SEAL's RESOLVE - Rebecca Deel Page 0,86
make the call to the cell phone attached to the timer or watched the security feeds from the cameras to know when we were inside the building. We were more than 30 minutes late arriving at the warehouse.”
Andrews sent his partner a pointed glance before turning back to Rafe. “We’ll be in touch.”
Rafe waited for the men to walk toward the waiting room, then went to the hallway to stand beside his team leader.
“Those boys don’t believe your story.” Eli’s arms were folded over his chest.
“Don’t know what gave you that impression.”
“Maybe because the detectives looked like they were mentally measuring you for an orange jumpsuit, courtesy of the Bakerhill PD. One of the Fortress lawyers is on standby.”
“Here’s hoping I don’t need the legal service. Any word on Stewart?”
“Not yet.”
Rafe frowned. That didn’t make sense. The text to Kristi had come from his phone. “Didn’t one of the Fortress techs track his cell phone?”
“Phone’s turned off.”
Huh. Not what he’d expected. “All right. I want to check on Kristi and see if I can convince the doc to spring both of us.”
“Your girl will want to find her father.”
“I know. The first thing I want to do is change clothes. They smell like I’ve been standing in the middle of a bonfire.”
Eli chuckled. “Good luck convincing Kristi to go along with your plan.”
Rafe crossed the hall and knocked on the door to Kristi’s room before going inside. Like him, she was sitting on the end of the bed.
The doctor stood with his arms folded. “Ms. Stewart, I strongly recommend you stay overnight for observation.”
She shook her head. “I’m coughing a little now and then, but you said yourself that I’m doing well. I need to check on my father. He’s not answering his phone, and a message from him is the reason I was in that warehouse to begin with.”
“I’ll keep an eye on her, Doc,” Jackson said. “If she gets worse, I’ll make sure she returns to the ER.”
The physician frowned at Rafe. “I assume you want to leave as well?”
“Yes, sir.”
The other man sighed. “I suppose I can’t force you to stay, and we’re expecting patients from a traffic accident any moment. I’ll release both of you as long as you listen to Jackson’s medical advice. If he says you need to come back, don’t argue.” The physician headed for the hall. “The nurse will bring your discharge papers.”
As soon as he left, Kristi reached for Rafe’s hand. “Have you heard anything about my father?”
“Not yet. The Fortress tech says his phone has been turned off.”
“Something is wrong, Rafe. We have a standing arrangement that we don’t turn off our phones without first notifying the other one. I’m afraid something terrible has happened to him.”
He cupped her cheek. “As soon as we’re released, we’ll return to your home and change clothes. After that, we’ll check your father’s home. Do you have the phone number for your father’s administrative assistant?”
She nodded. “Shirley has been with Dad since I was a freshman in high school.”
“Excellent. While we drive to your place, call Shirley and ask what appointments your father had tonight.”
“We could just go straight to his home instead of detouring to mine.”
“We could,” he agreed. “Although you’re beautiful, we look rough at the moment.”
Kristi looked down at herself and wrinkled her nose. “We also smell like chimneys,” she muttered.
“That, too.” He wrapped his arms around Kristi, grateful she was alive and unhurt. “We’ll find him.”
“I can’t lose Dad. Who wants to hurt us?”
“I don’t know, but I’m working on it.” He needed to work faster. The trap was closing around them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
When Rafe cranked the engine of his SUV, Kristi called Shirley Waters, her father’s administrative assistant, placing the call on speaker. The woman answered two rings later. “Shirley, it’s Kristi. I’m sorry to bother you so late.”
“No problem, Kristi. What can I do for you?”
“I’m looking for my father, and he’s not answering his home or cell phone.”
“That’s not like him. I tease him all the time about his phone being attached to his hand. Perhaps he doesn’t realize his cell battery is dead.”
“Maybe.” She doubted it, though. Her father was obsessive about keeping the battery charged. “Do you know if he had appointments tonight? I want to catch up with him.”
“I’m logging into my computer now to check his schedule.” The sound of keys clicking came through the speaker. “He had a dinner meeting with Hugh Ward at 7:00 and a conference call at 9:00. He was