heard Drina’s message. The taste of victory turned sour in his mouth.
An already-dangerous situation had been made even more complicated by the disappearance of one dark-haired scientist.
Drina Gallagher was brilliant—and prettier than he’d anticipated. He’d heard so much praise about her work, he’d expected an older, more staid woman to walk into his briefing room, not a perky, petite beauty who created an immediate internal reaction he didn’t want or expect.
Drina hid behind some overlarge black-rimmed spectacles, but that was where the scientist stereotype ended. Behind those glasses was a pert nose, a pair of hazel-colored eyes that seemed to change color with her mood and a tiny, fragile-looking body. Capped by a head of short, shiny black hair that wanted to curl, she looked more like a hyperbubbly nerd than a world-renowned scientist...a nerd that had somehow ignited feelings Cal had buried deep with his true identity.
She sparked sweet thoughts of laughter and fun, which was ridiculous because her out-of-sync look hid a snarky attitude. Some of the men on his team in Washington believed she might be the spy. But Cal had recognized her I’m-checking-out look as soon as he began his briefing on security. Drina Gallagher wasn’t the leak. She was just as driven as he. Focused on her work and nothing else. He doubted she’d heard a word of his briefing or even cared about being cautious.
Maybe if she’d paid attention she wouldn’t be missing right now, and two long, desperate years of Cal’s work wouldn’t be on the line.
As he’d alerted her superiors and his, he wondered if the man behind the text was “the boss.” Was his contact the mastermind who had eluded detection for so long? Was Cal being played...and lured into a trap?
He didn’t know the answers and until he did, until he met and could identify the traitor, he couldn’t take any chances or trust anyone—not the military, not Drina’s company, not even the security detail he worked with on the base. What was more, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a direct link between his scheduled meeting with the boss and Drina Gallagher’s disappearance.
During the long day his on-base security team had contacted Drina’s coworkers and family, searching for a reason she might have chosen to disappear. They dusted for fingerprints—even tried to match shoe patterns in the dirt beside the place where Drina’s keys were found. They found no evidence, no clues as to who might have snatched her. That fact alone convinced Cal that the boss and his gang were involved. They never made mistakes and Cal’s team had no idea what had happened to the petite engineer.
But Cal had a sinking feeling in his gut. The text about his meeting with the boss had come too close to Drina’s kidnapping to be a coincidence. It felt more like a step-by-step process...like they were leading Cal to something.
All day long his mind went over scenarios and possibilities—some path, any avenue he could take to salvage his undercover identity and still save the girl because there was no doubt in his mind she was in that shack. Once he drove over that hill, both their lives would be in deadly danger.
* * *
Whir. Whir. Whir.
The soft spinning sound matched the throbbing in Drina’s cheek. She opened her eyes bit by bit, hoping to pinpoint the source of the noise. Instead, everything began to spin so badly, she thought she might throw up. She gagged and, for the first time, felt the tape across her mouth.
Panic surged through her. She tried to reach for the tape but her hands were tied at her back. The sharp plastic edge of a zip tie cut into her wrists.
Panic swept over her and her gag reflex kicked in again.
Calm down, Drina! Close your eyes. Breathe slow and deep.
Inhaling through her nose eased the roiling in her stomach. Slowly but surely, she calmed her breathing. Awareness returned. She lay on the ground, on her side. Dirty grit bit into her cheek. The soft whirring remained in the background—steady, consistent, like the beat of a drum or...a wind turbine.
Giant wind turbines dotted the hills surrounding the mountain passes into the valley. Those turbines turned the ever-present gusts coming through the passes into energy. Drina had taken a tour of one of the wind farms on her first trip out west. Now she recognized the sound of the massive blades swooping through the air.
She braced herself, then opened her eyes bit by bit. Vertigo didn’t overwhelm her this time but it took a moment to focus. She lay facing a door. Sunlight streamed in beneath it. She wasn’t on the ground after all, but on a rough-textured slab of cement. Wind gusted and the metal walls and roof rattled. Shovels and picks hanging along the wall began a precarious shimmy that threatened to send them tumbling to the floor.
She had to be in one of the small service shacks beneath the turbine fields. She wasn’t sure where, but she knew the base had no tall turbines that would interfere with air traffic. The base and any kind of military police or help was far, far away.
What time was it? How long had she been unconscious? Where were the men who’d kidnapped her?
My backpack. Where’s my backpack?
She rolled over, her gaze scouring the shed. Her backpack and computer were nowhere to be seen. She sagged against the floor. Those men, whoever they were, had all her information. Had they fled and left her here? How long would it be before someone found her stranded in this little-used shed? Or, worse yet, would her captors return?
A thousand questions marched through Drina’s mind...all soundless...all unanswered. She lay for what seemed like hours until the steady pounding in the side of her head faded and she drifted back to sleep.
She woke to the sound of a car. Instantly, Drina tensed. Could it be the service people...or had her captors returned?
Her gaze darted to the door. The sunlight beneath was dimmer; it was later in the day.
The car stopped. Doors opened. Gravel crunched as someone stepped out.
“He’s late.”
Drina didn’t recognize the voice, but it sent a shiver up her spine. Deep, hard...and cold as arctic ice.
“What do you expect?” Another voice. “With the girl missing, the base is on high alert. They’ve had him on the spot all day.”
The man they were waiting for was someone who worked at the base? Could he be the leak Norwood had talked about?
“All I can say is, it’s about time he earned his pay.” The first man spoke again, his voice tinged with disgust. “Frankly, I don’t think he’s worth the money the boss pays him.”
“Not our business, Whitson. Besides, the inside info he’s passed on has helped.”
Drina caught her breath. The man they waited for was the informant.
“It better help. I’m getting itchy and when I’m itchy, trouble’s on the way. I want to get out of here before it hits.”
“Relax. The boss knows what he’s doing.”
“I’m not so sure. Not this time. I’m telling you, Carter, kidnapping that girl was a mistake.”
“You won’t say that after the boss sells that weapon of hers. It’s gonna give you a nice
