by Jaclyn Hardy
“Yes. I can. Figure out who it is and stop pointing fingers at the three people sitting in this room that have helped save your life. Dee could have put an end to any one of us countless times, but she hasn't.” She pushed her way around him and opened the door. She turned back. “This business has jaded you, man. Get out while you still can.”
The door slammed, leaving Ben standing there by himself. He hadn't missed the look of shock on Deirdre's face when Carlie walked out. Carlie could have been right. Maybe he was jaded. But he'd just lost the last of his team.
He opened the door to grab his laptop and Dee was standing there, fuming. He moved past her and grabbed his computer. If things had been tense before, he'd just made it a thousand times worse. But he had to know.
Instead of going back in the room, he stayed out with the others. He'd possibly made a mistake, but until he figured out who it was, no one was in the clear.
“I need a list of people this could be.”
Ben pulled up a document and began typing. Anyone he'd talking to in the last few weeks went on the list.
Dad
Lenny
Dorothy
Frank
AJ
Whoever kidnapped Braden and Carlie
Mr. Black and cohorts
Italian food delivery guy
Darla
The room was dead silent as he typed. Ben sighed as he ran through the list over again, trying to figure out who he was missing. When no one spoke for another few minutes, Ben sighed. “Fine. Let's just go with who I came up with.”
As he listed them off, the others stayed silent, but he could tell they were at least listening to him. That was a bonus at least.
“What about the guys your dad sent to help us at the hotel?” Deirdre asked. “They helped us, but maybe they were double agents?”
Ben nodded. “Right. I'll add them. What about the lady that sold you the airline ticket. Did she seem suspicious at all?”
Deirdre shook her head. “No. She wondered why I was getting a last-minute ticket, but the only thing she said was that I shouldn't do it again.”
“Got it. Carlie? Braden? Want to add anyone?”
Carlie walked over and glanced through the list again. “Who's Mr. Black?”
“Dad's contact.” Ben ran a search for him through the database, but nothing came up, even as an alias. Strange. He'd been there before dinner that night. He found the security cameras from the restaurant and went back to the night of their dinner. He fast forwarded until he and Deirdre showed up on the camera. “There.”
The camera was grainy like most were, but it was clear enough to get their face. Carlie gasped. “That's them.”
“Yeah, that's Mr. Black. We'd asked for help and they were kinda—”
“No. That's who grabbed us. He's the one who broke Braden's leg.” Carlie reached past Ben and zoomed in.
It was like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Ben hadn't thought of the connection. “You're sure?”
“I watched my husband's leg break from a baseball bat. Yes, I know who it was. We wouldn't give them information and they didn't like that.” Carlie shuddered. “You actually met with them?”
Ben paused, then pulled out a list he'd gotten from his dad. Carlie still didn't know about their history. “I think you need to sit down for a bit.”
They'd almost reached the three-day limit Ben had given Deirdre, and they were no closer to finding Mr. Black than they were before. It was like his crew disappeared off the face of the earth. With the way things had been going, it could have been the case.
Word of the burglary had finally leaked to the news, but the police were baffled. All they knew was that the power had gone out in the ballroom, and then things turned up missing. What they didn't report was that the ballroom was the only place in the building where there had been no power.
Ben's phone rang, shattering the silence in the suite. “Hey, Dad. Did you find anything?”
“No. They're clean from what I can find. I just don't understand it. These people were some of my best friends. They'd helped me start the organization in the first place.”
“Did something happen between you?”
There was a pause. “No. Not that I can remember.”
“You're sure?”
Dad sighed. “Son, I've grown old. I gave this life up years ago when I handed it off to you. The only contact I have with them now is when you need a little extra boost on a mission. And even that's been a while.”
Ben let out a breath. “Fine. Okay, if you can think of anything please call me back.”
“Of course. Love you.” The phone went dead, and Ben laid his head on his arms.
Carlie stood in the doorway. “You'll be no good for anyone if you don't get some sleep.”
Ben shut his laptop. “I know. But I can't sleep while I know that someone out there is going after my team.”
“Look, we'll find them. There's not anyone else that we know of except the four people in this room. And as long as we don't go start accusing each other, we'll be able to figure this thing out.”
“You know I had to ask.”
“No. You didn't. But whatever. Go get some sleep. We'll figure this out tomorrow.” Carlie turned and went back to her room.
Ben stood and grabbed a pillow and blanket to sleep on the couch. Carlie was right even though he didn't want to pause the search. The few short hours he'd had the night before wasn't enough to keep him going. Mr. Black had to slip up at some point and Ben wanted to be there when it happened.
Dee wandered out of her room and went straight for the coffee maker. Sleep hadn't come easily. The fact that Ben had accused her of being a double agent was enough to do that. Even days later, it still got to her.
As angry as Carlie was about it, Dee could almost understand. Almost. But the time they'd spent together—not to mention that kiss—should have cured him of any suspicion. It hurt. She just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible so she could move on with her life. Hoping that Ben would ever care about her was pointless now.
He was still asleep on the couch, and the anger from last night slowly dissipated. Dee couldn't imagine living this kind of life constantly. She'd only been part of this life for a few days and she already felt like she couldn't trust anyone.
She wanted to go running but knew that wasn't a good idea. Besides getting lost in London, they had people after them and she was the only one who hadn't been attacked. Well, except when Frank showed up at the apartment. But sitting inside for days on end was beginning to get on her nerves.
Dee went back to her room and changed into her sweats. She couldn't go outside, but there was a fitness center here that they'd passed on the way to their room. She grabbed a piece of paper and left a note on the counter where everyone would catch it, then grabbed a room key.
It was still early enough that the fitness room was empty. She turned on the TV and turned on the treadmill. Her muscles rebelled at first, but they loosened slowly and it felt good to finally run again.
The same news stories played continuously, and it wasn't until the third time around that Dee suddenly stopped, almost tripping. She turned up the volume.
“Three suspects have been apprehended, but they insist they were nowhere near the manor that night. Several of the ambassadors at the party have dropped their lawsuits, but police are still unsure as to what happened here that night. In other news . . .”
Dee grabbed her key and pushed the button several times until an elevator stopped on her floor. “Come on, come on.”
By the time she finally got up to the suite, Dee was ready to pull the door open herself. She fumbled with the keys and burst into the room. The others looked up in surprise, but Dee ignored them as she turned on the TV. The news had started back around on its cycle, and it was killing her to wait.
“There. Look.”
“We already knew all of this.” Carlie took a drink of her coffee.
“No. Look. At
the officer.” Dee pointed at the screen again. It was the lady from the restaurant. “And look who they have.”
Ben scrambled to get closer. “That's Darla from the party.”
“Yes. She didn't exactly seem like the criminal type, but she did talk to us.”
“And I can almost guarantee we know the other two people they apprehended. We need to get to the police station. Now.” He grabbed his key and put on his shoes.
Dee looked down at the clothes she was wearing. There was no time for a shower. “You two stay here. We'll be back as soon as we can.”
“Wait.” Carlie went to the desk and grabbed two microphones. “You two don't do anything stupid. Braden and I will be listening from here.”
“Okay, gotta go!” Dee chased after Ben and jumped on the elevator just as it was closing. “Are we sure we'll find them at the station?”
“Nope, but they need to know they have impostors. Although if they haven't figured that out by now . . .”
Dee handed one of the microphones to Ben and hers in her ear. “Do you think those three people are okay?”
Ben shook his head. “If they are, they won't be by the time these people are done with them. You saw what they did to Braden.”
The elevator opened, and Dee went to step out, but Ben grabbed her arm. “About what I said.”
“No. You don't get to apologize for what you said. Not yet. It's better if we just stay business partners for now.” Dee wrenched her arm away and walked down the hall, forcing herself not to cry. That wouldn't help anyone.
Ben flagged down a taxi and they asked for the nearest police station. The taxi driver raised his eyebrows, but he pulled out onto the road without saying anything. As soon as they got to the station, Ben handed the man a wad of cash and they took off inside.
A bored looking officer sat at the front desk. “Hello, can I help you?”
“Yes, we're looking for the three suspects in that robbery the other night.” Dee caught Ben's facepalm. Maybe she should have let him talk.
The woman smirked. “Ma'am, we're packed full of robbery suspects. Perhaps you should be more specific.”
“Excuse me. Sorry. What she meant to say is that the news showed that three suspects were captured in the Karl Edmunds case, and we believe we have more details about that night.”
She turned to her computer and shook her head. “That wasn't our office.”
“Could you check the others, please?” A sense of dread settled in the pit of Dee's stomach. It was just like they'd suspected.
“There's nothing in here. It's still an open case.” The woman glanced between them. “You say you have information?”
Ben hesitated. “The woman they showed on the news was not a police officer. We have reason to believe that she was actually one of the people responsible for the robbery and those supposed suspects are in mortal danger.”
“Oh dear. Let me find the commissioner.” The woman stood and left.
Dee turned to Ben. “Think they can help?”
“They need to know they've been impersonated. That's a crime itself. It can't hurt to have more people helping.”
The commissioner came out behind the other officer. He was a large man with a “Don't-mess-with-me demeanor. “Please come with me.”
Ben sent a quick text as they followed the commissioner into his office.
“Now, please tell me everything you know.”
Dee repeated what Ben had said while he played with his phone. The commissioner took notes, then folded his hands in front of him on the desk.
“Do you have any proof?”
Ben slid his phone across the table. “Do you know this woman?”
He looked down at the phone and shook his head. “It could be a new recruit, but I've never seen her. That means nothing.”
“Look, we know this woman. She was at the party, but the only crime she may have committed was talking to us.”
“You two were there?” His eyebrows lowered into a glare. “And give me one reason why I shouldn't put you two into custody?”
Ben handed him another paper. “I'm here on US business. We're investigating three suspects. This lady being shoved into the car spoke to us, and I believe she's been taken to find out more information about us.”
“That's a serious allegation.”
“And if we don't stop them right now, someone is going to die. Are you willing to let that happen?”
The commissioner stared at Ben for a moment before reaching for the phone. “I want you to stay here. We'll investigate. If what you say is true, the streets aren't safe for either of you.”
Ben nodded, and they waited for the commissioner to finish a call for a meeting to search for the rogue officer. As soon as he left to meet the group, Ben and Dee slipped out of the office and past the front desk.
“Okay, so we know they're impersonating officers, they're not going to pull out any stops. Find any abandoned police stations.” He pulled out his phone and Dee did the same.
“Here. There's a whole site of them. The closest is . . . Here. Dartford.”
Ben ran for the steps down to the Tube. He searched the map, then jogged for the right train. “It's not the closest, but it's just close enough that they'd probably go for it.”
Dee saved the page in case this one wasn't right, then pulled out her wallet to pay for a ticket.
“I've got it.” Ben handed her a ticket and gestured toward the train coming in. “This is ours.”
“I could have bought my own, you know.”
Ben scanned the small card. “I already had these in case we needed a getaway. Scan it and come on.”
Dee sighed and followed him onto the train. There were several stops between where they'd gotten on and the one they needed, so Dee settled into her seat. As they neared the edge of the city, they left the underground and the view opened up to the countryside. This was the first she'd seen farmland since she'd arrived in England, and she couldn't have been more thrilled. Well, it would have been better if they weren't searching for three killers, but she still enjoyed the view.
The train stopped at the Dartford station and Ben was the first one off. Dee had to run to catch up. They followed the directions on his phone and pulled up as they came closer to the old station. A car sat out in front, and Dee recognized it from the news clip.
“It's them,” she whispered.
“You're sure?”
Dee pointed at Ben's phone. “Check the picture of the car. This is it.”
He pulled out his gun. “Stay behind me.”
Dee rolled her eyes but did as he said. She hadn't brought hers with her, and she had no plans to die that day.
One of the doors that had been boarded up was open in the back. Dee climbed over one of the boards and stood up straight. Sobbing came from one end of the building. Ben held a finger to his lips, then crept toward the old steps.
Darla was tied up with two others, her fur coat covered in blood from her nose and forehead. “Please, don't. I only met Phoebe that night. I promise.”
Dee's anger flared. This poor girl was getting hurt because of her. She moved to enter the room, but Ben held her back.
The woman from the restaurant laughed. “Oh, dearie, I know. But isn't this fun? You give a wrong answer, I get to take out my anger. Excitement for everyone.”
“Are you getting this?” Dee whispered.
“Yes. Hold on. The police are on their way,” Carlie answered back.
Always with the holding on. But Dee stayed where she was.
“Darling, I told you not to mess with your prisoners.” Mr. Black appeared and kissed the woman.
“Well, she's not giving me answers.”
Ben stood and walked into the room. “Let her go. I have your answers.”
Mr. Black pulled his gun, and the woman clapped with excitement. Ben moved to the chairs where Darla sat.
“What do you want? This woman knows nothing.”
“Well, Benjamin, since you
asked, I want you.” Mr. Black pointed his gun at Ben's head. “What do you think, Helen? Head? Or spleen?”
Dee jumped up and ran into the room. “Don't shoot. Please. We can help.”
“Oh, and he brought his girlfriend with him. This just keeps getting better.” Helen pulled out her gun and pointed it at Dee.
“No.” Ben's voice echoed through the building. “Don't touch her. Just me.”
“Quiet!” Mr. Black shouted. “You are not in charge here. I am. You say nothing!”
Dee's eyes widened. This guy had completely lost it. And things began to click. “You wanted to take over his dad's business, didn't you?”
“It was my job. I ran most of it and he passed me over.” The man's face was red as he kept shifting his gun between Ben and Dee.
Ben held his hands up. “I had nothing to do with that. I'm sorry. I didn't know my dad was even part of it until two weeks ago.”
That was the wrong thing to say. Mr. Black smacked Ben with his gun. “I made one mistake and he took everything from me. Everything.”
“Not everything, sweetie. You still have me.” Helen's smile turned to shock as she looked down at the red blossoming from the gunshot in her torso. “What have you done?”
“Whoa, now that's not cool.” Dee took another step forward but stopped when Mr. Black pointed the gun at Ben's head.
A crackle sounded in Dee's ear. “The police are surrounding the area. Keep talking. Don't let him shoot.”
“What happened, Mr. Black? Can I ask that? What was the mistake?”
The man stared at Dee before answering. “Nancy. She was the agent every man loved. I would have done anything for her. We were on a job to get some ancient scrolls from ruins in South America. Nancy had fallen in love with one of the other agents. When I found out, I—I lost my mind and shot at him. It didn't kill him, but Nancy took a step to go after him. The walkway crumbled under her—” His voice broke. “Her body was never recovered.”
The room was suddenly flooded by policeman and Mr. Black dropped to the ground. His broken sobs were heard over the rest of the chaos. Dee reached a hand out to Ben, and they left the building together.
Ben was silent on the train ride back to the hotel. It wasn't until they were up in the room that Dee finally said something.