by Sofia Grey
*
Jack was relieved to find himself assigned to night patrol again. He hung about in the kitchen, getting coffee with Scarab and trying to get a handle on where Yanni was. One of the men said he was upstairs with Juli again. They had dinner together and hadn’t come down again yet.
If Yanni hurt a single hair on Juli’s head, Jack would make him pay. With blood. And excessive pain.
Time was running out for Yanni. The rescue would be starting in half an hour, and the bastard would be taken into custody if all went to plan.
The first part of the op went like a dream. At midnight, as Scarab and Jack slowly patrolled the side perimeter of the compound, there was an enormous explosion in the hills, maybe half a mile away. Even Jack was taken aback for a second, and he’d been expecting it.
Scarab stared at him, open mouthed, his face lit up in the glow. “What was that?” His voice rose to a shrill cry as a second whumph sounded closer.
“Sounds like mortars. Go wake the others. I’ll get Yanni.” Jack shoved him toward the bunkhouse, and then ran to the main building. He wanted to use the time to disable the vehicles. He stole a sharp kitchen knife earlier, and it was enough to slash the tyres on all vehicles. Yanni and his men might try to use them for escape, but they wouldn’t get very far.
Next, Jack ran for the keysafe, almost colliding with Merlot and one of the other guards as they scattered across the yard.
“We’re under attack,” Jack yelled into the confusion. When everyone ran across the yard, he headed into the block and grabbed the keys.
Eight minutes down. He ran for the main gate.
Scarab caught his arm. “Did you find him? Yanni?”
“Yes.” Jack shook him free. “He said you were to group at the back of the compound. I’m just checking the front gate for him. Go.”
Scarab spun around and darted off, and Jack hurried to the gate.
It was pitch dark, with the moon behind cloud. The only light came from the buildings and torches in the compound. Shouts rang behind him, and footsteps followed. It was total confusion. Perfect.
He felt a nudge in his side. Something hard and cold. The clouds parted enough for him to see a rifle barrel pressing against his shirt.
“Jack?” It was a whisper in the darkness. Tanner. Wearing night vision goggles.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
Tanner clasped his arm. “Good to see you, buddy. Is everything in place?”
“Yeah. I’ve got the keys for Jordan and Nick, but I’m not sure where Juli is. I think she’s with Yanni, upstairs in the main building.”
“We’ve got transport further down the track. Let’s get the hostages. The agents are going to round up Yanni’s men.”
Two figures materialised beside Tanner. Darcy and Aiden. Other agents moved silently into the compound in their wake. Jack led Darcy and Aiden to the bunkhouse and opened all three cell doors. Jordan and Nick were ready, and they were hustled away with Darcy and an agent Jack didn’t recognise.
Juli’s cell was empty.
Aiden stayed with him and passed him a sidearm. Jack checked it. Loaded and safety off. Glancing at the others, Jack spoke in a low voice. “Let’s go find Juli. She must be with Yanni.”
The first job was to disable the lights in the block, via the main fuse box inside the doorway. With narrow torchlights, Jack led the group through the building, checking the side rooms, and going upstairs toward the lounge and Yanni’s quarters.
Juli had to be here. He could only pray they weren’t too late.
*
The room flashed with light, and a muffled boom sounded in the distance. Thunder and lightning? No. It sounded more like an explosion.
Yanni leapt up and strode to the window, to scan the darkness.
Juli followed. “What was that?” she asked.
Before he could reply, a second bang sounded, closer to the building, and the room lit up again.
Yanni turned to her, his face grim. “We need to get out of here.”
Was this some kind of rescue attempt? It couldn’t be. Everyone thought they were dead. The brief hope snuffed itself out as rapidly as it emerged.
“What’s happening?” She was afraid to ask.
Yanni disappeared into a side room, and emerged with a black duffel and a backpack which he shrugged into. “We’re leaving,” he said. “No time to get anything.”
“What’s happening?” She repeated the question. “Who is it? And what about Jordan and Nick?” And Jack. No. She couldn’t think about him.
“I’ll explain later. Suffice to say, if they find us, we’re both dead.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her away, into a side room, before locking the door behind them.
“No. Not without Jordan and Nick.”
“They’ll be fine. This attack is aimed at me.” He shoved open a fire door, and Juli saw the metal staircase that spiralled down from the building. “You go first,” he said, “and don’t worry. I’m right behind you. Stop when you reach the ground.”
“What did you mean, we’re both dead? What do they want with me?”
“Come on, Juli. Get down those stairs.”
She was frozen. Who the hell was attacking? What chance did she and Yanni have to escape? It sounded like pandemonium in the compound. Men were shouting, and then there was the unmistakable sound of gunfire. If anything could get her moving, it was that. Somebody made a squealing noise. It was her.
“Stay quiet,” said Yanni. “We don’t wasn’t to alert them to our position. Any time you’re ready would be good. We need to go.”
Adrenaline lent her speed. From one bad scenario to another. Would she ever get home?
Light spilled out from the building, and she was able to see the steps and stay upright. Her leading foot hit the earth, and she whispered, “I’m on the ground.”
He soon stood beside her and grabbed her hand again. “Come on. Follow me. Your eyes will get used to the dark in a few minutes.”
“Where are we going?” Her voice came out high, and tight with fear.
“I always have a backup plan.” He sounded amused as he hauled her along, down a rough track. “We’re going down a slope now. Can you see a bit better?”
Her eyes were adjusting to the gloom. She could make out rough shapes, no more. “A little...”
“Good girl. Hold on to me. It’s just a few hundred yards, but we need to move quickly.”
The slope was steeper than she expected. Her foot slipped, but Yanni’s hand stayed firm and strong, balancing and leading her. Weirdly, she knew he wouldn’t let her fall.
Yanni urged her on. They were some distance from the building. Where the hell was he taking her? He stopped, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Now what?
There was a slithering noise—the sound of a tarpaulin being shifted and dropped on the floor. Seconds later, Yanni sat inside another SUV vehicle, the engine running and tiny sidelights showing at the front. “Come on.” He opened the passenger door. “Juli, we really need to move. Come with me if you want to live.”
The phrase was oddly familiar. Another volley of gunfire sounded, and Juli scrambled into the car and fastened the seatbelt with shaking fingers. “That’s a line from The Terminator.”
“It’s a good analogy. This guy won’t stop until he finds me. He took my wife. I won’t let the same happen to you.”
*
Jack searched every room in the building. There was no sign of Juli or Yanni. A small locked office yielded a metal fire escape. They could have fled the building at any time, but where did they go? He sank onto the sofa and scrubbed his hands over his head, trying to think clearly.
If Yanni wanted Juli as a hostage, it meant he was more likely to keep her alive and well, ready for a negotiation later. Then again, he might want her as a prisoner, for her expertise. That was not so good.
Aiden gazed down at him. We’ve searched all the buildings and surrounding area. They’ve gone.” He hesitated. “I’ve sent Jordan and Nick home
with Lucky. There’s no sense in them waiting any longer. As for Yanni’s men... I think we’ve got them all in custody. Do you want to stay with them?”
If Jack was supposedly captured alongside Scarab and the others, he might be able to find out where Yanni had vanished to.
It was worth a try.
With some reluctance, Aiden cuffed Jack’s hands behind his back, removed his weapons, and walked him into the yard, where Casey was in charge of the hostiles. Scarab, Merlot, and the others lay face down on the ground, hands fastened behind them. Aiden handed Jack over wordlessly.
Casey pushed him roughly down to his knees. “On the ground.” He yelled louder than necessary, and Jack scowled. Casey hated him, for whatever the fuck reason. He wouldn’t expect the guy to treat him kindly.
They lay silently until a pickup truck lurched into the yard and they were loaded into the back, again with Casey guarding them. The bastard was enjoying this. They swayed and bounced as the truck raced through the darkness back to Wellington. So far, talking was not allowed. Hopefully Casey would make sure Jack had a chance later.
*
The waiting was unbearable for everyone. When Kate’s phone rang, she stared at it, fear pinching her face. She answered and sank into the nearest chair, head bowed and tears trickling down her cheeks.
Lara’s phone rang next. Like Kate, she stared at it, before answering. Daisy’s heart was in her mouth. She prayed it wasn’t more bad news.
Kate looked up, a radiant smile breaking out. She held the phone to her chest and let out a shuddering breath before speaking. “They’re safe—Jordan and Nick.” She paused while Lara spoke into her phone, a similar look of joy appearing on her face. Seconds later, Lara sobbed into her phone, while Kate tried to explain.
“They’ve been rescued, and they’re on the way home. Here. They wanted to keep the line free, but they’re okay.” She ran out of words.
Lara sniffed and blew her nose.
Daisy frowned. “Did they mention Juli?”
Kate shook her head. “No, but Jordan only had time to say a few words. They’ll be here soon. I can’t believe it. Please tell me this isn’t just a dream?”
The next hour dragged, but eventually a car pulled up at the front of the house. Lara and Kate both ran for the door, while the others followed.
More tears flowed, as they all greeted each other. Jordan and Nick looked surprisingly well for newly released hostages. They were tired and pale, their clothes crumpled and grubby, but they were in great spirits.
Kate clung to Jordan, her proud smile never faltering. “I knew it couldn’t be true. I just knew.”
Nick held Lara as though he never meant to let her go.
Jordan and Kate disappeared, so he could see Poppy sleeping.
Somebody asked Sylvie how she got such a bruise on her head, and the story about Callum being taken came out.
Lucky, who’d brought the hostages home, immediately swung into action, wanting to know what had been done so far.
One miracle had happened with the rescue of Jordan and Nick. Daisy prayed there would be another in finding Callum.
*
Yanni’s driving was terrifying. He hurtled along a series of narrow tracks, the car jolting along at breakneck speeds in the darkness. Juli had to assume he had good night vision and knew the route well. With only sidelights for a long part of the journey, there was little forward visibility.
Just when Juli reached the point of near hysteria, he threw the car around a tight bend, and with a welcome scream of rubber on tarmac, they dropped onto a road. An actual road. It was barely wide enough for one car, let alone two, but at least it was reasonably flat.
Up to now, he’d gripped the wheel and gearstick with total concentration, and judging by the state of the tracks, she was glad.
He turned on the headlights—much to her relief—and glanced at her. “You okay over there?”
“I think so. Where are we going?”
He reached out and briefly squeezed her hand. “I’ve got a safe house on the other side of the mountains. We’re a couple of hours away, so feel free to sleep if you’d like.”
The way the car was moving, sleep would be unlikely. “What happens now? Who was that, at the compound? You said we’d both be killed.”
She thought he’d ignore her questions, but eventually he said, “For the past ten years, I’ve been playing an elaborate game of cat and mouse with the man who murdered Ana. He’s a high-ranking official in the U.S. government, hence my business with them.”
It felt as though he was telling the truth, or at least a partial version of it.
“My men warned me that my photo is being circulated by the police. It looks as though he’s managed to track me here, to the Wellington region. Under normal circumstances, I’d head north, but I have some business to attend to on Saturday night. Once that’s taken care of, we’ll drift up toward Auckland and charter a boat.”
She digested his words. He assumed she’d be travelling with him, but if they ended up in Auckland, she could give him the slip. “What is it you have to do?”
“I’ve scheduled a little demonstration for midnight. Proof that the oscillator works.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Charlie had to speak to Daisy. He couldn’t stay away from her any longer.
She sat at the kitchen table, skimming the news channels on her laptop, and watched as the story of Callum’s kidnap flew out across the globe.
Charlie longed to touch her, to run his fingers through the silky ends of her hair, to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless... He settled for resting his hands on her shoulders.
She jumped. She twisted in her seat, half-stood, and looked at him. Shock gave way to something else. Anger? Shame? A red flush crept over her cheeks, and she turned back to the laptop and sat down in her seat again. “Was there something you wanted, Charlie?”
To describe her tone as frosty wouldn’t even come close to reality. “I wondered if you were okay.”
She had her back to him, her shoulders rigid beneath his fingers. “Why the hell do you care?”
He deserved that.
After an awkward silence, she spoke again, still tartly. “Where should I begin? How about the bimbos at the arena? One was sixteen—only just legal—and the other was eighteen. For fuck’s sake, Charlie, you said you preferred more experienced women, and that hurt me enough. But this? I can’t deal with this. I can’t deal with you.” She fell silent. Her posture spoke of defeat.
He cast around for a response and failed miserably. “I’m sorry,” he offered. He dug his fingers into her shoulders again, feeling the knotted muscles tensing at his touch.
“Go away. Please.” It came out as a faint whisper. “I can’t help seeing you around, but I have no intention of spending more time with you than necessary. Period.”
This was what he wanted, wasn’t it? So why did it feel as though a thousand knives dug into his skin at once?
After one final, hungry look at her, he slunk to his room, which was empty and soulless without her.
He slumped onto the bed and surveyed the untidiness of his possessions scattered around the room. There was some tequila left. It would help blot everything out for a few hours. He kicked off his boots and scooped together the dirty clothes abandoned on the floor. Jeez. He was such a slob. Hang on, the letter should be there too. He stopped and checked through the clothes to make sure it wasn’t mixed up with the laundry. It wasn’t there.
He racked his brains. Where did he last see it?
It was in Daisy’s hand. No, she dropped it on the floor. So where was it? Definitely not on the floor. A rapid search revealed it back in his bag. How the hell did it get there? The cleaners hadn’t been in. Did Daisy come back?
The thought made him go cold.
Did Daisy read his letter?
*
Jack was separated from the others when the agents unloaded them from the pickup. Casey took great delight in dr
agging him away and pushing him down to his knees on the ground. This was getting old. However, Aiden hauled him away. Once in a secure room, Jack was released from the cuffs. Coffee and sandwiches were waiting for him.
Yanni’s guys would be questioned separately. Aiden wanted to know which of them would crack first.
“It has to be Scarab,” said Jack around a mouthful of ham and cheese. “He’s the youngest. He’s still a kid, and nervous around the older guys. He trusts me, though. We can take advantage of that.”
Aiden nodded. “That’s what we thought. We’ll focus on him. You rest up for a couple of hours, and then I’ll take you back. I’ll make sure Casey is otherwise occupied this time.”
Jack grinned as he wolfed down the sandwich. “Don’t worry. I can handle him. What’s the deal with him? Do you know? Is he a natural asshole, or has he been taking lessons?”
Aiden smiled briefly. “His wife recently left him for an American serviceman. He’s a bit raw from the experience.”
“And I thought he was reacting to my natural charm.”
Jack took advantage of the lull to sleep for a couple of hours. He woke when Aiden came back for him.
There was no news yet, but Aiden confirmed Scarab was very frightened. “If we make it look as though you’ve had a rough ride,” said Aiden, “he may be more inclined to talk. Are you okay with that?”
“Yeah, but don’t let Casey loose on me again. You do it, please.” Jack pushed to his feet and tipped his chin. “I’m a big enough target. Do your worst.”
Ten minutes later, he sported some interesting bruises across his face and a suitably busted lip. They nicked his earlobe with the edge of a knife—guaranteed to bleed furiously—and smeared the resulting blood across his face and neck. He looked as though he’d done ten rounds with a heavyweight boxer.
With Jack’s hands cuffed behind him again, Aiden hauled him to a holding cell and threw him in with a terrified Scarab.
“Jesus.” Jack groaned, as he hit the floor. “I didn’t sign up for this.”