Page 59 of Security Breach

“Excellent. You’re on speaker with Emma. I’ll let her tell you what she wants.”

“Hello, Emma. I’m Madison Santana. How can I help?”

David listened to the order Emma placed and shook his head at the foreign language they seemed to be speaking. Yarn weights and needle sizes plus several other things he couldn’t decipher. When the time came to settle the bill, he started to hand his credit card to Emma, but Eli waved him off and gave her his card.

When he frowned, Eli edged closer to David. “We don’t want your name out there in case the Butcher has computer skills. I’m not a stranger in Otter Creek.” His expression grew smug. “My wife is a favorite author of the town’s bookstore owner. You’ll be familiar with Otter Creek soon if you and your brothers sign on with Fortress. Our training school is there with two teams as trainers.”

David tilted his head. “Isn’t that where Josh Cahill and his Delta team are located?”

Amusement lit Eli’s eyes. “I see Cahill’s reputation precedes him.”

A soft whistle. “The rumors are true?”

A snort from Rafe. “The man’s a sadist,” he said as Emma handed Eli his phone and card.

“I heard that comment about my brother,” Madison said.

“No offense meant, Maddie,” Rafe said.

She laughed. “Based on what I hear from the trainees, that remark was mild. Eli, how do I get Emma’s supplies to her?”

“Is your husband near the store?”

A pause, then, “Lucky for you, he just walked in for a cup of coffee. Hang on.” After a short, muffled conversation, Madison said, “Here’s Nick.”

“Eli, what do you need?” a male voice asked with a light Spanish accent.

“A favor. Can you talk?”

“Hold.” A minute later, Nick said, “Go.”

“We’re protecting an HVT who needs knitting supplies from Madison. Think you or one of your brothers-in-law will have time to make a delivery?”

“When and where?”

Eli looked at David.

“Nick, it’s David Montgomery.”

Silence, then, “How are you involved in this, Sheriff Montgomery?”

“It’s David, and the HVT is the woman I’m marrying soon.”

“This is the same woman who disappeared?”

“That’s right. She was in WITSEC.”

Nick whistled softly. “I’m glad to know you’re reunited with her. Give me a location for the drop. Ethan is leaving the office in fifteen minutes for an out-of-town meeting. He’ll be glad to deliver the supplies.”

David breathed easier at the knowledge that Ethan Blackhawk, Otter Creek’s police chief, would be available for a consult. The tough Army Ranger was legendary in the Special Forces community for his tracking ability and often consulted with police departments across the country on missing persons cases, especially cases that involved children.

He gave Nick the address of Bear Lake Cabins, a vacation rental business twenty minutes from the safe house, a business he’d invested in when he left the military. Although his financial support of the business wasn’t widely known, there was a possibility the Butcher and his partner might dig up his involvement and stake out the grounds on the chance that David had hidden Emma in one of the cabins. “What’s Ethan’s ETA?”

“Ninety minutes. He’ll call when he’s ten minutes out.”

“Tell him I appreciate his help.”

“No problem, my friend. Eli?”

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