Eden rubbed her blurry eyes and stepped away from her workstation. Her head ached, and she felt sick to her stomach.
Max wouldn’t be here yet for another hour, even though it was past five o’clock in the evening. They were no closer to finding out who had targeted her and why. Except for the latest news about her cell phone being the trigger of the snow-globe bomb, they had nothing more to go on, even after questioning Hank Voight.
The cell-phone trigger bothered her, making it difficult to concentrate on the video. Deep down, she knew the person responsible could be one of her Geek Quad friends. They were experts at hacking, and the attacks seemed so personal.
But why?
Bryon, Tom and Darnell had been her close friends since high school and through college. They all had high-level government jobs. It made no sense that one of them would have some sort of personal grudge against her.
Just thinking about the possibility that one of her longtime friends had turned on her to the point they wanted to harm her, or worse, kill her, filled her with a horrible sense of dread.
She stared sightlessly out the window, trying to come up with an alternate and less disturbing theory. Lots of people had amazing tech skills. Lots of people could create a bomb. But putting the two together, as far as using technology to detonate a bomb, would require a particular skill set.
Whirling around, she crossed over to her workstation and shut it down. Pulling her prized laptop out of the shoulder bag, she booted it up. When she opened her email, she noticed the government recruiter had sent another message, asking if she’d considered moving forward with an interview.
She couldn’t imagine changing jobs right now. Maybe something to think about after the holiday. Ignoring that message, she scanned the texts in her messaging app. There was a group message from Tom asking if they were still on for Monday. Bryon had replied yes, but there was nothing from Darnell yet.
Feeling determined, she opened the text and replied all to count her in for Monday’s gathering. After hitting Send, she sat back and wondered if the fact that Darnell hadn’t responded was because he was preoccupied with planting bombs.
Or maybe it was Tom who was trying to deflect suspicion by sending the message in the first place, pretending to be all casual about their next get-together.
But why? That was the big stumbling point for her. Not one of the guys had ever looked at her with romantic interest. In fact, the last time they’d gotten together, Tom mentioned meeting a woman he was interested in seeing again. And Bryon had been dating someone for several months. What was her name? Rachel? No, Rochelle. Darnell had chimed in about his preference of playing the field.
None of it made any sense.
As soon as she’d responded, Darnell replied, adding his agreement. Tom ended the conversation saying he’d see them all on Monday.
Today was Friday. Monday was three days away.
When she joined her friends at The Center, would she be looking into the eyes of a killer?
She shivered and turned her attention to the recruiter email. Hitting Reply, she told him to contact her again after Christmas. Part of her felt bad for stringing him along, but she knew the smart thing would be to keep her options open.
“Eden? Are you ready to go?”
Max’s low voice had her glancing up in surprise. His warm and weary smile caused her pulse to kick up. “Hi, Max.”
“Sorry it took longer than I thought to get here.” His gaze darkened with concern. “Thanks for waiting for me.”
“Sarge’s orders, right?” She strove for a casual tone, but Max frowned.
“Eden, I’m here because I want to be.” He stepped closer. Even after a long day, his sandalwood scent had the ability to knock her off balance. “I want you protected.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Their gazes clung and held for a long breathless moment. Max bent his head to kiss her, at the same moment Sam nudged her with his nose. Max grimaced and moved back, making her laugh as she reached down to stroke his soft fur. “You’re a good boy, Sam.”
“With rotten timing,” Max muttered.
She smiled again, feeling much better now that Max and Sam were there. It was difficult to remember how she’d always headed home alone without thinking twice about it.
Spending time with Max was nice. She’d miss being close to him once they caught this guy.
After shutting down her computer, she tucked it back into her bag and drew the strap over her head so that the bag was resting crosswise against her. Max held her coat for her, and she gratefully placed her arms in the sleeves and allowed him to pull it up over her shoulders. His broad hands rested there for a minute before releasing her. She sensed him stepping away.
They didn’t say much on the way down to the main level of the precinct. There was a second-shift clerk seated behind the desk, but the other cubicles were empty.
Once again, Max steered her through to the back exit of the building.
“Don’t you think this guy has figured out we leave this way?” She caught her breath at the blast of cold December air hitting her face.
“Maybe, but there are less places for him to hide.” Max and Sam stayed close to her side.
They headed toward the subway, choosing the same entrance as the day before. She almost asked about taking a rideshare instead but decided against it. It was possible that some rideshare drivers would balk at having Sam in the vehicle. He was a large and intimidating animal. She could see how many might view him as scary.
“Are you interested in stopping for a bite to eat?” Max asked, as they came down the steps toward the turnstile.
She wasn’t at all hungry but nodded. “Whatever you’d like is fine.”
Before he could respond, there was a shout from a woman standing several feet ahead of them. “Help! It’s a bomb! Someone help!”
“What in the world?” Max’s tone was grim as they both noticed the large backpack sitting beneath the bench. “Who told you it’s a bomb?”
The woman waved a handwritten note. “He—he gave me this and left. It says the backpack is a bomb!”
Not again! Please, Lord, not again!
“Everyone stay back,” Max ordered, reaching up for his radio. Masses of people moved away from the backpack, heading toward the stairway they’d just come down, jostling her as they passed.
“I need this train line and station shut down. Send me backup and the bomb squad ASAP.” Max released the leash from Sam’s collar. “Seek, Sam. Seek!”
She was watching Sam alert on the backpack when she felt something sharp poke her in the back. “Stay quiet, or I’ll blow up the dog.”
Every muscle in her body went still. The voice was a low whisper, but she felt certain it was familiar. She held her breath, afraid to do anything that would cause Sam or Max harm.
“Come with me.” The man drew her backward. She stumbled as she attempted to do what he asked, her gaze boring into Max’s back as she willed him to turn around, to notice she was leaving.
But all too soon, they were swallowed into the massive crowd. In addition to the stairs, there was an escalator up, jam-packed with people getting as far away from the backpack and the subway station as possible. He moved her onto the escalator, and as she glanced at the gloved hand holding tightly to her arm, she noticed the slight tear in the cuff.
No! This couldn’t be happening! This guy had actually planted the bomb as a way to get to her! She tried to capture other people’s gazes, but no one was paying the least bit of attention to her or the man who held her at knifepoint. She thought about trying to scream or shout but couldn’t bear the thought of this guy setting off the bomb, hurting Max and Sam, not to mention dozens of other innocent lives.
Please, God, help me!
She glanced over her shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of her assailant’s face. As before, he had a dark hat over his hair and a scarf pulled up to cover most of his face. But then she caught a glimpse of his eyes and instantly recognized him.
Bryon Avery. The pat-pat-patting suddenly made sense. Bryon had often displayed that nervous tick. She hadn’t connected that before, maybe because she’d found it so hard to accept that one of the Geek Quad could want to hurt her.
“Why?” Her voice came out a croak. “I don’t understand.”
“Shut up.” Bryon tightened his grip, making her wince with pain. “Don’t bother playing up the innocent act with me. You know very well why I’m doing this.”
“I don’t!” She squeezed the words past her tight throat. “We were friends. I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
“I told you to shut up!” He held up his cell phone with his other hand just enough so she could see it. “Or should I go ahead and detonate the backpack?”
No! Max! Sam! She sucked in a harsh breath and bit her lip to keep from crying out. There was no doubt in her mind that Bryon would do as he threatened if she stepped out of line.
They hit the street level and he took her the same way he’d escaped that very first night. The night he’d tried to stab her. In a desperate move, she pulled off her red-knit glove and dropped it to the ground. Maybe, just maybe, Max and Sam would find it.
But as he urged her forward, farther away from Max and Sam, her despair grew, filling her with fear.
By the time Max realized she was gone, it would be too late. Bryon Avery, her onetime friend turned tormentor, would have her just where he wanted.
“Come, Sam.” Max held his breath until his partner turned away from the backpack and trotted back to his side. He clipped on Sam’s leash, then faced the few gawkers that remained. He needed to secure the perimeter and was irritated that some people didn’t seem to have basic common sense. “Everyone get back! I want you to clear the area!”
The lingering people scattered. He scowled as he abruptly realized Eden wasn’t nearby. Had she gone up to the street level to wait for his backup? The sirens were growing louder, indicating they were on the way. While a part of him was glad she was far away from the backpack bomb, he didn’t like not seeing her.
“Eden?” He shouted her name, his voice echoing off the concrete walls of the subway station. “Eden!”
No response.
A tingle of fear snaked down his spine. “Eden!” He urged Sam farther from the backpack, until they were near the bottom of the stairs. He looked up, hoping to see her, but there was no sign of her red coat.
Where was she? Max pulled out his cell phone to call her, then hesitated and glanced at the backpack. What if the stupid thing was set to detonate when she used her cell phone?
Shoving the phone back into his pocket, he reached for his radio, getting in touch with the desk clerk at their Brooklyn K-9 precinct. “This is Santelli. I need to be connected with Danielle Kowalski from the NYC K-9 Command Unit in Queens, ASAP. I need her to locate Eden Chang.”
“Eden’s missing? Hang on.” There was a moment of silence before he was patched through to the Queens unit.
“This is Danielle.”
“Officer Santelli from Brooklyn. I believe Eden has been abducted from the Bay Ridge subway station by an assailant dressed in black. I need you to get eyes on her.”
“Okay, give me a sec.”
He tightened his grip on the radio, feeling certain they didn’t have a second to waste. He tried to estimate how much time had gone by. Ten minutes? Fifteen? He wasn’t sure. As much as he wanted to instantly follow her, he couldn’t leave the stupid backpack bomb unattended.
Where was the bomb squad? They should have been here by now.
“I think I see her,” Danielle’s voice sounded hesitant. “They’re heading north down the street away from the subway station.”
They? Max realized the perp was taking the same route as he had the night of the stabbing. “Keep your eyes on her,” he ordered. “Is anyone close enough to tail her?”
“Not yet.”
“Get someone on it. As soon as my backup arrives, Sam and I will head out, too.”
“I will,” Danielle promised.
The reassurance didn’t help him feel better. The sirens were loud enough now, indicating help had arrived. Still, it seemed to take forever for the officers to make their way toward him.
He quickly filled them in on what was going on. “I need to go after Eden.”
“You can’t leave,” the officer protested.
Max ignored him. He jogged up the stairs to the street with Sam keeping pace at his side. He tried to think of something he could use for Sam to track her scent.
If only he’d taken her computer bag from her! He fought the wave of panic, sweeping his gaze over the area as he headed in the direction Danielle had indicated.
A red-knit glove caught his eye. Eden had been wearing red gloves. It looked relatively clean as if it hadn’t been there very long. With a surge of hope, he carefully picked it up. He couldn’t detect her spicy scent but knew Sam could.
He reached for his radio. “Danielle? Where’s Eden? Did she drop a red glove?”
“Yes, video shows her drop the glove mere moments before she and the guy in black disappeared from view.” There was a pause. “I think I’ve lost her, Max. I’ll keep watching the cameras, but for the moment she and the man who abducted her are out of sight.”
“Okay, thanks.” Max stopped and held the glove out for Sam. “This is Eden. Seek Eden!”
Sam sniffed the glove for a long minute before turning back to the street. He lifted his nose in the air in a way that Max knew meant he was trying to hone in on Eden’s scent.
“Seek Eden, Sam,” he repeated.
Sam moved forward eagerly. Max kept him on leash but didn’t hesitate to break into a jog when his partner picked up the pace.
Please, Lord, show me and Sam the way!
Sam backtracked once, then continued moving down the street. Max looked at the various shops, recognizing the ones that stayed open late from the day he’d investigated the attempted stabbing.
He felt certain Sam wouldn’t let him down. That God was actually watching over them, helping to guide them down the right path.
It was impossible to imagine life without Eden, so he shut down any negative thoughts. They would find her. And she would be okay.
Sam alerted at the front door of a shop located near the end of the street. It was a touristy kind of place, the sort that sold lots of different types of trinkets from images of the Statute of Liberty to the Empire State Building.
There were even a couple of snow globes exactly like the one that had been made into a bomb and sent to Eden at the station.
His pulse shot up as he realized they were hot on this guy’s trail. He pinned the counter clerk with a fierce glare. “NYPD. Which way did they go?”
“Huh?” The guy looked confused.
“I’ll arrest you for aiding and abetting a criminal. Tell me which way the woman in the red coat and the guy dressed in black went!”
Sam growled as if sensing Max’s frustration.
“There.” The clerk lifted a shaky hand, pointing toward a narrow doorway.
He pulled the door open, finding a flight of rickety stairs heading downward. He glanced back at the clerk. “Are you sure?”
The clerk nodded. “It leads to tunnels beneath the city.”
He’d heard of the tunnels but had never been in them. Max turned on his flashlight and headed down, hoping and praying that Eden was still alive and unharmed.