30

Alex stood alone at the entrance of the food court. No Logan. She tried calling him again, but he still didn’t answer. His phone just rang. She texted him once again, this time telling him more, but then she began to worry that his phone might not be working. Todd had said he’d been having problems with his. They were pretty new. She thought about calling someone else, but her theory could be completely wrong. She wasn’t confident enough to tell anyone except Logan, and besides, she wasn’t certain who she could trust.

Should she try to find him? But Kaely could be running out of time. She had to leave. She ran over to one of the staff working at the bakery, sure he couldn’t possibly be involved with Kaely’s disappearance. The guy had to be barely out of his teens. She asked him for something she could use to write a note, and he gave her a paper menu and a pen. She quickly scribbled a message, folded the menu, wrote Logan’s full name on it, and then handed it back to him. His name tag read Kirk.

“Please, you’ve got to give this to an FBI agent named Logan Hart. It’s very important. You can’t give it to anyone else, okay?”

“Okay, I guess. I mean, I just serve food. I’m not an FBI agent or anything.”

Oh, crud. “I realize that, Kirk. I just need you to get this to him. Please. He has dark blond hair, blue eyes, and he’s fairly tall.” She reached into her jeans pocket, then peeled off several bills and handed them to him. “I wrote his name on the note. Okay?”

“’Kay. Thanks for the tip.”

Alex took another quick look around. Still no Logan. But between the last text and this note, she’d done all she could. Throwing up a quick prayer, she hurried out the front entrance and found Ben waiting in the SUV. She opened the passenger side and stuck her head inside.

“Let me drive, Ben. You don’t know where things are here, and I do. It will be faster.”

Although he didn’t look happy about it, Ben got out and slid into the passenger side while Alex got behind the wheel.

He disconnected his phone. To think he’d almost called off the last part of his plan. But now things were back on track. No matter what, everything would work out just fine. They were just pressed for time.

He smiled at the small redheaded woman in the chair. “Just a little longer, my dear. Then I’ll be finished. I’m almost sorry I won’t be watching you die firsthand, but I’m sure you can understand I have no choice. I have to make my getaway.”

“You won’t get away with this,” Kaely said.

He laughed. “Oh yes, I will. I’m sure if you think about it, you’ll see how easy it will be for me. I’ve planned every detail, even arranged for unexpected surprises. You can see that, can’t you?”

Kaely was silent as she stared at him. Finally, she said, “You’ve underestimated the agents in the BAU. They’re much smarter than you are, and certainly more honorable.”

He advanced on her and slapped her with enough force it left a red mark on her cheek. She barely moved and never lost eye contact with him.

He laughed in her face. “That’s supposed to intimidate me, isn’t it? Good try, but it doesn’t.”

“That’s because you’re a psychopath,” she said.

Rage nearly made him strike her again, but he wanted her fully aware. “You don’t call me that, you understand?”

“Why? Because it hits too close to home?”

He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself. “No, my dear. Because it isn’t true. You’re just trying to get me to make a mistake.”

Kaely didn’t respond.

He laughed again. “Nothing you say or do will make any difference. This is your last day on earth, Kaely Quinn. No one is coming to save you. I’ve beat you once and for all.”

Alex drove slowly down Hoover Road, then turned onto Investigation Parkway. Nothing looked out of place at the laboratory or the DEA Justice Training Center. She rolled down the window and shone her flashlight over the area. It was snowing so hard it was difficult to see, but she didn’t notice any lights or tire tracks at either facility. Any tracks left by the training camp had already been covered under a layer of white.

As she pulled onto Forensic Way, Ben said, “We need to move faster. Remember, we don’t have much time before Logan calls Washington.”

She smiled at him. “Don’t worry. We’re almost to Hogan’s Alley. I just want to be certain she’s not here.” She cocked her head to the right.

“I seriously doubt Kaely would have an interest in the Tactical Emergency Vehicle Operations Center garage,” Ben said, his voice tight as he read the sign on the building out loud.

“I can’t see her coming out here by herself anyway,” Alex said. “But if Washington takes over the search, we’ll lose control, and Kaely’s career could be over.”

“Do you really believe she just took off on her own?” Ben asked.

Alex sighed. “No. That doesn’t sound like her. I think someone took her.”

She entered Hogan’s Alley, then slowed the car to a stop and looked at Ben, her foot on the brake. “So where is she, Ben?”

His eyes widened. Then he pulled up his jacket and removed a gun he’d tucked into the waist of his slacks. “How did you know?” he asked, his voice quavering.

“It had to be either you or Julie. I couldn’t believe anyone on our team would leak information to our UNSUB.” As she said the words, she realized she hadn’t been completely sure. If she had, she would have been more specific in the note and text to Logan. She’d known she was taking a chance by going with Ben alone, but she honestly couldn’t think of any other way to locate Kaely. Of course, she could have asked an officer to come along, but that would have made Ben suspicious.

And if she’d been completely sure about him, she also would have pulled out her gun first. Not doing so had been a mistake. She wasn’t a field agent, but she should have known better.

“Does anyone else know?” Ben asked.

“They may be suspicious, but they’re not certain.”

Alex could see the gun shaking in his hand.

“How could you?” she asked. “How could you betray your brothers and sisters in law enforcement? Is he paying you?”

“Shut up.”

Alex was surprised by the expression on his face. He looked tortured.

“Give me your gun,” he said. “Now.”

Alex reached for her holster and slowly removed her gun. She thought about shooting him right then, but she couldn’t take the risk. She still had no idea where Kaely was.

“Did he threaten you? Who does he have? Your wife? Your kids? Ben, it’s not too late. One call, and your family will have protection. You don’t have to do this.”

“I told you to shut up,” he said, his voice breaking. He took the gun from her hand and stuck it in his waistband.

“Has it occurred to you that he’s bluffing? If he’s here—and you’re here—I’m betting no one’s anywhere near your family.”

“I said shut up!” he yelled. “Just be glad you and Monty made it easy for me to get you out here. I didn’t want to . . .” She could see his twisted expression in the light coming from the interior car lights, but then his face tightened with resolve. “Drive to the pool hall. Now!”

Alex headed to the pretend pool hall. She pulled up in front of it and stopped.

“Park behind the building, then turn off the engine and the lights.”

After she followed his instructions, he held out the hand without the gun. “Give me the keys.”

Seeing an opportunity, and realizing that Kaely was probably nearby, she leaned closer as she held out the keys. Then she knocked the gun out of his hand and tried to grab it. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she had to get control of the situation. He was obviously uncomfortable with what he was doing. Maybe they could get help to Kaely without tipping off the man who was holding her.

She wrapped her fingers around the barrel, but Ben grabbed the grip, and they struggled. Alex almost had it when the gun went off. She felt something hit her with force. It took several seconds to realize she’d been shot.