Geri Krotow - Her Secret Christmas Agent

Yeah, his assistant was concerned. Frantic. She knew her job wasn’t secure. She didn’t understand that he’d been giving his money to the only cause that mattered. The only thing that was going to give them all the security mankind needed. The True Believers and their new mission, New Thought.

His wife was on board but the children didn’t know the riches they were about to enjoy when they moved into the New Thought community. He wished he’d been able to join the group years ago, when they’d been known as the True Believers. The government had shot Leonard Wise down then. But, Wise, the group, the purpose, was greater than any court of this world’s law. The True Law was with New Thought and Mr. Wise.

His biggest challenge would be getting his family to move without a fuss. The younger ones weren’t a problem but he had to make sure his eldest stayed on the straight and narrow. When he’d heard there was a new student in the school, in the chemistry classroom, he knew it was divine timing at its best. A new student was the perfect target to send home the message that things were going to change in this town. The native Silver Valley families wouldn’t get hurt, not if they heeded the message. It would be worth whatever it took to hurt the new student, as a warning.

God had come to Silver Valley and chosen him to help Leonard Wise fulfill what he’d started a long time ago in Upstate New York. He was glad Wise had picked Silver Valley because, really, it meant that they were all chosen. If they wanted to be.

Chapter 3

“How goes it as a high schooler, Nika?” Bryce Campbell didn’t look up from his computer as he entered case notes. Nika took his query as a cue to enter his office.

“You were wrong, Detective.” She dropped into the chair next to his desk. “The chemistry teacher is definitely not gay.”

This caused the ever-busy Bryce to look at her. “I never said he was gay.”

“No, but you implied that he probably was, being the teacher in charge of the LGBT club.”

“No, I said he was a teacher who had his own reasons to be supportive of the Rainbows. What difference does it make? You have a job to do.” Bryce went back to entering his handwritten notes into the SVPD case database.

“He’s a little difficult, is all. His ego is a mile wide.”

At this Bryce took his hands off his keyboard and gave her his full attention. “SVPD is full of male egos—you’ve not been fazed by them before. Why, Officer Pasczenko, you’re not hot for teacher, are you?”

“Give me a break. It’s a case.” Oh, God, please don’t let him see how close he is.

Bryce grinned. “You know, I told myself I didn’t have feelings for someone I had to work with, and look where it got me.” His smile might melt his fiancée’s heart but it only annoyed Nika.

“It’s not like that, Bryce. I’ve never gotten personally involved in a case. I’m not starting now. And you knew Zora from before. You had a history. I don’t know Mitch Everlock from Adam. How is Zora doing? How goes the wedding plans?”

Bryce scratched the back of his neck and to her relief he accepted the change of topic. “Zora has turned into the redheaded bridezilla of Silver Valley. She wants everything to be perfect, and if it wasn’t for her best friend, Kayla, being a florist and also heavily invested in the event, I’d have eloped with Zora to Atlantic City by now.”

“Atlantic City? Surely you’d have the class to at least take her to Vegas?”

“Yeah, well, you know what I mean. It’s hard to believe New Year’s Eve is only a few weeks away. How goes your date search?” He might be up to his ass with police work, since he was in charge of SVPD’s overall operation against the True Believers, but Nika could see Bryce was just as invested in his future wife’s wedding dreams. She wondered, not for the first time, if she’d ever meet a man who’d be willing to cater to her needs, her career. Not that she was looking, or even wanted to have more than a very short-term relationship with any man. Her heart was still too sore from her breakup with Ron.

“Stop asking. I told you I don’t need a date. If you insist, to make the dinner tables even, I’ll bring my mother.” Except then her mother would start the “when are you going to stop being a policewoman and marry a nice man?” routine.

“I know several young police studs I can fix you up with if you need me to, Nika. And none of them are Pennsylvania state troopers.” Compassion shone in his eyes and she wanted to spit.

“Now you’re just being gross, Campbell. And I’m over that jackass. I already told you that months ago.” Nika leaned over her seat and put her elbows on Bryce’s desk.

“I’ll believe you’re over him when you let your guard down enough to admit you could use some love in your life. We all need it.”

It’d be a long time before she’d be willing to do that, but she kept her thoughts to herself. “If we can drop the silliness, I have something to report. We had an incident while I was at the school today. Right before I left.”

“I saw the initial call come in.” Bryce whistled. “What happened?”

“A rock crashed through the class window, aimed at the exact point where Mitch Everlock usually stands when he’s lecturing.” She detailed the event, giving Bryce time to type it up into his computer.

“Don’t think for one minute I’m your secretary, Nika.” He grinned. “But I’ll send a copy of this to you when we’re done.”

“Thanks.”

“So, Everlock saw the rock coming before you did?”

“Neither of us saw it. The sound of it hitting the window alerted us.”

“I would have loved to see your face when Everlock shoved you to the floor.” Bryce teased her as well as her brothers did at family gatherings.

“There wasn’t anything to see since I was eating the floor.” She wasn’t about to admit that she’d been too aware of Mitch’s hard shape on top of hers.

There was a quick rap on the door frame.

“There she is, our brightest high school student. Tell me, Nika, have you tried out for the cheerleading squad yet?” Rio Ortego, another SVPD detective, leaned his head into Bryce’s tiny office.

“Screw you, Ortego.”

Rio laughed at her quick response.

“Is there a problem, officers?”

Rio straightened, as did Nika and Bryce. Chief of Police Colt Todd entered the space, his fit body and youthful good looks belying the twenty or more years he had on all of them.

“No, sir.” They spoke in unison, which made Chief Todd grin. His brows rose as he took in Nika’s civilian, teenaged appearance. “How goes it?”

“Fine, sir.”

“Officer Pasczenko was just telling me how hard she’s crushing on her new chemistry teacher, sir.”

Nika wanted to reach over the desk and give Bryce a quick sharp jab to the ribs. She loved her brothers-and sisters-in-arms but, just like a biological family, they had their days.

“Campbell, is that all you have to worry about, Nika’s love life? I guess that means you’ve figured out how we’ll take down the True Believers?” Colt Todd had a stern expression on his face and Nika almost felt sorry for Bryce. Almost.

“Actually, sir, Nika’s our best bet to find out who the families are that are most involved with the cult to date. Forensics yielded that the blood was indeed pig’s, and we’re taking samples from a couple of local butchers. We might get it down to the actual farm by the end of the week.”

“That’s great,” Nika said. “There are several kids in my classes who are involved in 4-H, and more that live on farms. It might all come together.”

Chief Todd nodded. “It will come together. We’re going to get this bastard. But I need all of you up to the task. Instead of busting each other’s balls—sorry, Nika—use that energy to bring this loser or losers in. I want every single one of those cult nuts back behind bars in short order. No one left on the outside to perpetuate their hate agenda.”