Chapter 1
Out on the balcony of the hotel room, Cassie Marner looked to the south. Billowing clouds of ash were rising over a hazy glow from the erupting volcano. The sheer power of it, even from this supposedly safe end of the Big Island, was crazy.
Intimidating. Overwhelming.
She’d never felt so small, which was a serious admission for a farm girl from Iowa with a nose for trouble and a heart for adventure. Her mom would be proud—and probably a little fearful—if she could see Cassie now.
Cassie felt the fear, but she couldn’t wallow in it. Couldn’t let it drag her off course.
A Guardian Agency protector, she was in charge of personal security for Judith Knowles, her husband David, and their two children Josie and Dillon. The nanny, Mandy Cox, fell under the protective umbrella as well.
Judith was a civilian employee at the Pentagon, overseeing billions of dollars in contracts in the procurement office. Six months ago, trouble had come knocking. Vague warnings for her to cooperate with shady demands had turned into specific threats against her children.
Judith and David hadn’t wasted time. They’d taken their concerns to Gamble and Swann of the Guardian Agency.
Cassie and her partner, Drake Vogel, had been assigned to keep the family safe until the source of the threats could be found and eliminated. The two of them had quickly found a rhythm with a family of genuinely kind people.
The Knowles were the good guys, in Cassie’s opinion. Warm, friendly, and hardworking. Integrity in spades. This Hawaiian vacation was a reward after months of stress and uncertainty. As much as the parents had shielded the kids, having bodyguards around clearly emphasized the issue. Still, Josie had finished eighth grade with honors and was all about moving on to high school. Her little brother was a pistol, though his third-grade teacher raved about his reading ability. Cassie hadn’t protected kids before and right up until an hour ago, it had been an excellent experience.
Now, she knew if she didn’t find Josie and bring her home, she’d never forgive herself.
She dialed Drake’s number again, listened to the call go straight to voicemail.
Not a good sign.
Cassie heard the glass door open behind her and braced herself for the inevitable query.
“Has there been any word?” Judith asked. The stress and worry were clear in the puffy eyes and hard lines bracketing her mouth. Her short blond hair—usually perfectly styled—was mussed from her fingers shoving through it.
Cassie checked her phone, a perfunctory exercise, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. No.” She’d tried to reach Drake over and over since the zipline tour group had returned without him and Josie.
“They weren’t anywhere near the volcano,” Judith mused.
“And the zipline tour guide didn’t report any injuries,” Cassie added with all the patience she could muster. They’d been over this multiple times. Without more information, there wouldn’t be any progress. “I’ve called for assistance,” she said. “And additional security.”
Judith pushed at her hair again. “You think this is related to the original threats.”
Cassie nodded. Her client was no fool. “I need to get out there and look for Josie. I also need to be sure we’re not leaving the three of you vulnerable to a secondary attack.”
“How did they find us? What could be worse than kidnapping my daughter?”
Cassie refused to give voice to any of the grim options that popped into her mind. Nothing about this felt right. None of it fit. For months they’d been digging for a lead. To have this happen now? There was more going on, even if she couldn’t pin down exactly what that might be.
Into the heavy silence, Judith said, “David wants to help you search.”
No surprise there. “I’ll talk to him.”
Judith stepped forward, her voice low. “You won’t let him?”
Cassie shook her head. “Best if he stays here with you and Dillon.”
“Safety in numbers?”
If only. “Something like that,” Cassie replied. She guided Judith back inside where her husband and son were watching cartoons on the television.
“News?” David asked.
“Not yet.” Judith managed a smile for Dillon.
“I’ve called for help from a nearby team managed by a former Navy SEAL,” Cassie explained. “I’m not sure who he will send, but hopefully they’ll have search and rescue skills,” she continued. The volcano would have a big impact on who would be available. “Gamble and Swann are vetting available personnel in the area to maintain your security while I search for Josie.” She held up a hand when David started to volunteer.
“You need to stay here,” she said firmly.
“I could help you,” he insisted. “My baby girl is out there,” he added, his gaze haunted.
His words pinched Cassie’s heart. “And she’s not alone,” she reminded him. “Drake is with her.” There was a reasonable explanation as to why he didn’t answer her calls. Had to be. “In a typical kidnapping, we’d have a ransom demand by now.”
Judith and David exchanged a long look. “Should that make us feel better?” David asked.
“Yes,” Cassie replied. “Hang on to that. The silence is a positive sign.”
“And you’ve been teaching us self-defense and survival stuff,” Dillon piped up. He was now perched on the back of the couch, looking like an inquisitive owl with his glasses sliding down his nose. “Josie’s super into it.”
Cassie managed not to cringe. The lessons had started on a whim and weren’t exactly sanctioned by the parents. “You’re right about that.”
Judith brightened and tapped her wrist. “She was wearing that survival cord bracelet you gave her.”
Cassie hoped the girl wouldn’t have to use it. “True.” She cleared her throat. “Let’s make a plan for when help arrives.” She checked her watch. “Should be any minute now. With your approval,” she began, “I’ll search for Josie and Drake while the three of you wait here. Extra security will be posted in the hall and at the door so no one else can cause you trouble here.”
Judith and David had a few questions, but really, there was nothing to do until help arrived. She hoped like hell Hawk sent her someone familiar with the island terrain. Someone who could keep their wits about them.
Well, that description would surely apply to anyone in Hawk’s professional acquaintance.
“And when Josie and Drake come back?” David asked. “What then?”
She appreciated his positivity. They needed all the hope they could drum up right now. “At that point, I think it’s best to get the four of you back home, assuming we can get you off the island.”
“Because of the volcano?” Dillon asked, eyes wide.
She smiled at the boy. “This eruption will make traveling tricky, but you’re not in immediate danger.”
“Aw man.” He scowled. “I wanted to see lava. In person.”
“Still could happen, bud,” David said. “We’ll talk about it once your sister gets back.”
Cassie stepped aside to try Drake again. Were Josie and Drake missing due to the volcano creating havoc during the tour or was there more going on?
Sometimes being the head of a protection detail felt like she was walking a tightrope between proactive security and reactionary paranoia. And the Knowles assignment meant juggling a ton of variables. Good plans didn’t mean things always went smoothly. So many little things had been off lately, but nothing this serious.
A dropped call had prevented a timely pickup, making Judith late for one of Josie’s volleyball games. Drake and David had shown up at the wrong restaurant for a business meeting. Cassie hadn’t worried too much about those incidents. Technical glitches happened to everyone. Then Drake had a flat tire, leaving Dillon stranded at school for nearly two hours.
According to the school receptionist, another father had brought Dillon to the office to wait. But Cassie hadn’t been able to track down that father to thank him. The name he’d given had either been bogus or misunderstood.
Cassie had to assume the worst, for the sake of the client. She and Drake had picked apart every aspect of those moments that had gone awry. The Knowles weren’t upset, but the Guardian Agency didn’t tolerate average effort. They were the best for a reason.
And then Mrs. Knowles started receiving ads for alternate security services.
That pissed off Cassie and she started suspecting the little issues were some kind of sabotage. But no matter how they dug into it, there was no evidence to back up her theory.
Hawaii should’ve been a break for all of them, a paradise respite from the normal routine and pressures. She and Drake had assumed it would also mean a break from the threats aimed at Judith. Instead, things had suddenly gone from minor mishaps to potential tragedy.
Lousy, unpleasant scenarios kept chasing through her mind, each worse than the last.
The door to the suite opened and Mandy walked in, her face somber. “Just me.”
The nanny had been unable to sit still, so Cassie had let her search the resort grounds for any sign of Josie.
The Knowles swarmed Mandy, asking questions. Cassie barely heard the young woman’s answers. If Drake and Josie were in the resort, he would’ve checked in ages ago. Especially once Mandy had come looking for them.
“When I was in the lobby, another group returned from the zipline tour,” Mandy was saying. “But Josie wasn’t with them.”
Cassie whipped around. “What do you mean? The guide said they all came back together.”
“I guess not.” Mandy’s shoulders slumped. “Apparently, the tour got separated at some point.”
This was the first Cassie had heard of any separation. Her instincts shifted into high gear and it took all her restraint not to jump down Mandy’s throat for the details. “How many people?”
“Three. Two men, one woman. She looked scared.” Mandy swiped at a tear on her cheek. “I asked them about Josie and Drake. Showed them pictures. The woman remembers them on the tour, but doesn’t know anything about where they might be.”
“Did you get her name?” Cassie asked. “A room number?”
Mandy shook her head. “I gave her my phone number and she promised to call if she thought of anything else.”
“What about the men?”
“They didn’t have anything helpful to add.” Mandy frowned. “They were acting really cocky, like it was no big deal getting stuck out there.”
“Names? Room numbers?” Cassie prompted again.
“No. But I snapped a picture when they weren’t looking.” She turned her phone for Cassie to see it.
The quality wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. The faces weren’t familiar to her, so Cassie sent the image to herself as well as to the office. The Guardian Agency research team had remarkable skills when it came to things like this.
Cassie was tired of waiting. Everything inside her was clamoring that Josie needed her. Drake needed her. She reached for her phone, ready to call her bosses when the device started ringing. Caller ID showed the name of Claudia with a number out of the Chicago office. Claudia was considered the number one tech and research support at the Guardian Agency. Cassie was glad to have her on this.
“What do you have for me?” she answered.
“Not too much,” Claudia replied. “I’m sending you the last known location of Drake’s phone. Josie’s phone is offline.”
Not a surprising status, but Cassie’s stomach clenched. “What was her last known position?”
“Resort lobby.”
That didn’t make any sense.
“I realize that’s not adding up,” Claudia continued. “I’m working on it.”
“All right.”
“You’re not on speaker?”
“Correct.” Cassie moved back out to the balcony anyway, closing the door behind her. “You found something else?”
“That picture you just sent in, from the nanny’s phone,” Claudia clarified. “One of those men is employed by Welker Specialists.”
Cassie did a double take. Welker had a reputation in security circles for an aggressive approach. They rarely took on small operations like the Knowles case, preferring bigger corporate clients. So what was he doing here? Cassie didn’t believe the man just happened to be on the same zipline tour as Josie and Drake. Too bad she didn’t have any solid intel to connect the dots.
“Name is Steve Greenlee,” Claudia said. “He’s listed as a driver on their transport team. Has two arrests for burglary in the past three years. Charges were dismissed. He’s a creep, although that’s just my opinion.”
Great. As if she didn’t have enough to worry about. “At least he and his pal are here and not out there with Josie.”
“Small mercies,” Claudia agreed. “I’ll keep working on facial recognition for the other two. We have extra security sorted and headed your way. Names and IDs should be in your inbox.”
“Thanks.”
“Good luck out there,” Claudia said. “I’ll be tracking you. Call if you need me.”
Cassie ended the call and checked the message with names and information for the supplemental security team a moment before someone knocked on the door.
Judith and David surged forward when she answered, ever-hopeful it would be Josie.
The man and woman were dressed like any other tourists at the resort, but Cassie recognized the steel in their serious expressions. After verifying the new arrivals, she invited them in and made introductions.
“Keep the suite and family secure,” Cassie directed. “Once we find Josie, the goal is to move the family to another secure location.” Preferably a location without any random Welker personnel milling about. “Direct any questions to the Chicago office and any emergencies beyond your scope should go through the local police.”
With a nod for Mr. and Mrs. Knowles, Cassie yanked open the door.
And ran smack into a stranger in a blue Hawaiian shirt with a palm leaf design. She pulled the door closed behind her. “Who the hell are you?”
Then she recognized the short blond hair going gray at the temples, the trim beard and those pale blue eyes. Eyes that had been sparkling with mischief when she’d last seen him in board shorts out on the beach. They’d bumped into each other a few times in recent days and the man had flirted with her shamelessly.
“Cassie Marner? I’m Lane Benning.” He stuck out his hand.
She ignored it. “Good for you.” The man was sexy as sin, but she did not have time for his antics right now. “If you’ll excuse me.” She edged by him, unwilling to wait another minute to start her search.
“Wait.” He hustled after her. “Hawk sent me.”
She stopped short. “Hawk. Sent. You.” She couldn’t believe this.
The man nodded. “I’m here to help. Whatever you need.”
“Are you a native? Familiar with the island?”
“Not native.” His blue eyes were serious. “You mentioned a kidnapping.”
“You’re search and rescue trained?”
“Pretty much.” He showed her a California driver’s license. As if those couldn’t be faked.
She studied it. “How do you know Hawk?”
“Military ties.”
Cassie waited, but he didn’t volunteer more details. “And the last time you rescued a kidnap victim?”
To her shock, he actually seemed to give that some thought. “About eighteen months ago. What’s the ransom? You have proof of life, right?”
She shook her head, incredulous. He said all the right words. Maybe she was desperate, but she wanted to believe he could be helpful. “No demands so far,” she admitted. “No contact. If Hawk sent you, I guess that’s good enough for me. Come on.”