Chapter Five
The gray sedan was gone, replaced by the spinning blue, white, and red lights of law enforcement vehicles.
Amelia wasn’t sure how so many police cruisers and unmarked cars had fit into the neighborhood.
The sheer number of people standing on sidewalks and in the Dumonts’ and Callaghans’ driveways was enough to fill a high school gymnasium.
Despite all that, Amelia didn’t know anything and had been all but trapped, ordered to stay put until Hailey and Jonathan were brought out.
She shivered under the jacket someone had draped over her.
Official-looking people with badges milled about the damp, foggy night.
The rookie cop in charge of babysitting her looked as thrilled as she felt to wait, uninformed and ignored.
His radio crackled. He jumped at the chance to be involved. “Yeah, go ahead.”
Amelia didn’t catch the garbled order. The police academy must teach cadets how to decipher mumbles from static. Exhaustion flamed her irritability. If Amelia couldn’t find her sister and head to bed soon, she would scream. Standing around and shivering wasn’t making her mood any more congenial.
The rookie cop scanned the street then beckoned her. “Come with me.”
They weaved between unmarked cars through the labyrinth of uniformed people with badges and guns. Amelia miscalculated the curb while wearing Hailey’s wet, oversized shoes and stumbled. The rookie cop didn’t notice that she nearly face-planted.
Amelia caught up and found him with two suit-clad men.
Neither wore ties. Both flipped their badges at her with such speed and finesse that she didn’t get a good look at them.
Her brain garbled their names as though her hearing was filtered through cotton balls.
She didn’t introduce herself. Everyone seemed to already know who she was.
The rookie cop was more animated than he’d been in the last hour, as if he wanted to impress the two men they were standing before.
When the two suits shooed him away, disappointment dragged his features into an exhausted frown.
She wanted to snap that at least he could go home to his family and his nice warm bed, not worrying that everything he understood about his world had been turned upside down.
Amelia crossed her arms over her chest. “Where’s my sister and brother-in-law? Can I talk to them now?” Their scrutiny made her unsteady. Apprehension tightened in her chest. Something was wrong with the only family Amelia had. “What?”
“I’m sorry. Jonathan didn’t make it.”
“Wait. What? No.” Her equilibrium tilted. Amelia’s legs went weak. Didn’t make it sounded like he died, like the nightmare was only getting worse. “What do you mean ‘didn’t make it’?”
One man’s frown dipped. The other’s brow furrowed. “Single shot to the back of the head. Found in the kitchen.”
Bile rose into her strangled throat. A tornado of words echoed and slammed in her pounding head. Their unemotional faces focused on her like she was a specimen in a lab. Jonathan didn’t make it? “No. That’s not possible.”
As if on cue, a gurney with a covered body was brought out the front door.
Her hands covered her face. “No.” Her knees turned to noodles. “No.”
One of the men grasped her by the elbow, half holding her up, half turning her away from Jonathan. “Take a deep breath, Ms. Stone.”
His hold on her arm pinched too tightly.
The pain refocused her from Jonathan to the here and now.
Maybe he did that on purpose. Maybe he was trying to help.
Her noodle knees regained their sea legs, and after a minute, he let go of her arm.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Wait—” Her chin snapped up. “What about Hailey?”
Both stared at Amelia as though she was supposed to tell them.
The man who had held her up asked, “Was she with you?”
“No.” Suddenly, the cold night air was hot and sour. Dread curled deep in her gut. She couldn’t take a deep breath. Her stomach revolted and threatened to be sick. A retching hiccup convulsed in her belly. “She was with Jonathan.”
One of the men shook his head. The other’s lips pinched.
“Yes. She was with him.” Panic threaded her dread.
Glass shards tumbled in her lungs as she tried to breathe.
“They stayed inside. Together. They told me to leave. To call the number. To get help.” Amelia turned back toward their house.
It was good that Hailey wasn’t inside, wasn’t it? “She escaped?”
“Fleeing the scene is a possibility,” the quieter of the two said.
Both held her gaze with an air of suspicion. “Possibility” was said as though the chance of it was beyond what she could hope for.
“What else could it be? She was taken?” By Jonathan’s murderer?
God… If Amelia had only run faster, if she hadn’t searched the street for trouble but had rushed into the Callaghans’ house, help would have arrived sooner.
She’d been frozen in a neighbor’s driveway and then kitchen while someone took Hailey and killed Jonathan. Suffocating guilt pummeled her.
The man raised his shoulder. “We’re processing the scene. There’s only one thing we’re certain about: There’s no sign of your sister.”
Camden knew the phone wouldn’t ring again, and even if it did, the odds of the caller being related to the previous night’s call would be slim to none.
The chance that he even intercepted one of the CIA’s calls was so slight that it would probably never happen again.
He had no idea how many other phone centers could have picked up Amelia’s call, and while there was a problem with agents in danger, they would only call when they were up shit creek and grasping at their last shreds of hope.
Still, he watched the phone intently as if he could will Amelia to call again.
“Cam, you don’t have to be here.” Amanda placed a coffee cup in front of him.
“It’s fine.” After Amelia called, he’d camped in the operation center in case she called again. He wanted to know what had happened and if everyone was safe. He wondered if Amelia had been reunited with her family.
His normal assignments didn’t attach an emotional component.
If people were scared, that was fine, because Titan was there.
They would swoop in and save the day. If they were in danger, again, all would be okay.
His team would eliminate threats—job done.
He could kick back with a beer and not think about the details of the assignment ever again.
This was different. It was a situation completely out of his control. Camden wanted to know more. He wanted details on the fallout. Amelia was safe. Help had arrived. That was important. But he wondered if the CIA agents had been able to help Jonathan and Hailey Dumont.
Camden had used Titan’s resources, not exactly with permission, and searched what was available in their databases—nothing. He turned to Google and learned she was a professor. He was a researcher. Neither looked particularly like a spy, but not everyone could be James Bond or Jason Bourne.
Camden sent a request for more information to Parker Black, the man who oversaw Titan Group’s global technology operations, but the request was unanswered. Either Parker was on assignment, or he was ignoring Camden. Either way, he shouldn’t have asked Parker.
Camden ran a hand over his face. He and bureaucracy weren’t great partners.
Would Parker say something to their boss?
Jared wasn’t in the business of wild goose chases and didn’t want anyone on his team playing the role of unnecessary hero.
Maybe that was what Camden was doing. He certainly wasn’t supposed to stay on the phone and talk Amelia through the situation.
Their orders were clear: Call for assistance if threats were deemed real.
The phone rang. He jerked back. Amanda and Shah paused their conversation. Another call for the second day in a row was an anomaly, if the last week had been any indication. He answered.
“Camden?”
Amelia’s voice washed over him. Hearing from her was confirmation that she was safe—but he’d already known that. There was more to the feeling, and he had no idea what it was—maybe concern or worry. He didn’t know why.
“Passcode?”
“We talked last night.”
Of course, he knew that. Still, he had rules. Not to mention, Shah and Amanda were watching. As much as he wanted to hear from her, as many questions as he had, she couldn’t just call. “Passcode, or I have to disconnect.”
“No, no, no. Wait,” she pleaded. “Please wait.”
Why was she calling? He drew a deep breath.
It could be a test. But the means of tripping him up felt off.
He wondered if Jared would screw with him like that.
He checked his watch. It was almost the same time as she had called the day before.
If only he’d checked to see if her local news had turned up any report in her neighborhood, then at least he could rule out if this was some kind of employment test. “Passcode, or—”
“Do you know how many times I’ve called this number until I was finally routed to you?” she asked.
He didn’t mean to smile. He turned his chair so that he didn’t face Amanda and Shah. “I have to hang up.”
“Four stupid words will keep you on the phone with me?”
“Well… yeah.”
“Camden. I know it’s you from last night.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. He should disconnect the call, yet curiosity didn’t let him.
She let out a bone-crushingly exhausted breath. “Banana. Light bulb. Chicken. Heart. Does that make you happy?”
The corners of his lips quirked. He chuckled. “Not sure about happy, but my bases are covered.”
“So, it’s Camden, right?”
“Yeah, Amelia. That’s me.”
“You remember my name?”
Amanda and Shah inched closer. Camden wanted to shoo them away.
“Yeah, I remember your name. I don’t usually sit and answer calls, and even if I did, yours will probably be one of the most interesting I’d ever get.
So, yeah, I remember your name.” He probably always would. Her story would stick with him.