In His Sights Page 27

  “I’d already been to work? How come I don’t remember? Dammit. I hate this.” Mason paced around the room.

  “You’d left about three hours before me, and the police think, from the blood on your wound, the accident probably happened within a half hour span.”

  The way Mason’s hands continued to fidget told of his restless state, but he sat on the couch anyway. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I made it to work.”

  Noah remained quiet. He walked over to one of the seats, moved the chair across from Mason, and sat down.

  For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was their breathing.

  “I’m there,” Mason said, breaking the silence. “I can see myself in the parking garage. Something about that’s important. Something about me sitting there. Dammit. I can’t figure out what it is.”

  “Relax, Mas. It’s coming. You’ll figure it out. Try not to force yourself. It’ll come back soon enough.”

  Mason stood again. He ran his hands through his hair; he seemed ready to pull it out. “Why can’t I remember?”

  “Hey, you’re doing great. It’s coming back. Just might take a while.”

  “I don’t have a while.” Mason kicked the footstool, and the furniture barely moved.

  Noah moved in front of him. Stopping him. “What are you talking about? Why are you in such a rush?”

  Mason’s focus remained on the floor. “I have to know what happened at work. If I was there, what did I do? Did I even get inside?”

  “All right, let’s take it from the top. You left here about twelve. You planned to go straight to the Bureau. We figured out you made it there. From your memory and the fact you called me—”

  “What? What do you mean I called you?”

  “You called me to tell me you’d be longer than expected.”

  “Why are you just telling me now?” Mason stood in Noah’s face.

  Noah needed to defuse the situation. “The doctor said it’d work better if you let your memory come back naturally, instead of me feeding information to you.”

  “What the hell? Me figuring this out on my own time isn’t working. I can’t sit around anymore with my thumb shoved up my ass.”

  “I get it. Calm down. Freaking out isn’t helping.”

  “Calm down? Are you kidding me?” Mason’s complexion turned red, and his body tensed. “I’d love to see how you’d handle losing a chunk of time.”

  “I know it’s not easy. I’m not trying to make light of it. I just don’t think you stressing out helps matters.”

  “Fine. I’m calm.” Mason fell into the seat, his knees bouncing. “Now what.”

  “Now we wait.”

  “Bullshit.” Mason jumped back up out of the seat. “Why don’t you tell me what else you’re keeping from me?”

  Noah hesitated. “Nothing.”

  “Noah, come on? Tell me.” Mason’s gaze locked on Noah’s.

  Noah tried to hide his apprehension. “Everything is coming back. I don’t want to mess it up now. Let’s try this for a little while longer and if nothing more comes back, I’ll tell you what I know. And I promise it’s not a lot.”

  Mason must have sensed Noah’s concern. “Okay. Fine. Now what?”

  Noah sat down on the couch and held out his hand for Mason to join him. When it became clear Mason wouldn’t sit, Noah gave in and said, “Let’s go over what you know so far.” Noah kept his voice low. “You called around 01:00 P.M. You didn’t mention whether you made it into the office at that point. You just said, you just arrived. So again, I’m not sure if you’d made it inside yet.” Noah felt as miserable as Mason looked.

  “That’s it?” Mason chewed on his lip.

  “Well, yeah. Except later, at about 02:30 P.M., when I found you. Your car was crushed, and you were unconscious.”

  “So, if you found me about 02:30 P.M. and I called at 01:00 P.M., that gave me at least an hour and a half at work.” Mason squeezed his hands into fists. “An hour and a half to do what?”

  “Unless you went somewhere else after you called. Left work and headed somewhere else.” Noah hadn’t wanted to bring that up, cause more doubt for Mason, but it was a possibility.

  “That doesn’t make sense. Where else would I have gone?” Mason’s question seemed to be as much for Noah as it was for Mason himself.

  “I don’t know.” Noah moved over on the couch and patted his hand on the cushion. “Sit down. Take a breath and relax. I’m sure the stress isn’t helping.”

  “I can’t. Not yet.” Another thought popped into Mason’s head. It didn’t have anything to do with his memory, but maybe putting his thoughts elsewhere would help. He turned to face Noah and stopped moving. He waited for Noah to look up and make eye contact. “What were you doing in my office when I woke up?” He kept his voice calm, not wanting to go off the handle as he had before. He was just barely making it.

  “Your Wi-Fi was out. Wanted to send an email to my boss. Couldn’t get him on the phone, and I wanted to apologize for missing the boat I was supposed to be on.”

  “I’m not getting what this has to do with my office.” Mason’s voice was harsher than he would have liked, but Noah didn’t seem to mind. He answered as soon as Mason stopped speaking.

  “I was looking for the router. To restart it. I know that works at my house. I thought maybe I’d get lucky, and it’d work here.”

  “Oh.” That made sense. More sense than Noah snooping. But there was still the problem Noah had seen things he shouldn’t have. “I’m sorry I went off at you. Just…”

  “I know. I get it. There’s things there you didn’t want me to see.”

  “Yeah. There’s shit in there if anyone found out you were looking at, could get me fired. Or worse.”

  “Mas, I’d never—”

  “I know you’d never say anything, Noah. But things always have a way of getting out.”

  “Why do you have that—”

  “Don’t.” Mason shut him down before he had the chance to ask. This wasn’t a discussion he should have or wanted to have with Noah. That shit was top secret, and it was bad enough Noah had seen it. There was no way in hell Mason would give him any additional intel on it.

  Noah stood. Mason hadn’t realized he was pacing again. Not until Noah moved right in front of him and stopped him.

  “Mason. I need to tell you something. It’s important.”

  Mason went to move around Noah. He didn’t like the way the other man stared at him. “If it has anything to do with what you saw, drop it.”

  “It does, and I can’t.” Noah wouldn’t get out of his way.

  Heat and anger surged through Mason again. He fought to keep his fisted hands at his sides. “Bullshit. Just drop it.”

  “Mason, I know about your case.”

  “I know, and you shouldn’t.”

  “I know about it and that you were thrown off it.”

  Noah’s words felt like a kick in the gut. The air left the room, and Mason had to grab onto the wall before his legs gave out. “What are you talking about?”

  “The night you were drunk…” Noah let his words just stay there, out in the open.

  Nausea rolled through Mason. He knew exactly where Noah was headed with what he had to say, and Mason wanted to run. Whatever Noah was about to tell him, Mason didn’t want to hear. Whatever it was, was going to be bad.

  “You were in really bad shape. Not surprised you didn’t remember me hanging around the next day.”

  It wasn’t bad enough Mason’s memory was gone thanks to the accident. How the hell could he have drunk so much he’d blacked out meeting Noah? And not just meeting him, evidently sharing confidential information with him. His life was over. Mason jumped when Noah came up behind him and rested his hand on Mason’s shoulder. “I promise I would never say anything to anyone. Regardless of what you mean to me.”

  Mason heard the words, but he was too far gone to believe them. Mason had messed up, and he’d eventually be called
on it.

  “There’s more. Something we need to talk about—”

  “No.” That one word echoed through the house. “I said enough. We need to drop it now. You were never meant to see any of that. If anyone ever found out that shit was here, I’d be gone.”

  “I get that, but listen. There’s something you need to—”

  Mason swung around and pushed Noah back. “Don’t you get it? We’re done talking about it. You want me to resign, I will. Or if you want to go to them and tell them what I told you, I’ll do that, too.” Holy shit. His life was over.

  Noah moved into Mason’s space, and Mason took a step back, forcing himself not to hit Noah. Noah must have sensed Mason’s rage, because he held his ground, not moving closer to Mason.

  “Just take a minute and listen to me, Mason.”

  Mason couldn’t do this anymore. It was his turn to run. He turned around and headed for the front door.

  “Mason, at least listen to me before you run away!” Noah shouted. “Your information is wrong.”

  Mason kept walking.

  “You got a guy marked for dead who was very much alive five months after you marked him.”

  Mason wiped at the tears he hadn’t realized streamed down his face, then reached his hand out to the doorknob and opened the door. His mind was on fire with how badly he’d messed up.

  He was just at his truck when Noah screamed again. Something about Mason not having the keys.

  Dammit. Mason turned back around ready to head in the house for the keys. Noah moved directly in front of him standing tall. “Did you hear what I said? Your intel is off. One of your unsubs isn’t dead.”

  Mason was about to push Noah out of the way again, when Noah’s words finally penetrated his brain. Isn’t dead. One of the suspects Mason had marked as dead was still alive. In that moment, Mason knew exactly whom Noah was talking about. The one guy who would make Mason’s theory work. “Who?” Mason asked, not really needing the confirmation.

  “Second row from the top. Third one in.”

  That was him. “You’re sure. How?”

  “Never forget a person I had in my sights.”

  “Why and when?” Why the hell had Noah had this guy in his cross hairs? And was it possible it had been after the date Mason had thought he’d died?

  “Africa. April, year before last.”

  “Shit. That’s it. That’s the case.”

  “Well if that’s so, you need to talk to me now.”

  “Shouldn’t.” Mason still wasn’t out of the shit heap for talking to Noah in the first place.

  “I get that, Mas. But I also get that this case is important and come Monday, when you go back to work, it’s done. If you don’t want to talk to me about it, call in your team. Get them over here to help you.”

  “Can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Not sure what they told them, but I don’t think it was anything good.” The reality hurt Mason’s heart. Some of the guys on his team believed his theory, but after the higher-ups got the letter telling them Mason was obsessing, Mason had no idea whom he could trust.

  An image flashed through his head. It was the same black car as earlier, although this time it was in the parking garage at his office. Circling. The hairs on the back of Mason’s neck stood on edge. The car…he saw it again. This time, coming at him as he turned onto the road by his office. It was headed straight for him. He had to get out of the way.

  “What’s the matter, Mas? You’re white as a ghost. What’s going on?”

  “I can see it.”

  “See what? Come over here and sit before you fall.” Noah led Mason into the living room.

  “The car. The car ran me off the road. It was headed straight for me.”

  “Son of a bitch.”

  “I recognized the car. It was in the garage at my office. Circling. Passed me a couple of times. It took me out on purpose.”

  Noah’s eyes opened wide. “What? Are you sure?”

  Mason was one hundred percent sure. That car aimed right at him and ran him off the road. “Absolutely.”

  “Why? What were they after?” Noah was up and pacing the room now.

  “I don’t know.” Mason had another thought. “The case. Maybe someone wanted me off the case.”

  “But you already are. As of last week, they shut it down.” Noah reminded him.

  “You’re right. So what else could it have been? Couldn’t be just a coincidence that someone gets me kicked off the case, then after I am, I’m run off the road. Left for dead.”

  “Mason, you need to tell me about this case. Open up. If someone is really after you, there’s no reason they won’t come after you again. Especially if they still think you’re trying this case on your own.”

  “You’re right.” Mason walked toward his office, with Noah right on his trail.

  Chapter 30

  Noah followed on Mason’s heels. Chills racked Noah’s body, and his senses remained on high alert. Something bad was happening, and no way would Noah let it go down with him right there.

  “This group. They started out small. Bombing towns with known drug relations. No one took much notice. Then they became more brazen, taking out two different outposts in Romania and one in Turkey that housed mostly contractors.”

  Noah knew what that meant. “Your brother-in-law?”

  “Yeah. The second blast.”

  “I heard about those. I thought they were the work of Dendrospis Angusticeps—the terrorist group responsible for most everything today?”

  “Yeah, but not these. Dendrospis Angusticeps never took credit. Matter of fact, they even went as far as to denounce they were behind the explosions.”

  Noah hadn’t realized that. He’d been in his own bubble since leaving the SEALs. He hadn’t paid as much attention as he should have to what happened around the world. “And since they’d been honest about the damage they caused up until then, you believed them?”

  “Exactly. Dendrospis Angusticeps is proud of what they do. Fear is a huge part of their success.” Everything Mason said made sense.

  “So why was no one else on board with your thinking?”

  Mason’s body twitched. “In the beginning, everyone who counted was afraid to take their eyes off Dendrospis Angusticeps. But then I found who the money man was for the new group and everything made sense.”

  “And the guy I saw is the money man?” Noah wasn’t totally surprised. The world was small, and there’d been other cases during his time as a SEAL he’d found that out.

  “Yeah. But once he died, so did all our theories. Things continued to happen, but the trail of where the money funding the group came from ran cold. Made everyone think our focus had been misplaced.”

  Noah shook his head. “Everyone but you.”

  “Exactly, everyone but me. There were still too many disparities between the two groups and the damage they’d caused. And now with you seeing this guy in April, this all makes sense.”

  “What about if he died the next day—right after I saw him? How would that affect your theory?” Noah asked.

  Mason’s focus moved back to the pictures on the wall. “He came into a large sum of family money. His father was murdered. I’m pretty sure the son was behind that, too, but it didn’t matter. What did matter was if he was killed when we thought he was, there wouldn’t have been enough time for him to set up the funding. With him alive, the extra five months, that gave him the time he would’ve needed. And him being alive in April, he had those months.”

  Both men remained quiet for a moment. Noah took in everything Mason had said, and one thing bothered him. “So why did you think he was dead?”

  “It was a confirmed kill from another agency.”

  “Well, it was wrong.”

  Mason closed his eyes. “Yeah, and that bothers me, too. I need to find out who confirmed it, and why?”

  “I don’t know who or why, but I know their information’s wrong. That guy was definitel
y breathing the same air I was in April.”

  Mason turned his focus to Noah. “Why didn’t you take him out?”

  “Wasn’t a target of mine. We were after someone else.” Noah took another look at the faces around the room, then he peered back at Mason. “Okay. So this still doesn’t make sense as to why someone went after you. Especially since you were officially taken off the case.”

  Mason ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t get it either. There’s no reason for anyone to think I’m still checking into it. Besides, as far as everyone is aware, I don’t have any new information that would help with the case.”

  Suddenly everything clicked. “Fuck.” Noah rubbed the back of his neck.

  Mason’s eyebrows rose. “What?”

  Why hadn’t Noah thought of this earlier? “When I found you after the accident, you yelled at me about some papers. You told me to get the papers out of your truck before someone else did.”

  “What papers?” Mason’s eyes were wild. “What was I talking about?”

  “I don’t know. The truck was empty. When you left with the ambulance, I searched your truck and couldn’t find anything.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. What could I have been talking about?”

  “I don’t know. But you were adamant.”

  Mason paced in the small space in front of his desk. “You said I’d been coherent after the accident. That I didn’t have any problems with my memory.”

  Noah moved out of the way, giving Mason more room. “No. You were upset, which was understandable, but you weren’t acting delusional. Although…”

  Mason stopped moving and stared at Noah. “Although what?”

  “You mentioned another car running you off the road. But there weren’t any signs of another car being involved. Then you were telling me to get papers that didn’t exist. At the time I thought—”

  “You thought I was crazy.”

  “Kinda.”

  Mason shook his head as he went back to pacing around his desk. “All right. We know there was another car, so more than likely those papers were real, too. What happened to them?”

  “I have no idea. No one touched them while I was there.”

  “Okay. What about before you got there?”