Sugar

by S. L. Jennings

  He snatched Calvin’s briefcase from his desk.

  “You won’t see her coming until you feel the pressure of her gun against your back.”

  “She sounds badass, but …” Jesse dumped the contents of the briefcase onto the desktop. “She no longer has the element of surprise.”

  “You’ve been warned.” Calvin scooted forward a little, trying to reach the panic button underneath the drawer. Before tonight, he’d hit it several times by accident, causing Mia’s backup to come rushing in. Unfortunately, Jesse’s men were watching him and he was too far away from the device to trigger it.

  “You won’t be around to be rescued,” Jesse said, pointing the Glock at Calvin’s head, “if you don’t give us that code.”

  “My wife has it, and you won’t have the case for long.” Calvin used his foot to press the obscure red dot. “Within forty-eight hours, it will no longer be in your possession.”

  “We’re not worried,” Jesse snarled as he pushed the chair further away from the desk. “The case is well guarded.”

  “Not well enough.” Calvin tried, and seemed to manage, to keep their attention on him so they wouldn’t see the small series of flashing lights in the corner of the ceiling. When the light stopped blinking, he knew the distress signal had successfully reached the backup team. The zip tie around his wrist made it impossible for him to reach his bracelet. He didn’t want to give them an opportunity to discover The Suit was still in the room and not in the case as they believed.

  “Someone shut him up, please.”

  Calvin found several guns pointed at him. He inhaled, still confident that they wouldn’t put a bullet in him. At least not until they cracked the lock.

  Jesse grinned, raising his hand as he said, “I meant gag him.”

  Calvin released a long slow breath. His shoulders dropped as the weapons were lowered. He wasn’t trying to get himself killed before Mia did her thing. And he was certain she would. They’d hesitated to shoot Calvin, but because they didn’t know how important Mia was in all of this, they could easily think she was the one who was expendable.

  They would be wrong.

  “Did the cops show up?” Jesse pointed at the tallest of the crew, his skin a few shades darker than freshly brewed coffee.

  “Surprisingly, no,” he answered, adjusting an assault rifle across his chest.

  “Stay alert. I need to make a call.” Jesse kicked Calvin’s chair. “If he tries anything, shoot him in the thigh.”

  Calvin scanned the room. Despite his earlier speech, he prayed that Mia was fine. He’d come to care deeply for her over the eighteen months they’d been in close proximity.

  He had pushed his other family away, so the likelihood was slim that anyone would have immediately missed him if the earlier attempts to take The Suit had been successful. This time with Mia had been a turning point for him. He had a renewed sense of purpose and no longer felt isolated from the world, which was interesting since he had physically moved away from his friends and relatives who lived in Chicago. Yet, doing so actually brought them closer. He checked in on most of them more now than when he was in Chicago.

  Jesse stormed into the office, his face taut with unmasked frustration. “Your Mrs. decided that the box was more important.”

  Jesse might have been unhappy about the turn of events, but Calvin was elated to know she was alive.

  “Don’t look too gleeful.” He slapped Calvin on the shoulder, then looked at the man who he’d spoken with earlier. “We know where she’s heading.”

  Calvin wished he could warn Mia so she’d take these fools out and they’d make it to The Woodlands to put an end to all of this cloak and dagger. Not only because his parents couldn’t handle losing their last son, but also because this situation had forced him to admit how important Mia had become.

  Their story couldn’t end like this—with him captured and her on the run.

  Chapter 6

  The grass folded under Mia’s wet feet as she approached the boardwalk, where a group of people was drinking, laughing, and shouting over the music. She hesitated as she spotted one of the men from the house. She swiped a flouncy hat from a nearby purse, as its owner was more engaged in her conversation than her belongings. Mia planted it on her head and tucked in the curls as she took swift strides to the concrete path that led to the hotel where a Lincoln MKS awaited.

  A black Suburban drove up right at the moment she slid behind the wheel. She quickly stretched out across the seat, then she lifted up enough to peer out of the tinted window as a few familiar faces entered the revolving doors, nearly running over the bellman on the way in. When they were further into the lobby, she sat up and pulled out of the parking lot. Mia checked her rear-view mirror, not seeing anything that was cause for concern. She flipped on the headlights as she hit the main street.

  Mia’s thoughts went in a thousand different directions as she grabbed the cell out of the bag. They needed Calvin alive, but for how long? The fact that they had the key to Calvin’s front door and the codes to the security system disturbed her. She put in a call to Walter, which went straight to voicemail. Mia disconnected and called Walter’s boss, updating him with a voicemail.

  She pulled the Lincoln into the garage of a safe house that was tucked away behind the employee lot of a supermarket. The team, who was always supposed to be present, was nowhere in sight. She wondered if Calvin had managed to reach the panic button. They’d discussed this option when she first arrived for the assignment, working through several possible emergency scenarios. Tonight required a combination of things—and the fact that she was still breathing spoke volumes.

  Her phone vibrated.

  “Where’s Calvin?” Mr. Martin, the Executive Protection Director at Blades Protection Company, asked in that tone her co-workers considered crass.

  “With them,” Mia replied, then explained what happened.

  Mr. Martin mumbled something to someone in the background. “We’ll send a small team to the Atwood house.”

  “Be careful,” she warned. “If this is how they roll when they weren’t expecting us to be home …,” Mia activated the location beacon on the box, “I hate to see what they look like fully locked and loaded.”

  “You do the same. They’ll soon realize that you’re actually the one who has what they’re looking for.”

  Mia put the location device on the dashboard. “I’m fully aware of the danger I’m in.”

  “They can’t get into it without you, at least not quickly,” Mr. Martin reminded her as though talking to a rookie.

  “Call me back with an official update.” She subconsciously twisted the bracelet on her wrist. Now she really wished they would have been on an earlier plane like originally planned.

  Time to go to war. She popped the trunk, grabbed a gray duffle bag, took out the bookbag sitting next to it, and placed several items inside. The duffle bag with the cash, IDs, and change of clothes was tossed on the floor of the car.

  The cell vibrated.

  “Beacon’s on.”

  “The rule is to retrieve the box within 24-48 hours,” Walter said, but she had to strain to hear with the sound of wind blowing on his end of the call.

  “I hate leaving Calvin behind.”

  “You vowed to protect The Suit with your life,” Walter huffed. “If you’re not—”

  “Have the team near the location so I can pass off the box,” Mia instructed as she texted the coordinates. “Then I’m going to get Calvin.”

  “They’ll be there,” he shot back. “The project is more important.”

  “Calvin’s life should be more important than any inanimate object.” Mia moved toward the closet to grab more gear then changed clothes.

  “You’re not cut out for these types of assignments.”

  “If that means being heartless, then you’re right.” She disconnected the call.

  Mia slipped into the Lincoln, wearing a black hooded jogging suit and leather gloves. She tossed the b
ookbag onto the passenger seat, then backed out into the street. Mia cut in and out of the vehicles, cruising on the dimly lit road until she neared the place where the box was being held. She drove past the building and parked on a gravel road by an abandoned warehouse.

  She ran to the steel mesh fence a few yards away, then hung back, watching as armed guards circled the building. Minutes later, she had timed their departure and return.

  Mia snipped an entrance into the mesh, then sprinted for the eighteen-wheeler parked a few feet away. She hit the ground, rolling under the truck that would provide cover. Laying still on the gritty asphalt, she counted, listening as the men returned.

  When they passed, she bolted to a white brick wall. Unfortunately, her dark clothing made her stand out. She peered into the window and saw the box in the center of a steel table. She quickly put the suction cup to the glass and cut through it, setting the panel on the ground. Mia carefully lowered herself onto the concrete floor inside the building, then ducked behind the stacked crates as two shadows appeared on the other side of the warehouse entrance.

  When they didn’t make a move to enter, she crept to the table. “Jesse wants to see if the wife doubles back to the house,” one of them said as Mia retrieved the case. She left the way she came and raced to the vehicle, knowing it wouldn’t be long before they realized it was missing.

  She dialed Mr. Martin’s number as she hopped in. “I’ve secured the package and I’m heading to the drop-off.”

  “Good job,” Mr. Martin said, whispering to someone in the background. “The team is in place. If you can’t reach me or Walter, call Alyse and she’ll get the message to one of us. Remember, only Walter and I know exactly what you’re protecting.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  She’d do her job, but if anything happened to Calvin, she’d never forgive herself. She hadn’t mentioned to anyone that there were two Suits or that only the accessories were in the case. Somehow, she didn’t think Calvin wanted that information broadcasted.

  As a precaution, she pulled off on a side road a quarter of a mile from the handoff site. Minutes later, as she made her trek to the team, the Suburban from the hotel flew past her. She quickly returned to the car.

  How did they know?

  Someone had to be feeding these people intel that had them one step ahead.

  Twenty minutes later, Mia slipped into Calvin’s house behind one of the armed guards. She hit him in the back with a stun gun, then caught his falling body before it hit the ground, gently laying him on the floor and zip-tying his hands behind his back.

  Entering Calvin’s office with three men in there posed a challenge. She pulled her guns and positioned herself to avoid being seen. She closed her eyes, inhaling before sliding to the wall opposite the entrance. Mia ran, rolling onto the floor and sending off the first shots. As she stood, she fired again. Several bullets hit their targets. She roundhouse kicked the third man, then pressed her Glock to his forehead after he hit the carpet.

  “I wouldn’t do that unless you’re made of Kevlar,” Mia warned as he reached for the gun he dropped when her foot connected with his body. She kicked his weapon hard enough for it to land near the opposite wall. She looked at Calvin. “Go.”

  Mia brought her gun down across the man’s face. Calvin was out of the room before she could look up. She snatched Calvin’s notebook off the desk, then ran out as the man sprang up from the carpet. She slammed the door closed and hit a button that locked him in.

  Calvin stood near the front entrance, peering outside before he glanced back at her. She pulled out her switchblade and cut his bonds. He yanked the bandana from his mouth and grinned, then said, “I tried to tell them.”

  Chapter 7

  Several hours later at a Pilot truck stop near Indiana, Mia handed Calvin the duffle bag. “You need to change your clothes and trash the old ones.”

  Calvin peered over her shoulder, watching people as they walked into the store. “Shouldn’t we keep moving?”

  “They could be tracking us by your cell or they may have put a device on you when you weren’t paying attention,” Mia explained, hoping that being in Indiana would throw them off.

  He took the bag and unzipped it to display the contents. “Should we switch license plates?”

  “No.” She understood the impact of putting their plates on another vehicle. She didn’t want to be responsible for someone else getting killed.

  Mia made sure they had a full tank, two burner phones, snacks, bottles of water and a first aid kit. Calvin came out of the restroom wearing jogging pants and a t-shirt. After resetting their phones to the factory setting, she left them near the register when she went in to get the change for the fuel.

  She dialed Walter. A female voice answered. “Blades Protection Company, this is Alyse. How may I help you?”

  “Let Walter know the delivery is still on track,” Mia said, then signed off. She slid into the passenger seat and keyed a destination into the GPS. “Wake me up if you see them or you need to switch.”

  She reclined the seat, her thoughts focused on figuring out whether it was Mr. Martin or Walter who was attempting to steal The Suit. As Mr. Martin had reminded her, they were the only two who knew the particulars. Mr. Martin was the one who suggested she leave the case locked in the house when they flew to Houston to get to The Woodlands, Texas.

  Mia was surprised that she slept at all as her eyes opened to find they were further along than she expected. The further south they went, the warmer the temperature became.

  “Exit at Boomland,” she instructed. Being on the run and barreling toward that gun-toting state had the Lincoln dancing around empty.

  They pulled up to a travel stop. Mia slid out of her jacket while Calvin filled up. After gassing up, they moved the MKS to the last available spot near the building’s entrance and traded off visits to the restroom. When she came out, Calvin was on the phone while standing near people lined up to purchase lottery tickets. He disconnected the call and threaded his way to her.

  “Who were you talking to?” Mia asked, shifting away from the restroom entrance.

  “Gordon.” Calvin stepped in front of her and stared at her with an intense expression normally reserved for when he was working.

  Mia asked, “What’s with the face?”

  “Maybe I should destroy The Suit.”

  “In the right hands, it will save lives like you intended,” Mia said, lightly touching his arm. She still didn’t feel that the U.S. government was the right hands, but this wasn’t the time to argue that point. Maybe once he finished the testing phase, he’d be willing to consider more options.

  Calvin gazed into her eyes, then lowered his lips to kiss her before pulling away to say, “Thanks.”

  Her breath caught. Mia couldn’t respond even if she wanted to. Calvin had done that plenty of times before, but the way he held her gaze made it feel like someone had turned up the heat.

  Mia softly bit her lip, then looked away as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. Her mind was still on that kiss as she made her way to the exit. She took the key from Calvin and paused when she looked through the window.

  She froze. Three familiar faces stalked the parking lot.

  Mia pushed Calvin back inside.

  “Wait … What?”

  “They’re here,” Mia whispered, guiding him away from the window. “We’ll have to make a run for it.”

  Mia waited a few moments, then walked out behind a large group with Calvin trailing behind her. She used them as cover until they split between the cars, then sprinted to the MKS. Mia slid over the hood to avoid the slow walking pedestrians as Calvin slipped into the passenger seat.

  An Asian man approached from the front, flashing a Glock. Another approached from the trunk. “Mrs. Atwood, don’t make this difficult.”

  “Didn’t you know difficult is my middle name?” She gestured for Calvin to remain in place as she put one hand on the handle.

  Calvin didn’t l
isten. He stepped out. Before he could make it to the bumper, the third guy appeared. Mia swung the door open while putting a kick into the torso of the guy behind her. He sliced through the air, trying to cut her backpack strap.

  The blade cut into her skin as he went down. Mia put her foot on the inner panel to keep the door open as she took the knife and twisted back, shoving it into his shoulder. He screamed, grabbing hold of the handle as he fell back. The Asian man charged toward her.

  “Get in,” she yelled as Calvin’s punch sent his guy tumbling to the pavement.

  Mia kicked the Asian guy in the face. As he stumbled backward, she jumped into the driver’s seat. An Impala swerved to avoid getting hit as she sped to the back road. She raced around the slow-moving cars to get to the main road.

  “You’re bleeding.” Calvin buckled up as she hit the ramp to I-57 South at top speed.

  “That’s the least of our worries.”

  “As soon as you can, pull over and let me drive.”

  “Won’t be anytime soon.” She slipped the backpack straps off her shoulders. Calvin grabbed the bag from behind her and put it on his lap. With one hand on the wheel, she adjusted the seat for her height.

  “Sweetheart …”

  “This is my job. I’m trained to handle it.” Her knuckles turned white from her grip on the steering wheel. Mia was grateful not to see anyone following them. Inwardly, she berated herself for getting distracted by a kiss and letting those guys get the drop on her. “There’s a motel a few hours away where we can safely stop and take care of my shoulder.”

  After she was sure she lost them, she pulled into the Cherrywood Motel and stashed their vehicle in the back parking lot. To make the spot live up to its name, the wood siding was painted a deep red. The sign was missing a C, but she knew this place from summer escapades with her friends.

  Mia unbuckled her seatbelt before slowly taking off her t-shirt from over her tank top. Dried blood made the fabric stick to her skin. She sat looking over at her injured shoulder. “Hand me the first aid kit.”