by Katie Reus
“We’ll do everything in our power. I promise. I know you think we can use you as bait, even visually, but it’s not happening. All we needed was their location and now we have it. They fucked up and we’re going to bring them down. Right now we need you safe. Cade needs you safe.”
Even though she was feeling wildly irrational, she knew they were right. When she’d heard Leah’s scared voice, it had shredded her insides. But she wasn’t trained and even though she could defend herself well enough, she was no match for any of these men. And there was no guarantee that giving herself up to them would save Leah anyway.
“Maria, pull over right now.” Cade’s voice came over the line, angrier than she’d ever heard him.
Right about now she felt like a total fucking maniac for running off the way she had done. Rubbing a shaky hand over her face, she waited for the third car at the stop to go, then pulled out into the intersection. “I’m so sorry, I’m going to—”
Her body jerked violently as a car rammed into the back of the Mercedes, sending the phone flying from the center console to the floorboards. She scrambled to grab the wheel, but the car rammed into her again. The airbag popped out, punching into her.
Her head slammed back against the seat. Panicking, she pressed on the gas and turned the wheel, trying to get away, but the other car increased its speed, forcing her onto the sidewalk. Metal creaked and groaned as she demolished a stop sign, the vehicle shuddering under the impact. There was a fire hydrant in front of her, leaving her nowhere to go.
Hands shaking, she looked in the rearview mirror, ready to attempt to reverse into the car, when she hit the hydrant. Glass shattered.
She screamed as shards covered her. Over the phone speaker Cade was shouting her name. She tried to respond but was cut off as two big hands reached through the broken window and started choking her.
Blindly she fought, clawing and tearing at the immovable grip. She couldn’t see her attacker’s face, but he was too strong. As darkness edged her vision, she managed to get her seat belt free, but it was too late.
Blackness consumed her.
Chapter 22
Kidnap: taking someone away illegally by force.
Cade watched the handheld video screen as Ortiz tore out of the parking lot. There was no way in hell Cade could drive right now. Not after watching from a crystal-clear satellite feed as Maria’s limp body was dragged out of a car and shoved into a waiting one.
Adrenaline jagged through him, wild and out of control, but internally he kept his emotions in check. Barely. Acting from an emotional place could get him killed. Or worse, Maria or one of his teammates.
“We’re going to get her back,” Ortiz said quietly as he drove.
“No doubt,” Freeman murmured in agreement from the back.
Yeah, Cade hadn’t exactly been super stealthy back at the safe house with his affections toward her. Word had spread quickly and he didn’t give a shit what the others thought about his relationship with her.
Maria was his. As soon as this operation was over and she was safe. Safe and alive . . . fuck, he was going to tell her everything. If she rejected him, he’d deal. Hell, if she rejected him, at least it meant she was alive to do so. That was fine with him.
He ignored the tremor that snaked through him. Being so far away and helpless to do anything was eating him alive from the inside out.
“If they’d wanted her dead, they’d have done it at the crash site.” This time Jack spoke, the statement blunt, with no emotion. He’d insisted on coming on this mission after Maria had run out on him. And Burkhart had given Stone the okay—not exactly surprising. Those two had always had a tight relationship and Stone was well trained. The former agent had met them at a neutral point and ditched his vehicle. Cade wanted to be pissed at him for losing Maria, but he knew how stubborn she could be.
The man spoke the truth, something Cade knew on an intellectual level. But it didn’t matter. These terrorists had wreaked unspeakable horror. Now Maria was in their hands.
“How’s the feed?” Burkhart’s voice came over the speaker of the SUV’s navigational system.
“Perfect.” Cade was glad he sounded strong. Burkhart hadn’t wanted to let him go on this mission, but had relented. Good thing too, because Cade had been considering punching his boss—something he would have regretted immensely later on.
They had multiple eyes in the sky right now, including a satellite and two drones. In addition to Cade’s team they had five other four-man teams in the direct vicinity of Mihails’s moving vehicle. At any time, Cade or his men could move on them, but they wanted the assholes alive.
Getting Maria back alive was Cade’s priority, but the NSA wanted Mihails and Oto. They needed to know if other bombs were placed around the city and how many operatives they had working with them. Right now it didn’t bode well that they’d taken Maria.
It made them appear desperate. And desperate men who’d proven their penchant for violence were the worst type of enemy—because they were unpredictable. Considering that the team at the cabin had blown themselves up rather than face capture, the NSA wasn’t risking that again.
They would move on the terrorists only when the timing was right. Even though Cade hated keeping his distance, hated that his team could attack the terrorists right now but weren’t doing so, this was the best plan.
“Tennyson gave up some interesting information on Hill and his partners,” Burkhart said as Ortiz took another left turn. It was hard for Cade to focus on what his boss was saying when his insides were being shredded at the thought of Maria being harmed.
On their video feed there were red dots that indicated where the other team members were in relation to them and the tangos. Right now his own team was two fucking blocks from Maria. Sweat trickled down his back. Don’t focus on that, he ordered himself.
“What’d he say?” Cade asked. Just as Tennyson had been about to talk, he and Burkhart had been called away by an emergency call from Jack.
Cade still couldn’t believe Maria had just taken off like that. He wanted to shake some sense into her, but after losing her mom she had to be feeling raw, emotional, and just not thinking clearly. If someone kidnapped and threatened to kill someone close to him, Cade knew he wouldn’t sit back and do nothing either.
“Paul Hill and his business partners have been running the biggest sex slave ring we’ve ever seen. They’re doing business with Saudi Arabia, various South American countries, Eastern European countries—everywhere. What Tennyson has told us so far . . . it’s fucking sick. These bastards cater to every . . .” For Burkhart to pause while talking told Cade all he needed to know.
Cade’s body went ice-cold. Maria. “What do Mihails and Oto want with Hill?” If it was a business takeover, it was a violent one. Cade wasn’t apt to pray, but for the first time in forever, he did. It was bad enough Maria was mixed up in this, but if they might use her for—
“They want him and everyone involved with his business dead. Mihails’s sisters were taken by Hill’s group years ago. One died, but one survived.”
“Tennyson told you that?”
“No, one of our guys found the location of Mihails’s only living sister twelve hours ago. London’s Metropolitan Police are talking to Ieva Balodis as we speak. She won’t leave the house, but she’s being cooperative. She gave us the reason why Mihails is so bent on vengeance once they informed her of Paul Hill’s connection—and she’s horrified by what her brother is doing. She told him what happened to her and her sister, but I get the feeling she had no idea what kind of man her brother is. She didn’t even know he was a criminal. And Tennyson backed up what I’d already gleaned from London’s report about Hill.”
Cade kept his gaze on the video screen, thankful Ortiz was such a skilled driver. The man moved in and out of traffic with a fluid ease that spoke of a lot of training. “So, why was Ervin killed? What’s t
he tie-in for Tennyson dumping his body?”
“After the death of Scott Mullen, then Reuben Flowers, Ervin panicked and called Paul Hill. The pictures left at Mullen’s murder site had already solidified Ervin’s fear because of their ties to Hill’s business. Hill got Tennyson to represent Ervin. Then when he was free, Hill shot Ervin himself. And Tennyson’s got him on video. He says he’s got more than that on video as part of his insurance if Hill ever tries to kill him.”
“Is he telling the truth?” On-screen, the vehicle transporting Maria pulled into a packed parking lot, but the various angles of the feeds almost guaranteed they wouldn’t lose her.
Ortiz followed anyway, easing some of Cade’s growing tension at being too separated from her. He took a sharp turn behind a strip of shops and drove parallel to their Dumpsters as he headed for the back entry to the other parking lot. Cade’s pulse sped up, his heart racing out of control. They were so damn close to Maria now.
“He gave up one of the videos as proof that he didn’t kill Ervin, but he wants immunity in exchange for the rest of the videos. He’s also got the names of more people Hill is doing business with, bank account numbers, a whole lot of shit we need to bring Hill’s organization down.”
“Mihails did all this to avenge his sisters.” Cade tensed as he watched one of the men transport Maria’s limp body to a waiting SUV.
She was still alive. Otherwise they wouldn’t be moving her at all. He grasped onto that thin thread of hope buried deep inside him and held on tight. Almost in unison, the other men slid into the vehicle and it drove away. His fists clenched into tight balls. She was so damn close.
“Looks that way.”
“Why Westwood?”
“A couple dozen men involved in the ring were there. Hill was supposed to be there too.”
“Did you guys catch the license plate of the SUV?” Cade asked, switching topics.
“Yeah, calling it in to the locals to leave the vehicle alone.”
Cade pushed out a small breath of relief. Sometimes the smallest thing could fuck up an operation. Right now these terrorists were untouchable and Cade and his team couldn’t have a local cop pull them over for speeding or some other infraction. No, these men needed to make it to wherever their destination was, because once they stopped moving, Cade’s team was saving Maria and bringing them down. He knew what the NSA wanted, but he didn’t give a shit if they lived or died. “How’s Leah?”
“Shaken up, but physically unharmed.”
“Good.” They’d found Leah Davis tied up in a public restroom with her cell phone tucked in her pocket. She’d been bait for them because they’d obviously known Maria would either call for backup or be monitored by law enforcement. They hadn’t needed to leave her alive, though; they could have killed Leah or kept her and left just her phone, but they hadn’t done either. It was an interesting choice for such violent men. That humane decision gave him a sliver of hope that they’d get Maria back alive. He clutched onto that like a lifeline because he refused to consider a world without her in it.
• • •
Mihails glanced around their surroundings as they left in their newly acquired vehicle. The Cervantes woman was still unconscious, her head lolling on his shoulder. He wanted to throttle Oto for hurting her so badly. She could have passed out from fear or shock, but Mihails didn’t think so. The way his partner had choked her was too much.
“You shouldn’t have been so rough with her,” he finally snapped as Oto pulled onto I-95.
He didn’t care that Kristaps was in the vehicle and would be privy to their disagreement. There was no other time to have this discussion. They would have to lose this vehicle soon, then switch out with another one yet again, before heading to their final destination. They had to make sure they weren’t being tailed.
Oto flicked him a hard glance in the rearview mirror. “She’s breathing.”
Yes, but if she was so damn terrified that she went into shock when she woke up—if she woke up—she wouldn’t be cooperative. And torturing someone in shock was pointless. Something Oto knew.
“I can’t get hold of Ieva. She always answers my calls,” Oto said, the change in subject a surprise. But it would explain Oto’s sudden surge of anger and the way he’d choked Maria.
Frowning, Mihails texted his sister. The time difference was five hours from Miami to London, so it was early evening for her. The place he’d bought his sister in the district of Kensington was well secured and he had groceries and other necessities delivered if she didn’t want to the leave the house. Which until recently had been the case. But she’d been getting counseling and seemed almost happy some days. He knew she’d made some friends and assumed that had made a difference in her. When she didn’t immediately return his text, he brushed aside the tension building in him. “She could be sleeping or showering. It means nothing.”
Oto just grunted and Mihails reined his anger in. Now wasn’t the time to lose it and stir up strife between them. He could keep Oto on a leash if he kept Maria away from his friend. Mihails had spent a small fortune to get her. After leaving Leah Davis tied up and unconscious at South Pointe Park, he’d known her cell phone signal would draw the authorities there like feral dogs.
While they were getting ready, he’d had one of the best hackers in the world break the encryption on the phone Maria had called from. Tracking it had been a long shot because he hadn’t been sure she would even keep it on her person. The hacker almost hadn’t been able to do it—and had charged Mihails an extra fee for his trouble. Mihails had kept the hacker waiting for the moment he received a call from her.
His patience had paid off in the end. Or it better. While his funds were great, he couldn’t afford to waste resources for something that might not be worth it. It would make him appear weak in front of his men. With the edgy way Oto had been acting over the past week, he definitely couldn’t afford that.
Now they had Maria and she would tell them everything she’d relayed to the authorities. It was possible she didn’t know everything; how deep their plans went. If she didn’t, they could move forward. And if she had told them too much, they still had time to change their plans. Now they had a hostage if the authorities got too close.
Feeling as if he was in the crosshairs of a sniper, he glanced out the tinted window of the stolen vehicle. No, they’d been careful and after they placed the explosives at the Port of Miami, they would soon be in international waters. The Cubans would provide them with sanctuary if they required it.
Chapter 23
Infiltration: the secret movement of an individual (or small group) penetrating a target area with the intent to remain undetected.
Maria opened her eyes and tried to blink away the grit. She attempted to lift her hand to rub them and realized she couldn’t move. Her wrists were secured by flex ties to a plush accent chair. When she attempted to lift her legs, she couldn’t move them either. In a rush, she remembered what had happened as she took in her surroundings.
The vehicle running her off the street. Someone punching through the driver’s-side window. Big hands choking her. She swallowed and winced in pain. Her skin was definitely bruised, and so was inside her throat. Oh yeah, that memory was all too real. Looking around, she saw that she was on some type of boat. A yacht maybe because the space was luxurious.
The room was a strange triangle shape and there were portholes on either of the walls. Sunlight filtered through them, bathing the striped blue-and-brown silky-looking duvet on the bed in light, but she couldn’t see anything other than blue sky outside. Not only that, the room was swaying and she knew it wasn’t because she was disoriented. They were moving. It was almost indiscernible but she could feel the soft rumble of the engine.
Nausea rolled through her. If they were on a boat, it meant she’d been kidnapped and her captors were taking her out of the city. It also meant Cade and the NSA hadn�
��t been able to track her. Hope died an agonizing death inside her.
At the same time, a jolt of adrenaline shot through her veins, clearing the cobwebs from her head. She didn’t have time to panic or feel sorry for herself. Wiggling her body as best she could, she tried to see how much give there was in the restraints. None with the ankle ties—and she belatedly realized they’d discovered the knife stashed in her sock. She couldn’t feel anything tucked into the back of her pants or in her bra either. Crap. They’d found all her weapons. Not that they would do her any good, considering that she could barely move.
Wiggling one of the wrist ties, she had a smidgen of room, but not enough to pull her hand out. The other one was completely restricted, almost to the point where it was cutting off her circulation. Her hand was slightly numb, but not tingly like when it fell asleep. Soon it would probably go completely numb, though. Which told her she hadn’t been tied up that long.
At the sound of the door handle twisting, her head snapped in that direction. When a man likely in his forties with blond hair and rage-filled blue eyes stepped inside, she instinctively tried to scoot back, but there was nowhere to go. Her inner alarm bells were going off like crazy. This man was dangerous and would have no problem hurting her. She could see it clearly in his gaze.
“I see you’re awake,” he said in a light accent. Not the man she’d talked to on the phone.
She recognized this one from the NSA’s pictures, though. Oto Ozols. Terrorist, murderer. So she must have talked to Mihails Balodis. Eyes wide, she didn’t say anything.
The man’s jaw tightened, the jagged, faint white scar on his cheek vivid under the track lighting of the room.
“Can you speak?” he demanded, taking a menacing step toward her.
“Yes,” she rasped out, her voice not sounding like her own. It was hoarse, like a longtime smoker’s. The attempt at speech wasn’t overly painful, but it was uncomfortable. Her throat already felt swollen.