Page 72 of Fighting for Brielle
“At LAX. In a bathroom. Believe me, I’ve scoured the security footage, and there’s no sign of her. Faith didn’t tell you, did she, that she was flying out here?”
“No, no. I haven’t heard from Faith since she texted Justice after I got shot. Dear God in heaven, Tex! What do you think has happened to her?”
He gritted his teeth. “She’s been taken.”
Chapter 18
Taken.The word echoed in Brielle’s mind as she unlocked the door to Faith’s apartment in Chicago a mere six hours after Tex delivered the bad news. Terrifying images of what Faith might be enduring, or worse, lying dead somewhere, danced in her mind. Guilt overwhelmed her.
Why didn’t I listen to my gut? I knew something was wrong! I should have gotten on a plane and flown out here to confront her weeks ago!
As she, Tex, and Justice stepped into the apartment, Brielle sucked in her breath, assailed by memories. She stared at the faux leather sofa facing a 55-inch TV screen. How often had she and Faith sat there stuffing themselves with popcorn and watchingSleepless in Seattlefor the umpteenth time? She swallowed the fear rising from her gut and looked away. She couldn’t afford to lose it now. She had to be strong for Faith and use her well-trained senses to help her.
They scoped out the living area and the kitchen, but nothing appeared out of place or out of the ordinary. On a notepad in the kitchen they found the date and time of her flight to LA, and given the fact that she left clothes strewn all over bed, they guessed Faith left her apartment in a hurry.
Brielle verified that a carry-on was missing from her closet and asked, “Tex, did you find it at the airport?”
“No. Whoever kidnapped Faith is skilled and organized. He knew enough to hack into the LAX security system to prevent us from tracking the footage. But I think Faith deliberately broke her bracelet and left it behind so I’d find it. No one except our inner circle knows how I keep tabs on them.”
After they thoroughly checked the master suite and the guest bedroom, they entered her office…and stopped dead in their tracks, staring agog at the sight in front of them.
The wall. Opposite Faith’s desk. Covered with photos, tabs, and colored string tying it all together. Every piece of the puzzle Brielle and Justice needed to solve the mystery of the arms coming ashore on Laguna Beach and who was orchestrating it was here.
As the whole picture formed in their minds, Tex muttered, “Shit. Why didn’t we know about this?”
“Fuck,” Justice cursed. “Fuck.Thisis what Madam Secretary sent me to investigate. Oh, fuck me!”
“Oh. My. God,” Brielle murmured. “Oh, my God. Why in the world did Faith keep something of this magnitude to herself?”
While Tex and Justice took pictures of the wall and discussed its implications, Brielle rummaged through Faith’s desk and found a slew of handwritten pages of the article she intended to publish.
Based on the information Faith had uncovered about Axel Anderson, he’d decided to act on his anti-America sentiments. He’d gone off the grid with his entire family, and with other likeminded individuals had formed a group bent on staging a revolution right here in America.
Faith had discovered how and when the arms were coming onshore in Laguna Beach but didn’t know exactly who was selling them to Anderson. Anderson’s group was well financed and connected, and Faith had learned the names of the major players. Gage. Ferguson. And Nash Carson.
In her notes Faith mentioned she’d met face to face with a former member who had very little to say and refused to get her into the compound or reveal its location. Then he’d vanished. She didn’t know whether he was alive or dead. There wasn’t much to her story after that final comment.
“Faith knew everything except the location of the compound and who is selling the arms to Anderson,” Brielle said in a quiet voice, amazed and proud of Faith’s investigative skills, which may or may not have gotten her killed. “Somehow Anderson learned about her investigation and kidnapped her.” As a sudden thought occurred to her, she slapped her forehead. “I’m such an idiot. Thebank robbers. We never did find out what they were all about. What if they were tied to Anderson? Gold and diamonds would have brought him a small fortune on the black market.”
Justice agreed with her. “You might be onto something, Bri.”
“We’re going to find her,” Tex affirmed. “Alive. I see it like this. Faith is the niece of a retired FBI commander. If Anderson can turn her, she becomes an asset. A valuable one.”
“You’re talking about brainwashing. Like a cult,” Justice commented.
“Something like that.”
Reading the fear and guilt in Brielle’s eyes, Justice wrapped his arms around her and tried to offer comfort and support.
“It’s not your fault, baby. Faith lied to protect you. I agree with Tex. Anderson is going to keep her alive. And when we find her, he’s going to wish he hadn’t messed with us, or with our country.”
Tears blinded her for a moment, and she buried her face in Justice’s hard chest, choking back her sobs. “I pray you’re right,” she murmured.
The trio left Faith’s apartment after they finished taking pictures of what they’d discovered and headed to O’Hare.
Turning to hug Brielle, Tex said, “I’m concerned we haven’t been able to reach the Stokers, but I don’t want you to worry. We’re gonna get this done. Trust me.”
Justice and Tex shook hands. They parted, then, heading toward separate gates when their flights were announced over a loudspeaker. As Justice and Brielle’s plane headed west, they discussed what to do next. Both she and Justice decided to tell their teams about the kidnapping in order to solicit aid from them. It was all they could do at the moment.
