by Noel Nash
“Trust is something I’m running low on at the moment.”
“I never wanted to do this, Jeffrey. Believe me. How I feel about you is real. This was an assignment at first but—”
He rubbed his face with his hands. “An assignment? I was an assignment?”
“Yes, but it’s not like that.”
“Not like what?”
“It’s hard to explain.”
“Better start explaining. I’ve got plenty of time — along with the police on their way over here.”
Her eyes widened. “No, Jeffrey! You can’t involve the police. Not right now. You have no idea how dangerous these men are.”
“Start talking— and if you convince me, I’ll call them off.”
“My real name is Alicia Crawford and a few years ago, I went to work for this investment group here on Capitol Hill. After we started dating, some recruiter from one of the subsidiaries came to me and asked me if I’d be interested in a special assignment — which was you. I refused at first — until they showed me surveillance pictures of my entire family. If I didn’t comply, they were going to kill everyone.” She started to cry. “I didn’t have a choice.” She looked up at him, her cheeks stained with tears.
“I wish I could say I believe you.”
She grabbed his arms and looked up at him. “I swear it’s true. You’ve gotta believe me. And if they think anything is wrong, they’ll kill me.”
“Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“I can’t. You don’t understand how powerful these people are. They can get to anyone, just like they got to me to get to you. They’re ruthless and won’t stop at anything.”
“They were never going to let Luke live, were they?”
She shook her head and bit her lip.
Daniels punched the wall. “Why me? This is ridiculous.”
“Look, we can talk about this later, but if they suspect something is up, they’re going to kill me. I’m supposed to meet them out back in a few minutes.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Sarah—Alicia.”
“Trust me. I’ve gotta go.”
They heard the sound of a door creaking open and footsteps crunching on the splintered wood.
Her eyes bulged as he turned toward Daniels. “They’re here.”
CHAPTER 50
SETH MATTHEWS STARTED to panic. He couldn’t find Luke— and he couldn’t let him die. Jeffrey Daniels didn’t deserve such a cruel fate. It’s why he didn’t stop searching.
Hammond and Zellers finally reached him in their raft. Zellers jumped onto the shore and tied their raft to a tree.
“Need a hand?” Zellers asked as he waded into the water next to Matthews.
“We’ve gotta find him,” Matthews said before he took a deep breath and dove underwater for a few moments. Zellers joined him.
They both resurfaced at the same time.
“Hammond is working on Jones,” Zellers said. We scooped him out of the river a little ways back when he got lodged behind a rock.”
“Is he gonna make it?” Matthews asked.
“I think so, but he won’t be very happy about it if we don’t find Luke.”
Another deep breath and both men continued their search.
Nothing.
When they both came up again, they heard another voice shouting across the riverbank. They turned and saw Shepherd, who was jumping up and down.
“Luke’s right here,” he said as he pointed toward a boulder in midstream. “Hurry!”
Matthews didn’t have to think about it as he turned and swam across the river and snatched Luke up. He pulled his body to shore and started to perform CPR on him.
“Come on, Luke! Don’t die on me!” Matthews said as he pushed on his nephew’s chest.“You can make it!”
CHAPTER 51
SENATOR DANIELS WAITED twenty minutes like Sarah instructed him to before he emerged from the panic room. He stood up and inspected the damage. She was gone.
He picked up his phone and called his friend Cory at the Justice Department.
“You gonna tell me what’s going on now?” Cory asked as he answered.
“Some investment firm named Ophion tried to rig today’s vote. According to Sarah Roberts — uh, Alicia Crawford — they wanted to steer the pipeline south through a large swath of land they own. They’ve been buying up land for years that would make a convenient pathway south to move the oil.”
“Wait, back up. Who’s Alicia Crawford?”
“That’s the reason I was calling. Sarah Roberts was an alias, but she said her real name is Alicia Crawford.”
“Let me look her up,” Cory said. Matthews could hear the clicking of a keyboard on his end of the phone. “Where is Alicia Crawford now?”
“Gone. When I confronted her, she said she did it because her entire family was threatened if she didn’t comply. They used her to get to me.”
Silence.
“You still there, Cory?”
“Yeah, but I’m not so sure Alicia Crawford was being so up front with you.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I ran a little search and Alicia Crawford died about three years ago — at least there was one listed who lived at that apartment address you gave me earlier who’s dead. Too coincidental if another Alicia Crawford just took up the lease on that apartment, don’t ya think?”
“Damn it!” Daniels said. “I can’t believe I fell for that act again.”
“Don’t worry,” Cory said. “I’m sure she’ll turn up soon enough — dead or alive.”
Daniels hung up and returned to his car. He looked down at his phone. Mike had tried to reach him three times, Ben once. He didn’t feel like talking to either of them, much less explaining that he’d been played for a fool.
He reached into the console and fished out a jewelry box. He opened it and stared at the diamond ring.
To think I was about to ask that woman to marry me? Forgive me, Barbara.
He turned on the news radio and sat in his car for a few minutes, paralyzed by all that had happened over the past few days. He wished he could make it all go away, even if there was one shining moment for him. He would trade it all to have Luke back, but he knew his gut was right.
At least Luke’s life was spent at the expense of men trying to control our government.
Daniels smiled as he listened to the news report about the pipeline bill passing. The report played sound bites from several senators on both sides of the aisle, including a comment from Howard Blackledge.
Senator Blackledge, why did you flip on your position and go against the majority of your party to pass this pipeline bill?
Sometimes you’ve gotta go with your gut, not with what everyone else is telling you to do. I never thought I’d be the deciding vote, but you never know how things are gonna go in this town. Regardless, I feel pretty good about what we did today for the American people.
Daniels smiled.
Thanks, Howard.
The news report continued with a breaking alert.
This just in. Ten minutes ago, the MPD pulled a dead body from the Potomac River, just minutes from their headquarters. Initial reports indicate that it wasn’t suicide, though police spokesman Randy Gordon declined to comment until more information can be gathered. Inside sources report that the woman appeared to be in her early 40s but her identity hasn’t been confirmed. We’ll be keeping you up to date on this story as it unfolds.
“Sarah?” he wondered aloud.
Daniels’phone then rang again from an unexpected number.
It was Seth Matthews.
CHAPTER 52
“I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD,” Daniels said as he answered his phone. His pulse quickened and he swallowed hard before he prepared to ask the question he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to. He took a deep breath and listened.
“I did too—several times, in fact, over the past few days,” Matthews said. “But we’re still here.”
Daniels swallowed hard again. “And Luk
e? Is he alive?”
“Why don’t I let him tell you?”
Tears welled up in Daniels’eyes as he held his breath to hear a sound he never thought he’d hear again — Luke’s voice.
“Dad!” Luke said. “Uncle Seth saved me. I knew he would.”
“Oh, son. I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear your voice. Are you okay?”
“I’m a little beat up, but I’m a Daniels, right?”
“That’s right, son. We can handle anything.”
Luke laughed.“Did you figure out my message about Sarah?”
“That wasn’t even her real name, Luke.”
“That’s a shame. I kinda liked her.”
Daniels paused. He wanted to tell her that she was dead, even if he couldn’t confirm it. But he decided against it. He just wanted to keep his son safe.
“Well, we’ll get along just fine without her.”
“Yeah, we will. And I’ll be home soon enough. We’re leaving tonight on Uncle Seth’s plane.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
***
MATTHEWS LEANED AGAINST their SUV and took in the reunion. He’d never been a father, but he imagined this was what it was like. He’d never been prouder than he was right now of his team — and his resourceful nephew who helped keep them on the trail. It also explained why he’d never been so scared in his life of losing someone. Not just Luke but Jones as well.
He glanced at Jones, who was sitting in the SUV with his legs hanging out, a towel draped over him. He threw back a bottle of water and chugged it. Zellers and Hammond teased Jones, who cracked a smile and shook his head.
Then he looked over at Luke, who wrapped his arms around Shepherd and gave him a hug. Fear spread across Shepherd’s face for a moment before it faded. Then he accepted Luke’s hug and embraced him.
Matthews drew a deep breath, inhaling the crisp pine air carried along by the slight breeze. The sun twinkled through the trees. He wanted to bask in this moment, a moment when his world was all right — not perfect, but close enough.
He had to enjoy it while he could because he knew it wouldn’t last.
THE END
AUTHOR’S NOTE
THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope you enjoyed this story and look forward to more from The White Knights Series.
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