Page 116 of Whistleblower

Callen squints his eyes shut and beats his fist against his head silently. He looks anguished, but his response comes out cool and casual. “Nope. He still thinks she’s at a spa day with Cricket, but he’s getting suspicious. So I’d be mighty grateful if you guys can get another flight, soon.” Callen chuckles humorlessly, his eyes remain narrowed.

Harmon laughs on the other line. “Roger that. I’ll be in touch.”

Once the call disconnects, Vesper and Callen are immediately on their feet, exchanging panicked glances.

“Linc,” Vesper says, steadying her eyes on me, “Eden’s in trouble. We have to go.”

“Because they missed their flight?”

Vesper and Callen are the detectives in the room. Clearly, they both understand something I don’t.

“What?” I ask, standing. “How do you know?”

“He wouldn’t let us talk to her. Red flag,” Callen says.

“He’s in an airport food court, yet there’s no background noise? He’s lying,” Vesper adds.

“He asked about you, Linc. He wanted to know how much time he has before you start hunting him down.”

My instincts told me. I felt it. I couldn’t make sense of it, but I sensed it.

“Do you have any idea where they are?”

“I have a hunch,” Callen says. “I need to call in a quick favor. We can’t use FBI resources to get to her.” Callen holds his head and shakes it side to side. “Fuck! I don’t know who I can trust anymore.”

“Callen,” I roar. “Have your pity party when Eden’s safe. Go make your call, now,” I demand.

With just Vesper and I left in the meeting room, I feel the need to give her a warning as the gnawing ache of anger and worry seeps through my skin and poisons my blood.

“I won’t ask your permission,” I mutter.

Vesper places her hands over mine to steady their shaking. “Breathe, Linc.”

“If anyone has hurt her, they will die. Cop, not a cop, I don’t care. I won’t ask your permission to end their life. Do with that what you must.”

Vesper puts her hand on my shoulder as I threaten to break PALADIN’s most prominent rule. The rule that put Frankie in the ground.

“You don’t need to ask for my permission,” Vesper responds, “you already have it.”

FORTY-ONE

EDEN

When I wake up, the first thing I see is the view from my home office window—I recognize it immediately. Looking around, I see my cranberry-colored drapes, the clean white executive desk, and my matching built-in bookshelves. I used to love this room. It’s a little dusty, seeing as my home in California hasn’t been occupied in over a month. It’s so dusty in fact, my throat catches as I inhale, and I fall victim to a coughing fit. Instinctively, I try to cover my mouth, and that’s when I remember I’m tied down.

The zip ties cut into my skin as I try to lift my arms, but the arm supports of my office chair don’t budge. My feet are free, and I can roll and shuffle around, but between Harmon, Ravi, and two guns pointed at me, I find it safer to sit still. Escape isn’t an option—I’d be dead before I made it to the door.

Coughing, sputtering, and gasping for breath, Harmon finally approaches me with a bottle of water. He tilts my chin back and pours a little sip into my mouth which calms my irritated throat.

He can’t even look me in the eye.

Clearly, he’s having a hard time stomaching what he did to me. My mouth is hot and swollen. Running my tongue over my bottom lip, I taste the open wound. He wiped the blood from my chin at least. He hit me three times before my ears were ringing so loud, I couldn’t count any more. I remember Ravi screaming at both of us in the background. She screamed at me to give up the information. She screamed at Harmon to hit me harder.

Harmon was holding back, I know that for sure. He’s quite large. He could have broken my jaw or my nose if he wanted to, but he still had to follow orders. I don’t know what Ravi is holding over him, but I imagine beating me to a pulp is the safer alternative to seeing his wife and kids in the same condition.

But still, his attack was shocking. My intruder from the other day struck me with an open palm. Harmon…did not. Eventually I just succumbed to the stars swirling in my head, welcoming the darkness that eventually cloaked me. I thought it was death, apparently it was just a nap. I shudder realizing the bastards probably let me sleep it off so I’d be alert enough to really feel round two.

“How long have I been out?” I ask when I glance around the room and notice Ravi is missing.

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