Jett stood in his woodshed, but not even the tools his grandpa had used could settle his racing thoughts.
He had become just like the reporter who carelessly wrote the story that led to his father’s suicide. His article had led to Dustin’s death. While it wasn’t suicide, the man had still died because Jett had framed him as being involved in human trafficking.
He leaned heavily on the wood that someday would become a table.
How had this happened? He’d been so careful. Everything had been confirmed by the fact-checkers at the Source, and he’d still been horribly wrong.
He’d painted the group as deviants instead of as heroes.
He picked up the plane and threw it across the shed. It clattered against the wall as he fell to his knees. “God, what have I done? How can I make this right?”
The image of Addy’s tear-stained face was seared in his mind. A sound behind him barely registered.
Then something cold and metal was pressed against his neck.
* * *
Savannah’s mind spun with the implications that John Martin had intentionally put the software on a plane in violation of the court’s injunction. Even more, she tried to grasp the implications that he was Agent Martin’s son. Had the man understood his son was the one behind the software being on Flight 2840 or had he guessed well? Savannah needed to head home and soak in a bath with soft music playing in the candlelight. Anything to ease the tension of the longest day.
She had new clarity about the crash and Dustin’s death, but she wanted to talk to Detective Jensen about a growing certainty Agent Martin was involved in Dustin’s and Evan’s deaths. She’d left a message to update him on John Martin’s role in her hit-and-run and the revelation he was Agent Martin’s son, but the detective hadn’t responded yet.
After she locked up the law firm she sat in her car for a minute. Jett hadn’t responded to her earlier texts. Maybe she should swing by his home first. Make sure he was okay.
All his efforts had been laid bare as built on a foundation of illusion, and three men had died as a result.
It had to be devastating.
She tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. A drive-by then.
She pulled into a drive-through for a couple of sub sandwiches. He probably hadn’t eaten and if his fridge looked anything like Dustin’s, he’d need food. It also gave her something to carry as she walked to the front door.
At his home she rang the doorbell and then waited, shivering as she waited.
Christmas was definitely in the air with the cold temperatures, but the snow from the storm that had brought down Flight 2840 had long since disappeared, leaving the world gray and dead.
Jett didn’t come to the door, but she heard a noise behind the house and headed that direction. He’d mentioned he had a workshop of some sort back there.
She froze as she heard voices.
Maybe coming unannounced had been a bad idea.
She stood at the side of the house, uncertain whether to go forward or back to her car.
* * *
Jett stiffened, but didn’t say anything.
“Figured it out, did you?” The man’s voice was unfamiliar to him.
“What?”
“Who the fourth man is.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
The man snorted, but the metal dug deeper into his neck. “You’re a liar. Usually that wouldn’t be a big revelation. We expect that of our journalists.”
Jett tensed and fought the urge to launch to his feet. He didn’t know who was behind him or what he’d do with his weapon. “I’m telling the truth.”
“Well, you did write an exposé on the ugly underside of the rich and famous.”
Jett tried to shift, but the man shoved the gun a little further. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
He froze. “Who are you?”
“You can call me an avenger. Going after those who harm the innocent.”
“I don’t harm the innocent.”
The man gave a short laugh. “I didn’t think so, so you’ll tell me who the fourth person of that little band is.” The metal—a gun?—pressed deeper into his neck.
Jett’s watch buzzed, alerting him to a text. Good thing notifications were silenced, so whoever was behind him didn’t notice. But he couldn’t chance moving to read the scrolling message. He needed to keep the man talking and distracted.
Since the man wouldn’t freely give his identity, Jett took a stab at it. “I’m sorry about your daughter.”
The man shifted behind him. “You know nothing.”
“I understand what it’s like to lose someone you love.”
“You have no idea.” He pulled the gun away, then pushed it into Jett’s back. “To your feet, hands over your head. I want you to see my face as I complete this task.”
Jett slowly stood, then pivoted. Saw the gun aimed center mass with steadiness. His gaze traveled to the man’s face. “Agent Martin.”
The man gave a slight bow of his head.
“You used Grace’s account, and language from the tweets matched the letter left at Dustin’s.”
“Maybe you should have been the agent since no one else has figured that out.”
Jett bit back the words that it wasn’t true. No, he’d protect Savannah from Agent Martin even if it meant he had to die to keep the man from knowing the extent of what she understood.
“Does your crusade end here? With me?”
He cocked his head and considered. “It should. But there’s one more person from the merry band to kill before they hurt anyone else.”
That didn’t sound promising.
“What if I had proof Dustin and Logan were doing good things in Thailand? That they were on a mission to help girls like your daughter.”
“Not possible. Logan Donnelly”—the man spit out the name—“received his judgment. So did Dustin Tate. Both were held accountable.”
“What about Evan Spencer?”
“A pawn. Logan did the planning, and Dustin got them there. Still, the man received his due.” The gun wavered, just a moment, but long enough to give hope the agent was tiring. “Now I need the name of the fourth man. Your article was silent on that.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Ironic, isn’t it. The story ran incomplete.”
The man had no idea. “Dustin had gold and jewels in his safe deposit box.”
“So? That means nothing. I want a name.”
“But it does.” Jett knew that changed everything. “They were buying freedom for those that couldn’t be rescued any other way.” He swallowed hard against the bile that wanted to erupt. “They were heroes in every sense of the word.”
* * *
Savannah edged closer and then froze when she recognized Agent Martin. The man’s back was to her, but he had Jett on his feet, hands up. She stepped back around the corner of the house and placed a 911 call, then hesitated. She should go back to her car and wait. That was the safe thing to do. But she couldn’t. Not while Jett was in there. Somehow she had to help Jett.
But what could she do that would help Jett without becoming Agent Martin’s second target?
She edged around the house, using it to shield her while a plan came to her.
She hurried to the front door of the house and went inside. Then she dialed the number on the card Martin had given her Friday and asked to be patched through to the agent.
The woman who answered hesitated. “He’s in the field right now.”
“This is really important and related to his case. He asked me to reach him this way if he didn’t answer his direct number.” She bit her lower lip as she waited for the woman’s response.
“Can you tell me the nature of your emergency?”
“Just that it relates to him and it’s life and death.” As she looked through the sliding glass doors toward the shed, she wanted to scream. This wasn’t working.
“Ma’am, you need to explain yourself.”
“There isn’t time.”
The woman hesitated. “All right. I’ll patch you through.”
This was taking too long!
Didn’t the woman understand a man’s life was at risk? While Savannah waited, she scrambled for another option. There had to be something she could do.
The sliding glass door. If she opened the curtains and turned on all the lights, would that be enough to distract Agent Martin and give Jett a chance?
She had to try.
* * *
Jett thought he should feel angry or terrified. Instead he felt a weight of sadness.
“I am sorry.”
Agent Martin startled. “Sorry?”
“I unintentionally added to your pain with my investigation and article.” His hands felt heavy from being up in the air so long. “If I could unpublish it, I would. But that won’t bring back Dustin, Ethan, or your daughter.” He inhaled. “I was wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Confusion flickered across his face, and the gun wavered. It must be getting heavy.
He couldn’t believe he was saying this, but it was right. “The truth is those men were on a mission to save trafficked girls. They created a false trail that I followed, that made it look like they were solicitors. Instead, they were the bait in traps.” He swallowed and shifted his feet slightly. “They were heroes. If I could change the article, I would. But I can alter what people know moving forward.”
A movement caught his attention.
* * *
Savannah’s mind raced. She crept toward the light switch and first flicked off the lights. Then she moved to the curtains and eased the first panel to the side. This wouldn’t work if Agent Martin saw the movement before she was ready. She paused between the first and second curtains. Glanced outside. His attention hadn’t shifted from Jett, but she saw Jett glance her direction.
No, no, no.
Don’t lead him to look this way.
Jett shifted his stance. She squinted. Was he shifting his weight forward? She couldn’t wait.
She eased the final panel to the side. Then she scuttled to the light switches and flipped all the switches. She jumped at a whirring, grinding noise. Then she put her hand over her heart. She’d turned on the garbage disposal along with the lights. She flipped it off, then glanced outside.
Agent Martin hadn’t moved.
What else could she do to distract him?
She started flipping the switches in a Morse code pattern. He had to see that.
* * *
“I had it all wrong.” Jett kept his face toward Agent Martin as he tried to catch what Savannah was up to out of the corner of his eye. Why was the crazy woman here? Had she called the police? If so, he’d keep talking as long as it took for help to arrive. “My research was good, but it only caught the side of the trips they wanted the world to see.”
The agent looked at him blankly. It was as if part of him had slipped away and all that was left was a vindictive shell that didn’t really understand what he was doing.
“Logan and Dustin weren’t there to abuse the girls.” He shook his head and laughed. Now who sounded deranged? “They were there to save them.”
“You have no proof. And the article was clear.”
“Yes, the article was clear because that’s what the men wanted everyone to think. To do their work, to bring girls from darkness to light, they had to find them. That meant looking like rich Americans who wanted a good time with the girls.” He’d piece it together in a way the agent could hear. It wouldn’t change the fact he’d executed judgment on Dustin and Evan, but it might stop what he planned now. “Why kill Dustin? You could have joined me in bringing him to justice.”
“People don’t understand the great harm this evil does. My daughter isn’t the only one who’s disappeared or been harmed by the monsters who only care about their debased needs.” Agent Martin’s arm wavered and then he firmed his grip on the gun. “You haven’t seen the things I have. Our country is filled with men intent on evil. That’s why you have to give me the fourth man’s name. Then I can exact justice on him, and rest. For a while.”
His words made Jett wonder how long Agent Martin would rest before he found someone else to exact justice on. “I can’t give you that.”
“Wrong answer.” His finger twitched on the trigger. “You have one more chance. What. Is. His. Name?”
A voice startled them both as Savannah stepped into view. “Don’t.” She took a shuddering breath as if realizing she’d just placed herself squarely in harm’s way. “The world is filled with people trying to do good. Imperfectly, but they’re trying. That’s what Jett does. It’s what you did before.”
“Savannah.” Jett groaned at the way Agent Martin seemed to snap out of his reverie and look at her like fresh prey.
“Ms. Daniels, you are a fool to come out here.”
“No, I’m trying to keep you from compounding a wrong. Did you know your son is the reason the software was on Flight 2840? You were talking to the wrong partner Friday.”
“You’re wrong.”
Savannah shook her head. “No, you are. We all have been. But it’s time to push through to truth. You need to talk with our new friend. She’ll help you understand the good that’s being done.”
Jett needed to get the focus back on him. He made a small waving motion toward Savannah and mouthed get back. “You’ve robbed Dustin of that opportunity to continue his good works. But you get to choose what you’re going to do here. Will you continue or allow us to leave?”
The man snarled at him. “You two haven’t proven anything other than you are a well-trained, fast-talking reporter with a sidekick attorney.”
Savannah firmed her stance instead of leaving. “How did you do it?”
Agent Martin quirked an eyebrow and tipped his head to the side. “Do what?”
“Kill Dustin. Addy was in the next room.”
“She wasn’t supposed to be. I never wanted her near.” Then his expression cleared. “It was easy to slip into his room and trade out his medicine with a sedative. Just enough to make him compliant. Then I slipped back inside and talked him into slitting his wrists. May have helped him a bit.” He shrugged. “I left the letter, but no one found it.”
“I did.”
“You’ve read it.”
“Yes.”
“Then you understand. I had to help him.”
* * *
Savannah was rethinking her decision to come outside. It had seemed brave and smart while she was inside. Now she didn’t want to be killed when he decided to pull the trigger.
“Police!” The yell was followed an instant later by some kind of explosion. Then what felt like a flood of police appeared.
The next instant she was led to the side by two officers. She looked over her shoulder to see another placing cuffs on Agent Martin even as he yelled he was with the FBI. Jett was taken in a different direction.
She couldn’t stop shivering. It felt like the cold had crept deep into her bones and she’d never be warm again. She answered questions again and again, until it felt like she was in a crazy time loop.
Finally, the police were done questioning her.
She scanned the throng of police and emergency crews, but felt herself relax when she spotted Jett in the middle of it looking for her.
A minute later he ran to her and pulled her into a hug. And finally Savannah felt safe.