Chapter 40

CHAPTER

FORTY

Heidi's mouth fell open as she stared at Rafferty on the steps. "What do you mean you're my father?"

"I loved your mother—so much that we had a child together. You."

She shook her head—and shook it hard. Rafferty couldn't be telling the truth. Maybe she heard him wrong. Maybe he was tricking her, lying.

"My dad died of a heart attack before I was born." Her voice sounded eerily calm. "He was an engineer. A good man."

"He was a weak man," Rafferty said. "Your mom wanted out of her marriage and was planning her escape. Then he died."

"Did you have anything to do with that?" Accusation stained her words. She wouldn't put it past Rafferty, especially not knowing what she did now.

"I did not." His words held no emotion. "Your mom and I were already together before that. We didn't want you to know I was your father. I thought you'd be in too much danger. I was right. Look at this situation now. It's dire."

"You're lying," Heidi barked, his statement finally hitting her and causing a surge of defensiveness to rise.

"I'm not. You have your mother's looks, but you have my intelligence and my eyes. You can't deny they're the same."

She stared into his green eyes, realizing the color was the same. But . . . "How do I know you're not wearing contacts?"

"I'm not. I did before to make you think they were brown."

Her lungs tightened until she could hardly breathe. What if he was telling the truth? What if her father was a monster? What did that make her?

She swallowed hard before asking, "Did you kill my mom?"

Nausea swirled inside her as she waited for the answer.

His expression remained unchanged. "It's complicated."

Revulsion swept through her, and she took a step back. "So, you did? I thought you said you loved her. How could you do something so horrible?"

"She walked in on a top-secret meeting and started asking too many questions. She should have just kept her head down. That was all I asked. She became a liability."

"And that's what you do to people who are liabilities? You kill them?" Emotion churned in her voice. How could she have been so clueless?

"I couldn't let her bring us down. I've worked too hard to get where I am. Too much is on the line."

Heidi's mind continued to race. "Just like the commander is trying to bring you down now? Is that why you're going to kill him?"

Rafferty narrowed his eyes and sighed. "We'll talk more on the plane. We don't have much time."

She shook her head, appalled at the very idea. "I can't go with you. You killed my mother. You hired me and didn't even tell me I was your daughter!"

"Please, Heidi." He sounded like an exasperated father, tired of his troublesome child.

The thought made her even more sick to her stomach.

At the sound of squealing tires, Heidi's gaze swerved to the side.

A black SUV pulled to a fast stop near the plane.

Was that Stephen? As if on cue, he stepped out.

"What's he doing here?" Rafferty muttered through clenched teeth.

"No idea," Edward muttered.

The good news was that meant Rafferty probably didn't know she and Stephen had been talking. Working together, essentially.

The element of surprise should work in their favor.

"We need to go," Rafferty muttered. "There's no time to waste."

Edward stepped closer, trying to nudge her onto the plane. But Heidi's feet remained planted.

Rafferty climbed up two steps and glanced back. "You can't stay here. We have to go. Now!"

She glanced back at Stephen as he stood near the SUV.

Stephen stared at her then looked at the commander. Then he glanced at the roof of the airport terminal.

Heidi followed his gaze and squinted as something in the distance glinted. Was that . . . a sniper?

Her breath caught.

She knew exactly the position Stephen was in.

Who did he save first?

"Heidi!" Rafferty called impatiently.

Heidi rubbed her chest, feeling that familiar tension there as she fought against Edward, who tried to push her up the steps.

Rafferty stared down at her, realization rolling through his gaze.

"You would choose staying here rather than going with your own father?" Rafferty practically spit out the words, an edge of bitterness in his voice. "You have questions only I can answer. I've always looked out for you, Heidi. I've protected you, even if you didn't know it. I can protect you now too."

"Can you?" she asked. "Why are you here? Why are you running? Why should I believe a word you say?"

She needed to stop him. Needed to keep him here so the police could arrest him.

If she went with Rafferty on this plane, she'd never be seen again.

With that thought, she stepped back, her decision made.

But Edward blocked her escape, planting himself like a wall between her and Stephen.

Stephen stared at Heidi, his heart in his throat.

"Go to her," Gage said. "I'll handle things with the commander. Backup should be here any minute."

"You sure?" Stephen asked.

"Positive. Go!"

Gage didn't have to tell him again. Stephen took off toward Rafferty's plane.

Rafferty spotted him and had the man with him force Heidi up the steps. She dug in her heels. But the man was stronger than she was.

The guy tossed her over his shoulder. She kicked and squirmed, beating at the man's back. But it was no use.

The man lugged her up the steps and into the plane.

"No!" Stephen shouted.

He quickened his pace, desperate to get to her before the door closed and the plane took off.

Was Rafferty planning on leaving before anything happened with the commander? Stephen had assumed the man would want to stick around and see the assassination and the chaos afterward. He figured that would somehow bring him pleasure or satisfaction.

But seeing Stephen and Gage must have accelerated his flight plan.

Stephen couldn't let the door to the plane close. Rafferty's henchman still stood on the portable stairs. He reached for his waistband as he glanced at Stephen.

Then he drew a gun and raised it.

Stephen reacted quickly. He grabbed his gun, aimed, and fired.

The man moaned. Grabbed his shoulder. Then he fell from the stairway platform and hit the asphalt with a thud.

Stephen ran toward him. Kicked the man's gun away.

Then he ran back for the stairs.

As he did, a familiar figure peered out.

Rocky Velasquez.

The man must have been waiting on the plane.

Stephen couldn't let him stand in the way of rescuing Heidi.