Page 63 of Justified Fear
“What are you thinking?”Kap asked.
“Not sure, but everything seems to go back to Keely, and because of that, I worry that she might be in more trouble than we understand.”
And, if they couldn’t start to understand that, Ryan knew that the threat could come from anywhere.She would be safer in a safe house.
“I sent all of you an avenue for research.If we divide and conquer, we can make much faster progress.Ryan, can I see you in my office?”
He nodded and followed his boss into his office.Maya came with him.He had a bad feeling about what this discussion was going to be about, and he wasn’t going to like it.Seth was a former SEAL, so Ryan knew that if he wanted to hand his ass to him, he would do it in private.
“Close the door.”
Ryan did as his boss ordered.He sat down behind the desk as Ryan continued to stand.
“Sit down.You’re not in trouble.”
Once he settled in the chair, Maya sat down next to him.
“How are you handling this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Listen, I get that you love to be the whole brooding former LAPD with a dark past.”
He snorted.“I don’t have a dark past.I had a partner who turned out to have one weakness.”
“Okay, true.I need to know that you’re still fully engaged in the game.I understand more than most about having someone you care about in trouble.”
After years of searching for the cult leader who had raised her, Autumn had gone to face off with the bastard on her own.Seth had almost come undone.
“I’m fine.”
It was Seth’s turn to snort.“Dude, I have a feeling your mom would have something to say about that.”
“Well…I am.I’m just frustrated.Usually, we have a case, and the pieces start to fit.But I was just telling Charity that as soon as some pieces start to fit, other things start falling apart.”
“Yeah, that is a good way of describing it.What if that’s on purpose?”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing seems to add up, until it does…then it doesn’t.It feels like this is by design.”
“Like someone is toying with us?”
Seth nodded.Ryan thought over the case.The night of the attack, they spent their time looking for Keely, and then they started researching the people who were killed.Then, they had a triple homicide, and then Ray was found.
“Yeah.You’re right.”
“Our only problem is that we have to figure out who is fucking with us before they can pull the final lever.”
What he didn’t say was that until they did, Keely would be in danger.
Thirteen
Ryan put his truck in park and looked over at his companion.Maya was already alert, her gaze intent on Keely’s house.She had been antsy since they’d left TFH.Usually, he would have taken her for a run, but since he had wanted to get to Keely’s as soon as possible, he had headed straight over from headquarters.On top of that, a major accident on Pali had backed up traffic for a while.He was starting to think her fidgeting had more to do with Keely than not expending enough energy.
Maya had never really connected with anyone other than him.Well, his mother.She loved his mom.His mother had never been a dog person until Ryan became a handler.Then, he’d brought Maya to his mother’s house.The two of them were thick as thieves, and his mother even called Maya her granddaughter.
“You will behave tonight.”
