Target on the Mountain by Elizabeth Goddard (the chimp paradox .txt) 📕

this information to Sanchez? She already had a working relationship with him. Instead, Sarah had sent the information to Tori so she could take action, and Tori had failed her sister.

Monumentally.

She couldn’t go back in time to change any of it. All she could do was go forward and try to fix it now. She would find out who was behind Sarah’s murder, thanks to this information she now had in her hands.

Tori’s cell rang again. She would need to text Dad that she would call back in a bit. She opened the texting app to tell him and then stared at a text that had come through from Dad’s cell.

If you want to see your parents alive bring me the package.

She replied with her own text. Wait. I’m at the airport. You’ll have to give me time. I don’t have it with me.

I know you have it with you.

Tori stared at her cell. Had he employed a listening app on her phone or on her parents’? Or was he watching her even now, here in the airport? Tori glanced around her. Goose bumps crawled over her.

If you want them to remain alive, you must tell no one. If the information in the package ever comes to light, their deaths will be on your hands. And then you’ll die, too.

The street was dark and quiet when Ryan finally turned into his driveway and parked in the garage. He’d had to go back to the office to catch up on his reports and update his boss again, which meant he’d had to wait to find out what Katelyn wanted to show him. He found it was best to ferret out the truth before presenting anything to his boss.

Now he was ready to hear what she’d learned. He hadn’t asked her to stay and help, but he’d take any assistance he could get.

Ryan entered his home through the garage entrance and found the breakfast area dimly lit. Katelyn sat at the kitchen table, the light from her laptop reflecting on her face.

“Sorry I’m late. Captain Moran wanted a face-to-face with me.” It had been good to be able to reassure his boss that Tori was no longer part of the investigation.

Now that Tori was at the airport, he realized just how glad he was that she was headed home. Maybe he would have caught the murderer by now, without her proximity and the fact she was in danger scrambling his brain.

And now he could focus on dousing what her presence had kindled inside of him.

And douse he would, though he wasn’t sure how yet.

Starting tonight.

He grabbed sodas for each of them from the fridge, then pulled out the chair at the end of the table to sit. Ryan popped the top, drank and savored the fizz, then guzzled the rest. He sat the empty can on the table.

Katelyn finally responded.

“And you couldn’t update him with this new information because you didn’t have it, is that it?”

“Pretty much.” He’d called her on the way to the office, but only got her voice mail. “So please enlighten me.”

“You’re still in love with her.”

Her words struck him in the chest. “What?”

Katelyn finally pulled her attention from the laptop. “You heard me.”

“Why are you saying this to me?”

Laughter burst from her. “So you admit it?”

“No. I admit nothing.” He scraped a hand down his face. “That just came out of the blue.” And it wasn’t what he wanted to hear from his sister.

“Not out of the blue. You asked me to please enlighten you. So I did. I told you something you’re ignoring.”

He couldn’t listen to this. Tori was gone and he had to get over her once and for all.

“I’m not in love with her,” he said. “That ended a long time ago. How I feel has no bearing on finding Sarah’s murderer and whoever is behind the attacks on Tori. She’s going home now. Going back to work, where she’ll be surrounded by FBI agents and be safe.” He hoped. “Please explain your phone call to me. You said you found an interesting connection. Could you have been a little less cryptic? No, don’t answer that. What have you learned?”

She rubbed her eyes. “I was looking into Eddie Slattery when I came across a connection. I thought he could be connected to Sarah’s place of employment, GenDynamics. He’s not, but that’s when I came across this interesting information.”

Ryan stared at her laptop, at the two faces she’d pulled up.

“It could be nothing,” she said.

“Or it could be everything.”

SIXTEEN

Tori’s palms slicked against the steering wheel. She’d taken a cab back to Sarah’s to get her sister’s car, and now she sat parked on the side of a dark road and looking at an empty building that had been condemned.

This monster had her parents in there?

Oh, Mom...

Anger raged in her veins. How dare he do this to her family? How dare he bring them into this?

Lord, please help me know how to play this. How do I get them back, safe and sound, and take this guy down?

If only she hadn’t sent Ryan away, maybe he would be following her now as he had on multiple occasions, saving her from danger. She’d given him the cold shoulder in her need to get away from the situation, believing it was for the best.

But now her parents’ lives were at stake.

Gripping her weapon, Tori quietly exited the car. She would likely be forced to give up the weapon, but she had another tucked away at her ankle.

Creeping forward, she held her weapon ready, prepared to use it if necessary. Wouldn’t it be nice if she could surprise the kidnapper and killer and get the best of him...not that she thought it would ever be that easy.

She’d tucked the package in her purse. Maybe she shouldn’t have brought it so she could have strung this guy out a little longer while she tried to save her parents.

At the building, she hesitated, mentally preparing herself to face whatever