Colby Lockdown. Debra Webb

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СКАЧАТЬ decades. She survived the abduction of her son, her only child, and the brutal murder of her husband. Despite the pain and the numerous efforts of her enemies, she held her ground and remained steadfast. After years of loneliness, she fell in love with the one man who knew her better than she knew herself—Lucas Camp. She survived the return of her son. Opened her heart to the savage man he had become and helped him heal.

      After twenty long years of not knowing if her son was dead or alive, her family was whole again. A grandchild brought new joy and gave Victoria hope for the kind of happiness she had not dared to dream of in the past. Yet a woman whose agency has helped hundreds locate loved ones, find resolution to their dilemmas and obtain happiness makes more than a few enemies along the way—as her beloved first husband did in his life and as her only son has done in his. Just last year a threat to Victoria’s granddaughter shook her to the core.

      In true Victoria fashion, she and her venerable staff at the Colby Agency stamped out the evil that threatened. Victoria will never allow evil to triumph as long as she is breathing.

      But how much longer will she continue breathing? The Colby Agency is under siege…turn the page and begin the first of six Intrigue books that will reveal the fight for survival.

Chapter One

       Colby Agency, Chicago Monday, January 20, 7:45 a.m.

      “Victoria.”

      Victoria Colby-Camp looked up from the Monday-morning briefing agenda she had prepared and smiled for the investigator waiting in her open door. “Good morning, Nicole. Did you have a nice weekend?”

      Nicole Reed-Michaels moved across the office and settled into a chair in front of Victoria’s desk. “I did, indeed.” Nicole’s lips slid into a pleasant upward tilt. “Ian and I discussed the possibility of a vacation this year.” Her gaze searched Victoria’s. “One that doesn’t include the children.”

      “Ah,” Victoria said, understanding now, “a second honeymoon.” Ian and Nicole had been married for nine years. Two children, both school age, and their work had been the couple’s focus for nearly a decade. It was past time the two took some alone time for themselves. Victoria was more than a little pleased to learn this news. “No one deserves it more.” She didn’t have to say that she knew this from experience. Victoria had long denied her own needs for her work and her family. “That’s excellent news. Do you have a particular destination or time frame in mind?”

      Nicole relaxed fully into her chair. Before coming to work at the Colby Agency she had served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No one should be fooled by her silky blond hair or that tall, runway physique. Nicole Reed-Michaels was not only extremely intelligent, but she was also an expert marksman and she knew how to take down an assailant with her bare hands. She was one of the agency’s very best investigators. Not to mention she was married to Ian Michaels, Victoria’s longtime second-in-command.

      Another of those warm smiles appeared, emphasizing the tiny laugh lines that were the only indicators of age on Nicole’s otherwise flawless face. “The Caribbean, I think. We’re still discussing when and for how long.”

      “Two weeks,” Victoria suggested, “at least.” Before long she and Lucas would need to take a nice, indulgent vacation. They’d celebrated their sixth anniversary recently. It was time.

      Last summer Victoria’s son, Jim, had taken an exciting vacation to Africa with his wife, Tasha. It seemed everyone was taking vacations… except Victoria.

      Yes, it was well past time.

      A stifled scream echoed beyond Victoria’s open door, hauling her attention there. Both she and Nicole were on their feet immediately.

      “What was that?” Nicole whirled toward the sound.

      Before Victoria could round her desk, Mildred burst into the office. “You’ve forgotten your salon appointment,” she urged Victoria. “You must go now!” Her eyes were wide with fear.

      Nicole and Victoria’s gazes met briefly even as they rushed across the room.

      Both knew what that seemingly silly phrase meant.

      Danger had descended upon the Colby Agency. Victoria had to leave via the stairwell next to her office.

       Now.

      But what about Nicole? Mildred? And the others?

      “Go,” Nicole reaffirmed as she paused in the doorway. “I’ll take care of things here.”

      Victoria hesitated.

      “Go,” Mildred repeated.

      Fear expanded in Victoria’s throat even as her heart threatened to rupture from her chest. She hurried through the small private lobby where Mildred greeted Victoria’s appointments, opened the door to the stairwell in the narrow corridor beyond and flung herself through it.

      Dear God. How could she leave everyone else behind? She should go back…assess the threat.

       What was happening?

      Don’t think, Victoria ordered.

       Go!

      Her staff would need her to get through this. She couldn’t help anyone with whatever situation was unfolding if she allowed herself to be overtaken. Whatever was going on…she had to escape.

      Victoria hurried downward as fast as she dared. She ticked off a mental list of what she would do as soon as she was clear of the building.

      Call Ian. He was off duty today. Having just completed an assignment, he had the mandatory forty-eight hours off.

      Of course she would call Lucas. He had arrived home only last night from a four-daylong business trip to D.C. An hour ago she’d left him poring over the newspaper and drinking coffee. He might even be on his way here by now. He usually dropped by the agency every day that he was home.

      And Jim. Dear God, she had to call her son.

      Then the police.

      Victoria couldn’t be sure if Mildred had had time to activate the silent alarm system that would notify the authorities.

      The agency’s security system was state-of-the-art. As was the entire building’s for that matter. Why hadn’t the security guards alerted her to the threat? Both men had been at their posts in the lobby when she arrived half an hour ago.

      “Good morning, ma’am.”

      Victoria drew up short as she reached the landing on the second floor. Only one more floor to go…but she wouldn’t make it.

      Dread congealed in her stomach.

      The man dressed in black, including a ski-type mask to keep his face hidden, held a weapon aimed directly at her chest.

      “We should return to your office, Mrs. Colby-Camp,” he said quite cordially. “I’d hate for you to miss the opening act of the show.”

      Fury СКАЧАТЬ