“Bedbugs typically only live four to six months,” she said. “But they can live longer and can go months without feeding. However, for our purposes it’s irrelevant. They preserve full human blood DNA profiles for only three days.”
“So it’s impossible for our DNA profile to be from Jorgenson?” Sean asked.
“That’s right.”
Sean shoved a hand into his hair. “I would still like to have Jorgenson’s DNA for comparison.”
“You doubt me?” Anna asked.
“No, of course not,” Sean said. “But I want concrete proof.”
Taylor agreed wholeheartedly. “How would we even begin to find Jorgenson’s DNA?”
“If you know where he’s buried, you could have the ME exhume his body.” Anna sounded less than enthusiastic about that idea.
Taylor searched for a more realistic idea. “What about one of those ancestry sites? They use DNA.”
“They do,” Anna said. “But after detectives used them to catch a serial killer, the sites have tightened security. Getting access can take some time.”
Sean swung an intense look from team member to team member. “Let’s prove we’re the team to beat the odds and not only find and access Jorgenson’s DNA, but do it before the day’s out.”
As the sun rose high in the sky and filtered through the conference room blinds, Sean took a look at his fatigued group. Finding information on Jorgenson had become a priority, along with calling the DMV and sending Jorgensen’s picture to the campground. Other than restroom breaks, no one left the room. Not even to eat. Agent Snow had come through again, providing food and hauling off the trash.
“He did it!” Kiley laid her phone on the table. “Jorgenson’s DL photo was updated nine months ago.”
Sean gaped at her. “Before he died?”
Kiley nodded. “And once he died, no one brought in a death certificate so his license remained in effect. I’ve asked them to trace the change transmission, but they’ll likely find an extensive trail of proxy servers, and in the end, Phantom will be long gone from the location where the transmission originated anyway.”
Kiley’s computer dinged, grabbing her attention. “That will be the original photo for Jorgenson. Let me put it up on the TV.”
She clicked her mouse, and Sean stepped to the large flat-screen TV. A photo opened of a dark-haired man with similar features to Phantom’s sketch, except the hair was cut short, his nose smaller, and his chin narrower.
Sean moved even closer to study the picture. “He has a mole by his ear.”
“Wait.” Taylor grabbed the photos recovered at the house. She flipped through them and handed one to Sean. “Look. The boy has the same mole.”
Kiley’s eyes narrowed. “So the kid is the real Jorgenson. Not Phantom.”
“Means the state park lead won’t pan out,” Mack said.
Sean slammed a fist into the wall. The sting bit into his hand, radiated up his arm, and soothed the anger in his gut.
Taylor took a long look at Sean’s hand and sat back, her face tight.
Great. He’d not only disappointed himself by letting his anger get to him, but he’d disappointed her too. She knew he’d let go of trusting God again. Her disappointment hurt more. Much more.
“You should still follow up with the state park,” Cam said. “Just in case.”
Sean nodded. “I’ll do that while you all get back to work.”
He stepped into the hallway so he didn’t disturb the group with his call. Or maybe to avoid Taylor’s continued frown.
He dialed, and the woman he spoke to earlier answered. “I wanted to follow up on the picture I faxed to you.”
“Oh, right,” she said. “Sorry. I got busy and didn’t have a chance to look at it. Hold on. I’ll grab it from the fax machine.”
The call went silent, and he heard footsteps in the background.
“Hey, yeah,” she said. “Yeah. This guy checked in yesterday.”
Sean could hardly believe it. Could she be right or had she made a mistake? Most state parks recorded vehicle information at check-in, so he described Jorgenson’s truck and gave her the plate number.
“Let me bring up his record.” He heard her fumbling around. “Okay. Got it. Yep, that’s his vehicle.”
“You’re sure the plate matches?” he asked, trying not to get too excited.
“Positive.”
Sean’s enthusiasm soared. “I need his campsite number.”
“Sorry, can’t give you that without a warrant, but I’ll settle for your official ID.”
Sean wouldn’t send that via a fax. It would have to wait until he got there. “Do you have a yurt or cabin with a good view of this guy’s campsite?”
“Let me check.” He heard her fingers clicking on a keyboard. “We have a yurt available with a good view. A18. You can reserve it online.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can arrange for a helicopter.” He started to disconnect when a vision of her rushing out to check on Phantom flashed in his brain. “This man is dangerous. Very dangerous. Do not approach him. Not for any reason.”
CHAPTER 29
“I’M GOING TO THE CAMPGROUND with you.” Taylor fisted her hands on her hips in the hall, away from the team’s interested gazes.
Sean gave her a patronizing look. “You’re injured.”
She wouldn’t back down. No way. “I can function just fine. I’ve proved that the last few days, and you’re just using it as an excuse to leave me behind.”
“But I—”
“Look.” She took a step closer. “I’m the only one who’s seen Phantom. I can ID him.”
“We have his picture.”
“A picture’s not like seeing someone in real life,” she rushed on. “Plus he shot me. Could’ve killed me. There’s no way I’ll miss being there when he’s taken down.”
“I . . .”
She stood her ground. “I’m an official team member and have every right to go along. So either I ride in the helicopter with you or I find my own way there. Your choice.”
Sean glared at her, a glare she knew was born of worry for her safety, but she wouldn’t give in. She didn’t know what it would take to convince him, but she would win this argument. “You have nothing to worry about with me. I’m fit for duty. The doctor at my follow-up visit said so.”
“Because you probably gave him no choice, just like you did with the ER doc.”
“I can demonstrate my fitness in any test you devise.” She braced her feet wide. “We could go hand to hand right now. Come on. I can take it.”
“I’m not fighting you. Or testing you.” Sean blew out a frustrated breath. “I’ll agree to let you come with me on the recon mission, but I’ll hold judgment on the takedown based on what we find.”
“That’s a start.” Yet there was no way she’d give up on being included in the takedown.
“I’m planning to go in undercover,” he said. “Posing as a camper. We can go as husband and wife, and that will be even better.” He smiled at her.
With the feelings for him that she was already struggling to deal with, she didn’t want to pretend to be his wife. On the bright side, she wouldn’t have to act to play the role convincingly. It was time to face facts. She’d love to be his significant other at the park and in life.
If only . . .
“I’ve reserved a yurt with a perfect view of Phantom’s campsite,” he continued. “We can set up surveillance there.”
“You know about yurts?” The circular domed structures with hard floors and canvas sides were common in Oregon campgrounds, but she wasn’t sure about other parts of the country. “I didn’t think a city boy like you would have even heard of them.”
“Hey.” A humorous gleam lit his eyes. “I resent that city-boy comment. My work has taken me to some pretty rustic places. I also like the outdoors, which includes camping.”
She liked that he was able to lighten up at times. “We’ve never talked about that.”
Oh, yeah, he could surprise her all right. Thankfully, he didn’t know how much.
His smile disappeared. “Phantom will likely recognize us. We’ll need to change our appearance. I’ll get Snow working on procuring wigs and appropriate clothing. Even so, he’s seen you, maybe me, so we’ll have to keep our heads down at all times when not in the yurt, and stay inside as much as possible.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Just give me your sizes.”
It felt odd sharing her clothing and shoe sizes. It seemed almost as intimate as kissing him for some reason, but she gave him the details all the same. “In the meantime, I’ll arrange for Dustee and Dianne’s protection.”
He arched an eyebrow. “I can’t believe you’re willing to leave them.”
“I’ll make sure Inman assigns our best deputy,” she said, though she was indeed concerned about leaving them behind. “And the rest of the RED team will be with them too.”
“Yeah, they’ll be fine. I just never thought I’d see you put anything before your witnesses. That’s all.”
He had a point. A good one. Going camping like this on a whim without weighing all the pros and cons—just trusting that Sean knew what he was doing—was new for her. Maybe this was a sign that she was relaxing on that front. At least a bit. And maybe, just maybe, she’d found a man she could trust.
She took his hand, the one he’d put through the wall, and lifted it to her mouth to press a soft kiss on his knuckles. “I look forward to being your wife.”
His mouth fell open. She loved that she could shock him and laughed, feeling glad to change the mood. “I thought after smashing your hand into a wall, that you might need to lighten up.”
He nodded. “I’m trying to trust God here. Really, I am, but it’s hard to do when Phantom keeps evading us.”
He lowered his hand, but she continued to hold it. “We’ll find him.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I have tremendous confidence in you and your team.”
He frowned. “Not sure how you can after the way we failed in the Montgomery Three investigation.”
She took a minute to find the right words to respond. “This is a different investigation, and you can’t solve every crime.”
“Seriously? You really think that?” He searched her face. “I don’t agree. If we work hard enough. Smart enough. Long enough. We can do anything.”
“You’ll burn out thinking that way, and then you won’t be much good to anyone.”
He blew out a long breath. “Speaking of the Montgomery Three, will you reconsider letting me interview Harold Wilson?”
“What? Where did that come from?” She watched him as she thought about her witness. “Oh, I get it. You think I’m vulnerable now, and you’re taking advantage of that.” She went to pull her hand away.
He held tight. “I’m not. At least not intentionally. I just need a win right now, and I thought the interview could give me that.”
“I get it. I do. I left a request on Inman’s voicemail, but I think the break-in has taken all of his attention.” She thought to leave things there, but at the tightening of his jaw, she added, “Let me call him. See what he’s decided.”
“Thank you.” He squeezed her hand and released it.
She dialed Inman, and he answered right away. “Just checking in, Chief, to see if you made a decision on Agent Nichols talking to Harold Wilson.”
“I’ve been meaning to call you about that, but the break-in . . .” A long hiss of air filled the line. “Wilson’s your protectee. What’s your opinion?”
“My opinion?” Taylor looked Sean in the eye. “If Harold agrees, I think Agent Nichols should be allowed to talk to him.”
Thank you, Sean mouthed.
“Okay, fine with me,” Inman said. “But you know I won’t be happy if anything happens and we have to relocate him. Our budget just won’t stretch to that.”
“Yes, sir. I understand,” she said sincerely. “Also, while I’ve got you, I need a deputy for graveyard duty with Dustee.” Taylor brought him up to speed on the investigation.
“I’ll send Thatcher out.”
“Perfect.” She trusted Thatcher.
But you trusted Roger too.
She ignored her internal warning. The odds of having another dirty deputy in the office were astronomically unlikely and not worth thinking about. She ended the call and looked at Sean. “Inman approved your talk with Harold and will send out Deputy Thatcher for Dustee’s detail.”
Sean grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her hard on the mouth. She clung to his broad shoulders and kissed him back, reveling in his touch and never wanting him to release her. She let the kiss go on and on, the touch of his lips filling her with longing and joy. They continued, not a fraction of an inch between them until her common sense returned.
Breathless, she pushed back and gulped in much-needed oxygen.
“You’ve got to stop kissing me.” She attempted a stern tone, but the smile that she couldn’t control belied her words.
“You say that, but . . .” He winked.
His joy wrapped around her heart. Her arms seemed to rise on their own accord to go around his neck.
What was she thinking? Kissing Sean at all, but doing so in an FBI hallway?
She stepped back, shoved her betraying hands in her pockets, and forced a professional demeanor. Still, she wanted nothing more than to be in his arms again. He would hold her tight. Maybe if he was feeling as lighthearted as she was, he’d spin her around. Happiness between friends.
No, that was wrong. More than friends. So much more.
Oh, man, she was in trouble here. Deep trouble. She had to get back on the right track before going off to act like his wife. “I know I say one thing when it’s clear I don’t mind your kisses at all. But we need to keep in mind how easily it could become so much more at the yurt, and how hard it will be to part if we keep this up.”
His expression quickly sobered, and he gave a clipped nod. “I’m sure you’ll want to talk to Thatcher. Go ahead and call him now while I update Snow on the extra supplies needed.”
He opened the conference room door for her and departed. By the time she reviewed the situation with Thatcher, set up specific protocols for Dustee, and informed him of her restrictions and her tendency not to follow them, Snow bustled her into the small conference room with camping gear, clothing, and a wig for her to wear.
She studied the nearly black wig. It was quite natural-looking but would seem odd with her reddish eyebrows and fair complexion. Women dyed their hair all the time, so it should be fine. Especially from a distance, which she knew Sean would make sure she kept.
“Is there a problem?” Snow asked.
“No.” She picked up the wig and clothing. “I’ll just get changed.”
He exited the room, and she made quick work of pairing the warm turtleneck and flannel shirt with a pair of jeans and hiking boots. She swept her hair up and put on the wig. A quick look in her compact mirror, and she knew Phantom wouldn’t recognize her from a distance. Snow had also gotten a heavy jacket with a hood that she could further use to disguise her appearance, and she would keep her head down like Sean suggested. No way would she be the reason their cover got blown.
She opened the door to find Sean wearing clothes very similar to hers. He looked ruggedly handsome, and a blond wig changed his appearance so much that she had to force herself to focus on Snow, who pointed at the main exit. “Your chopper is waiting.”
Snow drove them to the airport just down the road and took them to a special clearance landing area. He expedited their trip through security and parked close to the chopper with blades already turning.
Sean held the door, and together they rushed toward the helicopter as it blew clouds of dust into the air, swirling like a tornado around them. She worried her wig would go flying, so she p
lanted a hand to hold it in place.
“You look kind of amazing in that wig,” he said, the intimate tone in his voice sending her heart racing as fast as the rotors.
Sean vaulted up into the aircraft and held out a hand, but her heart was still fluttering from his warm tone, and she couldn’t imagine touching him on top of that. She ignored his hand and climbed inside. A knowing look crossed his face, but she wouldn’t touch that either. Not with a single word.
The plump pilot with a full beard and bushy eyebrows swiveled in his seat and smiled at them. “Flying time is less than two hours. Headsets are next to the seats, allowing us to communicate in-flight. Any questions along the way, just ask.”
He turned back, and Sean picked up his headset. “You ever fly in a chopper before?”
She nodded.
“Like it?”
“Yes.” She buckled her seat belt, grabbed her headset, and settled it over the wig.
“We’re cleared for takeoff,” the pilot said. “Enjoy the flight.”
She wished the pilot wasn’t in on their communications. This flight was a chance for her and Sean to talk further about the investigation. But with the pilot in the loop, they couldn’t have a meaningful discussion. Instead, they sat there, the awareness of each other hanging in the air, making the next two hours seem like an eternity.
The moment the side door opened in Medford, she grabbed her backpack and hopped down. Sean gave her a funny look, then shook hands with the pilot and motioned her toward a gray Jeep Wrangler. It had a black soft top and cargo area filled with camping gear.
She eyed it with surprise. “I won’t even ask how you made this happen so fast.”
Sean chuckled as he loaded his backpack and two large tote bags holding surveillance equipment into the back of the Jeep. He slid behind the wheel, looking so at home in the rugged vehicle that her heart did another tumble. She nearly groaned at her betraying emotions as she stowed her backpack and climbed into the passenger seat.
“Campground’s only a few miles away. Mind if I take the top off for the short drive?” A boyish grin followed his request.
“That would be great,” she replied, knowing she might have to hold on to her wig. But at least it would curtail any personal conversations.
Seconds to Live Page 27
