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CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

“H ave you eaten anything, sweetheart?”

Alyssa had only been at the beach house for a few minutes, soothing little Peri and praying silently. As they’d snuggled beneath the comforter, a man had emerged from the hallway. Unlike the others, who were Americans, this one might be Iraqi, or at least Arabic, considering the swarthy skin and dark hair. He’d said something to Ghazi, though the words were too low to make out.

With a glare aimed at Alyssa, Ghazi followed him down the hallway and out of sight.

The video game was muted, the room too quiet with no sounds but the whistle of the wind outside and the ticking of a clock, a whimsical, beachy thing with colorful seashells where the numbers should be.

It was after eight on the longest day in Alyssa’s life. A day that had begun at a secluded house on a lake. What she wouldn’t give to be back at Callan’s childhood home right now. Or pretty much anywhere else in the world.

Peri was still nestled in her arms, and Alyssa reveled in her warmth, in the very aliveness of her, praying silently, begging God for help.

The child hadn’t responded to Alyssa’s question, so she tried again. “Are you hungry?”

Alyssa worked to keep her voice level despite the tension in the room, which seemed to thicken with every tick of the second hand.

Peri nodded.

Alyssa met the eyes of the man sitting closest, the one who’d brought the blanket. He was thick-chested with curly brown hair and surprisingly blue eyes. She’d call them kind eyes, under different circumstances. “Can we have something to eat, please?”

“I offered her a sandwich.” His tone was defensive. He was a hulking man with broad shoulders and a barrel chest. Balding, though he didn’t look much older than she was.

“I’m sure she was too scared to accept it.” Alyssa worked to keep her tone even. “But she needs to eat.”

He grumbled, pushing to his feet.

The thinner man had greasy, stringy brown hair. He’d barely looked up from his video game.

Though, now that Alyssa watched, she realized…

It wasn’t a video game at all. The infrared video on the screen showed beach houses and a deserted coastline.

He was flying a drone.

Watching the island and the water all around.

Her stomach dropped.

There’d be no sneaking up. There’d be no surprise attack.

She swallowed and looked away, catching sight of Benson staring at her from the small kitchen on the other side of the room. He was sipping from a mug. Now that she noticed the scent of coffee, she longed for a cup.

Not that she’d ask.

He caught her eyes and smiled, the smug expression tempered by the black eye Callan must’ve given him.

The hulking guard brought a peanut butter sandwich and a handful of chips on a dinner plate, which he plopped on the sofa beside Alyssa, dropping a bottle of water next to it.

“Let’s have some food, sweetheart.” She tried to shift her to the sofa beside her, but Peri held onto Alyssa’s neck.

“Okay. That’s okay. You can stay on my lap,” Alyssa said. “Just turn to the side so you can eat. Do you like peanut butter?”

Peri still hadn’t spoken, but she ate a few bites and took a few sips of water before curling back up, pressing her face into Alyssa’s chest.

Ghazi emerged from the hallway. In the few minutes he’d been gone, he must’ve learned something that he didn’t like because his dark eyes flashed with fury. “Come. Now.”

She managed to push herself off the cushy sofa with the child in her arms.

“Leave her.”

“She stays with me.”

If anything, the anger in his eyes blazed brighter. “You will do what I say.”

“You have all the control, Charles.” She worked very hard to keep her voice steady. “But if she’s not with me, I’ll spend half my time worrying about her. If you want me to do something for you?—”

“You will do as I say.”

“—then I’ll work faster and more efficiently if I know she’s safe.”

He glared at her, but she didn’t budge.

After a moment, he issued a curt nod.

The bedroom had probably been cute before Ghazi and his band of thugs arrived. Pale blue walls over beadboard wainscoting with a thick rope lining the top of the molding between them. Sailboat lamp, sailboat artwork. Round mirrors like you’d find on the lower deck of a yacht.

A desk held two monitors and a laptop. Beyond it, the one window was boarded up.

“Sit,” Ghazi said.

With Peri in her arms, it was going to be impossible to work.

“Put her on the bed.” Ghazi’s raised voice indicated he was losing his patience.

She swallowed a retort that wouldn’t help at all, gentling her voice. “Sweetheart, you’re going to have to get off my lap so I can work. The faster I work, the sooner Mr. Sanders will let us go. Isn’t that right, Charles?”

“You know who I am. I know who you are. I tire of pretending.”

“She’s afraid enough…Ghazi.”

He displayed no reaction to the use of his real name. “Perhaps. But you are not nearly afraid enough.” He stepped within inches of her. “That’s because you think I don’t know everything. But I do. Thanks to your talkative little friend there, I know who her father is. Not Caleb Thompson, hardware salesman.”

Acid filled Alyssa’s stomach as she realized the source of Ghazi’s fury. He knew she’d lied to him. He knew she’d been playing him all along. More importantly, he knew who Callan really was.

Finding his family would be easy.

It was bad enough all of her family was in danger, bad enough little Peri was in the middle of this, but now his parents and Hannah were at risk too.

Ghazi had to be stopped. Here and now and permanently, or none of them would ever be safe again.

“He’s a CIA agent named Callan Templeton.” Ghazi leaned so close that she could smell cinnamon on his breath. “You thought you could fool me. Trap me. But who’s trapped now, Alyssa Wright?”

She swallowed the fear crawling up her throat.

“If you think I care about any spawn of the CIA, you have misjudged me.” He flicked his gaze behind her.

Benson stepped close and yanked Peri from her arms.

The child screamed, the sound so pitiable, so helpless.

Alyssa reached for her, but Ghazi grabbed her throat and manhandled her against the wall, moving so close that she couldn’t get her hand between them, couldn’t even try to fight him off.

“The name of the Russian traitor.”

She fought for breath.

She couldn’t tell. Now that she knew who the man was, a man who’d given so much to America at such great risk to himself, she couldn’t betray him.

If she betrayed this information, it would forever prove she wasn’t enough. Wasn’t good enough.

“Cut off her hand,” Ghazi said.

Alyssa gasped. When she realized whose hand Ghazi had meant, her horror intensified.

Ghazi yanked Alyssa out from the wall, spun her around, and held her against his chest, her arms pressed to her sides. Useless.

Benson shifted his jacket aside and unsheathed a hunting knife from his hip. There was no pleasure on his face. He looked emotionless, but she guessed this might be a bridge too far, even for him.

Maybe so, but he didn’t argue, just laid Peri on the bed and leaned his body over her to hold her in place.

Ignoring the child’s screams that tore Alyssa’s heart wide open.

He held her arm down with one meaty hand and positioned the knife against her wrist.

“Don’t!” Alyssa shouted. “Please, just?—”

“The name.”

“Don’t hurt her.” Her gaze flicked from Ghazi to Benson. “If you promise…”

As if she could trust anything these men said. But was she really going to let them harm a helpless little girl to save a Russian man’s life?

To keep from disappointing her father?

No. She was not.

“Lavrentiy. Yefim Lavrentiy.”

When Benson looked to Ghazi, there was definite relief in his expression. There was a human in there after all.

Ghazi released his hold on Alyssa. “There now. Was that so hard?”

Benson lifted the child and plopped her into Alyssa’s arms.

Sobbing, Peri snaked her arms and legs around Alyssa and clamped on.

Ghazi smiled. “If you’ll just do as I say, nobody has to get hurt.”

Alyssa didn’t respond to the obvious lie. Because, when this was over, he would kill them both. Both Peri and Alyssa were, after all, spawn of the CIA .

“You still need to put her down in order to work.”

She turned her back to the thugs and sat at the desk. “Sweet girl, I’m going to need my hands. Can you crawl under the desk by my feet?”

Peri shook her head.

“Take her,” Ghazi said.

“No!” Alyssa lowered her voice. “Peri, you need to crawl down by my feet or that man is going to take you away. I won’t be able to stop him.”

A few seconds passed, and then Peri slid off Alyssa’s lap and beneath the desk. With banks of drawers on each side and the wall behind, it probably felt like a safe space.

“Access to SJSS’s navigation system,” Ghazi said. “Now.”

“Could you grab her a blanket, please?” She directed the question at Benson.

The living area had been warm, but it was cold back here. A space heater in the corner wasn’t kicking out nearly enough heat.

He didn’t seek permission, just yanked one off the twin bed, along with a pillow.

Peri made herself a little nest and curled up.

Maybe she would fall asleep. Maybe she would find some peace.

Alyssa jiggled the mouse to bring the screen to life and found the computer was already on the company’s website.

She set to work, praying for guidance and help and rescue.

Because she’d turned over the Russian’s name at the first threat of harm to Peri, and when it came down to it, she feared she’d give Ghazi access to attack drones too.

Was that the right decision, or the wrong one? Was it right to sacrifice one child to save hundreds, potentially thousands of lives?

Logically, yes.

But her God wasn’t a God of logic. Or more to the point, He transcended logic.

Jesus would leave ninety-nine sheep to save the one that was lost.

And as much as Alyssa wanted to please her earthly father, her Heavenly Father’s pleasure should be much more important to her.

Had she lived to please God? Or Dad?

The answer shamed her.

Hacking into private databases was illegal. A line she’d crossed to prove she could make her business a success. To prove she was competent, capable, and worthy of her father’s love.

A million seemingly small decisions, many wrong decisions, had led her right here. In danger, and putting those she loved in danger as well.

Forgive me, Lord. Guide me now. Every single step of the way, I need Your help.

Keeping up a steady stream of prayers, she hacked into SJSS’s system.