by Debra Webb
At the sound of his name he turned to her. The faint glow from the dash lights provided little insight as to what was on his mind.
“That’s right.” He flashed a brief smile. “Slade Keaton. I took over the Equalizers from your son.”
Victoria recalled that Jim had said something to that effect. “Can you tell me what’s going on now?”
He backed up the SUV, then rolled forward in the direction of the street. “Let’s put some distance between us and the institute first.” He braked at the end of the driveway.
“We have to go back.”
Keaton slid something from his pocket and offered it to her. A cell phone. She stared at it in confusion.
“Call your family and let them know you’re safe.” His gaze locked with hers. “I’ll take you home.”
The urge to do just that was very nearly overwhelming. She accepted the phone but shook her head. “We have to go back for Lucky, my associate. She’s still inside that place.” Victoria shivered. Besides her ordeal, there was something evil about that so-called institute.
“That won’t be necessary,” Keaton assured. “I’ve prepared an egress for Miss Malone and my colleague, Dakota Garrett.”
“Are you certain it will work?” Victoria wasn’t going anywhere until she was absolutely certain.
Keaton powered down his window. “Listen for yourself.”
She strained to hear but heard nothing save for the usual night sounds of crickets and the distant hum of interstate traffic. “I don’t—”
The solid boom echoed in the air. She started to ask what that meant, but another thundering boom cut off the thought. Two more explosions followed.
Keaton powered the window closed. He turned to Victoria. “You should make that call now. I’m sure your family’s worried.”
Who was this man? Victoria pushed aside her questions and swiftly entered Lucas’s cell number. The sound of his voice was all the guarantee Victoria needed. Whatever had happened these past twenty hours, Lucas would make it right.
She closed the phone. “Lucas is almost here. He would like us to wait at the upcoming intersection if it’s safe to do so.”
Keaton checked the rearview mirror. “I don’t see a problem. We don’t have a tail.”
Victoria turned and stared out the rear window. She hadn’t even thought to look. The drug was hindering her reactions.
Keaton drove to the intersection and parked on the side of the road facing the direction from which Lucas and Jim would arrive.
She relaxed for the first time in nearly twenty hours. Lucas would be here soon and he would get to the bottom of this unholy mess.
It was almost over.
Chapter Eighteen
“That’s our cue.”
Before Lucky could ask Garrett what he meant, he scrambled out of the laundry bin.
There had been four explosions somewhere on the grounds of the institute. Were they in a new kind of danger? Was this building next? Alarms were wailing.
“Hurry!”
Lucky took the hand he offered and climbed out. “What just happened?”
Garrett grinned. “He said he’d get me out.” Garrett strode toward the tunnel with Lucky in tow. “But I didn’t trust him to follow through.”
Relief chased away the worry. Lucky grinned herself. “The Colby Agency always stands by its word.” If Mr. Camp said he’d get them out, he would. No question.
Inside the massive garage, Garrett moved from one vehicle to the next and then appeared to search the room. It was so dark in there she didn’t know how he expected to see what he was looking for. Keys, she figured.
He swore. “I guess the only way out is on foot. The vehicle keys are in lockup.”
“Can we make it on foot?”
Garrett grabbed her hand again and hurried to the door she recalled that led to the outside. He cracked open the door just far enough for them to see. Two large buses had been moved to the side entrance of the institute’s main building. He turned up the volume on the walkie-talkie and listened a moment to the frantic exchange.
“They’re preparing to evacuate the patients if necessary.” He turned to Lucky. “Don’t go for the main gate. Security will be all over that. Look for any other avenue. Keaton probably blasted two or more holes in the wall.”
“You can lead the way.” She tightened her hold on his hand. No way was she going without him.
“You have to get out of here now.” He shook off her hold. “I’ll be right behind you, but first I have to finish some old business with Byrd.”
He was serious. “The police will deal with Byrd.” She grabbed his arm. “You can’t go back in there.”
“I have to make sure he’s stopped. I saved myself once, this time I’m saving the others.”
Lucky took a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll help you.” She thought about the colonel. Garrett was right. The patients had to be saved. Byrd had to be stopped now. The law could take weeks or months to stop him.
“No.”
A frown worried her brow. “Why are we arguing? We’re wasting time.” He couldn’t be serious.
“I want you out of here. Now.”
Lucky folded her arms over her chest. “No way.”
Garrett didn’t argue for a moment. Lucky was pretty sure she’d won this one.
“I lied to you.”
That frown marred deeper. “What?”
“I’ve been lying to you the whole time.”
She shook her head. “What’re you talking about?”
“Lucas Camp didn’t send me. The Colby Agency had nothing to do with any of this. I was following you.” He turned and stared out that narrow gap in the door. “When you and your driver were attacked I stepped in.”
Lucky understood most of that. Why was he talking about this now? “You saved my life.” That was exactly why she wasn’t going to leave him to finish this alone.
“You don’t get it. I didn’t come here because I was trying to help you. I was following orders from my boss to rescue your boss. I told you Lucas had sent me to keep you appeased and to give you a reason not to contact your agency.”
Her heart sank. This whole thing had been one big lie. “Who is your boss?”
“His name is Keaton. He runs a P.I. firm called the Equalizers. I’m one of his men.”
She’d heard about the Equalizers. “Jim Colby’s old firm.”
Garrett nodded.
Lucky’s breath trapped in her lungs. “What about Mrs. Colby-Camp? Was she taken to safety?”
“Keaton was determined to ensure her safety at all cost.”
“So he would have contacted her family once he got her out of here.”
Shouting outside drew his attention there. “What else would he do? Now go.” He shifted his attention back to her. “You don’t owe me anything.”
The reality of his words sank in a little deeper, joining her heart in the proximity of her feet. All that time at the house he’d been lying. Anger churned inside her. “Were you ever really a patient here?” He’d insisted that going in alone was the only option. His history here had made him an expert. Any outside interference beyond his surgical attempt to rescue Mrs. Colby-Camp would almost certainly have resulted in a bad ending.
“Everything else I told you was the truth. Now go.” He started back to the tunnel.
He’d lied to her. Lucky scrubbed her hands over her face. Dear God what would the folks at the agency think? All these hours that she and her boss had been missing and they hadn’t had a clue where they were or if they were even alive. Lucky should have made that call.
She wanted to run after Garrett and punch him out. Fury tightened her fingers into fists. She wanted to kick his boss’s butt. Who the heck did Keaton think he was?
Taking a breath, she relaxed her tense muscles. Unfortunately right now there was something far more important she had to do.
Lucky rushed after Garrett, taking the stairs two at a time. She raced along the tunnel until
she could see Garrett nearing the far end. He stopped, turned around and stared at her.
She didn’t slow down until she stood directly in front of him. He looked annoyed. Good, because she was, too. Without preamble, she reached out and slapped his face.
He flinched.
“That was for lying to me.” She smoothed her stinging hand over her hair and managed to compose herself somewhat. “Now, let’s go get this done.”
Maybe it was confusion, maybe it was disbelief, but he stared at her with the strangest expression on his face. “Are you insane?”
What kind of question was that? She straightened her scrub top and her badge. “I’m the one who has the badge and the uniform. I can provide cover. What have you got?” Let him top that.
His gaze narrowed as he searched hers for two then three beats. He reached behind him and pulled a weapon from his waistband. “I’ve got the gun.”
“Great. That should cover all the bases, then. Now, let’s do this thing.” She walked around him and toward the door.
He didn’t try to stop her. A few steps later she felt him following her. Confusion whirled in her head, along with a dozen other emotions. She wasn’t sure how to feel. She had absolutely no reason to trust Garrett. He’d lied to her repeatedly. At the moment none of that mattered. Stopping evil was the only goal that counted.
And, whatever his motive, Garrett had saved her life and Victoria’s. She owed him.
THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS had kicked in. The alarm buzzed loudly and distinctly enough to alert the staff without panicking the patients. The corridor on the lower level remained clear. Evacuation protocol dictated that floors one through four were vacated first. Research was dead last.
Literally.
Dakota knew Byrd would terminate those patients before he would risk exposing his secret work to the authorities.
At the double doors Dakota swiped the badge he lifted from the goon Byrd had left in charge of securing him. The entry marked Authorized Personnel Only opened. He gestured for Malone to stay behind him as he moved forward. With the weapon palmed he weaved from door to door to check the patients who lay beyond. One swipe at each door and he had access.
Most were heavily sedated and well secured to their beds. The silenced monitoring equipment showed patterns of vitals. Dakota resisted the impulse to hold his breath. The smell of death hung in every room.
Ten patients. The last two treatment rooms were vacant.
Dakota headed for his ultimate destination. Byrd’s secret office—the place where he kept his research files. The evidence of his dirty work.
Two yards from Byrd’s office Dakota stilled. The door was partially open. He checked the other end of the corridor. Still deserted. This didn’t feel right.
Malone moved up close behind him. He pressed a finger to his lips, then he listened. A soft whir filtered past the open door. Dakota mentally sifted through the possibilities. Then he recognized the sound.
He pointed to his eyes and then the corridor with his free hand to put Malone on lookout. Adopting a fire-ready posture he charged through the door. He leveled his aim on the back of the man who was busily feeding the paper shredder. “Hands up.”
The man froze but didn’t comply. He was too tall to be Byrd. Probably one of his trusted goons.
“Do it now,” Dakota ordered.
The man dropped the pages and raised his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. Dakota eased close enough to check him for a weapon. He lifted the handgun from its holster and tucked it into his waistband. The walkie-talkie was next. Dakota turned it off and tossed it across the room.
“Where’s your boss?”
“Go to hell.”
He was going to play it that way, was he? Dakota rammed the muzzle into the back of his skull. “Where is Byrd?”
“You heard me.”
Loyalty. Even among criminals.
“Have it your way.” Dakota wrapped an arm around his neck and rendered him unconscious. Once he was down he dragged him behind the desk and secured him. Many things could be accomplished with a leather belt, including binding hands and feet behind one’s back. A necktie made a handy gag.
Malone barged in. “Someone’s coming.”
Satisfied with his handiwork, Dakota stood. “How many?”
“I don’t know. I ducked in here as soon as I saw the double doors opening. I was afraid they would see me.”
“Good thinking.” He glanced around the room. There was no place for her to hide. He nodded to the open door. “Hide behind the door.” As she obeyed he moved toward her. He passed her the gun he’d lifted from the guy behind the desk. “I took it off safety. No matter what you hear, don’t come out. If things don’t go well, wait until it’s clear and get out of here.”
He started to ease the door closer to the wall, ensuring she wouldn’t be seen. She stopped him. “You do that every time.” She searched his eyes. “For a liar and a guy who cares about nothing but accomplishing the mission, you sure seem to like playing the hero.”
What the hell? “You are nuts, do you know that?” Quick steps echoed in the corridor.
“I’m just saying.”
What was it about this woman? In the next second he realized he was the one who was crazy. He grabbed her by the chin and kissed her hard and fast. He’d done this once already. Once made him crazy; twice made him stupid. “Now stay quiet.” While she stared, dazed, at him, he eased the door back enough to tightly sandwich her between it and the wall.
Since he didn’t have a better plan, he took a seat behind Byrd’s fancy desk. He took a bead on the open doorway. Dakota wasn’t opposed to taking out whoever entered.
Byrd, followed by two of his muscled-up associates, stormed into the room. The surprise on Byrd’s face was worth whatever happened next. Dakota centered his bead right between the madman’s eyes.
The threesome stalled just inside the door. Weapons were drawn.
“You escaped,” Byrd snarled.
Dakota shrugged. “I came back. I missed you.”
Byrd smirked. “You’re a dead man, Eaton. You crossed the wrong person this time. Mr. Murray was quite generous to the institute for such a brief use of our facilities. He was most displeased when you fled with the prized addition to his collection. He had been waiting a very long time to include his old enemy Lucas Camp to his trophy case. His wife was the key to success and you took that from him. He and his men are searching the surrounding area for you even as we speak.”
“Too late. Victoria Colby-Camp is way out of his reach now.”
Byrd dared to step toward him. His backup took that same step deeper into the room. “You must have had a partner. Someone on my staff. I will know the name.”
Dakota hitched a thumb toward the papers scattered on the floor. “I’d say you have bigger problems. You know the police will arrive soon. No way those explosions will be ignored.”
“They’re en route now,” Byrd returned. “I called them myself. When they arrive they will find the body of a disgruntled former patient who tried to blow up the institute.”
“We’ll die together,” Dakota suggested. “Give them something to sink their investigative teeth into.”
“Shoot him,” Byrd ordered.
The door slammed shut.
A shot exploded. The man to the left of Byrd stumbled back as he spun around, catching the bullet in the shoulder. The one on the right started to fire. Dakota dropped him even as two more shots blasted from the weapon Malone wielded. A bullet plowed into the desktop. Dakota scrambled back. Damn that was close.
“Get down on the floor,” Malone shouted.
The wounded man dropped his weapon and took a facedown position on the floor.
“Get up,” Byrd screamed to no avail at his injured guard.
Dakota came around the desk, his weapon trained on the bastard who liked playing God. “On the floor,” he ordered. When Byrd didn’t comply, Dakota took great satisfaction in knocking his lights out. He wa
s on the floor then.
“Check him.” Dakota nodded to the man Lucky had wounded. “Make sure he has no other weapons. And check his pockets for anything we can use to secure the three of them.” Dakota checked the guard he’d put down. Still alive. The gash on his forehead explained his state of unconsciousness. He must have hit his head on the way down.
“Will these work?”
Malone had found a couple pairs of nylon hand cuffs. “That’ll work.” Dakota secured both guards. He dug two more pair of the cuffs from the second guard’s pockets. He secured Byrd and then, just to be safe, added a pair to the guard under the desk.
The chatter on the walkie-talkie snagged his attention. The police were on-site.
Dakota ushered Malone into the corridor. He visually checked the double doors to make sure no one was coming yet. “You stay here,” he said to Malone. “Explain everything to the police. I have to go.”
She shook her head. “Why? You’re the one who saved the day. You should be here.”
“There are things in my past that could muddy the waters and create some major waves that I don’t need.” He shrugged. “You don’t need me for this.”
“Does it have something to do with the name Eaton?”
“Yeah.”
“I understand. You’re not that person anymore.” She smiled. “I know who you are. You’re a hero.”
He shook his head even as a smile tugged at his lips. “You’re the hero.”
She waved him off. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
He stepped back before he did something else stupid like kiss her a third time. “A pleasure working with you, Malone.”
He walked away.
This mission was done. There was no reason for him to stay.
Before those double doors closed behind him he looked back. Malone was watching him go.
For the first time in his adult life Dakota suffered a twinge of doubt.
The doors closed, blocking his view of Malone.
It was done.
There was no going back.
Chapter Nineteen
The Colby Agency