“What about the evidence he needs to show me?”
“It’s going to have to wait. Sorry.”
Mark hung up and started back to the cabin. He hoped his feeling of impending doom was wrong. But it rarely was. Besides, this whole situation had proven to be a disaster left and right.
* * *
Laney had been pacing since Mark left, feeling beside herself with worry and agitation. How could she have been so stupid? She should have known better. But, as always, she too easily trusted. She believed the best in people when she shouldn’t.
And now everything was a mess. Her heart included. As if she didn’t have enough going wrong without letting her romantic feelings for Mark grow.
That did it. She had to do something useful. She grabbed her laundry into a big pile, explained to one of her guards that she was going to put a load in, and then she went downstairs to the basement.
She took her time loading the washer, pacing as water filled the basin.
The basement was fascinating with lots of closets and storage. She wondered who’d lived there before, how law enforcement had come to use the place, and who else they’d hidden there.
She paused by an abnormality on the wall. A breeze seemed to seep through the cracks in the paneling there. Interesting.
She felt along the section, looking for any kind of evidence that her hunch was correct. She didn’t see any kind of lever. She glanced at the floor. There was no sign that this was a door—no scrape marks or hinges or handles. But she was determined to do something to occupy her thoughts. This seemed just as good as anything else.
In a last-ditch effort, she placed her fingertips in the cracks and tugged. To her surprise, the wall moved.
Bingo!
She pulled the panel back and saw a wine closet on the other side. Brilliant design, she mused. There wasn’t a speck of daylight to be seen in this room, and the darkness would help preserve the liquid.
As the water pouring into the washing machine stopped for a moment, another sound filled her ears.
What was that?
She froze, listening more closely.
Before she could ascertain what was going on, the machine kicked back on. She rushed toward it and turned it off, carefully closing the lid.
She’d heard something unusual. She just needed to figure out what.
As she glanced at the narrow window at the top of the wall, she quickly knew the answer.
Men were outside the cabin.
She didn’t need to see them to know they were the bad guys. Somehow, they’d found her.
She started back upstairs to warn her guards when she heard the first gunshot.
The men were inside.
And they’d taken down her security detail.
Panic rushed through her. They were going to find her. And when they did they’d torture her until she did what they wanted.
She had to act. Now.
She rushed toward the wine cellar and pulled the door back, careful to be quiet. Then she slipped inside the dark space and carefully closed the door, concealing herself.
Her heart pounded in her ears. Would her plan work? She had no idea.
Dear Lord, please close the eyes of those pursuing me. Please keep me hidden.
As she muttered “amen,” she heard movement. Someone was coming down the stairs, she realized.
She quickly turned her phone’s light on and shone it around the room. Cobwebs hung in corners and shelves. Numerous bottles of wine rested in the spaces meant to cradle them. But that was it. There was nowhere to hide in this room. There was no escape if those men found her. She’d be cornered.
She closed her eyes and flipped off the flashlight app before pressing herself against the door. If only there was some kind of lock.
Wait—had she closed it all the way?
She ran her hand down the edge and it felt flat. Relief filled her.
Footsteps sounded right outside the door.
Her breath caught. The men hunting her were close.
Were they close enough to feel her terror? She knew the thought was ridiculous, but her terror felt palatable. She halfway feared her heartbeat was just as loud for them as it was in her own ears.
Calm down, Laney. Stay rational.
“Where is she?” a deep voice said on the other side of the door.
“Maybe she knew we were coming and ran.”
“How would she have known?” Deep Voice said.
“Beats me. Maybe Detective James took her with him.”
“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” Deep Voice growled. “Besides, if not that, then where did she go? She couldn’t just disappear.”
“We’ve searched every inch of this place, and she’s not here. You tell me what happened.”
The other man grunted. “Nikolae isn’t going to be happy.”
“What should we do?”
“Let’s check this place out one more time. And then we’ll have no choice but to tell Vasile what’s going on.”
Just then a shadow filled the crack of the doorway where she hid.
She held her breath.
Had they discovered her hideout?
SEVENTEEN
Mark hit the accelerator harder than necessary as he sped back toward the cabin. With every minute that passed, his certainty that something was wrong was only solidified. The pieces just weren’t adding up.
It was almost as if he could feel trouble approaching like a deadly storm on the horizon. He couldn’t get back to the cabin fast enough. When he pulled down the gravel lane leading toward the safe house, his gut clenched.
On the surface, everything appeared okay. There was no sign that anything bad had happened. No strange cars, mysterious men, broken windows.
But Mark still wasn’t convinced.
As soon as he stepped from the car, he drew his gun. His gaze scanned the woods, looking for any signs of trouble.
He didn’t see anyone.
He glanced down at the dirt comprising the driveway. Footsteps were stamped there. Military-style boots.
None of his men wore that type of shoe.
His gut clenched tighter.
He considered calling for backup but changed his mind. The whole scenario that had just played out with Jim and the captain was part of what left him feeling unsettled. He’d almost felt like someone was trying to lure him out of the cabin. He hoped his gut was wrong. Prayed it was wrong, for that matter.
He hurried toward the front door and planted himself against the wall, listening for any telltale sounds inside.
Silence stretched around him.
Moving quickly, he pivoted toward the entryway and threw the door open.
Devon lay on the floor. Blood stained the area near his heart.
Mark’s stomach dropped. No. Not Devon.
He leaned down and quickly checked for a pulse. Just as he feared, there was nothing there.
The ominous storm he felt approaching on the horizon grew darker, scarier and more imminent by the moment.
What had happened here while he was gone?
Remaining on the edge of the room, he checked each area of the first floor. It didn’t look like much of a fight had ensued. Most likely his men had been ambushed. In a sneak attack. The bad guys must have appeared from nowhere and ended their lives with a quick pull of the trigger.
He reached the back door and found Eric dead, the same MO as Devon.
God rest their souls.
But where was Laney? Had the men grabbed her and run? He would check the upstairs and the basement first before calling the FBI. He needed to have all of his facts straight before taking any more action.
His shoulders felt heavy, like something unseen
pressed on them with every step he took. None of this was supposed to happen. He was supposed to watch over Laney. And after their last conversation, she probably now thought that she was just a job to him and nothing more.
That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
But would he ever have the chance to tell her that?
He hurried upstairs and checked under the beds and in the closet. It was clear.
Finally he went down to the basement. At his first step on the stairs, he heard a creak at the bottom. He instantly went on guard.
Was someone still there? Were they waiting to ambush him?
Cautiously, he lowered himself down toward the bottom, bracing himself with every step he took. He prayed he wouldn’t find Laney like he’d found Devon or Eric. Prayed that she was okay. That somehow she was safe.
At the bottom of the stairs, he paused and scanned the area.
Nothing seemed out of place.
Except for a pile of clothes. Laney’s clothes.
Had she come down there to do laundry? Had the men shown up when she did?
His throat tightened as an image of him finding Laney in a dark corner, also with a bullet hole through her chest, filled his thoughts.
Except that those men didn’t want to kill her. They wanted—needed—her alive.
He turned sharply to the left by the stairway, making sure no one was waiting for him there. There was no one.
He opened the first door he came to—a closet of some kind. On the other side was a water heater and some cleaning supplies. No one. Nothing.
He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or even more upset.
He went to the next closet. Inside there were only boxes.
He sighed. There was no one down there and nowhere else to hide.
Did that mean they’d taken Laney? How was he going to get her back?
Before he could formulate his next thought, he heard movement.
He drew his gun and prepared for the worst.
* * *
Laney saw the shadow pass over the slight, thin crack where the wine cellar door met the wall. Her heartbeat went into hyperdrive again.
Were the men back?
It had been silent for twenty minutes. She thought for sure the men had left, but she wanted to be careful, just in case they were waiting for her to emerge. She didn’t want to hand them a victory, especially if she had any control over it.
She waited for several minutes while silence stretched again.
Maybe she’d been hearing things. Or maybe whoever it had been had left. Could she dare to hope? She couldn’t stay there forever. Eventually she had to face the darkness on the other side of this wall.
She nudged the door open a crack, praying as she did so. Her muscles trembled and she could hardly breathe.
She peered through to the basement on the other side. In her limited line of vision, everything appeared okay. She didn’t see any men hiding or strange shadows or signs of violence.
Drawing in a deep breath of courage, she shoved the door farther, trying to be as quiet as possible. Before stepping completely out, she took one more survey of the room and saw no one.
Maybe she had been hearing things.
Just to be safe, she grabbed one of the old wine bottles and held it like a club. It wouldn’t be much protection against a bullet, but having something in her hands made her feel more prepared somehow. It was better than nothing.
She stepped out. As soon as she did, she sensed someone behind her.
She gasped and turned.
“Laney?” Mark. He stood there, waiting with his gun drawn. Ready to attack. To lunge. To fight.
Her muscles went weak so quickly that she dropped the bottle and it shattered on the floor. At once Mark gathered her in his arms.
“You’re okay,” he muttered.
“You’re here.” She could hardly believe her eyes.
“I thought for sure they’d gotten you.” He cradled her head against his chest.
Laney could feel his heart pounding beneath her ear. He’d been worried. Even after everything that had happened. Even after revealing that she was just a job.
He’d still come back for her. That made her want to do cartwheels.
At once she remembered the reality of the situation. “How are the guys upstairs?” she asked.
He stepped back just far enough to look her in the eye. Sorrow lined the depths of his gaze. “They...they didn’t make it, Laney.”
She shook her head. She’d known. Deep in her heart she’d known Devon and Eric hadn’t made it. But she’d hoped for different results. She pressed the corners of her eyes as moisture pooled there.
“This is all my fault.”
“Don’t go there. You didn’t pull the trigger.” Mark wiped away a stray tear before pressing his lips into her forehead. When he stepped back, his eyes looked serious and grim. “We’re going to have to talk later and get out of here now. Okay? I don’t know where these guys went, but they could come back.”
She pulled herself together for long enough to nod. “Okay.”
As he led her up the stairs, a flutter of nerves rushed through her. What would she see up there? She didn’t want to face it.
“Close your eyes,” Mark instructed, almost as if he could read her thoughts. “You don’t want to see this, Laney. You’ll never forget. Ever.”
The stark reality of his statement hit her. They were going to have to pass either Devon or Eric or both. Dead. It wasn’t something she wanted to see.
“Mark, I need my purse and the computer in the bedroom,” she said, trying to focus on their mission.
“Wait here and I’ll get them for you.”
“Thank you.”
He hurried into her bedroom. She’d hidden both her phone and the computer in a safe in her closet. Mark had helped her find the hiding spot, so he knew exactly where they were located.
Laney kept her eyes on the wooden floor of the cabin. She was too scared to look anywhere else, too frightened at the possibility of what she might see. She already knew the horrors that had taken place there. The pictures she conjured up in her mind were enough to give her nightmares.
Enough to send her tumbling back in time to when she’d found...Nate.
Just as her mind started replaying that day, Mark appeared. “Let’s go.”
Thankfully he’d come when he had. She squeezed her eyes shut as he pulled her by the couch and table. She didn’t open them again until she felt the gravel beneath her feet. As soon as she knew it was safe, she darted toward Mark’s car.
Her heart pounded furiously as she climbed into the front seat. Without wasting any time, he took off down the road. It wasn’t until five minutes into their trip that either of them spoke.
“I’ve got to call the FBI and let them know what’s going on,” Mark said.
“Of course.”
There was so much she wanted to say to him. But was this the right moment?
Yes, she decided. She didn’t know how much more time they had. This could very well be their last day. She didn’t want to believe that. She wanted to hope that this situation was survivable. But she wasn’t sure about that. These guys were determined to see them captured and eventually dead. Because that’s how she would end up. They would torture her until they got what they wanted. But when all was said and done, she would be killed.
The thought gave her a dose of bravery. She had no time to waste.
Finally, Mark ended his call and turned to her. They were twenty minutes away from the cabin, closer to the mountains and farther from Richmond. He pulled off at an abandoned road and put the car in Park.
“I let the FBI know. They’re going to go to the cabin with a team to investigate. I have orders to keep you safe
and hidden.”
His words caused a lump to form in her throat. “I understand.”
He grabbed her hand. “I don’t think you do.”
“You’re doing your job. I get that.”
“It’s more than that, Laney. Sure, it started as an assignment. You started as an assignment. But it’s turned into so much more.”
“What do you mean?” She had to ask for clarity. No more assumptions. Her heart couldn’t handle them.
His eyes crinkled in thought. “You’re all I can think about. I only want to be with you. I can’t imagine never seeing you again when this case is done.”
She could hardly swallow, hardly breathe. “Really?”
“Really. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. But I’m afraid people have been poisoning my thoughts. I should have never fallen for it.”
“We’ve both believed things we shouldn’t have.”
His fingers brushed her cheek. “I’m sorry, Laney.”
Her heart seemed to melt at his touch, his tenderness, his care. “I am too.”
“I said this earlier and I meant it. When this is all over, I’d love to explore...us. I never thought I’d say that. That I’d want to give love a chance. But with you I do.”
Her breath caught. “I feel the same way. You’ve made me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time, Mark.”
He gently brushed his lips against hers. The tension between them seemed to draw them together. Even when they pulled away, their foreheads still touched.
Her heart pounded in her ears as every sense seemed to become alive and hypersensitive in his presence, at his touch, at his nearness.
“What now?” Laney asked.
Just as the words left her mouth, her cell phone rang.
She glanced at the screen, her eyes widening with disbelief as she looked back at Mark.
“It’s Sarah,” she whispered.
EIGHTEEN
“Sarah?” Laney whispered.
“Laney? Is that you? Is it really you?”
“It’s me. Sarah, where are you?” Laney rushed as she put the phone on Speaker so Mark could hear.
“I’m at this old house near Staunton,” she muttered. “I heard the guys talking about the town, but I don’t know where we are exactly.”
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