Page 55 of Fearless
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but I thought you should know the truth. I had wanted to keep you from the investigation to protect you, but here we are. I take it that Agent Simms showed you the evidence we’ve collected.”
I nod. “He did, and it was rather compelling.”
“So, you’ll help us find where your father is storing the uranium? We can’t allow him to have control of such a dangerous substance.”
I fight back the urge to hurl, disgusted at what I’ve learned. “The only thing I’ve wanted is the truth. Now that I have it, I’ll do whatever it takes to end this.”
Director Whitman’s body sags in relief. “Thank you, Harper. I hate this as much as you do, but the only way I can think of to draw your parents out of hiding is to make them believe you’re in danger. You’ll be bound and gagged, but it’s just for effect, okay?”
“Yeah. Can I have my badge and gun back now? I’m sure that Agent Monroe informed you that my cooperation is conditional.”
“The badge I can give you, but not the gun. Your father would never believe we let you keep it,” he says, sliding my wallet across the table. “As for your condition, are you sure that you want to be the one to make the arrest?”
“Absolutely! I feel betrayed by someone who is supposed to be the epitome of honor, integrity, and self-sacrifice. Instead, he’s greedy, untrustworthy, and willing to sacrifice others. I took an oath to defend the American people and our Constitution against all enemies, foreignanddomestic. It’s my duty, Director Whitman. Allow me to fulfill it.”
Whitman stands up and walks to the door. “Very well, Agent Finnegan. For what it’s worth, I never wanted it to come down to this.” When I say nothing in return, he nods once and leaves.
For the next ten minutes, I pray for the strength and courage to do what’s required of me. This isn’t going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but I know I can’t let fear take hold. However, when I begin focusing on the worst-case scenarios instead of a triumphant outcome, panic starts to set in, and anxiety floods my veins.
I close my lids and wait for some sign that I haven’t made a big mistake. My eyes pop open wide as saucers when a versepops into my head that reminds me that I’m not alone in this. I mumble out the words as they come to me with clarity, even though Joshua 1:9 is a verse I don’t ever remember reading. It comes from my mouth as if it’s been etched in my memory. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
I laugh out loud, overjoyed by the words and the calm that covers my body. “Thank you, Jesus. I know that no plan survives first contact, but I’d be grateful if this one does.”
The door opens, and Agent Simms stands in the doorway. “Are you going to be all right?” he asks with genuine concern.
“I will be when this is all over.” I follow him down the hallway, up a set of stairs to the main floor, and out the front doors of the building. “Where are we going now?”
“You’re not a prisoner, Harper. We have a room in the lodging building for you. Get a good night’s sleep, and we’ll come to get you around noon tomorrow.”
I glance over my shoulder as the two of us walk across the parking lot toward the other building that is supposedly a lodging facility. It’s certainly not the five-star resort I had been staying in all week, but I’ve seen worse. “I need to let Roger know what’s going on. He’ll be worried about me.”
“He will, and if I were him, I would have started worrying about you before you even left this morning. It’s clear to anyone that he cares about you. Roger also knows that when an agent is brought in for questioning, it can take between two and three days before the inquiry process is complete,” Simms says, trying to comfort me. It’s not working.
Simms lowers his voice as we continue to walk, slower now than before. “I promise you that we will keep Shining Knight in the loop. If we’re going to pull this off, we’re going to need their help.”
As promised, Simms and Monroe knock on my door five minutes before noon. I feel a bit icky not having had clean clothes to change into, but at least there was a bag of toiletries in my room so that I could freshen up.
“Are you ready for this, Harper?” Monroe asks.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply. “Can you tell me where we’re going?” I hope it’s not far.
“National Key. There’s a deer refuge there and an old outbuilding that’s no longer in use,” Simms answers. “Once we’re there, you’ll initiate the tracker in your earrings. Then we’ll tie you up and gag you. All you need to do is wait it out and let events unfold.”
I fiddle with the necklace Roger gave me. “Don’t forget you’ll need to press the pendant to start the recording before you leave. Also, leave me a little wiggle room in the bindings. It will be difficult for me to make an arrest if I’m bound to a chair.”
Monroe chuckles. “You’re itching to take him down.”
“Aren’t you?” I retort. “He betrayed us all.”
The ride takes almost an hour before we pull up to a ramshackle building that was once a full-functioning barn but is now weathered and worn with holes in the roof. Based on the overgrowth in the area, I doubt anyone has been here for nearlya decade.
Director Whitman greets us while Agent Smith and Agent Jones stand watch behind him. “Take Agent Finnegan inside and get her settled. The trap has been set; now it’s time to spring it.”
“Yes, Sir,” Monroe says, grabbing my elbow forcefully. I know it’s all part of the plan, but every fiber of my being wants to lash out and protect myself.
Once we’re inside, and it’s just the three of us, I pinch the studs in my ear to activate the tracking device. If they work as advertised, Roger should get a ping on his phone to indicate that the tracking program has been initiated.
I sit on the lone chair in the middle of the barn and watch as Simms secures my ankles to the base of the chair with duct tape. When he’s finished, he hands the roll to Monroe. Without waiting to be asked, I place my arms behind the chair and allow him to secure my wrists. Monroe leans down and whispers, “There’s a small cut in the tape. When the time comes, all you need to do is pull your wrists apart with a bit of force, and it should rip easily.”
