Kiersten wasn’t sure Deegan had made the best decision by going alone to see the Senator. Of course, she understood that Kline felt comfortable with Deegan and wouldn’t want to speak in front of her.
After he dropped her off at the office and she sat behind her desk, she stared at the ceiling, clicking the pen in restless energy.
Sitting up, she reached for the envelope of pictures, then spread them across her desk while closely examining each for the tenth time. Why did she feel as if she were missing something?
Dropping her pen, she picked up one picture and brought it closer. Grabbing the magnifying glass from the drawer, she scanned every detail. There it was! A reflection in the window. It was faint, but it was there, and it was of the killer. She was certain.
Getting up, she hurried for Jamie, the tech guy who never seemed to leave his office. He was eating a sandwich, and when she stepped in, he looked up. “Hi,” he mumbled through a mouthful.
“I need your help.” She swept around his desk and placed the picture in front of him.
He put his food down and swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “What can I do for you?”
“Do you see the reflection?” She stabbed her finger on the picture over the killer’s image.
Jaime lifted it, squinting to get a closer look. “Yeah…I think I do…”
“Can you magnify that image so I can get a better look?”
He shrugged a bulky shoulder. “I can try, but the image quality is bad.”
“Whatever you can get from it will work.”
“Okay. Let me see what I can do.” He placed the picture in the scanner, looking up at her. “This might take some time.”
She stood straight and crossed her arms. “I need it ASAP. It’s important.”
Jamie was the best tech guy she knew and he’d always been there to help, no matter what she asked…or what time of day it was. She knew he was dependable. “Give me about a half hour.”
In her office, Kiersten paced the floor for the next thirty minutes. She could only hope that Jamie could clear the image up. This could be the break they were looking for.
Ten minutes late, Jamie swept in, this time eating a glazed donut.
She stopped pacing and looked at him, not able to read his expression. “Well?”
“Not good,” he said.
She blew out a breath and clenched her teeth. “I figured—"
“It’s awesome.” He held up the magnified picture proudly.
Kiersten grinned and grabbed the picture. She couldn’t make out the man’s face, but she could make out that he was wearing fatigues and the name on the jacket read, “T. Evans.”
She nibbled her bottom lip. “That name. Do I know it from somewhere?”
“I’m one step ahead of you. I think this is what you’re looking for.” Jamie held up a copy of a newspaper article. “You probably remember when Senator Kline was running for office and the Wyoming Journal printed this.”
She read the headline, ‘Good enough to serve. Good enough for Wyoming’.”
Kiersten couldn’t believe her eyes. In the photo was a row of men, all in ACUs. In the center of the group was Max Kline…a much younger Kline. His arm was over the shoulders of another man. The name on his lapel was what grabbed her. “T. Evans.”
She lifted her chin, smiling, but it quickly fizzled. “The man standing next to the Senator is our killer. I have to warn Deegan.”
Her mind was all over the place and she needed to talk to someone.
Five minutes later, she tossed her phone to the passenger seat and pressed on the gas and pulled out of the exit. She saw bright headlights coming close and lifted her hand to protect her eyes. The car seemed to pick up speed as it drew nearer with its bright lights on. Realizing something wasn’t right, Kiersten clutched the gear shift to slam it into reverse, but she was too late. The car smashed into the Jeep, sending it hard against the cement wall. The sounds of glass breaking and metal crunching were loud in her ears. Smoke shot up from under the hood and she felt a stabbing feeling in her side.
Unhooking her seatbelt, she could breathe better, but her entire passenger side was caved in.
Kiersten fluttered her eyes, feeling a pain in her temple.
Lifting her hand, she gently touched the spot where a thick warm wetness covered her skin. She was cut by the flying glass. Squinting, she leaned forward, swiping off shards of glass from her clothing, forcing her body to move if only a few inches.
She needed to make sure the other driver was okay…
Placing her fingers on the handle, she jumped when the driver’s door opened from the outside and a bright light flashed in her eyes, blinding her. Her head throbbed.
What the hell?
“Move your light,” she commanded.
Nothing.
“I need to get out of here.” She looked for her phone. It was no longer on the seat. “Can you help me?”
“Of course. That’s why I’m here,” a woman said with a deep accent.
*
Travis Evans dragged on his military jacket and buttoned it, looking at himself in the mirror. His hair was in a classic taper cut and his clothing was pristine without one wrinkle in the fabric. His shoes without a smudge of dirt and laces perfectly tied. His commander would be proud.
Going into the kitchen of the rental apartment, he picked up the hammer and smashed his phone. Turning on the garbage disposal, he dropped in the remains of the phone, followed by his ID and debit card. The disposal churned the contents as he waited.
“Are we ready?”
Turning at the sound of the man’s voice, he found Sargent Cord Whitmire, also dressed in fatigues. Evans stepped forward, jetted his gaze down the man’s clothing and growled, “Your clothes and hair are disheveled. Fix it!”
Whitmire stepped in front of the microwave and bent to look at himself in the window, fixing his hair until every strand was in place. “We’re not going to a beauty show, friend.”
Evans didn’t have time for the man’s sloppy behavior. “Is everything wiped clean? Walls. Floors. Bathroom. Toilet paper holder.”
“We could eat off the floor they’re so clean.”
“Good.” He stepped over to his rifle case and latched it.
Lustra stepped into the doorway. She was wearing a black tank top that showed off her toned arms and fatigue pants that she bought online. Her long thick hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail. Her nose was wrinkled. “That was easier than I thought it would be.” She laughed.
“All done? And done right?” he sneered.
“Yeh. Pleeease tell me it’s time we finish this.” Lustra rolled her eyes.
Dragging the bag and case over his shoulder, Evans pushed his sunglasses on his face. “We all know what our jobs are. Whitmire, you’re with me. Lustra, you’re at the location. If Whitmire and I aren’t there by twenty-four-hundred, then you know what to do.”
“Burn everything,” Lustra answered.
“Let’s roll.”
*
The building was quiet and dark when Deegan made his way up to the third floor where the light was on in Max’s large office. His friend was sitting behind his desk with his head bent. At first Deegan didn’t think Max had heard him enter, but he said, “Thanks for coming.” He looked up and slid his reading glasses off his face and dropped them on the desk. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.
“You said you think you know who the killer is. Tell me who it is.” Deegan was ready to get this case over with.
“Sit down first.” Max nodded toward the chair.
“Fine, but I don’t have a lot of time.” Settling into the comfortable chair, Deegan didn’t take his gaze off his buddy.
“You’re good. Real good.”
Deegan scratched his temple. “Apparently I’m not because I don’t have the puzzle pieces together, but I think once you tell me the name, it’ll all make sense.”
“Travis Evans was a nineteen-year-old boy I served with in Iraq. He was gone before you got there. He was a damn good soldier. Bright, loyal, the military was his life. As we both know, the military isn’t for everyone.” He blew out a long breath. “I took him under my wing, even saved him a couple of times. He was hurt and was given a medical discharge, although he pleaded with the commander to let him stay, but it didn’t happen. When he showed up here—”
“You hired him to follow Annie,” Deegan said calmly.
Max stood and went to the window, leaning against the frame and looking out. “I suspected something wasn’t quite right with her although I didn’t want to believe it. She was hiding something. Demanding that I leave Lisa.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. “She didn’t understand how this could ruin me. I’ll admit I loved her, but I love my life with Lisa more.”
“You asked Evans to kill her?” Unable to sit any longer, Deegan stood. How did he miss this from the beginning?
Max swung around, his brows scrunched. “No, I didn’t ask him to kill her.”
“He owed you his life, didn’t he? He followed her, took the pictures, and you put two and two together. She was hired to spy on your re-election campaign. I’m sure that made you angry, and Evans, the loyal soldier, wanted to help a friend.”
“I didn’t have to put two and two together. She admitted the truth to me. She swore she stopped taking the money because she loved me and wanted the baby.”
“You knew Evans would do anything. You made him think you wanted her dead. Maybe you mentioned in front of him that you wished she was no longer in the picture.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t want him to kill her,” he said quietly, tearing a hand through his hair. “Why aren’t you arresting me? You did know, right?”
“I saw you and I knew. I’d had my suspicions, but was hoping it wasn’t true. You’ve connected the dots for me.”
Max chuckled but it was raw. “What do you plan to do now?”
“You know what I’ll do. I’m a Federal Agent. I’ll do my job,” Deegan said stiffly.
“I’m your friend, Deegan.”
“Do you even care how much human carnage your puppet has left behind? I can see why you think the two homeless kids aren’t worth your time because you didn’t see their faces, but Annie was pregnant. What low down bastard kills a woman he cares for, along with his unborn child? This wasn’t who you were once. Has this life changed you so much?”
“I didn’t mean for this to happen. I swear, I didn’t. I brought you here to hand over Evans.” His confidence was slipping. There was a new hitch to his voice.
“You brought me here because you knew I was getting close. Sending you the picture yesterday of Annie sitting in the restaurant must have turned your stomach. Sweat bullets. I knew it was only a matter of time before you made a move if you were involved. I know you. That was always your downfall, even in the military. You were always impulsive and trigger happy.”
“Does your friend, the Cade woman, know your suspicions?”
“Does it matter? You have to face the fire one way or another.”
Max moved to the desk and pressed his hands to the top and lowered his head. “I’m sorry, buddy. You saved my life once.”
Deegan reached for his gun and aimed it, but he was too late. Evans was already standing in the doorway, gun drawn and aimed at his head. A snake-like grin spread his lips. “It’s time we finally met, Agent Bronx. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Keeping his gun raised and pointed between the other man’s eyes, Deegan was steady and calm. “Lower your weapon. This is all going to end right now.”
“You’re right,” he smiled smugly. “It is. A man should always back his friends. You’re a disgrace. You don’t deserve to call yourself a veteran.”
“Is that what you’re doing? Backing a man who won’t remember who you are after he’s re-elected?”
“He won’t remember either of us.”
Hearing a rustling sound behind him, Deegan turned his cheek slightly, seeing another armed man step out from a doorway. “So, it took two of you?”
“Go quietly and we may let the Fed woman live. Maybe…,” Evans slurred.
“Touch her and even death wouldn’t keep me from tearing you apart, limb from limb,” Deegan growled.
“That’s enough,” Max said shakily. “I told you to make this clean. No more dead bodies. This is it.”
“Getting nervous, Max?” Deegan bit out.
“The plan didn’t work. You were supposed to find out that she was working for Peter Clay and the heat would be pointed in his direction. Once he was in the public’s target, all of his personal life would come to light.”
“The spotlight would be off you, people would forgive you for the affair, almost feeling sorry for you and making you the victim because you were seduced. Is that how it was supposed to go down?” Deegan didn’t take his eyes off Evans.
“He doesn’t have to answer to you. He’s making a difference. One day he’ll be at the very top and the world will see what a great nation we are.” Evans didn’t bat an eye.
“By killing people? That’s not a difference our country needs.”
Max took several steps so he could look at Deegan. “Annie wasn’t innocent. She chose to betray me and then thought I could forgive her? And the homeless kids? They chose to be criminals. If they’d been doing right, they would be alive. They thwarted the plan and I can’t allow anyone to stop me from my goal. Not even you, my friend.”
“You’ll never get away with this,” Deegan forced through tight lips.
“Enough talk,” Evans said in a calm voice. “Put the gun down. There are two of us and only one of you. You’ll never get out alive.”
“And neither will you,” Deegan said confidently.
“I think you’ll want to see this.” Evans reached into his pocket and withdrew a phone, tossing it to Deegan.
He caught it with one hand. “I don’t have any desire to see anything, Evans.”
“Oh, but you don’t care about the woman? Her name is Cade, right?”
At the mention of Kiersten, his heart slammed into his boots. He clicked the phone, holding it up so he could view the screen while keeping Evans on his radar. A picture came up on the screen and his throat constricted. It was Kiersten. She had her hand up over her squinted eyes against the bright light. There was a drop of blood on her nose. The video ended.
“What have you done?” He could barely get the words out.
Max looked at Evans. “I told you. No more bloodshed.”
“And you just thought he’d go with us without leverage?” Evans gritted out. “I told you I would handle this. Clay will look like he killed the aide to keep her from talking. You’ll go on to do great things, sir. I will see this mission come full circle.”
Deegan could have crushed the phone in his grip, but he wanted it to be the necks of the three men who surrounded him. “Leave her alone. I brought her into this and she has no clue what you’ve done.”
“She’s alive, unless you make this difficult.”
“I want proof.” Deegan could barely breathe, but he needed to stay calm and his head in the game. Kiersten’s life could depend upon it. He’d save her, no matter what he had to do. Even if that meant surrendering to these goons.
“I figured you would.” Evans smirked. “On the phone, hit one.”
Deegan pushed the key pad and pressed the phone to his ear. It was answered on the second ring. He heard a female voice say, “Speak.”
“Deegan…is that you?”
He felt like he’d been sliced with a knife. It was Kiersten. “Are you okay?”
“It’s Max. This was all his plan—”
The phone went dead.
“Shit” Max bit out.
Evans smiled. “Just as I said. She’s fine, for now. This can go one of two ways. You can lower your weapon and go with us, or when I don’t show up or call my partner, she’ll burn everything with Cade inside. It’s your choice. But I’m prepared to meet my maker. How about you?”
The man wasn’t rational and that made him dangerous. Beyond dangerous. It made him lethal. Deegan understood his only choice was to hope these men took him to the same location where Kiersten was being held. Once he was there, he’d do whatever it took to protect her.
Lowering his gun, he dropped it to the floor and gave it a small kick. He immediately felt a void.
“Now place my phone on the floor along with yours.”
Slowly, Deegan did as the bastard commanded. He heard the man behind him, then felt his gun pressed against his head. “You won’t get away with this, Max. Mark my words. And if anything happens to Kiersten I’ll slap my cuffs on your wrists myself. I will be back. Just chew on that while you’re plastering a fake smile on your face for the public.”