Carol Ericson - Locked, Loaded And Sealed

“D-do you think that’s it? The people he betrayed in Pakistan wanted revenge?”

“That’s what it looks like on the surface, but it’s hard for me to swallow that they’d go to all this trouble to get to him. The main guy he betrayed is dead. Were his followers that loyal to track Fazal to the US and murder him here? That’s taking a huge chance on their part, and how did they even get into the country if they’re on a no-fly list?”

“You’re asking me? I’m just a physical therapist in training. You’re the—” she waved her hand at him “—navy guy. What is a US military man doing operating on domestic soil, anyway?”

“This is strictly under the radar.”

“That’s the reason for all the cloak-and-dagger stuff? You’re lucky I didn’t scream bloody murder and run back to tell the cops a man had broken into my car and had been lying in wait for me.”

“Some of it’s luck.”

“Some?” She raised her dark brows as she took a drink from her glass.

He shrugged. “We had a little intel on you. I didn’t figure you for the screaming type.”

“That’s creepy.” She swallowed. “The government can just spy on anyone these days. Is that it?”

“I wouldn’t call it spying.”

“I would.” She flipped her black hair over one shoulder. “So, what do you want from me? I can’t give you any more information about Dr. Fazal than I gave the police.”

“The Boston PD thinks he may have committed suicide. Now I just gave you this other info about Dr. Fazal. Does this change your view of what was going on with him?”

“He never said anything to me about it, but his killers were definitely searching for something in the office.”

“That worries me, makes me think this is about more than revenge.”

“What could they have been looking for? Dr. Fazal already gave up what he knew about the terrorist in Islamabad, right?”

“Maybe he had more information that he didn’t even tell us.” He grabbed a plastic menu from the end of the table. “Are you hungry? The waitress didn’t make us order anything, but you probably haven’t had dinner.”

“I’m not hungry.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “My date.”

“You had a date tonight?” Of course she did. An attractive, vibrant woman like Sophia Grant wouldn’t be sitting at home alone on Friday night.

“I did. I was supposed to meet him downtown.”

“Give him a call. Is there still time?”

“I don’t have his phone number, and he doesn’t have mine, thank goodness, or he would’ve been calling me.”

“That’s a weird date.” He drew his brows together. At least this guy wasn’t her fiancé or the love of her life if they didn’t even have each other’s phone numbers.

“It was a date on Spark.”

“Spark?”

“Where’ve you been, Islamabad?” She tapped her cell phone. “It’s a dating app.”

“Is that safe?”

“Safer than this.” She drew a circle in the air above their table.

“Got me there.” He shoved the menu aside and finished his beer. “You’ll let me know if anything unusual happens, won’t you?”

“Yes, but shouldn’t I tell the police, too?”

“Of course, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention our meeting. I’m not supposed to be here, not supposed to be investigating this.”

“My lips are sealed.” She dragged her fingertip across the seam of her mouth. “Where should I drop you off?”

“I’m at a hotel downtown, but since you’re in the other direction I can catch the T back to the hotel—unless you want to head downtown to meet your Spark date.”

“You know where I live?” She pushed her half-full glass away from her. “Forget the date. It was just our second. He probably figured I got cold feet.”

“Does that happen a lot? I mean, with Spark dates.”

“Quite common.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a wallet.

“I’ll get this. I can call it a business meeting.”

“Ah, but you’re not supposed to be here, remember?”

“Somebody somewhere has to reimburse me.” He dropped a ten on the table. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“I really don’t mind dropping you off.” She scooted from the booth, hugging his coat to her chest.

“That’s okay, as long as you keep a lookout when you drive home, just like you did on the way over here.”

She jerked her head up. “Do you think I might still be in danger?”

“Not if Dr. Fazal’s killers found what they were looking for tonight.”

“And if they didn’t?”

“They might be at his house right now. Hopefully, the police got there first, but Fazal’s killers will return. They might return to the office, too, if they got spooked the first time.”

“They might’ve heard Norm—he’s the nighttime janitor.”

“Are you going back to the office next week?” He held the door of the bar open for her as she huddled inside his coat.

“Just to wrap up business. All of my patients were Dr. Fazal’s patients. We worked together and he referred his patients to me after their surgery, so I could rehabilitate them. I’m not sure what’s going to happen now, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen to Ginny our receptionist and the two nurses who worked with him.” A tear escaped from the corner of her eye and she dashed it away.

“You’re going to miss him. He was a good man.”

“The best.”

Austin tipped his head toward the parking lot down the street. “I’ll walk you to your car, and you can drop me at the nearest T station.”

The attendant manning the parking lot had called it quits for the night and the entrance was chained off. The exit had spikes to make sure nobody sneaked in that way.

Austin put his hand on Sophia’s back as they made their way through the cars.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sensed movement and his reflexes jumped into action. He spun around just in time to see the dull glint of a .45 in the moonlight.

Chapter Three

The mysterious stranger walking beside her shoved her to the ground. She thrust out her hands as she fell to her knees, her palms shredding against the asphalt.

Her instincts had failed her. The guy was turning on her, attacking her. She coiled her body into a crouch. She whipped her head to the side, ready to launch herself at his legs—but which legs were his?

Austin had one arm wrapped around another man as they staggered back and forth under a circle of light from the parking lot. Austin had his right arm thrust in the air at a weird angle, grasping the other man’s wrist.

Sophia froze as her gaze focused on the gun clutched in the man’s hand, pointing at the sky. How long would it be pointing upward?

As she scrambled toward the other side of the car, someone grunted. Gunfire ripped above her head. She flattened her body against the asphalt, the smell of oil invading her nose. The smell of gunpowder replaced it.

“Hey, hey!”

The male voice came from a distance but Sophia didn’t dare lift her head.

A rough hand grabbed her arm, and Austin’s harsh whisper grated close to her ear. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. What...?”

He practically yanked her to her feet. “Let’s go. Now.”

“But...”

He snatched the keys still clutched in her hand and herded her into the car from the driver’s side, coming in right behind her. She crawled over the console as Austin made it clear he was taking the wheel. He started the car, and she turned her head toward the passenger window.

A dark figure limped away between the remaining cars as a cop came running up the sidewalk, shining his flashlight into the parking lot.

Without turning on the headlights to the car, Austin pulled out of the lot on the other side of the officer’s probing flashlight. When he hit the street, he kept his speed slow and steady until he turned the corner. Then he accelerated until he reached the next major thoroughfare when he put on the lights and reduced his speed to the limit.