Behind the Lies (Montgomery Justice #2)(84)

“Well, so would I.”

Sam whimpered.

The man’s phone rang. He stared at the screen, his mouth screwing in disgust. “Yes.”

He listened, then laughed. “I will not give you Khalid’s location, not until I return to my home…and my son.” He glanced at Jenna. “I will have completed my part of our bargain very soon.”

Oh God. She had to warn Zach. She worked her wrists against the handcuffs, but they were too tight and cut into her flesh.

“Wait!” Dread laced the man’s voice. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Jenna froze.

Something had gone wrong.

He began pacing the room, back and forth, his movements jerky.

“Tell me,” he said, his voice low.

He dropped the phone to the floor and fell to his knees.

“Noooo!”

The tortured scream ricocheted through the room. Jenna shrank away from his crazed motions.

“It cannot be true. My son, my Hamed!” The man howled in torment, banging his head against the floor.

Sam sobbed, his little body rocking against the restraints that bound him to his chair. Jenna strained against the handcuffs, but it was no use. She couldn’t help her son.

“Shut up, you sniveling American brat!” he screeched. He threw the phone at Sam’s head.

He ducked. The device smashed against the wall.

Jenna’s entire body stilled in dread. Until now, her captor had been calm, businesslike. Now, his eyes were wild with pain. He shook, muttering and pacing the floor like a caged animal.

“My son can’t be dead. He can’t be. Have to call. Learn if it’s true.”

Wailing he picked up the pieces of the shattered phone, cradling them next to his face. “Hamed? Setara, what do I do?”

Their captor circled through the room, prowling. He slammed his fist into the wall, digging a hole into the flimsy wood. Finally he rounded on Jenna.

“Zane Morgan did this!”

Hatred flared in the man’s eyes. “The American must pay. He will feel my pain.”

The man gripped the stick at his side and pointed it at Jenna.

“You. He loves you. You must die as my sister did. As my son did.”

He crossed toward her and lifted the wood.

She shrank back as far as she could into her seat.

“Don’t hurt my Mommy!” Sam yelled.

The man whirled on her son. “Shut up, shut up, shut up.”

“Sam, be quiet. It will be OK,” Jenna whispered, praying she spoke the truth.

“That’s what I told Hamed. I lied,” her captor said. “Hamed will be avenged. Zane Morgan will know my pain.”

Her captor raised the stick. Jenna stared up at him. Frantic, she twisted her wrists in the handcuffs. The wood slammed down on her arm and she cried out.

He raised the wood again. “The liar will know my pain!”




Anna’s tears refused to dry. Even when she couldn’t cry more of them, they burned behind her eyes. John Garrison lay pale and still in the bed next to her chair.

He hadn’t so much as shifted since she’d convinced Caleb to wheel her to the hospital room over an hour ago. She squinted at the sketch of John’s attacker on her lap. She shaded in the man’s hair. He seemed so unremarkable, but he’d almost killed John.

She clenched the pencil in her hand. If she’d even been a moment later…

The door swished open. “Mom,” Caleb said, his voice soft. “You need your rest. Let me take you to your room. You won’t do him any good here.”

She straightened and glanced over at her son, the doctor. “You’re wrong. We’re both calmer when we’re together.” She made a last few adjustments to the sketch, then smiled. It was him. “Get Nick. I’ve finished the sketch.”

Caleb hesitated.

“Right now, I don’t need a doctor as much as I need law enforcement. Your time will come again soon enough.”

Caleb nodded, leaving, then when he reentered the room with his twin, she handed Nick the drawing. “This is the man who tried to kill John.”

Nick glanced at the sketch and let out a soft whistle. “I’d forgotten how good an artist you are. I’ll make sure the cops get this right away.”

“Send Zach a copy, too,” Anna said. “I have a feeling—”

Caleb groaned. “Those feelings always get you into trouble, Mom.”

“No. Most of the time, my feelings tell me when you boys are in trouble.”

“I’ll send it right now.” Nick hurried from the room.

Caleb knelt by her chair. “Please. You need to rest. We thought we lost you,” he said softly. He examined her face. “None of us could stand that.”

“I need to be here.” Anna glanced over at John. “Medicine has done all it can for him. So have you. Now, I wait for John and God’s decision to be made.” She pulled the rosary beads from her pocket and worried them in her hands. “Please understand. I can’t leave yet.”

Caleb kissed her hair. “I know that stubborn expression all too well. I’ll give you another half hour, then you have to sleep. Doctor’s orders. You were hurt, too.”

She smiled at her son. “Yes, Doctor Montgomery.”