Silent Run

natural way. She didn’t have a speck of makeup on her face, but her features were beautifully set in her face, and long lashes framed her mysterious dark blue eyes. He wondered what her story was -- how she’d come to live in this remote location with only her pets for company. She had a story to tell. As a journalist he had a nose for stories, and he had a feeling hers would be very interesting, but this wasn’t the time to get into her life. Right now it was Sarah’s secrets he needed to reveal.
    â€œYou’re staring at me,” Catherine said.
    â€œYou’re staring at me,” he echoed with a smile.
    â€œYou’re very intense when you work, focused, determined, relentless. You usually get what you want, don’t you?"
    â€œUsually. Unfortunately my intensity is not bringing me any luck tonight. I’ve struck out on both Andy Hart and Teresa Meyers. Any ideas? I’ve tried all the usual methods, but I’ve come up with nothing. Maybe there’s something you know about Andy that could help me find him. You said you lived together when you were kids?"
    Catherine set down her dishtowel, picked up two steaming mugs of tea, and joined him at the table. She pushed one of the mugs in his direction. “You’ll like this. It’s good for concentration."
    â€œI’m more of a coffee guy."
    â€œThis is better for you."
    He rolled his eyes. “I hate it when people tell me what’s good for me."
    She gave him a smile. “I’m sure you do, but you will like the tea if you give it a chance."
    â€œFine. I’ll drink the tea. Now you give me something in return."
    Catherine thought for a moment. “Andy lived with us for about a year. Then he was moved because he got into trouble in high school. He hacked into the computer system to change one of his grades. He was too smart for school; he didn’t pay attention when he was bored."
    â€œSo he was into computers. What else?"
    â€œVideo games, movies, comic books, graphic novels, Dungeons and Dragons. He was very creative, very competitive, a big game player."
    â€œThat’s good. Maybe there’s a clue there. What about the fake IDs? When did he get into that?"
    â€œHigh school. He made a lot of money providing underage kids with fake IDs."
    â€œDid you have one?"
    â€œOf course.” Catherine’s gaze was completely unapologetic. “We didn’t grow up in a pretty world, Dylan. It was every man for himself. We did what we had to do to survive, and Andy was no better or worse than the rest of us."
    â€œYou’re saying that you and Jessica also cut corners?"
    Her eyes narrowed. “I know you’re looking for more dirt on Jessica, but I’m not going to give it to you."
    â€œI’m just trying to get an idea of her background,” he said.
    â€œBullshit. You don’t care about Jessica. You just want to get her child back for your brother. But I intend to protect my friend, regardless of what you think of her. You have no idea what it’s like to grow up alone, to have to protect and defend yourself from all manner of danger when you’re just a child,” Catherine continued, passion filling her voice. “You learn early on that no one is going to stand up for you. No one is going to protect you if someone raises their hand to you or does something worse. People look the other way. They don’t want to see the ugly side of life. They want to pretend it isn’t there --"
    â€œI show people the ugly side of life every day in my job,” he interrupted. “That’s what I do. I shine a light on things people would rather keep hidden. So don’t think I ever look the other way, because I don’t."
    A flush of red spread across her cheeks, and he could see a spark of anger in her eyes. Her breasts were moving up and down with the pace of her breathing, and he found himself wanting to undo the buttons on her paint-spattered shirt and see if her nipples were the same glorious pink as her cheeks. Damn. He’d thought she was pretty before, but now, in a passion, she was something else. And he was letting himself get sidetracked.
    â€œIt’s different to report what’s wrong in the world than to live it,” she said, her words fortunately drawing his attention away from her breasts.
    He cleared his throat, trying to remember what they were even talking about. Catherine was turning out to be a bigger