The first sign that things weren’t going to go as smoothly as he hoped was finding the skiff gone when he returned to the river’s edge. It had taken him longer than he’d hoped to find the bolt cutters. The owner of the skiff must have finally come out of the bar and taken it home.
The one he finally found was larger. On the one hand, it would hold all of them with no problem. On the other hand, he would have a heck of a time controlling it on his own. But that couldn’t be helped.
He turned to Ashley. “You stay down. If we don’t show up by daylight, I want you to take the car and go back to the motel. I may have to hide on board ship until it gets dark once again. At least you have enough food there, so you shouldn’t have to go out.”
“Please be careful.”
“You can count on it.”
Traversing the Mississippi River in the larger boat was every bit as difficult as he’d guessed. He almost hit the tanker before he managed to tie the tender to the stern anchor. His arms were aching from trying to control it through the swiftly moving water. He rested in the boat for a few minutes to get his breath, then he hauled himself up the chain once again. He was glad the ship rode low in the water, an indication they had not unloaded their cargo. It would be easier to get Mrs. Sullivan back down there.
He waited in the shadows as he had before, watching and listening for any sign of movement. When he was satisfied, Nick crossed the deck to the hatch and eased inside.
Everything was still.
He gained more confidence. Gripping the cutters, he moved silently through the companionway until he reached the room where the president was being held. He eased open the door and saw the president stretched out on the bed once more.
If he hadn’t been watching Sullivan’s eyes, he wouldn’t have caught the glance he gave past Nick’s shoulder. Because he saw it, he swung around with the cutters at the same time the man waiting for him behind the door leaped.
He caught him across the throat, crushing his windpipe. The man slumped lifeless to the floor. “Damn,” Nick muttered.
He spun to Sullivan and began to work on the chain closest to the ankle iron. The chain was thick and it took precious minutes for Nick to get through it. As soon as he was free, Sullivan went over and pulled off the mask of the man on the floor. It was Steve Rippy.
“That answers one question, anyway,” the president muttered. “Now, where’s my family?”
“What was he doing in here? Could there be others waiting for us?”
“I don’t give a damn. I’m going after my family. Are you armed?”
Nick silently handed him one of his firearms. He also had the pistol he’d taken from Ron at the hospital.
Sullivan checked it with expert precision before he said, “Show me where they are.”
They stepped into the companionway with Nick leading the way. They went down the ladders to the lower deck. Nick paused and nodded toward the door. He signaled that he’d go in first. Easing the door open, he leaped across the room and spun around, checking for intruders.
Sullivan was right behind him.
Juliana spoke from the shadows. “Jim? Is that you?”
Nick flicked on his small flashlight. The three were in their bunks. There was no one else in the room. The president grabbed his wife and hugged her to him without sound. Nick started working on the ankle chains that held the two boys from going more than six feet in any direction.
“Dad?” Matt said softly.
Sullivan released his wife and quickly moved to the twin bunks. He touched each son. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” Jamie croaked. “Now that you’re here. We’re just fine.”
Sullivan turned back to Nick. “What’s the plan?”
“I’ve got a tender tied to the stern anchor. We’ll get you loaded into it and back to shore. Ashley is waiting there to take you to the car. She’ll drive you to the motel where we’re staying so we can plan the next step.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll return the tender to where I got it and meet you back at the motel.”
The hardest part was fighting the current to get back upriver. At least Nick had some help with the oars. He and Sullivan worked together, fighting for every inch. It was obvious the tide had turned since his first foray to the ship.
By the time they touched the shoreline, he and Sullivan were both breathing hard. They were stilldown stream from where he’d left Ashley, but it couldn’t be helped. He hid the tender, then led them to where he’d left Ashley. He was almost upon her before he discovered her hiding place.
She ran to her parents and brothers, hugging each in turn. All of them were silent, touching, stroking, with tears running down their faces. Nick finally said, “Take them to the car, Ashley. I’ll see you soon.” Then he hurried back to return the boat that had made the rescue possible. He intended leaving money in the storage compartment for the unknown owner, who probably would never know where the money had come from or why.
Ashley drove them back to the motel. Each of them still wore the leg irons. She signaled for them to be quiet until they were inside the room. After she turned on the light and locked the door, she said, “I don’t know how thin the walls are, or if the rooms on either side are occupied, but to be on the safe side, we need to speak softly.” She was speaking to her brothers, who had immediately thrown themselves down on the bed.
Juliana was the first to speak. “You boys get in there and shower right away.”
With the reluctance that showed they weren’t all that scarred by their recent experience, the boys quietly bickered over who had to shower first.
Meanwhile Ashley saw that her parents had not moved since they had walked in. They stood with their arms around each other, looking at their surroundings. Ashley smiled. “I know. It’s not much to look at, but Nick wanted someplace close to the docks.”
“You and Nick are sharing this room?” Juliana finally asked.
“Yes, Mom.” She gestured to the chairs. “Please sit down. Nick should be back before long. Then we can figure out what to do next.” She looked at their ankles. “I wonder how he’s going to get those things off you.”
“Ashley?” her father asked. “How long have you and Nick been here?”
“We got in late last night. Why?”
“Why didn’t you get separate rooms?”
“Because I didn’t want to be alone.”
“Ashley, I—” her father began.
Juliana interrupted him. “Jim, this is not the time or the place to have this conversation. I’m certain that you and Ashley can discuss this once we’re back home safe and sound.”
“Dad, you really don’t need to worry about my virtue. We drove over a thousand miles without stopping for more than gas, food and an occasional rest area. We were both exhausted.”
“Where did you stop the night before?”
“El Paso. And we each had our own bed.” Even though we didn’t use the extra one, she silently added. She had no intention of mentioning that to her father.
“You’ve never been afraid to stay by yourself alone before, dear,” her mother said gently.
Her father said, “Nick mentioned that your van was ambushed and his partner injured. I suppose that would be enough to make anyone nervous.”
Juliana gasped. “Oh, darling, I had no idea.” She rushed to Ashley and held on to her. “I can’t believe all that has happened. We’ve always been so protected. It seems strange being here as a family, and yet we’re alone.” She looked around at her husband. “We certainly haven’t experienced this much privacy in the past twenty years.”
Matt came out of the bathroom, drying his hair. “Guess I have to put the same clothes back on, right, Mom?”
“I’m afraid so. But for now you might as well get some rest.” She nodded to one of the beds. “I’m so thankful that Agent Logan was able to get us out of there.” She shivered. “Jim, did you ever find out who was behind our abduction?”
Several minutes later when Jamie came out of the shower, Sullivan turned to him. “You two are going to have to share one of those beds. Ashley and your mother will sleep on the other.”
“Dad, you need your rest. When Nick gets back, he can rent another room for us and you can—”
“For us?” her father repeated ominously.
“Now, Jim!”
“Dad, I know that it will never matter to you how old I am, I will always be your little girl. But the truth is, I’m almost twenty-two years old. I’m an adult. I make my own decisions.”
“Another topic to be discussed more fully at another time,” Juliana said, her gaze going to the boys.
Sullivan walked over to the window and peered outside. “Shouldn’t Nick be here by now?”
“He had to return the boat. He also wanted to watch the tanker to see if there was any sudden flurry of activity. He said this would be the most dangerous time—if they should find you gone before we can get you away from here.”
Sullivan continued to peer through the window. “If they follow the routine we had coming over here, they won’t miss us before morning.”
“Jim,” Juliana asked, “what are we going to do? Can we call for Air Force One to pick us up?”
“That was my first thought. Now I’m not so sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Honey, we were set up out there on that yacht. Something’s going on that’s being engineered from within. We know that at least one of the Secret-Service agents was working with the kidnappers. There could be more. Until we know who’s behind this, we don’t dare trust anyone.”
“I know,” Matt said indignantly. “I thought Steve Rippy was my friend. He told me and Jamie that you wanted to see us. Then when we step out on the deck, two other guys suddenly grab us and they handcuff us and tie our ankles together.”
“What about taping our mouths so we couldn’t yell?” Jamie added.
“If it’s any consolation, boys, Mr. Rippy has already paid for what he did to you.” He turned to Juliana. “Was it Steve who came to you?”
“Yes. He told me that you and Ray asked him to come get me. I thought that was rather strange, but I put on my robe and came out of our cabin. I was following Steve when someone grabbed me from behind, placing cuffs on my wrists, as well as covering my head with something. I tried to fight, but then whoever it was lifted me and tied my feet. When they finally uncovered my head, I discovered the boys were with me in a small cabin. I didn’t recognize where we were.”
“The security ship. That’s where they took me. What I haven’t figured out is why.”
They heard a noise at the door and all quieted. They watched the door swing open. When Nick stepped inside, there was a collective sigh of relief.
“It’s a little crowded in here,” Nick said.
Sullivan replied, “Ashley suggested you get another room, which I think would be an excellent idea. We’ll let the family share this room while you and I can use the other one. It will give us a place to discuss all of this in greater detail.”
Nick could see that Ashley was not pleased with her father’s suggestion, but he agreed with him. He nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
It was after midnight. When he went to the front desk, he discovered a different clerk from the night before. Nick asked for a room without explaining that he’d checked in the night before. After paying cash, he was given a receipt and key and returned to the Sullivans.
The room was on the same floor, but halfway down the hall. Nick gathered his things and he and Sullivan went to the other room.
Once inside, Sullivan said, “If you’ll excuse me, I need a shower and would very much like to shave, if I can borrow your razor.”
“Of course.”
Nick went after ice and got some sodas out of the machine. By the time he returned, Sullivan was shaving. Like his sons, he’d put on his pants, but hadn’t bothered with the shirt. Nick found a clean shirt in his bag and silently handed it to him.
“Thanks.” After he’d finished shaving, Sullivan rubbed his jaw and said, “I feel much better now.”
Nick set out glasses, filled them with ice and motioned for Sullivan to choose his drink. Once Sullivan sat down across from Nick, he said, “Tell me everything you know and we’ll see if we can get to the bottom of this.”
Nick nodded. “All of this started for me when I received a call the morning of December twenty-first in forming me that I’d been assigned to the White House detail starting immediately, on the four-to-midnight shift.”
Sullivan poured himself a drink and took a long swallow. He looked much better now than he had earlier in the evening. Of course the shave helped, but the lines of strain were much less evident, as well.
Nick continued, “Less than an hour later I received a call from Homeland Security requesting my presence at a meeting in Evelyn Cramer’s office as soon as I could get there.”
“I see,” Sullivan said.
“When I arrived, there were four members of the department there. It was Ms. Cramer who told me that several weeks before, one of the Secret-Service agents on White House detail agents had come to her saying that he’d been offered a quarter of a million dollars if he would be willing to work with a group who, as he was told, wanted to right an injustice. After a long discussion it was agreed that he would accept the offer, but would report to Ms. Cramer with any information he might gather.”
“Who was the agent?”
“Colin Crenshaw.”
“Colin!” He sat up in his chair. “You mean—”
“He was on his way to meet his contact when he had his accident.”
“Are you saying his death wasn’t an accident?”
“There’s no way to prove that now, so I understand. It was very unfortunate timing, all the same. Colin had told them he thought he had some answers for them. Unfortunately he was never able to tell them what he’d discovered.”
“So where did you come in?”
“She figured Colin’s contact was one of the agents already in the White House. She wanted to see if I could find out who it was.”
“Then I shipped you to Colorado to play nursemaid to my daughter. Why didn’t you protest?”
“I had already requested a transfer the day after I was assigned to Ashley. The same person who turned me down recommended me to you as most qualified to go with your daughter.”
“Greg Chambers.”
“That’s correct, sir.”
“Did Colin name him?”
“No. According to Ms. Cramer, Colin had mentioned that he didn’t know who was passing on the information since he’d had no direct contact with whoever it was. She was hoping his latest message meant he’d been able to find out.”
“She believes it’s someone in the White House?”
“Yes, sir.”
“My God, then it could be anyone! Who has a motive?”
“The terrorists are demanding the release of some of their people currently at Guantanamo. The group must have bribed some key people working near you is my best guess.”
“Then the fact we escaped means they no longer have a lever to use. We’re no longer in danger and can return to Washington with no one being the wiser about what has happened.”
“Except we won’t know who in the White House betrayed you.”
“That’s true. Unfortunately.”
“We also know that if something happened to you, Jason Freeman would be our next president.”
“Are you suggesting that Jason would have me killed in order to take my place?”
“History is full of incidences where that is exactly what happened.”
“Then what can I do to prevent this from reoccurring?”
“We can smoke them out.”
“How?”
“Right now no one in Washington knows you’ve escaped. If we keep it that way for a few days, we
can watch to see what happens next. Will the terrorists admit they were unable to hold you? Somehow I doubt it. However, whoever is behind this in the White House will eventually learn that you’ve disappeared. At that point I think they’ll panic and perhaps overplay their hand. When they do, Evelyn Cramer will have them.”
“How do you explain my not returning from vacation to the general public?”
“The press secretary mentions you’ve returned and have the flu. This is the season. I think the whole thing can be cleared up in a matter of days.”
“Do you have some ideas about what we can do to disappear, as you put it?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
Chapter 18
The next morning the president and Nick returned to the other room. Nick tapped on the door. After a long moment Juliana Sullivan answered. Nick recognized that the blouse and jeans she wore belonged to Ashley. She had obviously washed her hair and was now brushing it dry.
“Good morning,” she said with a smile. “You’re both up rather early, considering the fact that you probably sat up half the night talking. Come in.”
Once inside the room Nick saw that the boys were still asleep. Ashley must be in the bathroom.
Juliana walked into her husband’s arms and hugged him. Nick turned away to give them some sense of privacy. He walked over and sat on the end of the bed that she and Ashley must have shared the night before.
“Honey, Nick has a plan that I want him to explain to you,” Sullivan said, leading his wife to the table and motioning for her to sit down.
Ashley stepped out of the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel. “Oops. Didn’t know you were here,” she said. She was dressed except for shoes.
Her dad motioned for her to join them. “I want you to hear this, too, Ashley.”
She rubbed her hair with the towel, then walked over and sat on the bed beside Nick while she pulled a comb through her hair. Nick didn’t miss the look the Sullivans exchanged. He wanted to put his arm around her shoulders and say to them, “Yes. We are a couple. Deal with it.” But of course he didn’t.
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