Page 83 of Fallout

Destiny texted Jasper, praying he was all right, but also praying for everyone since it would be self-serving to just worry about him—or just him and her brother. She closed her eyes, holding her phone between her knees, and lifted them all up. She asked for protection, for safety, and for them to find Simon quickly.

When she lifted her head, Allyson said, “Amen.” As if Destiny had prayed aloud.

The door opened, and Bob Davis came in, followed by Peter. Both of them sat in front of her. Peter had dirt smudged down the side of his face, and he looked a little rumpled.

“Update.” She’d heard Clare say it like that, and it was time to sound like her. If only to reassure the people she worked with that she could do this.

Peter said, “I called Liam to see if his team can use their resources to find Simon. There was no one in the house the FBI raided.”

Bob picked up where he stopped. “The team made entry, found themselves trapped, and the house cleaned out. They are all out now. And we have nothing.”

“And Stella?”

“Concussion,” Bob said. “She’s all right. Mostly just mad they didn’t find Harper.”

“That’s good. She’ll be okay.” Destiny glanced at Allyson. “Can we find Harper?”

“The FBI got their contract killer guy to tell them where to find him. It landed them in a trap.” Allyson paused. “He must’ve known that would happen. Apparently, this guy has these houses set up. Who knows how many there are?”

“That’s not what I asked you.”

Allyson shot her a proud grin. “I’m getting there.” She chuckled a little. “Harper can be found, but he has to show his face first. He’s gotta surface.”

“Then why aren’t we finding him?”

Peter said, “Between the FBI and Vanguard personnel, we’ve checked every house the shell corporation owns—the one Brent made that payment to.”

“Okay,” Destiny said. “So, we need to cast a wider net. Look at vehicles registered to them. Maybe an airplane. A boat docked on the coast. Overseas holdings. Vacation homes. We need to think like a kingpin.”

Allyson had stilled. She stared at Destiny.

“What?”

She grabbed both sides of Destiny’s face, planted a kiss on her forehead, and then ran out the door.

“I guess she had an idea.” Destiny shook her head.

Bob Davis chuckled. “Yeah, I guess.” The older man looked tired.

“You good? We are in a doctor’s office. You could get checked out.”

He glanced over at the reception desk and stood. “I might just do that, thanks. Keep me apprised?”

“Yes.”

Peter said, “You can get checked out as well. Make sure everything is okay.”

“I know.” Having a checkup wasn’t a bad idea. “I’m all right for now. What do you need?”

“I should go to Vanguard, get on Simon’s terminal. See if there’s anything I can do.” He stood. “It’s better than sitting here doing nothing.”

She understood as much, even if her role was more of a coordinator. Even if she wanted to be with Jasper at his house, looking at the lake through the back windows. Feeling safe and cared for was sometimes a scarce commodity. But could she relax when Simon hadn’t been found or when Marcus Harper was still out there?

Her phone buzzed. Jasper was all right. Before she could text back, she heard a shout from the back hall.

She pushed out of her seat and went to see what it was, just for the sake of stretching her legs. The receptionist glanced at her, the look on her face very much likenot my problem. Maybe she was only having a bad day.

Destiny looked through the round window and spotted a desk area with two nurses on one side and treatment rooms on the other. Brent Rammington struggled with Richard, both of them looking haggard.

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