That silence was only broken by the sound of the approaching helicopter. The men left the shadows of the gas station building and headed into the field behind it. The helicopter settled lightly on the grass, just long enough for the five men to climb aboard and then it lifted off again. Drake was on his headset talking to the man back at the house, letting him know of their plans.
Jared sat against the wall of the stark interior of the helicopter. He stared straight ahead, inwardly gathering his thoughts and focusing. The next part would be something he’d done many times in the past, but never with so much at risk for him personally. His life had always been at risk, but it was a risk he’d been willing to take. This time around, Kate’s life wasn’t something he could risk losing.
The trip along the winding road that might have taken an hour took fifteen minutes in the helicopter. Detailed maps allowed them to pinpoint their location accurately. The helicopter didn’t set down right at the marker but in a field about a half mile away. The men silently jumped out and began to make their way across the field. As soon as they were out, the helicopter lifted off and disappeared into the dark night sky.
The prime condition of the men allowed them to cross the field quickly and they were soon within the protection of the trees. Jared checked his watch. They were a full forty minutes ahead of schedule. He hoped it would work in their favor as Drake had predicted.
Silently the men made their way through the trees to the marker. Jared was the only one to leave the protection of the trees to collect the message there.
Back in the trees, the team gathered around to read it. The note gave directions to go two miles on the dirt road leading off the highway.
"We can do this on foot," Jared informed the group. There were nods all around before they turned towards the dirt road. No one actually walked on the road but moved like shadows in the trees, keeping close but out of sight should anyone come along.
Within fifteen minutes they spotted the cabin. They still had at least twenty minutes before the killer would anticipate their arrival. The men moved out to surround the cabin, still hidden in the forest. Jared eased forward, keeping to the shadows and approached the back of the cabin. Lights blazed from all the rooms, and Jared wondered which one Katie was in.
Stealthily he slid into position beneath one of the windows. He stilled, letting his other senses take over. Voices, he heard voices. The windows of the cabin were open since the evening was warm. It helped Jared pinpoint Katie’s location. He found the room without having to look in the window. Sinking to a squat, Jared paused to listen.
"Where am I?" Kate sounded groggy and Jared realized she was just now coming around from whatever they’d drugged her with. He hoped she shook off the effects of the drug quickly. He would need her to be alert when they rescued her.
"In a cabin, waiting for your husband to show up." The voice spoke perfect English though it was accented. He knew the accent and the voice…something about the voice.
"My husband?" Kate laughed hoarsely. "You obviously made a mistake."
"I don’t think so. You’re Jared’s wife, and you’re our bait. He should be here soon."
"He won’t come," Kate informed the man.
"You crazy broad. You can’t convince me to let you go with that garbage. Of course he’ll come. He has to rescue his wife."
"Only if I meant something to him."
"What?" The man sounded incredulous. "You’re his wife. Of course he’ll come to try and rescue you."
"Who was in charge of researching this fiasco?" Kate asked him. "They obviously flubbed up. If they’d been thorough they would have told you that Jared married me only to keep the children. He doesn’t love me and at this point having me out of the way would probably make his life a whole lot easier since he has legal custody of the children now."
Jared stifled the gasp that rose from within him. That she should think such a thing about him hurt.
"Focus, Jared," Drake whispered softly through his earpiece. “She’s smart. She’s trying to make him rethink things, become uncertain of his plan.”
Jared hoped Drake was right, but the other man hadn’t heard their conversation earlier that evening. There was every possibility she meant what she was saying…and it was all his fault if she did.
"You’re just saying that," the man scoffed. "It won’t work."
"You’d probably be doing us all a favor if you just shot me and got it over with."
There was silence for a few seconds. "You’re crazy, lady."
"Well, you’re right about that. Crazy to think that Jared would ever love me when he’s made no secret of the fact that he wanted a very different type of woman as his wife. Crazy to think I could be any kind of mother to those kids."
"Shut up," the man demanded. "I don’t want to hear this gibberish. Jared’s coming. His honor wouldn’t demand it, even if you were telling the truth. Which I doubt."
"I guess time will tell." Kate fell silent after that.
The conversation, along with revealing how Kate felt, also revealed that there was most likely another person involved. The one he’d been talking to on the phone. This guy didn’t seem to know that Jared was on his way.
Moving quietly, Jared slipped to the side of the window to stand in the shadows. He looked through the window and saw Kate sitting in a chair. Her arms were bound behind her back, her ankles strapped to the legs of the chair. Her braid had come loose and strands of hair hung in her face as she bent her head forward.
He wanted to burst through the window and grab her, but they needed to stick to the plan. Jared got his first glimpse of the man who had tried to kill him when he paced in front of Kate. His heart sank as he recognized him. He’d been so sure the person had a connection to the agency. But no, Suarez was someone he’d worked to bring down in South America five years ago. He hadn’t succeeded in capturing the man, but in the raid to attempt to capture him, Suarez’s only son had been killed. Though it hadn’t been Jared’s bullet who had killed the young man, apparently he had realized that Jared had brought the raid down upon the family compound. And now he was out to get his pound of flesh.
Jared wondered if the children were about to be left all alone again. Something told him Suarez had no intention of letting him or Kate go. This man had no ethical boundaries that he wouldn’t cross.
The man wore clothes like Jared’s, and his body showed he spent time honing his muscles. He’d clearly been preparing for this as Jared didn’t remember him being so physically fit before. But he was alone and up against five other professionals.
"Ready here." Jared dropped down and whispered into his mic.
"Hold." Drake’s voice came back at him. "Vehicle approaching."
Vehicle? Jared’s heart began to pound. This was an unexpected twist though they had suspected another person was involved. He hoped nothing would go wrong now. Oh God, please let nothing happen to Kate. Jared realized as he prayed the silent prayer that he had left God out of all their planning. He was trying to do this on his own, and it might end up costing Kate her life.
Jared closed his eyes as he waited for further information from Drake and prayed. God, give us wisdom. Help us defeat this enemy. I know you are in control. Give me peace and a steady hand as I deal with this crisis.
"A man got out of the vehicle and entered the cabin. Couldn’t see his face." Jared heard one of the other guys report. And his initial suspicion was correct. Someone from the agency was involved.
"Where is he?" a new voice asked. A voice that sent shivers down Jared’s spine. His initial suspicion was correct. Someone from the agency was involved. He’d been betrayed.
"What?" the other man asked. "He isn’t here yet. Still got another ten minutes probably before he arrives."
"The message from the marker is gone. That was the signal that he was on his way. I didn’t see any other vehicle on the road. Where is he?"
A tense silence fell.
Jared stayed in his crouch as he r
elayed information to the team in hushed tones. "He knows I’m in the vicinity."
"Let’s move forward with the plan," Drake commanded.
Jared waited for the loud knock on the front door that would serve as a distraction for him to get into the cabin to free Kate. Only now it wouldn’t be so easy. Presumably one of them would stay with her.
"Let us take number one down and then wait for number two to investigate, then it’s a go for you, Jared," Drake directed.
The knock came. "Go get the door."
"You think it’s him?" the first man asked.
"I’m thinking it is unless squirrels have taken to knocking on cabin doors."
The man went out. Jared held his breath. Minutes that felt like hours ticked by.
"Suarez?" Jared heard the remaining man muttering under his breath. "Where are you?"
Standing, Jared looked in the window and got the first full look at the man who had betrayed him. Jared held his breath as he left the room where Kate was. Moving quickly he slit the screen and silently entered the room. As he dropped to his feet inside, Kate’s head came up. Her eyes widened at the sight of him there, face blackened, gun in one hand, knife in the other.
Jared lifted a finger to cover his lips. At her nod he approached her and made quick work of the bonds that had held her. He had just freed her feet when the man returned. Jared jumped to his feet reaching for his gun, but he wasn’t fast enough.
The man had his gun pointed right at Jared. "I wondered where you were. Have a little help, do you?"
Jared stared at the man who had betrayed him "Garth. What’s going on here?"
"What’s going on is that I had to finish a little housekeeping that was sloppily done. And Suarez was interested in a little retribution."
"I don’t understand. I trusted you."
"First mistake, Jared." Garth smiled, but there was no warmth on his face. "You are in my way. I am your superior, and yet they were making plans for you to move to the top. Don’t you think I know they offered you the supervisor job that should be mine?"
"But I turned it down. I left the agency."
"That’s what you said," Garth agreed with a smirk. "But we all know this kind of work gets in your blood. It wouldn’t have been long before you’d have been back. And probably wanting a job with a little less field time like the position you were offered, especially now that you have a family."
Jared shook his head. "I have no intention of returning, but even if I did, you already have the job."
"Unfortunately you know enough about me to get me fired and then the job would be yours. You know too much about lines I have crossed even when you didn’t cross them yourself. Can’t risk letting you share that information with the world. Philip was the same. You were both a risk, I’m sorry to say. You were good men, but this just can’t be helped. Thankfully Philip seemed to have another enemy who wanted him gone as much as I did. Didn’t have to dirty my hands over him."
Jared suddenly was not above begging for his life and Kate’s too. "Garth, I promise your secrets are safe with me. They always have been. I’ve never spoken to anyone about them and never will."
Garth shook his head. "I might have considered it if you hadn’t brought the cavalry along. Now they know that I’m part of all this. "
The gun suddenly became the focus of everyone in the room.
"Killing me isn’t going to change anything, Garth. Like you said, I have help. They’ll be in here before you can get the first round off. You’re a dead man."
Garth shrugged. "But the secrets will be safe. And you won’t get the job either. I won’t let you win! Good-bye, Jared."
The retort of the gun sounded, but in Jared’s ears it was drowned out by Kate’s scream as she threw herself in front of him. Everything slowed as the bullet struck her. She crumpled to the floor in front of him, her head hitting the edge of the wood frame bed as she went.
Jared dropped to his knees, the faint sound of another gunshot echoing in his head. "Katie? Oh God, please let her be okay."
Blood seeped out from under her back and her head. For the first time in his life, Jared felt more than a little light headed at the sight of the blood. This was Katie’s blood, her life-force, flowing out of her.
"Drake!" Jared yelled, taking Kate into his arms. "Get the chopper here now!"
"We’ve got to get to the clearing, Jared. The chopper can’t get in here."
Jared got to his feet and stumbled from the room sparing the prone figure of Garth but a fleeting glance. He climbed into the Blazer and held Kate as Johnson maneuvered the vehicle quickly down the dirt road to the highway and finally the clearing.
Trying his best not to jar her, Jared carried her to the waiting chopper and climbed in. He laid her on the floor and tried to figure out where the blood was coming from. He found the wound in her shoulder and pressed a sterile gauze pack one of the pilots handed to him against it. The wound on her head bled as most head wounds tended to. Profusely. Another gauze pack was put into place and Jared looked down at her pale face and prayed.
Oh God, don’t take her from me now. Please! I need her. The kids need her. We love her so much. Don’t take her.
It was all Jared could think about for the duration of the flight. He prayed as he’d never prayed before. When the helicopter landed on the roof of the hospital, attendants rushed out to take Kate inside.
Jared felt as if she’d been ripped from his arms and he wanted to yell at them to bring her back, but she needed their help right now. Wearily Jared climbed out of the chopper and went after her. He got many strange looks as he followed the gurney down the hallway to the emergency room. His blackened face and camouflage clothes only made the blood on his arms more alarming.
"Can someone tell me if she’s going to be okay?" Jared demanded of the staff attending Kate.
"Sir, if you’d just go have a seat, we’ll do our job."
"I need to know. She’s my wife. I need to know that she’s going to be okay."
A muscular male nurse approached him. "We’re doing the best we can. Your questions are only distracting the doctors. They’ll answer them as soon as they know what her situation is. You’ll be most helpful if you’ll fill out this information for us."
Someone shoved a clipboard into his hands. Jared gripped it, his gaze focused on Kate’s prone form just feet away. "You’ll let me know as soon as you hear anything?"
The nurse nodded. "Just go have a seat out here. A doctor will come talk to you as soon as they know something."
Jared reluctantly allowed a nurse to lead him away, fearful that Kate wasn’t going to make it.
He sat on one of the cushioned seats in the waiting area, oblivious to the looks that were cast his way. He stared blankly at the paper on the clipboard. All he saw were the smudges of blood. And a splash of wet.
Jared rarely cried. In fact, before that night after finding out about Steve and Jen’s death, he hadn’t cried since he was a child. That he was crying now didn’t surprise him. Never had he lost someone who meant as much to him as Kate did. Even Steve’s death hadn’t ripped him apart like the thought of losing Katie did. And he never had the chance to tell her. Instead he’d driven her to this point.
Ducking his head, Jared tried to stop the tears but they kept coming. Finally he stood and was able to see clearly enough to find the men’s restroom. He didn’t want to be gone too long, but he needed to compose himself.
Five minutes later he was back in the waiting room, the blood and black washed from his skin. The tears had dried as well, but only outwardly. Inside his heart still wept at the thought of losing Katie.
How could he survive without her? But how could he ever ask her to forgive him for what he’d done to her? Just let her live, Lord. If she doesn’t want anything more to do with me, that’s fine. Just let her live.
Chapter Eleven
Time moved slower than traffic during rush hour. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes like hours. In reality, only ab
out half an hour had passed when a doctor in surgical scrubs came to tell Jared they were taking Kate up to surgery.
He had no other information to give even though Jared demanded more. He felt so helpless. So out of control of the situation. Finally Jared had to get out of the waiting room. He approached the nurses’ station and asked for directions to the chapel.
"Please send someone there for me if there is word about my wife."
The nurse agreed and gave Jared the directions he requested. With slow steps he walked to the elevator and took it to the floor the nurse had directed him to. He found the chapel with no problem and slipped into the room. Instantly the hustle and bustle of the outside world faded away. The chapel was empty, so Jared walked down the aisle and slumped onto the front pew. He dropped his head forward and closed his eyes.
Jared didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there, his mind blank, when he felt someone join him on the pew. Wishing the person had sat somewhere else Jared glanced out of the corner of his eye.
"Drake." Jared lifted his head and looked at his boss. "How’d you find me?"
"The nurse told me you were here. Sorry I wasn’t here sooner. Had to deal with the police and soothe some ruffled feathers. I left a couple of the guys in the waiting area with instructions to find us if any news about Kate came."
"Thanks. The nurse said she’d let me know too." Jared looked at the front of the chapel, at the simple wooden cross hanging there.
"I’m sure she’s going to be fine, Jared." Drake tried to reassure him.
"I don’t know. There was so much blood. From her head. From that bullet wound. That bullet was meant for me! I should be the one lying in that operating room right now, not Katie.” Jared’s words were ragged with grief. “Never Katie."
"Jared, beating yourself up like this will not change things for Kate. You need to put it behind you. Move forward. Don’t let this guilt eat you alive."
"You know, that’s what we fought over last night." Jared’s heart clenched at the memory. "I’d found out that the plane crashed and killed my brother, Jen and the other passengers because it had been tampered with. There’s no doubt in my mind it was an attempt to flush me out. To bring me home where they could stage an accident. Their deaths are my fault. Just like Katie’s injuries are my fault. Katie tried to tell me not to dwell on the past, that it wouldn’t bring Steve, Jen and the others back. I said some awful things to her. I would give the world to be able to take them back."
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