26

 

When Katie rounded the front fender of Josh’s car, the policeman in the booth stepped out with his hand near his weapon. “Stop! Now!”

“Sir, there are two armed terrorists chasing us. You need to—”

“No. You need to stop…and keep your hands away from your body.” He pulled his weapon and nodded toward Josh. “Out of the car. Stand beside her, now.”

Josh opened the door and slid out.

Katie glared at the policeman. “Are you trying to get us all killed? There is a middle Eastern jihadist group who’s after us.”

Josh stepped to her side.

The man scanned Josh for a moment. “Why should I believe either of you?”

“Look at the back of my car and the windows.” Josh stuck a thumb at his rear window.

“For all I know, this could be the result of a drug deal gone bad.”

“Look,” Kate huffed. “This is a serious matter of national security.”

“Yeah, right. What would a kid like you know about serious matters of national security?” His tone was cryptic. The man simply did not believe them.

Josh blew out a blast of frustration. “You had better bite your tongue or you’ll seriously regret this.”

The man raised his weapon part way. “Are you threatening me?”

“No. Just anticipating what Special Agent Peterson will do if you don’t—”

“Am I going to have to arrest you two?”

This guy was really dropping the ball. He hadn’t even asked for identification. “If a black sedan pulls up, you won’t live long enough to arrest us.” She glared at the man again.

“The only danger I see is you two.”

Josh shook his head. “Kate, that’s about what I would expect from an organization that let a terrorist cross the border and nearly kill a PhD candidate at UW.”

The look on his face said he had finally heard them. “What do you mean about letting a terrorist cross the border?”

“I wouldn’t have a clue.” Katie’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “I’m just a dumb blonde kid.”

The frown on the man’s brow grew deep. “Who are you two?”

Finally, he was getting to where he should have started.

Katie nodded to Josh. “He’s Joshua West and I’m Katie Brandt. We’re both PhD candidates at—”

“Brandt?” The officer’s eyes widened as recognition lit his face. “The Key Arena incident? You?” He nodded at her, raised his eyebrows, but lowered his weapon.

“Both of us,” she said.

Josh grinned at the man. “If you multiply your IQ by two, you might give her a little competition. But watch out for her karate moves. You just don’t mess around with Kate Brandt.”

“You should take your own advice, Josh.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

“Officer Brannon…” Two heavily armed policemen approached from the large building on the U.S. side of the crossing. “We’ll take these two off your hands. No charge. The FBI is on their way here in a chopper, and we need to keep these two safe. It’s a serious matter of national security.”

The Border Patrol officer’s gaze darted between her and Josh. “So, you were telling the truth?”

Katie gave him a hands-up shrug. “Yes. But you had better watch out for a black sedan with a man and woman in it. They have handguns and at least one assault rifle. They want us dead and you too, if you get in their way.”

“Take them and good riddance.” He waved them away with his hand.

The two Border Patrol agents took her and Josh into the building and placed them in what must have been a search or interrogation room.

One of them stood outside the door with an assault rifle. The other stuck his head in before closing the door. “Peterson just called in. He’s a little less than an hour out. You’re safe in here, but we were told not to bug you. Can I get you anything?”

“Do you have any coffee?” Josh asked.

“Yeah. But it’s the kind some people call black tar.”

“We’ll pass,” Katie said. As the door closed, she focused on Josh.

He smiled warmly at her.

Katie’s nearly relaxed heart started a slow acceleration.