“It’s the house Megan lived in until she went to college.”
“What did she study?”
William didn’t have to look at his notes. He’d memorized her profile until he knew the details of her life as well as his own. “She went to UCLA and completed her undergraduate degree in comparative literature. Until three years ago she was a high school teacher in Dallas.”
Caleb’s eyes widened. “A teacher? Have you told her she might be my sister?”
“Not yet. We need more proof that you’re related to each other before we approach her.” At the moment, the only documents linking the two siblings was a photograph and a letter in Megan’s adoption papers.
“So there’s still a chance we’re not brother and sister?”
There was no doubt in William’s mind that they were related, but he wasn’t prepared to tell Caleb until he had a DNA match. Even without the information he’d already found, Caleb and Megan looked similar. They had the same oval-shaped face, the same vibrant blue eyes and a similar shade of dark brown hair.
“There’s always a possibility that she’s not your sister. What we do know is that Megan is four years younger than you are and the terrorist group is watching her.” He pointed to the timeline they’d been working on. “Where was your father around this time?”
Caleb leaned forward and focused on the chart. “My father was in prison. Mom had started the divorce process by then.”
“How old were you?”
“About four years old.”
It was possible that Caleb didn’t remember his mom being pregnant. But there was a higher probability that his dad had fathered a child with someone else. “Do you have any photos of your mom around this time?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll have to look through my photo albums.”
“I’d appreciate you looking. If you find your birth certificate or any documents relating to your parents’ divorce, they would be useful, too.” William checked his watch. “We’ve been going over your family history for the last hour. I think it’s time we had a break.”
Caleb picked up a photo of Megan. “If we are related, what do you think she’ll say when she finds out she has a brother?”
“She’ll be as surprised as you were.” William closed the folders on the table. “While I’m here, I’ll check the ranger’s house that Fletcher security found. I want to make sure you’ll be safe if something happens.”
Caleb handed him the photo. “I’ll call Jeremy, one of Fletcher Security’s staff, and ask him to drive you there.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take my truck. It’s only fifteen minutes away.” He needed time to think about what Caleb had told him, especially if Megan’s adoption wasn’t as straightforward as he’d imagined.
Chapter 2
Pushing his hands deep into his pockets, William scanned the trees behind the ranger’s house, searching for anything that didn’t belong. Walking around a property in the freezing cold wasn’t what he’d usually recommend but, in this case, it was important.
The National Park Service owned the safe house that Fletcher Security had chosen. Given Caleb’s preference for living in the middle of nowhere, it was the best option anyone could have found.
William had already been inside the house, checking the emergency supplies and security system. Given the short time Fletcher Security had to make the property secure, he was impressed.
He trudged through the snow, searching the next outbuilding for anything that could threaten Caleb’s safety. It was so quiet that, when his satellite phone rang, it sounded like an orchestra was standing beside him, pounding out music.
“Special Agent Parker speaking.”
“It’s Jeremy. You’d better come back to the ranger’s house. Sam and Caleb aren’t answering their phones.”
“I’ll be there soon.”
Five minutes later, the sharp crack of gunfire sent William running toward the barn. He threw himself against the wooden walls, waiting for more shots.
An eerie silence fell across the land.
As the seconds ticked by, he knew staying here wasn’t an option. Instead of running headfirst into trouble, he called Jeremy. “I heard gunfire. What’s happening?”
“Caleb’s been shot. He’s at the ranger’s house with Sam and me. I’ve called for a rescue helicopter.”
“Where’s the shooter?”
“Sam last saw him when he was about five hundred yards north of the house.”
William’s heart pounded. That was too close for anyone’s comfort. “The rest of my team aren’t far away. I’ll let them know what’s happened, then meet you at the ranger’s house.”
After he’d made the call, he searched the area around him, looking for a safe path to the house. There was no way he’d make it there under cover, so he ran as fast as he could, taking shelter behind anything that looked as though it would stop a bullet.
When he threw open the back door, Caleb was lying on the kitchen floor, covered in blood. “What can I do?”
Sam looked over her shoulder. “Nothing for Caleb. I used XStat on his wound, so he shouldn’t lose any more blood. But we need to find the shooter. If we can’t secure the clearing, the helicopter won’t land.”
Samantha Jones worked for Fletcher Security. As well as managing the technical development team, she was a former military intelligence officer. William had worked with her on a lot of cases. When she looked worried, you needed to act. Fast.
He checked his watch. “My team is five minutes away.”
Jeremy stepped forward. “If we split up and circle the clearing, we might be able to find the shooter. But if he was on a snowmobile, he could be long gone.”
William nodded. “Give me thirty seconds. I need to make another call.” Caleb wasn’t the only person whose life could be in danger. If the terrorists were intent on killing someone, Megan and Nora would be easy targets.
After he’d spoken to an agent in Milwaukee, he checked his gun and left the house with Jeremy. With any luck, they’d find the shooter and stop him from hurting anyone else. The only thing they didn’t know was how many people were with him.
Because if the shooter wasn’t alone, they could all be in trouble.
By the time William flew back to Milwaukee, he was exhausted. It seemed like weeks since he’d last seen Megan’s home. But in reality, it wasn’t that long ago that he’d been sitting in exactly the same location, staring at the same two-story house.
He’d gone to Sapphire Bay to find more proof that Megan had a brother. Instead of uncovering family letters and photos, he’d spent half his time searching for the person who’d shot Caleb. Five hours after finding him, they’d been no closer to locating the headquarters of the terrorist organization.
After the shooting, a team of four agents had been sent to watch Megan day and night. Nothing unusual had happened, but that didn’t mean the terrorists weren’t close.
Thankfully, Megan had spent most of her time inside her home. He was grateful she hadn’t gone Christmas shopping or spent too much time at the supermarket. Large crowds of any description could be lethal, especially when no one knew who wanted to hurt her.
He picked up the folder on the passenger seat. Gathering information about Megan’s adoption had been difficult but not impossible. He just hoped something in the folder convinced her to take a DNA test.
As he opened his door, he pulled his jacket close. Four months of work was about to come to a head. If Megan didn’t believe her life was in danger, she might not be alive to enjoy Christmas.
The kitchen door banged open and Nora ran to the counter. “There’s a man in the garden.”
Megan frowned. Earlier in the morning they’d been talking about garden gnomes. Nora’s imagination was probably working overtime.
“What does he look like?” she asked with a smile.
“He’s tall, but it’s not Santa ’cos he isn’t wearing a red suit.”
“If he has a pointy hat on his head, it could be one of
Santa’s elves.”
Nora frowned. “He wasn’t wearing a hat.”
Megan wiped her hands on a dishtowel. “If it’s not Santa and it’s not an elf, we’d better see who’s in our garden.”
On the way out of the kitchen, she looked at the counter. Pots and pans, flour, sugar, and dried fruit covered every available surface. For the last two hours, Nora had been helping her make Christmas cakes. The kitchen was a mess, but it was warm and cozy and smelled divine.
“He looked like Jenny’s dad,” Nora said seriously.
Jenny was Nora’s friend from gymnastics. Megan had met Jenny’s parents many times. They were great people, but she doubted Jenny’s dad would be walking across the garden. Especially in the middle of the day when he should be at work.
By the time they reached the hallway, whoever was outside had rung the doorbell. Megan turned the knob and opened the door. As soon and she looked into the stranger’s blue eyes, the smile on her face disappeared.
There was something about their visitor that took her straight back to the night her sister and parents were killed. Unlike the police officer who’d spoken to her, this man wasn’t wearing a uniform. But his black trench coat and somber expression were just as telling.
He held out his hand, as if introducing himself would soften what he had to say. “I’m FBI Special Agent William Parker. Would you mind if I spoke to you for a few minutes?”
Megan’s hand felt small inside his. “Do you have any identification?”
The man’s hand tensed, but he pulled out an ID card.
Her eyes narrowed as she compared the unsmiling man in the photo with the unsmiling one in front of her. Nora was right. He did look a little like Jenny’s dad. Except this man’s shoulders were broader and his hair was a deeper shade of brown. “Come in, Mr. Parker. I’m Megan and this is Nora.”
He nodded and stepped inside the entranceway.
Nothing about his presence reassured her. Whatever had happened must be serious. “We can talk in the living room.”
Nora kept glancing over her shoulder, peering at the big man in the black coat.
Megan pointed to one of the chairs. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you.” He undid his coat and sat opposite them. “I realize this is unexpected, but I have something I need to tell you.”
Megan glanced at Nora. “Could you go upstairs and find the picture you drew this morning? Mr. Parker might like to see it.”
Nora glanced shyly at their visitor. “Can I bring my picture of the stars, too?”
Megan forced a smile. “Of course, you can.” After Nora left the room, Megan turned to the special agent. “You have about three minutes to tell me why you’re here.”
“Eight months ago, a man called Caleb Andrews joined a team of people working for the Department of Defense. Information about the top-secret project they’re working on was leaked to a terrorist organization. At least half the team and their families have received death threats. Two days ago, Caleb was shot. He’s still in the hospital but expected to make a full recovery.”
Megan was confused. “I’m sorry that happened, but what has his shooting got to do with me?”
“The FBI believe your life could be in danger.”
“Because someone I don’t know was shot?”
“It’s not as straightforward as that. The FBI thinks you’re Caleb Andrews’ sister. So does the terrorist organization who shot him.”
Megan frowned. “You’ve got the wrong person. I don’t know anyone called Caleb Andrews.”
The special agent handed her the folder he was carrying. “This might explain a few things.”
Megan didn’t open the folder. She knew why he was here and she wasn’t impressed. “Sarah sent you, didn’t she? She keeps telling me she’s going to set me up on a blind date, but I thought she was joking. I don’t know what she thought would happen, but this isn’t funny.”
“I can assure you, Ms. Stevenson, this isn’t a practical joke. I really do work for the FBI and your life is in danger.”
Nora ran into the living room. “Found them,” she yelled as she waved two pieces of paper in the air. Without hesitating, she headed straight toward their visitor. “This is the drawing I made last night. It’s the stars in the sky. I like stars.”
He studied the drawing. “It’s very nice.”
Nora tilted her head to the side. “Do you like stars?”
“I do. When I was little my dad used to tell me about the different constellations.”
“What’s a constatation?”
“A constellation is a group of stars that make a picture in the sky.”
Megan knew what Nora was going to ask next. “I’ll show you some pictures of them this afternoon.”
“Okay.” Nora showed the special agent her second picture. “This is Santa with his elves. Do you like Christmas?”
If Megan thought William Parker was grim when she’d first seen him, he was worse now.
Nora must have seen his expression change. “Not even a little bit?”
He took a deep breath. “I like the snow and the smell of gingerbread.”
Nora grinned and leaned over the arm of his chair. “Guess what?”
His eyebrows rose. “What?”
“We made gingerbread men yesterday,” she whispered. “Do you want one?”
The special agent’s gaze connected with Megan’s.
She looked at Nora’s excited face, then back at their visitor’s permanent frown. “You must have a lot of work to do.”
His gaze didn’t waver. “I’m right where I need to be.”
“You’ve got the wrong person.”
“Read the report, then tell me what you think.”
Megan frowned. He was stubborn as well as delusional. There was no way she had a brother. Her mom and dad would have told her about him. Even if it was a huge secret, someone in her extended family would have mentioned something about another sibling.
“Please, Aunty Megan,” Nora begged. “Mr. Parker would really like our gingerbread men. They’re yummy.”
She looked at the report. The sooner she read it, the sooner she could tell the special agent that he definitely had the wrong person. “I guess that’s okay.”
“Come with me,” Nora said. “The gingerbread men are in the kitchen. We made Christmas cakes today.”
Megan sighed and followed her niece and their visitor. Maybe once he saw the mess, the special agent would leave before he was handed a dishcloth. But instead of running in the opposite direction, he looked as though he would happily stay with them for the rest of the day.
Nora pulled a chair away from the table and grinned. “You can sit here, Mr. Parker.”
“Thanks. It looks as though you’ve been busy.”
Nora rushed across to the pantry and lifted a big orange container off a shelf. “Aunty Megan bakes cakes for people. You should have seen the dragon cake she made for Josh. It was amazing.” She placed the cookie container on the table. “Would you take off the lid? It gets stuck.”
“Sure.” He opened the container and stared at the decorated cookies. “You’re right. The gingerbread men look delicious.”
“Try one,” Nora said. “I like the ones with the red noses ’cos they’re like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
He bit into a crunchy cookie and sighed. “This is exactly how I like gingerbread men.”
Megan sat on the opposite side of the kitchen table. “The recipe came from my grandmother. We used to make all the Christmas cookies for our family.”
The special agent stopped chewing. His gaze dropped to the folder.
Megan looked down at her hands. If what he’d said was correct, the report could change everything she’d been told about her family.
“Okay. I’ll read it.”
Nora handed Megan a gingerbread man. “Don’t worry. It will be all right.”
She smiled at her niece. Whenever Megan felt unsure about where their lives were headi
ng, all she had to do was look into Nora’s trusting face. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“Yes, but you can tell me lots more ’cos I love you, too.”
Megan gave Nora a big hug. Regardless of what was in the folder, they would always have each other.
She took a deep breath and opened the report. Her gaze skimmed along the text, then she stopped and re-read the words she’d almost missed.
Her heart sank. This couldn’t be right.
She turned to the next page and looked at the special agent. “Where did you find these adoption papers?”
“They were in a closed file at the Milwaukee County Clerk’s Office. Your biological mother gave you up for adoption as soon as you were born.”
“None of this makes sense. There must be someone else with the same name as me.”
“The FBI has investigated every possibility. You are almost certainly Caleb Andrews’ sister.”
Megan turned to the next page of the report. The names and dates meant nothing to her. Someone had made a mistake.
Chapter 3
While Megan read the report, Nora chatted happily about Christmas. William answered her questions but kept glancing across the table at her aunt. The document would upset most people. And right at the moment, Megan’s pale skin told him she was struggling with what she was reading.
Her hand trembled as she closed the report.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She shook her head. “There’s a lot to think about. I’ll finish reading the document later.”
“Did you know you were adopted?”
“No.”
William had forgotten how powerful one word could be. Everything Megan’s parents had told her about her life was a lie. “I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you, but it’s important to know the truth.”
“Because of Caleb Andrews?”
“He was shot by a terrorist organization. They know who you are and where you live. I’m offering you and Nora a chance to be safe.”
Megan looked at her niece.
Nora walked toward William with a glass of water. “This is for you.”
A Christmas Wish Page 2
