Love Inspired Suspense May 2015 #2

by Susan Sleeman

  He pulled back and looked into her eyes, gently brushing tears from her cheeks.

  “You honor your friends every day by your strength, your kindness and your life. Let God bear the burden of their deaths while you rejoice in what you shared together. The good times. Not the bad ones.”

  Looking into his ocean-blue eyes, Laney could almost believe that was possible.

  SIXTEEN

  Morning came quickly. The antique grandfather clock in the corner chimed 6:00 a.m., but a soft clatter from the kitchen and the scent of coffee brewing told Grayson he wasn’t the first to wake. Yawning, he rose from the couch and stretched. Some coffee would do him good. He’d had a restless sleep, haunted by nightmares and memories, and by the nagging feeling that he was missing something.

  He’d spent a couple of hours looking through his files again, familiarizing himself with every word, making a list of every cataloged clue, every person who’d worked on each case, every interview, hoping that when the originals were faxed to him, it would be easier to pick out deleted information. He’d start making phone calls to Boston and California this morning, both local PD and the original FBI case agents. Hopefully he’d have the files in his hands this afternoon.

  In the kitchen, Rose looked up from her task of pouring herself a cup of coffee.

  “Here.” She held the cup out. “It looks like you need this worse than I do. I’ll pour myself another.”

  “Do I look that rough?”

  She laughed, green eyes twinkling. “Well, let’s just say you look as if a good, strong cup of coffee and a shower wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Well, what a coincidence, because I was just thinking about both.”

  “Were you thinking about a slice of coffee cake? I’ve got some right here.”

  He hesitated, and she laughed again. “No worries, Gray. It’s not homemade.”

  “I wasn’t—”

  “Of course you were.” She cut a slice of coffee cake and put it on a plate. “Everyone who knows me knows I can’t cook. I’m not one to give up, so I keep trying. Plus—” she looked around and lowered her voice “—I love to see the expressions on people’s faces when they bite into something I bake. And watching them try to dispose of the food while I’m not looking? Priceless!”

  “You’re incorrigible, Rose,” he said, sipping the coffee and letting the hot, bitter brew wipe away some of his fatigue.

  “I am,” she responded. “But I like you. So I won’t make you eat any more of my homemade treats.”

  “Do I smell coffee?” Laney came around the corner into the kitchen, dressed in her work gear, hair pulled back in a high ponytail. Jax, Brody and Murphy were at her heels.

  “Good morning, love,” Rose said cheerfully. “I just made a pot, and I’ve got coffee cake to go with it. Fresh from Safeway. That sweet little Willow took my car and bought some groceries last night. There are a lot of mouths to feed in this house.”

  “You’re up early, considering you didn’t get to bed until after one this morning,” Grayson commented as Laney sat at the table.

  “You’re one to talk,” she countered. “You were still clicking away on your computer when I finally dozed off.”

  He nodded to concede the point. “What are your plans for today?”

  “Bria is coming by this morning to help with the dogs. I need to run the board-and-trains through their paces today. I really don’t like skipping a training day. I told Riley to take a few days off.” Adding a generous portion of cream and sugar to her coffee, she took a sip. “You?”

  “Well, after last night’s incident, I don’t have a car. The FBI is supposed to send me another one when the protection detail shift change occurs. But you’re stuck with me until then.”

  The back door slid open and Arden entered, carting a backpack full of equipment and her laptop. Dropping her bags on the ground by the table, she barely remembered to say hello before starting in. “Is there any coffee cake left, Rose? I tried a piece last night, and it was delicious. Since my brother is a pig when it comes to things like cake, I thought I’d better hurry over before he finished it.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t finish it off last night, Arden,” Grayson said as Rose placed a piece of coffee cake on a plate in front of her.

  “I would have,” Arden said, “but Willow told me she’d cut off both my hands if I touched it again before morning.”

  “You left for Rose’s cottage before Laney and I were done talking, so I didn’t get a chance to ask you what you found.”

  “Well, I haven’t identified the hacker yet, but I’m pretty sure he’s a hacker for hire.”

  “How do you know?” Grayson was almost afraid to ask since it was early, and Arden’s technical speak could be quite off-putting at times.

  “Well, he used some very sophisticated binary obfuscation techniques to prohibit reverse engineering that could identify the original malware commands and potentially lead to his identity. Fortunately for you, I’m familiar with all of the techniques used. Even more fortunately for you, one of the techniques can be traced to only four people in the world.”

  “How could you possibly know that?”

  “Because I created it, and I limited distribution with a signed nondisclosure agreement.”

  Grayson was starting to get excited—he didn’t know much about binary obfuscation or reverse engineering techniques, but he understood that the pool of potential hackers just got a whole lot smaller. “So, are you telling me that we can narrow the hacker down to three people?”

  “I’m telling you we can narrow the release of the technique to three people. One could be the hacker, but it is just as feasible that one of them could have sold the technique illegally, in violation of the ten-year nondisclosure agreement.”

  “Well, that still seems promising.”

  “It is. I need to analyze my findings this morning, and I should have a name for you early this afternoon.”

  Getting up from his chair, he hugged Arden, then kissed her on the cheek. “Way to go, kid. I knew you would come through for me.” His sister blushed under his public display of affection.

  “Don’t blow it out of proportion, Gray. You know Mom would kill me if I left you hanging—and Dad might help.”

  “I love you, too, sis.” he countered, winking.

  Winking back, she polished off the last bit of her slice of coffee cake. “All that late-night work sure did build up my appetite, Rose. I don’t suppose you’d mind giving me another piece of that cake?”

  Rose snorted, cutting another slice and placing it on Arden’s plate. “Are you ever not hungry, child?”

  “No. I don’t think so.”

  Grayson laughed, stretching. “The apple definitely didn’t fall far from the tree. Everyone in our family likes to eat. I’m going to hit the shower.”

  He turned to Laney, leaning down so that he could speak close to her ear. “Wait for me before you head to the kennels. I’ll only be a minute.”

  *

  Grayson’s “minute” turned into thirty. Good thing Bria wasn’t scheduled to arrive until seven.

  Laney sipped her second cup of coffee, picking at the coffee cake that Rose had set in front of her. She wasn’t hungry, but she knew she needed to eat. She had a lot to do, and doing it without nourishment would be foolish.

  “My brother thinks highly of you,” Arden said through a mouthful of toast. “What do you think of him?”

  “Not very tactful, are you?” Smiling, Rose sipped her coffee. Then she turned to Laney. “But, since I’m curious, too, I won’t chastise you for it.”

  A blush crept into Laney’s cheeks. The answer should be simple, really. She hardly knew Grayson. He was obviously a good agent. A man of strong faith. A solid, dependable person willing to put his life on the line for her. She should feel respect for him—and nothing more.

  “Umm…I think he’s great?” It came out as a question. Stuffing her mouth with a bite of the coffee cake, Laney hope
d to avoid another uncomfortable question.

  “Good.” Arden smiled with a conspiring glance at Rose.

  Laney didn’t like the direction she thought this conversation was about to take. It was hard enough to get the upper hand with Aunt Rose, but Laney suspected Arden would give her aunt a run for her money. She was thankful when a knock at the door set the dogs off. She excused herself to answer it.

  “Good morning, Laney. Is Grayson up?” Kent asked, stepping into the house.

  “He’s in the shower.”

  “Not anymore.” Grayson rounded the corner of the hallway, towel-drying his hair and carrying his dirty clothes. “What’s up, Andrews?”

  “There’s been a development. I’m on my way to the scene of a possible kidnapping. The MO is different, but I’m not taking any chances. Deputy Wallace is en route, and I’ve got units dispatched. We’ve called in the Greater Maryland Region Search and Rescue Team. Since you’re not due to get your replacement vehicle until later this morning, I thought I’d check to see if you want to ride along.”

  “I’m not sure I’m comfortable leaving Laney here.”

  “You need to go,” Laney cut in. There was no way she wanted him babysitting her when he should be out in the field rescuing an abducted child. “I’ll be fine. There are two FBI agents and two officers outside.”

  Grayson hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. Tell me what the situation is, Andrews.”

  “A group of fifth graders was on an overnight field trip at Arlington Echo last night. Four kids woke up before their chaperone and snuck out to find some poison ivy to shove in another kid’s shoe.”

  “Nice,” Laney said.

  “Yeah. Not. One of the kids, ten-year-old Carson Proctor, got separated from his buddies. They were calling to him, trying to help him find the way back, when he started yelling for help. The other kids saw him being carted off into the woods.”

  “Arlington Echo is more than two hundred acres of forest,” Laney said. “The kidnapper was on foot. He could still be out there with the boy. How many resources is the search and rescue team bringing?”

  “Unfortunately, they have only two deployable dogs in the state right now. Seems the rest of the team is in New Jersey at the National Search and Rescue Conference. My guys are going to act as flankers since there’s no telling if the guy is armed,” Kent responded.

  “Two dogs are not enough dogs to cover all that ground.”

  “We’re calling other teams in the area, Laney. It’s just going to take time to get them here.”

  “We don’t have time,” she responded, her heart thudding painfully.

  Laney knew what she had to do, but she was almost too scared to say it.

  She took a deep breath, thinking about what Grayson had told her. She couldn’t keep mourning her team members’ deaths. She had to start celebrating their lives. The best way to do it was to carry on with the work they’d been doing when they’d died. “I’m bringing Jax out of retirement.”

  “Since when?” Grayson asked, his gaze sharp.

  “Since right this minute.” She opened the hall closet, pulling out an orange Coaxsher search and rescue pack. “I’ve got my ready pack here. I just need to fill the water bladder and I’ll be set to go.” She did it quickly, ignoring her aunt’s questioning look and Arden’s incessant chatter. Ignoring Grayson’s worried look and Kent’s excited one.

  “Tell Bria I was called away, Aunt Rose. Tell her to feed the dogs. I’ll be back when I can.”

  Laney grabbed a red lead off a hook in the closet.

  The situation was critical. They needed to find the child, and the kidnapper, and they needed to do it quickly. Laney was pretty sure that if they missed this opportunity, it might be too late for Olivia and the rest of the children as well.

  But she was scared out of her mind, terrified that she’d make a wrong decision, cause someone to be injured or killed.

  She had to trust herself.

  No. She had to trust God. He’d see her through this.

  She wanted to believe that.

  She would believe it.

  “Jax, come.”

  Jax darted to her and sat at her feet, immediately giving her all his attention. Fastening the lead on his collar, she looked at Murphy and Brody.

  “Sorry, boys, not today.” Then she followed Grayson and Kent out to the patrol car.

  *

  The patrol-car sirens and lights were blasting as the cruiser sped down Route 2 toward Arlington Echo. The FBI detail was ill-equipped for a search, so they stayed behind to watch for signs of trouble at the house. Laney was quietly looking out the window as the scenery whizzed by. Jax, his head resting on her lap, was sprawled across the backseat. Laney absently petted his silky ears.

  Grayson wondered what Laney must be feeling, headed to a search for the first time since the avalanche. From the tension in her face, he guessed whatever she felt, it wasn’t good.

  They reached Arlington Echo in under ten minutes and pulled into the lot where a table had been set up as a base. To Grayson, the scene looked a little disorganized, perhaps even chaotic. There were children, camp counselors and adult chaperones standing around the perimeter of the woods behind a line of bright orange flagging tape. Men and women in uniform stood near the table and milled around the parking lot.

  They were waiting for direction, and apparently Laney planned to be the one to give it.

  She jumped out of the car and hurried to the table. She had a compass hanging from her belt, along with a map pouch and a bottle of what looked like baby powder.

  It took her about ten seconds to get people organized.

  Two other dog handlers were suddenly at the table, photocopied pictures of the missing boy in their hands, listening as Laney explained how they’d sector off the area.

  Grayson watched with interest as the dog handlers studied their maps, jotting notes on pads small enough to stuff in the pockets of tactical pants.

  Andrews approached the group, giving clear-cut rules for engagement. They weren’t just dealing with a missing child. They were dealing with a kidnapper.

  The chief gave out the assignments. “Sector one is for team one, composed of Kensington, DeMarco and Reese. Sector two is team two with Collins, Gentry and Pinkerton. And sector three is team three with Henderson, Graft, Wilfred and Davis. Any questions?”

  “Which comms channel will you broadcast from?” The question was asked by a member of the volunteer search and rescue team.

  “Set your radios to channel two. Maintain radio silence as much as possible. The suspect doesn’t want to be found. If he hears you, he will go into hiding—or worse, he’ll go for an attack. You need to be clue-aware, look for fresh tracks, articles of clothing, anything that could belong to our suspect or victim. Okay, unless there are any questions, I need you to get started,” Andrews said, dismissing the group.

  Grayson made his way over to Laney. She’d spread out her map on the car hood and was marking a point on it. Glancing over her shoulder, he could see she had drawn a circle for base. “Looks like I’m with you,” he said.

  “Can you find our other team member? I think his name is Reese. I want to go over our search strategy and get started quickly.”

  “I’m right here.” An armed parks and recreation officer approached, a small pack on his back. He introduced himself, “I’m David Reese.

  Laney stepped forward, extending her hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Laney Kensington. This is Grayson DeMarco. Have you had any prior search experience with dog handlers?’

  “No, ma’am, but I’ve been on wilderness searches before without dogs.”

  “Good. There are three things to remember. First, don’t pet or feed the dog when he’s got his vest on. Second, keep up. And third, never get between the dog and the handler. Understand?”

  Grayson and Reese nodded.

  “Cool.” She smiled, and Grayson could see that she was in her element, completely comfortable with what she was doin
g. “Take a look at this map. This is our sector. We’ll check the wind when we get closer, but at first glance I’m inclined to follow this stream, because the terrain is relatively flat compared with the surrounding areas. With a seventy-pound kid in tow, the kidnapper will likely be looking for the path of least resistance.” Laney folded the map and put it in her plastic map case, then used her compass to orient her map. “There’s bottled water at the base. Both of you grab some. We’ll be traveling fast, and you’ll become dehydrated quickly. I’ll vest up Jax, and we’ll get moving.”

  SEVENTEEN

  It felt like coming home.

  Every detail of the preparation, every whiff of pine needles and outdoors, every sound of dogs barking and people calling to one another felt as comfortable as a well-worn cardigan.

  Laney led the way through a small clearing, moving into the tree line and the edge of their sector. She knew where they were heading, but she paused there to orient her map once more.

  Beside her, Jax was visibly excited. He knew this wasn’t just training. He always knew. She’d never been sure if it was because he was so in touch with her moods, but Jax’s entire demeanor was different on a real search than during a training exercise.

  She bent over, scratching him between the ears. “We’re about to start, buddy. Just need to do one thing first.”

  Shrugging the pack from her back, she dug into the front pocket, pulling out a Leatherman.

  “What are you doing?” Grayson asked, leaning over her as she opened the knife.

  “I need to cut the bells off Jax’s vest. They’ll give him away if the kidnapper is in our sector. Jax works fast and he ranges, so he’ll be out of our sight sometimes. I use the bells to help me keep track of the direction he’s traveling and the area he’s covered. This time, we’ll work without them.” She sliced off the bells and stuffed them deep into her pack. Finally they were ready.

  Her pulse raced, her heart tripping all over itself.

  This might be like coming home, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous about it. She took a deep breath, removed Jax’s lead and placed that in her pack as well.