Cold Truth

by Susan Sleeman

  Please don’t let it lock automatically.

  She waited until he’d disappeared and counted to five, then bolted out of her space to the door. The knob turned. She entered the dark space, a light in the distance. She turned the deadbolt and prayed Hay didn’t have a key. Sure, he could enter through the broken window, but she would hear him.

  She drew her gun. Crept into the large room.

  “Kevin,” she whispered. “Kevin, are you here?”

  No response.

  She kept going. Traveled through a family room with high ceilings and furniture covered with sheets. Into a kitchen where a pot of coffee was brewing, and on down a hallway. She stepped into the first door on the right, a bedroom.

  “Kevin,” she said again.

  She heard a mumble from the far side of the room and hurried across the space. In a beam of moonlight slanting through the blinds, she saw her brother. Bound. Gagged. She dropped down beside him and laid her gun on the floor.

  “Oh, Kev, thank goodness I found you.” She threw her arms around him and hugged hard.

  He murmured something else, the rag garbling his words.

  She found the knot behind his head and worked to free it.

  “You found me,” he said, his voice raspy. “I knew you would.”

  “Of course I did.” She reached for his hands. Found the pair of cold metal cuffs she’d seen on the video along with the chain connected to a thick eyebolt secured into the floor.

  “Haywood. It’s Hay’s doing this. He has the handcuff key in his pocket.” Kevin sighed. “Haywood Pointer. Remember him?”

  “I do.”

  “He found out I reported him. Said I ruined his life. Now he’s going to ruin mine.” Kevin sighed. “After he took me at gunpoint, he made a mold of my finger and used it to break into the lab and steal the biotoxin. He’s framing me for the theft and making it look like I was into drugs, too. He said he planted some in my apartment. When he’s done toying with you, he’s setting it up to look like you were in on the theft. I think he put something in your apartment, too.”

  That explained the drugs, and Coop’s conversation with Gage. “Some of the toxin.”

  “I don’t know what his end game is.” Kevin shook his head. “I’m not sure if he plans to let me live so I can be convicted for the theft. Or what he plans to do with you. He keeps ranting on and on about how he wants you to suffer, too, because he knows that will hurt me more.”

  She didn’t want to hear any more about Hay’s plans or it would increase her fear. “What’s important now is to find a way to get you free before Hay returns.”

  “I’m afraid you’re already too late, Kiera.” Hay’s voice snaked through the dark. “Now kick that gun over here before I have to use my trusty weapon to shoot your brother.”

  Coop approached the lighthouse gate, his rifle out, his teammates by his side. Jackson snapped the lock with bolt cutters, and they split up to circle the building. He and Gage went right and soon found a broken window. He gestured to Gage who nodded, but the break was too small for a person to fit through, and the window lock was still secured. So why the break?

  He gestured for Gage to retrace their steps to meet the other team members at the front.

  “Broken window on the side,” Coop reported in a whisper.

  “No sign of entry on the other side,” Riley said.

  “Nor the back,” Eryn said.

  “Time to use RANGE-R to determine which room they’re in.” Coop reached into his cargo pocket for the handheld radar device that looked like a big stud finder that he would run along the exterior wall. Using Doppler radar technology, the device had a ninety-five percent probability in detecting the slightest human movement, as slight as breathing, and they’d soon know in which area of the house Kiera was located. Then the team could take appropriate action.

  Device turned on and in hand, he looked up. “Take a stand at the building corners, and I’ll get started on the south side.”

  “I’ve got Coop’s six,” Gage said.

  Coop nodded, trusting Gage to have his back.

  The team scattered, and Coop pressed the device against the front wall of the building. He waited a moment for something to register, but the device held steady at zero. It wasn’t detecting a person at any distance. He continued down the wall, the numbers not changing.

  “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” he whispered when he kept striking out on each side of the building.

  “You think they’re not here?” Gage asked.

  “It’s looking like it.” Coop rounded the last side and pressed the device against the building.

  He stepped the entire length of the wall without any positive readings, and his heart dropped. She wasn’t here. Kevin wasn’t here. No one was.

  “Is the device working?” Gage asked.

  Coop turned it on Gage and got a reading, but wanted additional confirmation. “Let’s test it to be sure. Go ahead and enter the building, and I’ll take a reading.”

  Gage nodded and informed the team of their plan via their comms unit, then stepped to the unlocked front door.

  If Coop had any question of whether Kiera and Kevin were here, the unlocked door told him they weren’t. Still, once Gage entered the building, Coop pressed the RANGE-R against the wall and it picked up Gage’s movement.

  “Device is working,” he said.

  “Then come in, and we’ll figure out if we’re in the right place. Everyone else remain at your posts and alert.”

  Coop entered the door and moved behind Gage. They used their riflescopes to scan the big family room. Gage pointed to the right and gestured for Coop to head left. He moved down a hallway and swung around the first open doorway. Running his scope over the bedroom, he spotted a bolt mounted in the floor, a paneled wall behind, and dresser in the corner. The same location they’d seen in the video. They’d once been here.

  Still, he made his way down the hallway, looking in every room. Coming up with nothing, he met Gage back at the doorway.

  “Clear,” Gage said.

  “Clear here, too, but there are signs that they were once in the first room.”

  “Let’s search it.” Gage stepped into the room and flipped on the light.

  The first thing Coop noticed was a Heckler and Koch HK45 sitting on the dresser, two magazines sitting next to it. He picked the gun up. Saw the large BT for Blackwell Tactical engraved in the metal along with an inventory control number. They marked all of their equipment used for training to be sure they got it all back.

  He held it out to Gage. “It’s ours. Kiera must have gotten in the equipment room and taken it.”

  Gage eyed him. “When this is over, we’re going to have a long discussion about how that happened.”

  Coop gritted his teeth. He didn’t know if he was proud of her for being this resourceful or angry that she’d taken advantage of him. She must have seen him enter his password for the equipment room when he put weapons away. Just one more surprise in a line of them that he didn’t want to know about, but he had to forget about it and move on.

  He pocketed the gun and magazines. “So they were here. Question is, what role is Kiera playing in all of this?”

  Gage eyed him for a long moment. “Let’s find out. They haven’t been gone long. Coffee pot in the kitchen was warm.”

  “Maybe they’re in the lighthouse.”

  Gage gestured at the door and they departed. When they reached the lighthouse, they found a heavy padlock on the door. Didn’t matter. “Pointer could have locked her and Kevin inside. I’ll grab the bolt cutters.”

  Coop jogged to the gate where Jackson had discarded the tool. He hurried back as fast as his gimpy back allowed and snapped the lock.

  Gage pulled open the door. Coop raised his rifle and stepped inside. He swung his rifle, using the scope to scan the main floor.

  “Clear,” he said to Gage, and together, they started climbing the spiral staircase. Each step sent an agony of pain through Coop�
��s back, but he blocked it out and kept moving. Near the top of the stairs, he stopped and popped up to take a quick look over the edge.

  No one. But he still had to go out around the glass-enclosed lantern room to the gallery deck and look down below. Nausea roiled in his stomach. He moved out to the balcony and gripped the iron handrail. Knuckles clenched, heart thundering, he took a deep breath and finally looked down. There were only jagged rocks below. No bodies.

  Exhaling, he closed his eyes. He felt like hurling, but focused on breathing in and out. When the dizziness passed and his heart slowed, he moved around to the side facing the road. No cars.

  He found his voice as Gage came up beside him. “No bodies below, thank God. So he has them.” He paused, looking around. “We didn’t pass anyone on the road which means they must’ve gone north. But even if we head out now, they have a good head start.”

  Gage stood quietly by Coop for a long moment. “The road north leads to the ferry. Maybe they’re taking it up coast.”

  “Maybe,” Coop said as he tried to erase his pain.

  “We’ll find her, you know?”

  Coop nodded, but right now, he wasn’t sure that was a good thing. Not if she was involved in the theft. Pointer a part of it, too, and she’d voluntarily taken off with him and her brother.

  No. Coop just couldn’t see that. He had to keep believing in her. If he didn’t, he didn’t think he could go on.

  “We need to get moving,” Gage said. “I’ll head out by car with Eryn and Alex. Eryn can keep trying to hack Kiera’s phone. You take Jackson and Riley in the other vehicle and go back for the chopper.”

  “Roger that,” Coop said and raced for the SUV.

  He wouldn’t let even a breath pass before he started into this next plan. He would find Kiera. She and everyone else could count on that.

  22

  Kiera peered at Kevin in the dark of Hay’s car. She was so thankful her brother was alive and sitting next to her. Thank you, God, for that! But they weren’t out of danger.

  Hay had cuffed them both together in the back seat, connected the cuffs to the door with a chain, and thrown a blanket over both of them to conceal the cuffs. Thankfully, he hadn’t gagged them. Kiera wanted to scream for help, but the road was deserted. What was the point in yelling?

  Hay already told them they would be taking the ferry up the coast so her friends—as he called Coop and his team—couldn’t follow them. Surprisingly, he hadn’t gagged her or Kevin. He didn’t want to draw attention to them on the ferry. He said if they uttered a word, he would turn around and shoot them, since his gun had a silencer.

  She hoped he’d underestimated Coop. She was sure he’d take the helicopter up to find her. Not because he wanted to find her. No. Their connection had all been a sham to gain her cooperation. But he was desperate to find Kevin, and in doing so, he’d find her, too. That is if he’d discovered by now that she’d taken off.

  She replayed Coop’s conversation with Gage again. Sure, Coop had stood up for her with Gage, but still, he didn’t believe in her innocence. If he did, he wouldn’t have talked about getting her to confess her involvement. If Kevin was right, and Coop had found the biotoxin in her apartment, she could see why he thought she needed to confess.

  Oh, Coop, how could you? I opened my heart to you, and now this?

  His betrayal swept through her again like a blazing flame in an Oregon forest fire.

  “Almost there,” Hay said. “Remember. A peep out of either of you, and I’ll take you both out.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked. “I mean beyond the ferry ride.”

  “We’ll rent a nice little beach house under your name. Then your friends are guaranteed to find you.”

  She was confused. Didn’t Hay want to kill them? “Find us?”

  “Yes. After you write your suicide note declaring your guilt.” He shot a look at her in the mirror. “Knowing you’ll be arrested and neither of you can stand to go to prison, you’re taking your own lives.”

  Kevin gasped. She patted his knee and tried to give him a smile, but she couldn’t make her lips lift. She desperately wished she could free him. He’d suffered at the hands of Hay, and she hated that he was continuing to suffer under Hay’s wrath.

  “Now hold tight,” Hay said. “Won’t be long until we’re at your cozy little beach house.”

  “No time for a complete preflight check,” Coop said to his teammates. “Riley and I can quickly run the basics, but if you don’t want to go up with me, I understand.”

  Jackson grinned. “We have chutes on board. I’m good.”

  “I’ll take care of the tie downs.” Riley stepped to the first one.

  Perfect. Now Coop wouldn’t have to bend down when his back was still all twitchy. And as a bonus, with no telling what they might find, another pilot on board would be an asset.

  They finished a minimum of exterior checks, and Coop slid into the pilot’s seat to begin the start-up checklist. Riley took the copilot’s seat, and Jackson one of the back seats. They all put on headsets to communicate.

  Once Coop confirmed everything was in good operating order, he got the chopper in the air. A few minutes later, a call from Gage came in via their radio.

  “Eryn’s hacked Kiera’s phone,” Gage said. “They’re twenty miles due north of the house. Should be hitting the ferry in a few minutes. We’re ten miles behind them. No way we can intercept before the ferry departs.”

  Coop glanced at his watch. Twenty one hundred hours. “I’m surprised the ferry even runs at this time of day.”

  “Last one of the night. Can you land on that deck?”

  “Not likely enough room, but Jackson and I can fast rope down.” They’d dangle a rope outside the chopper, and while Riley held the helo in a hover over the ferry, Coop and Jackson would slide down the rope as they’d done in their military careers hundreds of times. At least Coop hoped he’d slide down the rope. If his back locked up, he might be in for big trouble.

  Didn’t matter. He wouldn’t sit this out. Not if Kiera’s life was on the line.

  “Understood,” Gage said. “I’ll keep you updated.”

  Coop looked over his shoulder at Jackson. “Get the rope and equipment out of the back compartment. I want to be ready to roll once we hit airspace over the ferry.”

  “Roger that.” He unbuckled and worked his way to the storage compartment.

  Coop set their course for the most direct route to the ferry dock and swung the chopper in that direction. They made good time, passing over Gage’s car and soon spotting the ferry. The boat had indeed departed.

  Coop surveyed the upper deck. A passenger cabin took up most of the space with narrow viewing areas on all sides. The vehicles were all parked on a lower deck, insulating them from the sound of the chopper’s approach. He had to hope that’s where Pointer was holding Kiera and Kevin. Otherwise, Hay would be prepared to do battle.

  “No place to land this thing,” Riley said.

  Coop looked at Riley. “Time to prove you’re as good of a pilot as I think you are.”

  “No worries,” Riley said, but Coop saw a hint of apprehension in his eyes.

  Hovering was no easy feat. A pilot had to manipulate all three controls at one time, and if not careful, it was easy to get into a condition called vortex ring where the chopper falls into its own downwash.

  “We’ve trained on it enough times. I know you can do it.” Coop smiled. “I’m turning the controls over to you now.”

  Riley nodded, and Coop slipped out of his seat to join Jackson who was already at the door. He’d removed the thick braided rope from the storage bag and coiled it on the floor. Once they opened the door, they would attach an end cap assembly with a three-inch steel ring to the overhead frame mounted to the chopper. The rope had to be thick to keep it from being wildly jerked by the rotor blast and was round so it was easier to grip and slide down.

  “I’m out first,” Coop said, despite not needing to mention it, as
Jackson would know Coop’s plan. Jackson handed a helmet to Coop and moved out of the way.

  Once Coop had secured the helmet and tested the comms with Riley, he took two pair of gloves from the gear bag. The first pair were assault gloves that he covered with heavy metalworking gloves to protect his hands from burns caused by friction from sliding down the rope. Once he hit the ground, he would discard the outer gloves for dexterity. He added a pair of safety goggles, then slung his rifle over his shoulder and moved to the door. He slid it open. Cold air rushed inside and buffeted his body, but he braced himself and attached the rope’s steel ring into the frame.

  “Deploy the rope,” Riley said.

  Coop sat down on the floor and tossed the rope out the door, and confirmed it was on the deck—untangled and on target. He grabbed the rope with both hands and wrapped his legs around it. His back argued under the stress, and it was time to admit he needed help. He didn’t know if God was there, was listening, but Coop had to do everything he could to save Kiera…and that meant praying for her. For him and Jackson.

  Please watch over Kiera. Her brother, too. Please don’t let my back lock up on me. Please! And let this rescue work out without injuries to anyone.

  “Don’t you dare put me in the drink,” he said to Riley.

  “Wasn’t going to, but now that you mention it…” Riley chuckled.

  Coop smiled, but let the humor go and snapped his mind to the job at hand. He pushed out of the chopper on the rope, executed a forty-five degree turn, and let his feet and knees control his descent while letting the rope slide through his hands that he held at face level. Five feet above the upper deck, he spread his legs shoulder-width apart, keeping his knees slightly bent to absorb the landing. He hit the deck, his back burning in agony, but he immediately grabbed his rifle, and took cover behind a storage bin where he shed the outer gloves.

  Not moments later, Jackson landed and slipped into place behind Coop. Together, they headed toward the viewing cabin where several passengers stood looking up at the helicopter, others staring at him and Jackson. They’d shocked the people in the lounge, but it couldn’t be helped.