Bradley stood at the kitchen window of the safe house and clutched the phone to his ear. “Thank you, Selena. If you could have Marshall call me back when he gets in, that would be great.”
He hung up and set the phone on the counter. Tried to figure out what else he was supposed to be doing. Calling the lawyer had been a bust. Marshall hadn’t come into work yet today, and neither did he have any appointments. But Selena didn’t think there should be any reason why he wouldn’t show up to the office.
Should he be worried?
Bradley wandered through to where one of the agents sat at the dining table, setting up a workstation. “Someone probably needs to head to the lawyer’s home. He never showed up to work today.”
The guy blinked. “Huh?”
“My lawyer. The man who is going to release the money to me. He didn’t show up for work.”
“Oh,” the man said. “I’m sure Walker knows that.”
“Someone needs to check.”
Bradley didn’t want to be telling them how to do their jobs, but the man could be dead or in danger. Why not kidnap the lawyer as well, if they’re trying to get their hands on the money? Who else knew what Marshall knew about how to obtain it from the account it was currently locked in? If it was Bradley, he would want to utilize every resource. Exhaust every avenue he could. If he was greedy enough to kidnap for money.
Instead, he was just scared for his sister and worried about Alexis. He’d been praying nonstop since they left her in the parking lot. Walker had promised him that the other agents would look out for her.
Was she in a safe house as well? Or were they making sure she was safe at home?
He didn’t want to think this would last more than a few days. The ransom demand instructions had told him to bring the money tomorrow. But what if they never found Rachel? What if it was all just a ploy, and she was already dead? He wanted to have faith but things didn’t always work out the way he wanted them to. Take him and Alexis for example. Nothing that had happened between them had been what he thought.
He remembered that morning, the perfect clarity of one of his worst days. Alexis had clammed up. Bradley hadn’t known what to say. And Rachel had done her usual over-the-top, exuberant reaction. Between the three of them, they’d totally failed to communicate with each other. He and Alexis most of all. Regret that he hadn’t just told her—explained he wanted what they had to be permanent—had eaten away at him every day since. And now all he wanted was for God to give him the chance to make things right. To have the relationship he and Alexis should’ve had from the beginning.
To be man and wife.
While the agent made calls, and yet more calls, Bradley paced the house. They’d assured him he couldn’t be found here, but no security was completely foolproof. In fact, Alexis had been the one to tell him that one of the Secret Service agents on Rachel’s detail played a part in her kidnapping. That meant the kidnappers had gotten to him and made him a deal he hadn’t been able to refuse.
Tomorrow he would go out in public again, and try to make a deal of his own with the kidnappers. He would turn over the money in exchange for his sister’s safety. The agents had said they would coach him on what to say, but Bradley figured he would fall back more on his SEAL training than anything they told him. Even if they were experts on this stuff.
Bradley was an expert on keeping his family safe.
He tried to imagine what it would be like having Alexis here. If they were married, she would’ve come with him. Then again, she would’ve never ended up in the situation that had destroyed her reputation. He would have kept her safe from herself, if she needed that. Having her here with him would at least have given him someone to talk to who was on his side. Not that the FBI was his enemy, but Alexis knew him. She knew the way he felt for his sister, and she would’ve sat with him to wait. She’d have spent this time with him making his day brighter. The way she had so many times before.
“Bradley?”
“In the den,” he called out.
When the agent crossed the threshold, he saw it wasn’t Walker, but one of his buddies. Agent Simons was older, and seemed to have a lighter touch. Dark skin furrowed on his forehead and he said, “Agent Peters said you wanted us to go by the lawyer’s office?”
Bradley nodded.
“Why don’t you tell me about him?” Simons motioned for him to sit, then took the chair across from him. “He was your father’s lawyer, correct?”
“He was. I remember him at Thanksgiving a few times when I was growing up. I think he was separated from his wife at the time and came to spend the holidays with us. He seemed like a nice guy.”
Simons nodded and used his index finger to type on his phone. “Have you been to see him recently?”
“I know he called and left a message about meeting with him ahead of the money being released. I assume he did the same with Rachel. He may have even planned for us to go together.”
What this had to do with the kidnapping, he didn’t know. Bradley said, “You can’t think he was involved with this, can you? Marshall is an old friend of my father’s. He would never do anything to hurt us, least of all for the money. If he wanted to do it, he’d have just found a way to transfer it out of the account while it looked like it was still there. Right?”
Simons scrunched up his nose for a second. “We have to look into every angle. Your sister’s current assistant seems to be clean, but it could be someone else connected to you.”
“Or it could be someone who worked at the bank and overheard. Or someone who saw the news report about our parents and wanted to cash in. Some people will do basically anything for payout, right?”
“That is true. And cynical for someone as young as you are.” Simons gave him a wry smile. “We’re going to find your sister, and make sure that money never leaves the account.”
“Just worry about Rachel. The money doesn’t mean anything to me, and if this kidnapper knew anything at all about me and the kind of man I am, he’d have just called me and asked for it.”
“You don’t think that’s what the ransom video was?”
“I think scaring my sister half to death was pointless, considering I’d have just handed it over. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do tomorrow.”
“You gotta be careful, son. If you’re too eager to hand over the money it could cost your sister her life.”
“I’m not going to do anything that will put her safety in jeopardy. Which is why I need you to find her before I go to that meeting.”
Simons nodded. “We’re working on that.”
“You guys keep saying that, but I’m not seeing a whole lot of results. Walker is focusing on Alexis for whatever reason he has in his head. That’s not going to lead anywhere.”
“You don’t think it’s significant the ransom video was sent from her computer?”
Bradley said, “Hackers can fake that stuff. Maybe they even rented the apartment next to hers and ghosted her computer. Who knows? I’m not a techie guy, but I figure it’s not all that hard to do that stuff. Or to hire somebody who can do it for you.”
Simons nodded, considering what he’d said. “If that’s true, we’ll figure it out. You just worry about your part in this.”
Bradley got up. “I can do that. If you guys go check on the lawyer. There’s no reason why anyone else should get hurt. It’s the last thing Rachel or I want to happen. Or Alexis, for that matter.”
Bradley didn’t really care what it said about him that he kept bringing Alexis into this. That he was still just as convinced as he had been at the first that she wasn’t a part of this kidnapping. Sure, he had questions for her. He wanted to know the answer to a lot of things. But that didn’t mean she was a kidnapper, or conspirator. Alexis had never cared about money that much. And she would never be a party to hurting Rachel.
Bradley went back to pacing while the agents did their thing on the phone and the computers. He prayed more. Paced. Prayed. Rachel was his twin. Wouldn’t he know if she were dead? They’d both been hurt before, and neither had felt anything the way some twins did. Most of that stuff was myth, or unsubstantiated rumors. He’d never experienced more than the compulsion to pray for her, or Alexis. That was a recent thing, since he’d been saved. But he got the impression it was pretty normal for believers to get a sudden urge to lift someone up in prayer. He liked being part of that. Connected to them, even though he wasn’t with them.
“He’s not gonna like it, but you have to tell him.”
Bradley turned to the agents. Simons saw immediately that Bradley had heard, and indicated to the other agent who turned in his chair.
“What?”
“I got a new report from the tech going through Alexis’s computer.”
He waited, bracing for whatever it was they seemed to think was going to rock him. If he was going to stand by her—for better or worse was the plan—then he had to keep his faith in her intact. It didn’t matter what else had been planted by hackers, or what she’d done herself. Alexis was the woman he knew, and nothing was going to change that.
“She’s been looking into the lawyer.”
“Okay.”
The agent sighed. “The whole thing paints a picture of someone entirely too caught up in your lives. Your sister has severed all connection with her, and yet Alexis still seems to be firmly in the business of your family. And that money.”
“Did whoever you sent to the lawyer get there yet?”
The agent checked his phone. “I’m expecting them to call when they do.”
“Then there’s nothing else to say.”
The agent’s phone rang then, and Bradley listened.
“Really?” The agent blinked, then lifted his gaze to Simons. “Okay. Thank you.” He hung up and turned to Bradley. “Looks like you were right. I’m sorry to say Marshall Phelps was found dead in his house this morning. They’re estimating he was killed at least thirty-six hours ago.”
“Before Rachel was taken.”
The agent nodded.
“So whoever took her tried Marshall first, got nowhere, and put their plan B into place.”
“Could be.”
He was sick of them telling him all his ideas were possible. Like he was dealing in subjection. Bradley was trying to figure this out, that was all. Trying to nail down what this person was thinking. How desperate they were. How badly they wanted that money.
Then he’d know what they were willing to do to get it.
The agent turned away and clicked through windows on his computer. For a second it went gray-ish, though still with some color. Like an Instagram filter. Rachel?
“Hey.” He moved to the man’s shoulder and pointed. “Go back.”
Because seriously, did the man have a video of Rachel on his computer? It wasn’t one Bradley had ever seen before.
The agent flushed.
“Show him.”
On Simons’s order, the guy clicked back through until the image came up. Not Rachel actually, it was Alexis. Why had he thought it was Rachel? They didn’t look so much the same to him, other than the matching tattoo on the backs of their shoulders. The same flower, just in different colors. They’d sworn up and down it was nothing but a college mistake—then they’d looked at each other and laughed.
“What is…”
Alexis moved, speaking with a man. “Is that her apartment?”
“It is.”
“Does she know you installed cameras?” He glanced at the guy long enough to know the answer. “I guess not.” He shook his head until the man turned, and he got a look at the guy’s face. “Why is she talking to my cousin?”
He didn’t even like Lincoln. Something about the guy had always seemed off, and not just because he had a father who epitomized the greedy old man persona he wore in public. He’d thought Lincoln was estranged from his dad. If he wasn’t, Bradley couldn’t think of anyone who might want to take their money more than those two.
Simons said, “Walker is outside. He’s also listening to the feed.”
“Is that even legal?”
The argument had gotten heated now. Lincoln looked like he was about to blow. As a kid, that meant massive tantrums. It didn’t seem he’d grown out of that phase since. And why was a grown man having a hissy fit, anyway? Alexis didn’t need that right now. And she didn’t seem to be reacting well, either. Her shoulders were low, her body curled into itself.
Neither of the agents responded to his last comment. They might want to find Rachel as much as he did, but what was the point in Walker breaking the rules? They’d get her back, but not have evidence they could use for a conviction. The FBI couldn’t make a case on a confession. And besides, Alexis didn’t need to confess to something she hadn’t done. How did they think bugging her apartment would lead them to Rachel?
Lincoln lifted his hand and slapped her across the face. Alexis’s eyes widened on the screen and she touched her cheek.
“Send someone in,” Bradley said. “She needs help.”
“Walker will make that call.”
Bradley leaned both palms on the desk facing Simons and said in a low voice, “Get him in there now. Before he really hurts her.”
Bradley was miles away. Lincoln could kill her before he got there. Or he could kidnap her. Did he know the FBI was outside? What was he so mad about, and why couldn’t Bradley hear the audio?
“Turn it up.”
The other agent said, “Chill, okay? Getting worked up doesn’t help your sister. We get that you care about this other girl, but Walker is on it.”
“Call him and tell him to get. In. There. Now.”
Simons got up. “I will cuff you and stick you in the bedroom until tomorrow if you push me.”
“Then tell Walker to help her.”
Couldn’t they see that she needed it?
Simons looked at his phone. “Walker is going to wait. He thinks if this Lincoln guy pushes her then she’ll give up something.”
“Or Lincoln is the one behind this.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because of his father.” Did Bradley really think his uncle and cousin might be guilty? Was Lincoln the “friend” at her apartment when the video was sent? Had he betrayed their family for money, for his father? Bradley had no idea.
He pushed out a breath. “It’s not like I have evidence, sitting in this safe house.”
“Then let us do our jobs.”