Target (A prequel Story)

by Lisa Phillips

  “You mean an idiot who wouldn’t be smart enough to worry about you?”

  Something like that. “Call Liam if you have any problems while I’m gone, okay? I’ll be out of contact.”

  Jenna swished hangers to the side. “Switch your usual black or gray fitted t-shirt for a light blue blouse. Black slacks because you don’t want to be uncomfortable in a skirt. Also, you don’t want anything tight in case you have to kick someone.”

  “Right.” Caisey grabbed the bundle. “Thanks Jenna.”

  “Yup.”

  There was something in the tone that made Caisey turn back with her armful of clothes. “Spill it.”

  Jenna made a frustrated noise. “I can’t keep anything from you.”

  “Quit stalling and tell me.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes. Her blonde bangs lay perfectly across her forehead. Caisey had grown hers out because she couldn’t figure out how to get them to do that. “Don’t be mad. I did it for your own good.”

  “What did you—?”

  Jenna’s face had guilt written all over it. “I may have…sort of…signed you up for a dating service.”

  “What?”

  “Just think about it while you’re gone, and maybe check out your profile. I said good things about you, made you sound like a catch.” She held out both hands. “Which you totally are.”

  “Jenna—” Caisey drew the word out, her jaw tight.

  “You should at least try it out. I mean, when was the last time you went on a date?”

  Caisey smiled sweetly. “When was the last time you went on a date?”

  “I date. I also have a teenage son. The two don’t exactly mix.”

  “Ha. Like the right guy is going to care. Jake is great.”

  “I know.” Jenna shot her a look. “But you have no excuse whatsoever. Nothing but a memory.”

  “Hey—”

  Jenna clutched Caisey’s elbows. “I just don’t want you to waste your life on that one perfect guy. Your one perfect date before he disappeared forever. Jerk.”

  She had tried to get past it, to feel those sparks with someone—anyone—else but it never happened. All these years and no one had ever measured up to that date where dinner turned into a walk and the walk turned into talking all night about nothing and everything. Laughing together. That one great kiss.

  And then nada. Not even a phone call.

  Jenna’s eyes softened. “It’s time we both moved on to bigger and better things. Let the past be the past. Please. Let him go.”

  Caisey slung her arm around Jenna’s neck and kissed her temple, then walked the length of the upstairs hall to her bedroom. She didn’t want to be a source of pity for her friend, which meant that as much as she might not like the idea, she’d have to look into this dating site when she got back.

  Caisey got dressed and stuffed a change of clothes into her gym bag. She left the bag by the front door and walked through the living room to the hall off the kitchen.

  Grams sat in her armchair with a tray across her lap. “The answer is Canberra, you imbecile!”

  The chair enveloped her small frame. Her plate had only crumbs and a blob of yolk from the soft boiled egg and toast she had every morning. Caisey picked up the tray and went into Grams’ tiny kitchen.

  Grams’ aide was elbow-deep in soapy water, and gave her a smile. “Morning.”

  “Morning, Sara.” Caisey slipped the plate and silverware into the water.

  She went back to Grams and sat on the end of the loveseat. “Hi.”

  Grams’ wrinkled lips twitched. “Good morning.”

  “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. If you need anything, any of you, you can call Liam. You have his number, right?”

  Grams lifted the china cup from the end table, looked inside and frowned. “Why is it always gone when you want a bit more?”

  Caisey rose and took it from her. “I think I have time for a cup of tea before I go. You?”

  “I’d love one.” Grams looked up, a smile in her eyes. “Only, don’t skimp on the sugar like you did last time, hmm?”

  **

  Present

  Caisey woke up to a dark space that wasn’t much wider than her elbows. She kicked up her legs and hit the roof about a foot above where she lay. It was taller than a coffin, which was something at least. But it wouldn’t open, no matter how hard she kicked and shoved.

  What else could it be?

  The whole thing was moving, like she was in the back of a vehicle driving who-knew- where. Stashed in a deep freezer or some other airtight container where he could probably hear her thrashing around. Which begged the question, did he know about the tracking device?

  Caisey prayed the team would find her soon, because it was getting hard to breathe.

  **

  Three days ago

  Caisey climbed in Special Agent Liam Conner’s SUV and slammed the door against the February air. The inside was immaculate, as usual, and it stank like he’d polished the dash. Again.

  Her partner huffed out a sigh, but not so big that it mussed his perfect hair. “I don’t like this.”

  Caisey pulled out her BlackBerry and read the text from her boss. Did Liam think she was going to change her mind? “Brenda already called in sick. She’s ready to make the switch.”

  “Are you listening?” Liam pulled the car away from the curb in front of her house.

  Caisey looked back at the two-story house. The siding needed to be painted. Her dad’s old Chevy truck was parked on the gravel beside the driveway, ready for when they decided Jake was allowed to drive. Most of her life had happened in this house, except those first few years with her mom before her dad brought her back to Denver. Then there was her time in Quantico, and four years spent at the FBI office in Salt Lake which consisted of traipsing around Idaho and Montana, up to the top of her boots in mountain man extremists. At least they let her wear her jeans so she blended in. She’d just ignored the license plates and pretended it was Colorado.

  “I said—”

  Caisey turned to her partner. “I heard you.”

  “I know you want to do this, I just don’t like the idea of you being abducted. Like, at all.”

  I’ve done it before.

  The words were on the tip of her tongue to say. She’d have told him why she was uniquely qualified to get kidnapped, but if she’d done that there was no way he would let her go. Now she would have another stash of memories to add to the archived file in her brain. That was how the shrink told her to think about it. As an inaccessible store of memories that were closed off from her everyday experience. Otherwise they could jump up at any moment.

  But all that was need-to-know, so Caisey crossed her arms and for the first time in her life kept a secret from her partner.

  She didn’t need to mention the victims to him. They both knew each of them by name, and the last murder was the younger sister of Liam’s girlfriend. “I’m not going to let her death mean nothing.”

  “We could have found someone else to pose as a potential victim. I don’t like that it has to be you.”

  Caisey looked at him and his neat blonde hair, Ivy League silk tie and polished black shoes. Liam had found Andrea, he was happy and in that first blush of new love—just in a totally manly kind of way that didn’t involve roses and candlelight. Knowing Liam it was probably the opera, or some crap like that.

  Caisey was more of a rodeo type of girl.

  Then there was his newfound faith. Caisey hadn’t been part of his conversion, which grated her. Wasn’t she supposed to be a bold witness for Christ? Now Liam was all fired up and praying about everything. When was the last time her faith had been exciting?

  God, help me keep them safe.

  Part of her wished for a cozy life of her own, but that wasn’t real. Safety was an illusion, a wishful thought that brought easy smiles and peaceful childhood dreams. She knew what was real.

  Liam drove up to the rear of the apartment building where Brenda Pet
erson lived. He put the SUV in park and turned to her. “You’ll be careful?”

  Caisey rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”

  “Just say it.”

  She held up her hand to swear her oath. “I will be totally careful while I’m being abducted by a serial killer.”

  “Thank you. How’s your leg?”

  She rubbed her thigh where the sub-dermal tracker had been injected. “Just don’t press any buttons on the computer and accidentally delete the transmitter’s signal, okay? I need you to be able to find me.”

  “I would not—”

  “You are the single most technologically accident prone person I’ve ever met. Why do you think you manage to get your phone stuck on Spanish at least once a month?”

  His eyes narrowed. “I thought it was Jake messing with me.”

  It was Jenna’s son, but Caisey wasn’t going to tell him that. She put her BlackBerry in the glove box, pulled out her sidearm, unloaded it and put it with her phone. She added her badge ID to the immaculate storage space. Yeesh, there was even a dryer sheet in there.

  “And your backup weapon?”

  Caisey blanked her face. “What backup?”

  “Please.” He motioned with his fingers. “Hand it over.”

  She pouted and pulled at the Velcro securing the small caliber weapon to her leg. She slapped it in his palm. “Satisfied?”

  “It’s not like you can shoot him.”

  “I know that.”

  “We need him alive so he can tell us where the missing girls are.”

  “I said, I know.” Caisey blew out a breath. “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have felt better at least.”

  “You don’t need it.”

  She grasped the handle of her bag, her other hand on the lever to open the door. “Wish me luck?”

  He grinned. “I can do better than that.”

  His hand circled the back of her neck and squeezed, imparting his strength to her jumbled up stomach. And then he prayed for God’s protection over her and the agents providing backup.

  Caisey climbed out. “Don’t shoot your foot off while I’m gone.”

  **

  Present

  Caisey’s head swam. She tried to breathe but there was no air. Her chest heaved as she sucked in gulp after gulp of nothing. She needed to get out of there, but she was at the mercy of a killer.

  God, don’t let me die.

  She should have brought her gun.

 

  Thank you for giving up your time to read

  Target (a prequel story)

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  Thanks, again.

  Lisa

 

  Also by Lisa Phillips

  OUT NOW—Double Agent (Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense)

  As a spy, Sabine Laduca works alone. But when she investigates her brother's murder, she's forced into an uneasy alliance with his Delta Force team leader. The CIA taught Sabine to trust no one, and sergeant major Doug Richardson is no exception. The handsome soldier hides his own secrets, but nothing will stop Sabine from finding out who killed her brother. Not even when the CIA declares her rogue. Now not only is the killer after her, so is the agency. For the first time, she needs someone—Doug. Because only he can help her find the truth…and only he can keep her safe….

  Coming June 30th – Sanctuary Lost

  U.S. Marshal John Mason gains full custody of his son and is transferred to Sanctuary, a WITSEC town that isn't on any map. When the town's first ever murder occurs, John's plans to reconnect with his boy are derailed by the investigation.

  Andra Caleri gave up her old life a long time ago, but someone wants her out of Sanctuary--to pay. As accusations fly and John uncovers a conspiracy that stretches all the way to Washington, Andra's past comes back in a true test of the mercy she received. Can John give up what he wants the most to bring the truth to light?

  Available September 2014 – Star Witness (Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense)

  Mackenzie Winters runs an Arts Center for at-risk teens. But when her identity is exposed, she's told there's a mole in the Witness Protection Program. Aaron Hanning is a Delta Force soldier. Protecting Mackenzie is just a favor for his brother, the U.S. Marshal, until he realizes how big a target this woman is. Aaron can't fail again, so he pulls out all the stops to protect Mackenzie. But when she sacrifices herself for the sake of justice, both Mackenzie and Aaron realize that only by yielding to God do they have a prayer of staying alive.

  Lisa Phillips is a British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London. Lisa attended Calvary Chapel Bible College where she met her husband. He's from California, but nobody's perfect. It wasn't until her Bible College graduation that she figured out she was a writer (someone told her). Since then she's taken the Apprentice and Journeyman writing courses with the Christian Writers Guild, and discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after.

  Lisa can be found in Idaho wearing either flip-flops or cowgirl boots, depending on the season. She leads worship with her husband at their local church. Together they have two children—a sparkly Little Princess and a Mini Daddy—but there’s only one bunny now (sad face).

  To find out more about Lisa Phillips, visit:

  www.authorlisaphillips.com

  Where you can sign up for a Newsletter and receive email notifications of new books.

  You can also follow Lisa on Twitter @lisaphillipsbks