In the Shadow of Vengeance

by Nancy C. Weeks

  She let out a soft laugh. “That finally made it in, did it?”

  “Smart-ass.”

  “Spencer is down the hall with a couple of steroid-induced goons. He’s De Rousse. He wants to cut me up in pieces and sell them to the highest bidder. So, if you don’t mind, I would like to leave.”

  “How many men does he have with him?”

  “Including Spencer, maybe seven. The man who abducted me, a driver, two others who greeted us when we drove up, and he would need at least two trained medical personnel to help him with the organ extraction. The steroid-induced welcoming committee would be useless in surgery. If he has a medical team here, we haven’t been introduced.”

  “Stay close,” he ordered, and, taking her hand in his, he eased open the door. The hallway was clear. Drawing his weapon, he headed for the stairs.

  “Do you have another gun?” she whispered close to his ear.

  “Have you ever shot a handgun?”

  “Only in video games, but I can point and pull the trigger.”

  He paused midway down the stairs and reached for the Colt .25. “Aim at the bad guys. Not me.”

  She punched him in the shoulder. “Then don’t tempt me.”

  Once on the ground floor, Elizabeth took a step toward the front entrance. He reached for her arm and placed a finger at his lips, shaking his head. “Guarded,” he mouthed and turned down the short hallway.

  Footsteps sounded on the hardwood flooring above them. Noah exited through the basement door and charged down the stairs. At the bottom step, he snaked around the boxes and old furnishings. His hand landed on the outside doorknob when a click sounded behind him.

  “Who is your friend, Elizabeth?”

  Noah’s stomach flipped. He brought his gun around, lined perfectly with the center of the stranger’s forehead.

  Elizabeth placed her palm on his shoulder blade. “Ex-husband, Spencer Williams. At least, that was the psychopath’s surname when we married.”

  “This is the guy who put you through hell the last fourteen years?”

  ”Yes.”

  “I should kill him, but I want to make him hurt first.” Noah eased Elizabeth behind him and steadied his stance. He took a closer look and recognition hit. He had seen the guy before. “Man, you keep some bad company.”

  Spencer lifted his chin; his black, soulless eyes roamed over Noah. “We’re at a disadvantage. Who the hell are you?”

  “Detective Noah McNeil, and I want the asshole behind you to drop his weapon and for both of you to hit the cement.”

  Spencer took a step forward and Noah fired a shot that sent the tip of the doctor’s shoe flying into the air.

  “Fuck, you almost shot my toe off.”

  “And the next one will be between the eyes. Now tell your man to lower his weapon.”

  The thug with Elizabeth’s ex-husband had to be one of Mendoza’s men. Noah should have recognized the type when he first laid eyes on them.

  Spencer’s mouth grew into a straight line and his features tightened. Noah kept his hand steady as he reached for his phone. Using one finger to scan the screen, he loaded the video of the prison.

  “So, you hooked up with Elías Mendoza and helped that sick bastard escape prison. I guess Elizabeth was payment for your good deed?”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “This is you,” Noah said, turning his screen. “Poor doctor. He didn’t have a chance, did he? He was dead before he hit the floor, but that was a fine show you put on. Some people may have believed it.”

  In the distance, sirens sounded, and Noah couldn’t help the grin that spread across his lips. “But you’re a lucky bastard. Maybe you will live to see tomorrow. If this moron carries out his orders, you’ll be stuffed behind some wall, giving the rats a feast to live on for months.”

  “It’s not me who’s dying today, McNeil,” Spencer replied with a smirk.

  “You didn’t think Mendoza would allow you to live, did you?” Noah clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “You’re living proof he’s alive. This guy,” he nodded to the gunman, “could have emptied his machine into Elizabeth and me at any time. He didn’t because he’s waiting for orders to take all of us out. Including you, asshole.”

  The automatic rifle safety click broke through the tension. Before the gunman could fire, Noah pulled the trigger and placed a bullet in the top of the man’s hand. He let out an ear-piercing scream and the automatic rifle dropped to the floor. He charged, and again Noah fired, striking the man in the chest.

  “I just saved your stinking, miserable life. Now kick the weapon toward me, and I won’t shoot you, too.”

  Spencer let out a shriek. Noah reached back and sent his fist into the man’s nose. Bone cracked bone and Spencer bent at the waist, holding his hand over his face.

  “You fucking bastard. You broke my nose.”

  Noah reached for the rope hanging on the wall and grasped the doctor’s elbow. He tugged him to one of the pillars in the center of the room. Before he could secure him to the pole, one of the guards appeared on the top of the stairs and opened fire.

  “Get down, Elizabeth,” Noah bellowed, and shoved Spencer to the floor, pulling him behind an old dresser. The pillar and furnishings surrounding them were sprayed with bullets.

  Twisting, Noah returned fire. The man stumbled back and fell onto the steps. Wood cracked, and the rotten stairs gave way, dropping him ten feet to the concrete floor. The dust settled, but the man didn’t move.

  “Elizabeth?” Noah peered around the furnishings but couldn’t see her. When she didn’t answer right away, he rolled to his feet just as another thug appeared in the doorway. At that advantage point, there was no place for Noah to hide. He raised his weapon. Before he got a shot off, the stairwell wall and entrance to the basement were riddled with bullets from the dead man’s assault rifle.

  Elizabeth! Son of a bitch!

  Noah slid to the floor and inched around the furnishings toward her position. “Damn it to hell, get down.”

  “Busy.” She stopped firing and yelled back, “Did I kill him?”

  “No, but he’s probably halfway to Canada by now, Rambo.” He stumbled to his feet, his knees still unstable. She scared the shit out of him, but he was so damn proud of her. Pressing his lips against the back of her neck, he whispered, “Thanks. You saved my ass.”

  As he reached for the rifle, Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide. She aimed the barrel at the cement floor and fired off several shots.

  “Stop, don’t shoot,” Spencer shrieked as he danced away from the handgun sticking out of the dead man’s waistband. “You’re both fucking crazy.”

  “That’s right, you bastard, I’m fucking crazy. Move one inch and I’ll rip your body to shreds.” To prove her point, she pressed down on the trigger.

  “Damn it, detective, take that thing away from her.”

  Noah let out a deep laugh. “Don’t think so,” he said. “Cover me, Elizabeth?”

  “Always.”

  He grabbed Spencer’s collar, pulled him against the column, and secured his hands together around the pole. After reading him his Miranda rights, he added, “The next asshole who comes gunning for us, I’m using you as a shield.”

  Elizabeth lowered the rifle and hugged his waist. He eased the weapon from her hand and set the safety. Inching backward, he placed as much distance as possible between them and Spencer while keeping him in view. He brought a thumb under Elizabeth’s chin. “Are you okay?”

  Her shoulders trembled. She raised her tear-filled eyes and attempted a smile. “Peachy.”

  He lowered his voice to a bare whisper. “Good, let’s talk.”

  “Now?” She tried to turn around but he cupped both hands around the back of her neck.

  “You implied you knew I was coming for you.”

  She let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

  “And how did you know that?”

  The question scared him to his toes, b
ut he had to know. The moment she left the cabin, it was as if he’d lived in her head. The doubt and loneliness she must have been feeling had churned inside him, too. At the time, he didn’t understand what was happening. Now he did. And, shit, he had to hear the crazy phenomenon was a two-way street.

  A smile spread to the corners of her mouth, and it took all of Noah’s strength to keep from kissing it right off.

  “Because you … well, I think you …”

  “Spit it out, sweetheart.”

  A slight color rose in her cheeks. “I could feel you. I really was lying there waiting for you to open the door. All this celestial stuff is new to me, but I could only come up with one reason those feelings were so strong.”

  “And that would be?”

  “Maybe … you could be in love with me?”

  His heart thumped hard and the air left his lungs. How in the hell did she understand something he was just realizing himself? He was in love with the infuriating woman. But damn it to hell, if she didn’t begin to have a little faith in him, he was going to spend a lifetime guzzling thick, horrid pink crap, nursing the fucking hole in his stomach.

  “And I assume you share these same feelings?”

  She again nodded.

  “You walked out on me.”

  Her eyes shot to Spencer. “You’re going to bring that up now?”

  Deep warmth settled within his heart. “Yeah, I think I am.”

  She jerked free of his hold. “You’re being an ass—”

  Noah brought his lips down hard, cutting her off mid-sentence. He took her mouth, the kiss consuming his every sense. Damn, he wanted nothing more than to bury himself in her softness, allowing her intoxicating scent to chase the world away.

  He broke away, sampling the tender skin along her jaw to her neck. “Are you going to do that again, Elizabeth? I don’t know if my heart can take much more.”

  “No,” she whispered. “No more running.” She clutched hold of his arms and leaned in until her lips teased his. “You feel it too, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, sweetheart, I feel it too. It’s freakin’ …”

  “Wonderful.”

  He phone blasted through the silence and he yanked it out of his back pocket. “McNeil.”

  A very loud, angry Jason yelled, “Answer your damn phone, bro!”

  “Been a little busy, but I have Elizabeth. Mendoza’s doctor, a.k.a. De Rousse, is cuffed in the basement and at least two of his men are either still in the building or scurrying away like rats into the woods. Has there been any word from Adam about Danny and Erin?”

  “They are still missing. The forest ranger is trying to reach the guy in charge of the search-and-rescue team for an update.”

  Before Noah could get out his next question, a sharp pain cut across his throat, cutting off his air. He doubled over, sucking in a breath, but his lungs wouldn’t fill. Jared!

  “Son of a bitch,” he choked out and grabbed Elizabeth for support.

  “Noah, what’s wrong?”

  An instant later, his throat cleared and he sucked in one breath, then another. Rubbing his hand over the front of his neck, he raised the phone back to his ear. His tone came out harsh, raspy as if he took a punch in the throat.

  “Jason, have you been in contact with Jared?”

  “No. We’ve tried everyone’s cell phone. They all go directly to voice mail. The deputy hasn’t checked in either.”

  “Something is damn wrong.” He moved out of Elizabeth’s reach and charged toward Spencer. “Get more backup there now! I’ll call you right back.” He slid the phone into his pocket and drew his weapon. He yanked Spencer to his feet and pressed the barrel into his cheek.

  “What the fuck?”

  “Shut up. I’m going to give you one chance to tell me the truth. Got it?” He wedged the gun into the bastard’s skin until it drew blood. “Where is Elías Mendoza?”

  “I don’t know what the fuck you are talking about.”

  Noah lowered his weapon and fired off a shot at the exact place he had targeted earlier, this time hitting a toe. Ignoring Spencer’s screams, he aimed at the next toe and pulled the trigger. “Where. Is. He.”

  “You shot me. You’re a cop. I’m going to have your badge.”

  Noah shoved Spencer to the floor. “You think I care a fucking fig about that right now?”

  An instant later, the space between Spencer’s outstretched legs split into pieces by a spray of bullets. Again ignoring the man’s screams, Noah eyed Elizabeth. “Having fun?”

  With the assault rifle at her side, she knelt in front of her ex-husband. “I’m not a cop, asshole.” She pulled the trigger again. “Mendoza hurt my son.” Each shot followed a word as Spencer’s legs spread further apart and his back inched up the pillar. The last slug landed inches from Spencer’s crotch. “Tell him the truth or my next shot will slice your puny dick right off.”

  “He’s not dead, but I don’t know where he is.”

  Noah’s barrel cut again into the bloody spot on his cheek. “How?”

  “Latex prosthesis chest wound with a compartment for a blood bag. I thought the fucking attack was real until I examined him.”

  “Again, where is he?”

  “He was with me on the road. Took off in the sedan. The guy is crazy evil and working some angle he didn’t share with me. That’s all I know.”

  Sirens grew loud and flashes of blue light could be seen through the small basement windows.

  “That’s your ride, asshole. I hope you enjoyed your visits with Mendoza. You’re going to be spending the rest of your life in that hellhole.”

  Elizabeth’s hand rubbed gently up and down his spine. “What’s going on?” Her voice was calming.

  “Mendoza has Jared. We have to go.”

  He could feel his twin’s fear and knew without a doubt Mendoza somehow made it into the cabin. The unease that cut through him through at the crash site now made sense. Noah shut off that part of him for Elizabeth. He couldn’t save them both.

  Uniformed men appeared in the window. Noah set the rifle back on the floor and holstered his own weapon. Removing his badge from his coat, he leaned into Elizabeth’s ear. “Raise your hands.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t want the sheriff to confuse us for the bad guys.”

  The door slammed open and several armed men stormed the basement, shouting orders. Noah held out his badge and introduced himself. “I’m MSP Detective McNeil. This is our kidnapped victim, Elizabeth Merlot, and that’s the asshole who took her.” He nodded to the man a few feet from Spencer. “Bad guy number one, and beneath the rubble under the staircase is bad guy number two. There are at least two others unaccounted for.”

  The county sheriff approached. “I just got off the phone with your brother, McNeil. I have four bodies, all federal marshals on the highway. Can you explain that too?”

  “This guy’s your man. He can fill in the blanks. When you are done with him, there’s an alphabet soup of agencies that will want a piece of him.” He headed toward the door. “Elizabeth’s daughter and son escaped capture and are on the mountain. My oldest brother, Adam Blake is on their trail. I need to get back to the cabin.”

  The sheriff faced Elizabeth. “I should have a report from search and rescue any minute now. If you want, you can warm up in my car. I have a couple of blankets and—”

  “No, she’s with me.” Noah grabbed her hand and raced up the cement steps to his truck.

  Not a word was spoken on the trip back. His breathing was labored, and while the pain in his neck lessened the closer he got to Jared, he couldn’t calm the pounding heartbeat between his ears.

  Elizabeth’s hand rested on his shoulder blade. She somehow had become his rock, holding him together when all he wanted to do was drop to the floor and blubber like a baby.

  He slowed the truck to a stop at the gate. He could see the sedan and county sheriff department car in the circular driveway. A man in uniform lay on the gravel beh
ind his vehicle.

  “Is he dead?”

  “I can’t tell.”

  “What’s the plan?” she asked.

  “I haven’t a clue. Moving in on foot and making it up as I go.”

  “We move in on foot.”

  He didn’t have time to talk her into staying behind. He got out, unlatched a compartment in the bed, and reached for his rifle. “Do you still have the gun I gave you?”

  “Yes,” she said, lifting her hand.

  “Then stay behind me and cover my back.” He stopped, cupping her chin. “Don’t get shot.”

  “Wouldn’t think of it,” she said, flipping off her heels.

  “What are you doing?”

  “They don’t go with this pistol.”

  Noah raked the length of her with a stare. Soaking wet, barefooted, and armed, she was so damn confident that the fear fled, leaving behind only his focus.

  “Noted.”

  He eased past the open iron gate. Using the tree line to hide his advance, he crossed the driveway and darted toward the corner of the living room. Keeping his back flat against the stone, he inched toward the window and took a peek inside.

  Mendoza stood in the middle of the room with a gun at Jared’s jugular. He was addressing Jennie, but Noah couldn’t make out what was being said. Father Anthony lay still at Jared’s feet.

  Noah inched back away from the window as his finger released the safety on the rifle.

  “Well?”

  “Not good. One chance, one shot,” he choked out.

  Elizabeth moved in close but kept her hands down at her side. “Trust yourself.”

  Raising the rifle to his shoulder, he gave up a quick prayer that Jared felt him. As he adjusted his aim to account for the glass, his mind screamed, “Now!”

  Jared’s stare locked on his and he dropped to his knees. Noah took the shot. The butt of the rifle kicked back into bone and skin and the roar of the blast bellowed through Noah’s ears. Mendoza’s eyes widen and blood spread through his white silk dress shirt. He slumped to the floor, pulling Jared with him.

  Noah didn’t remember running, but the next instant, his hand was pulling Jared off the bastard. “Fuck, don’t ever put me through that again.”

  “That was a great shot, bro,” Jared said in a hoarse whisper. “Right through his black heart.” After giving Noah a hard hug, he released him and drew Jennie into his arms.