Desperate Play (Off the Grid: FBI Series Book 3)

by Barbara Freethy

  Frowning, she realized she was sounding boring even to herself. Maybe Noelle was right, and she did need to change things up.

  "Cotton candy," Noelle said with a squeal. "We have to get some." She grabbed Avery's hand, much the same way she'd done when they were ten years old and spending every minute together.

  "It's just straight up sugar," she protested.

  "Exactly. Do you want one?" Noelle asked, as they stopped in front of the stand. She let go of Avery's hand to reach into her handbag. "I'm paying."

  "I'm good. Thanks."

  As Noelle ordered her cotton candy, Avery couldn't help thinking how different they still were. Sometimes, it amazed her that they'd ever become friends, but the bond between them had formed when they were eight years old, and while it had sometimes bent and strained over the years, it was still there.

  They'd been through a lot together over the years. Noelle had been there for her when her dad had left her mom to become a celebrity writer and motivational speaker. And she'd been there for Noelle when her dad and grandmother had died in a car crash.

  They'd also been each other's wing-woman through middle school and high school and a bit into college, but that's when their differences had started to divide them. Noelle's partying had gone extreme, and Avery had been more interested in becoming an astrophysicist than hitting up the latest fraternity party.

  They'd lost touch sometime their senior year and while she'd gone on to grad school, Noelle had left LA to travel and take whatever job served her wanderlust and party nature. They hadn't spoken for six or seven years. But they'd reconnected two months earlier when Noelle had reached out on social media and asked her to get a drink.

  When they'd met up, it felt like no time had passed at all. Although, she had been a little disappointed when Noelle asked for her help in getting a job, thinking that perhaps that was the only reason she'd sought her out.

  While she'd been a bit reluctant to recommend Noelle for a job at her employer, Nova Star Technologies, because Noelle could be kind of flaky, she hadn't been able to say no.

  Thankfully, Noelle had gotten the job and been a great employee so far.

  "This is amazing," Noelle said, returning with her cotton candy, her blue eyes lighting up as she bit into the sugary web of delight. "Do you want some?"

  She started to say no, but then she saw the look of resignation in Noelle's eyes and realized she was becoming quite the wet blanket. "Sure." She took a handful and popped it into her mouth.

  "It's good, right?" Noelle prodded.

  She laughed. "Yes, and I feel like I'm eight years old again."

  "Not a bad age. It's when we met."

  "I was just thinking that."

  "I quickly became your bad influence."

  "And I was your good influence." She met her friend's gaze with a smile.

  Noelle nodded. "The first time you spoke to me was at summer camp. You gave me a hat, because my white skin was starting to freckle and burn."

  "With your red hair and pale skin, I didn't know how you'd come to camp without a hat and a gallon of sunscreen."

  Noelle laughed. "Later you learned I never planned ahead and forgetting a hat was probably the least of my vices."

  "That's true," she said dryly. "And you learned I always planned ahead. My mother taught me to be practical."

  "And she hung on to you as tightly as she could."

  "She felt like she needed to hold my feet to the ground, especially since my father was always floating around like some shiny balloon about to leave one party and go to the next."

  "Your father did love to chase shiny objects. Speaking of which, is he really going to marry Whitney Tremaine?"

  "It looks that way," she said with a sigh. "It's ridiculous. She's twenty years younger than him."

  "Men don't seem to have a problem with that age difference, especially when they're in their fifties."

  "I've tried to tell both of them to go slow, but neither one is hearing me. Whitney is caught up in my dad's magnetic charm, and my father has always loved an adoring and beautiful fan."

  "Maybe they'll be happy," Noelle suggested.

  "I doubt it. My dad has no more substance than your cotton candy. He has built his entire life on a charade, pretending to be wise and well-traveled and self-aware, and Whitney has bought into it."

  "Well, you can't do anything about it. They're both grown-ups."

  "You're right. I can't change anything, so I'm trying to stay out of it. I just respect the Tremaines so much, especially Hamilton. He gave me a great job, all the freedom I could ever want to build out an incredible educational program at Nova Star, and I don't want my father to ruin my relationship with the Tremaines, which he could easily do."

  "The Tremaines seem to like him."

  "Hamilton was leery at first, but Whitney has been so unhappy since her mom died last year, he likes that my father puts a smile on her face."

  "Well, maybe your dad will do better with Whitney than he did with your mom."

  "Maybe." An odd feeling ran through her as Noelle glanced at her watch again.

  Noelle was up to something. She suddenly felt like they were sixteen again, and Noelle had asked her to go to a movie. But she hadn't really wanted her company; she'd just needed a cover for meeting up with a boyfriend her mother didn't like. "What's going on?"

  "Nothing."

  "I've seen this act before. You invited me here for a reason, and it wasn't just to catch up."

  Noelle stared back at her, an odd glint in her eyes. "You probably know me better than anyone else, Avery."

  "I used to. But we haven't been close the last couple of years."

  "I'm sorry about that," Noelle said.

  "Me, too. I don't really know what happened."

  "I think we started judging each other."

  She couldn't deny that. "We did do that."

  "But we're hanging out now. We can't change the past, but we can do better in the future. I am really grateful that you got me the job at Nova Star, Avery. I know you weren't sure if I'd screw up, and I can't blame you for thinking that, because I have messed up a lot in my life, and you have often had to clean up the mess. But I am trying to change things. I'm not the person I used to be."

  She was a little shocked at Noelle's surprisingly serious tone. "From what I've heard, you're doing great at work."

  "I'm glad to know that." Noelle checked her watch again. "Not that it's too difficult to screw up copying, printing and filing."

  "You have to start somewhere."

  "I know. I actually really like Nova Star. It's inspiring to be around people who dream big, who talk about things I can't even imagine. Do you really think Hamilton Tremaine will make it to Mars one day?"

  "Who knows? It makes for good press. But Nova Star is about more than a billionaire trying to get to Mars. There is important work being done on satellites and protection for those satellites."

  "But none of that is as exciting as Hamilton Tremaine strapping himself into a rocket."

  She smiled. "True. Hamilton is a man with a huge vision."

  "And a huge bank account."

  "He worked his way to money, though. His parents weren't wealthy. He made it all himself. I admire that."

  "I do, too. It makes me feel like if he can do it, we can, too. Not that you care about money—unless it's about funding some new science project," Noelle teased.

  "Money is very important to science," she agreed. "But I've never wanted to live a big life—not like my dad. He loves money and fame."

  "You definitely took after your mom and not your dad," Noelle agreed, sneaking another glance at her watch.

  "Okay, you have to tell me why you keep looking at the time," she said.

  "No reason. Just habit, I guess. Do you like my new watch? I got it the other day. It does all kinds of things—even measures my heart rate."

  "I've thought about getting one of those."

  "You should. It has a bunch of cool apps
on it."

  "Noelle, stop."

  "What?"

  "Are you sure you're not meeting someone else here—maybe a man?" she suggested.

  "I'm dating Carter Hayes, you know that."

  "I also know that Carter is a lawyer, and he's stable, and steady, and that doesn't always suit you particularly well."

  "He anchors me. Like you've always done. I know I need that. I can't keep chasing bad boys, can I?"

  "Isn't there something in between bad boy and boring?"

  A shadow passed through Noelle's eyes. "I don't know. I make a lot of mistakes when it comes to men. You know that better than anyone. But the only excitement I'm looking for tonight is in the funhouse. Let's do that next."

  She groaned. "You know I hate funhouses, Noelle."

  "You're not ten years old anymore. You won't get lost again," Noelle said, reminding her of an experience she'd had a very long time ago.

  "I just don't like the experience. It's creepy, and all those weird mirrors, slanted floors and odd-shaped doorways make me uncomfortable."

  Noelle laughed. "That's the point. It's good for you to get out of your comfort zone, Avery. Your head is always in the stars, but you never take your feet off the ground."

  "I know you think I'm boring—"

  "Not boring, just a little too cautious, careful, wary…Sometimes I think you're afraid to live. You don't want to be like your dad, so you shy away from having adventures. You dream big but it's only about space, not about somewhere you can actually go."

  "Hey, if Hamilton has his way, we'll all be taking trips to space."

  "Somehow, I don't think you'd be the first to sign up."

  "If anything could tempt me to take a risk, it would probably be the chance to explore the universe."

  "Well, until then, think about exploring a bit more here on Earth, maybe some hot guy's hard body."

  She groaned. "Haven't seen too many of those lately."

  "Then find one."

  She frowned. "It's not that easy."

  "It's easier than you make it."

  "Am I really that bad?"

  "You're not bad; you're just always in control, and sometimes I think you miss out on stuff. Do you ever just throw caution to the wind? Have sex because it's fun and not because it has to lead to a relationship?"

  "Sex is emotional for me," she said, thinking it had been awhile since she'd gotten physically involved with anyone. "Sometimes I wish it wasn't."

  Noelle smiled. "It really doesn't have to be, but I get it. You and I are different. And I don't know why I'm trying to turn you into me, because I should be the one turning into you."

  She grinned back at her friend. "I have a feeling we're both going to stay exactly the same."

  "Not me. I am making some changes. But first, I'm going to have a little fun."

  "Well, I'm up for fun but not the funhouse."

  "Come on. It will take five minutes."

  "Sorry, not happening."

  "If you really don't want to go, I'll go by myself." Noelle handed her the last of the cotton candy. "You can finish this. I'll be back soon."

  "Really? It's that important to you?" she asked in surprise.

  "I won't be long."

  "And there's nothing else going on?" She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Not that it was that unusual for Noelle to go off on her own when Avery didn't want to do something.

  "Don't worry," Noelle said. "Look, I know I haven't always been the best person, Avery. I've made some bad decisions in my life, but like I said, I'm trying to do better now. Can you trust me on that?"

  "What are you talking about? You're so serious all of a sudden."

  "Well, I need to shake that off right away," Noelle said lightly. "I'll see you soon."

  "I'll be here."

  As Noelle left, she walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, finishing off the cotton candy and tossing the empty roller into the garbage can. Then she checked her phone for texts and emails.

  As the director of the educational program at Nova Star, she worked with schools, science programs and community organizations. Hamilton Tremaine was determined to bring the universe to the common man, and he'd placed a great deal of emphasis on science, creating an auditorium for shows and talks, tours for kids, and special educational opportunities for teachers, and she got to run it all. She liked it much better than teaching at the university, which was what she'd been doing before Hamilton Tremaine had approached her about a job.

  As she read through the email subject headings, she decided to put her phone away. She didn't really want to work tonight. She hoped Noelle would be back soon. She wanted to get some food. She needed something more substantial than cotton candy.

  She spent the next few minutes people-watching. The pier was crowded, everyone enjoying the balmy evening. She'd grown up in Southern California, so she was used to seventy-degree weather, even in early December, and most of the time she appreciated it. But once in a while, she wondered what it would be like to have a white Christmas. That wouldn't happen this year. There was way too much going on at Nova Star to get away for the holidays.

  Maybe she'd take a trip in January. New York might be fun. Perhaps Noelle would want to go with her.

  Frowning, she found herself checking her own watch. It didn't have all the bells and whistles that Noelle's watch had, but it did tell the time, and at least fifteen minutes had passed since Noelle had gone into the funhouse.

  What was taking her so long? There wasn't a line, so she should have gotten right in.

  As another few minutes passed, uneasiness ran through her.

  She tapped her fingers on the bench, crossed and uncrossed her legs, waited another five minutes and then got to her feet when she saw two teenage girls come out of the funhouse, who had clearly gone in after Noelle.

  She walked over to the entrance. Debating her options for another minute, she bought a ticket and entered the attraction. The slanted floors, dark light, labyrinth of doors and rooms that often lead nowhere, the spooky noises, heavy breathing, and occasionally shrill screams made her increasingly uneasy. Her skin prickled with discomfort, goose bumps running up and down her arms, along with a cold chill.

  She never should have come in here. Noelle was probably out by now, wondering where she was.

  Making another turn, she faced her distorted self in the mirror, but there was someone behind her—a shadow, a man.

  She whirled around, catching a glimpse of his profile as he moved into another room. She'd seen him before…at Nova Star. Brown hair, brown eyes, really attractive…he worked in security. Noelle had said he was hot, and she had agreed.

  Was he meeting Noelle here?

  It had seemed weird from the beginning that Noelle had wanted to hit up the amusement park, and she'd known that Avery would never go into the funhouse. So why had she insisted on going inside?

  Well, she was here now. And she couldn't go back, so she had to go forward.

  Unfortunately, her imagination was spiraling in the inky darkness.

  She forced herself to keep moving, turning another corner. A female scream stopped her in her tracks. It had sounded loud and close.

  Her heart pounded against her chest and her lungs constricted so tightly, she could barely breathe.

  She had to get out of here!

  Panic flooded through her.

  She bumped into a wall and banged her arm hard, then dodged under a beam that appeared to be falling. She found herself surrounded by more mirrors. She ran through thick curtains and saw a door that said Employees Only. She tried the knob, hoping it was a back way out, but the door was locked. She had to turn around.

  She heard moaning off to her right, down another shadowy hallway.

  There were footsteps to her left, behind her, in front of her, and spooky canned laughter coming out of a speaker.

  It was a cacophony of terrifying sounds. She tried to talk herself through the moment.

  She was
fine. Everything was good.

  As the noises died down, a word wafted through the sudden stillness.

  "Help!"

  Was it just another fake, terrifying plea? The word echoed through her head, the voice sounding familiar.

  Was that Noelle?

  She moved down the hall and darker into the shadows. The moaning grew louder. She pulled back the heavy, thick curtain in front of her and gasped in shock.

  Lying on the ground was Noelle, her hands pressing against her bloody chest, her blue eyes wide open, her lips parted as she squeezed out a word. "Avery."

  "Oh, my God, Noelle." She ran to her friend's side, dropping to her knees. There was so much blood seeping from Noelle's chest, through Noelle's fingers, she didn't know what to do. "What happened?"

  "Trusted the wrong person," Noelle gasped.

  "This is a gag," she said in disbelief. "This is a crazy funhouse gag." She put hands over Noelle's, pressing down on the gushing wound.

  "Wish…it…was... Left something… apartment…you'll recognize it from when we were young. So innocent then. Get it."

  "Get what?" she asked in confusion. "What are you talking about? Who did this to you?"

  "Knew it was wrong…thought I could make it right…sorry." Noelle's eyes met hers. "Love you…"

  "Don't," she said forcefully. "Don’t give up on me, Noelle."

  Noelle struggled to take in one last breath and then her eyes closed.

  "No!" she screamed. "No!"

  She pressed harder on Noelle's chest, knowing even as she did so that Noelle was no longer breathing.

  "Help! Help! Help!" she yelled, calling out the word over and over again, until finally pounding footsteps came up behind her.

  A man and then an older female came into the hall, flooding the room with light, and then there was more screaming.

  Other people came into the corridor. She didn't know if they were staff or tourists. She couldn't look away from Noelle's face. She couldn't take her hands away from Noelle's hands. This wasn't happening. Noelle wasn't dead. It couldn't be true.

  A team of paramedics eventually pulled her away from Noelle's lifeless body. They performed CPR, then tried to shock her heart back into beating, but nothing worked.