Colby Core

by Debra Webb

  “Start with the shoulder.” She turned to the side. “I’m ready.”

  Riley tamped down the urge to stare at her breasts. Not an easy feat. “You’ll need to pin up your hair.”

  “Yeah.” She held out her hand for the pins.

  He placed the hairpins in her palm and waited, while she tucked her hair into a haphazard twist. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”

  Riley scrubbed a hand over his jaw. They needed a doctor. A nurse at the very least.

  “Hurry up,” she ordered.

  He sanitized his hands again and reached for the cutting tool. “Here goes.” He used his fingertips to find the first device. The tech had pointed out the general location. There it was. Felt like a tiny kernel beneath the skin.

  Riley picked up some gauze and held it against the skin near the intended incision site. He had to be out of his mind. He’d done this sort of thing for fellow soldiers in the military, but this was different.

  This was Tessa.

  He set the sharp edge against her skin and made the first incision. She tensed, but didn’t make a sound. Using his fingers, he worked the tiny object until he ushered it to the surface. “Hold out your hand.”

  Her palm stretched open. He placed the first device there.

  Moving quickly, he staunched the flow of blood as best he could with the gauze and taped it tightly into place. That would work for the moment.

  “Stand up.”

  She pushed to her feet and was unfastening her jeans as he dropped to his knees next to her. Using her free hand, she slid the fabric down her right hip just far enough for him to do the job.

  Her skin felt soft and warm…smooth.

  Focus, man.

  Taking the same steps, he eased the device from beneath the skin and placed it in her open hand with the first.

  When he’d gauzed and taped the wound, she stared down at herself. “I think we made a strategic error. I should have taken off my jeans, too.”

  True. He blinked away the images her words evoked. “Put the tracking devices on the table and…pull off your jeans.”

  While she took care of that he washed his hands. The idea that it was Tessa’s blood slipping down the drain with the soap and water made him feel queasy. She didn’t deserve yet another indignity.

  “Ready.”

  He turned around slowly, braced for seeing her in nothing but her underthings.

  Didn’t help.

  As slender as she was, the subtle curves were more feminine than anything he’d ever seen. Her pale skin was smooth and flawless…a frown tugged at his brow. Except for a scar at the bikini line…just above the top of her low-rise panties.

  As he walked closer to her he recognized that the scar was a surgical scar…his aunt had one in exactly that location. From when she’d had her last child…by caesarean section.

  He kicked the questions he wanted to ask aside for the time being and knelt down on one knee to do what had to be done. This one took a little more manipulation, but he got it. Tessa didn’t groan or whimper even once.

  She was one brave woman.

  When he’d properly dressed and taped each wound, he helped her pull on her clothes. She winced a couple of times during the process but never complained.

  While Riley cleaned up the mess, she washed her hands and pulled the pins from her hair.

  “You sure you’re okay?”

  She nodded. “Let’s go.”

  He tossed the drugstore bag into the trash can and dusted his palms together. “We need to plan carefully. Rushing in would be a mistake.”

  “I have a plan.” She stared at him defiantly. “We move in close and when Stark tells you that the Master has left the compound, we’ll go in.”

  Sounded easy enough, but they needed ammo for the handgun. They needed to avoid being stopped for the condition of their vehicle.

  There were numerous considerations that needed to be addressed.

  “She’s there,” Tessa said, her voice small, her eyes wide with worry.

  “You have a child?” The anguish in her eyes, on her face, tore at his heart. There were other reasons to have a scar in that particular spot, but having a child via caesarean section was by far the most likely.

  “Her name is Sophie. She’s almost three years old.” Tessa blinked rapidly. “I’ve lost everything I ever had. I can’t lose her.”

  Riley drew her into his arms and held her close. “I won’t let that happen. I promise you. I won’t let that happen.”

  His cell rang. He hated to let her go, but it would be Stark or Ross.

  Riley kissed her forehead and stepped away to take the call. “Porter.”

  “Something’s happening at the compound,” Stark said. “Two SUVs have departed the garage. We couldn’t determine how many passengers, but we believe there were more than two in each vehicle.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  Riley grabbed his coat and the useless handgun. There was no time to make an ammo stop.

  No time to prepare.

  “What’s happened?” Tessa demanded, looking up from tying her boots.

  Riley passed along the news. Her eyes widened with fear.

  “We have to get in there,” Tessa said, abandoning her boot laces and grabbing her coat. “You know what they’ll do if this is an evacuation.”

  Riley snatched up the keys and headed for the door. “Stark and Ross are prepared to move in. It’s going to be okay.”

  She held his gaze a moment. “I hope that’s a guarantee you can keep.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  10:27 a.m.—23 hours, 33 minutes remaining

  “Can’t you go faster?” Tessa couldn’t take the tension. She needed to be there now!

  Riley glanced at her. “We’re almost there. I’m pushing this old truck for all its worth.”

  He was. She knew this. But fear had disabled her ability to think rationally.

  Had the Master left the compound? Had he taken Sophie? Oh, please, please, Tessa prayed, don’t let him have hurt the children. Please keep my baby safe.

  “Stark is meeting us at the stakeout perimeter,” Riley explained. “There he is.” He pointed to the road ahead where his colleague waited near an SUV.

  Tessa felt a fraction of relief. “Tell him we have to get inside now.”

  Riley braked to a stop. Tessa bounded out of the truck. “We need to go in,” she said, not waiting for Riley to make his way around the hood of the truck.

  Stark held up his hands. “Let’s talk about the status first. We don’t know—”

  “I have to get in there,” Tessa interrupted. “I can’t wait for your assessment or for anything else.” Why weren’t they listening to her?

  “Tessa, listen to him,” Riley urged. “Moving too hastily would be a mistake.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but Stark reached for his phone. The words she’d intended to say died in her throat at the changing emotions on his face as he listened to the caller.

  “Stop that vehicle,” Stark said. “Stop it now.”

  Fear blasted through Tessa. “What vehicle?” Didn’t he understand that if he tipped off the Master, the children would suffer the consequences? “You can’t—”

  “A third SUV,” Stark said, cutting her off, “has exited the compound. Going west.” He pointed in the direction on the other side of the compound and well beyond their position. “One of Ross’s men spotted a man loading a child into the SUV after it exited the garage.”

  “Oh, my God.” Tessa turned to Riley. “We have to get to that SUV. Sophie may be with them.” She whirled back around to Stark. “Tell your men not to go near the SUV. I need to be the one.”

  “She’s right,” Riley said to Stark.

  “Then go.” Stark opened his phone to put through the needed call.

  Riley had the truck moving before Tessa had fully closed her door. She braced a hand against the dash in preparation for a hard stop.

  Just past the compound, m
aybe a mile, the SUV sat in the middle of the road. Two other SUVs had blocked its path, couldn’t go forward, couldn’t back up.

  Riley hit the brake and shoved the gearshift into Park. Tessa wrenched her door open and jumped out.

  “Tessa, wait!”

  She ignored him. She had to get to that SUV.

  Men wearing SWAT-type uniforms and gear spilled out of the SUVs blocking the road. Tessa ignored them as well. One grabbed her by the arm.

  The move tugged at the wound on her shoulder; she grimaced.

  “Stay back, ma’am.”

  She tried to shake loose, didn’t care about the pain in her shoulder or the gun in his hand. “Let me go!”

  Orders to get out of the vehicle were shouted at the SUV.

  Dear God, they were going to get the children killed.

  Riley moved between her and the agent.

  Tessa stared up at him, unable to breathe much less speak. As soon as he’d put his arm around her the other man released his grip on her arm.

  “They know how to do this,” Riley promised softly. “Let’s stay calm and let them do their job.”

  Finally the front doors of the SUV opened.

  Cries wafted through the air.

  The children.

  Tessa tried to pull away from Riley but he held on to her. Her heart twisted in agony.

  Two men, both soldiers for the Master, hands held high, climbed out of the front seat.

  The federal agents patted them down for weapons—both were carrying—and then forced them facedown on the pavement.

  Two other agents opened the rear passenger doors.

  Tessa started forward again; this time Riley allowed her to go. She rushed over to the SUV with him right behind her.

  As the agents pulled the crying children from the back seat, Tessa counted. One…two…three…

  “Clear,” one of the agents shouted.

  Tessa turned to Riley. “What does he mean?”

  “He means the vehicle’s clear, no other occupants.”

  But where was Sophie?

  Tessa ran up to the man holding the oldest of the children. “Phoebe, where is Sophie?”

  The little girl rubbed at her eyes with both fists. “I don’t know.” Her face puckered; she reached for Tessa.

  Tessa took the child into her arms. “It’s okay. You’ll be okay now.” She swiped the tears from Phoebe’s face. “You’re sure you didn’t see Sophie?”

  Phoebe shook her head. “I think she’s with the mommies.”

  Tessa’s gaze flew to the woods surrounding the compound. That meant her daughter was still inside.

  Tessa thrust the child at Riley.

  She rushed up to the two soldiers who had been allowed to get back on their feet. Tessa got in the face of the first one she reached. “Where is the fourth child?” The voice didn’t sound like hers. It sounded deadly, desperate. She didn’t care.

  The soldier shrugged and stole a look at the agents surrounding him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, lady.”

  Tessa turned to the nearest agent. “Shoot him.” The agent looked at her as if she’d told him to shoot himself.

  “Whoa,” the soldier said. Then he caught himself, adopted a cocky expression. “He can’t do that.”

  “But I can.”

  Riley moved up next to Tessa, the empty gun in his hand, it’s muzzle boring into the soldier’s forehead.

  Where was Sophie?

  Tessa looked around. The children had apparently been loaded into another vehicle. They weren’t in sight.

  “Where’s the other child?” Riley repeated.

  Tessa stole a glance at the nearest agent. He made no move to stop Riley. Ross must have ordered them to stand down. They all wore wireless communication devices, which allowed for discreet communications.

  “She must have hidden from us,” the soldier said. “We tried to find all four of the kids after the others left, but we only found three.”

  “What were your orders?” Riley demanded.

  The soldier shrugged. “To guard the compound until the Master returned.”

  Tessa shook her head. “You wouldn’t dare take the children out of the compound unless ordered to do so.” She couldn’t call any of the soldiers by name—no one could except the Master and his deputies—but she knew their faces.

  “He’s not coming back.”

  The words truck terror in Tessa’s heart. “Who’s not coming back?”

  “The Master.”

  First, he would never divulge his plans to a mere soldier. Second… “Why would you think that?” Her heart beat so hard she was sure it wouldn’t survive the damage. Everyone around her surely heard it.

  “They destroyed everything in his office.”

  The computers…files…the Master’s entire professional history was in his private office. No one, not even Tessa, had ever been in his hidden office.

  “How would you know?” she demanded. “You don’t have access to his office.”

  “They left it open. Looks like a small bomb went off in there. Bits and pieces are everywhere.”

  Tessa’s knees threaten to buckle. “What orders were you really given?”

  The soldier glanced at the agent. “Evac orders.”

  Tessa swayed. Riley steadied her.

  “What about the women?” Riley demanded, before Tessa could summon the words.

  The soldier shrugged. “We left ’em. I wasn’t about to kill a pregnant woman.”

  “But you took the children,” Riley roared.

  “They’re just kids,” the guy said, his attention split between Riley and the agent.

  Fury exploded in Tessa’s bones, resurrecting her courage. “Liar,” she accused. “You took the children so you could sell them.”

  Riley dropped the impotent weapon to his side. “Get these scumbags out of my sight.”

  Tessa tugged at his jacket. “We have to find Sophie.” The patients had likely tried to hide. Since Sophie was the youngest, they may have taken her into hiding as well. Tessa prayed that was the explanation.

  “Come on,” Stark said, drawing their attention to him. “We’ll take this SUV.”

  Tessa’s entire body shook as she climbed into the backseat of one of the SUVs belonging to the federal agents. Riley kept looking back at her from the front seat as Stark drove to the compound’s security gate.

  The gate stood open.

  More of that crushing fear pressed down on Tessa.

  “Security has been disabled.” The words came from her, but sounded like those of a lost child.

  She sent another prayer heavenward. Please let Sophie be safe.

  An explosion vibrated the air. The SUV shook.

  “What the hell was that?” Stark demanded, hitting the brakes.

  They were halfway up the drive to the house. No screams. No women running from the house. From what Tessa could see through the trees, the house was still standing. What in the world had just happened?

  Riley and Stark were climbing out of the vehicle. Stark was speaking to someone on his cell phone.

  “Did the evac have a destruction mode?”

  Tessa got out more slowly, her mind still focused on the house.

  “Tessa.” Riley shook her. “Does the house have a destruct mode included in the evac plan?”

  She looked into his eyes, saw the fear.

  “I don’t know.” She knew there were steps to prevent anyone from finding incriminating information.

  “We need a bomb squad,” Stark was telling someone.

  Tessa started running.

  She didn’t remember deciding to do so. Riley was yelling something at her back, but she just kept going. She had to find Sophie…and the women.

  He caught up to her at the front steps of the house.

  “You can’t go in there until we assess the danger.”

  “Sophie and the others are in there!” Was he out of his mind?

  “Stark and I are going in.�
�

  As he said the words Stark rushed up the steps and through the open door.

  “Stay here,” Riley ordered.

  Tessa watched him disappear into the house.

  Riley wouldn’t know where to look.

  More agents were rushing around the property, two more went inside.

  The smell of devastation lingered in the air. The explosion had destroyed the massive garage that sat to the left of the main house.

  Another boom rent the air. The ground shook beneath Tessa’s feet.

  The house shuddered.

  She rushed inside. “Sophie!”

  Riley appeared at the library door. “Basement’s clear!” His gaze landed on her. “Get out of the house, Tessa!”

  Another agent shouted that the kitchen was destroyed.

  Tessa hit the stairs running. Riley was right behind her. “Tessa!”

  “Clear,” Stark announced, meeting them on the landing of the second floor.

  “Their room is on the third floor,” Tessa said, rounding the newel post and heading that way.

  A strong grip pulled her back. “We go first,” Riley warned.

  She let them, but she remained right on their heels.

  “Megyn!” Tessa had not been permitted to use the women’s names. She hadn’t even known their names until they began to trust her enough to tell her. Using their names when no one was around seemed to have comforted them. The Master insisted they be referred to as the patients. “Shelley!”

  Riley and Stark echoed the names, moving from room to room.

  Where were the women? “Lorie! Amanda!”

  Desperation made Tessa’s chest hurt.

  There was nothing left except the fourth floor, the Master’s living quarters. His office had been destroyed, but his bedroom suite hadn’t been mentioned.

  Tessa headed that way.

  “Damn it, Tessa,” Riley growled as he passed her, taking the steps two at a time.

  The landing opened up to a large space. Tessa checked the closet. Riley and Stark surveyed the damaged office and the rest of the area.

  “They aren’t here.” A horrible epiphany dawned. “Where was the other explosion?”

  “The kitchen,” Riley said. “Part of it is now in the basement.”

  If the women were in the kitchen…

  Sophie.