Axel Wulf: A Romance Crime Action Thriller

Chapter 23

If you run from a wolf, you may run into a bear. ~Lithuanian proverb

Gwen

“Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium…” Sitting in the FBI’s interrogation room, I give up fighting the tears and let them fall.

Axel Wulf played me. You’re the one who told me to seduce her. The phrase plays in an endless loop inside my head. I was nothing more than a mission to him. Dammit, I haven’t changed a bit. The moment a man shows interest in me, I bite his dangled hook and end up in the frypan. What a pathetic loser I am.

After waiting for over an hour, Wulf’s boss opens the door, sits, and scoots his chair next to mine. While he invades my personal space, he threatens to take my kid away and imprison me in Guantanamo Bay.

“L A W Y E R. Lawyer.” I’m tired of being Miss Crapped-Upon. Now, I am a lion, and they are going to feel my teeth in their backside.

You go, girl.

As I wait for my court-appointed attorney, a familiar voice curses in the hall. Standing, I rattle the locked handle and put my ear to the door.

Holy shit, Dr. Calliope James is pissed. I had no idea she’s besties with the president, and from what I’m hearing, neither did the FBI dumbass who arrested us.

Soon, the conversation in the hall dies down. All grows silent except for the buzz of the overhead light, the tick-tock of an old clock on the wall, and the hiss of my breath.

“Cobalt, nickel, copper…” By the time I reach tantalum, my lids grow heavy.

The next thing I register is a stranger calling out my name. “Doctor McGee? Are you awake?”

When I open my eyes, I wonder if I’ve died and gone to heaven. The man approaching me might be the Archangel Gabriel. That is, if he wore a designer suit, starched white shirt, and paisley silk tie.

While I escape from the cobwebs of sleep, the handsome god holds out his hand, “I’m your lawyer, Andrew Quinn.”

“Glad to meet you.”

Honey, you cannot afford him. On the same page as shoulder-Beyoncé, I open my mouth to explain but stop short. A chill runs down my spine, and I’m overwhelmed by a sense of dread. The last time this happened, my daughter had been in a car accident. “Mr. Quinn, before we get started, I need to knowAbigailis safe. She’s staying in Rehoboth, Delaware, with her father. The FBI put a guard on her, but something is wrong. I know it.”

The man studies my face for a moment and makes a call. “Lochlan? I’m here with Doctor McGee. We need an update on her kid. Yes, I’ll hold.”

After what feels like an eternity, Mr. Quinn presses the speaker icon and places his phone on speaker so I can hear Lucky’s question. “Did you give your ex-husband permission to take her to the UK?”

If I were a cartoon, my head would explode. “What? No way. Are you saying Farid kidnapped her?” Stunned, I stand. This can’t be happening.

“Nah worries, Gwen. We’ll get her back.” The former SEAL sounds confident, but this time he’s wrong. He has no idea who he’s up against.

Unable to breathe, I lean over the table and try not to scream. “You don’t understand. His parents live in Tehran. If he takes her there, I will never, ever see her again.”

Once they hang up, my attorney makes another call. “Slate? Quinn here. You too… We’ve got a problem. The ex has taken the little girl to London. Doctor McGee suspects his destination is Iran. … Yeah. I will. Copy that. Thank you.”

The man turns to me. “We’ve got the best men on it. Trust me.”

Trust him? I’ve never laid eyes on him. I don’t even know who’s footing his bill. “What choice do I have?”

“You don”t. Tell me everything, no lies or omissions.” As if he has all the time in the world, he makes a finger triangle, puts them to his lips, and leans back in his chair.

Where to begin? I think back to over a year ago and close my eyes, so I won’t have to endure his judgment.

“I guess it all started with an online dating app. Charles and I met for coffee. Although he inspired no sparks, he was pleasant enough. When he called for a second meetup, I figured, why not? For three months, we texted, talked, and went to dinner. He was so asexual, at one point, I wondered if he was gay. He said he worked for the government, and I said likewise, which was the extent of our job discussions until…”

Inhaling deeply, I exhale to the count of ten, and open my eyes. “One day, after we shared a couple glasses of wine, he mentioned he met my boss, Callie. He claimed he and her husband had worked together in the Navy and listed all their kids by name. Then in the same friendly tone, he threatened to kill them if I didn’t do as he asked.”

My attorney doesn’t blink or flinch. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Duh. “I needed to know if he was capable of carrying out his threat.”

Satisfied, he nods. “Go on.”

“Well, two days later, I received an email containing an IP address in the cloud. He told me to upload intel only someone familiar with advanced RF weaponry would understand. I wrote back I wanted more time. At this point, I confided in Henry. He used their credentials to hack into their network. I only shared information that they already had.”

He whistles through his teeth. “Do you have proof?”

“Sure, I do. Despite what everyone thinks, I am not a moron.” I jotdown a URL, username and password. “Everything you need is in here.”

While I pace and worry about Abbie, he leaves the room. Once he returns, he places a pen and paper on the table in front of me. “The FBI has agreed to help extradite your daughter if you plead guilty to all charges.”

As I read the agreement, my mouth drops open. “Treason? Conspiracy? I didn’t do any of these things. And what about the shady congressman and his personal arms dealer?”

He rubs his face, unbuttons his suit jacket, and sits. “I think you may have omitted some crucial details. Why not start where you left off.”

“Right.” I explain the beach, the heart attack, and the chase scenes.

When I get to the part where I shot Bourdeau, Quinn interrupts. “His lawyers say you tried to kill him.”

I roll my eyes. “The guy is such a liar. I was aiming at his dick.”

Once I describe the flash drive and the congressman’s involvement, Andy rips up the paperwork. “We will need to speak to Director Stillman. If you agree to testify, I’m quite sure he will release you.”

Thinking of Abbie, I glance at the stupid clock on the wall and clench my fists. “We’re never going to get to her in time.”

Completely out of character, he shares a conspiratorial wink. “Patten Securities has a private jet and your ex-husband’s flight had a long layover. They will get her back.”

My voice goes up an octave. “You hired the same people who guard movie stars and senators? Listen up, bub. I’m not sure if anyone explained my financial straits. Basically, it would take me multiple lifetimes to pay their fees.”

The annoying man grins and holds out his palm. “You mentioned a flash drive. Do you still have it?”

“Yes.” Thinking he needs it to prove my innocence, I dig into my back pocket and drop it in his hand.

Once he places it in his wallet, he leans over the table and whispers, “Did you know the money on these is virtually untraceable?”

I try to follow his logic when suddenly, the lightbulb goes off. Full of hope, I copy down the username and password. “Thank you so much.”

“Five hundred thousand will more than cover their costs. They will find your little girl and bring her home. Don’t you worry.”