Quiet surrounded them as their tension-fraught discussion came to an abrupt halt. Hannah sighed. Maybe they could get some rest now before daylight appeared. Before another bad man with a gun shot at her.
But Derek sat forward, his elbows on his knees. “You do know how blessed you are to be adopted, right?”
“Blessed?”
“Definitely. I’m sure it’s a shock, but based on what little you know about the circumstances of your birth, do you really think you would have been better off with your birth mother? On the run all the time?”
She hadn’t thought of that. Would she even be alive right now? “Still, though, I’ve just barely found out I’m adopted and I’m on the run. Isn’t there supposed to be a happy reunion with my birth parents? A discovery of how much we’re alike and where I got the shape of my nose and why I’m so analytical? What about the part where they tell me they wish they could have kept me all along?”
“Where did you get all those ideas?” His chuckle was soft amid the background noises of the police station.
“I read. Sometimes it happens that way in novels.” She paused, picking at a fingernail. “If my father is with the Mafia as you say, maybe he does wish he had kept me. I could have been a Mafia lackey. Or maybe still a lawyer. What Mafia family wouldn’t want a good lawyer in the family?”
“Then even more reason to be glad your parents adopted you.”
The man had a point. She pushed the blanket aside and sat up. Sleep wasn’t going to come anytime soon.
When her birth mother had been forced to the decision that Hannah was safer with someone else, Father and Mother had stepped up and taken in a child they had never met. They didn’t know her background, her medical history, her personality. But they took her home and loved her and protected her.
But turning Derek away? Telling him he wasn’t right for her? Did Father really think that was in her best interests? And if Derek didn’t think he was good enough, either, then why was he here? Why didn’t he leave her in the lurch?
He was here because she was a job. An assignment. That was all. Once she was safe and the case closed, he would be gone.
Just like he had disappeared before.
And she would have a job for the summer and finish law school next year and become a do-gooder society spinster lawyer living with her mother and father.
She could live with that. Couldn’t she?
Father. Her eyes went wide. She stared down at her wrist. “My watch.” A gold image of the scales of justice sparkled against a black face.
“What about it?” Derek leaned forward to see it, fastening the cap back on his bottle of water.
She stretched out her arm to show him the watch. “Father sent me this today, remember? And the return address was a little odd because it just said Dad, and I don’t call him Dad. But I was so eager for his approval that I didn’t think anything more about it.”
“You had it in your bag, and then, after you opened it, you’ve been wearing it ever since?”
Her palms slicked as she thought of the possibility. Could it be a bug? The sender would have wanted her to accept the package without question, so he addressed it as if from her father, not knowing that she didn’t call her father Dad. Hannah cut her eyes at him. “Yes.”
“Let me have it. It might be a tracking device. How else would they have found you so quickly? How would they have found us at the library?”
She unfastened the band and handed the watch over, then followed him to the cabinets and watched him fumble through drawers until he found a plastic case with a set of small screwdrivers. Gently, he popped the back off of the watch. Inside, a tiny metal device lay nestled in the gears. Would it have eventually stopped the watch? It wouldn’t have mattered, though. By that time, the thugs had probably planned to have eliminated her, which would conclude their need to track her.
Derek ran water in the kitchenette’s sink as he pried the device out of the watch. He handed it back to her then dropped the tracker into the water. “If you still want the watch, it should be fine. Those guys ought not to be able to track you with that now.” He paused, then turned to look at her. “But the device was still functional when we arrived here.”
“So they probably know we’re here?”
He simply nodded, his expression conveying all of the worst possibilities without a single word.
She inhaled deeply and took the watch, then sagged onto one of the sofas. Exhaling as she collapsed into the leather, she tucked the watch into her bag.
“I need to make a call.” He made the call, and from hearing his end of the conversation, it seemed that he had called his supervisor. The conversation didn’t last long after Derek mentioned destroying the tracking device. “Would the Mafia thugs come to a police station to find her? We’re locked in and secure here.”
After a moment of silence, Derek ended the call. He turned to her, an intensity burning in his dark eyes. “We need to go.”
He didn’t need to explain. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag.
As Derek snagged a couple of water bottles from the refrigerator, the door to the break room opened. A uniformed officer came in. Derek glanced at him then returned his attention to Hannah, handing her the bottles to tuck into her bag.
Hannah clutched her bag and closed her eyes and tried her best to force her worries of the day out of her mind. Her favorite verse rang through her mind. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Before she could repeat it a second time, the sound of feet scuffing on the floor broke into her reverie. A voice growled, “Let’s go.”
She popped her eyes open to find a gun pointed at her. She faltered back a step and watched as Derek, at the urging of the man in the officer’s uniform, handed over his weapon. Her heart churned within her chest. They were supposed to be safe here. But this thug had somehow gotten his hands on an officer’s uniform and security card and waltzed right into the station. Now, the man urged them toward the door.
Derek’s lips were moving but no sound issued forth. Most likely, he was starting this next exploit with prayer, beseeching the Heavenly Father to protect and preserve them.
A moment later, they were outside and being ushered into the backseat of a two-door Blazer, where another man already sat behind the wheel. The man who had taken Derek’s SIG slammed the back of the seat into position and slid into the front passenger seat. As they pulled away from the station, the gray of early-morning light dispersed as the sun peeked over the horizon.
Hannah bit her lip. If only the office of the airport police wasn’t at such a remote end of the terminal. If only it was later in the day, when more officers would be on duty. If only the thug hadn’t been able to get his mitts on a uniform and security card somehow.
There was no point in wondering how it could have gone differently, or where she and Derek had gone wrong in their decision-making.
The entire ambush had lasted less than a minute, and they hadn’t seen a single soul.
EIGHT
Hannah pushed hair off her forehead and wished she could flip the visor down to shield the morning sun. Instead, she shifted in her seat until the head of the guy in front of her blocked the glare.
The thug thumped the back of the seat. “Sit still.” The menace in his voice sent shivers down her arms.
Derek maneuvered in his, holding the armrest as if he wanted to grab the nonexistent door handle for a quick escape. “Where we going, boys?” His tone held authority but without any threat.
The brute in the passenger seat turned to look at him. “Boys? You think we’re pals now?” He cut his eyes toward Derek’s weapon, which rested in the console between the two front seats, in front of the gearshift and out of Derek’s reach. “If you had your S
IG, you wouldn’t be so friendly, would you?”
“It’s just a simple question.”
Hannah had to admit the thugs had planned it well. They’d swooped in during the quietest moment in the airport police station and taken them hostage. There was no way out now.
“If you must know, you’re going to meet the girl’s father. You’ve caused us so much trouble that he wants a few words before the end.”
As the brute swiveled back to the front, Derek turned to stare at her, his eyebrows furrowed. He nodded toward the front, and the glare of the rising sun caught her eye again. Wherever they were headed, it was east.
Surely he was coming up with a plan to somehow get them out of the vehicle. Hannah’s heart thumped against her rib cage, and she dabbed at the nervous perspiration that dotted her forehead. She forced herself to relax against the back of the seat. There was nothing she could do at this point in time, and there was no point in getting her blood pressure up.
She looked again at Derek, trying to judge his demeanor by his facial expression. Was he scared? Or was he plotting? But he only looked back at her with blankness, then he laid a warm but calloused hand over hers. She gripped his hand tightly, a desperate attempt to extract all the encouragement and support and strength conveyed in that simple touch.
A chuckle from the front rumbled through the vehicle. “Well, ain’t that sweet?”
Hannah looked up to find a leering face peering at her from between the seats. She recoiled, drawing herself as far back as she could.
The thug in the passenger seat thumped the driver on the arm. “We got true love blossoming in the back.” Sarcasm laced his words.
Derek blew out a harsh breath and stared out the window. Quiet engulfed them as the man in the passenger seat fell silent. As the vehicle changed lanes, she withdrew her hand. Derek didn’t try to hold on to it.
Hannah swallowed over the lump that had formed in her throat at the coldness of her hands. At the prospect of never seeing Derek again. Before he’d reappeared and saved her life, she had put him out of her mind. But now that they were together again, albeit through necessary circumstances, she was forced to admit how much she had missed him. Could she still be in love with him after all these years?
She bit her lip to stop the tear that was beginning to form. She had her own plan. Her parents didn’t exactly approve, and she could never buck them completely, never lose their good graces and their love. But she had to follow her heart into the law. And her pro bono law career would be about as much rebellion as any of them could tolerate. There would still be time in her schedule for garden parties and the country club. She couldn’t bring Derek back into her life as well.
If they survived.
As they approached the other side of the city, still heading east, in the direction of Heartwood Hill, Hannah felt a nudge from Derek. She turned to see him staring at her with wide eyes and nodding his head toward the guys up front. She prayed that it was just as she had hoped, that he had a plan.
Keeping his hands low, he held them palms out, like a traffic cop signaling a driver to stop. Then, he motioned toward the door handle on the driver’s side and then the passenger side and immediately moved both hands as if pushing forward.
Was he trying to communicate with her without drawing the ire of their captors? Well, she would do her best to follow his lead when the time came. She nodded to him, but did she really understand it? They would only know in the moment of hopeful escape.
Their driver exited the interstate and turned south into Heartwood Hill. A couple of miles later, he drove through the small downtown and past the courthouse and turned into an abandoned parking lot between a set of two-story buildings.
“I know where we are,” Hannah whispered to Derek. “And it’s not good. Both of these buildings are empty now. One used to be a machine shop, and the other was a warehouse.”
“That’s right, missy.” The driver spoke for the first time in the entire trip. “Time to get out.”
As the two in the front reached for their door handles, Derek nodded forward and cut his eyes toward the guy in the passenger seat. Mimicking Derek’s every move, Hannah quickly slid her hand inbetween the edge of the seat and the door. Her fingers found the lever that would release the back of the seat.
Suddenly, his plan took shape in her mind.
As soon as the Blazer’s door latch released, and just a split second after Derek grabbed for the lever, Hannah pulled the lever on her side and threw her entire body weight on the back of the front passenger seat. Next to her, Derek slammed against the back of the driver’s seat. The seats simultaneously threw the men forward. Two separate thumping sounds heralded the thugs’ heads hitting the windshield.
Grabbing another lever, Hannah and Derek slid the seats forward until their captors were pinned against the dashboard. Derek leaned into the middle of the front seats and grabbed his weapon from the console. At his head jerk toward the door, Hannah gave one final shove forward and crawled out of the backseat and onto the asphalt.
Derek ran around the back of the Blazer and grabbed her hand. Before he pulled her toward the corner of the building, she glanced back. A moan arose from the man in the passenger seat, but his eyes were closed.
“Come on,” he urged her. “They’re just dazed, so we better disappear. Could be more inside.”
Hannah ran to keep up, not willing to let go of the firmness of his hand around hers. They dashed around the corner of the warehouse and down the block toward a main road. The clock tower of the courthouse rose above the trees another block over.
“There. I know security at the courthouse. It’ll be safe.” By the time they hit the sidewalk in front of the courthouse, they’d slowed to a walk.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hannah watched Derek stride beside the manicured bushes and pink flowers surrounding the building. It should have been exciting, having a handsome man walk with her and hold her hand. But this wasn’t personal. As they approached the closest door and, hopefully, safety, at a brisk pace, he released her hand. He had thrown up a shield around himself, his expression blank and hardened, his arms taut, as he slipped back into his FBI special agent role. His demeanor looked casual, but Hannah knew he was wound up tight, ready to spring on anyone who appeared to be a threat.
Just inside the door, velvet ropes led them to a metal detector and two armed security officers. An X-ray security scanner for purses and briefcases and bags stood off to the side. She pulled her bag off her shoulder, but Derek swung out an arm to halt her.
With a grim look, he walked up to the closest guard, his hand out. “Hey, Brandon. How’re you doing?”
A look of surprise washed over the man’s face and he eagerly shook Derek’s hand. “Derek. It’s been a long time. Heard you’re FBI now.”
Derek pulled out his badge, his SIG peeking out from under his shirt. “Yeah. I’m legit.” He leaned in to Brandon and jerked his thumb in the direction from which they had come. “We had some trouble over at the old warehouse. Can you call for some uniforms to check it out? We’re going to use the facilities and catch a breath.”
“Sure.” Brandon reached for a phone on a nearby stand. “You all right?”
Derek nodded. The guard waved them both through the metal detector, and Derek moved Hannah toward the staircase.
A wave of pride washed over her. Her high school sweetheart had matured into a strong, capable man who put others first. But as she glanced back at Brandon, her anxiety at their circumstances returned, and her stomach tied itself into a knot worthy of an experienced sailor.
If she could hold on to Derek’s hand, she would be comforted. But she couldn’t send the wrong signal, especially in front of people he knew and people she hoped to know someday soon. Instead, she just leaned close. “Do you think those guys after us would be able to get in here?”
> He looked over at her, his mouth grim. “Doubtful. Brandon’s a good officer. All of the security officers here are top-notch. I don’t think even a Mafia heavy would be able to get a weapon inside.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We ought to be relatively safe inside, but let’s keep our eyes open. Just in case.”
They approached the first turn of the wide marble staircase, and Hannah ran her hand over the smooth railing. On the second floor, she stepped into the restroom for a few minutes to splash water on her face and wash her hands.
As they ascended to the third floor of the courthouse, with just a few steps to go to a seating area where they could rest for a few moments, Derek nudged her. She followed his gaze only to be confronted by the malicious stare of a short, wiry man. The light in the hallway reflected off his balding head. He was not the man from the photo in the newspaper, but the way he glared at them made goose bumps crawl up Hannah’s skin.
Derek slowed next to her, and she matched her pace to his. The man stepped slowly toward the stairs and moved in a menacing gait that made her pulse race. Hadn’t Derek said they would be safe inside? If that guy was inside, who was waiting outside?
Her legs trembled as she stopped on the steps. Derek stared long and hard at the man, then turned, pulling her with him, and headed back down the way they had just come up. As they continued down, he picked up the pace, and she slid her hand along the railing to make sure she didn’t trip and fall.
She risked a look behind. The wiry man hadn’t turned the corner yet. If she kept her voice low, would Derek share his plan? “Where are we going?”
“Away from him.”
The hallway on the second floor was empty, and Derek hurried her across to the opposite set of stairs. Perhaps they could get some help? Someone to stop him? But the courthouse seemed vacant. And what would they stop him for anyway? Glaring at someone was not a crime. As of yet, the wiry man had done nothing wrong.
Deadly Disclosure Page 11