Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(19)

“That’s another thing.” He nodded toward her phone. “I’ll need to take that. Someone could be tracking you through it.”

Claire blinked in surprise as she stared down at the device in her hand.

“We need to shut it down,” he repeated as he pulled his own phone from his pocket. “You can use mine to call your parents while Agent Cox and I do a quick search through your things for any tracking devices.”

Is this really happening? Struck dumb, she merely stared at Agent Matthews for a moment as he plucked her purse and tote from her grip and handed them to Agent Cox.

“But the number I need . . . it’s in my phone.”

“Take a minute and copy down the numbers you’ll need.” He tucked his phone back inside his pocket, and he and Agent Cox headed toward the town car’s trunk.

Fred walked over, his brow pinched with concern. “Are you all right, Claire?”

“I need to get some numbers from my phone,” she said as he gave her a hug. “The agents want me to shut it down.”

“Want some paper? Something to write with?”

The thoughtful gesture, so typical of Fred, evoked a surge of emotion. Tears pricked her eyes as she whispered, “Please.”

Who knows anyone’s number by heart these days? Used to simply selecting their contacts on her phone, she’d never memorized anyone’s phone number.

Claire swallowed around a lump in her throat as he took a notepad and pen from his suit jacket and handed them over. Forcing her mind to work, she copied down her parents’ cell phone numbers and then Gabe’s.

The agents came back just as she finished, and Agent Matthews returned her purse and tote. Reluctantly, she gave him her phone, and he powered it down before removing its battery, then slid both into his own pocket.

The younger agent, Cox, was holding the box Gabe had given her. “You have a satellite phone?”

“It’s a gift for my parents.”

He examined the shrink-wrap still encasing the package. “Not activated?”

“No. It’s not.”

“Let’s keep it that way.”

Claire resisted the shiver that threatened to creep up her spine as she gave him a nod.

“All finished?” Agent Matthews asked him.

“Yeah,” Cox said. “Everything else looks good. I’ll get her suitcase into the Suburban.”

Agent Matthews turned back to Claire. “We need to head out.”

When she froze for a second, Fred met her gaze with an unspoken question. Will you be all right?

Because she didn’t trust her voice, she gave Fred a jerky nod and he hugged her again. She wrapped her arms around him, leaning on him for support for a moment as her mind spun. He patted her back, much like he would a child’s, doing his best to comfort her. The expression on his face when he released her was practically fatherly.

“Stay safe.”

“I will,” she whispered.

Agent Matthews gave Fred a warning look. “Remember what we told you. No one’s to know Claire is in our custody. Her life may depend on it.”

Fred nodded. “If anyone asks, I’ll tell them I took her home.”

“That works.” Matthews gave Fred a nod of approval, then took Claire’s elbow and guided her toward the SUV, gesturing for her to take the front passenger seat.

Once they were all seated inside, she asked, “Can I use your phone now?”

Matthews started the vehicle and then handed his phone over. “It’s the only call we’ll be able to let you make for a while.”

Claire opened the notepad Fred had given her and entered the number for her father. When the call went straight to his voice mail, she thought quickly and left a short message telling him she’d arrived home safely. She decided not to mention the safe house, not wanting to worry her parents. They wouldn’t be able to reach her anyway.

“No luck?” Agent Matthews asked as she lowered the phone.

“No. They’re on the campaign trail, doing back-to-back events. My father probably won’t check his phone for hours.”

Claire’s heart was heavy as she handed the phone back and gazed out the window. “Where’s the safe house?”

“Springfield, Virginia,” Agent Cox said from the backseat.

She bit at her lip, thinking. That was about half an hour away.

Agent Matthews made a turn several seconds later, and a terrifying thought seized Claire. What if these men were the kidnappers? What if they’d made up this entire story to get her to go with them?

Just like that, she’d believed them and had gotten into their car. Yes, the men had shown her their badges, but what if they were fakes? What if they’d fooled not only her, but Fred too?

Memories of the abduction-avoidance workshop her father had sent her to years ago came flooding back. He’d been convinced that Claire being the only child of a wealthy family—and the daughter of a newly elected US senator—made her a target for kidnapping and ransom, and was determined she learn all she could to protect herself. So her junior year in high school, her father had enrolled her in a two-day workshop.

Prediction, prevention, and response . . . those were the concepts that had been drilled into Claire’s head. The first two were out of her control at the moment, but the third wasn’t.