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If she thinks I look terrible now, she should have seen me a week ago. The Canadian authorities held me at a hospital in Toronto for a good five days for a thorough check-up. Underweight, several lacerations to my hands, and dangerously dehydrated. They kept me for another two days for questioning before Peterson finally had to step in andstronglyrequest my transfer to a hospital in New York.
I haven’t been able to sleep the whole time knowing Luka is still somewhere underground. It’s been a trial and a half trying to get information on the case. It’s no longer mine. Peterson relieved me of my position for the sake of my health, but he doesn’t understand… Ineedto know what’s happening with Luka. Have they found him yet? Is he still alive?
He has to be.
“It’s ok, Tabitha,” I mumble softly. “I’m here.”
“I was so worried about you,” she sobs. “God, when I heard about the explosion… I thought for sure you got caught up in it.”
“I’m sorry, sweetie. None of this was supposed to happen.”
“Did they get that bitch Pritt yet?” she snaps with fury enough for the both of us.
“I don’t know.”
“What about the search in Algonquin National Park? Surely the Canadians have found something by now, right?”
“I don’t know,” I say again, numb and empty.
“When are they going to release you?” Tabitha asks. “When can we go home?”
“Soon, I promise. I’m sure they have a bunch of questions for me. Until then…”
Three soft knocks sound at my door, Peterson’s familiar face poking in through the gap. His smile is a welcome sight, but it’s hard to miss the sympathy in his eyes. “Agent Harper, I’m glad you’re up. Is it alright if I come in?”
I nod, too tired to give verbal confirmation. Peterson takes a seat at my bedside and nods toward my sister.
“It’s good to see you, Tabitha. You’ve grown a lot since last we spoke.”
My sister dries her eyes. “Please tell me you have an update. Did they find anything up north?”
Peterson glances at me. “I’m sorry Tabitha, but I can’t tell you anything about an ongoing investigation.”
“I’m afraid to let Dani out of my sight again,” Tabitha says miserably.
“It’s ok, sis. Just give us a few minutes. You can wait right outside the door.”
With one last look at me, Tabitha wheels herself out of my room.
I look at Tom and give him the nod to begin.
“Our Canadian brothers did a sweep of the area. It’s a massive national park, so it took them a few days to give it a good search. We’re talking thousands of acres of land here.”
I open my eyes a crack, my lips pressed into a thin line. “Let me guess, they didn’t find anything.”
Peterson shakes his head. “No traces of human activities, no underground bunkers. They couldn’t pinpoint the escape tunnel you dug.”
“It was real,” I hiss. “It was all real, I swear—”
“I believe you, Harper. Truly, I do. This Trinity you spoke of… I looked into their profiles, just as you asked. If this is really who we’re dealing with, I’m not surprised if they gave the order to destroy everything the moment you slipped from their grasp. No evidence means no crime, after all.”
“Any sign of Luka Antonov?” I ask, my throat closing almost immediately.
I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Those last few moments we had together before he ran toward danger, all in the hopes of buying me a few precious seconds. If I had known that was going to be our last kiss, if I had known that was my only chance to tell him I love him…
No. Why am I talking like he’s dead? I’m not going to give up on him. I’m going to find him, and Iwillget him out of there alive.
“I’m sorry, Harper,” Peterson says. “Nothing yet, but we’re still looking. I promise to keep you up to date with any developments, but for now, I need you to take it easy. Don’t worry about your other cases or using up your vacation days. You take all the time you need.”
