Page 44 of Hidden Depths

When she jumped for her boat, she nearly tripped on the railing she’d cleared hundreds of time before. Then she fumbled with the lock before rushing inside where she leaned against the door and slid onto the floor in a heaving sob.

After all these years of hiding, when she was finally free, how did they find her? The men responsible for the terrible nightmares—both in her dreams and in reality—were here. She had been right to be afraid.

No.

The word came boldly and unbidden to her mind. She tried to shake it away, but it echoed in her head, refusing to relent.

“I have every right to be scared.” But there was the seed of something unexpected in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t the knot she was used to. It was courage.

Fumbling her phone out of her pocket, she brought up a saved number she had hoped and prayed she’d never have to use.

Her hands shook as she pressed the screen to make the call.

The phone went to voicemail. “This is Peter Black. I’m unable to take your call. Please leave me a brief message, and I’ll get back to you.”

“Peter, it’s me. Sara. Sara Fitzgerald. They’ve found me. I think. I don’t know. They acted like they didn’t even know me,” she said more to herself than to the voicemail. “I don’t know why they’re here.” She paused. It wasn’t for her. They were here for something else. “They didn’t know who I was…but it’s them. Please call me. I don’t know what to think.”

She dropped the phone on the floor beside her after she hung up and pressed her fingers into her damp eyes.

“Sara?”

The voice was soft but clear. She pushed herself back against the door, lifting her phone like a weapon.

“Tom? What are you doing? Get out.” Unsure whether screaming would save her, she sucked in ragged breaths waiting for his next move.

He had his hands up. “I won’t hurt you. That’s the last thing I want. You need help. That’s why I’m here.”

“You broke into my house.”

“Only because you wouldn’t have let me in.”

“You could have knocked.”

“Sara, please. I didn’t think you’d listen to me any other way. I promise you, all I want to do is help you.”

“You lied to me.” Her anger flared but quickly dissipated.

“About what? I told you everything. Even about the marks on my wrists.”

“You said you weren’t here because of me.” Her arm lowered. If he wanted to hurt her, she could do nothing to stop him, but she wanted to trust him. She needed help.

“I didn’t come here for you. Not originally. I came here on vacation like I said. I walked into that church because I recognized the music. Then when I saw you…”

“When you saw me, what? You recognized me?”

“No. I thought you looked like someone I wanted to get to know better.”

“Why?”

His laugh held a hint of embarrassment. “I…told you before. I thought you were an attractive woman, and there was something about you that intrigued me.”

“You’re lying again.”

“I’m not. I’m really not.”

“But you’re FBI?”

“I am.”

---