Chapter 6
SIX
“You’re sure it’s her?” the accented male voice on the other end of the burner phone asked.
Working with him on this was a necessary evil, and not a decision I’d made lightly.
“Positive.” It had taken months of searching to find our target again after she’d essentially disappeared, leaving Edinburgh for the States. But it was definitely Maddy in the picture, from a news story on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest I was headed for now.
“When was this taken?”
“A few weeks ago. Float plane went down on a research flight during a storm. Both passengers survived, but the pilot died. The investigation showed the plane was sabotaged.” That was interesting.
“Was she one of the passengers?”
“No, but Slater was.”
“Blaine Slater?”
“Yes. And here’s where it gets really interesting.” I paused for dramatic effect. “She was part of the crew on the rescue boat.”
“Since when is she trained for that?”
“She isn’t.” Maddy had no military training whatsoever.
She would have been easy to break, but then Slater had come to her rescue and ruined everything.
That’s why seeing Maddy dressed in that bright orange flotation suit was so telling.
She’d gone to help him in dangerous conditions, without any experience, not knowing what would happen or if he was even still alive.
Her bond with Slater was key.
And it would ultimately seal her fate.
Soon enough, I would ensure Maddy would get what was coming to her.
“There’s been no sign of her since this picture was taken.
No bank or credit card activity, no flagging of her passport at an airport or land border.
No social media presence, and no cell phone registered to her legal name. I think she’s still there.”
“Doing what?”
“Lying low. With him.”
“Slater.”
“Yep.” Targeting Slater was tempting as hell, but given his money and connections within the business and intelligence worlds, going after him was too great a risk and would bring too much heat. Maddy was an easy target by comparison.
“What will you do if you’re right?”
“Take her when her guard’s down.” I knew exactly how I would stage it all. Because I’d imagined it a thousand times since that harrowing trek to smuggle me out of Syria over the Turkish border. “Then force her to give me what we need.”
“If she’s with Slater, that won’t be easy.”
“Rumor is he’s preoccupied with a woman.
” That would make things easier. “But it wouldn’t matter even if he wasn’t.
I’ll find a way.” My motivation ensured seeing the mission completed no matter the cost. I was prepared to risk it all to see this done.
If I died in the process…in a way it would be a relief.
“Good. She’s the only one who can give us what we need.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know.” And this conversation was over. His involvement was necessary but minimal. From now on, he was on a need-to-know basis only. “I’ll be in touch when I know more.” After ending the call, I turned off the burner to ensure no one could track it.
The ferry rocked as it cut through the waves. When I stepped out onto the passenger deck, the cold October wind whipped at me over the water. Off the bow, up ahead through the blanket of mist covering the white-capped waves, a hazy blue-gray smudge appeared on the horizon.
Skeleton Island. Where Madeleine Krause thought she had escaped the past.
She would soon find out just how wrong she was about that.