Deadly Bonds (22 page)

Her jaw dropped but she promptly recovered. “Well, aren’t you guys industrious students, doing all that research. Kind of like you did on the Army, huh?” At her teasing, Neil’s glance shot to Chad.

“I think I’ll head out for a bathroom break,” Chad said. “Be right back.” He exited through a gap in the blankets.

What had that brief, shared look been about? Had Chad not told Neil the truth about having helped her locate him?

She brushed a blanket aside and glanced around the library. “Surely, there’s a math book around here. Or history.
Something
we can work on.” She laughed as a pillow hit her squarely in the chest, then shook a finger at Theo. “Don’t start a mutiny.”

“You’re just kidding about the homework,” he said. He was in need of a haircut. But that wasn’t her job. Holt would surely notice over the next week.

“Yep, just kidding.”

The lights flickered. The boys looked at each other, then at her. Then the lights went completely out, leaving them with only a couple of flashlights. From one floor above, where Sara had left Roscoe napping earlier, they heard frightened howls.

“I forgot he’s afraid of the dark, especially when he’s alone,” Theo said. “Mrs. Mendelson always brought him in at night, and during storms. He’s not used to being by himself.”

They crawled from the tent. Sara pointed a flashlight at the door, so they could see potential obstacles. The beam fell across a face in the doorway and she clutched at her chest. She bit back her scream as she realized it was Chad.

“Don’t worry,” Chad said. “I’ll go check out the fuse box, just in case this is fixable. If not, there’s a generator in the computer room. Boys, why don’t you come with me?”

“Maybe they should stay here where it’s warm,” Sara suggested.

“Nonsense. They’ll learn something useful about survival. Besides, they’ve got coats if we have to go outside for a moment. We’ll be back, after we’ve saved the day. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Just to check on Roscoe,” Sara said.

“Maybe I’d better stay with her,” Neil said. “I don’t think she should be alone.”

Chad’s mouth thinned before he nodded, but perhaps she’d imagined it in the dim light and shadows.

Jeremy and Theo pulled on their coats and followed Chad out into the hallway. As their footsteps faded, Roscoe howled again. Neil followed her up the flight of stairs to her apartment. The beam of her flashlight bounced off the steps as they climbed.

“There’s something odd about Mr. White,” Neil whispered, as if someone might overhear.

Both relieved and worried that someone felt the same way, Sara tread cautiously. Chad was, after all, Neil’s teacher. Her imagination was running wild, but his reputation shouldn’t have to suffer for it. She’d done the necessary background checks before hiring him, so there was definitely no reason to be suspicious. “Maybe he’s anxious about being stuck in a storm too.”

She opened her unlocked apartment door and Roscoe nearly bolted down the dark stairs. He stopped as she called to him. “Here, baby. Come here. It’s okay.” Sitting on the landing in front of her door with the flashlight cutting through the darkness, she patted Roscoe’s back and stroked his neck until his quivering stopped. The light she’d left on in her apartment suddenly came on. “See, we’re okay.” She looked at Neil. “Mr. White has been very helpful.”

Neil sat down next to her and absently petted Roscoe. “That’s just it. Mr. White was the one who
helped
me search for Army recruiters.”

“I know. He gave you the password.”

“It was more than that. He helped me search for information too. He told me not to tell anyone. I can understand him not wanting Dad to know, and he thought he might lose his job if I told someone he let me use the school computers to search the internet when it wasn’t for a school project. Still...”

“What?”

Neil paused in petting Roscoe. “You know when someone is trying too hard and it comes across desperate? That’s what it felt like with Mr. White. Like he was trying to impress me, or become my best bud or something.”

Sara digested Neil’s information. Had Chad’s goal been simply to make a connection with a struggling student? Or were his motives less noble? Before she could ask more questions, though, they heard Chad and the boys coming up the stairs.

Theo’s voice was excited. “The way you repaired that wire was so cool. I should tell Dad to add that tool to his toolbox.”

“Just because you have the tools doesn’t mean you know how to use them,” Chad said. “I’ve been working with wires and stuff like that all my life.” As they appeared on the landing, Chad patted Theo’s shoulder. Under her hand, a rumble began in Roscoe’s chest and then emerged as a growl. Chad frowned at the dog. He reached out a hand to soothe Roscoe but jumped back when Roscoe snapped at him.

Shocked by the easygoing dog’s aggressive behavior, Sara stood and brushed off the seat of her pants. “I should take him back inside my apartment. He’s probably shaken from the storm.” She took Roscoe’s collar and tugged until he went with her. She led him to the dog bed she’d gotten for him—a circular pillow on the floor at the foot of her bed.

“Power should stay on now.” She jumped at the sound of Chad’s voice behind her. He’d followed her into her bedroom and seemed to fill the doorway. He looked at a snarling Roscoe and set his toolbox down by the bedroom door. “Maybe he’s afraid of a guy with a big, heavy metal box.”

“Or guys in general,” Sara offered, still trying to make sense of things. “He was used to a sweet old lady. It was just the two of them. She died recently.” Steeling her nerves, she made herself meet Chad’s gaze.

His brown eyes didn’t flicker. “That’s a shame. But I bet he’ll be happy here with you.”

How had she not noticed how tall Chad was before? And wide through the shoulders. To leave, she’d have to move past him. She shifted her weight, trying to decide whether to bolt, but that would be ridiculous. He was one of her teachers. She’d liked him enough to hire him. In the months since then, he hadn’t done anything malicious.

Roscoe snarled again, as if sensing her uneasiness.

“May I?” Chad held out a hand toward Roscoe. “Maybe he’ll feel better if he knows me.” Sara knew that was true for her. He squatted at the dog’s level and continued to hold out a hand.

“Theo wanted to check in with his dad,” Chad said. “His phone isn’t working. I checked the landlines earlier, but they seem to be out too. Want to check your apartment phone?”

“I hadn’t thought of that. That’s a good idea.” Sara turned away to check the phone on her bedside table and found it dead. She took her cell phone out. Sure enough, still no bars. “Nothing.” She tucked it back into her pocket and turned to him. “Where are the boys?” She moved toward the door, and Chad didn’t make any move to stop her. He was stroking Roscoe now, and the dog was definitely looking more relaxed, which calmed her a bit.

Chad looked up, a sheepish expression on his face. “I introduced them to my lair.”

“Lair?”

“It’s probably against the school rules, but...” He grinned. “I’ve got a little getaway here at the school. Every superhero needs one—along with a secret, boy-next-door identity and a passion for making the world a better place.” Roscoe leaned against him, his lids growing heavy. “Whoa, looks like bedtime. Poor guy got all stressed out by the storm. Now that the lights are on, and things aren’t so scary, maybe he can sleep.” Chad gently hoisted the dog and carried him to the dog bed. He settled him in and petted him for a moment. Roscoe immediately closed his eyes, his breaths smoothing out as he drifted off to doggy dreamland.

Well, if Roscoe trusted Chad, maybe he wasn’t all bad. Maybe Chad was simply socially awkward and his earnestness came across wrong. He’d probably just been trying to help Neil with that internet search. After all, there was nothing devious about encouraging someone to consider joining the Army. Ultimately, it was Neil’s choice.

“What were you saying about a lair?” she asked.

Chad straightened and crossed the room to her. His eyes twinkled. “Come on. I’ll show you. I set it all up last weekend, while you were gone.”

* * *

Holt stared straight ahead at the road, miserable. He and Max were making slow progress because of the storm. The cell in his hand rang and he immediately answered. “What have you got?”

“Like you, I wasn’t able to get through to the Academy via any of the usual communication methods. And there seems to be someone blocking my more
unusual
methods.” Einstein didn’t sound happy about that at all. “In fact, the bastard hacked into my computer.”

“Hacked in? What was he after?”

“SIM cards.”

“Why would he want that?”

“Apparently, he’s been impersonating our agents, sending texts that appear to be from agent phones.”

“Let me guess,” Holt said. “Becca received one of those messages.” It was the only explanation for why she’d leave her post at the school without a good reason. Someone had given her a good enough reason.

In his peripheral vision, Holt caught the question in Max’s eyes. Holt clamped down on his worry for Becca. She was well qualified to handle danger. Sara and Theo, on the other hand, could be at the mercy of a killer.

“She’s still not answering her cell,” Einstein said. “But the Lo-Jack shows her vehicle’s at the scene of the accident Lt. Anderson mentioned. They’re starting a search for her and Brady there. She was in pursuit of him, thinking he was Toxin.”

“Who told her Brady was Toxin? And how do you know?”

“The SIM card info that was hacked. I tracked recent communication and Becca received a text a couple hours ago from SSAM, only it didn’t originate from us. Apparently,
we
told her Brady is the real Toxin.”

“And that text from Becca an hour ago, saying everything was okay?”

“That could very well have been White too.”

“So when Chad White paid Brady to show up at the school...”

“She thought he was the threat and took off after him.”

“Leaving Sara and Theo alone. What are our alternative communication options with the Academy?”

“Smoke signals?” Einstein blew out a breath. “Seriously, it’s an old place. The records I looked up show that there are internet connections and the regular phone lines, but all of them are down. Whether that’s due to the storm or someone purposely cut them, I don’t know.”

“Your best guess?”

“Given what this guy has already done? They were tampered with, so approach the school with extreme caution.”

Shit.
“That shouldn’t affect a call to a cell phone though, right?”

“No, unless the tower is out. It isn’t. I checked. But there are other ways to scramble those, if you have the right device and know what you’re doing.”

“Let’s assume White has connections and is savvy enough to know what he’s doing.”

“Then we’re back to smoke signals. Maybe carrier pigeons. If this guy cut phone lines, interfered with cell signals and is blocking my search methods, he knows what he’s doing when it comes to electronics. But I think we already established that with the SIM card thing. Genius, really.”

“We’re still about ten minutes away.”

Max shook his head. “In this weather, twenty.”

“Damian’s arranging for a snowplow to drive in front of you,” Einstein said. “It’ll help a little.”

“We’ll take whatever help we can get.” Holt said a quick prayer that the people he loved were okay. He couldn’t lose Theo or Sara, not when he was so close to having a life again. He’d have no life at all without them.

Chapter Twenty

“Isn’t it great?” Theo sat on a floor pillow, gazing up at a full wall of flat-screen televisions. Parts of gaming systems and controllers were strewn about the floor, their cords leading in all directions like the Borg in
Star Trek.

“And all of this was right across the hall from you.” Jeremy’s voice was full of awe.

“Yes, it’s quite amazing,” Miss Sara said, but when Theo glanced at her, she was still standing by the door. Her arms were crossed over her stomach and her eyes were on Mr. White. She looked stunned. Theo knew how she felt. When Mr. White had unlocked the attic door across from Miss Sara’s apartment, telling them it was okay to go in and take a look around, he hadn’t expected anything but dust and spiders.

Instead, he’d found
this
. Heaven. “He even has a bootleg copy of Scorpion’s Sting,” Theo said. He and Jeremy had already figured out the object of the game and were busy making the hero—a six-foot man-scorpion hybrid with a poisonous tail that curled and hung over the guy’s head but could strike his enemies down with a whip motion or with venom—kill off his enemies. It was pretty cool. The ultimate goal was to save the prince and his mother, but that would take days of fighting. These games weren’t over in a few hours. They kept you hooked for weeks.

“Yeah,” Jeremy chimed in while he continued to play. “This Scorpion guy, Deathstalker, fights against the forces of oppression and evil. He’s actually mostly man, but has all the cool parts of a scorpion...an extra set of limbs that are pinchers and, of course, the tail that can kill.”

“Sounds pretty elaborate.” Miss Sara had taken a few steps into the room and her attention was now on the screen.

“It is,” Neil said. He was leaning against a wall, watching them play—when he wasn’t watching the door. He’d wanted to go after Miss Sara when Mr. White had followed her into her apartment, but Mr. White had told him to stay with them here. In the low-ceilinged space, there’d been nowhere to sit but the floor pillows, but Neil seemed to prefer to be on his feet anyway.

“Wanna play?” Theo asked.

“Um, no,” Miss Sara said. “Not right now. I’ll just watch you two.”

* * *

Sara’s internal alarm bells went off again, and this time she was listening. Something was seriously off about Chad White.

She glanced at Chad, but he was grinning like the Cheshire cat, as if nothing was wrong with an employee setting up something like this on private property. He seemed to genuinely enjoy the boys’ pleasure.

She looked to Neil, who was, perhaps, the only other person in the room who would understand her concern right now. He met her gaze and gave a small shrug. He didn’t know what to make of this either.

“Isn’t this game supposed to be released at Christmas?” she asked Chad, determined to find out what the hell was going on. “Aren’t bootleg copies illegal?”

His eyes narrowed on her a moment before he regained his smile. “Yes, they are. But I was a developer on the game, so I was shipped an early copy to try out. Make sure there are no kinks, you know?” He turned to the boys. “Hey, Theo, you can help me out with that. I haven’t had the chance to play it through to the end myself, though our beta-testers did.” He pulled another floor pillow from the corner and set it on the wood-plank floor beside Theo. “I’ll show you some of the secret moves.”

“Cool. Hey, your username is JoshCW?” Theo asked as they watched Chad log into his account on the screen. “We played online together a few weeks ago.”

A chill tripped across Sara’s skin. Chad was Toxin. There were no longer any lingering doubts. And he’d been so close to her, and Theo—
all
of her boys—for months. This
lair
was why Toxin—Chad—had wanted her away from the school last weekend. He’d needed privacy to set this up. Seeing Deathstalker—the animated half-man, half-scorpion—in action on the screen only confirmed her fears. He had staged this whole thing, probably even rigging the power to go out so he could come across as a hero. But why? What was his plan?

Chad grinned at Theo. “Yeah, and you kicked butt at Death Files.”

Theo’s brow crinkled. “I thought your first name was Chad.”

“Josh was someone special, just a couple years older than you. I play in his memory, since he loved video games.” Chad’s gaze went back to the screen. “He would have really liked Scorpion’s Sting. In fact, it’s based on his fear of scorpions, and the way he handled chemo, with all those needles. I made a hero out of the scary parts.”

“Kind of like making a strength out of a weakness?”

Chad gave him a thoughtful look. “Yeah, just like that.”

Seeing their distraction, Sara took the moment to lean next to Neil against the wall. She kept her head near his as she spoke, keeping her voice low. “I want you to stay very calm and act like nothing’s out of the ordinary, but listen to me...if you get the chance when Chad’s not looking, you take the boys and run.”

Neil turned a startled gaze to her before jerking it away again. “You think he’s dangerous?” His whole body went rigid and his hands fisted, but he kept his voice low. “Is he Toxin? Did he kill my dad?”

She didn’t want to tell him the entire truth. She needed Neil focused on getting the boys to safety, not on what Chad had done to his father. “I don’t know for sure, but better safe than sorry. And if he’s been playing online games with students...something’s not right about that. We have to get the boys out and then we can figure out the rest.”

“But the roads...”

“Would be less deadly than White if he is who I think he is. My keys are in my purse, which is still in my office desk drawer. My car’s safer than yours. Take it and get far away, fast.”

Neil shook his head. “I can’t leave you here alone with him.”

Sara calmed the fear that wanted to run rampant through her mind by focusing on the boys. She slipped her cell phone out of her pocket and into his hand, covering it with her own. “Take it and tuck it away. If you get a signal, call Theo’s dad, and then SSAM headquarters. The numbers are in my contact list. They’ll help. But first, get away.” She looked him directly in the eye. “If you don’t, Jeremy is in danger. And you too. Neither of you can afford to lose another family member. You see a chance, you get them out. Get to safety and you can send someone back for me.”

“I can’t—”

“You
can.
I have faith in you, Neil.”

“Hey, what are you two talking about over there?” Chad’s question made Sara jump. He was looking back over his shoulder at them.

“I was just asking Neil how he thought he did on the test he just took.” She smiled. “He’s doubting his chances, but I told him I believe in him.” She had to hope Neil would take her advice and run with the boys. But in order for them to have a chance, she’d have to find a way to distract Chad.

“Looks like we’ve left the two of you out of the fun. Grab a controller and play a different game on another screen.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’d rather watch for a while.” Watch for a way to get the boys to safety.

A moment later, Theo shouted in triumph. He’d conquered the first level. Chad handed his controller to Neil. “Here, have a go. I have something to show Miss Burns.”

Neil looked from him to her, then took the controller. He sat on the pillow by the other boys, tucking his long legs under him. “Game on.” He sounded like a teenager eager to play, with nothing on his mind except fun.

Chad came to her side and stood so close she could smell almonds—from his soap? She racked her brain for details that would help them all get away from a killer like Toxin. What had Holt told her? He wanted to be a hero...he was a type of puppet master. She’d play to that.

She turned her body toward him, even though it put her way too close. “Well, these games will sure pass the time.” She tried to sound pleased.
Pass the time until what?
her brain screamed. What was Toxin’s plan for them? Surely, he hadn’t counted on the boys being here, at least not Jeremy and Neil. So, would he kill them and do something with Sara and Theo? The thought of Theo with a needle in his neck made her pulse race and her body flood with adrenaline so fast she felt dizzy. But she’d use it to protect them. “I don’t know how to thank you, Chad. You saved the day, what with fixing the power and, now, entertaining the boys.”

He reached out and cupped the side of her neck. She jumped slightly but covered her initial shock with a forced smile. Chad had never touched her before. He brushed his thumb across the sensitive skin beneath her ear. “I’m happy to help. All I’ve wanted for months now is for you to notice me. For you to let me take care of you. I’ll handle everything. I’ll keep you and Theo safe. Always.”

Get Chad out of here.
Give the boys a chance.
“You mentioned you had something to show me? Is it here, at the school?”

“Yes, but I need a computer. It’s a video clip.”

They couldn’t use the computer in her office or Neil wouldn’t be able to grab her keys. “My personal laptop’s in my apartment.”

“Perfect. Bring it here.”

“If it’s a video you want me to see, I think I’d rather watch it in my apartment. Less noise there, and I doubt we could tear these boys’ attention away from the game, anyway.”

Chad reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash drive. “Everything we need is on here. Lead the way.”

Sara looked at the trio of boys, engrossed in their game. Neil kept looking up at a blank screen, where he could see Sara and Chad’s reflection. He’d been watching.

“Hey, guys?” Sara called. “We have to get something from my apartment. We’ll be just across the hall, and will be back in about ten minutes.” She looked questioningly to Chad.

Chad nodded. “That’ll be enough time.”

It had to be.