Pawn

by Carla Cassidy

  "They're going to kill us, aren't they?" The words tasted bad falling from her lips.

  "I sure as hell hope not," he replied. "I don't know about you, but a stinking warehouse meth lab isn't my fantasy of the place where I want to die."

  She leaned her head back. "Bed. I always thought it would be nice to die in my sleep when I was about a hundred years old."

  "I always figured I'd go out in a blaze of glory," he replied. "Maybe in a high-speed car chase or a gun battle."

  She looked at him once again. "We can't give up. I just want to figure out a way to get out of this mess."

  "Let me know when you figure something out," he said darkly.

  NICK HAD NO IDEA how long they sat there, occasionally straining against their bonds without success. Night fell and without lights, with the windows being so high to the ceiling of the three-story structure, the interior grew dark.

  As the darkness grew deeper, they began to talk once again. Despite telling him she didn't want to hash over the past, she began to talk about all the things she hadn't told him about herself, all the pieces she'd learned when she'd gone to Phoenix.

  He'd known a little bit about her past, but not all of it. He listened as she told him about her mother's eggs being harvested, about those eggs being experimented with, then implanted into surrogates.

  She told him her surrogate mother was a prostitute who called herself Cleo Patra. When she went into labor with Lynn, Jonas kidnapped the baby.

  "And here I thought I was the one who had all the secrets," he said when she'd finished.

  "Women are allowed to have secrets, men are supposed to be open books," she replied. He heard the smile in her voice and his remorse at getting her involved in this mess swooped back in to torture him.

  "Is it possible we can talk our way out of this?" she asked.

  "Anything is possible. I suppose it depends on how fast we can talk." He refused to give up hope. "If this is about my sleeping with you and the fear that somehow I told you too much, then we might be able to get out of it."

  He'd give anything to get her out of here. He didn't want to tell her what a bad feeling he had. He knew that if the man in charge actually showed his face to talk to them, then neither of them would get out of this alive. He had too much to lose by allowing them to live if they knew who he was.

  What bothered Nick as much as anything was the fact that if his cover was blown, then he must have made a mistake. And for the life of him he couldn't think of what mistake he might have made.

  "What do you think is taking so long?" she asked.

  Nick had been wondering the same thing. They had been in the warehouse alone for what seemed like an eternity. "I don't know." The only thing at the moment that gave him any hope at all was the fact that they were still alive.

  "I thought the good guys were supposed to win."

  Although he could no longer see her face, he heard the edge of fear that trembled in her voice. "We're not out yet," he said, wishing he could say something more to assure her.

  Dammit, he could face the possibility of his own death, but the thought of Lynn dying here because of him made him want to weep.

  Once again he strained, trying to get his hands free, but Jimmy had bound him good and tight.

  "I don't suppose you had a plan C?" she asked.

  "Don't make me feel worse than I already do," he replied grimly.

  "Don't beat yourself up, Nick." Her voice was soft, far more forgiving than he deserved. "You couldn't have anticipated this."

  "But, somehow, I feel like I should have," he replied.

  "Somebody is coming," she whispered.

  He tensed and a long moment later he heard the sound of the front door being unlocked. It creaked open and footsteps approached.

  Overhead lights blinked on, momentarily blinding Nick with their glare. When his eyes adjusted, his heart fell to the pit of his toes.

  He watched, heart pounding as Jimmy shoved the petite blonde toward him and Lynn. "Thought you two might be getting lonely," he said.

  "Now are you going to tell me what's going on?" Colette asked her cousin. Even though on the surface she looked irritated and more than a little put out, Nick saw the slight tremble of one corner of her mouth and the faint edge of terror that darkened her eyes.

  "Sit down and shut up," Jimmy replied.

  She hesitated, then did as he told her, sliding to the floor between Nick and Lynn. "Jimmy, what's this all about?" she asked as he tied her like the other two. "For God's sake, Jimmy, we're family."

  "Who is she?" Lynn asked and Nick knew she was playing the game, pretending ignorance.

  "I'm Nick's wife," Colette said. "And who in the hell are you?"

  "I'm Nicky's girlfriend," Lynn replied indignantly.

  Jimmy laughed. "And I'll be right back and then we're all going to have a little chat."

  Nick knew. He wasn't sure that Lynn and Colette knew, but he did. Their cover was blown and there was no way in hell the men working this operation were going to let the three of them leave this warehouse alive.

  Chapter 17

  Jimmy didn't leave the warehouse. Instead he disappeared into one of the adjoining rooms off the main room where they were all tied up.

  Lynn couldn't help it—even in the midst of this life-and-death drama a strictly female reaction swept over her. She eyed the woman next to her as if they were competing for the same man.

  She was pretty in a fragile, pale kind of way. She met Lynn's gaze and smiled, making her even prettier. "Don't worry, honey. It's not many women who sit in the living room on their wedding night and listen to their husband talk about the real love of his life. He's so in love with you it's disgusting."

  A blush of heat swept over Lynn's cheeks. Had she been that transparent?

  Colette turned her head to look at Nick. "So, what's happened? What's going on?"

  "I wish we knew," Nick replied.

  "It's bad, isn't it? We're busted, aren't we?" Colette whispered, voicing what Lynn had been thinking ever since she'd been tied to the damned pipe on the floor.

  Somehow, Nick's cover had been blown and she'd been swept into the debris of the explosion. "Yeah, I think we're busted," Nick replied.

  "Shit," Colette said succinctly.

  "My sentiments exactly," Lynn agreed.

  They stopped talking as Jimmy returned. He pulled up a stool and sat in front of them, looking as relaxed as if he were in a movie theater. "I think it's time for all of us to have a nice little chat," he said.

  "I thought we were waiting for the man to arrive," Nick said. "You're the man, aren't you Jimmy."

  Jimmy grinned. "Ah, very good Agent Barnes."

  So, Nick had been right. Somehow his cover was blown. Jimmy knew he was an FBI agent. Lynn knew then that playing dumb wasn't going to work for any of them.

  "I did it all, Nicky, boy. I pulled it all together, funded it with the workmen's comp check I got when I hurt my leg. I've built an empire here and I'm the king."

  "You're just another two-bit dope dealer," Lynn said in derision. What the hell, she had nothing to lose. She knew there was no way that Jimmy was going to let any of them leave the warehouse alive.

  "And you're nothing but a snitch bitch who turned on her own godfather," Jimmy retorted. "Oh yeah, I know all about you. Amazing what you can find on the Internet if you know what you're looking for."

  He leaned down and rubbed his leg, then straightened and smiled at Lynn. "I know how you turned on Jonas, how you worked with the FBI to bring him down. You and Colette there, you're two nasty peas in a pod, turning on your own."

  "You were nothing but a snot-nosed kid before and you're nothing but a piece of crap now," Colette exclaimed angrily. "Our mothers might have been sisters, but I'm not your family."

  "You got that right," Jimmy replied, a flash of anger in his eyes as he leaned forward. "You're not family. You're just one dead bitch."

  "How did you know?" Nick asked. "What gave m
e away?"

  Some of the anger died and Jimmy regarded him with a hint of respect. "I got to admit, you were good, Nicky. You didn't make any mistakes, at least none that got me suspicious. Even when I realized you were making nightly trips someplace it never really entered my mind that you might be betraying me."

  "Then how did you know?"

  Jimmy leaned back once again and grinned at Nick. "You got a rat in your office, Nicky boy. Even an upstanding FBI agent can crumple at the promise of cold hard cash."

  As Jimmy talked, Lynn worked her legs, trying one last time to break the tape that held them together. As she strained, she felt a give. She fought back a shout of triumph, then was immediately overwhelmed by despair. Even if she managed to get her legs free, what good would that do them?

  "A name. Give me a name, Jimmy," Nick said. "Tell me who you turned, who gave me up."

  Jimmy hesitated a moment then shrugged. "Ah, what the hell. Agent Buzz Cantrell. For a fee he gave me all I needed to know about you and what you've been doing here."

  "That bastard," Nick exclaimed.

  "I'd ask you who you report to, who else knows about my little kingdom here, but it really doesn't matter."

  Lynn worked her legs and felt more give in the tape. If only she could get her hands loose, work her feet loose, men she'd rip die smug Jimmy's face off.

  The rope around her wrists felt looser and she moved frantically to get the rope off. If she could just work one hand out of the bonds…if she could use every ounce of strength she possessed to break the rope and free herself. At least with her hands tied behind her back Jimmy couldn't see how hard she worked to free herself.

  "My operation here is finished," Jimmy continued. "I'm moving up, moving on."

  "What are you talking about?" Nick asked.

  "I guess it don't hurt to tell you my plans. I'm blowing this town and setting up a new shop in a little town a lot like Raymore. The people are living just above the poverty level, they have no dreams, no way to get out. I'm going to ride in like their savior and give them hope."

  It was obvious Jimmy wanted them to know about all of his plans, that it was important to him that they understand just how smart he was, just how capable. It was sick. He made Lynn sick. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a black ledger book. "All good businessmen keep good records." He smiled at Nick. "Bet you'd love to get your hands on this. Unfortunately, it will perish just like you will."

  "Jimmy, don't do this," Colette said. "For God's sake, let us go. Stop this madness now."

  "You're right. It's time to stop the madness." He stood and shoved the stool aside. "You know I can't let any of you leave here." He looked at them one at a time, mock sadness on his face.

  So this is where it ends, Lynn thought. He's going to take out his gun and execute us. She hoped he'd kill her first. She didn't want to be alive to see Nick die.

  "Unfortunately, there's going to be a tragic accident here tonight," Jimmy continued. "I'm sure you all know how dangerous meth labs can be…all those chemicals. Tonight this place is going to come down." He placed a hand on the ledger. "And along with the scene of the crime, this little book will be gone, as well. Boom…and all the evidence will be gone."

  Lynn stopped struggling against her bonds and stared at Jimmy. The place was going to explode? She watched as Jimmy walked over to a cabinet, opened it and withdrew an item.

  She recognized it immediately from all the education she'd recently received. Primitive, easy to make and deadly. Jimmy held a pipe bomb in his hand.

  "Did you know that you can find instructions for making one of these right on the Internet?" Jimmy asked. He shook his head and grinned. "Amazing. There's just enough chemicals left in the storeroom that when this goes off, they will go up and this building will come down," he said.

  "You'll never get away with this," Nick said, his voice radiating with frustration. "They already have your name. They'll be looking for you."

  Jimmy grinned, a good-old-boy grin that Lynn wanted to slap off his face. "Nicky boy, I've already gotten away with it. I've got enough money in an offshore account to get me a new identity, a whole new life. I'm going to buy me a town and have a new adventure."

  He turned on his heels and disappeared into one of the adjoining rooms, then returned almost immediately. The pipe bomb was no longer in his hand.

  "It's time for me to say goodbye," he said. "You've got an hour before all hell breaks loose. By then, I'll be long gone. And don't think anyone's going to get in here to save you. I got a nice big fat chain to lock the front door with from the outside. Those windows are way too high for anyone to get in."

  "I'll see you in hell, Jimmy," Colette exclaimed.

  He grinned. "Honey, you'll be there long before me." With these words Jimmy turned off the lights and left the building.

  Lynn fought back a hysterical burst of laughter at the irony of life. She'd managed to escape one bomb blast only to perish in another.

  NICK HAD NEVER been one to give up easily, but the moment Jimmy walked out the door any lingering hope he'd entertained crashed and burned.

  He knew there were enough chemicals left in those rooms to create a huge explosion. The pipe bomb would ignite it and the mix would make a fireball that nobody would be able to survive.

  It was over. His work. His life. Death didn't particularly scare him, but he mourned for Lynn and Colette. Neither of them deserved this and he felt responsible for them being here.

  The fact that it had been another agent who had sold him out enraged him. He knew Buzz Cantrell. They worked out of the same field office. How did a man like Buzz go to bed and sleep at night knowing he'd betrayed one of his own, knowing that he'd given in to the dark side? How much money had exchanged hands in order for Buzz to rat him out? What had Nick's life been worth?

  "I can't believe we're going to die," Colette exclaimed, breaking the silence that had descended since Jimmy's absence.

  "Maybe with three of us we can somehow break loose the pipe," Nick said. Although he had little hope of success, he didn't want the two women to know that there was no hope. "On the count of three, pull up as hard as you can with your hands. One… two… three."

  They strained, groaning aloud with the effort, but the pipe remained intact. He slumped back wearily.

  How many minutes had gone by since Jimmy had left? How many more minutes before that bomb exploded? An hour was nothing. Nick knew the problem with pipe bombs was that they could be unstable. Even with a timer it could detonate early.

  A knot formed in his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got you both into this."

  "You didn't get me into this," Colette replied. "I got myself into this when I made that phone call to the bureau."

  "Then I'm sorry I can't seem to get you out of this," he replied. Lynn was silent and he wondered what she was thinking, if she would die hating him?

  "Lynn, I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I hurt you." Nick hadn't cried since he was ten years old and his father had taken his dog out in the backyard and shot him. But, he now felt the sting of tears pressing hot at his eyes.

  His tears were for her, for the life she wouldn't have. "Lynn, I just want you to know that I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my life." He closed his eyes, wishing the light were still on and he could see her one last time, wishing she would say something, anything.

  HIS WORDS FILLED HER HEART. A man about to die didn't lie. He'd been wrong not to tell her about his marriage to Colette, but she could forgive him for that.

  Dammit. It wasn't fair that they should die this way. It wasn't fair that she and Nick should find each other again only to die in a stupid warehouse, blown up by a psycho dope dealer.

  She wasn't just going to give up and sit in the dark and wait for that pipe bomb to explode. Even though she'd never gone to Athena Academy, she was Rainy Carrington's daughter. The blood of her mother ran in her veins. She was an Athena.

  She thought of her sisters, all her
friends and her mother's friends. Strong women. Powerful women. She dishonored them if she gave up.

  Death was going to have to chase her down rather than find her sitting and waiting patiently.

  Closing her eyes, she centered herself, focusing all her energy, all her concentration on the ropes that bound her wrists. She was strong. She was Athena strong.

  In her mind's eye she saw the rope. She worked her wrists. Back and forth. Twist and turn. Ache and burn. Sweat trickled down from her hairline as she used every ounce of physical and mental strength that she possessed.

  She didn't know how long she worked before she felt a significant give. She doubled her efforts and gasped in surprise as her hands came loose.

  "I'm free." She nearly shouted the words as she bent forward and fumbled with the tape that held her ankles.

  "You're free?" Nick's voice boomed from the darkness.

  "Then get us free," Colette nearly sobbed. "Oh God, hurry."

  "I just have to get this tape off my ankles." She cursed as her fingers trembled, making them all feel as clumsy as thumbs.

  She ripped at the tape and finally managed to free herself. She needed light. She couldn't see in the dark to untie Colette and Nick.

  She raced to the switch on the wall and flipped it on, flooding the place with welcoming light. "There should be a knife or something sharp in one of those drawers," Nick said tersely. He jerked his head toward the cabinets.

  Certainly it would be quicker if she could cut them loose rather than attempt to untie their knots.

  She ran to the cabinets and tore open first one drawer and then another, seeking anything that could be used to cut through rope.

  Seconds ticked by. She didn't want to think about what they would do when they were all free. According to what Jimmy had told them, the front door wasn't an option as an escape route and the windows were so high nobody would be able to reach them.

  They'd figure something out, she thought. In the fourth drawer she checked, she found a razor blade. She grabbed it.