Thread Of Revenge
He nodded gravely, but didn’t look like he was going to reveal anything else.
“Gage, you said your office. You mean the Coast Guard? You were on that cutter. What exactly do you do in the Coast Guard? The deputy called you a special agent. And you’re investigating. You never told me anything. I figured you’d just jumped in the water for me because you were part of the Coast Guard cutter.”
“I’m CGIS. Coast Guard Investigative Services. But I’m a civilian, not military. CGIS is a federal law enforcement agency. We operate outside the Coast Guard chain of command. That said, some agents are active duty military and others are Coast Guard reserve. And others like me are civilian special agents.”
“Oh.” Well, now, that was something. Impressive.
“And... I jumped in the water when I saw it was you. I had to save a friend.” That grin again.
What would have happened to her if she hadn’t had a friend out there today? Still, Karon hadn’t had a friend when she’d needed one. Fatigue tugged at Sadie and she yawned. “I want to help you with your investigation into Karon’s murder.”
“Wait. One, I’m not sure I’ll be the one to investigate. Two, you aren’t helping with the investigation, regardless. Let the authorities do their job without your interference. You don’t want to stand in the way of the process or hinder the investigation...or mess with evidence. Besides, it could be dangerous. Don’t forget, someone tried to kill you today.” He hung his head as if that thought disturbed him deeply, then raised it again.
“I haven’t forgotten, believe me. It’s obviously related, don’t you see?” Her voice pitched higher than usual, and a little too loud for the close quarters.
“Yes, I see. I assure you we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Gage, please see if they will let you be the one to investigate.”
“I don’t know. I’m already involved in another case—that’s how I ran into you on the ocean. I was out chasing down drug runners when we learned about your sinking boat.”
“I’d feel so much better if it were you—someone I know and trust. Will you talk to your boss?”
His forehead wrinkled.
“I mean, unless you don’t feel comfortable. I’m sorry. I guess I overstepped.”
“It’s not that.” He leveled his intense gaze on her again. “I’m concerned for your safety.”
And her heart swelled. She had the feeling if the deputy had told her the same thing, it wouldn’t have meant nearly as much.
“I’m back, sweetie.” Aunt Debby entered the room carrying a plastic bag of toiletries and clothes.
Aunt Debby nodded. “Hey, Gage. Good to see you again.”
He smiled. “Same here.”
Sadie grabbed the toiletries and clothes and changed in the bathroom.
When she stepped out fully dressed, Aunt Debby looked her up and down. “Oh. They’re releasing you so soon?”
Sadie chuckled. “You act like that’s a bad thing.”
“Well, no, it’s not. As long as you’re better and they’re not rushing the process.”
“I’ve been waiting on a wheelchair for half an hour. I wouldn’t call that rushing.”
“Why didn’t you call me? I would have come right back and lit a fire under them.”
“Now that you’re here maybe you can alert the nurse so we can get out of here.”
“I will. Just a second.” Her aunt dug around in her pocket. “Oh, I found that item you were looking for.”
She handed it to Sadie, then left the room. Sadie lifted the small dolphin pendant up to examine it in the light.
“What’s that?” Gage asked.
“Proof that Karon was on that same boat that sank today.”
* * *
Gage stiffened. This could be an important piece of evidence.
She held the silver pendant out. “It’s a dolphin. I gave it to her on her twenty-first birthday.”
Scraping a hand through his hair, he paced the room. The nurse pushed a wheelchair through the door, Aunt Debby behind her.
“All right. Your aunt tells me you’re ready to go home,” the nurse said.
Sadie nodded.
Gage couldn’t walk away from this. He’d been to the beach, met with the coroner and watched as Sean’s body was removed. Sean’s death had likely occurred two weeks after Karon’s, but that didn’t mean they weren’t related. And it was tied to the attempt on Sadie’s life somehow. His drug running investigation would normally take second place to a Coast Guard murder investigation, but his SAC wanted to know if the deaths were somehow tied to the drug runners. He could still assign Thompkins and not Gage. Since Gage had absolutely no intention of leaving Sadie without protection, he’d give Jim another call to press him.
And if Jim gave him what he wanted—to work the investigation on Sadie’s attempted murder as it tied to Karon’s death, which would give him the opportunity to protect her, Gage had to be careful. Under no circumstances could he let himself crush on her again.
An image flitted through his mind of them walking the beach together years ago. He’d been enamored with her, but all she talked about was the Coastie she was in love with. Gage had been able to get over her then. He’d moved on and found someone who returned his affection, and he allowed himself to fully, completely love. But that had left him heartbroken in the end.
Lesson learned—love wasn’t for him.
And carrying that lesson in his back pocket, no way would he have a thing for Sadie this time, no matter how much time they spent together. But his protective instincts had kicked into full throttle. He had to stick close enough for long enough to protect her and help her find the truth. He’d make a call to his SAC and hope for the best.
All this he considered as he walked alongside Sadie as the nurse pushed her in the wheelchair down the hallway.
“Sadie. I have a question about the dolphin pendant,” he said. “You woke up on a sinking boat and you thought to grab that?”
“My cheek was pressed into the carpet. The pendant was there when I opened my eyes. It was small but I recognized it, so I grabbed it.”
Gage tugged a latex glove from his pocket and held his palm out as she handed it over.
“You think you’re going to find prints on that after what it’s been through?” Aunt Debby asked.
He eyed her. “Has it been through the wash?”
“Well, if you count the ocean...”
“You never know. Maybe the tiniest fiber could be important, and it’s still there.” He stuck it in one of the small evidence bags he kept in his pocket. The sheriff’s department would take the lead on murder and attempted murder investigations, but the Coast Guard would conduct a parallel investigation of their own since a Coastie had been a victim, and they believed it could be tied to the drug runners. CGIS had jurisdiction over maritime drug smuggling. Gage hoped he could find the evidence he needed for jurisdiction. He would have to consider if he should turn this pendant over to Crowley or send it to be analyzed himself—that is, if he was assigned to the investigation. Otherwise, it would go to Thompkins.
“Wow, you’re prepared, aren’t you?”
“Always. In fact, I’m going to grab my vehicle and meet you at the exit.” He took off down the hallway and headed out the door. He jogged over to his SUV, holding the dolphin, proof, Sadie claimed, that Karon had been on that boat. It could be something. It could be nothing.
Inside the vehicle, he called his SAC at the regional headquarters in Seattle as he maneuvered over to the hospital doors where Sadie and her aunt would soon exit.
“Jim, glad I caught you.”
“You’re just the man I was about to call.”
“Oh?”
“Both CGIS special agent Thompkins and the sheriff’s department investigated Karon Casings’s death. You likely already know that nothing led them to conclude her death had been foul play or that the Coast Guard had any jurisdiction, even if it had been. I’m reopening the investigation into Karon’s death.” Jim hesitated, then said, “Gage, I need fresh eyes on this. With what you’ve told me about Sadie Strand, if you dig into who put her on that boat to die, you might find a link to Karon’s death and to your drug runners. You and Thompkins can work it from different angles.”
“I agree, sir. It has to be related.” Gage thought he heard something more in Jim’s words—some emotion he couldn’t quite pin down. Suspicion? “What if Karon and Sean had been on a boat? Maybe they ran into trouble out there. Sean was held against his will then shot and killed later so they washed up on shore at separate times.” How did all of this play into Sadie’s abduction and attempted murder?
“It’s your job to figure it out. And Gage...”
“Yes, sir?”
“We need to wrap this up quickly. I don’t want another Coastie washing up onto the beach.” Anger infused Jim’s tone, but Gage knew it wasn’t directed at him.
He ended the call, pleased on the one hand that he could stay close to Sadie, keep an eye out, as he investigated. But there was a downside to that—he’d have to stay close to Sadie.
When he pulled around the circular hospital drive for pickup and drop-off, Sadie was just being wheeled out the door, her aunt Debby plodding faithfully behind her. He hopped out and went around to open the door for her.
“What are you doing, Gage?” Debby asked. “I can take her home.”
He assisted Sadie up into his SUV, soaking in her smile.
“But we’re not going home, are we, Special Agent Sessions?” Her blue eyes shimmered with expectation.
And her smile engaged his heart a little too much so he looked back at her aunt. “Debby, if it’s all right with you, Sadie and I have somewhere to go. But I’ll take you over to your car so you don’t have to walk.”
“Nonsense. I can walk. I need the exercise. And for pity’s sake, the girl just got out of the hospital.” Her aunt appeared nonplussed, but her eyes twinkled as though she was glad something was going on between them. And Gage wished he hadn’t noticed that. Because he wasn’t taking Sadie out for a date. Nothing was going on between them.
“He’s taking me over to Karon’s vacation house, Aunt Debby.” Sadie leaned out the door and kissed her aunt on the forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ll be home for dinner.”
She was right about their destination, but what on earth had given her the idea he was taking her to Karon’s vacation house? Did she really know him that well? Or was it just the next logical step in the investigation?
Her aunt shook her head and walked off, mumbling to herself, though she had a teasing tone. “Kids these days.”
Gage climbed into the driver’s side. After she settled into the passenger seat, Sadie tilted her head toward him.
“I didn’t tell you I was assigned the investigation yet,” he said. “It’s awfully presumptuous for you to think I was, and then to include yourself in it, which isn’t how I normally work.” Still, he couldn’t help but grin at her. “So how did you know?”
“What, that we’re going back to the last place Karon had been? The last place I was before the boat?”
He nodded and shifted the SUV into gear. He’d follow Debby to her car and see that she got in and drove off. Then he’d call Crowley to let him know in case the man wanted to meet them there. He hoped they had already put crime scene tape up again since Sadie had been abducted from that location. Gage would officially be investigating Karon’s murder. And yes, he’d refer to it as a homicide now even if Crowley objected.
Sadie glanced his way, and he felt the tug of her gaze. He idled in the parking lot while Aunt Debby climbed into her midsize sedan.
“Because I can show you what the other guys missed and you know that,” Sadie said. “And I figure that you’re a hero, Gage, and there’s a killer still out there. That’s a ticking time bomb waiting to go off and I’m at the center of that explosion once he learns I survived. Now what are you going to do about it?”
FOUR
A ticking time bomb. Man, she had a way with words—a way to put the situation into a whole new perspective as if it were only a matter of time before the killer got his hands on her again and would finish the job. Gage already believed she was in danger. Her words had a profound effect on him, causing fear to cinch his throat.
“What am I going to do about it? Glad you asked. I have every intention of finding the person responsible.” And of protecting you, while I’m at it, Sadie Strand.
“So you’re the one who is going to investigate?” Her tone held a measure of hope.
That shouldn’t make him happy, but it did.
Sadie’s aunt safely in her car, Gage steered his vehicle out of the hospital parking lot. “Yes. I talked to my SAC. I’ve been assigned to investigate. Though Karon’s death was initially ruled an accident, there’s been another incident in addition to your attempted murder.” He’d alluded to it earlier but hadn’t told Sadie about Sean yet.
“And what’s that?”
“Listen, Sadie, let’s make one thing clear. I’m taking you to where you were abducted so that it will possibly trigger your memory. Whatever you tell me will help me to find Karon’s killer and your abductor all in one, but other than that, you’re not investigating with me. Understand?”
“Oh, really? You need me, special agent man. I know things that can help you, like you just said. For instance, I brought up the wiped computer hard drive and we’re going to check on that now and see if we can find anything else.”
“We won’t touch the computer if it’s there. I’ll have to call in a computer tech if we want anything found to be used in a criminal case. The fact that you already touched it could ruin that for us, but we’ll take this one step at a time. For my part, I’m only interested in what we can find as it ties to Karon’s duties as a Coast Guard reservist or to the maritime drug smuggling ring I’m investigating.”
“I don’t understand. Aren’t you trying to find who killed her?”
Yes and no. How did he explain?
“I’m investigating her murder as it pertains to the ring. Finding whoever left you out there could lead me to those involved. Was Karon murdered by the drug runners? Those who are involved in the ring? Or was she involved with them somehow?”
“What? No way!”
“Those were just sample questions. Was she associated with anyone possibly connected to the drug runners and maritime smuggling ring?” Yes, with Sean, depending on how he tied into it. Thompkins was looking into that.
“I don’t know of anyone.”
“What else can I learn about her murder that will lead me to the smugglers who will either be arrested for her murder or for drug running, or both? That’s why I will work with the sheriff’s department and other law enforcement entities as necessary. My goal is to determine if charges can be brought under the laws the Coast Guard enforces.”
Sadie appeared to slump as if disappointed. He touched her arm. “You should know something. If my SAC hadn’t assigned me, I would have pushed for it.” Now, why did he think she had needed to know that?
But her spirits appeared to lift, so he’d been right to share.
“Thank you, Gage. I’m glad you’re the one to find Karon’s killer. And... I feel safe when I’m with you.” She averted her gaze as if it was too hard to see his reaction to her words.
They had served only to further ignite his protectiveness.
He needed to focus back on task. “I’ll have to meet up with the other CGIS special agent and get his notes. I’ll read them tonight. But the fact that you were abducted from Karon’s house and left to drown on a sinking boat suggests there must be something in the house worth looking at.”
“And someone doesn’t want me digging around and finding out who killed Karon.”
A lump grew in his throat. He’d saved Sadie from the ocean, from the attempted murder. He prayed to God he could protect her until they caught the killer. Karon’s killer. Like his SAC had said, he wanted this solved quickly so no one else would die. Gage couldn’t agree more.
On the lengthy drive from the hospital back to the coast, he contacted Deputy Crowley and left a message that they were headed to the Casingses’ vacation house. A long peninsula separated Coldwater Bay from the ocean. Several rivers emptied into the bay bordered by a few small towns—Joshua, West Plymouth, Oyster City, Bay City and Jackson—where Sadie lived with her aunt on the cove side of Coldwater Bay. Finally, Gage steered the SUV down Oceanview Drive on the Washington state coastline, nearing the rental house where Karon had been staying.
Before him, the rock-studded coastline slid by.
Sadie leaned her elbow against the door and rested her chin on her hand. “Everything seems so surreal.”
Gage understood what she meant. Sadie had been out in the middle of stormy waters mere hours ago and had almost died. Likely would have if the Kraken hadn’t been on those waters, and maybe even if Gage hadn’t been there. Still, he wanted to keep her talking and asked, “How’s that?”
“I was just thinking about Coldwater Bay. The history of this place. Decades ago. A century ago even, this place was busy with trafficking, smuggling, and other crimes. But now it’s so peaceful as if none of that ever happened, with a thriving tourist economy. I guess after everything that happened today, I should say it only seems peaceful.”
“It seems like a dream that I grew up here and am back in Coldwater Bay on an investigation.” With you, no less! It hit too close to home. Fate was cruel or God had a sense of humor. He could decide which when this was over.
Finally, they neared Karon’s vacation house. Gage parked in the street in front, half on the grass, half on the asphalt. A sand drive led up to the house.
He shifted to face Sadie.
“It also seems like a dream that I almost drowned today. And that Karon is gone. Murdered.” She angled her head.
He wished she wouldn’t look at him like that, her soft blue eyes reminding him of moments like this in college. But several years and life experiences had changed them both. And today’s incident had also likely changed Sadie in ways she didn’t even realize yet.
She reached for the door handle. “She would never have been out in the water that cold without a dry suit.”
“That’s why things like that are called accidents, but now that it appears someone tried to stop you from interfering, we have to look deeper.” And end this before someone else got killed.
She opened the door.
“Sadie, wait.” Gage jumped out and ran around to stand in her way. “Wait for me. I’ve been put on this case now, sure, but it’s more than that. You can show me things I might not otherwise notice, yes, but the initial investigators have already searched the house for clues. Though they didn’t find anything, as you know, we should still be careful not to disturb anything that could turn out to be evidence or help us find out who did this to Karon.” He might want to bring in forensics. Since neither Thompkins nor Crowley had thought Karon had been murdered, they had likely missed something.
“Don’t you think I know that?” Her brows furrowed. “The initial investigators missed the proof. They probably didn’t even look at her computer. But I did and found it wiped clean.”
“Maybe they looked and found nothing suspicious. Maybe it wasn’t wiped when they were there, or they had no reason to even look. I’ll have to read through the report, like I said.” He held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go.”
The sudden sense that someone was watching them crawled over him. Trees butted up near the house, which faced the ocean. Waves crashed against the rocks behind them. He squeezed her hand. Was he making a mistake?
A door shut. A man in a red cap that shadowed his face exited the house.
Gage froze. The man spotted him and took off running into the thick temperate forest that hugged the Washington coast.
“Wait in the truck.” Gage tossed the keys to Sadie and ran after the man.
“I’m not waiting here!” She followed Gage around the house and into the woods, but soon fell behind. He couldn’t leave her there alone. He’d lost the man anyway.
Gage backtracked through the trees and found Sadie behind a tree. He grabbed her hand and kept walking back toward his SUV. “This is too dangerous. I should never have brought you here.” He tugged his cell out to call for backup.
The air whooshed from his lungs as a concussive explosion slammed his back, forcing him to the ground.
* * *
Sadie lifted her face out of the sand, gasping for breath. What just happened? Her ears were ringing. Strong arms gripped her. Pulled her up and against a wide chest. Once again she found herself in Gage’s capable arms.
His face appeared blurry. His mouth was moving, but she couldn’t hear his words, understand them. But she knew he asked if she was okay.
She nodded. “I think...” How could she be sure? She focused on Gage. “Are you okay?”
He looked dazed himself. They sat there together for a few seconds.
Flames consumed the house—Karon’s family vacation house. Gage stood and pulled Sadie to her feet.
Dizziness swept over her, but she ignored it as she took in the utter devastation heating up the air around them. “Oh, no, Gage.”
Though her ears were still ringing, she heard her own voice this time.
He searched the ground near their feet and closer to the SUV.
“What are you looking for?” Sadie noticed a few chunks of the house—the roof, shards of glass from the windows, a splintered door—all these unintentional deadly weapons littered the yard.
“My cell. I was about to call for backup. Now we need emergency services. A fire truck.”
They could have been killed a thousand times over. They could have been inside the house when it blew up. Thank You, God! Her knees wanted to buckle but she refused to give in.
“There. I see it.” Sadie pointed at his cell on the ground a few yards away. She stuck close to him as he found the phone and examined it.
His demeanor on edge, he made a call as he held her gaze. “It’s ringing. Seems to be working fine.”
Phone to his ear, he led Sadie back to his SUV and they both climbed in. He locked the doors as he relayed the information regarding the blast. When he ended the call, he reached for Sadie’s hand, hesitated, then pulled back.
“They’re sending an ambulance too. I want you to go with them. You need to make sure you don’t have a concussion or internal injuries.”
“I think I’d know if I did.” Wouldn’t she? Though she couldn’t say she’d ever experienced a concussion before, or internal injuries for that matter. “And what about you? You need to make sure you’re all right too. Don’t try to be all tough guy on me, CGIS special agent Gage Sessions.”
She dragged out his name as an attempt to add humor to the situation, but it rolled over him. His gaze darkened. “I’ve been through worse. I need to stay and talk to the sheriff. He might be calling in state police at this point. Lots of law enforcement to deal with, and I need to stay connected.”
“I understand, but I don’t want to leave. I want to be part of it too.”
“You’re not an investigator, Sadie. I know you tried by looking through her house, but it’s not safe for you here at the moment.” He worked his jaw. “Whoever was in the house must have planted an explosive device. Or they could have cut the gas lines and rigged it to explode to possibly look like an accident.”
“Except we saw him leaving. But I didn’t get a good look.”
“Unfortunately, neither did I, but I know it was a man. He wore a red cap. I know his height and approximate weight. And he could still be out there somewhere watching us from a distance.” He reached over and this time he took her hand. “I won’t lie to you. Investigating is turning out to be more dangerous than I thought, but I want to keep you close. I want to make sure you’re okay and stay that way. I want to protect you if I can, but I’m not sure how I can do both.”
Protect her? Sadie wasn’t sure how to take his words. Was he saying them from his position as a CGIS special agent? Or was it coming from somewhere inside of him? Something far more personal. At the thought, her heart tingled with warmth that was more than what she should feel for a friend. She and Gage had been friends before and they were still friends. She trusted him with her life, but feeling something more for him? That would never work. Even though he wasn’t active duty or reserve Coast Guard and instead worked for CGIS as a civilian, he might as well be a Coastie, and Sadie had written off falling for a Coastie ever again.