Rosetta.

  That was her name.

  Scenes from the last few days began to flash through her mind. The broken bus. Charles or Lewis repairing it. Coming to New York and meeting Ericka Stone. Ericka looked just like her, she could sing. Being jealous that Ericka would outperform her in New York and get to cut her new demo.

  The bus…

  The bus had exploded. She’d been thrown free of the bus. Someone had helped her get away.

  Charles.

  He’d helped her.

  But he’d also lied to her. He’d said that she was his wife. Why? He hadn’t tried to take any marital privileges, he barely looked at her.

  No, he had another reason, but it didn’t matter. Whatever the reason was, she had to get out of here. While he was gone, she needed to make her escape. When he returned, she wouldn’t be savvy enough to hide what she’d found.

  She wasn’t that good an actress.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Beta Team had been given leave to pack up and head home. Whether the person who had threatened Rosetta in the first place was in the building or not, the Police Assistance Unit would not be assisting in finding out.

  Tito helped the tech crew pack up the equipment. Blake and Nick had already gone home. Burle had stayed back to help the tech team as well, so at least the team wasn’t completely full of worthless people.

  “What do you think is happening with that other guy?”

  “Oh, the guy who we were watching by mistake in the beginning?”

  “Yeah, him.”

  “You would have thought that Blake and Nick would have realized that wasn’t the right guy. I mean, they walked into Alexi’s apartment. They talked to him about joining the Russian gang and then they walked out and thought that other guy was him.”

  “I don’t understand them either. I just go where I’m told. I do my job and that is it. I have one more year and I’ll have my twenty years in. I plan on an early retirement. Then I’ll go write books, or surf the internet, or really surf, I don’t know, and I don’t care, but I’ll be done.”

  “I get it.”

  “But back to the other guy…”

  “Yeah, I haven’t had a chance to ask the director if he knows of any other operations in the building. You would have thought he would have been read in on that so that we wouldn’t face a conflict.”

  “One would think.”

  The tech guys picked up the last computer screen and placed it in a box. They sealed it well so that no one on the outside would know what was inside.

  “Where do you go after this?”

  “Not sure. I don’t think Beta Team has another assignment, if they do, I haven’t heard about it. Echo Team is doing the follow up on the Charles case.”

  “I still think we should have pursued the threat to Rosetta Vilo. Honestly, someone is gunning for this girl. She’s been threatened by email. They thought they were shooting at her in front of The Plaza. They blew up her tour bus. I mean, why aren’t we trying to help?”

  Tito could ask, but he thought he knew already. His dad was pissed. He was mad at the treatment he’d received and who wouldn’t be. He’d used three of his five teams to work the case. That left him short and vulnerable. But now his work was being questioned because of how he helped.

  Yeah, Tito could understand why they weren’t helping now.

  The last box rolled into the hallway. “I guess I’ll be going. My wife might be glad to see me.” Burle chuckled as he walked toward the elevator.

  Tito leaned against the doorfacing. He looked like a man who was moving from his apartment and suffering some introspection. Truthfully, that was part of what he was doing. He was thinking, plus he wanted to look like he would miss the place.

  What a lie.

  The door opened at the end of the hallway and Alexi exited. Tito jumped behind the apartment door and looked out through the crack. It was the first time that Alexi had left his apartment that he could tell.

  Supposedly, Alexi Romanov was a famous gang leader. Tito didn’t see it. The man didn’t demand respect. He was short. His voice was squeaky. And his build looked squatty. Nothing about him screamed gang leader.

  Alexi took the elevator. Tito locked the door and decided to follow. In the lobby, he waited for the elevator door to open. He’d run down the stairs, but he should have known that rickety thing would take forever to reach the first floor.

  The doors slid open, and Alexi walked out into the lobby. His jacket had come undone and hung awkwardly past his waist. He exited the building and climbed into a waiting cab.

  Tito ran to his company car and pulled out into traffic amongst honking and yells of aggravation. He would have told them they needed to deal, but he focused on following the cab in front of him.

  The rusted Pinto didn’t look like much but she made up for it with what was hidden under the hood. When the cab left the city and began to speed up, Tito had no problems staying close.

  The cab stopped at a roadside diner. Alexi climbed from the car and walked inside. At the door someone motioned him forward. Tito pulled over and drew out his phone. Zooming in, he took several pictures of the two men sitting at a booth.

  The evidence was hardly incriminating, but it would be enough just to find out who Alexi was with. Sometimes leads came in the most unusual places.

  ****

  The sun was dipping low by the time James felt like he could leave the office. He’d fielded calls all day about their operation. Everyone wanted to know the ins and the outs of what they’d done and why they’d done it a certain way.

  Finally, he explained he was in charge and they did it because he said so.

  When his boss called, though his attitude changed. The scathing words he received was something he only remembered getting when he’d been young, and it had come from his father.

  His father had been a harsh task master. He’d been such a perfectionist that James’ mother had left because she could never please him. Poor James hadn’t had that choice. He’d been forced to stay behind because his mother didn’t have money to raise and child, so his father said and the court agreed.

  “I know I told you to do this and you didn’t want to, but it appears you didn’t even try. You don’t have anything on Alexi Romanov. You let Rosetta escape and now she can’t be found. You refused to let the parents petition the press for help. You didn’t pull your agent but kept her in harm’s way. Am I missing anything?”

  James started to say he was missing the facts, but he kept that to himself. “I guess you about summed it up.”

  “We need to get ahead of this thing. I want you to find Rosetta before anyone else does. Or fake it if you have to since you’re so good at that. We can’t afford for your new organization—that you’ve only been in charge of for a little while—to be made a laughing stock. I could have had that by leaving Greg Kane in charge.”

  James almost responded. Greg Kane was a good agent. He’d been a good leader and temporary director as far as James could tell. Why they didn’t hire him permanently was a mystery.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chief Wexell didn’t wait but hung up. James studied the phone as he laid it on the cradle easily. He ran his hands through his hair so many times that he realized he probably needed a haircut.

  The phone rang. Monica came over the speaker. “It’s your wife, sir.”

  “Tell her I’ll have to call her back.”

  “She says it’s an emergency. Something about an internet outage.”

  James groaned. This is what he got for marrying a younger woman and for her money. She wasn’t very intelligent.

  “Get someone out there to look at it, Monica. I have other problems.”

  “Oh, and Tito is waiting here for you.”

  “Send him in.”

  Tito entered. He came straight to the desk and dropped his phone there.

  “Does this person look familiar?”

  James placed glasses on the tip of his nose. “Not really.”

  “We need to run him through the facial database software. Alexi hasn’t left his apartment until today. The day that we packed up and moved out. He went to a diner and met with this guy. This guy,” Tito pointed his finger to the screen, “gave him a thick brown envelope.”

  “You think it was a pay off?”

  “I do. I think Alexi was paid to be the fall guy. The gang information was planted as well.”

  James leaned back in his chair. His elbow was on the chair, his hand stroked his chin. Tito made some good points, but they would have trouble proving it without knowing who the guy was.

  “Take that picture to Archie in Echo Team. I think he should be able to help you.”

  Tito grabbed his phone and went to walk out.

  “Tito?”

  “Sir?”

  “Thank you. I needed a win today.”

  Tito nodded and went on out the door.

  While Echo Team worked on the picture, he needed to work on finding Rosetta. Too much longer and his boss wouldn’t be the only person gunning for his head on a platter.

  ****

  Rosetta packed a bag of supplies and clothing. Inside one of the coat pockets she’d found a cell phone. She could have called right then for help. She probably should have, but she wanted to just get out and try to get away. If she called and the police found her while she was in the trailer, Charles might try to hold her hostage.

  She placed her hand on the doorknob and prayed that it would open. All of her memories had returned. She knew who she was and why she hadn’t been on stage. Hiring a double had been her idea so that she wouldn’t lose her contract deal. But she’d done it thinking that the culprit for the threats would be taken into custody in a day or so. Not a week.

  The doorknob turned in her hand and she stepped out into the waning light. She would need to reach the main road and flag someone down. She didn’t know what Charles drove and she wasn’t about to be the chick in the horror movie that jumped back into the vehicle of the person who originally took her.

  The only way to ensure that didn’t happen was to make sure she knew what he drove. And that could only happen if she waited until he got home.

  A plan formed in her mind. When the truck motor was heard rumbling up the road and over the gravel driveway, she grew shaky, but determined.

  Charles whistled as he stepped from the truck, grabbed the bag of groceries, and headed for the door. She’d left lights on so he’d think she was inside. He turned the knob and entered. The sound of him calling for her echoed through the thin walls.

  Rosetta raced to the door and placed a board beneath the knob and wedged it tightly against the ground. She’d had everything ready, prepared. It had worked.

  She bit the inside of her cheek. She’d planned to run into the woods, but the truck was sitting there. Maybe he’d left the keys inside.

  She eased to the door and opened it. The creak sent a shockwave through her. The key was lying on the passenger seat. She climbed behind the wheel, put the key in the ignition, and fired up the motor. The sound of Charles beating on the window and yelling for her reached her hearing as she slammed the gear shift into reverse and raced backward along the rough road.

  People were looking for her. She wouldn’t have to go far to get help. She just hoped that the gas and the truck would hold out just a little longer.

  All she needed was a little faith and she had plenty of that. The words of Reckless Sinner about driving down the highway at a top speed came to her mind. She’d written that when she was younger, before she’d come to know the Lord. Everything she’d done after her mother passed to get attention had been stupid and reckless. When she got saved, she was determined to change all that.

  When the threats came in, she should never have ran. She’d only put other people in danger. She should have stood up and had faith that God would protect and if He didn’t that was okay as well.

  This situation she was currently in was all because of the sin of jealousy. She wouldn’t be doing that again.

  Once she found Ericka, she would thank her and any blame cast on others for the entire situation would be returned to her.

  It was only fair.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “I found something!” Ericka had the map rolled out on her desk and she leaned over it.

  Greg left his work station and moved closer.

  “Here. This is it.”

  “What? A stain?” Tim wasn’t as funny as he thought he was.

  “No, Tim, this town. Well really place. This is where he is hiding out.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because the place is small. It only has one convenience store with a gas station, and I found a mobile home for rent, fully furnished on Mobilehomes for rent dot com.”

  “You’re kidding, right? She’s kidding.” Tim was looking between the others in the room for agreement.

  “I don’t believe she is. Look here.” Quinn pulled up all the information that went with the area and the mobile home.

  “Look at Charles’ route out of town, he is going straight for the place.”

  “And a million others.”

  “Tim, you act like you have to go raid the place if we find information.”

  “Well…”

  “Do you?”

  “No, I don’t, but I don’t think we should waste manpower either. I mean, Rosetta could have been dumped by now. Charles doesn’t hold onto people very long is my understanding.”

  Greg saw Ericka flinch. Tim had no idea how many buttons he was pushing, and he needed to tread lightly. Ericka wouldn’t want to think of losing Rosetta or anyone else to Charles.

  Tim shrugged. “Fine, call it in. Let them go check. Maybe it’ll lead to something.”

  Ericka placed the phone to her ear and gave the information over to the tip line. Then she called Monica to relay the information to Director Manis. Then the phone went back down.

  Greg wanted to offer comfort and assurance, but before he could the phone rang.

  Ericka’s eyes widened. She laid the phone down and put it on speaker.

  “Rosetta, where are you?”

  “I’m on a highway out in the middle of nowhere. I fled this mobile home out in the woods. Charles is still there, I locked him in. He was keeping me there.”

  “Do you think you can keep driving?”

  “I would but this vehicle is going to run out of gas. I’m close to a convenience store, but I don’t have any money.”

  Greg pointed at Quinn.

  Ericka went back on the phone. “We’re calling in the money.”

  “But how do you know where I am?”

  “Ericka figured it out.”

  “Oh, Mr. Kane. Can you tell me what happened to Benji?”

  Ericka looked directly at him and shook her head. He could tell she didn’t want him to say that Benji was dead. It could send her into a tailspin where she wouldn’t be able to come out. She might give up trying to help herself.

  “I really want to talk to him.”

  Greg swallowed. This was not good.

  “Rosetta, let’s get you back to New York safely then we’ll talk about Benji.”

  “Did something happen to him?”

  “Rosetta…”

  “Listen to me, if something happened to him, I need to know now. Not three minutes from now, or a week from now, but now. I can take it.”

  “He died.”

  “What?”

  “In the bus explosion.”

  The sob that came through the phone echoed throughout their suddenly silent room. “Died?”

  “Yes, I’m very sorry.”

  “But, no, that can’t be right. He was right behind me when we got out of the bus.”

  “He was too far behind you. The explosion sent him flying and he didn’t make it.”

  Rosetta sobbed again, then Greg could hear her straighten up. “I will help you resolve this entire situation, but I would like for someone to come get me. I can’t keep going.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  “Thank you. I’m going to go inside now and make sure they will let me pump. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.”

  As Rosetta exited the vehicle and entered the station, Greg was grabbing the keys to the car, a coat, and Ericka. “We need to go. If he gets to her before us—”

  “His reasons for keeping her alive might have changed. I know.”

  ****

  Rosetta calmly entered the gas station and went up to the cashier. “Someone called in and paid for my gas.”

  “Oh, yeah, they said your name was Ericka Stone or something.”

  “Th-that’s right.”

  “Okay, I’ll get you filled up.” The boy typed in a few keys on the keypad. “You want me to pump it?”

  “Would you mind?”

  “Nope. I’d like to stretch my legs a bit. Oh, the guy who called gave some extra money for snacks if you want something.”

  “Thanks.” Rosetta watched him go outside to the truck before she went through the aisles looking. In the past she’d been diabolically opposed to lard based, fake cheese snack items, but now all she wanted was a bag of crunchy cheesy sticks. She found a bag and laid it on the counter with a cola. Then she went to the restroom she’d seen in the back. The women’s was closed but the sign was only visible after she looked inside.

  After drawing a deep breath, she entered the men’s. It was surprisingly clean. After she was done and cleaning her hands, she heard the slam of a door. She placed her head on the door and pulled it back only an inch.

  Her heart hammered against her ribs. How Charles had gotten out of the trailer and reached her this quickly was a complete mystery. But there he was stalking through every aisle.

  So far, no words had left his mouth, but there was a murderous rage in his eyes that she’d thought impossible in a human being.

  He went for the women’s restroom first. As soon as he entered, she burst out of the men’s, pulled the door to the women’s and held it shut. He was strong though and her grip was slipping.