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Authors: Debbie Macomber
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to be filled with static electricity. Ashley was convinced if she were to reach out and touch him she’d get an electrical jolt. The silence didn’t help. She was the one to breach it.
“You think with everything we’re finding in common that we could be friends?”
Dash grinned. “You’d think.”
“I’m willing.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Dash!” She punched his arm and he laughed. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard him laugh, but there was a difference in him now. He was more relaxed and it felt as if he’d lowered a wall and had come to trust her enough to be willing to share part of himself.
“You should laugh like that more often,” she said, wanting him to know she felt more relaxed and at ease with him, too.
“Hey, Ash, are you falling for me?” he asked, teasing her.
“You wish,” she said, hiding a smile.
Agent Jordan Wilkes rode in the unmarked black Suburban heading north on Interstate 5. A sense of urgency filled him. He was taking a gamble, following the instincts and past experience he’d garnered in pursuit of Ashley Davison. She’d been on his caseload ever since the domestic incident six years ago. She was clever and devious, and Wilkes was determined to see her behind bars before he retired.
Davison had tricked him before, but he’d learned to adjust to her convoluted thinking. He felt sure that she intended to take her hostage to Seattle. By now the former army intelligence officer would most likely have figured out his plight. Wilkes hoped Sutherland would leave clues the FBI could pick up on to aid in his release, before it was too late.
Agent Buckley drove as Wilkes reviewed the collected information regarding Dashiell Sutherland.
“Army intelligence officer,” he murmured aloud, as the scenery rushed past. They had given up following the speed limit. Law enforcement would be able to detect that they were government agents and wouldn’t pull them over for fudging with the law.
“That’s good, right?” Agent Buckley questioned. “That means her hostage is trained. He’d know how to handle this sort of situation. Do you think he was a random captive, or was this prearranged?”
“He worked with intelligence, on the guidance system in drones. I’m guessing she had him pegged. His capture wasn’t random. Whatever she’s up to, she needs him. The woman may come off as sweet and endearing, but her heart is as black as they come.”
Buckley frowned, as if he had a hard time assimilating this information.
Wilkes scowled at the junior agent. “Don’t underestimate this woman, Buckley. Her hostage is in serious danger. All we can hope is that we’re able to rescue him before she gets what she needs from him.”
Wilkes’s cell beeped, indicating he’d received a text. Reaching for his phone, he read the message as a sense of satisfaction filled him. “Just as I suspected. Their vehicle was caught on a surveillance camera heading north. They stopped at a rest stop at milepost 451. We might be able to get more information there.”
“Heading there now.”
A half-hour later they pulled into the rest area. Looking around, the first thing Wilkes noticed was a free coffee stand manned by the local VFW. The man in the booth wore a cap that identified him as a Vietnam vet. If luck was with them, the veteran might be able to provide vital information.
Once Buckley had parked the vehicle, he climbed out and headed toward the booth.
The vet regarded him closely as Wilkes approached. “Can I interest you in coffee?” he asked.
Wilkes flashed his identification. “Can you answer a few questions?”
The vet straightened. “Sure. What do you need to know?”
Agent Wilkes held out a photo of Dashiell Sutherland, taken in the airport. He’d had it blown up to show his face. “Did this man happen to stop here?”
The vet’s eyes widened as he studied the photo. “Yes, but I only saw him from a distance.”
Wilkes knew it. He’d felt it in his
“You think with everything we’re finding in common that we could be friends?”
Dash grinned. “You’d think.”
“I’m willing.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Dash!” She punched his arm and he laughed. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard him laugh, but there was a difference in him now. He was more relaxed and it felt as if he’d lowered a wall and had come to trust her enough to be willing to share part of himself.
“You should laugh like that more often,” she said, wanting him to know she felt more relaxed and at ease with him, too.
“Hey, Ash, are you falling for me?” he asked, teasing her.
“You wish,” she said, hiding a smile.
Agent Jordan Wilkes rode in the unmarked black Suburban heading north on Interstate 5. A sense of urgency filled him. He was taking a gamble, following the instincts and past experience he’d garnered in pursuit of Ashley Davison. She’d been on his caseload ever since the domestic incident six years ago. She was clever and devious, and Wilkes was determined to see her behind bars before he retired.
Davison had tricked him before, but he’d learned to adjust to her convoluted thinking. He felt sure that she intended to take her hostage to Seattle. By now the former army intelligence officer would most likely have figured out his plight. Wilkes hoped Sutherland would leave clues the FBI could pick up on to aid in his release, before it was too late.
Agent Buckley drove as Wilkes reviewed the collected information regarding Dashiell Sutherland.
“Army intelligence officer,” he murmured aloud, as the scenery rushed past. They had given up following the speed limit. Law enforcement would be able to detect that they were government agents and wouldn’t pull them over for fudging with the law.
“That’s good, right?” Agent Buckley questioned. “That means her hostage is trained. He’d know how to handle this sort of situation. Do you think he was a random captive, or was this prearranged?”
“He worked with intelligence, on the guidance system in drones. I’m guessing she had him pegged. His capture wasn’t random. Whatever she’s up to, she needs him. The woman may come off as sweet and endearing, but her heart is as black as they come.”
Buckley frowned, as if he had a hard time assimilating this information.
Wilkes scowled at the junior agent. “Don’t underestimate this woman, Buckley. Her hostage is in serious danger. All we can hope is that we’re able to rescue him before she gets what she needs from him.”
Wilkes’s cell beeped, indicating he’d received a text. Reaching for his phone, he read the message as a sense of satisfaction filled him. “Just as I suspected. Their vehicle was caught on a surveillance camera heading north. They stopped at a rest stop at milepost 451. We might be able to get more information there.”
“Heading there now.”
A half-hour later they pulled into the rest area. Looking around, the first thing Wilkes noticed was a free coffee stand manned by the local VFW. The man in the booth wore a cap that identified him as a Vietnam vet. If luck was with them, the veteran might be able to provide vital information.
Once Buckley had parked the vehicle, he climbed out and headed toward the booth.
The vet regarded him closely as Wilkes approached. “Can I interest you in coffee?” he asked.
Wilkes flashed his identification. “Can you answer a few questions?”
The vet straightened. “Sure. What do you need to know?”
Agent Wilkes held out a photo of Dashiell Sutherland, taken in the airport. He’d had it blown up to show his face. “Did this man happen to stop here?”
The vet’s eyes widened as he studied the photo. “Yes, but I only saw him from a distance.”
Wilkes knew it. He’d felt it in his
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