Free Wanted (FBI Heat Book 3) by Marissa Garner Page B

new mother, she had become a light sleeper, her antenna always alert to catch the slightest sound from Skye or the baby monitor on the nightstand. But since Skye wasn’t home, what had woken Kat? A car? A dog? She sat up and listened.
    A scraping sound seemed to be coming from the front of the house. The strange noise continued for several minutes. What in the world? She switched on the lamp, jumped out of bed, and immediately realized her mistake when a wave of dizziness washed over her. She latched on to the nightstand for a minute until her head cleared. Her cell phone lay next to her hand, and an odd uneasiness convinced her to carry it with her. She started to flip on the hallway light but decided the glow from the phone was sufficient.
    The scratching grew louder as she neared the end of the hall. Stopping at the entrance to the living room, she listened again.
    The noise came from right outside the front door. As she watched in disbelief, the doorknob turned. Screaming, she raced across the room. She threw herself against the door before she realized the deadbolt was still engaged. The impact jarred the phone from her hand, and it landed on the floor out of reach a few feet away.
    Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears that she barely heard a male voice holler something she didn’t understand. His words didn’t even sound like English. She held her breath, trying to discern what the man was saying and doing.
    After what seemed an eternity, but was only a few seconds, the sound of running footsteps seeped under the door. She pressed her eye against the peephole just in time to see a figure, dressed all in black, jump into a large dark sedan at the curb. The vehicle sped off before the car door closed.
    A cry of relief burst from her throat as she turned and collapsed against the door. Her legs gave out, and she slid to the floor. A feeling of being violated sent a shudder through her.
    Still shaking, she crawled to her phone. After three unsuccessful tries, she finally managed to stab the right numbers.
    “Nine one one. What’s your emergency?”
    “S-Someone t-tried to br-break into my house.”
    “Is the intruder still there?”
    “N-No, a c-car drove him away.”
    “Are you hurt?”
    “No, just scared. Can you send someone?”
    The operator verified the address and offered to stay on the phone with Kat until the officer arrived. She continued talking in a soft, reassuring voice, but Kat was no longer listening.
    Someone had tried to break into her house. With her at home. The act felt far more sinister than a random burglary.
    Who would possibly think she owned anything worth stealing? She rented a tiny forty-year-old house. Her television was old, her furniture even older. She didn’t have any expensive jewelry. The engagement ring from Dillon had been the costliest piece she’d ever worn, but she’d left her parents with the unenviable task of returning it to him. Her laptop computer was just two years old, but it’d cost less than a thousand dollars. Her mental inventory confirmed her original theory: She owned nothing worth the risk of a home-invasion burglary.
    The analysis left her with a traumatic conclusion: Theft wasn’t the intruder’s goal.
    *  *  *
    “What do you mean it didn’t work?” he snapped.
    “She caught him breaking in. He didn’t know if she’d already called the police before she reached the door. Their arrival could’ve been imminent. He didn’t have time to break down the door and…deal with her, so he left.”
    “Incompetent,” he muttered.
    “Excuse me?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Remember, we don’t owe you an explanation. This is simply a courtesy call.”
    He buried his anger. “Are you going to try again?”
    “Of course.”
    “Using someone new?”
    “No. Our man is an expert. He did an excellent job of eliminating the Stevens threat. Ms. MacKenzie has simply had a run of good luck, which will run out soon.”
    *  *  *
    “Special Agent O’Malley,