by Debra Webb
She concentrated on taking slow, careful breaths. “No statute of limitations on murder,” she said. “Arranging an exchange for this particular material, evidence he could never shake, is the key. We’ll still have plenty to use against him to clear your name. Ideally, we can get a confession out of him.”
“Sophie.” Frank sighed. “The man isn’t a fool.”
“No, but we’ve made him desperate.”
“Desperate men do crazy things,” he warned. “Let CID take it from here.”
“We can do that,” she admitted. “Or we can make sure he doesn’t slip past them. If we get Leo Solutions involved...” She stopped short at the dark look in her husband’s eyes.
“I will not put Frankie in the line of fire,” he stated.
She flashed him a look that had made people from several government agencies stop and reconsider. “Find a better argument. Halloran has been using every weapon at his disposal against us, including the press. We have to counter with everything we’ve got and prove we are the stronger force.” The uncertainty in his blue eyes told her he was reconsidering. “If we leave it, that half-baked attempt on the company could be an all-out assault next time,” she persisted. “Now is the time to make a stand, and to bring in the heavy artillery.”
That earned her a choked laugh. She counted it as progress.
Frank raked his hand through his hair and tugged at the roots. She sympathized with his frustration. Halloran had played a nasty game and they were so close to stealing a win.
“I won’t allow you to push us away again.”
“Sophia.” He sighed, his eyes so sad. “They nearly killed you a few hours ago.”
She pulled the clip out of her hair, shaking it loose, an effective distraction for him. When his gaze warmed, it melted the last of the persistent chill in her veins from the near miss. “They didn’t succeed. All thanks to you.”
He turned his back to her and she realized how close she was to losing everything. Again. How many times could a woman pick herself up from a pit of despair? If he went after Halloran alone, thinking to protect her and Frankie, the odds of restoring his reputation and life were slim to none. If he walked away in some misplaced gesture of honor, it would break her. She refused to give him the option.
She ignored the discomfort and slid out of the bed. The short carpet was rough under her bare feet. She moved up behind him. His muscles felt warm and strong beneath her palms when she pressed her hands to his shoulders. She dug her thumbs into the tension at his neck. “You know that bringing in Frankie, Aidan and whoever else we need at the company is the right tactic,” she murmured quietly, letting the words drift over him.
“She’s...” His voice trailed off.
“She’s not a child,” Sophia reminded him. “She is a warrior, Frank—you know that.” She swallowed back the urgency, the desperation. She couldn’t give Frank any reason to dismiss her idea too quickly. “We have to look at our daughter as a peer in this case, not as our baby.” She kept up her massage as she shared her idea. “There is one man left.”
“One man with who knows how much support.”
She ignored that for the moment. “We have Frankie, Aidan and the assets of our company.”
“Your company.”
She ignored that, too. When this was over, they could argue ownership versus partnership. “The point is we have backup. Let’s use it, throw everything we’ve got at him. Halloran and Hellfire will crumble under the barrage.”
He reached up and trapped one of her hands at his shoulder. “You won’t take no for an answer, will you?”
“Would you, in my place?”
“No.” He took a deep breath, let it out slowly. “I’ve never stopped loving you,” he said quietly.
“I know.” While she hadn’t appreciated his distance or extreme methods, in his shoes she would have done whatever seemed necessary to protect the family. That was what she was doing right now, in fact. The challenges and pressures of his career and hers had reinforced their independence even as they’d been forged into a team. Through different means and skills, both of them had a deep, intrinsic need to protect and defend. Had there ever been two people better suited?
“I love you, too.” She hoped the depth of love rekindled through this crisis would make them stronger—strong enough to stick together through the rest of their lives. First they had to survive this. If even one of the bastards slipped free, they’d forever be leery of another attack. She wouldn’t allow that kind of trouble to hover over her family’s horizon.
He turned around, cradling her face and kissing her with devastating tenderness. Relief and hope washed over her in a sweet wave. Her lips moved against his, giving back every precious touch and affirmation that they would get through this together.
Frank eased back, his hands gentle on her arms. “I don’t want to see Frankie until Halloran’s in custody. Not until it’s all over.”
“Why not?” She thought she knew, but better to hear it from him, to make him state his reasons aloud.
He took a sudden interest in the ceiling. “I can’t,” he whispered. “I don’t want her to see me when there’s a cloud hanging over my head.”
She felt for her husband. Frank had shouldered the weight of a bad situation and blamed himself for the actions of a few bad men. “She never stopped believing you were a hero,” she reminded him, though it wouldn’t change his mind.
He said nothing.
“Let’s work out the details of tempting Halloran,” she offered, “and then we can decide who else we’ll need from the company.” Getting him back into analysis mode was essential to wrap this up.
He nodded, his mind working on the tactical problem again. “The money isn’t enough of a lure. The password lockout might not be enough.” He sighed. “How do we convince him we haven’t already passed the murder evidence up the line?”
She loved watching her husband think. Or pace, or simply sleep, she admitted, yanking her mind back on point. “What if we make it personal?”
“It’s never been anything but personal. These are proud men, Sophia.”
“I know the type,” she muttered.
“The stakes in Hellfire were clear from the start,” he continued. “Failure carries the death penalty. Everyone involved created places to hide in countries that don’t cooperate with United States extradition orders. Much as we can’t stop until we catch them, they can’t leave anyone alive who knows their secrets.”
She’d suspected this from the beginning, watching the ax swing ever closer to Frank’s head. Hearing the brutal facts stated so simply in his resounding baritone threw her heart rate into high gear. “We need a confession,” she insisted. “We’ll be the bait. You and me. We can offer him the evidence if he lets us be. We’ll choose the place and Leo Solutions can watch our backs.” It was the only option left, Frank had to know that.
“They’ll anticipate the move,” he argued.
“I know. We’ll give them what they expect to see.”
“Which is?”
She swallowed the ball of nerves lodged in her throat. “A scared wife and mother begging for mercy.”
Frank snorted. “He’ll never buy into that. He knows you, remember?”
She’d preen over that compliment later. “Well, maybe a variation on that theme.” She returned to the bed and her laptop to draft the email that would hopefully bring Halloran close enough to catch.
They worked and debated every word until Frank was sure they had the hook in deep. They set the meet for tomorrow on the first ferry from Seattle to Victoria, British Columbia.
“What next?” Frank asked as she booked the ferry tickets online.
“As connected as Halloran’s spies have been all along, I think it’s only fair we let him think he’s got us. I’ll ask for wh
at I need from Leo Solutions in a way that looks benign to Hellfire in case that hack left them some access the company hasn’t spotted yet.” She started typing her email, fine-tuning that as well before she filled in the recipient address. She glanced at Frank. “Thoughts?”
His eyes widened, his salt-and-pepper eyebrows arching as the scope of her suggestion took shape. “A spin on the classic headache ploy.”
“Yes.” When Frankie had started going out on her own to parties and on dates, they’d taught her she only had to call home, claim she had a headache and Sophia or Frank would come get her, no questions asked.
“You’re sure Frankie will understand what amounts to a coded message?”
“Absolutely.” A few months ago her daughter had been avoiding every attempt at contact or reconciliation. Now Sophia enjoyed a close relationship with Frankie again as if no time had passed. It would help that she’d kept Aidan updated through a private channel since she’d left the hotel in Chicago. She didn’t see the wisdom in revealing that to Frank just yet. The plan gave him enough to chew on as it was. If everything worked, he’d be reunited with his daughter before the three-hour ferry trip was over.
As long as no one died.
Chapter Thirteen
Saturday, April 23, 7:00 a.m.
“I don’t like it.”
Frank looked out over the water as they waited in line to board the ferry. His wife would be bait. He could practically see the blood staining his hands. His daughter and her fiancé were supposedly close, though he hadn’t spotted her. “Three hours on a boat with Halloran and his men.” He wanted to cover Sophia in body armor and send her far from here. This was a bad idea. “Too much can go wrong.”
Sophia linked her arm through his as their boarding group time was called. “We need the confession to wrap this up,” she reminded him gently.
His wife wore a wire a tech from Leo Solutions had dropped off at the hotel last night. She had a script memorized so she could chat up the monster trying to flee the country. It wasn’t right. To his eternal frustration, Frank knew he’d only lose the argument again if he advocated for tossing Halloran overboard.
“You’re entitled to reclaim your life,” she added. “More than that.”
What did that mean? He focused on the current crisis rather than the questions about their future. “It will be at least three against two with all these civilians caught in between.”
“You’re right,” she said. “He doesn’t stand a chance.” She tipped up her face and gave him a razor-sharp smile.
That look, that sheer determination and faith in what they were about to do, anchored him, reestablishing his focus. Thankfully, he didn’t have more time to question the plan. All around them people boarded the ferry, several families chattering with excitement about the trip ahead and the whales they might see along the way. It was painfully normal.
Frank bent his lips to her ear. “I won’t let him hurt you.” Never again.
“Same goes,” she whispered, her smile softening. “Let’s finish this.”
His stomach twisted a little tighter. Failure wasn’t an option. His daughter needed her mother. If only one of them could get back to Seattle, Frank was determined it would be Sophia. His daughter had learned to live without her father once. He wouldn’t let Halloran rob Frankie of her mother, too.
Frank and Sophia walked together along the ferry, pausing periodically at the rails as though they were tourists heading off for a weekend getaway. Neither of them had spotted Halloran yet, though Frank recognized one man from yesterday’s attack on the warehouse and assumed the grim-looking man with him was also a Hellfire spy. The men were sticking a little too close to the stairs to the upper deck.
“They’ve made us.”
“Naturally.” Sophia was so cool it unnerved him. “Relax. I doubt he’ll even approach me until we’re under way.”
“You can’t go to him,” Frank insisted. “I won’t let you be alone with him.”
“Frank.” Her voice was stone-cold, in direct contrast to the soft smile on her face. How did she do that? “I’m a general’s wife—your wife. He’ll come to me.”
Frank glanced around the deck. It was a beautiful day with soft morning sunlight filling a blue sky and glazing the water. If they got the confession, he might just enjoy the trip back. “Something’s not right.”
“That’s enough,” Sophia scolded. “I’ll toss you overboard and handle this myself if you don’t pull yourself together.”
The image of his wife doing just that made him laugh. “God, you’re incredible.”
“I know it.” Her smile was sincere and warm this time. “He’ll come to me, Frank, because we have what he needs to get away cleanly.”
He knew she was right. Taking a deep breath, he draped his arm across her shoulder and resigned himself to letting the operation play out. “Remember our first time on this ferry?” They’d come to Seattle to check out the quarters in anticipation of their move to his last duty station. It had been a whirlwind trip of sightseeing, exploring the area and talking about what they might do with retirement.
Her cheeks turned rosy. “I was recalling our second water excursion.”
“If I spend any time thinking about that, I might not care if Halloran gets away.” That had been a private, guided cruise around the nearby islands. After a stunning sunset, they’d retreated to the cabin and made love the whole way back to Seattle.
As the ferry eased away from the Seattle terminal, she leaned back into the rail, pulling her sunglasses down so he could see her eyes. “Want to know a secret?”
“Always.” No matter how much time together or apart, he loved discovering and rediscovering every nuance and detail about his wife.
“I’m hoping one day soon you and I will resume our exploration of the many islands and waterways around here.”
His heart hammered at the hot, blatant invitation in her eyes. There was no mistaking her intent. She wanted him to stay if they managed to succeed. He had opened his mouth to say the words, to leave no room for her to doubt how much he wanted to spend every remaining day of his life with her, when he spotted their target.
“Halloran.”
She reached up and laid her warm palm on his cheek. “Here we go.”
He inhaled her words, willed them to be true. At least three against two and she obviously believed they held the advantage.
What did he know? She’d been right about everything else and planned for every contingency. Thanks to Leo Solutions, they had the best recording device available. They knew what Halloran could and couldn’t do to disable it. With a bit of luck, this long nightmare would be over soon. Frank had spent enough of his life apart from the people who mattered most. It was high time the right man faced justice.
Sophia squeezed his fingers and moved toward the stern, the place Halloran had designated for the exchange in his confirmation email. When the bastard accepted that flash drive, it would be over.
Provided his men didn’t kill Frank and Sophia in the process. As Sophia walked toward the meet with Halloran, Frank strolled aft to intercept the man he’d recognized earlier. With a cluster of tourists between them, Frank knelt to tie his shoe. When he stood, his ball cap was a different color and he’d pulled off his dark windbreaker, tying it around his waist.
It gave him room to work and he used those few seconds to his advantage. Getting behind Halloran’s man, Frank heard him admit he’d lost visual. Almost immediately his counterpart changed direction and hurried to the upper level.
He waited until a family with excited children hurried down the stairs, using them as a distraction. Cautiously, he moved along the upper deck, searching for Halloran’s other spy. He caught sight of him near the crates of checked baggage. Knowing Halloran was planning to escape the country, what had he brought al
ong that warranted two guards?
Ducking out of sight, he slipped his jacket back on, one more layer of defense if this turned into a fight. He assessed his potential opponent. Young and tall, the spy would surely have been warned about Frank’s skills.
Frank boldly approached. “Nice view up here. Too bad your boss is missing it.”
“He probably prefers sharing the scenery with your wife.” The spy stood loose and light on his feet, clearly eager for a physical conflict. It was a good thing Sophia had refused to let Frank carry any weapons today, he thought. He’d happily kneecap this guy and consider it a public service.
Frank raised his chin to the locked baggage crates. “What does he think you can successfully protect?”
“Everything.” It had to be drugs or cash for a bribe at the border.
“Let’s test that theory.” Frank stepped in close and stomped his boot hard on the spy’s foot. The man groaned and Frank drove his knee up into his belly. Amid gasps and curses, Frank swiftly struck and retreated until the younger man crumpled. No weapon required.
As he patted down the stunned spy, he found a belt wallet with a bit of heft and a small revolver in an ankle holster. Frank pocketed both for later analysis and took the spy’s earpiece, as well.
One down, one to go.
As the ferry churned along, Frank found a vacated seat in the center section, waiting for the second spy to come up the stairs any minute. It was a struggle not to break the plan and go check on his wife. He forced himself to stay put. His task was to keep Halloran’s thugs busy and the playing field even. He drummed his fingers on the belt wallet, listening and waiting.
The second spy didn’t come upstairs and he didn’t check in. The lack of communication alarmed Frank. Taking a minute, he unzipped the wallet and found a small fortune in uncut rubies. He felt like an idiot for not anticipating another wrinkle. Halloran had his hands deep into every possible pie.
Untraceable, gemstones were easier to hide and to liquidate than laundering vast amounts of US currency. For a man on the run, rubies could very well get Halloran out of the country. “Not today,” Frank murmured to himself.
