Fearless Pursuit (Off The Grid: FBI Series Book 8)

by Barbara Freethy

  "That's what he said. It seems like you two are really close."

  Caitlyn gave her a smile. "Everyone on the team is close, but not in a romantic way. We're best friends and we have each other's back. I'd die for Jax, but I wouldn't sleep with him."

  She couldn't help but smile at Caitlyn's frank words. "You're missing out," she said lightly.

  Caitlyn laughed. "I'll have to take your word on that."

  As Caitlyn sped down the highway, Maya looked out the window, mentally trying to prepare herself for the next very difficult conversation. She needed to tell her father the truth about his mother, but she had no idea if he really wanted to hear it.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  After three hours of going through the information Brandon had decoded as well as looking through his father's notes, Jax was ready to take a more aggressive approach to get to the truth.

  It would take weeks to build a case without more current information. They needed eyewitnesses and they needed evidence of what was going on now, which was why he and Beck had jumped into his car and driven to the house in Manhattan Beach that David called home. He couldn't wait to put the poker game into play tomorrow night. Things were moving too fast. He needed to get to David now.

  The home was a small, one-story structure several blocks from the beach. The deed was in Sylvia's name. She'd gotten her son a job and a place to live, and yet David had exhibited extreme animosity toward her. Hopefully, that animosity would help Jax turn him.

  He parked the car across the street and grabbed the envelope that Caitlyn had given him earlier. With silent accord, he and Beck got their weapons out and moved toward the home. It was almost midnight, but there were lights on in the house. There was also loud music playing. That could be a good cover, but it could also be an indicator that David wasn't alone. They needed to be ready for anything.

  While Beck took up position on the other side of the door, Jax rang the bell. The door opened a moment later. David appeared, wearing nothing but shorts, his eyes red and blurry.

  "Jax, what are you doing here?" David asked in surprise.

  "We need to talk." He pushed David back into his house, pulling out his gun.

  David immediately tried to bolt.

  He grabbed him by the arm and shoved him up against the wall. "You're not going anywhere, understand?"

  "What the fuck is going on?" David demanded.

  "Is anyone else here?"

  "No."

  Beck went into the bedroom and came out a moment later, giving Jax a confirming nod. Beck's weapon was now also trained on David.

  "Who are you guys?" David asked, fear running through his eyes.

  "FBI. You're in big trouble, David."

  "No way. You're a fed?" he asked in astonishment. "I haven't done anything."

  "We both know that's not true." He grabbed him by the arm again and shoved him toward the couch. "Sit down."

  David stumbled onto the couch. "What do you want from me?"

  "Everything."

  "I'm not talking to you."

  "I think you will." He opened the envelope and spread the photos on the coffee table in front of him. "It looks like you're an FBI informant, David."

  David stared at the photos in confusion. "That's not me. I didn't go to the FBI office. I don't know who that guy is."

  "That guy is Damon Wolfe. He's the top FBI agent in LA. Bozic will know who he is. He's already suspicious of you after you blackmailed Jagger."

  "I didn't do that, either." Awareness suddenly entered David's eyes. "You did it. It's all you."

  "No one will believe that, David. They've never trusted you, have they? They only tolerated you because your mother insisted. Now, they will have plenty of reasons to get rid of you, just like they got rid of Yuri. That's right, David. I knew Yuri. He was in my car when he died from poison. Bozic had Yuri killed, and you'll end up exactly the same way, unless you make a different choice."

  "If I talk, he'll kill me."

  "I can protect you."

  "Why didn't you protect Yuri?"

  "He hadn't given us anything yet," he said coldly. "You will." Seeing the cowardice and resignation in David's eyes, he knew he was right.

  "If I tell you anything, I want immunity. I want it in writing."

  "You're not in a position to make demands. But if you give us the right information, things will go a lot easier for you."

  David licked his lips. "I need a cigarette."

  "Don't move. Talk. What's the game? Why do you take certain cars into the garage?"

  "If you don't know that, you don't know anything."

  "I know your grandfather, Edward Coleman, is a Russian spy."

  "No one can prove that."

  "I can prove it. Start talking, David. You have five minutes to try to save yourself. Or you'll go down with everyone else. I don't think you'll like prison."

  David hesitated. "Bozic will kill me if I snitch."

  "If you don't talk, he'll kill you based on the information I'll make sure he gets."

  After weighing that fact, David finally said, "The cars are spies. They're outfitted with audio and video. The information gathered is used to blackmail the owner into providing intelligence."

  It was actually a brilliant plan. They'd used technology to bring the spy game to an even more advanced level. "Who's in charge?"

  "Bozic runs the cars, but he reports to Alexander Dimitrov."

  "Dimitrov is running the operation?"

  "Yes. Victoria is involved, too. She provides disinformation on social media. She has a bunch of influencers working with her."

  His gut twisted as he realized the extent of the operation. "Who has been targeted?"

  "Lots of people."

  "I know Ryland Jagger is one. Who else?"

  "Lindsay Bragin, Lisa Hamilton." David shrugged. "Several more. When they bring the cars to the club, I check the equipment and sometimes I retrieve packets of information that they've been instructed to leave. I put those in my locker, and the next day they're gone."

  "What about your mother? She must know what you're doing."

  "Of course she does," he said dryly. "She knows everything. She and Bozic came up with the idea together."

  What about Constantine? Is he in on this?"

  "I think so."

  "And your grandfather? Is he in the mix?"

  "No. Bozic and my mother hate him. Everyone thinks he's so smooth, but he's evil. I think he killed that woman yesterday, the one everyone is talking about. Bozic had me put trackers in all the old guys' cars, and my grandfather's car was at her house. That's why I called in sick yesterday and today. I don't want to be involved in murder."

  Excitement ran through him at David's words. A tracker that could put Coleman at the scene of Julia's murder was exactly what they needed. "Bozic doesn't trust your grandfather?"

  "He doesn't trust anyone."

  "And your mother knows you're tracking her father?"

  "No. That was Bozic’s idea. He wanted to make sure my mother hadn't brought him in without telling him."

  "Can you access that data for us?"

  "Probably not anymore. Bozic changes the passwords every day."

  "What else can you give us? If you want our protection, we need something concrete."

  David's gaze shifted. "I did make copies of some of the information that was physically left in the cars. If I give it to you, am I good? You'll protect me?"

  "I'll let you know when I see the information," he said, inwardly elated to know David had made copies. "Where is it?"

  "It's in a locker at my gym."

  "Okay. You need to get dressed. You're coming with us now. And you won't be coming back. Pack a bag." As David got up, he added, "Give me your cell phone."

  David tossed him his phone while Beck followed David into his bedroom to make sure he didn't try to run.

  Jax texted Flynn: Bringing David in. He has data and he's naming names. We should have enough to blow this ring op
en.

  Flynn immediately texted back: Calling the rest of the team in. Good work.

  He wasn't ready to celebrate yet. But he was feeling damn good about their prospects. It wouldn't be just David's word against anyone. They would have actual data, and they could use that data to put pressure on the targets who had become traitors.

  His fingers hovered over his phone. He wanted to call Maya and tell her the news, but it was late, and he'd rather not get her hopes up until he knew exactly what he had. He'd tell her tomorrow when he could assure her that the people who had killed her grandmother would be arrested and charged with her murder. He still didn't know exactly who had killed Natasha, but his money was on Coleman. If they could tie him to Julia's murder, it wouldn't be a big leap to tie him to Natasha's.

  And then there was Constantine, the man who had recruited Natasha, who had recruited his father. He was right in the middle of this, too, along with his nephew, with Sylvia, with God knew who else, and Jax was more determined than ever to bring down every single one of them.

  The crashing waves on the beach in front of her sister's house echoed the pounding of her heart, the turmoil in her soul, and as Maya watched her father stare into the dark night, she could only imagine that he felt the same way. She'd told her parents and sister everything she'd learned about Natasha's life and death. While her mom and Darcy had peppered her with questions, her father had had little to say.

  She'd followed him out on the deck a few minutes earlier. He knew she was there, but he hadn't turned around. Maybe he didn't want to talk to her. Maybe this would forever put a breach between them. That was a scary thought. She'd hoped the truth would bring him some kind of closure, but it might have just opened an old wound that was now bleeding again.

  She was about to leave when he finally turned around. His expression was unreadable, a mix of anger and something else…

  "Do you want me to go?" she asked tentatively.

  "No."

  "Can I ask how you're feeling, what you're thinking?"

  "I'm…confused. I'm also angry and sad, which is how I've felt about my mother most of my life. All these years, I thought she killed herself with my drugs. I thought she did it in a dramatic way, to go out as the martyred mother who had tried to save her son but couldn't. It felt like the kind of headline she would have liked. But her death had nothing to do with me. I still can't quite wrap my head around that. She was a spy. She was a traitor."

  "But then she became a patriot. I think she went to the FBI and started working with them because of you, Dad. She wanted you to have a reason to be proud of her for at least one thing. She says as much in her journals. It's one of the last things she wrote." She paused. "I don't think she ever really loved anyone but you, Dad."

  "She left me. What kind of love is that?"

  "She left everyone. But people in her life abandoned her when she was younger. Her mother died when she was four. Her father passed away several years after that. Then she was sent to live with a cousin in LA, someone she'd never met. That person died, too, and she was alone again. She was always being left alone. I think it's why she married so young and had you right away. She needed to have a family."

  "Then why did she leave?" he asked in bewilderment. "Help me understand, Maya."

  She really wanted to do that. "Natasha didn't know how to be a mother, and I'm not trying to defend her. She was ambitious and selfish, and she made horrible decisions about a lot of things. She certainly wasn't a good mother or a good wife, but over time she started to become more self-aware. She realized her faults. And she loved you in her own way. She loved Grandpa and Wallace, too. Her journals speak of them with great affection. The others were part of her spy game. She didn't care about any of them. Her ambition trapped her into that dark and dangerous world." She paused. "I think Julia was the turning point. In saving her friend, she realized she had to save herself. She had to make things right."

  "And now Julia is dead."

  "That's on me," she admitted, feeling an enormous weight of pain and guilt every time she thought about it.

  "No, it's not," he said, echoing what Jax had told her earlier. "Julia should have gone farther away. But she didn't. And you know, she let some of those guys into her tennis club. I guess at some point she felt like she had enough power that she didn't have to hide. But she also remained silent about what she knew. She had to know that they killed my mother, and she said nothing. I'm not saying she deserved to die, but she wasn't completely innocent, either."

  His words actually made her feel a little better.

  "I guess you have your ending," he added. "Now you can make your movie."

  "It stopped being about the movie a while ago, Dad. I just wanted to get to the truth."

  "What's the FBI going to do about all this information?"

  "They're building a case, but they said it will take time. There are a lot of people involved. Until then, they'd like us to remain here together, where we can be guarded."

  "I understand, but I can arrange for our own security."

  "These people are really dangerous, Dad."

  "They've never come after me in all these years."

  "Because you didn't know anything, but now you do."

  "They don't know that."

  "They will soon enough. It's just a matter of time."

  "Well, we'll discuss it in the morning. I think we've done enough talking for tonight." He walked toward her, put a hand on her shoulder, and then he moved past her and into the house.

  She blew out a breath, feeling like that hand on her shoulder was his way of saying it was going to be all right. As she moved over to the railing, her sister joined her, putting her arm around her shoulders.

  "You did good," Darcy said.

  For some reason, the words made her tear up, and she sniffed.

  "I didn't mean to make you cry," Darcy added hastily.

  "I know. It's just been a really long couple of days, and I feel emotional."

  "You're entitled. I know I wasn't supportive before. I should have been. I was just worried about Dad."

  "So was I, but I felt this need to get to the truth for him and for Grandpa. I still need to tell Grandpa what I learned."

  "You'll do it tomorrow. I wonder if he'll be as surprised as we were?"

  "Probably, or maybe he always had suspicions. I know he believed that Natasha's story was not what everyone thought it was. He was right."

  "I'm glad you're here, Maya. We were all worried about you last night and then hearing about your house burning down…" She shuddered. "You could have died."

  "But I didn't. However, speaking of the fire, could I borrow some clothes?"

  Her sister smiled. "Of course. Anything you want." She paused. "So, Grandma was a spy."

  "Crazy, huh?"

  "Ridiculous. But it's going to make a hell of a movie."

  "I don't—"

  "Stop," her sister interrupted. "You know you're going to make it. You have to. And I don't think Dad will hold you back. This is your story as much as it's Natasha's. And when you open your film, I'm going to be in the front row."

  "We'll see. I'll need everyone to be in jail before then."

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Maya got her wish in a text from Jax at noon on Tuesday. The team had worked through the night, and with help from David Graham, they had enough evidence to get arrest warrants for a dozen people. Edward Coleman and Constantine Dimitrov had been picked up at their homes without incident. It appeared that Edward had been at Julia's house at the time of her murder, so it was a good bet he'd killed both Julia and Natasha. Jax was now at the Firebird Club and would report back when Louisa, Sylvia, Alexander, and Victoria were in custody. The car dealership owner and associates were being brought in for questioning, as well as the Bragins and the Jaggers. He'd get back to her later with more specifics.

  She felt an immense sense of relief. She'd worried that the FBI's investigation would take weeks or months because of th
e multiple cases they were investigating, but it sounded like Jax had been able to move faster with help from David. It felt a little ironic that the person to bring them all down was Sylvia's son, who was also Edward's grandson. That family had been trouble for at least three generations. And now David was turning on them. He must have made a deal to save himself.

  Her mom came into the kitchen. "You got up late today."

  "I was exhausted. I couldn't believe I slept so late. I just made another pot of coffee."

  "I'll have a cup with you."

  "Where's Dad?"

  "He's working in the study. Darcy and Matt are playing with Zoe in the sunroom. It's nice that we're all together, but I hope we don't have to stay here for too long."

  "They're arresting the people involved right now. I just got a text from Jax. He said they worked all night and came up with enough hard evidence to start bringing people in."

  Surprise moved through her mother's eyes. "That's great. Who is Jax?"

  "He's the FBI agent I've been working with. He was actually undercover at the Firebird Club as a bartender when I met him."

  Her mom shook her head in bemusement. "So many secret lives. It's mind-boggling. And Edward Coleman being involved…that's still shocking to me. The man was our attorney general. He ran for the senate, and all the time he was a Russian spy. Imagine the information he must have shared with the Russians."

  "It had to be a lot over a very long period of time."

  "You need to start writing your script."

  "I can't believe you're all behind the movie now."

  "Someone is going to make this movie, and it needs to be you. I think it's going to be Oscar-worthy."

  "And I think you're prejudiced as my mother."

  Her mom smiled. "You've always had talent, Maya. I've never doubted that. You just didn't have direction or focus. But you have it now. Natasha would want you to tell her story."

  "I have some of the scenes already in mind," she admitted. "And I probably should start writing, because I called in sick again today, and my boss said if I didn't make a miraculous recovery by tomorrow, I could stay home indefinitely."