He snatched his hand away and cleared his throat. “I don’t care what the instructions are. You’re not going alone.”
A growl left her throat. “There’s no time for this delay. I have to be at the Golden Days Care Center in Portland in less than two hours.”
“Portland I get because that’s where those two goons were taking you after they kidnapped you in the woods. You’re from there. I’m from there, too. Not that I think my home stomping grounds mean anything to this creep. Maybe your enemy is from there, too. But why choose some random nursing home as a meeting ground?”
Karissa crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know specifically, but my grandmother spent her last years there. Our family used to visit her often.”
Hunter let out a whistle under his breath. “This lowlife really knows details about your life.”
“Apparently, and that intimacy scares me as much as anything, but we really don’t have time to waste in speculation right now.”
“Then we’d better get going. Thankfully, Interstate 5 should provide smooth sailing. Oh, and I’m driving.” He held out his hand for the keys.
With a long sniff, she surrendered them. They got into the Toyota, and Hunter headed the vehicle out of the parking garage. At least the feel of the compact Ruger LCP handgun tucked in the waistband of his jeans offered some margin of comfort. Buck had come through with a friend who had a firearm he could borrow on the fly. Hunter had also acquired a new cell phone—his hello to modern civilization after so long on the backside of nowhere.
He glanced over at Karissa’s stony profile. “Since we have a little time on our hands, you can explain to me in detail how you came to be in possession of that purse and phone and how you managed to escape your guards. I shudder to think what your situation would be right now if I didn’t happen to be returning to the hospital in the nick of time to catch sight of you and tail you to your car.”
“I’d be on the interstate already,” she snipped. “Now that you’re hitching along, I have no idea how to ensure Kyle’s safety.”
“What ability did you think you had to do that all by yourself, anyway?”
He caught her giving him a sidelong look. “You’re not going to call the police, are you?”
“Not with their current track record.”
She seemed to deflate as she slumped forward against her seat belt. “Good, because I’m not sure if the policewoman who gave me my purse this morning was lying about Detective Sykes releasing it to me, or if Sykes is in on whatever is going on, or if there’s some other scenario I haven’t considered yet.”
“Explain.”
Karissa tersely told him about the return of her purse and the troubling inconsistency with what her kidnapper had told her about the purse and car being in her enemy’s custody, as well as the fact that both officers who had been guarding her door were missing when she left the hospital.
“Somebody has a long reach and deep pockets to keep pulling this stuff off,” Hunter said. “Let’s return to the obvious fact that the mastermind behind this vendetta knows your family well. What enemies have the Landons made over the years?”
“I honestly have no idea. I mean, I know my dad was a shark in the business world. I suppose he might have ruffled a few feathers.”
“Was a businessman? Oh, yes, you did say something when Sykes was with us about an accident that claimed your parents’ lives.”
Karissa frowned and shook her head. “He and my mom were killed in a car crash a few months before the fire that took Anissa. Some hit-and-run driver came out of nowhere and T-boned them.”
T-boned? Hunter’s heart lurched in his chest. “Are you sure that crash was an accident?”
She grimaced and pressed her palms to her temples. “I’m not sure of anything right now. What about the fire?” Her gaze swiveled toward him, eyes wide. “The fire marshal ruled the blaze accidental—an electrical short in the kitchen wall.”
Hunter rolled his shoulders. “Yeah, I remember.”
He gritted his teeth against releasing another word. This was not the time to finish telling her the story of his culpability. She needed to go on trusting him, because he was all she had on her side right now.
“The verdict of an electrical short always felt off to me.” Karissa frowned. “Anissa was a safety stickler. She had that home inspected with a fine-toothed comb before she bought it. No electrical problems were identified. I said that to the fire marshal at the time.”
“I know the standard response to that objection—things hidden behind walls can be missed,” Hunter said, but in light of recent events, the stock answer rang hollow.
What if none of the tragedies that had befallen Karissa’s family members before she left for Belize were accidental?
“Could we be right in suspecting that someone has it in for my family?” She voiced in breathless tones the question Hunter had been mulling. “Did my leaving for Belize preserve my life for a time, but now that I’m back, I’m a target again? That’s so nuts. I sound paranoid.”
“You have every reason to be paranoid.” He reached over and gripped one of her petite hands in his. Her fingers felt cold, as if a chill were coursing through her veins. “How do we find out who might want to destroy your family?”
Her hand squeezed his, and her eyes blinked rapidly as she stared straight ahead at the ribbon of I-5 they had just entered. “Maybe he or she will answer that question when we get to Portland, because there’s no time for any research.” She disengaged her fingers from his and crossed her arms, hugging herself. “This whole theory is so horrible it makes me wonder if Nikki was killed because I contacted her. Maybe her death is my fault.”
Hunter fixed his eyes on the road. “None of this is your fault. One of the vilest ironies of evil is that the good folks tend to blame themselves for it happening, while the real perpetrators often couldn’t care less.”
She glanced at him from under her lashes. “That’s actually pretty profound. I’ve never thought about it that way.”
He squirmed under her warm gaze. She wouldn’t admire him if she knew that he could well be one of the perpetrators that had caused her grief—but not on purpose and certainly not callously. Would he ever know the truth about whether or not he neglected that equipment inspection? But if he had done the inspection like he thought he remembered, why did the equipment fail? His secret was choking him, but he couldn’t afford to distract her with the truth. Not in this moment. She’d send him packing, and he couldn’t have that. Therefore, he was stuck keeping his mouth shut—for the time being. She needed to go on allowing him in her life, until the situation was resolved and she and bitty boy were safe. If only he could guarantee such a happy ending. They were driving straight into a trap, and he had no clue how to spring it without them being crushed in its maw.
NINE
Karissa dug around in the glove compartment, found a car phone charger and plugged her dying phone into it. She couldn’t have the battery dead if Kyle’s abductor wanted to contact her again. Now, what was she going to do to ditch this guy who was determined to protect her? Did she even want to ditch him? Not really, but his presence put the baby at risk. Surely he realized that much. She hazarded a sidelong look in Hunter’s direction.
His intense gray gaze was fixed on the endless ribbon of interstate unfolding in front of them. They whizzed through flatlands, up and down rolling hills, and between stands of pine trees with occasional distant backdrops of higher elevations. They would reach Salem soon, and after that, Portland would quickly loom before them.
“What’s your plan?” she demanded.
“First thing? Get you to the Golden Days on time. I’ll stop and pile out about a block away from the place, but know this.” He shot her a hard glance. “You may feel like you’re walking in there alone, but you won’t be. Somehow, I’ll stay close, but I’m going to have to
wing that part. Okay?”
“What are you? Some kind of master of disguise now? International spy? Man of intrigue?” Her laugh came out brittle. “I didn’t know they taught that stuff in firefighter school.”
Hunter snorted. “Hardly. I’m just a guy determined not to let evil win...this time.”
His last two words came out so weighted they seemed to hit Karissa somewhere deep in her chest. He wasn’t speaking in general. He was referring to a specific instance when he felt like evil had won. Would he ever expand on that thought? Now was not the time for the discussion.
She rubbed the side of her head. “That’s the start of a plan, anyway. More than I had. Pretty much, I figure I’m going to do what I’m told until somehow we get Kyle to safety.”
“We’re on the same page on that, but I don’t think we can be satisfied with recovering Kyle. Until we get to the bottom of what’s going on and whoever is behind this is in custody, we’re not home free.”
“You keep saying we, but it’s me they’re after. Maybe after we get Kyle away from his kidnappers, I should return to Belize. Whoever this is didn’t come after me there.”
“There’s no guaranteeing they won’t do that now that they’ve exposed their intentions toward you and they’re no longer trying to make whatever happens to you look accidental.”
Karissa let out a long sigh. “Sometimes I wish you didn’t make so much sense.”
“How’s the head?”
“Hurts, but I no longer feel like I’m going to pass out with every movement.”
As they entered the city of Salem, traffic became thicker, slowing their progress. Karissa shifted in her seat, glancing at the time showing on her phone.
“Portland’s less than an hour away,” Hunter said. “We’ll make it. In fact, we’re going to do a quick pit stop and grab a little helpful gear.”
In spite of her heated protests, her self-appointed escort pulled off I-5 and proceeded to an electronics store in a high-end strip mall.
“Trust me and give me five minutes,” he said as he opened the vehicle door, gaze locked with hers.
Karissa opened her mouth to protest but stopped any words coming out. The fact was she did trust this guy. She closed her mouth and nodded. He grinned, and warmth spread through her heart. He was back in less than five minutes and handed her an oval object dangling from a lanyard.
“Put that around your neck but conceal it under your clothes. It’s a GPS tracker. It’s small but would be highly uncomfortable to put into a shoe. You could keep it in your pocket, but it could too easily fall out. Or you could put it in your purse, but what if the enemy takes your purse away? The lanyard seemed to me like the handiest solution.”
“I accept your logic.”
“I’ve already synced it to my phone so I can know where you are without seeing you.”
“But couldn’t we just install one of those tracker apps on my phone rather than using a separate device?”
“Good question. I’m operating on the assumption that your phone will be one of the first things taken away from you by an enemy. This tracker will be separate and concealed.”
A little thrill—part fear, part a weird sense of excitement—shot through Karissa. Who would ever have pictured her ordinary little self in a situation that required such subterfuge?
“Thanks.” She put the lanyard around her neck and hid the cord and device under her clothing.
“Try not to think about it being there or grip or touch the device. That would give away its presence to anyone watching.”
“Oops! Sorry.” She pulled her hand away from the tracker.
Hunter chuckled then sobered. “Come to think of it, I never asked you if you found anything unusual in your purse after you were given it back.”
“I went through everything, item by item. Nothing was missing, and nothing was added. I think they just wanted me to have my phone back so they could contact me.”
He nodded then pursed his lips. “Hand me your phone. Those killers had the device in their custody for a while. I’m not an expert and don’t have any sophisticated tech equipment available to test for anything beyond the ordinary, but I can certainly check to see if they downloaded any of the usual tracking apps. Besides, I want to put my number in your contacts.”
Karissa complied, and Hunter scrolled and tapped and clucked for a few seconds then handed it back to her. “I don’t see any of the common apps people use, but that doesn’t mean they might not have installed something that isn’t obvious. However, only law enforcement with a duly executed warrant could track you by involving cell company personnel to triangulate cell tower pings.”
“That’s hardly reassuring when we know our enemy has strings on law enforcement personnel.”
Hunter frowned. “True but arranging for that kind of tracking is more involved than getting a crooked cop to pull some off-the-books antics.”
Karissa sighed. “We may have to take it on faith and hope that I’m not being tracked that way, because I have to hang on to this phone and keep it on as long as Kyle’s kidnappers might communicate with me through it.”
With a bleak nod, Hunter put the car in gear and headed them back to the interstate. The rest of the trip seemed both eternal and all too quick as Portland swallowed them up in its traffic and tall buildings with snow-capped Mount Hood looming in the distance. Following her directions, Hunter brought them close to the Golden Days Care Center. True to his word, he pulled over and got out a little more than a block away from the facility.
“Wait!” she called after him as she climbed out of the passenger seat.
He turned and gazed at her with those fathoms-deep gray eyes.
She swallowed hard. “How do we know they’re not watching us right now?”
“We don’t, but I doubt it. Makes more sense for them to spend their resources on placing watchers on the Golden Days property. You can be pretty sure you’ll be under surveillance when you get there.”
“Okay. Thanks... I think.” A soul-deep shiver ran through her.
He must have detected the shudder, because he strode toward her and wrapped her in his arms. “I’ve got your back, remember?”
She nodded against his sturdy chest. Something in the calm assurance of his words and the strength of his embrace communicated itself to her core, and a fresh steadiness took hold. This man grounded her and touched something deep inside her in a way that none other had ever done. What would it be like to have the chance to see what might come of the mutual attraction that continued to grow between them? She shoved the question away. Not the time for useless speculation.
“I’m all right now.” She stepped away from him, instantly regretting the loss of his strong arms around her.
With a nod in his direction, Karissa got behind the wheel of her Toyota and watched Hunter walk away. She swallowed deeply against the lump in her chest. Her hand went to the tracker resting against her breastbone then she quickly snatched it away and gripped the steering wheel in both fists.
“Okay, God. Help me to keep my eyes on You.”
With her whispered prayer, she put the car into gear and directed her little vehicle up the street and into the parking lot of the two-story, country club–like elder-care home. Nothing but the best for her dad’s mother. After all, Henry Landon could afford it—well, at least until after he died and it was discovered that he was in debt up to his eyeballs. While he was alive, his next slick deal was the only thing standing between his family and bankruptcy. So, of course, after he was dead the whole fake business empire collapsed and left his daughters to clean up a pile of financial ruins. Karissa shook off the old and useless hurt and yanked her mind back to the critical present.
She parked the vehicle near the back of the lot, eyeing the sprawling, manicured grounds and tastefully ornate buildings. At the moment, these plush surroundings cont
ained more personal danger for her than if she stood all alone in the middle of a crime-riddled neighborhood. Where did she go now?
Her phone buzzed, and she gasped then grabbed it up and gazed at the message.
You remember the room.
She did. She also remembered the stilted visits with a wrinkled, heavily made-up, fancily dressed woman who received the kindness and service of the staff as if she was entitled to it all and much more. But then, Grandma had always been a chilly and distant woman, demanding of others, indulgent of self. Old age hadn’t changed her. Maybe that’s where Dad got his habit of taking people for granted, treating them like objects, including his own family.
Karissa closed her eyes and took in several deep breaths. She’d determined long ago to forgive her father—even before he died so tragically.
Gripping her purse, Karissa opened her car door and began the trek toward what could be her end. Sure, her destination looked like a pair of welcoming glass doors flanked by cheerful flower beds, but for her, the portals could be the gateway to death. Only one way to find out—march on into the belly of the beast.
In another step, her phone buzzed, and she halted under a maple tree that shaded an intersection of two sidewalks. Hand shaking, she drew the phone from her purse and frowned at the screen.
Memory care wing
That’s right. This place had a separate memory-care unit for residents with severe forms of dementia. Why the change of direction midstream, she had no idea. Perhaps merely to keep her off balance, but she had no inclination to question whoever had baby Kyle. It was creepy enough just to sense that hostile eyes seemed to be watching her every move since she arrived on campus. She prayed that Hunter was as good at hiding his presence here in the urban jungle as he had been at stealth in the forest. Or, at least, that the surveillance was so focused on her they might miss Hunter. If not, he was in as much danger as she was.
Turning on her heel, Karissa took the adjacent sidewalk that headed toward a sprawling, single-story building separate from the rest of the facility. The extra distance consumed an excruciating eternity. Her back itched as if a target were painted on it, and her breastbone tingled where the tracking device bounced gently against it. The heat of the sun from the outside and the heat of unrelenting fear from the inside conspired to send droplets of perspiration from her scalp down the sides of her face. In front of the partially glassed doors of the memory-care unit, she scrubbed at the moisture with her palms and squared her shoulders.
Lone Survivor Page 10
