On the run, p.1
On the Run, page 1
All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or any other US government agency. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying US government authentication of information or CIA endorsement of the author’s views. This material has been reviewed by the CIA to prevent the disclosure of classified information.
Cover Images: Portrait of a Blonde Woman Wearing Red Coat, Turning to Look at Camera with Hair Flying in Wind. Dark Background © faestock, Shutterstock; Surrounded by Darkness © Mindof2, Shutterstock; Sights and Transportation Icon Set © banderlog, Shutterstock; Luggage Icons. Professional, Pixel Perfect Icons Optimized for Both Large and Small Resolutions. EPS 8 Format © 13ree.design, Shutterstock; Running Shoes Line and Glyph Icon, Fitness and Sport, Gym Sign Vector Graphics, a Linear Pattern on a White Background, EPS 10 © Fox Design, Shutterstock; Helsinki Finland Stamp Postal. Silhouette Seal. Passport Round Design. Vector Icon. Design Retro Travel. National Symbol © JosepPerianes, Shutterstock
Cover design by Kimberly Kay © 2020 by Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published by Covenant Communications, Inc.
American Fork, Utah
Copyright © 2020 by Traci Hunter Abramson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any format or in any medium without the written permission of the publisher, Covenant Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 416, American Fork, UT 84003. The views expressed within this work are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Covenant Communications, Inc., or any other entity.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are either products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real, or are used fictitiously.
First Printing: October 2020
ISBN 978-1-52441-250-0
Praise for Traci Hunter Abramson
Praise for On the Run
Traci Hunter Abramson’s thriller On the Run is an intense spy novel of epic proportions. She has created a plausible and almost frightening scenario and woven a plot that will have the reader on the edge from beginning to end. The characters, settings, and situations are well described and very believable. The plot is electrified with energy and motivates the story ever forward. In an era of almost palpable global disaster around every hidden corner, this plot speaks volumes for the unethical situations projected by evil minds. With good and evil on a crash course headed directly toward the protagonist, the plot is driven with considerable action as the reader follows the line of thought that similarly leads the main characters toward their ultimate goal: the evil force that threatens world stability. A powerful story. I couldn’t put it down.
—Readers’ Favorite Five Star Review
The nonstop action keeps the pages turning. Secret hideaways offer Nolan and Elle moments of respite to get better acquainted, though their budding feelings for each other are overshadowed by the constant danger Abramson puts them in. Readers looking for excitement will find plenty to hold their attention.
—Publishers Weekly
Abrahamson does it again! Buckle up, and block out some time because you won’t be able to put On the Run down—or catch your breath until the very last page.
—Paige Edwards, author Deadly by Design
From its gripping first chapter to the final page, On the Run is a riveting story that will keep the reader breathless through its twist and turns. I was pulling for Elle and Nolan all the way through. Highly recommended.
—Karen Tuft, author The Duke Meets His Match
Praise for Sanctuary
(2019 Whitney Novel of the Year winner)
Abramson always delivers a fast-paced and action-packed novel and Sanctuary is no exception!
—Books Are Sanity
This book is a perfect combination of what I love about Traci Hunter Abramson’s books: adventure, suspense, and romance. The story in this book is exciting and quickly gets you engaged and loving the characters.
—The Keele Deal
Abramson is excellent at engaging the reader from the first pages, using multiple storylines to weave together an engaging plot.
—Deseret News Review
Praise for Royal Heir
Traci Abramson never disappoints. Royal Heir has all the action, romance, and suspense her fans have come to expect—and this time, she takes us to a couple of royal palaces too.
—Sian Ann Bessey, author of The Noble Smuggler
Royal Heir is a fantastic addition to the Royal series for author Traci Hunter Abramson. This story will immediately grab the attention of readers, keeping them turning pages and wanting more. An excellent and fast-paced novel readers will not want to set down.
—Midwest Book Review
Praise for Mistaken Reality
Abramson deftly handles the multiple threads in the story. This book deals with human trafficking and does a believable job in shining a light on an ever-growing problem. Plenty of twists and turns in this exciting story of rescuing souls and healing hearts.
—Julie Coulter Bellon, author of the Veterans Club
For Sarah, Annette, and Janette
Thank you for the adventures and the treasured memories.
Acknowledgments
Everyone always says to write what you know. I am so grateful for the opportunity to explore Europe both on my own and with great friends. Thank you to my husband, Jon, and my sons, Gabriel and Luke, for tolerating my adventures, and thanks to my travel writing group, Sarah Eden, Annette Lyon, and Janette Rallison, for supplying me with countless ideas. A special thanks to Annette for sharing your love of Finland with us.
Thank you to Paige Edwards, Ellie Whitney, and Kyla Beecroft for your invaluable insight throughout the writing process and to Christina Abramson for helping me polish the final manuscript. Thanks also to Mary Maki and Rick Pullen for your insight in those early scenes.
A special thanks to Chris and Gretchen Ross for taking me on the White House tours that provided so much insight into how things really work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We miss you! Also, thank you to Coco Francois for sharing your knowledge of emergency services.
As always, thank you to my amazing editor, Samantha Millburn, for your consistent support and for always being willing to help me work through my dozens of ideas. Thank you to the Covenant family for allowing me to do what I love, and thanks to the readers who continue to make this career possible.
Chapter 1
Elle weaved her way through the Saturday crowd at the street market, listening to the various conversations flowing around her. Since arriving in Germany three weeks ago, she had looked forward to exploring the local scenery and visiting the cities near her new assignment. If only today she had time to enjoy the environment . . . and the shops.
A brisk wind whipped through Elle’s long, blonde hair. A few autumn leaves drifted onto the sidewalk. She tugged her overcoat tighter around her, then stuffed her hands in her pockets to protect them against the chill, not bothering to put her gloves on.
She passed various customers, picking up on snippets of their conversations. Two women discussed what kind of fish to buy for dinner, and an older couple looked over a variety of apples at the fruit stand. At the neighboring booth, a handful of tourists chatted in English as they debated whether some glassware would make it safely home to Canada.
Elle wished she could worry about such trivialities, but she doubted that would happen anytime soon. Something was wrong with the latest reports on the new drone project. She was sure of it.
When her uncle had sent her undercover as an army lieutenant, she had expected to find some evidence of misappropriation of funds or missing supplies, but uncovering a possible unauthorized access to highly sensitive material lifted her investigative senses to a new level. This wasn’t a story to be written. If her suspicions were right, this was espionage.
For three weeks now, she had set aside her true identity of investigative journalist and had acted under her alias of Lieutenant Elaina Martin to send her suspicions up the chain of command. Unfortunately, no one wanted to listen to a lowly lieutenant in a sea of colonels, especially when that lieutenant was a bean counter. She really needed to talk to her uncle about promoting her the next time he sent her undercover as an officer. Of course, no one would believe she was a colonel at twenty-seven, so she supposed her age was going to handicap her for a while longer.
Her assignment to Germany was supposed to be her opportunity to take a break from high-profile cases for a while, a chance to rest and recover from nearly six months of undercover work in the Middle East. Unfortunately, her first day on the job, she had stumbled across an anomaly that, despite weeks of research, she still couldn’t explain.
When she tried to discuss the problem with her commanding officer, she had been told the program supervisor had everything under control. Colonel Doyle’s assurances didn’t change the facts. Someone without clearance had accessed the developmental software for the new unmanned aircraft prototype, a prototype that could fly undetected by radar. She didn’t need to be an aeronautical engineer to know that the software in the wrong hands could be deadly.
With no one in her unit taking her concerns seriously, she had reached out to the only person she’d known outside her unit whom she could trust
If Abby couldn’t figure out what was going on, Elle didn’t know who could. The woman had a knack for seeing what other people missed. Elle should know. Had it not been for Abby, the theft of weapons at Edwards Air Force Base would have put Elle before a court martial instead of the corporal who had tried to frame her.
The incident had opened Elle’s eyes to what she really wanted to do with her life. Abby had spent her years since college protecting their country by keeping secrets, and Elle wanted to protect their freedoms by revealing the secrets that, when kept, could create their own kind of danger, so she’d been working as an investigative journalist ever since.
Elle reached the designated café and stepped inside. Most of the round tables were occupied, the seats positioned so the customers could look out the wide window and watch the world go by. Deeper inside the restaurant, Abby waited for her at a table in the far corner.
Elle weaved her way past several waiters until she reached her sister. When Abby stood, Elle gave her a hug. “Abby, thanks for meeting me.”
“You said it was important. From what you sent me, I think it is.”
Elle sat beside Abby, then reached into her oversized purse to retrieve a file folder. “I brought you documentation.”
Abby took the folder and opened it in front of her. “What am I looking at?”
“The download logs for the new drone software.”
“And?”
Elle scooted her chair closer and pointed at the area of concern. “According to command, this software is still in the final testing stage. The only people who should be accessing the files are the programmers.” She tapped on a list of the approved personnel. “Kamile Frost, Dennis Cleveland, and Lance Finney are all listed over here.”
“Then who is this?” Abby asked, pointing to the three access codes used during the night shift.
“That’s what I want to know. Whoever it is only downloads the updates after everyone else is gone for the day.”
“Talk about suspicious.”
“I thought so too.”
A waiter approached with a carafe of water, slices of lemon floating inside. He filled both of their glasses. “Have you had time to look over the menu?”
Elle opened hers, quickly narrowing the options to what she could eat without triggering her allergies to citrus, tomatoes, and pork. After they both gave their orders and the waiter left, Elle pulled a water bottle from her purse and took a sip.
“I see you still come prepared.”
“Yeah. It’s such a pain that so many restaurants serve their water with lemon.” Elle didn’t know how Abby had escaped all the food allergies in the family, while Elle appeared to have received a double dose.
Abby sipped her water and tapped her finger on the file folder. “I assume you brought your concerns to the attention of your CO.”
“Colonel Doyle didn’t seem the least bit interested in my concerns.”
“Did he have an explanation?”
“No. He just said the program manager would have said something if there were a problem. Apparently, everyone up the chain of command agrees with Colonel Doyle because no one seems concerned that a top-secret program might have been jeopardized,” Elle said.
“And no one told you who else is accessing it?”
“No. I thought with your resources, you could figure it out.”
“That’s easy enough. When I get back to the office, I’ll look up the access code and see who it belongs to.” Abby lifted her glass and took another long swallow. “I can’t guarantee I can tell you the name.”
“I realize you can’t share classified information, but you would at least be able to tell if this person is cleared on the project.”
“I can do that,” Abby said. “I’m not sure I’ll find anything beyond what the project supervisor would have noticed.”
“Maybe not, but after what happened at Edwards, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
“The theft of those weapons wasn’t your fault. Adams created such a good paper trail, no one could have been expected to know it wasn’t real.”
“The auditor did.”
“An auditor who has thirty years of experience and was specifically looking for potential thefts,” Abby countered. “Besides, if it was something you should have caught in your ordinary course of business, he wouldn’t have made a point of clearing you.”
“But I sensed something wasn’t right. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.”
“Which is why we’re sitting here now.”
Elle shrugged. “I’m sorry if I seem paranoid.”
“Not paranoid. Cautious,” Abby corrected. “There’s a difference.”
“Whatever you call it, I appreciate your help.” Elle took another sip from her water bottle.
Abby cleared her throat. “How have you liked being stationed here in Germany?”
“It’s been good. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to practice speaking German much since so many people here speak English, but the language has come back faster than I’d expected.”
“I figured it would. You were speaking like a native when we lived here as kids.” Abby cleared her throat again and tugged at her scarf.
“So were you. I never realized how much we learned while Dad was stationed in Stuttgart.”
Abby opened her mouth to respond but, instead, coughed several times. She reached for her water glass and took a swallow.
Elle leaned forward in her seat. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I have this tickle in my throat,” Abby said, promptly coughing again. “Must be the change in the weather. I got a cold last fall too.”
“I’ve been wondering how anyone survives the winters here.”
“You’re about to find out . . .” Abby’s words trailed off into another fit of coughs, then her face turned red, a panicked expression dominating her features.
“Abby!” Elle pushed out of her chair and circled to pat her sister on the back.
Even though Abby hadn’t eaten anything, her hands went to her throat as though she were choking.
The waiter was at their side in an instant and pulled Abby out of her chair to start the Heimlich maneuver.
“She hasn’t eaten anything. I think she’s having an allergic reaction.” Elle fumbled through her purse for her EpiPen. She flipped off the safety cap, pressed the tip to Abby’s thigh, and pushed the button to trigger the injection.
Almost immediately, Abby took a gasping breath.
“Here.” The waiter thrust a glass of water toward Abby. “Take a sip.”
“No.” Elle pushed the glass away and knelt beside Abby’s chair. “Are you okay?”
Abby opened her mouth to speak only to begin another coughing fit.
Elle turned to the waiter. “Something’s wrong. Call an ambulance.”
A waitress approached, her phone in hand. “I already called. The ambulance will be here any minute.”
The waiter picked up the carafe from the table and refilled Abby’s glass. As soon as there was a break in the coughing, he offered the glass of water again. “Are you sure you don’t want to give her something to drink?”
“Not until we figure out what caused this.”
Again, Abby tried to take a deep breath, but this time, her body trembled before being taken over by a seizure.
“Help me move her onto the floor.” Elle gripped Abby under her arms while the waiter helped ease her onto the carpet. Elle moved the closest chairs out of the way and knelt beside Abby.
“I’ll check on the ambulance,” the waiter said.
Elle sensed rather than saw the waiter head for the door. Helpless to do anything but wait, Elle fought for calm. “Hang on, Abby. Help is on the way.”
