Her Christmas Hero: Christmas Justice / Snow Blind / Christmas at Thunder Horse Ranch. Cassie Miles

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      * * *

      NOON HAD COME and gone. Laurel kissed Molly’s forehead and quietly closed the door to the bedroom. The little girl had fallen asleep before her usual nap time, but she was exhausted. Even though the weather was brisk, the sun had shone. They’d explored outside, careful to make enough noise to startle any other predators from coming too close. They’d collected pinecones. The moment Laurel had crossed the baseball-sized tracks of the big cat, she and Molly had scurried back to the house. She didn’t want to come face-to-face with it again, even with her SIG.

      She hovered over the sleeping girl for a few minutes. Molly hadn’t mentioned her brother or sister all morning. Laurel couldn’t help but worry. When the truth hit, it would hit hard.

      She left a small crack between the door and the jamb so she could hear Molly if she woke.

      Quietly she exited into the living room. Garrett must still be in his office. She padded across the wood floor and stuck her head through the door.

      He sat in front of the wall of electronics, bent over, studying the monitor intently. He typed in a few keystrokes. The screen turned red.

      He cursed and quickly pressed a button.

      “No luck?”

      The chair whirled around. He’d removed his hat and his hair stood up, as if he’d run his fingers through it dozens of times.

      “They’ve closed off most of the loopholes I knew about. Not surprised, just irritated. I let James...” His voice trailed off.

      She eased through the doorway. “What about my father?”

      For a moment it looked as if he wouldn’t tell her. Finally he met her gaze. “I kept a low profile. It was the wrong decision.”

      “I can help,” she said. “Let me do my job. What are you looking for?”

      He glanced at the cracked-open door. “Molly?”

      “Asleep. Her afternoon naps are usually an hour or so, if her visits with me hold.”

      “Front door locked?” he asked with a raised brow.

      “Dead bolted and chained at the top,” Laurel said with a shake of her head. “Ivy said Molly started finding ways out of her crib at just a year old. Once she caught her climbing over the side rail and then just hanging there by her fingertips before jumping down and going after her lion.”

      “Maybe she’ll be a gymnast.” Garrett chuckled. “Or a spy.” His face turned serious. “I’m trying to identify James’s last official location, but I haven’t found a record of travel, much less any files. His data is locked down tight.”

      He faced the screen and Laurel bent over him. She rested her hand on his shoulder and leaned in. “I monitor data coming from Afghan tribal leaders,” Laurel said. “I might have access to some locations or at least chatter.”

      “Can you get in from the outside?”

      “Are you on a classified network?”

      “Secure, not classified,” Garrett said. “No way I could pull that off for this long without someone noticing.”

      “I could get at some information.” She gnawed at her lip. “I could end up leading them here, Garrett.”

      “I know.”

      He rose from his chair and paced the room. “James said the operation had been compromised. That probably means they’ll be looking for my signature.”

      “He also mentioned Ivy’s research.”

      Garrett tapped his temple with his forefinger. “You know your sister. You know how she thinks. Maybe we can get to her files through you, instead of me or James.”

      “There’s still the problem of leading them here. If I use her name or any identifying information, they’ll know it’s me. Us.”

      “You’re right.” He patted the console. “We do much more here and it’ll be the last bit of info they need to come after us.”

      At the look on Garrett’s face, Laurel stepped back, understanding flooding through her. Garrett had learned from her father. Classic James McCallister M.O. “You want them to catch you?” She grabbed his shirt collar. “You saw what they did to Ivy. You can’t do that.”

      “You’re too damned observant.” Garrett scowled at her. “And yeah, I know exactly what they might do to me. On the other hand, they won’t be expecting me to be ready for them. I’m going to let them think they’re getting the drop on me. Surprise is worth a lot.”

      “It’s crazy.”

      “You think I love this plan, Laurel? If I were planning this op, this would be option Z. But that’s where we’re at. It’s the only option. We don’t have the insider to help us. We don’t know who the traitor is. Your father hasn’t contacted us again. We have no choice.”

      “What about Molly?” Laurel whispered.

      “I called a friend while I was retrieving the groceries. He’s someone I can trust. Maybe the only person I can trust. He has friends who can hide you and Molly while I go after James.”

      She could see he’d made up his mind, but there had to be another way. She sat across from him and grabbed his hands, squeezing them tight. “Let me try? We can cut off communication if it’s taking too long or if I detect someone tracing us.” She met his gaze. “I’m good at what I do, Garrett. Let me try.”

      “I watch every move. The moment there’s feedback, we turn it off and go with my plan. Agreed?”

      She was silent for a moment.

      “Those are my conditions, Laurel.”

      “Agreed.”

      She took a seat and stared at the keyboard. She prayed her abilities wouldn’t fail her now.

      * * *

      A LOUD SCREAM yanked James McCallister awake. For a split second he didn’t know where he was. Then the pain overwhelmed him. He fought not to cry out.

      He shifted his legs, trying to ease the tension in his shoulders. His jailer had shoved him into this dirt-walled prison, clamped a manacle over each wrist and whipped him until he lost consciousness.

      James had said nothing.

      Footsteps walked down the hallway. James looked up; his eyes widened with shock, and then nausea rose up his throat.

      He couldn’t believe it.

      And yet the proof stood before him.

      “I...I wouldn’t have guessed,” he said through dry lips. “You fooled me.”

      “Of course I did, but you cost me nearly a billion dollars this month, James. I’m not happy. You know I get cranky when I’m not happy.”

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