“Bryon, please, tell me what’s going on.” Eden had dropped another glove once he’d dragged her down into the tunnels beneath the city. It was all she could think of as a way to help Max and Sam find her. But she had no idea if they were still at the bomb scene.
She’d heard of the tunnels but had never been down here. And didn’t much like them now. Bryon had a small light, but she couldn’t see much. The walls were dark and damp, and she feared there were rats or other creepy-crawlies surrounding them. The very idea made her shiver. When she felt something scuttle over her right foot, she swallowed a scream.
There had to be something she could do to get away from him. To get herself out of this mess. She forced the panic back so she could think. She had one more item to drop, and that was her red-knit hat. Would Bryon notice if she wasn’t wearing it? Maybe not. She was beginning to think he wasn’t quite sane.
“Why do you think the government is trying to recruit you?”
His abrupt question made her frown.
“I—don’t know,” she said.
He let out a low hiss of disgust. “Because they fired me, that’s why. And I learned you were the NSA’s first choice all along. Pretty, perfect Eden Chang.” Venom dripped from his tone.
“I—I’m sorry to hear you lost your job. That must have been terrible.” It was news to her that she’d been their first choice, but she doubted that alone had any bearing on the government’s decision to fire Bryon.
He pulled her deeper into the tunnels, seemingly knowing exactly where he wanted to go. “Rochelle dumped me right after I was fired. I lost everything, and it’s all your fault.”
“Me?” Her voice came out in a high squeak. “I didn’t do anything. I don’t even want the job.” The minute she said the words, she knew they were absolutely true. Working for the NYPD’s Brooklyn K-9 Unit was where her heart was.
Not to mention Max. And the other members of the team.
But mostly Max.
Lord, please help Max and Sam find me!
“Yeah, right,” Bryon scoffed, as he led her deeper into the darkness and farther away from any possibility of rescue. “I heard they were going to offer you double what I was making, and it has to be far more than whatever measly salary the NYPD is paying you. Only an idiot would refuse the job.”
There was more to life than money, but arguing would be useless, so she tried to switch tactics in an effort to keep him talking. “And what about Patti Wang?”
“She was nothing other than a way to throw suspicion on your brother’s idiot friend. I barely scratched her.”
His flat admission was terrifying. It was as if he had no empathy for others at all.
“Did you hack into the subway video feeds? Is that how you avoided the cameras?”
“I’m better than you, Eden. Too bad the NSA doesn’t agree.”
Keep him talking. “I still don’t understand why you’re trying to hurt me. I thought we were friends. I would never turn against you, Bryon.”
His grip on her arm tightened painfully. “Sure you would. Besides, it’s not just about you, Eden. It’s about proving my worth to those idiots at the NSA.”
Proving his worth? “You mean the way you created the bombs to be triggered by a specific phone number?”
“Exactly.” Satisfaction rang from his tone. “Soon they’ll know exactly what they missed by letting me go.”
Her mouth was dry with fear at his veiled threat. “What are you planning?”
“You’ll see.” She didn’t have to see his face to know he was smirking.
They turned down another tunnel, and Bryon slowed down as if he were searching for something. In the faint light, she could see a rickety ladder leading up, maybe to another shop much like the one they’d used to come down.
She quickly dropped her hat to let Max or Sam or anyone know which direction he’d taken her.
If Max and Sam were following at all.
No, she refused to give up her faith. God was watching over her. Max was too smart not to realize she’d been taken. And she knew in her heart he and Sam would do whatever necessary to find her.
It was her job to stay alive long enough for him to accomplish that goal.
Max could hear voices in the tunnel up ahead, but the concrete walls distorted the sound such that he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying.
He was grateful they weren’t too far ahead. Keeping his hand covering the head of his flashlight to douse most of the illumination, he quickened his pace, trying to come up with a plan.
Unfortunately, his phone wasn’t getting service down here and using his radio would be too loud. He didn’t want the perp to know how close he was. He’d given his last location to Gavin just as he entered the tunnel.
Members of his team should be there soon.
Sam abruptly stopped. He turned to see his partner had found another of Eden’s red gloves. “Good boy,” he whispered, giving Sam’s coat a good rub. He offered the glove for Sam to sniff. “Good boy. Seek Eden.”
Sam eagerly surged forward, dragging Max along with him. The voices up ahead were getting louder now, and he didn’t dare delay much longer. Sam wasn’t just a great bomb-sniffing K-9. He’d also attack on command.
The only concern that weighed heavily in the back of his mind was the backpack bomb. He felt certain the guy who’d grabbed Eden wouldn’t hesitate to set it off. The bomb squad was there and hopefully taking care of getting the device into a safety box, but what if they hadn’t managed that yet?
What if the device blew up in their faces?
He couldn’t bear to think about that, so he concentrated on closing the gap.
“Please don’t do this, Bryon. Think about all the innocent people who don’t deserve this.”
Eden’s voice was clear, as if she were only a couple of yards away. Sam alerted again on her hat. Max picked it up and offered the fresh scent to Sam without speaking. He also slipped the K-9 off leash.
They turned the corner and Max caught a glimpse of light from halfway up the wall. No! They were heading up a ladder leading out of the tunnel!
“Get him!” Sam let out a series of ferocious barks, surging ahead, and grabbed the back of the guy’s jacket, hanging on with his steel-trap jaws and using all his weight to hold the guy back.
Several things happened at once. The guy’s head jerked back as Eden’s boot lashed out, clipping his chin. The Rottweiler’s strength brought the guy down several rungs, although he somehow managed to hang on.
Max let the flashlight drop, grabbed the guy’s arm and yanked hard. “Stop! You’re under arrest!”
“Let me go, or I’ll detonate the bomb!”
Eden kicked out again, and the perp lost his grip on the ladder, his arms flailing as he fought for balance.
Between Max and Sam, they managed to pin the guy down. From the light radiating from his flashlight, he searched for a cell phone, but the guy’s hands were empty.
Which didn’t mean he didn’t have another way to trigger the device.
Sam continued to bark in the perp’s face in a scare tactic that worked wonders. The guy—Eden had called him Bryon, which meant he was one of the Geek Quad friends—put his hands up to cover his face. “Get him off me!”
“Where’s the trigger for the bomb?” Max pulled his handcuffs off his belt. Eden came down to stand beside him.
“His name is Bryon Avery and his phone’s in his right pocket.” She sounded breathless. “He told me he’s created a way to trigger a bomb from a specific cell number.”
After cuffing Avery’s wrists, he searched for and drew out the guy’s cell phone, holding it gingerly by the edges as he dropped it into an evidence bag. Then he used his radio to call Gavin.
“Sam and I found Eden and have Bryon Avery in custody. What’s the update with the bomb squad?”
“They have the backpack device secured. Tyler Walker and his K-9, Dusty, should be coming through the tunnel any minute.”
“Max? Eden?” The detective’s voice echoed off the concrete walls. “Are you okay?”
“We’re fine.” For a moment Max hung his head, as the magnitude of how close he’d come to losing Eden hit hard. He hadn’t wanted anyone else after losing Jessica. He hadn’t wanted to fall in love again.
But it was too late. His heart already belonged to Eden.
“Max? Are you okay?” Eden placed her hand on his arm, drawing his gaze.
“I’m fine, but what about you?” He raked his gaze over her. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, but he mentioned some grand plans to make the NSA sorry for firing him. I’m worried he has more bombs planted.”
Just what he didn’t want to hear. “Okay, we’ll have to send a notice to all precincts to be aware of any suspicious packages.” He gripped Avery’s arms and drew him upright. He quickly recited the Miranda warning, then asked, “Where are they? Where did you leave the bombs?”
Avery sneered. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
Max had to bite back a flash of temper. “If those bombs hurt the public, you’ll be looking at multiple counts of murder. Is that really what you want?”
“We need to check The Center,” Eden said. “Our hangout.”
The involuntary twitch at the corner of Avery’s eyes betrayed him. Max grabbed his radio. “Send the bomb squad to a gaming place called The Center to search for another device.” He glanced at Eden. “Where else?”
She wrinkled her forehead in concentration. “Maybe Bryon’s former girlfriend’s place? Her name is Rochelle Cannon.”
Avery’s jaw tightened and he looked away, which made Max think Eden had guessed correctly once again. He repeated the information to the dispatcher.
“What about your other Geek Quad members?” He glanced at Eden. “Could they be in danger?”
“We should have their places checked out, but it appears Bryon held me responsible for being fired. And for being recruited to take his spot.”
“Recruited to take his spot?” He repeated in surprise. “I didn’t know you were being recruited by the NSA.”
“I didn’t know the position was with the NSA. The government recruiter who contacted me didn’t say much over email. He was pressing for a face-to-face interview.”
An interview with a recruiter. Max didn’t have any idea what to say. It never occurred to him that Eden might leave the Brooklyn K-9 Unit. Not that she wasn’t talented enough to work for the NSA, because she was.
But man, he didn’t want her to leave.
“Let’s get this guy out of here,” Tyler said, interrupting his thoughts. “Maybe once he gets his lawyer, he’ll understand that cooperating with us is the wisest option.”
“Yeah.” It took Max a moment to focus on their next steps. “Let’s get him out of the tunnel.”
No easy task as they didn’t want to completely uncuff his wrists. After sending Eden up first, he and Tyler managed to carry Avery up to the main level. Sam and Dusty, a golden retriever, bounded after them.
Tyler offered to take Avery to the jail. Max called Gavin, letting him know they were heading over to check on the other possible bomb locations.
“No need. I just heard from the bomb squad. They found one device inside the gaming joint and another inside Rochelle’s place. Thankfully, she wasn’t home. We haven’t found any other devices.”
“Let’s hope three devices is all he had time to set up before grabbing Eden.”
“I hear you,” Gavin agreed.
“I’m going to take Eden home, so Sam can make sure her place is secure.”
“Good idea. I think we’re finished for now, but if I need you and Sam to find another device, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay, thanks.” He disconnected from the line. “Let’s get out of here.”
He called for a car service, stressing the fact that he had a police dog with him. After several declines, one driver agreed to pick them up.
“Behave,” he said to Sam when the vehicle arrived.
Sam looked up at him as if to say, Why wouldn’t I?
Once they were settled, with Sam on the floor at his feet, the driver headed to Sunset Park. Eden reached over to take his hand. “I knew you and Sam would find me.”
He stared down at their entwined fingers for a long moment. “It was all I could think about once I realized you were missing. Smart of you to drop clues along the way.”
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “It was the least I could do. All of this—” she waved a hand “—because he was fired and blamed me? How crazy is that?”
“I should have dug deeper into your friend’s backgrounds.”
She arched a brow. “I’m not sure that knowing about his being let go would have been enough for me to suspect he was capable of all this.”
He lifted their joined hands so he could kiss her fingers. “I prayed God would keep you safe, and He did.”
A smile bloomed on her features. “Me, too. I had faith in God and in you, and of course Sam.” She reached down to pet Sam’s fur.
He was humbled by her response, but still couldn’t get the news of the government recruiter out of his head. Should he ask about it? Or wait for her to bring it up? Was it possible she didn’t feel as deeply about him as he felt about her? Or did she think taking the NSA job wouldn’t be a barrier between them since most of their work was done remotely? He didn’t know much about their scheduling practices. What if they couldn’t get the same days off?
He fell silent as the driver navigated the crowded streets toward Sunset Park. Christmas lights twinkled from various apartments, and for the first time, he realized how much he wanted to spend some time around the holidays with Eden.
“I spoke to Ricky earlier today,” Eden said. “He’s upset with Tayron getting him in trouble. I’m hoping that when he’s released he’ll come visit me.”
“That would be good for you to have your brother back.”
“Yes.” She smiled wryly. “I can only hope he’ll stay on the straight and narrow from now on.”
“All you can do is offer your support, Eden. Ricky has to make the choice to change his life.” He didn’t want her to feel responsible for her brother’s decisions.
“I know.” She hesitated, then asked, “Um, are you planning to go to Bradley and Sasha’s wedding on Christmas Eve?”
Eden’s question caught him off guard. “Yeah, I was going to stop by the reception after work. I signed up to staff the holiday to give those with families time off. Bradley said that dropping in at the reception would be fine.”
“I was going to attend the reception, too. But—I wouldn’t mind sharing a ride. If that works out for you.” Eden was avoiding his direct gaze in a way that gave him a flicker of hope.
She actually wanted to go to the wedding reception with him!
“I’d love to escort you to the wedding.” Was that his voice all gravelly and rough? He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t looking forward to attending, but now I can’t wait.”
“Great.” Her smile lit up her entire face, her sheer beauty hitting him squarely between the eyes.
“Hey, the address you’re looking for is right over there, but I’m in a bit of a traffic jam here.” The guy waved at the windshield where there was nothing but streams of red taillights stretching before them.
“Let us out here. We’ll walk the rest of the way.” He quickly paid the guy on his app, including an additional tip for allowing Sam to ride along.
The walk to Eden’s apartment building didn’t take long. As they approached her doorway, he bent down and let Sam off leash.
“Seek, Sam. Seek!”
His partner went to work, sniffing along the hallway without alerting. Even at her apartment door, he didn’t pick up anything significant. Feeling reassured, Max took her key and unlocked the door. “Stay here until we clear it.”
As before—had it been only a few days ago?—he and Sam went through the apartment. Charlie meowed with annoyance, but Sam ignored the tabby.
“All clear.” He gestured for Eden to come inside. “Avery apparently couldn’t find a good hiding spot here.”
“Thankfully, he didn’t have a key.” She shrugged off her coat and sighed. “I never want to be in those tunnels again.”
“I know.” He drew her close in a warm hug, the way he’d wanted to do from the moment he found her.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and nestled against him. “Oh, Max. I’m so glad you’re here with me.”
The flicker of hope in his chest burned hotter. “What about that recruiter?”
She lifted her head to look into his eyes. “I put him off until after the holidays, but I can just tell him no right now. I’m not leaving the Brooklyn K-9 Unit.”
Really? He stared into her dark eyes. “Because of Avery?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No, silly. Because of you. I know it’s probably too soon for you to hear this, but I’ve fallen in love with you, Max Santelli.”
He blinked, wondering if he’d misunderstood. But then she went up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Hauling her close, he kissed her back. It was several minutes before either of them could speak.
“Eden, I love you. And it’s not that fast, as I’ve been thinking of you for months now.”
“Months? Why didn’t you ask me out?”
He shook his head. “I was too afraid of getting hurt, but that was a dumb reason. My heart was already involved with you, regardless of the obstacles my brain tried to create.”
She smiled and kissed him again. “I’m glad you followed your heart.”
“Me, too.” He drew her over to the sofa. As they sat down, the cat meowed again, dashing out of the bedroom straight toward Sam. The dog braced himself as the animal launched into the air, landing directly on Sam’s broad back.
“Meow!” Charlie said again.
Sam froze, then turned his head toward Max as if silently asking for help. When none came, the K-9 lowered himself to the floor, taking care not to disturb Charlie.
“Good boy.” Max chuckled. “See? I told you they’d find a way to get along.”
Sam offered a baleful gaze as if agreeing to put up with this nonsense, for now.
“This is going to be a great Christmas,” Max murmured, pressing a kiss to Eden’s temple.
“Yes.” She sighed and snuggled close. “The best Christmas ever.”