Ultimate Kill (Book 1 Ultimate CORE Trilogy) (CORE Series) (21 page)

Harrison dropped his hands in his lap and raised his head. His face flushed, his eyes bloodshot from crying like a child, he shook his head. The defeat in Harrison’s eyes outweighed his disappointment. He’d proven to the brothers who held the power, but based on their tenacity, he wouldn’t be surprised if he’d have to give them a few more reminders throughout the day. He smiled at the prospect.
 

Torture really wasn’t his thing. Sure, he’d killed plenty of men and women, but he’d never
tortured
them, and had always left the messy stuff for Ric. A gunshot to the head was quick and easy, and the way he went about his business. Still, inflicting pain on the dumb brother had been quite…satisfying. He’d always considered holding a gun to a person’s head the highest form of power he could have over someone. While he still believed this, he also couldn’t deny the rush of adrenaline he’d experienced when he initially struck Mickey with the scissors.
 

Ric took a seat next to Harrison. “Santiago is finishing helping Vlad duct tape Mickey’s eye.” He grinned and elbowed Harrison. “Bet Mickey didn’t
see
that one coming.”
 

“Bad joke,” he said with a chuckle. “Rather insensitive, too.”
 

“Right. I
see
your point.” Ric laughed and then looked to the TV. “Once the next device goes off, I’ll give it fifteen minutes, then call a press conference. We’re only twenty minutes from corporate headquarters, so I figured you can give your speech around eleven-fifty.”

“Perfect. By the time I’m finished and reporters have asked their inane questions, the next device will have gone off.”

“And you can show America your outrage and support,” Ric said with a conspiratorial wink.
 

He snagged an apple cinnamon Danish from the tray. “Don’t look so glum, Harrison. Mickey will be fine. Once the shock wears off he’ll be back to his old, potty-mouthed self. In the meantime, have another Danish or some of this fruit. You need to keep yourself hydrated and nourished.” He glanced at his watch. “In less than thirty minutes, guess what you’re going to blow up?”

Harrison blinked several times before glancing away. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“I mean no disrespect.”

“Of course,” he said with a smile. “You want to keep your eyes and tongue. Please, ask away. If I don’t want to answer, you’ll be the first to know.”

After drawing in a shaky breath, Harrison said, “You have everything. Why are you doing this?”

Gripping the mahogany lion’s head, he leaned forward. Since the man would not leave this warehouse alive, he had no problem answering his question. “Some men give women flowers, others give chocolates or diamonds.” He plucked a grape off the tray and shrugged. “I blow things up. And guess what? If she hasn’t received my message by now, she will after you set off the next device.” He grinned. “If you think this is fun, wait until she comes to me. That’s when the real entertainment will begin.”

Chapter 9

Kingsland, Georgia Airport
 

10:38 a.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time

NAOMI’S HEART RACED as she buckled the seatbelt. Less than forty minutes ago she was packing her bags, ready to turn herself over to the bastard who had ruined the lives of so many innocent people. But Jake wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, he’d made a call to CORE, chartered a private jet out of Kingsland, Georgia, a short fifteen minute drive from her home in Woodbine, and was forcing her to go to Chicago.
 

“Local time is ten thirty-eight,” the pilot announced over the intercom. “We’re expected to arrive in Chicago at six minutes after twelve. Please turn off all electronic devices. Once we’re airborne, I’ll let you know when you can resume using those devices and are able to move about the cabin. Enjoy the flight.”

Naomi didn’t think she could ever truly enjoy anything after what she’d witnessed today. Goose bumps rose over her skin as the images of the dead and injured flooded her mind. How could he have done this? After all these years, what could have possessed him to go to this level? He’d killed her parents and brother. Their deaths had devastated her and left her wallowing in guilt. But he’d gone beyond murdering her family and was now killing innocent people.

Because of her.

As the plane began to move and pick up speed, her throat and chest tightened. Tears welled in her eyes. All four explosions combined had killed thirty-six people and injured well over one hundred. She brought the photo of the twelve-year-old boy who had been killed at the middle school to mind. Her chin trembled. She fisted her hands as anger and unfathomable sorrow imbedded itself onto her heart and soul. What a waste. What he’d done went beyond criminal. The killings were vicious and wicked.
 

He
was pure evil.

And the only one who could stop him was her.

She jerked when Jake took her fisted hand in his, then fought from crying as he forced her to unclench her fingers and hold his hand. How could he bear to touch her? From the moment they’d met, she’d done nothing but lie to him. She hadn’t wanted to and had hated herself a little more each time she gave him another fabrication. Over the years, she’d been able to justify her lies and half-truths, telling herself that keeping Jake in the dark would also keep him alive. She still believed that and now worried about CORE’s involvement.

If the bastard was willing to kill innocent people to send her a message, she didn’t even want to imagine what he’d do to CORE’s agents, should they opt to help her. Actually she wasn’t even sure they
could
help her. His wealth was practically limitless. His reach was far and powerful. Worst of all, the man had no conscience and his innate narcissism knew no bounds.

“Are you still afraid of flying?” Jake asked as the plane leveled in the air.

She expected him to add,
or was that a lie too
, but he didn’t. Instead, he continued to hold her hand. “Today I learned there are scarier things in life,” she said and squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, Jake. I never wanted you to be involved in this.”

His jaw clenched. “Obviously. But I am now. So, no more lies. Are you in Witness Protection?”

“No.”

“Then what government agency gave you the new identity?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Then make it uncomplicated.”

“Jake, I—”

“Okay, folks,” the pilot’s voice came over the speakers. “Feel free to use the restroom and any electronic devices.”

She let go of Jake’s hand and reached beneath her seat for her purse. After she pulled out her mini-tablet, she turned on the device. The explosions were going off every hour on the hour. Nearly eleven, she prayed he would stop the senseless killing and that another bomb wouldn’t be detonated.
 

“You’re not going to answer me, are you?” Jake asked, stretching his long legs into the aisle. “I guess it doesn’t really matter who gave you the identity. The only thing that does is the man behind the bombings. Maybe now you’ll tell me his name.”

She trusted Jake, more than anyone on the planet. But she refused to tell him until she met his counterparts at CORE. For all she knew the private agency dealt with cheating spouses or worked for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims. If that were the case, CORE would not be an asset, but a hindrance. They would waste her time and, by not allowing her to go to the bastard and put an end to the bombings, could place more innocent victims in danger.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to talk about him,” she said and, with guilt and embarrassment weighing heavy on her shoulders, she kept her attention on the tablet.

“Then what are you ready to talk about?”

Nothing
. She wanted to crawl into a hole and bury herself underneath her secrets and lies. “Tell me more about CORE and what you do.”

The tick in his jaw indicated his frustration, but he gave her a curt nod and said, “CORE stands for Criminal Observance Resolution and Evidence. We handle a variety of cases. From recovering stolen property to helping the authorities solve murder investigations. We also deal with cold cases, too. Remember me mentioning the murders in Bola?”

Had it only been a few days ago that they’d been sitting on her back patio, sipping iced tea and catching up on the lost years? “Yes. You said CORE recruited you after the murders were solved.” She’d almost forgotten about that part of their conversation and realized CORE wasn’t just an average private investigation agency.

“Right. Trust me. The people I work with will help us come up with a solution. Chances are my boss will want you to go to the FBI. There hasn’t been any mention of their involvement on the newscasts, but I wouldn’t be surprised if their people weren’t already making the Rose Wood connection.”

Another chill swept through her at the mention of her former name. Since becoming Naomi McCall, she’d purged many memories of her past life and had made up new ones. She’d submerged herself into her fictional life and had created imaginary friends, teachers and jobs. At first, it had been difficult to keep all of the lies straight, but after a while she’d become so used to fabricating her past, lying had become as easy as breathing.
 

Until she’d met Jake.

When they’d started dating and she fell in love with him, her heart and mind battled over whether or not to tell him the truth. Her head won. She loved him, trusted him, but feared opening up about her past would cost him his life.
 

Now that her past had caught up with her, she realized she’d been a fool to think she could wade through life with her head buried in the sand. Pretending she didn’t love or miss Jake, that the murdering bastard had given up on her, that she was happy being a school nurse and living in a small Georgia town, hadn’t been working for a long time. Even before Jake had blown back into her life and the bastard had blown up buildings and people, the urge to roam had been strong. She’d wanted to pack her bags, hop in her car and drive. She’d fantasized about traveling north and heading straight for Bola, where she’d left Jake behind. She’d even imagined driving to Virginia, buying a gun and putting a bullet into the murderer’s head.
 

Fear had stopped her from doing anything but moving through her mundane life.
 

Unfortunately, she now had no choice but to face her fears, along with the man who had instilled them.

“Going to the FBI isn’t going to work,” she said, scrolling through her tablet while keeping an eye on the time.
Ten fifty-three
. Her stomach twisted. Seven more minutes.

“CORE agents can protect you, but the FBI can—”

“They won’t help.”

“How do you know? Have you gone to them before?”

She pressed her fingers against her left temple where a throb began to build. Jake was like a damned Pit Bull—smart, brawny and tenacious. If she didn’t throw him a bone, he’d keep hounding her. Until they arrived at CORE and she met the people Jake claimed could help her, she’d pick and choose what to tell him to keep him satisfied. “Yes, I’ve gone to the FBI and they refused to do anything,” she said, the half-truth easily rolling off her tongue. Her brother had worked for the FBI, so, technically, she did go to them for help. After Thomas had risked his career to give her a new identity, he’d started to dig into the background of the man who had murdered their parents. When his superiors discovered whom he’d been investigating, they’d threatened to suspend Thomas, which hadn’t surprised her. The bastard was well known in Washington and had many friends in powerful positions
 

“Did they give you a reason why?”

She glanced at the clock on her tablet.
Ten fifty-five.
Her stomach knotted tighter.

Anxious, she tapped her heel against the plane’s floor and stared out the window. “I told you he was wealthy, but what I didn’t tell you is that he and his family have strong political connections. It would have been my word against his. Even now, with everything that’s happened today, the FBI still wouldn’t believe me.”

“How can you be sure?” He released a frustrated breath. “Damn it, look at me.”

“Because I
know
,” she said with vehemence and met his gaze. Emotionally drained, exhausted from staying up late into the night making love to Jake, she rubbed her tired, itchy eyes. “God, Jake, this is one thing I’m
not
lying about. This man is rich, popular and well liked. He’s given hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign money to senators and presidents. Politicians consider him a cash cow and because his record is squeaky clean, no one would ever believe that he would risk his reputation and resort to terrorism over a woman.” She gripped the tablet tight. “Over a nobody like me.”

The earlier anger and resentment in his eyes softened to understanding. “The name change. Whoever did it for you could come forward and—”

She shook her head. “They won’t vouch for me.” One was dead and the other might as well be. As the guilt compounded, nervous energy took over. She had the urge to jump out of her seat and pace the small cabin and, once they landed, she wanted to hit the ground running. In her heart, she knew she couldn’t. Her days of running and hiding had finally come to an end. The bombings, the deaths…he’d forced her from the safe lifestyle she’d created for herself. He’d forced her to face the past and the future.