“Thanks,” he muttered, his throat burning. He stood. When it came to fight or flight, he almost always chose fight. But when it came to his heart, flight seemed to be his go-to choice. “I need to call Denton and see if he’s heard anything.”
There he went, putting off what he needed to do again. Delaying getting any help. Embracing denial that he truly needed a listening ear.
Wasn’t that what a SEAL was about? Being tough? Self-reliant? All this talky-talky stuff seemed so wimpy. Yet, at the same time, the idea was tempting.
The little bit that he’d already revealed to Ashley made his burden seem lighter.
He shook his head and started down the hall to call Denton. His conversation with him caused him to put his earlier thoughts aside.
They had a lead on Josh and David’s location.
* * *
Ashley stared at the warehouse from the window of the SUV. Wet drops of snow fell from the sky and slid down the window, only slightly obscuring her view of the law-enforcement vehicles parked haphazardly around the building.
“You ready for this?” Christopher asked beside her.
He’d called Denton, who’d told them the FBI had caught a break in the case. It had led them to a warehouse where they suspected Josh and David had been held. Denton had asked if Ashley and Christopher could come down to the site and identify a couple of items.
The thought made the pit in Ashley’s stomach grow deeper and hollower.
Finally, she nodded. “Let’s go.”
They walked through slushy snow and met Denton. He stood among police officers and other men in suits—FBI agents, Ashley assumed. Denton reintroduced them to FBI agents Franco and Smith again. They’d already met after the Eyes bombing.
“We’re hoping you can confirm whether or not your brother and nephew have been here,” Denton said, walking with them toward the warehouse. “You’ll also need to give a statement to Agents Franco and Smith. This is beyond our scope, Ashley. Other people are getting hurt.”
“Not to mention the fiasco at the mall,” Agent Franco said. He raised bushy eyebrows, showing his disapproval that they hadn’t come forward as being involved in the entire mess.
She nodded, resigning herself to give up control of the situation.
She nearly snorted at the thought.
Control? She had no control of the situation. If she had control of it, her brother and David wouldn’t be held captive somewhere right now while people around continually died or were injured. She had to let go of this.
They led her inside. Christopher stayed by her side, and, despite their past, she was grateful for his presence. A table had been set up in the center of the large room they entered. Various boxes and wires and other items Ashley couldn’t identify were scattered about.
“Bombs,” Christopher muttered. “They were building bombs here.”
A cold chill shivered through her. These men were heartless. And they had Josh and David.
She paused by a computer. Had these men forced her brother to work on this computer? Her heart sank at the thought of what they might be going through.
“Over here is where I really want you to look.” The FBI agent directed her down a hallway. Her feet scraped the cement floor. This place was so cold and impersonal. It was no place for a child.
The agent paused by a room and extended his hand as an invitation for her to go inside. She drew in a deep breath before stepping into the space. Her eyes assessed her surroundings. Some blankets lay rumpled in the corner. Some junk-food wrappers scattered the floor. An empty bottle of juice sat abandoned by the door.
She walked over toward the blankets and kneeled down. She pictured David lying there. Was this where he’d slept? Physical pain stabbed through her heart at the thought. What she wouldn’t give to hold him, to give him a hug.
“We found this. Look familiar?” Agent Franco held up a piece of paper.
Ashley took it and studied it a moment. It was a hand-drawn picture of a woman beside a little boy. From the blond hair, she clearly recognized the woman as herself and the boy as David.
“Is that your nephew’s?” Agent Franco asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, that’s his.” Her voice cracked as she said the words.
She ran her hand over the blanket. The soft folds gave her a little comfort.
Her hand hit something hard. She moved the material out of the way, trying to uncover what was lost in the heap. Finally, her fingers squeezed around the object, and she pulled it out.
Christopher leaned closer. “A pen? That’s a bit of a letdown.”
She sucked in a breath and shook her head. She knew exactly what it was. She’d given it to David. “No, this is a special pen. David went through a phase where he wanted to be a spy. This is a recording pen. If you press this button here—” she pointed to it “—you can record a message or a conversation.”
She glanced at the men around her. Agent Franco gave her a nod, and she pressed the button.
Her brother’s voice rang out. “Ashley, don’t believe everything you hear. Don’t trust everyone you meet. You’re our only hope.”
FOURTEEN
Christopher squeezed Ashley’s shoulder again. It seemed so impersonal, but what else could he do? She’d made it clear that she wanted him to keep his distance. Yet, at the same time, she obviously needed some comfort. “You did a good job, Ashley.”
She nodded. She’d pulled her sleeves down over her hands and stood with her arms crossed, a faraway look in her eyes. He could only imagine what she might be thinking about. They stood in the middle of the warehouse, a cold, brittle space, probably even when the heat worked. Law-enforcement officials swarmed the building. Bomb-sniffing dogs pulled their handlers. Radios crackled.
They’d both just spent the last three hours being interrogated by the FBI and police. Ashley had told them what had happened, sticking only to the facts. She’d carried herself amazingly well, all things considered.
Right now, she stared off into the distance. Christopher remembered well how much she liked to have her own space when she was dealing with anything overwhelming, so he gave that to her now. Her eyes flickered, as if she was having some kind of internal conversation with herself...or perhaps rehashing everything that had already happened.
Finally, she turned to Christopher, pure determination shining in her eyes. “I want to visit Wally again.”
“Your brother’s friend?”
She nodded and nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment. “I have a feeling there’s something he’s not telling me. I need to ask him some more questions.”
“What brought that on?”
Ashley shook her head slowly, thoughtfully. “I’m just retracing our steps. I think he’s our best choice for finding out more information.”
He glanced at his watch. “Let me check with Denton and Agent Franco and see if it’s okay if we leave.”
He hesitated before stepping away. Both men said it was fine if they left, and that they’d be in touch. The ride was silent as they made their way north to Wally’s house. Ashley was usually such a chatterbox. She could talk to anyone, anywhere. But either she’d changed since they’d last known each other or this situation was nearly unbearable. Maybe both.
They waited outside Wally’s house. Finally, at seven o’clock, a car pulled into the driveway. Wally got out. He looked around him as he walked to the door, almost as if he could feel their eyes on him.
Christopher put his hand on the door handle. “Let’s go.”
They broke free from the car and charged up the sidewalk toward Wally. The man turned around, his eyes wide with fear. “What do you want—?” He paused when he recognized them and lowered his hands. “Ashley. What are you doing here?”
Ashley tried to step forward, but Chris
topher tugged her back. He didn’t know who to trust right now, which made nearly everyone a suspect.
“I need to talk to you, Wally,” Ashley said.
“I thought we already talked.” His voice sounded tense, high-pitched.
Ashley’s eyes looked pleading and earnest as she stared at her brother’s friend. “I have more questions.”
He started walking toward the door, shaking his head as he went. “I don’t know what else I can tell you.”
She grabbed his arm, pulling him to a halt on the walkway in front of the steps leading to his porch. “Please, Wally. It’s important.”
He stared at her a moment before finally nodding. His gaze searched around him again, the action pulling Christopher’s muscles tighter. “Okay, but I don’t have long.”
“What aren’t you telling me about my brother? I know you’re hiding something. I just don’t know what. His life...” She swallowed. “His life is in danger.”
“In danger?” He pushed his glasses up higher and shifted awkwardly. “What do you mean?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you anything else. I only know he’s in trouble. I’m trying to find some answers, and I’m afraid you’re the only one who has them.”
His gaze flickered once more before finally settled back on Ashley. “I shouldn’t say anything. I promised on my life that I wouldn’t.”
“Please.” The tone of voice rang of desperation, of being on the fringe of hopelessness.
He let out a short sigh and ran his hand through his hair. He paced back and forth in three-step increments before jerking to a stop and staring at Ashley. “Your brother was being investigated.”
Ashley’s eyes widened. “Investigated?”
He nodded. “The higher-ups at the company thought he could be selling industry secrets. That’s all rumor, mind you.”
“Selling industry secrets to whom?” Ashley demanded. “Another company?”
He shook his head. “No. To terrorists.”
Her mouth gaped open. “Someone thought my brother was helping the other side? He would never do that.”
Wally shrugged as if he wasn’t quite that sure. “There’s one other thing.”
“What’s that?” The words seemed to tumble from her mouth. Her hands gripped her arms, reminding him of someone holding on for dear life.
“Someone at TechShare apparently hacked into the federal government’s computer system. Everyone thinks it was your brother. He was looking at jail time if they found him guilty.”
Ashley shook her head. “You’ve got to be kidding me. My brother would never do that.”
He raised his hands. “I’m just telling you what I heard.”
Christopher stepped closer. “Why are you acting scared? Are you being watched?”
“I’m Josh’s friend. Don’t you think I look guilty, too? I’ve been on edge for the past couple of weeks. I’ve felt like someone was watching me. There. Are you happy now?”
“This is serious, Wally.” Ashley’s voice contained a touch of exasperation.
He raised his chin. “I’m well aware.”
Christopher held his frustration at bay, knowing the importance of keeping a level head in the situation. But the pit in his stomach grew. And with each new sinking depth, he realized that his concern for Ashley was continuing to widen—widening enough for him to know that his heart was beginning to get involved far beyond a mere friendship level.
He stared at Wally a moment, watching the man with his nervous twitches. Why was he nervous? He felt sure the man was hiding something else. “Is there anything else you need to tell us?”
“That’s all I know. I hope your brother is okay. I really do.” He paused long enough to push up his glasses and glance over at Christopher. An unreadable emotion lingered in his eyes. “And I hope he hasn’t gotten himself into trouble.”
* * *
Christopher had been quiet for most of the way to whatever new safe house they were traveling to for the night. Ashley had a feeling that he was mulling over some thoughts, so she let him. But from the way he gripped the steering wheel, those thoughts were heavy and intense.
Her gut told her that she wouldn’t like what Christopher had to say whenever he spoke again. She wasn’t sure why she was so concerned about what he was thinking, when her own thoughts were a mess.
Her brother? Being investigated? She just couldn’t believe it. Did Christopher?
They pulled up onto a new property for the evening. Same routine. Different guard. This time, the place was an actual log cabin, nestled away in the foothills of Virginia. If Ashley weren’t so upset—and if she wasn’t with Christopher—she actually might enjoy a stay here.
As soon as they stepped inside, Christopher began pacing the living room. She sank onto the couch, her gut twisting as tension filled the room.
Finally, he stopped pacing and turned toward her. “We need to talk.”
Her throat burned. She remembered starting a conversation with those very words. They hadn’t had a chance to finish it yet, though. She’d been delaying the inevitable. She nodded. “Okay.”
He lowered himself beside her. Concern furrowed his brows as he stared at her. “You’ve got to give this up, Ashley. We’re in over our heads. If your brother is guilty, you could become an accomplice in all of this by trying to help him now. Leave it to the authorities.”
She blinked, trying to comprehend his words. “I can’t give up.”
He grabbed her hand. “Don’t you see we’re dealing with some dangerous men here? This is above me and it’s above you. We need the entire Special Forces to win this war, and all we’ve got is me and you. We’re not enough. I can’t protect you from a court of law, if that’s what it comes down to. This could get ugly on so many levels.”
“I can’t give up.” Her throat burned as she said the words.
He shook his head. “Why not? Why can’t you leave this to the authorities?”
“I just can’t.” She could hardly breathe as she realized she’d have to tell him the truth. Reality became clear to her. She’d put it off again and again.
“Ashley, the deeper we get into this, the more I worry about you and your safety. We’re talking about His People, about terrorism, about bombings. I can’t understand why you won’t leave this to the authorities and just concentrate on keeping yourself safe.”
Her heart leaped into her throat. There was so much pressure building inside her chest that she thought she might pass out. Passing out would be too easy, though. She had to tell him the truth, and telling him the truth would be the hardest thing of all. “Christopher...”
He leaned closer. He cared about her, didn’t he? She could see in his eyes, and that realization made her confession that much harder.
“Yes?” he mumbled.
Adrenaline charged through the air. “There’s something I need to tell you.” Her voice cracked every other syllable.
“Go ahead.”
Shakes overcame her. She sat back on the couch and jammed her hands underneath her legs to quell the trembles. Nausea roiled in her gut.
I can’t do this.
But she had to. This was the only thing that would make him realize the seriousness of the situation. Plus, Christopher just plain needed to know. It was the right thing. She’d been denying that for a long time, but lately the truth had been smacking her in the face with absolute clarity.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me, Ashley.” Christopher’s voice sounded soothing and sure.
Her gaze flickered up to his, and she licked her lips. She was going to get through this without throwing up. “Christopher, I don’t know how to say this. So I’m just going to say it.”
“Okay.”
“I need to start by saying I’m sorry.” Moisture f
illed her eyes.
His eyebrows twitched together. “About what?”
She licked her lips again, pulling back the tears that wanted to rise up. “Christopher, about a month after we broke up, I started feeling ill. I blamed it on the stress from the breakup.” She glanced at her lap. “As you know, it was hard on me.”
“I know, Ashley.” Compassion and sorrow stained his voice.
“I finally went to the doctor to make sure everything was okay. I’d lost some weight. I felt nauseous all the time. I didn’t want to get out of bed.” She rubbed her hands on her jeans, praying for the courage to say what she had to say next. “I found out I was pregnant, Christopher.” Her gaze rose up to meet his.
His eyes widened. “Pregnant? You were pregnant?” Waves of emotion flashed through his eyes. Disbelief. Surprise. Realization.
“What...what happened? Did you miscarry? You should have told me.”
She shook her head. “I carried the baby to term. He was a beautiful boy.”
“A boy?”
She nodded. “Yes, a boy. I named him David. He’s your son, Christopher.”
* * *
The war in the Middle East felt like a walk in the park compared to this bombshell.
Christopher stood and began pacing and running his hands through his hair. He couldn’t have heard Ashley correctly. No, this couldn’t be happening.
Ashley was suddenly at his side, her hands on his arm. Her eyes pleaded with him. “I’m sorry, Christopher.”
He shook his head and kept pacing, moving out of her touch. “I don’t understand.”
Nothing made sense. That couldn’t be possible. No, no, no.
Ashley’s sweet voice broke into his thoughts. “I know it’s a lot to soak in.”
A lot to soak in? He had a son. A son.
Whom he’d never met.
Who could have changed his world. Given him another reason to get up in the morning. Given him another reason to fight for the future.
“How could you keep this from me?” Anger tinged his voice as he whirled around to face her.
To her credit, she didn’t back down. “You were gone. You were in Afghanistan. You’d made it clear you didn’t want a family or any commitments back here at home that would distract you from your role as a SEAL. What was I supposed to do?”
High-Stakes Holiday Reunion Page 14