Bare Witness Read Free Page B

And even with him, it was an iffy proposition. So she didn’t really believe Nigel could be the man he appeared to be. She paced his office while he was in a meeting with two other executives, preparing the men for his absence.
    She totally understood that he had a business to run and that meant there were details to be taken care of, but she hated being brushed aside and treated like she was nothing more than a nuisance.
    She’d been in contact with Anna and Charity, and they were already en route to Peru, and the capital city Lima, where Nigel would be arriving in the morning. They were in the same time zone in D.C. as in Lima. It was only distance that would take the time.
    Piper’s nanny, Constance Wareham, had been thoroughly vetted by Anna, and Justine was as confident as she could be that the woman was loyal to the girl. In fact, Constance had been with Piper Carter since the girl was two years old.
    Justine didn’t think that reflected well on the parents, but then who was she to criticize anyone on their parenting skills? It was just that she’d always thought people who had kids should raise them.
    Her BlackBerry vibrated, and she pulled the cell phone from her pocket and scanned the incoming message. Sam had more information on the group who’d kidnapped Paul Masters. Justine took a moment’s pause as she read the report. This was the type of group her team was trained to go up against. She often wondered who exactly Sam worked for. The trio knew precious little about the man except that he paid well and on time. And he always had their back.
    The group that had taken Masters were mercenaries with no real allegiance to the Amazon Basin or the people there. She opened the messenger function on her BlackBerry and pinged Anna.
    : What’s up?
    : Any details on the merc team?
    : Not as yet. Should have something in a few minutes. I’ve got a contact in Central America.
    : Mercs change the dynamic.
    : We know. Charity is on with Sam.
    Justine suspected that Charity probably felt the same way she did—the three of them should go after the mercenary team and keep Nigel and his daughter in the United States for the time being.
    : Ping me when you get an answer.
    : Will do.
    Justine pocketed her BlackBerry and found that Nigel’s meeting was wrapping up. The other men left and he stood and stretched.
    She watched him, wondering what it was about this man that fascinated her. She liked the low cadence of his voice. It was only her own rigid self-control that had kept her concentration on staying vigilant, and not on listening to him.
    But he tempted her to think of something other than the job, and so few men ever had. Okay, no man really had.
    “Is everything okay?”
    “Why do you ask?”
    “You’re staring at me.”
    “Oh.” She hadn’t realized she’d been staring. “I’m trying to think of the right argument to use to convince you not to go.”
    “We already had that discussion. There isn’t anything you can say.”
    “Nigel—
    “I’ve made up my mind.”
    “And your word is law?” she asked.
    “Of course not. I just know my own mind. And I’m not too worried about anything happening once we get to the Baron Industries compound.”
    “I would worry…that’s where your manager was kidnapped.”
    “He was kidnapped in the local village,” Nigel said, going around his desk.
    “That is located adjacent to the Baron compound. Why was he there?”
    “No special reason,” Nigel said, glancing at his cell phone. “My daughter is downstairs in the limo. Let’s go.”
    Justine waited while he gathered his briefcase, then followed him out of the office. She knew that Nigel wasn’t telling her something about the manager’s kidnapping. She pulled the BlackBerry out again and pinged Sam.
    : Yes?
    : I think there is more to Nigel going to Peru than to open a factory.
    : Why?
    : Gut instinct. And his manager was