“I’m not really in the mood to play video games today.” I laugh.

“Not really a video game guy. I’m more into playing pool,” he corrects. His finger goes over his lips and I get it now.

“I haven’t played in years, but we had a table at the base in Iraq that we played on after missions.”

“Charlie and I grew up playing.” Dominic talks as we head toward the basement. “My dad was the master, though. I don’t think any of us ever beat him.”

We get to a room downstairs and he flips a switch. The lights go on and sure enough, it’s a game room. A minute later Priscilla joins us.

“Mark, it’s lovely seeing you again.” She smiles and walks toward me. Her hands take mine and she pulls me so we’re cheek to cheek. She lowers her voice to whisper in my ear, “Give him a minute before you talk.”

Dominic is over on the left, opening a control panel. He turns some lights green and then nods.

“So, how have you been?” She asks with a smile.

“Good.” My voice is even, though I feel anything but. They’re family members who have lived this life. They’re not stupid, and I’m sure Charlie’s father prepared them.

“We’re fine now,” Dominic says.

You can actually see Priscilla’s entire demeanor shift. “Where is she?”

“That’s what I came to ask you.”

“You were the last person she was with. She called me from Virginia Beach. Told me she was with you, and would call me when she got back. Now you’re here without her, and Dominic had to trigger the codes?” Priscilla’s brown eyes are almost black. She spits each word as I can imagine terror grips her.

I step closer, letting her see through my eyes. “She left my house nine days ago. I followed her to DC, but she was hell bent on getting rid of me. We argued, and as far as I knew, we were done. At the gala you hosted, she was drugged.”

“I assume these are connected?” Dominic asks.

“I think so. I don’t know, though. The guy who told me about the waiter and the information was keeping tabs on Charlie after I left her that day. He was concerned for her safety.”

“Nine days since you last heard from her,” Priscilla muses aloud. “But she hasn’t contacted any of us. We have one more day to wait. One more day, and I open it.”

Again, I’m slightly amazed at the lengths this family has gone to in the matter of what ifs. “Open it?”

Dominic takes Priscilla’s hand and walks her toward the couch. “We have to turn it back on. Five minutes is almost up.”

Jesus, these people are amazing. I mean they know the amount of time to keep coms down. How to trick the equipment. I should’ve been raised by them, not my cookie-baking, porn-stealing mother.

“I need to know what you have to open,” I press. Time is running out.

Priscilla’s eyes glisten a tiny bit before they turn to steel. “We have a protocol. If she goes out of contact, and we think she’s been taken, we wait ten days. Then we open the file. If we open it, though, chances are she’s dead. The last person we opened it for was . . .” Tears start to form again. “My husband. But we have to act as if this is normal. That she’s on a mission. No one can know we’re worried.”

“Okay.”

I’m not a parent so I can’t understand her emotions. I’ve never lost a spouse, so I can’t picture the movies that must be going through her head. But I love Charlie. For some unbeknownst reason, that girl got in my heart. I don’t know if we ever had a chance at fighting it off. But if I lose her like this—I’ll never recover.

Dominic shuts the lights back to red and nods so we all know. It’s no longer safe to speak freely. We have to play the part that she’s off doing whatever and we’re not concerned. All the while, we write notes and burn them in the fire. Dominic suspects she went to a safe house. Priscilla throws that notion out because she would’ve contacted her once she made it.

My thoughts circle round and round. If she went to a safe house, why no contact if they have this timeline set up? It all seems a bit coincidental to me. So, I think. What would I do if it were me? First, if I knew my house was compromised . . . I’d leave. Which we know she did. Next, she went where she could disappear . . .

“I need to go to my hotel. I’m exhausted,” I say and get up.

“I should get home, too. I have a busy day tomorrow.” Dominic gets to his feet and gives me a look. I’m sure he sees I’m full of shit, but he keeps his mouth shut. I shake my head so he doesn’t get any ideas.

This has to be done solo.

“Mark, stop by tomorrow. I’d love to talk more about the charity and what visions you have going forward. It’s great that one of Charlie’s friends is so involved. I’m sure she truly appreciates it.” Priscilla stands and walks both of us to the door. “Call me tomorrow, Dominic. None of your crappy politics when you’re working on the hill this week. I want you to do what’s best for everyone, not just you!”

“Good night, Mother.” Dominic kisses her cheek, and then he walks to where I stand, smiling. God, she must drive them insane. “I used to worry someone would kidnap her, then I realized they’d give her back after five minutes.”

We both laugh. “She’s something else.”

“You have no idea. That woman would give anyone a run for their money. I feared her as a kid. My dad was the easy one.”

“I doubt that.”

“Yeah, true. I was raised by two of the most intelligent and cunning people. It’s no wonder why my sister and I went into our professions.” Dominic smiles.

I like him. He’s good people. Even if he’s a politician, he has his head on straight. You can see this thing with Charlie has him worried, but he was smart enough to identify it. I know I’m being watched. We have proof of that from Frank. I can’t react, though. I have to act normal, which is hilarious because I’m sure they’ve figured us out.

“I’m heading back to my hotel. Maybe we can grab a beer tomorrow?” I offer because it feels like the right thing. No matter what, I’m getting Charlie back, and her family will be a part of my life. Because this woman is mine.

Dominic claps me on the shoulder. “I think you and I will get along just fine.” He hands me his card. “My cell is on the back. Call me if you need anything, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

We head off in different directions. I got a hotel in the National Mall area. That way I would be around the sights. After Frank showed me the photos of Charlie at the Lincoln Memorial, I figured I should be close to that area. I’ll head to her apartment tomorrow, but first, I want to take a look where she was last seen.

If only Frank had followed her farther.

The temperature drops during my walk, and I pull my jacket tighter around me. The chill in the air is welcomed and helps to sharpen my thoughts. Charlie had someone in her apartment when I was there, that’s clear from the photos, but why? They had to be CIA because of the car they got into. Then they were watching the Erickson’s house, so clearly this has something to do with her father. I pick up my pace as I spot the lights from the memorial.