He slammed the phone on his leg. “She’s not answering.”
“We’re almost there.”
“But why isn’t she answer—”
They came around a curve, and the back of the car shimmied as Tessa slammed the brakes and performed an impressive maneuver to keep them from careening into the row of police cars blocking them from going farther. A uniformed officer who looked like he should be getting ready for the prom, not manning a roadblock, approached. Tessa rolled down her window. “US Secret Service. We need to get in there. I’m reaching for my badge.”
The officer took the badge and studied it. “How much do you want to bet he’s never seen one of our badges?” Gil muttered.
“Just a minute,” the officer said.
“We don’t have a minute,” Luke yelled from the back seat. “There’s an FBI agent in trouble in that house, and we need to get through.”
“I understand, sir.”
“No, you don’t!” Luke pulled on the door handle, but Gil grabbed his arm and Tessa hit the door locks before he could get the door open. “Let. Me. Out!”
Zane turned in the front seat. “We don’t know what we’re walking into.”
“Exactly,” Luke hissed back. “We don’t know what’s happening to Faith right now.”
Gil elbowed him and showed Luke the phone. A text from Jacob.
Getting you cleared. Sit tight.
After an agonizing wait that felt like hours but was only minutes, the officer returned. “Sorry, agents.” He pointed to a section of curb ten feet ahead. “Park there.” Tessa did so, and they piled out of the car. The officer was still talking. “They told me not to let anyone through without authorization. Trying to keep from losing anybody else.”
The words hit Luke like a kick to the sternum. He stumbled and put a hand on the car to catch his balance. Before he could pull in a breath, Gil and Zane were by his side. Tessa stood in front of him.
“Luke.” Tessa’s gentle voice frightened him more than the words from the officer because they meant Tessa thought Faith was gone, too.
He shoved away from the car. “I have to get over there.”
“Okay.” Tessa didn’t move. “But we’re going with you. I’ll run interference.” She cut her eyes toward Zane first, then Gil, then she turned and set a pace that had all three of them gasping.
“Should we remind her we all got shot this week?” Gil wheezed.
“Technically, it’s Monday, and getting shot is solastweek,”Tessa said from ten feet ahead of them. But she did slow her steps. Slightly.
Luke scanned the area. Residential. Older homes. Large lots. He’d never been to Faith’s house, but the police perimeter around it made it obvious to spot. Who was in charge? Where was Jacob? What was going on? And most importantly, where was Faith?
“There.” Tessa pointed to the left. She had spotted the command center before any of the rest of them. Luke broke free from his escorts, and this time they let him go.
He found Jacob and Dale in conversation behind a series of vans. “Where’s Faith?”
Both men looked at him, then each other.
No. This could not be happening.
FAITH NEVERWANTEDto see anyone ever again.
She sat on the gurney in the ambulance. The paramedic had closed the doors to give them some privacy as she answered all his questions. No, she hadn’t been physically assaulted. He’d pressed the barrel of the gun to her head. He’d pulled her hair. She had no other injuries. Nothing hurt except for a piercing headache.
She was not going to the hospital.
Forensics had taken samples from her skin, although she had no idea what good that would do. She knew what had happened. Knew who had done it. There was no mystery here.
She’d failed, and two people had died.
