Race Against Time (37 page)

Slim dropped to the ground.

Anesia cried out behind the gag in her mouth.

Rick knelt down in front of her. Recognition lit her eyes and she shook her head.

He yanked the gag from her mouth and untied her hands.

“No. Not you. Why’d you kill him?”

His chest tightened even more. Breathing hurt. The pain shot in arrows down his left arm. Up his neck. “To save you.”

Snow crunched behind him. He clutched his chest, the pain too much to bear.

“Freeze! FBI!”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

ANESIA

3:45 a.m.

Everything blurred in front of her. Rick collapsed into her arms. She blinked back tears as uniformed agents and officers crowded around her.

“Ma’am? You okay?”

She nodded.

“Are you Anesia Naltsiine?”

Another nod.

Rick’s eyes fluttered open, his hand clutching the front of her coat.

Agents pushed forward.

“No!” She held them back.

Rick gasped for air. “Dan . . .”

She clung to him. “Dan? Dan what?”

“Forgive me. Forgive . . .”

Guilt flooded her. She’d held on to her stubbornness and pride too long. Sobs gushed from her, she couldn’t see. Couldn’t even speak around the emotion pouring out.

Rick slumped back. Two big men pulled him from her arms.

An agent spoke into a cell phone. “She’s alive. We’ll bring her home.”

A female agent gave a gentle prod, encouraging her to stand. “Come on, ma’am. We’ve got some people who are anxious to see you.” The woman kept talking as she led her to a car, but Anesia couldn’t hear her past the fog in her brain, couldn’t feel anything other than the sobs wracking her body.

She needed Zoya. To feel her baby. Make sure she was okay.

She needed Sean. To feel those strong arms around her.

She needed to go home.

The image of Derek lying in his own blood flashed in her mind. Over and over again. She wanted to throw up. Guilt grew. All she could think about earlier was revenge. Rage had blinded her. Every time that still small voice whispered “forgive” she’d ignored it.

Oh, God! What have I done?

Two more men were dead. Two men who needed forgiveness. Two men who needed the Lord. And she’d been too angry to see it. Closing her eyes, she allowed her thoughts to drift back to Dan. Her first love. Her only love until Sean.

How was Dan mixed up in all this? Why hadn’t he ever told her about Rick? Why did he have to die?

Forgive
.

They were moving, but she wasn’t feeling anything other than her anger. The guilt and pain it caused. Tears poured from her eyes, drenching her face, her shirt, her hands.

Let go, Anesia. Forgive
.

Derek’s face, then Rick’s popped into her mind again. She couldn’t take it anymore. She poured her heart out to God. All the guilt and rage. “Help me forgive.”

Derek. Rick. The shooter. Dan. Herself. God. Everything burst to the surface. Stubborn and prideful, she’d held tight to her independence. But it’d only hurt her in the end.

As she confessed each thing, tiny weights lifted off her shoulders. As she forgave each name, each face, even her own, she felt the knots in her shoulders and neck release.

Her sobs subsided and an indescribable peace and joy flooded her.

After all these years, she could still see Dan’s smile, because Zoya inherited it. And right now, she felt him smiling at her. Urging her to be happy. To move on with her life. And Zoya’s.

“Ms. Naltsiine.” A tap on her shoulder brought her back from her state of exhaustion. Had she fallen asleep?

“Ma’am, you’re home. Let’s get you inside.” The female agent was beside her again.

The door of the house flew open and Zoya raced down the steps toward her. “Mom!”

Sean followed right behind her, with Cole, Andie, and Jenna bringing up the rear.

Her daughter threw her arms around her shoulders, and Sean wrapped them both in his arms. He whispered into Anesia’s hair. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I died inside thinking you didn’t even know how I felt.”

Anesia allowed the laughter to bubble up inside her even as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

She was home.

The agents stood to the side for several moments, then Agent Philips spoke. “I think we need to move inside.”

She nodded. And the others traipsed up the steps into her home, everyone talking at once.

When they were seated in the living room, Anesia ensconced between Sean and Zoya, Cole started the questioning. “Did anyone hurt you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

He turned to the agent in charge. “What happened? Your call came in before the drop-off was even to take place.”

Agent Philips sat on a chair across from Anesia. “Rick Kon’ hired a homeless man to deliver an envelope to us before the drop-off. In it, he outlined the plan to use our ambush at the drop-off as a chance for their inside man to steal the real macrochips from us. But even more than that, the mastermind—who we haven’t found yet—blew the facility at precisely four a.m. Mr. Kon’ saved ten of our agents tonight. And we caught the mole.”

“And AMI?” Cole stood stiff.

“Secure.”

“Thank God.” Cole paced in front of them. “What happened to Rick?”

“He was DOA at the hospital. Heart attack.”

Anesia wanted to cry. Long and hard. She’d only just met the man, but he’d been a link to Dan.

Sean wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. She looked up at him. Those deep green eyes. Staring back at her. Full of adoration and love.

“My dogs!” She sat up straight. “We left a sled and a team out in the middle of nowhere.”

Two officers headed to the door. “Do you know the location?”

She rattled off her last known coordinates. “That’s where Derek stopped me.”

“Derek?” Jenna looked at her in horror. “Derek, your employee?”

“Yes. Apparently it was his idea to implant the chips in my dogs.”

Zoya shivered next to her. “He was so nice. And to think he was here. All the time. How long had he been doing this?”

Sergeant Roberts stepped up to answer. “Quite a while. According to what we know, they stole the program in small increments. Then hid it on the chips and implanted them in the dogs.”

A knock sounded at the door. The sergeant answered it. Agent Philips walked into the living room. “Major Maddox, I have that evidence you were looking for.”

Cole greeted the man and took the brown paper bag he held out. He dumped the contents into his hand.

A shiny little black box.

SEAN

9:00 a.m.

Even his most frenzied days at CROM couldn’t compare with the craziness he’d been through in the past eight hours.

Now, sitting here in the bank with Anesia, all he wanted was a nap. Exhaustion, deep and powerful, seeped into every cell of his body. Cole had said he would go to the bank with Anesia, but she requested Sean accompany her. His heart soared at her desire to have him with her, but now he was too bone tired to think straight.

The black box they’d recovered from evidence had, indeed, belonged to Marc. Inside they’d found several small pieces of paper. One was a note for Jenna. From the look on her face as she read it, Sean was willing to bet it healed some bruised portions of Jenna’s heart. Another note informed Anesia that Marc had left her a safety deposit box—one that contained something from Dan. The last piece of paper, which looked like it had been scribbled in a hurried hand, was written to Cole, telling him what he needed would be in Anesia’s safety deposit box.

Now, here he and Anesia were, sitting in the bank, waiting for Anesia’s ID and account number to be verified against the bank’s security records. For access to the box. For the end to this whole, crazy situation.

Then . . . Sean hoped for a new beginning.

Anesia fidgeted beside him. She looked up and, when she found him watching her, she smiled. “Sorry. I’m just ready for this all to be over.”

“Me too.”

“Sean, I haven’t thanked you properly for all you’ve done to help us through this crazy time. You’ve had to put up with a lot.”

“I’m glad I was here.” He took her hand in his and squeezed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Those long lashes of hers distracted him. It seemed everything she did distracted him. “Anesia?”

“Mm-hm?”

“I want to ask you someth—”

“Ms. Naltsiine, we are ready for you. Please follow me.” The tall woman was all business.

Anesia stood and he trailed her as the woman led them down a corridor. She opened a door to a room, and Sean could see the safe deposit box sitting on a table inside.

“This room will be yours for as long as you need it.” The lady waited until they entered, then closed the door behind them.

Anesia took the key in her hand and approached the box. “Well, here goes.”

Sean stepped up. “Anesia, wait. Before you open that box, I want to finish.”

She turned to him. “Okay.”

“I know the time isn’t appropriate, but I can’t hold it in any longer. I love you.” His heart beat the rhythm of the three words.

“Really?”

“Yes. I do.”

She giggled. “You love me?”

“Yes. And your daughter.” He pulled her into his arms. “Oh, and the dogs, too.”

She pulled back. “I’m not sure what to say. I haven’t done this in so long . . .”

“Shhh.” He held her hands in front of him. “I’m not going to push. And I will respect your boundaries.”

“I think you misunderstood, Sean.” She released his hands and walked around the table. “I
do
love you, but I’m going to need some time.” Her eyes pooled with tears. “Time to say good-bye.”

“I understand.” And he did. “I’ll wait for you, Anesia. However long it takes.”

“And you’ll keep working at the kennel?”

“You couldn’t stop me if you tried.”

Her smile lit up her face.

“I’m in this for the long haul, Anesia. With you, Zoya, and however many dozens of dogs—”

She came back around the table and hugged him tight. Then she pulled back again.

Man, oh man, he wanted to kiss her. But something held him back. He caught her hand, turned her to face him, looked into her eyes. “However long it takes, I’ll wait. Until you tell me.”

She held his gaze. “Tell you?”

He took her hands in his. “When you’re ready. For me. For us.” His fingers tightened on hers. “But when you say that, you’d better be prepared.”

A small smile lifted her lips. “Oh? For what?”

He lifted her hand, placed it over his heart. “For a kiss you’ll never forget.”

Pink tinged her cheeks, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she lifted her other hand and placed it over his. “I promise. I will tell you.” Her smile grew. “And I will, most definitely, be prepared. But you’d better be ready, too.”

He let his fingers caress her cheek. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Because, Sean Connolly, I plan to kiss you back.”

9:18 a.m.

Sean stood by the door while Anesia unlocked the box and opened the lid. She pulled out an envelope first. Lifted the flap with her fingers and peered inside. “Sean, look.”

He came to her side and saw another tiny disk. A macro SD card. How astonishing technology was nowadays to be able to store large amounts of information on such a tiny piece of hardware.

“There’s a note.” Anesia unfolded the paper and read:

Anesia,

I’m sorry to throw this at you, but my time is short. I’m afraid I won’t be around much longer. Please make sure Jenna and Andie are taken care of. You’ll find account information in the box. One for you, and one for Jenna.

Please find a Major Cole Maddox and give him this disk. Tell him it has to do with encryption. He’ll know what that means and what to do with it.

You’ve been a wonderful friend all these years. I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused. Forgive me.

Marc

She stared down at the paper. “I had no idea. He must’ve known. And prepared . . .” She choked. “Accounts? What does he mean?”

Sean stood beside her for support but knew she needed to process all the information.

She pulled out a small cardboard box. Packing tape held it shut. Another note was taped to the top. Sean read over Anesia’s shoulder.

Anesia,

Dan asked me to hold onto this for you. He wanted me to give it to you if anything ever happened to him. I’m sorry to say that I forgot about it. I had it stashed in one of my safety deposit boxes.

As you know by now, things got out of control for me. If you’re reading this, then I’m also gone. Please forgive me.

Marc

She ran her hand over the box and sniffed. “I think I’ll take this home to open. Cole needs the disk.”

“There’s one more thing in there, Anesia.”

She blinked back tears and reached in for a large manila envelope. The brass clasp opened with ease. As she pulled out a stack of papers, she gasped. “Sean, look at this!”

He perused a few lines then glanced at the bottom. “Good night, Anesia! That’s a hefty sum.”

“Ahh, so the truth comes out. You just love me for my money.”

He pulled her into his arms and laughed with her. “I’m worth way more than that. I don’t need your money. I just need you.”

CHAPTER FORTY

ZOYA

February 26

Junior North American Championships

11:44 a.m.

The championship.

I couldn’t believe it. I had
actually
made it to the Junior North American Championships. Finally. After all those dreams, all those days of hoping, praying . . .

I was about to race in the biggest race of my life yet.

Sean whistled and cheered along with Mom, Auntie Jenna, Andie, and Cole.

Thank You, God. For everything.

God was there. He was with me. All the time.

And I loved it.

I took a moment to think of how I had been blessed: Sean, soon to be my dad. The promise of a whole new life.

I sighed.

God was a great Giver.

I didn’t deserve His love, His kindness. And yet there I was. Standing in the midst of them.

My eyes closed. I could feel the slight breeze whipping across my face.