Where on earth was the plane?
Pete walked out of the shadows and stood in front of the car, a long, black rifle cradled in his arm as securely as an infant. His gaze met hers and locked. After a moment he nodded once, as if in greeting, or acknowledging her lack of emotion toward this revelation.
At the moment he was her least concern.
They all got out of the car, Rico catching her eye as he and Mike swung the doors shut with only enough force to make them click. She followed suit.
"Everything's quiet," Pete said, leading them deeper into the woods to a thicker area. "I don't know what they're waiting for, but there's been no movement around the outside. She's got two men with her. I'm assuming one is the pilot."
The plane sat at the end of the cracking asphalt runway, more than two football fields away. Even from their distance, Anna could see where clumps of wildflowers and grass had pushed through the untended strip.
Birds started chirping again, recovering from the disturbance of humans. All around them nature grew wildly, forming a stadium-like bowl around the small, private jet.
A vulnerable plane that held her children.
"The twins looked fine physically," Pete said, directing all his attention to her. "I don't think they realized what was happening, although Rafe looked more upset than Rebecca."
Anna glanced at Rico, and he quirked a small smile at her, neither of them surprised that Rebecca showed the stiff upper lip. But she knew her sensitive little girl was frightened. Her children's trust had never been shattered by an adult, much less one so rooted in their lives. They loved Dana. The disillusionment alone would be heartbreaking.
Lioness anger surged from her heart, the force of it surprising but fortifying. Her pseudo friend had crossed a very dangerous line.
"Where are all the people you called, Mike?" she asked, avoiding Rico's concerned gaze. She could feel the power of it all the way to her toes.
"Some are already here," Pete answered instead, his eyes scanning the dense forest around them. She copied the movement and saw nothing, although his slight nods indicated locations. "I've had a few people on standby the last couple of days and called them as soon as I realized Dana wasn't going to the hospital." He looked at the men. "They're already in place."
"Good," Mike replied, giving Pete a narrow glance of approval. "The others should be here soon."
He turned to Rico. "I've got the rest of our team on their way."
Rico's eyes widened slightly before he looked away toward the plane.
"You know they'd want to be here. Plus, they'd kill me after it all comes out," Mike said with a grin, startling her with the change it brought to his face. Initially, he'd struck her as a quiet man who belonged in a library or lab with other superbrain types. His wide smile brought vivid life to his face and curved his eyes in the most attractive way.
"After what all comes out?" Pete asked suspiciously.
Rico and Mike exchanged a look.
"What details were you given with your orders?" Rico asked, leading them back across the small hill to their cars. Anna realized he was afraid of voices carrying and wanted them out of sight and hearing range.
"They told me a Ranger named Rico Carella was the leader of a team responsible for wiping out the Balangerio family. And that even though they were dead, there may he people wanting revenge on Anna and her children. Not long after I got here, Lina arrived and was added to my protection."
Mike nodded, then looked at Rico again. Rico turned and stared at Pete for long seconds. "I knew you were more than a town cop."
Pete nodded, not looking away.
Rico stuck his hand out and Pete grabbed it reflexively in a shake.
"I'm Rico Carella, pleased to meet you."
A tingle ran from the back of her neck down her spine, a giddy feeling from hearing him introduce himself by his real name. Pete had paled and searched Rico's face, eyes wide, hand still clasped.
"Anna?" he asked her without looking away.
"It's true."
Pete withdrew his hand and rolled his shoulders. "Well, this I didn't expect, but it explains a lot. I'm assuming it's a long story?"
Rico returned his smile. "You could say that."
Pete jerked his head to the side. "Does Dana know?"
"Not that we know of," Anna answered.
He turned to Rico. "Maybe it would be best if Anna stayed at the house and waited for contact or at the hospital with Lina."
Rico never looked at her. "Anna knows the risks. If she wants to stay, she stays."
A wave of emotion hit her. He was letting her decide and letting them know he believed in her. He turned to look at her, and she hoped he could see what she was feeling. His expression gentled and a slow quirk of his mouth told her he did.
The silence around them was broken by Pete's wry question. "So, what's the plan?"
* * *
"Rico, I know you want to go in there and get your kids, but if there's even the slightest chance she knows who you are, it could set her off," Mike said logically.
Eight minutes had passed with the four of them throwing out ideas. Mike remained steadfast in his belief they should allow a negotiator in – just like any other hostage situation.
"I agree with you to a point. This whole operation of hers went into effect when I came onto the scene." He paced, trying to control the anger and frustration racing through him. They were wasting time talking, and he couldn't think about what his children were going through. "I'm the trigger, regardless of my identity. I should try and talk her down."
"You and I both know that's exactly why you shouldn't talk to her. You're too close to this and have too much at stake."
Rico sighed, knowing Mike was right.
All of a sudden the peace of the forest was broken by the sound of jet engines starting up. They all ran behind the nature-made blind. Within seconds the jets stopped.
Joncaluso's radio squawked. "I have a clear shot on the pilot. Take him out?"
Joncaluso paused, his large hand wrapped almost completely around the two-way. "You're running this show, Mike."
Mike nodded and took control. "Negative, no shot, no shot."
He addressed Joncaluso. "How good are these guys?"
"Two out of four have their marksmanship medals."
Mike smiled, and Rico shook his head at Mike's expression. The man loved it when a plan came together.
"Excellent. Rico, we should hire this guy. I like his style." Joncaluso's one brow rose, but he turned with them and returned to the car. Mike addressed the men again, telling them a negotiator was on his way and to stand by.
Anna leaned her rear against the front of the car, facing them with her arms folded across her chest. Surrounded on the front and sides by the forest, she stood in their shadow. As Rico walked slowly toward her, he kept reminding himself that this wasn't a rain forest and he shouldn't feel suffocated.
This wasn't South America.
"Come here, Bella. I need to hold you."
She rushed to him, and he held her tight, trying to absorb her hurt. Her warmth and perfume settled around him like strong hands.
He didn't want to let her go.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I promise you I'll get them out safe."
"I know. I'm just scared. They're so little! They must be terrified and confused. What if they both start crying? Dana never could handle their tantrums, and I can't imagine how she'll handle genuine tears."
"She probably won't hurt them." He stroked her back, feeling her relax against him. "She needs them right now, so all she'll end up doing is scaring them a bit."
Anna tipped her head up, her huge eyes wet and her mouth trembling. "Unless she feels trapped. Then who knows what she'll do?"
He wished she wasn't so smart. It would he easier for her if she couldn't play all the angles.
"We'll have to let her think she has a way out, but not with our children."
Anna nodded, then s
ettled her head against his chest. "She was my friend."
Her small voice cut him. Another betrayal for her.
"I know she was, honey. She's sick. She must be to think this will work."
She squeezed him, had enough to make his ribs ache, but he didn't mind. As long as she was still willing to hold him, he could stand anything.
* * *
Chapter 12
«^»
"The cavalry has arrived," Mike said, joining them by the car.
Anna leaned away from Rico and looked around. Mike smiled at her confusion. "Can't you hear them?" Rico did but knew she couldn't. He watched her expression, seeing her eyes go unseeing as she focused all her senses into hearing. Finally her face cleared.
"I hear something, but it doesn't sound like an engine. It's more of a hum."
"Not bad." Mike winked at her, and Rico appreciated his attempts at distraction. Not that they could keep Anna from worrying, but she'd handled so much already he feared she was close to the breaking point.
And this standoff had the potential to last hours. Two dark sedans pulled around the curve below, and Anna's face darkened. Her respite from worrying was over.
Both stopped and a total of five men climbed out. Less than one hour after Mike's call, five of the best the military had ever turned out arrived in little Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
All of them his friends.
"Were they training in the area?" he asked Mike.
Mike's smile was secretive. "Something like that. After the attempt at Rafe, I informed them your family was in danger. They've all been en route since. And, Rico, I'm going to tell them who you are."
"We have time?"
Mike nodded. "Not enough for details, but they need to know. If they don't believe it, fine, we'll convince them later."
Rico looked back at the men walking up the slope. Cal, Runt, Kid, Irish and Lucky. His friends. Here to protect his family because they thought he couldn't. Although, he knew, they'd have been here for Anna and his children no matter what the circumstances.
His first real friends after Anna and Rafael, these men had become his brothers in everything but blood. But, if you counted being wounded and bleeding on each other as a tie, then they were blood brothers, too.
Wearing green fatigues and carrying their weapons of choice, they looked lethal.
And they were.
"Thanks for coming, guys," Mike said, getting lost in the circle of handshakes and back-clapping.
The men looked at Rico, then to Anna and back to him, their stares serious.
Grateful didn't cover what their friendship, even after "death," meant to him.
As his friends turned their attention back to Mike, Rico registered the familiar kick in the gut at being ignored by those who knew him. He should be used to it.
"How are the kids?" Cal asked, and Rico bent his head against Anna's. Big, surfer blond "California" or "Cal" above all knew what Anna had meant to him. He'd listened when Rico talked about the dreams he'd planned with her. The children he'd wanted with her.
"Physically they're fine. But we've got two four-year-olds who just watched their grandmother have a heat attack, and now they've been kidnapped. I'm not sure how they're acting in that plane or how Dana will react to them."
"How's Rico's mom?" Runt asked. At seven feet tall and pushing three hundred pounds of muscle, he intimidated everyone he met, except the twin brother who stood taller and wider. The circle of short hair on the top of his head was dyed dark-green, and small, gold hoops hung from his ears. He was the Dennis Rodman of their team and tested every military rule just to see if he could.
He was also deathly loyal, a marshmallow with kids and animals and absolutely brilliant.
"They stabilized her."
All the men nodded.
"Who's got an eye on the plane?" Kid asked, and Rico hid his smile. The past few years hadn't helped the Kid look any older. He still looked eighteen, although he was pushing thirty. Their sharpshooter, he practically vibrated with the need to get out his scope. For all his energy, Kid had the patience of a predator and the hands of a hunter.
"Joncaluso," Mike began as he turned and gestured to the man who'd walked up behind him, "already has men out."
He quickly filled them in on Joncaluso's part in the whole scenario, and Rico used the time to study his men.
They all looked more at ease and, if he was right, hadn't seen any major action in over six months. They didn't have the intense alertness seen after time in the jungle or on a mission for months at a time. And although they were eager to help, they also looked ready for action.
"Now, even though none of you have officially met Anna, I'm sure you recognize her from Rico's pictures."
Those wearing hats tipped them at her and smiled, the others nodded in greeting. But as polite as they were, they held back. As Rico wondered why, Cal spoke.
"Ma'am, we all want to apologize for what happened to Rico. Each and every one of us takes full responsibility for his … for what happened to him."
He felt Anna take a deep breath to speak, and Mike interrupted.
"There's a bit more to this story, guys, and as tempting as it's going to be to celebrate, we'll have to wait until after the kids are safe. Take a look at this guy holding Anna."
Their gazes swung back to him.
"He looks totally different, but that is, beyond the shadow of any doubts you might have, Rico."
Amazement and disbelief widened the eyes scrutinizing him. He wished there was more time to explain, but like Mike said, time was something they didn't have. Heads swiveled between him and Mike, and he knew that the men believed it if only because Mike said so.
Rico dropped his arm from around Anna, removed his lenses and dropped them temporarily in Anna's cupped palm. Then he looked at his men, friends who had saved his life and mourned his death.
"Holy Mother of God," Runt said.
"Rico?" Cal whispered, taking the few steps to him. He stopped inches from him and their identical height made them eye to eye. "It can't be … but the eyes are the same. Exactly the same."
Just then a loud metal scream ripped through the forest. En mass they ran, following Joncaluso's lead. The same noise, only shorter in duration, came from the plane.
"That doesn't sound good," Cal murmured from his position between Rico and Mike.
"They may not be getting off the ground, but they're going to try, and I don't want my kids on that plane when they do." Around him, heads nodded. He quickly popped his contacts back in, then Anna's hand curled into his. Gaze locked on the plane and lips pressed firm, she looked fierce.
And his heart ached for her.
* * *
"We're not sure what the status is on the plane, only that it's started up three times in the last hour, then shut down. It could be a mechanical problem or they're running the air-conditioning for a few minutes. The side door of the plane is open, but our men don't have any visual. As soon as the negotiator gets here, we'll contact Dana."
"I'll be the negotiator," Cal said calmly, his Southwest accent slowing the syllables.
Mike looked at him, evaluating.
"Since you've gone administrative have you forgotten what we're capable of?"
"No, I haven't forgotten. I've been concerned with keeping everyone with an emotional stake on the outer limits of this thing."
Runt cracked his knuckles, then rested them on his hips. From Anna's view he completely blocked the sun, reminding her of Paul Bunyan.
"We know how to do our jobs. That's why you called us, Mike."
"I agree," Rico said. "I'm not the right one to talk Dana out, but Cal would be perfect. He has enough inside knowledge to figure out her angle. Plus it helps that he's handsome as sin. If I recall, Anna, Dana's prone to good-looking men."
She forced a smile.
"Fine, then," Mike said. "Cal, you know not to let on about your involvement in the Balangerio mission. I'm sure that would send her over the edge. Obviousl
y our priority is getting the twins out safely."
Everyone nodded.
"Now, the one down point is we have no idea if she has tried to contact the house. Layton was sending a crew there to tap the line just in case and forward the calls here."
Anna recalled Rico mentioning Layton as their former superior and the only other person besides Mike and his wife who knew Rico still lived.
"We're going on the assumption that she expected to get out of here without anyone stopping her. Cal, how do you want to handle this?"
"How much more daylight do we have?"
"Maybe two hours," Pete answered.
"I don't want to wait that long for sundown. And I don't want to wait for the rest of the people Mike called in. It's going to become a zoo. I'd rather have some control over this situation, wouldn't you, Rico?"
Rico nodded. "No question on that. All we need is an excuse to get you out there."
"What if you wear my uniform? Go in as a cop stumbling over something suspicious?"
"No," Anna said quietly.
All heads swiveled to face her, and it was difficult not to shrink back from the wall of maleness now focused on her. She licked her lips and stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "It's not a bad idea, but Dana knows just about every cop around here, especially the good-looking ones. And if she's been planning this, she'll have made it her business, don't you think?"
Rico sent her a small, pleased grin. "Next idea?"
Irish leaned back against a tree, one leg pulled up with a boot resting flat against the trunk. Anna couldn't help noticing how attractive all these guys were, but Irish tugged at her. All she could attribute it to was the dancing lights in his eyes. There was something about grown men who showed signs of the little, mischievous boy in them. And it was such a contradiction to the image of death he portrayed.
He would be perfect for her hard-to-interest cousin, Brooke. "I'm thinkin' we may be lookin' at this from the wrong angle," he spoke, the lilt in his voice beguiling.
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