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  DEADLY PERIL

  Stealth Security: Book 5

  By

  Emily Jane Trent

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Jana Tomasson crumpled the threatening letter and pressed it to her chest, then gazed at the pine trees outside her window. The recent snow covered the ground, turning it into a white blanket. Another inch was predicted, which was common for early November in Soda Springs, along with the rest of the Lake Tahoe resort areas.

  The outdoors was breathtakingly beautiful. Although Jana had lived there most of her life, the scene captured her senses. Snow sports were her passion, with the biathlon at the top of her list. Cross-country skiing was more of a thrill when combined with rifle shooting.

  The winter sport had captured her heart from a young age, when she’d learned to use a rifle. She’d conquered the skill, then participated in local biathlons. The event took strength and skill. It was a cross-country race with periodic interruptions to shoot a .22-caliber rifle at a target.

  From her upstairs bedroom, the snow beckoned. Since it was her day off from her ski equipment shop, there was no reason not to give in. Her best friend was on the way to pick her up for a cross-country workout on one of the many trails.

  But Jana was worried, and not about the brisk temperatures on the mountainside. It was more personal. The letter in her closed fist wasn’t the first she’d received. Surely, it was a prank, because no one was out to get her. That was a ridiculous notion.

  Yet there had been a few texts, also. That meant someone who knew her phone number got a kick out of harassing her, which was annoying. Why couldn’t the person face her? Whatever had incited their antagonism could surely be handled.

  Jana turned to look at her messy bed. She hadn’t slept well. It was difficult to put aside the intimidation of the threats. But that made her madder. She was fit and athletic, plus a sharpshooter. Whoever it was had better think twice before continuing the unacceptable behavior.

  Forgetting about the unmade bed, Jana padded across the warm wood floor in bare feet. She loved the elaborate ski chalet she called home—if over four thousand square feet of space could be called a chalet.

  Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she needed to eat breakfast. Cross-country burned huge amounts of calories, even when she wasn’t preparing for a competition. She changed into her ski pants and sweater, then grabbed a scarf. Her boots and parka were downstairs.

  She took the stairs two at a time. The kitchen was on the lower floor, so the smell of bacon wafted up to her. Add some pancakes with blueberries and syrup to that and she’d have the energy to attack the snowy mountain.

  The walls of the wooden house were lined with windows that let the outside in. Wherever Jana looked, she saw pine trees rising from the bank of snow. She itched to get out into it. A fire crackled in the stone fireplace, but there was no time to plop on the sofa to enjoy its warmth.

  Rounding the corner, Jana saw her grandmother at the long table. “Good morning, Amma,” Jana said, calling her by the Icelandic term. She loved Eva, who’d raised her from the age of four, and her dear grandfather Kristofer.

  But five years before, her grandfather had passed away from a heart condition. Jana still missed him, and the empty chair at the table made her heart ache.

  Now it was just her grandmother, a woman who seemed like she’d live forever. She was tough, smart, and capable—everything that Jana aspired to be. Leaning over, she gave her grandmother a hug.

  “I made your favorite pancakes,” her grandmother said.

  Jana sat in the closest chair and began to consume the pancakes. “Mmm, I’m hungry.” She glanced up to see her grandmother smiling at her.

  Eva Tomasson was over the age of seventy but looked much younger. Her blond hair and green eyes were as lovely as ever. She dressed well and exercised to stay in shape. Her many friends in the community kept her busy, and in her spare time she read or cooked.

  “How did you sleep?” she said.

  Jana shrugged. “Uh…fine.” She wasn’t about to share her distress, because there was another thing about her grandmother: she was bossy and tended to take charge. Usually, it wasn’t an issue, since Jana was an adult with her own life.

  Fortunately, Eva lived in the suite of rooms on the lower level. In effect, she lived on her own. Although they met for meals when Jana was at home. But it was wise to keep some things to herself.

  Eva was protective of her granddaughter, overly so, in Jana’s estimation. It was understandable, since she’d raised Jana and now they were on their own, without even Grandfather to look after them. But it was important to draw the line somewhere.

  If Jana confided about the letters and texts—or worse, shared her fear—Eva would take extreme measures. More extreme than Jana was prepared for. She tried to convince herself that the whole thing was harmless. Since that was all that made sense, she’d stick with it.

  Her grandmother wouldn’t see it that way. Rest assured, she’d make a big deal about it, which would compound Jana’s anxiety. It was best to keep quiet. The issue would pass soon, then Jana could forget about it.

  But it wasn’t going to be that simple; it usually wasn’t. “You have circles under your eyes,” her grandmother said. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  Jana rolled her eyes.

  “I’m just asking.”

  “You worry too much.” Jana patted her arm.

  “I don’t worry enough.” Her grandmother sipped her tea. “You’re a headstrong one, you always have been. Someone has to worry about you.”

  “Okay, you worry, then.” Jana stood and kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “I’m going skiing.”

  On the way to the front door, Jana grabbed her parka from the closet. She got her boots on just as the honk sounded. Her skis were in the enclosed porch. She lifted them into her arms and waved to her friend.

  Nicole Bennett was Jana’s BFF. She’d lived nearby since childhood and had been a competitor in the biathlon. Even though she was married and worked in a medical office during the week, it was like they were joined at the hip.

  She knew everything about Jana’s life, and vice versa. Jana put her skis over her shoulder and headed for the red Jeep. “Hey, Coley.”

  Her friend got out to help secure the skis, then hopped back into the driver’s seat. Jana slid into the passenger side. “It’s supposed to snow again.”

  “Yep, it might snow while we’re on the mountain,” Coley said, then glanced at Jana. “You look tired. What’s up?” She headed toward the road in the direction of Royal Gorge.

  “You too?” Jana huffed. “Why is everybody on my case?”

  “By everybody, I assume you mean Eva?”

  “Well, for one. But I don’t look that tired.”

  “Actually, you do. But the goggles will cover it up.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “Eva can’t help herself. You are her granddaughter, and she adores you. There are worse things.”

  Jana raised her hand. “Okay, but I’m not a child anymore. I’ve been t
o college. I’ve been married and divorced. I’m thirty years old, for Christ’s sake.”

  Coley giggled.

  “You can laugh. You aren’t the one that has to deal with it.”

  “Okay…okay,” Coley said, then turned on the radio. “But really…what’s keeping you awake?”

  “I think you know.”

  “Did you get another letter?”

  Jana nodded.

  “That’s too weird.” Coley twirled a strand of her hair. “I can’t figure it out.”

  “There are strange people in this world. What else can I say?”

  “Strange people who get their jollies from scaring young women?”

  Jana just looked at her.

  “All right…point made.” Coley focused on the road. “Let’s ski and forget about all this other stuff. It’s stressful.”

  Jana laughed. “A good hard run in the snow will fix it all.”

  *****

  Royal Gorge was home to over nine thousand acres of skiing terrain. There were trails for beginners and intermediate skill levels, plus a few that were more advanced. That was where Jana and Nicole headed. The resort was fairly crowded, but farther into the mountains the activity thinned out.

  Cross-country didn’t require ski lifts or standing in lines. Once the day pass was purchased, Jana headed to the slopes with her friend. They’d skied together for too many years to count and were very compatible. Coley was tall, like Jana, and both were athletically built and strongly muscled from the years of skiing.

  Sometimes Coley was mistaken as her sister. She did look a lot like Jana. Both had green eyes, long brownish hair, and similar builds. But Coley was a couple inches shorter than Jana’s five eleven. It had become a joke between them, and, on occasion, they’d pretend they were sisters. But neither of them had a sister, or a brother, for that matter.

  On the trails for expert skiers, there weren’t any children, families, or noisy tourists. It was more to Jana’s liking. And when she worked out, it was good to have no distractions. The morning was to be a fun ski outing that included plenty of talking.

  Jana hadn’t seen her friend in a few days, so there was a lot to catch up on. There were miles of gorgeous trails. But any chatting had to happen early, because cross-country was a challenge even for Jana.

  The sport used every major muscle group and burned a ton of calories. That meant Jana could eat what she wanted, which was cool. Yet sometimes she couldn’t eat enough, especially when preparing for competition. She trusted her breakfast of pancakes would keep her going.

  Once on the trail, Coley said, “I wish Michael would get home. His mother is feeling better, but he feels he should be with her another day.” In recent texts, she’d mentioned missing her husband.

  “She’s out of the hospital?”

  “Yes, and recovering well from the heart surgery. But she has other relatives in the New York area, so she’ll be fine.”

  “Michael can’t be away from work for too long, can he?”

  Coley shook her head. “Not really. Although with a tech company, there’s usually someone who can cover. But I don’t want him to use up his vacation time.”

  Jana shared news about Tomasson Ski Equipment, which had become exciting of late. “Since I took over my grandfather’s ski shop, I’ve wanted to grow the business.”

  “Sure, I get that,” Coley said. “But you’re already doing well, aren’t you?”

  “It’s true that my grandparents had been successful. But they stuck to what they knew. New technology was often beyond their grasp.” Jana increased her momentum to get up a hill.

  “That’s no problem for you. And what about that thing you’ve been working on?”

  “That thing, as you call it, is going to make us a fortune,” Jana said. “And I’m so close now.”

  “I’m excited for you.” Coley breathed harder. “You’ll have to show it to me. But right now, I need to use all my energy to get up this mountain.”

  “I’ll show you again. I’ve made more changes,” Jana said. “And you’re going to help me test it.”

  Coley made it to the crest and glided down the other side. Jana followed, lost in thought. The mention of her product stirred excitement. It was a tool to train biathlon competitors, one she wished she’d had. A memory of the Olympic trials came to mind.

  It hadn’t been so long that she’d forgotten. She’d come so close to getting on the team and might have made the cut. But she hadn’t. The tool she’d developed could have made the difference. It was too late for her, but not for other young women.

  Her grandfather hadn’t understood her decision to study engineering, since her life had centered around snow sports. But she liked creating things and had wanted to get a degree—even though she’d worked for her family’s ski equipment business after graduation.

  Yet there had been a spark inside her, a desire she would someday follow through on. She’d wanted to create a design, an invention of her own, that would boost the success of biathlon competitors. And it seemed she might have done so. It all depended on the outcome of the trials and initial testing.

  Jana breathed the brisk air and took in the beauty of the snow-dusted pines. The blue sky above was dotted with white clouds, and the sun shone over the cold landscape below.

  Skiing was her life, her joy, and her passion. As Jana glided behind Coley, her heart pumped hard and oxygen filled her veins, giving her a surge of energy. She whipped past her friend with the air blowing against her face, her eyes protected by goggles.

  The exhilaration flooded her body with endorphins, so she sped up a little more. Her leg muscles burned and her core strained, the stress of the sport so familiar.

  Others skied up ahead, and Jana had passed a few stragglers earlier. She didn’t take note of how many skiers were around and hadn’t seen anyone she knew. Lost in her own momentum and the feel of the snow under her skis, Jana fell into a rhythm.

  The snap of a rifle shot cracked through the still air. Jana dropped to the ground, breathing hard. She recognized the sound of a .22 caliber and panicked. With skis on, it was difficult to crawl toward cover behind the trees.

  Coley wasn’t far behind, and the look on her face revealed that she’d heard the shot, too. She raced forward then squatted beside her friend. “What the hell was that?”

  Jana scanned the area. A couple of other skiers had stopped up the mountain and were looking around in confusion. But there was no sign of the shooter.

  Royal Gorge wasn’t a biathlon club, so guns weren’t allowed. Even air guns. The sound had been the real thing, anyway. Jana leaned back against a tree within reach, to catch her breath and get reoriented. Then she noticed the slice of bark that had been shaved off the pine.

  Coley’s eyes widened.

  “Somebody shot at me,” Jana said, disbelieving her own words.

  “Dammit, that sucks,” Coley said. “Are you hurt? I don’t see any blood.” She scrutinized Jana.

  Jana ran her hands over her knit cap and examined her body. “The bullet missed.”

  “That is if the shooter was aiming at you.”

  “Something tells me that he was,” Jana said. “Call it a feeling…but I have an eerie sense that some idiot aimed at me.”

  “But why?” Coley stood up on her skis and looked around. “The creep did a disappearing act, because I don’t see anyone racing away.”

  “Anyone stupid enough to shoot a rifle on these slopes wouldn’t stick around long enough to be recognized.”

  “Who would want to hurt you?”

  Jana took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I admit…I’m freaked out. Even if that was a warning shot, it was way too close for comfort.” She’d been around rifles most of her life, but that had been the first time one had been pointed at her.

  “That had to be an accident,” Jana said. “I don’t have any enemies, or anyone who hates me enough to want me dead.”

  “An accident?”

  “Yeah, som
e crazy-ass hunter in the wrong place.”

  Coley scrubbed her hand over her face. “I don’t think so. There’s nothing much to hunt on these trails…except other skiers.” She paused. “It was no accident. I don’t believe in coincidences.”

  Jana ran her finger over the notch in the tree bark. “If I’d been a split second faster, that shot would have hit me.” She looked at her friend. “We should get out of here.”

  A weird thought came to mind. It was possible that the threatening letters she’d received carried authentic danger. The messages had been cryptic. The sender had warned Jana that she wasn’t safe, that she wasn’t insulated from harm.

  That hadn’t been anything to take seriously. Jana didn’t understand the intent of the threats. The letters and texts hadn’t made any demand, so she was unclear on what the person wanted from her.

  It was reasonable to assume that the letters had some connection to what had just happened. But it boggled Jana’s mind. Her life had been at risk out on that slope. She was at home on those trails, more comfortable there than any other place.

  Jana looked at Coley. “We won’t be coming to this resort for a few weeks.”

  “No arguments from me.”

  Another thought struck Jana. She stopped and grabbed Coley’s arm. “Whoever shot at me knew that I was skiing here.”

  Coley stared at her.

  “That means the shooter had the advantage of knowing I ski here often.” Jana shuddered. “Or my would-be assassin followed me.”

  “You can’t keep this a secret anymore,” Coley said, and shook her head. “The letters, the texts…you have to tell someone.” She hesitated a beat. “Someone just tried to kill you.”

  Chapter 2

  In the years that Thaddeus Jonsson had been with Stealth Security, he hadn’t been called back from a job. But that had just changed. The text from the office was short yet clear. Garrett Flynn, one of the long-term bodyguards at the company, was taking over the security of the social media billionaire Thaddeus had been protecting for the past couple of months.

  No explanation was given. Thaddeus wasn’t about to call and ask questions. He’d find out when he got in, or he’d ask the boss. Travis Hewitt was a standup guy to work for. He was on the level. If there was a problem, the man would say so.