“Have them put on some warm clothes,” Ethan said. “Quick.”
Ramirez looked stunned. “What is this?”
“What does it look like? We’re taking them with us.”
“This was not part of our bargain.”
“It is now. That is, if you want off this island before Cox’s reinforcements arrive.” Ethan turned to Danny. “Where’s the boys’ dorm?”
“It’s just down the hall.”
“You promised me answers,” Ramirez said.
“These kids are your answers.”
“Ethan.” Sydney stepped forward, giving Ramirez a wide berth. “He’s right. We can’t leave without proof of what’s going on here.”
Right now, all he cared about was getting everyone out of here alive. “We’re leaving.”
“Cox will try to gather records.” She acted as if Ethan hadn’t spoken. “Notes, laboratory findings, whatever he can put his hands on. He’ll download what he needs and destroy the rest. We have to stop him.”
“It’s suicide, Sydney.”
She turned to Danny. “Where would Cox get access to those files?”
“Dr. Turner’s office,” Danny answered. “It’s in the administration building. I can take you.”
“Wait a minute—,” Ethan started.
“No, you go with the others and I’ll catch up. Ethan, tell me where to meet you.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“I will go with her,” Ramirez offered.
Ethan turned on the assassin. “Like hell.”
“I don’t want him anywhere near me,” Sydney said, without even glancing at Ramirez. “Now, tell me where to meet you.”
Ethan felt like the only sane person in the room, but he knew he was wasting his breath trying to change Sydney’s mind. “Okay, look. We can’t all go traipsing around this facility. I’ll take you to Turner’s office and—”
“I’m going with you,” Danny insisted. “I know the Haven’s computer system better than anyone.”
The boy was right. Besides, he was every bit as stubborn as Sydney and not likely to back down. “Okay, you’re with us. Ramirez, take the girls and get the boys from down the hall.”
Holding up his hands, Ramirez backed away.
“I’ll get your proof,” Ethan said. “I give you my word. Just get these kids to safety.”
The assassin scanned the small faces, and Ethan understood his reservations. Setting explosives and facing an army of mercenaries was one thing, being responsible for young lives was something else entirely. Something neither of them had succeeded at before.
“There’s a boat waiting to pick us up on the north side of the island. It belongs to Tony Rio, and since he owes you his life, he should be very accommodating.”
“I’ll go with you.” Callie stepped forward and took Ramirez’s hand. He stiffened. “I know the back way out of the building.” She lifted soft blue eyes to the assassin. “And the quickest way through the woods.”
Ramirez looked ready to bolt.
“It’s okay,” she said. “Danny and I did it the last time we ran away.” She smiled, and Ramirez visibly folded.
“Okay, listen,” Ethan said. “There’s no landing dock on the north shore, just a small cove. The boat will be waiting in deep water, so you’ll have to signal before they send a dinghy ashore.” Ethan glanced at Callie, then refocused on the other man. “Lift your weapon over your head with both hands.”
Ramirez nodded his understanding, and Callie turned to gather the others. Then Ramirez took over, barking orders like a drill sergeant. “You children, stay together and behind me.”
“Ramirez,” Ethan said as they headed for the door. The assassin stopped. Ethan moved in close, where only Ramirez could hear. “You better be on that beach when we get there.”
“Do not worry about that, amigo. You and I have unfinished business.”
Once they’d gone, Ethan checked the Uzi. It wasn’t a weapon he’d normally have chosen, but considering the resistance they might encounter, he was grateful for the added firepower. “Okay, Danny, which way?”
The boy led them back down the stairs and across to the administration building. From outside came the occasional burst of an automatic weapon or a small rumble as one of Ramirez’s fires reached another source of fuel. Inside, everything remained quiet, but Ethan knew that wouldn’t last. They were running out of time, with only minutes before what remained of Cox’s forces decided to search the building.
Not surprisingly, the door to Turner’s outer office was locked.
Ethan pressed a hand to his lips, then gestured for Sydney and Danny to stand back. One hard kick, and the door splintered open. Inside, Cox’s man went for his weapon and died, spraying bullets as lead from Ethan’s Uzi caught him in the chest. Ethan crossed to the inner office, slamming through the door as Cox leapt from his chair and fumbled for the Colt in his pocket.
He was too slow.
Ethan pinned him against the far wall. “You son of a bitch, I ought to kill you right now.”
“But you won’t.” Even with Ethan’s hands around his throat, Cox was arrogant as hell. “You don’t have the balls.”
Ethan tightened his grip.
“Don’t,” Sydney said. “Let the authorities take care of him.”
Yeah, right. Men like Cox somehow always managed to slip through the legal system’s fingers, but Ethan let him live. For now. “Danny, find me something to tie him up with.”
Sydney settled in front of the computer. “Looks like he already started the download, medical records, the children’s files. It’s going to save us time.”
Danny helped Ethan bind and gag Cox, using cords from the blinds and towels from Turner’s private bathroom, then went to help Sydney.
Ethan took a position at the door. “How long will this take?”
“Just a few . . .”
He glanced back at her. “What is it?”
Danny looked confused, but Sydney obviously understood what she was seeing. She keyed in more commands. “I’ll tell you later. Just give me a few minutes.”
Turning his attention back to the silent hallway, Ethan knew they were about out of time. It had been several minutes since he’d heard anything from outside, and his recent exchange of gunfire with Cox’s guard would call attention to the building. “Come on, Sydney, hurry.”
She didn’t answer, the clicking of the keyboard echoing through the room. Finally, she pushed away from the desk. “That’s it. Let’s get out of here.”
“Have you got it?” Ethan asked.
“You bet.” She held up a CD, gave him a half smile, then slipped it into her pocket. “Oh, one more thing.” She turned, walked over to Cox, and slapped him across the face. Then, she joined Danny and Ethan at the door. “Okay, let’s go.”
As they left Cox’s office, Ethan recognized the sound of running boots pounding against tile. “Get us out of here,” he said to Danny. “Fast.”
The boy took off, threading his way deeper into the building with Ethan and Sydney right behind him. Finally they reached a large storage area filled with boxes and crates. It was the loading dock, and the back door out of the building.
Ethan had to admit: The boy was good.
Outside, the cool damp air hit him, along with a greater sense of foreboding. Their pursuers weren’t far behind. He could almost feel them breathing down his neck. The temptation to face them was great, the need to turn the game around almost overwhelming.
Gripping Sydney’s arm, he followed Danny into the woods. They hadn’t gone far when Ethan slowed, sensing something ahead. “Danny, wait.”
He half turned at Ethan’s command, then fell back as someone stepped into their path. A man held a boy in a choke hold, a .38 automatic pointed at the kid’s head.
Danny stepped toward them. “Adam?”
“Danny, no.” Ethan aimed the Uzi at the pair, knowing damn well he couldn’t use it. “Whoever you are, let the boy go.”
“I’m a doctor here, Dr. Paul Turner, and I need your help.” He shifted his hold on Adam, tightening it and using his body as a shield. “I don’t want to hurt him.”
“You’re not doing a great job of convincing me of that.”
“I just want off this island.” Turner’s hands visibly shook. “Is that too much to ask?”
“Drop that weapon and we’ll talk.”
“Put down yours first.”
Ethan might risk a head shot with the Glock or even the .44 under his arm, but not the Uzi. “I’m putting it down.” He positioned himself in front of Danny and Sydney and held out the weapon, slowly laying it on the ground. “There. Now let the boy go.”
“Do I have your word you’ll get me off this island?”
“No promises until you put down that gun.” Ethan sensed Danny behind him, then felt the hard butt of a knife pressing against his spine.
“I’ll kill him.” Turner yanked the boy closer. “I swear.”
Ethan believed him. The man was too rattled to think clearly and realize that with Adam dead, he’d have no leverage.
“You win.” Ethan raised his left hand, counting on the darkness to conceal the other behind him, and accepted the open blade from Danny. “Keep the gun. But you can’t walk through the woods holding Adam like that.”
Turner hesitated, his eyes darting toward the complex as distant shouts reached them. Cox’s men had obviously regrouped.
“We don’t have a lot of time.” Ethan looked directly at the boy in Turner’s grasp, hoping Danny and Callie weren’t the only gutsy kids on this island. “If they catch us, we’re all dead.”
Adam’s eyes remained steady, resolved, as he gave Ethan a single nod of understanding. The voices drew closer, and Turner became more agitated. “Are you—”
Adam rammed his elbow into Turner’s gut. He grunted, his hold loosening. Adam dove forward, and Ethan hurled the knife, both finding their target at the same instant. The boy hitting the ground, the knife burying itself in Turner’s throat.
Sydney and Danny were at Adam’s side, helping him up, before Turner’s body hit the ground. Ethan retrieved his knife and turned to the others. “You okay, Adam?”
He nodded. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Ethan grabbed the Uzi, and they started up again, running this time, the shouts chasing them. They wouldn’t make it, Ethan realized, not this way. He slowed. “Danny, go on ahead and get Sydney and Adam to the boat.”
“Where are you—”
The others stopped, too, and Ethan waved them on. “I’ll be right behind you. Go on.”
He thought the boy would argue, but for once he seemed ready to follow orders. He punched Adam lightly in the shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Hey,” Ethan said. Danny looked back at him, and Ethan tossed him the knife. “Good job.”
Danny grinned. “We’ll wait for you on the beach.”
Ethan turned back, fading into the thick woods. No longer the hunted, now he was the hunter. And the men on the trail had just become his prey.
He slipped into the shadows of a nearby tangle of wild rhododendrons. Crouching low, he watched. Two men appeared from the trees, their forms little more than dark silhouettes in the night. They moved cautiously. Too many of their comrades had died tonight for them to ignore the danger. Nor could they have missed Turner’s body a ways back.
Ethan waited for them to pass.
He took the first from behind, bringing the butt of the Uzi down on his skull. The lead man turned, and Ethan kicked the weapon from his hand then swung around, driving an elbow into the man’s temple, dropping him where he stood.
With both men sprawled on the forest floor, Ethan squatted and turned their faces to see their features. He’d expected—had hoped for—Morrow, but didn’t have time to waste on disappointment when he recognized neither man.
He needed to move.
Surging to his feet, he followed in Danny’s wake. Maybe Morrow was already dead, caught by Ramirez’s deadly rifle.
A few minutes later, he broke through the trees onto the rocky beach. In the cove, two boats waited. The charter Rio had promised and beyond it, the Sea Devil.
“Damn, Rio.”
He’d gone after his precious boat on his own before Ethan had given him the all clear. Fortunately, several hundred yards to his right, the dinghy stood ready for its last launch, Ramirez at its helm eager to shove off. Danny and Sydney stood side by side at the edge of the water, watching the woods. Waiting for him.
Yet, something was wrong.
Ethan started forward, scanning the surroundings. Nothing. Except a premonition of disaster pricking his spine. A gut feeling he’d learned never to ignore. Then a dark form emerged from the trees.
And time slipped out of synch. Slowing.
“No!” The word tore from Ethan’s lungs, a long echoing single syllable. He stumbled over the rocks, his legs heavy, leading with the Uzi, firing.
Too far.
Ramirez swung around, a man in slow motion. First toward Ethan, then the other. His mouth opened. A warning. And dove forward, a dark explosion bursting from his chest as he knocked Danny to the sand.
Time shifted into motion, returning.
And the sound of Ethan’s scream ripped through the night, punctuated by the staccato of automatic-weapon fire as he emptied the Uzi into John Morrow.
Too late.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
STRONG, UNFAMILIAR HANDS helped Sydney into the waiting boat, then hauled up the body of Marco Ramirez. Ethan clambered aboard last, and after exchanging a few quick words with him, the two strangers quickly descended into the dinghy and pushed off.
“They’re heading back to the Sea Devil,” Ethan said, nodding toward the second craft anchored outside the cove. “They don’t want to be around if anyone comes after us.”
Sydney’s stomach tightened, a sensation she’d grown all too familiar with these last days. “And will they?”
“That depends on if Cox was on top of the food chain or . . .” He broke off, suddenly focusing on her, as if seeing her for the first time. “Forget them. What about you, Syd?” Lifting a hand, he brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “Did Cox or any of his thugs hurt you?”
She fought the sting of tears, Ethan’s concern threatening her control in ways nothing else could. “No, they didn’t touch me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She stepped back, away from his touch and the temptation to seek reassurance in his arms. Later. When this was done, they’d have time for comfort, and maybe more. “Shouldn’t we be leaving?”
He hesitated, glanced around, then nodded. “Yeah. Check on the kids, while I get us out of here.” He turned away, stopped, and looked back at her one last time before starting toward the bridge. “Danny, you’re with me.”
A few minutes later the engines rumbled to life and the deck tilted as the boat started to move. Then she went below, where the children had overwhelmed the cabin, covering every available surface, crowding together, little ones held by the older ones. In the absence of parents or adults who cared, they’d created their own family, and it about broke Sydney’s heart.
With Callie’s help, she tended them. Except for a few scratches and bruises, they’d come away from Haven Island unscathed. At least physically. She didn’t know about their emotional state. These children had lived all their lives on that island and knew nothing else. Some of them would adjust and take to the outside world as eagerly as Danny and Callie. Others wouldn’t.
For now, Callie circulated among them, calming them with just a touch or a word. So much power for one so young. She seemed to have the gift of a born healer, which was ironic, considering what Sydney knew about the girl.
She wondered what would become of Callie and her courageous brother. Or Adam, the oldest and obvious leader, who sat with the younger children gathered around him, telling them about his esca
pe as if it were a tale from a child’s adventure book. What about the others, who knew nothing about what men had made of them?
Everything inside her ached for these children, for the lives that had been stolen from them. They may have escaped the island, but their nightmare had just begun.
When Danny came down, Sydney went topside. The cool air washed over her, but did little to ease her mind. She joined Ethan on the bridge, trying not to look at the canvas-covered body strapped to the deck. In the end, Marco Ramirez had exchanged his life for Danny’s. She couldn’t reconcile that with what Cox had told her about Nicky’s death. No, not his death, his murder.
“How are things below?” Ethan asked.
She wrapped her arms around her waist. “Okay.”
Noticing, Ethan took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She knew better than to protest and slipped her arms into the sleeves, the lingering scent of the man doing more to warm her than the jacket. “Thank you.”
“I radioed ahead to the local authorities,” he said. “And told them we’re transporting a couple dozen kids who’ve been held captive.”
“I suppose that’s for the best.” Although she hated the idea of these children being shuffled into yet another system. Once the world found out about them, they’d end up caged again.
“The sheriff’s department will meet us when we dock.” He fell silent, while the steady whoosh of water against the hull infused the night with a false serenity.
After a few minutes, he asked, “Did Adam explain how he ended up in the woods with Turner?”
She eased into the seat beside Ethan. “He was in the infirmary, after a bout with the same flu as Callie. A male nurse was watching him, but when things started blowing up, the man went to investigate.” She pressed her lips together and shrugged. “Adam took off but ran into Turner in the woods.”
“He was lucky,” Ethan said. “If not for Turner, Adam might not have found us.”
Maybe. But she wished he and Danny had been spared the sight of Ethan’s knife in Turner’s throat.
Shivering, she pulled Ethan’s jacket tighter around her and scanned the dark waters. The second boat was no longer in sight. She couldn’t blame them. Not after what she’d seen in those files. These children were more valuable than she’d realized. And more dangerous.
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