Chapter 21
Charging through the forest on a makeshift lane, Scott swerved around the debris left by the storm. Grasping the seatbelt across her chest in a white-knuckle grip, Elizabeth prayed they wouldn’t end up wrapped around a tree.
“There!” he exclaimed, slamming on the brakes and expertly controlling the skidding Jeep to a stop.
Peering past him through his window, she spotted a white panel van parked in a clearing near the winding hill road.
“Look out your side,” he said briskly. “Do you see anyone or any movement?”
“Nothing,” she replied, studying the area.
“I’m going directly to the van. You approach taking a wide sweep, but easy does it, move slowly.”
She nodded, then climbed from the Jeep and pulled the gun from her holster. Though she wanted to keep her eyes on Scott as he neared the vehicle, danger could be hiding anywhere in the thick foliage. Her eyes darting from left to right and listening intently for any telltale sounds of human life, the adrenalin pumped through her body. Finally taking a quick glance at Scott, she saw him reach the van and crouch down. Staying on alert as she continued her sweep and started toward him, she was about to break through the thick foliage when she thought she heard a groan. Pausing her step, she held her breath.
“Help me…”
The breathless plea had come from her right. Her arms extended and holding the gun in both hands, she moved cautiously around a huge plant with massive leaves. Suddenly, lying at her feet, Jim Parker oozed blood from a bullet wound to his chest.
“Jim, you’ll be okay,” she promised urgently, crouching next to him. “I’ll be right back.”
Still concerned about the possibility of lurking danger, she couldn’t yell for Scott, but moving as fast as she dared, she broke from the forest and hurried across to the small turnout on the side of the road. Scott was kneeling over a man on the ground with a tourniquet around his leg, while another sat leaning against the van, his face a bloody mess.
“Scott,” she said breathlessly as she hurried forward. “I found Jim, he’s been shot.”
“Not by us,” said the man leaning against the van.
Turning her eyes to get a better look at him, Elizabeth quickly realized his face may have been bloody, but he wasn’t seriously injured.
“Where is he?” Scott asked, quickly straightening up.
“This way,” she replied, breaking into a jog.
“Are you okay?” he asked, easily catching up and running alongside her.
“Yeah, I guess, but what the hell happened? Did they tell you?”
“Jim was supposedly having a heart attack. When they opened the back of the van, Jim and Dan jumped them.”
“Weren’t they handcuffed?”
“Yep, it’s crazy.”
“Thank God your guys are all right. Jim wasn’t so lucky. He’s right here.”
But pushing though the mammoth leaves, she caught her breath.
“We’re too late,” Scott mumbled solemnly, studying Jim’s lifeless body.
“Shit, but… Scott… why would Dan shoot Jim?”
“Maybe it was accidental.”
“Um, don’t get mad at me for asking this,” Elizabeth began tentatively, “but is it possible one of those guys back at the van got another shot off, and Jim made it this far before collapsing?”
“The agent with the tourniquet on his leg is Stuart, and Jake was the one who got beaten up. They’re solid. If one of them had shot Jim Parker they’d say so in a heartbeat.”
“Nope, it wasn’t us,” Jake declared, walking up behind them.
“Hey, Jake, this is Elizabeth McKay. She’s an agent with the DEA.”
“Hi, Jake,” Elizabeth said, shaking his hand. “I didn’t mean any offense. I’m just trying to figure out what happened here. Jim used to be my boss. Can you tell me what went down?”
“Sure. Dan Miller started shouting that Jim Parker was having a heart attack. We were wary, but they were both cuffed with their hands behind their backs. We stopped, opened up the back, Stuart covered me while I went in to check on Parker. The next thing I knew the bastard slammed his fist into my face,” Jake said gravely. “It felt like brass knuckles on steroids. I think he might have had the handcuffs wrapped around his knuckles.”
“Ouch,” Elizabeth muttered, cringing at the thought. “No wonder you’re so bloody.”
“I haven’t looked,” he said with a grimace. “Anyway, Parker snatched my gun, but I managed to body slam him and he dropped it. I got a glimpse of Stuart trying to fight Dan Miller, but Miller did this weird jerky thing with his body, the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. That’s when Parker punched my gut. He knocked the wind out of me then jumped out and shut the doors. I heard a shot—then Stuart opened the doors. He was bleeding from his leg. That’s when we heard the shots. Two of them. I’d just finished tying off Stuart’s leg and calling for an ambulance when Scott arrived.”
“How the blazes did they get out of those handcuffs?” Elizabeth mumbled, shaking her head, but the sound of approaching sirens caught their attention.
“Jake, I don’t have time for an endless visit with the police,” Scott said hastily.
“Not a problem, you were never here.”
“I want to hear more about Dan and his weird body moves. Call me as soon as you can.”
“Sure thing.”
Bolting from the clearing, they darted through the trees and jumped into the Jeep.
“Just as well Jim didn’t find this car and steal it,” she remarked as Scott started the engine and headed back to the house.
“I never leave keys behind, but are you sure you’re okay?”
“Fine, but it was… it is…”
“Weird finding Jim?”
“Yeah, weird and unnerving, and I feel for his family. They won’t just be losing him, they’ll be finding out who he really was.”
“Tough stuff,” Scott said gravely.
“And now Dan’s on the loose,” she added, a worried frown crossing her brow.
“Shit,” Scott grunted, suddenly braking to a stop. “He could be trying to find the house. He might even be there.”
“He may be crazy, but he’s not suicidal,” she remarked. “Why would he take a risk like that?”
“Honestly, Elizabeth, I think he’s obsessed with you,” Scott said, hastily pulling out his phone. “I muted this thing when I approached the van. If the alarm had gone off I wouldn’t have heard it.”
“I love all your security stuff. It’s fantastic.”
“Just a simple home alarm with a few additions thrown in,” he said with a grin. “Nope, no intrusion, no one in the house, we’re good to go.”
Closing her eyes, Elizabeth let out a relieved sigh.
“He’s bound to check out the sailing school,” Scott continued as he drove forward. “I’ll call in for a speedboat and have it waiting at Crown Bay Marina in Charlotte Amalie on the other side of the island.”
“Surely he’ll check there too.”
“He can’t be in two places at once, but Elizabeth, when we get to the house, we still need to be on guard. Just because he didn’t break in, doesn’t mean he isn’t lurking in the bushes. As soon as we get inside, throw your gear together and we’ll go.”
* * *
Sonny Conchello studied the businessmen seated at his table.
He could smell their fear.
They were drinking expensive champagne and enjoying a sumptuous seafood feast, but each of them knew the source of his wealth, and his capacity for unhesitating ruthlessness. Greed had brought them into his world, and greed would keep them running back for more, but it was their fear that guaranteed their loyalty. The international property developer, Bryan Hayes, had just received approval to build a five-star resort on one of the lesser known islands. Conchello’s company would be a significant investor, just as it had been in Bryan’s previous developments.
Sonny’s personal banker, Miles Swans
on, received hefty fees for laundering large amounts of cash.
Steven Forsythe, a well-known Wall Street hedge fund manager, spent hours overseeing Conchello’s portfolio.
Then there was criminal defense attorney Richard Hammond. He had just passed the bar when he’d defended Conchello for dealing a small amount of cocaine outside a high school. Sonny had been eighteen. The two ambitious young men became fast friends. As time passed, and Conchello’s empire grew, he became Richard’s sole client.
Richard was the one man who knew where all the bodies were buried.
Literally and figuratively.
They were bound together by mutual mistrust, fed by anxiety. It kept their relationship in balance and in check, but Sonny worried if Richard fell victim to an untimely end, the deadly information he held would be uncovered.
Sonny didn’t have to worry about the success of his business interests. None of them would dare let him lose a penny, but once a month he’d gather them together to remind them he was their king. He could hand them pots of gold, or cut off their heads.
The meal had been no different from any other. The occasional lewd joke had provoked raucous laughter, and the conversations had been productive, but Sonny had been distracted.
California’s dark underbelly had become embroiled in gang warfare, and the emergence of a new breed of young, rabid, overly ambitious drug dealers had been bad for business. Searching out a new operational base, he’d decided on the Virgin Islands. Once settled, he planned to expand into the southern hemisphere, and possibly pull out of California altogether.
Things had been progressing smoothly. He’d even managed to keep his move under wraps—until the disastrous raid. Like a lightning bolt from hell, it had set into motion a series of hellacious events.
Manny had stolen the sports bag, but he’d been shot before Sonny could question him and recover the money.
Then Elizabeth, the young woman he’d always seen as a sparkling ray of sunshine in his shadowy, violent world, had taken the loot and bolted.
He’d also started to worry about Dan Miller. The detective had seemed preoccupied, and Rosemary had passed along a disturbing rumor. Two of Sonny’s soldiers had been killed during the raid, allegedly one of them at the detective’s hands.
With a tracker on the cash, Sonny knew where Elizabeth was, and he had decided to kill two birds with one stone. He’d sent Elizabeth to the islands where he could take his time and deal with her as he saw fit, and put Dan on her trail to test his loyalty.
The tracker revealed Dan had somehow stolen the cash and stashed it in his hotel room, then the fool had been arrested. Sonny set up plans to snatch him before he could talk, but he’d been handed over to a couple of law enforcement bigwigs. Though an alternate plan was now in place, Dan Miller had created a ridiculous amount of trouble. Sonny couldn’t wait to get his hands on him.
Then there was David Clark, the former DEA agent Jim Parker had recruited. He’d simply vanished, and now Jim Parker was suddenly unreachable.
The man never failed to answer his calls.
Never.
To top everything off, Ewen MacDonald, the tough Aussie, had turned up bloodied and beaten in the servants’ quarters after disappearing for several hours.
Dan Miller, Jim Parker, and David Clark would all be tracked down, interrogated, and disposed of, but Ewen MacDonald wasn’t so cut and dried. His story had the ring of truth.
Elizabeth, however, was another matter entirely.
He needed to learn the truth about her.
The whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
The theft of his money could not go unpunished, though if that was her only crime he knew what he would do with her.
With so much unexpected drama over such a short period of time, Sonny needed to ensure his inner circle remained trustworthy and close-lipped. The businessmen were soft. If they got wind of rough seas, they might be inclined to panic.
Picking up his fork, he clinked it against his glass.
Silence fell across the table.
“I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the party,” he began.
The men mumbled their enthusiasm and nodded their heads.
“Moving down here under the radar hasn’t been easy, but it’s finally done. My only loose end is the mansion in Los Angeles. It’s discreetly for sale. Any takers?”
He inwardly laughed at the men’s startled expressions.
“Kidding!” he exclaimed with an evil grin. “Back to the party. The house will be opened up, except for my private quarters. As usual, I’ll be hosting my VIPs there, and all of you are invited.”
As the group mumbled their delight, Sonny signaled his housekeeper standing nearby. It was time for dessert and coffee. Rosemary nodded and walked away, but as Sonny was about to say a few more words, his phone vibrated. Lifting it from his pocket and glancing at the screen, he discovered it was a text from his informer at the St. Thomas police department. His pulse ticking up, he opened the message.
Dan Miller escaped from the van transporting him to the airport. Another unidentified prisoner was shot and killed. I thought I was supposed to snatch Miller. Did I get it wrong?
“Excuse me,” Sonny said, pushing his hefty body back from the table. “I’ll only be a moment.”
Moving quickly inside, he sent a return text.
You didn’t get it wrong. Send me details. Who was the other passenger? Find Miller. Let me know the minute you have him. Any news on David Clark? For fuck’s sake, get me Elizabeth McKay! If you need help I’ll send it but get the fucking job done.
Waiting impatiently, he stared at the screen. The response finally popped up.
My guys are spread out here on St. Thomas looking for David, but there have been no sightings of him. I’ve ordered them to add Dan Miller to their watch list. The Crown Bay Marina on the other side of St. Thomas is where Dan found Elizabeth McKay with that sailing school captain. Another pair of eyes stationed there would be good.
Sonny paused, then typed his reply.
Send someone there immediately. She is not to be harmed. If anyone is with her bring them too. I prefer Dan Miller alive, but if things get rough I don’t care. Same applies to David Clark.
Yes, boss. I’m on it.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Sonny counted to ten and settled himself.
He had people searching everywhere, and he was confident David, Elizabeth, and Dan would be found and brought to the estate. He’d let them sit and ponder their fate until the night of the party.
After the celebrated and famous left, the three mavericks would be escorted to his private quarters for a special gathering. They’d join Ewen, along with the businessmen sitting around the table.
Sonny smiled as he thought about it.
The monster who lived inside his soul would reveal himself.
A horrifying demonstration of his displeasure would ensue.
Any sinners would gratefully confess.
Those who survived would leave forever changed, and never dare to cross him.
Then the monster would withdraw.
But he was always waiting, just below the surface…
Chapter 22
It was the middle of the day and traffic was light. Knowing it would take a while for the speedboat to arrive at the marina, Scott drove over the hill at a leisurely speed, pondering Jim Parker’s untimely demise and Dan Miller’s dramatic escape. With the operation about to launch, the timing couldn’t be worse.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Elizabeth remarked. “Care to share?”
“I’m just thinking about recent events and their impact on the operation.”
“I wish I could say that, but I can’t,” she retorted. “Why, you may ask? Because I still don’t know any of the details.”
“Okay, okay. This is a good time to fill in the blanks. We’ve had agents embedded with a couple of catering companies for a while, and they’ve been in Conchello’s house several times. The probl
em is, when these companies are servicing an event at the home of a celebrity, the staff isn’t told who it is in advance. It’s a security issue. Famous people don’t want reporters milling around outside. That’s why the information Jim gave you about the party was so important. It’s a big event, and that’s what we’ve been hoping for—well, one of the things. Fortunately, Ewen MacDonald flipped. We sent him back looking a bit worse for wear. We now have eyes and ears inside the house.”
“He did? How did that happen?”
“He’s become terrified of Conchello, and he’s been looking for a way out. He knew the man was a bastard, but—and I’m quoting—I had no bloody idea he was the devil in human form.”
“Good grief, all I ever heard was rumors,” Elizabeth muttered. “I never saw that side of him.”
“Count your blessings,” Scott said solemnly. “Anyway, having Ewen inside is a major plus. He’ll be a snake in the grass when it all goes down.”
“Even so, how can you arrange something with so little notice?”
“The general plan has been in place for a couple of months, but now the other major piece has fallen into place.”
“Which is?”
“Conchello’s encampment, we need to take down simultaneously. As you know, he’s kindly moved his base to my little island. With the information David Clark has provided, we know exactly where it is, how many soldiers are there, and the security it has. Jack is leading that part of the operation. It’s remarkable how everything has come together like a perfect storm.”
“Amazing,” she said thoughtfully. “Sometimes things fall into place with flawless synchronicity.”
He was about to say, like you and me, but paused, worried it sounded too corny.
“Sort of like you and me,” she added with a giggle.
Glancing across at her, a chill pricked his skin.
“It’s just so weird that camp is literally down the hill from your house,” she continued. “Do we have to worry about dropping anchor off the beach?”
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