Page 93 of Fighting for Brielle
Courage, she signed in return. She considered addingrescuebut didn’t want to raise Faith’s hope. Brielle shrugged and let go of Faith’s hand. “Maybe.”
At that moment the subject of their conversation joined them. “Time’s up, sisters,” Carson announced.
Faith feigned another girlish giggle. “‘Carson and Brielle sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g’,” she trilled.
Carson’s eyebrows shot up. “What the hell?”
Brielle offered a blank look. “Huh?”
Faith fluttered her hands. “Oh, don’t be so silly!” She hugged Brielle and whispered, “I’m okay. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” Brielle returned fiercely, though she carefully controlled her facial expression.
“What was that all about?” Carson wondered as he and Brielle ambled toward the communal center.
“How do you feel about an arranged marriage?” she deadpanned.
“Oh, fuck me!”
Chapter 23
Justice stared at Linda in astonishment. “Did I hear you correctly? Officer Nash Carson is yourson?”
“Yes.”
“That’s fucking unbelievable! He worked under your command for twofuckingyears! What kind of bullshit are you feeding me?”
“Sit down, Justice, and shut up. It’s been almost four weeks. What do you think has happened to Brielle? Imagine what that sociopath has done to my son intwo and a half years!”
He dropped into a chair. “Okay. I’m listening.”
“I’ll make this quick. My maiden name is Barrington. Special Agent Jackson Barrington is my cousin. Nash idolized him and followed in his footsteps. Went into the Marines. Served six years. Earned his degree in criminal psychology while in the military and joined the FBI after he was discharged. And then he was recruited to look into Axel Anderson’s disappearance. Don’t ask me how he found him. He was so deep undercover no one knew about it.”
Linda started to pace and wring her hands. “I almost had heart failure when my son, my eldest, showed up in my department as Officer Nash Carson and didn’t recognize me. I tried to jog his memory, but he just gave me those blank looks you mentioned. He’s gone, Justice. Whatever he was before he went undercover is gone. He’s so far gone the FBI gave up on him. Anderson turned my boy against the country he swore to defend.”
“So, that’s what Anderson’s been holding over your head.”
“Yes. I didn’t have a choice. I had to protect my son.”
“Now you do. Where’s the compound, Linda? I’m not leaving Brielle to suffer the same fate as your son. Tell me everything you know.”
“Promise me you won’t let anything happen to Nash. That you’ll get him out of there alive.”
“Linda, you have my solemn word I’ll do my best to bring your son home alive.”
She expelled her breath. “Here’s what you need to know.”
* * *
Two hours later Justice met with Commander Mattox, Tex, SWAT, his team of five, and SAC Wilder from the FBI’s LA field office. Together they planned their rescue mission to be executed at 0200 hours with help from law enforcement agencies in Oregon. That gave Brielle’s brothers time to fly to California to be there when he brought her home. Cameron and Brianna met their sons at LAX, who flew in together from Denver. Ben, Bryant, and Brendan were expert shots like Trey and Brielle and wanted to take part in the rescue mission, as Justice assumed they would.
Because Justice didn’t trust Linda, he’d quietly brought her down to the LAPD with him. He didn’t want her to inform Elliott Gage or send a message to Anderson to warn him that she’d given up the location of the compound. She hadn’t complained. Justice knew she was more concerned about Nash than any consequences she might be facing.
At eight PM, the rescue team boarded two Blackhawks that would transport them to Oregon. Tex stayed behind at the LAPD headquarters doing what he did best?commanding the operation from the SWAT center.
By twelve AM, the team landed in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon state troopers, local police departments, and the FBI coordinated with them to plan the final details of their assault on the compound.
“Special Agent Nash Carson is not to be harmed,” Justice reminded everyone involved in the mission as they rolled out in armored vehicles.
