Page 35

C harmaine

My feelings of guilt were more oppressive than before, the ugly hues of violet and neon blue a stark reminder I was very much alive while my colleagues were dead.

A cold chill coursed through every muscle and vein from the realization.

I’d be nothing more than a statistic if it hadn’t been for Maddox. His instinct and training had defied logic when he’d yanked me down to the floorboard of the Humvee a split second before a bullet had shattered the back window.

We were safe, at least for now, Maddox’s trusted friend undaunted by the damage to his quarter-million-dollar vehicle.

While the man’s house wasn’t large by million-dollar standards, the state-of-the-art security and computer equipment alone displayed his extreme wealth.

“You talk to any of our other buddies?” Damon asked, the random question obviously catching Maddox off guard.

“I also had a conversation with Kage a few weeks ago.”

Damon snorted. “That surprises me. I thought you two were bitter enemies.”

“Things change. People change. The truth always rises to the surface.”

When Damon whistled, I looked from one man to the other. There was a story that troubled Maddox deeply. That much I could tell.

“Well, miracles never cease. Maybe we should all try and get together.”

“I don’t think so,” Maddox stated, his usual emphasis followed by the man clenching his jaw.

For a few seconds, no one said anything.

“Why orphanages? I get it was a cover, but it must mean something to you,” Damon asked. He remained dutifully positioned behind a series of computers, the dark room illuminated by the massive screens positioned along one wall. He wasn’t looking at me, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

Folding my legs under me, I reached for the container of Kung Pao shrimp, immediately digging the set of chopsticks into the box of heaven. Who knew almost getting killed while being chased by unknown assailants could increase your appetite?

“Do they mean something to you personally?” he pressed.

Maddox’s intense exhale held annoyance. He’d barely taken a few bites of food, preferring to stare at me in the shadows.

I’d lived through several dangerous scenarios since turning investigative reporter several years before.

From fleeing police officers who’d mistakenly believed I had something to do with an explosion in Chicago and almost being swept up in an unparalleled flood in North Carolina to being accosted at gunpoint by an overzealous rancher in Texas, I’d accepted that danger was a part of my life.

Yet every aspect of that acceptance had been challenged during the last few days. The anxiety reaching new levels in my mind and body wasn’t only caused by the comprehension I’d almost died twice, but also by the sheer determination of a monster to end my life.

The thought was gut wrenching but fueled a fire deep within.

The moment I’d read about Fernando Alfaro, I’d set my sights on being part of the reason the man was taken down.

I could hide behind the orphanage stories forever, because they were dear to my heart, but the core reason I’d allowed myself to be lured to El Salvador had been about fame and glory.

The guilt was killing me.

I’d always had a voracious appetite for life, indulging in researching various countries and fantastic worlds.

In doing so, I’d felt as if I’d cracked open the origin of life itself, finding the molten lava forming the basis for intelligence and desire.

It was silly to be thinking about that while nursing a beer and a headache from being tossed around in a scary-looking Humvee while being shot at by the bad guys.

Whoever the bad guys were.

There were two possibilities. Alfaro’s soldiers and whoever was on the list.

“Because I spent several years in the system. I know just how broken and overlooked it is. I had a friend I kept in touch with years later who disappeared. I tried to find out what happened, even going to the police. They acted like she was a runaway. I knew better. It struck me how difficult it is for children when they’re seen as unwanted.

There are good people fighting for additional funding and assistance, but often their words aren’t seen or heard.

While rich people pay upwards of six figures to adopt a child from a foreign country, there are thousands of incredible kids languishing in a society only required to feed, house, and clothe them until they age out.

Adoptions of older children are rare. In less privileged countries, the children are often forgotten about or mistreated.

It’s a worldwide problem that few are bringing light to. ”

All true. Just saying the words brought me back to a time I’d wanted to forget.

Damon stopped his work long enough to toss me a look over his shoulder. As he sat back, grabbing his bottle of beer, I sensed he had questions I wasn’t interested in answering.

“Tough lady.” His two words were followed by Maddox bristling. “I take it there’s bad memories.”

“She turned up dead. I found out because of a report I wrote early in my career. She was used and tossed away.”

Maddox looked me directly in the eyes. The understanding we shared was growing much like the connection that seemed unstoppable.

“Man, oh, man. I’m sorry to hear that.” Damon rubbed his jaw as he studied me.

“We can go down memory lane later. What the hell is on the drive?” Maddox demanded. “She doesn’t need to be reminded of the past.”

“It’s okay,” I said as I leaned over, pressing my hand against Maddox’s leg.

“The time spent in the facility was lonely at first, but I was one of the lucky ones to be adopted by an incredible family. So many aren’t.

They dream of birthdays and Christmas morning, of having their own room and even a pet to keep them company at night.

” The memories were bittersweet. “At least I was lucky. I owe my parents everything.”

“How fortunate for you that you found your family. I think she’s good for you, Maddox.

” He grinned and Maddox gave him a stern glare.

Damon returned to the computers. The information on the jump drive had been encoded.

Given I’d been told the man was an expert hacker, I hoped perhaps we’d learn the truth.

“How much longer is this going to take?” Maddox asked, his impatience showing by the intense pulse in the thick cords of his neck.

“Not long. Whoever put the files together was savvy, using unusual techniques to keep the files from being hacked. Multiple layers are involved, some I’ve never seen before. You don’t have any clue who gave it to you?”

“Not really,” I answered. “I was contacted by an unknown texter that I met with. He stated I would find something of interest at the orphanage I visited. When I pressed, the unknown source told me I’d be contacted in El Salvador with additional information.

And he dropped the term of Mercury Fulminate.

In truth, I assumed it had to do with the article I wrote about Alfaro, but I wasn’t certain. ”

“Tough and ballsy,” Damon laughed. “What are you going to do with the information?”

I glanced at Maddox after Damon’s question. We hadn’t talked about the outcome.

“It’s best you don’t know,” Maddox told him. “Whatever is on that drive is worth killing over.”

“I take it the Feds weren’t helpful?” Damon’s question was lost in the excitement as he pulled up what appeared to be an Excel spreadsheet.

I tossed the carton onto the table in front of me, quickly rising to my feet. When I almost tripped over the table leg, Maddox was forced to catch me. The feel of having his arms wrapped around me pulled a slight moan from my lips.

He’d been my savior more than once, but the connection we shared was so much more than just being grateful for his heroism.

The man was like a wolf in the wild, determined to protect what belonged to him. His eyes were darker than before and his jaw clenched tightly together. With the short beard he sported, tonight he appeared even more dangerous than normal.

“Well, kids. Patience is a virtue after all. You have yourself either a blackmail list or simply one used to keep track of clients.”

I pushed away from Maddox, peering over Damon’s shoulder. The list was extensive with names, addresses, and dollars.

“What about a direct connection. Can you tell who supplied the list and what it’s for?” I was suddenly eager.

Damon’s fingers flew as he shifted through several files. “The encryption is unique. I doubt I can gain all the information off the drive, but here’s another list. The names appear coded, but my guess is they can be broken fairly easily. Let’s take a look at what else we have.”

We leaned in further as a second list flashed onto the screen. I shifted from one document to another that Damon had spread over two monitors. “What the hell?”

Maddox chuckled. “Chocolates. Cocaine. Prescriptions. A recipe for providing goods and services to people.”

“Laced with Mercury Fulminate,” I mused and eased back.

“Whoever put this together was using a tracking sheet for customers throughout the world using the scientific breakthrough of lacing various products with the mercury. How did the man who gave this to me at the orphanage get his hands on this? He said I’d know what to do with it. Right now, I’m clueless.”

“The lists could appear to be used for elimination purposes. Plus, there would be minimal checks on chocolates coming into the country,” Damon added.

“Or for anyone picking up their usual prescriptions from their pharmacy. If these records are cross referenced with various data regarding any recent suspicious deaths, there’s proof they weren’t accidents or some random murder.

” Maddox shifted away, pacing the floor.

“Is there a list of the intended victims?”