"I hear this idiot managed to get you banged up. How are you?"
"I was better before I saw that I'm some sort of fugitive."
"Yeah, that came as a shock to us too." He took off his jacket and tossed it on a chair. "Logan is foaming at the mouth."
"Then let him direct some of that anger at Jurgens," Alex said. "If Logan has so much clout, tell him to get me out of this mess."
"Believe me, he's trying." He glanced at Alex's cup. "Tell me that's hot coffee?" He didn't wait for an answer but headed for the kitchenette. "Elena wasn't pleased that I had to take off. She said we both should be involved in having this baby. I'm not happy with you, Judd."
"Alex's wound is my fault; I plead innocent to everything else. Besides, Elena doesn't need you. She can handle anything. The baby will be a piece of cake to her."
Elena? Alex had a vague memory of Morgan mentioning the name. The woman who wanted to cut his throat . . . Smart woman. "And what's Logan doing to straighten this out?"
"He's called Jurgens and is in contact with Homeland Security. So far they're not responding very positively."
"They've got to realize it's a mistake."
Galen glanced at Morgan. "Mistake?"
"Setup."
"That's what I think. So that means the dam break probably had some sort of government connection."
Morgan nodded.
They were both ignoring her. "Or that it's a mistake that I can straighten out if I can just get someone to listen. Maybe some hotshot in the Bureau developed this theory about me and they're running with it."
They both just looked at her.
Her hands clenched into fists. "Dammit, this doesn't have to be a conspiracy."
"No, but it makes more sense than a bureaucratic blunder," Morgan said. "Have they turned loose all their dogs, Galen?"
Galen nodded. "According to Logan it's going to be a witch hunt and no one's listening to him."
"CIA's involved. How high up?"
"Danley broke the news on the recent discovery of Alex's connection with Matanza. You can't get much higher than that. Do you know Danley?"
Morgan shook his head. "My contact in the CIA was Al Leary. But Leary was ambitious as hell and I'd bet he's in Danley's pocket." He thought about it. "Which may not be bad for us. He might know--" He shook his head. "Later. We don't have time for this. As I told you when you called me back on the phone, we have to get Alex out of here. That doctor I had up here to treat her isn't about to take this kind of heat. He'll be on the line to the police the minute he sees a photo and makes the connection. Have you found a place for her and arranged for a helicopter?"
Galen nodded. "I called from the car on the way here."
"Wait a minute." Alex stood up. "You're not listening to me. What part of what I said didn't you understand? I'm not running away and hiding."
Galen and Morgan exchanged glances.
Morgan shrugged. "I was expecting this. Unfortunately, she's an idealist. She wants to believe the good guys are always good."
"Nice." Galen smiled at Alex. "I'd like to believe that too. But it's always better to hedge your bet."
"And that means?"
"Let us get you to someplace safer and then start a dialogue with the FBI."
She hesitated.
"Why not?" Galen asked. "If we're wrong, then you'll be able to rub our noses in our dastardly suspicions. If we're right, then you'll be alive and kicking." His eyes twinkled. "Preferably not us."
This situation was so bizarre anything could happen. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious. "Okay." She turned toward her bedroom. "Let me throw some clothes on and we'll get out of here."
"Good. Galen, you call and tell the helicopter we're ready for pickup." Morgan moved toward the study. "I'll go down to the bottom of the road and keep watch."
"You talk as if we may be under siege," Alex said sarcastically. "As far as I'm concerned, this is merely a precaution. Nothing is going to--" Morgan had come out of the study carrying a rifle. "What are you doing? You look like you're going to war. I don't want anyone hurt, and I
"I was better before I saw that I'm some sort of fugitive."
"Yeah, that came as a shock to us too." He took off his jacket and tossed it on a chair. "Logan is foaming at the mouth."
"Then let him direct some of that anger at Jurgens," Alex said. "If Logan has so much clout, tell him to get me out of this mess."
"Believe me, he's trying." He glanced at Alex's cup. "Tell me that's hot coffee?" He didn't wait for an answer but headed for the kitchenette. "Elena wasn't pleased that I had to take off. She said we both should be involved in having this baby. I'm not happy with you, Judd."
"Alex's wound is my fault; I plead innocent to everything else. Besides, Elena doesn't need you. She can handle anything. The baby will be a piece of cake to her."
Elena? Alex had a vague memory of Morgan mentioning the name. The woman who wanted to cut his throat . . . Smart woman. "And what's Logan doing to straighten this out?"
"He's called Jurgens and is in contact with Homeland Security. So far they're not responding very positively."
"They've got to realize it's a mistake."
Galen glanced at Morgan. "Mistake?"
"Setup."
"That's what I think. So that means the dam break probably had some sort of government connection."
Morgan nodded.
They were both ignoring her. "Or that it's a mistake that I can straighten out if I can just get someone to listen. Maybe some hotshot in the Bureau developed this theory about me and they're running with it."
They both just looked at her.
Her hands clenched into fists. "Dammit, this doesn't have to be a conspiracy."
"No, but it makes more sense than a bureaucratic blunder," Morgan said. "Have they turned loose all their dogs, Galen?"
Galen nodded. "According to Logan it's going to be a witch hunt and no one's listening to him."
"CIA's involved. How high up?"
"Danley broke the news on the recent discovery of Alex's connection with Matanza. You can't get much higher than that. Do you know Danley?"
Morgan shook his head. "My contact in the CIA was Al Leary. But Leary was ambitious as hell and I'd bet he's in Danley's pocket." He thought about it. "Which may not be bad for us. He might know--" He shook his head. "Later. We don't have time for this. As I told you when you called me back on the phone, we have to get Alex out of here. That doctor I had up here to treat her isn't about to take this kind of heat. He'll be on the line to the police the minute he sees a photo and makes the connection. Have you found a place for her and arranged for a helicopter?"
Galen nodded. "I called from the car on the way here."
"Wait a minute." Alex stood up. "You're not listening to me. What part of what I said didn't you understand? I'm not running away and hiding."
Galen and Morgan exchanged glances.
Morgan shrugged. "I was expecting this. Unfortunately, she's an idealist. She wants to believe the good guys are always good."
"Nice." Galen smiled at Alex. "I'd like to believe that too. But it's always better to hedge your bet."
"And that means?"
"Let us get you to someplace safer and then start a dialogue with the FBI."
She hesitated.
"Why not?" Galen asked. "If we're wrong, then you'll be able to rub our noses in our dastardly suspicions. If we're right, then you'll be alive and kicking." His eyes twinkled. "Preferably not us."
This situation was so bizarre anything could happen. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious. "Okay." She turned toward her bedroom. "Let me throw some clothes on and we'll get out of here."
"Good. Galen, you call and tell the helicopter we're ready for pickup." Morgan moved toward the study. "I'll go down to the bottom of the road and keep watch."
"You talk as if we may be under siege," Alex said sarcastically. "As far as I'm concerned, this is merely a precaution. Nothing is going to--" Morgan had come out of the study carrying a rifle. "What are you doing? You look like you're going to war. I don't want anyone hurt, and I
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