“The lottery? This is about winning the lottery?” Skyler said in disgust and crossed her arms.
“You claim this algorithm is important,” Cash moved on. “So why carry it with you?”
“I shouldn’t have, but what else was I supposed to do with it? I couldn’t leave it here. Something could explode and destroy it. And Yapp goes through our rooms. She doesn’t think I know about it, but all her boarders know. She searches top to bottom. Anyway, I have to work on my algorithm on library computers and the drive makes it easy to store my information.”
“Ever hear of cloud storage?” Skyler said sarcastically.
“Sure, hasn’t everyone? But I can’t leave a trail behind at the library. Not if I planned to pull this off and beat the lottery, too. Too risky.”
“So you wanted the drive back because the algorithm would let you win the lottery?” Jake clarified.
Ketchum nodded. “I’m nearly there. A few more days work and I would have it.”
Skyler gestured for the team to join her away from Ketchum.
“You move one inch, and I’ll let Deputy Dixon have at you,” Jake warned Ketchum.
Skyler leaned closer and kept her voice down. “Do you guys think Ketchum is as innocent as he’s making himself sound?”
“I’m not sure what vibe I’m getting from him.” Archer narrowed his eyes. “He admitted to all the bombings. Why not confess to the incidents at Krista’s house and kidnapping Otto if he did them? Especially after Jake put him in his place.”
“Because kidnapping adds a whole new level to his crimes.” Skyler settled her hands on her hips. “We need to keep after him just in case he’s leading us astray.”
“Then let’s get him down to County for further questioning,” Archer said.
Cash nodded his agreement. “I’ll go with you.”
Jake shook his head. “Not a good idea. You can hardly keep your hands off the guy.”
“Tough.” Cash crossed his arms. “I won’t go back to Krista until I know Otto’s location, so don’t even bother trying to stop me.”
*
Krista stared at Ian in stunned disbelief. With his eye on her, he’d forced Brady to his stomach on the floor and searched him, removing two guns. Then he’d held Krista at gunpoint and made her haul two dining chairs into the middle of the room. He’d tied Brady to one of them. Next, he’d bound Krista’s wrists with thick cable ties and shoved her onto the chair beside Brady.
“Why are you doing this, Ian?” Krista asked.
He blinked in surprise. “Really, you have to ask? I want my money and you’re finally going to tell me where it is.”
“Money, what money?”
He turned and glared at her, his eyes hot with anger. “Like you don’t know. The half million you moved from your bank account.”
“You were involved in the scam?”
“Involved.” He sneered, his face contorted in ugliness. “It was all my idea. I’m the one who convinced Toby to join me. You wouldn’t have had your fancy car or pretty clothes without me. He was such a loser. Could never think outside the box. Let his goody-goody Christian morals control him. Which is why I didn’t tell him what I was really doing.” His lips tipped in a mocking smile. “It was so amazing to see him excited about the company, only to learn he’d been living off seniors’ retirement funds.”
“Then he didn’t lie to me.” Guilt flooded Krista’s heart for not believing in him.
“Oh, he lied to you, all right. First, about being involved.” Ian faked a gag. “He wanted to surprise you with a European vacation so he kept it all a secret. Then, when he found out what I was up to, he was too embarrassed to tell you. Wanted to wait until he turned me in to the cops and made things right.”
How could she have doubted Toby’s innocence? She’d been so wrong about him.
“If he was too innocent for you,” Brady said, “why involve him in the first place?”
“Schemes like these eventually go bust.” Ian turned his attention to Brady. “You more than anyone should know that, copper. One disgruntled investor gets the SEC involved. Things snowball. People go to jail. But not me. I had it all planned with Toby as my fall guy. I structured everything in his name and made sure he deposited all the money. But he discovered what I was up to and threatened to go to the police. I had to stop him. That meant Toby had to die. At least one thing went right—the detectives never figured out Toby had a partner.”
“So you killed him, but how?” Brady asked.
Ian smiled again, his pride evident. Krista could see Brady was trying to elicit a full confession from Ian, but he was too full of himself to realize what Brady was doing. Or he didn’t care because he didn’t plan to let either one of them live.
The thought sent terror to Krista’s heart.
“Toby was so stressed out he was taking Valium—another secret he kept from you. When we met for a drink late that night, I added a bit of GHB. Deadly combo.” He turned his focus to Krista. “When he started having trouble breathing I brought him home and dumped him into bed to set you up for the murder.” His grin disappeared. “Enough with the explaining. I know Toby moved the money to your joint account before threatening to report me to the police.”
“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you killed him,” Brady said.
Ian turned on Brady and backhanded him. “You think I’m such a fool that I’d kill him with the money missing? I had no idea he’d moved it until after I killed him.”
Brady smirked. “Maybe you should’ve checked.”
Another crack to Brady’s face, but he didn’t even flinch, just smiled up at Ian.
Brady might have doubted her innocence, but she respected the strength and determination he was exhibiting on her behalf.
“Leave Brady alone,” Krista called out. “He had nothing to do with this.”
“You’re right.” Ian stepped menacingly toward Krista. “It’s all on you. I didn’t count on you taking off after I trashed your house while looking for the account information.”
“That was you, too? Not my neighbors?” Krista swallowed hard. “But why the hateful messages?”
Ian laughed. “I planned it that way so you wouldn’t suspect anyone had searched your house. Just like planting the detonator at your house this week. I had to make the cops think you were involved in the bombing to keep them from suspecting that I was looking for something. If I’d only known you had a grandfather before now, I would’ve kidnapped him and had my money years ago. Now that I have him, maybe you’ll sing a different tune to get him back.”
“Opa? You took Opa?” Krista’s heart dropped to her stomach.
“Yes, and if you’d given me the location of the money at Pioneer Square like I’d asked, your grandfather would be here and I wouldn’t.”
They had been wrong about so many things, and now Opa might pay for it. “Where’s my grandfather?”
“Don’t worry. He’s fine. I made sure he didn’t see me. I’ll release him after you hand over the account information. If you love him, you’ll comply.”
Brady looked at her. “On the other hand, we’ve seen Ian, so you know what he plans to do with us.”
Ian grinned, a sick, mean slash of his lips. “But not until I have my money, of course.”
“I can’t give you what I don’t have,” Krista said, her own voice so frantic it scared her.
“Still sticking to that story?” Ian let out a frustrated sigh. “Okay, have it your way. You won’t be able to stay quiet for long. Not with what I have planned.” Ian jerked her up by the cable ties, his face twisted in anger. “You’d be surprised at what a little time in an icy river can do to lower your resolve.”
*
The creep Ketchum refused to talk. No matter Skyler’s tactics in three hours of intense questioning, Ketchum wouldn’t tell them about Otto, leaving Cash no choice. He had to tell Krista he’d failed to find her grandfather.
Imagining her disappointment, Cash sli
d into his car. She had to be frantic for news about Opa.
Odd that she hadn’t called to ask about him. Or had she?
Cash checked his phone and found no messages, missed calls or texts. An uneasy feeling tightened his gut. Something could be wrong at the house. He grabbed his phone and dialed Brady’s cell. No answer. He called Krista. After three rings, the call went straight to voice mail.
Cash’s radar started wildly pinging.
Maybe Ketchum was telling the truth—someone else was stalking Krista and had abducted Otto. Meaning she could be in danger right now.
Cash fired up the car and bolted from the parking space. On the road, he called Jake and asked him to dispatch the team to Otto’s house. After Cash disconnected, he pushed the gas pedal to the floor and careened through the streets at top speed. Fortunately, traffic was light, and he made it to the house in less than fifteen minutes. He parked out of sight on the road and crept through trees toward the building. Shadows played on the ground as the wind jostled branches above, upping his anxiety. He spotted a black SUV parked up close. He checked the license plates.
What? It was the man who’d been watching her—the man who they now knew wasn’t the bomber, but Cash didn’t know what he was doing here.
Cash eased up to the car. He saw movement and lifted his flashlight to the back window. Lime-green shoes poked out from under a blanket. Otto. It was Otto.
Praying he was healthy, Cash silently opened the back. “Otto, it’s me. Cash.”
Otto responded with muffled urgency.
Cash removed the blanket and quickly freed Otto. “Can you stand?”
“Yes.” He smiled. “It is good to see you, Cash Dixon.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Otto.” Cash smiled back. “Let’s get you someplace safe and you can tell me what’s going on here.”
Cash settled the blanket around Otto and found a secluded spot in the trees. Even with the blanket, Otto shivered. Cash wished he had time to escort Otto to the car, but Krista’s life was on the line. Helping the older man down the driveway would waste precious minutes. Cash shrugged out of his jacket and gave it to Otto.
“I cannot take your jacket,” Otto said.
“Sure you can.” Cash helped Otto into the coat, then draped the blanket on Otto’s shoulders. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”
Otto proceeded to tell a wild tale about his abductor partnering with Toby Alger and killing him. “I do not know this man’s name and I never got a look at him, but he is certain Krista has the money. She does not have it. This I know. He is going to kill her if she doesn’t tell him where it is.”
Cash shook his head. “No, he’s not. Not as long as I’m breathing.”
TWENTY-THREE
Krista tried to wrench free from Ian’s bruising grip, but he held fast and dragged her down steep steps. A cold wind whipped through the trees and cut through her shirt. Ian had taken the time to shrug into one of Opa’s jackets hanging on the hook by the door but he’d wanted her to suffer so he denied her a jacket.
“Stop fighting me, Krista.” Ian’s face was so close she could feel his breath. “You’re the only one who’s going to get hurt.”
“I’m not stupid. I know you won’t kill me until you find the money.”
He laughed, an ugly, guttural sound. “Doesn’t mean I won’t make your every remaining moment a nightmare until you talk.”
A shiver worked over her body.
“That’s right, sweetheart.” He laughed again. “You should be afraid.”
He stopped for a moment. Listened. She did, too. Heard nothing but the wind. What was he noticing? He suddenly shook his head and continued on, picking up speed.
Her foot hit a rock. She tumbled to the ground, a sharp stick slicing into her cheek. She stifled a cry of distress. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of hearing her pain.
He jerked her to her feet. His fingers bit like a vise under her elbow, making her wince. They moved closer to the trees lining the river. She heard the water rushing downstream.
Fear threatened to swamp her, and her whole body trembled. He didn’t plan to kill her, but the sound of the water reminded her that things could go wrong. Very wrong. She doubted he had any experience with water torture—what if he misjudged how much she could handle before drowning? Or he could lose his hold on her, leaving the river to catch her and sweep her downstream. With her hands tied, she wouldn’t be able to swim.
Oh, God, no, she prayed as her heart started pounding.
Cash’s face came to mind. She wished he was here with her. To help her, yes, but she desperately wanted to look into his eyes one more time and forget her past. Forget everything and tell him that she’d been wrong to fear her feelings for him. That she loved him. Of that, she was now certain. She needed to survive this ordeal so she could tell him.
*
Gun drawn, Cash eased up to the family room window. He saw Brady tied to a chair, his hands restrained behind his back and a gag around his mouth. No sign of Krista or the man who’d taken Otto hostage. Cash circled around the house to look in other windows. Nearing the back, he saw a short, stocky man holding a gun to Krista’s head and dragging her down the hill by cable ties circling her wrists.
Relief over seeing her alive nearly brought him to his knees. Fear for her safety as the man moved her steadily toward the river instantly replaced it. Cash wanted to bolt after them, but that would be certain death for her. He needed Brady’s help. He swung back around the house and charged through the door.
“Otto was in his car. I got him out. He’s safe,” Cash explained as he removed Brady’s gag and cut the ties with his Leatherman. “He told me this guy who has Krista thinks she’s got the missing money.”
“Guy’s name is Ian Summers.” Brady cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, man. Krista said he was her husband’s friend, or I would never have let him in the house.”
“It’s not your fault.” Cash felt panic threatening to take him down, but he remembered his Delta training, took a few breaths and focused on the problem instead of the people involved. “Let’s get a better look at where he’s taking Krista and make a plan.”
Cash grabbed Otto’s bird-watching binoculars on the way out to the deck. He scanned the riverbank, lingering where he saw Summers take Krista into thick scrub. Cash zoomed out to include the water.
“Summers is putting her into a canoe. We need to get onto the water.” Cash remembered seeing a small motorboat at the neighbor’s house during one of his perimeter checks. He confirmed it was still tied in place, then handed the binoculars to Brady. “Check out the boat. We can use it for a diversion. You head upriver to the boat. I’ll swim underwater to Krista and unsettle Summers.”
Brady nodded. “With the element of surprise on our side that just might work.”
“Let’s roll.” Cash took the stairs two at a time, Brady right behind him.
On the ground, they wordlessly bumped fists and split up. Cash charged through deep grass toward the water. He’d never been so afraid in his life. Not even when he’d lost his team. That was a sad, sorrow-filled day, but the bomb dropped so quickly Cash had no time to be afraid.
Not today. Today he fought with every breath to keep calm. Their plan had to work. It just had to.
He moved into position and signaled for Brady to fire up the motor. The rumble sounded through the quiet. He gunned the motor, sending the boat winding crazily downstream. Side to side. Back and forth, he made a spectacle of himself.
Summers fixed his attention on Brady just as Cash had planned. He shed his shoes and dived into the water. The cold sapped his breath, but he held a Special Ops Diver badge and had experienced far more difficult conditions. He could easily withstand the temperatures long enough to reach Krista.
He surfaced for a final breath and went back under. He skimmed boulders on the bottom of the river until he caught sight of the canoe above. Careful not to make a sound, he surfaced behind Summers, who sat in t
he middle of the canoe. Cash gripped the aluminum side with stiff hands and took a few deep breaths. With a sudden burst, he thrust his body up and blindsided Summers, knocking his gun into the river.
“Cash,” he heard Krista exclaim before Summers lurched to his feet and turned. He wobbled. The canoe bobbed wildly. Summers lost his balance, tipping over the canoe and ripping it from Cash’s hands. Both occupants tumbled into the river.
“No!” Cash shouted as the current quickly carried Krista downriver with her hands still bound.
Summers grabbed for Cash’s arm. Cash kneed Summers in the gut. Air hurled from Summers’s throat and he let go.
Cash set off after Krista. He pumped his arms. Hand over hand. Stroke after stroke, keeping his eyes on her. She sank, then resurfaced. Sank again.
Father, please, he begged, his muscles burning with fatigue and threatening to seize up.
He focused on his rhythm instead. Kept moving. Pulling hard. Gaining on her bit by bit. She went under again and didn’t resurface this time. He dived. Searched through murky water. Found her. Dragged her into his arms and pushed to the surface. He surged higher, lifting her head above water.
She coughed, water spitting from her mouth. She gasped for air and coughed again.
“It’s okay, honey,” he soothed and trod water as he felt the current pulling them farther downstream. “I’ve got you. Just relax and breathe.”
He wanted to keep talking to her, but a large outcropping of rocks directly ahead caught his attention. With both arms around her, he couldn’t fight the current and they’d slam into the rocks.
He looked into her eyes. “I need you to put your legs around my waist and hold on so I can cut your restraints.”
“Okay.” The word fell from trembling lips.
She wrapped her legs around him, but there was little strength in the muscles.
“Hold tight, honey.” He shifted all of her weight to his left arm. The current tried to rip her free, but Cash held fast and retrieved his knife. It took some crazy maneuvering, but he managed to get his Leatherman open and slice the tie. “Can you put your arms around my neck?”
Love Inspired Suspense May 2015 #2 Page 18
