"Like what?"
"Information," Paul replied soberly. "Future bookings, their locations and access."
Katherine's eyes widened. "Do you mean access to us?" She paused as realization hit. "To you? So that the Falgettis can get to you?"
"Don't put words in my mouth," Paul advised. "Rod could have been looking for information he can sell to the competition. He's an opportunist, but from what I've seen, I don't think he's smart enough to be in league with major criminals."
"Unless he stumbled into them," Katherine suggested, suddenly worried.
"Unfortunately you could be right." Again Paul scanned the area. "Point out which temps you don't know. But do it casually. If anyone isn't who they appear to be, I don't want to tip them off."
Katherine swallowed her fear. "Aren't other agents here? I mean, if someone tries something, won't they protect us?"
"Yes. But this isn't the O.K. Corral. With all the people in the building, we can't start blasting away. The reality isn't much like what you see in the movies. The bullets don't dodge the innocent, hitting only the bad guys."
Katherine's throat was dry as she bit back her fear. "Of course not." She was grateful for Paul's presence. She knew that made little sense, but wasn't about to examine why.
It didn't take them long to weave through the crowd and reach the kitchens. Although temps were part of the crew, Katherine recognized all of them. She whispered as much to Paul as they left the kitchen.
"Let's check the line," he suggested, heading back to the ballroom.
Before they could check out the other temps, Katherine heard the faint whir of the cell phone in Paul's jacket.
He grimaced. "I'd better get it."
Knowing it was his link to the agency, Katherine nodded, her gaze already scanning the few temps she could see. Nothing out of the ordinary there, but she couldn't see beyond the champagne fountain. Still trying to look casual, she turned back to Paul.
One glance at his face told her there was trouble. Serious trouble.
He snapped the cell phone shut and took her hand, pulling her toward the open French doors that led to the veranda.
Katherine faced him as soon as they were outside. "What is it?"
His eyes held a grim determination she'd never before seen. "Katherine, you have to be calm when I tell you what's going on. We're being watched. One false move could make the situation worse."
The acrid taste of fear almost robbed her of breath. "Tell me quickly." She grabbed his arms, her fingers digging in.
"They've got Dustin," he said quietly.
She swayed, feeling the blood drain from her head. "No. Oh, God, no!"
Paul reached out to steady her. "I know how difficult it is, but you have to act normal." His eyes cut sideways toward the crowded ballroom, emphasizing his meaning. He took a deep breath. "Dustin won't get hurt. They don't want him. They want me. They'll let Dustin go as soon as they have me."
Adrenaline raced through her system as she pushed away from him. "We have to get to Dustin. We have—"
"Katherine!" He pulled her back toward him. "They want me to go alone. We have to do as they say."
"You're not going without me!" she told him fiercely. "He's my baby!"
"I know that, but they'll see you leave with me. That would only put Dustin in more danger."
Katherine shook her head, thinking furiously. "They don't have to see me." When his response was a baffled look, she rushed on. "The kitchens connect to the old slave quarters. There's an underground passage beneath the pantry where we brought in the warming trays. We can split up in the ballroom. You head out to the car. I'll wait for you in the back. It's just beyond the gazebo."
"Katherine, this isn't wise. It's best for me to go alone. I'm trained to—"
"I don't care what you're trained for! I'm his mother. That outranks the CIA, the president or anything else you can think of. And if you don't take me, I'll follow you on my own!"
Paul reached out again, holding her arms. "You would, wouldn't you?" Their eyes met and she could read the caring in them. "All right, it's against my better judgment. But be careful. Don't create any suspicion and don't tell anyone where you're going."
She nodded soberly.
His fingers tightened around her arms, before he dropped his hands and turned to walk away.
"Paul?"
He looked back over his shoulder.
"How are you going to make them give up Dustin?"
His expression didn't change, except for the slight lifting of one side of his mouth. "By giving them what they want."
Katherine's mouth fell open as she realized his intent. Fear for her child coupled with the dread his words had caused. He intended to sacrifice himself for Dustin. And she was powerless to keep them both alive.
* * *
Urgency propelled the Porsche and its occupants through the dark night. Paul kept the speed high, expertly steering the powerful low-riding sports car around the curves. For once, Matthew's expensive car seemed worth every penny.
Katherine held her breath, but it wasn't her own safety that concerned her. "Where are we going?"
"To Jessica's," Paul replied briefly, not taking his eyes from the road.
She gasped. "Do they have Jessica and Brian, as well?"
"Yes." The solitary syllable conveyed plenty.
"What happened to the agent who was guarding the house?" Katherine demanded. "I thought he was supposed to keep them safe."
"No one's infallible," Paul reminded her. "Even CIA agents make mistakes."
Katherine recognized the implication, but didn't comment.
"I'm guessing the agent was probably overpowered." Paul hesitated, the silence between them as heavy as the humid night air. "Katherine, I misjudged the situation and made a bad call. I never expected them to grab Dustin. I should have figured they would guess he was my Achilles' heel."
She shut her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat. "I know you didn't intentionally put Dustin at risk." A sigh rumbled through her as she realized, despite everything, that Paul was a decent and good man. Not the kind of man to endanger a child. Instead, he was a man willing to trade his own life for that child.
She opened her eye o the encroaching darkness. "And I know you'll do your best to get him back safely."
Glancing over, Katherine saw Paul's Adam's apple work before he nodded, not pulling his gaze from the road as they sped into the night.
It didn't take long to reach Jessica's house. Blanketed in the darkness of the peaceful neighborhood, it looked deceptively safe. Paul stopped the car several houses away, having already doused the headlights. It seemed incredibly quiet, as though even the crickets had suspended their nighttime chorus.
Paul dialed a number on his cell phone and quickly outlined the situation to an agent. Snapping the phone shut, he turned to Katherine. "I want you to sit tight, no matter what happens." He handed her the cell phone. "Other agents are en route, but you can always call 911."
She was shaking her head. "I'm not going to let you go in alone."
Frustration lined his face as he gritted his teeth. "This is exactly why I didn't want you to come. You're too damned stubborn."
"Which means you know I'm not going to stay here. You might as well accept that and use me to help. I'm not going to sit meekly by while someone's threatening my son's life!"
Paul sighed in resignation. "You'll have to do exactly as I say. This has nothing to do with your stubbornness. One wrong move could spell disaster."
Even further chilled by his words, Katherine nodded. "I know you're the expert here. What should I do?"
"I plan to talk the Falgettis into allowing Jessica and the children to come outside before I go into the house."
Katherine swallowed her fear. "Then what?"
"If they cooperate, I'll make sure Jessica and the boys are a safe distance out the door before I go in."
"Isn't there another option?" she asked desperately, not willing to al
low Paul to sacrifice himself so easily. "What if we waited for the other agents to get here and help you?"
He shook his head. "The Falgettis demanded I come here alone. But lone-ranger operations are against policy. If the other agents arrive before we get Dustin out, the Falgettis will know I crossed them. That could spell disaster."
"Surely there's something else we can do!"
Paul hesitated, glancing upward at the dark sky. "If we can time things exactly right…"
"What?"
"As soon as Jessica and the boys step outside, we can cut the power to the house. I can toss in another diversion. It's so dark that a sudden blackout might throw them off long enough for us all to escape."
"I could pull the breakers!" Katherine's voice was urgent as she glanced at Jessica's home. "I know where they are – on the exterior wall near the front of the house. And I'm sure I can peek around the corner to see the door from that spot."
He seemed to be weighing the options before responding. "Okay, but that's all," he warned. "I can't protect Dustin if I'm watching my back for you."
She nodded and he seemed satisfied.
Paul was right, she realized, as he moved rapidly to the trunk of the car. The night was moonless, and for once she was grateful for the darkness.
In seconds Paul stripped off his dress shoes and exchanged them for running shoes. To her surprise he bent down and picked up a baseball-size rock. Then he reached into a black duffel bag, shoving several things in his pockets.
Katherine stared at the unfamiliar items. "What's that stuff?"
"Diversionary paraphernalia," he replied briefly, withdrawing a large automatic pistol.
She gulped. "Do you think you'll need that?"
"To talk the Falgettis into an exchange? Absolutely. The threat of a bullet between the eyes, unfortunately, is the only thing they understand."
His words sent a shudder through her. "What if they don't agree?"
"Then I go in alone."
Katherine realized he meant what he said. She touched his arm, tears swimming in her eyes, knowing she couldn't ask for this supreme sacrifice despite the need to protect her child. "You don't have to do this."
His gaze met hers. "Yes, I do."
She swallowed, incredibly torn. She didn't want either of them to get hurt. "What do you want me to do?"
"As soon as Jessica and the boys step outside, pull the breakers," Paul instructed. "And no matter what else happens, run with Jessica and the boys."
"You mean if something happens to you?" she asked hoarsely.
He gripped her arms, their bodies closer than they'd been in weeks. "You have to trust me, Katherine – in spite of everything that's happened. It's our only chance."
She nodded. His eyes searched hers before he dropped his hands and eased away.
Trust. The one thing he'd broken. The one thing he now asked for. Did she have it in her? Somewhere so deep inside she'd refused to acknowledge it?
Holding that thought, she sprinted toward the house, slowing to cautious steps as she crept around the side. She carefully opened the cover to the breaker box, expecting a telltale creak, but it was silent.
Watching Paul, she saw him stop in the middle of the front yard. He tossed the rock he'd found at the front door.
The door opened slightly, the fallen rock illuminated by the light that escaped. "Elliott?" a man called, his deep voice harshly out of place in her friend's home.
"It's me," Paul replied.
The door eased open a bit farther. "What's with the rock?"
To Katherine's surprise, Paul chuckled as though completely at ease. "It's new agency issue. Everybody knows the criminals have out-armed the cops."
The man laughed, an ugly sound. "You alone, Elliott?"
"That's what you wanted."
"That ain't no answer. You alone or not?"
"I didn't bring any agents or police," Paul replied, his stance still deceptively casual.
Despite her fear, Katherine watched in amazement. Paul seemed incredibly calm, as if he was about to take a stroll down the beach, not look death in the face.
"Why are you standing in the yard?" the man asked suspiciously.
"It's safer that way."
The man's laugh was an abbreviated bark. "Not from where I'm standing."
Paul's gun seemed to appear as though by magic, aimed directly at the man, who started to move. "I wouldn't do that," Paul warned. "You'd be dead before you took a single step."
"I'm not alone here, you moron," the man replied. "Shoot me and my friend shoots the kid."
"I have a better idea," Paul suggested, as though discussing nothing more earth-shattering than the weather. "Bring the woman and kids to the front door. When they come outside, I walk in."
The man stared at the gun, apparently realizing Paul could drop him before he could run. "What's to keep you from shooting then?"
"As you just reminded me, your friend has a gun. I shoot you, he shoots me. Everybody loses. This way, the woman and kids get out. Then you and your friend face me."
Holding her breath, Katherine listened for the man's reply. He had a few muffled words with his partner, then grudgingly nodded and opened the door wider.
Heart lodged in her throat, she was just able to see Jessica holding the boys' hands as they crossed the threshold. When they reached the bottom of the steps, Katherine pulled the breakers, plunging the house into darkness.
"Run, Jess!" Paul yelled. "Run!"
Their feet clattered against the paved walkway just as several shots rang out. Paralyzed with fear, Katherine couldn't move at first. Had anyone been hit?
She bolted for the front yard in time to see Paul throw something into the house. Then she heard a soft boom just as Paul whipped a mask over his face and ran inside. More shots sounded from the house.
Katherine started toward Dustin when the noxious fumes reached her. Feeling dizzy, she paused.
Cars screeched to a halt in the street. The reinforcements, Katherine realized in a daze as men in flak jackets pulled on gas masks and rushed toward the house. As she watched, John leaped from one car and ran past her. Whirling around, she saw Jessica, the boys beside her.
She stumbled over to them as John pulled Jessica into his arms. Jessica seemed to resist for a moment before collapsing into his embrace.
Taking deep breaths to clear her head, Katherine hurried to Dustin and scooped him up into her arms. "Are you all right, baby?"
"Elly-ut saved us," Dustin told her, his sturdy little arms and legs locked around her.
"So he did, baby, so he did." The shooting had stopped inside, and the agents who'd remained outside were putting away their weapons. Still holding Dustin, Katherine looked toward the house to find Paul. At the same time, an ambulance arrived, siren blaring. "Thank God we don't need that," she told Dustin, smoothing back his hair.
But one of the agents was waving toward the paramedics, motioning for the gurney. Thinking one of the Falgettis must have been hit, she turned slightly, not wanting Dustin to see the man.
Then Paul staggered from the house, an agent on either side of him, supporting him. As they started down the steps, Paul collapsed.
Katherine's pulse accelerated in fright. "Paul," she whispered.
"Elly-ut?" Dustin asked.
As she watched, the paramedics reached him with the gurney. Katherine rushed forward, but an agent put out his hand to stop her before she could get to his side. "Ma'am, we need to let the paramedics attend him."
Jessica, John and Brian joined them. Jessica took Dustin from Katherine while John spoke to the other agents.
Then he turned to Katherine. "You can ride in the ambulance with Paul."
Numbly she thanked him, pausing briefly to make certain Dustin felt safe in Jessica's arms. "We'll meet you at the hospital," Jessica assured her. "Dustin'll be fine."
The paramedics quickly loaded Paul into the ambulance and Katherine scrambled in behind them, her heart lodged in her throat. The
wail of the siren split the night as the vehicle roared to life – accompanied by Katherine's desperately whispered prayers.
* * *
Chapter 24
«^
This waiting room hummed with voices and activity as doctors, nurses and technicians whisked by, their single-minded efficiency at once both frightening and comforting. The smell of coffee and antiseptic pushed away the remaining chemical fumes, but they weren't welcome distractions.
Katherine couldn't stop her torturous thoughts. What if Paul didn't make it? What if, in saving her son, he had sacrificed his own life?
Nurses had informed Katherine that the shot had ripped through Paul, damaging his liver and causing severe blood loss. He'd made it through the surgery, but was in critical condition. She wouldn't be able to see him for some time.
John and Jessica had arrived as soon as possible, having taken the children to her mother's house. Katherine had been grateful for their support. They hadn't allowed her to be alone until a few moments ago, when they had left to try to learn whether the doctors knew any more.
For the thousandth time, she marveled that Paul had been willing to risk his life for Dustin's. She had questioned what kind of man he was. Now she had proof that his character was the finest sort – this man she loved in a way she'd never loved before. But had fate conspired to snatch away both men she loved? Was this the second and cruelest blow?
Hearing footsteps, Katherine glanced up to see a doctor enter the waiting room.
"Mrs. Elliott?"
Terrified, she nodded, purposely not correcting his assumption that she was Paul's wife. She'd do whatever was necessary to obtain news about his condition.
"Your husband's stabilized," he began.
Katherine released breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"But," the doctor warned, "he's still in critical condition."
Katherine couldn't prevent the tears blinding her. "Will he make it?" she managed in a choked voice.
Not completely unsympathetic, the doctor patted her hand. "The next few hours will tell."
* * *
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