by James, Ed
“Sure.” Bill didn’t exactly look it, but he trudged off, fists clenched.
Carter pushed the elevator button again and took out his cell. He found the last email from the health insurance company and sent a reply marked urgent. His thumbs rattled through it on autopilot. Make sure my lousy dad gets his cancer treatment, but better worded.
The elevator pinged and the doors slid open.
“Max?” Lori Alves stood behind him, ending a cell phone call. “What are you doing here?”
“Could ask you the same question.” Carter put a foot in front of the door and let her get in first. “You going up?”
“Sure.”
Carter hit the button for their floor, and the doors closed behind him. It grumbled up into the building. “Karen said you were out in Aberdeen?”
“Well, that was a false alarm. Kid was fooling around. Better cry for attention than taking a ton of sleeping pills, I guess.”
“So why are you here?”
“Nguyen told me to take over this case from you.”
“Night shift. Right.” Carter checked his watch. “Still a few hours left of active leads.”
“I’m just here to observe and help until then. Ease the transition.” She grimaced. “Mom is looking after my kids. It’s driving me cray-cray, as my Kim would say.”
“Kids become teenagers younger every year, I swear.”
She snorted. “Was that your father?”
“You see the resemblance?”
“Just a bit.” Lori flashed a smile. “How are things with him?”
Carter groaned. “That’s a whole other situation.”
“Looked like a mess.”
“It’s a disaster, Lori.”
“You want to talk about it?”
Not the first time she’d offered. But the first time Carter took her up on it. “Bill’s… he’s got cancer… I’m paying for his treatment; it’s on my insurance. The whole thing’s a mess.”
“Oh, Max. I didn’t know. You okay?”
“I’ll survive, I guess. It’s just whether I kill him first, or he kills me.”
“Come on, that’s not funny.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s the truth, though.”
The elevator pinged, and the door opened. SAC Karen Nguyen stood there, a frosty look on her face. Her business suit was buttoned up, hair scraped back. Almost like she’d never dressed down in her life, let alone been fresh from the pool an hour ago.
“I appreciate it, Karen, but—” Congressman Xander Delgado stopped dead. “Max?” He grabbed him in a bear hug. “Good to see you, man. I never got the chance to thank you for saving my life.”
“Don’t mention it, sir. All part of the job.”
“No way, man. I really should take you and Mrs. Carter out for dinner.”
“There’s really no need, sir.” Carter switched his gaze between Delgado and Nguyen. “Anyway, we need to—”
“Look, I’m tight with Landon Bartlett.” Delgado blocked his way. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Not off the top of my head, sir.” Carter focused on Nguyen. “If we’re to recover Ky, we need to be given space and time to chase down leads, but thanks for your kind offer.”
“Well.” Delgado sniffed. “Karen, if there’s anything I can do. And I mean anything?”
“Sure thing, Xander.” Nguyen patted his shoulder and watched him step into the elevator.
The doors shut and the elevator sank away.
Nguyen let out a sigh. “What was all that about? You two were measuring dicks there.”
Twenty-Two
KAITLYN
22:05
The car rental office is still open. Not one of those chains with the Californian customer service bullshit, and not one the mob uses to hide bodies either. A small local firm, probably don’t even have a computer system. A wide desk and space for two customers at a time, but only one member of staff on. There’s a line, but it’s one guy at the desk, another guy waiting behind him. Arms folded around his chest, clutching his ball cap. Looks stressed as hell.
This is my only shot. If I screw this up, I’ll have to return Ky. And if they catch me…
I push through the door and hold Ky tight to my chest. He keeps drifting between waking and sleep. He stares up at me, deep into my eyes. And he smiles—my god, he actually smiles at me—and giggles. He’s doing that a lot. It’s hella cute. Makes my heart melt. I could cry. Probably should. Get it out of my system, help me focus. I know this can’t be good for him, but once we’re somewhere else, even back in Bremerton, it’ll all be okay. We’ll be away from this, and we can start again.
“Ma’am?” The cashier is calling at me. The desk on the left is open and I didn’t even notice.
Jeez. I need to keep my wits about me. I walk up to the desk and smile at the woman. “I need a car with a baby seat.”
Then Ky starts screaming. Never seems to be able to settle. Am I just bad at this whole thing?
The woman looks hard at me, clearly thinking something’s up here, but she doesn’t say anything. “Where you going, ma’am?”
“Um, I just need it for a few days. I’ll bring it back right here.”
“So, three days?”
“Make it four.”
“Sure thing.” She twists her giant screen around to show me a choice of cars, ranging from a cute two-door thing right up to a pickup. “Which of these would you prefer, ma’am?”
“An SUV would be ideal.”
She taps on one and it takes her through to yet another screen. “This one?” She points at a huge soccer mom–type thing. “Or either of these?” An even bigger one, and a hulking pickup.
I point at the medium-sized one. “That’ll do.”
“Sure about that?” Her finger hovers over the smaller one. She can’t take her eyes off Ky. Doesn’t have that maternal smile, though, just sheer suspicion. “This one’s thirty bucks a day cheaper.”
“Okay, I’ll take that.”
Ky stretches out and punches the air, surprisingly strong for someone so small.
The woman’s nostrils are twitching. “Someone needs a new diaper.”
“You telling me something I don’t know?” Getting angry here won’t do me any good, so I try to laugh it off. “I just need to get in a car, go someplace I can clean my baby, and get on our way.”
“We’re supposed to be getting an upgrade to our restroom. It’s not in a great state just now.”
“State of the world, right?”
She actually smiles at me. “Preach.” She taps the screen. “Okay, do you have any preference between Ford or Chevrolet?”
“Just whichever has the best fuel economy.”
“Okay.” I can’t see which decision she makes for me. Don’t really care. “Need to see your driver’s license.”
Goddamn it. I take a deep breath, patting Ky on the back. “Look, the reason I’m here is some asshole jacked my car in Seattle. The cops took me to the precinct around the corner to take my statement, but they like didn’t take me home. I caught the ferry, and I just need to get home. Please.”
“Ma’am, I can’t release a vehicle without ID.”
If I show them ID, I give them my name. Then the feds can track the car. Only a matter of time before she puts me together with the Amber Alert and calls this in. And I won’t be halfway down the freeway, I’ll be stuck wandering around Bainbridge.
“Ma’am, I need to see some ID.”
I don’t have another play here. Goddamn it! This was supposed to be a cakewalk.
“Aren’t you listening to me? It’s in my car. My stolen car. Listen, I can pay extra…”
“Are you implying that I’m open to bribery?”
“Well, I don’t like your tone.” I walk off, holding Ky tight, and push out into the cold. At least it’s not raining.
What the hell am I going to do?
Back on the main street, a riot of noise and color as a bunch of police cruisers rush past.
Closing in on me?
What do I do?
Ky’s screaming now and I can really smell his dirty diaper. I need to sort this out and I need to get away and it’s all way too much for me and the wind is making me shiver and—
I reach into my bag for the burner cell. I’ll ask her what to do.
But I have to do this on my own. This is just a test. Right?
I set off down the street, holding Ky as the wind slices through me like a knife. Past a dive bar and a burger joint.
A dude stands next to a Ford pickup, frowning at me as he eats a hotdog. “You okay, ma’am?”
I look away. “I’m fine.”
“You sure about that? Because if you need—”
“I said I’m fine. Really.”
He crushes his wrapper into a ball. “Look, you being out here at this time, him being that age, well, that strikes me as a woman who needs help.” He holds up his hands. “Don’t want to seem pushy, but I know how hard it is adjusting to a kid coming into your life. I’m just offering you assistance.”
I can’t speak. Don’t have the words to deny it anymore.
“How about I give you a lift someplace?”
I have to fight my first instinct—to treat him like a jock asshole at school. Not to go apeshit on him is the hardest thing in the world. But Ky wriggling and screaming makes me realize what’s at stake. It’s not just me here. I need to look after him now.
So I give the guy a smile. “Thanks.”
“Where to?”
Maybe I just go somewhere near home, maybe have better luck than here. Right now, I just need to get out of here. “Heading west. Grayland.”
“Well, you’re in luck. I’m headed to Belfair. I can drop you there, if that helps?”
It’s overshooting by like ten, fifteen miles. But it’s somewhere I can get a cab home from. “That’d be great.”
“I’ve got a baby seat in back for my own kid.” He beckons me over and opens the back door. “Let’s buckle your kid in. It’s a boy, right?”
“A girl. Beverley.”
“Kind of an old-fashioned name.”
“It’s a family name.” I rest Ky on the baby seat. The buckle goes across his torso, everything fits perfectly, but it just doesn’t snap together.
“Here, let me.” He leans in and just like that, it clicks. “My first wife struggled when we had our first kid. You get the trick of the catch, believe me.” He shuts the door and opens the passenger door for me.
I don’t hesitate getting in.
He gets behind the wheel and guns the engine. “Let’s get you and Beverley down the road.”
“I wouldn’t mind getting some stuff. My car got stolen and… is there a rest stop we can clean her up in?”
“Sure. There’s a Walmart on the way.” He holds out a hand with a friendly smile. “Name’s Keegan by the way.”
I shake it. “Jennifer.”
“Jen or Jenny?”
“Just Jennifer. I hate people shortening my name.” Now I’m struggling to buckle myself up. Then it just clicks.
Keegan drives off, taking the left toward the interstate.
Ky is already asleep in his seat.
And for the first time in months I feel safe.
Twenty-Three
CHASE
22:07
Chase knew the clock on the wall was probably a trick the FBI played, but it didn’t stop every single tick from rattling his skull. The room was otherwise empty, just him and a desk with two chairs. No windows, one door.
Stuck in an FBI Field Office. He’d spilled, told his story forward, backward, every which way, but they still kept him in. He needed to get out of here, and fast.
The door opened and an agent walked in. Big, tall, but with half an ear. “Do you have any connection to the Bartlett Foundation?”
Chase looked around, all cautious now. “My brother and I run it.”
“I want to thank you, sir, for helping me after I finished my service.” The big guy’s jawline pulsed with some hidden tension. “An IED blew up next to me in Iraq.” He pointed at his ear. “I lost this and a buddy lost his life. Your foundation paid for my therapy and, thanks to them, my PTSD is under control and I’m able to continue my service for my country. Thank you, sir.”
“We’re just happy to help the nation’s heroes.” Chase had used those words so many times, and this was the first time it hadn’t felt or sounded hollow. “I’m pleased.” He used Tyler’s silence to wipe the small tears in the corners of his eyes. “You know, when I sit in meetings and we go through funding reports and strategy documents and annual reports, it’s all just… noise. When I see someone like you, someone who’s gone through what you have and has come out the other side to play an active role in society… It’s amazing.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Chase sat there. His charm offensive was working a bit. He could double down on it, see if this lowly agent would spill. “How are things going with my nephew?”
“We still haven’t found Ky.”
That name hit Chase like an arrow to the heart. Made him almost gasp. “Anything I can do?”
“No, sir.” The agent opened the door again. “Let me show you out.”
Chase let out the breath of a released prisoner. “Thanks. I just want my nephew to be safe.”
“I’m sure you do, sir.” The agent ushered Chase out into the corridor.
The building filled a city block—and a downtown one at that—but the corridor still felt much longer than it should’ve. Completely nondescript too. Beige carpet, off-white walls and ceiling tiles. The dark wooden door opposite opened wide, and the cute female agent led someone out.
Landon. He did a double take, then scowled. “Chase?”
Chase was in no mood to speak to him, so he raced off after the agent.
But Landon matched step with him. “They’ve been quizzing me about Boris goddamn Zangiev.” He gave that soft-eyed hurt look. “I should be out there searching for my son, but I’m stuck in here, dealing with this bullshit.”
Chase swiveled around as they walked. “Zangiev took Ky. I told you, I saw his car outside your house. And that was Marie Edwards in that photo. You saw it, right?”
Landon stopped, halfway down the corridor, looking lost and confused.
“What did Zangiev say to you at the dinner?”
Landon stepped closer, his lost look replaced by steel and menace. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Tell me Zangiev didn’t take Ky. Tell me he wouldn’t.”
“Chase, I know you worked with him. That jackass VR company—I know Zangiev funded you early on.”
“And he refused to commit more funds, so I bought him out. Had to take someone else’s money. Not yours, obviously. You’d never help your own brother, would you?”
That hit Landon hard. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“I lost millions thanks to you.”
Landon laughed, cold-hearted and affected. Then he frowned. “Is that what this is about? You took Ky because of that?”
“Of course not.” Chase pointed to the agent. “Did you tell her what Zangiev was asking at the dinner?” He spoke louder now to make sure they overheard them, that they listened. “Did he threaten you with taking Ky?”
But Landon was quiet.
“Tell me what he wanted.”
Landon looked over at his agent. “Get me out of here.”
With a nod, she led him away toward the exit.
Chase made to go after him, but something stopped him.
Max Carter blocked his way. Chase had no idea where he’d come from, or how much he’d seen or heard. “What’s going on here?”
Chase couldn’t look at him. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Carter nudged open a door. “Well, I think it’s up to you to make me understand.”
Twenty-Four
KAITLYN
22:15
The road is dark, just a taillight appea
ring. Keegan winds around another car, then we’re back to darkness. A spray of yellow and white appears on the right, another passing town, lit up like a fairground, then it’s gone.
I lean back and check Ky. His head’s lolled forward and he’s out of it. Every inch of my being wants to protect him.
“I worked at Microsoft for ten years, then Amazon for five.” Keegan picks up his soda and eases off the cap before taking a drink. “Then I got out of it and work as a contractor now. Fixing up people’s homes. So much more satisfying. You can’t put a price on being your own boss.” He puts his soda back in the cupholder.
I look at him with a warm smile, giving him just enough interest to keep his incredibly boring story going, to keep him from asking me anything. “Sounds good.”
“Best thing in the world. Working my ass off every day, feeling like I’ve achieved something with that time. And it’s all just for me. Nobody else. Can’t put a price on it.” He laughs again, the exact same noise as the last eight hundred times he’s done it.
Don’t know if it’s a nervous thing or not, but it’s sure as hell irritating.
He hits the turn light and pulls off the freeway. “Here’s that Walmart.”
* * *
22:20
The store’s lights are super bright, close to hurting my eyes. It’s pitch-black outside—why does it have to be like noon in here?
The place is all dressed up for Halloween, pumpkins and trick-or-treat costumes everywhere.
“See you back at the car, okay?” Keegan walks off through the store with his own basket, leaving me to find stuff for Ky. He’s sleeping, just barely.
What does a newborn need? Start with diapers, then food.
Maroon 5 plays over the radio, and I’m dancing as I walk around the store. Everything feels turned up super loud.
The pharmacy’s still open, a twenty-four-hour operation. The concession at the end of the aisle advertises heartburn pills. One a day. Fifteen bucks. Jeez. But there’s a sign for diapers. I pull Ky tight as I inspect them, searching for newborn-sized.