Dead Asleep by Jamie Freveletti Page B

espresso brown. She added quite a bit more. The coffee remained dark, but the liquid was hitting the rim so she dumped some into the sink, added more cream and took a hesitant sip. Her eyes lit up. “Wow. That’s really good.” She gave him an astonished look. “I had no idea that you made such amazing coffee.”
    He smiled at her. “Did you think I was just good for knocking heads together?”
    â€œAnd hammering people into the ground and chasing them down and shooting them and—”
    He put up a hand. “Okay, I get it.” She smiled back, but then grew serious.
    â€œSomething tells me that we’re both going to be tested, and soon. Between the bomb at Kemmer’s house and the dead woman, it feels as though things are accelerating.”
    â€œAnd we’re no closer to finding the guns, gunpowder, or the money train.”
    She shook her head. “Not yet, no.” Banner leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed one leg over the other. He took a sip of coffee.
    â€œI say let’s take the fight to them.”
    â€œOkay. How?”
    â€œWe talk to Kemmer. It was his beach house they bombed. Let’s find out why. If he’s clean and it’s Sumner they’re after, then we’ll deal with that next.”
    â€œAnd Caldridge?”
    â€œLet’s warn her. In the past few years she’s become quite good at protecting herself.” Stromeyer took another sip of the coffee.
    â€œAnd if it appears necessary, I think we suggest to Sumner that he go to Terra Cay. The two of them together make a formidable force.”
    Banner nodded. “Like us,” he said.
    Stromeyer held up her coffee cup in a toast. “Like us.”

Chapter 14
    E mma returned home in another car from Carrow’s villa. It seemed that his cars were making a circuit between her villa and his. He’d send another driver to pick this one up later. The phone rang the moment she stepped into the foyer. She reached for the credenza and picked up the handset.
    â€œI hope you’re enjoying the lifestyle of the rich and famous,” Sumner said.
    Emma smiled at the sound of his voice. An image of him came to mind: about thirty, six-foot-three, with brown hair, rugged face, and a slender physique, he rarely smiled. When Emma had first met him he also had rarely spoken. He’d opened up more with her over the years but was still quite taciturn.
    â€œI’m learning that the rich and famous are a lot more messed up than we actually know.”
    â€œNow there’s a surprise.”
    â€œYes, shocking, isn’t it? What’s up? I’m surprised that you’re calling me. I thought you were working undercover and incommunicado.”
    â€œI was, but something’s happened that I think you should know.”
    He gave her the story. Emma tossed her keys onto the credenza and headed to the kitchen while she listened. He finished by saying, “Keep your wits about you.”
    â€œNot a problem.” She told him about the events of the last eighteen hours, focusing on the crazy man and the priestess.
    â€œThey sound like a couple of amateurs.”
    Emma felt a rush of gratitude. That Sumner wasn’t buying the zombie and demon stories made her feel like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She hadn’t realized how tense she was until just that moment.
    â€œThey are amateurs, at least the voodoo priestess is. But I’m really concerned about the crazy man and the illness that seems to be making its way through Carrow’s villa. I’ve never seen a man have a seizure as strange as Nalen had.”
    â€œDo you want me to fly down?”
    Emma paused. She knew that as a member of the Air Tunnel Denial program Sumner was routinely sent on missions the world over to stop drug trafficking, and she felt bad asking him to put such a lofty goal aside to help her with a couple of crazies and an overindulged rock