For the first time, she wondered if she’d asked too much.
A CELL PHONE pealed in the distance, bringing Nina to her feet. The ringing was coming from outside the front door. Had Quinn dropped his phone on the way out, or was someone else out there?
The ringing stopped. She waited, listening, her ear cocked toward the entrance. It started again. She grabbed her gun and advanced toward the door. Slowly. She searched the shadowy surroundings and spotted a cell phone sitting on a table just outside the door.
It wasn’t Quinn’s phone. She checked the area again before stepping outside. She grabbed it, then darted back inside. The ringing stilled before she could accept the call. She waited, phone in hand. It chimed again.
“Hello,” she answered.
“Hello, Agent Brandt. Long time, no see.” A male voice slid through the phone.
Nina searched her memory, but came up empty. “Who is this?”
He chuckled. “The only person smart enough to set you up and man enough to make it happen.”
The man who was setting her up. She expected him to sound more like Quinn, hard and tough, but his voice didn’t hold as much bravado as his words. Maybe that meant he wasn’t as smart as he thought, and she could trip him up.
“Set me up for what?” she asked innocently.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Me telling you something so you can use it to hunt me down again.” He paused, and she didn’t know if she should speak or remain silent.
“All you need to know right now is that I have a score to settle with you,” he continued. “And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
“That’s what you think.” She tried to sound sure and confident.
“It’s what I know. I also know you’ll do exactly as I ask.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I have Hamid, And unless you come to meet us, I’ll be forced to kill him.”
No. He couldn’t have Hamid, could he? Sure he could.
She sucked in a breath to clear her mind and tried not to let her worry sound in her voice. “How can I be sure you’re telling the truth?”
Silence filled the phone for a moment, then it dinged. “Check your texts.”
She found the right screen and opened the message. He’d sent a picture of Hamid bound and terrified. She clenched her hand around the phone to keep from yelling at the guy. “If this is really about you paying me back, then let Hamid go. He’s done nothing to you, and I know you don’t want to go away for murder.”
“Hamid is looking very concerned, Agent Brandt,” he replied. “Don’t disappoint him. We’re at Triple Falls. On the trail. You have fifteen minutes to meet us, or Hamid will die. Come alone. Don’t tell anyone where you’ve gone. Bring this phone, but leave any other cell you might have behind.”
She didn’t want to risk her life this way, but she had no choice. “I’ll be there.”
“We’ll be waiting.” He laughed again, before the line went dead.
BRANDT WAS ON her way up the trail. Wiley had been watching the movements of her vehicle on the GPS app on his phone, seeing her come closer and closer to the falls. He also watched the SEAL head into town. Thankfully, Wiley had the foresight to put the tracker on the SEAL’s car allowing him to locate Brandt at her little cabin. Then he placed another two on the other vehicles in the garage before the SEAL took off.
Excitement shot through him as he went to join Hamid where he’d left him, farther up the trail. Wiley had done a superb job of restraining the kid. His hands were bound in front, his ankles hog-tied with the rope circling a tree, and a generous gag filled his mouth.
“I’m back, Hamid.” Wiley grabbed the bedside transmitter from under a layer of brush. “I suppose you’re wondering what I’m doing with this. The people who make these things have done their best to keep them from delivering a lethal shock, but see . . . here’s the thing. I’ve never met a device that I couldn’t alter. In fact, I’ve reprogrammed one of these babies once before, so yours wasn’t very difficult at all.”
Hamid moaned and tried to scamper back.
“Hey, man, don’t be afraid. I’m sure it’ll be quick. I’ll give you a few seconds for a prayer if you want. Then we gotta move on. Agent Brandt is on her way.”
Wiley sat back on his haunches for a moment while Hamid mumbled through his gag. After a respectable time, Wiley lifted the transmitter again. “Thanks for your help in putting away the scumbag agent, Hamid. Your contribution will never be forgotten.”
Hamid planted his heels in the dirt, squirming harder. His eyes were wide with fear.
Wiley felt a moment of hesitation. He’d never killed an innocent kid before. People like his parents were easy. The psychiatrist—even easier. But the kid? Wiley hadn’t expected this moment of remorse? But then, sacrifice was necessary if he wanted to achieve his goals. He could do this. He was in control. It felt good. So good.
Powerful.
He pressed the button.
Hamid’s eyes widened. His body bucked hard in a deep convulsion. Then his limbs went slack, his eyes fixed and open. Wiley watched for a few moments, waiting, before stepping forward and checking for a pulse. He found none. Good. It was over. Time to call the police. He dialed Hamid’s new phone, using the speaker button to keep from touching his face and inadvertently putting his DNA on the phone,
“911. What’s your emergency?” the operator asked.
“Help,” Wiley whispered with an accent that he hoped mimicked Hamid’s. “She’s going to kill me. I’m all alone up here. Hiding. You have to stop her.”
“Calm down, son. What’s your name?”
“Hamid Ahmadi.”
“Can you tell me where you are, Hamid?”
“Triple Falls Trail in the gorge.”
“Do you know your attacker?’
“Yes. Agent Nina Brandt with the FBI. She’s hacking into government databases. She’s been trying to pin it on me. Now she’s trying to kill me to cover it up. Please hurry. Send someone. I have to go. She’s coming.”
Wiley hung up and tossed back his head to laugh, but Brandt came to mind, stopping him. She might have climbed high enough by now to hear him. He put the phone in the teen’s hand, curling his fingers around it to set his prints.
Perfect. Now for Brandt’s new phone. Wiley slid it under Hamid’s body where Brandt wouldn’t likely find it. The police would. Oh, yeah, they would. Before they went searching for the woman they’d believe it belonged to.
Chapter Twenty-Four
HER HEART LODGED in her throat, Nina climbed the trail. She prayed that Hamid was safe, but she also prayed that her caller hadn’t somehow found out about her fear of the river and was planning to use it to get back at her.
They were nearing dusk and the light was fading fast. A cold wind whipped down the trail, biting into the sweatshirt she’d thought was so warm back at the cabin. She hated coming up here at all, and climbing toward the falls under these conditions didn’t help. Her heart pounded with each uphill step. At each turn of the trail, she expected someone to jump out at her. Was he hiding? Waiting in the woods, ready to pounce?
She held out her weapon and kept going. Just ahead, she saw something odd, so she eased closer. Then she spotted a leg protruding through the underbrush. Jeans and sneakers, red like the pair Hamid had been wearing.
“Hamid,” she called out.
No answer.
“Hamid,” she called again as she inched forward. She had a clear view of the body now and confirmed it was Hamid, lying on his back, his hands and ankles tied, his phone in his hand. He was staring blankly into the sky.
She forced herself to remain calm, detached, and observe as an agent would. She saw no blood or any apparent injury. She supposed, with his heart condition, he could have collapsed,
but everything about this situation felt wrong. She crept closer, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.
“Please, be okay. Please, be okay,” she whispered. But she’d been in the law enforcement game long enough to know he was dead. Still, she had to check to be sure. She knelt next to him, feeling for a pulse. None.
Her stomach threatened to empty right there on the spot. She focused on breathing, calming the roiling waves of nausea. Now what did she do?
Think, Nina, think.
Hamid’s body was still warm. He hadn’t been dead long. Which meant the killer had to be close by, maybe planning to kill her next. She shot to her feet and took shelter behind the tree.
There was no sign of anyone in the area. Not a sound, save the wind whistling down the trail.
She suspected her adversary had lured her there to make it look like she’d been the one to kill Hamid. He was tightening the noose, and she could easily see herself facing a murder rap, as well as the other charges.
She should call 911. Report the death.
No, wait. They’d arrest her. Then what would she do? She hadn’t been able to clear her name for the hack. But murder? She’d never be able to do that from a jail cell.
She stared at Hamid, tears starting to stream down her cheeks. The poor, poor boy. He’d lost his life for what? Revenge? Now she was considering leaving him there.
She had to. She couldn’t help him now. He was gone.
The memory of her mother’s face the moment she’d heard about Garrett popped into Nina’s mind. And her father’s reaction had been just as unforgettable. All the grief, the recriminations, the blame. They split up shortly afterward. How would Hamid’s parents handle this?
Nina knew their pain. She’d lived their pain. She wanted to go to them, to offer comfort. But she couldn’t. She had to think of herself instead. Her grandmother would be shocked at this choice, but Nina was making it.
She was going to do something she never thought she’d do. She’d work her way down to the trailhead. Once she was safely in her car, she’d call 911.
That is, if the creep who’d killed Hamid wasn’t lying in wait, planning to take her life, too.
QUINN TURNED ONTO the road leading toward the cabin and glanced at his brother, who was sitting in the passenger seat. Nina would be so peeved when she saw Ty, but Quinn had to pick him up. Quinn couldn’t take the chance that Sulyard would use Ty as leverage against Nina or arrest Ty and toss him in juvie.
Sure, going to the hotel was risky. But if Quinn couldn’t manage to free Ty without capture by an FBI agent, then he wasn’t much of a SEAL.
His phone chimed a text, but he was driving so he glanced at Ty. “Can you read that to me?”
Ty picked up the phone. “It’s from Nina.”
“Nina.” He shot a look at Ty. “What? Where’d she get a cell phone?”
Ty fell silent, his eyes widening. “Oh no, man. No. Not this.”
“What is it?”
Ty looked up, his eyes now filling with worry. “She said a man killed Hamid at the gorge.”
“How in the world does she know that?” Quinn’s mind raced over the possibilities. Over the chance that she might be in danger. “Call her. Now!”
Ty dialed and put the phone on speaker. It rang four times.
“Quinn,” she responded, a hitch in her voice.
“Are you okay?” Quinn tried to keep the fear out of his voice.
“Yes.”
“How do you know about Hamid?” he demanded.
“A man left this phone outside the cabin, then called it. He told me he had Hamid. To meet them at the gorge or he’d kill Hamid.”
“I gave you my number. You should have called me.”
“There was no time. He only gave me fifteen minutes. I had to go. I found Hamid’s body. I figured this creep was trying to set me up for the murder, so I took off. I’m on my way back to cabin.”
Quinn slammed a hand on the wheel. “You can’t go back there. This guy knows where it is.”
She responded. “I have to get the Hacktivist list.”
“He could kill you, too.”
“He obviously doesn’t want to hurt me, or he could have done it at the gorge.”
“You can’t know that for sure. Besides, we can get the list from Becca.”
“She can’t compromise her values that way. It’s one thing to provide my old files, but giving me a copy of evidence for an active investigation is another thing altogether.”
He wanted to argue, but he understood the ethics agents followed. He lived by his own creed. “Then wait. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“We’ll have nothing to go on if he takes the paperwork. I have my gun, and I’ll be careful.”
“Wait for me, Nina,” Quinn barked, his heart shredding.
“Sorry. I have to do this now more than ever. For Hamid.”
The line went dead.
Quinn cursed under his breath and pressed the gas pedal to the floor. He didn’t care if the roads were treacherous. He was going to make a twenty-minute drive in ten minutes, no matter what.
NINA SWUNG THE truck into the driveway. She was flying by the seat of her pants. No planning, only one goal in mind—to get in, get what she needed, and get to safety. How had she lost control of her life so quickly? She could barely breathe. If her mother could see her, she’d have a heart attack
“Calm down,” she warned herself as she cut the engine and listened.
Big breath in and a slow one out. That’s it. Another one and another.
As her body calmed, she surveyed the area. Not sensing an ambush, she drew her weapon and bolted for the steps. She took them one at a time, quietly inching down, for once not caring that she was heading toward water. She got the key in the lock and swung the door open wide, then took cover.
Sensing no movement inside, she inched forward, left the lights off, and crept through the space, first the kitchen, followed by the great room, then the bedrooms. It took her a long time to clear the place in the dark, but she wouldn’t turn on the lights until she was sure she was alone. After searching the last room, her legs went weak with relief, and she was afraid she might crumble. But she couldn’t. Not yet. Not until she had the list.
She rested against the door until her strength returned, then went back to the great room. Something clicked in the distance outside. A car door closing quietly? Maybe. Or maybe nothing. She couldn’t risk it. Nor could she risk closing the door that she’d left wide open to leave a quick escape route.
She took cover behind a floor-to-ceiling cabinet in the kitchen and held her gun at the ready. She’d never shot anyone. She didn’t want to now, but she would if she had to. She had no reason to believe the killer would come back there, but then, just a few days ago, she had no reason to believe her supervisor would show up at her house with plans to arrest her. Or that someone would be framing her for terrorism and murder.
She sucked in a breath and let it out quietly. She heard only crickets chirping. Frogs croaking. The hum of the refrigerator behind her. She was expecting to hear footfalls inching down the stairs, closer and closer. But silence reigned. She shifted to look around the corner. A quick peek, then back to cover.
An arm came down over her chest. She screamed. Her gun flew from her hand, hitting the floor and skittering out of reach. She elbowed her assailant.
“Nina?” Quinn asked, and she was suddenly released.
The lights cut on, flooding the space. She blinked hard.
Gun in hand, Quinn watched her. His eyes were warrior sharp. The fierce hunter expression left her breathless. He eyed her for a long moment, then set his gun on the counter and crushed her to him, flattening her against his chest. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” She sagged against
him.
“Why are you in the dark like this?”
“I heard a noise and didn’t want to be a sitting duck.” She laughed nervously. “Though that’s exactly what I ended up being.”
“If it had been anyone else but me, you’d have done just fine.”
He was right. The average person didn’t possess his skills.
He set her away, ran his gaze over her body, then pulled her close again. “Thank God you’re okay.”
The security of his arms, the strength and absolute power circling her, brought tears to the surface. She tried to stem them, but she kept seeing Hamid’s eyes staring into the distance. The life gone from his body. She’d spent her whole life trying hard to keep things on an even keel. To plan and prepare. To take precautions. But what difference did it make?
No matter what she did, how she planned, the steps she took to remain safe, someone could destroy it all in a flash. She’d always hated that Quinn ran out and courted danger, but she wasn’t safe either. Her mother had been wrong—Nina couldn’t control her environment. Sure, there were things people could do to minimize their risk, but to go to the extremes she had?
Quinn leaned back and pressed the hair from her forehead. “Tell me what happened.”
“He killed Hamid.” Saying it aloud made her give in to her tears.
He kissed her forehead. “Shh, sweetheart. Don’t cry.”
“But he’s dead. Oh, Quinn, he’s really, truly dead. If I’d gotten to him sooner, maybe—”
“So, it’s true then?” Ty interrupted from the door. “Ham’s dead?”
“Ty? What are you doing here?” She tried to free herself, but Quinn held fast.
“Why don’t you wait out on the deck, Ty,” Quinn suggested. “I’ll sort this out with Nina. Then I’ll fill you in on the details.”
Nina heard the steel under Quinn’s words. Ty must have too, since he stepped outside without arguing. She wanted to stay in the circle of Quinn’s arms, but that would only make her want to keep crying. She needed to gain clarity so she could move forward. Nearly choking on the tears clogging her throat, she backed away and grabbed a tissue from the counter. She felt Quinn watching her intently, as if he was trying to decide what to do.
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