Credible Threat Read online

  NO SAFE PLACE

  Someone wants accountant Rebecca Linn—the granddaughter of a federal judge—dead, and it’s Deputy US Marshal Kurt Brock’s duty to figure out why and protect her. But her powerful family insists Kurt keep his relationship with Rebecca strictly professional...no matter how much he’s drawn to the feisty, fast-thinking beauty. Rebecca is sure the suspicious evidence she uncovered in her latest auditing case has put a target on her back. But staying ahead of those out to silence her is bringing her dangerously close to Kurt—and putting both their careers on the line. With the attacker closing in, can Rebecca and Kurt survive long enough to reveal the would-be killer’s secrets?

  Kurt fought with the steering wheel as their truck lurched into the guardrail.

  The sound of crunching metal filled the cab. The Hummer gave a final shove, and their pickup flipped over the rail. He and Rebecca hung like rag dolls against the seat belts as they vaulted toward the unforgiving water below.

  “Protect your head!” he shouted.

  The front end slapped into the water, and the truck flipped to the side. Pain blinded Kurt. The sound of rushing water filled the back seat.

  “Kurt! Kurt, are you okay? Should I open the door? Roll down the window?” Rebecca’s questions came out as fast cries that he could barely comprehend. They hung upside down with all the windows and doors covered in water. The doors wouldn’t budge until they stopped sinking and reached equilibrium. The statistics of water crashes had been drilled in his head. They had thirty, maybe ninety seconds at the most before they lost any chance of survival...

  Heather Woodhaven earned her pilot’s license, rode a hot-air balloon over the safari lands of Kenya, parasailed over Caribbean seas, lived through an accidental detour onto a black-diamond ski trail in Aspen and snorkeled among stingrays before becoming a mother of three and wife of one. She channels her love for adventure into writing characters who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances.

  Books by Heather Woodhaven

  Love Inspired Suspense

  Calculated Risk

  Surviving the Storm

  Code of Silence

  Countdown

  Texas Takedown

  Tracking Secrets

  Credible Threat

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  CREDIBLE THREAT

  Heather Woodhaven

  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

  —Colossians 3:23

  To the fire marshal who thought my research questions were grounds for placing me on the FBI watch list, thank you for still talking to me. Also, if it makes you feel better, I’m pretty sure my search history placed me on that list seven books ago.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  EPILOGUE

  DEAR READER

  EXCERPT FROM MOUNTAIN REFUGE BY SARAH VARLAND

  ONE

  Rebecca Linn slid in her socks across the gleaming wood floor, cozy and happy to be in her favorite flannel pajamas. She filled the ceramic mug with hot water and a chamomile tea bag before returning to her grandfather’s desk. She had one more week in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, to finish up an audit for Vista Resort Properties before flying back to Ohio.

  Her firm would’ve put her up in the resort and spa, but it seemed like a conflict of interest to audit the company while being pampered in one of their resorts. Besides, her grandfather, a federal judge in town, owned a magnificent house overlooking the lake. Staying at his place was luxurious enough.

  She dropped into the desk chair and her empty laptop bag fell to the ground. A black flash drive slipped out of the front pocket, reflecting off the soft glow of the desk lamp. Rebecca leaned forward and squinted. She’d never seen it before and she’d just reorganized her bag that morning before meeting with the accountants of Vista Resorts. She picked up the drive and turned it in her fingers. Other than a scratch on the back, the casing had no telltale markings to jog her memory.

  Babette, a Siamese mix with white fur and blue eyes, jumped onto the ornate cherry desk and flopped down onto her side beside Rebecca’s laptop, purring. She absently moved to pet her with one hand, but the cat swatted her away. Figured. She liked only Grandpa. “What are we going to do about this, Babette?”

  The cat held up her head for a second but didn’t answer. Procedure would have her send the strange drive into the corporate office for the IT department to scan, but it wasn’t as if she’d found it in the middle of a parking lot. It had been in her laptop bag. So, either one of the accountants had accidentally placed it in her bag or one of them had put it there on purpose.

  A few hours earlier an accountant had bumped into her on his way out of the building. There had been plenty of room in the hallway—in fact she’d been standing to the side, admiring the potted plants that resembled mini palm trees—so she knew it’d been on purpose. She’d waited for him to try to hit on her but instead he’d rushed out the front door without so much as an apology. What if she had a whistle-blower on her hands? In that scenario, it seemed more prudent to see what was on the drive than to wait for a few days for IT to sort it out. Sleep wouldn’t come any time soon without satisfying her curiosity.

  She turned off all internet access and inserted the stick into the USB port of her laptop. The chamomile tea had cooled enough to sip on while she waited for the antivirus software to scan the contents. Finally the cursor reappeared and allowed her to click on the lone file.

  A spreadsheet of Vista Resorts’ assets and liabilities, remarkably similar to the one she’d saved on her online server, loaded. She never would’ve put a client’s information on a portable, unrecognizable drive, so that definitely ruled out any forgetful actions on her part. As she scrolled down the spreadsheet, several lines were highlighted in yellow.

  “What are we looking at?” she muttered to Babette. It seemed that millions of dollars had been diverted to—

  A creak behind her sent chills up her spine. The intrigue of the mysterious flash drive coupled with the settling of the house had turned her nerves to jelly.

  Babette perked her ears and sat up in attention. That was odd. The cat let out a warbled growl that should’ve made her laugh if she wasn’t so freaked out. She spun around to the empty living room. The open floor plan allowed her to see the kitchen, as well, from her vantage point.

  Rebecca blew out a breath. “See, it was nothing.” She grabbed her phone anyway. In reality, she had nothing to fear. Her grandfather owned a state-of-the-art security system and he’d made a point to tell her it was activated before he’d left. No alarm meant there was nothing to worry about. Her fingers clutched the phone tighter despite the reassuring thoughts.

  The cat released another growl. Perhaps an early spring fly had flown into the house. Babette loved to hunt.

  Rebecca walked toward the kitchen. Maybe the ice maker had caused the creak. The open layout allowed her to walk into the next room without any doors. She peered out of the ceiling-to-floor window, straining to see outside. Aside from the reflection of the moon o
ff the lake, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

  The darkness of the hill changed, as if in motion. She blinked and could see only the reflection of the furniture in the living room—and a man in a ski mask rushing toward her.

  A scream tore from her throat and her chest seized in panic. She launched to the side, toward the back door. An arm snaked around her torso as a hand clasped over her mouth in such a swift motion that her phone flew out of her hand and hit the floor.

  He pulled against her middle and dragged her backward across the floor. Rebecca squirmed and writhed against his steel arms to no avail. She tried to suck in a breath, but his hand covered her nose, as well.

  Scratchy material brushed up against her cheek. “You’re coming with me either way.” He didn’t bother to whisper. So he knew they were all alone in the house. “It’s up to you whether you’re injured along the way.”

  He moved just enough that air slipped through his fingers. She inhaled, but his heavy, spiced breath turned her stomach. There was no way a masked man trying to force her out of the house would earn her trust. If he got her into a car, she knew the statistics of survival wouldn’t be in her favor.

  An oval mirror hanging on the wall opposite the desk in the living room showed her struggle. Her hazel eyes bulged against her taut, pale face, and the man’s lips formed a snarl over bared teeth surrounded by the black fabric of the mask. The visual image simultaneously horrified and cleared her mind.

  She flung her legs out in a wide squat and dropped her weight like she’d seen her toddler nephew do a dozen times. The man grunted at the sudden change. His left arm pressed against her ribs so hard she cried out. He yanked her back again, but she sunk into her squat and he managed only to slide her another foot.

  Rebecca twisted her hips to get her right foot behind the man’s left leg. She shoved her knee into the back of his leg in the hope it’d throw him off balance, but he didn’t budge. She bent her torso over fast, and his hand slid off her mouth for half a second before he yanked her hair instead. She screamed at the ripping sensation of her scalp, but as her chin lifted she saw a patch of exposed skin.

  Her hand curled into a fist and she punched his neck. He gagged and released her long enough for her to elbow him in the stomach.

  The cat screeched and the man bellowed. Rebecca didn’t look up long enough to see what the cat had done. She grabbed the shiny gold letter opener on the desk with her left hand and spun around, not even watching where she was going. The sharp edge slit across his arm and stomach. He jumped back with a roar.

  “Get back!” She gripped the opener with her entire fist and shook it at him. His dark eyes watched her. He seemed more angry than hurt, with an air of confidence that he could overtake her again if he wanted. She didn’t wait to find out.

  She bolted for the front door, an unbidden screech tearing from her lips. The front door had been left ajar. She slapped the panic button with her free hand as she flung the door fully open with her left shoulder.

  She sprinted down the long driveway, listening for the slap of feet behind her. Silence only followed. The panic alarm never sounded. In fact, the alarm should’ve gone off when the intruder had entered.

  Hidden in between the two evergreen trees in the yard was a black SUV-shaped vehicle. She flinched and ran to the far edge of the driveway, wondering if another attacker sat inside the vehicle. No headlights or engine sounds greeted her. The license plate on the vehicle was too dark to see, and there was no way she was going to investigate.

  Her instinct demanded she yell “fire,” although she couldn’t remember why, only that she’d been taught to do so if in danger. “Fire!” she yelled so hard it stung her throat. She shouted repeatedly and ran down the quarter-mile drive to the main road. No one came to her aid.

  Her feet stung from the loose chips of asphalt pressing into the thin layer of her socks. Her grandfather had no close neighbors. The lot sat on a two-acre hill overlooking the lake. She rounded the corner and ran into the street.

  She chanced a glance over her shoulder but didn’t see anyone following her. Her attacker had worn all black. Or was she remembering correctly? It all happened so fast. It was possible he was out there, following her, watching her, waiting to pounce. That beast of a vehicle could suddenly come to life in a heartbeat.

  She screamed for help, as if on a repeating loop, while she ran down the road. Her head swiveled constantly, searching for safety and possible threats. Headlights rounded the curve. She rushed toward them, flailing her arms.

  At the last second, she realized it looked like she was waving a knife. She flung the letter opener to the side of the road and clasped her hands in front of her chest, pleading for help. The car didn’t so much as slow as it bared down on her.

  Please, Lord.

  It kept coming. The bumper barreled toward her. The headlights blinded her and she jumped out of the way. Pain rushed up her leg as gravel at the side of the road shifted underneath her toes.

  Her balance lost, her fingers reached to grasp for something but met only air as she fell backward into the ditch.

  * * *

  Deputy United States Marshal Kurt Brock lengthened his stride down the hospital hallway. The smell of antiseptic burned the back of his throat. Tension in the back of his neck begged for some time in his massage chair at home, but time didn’t allow it.

  He had made it home at midnight, after a successful capture of a fugitive in Montana, only to be beckoned by a federal judge at five in the morning. Hopefully the visit would be quick and he could go back to a much-needed couple days off. While he didn’t work for the judges, he served them. When a federal judge had a need, the Marshals jumped to try to accommodate.

  He stepped in front of a closed hospital door where his coworker, Deputy Delaney Patton, stood guard. Kurt nodded and straightened his tie. They didn’t know each other well enough to chitchat—not that he was one to shoot the breeze—as their paths didn’t cross very often. Kurt usually worked alone. He lifted his chin and searched for any sign of the stocky judge.

  “The judge went to the cafeteria to get coffee.” Delaney shook her head, the light brown hair from her ponytail swishing in an arc. “He won’t let anyone take a statement from her but you. Word from the boss is he wants you to lead the investigation. I’m to assist in any way you see fit. She’s ready to bolt, so the sooner you talk to her the better.” Delaney stepped to the side.

  Kurt inhaled. Without a full briefing, all he knew was that the judge’s granddaughter had barely escaped a kidnapping attempt. He steeled himself for the worst. Seeing a child hurt was the worst part of his job. He pressed the swinging door. “US Marshals. May I come in?” he asked softly.

  “Yes,” a soft, sweet voice replied.

  He stepped past a curtain and felt his eyes widen as he stared at the gorgeous woman before him. This was no child.

  She pulled her chin inward at the sight of him. She worried her lip and pulled up the hospital sheet with one hand. Her other hand brushed her curly brown hair, marred only by an oddly positioned gauze headband of sorts, away from her face.

  Kurt realized his surprise at her appearance had likely caused the self-conscious actions. “I don’t mean to stare.”

  “It’s okay. I know I must be a sight.”

  “No, no, you look...uh—” He exhaled loudly. Sleep usually helped with foot-in-mouth disease and he was sorely lacking. He needed to start over and hope the deputy outside hadn’t heard his social blunder. “When I heard Judge Linn’s granddaughter was here, I expected someone younger. I’ve never come right out and asked the judge’s age—” Oh, great. First the granddaughter thought he was appalled by her appearance and now it sounded like he had opinions about how soon the judge had started having kids.

  Her eyebrows rose before she nodded, a small laugh escaping. “He’s eighty-six. He’s almost got sixty years on me.” H
er fingers rolled the edge of the blanket like a scroll.

  “Judge Linn looks young for his age, then.” Kurt hoped that cleared the air so he could begin again. Over 10 percent of the sitting judges were in their eighties, but Judge Linn had more drive and passion than most sixty-year-olds. “Are you up for talking about what happened?”

  She dropped the sheet from her fingertips. “Oh, yes.” She gingerly touched the gauze underneath her hair. “I could’ve gone home last night, according to one of the nurses, but Grandpa insisted the doctors keep me overnight as a precaution.” She eyed him as if trying to decide whether to trust him. “When Grandpa wants something, he usually gets it, so I didn’t argue.”

  Kurt ignored that potential minefield. “Concussion?”

  “Maybe. I didn’t pay much attention to what the doctor said after the events of the night. I...uh...kept trying to remember more. Identifying factors.” She turned her attention to the window. “The headache wasn’t much fun, either, but that’s gone away. Just a little stiff and sore.” She let her head sink back into the stack of pillows behind her. “I hit a rock near the base of my neck. Thankfully my muscles and skull took most of the impact instead of my spine.”

  He’d had enough similar close calls to know the pain and stiffness had to be intense. “My understanding is someone almost ran you over when you tried to get help.”

  She sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “A teenager. He said he didn’t see me until it was almost too late, but he waited with me in the ditch until the police came.”

  The driver probably didn’t want to admit that he had been on his cell phone while driving. Kurt held back his frustration but hoped the cops who’d arrived on the scene had scared the kid enough with scenarios of what could’ve happened that the boy would never text and drive again. “And the attacker?”

  She shook her head. “No sign. The police didn’t find him.”

  Delaney walked inside the room from her spot at the door. “I received confirmation that the assailant turned off the security cameras at the front patio, so we don’t have any footage.”