Bone Cold

by Webb, Debra

Renewed tension slid through her. “You have reason to believe these abductions are connected to something bigger?”

  “Let’s sit down.” The worry in his eyes tugged at feelings she had thought long dead. “There’s a lot I need to tell you, Sarah.”

  Chapter 10

  6035 Blair Road, Washington, D.C., 1:15 p.m.

  “Where did the blood come from?” he demanded with a grimace. Coben knew better than to harm any of the children. There was blood all over her clothes.

  “I had nothing to do with that.” Coben shrugged with indifference. “I started watching her late yesterday afternoon. When I saw her out walking alone just before dark I picked her up. Her clothes were already that way.”

  He wasn’t sure he believed Coben, but then, what did he expect. The sort of individual one hired for work of this nature would be less than trustworthy. He’d known that going in and had been willing to take the risk. Procuring the children himself was out of the question. Working from this warehouse was beneath him, but extraordinary steps had to be taken for the moment.

  He inspected the child’s body thoroughly for injury. “Coben, you know if I discover that you’ve touched one...”

  Coben glared at him, menace glinting in his cold eyes. “Are you accusing me of something?”

  His tone was more than a little unsettling. “I’m only saying—”

  “Doc, I know what you’re freakin’ saying. Save it. I just pick the kids up. I have no interest in them or in you. I’m in this for the money, plain and simple.” He cocked his head and cast a challenging glower. “Now, are you going to give me the next list of names, or not? I have other things to do.”

  “Of course.” He left the child lying unconscious on the table and crossed the room to his desk. Coben followed close behind him. He handed Coben the file he’d already prepared. “There are two more. I’ll need them as quickly as possible. I’m relocating so there is a change in the drop off location. I’ll take this one with me, and you’ll be properly compensated for the inconvenience of bringing the other two.”

  Coben accepted the folder and glanced at the new instructions. “I’ll bring them together. I’m not driving that far twice.

  “As long as I don’t see any more of this.” He gestured to the bloody garment the child wore. “Whatever happened, I expect you to handle the children with care.”

  Coben’s gaze turned dead calm. “Trust me, Doc. We had nothing to do with that. I don’t do nothing I don’t get paid for.”

  He didn’t like this one, liked his partner even less. Be that as it may, so far, Coben had performed the gathering quite efficiently.

  His gaze shifted back to the newest delivery and his tension eased a bit.

  The necessary housekeeping was almost completed.

  And then it would be over.

  Chapter 11

  Washington D.C., Special Services Division

  Metropolitan Police Department, 1:20 p.m.

  Tom hadn’t been completely honest with Sarah. She looked pale and too thin—almost as thin as she’d been when he’d carried her to the center. His gut clenched at the idea that he had allowed better than a year to pass without seeing her. He’d kept up with her through a source at Metro. From all reports, she was back to the old Sarah as far as work went. Seeing her told him a different story.

  No matter how she lied to herself and to those around her, she still had not come to terms with the loss of their child. At first, like him, she had been determined to find their little girl. Eventually, she’d stopped looking and had closed out everyone in her life who wasn’t part of her work, including him. Losing their little girl had devastated them both, but in time he had accepted that unspeakable fate and grieved the loss. Sarah refused to grieve. She carried the burden of so much guilt and it was more than she could bear. He would give anything if he could make her see how wrong she was.

  “You said we have a lot to talk about. I’m listening.” She toyed with the bottle of water her chief had delivered along with Tom’s coffee.

  He wished there was something he could say to move past this wall she had built between them. Maybe if they had some time alone together he could make some headway. Tom doubted Larson would appreciate a request to let them be for a while. Would anything he did matter in the long run? Sarah was finished with the life they had once shared. If she still felt anything at all for him she hid it well.

  Could she see his feelings? What would she think if she learned the truth?

  Not important. Not anymore.

  Tom cleared his head and moved on. “I’ve spent the past fifteen months investigating a case involving medical experiments and murder going back several decades. An entire small Tennessee town was caught up in the insane efforts of one scientist.” Tom shook his head. “To tell you the truth, it was like something you’d expect to read in a Dean Koontz novel. Certainly not the sort of thing you’d hear about in real life.”

  “You believe this is somehow related to the abductions we’re investigating?” Larson asked.

  Before Tom could respond to the chief’s question, Sarah protested, “I don’t recall seeing anything about a case like that on the news. If it was as shocking as all that why wasn’t anyone reporting on it?”

  She had no intention of making any of this easy on him. “I do believe they’re related,” he said in answer to Larson’s question before turning to Sarah. “You remember Paul Phillips?”

  The widening of her eyes told him she did. “He helped with… yes, I do.”

  Even now, five years later, she didn’t want to say their daughter’s name out loud. “Paul was drawn into the case in Tennessee. Almost got himself killed.”

  “Is he all right?” Concern clouded her dark eyes.

  God, how he had missed those beautiful brown eyes of hers His entire being ached just seeing her and knowing he couldn’t even touch her.

  “He is now, yes.” By the time Tom had received word on Paul’s location and condition, his friend was lucky to be alive. “It took months for us to get a handle on exactly what had happened. We learned that three brothers had escaped post World War II Germany and settled in this country. Unfortunately, they weren’t good guys. They had conducted horrific medical experiments in the Nazi concentration camps.”

  Sarah’s guard dropped ever so slightly with the shock that claimed her face. “That’s incredible.”

  “I still find the story unfathomable.” Even the condensed version he dared to share. “We stopped the work the first two brothers had started, but the third was nowhere to be found. Our search led us to a facility in this area we believe he may be using, but we’ve had no proof until now.”

  “Can you be more specific about the medical experiments?” Larson prodded.

  “Gene manipulation. Illegal methods of conception. The list goes on and on.” That was technically more than he should tell anyone, but he needed Sarah to trust him on this.

  “There’s no mystery,” Sarah gestured to the case board, “related to how these missing children came to be with their parents. They have no medical issues in common and none are patients of the same doctor or dentist. I looked for all common denominators. The only ones are age and financial status.”

  “There is one or two more you may have missed.”

  Indignation colored her cheeks. “I don’t think so.”

  “They each have a deceased sibling.” Tom saw the surprise in her eyes when she realized he was correct. “Each sibling died less than one year before these children were born.”

  “What’s your point?” She turned her hands up. “The children, the missing ones as well as the deceased siblings, were born naturally to their parents. No adoptions. No fertility clinics.”

  “One of your missing recently developed a very rare form of leukemia. Two others have recently exhibited issues with behavior at school, and the remaining two have suffered a list of minor complications since birth.” That was about as vague as he could be and still get his point across
.

  “None of those issues were mentioned by the parents when I interviewed them. Frankly, I don’t see how they tie into your case. Or mine, for that matter.” Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, standing her ground.

  She wouldn’t buy this without more details and Tom couldn’t give those to her. “The gene tampering we found in Tennessee comes with side effects called random errors. Sometimes small, other times life-threatening issues that can develop immediately or over time. There’s no pattern to how they happen. They come out of nowhere and are completely random. We’ve been watching for abductions or other criminal activities,” he motioned to the stack of files, “involving children who have displayed these random errors. So far, these are the first we’ve identified.”

  “You’re suggesting these parents are holding back important information that could potentially help us find their children?” If her tone wasn’t enough to warn him that she thought he’d lost his mind, the dubious expression on her face got the point across.

  “If we’re dealing with a situation similar to the one we found in Tennessee, the parents are afraid to tell their secret. And even if they do talk, what they’re privy to may not be anything that will help us find their children. I doubt the families know about each other so the pattern of abductions wouldn’t have set off any alarm bells.”

  She searched his face and his eyes. His pulse reacted as if she’d touched him. “You’re serious.”

  It wasn’t a question. “I am. These children fit the profile. Their families have the means. All we need is just one of them to talk.”

  A frown furrowed its way across Sarah’s brow. “I’m wondering where the motive is. I’ve interviewed these families. They’re socially and financially prominent. None have mentioned having had issues with conception. Where’s the motive for getting involved with something like this?”

  “That’s one of the answers we need to find.”

  “Let’s say for a moment that your theory is correct,” Sarah challenged, “why would the unsub want to kidnap these children and miss out on a potential ransom? What’s the goal if not money?”

  “The dismantling of the research center and clinics related to what went on in Tennessee has given the remaining brother a heads up that we’re on his trail. The random errors showing up in these children will lead us to him. He can’t let that happen.”

  “You’re right.” Sarah put her hands up in surrender. “This sounds like pure science fiction.”

  “I’m having trouble with your suggestion,” Chief Larson spoke up, “that our victims are some sort of genetic designer children? Like clones or something?”

  “I didn’t say that, Chief,” Tom argued.

  He didn’t want terms like clone to end up on the table. He’d already said too much. In fact, he wasn’t supposed to be here at all. If he could keep this among the three of them he might just manage to obtain what he needed without the Bureau finding out. To do that, he needed Sarah on his side. More importantly, he needed her trust. It was a big gamble, but it was the only hand he had left to play.

  “Then, what are you saying, Tom?”

  Hearing Sarah say his name had his pulse reacting again. “I’m saying these children may be a part of dangerous medical research. If that’s the case, the children are evidence and we need to find them before that evidence is destroyed.”

  Sarah didn’t like the sound of this. The whole theory was surreal. “Now you’re suggesting that the scientist or scientists who did this alleged shady medical research may be snatching the kids to destroy any evidence of what they’ve done?” It didn’t sound any more plausible when she said it than it had when he did.

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

  “Are you working with Scully and Mulder on the X-Files now?” She shook her head. No way was she buying into this. The scenario was too farfetched. And everyone thought she’d gone around the bend that one time.

  To his credit, Tom seemed to take her remarks in stride. “Chief Larson, I’d like a few minutes with Sarah, if that’s all right.”

  Larson looked to Sarah. She shrugged. “For the record,” her boss rose from the table, “I’m with Sarah on this one. I’ll be in my office.” He hesitated at the door. “If you need me, Sarah, just say the word.”

  As the chief left, Tom shook his head. “You know,” he raised his hands as if in surrender, “I understand that you’re no longer my wife beyond that piece of paper we signed fourteen years ago. I even get that there’s a huge canyon of hurt between us, but what I will never comprehend is your refusal to be friends. What did I do, Sarah, to deserve being cut completely out of your life?”

  Her heart was pounding before the last word was out of his mouth. How dare he demand an explanation from her period, much less at a time like this! He was fully aware of what he had done. “Unless what you have to say relates to this case, we’re through talking.” She would not let this turn into an analysis of their shared history. There had to be another agent who could have come with this incredible story.

  He dropped his hands. “Fine. You made your point.” He tapped the stack of files she’d prepared for him. “I need your help with this, Sarah.” When she would have launched an argument, he added, “You’ve already interviewed the families. I respect the relationships you’ve forged. We can work together toward the same end. I want to find these children the same as you do.”

  Sarah laughed. “I see. You want to use the connection I’ve made with these families to your advantage. Why didn’t you start with Senator Adams? Since he called you, surely you can apply a little pressure and get this truth you believe he’s hiding.”

  If she sounded angry and annoyed that was just too bad. She was angry and annoyed. She had seven, possibly eight, missing children. She didn’t have time to waste on the FBI’s outlandish theories.

  “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Sarah.” The concern in his eyes was undeniably genuine. “We have a painful past. If there were any way around the two of us working together that would be the better solution. The fact is we’re the ones sitting here. For the sake of those children we need to put the past aside and get the job done.”

  Her first instinct was to throw something at him. But, he was right so she opted to hold onto the chair arms to keep her hands busy. “Where would you like to start, Agent Cuddahy?” The sooner they got through this the sooner he would leave. “Shall we start with the family of the first victim?”

  “Line up as many interviews as possible,” he agreed. “I’ll review your assessments and get up to speed on where we are.”

  “No problem.” Sarah pushed out of her chair and almost escaped the room before he manacled her arm. His touch sent a jolt surging through her. His fingers burned her skin and her traitorous heart lurched with confusing signals.

  “It doesn’t have to be this way, Sarah. We can pretend the life we shared never happened if that’s what you want, but would it be such a bad thing for us to be friends?”

  “Maybe if you’d stop ignoring my petition for divorce we could talk about being friends.” She had been pushing for a divorce for better than a year. He kept coming up with reasons not to sign the papers. If he thought dragging his feet would parlay into a friendship he was wrong. He’d had her committed against her will. Did he really believe after a move like that she would ever trust him again? Impossible. She tried to pull free of his grasp. “Sign the papers and we’ll discuss the option.”

  He held on tighter. “Is a divorce really what you want? Are you that certain we’re over?”

  For two seconds she couldn’t answer. Seeing him after all this time confused her, muddled her thinking. She bullied past the uncertainty. “A divorce is the only thing I want from you, Tom. That’s all I will ever want.”

  Chapter 12

  503 Ivy Circle, Alexandria, Virginia, 6:50 p.m.

  The Adams’ home was every bit as extravagant as Sarah had expected. Eight thousand square feet or so, the
stately home sat on more than half an acre in a prestigious neighborhood only minutes from the park where their daughter had been abducted.

  Sarah knew from personal experience all the luxury in the world wouldn’t assuage the agony of having a child in jeopardy.

  “Why don’t we stop beating around the bush here,” the senator suggested, “what is it you’re asking?”

  So far they had interviewed three of the eight missing children’s parents. Each couple had gotten nervous when asked about the child who’d died. All had either fallen apart, stopping the interview, or shutdown, effectively doing the same, at this point. Adams was their last chance today. Sarah was reasonably sure if she kept picking at the issue with the other parents she would get the story—if there was one—but she despised the idea of putting these people through any unnecessary discomfort. If Tom was wrong…

  Stay on task, Sarah. Don’t over analyze.

  “You lost your older daughter five years ago,” Tom ventured. “Katie was born ten months later, but you chose a different hospital for her birth. In fact, you used a private facility in Maryland.”

  Sarah kept her mouth shut, though it wasn’t easy. This was one of the many things Tom had kept from her. He hadn’t said a word about all the missing children having been born in the same private hospital until they interviewed the Myerses. The shouting match in the car after the interview had garnered her the same old tired response, I can only provide information on a need to know basis.

  Leave it to the feds to keep local law enforcement in the dark. Her lips tightened at the idea. Whatever the hell was going on, they needed answers if there was any hope of finding these children.

  Adams frowned, but not before Sarah saw the lockdown on his defenses. That exhausted, worried sick, I-want-to-help expression vanished.

  “Did you really just ask about our choice in health care, Agent Cuddahy?”

  “I can assure you,” Tom began, “investigating this avenue is in the best interest of finding your daughter. We believe there may be a tie-in related to the hospital.”