Moving the crisp green leaves around her plate, Sophie shook her head. “I don’t understand. One minute, he was right there in the staff lounge with Christine and me. The next, he’d just...vanished.”
“Did he say anything weird or out of the ordinary? Was he acting suspicious at all or give you any reason to stop and take pause?”
“No.” She set her fork down. “The head of the department came and told us the US Navy was sending a team in to get us out of the building and onto safe ground. He said we were to gather our things, find a room, and stay there until we were found.”
All things she’d mentioned in her official statement.
“So why wasn’t Colton with you and Christine in that room?”
Sophie thought back to that day. She pictured those last moments just before they left the lounge.
“His head was hurting.”
“What do you mean?” Jason leaned his elbows onto the table. “Was he injured?”
“No.” She shook her head. “He had a headache. I just remembered that part. He said he woke up with it that morning and it hadn’t gotten any better. Then he asked if I had some ibuprofen he could take.” Sophie found herself back in that moment. “I was helping Christine shove her things into her bag, so I told Colton to check mine. I get stress headaches sometimes, so I usually keep some ibuprofen there, just in case. But I wasn’t sure if I had any left.”
“And did you?”
“I don’t know.” She looked back at him. “One minute, I was helping Christine while he was looking through my things, and the next he said he needed to go check on something and he’d find us. I tried to...” Her voice broke. “I tried to stop him, but he didn’t listen.” His image started to blur, but she blinked the moisture away. “I should’ve tried harder.”
“Hey.” Jason reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “Whatever happened to him, that’s not on you. He was a grown man who made the decision to leave. His choice.”
“I know.” Sophie sniffed, glancing down at their joined hands. “Logically, I know you’re right. I mean, I’ve run through the scenario a thousand times. If Colton had been in that room, all three of us probably would’ve been killed. Either that or they would’ve killed Christine and I, and then taken him with them. Either way...”
“You’re right.” He didn’t pull any punches. “You and Christine would both be dead, and Colton would either be dead or in the hands of terrorists.”
“Just like he is, now.”
“We don’t know that.” Jason brushed his thumb across the back of her hand. “There’s also a third option.”
Sophie looked back at him. “He could be hiding.”
“That’s right. He may have known those men were coming for him. If that was the case, then it’s possible he went underground.”
“But how would he have known? And why would they have been after him in the first place?”
“Both valid questions. Moore wasn’t doing an investigative story like the ones he’s done in the past. This one was supposed to be all about the good AMOVA was doing for the people of Djibouti.”
“Exactly.” Sophie nodded. “It doesn’t make any sense. Unless...”
“Unless what?”
“Nothing.” She hesitated to say. “Just my imagination running wild.”
“Come on, Soph.” There was that rumble again. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Most people called her Sophie. On occasion, Olivia or Jake called her Soph. But for some reason, whenthisman called her that, it made her insides tingle like a teenage girl with her first crush.
Get it together, Ruiz. You’re a grown woman, for crying out loud.
“I was just thinking...what if we’re wrong? What if Coltonwasinvestigating something we didn’t know about? Something involving those men. What if they found out and that’s why they went after him?”
“It’s a great theory, but I’ve checked with all the other agencies. They all said the same thing...Colton Moore was not on their payroll when he left for Africa.”
“Well, like I said...just my overactive imagination.”
“We all considered that as a possible theory, Soph. Unfortunately, everything on that front has come up empty, as well.”