Deception (8 page)

“I’m going with you.”

“I don’t have time to argue. I’ll be right behind you. I have a couple of other calls to make. ”

In seconds, Patti and Carter were in his car.

Carter reached under her seat, pulled out a siren, and then plopped it on top of the car.

“This isn’t a game. You do exactly what I tell you to do. Understand?”

“I get it.”

“You stay in the car. I’ll let you know when it’s safe.”

“No way, she’s my niec—”

“That’s my job, Patti.”

She hadn’t been there for Jamie. She would make sure she was there for Jamie’s daughter.

“I’m going with you.”

“You stay behind me at all times. Got it?”

He slowed as he approached an intersection, but swerved around other cars, fishtailed, and kept going.

She clutched the door handle.

Carter tossed her a cell phone. “Call Dolphin Cove and tell them to put up their gate because we’re not stopping. Hit send, the number’s right there.”

“Shouldn’t I tell them to go to Jamie’s house? They could—”

“They’re rent-a-cops. They could make the situation worse.”

As she called the palm trees come into view.
Hurry. Hurry. Please keep them safe, God
.

The car slowed slightly as they rounded the corner and fishtailed once more.

Carter reached up and shut off the siren. “We don’t want to alert them.”

“Makes sense.” She prayed this man was as capable as he seemed to be.

As they sped down the palm-lined drive, the gate moved up and then they were through.

Moments later, the car skidded to a stop in front of Jamie’s home.

Carter was out of the car and moving towards the house before she’d unbuckled her seat belt.

“Stay back,” he whispered, then sprinted toward the door.

She caught up.

He pulled out his gun. He opened the door inch by inch. He looked back and put a finger to his mouth.

Her heart pounded.
Please let them be OK.

He moved through the door with the stealth of a lion circling its prey.

She followed.

No one in the living room. No one in the kitchen. Down the hall to the family room. An open door.

Patti gasped as she entered the room.

Anna lay on the floor bleeding and moaning.

Sabrina wasn’t in the room.

A soft breeze made her look towards the sliding door. It was open.

Carter stopped and leaned over Anna, feeling her pulse. “Call 911 and get something to stop the bleeding.” He patted Anna, but her eyes were glazed over. “Anna, Anna. Where’s Sabrina?”

No response.

Patti stood rooted to the spot.

Some monster had Sabrina.

Her mind was blank, unable to process the horror.

Carter stood and gave her a gentle push. “Get towels. Stop the bleeding. Remember your first aid classes. Apply pressure to the wound. I’m going outside to look for Sabrina.”

Patti blinked. She nodded at Carter, to let him know she heard him. Speech was impossible right now.

Sabrina’s baby doll blanket lay on the floor.

She grabbed it and dashed back to Anna, knelt and put pressure against the wound. Wordless images flowed through her brain, silent snapshots of her little niece, her sister, imagined terror, heart-pounding fear. Tears leaked.

Carter was gone.

She grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911. She heard a noise from behind.

Must be Marcus .He said he’d be right—
The phone slipped from her hand. It wasn’t Marcus.

The jogger from the beach stood there, holding Sabrina with a hand clasped around her mouth and a knife to her throat.

Patti gasped as all the breath left her body.

Sabrina’s little body shook with sobs, tears flowing over the man’s hand.

Her pressure on Anna’s wound slipped. As she stood and faced him, he kicked out, connecting with her ribs.

Patti gasped in pain, nearly doubling over.

“Get up. I don’t have time for any nonsense. I’m just going to tell you once. If you do anything I don’t like, I will kill her. You want that to happen?”

“No.” Patti gasped out, clutching her side.

“Let’s go. Go to the kitchen and into the garage.”

Her shoes felt as if they were filled with wet sand. Looking around, her gaze landed on the carving knives on the counter. Maybe, she could grab one, but what then?

He had a knife to Sabrina’s throat.

She couldn’t take a chance.

One step at a time, she moved towards the garage door. There was no way she could save Sabrina from this madman. Hopeless despair washed through her body. Patti stumbled.

He shoved her. “Faster. When you get in the garage, get in the car. You’re going to drive us. Got it? Grab the keys.”

She took the keys off the hook by the garage door. Opening the door, she stepped through. Her peripheral vision caught a movement to her side.

Thank you, God
.

Carter pointed in the opposite direction.

She turned towards the left and moved fast to draw the jogger’s attention away from Carter.

“Not that way, you stupid—.” The man yelled as he turned towards her, but in the next moment Carter’s gun was against the man’s back.

“Police. Drop the knife and let go of the child.”

The man dropped Sabrina and bolted.

Sabrina ran to Carter.

Carter peeled her little arms away, and then passed her off to Patti.

“Take care of Anna and Sabrina.” Carter ordered and ran after the man.

Patti squeezed the little girl to her. “It’s OK, sweetie. You’re safe now. The bad man’s gone.”

“He hurt Anna.” Sabrina cried. “Anna.”

“It’s OK, sweetie. Let’s go help—”

Police cars and emergency vehicles pulled into the drive.

Marcus Hanks dashed into the garage. He pointed his gun towards the ceiling. “Where’s Carter?”

“Chasing him,” she said, startled at her now calm tone. “Anna’s hurt.”

“EMTs are here.” He waved towards the ambulance. “Which way did they go?”

“I don’t know.”

Marcus turned and ran in Carter’s general direction.

Patti hugged Sabrina to her.

Thank you, God, for keeping her safe.

She was brought back to reality by Sabrina’s tiny voice.

“I can’t bweathe, Aunt Patti. You’re squeezing me too hard.”

****

Carter couldn’t believe the man, whom he recognized as the jogger from the night before, had disappeared. He’d known there was something wrong about him. And there must have been an accomplice waiting in a vehicle in case he needed to flee.

Police officers of all types had descended on Dolphin Cove.

Marcus stood in Jamie’s yard giving directions to one man, and then another.

Carter walked up to him. “Sorry, Marcus. He got away.”

“How’d that happen?”

“I think he had an accomplice waiting.”

“I’ll have someone check the security video. We might get a break and find ID of the car they left in.” Marcus turned back to a uniformed officer, answered his question, and then turned back to Carter. “Don’t worry about it, man. You did the important part. You kept Sabrina and Patti safe.”

“Anna?”

“On her way to the hospital. Knife wound. The EMTs said she should be OK.” Marcus pointed towards the house. “Sabrina and Patti are inside.”

Carter went through the door.

Sabrina sat in Patti’s lap sobbing.

He folded both of them in his arms.

Patti kept her voice low. “I didn’t know what to do when I saw you standing there.”

“You were perfect. It was exactly what I wanted you to do. The whole thing shouldn’t have happened.”

“What are you talking about? You saved us. If you weren’t here, he’d have taken both of us. You’re a hero.”

“Some hero. I shouldn’t have left you alone in the first place.”

Sabrina looked up and lurched toward Carter. Carter wrapped her in his arms and squeezed her tight.

Patti and Carter’s eyes met over Sabrina’s head.

Patti reached up and touched his cheek. “Not true. You thought he’d left with Sabrina. You had to follow him. ”

“I should have—”

“Stop it, Carter. You did the right thing. You aren’t in control of everything.” Marcus Hanks stood beside them. “Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it.” He stood, holding Sabrina, who now clasped his neck.

“We need to get to the hospital to check on Anna,” Patti said.

“Not without an escort.” Marcus told her. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”

Holding Sabrina in one arm, Carter put his other arm around Patti as they walked out.

She moved in closer to him.

13

Patti sat in the hospital waiting room holding Sabrina.

The knife missed all of Anna’s vital organs and the surgeon expected a full recovery.

As Patti rocked Sabrina and hummed softly in her ear, Marcus and Carter sat in a corner of the room whispering.

Sabrina clung to Patti, her eyes haunted. ”I want Mommy.” She whispered once before the events of the day overtook her. She relaxed against Patti’s body in an exhausted sleep.

Patti lay Sabrina on a small couch before she went over to the men. “What’s happening?”

“That’s what we’re discussing. We’re going to put a guard with Anna, and we’re going to place you and Sabrina in a safe house.” Marcus told her.

“A safe house?”

“It’s a place—“

“I know what it is. I watch TV.”

“Jamie worked hard to keep her private life and her work life totally separate from each other. But it seems her two worlds have collided in a big way.” His eyes met Patti’s. “She understood it wouldn’t be safe for others so she made the decision to stay away from friends and...and family.”

The meaning of those words sank in.

Patti wiped away the tears. Her next words were barely audible. “Is that why she stayed away from me?”

Marcus nodded slowly. “She couldn’t bear to part with Sabrina, but knew it was safer if she stayed away from you for the time being. Her plan was to finish her current project and then leave the job permanently.”

“Was her plan?” Patti asked.

“I’m sure it still is her plan. I didn’t mean...” Marcus wouldn’t meet Patti’s gaze. His voice became all business. “Anyway, we need to make plans for the three of you.”

No one spoke.

Patti broke the silence. “I want to know what’s going on. What was she doing that was...is so important?”

Marcus didn’t answer.

Patti’s heart was breaking but she forced herself to say the words. She matched stares with Marcus. “You think she’s dead, don’t you?”

Marcus looked up at the ceiling. Long moments passed before he turned back to Patti. “I’m not going to lie to you. It’s a possibility, but at this point it’s hard to say. I haven’t given up hope and neither should you.”

Carter laid a hand on her back, and his touch calmed her.

“If she worked so hard at keeping her identity secret, why is she using her own name this time?” Carter asked.

“That’s a good question,” Patti looked back at Marcus. “And if she was so worried about me, why wasn’t she as worried about Sabrina?”

“She was, but Sabrina was her daughter. She couldn’t abandon her. We took every precaution we could to keep Sabrina and Anna safe. The house has an elaborate security system. She lived in a gated community. Her work was…was in another state. When she traveled, she traveled under other names and always took several flights using different names, before getting to her final destination.”

“But it wasn’t enough to keep her safe.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“You didn’t answer the other part of the question.” Carter pointed out. “Why was she working under her own name this time?”

Marcus looked at Carter, then at Patti. “I can’t give you the details, but Jamie knew the man socially before he came under investigation so he already knew her real name. She happened to run into him, and she overheard something which made her suspicious.”

“What’s the story on him?” Carter asked.

“I didn’t want Jamie to get involved with him again,” Marcus murmured more to himself than to Carter and Patti. “I had a bad feeling. I told her to go home and forget about him, but she refused to listen to me.” He focused back on Patti. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not making excuses. I take full responsibility for…for the investigation.”

Her sister—an FBI informant—living a double life. The thought boggled her mind.

Carter interrupted her thoughts. “Marcus, you didn’t answer my question. Who’s this man, and why are you investigating him?”

“Can’t tell you.” Marcus’s tone was adamant.

“You have to tell us. How are we going to find Jamie, if you don’t?” Patti said through clenched teeth.

“The whole FBI is looking for her,” Marcus pointed out. “I’ll handle the investigation. In the meantime, I’ll arrange for you, Sabrina, and Anna, as soon as she is released, to go to a safe house.”

“You should do what Marcus says,” Carter agreed. “We can keep all of you safe. No more nasty surprises.”

“You need to arrange a place for Sabrina and Anna.” Patti shook her head. “But I’m not going into hiding. I’m helping with the investigation.”

“Absolutely not,” Marcus and Carter said in unison.

They all looked towards Sabrina but she was still asleep.

“Yes, I am,” she whispered. “My sister is missing, and I’m not leaving until we find her.”

“Not a good idea, Patti,” Carter said.

“Why not?” she demanded, furious the two men were forming a united front.

“It’s not safe,” Marcus told her.

“I won’t stay at the house. I’ll go find a hotel somewhere, but I’m not leaving.” She folded her arms across her chest to emphasize the point.

“Patti, Jamie is your identical twin,” Carter told her in a soft voice. “You can’t be running around here. It could cause problems for you.”

Patti’s eyes filled with tears. “But Jamie needs me.”

“You’re right, Jamie does need you.” Carter touched her arm. “She needs you to take care of Sabrina and Anna right now, and she wouldn’t want you to put yourself in danger. After all, she worked very hard to keep you out of this mess. You owe it to her to take care of Sabrina.”