Fourth Day

by Lisa Phillips

  Allyson wandered to the bedside and sat close to her friend, reaching out to run her fingers down strands of hair on the side of her face. Vanessa shifted into the touch. Seeming to preen under the attention. Kind of like a cat asking to be petted just so it had an excuse to purr.

  Why Sal thought that, he wasn’t sure.

  Allyson shifted closer. “Vanessa?” Her friend said nothing, seemingly lost in a peaceful moment. “You wanted to speak with both of us?”

  Finally, Vanessa nodded. She still didn’t look at Sal.

  It was clear they were awkward with each other, unsure how to be since it had been so long, and this was a delicate situation. He didn’t know how to read where they were at, but he knew Allyson pretty well and she seemed unsure. One of the few times since he’d met her that he saw her like this.

  Vanessa shifted. She worked her mouth like she was gearing herself up to say something that was maybe painful. He wanted to hear what it was, and not just because it was possible she knew who he was. Maybe she knew what his team did, and who they were, because of her boss. Their existence wasn’t publicized.

  He had to wonder if this was Kennowich’s doing.

  “I need your help.” Vanessa looked at Allyson then. “That’s why I called you. Because you’re the only ones who can help me.”

  She did know who they were. Who he was. Why were they the only ones who could help her?

  Sal said, “What do you need our help with?” And how did her kidnapping, and escape, play into all this?

  Vanessa continued, “He’s…” She didn’t finish before a sob escaped her. She turned to Allyson. “Don’t let him take me again. I can’t go back to him.”

  “Who?”

  “Malcom Kennowich. I finally got away, and I have a flash drive of information that can bring him down. That’s why I need your help. Both of you.” She looked at Sal then. “I saw that research lab in Portland on the news. I looked into what happened. I know it was you and your team who brought down that whole conspiracy.”

  They’d had help, but yes, his team did that. Still, her connection to Kennowich was entirely too coincidental considering they’d been looking into the man. Yes, she’d clearly been the victim of a kidnapping and attack, but there was something about this that didn’t sit right with him.

  He asked her, “Allyson was your intended route to the Northwest Counter-Terrorism Task Force?”

  “You’re the ones who can finally stop him.” Her face had reddened, her voice breathy.

  “I get that you need our help, but that means you have to be one hundred percent honest with me.”

  Displays of emotion from a victim weren’t going to persuade him to believe her. This was their case, and that was why he would work with Vanessa. Listen to her, and take what she said into account as part of their investigation.

  Allyson could help, but she was far too close to this. Too emotional—which was the reason she glared at him now.

  He watched as tears rolled down Vanessa’s cheeks. “He’s planning something terrible. He’s going to hurt a lot of people.”

  Chapter 7

  Allyson could almost see the fear move through her friend. She touched Vanessa’s hand. “You’re safe now.”

  She was doing the right thing, coming to them so they could prevent whatever Kennowich had planned. It was right to involve Sal. He was a marshal, and dealing with a witness in a situation exactly like this was what he did. Allyson was fully prepared to pick his brain to find out the best course of action to help her friend—and ultimately stop Kennowich.

  What she wasn’t going to do, was hand the case over to his team like a gift secured with a nicely-tied bow. Just because she was ATF didn’t mean they could shut her out. Or relegate her to the position of “victim’s friend” and “advisor” even though she had every intention of being both those things.

  “I need to make a call.”

  She watched him leave, closing the door with a slight click on his way out to fill his team in. Or to call the local witness security people…or whatever he was doing.

  Allyson turned back to her friend and smiled as if everything was fine—or would be. “Vanessa, is Malcom Kennowich the one who kidnapped you?”

  “It’s not like that.” Her friend looked ready to cry. “It was an internship.”

  That was right, she’d had an internship first semester. Allyson hadn’t really known what it was. Surely the police looked into it when they’d investigated Vanessa’s disappearance?

  Allyson had to tread carefully or Vanessa would shut down. She gently said, “And then one night…you just didn’t come home?”

  “He said it was time. That I needed to cut ties. Commit to him and the business.”

  “Like come to work full time, or live with him?” Had it been both romantic and business? Allyson had seen pictures of Kennowich. He was much older now, but still handsome. Did he have that charismatic, magnetic personality some people had that drew people in?

  The way she’d worded it, Kennowich sounded like a cult leader. Had he brainwashed her into working for him all these years, instead of coming home? She watched Vanessa take a sip of water and wondered if this was a case of Stockholm syndrome. Maybe she should mention that to the doctor and get a psychological evaluation.

  But why would Vanessa turn on him now? It could have something to do with the men who’d captured her. The fact she’d been running. Maybe she was on the outs with Kennowich for some reason, and so she’d run. Or had the fact she’d decided to run cause him to send people after her?

  Only Vanessa could answer which side of this chicken-or-egg scenario she was on.

  “Were you in San Francisco,” Allyson asked, “all this time?”

  Vanessa studied the clenched fingers in her lap. “I was in Miami for a few years learning the business. Then Chicago. I was even in Vancouver for a while.”

  He’d kept her on the move, hindering anyone’s attempts to find her. Like the couple of private investigators Allyson had hired over the past ten years. And yet no one had realized the internship was the cause of it.

  Allyson didn’t like that. It smacked of payoffs, bribes, or just straight coercion. Everyone who had looked into Vanessa’s disappearance had claimed to find nothing but dead ends. “And now you live in San Francisco?”

  She nodded, looking a little startled. “That’s right.”

  “Sal’s team did their homework. That’s how we managed to find you.”

  Vanessa flashed her a brittle smile. “I’m glad you did.”

  Allyson needed to tease the “threat” out of her friend. Find out what Kennowich was planning, preferably before Sal came back in. To do that, she had to get Vanessa to rely on her. Could they rebuild their friendship, even after all these years, or would their relationship always be tainted by the fact Allyson was a cop, and Van needed her help?

  Vanessa grabbed her hand then. “Thank you for helping me.”

  “Nowhere else I’d rather be.” Tears threatened at the edges of Allyson’s vision. “I’m so glad you’re here and safe now. I’m so sorry I never found you.”

  “He wouldn’t have let that happen. There’s no way you could have known.”

  She had to ask. “Did he ever..?”

  Van looked away. “It wasn’t like that. Not all the time. He saw something in me, and I’m good at my job now. Really good.”

  Yet she’d left. To do the right thing, or because she’d had no other choice? “I’m proud of you for taking a stand.” Allyson touched her hand.

  Vanessa turned her hand over and held on tight. “I had to. He’s going to…hurt people.”

  “Tell me. So I can stop it.”

  Vanessa bit her lip. “I don’t know if you can.”

  “But I’ll try, right? That’s why you came to me.”

  “I came because you cared about me. Because we were friends.”

  And yet she said that in the past tense. “It’s still true.” Allyson just needed to convince
her. “But I’m also a cop, and that means it’s my job to take the intel and try to stop the crime before it happens.”

  Usually they were about cleaning up the mess afterward. Getting justice for victims. They made sure the bad guy didn’t do something worse next time because they’d gathered enough evidence there would be no way they wouldn’t get a conviction.

  Always a gamble, but the justice system was what it was and they just did their best to prevent more crime. Like putting the pin back in a grenade before it is released to destroy. Whenever they could get ahead of something, it was a serious win for the ATF. For all of them, really.

  “You’re a good person. Always were,” Vanessa said. “I haven’t been a good person for a long time, and maybe I never was one.”

  “That’s not true. What you’ve done doesn’t matter. It’s the choices you make now that count.”

  “You really believe that?”

  Allyson nodded. “Of course.”

  “You’re my only family now.”

  She blinked. Vanessa really thought that? Allyson patted her hand while she processed the idea that this woman wanted to be that with her, even now. Of course she wanted it. She cared about her friend. But could she be her support system? Allyson had to wonder if she would be enough.

  Back in the day, Vanessa and her father had an interesting relationship. They hadn’t exactly seen eye to eye. Now with him gone, they didn’t have anything and never would.

  Vanessa needed Allyson’s support all the more. She was right, they were the only family each other had. But whatever strain had been between them back in college wasn’t because Vanessa had been a bad person.

  “Whatever Kennowich made you do wasn’t your fault.” She paused. “Was it your idea?”

  Vanessa looked away.

  Life was never cut and dry, but it was like she’d convinced herself it was. Because she was somehow…poisoned? Tainted maybe, but not poisoned. “You might not be able to fix the past, but you can make the future whatever you want it to be.”

  Vanessa looked up at her then, hope shining in her eyes.

  Sal chose that point to come back in, breaking the moment. He didn’t look exactly happy. “I need to know what Kennowich is planning, and I need the physical evidence you have. Which means you need to hand me that flash drive.”

  Allyson stood so fast she almost stumbled. “Now hang on a second.”

  . . .

  Sal lifted a hand. “If it’s as bad as she claims, then time is of the essence.”

  Not to mention the pressure the team was now putting on him. This was their shot to get Kennowich. A shot that had landed in their laps. Well, technically it had landed in Allyson’s lap, but his team didn’t consider that to be exactly pertinent.

  They were all federal agents, and he figured that was what counted.

  Vanessa’s expression—the one she showed him behind Allyson’s back—had a slight edge to it that he didn’t have time to consider.

  “Just tell me where it is, and I’ll go pick it up.”

  If Allyson didn’t like the pressure he was putting on this woman, that was fine. This “friend” of hers had been an accomplice to who knew what. For years. If she testified against Kennowich in an upcoming trial, then they could put her in witness security. After that, she might be safe but Allyson would never see her again, considering that keeping in contact would be a security risk that went against protocol.

  Having physical evidence in their hands would mean that Vanessa didn’t need to testify. Which would mean she didn’t need to be given a new identity and moved to a new city. She wouldn’t have to disappear.

  Evidently Allyson hadn’t figured that out—but she would, and then she would be less mad at him. Not that he thought she would thank him, necessarily. But a little gratitude for being here and being part of this wouldn’t hurt. Would it?

  He sighed, trying to soften his tone, “I know you’ve been through something unimaginably hard.” He moved closer as Allyson turned back to her friend to be supportive. Or to guard her against his overbearing maleness.

  He continued, “But you reached out to us so we could bring him down. In order to do that, we need to know everything you know.”

  After a minute or so of thought, and a glance at Allyson, Vanessa nodded. “Okay.”

  He looked at Allyson, willing her to figure out that what he was doing would turn out to be for the best. She knew he was right, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

  Sal’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He drew it out to read the screen.

  Nice speech.

  He unlocked it to text back.

  Shhhh.

  Sal hit the home button so he didn’t text accidentally while talking. The call to Talia was still active, the line open between him and his team who were at the office. Listening.

  He leaned against the end of the bed to take the weight off his aching leg. “Kennowich has a plan in the works?”

  Vanessa hiccupped a breath. “It’s why I couldn’t wait any longer. I can’t let people die, or get hurt.” She spoke so low he wondered if the team could even hear her. “Not again.”

  “He’s done something like this before?” Allyson rested her hip on the side of the bed again. “Or did you just mean that he’s hurt you?”

  “Yes.” Vanessa shrugged one shoulder, the edge to her expression gone, now that she was looking at her friend and not him. “Both.”

  “You called me, and I’m here.” Allyson seemed to feel the need to reassure her some more. “You’re safe.”

  “When I realized what he was going to do, I copied the information to a flash drive and ran.”

  “And he had you followed?”

  Vanessa nodded.

  He’d caught up to her and recaptured her. “You managed to escape. Twice, right?”

  She didn’t look at him. “It was a miracle I was able to get out of the garage. I got over the fence, and then when I heard you talking in the back yard, I thought it was—” Her voice broke. “I hid. I knew if I ran they’d just chase me, and I would never get away.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “You can’t let him get me again.”

  Allyson said, “How many people were in that house with you?”

  “Three…three men.”

  “Can you identify them, like if I get you pictures?”

  Sal figured the men were looking for her. He’d been about to ask the same question before Allyson beat him to it. They’d found her once. Kennowich—or more likely those three men of his—were still in Seattle, and probably looking for her.

  Vanessa said, “I think so. They were security guys I’ve seen at the office. But one was from Miami, I think.”

  Sal gave her a second, then got to the point. “Do you have the flash drive?”

  She shook her head. “I hid it before they grabbed me.”

  “Where?”

  Vanessa’s hopeful expression dropped. “I don’t know where I was.”

  “Could we retrace your steps?” Allyson suggested.

  “Maybe. I came out of the bus station, and I was on a side street. Like an alley. After that, they grabbed me and took me in the car.”

  “That’s a great start,” Allyson said.

  Vanessa made a face. “It’s not like I’m ever going to forget running.”

  Allyson nodded, and he figured she was giving her friend a sympathetic look.

  They could show her picture around the area surrounding the bus station as well, see if business owners or any residents had seen her.

  Getting that flash drive—if it really did contain everything about the plan Kennowich had in place—would be key to all this. The result they’d needed for months now. A way to get ahead of the man’s plans for once. And maybe even stop them.

  “I knew they were following me, so I hid it and then called Allyson.”

  The origin of that call was their starting point. “After that they grabbed you?”

  She nodded.

  “How did you mana
ge to get away from the house?”

  Allyson shot him another look, but he ignored it. Yes, he was asking repeated questions. But it wasn’t to try and catch Vanessa in a lie. Often a witness remembered more details going over the experience a second or third time.

  What he really wanted to ask was why they’d left her alone long enough for her to escape, but didn’t think Allyson would appreciate that line of questioning.

  He’d pushed her friend enough already. Knowing that flash drive was out there made him want to haul her to an interrogation room—even with what she’d been through.

  They couldn’t let it fall into the wrong hands if it could help save lives.

  “One of the men got a call.” Vanessa sniffed. “There were only three, so the other two must have gone somewhere with him. I got out of the chair and managed to snap the ties.” She lifted her wrist and showed him the red line.

  Sal nodded. He’d done the same thing before.

  “I ran out of the back.” She winced like she was remembering the pain of it all.

  He could empathize when necessary, and it seemed like Allyson had that part of this covered. What he needed to do was be a cop. Think like a judge, look at all the evidence and decide whether to issue a warrant.

  Instead of this being simply about helping Allyson’s friend now, it was also solidly a case they needed to see through to its conclusion. He and Allyson. Sometimes a case took months, which meant he’d see Allyson every day for the foreseeable future.

  Even given what was going on and the trauma her friend had sustained, that thought invigorated him. He glanced at Allyson. Months working side by side with her, bringing down his team’s greatest enemy. After that, he could retire to whatever career was next for him, satisfied he’d done everything he needed to.

  Was this God’s answer to his question? One last case…and then he could walk away.

  A knock on the door preceded the rotating of the door handle. Two men walked in.

  More than one badge was flashed in Sal’s face. FBI. “We’ll take it from here.”

  Chapter 8

  All along she’d been worried about the Northwest Counter-Terrorism Task Force stealing the case from her and shutting her out. Now it turned out that she should have been more concerned about an entirely different breed of feds.