Something flickered in her gaze—something painful. Instead of acknowledging it, she swallowed hard and picked up a piece of bacon. “Not to change the subject, but I think I have an idea of someone who can help us.”
“I’d love to hear it.”
Her gaze flickered up to his. “What if I talk to Pierce?”
Without a second thought, he shook his head. “That’s a terrible idea.”
“He might be able to help. He has resources we don’t. And he may not be a good man, but he’s hungry for success, to be in the limelight.”
“Men like Pierce don’t choose which areas of their lives to be good or bad in. They’re bad all the time; sometimes they just disguise it better. He’ll manipulate you into thinking he’s helping. We can’t trust him.” Kade flipped the sizzling bacon, trying to keep his thoughts calm and his voice calmer.
“You don’t even know him.”
“I know enough. He hurt you.”
Nikki stared back with that stubborn gaze. “Lots of people have hurt me in life, Kade.”
Was that a jab at him? Probably. He couldn’t deny the truth in her words, though. He had hurt her.
When she was ready, maybe she’d tell him what had happened with Pierce. He couldn’t pressure her, no matter how much he wanted to know. It was her story, and he’d operate on her timetable.
“What would that accomplish, Nikki?”
“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“You’re still willing to sacrifice yourself.”
“I have one more idea,” Nikki said. “I could call Secretary Polaner with Homeland Security. My dad worked for him. Maybe he would listen to me.”
“That’s very unlikely.”
“But what other choice do we have? It’s better than someone getting killed.”
“Let’s keep thinking about it. I don’t want to make any rash decisions. You’re right, though—it might be our only option at this point.”
Nikki cleared her throat again before wiping her mouth. She placed her napkin down on the table and stood. “That was a great meal. Thank you. I think I should go call Marti. I want to tell her about the baseball theory and see if she can find out anything on the dark web.”
“I’ll clean up in here.” Kade started collecting the plates.
She hurried away, as if she wanted to put as much distance between herself and Kade as possible. Kade frowned as he watched her go. What he wouldn’t give to turn back time. Things could have turned out a lot differently. But it was too late to undo the past.
Thirty minutes later, Kade joined Nikki on the couch in the living room and handed her his untraceable phone.
“Let’s call him,” he said.
“Secretary Polaner?”
He nodded. “You’re right. He might be our most viable option right now. Maybe he can help.”
Slowly Nikki nodded. “Okay then. Let’s do it.”
With that settled, Nikki dialed the number for George Polaner. It was nearly six, but she prayed he’d still be at the office. Though she knew him, she’d never particularly gotten warm, fuzzy feelings from the man. He was ex-military and a politician through and through. Some people called him “the Bulldog” behind his back because of his unchanging stances on various issues.
Since her parents had passed, Nikki hadn’t kept up with him. But he would certainly remember who she was, especially in light of everything that had happened lately. She kept the phone on speaker so Kade could also listen. He sat beside her, their knees brushing. The electricity she felt when they touched seemed to shock her into action.
“Should I only talk to him for sixty seconds?” Nikki asked, obscure information she’d heard somewhere floating around in her head.
“Why?”
“Because a cell tower will ping after that or something?”
Kade squeezed her knee. “That’s only on TV, Nikki. You’ll be fine.”
She didn’t feel fine. She felt like she was exposing their location by making this phone call. But she had to think about the greater good here. Thousands of lives versus four. It was a no-brainer. She just needed to stay in a position where she could help and not be silenced. She licked her lips as the phone rang.
“Secretary Polaner’s office,” a cheery yet professional woman said.
“I need to speak with Secretary Polaner,” Nikki said, her voice surging into a higher pitch.
“Who’s calling, please?”
“My name is Nikki Wright. It’s urgent I speak with him.”
Silence stretched a moment. “I’m sorry, Ms. Wright, but he’s unavailable. I can put you through to someone else.”
“It’s essential that I talk to Secretary Polaner.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible currently. He’s out of the country.”
Nikki glanced at Kade, and he nodded.
“I’ll speak to someone else then,” she finally said.
“One moment.”
“You’re doing great,” Kade whispered. He squeezed her knee again, which didn’t do much for her anxiety. Every part of her was fluttering and spinning out of control.
What would it be like to just lose herself in Kade? To be swept away with infatuation and forget her problems? The idea was so tempting.
Less than three seconds later, another man came on the line.
“This is Undersecretary Swanson. Is this Nikki Wright?” The man sounded clipped and uptight.
Undersecretary Swanson. He must be new, since Nikki didn’t remember hearing about him when her father worked there. “Yes, it is.”
“Where are you?” he demanded.
Her guard instantly went up. “I can’t tell you that. But I’ve become aware of a terrorist threat, and I need to report it before—”
“Has the threat been made by your brother?”
“By my brother?” Nikki shook her head, feeling exasperated. Her jitters dissipated and were replaced with agitation. “No.”
“Let us come get you. We can help.”
“I don’t think you understand. I know of a credible threat to this country’s security. I need to report it. ARM will be targeting baseball games.”
“Baseball games?” He practically laughed. “How did you come upon this information?”
“My brother—”
“The one who’s conspiring with ARM?”
Kade squeezed her knee again, halting her from snapping at Swanson.
Nikki let out a long breath, trying to remain composed. “You’ve got it all wrong, sir. I just don’t want to see people get hurt.”
“Then let us come get you. Where are you, Nikki? It sounds like we’re on the same side. We should work together.”
He’d changed his tune, moving from calling her Ms. Wright to something more personal—her first name. He’d gone from confrontational to friendly, which sent up red flags.
“That’s not an option.”
“Please, Ms. Wright. You need to make this easier on yourself and your brother. Cooperate and I’ll have some of the charges against you dropped.”
“We’re innocent. We’re trying to stop the bad guys, and you guys are focusing all of your energy in the wrong places. You need to warn people.”
Kade took the phone from her and hit “End.” He removed the battery from the cell, set it on the table, and leaned back. “That didn’t go as well as I would have liked.”
Nikki shook her head, frustration rising. She’d run the gamut of emotions today, and it left her feeling exhausted. “Not at all. I’m afraid no one will take us seriously.”
“I hate to admit it, but you might be right. Law enforcement is single-minded right now.”
“What are we going to do?” Nikki asked. She looked at Kade, pleading silently with him for an answer she knew he didn’t have.
“We’re going to remain calm and rational,” Kade said. “Take this step by step. That’s all we can do right now.”
Nikki nodded. Kade was right.
She stood a
nd ran her hand through her hair. “I’m going to go check on Bobby.”
Her head pounded as she hurried up the stairs. Maybe she was desperate to put space between her and Kade. Maybe she just needed to move, to stop feeling stuck.
She paused at Bobby’s door and knocked softly.
There was no answer.
Strange.
She knocked again, but when there was no response, she pushed the door open.
The room was empty.
Bobby was gone.
CHAPTER 22
Nikki watched Kade take the steps two at a time as he charged upstairs. She held her breath as he joined her outside Bobby’s room.
Maybe her eyes had tricked her. Maybe Bobby had been in the bathroom and she’d somehow missed him. The double bed with the navy comforter was neatly made. A towel hung behind the door. But otherwise there was nothing, no sign that anyone had ever stayed here. All of Bobby’s things—which only amounted to the basics Marti had picked up for him at the store—had disappeared along with him.
Ten Man appeared behind them. He rubbed his neck as if he’d been sitting at the computer for too long. “What’s going on?”
“Bobby’s gone,” Kade said. “Did you hear anything over the last hour?”
Ten Man shook his head. “Not a thing.”
“He didn’t just vanish,” Nikki said. “We need to check the house for clues and see if we can figure out what happened.”
Her mind raced. Had Bobby left on his own? Had someone taken him? If he’d been abducted, had it been at the hands of the feds or ARM?
All of her questions left her feeling even more unsettled.
“Ten Man, check outside for footprints or windows that have been jimmied,” Kade said.
“You got it.” Ten Man hurried downstairs.
“Nikki, will you check the computer? See if we missed any Internet searches Bobby may have done?”
She nodded.
“I’m going to look for clues in here,” Kade said.
Nikki went downstairs to the office, her fingers shaking as she pulled up the computer. Had her brother been sneaking around when they didn’t have their eyes on him?
She wanted so desperately to believe that he was innocent in all of this. But she couldn’t be sure. Not yet.
Even worse—what if he’d decided to head to a baseball game himself and make some kind of point?
The most recent searches on the computer included information on ARM. She and Kade had looked at those sites earlier. Another new search was on baseball games, as well as a reporter named Ron Pressley. What had her brother been thinking?
Her stomach sank with dread.
The back door opened and Ten Man stepped inside. Kade hurried down the steps to meet them, his muscles taut with tension.
“Your car is gone,” Ten Man said.
Nikki gasped. “How did we not hear anything?”
Kade closed his eyes, briefly enough to hide his worry before Nikki could see it, but it was too late. He was just as concerned about this situation as she was. Nikki knew him well enough to read his body language.
“Bobby was a SEAL,” Kade said. “He knows how to be sneaky.”
“Do you think he’s headed to a baseball game?” she asked. “He’s going to get himself killed if he is.”
“I don’t know, Nikki. I wish I did.”
“I don’t see any signs of forced entry.” Ten Man stomped into the house and shook off some of the drizzle that glazed his hair, shoulders, and shoes. “I think he left on his own.”
“Just what is he planning?” Kade asked.
Nikki remembered the bomb-making materials in the basement of her home. Bobby couldn’t have been behind amassing them . . . could he? Because even though she didn’t want to believe he was involved somehow, the fact that he’d disappeared caused alarms to go off in her head.
What if he’d escaped so he could carry out his part of the plan with ARM?
Kade and Tennyson headed out to search for Bobby, knowing it was unlikely they’d come across him.
Meanwhile Nikki sat at the desk and did an Internet search for Ron Pressley, the reporter Bobby had apparently been investigating. Her heart pounded as she stared at the screen.
Why would Bobby research a reporter? If no one else here had, that only left Bobby. Nikki couldn’t fathom how it all connected, though.
Hundreds of articles with the man’s name came up on the screen. Nikki scanned the first page.
Ron Pressley was a political reporter. He’d worked most of his career for the Associated Press, and he’d covered everything from the Gulf War to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. But there was nothing to signal that he had anything to do with what was going on now in Colombia.
Out of curiosity, Nikki searched for information on his personal life. She came across an article that stated he’d apparently died six years ago in a home invasion gone wrong. He’d left behind a wife and two teenagers.
What was the connection?
She typed in “ARM” and “Ron Pressley.” Nothing came up.
That made all of this even stranger. Why would Bobby research a dead reporter?
She sat back in the office chair. What was she missing? Why would Bobby leave? What could he possibly hope to prove?
Bobby was the one who’d taken in every stray animal he could find. He’d been reckless at times, but never cruel. He’d never been a bully or caused harm to another person.
She leaned forward again and pulled down the search menu. She stared at the words “bomb-making materials” and frowned. Bobby had also done a search on that subject.
He’d escaped from ARM. Made it to America. Snuck in a call to Colombia.
Meanwhile bomb-making materials had been found in their basement. He’d attacked a stranger. Nearly killed Kade. Possibly brought explosive chemicals into this house.
Now he’d left on his own. Traumatic experiences could change people. They’d changed her—not into a terrorist, but definitely into someone she didn’t recognize.
More and more the evidence made it appear that maybe, just maybe, her brother really was guilty. She hated to think it could be true. But she’d be foolish not to consider the possibility.
The back door opened, and she heard someone stomping inside. She stood to greet Kade. But his expression looked stormy.
“What is it?” She held her breath, unsure if she wanted to hear what he had to say. Was Bobby dead?
“I just got a text message. I’m sure it’s from Bobby.”
Her eyes widened. “What did it say?”
It said:
There’s something I have to do. Don’t try to find me. This is my war.
CHAPTER 23
Someone knocked at the door early the next morning. Nikki sprang from the office chair where she’d been poring over online news stories.
Part of her hoped that maybe it was Bobby on the front porch, but that would be too easy.
Nikki jerked the door open. Marti stood there wearing a bright purple rain slicker. Sprinkles of water danced across the top of her knee-high black boots as she wiped her feet on the welcome mat.
“Come on in,” Nikki said.
Marti narrowed her eyes at Nikki. “You look like you’ve been through some things.”
Nikki remembered her bruised arm. It was still tender from where Pierce had grabbed her. “Yeah, you could say that. Long story.”
Nikki scanned the woods beyond the property one more time before she closed the door.
“Thanks for coming over,” she told Marti. “Let’s go to the kitchen and have a seat.”
Marti nodded, pulling off her raincoat and placing it on the rack beside the door. She’d obviously been here and done this many times before.
“Hey, Marti.” Kade appeared behind Nikki. His voice sounded even and low—unshaken.
As Kade led them into the kitchen, Nikki headed to the coffeepot and pulled out the empty carafe. “Something to warm you up?”
&
nbsp; “Sure,” Marti said, sitting at the table.
As Nikki held the carafe under the faucet and filled it with water, her hands trembled so badly that the glass clanked against the ceramic sink.
Kade appeared behind her. “Let me.”
Unsure if she’d be able to pour the water into the pot, Nikki nodded and stepped back, appreciating his thoughtfulness. She sat down beside Marti, nausea pooling in her stomach. What had Marti learned? The woman, normally spunky, appeared mellow and serious now. That wasn’t a good sign.
“I’ll get right to the point,” Marti started. “I went to visit Desmond this morning. He’s gone.”
Nikki’s stomach dropped so quickly that she lurched forward. “Gone? What do you mean gone?”
“I mean that he went to bed last night, and this morning he wasn’t there. No one heard anything or saw anything.”
Kade paused by the coffeepot, his hands going to his hips. “Is this typical for Desmond?”
Marti shook her head. “No, not at all. His mom is beside herself.”
Kade frowned. “Are there any vehicles missing from his house indicating that he left on his own?”
“No, they only have one car in the family,” Marti said. “It’s still there.”
“How about his friends? Did his parents check with his friends?” The questions poured from Nikki. Desperation to justify that her brother had nothing to do with this and that the timing was a coincidence.
“They called everyone. No one has seen him.”
Nikki remained quiet as her thoughts turned over in her mind. Bobby wouldn’t hurt Desmond . . . would he? No, she couldn’t think like that. Of course he wouldn’t hurt him.
Except he almost had that day in the barn. If he was having one of his paranoid episodes, he could have acted drastically. And Bobby was missing. She couldn’t deny the timing.
“Have his parents filed a police report?” Nikki asked. If an investigation started and word got back to the police that Desmond had had a confrontation here, the sheriff would show up in an instant.
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