Cold Truth: (Cold Harbor Book 2)

by Susan Sleeman

  Kiera shoved herself up, appearing revived. “Okay, humor me and accept that Kevin doesn’t do drugs. Why would the picture and drugs be here? I didn’t see them the first time I came by. They could’ve been added after I left.”

  Coop hated to expand on her theory, but she had to realize what could be going on. “Seems to me that it was added later. The picture could be important to the spinneret lead, and the caller hoped you’d believe Kevin was into drugs.”

  “Or worse,” Blake said. “The caller hoped you’d come here alone, ingest the drug, and stop breathing.”

  “He wants to kill me?” Her voice rose and she blinked rapidly. “You think the caller tried to kill me? But why? If he wants me to play this stupid game, I have to be alive.”

  Blake frowned. “It’s possible that he didn’t know the cocaine was laced with other drugs.”

  “It’s also possible the picture isn’t important, and Kevin has drug issues,” Coop added.

  “No. No way.”

  Coop didn’t want to keep following this train of thought, but he had to. “Drug use would explain the radical change in his behavior to steal the toxin.”

  “He. Didn’t. Steal. The. Toxin.” She bit out. “And he’s not into drugs.”

  Coop was about to try to calm her down, but sirens sounded in the background and Blake got to his feet. He stood looking at her. “Let’s get these potentially toxic gloves off, and then you need to refrain from touching your mouth until after you change clothes and wash up at the ER.”

  She sat all the way up. “I don’t need to go to the ER. I’m feeling fine.”

  Blake’s study intensified. “You can’t know that you’re okay yet. Narcan will start to wear off soon, and we have no way of knowing how much of the drug you ingested.”

  “But I don’t have time to waste sitting in an ER.”

  “Don’t worry,” Coop said. “The team will keep working, and I can come with you. We can talk about that picture. Maybe figure out how to connect it to the spinneret.”

  “I guess that’s the best I can do, but I’m locking this door behind me, and no one will be doing any additional searching without me.” She laid back, looking defeated, and seemed to wilt.

  Coop wished he could help. He liked to believe he was a very capable man, one who could overcome most every challenge, but no matter how much he wanted to help Kiera—and he did at an unreasonably high level—he couldn’t rid her system of the potentially lethal drug.

  6

  Kiera woke to the sound of gunfire. She bolted upright. Searched the room and realized she was at Gage’s compound and the daily training had begun. She fell back on the bed. Her head pounded like a drummer lived inside her skull. Not unexpected. The ER doc warned her of a potential headache and fatigue before he’d discharged her last night.

  If only she had some aspirin and could lay there until the throbbing subsided, but Kevin was still missing, and he needed her. She pushed to her feet and stretched, a long yawn following.

  Her night had been horrific. She’d tossed and turned for hours. She’d dreamt about telling her parents of Kevin’s disappearance, and her dad clutched his chest and fell to the floor when he heard the news. She wanted to call them. Not only for the emotional support, but also because they could hire an investigator. But was it worth the risk of her father’s life?

  Her mind was divided, so she’d wait to see how this morning played out. If they were no closer to locating Kevin, she’d make that call. Until then, she’d do her best to find him.

  She went to the adjoining bathroom and knocked on the door. No answer. She stepped inside and locked the other door to take a long shower, her headache improving some. Once dressed, she sat at the small desk and logged into Kevin’s bank account from her phone to look at the ten thousand dollar bank deposit. The check image still wasn’t available.

  She sighed. She still believed in Kevin’s innocence, but this deposit was another checkmark in Coop and Blake’s list of items proving Kevin’s guilt. And honestly, after seeing the money, she couldn’t fault anyone for questioning Kevin’s involvement.

  She sighed as the tantalizing nutty scent of coffee slithered under her door, and she went in search of a cup. Coop stood in the kitchen, his back to her, filling a large mug as the steam curled into the cool air.

  What was she going to do about this man? He didn’t believe in Kevin’s innocence, but still, she owed him for his care and compassion last night at the hospital. He got her through the last of the drug’s hold on her. She’d slept a lot, but remembered waking and finding him standing at her hospital bedside, his eyes soft with emotions that were unexpected from a man with such a tough-guy exterior. He’d even held her hand, the connection very powerful between them. More than physical. Something deeper she couldn’t yet put words to.

  He turned, the same softness from last night filling his eyes. Such an obvious display of concern from the often tough man, held her attention. She let herself get lost in this depth of caring and didn’t want to let go.

  “Good morning.” His voice was warm and low as if he’d recently woken up.

  She wanted to linger there, too, but she snapped free and turned her focus to business. “What time is it?”

  “Around nine.”

  “Nine. Really?” Her stomach knotted. “I didn’t mean to sleep this late. Not with the clock ticking on finding that lead.”

  “It’s the drug. You couldn’t help it.”

  “What’s happening with Kevin or have you been sleeping, too?”

  “I took a quick catnap. Otherwise, I’ve been working.” He held up his mug. “Coffee?”

  “Please.” She crossed the room, irresistibly drawn to him, with or without the coffee.

  Today he wore a black knit shirt that fit him like a glove and black cargo pants along with boots. She’d never been around a man who exuded such physical prowess. Most the guys she interacted with were chemists, and they didn’t participate in physical activities. The few she met who did, didn’t give off the same vibe.

  As she got closer, she noticed that his hair was damp at his neck. The shower stall had showed no sign that he’d taken a shower. He must have gone to his cabin. Apparently, he trusted her enough to leave her alone for that long.

  She gave him points for both caring for her and trusting her. It was hard to resist a man who did both, and she felt her heart softening. He handed her the mug, his lips tipped in a soft smile that was devastating to her intention of keeping things professional between them. Taking the cup, she put space between them for good measure.

  She took a long sip of the warm goodness and nearly groaned. “Where did you learn to make such good coffee?”

  “You spend enough time drinking sludge in the army, you learn to make good stuff as a matter of survival.” He chuckled.

  She loved seeing him crack a joke—and that smile. Fantastic to look at. She wanted to smile along with him. To forget everything else and follow this crazy attraction.

  A sudden knowing grin chased away his innocent smile, and despite his obvious look that said he knew she found him attractive, she wanted to join in an easy banter with him.

  Flirting?

  She was thinking about flirting at a time like this? At any time?

  Really, Kiera? Really? With Kevin missing?

  A wave of guilt pressed her back, and she took another drink of the coffee. “So about Kevin. Have you learned anything?”

  “Why don’t we sit?” He pointed at the small dining table.

  “Do you have bad news?” She circled to the far side.

  “No.” He sat across from her. “I don’t have anything new to report. The team worked most the night, but we still don’t have a solid lead.”

  “What do we do next?”

  “Now that you’re clearheaded, you should take another look at the picture from Kevin’s place. Are you up for that now?”

  Was she? Could she touch the item again that had landed her in the ER?
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  “Don’t worry. Blake took the picture in as evidence. It’s sealed in a plastic bag and can’t hurt you again.”

  Was he a mind reader, too? “If this picture is evidence, does that mean he’s opening an investigation into Kevin’s disappearance?”

  “I’m not sure what he has planned. He should be able to tell us when we get to his office to view the picture. That is, if you want to go.”

  “Yes, of course. Right away.”

  He came to his feet and towered over her. “Blake’s office is just outside town. There shouldn’t be any danger to you in leaving the compound. Still, after last night, we need to be more watchful, and Eryn will be accompanying us. Let me text her that we’re on the way to pick her up.”

  Kiera didn’t like needing a security team. “Do you really think I’m in danger?”

  “I honestly don’t know, but I won’t take any chances with your safety.” He planted his hands on his waist. “Do exactly what I tell you to do, and you’ll be fine.”

  She appreciated his concern for her safety, but she didn’t much like how easily he switched from the compassionate guy to this more domineering man. Still, she was just being overly sensitive from all the years of her mother hovering over her. He was the protection expert, and even if he hadn’t asked her to comply, she’d listen to him.

  She took one long last drink of the coffee and went in her room. She slipped into her jacket and grabbed her purse before joining Coop at the door. They stepped out, and the sun shone brightly down on them. A brisk wind whisked over the road, carrying fine grains of sand. She caught the savory scent of bacon frying, likely coming from one of the cabins.

  A trio of officers dressed in SWAT attire and carrying rifles strode down the road. How foreign this sight was to her, but Coop lived this life every day. They were different in so many ways, and yet, they were attracted to each other, likely to her detriment.

  He opened the door to his SUV, and she slid in.

  He went to the driver’s side, slipped on a pair of aviator sunglasses, and got them moving down the narrow road. “Are you having any lingering health issues from last night?”

  “Nothing serious.” If she told him about the headache, she suspected he’d insist she rest.

  “But you’re still worried about touching that picture.”

  “Yeah, a bit. I know it’s silly. Especially after the ER doc said I hadn’t likely ingested enough of the drug to overdose and stop breathing. Still, I’ve never done illegal drugs before, and I hated the feeling.”

  He slowed the car to let the officers cross the road. “I banged up my back in Afghanistan and had fentanyl for the surgery. I didn’t mind it, but then I was expecting something. You were caught off guard.”

  “That’s the truth. Thankfully, Blake had the Narcan to stop it.”

  He glanced at her. “You should tell him that. After the docs said you wouldn’t have overdosed, he feels bad about administering it.”

  “He shouldn’t. Even the doctor didn’t fault Blake for being overly cautious. Not with the increase in overdoses he’s seeing in the ER.”

  Coop got the SUV moving again. “Hard to believe a sleepy little town like Cold Harbor could have a drug epidemic.”

  “The doctor said people are getting hooked on prescription drugs, and when they can’t get refills, they’re turning to heroin. It’s cheap and readily available, but it isn’t regulated and strengths vary, so overdoses are common.”

  “I get that. I saw a lot of drug use in soldiers who got hooked while recovering from their injuries.” He pulled up to another cabin looking much like the nearby buildings, but a small tricycle sat on the sidewalk leading to this one.

  A woman stepped out and set the tricycle off to the side. Kiera watched her move toward them. She wasn’t a tall woman—maybe five foot seven or so, but she was powerfully built and walked like she was on a mission and wouldn’t let anyone get in her way. She wore similar pants as Coop with a military-influenced jacket. A pair of metal sunglasses perched on her head held back long glossy black hair.

  “Good morning.” She climbed in and held her hand out between the seats. “You must be Kiera. I’m Eryn Calloway.”

  Eryn’s straightforward approach didn’t surprise Kiera. After all, Eryn was a member of this over-the-top intense team. Kiera shook hands. Eryn’s grip was almost punishing, but Kiera tried hard not to flinch.

  “No need to hide your pain.” Coop glanced at Kiera as he got the SUV moving. “Most people do when they meet Eryn. She forgets not everyone likes such a firm handshake.”

  “Sorry if I hurt you.” Eryn sat back and buckled her belt. “I tracked those phone numbers from your caller. They were burners.”

  “Burners?” Kiera turned to look at Eryn.

  “Prepaid phones that are used a few times then tossed. Means it’s impossible to track them back to the owner. Odds are that the next call will be from a different number again.”

  “So a dead end.” Kiera tried hard not to show her disappointment when Eryn had likely worked late into the night on this.

  “What about the hidden code on ChemSpider?” Kiera asked. “Did you find anything there?”

  “I briefly scanned the JavaScript, but I need to dig into the .NET.”

  “I wouldn’t ask for details.” Coop grinned. “Eryn can go on and on, and you still won’t have a clue what she said.”

  Eryn swatted his shoulder. “You should also know that Jackson is running down the guys connected with the ChemSpider webzine. He’s already talked to one of the men, but he claimed not to know Kevin. Still, we’ll keep working that lead. How about the two of you? Anything solid yet?”

  “No,” Coop said. “I’m hoping this picture will help us move forward.”

  Kiera suddenly felt like a clock sat over her head, ticking down. Twelve hours still remained before the next call, but without solid leads, they had to use every second wisely. She suddenly wished Coop would go faster, but she wasn’t about to tell him how to drive.

  Instead, she watched out the window to take a good look at the property in daylight. “How big is this place?”

  “Fifty acres,” Coop replied. “The business doesn’t take up the entire property, but we use most of it in our outdoor training.”

  “And Coop’s precious helipad takes up a huge space,” Eryn added.

  “Not my helipad,” he corrected. “I’m just one of the pilots.”

  “You have a helicopter?”

  “Do we ever.” Coop grinned—a cute little boyish flash of white teeth that shot right to Kiera’s heart and made her want to know more about him.

  “Is that why you left the army? To fly this amazing helicopter I mean.”

  His smile evaporated like mist from a teakettle, and he gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  He shook his head, but didn’t speak.

  “We all left for the same reason,” Eryn said. “We had on-the-job injuries that insured we’d ride desks for the rest of our careers.”

  “None of us are desk jockeys,” Coop said with vehemence.

  “Gage was in the same boat,” Eryn continued. “And he started this place to give people like us a chance to keep doing what we love doing.”

  “How wonderful.”

  Eryn nodded. “We owe him a lot.”

  Coop looked up at his mirror. “That’s an understatement.”

  “True that,” Eryn replied.

  They all fell silent, and Kiera figured they were both thinking about their pasts and their injuries. Kiera was desperately curious about what had happened to both of them, but she was too polite to ask. Perhaps Coop’s injury was related to the back surgery he mentioned. She hadn’t seen any indication of a back problem, but now that she knew about it, she’d pay more attention to him.

  Right, like having another reason to look at him was a good idea.

  She fixed her focus out the window, and when Coop turned onto
a road running parallel to the coast, she almost gasped at the raw beauty. The road overlooked craggy rocks, and the ocean rolled in on huge whitecaps that pummeled the shore. The sun glistened off the water, making it look inviting, but even if it wasn’t cold outside, the water temperatures on the Oregon coast were always cold and she’d never take the plunge.

  They soon pulled up to a long, low building with the county emblem engraved on a sign out front. Coop circled around back to a parking area and turned the key.

  He faced Kiera. “Again, we don’t believe you’re in danger, but humor us by sticking close by and not lingering in the lot. Okay?”

  Wow, he’d asked. She couldn’t believe it. She nodded.

  “And if for some reason things go sideways, listen to everything I tell you to do—and do it.” He worked his jaw muscle and intensity burned from his eyes.

  He was scaring her, but she nodded.

  “I’ll come around and open your door.” He pushed out. Eryn exited, too. She moved to the front of the vehicle, dropped her sunglasses onto her nose, and kept her head in continuous motion as if scanning the area. Coop opened Kiera’s door, and when she climbed down, he slipped his hand around her elbow and gently pressed her forward. She should be looking around, too, but she couldn’t quit thinking about how comfortable it felt to have him touching her arm.

  The moment they entered the building he released her. She was both glad and disappointed at the same time. She glanced at him to see if he’d noticed her reaction, but he still wore his sunglasses, and she couldn’t get a read on him.

  Eryn told the officer at the desk they were there to see Blake. A few minutes later, Blake opened a secure door and motioned for them to join him. Kiera entered the long hallway first and waited for him to lead the way back. Coop followed them.

  “Thank you for administering the Narcan last night,” she said to Blake.

  “Not that it was needed,” he grumbled.

  “Not for me to stay alive, but you stopped the drug from messing with my head, and I’m grateful for that.”

  “Is that so?” His scowl turned to a half smile.