"I've met both of them. Not alone, but in a group. Two of the characters in the upcoming game are based on them, so a couple of months ago they spent some time with the art department. We got to talk to them, hear some of their stories, and note their mannerisms. We obviously don't want the characters to be exactly like them, but to be inspired by their life stories. And they had some stories. Diana was a real-life spy, and Blake was a soldier who also worked in intelligence." She paused. "Maybe you're right. Perhaps they wouldn't tell you if they'd heard from Spike. They'd just take care of him themselves."

  "I told them it would be in Spike's best interest for us all to work together. Whether they agree is still to be determined. I didn't realize that the characters in the game were based on real people."

  "Have you played the game?"

  "Not yet. I was thinking about it."

  "I have the game if you want to check it out."

  "I'd like that. Why don't we do that after we eat?"

  She took a bite of her pad Thai, not sure why she'd come up with a reason for him to stay longer, but the invitation had already been accepted. "Did you learn anything from what Sean had at his house?"

  "He had a lot of cryptic notes that made little sense to me. My tech is going to go over it more closely. But there was nothing obvious about what he might have been speaking to Audrey about. I was able to get the head of HR on the phone. She said that Audrey saw Sean eight times in the last four weeks, but she couldn't detail the nature of those visits."

  "Can't you make her give you that information?"

  "With time, yes, but I was hoping she'd be more forthcoming."

  "Audrey might not have written anything down, especially if their conversations involved trouble at the company. Would she really put that on a company computer?" She paused. "I know she met him after work hours, too. I still think we should go to that bar."

  "Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

  "I've learned that I should probably go with you and not on my own."

  "I can't put you in danger, Kat."

  "I'm already in danger, Lucas. You said yourself that the man at Audrey's apartment might have seen my face."

  His expression turned grim. "That is a possibility. Do you have someone you can stay with?"

  "No. Even if I did, I wouldn’t put anyone else in danger. I'll be fine on my own, but the faster you figure out what's going on, the sooner I'll be safe." As she finished speaking, Lucas's phone buzzed.

  "I need to take this," he said, as he got up and walked into the living room.

  She couldn't hear exactly what he was saying, but it sounded like there was some news. When he returned to the room, she gave him an expectant look.

  "We've ID'd the man in Audrey's apartment tonight," he said. "His name is Cord Johnson. He works as an auto mechanic, but no one has seen him since Thursday. He called in sick on Friday."

  "Why would an auto mechanic be in Audrey's apartment?" she asked in confusion.

  "No idea, but his boss said he's an avid gamer. In fact, he used the word obsessed, and his favorite game comes from Spy Maker. He lives and breathes it."

  "He's not alone. The game has millions of fans. I still don't see what connection he could have with Audrey. What am I missing?"

  "I don't know yet, but we're going to do everything we can to find him as soon as possible."

  "It's weird that an auto mechanic would have shot at me. The guy seemed more like a soldier."

  "Maybe he's taking the game more seriously than he should be. He's bringing it into real life," Lucas suggested.

  "That would give him a reason to go after Spike but not Audrey."

  "True."

  "Oh, by the way, Audrey's mother called me and said that Audrey came to visit her."

  Surprise ran through his gaze. "What? When did that happen?"

  "Today, but don't get too excited. It might not be true. Her mom isn't always lucid, and the nurse said no one came to visit Evelyn, but she was sure that Audrey was there. She said Audrey had told her not to worry but that she couldn't come back yet. She said to tell me to look after her. That piece of it alone makes me think maybe Audrey did sneak in to see her mom." She could tell by Lucas's expression that he wasn't so confident. "It could be wishful thinking."

  "The facility must have cameras. We should be able to see if Audrey came through the front door."

  "That would be great. Can you do that?"

  "I'll get on it tomorrow."

  "I really appreciate your help, Lucas. I know it's because you're trying to find a link between Audrey and Cabot, but it still means a lot."

  "It's not just the link. If Audrey is in trouble, I want to help her. I'm not just doing it for you or for the link."

  There was so much sincerity in his voice that she couldn't doubt his words. "You really are about saving people, aren't you?"

  "It's my job."

  "It feels like it's more than a job to you."

  "It's more than a job to everyone I work with."

  "Tell me about your job. I have to say, I always thought FBI agents wore suits."

  He smiled. "Many do, but I work on a special task force. We handle a lot of undercover operations where blending in is key."

  "And your task force is focused on kidnappings?"

  "We do focus on abductions, but we do other things as well."

  "It must be difficult if you have to look for missing kids. How do you handle it when things don't go well?"

  "It's never easy," he said shortly.

  "You don't want to talk about it, do you?"

  "No."

  "Well, tell me something about you. I gave you my whole sordid past."

  "What do you want to know?"

  "What do you want to tell me?" she countered. "What about your family? Do you have one?"

  "I do."

  "Can you expand…"

  He smiled. "Mother, father, younger sister."

  "Do they live in LA?"

  "My parents do. My sister is in San Francisco, studying to be a nurse."

  "Another profession of service. Did your parents encourage your career choice?"

  "Not even a little bit."

  "What do they do?"

  "My father was a CFO at a film company. Now, he mostly plays golf. My mom was an actress when she was younger and then basically became a party planner to facilitate my father's business relationships."

  He wasn't saying a lot, but the picture he was painting was of a life very different from hers. "It sounds like they're fun, interesting people."

  "They have their moments."

  She gave him a speculative look. "You grew up rich, didn't you?"

  "You could say that."

  "Are you hedging because you heard my pitiful story?"

  "Money doesn't make everything perfect."

  "Maybe not, but it can make it better."

  "I suppose."

  There was an odd note in his voice, and she wanted to delve deeper, but his jaw had tightened, and there was a forbidding look in his gaze. "You don't want to talk about your family, do you?"

  "We can talk another time. Why don't you show me the game?"

  "All right." She would have preferred to keep talking. She wanted to know more about Lucas, but playing the game was probably a lot safer, and she'd had enough danger for one night.

  Chapter Nine

  The last thing Lucas wanted to do was play a video game, but since he couldn't mess around with Kat, which was what he really wanted to do, he'd focus on the game. Or at least he would try to do that. As they sat down on the couch together and she set up the game player, he was acutely aware of every little thing about her, from the subtle floral scent that clung to her skin, to the wild, curly waves of dark-brown hair that fell past her shoulders, to the curves of her body so close to his.

  He drew in a breath, telling himself to get a grip. It wasn't easy. The physical attraction between them had been heightened by their recent conversation. Kat's story about her parents, especially her mom, had touched at his heart. He now understood where she got her determined, never-say-quit attitude. She was a survivor, and she was still surviving, but barely. Today, just like last night, could have been the end. He needed to find a way to keep her safe. He also needed to find Audrey, but he was tired.

  He hadn't slept much at all last night, and he needed to clear his mind. He felt like he was just rushing from one hot spot to another, not understanding how they were connected. He was reacting instead of acting, and that was never a comfortable position to be in. While his team was still actively looking for the shooters and for Cabot, without a ransom demand and few clues to go on, the investigation had slowed. But he'd attack it all again tomorrow.

  For the moment, all the action was with Kat, with the missing Audrey, and the recently deceased Sean Gillespie. He didn't know how they were connected to Cabot, but there was a link somewhere, and he needed to figure out what it was. Maybe the game would help take him into Spike's world. It was based on his real-life exploits. Perhaps there was a clue somewhere to be found.

  "You start here," Kat said, as she set him up. "I gave you your own account, since I was already at level five."

  "How many levels are there?"

  "Twelve. There's a club for people who reach the top. Last I heard, there were about eighteen hundred members in the club worldwide, which is a very small number compared to the millions who have bought the game."

  "That's interesting. I know there were at least five top gamers at the party. Was that a special bonus?"

  "I think those individuals were selected because they also have a big social media presence. Some of the top gamers are hermits, but others are all over the internet, like Jessie Marlowe. She sometimes wears a bikini while she plays, so she's very popular."

  "I did look into her earlier today. She's very attractive and apparently quite good at the game."

  "Not just a pretty face," Kat agreed. "There was another gamer at the party with a big following—Mick Standish. He was a top NFL player who had a career-ending injury and took up gaming to fill the void. He's also quite good-looking. He and Jessie sometimes show up on each other's pages. There have even been some rumors that they're dating. The company did a photo shoot with them together last month, and it went viral with the implied message that you don't have to be a lonely gamer to play video games. You should talk to both of them."

  "Beck Murray, one of the other agents on my team, spoke to Jessie. In his words, she was freaked out, but said she hadn't seen anything. Everything was normal when she left, but she was one of the last to leave before the incident, so she felt like she'd literally dodged some bullets. I need to check on what Mick had to say."

  "I'm sure he didn't see anything, either. Everyone was gone but the people I told you about."

  "I'm actually more interested in whether either of them heard any online chatter about a disgruntled gamer, someone who might have wanted to take their grudge into real life."

  "I never thought of that," she said with surprise. "It could be a motive. The gamers can be completely obsessed. But going from a video game to murder seems unlikely."

  "I'm just speculating. It's probably not a gamer. Based on what Audrey told you about trouble at the company, it seems like this incident probably developed out of that. Anyway, let's play this game."

  "Okay." She started the game, then quickly paused it. "Before we get into it, see the park bench by the waterfall?"

  "I see it."

  "And the duck in the water?"

  "Yes. It's a pretty scene." He shot her an enquiring look. "What am I missing?"

  "There's a tag around the duck's neck. It contains a clue to the mission. I drew that part of the scene. I know it's not much. In other levels, I have bigger scenes, but it still gives me a little thrill every time I see it."

  He smiled at the look of pride in her eyes. "I can understand that."

  "I'm sure you can't. It's just a duck, but I also created a library in a manor house in level five. There's a secret door lock that can be accessed through the third book on the left on the top shelf. But if you push the wrong book, you get taken into the dungeon, instead of the secret room."

  He smiled. "Sounds like the kind of stuff I played when I was a kid."

  "Does that mean you outgrew video games?"

  "Yes. I stopped playing when I was in high school. I preferred being outside to staring at a screen. What about you?"

  "We had a game player one summer, and I went nuts with it. I spent hours on that thing. But then my mom broke up with the guy who had the player, and that was that."

  Her voice was matter-of-fact, but he was starting to wonder if every story she had to tell had a disappointing ending.

  She cleared her throat. "You haven't told me much about your life, Lucas. What do your parents think about you being in the FBI? Does it worry them that you're putting yourself in danger?"

  "They've made peace with it."

  She gave him a sharp look. "So, they didn't like it?"

  "I'm sure they had other ideas for me, but it's my life."

  "When did you get into the FBI?"

  He let out a sigh. "Are we going to play this game or not?"

  "In a second. It's not that difficult of a question."

  "Six years ago."

  "Only six years? You must have done something before that then."

  "I went to law school and passed the bar," he admitted. "Then I quickly realized I had no interest in being a lawyer. I didn't want to prosecute criminals; I wanted to catch them."

  "I bet your parents wanted you to stay being a lawyer."

  "They did."

  "Why FBI? Why not a cop? Or maybe I don't even need to ask. You seem like an overachiever. You would want to be at the top level of law enforcement."

  "I am an overachiever, but I didn't look at it that way. There were crimes that I particularly wanted to pursue, and the bureau offered me the best chance to do that."

  She cocked her head, giving him a speculative look. "What kind of crimes?"

  "Missing persons."

  "Why did you want to do that?"

  Her simple question made him cringe, and he realized just how much he'd told her. "It's not important. Let's play."

  "You always prefer to ask questions than to answer them," she said with a sigh.

  "And you like to dig further than you should."

  "I can't disagree with that. I like to know what makes people tick."

  "Well, right now, I'd like to know what makes this game tick."

  "Fine. The game is all about being a spy. The first level is figuring out the basics: how to follow someone, how to set a trap or create a secret code. It teaches you how to discern friends from enemies, what clues to look for in every scene. Each level builds to more sophisticated spy craft, and simple missions become quite complicated. There are dangers lurking everywhere and if you can figure out what they are ahead of time, then you'll get through the level. But if you can't forecast or predict a result, you'll get taken off the game board. Then you have to start over." She paused. "This should be right up your alley, Lucas. You are kind of a spy."

  He smiled. "Well, I hope I have some skills to at least match you."

  "I've played it quite a bit, and I also drew some of the art, so I know a few of the secrets. But I still haven't gotten past level five. It's not an easy game. However, I can help you speed through the beginning. Do you want me to do that?"

  "No. I'd like to see how I do on my own."

  "Big surprise," she said dryly, as she handed him the controller. "You don't like to accept help, do you?"

  "I just want to play as any other person would do."

  "Go for it," she said, settling back on the couch.

  He made it through level one quickly. In level two, he ran into a couple of roadblocks but got past them. In level three, he was feeling overly confident, which resulted in his character getting blown up.

  Kat gave a little laugh. "I told you it's not that easy. A lot of people make that mistake."

  "I won't make it again."

  "You will if you keep rushing. You stopped looking at the details."

  Damn if she wasn't right. He had started to rush. As he stared at the screen, a detail popped out at him that he hadn't seen before. "A lot of the male characters are wearing beige camo pants."

  She started. "You're right. Like the guy in Audrey's apartment. I didn't put that together."

  "And the shooters at Cabot's house were dressed in a similar fashion, according to the caterer's nephew."

  "What do you think that means?"

  "I don't know yet, but it's a detail that should not be overlooked."

  "Maybe there are more answers in the game. Keep going."

  He got through the next level in fifteen minutes, moving on without making any critical mistakes. Level five took forever. Forty minutes in, and he was nowhere close to carrying out his mission. He glanced over at Kat, finally ready to ask for help. Then he smiled. She was snuggled into the couch cushions and fast asleep. She had to be exhausted, too. He doubted she'd slept much the night before and today had been action-packed.

  He probably should leave, but he didn't want to give up on the game just yet. For the next hour, he stayed focused, and he managed to make it through levels five and six. He was happy to break Kat's record, but level seven kicked his ass. Glancing at his watch, he realized it was midnight. He'd been playing for hours. It was easy to see how gamers could get obsessed and lose track of time.

  He looked back at Kat. She hadn't stirred, her soft breath barely parting her lips. She was so pretty. He'd been caught up in her electric-blue eyes since the first time he'd seen her. But even with those beautiful eyes closed, she was hard to look away from. Her cheeks were flushed with sleep, her silky brown hair falling across her face and over her shoulders. She had an oval face, a perfectly straight little nose, and a mouth that he wanted to taste again. But he wasn't going to do that. He was going to try to stay professional. At least, that was the plan.

  Should he wake her? The question went through his head. She would be more comfortable in bed, but she looked so peaceful, and she hadn't had a lot of peace the past two days. Actually, she hadn't had much peace in her life. She'd glossed over the bad parts of her childhood with a breezy bravado, but it hadn't been difficult to read between the lines. She'd grown up on her own. Her parents were a disaster, and just when things got better, her mom died, and everything fell apart again.

 

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