When Dad finished building the fire and sat in a nearby chair, I tossed him a blanket also. He wrapped it around himself, and I watched him a minute. In the year since I’d seen him, he’d aged. The lines on his face were deeper. His brow was more furrowed. He seemed more soldier and less father.
Was this the man the Hot Chicks had seen? The warrior hidden inside the blue-collar worker?
I gave him a minute because he seemed like he needed to refocus.
The storm outside continued to ravage the place. The whole building shook, sounding almost like a train coming through. Rain slammed into the window. A branch banged into the door.
But my dad was here.
I pulled the blanket closer and turned toward him, questions circling in my head. I started to ask one when a pang shot through my arm.
I looked down and saw blood staining the blanket. I sucked in a quick breath.
“You’re hurt.” Dad rushed toward me.
“I’m fine.” I moved my sleeve up. My head spun when I saw the deep gash across my bicep.
“No, you’re not. You must have gotten that when the water swept you way.” He examined my wound closer. “You’re going to need stitches.”
“I’m fine,” I repeated. I applied pressure to the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
But now that my adrenaline was wearing off, I was lightheaded and pain swept down my arm.
“You at least need some antibiotic to clean that. Let me see if there’s any here.”
I tried to ignore the pain, but I couldn’t. It filled my thoughts with every pulse.
My dad pounded back down from upstairs, and I could tell by his face it wasn’t good news.
“There’s nothing here,” he said.
“I’ll be okay.” I was like a broken record, but I was desperate to make the best of things.
“No, you need something on it. I’m going to go to the house next door and see if I can find a first-aid kit there.”
I grabbed his arm. “You don’t have to.”
“But I do. I’ll be back.” He slid something into my hands. “Here’s a gun, just in case you need it.”
“A gun?” My throat felt dry.
“Just in case. I’ll be back,” he said.
And before I could argue any more, he was gone.
I curled up on the couch. I had a lot to think about. And I had no choice but to do just that: think about it. We weren’t going to be able to get off this island for a while. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be tomorrow. It might not even be the next day with the way these streets were flooded.
But exhaustion pulled at me. The heat of the fire finally warmed me until I felt cozy and relaxed.
I tugged the blanket up around my shoulders and closed my eyes.
Maybe sleep would help everything make sense. But just for a minute. And then my father would return and we would talk.
Finally.
My mind turned things over.
The Barracudas hit the power grid.
They operated under a company called the EM Corporation. One of their businesses was hosting an online forum for those with terminal illnesses. It seemed strange, like an unlikely connection. But maybe that forum linked back to the group’s motivation, the common cause that had pulled them together. All the members of Barracuda had loved ones who’d struggled with terminal illness? Maybe they were frustrated with the country’s healthcare as a result. Or was that a stretch?
I didn’t know yet.
I also knew that they’d created another organization called Earth Mother, primarily to act as a diversion.
Operation Make Waves was connected with the Barracudas, and by default it was connected with Earth Mother.
They’d created enough networks and front organizations to leave law enforcement confused—and me too.
They were using the funding from their drug and weapons operations to fund something for the greater good, or so they said. Maybe it was some kind of political reform.
Their leader was called the Lux.
Dad discovered something and went into hiding.
Jackson helped him get a new ID.
How had my dad discovered this information? Had he gone undercover within the Barracudas to get it? I just couldn’t see that happening.
Something nudged me. I jolted awake, not even realizing I’d been sleeping.
My dad. He was back with a first-aid kit.
Except when my vision came into focus, I saw . . .
“Currie?” I muttered. “What are you doing here?”
He smirked. “I told you I’d be back.”
I glanced toward the doorway in time to see my dad being shoved inside. His hands were bound.
My breath caught.
The Barracudas had found him.
I started to reach for my gun but . . . it was gone.
I glanced at Currie again. He held the Glock in his hands, and his smirk widened.
My gaze swung back toward my father. Someone stepped into the door behind him.
My mouth dropped open.
“Charlie?” I muttered. “No . . .”
Charlie McGowan was a Barracuda? Even more so, was he the notorious leader called the Lux?
“Sorry to disappoint you, Joey,” he muttered, his voice as hard and cold as the gun in his hands. “Now stand up before I use this gun on your dad.”
I threw the covers off and cold air assaulted me.
Pain pulsed through my wound again, and blood covered the couch where I’d been lying. My head spun at the sight of it, and my legs felt wobbly.
Charlie no longer looked like the kind, grandfatherly man. No, he looked intense and hard core.
“I tried to get you to stay away,” he said.
“What . . . Why . . . ” Nothing was making sense.
“Your dad didn’t tell you? How he discovered what I was doing and collected information during the months he worked for me?” Charlie said.
I glanced at my dad. “You did? You didn’t move here on accident, did you?”
Suddenly, it was making more sense.
“I saw a picture of Wilson Burrows with your mom,” Dad said. “I did some digging and discovered that Wilson’s dad was Charlie. That’s when I decided to move here and see if I could finally find some answers.”
“He was clever,” Charlie growled. “More clever than I gave him credit for. In fact, I had no idea he was connected with your mother.”
“The Barracudas started because a group of you bonded over healthcare horror stories, didn’t it?” I said, remembering what Adam had said. Remembering what had happened to Charlie’s daughter. It suddenly made sense. “You want to reform the system.”
He nodded, that gun still in his hands. “That’s right. The best way to bring about change is to bring this country to its knees.”
“And an attack on the US power grid is the first step in that. And the beautiful thing is that people will blame it on Earth Mother.” More pieces clicked together in my mind.
He nodded. “You are more clever than I gave you credit for.”
“Why would Crista give me such an obvious clue though? That painting of the electrical grid . . .” I was thinking out loud, which wasn’t always a good thing.
“She was playing with you and didn’t think you would figure it out,” Currie said. “She’s been reprimanded. I suppose I can’t blame her, since she started liking that detective.”
I had one set of answers, but I still had more pressing questions. “I see. And what is killing me or my father going to do to help further your plan?”
“It will be two less people who can get in our way. Thanks to Currie, we were able to obtain that information you found at the wildlife refuge.”
The CD-ROM . . . they didn’t know about that, did they?
What was on it? Had Jackson been able to restore anything? It was our only hope here.
Because I may not make it out of this alive.
“Put them in the spare bedroom until we’re ready
to finish this,” Charlie said.
And with that, Currie led us into a downstairs room. He tied us both up and set us on the floor.
And then he slammed the door, leaving us alone to think about how we were going to die.
Chapter Thirty-Five
There was no use fighting against our binds. Neither my dad nor I were going anywhere.
My arm ached. My throat felt uncomfortably dry. And I was getting lightheaded again.
But I needed to use this time to my advantage.
I quickly glanced out the window. The storm appeared to be winding down, and the sun was almost peeking through. How long had I been sleeping?
“Where have you been for all these months?” I asked my dad. “What happened?”
He frowned. “It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got time,” I said, scooting around so I could see his face. “A lot of it until this storm passes.”
He sighed, his gaze burdened as he looked up at me. “Things were never supposed to work out this way, Joey.”
“For you and me both.” I had so many questions, but I didn’t want to overwhelm him. So I tried to wait, to give him room to answer.
“I saw your mom’s picture online with that guy—Charlie’s son,” he started, his voice tight with grief. Or was that regret? I wasn’t sure. “So I moved to this area and managed to get a job with Charlie. I didn’t tell him who I was.”
My dad had a little bit of spy in him. That was pretty cool. I mean, it was cool if this turned out okay and we both didn’t die.
“I wasn’t sure I was getting anywhere until I followed Charlie one day. I . . . I saw him meeting your mom. She was with some shady-looking characters. I tried to follow her, but I lost her.”
“And then?” I nearly held my breath.
“In the middle of that, a girl named Anastasia asked for my help.”
“I’m aware of the whole Anastasia situation.” She’d been an international student worker who’d helped bust a weapons deal. She’d been killed before everything had gone down.
“Then you know she discovered their drug and weapons operations.” He frowned. “To my surprise, I discovered that your mother was connected.”
“I can only imagine the shock that was.” My heart lodged in my throat at the thought.
After all these years, he’d still had my mom up on a pedestal, hadn’t he? That was why he’d never remarried or even dated. It made sense now. My dad was a regular man—an extraordinary man—underneath his dad exterior.
I’d never seen it, but the Hot Chicks had.
“It was,” he said. “I got pulled into a flurry of activities that I never expected to be involved with, Joey.”
“Like what?” My arm ached, but I pushed the pain aside.
“Like discovering who the Barracudas’ ringleader was and gathering all the information I could so I could eventually come forward with evidence against them.”
“Charlie . . .” That realization floored me. Never in a million years would I have guessed he was involved. “How did you discover his connection?”
“Anastasia had some suspicions. She’d seen him meeting with some of the drug runners. I didn’t believe her, so I stayed late a few nights to see for myself. Sure enough, Charlie was right there in the middle of it. After I saw him with your mom, I should have put it together. But I was in denial, I suppose.”
My stomach clenched, but I didn’t say anything. I let my dad talk.
“I started gathering information. I worked late and looked through Charlie’s files. I followed him and took pictures. I tried to listen in to his conversations. Once I had what I needed, I hid the information I found because I didn’t know whom to trust.”
“Not even the police?”
His brow furrowed. “I suspected someone on the police force might be involved.”
The breath left my lungs as I remembered my conversation with Leonard. “You mean Jackson?”
He shook his head. “No, Jackson is one of the good guys. But I feared his superiors would learn about the information, and I’m not sure if one of them is involved.”
I closed my eyes. Jackson was one of the good guys. That was music to my ears.
“How did Charlie discover you were involved?” I asked.
“He began suspecting I knew more. Maybe I was getting too brave. I’m not sure. But he confronted me. He had his thugs with him. I couldn’t get away. They grabbed me and took me to that house in Hatteras.”
“How’d you get away?”
“One of Charlie’s men came to get me,” Dad said. “He thought I was just an old man and not much of a threat. Before he put me in his car, I managed to fight him. It gave me just enough time to run. I went to the place where I felt the most comfortable—the water. There was a boat there. I took off before the guy could catch me.”
“And then you went into hiding?” I continued.
“Precisely. I knew if these guys found me again, they’d kill me.”
I shivered. Was I getting a fever? Was it because of my cut? “So you’ve been here on Lantern Beach since then?”
“I almost went farther away. But when I heard you were in town, I feared the worst. I feared you might be in danger, so I wanted to stay close.”
“How did you hear I was in town?”
“Those tabloids love you. I read the information there. I’ve read their versions of your life for the last several months. I know all about Jackson and Zane and your adventures with them.”
“What a way to hear updates.” I thought about all those headlines and frowned.
“At least I knew you were alive and okay.” He paused and looked me in the eye. “Jackson is a good man, Joey.”
I didn’t say anything, but all I could think about was everything that had transpired between Jackson and me. The good times. The most recent divide.
I knew deep down inside Jackson was a good guy. I’d always known that, even when I felt betrayed and when my own hurts had clouded my judgment.
“You care deeply for him, don’t you?” Dad asked.
I swallowed hard. “I do. But I’ve made mistakes.”
“We all make mistakes, Joey.”
Before we could say any more, the door flew open. Currie stood there, still wielding that gun. Charlie appeared behind him.
“You two are going to have an accident,” Charlie said. “Don’t worry. Everyone will suspect the storm did this.”
“My mom said you wouldn’t hurt me.” Yes, I played the mom card. I had no choice. Not if I wanted to live.
“Just because she’s dating my son doesn’t mean she always calls the shots,” Charlie said. “This is one of those times.”
“Can’t you just let us go?” I said, tugging at the ropes around me. “You know you’re not going to get away with this.”
“Shut up!” Currie slapped his gun across my cheek.
Pain burst through me. My face throbbed. Tears sprang to my eyes, and I tasted blood in my mouth.
“Leave her alone!” my dad yelled, jerking his arms and trying to escape. It was no use.
I had no choice but to do what I did best. I was going to keep them talking until I could figure out a plan.
Movement outside the window caught my eye.
Someone was out there. More Barracudas? Or was it help?
I didn’t know, and I nearly didn’t dare hope that it might be someone here to rescue us.
That only strengthened my resolve to buy more time.
“Why were you trying to kill Jackson Sullivan?” I asked.
“I wasn’t trying to kill him,” Charlie said. “I needed him alive so I could figure out what your father’s alias was.”
“I don’t understand though,” I said. “You want to reform our country and help people who have been slighted by the healthcare system, yet you’re killing people in the process.”
“It’s all for the greater good.”
There were those words again. My mom had used them also.
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“Were you the one who lured me to that house in Hatteras?” I asked, licking my lips. I still tasted blood.
“That’s right. We actually kept your dad there for a while, but he escaped,” Charlie said, casting a dirty look toward my dad. “He left those clues, but I had no idea what they meant.”
“That’s why you led me to the house. You hoped I could figure it out.” It made sense. But I didn’t like it.
“You’re better at this than I gave you credit for. Now, enough talking,” Charlie said. “I’m sure the Coast Guard will be here soon to check on anyone who foolishly stayed on the island.”
I glanced out the window again. There was more movement. Like men were getting in place.
The Barracudas wouldn’t be hiding. No, they had no reason to sneak around.
Which led me to believe it was help.
“How are you going to kill us?” I asked. Did I really want to know? Probably not.
“I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll knock you out and throw you in the water,” Currie said. “You’ll be washed out into the ocean in no time. No one will be the wiser. And even if they suspect something, they’ll never be able to prove it.”
“How fortuitous for you.” My throat was dry. I didn’t like the sound of any of this.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” Charlie said. “Time’s ticking away.”
“You don’t have to do this,” I said, desperation edging into my voice. “We can work something out.”
Charlie shook his head. “I know you. You’re an idealist. You can’t cover this up. I doubt that you’d even want to.”
“Charlie, I know you’re a good man deep down inside.”
He raised his gun. “You’re right. And since throwing you out to sea would be a terrible way to die, I’ll try to make this a little faster for you.”
He pulled the trigger. I heard it first.
I knew that a bullet traveled just as fast as sound waves.
That my body had likely gone into shock.
Most of all, I knew I was a goner.
Chapter Thirty-Six
But before the pain could come, I hit the floor.
Jackson tackled me. Covered me. Protected me.
Jackson.
Flaw-Abiding Citizen (The Worst Detective Ever Book 6) Page 18
