by Laura Scott
He knew his feelings were for real, but he understood that Mallory was dependent on him for safety. She was embracing her faith, but that didn’t mean she cared about him, specifically.
He shook off his uncertain thoughts. Time enough to worry about the future later. Right now, they needed to plan out the next step. For the first time in the past twenty-four hours, Jonah felt good about the direction their investigation was going. He knew they were finally on the right track.
And he firmly believed God was guiding them.
* * *
Mallory wasn’t sure she agreed with Jonah’s plan, but she couldn’t deny she was glad they were doing something. Glancing at the clock, she was surprised to realize it was only an hour since she’d spoken to Alyssa.
According to Jonah, Gage had already taken Alyssa someplace safe, which was a relief.
“Call your boss and set up the meeting in this warehouse here,” Logan said, pointing to the map. She leaned closer to see it was the one located farthest to the east. “We’ll have our surveillance cameras and bugs set up well before he can get there.”
“All right.” Jonah took a deep breath and pulled out his cell.
“He’s not going to answer on Sunday,” Kate said.
“His office phone sends messages to his cell phone,” Jonah explained. He turned his attention to the phone call. “Lieutenant Finley, this is Jonah. I have something important we can use against Caruso. Meet me at the warehouse on Fourth and Harper tonight—I don’t want to come in because I’m being followed. Call me back as soon as you can.” He quickly rattled off the new number.
Jonah snapped his phone shut and looked at Logan. “The trap has been set.”
“Guess we should head down to the warehouse, then.” Logan settled his cowboy hat on his head as he started toward the door. “Kate and Mallory can wait for us here.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but surprisingly, Jonah beat her to it.
“The women are coming with us, Logan. We need to stick together.”
Logan narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at Jonah. “Why expose them to danger?”
“We stick together,” Jonah repeated. “When I was helping Gage stake out Hugh Jefferson’s yacht, we left Alyssa back in the motel alone to keep her safe, except she was anything but. We didn’t realize Crane had found her until we saw him leading her to the yacht at gunpoint. I’m not going to make that same mistake. We all go together.”
Mallory hadn’t known that detail. She crossed over to place a hand on Jonah’s arm. “Thanks, Jonah.”
“Three against one,” Kate piped up cheerfully, apparently not the least bit fazed by the deep scowl creasing Logan’s brow. “We outnumber you, Logan.”
Logan lifted his hat long enough to swipe a hand over his hair before settling it low on his brow as he glared at Jonah. “Fine, we’ll do this your way. But I still think bringing them along is a bad idea.”
“Your objection is so noted,” Kate said smartly, and Mallory coughed to hide a grin.
The four of them left the hotel suite and headed down the stairs to the main lobby. As they walked outside, Jonah wrapped a protective arm around her waist.
She smiled up at him, wishing she could tell him how she felt. Opening up to him after church had lightened her heart and soul more than she could have imagined. And while she was still working on the forgiveness angle, at least as far as Garrett and Caruso were concerned, she was amazed that Jonah didn’t seem to hold her past against her.
Of course, his being nice to her could be nothing more than friendly consideration for what she’d gone through. It didn’t mean he cared about her on a personal level.
Except there had been that kiss.
She and Kate slid into the backseat, leaving Jonah and Logan up front.
“Earlier, you mentioned Alyssa and Gage. Who are they?” Kate asked.
“Alyssa is my twin sister, and Gage is her boyfriend.” Thinking about her sister made her smile. “Although I guess they could be engaged by now.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Jonah muttered.
“You have a sister? Is she your identical twin?” When Mallory nodded, Kate grinned. “Did the two of you ever switch identities to fool people?”
Mallory’s smile faded but amazingly, her stomach didn’t cramp painfully at the mention of that night, the way it used to. Because of Jonah. And her newfound faith in God. “Not very often, no.”
Kate seemed oblivious to the subtle change in mood. “I would have loved to have a sister and especially a twin. But I only had brothers. Three older brothers, all in various types of law enforcement.”
“Figures,” Logan said drily. “And I bet you drove them crazy.”
Kate laughed. “Not hardly. They were the ones who tortured me, not the other way around.”
“There’s the warehouse,” Jonah said, bringing an abrupt end to the lighthearted conversation.
“I see it.” Logan didn’t stop but kept driving. Both men were peering intently through the windshield. Mallory did the same, craning her neck to check out the area surrounding the warehouses. The one they were looking at using had two separate garage doors in the front covered with graffiti. There was only one streetlamp out front, providing just enough light for her to see that all three buildings looked pretty dilapidated. She couldn’t imagine why they hadn’t been leveled a long time ago.
“They look abandoned,” Jonah murmured.
“Looks can be deceiving,” Logan grimly pointed out. “Let’s hope they’re not currently being used as gang hangouts.”
“Maybe we should go around the block, just to be sure,” Kate spoke up from the backseat.
From Mallory’s angle in the back, she could see
Logan’s jaw tighten with annoyance, but he obliged Kate’s request, making a big circle so that they saw the warehouse from different angles.
“There’s a narrow driveway between the two warehouses there, leading around to the back,” Jonah said. “If we park there, the car will be tucked out of sight from the street and away from the streetlight.”
“Exactly what I was thinking,” Logan said, making a left turn into the narrow driveway. He pulled around so that the building completely blocked the view of the SUV from the road. He put the vehicle in Park but kept the engine running as he turned around in his seat to look at her and Kate. “I’d like you two to wait here for a minute, at least until we verify the place is empty.”
“No way,” Kate said, trying to open her door. But it was locked, because Logan hadn’t turned off the SUV.
“I’m in agreement with Logan on this one,” Jonah said. “We just need five minutes to make sure the place is empty.”
Mallory nodded, putting her trust and faith in Jonah. “All right.”
Kate threw up her hands in disgust. “Okay, five minutes. But I’m going to be ready to drive away if they’re not.”
The two men climbed out of the vehicle. They stopped at a door on the side of the building and tested the handle, but it must have been locked, so they headed for the front. Mallory watched them until they disappeared from view. Time passed with excruciating slowness.
When Jonah tapped on her passenger window a few minutes later, she jumped from surprise, her heart leaping into her throat. Kate bailed out of the car and Mallory followed more slowly, admiring the younger girl’s apparent nerves of steel.
Clearly, a career in law enforcement wasn’t in her own future.
“Are you okay?” Jonah murmured, as they walked around to the rear of the vehicle.
“Of course.” She’d rather be here than waiting at the hotel, but she couldn’t totally hide her nervousness.
Jonah opened the back of the Jeep. “The place is empty, so our plan is to plant a few of these bugs.”
“We can help,” Kate offered.
“Take this inside to Logan,” Jonah said as he thrust the small box into Kate’s hands. He tucked the last box under his arm rat
her than giving it to Mallory.
“I’m not helpless. I can help, too,” Mallory said testily.
Granted, Kate was studying criminal law, but she wasn’t a cop any more than Mallory was. Yet the men seemed to treat Kate as more of an equal.
“You’ve helped us a lot already,” Jonah said. “Finding the bracelet in photos of Claire Richmond was pure genius.”
She hadn’t been looking for a pat on the back so she dropped the subject and followed Jonah inside the warehouse through the open garage door. The interior was dark thanks to the grime coating the windows, and she glanced around, wondering where the light switches might be located.
Next to a tall stack of crates, Kate and Logan were crouched over the box of supplies, going through the contents. Jonah was on the other side of the building, setting crates up to use as a makeshift ladder, so she began examining the walls for a light switch. She finally found one, right near the side door.
Just as she was about to flip the switch, Jonah shouted, “Wait! Everyone freeze!”
“What’s wrong?” Logan demanded.
Afraid to move, Mallory slowly turned her head to look over at Jonah.
“We need to get out of here,” Jonah said grimly. “This place is wired to blow.”
FIFTEEN
Mallory quickly dropped her hand from the light switch. What if the switch was the dynamite trigger? A chill spiraled down her spine. She could have easily killed them all.
“Are you sure?” Logan demanded as he rose to his feet. He held out a hand to help Kate up but she ignored it, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yeah. I’m sure.” Jonah slowly backed away from the pile of crates. “But if you want to see for yourself, go ahead.”
“It’s possible the owners were planning to blow these up in order to build their new wind-turbine plant,” Kate said, as if trying to find a logical reason for what Jonah had found.
“I don’t think so.” Jonah’s expression was grim. “Demolishing existing buildings with explosives is a detailed and precise process, with small amounts of dynamite placed in strategic locations.” Jonah was continuing to back up slowly until he stood in the center of the room. “I’m not an expert, but from what I can tell, there’s enough dynamite here to blow up the entire neighborhood. Far more than would be needed to bring down three abandoned warehouses.”
Everyone fell silent for a moment as the implication of Jonah’s assessment sank in. Logan was scowling deeply, and Mallory knew he was probably feeling guilty for suggesting they use these warehouses for a meeting in the first place.
“Well, if it isn’t Detective Stewart. You arrived earlier than I expected.”
At the sound of a strange voice, Mallory shrank back against the wall near the side door. From where she stood, she could just barely make out the tall figure standing in the open area where they’d left the garage door open.
“Chief Ramsey? What are you doing here?” Jonah asked, trying to hide his surprise.
“Meeting you, of course.” Dread curled through her stomach as the chief of police stepped forward, his weapon leveled dead center on Jonah’s chest. She glanced at the side door, wondering if she’d have time to slip through and escape before anyone noticed. “Lieutenant Finley was kind enough to let me know you’d contacted him. Keep your hands where I can see them, or I won’t hesitate to shoot.”
Both Logan and Jonah went still at his words, and Mallory understood why. Was it possible the police chief didn’t know the building was wired to explode? Apparently not, as he’d surely realize one gunshot would be enough to ignite the dynamite.
Unless he was trying to bluff? Either way, they couldn’t take a chance on any weapons being fired.
From the corner of her eye, Mallory could see that Kate had melted backward, disappearing behind a small stack of crates. And just in time, as Ramsey narrowed his gaze as he glanced at Logan. “Who are you?”
Mallory watched Logan turn his body so that he was facing Ramsey while helping to cover Kate’s hiding place. Jonah mirrored Logan’s move, trying to block Ramsey’s view of her. Taking the bit of coverage he provided, she moved closer to the door, relieved to feel the handle pressing into the small of her back.
“Special Agent Logan Quail with the FBI,” Logan replied in his deepest Southern drawl. “But I can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. Why don’t you put the gun away so we can talk this out? I’m sure we can reach a mutually acceptable agreement.”
While Logan was speaking, she silently flipped the lock open and turned the handle. Thinking of Kate hiding behind the crates gave her a surge of grim satisfaction. The four of them against one chief—there should be no reason they couldn’t find a way out of this.
“FBI?” Ramsey echoed in shock. “I don’t believe you. You’re bluffing.”
“No, he’s not bluffing,” Jonah said.
“Keep your hands up!” the police chief shouted, when it looked as if Logan was reaching for his pocket.
She chose that moment to open the door a crack and slip through, using the darkness as a cover. Thankfully, clouds covered the moon. She quickly and silently closed the door behind her and then stood for several long seconds, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited to be discovered.
When nothing happened, she wanted to collapse with relief. But instead, she forced herself into action. She needed to call for help. She grabbed her phone and inched along the wall toward the back side of the warehouse where they’d left Logan’s SUV. She couldn’t call 9-1-1 so she quickly texted Gage.
The minute she turned the corner, she gasped when strong hands gripped her shoulders painfully. Horrified, she looked up into Anthony Caruso’s leering face.
“Gotcha,” he said with a cold, empty smile.
* * *
Jonah faced the chief of police. He knew Mallory had just slipped out and he was worried about what she might find out there. He had to move this along and go after her. “It’s time to give up, Chief. It’s over. We have the evidence we need against Caruso. I’m sure if you cooperate the D.A.’s office will go easier on you.”
Ramsey took a step back, keeping both men easily within firing range. “I don’t think so,” he said. “All I have to do is kill both of you and I’m off the hook. I’ve worked hard to hype up the gang killings in the area, so it won’t be a stretch for me to ensure your deaths are attributed to gang warfare. Especially since you’ve been so accommodating, coming down here to an abandoned warehouse. This will play out perfectly in the media.”
Jonah realized he’d made a huge mistake. He’d automatically suspected Finley rather than thinking about the possibility that the dirty cop could be someone higher up the chain. He’d told Finley to meet them at the warehouse, but he should have anticipated that Finley—or in this case, Chief Ramsey—would come early, too.
His mistake that could easily get them all killed.
He couldn’t believe he’d once again let his emotions get in the way of doing his job. He’d been so concerned with protecting Mallory that he’d allowed himself to be distracted from what was truly important. Solving this case.
His fault. They were standing in a warehouse full of dynamite at gunpoint because of his foolish mistake.
“You can’t shoot both of us at the same time,” Logan pointed out, calling Ramsey’s bluff. “Is it really worth risking your life? Let’s talk this through.”
Jonah quickly added to what Logan was doing, trying to keep Ramsey talking. “Tell us how you got mixed up with Caruso,” he invited. “If he blackmailed you into helping him, then we can probably keep you out of jail.”
Ramsey shook his head. “Nice try, Stewart, but it’s not going to work. Drop your weapons and get over there to stand closer to your FBI friend.”
Jonah hesitated, not sure what to do. If he refused to move, Chief Ramsey might fire in an attempt to convince him to move. And that would likely set off the dynamite hidden behind the crates. Yet moving toward Logan would mean giving u
p their advantage. Because no matter how good Ramsey might be with a handgun, there was no way he’d be able to shoot both of them if they were far apart.
“I said, move!” Ramsey yelled.
“Keep your voice down,” a second voice said from somewhere behind Ramsey. “This might be an abandoned section of the manufacturing district but there’s no sense in taking foolish chances. But you’ve already blown it anyway. How could you be so stupid as to let this woman escape right under your nose?”
Jonah’s heart lodged in his throat when he saw Senator Caruso with his arm locked around Mallory’s neck and a knife pressed against her side. He forced her to walk into the warehouse, her back arched at an awkward angle as he kept her body solidly in front of his.
Mallory’s eyes were full of silent apology as she met his gaze across the room. But once again, he accepted full responsibility for this mess. He’d all but encouraged Mallory to escape. Right into Caruso’s hands.
“Let her go, Caruso,” he demanded angrily.
“You’re not the one calling the shots here,” Caruso replied. “Now tell me where the bracelet is.”
Jonah fell silent, caught off guard by Caruso’s demand. He was fairly certain Mallory had put it in her purse, which was likely in Jonah’s SUV. But she could have just as easily left it back in their hotel suite.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll start cutting her up until you do,” Caruso threatened. He saw Mallory wince as Caruso pressed the point of the knife harder against her side. The chilling expression in the senator’s eyes convinced Jonah he wouldn’t hesitate to make good on his threat.
“He doesn’t know where the bracelet is,” Mallory said, apparently trying to sound brave, as much as she could manage with Caruso’s arm locked around her neck. “I’m the one who hid it. Let me go and I’ll show you where it is.”
Logan pretended to be confused by Caruso’s abrupt demand. “Why do you care about a stupid bracelet?” he asked.
