Long Road Home(43)

“Everything okay?”

She nodded and forced a smile.

Manuel started the engine and drove back onto the highway. As he turned toward D.C., he pulled his cell phone out to call Tony.

“Hey man, you landed?”

“Yeah,” Manuel said. “Wanted to get the location of the place you set up for me and Jules to stay.”

He glanced over at Jules, but she was staring out the window. She looked tense, but he supposed she was afraid. He shouldered his phone and reached out to her with his free hand, wanting to offer reassurance.

She smiled weakly at him and squeezed his hand in return.

Keeping a careful eye on the side-view mirrors, he listened while Tony gave him directions.

“Manuel, there’s something else,” Tony said as he finished the instructions. A hint of excitement colored his voice.

“Talk to me,” Manuel said.

“I took the liberty of doing a little recon on my own. I may have found someone sympathetic to our cause. I think he could help Jules.”

Manuel straightened in his seat. “Tell me.”

“Senator Denison. Word is he’s on a short list to be the new Director of Homeland Security. He’s very interested in cracking the NFR. It would be a huge coup for him since the CIA has never been able to get inside the organization. He wants to meet you and Jules. He’s amenable to an exchange. If Jules will give him information, he may be willing to overlook her participation in the group.”

Manuel’s heart began to thump harder. It was too good to be true. If he could get Jules off the hook, they would have a shot at a normal life. Together.

“Do you think Jules would turn informant?” Tony continued. “In light of her history with them, I can’t believe she’d feel any loyalty to the group. If what she said about her recruitment is true.”

Tony left the question dangling in the air. And that was the crux of the matter. But Manuel believed her story. Her horror had been too real as she had recounted the events of that fateful day three years ago.

“I’ll talk to her,” Manuel said. “Set up a meeting. Just him and me. I want to hear what he has to say before I expose Jules to any potential danger.”

Beside him Jules twisted in her seat, her full attention on him. He shouldered the phone again and put his hand out soothingly.

“Will do,” Tony said. “He was very anxious for the meeting to take place. I’ll get back to you as soon as I’ve set it up.”

Manuel dropped the phone onto the seat.

“What was that all about?” Jules asked.

“We may have a way to get you out of this mess.”

She looked startled. “I don’t understand.”

“Senator Denison is interested in an exchange. If you give him information about the NFR, he’s willing to overlook your past transgressions.”

Her mouth rounded in shock. Consternation flared in her eyes, not relief. He frowned as he took stock of her reaction.

“This is good news, Jules.”

“Yeah. Of course it is,” she muttered.

“I won’t let you meet with him until I’m sure he’s on the up-and-up,” he said, hoping to reassure her.

She nodded and looked out the window.

He shook his head, perplexed by her response. Maybe she was afraid or maybe she didn’t want to get her hopes up. Whatever the reason behind her less-than-enthusiastic demeanor, he aimed to change it.

“Where are we staying?” she asked.

“A townhouse outside Bethesda. We should be there in a few minutes. We’ll spend the night, and hopefully tomorrow Tony will have arranged for me to meet the senator. If not, we’ll lay low until he does.”

She nodded and leaned back in her seat. She ran a hand through her short hair and massaged the back of her head with her fingers.

“I’m ready for a bath.” She laughed self-consciously as she twirled the ends of her hair around her fingers.

He relaxed. A normal evening would be good for them. Tony had assured him he had the townhouse under guard, and that no one would get past his security measures.

He reached over and curled his hand around the nape of her neck and squeezed gently.

Chapter Twenty

Manny pulled into a one-car garage under a two-story townhouse and cut the ignition. He glanced over at Jules and cracked a half smile. “Home sweet home.”

Jules eased out of her seat and reached for her bag. Manny got out and came up behind her to cup a hand around her elbow. She let him lead her toward the entrance to the townhouse. He reached in front of her and shoved the door open.

She stepped in and stood while he flipped the light switch. The hallway opened to the kitchen, and she turned the lights on there too. Beyond the kitchen, there was a step down into the living room.

Manny walked around her and went through the house, turning on a few lamps so that a soft glow lit the interior. He motioned toward the stairs. “Want to see the upstairs? We can put our bags in the bedroom.”

She followed him up the carpeted stairs. There were three doors—one on either side and one straight ahead. She stuck her head in the one straight ahead first. It was a small bathroom with a shower, commode and a pedestal sink.

She backed out and opened the door on the left side of the stairs. It was a small bedroom, obviously not the master. Manny opened the door to the right and motioned her in.