Winds of Deception (Samantha Rite Series Book 2) Read online

  Winds of Deception

  Samantha Rite Series Book 2

  Hope Callaghan

  FIRST EDITION

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Orlando Home Solutions, LLC

  Copyright © 2014

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Although places mentioned may be real, the characters, names and incidents and all other details are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.”

  Revelation 20:13. KJV

  Chapter 1

  Sam’s eyebrows scrunched together as she scowled at the phone, as if staring at it hard enough would make it disappear. She was never going to get the Collier quote done if the stupid phone didn’t stop ringing! Her eyebrows furrowed as she growled at it in frustration. To say Sam was irritated would be an understatement. The 60 hour work-weeks were wearing on her. Instead of shrinking, the piles of paperwork just seemed to grow.

  She ran a frazzled hand through her long dark hair. All this stress and aggravation was the direct result of her recent vacation. Admittedly, the cruise had been a welcome break but the mountain of work waiting for her when she got back left her wondering whether it was worth taking the time off.

  Sam sighed heavily as she picked up the phone. “Thank you for calling Anderson Insurance Group. Samantha Rite speaking. How can I help you?”

  “Samantha Rite, this is Special Agent James Donovan of the CIA.” He got right to the point. “I need to meet with you as soon as possible.”

  Sam stared down at the phone in disbelief. “Why on earth do you need to meet with me?”

  “We believe your life may be in danger,” the caller responded.

  This must be some kind of joke and it wasn’t one bit funny. She had enough to worry about right now. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that last part. Did you just say my life was in danger?”

  The caller ignored her question. “I’m in town now and close to your office. I can meet you there or someplace else … if you prefer.” He paused for a second before he went on. “We need to meet today. The sooner the better.”

  He quickly continued before Sam could interrupt again. “Lee Windsor asked me to contact you. He’s still in Central America and wasn’t able to make it himself. Since this is of utmost urgency, I agreed to come here and meet you instead.”

  Sam let out a mental sigh of relief. Well, at least Lee wasn’t blowing her off. There had only been one short text from him since she got home. Last she knew, he was still in Belize and she was beginning to wonder ….

  She snapped back to the conversation at hand. “I’m not meeting you anywhere until you tell me what’s going on.”

  Poor Lee, Donovan thought. This lady sounded like a real handful. Maybe he just caught her at a bad time….

  Donovan repeated himself as he tried to stress the urgency in meeting, “Like I said before, there’s a good chance your life may be in danger.”

  It looked as if Sam wasn’t going to get any more information out of this Donovan fellow until she agreed to meet him. She mentally shrugged. It was probably best to err on the side of caution.

  “OK, I’ll meet you after I get out of work. There’s a pub right around the corner from my office. But I can’t make it until around 6,” she warned.

  As soon as she hung up, she texted Lee. “I just got a call from a man who said he was Special Agent Donovan. He told me my life was in danger and he mentioned your name. Do you know what this is about?” Sam hit send and then set her phone down. Hopefully, he would reply.

  She spent the rest of the afternoon trying to focus on work but a thread of concern kept winding its way into her thoughts. Was she really in danger?

  She worked hard to push the memories of her cruise back but they kept popping into her brain. She and her sister had planned a girls-only cruise – a 40th birthday celebration with a week spent in paradise. A much-needed escape after a really difficult year.

  She let out a small sigh. Sam found out her husband had been cheating on her with a woman in his office – a much younger woman at that. It seemed like everyone in the world knew about it - except her. By the time the whole affair was out in the open, there was no chance of salvaging their marriage. Not that Anthony had tried – or even wanted to. The ink wasn’t even dry on the divorce papers before the jerk married the “other woman.”

  The cruise hadn’t exactly turned out as planned. Her sister had an accident and couldn’t go so Sam ended up going by herself. Looking back, she was glad she went. Even if it did leave her with piles of work.

  Everything had been going great until the day their ship made a final port stop in Belize. Her plan had been to go cave tubing up in the rainforest that day. Little did she know that their tour group would be taken hostage en route to the cave. After several harrowing hours, many of which Sam spent desperately praying, they were miraculously rescued by the U.S. military – and Lee.

  Sam smiled as she thought about Lee. She was attracted to him from the moment she set eyes on him, even though he had been very standoffish, almost rude. It wasn’t until the last day of her vacation she found out why. He was working undercover to track down wanted criminals - who just so happened to be the ones that abducted her and others during their excursion.

  After it was over and they had all been rescued, Lee and Sam spent her last evening in the city getting to know each other. They discovered they had a lot in common and both had grown up in small Midwestern towns.

  As the evening ended, they exchanged numbers and Lee assured her once he was back in the States he would give her a call. She had heard from him exactly once - a very brief text message, telling her he was wrapping things up and would call her soon. She was beginning to wonder if he really was interested, after all…

  Until now. Somehow this must have something to do with the abduction in Belize. But what could anyone possibly want with her? The whole idea made her more than a little jittery.

  Looking back, she wished she had just told this detective to come to her office right then so she could get this over with!

  The hands on the clock seemed to stop as the rest of the afternoon dragged on. She kept glancing at her phone but Lee never replied.

  Finally it was 5:30 and time to go meet this mysterious Agent Donovan. She grabbed her coat and purse and headed to the elevator. As she punched the down button, she looked at her watch for the umpteenth time as she tapped her foot on the floor. The elevator was taking forever!

  When she finally reached the first floor, the doors slid silently open. Sam peeked around before stepping out. Although she couldn’t see anyone, she had a nagging feeling that eyes were follo
wing her and she suddenly had a strong urge to start running. Instead, she strode across the lobby as fast as her high-heeled shoes would allow.

  Once outside, she stopped to collect her thoughts, shaking her head as if to clear it. I am so paranoid these days. With a quick look around, she impulsively decided to take a shortcut through the adjacent parking garage, knowing it would get her to the meeting place faster. It would also give her a chance to drop her briefcase off in her car.

  When she got to the edge of the garage, she suddenly realized just how dark it was inside. Dark and isolated. She stood still for a minute as she peered inside, giving her eyes time to adjust to the lack of light. Before she could change her mind and head back the way she had just come, she forced herself to start walking, making a quick beeline for her car.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when she got to her car. She glanced down at the keys in her hand and for a second, was tempted to jump inside and drive off - forget about meeting this Donovan character.

  Just then, she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She narrowed her eyes as she looked in that direction but couldn’t make anything out. A slight shiver ran down her spine. She was certain she had seen something move. She tossed her bag in the car and quickly locked it.

  Sticking to the outer edge of the garage, Sam made her way towards the exit door as fast as her legs would take her, telling herself the entire time that there was nothing to be afraid of – there was nothing there.

  Soon, she rounded the corner of the garage – the exit door was in sight. She let out a sigh of relief.

  Just as she put her hand on the knob, someone stepped out from the shadows and grabbed her from behind. She felt a sudden jolt of fear as a wet rag was shoved into her face.

  Sam turned and twisted as she frantically fought to free herself from the ironclad grip that was around her waist. The rag that covered her nose and mouth reeking of strong chemicals. Within seconds, a fog circled her brain. She tried to scream but no sound would come out. As she slipped into unconsciousness, Sam whispered a name …. Lee.

  Chapter 2

  Agent Donovan glanced nervously at his watch. It was now 6:45 and Samantha Rite was late. Donovan had a bad feeling.

  He nervously wiped his brow as he dialed her office number. A recording of Samantha’s chipper voice echoed back. Frustrated, Donovan shoved the phone in his pocket.

  He began drumming his fingers on the gleaming bar top as he grabbed his drink and took a long swallow. Moments later, he pulled his cell phone back out. Time to try her cell again. The same happy voice answered back, “You have reached Sam’s voice mail. I can’t come to the phone right now. Please leave a message. Thanks and have a great day!”

  Donovan leaned forward and stuck a fisted hand on his chin as he tried to think. Maybe he should head over to her office, take a look around…

  The bartender glanced in his direction. It was still early and there were only a handful of people in the dimly lit watering hole. Joe was good at remembering faces and this guy wasn’t a regular. “Everything OK, buddy?”

  Donovan looked up as he slowly shook his head. “Let’s just say I’ve had better days.” You wouldn’t describe Donovan as real tall. But what he lacked in height, he more than made up for in brawn. Years of cardio and weights kept him in tip-top shape. He loved to hit the boxing ring on his days off. It was a good way to blow off some of that pent up energy he always seemed to have from tracking down the bad guys.

  He unconsciously ran a hand through his cropped hair. His intelligent green eyes stared intently at the neon clock on the wall and then shifted to the bar entrance, almost as if willing Samantha Rite to walk through. Those piercing eyes could bore into even the most hardened criminal and make him spill his guts.

  But there was another side to Agent Donovan. When Donovan was in a good mood he would flash his famous smile. A smile that made the ladies swoon. Deep down, he was a real teddy bear and women adored him.

  He’d had a few serious girlfriends over the years but none serious enough to make a long-term commitment. At almost 40 years old, he wasn’t sure if he would ever find “the one.”

  Every once in a while, he felt a pang of loneliness when he watched happy families as they passed him on the street. It made him wonder if maybe – just maybe - he wasn’t missing out, but deep down he knew he had never been ready. His favorite excuse was his work was too dangerous and he had to travel all the time. No sense in getting married just to leave a wife and kids at home.

  James Donovan and Lee Windsor had been friends since grade school. They grew up in the same neighborhood, graduated from the same high school. They both joined the Navy at the same time. Lee went on to become a Navy Seal while Donovan decided on a career as a Special Agent with the CIA. The years had slipped by but their friendship was as strong as ever.

  Donovan looked around, checked his phone one last time and finally stood up. This was not looking good. He hastily scribbled his cell phone number on a napkin and handed it to the bartender. “If a pretty, dark-haired brunette comes in and asks for Donovan, can you give her my number?”

  The bartender picked up the napkin and glanced at the number as he shoved it in his shirt pocket. “Sure buddy. I hope she shows up for your sake.” He patted his pocket. “If she does, I’ll be sure to give her this.”

  Donovan sighed as he threw his jacket over his arm and headed towards the door. “Thanks and for my sake, I hope she shows up, too.”

  The sidewalk was almost empty and it was getting dark. Donovan glanced around. Judging from where he was at, he guessed it would only be about a 10 minute walk from her office to the bar - but which way would she go? There was a sidewalk out front - a direct path from her office here. His gaze focused on the parking garage – what if she decided to take a shortcut through there? His gut instinct told him she took the shortcut.

  Donovan walked into the dimly lit garage and headed in the direction of her office on the opposite side. Always one for picking up even the smallest of details, he carefully looked around as he passed through. Nothing suspicious here. When he reached her building he wasn’t surprised to find it was locked up tight.

  Donovan glanced back towards the parking garage and let out an aggravated sigh. “Might as well get this over with,” he mumbled under his breath.

  Lee was furious. “What do you mean she never showed up??”

  “I waited an hour past our meeting time and she never showed. I walked to her office but it was locked up tight. Place was dark.” Donovan sighed. “I tried calling, texting. Pretty much blew up her phone and nothing.”

  The hair stood up on the back of Lee’s neck. Even though he didn’t know Sam that well, it sure didn’t seem like something she would do. It wasn’t like her to promise to meet someone and then not be there.

  Lee started barking orders over the phone. “It’s probably a waste of time, but I want you to run over to her house and see if anyone’s around.”

  Donovan could hear the frustration in his voice as he went on, “I’m on my way up there now. My flight leaves in half an hour. Pick me up at the Grand Rapids Airport at 10:30 tonight.”

  Lee grimly continued, “Let’s hope you have better news for me by the time I get there.”

  He hung up the phone and started pacing. He should’ve insisted on leaving Belize early and going to Michigan himself. It was his responsibility to protect Sam. After all, it was his fault she was involved in the first place. At least that’s what he told himself.

  A wave of anger filled Lee as he pounded his fist on the table in sheer frustration. He jerked his backpack out of the chair and stomped out of the room.

  Chapter 3

  Sam slowly tried lifting her head. It felt like a ton of bricks – a ton of bricks someone was pounding on with a sledge hammer. From far away, she thought she heard a car door slam. She was moving and the feeling of nausea was overwhelming, making her stomach churn. She swallowed hard, willing the gagging sensation to go away.r />
  The fog finally began to lift and in a split second two realizations hit her. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was blindfolded. Fear spread over her entire body. She opened her mouth. For an irrational second, she thought about screaming but even in her foggy state, that didn’t seem like a good idea so she quickly closed it. Something told her that would only make matters worse.

  Her mind started to race. Focus. Focus. OK, she was in a car and it was moving. But how did she end up here and where was she going? Nothing was making sense.

  The vehicle suddenly stopped and a door swung open. Cool evening air rushed in and enveloped her. There was no time to gather her bearings before strong arms grabbed her under her arms and dragged her from the seat. Whoever it was - was now carrying her.

  With a few quick steps, she sensed they had stepped inside a building. Sam listened closely but the only sound she could hear was the abductor’s footsteps echoing on a hard, cement floor. They must be in some kind of empty building, maybe a warehouse.

  Sam nervously swallowed, her nausea threatening to come back with a vengeance. They took several more long strides before she was abruptly released. “Oomph.” The sudden drop took her breath away. Thankfully, the fall was broken when she landed on some kind of cushion.

  A silent prayer escaped her lips. Please Heavenly Father. Protect me. One of her favorite Bible verses came to mind.

  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6) NIV.

  She drew a shaky, hiccupping breath. The air was hot and stifling. Wherever they were at – it smelled really musty – like no one had been in there in a really long time.

  Fear began to numb her mind. None of what was happening made any sense.