Chapter 12
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Sophie’s heart feltlike it was going to leap out of her chest as she and Colton approached the staff locker room inside Homeland’s private hospital.
Since she was an employee, they were able to enter through the secured parking garage, rather than deal with the security guard and his wand at the front doors.
On the way there, Colton had made her drive while he laid down in the back seat. She assumed this was because the world was supposed to think he was dead. If someone spotted him, it would put a huge ass wrench into his plan.
His crazy, fucked-up plan.
The man had rambled on during the drive into the city. He’d told her how he’d overheard Qasim talking with a man named Asad Al-Karim. Apparently, they’d been on the phone in some abandoned building Colton had been photographing, and Qasim had the phone on speaker.
Colton told her all about it. How Karim—the president of Syria—had orchestrated the riots and violence that had ensued on Djibouti when she’d been there. He’d also said Karim was behind several other violent attacks in the surrounding countries, and that the psychopathic leader was well on his way to making them all under his ruling.
Because he spoke fluent Arabic, Colton had understood everything Qasim and Karim were saying. Seeing it as an opportunity, he began recording the scene with his camera.
The idiot actually thought he could use the footage to blackmail Karim. But the plan backfired when the Syrian leader decided to send his people in after him.
Karim ordered his men to find Colton, and somehow Colton caught on. So, he disappeared and then faked his own death by killing some innocent drifter and then burning the body so it would be unrecognizable.
The crazed man cut off his own finger so they’d think it was him!
“I don’t understand.” Sophie spoke quietly as they walked down the hall. “You know Karim isn’t going to pay you for the footage, so why do you want it so badly?”
The footage that, according to Colton, was on a jump drive he’d hidden in her bag.
“Do you have any idea how much a video like that is worth?” He snorted, pulling the ballcap he was now donning to keep his face hidden from the building’s security cameras. “The mainstream media will be salivating over this shit. They’ll paymillionsfor the exclusive rights, not only to the video, but also the interview I’ll give after the footage is released. Of course, I’ll be far away in some undisclosed location. Someplace that doesn’t have extradition. Because I’m sure your boyfriend and his buddies who saved you will want to find me and teach me a lesson.”
He laughed—actually laughed.
Her heart physically hurt as she thought about Jason lying hurt and alone in that car. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she silently prayed Jake had found him by now.
She kept telling herself that he had, and that Jason was going to be okay.
He had to be. For her, there was no other option.
They approached the door to the locker room. The man beside her was certifiable if he thought he was going to get away with what he’d done, but she had no choice but to do as he said.
He’s gotten away with everything so far.
Sophie hesitated, but then opened the door. Her only saving grace was that if Colton really was planning to do what he said, there’d be no reason to kill her. All she had to do was give him the jump drive and let him walk away.
He was right about one thing...Jason would hunt him down. Jason, R.I.S.C., they’d all want justice for what this greedy bastard had done.
“Hey, Dr. Ruiz.” One of the nightshift nurses came around the corner. “I didn’t think you were working tonight.”
The throbbing in her arm had gotten worse, and it was all she could do not to throw up on the floor. But she pushed it back and forced a steady voice.
“I’m not.” Sophie smiled at the other woman. “I just needed to get something out of my locker.”
Please leave. Please, please leave.
“Ugh, I hate it when I do that.” The nurse laughed. “Okay, well I’d better get back out there. Have a good night!”
The second she left, Sophie went to the door and flipped the deadbolt to keep anyone else from coming in. The last thing she needed was for an innocent staff member to get caught up in her nightmare.
“Good girl. Now get the damn bag, and I’ll be out of your hair for good.”