Chapter 37

thirty-seven

PAUL

I leaned against the window frame, staring through the glass at Sunrise Bay. I wondered if Jacob ever got tired of the incredible view from his home. I could only imagine what the snow-covered landscape would look like during the rest of the year.

"Amy said you were in here." Liam walked toward me with a plate in his hand. "We've finished baking the last of the gingerbread men. I thought this might cheer you up."

I took the plate and tried to smile. "I didn't think you'd be able to decorate them so quickly." The one-legged gingerbread man was smothered in green frosting. With a big red smile and a chocolate button nose, he would normally have brightened my day. But not now. As each hour went by, I became more worried about my brother.

"We put the first batch of cookies in the refrigerator. I'm not sure what they'll taste like, but it cooled them down quickly. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been living inside a dream. Nothing seems real anymore. "

Liam reached out and rubbed my arm. "Dylan just called. Alex is okay."

My hand shook so much that Liam took the plate from me.

"Are you sure?" I whispered.

"Dylan thought he knew where Alex had gone. Thankfully, he was right. It didn't take long for the FBI to arrive and arrest the men who met him."

Tears filled my eyes. "Where is he?"

"The FBI and the police are questioning him in Boulder. Once they have the information they need, he'll come back to Sunrise Bay."

"Did he give the terrorists a copy of the program?"

"He gave them an old version. The Department of Defense is tracking all copies of the program now."

I took a deep breath. I'd been worried that Alex was dead and the terrorist organization would find us and kidnap Amy. "When can I see him?"

"Once the FBI's sure they've arrested all the people involved in the American cell, we can visit Alex."

I didn't want to think about how long that could take. "What do we do until then?"

"We stay here. It's the safest place for you. It'll be okay."

Liam must have seen how distraught I was. He opened his arms and I stepped into his embrace.

"We'll get through this, Paul. One step at a time."

His strength wrapped around me, grounding me in the present. The worry and fear that had been eating at me began to ease. Alex was safe, and the likelihood of anyone finding us was much lower than it had been yesterday.

I just wished I knew what the future held for Liam and me.