by John Sneeden
Surprisingly, he placed the call on speaker, allowing Carmen to hear both sides of the conversation.
“Have you found anything?” someone asked on the other end.
Carmen’s eyes widened in surprise. The accent was distinctly American. More importantly, it had a familiar ring. Where had she heard it before? She guessed it was someone famous, perhaps a politician or someone she’d heard on television. She shuffled through some familiar names but couldn’t place it.
“We just got here. Of course not.”
“I thought you’d be done by now.”
“We waited for nightfall.”
“Is anyone there?”
“No, why?”
“We’ve been updating the satellite feeds. The area around the gate was clear earlier this afternoon, but the most recent image shows a white vehicle parked just down the road. It’s small, probably a European make.”
“Trust me, there is no one here.”
“Don’t be so sure.” The American seemed irritated at the man’s nonchalant response. “Perhaps the girl is leading you into a trap.”
A cold chill ran down Carmen’s spine. There was no question they were referring to Emily. It didn’t seem possible, yet who else could it be? She felt another wave of guilt, this one even more severe than the last, but pushed it quickly aside. She could beat herself up later. For now, she needed to stay alive. That was the only way she could help undo the damage that had already been done.
“Negative. There is no trap. She’s scared half to death, shaking like a leaf.”
“Where is she now?”
“She’s with us. We’ve already told her if we don’t find anything, she’ll be punished.”
Carmen seethed with anger. She felt like taking the man down right now and figuring the rest out later. She might have if it weren’t for the fact that Emily was somewhere close by, probably in one of the vehicles.
“When you finish up, call me,” the American said. “I need to speak to you about the Vatican.”
Carmen frowned. What about the Vatican?
“Something wrong?”
“No. We just need to finalize plans.”
Sensing it was a matter of importance, she tucked the information away for future reference. Her gut told her it was somehow all tied to the map. Perhaps the Catholic Church owned a copy as well.
“Hold on a sec,” the leader said. “I’ve got someone speaking in my earpiece.”
Carmen heard the man breathing as he listened to the message. Had they discovered Zane and Amanda?
Finally, the leader replied, “I’ll be there in a second.” He addressed the American once again. “Let me go. I think they found something.”
Carmen felt a sense of relief. There would have been more urgency in his voice if they had found the others.
“Call me back when you know what it is.”
The leader ended the call without responding then stepped out of the room. After summoning the other man out of the study, the two marched off to another part of the house.
Carmen relaxed her body. She’d been poised to shoot but was relieved it wouldn’t be necessary. As long as there was no one stationed at the front of the house, she should be able to slip away without being seen. She counted to thirty then opened the door and stepped out into the room. She paused at the door and listened. She heard voices, but they were some distance off.
Satisfied she was alone, Carmen moved to the front door and slipped out into the night.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“THIS WAY,” ZANE whispered as he led Carmen and Amanda silently through the trees. Zane had been shocked to hear Carmen’s news about Emily but was thankful she might have been delivered into their hands. The news had shifted their priority from getting off the mountain to rescuing her.
For now, Zane’s goal was to get to a place where they could view the vehicles parked in front of the house. Ahead was a row of bushes that would fit the bill. He slowed his pace and crouched behind the foliage. Carmen and Amanda settled in to his right.
“Ten o’clock.” Carmen pointed toward the drive in front of the house.
Zane peered through the tangle of branches. Three black SUVs rose out of the fog about fifty yards away. All faced downhill, which was standard procedure in any type of intelligence or military operation. Always be prepared to depart quickly.
He retrieved a monocular from his pants pocket and lifted it to his right eye. He adjusted the focus ring then began a systematic examination of the vehicles.
“See anything?” Carmen asked.
“Not yet. Wait…” Something moved on the left. Zane swung the monocular in that direction and adjusted the focus. Soon, the silhouettes of two men materialized in front of the lead SUV. They hadn’t been there moments before. A small orange point of light glowed near the face of one then faded. Cigarette.
“I have two tangos leaning against the hood of the front vehicle,” Zane said. “One is smoking.”
“Any others?”
“Negative.”
Zane resumed his search for Emily. If both men were at the front vehicle, then perhaps that’s where Emily was being held. He trained the monocular on each window of the SUV, looking closely for the outline of a head, anything that might indicate she was inside. There seemed to be a slight irregularity to the back seat but nothing that would confirm her presence.
He handed the monocular to Carmen. “I can’t see anyone else, but if Emily is there, I’d have to think she’s in the front vehicle.”
“I agree. Unfortunately, the only way we’re going to find out is by actually looking inside.” Carmen passed the monocular back to Zane then checked her watch. “We need to get going. They’ve been there for fifteen or twenty minutes. The house is pretty bare, so they may not be inside much longer.”
She had a point. They probably didn’t have much time. Then again, they needed to make sure they got it right the first time. If they didn’t, Emily might be killed. As for a plan, he had no doubt they could slither close and take out both men, but what would happen after that? The sound of gunfire would bring the others out of the house. And if there weren’t keys in the SUV, they’d be quickly overwhelmed.
Amanda broke the silence. “We can’t leave here without Emily.”
“We’re not going to,” Zane assured her, “but we can’t do it in a way that will get us all caught or killed. They’re keeping her alive because they believe she’s valuable to their mission, whatever that is.”
“I say we take them out and take our chances,” Carmen said. “If the cars don’t have keys, we grab Emily and take off through the woods.”
“What happens when we find her wrists and her ankles bound?” Zane asked.
“I’ll use my knife to cut her free. I doubt they’re using metal cuffs, and if I’m right, that means I can have her walking freely in ten or fifteen seconds.”
“We don’t know how she’s bound. If she’s wrapped up tight, metal cuffs or not, it’s going to take at least a minute to free her. And we may not have a minute.” Zane held her gaze. “Let’s say you’re able to get her free, and we flee into the woods. I’d give us a fifty-fifty chance at best. As you know, we always have to assume the worst. Remember Venice. I thought our chances were much better than fifty-fifty, and we ended up losing someone.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Zane regretted using them. He hadn’t meant to insinuate Carmen had somehow been at fault, yet he realized she might take it that way. The point he was trying to make was they had much worse odds here. On top of everything else, they didn’t know what sort of condition Emily was in. She might not even be able to walk.
Carmen checked her watch. “I’m just concerned about the time. If we’re going to move, it needs to be done sooner rather than later.”
“And if Emily is here, we may never have another chance like this to bring her back alive,” Amanda said.
Zane sorted through several options. He still didn’t like taking out the men without knowi
ng if the vehicle could be driven or what sort of condition Emily was in. Then again, Amanda was correct in pointing out they might never again have such a good opportunity. In fact, he couldn’t even be sure they’d be able to find Emily again.
“What about a distraction?” Carmen asked. “Something to get them away from the vehicle.”
Carmen’s question triggered a memory of something Zane had seen earlier. It would take some time, but it just might work.
“Zane?”
“I just figured out how we’re going to get Emily back.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“GIVE ME ONE more,” Petr said in his native Czech tongue. He wasn’t a regular smoker, but he was tired of waiting for the others to finish inside, and cigarettes helped pass the time.
Michal pushed off the hood and walked away. “This time, you’re going to have to wait.”
“Where are you going?”
“To water the plants,” Michal said over his shoulder. “They look malnourished. Time to apply some of my special fertilizer.”
“Give me one before you leave.”
“You’ll live.”
As Petr watched, Michal continued toward a landscaped bed, eventually disappearing in the fog. Seconds later, he heard a zipper being pulled then a loud groan of satisfaction. Petr shook his head and checked his watch. He was ready to get back to the hotel. He’d taken a large poker loss the night before and was ready to recoup the euros he’d lost. He felt it. Tonight was going to be his night to win big at the table. Then again, he always felt that way.
The sound of a zipper carried across the lawn. While waiting for Michal to return, Petr walked around the side of the SUV. When he got to the back window, he saw a mass of wavy dark hair pressed against the glass. Sleeping Beauty.
Hearing footsteps, he saw Michal returning. After taking one last look at the girl, he returned to the front.
Michal set his rifle against the truck then retrieved a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, tapping the bottom until one slid out. “Here. Now quit your complaining.”
Petr took it from him, along with a lighter. After setting his rifle against the front bumper, he lit it slowly, savoring the first few puffs.
Michal lit his own then jerked a thumb toward the back of the truck. “How is our little princess?”
“Either asleep or acting like she is.”
“She’s pretty hot,” Michal said. “Maybe I should go back and make sure she’s not faking.”
Petr took another draw then laughed. “Go right ahead. I’m sure—”
A loud female voice speaking English carried up from below, cutting him off. “You idiot, it’s your fault!”
“What the hell?” Michal grabbed his rifle.
Petr tossed his cigarette aside and picked up his rifle. He stared down the hill but couldn’t see any movement. They were supposed to be alone on the mountain, and if they weren’t, it likely meant trouble.
“My fault?” a second female asked. “I told you to stop for gas in Lugano.”
“I might have if you hadn’t been playing your freaking music so loud, distracting me to no end.”
Two women appeared below. One was a tall brunette and the other a blonde.
“Just shut up,” the brunette said. She spoke in English, but her accent was not that of a native speaker.
“Hey!” Michal shouted in English, raising his rifle.
The blonde let out a little scream and stumbled backward, almost falling down.
Michal marched aggressively toward them. “Get your hands up now!”
“Please!” the brunette said. “Don’t shoot.”
Petr turned on a flashlight and shined it on them. A gas can dangled from the blonde’s hand. He frowned. There was something odd about the whole thing. The loud talking seemed contrived.
Michal shook his rifle threateningly. “I said, get your hands up!”
“Okay, okay.” The blonde tossed the gas can aside and lifted her hands.
“We’re just here to borrow some gas,” the brunette said. “We saw the gate open and—”
“Shut up!” Michal barked. He marched forward and examined each one, looking for any sign of a weapon.
Petr’s eyes narrowed. Something didn’t smell right. Who would hike all the way up the mountain without knowing what was here? There was a petrol station a mile or so away. Why not hike back to it? As that thought hit home, he felt a surge of adrenaline.
If he needed any more evidence, it came when he saw the bulge in the brunette’s pants pocket. He knew the shape of a pistol when he saw it. She was armed. The whole thing was a setup. It was time to bring the ruse to an end.
Petr opened his mouth, but before he could form the words, he heard the soft pad of feet behind him. He turned, but it was too late.
A hard object came down on his head. His world went dark.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE PLAN WAS falling perfectly into place. Carmen and Amanda had retrieved the gas can from the courtyard and were now talking loudly as they approached the two guards. The two men lifted their guns and marched toward them. Zane used the sound of their voice as cover to sprint to the rear of the SUV. Once there, he crept to the front, a few yards from the guards.
Hidden next to the front left wheel well, Zane studied the scene. As he’d expected, one of the guards held the light while the other searched for weapons. Zane crept a few more feet and tensed. When Carmen gave the signal—a cough—they would begin a simultaneous assault. Zane would take out the covering guard with one blow, then Amanda and Carmen would jump the other one, making sure they prevented him from calling out.
Suddenly, the closer guard shone his beam toward Carmen’s pocket. To the trained eye, the bulge of the Beretta was obvious. The guard lifted his rifle and stepped forward. The ruse was up.
With no other options, Zane rushed forward and slammed the grip of his pistol down on the man’s head, dropping him immediately, unconscious before he hit the ground. Unfortunately, his partner heard the noise and pivoted, giving a shout when he saw what was happening.
Realizing what had happened, Carmen jumped the guard from behind. She made sure to grab his rifle when she attacked, turning it away as he squeezed the trigger. The rounds sprayed harmlessly into the air, but the sound echoed loudly across the mountaintop. They might as well have blown a horn. It was only a matter of time before reinforcements came pouring out of the villa.
Zane sprinted forward. Carmen had the man in a tight headlock. As he drew near, she turned the man’s head toward him. Zane lifted his pistol and brought it down on the man’s head. He dropped to the ground, still moving. Zane hit him a second time, this time knocking him out cold.
“They’re coming!” Amanda shouted.
Zane turned. The house was about a hundred yards away, but he saw at least two men coming off the front porch, their gun-mounted lights stabbing through the fog.
“What we discussed earlier,” Zane said. “Go!”
All three knew what to do. They sprinted down the side of the vehicles furthest from the house. Carmen took the lead. Her job was to disable the two vehicles in the rear. Using a rifle she’d just grabbed, she did exactly that, filling the tires with bullets and shooting spider webs into the windshields.
Zane had already seen Emily’s silhouette in the lead SUV, so he told Amanda to get in and remove any restraints. Without hesitating, Amanda slid into the back seat with her flashlight out. Zane hoped the captive was bound with plastic ties or rope. He also hoped he’d find the key.
Gunfire sprayed across all three vehicles.
“Keep us covered!” Zane shouted at Carmen.
While she returned fire, he climbed into the front seat. He took a brief glimpse at Amanda as he settled in. She was already fiddling with Emily’s restraints. Emily groaned in response, a clear indication she was under heavy sedation. If Zane couldn’t get the vehicle started, they’d all be pinned in a metallic grave. At this point, escaping into the woods wasn�
�t an option.
A shot blew out a portion of the window above the tailgate. Amanda let out a little scream and ducked.
“Stay down,” Zane said.
He placed a hand on the ignition. Nothing. He growled in frustration. The keys had to be somewhere around him. These men had military training, which meant they would’ve left at least one set of keys in each vehicle. It was standard protocol, an insurance policy in case an urgent getaway was needed.
Another shot blasted out the remainder of the glass at the back. This time, Amanda stayed focused on getting Emily free.
Carmen’s voice shouted from somewhere behind them. “I can’t hold them much longer. They’re coming around on our flank.”
Zane glanced in the rearview window, and his blood ran cold. Dark figures slipped out toward the woods. Before long, they’d be encircled by a ring of gunfire. As if to emphasize the point, a shot hit the door just behind him. He prayed it hadn’t gone through.
“Zane.” Amanda’s voice was measured but firm.
“I can’t find the key.”
Emily groaned.
“Did you check the cup holder?”
“Huh?”
“The cup holder. The console. Check between the seats.”
Zane leaned over the center console and saw the glint of metal. A wave of relief swept over him. “Got it.”
“I can’t hold out any longer,” Carmen yelled.
Zane turned his head and shouted through the blown-out rear window. “I’ve got it. Let’s go!”
He faced forward and turned the ignition. Thankfully, the engine roared to life. He looked back at Amanda. “Open the door.”
Amanda turned, grabbed the knob, and pushed the door outward. Zane saw Carmen pull out from between the vehicles and rush forward. As she neared the door, a wave of bullets followed her, shredding metal along the way.
“Go!” Carmen shouted as she dove inside.
Zane floored it before the door closed. He had no choice. If they waited any longer, they’d all be filled with lead.
“I’ve got you,” Amanda grunted.
Zane glanced back as the vehicle took off. The door was still open, and Carmen was only halfway in. Muzzles flashed from all sides, so Zane couldn’t afford to stop. Finally, with one strong tug, Amanda pulled her all the way in. The door slammed shut.