“From what Lena’s described of the place where Kenzie’s being held,” Justin said, “it’s not the bunk house. I’ll know more when she calls tomorrow and we can see what’s in the background. Hopefully Colton will recognize it.”
“It’s okay if you don’t,” Angel said from behind him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Don’t put so much pressure on yourself.” She kissed his temple.
“I spent more time in Philadelphia and Gulfport,” Colton explained regretfully. “But I’ll do my best.”
Even if Colton’s knowledge of the Savannah complex was limited, it was more than they knew about the facility where Tobey was being held. Dealing with more boys would also complicate their mission.
Dane hoped they would be able to locate the kids quickly and get them out without alerting anyone. They wouldn’t have enough people to engage in a firefight. Not while protecting a group of children.
He looked around the table and wondered how they would be split up. That was Thorne’s call. While this wasn’t a sanctioned mission, he was still in charge.
Any marshal around this table would be an asset to the mission, so Dane didn’t have a preference as to who he was partnered with. He just wanted to get going. He wanted to do something. But he knew they couldn’t move until every detail had been worked out.
They couldn’t afford to be sloppy or impatient.
Too much was at stake.
Chapter Forty-Six
Lena remained quiet as Task Force Phoenix worked out the particulars of the assault like any other people might plan a birthday party. Justin had gone out to get pizza and beer, and they laughed and told stories while they ate.
They used a lot of acronyms which left her confused, but Lena got the general feel. They had to trust each other with their lives, which had obviously created a bond far deeper than the one she’d had with the stylists at her salon.
No one would end up dead if she cut someone’s bangs too short. At least, not every time.
She was actually settling in and feeling like this would all work out until the alarm went off on her phone. Everyone abruptly fell silent and whipped their gazes to her.
“It’s time for me to call in to Viktor,” she said nervously.
Angel snapped her fingers as if just remembering something. “You need to give him something, some information, so he thinks you’re getting somewhere. We’re going to need a few more days and we don’t want him to get impatient.”
“Right.” Lena gave a half smile. “We wouldn’t want to make Viktor wait when he’s so eager to kill people.”
Justin laughed at her inappropriate humor. “I think I like her, after all.”
Angel handed a paper to Lena and one to Dane. “I’ve written out scripts, but feel free to improvise if needed.”
“You want me to give him this name? Is that safe?” Dane asked, looking surprised.
Thorne nodded. “Yeah. It’s a perp who ran off to Mexico before we could grab him up. If we can get Viktor to use his resources to find him, it helps us with another case. And it will keep him chasing his tail for a little while, until we’re ready to strike.”
Dane’s boss was a genius.
Lena took a calming breath, and dialed the number for Viktor. The paper shook in her hand.
“Where are you?” Viktor asked, his voice gruff as if he’d been sleeping. It was almost one o’clock in the morning. But he was the one who’d given her that time to call. She was only doing her job.
She started reading from Angel’s script, trying to sound natural.
“We’re outside of San Antonio,” she told him. “We have a lead.”
It was difficult to concentrate with everyone staring at her.
“It’s about damn time. Tell me.”
“I got him to give me his name.” Her voice shook and she swallowed, forcing herself to keep calm so she could play her part.
“Vanderhook’s real name?”
She lowered her voice as if trying to hide what she was saying. “The one he’s been using in Witness Protection. It’s Evan Masters. We went to the construction site where he’s been working and showed his photo to his co-workers. They said it’s him. He’s not scheduled to be there today or tomorrow, but he’ll be on site on Thursday. The only address they had for him was a P.O. box, so we’ll have wait for—”
Dane suddenly came at her like he meant to strangle her, shouting and getting in her face. “You stupid bitch! What the hell are you doing?”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Dane cringed at the instant look of guilt and terror on Lena’s face at his unexpected attack. It brought back memories he’d just as soon forget. Like the way she’d looked for those first few days when he’d treated her so badly.
Hell, he’d just been trying to make it sound realistic. Maybe he’d gone a little overboard.
“Sorry,” he mouthed, then picked up the phone she’d dropped in shock, and handed it back to her with a smile. He pointed to the script and tapped a finger to her line, hoping she would realize it was all part of the act.
“Hello? Hello?” Viktor’s voice echoed into the room.
“I’m here,” she said, cringing as Dane lit into her again.
“You realize he doesn’t need us now?” he snapped. “You’ve just given him the name and place to pick up the guy. I’m expendable, which means my son is expendable, too.”
“Give Mr. Ryan the phone,” Viktor ordered so loudly they all heard the command.
“Uh, okay.” Lena held out the phone and Dane winked at her as he took it.
“What?” he demanded. It wasn’t difficult to act belligerent when speaking to Kulakov. Dane really did hate this man, he didn’t need to pretend.
“We had an agreement, did we not? You were to bring…Evan Masters to me. I will release Tobey to you when you do. There has been no change in plan.”
“Bullshit,” Dane said angrily. “I bet you have your two giants heading out the door for San Antonio right now. If they get to him first, I’ll have nothing to leverage to get my son back.”
“I assure you, my men are still standing next to me as I speak. Retrieve Mr. Masters and bring him to Savannah. I’ll give you the details when you’re en route. Put Lena back on the phone. And Mr. Ryan?”
“What?”
“Let’s not forget our manners. Ms. Scott is a valued employee and I’ll not have her mistreated.”
“Fuck that, and fuck you, too,” Dane mumbled under his breath as a final parting shot, to up the realism factor.
Lena gave him a smile of agreement, then flipped the phone the finger before she got back on, her face falling. “I’m here.”
“Call me at eleven tomorrow.”
“That long?”
“You’ll have nothing new to report while you wait for Mr. Masters. Get some rest. I’ll want to make sure you’re in position for the next day.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you then.” The call was disconnected on his end before she finished the sentence.
As soon as she looked up, Dane had his arms around her.
“Sorry I startled you,” he said against her hair.
“I wish I’d had a moment to prepare for that,” she said with a laugh.
Angel shook her head. “He did good. It was better that you were surprised.”
“You’re both up for Oscars,” Samantha offered with a smile, and yawned. “If it’s okay, I’m going to go to bed. I don’t have much to bring to the table and I’m exhausted.”
“Let’s all break for the evening,” Thorne said before turning to Lena and Dane. The frown of pity was back. “There’s one part of this plan you’re not going to like.”
Thorne let out a breath as everyone started moving for the door, looking anywhere but at Dane.
It didn’t take a genius to know what was coming.
“No.” Dane shook his head. “No fucking way.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
“What is it?” Lena didn’t understand. Dane
and Thorne knew each other well enough to communicate without speech, but she was left not knowing what was going on. “What’s wrong?”
Dane didn’t answer. Instead he released her and took a step toward his boss. A very intimidating step.
Everyone stopped and turned back to them.
“That’s bullshit and you know it. I was there when you crossed the line to meet your daughter. I’m damn well going to be on the mission to get my son.”
“I waited until it was safe,” Thorne defended. This comment brought on a muttered cough from Garrett. Thorne glared at him, then said, “I did not let my emotions get in the way of a mission or put anyone else in danger.”
“That’s strange, because I distinctly remember being shot in the fucking leg!” Dane gestured to his injury.
Samantha winced. “I’m so sorry about that,” she apologized yet again.
“Neither you nor Lena can be trusted to behave as anything but worried parents. And rightfully so. But I can’t jeopardize the rest of the team and this mission because you lose your shit when you see Tobey.”
“We’re not allowed to go?” Lena understood now.
She stood to place herself at Dane’s back, both physically and metaphorically. No one could keep her from helping to save Kenzie. Thorne wasn’t her boss. He couldn’t tell her what to do.
“I have a suggestion,” Angel said as she patted the bundle in her arms.
“Babe, I don’t think—”
“I know, I know. I’ve been a little emotional since John was born. But a mother will fight for her child with a vengeance no soldier can ever feel. We can use that.”
“She’ll be a liability,” Thorne said firmly.
“She’ll be an unstoppable banshee blowing down their door,” Angel corrected.
“The Queen of Irrational Mood Swings has a point,” Justin said.
Angel stuck out her tongue and he did the same back to her. Lena almost smiled. These two might actually be fun under normal circumstances.
Thorne let out a breath and stood to pace, tapping his index finger against his chin. “Okay. Angel, you’re home base, you’ll be our eyes and ears. Justin and Garrett will move in for Tobey at the exact time Dane, Lena, and myself move in for Kenzie.”
“Uh, you forgot someone,” Colton raised his hand.
“You’ll watch the baby,” Thorne said.
“You’re serious? I would be an asset. I know the complex.” Colton looked around the group as if they were all crazy.
Lena had to agree. The guy was huge. Why wouldn’t they use that?
“You’re too big of a temptation,” Dane said, shaking his head.
Lena bit her bottom lip as a wave of guilt came over her. She had no plans to turn him over, but she knew from her earlier lack of judgment she couldn’t be trusted when push came to shove. She wasn’t sure what she might do if her choices were taken away. People were capable of doing anything when under pressure, whether it be pulling the door off a car or pulling a gun on a perfectly decent human being.
This was her daughter. She didn’t want Colton too close. Just in case.
“He’s right,” she said softly, apologizing with her eyes.
He pushed out a breath. “Fine. I’m a temptation. He wants me. What Angel said. I’m a father, too. Use me—that—to your advantage,” Colton said.
Thorne glanced at Angel. She was looking down at the baby in her arms, but moved her head ever so slightly from side to side. An imperceptible answer to an unspoken question. No.
She was using Thorne to protect the father of her child.
“I’m sorry, but you’re staying here.” Thorne’s tone was quick and decisive. No one said another word.
Lena understood Dane’s obvious frustration. He was not on the team going after his own son. Though selfishly, she was relieved he would be staying with her. She didn’t know these other people. And pulling a gun on one of them probably hadn’t endeared her to them enough to ask them to risk their lives for her. Her child, maybe, but not her.
As everyone finally dispersed, she followed Dane when he stepped closer to his boss. She wouldn’t be strong enough to stop Dane if he attacked the older man, but maybe she could slow him down slightly.
“Sir—”
“I know what you’re going to say, and I’m sorry, the answer is still no. You’re on Kenzie’s team. Garrett and Justin will be able to get to Tobey. If you don’t want to do that, you can take care of the baby with Colton.”
“No, sir.” Dane pushed past the man and went outside, leaving Lena there with Thorne.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“I have a daughter, too, and I would do anything to keep her safe.” He smiled at Lena. “I’ll leave you to calm him down and talk some sense into him.” He gave her a nod goodnight.
“Thanks a lot,” she said, then sighed before heading out to face her insurmountable task.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Dane walked out into the darkness and breathed in the cool night air. Unfortunately, the tension was still there in his whole body. He was being forced to leave his child’s life in the hands of others. People he loved like family, and knew would risk everything—as he would—to get Tobey out safe. It just…wasn’t the same thing.
He needed to be there. He needed to know his son was okay.
“I’m sorry,” Lena said behind him.
He was happy for her support, but a silly twinge of envy shuddered through him. She was going after her child when he was being denied the same opportunity.
“It’s not right,” she whispered as she came around and snaked her arms around his waist, and held him tight.
He stubbornly held back, until she kissed his chin. Unable to resist the comfort of her, he gave in with a sigh. “No. It isn’t,” he grumbled, not ready to give up.
“I know you want to be on Tobey’s team,” she said, “and I wouldn’t stand in your way if you wanted to push it further. But…I don’t know these other marshals. I’m sure they’re very good. You trust them, so that would be good enough for me. It’s just…I need you with me.”
Dane went still at her words.
Lena and Kenzie needed him.
But Tobey needed him, too.
Dane needed a moment alone.
The rest of the team had already taken the small cabins closest to the bathhouse. Which left the three empty cabins at the end of the row. He walked Lena to the cabin next to Angel and Colton, kissed her forehead, then walked away without a word.
He wasn’t angry at her. It felt good to be needed. But at the moment, he could only think about Tobey. If something went wrong…
Before he realized where he was going, he found himself at the lake. He walked out onto the dock and sat down. The moon reflected off the surface of the water, making pretty silver patterns. But he was in no mood to appreciate the beauty.
“Christ,” he said to no one. He was so tense he wanted to hit something. He pulled up a splinter of wood from the dock with clenched fingers, broke it angrily into pieces, and tossed it into the dark depths.
He was so focused on the ripples in the water he didn’t hear the sound of footsteps on sun-warped wood until they were right beside him.
He looked up to see Thorne sitting down next to him.
“You know I’m right,” his boss said.
Thorne came off as a little harsh, a little rough. It was probably how he had coped with walking away from his wife and child all those years ago.
Dane understood the pain, having done the same thing himself. But that was where they were different. He’d had no choice. His family was being threatened. Dane had known the only way to keep them safe was to take himself—as well as the danger—out of their lives.
It was different for Thorne. As far as any of them knew, he’d willingly accepted a covert, black ops job that would mean walking out on his wife and child for good. He hadn’t been forced into it. His family had never been in danger.
Dane couldn’t
imagine how anyone could do that if they didn’t have to.
“I made a decision, and it was the best one for everyone,” Thorne repeated with a defiant tilt to his head.
“It sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself as much as me,” Dane said, tossing another piece of wood into the lake.
“If you fucked something up and it got Tobey killed, you would hate yourself for the rest of your life. I won’t set you up for that kind of regret. Trust me, it’s unbearable.”
Damn it if he wasn’t right. He’d known in his head his boss was making the best call. His heart just wasn’t ready to accept it yet. He knew Thorne wasn’t making this decision to punish him. He was protecting Dane from the possibility of failure.
“You have regrets, boss?” Dane asked.
“Many.”
“How did you do it?” Dane asked the question he’d wanted to know for years.
“Do what?” Thorne asked, though Dane was sure his boss knew exactly what he meant. He was just stalling.
“How did you walk away from your wife and Samantha?”
Thorne let out a breath and shook his head. He didn’t answer for a long time. The still night stretched out, until finally he spoke again.
“At the time I was offered the position, it wasn’t that difficult to walk away from my wife. My previous job had me away a lot, and she was constantly suspicious. Bitter. My work finished off a marriage that was already struggling.”
Dane could understand that, but he’d had a child, too. Whatever happened between Thorne and his wife, his daughter had paid the ultimate price.
“As for Samantha,” Thorne said, “I figured it would be easier for her if I was completely out of the picture. If I’d stayed in her life, she would have been used to punish me. I wouldn’t get to see her. My wife would fight me at every turn, even if we divorced. With my sensitive job, I didn’t have time for a battle, or to give Samantha the life she deserved. I thought it was better just to disappear.”
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