desk. I lifted one of them—it was of two bodies, both shot from close range. The twins were obviously dead.

"These two were after Rafe," I repeated, handing the photograph to a frowning August. "The other one was definitely after me."

"What can you tell me about him?" He handed a photograph of the third man to me.

"Auggie, his mind is a mess," I said. "I'm not getting much at all from him. It's like he had orders, and that's all he could remember."





Chapter 9

Notes—Colonel Hunter

James and Rafe took Corinne back to her suite while I examined the photographs again. I had information from our team, too, concerning the shootings. They'd occurred in a maintenance area between the department store and a nearby hotel; the two dead men got off several rounds before ours took them down.