Alex's Atonement (Midnight Sons Book 2)

by Carmen DeSousa

  Imagine what tomorrow might bring, he thought.

  ~ Irene ~

  Irene maintained her sickly disposition, hoping they wouldn’t see the need to restrain her again. Whenever possible, though, she monitored her surroundings, doing her best to figure out where they were taking her.

  She recognized the Kenai Peninsula, so it looked like they were heading back the way they’d come. It’d been cloudy when she’d left the mainland, but today was clear to the heavens.

  Irene kept her head down, allowing her gaze to shift to the window every minute or so as they got closer to land. If she was going to have to make an escape, she needed to know what was surrounding her … wherever she ended up.

  No conversation emanated from the cockpit. Since Cal was piloting the helicopter, he obviously saw no need to include Jeff in his plans.

  Irene’s heart quickened as the seaplane base came into view. The hotel where she’d stayed wasn’t far. If she ran as soon as the aircraft touched down, she’d be able to get close enough for someone to hear her. She had a loud scream; she’d used it more than once in her life. It not only attracted attention, it seemed to work as a momentary distraction for her abductor.

  She shifted her focus to the door, hoping helicopters didn’t have child-proof locks like cars. The exit was clearly marked, but it looked like she needed to pull the emergency release before the silver handle. She imagined the moves it would take, preparing to jump out before the helicopter even landed.

  As she concentrated on the door, she watched Lake Hood, the hotel, and then Anchorage fade in the distance. Cal flew a straight path north, following one lone highway. The farther they traveled, the more densely forested the earth below her appeared. To her left, nothing but the Alaska Range, to the right, trees and trees and more trees, and then more mountains to the east.

  Less than fifteen minutes past Anchorage, the helicopter started to drop.

  Irene stared down at a cleared plot of land. One side of the property had a concrete square with a large black X. Next to the concrete pad sat a hangar larger than the one at Lake Hood. She could only imagine how many planes this man owned. He’d reminded Alex that he had the means to leave the country, and he hadn’t been lying. He could be in Russian or Canadian airspace in less than an hour.

  Next to a swath of birch trees on one side and a frozen lake on the other, sat an impressive three-story home. Although covered with snow, the deck jutted out around the second story, offering an extraordinary view of Denali.

  Maybe if Cal isn’t married, I can convince him I’m interested. I’m certainly interested in his home.

  The helicopter dropped, and Irene thought she might really get sick. “Ohh …” she groaned. She could have held the moan in, but most men, she’d learned, didn’t like puke unless it was in a scary movie. Whenever she’d gone undercover and a man was her cameraman, she’d catch them gagging faster than when she worked with women.

  Jeff looked back at her, eyes wide. “You okay? We’ll have you on the ground in a few seconds. Keep that cup close.”

  Irene scooped up the cup she’d set in the seat beside her. She held it close to her face but swept her eyes back over the property. The dirt road leading to the estate was miles off the main road. No way would she be able to escape on foot. She could run into the woods … But no, she’d rather take her chance with Cal or Jeff than face a grizzly.

  Alex would come through, she was certain. She’d behave and hope to hear of a plan to swap her for the drugs. Alex had to know that he couldn’t just drop off the drugs somewhere in hopes that Cal would let her go. Cal had everything to lose even if he recovered his drugs. He wouldn’t be able to take a chance that Alex or she would turn him in.

  No, there was no way that Cal was just going to hand her over. Alex would have to take control, regulate the time and place.

  The helicopter rocked forward and back as it finally touched down. Cal was out of the aircraft and at her door faster than she could even have thought about opening it. Then Jeff was beside him.

  So much for that plan.

  As soon as she saw the acreage, she knew she wouldn’t have been able to run. Cal had to own darn near a hundred acres.

  So, flirting it is.

  Irene covered her mouth and hunched over a bit to maintain that she was sick but allowed herself to breathe in the fresh air. “Wow! This place is beautiful. So much nicer than San Fran … or that Godforsaken island with all those birds and seals. I think I have some type of bird flu.” She stretched her arms and neck, then peered up at the house. “Is there someplace I can clean up? I haven’t had a hot shower in days.”

  A hint of a smile played on Jeff’s lips, but Cal huffed through his nose. “You’re not a guest; you’re a hostage.”

  Irene waved her hand. “Anything’s better than that island with that surly pilot. But seriously, I think I might be sick … or dehydrated … or both. If you want me as a hostage, you need to make sure I don’t die.”

  “Lock her in the basement!” Cal barked, then turned for the hangar.

  Jeff nudged her arm. “Come along, miss.”

  So … Cal isn’t interested, but maybe Jeff is. He didn’t seem to still be upset that she’d shocked him.

  Jeff was older, and supposedly in a relationship with the man from yesterday’s mother. If her womanly wiles couldn’t get her anywhere, she’d appeal to his humanity. If neither worked, she’d keep the pocketknife ready.

  She didn’t want to kill anyone, but she wasn’t above maiming any monster who tried to hurt her first.

  Chapter 18

  ~ Alex ~

  Alex downed one bottle of water after another. He’d not been eating or drinking his share, allowing Irene first rations. His body was accustomed to going long stints without food and water. Even though he was always prepared, often there just wasn’t enough time to stop a search to eat or drink.

  Erik kept the bird steady, hovering the tarmac while Alex scanned the base. No sign of Cal’s aircrafts — or Cal. He could have gone to his property in Falcon Run, but that seemed risky. Then again, maybe Cal assumed that Alex wouldn’t come to look for him there.

  Cal was right. Cal lived on nearly a hundred acres. He’d see Alex or the police long before either of them would have a chance to touch down.

  So, Anchorage it is. He needed to figure out where to make the switch. But first, real food and a chance to gather his thoughts. He and the team needed to come up with a plan.

  “Go ahead and land, Erik,” Alex said. “Obviously, Cal thought we might try something on his turf, and that’s not going to happen. Not today. I’m not endangering all our lives.”

  Daire turned. “What about Mom? What if Cal decides this Irene woman doesn’t mean enough to you?”

  Alex gnawed his lip. “Good thinking. Call Mom. Tell her to go to Joanne’s. Cal would never show up at Sheriff Wheelans’ house. He’d be as good as dead. Erik, let me borrow your phone, please.”

  While Daire called their mother, Alex called Vince.

  The throaty roar of the Mercury engine filled the line before Vince said, “Yeah?”

  “You on land?”

  “Docking now. Where you wanna meet?”

  “The hotel is as good a place as any. Less locals. Less chance anyone will overhear or understand what’s going on.”

  “See you in twenty.” The line clicked. While Vince was the man to lead a room in conversation, when it came to business, he used clipped words and direct speech. The man was raucous and fun until things went south. Then he would seamlessly transform into the leader Sam always relied on.

  Alex didn’t have time to be jealous of that fact. Not now. He intended to capitalize on his family’s individual strengths and wisdom, the secret weapon that made them the Midnight Sons. Each of them specialized in different areas and even thought differently. If two heads were better than one, their five heads were unstoppable.

  If his family couldn’t bring Irene home safely, no one could.
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  Before the skids hit the tarmac, Alex started crawling out.

  Daire followed while Erik shut down the chopper. “Mom’s on her way to the Wheelans’ house now. She had a couple questions but said she’d wait patiently for you to call her.”

  Alex wrapped his arms around Daire. “It’s good to see you, brother. Thanks for finding me.”

  Daire shrugged. “It wasn’t me. The three of us had been fussing back and forth — as usual. Vince left the room then came back with a map of the gulf. He spread it across the kitchen table and pointed. He said, ‘If I were in trouble, I’d head to Middleton.’ And he was right. Y’all think a lot alike.”

  “And here I thought you and Vince were besties.”

  Daire smirked. “You know you’ll always be my favorite brother, Alex.”

  Alex stared up at Daire, then back at the asphalt. He didn’t try to play favorites, of course, but when there were five of you, some just got along better than others. Daire and he had always gotten along. While Sam was the oldest and Daire was the youngest, and Alex had done much more with Sam, he and Daire were almost always on the same page when it came to rescues and just life in general.

  Once again, Alex felt like a heel. How could he have thought for even a second to end his life? No matter what happened with the business, they would always be the Midnight Sons. They didn’t need a company to help rescue others. They could volunteer just like most of their volunteers.

  No matter what happened, the news would always be ready to announce that someone was saved by Alaska’s own Midnight Sons.

  Alex stopped. “That’s it!”

  Daire stopped too, eyes wide. “What’s it?”

  Erik caught up with them. “What did I miss? What’s it?”

  “The news … No police. But we need to call the news. But first … I need to think about where to call them to.”

  Erik’s truck chirped as he clicked the key fob. “Vince drove yours to the marina.”

  Alex just nodded as he hopped into the passenger side. Really, he just wanted to walk to the restaurant so he could brainstorm, but he was cold and hungry. And he had a hard time thinking when he was hungry.

  Where can we make the swap safely? He thought of every stupid thriller movie he’d watched in his lifetime. Hostage situations just didn’t work. Neither side ever had an advantage. Whether you dropped the hostage off or the goods, the other side could welsh on their word.

  It took only seconds to return to the hotel where he’d met Irene. If only I’d — STOP! he ordered himself internally.

  He was tired of all the what-ifs in his life. From now on, he wouldn’t allow what-if to dictate his life; he’d just do.

  Erik parked, and Alex and Daire strolled past the check-in desk, making their way to the hotel restaurant.

  The waitress he’d given a huge tip hustled to the host stand. “Hi, guys. Will there be a large group again?”

  Alex wasn’t feeling friendly, but that wasn’t her fault. He forced a smile as he read her nametag. “Just four of us today, Beth. You got a booth in the back, away from everyone? We’re having a business meeting today.”

  “Sure thing, hon.” She counted off four menus from the stand and then weaved her curvy figure between tables, heading to the rear of the restaurant. “This work?”

  Alex smiled again. “Yep! Would you do me a favor, please? Bring us four glasses of water and an extra pitcher right away. No ice.”

  “Will do!” Beth trotted off, her hips swaying a bit more than necessary. Odd that while he noticed, he wasn’t the least bit interested. Irene had definitely done a number on his heart.

  Daire scooted into the side with his back to the wall but craned his head, eyebrows rising. He stared up at Alex for confirmation that the woman was hot, but Alex waved him off.

  “Wow …” Daire crooned. “You really are in love.”

  “Move over,” Alex grunted. “That woman’s too old for you anyway.”

  Daire shrugged. “I’m legal, and she definitely qualifies as a MIL —”

  Alex turned to Daire, cutting off the acronym that he’d clearly used too many times around his baby brother. He hoped it wasn’t too late for Daire. He truly wanted Daire to find someone that could complete him before he became too old and got set in his ways.

  Erik rolled his eyes as he approached the table. “I’d complain that you two took the side of the booth with your backs to the wall, but I know you have my six. Vince won’t like it, though. Twenty years with us, and he’s still waiting for his father to make an appearance.”

  Alex shook his head. The five of them were something indeed. Too many demons hiding in the shadows, always looking to take one of them out. And way too much testosterone between them.

  Vince appeared in the doorway and shot a cursory glance around the dining room; then his long legs carried him to the table in seconds.

  He stepped right up to Alex’s side of the booth, narrowed his eyes, then pulled him up from the bench. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again!” Vince wrapped his long arms completely around Alex, smacked his massive hands on his back, then released him and plopped down in the booth next to Erik. “What the hell happened to your radio? Where’s Old Betsy? Daire said she went down? I just thought you needed to land somewhere —”

  Alex cut off Vince with a half-laugh, half-sigh. “I’m fine, thanks.” The last thing he wanted was to admit why he didn’t have a radio, and he didn’t have time to go into the details. They had to figure out how to get Irene back. “We’ll talk about my ordeal later.” He lowered his head across the table. “Right now we need to figure out how to exchange Cal Landrum’s drugs for an innocent woman who doesn’t deserve the situation she’s found herself in.”

  ~ Irene ~

  As Jeff directed Irene through the house, Irene made note of any possible exits, weapons, electronics … anything that she could use to escape or alert someone of her whereabouts.

  Jeff brought her through a side door, not a main entrance. When they entered, they walked below the deck, into a dark, seventies-throwback-looking living room. The carpet was dark, green or black, she wasn’t sure which, and the sofa and chairs were upholstered with some brown and tan hunting theme. The only window was narrow and high, much like the windows in the cabin on Middleton. Jeff had used a key to open and lock the door, and no phone or computer was visible, so definitely not a room she’d run to if she managed to get away from Jeff.

  Next, Jeff led her down a hallway with two rooms on the side. As she peeked in, she saw that they were small rooms, nothing in them but a bed and dresser. The windows, again, were high and narrow. She suspected that being on the bottom floor, it was better to have high windows because of the snow drifts.

  Jeff passed a circular staircase that led to the second floor, but the opening was so narrow, she doubted he could use this set of stairs. The house was a labyrinth. Apparently this was the original house, and the part with the wide-open windows and surrounding deck must have been an add-on.

  At the end of the long hallway, Jeff used his key to unlock a dark walnut door. The door was solid. Not one of those hollow-core doors so popular in new construction. So much for finding a tool and digging her way out. On the other side of the door, a long stairway led straight down into black nothingness.

  Irene stared wide-eyed at Jeff. “I don’t do so well in confined places.” Which was true. When Cal had said basement, Irene had been thinking of a modern basement with whitewashed walls, large projection screen, and movie-theater seating like her ex-fiancé had set up in his beloved Painted Lady.

  Jeff hit a switch, and the bottom floor lit up. She relaxed a bit. While the basement didn’t have the clean beige walls with cream trim she was accustomed to, at least the area didn’t resemble Buffalo Bill’s hole in the Silence of the Lambs. Instead, a long five-shelf wine rack took up much of one wall, and opposite, a kitchen set up monopolized the other wall. A long rectangular table sat in the middle of the room, and another rustic
sofa and grouping of chairs lined the back wall. It looked like the kind of room where a low-life Mafioso might meet with his rebels to discuss renouncing their allegiance to the Godfather.

  Clearly, I’ve watched too many movies in the last year. It’s just a basement, Irene. Chill! It’s not like there are shackles and chains hanging from the walls.

  “Better?” Jeff asked as he nudged her down the stairwell.

  She laughed to lighten her words. “If I say no, do I get another option?”

  Jeff returned her laugh. “Doubt it.”

  At the foot of the stairs, she looked up at the open door, and then lowered her head as she whispered, “What’s he going to do with me?”

  Jeff shrugged. “I guess that depends on your friend. Cal just wants his bags back — all hundred pounds of them.”

  “Was Kevin his friend?”

  “Listen, lady, I just work here.” He huffed through his nose. “My suggestion is you do whatever Cal tells you to. This ain’t no Romper Room. The man means business. He’s got some mean people waiting for his product. If he doesn’t show up with the merchandise, it’s his ass on the line.”

  Irene nodded. That information was something she could use anyway. Cal had a boss — or business acquaintance. If said associate doesn’t get his merchandise, he’d be ticked, and Cal would be the one who’d end up as fish food. Yes, she could definitely use that information. If only she could sit in while Cal and Alex discuss her swap. Maybe she’d get lucky and Alex would pull one of the I-need-to-talk-with-Irene-first demands. If so, she could let Alex know that Cal wasn’t the kingpin, that they had an ace in the hole.

  At least it appeared Jeff didn’t intend to tie her up or search her, so … she’d wait patiently. If anything went sideways during the switch, she’d fight her way out.

  But what if she was wrong? What if Cal was wrong? What if Alex really didn’t know where the drugs were? Would he even try to barter for her life if he didn’t? After all, she’d turned him down, said she wasn’t interested in Alex showing her Anchorage.

  Was it possible that she’d survived everything she had only to be killed by a low-life drug dealer?