by Nicole Vidal
“Norah.” Connor’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
“Yes.” I lift my head to catch his eyes in the rearview mirror.
“Jake knows what he’s doing.”
I turn my gaze out the window. My focus needs to be on today, not the history that Connor and Jacob have. Not the questions floating in my mind about how well they know each other and why Jacob trusts him with me. We pass cute row houses decked out in assorted colors to distinguish between one and the next. Bold colors from yellow, red, and blue adorn the façades of the properties. We pass a small hotel and enter through a gated entrance. The building is modern with a mirrored-window exterior. That gate closes and a guard asks Connor who we’re here to see. After checking in his booth, he approaches the SUV again.
“You’re about fifteen minutes early. Please park in a visitor spot on the side of the building. I have notified Agents Brown and Morse. They will meet you in the lobby,” the guard states before waving us through.
Slowly, I release the breath I have been holding since we went through the first gate.
Christoph sets his huge hand on my forearm.
“Again.”
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Once more.”
I inhale again and exhale. After Connor parks, he sends a text, then hops out, moving into position near the rear door. Christoph steps out, leaving just enough room for me to set my feet on the ground between him and Connor.
“Stay between us,” Connor instructs before we walk into the building. Agent Brown meets us in the lobby and escorts us to a conference room to the right of the entrance.
“Miss Cavallaro, thank you for coming in today. I hope to make this as painless as possible,” Agent Brown states. She’s a petite woman with flawless skin. Her suit is custom tailored to her figure.
“Thank you.”
She motions for us to sit and offers us water. All three of us decline. Connor is standing right behind me, and Christoph is just inside the door.
“I would like to go over the events as we know them. Please correct me if I leave something out or I’m incorrect.”
Agent Brown sets forth her version of the events that occurred since I brought the errors to Mr. Sterling’s attention. Her timeline of events includes my run-in with Sergio Moretti’s henchmen, the break-in, and our race around the lake. She doesn’t seem to know where I went after that. Good, that was the plan. She includes additional details from the Morettis’ side of the story as well. The Moretti family claims that Mr. Sterling cooked the books on his own and they’re looking to clear the family name.
“When was your first review of the Moretti Brand file?”
“About seven months ago.”
“When did you notice the errors?”
“Almost immediately.”
“Why did it take you six months to alert Mr. Sterling?”
“I have spent many hours over the last six months trying to unravel the discrepancies. Whoever was manipulating the figures hid the pattern well.”
As I answer Agent Brown, I feel Connor’s grip on the back of my chair tighten. Something went wrong. He must still be able to hear the rest of the team in his ear. Twisting in my chair, I see his poker face is better than I expect.
Agent Brown continues. “How far back do the discrepancies go?”
I return my attention to her. “Approximately eight years.”
“When did you start working at Quinn Sterling?”
“A little over six years ago.”
A tall, built man enters the room wearing the same type of suit as Agent Brown except he has expensive cuff links and a Breitling watch. The watch alone costs over eight thousand dollars. Pretty steep for a government salary.
“Miss Cavallaro, this is Agent Morse.”
I acknowledge his presence.
“Just a few more questions. Regarding the break-in at your townhouse, have local police identified anyone of interest?”
Interesting question. William told Jacob about the FBI request to talk to me. Presumably, they’re aware of the status of his investigation.
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Have you been back to your townhouse since the break-in?”
Connor sets his hand on my right shoulder. That’s when I see it; Agent Morse has crossed his arms over his chest. The colorful ink of his tattoo is now visible as his sleeves inch up. I can see the tattoo over Agent Brown’s shoulder with my peripheral vision. I refuse to tear my gaze away from Agent Brown.
“I don’t see how that is relevant.”
“The Moretti Family, through their attorneys, claim that a ledger has gone missing. Do you know where it is?”
“I don’t have a ledger, nor have I ever seen one.” My anger continues to increase the longer I’m in the same room as Agent Morse. “If there is nothing else, I would like to leave.”
“I have nothing further. Do you, Agent Morse?” Agent Brown turns to her partner.
“Just one question.” His voice echoing in my brain makes my blood boil. I hear his words in my mind from my townhouse. Immobilize her. She’s trained. Shaking off the memory, I refocus on his question. “Could you identify anyone who assaulted you in the Quinn Sterling garage or at your townhouse?”
“There are cameras at the garage. I’m sure Sid and Carlo, as they identified themselves, are on video. As far as my townhouse, no, I can’t identify anyone.”
“Thank you for your time. Please contact me if you recall anything further,” Agent Brown states, handing me her card.
“You’re welcome.”
Connor steps back, pulling out my chair. We walk straight through the lobby to the SUV. All the pent-up anger I have is ready to explode. Anger at Agent Morse for having the audacity to question me as if he weren’t even there! That man drugged me, held me down, and inserted a tracker into my neck. He’s an FBI agent!
As I step off the curb, I trip and catch myself by setting my hand on the small of Connor’s back. Christoph grabs my arm, lifting me enough to make sure I don’t fall.
“Good?” Christoph asks.
I nod, and we finish the short walk to the vehicle. The moment Christoph closes the door behind me, I announce, “Agent Morse is the guy who drugged me at my townhouse.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I recognize his voice, and I will never forget that tattoo. Plus, the cuff links and the luxury watch don’t match a government salary. What went wrong?” I ask Connor. He maneuvers the SUV through the two gates but hasn’t uttered another word. Even though it’s the last thing I want to do, I wait patiently for Connor to answer me.
Once we are on the interstate, Connor utters just four words, “The Morettis took Maia.”
Jacob said he didn’t feel right about this meeting. He put himself and Maia in harm’s way for me.
Chapter 26
Jacob
Every decision I make regarding a client puts my team at risk. Today, I’m putting Maia at risk more than ever before. For a client. For Norah. For the woman I love. The fact that Norah is so much more than a client makes this assignment even more difficult.
I pull out of the hangar and turn the opposite way as Team A. We’ll take a longer route to the federal building. Once we arrive, Maia will shed the wig and we’ll join the others while they question Norah. As we near the exit for the federal building, I note four black vehicles moving together. Instead of turning toward the meeting, I remain on the interstate. Ideally, I’ll be able to keep these guys busy until Connor gets Norah to the meeting. Once Norah arrives, I assume these guys will back off.
“Nolan, watch the pattern. Make sure no one deviates.”
“On it,” he replies.
I speed up to put some distance between us and Moretti’s goons. It’s late afternoon in downtown Boston. The highway is busy but not gridlock.
Connor: Escorting Escape inside. Will inform when we leave.
Me: Roger. We have company. I’ll hold them off as l
ong as possible.
I allow myself a small bit of relief. Norah is safely at her meeting. Of course, that’s only the beginning. Connor still needs to get her tucked away afterward.
“Jacob, one of the vehicles left the pattern and exited the interstate,” Nolan shouts from behind me. This isn’t one of the contingencies that Connor and I planned for. I acknowledge Nolan and consider my options.
“Maia, find a new route back toward the airport, but away from the federal building.”
She immediately looks down at her phone. After a search, she sends the suggested map to the GPS.
“Perfect.” I slow my speed and follow the route back to the airport. The closer I get to the airport, the less of Moretti’s men continue to follow. Once we pull into the parking lot, the last vehicle peels away.
Something is off. Why would they simply stop pursuing? I pull forward, parking near the private hangar. Exiting the vehicle, we follow the same protocol as if Maia is Norah. Stepping inside the waiting area, Maia indicates she needs to use the restroom. After Nolan clears the restroom, Maia enters, and we guard the door.
I survey the room. There is one clerk milling about behind the desk. It’s the same clerk who was here when we arrived this morning. She’s an older heavy-set woman with graying hair and narrow-set eyes. Sweeping the room again, I note a dirty footprint near the entry door for the front desk area.
Alerting Nolan, I move toward the clerk. She subtly shakes her head as I approach. Then she moves her eyes back and forth toward the restroom door.
Crouching, I move past the entry door. On my signal, Nolan creates a diversion, and I bust through the door. After a short struggle, I subdue a stocky man and zip-tie his hands behind his back. As I emerge with the clerk, Nolan exits the restroom.
“She’s gone.”
“You cleared the restroom?”
“Yes, the window is still locked from the inside. I checked each stall.” I guide the clerk, whose name tag reads Janie, to a chair and examine the restroom myself.
I check the window and each stall again as I consider how someone got in and silently removed Maia from the restroom. Scrubbing my hand over my face, I note one of the ceiling tiles isn’t in its place.
“Did you see who was hiding in the restroom?” I ask Janie.
“All I can say is, when the man who is cuffed back there came in, he was with a short, slender woman with purple hair. I didn’t see her go into the restroom, but I was more concerned about the gun in my face.”
“Are there surveillance cameras in here?” I ask, hoping my gut is wrong, but I highly doubt it. If Janie’s description is accurate, the woman who took Maia is known as the Iris, a British assassin for hire.
“Yes, there’s an office in the next hangar where the feeds can be seen.”
“Nolan, stay here with her and make sure he stays put. I’m going to check out that feed and contact Connor.”
Nolan hangs his head.
“All the things that are pinging around in your head—the what-ifs, the blame, all of it—push it away. It won’t help Maia right now. Get your head in the room,” I remind Nolan.
“Yes, sir.”
I run to the next hangar, dialing Connor as I move.
“Yeah, Jake?”
“They took Maia from the restroom at the hangar. I’m going to check the security feeds, but I think Iris took her. They don’t know what Escape looks like. Do not bring Escape here. Use option L.” Connor is well aware of Iris and what she is capable of.
“Roger. Agent Morse is one of Moretti’s men. Escape recognized the tattoo and his voice. He saw Escape at the meeting. I’m having her remove the wig.”
“Understood.”
“Keep me informed of your location. Option L should be complete in less than two hours. I’ll meet you as soon as I can.”
“Will do.”
“Jake, Maia knew the risks, and she took them willingly. Investigate what you need to. She has a tracker on her. We’ll create a plan and bring her back.”
He knows me well. I was already blaming myself for this. Norah is safe, and Maia isn’t. Maia is a skilled team member. She knows what to do. She knows we’ll come for her. My gut was correct. Damn it!
“I know. Is N—”
“Shaken but fine.”
I let out a breath. Connor would have told me if something went wrong. I know that in my head. His confirmation is welcome, nonetheless.
“See you soon.”
Ending the call, I find the security feeds and find a guard bound and gagged in a chair.
“Are you hurt?” I ask as I release him.
“No, sir. How can I help?”
Eddie, the security guard Janie guided me to, plays back the feeds. Unfortunately, it confirms my suspicion. Iris has Maia. My only possible salvation is that Maia isn’t Norah. It just might save her life.
Chapter 27
Norah
Connor just talked to Jacob. I would love for someone to fill me in on the contingency plan we’re following now. Whatever this option is, I have no idea. I’m sure it means I’ll be cooped up somewhere for the next number of weeks. The bigger question is whether Jacob will be with me or not. In the back of my mind, I wonder what is happening with Stan and Delores.
“What is the plan now?” I ask.
“You are getting on a plane and going to the farm with Christoph. I’m coming back here to assist in locating Maia.”
“Okay.”
I think Connor expected me to argue with him because he asks. “Okay?”
“Yes, whatever you need me to do, I will.” It’s my fault that Maia was abducted. Not my fault exactly, but because of me. Jacob’s instincts are something else. He had a feeling today wasn’t going to go as planned. He sent me with Connor for that reason and something else he needs to explain. I won’t interrogate Connor right now. He has plenty of other things on his mind.
“I’m going to need you to take off the wig. Agent Morse saw you, so he will inform Moretti’s men that you have red hair. Don’t change until you get to the farm. Gemma has new clothes for you. You and Christoph are heading there. Mr. Blackthorne will bring Tank to you. You’ll stay there until we locate Maia and retrieve her safely. No calls, no contact with anyone other than Christoph, Gemma, and Mr. and Mrs. Blackthorne.”
“I understand. Who is Gemma?”
“Jacob’s assistant. She’s only in the office during business hours. You may not even see her, but I wanted you to be aware that she’s allowed on the property.”
A short time later, we pull onto a bumpy dirt road. Connor pulls alongside a nondescript building with a domed top. Even though we are in the middle of nowhere, Connor and Christoph flank me as we walk into the building.
Once inside, a stocky man greets Connor with a bro hug and shakes Christoph’s hand.
“Norah, this is Wilkerson. He served with Jacob and me on our first and second tours in Afghanistan.”
“Pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Christoph and Connor step over to the side and chat for a minute. I can’t make out the words, but I’m sure they are talking about me. Regardless of the difference in height, Connor is clearly in charge as he looks up at Christoph, telling him the plan. The only words I can make out are “don’t let her out of your sight.”
Once we board the plane, Connor tears out of the driveway, heading back toward Jacob. I settle into my seat for the short flight to wherever we’re going. Christoph needs to hunch to take his seat. He’s an extremely tall guy and built. If Jacob is six feet tall, Christoph has at least another three inches on him. Once we’re airborne, Christoph asks, “Do you need anything?”
“Right now? A bottle of Mayacamas 2014. Glass optional.”
Christoph smiles. He’s quite attractive when he smiles. I can readily admit he’s attractive, just not my type. He wouldn’t be even if I weren’t pining for Jacob.
“Jacob might have that covered for you.”
Curi
ous response, but I decide to leave that alone while leaning my seat back. After what feels like five minutes, Christoph is nudging me to wake up.
“Norah, we’re here.”
I blink to get my bearings. I rise and follow Christoph off the small plane. As I pass, I thank Wilkerson for the ride.
“Anything for my brother.”
Even though a wonderful family adopted Jacob, I’m glad he was able to expand his family with the military and his team.
“I’ll tell him.”
“Thank you, miss.”
I step off the plane onto a narrow strip of asphalt. Wilkerson has some serious skills. It shouldn’t surprise me. Jacob surrounds himself with the best.
After assuring I’m safely on the ground, Christoph pulls out his phone and sends a text, presumably to Connor or Jacob.
“Where are we?” To my right is a wide, open field leading to what looks like an inlet of some kind. To my left is a sprawling piece of land with a few outbuildings and a gorgeous farmhouse.
“No one told you?”
“No.”
“This is Jacob’s home.”
Oh!
“Follow me. Let’s get you settled and find that bottle of wine.”
I never considered where Jacob lives. As I stand here looking at this gorgeous piece of land, it makes perfect sense. As I walk toward the house, a car pulls up the gravel drive. I freeze in place. Immediately, Christoph retreats to me.
“Norah, you’re absolutely safe here. There’s a code at the gate for the private road; there is another at the base of the driveway. Plus the perimeter alarms. There are more security measures than I could list.”
I nod slowly and continue toward the house. As we approach, Tank barrels toward me. I bend down to pet him.
“Mr. B.”
“Christoph.” A look passes between them.
“Ben, nice to see you again,” I say in greeting.
“You too, Norah. I would have preferred Sunday dinner instead.”
“There’s still time.”
That reply stung a bit. Why didn’t Jacob ask me about dinner? There’s nothing he could tell me that would make me run away. Perhaps he doesn’t recognize that yet.