Twenty minutes later, he tugged weakly on the jacket sleeves and adjusted his shirt collar with shaky fingers. The black Armani suit was the one he’d worn the night he’d taken Danielle to her favorite restaurant, and Chad had found a silver-gray shirt to go with it. He’d already soaked the shirt with sweat. The shoes were his old slip-ons and he didn’t need any damn socks.
The biggest surprise came when Michael casually tossed a pair of sunglasses over the seat. “Chad gave me these, said he’s been keeping them for you.” They were his favorite pair and he needed them too, because he’d gotten a glimpse of his clean shaven face in the rearview mirror. He put the sunglasses on with trembling hands. Until the jet was in the air, he wouldn’t be free of the horrific CIA agent and the terrifying specter of an Egyptian torture prison.
A slamming car door had him gasping in terror. He’d fallen sound asleep. Gabriel and Michael were already out of the car. Gabriel opened his door and leaned inside. “We’re here Rowan. There’s your jet. Are you going to be able to walk up the stairs?”
The sleek black jet crouched like a powerful bird on the tarmac. He nodded at Gabriel and lurched to his feet, hanging onto the door frame so he wouldn’t collapse. By God, he’d make it on that aircraft if he had to crawl up the stairs. Chad appeared at his side, gave him an affectionate smile and held out an arm. He tried to smile back, but his swollen face hurt too much. Taking a hold of Chad’s arm, with Gabriel on the other side, he managed to limp to the jet.
Pausing at the bottom of the air stairs, he saw Michael passing a wad of cash and the car keys to an attendant. Focusing on the stairs, he took one agonizing step after another, following Chad, with Gabriel supporting him from behind. Once at the top, he leaned against the wall, too weak to move any further. He pulled the sunglasses off and saw Ralph, buckled into a seat and smiling at him. “Welcome back, Rowan.”
Chad placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good to have you back, brother. Now let’s get the hell out of here.”
Gabriel tugged on his arm, pointing down the aisle. “C’mon Rowan, I’ve got everything set up back in the aft cabin. You can lie down as soon as I take a listen to your chest. Can you slide out of that jacket? And when’s the last time you had food?”
Reality wavered and he frowned at his colleague. “Can I… What? I don’t remember.”
Gabriel shook his head. “We’ll hook up an IV for the trip. I’ve got some meds too. You’ve got serious pain issues and I don’t want you to suffer.”
That someone didn’t want him to suffer was a novel concept. As he staggered toward the back section of the large cabin between Chad and Gabriel, a movement caught his eye, and he saw the lavatory door opening at the back of the jet. Who else could be onboard? His mouth hung open and shock rolled over him when Danielle stepped through the door and smiled.
Michael’s sharp voice intruded on the moment as he bounded into the aircraft. “All right, Rowan, we need you on that divan, and Danielle and Gabriel, you sit back there, too. Folks, we’re ready to head west, at a high rate of speed.” The aircraft door went shut with a muted thud, and the engines whined as they started to taxi.
Slumped on the soft leather, legs stretched out in front of him, he looked at Danielle, wondering again if he was hallucinating. She sat cross-legged next to him and thankfully hadn’t tried to touch his body. Gabriel plopped down on his other side. “I don’t want to butt in here, but while we taxi, let me listen to your breathing and get you hooked up to these drugs. Danielle, you’ll stay right by him, yes? Because your lover here, he got himself beat up and it’s gonna be lights out until we get to Kauai. I think we better keep his head elevated too, so he can breathe easier.”
Danielle reached for his hand, then stopped and looked at him. Grasping her hand, feeling the soft warmth, he closed his eyes. She was real. He heard the determination in her voice when she answered Gabriel. “Yes, I’m staying right here. We’ll use this pillow. Rowan, you can lay your head in my lap.” The jet engines revved and the impressive aircraft hurtled down the runway, taking off with a thunderous roar. The thrust of the engines pushed him back against the seat. Thank God, it was over – and he was free.
Gabriel helped him lie down and he barely felt the IV needle sliding into a vein in his hand. Floating into pain-free unconsciousness, he sensed a presence with no beginning or end, overflowing with kindness…toward him. The last thing he heard was the gentle voice, whispering like a golden thread through his soul. Rowan, you’re welcome.
* * *
As soon as she knew Rowan had lapsed into unconsciousness, Danielle let her smile fade away. She’d wanted to kiss him, needed to feel his arms around her, but it would be days or even weeks before he could comfortably do either. At least he was alive and safe. And after five dreadful months, she was with him.
Smiling through the tears glimmering in her lashes, she touched the bruises on his cheeks and slid her fingers into his shorter but still shaggy hair. A nagging fear tugged at her heart. Rowan had been withdrawn, in shock, and the way he breathed made her wonder if he had pneumonia. Would he be all right? Would she be able to help him? Looking up, she saw Chad coming and swiped hurriedly at the tears dripping down her cheeks.
Chad stepped into the aft cabin, glancing at Gabriel, who was already reclined and snoring in the single club chair across the aisle. He stopped, gazing down at Rowan with a sad smile. “I can hardly believe this is over. It’s a good thing we got him out of there when we did. I’m not sure he could have taken much more.”
She cradled Rowan’s head between her hands and looked up. “I can’t imagine what he’s been through…and I don’t know how to help him get past the suffering.”
Chad yawned and rubbed his eyes before responding. “I’m afraid it could be a long road back this time. I think maybe he’s had one too many mind-blowing traumas, if you know what I mean.”
* * *
Friday Afternoon
Staring in barely controlled frustration at the bland face of the Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman, Sal dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a tissue. “Sir, am I free to go? It’s been a most interesting day, but I have other commitments.”
The chairman smiled benignly. “Thank you, agent Capello. You are free to go. Have a nice afternoon.”
Without bothering to answer, he strode out of the room. The meeting he’d been forced to attend had absolutely nothing to do with his areas of expertise as a field agent. The wasted morning had granted his prisoner a brief reprieve, but now, he planned to meet Rodney Ainsley and Muusa Shemal at Quantico. The three of them were going to confront Rowan Milani one last time. If that didn’t make his recalcitrant prisoner talk, he planned to water board the stubborn fool until he got answers. Chuckling as he slid into the back seat of the Yellow Cab Lincoln Town Car he’d reserved, he thought of the pleasure he’d take in making the obdurate man beg him to stop the procedure. Today, he would find Rowan Milani’s breaking point.
His cell phone beeped with a message. Irritated after listening, he punched in his colleague’s number. “Rodney, its Sal. Did you say something happened to your mother? Is there some way I can help you with that? Your message kept breaking up. Are you with Shemal?”
Ainsley sounded stressed out. “Damn it Sal, somebody set me up with a terrible – a monstrous prank. I’ve been in Roanoke all day. I’m just leaving now. Have you gotten any information out of Hassani yet? I’d like to have something for the president before you transport him.”
It was nearly three o’clock in the afternoon. “Rodney, I was waylaid too, with a worthless Intelligence Meeting. I’m just arriving at Quantico now.”
Listening to Ainsley expound on how he’d been fooled into thinking his mother had suffered a life-threatening accident, he made his way to the isolation wing of Quantico’s brig. Stepping into the brig’s observation room, he glanced at the monitor, expecting to see Rowan lying on the bed. Scowling when he saw that the cell was empty,
he thought his prisoner must still be in the infirmary.
An agent stepped into the room. Interrupting Ainsley’s diatribe, he muttered, “Rodney, hang on a sec.” Turning, he addressed the man who’d just slid into the chair in front of the monitor. “Call the infirmary and tell them to move Rowan Milani back here ASAP. Get your team together. We’re going to water board him again this afternoon and possibly this evening.”
The agent looked up at him, confusion in his eyes. “The FBI transferred Rowan Milani this morning, agent Capello. I’m waiting for the arrival of a new prisoner.”
Speechless, he stared at the man. Ainsley’s disembodied voice crackling in his ear brought jarring clarity. He knew exactly what had happened. The sneaky motherfucker had done it again. But how, in broad daylight, had his prisoner walked out of the brig at Quantico? “Rodney – Rodney listen to me. Rowan Milani is gone. Supposedly the FBI moved him out a couple hours ago. Tell me you approved that order.”
Ainsley sounded apoplectic. “WHAT? I did no such thing. I’ll be damned if that guy and his friends haven’t fucked us over, Sal. Not only do we lose the intelligence, we damage our relationship with Mr. Shemal. Not to mention the incredible embarrassment of losing him again. I don’t know if my career can survive this.”
Willing Ainsley to shut up, all semblance of patience vanished as the enormity of the debacle settled into his mind, and he responded angrily. “Forget about the embarrassment, Rodney. Get back here as soon as you can. I’ll check all the security cameras. They can’t have been good enough to avoid getting their pictures taken.
Alert your people. I’ll call the District cops and get them in the private side of Dulles and Reagan. The son of a bitch can’t have gotten far, and if his buddies think they’re going to get away with my jet again, they’ve got another thing coming.”
A mind-boggling hour later, he realized that whoever had taken Rowan Milani had bested them on every level. It was almost as if the two men escorting him had known the exact location of every camera. At each juncture, he’d gotten either the back of a bent head or a face covered by a cap pulled low. The government license plate on the car traced to nothing. Black Mercedes sedans were common in the D.C. metropolitan area, creating another dead end. Although he thought his operatives should have questioned FBI agents arriving in a Mercedes to transport a prisoner, none of them had.
Even the camera at the gate into Quantico had left them with nothing more than a cap, once again pulled down. The man driving the car had known better than to lower his darkened window any further than necessary. The agents – his hand-picked men – who’d transferred custody could remember only that both FBI special agents had proper ID and official paperwork that matched orders pending in the system. They also thought one of them was Hispanic.
The entire operation had taken expert planning, formidable hacking ability, and just plain balls. Much as he’d like to get his hands on each and every one of Rowan Milani’s loyal cohorts, Sal had to admit, he admired their panache. They must care a hell of a lot for the stubborn man, because they’d risked everything to save him. And if they had the CIA’s jet, they could be literally anywhere in the world. Grinding his teeth in angry frustration, he made himself a promise. If it was the last thing he ever did, he would track down and apprehend Rowan Milani.
* * *
Friday Evening
Danielle looked at Rowan, hunched over on the edge of the bed in their suite. His eyes still had a shell-shocked, remote look, and his face was gaunt. Watching him struggle to get up after they landed and then walk with help from Gabriel and Chad had been heartbreaking. Gabriel had promised to be back with another injection of pain medication, and she hoped he wouldn’t be long. Sitting down next to the man she loved so much, stroking his hand, she wondered again if he was going to be all right. “Can you help me get you out of these clothes? You have to know I can’t wait to get my hands on you.”
Rowan turned toward her and she shivered at the faraway look in his eyes. Had he even heard her? Then he blinked and seemed to focus on her face. “I missed you, so much.”
Squeezing his hand lightly, she smiled. “I missed you too and I’m glad it’s all over. Let’s get you out of this suit and into bed.”
Rowan took a breath and winced. Watching him tug on the suit jacket with trembling fingers brought tears to her eyes. While he sat, shallow breaths rasping, she slid the jacket off his shoulders and gently down his arms. As she unbuttoned his shirt, she saw the sheen of sweat on his face and neck. The pain must be unbearable. She hoped again that Gabriel wouldn’t be long.
Taking it slow because she didn’t want to cause him even more agony, she peeled his shirt off, careful of the IV needle and the tubing taped to his hand. Blue-black, purple and angry red bruises covered his abdomen and ribs. The bandages on his wrists were rusty with patches of dried blood.
Gently skimming his arm with her hand, she smiled when he looked at her again. “Hey, Rowan, we’re almost there. Can you stand, if I help you?” He gave her a faint nod, groaning when she helped him stagger to his feet. Flinging the covers back, she made short work of the suit pants and then stopped. God in heaven, he was wearing white briefs, and she knew how much he hated them.
“Oh my, let’s get rid of this crap.” Tucking her fingers in the waistband, she pulled the nasty tightie whities as he called them down his quivering legs. Even his knees were bruised and cut. Above his ankles, she could see where leg irons had scraped his skin. When he sank back down on the edge of the bed, she gave him the most encouraging smile she could muster. He stared right through her. Stifling a sob, she touched his shoulder. “OK, into bed you go.”
Perspiring now, she lifted his legs into the bed and tugged the briefs off his feet. Pulling the covers to his chin, she made a face at the white underwear and tossed them in a waste basket in the corner. Where was Gabriel? Rowan was in far worse shape than she’d imagined possible. Could he recover from the trauma? Would he want to? Hearing the outer door open, she spoke, voice ragged. “Come in.”
Gabriel burst into the room, bringing relief for Rowan in the syringe he clutched in his hand and the IV pole he dragged along with him. “Hi Danielle, we’ll get the IV going again. I set up the machine in here before we left. In the morning we’ll see about getting him to eat something.” Watching him work, she fought to maintain her composure. But when Gabriel paused and gave her a kind smile, the fragile grip she had on her emotions crumbled, and she turned away. Warm hands on her shoulders gently turned her around. “There, there, take it easy honey. Rowan’s going to be just fine.”
Hiccupping through the tears, she heard the desperate fear in her voice. “No, you don’t understand. He’s – it’s like Rowan is gone. I don’t even know if he realizes where he is or that he’s safe now.”
Gabriel tilted his head toward the door. “Come with me for a sec.” Once they were out of the bedroom, he drew her close in a tight hug and then held her at arm’s length. She sniffed and peered at him through burning eyes. Gabriel frowned ruefully and squeezed her arms. “I didn’t want to say this in front of Rowan. On our way to D.C., I researched the jerk who interrogated him. He’s a well-known CIA senior field agent who is lauded all the time for his ability to get actionable intelligence from detainees.”
Gabriel smiled, but she could see the sadness in his eyes. “The CIA says his techniques are incredibly effective. Rowan didn’t give in. We don’t know everything that happened, but obviously the agent worked him over hard. Handling that kind of barrage took everything he had. It’s going to take him some time to recover, both physically and mentally. Just be with him. Trust me, honey, I know Rowan. He’s very resilient, and he cares for you, more than you know. Being with you will bring him back and help him heal.”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “All I want…” She returned his smile and managed to keep her lower lip from trembling. “From the first time I ever saw Rowan, all I’ve wanted is to be with him. It’
s just, it hurts me to see him in such pain.”
Gabriel nodded. “It’s hard to watch him suffer, I know, but hang in there. I’ll be back first thing in the morning. If you need anything during the night, call me and I’ll come right over.” After giving her a final hug, Gabriel left, shutting the door quietly on his way out.
She pulled off her jeans and t-shirt, peeled back the covers and crawled into bed. Scooting carefully, she worked her way next to Rowan, until she could feel the warm length of his body against hers. Taking a hold of his hand, she closed her eyes and hoped to God that the man she loved would come back to her. Resisting the crushing grief, she took a deep breath and then another. Once he made his way back, she would make sure, somehow, that she would never, ever lose him again.
* * *
Chad glanced at Michael as they trudged through the moonlit semi-darkness toward the house, feet crunching on the powdery white, crushed shell driveway. Rowan’s friend looked exhausted. “Well, it’s over Mike, and we did it. Without you coordinating things, I’m not sure we could have pulled it off.”
Michael stopped at the main entryway into the big home and gazed at him through bloodshot eyes. “I hate to turn this into a mutual admiration deal, but hell, without you hacking into those systems we’d never have gotten Rowan out of that brig. On the way back I caught a couple reports. More than one person in the media is calling this the hacking job of the century. Congratulations.”
Consummate Betrayal Page 27