Author: Allison Brennan
Category: Suspense
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/allison-brennan/page,12,583429-a_deeper_fear.html
Lucy had been listening to Brandy, but she was also keeping an eye on Laura. She was mingling, separate from Nick, but every time they looked at each other they grinned, like they were sharing a secret joke.
“We’re here as a precaution,” Lucy said.
Brandy glanced around, then leaned closer to Lucy and whispered, “When my dad told me that Nick’s money might be the target, I remembered something Laura told me a couple of weeks ago. Nick thinks that the trust—which was managed by a law firm that his uncle works for—has been mismanaged. He’d asked for an audit last year and it took what he thought was far too long to get him the results, and when he tried to ask questions, the accountancy firm was unavailable. It was weird, he said, and one of the reasons he wanted to move his money to my dad’s company.”
Warning bells went off. Greed as a motive seemed so crass to Lucy, even though it was common. But if there was something else—say, if the trust didn’t have the money—the motive might be much stronger.
“How big is the trust supposed to be?”
“I have no idea, but every heir—there are six, Nick and his siblings, and then three cousins—gets a guaranteed fifteen million on their twenty-fifth birthday. It was set up by Nick’s grandfather, who made all his money in land. If they don’t take it out, they get an allowance every month. Nick put his allowance in an investment fund because he can live off his earnings—he’s an architect. So is Laura—it’s how they met, they were hired to give competing bids for a project and ended up doing the job together because the client liked some of each plan. When they get back from their honeymoon, they’re starting their own company together. They’ve been renovating a house in South Land Park, near the zoo, where they’ll have their office as well so they can stay home with the baby.” She whispered baby, clearly because few people knew about the pregnancy.
Laura approached them at that moment and hugged her sister. “Brandy, this is amazing. Just amazing.” She then hugged Lucy. “Sorry, I’m just so happy!”
“I’m happy you’re happy,” Brandy said. “How’s the buffet? Do we have enough food?”
“Too much! And the desserts? That chocolate mousse? OMG, I’m going to gain ten pounds tonight. But I don’t care!” She grinned.
“Chocolate mousse, my favorite.” Lucy loved chocolate.
“You’ll have to get one—or two!—when my slave-driving sister lets you take a break.” She laughed, then said in a loud stage whisper, “I’ll bring you one.”
Lucy smiled. “Congratulations, Ms. Lesko.”
“Soon to be Mrs. Feliciano.”
The bride sighed again and looked over at Nick; he sensed her watching and glanced up from where he was talking to his mom. He winked at her and Laura beamed. “I just could not be happier. Where’s Dad? I haven’t seen him for a while.”
Megan was keeping an eye on Richard Lesko, but he wasn’t in the room. And neither was Megan.
Lucy needed to find him, but she was responsible for Laura. She glanced at Brandy, and the older sister picked up immediately on her dilemma.
“I’ll find Dad for you, Laura, you sit and take it easy.”
“Can I take Lucy here and get some chocolate mousse? She deserves it.”
“Absolutely, but save some for me and Dad.”
“No promises!” Laura called as she pulled Lucy over to the dessert table.
They ate and Laura was right—the mousse tasted even better than it looked. “I’m in heaven,” Lucy said.
“I know, right?”
Nick came over and kissed Laura lightly. “Sixteen hours,” he said.
“It can’t come soon enough.”
“Where are you going for your honeymoon?” Lucy asked.
“The Cascade Mountains,” Nick said. “I rented a cabin for two weeks. I don’t think either of us has ever had two weeks off in a row.”
“It’s perfect,” Laura concurred. “We can hike, we have privacy, there’s even a hot tub with an amazing view where we can watch the sunset. And I can sleep as late as I want. Not to mention we’re renovating our house in South Land Park, and I don’t really want to be around while they finish painting and installing the floors.”
“Brandy is more than capable of managing the crew,” Nick said. “Your sister can move mountains.”
“My husband and I honeymooned in Vail, away from everything. Couldn’t even see another cabin.” It wasn’t as relaxing as they’d planned, but murder seemed to follow Lucy and Sean wherever they went. “We went back for our one-year anniversary, last October, and it was even better.”
“That’s a great idea,” Nick said. “I’ll make sure to reserve the same place next year.”
“I need to use the ladies’ room,” Laura said, “if you’ll excuse me!”
Lucy said, “If you don’t mind, I’ll join you.”
She didn’t see Brandy or Richard, and that marginally worried her. But Megan was also gone, so she could be with him.
She checked her phone. Sean had sent a message that all was quiet across the street.
She texted Megan and asked for a status. Megan responded immediately that Lesko was in the lobby.
He’s called Jack three times already. He’s worried, and told me he didn’t want Laura to sense his worry. I’m trying to convince him that we have this under control.
Maybe they were wrong. Maybe no one was planning on breaking into Omni at all. Though John and his team had talked to every business, and no one had been robbed, maybe there was another reason for the marks on the roof—another heist planned, or some extreme stunt.
Then why attack Ellen Dupre and leave her for dead?
Lucy concurred with the others that something was planned directly related to what Ellen had recorded on the drone. John had convinced building security to bring in another guard and to change the pattern of how they monitored security feeds to keep eyes on each floor as much as possible.
Laura was chatty and happy, and Lucy hoped she never had to learn about the potential threat so she could fully enjoy her wedding.
Being around Laura and Nick reminded Lucy why she loved Sean. Having someone in your corner always, having someone to confide in, to share with, to cry on. A best friend, a lover, a soul mate. She had never believed it was possible before Sean; she couldn’t imagine not having him in her life. Maybe that’s why his reticence to talk about what happened with Paxton had hurt her so deeply—because when things were difficult, when they were the hardest, you should be able to trust the one person who has your back.
She realized now that his fear ran deeper than that, and that his hesitation wasn’t because of her, but because of everyone he’d lost and his deep-seated feelings of guilt. Paxton had always been good at psychological manipulation—so good that you could end up believing up was down, wrong was right, justice was injustice.
But Sean was on his way back to his old self, and they would overcome this crisis like they had overcome everything else life had thrown at them.
Lucy finished washing her hands then smiled at Laura. “You know, I wouldn’t object to a second chocolate mousse.”
“Oh God yes, let’s,” Laura said with a wide smile.
Lucy tried to step in front of Laura as they left the bathroom, but Laura was chatting and giddy at the same time.
A large man stepped into their path. He revealed a gun in his waistband and said, “If you want to see your sister alive, do not say a word, come with me.”
“No,” Lucy said. “Laura, don’t move.”
She tried to bring Laura back into the bathroom so that she wasn’t between Lucy and the stranger, and then Lucy would be able to pull her weapon and keep Laura out of harm’s way. But the stranger grabbed Laura by the arm and pulled her to him. She yelped. The bathrooms were down the hall and around the corner from the lounge where the party was. No one else was nearby.
“Don’t fight me. Look.”
He pulled out his cell phone and showed them a photo of Brandy in the back of w
hat appeared to be a limo. Brandy looked both scared and angry.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
“Come now or you won’t like what happens to her.”
Lucy had to act now. She was worried about Brandy, but her job was to protect Laura and there was no way she was letting Laura go with this man.
Fortunately, the stranger’s attention was on Laura, not Lucy. Simultaneously, she grabbed Laura, pushed the door shut, and pulled her own gun. “I’m FBI, get in the stall now!”
Laura was stunned to see the gun but she obeyed.
The stranger pushed against the door so hard that Lucy’s full body slammed against the tile wall. Her vision clouded, but she shook her head to refocus.
As soon as the man entered, gun drawn, she kicked up and out, startling him enough that he turned his focus to her and not Laura, who was closing the stall door.
“FBI,” Lucy said, “drop the weapon or I’ll shoot.”
He did neither. He ran.
Lucy had to pursue, but she couldn’t leave Laura alone. She ran out of the bathroom to see where he was going. He was heading for the staircase.
At that moment, Nick came out of the lounge. “I thought I heard a scream. Where’s Laura?”
Lucy pulled her badge out from under her shirt, where it had been concealed on a chain, and said, “Agent Kincaid, FBI, Laura’s in the bathroom, get her secured and call SPD now.”
She ran after the man while she pulled out her phone and hit REDIAL. Megan answered.
“I’m in pursuit of an armed Caucasian male, running down the east staircase. Six foot three, thirties, wearing dark khaki pants, dark blazer, gray shirt. Secure Lesko.”
“I’ll come to you.”
“Secure Lesko! They have Brandy, Laura is safe.”
She ended the call because she couldn’t run, talk, and maintain control of her weapon. If they had more time they could have checked out radios.
She saw the suspect three floors down and watched as he hopped over the railing, putting even more distance between them.
Lucy picked up speed, grateful that she’d worn black tennis shoes with the black slacks and white blouse “uniform” she and Brandy had decided on. Her blazer flapped behind her and she supported herself with the railing as she ran faster.
She didn’t know the layout of the hotel well, but there were two floors the suspect could exit the building from—the mezzanine level that went into the parking garage, and the lobby level, with multiple exits.
She was slowly gaining on the suspect, but there were too many floors between them. She tried to keep eyes on him but it was difficult to run and keep him in sight below. She heard a door open and looked—he was in the lobby.
He could easily exit through multiple doors on the east side of the building.
She called Megan again, but there was no answer. By the time Lucy reached the ground floor she didn’t see anyone.
Not her suspect.
Not Megan.
Not Richard Lesko.
She called John Black.
* * *
Megan ended the call with Lucy and went over to where Richard Lesko was talking with a woman in her thirties. They were walking toward the entrance of the hotel—the woman looked familiar, but Megan couldn’t place her. Maybe hotel security?
“Mr. Lesko,” Megan called out to get his attention.
He didn’t look at her, didn’t even acknowledge that he’d heard her. He walked out of the hotel and she knew something was wrong.
She needed to back up Lucy, but Lesko was in trouble. She followed Lesko and the woman, then called out again, “Lesko! Stop!”
The woman had Lesko by the arm and was pulling him out of the lobby, but he wasn’t resisting her.
Megan suspected that the woman had told Lesko his daughter was being held and to come with her, but Megan couldn’t let him be taken as well. They had a greater chance of getting Brandy out of this if they didn’t have Lesko in the crosshairs.
She pulled her badge out from under her blouse, let it drop on the chain around her neck, and called, “FBI, stop!”
Lesko looked back, but the woman pushed him forward.
The bellhop at the front door looked at Lesko, then at Megan. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt, so she didn’t ask him to get involved, but he clearly understood the situation.
He approached Lesko to help, then stopped and put his hands up.
That’s when Megan saw the gun in the woman’s hand.
Shit.
She pulled her own gun and followed them through the doors.
“Stop,” she said. “Let him go, you haven’t hurt anyone yet.”
The woman didn’t comment, but opened the door of the limo. Megan couldn’t shoot her, not with so many people around, and not with Lesko as a shield.
The bellhop suddenly yelled, “Watch out!” And pointed behind her.
Megan turned, trying to keep Lesko in view while assessing the new threat, but a large man hit her over the head with his gun and she fell to her knees. She whipped her gun up, but her vision was blurred and she didn’t trust she wouldn’t hit an innocent bystander.
Then she was off her feet and being carried to the limo.
“Leave her!” the woman shouted.
“Go, another one is coming!”
Megan was pushed to the floor of the limo and disarmed. Her worst nightmare. She had trained for this over and over and over. . . . but when the situation was happening in real time, seconds mattered, and she hadn’t been able to watch her own back.
The door slammed shut and the limo lurched forward, then into traffic.
“She’s a federal agent!” the woman said.
“She’s a good hostage then. The police aren’t going to shoot at one of their own.”
“The police aren’t going to shoot at anyone, dammit! You made this ten times worse than it would have been.”
Megan shook her head and opened her eyes, her head still pounding. But her vision was better. She reached up and felt blood on the back of her head and realized that if she’d been hit on the side like Ellen, she, too, could have been knocked out cold. The bastard had a wallop—and based on his build, she was sure it was the same guy as who had attacked Ellen.
The woman cuffed Megan’s right wrist to Brandy’s ankle, then searched her. Found her backup weapon, her knife—she’d never carried a knife until Jack had trained her to use it—and her identification.
“Megan Elliott. Elliott? Shit, you idiot! This is the district attorney’s fucking sister!”
How did she know that? Who was this woman? Why did she look familiar? Megan knew she’d seen her before, but she couldn’t remember where.
“We get the money, we leave,” the brute said. “Just like we planned.”
“Nothing has gone like we planned,” the woman said. “They brought in some security specialist who fucked us over, but that’s why we have more than one plan, right? So listen to me: I take Lesko up. If anyone tries to stop me, I’ll leverage the situation. I’ll do the job, then we release the hostages when we’re free and clear. But no one gets hurt unless they make a move first. No one, understand?”
“I’m not an idiot,” the man said.
Lesko asked Megan, clearly worried, “Is Laura okay?”
“Yes. She’s safe.”
“Shut up, Agent Elliott. No talking. No planning anything, no trouble, and you and the girl won’t be hurt. Play nice, don’t try anything stupid.”
The limo stopped only a minute or two after they left the hotel. When the door opened, the woman put her gun on Lesko. “Out. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I will if I have to.”
Lesko got out. In the dark, Megan realized they were outside the 1201K Tower.
Jack and Sean were inside. John was on the roof. They would figure this out. Lucy would have alerted them by now.
The woman closed the door, but then Megan heard the passenger front door open. She listened carefully but caught only part o
f the conversation.
A man was driving. He said something like, “Let’s just go.”
The woman was indistinct, then Megan heard, “. . . promise. Okay? Just do what I said, okay?”
“I love you. Don’t get hurt. Please.”
“I’ll be okay. I promise.” The woman closed the door, and the limo sped off.
Megan needed to use that information, but how?
* * *
Jack Kincaid ended the call with Lucy.
“They have Megan,” he said quietly. Calmly. Because he was always calm in action, even when the woman he loved was in danger.
Megan is smart, trained, capable.
He could tell himself that a hundred times, but she was still at risk from an unknown threat and he would not be at peace until he could touch her.
“Lucy thinks they’re coming here,” he continued. “She’s on her way, coming in through the back to avoid detection.”
“They got to the bride?”
“Her sister. Used her as bait to lure Richard Lesko into a limo after they couldn’t get to Laura. The bride is secure, in a room with her groom and hotel security.”
“They have to know their plan isn’t going to work. That if we know, we secured the money.”
“Maybe they’ll order Richard to steal from other clients. Whatever it is, can you stop them?”
“Then you won’t have backup.”
“I will. Lucy’s on her way, Black is aware of the situation. You need to secure yourself and do your thing.”
Jack didn’t understand half of what Sean did, but he trusted that he would be able to stop a major cyber-theft.
“Go, Sean,” Jack said, “we don’t have time to argue.”
Sean reluctantly went into Omni’s IT office and secured the door, as they had planned. Because they didn’t have all the information they needed, Sean had mirrored Lesko’s account onto the main IT computer so that he could monitor everything that Richard did on his computer, diverting money if necessary but still making it seem as if the transfer went through. The only problem was if the suspect had someone on the outside who was capable of watching the end account in real time, outside the Omni network. But they had to buy time, and this was the best way to do so.
Omni was a large office that took up most of the top floor, but because there was also a cafeteria here and a small administrative office, they had both a main entrance and a “rear” entrance. Jack looked at his vibrating phone and saw a message from Lucy that she was at the rear entrance.