by Kate James
When she finished, she turned her attention back to Logan. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
Logan closed her door behind him and pulled a chair in front of her. He sat down and took her hands into his. “Ariana, one explanation is that someone has it in for the airport and is using you and your credentials to mount these attacks—physical and cyber.”
“But—?”
“Let me finish. The more probable explanation is that it relates to you. Unfortunately, that’s what I’m leaning toward right now.”
She shook her head. “Why?” Her voice came out as a squeak.
“If we knew that, we’d be in a much better position to apprehend the perpetrator.”
“Dave Langdon...?”
Logan nodded. “We’ve questioned him. We have him under surveillance, but it doesn’t feel right to me. Can you think of anyone else who might have cause to harm you or your reputation? Have you collaborated with the DEA in a major drug bust at the airport, for example?”
“No, but that doesn’t make sense, though. I wouldn’t have been lead, and the cartels wouldn’t simply play with me like this, would they?”
“You’re not wrong. I’m trying to cover all possibilities.”
When Ariana’s phone rang, she grabbed it. It was the vice president of IT. She listened and thanked him before hanging up.
“The IP address isn’t going to help us,” she told Logan. “Whoever sent the email knew what they were doing. The IP address is untraceable. The signal bounced around five cities in four states.”
“That’s serious masking.”
“Yeah.”
“We’re not dealing with an amateur.”
Ariana had to agree. But Logan couldn’t be correct about the rest, she tried to assure herself. It wasn’t possible that all this was happening because of her.
And if it was, why?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LOGAN OFFERED TO take Ariana home. She refused. He wanted to be there for her, but he also understood her need to sort things out herself.
He expected she wouldn’t have an easy night. The airport’s CEO had been justifiably furious about this latest incident and the associated media attention—all critical of the airport—and had demanded answers.
They had none.
The investigation seemed to be consuming all of Ariana’s time—and if not her time, her thoughts—day and night. When Logan wanted to take her out to dinner or just see her after work, she declined. She explained that she had to work. Yes, she was preoccupied, but he thought it was mostly an excuse.
She needed to figure out what was going on and if it involved her. He wasn’t certain if she’d fully accepted that she was the common denominator of the incidents. If she did, she kept coming up empty as to why.
Logan could tell Ariana was jittery. He couldn’t blame her under the circumstances. When they’d finished for the day, he made sure he had a quiet moment with her in a sheltered corner. He ran his hands along her upper arms. “I miss seeing you,” he said softly.
She laughed. “We just spent most of the day together—again. How can you say you miss seeing me?”
He held her gaze. “You know what I mean. I miss being with you outside of work. Just us.” He was surprised by how true that statement was. He could tell she hadn’t expected it either. Her lips parted slightly, and the desire to cover her mouth with his was nearly overpowering. “This Saturday is the police service canine tactical competition,” he said instead. “It’s held every year at Qualcomm Stadium. Boomer and I will be trying to hold on to our championship title. It would mean a lot to me if you’d come watch us compete. Afterward have dinner with me and the other members of the K-9 Unit. Hopefully to celebrate another victory for Boomer and me. What do you say?”
He saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He understood that her acceptance would mean that they were going public with their...relationship.
“Don’t worry about the dogs. They’ll be on the field. You’ll be in the stands with our group.”
Ariana smiled. She waited to let a couple of people pass by them. “Okay. I’d like that.”
“I have to be at the stadium with Boomer early. Since I doubt you’d want to be with us on the field for check-in and trials, are you okay with getting there on your own?”
“No problem.” She cast a surreptitious glance around them, rose up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. “I have to get back to my office now.”
With a smile on her face, she waved and set off at a brisk pace. Logan was glad she’d accepted. It would be a good distraction and it seemed to put a spring back in her step. He hated to see her so stressed.
With a bounce in his own stride, he headed back to his vehicle, and the division.
* * *
RICK WAS WAITING for Logan when he arrived. He followed him into his office and sat on the corner of Logan’s desk.
“I heard about the latest incident at the airport,” Rick said.
“Yeah. It makes no sense.”
“Well, we have another problem.”
Logan had been rounding his desk but stopped. “What?”
“We got a call from my DEA contact again today. He gave me a heads-up that an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would be calling you. He did while you were at the airport today. Dispatch directed the call to me in your absence.”
“And?”
“ATF is now involved with the DEA in investigating the smuggling ring operating out of the airport. They still don’t know how long it’s been in place, but early this morning they confiscated a major shipment that included not just stolen electronics and drugs, but guns and ammunition. The drugs were hidden in sealed cans of tomato sauce.” Rick shook his head. “It never ceases to amaze me how innovative criminals get.”
The mention of canned goods used for smuggling triggered a memory for Logan. Shannon had said that the baggage storage room Darwin had alerted to at the airport had contained cartons of canned goods and electronics. Darwin could have detected the narcotics, if there were any in the cans, while Nitro would have purposefully ignored it, because of his retraining to focus specifically on explosives.
“Most concerning is the gun trafficking,” Rick continued. “Logan, ATF confiscated the shipment of guns and ammunition as it was leaving San Diego International. The feds believe the guns and ammunition were purchased at gun shows in Texas—no background checks required—and smuggled here as cargo on a commercial flight. That means there have to be operatives at both airports. ATF suspects the trafficker was transporting them from here to Mexico to sell to the cartels. Not a good situation.”
No, it wasn’t, and it was particularly concerning for Rick, because of his interaction with the cartels. “What do they need from us? The feds handle that sort of thing routinely on their own without local police involvement.”
“I’m not sure it’s anything they want from us. I took it to be more of a heads-up and to just keep our eyes and ears open. They’re obviously aware of the explosions and associated investigation at the airport. They’re not saying that there’s any connection, but they wanted us to be aware of what’s going on and that they’re investigating.”
Logan dropped heavily into his chair and dragged both hands through his hair. The only thing he could think of was how Ariana would react to this latest news. He could already see the effects of the pressure she was under, and he worried about her. She was strong, but everyone had their limits. “Did they share any details?”
Rick shook his head. “Not really. The ATF agent did confirm what my DEA contact had already suggested. That they suspect there are insiders at the airport involved.”
“That’s not earth-shattering, as it’s usually the case.” Logan again thought of Ariana and another hit she’d hav
e to take. “Any indication how they’re doing it and who might be involved?”
“No, other than what I already told you about a commercial flight, and that the insiders are likely from baggage handling and security. If they’re not directly involved, they’re accepting payment for allowing it to happen. On the plus side, the feds think they have a lead on the insiders at the airport in Texas. If they get them, identifying those involved in San Diego will be much easier.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Logan closed his eyes for a moment, trying to piece it together in his mind.
“Have you considered Ariana Atkins?”
Logan’s eyes flew open, his gaze drilling into Rick’s. “What about Ariana?”
“Look, I know you like her, and we’ve talked about how solid she is and all the improvements she’s been making at the airport, but why are we faced with two major investigations there in the short time she’s held her job? Prior to her arrival, the airport hadn’t experienced any major threats or incidents in years, other than routine drug smuggling. If security is tight or at least tighter than it was before, and this stuff is going on, wouldn’t it make sense that one of the insiders would have to be an influential member of the security team?”
Logan immediately thought of Langdon and wondered if he’d read him wrong. But he’d been gone for weeks now, and the shipment was intercepted this morning. It had to be someone else working inside.
“Logan...?” Rick asked quietly.
“No, it doesn’t make sense for the two incidents to be connected. Why draw attention to the airport and cause heightened levels of security if you’re operating a smuggling ring?”
“That’s a fair point. Unless, of course, you know how to work around the tighter security. Any further thoughts about Ariana?”
“No. She can’t think of anyone who might have a reason to target her.” Other than Langdon, Logan thought. He might have to take another look at him.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what?”
“Have you considered that Ariana might have something to gain from what’s going on?”
Before Logan could jump to her defense, Rick rushed on.
“I’m not saying the bombs and the smuggling are connected. Let’s put the smuggling aside for a minute. Remember that security guard at the residential development who was starting fires in the homes that were under construction and then showing up in time to call 911 and have them put out? He did it to prove that they needed him, because he was worried that he might be laid off.”
“C’mon, you can’t seriously think that—”
“Just hear me out, Jagger. I find it hard to believe, too, but what else have we got? Overriding a sophisticated video management system, knowing where the cameras are, unrestricted access to the areas impacted, her security card being used, the active shooter notification originating from her email address and with her passcode...”
Logan was trying to control his temper and not take exception to Rick’s train of thought. If he put his personal feelings for Ariana aside, he had to admit Rick was asking the right questions. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll take the huge leap to say what if. Let’s say there’s some validity behind what you’re saying. Why would she do it to make herself the target? Why not someone else, and she’s the hero for resolving the problem?”
“Maybe she wants to be seen as a sympathetic victim.”
Logan thought about the self-doubt he’d seen developing in Ariana. No! She wouldn’t do what Rick was suggesting. She had a strong moral compass and truly cared about her work. “No, she wouldn’t do something like that,” he stated categorically.
“Okay, but sometimes people do things they don’t want to or that are out of character because they’re forced to,” Rick continued. “Ariana’s smart and knows her job. We’ve already agreed on that. Her team respects her. We can agree that she’s not incompetent nor would she unintentionally let problems arise.”
Logan nodded.
“Is it possible she’s being blackmailed to provide access or plans? Or at least allow it to happen?”
Logan raised his eyebrows and straightened in his chair. “No way. Whatever else might be going on, Ariana has integrity. She’d sooner suffer the consequences than compromise herself, or be part of an illegal act.”
“Maybe she has debts she can’t repay and—”
“No,” was Logan’s curt rejoinder.
Silence stretched between them for long moments.
“You sure about that?” Rick finally asked.
“As sure as I am about myself.”
“Okay. Have you checked her background?”
Logan gave Rick a withering look. “There’s been no justification for me to do it. I can’t invade her privacy without cause.”
Rick shrugged and smiled grimly. “People have been known to do things that have surprised even those closest to them.”
“No. Ariana wouldn’t,” Logan said firmly.
Rick pushed off the desk. “Just saying...”
“If we’re done with that topic, I have some good news. I hired a new K-9 officer to work explosives. To replace Brody. He’s an experienced handler. He’s coming from the Port of San Diego’s Harbor Police Department K-9 Unit. You’ve met him. He’s the guy who’s given me the toughest challenge at the service dog competitions for the last two years. He’ll need a dog. Are you up for training another one?”
“Always,” Rick responded. “But what about Shannon? I thought you were considering her for Brody’s slot.”
“I talked to her about it. What happened at the airport rattled her. She’d rather go into search and rescue, and I think she’ll do well. Cal has more work than he can handle, and he’d welcome her assistance.”
“Good to hear you won’t have to keep doing double duty,” Rick said and rose.
Logan watched Rick through the glass wall of his office as he made his way back to his desk, stopping to chat with Shannon and Cal for a few minutes. He shook hands with Shannon and she grinned at whatever he said to her.
Logan’s thoughts turned back to the discussion he’d just had with Rick. No, he hadn’t looked into Ariana’s background. For the job she held at the airport, she would have had to go through a rigorous background check. Was it possible that there was more there? Could he have been wrong about her?
He thought about the smuggling and the empty storage room that Shannon had said Darwin had alerted to the day of the explosions. And that it had contained mostly boxes and cartons. When he’d gone back with Shannon, they’d found only a few bags and the coffee beans. Was there a connection? If there was smuggled ammunition in the room, Darwin could have picked up on that, even though they hadn’t been specifically training him for that. But Nitro would have, too, since his training included firearms. That made Logan think of drugs again, possibly in the sealed cans. It’d been known to happen. Sealed cans were also a way of transporting illicit money. Boomer was a single-purpose explosives detection dog, so if firearms, ammunition or drugs had been stored in the room, he wouldn’t have hit on any of them.
Ariana’s key had worked in the lock, as had the baggage supervisor’s. Max’s hadn’t. If she was involved, why would she have revealed that? He wanted to ask her but knew he couldn’t. If the ATF and the DEA started thinking along the lines Rick had, she could become a possible suspect. If that was the case, he’d be walking a very fine line if he maintained a personal relationship with her.
No way Ariana was involved. It irritated him that Rick had caused if not doubt at least questions in his mind about her. He was...falling for her. The realization shocked the heck out of him, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
Whatever issues Ariana might have, whatever was or wasn’t between them, he remained steadfast in his belief in her honesty an
d integrity.
Logan swiveled his chair to face his laptop, logged in and did a couple of quick searches.
Nothing popped on Ariana. Everything she’d told him about her background, her family, her education all seemed to be aboveboard. He made a few additional entries. At his level, he could dig a little deeper, access certain files that might not be available to others. He didn’t expect to find much, but since he’d already started, he figured he might as well make his background check as thorough as he could.
As he did, he got a flag.
“Well, what do you know?” he murmured. There was an SDPD file on her. He tried to access it, entering his password. It opened the file one layer but blocked him from the rest.
Accessing what he could, he was surprised to discover that she’d applied to become an officer with the department. She hadn’t told him that when he’d asked her if she’d considered becoming a cop. That gave him a moment of unease.
From what he could see, she’d passed the written test. She’d graduated from police college. What had derailed her goal to work for the SDPD? The file showed that she’d applied to the department but had been rejected.
The rest was sealed to him. It required high-level human resources access.
He turned away from the screen and reclined in his chair. He considered the possibilities for her to have gotten as far as she had in the application process, gone through the intensive training, received positive scores and yet ultimately have been rejected. If it was a matter of passing the physical fitness testing or written examination, he knew that most applicants would try again. It wasn’t unusual for some to try several times before they made it on the force. In Ariana’s case, she’d applied once and only once. No second attempt.
Was it possible that there was a blemish in her background that had made her ineligible?
He didn’t like what he was thinking. He’d been so sure of her. He’d done the background check, the deep dive, certain he’d find her entirely clean. Was there something there that might be influencing her now? Something that would result in her being involved in smuggling or even hurting people?