Page 67 of Duplicity

Cat frowned.

“His real one. All the information he gave to the school district is fake. His real name is Christopher Elliot North. He’s Lance’s nephew. We can’t find any information for his parents.The mother isn’t listed anywhere. The father is a North sibling of Lance’s who has dropped off the map as far as we can figure. Jasper thinks Lance is raising him.”

“Why wouldn’t he publicize that? Show people what a great guy he is, taking on his nephew.”

Simon shrugged. “We should ask that when he gets arrested.”

Cat smiled.

“The FBI is on scene already. They’ve been working the girls’ disappearances since Marianna Barker was taken, so they’re all-in to help get them back.”

“You know people at the FBI?”

Simon smiled. “They’re pretty great. Law enforcement is a small world. They’ve had some turnover, but the core crew is solid. Benson is a great place to work.”

“What about travel?” He didn’t seem like the type of guy who took a whole lot of vacations, even though he had told everyone he was backpacking in Wyoming this week.

“Depends.” He eyed her. “Are you coming with me?”

Before she could figure out how to answer that, the van came to a stop. The view out the front window was dark, maybe some trees. The driver got out and slammed the door.

“He’ll keep watch outside, so don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t,” she said. “But now I kind of am.”

Simon leaned over so his face was close to hers. “I’ll keep you safe. You keep me safe. We can watch each other’s backs.”

Hmm. Was he usually alone in the van? “Sounds good.”

He touched his lips to hers. So gentle. There and gone in a second, like a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it experience. Then he settled on the stool and hit the power button on the control center, sliding an earpiece in. “Zero-One, ready.”

She watched the system come to life. A map of the complex displaying red dots, probably the Vanguard people. Cat peeredclosely at the layout of the building, trying to work out where the girls might be held if they were here.

“Copy that.” Simon glanced at her. “They’re moving in.”

She nodded. The red dots moved in simultaneously, a practiced operation. “Is Peter in there?”

“And Romeo, plus the FBI and a Vanguard team that works on the west coast, covering California all the way up to Alaska. They were helping the Royal Canadian Mounted Police a few months ago when all that craziness went down with the terror threat, and I think they’re mad now because they couldn’t help with it.”

“Vanguard seems to have a lot of teams.”

“It’s a dangerous world.”

“You’re right,” she said. “It is.”

And when she didn’t trust in the sovereignty of God, she would leave herself open to being swallowed up by the hopelessness of it all. Shehadto cling to Him.

Or what was she trusting in?

TWENTY-SIX

Simon had never had a woman in the van with him. In fact, there usually wasn’t anyone with him in the van.

Through the earpiece, he could hear the team conversing with one another. Clearing hallways. Searching rooms. The report of gunfire made him jump, and for the first time in a long time, he prayed for his friends and coworkers that they would be safe. Guarded by God’s power.

As far as he was concerned, God being God meant He could do what He wanted. Simon just needed to make sure he had done everything he could on their behalf.

Had Peter been praying for him? That would explain the change of heart. It could only have been a God-thing that Simon’s feelings had changed in the last few days.

---