by Hope White
“Jack, the food will get cold.”
She motioned the tech agent to move aside and she sat down, lifting the cover off one of the plates. She pulled out a chair and Jack joined her at the table.
“Haven’t you been working with the local police on this case?” she asked Agent Trotter.
“No.”
“Why not?” She dipped a French fry in ranch dressing.
“Because they suspect someone in the sheriff’s office is involved,” Jack guessed.
Trotter sat across the table from him. “Why would you say that?”
“It’s the most logical assumption as to why you are keeping your investigation hidden from local authorities.”
Zoe held a ranch-dipped fry to Jack’s mouth and he ate it, surprised that he wasn’t embarrassed at being fed like a child.
“My turn for questions,” Trotter said.
“Don’t you have to read us our rights first?” Jack said.
“Only if he’s going to arrest us, which he hasn’t,” Zoe said.
“Yet,” Trotter said.
Zoe shook her head, then dipped another fry in ranch.
“What’s with the shaking of the head?” Trotter said.
“I’m so over all this bullying. Bullying and threats. Which is what I thought I was taking a break from back at work.”
“I’m not bullying,” Trotter said.
“You were threatening. Same thing. Whatever, ask your questions.” She bit into her fry and her expression softened as she looked at Jack. “This is good.”
Jack took pride in the fact she liked his food suggestion.
“What makes you think Shannon Banks is innocent?” Agent Trotter said.
“I’ve known her since we were kids. She’s a good person. There’s no evidence of a money trail or large purchases, the kinds of things someone who was making illegal money would buy. I’m assuming you already knew that, so what makes her your number one suspect?”
When Trotter didn’t answer, Zoe continued, “I’ve got a clean record. Jack’s got a clean record. We’re obviously not involved, but like I said before, we’d like to scratch Shannon off your suspect list.”
“I doubt that will happen.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because one of our agents was with her when she smuggled drugs across the border from Canada.”
Zoe’s hand, holding a French fry, froze and her face drained of color. She slowly put the fry back on the pile. She looked like she’d lost her best friend which, in a sense, she had.
Jack fisted his hands, wanting the zip ties gone. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her close.
“I don’t believe you,” she said.
“Excuse me?” Agent Trotter said, indignant.
“Give her a minute,” Jack said. “She’s processing.”
“You’re saying you’re her best friend, yet you had no idea?” Trotter said.
Zoe shook her head. Jack wondered if she was unable to speak because she was angry or devastated, or a little of both.
“Did the agent see the drugs?” Zoe said.
“Eventually, when they returned to the resort.”
“Oh.” Zoe sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Who was this agent? You trust him?”
“Yes. Randy Green is one of our top guys.”
“Randy? Her boyfriend?”
“That was his undercover assignment—to get close to Shannon Banks. And now he’s gone, too.”
“Gone?”
“Missing. He hasn’t checked in for days. We suspect her people took him out.”
“You’re making it sound like Shannon was a drug lord with a team of hired killers on her payroll.”
“This new drug is an incredibly profitable hybrid with intense effects. It’s offered in pill form, liquid, or even gummy candy for kids.”
“Shannon would never—”
“Maybe she had good intentions, who knows. A little can manage pain, but users can’t stop with a little. After a few months they start to need more and more until they can’t responsibly dose themselves, leading to irrational behavior and hallucinations. A teenager in Tacoma took too much and jumped off a bridge. We’re trying to prevent that from happening again.”
“That’s tragic, but Shan is not involved. Wait, back up. She loved Randy, and he was...using her?”
“We’re trying to keep drugs out of the hands of children.”
“Shannon worked as a volunteer with children. You think she wants to get them hooked? That makes no sense.”
“The only thing that does make sense is that she’s involved in a drug ring, she knew we were onto her and she faked her own kidnapping and disappearance.”
“You weren’t there. You didn’t see what happened. The kidnapper tried to kill me. Shannon would never let that happen.”
“Or, she lost control of the situation.”
“Enough. I don’t want to hear any more. My friend is still missing.”
“So is my agent, and if anything happens to him, we’ll be adding kidnapping and murder to the charges against Shannon Banks.”
“Someone’s here,” the third agent said from the window. “Looks like a cop.”
“Detective Perry,” Trotter said.
The situation was going from bad to worse, Jack thought. He sensed Zoe’s emotions were strung tighter than a tennis racket. Adding Perry and his chip-on-the-shoulder attitude to the equation would only exacerbate things.
“Are you going to arrest me?” Jack said.
Zoe glared at Agent Trotter, her jaw clenched.
“Let’s see what Detective Perry says.”
Zoe shared a look with Jack. Perry was not their champion, which meant Jack might be spending the night in jail.
Perry knocked on the door.
Romeo sat up, ready to charge.
“Romeo, stop,” Jack said.
The dog flopped down with a harrumph.
The agent opened the door to Detective Perry.
“Who are you?” Perry said, then stepped into the room. He frowned at the sight of Zoe and Jack sitting at the table with Agent Trotter, Jack’s hands secured behind him. “What’s going on here?”
Agent Trotter stood and flashed his badge. “Agent Trotter, DEA. Have a seat.”
“I’ll stand, thanks. Let me guess, you’ve been investigating Shannon Banks for months, but didn’t bother to inform my department.”
“That is correct.”
“Why?”
“We suspect someone in local law enforcement might be involved.”
“Great, that’s just great. You keep me in the dark, then accuse someone on my team of being dirty. What about them? Why are you harassing Jack and Zoe?”
“Our tech agent caught someone accessing Shannon Banks’s accounts and we followed the IP address here. Jack Monroe accessed the files at the request of Zoe Pratt, perhaps to move money around.”
“We were trying to prove her innocence,” Zoe said.
Jack wished she’d remain quiet. They didn’t have many friends in the room, make that zero friends, and baiting the agent would only force him to take action against her.
And Jack. He didn’t want to spend a night in jail, and be separated from Zoe. He struggled to come up with the right words to reduce the tension, convince the DEA of their honorable intentions.
“How well do you know them, Detective?” Trotter said.
“I met Zoe Pratt for the first time a few days ago after they brought her down off the mountain. Jack Monroe...” he hesitated “...I’ve known him for a few years.”
“He illegally accessed bank accounts,” Trotter said.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Out of professional courtesy, I’ll let this one pass once we clear hi
m through a background check.”
Jack sighed. There was no way Perry would burn a favor with the federal agency to free Jack. Instead of making eye contact with the detective, Jack studied Zoe. Her eyes flared as she looked at Detective Perry.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw the detective glance in his direction.
“Let him go,” Perry said. “He’s one of the best search-and-rescue volunteers in Washington State.”
Jack turned his attention to Perry, but he was focused on his phone. “They’re sending teams into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning. They’ve narrowed down a new area of bunkers where someone could survive for days, maybe even weeks. Shannon Banks could have ended up there.” He looked at the DEA agent. “You’ll increase your odds of finding her if Jack is on the search team.”
* * *
The next morning, as Zoe watched Jack pack up for the mission, she thanked God for his freedom. Miracles do happen, she thought as she remembered Detective Perry standing up for Jack, saying he was one of the best and discouraging the DEA agents from arresting him.
The federal agents ran background checks on both Zoe and Jack, and accepted the fact they were innocents caught up in a complex whirlwind of criminality.
Although the DEA agents had left last night, Zoe assumed they’d assigned an agent to the premises to keep an eye on things in case Shannon reached out to Zoe. She closed her eyes, fighting the image of Shannon being arrested at gunpoint if she were to randomly show up on her own.
Authorities seemed to be completely ignoring the fact Shan might be severely injured in the mountains. Zoe glanced out the window at the surrounding wilderness and sighed. She didn’t care if Shan had gotten involved in something illegal, yet she also couldn’t bring herself to believe it to be true.
All that mattered was getting her friend back alive.
Jack touched her shoulder. She looked up and was able to read his expression. He was offering comfort and strength.
“Keep praying for us,” he said.
“I will.”
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Her breath caught in her throat. It was a gentle kiss from a fascinating man.
“I will keep in touch via text message,” Jack said.
“Thanks.”
“You’ll stay here, you won’t leave the duplex?”
“Not even to get some French fries and ranch?”
He frowned with concern.
“I’m teasing. Don’t worry. I’ll stay here. If I’m desperate, I’ll order room service. How long do you think...? Never mind, you probably have no idea.”
“I’ll be back as soon as the mission is complete.” With a nod, Jack left.
She watched as Romeo jumped into the back seat of his SUV, Jack got behind the wheel and drove away, not looking back.
But she wanted him to look back. She wanted him to acknowledge...what? That he cared about her, too?
Pressing her hand to her cheek, she realized she still felt the warmth of his lips there. How was it possible that during such an intense crisis Zoe had met a man she could very well be falling in love with?
Talk about a complicated situation: feelings amplified by physical danger, emotional worry and even grief. Yes, she was starting to grieve the potential loss of her friend. Even if she did return, Shannon may not be the person Zoe had known all those years ago.
Per Jack’s request, Zoe sat at the kitchen table, interlaced her hands and prayed. She prayed for the search team’s success, for their safety, for Shannon’s return, and...for Jack, that no harm would come to him.
A sudden knock at the door startled her. She crossed the room and looked through the peephole.
Kelly stood on the other side of the door.
Zoe opened it and smiled. “Hi, Kelly.”
“My shift starts in an hour. Do you want to grab something to eat at the restaurant?”
“I’m not supposed to leave the duplex. Why don’t you come in and we’ll order room service?”
“Okay.” Kelly glanced over her shoulder.
“You okay?”
“Sure, just paranoid I guess.” Kelly joined her inside.
“That makes sense considering everything that happened yesterday.”
“Walter fell into a coma last night.”
“Oh no.”
“Yeah, but not from the head injury. Apparently it was a drug overdose.”
“Poor guy.”
“Yeah, what a mess. This whole thing.”
Trying to brighten Kelly’s spirits, Zoe said, “I’ve got a good feeling about today’s search.”
“I like your optimism.”
“Cheeseburgers okay?”
“Sure.” Kelly pushed aside the curtain and peered outside. “There’s a police cruiser in the lot.”
“Probably keeping an eye on me.”
Kelly glanced at her.
“Because I’m a target,” Zoe said.
Kelly nodded and looked out the window.
Zoe ordered their meals and went into the kitchen to heat water for tea. Tea calms the soul. The memory of Jack’s words comforted her.
A beep sounded from Kelly’s phone. She glanced at it and spun around. “It’s Shannon. She’s here.”
“What? Where?”
“Near the stables. She wants us to meet her.” Kelly looked at Zoe. “She says she needs help.”
Zoe grabbed her jacket and purse. She turned and hesitated. Don’t worry. I’ll stay here. She’d promised Jack she wouldn’t leave.
“What’s wrong?” Kelly said.
Zoe weighed her choices carefully. If she stayed here, she was turning her back on her best friend, ignoring her request for help.
She simply couldn’t do it, not after everything that had happened.
She pulled out her phone to text Jack about where she was going.
“We’ve got to go now,” Kelly said. “I saw the deputy walk away from his car, probably to get coffee or something. Hurry, so he won’t see us leave.”
Zoe pocketed her phone, slung her purse over her shoulder and followed Kelly to the door.
Kelly cracked it open and spied outside. “Let’s go.”
They left the duplex and Kelly shut the door, guiding Zoe quickly away, down the shoveled path past another duplex, then a quick right, so they’d be out of view of the police cruiser.
“How far is it?” Zoe asked.
“Not far.”
“I hope she’s okay. I mean, if she texted, then she’s okay, right?” Zoe rambled.
A car suddenly pulled up. Zoe turned just as the original kidnapper got out and grabbed her.
“Stop!” she screamed. “Let me go!”
Kelly’s eyes widened and she froze.
Before Zoe could think pepper spray, the guy applied a neck hold, pressing his arm against her throat and cutting off her ability to breathe or call out.
She struggled against him, swinging her arms. Her eyes watered.
Oh, why had they ditched the police surveillance?
Stars arced across her vision. She had to stay conscious, had to break free.
The pressure against her throat was too strong.
She struggled to breathe.
And lost consciousness.
THIRTEEN
Three teams had been assembled and assigned a specific search area. Jack and his team, consisting of Deputy Hauf and Sally Frick and her dog, Butch, hiked up the trail hoping to find evidence of Shannon Banks along the way. Even better, they hoped to find Shannon, either camped out or taking refuge in a bunker.
The only reason he’d joined this search was because there was a good chance he’d find Zoe’s friend. Not only had the weather complied, but Command had gotten word that people had been seen in the area of the bunkers on the northern face
of the mountain.
If it had been any other search for any other person, Jack would have stayed back to be with Zoe. However, this time he felt authorities had enough at stake that they wouldn’t let her out of their sight. Even if they didn’t consider Zoe a suspect, they knew her friendship with Shannon could be crucial in tracking down the missing woman.
Still, he hated leaving Zoe.
An odd turn of phrase. What would happen when this case was solved and they returned to their respective lives? He didn’t want to think about that, wasn’t sure how to process the thought.
It’s not that complicated—you love her.
He stretched his neck and watched Romeo sniff the ground up ahead. No, it wasn’t possible to develop intense feelings like love in such a short period of time, was it? It surely wasn’t logical.
Then again love wasn’t a logical emotion.
Nor was it logical that he was slightly hurt that Zoe hadn’t responded to his last text message, sent four minutes ago.
“Everything okay?” Sally asked.
He glanced at her in question.
“You’ve got this frown like you’re trying to understand a foreign language.”
“I’m okay, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Her dog rushed back to her and tugged on her toggle. “What’d you find, Butch?”
Butch spun around and ran off. The human team members followed the dogs as they continued to lead them farther up the trail. A few minutes later Jack noticed the opening of a bunker. This could be it.
Deputy Hauf called it in and turned to Jack and Sally. “Keep your dogs back, and stay behind me.”
Hauf drew his firearm and led the way. Although snow had fallen on and off these past few days, the trail was still manageable, thanks to determined hikers who would come up here regardless of weather conditions. Jack could understand why. Being out in nature tended to put everything into perspective, made problems and challenges seem smaller, more manageable.
He hoped he would have the chance to hike with Zoe once this was over.
Focus, Jack. Pay attention to your surroundings, to your K9 partner.
Romeo trotted in front of Jack. Sally and Butch were ahead of Romeo, and Deputy Hauf led the way. Jack didn’t mind Hauf and Sally leading since they were both carrying firearms.
