Dangerous Deceptions: A Christian Romantic Suspense Boxed Set Collection

by Lisa Harris

  “All right.” Jillian groaned. “Department of Homeland Security—ICE, under their Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities program. Chameleon is connected to bad people internationally.” She dug in her bag and showed them her badge. “All that supposed-prison time I actually spent training, fast-tracking through both the FLETC’s Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) and the Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Training (HSISAT).”

  “And Chameleon’s bad people—Terrorists? The mob? What?” Nicole glanced at Reg.

  “An organized crime organization? Terrorists? What does it matter?” Her shoulder sagged. “He isn’t in it by his own choice.”

  “You still love him, don’t you, Jillian.”

  Tears surged in her eyes, and she looked at her engagement ring. “I know they hold something over his head. I would have found out . . . I was close to finding out when I had to come and get you.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re so willing to betray him,” Nicole said.

  “It’s more that I’m trying to save him. Once he’s caught, taken down, then they can no longer demand he continue this work.”

  But his life and Jillian’s, could still be in danger. Nicole hated that Jillian was in this situation. She should never have lost connection with her. Just like she should never have let Reg go. As Jillian pulled her out of the hotel room, Nicole glanced back at Reg, took in his somber expression. The uncanny feeling she would never see him again snaked through her.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Though she’d hated leaving Reg alone, considering his state of mind, she and Jillian had been quick about getting tourist attire so they could blend in. She hoped Rhodes didn’t anticipate their plan, which he very well could, but they would be flexible and adjust as needed.

  Whatever it took to snatch Harriet.

  She and Jillian had worn their purchases out of the shop. They were set to make this work. Except Reg hadn’t responded to the text she’d sent moments ago. Nicole and Jillian hurried back to the hotel. Nicole intended to ask her sister a question that had been burning inside ever since she learned that Jillian had been working for the government in a sting operation.

  She’d put it off for long enough, and their personal operation was about to shift into high gear so now was the time. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth, Jillian? Why leave Mom and I to believe you’d been charged with trafficking art, losing your job, the whole of it?”

  Next to her, Jillian blew out a breath and pulled Nicole over into a secluded doorway. “I’m so sorry, Nicole. I wanted to tell you. But you were on the art crime team at the time, and . . .” Jillian looked at the sky as if measuring her next words. “Someone on the team is believed to be involved with Chameleon.”

  “What?” Nicole’s chest ached. “I can’t believe it.”

  “I couldn’t tell you.”

  “So you let me believe the worst.”

  “The worst?” Jillian’s cheeks reddened. “Honestly, I was shocked at how you treated me. I was hurt. The thing is, I wanted to find Dad’s killer too. My search took me on a different path, okay? And by the way, Mom has always known the truth.”

  Even Mom knows? Nicole stared at her sister, absorbing that shocking news. She’d been ashamed of Jillian’s actions, so much so that she’d resigned her job. At least that’s what she told herself. But she would have resigned anyway, and she used Jillian as her excuse. Nicole could let the hurt bowl her over or she could rejoice that she was with Jillian now, and that she knew the truth.

  Nicole shuddered and released a sigh. Time to move forward and let the past go. “I’m so sorry, Jillian. Is that why you didn’t tell me even after I resigned from the FBI?”

  Jillian pursed her lips in regret. Unshed tears surged in her eyes. She hugged Nicole to her. “Can we just put this behind us. You know the truth now. We need to save Harriet.”

  Nodding, Nicole stepped from the embrace and smiled. She swiped at her tears. “Yes. Harriet and Reg are depending on us.”

  They headed back to the hotel. At the room, unease crawled over her as she slipped the card in and opened the door. Jillian followed her into the room.

  She’d hoped to find him here, waiting on their return.

  “Reg?”

  She looked in the bathroom.

  Jillian searched their adjoining room and rushed back in, shaking her head.

  Nicole and Jillian glanced at where the paintings had been placed. They were gone.

  “Oh, no. He’s left without us!”

  Jillian grabbed her. “Calm down. We’re heading to the cruise ship. Nothing has changed in our plans. We have to find Harriet.”

  “Whatever Reg’s doing,” Nicole said, “getting Harriet’s the most important thing. I agree. But we both understand the dangerous group we’re dealing with. I can’t imagine she’ll be allowed to leave the cruise ship until the paintings have been delivered and authenticated.”

  “We’ll go and see what’s what.” Jillian stood at the door. “Come on.”

  Nicole rushed after her but kept glancing at her cell as they hurried down the hallway and took the elevator down. Then exited the hotel.

  A salty ocean breeze wafted over her, along with the smell of grilled fish. This part of town boasted trendy shops built right over the water on a massive stilted platform. Tourists and locals walked the covered sidewalks along the storefronts, as she and Jillian headed toward the waterfront.

  A shiver crept over her. She’d shoved away her growing anxiety. This wasn’t like any case she’d worked before, either for the feds or privately. She never could have imagined when she’d agreed to follow Reg for Harriet just how dangerous, just how personal, this would become.

  Lives were on the line.

  Nicole sidled next to her sister. Memories of their childhood flooded her. She’d missed her sister, and though they had gone in such different directions, it turned out they weren’t so different after all. Now, if they could just get through this unscathed, maybe they could forge a new relationship.

  The street opened up to a massive pier where two cruise ships were berthed, and tourists disembarked the ships. Jillian stopped as they neared the pier.

  Nicole turned and gestured. “What are you doing? We have to hurry. If Harriet gets off, we want to be in position.”

  “What’s the plan?” Jillian asked.

  Nicole pointed at the sign that read Welcome to Alaska’s 1st City, Ketchikan in big red letters, followed by The Salmon Capitol of the World.

  “We can hang out here along this shopping strip and gather intel to learn who’s with her and if others are watching.”

  For a few moments, they observed the cruise ship and waited until finally, tourists began to disembark. Older couples, singles and families with kids left the ship and headed toward the quaint Alaskan town.

  “I have to tell you,” Jillian said, “I have a feeling she’s not getting off that boat. What kind of abductor would allow her to leave?”

  Nicole huffed. “The same guy who has been sending Reg images of Harriet enjoying her time on the boat. It gives me the creeps to think she’s hanging out with him, and she doesn’t know who he really is. My guess is this guy worked his way into Carly’s life to get access to Harriet.”

  “We can ask her later,” Jillian said. “So, if she gets off the boat, then we’ll follow from a distance and then snag her when she visits the restroom or something. And if she doesn’t get off with the others, then Plan B. Whatever that is.”

  “We’d have to have a cruise ID card to get on the ship. We could steal one or we could get the Ketchikan police involved, get on that ship and get Harriet.”

  “You think we could convince them in time?” Jillian crossed her arms. “Not to mention, the abductor could then dispose of Harriet or get away. We’re trying to use the stealth approach.”

  Nicole pushed down the sudden rise of fear and panic. “Please, God, let Harriet get off the boat.”

  Waiting, they
hung back in the shadows, leaning against the wall of a bait shop. “You know,” Nicole said, “when this is over, maybe you and I should start our own business.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Anything to do with our experience. Private investigating, maybe. We could start somewhere and branch out.”

  “I love how optimistic you are, Nicole.”

  The tone in her sister’s voice drew her gaze away from the pier. “What do you mean?”

  “There’s a very good chance we won’t make it out of this with our lives.”

  In Jillian’s expression, she saw that she was serious. Nicole didn’t know how to respond.

  “Look,” Jillian dipped her chin.

  Nicole looked toward the cruise ship and gang plank. “What am I looking at?”

  “The trickle of tourists has slowed. I don’t see Harriet. Do you?”

  With the black bag over his head, Reg couldn’t see a thing. With his hands bound behind the chairback, he couldn’t fight his way out of this predicament either. With his legs secured to the chair, he wasn’t going anywhere. Where was he anyway? Probably not a basement here in Ketchikan. A “daylight” basement, maybe—what they called the first floor here, using the upper floors for living spaces.

  Allowing himself to be taken had been necessary to find his way to Grandmother. Required of him if he wanted to see her alive.

  Getting the advantage would be complicated, and Reg waited patiently for that moment he could take control of what came next.

  Sensing someone else in the room, he said, “You’ve got what you want. Now release my Grandmother.” And hopefully me.

  “Not until we know the paintings are originals.”

  “Well, depending on your expert, that could take quite a bit of time that I don’t have. The thing is, I’m no expert, so I can’t know if the paintings I stole—that were supposed to be originals—are forgeries. If they are, that’s not on me.”

  “I gotta say, you make a lot of sense,” the man said. “You can tell that to the boss when you see him. I’ll let you in on a secret. Your grandmother might make it out of this, but you and your little girlfriend are going to pay for what you did to my team back at that mansion.”

  Uh-oh. Reg had feared there would be retribution. He couldn’t let that get to him now. He had to maintain his composure so he could get the upper hand. “If you were going to take Grandmother as ransom for paintings, why break into her house with those kind of forceful strong-arm tactics and risk all our lives to begin with. Your buddies would still be alive.”

  A fist slammed into his jaw. Pain radiated through his head, but oddly his usual headache didn’t ignite in response.

  “She didn’t take the bait and join the cruise. The light-footed approach, I told him,” the man said. “That had been the plan. So we went to Plan B. My plan. Since the boss was running out of time to satisfy this collector, he sent me and my men in.”

  “And you only know one method to get results.”

  “But you were there and caused some trouble. Tried to take you out of the equation earlier that day, so yeah, we acted according to our training.” He coughed and hacked. Smoke much? “Then I found the painting so we didn’t need her or . . . so I thought.”

  Reg figured the guy had gotten an earful for his tactical error. “But Grandmother changed her mind. She decided to go on the cruise, after all, why not stick with Plan A?”

  “We didn’t find out until it was too late. And my buddies were dead. You’re going to pay for that, by the way.”

  Only, Reg hadn’t killed the guy in the pantry. Not that this guy would listen to reason. The man didn’t seem to think about anyone else—what about the injustice of stealing Grandmother’s painting? Or raiding her house and nearly killing them to get the paintings?

  “It’s a good thing she ended up taking the cruise, considering we needed her.”

  “A good thing for you, that is,” Reg said. “Don’t you think it’s time you at least let me see my grandmother so I can know that you haven’t broken our agreement.”

  The gunman said nothing more. Boots clomped up steps and Reg was left alone. He squeezed his eyes shut. Had he been cavalier in not calling in the feds to assist? But then . . . someone had outed him. His boss had told Reg he hadn’t received the USB drive filled with the financials.

  That memory had come back to him months later. Who would believe him, except of course, the man from whom the money had been transferred out of those accounts? Reg’s memory had not failed him.

  Footsteps resounded. Two sets of them.

  Someone stood close to him. Reg braced himself.

  The bag was lifted from his head.

  Squinting, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the light of the first-floor basement. Reg took in Keaton Rhodes, who stared down at him—some sort of weird admiration in his eyes. Or rather, respect.

  Reg wasn’t sure how he felt about Rhodes, a seriously bad guy with an extensive network, having respect for him. But then again, respect could let him walk away from this.

  The man gestured for Reg to look to his right. A tendril of fear crawled over him as he turned. Someone else was bound to a chair, face hidden by a canvas bag.

  Grandmother!

  “This wasn’t part of our agreement,” Reg said through clenched teeth. “You were never supposed to harm her.”

  Rhodes moved to stand next to Grandmother, smiled, then yanked the bag off her head.

  Reg stiffened with shock.

  Instead of Grandmother, his boss, Tye, was secured to the chair, bruised eyes and cheeks, mouth gagged.

  “I like Harriet, actually,” Rhodes said. “She’s feisty and can hold her own. But we thought you might like to see what happens to those who double-cross us. He tipped us off to your undercover work, hoping to get a cut of the money, but instead got his hands on the financials with all the bank account information and stole all the money for himself, thinking that no one would be the wiser. Except, of course, I am wiser.”

  “Wait. So, you got your money back? You never needed the paintings?”

  “I’m in the process of getting my money back and have two plans in place. As it turns out, the collector is coming here himself. You don’t have to deliver the paintings but you can wait here. Once they have been authenticated and I’m paid, then Harriet will go free.”

  Rhodes left him alone with Tye. He had only said that Grandmother could go free.

  Reg had to get out of there.

  Chapter Twenty

  They’d remained in the shadows.

  Nicole had feared this would happen, but she’d hoped against hope that Harriet would be among those disembarking. “She could be taking her time. There’s no rule that says she has to leave at a certain time. Plus, she walks slowly.” Though Nicole had seen the woman move fast when it came to Lulu. “Any suggestions on how to get on the boat and check on her?”

  “What if we try calling her again?” Jillian asked.

  Nicole stared at her cell. “I guess it’s worth a try. I’ll call and text and ask her to come on out.”

  “We risk giving ourselves away.” Jillian shifted away from the wall. “Depending on who is monitoring her calls.”

  “You have any better ideas?” Nicole stared at her cell and prepared to text Harriet.

  “We could disguise ourselves as part of the crew.”

  Really. Nicole glanced at her sister. Jillian shrugged.

  A dog barked somewhere behind her.

  A familiar bark, that.

  Nicole frowned. The bark reminded her of . . . Slowly she turned.

  And the familiar chihuahua dashed toward her. “Lulu?”

  She crouched to lift the small creature in her arms, her gaze drawn up by the figure closing in on the dog.

  “Harriet!” Nicole hugged the woman to her as she handed off the dog.

  Harriet appeared disgruntled . . . maybe relieved? . . . to see them. How had she left the cruise ship without them seeing her?


  At Harriet’s curious glance between Nicole and Jillian, Nicole said, “This is my sister, Jillian.”

  “I would never have guessed. Now, girls, we have to get out of here.” Holding Lulu tightly in her arms, she turned and scuttled away.

  Nicole followed, Jillian behind her. “Harriet, what’s going on?”

  She caught up to her and gently grabbed her arm and pulled her into the shadows behind a gift shop. “We came to find you. To rescue you.”

  “Do I look like I need rescuing? I bopped him over the head with my cane. He took us on a special tour, a private boat tour before we even reached Ketchikan and we never got back on the cruise. But now we have to get out of here. They didn’t want me to know they were blackmailing my grandson. But I was on to that jerk, Carly’s friend, from the start. He was too young for her. What was she thinking? I have to save Reg and . . . Well, you’re here, dear. Where’s my grandson?”

  “I’m afraid he’s gone to negotiate for your safety.”

  Frowning deeply, she shook her head. “Oh, no.”

  A suspicious man rushed around the corner, searching the crowds for them. The man from the Dinosaur Gardens.

  “Shhh.” Nicole pulled Harriet deeper into the shadows. She and Jillian stood with their backs to the man to hide Harriet.

  Lulu barked and jumped from Harriet’s arms. She weaved between their legs and escaped their efforts to scrape her back up.

  Too late, the familiar bark had drawn the man’s attention.

  He couldn’t count on Grandmother’s freedom, but more than that, he and Tye had a short time to live. He’d wondered about retribution. Maybe he’d played a part in gaining the man twice what had been stolen, but he harbored no hope that he would be allowed to live because of his betrayal as an undercover agent.

  Though he hadn’t expected to simply twist out of plastic ties, he’d tried until his wrists were raw. Nothing for it but to break the chair. Maybe only these flimsy wood chairs had been available in the basement when they decided to abduct and tie him up.