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The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret

Page 21

by Karen Whiddon


  The pasture where Diego’s men had chosen to land bordered the parking lot. It was flat and relatively treeless, a good place for a large helicopter to set down.

  Skylar waited, motionless, as the chopper grew closer. She’d have preferred to be right there when they opened the doors, close enough for the wind from the blades to ruffle her hair, but she and Matt had decided she’d hang back. At least until they saw what exactly Diego had planned.

  When the helicopter had completely set down, the pilot kept the blades spinning; she figured he did so to enable him to make a relatively quick getaway if he had to.

  Tense, she felt horribly exposed as she waited for someone to get out. If José truly were a captive, no doubt he would be flanked by two or three guards. Like Matt had speculated, none of them were likely to be Diego.

  On the other hand, if José was part of this, she was a dead woman. Her fingers tightened on her pistol.

  Seconds dragged into minutes. The helicopter continued to vibrate, still in place, but no one exited.

  What the...

  A prickling on the back of her neck warned her. Acting purely on instinct, she sprinted backward toward the stack of hay she’d chosen as cover. She’d barely taken a dive behind it when gunfire erupted from the chopper.

  “Hell.” Peering around a large bale, she returned fire, taking grim satisfaction as she watched one of the men—not José—fall out of the chopper’s open door.

  “Are you all right?” Matt had moved up beside her.

  “Yes.” She shot him a furious look. “How sure are you that José was the one waving earlier?”

  His frown deepened. “Pretty sure.

  “Not a hundred percent. We still don’t know if he’s a captive or part of this.”

  She swore again. “True. Hell we don’t even know if he’s even in that chopper.”

  “Either way, it’s a setup. Just a distraction.”

  As if confirming his words, the helicopter slowly began to rise. As it did, someone inside sprayed the ground with bullets.

  “If they get directly above us, we’re sitting targets,” Skylar warned. “We’ve got to take cover.”

  “The truck’s too far away.” Matt grabbed the side of a bale of hay. “Help me. We can make enough of a makeshift shelter to block us from them.”

  Quickly they swung hay into place, crawling underneath once they had enough room. Skylar braced herself, hoping Matt was right and the thickness of the hay bales would protect them. She tried to remember if she’d ever seen any studies or watched any videos of what happened when a bullet—or in this case multiple bullets—was shot into hay bales.

  But instead of hovering over them, the chopper took off, flying due east, moving fast.

  “They’re joining the other one,” Matt said, helping her out from under the hay.

  “Let me have your cell phone,” she ordered. As he dug it out from his pocket, she snatched it out of his hand and hit the redial button for the last call received.

  She didn’t recognize the voice that answered, but truly didn’t care. “What the hell was that?” she spat. “I was willing to trade myself for José Nivas. Where is he? What have you done with him?”

  Mocking laughter greeted her. “Ah, the federal agent. You’re muy estúpido—much more stupid than I thought.”

  Keeping a leash on her temper, she snarled, “What have you done with him?”

  “The better question,” the man, who must have been Diego Rodriguez, said silkily, “is what we’re going to do with all that free ammunition.”

  “Is this Diego Rodriguez or someone from La Familia?” she said, equally smooth.

  Silence while he digested her words.

  “What do you mean by that?” he asked carefully. She thought she could finally detect a note of fear in his voice.

  “I guess you’ll have to find out, now, won’t you?” she said and ended the call.

  “Well?” Matt demanded as she handed him back his phone.

  “I still don’t know anything. Other than scaring the crap out of Diego—if that was him—all he said was he was planning to nab the ammo.”

  “It’s not that easy,” Matt told her. “I’ve got reinforced-steel doors with a combination, just like a bank vault. They’ll have to use explosives to get in there. And if La Familia shows up...”

  “Not to mention the ATF. How long will it take us to get over there?” she asked, eyeing his pickup and wondering why he seemed to feel no sense of urgency.

  “Depends. If we stick to the roads and go in by the old farm-to-market road, maybe four or five minutes tops. Longer if we drive on the ranch.”

  “Well, come on.” She grabbed his arm. “Let’s go check on your ammunition.”

  Instead of moving, he shook off her hand. “No. I don’t care about that anymore. Your ATF people can take care of Diego and the cartel.”

  “But...” She stared at him. “I thought... Don’t you care about—”

  “I care about José,” he told her bluntly, his expression bleak. “I just want him back safe. I’m done with all the rest—the cartel, Diego, revenge.”

  “You are? Why?”

  Instead of answering, he shook his head. “Now is not the time. Plus, I guess I shouldn’t have said I was done with the cartel. They’ve changed all that by taking José. Now I’ve got to get my best friend back.”

  She said the first thing that came to mind. “You don’t think there’s a chance he’s in the other chopper? Maybe they brought him to pinpoint the exact location of the cave?”

  He cursed. “I didn’t think of that. Come on. Let’s go.”

  They ran to his truck and hopped in. Matt pulled out, tires screeching, driving fast.

  “Hold on,” he told her, the set of his jaw grim. “The roads are gravel and bumpy. Make sure you have your seat belt on.”

  She did—old habit—so she simply nodded.

  They rocketed down the road, skidding on dirt and gravel, hitting ruts so hard they bounced, only their seat belts kept them from hitting the roof.

  “How far now?” she asked, gritting her teeth to keep them from knocking into each other.

  “Once we hit the farm-to-market road, it’s about three miles.”

  As they crested a hill, she saw the choppers parked side by side in a field. Several government-issue vehicles were parked ahead, blocking the road.

  “Looks like the ATF has arrived,” she said.

  “They’re real fond of black, aren’t they?” Matt asked wryly.

  “Yes, they are,” she answered, wishing like hell she could see what was going on inside the perimeter. “It doesn’t look as if they’ve secured the helicopters yet.”

  “I don’t know. The blades aren’t moving.”

  “Good point.” When they reached the first Suburban, which had been parked sideways across the road, two heavily armed agents rushed out to block their way.

  Matt parked. Skylar flashed her ID. “This is the landowner,” she said, indicating Matt. “Let us pass.”

  With the window open, she could clearly hear the sharp report of gunfire.

  “We can’t,” the agent said. “A bunch of heavily armed Mexicans are shooting at each other. There’s been a gun battle going on there. Our team got caught in the cross fire. We’ve radioed for medics. As best I can understand, we have two down.”

  “Out of how many?” she barked. “How many men did we send in there?”

  He gave her a startled look before answering. “Twenty-four. Two teams of twelve. INS officers are en route, and the Texas Rangers are sending men, too. We’ve got the situation under control. Now please stand back.”

  Moving back to the pickup, Skylar and Matt did as he asked.

  “What now?” Skylar asked.

  “There’s a back way in,” Matt told her. “Get in the truck. We’ll drive until we’re out of sight and then we’ll park and go in on foot.”

  “And then what?”

  He made a sound of frustration. �
��I don’t know. I’m guessing we’ll look for José and see if we can rescue him.”

  “While I’m all for action,” Skylar told him, “since we have no way to make the ATF teams aware of our position, between them and the Mexicans, not to mention the INS guys and the frickin’ Texas Rangers, there’s an overwhelming likelihood we’ll get shot.”

  He nodded, his expression fierce. “I understand. You can stay here if you want. But if there’s any way I can get José out, I’m going to take it.”

  Well, damn and double damn. Since hell would freeze over before she’d let Matt go in there on his own, she knew she had no choice. “Fine. I’m in.”

  They drove down the winding road until they could no longer see the ATF vehicles. Matt pulled over and killed the engine.

  “Listen, Skylar,” he began. “This isn’t your battle. You don’t have to do this.”

  Leaning over, she planted a hard and fast kiss on his mouth. “Enough of that nonsense. We’re a team, remember? Come on. Let’s go.”

  Out of the pickup, they could hear the sounds of the gunfire much more clearly. With a sinking heart, Skylar knew that if La Familia had their way, no one would be leaving there alive.

  And the worst part of it was they still didn’t know what José’s true role was in all of this. For his sake, she hoped he hadn’t chosen the wrong side.

  Rifle slung over his shoulder, Matt strode off, looking like a dangerous mercenary from an action flick.

  Hurrying after him, she nearly jumped out of her skin when her cell phone rang.

  “Wait,” she called to Matt. “It’s my boss.”

  Answering, she barely got out her last name.

  “Where are you?” David barked. “Tell me you’re not on-site, disobeying orders.”

  “Um.” Done with skirting the edges of the truth, she grimaced. “Not yet. But we will be there soon.”

  “Hold back,” he ordered. “We’ve secured the scene. We have Diego Rodriguez, José Nivas and various Mexican nationals in custody.”

  Listening, she realized the gunfire had stopped. She repeated David’s words out loud so that Matt could hear.

  “How many dead?” she asked.

  “Two of our men were wounded. I don’t have a body count for the others yet.”

  Again she repeated what she’d heard.

  “Who are you talking to?” David demanded to know.

  “Matt Landeta. He and I were going in the back way to try to rescue José Nivas.”

  “I’m not sure he needs rescuing.” David’s hard tone told her what he thought of men who betrayed their friends. While she could sympathize, she refused to pass judgment until she heard José’s side of the story.

  “What about the ammunition?” she asked dazedly, amazed at the speed with which everything had been settled.

  “That’s why I’m calling you.” David sounded grim. “We just blasted into the caves. We need to have a word with Mr. Landeta.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s no ammunition in there. The damn place is empty.”

  Chapter 16

  As soon as she and Matt showed up at the storefront the ATF was using as temporary headquarters, they were separated.

  Trying not to show her impatience, she answered every question accurately, not really caring if the truth damned her and ruined her career. She’d already disobeyed a direct order. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to continue in law enforcement anyway.

  When she’d finished, she was put in a holding cell and left alone. Her own agency was treating her like a common criminal.

  Her repeated requests to talk to Matt were completely ignored. She didn’t know where they’d taken him or even if he was being charged with some sort of crime. Since they hadn’t found any ammunition, she doubted they’d have a leg to stand on, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t try.

  Even her questions about José Nivas were deflected. She supposed she’d find out eventually when she finally got ahold of Matt.

  At last, after twelve endless hours, she was released and instructed to return home, with orders not to contact anyone involved in the case—especially Matt Landeta. She had a final debriefing scheduled for the following morning at the Dallas ATF office, which was the one she worked out of.

  “I’ve got to go to Matt Landeta’s ranch first,” she told them. “My dog is there, as well as my belongings.” What she didn’t say was that she had to find Matt, too.

  The special agent in charge—who was not David—nodded. “We’ll send an escort with you.”

  “I don’t need an escort.”

  The cold look he gave her made her frown. “Actually, you do. We’ve seized the Landeta ranch until further notice. No one, including Mr. Landeta, is allowed on or off the property without strict supervision.”

  Stunned, she managed not to show it. “Thanks,” she snapped. “Then why don’t you go ahead and drum up this escort so I can be on my way?”

  Her attitude wasn’t earning her any brownie points, she could tell from his furious expression. Again, she found she didn’t care. She had more important things to worry about.

  The wrought-iron gate was wide open. Escorted by two decidedly unfriendly agents, Skylar hurried to the main house and located Talia. Her pet was overjoyed to see her, jumping and spinning in circles. Despite the border collie’s friendly greeting, Skylar’s escort ignored the dog. She wondered if they were made of stone.

  Once she’d taken Talia outside, she went to the little camper and gathered the last of her belongings, trying to ignore both the lump in her throat and her ever- present, unsmiling escort.

  Since disobeying the order to report back for a debriefing, she’d expected this. Whatever other repercussions would come from her actions, she guessed she’d find out when she returned to the office on Monday morning, after taking a few days off, plus the weekend. No doubt David would give her an earful.

  The little rented Volkswagen had vanished. Upon questioning, her escort told her it had been seized and would be returned to the rental agency. She had a brief moment of disquiet, wondering how the heck she was going to get back home, then realized her escort had most likely been told to drive her.

  Though she kept hoping, she saw no sign of Matt.

  Telling herself everything would get straightened out soon enough, she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and marched out to the government-issue vehicle, carrying her bag, with Talia prancing at her side.

  * * *

  Back home, Talia raced around the small house joyously. Eager to explore the familiar surroundings, she barked at the back door to be let out. After letting her go, Skylar roamed her home, full of an aching kind of restlessness.

  She wanted Matt. No, she needed Matt. But her phone never rang and she tried to tell herself—without success—that it was all for the best. For now.

  For the rest of the week and through the weekend, she slept, she ate, she went through the motions, but she never felt truly herself. The combination of anticipation—she kept expecting the phone to ring—and sadness had her numb.

  She wondered what had happened to José. She wondered where the ammunition had gone. But mostly, she wondered how Matt was, if he was holding up, if he needed her. She didn’t know if he was still in custody or had been released.

  Monday morning, her stomach in knots, she reported for work as normal. She hadn’t been inside the building for five minutes when her intercom buzzed and she was instructed to go to David Northrup’s office immediately.

  Shoulders back, head held high, she did.

  “Have a seat,” he said. Unable to tell from his tone whether she was about to be berated or not, she sat.

  “We’ve been named in a lawsuit,” he told her. “Along with the ATF, you’ve been named personally.”

  Of anything he could have said, she hadn’t expected this. “A...lawsuit?”

  Expression drawn, he slid a paper across the desk toward her. “Matt Landeta. He’s suing us for entrapment, i
llegal entry and theft of property, among other things. You’re being named personally as the one who did the entrapping. You should expect to be served sometime today.”

  “Sued?” Though she knew she kept repeating his words, she didn’t really know what else to say.

  Lips tight, he nodded. “There’s more. Landeta has also filed a restraining order. You’re not to contact him or go within five hundred feet of him.”

  She couldn’t speak. She felt sick. In fact, she suffered as if she’d been punched in the stomach. It took every bit of her willpower to keep from doubling over.

  Back ramrod straight, she accepted the second sheet of paper he slid over to her.

  “Read these at your leisure,” David told her. “In fact, you might want to consult with an attorney. As of right now, you are officially on mandatory leave until notified. I’ll have someone escort you to your desk so you can clean it out.”

  Horrified, she could only shake her head. “That’s what you do when people have been fired. Everyone will think...”

  He shrugged, clearly not caring. “I’ll make sure they know that’s not the case.” Pressing his intercom button, he asked to have Agent Delvecchio sent in.

  When he’d finished, he looked right at Skylar, expression blank, as if he didn’t really see her. “That’ll be all, Agent McLain. We’ll call you if we need anything.”

  Skylar didn’t move, even though the other agent stepped into the room. “I have a few questions. How long will I be on leave? I assume it’s paid leave?”

  “It is paid, and as I said, you’ll be on leave until you’re notified otherwise. Any more questions?”

  Standing, praying her legs didn’t give out from under her, she shook her head. Agent Delvecchio opened the door for her.

  As she walked to her desk, accompanied by her silent escort, she felt the eyes of everyone on her. Heart pounding, she cleaned out her desk as quickly as she could, hating that she’d been made to feel like a criminal.

  Worse, what the hell was up with Matt? She couldn’t understand why he’d file a lawsuit to begin with. And to name her in it, as if she had replaced Diego Rodriguez as his enemy, defied comprehension.

 

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