When she was gone, Kaitlyn flew across the car and tried the door, but Eden had locked it from the outside. Kaitlyn pounded and screamed, but the car was soundproof. No one could hear her.
Realizing her efforts were futile, Kaitlyn checked around the car, trying to find something she could use to bludgeon the door or break out a window.
Then she felt it.
A tiny vibration underneath her feet as the train began to move.
Behind her, Peter Gilbert groaned.
“I GOT IT WRONG,” Owen Cook said when Aidan and the others returned to headquarters a little while later.
“What do you mean, you got it wrong?” Aidan demanded.
“Like I said, today’s date kept coming up in all the chatter I’d been monitoring, so I figured it had to be the ball. But I’ve run across something else in some of the archived messages from those chat rooms. It seems someone’s been asking a lot of questions about how to derail a train and make it look like an accident.”
“Why an accident?” Aidan asked.
“That we don’t know,” Murphy said. “But what we need to figure out is which train is their target. Cook and I have been poring over maps and schedules all evening, and I think we’ve come up with something.” He looked up. “Governor Gilbert was scheduled to leave on a whistle-stop tour of the state first thing in the morning, but there’s been a schedule change. The train is leaving tonight.”
Aidan’s heart slammed against his chest as something Kaitlyn had said a few days ago came back to him.
“After that, it’s the governor’s whistle-stop tour through the state.”
“Whistle-stop tour? When did that come about?”
“It’s been planned for a while. The train is scheduled to leave sometime after the ball, and Eden has asked me to ride along in the press car. I can’t back out now. I owe her.”
The blood in his veins went ice cold. “Kaitlyn is on that train, Colonel.” He was sure of it.
“Then you’d better roll,” Murphy said.
FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MINUTES, Kaitlyn had been working on the lock with a letter opener she’d found in Gilbert’s desk. She hadn’t expected to have much luck, but all of a sudden, she felt the tumblers give a little, and she managed to slide the blade between the bolt and the opening. She drew back the door and looked out.
The noise from the tracks and from the wind rushing past the cars was almost deafening. Quickly, Kaitlyn crossed the little platform to the next car and tried to open the door, but it was bolted shut from the inside. Eden had thought of everything.
Kaitlyn started to turn back, then froze.
Gilbert was standing in the doorway of his car with a gun pointed at her heart.
He fired, barely missing her, and when he staggered toward her, Kaitlyn glanced around frantically. There was only one way to go.
Up.
To the top of the train.
AS THE CHOPPER DIPPED into the valley, Aidan spotted the train. It was going at a fast clip, and would soon arrive at a series of small towns where a stalled car on a crossing could cause a fatal derailment. Murphy was working the phones now, frantically trying to get the train stopped or, barring that, to make sure that law-enforcement agencies could monitor the crossings.
Of course, the accident might not occur at a crossing. It could happen anywhere along the track…which was the problem. Unless they could get the train stopped, there wouldn’t be time to check every square inch of the tracks.
The accident could be devastating. Fatal.
Aidan couldn’t think about that now. He had to concentrate on finding Kaitlyn. He didn’t have a clear-cut plan in mind except to rappel down to the train and search through every damn car if he had to.
They were flying over the train now, and through his night-vision goggles, he saw something move on top of one of the cars toward the end of the train. Someone was up there.
“Get lower!” he shouted to Powell.
Powell took the chopper down and turned on the spotlight.
Aidan’s heart jumped to his throat. It was Kaitlyn on top of that train!
As he watched her struggle to keep her balance atop the swaying cars, he saw her turn suddenly and drop to her knees. Then he saw why. Someone was on top of the train with her, firing at her at close range.
Throwing off his headset, Aidan flung open the jump door and threw down a rope. Since the train was moving, it was impossible for Powell to establish a hover over the target, which made the maneuver even trickier than usual. But Aidan had done it before, and he could damn sure do it now.
As he started down, a bullet whizzed by him. And then another.
Clinging to the rope with one hand, Aidan opened fire.
He hit the man with the first shot, and with a scream, he fell backward and was whipped by the wind and his momentum from the train.
Kaitlyn was still on her knees. Aidan wasn’t even sure if she’d seen him or not.
And then he looked ahead and saw a vehicle across the track in front of them. They were coming up on it fast.
“Jump!” Aidan shouted.
Kaitlyn seemed to rouse from her trance then and saw him.
“Jump!” he screamed again. “Come on!”
Without hesitation, Kaitlyn got to her feet and leaped toward him. He caught her with one hand, and for a terrible moment, he could feel her slip through his fingers.
Then she reached up and grabbed him with both hands as the chopper swung around and the train barreled into the vehicle on the tracks.
Kaitlyn couldn’t bear to watch. She closed her eyes and clung to Aidan’s hand as the railroad cars began to tip over one by one.
EDEN MCCLAIN GRABBED the laptop and cell phone from the front seat of her Mercedes and carried it with her to the limo that was pulled to the side of the remote, mountainous road in front of her.
Once she was inside, both she and her companion opened their computers and, establishing a satellite linkup, Eden watched as he transferred millions into her Swiss bank account.
When the transaction was completed, she looked up with a smile. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. I hope our paths will cross again someday.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
She exited the car still smiling and climbed behind the wheel, tossing her laptop and cell phone onto the front seat. Just as she turned the ignition, a cell phone in her purse began to ring.
How odd, she thought. Because her cell phone was right there on the seat beside her.
As the limo sped away, the man in the back turned to watch the explosion.
And so it had started.
Chapter Fifteen
One week later
“I just received a briefing from my FBI contact,” Murphy told the bounty hunters as they sat grouped around the conference table in the war room. “Several of the victims from the train crash remain in the hospital, but they’re all expected to pull through. Which means so far the only fatality is Governor Gilbert.”
All eyes turned to Aidan, but he said nothing. It had been an interesting week, not the least of which was the intense interrogation he’d undergone at the hands of the feds. If nothing else, he’d garnered a new respect for the doggedness of the FBI.
“The autopsy substantiated Kaitlyn’s claim that the governor had been drugged by his assistant, Eden McClain,” Murphy continued. “The toxicology screen turned up traces of Rohypnol in his bloodstream. She probably figured he’d never regain consciousness. If the train crash didn’t kill him, Fowler’s men would be on hand to finish the job.”
“She double-crossed Gilbert, and then someone double-crossed her,” Powell said. “Assuming that the DNA taken from the burned-out car we found matches Eden McClain’s.”
“I think we can safely assume that it will,” Murphy said. “What we have to figure out now is who did the double-crossing and why. Who set her up?”
“You don’t think it was Fowler?” someone asked.
Murphy
shook his head. “I don’t see what he’d have to gain. Remember, Fowler’s agenda has always been revolution. Taking back a country he thinks has lost its way. He needs people like Eden McClain working from the inside. No, I don’t think Fowler killed her. I think there’s another player in the game. Someone who thought she knew too much. Someone with money and power and a willingness to provide the Fowlers of the world with enough guns and bombs to start their own wars. Why else would Fowler get involved in this mess? There has to be something in it for him. And if I’m right…” Murphy’s eyes turned steely. “He’s even more dangerous than we thought.”
“He’s still got it in for you,” Powell said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he and his men are planning an assault against headquarters even as we speak.”
“Which means we’ve got to find him,” Murphy said. “I want that bastard dead or in prison before he hurts someone else. I don’t much care which of the two it is.”
The men nodded their agreement, and after another few minutes, the meeting concluded and they all filed out of the room. All except Aidan.
Murphy had gone over to stare out the window, but he turned now as Aidan approached. “What is it, Campbell?”
“I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate the way you stood behind me this week. If you hadn’t pulled some strings, I’d probably still be in federal detention.”
Something glinted in Murphy’s eyes. “You shot the damn governor, for God’s sake. It’s a wonder the feds didn’t lock you up and throw away the key.”
Aidan shrugged. “He would have killed Kaitlyn if I hadn’t taken him out. You would have done the same thing.”
“Damn right I would have.” Murphy turned back to the window. “So how did she come through all this?”
“I don’t know,” Aidan admitted. “I haven’t talked to her.”
Murphy swung around with a frown. “What do you mean you haven’t talked to her?”
Aidan hesitated. “There hasn’t been time. We’ve both been pretty busy with the FBI.”
“The feds are through with you now, aren’t they? So what’s stopping you?”
“It’s…complicated.”
“It’s always complicated, Campbell,” Murphy scoffed. “Hell, what fun would it be if it wasn’t?”
“Look, you don’t understand,” Aidan said defensively. “Kaitlyn has done a damn good job reporting this story. She’s even had face time on the evening news. She’s already had offers from some of the major newspapers around the country, maybe even from the networks. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for her, and I don’t want to stand in her way.”
Murphy glared at him. “So you’re just going to let her walk away?”
“It’s too late,” Aidan said miserably. “I couldn’t stop her even if I wanted to.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not the only one with contacts,” Aidan said. “I happen to know that she’s booked on a flight to Washington this afternoon. For all I know, she’s already left for the airport.”
“Then have Powell fire up the Jet Ranger.”
Aidan shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. She’s made up her mind. If she changes it, she knows where I’ll be.”
“You’re a damn fool,” Murphy said in disgust.
“THAT’S SOME STORY,” Ken commented as he laid aside the latest copy of the Monitor. “Escaped convicts, international intrigue, a dirty governor and a childhood friend who betrayed you. It’s got Pulitzer written all over. All you have to do is sit back and relax while the job offers keep pouring in.”
“I guess so,” Kaitlyn said.
Ken sat back in his chair. “So you’re off to Washington this afternoon. Tell me you’re not really considering taking a job at your old paper. Not after the way they treated you.”
“That was as much my fault as theirs,” Kaitlyn said with a shrug. “And anyway, I’ve already made my decision. You know that.”
“You’re sure about this?”
She nodded. “Absolutely. My mind is made up.”
She felt good about her decision, too. It was the right thing to do. Kaitlyn just wished that Aidan would call before she got on the plane this afternoon. She’d like to tell him about her plans before he heard about them from someone else.
But he wasn’t going to call. Kaitlyn hadn’t heard from him all week. She knew what he was doing, of course. He was stepping aside. Giving her breathing room. Allowing her enough time and space to figure out what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.
Kaitlyn appreciated that. She really did. But it would have been so nice to hear his voice, especially in those trying days after the train crash. But, of course, Aidan had been taken into custody immediately after the shooting so he had hardly been in a position to hold her hand during all those FBI interviews.
It was over now, thank goodness. She and Aidan were both free and clear. And it was time to move on with her life.
So call him.
Not a good idea. Because if she did hear his voice, she might never get on that plane this afternoon.
AS KAITLYN thumbed through a magazine at a newsstand in the airport a little while later, she was surprised to hear her name being called. She glanced up, her heart thudding, to see Phillip Becker striding toward her.
She tried to damp down her disappointment as she plastered a smile on her face. “Phillip! What are you doing here?”
“I’m flying back to Denver,” he said.
“For good?”
“I guess that depends.” He gave her a sheepish smile, which took Kaitlyn by surprise again. “I came back to Ponderosa because of a broken engagement,” he said. “But my fiancée—ex-fiancée—called a few days ago, and we’ve started talking. Seems there might be hope for us after all.”
“I didn’t even know you were engaged,” Kaitlyn said.
“No reason that you should. We haven’t exactly kept in touch since high school.” He hesitated. “I always had a big crush on you, you know.”
“You never said anything.”
“I guess I thought you were out of my league. You and Eden McClain always seemed so confident and sophisticated. And now when I think about what happened to her…how she betrayed both you and Jenny…” He shook his head. “I never really cared for her, but I’m sorry about what happened to her. I’m sorry for what she tried to do to you, too. Are you okay?”
“I’m getting there.”
An announcement came over the speaker and he listened for a moment, then glanced at his watch. “That’s me. I’ve got to run. I saw you standing over here and I wanted to say goodbye in case our paths don’t cross again.”
“Goodbye, Phillip. And good luck in Denver.”
He grinned. “Thanks. To think, I was so miserable a week ago, and now…” He shook his head. “Amazing how one phone call can change your life.”
AFTER PHILLIP LEFT, Kaitlyn took out her cell phone and dialed Aidan’s number. “Hi, it’s me.”
“I know.”
It was so good to hear his voice. “I’m at the airport. I’m getting on a plane for Washington in a few minutes, and I just couldn’t leave without telling you…” She trailed off, suddenly fighting a lump in her throat that made speech difficult.
“Without telling me what?”
She drew a deep breath. “This would be so much easier if I could see you in person.”
“Then turn around.”
She whirled.
And there he stood with the phone to his ear. Slowly he hung up and started toward her.
Kaitlyn met him halfway across the room and launched herself into his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him as fiercely as she had that first day in his Jeep. Maybe more so, because now there was something else in her kiss besides pent-up emotion.
“How did you get past security without a boarding pass?” she asked breathlessly when they finally broke apart.
“I bought a ticket.”
He’d
bought a ticket just so he could tell her goodbye. How romantic was that?
Kaitlyn stared up at him. “I have to tell you something before I get on that plane.”
“I have something I want to say, too.” His gaze deepened as his arms tightened around her. “I didn’t come here to stop you from leaving, Kaitlyn. I know this is something you have to do.”
“But you don’t understand—”
He put a finger to her lips. “If you let this opportunity pass you by, you’ll always live to regret it. I don’t want that for you.”
She gave him a tremulous smile. “You don’t understand. I’ve already accepted a job offer back in Ponderosa. I’m only going to Washington because my father’s in town. I’ll be back on Monday.”
He drew back in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because I thought—”
“I needed some space to make a decision? Well, I’ve made my decision. I’m staying at the Monitor.”
Something flared in his eyes, but he was careful to keep his tone neutral. “Kaitlyn, are you sure about this?”
“Of course, I’m sure. I love living in Montana. I always have. And besides—” she gave him a sly smile “—Ken’s promised me a raise and a private office. And knowing how much that will get under Allen Cudlow’s skin is just icing on the cake.”
He grinned. “So you’re really coming back.”
“Just try and stop me.”
They kissed again, and then Kaitlyn pulled back, knowing there was something else she had to tell him before she got on that plane. “I care about you, Aidan. I want to see you when I get back.”
“I want to see you, too.”
She bit her lip. “I’m not just…a rebound for you?”
He scowled. “A rebound? Whatever gave you that idea?”
“Because you obviously still have feelings for Elena. You may never get over her. I understand that, but I need to know where I stand before I get in too deep.”
He traced his knuckles down her face. “Elena has nothing to do with how I feel about you. I’m falling in love with you, Kaitlyn.”
Going to Extremes Page 17