He’d barely started on his recitation of the facts, and the coffee was still brewing, when a knock sounded at the door. Eloise gave the detective an inquiring look, and he nodded. After a brief conversation, a very large, blond man followed her into the room.
His piercing blue gaze went straight to Wyatt. “I’m Wolf, an associate of Luna’s. I assume you’re Wyatt Stone?”
“Yes. Thanks for coming so quickly.”
Brasher’s lips tightened. “If you don’t interrupt my questioning, you can listen in.”
The newcomer went to stand beside a cage containing a large lizard. “Fair enough.”
“Continue, Mr. Stone. You and Talia went for a morning run. What time was this?”
“Just after seven.” He outlined the sequence of events leading up to the attack.
The detective looked up from his notepad. “Describe the man who grabbed Talia. Anything that might help us identify him.”
Wyatt glanced over at Wolf. “The guy was large, nearly as tall as he is but heavier. And strong as a bull. I’d guess he regularly lifts weights. He wore a ski mask, so I didn’t see his features, but he was Caucasian with brown eyes.”
His breathing accelerated as he relived his struggle with his much larger opponent. The building fear and desperation when he realized he was losing the battle. “He was probably around my age or a little older, late thirties or early forties. He wore jeans, a thin blue jacket, and tennis shoes. I didn’t see the driver of the van. Everything happened pretty damn fast. The asshole who grabbed Talia kicked me to the curb, literally, after I punched him, and the van took off.”
“Any distinguishing marks? What about his voice?”
“He didn’t speak, and everything but his hands was covered. They had dark hair on their backs, but his skin was fairly pale.”
Brasher made a note. “After the van took off, you went up to Ms. Davis’s apartment? Why didn’t you call 9-1-1 immediately?”
“I left my phone in her apartment. I was looking for it in the mess when Eloise walked in and confronted me. She said she’d already called you.”
“Would you mind clarifying your relationship with Ms. Davis.”
“We met a week ago in Santa Monica. I solve historic mysteries on my show, and I’d put out a plea to the public, looking for antique silver spoons that are related to my current project. Talia has one of them and came to ask me a few questions.”
Brasher’s brows shot up. “That’s quite a stretch to you spending the night with her.”
“I was filming in the D.C. area and flew up to Boston to try to convince her to appear on my show. It was late when I arrived, and she was cleaning up from the previous break-in. I helped, and she offered me her couch to sleep on.” His neck heated. “We aren’t involved, but I was worried about her safety after she was attacked.”
Behind him, Wolf snorted. “Talia wanted protection?” His tone was skeptical.
“No, but we were talking, and—” He broke off, his irritation growing. “Look, I realize I wasn’t much use against the man who grabbed her. Am I a suspect?”
“Let’s just say you’re a person of interest until I verify your story.” The detective turned to Eloise. “I’ll take a cup of that coffee now, Mrs. Johnson. If you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. I’ll get it for you.”
When she hurried off toward the kitchenette, he followed. “I have a few questions for you while we’re drinking our coffee.”
Wyatt’s attention was drawn back to Wolf when the man moved away from the caged lizard and approached to sit on the arm of the couch.
“Do you believe I’m telling the truth?”
“I have no reason not to. You wouldn’t have called me if you were tied to the men who grabbed Luna.” His eyes were cool. “She wasn’t armed at the time?”
“No. She didn’t think the guy who tossed her apartment would be back. I don’t get why they searched her studio again. It makes no sense.”
“This is the first I’m hearing about an incident yesterday. What happened?”
“Some jerk trashed the apartment and then attacked her when she came home. She kicked him in the balls, but he got away. Talia thought the punk was looking for her spoon. You know about that?”
“She showed it to me. Said it belonged to James Madison and was key to some old government plot. Or something like that.” His brows lowered. “He didn’t find it?”
“No. She left the spoon in her office at work.”
“And you have no idea who would want the damn thing bad enough to attack her?”
Wyatt shook his head. “I don’t have a clue. Only a few people on the crew even knew Talia had one. None of them would have any reason to—”
“You can’t possibly know what their motives might be. If someone on your crew has connections in Boston—” He broke off when his cell rang. After pulling it from his pocket, he glanced at the screen and let out a breath. “It’s Luna.”
“Thank God.” Relief flooded through Wyatt, and he sank back against the couch cushions. “She must have gotten away.”
Wolf swiped to connect. “Let’s hope.”
Chapter Eight
Talia struggled against the straps binding her to the dining room chair and swore beneath her breath when they didn’t give so much as an inch. The man who’d hauled her inside the house was currently in the next room with the driver, arguing about how best to proceed. Occasionally a loud word or two reached her ears, but her satisfaction at having created tension between them was short-lived.
Footsteps approached, and both men entered the room. Neither wore masks. The big man had dark hair sprinkled with gray and brown eyes that held a nasty hint of temper.
“You’ll call your friend who has the spoon and ask him to drop it off, or—”
“Or what? You’ll kill me?” Talia gave him a narrow-eyed stare. “Seems a foregone conclusion at this point.”
“Or I’ll make you wish you were dead. You don’t want to piss me off, bitch.”
With an effort, she held back a sharp retort. There was no point in antagonizing him before she put together a workable plan.
The second man was older and thinner. He jammed his hands into the pockets of his loose jeans and glanced toward the window where light streamed between the partially drawn drapes. “Where do you want him to leave the damn thing? Not here.”
“Hell, no. We need a place that won’t arouse suspicion.” His brows lowered as he glanced her way. “Your apartment will be swarming with police by now. Who is this person, anyway?”
Talia hesitated for a moment before saying a name she’d never planned to speak aloud. Shouldn’t even know, except her curiosity had gotten the best of her. “Brody Grant. He and his wife are good friends of mine.”
“Hey! I’ve heard of that guy.” The driver’s eyes widened. “Isn’t his father a senator? I don’t know if we should get mixed up with—”
“We don’t have a choice.” His partner’s lips clamped into a tight, angry line.
“If you think you can simply break into the Grant estate to get my spoon, you’d better think again. They have security.”
“I’m not an idiot.” He paced across the room to pull back the drapes. “Christ, who would have thought this job would turn out to be so freaking complicated. Let me think for a minute.”
Talia threw out another sliver of bait. “I could ask Brody to meet me for lunch.”
“Do I look like a fool?” His voice rose as he spun around. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
“He won’t hand the spoon over to a complete stranger.” She gave him a defiant stare. “Look, we’d already planned to meet this morning at the gym where he plays racquetball. If I don’t show up, he’s going to wonder why—”
A broad smile revealed a crooked front tooth. “You’ll call and tell him you’re going to be late, to just leave the spoon at the front counter.”
Jackpot. With an effort, she produced a defiant stare. “Why would
I do that?”
He walked over and grabbed her chin, his hard fingers biting into her skin. “Because if you do as I ask, maybe I won’t hurt you before I kill you.”
Her eyes watered from the pain. “If you let me go, I won’t say a word to the police. I swear.”
“Maybe if you’re nice to me while my buddy retrieves that spoon, we can talk about your options.” He released her chin and leaned in until his face was inches from hers. “Shall we have some fun while we wait?”
“What the hell?” The driver pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and paced across the room, waving one clenched fist. “I’m not going to go get it. What if there’s a problem? I signed up to drive the van, not to—”
“Jesus Christ.” Her tormenter stepped back. “Don’t get your shorts in a bunch. I’ll go fetch the damn thing. Do you think you can manage to keep an eye on our guest until I get back?”
“God, you’re an asshole. If you weren’t my cousin—”
“Shut up, will you.” The man in charge pulled a holstered revolver from beneath his jacket and pressed the cold barrel to her temple before handing over her phone. “Call Grant and tell him to leave the spoon at the front counter of the gym. Put the call on speaker so I can hear. If you try anything, I’ll blow your brains out.” He pushed harder. “Are we clear?”
Talia nodded. “Crystal.” She turned on her phone, waited while it powered up, then engaged the speaker. Tapping in Wolf’s cell number with her bound hands was awkward, but she managed. The second the call connected, she spoke quickly before he could say anything. “Brody, I’m so glad I reached you.”
He was silent for a moment. “What’s up, Talia?”
She nearly sagged in relief when he picked up on her cue and used her given name instead of calling her Luna. “I know I said I’d meet you at the gym this morning to get my spoon, but I’m running late and don’t want to mess up your schedule.” She glanced up at the man holding the gun. “Was your housekeeper able to get all the tarnish off?”
“Uh, yeah. It looks great. Do you want to meet me later instead?”
“No, just leave it at the front counter at Sunrise Fitness.” She named a popular gym close to Counterstrike headquarters. “I’ll pick it up once I’m free. Does that work for you?”
“Sure. I’m on my way there now and will drop it off by nine. I hope everything’s okay?”
The asshole jammed the barrel harder into her skull, and she grimaced. “Everything’s fine. I’m sorry I won’t see you, but we can catch up some other time.”
“Sounds good.”
“Hey, thanks a lot for getting that spoon cleaned for me. I probably won’t recognize it without all the tarnish.”
“No problem. You know I’ll always have your back.”
She forced a light laugh. “You’re the best. We’ll talk soon.”
“Sure. Bye, Talia.”
A hard hand clamped over hers as her captor disconnected and took her phone. After holding down the button to power it off, he stuck it into his pocket. “You didn’t need to be so chatty.”
“If I’d been curt, he’d have wondered why. I did what you asked. Can you—”
“I don’t have time to listen to you whine.” He stepped back and holstered his weapon before glancing at his watch. “Hell. It’s twenty to nine now. Where’s this gym?”
“In the Back Bay on Boylston near the public library.” She forced a quaver into her voice. “You don’t want to kill me. I can get my hands on money. A lot of it. If you let me go—”
“After I get back, we’ll discuss your offer.” His eyes narrowed. “My life won’t be worth shit until I turn over that spoon.”
“Whatever the person is paying you, I’ll pay more.”
“It’s not always about money, but maybe we can make a deal.” He brushed past his cousin on the way out of the room. “Keep a close watch on her.”
“I will. Just get that damn spoon so we can get the hell out of here.”
“Once I do, my old pal with all his high-powered connections is going to owe me.” His laughter echoed in the quiet house as he headed toward the front door. “And that’s worth far more than money in the bank.”
* * * *
Wyatt stared at Wolf, his heart beating like a jackhammer as the other man disconnected. “What did Talia say? Where is she? Did she get away?”
Brasher left the kitchen and hurried over. “She contacted you?”
Wolf nodded. “She’s still being held hostage.” A slight smile curled his lips. “But she set a plan in motion, and all I have to do is follow her lead. Damn, that woman is smart. And resourceful.”
“What plan?” Wyatt rose to his feet. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know, but the bastard who wants that spoon will lead me straight to her. I just need to call Patch and—”
“Are you serious?” Brasher’s voice rose a few octaves. “This is a police matter. Give me the info, and I’ll—”
“I’m not risking it.” Wolf barely glanced at the detective before tapping his phone. “Let Counterstrike handle this. I’ll call you the second we have Luna secured.”
“Son of a bitch!”
Wolf ignored Brasher as he spoke into his cell. “A couple of assholes grabbed Luna this morning. Who’s there at headquarters with you?” After a brief pause, he fired off orders. “I need you and Silas in a vehicle outside Sunrise Fitness as fast as you can get there. Tell GQ to wait in his car nearby. I’ll contact you both as soon as I have eyes on our target.”
Wyatt surged to his feet. “If you’re going after Talia, I’m coming with you.”
The big man disconnected and headed toward the door before stopping. “Dammit. Do you know where Luna put that antique spoon of hers? I need it, and I don’t have any time to waste.”
“She said it’s in her desk, but—”
“I have several old silver spoons.” Eloise pointed at a rack hanging on the kitchen wall. “If it would help, take whichever one you want.”
Wolf turned toward Wyatt. “Will the thugs who have her know the difference?”
He walked over and studied the spoons before pulling down one with a spray of roses engraved on the handle. The metal was shiny but thin and worn with age. “I don’t see how they would. This one is similar to mine in shape.”
“Then bring it and let’s go.” He offered Eloise a quick smile. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Anything to help Talia.”
Brasher followed them out of the apartment and down the stairs, taking them two at a time and huffing to keep pace. “I’ll ride with you, and you can explain exactly what you intend to do.” His tone brooked no argument.
“Shit. Fine. Maybe you’ll be useful.” Wolf led the way to a Mercedes coupe double parked next to the detective’s car. “Both of you get in.”
Wyatt crawled into the small backseat while Brasher took the passenger side. Wolf started the engine and darted out into the street before the detective had even shut the door. “We’re about ten minutes from our destination if we don’t hit too many red lights.”
“Are those assholes coming to get the spoon?” Wyatt leaned between the seats. “Will they bring Talia with them?”
“My guess is one man will stay wherever they have her stashed, and the other will come to retrieve the spoon. I’ll drop it at the front counter of the gym per her instructions and wait for someone to show.”
“Then what?” Brasher gripped the arm rest as Wolf blew through a yellow light.
“Once this guy leaves the gym, Patch and Silas can follow for a short distance before GQ takes over. I don’t want him to make a tail, and with traffic, we can’t afford to stay too far back and risk losing him. We’ll fall in after GQ peels off. They can’t be too far from here since the call came not much more than a half-hour after the abduction.”
“Your team is organized. I’ll say that much for you.” The detective’s tone was grudging.
Wyatt felt like he’d stumbled i
nto a scene from a James Bond movie. If he hadn’t seen Talia dragged off with his own eyes, he wouldn’t believe anything that had happened in the last thirty minutes was real. Giving his head a shake, he focused on what Wolf was saying.
“Once we have a location, we’ll move in quickly and quietly to rescue Luna. I’ll happily leave you and your men to clean up afterward.”
“Mop up the blood, you mean. I know how you operate, Wolf.” Brasher practically spit out the words.
“Why are you complaining? Your nephew made it out alive, and you remain gainfully employed. I still can’t believe you pulled that off after what went down last year.”
Tension filled the car like a cold, dense fog. Wyatt didn’t give a crap what had happened between the two men in the past. All he cared about was Talia. And if push came to shove, he’d put his money on Wolf to get results.
“How can I help?” His question broke the uncomfortable silence.
“Keep your eyes open and stay out of the way.” Wolf’s pale blue gaze met his in the rearview mirror as he stopped at a red light. “I realize you’re concerned about Luna, but we know what we’re doing. We’ll get her back safely.”
“Do you think they’ll hurt her? Maybe already have?” Wyatt forced out the words, afraid to hear the answer.
“She’s a professional. She’ll play her hand perfectly and come out on top, just like always. All we’ll need to do is go in and pick her up.”
He was pretty damn certain it wouldn’t be that easy, but he kept quiet as Wolf parked half a block away from the fitness center.
“There’s Patch.” He nodded toward a black Suburban easing into a tight spot on the side street across from them. “GQ will be around somewhere, staying out of sight for now. Let me have that spoon.”
Wyatt slapped it into his palm. “This better work.”
“We’ll make it work.” A pulse throbbed at his temple. “Luna is one of us, and we take care of our own.”
For the first time, emotion and anxiety showed beneath the man’s steely composure. Wyatt wasn’t sure if it made him feel better to know how much he cared—or worse. Wolf definitely wasn’t as confident as he’d have them believe.
Ominous Legacy (Counterstrike Book 4) Page 10