Chapter Twelve #2
The moment they closed, Cassidy heard the approaching footsteps. Kincade and she turned just as Marlene entered the hallway. Her expression was tight, her eyes sweeping the area before landing on Cassidy and Kincade.
“What happened?” Marlene demanded. “How did you find her?”
Cassidy kept her tone calm and neutral, but it was hard to tamp down the storm of emotions brewing inside her. Emotions that included her uneasiness that Marlene might have had a part in this whole ordeal.
“We got a lead and followed it,” Cassidy replied.
“What lead?” Marlene snapped, but then she waved it off and looked toward the radiology doors. “Is she okay?”
“She’s banged up,” Kincade answered. “Hurt. But alive.”
Marlene exhaled and looked down, then quickly back up. She opened her mouth to say something, but Cassidy spoke first.
“Your mom told us that someone was sent to kill you,” Cassidy said, and then she studied Marlene’s reaction.
“What?” she blurted. Her brows shot up.
“She overheard the guy who was holding her,” Cassidy continued. “He said a team was on the way to eliminate you.”
Shock washed over Marlene’s face. Her eyes darted over her shoulder, scanning the hallway behind her like she half expected someone to step out of the shadows. Whether it was fear, guilt, or both… it was getting harder to tell.
The sound of more footsteps echoed down the corridor. Cassidy turned, alert, as a man in jeans, boots, and a tactical jacket approached with an easy stride and sharp eyes that missed nothing.
Kincade straightened slightly. “That’s Rafe Cross. Maverick Ops.”
Cassidy had heard the name. Marlene clearly had, too.
“Rafe,” she said, her tone drenched with nerves. She obviously wasn’t happy to see another Maverick Ops guy.
“Marlene,” Rafe replied with a small smile. “Good to see you in one piece.”
They exchanged a quick handshake, then Rafe shifted his attention back to Cassidy and Kincade. “Marlene and I worked together on a case a couple of years ago,” Rafe explained. “Parental abduction.”
Marlene didn’t respond. She was still eyeing Rafe and them as if trying to figure out what to do.
Rafe glanced at Cassidy, then Kincade. “Walk with me?” he asked, tipping his head to the other end of the hall.
Cassidy and Kincade followed, their footsteps quiet on the polished floor. Rafe stopped just shy of a bank of vending machines, far enough from Marlene that their conversation couldn’t be overheard, but close enough to keep the radiology doors in sight.
“Ruby and Jericho filled me in while I was en route,” Rafe explained in a low voice. “Sounds like you’ve had a hell of a day.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Kincade grumbled.
Rafe’s gaze flicked between them. “Here’s what I suggest. Let me handle Becker from here. I’ve worked with him before. Don’t exactly trust him, but I know how to keep him cooperative. He’ll play nice with me.”
Cassidy folded her arms, eyeing him. “You really think he’ll listen?”
“He will if I push the right buttons,” Rafe said. “But you two need to clear out. Ruby’s intel says Becker’s convinced you’re harboring Travis. He’s not looking to play nice.”
Kincade let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, I’d rather not end up waiting around the county office again.”
Rafe gave him a crooked grin. “Then now’s your chance. I’ll tell Becker you’ll come in first thing tomorrow and give your statements. I can keep the heat off you for tonight.”
Cassidy hesitated for half a second, then nodded. “We need to check on Travis anyway.”
“Go,” Rafe said. “I’ve got eyes on Ginny Lang and her possibly criminal daughter, who happens to wear a badge. No one’s getting to Ginny while I’m here.”
Cassidy exchanged a look with Kincade. He gave a small nod. They trusted Jericho. They trusted Ruby. And now… they’d trust Rafe.
“Thanks,” Cassidy said, then turned to go.
They slipped out the emergency exit and made their way back to the SUV. The air had cooled slightly as the sun dipped lower, shadows stretching across the parking lot. She climbed into the passenger seat, and Kincade fired up the engine, pulling out of the hospital parking lot.
Just as they turned onto the main road, red and blue strobes lit up the rearview mirror. “Sheriff Becker,” Cassidy said quietly, watching the county cruiser pull into the hospital drive.
Kincade didn’t speed up, didn’t react, just kept driving. “Rafe’s got it handled.”
She checked the side mirror to make sure Becker or his deputies weren’t following them. They weren’t. “I’m still worried about Ginny,” she muttered.
“I know,” Kincade said. “But if she sticks to her story, says she didn’t see or hear anything, there’s no reason for anyone to hurt her.”
Cassidy turned to face him. “Do you believe that? That she really didn’t see anything?”
He hesitated, eyes still on the road. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I do believe this—if she did, she won’t say it, not if it means putting Marlene at risk.”
Cassidy stared ahead again, her stomach twisting. “Even if Marlene had a hand in her abduction?”
“Especially if she did,” Kincade said. “That’s the kind of guilt that silences people. Ginny might protect her no matter what.”
Cassidy didn’t argue. Deep down, she knew he was right.
By the time they reached her house, the last of the light had vanished behind the hills. The porch was cloaked in shadow, and the windows were dark. No glow from a lamp. No sign of Travis.
Cassidy’s pulse ticked higher as Kincade unlocked the door. He stepped in first, sweeping the entry with a hand on his weapon. She followed close behind.
The house was silent.
“Travis?” Cassidy called softly, her voice echoing in the stillness.
No answer.
They moved through the house, checking each room. Everything was just as they’d left it except for the folded piece of paper on the kitchen island. Cassidy spotted it first. Her name was scrawled across the front in Travis’s handwriting.
She snatched it up, her heart catching as she unfolded it.
Cass, had to move. It’s not safe to stay in one place. I’m close to getting what we need, but I can’t risk dragging you into it. Too many ready to shoot first and cover their tracks later. Stay alert. Trust no one outside your circle. When I have proof, I’ll come back. —T.
Cassidy stared at the note, her fingers tightening around the edges. The words blurred for a second as the weight of them settled in.
Travis was gone… again.
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