“India…is ISIS big there?”
“There are millions of Muslims in India but only a handful belong to ISIS. Hopefully Kaci will learn more about Meer and her role soon.”
Tara nodded and tried to wrap her head around the fact that Oren, the boy next door, had connected with a woman from India who believed ISIS’s crazy teachings. “Did you find anything else useful in Oren’s journals?”
Cal shook his head.
“Would it help if I read them?”
He sat watching her for a long time, then nodded. “You might see something that I didn’t think was relevant. But you should know, when it comes to you, Keeler’s not very kind.”
“Finding him and stopping him is what matters. I’ll read them.” She slipped fingers under her rubber bands.
He took her hand and held it between his, his gaze softening.
He needn’t say more.
He would accept her offer to read the journal, and now she somehow had to find the courage to read the scathing words.
* * *
Tucked into the big bed in her room, Tara dropped the photocopies of Oren’s journal onto the comforter and sighed. She didn’t want Cal to see how reading Oren’s personal thoughts would bother her, so she’d fled to the bedroom.
She’d gotten through three of the journals and couldn’t bear to read any more. She pushed the papers aside and got up to pace the room, her footfalls silent on the thick carpet. Thankfully, Cal had settled down in the kitchen to talk to Agent Ward instead of going to his room next door or he would’ve heard her moving about and investigated.
Her phone vibrated on the nightstand, catching her by surprise. She shot a look at the caller ID. Aunt June? Cal had warned her not to call this number except in an emergency. A knot formed in Tara’s chest, and she snatched up the phone.
“June,” Tara answered, trying to keep the trepidation from her tone.
“Sweetheart, I have something I need you to do for me.” June’s voice shook with emotion.
Tara’s apprehensions skyrocketed. “Is everything okay?”
“Fine,” she replied, but Tara heard a thread of unease in her aunt’s voice.
Tara ignored it for now but kept her ears tuned for additional distress. “You know I’ll do anything for you, so what do you need?”
“I expect after I ask, you’ll change your mind about that offer.”
Tara waited for her to laugh after the statement, but she didn’t.
“You’re scaring me, Aunt June.”
A male voice sounding sharp and irritated filtered through the background of the call, but Tara couldn’t make out the speaker’s identity or his words.
“In a moment a bomb call is going to come into the Lone Wolf hotline,” June said. “I need you to make sure that Agent Riggins reports to the callout.”
“What?” Tara’s voice rang to the ceiling of her room before she controlled it. “Why?”
“There’s a woman wearing a bomb around her neck. If Cal hurries over to her, he can disarm the bomb and save her life.”
Tara’s mouth fell open. June didn’t know about the necklace bombs. Only the team and Tara knew. So who could have told June? Cal needed to know that word has gotten out, and he needed to know about the bomb call.
As Tara hurried toward the door, she asked, “Who told you about the call?”
“Oren.”
Tara’s feet stilled at the doorway. “You spoke to Oren. When?”
“He’s here at my house.”
No. Oh. No.
Fear for her aunt trickled down Tara’s back, and she couldn’t think straight. Cal would know what to do.
She turned the doorknob. “Another tech can handle the woman so Cal and I can come over there.”
“No! Don’t send anyone over here.”
“You’re making no sense. I’m going to get Cal right now, and we’ll be there soon.” She opened the door.
“Stop! Oren put a bomb around my neck, too.” The words came shooting out like a high-speed projectile.
Oren had put a bomb on June. June! Her aunt, the woman she loved.
“If you tell Cal and he shows up here, Oren will detonate it,” June added.
“But Cal needs to know.”
“Once you tell him, we both know he’ll rush right over here, and Oren will make good on his threat. Promise me you won’t say a word.”
June spoke the truth. If Tara told Cal about Oren, Cal would force Oren’s hand. But what else could Tara do?
She softly closed the door and sank onto a chair to think. To find a plan of action, but what? She wasn’t prepared to handle this alone. Not at all.
Think, Tara, think!
“Hello, Tara.” Oren’s voice slithered through the phone like an asp with its tongue ready to strike.
Oren. She was talking to Oren. The bomber. The killer. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Probably a good thing because she’d likely spew her anger at him.
“You must realize by now that I won’t hesitate to detonate June’s necklace if you don’t follow my directives.” He laughed, a high, pitchy, almost maniacal sound. “And the other woman…I will trigger her bomb, too. And if that’s not enough of an enticement to do as I say, she lives near an apartment building, so if her bomb goes boom, there will be other casualties. Who knows how many people will die if you don’t obey.”
Acid rushed up Tara’s throat, and she swallowed hard. “But you love June. You can’t kill her.”
“When you have a calling higher than yourself, sometimes others must pay even if you care about them.”
“No,” Tara snapped, and frantically tried to come up with a solution.
“Go ahead and be stubborn and stupid like you’ve always been, Tara. Your aunt and the others will suffer.”
“How do I know you’ve put the bomb on her? For all I know you’re holding a gun to her head and making her lie to me.”
“I thought you might ask about that, so I’m sending you proof.”
Her phone signaled the receipt of a text, and she tapped on the video he’d sent. June’s face filled the screen, an ugly white pipe wrapped around her neck. A skull and crossbones had been drawn on the front of the device with black marker, further ratcheting up Tara’s anxiety.
Eyes wide, June blinked rapidly, yet, underneath it all, the quiet strength her aunt always possessed shone through. Tara opened her mouth to say something, but the video abruptly ended. Tara had expected her aunt would tell her not to comply with Oren’s demands, but then maybe with so many lives on the line—including Cal’s if he went to help the other woman, Tara suspected—June would hold her tongue.
“Did your person try to kill Cal with a bomb in Oregon yesterday?” Tara asked.
“Someone tried to bomb your FBI agent?” Oren sounded honestly surprised. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Perhaps this Sarra woman had decided to detonate an additional bomb without Oren’s direction. Or maybe he was lying. Toying with her. Trying to confuse her.
“What I really want, Tara,” Oren continued, “is to see you.”
“Me?”
Why did he want to see her? If she complied and went to meet him, giving him what he wanted, he wouldn’t have a reason not to kill June. The only hope she had, apart from trusting Oren’s word, was to tell Cal and the Knights what was happening. But if she told Cal, he’d never let her go to Oren, and Oren would kill June. Of that, Tara was certain. The rest was speculation.
“So, if you want June to live, you need to send Riggins to the callout. If not…”
She had no choice. At least not right now. She’d have to abide by Oren’s wishes. “I’ll encourage Cal to respond to the callout, but I can’t force him to go if he doesn’t want to.”
“Ha! Nice try, Tara. You have more influence on him than you’re letting on. And if for some reason I’m wrong, you better find a way to make him obey or June is dead.” He blew a noisy breath over the phone. “On
ce Riggins leaves, find a distraction for the other agent on your detail. Take his car and his phone to prevent him from following you or calling for help. I’ve hidden a car for you.” He rattled off the address. “Now write that down, as you’ll only have thirty minutes to get there, and I wouldn’t want you to get lost.”
Tara jotted down the address, the words barely legible from her trembling hands. “Got it.”
“The car is unlocked. I’ve left a phone for you and will call it in precisely thirty minutes. If you don’t arrive on time to answer…well, you know what will happen.” He laughed. “Ticktock, Tara. The clock starts now.”
The phone went dead, and Tara stared at the screen. He’d put her in an impossible situation.
She had to choose between the two people in this world who meant the most to her.
Chapter 25
Phone to his ear, Cal paced the living room at the safe house and listened to Max provide details of another necklace bomb threat not far down the road from the safe house.
Cal’s immediate thoughts went to the list of women Tara hadn’t been able to remember, but their addresses were all located in D. C., not in Virginia where Keeler had activated the latest bomb. “Are you sure this bomb is legit?”
“The woman called it in herself, and the first officers on scene confirmed it was Keeler’s signature device.”
Something was off in this scenario, raising Cal’s concerns. “Don’t you think it’s odd that Keeler left a phone near this woman so she could call for help?”
“Maybe something spooked him, and he didn’t have time to take it.”
“Maybe,” Cal said, letting the thought ruminate. “Or maybe he wanted us to be sure we’d find her before he detonated the bomb.”
“Or maybe he’s changing his whole MO.”
Adrenaline raced through Cal’s veins as thoughts charged through his head.
Relax. Breathe. Calm down.
He didn’t want to make a stupid mistake and further compound the problem. “So where do we stand with the woman now?”
“As of my last update from the scene, the local bomb squad has been dispatched,” Max said. “A Bureau team is on the way, too. As are agents who will scout the area for Keeler, but with the location so far from metro D.C., the locals will arrive first. In the event that you’re able to remove the device, I also have a containment vessel on the way.”
“Good,” Cal mumbled, his mind already on the best approach to safely free this woman. “But you should know, even though I’ve reconstructed one of Keeler’s devices, I can’t in any way guarantee that I can render this bomb safe.”
“You have more knowledge than anyone else, and skill-wise, there’s no one better than you for the job.” He paused for a long moment. “I’m sure I don’t have to say this, but I want you out there ASAP.”
Cal’s brain revved on high octane. “I’ll need a suit.”
“I’ll arrange with the locals to let you use their equipment.”
Max spoke the truth, but Cal couldn’t go racing off. He had to think of Tara. With Keeler setting a bomb not far from the safe house, Cal didn’t want to leave her behind. He was confident that Keeler didn’t know the safe house location, but still, a bomb this close by couldn’t be a coincidence.
Max cleared his throat. “We’re wasting valuable time, here.”
“Fine, I’m on my way,” Cal said, already jogging down the hall to Tara’s room. “I want you to have one of the officers who saw the device call me. I’ll walk him through procedures and have him put the bomb squad commander on the phone, too.”
“The local squad will know how to handle this until you get there.”
“Maybe, but I’m not taking any chances. Nerves cause people to make mistakes, and this woman can’t afford any mistakes.”
Cal hung up, and his brain whirred as he searched for what to tell Tara. Rendering a bomb safe was always a risky proposition. Keeler’s intricate bombs were even more so, and Cal had no idea if he’d be coming back, so he had to make every moment with her count.
He knocked on her bedroom door.
She pulled it open, and her eyes locked on his. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s another necklace bomb, and it hasn’t gone off. If I leave now, I have a chance to save the woman.”
“You have to go, then.” She acquiesced so easily that it momentarily stunned him into silence.
Did she not get that he would be in danger? Did she not care about him as he’d thought?
“Okay.” He tried to keep his confusion from his voice. “Agent Ward will stay here with you.”
“I’ll be fine.” She suddenly threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “Be careful, Cal. Please. Please be careful.”
Her frantic, whispered plea touched his heart, and he drew her closer. She pushed back and looked up at him. Pain radiated from her face. She was afraid for his life.
Shoot, he was afraid for his life, too, and if this was the last time they were together, he would make sure it was memorable.
He lowered his head and didn’t wait for her encouragement, but settled his lips on hers. The touch and taste of her sent a shock zipping through his body. He’d known kissing her would be beyond anything he’d ever experienced, but he hadn’t begun to grasp the extent of how she could tangle his emotions into a knot.
Stunned by his response, he lifted his head. He waited for her to comment on the kiss, but she kept her eyes closed. “Take care, Cal. Things may not be as they seem.”
She acted like she had insight into the situation, but that was impossible, and he couldn’t stay here to decipher her mysterious mood when a bomb was waiting to claim another woman’s life.
* * *
Tara opened her window and listened for the sound of Cal’s car revving to life. Cal. Caring, compassionate Cal.
How could she have let him go? Especially after the kiss cemented in her mind how much he meant to her. She’d manipulated him to get him to go, playing on the very thing that drew her to him. His sacrifice for others.
Had she just sent the man who’d broken through all of her fears and defenses and made her want to love again to a callout where he could be hurt, or worse yet, killed?
She touched her lips and remembered his final look holding so many emotions. She’d met his gaze, but then her role as traitor came rushing back, and she’d had to look away. Still, if she had to do it all again, she’d do the same thing. Of all the people in danger, he was the most qualified to handle it. If only she could have warned him.
A car engine roared to life and tires crunched down the driveway.
Good-bye, Cal. Be safe. His life was now in God’s hands.
She closed the window and glanced at the clock. Five minutes had passed. She had to go now.
She ran for the door, stopping at the desk to write, I’m sorry, Cal. So sorry! on a piece of paper. She flipped it over. Hopefully after she was gone, Agent Ward would find it and pass the message on to Cal.
She crept down the hallway to find Agent Ward. He sat in the dining area reading a paperback mystery. His keys were lying on the table. His phone sat next to them.
Perfect. She hurried back to her room and left the door open.
“Agent Ward, hurry,” she called out. “I think something moved outside my window.”
His footsteps pounded down the hallway. Bursting through her door, he snapped off the lights. He charged to her window and checked the security of the lock before peering out into the night. “I don’t see anyone.”
“Can you please go outside and check?” She used her best pleading voice.
“First, let’s get you into the hallway where there aren’t any windows.”
She rushed ahead of him.
“Stay here,” he warned, before taking off toward the front door, drawing his weapon on the way.
She hadn’t even thought about him having a gun. He might see her when she fled, think she was the intruder, and shoot her. It didn’t matter
, though. She’d have to risk it.
She waited until the door closed before running into the dining room to grab his phone and keys and slide through the night undetected.
With each step forward, she waited for him to discover her. Waited for him to warn her to stop. Maybe shoot her.
Please don’t let him see me.
She forced her legs to churn faster and made it to his car. She hid on the far side so he couldn’t see her. She unlocked the car door, and the urge to climb into the vehicle was strong, but she couldn’t risk him seeing the light from opening the door, so she crouched in the darkness. She desperately wanted to snap the rubber bands for relief, but she had this ridiculous fear that the sound would echo through the night, so she held the craving at bay and waited.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel path leading to the house. She rose halfway and peeked through the car windows. Agent Ward stepped inside the house, and through the window in the door, she saw him turn back, likely to secure the dead bolt.
When he pivoted and walked away, she jerked open the car door and climbed inside, then gunned the engine. He would hear the car, but by the time he made it back outside, she’d be long gone, and he had no way of following her.
* * *
Cal set his light strobing on his car and floored the gas pedal to race down the highway. His phone rang, and he punched the button to connect via his in-dash program.
“Riggins,” Cal answered, hoping the caller was one of the agents who’d first responded to the scene.
“Deputy Yancey here,” the guy said. “You wanted to talk to me.”
“You’ve seen the bomb. Describe it to me.”
He gave a succinct description of Keeler’s signature bomb.
“We need to keep this woman from panicking,” Cal said.
“No worries there,” he replied. “The bomber told her that he used a motion switch, and if she moves, the bomb will detonate.”
Not a surprise to Cal. “Has the local bomb squad arrived?”
“Negative. Last report has them three minutes out.”
Cal had to assume Keeler built this bomb as he had the others, and he would remotely detonate it. The squad likely carried something to stop radio frequencies or electromagnetic interference. If they did, they could drape it over the woman to prevent any incoming cell signals from reaching the bomb, thus stopping Keeler from detonating it. Worst case, they could use a metal emergency blanket, though it wasn’t foolproof. They would be risking an EOD tech’s life to go into the house and place the covering, but in Cal’s opinion, the risk was worth it to save the woman and other lives in the surrounding area.
Fatal Mistake--A Novel Page 23