“I’m not going anywhere,” Quinn stated. “Neither is my wife, so you can kiss my ass.”
The female agent glanced over at him. “If you don’t zip it and get ready to follow us, we will be forced to make you, Quinton Gaines.”
His heart thudded in his chest. They knew his name.
“Wait! What’s this about?” Callie asked, getting worried. What the hell had happened? They fell asleep and got up not too long ago. What search were they even talking about?
“It’s about Oracle, ma’am.”
Quinn and Callie looked confused.
“Oh shit,” muttered Nate. “Okay, I’ll go.” He knew that his curiosity was going to get him in trouble. “They don’t need to come.”
“Sorry, sir, but that’s not what’s going to happen. All three of you are invited to the party. Now, pack up your shit and let’s hit the road,” Seaton stated.
Reaching for his badge, Quinn’s hand froze as the two-people pulled their guns. “I’m only pulling my ID,” he offered.
“There’s no need, sir. We’re well aware that you’re a detective in Damascus. We’ve done our research. You and your wife will join us, or else,” the male stated.
Quinn wasn’t one to back down. “Or else what?”
The female smiled sweetly. “Or your precious cargo will not be flying out this morning. We have the power to detain the three passengers at the gate.”
Everyone froze.
Yeah, this was going bad and fast.
Quinn wouldn’t risk his family. Angrily, he pulled his gun from his hip and held it out. “If you hurt my daughter, I’ll hunt you down and kill you.”
“That’s the least of your problems,” stated Madden. “Trust us. You have a meeting to attend. You may want to worry about that a little more.”
Nate removed his gun and handed it to the man in front of him. “Where are we going?”
Seaton replied, “You’ll know soon enough. It’s going to be a little drive, so you may want to bring coffee.”
Well, at least it wasn’t Guantanamo. Nate doubted that they’d let him bring a beverage there.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
He’d made a rookie mistake, and he knew it.
Heading out, the three followed.
Callie glanced over at her husband and brother. With a lowered voice, she spoke her mind, “This is really bad.”
She wasn’t telling them anything they didn't know.
From the expressions on their faces, it was clear to see that they knew the shit was about to hit the fan.
* * * C a r t e r C h r o n i c l e s * * *
It was time.
All morning, the man had run errands before he began packing. It appeared that he’d been spooked enough that he was planning on leaving town.
Well, newsflash. It wasn’t happening.
He had a date with justice.
It was convenient that his ex had moved out, leaving him all alone. Now, there was no one else who had to be distracted.
The job could be done without interference.
Finally, it was time to finish what had been started months ago. While it would have been easy to take them all out at one time, it would come across as suspicious.
Then, there would be an investigation.
That was the last thing that could happen. For now, this all had to look like a series of accidents-unfortunate, sad, instances where life ebbed away just out of their control.
The next victim should be familiar with that. In fact, Brick Brighton liked to use that word a lot.
When he came home shit face drunk and hit his ex. It was an accident.
When he cheated on her with random women. It was an accident.
Now, it was about to come back and haunt him.
Justice was on the way.
Crouched in the closet, time slowly passed. Until, finally, there was the sound of whistling as he approached the room. Peeking out one of the slats in the door, the next victim appeared in the room.
The show was about to begin.
It was obvious that he planned on taking a shower, and then getting the hell out of there.
Yeah, not going to happen.
As Brick stripped down, it was hard not to get excited. Right before each kill, there was that anticipation. Soon, life would end, justice would prevail, and the next part of the game would begin.
When the man headed into the shower, there was the telltale sound of water being turned on.
Waiting patiently, the intruder counted to twenty. For now, there would need to be some steam in the room to mask the attack.
There was no way that the Marine could be taken down in a frontal attack. For this one, he’d never see his assailant.
It was part of the plan.
Brick was about to crumble like a poorly built wall. That would be the first part-- to make it look like a common slip in the shower.
Then it would be the grand finale.
It was time.
Luckily, there was a bag in the closet, and inside were some tools. The discovered wrench would come in handy. Now, the shadow had the final part of the plan.
Creeping from the enclosed space, the trek to the bathroom was silent. Once inside, the assailant got into position. When the time was right, there was one swing of the tool, arching deliciously toward his skull.
The crushing sound filled the air as the man made one grunt, and then fell to the tiled floor.
Blood tinted the flowing water as he was rolled to his back.
It was done.
“It’s too bad, Brick. Accidents do happen. In fact, bathrooms are a dangerous place. You should know that.”
There was laughter. Finally, justice was handed out. This man wouldn’t be getting away with his sins.
It was a job well done.
Heading out, the wrench was placed back in the bag and the door was closed. There was one last part of this punishment, and it needed to be handled, soon. While the strike didn't kill Brick, there could be no risk that he’d pull himself from the house alive.
In the kitchen, the first burner was put on high. As the blue flames licked up into the air, they were covered with an empty pot.
Now, it was about setting the scene.
As long as every detail was handled, no one would suspect anything more.
Cautiously, food was placed on the counter to make it look like Brick was going to be cooking dinner.
There was a knife.
A dish.
And endless laughter from the killer.
This was absolutely perfect.
While everyone believed Brick to be the hero, it wasn’t going to work out that way. In the end, the masses would see the truth.
Who was the villain?
Who was the good guy?
Today, Brick Brighton’s sins would come to life, pulling him down into the pit of hell where he belonged.
It would be perfect.
It would be just.
It was a long time coming.
When the pot began smoking, a towel was tossed toward the flames. It quickly caught fire. On the way out the door, each smoke detector was opened and the battery flipped the wrong way.
Now, they’d never go off.
As the smoke filled the room, the killer smiled.
It was done.
Another faux hero had fallen.
All in all, it was a good day’s work.
Chapter Seven
N o matter how many times they asked about the trip, the two people in the van with them weren’t speaking. It was hard not to be nervous as hell as you were stripped of your weapon and forced to sit in silence.
The trip took about three hours.
It was torture.
Everyone in the vehicle knew, despite the blacked-out windows, that they had gotten off the highway. Now, they were moving through what felt like the city. There were various stops and starts.
The good thing was that the two people in the back with them didn't seem irritated
or angry. They were even letting Callie lean against her husband.
So, how much trouble could then be in?
For what seemed like the millionth time, Nate asked the same question.
“Where are you taking us?”
Surprisingly, the female agent looked down at her watch and finally answered, “Interrogation.”
Yeah, they all wished they didn't know that.
Sometimes it was best not to know.
“I can vouch for these two. They don’t know what’s going on. You should let them go. It was all me. I’m the director, and I’ll own up to it.”
This time the man answered, “We can’t do that, sir. We have direct orders to bring in everyone involved for debriefing.”
Quinn was getting irate.
“When will you get this through your thick skulls? We don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
The woman named Madden replied, “Yeah, well you shouldn’t hang out with guilty law breakers then. You of all people, a cop, should know that guilt is often tied to association.”
Well, shit!
They both looked over at Nate. Callie mouthed, ‘What did you do?’
Guiltily, he ignored her inquiry. If he didn't tell them that he did an FBI search, they wouldn’t be implicated in this mess. Now, it was all about protecting his family.
Better than he already had.
Who would have thought that his rampant paranoia wasn’t just his imagination after all?
“We’re here,” said the female, preparing to exit the vehicle.
They waited for the van to come to a stop. When the back door was opened, the male pointed. “Get out.”
Quinn was worried for his wife. This was all out of control. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what the hell had gone wrong.
Doing what they asked, they were led to an unmarked elevator. Once inside, they rode it to the fourth floor.
“Follow us,” said the male named Seaton.
Immediately, the woman pulled out her phone. “They’re in-house. We’re taking them to interrogation room three.”
Nate looked around. He’d never seen this place before. It looked vaguely familiar, but there were no signs, paintings, or anything else. In fact, the plain gray walls were making him want to freak out.
There was no doubt.
They were in some serious trouble.
Once inside, they were told to sit. The table had five chairs, three on one side, two on the other. “They’ll be right in,” stated Madden.
“I want my attorney.”
The male laughed before speaking, “You may want to ask for a doctor,” he stated.
They looked at each other in confusion.
“I’m a citizen of this country, and you can’t hold me without reading me my rights, giving me an attorney, and advising me of what crimes I’ve committed. This may fly with scared criminals, but I’ve been in this game too long. We haven’t done anything!”
Without warning, the door opened and a woman walked in. “How about we start with treason, darlin’, and go from there?” she drawled.
Nate knew that voice without even having to look over.
So did Callie.
They both glanced over at Elizabeth Blackhawk. They were at FBI West.
Nate wanted to throw up. Quinn went to protest, and he shut the man up. This was worse than Guantanamo. They were going to get the shit kicked out of them by his bad ass boss.
“Trust me, you need to stop,” he muttered, ignoring his brother-in-law’s look.
“Why?” Quinn objected.
“Because we’re dead. If we’re lucky, she’ll have mercy, and it’ll be fast.”
* * * C a r t e r C h r o n i c l e s * * *
This was a very difficult trek, but Maura was handling it with ease. She scaled the rocky outcropping with few problems. Luke could tell that she was in really excellent shape. While he was able to keep up, there was a difference between his fitness level and hers.
He was FBI agent fit.
She was in far better shape than him. In fact, her fitness level was off the charts.
He’d be lying if he didn't say it turned him on. The golden brunette before him was his ideal woman. She liked taking risks, she had a career that she was proud of, and her body was perfect.
Well, what he could see of it, and he did look. For the last few hours, he watched the gentle flex of her biceps as she climbed, and the tightening of her calves when they appeared from beneath her pants.
Immediately, his eyes drifted down to his favorite part-her ass.
Yeah, he couldn’t wait to see more of her.
Shaking his head, Luke tried to focus on something other than sex. They’d been silent for a while, so it was time to go with more idle chit chat.
He really wanted to get to know her better.
“So, what’s your next assignment?”
She didn't even bat an eyelash. “I can’t tell you that. It’s classified and above your clearance.”
Well, so much for chit chat.
If he had anything to say about it, this wasn’t the end of the conversation. While she didn't want to go there, he certainly did. The last thing he needed to picture was Maura in danger somewhere.
“Really? You can’t or won’t? I could pull out some paper and you can draw pictures for me. I may have a crayon here somewhere. Then, you’re not actually saying it.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him as she laughed. “I really like you a lot, Luke. Because I do, I won’t tell you. Once you find out, then you’ll lose your job, go to jail, or just vanish.”
She said it with such a serious face that it caught him totally off guard.
“Seriously?”
Maura continued laughing. “Yes and no. Now you can ponder which part is true, and which is false.”
At the top, she reached down to offer him a hand. The second their fingers touched, a warmth filled her body. It shot electricity across her flesh and made a delicious feeling begin to curl in her belly.
Yeah, she wanted him.
It shocked and scared her, since no man ever had that effect on her before now.
“Well, then maybe we should talk about your hobbies, since that’s probably safer. I do have a mortgage to continue paying. I need my job.”
She saw some berries and pointed them out. “Not the red ones, only the blue,” she warned, handing him some she picked.
Luke’s heart skipped as she again came in contact with his skin.
“I like to read,” she offered.
“Me too.”
“I also like to spend my free time at the beach. There’s nothing like relaxing in the sun.”
He grinned. “Me too, but I have a question.”
She popped some berries in her mouth.
“How do you feel about nude beaches?” he teased.
Maura worked with Marines. She’d heard their sex stories and told a few of her own. If he was going for shock value, she was the wrong one to try it out on.
“I’ve never been to one, but skinny-dipping sounds like fun. Know any good places I can try out?”
His blood pressure surged. “Uh huh.” It took him a second to refocus, since all the blood in his head drained lower. “As a matter of fact...”
She snorted, changing the subject. “How about your hobbies?”
He picked a few berries and popped them into his mouth. “Other than surfing, I like to watch old movies. You know, the black and white ones. I love when the guy gets the girl. There’s nothing better than a happily ever after.”
She wished that was always the case. In her life, those were few and far between.
“Want to watch one with me?” he asked. “You can cook me chicken and make me popcorn too.”
She didn't say anything.
Luke saw the discomfort and opted to lighten the atmosphere. “Here’s something Quinn may have not told you. I’m going to pester you until you just cave and have dinner with me. So, let
’s just say you will, and move on.”
That was the problem.
Maura would have to move on.
She wasn’t the marrying type. Hell, she wasn’t the girlfriend type either. She was a ghost, and they didn't really have a future to look forward to. Bravo Ghost was expendable. Since she was the core of the team, that meant she was too.
It was more reason to run right now, losing him in the woods. She could escape and save him from the hell she suspected was coming.
“Lucas.”
“I like when you call me that. Most people shorten it to Luke. Only my mother used to call me that. It sounds good on your lips.”
“You’re exasperating.”
“Oddly, you’re not the first woman who has said that to me. I’m beginning to think that I’m flawed. Women and I don’t generally mix for long.”
She stared at him in surprise.
What the hell?
Why did he just tell her that?
His mouth was digging one hell of a hole. No woman in her right mind would want to date him after hearing that.
It was official.
He was an idiot.
Maura heard the pain in his words. It made her do something she’d never do for anyone else.
“I’m going to be transporting Oracle. The team doesn’t know it yet. I’ve just gotten our marching orders. As soon as we’re back on duty, we’re moving out.”
At that moment, he was surprised as hell. There was no way he expected her to tell him anything. Maura was one heck of a tough nut to crack.
“That sounds mysterious.”
She divided the handful of berries in half, dumping some into his hand. “It’s not what you think.”
“Want to share?” he offered. “I don’t mean more berries either.”
“I can’t, Luke.”
“You know you can trust me, right? I will take anything you say to me to the grave. I’m trustworthy.”
She believed him, but she couldn’t tell him too much. If word got out that he was snooping into Oracle, he would be interrogated, and it wouldn’t be a laughing matter.
Maura pictured the time she spent in solitude, trying to be broken. She couldn’t do that to him.
“What is it? Some government spyware?” he pushed, trying to see if she would open up. Really, he didn't care about Oracle. What he wanted was to build a safe bridge to her. Maura held herself back, and Luke wanted her to see that she was safe with him. That she could trust him.
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