Page 6 of The Perfect Deception
Kat knew that she, not Hannah, was Pierce’s primary target, the one who got away.She’d studied the hitwoman enough to understand that Pierce felt like she needed to finish the job, both to maintain her reputation, and as payback.
But likely next on her hit list was Hannah, who’d actually outsmarted the killer and got her captured.There was no way Pierce would allow that to stand—being outwitted by a girl who was a high school senior at the time.Thus the call to Ryan.
Unlike Kat, who had put detailed measures in place to change and hide where she now worked and lived, Hannah was just a college student, doing the best she could to get good grades and make friends.Finding her wouldn’t be hard for someone with Pierce’s skills.
So together, Kat and Ryan came up with a plan.They initially discussed having Hannah live at home and take her classes online for the remainer of the spring quarter.UC Irvine was only about an hour from their mid-city house, which—by necessity—Jessie had turned into a veritable fortress.
But ultimately, they decided that would be too disruptive to Hannah’s life.The girl had been through so much already in her nineteen years.Getting uprooted from a place where she was thriving was a last resort.
Instead, after talking with Jessie and getting Hannah’s go-ahead, Ryan hired a private security firm called Security Analysis Services, or SAS, that he and Jessie had worked with before, and which had helped protect Hannah from a prior threat to her life.
The owner of SAS, a former British Special Forces officer named Grover Nix, assigned a familiar face to protect Hannah.Gila Jabarin was a former Israeli Special Forces soldier who had extensive experience with demolitions and weapons, including sniper training.She was also an expert in hand-to-hand combat.Most importantly, she’d squared off with Pierce once before and knew her tendencies.
With Jabarin constantly watching her back, Hannah was able to finish out the remainder of the school year at UC Irvine.But unlike her dorm, which had several levels of security, the hospital where Hannah would visit her friend Finn was far more vulnerable, even with Jabarin around.It was only after Finn was moved out of the hospital that they felt real confidence that Hannah could be kept safe.
Kat glanced at the speedometer and then back at the road ahead of her.Traffic was still moving fast, but she felt increasingly anxious and had to remind herself not to press her foot down too hard.She tried to remember that she had less cause to be anxious now than back when she’d first learned of Pierce’s return.
At least now Hannah was protected all the time.Once the school year ended, the soon-to-be college sophomore took a job working as an intern in the HSS research department.Kat was glad she’d made that choice.The previous summer, Hannah had actually worked with her, learning the ins and outs of the private investigation business.But this was much safer.
Rather than being in Kat’s ratty car all the time, exposed to danger, she was working in a police station, surrounded by dozens of armed officers.At home, her sister’s husband, a decorated police detective, could keep an eye on her.And the home itself, which had all manner of security systems—not to mention a panic room—was more fortified than some banks.Ryan even felt comfortable enough to pull Gila Jabarin off the job, except when Hannah wanted to go on a social outing.
But none of this was sustainable.They had to find Pierce before she came for them.That’s why Kat had been in Vegas.And that’s why she was at risk of being late for her friend’s return to the country after two months away.
She punched the accelerator back up 90
CHAPTER FIVE
Jessie felt surprisingly fresh.
She knew she was destined for a post-flight energy crash soon, but there was something invigorating about being back in the Central Station bullpen, surrounded by co-workers who were clearly excited to see her.
Ryan, Hannah, and Kat stood off to the side as each member of the team greeted Jessie with warm hugs.Well, almost everyone.Captain Gaylene Parker, their 45-year-old boss, offered a polite handshake.But that was just part of her formal, almost terse personal style.Jessie didn’t take offense.
The rest of the gang was far more effusive.Detective Susannah Valentine’s bear hug was so intense that Jessie worried the woman might snap her spine.Detectives Karen Bray, Sam Goodwin, and Jim Nettles all waited their turn to offer less painful embraces.Then came Beth Ryerson, the junior researcher.Even Jamil Winslow, who ran the research department, and didn’t like to make eye contact, much less have physical interaction, offered her a hesitant arm around the body and pat on the back.
Everybody asked how she was feeling and since she knew they were all talking about her head, she answered forthrightly.No one knew about the treatment facility so she didn't have to lie on that front.She even told them generally where she'd been staying.When Susannah saw photos of the gorgeous locale, she let out a series of jealous expletives that helped Jessie feel more at home than the hugs had.
"All right," Captain Parker said, "I know everyone's happy to have Ms.Hunt back, but we have several open cases that are languishing, so I'm going to ask our detective teams to get back to it."
The detectives reluctantly returned to their desks and the research team headed back down the hall to their office, Hannah included.Parker fixed her attention on Jessie.
“Can I still count on you to start back up tomorrow?”
“Of course.Happy to be back.”
Parker appeared relieved.“Good.I don’t like to speak ill of anyone, but let’s just say that your temporary replacements haven’t been—as impactful as I would like.”
Ryan nodded in agreement.“Sometimes we wouldn’t even call for a profiler.Most of the time they were more trouble than help.And one of themreallyrubbed Susannah the wrong way.She kept grumbling that “there’s only one Jessie Hunt.”
Jessie didn’t say so but she wasn’t surprised.Susannah Valentine, a bombshell who looked more like a swimsuit model than a cop, had a brash, sometimes abrasive personality.That, along with her "bull in a china shop" investigative intensity, tended to cause clashes with people who couldn't handle it.In fact, she and Jessie had gotten off to a rocky start before finding common ground and eventually becoming friends.
“It’s nice to be appreciated,” she said diplomatically.
“All right then,” Parker said gruffly.“I’ll see you first thing tomorrow morning.It’s good to have you back, Hunt.”
Kat waited until she was gone before commenting.“That’s as warm as I’ve ever seen that woman be.”
“Cut her some slack,” Jessie said.“She used to run the vice unit.She’s seen stuff worse than dead bodies.It’s calloused her a bit.”
