Page 68 of Guarding Truth

Her anger toward herself refocused on a new target. “What’s the plan, Caleb? Just waltz in and they’ll give up Ivy? They’ll use you both. And you’ve already said, what happens when Ivy becomes expendable? You are not doing this without me.”

Her voice growled the last two words. She put her hands on the side of the desk and stared Caleb down. He shifted in his seat, refusing to meet her eyes.

“If anything goes bad, I need you here to be there for Ivy. Make sure she gets to her grandparents if anything happens to me. I have to do this alone.” He kept his eyes glued to the desk and fidgeted with his hands.

She crouched across from him, getting into his field of vision. “This is too big of a risk, Caleb. You of all people should know this. Ivy needs you. Alive.”

He slapped the desk with his palm. “She needs me to find her.”

“Then let me help.”

They stared at each other until Caleb nodded. The ding of the computer sent Caleb spinning in his chair, his attention returning to the laptop. Juliette stood and moved to read over his shoulder.

“It’s Rushmore,” Caleb said. “They want to meet. In one hour.”

“I’ll let Agent McGregor know.” Juliette pulled her phone from her pocket.

“They said no police or they’ll kill Ivy.” He turned the laptop toward her.

Meet us at this address. Thirty minutes. Tell no one. If we think the police are following, we will kill Ivy. We’ll consider a trade. Ivy for you.

A picture followed the message. Ivy’s emerald-green eyes stared blankly into what looked like a computer camera, her face streaked with tears. Juliette sucked in a breath.

A countdown clock showed the time ticking down. They now had twenty-nine minutes to get to Ivy.

“We can’t go in alone, Caleb. This could be a trap.” She headed for the door to find Alana and Noelle. Maybe they could help Caleb see reason.

Caleb grabbed her arm and spun her around. “We’ve got to go now. The address they sent is a marina about twenty minutes from here. There’s no time. Either you’re in or out.”

Juliette shook out of his grip and faced him with her hands on her hips. “We need to call the FBI—or at least Matt. Let them handle it. They’ll be able to be discreet. We can’t do this alone.”

In a complete role reversal, Juliette was telling him to play it safe. But her heart thumped with every second that ticked by. They couldn’t waste time arguing.

He shook his head. “No. We need to surprise them, not swoop in with sirens and a SWAT team. These men will kill her if they get backed into a corner. I’m not taking any chances of spooking them.”

“Caleb, some risks aren’t worth taking. I know you love Ivy, but think this through. They aren’t playing by the rules. They will kill you both.”

“You know what?” Caleb grabbed his laptop and stuffed it into a backpack. “I’m going. Can we take Alana’s car?” He marched out the door, presumably to find Alana. Juliette’s car was still at the crime scene, so they needed a new ride.

“Fine.” Juliette huffed her displeasure at their lack of a plan. What had happened to her logical Caleb? “You need to channel your inner Spock and think things through logically. But we can take my grandmother’s car. I haven’t sold it yet.”

He nodded and Juliette led him down the hallway, out the back door, and toward the parking lot behind the house. “For the record, I don’t like this idea. It’s not like you to go rogue. But as your bodyguard, I go where you go. Let me get Alana and Noelle and let them know what’s up.”

“You used to run into danger all the time when the situation called for it,” Caleb said. “What happened to Hazard Pay Montgomery? I need her to show up and fight hard.”

She shot him a glare to send the message that he’d pushed her too far, but he ignored her silent clue and kept on talking. “I’m just saying that now is the time to take risks. I can’t wait around for something to happen. We need to get Ivy back.”

“Stop.” She turned and put her hand on his chest. “I said I’m in, even though I don’t agree. At least let me tell Alana and Noelle in case things go south.”

“Text them from the car.”

She relented and handed him the keys. She fired off a quick text to Alana and Noelle.

If ever she’d needed her teammates, it was now. Because how was she going to rein in her client if he recklessly walked into the bad guys’ trap and surrendered?

* * *

FRIDAY 5 P.M.