Fourth of July (26 page)

DANIELLE DREAMED OF REAL FOOD all day Saturday. A croissant. She wouldn’t even chew, just savoring a few flakes could push away the hollow pit in her stomach. She fidgeted and barked at her personal trainer for no reason. Even after a great workout, followed by a massage, relaxation was elusive. Chris was the reason she wanted to consume needless calories. No man had broken up with her. She didn’t know what she would do to get back at him, but maybe she’d use that redhead. She imagined torturing the girl while Chris watched. A grin spread across her face.

Lights twinkled throughout the city. Danielle swallowed against the lump in her throat as a cab drove her downtown. She had no information and was on her way to meet her contact. After all her family and loved ones had done to get her to the position she held, she had failed them.

She shook her head. None of this was her fault. Chris and the redhead were to blame.

Her thoughts turned to Yusuf and sweat dotted her brow. There must be something she could do. She’d have to invent some information to keep him happy. Yusuf wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate her if he thought she was a liability.

Paying the cab driver, she exited the car and strode to the alley. Ahmed should protect her because of her father and their pledge of brotherhood, but Yusuf was a wild card. His hatred of women evident.

The red gleam of a cigarette appeared before Yusuf’s bulk. She bowed meekly. Fear of the monster forced her to cower but she hated it. Yet she wasn’t dumb. She understood his enmity toward women. She wouldn’t risk his wrath.

“Bonjour,” she murmured, wringing her clammy hands together.

“Speak a language I can understand,” Yusuf snapped.

“Salaam. Keekak?” Danielle could impress him with her knowledge of his language, though she honestly couldn’t have cared less how he was doing.

“Al hamdu-li-Allah,” Yusuf replied with the standard greeting. “What have you got?”

“They are no closer to knowing our plan,” she lied.

“What of Marcus? They caught him eliminating that fool Jayden in New York. We know that your boyfriend and his partner interrogated him.”

Danielle hoped the shock didn’t show. Straightening her spine, she raised her chin and smiled into his glowering eyes. He wouldn’t see her faltering composure. “Marcus didn’t crack,” she said. “Our secret is safe.”

“It had better be.” Yusuf flicked his cigarette butt in her direction.

Danielle flinched, wishing she could tell him exactly what she thought of his rude behavior. One glance at his brutal face sealed her lips.

Yusuf handed her a folded slip of paper.

Danielle glanced at it.
A number?
Her head snapped up. She rarely communicated with the organization through telephone.

“In case of an emergency or if you need to contact us sooner than we have scheduled. Ahmed ordered it. Only use it if you are in trouble or you have vital information. We are too close to risk a mistake. Keep close to your boyfriend. We have to make sure the FBI has no way of knowing our plans or stopping them. If you fail, your father’s memory will be tarnished and his colleagues would not survive the fallout.” A gleam appeared in his eyes. “Do you understand? There would be
no one
to protect you.”

Danielle nodded her comprehension of his threat, gnawing on the inside of her cheek. She memorized the tiny note and shoved it past her lips. The taste of Yusuf’s sweat was on the bland paper. She gulped hard to swallow the clod down her throat.

“Allah is good,” she mumbled, hoping Yusuf would leave quickly so she could obtain the necessary information. She couldn’t let her father down or expose his friends or herself to Yusuf.

He watched her through hooded eyes. “I’ll meet you tomorrow night. You’d better know something more by then.”

Danielle bowed slightly, hiding her unsteady fingers from him.

He stalked away.

Curse Chris. It was his fault she didn’t know anything about the interrogation. She hadn’t even realized Chris flew to New York. She would have to find a way to hack into someone’s computer system tonight. She had to be abreast of the newest information, to protect her father’s good name as well as her own safety.

Dylan grinned at Chris. “Jay’s got another team following Danielle. We’ve got clearance to grab him.”

“Let’s do it.” Chris’ breaths came quicker as his anticipation mounted.

They crept along in their car, following the terrorist for several blocks. Chris saw the perfect spot to ambush him. He pressed the accelerator, turning in front of Yusuf, effectively blocking him between two buildings, the car, and a dark alley. The terrorist’s only escape route was the alley.

Chris leapt from the car. Yusuf stared at him, not moving. Chris aimed his Glock at the man. Dylan rushed around from the passenger’s side.

“You’re under arrest,” Chris said. “Put your hands behind your head.”

Yusuf obeyed, eyeing his position to Dylan, Chris, the buildings, the car, and the alley. He seemed to be calculating the risk, betting they wouldn’t shoot him. The terrorist knew as well as they did—they needed information, not a dead body.

Yusuf bolted down the alley.

“Why?” Chris pursued, knowing the alley was a dead end.

They caught Yusuf as he realized the same thing.

“I know you,” Yusuf said. “You are FBI.”

Chris didn’t say anything. He crept closer, leveling his gun. Dylan moved with him, gripping his gun with both hands.

“If I must die,” Yusuf said, “at least it will be in the cause of Allah!” He jerked a gun from his belt.

Chris pulled the trigger, hitting Yusuf in the arm. Blood sprayed the building, almost a perfect match to the redbrick. The gun clattered to the cement. Chris tackled Yusuf, wrenching his uninjured arm behind his back and pressing his face into the ground. Dylan called for backup then slapped handcuffs on Yusuf.

They waited in the alley until more agents and the EMTs arrived. Chris issued instructions. “We need someone following Danielle around the clock. We don’t know who else she may contact or what they could be planning. It’s important we don’t lose the girl. We’ll go with him to the hospital and get all of the information we can.”

“All right, Agent Harmer, we’re on it.”

Chris shook the agent’s hand. Dylan rode in the ambulance while Chris followed. They waited as a physician stitched Yusuf’s arm and then spent the next several hours questioning him in his hospital bed. Unfortunately, Yusuf was more tight-lipped than the terrorist they held in New York. They finally gave into their exhaustion, both agreeing they would do better after a few hours sleep.

Dylan and Chris returned to their offices and spent a few minutes updating the FBI’s database.

Chris approached Dylan’s office before heading home. He rolled his stiff neck. “They’re going to move him from the hospital in a couple hours?”

“As soon as the doctor gives clearance.” Dylan arched back in his chair and covered a yawn. “It’ll be a lot easier to protect him in a secure facility.”

“Who’s lined up to question him in the morning?”

“Schwann and Harris.”

“They’re good.” Chris fiddled with a silver-framed picture of Rachel and the kids. “Do you care if I come in a little bit later? We can’t really do anything while they question.”

“That’s fine. They can work on him and we can take the second shift in the afternoon.” Dylan looked at Chris suspiciously. “You usually want to be here and watch the whole process. What’s going on?”

“I’m...well, I told Alexis I’d go to church with her.”

“Church? You?”

“Don’t sound so shocked.”

“I’m not shocked. I think it’s great.”

“Don’t get all excited,” Chris said. “She tricked me into it by promising me a home-cooked meal.” He grinned.

Dylan spread his hands. “I won’t get too excited.” He arched an eyebrow. “A home-cooked meal? That woman is smart.”

Chris nodded. “Yeah.” He shrugged. “It’ll be worth going just to look at her.”

Dylan didn’t attempt to hide his grin. “Whatever gets you there. What time’s her church?”

“Nine to noon.”

“Three hours?” Dylan arched one eyebrow. “I knew she was strict, but three hours?”

“Don’t start,” Chris warned.

Dylan raised his hands. “Don’t get all defensive. I was joking.”

Chris shook his head. “I’ll see you early afternoon.”

Dylan stood. “Great. I wouldn’t mind sleeping in and going to church with my family as well. We only go for an hour, not three.” He grinned. “If you’re thinking of getting religious, maybe you should check into my church.”

“Funny. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

Danielle sweet-talked her way into Thayne’s good graces. It didn’t take much effort. The innocent computer genius was thrilled to have the attention of such a beautiful woman. After a late-night dinner and two bottles of wine, he’d consumed enough liquor to be able to manipulate the computer and be fairly pliable at the same time.

Danielle knew the bumbling geek would believe her lie about the FBI wrongly accusing her brother of terrorism and her need to know what had happened to him. He helped her hack into the FBI’s anti-terrorism files then succumbed to the high level of alcohol in his system.

Danielle skimmed through the cases. Thayne snored on the floor next to her. She found a few matters of interest. Most of the floats owners had been determined and taken in for questioning. Danielle was certain they wouldn’t learn anything. The float owners had been unknowing participants in last week’s bombings.

One of the forensic specialists in Chicago had found pieces of the remote detonator, but that wouldn’t lead them to her associates.

Finally, she found something with Chris Harmer’s name on it. The sight of his name infuriated her. She still stung from his rebuttal. She’d never dealt with rejection from the opposite sex and because of him she had been unprepared to deal with Yusuf. She examined the file quickly, gasping.

“They have Yusuf.”

The report didn’t have Yusuf’s name, but his description and the location where they caught him were too similar. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

Thayne stirred and began murmuring in his sleep. He laid a heavy arm across her feet. Danielle kicked him away and continued searching the file.

“They know who I am. How?” Danielle searched her memory, trying to think of anything she may have done.

“Oh no,” she murmured. “When Chris called the other night.” She mulled over the brief conversation in her mind, becoming convinced she had slipped. “Ahmed can never know I was the leak.”

Danielle gathered her purse and rushed from the building, leaving the drooling, snoring Thayne to deal with the mess.

She needed to escape, and fast. She would have to contact someone. Did she dare use the number Yusuf had given her? It was her only hope. Ahmed
must
learn Yusuf was in custody, and she was probably being followed. She glanced around as she entered the deserted city streets. Was someone watching her now? The unpleasant thought was probably more realistic than she wanted to believe. Yes, she definitely needed to disappear, but not before she took care of some unfinished business.