Page 66 of Wired Ghost

But what she saw when she pulled up in front of the grand entrance was not reassuring.

The double door handles had been looped together by a chain and a large padlock. Crude boards had been nailed across the entrance, increasing the locked-down effect. More crimson plastic NO TRESPASSING tape crisscrossed the windows and side doors. A notice that looked the same as the one she’d already read was taped to one side of the entrance.

Sophie turned to look at the barn; it was similarly sealed.

“Nam?” She put her hands around her mouth and called again. “Nam! It’s Sophie!”

No answer. The place appeared deserted.

Sophie walked up the stone steps. Her hand caressed the shiny spot she often rubbed on one of the dragons’ heads as she checked that the notice on the door was what she’d already read.

It was. Everything of Connor’s, the whole island, had been seized.

“Son of a two-headed goat.”She hurried around the outside of the entire building. Every window and door was boarded up, sealed, and marked with the tape.

Surveillance cameras were probably tracking her every move right now.

Sophie battled a wave of nausea as she headed back to the quad. “It’s going to be okay,” she said aloud, but in her mind, she heard the reassurance spoken in Jake’s distinctive voice.

Jake was gone.He would never be at her side again, helping her, supporting her, loving her.

Sophie staggered over to an ornamental bush and vomited up the little she’d eaten on the plane.

Standing back up, wiping her mouth, her knees shaky, Sophie took a long look around at the beautiful house and grounds.She might never see this place again.She walked over to the bench where she’d made peace with her mother and gazed out at the incredible view, drawing some deep breaths to combat the last of the nausea. “Goodbye, Phi Ni. Thank you for being so good to me. I hope I can see you again someday.”

She got on the ATV and drove down to Nam’s house.

The same tape and notice marked the door of Nam’s cottage. The place appeared deserted, and the couple’s lush garden was already wilting in the tropical sun.

A new spike of terror hit Sophie’s bloodstream.

What if they’d been taken into custody, to be used against her? She searched around the couple’s house to no avail. There was no clue where they might have gone.

Fear reached a new level as she suddenly wondered if the pilot might have taken off without her, marooning her here. What if they had received directions from the Department of Justice? She had to assume the agents on the case knew she was trespassing on the premises, and she couldn’t blame the pilots for following orders.

There was nothing for her here, and nothing to learn except that the agents had followed through on their threats.

Sophie ran to the quad, jumped on, and sped back down the mountain.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Sophie

The jet was still parkedon the tarmac. The pilot and his copilot were pumping fuel from the underground tank that Connor kept filled.

Sophie blew out a breath of relief as she drove the ATV into the huge, dim, cool hangar. She parked the quad in the corner where it was typically stored.

Her mind ground restlessly through her options. No one was answering his phone; either the phones were out of range, had been disabled, or had been confiscated, as hers had been.

She could stay in Thailand, and try to look for Armita and Momi, hoping that they had taken shelter on the mainland, or were at the Yam Khûmk?n compound with Connor.

But she had made her feelings about the compound clear to him. If Connor had moved to take care of Armita and Momi as she hoped he had, he would not have taken them there—he would have sent them back to Hawaii, where they would be safe from her mother.

Connor might have taken Nam and his wife to the compound, though. They would be cared for, perhaps even given jobs.

It was possible they’d all been taken into custody, but Connor was usually miles ahead of law enforcement. She could only trust that her warning had set in motion a series of events that would ensure not only Connor’s safety, but that of those dearest to her. Yes, he’d betrayed her trust by bringing Pim Wat and the Master to a place she’d imagined was safe; but as he had pointed out, that always had been an illusion.

Her best option was to return to her apartment, contact her father, and enlist all the help and protection she could get against the DOJ probe. From there, she would hope to hear from Armita, wherever she was hiding with Momi, once things were safe.

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