“You’re a mess,” he murmured, letting her arms drop onto her stomach, reaching across her body and using pliers to yank the nail from the wall. “But there’s not a whole lot I can do about it yet.”
The nail dropped onto the floor, and he reached over, his body covering hers for a split second, something dropping onto her knuckles, falling onto her stomach.
Surprised, she grabbed it, felt the cool metal of a key.
Her heart jumped, and she met his eyes.
He didn’t give any indication that he knew what she held, just dropped the nail into his pocket and stood. “Essex sent me. He’s been worried. Now, stop trying so hard, Lark. You’re just making things harder on both of us.”
He walked outside, closed the door, sealing her in with the putrid air, the pulsing darkness, the cold metal key pressing against her palm and just the tiniest glimmer of hope that she wasn’t as alone as she’d thought.
*
So much for an easy mission.
Cyrus Mitchell pulled the bloody nail from his pocket and frowned. As far as he could tell, it was the only thing in the trailer that had a sharp edge on it. Lark must have been working at the ropes for hours, sawing through the hemp until she’d finally freed herself.
She had to have noticed the security camera, had to have known that she was being watched twenty-four hours a day. Maybe she’d been desperate enough not to care. Or sick enough not to be thinking clearly. Whatever the case, she’d been determined, and she’d succeeded.
He’d taken that away from her, and it didn’t feel good.
The key was his way of apologizing. Essex’s name the information she needed to keep her hope alive. It wouldn’t get her out of the trailer, but maybe it would keep her from giving up.
Hope, he’d learned a long time ago, was a key factor in survival. Without it, there wasn’t a whole lot of reason to keep going.
He locked the trailer, tucked the key into his pocket and headed back across the compound. Security cameras lined the fence, pointing in and out of Amos Way, tracking the movements of everyone who came or went. For a peaceful, God-loving community, they didn’t seem all that trusting of their fellow man.
But, then, Cyrus hadn’t expected them to be. On the surface, Amos Way was exactly what it claimed to be—a religious commune designed to give its members a home away from worldly corruption and materialistic excess. Underneath, they were something else. Something a lot darker and a lot more dangerous. Cyrus hadn’t needed to enter the compound to know it. He’d just had to watch the comings and goings of the armed security force. He wasn’t sure what the team was transporting in and out, but he didn’t think it was truckloads of Bibles.
He jogged the last hundred yards to security headquarters. The squadron was housed in a ranch-style building that looked over the fifty-acre compound. Cyrus had spent the past six nights bunking with fifteen loudmouthed, brash kids who had more muscle than brains. John McDermott ran the place like a military unit, and he’d assured Cyrus that he’d be moved into “officer” housing once he made it through his probationary period.
Cyrus had no intention of being in Amos Way long enough for that to happen. In and out. That’s what he’d promised his boss Chance Miller. Head of HEART, Chance hadn’t been all that eager to let Cyrus enter Amos Way. Cyrus wasn’t all that happy about it either. HEART specialized in rescuing hostages from the most difficult of situations. The team’s mission was to reunite families, to bring closure to those waiting for the missing. Sometimes, though, they took cases like this—a missing person who might or might not be at risk.
Cyrus preferred overseas assignments. Work Stateside tended to get him into trouble. He owed Essex Randolph, though. The guy had saved his hide in Iraq, and Cyrus didn’t forget things like that. Not ever. Essex had been worried about Lark. A teacher at the school where he worked, she hadn’t shown up for the first day of school or for any day after. She’d emailed a resignation to the school board, contacted the principal to let him know she wouldn’t be returning. Cyrus had read the emails. They seemed on the up and up. Essex wasn’t convinced, though. Lark loved her job, and she hated Amos Way. There was no way she’d ever willingly stay there.
That had been Essex’s opinion, but it wasn’t enough for the police to open a case. It was enough for Cyrus. He’d convinced Chance to let him check things out. He’d assured him that the case would be simple. It was turning out to be anything but that. Too bad he’d been so confident. It wouldn’t have been a bad thing to have some backup waiting nearby.
The door to security headquarters opened as Cyrus approached, and John stepped outside. Tall with a belly that hung over his belt, the guy had a thick blond beard and balding head that made him look more like a young Saint Nick than the head of a security team. He wasn’t someone to be messed with, though, and Cyrus doubted he was easily fooled. He wouldn’t like that the enemy had infiltrated his team, and that’s what Cyrus was. An enemy to the cause. Whatever that might be.
“You got everything squared away?” John asked.
He knew the answer. There wasn’t a doubt in Cyrus’s mind that John had been glued to the security monitor, watching the interaction between his newest security team member and his prisoner.
“What do you think?” Cyrus asked, because that was his persona—Louis Morgan. Kicked out of the army for bucking authority, a loose cannon who lived by his own moral code. Loyal to whoever paid the most money.
“Answer the question,” John barked.
“She’s handcuffed. Don’t know why you’re bothering. Doubt she has more than a couple of days left.” Cyrus shrugged like it didn’t matter, like he didn’t care that an injured woman was being held prisoner in the compound.
“You think she needs a doctor?”
“Not my business whether she does or not,” Cyrus responded. “I’m paid to do what you tell me. I did it.”
The answer must have pleased John. He smiled. Not an easy happy smile. The predatory smile of a killer. “You just keep that in mind, Louie. We’ll both be happier that way.”
He walked back inside, and Cyrus followed because it was expected. He was on night shift, working until dawn. It was his first all-nighter, and from what he gathered, it meant he was moving up in John’s esteem. No reason why he wouldn’t be. He’d done everything he’d been asked, and his cover story was faultless and foolproof. All the paperwork in order, all the background stuff put in place by HEART.
“What else do we have on the agenda for tonight?” he asked as he entered the building.
“We’ve got a shipment coming in at two.” John glanced at his watch. “You’re going to help unload.”
Cyrus’s pulse jumped. He’d witnessed a couple of deliveries being made, but he had no idea what was in any of the boxes that had been unloaded and locked into storage units at the edge of the compound. He’d asked and been told to mind his own business. He had, because he’d still been searching for Lark, and he hadn’t wanted to get himself into trouble before he located her.
“You want me to run patrol while I’m waiting?” he asked, making sure to keep his expression neutral.
“I want you to go back to the trailer.”
“The one with the woman in it?”
“What other one have we been discussing tonight?” John responded as he walked into the monitor room. Seven computers. Seven security guards. None of the men looked all that excited to be watching the screens. The way Cyrus heard things, nothing much ever happened at Amos Way. People in the community followed the rules because they wanted to. They’d come to break free of temptation and sin, to aspire to the higher living that their leader preached. That had worked out well for Elijah. Whatever he’d started here in Amos Way, whatever secret he’d hired John and his team to protect, it had been safe for a long time.
Not any longer, though. Not if Cyrus had anything to do with it.
“I want you to go back here.” John tapped the screen that showed the inside of the trailer. Lark
lay exactly where Cyrus had left her, lying on her back, her hands on her stomach. Only someone who knew she was holding something would notice that one hand was fisted and the other was slack.
“Why?” he asked, and John frowned.
“You know what, Louie? I don’t like questions. I like my men to wait for orders and to keep quiet until they get them.”
“Then maybe you should talk a little faster,” he responded and wasn’t surprised when the bored kids watching the monitors glanced their way.
“Maybe you should watch your mouth,” John snapped.
“Sorry.”
John eyed him for a moment, then nodded. “Good. You need to learn the rules, and you need to follow them. That’s the way things are here. Now,” he said, tapping the screen again. “Back to our problem. The woman took something from Elijah. He wants it back. You want to earn your place on my team, you’re going to get her to tell you where she hid it.”
“You got rules of engagement?” he asked.
“Nah. Anything goes. Just make sure you get the information before two. We ship her out when the delivery comes in.”
Ship her out?
Was that code word for terminate?
He didn’t ask. Louis Morgan wouldn’t care.
He nodded. “You got a place I can question her?”
“What’s wrong with the trailer?”
“Too close to the community. I wouldn’t want anyone to hear her scream.”
John frowned. “I didn’t say torture her. I said question her.”
Maybe the guy had some morals. Maybe he wasn’t as far down the rung of humanity as Cyrus had thought. “You said no rules.”
“One rule. Don’t kill her. Two. Don’t bring the community down on our heads. We’re the good guys here, Louie. You gotta keep that in mind.”
“That’s exactly why I want to bring her where no one will hear our little exchange.” He smiled. “You leave it to me, boss. I’ll get it done.” Happily, because this was the perfect opportunity to get Lark out of the trailer without having the entire security team come down on them both. That would be a good start to getting her out of the compound, but it would only be a start. The compound was almost as well guarded as Fort Knox.
John hesitated. Then nodded. “Do what you have to do to get Elijah’s property back.”
“What is it she took?”
“That’s not something you need to know.”
“I can’t ask for it, if I don’t know what it is.”
John scowled, his fingers brushing the handle of his Glock. “You questioning my methods, Louie?”
“Just trying to get a handle on the mission,” Cyrus responded.
“She’ll know what it is. Get the information, and there’s a good bonus in it for you.”
“And a move from the common barracks?” he asked, because he figured John would expect him to.
“That, too.”
“Then, I guess I’d better get started.” He stalked from the house without looking back, walked back to the trailer. He’d spent the past few days studying the compound’s layout, memorizing the location and angle of every security camera. There weren’t many places that weren’t under surveillance. The old church was one of them. It was also one of the only buildings that had a computer in it. If he could access that, he could hack into the mainframe that ran the security cameras, cut them off and get Lark out.
One thing at a time, Mitchell.
He could almost hear Stella Silverstone’s voice. They’d been on more than one mission together, and she’d have accompanied him on this one if he hadn’t been working for free. She’d offered to go with him anyway, but he didn’t want to owe her. Not the way he owed Essex.
Not the way he owed Amber.
He shoved the thought away, refusing to think about the promise he made, the one he hadn’t been able to fulfill.
He unlocked the trailer door, glanced over his shoulder and saw John slip behind an outbuilding.
The guy pretended to trust Cyrus, but he was suspicious. That would make things more difficult but not impossible. Never impossible.
Even in the worst of circumstances, a way out could be found. A good thing to keep in mind on a night like this.
Copyright © 2015 by Shirlee McCoy
ISBN-13: 9781460383193
Security Breach
Copyright © 2015 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Margaret Daley for her contribution to the Capitol K-9 Unit miniseries.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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www.Harlequin.com
NOWHERE LEFT TO HIDE
Tracy Murray had thought she’d be safe disappearing in the wilds of Alaska after her testimony put away a gang leader. But the gang symbol tattooed on an attacker’s arm means the clock has run out. She’s been found—and she knows the killers won’t let her escape alive again. She can’t fight an entire gang alone—she needs help. But when she finds herself relying on widowed firefighter David Warren, a new struggle emerges. Fleeing Alaska and cutting all ties could be the only way to survive…but it would mean leaving her heart behind.
Mountain Cove: In the Alaskan wilderness, love and danger collide
“Shh… Tracy, it’s okay.” He hugged her tighter and ran his hand down her red hair.
A tenderness he hadn’t felt since his wife had been still alive kindled inside him. David wanted to release Tracy. He needed to release her, but she needed him right now.
She shook her head, her face still pressed into his shoulder. “No, it’s not going to be okay.”
David eased her from him and gripped her shoulders to look into her tear-reddened but still beautiful silver-blue eyes. “I’m so sorry about what you came across today, but Jay is going to be all right. And the police are searching for the guy who did this.”
“You don’t understand.” Shaking her head, she moved away from him.
“Why don’t you tell me, then? Is it the man who shoved Jay over today that has you upset and scared? Or is there something more?” The question sounded too personal, but he couldn’t think of any other way to say it.
“Yes, there’s more.” Tracy stared into the fire.
“I’m listening. Tell me.”
“I was the key witness in a murder trial. The killer on the mountain might be here for me.”
Elizabeth Goddard is an award-winning author of over twenty novels, including the romantic mystery The Camera Never Lies—winner of a prestigious Carol Award in 2011. After acquiring her computer science degree, she worked at a software firm before eventually retiring to raise her four children and become a professional writer. In addition to writing, she homeschools her children and serves with her husband in ministry.
Books by Elizabeth Goddard
Love Inspired Suspense
Freezing Point
Treacherous Skies
Riptide
Wilderness Peril
Mountain Cove
>
Buried
Untraceable
Backfire
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.
Backfire
By Elizabeth Goddard
And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose.
—Romans 8:28
This story is dedicated to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—who gave the ultimate sacrifice when He laid down His life to save us. And to all the first responders, search and rescue volunteers and firefighters, who give their time and energy, face dangers of the worst kind, to help others. I pray God’s grace and many blessings for you. Last, but never least, I dedicate all my stories to my husband and children, who give me the time and space I need to create stories, with a special dedication to my daughter, Rachel, a real princess.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to all my writing friends who have encouraged me along the way, and a special thank-you to Teresa Haugh for providing me with the important details to keep this story true to the southeast Alaska setting. I can’t thank my agent, Steve Laube, enough for believing in my work early on, and to my editor Elizabeth Mazer—thank you for making each story the best it can be!
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
Love Inspired Suspense June 2015 #1 Page 20