Chapter Ten

"S o you failed." The condemnation came through in every syllable. "Like every other time before, you failed."

"We'll find her," he said with more confidence than he felt. The signal had grown weak, though. Not the first time through the years. It was subject to weather like most GPS signals.

"No. I'll handle it." The boss's anger burned through the line. This was the first time he'd wanted to get his hands dirty.

"That's not necessary. We've got it."

A growl followed. "Clearly you do not. I'll be on the island within the hour."

If the boss could arrive so quickly, it meant he was nearby.

"If you're flying, I can pick you up," he said, trying to gain intel.

"I'll find you." The call ended.

Of course, everyone was on edge. The major event planned to coordinate with current world affairs must go off flawlessly. The margins for error were slim, he understood, but the boss hadn't wanted to be involved before. Was he receiving pressure from those above him?

He shoved the phone into his pocket and gave himself a few minutes to let go of the anger. He'd been with the boss since before the initial attack that should have been the end of her.

Everything went wrong that night. Ayla had escaped. She was out there in the world working to figure out the truth. They did their best to keep her on the move and off her game, but even he knew it was only a matter of time before she guessed why she'd been set up to take the fall. By then, it would be too late.

◆◆◆

The lightning flashes were becoming more frequent. Answering thunder sounded like they were entering a war zone. Boone was thankful when they reached the island's pier. Being caught out on the ocean in a thunderstorm wasn't exactly his idea of a good time.

Boone jumped onto the pier that looked as if it had seen better days. At least, he didn't fall through. He grabbed the rope from Eli and tied it off.

The last half hour of the trip had continued to become more perilous. The wind gusts had to be close to thirty miles an hour, creating dangerous waves that made the trip nail-biting. Not to mention the light show.

"I've been meaning to repair that thing," Declan said with a grin as Boone tested the strength of the pier. "We'd better secure the boat extra sturdy. I think we should prepare for a long night if we take a direct hit from the storm."

Declan had been through several of these storms, he'd told them, but this one had all the makings of one of the worst Boone had ever seen.

It felt as if everything were coming together to create a showdown of epic proportions with Ellie's past that had him wondering who would be left standing.

Boone helped Ellie from the vessel and steadied her when a wind gust almost toppled her over. "You okay?"

She slowly nodded. "I have a bad feeling about this, Boone. A really bad one."

He felt the same way.

Declan killed the twin motors. He and Eli unloaded boxes of supplies.

With everyone carrying supplies, Declan clicked on his flashlight and led the way. "There's a path, but it gets grown up after the summer rains. Watch your step. "

Eli strode behind Declan. Boone let Eli go first so that he could keep an eye out for any danger behind them.

Boone saw no sign of anyone coming after them. He guessed the bad guys weren't keen on braving the weather or the waves. Yet Boone couldn't relax. The tension between his shoulder blades seemed to confirm whatever was going on with Ellie was a long way from being over.

"Another family has a place on the island. The Petersons. Robert and Becky. Looks like they may be here. I see houselights. I'll check on them once we get settled in. They have several teenage boys and a couple of girls." Declan stopped in front of a small cabin and retrieved the key from behind a porch light. "It only has one bedroom. I figure Ellie can take the bed, and we'll bunk down in the living room. I have plenty of sleeping bags."

A lightning bolt struck far too close, illuminating the cabin. Though small, the log cabin had an appeal, Boone could relate to. A place to get away. To think. Maybe catch up on some fishing . . . or spend the time with someone you cared about. He glanced over at Ellie, who had kept close to his side as the storm grew in ferocity.

Declan opened the door and then flipped on a light switch. Boone was surprised there were lights until he realized they were generator powered.

"The generator's outside the kitchen. I have it set up to where I can control it through my phone." Declan set his bag near the door.

"How's your fuel supply for the generator?" Boone had noticed there were several cans of gas onboard. Chances were, they could be stuck on the island for a while.

"We should be good for a couple of days. Let's hope it doesn't take longer. I'll go back and grab the rest of the fuel with Eli. I'm praying the main part of the storm misses Hope Island and here."

Boone hoped for the same thing. He carried the box of food over to the table and placed his overnight bag on the living room floor.

"I'll give you the nickel tour," Declan said with a grin. "Kitchen and living room." He stepped past them down the hall and opened a door. "Bedroom's in here and bath across the hall."

Boone realized they were getting more than a tour. Declan used it to confirm the place was empty.

"Basement is this way." He flipped on a light and started down the steps. Everyone followed.

Boone glanced around the basement that covered the entire width of the house. Shelves of canned goods stood against one wall. Camping supplies were stowed on another shelf. Extra firewood was piled against another wall.

"Looks like you planned for everything," Ellie told him, sounding impressed.

Declan chuckled. "Sort of. My wife and I come here sometimes during the winter when the weather is unpredictable. You want to be prepared for anything." He grabbed a couple of sleeping bags and passed them around. "It gets cold at night. We'll have a fire going, but these should keep you warm."

Boone gathered some firewood in his arms. "Might as well get one started."

Upstairs, he placed some kindling and wood in the woodstove and lit the fire.

"If anyone's hungry, there's plenty of meat in the freezer," Declan told them. "Excuse me while I check on the Petersons."

Lightning continued to illuminate the outdoors while thunder rattled the windows.

And Ellie couldn't hide her worry.

"Are you doing okay?" Boone asked.

She forced a smile. "I've never been a fan of thunderstorms."

He could understand. "We'll be safe inside. This place seems well built."

"The Petersons aren't answering their phone," Declan said with obvious concern. "I'll keep checking."

Boone could tell from his expression he'd hoped for the extra manpower.

Declan retrieved his laptop, and he and Eli set up shop in the kitchen.

Boone went over to Ellie. "Everything okay? "

She shook her head. "I don't know. I can't explain it, but it feels as if something is going to happen soon."

He had felt the same tension building inside. "Whatever it is, we've got to figure it out before that happens." On a whim, Boone brought up his phone and prayed cell service was working.

Though slow he was able to bring up a search bar. He typed in information regarding Israel. Since he'd been out of the CIA, he hadn't kept as careful a watch over world events as before. What he saw had him believing this was key. "The Israeli prime minister is coming to the US."

Ellie's eyes widened. "You think there's going to be an attack on him while he's here?"

He couldn't be sure. Foreign dignitaries were well-guarded when they were on US soil. Perhaps he was simply grasping at straws.

"I think it's worth considering." He told her about what Will discovered at the house next to hers. "I noticed a man and woman walking very early this morning right before we left. It seemed fishy, so JT had our chief of police check it out. There were clear signs someone had been staying there and not with the owner's knowledge."

"That's probably how Dottie got out."

Boone nodded.

Ellie appeared even more concerned. "They were so close. Why didn't they take me out when they had the chance."

Boone remembered what she'd told him about the men who came into the coffeehouse. "They believe you have something, and they need it."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "What?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's clearly important."

She rubbed her hands down her arms. "I need something to take my mind off everything." Her attention landed on the boxes of food. "It's been hours since any of us ate."

Boone went with her to the kitchen where they took stock of the food.

"I think I have everything to make cholent if we can find some stew meat."

"I don't know what that is, but we can check the freezer downstairs. Declan said there's plenty of meat there." He headed back down to the basement with her. "What exactly is cholent?"

They reached the freezer, and she opened it. "Cholent is a traditional stew normally served on Sabbath." Ellie dug around until she found the stew meat and handed it to him. "In order to create a delicious meal that could be served without having to turn on the stove, this slow-cooking stew would be started early on Friday before Sabbath. We won't have that long, but hopefully it will be good."

Boone tucked the stew meat under one arm. "Need anything else from down here?"

She appeared to go over the ingredients in her head. "We have potatoes, and I think I saw the necessary seasoning." She snapped her fingers. "Lima beans, if we can find them." She saw his reaction and smiled. "I know—they're not for everyone, but they do make the stew taste better."

After searching shelves, Ellie settled on fava beans. "These are close enough."

Upstairs, Declan and Eli worked their laptops. Both looked up as they returned.

"Did you find everything you need?" Declan asked.

"We did." Ellie thanked him. "Is there any news on the storm?"

The way Declan's jaw tightened confirmed it wasn't going to be good news. "It hasn't made landfall with any of the smaller islands in its path. Good for them, but not so much for us. Hope Island may be spared, but from the way I track the storm we won't be as lucky." He checked his phone. "I'm worried about the Petersons. As soon as the storm lets up, I'm going over there to check on them."

As if being hunted by deadly terrorists wasn't bad enough, it seemed as if everything was conspiring to bring the storm of the century, as the weather forecasters were calling it, directly to their location. The flood damage could be extensive. And they didn't know how the enemy kept finding Ellie. That bothered him the most. There had to be something . . . he remembered she'd told him she'd kept Daniel's engagement ring.

"What is it?" Ellie must have picked up on his unease. She finished cutting the vegetables and wiped her hands before adding them to the meat and broth already boiling. Ellie placed the top on the stew pot and lowered the temperature.

"You said you only kept Daniel's ring and your weapon from your past?"

"That's right. The ring and my Ruger, which has never left my possession." She searched his face. "You don't think . . . ?"

His brows arched. "They're finding you somehow. It's worth looking into."

She wiped her hands on a towel and brought out the small dark blue jeweler's bag. Ellie removed it from its protection. "Here it is." She handed Boone the simple solitaire emerald ring that was mounted in a silver band.

The wind howled around the corner of the cabin.

"What's up?" Eli came over and lifted the lid of the pot. "This smells good."

Boone shared with both men his thoughts about the engagement ring.

Eli clearly had doubts. "I guess it's possible."

"Technology is always advancing," Declan told them. "Every intelligence agency is in a race to develop ways to spy on others. But I'm not sure how advanced Syrian Intelligence is or whether."

He turned the ring over in his hand and had no idea what to look for. "Declan, you're our tech guy."

Declan took the ring and examined it under the kitchen light. "Nothing's visible . . . see this." He pointed to a darker spot in the stone. "Looks like there may be something there or it could just be a flaw." Declan looked to Ellie. "I'll need to take it apart to be sure."

Boone could see the decision was a hard one for Ellie. She slowly gave her permission. "Daniel wouldn't want the ring to be the reason I ended up dead. Do what you have to do. I'm ready for answers."