Betrayed (A CORE Sector Novel Book 1) Read online

  "I've been called worse my friend. Besides, you can't deny she's gorgeous. And that accent, where's she from?"

  Frank shook his head, "England, and I thought we needed to worry about Lawler right now, unless you're going to make that phone call and have this postponed."

  Jon crossed his arms over his chest, "I see. A beautiful woman shows up and now you want to talk about Lawler. You're hopeless Frank. Really, hopeless."

  Frank grabbed an old jacket in case he had to get under the car, "Are you coming, Mr. Garage Man, or are you going to sit there all day and leave the beautiful woman without a car?"

  Jon put his gun away, walked past Frank and shook his head, "Hopeless."

  After looking the car over, both decided it needed to go to the garage. Frank left a note for Charlotte and the number to his mechanic so she could call and have the car towed.

  Frank hit the shower as soon as they returned to his house. He knew Jon would start in about Lawler or Charlotte or both and he didn't want to discuss either. He just wanted Jon to cut his visit short and go home. He knew it was rude, he loved his friend, but he didn't like rehashing the past and seeing Jon always seemed to bring it up.

  He heard something just as he shut the shower off, but wasn't sure if it was a knock or something else. He dressed and headed to the living room to ask Jon if he'd heard a knock at the door. Jon grinned, "Yeah, that beauty brought your keys back and left a pie. I think you should rethink your plan on working too much. She's too sweet to let get away."

  Frank headed to the kitchen, "There's pie?"

  "Damn man, a beautiful woman right across the street and you're worried about pie? What the hell is wrong with you?"

  "You haven't tried her pie. You'll want her for yourself after you try this." Frank paused, "Okay, wait a minute. Maybe you don't need to try her pie."

  Jon walked over, "Now you're talking like my old partner."

  Frank plopped a large slice onto a plate and pushed the pie away from Jon with a big grin on his face.

  "You're hopeless, man." Jon said as he grabbed the pie away from Frank.

  11

  CHARLOTTE BUSIED herself around the small kitchen. Saturday kicked off the Fall Harvest Festival and she wanted everything to be perfect. She volunteered to bake for the annual bake sale. This was the big end-of-season festival, a major gala of the year. This tiny kitchen was harder to work in. It was nothing like the one back home. She couldn't believe she'd been gone almost a year, she'd never been anywhere for more than a week and this uneasy feeling hadn't gone away. She tried to keep her mind focused on the task at hand, but the yearning for home never went away. In fact it grew stronger each day. Luckily, she had plenty to keep herself busy for the next two days. That would help. Her car had been towed to the shop. Frank had volunteered to help her get all the pies to the fairgrounds for the big festival. She wondered if she was letting him get too close, too soon. She had no other choice and he was the only person who’d tried to be friendly with her.

  A BEAUTIFUL FALL morning in Maine greeted them on Saturday. Frank picked Charlotte up bright and early. There was still a fog coming off the ocean. Charlotte dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, her usual attire for outings. She wore a thin sweater to knock off the morning chill. Frank always noted to himself she was very fit and this morning she looked radiant.

  Frank loaded the last of the pies into his car so they could head out to the fair grounds.

  Frank had to drive around back of the tents where the school bake sale was going to take place. He wasn't sure how many pies she had, but she'd made some for the church bake sale and the women's club. She had made pies for just about everyone's bake sale today. It would take a while to get them all sorted and taken to the right booths, but he didn't mind. He was starting to like Charlotte almost as much as he liked her pies. He'd been thinking he was too old to date or start a relationship, plus the loss of his wife still haunted him. He never wanted to put another woman through that. Charlotte was a good start to getting over the past. She kept pretty quiet about her life. He didn't want to think something was sneaky about her, but she was reserved.

  Frank admired her for agreeing to bake pies for almost every bake sale at the festival today. Still, he couldn't understand why someone so new to the community would jump in like she has and keep herself so busy. His inner detective was trying to work overtime. Why couldn't he like the woman without questioning why she didn't like to talk about herself?

  It took about an hour to get all the pies delivered to their prospective groups. Frank left Charlotte at the tasting booth while he went to park the car. He told her he'd meet her back there in about fifteen minutes.

  Charlotte had an odd feeling while Frank was gone. She casually glanced around but no one seemed out of place or suspicious. She didn't sleep well the night before, after the dream she had of the rock coming through her window back in London. She lived on the edge of being paranoid. Nothing had happened recently to make her feel this way, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

  12

  FRANK PARKED the car close to the back of the lot so others could park up-close. It was a nice walk, but not too far. It could take a bit more than the fifteen minutes he told Charlotte. She'd be okay though, this was a nice little town where nothing ever happened. He was glad he decided to offer his assistance today. He didn't have to sit at home worrying about all the mess with Gabe Lawler or Jon calling up to breathe down his neck about not taking it serious. He knew the problem wouldn't just go away, but he damned sure didn't want to deal with it right now.

  As he approached the tent he heard a woman screaming. Was that Charlotte? Why on earth would she be screaming?

  "Fraaaaaaank"

  It was Charlotte. Something was wrong. His first thought was someone was having a heart attack. Frank began to run. As he entered the tent he noticed Charlotte fighting a man off, a stranger. Frank ran over and slugged the man a good one, knocking him down.

  "We have to get out of here Frank. I have to go now, Frank."

  "It's okay Charlotte. We'll get the cops here to arrest him."

  "No Frank! These people are after me. This is why I left England, to get away from them. I have to run Frank. I have to hide."

  "Charlotte, we can't just run. We need to get the police involved."

  "You don't understand Frank. These people will kill me. If the law could stop them, I'd still be in England."

  Frank didn't like it and went against his better judgment, but he agreed and grabbed Charlotte's arm and started running to his car.

  The parking lot was beginning to get busy. Cars were coming from all directions. They had to dodge cars to stay ahead of the man who was after them. Franks swing didn't have the power it once had so the guy wasn't down long.

  Frank fumbled with his keys and finally got the doors opened. Frank shoved the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life as he jerked it into gear and stomped the gas. He could see the guy rolling in the dirt as he looked in his rearview mirror.

  When they’d gotten on the main road, he looked over at Charlotte, "What's going on? Why are we running instead of confronting that man? I'm a retired cop for god’s sake. I'm not supposed to run from criminals."

  "I'm sorry Frank, but these are really bad men, they aren't every day criminals. They'll kill me if they find me."

  "Who are they?"

  "They're a secret group of elite men back in England. On the surface they seem to be upstanding citizens, but they do horrible things in secret. Gavin told me all about them."

  "Gavin? Who's Gavin?" Frank tried to keep his eyes on the road. He wanted to be able to read Charlotte’s face as she gave him the information, but he couldn’t do both at the same time.

  "He's my attorney. He told me to leave the country so they couldn't find me. I've been hiding here for nine months and thought I was safe. I need to get out of here."

  "You need to go to the police, Charlotte!"

  Cha
rlotte became agitated. "This is a small town. You know as well as I do they can't handle a serious situation involving covert operations. I need to get out of here." She turned to face Frank. "If my own attorney didn't want to fight these men through the legal system, how can we expect to do it here?"

  Frank knew Charlotte was right. These two bit cops couldn't find their way out of a wet sack. What was he going to do? "Okay. We'll stop and get some clothes together real quick. That should buy us some time, but we have to do this quick. The guy probably knows where you live and he'll recognize this car."

  "If he knows where I live, why didn't he try to grab me there?"

  "He probably thought it'd be less of a hassle in public. Some guys work that way, others work in the dead of night, more secretive."

  "I'm so sorry you've been dragged into this, Frank. I've been so scared and had no one to talk to about it. You can come back home after you get me out of town. There's no need for you to be in this or on the run."

  "I'm not leaving you. I'm a cop, remember? Or I was. You’ll have to tell me the whole story, once we get on the road. I need to figure out how to handle this."

  Charlotte let out a quiet sigh. She felt bad because Frank had gotten involved, but she was relieved she wasn't in it alone, and Frank being an ex-cop couldn't hurt. All she wanted was for this to be over with, but unfortunately it felt like it was just the beginning. Nothing made sense and the more she thought about it, the less sense it made. Why would some group be after her over some stupid novel she wrote about old family journals. It was silly. She had to be missing something important. Maybe Gavin didn't tell her the whole story for her protection. If she was caught she couldn't tell them something she didn't know. All she had was some dusty old journals that she'd written a novel about and that's all she had.

  She sat staring out the window, looking at nothing, wondering what went wrong. Why did she write that damn book? Her life was near perfect before the book. The only good thing about any of this was meeting Frank, and now he was on the run with her. This wasn't how she wanted to get to know him.

  She'd spent so much time pondering these things that she didn't realize they’d entered a small town off the freeway. Frank pulled into a gas station and looked over at her.

  "I'm sorry. I was lost with my thoughts."

  "No need to apologize. I'm sure this is not something you're used to and it must seem completely overwhelming."

  "It is, Frank. I just can't make sense of it all over a stupid book."

  "It may be more than just about the book. You need to stop and think about that too. For now, let's enjoy our food. We'll talk more after we've eaten."

  THE REMAINDER of the afternoon was pretty quiet. Frank was trying to piece the puzzle together, what little he knew. Charlotte stared out the window in silence. Frank needed the whole story, but thought it best to let Charlotte have some quiet time. He'd ask more questions once they got settled in for the night.

  She had told him everything she knew and none of it added up. He decided some time during the night they'd need to return to England, the answers were there, not here. Someone would be watching the major airports so their only chance was to contact his old friends in DC. Surely one of them could get them out of the country without being detected. A few of his buddies owed him some favors, but this would be a huge request.

  Charlotte was restless all night and Frank felt like he was back on stake-out with the force. He caught a glimpse of sleep once or twice, but nothing that equaled rest. He finally fell asleep about four in the morning only to wake up at five thirty. Once again he dreamed his wife's car went over the bridge railing, except this time when he ran to the edge to look down, he saw Charlotte struggling in the icy waters. He jumped in to save her but she went under for the last time. He awoke gasping for breath in a cold sweat. He had to save her. He couldn't lose her the way he'd lost Evelyn and the kids.

  Charlotte shook Frank. He opened his eyes to a startled look on her face, "Frank, are you okay? What's wrong?" she asked as she sat down beside him. "You're shaking."

  He sat up and rubbed both hands over his face, "It’s okay. It's just a dream."

  "Do you want to talk about it?"

  "No, not really," he paused, "I lost my wife and kids ten years ago. Her car skidded out of control and went over the railing into the Potomac."

  "Oh, Frank, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

  "It's been a recurring dream all these years. I see her car go over, hear them all screaming and I dive in to save them. That's when I wake up." Frank sat there for a moment deciding if he should finish. He gathered his words and continued, "This time when I ran to look over the edge, I saw you drowning. I didn't see Evelyn's taillights this time, I saw you, Charlotte. I jumped in to save you, but you. . ."

  "It's okay Frank. It was only a dream. I'm right here. I'm not drowning in the lake."

  Frank chuckled a bit, "It's a river. The Potomac runs through DC, my old stomping grounds."

  Charlotte smiled, "Well, none the less, I'm safe, right here with you."

  Frank wondered just how safe she really was. He'd been out of police work for over two years. He knew he'd lost some of his edge. He wasn't real sure he could keep her safe. He knew once he got her to DC, his chances of protecting her were much better. Out here on the road, he wasn't so sure since the guy had already tracked them. He may even be outside now, waiting for them to step out the door. He'd have to be more cautious. Frank got up to splash cold water on his face and put on a clean shirt. He knew it would be daylight soon. He wanted to make sure they got on the road quickly.

  13

  "GENTLEMEN, we're gathered here this morning for a very important reason. I know this is not a scheduled meeting and for many of you Sunday is family time. But this is of utmost importance. As you know, we've been trying to get hold of a lady named Charlotte, the grand-daughter of our beloved comrade, Harmon. This has been no easy task. She's in America. We had an associate in place, but someone else has interfered. When the other man tried to approach her, well let's just say she wasn't very cooperative. A man also stepped in."

  "How will we get her?" Alec asked.

  "We've got top men on the job."

  "It's one woman, for god's sake. We've found trained professionals before and now, one damn lady gives us the slip up? This looks very bad on us, Bryce, and I won't stand for it."

  "Calm down, Alec, we must have faith in them."

  "Faith? We need her here and so far that's not happening. We need a little more than faith."

  "Alec, you must be patient. We will get her and fulfill our mission."

  "Are you sure about that, Bryce?"

  "What would you have me do, Alec? This is a sensitive situation and we need to handle it delicately to protect ourselves and all those involved. We must avoid nasty rumors at all cost!"

  "I know, but this wasn't supposed to turn out like this. Has someone leaked the information?"

  Bryce looked around the room, "I have my suspicions, but I want to make sure before I bring it up to the council." He turned back to Alec, "You go home and get some rest. It's a six hour time difference. I don't expect any contact until later this afternoon. It's the middle of the night in the states."

  "I think I'll stop at the pub and have a drink first. You game?"

  "No, too early in the day. I have too much to think over and need a clear head."

  "Okay. see you later."

  "Yes," Bryce replied as he sat behind his desk.

  Marcus stood up to leave, but turned to Bryce instead, "You know the kid has a point."

  Bryce turned and smiled, "He's in his thirties, Marcus, hardly a kid."

  "Yes, but he is the youngest. He has a lot of potential. But the fact remains that whoever was hired to reach Ms. McDougal failed miserably. I'm not so sure the council would be very tolerant if I made a mistake like that."

  Bryce sort of brushed him off with the flip of his hand in the air, "Marcus, you've been at this a long tim
e. You don't make mistakes."

  Marcus had a stern look, "I've made my share." He turned towards the door, "But this isn't about me. I wish I had been sent. She would be on her way back to England right now." He opened the door and quietly walked out, leaving Bryce looking out the window, staring into nothingness, the city lights barely visible through the dense fog that had crept in.

  14

  FRANK TOLD Charlotte to stay in the room as he stepped outside to check things out. He wanted to make sure the guy wasn't outside and to see if the motel diner was open yet. Neither of them had slept well and it would be a long day on the road with fast food on the general menu. Frank wanted them to at least try to have a sit-down meal at least once today. He noted the diner was already open for business as he walked around the parking lot, while keeping their room in sight at all times. He checked license plates on what few cars were in the lot and made sure the car they saw yesterday wasn't one of them. He returned to the room, loaded their few belongings in the car and then escorted Charlotte to the small restaurant. Luckily it was still dark outside, so anyone pulling in would be noticed by their headlights.

  Frank was a vigilant watch-out, paying close attention to everyone that entered. Years on the force had taught him how to be watchful and appear relaxed at the same time. He was looking over his atlas for the best route to DC, while eating, watching the crowd and holding a conversation with Charlotte about her baking and crafting abilities.

  It was obvious that Charlotte had picked up on it and was just making small chatter. She was good, but then again she knew he was a cop and she'd written a few mysteries herself. Although her latest mystery sure didn't turn out like she'd expected. Frank told her that morning they needed to get to England. Her eyes lit up at the thought of getting to go home.

  Charlotte couldn't wait to get back home, even if she didn't know how her homecoming would be. Would she be chased, greeted with open arms by old friends, shunned? Would it be scary or invigorating when she stepped off the plane onto home soil? She didn't know, but she did know that she wanted to get to the bottom of this so she could get her life back. America was a nice place to visit but she didn't want to spend her life in a foreign country. A culture made up of too many cultures can wreck havoc on a person's soul and mind. It's like they took bits and pieces of what they liked and paid no attention to the deeper meaning of how older cultures had developed out of a sense of pride or duty.