Behind the Lies (Montgomery Justice #2)(46)
“In the woods, but I can still see the Dark Avenger’s cabin. I’m not lost.”
“Good, good.”
“The Dark Avenger had to beat up some bad guys. And they took his picture. He got really mad. I got scared.” Sam choked back. “I want to come home. I want my toys.”
“You’ll have as many toys as you want,” Brad lied, “but you have to tell me where you are.”
His knuckles whitened. Jenna was so dead. Then Brad smiled. This could work to his advantage. Perhaps a murder-suicide. Zach Montgomery and Jenna were lovers, she ran off on him, and the drunken actor killed her in a rage.
No. It wouldn’t work. The story would put Brad on the news. Something he couldn’t afford. Damn, Jenna. Maybe a car wreck.
“We’re in the mountains,” Sam said.
Or Zach Montgomery could fall off a mountain. Brad would take Jenna home and the car accident would still work. No press.
The plan fell into place.
“Are you in California?”
“No. Mommy said we’re in the Rock Mountains.”
“The Rocky Mountains?” Brad asked.
“Yeah,” Sam said, a smile of triumph in his voice.
“Good, good. You’re doing great, buddy.”
“Oops. I can hear Mommy yelling. I gotta go.”
“Sam, don’t let them take you from that cabin. You run and hide. I’ll find you. I promise. I won’t let the bad guys get you.”
“OK, Daddy,” Sam choked. “I gotta go. They’re coming this way.”
The phone went dead.
He dialed a number.
“Zach Montgomery’s got a cabin in the Rocky Mountains. Find the location. I want it. Now. Check the news wires. Someone spotted him.”
“There’s a wall around the man, sir. I can’t get past it.”
Brad paused. “Security clearance?”
“And then some. I’ll keep pushing, but it could take some time. Fallon is all over my case. He suspects something.”
“That’s not my problem.”
“You’re not the one risking his career.”
“You made the choice, Johansson.”
His mole sighed. “Montgomery is a nonstarter. His security clearance is untouchable. Which should tell you enough to leave the bastard alone.”
A curse erupted from Brad. He wanted to slam the phone into the wall. The doctor next to him glared. Brad forced an apologetic smile, rose, and stalked out through the revolving door of the hospital. He breathed in the fresh air. At least he’d rid himself of the antiseptic smell.
“Don’t fail me again, Johansson.”
“Oh, I haven’t failed you. I have a bit of news you might just want to hear.”
The man’s gloating tone made Brad’s trigger finger itch in the worst way. Johansson was another of those threads that would be cut. Soon. Another car accident, perhaps. The traffic in southern California could be deadly. Or perhaps a natural gas line explosion. More perfectly planned this time. Everyone liked to blame the gas company for tragedies.
“You don’t want to mess with me right now, Johansson.”
“Fine. Fallon’s beside himself. Your wife ran out on the investigation. Disappeared. Poof. And she refused to give them copies of the evidence until she and your kid were safe.”
Brad burst out laughing. He hitched into his rental Jeep and turned the key.
“Johansson, you may very well have just saved your life.”
The man choked.
“Find me Montgomery’s address, and we’ll know exactly where my lovely wife is hiding out.”
* * *
Chapter Nine
* * *
ZACH CUPPED HIS hands. “Sam!” he shouted from the porch, shoving down the worry. He scanned between the pines and through a grove of aspens that quaked in the late June afternoon. Several thrushes scattered with angry shrieks.
Jenna gripped the rough wooden post. “Sam!” she called, panic edging her voice.
They stood quietly, listening. Sam wasn’t responding.
Jenna wrapped her arms around her body. Zach pulled her against him, hugging her tight, though he knew his touch offered little comfort.
“Where could he be?” she asked. “Sam!” she yelled again. “Do you think he’s hiding in the house?”
“I can find out. Come on,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers. With one last studied gaze into the wilderness, he led her to his communications center. He sat down at the monitor and activated the live cameras.
Jenna leaned forward when the high-definition pictures leapt onto the screen. She touched the monitor. “You used this to take our photos for the passports, didn’t you?”
He nodded curtly and switched to views. “The playback will show us everything the cameras caught.” He pressed the reverse button. Images sped past backward.
When their faces appeared near the car, Zach stopped and hit play. Jenna ran into Zach’s arms on the screen. Their lips met. The world fell away.
The back of Zach’s neck heated at the passion. He couldn’t tell her how she’d felt so right in his arms that he never wanted to let her go.