Game of Fear by Robin Perini

by. Told me he’d kick my ass if I didn’t help you.” He shot Deb a sheepish look. “Sorry for the salty language, ma’am. Seth brings that out in me.”
    She smiled. “I’m ex-Army. Nothing I haven’t heard before.”
    Rappaport studied her more closely. “I remember that now. Ashley thinks the world of you.”
    “And that’s why we’re here. This behavior isn’t like her.”
    “Won’t you both sit down?”
    “Thank you for seeing us.” Gabe shook Rappaport’s hand, then waited until everyone was settled around the desk before taking a seat. “My brother speaks very highly of you.”
    “Your brother saved my life. He’s a tough SOB. Carried me out of the fire zone. I owe him.” The major’s gaze rested on Deb. “Have you heard from Ashley? Did she say why she went AWOL? She had an active social life off campus, whenever possible, and she seemed happy here. I’m surprised she’d throw it all away.”
    Deb stiffened in the chair.
    Ashley’s advisor’s expression was kind enough. He seemed perplexed, but he wasn’t worried. None of them were. Everyone thought she’d just taken off for the fun of it. Deb didn’t get it. Ashley deserved the benefit of the doubt.
    Gabe squeezed her leg. “I’m working with Deb to find Ashley. What can you tell us about her school life? Was she having trouble with any courses? Or maybe difficulties fitting in due to her age? She’s young for being here.”
    “The youngest we’ve ever admitted. As to difficulty with her classes,” Rappaport chuckled, “hardly. She doesn’t break a sweat in her computer-science and math coursework. English and history, not so much. She doesn’t love to read and write, but she still pulled in solid As. She’s something else.”
    “What makes her so special?” Gabe asked.
    “Besides the fact she can hack government websites and databases with ease?” Rappaport asked. “Her innate intuition is phenomenal. I’ve worked in intelligence for years, and I’ve never seen anyone like her. That girl knows her way around code and computers like she’s part of them. She could probably break any encryption ever invented, or come close. She’d be dangerous if she wasn’t on our side.”
    Deb’s brow furrowed. She’d known Ashley was gifted, obviously, but Rappaport was talking about another level entirely. “Does everyone on this campus know how smart she is?”
    Rappaport smiled. “When a sixteen-year-old teenager can blow most of the faculty out of the water in intellect, you bet there’s talk.”
    Gabe leaned forward. “Could she have made a student jealous, or even a teacher, because of her abilities? Did she inadvertently show someone up? Can you think of anyone who’d be jealous enough of her skills to do something about it?”
    “What are you asking?” Rappaport frowned.
    “Deb doesn’t believe Ashley ran away. She thinks she was taken.”
    “As in kidnapped?” Rappaport stiffened. “But the police told us—”
    “The police and I don’t see eye to eye,” Deb said.
    Sympathy, then disbelief crossed his face. “I see. Then the note they found—”
    “She didn’t write it. I can tell. It’s not her signature.”
    He raised his eyebrows. “Then who did?”
    “We don’t know.” Deb wanted to shake him. “Why is it so difficult for you people to see Ashley would be a target? For almost anyone. Industrial or corporate espionage, security, investigators. God, even other countries.” She could feel her temper ready to explode because acknowledging anything else scared the hell out of her.
    “What did Ashley do with her free time?” Gabe said quickly, shooting her a warning glance. She knew he was right. She had to calm down. For Ashley’s sake.
    “First-year cadets don’t get a lot of it,” Rappaport said. “From what I gather, she hung out with a group of computer geeks from the local high school. I caught them trying to sneak in here one night to play a game I’d given her.”
    Deb gasped. It