Page 24 of Defender (Omega Sector: Under Siege #1)

The woman—her name was Tamara Snell—was dead long before SWAT ever arrived at her apartment building. But due to the pandemonium, they hadn’t realized it for a while.

Well, there was no abusive ex-boyfriend around now and Tamara was definitely dead. Shot twice in the chest.

The SWAT team had established a normal hostage situation perimeter.

After a bit of reconnaissance, Ashton had determined his best angle for a sniper shot, if needed, would be across the street out on the fire escape of another set of apartments.

After communicating with the team where he was going, he got into place and waited.

And waited.

He listened as Derek Waterman attempted to make contact through the victim’s cell phone. No one picked up. And nothing—no movement, no light—could be seen behind the thick curtains covering Tamara’s windows.

When both a visual and audio wire probe under the door obtained no results, everyone began to fear the worst. When a second probe through the apartment upstairs had shown a shot woman on the ground, the team had immediately breached the door.

They’d been too late. Way too late to help Tamara Snell.

Local investigators would come in from here and take over. Ashton was just a little pissed that they’d come all the way out here and hadn’t been able to do a damn thing to help. Especially when he could’ve delivered Summer and Chloe to the airport himself.

Then he’d gotten her text.

I know you probably can’t talk. I just need to know if you’re okay.

Ashton had shaken his head. It was nice that she was worried about him. But she should’ve already been in the air by then. The flight must have been delayed.

Hasn’t your plane already taken off? You shouldn’t be using a cell while in flight you know. Talk to you soon.

He hadn’t heard back from her again, so she must’ve started following airline rules and put her phone away.

Lillian and Roman met him at the SWAT truck.

“Her ex-boyfriend must have run out immediately after he shot her,” Roman said. “Because that scene was about as cold as any hostage situation I’ve ever been to.”

“I’m no profiler.” Lillian shrugged. “But generally, domestic violence cases are more personal in their violence. Yeah, the vic was tied up and yeah, she was shot. But there were hardly any other marks on her.”

Ashton shrugged. Lillian was right, domestic cases tended to be some of the most brutal ones they worked. But he was glad the victim hadn’t suffered a great deal before she died.

The locals would be taking over the investigation from here. Omega SWAT had been called because they were best at first response, but now it would be taken over by the Colorado Springs detectives.

“Let’s get back to HQ.” Derek shook his head as he walked toward him. “There’s nothing we can do here.”

Everyone helped secure the equipment and soon they were on their way back.

“Anybody heard about any action happening anywhere else?” Derek leaned back against his seat as they drove down the highway.

“Like, trouble?” Lillian asked.

“Yeah.”

Everybody doubled checked their phones to be sure.

“No, nothing,” Lillian said first, then looked around. “Anyone else?”

“What’s up, Derek?” Roman asked from the driver’s seat.

“911 dispatch said the man who called this in said Tamara Snell’s violent ex-boyfriend was back. Had a gun and was holding her hostage. That’s why we were called rather than just the locals. A number of other 911 calls confirmed that shots had been fired.”

They all nodded.

“I overheard neighbors talking as I was coming out. Ends up that Ms. Snell did not have ex-boyfriends,” Derek continued.

“What, like she was married?” Roman asked.

“Widowed. Basically a recluse.”

Ashton looked more closely at Derek. “Could she have had a boyfriend before?”

“Neighbors have known her for ten years. She’s never had a boyfriend in that time.”

Ashton shook his head. “Why would someone call 911 and report an ex-boyfriend if there wasn’t one?”

“Exactly.” Derek gestured down at Ashton’s phone. “Where are Summer and Chloe?”

“They’re on their way to Atlanta. I didn’t want them going to the airport alone so Tyrone Marcus escorted them. I got a text from him about an hour and a half ago saying she’d gotten on the plane and he was heading back to HQ.”

Derek nodded. “Good. I was just checking.”

Something wasn’t sitting right with Ashton. “But then I got a text from Summer about twenty minutes ago. Asking if I was okay.”

“Shouldn’t she have already been in the air by then?” Lillian asked.

“That’s basically what I said. That it was dangerous to use a cell phone in flight. She didn’t respond.”

Ashton took his phone out and immediately dialed Summer’s number. Straight to voice mail. That could just mean she’d done what he’d asked and turned her phone off.

His second call was to the Omega switchboard, which could connect him to Tyrone Marcus.

“Ashton, hey,” the other man answered.

Ashton skipped all pleasantries. “Did Summer and Chloe get on the plane?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You escorted them all the way to the gate?”

“Yes. I waited until they got on the plane before I left. Ms. Worrall was one of the first people on since she needed extra time to get Chloe settled.”

Right. That all made sense. Ashton nodded at the rest of the team who were watching him.

“Thanks, Marcus. I appreciate you taking them.”

“Any time.”

Ashton knew he should feel better, that this tightness in his gut should go away. Summer and Chloe were on their way to somewhere safe. They hadn’t used any Omega computers to book the tickets, so if there was a computerized or personnel leak at Omega, the perp wouldn’t know about Summer’s plan.

But something about Summer’s text didn’t sit right with him.

I know you probably can’t talk. I just need to know if you’re okay.

Why would she be worried about him? When Ashton had handed her over to Tyrone Marcus’s care, he hadn’t given her any information about the op he was about to go on. Had the text been just general concern?

The truck pulled up at Omega headquarters.

Something wasn’t right. Ashton knew it. Last time he’d ignored his instincts, Tyler Worrall had gotten killed. Ashton wasn’t going to ignore his instincts now.

“Derek, something’s off, man. You felt it, and I second it. That whole situation with Tamara Snell seemed...” Ashton wasn’t sure what the right word was.

“Staged,” Derek finished for him.

“Yes.” That was it. Staged. Ashton pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Almost like how we went off looking for Harper across town last night based on an anonymous call, only to find Harper hadn’t been there for hours.

Then today, 911 gets an anonymous call about a violent ex-boyfriend only to find out the victim didn’t have any ex-boyfriends. ”

Derek nodded. “I agree. Something’s headed our way.” He turned to the rest of the team. “We all stay prepped and ready until Ashton has official word that Summer and her daughter are safe.”

Staying in full SWAT gear definitely wasn’t comfortable but none of the team complained.

“I need to get in touch with someone from the Atlanta Bureau field office to escort Summer and Chloe to Summer’s sister’s house once they arrive. I’m not taking any chances.”

“Got someone you can call?”

Ashton had been working law enforcement long enough to have made friends all over the country. “Yes. It won’t be a problem.”

He was in the process of dialing when another call came through. A local one.

“Ashton Fitzgerald.”

“Hey there, Ashton Fitzgerald,” a mocking voice said. “I’ve been trying to get your attention lately.”

“Curtis Harper.” The heads of everyone in the van whipped around to look at Ashton. “You’ve done more than just try to get my attention.”

Ashton brought the phone down from his head and switched it on to speaker mode so everyone could hear.

“I have to admit, you’ve been more difficult to kill than I thought you would be,” Harper said.

Ashton shook his head. Evidently Harper wasn’t intelligent enough to realize that he’d just confessed to crimes they’d linked him to but didn’t have hard proof. And he’d done it on a federal agent’s phone which could be recorded at any time.

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

Harper laughed. “Don’t worry, I have a new plan now. Wanna hear it?”

“Absolutely, Harper. Nothing I would like more.”

Derek was already up and on the phone. Probably with Omega Sector to see if they could trace Harper’s call.

“How about you come to my father’s house? Or what was my father’s house before it was abandoned and repossessed. Thanks to you.” Harper rattled off an address. Roman wrote it down.

Derek circled his finger in the air signaling for Ashton to keep Harper talking.

“Sure, Harper, want to give yourself up?”

“No. I thought you would come alone and give yourself up.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because maybe you’re willing to trade your life for Summer Worrall and her daughter.”

Ashton’s grip tightened on the phone. He forced his voice to keep calm.

If this was some sort of fishing expedition on Harper’s part, Ashton didn’t want to give him any info.

“Ms. Worrall has already headed out to visit friends in Los Angeles. I’m sure she’s already enjoying the sunshine. ” He didn’t even hesitate to lie.

“That might have been true if we hadn’t taken her off the plane heading toward Atlanta a little while ago.”

Ashton’s eyes flew to Derek’s. This was bad. Too many details that rang true. One, that Harper knew Summer and Chloe had been heading to Atlanta, and two, that he mentioned getting her off the plane.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lillian get on her phone.

“If you have Summer, let me talk to her.”

“Sure thing.”

“Ashton?” The dread in his stomach solidified at the sound of her voice. That was definitely her.

“Summer? Are you okay? Chloe?”

“Yes, we’re fine. We’re okay.”

“I’m coming for you, okay? Just hang on.”

“No, Ashton, it’s a trap. It’s—”

He heard the sound of skin connecting with skin before Summer cried out.