by Desiree Holt
Maddie gasped at the sight. Reached for the door handle.
“Come on, Maddie!” Dan was suddenly there, yanking open the passenger door and towing her across the street to his car. “We need to get the fuck out of here.”
She scrambled into the front seat and opened her mouth to ask him where the hell he’d been and why he’d hung her out to dry. But her jaw still hurt from where Goliath had hit her and her stomach still wanted to bring up its contents. So it took her a minute, fumbling with her seat belt and trying to string words together to take a good look at Dan as he climbed in behind the wheel and realized he had blood on his right hand.
“My god!” she cried. “You’re hurt. Where? How?”
That’s why he didn’t show up when I needed him. I should learn to have more faith.
“Where are you hurt?”
“Left arm.” He winced. “I think it’s a through and through. Good thing it’s not my shooting arm. “Got blood on my hand putting pressure on the wound. I’ll live.” But the words slid out between gritted teeth as he started the car and pulled away from the curb. “I think I’m angrier at my own stupidity than anything else. My stupidity almost got us both killed.”
“You’re shot? Holy hell, Dan. What happened?”
“Too many things for people supposed to be professionals in this game. We didn’t cop to the fact that Trask wasn’t alone because we couldn’t figure out what his MO was.” He made a sound of disgust. “You’d think seasoned agents would be a lot smarter. Then I let Caleb take the team and head for Carstairs’ ranch because I thought I could handle Trask.”
“I was scared to death when he grabbed me,” she told him. “I’ve never seen him like this.”
“When you want to be president it changes your personality.” They were out of town now and on the highway. “Anyway, I was trying to get closer to the building when one of his thugs spotted me and took a shot. I’m lucky it only hit my arm. I pretended I was out cold so I could see what happened next.”
“That must be what the guy named Mike was telling Trask about when the car I was in headed out of the garage.”
“Well, we’re going to be well and truly screwed if we don’t get on top of this. That meeting he’s headed toward is probably to put final plans on the takeover of the government.” He stifled a groan. “Grab my cell off my waist and call Nikki. Make sure she’s up to speed on everything. I think Caleb’s probably got whatever equipment we need in his SUV.”
“But your arm,” she protested.
“I’ll have to take care of it later. I’ve had worse and lived.”
They were barreling down the highway now, through the desolate stretches of West Texas where the beauty of nature was your only companion. Maddie’s headache had settled down to a dull throb but she was concerned about Dan.
“So what’s the plan?” she finally asked.
“Caleb should be at the Carstairs’ ranch shortly and will set up a perimeter. I’m going to assume that in all the gear he carries, besides weapons he’s got a good camera and a parabolic mic with a recorder. We need to get photos of the people there and eavesdrop on their conversations.” He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Can you drive?” Maddie’s stomach was churning and not just from the effects of the blow she’d received. “Let’s switch places.”
“I’ve got it.” He spat the words out, his voice tinged with pain. “We should be there soon. Look for the turnoff Caleb told me about.”
In another mile Maddie saw it and gave Dan enough notice to turn. They’d gone about a half mile when the landscape changed from flat and open to flat and wooded.
“I think I’ve seen pictures of this place,” Maddie said. “The house has got to be beyond these trees. I guess the cattle are way past that.”
“I can’t worry about his damn cows now unless they get in our way.” He found an opening in the trees just before a high iron gate, wide enough to jerk the car off the driveway and shut off the engine. He depressed the button on his throat mic. “Caleb? You there?”
“Yes,” came the whisper. “About a hundred yards from the house. Be sure to stay out of sight. Folks have just finished arriving and you don’t want to get caught.” We’ve got the parab in place. Holy hell, Dan. There’s some serious shit going down here. Do you know what they’re planning?”
“They are. And I do.” Dan turned to Maddie. “We’re going to try and get a little closer. I want Maddie to see who she can identify on the guest list.”
“Okay. Just be careful. And watch the barbed wire getting in.”
“Something I’m apparently not very good at,” Dan muttered. He reached into the glove box and pulled out two more mags of ammo and a pair of leather gloves. “Maddie, I’d leave you here if I had the choice, but I do need your eyes. So, out of the car, quietly. We need to hide ourselves.” When they were safely away from the car and hidden in a thicket of trees and tall underbrush he stopped. “I’m still bleeding so we need to do quick repair work.”
He directed Maddie to rip the sleeve off his shirt, swallowing a groan as the movement jarred him. Following his direction she tore that in half, made a pressure bandage out of it and tied the rest of the cloth to keep it in place. Shoving the bloody debris into his pocket, he flexed his fingers. Satisfied that they moved enough for him to use them, he pulled his gun from the small of his back.
“You stay behind me and don’t do a thing unless I tell you, got it?”
Wordlessly she nodded.
They moved down the fence line until Dan found a place he was satisfied with. Puling on the gloves, he held two strands of the sharp wire as far open as he could, waiting for Maddie to climb through carefully before following her. They moved low through the underbrush.
When they reached the perimeter of the trees shielding the house she could barely stifle a gasp. Three of Trask’s major donors, including Starling, were standing on the porch, holding drinks and chatting. She recognized the chairman of the board of an international bank and the CEO of a global conglomerate, and whispered their names into the mic. Her stomach roiled as she realized exactly how powerful this organization was that was planning to put Trask in the presidency and what it could mean adversely for the country.
“There’s Barberos,” she said, her voice so low she hoped her could hear her in the earpiece he was wearing. “I’d say he’s the one financing this but the others aren’t too shabby in that area, either.”
“A lot of heavy coin on that porch,” Dan agreed. “We’ve definitely hit the mother lode here.”
Dan touched his throat mic again and passed along the names to Caleb. “Are you guys getting the conversations?” He pulled out his earbud and held it so Maddie could listen, too. She pressed her ear close to his to keep the sound contained.
“Roger that. I’d like to get closer but I think we’d be pushing our luck.” He paused. “Hold it. Are you guys well hidden?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Another car’s coming up the road. When the passenger gets out ask Maddie if she knows who he is. Everyone seems to be waiting for him.”
“Copy that.” He passed on the message to Maddie as they hunkered down close to the ground.
They could barely see the approach of the limo through the trees and foliage. At last it pulled up in front of the house, the driver ran around to open the door and a tall, thin man with a shock of brown hair climbed out. The men on the porch shook hands with him and Rick Carstairs came out of the house to personally greet the man.
“Ohmigod!” Maddie put her fingers to her lips. “Do you know who that is?”
Dan nodded. “Shit, yes. Evan Knowlton. CEO and major shareholder of Genesis. World’s largest software company.”
“He designs programs for the Department of Defense.” Maddie could hardly get the words out. “And the State Department. Almost every branch of the government, Dan.”
“No wonder I couldn’t keep a low profile. And that bastard probably knows where every C
IA agent is every minute of every day. Hell, Maddie. If Trask takes over this country with these men behind him, we’re toast. We’ll be Europe West. And these guys will get even richer.”
“Absolute power,” she agreed, and reminded him, “It corrupts absolutely.” Another thought occurred to her. “Those guns,” she said. “They must be smuggling them in to arm their own private army plus sell them to other rogue groups around the world.”
“I’d say so. They have the cover to get them in and the organization to distribute them.”
Caleb’s voice sounded in Dan’s earbud. “Dan, you should hear what these guys are talking about. We’ve got major cases for treason here.”
Dan repeated the words to Maddie. If she’d felt sick before, the feeling was worse now.
“We have to stop this,” she said in a low voice. “We can’t let those people get away with it.”
“We won’t, darlin’. Trust me. We’ll take all this stuff to the right people and blow this whole thing wide open.”
“But who?” she wanted to know. “Who can we even trust?”
“We’ll get it to the president as soon as he’s better. Assuming he gets better, barring that the vice president. In the meantime we’ll talk to Nikki and examine some alternatives. Maybe even just take the whole thing to the media.”
“Starling’s media?” She shook her head. “Fat chance.”
“Starling may be the king but there are princes we can deal with. We’ll do it, Maddie. The first thing is to make sure we have enough evidence and then get the fuck away from here. I’m unhappy about exposing you this much as it is. I do this for a living. You don’t.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Scared and with a world-class headache but I’m okay.”
He glanced at her and his eyes widened fractionally. “You’ve got a beaut of a bruise coming up on your face. Did that asshole Trask hit you?”
She started to shake her head but when pain lanced through it, she thought better of it. “Not Trask. One of his goons. Some guy who makes Goliath look tiny.”
“I’ll kill him.” Dan ground out the words. “I swear, I’ll tear the son of a bitch into little pieces.”
“Later,” she told him. “After we get out of here. And I’ll help you.”
“Dan?” Caleb again. “I’ve got what we need and we’d better get the hell out of here. They must be getting ready to start the meeting. Carstairs is motioning the folks to come on in and he’s telling his armed thugs to beat the bushes just in case.”
“I’m surprised a guy like him doesn’t have his fence electrified or have warning sensors in place.”
“Too risky with the cattle. Okay, heads up. They’re fanning out.”
Dan began to back away slowly, one hand holding his gun, the other gripping Maddie’s hand. They crab-walked backward, keeping their eyes on the area around them, ears tuned for the slightest sound of anyone approaching them. She hoped Caleb and his team were making their own way to safety. Then a shout broke the stillness and the crack of a shot.
“Hell,” Dan muttered. “They must have been spotted.”
“Someone’s out there,” they heard a deep male voice yell.
“Take everyone you can spare and beat the bushes.” Maddie recognized Carstairs’ voice. “Find them and kill them. All but one, I need someone alive to answer questions.”
“Maddie?” Trask’s voice. A shiver raced over her spine. “Maddie, I’m sure you’re out there. Come on in and we’ll talk about this.”
Dan’s fingers tightened on her wrist. “Don’t answer.”
“You think I’m crazy? He wanted Goliath to kill me.”
“Come on, Maddie. We can talk this over. It’s all just a little misunderstanding.”
“Right,” she muttered.
Two more shots rang out.
“Caleb?” Dan touched his mic. “You guys okay?” He listened to the answer. “They’re pinned down close to the house off to our left,” he told Maddie. He says he thinks they’ve got guys circling around behind.”
“What can we do?” For the first time she was truly frightened.
“Call in the troops and hope we can hold out until then.” He unclipped his phone from his belt and handed it to Maddie. “Call Nikki. Give her a read on the situation and ask her how fast she can get backup here.”
Maddie pressed the speed dial number for Nikki’s personal cell, and when her friend answered, she told her what they needed.
“She says half an hour, no more,” Maddie related. “Can we hold out until then?”
“I guess we’ll just have to. Okay, I’ve got some ideas.”
* * * * *
They were lucky. That was the only word for it. They’d managed to take cover in the trees, getting high enough that the armed mercenaries stalking them hadn’t seen them. Even Maddie, who Dan was sure had never climbed a tree in her life, gamely let him boost her up and hauled herself through the branches. His arm hurt like hell, but at least they were alive.
Come on, Nikki. They won’t wander around much longer before they figure things out.
He knew from the snatches of conversation they overheard that the vehicles had been discovered. He trusted Nikki to have provided them with clean, untraceable vehicles. Now she just had to save their bacon here.
“Let’s regroup,” a voiced called out. “We probably need to reschedule here.”
“That’s Carstairs,” Maddie whispered down to him. “It appears he’s sending everyone home.”
The rumble of voices drifted up to them and they could plainly see four or five men standing in front of the house. Then Evan Knowlton climbed into the limo, the driver backed the vehicle around and it began the slow journey down the driveway. Maddie and Dan watched as, one by one the others left, Trask the last.
When the final car had passed through the wrought iron gates they saw five men in camo gear fan out and begin the search again.
“We’ll never get out of here.” Maddie clutched the limb she was straddling.
But at that moment they heard the familiar whap! whap! whap! of the rotors of a helicopter, and a shape that Dan recognized as the Bell UH-1—the Huey—soared in over the treetops. The side door was open and two men with very formidable looking guns rode the open space.
“Dan?”
He could barely hear Caleb’s voice over the noise of the bird. “We’re here.”
“Get down from the tree, watch for the ladder to drop and get to the hover spot.”
“They’ll shoot us first,” he warned.
“No. Our guys are going to lay down cover fire.”
“Okay. We’re on our way.” He helped Maddie down to the ground, trying not to scream at the worsening pain in his arm. How the hell was he going to climb up that damn ladder into the chopper?
He dragged Maddie through the trees, keeping low, heading for the spot under the dangling ladder. A shot zinged over their heads and immediately he heard the familiar staccato sound of an assault rifle spraying the area.
Caleb and the others were already at the spot when they got there, one team member already up the ladder and almost to the helo. The assault rifles never stopped chattering, keeping the mercenaries at bay.
“Give me Maddie,” Caleb yelled, and grabbed her before either of them could protest. “Wind your legs around my waist and your arms around my neck,” he instructed. “Hang on tight!”
Protected by the unrelenting cover fire, Caleb scrambled up the rope ladder as if it were stationary and heaved Maddie into the cabin before hauling himself in. Then he turned to help the man assisting Dan up the ladder, and in seconds they were all inside and the helo was sideslipping away from the scene, the assault rifles firing until the last minute.
* * * * *
Dan’s San Antonio hospital room was crowded and noisy, to the dismay of the nurses who had to work around constant surveillance by Secret Service and visits from every type of law enforcement official this side of the Potomac.
; Nikki had brought fresh clothes for Maddie this morning. With a shower in her hotel room across the street, the change was a small sign of a return to normality. But in the past twenty-four hours since their helo rescue, Maddie could feel only worry over Dan’s condition. Logic and more debriefing sessions were going to come tonight and tomorrow, but she had refused to leave him. Now in jeans and t-shirt, she sat on the edge of his bed, holding his hand and checking his forehead every few minutes. His wound had become infected by all the dirt they rolled around in, and it had required surgery to clean it and stitch it. The doctor insisted on keeping him for at least two days to make sure there were no complications, despite Dan’s grumbling.
At her caress, he laughed. “I think the initial dose of antibiotics took care of the fever, but please feel free to keep touching me like that.”
Not bothered by the people milling around, she leaned forward and brushed a kiss over his lips. “If no one was here I’d touch you in a few other places,” she teased. She knew their relationship was far from settled but it was going someplace. She just wasn’t sure where.
Nikki sat in the chair beside the bed, busy on her cell phone, while Caleb and two others of the four-man team leaned against the walls, rehashing the scene at the ranch.
“Okay.” Nikki snapped her phone shut. “Here’s where we stand. “First of all, breathe easily. President Hamill is out of the woods and on the mend. Vice President Tollover is still a little shaky but they’re more optimistic about him than they were before.”
“I want to know how this happened,” Maddie demanded. “Everything at the White House is so guarded and secure.”
Nikki gave an unladylike snort. “Yeah, right. When you have gate crashers at a White House party it raises the question of security. Anyway, it’s simple. Trask bribed a cook in the kitchen. A man, I might add, who is enjoying the solitude of a holding cell under the watchful eye of Secret Service.”
“Did you get the evidence to the right person?” Dan wanted to know.
Nikki nodded. “I called your boss in Langley and made him listen to me before he went over the edge. Told him you said he was to be trusted and here was his chance to prove it. I sent the plane for him, we met right on the tarmac when he landed at the private strip, and I handed everything over. After I made copies, of course,” she grinned.