Page 99 of Canyon of Deceit

Therese lingered in the hallway with a female police officer. Her features paled with shock. I hated the devastation stalking her with what she’d experienced at Dog Canyon fresh and raw in her senses. I often had a rough time putting scenes like these behind me, and I’m sure the blood spatters were etched in her too.

“Are you okay?” I studied her haunted eyes.

“I want to be. You?”

“Not a scratch. Unfair with all that’s going on.”

Her attention darted around the room, resting on the paramedics working on the severely wounded agent.

“Don’t look. There’s nothing you can do.”

“I can pray.”

“Yes. We both can. Those agents have good people tending to them.” I caught the attention of the female officer, a tall woman who spoke to a fellow officer. “Please, would you get Therese out of here?”

“Certainly. My car is right outside.”

Therese moved to the wounded agent and knelt beside her. She whispered her thanks and prayed for her, but the other agent remained unconscious. The paramedics lifted him onto a gurney and carried him outside.

I bent to Therese and slipped her hand into mine. “I’ll be with you as quickly as I can.”

“Were the two men from your meeting with Falin?”

“No. The payroll must be huge. Whoever is responsible doesn’t give up. But I’ll get this handled and find another safe house.”

She shook her head. “I’m done running. Home is calling me. No one else will be hurt or killed. This is my war.”

“It’s not your battle,” I said. “There are those who want you dead.”

“I’m still done.” She arched her trembling shoulders.

I valued her convictions, but arguing with someone in shock only pushed them off the deep end.

—

Sergio arrived the same time as HPD and joined me in the hotel room with the FBI. Glad to see him. No point in repeating myself any more than necessary, especially when my concerns ranged from injured agents, Therese, Alina, stolen activation chips, and Edik Baranov. As I’d speculated, someone used local felons who had no association with the ROC. It all motivated me to end loss of life over greed and power—a reason to support all law enforcement and federal officers.

I argued with Therese to leave for another safe house, but she refused.

Around 3:00 a.m., I talked with Sergio privately about the next step. “It works in Falin’s favor if Rurik is arrested and convicted of murdering his family.”

“I’m not sure it’s what Rurik might have told her but something she might have overheard or seen from Chandler and Falin,” Sergio said. “Has she mentioned anything?”

“No. She’s outside in a police car.”

Sergio spoke to the FBI agent in charge of investigating the shooting. We made our way outside to Therese, where she’d fallen asleep in the rear of the cruiser. I regretted waking her for Sergio to ask questions, but she’d be the first one to insist on it. I opened the car door, and her eyes flew open.

“I have Sergio with me. He wants to talk to you.”

She nodded sleepily and stepped out of the car. She wrapped her arms around her chest in the chilly early morning air. “I don’t have anything to offer since I stayed away from the gunfire.”

“My question concerns another matter,” Sergio said. “It’s late, and you’ve been through a tough ordeal. My apologies but this won’t take long. During the time you were with Chandler and Falin in Dog Canyon, did you see or hear anything that Falin would view as dangerous?”

Therese inhaled deeply. “Nothing, and I’ve burned brain cells trying to figure it out. Tom Chandler had a cruel streak, threatening, abusive. Jurg Falin played the role of a more sensible man. He was subservient to Chandler and took orders.” She moistened her lips. “At one point while Chandler was away from the cave, I got the best of Falin. Alina and I made our escape, but Chandler returned early and ended the plan. He called Falin a stupid Russian. Falin’s temper erupted, and he shot Chandler. I saw a calculating, dangerous side of him and concluded Falin’s cowardly behavior around Chandler had been a game. He’d planned to take the laser chips all along.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m repeating myself, but I thought going over them again might dredge up a detail. Guess not. Sorry, sir.”

“You are doing fine, more than fine. Any indication where Falin planned to unload the chips?”

“Never discussed in my presence. The two sides I witnessed of him showed he’s cunning and evil, like a cat stalking its prey. The only goodness was in protecting Alina. He spoke out against Chandler killing her and argued against selling her into human trafficking.”