Watched from a Distance

by Allison B Hanson

  Different scenarios played through Lena’s mind at a dizzying speed. Each time she thought of a way to make this work, her conscience presented another roadblock.

  She could walk Colton out to the Jeep, but she had no doubt they would take her out before she even started the engine. Colton was huge, he could overpower her easily.

  Plus, he had a baby. He was a father.

  She couldn’t take John’s father away. Even if it was to get Kenzie back. How could she look at her daughter and know what she’d done? She’d be just as bad as Viktor.

  But Colton was standing right here in front of her. It seemed so easy just to give Viktor what he wanted, so he would give her what they’d agreed on.

  She jumped at the feeling of Dane’s breath at her ear. He was so close, yet he hadn’t made a move to take the gun from her.

  “Please don’t do this,” he murmured gently. “Please trust me. This won’t work. You know it won’t.”

  She knew in her heart this wasn’t the right thing to do, but the temptation was overwhelming. The man that could free her daughter was standing right in front of her. It was so simple to take the easy way out, to follow orders. She wasn’t strong enough to come up with another way. She just wanted this nightmare to be over.

  By the door, baby John made a sound of impatience and gave a short whine.

  Lena’s heart squeezed painfully.

  Oh God.

  No. She couldn’t do this.

  Disgusted with her own weakness, she gave up and held out the gun out to Dane, who tucked it back in his waistband.

  She was shocked when it was Colton who pulled her into his arms and held her as she collapsed from despair and the spent emotion. Tears of shame filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as the man whose life she’d threatened attempted to soothe her.

  “I’m so s-sorry,” she sobbed against him, understanding why Dane hadn’t allowed her to say those words to him when she’d been the cause of so much pain. Words were useless. But she said them with sincere regret.

  “It’s okay. I understand. I do.” He rubbed her back. “I’m sorry this is happening to you and your little girl. I’m here to help you,” he said as he rocked back and forth, and let her cry all over his shirt. “We all are. We’re going to work this out so we can all go home with our children. I promise.”

  Once the gun was away, Colton’s wife, Angel, came back and handed him their baby. It was pretty clear by her expression this woman wasn’t as forgiving as her husband. But Lena didn’t blame her. Not even a little.

  Another man stood with a wry look on his face. “It sure would be nice if we could get together once in a while without pulling guns.” He stepped closer. “I’m Garrett. This is my wife Samantha.” He pointed to the woman who had apparently shot Dane.

  At least Lena hadn’t actually pulled the trigger.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” she managed to say, though her voice was still weak from stress and crying.

  Had she really pointed a gun at another human being? What was she thinking? She could have killed an innocent man. A husband and father.

  Dane’s arm came around her, and he pointed to two other men who were now also standing. “This is Justin,” he said, indicating the man who had glared at her earlier. He was still glaring. “And this is my boss, Supervisory Deputy United States Marshal Josiah Thorne. He’s leading the cavalry, and he’s going to tell us how to get our kids back.”

  “Welcome, Lena,” the older gentleman said after Justin grunted a grudging hello and sat back down.

  It seemed surreal that everyone was able to move right into normal introductions after she’d just threatened one of them at gunpoint. It was as if they’d instantly forgotten how rude she’d been. She never expected their forgiveness, but if they were still willing to help her get her daughter back, she would find a way to make it up to them.

  Dane pulled her tighter against him, and she felt slightly encouraged…until she saw the frown on Marshal Thorne’s face. At first she thought he was angry over her theatrics, but then she recognized the look.

  Pity.

  Her heart dropped to her stomach, panic twisting through her veins.

  It was obvious. He had bad news.

  And honest to God, she didn’t think she’d survive it.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  “What’s wrong?” Dane asked, sensing the sudden stillness in the room.

  His team knew something. Something bad. Lena tightened her grip on his fingers.

  “Nothing’s wrong. Exactly,” Thorne said as he gestured to two empty seats, silently suggesting they sit.

  “You couldn’t locate them?” Dane turned to Angel with a look of shock. He’d never known her not to be able to track someone down. She was a computer whiz and ruthless when it came to hunting bad guys.

  “Of course I located them.” Her tone of offense brought a smile to his face.

  “We weren’t able to confirm their location, but we are pretty certain we know where they are. The problem is that we are the extent of the team,” Colton said while Thorne nodded in confirmation.

  “Are you kidding me?” Dane practically shouted. “Why?”

  It was ridiculous. This was Viktor Fucking Kulakov. There should be an entire branch of the military devoted to taking him down. In the room were only six marshals. And of those six, two were retired and one had given birth a few months ago.

  “Why can’t we get support from another task force?” he asked.

  “I contacted the federal prosecutor and explained the situation. He said after the last blunder when Kulakov got off, he’s not willing to move on the case yet. He still doesn’t think he has enough to get a conviction. He says if he moves too soon, the best they might get is a plea bargain to a lesser offence, and Viktor would see daylight again in a few years.”

  “But we can get him on two counts of kidnapping, and attempted murder,” Justin complained. “And that’s just with the testimony of the people in this room. Surely, there’s enough by now to put him away for good. Colton saw a lot of shit going down.”

  “Again, I explained all of that, but he’s still not convinced.”

  “Is he on the take?” Dane directed the question toward Angel. He was certain she would have already considered checking the man’s accounts.

  She shrugged and shook her head. “If he is, I can’t find anything. Which means he’s either clean, or he’s tucked it all away somewhere well hidden, and isn’t so much as looking to make sure it’s still there.”

  “What if it’s in cash?” Lena asked.

  Justin sniffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Maybe Viktor likes to show up at the drop like a baller with a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist like in the movies.”

  Dane fought the urge to lean across the table and hit him for being rude to her. But since she’d just pulled a gun on one of them, he wasn’t quite ready to force everyone to make nice.

  “Not a briefcase.” Lena swallowed and looked up at him nervously. “Plastic totes.”

  That got his attention. “You’ve seen plastic totes of cash being moved around?” he asked her, rubbing circles on her back as he encouraged her to trust his friends.

  She nodded and bit her lip.

  “Me, too.” Colton backed up her story. “I’ve even moved a few from his boat, myself. When I was on his payroll he dealt mostly with drafts, but after I turned out to be a plant, I bet he’s turned to cash transactions since he knows he’s being watched.”

  “You can’t get that much cash in a briefcase, anyway, asshat.” Angel stuck her tongue out at Justin who stuck his tongue out back at her. Very mature.

  “Can we get around the prosecutor?” Dane asked, trying his best to ignore them.

  “No. He must have anticipated we would try. He’s cut us off. It didn’t matter how high I went, the answer was still ‘don’t touch him.’”

  Lena asked the question Dane was thinking. “Then what are we going to do?”

  “W
e save your children and take in Kulakov, so the prosecutor has no choice but to do his job or show his cards.” Thorne looked around at the group. “Did you really think we all gathered here so I could tell you to go home?”

  Leave it to Thorne to be amused by their concern. Decades in the government had worn him down to the point he often came off as cold or unfeeling, but Dane knew differently. Under that crusty shell was a man who cared about all of them like they were his real children.

  Angel rolled her eyes. “If we weren’t going to do anything, I could have told Dane when we talked the other day and saved us all the time,” she pointed out. “We couldn’t talk about a plan over the phone, in case they were somehow listening. If Kulakov has bought himself a prosecutor, who knows who else he’s paid for.”

  “I appreciate your support, but we’re only five people.” Dane pointed out. Some of them were worthy of being counted as two, but still they weren’t enough for a tactical assault on a madman.

  “He didn’t count you,” Angel said to Colton. “That’s so rude.” She turned on Dane. “Colton is a great agent. He might not have been on our team, but he’s one of us.”

  Oh. Boy. Dane cringed inwardly. How would he get out of this one?

  Colton coughed and looked up at the ceiling.

  “What?” She darted a look around the table, then understanding dawned. “Me?” Her bright blue eyes fixed on Dane like lasers. He could almost feel the heat. “You didn’t count me? Why wouldn’t you count me? I’m a deadly force, and—”

  “Um, Angel.” Justin pointed toward his own shirt with a wince. “I think you’re leaking.”

  She glanced down and took in the growing wet spot on her chest and let out a sigh. “Give me the baby,” she ordered. “But when I get back from nursing, you had better let me be in on this mission, Dane Ryan. Or else.”

  “We’ll find something for her to do,” Colton said when his wife was safely in the other room.

  “At least she didn’t start crying again. The crying kills me,” Justin shook his head.

  Dane studied the faces around the table. His friends. These people had become like a family to him when he’d lost his own. He frowned as he mentally calculated the risks. Without reinforcements, they would all be in greater danger. And yet they were all here, ready and willing to take that risk to help save his child.

  He knew if the tables were turned, he would be sitting in one of their seats planning a raid to get baby John back without a thought to the danger for himself.

  Five years ago, Dane had stepped out of his life and left his wife and son so they would be safe. He’d thought his life was over. But he’d been wrong. He had his team.

  And now he had Lena.

  “What’s the plan?” he asked, ready to get started.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  It didn’t take long for Lena to realize these people were more than just co-workers. They were a family. They might not share the same genes, but they shared a bond that went deeper than DNA.

  She saw the way Colton clasped Dane’s shoulder. The unspoken communication between them. One father telling another it was okay, and they knew what the other was going through.

  A rush of envy shook her. How much easier it would have been if she’d had someone to talk to, or to pat her on the shoulder and tell her it was okay.

  She met Dane’s gaze and she realized she now had him. If anyone knew what she was feeling, it was Dane. He was in the same situation, worried for his child, but forced to keep going.

  Giving up wasn’t an option, and if these people were willing to face Viktor Kulakov outnumbered and against orders, she would gratefully accept their aid. And she’d do whatever she could to help.

  Glancing around at the muscles and firepower in the room made her feel inadequate. Would she be able to help, or would she just be in the way? She’d only ever touched a gun once in her life and it had been that day.

  The thought of turning into that cowardly mouse who hid in the corner made tears come to her eyes, but she managed to keep them from falling.

  She’d learned from the first night after Kenzie was taken that curling up in a ball and letting the grief and worry claim her, didn’t help the situation. Not if she wanted to save her daughter.

  Now was her chance to do something. She wasn’t a helpless mouse hiding in the corner any longer. She was a vicious warrior, determined to get her child back safe and sound.

  Like a choreographed routine, the team members each took a turn sharing intel and offering suggestions. Angel was tapping on her laptop keyboard, giving answers to questions as they were asked. Justin took down notes in a notebook and assigned tasks to the people on the team.

  “If you have anything to add, just jump in and say it,” Dane whispered to her. “This is fact gathering, and you may have some piece of information we still need.”

  “I’ll help wherever I can,” she promised and turned back to the group. She would tell this team everything she could to help their mission. They would not fail because she didn’t reveal one of Kulakov’s secrets.

  Unfortunately, he had never trusted her enough to allow her into his inner circle where she might have learned something that would actually be helpful. She was shocked by how much the team knew already, but then, Colton had lived and worked undercover for Kulakov for almost two years. He had been in deep and knew Viktor well.

  Right up until Viktor knew Colton too well, and had him shot and left for dead.

  “Your daughter will call you tomorrow?” Justin said, shaking her from her thoughts. “Do you video chat?”

  “Yes.” And Lena’s heart would break into even smaller pieces when her daughter asked if she was coming for her. At least she knew the answer wasn’t a lie anymore. She would be coming. And it really would be soon.

  “Can you record the call so can we can take a look at the background?”

  “Of course.”

  The man, Justin, didn’t glare at her this time. He was all business. She appreciated his efficiency. Despite how he might feel about her personally, it was clear he wouldn’t allow his emotions to jeopardize the mission.

  She looked around the busy table. The marshals were passing around photos, making notes, and pointing out flaws and strengths. The intensity level in the room kept rising as they fed off each other’s ideas.

  One person threw out a suggestion and the next person took that and improved on it, or pointed out a weakness.

  Colton ran a cable from the large television on the wall over to Angel’s laptop. She nodded and connected the line.

  “Okay. I just hacked into the satellite. I’m moving it now, so we’ll have visual in a few minutes on both of the kids’ suspected locations.”

  Lena swallowed. How had this happened? The salon manager from Miami was in a room with soldiers and space pirates.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Dane reached out to tug on the end of Lena’s ponytail. When she glanced over at him, he winked, hoping to reassure her. She’d turned pale and seemed more than a little overwhelmed.

  He knew it wasn’t normal for people to share a bag of potato chips while waiting for the feed to come in from the satellite they’d hijacked.

  “Are you sure she’s not an actual angel? She is in control of the heavens,” Lena whispered.

  “Trust me, she’s too devious to be the real deal.”

  Thorne moved his chair so he could see the big screen, and crossed his arms as the picture came up.

  “It’s your turn. Enlighten us with your brilliance,” Justin said, earning a glare from Angel.

  Dane chuckled. No doubt, she assumed Justin was patronizing her, but the truth was, they always relied on her to get them where they needed to go. They might have intel and other people working the tech, but they all looked to Angel to verify it was legit. She could hack into anything.

  It was both frightening and impressive.

  “We will definitely need two teams if we plan to strike simultaneously.” An
gel used her pointer to indicate two different targets…with the whole United States in between them. One was in western Canada and the other just north of Florida.

  “It’s imperative that we hit both locations at the same time. Once Viktor realizes we’ve double-crossed him, he’ll be looking for revenge,” Dane said.

  He’d figured the operation wouldn’t be convenient, since Lena mentioned palm trees and also where Butch was born. Until now, Dane hadn’t worried about that. He thought they would have plenty of people to direct a proper coordinated assault.

  Now they only had the people in this room.

  Angel frowned and stood up. “You’re right. But Tobey and Kenzie are about as far apart as they can get and still be in North America.”

  She rested her hip on the table so she could lean over to circle a place on the paper map with a marker. Vancouver. Then she edged off so she could circle another place closer to her. Savannah, Georgia.

  “Viktor always sets up in port towns,” Colton said. “I’ve never been to the Vancouver complex, but I’ve spent some time at his place in Savannah. I can draw up a map of the inside.” He pulled over a tablet and picked up a stylus to start drawing.

  “Here’s the satellite map of the Vancouver complex,” Angel pointed to the screen. The picture was so detailed Dane could see the men patrolling the gate. Unlike with Google Earth, the pictures were live, and the men were moving.

  He swallowed. Because the complex was so huge, they would need to stay hidden while they found Tobey, then they would somehow have to get him out undetected, along with any other children that might be with him. Due to the small size of their team, a frontal attack was off the table. Which meant stealth and a quiet extraction. They couldn’t risk stirring up the hornet’s nest.

  “Tobey says they have bunk beds. There are other boys with him,” Dane reminded everyone.

  Garrett tapped the screen. “My guess is they’re being kept here. There are guards posted at the end of this long building. It could be a bunk house.”

  “Viktor has a bunkhouse at Savannah, too.” Colton pointed at the building on the printed satellite map on the table. “He keeps people here until he has enough to ship out in a container.”