Page 91 of Riptide

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"Blaire," Cara rasped. "She wanted to meet. She thought I was behind the attack on her system."

"What attack on her system?"

Another glance between them.

"Someone destroyed her files tonight," Wade said carefully. "She assumed it was Cara."

It wasn't Cara. Gabe could see that much. But it was someone connected to her. Someone with the technical skills to destroy a sophisticated system.

Tom Nakamura.

He didn't say it. Didn't need to. The picture was coming into focus whether he wanted it to or not.

"So Blaire called this meeting," Gabe said slowly.

"This guy, Thorne, must have followed Blaire here." Wade's jaw tightened. "Saw his chance when she left."

"But he attacked Cara, not Blaire."

Silence.

Cara's voice came out barely above a whisper. "I think he thought I was her."

Gabe stared at her. "What?"

"It’s dark. Foggy. I had my hood up." Cara touched her throat, wincing. "He came from behind. Never saw my face until..."

Thorne had been trying to kill Blaire. Had attacked the wrong woman in the fog.

The implications crashed over Gabe. Thorne wasn't hired muscle. He wasn't working for Blaire. He was trying to kill her.

"He's the one you think cut her brakes," Wade said.

"Probably." Gabe stood, scanning the fog.

Wade completed his own scan, then kicked a rock across the lot. “Not hard to guess why.”

“Right?” Gabe gripped the back of his neck and squeezed hard. “Except Thorne attacked the wrong woman.”

“We can hope,” Cara whispered.

Sirens wailed in the distance.

"You should go," Gabe told Wade quietly.

Wade's eyes narrowed. "I'm not leaving her."

"I've got her. And you don't want to be here when the other units arrive." Gabe held his gaze. "Too many questions you can't answer."

Wade looked at Cara. She nodded.

"I'll be at Tom's," Wade said. "Call when you're done."

He melted into the fog, gone before the first patrol car turned into the lot.

Gabe helped Cara to her feet as red and blue lights painted the fog. She leaned against him, trembling, and he let her.

"You'll have to give a statement," he said.

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