Page 32 of Falling for Fallon

Chapter Seventeen

Carson leaned backagainst the warm brick of the club’s back wall, listening to Tobi talk about her son’s computer skills, and shook his head.For the first time, he had a very real understanding of what his own mother must have faced before she’d died.Tobi was struggling to find a balance between being proud of her son’s skills and her concern about how the kid’s talent could be used.He made a mental note to speak with Kameron West’s parents about a mentoring program his company was starting.The young man didn’t need their technical help, but guiding him through the choppy waters where ethics and money pulled techs in opposite directions might well make all the difference.

“He’d be a good candidate for your mentoring program.”Carson wasn’t surprised Silas had come to the same conclusion.They were often on the same page, so he wasn’t surprised to hear his friend had picked up on the conversation’s undercurrent.“Watching Fallon make a million mental notes, cataloging little pieces of information about her new friends gives me a lot of hope she’ll stick around.If she was planning to move on, it wouldn’t be worth the effort.”

“I agree.It’s encouraging.”Knowing CeCe wanted to talk to Fallon about the in-house pharmacy she was building was also a huge plus since she wouldn’t be pounding the pavement looking for a job.Working in a private clinic surrounded by like-minded people was the best possible solution since their home was less than a mile from the facility.Kyle West stepped into the pool area from a nearby door and motioned them inside.

“We’ve talked to the kid who owns the drone.He’s local and far too trusting.He was about a mile down the road practicing with his new drone when a man approached him.The guy offered to help him learn to fly the bird.The kid is one of our son’s friends, so he’s aware of the no-fly zone over the compound.Kevin told the man he couldn’t fly over our property, but he refused to turn back.He’d already texted Kam to let him know what was happening because Kevin saw Grandma Lilly on the drone’s monitor and didn’t want her to blow up his birthday present.”Kent had joined them and stood nearby chuckling.

“Kevin might have been fooled by the stranger who offered to help, but he recognized the real threat.”Kent’s assessment was probably more accurate than any of them knew.

“We’ve shown Kevin a picture of Hagan Brody.He confirmed Brody is the man who flew the drone.”Kyle paused, frowning before he added, “Brody linked his phone to the damned thing and downloaded the footage before we could stop him.”Carson could see the lines of frustration forming at the corners of Kyle’s eyes.The man didn’t like being outdone by an adversary, and that was exactly how he was viewing this incident.

“Do we know where he’s staying?It seems likely he’s checked into a nearby hotel.Nothing in his file would lead me to believe he has any experience camping.”Carson tried to hold back his smile.Hagen Brody’s file showed he was a top-shelf pansy-ass who probably got a rash if he had to walk more than a block outside to get into his sports car.

“We checked registrations but didn’t come up with anything under his name.Team members are canvasing the most likely spots.We’ll flash his picture around and see what turns up.I’d like to enlist local law enforcement.Unfortunately, he has done nothing illegal.He’ll plead ignorance about the no-fly zone, and following an ex across the country isn’t a crime.He’ll claim he’s here to beg forgiveness and win her back.Until he does something overtly illegal, law enforcements’ hands are tied.”Kyle’s frustration was clear.

“We, however, operate by a different set of rules.”Kent’s eyes gleamed with intent.“Cam thinks her dad hid evidence in the puzzle… something he would have considered insurance.”

“It would explain Brody’s persistence because, despite her amazing appeal, I don’t believe the man cares about anyone but himself.”Silas had moved so he could continue watching Fallon through one of the floor-to-ceiling windows.After the drone incident, Carson understood his friend’s reluctance to let her out of their sight.“She agreed to spend some time with Carl later.Hopefully, they’ll be able to work together on the puzzle’s solution.From what I’ve learned, anything inside the cylinder could be destroyed if the solution isn’t entered correctly after a set number of tries.”

“In this instance, Hollywood was off the mark.Cryptex puzzles like the one Fallon’s dad would have used have a different purpose.He wanted her to have whatever is inside, so it’s unlikely he would set it up to destroy the message if the wrong answer is entered the first time.”The group of men gathered around was growing as members of the team moved closer.Carson was pleased when the new members of the special operations teams stepped forward to offer their help outside their assigned duties.Knowing Fallon would have additional support if needed would go a long way to make certain she was safe.

Watching Fallon sip the drink Tobi set in front of her, Carson shook his head in amusement.She’d worked at a bar to pay her way through college, so she was no stranger to the scene, but she obviously wasn’t much of a drinker herself.They’d let her enjoy the party for a little longer before she answered Carl’s questions.

The plan was for the conversation to take place in one of the larger seating areas in the club’s main room.Limiting the number of people surrounding Fallon was a double-edged sword.Ensuring she was comfortable enough to speak freely was paramount.At the other end of the spectrum, they knew the more people who could hear what she had to say, the more likely it was someone in the group would figure out the puzzle’s solution.Since it was a numbers game, they arranged things so anyone else who might contribute would gather in the control room to brainstorm.

Micah Drake stepped into the circle, his expression dark as he handed a sheet of paper to Kyle before distributing the rest to Carson, Silas, Jax, and Sam McCall.“When we knew Fallon was on her way to Texas, I set up a few alerts on the dark web, as well as the one the general public uses.Before you ask… no, this isn’t something we always do, but it isn’t particularly unusual either.Since we didn’t have the same level of background information we have when we recruit, I made certain we used all the alerts at my disposal.”

Carson couldn’t argue with Micah’s logic.The man had been with the Wests since they first started the club and special teams—he was their head of security for a good reason.Micah was also a gifted empath who understood the value of trusting his instincts.Skimming over the information he had been handed, Carson was grateful Micah had made an effort to ferret out anything he could find.

“It appears the rumors are true.”Cam Barnes stared at the paper in his hands, the firm line of his mouth the only indication he was anything other than his usual calm, collected self.Sighing loud enough to draw questioning looks from the men surrounding him, Cam reluctantly added, “I’d heard the Fosters were close to shutting down an enormous drug import business.Everyone always assumed that was why they were taken out.”

“Fallon believes her parents were killed in a car accident.”Even as Carson spoke the words, he realized how naïve they sounded.

“I’m sure she does, although I’d guess she is less convinced now.No one from the agency would have told her the truth for too many reasons to list—chief among them her safety.Until now, being unaware was in her best interest.”

“How did anyone know she had the puzzle?”Silas asked without taking his eyes off the group of women laughing beside the pool.

“I have no idea, but the most likely scenario is her dad was being watched.Her father wasn’t known for being cautious, and his impending retirement probably had made him lackadaisical.If he hadn’t already been planning to leave the agency, the decision would have been made for him.His heart just wasn’t in it any longer—a feeling I understand all too well.An agent is only as good as his performance on his worst day.Halfway in is never an option.”Carson felt as though Cam was talking as much about himself as he was Fallon’s father.

“Cryptic, but not hard to sort out.I swear the dark web is being taken over by junior high school kids.”Carson understood Cam’s frustration.What started out as a sinister side of the internet was morphing into a place for extremists and kids.“Hagen Brody is nothing more than a means to an end.He’s already a marked man, whether or not he retrieves whatever is in that puzzle.My best guess?There is a list of contacts or suppliers inside the puzzle.I only hope there’s evidence to back up whatever we find because a simple list of names won’t be enough to protect Fallon.”

“If you can’t get them off the streets, they may still target her—either for revenge or out of concern she has more information hidden away.”Silas frowned as he took another look at the paper in his hand.“Let’s get her in here and see if we can figure out the solution to the puzzle.”

*

Fallon leaned backagainst the back of the leather sofa and sighed.“I got hit by a truck and didn’t feel this spent.”She gave Carson and Silas a wry smile hoping they understood she was teasing rather than complaining.Fallon had never made many friends outside work.The few people she’d gotten to know at the bar had been ruthless in their teasing.Her coworkers at the pharmacy had been so intimidated by the store’s management, they’d been afraid to speak to one another.

During the long drive to Texas, Fallon promised herself she’d find a better work environment this time around.The short time she’d spent with Dr.Cecelia Barnes was encouraging, but Fallon held back her enthusiasm.After the fiasco of her last job, she’d learned how quickly her career could be derailed when she made a hasty decision.She’d cursed herself a thousand times for not recognizing the job offer from Brody Pharmaceuticals was too good to be true.

“She’s done.”Something about the tone of Silas’s voice pulled Fallon back to the moment.

“Yeah, I can see she has checked out.”Blinking to bring Carl Phillips into focus, Fallon tried to straighten her spine and wondered when Carson had pulled her onto his lap.

“Stay where I put you, Cher.”Carson’s arms tightened enough to reinforce his warning.

“I’m sorry.It seems Tobi’s margarita reputation is well earned.”Her lame attempt to make light of the situation earned her a sympathetic smile from Carl, but she could see he would not relent.

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