“Join the club,” Amber muttered.
Lance nodded.
“The plane is actually a little early. We’ll let you know when we have Pirhadi in custody.”
“I’m going with you,” Amber said.
“No, ma’am, you’re not.”
“Yes, sir, I am.” Lance heard the steel in her voice and knew she’d win. “Sam trusts me, he’ll listen to me. Unless you’re skilled at dealing with autistic six-year-olds, I suggest you let me do it.”
The man hesitated. “Are you law enforcement?”
“Yes.”
“What branch?”
“I don’t share that.”
Special Agent Jones’s brows rose. “Huh. Any ID on you?”
“No.”
He looked at Lance. “CIA?”
Lance shrugged.
Jones rolled his eyes. “All right. You can follow. Stay with the van. I need a number to call.”
She gave him Kat’s number. He made the call, listened for a brief moment then hung up. “Guess you’re in.”
“Could you provide us with an earpiece?” Amber asked.
Another hesitation then he nodded. “Hold on a second.” When he returned, he had the requested items. Lance and Amber inserted the small devices in their ears, climbed into their vehicle and waited for the signal that the mission was under way.
* * *
Amber breathed prayers for Sam’s safety as they fell in behind the gray van. Kat hadn’t deserted them or betrayed her. She’d been handling things from behind the scenes like she was supposed to do.
A chopper hovered above, but disappeared. She knew it would follow at a discreet distance so as not to tip off the men they were made. God, I really don’t understand why this is happening, but I guess I have a choice. I can believe that You’re in control and this didn’t take You by surprise. Please keep Sam safe. Bad stuff happened because people made bad decisions that had consequences that affected others. God wasn’t mad at her, God wasn’t punishing her for something. This situation was the result of Pirhadi’s decisions and Sam was in danger because of those decisions.
And God could use Amber to do something about Pirhadi. Her fingers flexed on the wheel. “Where are we going, Jones?” she asked.
“They had a rental car reservation. We had an agent at the counter and she passed on which car they’d be in. We’ve got a tracker and a listening device on the car. They’re heading for an old farmhouse off Route 2. ETA is ten minutes.”
“Did they say anything about Sam?”
“No.”
Amber drew in a deep breath. This was it. If they could catch Pirhadi in this deal then it would be over. Everything. And Nadia wouldn’t have died in vain. Her final goal in life would have been achieved. Her husband would no longer be a danger to her son or anyone else.
Soon, they were slowing. The van pulled into a copse of trees and disappeared. She followed it. “I know this area,” Lance said. “The farmhouse is about half a mile up ahead.”
“Yes, I know this place, too. Heather Frank used to live out here.” Excitement curled through her. “There’s a tree house in the back. A sniper would have a good view of the house from up there.”
“This may really work to our advantage for us because it’s surrounded by trees. They’ll never see us coming.”
“Us?”
“Well, the feds, I guess.”
“And me.” She opened the door. “I’m going to get Sam.”
Lance got out, as well. “Amber, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She turned to him and took a deep breath. “Lance, I have to do this. I couldn’t save his mother, but I can help save him. He trusts me.”
Lance nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets.
Amber glanced around. Law enforcement was moving. Swarming, actually. She made her way over to Special Agent Jones. “Let me go in, please.”
“Ma’am—”
“It’s Amber. I’m trained for this. And I need to see where Sam is. If he’s loose, not tied up somewhere, I can get him out and you can raid the place, shoot it up or burn it down, I don’t care. Just let me see if I can get to Sam.”
His eyes bored holes in hers. “I spoke with your handler, but I’m still not sure...”
She sighed. “I’ve been undercover as Sam’s nanny for the past four years. The short version is that my handler’s ex-boyfriend turned traitor and sold me out to Pirhadi. She wants to stop him almost as much as I do. Let me finish this assignment.”
“I see,” he said. “All right. I was listening to your conversation in the car. You know this place?”
“I do.”
“It was for lease,” the agent said. “Someone rented it two days ago and signed the lease for three months but from the information we’ve managed to gather in the short amount of time that we learned of the place, no one’s been living there.”
“They leased it for this reason,” Amber said. “This day.”
“Yes, that’s what it looks like.”
“It’s a small house with two bedrooms and one bathroom at the back. The main part of the house is open concept. There’s a kitchen to the right that opens up into one large living area in the middle with a bar kind of separating the two rooms.” She pointed. “There’s the front door that you can see from here and another to the side of the house that leads into the kitchen. Around the back, there are sliding glass doors that lead from the deck into the house.”
“All right. We’ll have you covered as you approach. My agents will be right behind you, looking for a good hiding place.” He handed her a Kevlar vest and she slipped it on. Then he gave her a pair of glasses. “Use these. They have a camera and a mic on them so we’ll be able to see what you see and hear what you hear. Keep the earpiece so you can hear us.”
She slipped them on her nose. She was ready. She shivered in the afternoon air. The temperatures had risen, but it was still chilly. Midfifties and the snow was melting. At least she wouldn’t have to try to navigate over ice. There might be patches in the shade, but she’d be careful and would be able to approach the house along the tree line without being seen. She hoped.
She found Lance watching her. She walked over to him and he wrapped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head. “Be careful,” he whispered in her ear.
“I will, I promise.”
“You can sit in the van and watch,” Jones told Lance.
He nodded then kissed her. Amber let him, relishing the feel of his mouth on hers. She kissed him back trying to convey what was in her heart. He released her and she swallowed hard. “We’ll talk later.”
Lance nodded. “I’ll be here when you bring Sam out.”
“Good. I want you here.”
Then she spun on her heel and took off for the house, her booted feet leaving a trail behind on the slushy ground. The closer she got, the faster her heart beat. When the house came into view, she stopped and drew in a calming breath. She could do this. She would do this. Sam was counting on her and she wouldn’t let him down. Amber looked at the front yard. The snow covered the ground and she saw no footprints in the yard, but she could see the ones leading from the car to the front door. The white Rolls blended with the background. The dark rental sedan had pulled next to it in the drive. Amber darted for the side of the home to the nearest window.
EIGHTEEN
Lance watched the screen and saw Amber at the window. She looked in and he saw what she saw. An empty bedroom. She withdrew and walked around the side of the house to the next window. Blinds prevented her from seeing in. She tried to push the window up, but he assumed it was locked since she turned away.
The image on the monitor stilled and for a moment he wondered if the feed had frozen. Then he realized that she’d paused an
d was thinking about her next move. Finally, she shifted again and walked to the front door. His heart pounded and he wanted to scream at her to get away. Instead, he saw her hand reach for the doorknob. She turned it and he saw that it wasn’t locked. She let go and stepped back then walked off the porch to go around the opposite side of the house. He felt like he was walking beside her. She was now at the back porch, a wooden deck. She walked up the steps to the sliding glass doors and stood to the side.
On another monitor, Lance saw two agents maneuver into the trees behind her. He figured one would be in the tree house. Within seconds the house was surrounded. No one was coming out of there and leaving. But no one would see a soul if he looked out of the window.
Screams erupted from the house. “Game! Game! Game!”
“Shut the kid up!”
He heard a shuffle then Amber’s indrawn breath.
Sam continued to howl his rage.
And then another monitor lit up. They had eyes in the house. He could see the kitchen and into the living area. Amber had found a window and managed to slip a tiny camera in next to the windowpane.
And Lance got his first view of the three men who’d caused him and Amber and Sam so much grief. He recognized Yousef from his picture. The man held Sam’s arm in a tight grip while the boy cried and yelled.
The other two men looked impatient and disgusted with the entire episode. Pirhadi lifted his weapon and placed it against Sam’s head. To Lance’s horror, he could see the man had every intention of killing his son where he stood.
And then Amber stepped into the room.
Lance gasped.
The agent behind him did the same.
She’d run from the back to the front door and walked inside. “Stop!” She held a hand up. “Don’t hurt him!” The other two men in the room lifted their weapons and trained them on her. “Let him come to me,” she said, her focus on Pirhadi. “Let him go.” Sam stopped midwail and looked at her. His chest heaved his indignation.
Lance couldn’t breathe. She was going to get killed. She wore a vest, but that wouldn’t stop a head shot.
“What are you doing here?” Pirhadi raged. He paced, dragging Sam with him.
“I came to get Sam,” Amber said. She walked toward them.
One of the other men went to the window and looked out to the front where the vehicles were. When he turned, his face held an ugly scowl. “Stay where you are.” Amber stopped. “How did you get here? There is no car.”
“I walked.”
“From where?”
“From where I left my car,” she said. “I didn’t want you to know I was here. Now give me Sam.”
Pirhadi transferred his weapon from Sam’s head to aim it at Amber’s heart. “You are a very foolish woman, Amber Starke.”
“And you are a very evil man.” She lifted her chin. “But you’re surrounded by the FBI and other law enforcement and you won’t be leaving here.” She lowered her head and Lance saw the briefcase on the floor next to the man who hadn’t moved or spoken yet. The virus the man in the hospital had mentioned?
* * *
“Game, Number One Mom, please,” Sam said. His small voice caused her heart to ache. She wanted to gather him to her and protect him, to make him forget the things he was now experiencing.
She held out a hand. “Come here, Sam.”
“Game.” He looked at the floor. “Game now, please.”
“Sam—”
“Ravi,” he said. The man to her right jerked. “Seven, six, two, five. Plane. Ravi has a virus.”
Pirhadi looked at his son, his fury mounting. “You stupid boy.”
Amber ignored the urge to grab the gun from where it nestled against her back and shoot the man herself. She looked at Sam. “Sam, stop. We’ll play chess in a little while. Come to me.”
Sam took a step toward her and Pirhadi yanked him back. Sam cried out his anger at the harsh treatment.
“Shut up,” Pirhadi snarled. “Both of you!” This time he ignored Sam’s loud cries and motioned with his weapon to the briefcase. “Paulo, let’s get this done and then I’ll dispose of these two.”
“What about the law enforcement she said was out there?” Paulo asked.
“There’s no one out there,” he sneered. “She’s CIA. They work alone. They go undercover, and they infiltrate your house to steal your trust.” He spat in her direction. “And they turn your wife against you.”
“She was already turned before I got there,” Amber said softly.
“Why does the kid say my name? What does he know about the virus?” This quiet question came from the man to her right. The one with the briefcase. Ravi, Amber deduced. Sam had stilled, his cries quieted, but she heard his sniffles and they nearly broke her heart.
“It doesn’t matter,” Pirhadi all but shouted. “Let’s get this done.”
Sam flinched and cringed then screamed. “Game!”
His father shoved him aside and Sam fell to the floor near the kitchen bar area. Amber raced to his side, ignoring the guns that followed her. She gathered Sam to her, and he clutched her while she glared at Pirhadi. “That wasn’t necessary,” Amber said as Sam cried against her shoulder.
Pirhadi’s face went bloodred. He screamed and fired a shot at the ceiling and then turned the weapon on her and Sam.
“Now,” she whispered, knowing the agents were listening, waiting for her to signal. “Now.” She rolled with Sam into the kitchen and pulled him behind the counter.
The front door burst in. “Federal agents! Freeze! Drop your weapons! Drop them now!”
A series of pops sounded and she hovered over Sam who struggled against her. “Be still, Sam, please. Just be still.” And he stopped his struggles and let her keep him against her.
When the shooting stopped, Amber pulled away from Sam who never looked at her, but scooted until his back was against the wall of the bar.
Amber pulled the glasses from her face, set them on the floor and removed her weapon. She peered around the edge of the bar. Pirhadi was on the floor, blood spilling from his chest. The other two men, Paulo and Ravi, had their hands above their heads. She turned back to Sam and pulled him back into her lap. Surprised that he didn’t protest, she waited, keeping him safe while the agents took care of the men who’d tried to kill them. Once it was clear that she and Sam were fine law enforcement left them alone. The minutes ticked by. The chaos continued.
“Amber!”
Lance. She drew in a deep breath and looked up. He stood over her. His dear face was drawn with worry, his eyes roved over her and Sam seeming to take in every detail. Relief then filled his features and he reached to touch her cheek. “They wouldn’t let me in any sooner.”
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “It’s over, it’s really over.”
He dropped his hand. “Pirhadi’s dead.”
“Yes. I thought so.”
He dropped beside her and Sam and took her hand. “You saved his life again.”
She looked at him and then at Sam who lay against her, his eyes shut. He felt warm, like he might still have a low-grade fever. “Did you see Yousef’s face when he turned his gun on him?” she asked softly.
“I was watching on the monitor. I saw it.” He blinked and looked away for a moment and she thought she saw tears there. When he looked back they were gone. “I saw it and I could do nothing.” He squeezed her fingers. “You did the only thing you could do. You had no choice.”
“I didn’t even stop to think about the consequences. I just acted.”
“And you saved him. Pirhadi can’t hurt anyone ever again.”
Sam opened his eyes. “Number One Dad is dead.”
“Yes,” Amber said and stroked his hair.
Sam sat up. “Number One Mom is dead.”
&n
bsp; Amber felt tears choke her. “Yes, Sam, I’m sorry.”
Sam touched her cheek. “Amber. Number One Mom now. Number One Mom keep Sam safe. No more bad guys. No more scared.”
She stared at him in wonder. He understood. In his own way, he was processing everything, but he understood. “That’s right, Sam, you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
“No more.”
She touched his forehead. “Come on, Sam, let’s get you...” where? “somewhere...and get you well.”
“Get well,” Sam echoed.
“Yes.”
Lance stood and picked Sam up then held out a hand to Amber. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Amber stared at him. Where was home?
He must have understood her confusion because he gave her a small smile. “Christmas is tomorrow. Your mother is expecting you.”
She raised a brow. “All right then. Home it is.”
* * *
Christmas Day dawned sunny and bright. Her stomach rumbled at the smell of bacon, eggs, toast and cinnamon rolls. She’d missed her mother’s cooking.
Amber rolled from the bed she’d crashed into in the wee hours of the morning. Lance had dropped her and Sam off at her parents’ ranch, kissed her goodbye and left. She’d wanted to beg him to stay, but had kept her lips shut. Mostly because she had some decisions to make. Truly, in her heart, she’d already made them. She’d texted Kat last night and told her they needed to talk. Kat had texted back that she thought that talk might be coming, but to have a merry Christmas and she’d be in touch soon.
Amber looked at the other twin bed on the opposite wall. Sam still lay in the middle curled under the covers. She smiled. His future was wide open now. No more fear, no more worries. All he had to do was be...Sam.
Classified Christmas Mission Page 17