Probably why he took off when Sam came in to give me my phone. I look like a reject from a carnival freak show. The assessment arose after lifting her chin and bringing her face closer to the mirror. Dabbing her hair with some water she managed to twist it up into a bun. At least it would be cooler, she reasoned.
She bent down and retrieved her shoe, propping the door open with her hip. Remembering that she’d hung the jacket on the back of the door, Tessa let it begin to shut. Just for a second the darkness began to overwhelm her. She snatched the door handle and threw it open to find a flashlight shining in her face.
Throwing her free arm up over her eyes blocked enough brightness to realize something loomed in front of her, solid and tall. She smelled perspiration and spearmint as a gritty hand covered a scream she tried to release. The sound of the flashlight clicking off sent shock waves of anticipation throughout her body. Hands jerked her body around as she tried to squirm free. His free arm went around her neck so tight it forced her body to stop struggling. Tessa’s heart hammered, causing breathing to become labored.
“Stop squirming. You’re going to get me out of here. Understand?” When she didn’t respond he tightened his hold around her neck. “Do you understand?”
Tessa nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“There’s a car in the parking garage.” His voice sounded like he had marbles in his mouth.
She nodded. His breath made her nauseous when his mouth touched her ear.
Warily his arm came off her neck. Just as he took a small step back, Tessa sunk her teeth into his fingers. Whirling around, she forced her knee up into his groin. A surprise howl escaped his mouth but he managed to grab her by the hair. He caught the bun of her hair, yanking her to his side. Stumbling forward in a bent over position, he couldn’t prevent her from slapping at him. A muffled scream for help failed as his fist swung and missed her. Dodging him forced Tessa to fall to the floor. Stunned, she crawled forward, but the stranger cut her off. Reaching down he grabbed her arm and snapped her to a standing position like one of her daughter’s stuffed animals. The strength in his hold left no doubt he would kill her if she continued on this preposterous attempt at resistance. The sound of hurried footsteps reached their ears.
The intruder reopened the restroom door and dragged her back inside before locking the door. He shoved her against the sink so hard it felt like it would crack against her lower back. Slamming into her, she became immobile as he once more covered her mouth with his large hand. There was no room to wiggle free, but she continued to try, only to be rammed harder against the porcelain sink. With each breath, she felt the sickening realization that his chest crushed against hers.
Voices called inside. Was it her name? Using his free hand he grasped her neck and squeezed. “Not a word.”
This time Tessa couldn’t even nod her surrender.
The voices faded.
Her entire body quivered with terror as the attacker jerked her forward then threw open the door. “Put that coat on. Now,” he demanded.
Although her hands trembled, she did as he ordered, feeling the cold chill of possible death if she didn’t comply. “Please. I’ll do as you ask, just don’t kill me. I have three little…”
“Shut up.” His face came so close Tessa felt rough whiskers rub against her chin.
Tessa gulped back tears, determined to be brave.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out some kind of thin fabric which Tessa recognized as discarded pantyhose. It smelled of detergent and bleach. Somehow comforted by the realization the thing he was tying around her mouth was clean helped her gain some composure. Trying to shake her head free, Tessa sniffed.
“Please. Don’t gag me. I won’t scream.”
The attacker sniggered. “Yeah, right.” He once again pinned her against the door frame until she allowed him to finish the gag. Next he took out what felt like thin twine and tied her hands together in front of her. “Be a good girl,” he mocked as he shoved an FBI hat on her head. “Now I’m going to make some noise so you can walk me out.”
He pulled out the flashlight from his vest pocket and turned it on before sticking it between his teeth. Pinning Tessa between his back and the concrete wall, he pulled out a string of firecrackers followed by several round items about the size of a quarter. He stepped forward before turning and handing them to Tessa. When she didn’t raise her tied hands to take them his hand grabbed her by the neck and shook.
“You better be a little more cooperative if you want to live. I know who you are,” he snarled.
Tessa’s eyes blinked with rapid nervousness as she tried to stop the silent tears pouring from her eyes.
“You’re the one who got the old man to flip on us. Now here I am left with nothing but a few firecrackers and you to get me out of here. Wonder what the old guy would think about that? Guess we’ll see.”
Tessa realized the menacing man knew where her uncle was taken. Maybe she had a chance at saving him from an unreasonable death. Sucking up her courage, she sniffed one last time and nodded in compliance, as if she were ready.
“Okay. Good girl,” he soothed. “We’re going to make a little noise and a whole lot of smoke.” He heard her moan through the gag. “Worried something will catch fire?”
Jerking her in front of his body, he felt her stumble, so he yanked again to show his displeasure. “If I don’t get back soon your uncle is going to be kicking chunks with the devil himself. No funny stuff. Hear me?” Feeling her nod he slipped on his own hat.
~~~
It sounded like gunfire; rapid and loud followed by an ear-splitting explosion. Everyone hunkered down, waiting only seconds before guns pulled and heart beats steadied. Chase squatted down next to Zoric and Sam. They looked like panthers ready to strike.
Carter, who had been napping in the corner, jolted upright at the commotion. The screams of the people in the ballroom didn’t concern him at this point.
The noise came from the rear where all the action from earlier in the evening took place. The crowd most likely heard the booms and feared the worst. Was it the hurricane or more attacks? He hoped Dr. Ervin would take charge of the chaos and offer some reassurance once information could be passed along.
The immediate problem was the smoke coming under the door. He heard coughing, gagging and overwrought voices as their door swung open. Several agents stumbled in covering their mouths with one hand, a gun dangling at their side with the other. Chase, along with his agents and several FBI agents, helped the Secret Service men inside. Slamming the door, he realized Tessa, Ben and the prime minister remained outside the safe room.
“What the hell happened?” Chase pushed against the door with his hand as if that might stop another attack. “Where are the others?”
Micah, the giant guard who kept close to Gilad rushed forward and shoved Chase aside. “Move,” he demanded.
“Micah, stop and think a minute. You don’t know what’s out there. Ari is at the prime minister’s side. The size of that guy would block anything that might hurt your boss.” Micah was the less intimidating of the two guards. “Cool head.” He could feel his own heart beating. “Stop. Listen. Then we go. Okay?” Speaking with a calm voice stopped the Mossad agent. “Okay?”
Micah took his hand from the doorknob as his answer, but his expression of murder did not change.
“Now, what happened out there?” His attention turned to the government agents.
“Hell, if I know, Chase. Two guys came out of the laundry room wearing FBI hats; one had on a sport coat, one tall, another kind of short. The short one didn’t seem to fit since he wasn’t wearing a suit.”
“What did he look like?”
The Secret Service agent shook his head. “There was just enough light to see that he wasn’t wearing a suit. Didn’t have time to pay much attention to the other one.”
Another agent coughed before speaking up. “Looked like some kind of military vest, maybe camo. He seemed to be leading
the other guy who carried a container. You know, like a plastic butter bowl or what you put in the fridge with your leftovers.”
The Secret Service agent banged his hand down on the table. “Just as I yelled to stop he lit something.”
“Like what?” Chase asked.
“Not sure. A lighter maybe. He put it inside the bowl then slung it our way.”
Chase jerked the door open, rushing out into the corridor with Micah at his heels. The Israeli quickly pushed past him with no fear, gun drawn and yelling in a booming voice for his boss. Knowing Micah would look after the three men at the end of the hall, he ducked into the kitchen where he’d last seen Tessa. He didn’t call out, thinking the intruders might still be inside.
Sam and Zoric appeared immediately at his side.
“I left her here, Chase,” Sam said matter-of-factly as her eyes scanned where she pointed a flashlight.
They spread out for a quick search with no results.
Joining Micah in the corridor, the Enigma agents watched him pull Ari up off of the two men he protected. Ari had knocked both men down and easily covered their bodies with his. He did not apologize for the hard fall or nearly suffocating the prime minister. Even though Gilad fumed with loud exaggerated protest, Ari took it in stride and dusted the debris from the man’s suit and straightened the crooked tie.
“Thank you, Ari. Micah.” The prime minister tried to calm himself. He’d survived several assassination attempts, but this one came close.
Carter and the other agents joined them. “Looks like firecrackers, cherry bomb-like things and some smoke bombs.” He handed the semi-melted bowl to Chase. “Just trying to escape. Guess they were hiding in the john.”
“The woman who gave the president blood went in there to use the restroom.” It was the Secret Service agent with the bandaged head.
Without asking Sam rushed to check out the space and returned shaking her head solemnly. “She’s gone.”
Ben grumbled. “They stepped right over us. I couldn’t move because Goliath had me pinned.”
“You’re welcome, Director Clark,” Ari said with the patience of a Buddhist monk. “I assure you it wasn’t my intent to save your life, but your brother’s.”
“I have no doubt,” the director said flatly as he stepped up next to Chase. “Get some of your people out there. The water has subsided so they would be able to make it a ways. My guess is they’re going to try and get a vehicle.”
Chase nodded toward several men to search. “If that’s so then it would have to be a parking garage. Anything on the ground would be useless.”
Sam took a deep breath. “There may be another way.” All eyes turned to her. “I gave Tessa her phone back.” Chase’s face wore a mixture of anger and relief. “There isn’t much juice left on it. If she left it on, we can track her.” Sam clenched her teeth so hard her jaw muscles started to flex.
“Get Vernon on it. Maybe we can still find them before it’s too late.” He watched his two soldiers who babysat Tessa’s friends, turn and head for the safe room. They were capable men who would return when Vernon had the news he wanted. His eyes then turned on Sam who stood statue still waiting for the reprimand that would reduce most people into tears. “Anything else, Sam?”
“No.” She frowned as her eyebrow arched in stubbornness. “Chase, if I thought Betty Crocker had been in danger, I wouldn’t have left her alone to, once again, get us all in so much trouble.”
Chase glared menacingly at her as he pushed past her grim face.
~~~
The man forced her to get in the car then pushed Tessa down into the floorboard of the backseat. He didn’t bother to blindfold her. His reckless driving made her already queasy stomach ache. Pinched into the car so tightly that there was little room to roll around, only her head moved back against the seat when he swerved or skidded around a curve. She was able to see the flashing red of what she guessed to be stoplights. Rain still pelted the car and she could hear the wind tossing flying debris against the windshield.
She tried to remove the phone from her pocket. Even though her hands were tied, Tessa managed to wiggle the phone from Chase’s coat pocket. A cramp nearly paralyzed her shoulder. Waiting for the pain to subside, she tried to feel which end of the phone had the on button. Just as she thought she’d laid a finger on the correct button the car lurched to a stop then accelerated. The phone flew out of her hand.
Minutes later she was frantic to feel the car swerve, then jam on the brakes.
Chapter 26
B y the time Tessa was shoved into the grimy building, there wasn’t a dry thread on her. The hat blown from her head revealed the knot of hair had collapsed like pieces of twisted rope around her quivering shoulders. Covering half of her face, she felt too frightened and exhausted to try and move it. With eyes on the floor, Tessa hoped the submissive stance would spare her further roughness from her captor.
She heard voices as generator driven lights lit the expansive room. The smell of oil and mildew made her eyes water. A gag rose up in her throat at the pungent odor of coffee and boiled cabbage. It grew stronger as her captor grabbed her arm and yanked her after him. He stopped and waited for the owners of the voices to greet them. Trying to understand their words left her confused as she realized the words were not English.
The chatter stopped when she heard the dangerous click of an automatic weapon. A little over a year ago she didn’t know the difference between the snap of an unlocking car door and the lethal intent of a Glock being readied. Jerking her arm free, Tessa side stepped her kidnapper in case… She didn’t know in case of what, just that she needed to not be too close.
“What do we have here?” It was Amon, speaking in a pleasant voice, trying to force his British accent to sound welcoming.
Continuing to hang her head, she took a step back as Amon approached. He reached out and lifted her head by cupping her chin in a firm grip. “Look at me.” His voice revealed patience.
She refused until he squeezed her chin so hard her eyes darted up to meet his familiar brown eyes. Startled by the knowledge they’d met before caused the Egyptian to smile. “Yes it is I. We meet again, Mrs. Scott.” Amon motioned for one of his men to hand him something. He turned back to face her with a pair of garden shears held up in front of her face.
Tessa eyes crossed as she eyed the rusty blades. A whimper escaped her mouth as her whole body began to tremble. He lowered the shears, slipping it under the twine around her hands and snipped several times to set her free. After handing the tool back to his man, Amon gently turned her around and untied the gag.
“There. That’s better.” Looking over his shoulder he gave one of the men an order in his native tongue. “Get her something to dry off with. See if there are any more blankets.” He turned back hearing her teeth chatter. “You are freezing.” His eyes moved to her captor in a surprisingly angry glare. Grabbing Tessa’s hands he pulled them up to show him the bruises. “Was this necessary?”
He rubbed his private parts and snarled. “She nearly made it impossible for me to ever have kids.”
“A gift to the world, no doubt,” Amon offered with amusement. His eyes turned back to her. “I’m going to need some information from you, Mrs. Scott. But first I’ll make you some tea. Or would you rather have coffee?” She tried to shrug indifference, but it looked more like shivering. “Very well. I have coffee made. Let’s try that first.” He took her arm gently and led her to a hall before pointing into one of the small rooms for her kidnapper to wait. “Someone wants to see you in there. Keep your voices down. I do not want Mrs. Scott to be frightened further. Do you understand?”
The kidnapper’s quick steps followed a retort. “I don’t take orders from you.”
Amon froze, leveling a deadly glare at Tessa’s captor. “The last man that said that to me decided he was wrong.”
“Yeah?” The man smirked as he flipped off Amon.
“Yes.” He whispered. “Dead wrong.”
; Tessa couldn’t help but notice her captor paused only a few seconds, weighing the implications of Amon’s final warning. Then he disappeared into another room.
She wanted to jerk away from Amon’s touch, remembering the evil way he’d looked at her several nights earlier on the roof of the W Hotel. Was his warning meant to redirect her uncle from his appointed fate, or prevent her from danger? He failed to press upon her the consequences of getting involved. Unsure of what else she could have done besides telling Zoric of the meeting and the missing picture, Tessa wondered if at any time she could have changed the outcome of this moment by refusing to cooperate with Enigma.
What if she had just let her uncle do what he set out to do? Would the president be dead? Did those Secret Service agents have to be wounded or die? Maybe Carter wouldn’t be suffering from his head injury if she had just stayed home in her beautiful Victorian house in Grass Valley.
Now was not the time for regret or to conduct self-examination. These men tried to kill the president of the most powerful nation on Earth. Ending her life for being rebellious or stubborn would be carried out in the blink of an eye. This man, whoever he was, pretended to be a gentleman, but she was not confused as to the reality of her situation. Her safety was only as good as the information he desired.
He took on the role of kind stranger. Tessa allowed Amon to help her sit down in a wobbly folding chair. She cringed at the coolness of the metal when it touched the back of her exposed legs. Sucking in her breath caused the Egyptian to call to someone. He smiled at her as a Middle Eastern man appeared with a ripped beach towel, sporting the picture of a cartoon character. Nodding to her without making eye contact, he extended the gift to her. Her eyes went to Amon.
“It is all right, Mrs. Scott.” He removed Chase’s wet jacket, replacing it with the towel. Wrapping it around Tessa’s shoulders, his hands felt as if they lingered a little too long before he lifted her rope-like hair over the top. “We mean you no harm.”
The Enigma Series Boxed Set Page 63