A Merciful Promise (Mercy Kilpatrick #6)(24)

She had to keep the mission’s goal at the forefront of her thoughts and not be distracted by hugely pregnant women or misogynists.



Chad gripped Mercy’s hand as he walked her back to the women’s cabin. Ed had been gone when she stepped out of Pete’s office, and Chad had looked stressed. He leaned close as they strolled. “Everything okay?” he asked almost silently.

She gave him a look of adoration, wondering if anyone was watching. “Yes. I actually made some headway in convincing Pete that he should take my advice in medical situations. But I’m not here to bandage cuts. What have you found out?”

Chad stopped her in the center of the compound, many yards from any building, and cupped his hand against her cheek. “Rumors. All I hear are rumors. But I’ve heard more frequent references to a ‘big plan.’ I don’t know if that means a camp barbecue or a militia action.” He gave her a long kiss.

Mercy’s mind raced, ignoring the lips pressing against hers. “You haven’t seen the stolen guns? Or come across any explosives?” she asked after coming up for air.

He rested his forehead on hers. “No. I’ve been in the armory. There’s nothing in there to raise eyebrows, and frankly it’s a lot smaller than I expected for the number of people here. When we drill, there aren’t enough weapons for all the men, let alone the women.”

“Does Pete carefully regulate who gets to handle a gun?”

“He does. During the drills the newer recruits aren’t allowed a gun. On a regular day, the patrols and lieutenants are the only ones who are armed.”

“Do you think they were behind the ATF weapons robbery eight months ago?”

“I haven’t been able to confirm that.”

Mercy frowned. People talked. Especially this many people in close quarters. Chad should have heard something. “But you heard mentions of a plan.”

“Actually I’ve only overheard things,” he clarified. “No one has talked directly to me about it.”

“Don’t they trust you?”

He restarted their slow walk across the compound. “No one is trusted at first. They’ll watch every move you make for the first month—”

“Month?” The loud word slipped out. “I’m not staying here a month,” she whispered.

“You’re here as long as it takes.” Chad’s emphatic words were nearly soundless.

Images of Truman and Kaylie spun through Mercy’s head. They don’t know where I am.

“Do you have a family?” she whispered.

“I’m not answering that, and don’t tell me anything about yourself. We are Chad and Jessica. Nothing else.”

In case they were caught and tortured. Neither of them would have information about the other.

He doesn’t even know I’m FBI.

“You have a satellite phone somewhere?” She suddenly felt very vulnerable. Few people knew where she was, and she had no way to contact the outside world.

He nodded. “Buried far outside of the compound. I’ll show you where it is once they relax your surveillance.”

The surveillance that he’d said would last a month. Her hands ached to hold a phone. A lifeline to the real world.

“Pete runs this camp on fear,” Chad added. “And it works well. They’re scared.”

“But supportive.” Vera’s devotion to Pete popped into her mind.

“Absolutely. They talk about him like he’s a god.”

“What type of people are his lieutenants?”

Chad let go of her hand and put an arm around her shoulders as they walked. “From what I’ve gathered, men he’s known for years.”

“Former law enforcement?” Mercy remembered the stance of the guard in the mess hall.

“Or military. But even they don’t question Pete—not that I’ve seen, anyway. Don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. Those four lieutenants are the only men he meets with.”

“We need to get you into one of those positions,” Mercy whispered. “That would mean eliminating one of the lieutenants—an accident or maybe an injury.”

Chad shook his head. “I wouldn’t be next in line.”

“We can present you as indispensable. The mechanical skills are helpful to the group, but what could you do to show this place needs you?” An idea struck her. “Turn in a member for a disloyalty?”

“Everyone toes the line here,” Chad said.

“Then we set him up.”

He shuddered. “I don’t know. I don’t want someone physically punished.” He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “You’re ruthless.”

She didn’t want to spend months in the compound waiting for something to happen.

“We might have to prod a few people to get things moving.”

Chad halted and turned her to face him, his hands on her shoulders, his eyes hard. “You need to dial it back. You’re going to get both of us killed. I’ve seen how these people operate, and when something goes wrong—or is assumed to have gone wrong—the punishment is swift and severe.”

Mercy looked from one of his eyes to the other, a small chill starting at the base of her spine. “How severe?”