Chapter 50

“He forcedher to take some drug, probably fentanyl!” Trevor shouted as he knelt beside Sadie. “She needs help.”

Paramedics surrounded them, moving him out of the way. Helplessness filled him as they bent over Sadie, spraying something into her nose.

Narcan.

Trevor held his breath as he waited. Would it work?

The next instant, she gulped in a deep breath and sat straight up, almost as if life had suddenly returned to her.

Relief swept through him.

Trevor wanted to rush to her side, but he gave the paramedics room to work. Sadie’s health and well-being was more important right now.

He didn’t care about the cuts and scrapes on his own chest from being dragged along the cliff face. Didn’t care about the ache in his wrist or his throbbing jaw from the fight inside.

Only Sadie.

“Sorry it took us so long to get here.” Richard appeared beside him. “Someone called the cops on us, and we were temporarily detained.”

He glanced at the agent. “You didn’t tell the local police what the FBI was doing?”

Richard’s gaze darkened. “In this case, no, we didn’t. I didn’t think it would make a difference. I believe that Bart was the one behind that. He knew what was going to happen, and he tried to do everything to stop it, in the process hoping to impress Frederick.”

“That sounds about right,” Trevor said. “What he doesn’t realize is that the only person Frederick thinks about is himself.”

“Doesn’t matter now. He’s going to be sent away for a long time.”

“Good.” Trevor looked over at the man and saw him sitting handcuffed on a bench, FBI agents on either side.

On the patio, various Sleeping Bear Elevator employees stood around, watching in shock as everything unfolded.

Maybe they could put this behind them and move forward now.

Sadie should be off this case.

So should Trevor, for that matter.

What did that mean for their future? He had no idea.

But he hoped he and Sadie could talk about it as soon as she felt better.

* * *

Sadie heard someone knock at the door to her hospital room, and she called, “Come in!”

A smile spread across her face when Trevor stepped inside.

She’d hoped it would be him.

“Hey, there.” He slowly strode closer, his movements a little stiffer than usual.

Probably from the struggle they’d both been through, as well as his valiant rescue of her on the cliff.

“Hey.” She watched as he paused beside her bed. “It seems ironic that we’re back here at the hospital again. This is where it all started . . . the second time, at least.”

His fingers gently brushed her arm. “That’s right. The second time. But I’m hoping we might be able to start all over again for a third time.”

Her grin widened. “I like that idea.”

The two of them exchanged a lingering look that promised more.

They had a lot they needed to talk about later. But it appeared both of them wanted another chance to see where a relationship between them would lead. Considering their careers and schedules, Sadie knew it might be difficult.

But she also knew that with some effort, a relationship between them could work if that was what they both truly wanted.

She looked away and cleared her throat before she got ahead of herself. Four dates, she reminded herself. That was all the two of them had. Everything that had happened between them made it feel more like four months.

She shifted her thoughts as more pressing questions came to mind. “Any updates you’ve heard about?”

Trevor shrugged. “Probably what you mostly already know since Richard has already talked to you.”

“I heard Guy is going to be okay.” Richard had told her the man’s water had been drugged. He’d been a distraction from everything else going on.

“Yes, that’s good news. I mean, the man was annoying, but . . .”

“I’m glad he’ll be okay.” Sadie nodded.

“Bart was behind this the whole time. He wasn’t a part of Moreau’s crime ring when I infiltrated it. But he moved in and quickly became Frederick’s right-hand man. He really was a delivery driver, and Frederick encouraged him to look for ways to bring drugs into the country. Bart discovered when Sleeping Bear Elevator got their shipments in from Switzerland, that the elevator equipment would be perfect for smuggling drugs laced with fentanyl.”

“A pretty clever plan, I suppose.” Sadie shrugged. “Not one worth killing over, however.”

“I agree. Apparently, those numbers I found from your beach bag were invoices.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Sadie had remembered some of those details. “I figured out what shipments had drugs, and I was about to hand that intel over to Richard when I met him later.”

“Then Bart caught on to what you were doing and tried to silence you.” His gaze darkened.

“I remembered a house fire when I was a child.” Sadie’s voice caught. “My parents were killed, but I survived. I mentioned it one day in the office—not the details. I didn’t want to blow my cover. But using parts of the truth in a cover story is usually the best way to go.”

“I agree.

“Bart must have overheard it. Maybe he thought the fire would trigger a memory or maybe he just wanted to scare me. I’m not sure.”

“I imagine that was traumatic.”

Her throat squeezed at the memories. “Afterward, I went to live with an aunt.”

He clasped her hand. “I’m sorry to hear all that.”

She heaved in a deep breath, trying not to feel overwhelmed as pieces of her life filled her mind. “Mostly, I’ve been remembering the details of my case. I remember linking Bart to all these crimes. I found him meeting with John Breckenridge in the woods. They were arguing.”

“John wasn’t here to kayak . . .” Trevor raised his eyebrows warily.

“No, he wasn’t. He was here to pick up a shipment, but Bart decided he couldn’t trust him. He stabbed him, and I rushed over, trying to help. It was too late. It was that same day I was hit by the car. I had planned on meeting Richard that night to tell him. I didn’t get the chance.” Her gut twisted at the memories.

“Did they ever tell you who altered the medical orders and almost killed you here in the hospital?” Trevor asked.

“It turns out Bart’s girlfriend is a nurse here. She was never my nurse. But Bart talked her into going into the system and changing those orders. The entire process is pretty complicated, but Bart had one of his guys take down the firewall just long enough for her to make the change. She’s also been arrested and is facing charges.”

Trevor stared down at her. “I can’t believe you were really here on assignment with the FBI.”

“It’s all crazy, isn’t it? That’s why I had that picture of Breckenridge. I still can’t figure out why I had the pictures of your boss, however.” A frown tugged at her lips. “I’m not sure if that memory is still tucked away somewhere or what . . .”

Trevor’s gaze clouded as he nodded. “Maybe the memory will return.”

She studied Trevor another moment, still trying to tie up the loose ends in her mind. “Were you here because of Frederick?”

“I originally came to the area because of him,” Trevor explained. “I suspected he still had his operatives at work. But I had no idea when I met you that you were investigating him. I suppose that ultimately it was Frederick Moreau that led us both to this area.”

“Something good that came out of all the bad.” She squeezed his hand.

“Yes, you can say that again.” Trevor beamed as he glanced down at her then he stepped back. “I really feel like we should start this all over again.”

“I would like that. This time, without any lies.”

“I’m all in favor of that.” Trevor paused. “Sadie, would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?”

“I would love that.”

He grinned. “That makes me very happy to hear.”

Her heart lifted. Despite everything bad that had happened, hope remained.

For that, she was forever grateful . . . because things could have turned out so much differently.

She praised God they hadn’t. She praised God that she’d remembered the important things—the foundation of who she was.

If Sadie and Trevor had survived this storm together, then she knew they could survive anything.

~~~