She tried to focus on that action but couldn’t help but worry about whatever he was here to tell Greg, but she would have to trust them to protect her. She would be on stage in front of thousands of people. There were only so many things she could think about.

  “I trust you.”

  Tito’s eyes widened. Clearly, he expected her to question his methods or what was happening but she didn’t have time for that. It was time to get on her knee-high boots. Guests were filing into the stadium. The opening act was warming up. It was almost time to sing.

  ****

  Greg tapped down his jealousy. Tito and Ericka were friends, he knew this. The touch, it had been to encourage. He’d done the same thing, right?

  Ericka left Tito and he came straight toward Greg. His facial expression morphed dramatically into desperation.

  When he arrived, he wasted no time. “We need to talk in private.”

  Greg led him to an office he’d been given to use for the day. Greg checked the hallway for lurkers before closing the door.

  “Go.”

  “We have a situation.”

  “I heard about Ilsa Vilo wanting to pull Ericka.”

  “It’s more than that. Rosetta was seen at the hospital with a strange man. She had a concussion and possible memory loss.”

  Greg swallowed. “Go on.”

  “Echo Team received and reviewed the video footage. Emerson, the team leader, sent me the footage.” Tito handed over his phone.

  Greg watched an orderly, or at least a man in a white coat, roll Rosetta into the room. Rosetta was put into a CT scanner and then the man in the white coat turned and faced the camera. Greg almost dropped the phone.

  “Charles…” The name came out in a panic. “But how?”

  “We asked one of the workers, Toad, I think, and he said they picked up Lewis on the way to New York.”

  “He was the one we were trying to vet.” Greg looked up from the phone, his heart was hammering at a pace of ninety miles a minute. How did this guy keep popping up? Every time he thought they were rid of him, there he was again.

  “Yes. He was the one who fixed their vehicle when they were stalled on the road and Rosetta hired him on the spot.”

  “What is he doing?” Greg turned back to watch the video.

  “We have no idea. But Echo followed him with traffic cameras until he disappeared. No one knows where he went, where he’s going, or what he plans to do next.”

  “Do you think he is coming here to cause havoc? To try and harm Ericka or out her in public?”

  “Emerson and Echo Team did a risk assessment. They believe if he was going to do it, he would have already.”

  “Hmm.” Making a risk assessment on Ralph Lewis, aka Charles North Jr., seemed foolhardy. That guy was hardly predictable. “What is the plan?”

  “Extra security has been ordered, but there isn’t much else we can do until we find him.”

  Greg disagreed but, in their situation, maybe not. Now they had Ilsa and Charles to worry about, along with Ericka’s nerves as she performed. This night was looking to be a long one.

  “I don’t want you to worry. Beta Team, well, really Echo Team and I are attempting to track down Charles.”

  “What about Ilsa? If she really wants to shake things up and remove Ericka so they can put a call out for Rosetta, tonight is the perfect night.”

  “I’m not so sure.”

  Greg couldn’t wait to hear this.

  “New York is swimming with the finest cops in the world. They’ve protected against crime and multiple terrorist attacks. She said a concert was a good place, not which one. I would look for her to strike soon but not here. And sadly, I don’t think we’ll see it coming. Someone else is probably helping with her dirty work.”

  Tito might or might not be right about timing, but he probably was right about the accomplice. A representative’s wife wouldn’t be caught kidnapping, removing, or outing an undercover agent. Any gain secured would be immediately lost by that action. Someone else definitely worked for her.

  Greg heard guitar music and with a purposeful stride he walked toward the stage. Tito took the hint they had work to do and didn’t follow.

  Ericka stood next to the curtain waiting. She no longer jumped or acted worried. She was ready.

  He didn’t know if he ever would be.

  Tonight could make or break her. He just needed to be by her side when whatever went down, went down.

  ****

  Yuri acquired tickets to the sold-out show. Rosetta must be amazing after the price he’d paid. Sure, they were scalped, but still. An arm and leg might have been a cheaper price.

  The stairs were steep, the handrail cold metal. If he had to go to the restroom, he would have to use it on himself. Too many trips up and down the stairs and he might have a heart attack. Once he reached his aisle, he realized he was in the middle. All the other people were seated. Most rose or twisted to the side, the others glared. When he finally made it in the seat at the very top of the stadium, he frowned. He’d been told they were prime seats. Clearly, they were not.

  Günter settled next to him. His wide frame struggled to fit in the narrow chair. He grunted.

  “Settled?”

  “My butt is squeezed.”

  “Concentrate. We need to find a way to take the fake Rosetta.” Yuri said it behind his hand as if trying to hide his intent. Not that anyone could hear him that well. He hoped.

  Lights winked over to a different color; fog filled the stage. In between the mist a figure emerged and half-slipped, half-danced along the wide runway singing. The white off the shoulder dress caught the colored lights. The amber colored glasses rested atop her head even as she bounced up and down in the air over and over.

  The speakers were close to their heads within seconds he couldn’t hear his own thoughts it was so loud. He followed the crowd like a mindless drone.

  He rose.

  He sat.

  He rose, again.

  He raised his hands.

  He clapped.

  When intermission came and an organization caring for children in a foreign country came on stage, he raised his hand to sponsor a child.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Huh?”

  “Do not worry. I will not tell Ilsa.”

  Yuri started to defend his actions but thought better of it. He was there to kidnap or remove the officer from Rosetta’s position. Although could he be held responsible if he was mesmerized? Had they recorded Rosetta? Was the officer lip-syncing?

  He didn’t think so.

  And her movements were amazing. It was as if she’d been on stage for years. Then there was the fact that he clearly could not move, he was stuck.

  Besides, could he really deprive New York of this?

  Despite the earlier discussion with his sister, he said, “I think we must wait until the next venue.”

  Günter was speaking. “There are guards around the catwalk. Guards at every exit. I think there are guards on stage. The ones that can’t dance, must be guards, right? They must have considered we would come. Ilsa warned them.”

  “Yes.”

  Ilsa had given that director warning they would attempt a change.

  “I agree, we must wait.” Yuri rose and clapped.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Blending.”

  That sounded like a valid excuse for his behavior. Buying shirts, CDs, a bag, and a hat that might be a little overkill, but he would do it nonetheless.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The last song ended, and Ericka went behind the curtain. Excitement coursed through her veins.

  Greg met her there, lifted her and slung her in a circle. “You were fantastic!”

  “That was exhilarating! My insides are still bouncing.” Ericka didn’t know if she would ever come down. She felt like she was walking on air.

  Greg lowered her to the ground, skimming his body along the way. She swallowed. Without thinking, she lifted his lapel.

  “I don’t believe Benji and Rosetta were this close.” She licked her lips.

  “How do you know?”

  He moved a strand of hair behind her ear. The back of his knuckles caressed her cheek.

  “Greg—”

  “You were amazing!” Quinn skidded to a halt and Greg’s arms dropped to his sides.

  Ericka stepped back from Greg to accept Quinn’s hug.

  Maggie was suddenly behind her. “You were good.”

  “Thank you.” She’d take the faint praise.

  Quinn squeezed so hard it was hard to get out the words.

  “Let the girl go, Quinn.”

  “Sorry.” He stepped back and looked a little sheepish.

  Ericka patted Quinn’s arm in reassurance.

  Tito rushed around the corner. He saw them grouped around her. He slowed, his hands going in his pockets. He drew closer. “That was like nothing I’ve ever seen. If this cop life doesn’t work out, I think I’ve seen your next career path.”

  “Ah, you guys are too nice.”

  “We speak truth.” Quinn nodded.

  Greg closed the gap between him and Tito. “Anything from Ilsa? Or any other people maybe working for her?”

  Ericka moved in to listen for the answer.

  “Best we can tell there was no activity. I’m still thinking a smaller venue is more likely the target.”

  Relief for one activity completed could finally commence. How many more were to come she wasn’t sure. But they needed to rethink their focus.

  “We need to find Rosetta. That is more important than me or anything else.”

  Greg opened his mouth, probably to disagree, but she continued.

  “The area of the tour bus needs to be searched again. All buildings swept, all doors checked for broken locks, all cameras.”

  “Surely the local police did all that?” Quinn was there with a positive comment.

  Greg and Tito shared a look of doubt.

  Tito spoke, “I’ll get Echo Team on it. Beta team is still watching a man that never leaves his apartment. He has groceries delivered. He almost doesn’t touch his phone. The threats that Rosetta received that supposedly came from Alexi Romanov must have been a plant.”

  More and more Ericka smelled a rat.

  ****

  Echo team leader, Emerson, yawned behind his hand. He rolled over and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. The 911 on his phone was not a request. His day at the office started now.

  “You want coffee, Emerson?”

  He patted her arm. “I’ll make it. You go back to sleep. You’re sleeping for two.”

  “Don’t I know it. Thank you.” She massaged her rounded belly. The baby was due in a few weeks. This case wouldn’t affect his time off for the birth.

  It wouldn’t.

  He wouldn’t let it.

  Fifteen minutes passed before he was dressed and ready to head out. Coffee warmed his hand as he took the curves on the road at a safe speed.

  The ride to the fourteenth floor was taken alone, but when he entered Echo Team’s office the room was already hopping.

  Tito Santos had asked a legitimate question. Emerson had called his tech guy, Archie, on the way to the office to look up files created while processing the tour bus fire. Very little had been done. Since there was no official missing person why would they devote manpower to the case? Sure, a guy died but right now he was a John Doe. They would get to it eventually. Or so they would say.

  Echo Team was being ordered to get to it now.

  “Boss, we’re going to need boots on the ground. You want me to go with you?”

  Emerson saw his team pouring through what little notes and evidence had been gathered. “Nah, I’ll go. You keep me updated here.”

  Back down the elevator, with more coffee in hand, he found his car. By the time Emerson reached the area of the explosion light peeked through the clouds.

  “Glad you could join us.” Tito waited with hands on his hips.

  Tito was a guy one would love to hate. His father was the director of the special unit. All the women loved him, at least Emerson assumed they did. However, he was such a nice, friendly, hard-working guy one couldn’t help but love him or at least not mind working with him.

  “Finding anything?” Emerson sipped his coffee. The hot liquid burned his tongue, but he kept that to himself.

  “We all just arrived. Ericka’s team of roadies throw quite the after party.”

  “How did the concert go?”

  “Oh, Ericka was spot on as Rosetta. Amazing! Absolutely, amazing!”

  Emerson heard the animation in Tito’s voice. He knew what that meant. The guy had feelings for Ericka Stone. The lady blew in like a whirlwind and everyone seemed to go gaga. He’d even heard Blake comment on her in a positive light a couple of times. He thought it was the end-times, but the world was still spinning.

  “Agent Santos!” One of the men walking around waved them over. “Look. This lock is broken.”

  Tito rushed over. He pushed the door open to an old warehouse.

  The smell almost knocked Emerson over.

  “Light! We need light!” Tito’s voice caused officers nearby to hustle.

  Slowly about five of them spread out with flashlights and started walking. About fifty feet into the warehouse was a dead body. If it was from the tour bus explosion, it had only been in there for a day. No matter the length of time, rats and other animals had nibbled at the carcass until there were no identifiable features.

  “Call the medical examiner. Then get more men down here to process this scene.” Emerson gave a direct order to the officers walking the area with them.

  “Santos, we’ve got blood.”

  It wasn’t a large pool, but it was on the concrete near a pile of pallets. Strands of fabric and scattered string were close by. Emerson had a bad feeling in his gut. They may have just found what or who they were looking for and the answers didn’t look great.

  ****

  Ericka’s feet would have blisters on her blisters. She’d not changed out of the high boots before the party. She would have refused to go, but it was where all the special people who attended the concert got to go after the concert was over.

  First, she’d made rounds and shmoozed with everyone. There was the “hi, how are you?”, and the “come see me some time”, and on and on it went.

  After she made it through the crowd, she was forced to dance with almost everyone in attendance. She either danced with them individually or in a group. The music was Christian hip-hop or something of that nature. Although the speakers were so loud it was truthfully hard to hear any of the lyrics.

  Once she was able to excuse herself, she went to a table and sat down. Greg was immediately at her side.

  “Tired?”

  “I’m so tired. I wish we were in the back of the car, and I was getting another foot rub.”

  He snickered. “I could arrange that.”

  She laughed loudly. “And ignore all my adoring fans. No way.”

  “Come on, tell me the truth, you’re enjoying this.”

  “Hmm, well maybe a tiny bit. I would enjoy it better if we knew where Rosetta really was. I don’t like thinking I’m taking her limelight, and she might never enjoy it again.”

  “Don’t you worry. We know she is alive, and that Charles has her. That is a big start.”

  Tito had left a little while before. She was starting to wonder when it would be an appropriate time for her to request leaving herself.

  “You can’t leave until I get my dance.”

  She groaned, but she rose to her feet. She’d removed the boots so she walked to the dance floor barefooted. On the floor people moved aside so the two of them could enact some kind of movement. She wasn’t even sure what they were doing, but she was trying her best to follow his lead. By the time the song ended and a slow one began, she was winded and glad he was holding her upright.

  “That was fun.”

  “You said it.”

  “I wish we could do that more often.”

  “Now exactly when would we have the opportunity to do that?”

  “Well, this makes twice I’ve gotten to dance with you for an operation.”

  “True.”

  “I would just like to do it when we weren’t under some kind of threat.”

  She swallowed. All day Greg had been making little comments. Touching her in little intimate ways. It was nice, but also not good timing. Why couldn’t he have been like this weeks or months ago? Why now?

  The sound of trumpets and people marching in broke them apart. A large cake was brought in and placed on a table.

  “After a successful event Rosetta has a tradition, she eats cake! Let’s dig in.”

  Quinn had made the announcement, and everyone obeyed. Ericka was starving, but as she watched Greg from the corner of her eye cake was the last thing on her mind.

  ****

  Charles turned on the radio as he washed dishes. Rosetta was a little more active than she had been. Music seemed to improve her mood.

  He’d snuck and listened to the news. There had been no negative word on the concert the night before. If anything, secular artists had been surprised at how good it actually was.

  Part of him regretted that he would have to remove such talent from the world. But it was for the best for both of them.

  “Charles?”

  “Yes, dear?”

  “Do I know how to cook?”

  “Not a thing. Can’t even boil water.”

  “Oh.”

  “It’s all right, I love to cook.”

  “If I didn’t cook and we have no children and you enjoy cleaning, what do I do all day?”

  “Oh, you like to watch your soaps and sit around and look pretty.”

  “Oh. That doesn’t sound like a lot or very fulfilling.” She sighed and made her back to the couch.

  “Don’t worry dear; I’m sure things will pick up soon.”

  He was betting on it.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Don had finished the recording of the officer’s concert. Yuri and his friend couldn’t shut up about how good it was. But it wasn’t his daughter, so he didn’t really care.

  “Yuri?”