Deadly Game

by Rebecca Deel

  Rowan decided on the simplest explanation and hoped Brent didn’t mind. “This is my boyfriend, Brent. May we come in for a few minutes? We have another appointment soon.”

  Reluctantly, Nolan opened the door wider for them to enter.

  Rowan glanced around, curious about his home. Perfect, she decided, beautiful. Everywhere she looked, sleek lines and neutral fabrics or wood were used in decorating the place. Camera ready.

  “Have a seat,” Nolan rumbled as he dropped into an overstuffed chair. “What do you want?”

  “You heard about Jay and Heather?”

  “How could I not? Their murders are plastered all over the news.”

  That made Rowan pause. She hadn’t watched the news since she and Brent found Heather and Jay. Now she was glad she hadn’t. Seeing the media coverage of the murders would contribute to the nightmares she already wrestled with at night. Rowan suspected she wouldn’t sleep undisturbed for years to come.

  She yanked her attention back on task. “I scheduled Jay and Heather’s funeral for Friday at noon. Since you were a colleague, would you be willing to share a couple of funny stories about Jay?”

  Nolan grimaced. “I don’t do public speaking,” he muttered.

  Rowan resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Barely. “I was going to ask Toby Minter to share a story, but that’s impossible now. I’d be grateful if you would contribute to their service, Nolan. I don’t know who else to ask. You and Toby were the only friends of Jay that I met.”

  “What do you mean, it’s impossible to ask Toby to speak? He’s not answering his phone or refusing to talk to you?”

  Oh, boy. Nolan didn’t know about Toby. “I can’t ask him to speak because he’s dead.”

  Nolan’s eyes widened. “That’s impossible. I talked to him a few hours ago.”

  “Someone shot him in the head. I need you to help me out at the service. Will you do it?”

  The balding, paunchy man sat in silence a moment. “Yeah, okay. Where is this service?”

  Rowan gave him the address of the funeral home and repeated the time, wondering if Nolan would show up. Wouldn’t surprise her if he didn’t bother. “Thank you.”

  “Sure. Is that all?” Nolan stood.

  “Did you know Jay’s daughter, Alexa, is missing?” Brent asked.

  The man froze. “Missing?” His gaze shifted to Rowan. “You don’t have her?”

  “The men who killed Heather and Jay took my niece, Nolan.”

  “Took her? Why?” His voice rose. “That doesn’t make sense. She’s just a kid.”

  “A very scared one. The kidnappers called me. She’s crying all the time. I’m afraid they’ll hurt her. I need your help, Nolan. Alexa needs your help.” Surely he wouldn’t refuse to help a young child?

  Nolan swallowed hard. “What am I supposed to do about her disappearance?”

  “Talk to us.” Brent rested his forearms on his thighs as he leaned closer to Jay’s colleague. “Alexa’s life is at stake.”

  “I don’t know anything,” the other man insisted.

  “I think you do.”

  “You claim to be her boyfriend. Why haven’t I ever seen you with her before?” Nolan asked, suspicion in his voice.

  “We’ve been friends for a while,” Rowan said. “The dating relationship is new. You, Toby, and Jay were all in business together, weren’t you?”

  “Stay out of this, Rowan. You don’t want to get involved.”

  “Too late for that. Answer my question.”

  “All right, all right. We had a few business deals. What’s that got to do with the murder?”

  “Their deaths have the earmark of a cartel hit,” Brent said.

  Nolan started for the door, in an obvious hurry to get rid of them. “You have to go. I’ve got stuff to do.”

  “There’s nowhere to run.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “Yeah? How about this? You three decided to take a shortcut to easy money and started your own drug business. The Navarro cartel makes no secret of its desire to capture a major portion of the drug trade in the United States. My guess is the militia groups were looking for a quick score. I don’t know yet why they wanted to get involved with drugs, but I know the Volunteer militia in particular is chummy with the Navarro cartel. I’ll keep digging until I find out all the details.”

  “Why do you care? This doesn’t concern you.”

  “It matters to Rowan and that makes it my business.”

  Nolan turned his desperate gaze toward her. “Keep your nose out of this. These people aren’t fooling around. If you don’t stop, that little girl will end up a ward of the state.”

  “Never happen,” Brent said. “Rowan is mine to protect and that makes Alexa mine as well. No one will hurt either of them.”

  Rowan stared at Brent. He sounded as if he meant those statements. Did he think of her and Alexa as belonging with him? Butterflies danced in her stomach at the prospect. He was such an amazing man. The idea of a close personal relationship with the Navy SEAL made her feel giddy inside. If he was making those statements as another form of protection, she’d be disappointed. She more than liked Brent Maddox. Too bad for her peace of mind the Fortress CEO was better at hiding his emotions than she was.

  “You don’t know these people,” he hissed. “They’re dangerous. They’ll do anything to protect themselves and their business enterprises.”

  Brent snorted. “Business enterprises? Navarro deals in misery, White. They prey on people, selling drugs, promising a false happiness that ultimately leads to their destruction. And the human trafficking? No one deserves to be sold into slavery. If Navarro obtains Alexa, that beautiful child will end up a sex slave and die before she reaches adulthood.”

  “I can’t help you. They’ll kill me.”

  Unbelievable. This clown was more concerned with his own skin than protecting a child. Rowan’s hands fisted. “Come on, Nolan. Grow a spine. You can disappear, move across the country and buy yourself a new identity. Alexa is only six. She can’t escape on her own. We have to help her.”

  “You want to risk your own life, it’s your business. That kid is nothing to me. I don’t owe you or her anything.”

  “This place is lit up like a Christmas tree, White.” Brent stood, arms folded across his chest, a scowl on his face. “I can’t imagine you’re afraid of the dark. How soon are you skipping town?”

  Nolan’s face lost all trace of color.

  Rowan frowned.

  “That’s what I suspected,” Brent said. “Look, you want to disappear? I’ll help you do that. I have connections to set you up with a new identity and relocate you. Navarro will never find you if you follow the rules laid out.”

  “What’s the price?”

  “Information.”

  Nolan scowled. “I don’t know anything more than I already told you.”

  “Why is Navarro after you? Why are the militia groups so interested in dealing drugs? Who are your contacts in Navarro and each militia group? If you want my help, start talking.”

  “I have to go. I don’t have time to spare.” He glanced toward the back of the house. “Look, I can print off some stuff that might help, but that’s all I’m willing to do.”

  “If it’s not enough information to help us find Alexa, I’ll rescind the offer.”

  “Yeah, whatever. I’ll do it myself.” A sneer crossed his face. “Not like I’ve needed anyone before.” Nolan tapped his chest. “I’ve always taken care of myself. I don’t owe you anything, but I can’t stomach the thought of that sweet little kid crying because she’s scared. She reminds me of my niece.”

  “Let’s go, then.” Brent motioned for him to proceed. He and Rowan followed close behind the spooked businessman.

  Nolan hurried to a large desk and dropped into the chair. He tapped a few keys on his computer keyboard and called up a file which he printed, then handed to Brent. “Here. That’s the best I can do. You can let yourself out while I gather
a couple more items to take.” His expression darkened. “This is Jay’s fault. He’s the reason Toby and I got involved in the first place. We didn’t know who these guys were until it was too late to back out of the deal.

  Right. Everybody knew the wisdom of getting into business with total strangers and trusting they were honest. Rowan stepped aside as Nolan charged around the desk and raced from the office. “Jay and his friends were idiots,” she murmured.

  “Oh, yeah.” He scanned the pages, grimaced.

  “What is it?”

  “The DEA won’t be happy with this,” he said softly. “And neither will the ATF.”

  It took Rowan a few seconds to translate the acronyms. Drug Enforcement Agency and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. “I understood the reference to the DEA, but why will the ATF be unhappy?”

  Brent folded the pages and shoved them deep into one of his cargo pockets. “We’ll talk on the way to our next meeting.”

  He used careful terms. Maybe he worried about being overheard. Her suspicions were confirmed when he tapped his mouth with his forefinger.

  They walked from the office to the front door. Brent motioned for her to wait a moment, opened the door with his shirt covering his hand, then stepped out on the porch. A minute later, he held out his hand. “Let’s go, baby.”

  “Are we leaving Nolan? He doesn’t have a great track record of wise decisions.”

  “I can’t force him to take the offer. He made his choice.”

  Rowan hoped Nolan White knew what he was doing. The men he’d gone into business with were ruthless. First Jay, then Toby had been killed. Would Nolan be next?

  Brent’s hand rested against her lower back as he urged her silently to move faster. When Rowan glanced at him, she realized he was scanning the area, alert and focused.

  Oh, boy. Rowan’s steps quickened. Did Brent sense someone watching them or was he being careful considering the circumstances?

  Brent unlocked his SUV and helped Rowan inside, then climbed behind the wheel.

  At that moment, Nolan came out of the house with a large suitcase in each hand. Before he’d taken more than a handful of steps, a shot rang out and Nolan dropped to the ground.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Setting the SUV into motion, Brent raced down the driveway and skidded into the street, then floored the gas pedal.

  “We can’t just leave him, Brent,” Rowan protested, twisting in her seat. “We have to help.”

  He guided the SUV around a corner before he replied. “There was nothing we could do for him, baby. Remember, my priority is your safety.”

  “How do you know he couldn’t be helped? We didn’t check.”

  Man, he hated to tell her. She’d been traumatized enough. The one thing he didn’t want to do was lie to Rowan. “White was shot in the head. He didn’t survive.” He’d seen enough of those shots over the years. Kill shots, every one of them. Brent called Taylor. “It’s Brent. Nolan White was shot in the forehead two minutes ago.”

  “Tell me you weren’t near him when he went down.”

  “Sorry.”

  His fellow SEAL growled. “Are you still on scene?”

  “Rowan is with me.” That statement told Taylor Brent had left to protect Rowan.

  “What happened?”

  Brent brought him up to speed on his conversation with White. “Just before we left, White came out of the house with two suitcases. The shooter dropped him on the front steps with one shot from across the street, probably the tree line to the north. That’s the best line of sight for the shooter.”

  “I’ll check it out. I hope you didn’t touch anything in the house,” Taylor muttered.

  “You don’t have to worry about my prints or Rowan’s. Someone most likely noticed the SUV or caught the plate.” Brent leaving in such a hurry was bound to capture attention as well. Made him look guilty.

  “I know. Expect an official call from me when I ‘discover’ your visit.”

  “Copy that. You know how to reach me.”

  “Boss, watch your back.” Taylor ended the call.

  “These people aren’t messing around, are they?” Rowan’s voice shook. “They’ve killed three men and my sister. Who else is next? People like that wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Alexa when she becomes too much of a problem.”

  “If they hurt her, they won’t get what they want from you, baby. Keeping Alexa alive serves a purpose.” How long that tolerance would last Brent didn’t know. He hoped to have a location on Alexa before the deadline and before the kidnappers’ patience ran out. His people were the best in the business, especially Zane. If anyone could find clues to the child’s whereabouts online, it was Z.

  He turned squares for ten minutes, keeping an eye on his mirrors. No one appeared to be following them. Excellent. Still taking back roads where a tail would stand out, Brent headed for the feds’ hotel.

  While he drove, he called to Zane and updated him on the latest development.

  “Unbelievable,” Zane said. “Maxwell and his friends got themselves in too deep. I’ll check into their emails and backgrounds.”

  “Copy that.” Brent glanced at Rowan, hoping she wouldn’t mind his next order. “Put a tracer on Rowan’s phone as well as Heather Maxwell’s. The kidnappers called Rowan on her sister’s cell phone.”

  “I’ll set it up. I’ll be in touch soon.”

  “A tracer? Zane is going to trace the calls to and from my phone?” Rowan asked after Zane ended the phone call.

  “The trace will initiate automatically when a call goes through. Hopefully, the kidnappers will stay on the phone long enough for Z to find a location.”

  Twenty minutes later, he parked in the lot of a chain hotel. The parking lot was nearly full though no people were milling around the area. All was quiet on this chilly evening.

  Rowan scanned the area. “We’re late, you know. How mad will the FBI agents be?”

  “Doesn’t matter. They want to talk to you whether you’re late or not.” He wouldn’t apologizing for taking so many detours on the way to the hotel. He’d rather be late than lead a follower here. Although he wasn’t a fan of feds as a rule, Brent wouldn’t risk their lives by carelessness on his part. If the kidnappers were watching and connected this place with the feds, Alexa might pay the price. That was something he couldn’t live with.

  He escorted Rowan to the fifth floor and knocked on the door to room 531.

  A moment later, Rafe Torres flung open the door. His eyes widened when he recognized Brent. “Commander Maddox, what are you doing here?”

  “May we come in, Senior Chief?”

  “Of course, sir.” Torres stepped back. “How have you been, Commander?”

  “It’s Maddox or Brent, now. I started a security company five years ago. Keeps me busy.”

  “Which company?”

  “Fortress Security.”

  An older man with steel gray buzz cut hair set aside his laptop and stood, a sneer on his face. “One of those private security company’s? Guess you couldn’t find a real job.”

  “Shut up, Hank,” Torres snapped. “I served with Maddox in the Navy. He could have landed any job he wanted, including the FBI. I heard through the grapevine he turned down a job offer from us.”

  Hank’s eyes narrowed. “That true?”

  “It is.” Brent’s lips curled. “Didn’t want to be tied down with a rule book the size of a dictionary.”

  “Why are you here, Commander?” Torres asked again. “We expected Ms. Scott to come alone.”

  “You want to question my girlfriend about the death of her sister.” He didn’t look at Rowan to see if she objected to his blatant claiming of her as belonging to him. When she didn’t refute his words, the tension in his shoulders dissipated. Did she feel the same way about him? She’d told White that he was her boyfriend, but she might be protecting his identity. Rowan was intuitive enough to realize he couldn’t have his life story shared for public consumption. In White’s case, it no lo
nger mattered. He wouldn’t be telling anyone anything.

  Torres held out his hand to Rowan. “Rafe Torres. This is my partner, Hank Crenshaw. Thank you for meeting with us.”

  “Like she had a choice,” Hank muttered. “We would have taken her into custody if she refused.”

  “You’re searching for my niece. I’ll be happy to help if I can, but I don’t know much.”

  “You know more than you think, Ms. Scott” Torres said as he pulled out a chair for her to sit in.

  “Call me Rowan. What do you want to know?”

  “Anything you can tell us about Jay Maxwell and who might want to hurt him and your sister.” Torres sat on the corner of the bed.

  She looked at Brent.

  “Tell them everything, baby. They want to help.” Brent listened in silence as she recounted the phone call from Heather, their race across town to find Heather bleeding out, Jay dead, and Alexa missing. She explained about the break-in at her apartment, and the phone call from the kidnappers demanding missing records.

  “What do you know about Maxwell’s business associates?”

  “Nothing except they’re dead.”

  “Dead?” Hank scowled. “Since when are they both dead?”

  “As of an hour ago,” Brent said. “Contact Detective Cal Taylor to confirm and learn the details.”

  “What do you know about their deaths?” Torres asked.

  “Nothing specific about Toby Minter. Nolan White was shot in the head as we left his driveway.”

  “Why were you there?” Hank demanded. “You’re not interfering in a federal investigation are you, Maddox?”

  Looked as if Crenshaw was hunting for an excuse to shove Brent out of the way. If he had concrete evidence that Brent was investigating Alexa’s disappearance with his own resources, the fed wouldn’t hesitate to arrest him for obstructing justice. Couldn’t happen because that would leave Rowan without his protection.

  “I asked him to speak at Jay and Heather’s funeral,” Rowan said.