All I've Ever Wanted - Adrianne Byrd [71]
She nodded. “You know, I had thought to send Detectives Randall and Hendricks to Memphis.”
Max folded his arms and continued to nod as if unaffected by her decision to send other officers to ensure the extradition of Keenan Lawrence. Of course, that was if he was caught.
“I’m thinking that perhaps you should be the one to go,” she said.
Their gazes met. “I can handle things here. Maybe even have Detectives Randall and Hendricks sub until you get back.”
“Are you sure?” His heart skipped a beat.
“I’m positive. Detective Washington can go with you.”
Max resisted the urge to pull Scardino into a fierce hug, but he was powerless to stop the broad smile that spread across his face. “Thanks. You have no idea what this means to me.”
Scardino opened her office door with a wistful smile. “Don’t be too sure of that,” she said.
Chapter 32
Alice St. James tugged, pulled and shoved boxes as thick clouds of dust rose from nowhere and everywhere at the same time and sent both her and Tommy into coughing fits.
“What are we doing,” Tommy asked. Glancing over his shoulder toward where he knew the door to be, though it was too dark to see it. “He might come back if we’re too loud,” he warned in a small voice.
“Don’t you worry about him none. We’ve got a little surprise for him.” She swept her foot across the floor.
Tommy coughed as another wave of dust floated around him. “What’s that?” he asked.
“That’s grandma’s secret.” She reached down and pulled open the latch she’d found by touch and memory. “You see, years ago your great-grandfather had this wonderful idea of how we’d survive if we were ever in a nuclear war. Actually, that was a great concern for a lot of people back in the fifties and early sixties. So he decided to build this great fallout shelter.”
“And we’re going to hide in there?”
“No. We’re going to leave the house this way. You see, the shelter also serves as a tunnel out of the basement. There’s a passage that will take us all the way to the wooden shed that’s down by the pond.”
Tommy clutched his grandmother’s hand. “The bad man won’t be able to get us?”
“That’s right.”
Tommy moved into her arms and she gave him a fierce hug and a quick peck.
“Now let’s hurry and get out of here.” She carefully felt her way up the stairs to the door and lowered the two wooden bars that barricaded it from the inside. “This should give us a little more time,” she whispered, then turned back down to lead her great-grandson to safety.
FBI Field Office
Memphis, Tennessee
Kennedy threw her arms around Max, surprised by the wave of relief that overwhelmed her the moment she saw him. “I can’t believe you came.”
“You said that you needed me.” He folded his arms around her. “How are you holding up?”
“Lousy. It seems to be the theme of my life lately.” She gave a laugh that was nearly a sob. “That bastard has them locked in the basement.”
“Is he working by himself?” Max asked, astonished.
She pulled out of his embrace and wiped at her tears. “As far as we can tell—yes.”
Max’s expression showed confusion. “Sounds a bit unusual for a gang leader, don’t you think?”
She shrugged. “I suppose so. I haven’t really given it much thought. Agent Mason says it should make it easier to rescue Tommy and Nana.” She studied Max’s troubled expression. “What are you thinking?”
“Actually, I was wondering if this kidnapping is more like a vendetta or something.”
“With me?”
Max shrugged it off. “Maybe not. I don’t know. Something just seems fishy about this whole thing.”
Kennedy lowered her gaze. The memory of her talk with Keenan in the park surfaced. Hadn’t he mentioned her father? “Maybe you’re onto something there.”
Their gazes met again.
“My father spent a lot of time pursuing Keenan and his gang in the latter part of his career. I’d say it wasn’t far from the point of obsession.”
Max nodded, clearly deep in thought. “So maybe, just maybe, this has become more than just an opportunity to eliminate a witness to the Underwood murder for Keenan. He could, quite possibly, still be trying to win some