Seconds to Live

by Susan Sleeman

  “There you go. Putting it all on me again.” Kiley crossed her arms.

  “No, wait. I wasn’t doing that. I’m a visual person and I . . .” Taylor stopped and shrugged.

  “Try putting yourself in Taylor’s position,” Sean said to Kiley. “If someone said that one of us had illegally hacked the database, you wouldn’t have simply questioned it, you’d be clawing their eyes out.”

  Kiley’s anger vanished as quickly as it came, and she grinned. “You’re right. I would. Sorry, Taylor. I overreacted. Not enough sleep, I guess.”

  Sean knew it went far deeper than that, and Kiley was likely still unsettled inside. Growing up, her mother was critical of Kiley’s independent nature and constantly criticized her for it, then tightly controlled her life. Now, having her skills questioned was one of her hot buttons.

  “I’m sorry too,” Taylor said.

  Best to lighten things up and encourage them both to let it go. “Good. Now that you’ve kissed and made up . . .” Sean paused and smiled.

  The two women rolled their eyes at him, but the tension in the room evaporated as he hoped. “Time to get back to it.”

  Kiley sat down. “Okay. I’ll get you a list of the people who accessed the database around the time of the software update.”

  “And if Phantom didn’t modify that log,” Sean said, his excitement starting to build, “we should finally learn the name of the deputy who did.”

  CHAPTER 12

  SEAN CLOSED THE FILE from Agent Bristow. Too bad there hadn’t been more to her report instead of conjectures and theories. She’d warned him that she couldn’t prove the connection, but he’d mistakenly hoped he would see something in her file that she’d missed. And Kiley struck out with the code changes. Phantom had made sure she couldn’t pin the login down to a particular person. It was going to require a deeper investigation. Of course it was. Nothing came easy in the hunt for an elusive hacker.

  Sean glanced at his watch. Nearly eleven o’clock, the minutes counting down until a witness was hunted down and murdered.

  “Look at this, Dustee.” Taylor pointed at her computer screen. “I found the right video.”

  Dustee swiveled to look, and Sean got up to peer over Taylor’s shoulder. A unique scent of berries and vanilla wafted up and brought back the memory of her coming down the stairs that morning. She wore skinny jeans and suede boots with high heels and a purple knit top that brought out a reddish tint in her hair. She looked so amazing that he’d almost choked on his coffee.

  She lifted a delicate hand and started a video playing of Dustee exiting a TriMet bus. A hooded man, head down, rushed after her. He grabbed her arm from behind, and she whipped around to shake off his hand.

  “It’s him, right?” Taylor asked.

  Dustee wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Yeah.”

  “It’s the guy who followed you?” Sean clarified. “You’re positive?”

  Dustee nodded but couldn’t seem to summon the strength to speak again. Sean actually felt bad for the often acerbic woman, as she was obviously terrified of this man.

  “Let’s compare it to the old video that we got from the prior investigation,” Sean said. “Can you pull it up?”

  “Of course.” Taylor accessed the file and started it running. This scene was dark and blurry, but Sean could make out a tall figure darting away from a run-down apartment building. “Has the same build as this guy.”

  “Agreed,” Taylor said. “But there’s no way to make a clear connection.”

  “Still, it’s one more thing pointing to Phantom.”

  “Let’s track the footage from inside the bus to see when and where he gets on.” Taylor opened a file with a camera obviously mounted at the front of the vehicle near the driver. She set it to a slow rewind, and they watched riders get on and off until their suspect appeared on-screen, moving in reverse.

  “That’s him. I’ll play it in forward motion now.” She cued up the video with the suspect stepping into the bus, his face low and turned to the side. He deposited two dollars and a coin into the money slot but fumbled a quarter, dropping it to the floor. He bent to pick up the coin and fed it into the machine.

  Sean pointed at the screen. “See how he avoids the camera. Like he did his research and knows where it’s located.”

  “Something Phantom would do for sure.” Taylor rewound the video, enlarged the display, then restarted it. “Does it look like he spoke to the driver?”

  “Can’t tell.” Sean squinted, trying to make out details. “Odds are he didn’t. He wouldn’t want to draw attention to himself.”

  “I wish the feed was clearer,” Taylor said. “Regardless, I need to interview the driver and get the outside video for this stop to see if we can figure out how he arrived. Hopefully, my TriMet contact can give me that too.” She got out her phone to make the call.

  Sean went back to his seat, but he couldn’t concentrate. Interviewing the driver should be their next step. There was no way Sean would let Taylor go alone. Phantom could still be in the area. In fact, he might’ve seen Taylor last night when she came to Dustee’s rescue. Taylor would be disposable to Phantom—just someone standing between him and his target—and he wouldn’t hesitate to take her out. So Sean wasn’t about to risk her life by letting her go alone.

  “Now? You’re sure?” Taylor’s voice rose. “Okay. Great. Perfect. Get that footage to me as soon as possible.”

  She stood and shoved her phone in her pocket. “Video might take some time, but the bus driver is on his route right now. Enzo Russo is his name. I’ll need to borrow your vehicle to go interview him.”

  Sean stood. “I’m going with you.”

  She cut her gaze to Dustee and gave Sean a pointed look.

  Sean shifted his focus to the other end of the table. “Kiley, can you move over here by Dustee and keep an eye on her?”

  “What am I, some baby that needs a sitter?” Dustee muttered under her breath.

  “It’s for your protection, as well as ours,” Taylor replied.

  “Yeah right,” Dustee grumbled.

  “I’m glad to do it.” Kiley picked up her laptop, carefully moving cords to keep them from getting tangled.

  Sean looked at Kiley. “If Dustee gives you a legit request to access the internet, then allow it and monitor closely.”

  Dustee shook her head. “I’m right here, you know.”

  Kiley sat. “And I’m here too, so cut me some slack.”

  Sean regretted foisting the job of babysitting on Kiley, but he needed to accompany Taylor on this interview.

  “You can always call me if you need me,” Taylor assured Dustee, her expression one of fondness mixed with frustration, which very much resembled a mother looking at a wayward toddler.

  “Thanks,” Dustee said, but her tone was filled with her usual sarcasm.

  Sean didn’t know how Taylor kept her cool around this woman, when he wanted to lose it most of the time. Sure, she was a victim of Phantom’s revenge and deserved protection, but she didn’t have to make it so hard to be around her.

  “The rest of you, call me if anything develops,” Sean said to his fellow team members, looking at each of them to communicate a sense of urgency. Then he gestured for Taylor to go on ahead of him.

  She’d started for the door when her phone rang, and she stopped to pull it from her pocket. “I have to take this. It’s my chief.”

  Sean stood back to wait, and he watched her answer and listen with an intensity he found admirable. But truth be told, he was focusing more on how cute she looked with her lips pursed. She really got to him. She was the first woman since Gina had cheated on him who made him consider finding a way out of his self-imposed dating exile.

  She suddenly sucked in a breath, and her face paled. “When?”

  Sean’s stomach clenched. He didn’t know what Inman was telling her, but when she planted a hand on the wall to brace herself, he started toward her.

  “Of course, Chief. I’ll b
e right there.” She stowed her phone, looking like she might crumple to the floor.

  Sean didn’t care if touching her was a bad idea. He grasped her elbow and steadied her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  She took a fortifying breath, let it out slowly, her lips trembling. She looked up at him, seeming lost and tortured at the same time. “Someone broke into our office last night. Trashed my things like they were looking for something. Inman wants me to check my desk and files.”

  “Phantom,” Sean ground out between his teeth. “Had to be him.”

  She gave a wooden nod, her wounded gaze never leaving his. “What if we’d gone later last night to download those files? We would’ve been there. He could have . . .” She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

  Sean clung to her elbow when what he wanted to do was draw her into his arms to offer comfort. But he couldn’t even be sure that she would feel comforted. Not after the way she reacted to seeing him yesterday.

  “We need to get going.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach, and his hand fell from her elbow.

  Acid burned in Sean’s stomach. Too much coffee mixed with stress. He reached into his pocket for an antacid and inconspicuously popped the tablet into his mouth while organizing his thoughts. “We’ll go straight to the office and interview the driver later. But I want additional team members to join us.”

  She frowned. “That’s not necessary. Really. And even if it is, Inman probably wouldn’t allow it. He knows I’m with you all, and he only asked for me.”

  “Then we don’t ask for his approval,” Mack said, already on his feet. “We just show up.”

  “And what about Dustee?” Taylor asked Sean.

  “I need Cam to keep working on the list of endangered witnesses,” he answered. “He can stay here with Dustee.”

  “Ooh, Cam and me.” Dustee gave him a dreamy look.

  Cam didn’t notice, or if he did, he ignored it.

  Something Sean was grateful for, as he didn’t need to be dealing with Dustee’s misplaced affections right now. “We need that vulnerable witness list ASAP. Sooner.”

  “I’m closing in.” Cam kept his focus on his screen. “Should have it for you real soon.”

  “You’re sure you want to move all our resources except Cam to that office?” Gnawing on her lower lip, Kiley started to rise. “Maybe we shouldn’t all rush off, but take a moment to think about this.”

  Sean understood her apprehension. She liked to plan, to think things through before acting. Not something they often had the luxury of doing in their line of work, so Sean was used to acting quickly. He wouldn’t change now. “The more eyes we have on the scene, the more likely we are to spot something the Marshals could miss.”

  Taylor propped a hand on her hip and stared at him. “That sounds very much like a slight to our team.”

  Sean was glad to see some of her color and feistiness had returned. “No slight intended at all. Just wanting fresh eyes on the place.”

  She gave a nod of understanding, and he waited for her to move, but she remained frozen by the door. She was probably thinking about what she would see when she arrived and didn’t want to leave.

  He felt her pain and wished they had time for her to work through her emotions, but they had to get going. He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Agent Snow was leaning against the wall, and he instantly came to military attention.

  Sean met the agent’s questioning look. “We’re heading out for a while. I’m assuming I have clearance to escort the others to the exit.”

  Snow bobbed his head and took a step closer. “Anything I can help with?”

  “Not at the moment, but Dianne needs additional supplies at the safe house. Did you get her list?”

  He nodded again, this time less enthusiastically.

  “When you’re freed up here, getting those items delivered is the best thing you can do for us.” Sean encouraged Taylor to precede him down the hallway toward the parking structure. Kiley and Mack fell in behind them.

  In the garage, Sean faced the team. “Taylor rides with me. That way we can go straight to interviewing the bus driver once we’re finished at the office, and you all can come back here.”

  He waited for one of his teammates to point out that it didn’t matter who they rode with on the way to the office as long as they took two vehicles, but no one said a word. They nodded and started toward the other SUV.

  Taylor glanced back at the door. “You think Dustee will be all right here?”

  “Security wise, yes.” Sean led her to his rental. “I have the feeling if Phantom could get into this office—which he couldn’t possibly do—Snow would do his best to defend her and keep her from harm.”

  “As we all would, but I get your point. He has that fresh eagerness I remember from my early days.” Taylor frowned. “Not sure how long it’s been since I felt that way.”

  A gust of wind whipped into the parking structure, and despite the sun highlighting the building, a nip in the air pierced Sean’s jacket as he unlocked the SUV doors. “We may not be quite that eager, but we both still love our work, and that says a lot after all these years.”

  “We’ve done well in our careers.” She stared over his shoulder, a faraway look in her eyes. “Except for the Montgomery Three investigation. Closing that case without finding the girls still bothers me.”

  The faces of the missing teenagers popped into Sean’s mind. Not unusual. He thought about them often enough. They’d suddenly disappeared from the Vaughn house while Becky’s mother, Vivian, was out, and the team had no leads except for a white van seen by Harold Wilson, who was now under Taylor’s protection. Sean had always thought Wilson knew something and was the key to solving the investigation, but he’d been only minimally helpful. Even after Taylor questioned him a few times. Still, Sean thought Wilson could yet be pivotal in solving the case, and that meant this trip to Portland was a blessing in disguise.

  “You know I’ll want to talk to Harold Wilson while I’m here,” he said, and opened her door.

  Taylor’s focus returned, and she shook her head. “Sorry. I can’t let that happen.”

  Not the answer he expected at all. “Why not?”

  She looked at him for a long moment, as if he were a challenging puzzle she needed to figure out. “Your investigation is officially over. That means you have no standing to request a visit with Harold, and I can’t ignore the rules just because we’re friends.”

  Again, totally not the answer he expected or hoped for. “How can you turn your back on those girls?”

  “I’d do most anything I can to help find them, but you know I can’t put one of my witnesses in danger. Not for any reason.” She gritted her teeth and took a step closer to him. She was so close, he could feel her annoyance with him. “And honestly, you interviewed Harold many times before he came here. I’ve questioned him several times since. We’ve gotten no new information, so I can’t see how talking to him again will help.”

  Sean took a beat before he let his frustration get to him and start an argument. “He was on their street the night they disappeared. He saw something that can help us. I’m sure of that.”

  She raised her chin. “Then why hasn’t he told you?”

  “Because I don’t think he knows it yet,” Sean said firmly. “That he didn’t think it was important at the time, and it’s locked deeper in his memory. So how can I not talk to him again? And even if I do, I don’t see how that would put him in any danger.”

  She looked like she wanted to sigh but held it in and swatted at a strand of hair that was blowing in the wind. “Sometimes even the most innocent of things can cause a problem for witness security. And that’s why I’m not prepared to violate department regulations.”

  “Fine.” Sean didn’t want to give in, but she had a valid point. “I don’t like your stance, but I can respect it, and I would never ask you to go against your department’s regulations. But you could ask Inman for permission.�
�

  “Now that I’m glad to do.” A tight smile crossed her mouth, but then evaporated as quickly as it had appeared. “But I have to warn you. He’ll likely say no, and if he does consider it, with the case closed, he may need to run the request up the flagpole.”

  Meaning the request could get to Eisenhower, and Sean would be outed for working on the Montgomery Three investigation.

  So what? For the teens, Sean would take that risk. “Just do what you have to do, because I will be interviewing Wilson before I leave town. You can be sure of that.”

  CHAPTER 13

  PUSHY. THAT’S THE WORD that kept scrolling through Taylor’s mind on the drive to the office. Sean was pushy and used to having his own way. Was that because he was in charge of a high-priority case, or because the team’s strong reputation often afforded them carte blanche? They were the rock stars of the law enforcement world. Agent Snow was a perfect example of someone who fawned over them.

  She glanced at him. He clearly didn’t want to discuss Harold any further. At least that was what the unyielding set of his jaw and hands firmly planted on the wheel told her. Fine. She didn’t either. She sent an email to Inman as she promised, and until he responded, she would let it go. With the break-in, she figured his response would be slow in coming. Sean wouldn’t like that, but she wouldn’t push her boss right now.

  She shifted to look out the window for the last few minutes of the drive. She’d grown up in the Pacific Northwest and loved the weather at this time of year. They frequently experienced light drizzle with a few sun breaks that shone gloriously through the many soaring trees. A rainbow often arched in the sky and reminded her that God was always there, even in the midst of a storm. Too bad she didn’t manage to remember that all the time. Like now with her protectees facing such danger.

  Sean pulled into the reserved lot and was out of the vehicle in a flash, striding around the front in his black tactical pants and boots. She studied him for a moment. Which Sean did she like best? The one who looked so fine in business casual attire yesterday, or this one who looked darkly dangerous? Didn’t matter, as like him she did, even if he continued to challenge her decisions.