“All our hard work is going to pay off big-time, Derek. I’ll be the CEO of a new company, and then it’s goodbye Ghost Town—and Cole Everett. So, you’d better find Coulter because I don’t want any surprises getting in my way.”
After leaving Brinkley’s office, Derek headed down the hallway to his own. He sat at his desk and made a call on his cell phone.
“Señor Palacios, please. Derek Falconi calling.”
“Do you have good news?” Javier said without preamble.
Derek undid the top few buttons on his shirt. “Not exactly. We have a problem.”
“We don’t have a problem, Mr. Falconi, you do.”
“Brinkley doesn’t have the codes that activate Silent Night. It won’t work without them.”
“That’s not exactly true, is it? Wasn’t one of your associates injected with it just days ago?”
Derek didn’t bother asking how he knew that.
“The details don’t concern me. Either you make good on our agreement, Mr. Falconi, or I’ll make good on mine.”
Derek found himself on the receiving end of a dial tone. Hanging up the phone, he pondered Javier’s not-so-veiled threat. Either get him Silent Night or Derek was dead.
How had this situation gotten so far out of control? One minute, he was in the driver’s seat. The next, he was getting run over by a bulldozer.
Derek knew for sure that if he wanted to stay alive, he needed to convince Brinkley and Palacios that he was on their side and working for them. It would take some strategic maneuvering, but he would come out on top in the end. If there was one thing he was, it was a survivor.
Six o’clock. Marena groaned after checking her watch. She started the truck and backed out of her parking space. She was still an hour away. That meant that Coulter would be awake when she returned.
“And probably as mad as a wet cat,” she noted aloud.
The moment Marena shot him with a sedative, she knew the ramifications. Coulter had a hard head, but they’d need to do things her way if he wanted to stay alive. She would not apologize for doing what she thought was medically necessary to save his life. With that bolstering thought, Marena turned her attention back to the road.
An hour later, she eased her car down the dark path toward the house. It was no surprise that the second her truck’s wheels stopped rolling, Coulter headed out the door and down the steps. Marena cut the engine off, slid the key out of the ignition, and dropped it into her purse. Then, taking a deep breath, she opened the door. “And here we go.”
Coulter’s speed was impressive. He was at her car door before she shut it.
“I see you’re up,” she said in a conversational tone.
“Earlier than you expected, I bet,” he said calmly.
Too calmly. Marena knew that his calm mad was much, much worse than his emotional mad. She was in a lot of trouble.
“Not really,” she countered. “How are you feeling?”
Coulter’s jaw ticked rhythmically. “How do you think I’m feeling? I have a sedation hangover, thanks for asking.”
She started to walk toward the house. “Any more vomiting?”
Coulter grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. “You drugged me, Marena. Don’t ever do that again.”
So much for good intentions. Marena yanked her arm out of his grasp. Her ire skyrocketed to match his. “Don’t do what, Colt? Keep you from setting yourself back because you’re trying to be a hero?”
“I was trying to help you.”
“I don’t need your help,” she shot back. “You need mine.”
Coulter froze in his spot.
Marena pinched the bridge of her nose. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but, Coulter, I know what’s better for you right now than you do, so you’ll have to trust me.”
Her elevated voice reverberated around them. The silence that followed was just as loud. They stood there glaring at each other. Her chest rose and fell in time to her rapid breathing. This time, Coulter was the first to move.
He threw his hands up in defeat. The sigh he let out caused some of Marena’s hair to blow across her forehead. Coulter absentmindedly flicked the strands back into place.
“I guess it’s my turn to apologize.”
Marena shook her head. “No, I should. I spoke too sharply.”
“No, you didn’t. You were right, and I needed to hear it. I’ve spent my entire adult life serving my country and helping other people out of life-and-death situations. It’s hard for me to sit back and let someone else call the shots. I’m sorry, Marena.”
“Apology accepted. Colt, I don’t want us fighting anymore—it won’t help. We must be on the same page if there’s any chance of pulling this off. You have to—”
“Trust you?”
Her eyes sought his. “Yes, you do.”
Coulter nodded.
“We should go in,” she said. “I have to get back online.”
“You go ahead. I’ll be in shortly.”
Marena didn’t argue. Instead, she grabbed some of her stuff and headed into the house. Before going in, she peeped over her shoulder. Coulter was walking toward the water’s edge. She observed him for a few moments before going inside.
Edgy after their altercation, Marena dropped the supplies she’d purchased on the dining room table and headed straight for her room. Throwing her stuff on the black wicker rocker in the corner, Marena tried to relax. She did some stretches to remove the tightness across her shoulders.
Being in such a calming environment helped. To Marena, the room looked like a photo shoot for a home-decor magazine. The entire house could’ve been on the front cover, for that matter. There was no way Burt could’ve managed the home’s interior design on his own. At times, he was so focused on his projects that he would forget to eat. Not for the first time, Marena wondered who had helped outfit his house after Crystal had died into the extremely cozy home it was now. She figured that maybe Delores had something to do with Burt’s suddenly impeccable taste.
The large black sleigh bed with the white sheets and down comforter had a calming effect—it drew her like a giant stuffed animal. Marena’s legs propelled her to the bed. She flopped onto it and sprawled out across the firm mattress. Lying on her back, Marena stared up at the soft blue ceiling. Her emotions were a jumble. Guilt had her regretting the harsh words she’d spoken to Coulter.
What would you do if you were in his shoes? Lying there, she pondered what she would do if she had only days to live unless a past lover saved her. Would she feel as out of control as she knew Coulter did? He was an elite soldier who was used to relying on a team and heavily on his capabilities. Just like your dad and brother. “I’m such a dolt,” she admonished herself. “I didn’t consider how you’d feel, did I?”
Marena sat up. Should I go to him? she contemplated. No. Her instincts warned her to leave him alone. To give him some space to sort out what must be hell on earth for him. Decision made, Marena got off the bed and walked over to grab her laptop. She returned and stretched out on the bed, stuffing a few pillows behind her head to prop herself up. Opening her computer, she tried clearing her mind of everything except Silent Night.
Sonia and Alvin drove up the circular stamped-concrete driveway and stopped in front of the four-car garage.
It had taken them two hours to drive to Chesapeake, Virginia, from their home on the Eastern Shore in Maryland. Sonia used the time to prepare herself.
“Here we are,” Alvin said as he cut the engine.
“Yep, here we are.”
“Are you ready for this?”
“As I’ll ever be,” she replied, glancing up at the large custom-built home. Her hands twitched nervously.
Alvin leaned over and kissed his wife. He rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. “Sweetheart, it’ll be okay.”
“I’m seeing my father for the first time since Coulter was young. There’s a gap between us the size of several football fields, and I—”
Her husband squeezed her hand. “Will take it one yard at a time.”
She smiled. “Yes.”
Getting out of the car, Alvin walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. He held out his hand. Sonia clasped it in a death grip and got out.
They walked up the eight steps to the mahogany wood front door. It was an arched double door with a hammered wrought iron design. By the time they reached the threshold, one side had opened.
Cole was transfixed in his spot for a few moments, just staring at his daughter. His expression was almost desperate as he glanced over her as if committing her to memory. Sonia was immobile. Finally, Alvin cleared his throat.
“Thank you for inviting us over, Cole.”
Cole snapped out of his trance and turned to his son-in-law. “My pleasure. Come on in.”
He stepped aside to let them enter.
They followed him into a bright and spacious family room with floor-to-ceiling windows that allowed an uninterrupted view of the outdoor living space and lake.
“Can I get you all anything? I know that was a long drive from Maryland.
“No, we’re fine,” Sonia replied.
They sat down on the couch, and Cole jumped right in.
“I don’t know where Coulter is yet, but I have an idea who does.”
Sonia leaned forward. “Who?”
“Joe Brinkley. He’s likely responsible for Coulter’s disappearance.”
“How can this be possible? Joe’s your partner and a family friend that we’ve known for years.”
“I know, but Coulter was investigating Joe and his sidekick, Derek Falconi, when he went missing.”
“Why?”
“Because Joe’s been dabbling in illegal activities. That’s why I hired Coulter. I wanted proof that he was betraying me and his country.”
Coulter’s parents digested that information.
“Is he aware of your suspicions?” Alvin asked.
“No, not yet.”
“Well, what are we waiting for? Dad, if he has any information that can lead us to Coulter, we need to get it.” Sonia batted at the tears sliding down her cheeks. “You can sort out his shady business dealings after he’s home safe.”
Alvin reached into his pocket and handed her a handkerchief. She thanked him and dabbed at her eyes.
“He’s under surveillance, and my team is following the paper trail. But don’t worry, Sonia. We’ll find out what Joe knows about Coulter’s whereabouts.”
“What if he doesn’t tell you?”
“That’s not an option,” Cole barked. “This is my fault. I’m responsible for Brinkley using Ghost Town for his self-centered agendas, for not keeping an eye on what was happening in my company, and putting my grandson’s life in danger. I’m sorry. I swear to you that I will find him.”
He reached out and took Sonia’s hand and squeezed it. She looked down at their entwined hands as though she were looking at a foreign object. Then, finally, she returned the squeeze.
“I want to be there when you interrogate Brinkley.”
“No,” Alvin and Cole said simultaneously.
“That’s not something you need to see,” Cole added.
“Fine, but I want him to pay.” She looked her father in the eye. “Painfully and repeatedly.”
“Finally, things are looking up.”
Marena moved the computer from her lap to the bed. For the first time in hours, she allowed herself the luxury of a smile. Granted, she had been up most of the night, but her perseverance had paid off. Thanks to a facility director colleague, Marena had secured a biosafety level three biocontainment lab in Sedona, Arizona. She glanced at her watch. It was eight o’clock in the morning. If they left for the airport immediately, she could set up and be well underway by nightfall. That galvanized her. Bolting off the bed, she started packing.
After finishing, she started in Coulter’s room. Though she hated to overtax him, she realized that having his help would speed the process along. Decision made, she set the bags by the front door and went to find him.
Coulter wasn’t in the house, so Marena went outside. She spotted him down by the water’s edge again.
Marena yelled his name and took off running. Coulter turned, and when he saw her barreling down on his location, he moved to intercept her.