Chapter1

by Ribbon of Rain

  The jet’s brakes screeched as they landed in Washington. Jude woke and glanced over at Cody, trying not to smile. This leg of the trip, Cody had ended up with the entire dog.

  *****

  “Time to wake up, sweetheart.” The suave voice penetrated Kat’s consciousness. She struggled to open her eyes, squinting as bright light flooded her vision. The world tilted and spun. She squeezed her eyes shut.

  “Where am I?” Was that weak muffled voice hers?

  “Come on. Open your eyes,” the smooth voice coaxed. “You and I have a lot to discuss.”

  A familiar smell assaulted her nose. Strong cologne. Where had she smelled it before?

  Brain-fuzzy, Kat tried to remember. The leaden feeling in her arms and legs scared her. Was she paralyzed? After one attempt to lift her arm, she felt certain that was the case. The fog in her head lifted slowly, and memories of her abduction returned. That bastard Carl Winter had kidnapped her.

  Hands roughly began massaging her legs and she flinched at the pain. The fact she felt pain meant she wasn’t paralyzed. That knowledge gave her courage to open her eyes.

  “I knew you could do it.” Carl’s devious smile was the first thing she saw. “I’m afraid I gave you too much tranquilizer. You’ve been out for a long time.”

  “Where am I?” Kat asked again trying to sit up. She couldn’t move.

  “You’re with me. The location is inconsequential. Stop struggling. You’re tied to the bed.”

  Kat stilled and looked down at her body. Hospital restraints held her to the bed. She realized any words out of her mouth could be hazardous to her health, so she stayed silent.

  “If you give me your word to behave, I’ll let you up and send someone to help you shower and change.” The slime sat on the edge of the bed. “You must be hungry.”

  Kat squelched her desire to tell him exactly what she felt. If she wanted to plan an escape, she needed to be loose. Keeping her eyes downcast, she nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

  He grabbed her chin and forced her head up, giving her no choice but to look into the eyes of the devil. If a person didn’t know the evil lurking beneath the surface, they’d find him to be a sophisticated, handsome man. Underneath the thin veneer was a man with no conscience, a man who’d kill to achieve his goals.

  “Are you willing to cooperate? You’ll find I’m an extremely generous man when I get my way. Cross me, and it’ll be the last thing you do.” The threat hung in the air.

  “I said I would, didn’t I?”

  His fingers painfully tightened on her chin before he dropped his hand. “I’ll send Maria to you right away.” He walked to the door and turned back. “Maria is a loyal employee, but an expendable one. Ply her for information or use her in any way to try to escape, and she’ll suffer right along with you.” He spun and left, firmly closing the door behind him.

  Kat looked around the room. Through the windows on either side of the bed she saw treetops and blue sky. Nightstands flanked both sides of the double bed. A bureau on one wall completed the sparse furnishings. Trying not to be too obvious, she glanced around the walls and ceiling, looking for a place where there might be a camera. If he had planted one, she couldn’t easily find it.

  The door opened and a pretty teenaged girl entered, a happy smile on her face. Dressed in an off-the-shoulder peasant blouse, her long skirt flowed around her ankles as she walked. “Buenos dias, senorita. Como esta´? Me llamo Maria.”

  Was she in Mexico? Kat heeded Carl’s warning and didn’t ask questions that would jeopardize the woman. “Do you speak English, Maria?”

  “Si´, un poco.” The smile faded from Maria’s face. “You no speak Espanol?”

  “No, I’m sorry,” Kat lied. She knew rudimentary words and phrases, but decided to keep that knowledge to herself.

  “Oh. Come. You have bano.” Maria gestured with her hands for Kat to follow.

  “I’m sort of tied-up right now,” Kat said, smiling to break the tension.

  Maria’s dark eyes widened with fear as she came closer to the bed. “The Senor no mention this.”

  “Well, go find him and get the okay to untie me. I’ve got a sudden urge to use the bathroom.”

  Maria scurried out of the room like a frightened rabbit, and returned moments later, trailing after Carl.

  “Well, well, my sweet. How remiss of me not to have freed you.” Kat had the urge to sneeze as Carl bent over the bed releasing the restraints. His cologne tickled her nose. Wealthy, he may be, but his taste in toiletries left a lot to be desired.

  Much to her relief he was in a hurry and made a quick exit, leaving her alone in the room with Maria. On unsteady legs Kat made her way to the bathroom, shuddering at her reflection in the mirror. Hair tangled, lips dry and swollen, she looked as if she’d been dragged for fifteen miles behind a horse. She did a quick visual of the room, again looking for a hidden camera and making a mental note of available items.

  Thick, thirsty lavender towels occupied one entire shelf. Their color matched the violets in the wallpaper. The next shelf held a large wicker basket containing various toiletries, a bar of oatmeal soap, herbal shampoo, a hairbrush, facial creams, various body creams, toothpaste and toothbrush, and a can of hair spray. The hairspray would be an asset in her escape plan. A direct spray to the eyes gained a person time.

  The hot water from the shower felt delightful. Many of her aches and pains dissipated. She shampooed her hair with a chamomile shampoo until it squeaked. Then used a rosemary-scented conditioner. Never one for spending much time in the shower, she was reluctant to end this one. The longer she put off facing the reality of her situation, the better.

  She climbed out of the shower before Maria ran off and dragged Carl back to see what was taking her so long. Once dry, she rubbed green tea body cream on her arms and legs, wrapped up in the huge bath towel and opened the door a crack to peek into the bedroom. Relieved to see Maria there alone making the bed, Kat entered the room. “How about clothes? The ones I had on need to be burned.”

  “All taken care of, Senorita,” Maria bubbled. “And so pretty.”

  Kat didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when Maria held up an outfit similar to the one she, herself, wore. Resigned to her fate, Kat took the clothes Maria held out and returned to the bathroom. She stepped up and teetered on the edge of the bathtub to get a quick look at herself in the mirror over the bathroom sink. Not her style. With her hair and skin coloring, she would be able to pass for Maria’s sister.

  “Senorita Kat?” Maria called from the bedroom. “I go help fix supper now. I leave you tray of fruit and cheese on the nightstand.”

  “Okay, Maria. Thanks.”

  “I put shawl for you on the bed. Nights in mountains get cool.”

  At the sound of the door closing, Kat knew she was alone. Leaving the bathroom, she rushed into the bedroom and looked out one of the two prison windows. Mountains as far as her eyes could see. Shit. What had she expected to see? Houses surrounded by white picket fences? A yellow brick road leading home? From the second window she saw she was in stucco ranch-style house, but not your typical ranch. An enormous one.

  She reigned in her frustration, and focused her energy on seeking clues. The mountainous landscape reminded her somewhat of Iraq and Afghanistan. Assuming she was still in the U.S., she must be the desert area of the southwest or Texas. The guards from the pseudo military group back in Maine said they were moving operations to Texas. Recalling her geography, she thought she might be in the Big Bend area, which meant she was real close to the Mexican border.

  Her eyes zeroed in on a bureau against one of the walls. Anxious to check out the drawers, she hurried over and opened the first drawer. Empty. The same was true of the remaining ones. As she shut the bottom drawer with her foot, a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Kat reached down and grabbed it. A guest menu for the Luna de Miel Recurso, Honeymoon Resort, Big Bend, Texas. She’d guessed right. The menu was dated two y
ears ago. The resort must be one of Carl’s acquisitions.

  Being here gave her a golden opportunity to discover what he was up to. Six months ago, she’d have been thrilled at the opportunity for such an adventure. Jude had changed her life. All she wanted to do was go home.

  For several minutes she paced the room, taking pieces of fruit and cheese whenever she passed the nightstand. The succulent fruit and farm fresh cheese revived her body and spirits.

  At the sound of footsteps in the hall, Kat returned the menu back to the drawer. Then she ran over and climbed in bed. A cell phone rang on the other side of the door, so she crept over to listen.

  “Yes, what is it?” Even though muffled, she could make out Carl’s voice. “Why bother me with a simple problem? Get the damn thing fixed by tomorrow night.” The phone snapped shut, and she barely managed to slip into the bathroom before he opened the door.

  “Katherine?” The harsh voice she’d heard speaking on the phone outside in the hall was now sweet as apple dumplings, giving the expression ‘forked tongue’ a whole new meaning.

  “Right here.” She waltzed out of the bathroom, cool and calm, stopping right in front of him.

  “You’re beautiful.” She forced herself not to cringe when his eyes feasted on the way the peasant blouse left so much of her exposed. He reached out and skimmed his finger across the top of her breasts, before drawing her close to his body. She did stop short of returning the embrace. “I knew the outfit would suit you, but I have to admit I wasn’t prepared to be quite so bowled over.”

  “Thank you. It’s not my usual attire, but I’m grateful.”

  He chuckled. “Forgive me for saying this, but your usual attire leaves a lot to be desired. A beautiful woman should dress to enhance her attributes, not disguise them.”

  Kat stepped away from him and moved to the window. “From what I see out my prison windows, you have a beautiful home.”

  “Just one of many homes,” he shrugged off her compliment, and then frowned. “And it’s only your prison if you choose to make so.”

  Kat turned back to him, and arched her eyebrow. “Care to explain?”

  “I will. All in good time.” He crooked his elbow and held out his arm. “Would you like to join me for a meal?”

  Anything to get out of this room. Nodding, she curved her arm through his and accompanied him out the door.

  *****

  An hour before landing in Washington, Frank’s phone rang. “Yes? Damn it, Hogan. I don’t care if he’s incorporated three hundred holding companies. I want a complete list, and I want it on my desk in,” he paused to look at his watch, “two hours.”

  “Man, I’m glad I don’t work for you,” Cody mumbled from his seat. Frank turned and glared. Jude snickered.

  “Hogan says that Carl Winter doesn’t buy properties under his own name. He’s got scads of holding companies that do the job for him. It’s slowing down the process.”

  “Cody’s right, Frank,” Jude said. “Concentrate on Texas.”

  Red started to whine, and Cody flashed an ‘I told you so’ look at Jude.

  “What?”

  “I told you he had to pee when we landed in Bangor, but no, you refused to take the time to walk him. Keep him on your side.”

  “Great, just freaking great.” He patted the dog on the head and encouraged him to hold on for another hour.

  “As soon as we land, I’m flying to New York to pay a visit to Liz,” Cody said.

  “Why? Jude asked. “You think she knows something?”

  “No…I’m not sure, but she must know how to reach Winter.”

  “Perhaps you’re right. We’ll take some phone tracing technicians with us.”

  “No sense in backtracking to New York.” Frank joined the conversation. “I’ll make a phone call and have her picked up and brought to Washington. It’ll save time.”

  The remainder of the flight was made in silence, each man lost in his own thoughts. Jude knew Kat was able take care of herself, but he prayed she’d use her wits to stay alive and not react in a way destined to get herself killed. He’d seen that side of her too often.

  Chapter 14

  Kat followed Carl through a maze of halls. The wood floors felt cool on Kat’s bare feet. Shoes hadn’t been included in the outfit given to her. Escaped prisoners had more difficulty running very far in bare feet.

  Kat mentally filed away the sequence of right and left turns they took before entering the main dining salon. Prison or not, she admired the room. Elaborate Spanish décor and the dark wood beams contrasted beautifully with pristine white walls.

  The long dining table was set for two. Revulsion shot through her as she realized they’d be alone for dinner. What had she expected? A dinner party? The tranquilizers had affected her thinking.

  “What do you want to drink, Katherine?”

  The husky voice irritated her, but she forced a docile smile. “White wine would be nice.”

  Carl looked doubtful. “Are you sure you feel up to it?”

  What game was he playing now? “I feel fine. A little tired, but that’s to be expected after the tranquilizers.” Damn it. She hadn’t meant to be accusing. Alienating Carl wasn’t part of her plan. Too many slips of the tongue, and he’d know she was playing him for a fool.

  “Yes, well, I’m sorry about that. Knowing what a spitfire you are, I didn’t want to take chances.”

  Carl walked to a bar on the other side of the room and poured two glasses of wine. She watched from the corner of her eye to make sure he didn’t add anything to either.

  “Thanks,” she murmured, curling her fingers around the stem of the crystal glass he handed her.

  He raised his glass. “A toast to the future.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Do I have one?”

  She tilted her head at an angle, attempting to gaze at him seductively.

  His gaze dropped to her breasts, and a flash of desire flashed in his eyes, causing her stomach to roll with nausea.

  “That’s up to you, my sweet,” he whispered bending to kiss her neck. “I certainly hope so.”

  She gulped a mouthful of wine. “Enlighten me.”

  “In due time.”

  Kat wandered toward the sliding glass door. The drapes were a heavy brocade material. The glass door opened onto a large patio lavishly decorated with exotic potted plants. The plants were tiered on three different levels, arranged in such a way to make the patio enclosed and private. A small table with four chairs sitting in the greenery looked inviting. “Can we sit outside?”

  “It’s too hot this time of day. Perhaps tomorrow morning.”

  What a control freak. She prayed for patience. A movement outside caught her eye. A guard, dressed in military fatigues and armed with a rifle stood about fifty feet from the patio. She guessed the entire perimeter of the property was patrolled in a similar fashion. “Are you expecting company?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Kat nodded her head toward the glass. “I noticed your guard.”

  He waved his hand in dismissal. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Just standard procedure. One never knows when unwanted company might show up.”

  “Believe me, I know the feeling.”

  He chuckled. “That’s another thing I like about you, Katherine. Your sense of humor.”

  She handed him her empty glass. “I’d love some more wine.”

  After a slight hesitation, he took the empty glass and refilled it.

  “People are going to miss me, you know. I really should call my sister and let her know I’m okay.”

  “Stop worrying your pretty little head about it. Everything will be fine.”

  Kat grit her teeth. Pretty little head? The man was a chauvinist, as well as a murdering control freak. Maybe he didn’t pull the trigger, but she knew he’d masterminded her parents’ murders.

  Gathering courage, she sauntered to where he stood and placed a hand on his chest. “Carl, I don’t mean to rush you, but I need to know. A
m I a guest or your prisoner?” She considered batting her eyelashes, but smothered the idea. Her powers of seduction were limited. She’d never carry off something as silly as that.

  A lily-white hand covered hers. “After dinner, Katherine.” Kat stared at those hands and shivered. White, long, bony fingers. He’d probably get a blister if he opened a jar.

  Taking her glass of wine, he set it on the table, grasped her hands and placed them on his shoulders. He encircled her waist and drew her against his body. Like an animal caught in a trap, Kat’s senses panicked. As if in slow motion, she watched his mouth lower toward hers. Soft lips touched hers, gently at first. Kat closed her eyes. She could do this.

  Encountering no resistance, Carl’s mouth continued to lightly tease. Kat relaxed her muscles. Perhaps this wouldn’t be too bad.

  As quick as the flash of a lit match, his gentleness vanished. A hand locked on her jaw, and thumbs pushed until her mouth opened, before he thrust his tongue down her throat.

  Kat conquered the urge to gag. She moaned and prayed Carl would think it was in passion and not disgust. Keeping her eyes closed, she tried to pretend it was Jude’s mouth devouring hers.

  Carl’s hands traveled down her back to cup her buttocks, pulling her against his erection. Fight or flee. The words pounded in her head. Jerking her knee into his groin would put an end to this nightmare. And then what? She had a better chance of survival and escape if she played along with whatever sick game this man had in mind.

  He released her mouth and buried his face in the hollow of her neck, his breathing so ragged she wondered if he was having a heart attack. If only she’d be so lucky.

  Someone cleared their throat from behind them.

  “What is it?” Carl snarled. He pushed Kat away from him with such force that she stumbled against the table before regaining her balance.

  “Your meal is ready, Senor.” Maria wrung her hands together, so nervous that body trembled as much as her voice.

  Kat smiled to protect Maria from Carl’s wrath. “Thank you, Maria. We’ll call you if we need you.”