by E B Corbin
They watched the woman close the door, test it to make sure it was locked, and stroll down the driveway. The iron gate began to slide open and the woman stepped onto the sidewalk, moving down the street without waiting for the gate to click shut.
“Go get the car!” Henry whispered to White Cloud. He then sprinted down the sidewalk and slipped between two parked cars. If Sam was in there, they needed to be ready to bolt the minute she was free.
He waited a second, making certain the woman wouldn’t see him. When she approached the corner, he crossed the street in rapid, silent steps. He reached the gate just as it was about to snap shut and stuck his foot in. The gate began to swing open again, and Henry slid through the narrow space.
As soon as he moved his foot, the gate began to close again. He held his breath, hoping the woman didn’t notice. She walked on, never slowing, never looking back and he ducked behind the closest bush. He scanned the yard and the sidewalk to make certain no one had seen him before he crouched and dashed behind a nearby tree
His movements were smooth and silent as he approached the garage. He needed to confirm that a silver Mercedes was parked inside before he tried to break into a house that more than likely had an alarm. Without windows on the garage door, he was forced to slip around to the side, and spotted an entrance about midway along the wall. From this perspective, the building was longer than an ordinary garage, and Henry wondered what purpose the extra space served.
He tried the door, surprised to find in unlocked. He could barely make out the silhouettes of two parked cars pulled forward as far as they could go. From what he’d noticed outside, he knew there should be at least another six or more feet of space in front of each car. He saw no entrance to the extra space—only a solid wall made up of several panels. He walked to the wall and tapped on the surface. A hollow sound greeted him. He tried tapping in different areas and heard the same sound.
Then he noticed the wall panels sat in a track on the floor. It was a sliding wall of some sort. He walked to the far edge and tried to push it open. Nothing. The panels wouldn’t budge. He walked to the other end and tried the same thing. Again, nothing. He wiped sweat from his forehead before it dripped into his eyes. He took slow, quiet breaths to regain his calm and focus on the problem at hand.
He had no idea how long he had before the woman returned. What was so important it was hidden in the garage? Or maybe it was nothing. The garage had been unlocked, after all. He pushed his doubts aside and scanned the area near the corner for some way to determine what was behind the wall.
He ran his fingers along the wall opposite the one where he entered and felt a button at waist level. Would it open the wall or set off an alarm? He didn’t have time to deliberate. He took a deep breath and pushed the button.
The wall began to move with a clacking sound as one panel overlapped the next. Henry slipped through to the other side, leading with his gun, when the opening grew wide enough to accommodate his shoulders. In the shadows, he saw an aluminum or stainless-steel table, a sink, lots of cabinets built into the walls, and, in the far corner, he spotted a long, reclined chair. It held a female human form with her wrists bolted to the arms, her head turned to the side, her chin resting on her shoulder. He recognized Sam’s hair, but could not see her face.
He tripped over a small toolbox as he ran to her side. He felt for a pulse and relief swept over him when he found a strong, steady beat. He lifted her head and gently tapped her cheeks. “Sam… Sam… wake up.”
Her eyes opened but at first she couldn’t focus. She saw a dark figure in front of her and sucked in a breath.
Henry saw the fear in her deep blue eyes. “It’s all right. It’s me, Henry.”
“Henry,” she muttered. “How did you…”
“It was a lucky guess. Now we have to get you out of here.” He pulled on the metal straps holding her wrists in place. “I don’t suppose you know where the keys are?”
Sam managed a tiny laugh. She was overjoyed to see him and wasn’t thinking of anything more than gazing into his gorgeous brown eyes. “S’ good to see you.”
“Yeah, well, it’s good to see you, too.” Henry noticed the same straps around her ankles. “Dammit. I need to find something to get these off you.”
He remembered the toolbox sitting in the middle of the floor and pulled it closer. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he fumbled through the tools with one hand while the other held his 9-millimeter. When he finally came up with a screwdriver, he felt around for how the restraints were attached to the chair: six screws with straight-edged lines. Shit! He’d grabbed a Phillips-head screwdriver. He threw the tool down and rummaged for a regular screwdriver. He found a hammer, nearly cut himself on a utility knife, and finally came across a flat-head screwdriver.
Unwilling to put down his gun, he transferred it to his left hand. During his SEAL training, he’d learned to fire accurately with either hand, and he was thankful for that now. If it came down to it and the blonde returned, he had no qualms about shooting first, asking questions later.
His fingers slipped every time he started on a new screw. They were in place so tight, they must have been drilled in. But he kept his concentration on freeing Sam’s hands. When he removed the last screw from her left-hand strap, he tossed the metal on the floor with a clatter. But Sam did not move her hand. He grabbed it and felt it drop to her lap as if she had no control. He didn’t have time to find out what was wrong; he moved on to her right hand.
In his haste, the screwdriver slipped out of the groove many times before he had her right hand free. He kept glancing over his shoulder, half expecting to see the mysterious woman appear behind him.
He bent to unscrew Sam’s ankles, glad to note that she’d begun to massage her hands. The angle of the ankle straps made it harder for him to turn the screwdriver with one hand, but he kept at it until he had her right foot free.
As he started on the left foot, he heard a cell phone ringing outside. Someone was coming. He looked at the panic on Sam’s face, and for a split second, his mind went blank. They couldn’t get out without confronting the woman, and Henry didn’t know what was wrong with Sam. What had she done to her? He decided he’d catch her off guard and force her to tell him what she did to Sam. He’d have the element of surprise and provided the woman didn’t have a gun or knife in her hand, he’d have the advantage.
Sam overcame her fear. “Hide behind one of the cars,” she managed to mumble.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Sam nodded, testing the control of the muscles in her neck.
Henry slapped the metal bolt onto her ankle and scooped up the loose screws lying about. He didn’t have time to secure her arms and legs again but hopefully her abductor wouldn’t notice missing screws if the bolts appeared to be in place. Sam stuck the metal bolt around her right hand while Henry scrabbled on the floor to find the other restraint.
He felt sweat dripping down his back as he kept one eye on the side door and felt around the floor.
They heard the woman’s voice grow closer just as Henry found the metal restraint. He slapped it over Sam’s left hand, gave her shoulder a squeeze, and eased into the blackness of the garage.
Sam had a moment of dread when Henry left her side. She felt alone and helpless but pulled herself together as she heard the door open.
“I want five hundred thousand. It’s nonnegotiable. And I want half now. Send it to the account number I gave you.”
Sam let out a tiny gasp. This woman was not fooling around. She wondered if Jules would agree to her terms. Hell, she wondered if he even had access to that much cash. He was no fool. He wouldn’t risk that kind of money unless he was certain she could deliver. He’d be in for a surprise if he agreed to her terms.
Sam heard the beep as Kat disconnected the call and flipped on the light. She paused before turning to her captive.
“I could have sworn I shut this wall before I left.” She glanced at Sam then swung aroun
d to survey the entire space.
Sam held her breath until the woman shrugged and moved closer to the dentist’s chair. She had a white bag in her hand that emitted a savory aroma. Sam’s stomach growled.
“Sorry, I almost brought you something to eat until I realized you couldn’t use your hands and I would either have to remove the restraints or feed it to you,” she said, her voice devoid of empathy, as she glanced at Sam’s wrists.
Sam’s heartbeat sped up to double time. Would Kat notice the missing screws? Even with Henry lying in wait, in her weakened state, no way Sam could overpower the woman should she decide to use her as hostage.
“I decided against it,” Kat continued when she finished her perusal of her captive.
Sam held in the sigh of relief as Kat’s attention returned to the bag.
Henry huddled in a dark corner, his gun in hand, ready to confront the woman at the first opportunity.
“How long will it take for me to get my strength back?” Sam kept her voice to a whisper to feign being worse than she was.
“I don’t know. Never used this stuff before.” Kat opened the bag and pulled out a container. “You seem to be recovering rather well.”
“I’m still weak.”
Kat smiled. “Of course. That’s the idea, isn’t it? I can’t have you constantly struggling to get free now, can I?” She pulled out a set of chopsticks and took the lid off a hot cup of steaming liquid. She unwrapped the chopsticks as she opened another container and sat it on the metal table. The smell of mu shu pork filled the garage.
Henry decided to strike while she was occupied with her dinner. He crept around the Mercedes until he reached the front fender and made certain she was not looking in his direction. Sam caught his eye and nodded. Henry stood, pointed his gun at Kat.
She showed little surprise and swallowed before she spoke. “My, my. What have we got here?”
“You have a gun pointed at you.” Henry moved closer but stayed out of reach. He didn’t know if a weapon was hidden somewhere near the table. “Put your hands up.”
Kat smiled. “Really? That’s all you’ve got? Put my hands up?”
“Back away from Sam. Keep your hands where I can see them.”
“Oh, all right,” Kat said with a sigh. “You’ll have a tough time keeping the gun on me and trying to release her at the same time.”
Sam flipped her hands free. “I can release myself.”
Kat’s brow furrowed in consternation. “Aren’t you clever?”
Sam ignored her and bent over to find the screwdriver. Thank goodness Kat had not noticed it lying on the floor. She’d been so sure of her ability to keep Sam captive, she never bothered to inspect the area when she’d returned.
Henry took his gaze off the woman for a second to watch Sam struggle with the screws. Kat used the opportunity to fling the cup of hot green tea into Henry’s face. Her aim was true. Henry jerked and flailed as the steaming liquid made contact with his eyes and nose. It caused the cut on his forehead to burn like crazy.
Kat kicked out at his hand with the gun but missed. He swung it in her direction, but his eyes were watering from the hot tea and he had trouble focusing. Kat darted around him, slapped the light switch off, and pressed the button to close the wall.
Henry stumbled over the toolbox again and reached for the table to keep his balance. By the time he managed to wipe the tea from his eyes, the wall had nearly closed and Kat had disappeared out the door. “Shit!” He glanced at Sam. “Can you get that last bolt off?”
Sam nodded. “Go. She’s probably heading straight for a weapon. I’ll be fine.”
Henry managed to squeeze past the wall just before it closed. He pressed the button to open it for Sam as he ran out the door after Kat.
He did not see her in the yard. He saw no lights on in the house, either, and had no idea where the woman went. He rushed back into the garage. “I lost her. Are you free yet?”
“I think so.” Sam tossed aside the last restraint and tried to stand. Putting weight on her tingling feet, she collapsed back into the chair. “Damn!”
Henry scanned the area around the door before he lifted her in his arms. He handed her his 9-millimeter. “Do you think you can pull the trigger?”
Sam nearly fumbled the gun but got a grip on it. “I’ll do my best.”
As he was about to open the door, he heard footsteps creeping up the driveway.
Chapter Thirty
With Sam in his arms, Henry searched for a place to hide and ducked behind the Mercedes again. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.
“Put me down,” Sam whispered.
Henry looked at her with questioning eyes.
“Put me down. I can stand now. And you’ll do better with the gun. My hands are still a bit tingly.” Sam’s voice sounded stronger, but she kept it to a low murmur.
Henry kept his arms around her until she stood without wavering, then he took the gun. He put his lips next to her ear. “Stay here. I’m going to see what she’s up to.”
Sam grabbed his arm. “Be careful.”
Henry smiled. “I’m always careful.”
Sam concentrated on keeping her balance and tensing her muscles to get some feeling back in them. Gradually, she had regained some stability. She crept around the side of the car to keep Henry in sight as he eased the door open and moved forward, his steps tentative. She sighed in relief when no shots rang out.
Henry waited until his eyes adjusted before he dashed to a nearby tree for cover. If the woman was behind him, he’d make an easy target, but his buzzing was slowly diminishing, and he wondered if she had fled the scene.
As he was about to step out, he saw a shadow move in the driveway. He watched as it grew larger and tuned his senses, expecting to hear footsteps. He heard nothing. When the shadow grew close enough, Henry took a deep breath. He twirled away from the tree, his finger on the trigger. “Don’t move!”
White Cloud stopped dead and looked at Henry, expressionless. “I see you do not need my help.”
“Jesus! Am I glad to see you.” Henry lowered his gun and pulled White Cloud behind the tree. “I found Sam. She’s been drugged and can’t move too well. The woman ran out a few minutes ago.”
White Cloud nodded. “I saw her leave. She jumped in a car she had parked on the street. It was not the Mercedes, though.”
“Yeah, the Mercedes is still in the garage.” Henry took one last look around. “We’d better go get Sam and get out of here before she returns.”
Without a word, White Cloud followed Henry to the door of the garage. His face broke into a rare smile when he glimpsed Sam standing by the side of the Mercedes, a shovel over her shoulder like a baseball bat. He stepped back and continued to surveil the yard.
Henry laughed as he entered. “Jesus Christ, Sam. What were you going to do with that?”
Sam glanced at the shovel. “I don’t know. Maybe deflect a bullet like Wonder Woman does with her bracelets?”
He took it and tossed it against the wall. “The last I knew, you were not Wonder Woman.”
“Well, if you can be Superman, I can be Wonder Woman.” Sam smiled even though she began to shake as the adrenalin eased out of her system. Her voice wavered. “Where is she?”
“Gone. White Cloud saw her run out and drive away.” Henry grabbed Sam around the waist as he noticed her shoulders slump and her legs begin to fold.
“White Cloud is here, too?”
“Yes, I saw her leave,” said White Cloud, stepping into the garage. “I do not think she will be back anytime soon, but we should not linger here in case someone else is inside the house.”
Sam agreed with him but couldn’t shake the fear that overcame her when she thought about how helpless she’d been. She could hardly believe Henry and White Cloud were here with her.
“Can you walk?” Henry peered into her eyes.
“I think so.” Sam felt a tear drip onto her cheek. “Thank you for finding me.”
&nbs
p; He pulled her close as he led her toward the door. “It’s what you pay me for.”
She managed a half smile. “I’m beginning to think I don’t pay you enough.”
Before they stepped outside, Henry handed his gun to White Cloud. “Do you know how to use this?”
“If it becomes necessary.”
Henry kept his arm around Sam as they crept down the driveway. White Cloud followed, his footsteps silent, and almost ran into them when Henry came to an abrupt stop.
“Shit! The gate is closed.” He looked back at White Cloud. “How did you get in?”
“It is a slow-moving gate. I slipped in after the woman drove away. The gate is not latched. I stuck a rock in before it shut completely.”
Henry nodded, thankful for the help of the taxi driver once again. “Where’s the car?”
“It is double-parked across the street. The hazard lights are on. You cannot miss it.”
Before they left the shelter of the yard, Sam pulled Henry to a stop again. “I think I can walk on my own now.”
“Are you sure?”
Sam nodded. She felt her strength returning little by little. As much as she hated to give up the warmth of Henry’s arm around her, she knew they had to move quickly and he needed to be prepared to act if Kat returned. “I’ll be fine.”
Henry slipped his arm from her waist but locked her hand in his as he opened the gate and ran to the Firebird. He slipped into the back with her. White Cloud started the engine.
Henry pulled Sam’s head to his shoulder. “Keep out of sight as much as you can.”
Sam was beyond arguing, grateful to be safe at last.
After a brief discussion, Henry decided they should return to the hotel for now. The white supremacists were probably wondering what had happened to him. And, even though the woman knew their location, he felt they had enough security within the hotel as long as they stayed in their room.
White Cloud agreed to drop them at the entrance against Sam’s objections that Henry might blow his cover if anyone watching the hotel saw him get out of the Firebird.