Game of Fear (Montgomery Justice #3)(36)

He couldn’t respond, though. Not here. He led her through the bullpen among curious stares. A couple of the musketeers were at their desks, and the heat of their glares followed Gabe the whole way. Crap. He should have done this over the phone.

Neil Wexler looked up from his desk, his eyes revealing his exhaustion.

“You look like hell, Detective,” Gabe said. “Working round the clock now, buddy? That’s dedication.”

Neil stood slowly and nodded. “It’s something, anyway.”

Gabe started at the fleeting sadness he saw in his friend’s eyes before Neil masked it. He hoped nothing was wrong on the home front. He and his wife should still be in honeymoon bliss.

“Have you heard something?” Gabe asked.

“About Ashley? No.” Neil shook both their hands and he sank with a weary sigh into his chair. “But I understand you’ve been busy in Colorado Springs making new friends.”

Deb winced, and Gabe shut the door without being asked. Neil was acting strange and, with the musketeers around, Gabe wasn’t about to talk about anything like the video.

He held out a chair for Deb. “I let my temper get the best of me,” she admitted, taking a seat.

Neil rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I understand, but you didn’t help things. And I don’t have any more information if that’s why you’re here. I did sign out the Shannon Devlin cold case file. I also talked with the police in Taos. Definite connection. They identified the car, but they’re waiting on Forensics to identify the bodies. No one has any doubt, though.”

Gabe leaned forward. “Something’s here, Neil.” He laid out the evidence. The video, the missing kids. P.O.E.

Neil’s entire demeanor changed. He sat up straight. “Three kids in three days?” He grabbed a pen, snapped out questions, and started taking notes.

Gabe could feel some of the tension drain out of Deb at Neil’s reaction. He had to admit to his own sense of relief. At least someone didn’t think they’d taken a sanity detour.

When they were finished, Neil walked them to the door and opened it. “Keep in touch. I’ll let you know if anything important comes up.”

Deb hovered, and Gabe knew she wanted something more. Neil patted her arm. “I promise I won’t ignore Ashley.”

They nearly bumped into Sheriff Tower on the way out. He stood in the hall, staring at them, undisguised irritation on his face.

“Missing your old stomping grounds, Montgomery? I can’t imagine what would bring you in here?” The underlying menace in the sheriff’s voice couldn’t be missed. “Anything I should know?”

Gabe’s hand pressed into Deb’s back, hoping to calm the frustration pulsing from both of them—her because Neil hadn’t shown the urgency she’d hoped; him because Tower deserved a takedown. Smart and cool—that’s what the situation called for.

At least for now.

“Not a thing,” he said. “Checking in with an old colleague.”

Tower frowned. “Detective Wexler is a very busy man. If you want to fraternize with him, do it when he’s off duty. You are no longer one of my deputies. Remember that.”

I won’t be once you’re in prison. Gabe didn’t say the words aloud, but boy, he wished he could. This man had his hands dirty. Gabe couldn’t wait to nail Tower. After he and Deb found Ashley.

So he simply gave the sheriff a terse nod and motioned to his leg. “It’s kinda hard to forget.”

Tower stepped closer, straightening to his full height, meeting Gabe’s gaze eye to eye. “See that you don’t, Montgomery. Your investigating days are over.” The sheriff’s attention snapped to Neil. “Detective, I think we should have a talk about your priorities. Now.”

After Gabe climbed behind the wheel of his SUV, he sent Wexler a quick text. Watch your back.

A short while later came the response, Watch yours, too.

Followed up by a second one. Seriously.




“I expect good behavior,” the Warden commented. He marched with two guards to the end of the hall. The line of teens stood silent in the white, spotless hallway. Every single one had a terrified expression on their face.

Ashley knew exactly how they felt.

She looked over at Justin and reached out a hand.

The sandy-haired-mop kid shook his head, giving her another warning, and glanced down at his shackles.

She withdrew her hand, but this was the first time she’d been near Justin. The Warden disappeared around the corner. Ashley peered up and down the hall carefully, then whispered to Justin. “They took us because of the NSA. They must want us to do it again.”

“I know,” he said, his voice low. “That’s not all, though. You’re not going to believe what I found out while I’ve been in here. Level 88 is real, Ashley. Everything we did in the game happened in real life. We broke into computers; we stole money; we stole user names and passwords. We did it all. And, once we downloaded the upgrade, they gained access to our computers.”

Ashley’s entire body went cold. “We hit Level 88 on my Air Force Academy computer. It’s networked. Justin, they teach military strategies on that system,” she hissed. “What have we done?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t intend to stay here,” he said softly. “We have to find a way out.”