Striking Distance

by Debra Webb

  Lucas’s tone told her immediately that whatever he had to report wasn’t good.

  “Yesterday afternoon Victoria received another package.”

  The memory of the package she had delivered on Monday and its contents sent dread pooling in Tasha’s stomach. “What was it this time?” Her voice sounded stilted, but it was the best she could do. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what a mother who’d lost a child went through—even eighteen years later.

  Lucas hesitated and in that moment she saw the anguish in his eyes. But it vanished in a flash as he composed himself once more. “It contained the T-shirt Victoria’s son was wearing the day he disappeared. We’re waiting for DNA analysis.”

  DNA analysis. She swallowed hard. That most likely meant blood. The shirt had probably been bloody. She closed her eyes for a fraction of a second and sucked in a steadying breath. Leberman was ruthless.

  “There’s still no sign of Leberman or the assassin.”

  She’d noticed that Lucas refused to call him Seth. They still didn’t have a last name. She wondered if using first names made it too personal. Lucas always called her North. With a shudder she imagined that it would be easier to kill a man you’d never called by his first name.

  “Did you find anything at the house?” Ramon had told her that they were going through the Oak Park house where Seth had held her hostage, but she hadn’t heard any results.

  Lucas nodded, his expression going even more somber if that were possible. “We have reason to believe that Leberman and/or our assassin have used that house on and off for some time. We found a few usable prints. Some old magazines on guns, mercenaries and porn. But not much else. There’s indication that the basement where he held you has been used for that sort of thing before but that’s about all we know for now. We’ve got a couple of forensics techs going over the place from top to bottom to see if they can find anything else.”

  Tasha nodded. The gruesomeness of it weighed heavily on her chest. How could she have feelings for such a monster? She thought about the number…666. Who had marked him that way? Branded him a beast? “Tell me what I can do, Lucas.” She looked straight into the Webcam and turned up the intensity in her eyes. She had to do something. She couldn’t just keep sitting here, waiting. It was Thursday, she hadn’t heard from Seth since just before dawn on Tuesday when he warned her to stay away.

  “I know it’s difficult, but I really need you to sit tight for a little longer. Considering this latest turn of events Victoria has agreed to disappear. That means Leberman will get desperate.”

  She lunged to her feet and braced her hands on her hips. “How the hell is that going to help me get close to Seth again?” She had to do something. Get out there and find him. Take her chances.

  “Sit down, North,” Lucas ordered.

  With a disgusted sigh, she dropped back onto the sofa. “Dammit, Lucas, I just need to do something.” Her eyes widened the moment the words were out of her mouth. What was wrong with her? She’d just addressed him as if he were her buddy not her superior.

  “I didn’t want it to come to this,” he said quietly.

  Oh, God, here it was. She’d screwed up one time too many. He’d ship her back to Langley—if they’d have her.

  Lucas heaved a breath. “But we’re out of options.”

  Okay, so maybe he wasn’t sending her back. She dispensed with the self-pity session and listened up. “Just tell me what you need me to do. Whatever it is, I’m ready for it.”

  Lucas looked at her from wherever the hell he was, but those gray eyes peered into hers as if he were right there in the room. “When Victoria and I disappear, we need our man to lead us to Leberman.”

  Tasha nodded. “Right. That’s been the plan all along.”

  “Yes, we discussed that strategy in the beginning. But our guy hasn’t responded to you the way we’d hoped. He’s chosen to keep you out of the game.”

  It was her fault. She’d failed. She hadn’t possessed the skills to reach a man as far gone emotionally as him. “If you’ll let me get back in the game I can find him. I’m sure of it.”

  “We’re going to have to take extreme measures,” Lucas suggested, either in conjunction to her offer or oblivious to it.

  “I agree,” she said quickly, maybe a little too quickly. Uneasiness slid through her and goose bumps rose on her skin. “What’s our first move?” She resisted the urge to flinch at the intensity emanating from that screen.

  “I’m going to give you up, Tasha. It’s the only way. He’ll try to get to us through you. Are you prepared for that?”

  It was the first time he’d called her by anything other than North. That alone gave her pause. She moistened her lips and held the fear screaming in the back of her mind at bay. “You’re going to put the word out that I’m part of your team.”

  It really wasn’t a question.

  She knew the answer.

  And it made perfect sense.

  Lucas nodded. “Only if you’re prepared to take that risk. I’ll tell you now that if I were in your shoes, I might choose to stand down. I won’t hold it against you if you do,” he hastened to add. “My original offer still stands. You’ve got a job with me for as long as you want it. Your decision now won’t change anything.”

  Well, she appreciated his leniency. But then, if she got the job that way she wouldn’t really be earning it. And Victoria Colby would never be free. She wouldn’t even allow Seth to enter the equation. If she was successful—major if considering her recent job performance—she might just have to kill him herself. Protecting Victoria Colby was top priority. His attempts to complete his mission had to be stopped at all costs.

  The real question here wasn’t whether or not she was prepared to take the risk, because she was.

  What escaped her completely was whether or not she could kill Seth if it became necessary.

  CHAPTER 28

  “You plant this somewhere in his SUV.” Maverick handed her the tiny electronic bug. “It’ll be useless, since he has a jammer, but he doesn’t know that we know that. He’ll find this thing in a hurry, so don’t hang around after you’ve put it in place.”

  She nodded. “Then I wait some more.” That was the part she hated the most.

  “Not for long. As soon as he’s found the bug he’ll know you’re working with us, or at least that will cross his mind. Then when he realizes Victoria and Lucas have skipped out on him, he’ll come looking for you.”

  She understood that part perfectly.

  “Now, this,” Ramon said, drawing her attention to him, “is an entirely different matter.” He showed her a small object about four inches long, similar in design to an ink pen. “Don’t try writing any checks with this baby.”

  She picked it up and looked it over. “What is it?”

  “It’s a high-pressure puncture device, kind of like the ones diabetics use to deliver a blast of insulin, only this one delivers a drug that debilitates the human body within seconds.” He took the pen-shaped device from her to demonstrate. “Just stick him with it, ensuring that you push with your thumb against the button as if you were clicking the pen into place to write.”

  “It takes a tough enough punch that you’re not likely to do it accidentally just by rummaging around in your purse,” Maverick added.

  That was a good thing. She looked to Ramon for confirmation. “This will render him unconscious?”

  He nodded. “For about an hour. It’s powerful stuff. You could put down a bull elephant with that stuff. And since you’d never get in the club with a gun in your purse, this is the only protection you’ll have.”

  Tasha gingerly dropped the pen into her purse, then tucked the tracking device into the bag’s small, zippered compartment.

  She glanced at the clock. Half past nine. Things would be jamming
at the club by now. “I should get going.”

  Maverick and Ramon exchanged a glance. “Just be careful,” Maverick warned. “Don’t take any unnecessary chances. And remember, press against the implant if you need us. We won’t be far away as long as we don’t lose the signal.”

  The latest technology in tracking-warning devices had been inserted subcutaneously on the underside of her right forearm. It was a passive transmitter which emitted its signal only once per hour. If Seth swept her for tracking devices he’d find nothing. However, all she had to do if faced with trouble she couldn’t handle was press hard against the device and an altered signal would be generated immediately, indicating distress. This one had a longer range and a better warning system than the patch. It also fluctuated the pitch of its signal to help override jam frequency. But it was brand-new and could present unforeseen glitches. Still, they had decided that it offered the technology they most needed at this point.

  “I’m ready.” She took a breath. “I’ll see you guys when I see you.”

  They all three stood there for a moment, just looking at each other, not saying anything. There was really nothing to say. Seth had warned her to stay away, but she was going after him. If she survived the encounter, the likelihood of surviving his fury when he discovered who she really was amounted to something less than zero.

  That was the deal.

  * * *

  Tasha drove past the lake house. The one she now knew belonged to Victoria Colby. There was no sign of Seth. Maverick had given her the entry code for the gate and front door, but going in that way would give her away too quickly if he did happen to be in there.

  Instead she hung around outside for a while, watching and waiting. When she felt reasonably sure enough time had passed for him to have approached her if he were there, she headed back to town. It was only Thursday night but there was always the possibility that he would be at the Metro Link. En route she had driven down the street past the Oak Park house. Though she felt fairly confident he wouldn’t go back there after Lucas’s order to take the place apart.

  Before she headed over to the Metro Link, she decided to cruise down porn avenue and see if she saw him there. Maybe he liked the redhead enough to go back for a repeat performance.

  The street was almost too crowded to maneuver. The Halloween festivities were in full swing tonight, masks and elaborate disguises included. Though Halloween wasn’t actually until Saturday, that didn’t appear to bother any of this party-hearty group. No sign of his SUV. Of course, he could be driving something else now. She couldn’t be sure. Shooting a guy like Lucas definitely upped the stakes. Seth might feel it necessary to change a lot of things, including the places he usually frequented.

  The possibility that she might not find him at all nagged at her but she refused to think that way. She had to find him. Lucas had said that the club where she’d first met him was his favorite hangout. Maybe she’d find him there.

  She had to find him…she needed this second shot at proving she was as good as Lucas Camp had thought her to be when he’d brought her on board for this mission.

  Maybe he didn’t consider her performance so far a failure, but she did.

  And that was unacceptable.

  The music thumped loudly, its rhythm inviting, as she strolled up the walk to the Metro Link’s main entrance. The place was almost as crowded as it had been on Saturday night. Thankfully she didn’t find any Halloween masks here. The same bouncer was waving his metal detecting wand. He smiled when he caught sight of her, then gave her a slow perusal.

  She’d opted for a skirt. Very short, very tight. Very red. A red spaghetti-strap top that showed off her flat midriff and four-inch leather stilettos that accentuated her legs. She might not be supermodel material but she knew how to use what she had. Returning the flirtatious bouncer’s smile, she opened her matching red bag for him to survey the contents. She’d made sure a package containing a neon-purple condom would be right on top.

  He lifted it between two fingers and waved it in front of her. “Got big plans tonight?”

  “You bet, sugar.” She leaned a little closer. “I’ve always got big plans.”

  He dropped the condom back inside and glanced briefly at the cell phone and pen, lip gloss and few bills, then waved her through. His no-personality partner stamped her hand a little more gently this time.

  “Great shoes,” he commented, eyeing her legs lasciviously.

  She moistened her lips and gave him a sexy smile. “Why, thank you.”

  The only thing she could think as she entered the crowded club was that the guy must have gotten laid this week. His mood had certainly improved.

  She cruised the place for a while, weaving through the crowd, watching, smiling, keeping a constant eye out for Seth. Just when her hopes started to plummet she saw him near the bouncers at the entrance. Her gaze narrowed as she watched him slip something to the guy with the wand who then waved him through without hesitation.

  So that’s how he got inside with a weapon. He’d either given the guy money or drugs. Making her move before he spotted her, Tasha latched on to the closest available guy.

  “You wanna dance?” the guy asked, his words slurred.

  “Absolutely.” Her arms went up around his neck, and he pulled her close.

  “I haven’t seen you before,” he muttered close to her ear. The music made hearing almost impossible this close to the band.

  She kept the shouted conversation going as she slowly but surely lured him farther from the band and closer to the bar…to Seth. He’d claimed an empty stool and was surveying the crowd the way he had before.

  She sensed the instant he saw her, felt his eyes on her. Snuggling up to her dance partner, she widened her smile from time to time as if he had her undivided attention. He seemed to be thrilled with her attention, though she wasn’t sure how he stayed vertical considering the degree of his inebriation.

  “I need a drink,” she finally told him.

  He walked her to the bar, keeping one arm around her shoulders. Plopping unsteadily against the counter, he ordered himself a beer and then looked down at her.

  “The same for me,” she said sweetly, keeping her adoring gaze focused on him, though she could feel Seth’s cutting right through her.

  When the bartender set the beers in front of them, she leaned closer to the guy. “What was your name again?” she asked, though they hadn’t exchanged names, but she doubted he would remember.

  “Kevin,” he said after downing a gulp of his beer.

  “I’ll be right back, Kevin,” she assured him. “Gotta find the ladies’ room.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Save my spot.”

  Kevin smiled down at her, his eyes blurry. “Count on it.”

  Tasha looked for the signs marked Rest Rooms and headed in that direction. She passed right by Seth without sparing him a glance. She rounded the end of the bar and followed the narrow, dimly lit corridor to the bathrooms. There was an emergency exit at the end of the hall. This one exited to the opposite side of the building from the main parking area, probably into another alley. She shivered instantly as she thought of the one Seth had dragged her to the first time they met.

  As she reached for the ladies’ room door, her skin instantly pebbled with goose bumps.

  Strong fingers manacled her arm. “What’re you doing here?” that deep masculine voice growled, sending shivers up her spine.

  She whipped around and faced him. Before she could utter the scathing comeback she’d planned her gaze moved over his body, taking in every last detail. Well-fitted jeans, faded chambray, button-up shirt. And those eyes. She could never get her fill of looking into those eerily clear blue eyes…so ice-cold and yet so intense.

  “I’m having a good time,” she told him with an indignant little sway of her shoulders. “Now
, if you’ll excuse me—” she tried to tug free of his hold “—Kevin is waiting.”

  Fury blazed in those eyes, turning them a glistening aquamarine blue. Her pulse reacted. “I know what you’re doing. I warned you to stay away from me.”

  She laughed ruefully. “Don’t flatter yourself. I have better things to do. Besides—” she moved in close and peered up at him, allowing her breath to feather across his lips and simultaneously hoping he wouldn’t see the way his proximity affected her “—I don’t think I’m your type.”

  For three seconds he didn’t move…she held her breath.

  “Guess there’s only one way to find out.” He yanked her toward the emergency exit and once again no alarm sounded as they barreled through the door, allowing it to slam hard behind them.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, tugging uselessly against his barbaric grip. A thread of panic needled its way through her.

  He didn’t stop until he’d reached his SUV and jerked the passenger-side door open. “Get in.”

  She drew back as far as his brutal hold would allow. “No way. I’m not going anywhere with you.” It was a lie, of course. But she couldn’t make this too easy.

  He trapped her between the SUV and his muscular body. “I don’t like games.”

  Her breath caught at the renewed intensity in his eyes. “I’m not playing games with you.”

  “Don’t lie to me. I know what you’re doing and I know what you want. Now you’re gonna get it.”

  She swallowed, moistened her lips and reached for the calm that had promptly deserted her. “Maybe I changed my mind about what I want.”

  “Get in.”

  Exhaling shakily, she looked away from that intimidating gaze and climbed into the passenger seat. He shut the door and moved around the front of the vehicle, his gaze never deviating from her.

  Focus, she ordered her whirling mind. This was good.

  This was the first step.

  She had to get close to him and find his vulnerable spot…had to do this right.