“I’m sure you would.” Dylan squeezed Jessie’s hand. “Counteroffer—we meet on the casino floor and make the exchange in public. One for one, Jessie for Lisa.”
There was a pause on the line, a sudden intake of air. “You’re making this too easy. You think I’m buying you’d give her up after all the work you did to save her?”
“This isn’t on them. This is on me. They’ll do what I say, and I want Lisa to be set free.” She didn’t look at Dylan, didn’t look at Trey. “You are a powerful man, and I know you’re not going to agree to an exchange anywhere you can’t control.”
She drew up an image of Edward Molodavi in her mind. The smug look, the slitted eyes studying her like a bug pinned to a backing board.
“You’ve spent a lot of time and money looking for me. Let’s make this easy for both of us. Fluxxx is the best place to do this.” Jessie looked at Dylan and nodded, passing the lead back to him.
“Why?” Edward asked. “You could ask for a park, another casino.”
“It’s a public place,” Dylan answered. “One you don’t want to see torn up because someone gets antsy.” He pressed on. “I don’t trust you to do this in private. This way it’s still on your turf, but with less chance of anyone being shot in the back. You’ve got a rep to protect.”
“You’re smarter than you sound. Okay. The floor by the sports bar in three hours. You give me Jessica, I give you Lisa. We all walk away.” Edward’s voice dropped to a low, rolling murmur. “If you don’t show, I’ll flay the skin off her inch by inch.” The line went dead.
Jessie drew a staggered breath in an attempt to calm her racing pulse. She looked up at the screen and saw Ace’s icon continue to move across the map.
Trey hit a button, and Ace’s icon began to flash, showing he was now on the line.
“Hitting familiar territory,” Ace drawled, his voice echoing around the room. “Seems we’ve been here before. I’m staying back but looks to me like he’s heading back to the warehouse.”
Jessie’s heart sank as she saw the icon twist and turn into the industrial park. “Why would he do that?”
“Take her off casino grounds? The same reason he took you there,” Dylan said. “Doesn’t want to have any of his dirty business happening where he puts up his public face, where he’s the upstanding businessman.”
“He’s taking her to the warehouse,” she whispered. “He’s going to put her in the cage.”
Dylan squeezed her hand again. “We’re going to get her back.”
Trey tapped a series of keys before pulling his headset off. “His people tried to trace the call back, but no luck.” He smiled. “Surprise.”
“Ace.” Dylan didn’t release her hand.
“I’m here.”
“You sure they’ve got Lisa? Not just leading you on a wild-goose chase?”
The snort almost blew out the speakers. “You think I was born yesterday? I saw her being dragged out from the back through the employees’ entrance. She was putting up a bit of a fight, wrestling with them a bit. Molodavi was with her, grabbed her arm and gave it a twist. She calmed down after that, let them put her into the car without any trouble. Woman’s playing it smart, going along with them to avoid any problems. She knows we’re coming for her.”
Jessie turned to Dylan. “Do you think she does?”
“I’d put money on it. She must have overheard the conversation, she knows we’re here.” He raised his voice. “How many men?”
“I’ve got eight. Four in two cars. They’re circling the warehouse area to make sure it’s clear before they go in with Lisa. I’m hanging back to make sure they don’t make me.”
Dylan looked at Trey. “Does Molodavi have other buildings in that complex?”
The dark-haired man shook his head. “As far as I know, only the one. Think he’s taking her back to the same place?”
Dylan nodded. “I’m willing to bet it’s the same building—it’s isolated and he’s already got it set up with the cage.”
“But he’s going to bring her back to Fluxxx, right?” Jessie asked. “For the exchange?”
“Not likely. He has no intention of letting her go, not even for you.” Dylan looked up at the screen and Ace’s avatar. “Kidnapping Lisa crossed a line. He won’t let her walk away now that she’s involved.” He squeezed her hand. “He won’t let any of us walk away if he can help it.”
“So what are we going to do in three hours?”
Dylan smiled, and she felt the power of his belief. “We’re going to kick Molodavi’s ass.”
…
The briefing room came to life, Trey tapping on the keyboard and Finn scribbling on an old-fashioned note pad as Dylan spoke rapidly to both men in low, clipped tones.
“Call in all of our favors on the police force.” Dylan crossed his arms. He glanced at Jessie before returning his attention to the men. “You know what to do. Let’s get it done. We’ve got less than three hours to pull this together and make it work.”
The three men nodded before turning away, talking among themselves.
She scrubbed her eyes with both palms. “They’re going to kill her if we don’t show. Maybe even if we do.” In her mind she reran all of her hostage negotiation training, finding it woefully deficient in this circumstance.
“They won’t risk a full-out shooting match in the middle of the casino. One of the reasons I wanted to do it there.” Dylan shook his head. “His plan is to snatch you away from us on the casino floor and put the two of you in the same cage.”
“Both of us.” Her mouth went dry.
He leaned against the conference table, crossing his arms. “He can use Lisa to leverage you into telling him all he wants to know. You said it yourself—you’re tougher than she is. You held up for a week. He’ll break you down faster if he’s got Lisa to wave in front of you.”
“And we’re going to go for the office at the same time as the hostage exchange? And the warehouse on the side?” She sat back, mentally running the list. “My God, that’s a lot of people. Do you have the personnel to make this work?”
“That’s why we put the call out.” Dylan smiled. “Ace and the others will get Lisa, you and I will meet Molodavi on the casino floor with Finn. Wyatt’s taking the office and Trey will be monitoring from the van outside, running comms.”
“No. You need to go with Ace to save Lisa.”
He frowned and she saw the war in his eyes.
“Look.” She drew her hand over the tabletop. “Lisa took a risk, coming here to get you. She didn’t have any idea who the hell you were, but she was determined not to give up on finding me, even when everyone else was telling her to stop.”
Dylan stayed silent.
“Then you came and got me, and I owe it all to her. But there’s more than that. When the cops came to talk to her about Al’s murder, she could have tossed me into the fire. Hell, she could have tossed you and all of this…” She swept her free hand around, taking in the briefing room. “She could have told the cops all about you. About this. And they’d have busted down the front door to get to you and to me. I don’t care how many contacts you have on the LVPD, they would have dragged you all out and thrown you into jail. And Molodavi would have me back, and I sure as hell don’t think he’d start back at the beginning with his interrogation.”
He pressed his lips into a tight line.
“But Lisa didn’t give you up. And now she’s locked in a cage, a damned cage, and she’s still not talking. She’s not talking about you or about me. She’s waiting for you to come and get her like you got me, because she knows you won’t leave anyone behind.”
One edge of his mouth twitched, and she had him.
She continued. “I’d go myself but I need to be at Fluxxx to make this work, to keep Molodavi occupied. So, you promise me you’ll get her out of that cage and back here where she’ll be safe.”
Dylan reached down and took her hand in his, entwining their fingers. He dropped his voice to a whispe
r. “I don’t want to let you go. I want to keep you here, out of all this trouble. If I could, I’d take you back to that cabin and make love to you until neither of us could stand.”
She felt her cheeks begin to burn.
“But you and I know that’s not going to happen until we take Molodavi down. And you’re right; I owe Lisa a hell of a lot. But…” He shook his head. “I can’t let you go to him without me by your side.”
Jessie held back a sigh.
“Look. You told me you trust your men. Do you really trust them, or was that just bragging?”
His head shot up. “I do. With my life.”
“Then I need you to trust them with my life.” She squeezed his hand. “Give me a gun and your best men, and let me do what I’ve been trained to do. What I’ve spent years doing. Taking down the enemy. You’ve seen me in the gym. I’m not going to fold under pressure, and I sure as hell won’t run from a fight.” She locked eyes with him. “I owe Molodavi a lot more now than I did before. And I want to be there to collect.”
His sheepish smile warmed her heart. “I forget you were someone before I saw you in that cage.”
“A bad mistake,” she chastised him. “But now I need you to save Lisa.”
He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “You’re made of star stuff, woman.”
Jessie frowned.
“You’re as tough as a meteor and as lovely as a supernova. But you’ll burn anyone who touches you the wrong way.”
She laughed and kissed him. “Now let’s go visit your armory and get me something nice and deadly.”
…
He knew she was right and hated that she was.
A short trip down the hall and they were in the armory/firing range area.
He opened the cabinet. “How about a PPK?”
“Ooh.” She pursed her lips. “I like that. Small and packs a punch.”
“Just like you.” He ducked under her arm as she playfully swung at him.
Dylan handed it to her and watched as she checked the weapon out, following the usual safety protocols.
He took a box of ammunition out of the cabinet. “Here. Sight it in.” He pointed at the target range, the two lanes empty and waiting. “Take your time, get comfortable with it. If you want to switch out for something else, go ahead.” Dylan patted her on the shoulder. “Got something to do. Be back in a bit.”
Jessie nodded, already busy setting up the paper target.
He found Finn in the kitchen, loading up on carbs with a fast dish of Chinese spicy noodles.
“Eat and listen. I’m not going to the casino with you and Jessie. I’m going to lead the team to get Lisa out of the warehouse.”
Finn blinked, his mouth full of food.
“I’m giving Jessie a pistol. She’s getting familiar with it right now. PPK.”
Finn swallowed. “Nice weapon. It suits her.”
“Yes. Yes it does.” Dylan eyed him. “I’m counting on you to bring her back to me safe and sound.”
“I’ll do the best by her that I can.” Finn scooped up the last of the noodles. “Good enough?”
“Yeah.” Dylan smiled. “Good enough.”
He walked out of the kitchen to retrieve Jessie.
…
She was pleased with her choice. The PPK had some serious stopping power behind it, being a .38.
The door opened and Dylan walked back in. She saw the shift in his gait and knew he’d been talking to Finn.
“I’m not happy about this. But I understand.”
“Thank you.” She kissed him.
He pulled her close. “But you be careful with Molodavi. Don’t do anything brave, don’t try to outsmart him. Stick to the plan and follow Finn’s lead.”
“I will,” Jessie said, forcing herself to smile. “We’re going to bring that monster down.”
“You bet.”
She rubbed her forehead. “So now what?” She gestured at the walls. “Shouldn’t you be running around, barking orders?”
Dylan grinned. “The men know what they’re doing. Let’s go back to my apartment and rest. You need to get yourself mentally prepared. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to get this done.”
She leaned down and showed him the PPK, now secured to her shin in a flat black leather holster. “Yes. Yes we will.”
…
Dylan lay on the couch and scanned his tablet, reading the texts scrolling across the screen. Jessie curled up against him, her eyes closed. She wasn’t sleeping; he knew that by her breathing. She was mentally preparing for the upcoming fight.
He forced his attention back to the work at hand, trying not to be distracted by the beautiful, warm woman almost in his lap.
Luke and Phil were coming in via private plane, leaving their survival expert business behind for a day or two. Andrew and Simon were already there, down in the equipment room getting what they needed. They were a bit older but would add a seasoned touch to the group.
Others were chiming in, offering assistance in other areas—safe houses, resources, supplies…
Dylan sent off text after text thanking them and sorting through the details.
He couldn’t stop smiling at the results of his call.
Good men and women willing to drop everything and come help him do what was right, whatever was needed to fix a wrong.
The intercom beeped. “We’re ready,” Trey said.
“On our way.” Dylan leaned in and kissed Jessie. “Don’t worry.”
“I’ve got faith in you,” she replied as she stretched out her arms and legs, giving herself a shake. “Now let’s go kick ass.”
The briefing room was busy when they walked in, Finn quietly talking to Ace over the phone, Trey studying his keyboard and computer screen, Wyatt sitting in his chair wearing one of the Fluxxx uniforms and field-stripping his Glock.
Luke and Phil were studying a laptop together, gesturing at the screen. The twins looked up as one and nodded at Dylan.
Andrew leaned against the wall, Simon beside him. The two older men glanced at Jessie but said nothing, accepting her presence without question.
They were good men, warriors who knew what to do and when to do it.
Dylan looked around the room. “Luke, Andrew, Simon—you’re with Finn and Jessie for the hostage exchange. Phil, you’re with me and Ace on the rescue mission. Wyatt works on his own, but be prepared to give him backup if he calls for it.”
The men nodded.
“Wyatt?” Jessie said.
The dark-haired man looked over, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses.
“The flash drive is in the neon pink pot with the fake palm tree in it.” She mimicked slipping her hand down the side. “I dropped it in there before the guards got to me.”
He nodded and looked at Trey.
Their resident computer expert held up a small black flash drive, not unlike the one Jessie was sending them to retrieve. “All you need to do is put this one into Molodavi’s computer. Laptop, desktop, whatever’s there. It’ll take a few minutes to upload, but once it’s in their system I’ll be able to cut through their firewalls like a knife through butter.”
“Right.” Dylan leaned on the table, scanning each man’s face. “This is how it is. I’m going with Phil to meet Ace at the warehouse and get Lisa.” He looked at Jessie. “As soon as we’re clear and Lisa’s safe, I’ll make my way to the casino. Delay the exchange as long as you can. As soon as we get Lisa out, we’ll let you know.”
“Then all bets are off,” Jessie murmured.
He didn’t contradict her. “Timing here is important. If we rescue Lisa too early, they’ll raise the alarm and Molodavi will go at you full force on the casino floor. If we wait too long, he’ll be able to get the jump on you by getting his men into place to sweep you out of sight. At the same time, we need to give Wyatt a window to slip upstairs while the focus is on Jessie and Finn. We have to do this all at the same time, stretch Molodavi’s resources out to
the limit. Hit him from all sides—take the warehouse and free Lisa, retrieve the flash drive, and get the virus uploaded while keeping him busy on the floor waiting for his chance to take Jessie back.” Dylan looked at Jessie. “It’s not going to be easy.”
“Is it ever?” Finn quipped.
Andrew chuckled and punched Simon’s shoulder. “Be good to get some real exercise. Been sitting too long in a lawn chair playing with the grandkids.”
Simon returned the blow, hard enough to move the veteran back a pace.
“As soon as I get the drive, I’ll transfer it to our database,” Trey added.
Dylan looked at Wyatt. “If you can drop it with Trey and go back, do so. Otherwise, get clear. We can’t afford to lose the drive if we want to take Molodavi down for good. If it goes wrong at Fluxxx, avoid civilian injuries as much as you possibly can and evacuate back here if possible.” He paused. “There’s always a chance this site could be compromised. If it is, head for the cabin. Priority, as usual, is keeping civilians out of the line of fire. If we have to abandon the nightclub, we do so. Any questions?” Dylan scanned the room.
No one said anything.
Jessie raised her hand.
He nodded, giving her the floor.
She cleared her throat and looked around the table, making eye contact with each of the men. “I want to thank all of you for your help. You got me out of a bad spot and now you’re willing to risk your lives for my friend.” She showed her empty hands. “I can’t offer much other than my skills, but you’ll all have my undying gratitude and can call on me whenever you need me.”
The room went silent.
Trey raised one eyebrow. “Dang, boss. I think she just joined the Brotherhood.”
Chapter Eleven
Everyone filed out of the briefing room and headed for the garage in relative silence, a few grunts and nods passing between the men as they moved out of sight.
Jessie waited until they had all left before looking at Dylan. “I meant it, you know.”
He reached for her hand. “I know. And they know it, too.”
Finn was waiting for them by the truck, standing at loose attention as they approached.
Hard Play (Delta Force Brotherhood) Page 16