Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
“Jess Wild meaning the ex-CIA flag guy?”
“Yes.”
I’m already walking toward my car. “Tell me what the hell you’ve been working on.”
“My CIA pal connected us to the right people. Turns out the agency has had eyes on Jess and Bill for a while now, but Jess went off radar several months ago. Jess disappeared after you saw him that day, but we have eyes on him tonight, and they want us to detain him.”
“Fuck me,” I say, climbing into my car and starting the engine. “I don’t like how this sounds. I’m going to Faith’s house just to be safe.”
“And just so you know, there’s another player.”
“Who?”
“The guy who runs the winery. Kasey. But there is reason to believe he’s being blackmailed.”
“Holy fuck. He’s at Faith’s house.” I back out the drive and disconnect Beck, dialing Faith. She doesn’t answer. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” I dial again. And again.
I round the corner, and there are flames coming from the direction of Faith’s house. Everything goes into slow motion from there. I call 911, and the minute I turn onto Faith’s long drive, it’s clear the house is engulfed. I end the call and gun my engine, screeching to a halt in front of her house, and I’m out of the door the minute I’m in park. I launch myself forward and up the stairs, but I can’t get the door to open. I try the code. Still nothing. It’s jammed. Wasting no more time, I kick the window over and over until it cracks. I yank the pieces away, my hands bleeding, but I don’t care. I enter the house, and holy hell, the entire downstairs is on fire. “Faith!” I shout. “Faith!”
“Nick! Nick, help! I’m upstairs.”
I jump flames left, right, left, covering my mouth as I reach the stairwell, which is all but consumed by flames. “Go to the window!” I shout.
“It doesn’t open!”
This is not good news, and I study the top half of the steps that are not yet engulfed. I don’t think. I act. I jump over the flames and grab the railing, launching myself over the top, flames scorching my jeans and my fucking hair and neck. I pat it out, or I hope I do, but keep moving. The minute I see Faith, I breathe out, relieved, but I stay focused. “We have to break the window,” I say, the sound of sirens lifting in the air.
“I tried,” she says, coughing, using one of her smocks to cover her face. “It won’t break.”
“Call 911 and tell them we’re trying to break the glass.” I use my shirt to cover my mouth and run into the office and dig around, finding a tool kit and grabbing a hammer. The flames are now at the door. I find the spot near the tree I know climbs her house and start pounding the glass over and over, harder and harder, and finally it cracks, but not enough. And smoke is everywhere, the thick air challenging my lungs, but I keep moving. I kick the glass again and repeat, then go at it with the hammer again. Another crack follows. Then another.
Finally, there’s a hole.
That’s when there is movement and noise outside, shouts lifting in the air. A firefighter sticks his head through the hole I’ve created. “Stand back!” he shouts, and I don’t miss how he looks ominously at the flames quickly encroaching on us.
I pull Faith with me to the wall, flames a few feet from us. An axe hits the hole I’ve created, and in a matter of seconds I have Faith at that window, handing her off to a firefighter. I follow, and the minute my feet hit the ground, I grab Faith and we’re ushered away from the building. We collapse under another tree, and almost immediately she’s grabbing my face. “You’re burned. Nick, you’re burned. Your hair is scorched.”
“I don’t care about my hair,” I say, pulling her forehead to mine, cupping her head. “God, woman. I almost lost you. I can’t believe I almost lost you.”
“I can’t believe you came after me. You could have died.”
A paramedic squats beside us, quickly checking our vitals and then focusing on me. He bandages my hand and neck. “Your neck needs to be treated at the hospital,” the EMT says. “And that hair of yours is going to smell to high heaven. Cut it off.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.”
The man gives my neck a concerned look. “Really, you should—”
Beck appears and squats beside us. “He’s fine, man. Move on.” The EMT gives him a scowl but obeys, standing up and leaving. Beck eyes me. “Did I mention I was on my way here?” He looks at Faith. “I’m Beck. Glad you lived. Sorry your house didn’t.” He looks at me again. “Kasey, Bill, and Jess are in custody. Kasey and Bill are singing like birds. Jess is not. But the bottom line here per Kasey is that Bill threatened Kasey’s sister, or so he says. He agreed to set this fire and take a payout a little too quickly for me to buy into that.”