by Lisa Harris
“You’ve got a few scratches, including the one on your forehead,” Jonas said. “And your neck—there are bruises on your neck.”
She raised her hand to rub the tender flesh. “He tried to strangle me.”
But she was alive.
“Does anything else hurt?”
“I don’t think so.”
Jonas pulled her up and into his arms. She could feel her legs shaking as she leaned against him. “Why would he do this? Why couldn’t he have just disappeared without having her killed?” Jonas said as he released her.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “Barrick got nervous and started asking the driver lots of questions. He figured out I wasn’t Bianca somehow.”
“Did you get anything out of him?” Jonas asked.
“He said something.” She searched her memory. “Something about flying off to a tropical paradise.”
“So Barrick’s definitely leaving the country.”
“I think he decided to run with or without Bianca, and now that she’s in custody, he doesn’t have a choice.”
“So he’s leaving without the money. Maybe he never planned to take her at all.”
“Maybe.” She took a step back and leaned against the barn wall, taking a few deep breaths. She willed her legs to quit shaking. “Everything Barrick has done has been to distract us. All of this was simply misdirection. A game of illusion. The cabin in Wyoming. The bomb scare. I don’t think he ever left IAH, Jonas. Never went to Hobby. He’s still there. I’m sure of it.”
“We can keep searching, though we’ve checked his name against every flight leaving out of Hobby and IAH, and he’s not on them.”
“We need to get back there.” She forced her mind to work. “Maybe there was a second passport?”
“Why would you think that?” O’Conner asked.
Madison shrugged, then winced at the sharp pains. “He could have paid for a second one in case the first was compromised.”
As soon as they made arrangements for someone to handle Tyler’s body, they were back in the car and Jonas had Patterson on the phone. “Talk to Yuri again. We’re on our way back to IAH. We think there’s a good chance that Barrick’s still there and that he’s got a second passport. We need another name.”
They were less than five minutes out from the airport when Patterson called back.
Jonas put the call on speaker. “What have you got?”
“Yuri’s not talking. Either there really is no other passport, or he’s lying, but we’re not getting anything out of him.”
Madison reached up and touched her bruised neck, her mind scrambling for a solution. “Even with every law enforcement officer at the airport looking for him, we’re talking about what . . . five terminals, a hundred-plus gates, restaurants, shops, and clubs. And without being able to flag his name, the odds of him slipping onto his plane without being noticed are pretty high.”
“So what are you thinking?” Jonas asked.
“We have to find a way to get him to come out of hiding.” She turned and caught Jonas’s gaze as a last-ditch plan began to form. “What’s the one thing we know Barrick cares about?”
“The money in Bianca’s account.”
“Exactly. And while he might assume we have Bianca, he can’t be certain. So what if she calls him and says we had nothing to hold her on and had to let her go. But she’s terrified and needs to meet him. That she still wants to go with him.”
Jonas shook his head. “He’ll never buy it. He’ll just think it’s another trap.”
“That’s possible, yes, but if he thinks there’s even a remote chance he can get his hands on that money, I think he’ll risk it.”
“I’m still not convinced it would work. We’d also have to convince Bianca.”
Madison knew it was a long shot, but as far as she was concerned, it was their only chance. And at this point, she was willing to try anything. “All we need is for him to take the bait.”
When they arrived back at the airport, Bianca was still sitting in the room where they’d left her. She had her hands folded in front of her, but her face was streaked with tears. Someone had brought her a sandwich and a drink, but she hadn’t touched either one.
Jonas and Madison entered the room and sat down in the seats across from Bianca. They looked at each other since she wouldn’t meet their gaze.
“We don’t have a lot of time.” Jonas slid his phone toward her. A photo of Tyler’s dead body lit up the screen. “If you didn’t completely believe that Barrick was lying to you before, maybe this will convince you.”
Bianca’s eyes widened. “Who’s that?”
“Your driver. Barrick’s plan was never to meet you. Instead he arranged for you to disappear. This was going to be your ride out of here.”
“He attacked me,” Madison said. “Said the real plan was for me to disappear so Barrick could escape without two marshals on his tail.”
Bianca shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”
“See these bruises on my neck? What if you had been there instead of me? Do you think you could have fought him off?”
“No, but—”
Madison leaned forward. “He would have killed you and left you in some shallow grave.”
“Damon wouldn’t have set that up.”
Jonas looked directly into her eyes. “Then how do you explain what this man did to my partner when he thought it was you.”
Bianca let out a sharp breath. She turned toward the wall and stared straight ahead. The emotions that had previously been etched on her face so clearly were gone now. “What do you want me to do?”
“We need you to call him,” Jonas said. “We think he’s still in the airport. You’ll tell him that we had to let you go because we had nothing to hold you on. That you didn’t know we were sending someone in your place and that you’re terrified and still want to go with him.”
Bianca nodded. “And he’ll agree because of the money. Not me.”
Jonas felt a sliver of pity for the woman. “I’m sorry.”
“I guess that’s the price I pay for being a foolish old woman. I never should have believed he wanted me for more than my money.”
“Not every man is like that,” Madison said. “Barrick is very good at what he does.”
Bianca shook her head. “He won’t believe me.”
“Then you’re going to have to make sure you sound convincing.”
Five minutes later, Madison and Jonas were settled in front of screens at the airport’s communication center, where they could watch Bianca on the security cameras. Bianca had made the call to Barrick, and he’d agreed to meet her. Now they just had to wait for him to show up.
Madison watched the screen. Over a hundred thousand passengers traveled through this airport every day, but they only needed to find one. One who had been aggravatingly elusive over the past few days. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Another few minutes had passed and there was still no sign of Barrick. Frustration mounted as the seconds ticked by.
“What if he figured out this is a trap?” she said finally.
“Let’s give it a few more minutes. We’ll find him,” Jonas said. “Whatever it takes.”
Whatever it takes.
She blew out a huff of air. For all they knew, he was reclining in some business class seat, well on his way to South America.
Movement on one of the screens caught her attention. Madison leaned forward as a man slowly approached. He stopped again and glanced around him, clearly hesitant, but the camera caught his face. There was no question of who it was.
Barrick.
He looked at Bianca, stepped forward, then turned around.
“We need to move now,” Madison shouted. “Something spooked him, and he’s running.”
The team moved into high gear. Madison and Jonas ran down a narrow hall toward the terminal with one of the airport police officers, who could stay in contact with the communication center by radio.
�
�Where is he?” Madison asked.
“He’s taking an escalator.”
“Where does it lead?”
“Out of the concourse to ground transportation and parking. But we’re not far and I think we can get ahead of him.”
Madison’s heart raced. After six days of chasing this man across state lines, they nearly had him in their grasp. They sprinted down the terminal, through the airport, then toward the parking area.
As they burst through the final exit to the outdoors, Madison caught sight of Barrick running toward them with two officers on his tail. They turned the corner and Barrick grabbed a roller bag from a passenger, throwing it at his pursuers to try to slow them down.
He turned back around, still running, but it was already too late. Jonas slammed into Barrick with his shoulder, completely taking him off guard. He wrestled him to the ground and three more police officers from the Airport–IAH Division surrounded him, their weapons aimed at their target.
“Cuff him,” Jonas said, taking a step back from the man and breathing heavily. “It’s finally over.”
Madison watched as Jonas rubbed his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Oh yeah.” His smile widened. “Exhausted, but that felt really good.”
“We got him.” She smiled back. “Let’s get out of here.”
Thirty-Four
Twenty-four hours later, Madison pulled Danielle into a big hug on the front porch of her sister’s house, then took a step back. “I’m on my way home finally, but I had to at least stop and see you. I’m so sorry you got involved in this.”
Danielle squeezed her hand. “None of this was your fault.”
She shook her head. “Except it is. All of it.”
“I figure as long as he’s behind bars, we’re safe. Still . . . I was so worried that something was going to happen to you. You could have died.”
“I know, but I didn’t and it’s over. Barrick is safely behind bars, the threat to your life is over—”
“And the next time you go after some felon who wants you dead . . .” Worry lines appeared on Danielle’s forehead as she motioned Madison inside. “I’m sorry. I know you’re tired, but at least stay long enough for a glass of tea. I’ve missed you and the kids are actually all asleep—which means I might get about fifteen minutes of quiet.”
Madison laughed. “Sounds perfect.”
She followed her sister through the cozy house with toys scattered across the hardwood floors, between car seats and a stroller.
Danielle pulled a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge and poured them each a glass.
“Daddy’s still here and wants to see you,” Danielle said, “but I wanted to talk to you first. There’s something you need to know.”
Danielle set the two glasses on the kitchen table, then sat down.
“What’s wrong?” Madison took the chair across from her sister, soaking in the forested view of their backyard from the kitchen table.
“Remember how Daddy went to the doctor’s a couple weeks ago? They ran some tests that day, and we finally got the results back.”
Madison nodded, not sure she wanted to hear what was coming next. “And?”
“You know how he’s been forgetting things. Dates, names—”
“Yes, but he’s almost eighty. Isn’t that normal?”
“For the most part, but this is more. He’s forgetting basic things like putting his laundry in the dryer after he washes it, taking out the trash, and leaving the oven on sometimes.”
“I knew he was getting repetitive with his questions, but how did I miss all of this?”
“The changes have been subtle. I’m not sure any of us really saw it. While you were gone, he went on a walk in my neighborhood and forgot where he was. You’re busy with your job and I want you to know that’s okay, but this isn’t going away.”
A sinking feeling spread through her. “What are you trying to tell me, Danielle?”
Her sister hesitated before answering. “Madison, the doctor diagnosed him with Alzheimer’s.”
“Alzheimer’s?” Madison shook her head. “They have to have made a mistake. Memory loss is a part of aging. Daddy lives on his own and has always been able to take care of himself. He still mows the lawn and—”
“Physically, the doctor said he’s in great shape. And while I know this is scary, we have to deal with reality.”
“Okay . . . I’m sorry, I just—Daddy’s the rock of this family. He’s always there. Always. What are we supposed to do?”
“We have some time, but we’ll need to move him.” Danielle took a sip of her tea. “Ethan and I are talking about letting him live with us. We have an extra room we could fix up for him.”
“With two kids and a baby? How are you planning on doing that?”
“We want to. He’s been having problems sleeping, and the doctor said he’s going to need a safe place to live. And he’ll need some structured activities and someone to ensure he’s eating well. We’re thinking about eventually bringing in someone to help out a couple days a week. Just to make it manageable. For now, I think we can make it work. The doctor also talked about some drug interventions we can discuss that can slow his decline as well as different strategies we can start putting into place. I have a lot to learn—”
“We have a lot to learn.” Madison squeezed her sister’s hand. “We’re in this together. He still has a lot of life left in him, and we can help keep his life as normal as possible for as long as possible.”
Danielle nodded. “I know.”
“What about the house? Daddy will never leave the house. He lived there for forty years with Mama. We grew up there. How does he walk away from that?”
“With us being there for him every step of the way. I’m going to need your help talking to him about it, because it will be a hard transition, and I’m expecting some resistance.”
Madison nodded, trying to wrap her head around what she was hearing. Trying not to let the guilt engulf her. She’d always tried to stay involved in her family’s life, but somehow . . . somehow she’d missed this.
“Don’t feel guilty for being gone so often,” Danielle said. “It’s okay.”
“I can take some time off until he’s settled—”
“I’m not asking you to do that.”
“And I can’t ask you to do this on your own.”
“I’m not. I have Ethan, you, our church family, and Daddy has some money for extra care when it comes to that. We’ll get through this. Besides, you’ve always been a part of his life. That won’t change. And . . .” Danielle leaned forward. “That cute fixer-upper you like is still on the market. I called today, just because I was curious.”
Madison laughed. “Just because you were curious.”
“It would be perfect for you.”
Madison’s phone rang, and she pulled it out to check the caller ID.
“Do you need to get that?”
“No, it’s fine.” She slid the phone back into her pocket. “We’ll figure things out, but I need you to promise me that you’ll keep me in the loop, let me know what I can do. Anything.”
“I will, and we’ll get through this.”
Her father walked into the kitchen, wearing his favorite blue plaid sweatpants and a black T-shirt.
“Hey, Daddy.” She got up and gave him a hug, breathing in the familiar scent of Old Spice. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” His smile over seeing her faded. “I heard you were in a plane crash.”
“I’ll let the two of you catch up while I go check on the baby,” Danielle said.
“Thank you.” He hugged Madison again. “I guess no matter how old you are, I’ll always worry about you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“It was a really tough week, but I’m okay. I promise.”
“I always worry about you.”
“You had the same job I do.”
“I know. And I know we all have to die at some point.”
“What if yo
u’re not ready to say goodbye?” she asked, instantly regretting the question.
“You never are.” He followed her to the kitchen table and sat down next to her. “I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to your mama, but all I could do was be grateful for the years the good Lord gave us together. And now . . . not a day goes by that I don’t miss her.”
She studied her father’s face. Wrinkles indicated eight decades of life. His hair was now snow white. Age spots marked his face and hands. And yet to her he was still her daddy. The man who’d helped her become who she was today. At the moment there was no sign of confusion in his eyes or in his words. He was simply the man who had always been there for her. Teaching her how to drive at fifteen, walking her down the aisle at her wedding, and encouraging her to join the Marshals Service.
“I know about the doctor’s diagnosis,” he said.
“The Alzheimer’s.”
Her father nodded. “I’m slowly forgetting. It’s little things now. Places. Words. Things that used to be easy. I’m afraid I’m going to lose her forever if I can’t remember her.”
Madison shook her head. “No. Mama will always be right here.” She placed her hand against his heart. “She’ll always be there.”
“Maybe . . . I’m just so afraid I’ll forget her. She was so beautiful.”
“You were a handsome couple.”
He reached out and took her hand. “What about you, Maddie? You’re young. You need a second chance at love.”
“I’m fine, Daddy. I don’t have to have someone in my life in order to be happy. I’m learning that. I have you, Danielle, and her family—”
“Yes, but I know what it’s like, losing your soul mate. It’s like a part of you is lost forever. I hate that you know what that feels like.”
“Me too. But I’m okay. I really am.”
“Losing a spouse.” Her father shook his head. “We shouldn’t have that in common.”
“It always helps to have someone who understands. And this next step . . . We’ll get through this as well.”
He squeezed her hand. “Where the parent becomes the child.”