Shane’s blood turned icy in his veins.
“Now, it’s personal.” Rose’s voice shook with rage. “There’s no sign of the vehicle. I’m going to find that bitch.”
Black took the cell and brought it up to his mouth. “Do not go by yourself, Sheriff. Wait for us. She won’t be alone. This is an order.”
“You can’t give me an order, Agent Black. CIA has no jurisdiction on domestic soil. I’m the law in Freemont County.”
“Marshal.” Black held the phone up to Corey.
Shane looked over at his brother, whose face stormed with torment.
“Sheriff, this is U.S. Marshal Corey Blue. I do have jurisdiction. You will wait for our arrival. You will not go alone. Am I clear?” Corey was dying inside, just like Shane.
There was a pause. Finally, Rose said, “Get your asses here fast, Marshal.”
“We will.”
Trollinger was a murderer, just like her motherfucking brother. She had Belle and might be taking her to Lunceford. The bastard had orchestrated everything.
Trollinger showing up at Lucy’s Burgers and feigning to pass out had been the beginning of it all. Why there? A place Belle just happened to be?
Kip had scripted Trollinger’s role, including the part where she feared he was coming for her. But the maniac certainly didn’t believe they would ever fully trust her. The reason for the coordinated attacks.
The explosives in the boat on Lover’s Beach had just been a diversion to spread the team thin.
Blue’s Diner blowing up was just another distraction, which forced him and Corey away from Belle.
Jena had uncovered the identity of the man in black who had showed up at the courthouse, injuring Cooper and killing Jonas. She’d uploaded her findings to all their ROCs. The shooter was a highly paid Russian assassin who specialized in bombs. Clearly, he was the one who had made the footprints in the snow, who had planted all the bombs around town, who had traveled to town by the boat they’d found on Lover’s Beach.
Had Lunceford’s intention been to get his assassin and Cooper and Jonas, two well-trained agents, to collide in a sea of bullets? Probably.
In all the confusion, Cindy had been able to force Juan out back to her car until Belle, who the bitch clearly knew would turn herself over for his release, had appeared.
The last explosion that took out the bridge, the only way in and out of Destiny by car, had been another piece of the puzzle.
From beginning to end, all of it—the bombings, the shootings, the kidnapping of Belle—was part of Lunceford’s diabolical war on Destiny.
One question kept rolling around and around in Shane’s head.
Why Belle? Why does Lunceford want her?
Chapter Sixteen
Belle felt Trollinger’s car come to a stop and her hear skipped several beats.
What is Cindy going to do with me?
She hadn’t been able to stop shaking since seeing the officer being shot in cold blood by the psychopath.
The trunk opened.
“Get out, bitch.” Trollinger seemed to be in some kind of panic.
Why?
Cindy stood next to the car, but her captor wasn’t alone.
Two large, scary-looking men flanked Kip’s sister.