Cold Light of Day

by Anderson, Toni

  They weren’t even case agents, but no way was Matt about to leave Sarah LeMay at the mercy of Russian displeasure. Frazer was worried this was some sort of personal vendetta between the LeMays and Andrei Dorokhov and wanted to act before it morphed into a full-blown diplomatic incident at the worst possible moment given current souring of east-west relationships. Speed was vital; so was secrecy. And, yes, a little personal payback might not be bad for Matt’s ego, considering Sarah had made him look like a damn fool.

  “I met your daughters earlier tonight. One of them left something in my vehicle.”

  “Was it an earring?” the woman asked.

  She lost so much more than an earring.

  “You didn’t think it was a little late to drop by?” The woman’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she checked her watch. Midnight.

  This was why kids shouldn’t live with their parents after the age of twenty-one.

  “I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” he insisted but didn’t budge.

  The congressman looked baffled. The mother seemed to realize he was serious about seeing them right now. “Okay. Wait here. I’ll go upstairs and see if she wants to talk to you.”

  Matt opened his mouth to insist on talking to both of them, but the congressman stood back as if resigned. “You better come in.”

  “Angel. Angel?” The mother’s voice was getting louder and louder from a few flights up.

  “It was actually Sarah I wanted to speak to,” said Matt.

  “Sarah?” The congressman repeated as if he didn’t remember he had a second daughter.

  “Adam,” Mrs. LeMay shouted down the stairwell. “Check the kitchen, honey, she’s not in her room.”

  Obediently, the congressman went to the back of the house and started calling Angel’s name. There was no reply. A prickle of unease slid under Matt’s skin. Murphy’s Law. Anything that could go wrong would go wrong.

  “Is she in Sarah’s room, Valerie?” The congressman started up the stairs and Matt followed, leaving the door wide open behind him because he had a feeling the shit was about to hit the fan.

  He strode into what was clearly a young woman’s bedroom. There were discarded clothes on the floor, including the dress Angel had worn earlier. He walked through the open door into the adjoining room. Spotted the silver dress Sarah had worn hanging on the back of the door. No sign of either woman. He got a bad feeling about this. “Be careful what you touch.”

  They both gaped at him with matching expressions of shock.

  “What do you mean, ‘be careful what you touch’?” the congressman blustered, then turned to his wife. “You don’t think something bad has happened, do you?”

  “Maybe she went home with Scarlett?” Valerie nibbled her lip, then picked up the landline beside the bed and dialed a number.

  Who the hell was Scarlett? Matt had a horrible feeling he knew. Angel had called Sarah “Scar” in the limo.

  “Scarlett isn’t answering. I’m going to try Angel’s cell phone.” The woman dialed another number. Her face grew very pale. “She’s not answering.” She looked up. “She always carries her phone.”

  “It’s Sarah I want to speak to,” Matt said carefully.

  “Sarah?” Congressman LeMay’s face was a picture of confusion.

  “When did you meet Sarah?” the mother asked.

  Matt knew he was missing a whole bunch of pieces from the puzzle and wasn’t about to expound on his ignorance until he’d gleaned everything he could from the family.

  “I need you both to come downstairs and we can discuss this,” he said firmly.

  “What’s going on?” The mother’s eyes honed in on him and narrowed.

  “Downstairs. Now.” Matt channeled his inner drill instructor and the LeMays finally did as requested.

  Frazer stood in the entranceway downstairs.

  “Neither woman is here,” Matt told his boss.

  Frazer nodded and introduced himself to the LeMays. “Where else might your daughters have gone at this time of night, sir?”

  “What’s this about?” the mother asked. “Angel tells us if she’s going out. She knows I don’t sleep well if I don’t know she’s safe.”

  “And Sarah?” Matt asked quietly.

  “Sarah is out of town.” The congressman glared at him impatiently.

  “I was introduced to her tonight at the Residence of the Russian Ambassador to the US.”

  Valerie’s eyes bugged, and her face drained of color. She started to sag, and her husband caught her. “You must be mistaken.”

  “Pretty sure I was there and not tripping.”

  “Lazlo,” Frazer cautioned.

  “Angel took Scarlett to the Russian Embassy?” The congressman asked his wife with horror lacing his words. “She wouldn’t.”

  “It appears she did.” The woman’s lips were bloodless. She pressed them together and inhaled, as if drawing in strength.

  “Who is Scarlett?” Matt asked. Obviously, the woman he’d met earlier tonight had lied about her identity.

  Valerie’s fingers twisted into knots. “Scarlett Stone. I still don’t know what that has to do with Angel being missing—”

  “Scarlett’s a good friend of Angel’s,” the congressman cut in. “I can’t believe they’d go to that party after I expressly told her to decline the invitation. Damn, I need a drink.” The guy looked like he was about to pass out.

  Scarlett Stone…

  “Why do I recognize that name?” asked Matt.

  Alex Parker appeared in the doorway. “Because she’s the daughter of Richard Stone.”

  “Richard Stone the spy?” Frazer ground out.

  Holy motherfucker. That was the sound of shit hitting the fan.

  Alex motioned him and Frazer to come closer to the door, and murmured quietly, “Angel’s cell phone was just used to call Scarlett Stone. Someone with a Russian accent told Ms. Stone if she wanted to see her friend alive she had to meet them in thirty minutes. Alone.”

  Matt felt his lip curl. Some bastard was using one woman to threaten the other, which meant Scarlett and her friend were both in very real danger. He checked his watch. The clock was ticking if they wanted to get a handle on this thing.

  “You think they have Angel?” asked Frazer.

  “They have her cell phone and the woman is missing. It’s a safe assumption,” said Parker.

  Frazer’s gaze was compassionate when it landed on the LeMays, but he kept his voice down so they couldn’t overhear. “They can’t know about this. Not yet. They’ll get everyone on the Hill involved and both girls will be dead before morning.”

  “So you deal with them while I go pick up Miss Scarlett and set a trap for whoever has the LeMay girl,” Matt urged his boss. “Rooney can come with me.”

  Frazer was quiet for what seemed like minutes but was just a few seconds. “I need Rooney here. Her political connections might work in our favor.”

  “Fine. I’ll go alone—we don’t have time to wait for backup.” Matt was itching to move. The clock was ticking.

  “I’ll go with you. I have some experience.” Alex Parker’s voice held a trace of irony.

  Frazer nodded and checked his watch. “I’m on damage control. I need to make some phone calls to put out as many fires as I can before these people start another war.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Like we don’t have enough going on at the moment.”

  The country was already on the edge of conflict with half the Middle East after terrorists attacked an American mall two weeks ago. With the VP’s death further ramping up tension and general disquiet around the country, this wasn’t a good time to start accusing the Russian Ambassador of kidnapping a congressman’s daughter. Not without solid proof, and even then the situation would be a political minefield.

  Matt headed out the door to the SUV. His priority was finding Angel LeMay and Scarlett Stone alive, and then he was going to make sure they were both very sorry they’d lied to a federal agent.

  M
allory Rooney stood on the sidewalk. She sent him a measured smile—one that said she wasn’t sure of him yet. She was the daughter of a US senator, and some of their BAU-4 colleagues had been less than welcoming when she’d arrived in the unit in late November, bypassing the usual entry protocols. When the then unit boss had unexpectedly quit and Frazer had been promoted, the other agents in the unit had expected Rooney to receive her transfer orders. Instead, Frazer had given her his full backing. That was good enough for Matt. She was a good agent, if a little inexperienced.

  Had he been welcoming?

  Matt paused. He wasn’t sure. He’d been focused on his own issues and his own cases. Still was. He slowed. “Boss needs you inside. Possible kidnap situation but don’t tell the parents.”

  “Thank you, Agent Lazlo,” she said coolly.

  He slowed further. The woman had recently gone head-to-head with a serial killer who’d kidnapped her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. She was probably more experienced with the work they did than he gave her credit for. “Call me Matt.”

  Her smile hit her eyes and he figured he hadn’t been that friendly. He’d make the effort to do better, but right now, he didn’t have time.

  His mind moved to the mission ahead. He went to the trunk and pulled on one of the Kevlar vests TacOps kept there—they’d borrowed the vehicle, along with less obvious clothing, from Jon Regan to save time going to the BAU building or home. TacOps had just come off a local job when they’d received the call about Sarah/Scarlett and hadn’t had a chance to unload the SUV. The trunk was packed with goodies they might need for a tactical raid, along with city work vests, traffic cones, every lock pick known to man, a small stash of C4, a big bag of dog treats and some tranquilizers for when the dog biscuits didn’t work.

  The vehicle was probably electronically tagged, which might be a good thing as they didn’t have much time to plan this op. At least if they wound up dead TacOps would get their toys back.

  Parker joined him and geared up, fast and efficient. That, and the fact Frazer was sending him out with Matt into a dangerous situation, told him the rumors were true. The guy wasn’t your typical desk-jockey, computer nerd.

  “Where’re we going?” Matt asked.

  “North end of Virginia Avenue. Near the river. The park near the boat club.”

  Matt checked his weapon and watched the guy beside him do the same. Loaded his pockets with spare ammo. “Know anything about any of this?”

  Parker shook his head. “Stone was before my time.”

  Fourteen years ago, Matt had been enduring BUD/s. Proudest day of his life when he passed. Afterward, he’d been too busy training to pay much attention to a man selling secrets to Russia, except to despise him on principle.

  Matt climbed in the driver’s seat. Alex took shotgun.

  Matt drove fast, lights on, sirens off. “Pretty bold to kidnap a congressman’s daughter.”

  “The Russians aren’t exactly shrinking violets. These guys don’t mess around when they’re pissed. Dorokhov has a reputation for being hot-tempered and nasty when crossed. Not a great quality in a diplomat, but he’s connected. You were a Navy SEAL?”

  Matt raised a brow. He didn’t talk about his past much. Or ever. “You hack into everyone’s file or am I special?”

  “Everyone.” Parker never took his eyes off the laptop on his knees. “I like to know who I’m working with.”

  “Who your fiancée is working with, more like.” Matt eyed him narrowly out of his side vision.

  Parker was busy typing on the computer but Matt knew he had his complete and utter attention. “I protect the people I love,” the guy said simply.

  Matt wanted to take offense on Rooney’s behalf, but he understood the mentality. He’d felt the same way about his brothers on the teams. Been willing to kill and die for every one of them. He had friends in the FBI, but nothing like that forged-in-steel bond. He missed it. “You were Army?”

  Parker raised a brow. He wasn’t the only one who liked to know who he was working with. Alex Parker was a Distinguished Cross recipient and had seen plenty of action in the sandbox.

  “Spotted your lobotomy scar.” Matt smirked. “How many Army cadets does it take to screw in a light bulb?”

  “One. He just holds the bulb and expects the world to revolve around him.” Parker grinned. “Why’d you get out of the teams?” And he obviously liked the hard questions.

  “Not something you can do forever.” Matt shrugged like he didn’t care and didn’t miss it. Not that he’d pass a polygraph and doubted he fooled Parker.

  “FBI must seem pretty tame after jumping out of airplanes and kicking down doors.”

  “You tell me.” Matt eased back in his seat, making himself relax even as adrenaline drummed hard through his veins. “Rumor has it you were CIA?”

  “It isn’t like being a soldier. I don’t miss it.” Parker’s expression was implacable, but shadows in his eyes suggested he’d gone to hell and back. The Agency was good at clandestine, but it didn’t make them easy to work for.

  The glance Parker sent him also told him that he knew exactly what Matt’s old career had meant to him. The military family might bitch and squabble, but they were still family. The Agency operated differently. Matt wondered exactly what the man had done, but knew better than to ask.

  “Got anything new?” Matt asked, referring to the computer Parker was working on.

  “No,” Parker said quietly. “But I’m worried about both women.”

  Matt snorted. “The little witch conned me.”

  “Scarlett Stone is screwed, whatever happens. If the Russians catch her she’s gonna get hurt or dead, but if the US government catches her… The FBI can wave their hands in the air and claim they had nothing to do with any spying on the Russians. A woman like that, caught on tape? She’s the ultimate fall guy.”

  “A woman like what?” Matt bit out. The idea of everyone watching that video drove him crazy, which was stupid.

  “Smart, attractive, wearing a fantasy dress and heels, waltzing right into the Russian Ambassador’s residence under false pretenses, her father being who he is? They could lock her up and throw away the key. She’s the ultimate in deniability.”

  Matt gritted his teeth. “She never even planted the bug.”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  Dammit.

  He shouldn’t give a fuck. Scarlett was nothing to him. She’d lied to his face and probably caused a major diplomatic incident that might reflect badly on him and his career. Unlike certain society princesses, he needed his damned job. Angel LeMay was missing and God knew what the Russians might do to her if they didn’t get what they wanted. Not to mention the congressman who was going to go ballistic if they didn’t bring Angel back unharmed and soon. The whole situation was a rubber-stamped goatfuck. But the look he’d seen in her eyes earlier tonight. The spark of something elemental that had buzzed between them… His insides twisted.

  He pressed his foot hard on the accelerator and controlled the need to blow through every red light in the city. The lack of intel on the situation bothered him but Scarlett—assuming she turned up to try and save her friend—was in real danger, and for some reason he couldn’t stand the idea of her in pain.

  There was a quiet ping on the laptop and Parker pulled up a file. Whistled. “She might be terrible at tradecraft, but when I didn’t recognize the device she tried to plant—and trust me, if it’s patented, I’d be able to ID it—I checked her out in a bit more depth.”

  “What did you find?” His interest was piqued despite himself. He pulled his weapon from his holster and rested it in his lap. They were almost there. He turned off the cherry lights.

  “Scarlett Stone isn’t just a pretty face. She’s a top research scientist at Georgetown. Has a degree in microelectronics, and a post-graduate degree in solid-state physics, specializing in application-specific integrated circuits. Earned her Ph.D. at twenty-two.”

  “Are you telling me she b
uilt her own listening device? Jesus.”

  They had a visual on the river. Parker closed the laptop. He flicked the switch on the overhead dome light as Matt doused the headlights. Matt pulled over on the side of the road about twenty yards before the turn for the Rock Creek Park Trails parking lot. Alex Parker tossed him something out of the glove box. NVGs. Might come in handy.

  “I’ll go north along the river, you go around the eastern side of the park?”

  Parker nodded.

  “You any good with that SIG?” Matt asked.

  Parker’s voice held a trace of amusement. “Not bad.”

  Good. Matt slid out of the car. He’d feel better with more backup but there wasn’t time, and a deluge of cops would scatter parties to the four winds. They needed to find both women before someone got hurt. The time for fun and games was over.

  * * *

  Scarlett hunched further into her coat as she shivered uncontrollably. She was hidden amongst the trees, not far from the creek that gave the park its name. A bush rustled beside her and her heart exploded in a staccato rhythm that sent a pain shooting along one rib. She gripped her chest. Sighed with relief as something small scampered away. A squirrel.

  Tonight had been a lesson in sticking to what she was good at, which in her case was physics. How could she ever have thought she’d get away with this? Sure she could make a listening device, but planting it without anyone knowing? Dream on.

  It had taken her nearly the full thirty minutes to get here on foot, running most of the way. Her lungs were burning from the effort. Bare branches clattered overhead, stripped of their leaves by the harsh, winter wind. She had no gun, no one to call for help. The man on the phone had said no cops and the LeMays would definitely involve the police if they found out. The man on the phone hadn’t sounded like someone you messed with. He’d sounded like a scary-assed, Russian hit man.