“Okay, let’s connect later.”
She hung up and turned to Ty. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s trapped here. We’ve got to find him.”
He squeezed her hand. “We will. Let’s just keep working.”
Chapter Nineteen
18 Weeks Earlier
The nighttime air was heavy around Cady, dampness from an earlier rain shower still hanging in the air. Down the street, a dog barked. Didn’t just bark—it snarled, and the sound of it jumping against a chain-link fence caused another shiver to run down her spine.
Somewhere in the distance, a car revved its engine before gunning it down the road.
This was not the kind of neighborhood a single gal wanted to get lost in. Some communities aged well and with character. Others seemed to age, but the process invited in less-than-savory folks who wanted cheap places to hide.
“You ready for this?” Orion’s eyes reminded Cady of a snake seconds from striking its unsuspecting prey.
“Of course.” Cady pushed down her rush of nerves and tried to quell the panic that threatened to claim her muscles and thoughts.
She couldn’t kill someone. Yet, if she didn’t, she’d be a dead woman, and all of this would be for nothing.
“I want you to do it,” Orion said, falling in step beside her.
She glanced up and saw his gaze still held challenge, a promise that if she didn’t pull through, there would be deadly consequences.
“I’d be honored.” Cady’s pulse spiked so high she felt lightheaded. She had to keep up the act, to sound tough and street smart and loyal. But, internally, she rebelled against all of this.
“Let’s figure out where Reginald is before we announce ourselves,” Orion said. “You take the front of the house, I’ll take the back.”
“It’s a plan.” She gripped her gun, thankful to be out of Orion’s sight for a moment. The last thing she needed was for him to watch her every move.
As soon as he disappeared around the corner, Cady checked her gun’s magazine. It was loaded, just like she’d left it. But maybe she could work this in her favor. It would be a long shot, but her makeshift plan just might work.
She drew in a deep breath as she shoved the magazine back in place. She could do this.
But she didn’t want to. Every fiber of her being wanted to escape and forget about this assignment.
What kind of detective was she? She should be brave. Tough. At the moment, she felt anything but.
Cady climbed onto the rickety porch. Several folding lawn chairs cluttered the space, along with some old milk crates topped with ashtrays. One of the boards beneath her black boot nearly gave away.
The shoes were part of her look. Skin-tight jeans. A form-fitting T-shirt. Black leather jacket. Stark black hair, heavy eye makeup.
But changing her appearance hadn’t changed who she was inside. Cady Matthews was still the girl desperate to prove herself, who wanted to belong, who struggled to find her place in the world. The poor little rich girl who had everything yet nothing of importance.
She pressed herself against the dingy shingle siding of the house and peered into the window. Through the thin, striped curtains, she could make out the form of someone sitting on the couch inside.
Reginald.
She’d halfway been hoping he wouldn’t be here.
She swallowed hard. What if she told Orion he wasn’t here and—
Just as the thought entered her mind, Orion appeared around the corner. “He must be at the front of the house. His car is here so he should be too.”
Cady nodded stiffly. “That’s him on the couch.”
“Good. I’ll get the door and do the talking. But you’re pulling the trigger. Go for his heart. We need to get in and get out. As soon as people hear gunfire, the police will come.”
“Isn’t this too easy?” Cady asked. “Maybe we should grab him and draw this out.”
That was DH-7’s usual MO, and maybe it would buy her some time.
A gleam filled Orion’s gaze. “That’s the way we usually prefer to do things. But this one is a hit-and-run.”
Probably because he wanted to test Cady’s loyalty. Why else would he change the way he operated?
“Whatever you say, Const,” she said. A quiver found its way into her voice, but she caught it before the tell claimed each word.
On the count of three, Orion kicked the door open and rushed into the house.
Cady followed behind, gripping her gun as sweat covered her entire body.
This had to work.
Please let it work.
Lord, I don’t know if You’re real or not. I know Lucy loved You, though. I could really use Your favor right now for this plan to succeed.
When Cady admitted it, she understood the emptiness inside members of DH-7. She had a different kind of emptiness.
And she was tired of it. She needed a change. But how? And was it even possible while she was deep undercover?
This wasn’t the time to think about it.
Reginald jumped off the couch, his bowl of popcorn spilling across the floor. He raised his hands in the air, his sport jersey jerking up and exposing his broad belly.
“What are you doing here?” The man’s eyes were wide with fear and realization. He knew exactly why they were here and what was about to happen.
“We know you betrayed us.” Orion’s voice came out with a deep, bitter growl.
“Naw, man. I’d never do that.” But even Reginald didn’t sound convinced—only desperate.
“You shared our secrets with the Blood Brotherhood,” Orion continued.
“I wouldn’t do that.” Reginald swung his head back and forth, a pleading whine tugging at the words. “You know me better than that.”
“Stop arguing!” Orion shouted. “We know it’s true. And you know what happens to people who betray us.”
“Let’s talk this through, man,” Reginald said, his breathing labored and shallow. “I can explain. You don’t understand.”
“It’s too late for that.” Orion nodded at Cady. “My friend here is going to show you what happens to snitches like you.”
Cady raised her gun. Without hesitating, she pulled the trigger.
The bullet hit him squarely in the chest—just like Orion had instructed.
Reginald gripped his heart and fell onto the couch, letting out a final moan before landing face-down on the floor.
Cady’s own heart pounded wildly in her chest. What had she done? What if her plan hadn’t worked?
“I underestimated you.” Orion glanced at her, humor dancing in his gaze. “Didn’t think you’d do it.”
“Of course I would.” She shoved her gun back into her waistband, giving off a nonchalant air that defined this culture.
“Alright, let’s get out of here before the cops show up.” He nodded toward the door.
“Let me just make sure he’s really dead first,” Cady said. “Maybe get a picture to prove it.”
“Good idea.”
She rushed toward Reginald. Put her finger at his neck. Waited to feel for a pulse.
“He’s dead,” she muttered, snapping a quick photo with her phone. “Let’s go.”
Before Cady could hurry out the door, Orion grabbed her arm and stopped her with a harsh jerk.
Her heart pounded harder.
He was onto her, wasn’t he? This was the moment where everything came to a head—came to a violent end.
Instead, Orion pressed his lips into hers.
Repulsion filled Cady’s stomach at the feel of his mouth against hers.
Finally, he stepped back, just as abruptly as he’d stepped forward.
“What was that for?” She resisted the urge to gag or wipe the feel of him from her mouth.
Cady knew what it was about. Not romance or relationship. No, it was about domination.
Another wave of nausea rushed through her.
“You’re a mystery,” he muttered.
The rancid breath t
hat hit her face was so toxic she could hardly breathe.
He continued, “But you just proved yourself loyal. Now let’s go.”
Just before Cady stepped out the door, she glanced back at Reginald.
He stirred, ever so slightly.
Cady’s heart slowed.
Her plan had worked.
At the first opportunity, she’d get in touch with Samuel. Let him know that Reginald would be a great informant. Send his photo.
She’d used a rubber bullet on the man. He’d have an awful and painful bruise, but he should be okay. The force of the blast had knocked him out just long enough for her plan to work.
If the police could grab Reginald, they could help him fake his death. He would be valuable to the task force. If he didn’t cooperate, then DH-7 would finish him.
And they’d finish Cady also.
It had been risky, but she hoped the risk would pay off.
In fact, she’d bet everything on it.
Chapter Twenty
Today’s Goals: Find Serena. Make Orion pay.
Cassidy and Ty spent the entire night searching the island for Orion’s SUV. They didn’t find it. If he was still in Lantern Beach, he was well hidden. They’d gone down every street multiple times.
They returned to Mac’s place after grabbing a quick breakfast. Cassidy didn’t have an appetite, but Ty had insisted she eat something. She’d nibbled a sausage and egg biscuit from the General Store—though she didn’t taste a bite. All she really wanted to do was formulate a new plan. The ferry hadn’t provided any leads, nor had the search for Orion’s vehicle.
They’d no sooner greeted Kujo when Cassidy’s phone buzzed.
“It’s him.” Her pulse spiked as she looked at her screen. “Orion.”
Ty and Mac gathered around her.
“It says, ‘Get on the 9:00 ferry. Further instructions coming.’” Cassidy glanced at her watch. It was 8:30 now. “We’ll barely make it.”
“Let’s go.” Ty grabbed his keys and started toward the door.
Mac grabbed his gun from the table where he’d left it. “I’m coming too. You’ll need all the backup you can get.”
Cassidy wasn’t going to argue. They hopped in Ty’s truck and took off toward the ferry terminal. They couldn’t miss this departure.
But as soon as they pulled up, a flashing sign over the entrance to the loading area signaled a setback.
“The ferry’s full,” Cassidy muttered.
“Let’s see if we can find another way,” Ty said. “Maybe they’ll take walk-ons.”
Ty parked, and they darted from the truck. They all reached the boat just as the gates were coming down. The same attendant from yesterday was standing at the entrance ramp.
“I know it’s too late to drive on, but we’ve got to get on this ferry,” Cassidy said. “It’s an emergency.”
The attendant stared at them. “Medical?”
Mac stepped up and pulled the toothpick from his mouth. “Remember that time I let you go after you got into that fight outside of Shorty’s?”
His cheeks reddened. “I do.”
“Your momma would have killed you,” Mac continued.
“I know.”
“You owe me one, and this is important. We wouldn’t ask this otherwise.”
“We usually don’t take walk-ons.” His gaze darted around, as if looking for anyone who might be listening.
“Please, make an exception,” Cassidy said. “Just this once.”
He tugged his collar and glanced around again. “I guess this one time. Just don’t make me lose my job.”
“We won’t,” Cassidy said.
“And I’ll keep your secret,” Mac said.
The three of them rushed onto the ferry with only seconds to spare. The boat lurched as it started its journey across the water to Ocracoke. They wove their way between cars to the railing.
Cassidy glanced around, soaking in the cars loaded with kayaks and boogie boards and beach chairs. Looked at the faces of children as they peered out the windows. Watched the seagulls as they circled the boat looking for stray food.
“Do you think she’s on here?” Cassidy asked.
“Why else would he want you to come?” Mac asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t understand his game.” Cassidy glanced around again. Where did she even begin? “Is there a lobby?”
Ty nodded. “Yeah, you can buy snacks and sit down there if you don’t want to wait in your car. There’s also an observation deck above that, some bathrooms, and the crew’s quarters. I’ve spent a lot of time on these boats.”
“Why don’t we split up and see if we can find Orion or Serena?” Cassidy added before Ty or Mac could argue, “I’ll be okay. I have my gun.”
They both hesitated a moment before nodding.
“Be careful,” Ty said.
“You too,” she said. “Meet back here in twenty minutes, okay?”
Cassidy took the lobby area. She entered it quickly but paused. There was no need to alarm people by acting frantic. Instead, she took a deep breath and scanned the place.
There was no sign of either Orion or Serena. Not from her initial perusal, at least.
But what had she expected? That they’d be sitting at a table having coffee together like old friends?
Orion’s SUV wasn’t on this boat. If they were here, Orion had either gotten a different car or he’d gotten on a different way.
The trip to Ocracoke should take an hour and a half. Thirty minutes had already passed, and there were no updates.
She met Mac and Ty again outside by the railing. They hadn’t seen anything either. She drew in a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. But as she soaked in the life around her, urgency pressed in on her.
Kids squealed as they spotted dolphins in the water. An elderly couple stood close to each other, the nostalgic look in their eyes hinting of fond memories. A family argued about where to eat lunch.
Innocent lives . . . they surrounded her.
Just what was Orion planning?
“Maybe this was an excuse to get us off the island, so he could do something else devious,” Cassidy said.
As soon as the words left her lips, her phone buzzed. She quickly glanced at the screen.
“Good job following directions,” she read aloud. “I thought you should know that I’ve left a bomb onboard. Happy hunting.”
“A bomb?” Ty felt the air leave his lungs at the gravity of the situation. “We’ve got to get people off this ferry.”
“I’ll go tell the captain what’s going on,” Mac said, already springing toward the crew.
“I’ll start looking for the bomb.” Cassidy’s voice sounded tight enough to break.
“I’ll take upstairs,” Ty said.
They rushed in their separate directions. Ty tore up the stairs, dodging passengers who eyed him with confused expressions.
This guy could be bluffing—but they couldn’t take that chance, not when innocent lives were on the line.
He scanned everything as he passed it. The stairs. The roofline. The deck below.
Nothing yet.
He rushed inside the cabin area. More travelers gave him strange looks, like he’d lost his mind or like he was a terrorist. Fear lingered in their eyes.
Ty surveyed the area. Probably twenty people were up here—families mostly. There were also a few tables, a fire extinguisher, and cloudy windows.
He looked under every table, in every corner, but there was nothing.
When he was sure there was no bomb in the area, he went back downstairs. Cassidy found him. She looked breathless, and adrenaline seemed to lace each of her quick, reflexive actions.
“Anything?” Cassidy pulled her sunglasses down and stared him in the eye.
Ty shook his head, wishing he had different news. “No, you?”
“I didn’t see anything suspicious either,” she said. “Mac is searching the crew’s cabin. I’m not sure they’re taking this as
seriously as we’d like.”
“Let’s keep looking. Maybe we missed something.”
“I’ll take the upstairs this time.”
He wove between the cars, searching the edges of the boat. There were ropes. A fire extinguisher. Some life jackets shoved into cubbies.
Nothing that looked like a bomb.
As he started back, something caught his eye.
A box in the back of a truck had something unusual sticking out from one of its edges.
Ty paused and sucked in a breath. Knockoff purses.
Slowly, carefully, he pulled back the cardboard top and moved the handbags out of the way.
What he saw inside stole his breath.
It was a bomb, all right.
And the countdown had already started. They only had ten minutes to diffuse it before this whole boat became a part of the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
Chapter Twenty-One
Cassidy stared at the device—the wires, the battery, a vat of liquid—some kind of flammable substance—and a cell phone attached to it all to act as the switch.
She’d taken classes on explosives, but she’d never defused a live one, so she was obviously not an expert.
“Mac, you were just brushing up on your bomb-defusing skills, right?” Cassidy asked. “Ty, did you deal with this as a SEAL?”
“I have.” Mac knelt beside it, and Ty joined him, along with the boat’s captain.
The men stared at it a few seconds, as if cataloging all the information on the wiring and type of bomb. The rest of the crew seemed as stunned as Cassidy. But they didn’t have the luxury of wallowing in it.
“Everyone, move to the other side of the boat,” Cassidy yelled.
“We need everyone to put on a life vest,” one crew member said.
Another attendant got on a radio. But it was too late to turn back. They wouldn’t make it in time.
It was either defuse this bomb or this ferry was going to explode, sending everyone onboard into the water. The amount of shrapnel and the vehicles being propelled in the blast would kill almost everyone.
Dangerous Waters (Lantern Beach Book 4) Page 13
