Killer Harvest Read online

  After a few moments, Jared turned and left. He flung the outer lab door open and gave a little salute to the guards outside. Sassa forced herself not to watch the portal close behind him.

  * * *

  Jared glanced at the two boxes on the car seat beside him—little white boxes with curling blue designs tied with a blue ribbon. Each box held a dozen hallongrotta, one whole box for Sassa and one for the other lab technicians.

  After the half hour drive to Kingsburg, he’d easily figured out which bakery on the small town’s main street he needed to visit. He just looked for the most customers and parked cars. Apparently, the bakery was a local favorite. Half an hour to return to the lab and almost as much time to find a parking spot. The university semester was in full swing during March. He had to park nearly a mile away. He hurried to the lab, shaking his head. An hour and a half to buy cookies.

  But it would be worth it to see Sassa’s face.

  He’d been uncomfortable with her attitude and the comment about her hips. Nothing was wrong with Sassa Nilsson. She had gorgeous eyes, pretty lips, long blond hair some women would kill for and yes...she was curvy. That’s the word he would use. Curvy. It suited her. So, if she needed a full box of raspberry-filled cookies to get through the day, then she would get her cookies.

  Besides, the sweets might ease the news he’d been holding back. He hadn’t wanted to give her the info he’d received earlier from Kopack. She’d already had a rough morning. He hoped the box of cookies would soften the news.

  He entered the lab. Sassa came out of Sam’s office. She’d twisted her long hair up into a knot and stuck a pencil through it to keep it in place. Small tendrils had escaped the back and the sides, little wisps that brushed against her cheeks. Her white lab coat flopped down around the knees of her jeans and she had a distracted air about her, like her mind wasn’t on where she was going as she studied the papers in her hand.

  She glanced up. “Good. You’re here. I need to run home to pick up some things and get Keri’s travel bed. We’ll be staying here tonight.

  “Here? At the lab?”

  Still distracted, she glanced up again. “Yes. We’ve done it before. Keri’s young enough she doesn’t get into things and I can keep her close.”

  He studied her. “You’ve discovered something.”

  A slight frown crossed her brow as she read the papers. “I think so, but I want to crunch the numbers. I hadn’t realized Sam had instructed Matt to double the amount of X on one of the slides. If they all broke...that means it mixed triple the amount of the virus. I don’t know. It could be significant. Anyway, it’ll be easier if I stay in the lab tonight, but I have to pick up Keri. The child-care center won’t hold her after five. Most classes are over by that time. I’ll grab what I need from home, get some dinner and head right back here.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  She finally looked up from the papers. Her gaze landed on the boxes in his hands. “What are those?”

  “Raspberry caves.”

  Her lips parted and her hands lowered. “You went all the way to Kingsburg?”

  He shrugged. “I told you. We’re in this together. If my partner needs a box of hallongrotta, my partner gets a box of hallongrotta.”

  A slow, sweet smile, one he had only seen her share with Keri, slipped onto her face. Did that little lift mean she understood his subliminal message...that she was fine just the way she was? Or would she think it was a ploy to keep her on task? That was partly true. But he meant every word about them being partners. He would not fail her like he’d failed Sam.

  “Thank you...that was kind, but I don’t really need them.”

  “You might.”

  Her smile faded. “What do you mean?”

  “Kopack called. Sam’s pastor is trying to reach the executor of Sam’s estate to make...funeral arrangements.”

  Jared stumbled over the word funeral. It was hard for him to say and it crushed Sassa. Her eyes closed and her stance wavered for one long moment. Then, with trembling fingers, she unbuttoned the lab coat and tossed it in a bin near the door. Grabbing her jacket, she slammed open the door and strode down the hall.

  Jared was hard-pressed to keep up with her, but he knew where she was going. He lengthened his stride and walked beside her. The FBI agents assigned to watch over Sassa fell into step behind them as they crossed the campus to the child-care center. Inside the small facility, they waited at the counter for the assistant to fetch Keri. Sassa stared at the room with a dazed, on-the-brink look. She seemed about to tumble over the edge. How could he anchor her and keep her grounded?

  The assistant crossed the room and handed Sassa her baby. She clasped her daughter to her like she was a life vest in an angry sea. The baby—instinctive, wise little creature that she was—reached both hands up to clasp her mother’s face. Sassa closed her eyes and touched her forehead to her daughter’s. Mother and baby held each other close.

  Jared’s heart jolted. He’d just witnessed one of the most beautiful sights he’d ever seen.

  THREE

  Tule fog covered the cemetery. In winter it formed from the Tule grasslands and blanketed the Central Valley. Sometimes the mist was so thick, it could be seen from outer space. The fog was also the leading cause of weather-related accidents in the valley. Jared didn’t know where he’d read those details. He only knew that it seemed appropriate that the sky should go gray on the day they lay June and Sam Kruger in the ground.

  A great man and woman were lost to the world. Jared desperately fought his tears throughout the funeral. Beside him, Sassa cried unabashedly. Jessica would have hidden behind a black hat or a scarf. She never would have let the world see her pain. But Sassa stood boldly, her eyes puffy, her nose red, her long hair curling and frizzing in the mist and wept her heart out for the people she loved.

  To be so open, so honest about her emotions, and so passionate about people, made her beautiful in Jared’s eyes. And he’d never admired her more than he did, standing beside her as she said goodbye to her friends and jostled her confused and antsy child.

  Keri knew something was wrong. Every once in a while, she’d tilt her head and look into her mother’s face, trying to understand and figure out the puzzle. The invisible bond he’d witnessed before was just as strong, just as mystifying and just as beautiful. But after more than an hour, Sassa was worn thin and Keri was trying to crawl out of her arms.

  He knew Sassa wouldn’t appreciate it but she looked about to drop. He reached for Keri. To his surprise, the baby jumped into his arms. He’d worn a suit today, so no shiny badge to entertain her, but she seemed content to fall back on her favorite pastime—trying to stick her fingers in his mouth. Even more surprising, when he put his arm around Sassa’s shoulder and pulled her close, she leaned into him as if she was thankful for his support.

  He held them both, wishing he could ease their pain...ease his own pain.

  Sam and June were gone. Nothing would change that. Nothing. The emptiness of eternity filled his being with sorrow.

  The caskets rested over graves dug on each side of their son. Christopher Kruger’s tall, gray-marble headstone stood as a lone sentinel in the middle. Someone had sent a square, flat arrangement of flowers to sit in front of his marker. The white lilies and roses were a direct contrast to the simple gray stone, adorned only with Christopher’s name, date of birth and death. Below his name, there was a line of ten small, colored-glass squares.

  Why ten in a straight line, like Sam’s safe? The squares were tasteful and added a splash of life to the gray stone, but the similarity to the safe in Sam’s house jumped out at Jared.

  Why, Sam? What were you trying to say?

  The squares were a simple decoration on an otherwise blank stone. Nothing else. No hidden clue. No warning. Was he l
ooking for answers where there were no questions? Hoping his brilliant, remarkable friend had left him a crumb to follow?

  No bolt of lightning flashed from the sky to illuminate him. No small voice whispered in his mind.

  Sam was gone...and it seemed to Jared that God was, too.

  He’d listened carefully to the pastor’s words, hoping something would give him comfort. Wishing some glimmer of light would flash into the bleak, gray sky. He wanted some warmth, some sign. But nothing came and he remembered Sassa’s words.

  It’s not supposed to be easy.

  But why must it be so hard?

  He looked up. No answers came from the heavens. No small voice responded. Nothing brought him comfort.

  The crowd in dark clothes, huddled beneath umbrellas, spread out over the area. So many people. So much loss. He barely heard the last of the pastor’s sermon but dutifully bowed his head in the final prayer. He tensed as the service ended and mourners made their way toward Sassa, the closest person to Sam and June. First came the other lab assistants, then friends of June’s came to see Keri, the child June had treated like her own grandchild.

  A sharp pain pierced Jared’s chest. He took a deep breath and looked away, simply to keep the tears at bay. A man crossed an empty clearing in front of him, headed to the line of greeters waiting to speak to Sassa. He wore dark clothes and glasses in the sunless sky and something about him looked familiar.

  A mourner said something to Jared and reached to shake his hand. Jared looked down and nodded in response as his mind tried to place where he’d seen the man before.

  Sunglasses in a sunless sky. Just like Chekhov the day he murdered Sam.

  Suddenly a photo flashed in his memory and he looked up. The man had moved behind the line, out of Jared’s view, but he caught a glimpse of a long ponytail.

  Jacob Heiser, the former Mossad agent suspected of two political assassinations, who now served as Chekhov’s right-hand man. He was here...now.

  Jared clasped Keri tighter and jerked Sassa away from the person she was reaching to hug. Pulling her back, he searched for Kopack, who stood slightly behind them.

  “Jacob Heiser is here. At the back of the line.”

  Kopack stiffened, his gaze shooting over the crowd. Jared glanced back over his shoulder. Heiser must have realized he’d been seen. He broke free from the crowd, shoving people out of the way as he ran in the opposite direction and disappeared over a grass rise into the fog.

  Kopack’s shouts rang over the crowd. “Get her to the car!”

  Agents jumped into action. Two ran forward, grabbed Sassa’s arms and hurried her toward their SUV. One tried to take Keri from Jared, but he jerked her close and ran for the SUV. The agent followed as Kopack’s group dashed past them, pushing through the crowd that had begun to scatter. The mourners were well aware that Sam and June had been murdered. The agents’ drastic action and fierce response created chaos and fear. Everyone was desperate to get away.

  People jostled and shoved. A woman cried out and fell to the ground. A man shouted and tried to lift her.

  Sassa was ahead of Jared. She looked back, over her shoulder at the scene. Her face was a mask of horror as more people scrambled and fled the funeral site. The look on her face bit deep into Jared.

  The agents opened the back door of the SUV. Sassa slid in, with Jared right behind her. She took Keri out of his arms and stared back the way they’d come. The agents piled into the front and locked the doors.

  They were safe inside but Sassa still clutched the baby to her chest. Her breathing sounded loud and heavy in the silence.

  “It’s all right. These vehicles are reinforced. They can’t get to us here.”

  She nodded but never spoke, her gaze glued to where the coffins rested, partially hidden by the fog that drifted back and forth. Slowly, the shouts faded away. The fog thinned and the graves reappeared. A dark blue ribbon on a wreath of flowers flapped in the breeze. The pastor, obviously nervous, edged his way back to bless each newly turned grave with trembling hands. The funeral director, looking flustered and confused, joined him as well as a representative from the cemetery. The minister finished his private blessing just as Kopack and his men came back over the hill, without Heiser.

  Jared gritted his teeth. He looked at Sassa. “Stay here.”

  She nodded. He slipped out and waited for the distinct click of car doors locking before he made his way to Kopack. The agent held a phone to his ear so Jared addressed Agent Paulsen.

  “Heiser got away?”

  Paulsen nodded, still trying to catch his breath. “He had a car waiting for him. The driver sped away before we could get there. We didn’t dare take a shot with all these people running around in the fog.”

  “Did you get a license plate number?”

  The agent nodded at Kopack. “He’s sending it in now. But I wouldn’t get my hopes up. I’m sure the car was stolen.”

  Probably true, but it made Heiser’s actions even more confusing. “Why now? Why would he risk coming here in the middle of the service?”

  “I don’t know.” The man shrugged. “Serial killers often attend a funeral to see the results of their crime. Maybe that’s what this guy had on his mind.”

  Jared shook his head. “That’s not Heiser’s or Chekhov’s modus operandi. If Heiser was here, he had a reason. But what?”

  The Black Knights were most certainly watching Sassa. They’d know she never left the lab and would assume she was working on the formula. Were they hoping to snatch her in the midst of the emotional situation at the funeral?

  No. Heiser wasn’t trying to get close to Sassa. He was trying to blend into the crowd, trying not to be seen. If the fog hadn’t cleared at the perfect moment, Jared wouldn’t have spotted him. But still, it was a risk. Why?

  His gaze landed on Christopher Kruger’s headstone. The similarity to the safe in Sam’s house struck him again. He strode toward the very emotional funeral director. When the man saw Jared coming, he stepped back, almost in fear.

  Jared raised a hand in an attempt to reassure the stressed and anxious man. “What can you tell me about Christopher Kruger’s headstone?”

  Surprised, the director hesitated. “Well, I know Mr. Kruger special ordered it and preordered two more exactly like it, one for himself and another for his wife.”

  “He ordered all three at the same time. Is that typical?”

  “For most people, no. But it is fairly typical for parents of children who die before them. They want to be together in eternity.”

  Jared nodded. Being together in eternity was another of those things he wasn’t sure he believed anymore. Ignoring the little spikes of doubtful resentment that popped up, he asked, “Was there anything unusual about the order?”

  “I don’t believe so, but we didn’t place the order ourselves. Mr. Kruger asked for references and I gave him a list of manufacturers. He had it delivered to us when it was completed. We sent it over here for installation.” He looked at the cemetery worker.

  Jared turned to the other man. “Nothing strange or unusual with the installation?”

  “Not at all. Mr. Kruger visited daily. I’m sure if there was a problem, he would have alerted us.”

  That caught Jared’s attention. “He was here daily?”

  “Yes, he visited every morning before he went to work.”

  “Did you notice anything unusual in his behavior in the last few weeks?”

  “My workers didn’t report anything... However...” He hesitated again. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the Kruger gravesite in particular but we’ve begun to have a high volume of vandalism at various gravesites. We were forced to increase night security.”

  “Were the Kruger plots vandalized?”

  The cemetery worker shook his head. “No, not that I’m aware. We think it was a group of kids, ch
oosing to hang out here. They discarded liquor bottles and tore up flower arrangements and mementos. Nothing serious. Just mischief. The activities have halted since we added the extra security.”

  Another dead end. Jared’s hope sank. “Thank you—and thank you for your efforts here today.”

  Both men nodded. The funeral director’s sigh conveyed both frustration and appreciation.

  Jared headed for the SUV, no closer to an answer than when he’d left.

  * * *

  Sassa cleansed the glass slides one last time and slid them back into the container. Disappointment swept through her as her latest great idea came to nothing. She ran her lip balm over dry lips. So far, she had not been able to repeat Sam’s experiment and re-create the virus. She was running out of ideas and feeling less like the brilliant associate Jared described and more like her old self, the one who couldn’t do things right.

  The Black Knights’ constant harassment hadn’t helped her stress level. The building where the lab was located was an older one, two stories, with classrooms on the lower level and the lab and offices on the upper. The FBI agents were stationed right outside Sassa’s door. One day, an altercation between two male students near the stairs forced them to move out of position. Jared had heard the commotion and stepped into their place to see two men he didn’t recognize walking toward him from the opposite end of the corridor.

  When he drew his gun, they stepped into a nearby office and disappeared...from a two-story building with one opening...the door they had entered.

  Once the altercation with the students was settled, the agents had searched the office and found an open window with a lightweight cord trailing to the ground. No doubt the men were Black Knights members with a mission who were prepared for all contingencies. In addition, the FBI had questioned the students who had created the disturbance only to discover they’d been paid one hundred dollars each by a stranger to create a distraction.