Lethal Memory (A Counterstrike Novel Book 2)

by Jannine Gallant

  “Shut the dog up right now, or I’ll shoot it.”

  “Quiet, Stormy. I’m okay.” Her tone was high and far from confident, but the dog stopped barking. Instead, she growled low in her throat.

  The man holding her kicked the door closed. “Where’s your damn laptop?”

  “It should be on the floor with the suitcases.” Riley tried to turn her head but couldn’t. Scattered clothing was just visible in the periphery of her vision.

  “It isn’t anywhere in the room.” What had to be the barrel of a gun jabbed harder into her side. “Now isn’t the time to lie to me.”

  “I don’t know where it is.” The tearful words were wrenched from her throat. “I was half-asleep when we came inside last night. Maybe the case got left in my car.”

  “Then I guess we’d better go retrieve it.” The faint scent of aftershave invaded her senses. “You’ll come with me. Quietly. You aren’t going to attract the attention of that other woman by making even a single peep. Are we clear?”

  Riley nodded.

  “Because if you do, your grandfather is going to die. He’s perfectly safe, as long as I return in a timely manner. If I don’t . . . well, you can use your imagination. I know my associate will.”

  A shudder ran through her. Before she had a chance to respond, her phone rang.

  “That’ll be Harbor House calling me back about my grandfather. They were looking for him. They’ve probably called the police by now.”

  “Shit.” He gave her a hard shove and toppled her onto the bed.

  Stormy sprang at her attacker, snarling and snapping.

  “Get the hell away from me!” With a swipe of his arm, he hit the dog with the barrel of the gun.

  Stormy yelped and cringed. Pushing off the bed, Riley dropped to the floor and grabbed her trembling dog. Holding tight, she stared up at the familiar face of a man she’d seen many times at Harbor House. Always cordial. Never failing to ask how her grandfather was doing. Today his lips were pressed into a grim line.

  “Call Tanis and tell her your grandfather walked away from the facility. Tell her he’s at a coffee shop, that you intend to go pick him up, and not to alert the authorities. And you’d damn well better be convincing.”

  “I will.” She was shaking so hard she could barely pull her phone out of her pocket. Holding onto Stormy’s collar with one hand, she finally managed to retrieve her recent calls and tapped to connect. “Tanis, it’s Riley.”

  “Riley, thank goodness you called me back. I was just about to phone the police. I’m afraid we haven’t been able to locate your grandfather anywhere.”

  “Don’t call them.” She locked gazes with Price Wagner as he held the gun trained straight at her chest. “I know where he is.”

  “You do?” Tanis let out a rush of breath. “I’m so relieved. Where is he? Is he safe?”

  “Yes. He’s at a coffee house about a mile from Harbor House. Somehow, he got out on his own and just started walking. The manager said he looked confused and offered to call someone. Grandpa had my name and phone number in his pocket. I’m going to pick him up now.”

  “We can send the van—”

  “No, I’ll spend some time with him before I bring him back.”

  “If you’re sure . . .”

  Riley repressed a shudder and held Stormy a little tighter. “I’m positive.”

  “I’ll let everyone know he’s fine. I’m so sorry this happened. I’m sure there’ll be an investigation.”

  “I would certainly hope so. I’ll see you in a few hours.” Riley turned off her phone as anger burned in her chest. “I did as you asked.”

  “An admirable job. Well done. You’re a cool one, Riley.”

  “Why would you do this?” Her voice broke. “I understand your aunt is seriously ill, but to threaten me and endanger my grandfather . . .”

  “At this point, my aunt is probably a lost cause.” His eyes narrowed. “I have early onset Alzheimer’s. Right now, I’m still fully functional, and I plan to stay that way. I won’t become a victim, wasting away in a home. I want the treatment you developed, and I don’t intend to wait around for trials and government approval.”

  “Grandpa is relapsing. There are still bugs to work out.”

  “I have confidence you’ve done that already.” He gestured with the revolver. “Get up and let’s go.”

  Riley slowly rose to her feet, keeping a firm grip on Stormy.

  Wagner scooped the car keys off the dresser, opened the door, and stepped out into the hallway. “Leave the damn dog here, and give me your phone. Now.”

  Reluctantly, she handed it over. “She’ll bark.”

  “It won’t matter once we get out of the house.”

  Riley eased out the door and pushed Stormy farther into the room. “I’ll be back soon, girl.” Once she shut the dog inside, she regarded the man holding the gun. “Now what?”

  “We’ll take the back stairs. This way. Quickly.”

  She did as she was told. Until she knew where her grandfather was, she wouldn’t make this man angry.

  The narrow staircase, probably originally used by servants, led down to a pantry. Gripping her arm, Wagner hustled her through the kitchen to the door leading into the backyard. The cold wind sliced through her shirt, and she realized she’d left her jacket. Her toes grew numb in her slippers as she walked through frosty grass along the side of the building to a gate leading out onto the sidewalk. Wagner flipped the latch and gestured her through.

  “Where’s your car?”

  “I’m not sure. I told you I was half-asleep when we got back.” Riley scanned the parked cars as traffic moved past on the street and pointed. “There it is.”

  Half a block behind her car, a Hummer was squeezed between two smaller vehicles. A shiver ran through her as she turned to stare at him.

  He held her in a tight grip. “Hurry. I can hear that stupid mutt barking from here. I should have shot it.”

  “Not exactly a quiet solution, which is why you didn’t.” At his urging, she crossed the street.

  When they reached her car, Wagner hit the remote and opened the door. “About damn time I got my hands on that thing. Grab the laptop.”

  Riley lifted the case from the floor where it had slid most of the way under the back seat and held it out. “You have what you want. Now, where’s my grandfather?”

  His brows shot up. “What, did you think I’d let you simply walk away? You’re coming with me.” He slammed the door. My car is the—”

  “Hummer.”

  “Bright as always.”

  When they reached his vehicle, he pushed her into the passenger seat before running around to the driver’s side. As he pulled out onto the street a few seconds later, the front door of the Counterstrike brownstone opened. Jaimee ran out to the sidewalk, followed by both dogs.

  “Don’t do anything stupid.” He held the revolver with one hand while he drove past the house. “She can’t see you through the tinted windows.”

  Stormy raised her head and sniffed the wind before barking wildly and chasing after them. Jaimee sprinted down the street behind the dog. By the time they reached the intersection, both had fallen behind. Wagner blew through the stop sign without slowing and increased his speed. Turning left, he headed for Storrow Drive.

  “Good thing we aren’t going far. She’ll have the police out looking for this beast in no time.”

  He merged into traffic on the major artery and headed east before exiting into the Beacon Hill neighborhood. After driving a couple of blocks, he pulled into a resident only parking garage and found an empty space on the first level. Turning off the engine, he faced her.

  “We can do this the easy way or the ugly way. Your choice.”

  “I want my grandfather safely back where he belongs. After that, I can make a dose of the serum if you take me to my lab.”

  “I have someone to do that. I just want the formula. The password to open your laptop would be useful but not essen
tial since I imagine bypassing it won’t be terribly difficult.”

  “Not as simple as you’d think.” Riley gripped the case tighter, trying to plan one step ahead. This man wasn’t a killer by nature. He was driven and pragmatic. All she had to do was convince him he needed her. “What’s the easy way?”

  “You come with me without making a scene, download your files, and I’ll have my colleague drive your grandfather back to Harbor House.”

  She didn’t believe him for a minute. “And if I don’t cooperate?”

  “I kill you now and dispose of your grandfather as soon as I get back to the house. Inconvenient dealing with two bodies, but I’ll manage.”

  “I’d hate to mess up the upholstery. I’ll cooperate.”

  He smiled. “You have a sarcastic bent I appreciate. I actually regret the need to kill you, Riley. If you hadn’t been so damn secretive with your results, all this could have been avoided.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He gestured with the gun. “Let’s go. It’s only a short walk. If you want your grandfather to stay alive, you won’t try to attract attention or escape.”

  “You know I won’t, not when my grandpa’s life is at stake.”

  “It’s a pleasure dealing with someone who grasps basic concepts so quickly.” He stepped out onto the concrete and waited for her to do the same. The double beep of the remote echoed in the garage before he gripped her arm. “Right this way, my dear.”

  Riley didn’t respond as he dragged her with him, wondering how long she’d be able to keep herself and her grandfather alive. Jaimee would have gotten the license number, and Luna would be able to track down this man’s address as soon as Jaimee contacted the team. At least she hoped finding her would be that simple.

  If it wasn’t, she’d have to make sure she was smarter than Price Wagner. Turning her face into the stiff breeze as they left the garage, she took a few calming breaths.

  Noah wasn’t around to rescue her this time. She’d have to save herself.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “You’re kidding? The boy set up his own kidnapping as a prank because he was pissed his parents are getting a divorce?” The back of Wolf’s neck deepened in color as he stared out the window of the plane. “Yeah, we’ll reroute back home immediately. I’m glad you were able to reach us before we landed, Scarlet. What?” He listened for a minute. “Here, you talk to him.”

  Wolf handed his satellite phone to Noah. The look on the other man’s face sent a tremor through him. “What’s up, Scarlet, other than a kid with the intelligence of an ameba?”

  “It’s Riley.”

  “What happened?” Noah gripped the seat back in front of him as his whole body tensed.

  “She disappeared. Stormy was barking in your room. I went upstairs to see what was wrong, and Riley wasn’t there. I ran out front with the dogs, and Stormy chased a Hummer down the street, barking like a lunatic. I couldn’t see through the tinted windows, but my guess is Riley was in that car.”

  Noah did his best not to shout at her, focusing instead on Wolf as he reached the cockpit and spoke to Sparrow and GQ. Moments later, the plane banked into a turn. They were headed back to Boston. To Riley.

  “Obviously the same Hummer that tailed her last night. Tell me you got a plate number.”

  “I did. I contacted Boston PD, spoke to the captain, and threw Wolf’s name around. She checked DMV records and put out an APB on the vehicle. The car is registered to Vortex, but it hasn’t been spotted yet.”

  “When was this?”

  “Not more than ten minutes ago. I’d just gotten off the phone with the kid’s parents when Stormy started barking. I plan to head over to Vortex headquarters, but whoever grabbed Riley could have taken her anywhere. I’ve tried to call her, of course, but her phone goes straight to voicemail.”

  Don’t panic. He forced himself to breathe. “How did the asshole get into the house?”

  “I’m not sure, but a couple of strange things happened earlier this morning. Riley was trying to reach her grandfather and couldn’t. She was worried something might be wrong. Then Charles Brasher and her friend Becca showed up here. I guess Vortex hired Becca, and Murdock tried to use her to set up a meeting with Riley. When that failed, he kidnapped your brother for leverage. She was the courier last night, and the police questioned her afterward.”

  Noah frowned. “That doesn’t explain why the pair came to see Riley.”

  “Apparently, Becca wanted to apologize for being a gullible idiot and ease her conscience.”

  “You’re certain they left the house?”

  “Definitely. Riley let them out, and I checked the door afterward to make sure it was locked.”

  Shifting in his seat, Noah stared out the window at the empty blue sky and tried to put the pieces together. “You think Becca might still be working for Murdock?”

  “It crossed my mind.”

  “Why was Charles with her?”

  “I guess he knew Riley was at Counterstrike headquarters and gave Becca a ride.”

  “Which would mean he found out her location from his uncle. See what Detective Brasher has to say about all this. We need some sort of lead. Time’s ticking.”

  “I know, and I feel horrible.” Scarlet’s voice broke. “This is all on me.”

  “No, it isn’t. You don’t know what went down. Maybe Riley left of her own volition. If someone threatened to hurt her grandfather, I’m damn certain she would sacrifice herself to save him.”

  “I’ll call Harbor House now.”

  “I can’t make the plane go any faster. I’m counting on you, Scarlet.”

  “I’ll do whatever it takes to find Riley. Do you have an ETA yet?”

  Noah met Wolf’s worried gaze. “ETA?”

  “Wheels down in forty-five minutes,” Sparrow answered. “Air traffic control just approved a direct emergency flightpath.”

  “Forty-five minutes, Scarlet. I’ll call the second we land.”

  “Okay. I’ll get answers from Harbor House and Detective Brasher and have news for you when you arrive. With any luck, I’ll have Riley, too. Bye, Patch.”

  He handed Wolf the phone when the other man returned to his seat.

  “Riley is smart and resourceful. Look how well she managed last night.”

  Noah pressed shaking fingers against his closed eyes. “I’m holding on to that. I hate being so freaking helpless.”

  “I know exactly how that feels.”

  Something in Wolf’s tone made Noah open his eyes and look at his friend, but his expression was unreadable.

  “I don’t think Emerson Prescot is involved.” Luna spoke in a confident tone from the seat behind him.

  “What?” Jarred out of his morose thoughts, Noah turned around to stare at her.

  Luna looked up from her laptop. “I can’t find any connection whatsoever between Prescot and Vortex. Or Harbor House, for that matter. I think the fact that he was in the office when Riley went to that meeting was strictly what it seemed—the department chair asking him to fill in when he was called away.”

  “So, he didn’t have an ulterior motive for dating Riley?”

  “Not that I can uncover.” A frown formed. “I’m still looking into the relatives of Harbor House residents, but it’s been slow going. Someone who knew the passcode for the doors must have a tie to Murdock or Vortex, but none of the resident’s last names turned up anything suspicious. I haven’t given up, though. I’ve been digging deeper.”

  “Anything at all?” Noah refrained from shouting. Or punching the wall of the plane.

  “Not yet, but I still have a half-dozen residents to check out.” Luna gave him a sympathetic look. “Hopefully something will pop before we land.”

  “Thank you.” He turned to face Wolf. “I appreciate all of you for going above and beyond for me.”

  “You’d be just as committed if someone important to one of us was in jeopardy. Besides, we all
care about Riley.”

  Noah’s chest tightened with the weight of worry. “She’s easy to like.”

  The next forty minutes were the longest of his life. When the plane began to lose altitude on approach to the landing strip, he pulled out his cell phone and called Scarlet. “What did you learn?”

  “Clement Adair went missing this morning. The woman I talked to at Harbor House said she was about to notify authorities when Riley called to confirm she knew where her grandfather wandered off to and that she intended to pick him up. This conversation took place minutes before Stormy started barking.”

  “Dammit to hell!” Noah smacked the armrest with his closed fist. “Whoever Riley is with took her grandfather and ordered her to make that call. She must have left headquarters, knowing his life was on the line if she didn’t cooperate.”

  “Why wouldn’t she have told me?” Scarlet’s voice rose. “Riley isn’t stupid, and that’s a bonehead move.”

  “The person we’re dealing with must have actually been inside the house at the time.”

  “The kitchen door was unlocked. I figured Riley left through the back, but maybe she let someone inside first. Someone she trusted.”

  “Did you talk to Brasher?” Noah’s teeth jarred together as the plane touched down with a slight bounce.

  “He said he never told his nephew where Riley was staying. There was something in his tone, though, that made me think he wasn’t lying, exactly, but that he possibly knew more than he was saying.”

  “We’re on the ground now. I’ll call him on the way into the city. If he knows anything, I’ll damn well pry it out of him.”

  “The Hummer registered to Vortex hasn’t been spotted yet, which leads me to believe the driver didn’t go far since the APB went out almost immediately. Also, according to Brasher, the police searched the Vortex parking facility and surrounding blocks for the vehicle with no luck. They just got a warrant to search the building, but chances are her abductor didn’t take her there. Right now, the police are trying to determine who in the company has access to that vehicle.”

  “It could be any number of employees. The key to finding Riley is through Harbor House. Whoever took her grandfather must have a connection to the facility to get in and out so easily. Luna’s still working that angle.”