End Game

by Rachel Dylan

  “I’m actually much more interested in what you think,” Bailey said. She noticed that Marco was laser focused on Chandler but hadn’t yet said a word.

  “Honestly, if I hadn’t found Kappen myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. But there was no one else there. His door was open, but I just figured he wasn’t one to lock the door while he was at home.”

  Bailey made a note of that fact.

  Chandler laced his hands together on the table. “Kappen asked me to come meet him. I’m struggling, trying to figure out why he wanted me to find him. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t come unless he acted like he had some real information about Battle’s death, but his suicide was the information. Maybe that was his confession?” He cracked his knuckles. “I know I’m rambling, and that’s not like me. I’m just at a loss.”

  “And I’m sorry, and I know it seems like we’re pushing you here, but you may have answers that you don’t even realize you have.” Bailey was taking a soft approach so far. Chandler was talking a lot, and she wanted to keep that going. “Let’s go back to your conversation yesterday afternoon. Did he sound depressed at all?”

  “No. Not at all.”

  “How did he sound?”

  “If you’re asking if he sounded like a man who was going to take his own life, I’d say definitely not. He seemed on edge. Maybe a bit paranoid. Although that’s a common characteristic among SEALs. But he also seemed determined, and it really sounded like he thought I had a role to play in all of this. That’s why I’m confused.”

  On a whim, she asked, “What do you know about WSI?”

  Chandler cocked his head to the side. “Why?”

  “Just answer.” Marco spoke for the first time, his voice deep and commanding.

  “They tried to recruit me about a year or so ago.”

  “And why didn’t you take the job?” Her pulse thumped loudly at this newest revelation.

  Chandler looked into her eyes. “I’m not doing this for the money. I do it because of a duty and a desire to serve my country. My father and grandfather were both Navy men.”

  “And Kappen knew about WSI’s efforts to get you to join them?”

  “Yeah. It wasn’t a secret. Companies like WSI make lucrative offers to SEALs and other elite military men on a pretty regular basis. Our résumé is a helpful way to get them more business, which in turn makes the fat cats more money. As I said, I have no interest in that gig.”

  Bailey looked at Marco as her thoughts ran a mile a minute. Then she focused back on Chandler. “Do you know whether Battle had any association with WSI?”

  He shook his head. “No. I never heard about that. So if he did, it would be news to me.”

  “Would you be able to ask around and find out? Do you have other contacts at WSI?”

  A flash of concern crossed Chandler’s chiseled face. “No, but why do I feel like I’m missing something big here?” he asked. “There’s something I must not know, because the two of you seem to be on the same page.”

  She obviously hadn’t kept a good poker face.

  Marco stepped in. “We appreciate all of this. We’re just trying to put together the pieces in a very complicated and high-profile case. As long as you keep cooperating, you don’t have anything to worry about.”

  Chandler’s dark eyes widened. “Wait a minute. You never said that I was being investigated here.”

  “You didn’t ask,” Marco responded quickly.

  Bailey knew what Marco was doing. He was trying to throw Chandler off his game to see how he reacted. To see if Chandler would break a sweat or reveal some key piece of information.

  “Do I need a lawyer?” Chandler asked.

  “That’s completely up to you,” Marco said.

  “Unbelievable,” Chandler mumbled. He sat quietly for a moment, and no one said a word.

  Bailey wondered if Marco had been too rough on him. Her instinct was that Chandler was innocent.

  “Look, I’m not in the wrong here. I don’t need a lawyer.” The SEAL’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry for getting defensive. I just hate being so in the dark, but if you think I can somehow shed some light on what’s going on, then I’m willing to do whatever it is you want.”

  “We’ll take you up on that. But before we go there, did you notice anything out of place or strange when you got to the Kappens’ condo?”

  Chandler shook his head “No, but to be completely honest, I’d only been to his parents’ place once, about three years ago. So I can’t speak to how it usually looked. But there were no evident signs of foul play or a struggle or anything like that, if that’s what you’re driving at.”

  Bailey encouraged him to go on. “How long was it between you talking to him and you going over there?”

  Chandler thought for a minute. “I’d say about five or six hours.”

  That was long enough for the real killer to put a plan of action into place.

  Marco stood up. “Give us a few minutes, and we’ll be back.”

  “Yes, sir,” Chandler responded.

  Bailey and Marco exited the room and turned to each other. Bailey spoke first. “I think someone heard that conversation between the two of them.”

  Marco nodded. “Kappen’s line might’ve been tapped. Both the government and sophisticated defense contractors have that ability.”

  “Then whoever is responsible had access to the conversation and was afraid enough of the two men talking that they killed Kappen and made it look like a suicide?” Bailey asked.

  Marco moved toward her. “What if the plan had always been to kill Kappen like that, and this conversation just accelerated the timing? Kappen’s existence was going to be a problem as long as he was alive. Maybe the perpetrators were caught off guard when he was released on bail and started to get squirrely. Whoever is behind this didn’t want him to start talking to other SEALs. Think about it. Kappen told us to focus on WSI. With more time and communication with his teammates, he could’ve presented a threat. They could have figured that suicide might seem like the most plausible scenario, given what he was accused of and his past psychological struggles.”

  “Those are all good points.” She tried to gather her thoughts. The need for more coffee was palpable. “We have Kappen’s cell phone, but if we’re right that he didn’t kill himself, I have a hard time imagining we’d find anything useful on it. The killer would’ve scrubbed it.”

  “Let’s just take it one step at a time. Including amping up the pressure on WSI.”

  That afternoon Lexi sat in an NCIS conference room feeling entirely numb. She’d cried after getting the phone call. Then she’d toughened up when she arrived at the scene, but seeing his body had almost undone her. Had he really hanged himself?

  He’d promised her he wasn’t currently struggling with any emotional issues beyond the stress of being wrongfully accused, and she had believed him. She always believed him, because she didn’t think Tobias had ever lied to her.

  There was no note that they could find, but NCIS, FBI, and local PD had swarmed the scene. She’d been promised they wouldn’t stop until they got answers. She could only hope they were telling her the truth.

  As she sat, anger started to boil up inside of her. No, she did not believe that Tobias had killed himself. Not for one single minute. He was a man on a mission to prove his innocence and clear his name. He wasn’t a quitter and wouldn’t have taken his life while the allegations hung over him. This was all part of a twisted game, and she had to find out who was pulling the strings.

  She thought back to the stirring conversation she’d had with him at the courthouse, and then to how happy he’d been when he’d been released on bail. Her body started to shake. It was almost too much to bear.

  After leaving her waiting for far too long, Marco and Bailey entered the conference room.

  “I’m so sorry,” Bailey said.

  Lexi thought Bailey actually meant it. The FBI agent seemed completely sincere. The jury was still out on Marco.

&n
bsp; “I’ve been told you got a briefing at the scene but that you wanted to talk directly to the two of us,” Marco said.

  “Yes.” Lexi clenched her fists, fighting back her bubbling emotions. “Tobias did not kill himself. We were working to clear his name. He’d just gotten out on bail. I saw zero indication that he was suicidal. This is all . . .” She started getting choked up. “All part of whatever this mass conspiracy and cover-up is.” She leaned back and waited for them to try to refute her point, but neither of them said anything. Finally, hating the silence, she said, “What?”

  Bailey looked at her. “We think there could be foul play here as well, but we’re still working through all of that.”

  “What can I do to help?” Lexi offered without hesitating.

  Marco and Bailey exchanged troubled glances.

  Lexi needed to plead her case. She’d already laid all the necessary groundwork. “Look, my client is dead—most likely murdered. There are no ethical obstacles to overcome here. I’m a JAG officer, and I’m offering my help to NCIS. I’ve already cleared it with my boss. He’ll loan me to NCIS for the duration of this investigation. Please.” As she met Marco’s dark eyes, she thought he was going to shut her down.

  “Welcome to the team,” he said.

  Lexi let out a breath. She hadn’t expected him to accept her so easily. “Thank you.” Now was the time to show that she had something meaningful to bring to the investigation. “I know the prosecutor who was assigned the Rogers case. I think he knows more than what he’s told me, so I’m going to follow up on that immediately.”

  “What did he tell you?” Bailey asked.

  “He thought something was off with how he was being directed to handle the case. I think I’ll be able to get more insight now. ..” Now that Tobias is dead. But she didn’t have the heart to say the words.

  Bailey placed a hand on Lexi’s shoulder. “I know this is extremely difficult for you, but you’re still fighting the good fight and trying to get to the truth. There is value in that, even if we can’t change what happened to Tobias.”

  Lexi knew Bailey was right. “It’s just hard to accept that he’s really gone,” she said softly. As the words came out of her mouth, she realized she had to do better by Tobias. It was time to put her emotions aside and get answers. “I’m going to get to work. I’ll let you know what I find out from the prosecutor. I know my way out.”

  She left NCIS headquarters with a sense of purpose and a determination to get to the truth no matter the cost.

  Bailey’s heart ached for Lexi’s loss. She feared Kappen had been a pawn in this deadly game and was completely innocent of all wrongdoing. But they had more questions now than ever.

  Bailey watched Marco pounding the keys on his laptop and wondered where his head was at.

  The conference room door opened, and Ryder walked in, carrying a folder and his computer. His eyes were bright. “I’ve got something for you.”

  “Good news, I hope?” Marco asked.

  Ryder tilted his head. “It’s news. It’s up to the two of you to figure out if it’s good or bad.”

  “Give it to us.”

  Ryder took a seat at the table with them and opened the manila folder. “I’ve examined the USB drive you received from the WSI employee. At first glance, as the two of you gathered, there’s folders of employee rosters, and that’s where you didn’t find any names you were hoping to find.”

  “Right,” Bailey said. “I personally went over every file and name one by one. None of our guys were on the list.” She knew there was going to be more to this story.

  Ryder leaned forward in his seat. “You’re absolutely right. You didn’t miss anything.”

  “I’m sensing a but coming,” Marco said.

  “Yes. The person who put together this file pulled everything down in folders, but whether he knew it or not, there’s a hidden encrypted file that I was able to ferret out. It took some effort, but I was able to unlock a separate list of names.”

  Bailey’s pulse thumped. “Let me guess. Our guys are on that list.”

  Ryder nodded. “Your guys are the list. All three of them. I can tell you that the three victims have been on the WSI payroll for over a year. Looks like their pay was being wired to an offshore bank account in the Cayman Islands. These accounts wouldn’t have come up in your searches of their finances. They’re completely off the grid.”

  “That’s why we couldn’t find any paper trail of payment. And a year is longer than I expected,” Bailey said.

  Marco nodded in agreement. “What in the world were these guys up to? How did they keep it a secret for so long?”

  Ryder slid copies of the list in front of each of them. “You’ll have to figure that out yourselves.” He stood. “I’ve got to get back to the lab, but let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Thanks, Ryder,” Marco said.

  “Anytime.”

  After Ryder left, Bailey looked at Marco. “I guess this explains why that guy attacked me in the hospital. They didn’t want us to have that information on the USB drive because it’s hard evidence linking all three of the victims to WSI. Don’t you think it’s time we bring in Cullen Mink for questioning?”

  “He’ll be lawyered up, no doubt.”

  There was no avoiding that. “Yeah, but we can at least read his body language if his lawyer shuts things down. WSI employed these men. I refuse to believe that’s just a coincidence.”

  Marco stood. “This means Mink will find out we aren’t the DoD auditors.”

  “Don’t you think he figured that out already?” she asked.

  They headed toward the door. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said.

  She put her hand on the door handle, but before she could open it, he placed his hand over hers.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah. It’s just been a long twenty-four hours.”

  “Unfortunately, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

  “I know. But we’ve got work to do. Let’s get Mink in here for questioning.”

  CHAPTER

  SEVENTEEN

  Lexi had texted Derek, and he wanted to meet that night at his house in Alexandria. Relying on her GPS, she arrived in front of Derek’s modest home and took a deep breath.

  Ever since she’d gotten the call about Tobias, she’d had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. There was something very sinister at work here, and she hoped they could find the perpetrators before someone else got hurt.

  But she also couldn’t deny her very real feelings for Derek and what he had shared with her before Tobias’s death. They had to figure out how this was all interconnected.

  Lexi wouldn’t consider herself a particularly religious person. She only attended church services on holidays, but sitting alone in her car outside Derek’s house, she felt like she needed God’s help to get through this.

  Closing her eyes for a moment, she started to pray. It wasn’t eloquent at all, but deep down she believed in God, and she hoped that He would help her now. She’d often heard that some people turned to their faith at their darkest hours, and now she understood exactly how that felt. She knew enough to know that God wouldn’t judge her for her shortcomings, but she prayed that He would have mercy on her, because she was at a low point in her life like she’d never felt before. Not being able to save Tobias had rocked her. Now she had to do everything she could to clear his name, even if it was after his death. And she was convinced that she couldn’t do it alone. God, please, I need you.

  When there was a knock on her car door window, she jumped in fear. She opened her eyes and saw it was just Derek, and she let out a sigh as she opened the door.

  “Were you planning on staying out here all night? What were you doing? Taking a quick nap?” Derek smiled.

  She shook her head. “Actually, I was praying.”

  He stopped smiling. “Are you okay?”

  “Sorry.” She got out of the car. “Everything has just kind
a hit me at once.”

  He pulled her into a hug, catching her off guard. But once his arms wrapped around her, she couldn’t hold back her grief any longer, and she let the tears flow freely.

  Derek didn’t say a word. He just held her tightly while she bawled. After a few minutes, she tried to pull herself back together.

  “Let’s get you inside,” he said.

  She nodded as she brushed the tears off her cheeks. Derek led her up his front steps and into his home. He took her by the hand, and they went into the kitchen. He poured a cup of coffee for her and then one for himself before he joined her at the table.

  She sniffled, trying to regain control over her emotions. “I’m sorry I made such a scene.”

  “That’s nonsense. If you weren’t upset right now, I’d be worried about you. You’re having a perfectly human reaction to an awful tragedy.”

  “Tobias did not kill himself, Derek. I know that as surely as I’m sitting here with you right now.”

  “I believe you.” He took a sip of coffee. “We both know there’s something big and dangerous going on here. So dangerous that I’ve started to question whether you should just step back and let NCIS and the FBI do their jobs.”

  “What?” Her voice cracked.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I never should’ve brought my concerns to you. This isn’t like a standard case. Nothing here has been normal, and that tells me there is a much bigger play happening here. These people are willing to kill to protect their secrets. I can’t bear the thought of you being next or that I somehow had something to do with it because I fueled the fire.”

  She clenched her fists. “You know I can’t just run away from this. My client lost his life.”

  Derek grabbed her hand. “And I don’t want you to be next.”

  “Why would they come after me?” Her heart started to race.

  His dark eyes narrowed. “If you start digging and snooping around, they might. I’m telling you, Lexi, we have to start assuming this is a massive cover-up for powerful people.”

  Lexi was a naval officer. Even though she was also a lawyer, she wouldn’t shirk this obligation. “I think you realize how this is going to end.”