In a few short hours he’d be wrapping it around his chest and walking up to the VIP area. The terrifying part would be taking it off, removing the cash, and finding a secure hiding place.
Chapter 30
Standing on the balcony of his comfortable home above Coral Bay on St. John Island, Scott raised his binoculars and studied the two boats pulling into the dock. Not wanting to leave the motor launch behind, Danny had followed the speedboat Scott had sent to fetch Elizabeth. Watching him climb onto the dock, except for his physique, the man looked nothing like Dan Miller. Scott was amazed at the man’s ability to disguise himself.
Scott’s quiet sanctuary was only a thirty-minute drive from the bustling area on the other side of the island, yet the atmosphere could not be more different. Coral Bay wasn’t trendsetting or flashy, but a community of friendly, artistic types who cherished the beauty surrounding them. It reminded him of the canyon communities where he’d lived when he was a musician in Los Angeles.
He had left his car at the marina for Pete to drive Elizabeth and Danny up to the house when they arrived. Striding down the hall to the kitchen to brew a fresh pot of coffee, he silently ran through the questions he’d be asking Danny, but he needed to speak with Elizabeth first. When he heard the car roll up the driveway, he hurried to the foyer, opened the front door and greeted them.
“Pete, would you please take Danny through to the kitchen?” Scott asked, after shaking Danny’s surprisingly large hand. “There’s fresh coffee and a plate of pastries on the table. I need a quick word with Elizabeth.”
“Sure,” Pete replied. “Right this way, Danny.”
As they headed off, Scott guided Elizabeth to the staircase.
“This place is terrific,” she said as they climbed up to the second floor. “Is it another safehouse?”
“It’s my home, but I do use it for work sometimes.”
Leading her to the end of a hallway and passing through double doors into his expansive bedroom, he quickly closed them as they entered.
“Wow, this is amazing,” she exclaimed, walking to the sliding glass windows and gazing out at the bay.
“You’ll be staying in here while I speak with Dan,” he said, moving up behind her, “but before I talk to him we have some business to discuss.”
“We do? About—?”
Cutting her off, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the bed.
“I take care of things as they happen,” he said brusquely, sitting on the edge of the mattress and jerking her over his lap. “Even if the timing isn’t great.”
“Scott!”
“Not a word, no squealing and no yelling!” he ordered as he jerked off her shorts and panties. “If you worked for me, you’d be demoted, possibly even fired, but our relationship calls for other disciplinary measures.”
Picking up the hairbrush he’d left ready on the nightstand, he delivered several swift, stinging swats on her naked backside.
“Ow, ooh, what did I—?”
“I told you, not a word,” he retorted, delivering the hard wooden brush against her sit spots. “Speak again and I’ll gag you and spank you harder! What were you thinking?” he demanded, moving the makeshift paddle from cheek to cheek with a steady rhythm. “Taking someone into the house is bad enough, but the security room? You had no authority to do such a thing. I don’t care who he is or how long you’ve known him, you should have checked with me first. What you did is irresponsible and unprofessional,” he scolded as she writhed on his lap. “You’re supposed to be a trained federal agent. Start acting like one.”
As he paused, her gasps and urgent squirming reflected the fierce sting the hairbrush had delivered.
“You’re lucky I’m pressed for time,” he declared. “Crawl off my lap and kneel in front of me.”
* * *
Breathless and red-faced, her skin burning with prickling heat, Elizabeth slid off Scott’s hard thighs and shifted into position.
“Look at me.”
Shocked and mortified, she raised her eyes and stared up at him. A deep frown carved his forehead.
“You’re going to stay exactly where you are until I get back, and you’re going to think about the seriousness of what you did. Blithely allowing a stranger—that’s what he is to me, Elizabeth, a stranger—into that security room is inexcusable. When I return you’ll tell me why you did it, and why it was completely unacceptable. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” she mewled, feeling like a chastised child.
“I already had concerns about you being in the surveillance vehicle tonight. It’s entirely possible you may find yourself staying here.”
“I, uh, yes, Sir.”
As he strode past her and out the door, she quickly rubbed her scorched backside. On the trip from the island to St. John she’d been elated. The last thing she’d expected was a harsh spanking with a nasty hairbrush the moment she arrived. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but not from the sting left by the wicked implement. Scott had trusted her, and she’d let him down.
* * *
Gathering his thoughts as he trotted down the stairs, Scott marched into the kitchen, sat down at the table, and poured himself a mug of coffee. From the corner of his eye he saw Pete walk casually across the room and stand at the door.
“First things first,” Scott declared formally, placing a small recording device on the table. “Who exactly are you? Dan Miller or Dan Sullivan?”
“Both; my last name was Sullivan until my mother remarried, then it became Miller. When I joined the LAPD people called me Dan, but I prefer Danny—especially now.”
“Danny it is. I normally wouldn’t debrief you in my home, but the circumstances aren’t exactly normal.”
“And I wish I could have reached out to you a different way instead of through Elizabeth, but I had to speak with her first.”
“Fortunately it worked out and you’re here now, so let’s get started. I take it you know about Operation Justice.”
“As much as Elizabeth told me, and it sounded fairly detailed. You’ll be going after Sonny Conchello at his house tonight.”
“Correct,” Scott said, keeping his voice even. “You said you have important information and that’s my priority, but when this is over and the dust has settled, I’ll need a detailed account of your association with Conchello and everything that entailed.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Danny replied.
“Okay, what is it you need to tell me?”
“Except for the two guards at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the mezzanine, Conchello’s soldiers won’t be standing around looking ominous. They blend in with the crowd—but they’ll all be wearing a ring with a large, opaque stone. They have earpieces too, but the rings are easy to spot. The stones are cameras.”
“Ah, got it,” Scott said gratefully. “What can you tell me about Conchello’s private quarters? I’ve seen the layout, and I know there are four rooms leading into a circular area. Elizabeth told me there’s a dungeon, a dining room, and what he calls his pharmacy, but she didn’t know much about the fourth room, the Chamber of Conscience.”
Danny had been leaning across the table, but as a pained expression crossed his face, he leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I’m not surprised he’s replicated his private quarters,” Danny remarked. “It was where he conducted business as well as entertained, but the Chamber of Conscience… I don’t know where to start.”
“I take it you’ve been in there,” Scott said solemnly, seeing the stuff of nightmares reflected in Danny’s dark green eyes. “Can you tell me about it?”
“Conchello says it’s where he inspires loyalty. It’s such bullshit,” Danny said, his voice suddenly hoarse.
“Talk to me as though you’re simply reporting facts,” Scott suggested.
“I’ll try,” Dan mumbled, pouring himself more coffee. “He doesn’t have any of his wild boys in there—that’s my term for his soldiers. They’re most
ly young and crazy. Anyway, they’re not allowed in his private quarters. What I’m about to tell you is saved for the higher-ups.”
Scott waited patiently as Danny took a breath and drank more coffee.
“Sorry,” Danny said quietly. “It’s hard to talk about this. Okay, here I go. Several people are tied to desk chairs, the kind with wheels. It’s usually a mix of people he needs to terrify, and those who are there to die. Conchello starts with a speech about how well you’re rewarded if you’re loyal to him. On the floor in the center of the room is a large trap door. Next to it is a handle about three feet high. When the handle is pulled, the trap door falls away, and the person drops three stories into a concrete basement. The lucky ones die on impact. The others are left to suffer until Conchello decides to shoot them. After his speech, he rolls one of the guilty people over it and says ‘this is what happens if you betray me.’”
Scott caught his breath.
He could picture the diabolical scene.
“You actually saw this?” Scott asked quietly. “You watched him pull that lever?”
“No, yes, I mean, I was in there and tied to a chair, but he’s not the one who sends people down the chute,” Danny replied grimly. “He has a housekeeper, Rosemary, except she’s not just his housekeeper. She’s just as twisted and evil as he is. She’s the one who pulls the handle. Tell your people not to believe her sweet smile and warm personality. She’s colder than a glacier in Alaska. They have a bizarre relationship. It’s not sexual, he only sleeps with prostitutes, so I don’t get it, but Scott, if Conchello has an Achilles heel, it’s her.”
“I assume Conchello gave you that Rolex Submariner.”
Recounting the agonizing scene, Dan felt sick to his stomach, but Scott’s unexpected question was distracting.
“Yeah, and I’m planning to sell it,” Dan replied, grateful for the change in subject. “I’d rather give it to charity but I need funding to start over.” Then taking a breath, he added. “Every notch up the ladder in Conchello’s organization comes with a reward, but…”
“But there’s a price to pay?”
Danny nodded his head.
“This watch came with a beating. If I didn’t ask the pummeling to stop, I’d get the promotion and the watch. There are other scenes I’ve heard about but never witnessed, like being locked in a room with a lion. Don’t ask to be let out, you might get a Porsche. Stand against a wall for a sword thrower, you could end up with a bag of cash. Sonny loves to play games and watch people sweat.”
“So it appears,” Scott mumbled, shaking this head. “What else do I need to know about what I might face tonight?”
Danny paused. “I realize you don’t have a lot of time, but I must fill you in about the monastery. It’s important, very important.”
“A monastery?” Scott repeated. “Okay, go ahead.”
“It supposed to house a religious order, but it’s a high-end brothel. He uses it as another way to control his men. He threatens to send their wives or sisters there. Getting information about it was difficult, but I do know it’s frequented by politicians, judges, multinational CEOs, the men with more money and power than any human being should have. It’s Rosemary’s domain. She disappears for a few days every month, and I was told that’s where she goes. Apparently it’s in Santa Barbara. Scott, you have to take her alive. We have to find out where it is and liberate those women.”
As he’d relayed the information, Danny saw the fury reflected in Scott’s eyes.
“Consider it done,” Scott promised solemnly. “Tell me more about this shaft and trap door. Is there any way to disable it?”
But as he’d asked the question, a phone rang.
“If you need to take that, it’s fine with me,” Danny offered. “I could use a quick break.”
“Yeah, I do,” Scott replied, lifting his phone from his pocket and glancing at the screen. “I’ll only be a minute.”
As Scott stepped from the room, Danny rose to his feet, stretched his limbs, and ambled across to the kitchen window to stare out at the bay.
Scott intrigued him.
The security room in his house on the small island appeared to be some kind of command center, and Scott’s bearing and physique suggested a military background. Combined with his commanding presence, Danny didn’t doubt he was a leader, but was he FBI? DEA? CIA?
Glimpsing a yacht gliding through the water, Danny’s mind switched gears. Though his future was uncertain, and his stomach still churned from the dark memories, he was beginning to feel a sense of freedom. The thundercloud under which he’d lived for what seemed like a lifetime was breaking up, and shafts of sunlight were appearing through the gloom.
Hearing Scott return, he readied himself to give more information, but as he turned around he found Scott standing at the kitchen table wearing an odd expression.
“You’re not going to believe this,” Scott said dramatically. “That was one of my captains at the sailing school. A lawyer just called. He has a client who wants to meet me tonight to talk about chartering three of my boats. The lawyer’s name is Richard Hammond. I know Hammond works for Conchello. Danny, I’ve just been invited to Conchello’s party—as a VIP guest.”
Chapter 31
Scott would have to attend Conchello’s party unarmed, but Brad could equip him with glasses fitted with an earpiece, a transmitter, and a micro camera. After calling Frank to give him the update and introduce him to Danny, the chief decided he wanted Danny in the surveillance vehicle monitoring Scott to point out anything of note.
“Elizabeth said she’d be in that van,” Danny remarked. “It will be good to have another pair of eyes familiar with Conchello’s wild boys, especially with all those people in the house.”
“Yeah,” Scott muttered thoughtfully, realizing his anger had passed and Danny was right. Two pairs of eyes were better than one.
“But let’s talk about disabling that trap door,” Danny continued. “From the plans you showed me, the concrete room the victims fall into is next to the wine cellar, just as it was in the mansion back in Los Angeles. I’ll stay in the surveillance van if you want me to, but I can pick those locks, no problem. Climbing up that shaft to sabotage the trap door, though, I don’t know how that will be possible.”
“Then we just have to get into that room before Conchello can use it,” Scott said grimly.
“He sends the VIP guests on their way at midnight then bolts the door, and two guards stay in place at the top of the staircase,” Danny said. “I don’t know how you’ll get in or out once he’s done that.”
“Well, gentlemen, keep me posted,” Frank declared. “Danny, I’m very glad to have you on board. The information you’ve provided is invaluable, especially the password for Conchello’s security system. I’m still amazed it’s Rosemary’s Baby. I’m old enough to remember that horror film, but I’m surprised Conchello even knows about it.”
“It’s frighteningly fitting considering the evil in that film,” Scott remarked. “Irony is not lost on that man. I’ll check back soon.”
“We’ll keep working on ideas for that trap door on this end, but assume it’s not doable. You have to get the bastard and stop him.”
* * *
Danny needed to return Roxy’s boat to St. Thomas, so arrangements were made for Pete to pick him up at the Shady Shack early evening, take him back to St. John, and deliver him to the surveillance van.
“Where’s Elizabeth?” Danny asked as Scott walked him to the door. “I’d like to say goodbye.”
“I’ll tell her for you. She can’t come down at the moment.”
“Scott, I know she can be impetuous at times, and you’re probably not very happy that she took me into that room, but—”
“What makes you say that?”
“It was locked with a code box.”
“Ah,” Scott said with a nod.
“If you knew our history, and understood her state of mind at the time, I think you’d find her lapse in ju
dgment understandable. Finding me at the front door was startling enough, then she heard I’d been posing as Dan Miller.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not an ogre and I’ll bear that in mind,” Scott promised. “I’ll also let her know you came to her defense.”
“I’ll always have her back,” Danny said with the hint of a smile. “I’ll see you later.”
But watching Danny stride to the car, another question suddenly flashed through Scott’s mind.
“Hey, Danny, how did you break into the Jeep?”
“I didn’t,” Danny replied. “I was curled up under the custom cover in the back. I climbed in when you parked at that small house where you held Jim.”
“But—you couldn’t possibly fit in there.”
“At some point I’ll show you how I did it,” Danny promised with a laugh, “assuming we both survive.”
As the car drove off, Scott tried to picture Danny hiding in the small space, but finding it completely ridiculous, and anxious to see Elizabeth, he hurried inside and ran up the stairs. Walking swiftly down the hall to the double doors, he entered the bedroom to find her sitting on her haunches. As she turned her head and lifted her sad eyes, his heart melted.
“I’m really sorry, Scott. Please forgive me.”
Quickly moving across the room, he helped her to her feet and wrapped her into his arms.
“I tried, but I couldn’t stay on my knees. They were killing me.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect to be so long,” he apologized, an unexpected wave of guilt moving through him. “I have some good news. Danny is now officially part of the operation. He had a lot to offer.”
“I’m sure he did. He was privy to a great deal more than I was, but he told me working for Conchello was like sinking in a black swamp and there was no way out.”
“I knew that man was a brute, but I didn’t realize just what a monster he is,” Scott remarked, a frown creasing his brow as he pulled back. “But enough about that. Tell me what you’ve been thinking about.”
Her Very Strict Captain Page 24