by Mary Alford
Her thoughts wouldn’t come together. Piper was led down the hall filled with medical personnel. Everyone watching her. Their disgusting reaction to the news she was being arrested for espionage clear on their faces. Some glared. Many looked away.
The two female agents forced her into the stairwell where Piper was hurried down the steps to a waiting transport van. The fragments of the case against her scrambled in her mind. Charged with espionage. She couldn’t wrap her head around the accusation.
As they approached the van, the driver got out and opened the back of the vehicle. One of the female agents pushed her inside and into a seat where she snugged a seatbelt around Piper’s torso. The three other agents got in. One on either side of her. Two across. All heavily armed.
Were they taking her to Quantico as Jake had indicated, or someplace far more deadly? She was being set up by someone powerful to take the fall for what happened in the desert. Would she be more useful to them dead or alive?
Piper craned her neck to see out the back window. Jake stood a few feet from the van watching as they eased away from the hospital. There were no side windows. Just two small ones on the back door. She watched the hospital disappear from view.
What was happening? She’d seen a document pertaining to an offshore account in a name she didn’t recognize. She tried to make sense of it. Tried to understand why someone would take her entire unit and frame her for it? More than ever she needed to talk to Reed. He was the one she went when things didn’t compute, but Jake had deliberately kept them apart.
The view outside the tiny windows changed from city to a rural setting. They weren’t taking a direct route to Quantico. Why? Were they worried about someone coming after them? Or something more? Were these agents assigned to take her out?
A noise of another vehicle pulled her attention away from the frantic thoughts. Behind the van, a car sped toward them at a fast click. It showed no signs of slowing. She realized she was the only one wearing a seatbelt. The two agents across from her rose and went over to the window.
They turned back to their partners, expressions of shock on both their faces. Before a word could be spoken, the car slammed into the van full speed. The two agents standing flew across the small space. Both slammed against the Plexiglas wall separating the driver and fell to the floor unconscious.
The van’s driver swerved on the damp road. Fought for control and lost it. The vehicle went barreling across the road, into the ditch and became airborne before it slammed into something hard. The van came to a violent, shuddering stop. Piper’s body rocked forward. The restraints held, bruising her chest with the impact. She was thrown backward. Her head hit the side and she passed out.
When she came to, everyone in the van was dead. They’d all been executed at close range. A gun lay on the floor beside Piper. She recognized it as hers. The truth became clear.
The back door stood open. She had a choice to make. If she stayed, the people determined to frame her for what happened would succeed and she’d go away forever for treason and murder.
In Piper’s mind, there was no other choice. She had to run.
Chapter Seven
“She’s gone.” The agitation in Jake’s tone came through the phone loud and clear.
When Reed had left the hospital, he headed straight for Quantico. He planned to be there when they brought Piper in for questioning and he would be part of it one way or another. Whether Jake liked it or not, he wasn’t about to let someone do this to her. He’d fight with every ounce of strength he possessed to clear her name. No way would he give up on her the way Jake had.
“What are you talking about?” Reed asked, and leaned forward in the seat of his car, staring at the Hoover building without seeing it. He’d been living in a zombie state since the first inkling of suspicion against Piper reared its head.
“Piper,” Jake all but yelled into the phone. “She’s escaped, and she’s taken out every member of her transport team. We don’t know all the details yet. The driver lived. Apparently, the vehicle was hit from behind and the van veered off the road and smashed into a metal guardrail. The driver was knocked unconscious. When he came to, everyone in the back of the vehicle was shot dead at point blank and Piper was missing. The driver is being transported to the hospital as we speak.”
The noose around Piper’s neck was quickly tightening. “There’s no way she shot those agents,” Reed said and rubbed his hand over his eyes. Heartbroken for the fallen agents, he was relieved Piper had gotten away. There’d be a manhunt underway to capture her—the FBI had probably put in place already—and whoever was behind this conspiracy wouldn’t want that to happen. They’d be looking to silence her before she could get her story out there. Reed had to get to her before the people framing her, or the FBI did first.
“How much of a head start does she have?” he asked while his mind went over the places Piper might go to hide out for a while.
“Possibly half an hour. I’m heading over to the accident site now. The FBI have agents on the ground. She’s our people, Reed. She may be guilty of all the charges against her, but I want to bring her in. If they find her and she doesn’t give herself up, they’ll kill her.”
Each word was a knife to Reed’s heart. “I’m on my way there now,” he said and put the car in gear. Whipping into the traffic flow, he zigged in and out at a fast pace. All he could think about was how frightened Piper appeared when they’d taken her away.
“Thanks, Reed. You know her better than anyone. We’ll need your help.”
No way was he going to help someone convict Piper. But he would do everything in his power to clear her of these ludicrous charges.
“See you soon,” Reed said and ended the call. He reached the turnoff to the deserted stretch of road where the transport vehicle had been hit. Why had they chosen this route? It wasn’t a direct path to Quantico. In fact, it would add time to the trip. Had the agents expected trouble or been ordered to take this path.
A slew of police and emergency vehicles had the quiet road cordoned off. Several unmarked SUVs were near the van. They’d belong to the FBI agents investigating the deaths of their fallen officers.
Reed found a place to park and got out. He weaved his way through the crowd of people working the scene until he spotted Jake speaking with a tall forties man in a suit. He guessed the man would be the agent in charge. The FBI had brought in the DC police who were combing the nearby countryside and sparsely occupied woods for evidence.
Jake spotted Reed and waved him over.
“Agent Hernandez, this is Reed Decklin.” Jake spoke to the man at his side. “He’s one of my people. Reed knows Morgan better than anyone.”
Agent Hernandez extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. You’ve been briefed?” he asked.
Reed nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. Any idea where Morgan might be heading?” Hernandez asked.
He did. Several, in fact, but he wasn’t going to give them away.
Reed shook his head. “Not immediately. She doesn’t have any living family. She’s highly trained and knows how to disappear quickly, though. Blend into her surroundings. My guess is she’d find someplace with a lot of real estate to put between herself and us.”
“Someplace like Rock Creek Park?” Hernandez asked and pinned Reed with a hard look as if he suspected there might be more between Piper and Reed.
Reed forced a blank expression on his face. “Possibly. It’s not far from here, so it would be convenient and easy to disappear there.” His gut assured him Piper would never choose such a public place.
Hernandez signaled to one of his men and explained what Reed told him. “Get your people over there now. Search the park.” Once the order was given, Hernandez faced Jake. “I’ll keep you informed on what we find. If you hear from her, you’ll let us know.” It wasn’t a request.
In Reed’s mind, Hernandez and the FBI had just given them the kiss-off. The CIA wouldn’t be included in the search or the investig
ation.
Jake watched Hernandez head over to the mobile command center set up some distance from the disabled van. “This is some jackpot we’re in, Reed. So far, Hernandez has kept a lid on things. But if the news media gets wind that a traitor escaped right under our noses, they’ll crucify us. We’ve taken enough hits lately. We can’t afford anymore.”
Reed examined the damage to the back of the van. “The car that hit the van left the scene?”
“That’s right.” Jake followed him over to the back of the van.
“Why would the car leave the scene of an accident?” Reed asked. “The back of the van sustained a lot of damage. With a hit like that, it stands to reason the driver would be injured.” It didn’t make sense.
Jake leveled a thoughtful look Reed’s way. “Maybe the driver was drinking. Had a warrant. Could be any number of reasons.”
“Or maybe it was deliberate.” Reed voiced his thoughts aloud. “Maybe whoever drove the car into the van took out all the agents inside. They saw the driver was out and assumed he didn’t see anything incriminating.”
Jake blew out a weary breath. “She wasn’t set up, Reed.”
Reed’s jaw tightened. He didn’t understand why his friend was so determined to blame Piper.
“Maybe Piper kidnapped the driver of the car. Or worse,” Jake said and glanced over to where Hernandez spoke to several officers. “If she has the car, she could be anywhere. For now, we keep this to ourselves. Where would she go, Reed? Give me some ideas. I’ll have our people go after her. Bring her in without a gunfight. It might just save her life.”
Reed thought about it long and hard, but he couldn’t do it. Couldn’t betray Piper like that. Sure, Jake had responsibilities, but Piper was one of them and he loved her. Trusted her.
“She mentioned having a friend in West Virginia once. Katy Ellis, I believe. Don’t know the address. I know it’s not much to go on.”
“No, it’ll help. I’ll get some people on it right away. We’ll find the friend.” Jake clamped a hand on Reed’s shoulder. “Stay here. I need you to be my eyes on the operation here. If Hernandez comes up with something promising, I want to know.”
Reed nodded while fighting back his rage. More than anything he wished they could go back in time. He’d take Piper’s fears seriously. Call the meet off. If he’d done so originally, so many people wouldn’t have died.
“Good,” Jake said, and slowly smiled. “I’m sorry, buddy. I know you cared about her and I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, but we have to put our emotions aside and follow the evidence. If it proves she was framed, we’ll ferret it out. The real conspirators will be made to pay for what they’ve done.” Jake hesitated. “But I think you have to prepare yourself for the possibility she’s guilty. That the real Piper Morgan is someone neither of us knew.”
Reed bit back a retort. He didn’t care what Jake said; he knew Piper. He’d seen her reaction after her team died. She wasn’t capable of doing something so cold-blooded.
“We’ll take soon,” Jake said when Reed didn’t answer. After another moment, Jake left him.
Reed blew out a troubled sigh and waited until he was certain Jake had left the area before he hurried back to his vehicle. Pulling out of the parking space, he did a U-turn and headed for the one place he believed Piper would go to escape, all the while he prayed he wasn’t too late. Because once she disappeared, she wouldn’t be coming back, and the thought of never seeing her again just about ripped his heart to shreds.
Chapter Eight
She had to ditch the car as soon as possible. Her car wasn’t an option. It was still parked at Langley. Right now, Piper couldn’t trust any of her friends. The CIA would be in contact with them as soon as possible. Her only option was to boost another car.
Terror swallowed her up as she’d stared at the lifeless faces of the agents who had been guarding her minutes before the accident. They’d all been shot in the head execution-style. Without hesitating, Piper had taken the Glock—her Glock—which she was certain was the murder weapon. If she left it behind, it would be just another nail in her coffin. The magazine was empty of bullets and useless. She’d grabbed one of the agents’ weapons along with extra clips.
The bumper of the car that had slammed into them was tangled with the van. The driver's door stood open. Whoever had been steering it was long gone. She had no doubt, the man who’d hit them had killed all the agents.
It took more time than she had to get the two vehicles unattached, all the while she expected either the driver or the police to show up at any time. There were houses nearby. Someone would have heard the crash.
With the two vehicles freed, she left the accident scene and started driving. Every vehicle she passed sent her heart racing. She wondered if it were someone sent to take her down. Someone had gone to great lengths to make her look guilty. She needed breathing room to try to figure it all out. Though she’d only gotten a cursory look at the evidence, what she’d seen was staggering.
Piper left the outskirts of D.C. Best to find a small town, someplace where there might not be security cameras around to see her take another car, but not too small to call attention to herself.
After driving for a long time with fear following her every mile of the way, she reached the city limit sign for Monkton, Maryland. Population 4,856. Piper spotted a sign for Hagerstown Premium Outlets and took a chance.
Parking the car some distance from the rest of the vehicles, she searched for a group of vehicles she believed would belong to employees. With any luck, the driver’s shift at the mall wouldn’t end for hours to report the vehicle missing. That would give her time to put miles between herself and here. Unfortunately, she’d have to change vehicles frequently.
She dug around her current vehicle for anything to help disguise her face. A Redskins baseball cap. Aviator sunglasses. They’d have to work.
The bandages on her face would call more attention to her than the burns and scrapes. She ripped them free and gathering her red hair up in a bun, placing the cap on over it. She’d need to change her hair color soon. The sunglasses shielded part of her face and eyes. She got out and left the keys under the driver’s floor mat.
The late afternoon sun slanted lower in the sky. Still, a lot of time before the cover of night would provide some relief from the panic growing inside her.
She headed for a group of vehicles she guessed to be employees. It took trying ten vehicles before she found one with a door unlocked.
In the driver’s seat, Piper closed the door and glanced around. So far, no one was around. She struggled to hotwire the car and hated that she had to perform the task. After several attempts, the SUV roared to life. With a final glance around, she eased from the parking lot.
She believed they’d be expecting her to hide out in a heavily wooded area. Someplace where she could get lost in the wilderness and would pose a challenge to locate her. Only one person would think differently. Was he on her side still?
Time had now become critical. She wanted to live. Couldn’t imagine spending the rest of her life behind bars for treason. Right now, she trusted no one. Not even Reed.
Though Reed would expect her to show up at the location they’d established as the meet site for them in case something like this happened, she at least had a head start. With any luck, she’d beat him there to retrieve the supplies they’d buried there last year, never dreaming of this moment would come so soon.
Hitting the highway again, Piper drove northwest. Maybe Montana or Wyoming. Someplace with a lot of space to consume her. But first, she’d need her exit plan.
The sign for the park came into sight and Piper exited the street and pulled into the empty parking lot. No other cars around meant the place would be deserted. Off the beaten path, the park wasn’t one of the more popular ones around the state. The very reason she and Reed picked it.
She slipped the weapon she’d taken from the agent behind her back, got out, and headed to the spot. Her he
ad was on a swivel expecting Reed to materialize before her eyes at any moment. The man she loved had now become her enemy. She couldn’t think about it and not fall apart. They’d worked side-by-side for years. Cared for each other. Slowly fallen in love. Now everything had changed.
With nothing to use to dig, Piper grabbed a tree branch and started working on uncovering the metal container holding all the paperwork she’d need to vanish. Every little sound had her jerking in that direction.
The stick took forever, and she abandoned it entirely and dropped to her knees using her hands to finish the job. She and Reed had buried the box fairly deep to protect it against any curious animal or human being who might stumble across the newly turned dirt.
Her hand scraped the metal box. She finished uncovering it and lifted it from the hole.
Inside, she pulled out the backpack that contained money, a weapon and ammo, a new identity, and a few other essential things.
After she checked to make sure all the contents were still there, she shouldered the backpack and started back toward the SUV. She was almost back to the parking area when a noise of another vehicle approaching caught her attention. Reed. He’d found her. She had to get away.
With the SUV no longer an option, Piper headed deeper into the woods while trying to recall the layout of the park. They’d carefully surveyed the entire park that day. She headed in the opposite direction of the parking.
“Piper, I know you’re here. Let me help you,” Reed called out. “Trust me. I’m on your side.” The sound of his voice broke her heart, yet she didn’t slow down. Running blindly, the noise of rushing water could be heard. There was a river not too far from where she was.
Behind her, footsteps coming up quickly. She reached the edge of the river which was close to overflowing its banks.
Piper did a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turnaround. There was no other way out. Only this one.