by The Saint
Jake took off his shoe and slipped his toes inside just far enough to lift it within reach. "I put the pin inside the shoe, and I'm shoving it over to you."
"Very creative." Courtney slipped out of her shoe and extended her foot.
Stretching, he pushed the shoe as far as he could, well within her reach. "Give me five," he told her, offering his foot. Enthusiastically smacking his stocking clad foot to hers, they laughed.
She painstakingly slid her toes inside Jake's shoe, lifting it close enough to grab. "Got it!" she squealed, barely able to speak. Carefully manipulating the pin, she inserted it into the handcuff. Holding her breath, she jiggled it.
Nothing.
Chewing the inside of her jaw, she exhaled, then closed her eyes and called on every ounce of finesse she had developed over the years.
Nothing.
Courtney's knees went weak. Damp with perspiration, her fingers slipped. She gouged the pin to keep from dropping it.
Click.
Untangling herself, Courtney shoved her foot back into her flat and grabbed Jake's shoe before racing to him. She slipped the cuffs into her pants' pocket and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly on the mouth.
Coming up for air, he started to ask, "How in the hell–"
"Hold still," she demanded, finding his wrist and jiggling her self-proclaimed pick to unlock his handcuffs. "We don't know how much time we have. If you want out of these things, you'll have to–" The cuffs clicked open. "There you go."
"Well, I'll be damned." He unhooked the other side while cramming his shoe back on. Reaching out, he pulled her close. She felt so fragile against him. So precious. So right.
"Oh, Jake." She leaned into his strength. All that he had been. And was. And would be.
"We have a daughter," he whispered, inhaling the soft, clean scent of her hair. He felt her nod as her arms tightened around his neck. "Looks like that damned car was responsible for a whole lot more than getting us arrested."
She giggled against his shirtfront. Leaning back, she confessed, "I can honestly say, I never thought about it quite that way before."
As reluctant as Jake was to release Courtney, he knew she'd been right about not knowing how soon Eddie and Sal would be back–assuming they would. He took her hand and led her to the basement stairs. Pressing his finger to her lips, he whispered, "Now let's get out of here."
At the top of the steps, Jake expected the kitchen door to be locked, but slowly and carefully turned the knob anyway, just in case. Surprised when it clicked opened, he whispered a sarcastic, "Thanks, Eddie, you moron," and quickly closed it again.
More than willing to take one small victory at a time, Courtney mouthed an enthusiastic "Yesss!" to the back of Jake's head.
Jake turned around and pressed a finger to his lips. "Shhh," he cautioned Courtney, cracking the door ajar and listening intently for any sound, however small, that would indicate whether or not the two men were still in the cabin.
Still standing behind Jake, Courtney leaned against his strong back and strained to hear. Barely breathing, she waited. And waited. It took every ounce of strength she had not to scream…or push past him into the kitchen…or just do something. But she knew better, so she stood very still and listened to the silence as her heart pounded a nerve-racking rhythm in her ears.
Jake hadn't heard a sound, so he turned to Courtney and ordered, "Wait here."
Wanting Jake to check out the cabin but suddenly afraid for him to go, Courtney struggled with her indecision. How unlike her. Courtney, ambiguous? Never. She fought the sense of panic as he slipped out of sight, raking her teeth over her bottom lip to keep from calling him back. Instead, she did the next best thing.
Jake inched open the door and stepped into the dimly lit kitchen. Why was it so dark in here? he wondered. He couldn't remember the exact location of the windows and had lost track of time, but surely it wasn't sundown.
Cautious, but quick, he made his way around the room, keeping close to the walls. Banging his shin on a step stool situated at the far end of the counter, Jake stopped short only to be immediately rammed from behind.
Already past the breaking point, Jake's control snapped, and he came around swinging. Unfortunately, it took about a split second too long to register exactly what had happened.
Courtney never saw Jake's forearm coming. She did, however, see stars when it caught her squarely in the jaw, and she went down like a rag doll. Stunned, she laid there for a moment, trying to regain her bearings.
When Jake saw Courtney crumple at his feet, he fell to the floor beside her. Scooping her up in his arms, he pulled her close and whispered, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." She nodded and leaned into his strength, rubbing her already tender cheek. Remembering the possibility of Eddie and Sal still being in the cabin, she kept her voice low, as well. "Let's go."
Fairly certain that they were alone and Courtney wasn't seriously hurt, anger replaced Jake's guilt at having decked her. He released her and stood. Then, without raising his voice, he let her have it. "I told you to wait."
"I know you did, but I just couldn't," she hissed, scrambling to her feet. If Jake's quiet but hostile tone was any indication, she was overjoyed that he couldn't yell. That much disapproval on top of what they'd already been through would have been her undoing. Regardless, she swallowed her pride and did the right thing. "I should have waited," she admitted. "I'm sorry."
One apology and, just like that, she'd stripped away his options. As much as it ticked him off, he had to admit her tactics were effective, if nothing else.
"Forget it, we're both tired." He took her hand and pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear. "I'm sure they're gone, but stay behind me just in case."
She squeezed his fingers and promised, "I will."
Hand-in-hand they made their way through the remainder of the sprawling cabin, quickly determining Eddie and Sal were gone.
Then and only then did Jake flip on a Tiffany lamp situated on an end table, shedding light on the living room. Courtney illuminated a matching floor lamp, balancing the warm glow on the opposite side of the room. Any other time, a beautifully furnished cabin like this might have mirrored a secluded, romantic getaway. But not today.
The moment the lights went on, Courtney gasped. "So that's why it was so dark in this…this prison." Shocked, she had to close her gaping mouth to speak again. "What's covering all the windows? And look at the door. My God, this place must be sealed tight." "Shit." Jake rushed from the windows to the door and back again.
If Jake's expression hadn't already resembled a thundercloud, Courtney would have indulged herself and screamed hysterically. For the moment, though, she thought one of them ranting and raving the entire width and breadth of the cabin was quite enough.
"Where in the world is the phone?" she asked, hurrying to check the bedrooms.
Jake searched the remainder of the cabin and met her back in the living room. "Jacks, but no phones."
"Yep. The same in there." She planted both hands on her hips. "Templeton either uses his cell phone–"
"Or brings one with him," Jake finished, prowling the room a second time and coming up just as empty handed.
She sat down and quietly watched Jake pace back and forth like a solitary lion in the zoo. He examined the solid panel that covered the door. From top to bottom. And from bottom to top. Several times. Anger mounting, he ran his hand over each steel covered window inspecting them with the same thoroughness.
He raced to the kitchen and rifled through every drawer and cupboard. Tossing utensils left and right, he scoured the cabinets, searching for tools or anything that might be used to pry or penetrate. Armed with a claw hammer, a screwdriver and an electric knife, he charged back into the living room and stacked his makeshift arsenal in front of the door. Peeling off his suit jacket, he rolled up both shirtsleeves and systematically began to work himself into a sweat.
"This joint is locked up tighter than
O’Shea's petty cash," he swore, slamming his fist against the impenetrable panel. Strung out and frustrated to the point of trashing the place, he took a break to walk the large living room's perimeter…one…more…time.
Oblivious to Courtney's smirk at his reference to Brian's frugal side, he muttered, "It stands to reason there should be some kind of accessibility from inside." He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "But where?"
Thinking out loud, he continued, "There was nothing visible in the basement and there's no attic, so we have to be missing something." Raising both palms in the air, he turned to Courtney. "What the hell is it?"
Determined not to wring her hands like some helpless femme fatale, but embarrassed that she didn't have a clue–yet–Courtney fell back on her normal, problem solving strategy. Starting with honesty, she admitted to Jake, "I don't know what we're missing."
Relieved at not sensing disappointment in his eyes, she followed up with the tried and true, pragmatic approach she'd always used. "If what we're looking for really is out in the open, then maybe Templeton disguised it by making it obvious."
For the first time since they had come upstairs, Jake looked relaxed and in control. She could almost see the wheels turning in his mind.
"A switch?" He smacked one palm against his forehead. "That's it!"
"What's it?” Scanned the room trying to see what he’d seen, or what they’d missed.
"It's our ticket to freedom, Babe." Jake swept Courtney off her feet and twirled her around the room.
After having been soundly whirled about, Courtney's feet touched down, but her spirits, however confused, continued to climb. "What?" God, she prayed he was on to something. Anything. "Tell me," she badgered, unable to wait a second longer.
Heading for the small pile of utensils he'd left by the front door, Jake tried to explain. "Dirk Templeton is a bastard, but he's one smart bastard."
"Uh huh. Evil, but clever," Courtney chimed in. Hot on his heels, she prompted "Go on."
Jake fished through what few tools he found. "You also said we might be missing something, because it's so obvious."
"Right." Courtney nodded, desperate to see where he was going with this. "So?"
"Look at every one of the lamps in here." Jake grabbed the screwdriver and gestured wildly around the living room.
"Okay." Still at a loss, Courtney followed Jake to the far wall, her eyes darting from one lamp to the other as well as checking out the two they hadn't bothered to turn on. "Oh, my God, I see what you mean."
Jake nodded, attacking the screws in the switch plate with a vengeance. "The configuration of the room just hit me. Floor lamps. Table lamps. Switch plate?"
Quick to follow his train of thought, she finished, "No ceiling lights. No track lighting. Every one of the lamps plugs into the wall. So why the elaborate switch plate? Unless it camouflages the control panel for the door and windows."
"Damn, you're smart." Jake tossed the last screw on the floor and used the screwdriver to pry beneath the ornately designed cover.
Eyes glued to Jake's hands, Courtney didn't even blink.
Jake grinned over his shoulder as he lifted off the plate and exposed the small circuit board underneath.
"Voila," Courtney squealed. She jumped up and down and grabbed Jake, kissing him at the same time. "Way to go, partner."
Jake's smile faded as reality bared its fangs one more time today. As much as he hated to douse her hopes, he had found the control panel, but the fact remained that he was no electrician. Jake placed both hands on Courtney's shoulders to settle her down. "Now how in the hell are we going to activate this little beauty?"
CHAPTER 10
>"Hmmm, let me think," Courtney began, tapping her lips with one finger. "Well, I do have a degree in Computer Science and System Engineering. Do you suppose that would help?"
"Don't screw with me," Jake threatened.
She looked him straight in the eye. "Never."
"Well, then get to work. We don't know when Einstein and Jake-enstein will return, so move it."
Courtney closely examined the circuit board, then the wiring leading from the hidden control center.
Oh yes, she thought, all was definitely not lost. Not by a long shot.
Jake took Courtney's grin to mean she could handle the electronics while he planned for their getaway. The question remained–their escape from where? Templeton's car's windows had been tinted so dark Jake had no idea where the cabin was located. Even the length of time it had taken to get there wasn't any help. City streets with their stoplights and congested lanes of traffic take far longer to navigate than isolated country roads. How far they would have to walk to find the nearest phone was anybody's guess.
With that in mind, he hurried to the kitchen to gather supplies. He quickly bagged as much nonperishable food as he could locate. After bottling some water, he tossed in paper plates and cups, a flashlight, and a few eating utensils. Trying to balance need with weight–and time against an unknown distance–Jake opted to take the least amount necessary.
Rummaging through the bathroom, he found enough antiseptic cream, adhesive tape and gauze bandages to put together a small first aid kit, of sorts. Hopefully they would travel safely, without a hitch, but under the circumstances, taking any kind of chance was stupid. There was no other word for it.
The linen closet provided a wool blanket, and Jake quickly converted one of two king sized sheets into a make shift backpack to carry their supplies. In the bedroom closet, he pilfered through sweat suits, an array of shorts and jeans, and some of the ugliest golf shirts He had ever seen. He finally found one windbreaker and a hooded sweatshirt they could use. It might be spring, but the nights still got chilly.
Loaded down, he hurried back to the living room. "How's it going?"
Courtney blew her bangs off her forehead and winked. "I've almost got it."
"Great." And Jake meant that in every sense of the word–and the woman. "I've got the supplies, so as soon as you're through, we'll blow this pop stand."
His unflappable confidence meant a lot to Courtney. Now all she had to do was come through, and they'd be out of here. When the panels simultaneously slid open exposing the windows and the door, Courtney's cheer was short lived. She noticed a small red light blinking.
"Dammit!" she swore, further examining the inner workings. "There's a phone wire in here!"
"What does that mean?" Jake hurried to her side. They were so close to freedom, now was no time for bad news.
"Templeton's alarm system is rigged, so if there's a break in the circuit–like the one I just caused–it automatically seizes the phone line and calls preprogrammed numbers to report the breach."
"So, Templeton probably knows," Jake concluded.
Courtney nodded. "Oh, I'd bet on it."
Furious that, like six years ago, he hadn't been able protect her, Jake masked his own feelings and ran a comforting finger down her cheek. "Alarm or no alarm, you opened the door."
His soft voice…tender touch…understanding eyes were nearly Courtney's undoing. Tears threatened, but she refused to let them fall.
Determined to reinforce how limited her choices had been, Jake asked, "Was there any other way you could have unlocked this place?"
"No." Her answer was deliberate, and the single syllable reaffirmed everything she needed to keep her going. "That was the only way to manually release the lock."
"Then, you did good." He smiled down at her. "You gave us a chance and a head start, and, Baby, that's all we're going to need. Now, let's get the hell out of here." Adjusting the backpack, Jake grabbed her hand and hurried outside.
"I can tell you one thing," Courtney began, inhaling a deep breath as they quickly made their way across the large wrap around porch and down the front steps. "Fresh air never, ever smelled this good before."
"Ya got that right." Jake hadn't admitted it to himself, let alone to Courtney, but an hour ago he wouldn't have given a plug nickel that eit
her one of them would see the light of day again.
When Jake stopped at the end of the sidewalk, Courtney shaded her eyes against the setting sun, and looked up at him. Jaw set, his dark gaze scanned the wooded area surrounding them. Her heart thudded softly, meaningfully, against her ribs as she watched him contemplate their choices.
"Which way?" she asked, more than willing to let him make this decision.
Jake compared the direction of the sunset to the road, then pointed south. "Let's go."
"How long have Eddie and Sal been gone?" she asked, easily matching Jake's long strides through the tall grass that edged the drive. She realized he was hurrying, at least for now, to make sure they got out of sight before Templeton's men returned. Unnerved by the thought, nothing could please her more than putting as much distance between them and that cabin as was humanly possible.
"It doesn't matter how long they've been gone, it's how far they've gotten," he told her honestly. "Knowing them, they may have stopped along the way."
"Like at a restaurant," she suggested, crossing the road and heading for the cover of the trees. "You think we have a half hour head start?"
"On Eddie and Sal? Probably."
"What do you mean on Eddie and Sal?" she repeated. "You act like there's someone else up here?" She pushed a small branch out of her face as she followed him through a narrow patch of trees.
"How do we know there isn't?" He constantly made sure their path stayed parallel to the road, while keeping them well out of sight. "I just hope to hell Dirk doesn't have closer connections, that's all."
"Someone around here?" She mulled over the idea.
"Why not?" When she didn't answer immediately, he continued, "It's possible. Maybe that's why Eddie and Sal were allowed to take off. There could be some kind of gate or an entrance to this property that's guarded."
"Oh, my God." His comments stopped Courtney–literally–but she hustled to catch up. Grabbing his arm, she asked, "Do you really think so?"
"I don't know," he admitted, trying to find a happy medium between lying through his teeth and scaring her to death. "You saw that cabin, Courtney, what do you think?"