by Rachel Dylan
Sadie’s heartbeat sped up as she and Kip got closer to the five-star Rhubarb Hotel. They parked in the public lot a few blocks down since they didn’t want to park at the hotel or use the valet service. The warm summer night air made it difficult to catch her breath. She felt entirely out of place at such a fancy hotel, but for her job she had to adapt.
Kip didn’t look like an FBI agent tonight. He would blend in well in the crowd with his black slacks and stylish light purple button-down. Given the nature of his undercover work, she still hadn’t seen him in the typical FBI suit. His short brown hair was neatly styled.
Kip had made at least two calls back to the El Paso field office, but he’d taken them in private, leaving her wondering what exactly they’d talked about. She had to be patient, or he’d question why she had so much interest in Igor. There could be a link between Megan’s disappearance and Igor’s operation. That’s why she needed Kip’s help and the FBI’s information on Igor.
It bothered her that she hadn’t been able to be fully truthful with Kip at dinner. But she couldn’t be with anyone. Under the rules of Witness Protection, she had to keep up her cover for the rest of her life. Unless the threat was neutralized completely.
“You ready for this?” Kip asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.
She took in a deep breath. “Yeah.”
They walked into the main entrance of the hotel, and the opulent chandeliers took Sadie’s breath away. Lush maroon couches and huge upholstered chairs filled the lobby. The Rhubarb was the nicest hotel in town. It housed two restaurants. A formal dining restaurant and Sala, which was still very nice but more trendy. The live music was a big draw on the weekends. They stepped into the lobby and took the elevators up to the second floor where Sala was located. Once they got to Sala’s entrance, Sadie noticed that it wasn’t that crowded, but there was still a good number of people even for a Monday night.
She had a job to do. “I’m going to go to the hostess stand and see if I can find someone to talk to.”
“Okay,” Kip said. “I’m going to grab a table in the casual lounge area. Keep an eye out on things.”
She nodded and walked over to the hostess stand. A young woman stood there along with a man wearing a manager tag. He was probably in his forties, and his dark hair was smoothed down. He didn’t look like he’d be one to be messed with even in his formal restaurant attire.
“Do you have a reservation?” the young woman asked.
“Actually,” she said looking at the manager. “Can I have a minute of your time?”
“Sure,” he said. “Please, let’s talk over here.” He motioned to the expansive waiting area.
She pulled out a picture of Megan and Lauren and showed it to him. “Have you seen this girl on the left?”
“Who’s asking?”
She smiled. Hoping to get more information by being nice than being aggressive. “This girl has been missing since Saturday before last. I’m trying to locate her.”
“And who are you?” he asked with raised eyebrow.
“I’m a P.I. hired by her mom. And I just want to find this girl. Please.”
“I do remember her—both of them were here. I thought they were a little young to be eating here alone, but they said they were celebrating something for school which I thought was very nice. This girl,” he pointed to Lauren, “was a bit too flashily dressed for her age in my opinion. But the girl you are looking for looked quite appropriate for the evening.”
Sadie sighed. “I know that a lot of college kids come here on the weekends, too. Have you had any problems here with guys trolling the place, any date rape drug issues?”
He shook his head vigorously. “No, no. Nothing like that. Not here at Sala. We have security, and we are a five-star restaurant at a five-star hotel. Our reputation can’t allow something like that to happen. But that stuff happens all the time, though, at Sapphire down the street. We’re not a club, but a restaurant. A very nice restaurant. We close at midnight even on the weekends. Most of the college kids come here for the live music, but then go out after that. We’re the first stop of the night. And the ones with money will have dinner during the performances.”
Hmm. She wondered. “Can you remember anything else?”
“I’m sorry I can’t help you more. I saw her here, but I don’t remember seeing her with anyone specific. Her friend was up near the stage hanging on some guys, though.”
Ah, Lauren had neglected to mention that. What else had she left out? “Is there anyone else here you think I should talk to?”
“Most of the college crowd from the weekends aren’t very observant. And tonight’s mostly regulars. Business dinners, fancy dates, stuff like that.”
“What about the staff? Hotel security?”
“We’ll cooperate in any way possible. But I’m guessing you won’t get very many details. This place is packed on Saturday nights.”
“Thanks for your time,” she said.
“I hope you find her.”
She sighed and walked over to find Kip sitting at a small table in the lounge area.
“Anything?” he asked.
She shook her head. “He thinks she was here, but that’s about all he can say.”
A tall man brushed her shoulder as he walked toward the bar and whistled at the bartender. She looked to her left, and her heart almost stopped. Paralyzed with fear she couldn’t breathe. The man turned back and looked directly at her but showed no sign of recognition on his face. He was not just any man. He was Igor Vladimir, otherwise known as the man who murdered her parents and destroyed her life.
“Larry, send me a bottle of champagne to my VIP table all right? I’d like it with my steak.” He didn’t wait for an answer and walked away.
Kip leaned in and whispered in her ear. “That’s Igor.”
He didn’t have to tell her that. She’d know that man anywhere. Granted it had been years since she’d seen him, but she could never forget. He hadn’t recognized her at all. The last time she’d seen him in person was almost twenty years ago. She’d grown up. Changed. But she was still scarred by the memories that his presence brought to the surface. She felt a panic attack coming on. She needed to get out of there.
“I need some air.” She didn’t wait for a response before standing up from her chair and walking quickly to the exit. Deep breaths, she told herself. The world was closing in on her again. Please, Lord. Make it stop. It felt like someone was squeezing the breath out of her.
Then Kip’s hand landed on her shoulder. “Sadie, are you all right?”
She nodded her head but kept walking.
“What’s wrong?”
“Was getting a bit crowded in there.” She gasped for air and avoided directly answering his question.
He cocked his head to the side, clearly trying to figure out what was going on with her. “I know getting close to a man like Igor is difficult, but he doesn’t know us. We’re safe.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m fine, really.” Or she would be. She needed a plan.
“It’s getting late. Why don’t I take you home?”
“Megan’s still out there. I need to do more.”
“I know. But you’re not going to find her tonight, Sadie.”
The way he said her name, warmed her heart. Like he actually cared about her. She knew better than to believe that, though. She couldn’t trust this FBI guy. Even if he seemed nice. Hadn’t Martin seemed nice too? Just the thought of him made her nauseated. He hadn’t done his job, and two innocent people were dead because of it.
“Sadie, you with me?”
“Yeah, sorry. You’re right. Just take me home.” She needed some time to think. About everything.
* * *
Kip wondered what had happened to Sadie last night. She’d been fine,
and then she’d lost it. Kinda like when she fainted when he was in her office. Maybe it wasn’t just her blood sugar. Maybe she was prone to panic attacks? If so, what were her triggers? There was a lot more to Sadie that he didn’t know, and to his surprise, he wanted to learn more.
He leashed up Colby and got ready for their morning run. They never missed a day. It was therapeutic for Kip. And the Labrador loved to run. Colby was his best friend. He understood him. His dog was loyal and loving. Unlike his so-called friends who had abandoned him in his time of need. They had sided with Brad in Iraq. Even worse, they’d supported Brad when he stole away his fiancée. His teammates all made excuses for Brad saying it was the way things were meant to be. In Kip’s book, cheating was never meant to be. And stealing another man’s fiancée was an absolute breach of trust.
What a disaster his life was, well, had been. He was finally starting to get things back together. However he couldn’t let his own personal issues get in the way of his job. There was too much on the line now. He was the team leader on this mission, and it was up to him to come up with something concrete. A way to get to Igor and bring down this operation once and for all.
Colby started running faster, and Kip loved the feeling of freedom he felt jogging with his dog. Then it hit him. What if he was able to infiltrate Igor’s El Paso network? He’d done more difficult things as a ranger. It wouldn’t be easy, but if he could pull it off then it would be worth it. Now he just had to figure out how in the world to go about it. He questioned his initial interpretation of Sadie being in the woods that night. Yeah, she may have been doing some surveillance, but he felt almost certain she wasn’t involved with Igor’s operations.
He finished the run and wondered what Sadie was up to today. Probably trying to track down her missing teenager. He didn’t like the circumstances surrounding the missing teen. He hadn’t wanted to say anything to Sadie last night, but in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but wonder if Megan had been taken by Igor’s operation. He had a nagging feeling about it and was going to get one of his guys to do some digging.
The fact that he now knew Igor had a VIP table at Sala made him believe Igor might be running some of his business through there. A five-star hotel that housed a fancy restaurant popular with the younger crowd on the weekends was the perfect way to prey on innocent teenage and college girls.
Men like Igor deserved much more punishment than the legal system could give them. He didn’t do a lot of thinking about God lately. It was too difficult not to remember how God had forsaken him in his time of need after Brad’s betrayal. But he hoped God found the right punishment for Igor.
* * *
Sadie had to get a grip. She couldn’t let Igor intimidate her. The way she’d acted last night was unacceptable. She needed to gain control of her emotions fast, or he would win. Like always. She needed a list. Her top priority still had to be finding Megan. She was disheartened by what she’d learned last night, or rather what she hadn’t learned. She felt more strongly than ever after seeing Igor that he had something to do with Megan’s disappearance.
When she’d gotten the initial reports that Igor had moved his operations to Texas and that he might be involved in human trafficking, she knew things were going to get complicated. Then she’d heard about Megan’s case on the local news and had prayed there wouldn’t be a connection between the two. But knowing it was a possibility, she’d sought Megan’s mother and offered her services.
Kidnapping young girls was the perfect way to add to a human-trafficking ring. What if Igor had taken Megan? She closed her eyes and prayed that it wasn’t the case. Prayed for Megan. Prayed for Megan’s mom. And Lauren. And finally she prayed for strength for herself. She needed guidance from God. Her faith had only grown stronger over the years. Her biological parents had not been people of faith. But her adoptive parents had been. They’d taken her to church. Taught her strong values and to trust God. They were a constant steadying force in her life. She wanted to thank them every day. Because without Him, she would’ve never lived to be twenty-seven. She didn’t even know Lydia Mars anymore. She’d been Sadie Lane for the past nineteen years. Lydia was dead. She’d died the day Igor walked into her house and shot her parents in cold blood.
The FBI had claimed they were safe. She’d overheard conversations that even an eight-year-old could understand. And now she understood even more. She’d found out a little more over the years from her Witness Protection contacts. However, it was painfully clear the FBI had dropped the ball. They’d waited too long to call in the U.S. Marshals and put her family in Witness Protection. So long that Sadie had been the only one left to protect. What had her father gotten into that caused Igor to kill him? That question still haunted her. For now, though, she had something else she had to focus on. Another child’s life hung in the balance. There was nothing she could do for Lydia, but there was a lot she could do for Megan.
When her office door opened, she instantly knew it would be Kip. He walked in looking handsome as ever—his blue eyes twinkling. She didn’t want to think he was attractive. Deep down he was still the enemy. But when he smiled at her, her heart felt light. A feeling she wasn’t accustomed to. She desperately wished she knew what he was thinking.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
He walked over and stood in front of her desk. “I know you’re busy looking for Megan. But I have an idea to run by you.”
“Okay.” What was he up to?
“I’m going to try to infiltrate Igor’s network, and I need your help.”
She felt her eyes widen. “What? Have you lost your mind? You really think an active FBI agent can get into Igor’s network?”
“Just hear me out. I have a plan.”
Stay calm, she told herself. “All right.”
“You and I would team up. Present Igor with an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
“Which is?”
He took a step closer to her. “A dirty FBI agent.”
She sucked in a breath. This was too much.
“Sadie?”
She tried to focus. “A dirty FBI agent. How?”
“That’s where you come in. I need a partner. A partner on the dark side who lured me into this business. For money, of course. I think it’s a more believable story if I have a woman who I’m motivated to act for.”
“This seems insane.”
“I know.” He sat down in the office chair and ran his hand through his hair. “But I think it could work. I obviously have FBI support and contacts, so we could make it convincing. I just need you to be the mastermind behind it all. I’ll play the pawn to your queen.”
She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “And you think he’d believe all of that. To what end?”
“The deal would go like this. I’d tell him he’s the target of an FBI investigation. I’d provide him valuable information. For a great price.”
“And who exactly am I?”
“A devious and demanding lady. We met when I tried to arrest you on a money-laundering charge connected to your drug-running operations. But you convinced me otherwise.”
She didn’t understand where he was going with all of this.
“Don’t you see? It makes it more likely that something or someone would cause an FBI agent to go astray. You’re that for me. A P.I. with a mind of her own and an interest in side businesses. Very lucrative and illegal side businesses.”
“I don’t even know what to say.”
“There’s something else.”
What else was he about to lay on her?
“I’m worried Megan could’ve been taken by Igor’s guys.”
Her pulse quickened. “I had the same concern, especially when I saw him at the hotel.”
“Unfortunately, it’s more than just a hunch. I just got a call on the way over here from one of the guys o
n my team. They’ve been doing some recon and noticed Igor’s guys leaving with various young women—from that hotel. Everything points to Igor setting up shop there. He’s definitely staying in the penthouse. He may not be responsible for Megan’s disappearance, but I still think there’s a good chance he is. So if we could get inside, maybe we’d have a chance to find her.”
“Maybe.” He was right. But she shuddered. With more time, would Igor ever recognize her? She didn’t think so. Nineteen years...from a child to a full grown woman. He’d never know what hit him.
“So what do you think?”
Without thinking through any of the implications, she made an impulsive decision. “I’ll do it.”
He sighed. “You know this is dangerous.”
“I’m aware of that.”
He nodded.
“When do we start?”
“Tonight. I just have to okay everything with my superiors, but I think we should go back to Sala and orchestrate a chat with Igor.”
“Great,” she said. What she actually meant was, I’m gonna be sick.
He reached out over the desk and grabbed her hand. “We can do this.”
He felt warm, and she really wanted to believe they could do this. She also really wanted to believe in him.
* * *
They returned to Sala, and the first thing Kip asked Sadie to do was find the manager. He wanted her to make sure the manager was willing to keep his mouth shut about the conversation she’d had with him. Kip had worked his sources and there was no evidence tying the manager to Igor in any way. Then he’d had a colleague at the FBI run a background check on the manager which also came up clean, so he felt it was a good strategy to keep the manager looped in.
Kip hung back, and she walked over to the bar and talked for a few minutes. Then he heard her loud laugh. It was infectious. Man, she was infectious. She couldn’t have been more different than Lacy. Lacy was tall, very thin and very blonde. He thought Lacy had a heart of gold, but he’d been wrong about that. He still held Brad the most responsible.
