Page 38

CHAPTER 38

F rom the passenger seat of the Tahoe, Raven watched as the man pulled away on the boat. Watched as Jake fisted his hands in frustration. Watched as he turned.

And headed toward the fish warehouse.

She glanced around.

Why wasn’t Cassidy here yet? Raven couldn’t think of a reason she wouldn’t be.

Her tension grew as the minutes ticked past.

Finally, Raven decided to call Cassidy. As soon as she dialed, she heard the static on the line. She had a feeling some parts of the island didn’t get great cell service. Maybe this was one of them.

When the call connected, Raven jumped right in with her question. “Cassidy, it’s Raven. Are you almost here?”

“Almost where?” The words sounded broken, and the connection kept cutting in and out.

Had Cassidy lost her mind? No . . . there was something else going on here.

“Raven?” Cassidy repeated. “What’s going on?”

This was a setup, Raven realized. Cassidy hadn’t made that call, had she?

Someone else had lured them here—and lured them here for a very specific reason.

“You need to get to—” Before Raven could finish, the line went dead.

Knowing she had no time to waste, she opened the door.

Jake had told her to stay in the Tahoe. But she couldn’t let him get hurt. She needed to warn him!

She could call, but if someone was inside waiting for him, the sound of his phone would only alert someone that Jake was there. It could put him in danger.

She couldn’t let that happen.

Ignoring the tremble raking through her arms, she started toward the warehouse.

Cautiously, she approached the door.

It was unlatched.

She nudged it, listened for any creaks.

Nothing.

Then she grabbed the handle and tugged it open just enough to slip inside.

The interior of the building smelled putrid—like rotting fish guts and decaying wood.

The scent nearly made her turn around.

But she needed to warn Jake.

However, it was so dark inside that she wondered how she’d find him.

From what she’d seen when the door had been open, most of this place was one, big open room. Various tables with sinks and buckets had been set up in rows. Hooks hung from the ceiling. Small windows covered with corrugated, teal-colored plastic bathed the space with an otherworldly glow.

In the back, there appeared to be offices and maybe some kind of storage area.

The whole building creaked, metal rubbing eerily on metal as the breeze blew against it. Each sound made her muscles tighten until they felt as if they might snap.

Raven didn’t see Jake in the main warehouse. He must be in the back offices.

She drew in a hesitant breath before nodding with decision.

Then she started that way.

She had to warn him that he might be in danger.

As her steps quickened, she prayed she was doing the right thing.

Jake stepped into the back, gripping his gun.

What had that man been up to?

He’d searched the other part of the building but hadn’t seen anything.

And where was Cassidy? He couldn’t believe she wasn’t here yet. Something must have held her up.

He continued searching, desperate to find any clues.

As he shone his light on the floor, he squinted.

It appeared something had been dragged on the floor back this way.

A body?

Jake didn’t like the thought of it. But given everything that had happened, it was a possibility.

He stepped more deeply into the darkness, back toward the offices.

He continued following the drag marks until he stopped in front of another door.

He stared at it a moment before pulling it open.

Darkness stared back.

Had the man been in here? Doing what?

Was this where they stored their bombs?

He didn’t like that thought.

He stepped inside, his muscles taut with tension.

But when he shone his light around, he saw nothing. No windows. Just some old metal shelves and . . .

He stepped closer.

A temperature gauge.

This was an old walk-in freezer, wasn’t it?

Why had the tracks led here?

His pulse quickened.

He turned to continue searching the place.

But a blinking red light above the doorway caught his eye.

Before he could examine it, Raven stepped toward him.

Their gazes caught.

She gasped. “Jake? Oh, you scared?—”

The blinking light turned solid above her.

His heart jerked into his throat. “No!”

He grabbed her and pulled her toward him just as an explosion sounded and debris began to fall.