Page 76 of Duplicity

Simon asked, “Why would I help you continue to commit crimes?”

Lance shifted on the seat. “Perhaps because last time you were here, you committed murder. What is the statute on thatcrime? Because I have all the evidence, and I can hand it over to that brother-in-law of yours. You’ll go to prison for life.”

“It was self-defense.” Simon clenched his teeth. He refused to talk about that guy and what had nearly happened the day he escaped. A trauma group was one thing; this was something entirely different.

“When I’m done telling the story, you’ll be a tortured young man raised by a monster and trained to kill for pleasure.”

Simon pressed his lips together. In the court of public opinion, whose word would hold more weight? A do-gooder philanthropist or one young man with a rough past? Everything he’d been taught to believe about himself rushed back to the forefront.

But God…

At the same time, he could hear his mother’s voice talking about being precious in His sight. Loved. Cherished.

Not something a preteen boy was necessarily interested in. At least, not then. Now it all washed back over him, making him wonder if this peace was a result of Peter or Cat—or both of them—praying for him.

“My men will escort you to the room where you’ll be working. You will write a functional rotating connection algorithm, move the network from my server to the botnet, and successfully test the system. In three days.”

Simon said, “There’s no way I can get it done that fast.”

Lance stood. He dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small square of thin paper. He dropped it on the coffee table.

Dark ink, and lighter spots. An ultrasound? That’s what the image looked like.

“Your sister.”

Simon jerked his head up and pinned the guy with a stare.

“They haven’t told anyone yet. It’s still early, you know.” Lance set his glass down on top of the ultrasound photo like it was a coaster. “Three days.”

The men standing behind him grabbed Simon’s arms and dragged him from the room.

TWENTY-NINE

Cat stood by her car at the hangar where they’d told her to wait. She watched the small airplane approach the runway, the only one that had landed in the last hour. Not much traffic at the municipal airport in the middle of the night.

Talia had told her they would charter a plane. That “the team” would be there as soon as they could get to Benson. All she’d had to do was tell Simon’s friend that he was in trouble.

The name of the game seemed to be hurry up and wait, which was par for the course with most police work. Investigating a case to make sure nothing was missed and then waiting on a warrant. Cat wasn’t so used to standing alone at an airport in the predawn hours.

The airplane landed, the flaps pushing against the air as it slowed. Tires braced against the asphalt, and the smell of burning rubber filled the air.

Cat pulled her jacket around her and flipped the collar up against the breeze. Even though it was in the midseventies out here right now, she was shivering.

The plane turned toward the hangar, taxiing toward her car. She waited while they shut down, and then the door opened.Three men jogged down the steps, followed by an African American woman who picked her way down in heeled boots. All of them headed for her, so Cat pushed off the car and met them partway.

The first man was a former sergeant with the Benson PD. “Liam O’Connell?”

He grinned. “Catalina Alvarez.” Liam pulled her into a hug.

He squeezed the wound on her arm, and she couldn’t help the whimper. Couldn’t bite it back fast enough.

He stepped back, an incredulous look on his face. “You’re injured?”

“And Simon was kidnapped.” She didn’t mean to snap at him.

Liam didn’t buy it. He had that older brother look Romeo got, which meant they would be talking about this later. “This is Niall and Josh.”

Cat held out her left hand, and they made it work for a handshake.

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