Devious Minds Read online

  “Ah... this other man, Mason, I’m sorry to tell you this, but he is dead.”

  “Oh no. What about Blake?”

  “He is alive, but it doesn’t look so good. I think the men, or the terrorists, as you called them, left them both for dead, but we came and they had to leave in a hurry. An ambulance just took Blake to the hospital, so I have hope that he will survive, but it will be a close thing.”

  I inhaled sharply. This was terrible. “Okay. What can I do?”

  “I would like to talk with you as soon as possible. Do you know what this is all about?”

  “I have a pretty good idea.”

  “Then we need to meet. I can come to you if that is better?”

  “Sure. Um... just a minute.” I turned to Ramos. “Can he come here? I need to tell him what’s going on.” Ramos pursed his lips, thinking that he didn’t exactly trust the guy, but there wasn’t anywhere else we could go that he thought would be safer.

  “Yes. Tell him we’re at The Saint James Hotel, room two-ten, and to come alone.”

  I repeated this to Gabriel and disconnected. “He’ll be here in about fifteen minutes. It looks like they killed Mason. And Blake... he must be in bad shape. He’s still alive, but they just took him to the hospital. I sure hope he pulls through.”

  “Yeah,” Ramos said, although he wasn’t exactly sincere about it, mostly because it aggravated him that Blake had gotten me into this mess. If he and Manetto had been home, this never would have happened. Then he wondered again how Chris could have let me go. He thought Chris was smarter than that. So what had happened?

  “Uh... I can explain that,” I said, and I told him about my involvement with Chris’ trial, ending with Blake’s offer of the forensic accountant to solve Chris’ case. “He just made an offer that was too good to refuse. Kind of like what Uncle Joey does.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Ramos said reluctantly, but he had to admit it was true.

  “I also don’t think Blake thought meeting with Mason would be dangerous. To him, it was just a routine information-gathering type meeting.”

  “That doesn’t excuse him from putting you in danger, which is why I’m a bit concerned about Gabriel. How do we know we can trust him?”

  “We don’t, but that’s a chance we have to take. I mean, if there’s a bomb out there, we need to stop it if we can. It could kill thousands of people, and I don’t want that on my conscience.”

  Ramos agreed, but he didn’t have the same kind of sympathy as me. Sure, it would be nice to stop it from happening, but not if it killed us at the same time.

  Before I could tell him that I didn’t want it to kill us either, a knock sounded at the door. “You stay put,” Ramos said. “I’ll get it.” He was thinking that he wanted Gabriel intimidated, so he wouldn’t ask me to do something that would be dangerous.

  I sighed. Why did all the men in my life think they had to protect me all the time? It wasn’t like I did this stuff on purpose, and most of the time I could take care of myself. Of course, without Ramos, I would probably be dead right now. I shoved that awful thought away and watched as Ramos opened the door and let the Frenchman in.

  Gabriel’s hair was long, dark and wavy with a touch of gray on the sides and at his temples. He had a narrow face and dark eyes, with a five o’clock shadow along his jaw. He wore a blazer over a gray shirt and dark slacks. He saw me on the couch and hurried over.

  “Bonsoir Mademoiselle,” he said, taking my hand in his. “Thank you for allowing me to come so late. But this is of the highest importance, yes?”

  “Yes,” I agreed. “Please sit down. Do you know any more about Blake’s condition?”

  “Oui. He is in surgery right now, so that is good. We hope for the best.” He sat beside me on the couch, and Ramos sat in the chair across from us. I hadn’t introduced him, but that was because he didn’t want me to.

  “Are you with the police?” Ramos asked.

  “I am with the DGSI, the General Directorate for Internal Security,” Gabriel said, glancing at Ramos. “A French counter-terrorist organization.” He turned his gaze to me. “I’ve worked with Blake before on several occasions. His intelligence gathering has been most valuable to our country. I have not heard of you, however. Are you new with the agency?”

  “No... I’m not an agent or anything like that. I just have a skill that he thought would help him, and that’s why he brought me.”

  “Ah.” He glanced at me with expectation, but when I didn’t explain, his brows drew together. “And what is this skill? Why exactly did he bring you?”

  Crap! I hadn’t thought about this at all, but I had to tell him something. “Well... I have... uh... premonitions about things. It’s like a psychic ability, and I used them to help him solve a case a few months ago. I think he wanted my help to know what Mason was involved with. But we had no idea it would turn out like this.”

  Gabriel nodded, but his thoughts were spinning a mile a minute... in French, so I had no idea what they were. Even the expression on his face was one of polite interest, rather than shock or surprise. He took a deep breath and nodded. “Ah. So... what did you find?”

  “Well... I... uh... know who Cypher is, and I’m pretty sure he has plans to detonate a bioweapon.”

  This time his eyes widened, and more French thoughts spilled from his mind. If I had to guess, I’d say he was swearing... a lot. He stood and began to pace before he got under control, then turned back to me. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “All right. Tell me everything. From the beginning.” He sat back down and listened intently, while I explained how Blake and I met with Mason and that I’d picked up the name Cypher from him. Then I continued with the men waiting for us at Mason’s place, before ending with what transpired at the house.

  “And you know all of this because of your premonitions?” Gabriel asked.

  “That’s right,” I answered.

  He glanced at Ramos. “She is lucky to have you watching over her, I think. Do you work for Blake too?”

  “No,” we both said at the same time. Ramos and Gabriel glanced at me with brows raised in surprise. “He’s my personal bodyguard,” I explained. “You can understand why I’d need one, right?”

  Ramos’ lips twisted in a wry smile, while Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “Oui, I am beginning to understand that.” He turned his gaze to Ramos. “It is a full-time job to keep her safe, yes?”

  “Pretty much,” he offered. “Only I almost didn’t get here in time.”

  “Then... I hope you will stay, because I think that in order to stop this bioweapon and find and identify Cypher, I will need her help. If you are here, I won’t have to worry about protecting her, nor will I have to explain about her ‘special abilities’ to my people.”

  “You’re just worried that no one will believe you,” I said. His embarrassed smile let me know I’d gotten that right, and I hadn’t even read his mind. Go me. “So that makes me wonder. What makes it so easy for you to believe me?”

  His smile widened, and he glanced at the floor before returning his gaze to mine. “It is for the simple truth that, in one night, you not only infiltrated Cypher’s organization, but you identified that he was hiding as one of his men in plain sight. Knowing what I do about him, and the efforts we have made to identify him, I have not believed it possible.

  “He has chosen his name for just that purpose... to be no one and no thing. There, but not. If he pretends to be one of the men, he not only deceives them, but keeps his identity a secret from all. If you know who he is, you have done more than anyone who has ever tried before.

  “You have succeeded where many others have failed. So... you are either telling the truth about your premonitions, or you are working for Cypher... or you could even be Cypher. But, knowing Blake as I do, I do not think the latter. Therefore, you must be the former.”

  I nodded, a little intimidated by his reasoning, but it made sense. “Okay. So what’s next?”


  “The bioweapon. What do you think it is, and how do we find it?”

  “Uh... I don’t know too much more about it than what I told you. With my premonitions, I only caught a glimpse of a ventilation grate. It reminded me of the metro, because it had tile all around it. But I still could be wrong about that. Maybe it contains some kind of air-borne virus, or a gas of some kind, and they plan to let it out there. But that’s just a guess.”

  “I see what you mean, but that still gives us a place to start. I will let you get some rest, but I would like to meet with you tomorrow. There are many things you could do to help with this. Is that possible?”

  “Sure,” I agreed. “I’d like to help if I can.”

  “Good. I will call you,” he said, sounding relieved. “Please call me any time before then if you remember anything that will help.”

  “Okay,” I said, then added, “What hospital is Blake at? Is someone protecting him?”

  “Oui. Do not worry, he is under guard. I will let you know how he is in the morning and if you can visit him.”

  I nodded, and Gabriel walked toward the door, with Ramos following behind. He said something to Ramos and then left.

  “What did he say?” I asked.

  “He told me to keep you here for the night, and to make sure that I locked the door after he left.” He was thinking that was a no-brainer on both points, but appreciated that Gabriel believed me and wanted me safe. “I want you to stay here tonight as well,” Ramos continued. “But you’re welcome to the bed.”

  “Oh... yeah, thanks. Um... this couch is actually quite comfy. I’ll be fine here.”

  “Suit yourself,” he said. “But let’s get a pillow from the bed for you. And you should change into something more comfortable. I’ve got an old t-shirt you can wear.” He said this as he walked into the bedroom. A moment later he brought me the pillow and the shirt. “I’ll be in the bathroom for a bit. Go ahead and get comfortable.” With that, he turned away and disappeared into the other room.

  Grateful to get out of my blouse and skirt, I quickly shed my clothes and slipped on the t-shirt. It was soft and worn, and big enough that it hit me mid-thigh. After I put it on, I couldn’t help inhaling Ramos’ scent, which sent a tingle of desire over me. But I didn’t let it get to me. I mean, since I couldn’t have him, at least I could enjoy wearing his shirt, right? Besides, it made me feel warm and protected.

  Not wanting him to catch me swooning over his shirt, I hurried to get the blanket and pillow sorted out comfortably on the couch, and then quickly snuggled under the covers. After a few minutes, my eyes closed from sheer exhaustion, and I let my mind drift until sleep claimed me.

  Chapter 8

  I woke a few hours later to the gray light of dawn seeping under the curtains. It took a moment to place where I was, then all the horror of the night before flooded back. I glanced toward the bedroom. Although the covers were mussed, the bed lay empty. The sound of running water came from the bathroom, and I realized that was what had woken me.

  Grabbing for my purse, I pulled out my phone to check the time. Six-thirty in the morning. No wonder I was tired. My phone was almost out of juice and, as much as I liked wearing Ramos’ t-shirt, I knew I needed to get to Blake’s apartment for my things. If Ramos went with me, it should be safe enough to go, right?

  The water turned off, drawing my gaze to the bathroom door with the idea that I could catch a glimpse of Ramos in a towel or something. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t seem to pull my attention away. After a few minutes, I let out my breath, knowing it probably wasn’t going to happen. Then I did a mental head-slap, and shook my head in disgust. What was wrong with me?

  Just then, the door opened, and Ramos came out with a towel draped low around his hips. Holy guacamole! My breath caught, but I tried not to move or make a sound to give myself away. His wet hair was slicked back and dripping a little. The light from the bathroom spilled onto his bare chest, sending shadows over the contours of his shoulders and arms, which illuminated the movement of his muscles as he gathered a few clothes from his suitcase.

  He hesitated, and the towel slipped. It hung there precariously and, for a moment, I thought it might drop completely off. My breath hitched a little, and his head snapped up. His eyes narrowed and he glanced into the room, right at me.

  I couldn’t have closed my eyes to pretend I was asleep if my life depended on it. But in the gray morning light, I didn’t think he could see if my eyes were open or not. At least I sure hoped he couldn’t. Still, I caught his smile, along with a surge of satisfaction from him before he headed back into the bathroom and closed the door to get dressed.

  My breath came out in a whoosh, and I groaned. That was close, and he knew I’d been watching. I quickly sat up and pulled on my ruined leggings, then got all the way dressed, even slipping into my leather jacket. The only thing left were my boots, but I could wait to put them on. Still, I felt more confident that I could face him, now that I had all my clothes on.

  I sat back down on the couch and pushed the pillow against the arm rest, then pulled the blanket over my legs and got comfortable. I sighed and relaxed, then closed my eyes while a small smile twisted my lips. No matter what else happened while I was here, at least I’d have that little vision to remember.

  I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, Ramos was pushing on my shoulder to wake me up. “Hey,” he said with a grin. “You got dressed.”

  “Uh... yeah.” I sat up and stretched. “I thought it best under the circumstances.”

  That startled a laugh out of him, since he didn’t think I’d be so direct. “Well, do you want to take a shower?”

  “Uh... I wouldn’t mind.”

  “It’s okay, Shelby. You’re safe with me.” He was thinking he wouldn’t try anything, unless I came out in a towel, and it nearly fell off. Then he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.

  “You are such a tease. Okay, I’ll go freshen up. In the meantime, do you think I can plug my phone into your charger? It’s nearly dead.”

  “Sure,” he agreed.

  I handed it over and grabbed my purse on the way to the bathroom. “Thanks.” I paused and glanced at him over my shoulder. “Hey, I’d really like to get my things today. Do you think we can swing by Blake’s apartment?”

  “Is that where you were staying?”

  “Yeah, Blake has a great apartment here. I think he said it was in the fourth arrondissement or something like that. Anyway, do you think it’s safe to go back?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Let me think about it.” He was thinking that he didn’t like that I was staying in an apartment with Blake. He thought I’d be in a hotel with my own room and everything.

  “I do have my own room,” I said.

  “Fine. Go shower. Use any of my stuff you need. I’ll have breakfast sent up while you’re in there.”

  I took a fast shower, knowing Ramos waited for me. The hotel provided lotion, which I used, but I wasn’t about to wear Ramos’ deodorant, even though I sniffed it just for fun. It was hard to put the same dirty clothes on, but at least I was clean.

  My tangled hair was another matter, but Ramos had a comb on the counter, so I used it to get the tangles out. Then I dried it a little with the hair dryer so it wasn’t sopping wet. I had some make-up in my purse and applied some eyeliner and mascara. Finally ready, I opened the door and stepped out.

  The smell of breakfast hit me first, and I followed the smell to the French doors, which opened onto a balcony. Here, the air was decidedly chilly but, with the sun shining onto the table and chairs in the center of the balcony, it was beautiful and enchanting.

  “Is it too cold out here?” Ramos asked, setting his fork down. He’d finished his food and reached to sip from his cup. “We can go inside if you want.”

  “No, it’s so pretty here. I wouldn’t want to miss enjoying it.” I pulled my jacket close around me and sat down. The balcony overlooked a beautiful garden in the center o
f the building, and there were several trees with pink buds on the verge of blossoming. “Wow, I bet it’s going to be amazing here when those trees bloom in a few weeks.”

  Ramos nodded, then pointed at the plate under the lid. “I got you an omelet, and there’s some fruit in this bowl and croissants in that basket. There’s also coffee, hot chocolate, and juice.”

  “Wow, this looks great. Thanks.” I took the lid off my plate and dug in, surprised at how hungry I was. I poured some juice into my glass, hot chocolate into my cup, and then took a bite of a flakey croissant, before digging into my omelet.

  Almost done eating, I glanced at Ramos, who’d been watching me eat with interest. “What?”

  “Nothing,” he said. “It’s just fun to see you enjoy your food.”

  I smiled, then picked up that he was sorry for what he had to tell me, and that he hoped it didn’t ruin this moment, or my appetite. “What’s going on?”

  He let out a breath, upset that I’d picked up that particular thought. He’d tried to hide it, but knew keeping secrets from me was a full-time job.

  “Is it Blake?” Worry clenched my stomach and my appetite left in a hurry.

  “Yes. Gabriel called while you were in the shower. He’s not dead,” he said quickly. “But they’re not sure he’s going to make it.”

  “Oh,” I said.

  “He’s been asking for you. Gabriel wants you to come to the hospital after you’re done eating.”

  I swallowed and nodded, fearing the worst. “Okay. We’d better go then.” Knowing I couldn’t eat anything else now, I got up from the table and hurried inside to put on my boots. Ramos followed, feeling bad that he couldn’t have kept it from me a little longer.

  The drive to the hospital didn’t take as long as I’d wanted, since I dreaded going in the first place. The knot in my stomach seemed to grow the closer we got. We parked the car, but climbing the stairs to the entrance took all of my strength, and I had to lean on Ramos a little. He knew the sight of blood made me woozy, so seeing Blake all banged up and nearly dead, was probably going to be hard.