by Jaclyn Hardy
“Oh, we already have. We just have to wait until she’s not surrounded by her guards so we can swoop in.” Stephen leaned forward. “Your little girlfriend has cost us millions.”
“What did you recover last night?” Braden didn’t want to talk about her anymore. He was sure things had been ruined between them and there wasn’t anything he could do about it until he got out of here.
Stephen shrugged. “There wasn’t much we cared about. Someone else made off with the emerald, but we got some armor, a few ancient scrolls, and a staff from a few centuries ago. But you know that’s not what we wanted.”
“Sounds like quite the haul.” Braden popped the last bite of burger into his mouth. “So what next?”
“That’s a good question. Normally you’d be dead by now, but the boss seems to like you. Most likely you’ll get sent home until the next assignment. Which I suggest you don’t fail as spectacularly as you did this time.”
Braden chuckled. “I wouldn’t say I failed it. We retrieved what we came here for.”
“Except you seem to forget that you don’t have the necklace in your possession,” Stephen pointed out.
“Details.” Braden raised his arm. “So if I’m not in trouble, what’s with the chains?”
Stephen stood and unlocked the cuffs. “We had to know what the boss wanted. But don’t get too excited. You have a day to get your stuff and get back home. After that, we’ll come after you.”
“Fair enough. I have a class to teach anyway.” Braden rubbed his wrists and went to the door. “See you back on the mainland.”
He pulled out his phone to see if Carlie had tried calling, but there was still nothing. Not since the missed call from the night before. At least he knew she was safe. And had the necklace. Now to get his things from Chet’s without dying in the process.
***
Chet opened the door with a gun in his hand. “You seem to have lost your way.”
Braden put his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I’m only here for my stuff. I’m sorry that everything went south.”
“Have you heard from her?” Chet’s face was blank as he opened the door wider.
“No. You?” Braden made sure to stay one step behind Chet as they walked to his room.
Chet shook his head. “Not since last night. We’re working on extracting her.” He turned to meet Braden’s eyes. “She’s in the middle of a foreign country with no papers. I’d think if someone cared for her as much it seems you do, I’d do everything I could to make sure she’s safe.”
Braden stopped at the room he’d stayed in. “I have people tailing me. I’m not sure what I can do without causing more problems for her.”
Chet frowned. “So you led them here instead.”
“They think you’re my long lost uncle. If they stop by, just let them think you’re the help and Uncle John will be back from vacation next week. Or year. Whatever works.” Braden grabbed his bag. “Thanks for your help. I’m sorry things turned out how they did.”
“It’s business.” Chet nodded toward Carlie’s room. “Think you can take her stuff to her? She needs her passport to get out of here.”
“I’ll do what I can.” He gathered up Carlie’s things and set them in her bag. “Do you have any idea of where to look for her?”
“Ed was able to hack the tracker. Once you get into Bangkok, I’ll send you the coordinates.”
Braden held out his hand. “Thanks again. Best of luck.”
Chet took his hand. “You are welcome.”
That went a lot smoother than Braden had thought it would. He climbed into the taxi waiting for him and gave him the directions to a marketplace in the middle of Bangkok. He’d walk from there to find Carlie.
While they drove, Braden looked through news articles to see if there was anything on her location. The fact that a crime ring had been busted had been too much for the media, and the story was plastered everywhere. That’s not what he was looking for. She wouldn’t have been tied to the event at all.
There. A break-in nearby, followed by a convenience store owner who’d gone to the press, positive that he’d been robbed, even though there was nothing actually gone. Otherwise Carlie had been careful, which was great for her, but made it harder for him to track her.
They pulled up to the market two hours later. Braden paid the driver and climbed out. He called Chet to get the latest ping, and headed north. He only had a few more hours to leave the country before his team came after him, and he hoped he wouldn’t need that long to find Carlie.
Texts came every so often, letting him know which direction to go. It was disconcerting to know what Ed had managed to hack his phone to get his location, but he’d be ditching it before they left anyway.
Braden ended up in front an old theater that had definitely seen better days. This was where Carlie had stayed? He shuddered at the thought. The bags would only slow him down, so he set them inside the box office, smiling at the memory of Stephen getting after him for losing his other supplies.
He pulled out his gun and crept through the theater. Movement near the front made him freeze. “Carlie?”
Whoever it was stirred, but didn’t say anything. Braden weaved through the seats and pulled a newspaper off the person laying on the floor. A young man lay there, blinking in the light from Braden’s flashlight.
“Have you seen a woman in here? A little shorter than me, American.”
The young man pointed toward the stage and snatched the paper from Braden. He set it back over him, leaving Braden to continue on. He kept his gun out in case it was a trap, but there was nothing on the stage except a tattered curtain. He checked his phone to see if Chet had texted anything else, but there was nothing.
“Carlie?” he called out again as he went backstage.
“Braden?” Carlie asked, her voice quiet.
Braden sighed in relief. “You’re okay.”
“You could say that, I guess.” Carlie came from behind another curtain. Her hair was matted, and she was covered in dirt. “How’d you find me?”
“I’ll tell you later. We need to get out of here now.”
Carlie stepped back. “I heard your team showed up. How do I know you’re not here to get the necklace from me?”
“You don’t. But I promise you I’m here to help you get home. Chet gave me all of your stuff. But my team will come after me if I’m not gone by the end of the day. I’ll leave with or without you.”
Carlie bit her lip and stepped toward him. “Okay.”
Braden pulled her into a hug, relief washing over him. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d made it out alive either. Frank let me know we were compromised and I went out the window.” She shuddered. “How’s Frank?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been too busy trying to track you down.” He kissed her forehead and let go of her so he could take her hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
They grabbed their bags and hailed a taxi to the airport. Carlie slipped into a bathroom to change while Braden bought them tickets for home. He used her card for one of the tickets so the team wouldn’t know she was with him.
Carlie had washed her face in the bathroom and changed. She smiled when she saw him. “All set?”
“Yep. Our flight takes off in two hours.”
“Perfect.”
They went to stand in the security line, then went to find a place to sit down while they waited for their flight. Carlie set her bag on the seat next to her and curled up to sleep. Braden wanted to get a nap as well, but he forced himself to stay awake to keep an eye on her.
When it was time to board, he had her get on first, then waited a few minutes before getting in line himself. It probably would have been smarter to take two different flights, but he couldn’t bear to let her out of his sight again.
Their seats were near the window. Carlie smiled when he sat down next to her. She leaned forward and kissed him, catching him by surprise. He cupped her face
in his hand and returned the kiss, enjoying the feel of her lips on his. He’d dreamed of this moment for months—he just hadn’t expected it to happen on an airplane in the middle of Thailand.
When she pulled away, she laid her head on his shoulder. “Thank you for saving me.”
“I would never have forgiven myself if something had happened to you.” He took her hand and rested his head on hers, looking forward to the long flight with her by his side.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Carlie smiled as she saw the American flags in front of her. She was home. She had the necklace. And best of all, she had Braden by her side. Dee was going to go crazy when she found out everything that had happened while they were gone. Speaking of which, she needed to call Dee and let her know she’d be home in a few hours. One more flight. After finding the necklace, Carlie was ready to stay home and teach.
“Ah, there you are.” A man stood just outside, smiling.
Braden froze next to her. “Stephen. What are you doing here?”
“Collecting your prize of course.” His smile didn’t meet his eyes.
Carlie held back, looking between the two men. What was going on? She turned to run and bumped into two rather large men. “Excuse me.”
“I don’t think you’re going anywhere.” The man grabbed the bag out of Carlie’s arms and opened it, throwing her things on the floor until he pulled out the box containing the necklace. “Thanks for the necklace, sweetie.”
“Give that back. It’s mine.” Carlie lunged forward, but one of the guards grabbed her.
The man laughed. “Wow, you were right, Braden. She’s feisty. I guess you didn’t tell her this was part of the agreement, did you?”
Carlie stopped struggling and turned to Braden. “What is he talking about?”
“I don’t know—” Braden stared at the man with what seemed like surprise, but was it guilt?
“Enough with the acting Braden.” The man stopped him with a glare. He stepped closer to Carlie and tipped her chin so she’d meet his eyes. “Your man was playing you, sweetheart. You didn’t actually think he cared for you, did he?” He clicked his tongue. “Next time know who you’re working with. Otherwise you’ll get burned. Again. Come on, Braden. We have a flight to catch.”
Braden glanced at the man before turning to Carlie. “I’m sorry.”
That was all he could get out before one of the guards grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the exit. Carlie yanked her arm away from the other guard and stood staring after Braden. Had the man been right? Was it all a trick? Braden hadn’t even asked to see the necklace the whole time they’d been together. He’d insisted he was there to take care of her. That he’d hoped she was okay.
Carlie brushed away a tear and picked up everything the man had thrown on the ground and shoved them in her bag. She forced herself to be calm until she got into the domestic flight terminal so she could check in. As soon as she was through security, she went straight for the restroom. She gave herself two minutes to let out the tears that had been trying to force their way out. It was her fault for trusting someone she barely knew.
By the time she had to board, she’d almost convinced herself that things were better this way. That she’d find a way to get the necklace from him. But every time she closed her eyes, his face was there waiting for her. Promising he’d take care of her.
***
Carlie pulled into her parking spot and sighed with relief. She was finally home. Most of what she’d taken with her was gone, but that was beside the point. She took the steps to her apartment two at a time and let herself in.
The apartment was quiet with everyone in class or at work. She dropped her bag on her bed and climbed in the shower, grateful for the steaming hot water. It was early enough in the day that she could make it to her classes.
She climbed out of the shower and went to find clothes. It was nice to have something else to wear other than the few outfits she’d taken with her. The one week trip had turned into nearly a month.
The door slammed, making Carlie jump. She grabbed her gun and backed up against the wall. No one should have been home at that time. Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Had they really followed her here?
Dee shrieked as Carlie jumped in front of the door. Carlie dropped her gun and threw her arms around her best friend. “I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am to see you.”
“I can tell by the gun you had pointed at my head.” Dee laughed and returned the hug. “Where have you been, girl? It’s like you dropped off the face of the earth.”
“I wish I had.” Carlie dropped onto her bed. “What’s been going on here? Anything exciting? Have I been fired yet?”
“No. And don’t think you’re going to get away that easy. What happened?” Dee leaned forward. “Did you meet a guy?”
Carlie’s smile dropped. “I did. And he was perfect until the moment he turned on me and stole the necklace.”
Dee climbed onto the bed. “Okay, spill. And you better not leave anything out.”
***
By the time Carlie was done filling Dee in, it was too late for her to make it to her first class. Dee left for work with a promise that they would eat ice cream and binge watch all the shows Carlie had missed while she was gone. And as far as Carlie was concerned, that sounded perfect.
Campus looked exactly like it had the day she left. She set her things in her office, then headed to her next class. The aide who had taken over her classes looked up in surprise when Carlie walked into her classroom.
“Oh, you’re back. Do you want to take over today?” The girl started cleaning up her books, but Carlie shook her head.
“I’ll sit in the back today. I want to see where you’re at before I jump back in.” Carlie went up to the top of stadium seating and pulled out her books. The students filed in shortly after. A few came to say hi, but others sat down and waited for class to start.
Carlie had told herself that she would take notes, but her mind was too busy going in too many directions. She finally gave up and pulled up her tablet. She emailed any contact she’d used over the last few years, trying to get feelers out for where the necklace could be.
“Uh, Ms. Anderson? Class ended five minutes ago. We need to clear out for the next one.” The aide’s voice made Carlie jump.
“Oh, sorry.” Carlie closed her laptop and gathered her bags. “Great job with the class. I’ll be able to take over tomorrow.”
Her search hadn’t pulled up anything yet, and it frustrated her. The thought crossed her mind that she should contact Braden, but she pushed it away immediately. He’d made it clear that he’d used her.
Since classes were done for the day, she headed for her office. Her roommates would be home by that time, which meant she’d have no quiet time there. Carlie turned the corner and stopped in her tracks. The door to her office was slightly ajar. It was supposed to be locked at all times. Cursing the fact that she didn’t have her gun, she crept closer and pushed the door open, holding her keys up as a weapon.
Her office was a mess. Papers were everywhere, all the drawers from her filing cabinets were on the floor, most of them smashed in. How in the world had something like this happened without anyone noticing? She reached under her desk and pushed a lever. A secret drawer popped out. Carlie sighed in relief. All of the documents from her father were in this drawer. The names of her contacts, other potential items to search for, and documents for fake passports and licenses.
She dialed Dee’s number and waited for her to answer. “Hey, are you home?”
“Yes, and it’s a disaster. They went through everything.” Dee’s voice was cool, which showed just how furious she was. “What were they looking for?”
“I don’t know, but they attacked here too. I’m sorry. I’ll replace anything that they broke.” Carlie pushed the drawer back in and pushed a second lever to make sure no one else could get in. Father had made the desk and gifted it to her when she took over his business. She’d thou
ght he was a little too paranoid for his own good. Apparently not. “Do you need me home?”
“No, I have it covered. You clean up there and I’ll see you later tonight.”
Carlie rubbed her forehead, trying to think clearly. “Thanks, Dee. I owe you big time.”
“Yes you do.”
Carlie dropped her phone on her desk and stared at the mess. She didn’t even know where to start.
***
It was past midnight before Carlie finally finished with her office. It was good to get rid of some of the paperwork, but a lot of it had been notes from her father on past projects. There was no way she was getting rid of that.
Carlie checked and double checked the drawer to make sure it was locked. But even then, she was hesitant to just leave her stuff there. Her hand was on the light switch when she stopped and went back to empty the drawer. She couldn’t just leave it.
The walk to her car was nerve-racking. Every rustling leaf made her jump until she finally broke into a sprint and jumped in. The thought that someone knew where she worked and lived was too much. Especially when she didn’t know what they were looking for. They already had the necklace.
Carlie pulled into her apartment complex and parked. She sprinted up to her apartment and stopped when she saw their couch sitting on the porch. The cushions had been slashed. Someone wasn’t kidding around.
Everyone was still awake inside. The apartment had been cleaned, but there were still broken cupboard doors, and one of the other couches had slashes in it as well.
“I’m so sorry, guys.” Carlie slid down the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees. The thought of moving out so they wouldn’t be affected crossed her mind, but she had no idea where she’d go.
Dee came out of her bedroom and draped a towel over her shoulder. “You didn’t do this. But you did tick someone off. We did the best we could out here, but your bed . . . you can take mine and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“No, this is my fault. I’ll sleep out here.” Carlie leaned her head against the wall. “What else was ruined?”
