Wanted

by Minx Hardbringer

  “You did your best. You were just a kid too.”

  “So, you don’t hate me for lying to you?” I ask hopefully.

  “No, Adam. You only lied because you wanted to make sure I would help you. What you did, you did for your sister. I can’t be mad at you for that.” She says and kisses me on the cheek gently.

  I’m about to pull her into my arms when Becks shouts. “Topeka!”

  “I think it’s Eureka,” Lilith says and giggles. It’s good to hear that laugh. The buoyancy in her voice makes me feel lighter too.

  “Whateves, I found it. I found the villa!” She says and jumps up out of her chair.

  “Where are you going?” Adam asks as he stands too.

  “To pack, stupid. It’s only a few hours’ drive from here. We need to pack and haul ass.” Becks says and rushes past us.

  “We’ll take my car. I’ll help you pack, Adam, and then we can swing by my place.” Lilith says, and we follow Becks upstairs.

  It only takes a few minutes for Becks and me to throw together an overnight bag and grab snacks from the kitchen. Lilith speeds across town to her apartment, and once we’re inside, she tells Becks and me to grab more snacks and soda. She’s only in her room for a minute when Lilith comes back out with her overnight bag.

  “That was fast,” I say.

  “It was already packed. I don’t know why I keep an overnight bag ready, but I do. I guess I’ve always hoped I’d need it.

  Once we’re all back in the car, Lilith puts the address in her GPS, and we take off. It looks like it’s going to be about a three-hour drive. Well, it would be a three-hour drive if it wasn’t for a blown tire.

  I’m not sure what we ran over, but it happened while I was driving. Fortunately, Lilith has a spare and the tools in her trunk. I think it’s going to be an easy job when a State Police car pulls up behind us.

  “Good evening, officer,” Lilith says when she stands up.

  “Good evening, Ma’am.” He says and tips his hat to her. “You guys look like you’ve got this under control, but I wanted to stop and make sure.” He says with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “Everything is good. We’re just about done.” Lilith says and smiles sweetly at him. I wonder how often she uses that gorgeous smile to get what she wants. It certainly works for me. I realize right then that if she lets me into her life, I’m done for. There’s nothing I’ll ever be able to refuse her.

  “Excellent. I guess I’ll be on my way then.” I breathe a sigh of relieve. “But before I go, you folks wouldn’t happen to have ID on you? Just need to check. Public safety and all. It’ll only take me a minute to run you through the system. I’d hate to let criminals slip through my fingers just because of a pretty face. Not that you folks are criminals.” He says and chuckles.

  Lilith pulls her wallet out of her purse and hands it to him. I don’t think he sees Becks in the car, and she’s not making any moves to make herself known. Even if she did, Rebecca has proper ID and nothing to worry about. It’s me that’s screwed. All I have is a fake ID that will probably either bring up nothing on his computer or raise some sort of flag. If I get taken in, the girls can still get the hard drive from Tom’s villa, but who is going to deliver it to Vladimir. It doesn’t matter. I pull my wallet out of my pocket and hand him my fake driver’s license. No other course of action is coming to mind, and I don’t want to appear nervous.

  The cop takes the ID and heads back to his car. I do the only thing I can think of. I finish changing the tire. I hear the cops car door open and close as I finish putting the bad tire and tools into the trunk. My heart starts to race, and cold sweat runs down my back. I hold my breath when I hear his boots just behind where I’m standing.

  “Have a good night folks, and drive safely.” He says and I take the deepest, most cleansing breath I’ve ever taken.

  Back in the car, Becks smiles at us from the backseat. “That was close.” She says and winks at me.

  “Becks, you didn’t just hack into the State Police servers while a cop was running me for warrants?” I ask her while trying to hide my smile.

  “Maybe just a little.” Her wicked smile tells me everything I need to know. “You work with me because I’m the best, don’t forget it. Now, let’s go.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lilith

  Once we arrive, the three of us have to deal with security. The GPS address is just an abandoned looking driveway. There is an old, rusty security gate across the path, but Adam is able to break the chain locking it with the tire iron. It’s at least a two-mile drive down a long, dark, twisty, and narrow road to get to the villa. If you didn’t know there was a mansion at the end of this path, there is no way you’d drive down it on a whim. I guess Tom and his family designed it this way on purpose. It’s like a psychological fortress instead of a physical one.

  When we pull up in front of the Villa, the whole place is dark, and there are no other cars in sight. Becks pulls out her laptop and goes to work trying to get into the security system.

  “Find anything?” Adam asks after about twenty minutes.

  “Yes, but this can’t be it. I think this is a dummy system. It’s the kind of thing suburban housewives buy from door to door salesmen. I need to dig deeper.” She says and goes back to clicking away on her keyboard.

  “I can’t sit here anymore. I’m going to go take a look around.” Adam says and reaches for the car door handle.

  “I’m going to come with you,” I say. “Becks are you okay in the car alone?”

  “Yeah. Places like this don’t give me the creeps. Just don’t touch anything until I’ve worked my magic.” Becks says.

  Adam and I get out and head around towards the back of the building. I start to realize how old this place must be when we get all the way around back. Off in the distance, I can see a barn and what look like a few other farm buildings. I doubt anyone uses them for their original purpose anymore because I don’t see any crops or animals around, but they’ve been kept in good repair. I imagine they hold a lot of secrets both ancient and modern. We’ll find out if the safe isn’t in the main house.

  I get a chill up my spine because in the other direction is a small cemetery. This place has probably been in Tom’s family for generations. It occurs to me that there might not be as much security as we expected because nobody but us would be dumb enough to try and break in. Tom has never struck me as particularly intelligent or dangerous, but that doesn’t mean his family isn’t. The fund he’s trying to steal from could have been a way to keep them out of their real business. I’m letting my imagination get away from me, though.

  We walk close enough to the cemetery to see the names on the headstones. Most of them are worn almost completely off, but the ones I can read all say, Hunt. Some of the dates go back to the 1700’s. Tom’s family is old money, and this estate dates back to colonial times.

  “Let’s go back around and see if Becks has anything for us,” Adam says and takes my hand.

  I’m uneasy, okay I’m terrified, but feeling his palm against mine makes me feel better. We walk all the way around the house instead of going back the way we came. I almost can’t believe how big this place is, and I wonder how we’ll ever find the safe.

  When we round the corner and cross the vast expanse of the front lawn, Becks is leaning against the car looking bored. As we get closer, she brushes her hands together and pretends to dust off her shoulders.

  “They had someone very smart set up their security, but they didn’t have me.” She says and smiles.

  “We’re in?” I ask.

  “Yes, Peaches. We’re in.” Becks uses Adam’s nickname for me, and it makes me laugh.

  “Thank you, Becks,” Adam says, and we all head for the front door.

  It pops open with a hiss. There must be negative pressure caused by the heating and ventilation system. We walk in, and the house is as quiet as a crypt and even darker.

  “I wish we brought flashlights,�
�� I say nervously.

  “I think we can turn the lights on, Peaches. Nobody is going to see the lights out here.” Adam says and flicks on the entryway switch.

  “You’re right.” I walk around and turn as many lights on as I can find without getting too far away from my companions.

  “We need to split up. We’ll never get through this whole building if we don’t. Becks you take the upstairs, Peaches you take this floor, and I’ll do the basement. Wouldn’t want either of you ladies to get scared.” He says, and I’m impressed that he’s in such high spirits. It must be because we’re so close to being successful.

  I bite back the urge to beg him not to split up. It’s just a big, spooky old house. I’m sure there is nothing to be afraid of. That doesn’t stop me from picking up a silver candlestick as soon as they are out of sight. Although, I don’t know what my weapon of choice is going to do against spooks and specters.

  I search the kitchen first. I have no idea why, but this villa is cool, and it’s hard to suppress the urge to explore. The kitchen cabinets and refrigerator are confirmation that no one has been here for a long time and isn’t expected soon. Everything is empty. There is no safe in the parlor, the dining room, the formal dining room, the sitting room, the study, or any of the first-floor bathrooms. I look behind all of the pictures and under the rugs. After that, I check all of the closets for secret panels, and I come up with nothing.

  A few minutes later, Becks comes downstairs, and Adam comes up from the basement covered in dust and looking grumpy again. I wish I had good news for him, and I’m afraid of watching him get upset when he finds out I’ve got nothing. Maybe Becks found something, but she doesn’t look happy either.

  Adam’s face turns bright red, and he storms out the front door. “Give him a minute to calm down,” Becks says.

  If I was wrong, if the safe isn’t here, I’ll never forgive myself. Then, I remember something I saw in the formal dining room. At the head of the table was a massive painting of Tom. The size of his ego tells me I might be on to something.

  “Becks, help me with a painting in the dining room,” I say and motion for her to follow me.

  “You think the safe might be behind it?”

  “Yes. I mean, generally, people wouldn’t hide a safe behind a picture in a dining room. I did try to look behind it, but let’s take it down.”

  The painting is incredibly heavy, but the two of us manage to remove it from the wall without killing ourselves. There doesn’t appear to be anything behind it, but the wallpaper is raised up in one spot. I grab the tab of paper, and it pulls back to reveal a safe.

  “A false panel. Good call, Peaches.” Becks says and pokes me in the arm.

  She pulls the key out of her pocket and uses the code on the keypad. Three little green bulbs on the panel light up and the safe opens. Inside is several stacks of money, a few jewelry boxes, some file folders, and a small, black device. The folders contain the information on the buyers. If we didn’t have to give the hard drive to Vladimir, we could put Tom away for a long time for trying to defraud his investors.

  “Let’s show Adam,” I say and close the safe.

  “Hey, don’t you think we could take a little something for ourselves?” Becks says when I the door slams shut.

  “I’m going to leave the room. I just came for the drive. You do what you want after I go.”

  “Fine. You’re right. What about the painting?”

  “Leave it. Tom won’t have to take it down when he tries to frantically search for this.” I say and hold up the device. “We’re doing him one last favor.”

  Adam is on the way back into the house, and I raise the hard drive into the air. I do my best victory pose, and he runs across the room and lifts me up. I get dizzy from him spinning me around.

  “I need to call Vladimir and tell him I’ve got what he wants. I’ll arrange the meet-up and exchange it for Sophie’s freedom. Then, we can drive back. I don’t want to spend another second in this place.” Adam says as he puts me down.

  There’s no cell reception, so we leave. Once we’re back out on the road, Adam makes the call while Becks finds us a gas station. After we buy drinks and snacks and use the bathroom, we head back out on the road. The original plan was to spend the night somewhere, but there is nothing around. We’ll take turns driving and make it back home by dawn. Adam looks like a huge weight has been lifted off of him, and my heart is bursting for him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lilith

  I end up driving during the last hour of the trip. Adam passes out from sheer exhaustion and relief, and Becks looks exhausted too. I’m completely wired and excited. I can’t wait for all of this to be over, and I’m looking forward to seeing Adam reunited with his sister. That’s if he invites me. I guess I shouldn’t assume that he’ll want me there.

  I pull into the outskirts of the city just as the sun is coming up, and my stomach starts to growl. As if on cue, Becks and Adams join me in a trio of hungry stomachs.

  “I guess we should get something to eat,” Becks says as she wakes up and stretches.

  I pull into a diner, and we all shuffle in. I have a feeling that once I get my stomach full, I’m going to sleep for a long time. I don’t have to worry about work today since Tom will be flying out. Letting my secretary panic isn’t a good idea, though, so I call and leave her a message since I know it’s way too early for her to answer.

  My heart skips a beat as I try to imagine how all of this is going to play out. I don’t want to think about it right now, and worrying won’t solve anything. So, I push the thoughts back and look forward to a hot plate of greasy diner food.

  “I’ll have biscuits and gravy,” I say to the waitress.

  We don’t say much during breakfast. Adam hasn’t told me yet when the exchange will go down. He does say that now that he’s got the drive, he’s not comfortable going back to the church or my apartment.

  “We need to stay somewhere else until the exchange happens. I don’t want Vladimir or anyone else stealing the drive before I get Sophie back.” He says and then takes a bite of his hash browns.

  “We have overnight bags. I’ll get us a hotel room. We should stick together until it’s done.” I say. “Becks, can you drive us the few blocks to the nearest hotel?”

  “Sure things, Peaches.” She says and winks at me. I’m starting to get used to her teasing me about Adan’s nickname.

  We’re close to downtown, so the nearest hotel is upscale. I check us into a two-bedroom suite, and Becks and I each take a bedroom. Adam takes the fold out sofa in the living area because he wants to keep an eye, and a gun, on the door. I wish he could sleep in my room with me. It would be nice to snuggle up with him, even if that’s all we do, but now isn’t the time.

  It doesn’t matter anyway because ten seconds after my head hits the pillow, I’m out like a light.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Adam

  I wake up to the sound of the hotel room door slamming shut. I hear Beck jump out of bed, so that means it can only be one person. Lilith. But, why did she slam the door? Panic sets in and bile rises into my throat.

  I get out to the hallway just in time to see a man with a gun to her back leading her into an elevator. I don’t recognize the man, but he does look distinctly Mediterranean. The Italians. He’s come for the drive, and the man I killed in the alley must be his boss. I rack my brain trying to think of where they are going.

  It’s got to be her car. If he knows we’ve got the drive, then he’s been following us for some time. The man should be aware that we haven’t been anywhere but the diner since we found the hard drive. Why did he wait until now? Why didn’t he just take it from us outside the villa?

  He wanted to separate Lilith from me. He knows about Sophie and knows I would die trying to keep it. If he get’s Lilith down to the car, he can take the drive and shoot her. This time of day, the underground lot at a hotel will be practically abandoned.

  I take the stai
rs two at a time and get down to the basement before the elevator. I’m lucky that it probably had to stop at least a couple of times, and the man needed to act casual to avoid drawing attention. The doors open, and he pushes Lilith out. I follow behind them as closely as I can without revealing myself.

  Lilith turns her head and catches a glimpse of me following, but she doesn’t let on that I’m there. When they get to the car, I sneak up behind the man while she’s pretending to riffle through the trunk. One well-placed thump to the back of his head with the handle of my gun, and he crumples. Lilith steps out of the way just in time for me to shove him into the trunk and slam it shut.

  “Go get Becks and our stuff. I’ll wait here just in case he wakes.” I say, and she rushes off to get Rebecca. It feels like and eternity, but less that ten minutes later Becks and Lilith come out of the stairwell and hurry to the car.

  “Do we know who he is?” Becks says.

  “Not a clue, but he looks Italian. We’re taking him to the church, and we’ll sort it all out.” I say and put the pedal to floor once we’re on the street.

  “Slow down. You’ve got to drive like you’ve got an unconscious man in the trunk. Speeding is only going to get us busted.” Lilith says and puts a comforting hand on my thigh.

  “You’re right. Just a beautiful Sunday drive. Even if it’s not Sunday.”

  “Hey, you guys. We’ve got a problem.” I look back for just a second, and it appears that Becks has folded down the back seat, taken the guys wallet, and then put it back.

  What she holds up makes my blood run cold.

  “Oh, shit. That’s a badge.” Lilith says and then swallows hard.

  Adam

  Back at the church, Lilith protests when I want to tie the man up.

  “We cannot tie up an FBI agent. Ian Laughlin.” She says as she reads his badge and ID.

  “What else are we going to do? We can tie him up, or we can hold a gun to his head. Neither of those options is very appealing, but we can’t let him run off before we talk to him.” I say.