Intercepted Risk

by Sidney Bristol

  The secure site was outside of DC on the north side in Maryland.

  Kelsey’s estimation was that this was a black site, and the people who were being held here had ceased to exist to the rest of the world. That made sense given the nature of the case they were working. She had no doubt that if Skilton found out about it, he’d ensure every person inside was killed.

  The top floor of the drab, gray building was set up as an office space with a few make-shift bedrooms. She could only assume why that was.

  No, actually she didn’t want to know.

  She paused in the main room and frowned.

  Dixon had been sitting at the long stretch of tables. Kelsey hadn’t understood why, but Zora had granted Dixon the use of a monitored laptop. The perks of being a senator not yet under arrest?

  She crossed to the intercom and buzzed down to the front desk.

  “Hey, this is Kelsey. Can you please locate Dixon for me?” she asked.

  Zora had attached an ankle monitor to Dixon upon his arrival. He might not yet be under arrest, but he was not permitted to roam about freely.

  “One moment,” a clipped male voice replied.

  Kelsey had to give it to the staff, they were alert and thorough.

  “The senator is on the ground floor. Looks like he’s at the rear entry to the parking lot.”

  “Mother fucker,” Kelsey muttered.

  “I’ll have someone escort him upstairs.”

  “Thanks, and sorry for letting him out of my sight.”

  She let go of the button, muttering curses under her breath and stalked over to the elevator. The real reason she’d been brought here was to babysit Dixon. It was a job that sucked and she was more than a little irritated with Zora about the arrangement.

  Kelsey’s phone rang in her pocket. She snatched the phone up and stared at the screen.

  Evan?

  Logan.

  Something was wrong.

  Kelsey jabbed the button as her heart began to race.

  “Hey,” she said, heart in her throat.

  “Logan is fine,” Evan said in an even tone.

  Her insides began to shake. At least that’s what it felt like. “He’s not if those are the first words out of your mouth. What happened?”

  “It’s a long story, but there was an explosion during the raid. Logan is fine, but he’s trapped in an office and it will take them a while to get him out. His phone is broken.”

  “Fuck.” Her fingertips were cold. It was a panic response. “Then you don’t know if he’s okay.”

  “There’s a crack big enough for us to see inside. He’s sitting at a desk going over what we think are hard-copy files that belonged to someone on Skilton’s team.”

  “W-what?”

  “We barely missed them. We’re getting closer. Thought you’d want to know.”

  Kelsey closed her mouth and stared at the elevator light going from one to two.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Evan didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Did something happen with the two of you?”

  “Um...”

  Her mind blanked out.

  How should she respond?

  In a panic, she’d broken up with Logan. But the reality was that she wanted to be with him. Now. Tomorrow.

  Her brain shied away from forming the words to complete that thought.

  “I, um, have to go,” she whispered and hastily hung up the phone.

  She was running. Why? Because she was afraid of what might happen? Or how she might screw it up? Or that it might actually work out?

  The elevator dinged and the doors open on Dixon flanked by an annoyed looking security guard.

  Dixon sighed dramatically and plodded off the elevator. “I just wanted some fresh air.”

  Kelsey crossed her arms over her chest. “Did he tamper with the ankle monitor?”

  The guard stepped forward, blocking the doors from closing. “Didn’t appear that way.”

  “Thank you very much.” She spared a smile for the guard.

  He nodded once, stepped back and let the doors slid shut.

  “You can’t keep me locked up here,” Dixon said.

  She whirled on the man. “Trying to escape? Really? You’re on thin ice, buddy.”

  “This place is suffocating. I have so much work to do and you’ve been no help at all.”

  Kelsey spread her hands. “Not my problem. If you hadn’t chosen to be a piece of shit, you wouldn’t be here.”

  Dixon sputtered, but she ignored him and stalked past, headed for the kitchen and coffee.

  She could not believe that Logan had survived a freaking explosion, and she was stuck here.

  It wasn’t fair.

  She grabbed a mug and stared at the silver panel of the machine reflecting her face back at her.

  Evan had said Logan was still in there and working. That sounded like him.

  What if he’d died? What if the last meaningful conversation they had was her breaking up with him?

  That wasn’t what she wanted. Not at all.

  God, why did she have to be such an idiot?

  Without a clear idea of what she was doing, Kelsey dialed Logan’s number. Evan had said Logan’s phone was broken, but that didn’t matter.

  It didn’t even ring. Just went straight to the automated voicemail message then beeped.

  “Hey, uh, it’s Kelsey. Evan told me that right now you’re under a bunch of rubble. Working. Classic you.” Her throat constricted. “I just wanted to say, you’d better be okay. I’m a hot mess and I don’t know what I’m thinking. Just, be okay so I can talk to you later.”

  Fuck.

  Her eyes were starting to sweat.

  She pocketed her phone and swiped at her cheeks.

  She did not cry.

  “Something wrong?” Dixon asked.

  Kelsey whirled to find the senator hovering a few feet away.

  There was something odd about the man. His charismatic veneer had worn thin. Generally, he was an annoying, self-serving shit. But, something was most definitely off.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “I’m just asking how you’re doing.”

  “Why? Why are you hovering? Why were you trying to get some air? It looks like it’s going to snow out there.”

  He rolled his eyes dramatically. “Sue me. I was trying to be a nice guy.”

  “Well, you aren’t. So stop trying and tell me what’s going on.”

  Dixon turned, muttering under his breath and returned to the dining table where he sat in front of the closed laptop.

  Kelsey had a bad feeling. She couldn’t say why, but something was wrong. Dixon was acting like he expected something.

  She walked across to the intercom and pressed the button, all while watching Dixon.

  “Hey, is it possible to have someone do a walk-around of the building?” she asked.

  Silence.

  That was odd.

  “Hello?”

  Almost on cue, the elevator began to rise.

  The hair on her arms stood up.

  Kelsey drew her gun and aimed it at the elevator. “Dixon, what the fuck did you do?”

  “I didn’t do anything,” he whined.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  Kelsey had seconds to make a decision. She had no doubt that Dixon had willfully or ignorantly done something. It wasn’t like the guards to not respond.

  “Get up,” she barked.

  “What?”

  Kelsey lunged across the room, grabbed Dixon by the shirt collar and hauled him to his feet. The gun she aimed at his soft middle likely motivated him more than her strength.

  “Stairs,” she ordered.

  She forced Dixon around the corner as the elevator dinged.

  Ahead of her, the stairwell door beeped open and two armed men in black tactical gear stepped onto the floor, their guns aimed at her.

  “Fuck,” she whispered.

  More Everest Secur
ity come to finish the job?

  She turned as another gunman rounded the corner.

  Another man followed, more relaxed and without the body armor. He was older, with silver and white hair. A few dark strands still held sway. He was of average height, but didn’t possess the same frailty she’d expect of someone his age. In fact, he seemed quite fit under his blue knit long sleeve shirt and slacks.

  “Kelsey Young.” His words were flavored with an accent she couldn’t place.

  He knew her name.

  Was this...?

  “Skilton. What are you doing here?” Dixon asked the question as if he might ask someone how the weather was.

  Skilton?

  This was him?

  Kelsey’s hands went cold.

  “Bring them both. Come. We must go.” He turned.

  “What? No.” She jolted out of her surprise, but it was too late.

  A gunman from the stairs pressed the business end of his rifle to her side. Where the Kevlar vest wouldn’t protect her.

  She might as well be dead.

  TUESDAY. RONALD REAGAN Washington National Airport. Washington, DC.

  Skilton could hardly believe his luck.

  He eased down onto the supple leather chair of the private jet. They weren’t cleared to depart until the morning. He saw no reason to find other lodgings, not when the plane had a comfortable bed and a small kitchen.

  Dixon was in his grasp. The worm of a man could wiggle and dance all he liked. Skilton would take him home and make a very painful example of him.

  The girl posed a more interesting possibility.

  He doubted he’d eliminated this Task Force. His sources indicated that his three inside people were nullified. Having this Kelsey girl as a first person resource was preferable to putting someone else in their midst. He’d like to remain here and handle things, but time and the board would not allow it. He’d have to be content orchestrating their demise from across the pond.

  Everything was going beautifully. At long last.

  23.

  Tuesday. Everest Security Headquarters, Washington, DC.

  Logan knew the paramedics were just doing their job, but he was done being poked, prodded and questioned. He wanted a damn phone. He wanted answers.

  How had they so narrowly missed their target? And where was everyone?

  He squinted, trying to peer past all the lights to find a familiar face, but all he saw were officers. Tucker and the guys had been forced back once the fire department arrived to begin excavating him from the rubble. Logan hadn’t heard or seen them since passing the files through for them to scan and get to the girls. He knew they wouldn’t leave him behind technically speaking, but so much was happening at once.

  No, he needed to be honest with himself. While he did want to know how the guys and the case was progressing, he knew better. Deep down he wanted to know where Kelsey was and if she was okay. He’d thought knowing she was at some secure site would give him comfort, but the reality was that so long as she was out of his sight he was worried.

  “TL.”

  Logan whipped his head around and found Evan standing just within the shadows to the right side of the ambulance.

  “I’m done here, thank you.” Logan stood and pulled on his shirt. His stitched up shoulder protested, but that was more about the lingering soreness from his vest that morning than further injuring it.

  The female paramedic planted her hands on her hips. “But—”

  “I’ve got a job to do and people to protect.” He pulled his shirt on then grabbed his vest. “Thank you. Really.”

  Logan had gotten damn lucky that his worst injury was some bruises and a possibly strained wrist from the fall. He slid his Kevlar vest back on rather than carrying it. As he fastened the straps he side-stepped other first responders into the shadows with Evan.

  That was when Logan got a good look at the other man.

  Evan was uninjured. The difference was his expression. He was on edge. Worried.

  Logan closed the distance between them and spoke in a low voice. “What happened?”

  “Let’s get in the truck,” Evan said.

  A million possibilities flooded Logan’s mind. All of them centered around Kelsey.

  He grabbed his arm. “Tell me.”

  Evan glanced over Logan’s shoulder and licked his lips. When Evan didn’t see an escape, he leaned in and locked eyes with Logan. “Someone broke into the secure site. Kelsey and Dixon are gone.”

  “He—what?” Logan tightened his grip. “Who was it? What happened?”

  “We don’t know.” To Evan’s credit, he kept his cool. “Yet. They destroyed the surveillance system. I’m guessing to cover their tracks. But the tapes are digital and a back-up is recoded onto a secondary server in real time. Diha is working on that now.”

  “How long ago?”

  “An hour? Hour and a half? You were still buried in there. Zora told us to not tell you.”

  “We have to find her.” Logan’s insides tightened and he could feel the panic crawling up his throat. He panted for breath, but it wasn’t enough. “We have to find her, Evan. Now.”

  “I know. I know, man. Everyone’s working on it. Do you understand me? Everyone.”

  They’d thought they were so clever, hiding Dixon where their other informants were. After all, Skilton hadn’t found them and he sure as hell wanted each one dead. When Zora had told him the plan, he’d been grateful. And all he’d done was put her in harm’s way.

  “How? How did he find it?” Logan asked.

  Evan gestured at the parking lot across the street. “Come on. Let’s talk in the truck, okay?”

  Logan jerked his head in a nod.

  Together they crossed to the waiting SUV and got in.

  “Where are the others?” Logan asked.

  Evan started the engine. “Tucker took the others to the secure site as soon as we heard. I thought it best if I hung back and waited for you to be cleared.”

  “How did this happen?” Logan whispered.

  “We only have theories right now.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Zora couldn’t legally keep Dixon from working without charging him with anything. Diha’s working on it, but we think Dixon had a code. We think he either told Skilton where they were. Or, he unknowingly told them through some communication. Maybe some kind of geo-tagging? Diha will get it sorted.”

  “Fuck,” Logan muttered.

  Skilton always seemed to be ahead of them. Because Nadine had kept him informed of their every move.

  “Where’s Quinten? What about Joon?” Logan asked.

  “As far as I know? He’s at home.”

  “Take me to him.”

  “What?”

  “Take me to Joon.”

  Logan ignored Evan’s protests. After a little convincing, they managed to get the agent’s home address from Cat on the grounds of checking on him. Though Cat reported having spoken with Joon following the attacks, she couldn’t verify that anyone had seen Joon since he’d been relieved of duty.

  Half an hour later they pulled up to a red brick building. It was one of those historic sorts that had been updated and converted into apartments. Logan got out of the SUV without waiting for Evan. Logan took the stairs two and three at a time to Joon’s fourth-floor apartment.

  It was a quiet, well-kept building.

  Logan followed the numbers down to the end of the hall.

  Joon’s apartment.

  Logan knocked. “Hey, Quentin. It’s Logan.”

  No answer.

  He knocked again, and this time pressed his ear to the door.

  No sound. No indication of movement. No TV.

  Just, silence.

  The guy could be out.

  Or, something could have happened.

  Kelsey’s life was potentially on the line and Quentin could have the answers they needed. It was all the reason Logan needed to make a decision.

  He glanced up and down the hall
before pulling out a slim pair of lock picks. It wasn’t a skill he was proud of. More often than not, it was a necessity.

  “TL?” Evan called out from the stairs.

  Logan didn’t reply. He fit the flat rods into the lock, feeling for the first pin.

  “What are you doing?” Evan asked.

  The first pin clicked into place quickly.

  Evan quickly closed the distance and whispered. “You are not breaking into a federal agent’s home.”

  The second pin was equally as shallow.

  “Keep a look out,” Logan said.

  “Oh my God,” Evan muttered.

  Logan closed his eyes, focusing on the remaining three pins.

  Most household locks weren’t difficult to pick, just time consuming.

  The last one released.

  “Got it,” Logan said and pushed the door open.

  Evan shook his head and sighed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Logan stood and stepped over the threshold. “Joon?”

  No answer.

  The apartment walls were done in a textured dark gray wallpaper. The floors were a glossy wood. He didn’t see much furniture, but there was art.

  At a glance, the front room was neat.

  “Anything?” Evan asked.

  “No one is home.” Logan peered into the kitchen, but that was spotless.

  He proceeded down the hall.

  The first room he saw was a bathroom. The medicine cabinet stood open and empty. He also noticed there was no toothbrush.

  “I think Joon’s gone,” Logan said.

  “Well, yeah.”

  “No, I mean, he left.”

  Logan passed a small room set up like an office.

  No computer, yet there were files strewn on the desk haphazardly. Because Joon had been searching for something before he left?

  In the bedroom, drawers were left open and half the contents missing.

  Was Joon taking this opportunity to visit family? Or was he on the run? Had they missed his involvement because they’d been blinded by Nadine’s glaring betrayal? Or had Joon set it all up?

  TUESDAY. RONALD REAGAN Washington National Airport. Washington, DC.

  ScKelsey’s bottom was going numb. She’d already tried shifting, but her bonds were so tight the best she could do was alternate which way she leaned. Her mind kept supplying her with that disturbing headline she’d read about a man having to get his legs amputated because he fell asleep on a toilet and cut off circulation to his feet.