Soon Ben will be off running his own team again, and I'll have mine. But what about Natassia?
Once Jasi received her official promotion as team leader in a couple of weeks, Natassia would be given a choice. She could follow Ben or stay with Jasi. But of course Natassia would choose Ben. They were in love.
Love…
Jasi smiled. Brandon would stay with her. She'd make sure of that. Maybe it would just be the two of them.
Two is a good number.
She strode toward her assigned cabin, praying that Brandon was still asleep.
16
A seedy hotel in downtown Vancouver, BC
I watched the news broadcast and cursed beneath my breath. I'd done everything to destroy any evidence, even if I'd broken a cardinal rule.
"CFBI agents are on scene now," the reporter said in his overly dramatic way. "The name of the deceased is not being released at this time, but we can confirm this was a woman in her mid-twenties. Cause of death is yet to be determined."
All this hush-hush business made my pulse quicken. Had they linked me to the woman's death? Were they coming for me? Would they knock down the hotel door or catch me when I'm sleeping?
I wandered over to my briefcase, opened it and lifted the false bottom. Her photo stared up at me. I stroked it with one finger. "My lovely prize."
I recalled the night I'd killed her. I remembered every second if it—the blood pounding in my veins as I stalked her, the intense ecstasy of the chase that almost provoked me to orgasm, the look in her eyes when I'd cornered her, the sweet nectar of her blood.
"I knew I'd win you, my love."
She had sunk to the ground, a wounded animal, and I was honored to put her out of her misery.
"You were worthy of my pursuit."
I considered my options. I could return to the sanctity of my home or I could remain in this flea-infested dump of a hotel, where no one would ever think to look for me. At least until things had settled.
I picked up the newspaper. The front page was all about the body found in the incinerator at Sanctuary. My one mistake. I should have followed the program and buried her in the woods.
The phone rang, and I jumped. Only two people knew where I was staying.
"Yeah," I said into the receiver.
A familiar voice greeted me. He wasn't happy. I had screwed up.
"I know," I said.
Then I found out how badly I'd messed things up.
"They found the bodies in the forest?" I stammered. "But how is that possible? You promised they'd be taken care of, that no one would ever find them."
I listened for a few minutes, my heart sinking as I realized the implications.
"So are you saying that's it, it's over?"
I didn't like the answer.
After I hung up, I allowed my rage to ignite.
The television screen flickered to an image of the agent in charge of the investigation. Agent Jasmine McLellan.
"Just my type," I said.
Staring into her luminescent green eyes, I licked my lips. I was hungry. And not for food.
"Agent McLellan," I murmured. "I wonder how fast you can run."
17
Sanctuary, outside Mission, BC
Jasi awoke to the clamoring of a bell and the bitter scent of smoke.
"Here." Brandon shoved an Oxy-Mask into her hands. "Put it on."
She slipped the mask over her face. "What's happening?"
"One of the outbuildings is on fire." Already dressed, he shoved his feet into his boots. "I'm going outside to help."
"I'm coming too."
Minutes later she was dressed, her data-com tucked into a pocket on her breast, set to record all audio and everything the camera captured. Outside, she looked for Brandon, but all she saw was a stream of people racing across the field toward a crackling fire. There was only one building that resided on that part of the property. The red barn.
Or what was left of it.
She took in the murky plumes of smoke that clawed their way into the azure sky high above the sizzling mass of wood and metal. The residents had formed a bucket brigade, passing pails of water from one of the horse troughs to the base of the fire. Men tossed the water into the flames—to no avail.
"Jasi!" Standing a few yards from the fire, Brandon waved at her, his face and clothes streaked with soot. "Over here!"
Ignoring the wary glances from the residents as they took in her face mask, she strode toward him. Her breath caught in her chest when she saw two bodies on the ground, their clothes scorched and the skin on their arms blistered.
"Oh my God. Who?"
"Eric and Amanda," Brandon said, his voice cracking.
"Are they—?"
"They're alive. For now. Both are unconscious. I've notified Ben, and he's calling for a helicopter. There's one monitoring the crime scene and woods. It'll be here any minute." He took a few steps, then paused. "I'm going to examine the scene. Stay here."
Jasi knelt in the grass and felt for Eric's pulse. It was faint and irregular. Amanda was even worse off. Neither teen responded when she leaned over and called their names. She wished she'd brought another mask or her can of OxyBlast. The teens were in desperate need of oxygen.
"Father Jeremiah!" someone yelled.
When she lifted her head, she saw a wild-eyed Giles Christiansen running toward her.
"Lord help them!" he cried as he reached the unconscious teens. "Lazarus!"
Christiansen dropped to his knees on the ground beside Eric and Amanda, while Lazarus obediently hastened to his side. Seconds later, a grief-stricken Hannah latched onto her husband's arm for support, her tear-stained face as white as fresh snow. A blond-haired man in his forties joined them.
Eric's father?
She'd seen him around but hadn't officially met the man. Amos something.
"How did this happen?" Christiansen demanded.
"I think the roof collapsed on them," Lazarus said, "when they were inside the barn."
"What were they doing in there?"
"Smoking, I believe," Kenneth O'Brien called out as he joined them. He pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "I found these in the grass by the door. If they dropped a lit smoke, that place would go up like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis.
Christiansen moaned, his mouth contorted in pain. "They disobeyed the rules, and God has punished them for their sins."
Jasi resisted the urge to throw up.
"No God did this," Brandon said, reappearing at her side.
One look in his eyes and Jasi knew exactly what had happened. Someone had deliberately set the barn on fire—with Eric and Amanda inside.
When Brandon gave her a subtle nod, she stood, her worst fears confirmed.
She lifted her mask. "Hannah! Keep an eye on Amanda and Eric. And check their pulse and breathing." The Oxy-Mask settled over her face once more.
The woman bobbed her head, her sobs increasing with each movement. Eric's father put his arm around the woman's waist.
"The kids are safe with her there," she said to Brandon.
She moved away from the crowd of people, and he followed. When they were a safe distance from the smoke, she tested the direction of the wind and removed the mask.
"You sure this was intentional?" she asked.
"Everything's been set up to look like an accident—if you don't know what to look for."
"But you do."
"Based on the singed grass, there was a trail of gasoline running around the outside of the barn and up the back wall. No way that's an accident." He held up his data-com. "I have the pictures to prove it."
"Who do you think is responsible?"
"I can't say for sure." He peered over her shoulder. "Who'd want to hurt these kids?"
"All roads lead back to Sanctuary."
Jasi followed his gaze to where Christiansen hovered over the teens. Was the man's anguish genuine? Or was it all a well-rehearsed act? Could the great Father
Jeremiah be responsible for the attempted murder of two teenagers now fighting for their lives?
"This fire's going to burn itself out," Brandon said. "It's a good thing it's far enough away from the other buildings. It won't spread anywhere else. But everything inside?" He groaned. "It's all gone. Including the ATVs. And we forgot to get soil samples last night."
"Actually, I got them while you were sleeping."
He grabbed her arm. "What?"
"If you promise me you won't freak out, I'll tell you what happened."
From his furrowed brow and pinched lips, Brandon wasn't happy with her, but he stayed quiet, so she described her midnight escapade into the woods.
When she told him how she'd seen two shadows darting off into the forest, he gaped at her. "So let me get this straight. You went out into the forest with no backup?"
"I had my gun."
"And you discovered you were following Eric and Amanda."
"They'd snuck off to be together. I could hear them kissing. At that point, I knew I wasn't in any danger. When I made myself known, Amanda took off before I could question her. But I was able to speak with Eric."
She told him everything the boy had said.
Brandon's mouth curled in fury. "You're lucky you followed two kids and not Sheral Downham's killer."
"You're right, but I only followed them after I was sure I knew who it was. They're teenagers, Brandon. No danger there."
"Tell that to all the victims of crimes perpetrated by teens. You could've run into serious trouble out there."
Jasi crossed her arms over her chest. "I evaluated the situation and determined I was safe. Then Ben showed up. By the time we ran into Henry—"
"Who the hell is Henry?" Brandon began pacing, visibly infuriated.
"One of the drummers from the sweat lodge. He followed me into the woods. Said he was concerned about me." She swallowed hard. "I was in no danger. Ben saw him on the camera, and you know the rest. No harm, no foul."
Brandon gripped her shoulders. "Listen, Jasi, you've got to stop barging into situations like a bull in a china shop."
"When have you ever seen a bull in a china shop?"
Brandon released an exasperated groan.
"I won't break," she whispered.
"No, but I will, if anything happens to—"
An intermittent chopping noise prevented them from further discussion. The helicopter had arrived.
Within minutes, Brandon and another agent had Eric and Amanda bundled up on backboards and secured inside the chopper. Christiansen gave Hannah and Eric's father permission to accompany the children to the hospital.
"I must stay behind," Christiansen told Jasi. "I have to care for all my people."
"Aren't you worried about the kids?"
"They're in God's hands now. And Hannah and Amos will watch over them. There's nothing more I can do for them. If it weren't for your partner…" He released a heavy sigh.
"What do you mean?"
"Your partner, the other agent? He saw Eric and Amanda inside the doorway of the barn. He went in after them and brought them out."
Jasi's stomach churned. Oh God…
"He's lucky the whole building didn't come down on top of him," Christiansen added, his voice tinged with something close to spite.
"I think we're all lucky," she said, holding his gaze. "But don't worry. We'll find out how this happened."
"Lazarus assures me it was a foolish accident. The children were smoking. Imbibing in alcohol or tobacco is not allowed on Sanctuary grounds. For that matter, Eric never should have been alone with the girl. She's promised to another. His parents will not be pleased with him."
Now she understood why Eric and Amanda would risk sneaking off into the forest or down to the river. They were Romeo and Juliet. Young love. Forbidden love.
"Like I said, we'll find out what happened today. Count on it."
Christiansen hobbled off, shoulders slumped, his steps unsure.
In the center field, the helicopter lifted into the air and soared off over the trees. Jasi watched it leave, praying the teens aboard would regain consciousness. Maybe then she'd finally be one step closer to discovering the truth about Sanctuary.
A few of the men, including Lazarus and Henry, stood guard over the fire. She watched them shoo some of the younger children away, while the women gathered like hens and whispered to each other.
"Are you going to do your thing here?" Brandon asked her.
"Later. Too many people around. We'll come back later after the flames have died down."
"You sure you don't need your mask?"
She sniffed the air. "The direction of the wind has changed. It's pushing the smoke east. I'll be okay as long as I don't get too close."
"Keep the mask on hand anyway. I'll feel better." He gave her a concerned smile. "Okay?"
"Yes, sir. Now let's have a shower and change into some fresh clothes. Then we can go get them dirty again." She laughed when his brow arched suggestively. "No, I'm not suggesting we'll be rolling around in the grass. We have a body dump to visit."
Brandon's smile turned into a grimace. "All work and no—"
"We'll play later." She squeezed his hand. "I promise. Once we're outta here."
"Promises, promises."
Back in the cabin, they took turns in the tiny shower stall, much to Brandon's disappointment. There was no way they would have fit inside together without doing some serious damage to each other.
"Let's check in with Ben and Natassia first," she suggested as she dried off with a stiff cotton towel that threatened to exfoliate three layers of skin. "Jesus, the women here must hang the towels to dry outside."
Brandon stepped from the shower and tucked a towel around his waist. "What, you don't like towels dried in fresh mountain air?"
"God, no," she said, fastening her bra. "Give me Bounce in the dryer any day."
He laughed. "I learn something new about you every day, Jasmine McLellan."
"Then you probably know how much I hate wasting time."
"Me too." His towel dropped to the floor.
She eyed his body, taking in the ripples of muscle, tanned skin and droplets of water that trickled down his abdomen. She almost forgot what she wanted to say. "Hurry up and get dressed. You're distracting me."
Laughter followed her from the bathroom and into the central room. She got dressed, sealed the smoky clothing she'd worn earlier in an evidence bag and scribbled her name on the front. Checking her backpack, she discovered she only had two pair of jeans and a couple of blouses left.
At this rate, I'm going to need more clothes.
Her data-com rang. Natassia.
"I was about to call you," Jasi said. "What's the plan at your end?"
"I'm heading to the hospital as soon as my ride gets here. I'll see if I get anything from the kids." Natassia paused. "Have any ideas regarding the fire?"
"Brandon says we have an arsonist on our hands."
"And what about the kids?"
"Whoever set the fire knew they were inside."
"Oh my God."
"I know. It's horrible." Jasi lifted her head when Brandon entered the room. He was nude. She hissed in a breath. "Okay, I have to go."
Brandon moved toward her, kissed her lips, then walked away.
She swore he knew exactly what he was doing to her. The tease!
18
Natassia awoke just after four-thirty in the morning when the van door squealed. She didn't even have time to clear the sleep fog from her brain—or notice that Ben was gone. Thinking he was an intruder, she almost clobbered him over the head when he climbed inside. He quickly told her about Jasi and their adventure in the forest. Then she took over watch, while Ben slept up front in the passenger seat.
Two hours later a harsh bell outside alerted them that something was wrong.
From the van's doorway, they instantly spotted the problem. A building was on fire at the far end of the property.
"I'l
l call the Mission Fire/Rescue Service and Matthew," Ben said.
"I have to check on Jasi and Brandon," Natassia shouted as she ran toward the gate.
As soon as she saw her other team members, she heaved a sigh of relief. She waved, but neither Jasi nor Brandon noticed her.
"Brandon called," Ben said when she returned to the van. "They're fine. But two of the kids were inside. Eric and Amanda. They're breathing but unconscious. We'll be airlifting them out any minute."
"Should we go help?"
"Brandon assured me the fire has been contained. It'll burn out soon. We've been ordered to keep monitoring things in case our killer, or the arsonist, decides to flee during the chaos."
"Could be they're one and the same."
"That's a definite probability. It's too much of a coincidence that Jasi spoke with Eric last night, and then this happens. Someone wants to shut those kids up."
Natassia's mouth narrowed. "Which means at least one of those kids knows something."
"For now, no one leaves Sanctuary."
"Got it. Any indication what started the fire?"
"Someone set it. Brandon believes whoever did, knew damn well the kids were inside."
"Jesus!" She stared at the black sky. "How's Jasi handling all the smoke?"
"She has a full container of OxyBlast and her mask. She'll be fine."
Ben handed her a cup of coffee from the thermos. It was barely warm, but she drank it anyway.
"Matthew is sending the kid to pick you up," he said.
"Jay?"
He nodded. "He'll drive you to Mission Memorial. Let's hope you get a read from one of the kids."
"I'll wait outside, watch the gate and fence."
Natassia had been pacing outside the fence for about fifteen minutes when a cobalt-blue sedan with Washington plates rolled toward her, spitting rocks behind it. She didn't recognize the vehicle. She furtively aimed her 'com in the car's direction and captured the image.
The car stopped when it reached her. An attractive man in a pale gray suit that matched his hair climbed out of the back seat and gave her a polite nod. "I'm here to see Father Jeremiah."
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