One
"I need your help." The plea was urgent.
"Who is this?"
"Ryan Leam."
No way would an FBI Agent be calling me. "You're joking, right?"
"I have to talk to you."
This time I detected a mild lisp. It really was Ryan.
"Why?"
"Can I come over?
"Sure." How could I refuse a man of the law?
"Be there in ten." He hung up.
My name is Samantha Barclay, Sam to my friends. I am the counselor at Milton High here in Paxton, West Virginia. Ryan and I had crossed paths over the last couple of years when I had been involved in a few dicey situations. Like almost being killed twice. He had been a cracker jack deputy who ran the drug unit for Fayette County. Many felons were behind bars because of him. His expertise, skill and sharp mind had the FBI at his doorstep, begging him to join. He was now a special agent in Richmond, Virginia.
Ryan frowned at my involvement in police matters just as I objected to his brusque no-nonsense approach to life. The fact he wanted anything to do with me, especially enough to bother me at work, was a surprise.
It was not a welcomed one either. If I knew Ryan, it would probably mean something serious. I was in a good mood and didn't want anyone or anything to spoil it. I was just about to call my dad to see if he had any last minute wedding preparations he needed taken care of. He was marrying my landlady, Irena Edwards. Tomorrow was the rehearsal and Saturday, the main event. Excited, I was literally counting down seconds until the nuptials began.
A loud knock drew my attention. I glanced at my watch. Ten minutes exactly.
I opened the door and was shocked by Ryan's appearance. Where once he was impeccably dressed, he now sported a stained black T-shirt, wrinkled green trousers and stringy brown hair in desperate need of a wash and trim. A couple of days' beard growth added to his disheveled look. He was forty-two years old, yet appeared much older. Up close, I could see black smudges under his eyes which signaled sleepless nights. Taut, razor sharp creases below his cheekbones echoed a dramatic weight loss. In short, he looked a complete mess. If he were a client of mine, I'd have him at the doctor's office by the end of the day.
"Sit down." He pointed to the recliner by the window.
I did as he said. I was used to his overbearing manner.
He pulled up a chair in front of me.
"I need a favor."
"What is it?"
"I want you to go to Sacred Heart Academy."
That school was in Virginia, two hours from here.
"For a visit?"
"No. To work."
"I have a job here."
"I need you to find out something for me."
"You're asking me?" Stunned, I stood up. "You have FBI agents to help you."
"Please." He rose as well.
Ryan looked scared. I had never seen cool, in control, Special Agent Leam like this before.
He reached out to grab my arms and moved closer. He stared me in the face.
"My eighteen year old son's been kidnapped. I need you positioned at Sacred Heart to help me find him. Surely, some of his friends must know something." He dropped his hands, and hung his head, a picture of defeat. "They're not telling me anything. I can't even trace Jason's final hours at the school. Everyone's closemouthed."
His son was gone! No wonder he looked horrible. My heartstrings were tugged tightly. I wanted to hug him, to tell him how sorry I was, but Ryan was not the affectionate type, so I held back, keeping it strictly business. I figured it was all he could handle.
"Is there a ransom note?"
"Not yet. There should be one any day now."
I was torn. "How can I just up and leave?"
He looked at me, a touch of hope in his eyes. "I have your principal's permission. Your job here will be held for your return. I just need the okay from you."
Casey Peak was a great principal. He would support anything if it meant helping someone. He also had complete faith in me, more than I had in myself.
"So, will you do it?"
I walked over to the window and stared out at the view of Old Grover Mountain. I needed a moment to think and its mighty peaks never failed to inspire.
I'd come close to packing in my counselor credentials and still worked on regaining my self-confidence, after it'd taken a beating last year. As hard as it was to admit, I'd been conned by students I trusted. I'd been devastated. After much soul searching, I decided to give it one more, albeit tentative, chance this year. Hopefully, I had emerged wiser and less inclined to believe everything I was told. I was not as naive as I had been but still shaky when it came to trusting my own judgment.
I sighed heavily. The bottom line? A young teen was missing and I knew first hand all about a teenager's code of ethics. Ratting was not the thing to do.
I turned to face Ryan. There was only one answer I could give. The right one.
"I'll do it."
)
FBI agent Ryan Leam's son is missing. Seeking truth, Psychologist Samantha Barclay risks her life to go undercover at Sacred Heart Academy. Newspaper reporter Mariah Blue is hot on Samantha's trail. No one knows why. Will Samantha find the boy before it's too late? Will she survive Mariah's confrontation? The truth is shocking and unbelievable.
