getting killed. We’ve been too busy dodging death ourselves.”
“Okay, good. That’s good to know. So why won’t your friend go to the cops?”
“He says even the cops can’t help him. They’ll just lock him up and the people he’s running from will have him knocked off in prison.”
Ron paused and she knew he was thinking. “He might be right,” he said. “Even if the cops do happen to believe him, the proof against him is pretty tight. They’ll still put him behind bars until it’s proven he’s innocent.”
“I know. Which is why I’m still helping him.” She sucked ina deep breath and forced her tired brain to produce a coherent thought. “Okay. Can you get us to New York?”
“New York?”
“I have my reasons and will share them with you as soon as I have permission.” She shot a glance at Ian who rubbed his eyes and continued to frown as he listened.
“Fine. I’m going to make a few phone calls,” Ron said. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll call you back.”
Jackie hung up and filled Ian in on what was going on. Ian paced, his agitation clear.
“Don’t worry, Ron’s not going to turn us in. He’s going to help us.”
“How?”
“I want to share the email with him. And the FBI and whoever else needs to know about it.” She tapped a hand against her thigh as she thought. “If you’re being accused of terrorism and that accusation is tied to that email, then it stands to reason that the email may be part of a plan related to a terrorist act. And if it’s code, then it needs to be deciphered as soon as possible.”
The air left Ian’s lungs and he buried his face in his hands. “This is crazy. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen to people like me.” He shook his head. “I’m going to try Holly again.” Jackie handed him the phone and waited while he dialed. When she didn’t answer once again, frustration and fear for his cousin glinted in his eyes. He hung up. “I’m going to call the cops and have them go check on her.”
She nodded. “Yes, please do.”
He hesitated. “No, they’ll know it’s me and might not take me seriously—or try to bargain with me.”
“Bargain with you?”
“Like they’ll check on her if I’ll just turn myself in.”
She raised an eyebrow, proud of him for thinking of that. “That’s true. Good point.”
“I’ll call her dad.”
“That might be a bad idea. The FBI have no doubt contacted him. You know he’ll cooperate with them. They may be listening.”
He paused and frowned. Then he finally drew in a deep breath. “I have to try. Holly could be in danger because of me. I have to at least try. Can you at least understand that?”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I can.”
He dialed and Jackie listened via speakerphone. The phone clicked on the third ring. “Uncle Dean, it’s me. Don’t hang up.”
A slight pause as though the man were debating whether to do exactly what his nephew had asked him not to. “Turn yourself in, kid,” he finally said. “What goes around comes around, eh? Not so high and mighty now, are you?”
Jackie wanted to be snarky right back, but Ian ignored the jab. He waved a hand as though to say it wasn’t important. He was right, so she bit her lip.
“I need you to check on Holly and Lucy,” Ian said.
“They’re fine. You leave those girls alone.”
“You don’t understand, Uncle Dean. I sent Holly something. She could be in danger. Lucy too.”
Silence. Then swearing. Ian flinched. “What did you do, you moron?”
Ian closed his eyes. “I didn’t know—never mind. Please check on them and make sure they’re all right.”
“I will.”
Click.
Jackie lifted a brow. “That was harsh.”
“He has his reasons, I suppose.”
“Will he really check on them?”
“Yes. He will. He and Holly don’t get along, but he’ll trackher down.” He cleared his throat. “The only thing is, I won’t know if she’s okay because he won’t tell me and she won’t know to call me
“Okay, good. That’s good to know. So why won’t your friend go to the cops?”
“He says even the cops can’t help him. They’ll just lock him up and the people he’s running from will have him knocked off in prison.”
Ron paused and she knew he was thinking. “He might be right,” he said. “Even if the cops do happen to believe him, the proof against him is pretty tight. They’ll still put him behind bars until it’s proven he’s innocent.”
“I know. Which is why I’m still helping him.” She sucked ina deep breath and forced her tired brain to produce a coherent thought. “Okay. Can you get us to New York?”
“New York?”
“I have my reasons and will share them with you as soon as I have permission.” She shot a glance at Ian who rubbed his eyes and continued to frown as he listened.
“Fine. I’m going to make a few phone calls,” Ron said. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll call you back.”
Jackie hung up and filled Ian in on what was going on. Ian paced, his agitation clear.
“Don’t worry, Ron’s not going to turn us in. He’s going to help us.”
“How?”
“I want to share the email with him. And the FBI and whoever else needs to know about it.” She tapped a hand against her thigh as she thought. “If you’re being accused of terrorism and that accusation is tied to that email, then it stands to reason that the email may be part of a plan related to a terrorist act. And if it’s code, then it needs to be deciphered as soon as possible.”
The air left Ian’s lungs and he buried his face in his hands. “This is crazy. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen to people like me.” He shook his head. “I’m going to try Holly again.” Jackie handed him the phone and waited while he dialed. When she didn’t answer once again, frustration and fear for his cousin glinted in his eyes. He hung up. “I’m going to call the cops and have them go check on her.”
She nodded. “Yes, please do.”
He hesitated. “No, they’ll know it’s me and might not take me seriously—or try to bargain with me.”
“Bargain with you?”
“Like they’ll check on her if I’ll just turn myself in.”
She raised an eyebrow, proud of him for thinking of that. “That’s true. Good point.”
“I’ll call her dad.”
“That might be a bad idea. The FBI have no doubt contacted him. You know he’ll cooperate with them. They may be listening.”
He paused and frowned. Then he finally drew in a deep breath. “I have to try. Holly could be in danger because of me. I have to at least try. Can you at least understand that?”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I can.”
He dialed and Jackie listened via speakerphone. The phone clicked on the third ring. “Uncle Dean, it’s me. Don’t hang up.”
A slight pause as though the man were debating whether to do exactly what his nephew had asked him not to. “Turn yourself in, kid,” he finally said. “What goes around comes around, eh? Not so high and mighty now, are you?”
Jackie wanted to be snarky right back, but Ian ignored the jab. He waved a hand as though to say it wasn’t important. He was right, so she bit her lip.
“I need you to check on Holly and Lucy,” Ian said.
“They’re fine. You leave those girls alone.”
“You don’t understand, Uncle Dean. I sent Holly something. She could be in danger. Lucy too.”
Silence. Then swearing. Ian flinched. “What did you do, you moron?”
Ian closed his eyes. “I didn’t know—never mind. Please check on them and make sure they’re all right.”
“I will.”
Click.
Jackie lifted a brow. “That was harsh.”
“He has his reasons, I suppose.”
“Will he really check on them?”
“Yes. He will. He and Holly don’t get along, but he’ll trackher down.” He cleared his throat. “The only thing is, I won’t know if she’s okay because he won’t tell me and she won’t know to call me
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