Fatal Threat

She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, losing herself in the kiss. Then she was falling onto the bed with him coming down on top of her, heavy, strong and hard as a rock. Before she took total leave of her senses, she broke the kiss. “We need to talk.”

“We will.” His lips moved on her neck, feeding the fire inside. “This first.”

Whatever he needed to tell her would keep for a few more minutes.

“Missed you so much,” he whispered as he made quick work of getting her naked.

“I missed you too. I hated every minute without you.”

“Same, baby.” And then he was surging into her, hot and strong and deep.

Sam arched her back, gasping from the impact and the pleasure and the nearly painful need he aroused in her. “The door...”

“Is locked. It’s okay.”

She relaxed ever so slightly, knowing they wouldn’t be interrupted but still anxious about what he had to tell her.

“You’re all tense,” he said when he was deep inside her, throbbing and pulsing with life.

“You’re not?”

“I have been, but I’m better now that I’m with you and everyone we love is safe. Give me fifteen minutes to have this, to be with you, and then we can deal with everything else.” He wrapped her up in his arms and rocked into her, over and over again until it wasn’t possible to think about anything other than him and the magic they created together. “Love you so much,” he whispered in her ear. “So, so, so much.”

“Mmm, me too. Don’t ever go away again. I can’t deal with it.”

“I can’t either. I hate being away from you.” His lips found hers in another hungry, desperate kiss.

Sam clung to him, drawing strength from his love to face whatever had to be done to keep their family safe. With him here now, she was less anxious and afraid than she’d been earlier.

“I was so scared something had happened to you.”

He tightened his arms around her and picked up the pace, letting her know he was alive and well and home where he belonged. “I’m sorry you were scared. I never wanted that.” Reaching to where they were joined, he touched her right where she needed it most, drawing a sharp cry of pleasure from her as she came hard.

“That’s what I’ve missed so much,” he whispered gruffly into her ear as he gave in to his own pleasure.

Sam kept her arms tight around him and ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him until her lips were numb, all the while wishing they were at home in their own bed rather than locked up in this underground bunker. She wanted to stay wrapped up in this moment with him so she wouldn’t have to face whatever had put them in this place to begin with.

“Tell me,” she whispered when their breathing had returned to normal.

“It’s bad.”

“I’d already reached that conclusion all on my own.”

He withdrew from her, moved onto his back and reached for her hand. “I wish I didn’t have to tell you this.”

Sam’s stomach began to hurt, and her recently relaxed body was once again filled with tension.

“Early this morning, my office received a letter. It was typed on plain white paper with no other identifying marks, and it spelled out in very specific detail that the vice president’s family had better be on guard because people were watching and waiting for their chance to teach us a lesson in humility.”

Sam’s mind raced with questions and scenarios. “Did your staff save the envelope?”

“They saved everything, and the FBI has it for further analysis. The postmark was smudged, so they couldn’t see where it originated. I was made aware of it twenty minutes after it happened and began making arrangements to come home right away. Due to some things that were going on there, it didn’t happen as quickly as I wanted it to, which made for some significant tension with my detail. I wanted out of there, but they needed time to put things together.”

“You said they spelled out in very specific detail what would happen. What kind of detail?”

“That’s the part I don’t want to tell you.”

“You have to. I need to know what we’re dealing with.”

“Come closer to me. Let me hold you.”

She rolled into his arms, her head on his chest where the strong beat of his heart soothed her. “Just tell me. The not knowing is the worst.”

He held her close, his lips sliding over her hair. “They said they would take someone who matters greatly to us and make them sorry they were ever born before returning them to us in pieces. They included photos of each of the kids that were taken in public places. Scotty at camp, Brooke at work, the others at the playground or pool. They wanted us to know they knew where to find them.”

Sam gasped and her stomach turned from the horror he described. The thought of such a thing happening to anyone they loved was unfathomable. “Did they say why?”

“No.”

“Does the threat meet the MO of a group already on the Secret Service’s radar?”

“Not completely. Parts of it are familiar to them, but other parts, like the mention of humility, were new. They’re thinking homegrown versus foreign.” Nick ran his fingers through her hair, the gesture so familiar that it was soothing even as she churned with thoughts and fears. “You’re shaking, Samantha.”

“Did they specify that our immediate family was in danger?”

“No, they only said someone who matters to us.”

“There’re a lot of people who matter greatly to us who aren’t in this bunker or whatever you want to call it. Freddie, Elin, Gonzo, Christina, Jeannie, Terry, Lindsey... To name a few. What about them?”

“We talked about that, and the decision was made to limit it to family members for the time being.”

Pulling free of his embrace, Sam sat up. “The others need to be notified! If they want to get to me and everyone here is unavailable, they’d know to go after Freddie next. He at least needs to be warned!”

“He and all the others you named, as well as some others you didn’t mention, are being warned as we speak.”

“God, Nick, what the hell are we going to do? Stay here until we find whoever sent this letter? What if that takes months?”

“I don’t know. All I knew for certain when I was told about the letter while half a world away from everyone I love was that I wanted you and Scotty somewhere safe. I wanted the other people we love to be safe. When the Secret Service offered this solution, I jumped at it. I didn’t know what else to do.”

With the bedside light still on, she could see the toll the situation had taken on him in the exhaustion she saw in his eyes and in the grim set of his jaw. “Did you know this place existed before now?”

“I’d been briefed about emergency operations, including this place, on the outside chance they were needed. I never expected we’d actually need it, and I’m sorry they let you think for even a second that something had happened to me. I didn’t authorize that part of it.”

“The last time I was that scared was when you had the flu and wouldn’t wake up. You’ve got to stop doing this to me.”

“I will. As soon as you stop doing it to me every time you walk out the door.”

Sam forced a smile for his sake, sensing he needed it.

“I hate that I’ve done this to us,” he said on a long sigh.

“What do you mean? You didn’t—”

“I took this fucking job and plunged us into a nightmare.”

“You can’t take responsibility for this. You agreed to serve your country. None of the rest is your fault. If anything, it’s probably mine.”

“How do you figure?”

“If they’re dinging us for a lack of humility, they’re probably not talking about you.”

“Stop. You’re nothing if not humble.”

“I am not. I’m a mouthy gasbag who goes through life doing what I want when I want. The citizens who love you probably hate your wife.”

“The whole world could hate my wife, and it wouldn’t matter in the least to me. I love her, and I wouldn’t want any other gasbag but her to be my wife.”

Sam settled herself back in his arms, the only place she really wanted to be anyway. “Good answer, Mr. Vice President. Very politically correct.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Trying to understand or rationalize madness is a pointless exercise. It won’t get us anywhere but frustrated.”

“I suppose, but I still wish I’d never taken this job and made us targets for shit like this.”

“I want to say something you’re not going to want to hear.”

“What else is new?”

Sam tugged on a tuft of his chest hair, making him gasp and then laugh.

“What’s the thing I’m not going to want to hear?”

“Let’s not hide out. Let’s go back to our lives with full awareness of the threat and not let them win.”

“I knew you’d feel that way. In fact, I predicted to Brant that’s what you’d say,” he said of John Brantley Junior, the lead agent on his detail. “You carry a gun and can protect yourself if need be. Scotty and I have Secret Service details. But what about Brooke and Abby and Ethan and Jack and Ella? What about my dad’s little boys? Who will protect them if we don’t keep them safe somewhere until we figure this out?”

“So we’re all stuck here for God knows how long?”

“Hopefully, it won’t be for too long.”

“But you don’t know that.” Sam got out of bed and pulled on a T-shirt that she’d found in a dresser full of clothes in her size. This whole thing was weird on so many levels. “I can’t stay here indefinitely. I have a new case and people depending on me.”

“I’m depending on you, and I’d like to keep you alive.”

“I can take care of myself, Nick. Let me out of here so I can help figure out who’s threatening us.”

“No.”

She stopped pacing and stared at him, incredulous. “No? That’s it? Just no?”

“Just no. And before you can turn this into me abusing my so-called power, this is not coming from me. It’s coming from the FBI and the Secret Service. The director of the Secret Service came right out and said this is the only way they can guarantee my family will be safe until we know what we’re dealing with.”

“You can’t keep me here! I’ll lose my mind! Is that what you want?”

“I want you alive, Samantha. That’s all I want.”

“I’m in Jeannie’s wedding next week. What do I do about that? She needs me right now, Nick. She’s fragile. You know she is.”

“She has her family and Michael and the rest of your squad propping her up. She’ll be fine, and hopefully, this will be over in time for the wedding.”

“Hopefully? If it takes longer than one more day, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

He got up and went to her, taking her by the hand to lead her back to bed.

She went with him, but not as willingly as she usually did.

“I know this is awful,” he said in the tone he used when she needed soothing. “It’s awful for me too. You wouldn’t have wanted to see me when I heard about this threat while I was in fucking Iran. I know what it’s like to be out of your mind, because I’ve already been there over this.” As he spoke, he ran his fingers through her hair. “The thing I hate most about this job is that I can’t protect you and Scotty from people who’d harm you because of me. That’s a hard thing for me to live with.”

“I don’t like when you tell me no.”

“How often do I do that?”

“Not very,” she said grudgingly.

“Only when I absolutely have to.”

“If I’m going to be kept prisoner here, I want to be in the loop. I want to know the details of the investigation. I need to feel like I’m doing something to get us out of here, or I really will go mad.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“I want to see the letter and the pictures they sent.”

“They’re giving me copies of them in the morning so I can bring the others up to speed on why we’re here.”

“My dad will need doctors and medication and...”

“It’s all being taken care of. I made sure of it.”

Sam exhaled and forced herself to try to relax and slow her racing mind.

“There is an upside to this so-called imprisonment.”

“What possible upside could there be to being held captive in an underground cement bunker in the middle of summer?”

“Lots of time for this.” He flattened his hand on her thigh and dragged it up to cup her mound, sliding a finger into her. “And this.”

She turned toward him, intending to protest, but he captured her mouth in a kiss that stole her breath and made her forget what she’d been planning to say.

“Missed you so much,” he whispered against her lips as he continued to slide his fingers in and out of her, bending them to reach the place that set her off.

Sam spread her legs farther apart to give him better access and opened her mouth to his tongue. He was right about one thing. If they were going to be stuck here indefinitely, she was going to enjoy the reunion with her beloved husband.

CHAPTER FIVE

IN THE MORNING, Sam and Nick gathered their loved ones in the common area to explain why they’d been brought to the underground bunker. While the little ones played in one of the bedrooms under the watch of two agents, Nick filled in the others on what the letter said and what the FBI and Secret Service were doing to find the person who’d sent it.

They had debated about whether to include Scotty in the briefing but had determined that he and Brooke were old enough to know the truth.

“You must get threats all the time, Nick,” Spencer said. “What was so different about this one?”

“Several things. First of all was the timing. It was sent to my office when the whole world knew I was in Iran, helping to negotiate the arms agreement.” He lowered his voice to add, “Second, and more important, were the photos included with the letter.”

“What photos?” Tracy asked.

Nick passed them around.

Sam, who’d seen the images earlier, watched each of the adults as they realized who had been threatened.

Angela brought her hand to her heart, her eyes darting around frantically.

Spencer put his arm around her.

“Dear God,” Nick’s dad, Leo, said before he passed the photo of his sons at day care to his wife, Stacy, who gasped.

“Whoever sent the threat has been watching our family,” Nick said. “As you can see, they know where to find each of the kids.”

Scotty stared at the photo of himself at baseball camp while Brooke did the same with the picture of her at work.

“They were watching us?” Brooke asked in a small voice that tugged at Sam’s heart. After everything her niece had been through last winter, it was infuriating to see her scared again when she’d made so much progress toward putting her life back together.

“I’m not telling you this to scare you, Brooke,” Nick said. “We thought it was only fair for you to know why you’re here.”

“How long do you think we’ll have to stay here?” Graham asked.

“I wish I knew,” Nick said. “The FBI and Secret Service are doing everything they can to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible.” After a pause, he continued. “Look, everyone, I know this sucks, and I feel so bad having to put you all through it, but I didn’t know what else to do after I saw those pictures when I was on the other side of the world.”

“You did the right thing, Nick,” Skip said. “The only thing you could do in light of those photos. In your shoes, I would’ve done the same.”

Sam could see that her father’s words helped to relieve some of Nick’s burden.

“I never would’ve gone to such extremes if I hadn’t thought it was necessary,” Nick said. “I hope you know that.”

“We do,” Celia said. “Of course we do, and you know, I was saying to Skip this morning that we need to make the best of this situation. How often do we get to spend this kind of time with the ones we love the most? Everyone is so busy and rushed these days. Let’s try to enjoy being together while they investigate.”

Sam smiled at her stepmother. Leave it to her to see the positive in an otherwise sucky situation. “I think that’s a great idea, Celia.”

“So you’re going to relax and enjoy the break from your real life?” Nick asked with a smile.

“Well, I meant everyone else should.”

The others laughed at her comment, which broke the tension somewhat. And then she noticed Scotty still staring at the picture of himself at camp. She nudged Nick and nodded toward their son.

“I’ll keep you all posted to the best of my ability.” Nick stood and went over to where Scotty sat. “Can I see you for a minute, buddy?”

Scotty looked up at him. “Um, yeah. Sure.”

Nick led Scotty into their bedroom.

Sam followed them and closed the door.

“Are you okay?” Nick asked.

“It’s just kinda weird, you know? That someone was watching me at baseball camp.”

“It’s really weird,” Nick said, “and you’re absolutely right to feel violated.”

“I guess I’m still getting used to all of this,” Scotty said. “People knowing who I am and stuff.”

Sam could see in Nick’s expression and the tense set of his shoulders how much he disliked being the reason that people now recognized their son.

“I’m sorry to have put you in that position. It’s a lot to ask of you and Mom and the rest of the family.”

“I’m not sorry,” Scotty said fiercely.

“You’re not?” Nick asked.

“Of course I’m not. You’re the best possible vice president we could have, and I don’t want you to feel bad. It’s not your fault that people are weird.”

Sam and Nick laughed, and the look her husband sent her made her heart ache with love for both of them.

“Thank you, buddy.” Nick took the photo of Scotty at camp from him and ripped it up. “Don’t ever forget that the Secret Service is watching over you no matter where you are. They’d never let the weirdos get anywhere near you.”

“I know. Don’t worry about me. I can handle it.”

Nick wrapped his arms around his son and hugged him. “I know you can, and that makes your mom and I very proud of you.”

Sam joined them in a group hug. Because she knew it would set Scotty off, she went up on tiptoes to kiss Nick over the boy’s head.

“Eww, gross! I’m right here!”

Sam laughed at his predictable reaction and made kissing noises behind Scotty’s back.

“I’m out.” Scotty scooted from between them and bolted for the door.

“He’s something else, that kid of ours,” Nick said.

“He certainly is. Just like his father.”

Nick smiled down at her, but she could see the weariness in the hollows under his eyes. Despite Scotty’s assurances, Nick wouldn’t truly rest until the FBI got to the bottom of the threat against their family.

* * *

WITH SAM OUT for God knew how long and Captain Malone on a personal day, Gonzo was asked to handle the morning media briefing on the floater and the results of the autopsy. Facing off with the ravenous media was never his favorite thing to do, and it was especially unpleasant with the sun beating down on him relentlessly. It took about four seconds to sweat through his shirt.

“At thirteen twenty-three yesterday, we received a 911 call about a body in the Anacostia River, just south of the John Philip Sousa Bridge. Tactical Response teams were dispatched to the scene, where a female victim was recovered. The body was brought back to headquarters and an autopsy performed by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Lindsey McNamara. Dr. McNamara has determined the body is not that of missing college student Ruby Denton. I repeat, the body is not Ruby Denton.”

“How do you know that?” Darren Tabor from the Washington Star shouted.

“Ms. Denton’s dental records were provided by her family, and they are not a match for the victim in our morgue.”

“Then who is she?” Darren asked.

“We’re working to identify her at this time.”

“Why was it deemed necessary for the Secret Service to take Lieutenant Holland from the scene at the river?” another reporter asked.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss that.”

“Can you confirm it was the Secret Service who took her?”

“And where’s the vice president?” another asked. “The White House is refusing to confirm his whereabouts.”

“And you think I’m going to do that when they won’t?” Gonzo asked with a huff of incredulous laughter. “That’s it. We’re done here.”

While they continued to shout questions about the floater as well as Sam and Nick’s whereabouts, Gonzo turned away from the podium and went inside, thankful for the cool blast of air-conditioning that greeted him along with Chief Farnsworth.

“I can’t believe they expect me to tell them where the vice president is, as if that’s my job,” Gonzo said.

“You handled it well,” the chief said. “It’s not up to us to confirm or deny his whereabouts—or hers for that matter.”

“Has there been any word about where they are?”

“Not that I’ve heard.”

“What about Archie’s team? Have they picked up anything?”

“Nothing.”

“I don’t like this, sir. What if this entire thing is some sort of nefarious plot, and we’re sitting here with our thumbs up our asses?”

“That possibility kept me awake last night.”

Gonzo’s stomach dropped at that news. “So you think it’s fishy too?”

“I don’t know what to think. I’m planning to reach out to Sam’s White House staff today to find out whether the MPD should launch an official investigation.”

“Oh, I like that idea, sir. I like that a whole lot. They’ve got my son with them. I want him back. I want them all back.”

“They may not be able to tell us what’s going on, but we can sure as hell put them on notice that we don’t like the way it’s being handled.”

“Keep me posted?”

“I will.” Farnsworth took a measuring look at him that had Gonzo on the verge of squirming. “You seem to be doing better, Sergeant.”

Grief was, as Gonzo had discovered, unpredictable in its ability to come swooping into a day and remind you of what’d been lost so senselessly. “Maybe. A little.”

“I admire your tenacity and resiliency.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You have a bright future in this department, Sergeant. I’m glad to see you bouncing back from your loss. I hope you’ll let me know if there’s anything you need.”

“I will, sir,” Gonzo said, moved by the chief’s kindness and support. “Thank you.”

“Carry on, then.”

“Have a good day, sir, and please let me know what you hear from the White House. I know the rest of the squad is wondering about where she is.”

“Will do.”

Gonzo left the lobby and headed for the pit, where third-shift Detectives Dominguez and Carlucci had hung around with Freddie after their shift ended, hoping for news about the lieutenant.

“Anything?” Carlucci asked when she saw Gonzo coming.

“Not yet. The chief is going to reach out to Sam’s office at the White House to see if they can shed any light. He promised to keep me posted.”

“I feel like we should be doing something,” Freddie said.

“What we need to be doing is investigating the body that was found in the river. Carlucci and Dominguez, go home and get some sleep. I’ll text you if we hear anything about the lieutenant.”

“Yes, sir,” they said as one.

“I want everyone else going through missing persons records. Start with the District, Virginia and Maryland over the last three months and work your way out to other areas if nothing pops locally. We’re looking for a female Caucasian between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. Pull every file that meets the criteria, and we’ll go from there.”

While the others got busy seeing to his orders, Cruz asked if he could have a minute alone.

“Sure—come into the LT’s office.” As her second-in-command, Gonzo had a key and used it to unlock the door. He flipped on the lights and went to sit behind her cluttered desk. “What’s up?”

Cruz shut the door and leaned against it, looking tense. “I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing bringing this to you, but I can’t sit on it.”

“Then you’re doing the right thing. What’s going on?”