by Cate Noble
Sunlee had risen from the table and stepped outside the room to speak with one of the guards. When she returned, she was pale and visibly upset. “We go back to room. Now.”
Maddy stood. “Sunlee, what is wrong?”
“Upstairs. Quickly!”
In the hall, two guards stood before a recessed cabinet handing out compact submachine guns and ammo clips to other guards who seemed to stream out of the woodwork, but no one gave the two women a second glance.
From outside came the sounds of a helicopter— no, multiple helicopters—circling close.
The compound was under siege.
Maddy’s hopes soared. They were coming for her. Travis hadn’t let them forsake her.
Sunlee tugged Maddy’s forearm. “Come.”
They swept up the wide staircase as several more guards rushed down. The second-floor landing was deserted as they hurried toward the bedroom Maddy had been assigned.
Inside the room, Sunlee went to answer the ringing telephone. Maddy moved to the window and shoved the drapes aside, wanting to give her rescuers a clear glimpse of where she was being held.
But the three helicopters parked on the estate’s sprawling lawn were all painted flat black except for the crimson red three-headed dragon stenciled near the tail rotor.
These were Tran’s own helicopters and his heavily armed men scrambled to get inside two of them. Another group of men headed for the third chopper. In their midst was Minh Tran himself.
That Tran was leaving was a good sign, right?
Sunlee grabbed Maddy’s arm and dragged her away from the window.
“What is wrong?” Maddy hid her elation by pretending to be frightened. “Are we under attack?”
Sunlee made a dismissive clicking sound with her tongue. “Here? Never! One of Master Tran’s enemies raided a warehouse. They will be dealt with harshly.”
The news deflated Maddy so swiftly she stumbled.
This wasn’t about her! She wasn’t being rescued. No one was coming for her.Ever.
The thought of remaining Minh Tran’s prisoner was intolerable. But if she wanted to escape this situation, she’d have to take matters into her own hands.
Outside the helicopters lifted off, one at a time.
“Your master must have a powerful enemy. He took a lot of men with him.” Maddy shivered and put her hands protectively over her stomach. “Are we safe?”
“Jengho Vato is more stupid than powerful. Master Tran will destroy him this time.” Sunlee crossed the room and began to fold back the covers of the bed. “Do not worry. By the time you wake up, it will be over.” Clearly, Sunlee intended to sedate her again.
Maddy moved closer to the bed. “May I remove this outfit before I lie down?”
Sunlee nodded and turned away to withdraw a syringe.
It’s now or never. Maddy grabbed her from behind, slipping one hand over Sunlee’s mouth, while snatching the syringe with her other hand. Then she swept Sunlee’s legs out from under her, taking her to the ground.
Maddy had the advantage of surprise and size, outweighing Sunlee by twenty pounds. It helped that Sunlee had bought into the notion of Maddy as a frightened wimp.
But Sunlee’s strength wasn’t dependent on size. She struggled, nearly bucking Maddy off her back. Maddy held tight, using her teeth to uncap the syringe before jamming the needle into Sunlee’s neck.
Sunlee bit her hand and Maddy bit her own tongue to keep from howling with pain. Almost immediately, Sunlee’s struggles slowed.
“Fast acting, isn’t it?” Maddy whispered. “It took me down in less than a minute last night.”
She remained on top of Sunlee until the woman’s body went totally limp. Then Maddy sprang up and carefully peeked out the window. The grounds appeared deserted now, the house eerily quiet.
She moved to the opposite window, to survey the back of the house. There were a large vegetable garden and some small outbuildings. A chain-link fence separated Tran’s property from the jungle beyond. The jungle was her best bet for hiding.
After moving to the door, Maddy cracked it open and peered out. The hall was deserted but she knew it was unlikely Tran had left the place unguarded. He also had housekeeping staff, whom Sunlee had mentioned used the back staircase.
She slipped off her heels and carried them as she flew down the hall. Dress shoes weren’t the best choice for an escape, but they were all she had.
Maddy crept down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as she could. If she was caught—
I won’t be!
At the bottom landing were two doors. Ignoring the one that led to the kitchen, she unlocked the other and stepped into the morning sun. Too late, she spotted the cameras mounted under the eaves.
Just go!
She ran for the closest section of fence and tossed her shoes over, then began to climb it, barefoot. The chain link sagged near the top, causing her to lose her balance. She wrapped her fingers around the wire as the fence started to sway.
She heard the bark of a dog and glanced over her shoulder. A large black and tan Doberman raced toward her, teeth bared.
Terrified of what the beast would do if it caught her, Maddy pushed up and threw a leg over the top. The sharp tips of the fence tore through her clothes and ripped her flesh.
The Doberman had reached the fence now and leaped straight up, snapping his jaws. She kicked as hard as she could, catching the dog’s ribs. The dog sailed backward and hit the ground with a yelp but immediately bounced up and launched into a more vigorous attack.
The dog jumped again. And this time, he latched on to Maddy’s foot.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Luc Skihawtra hadn’t expected a second uproar at Minh Tran’s compound. At least not yet.
Just before sunrise, while the guards ate breakfast in the kitchen, Luc had diverted the power to the section of fence at the back of Tran’s compound. Then he’d made a vertical cut in the chain links behind the gardener’s shed and slipped inside.
The crowded shed held yard tools and reeked of oil, gas, and chemicals. Keeping the grounds from reverting to jungle was a full-time job.
At nine A.M., the place went wild. Three helicopters swooped in and landed on the compound’s neatly manicured lawn. Luc had a perfect view from one of the shed’s dirty windows.
Travis Franks had promised to create a diversion and indeed it appeared he had.
Luc counted twenty-nine guards climbing into the choppers. Most of Tran’s contingent had left with him. As soon as the helicopters lifted away, Luc called Travis and reported the same. Plus a bonus.
“The woman is still here. I just saw her look out an upstairs window.”
Relief deepened Travis’s voice. “Stay put. My team will be there in twenty minutes. I’ll contact you when we’re in place.”
Minh Tran had been gone only a few minutes when Luc heard the bark of a guard dog. He grimaced, hoping the dog hadn’t picked up his scent. Luc had been told the dogs roamed free only at night, which allowed Tran’s kitchen staff to harvest vegetables from the gardens and hang laundry.
But it made sense that if Tran had taken most of his guards with him, he might have ordered the dogs left out as an extra precaution.
Except now the dog was growling and snapping, clearly on to something. Had Travis arrived early? Luc shifted to the back of the shed and peered out another window.
“No!”
Maddy, the woman they were here to rescue, straddled the top of the fence about fifteen feet away. The huge dog had grabbed her foot. Off balance, she nearly fell toward the dog. Then she overcorrected and fell in the opposite direction. That couldn’t be good for a pregnant woman.
Immediately she jumped up and ran into the jungle.
A second dog raced toward the other, both howling. Sounding an alarm. Guards would come out any second.
Luc grabbed a can of gasoline and emptied it, then fished out a lighter and struck it. He darted out of the shed, along the side away from the do
gs, and slipped out the fence. He paused long enough to shove the fence back in place and weave a stick into the wire so the dogs couldn’t follow.
Already smoke poured from the shed. Luc hoped the guards would think the dogs had been stirred up by the fire, buying him and the woman time.
Staying low, Luc tore out after the woman, checking his watch as he ran. Travis wouldn’t be there for another ten minutes. Luc needed to call him!
He now paralleled Maddy, could hear her labored breathing. But before he could call her name, she fell.
Luc leaped over a downed tree to get to her. He covered her mouth to keep her from screaming as he helped her up.
Maddy turned toward him, feinting left while delivering a solid roundhouse kick. She’d obviously had some training but still Luc sidestepped her next move.
“I’m Luc Skihawtra. Travis sent me to help you!”
Maddy shook her head as if she hadn’t heard him. “Travis sent you?” She held her side as if in pain.
“Yes.” Luc straightened and pressed a finger to his lips as a new noise caught his attention. “The dogs are loose. We must get away, fast! Can you run?”
Maddy nodded. “Go. I’ll follow.”
“No! You first. That way.” Luc pointed to her left. “Twenty yards. There is a small river. We can use it to throw them off our scent.”
Maddy charged forward as the sounds of yelping dogs grew louder.
“They’re coming!” she called over her shoulder.
“Just keep going!” Luc had his phone out and pressed buttons as he ran.
The phone rang three times and went to voice mail. Travis had told him to call another number, but there wasn’t time.
He left a message. “I have the woman. She escaped, but they are after us. We are headed northwest of the compound, toward the Si Nan River.”
A growl was all the warning Luc got as a dog lunged for Maddy.
“Go!” Luc threw himself in front of the dog.
The dog twisted away but leaped again, going straight for his throat. Luc caught the dog midair, grabbing him by the jaw and ears before breaking the dog’s neck.
There were shouts ordering them to stop. More barks grew closer as the dogs outraced their handler. Clearly the guards had emptied the kennels.
Luc headed after Maddy. She had reached the river but stopped, looking uncertain.
“You can swim?” he asked.
She nodded, then doubled over as she held her abdomen.
Luc saw blood on her thighs. Not good. But to stay meant worse from the dogs. The beasts were trained to kill.
“Let’s go before they catch us.” Maddy waded into the water.
“Float,” Luc hissed. “The current will carry us without much noise.”
He crossed the river and ran up the side of the opposite bank, making a few footprints before diving back into the water. He hoped the guards would think they’d crossed to the other side.
Luc quickly caught up with Maddy and moved beside her. Behind them, the barking grew frantic as the dogs reached the riverbank. He signaled for her to remain quiet as they continued to float farther away.
Maddy continued to clutch her abdomen, clearly in pain. Luc realized she had likely suffered a miscarriage. His phone was ruined now, leaving him no way to reach help.
Had Travis gotten his message in time to redirect? Or was he back at Tran’s preparing to invade?
“We’ll get out soon,” Luc told her. “Before the river goes underground. We should be well ahead of them.”
“Thank you for helping me.”
Luc shrugged. “I’m not sure you needed help. I watched you climb that fence.”
“Where is Travis?” Her voice cracked.
“I’m not sure,” Luc answered. “I was waiting for him when I saw the dog attack you. And I’m sure I’ve ruined my phone.”
The river widened and Luc steered her toward the bank. “Easy. It’s a steep climb.”
Once they were free of the river, he noticed she’d lost her shoes.
“You won’t make it far in bare feet.” Luc knelt down in front of her. “Climb on my back.”
“I’m bleeding,” Maddy protested.
“I know. Another reason not to walk.”
Luc felt her hands grip his shoulder. He stood as soon as she leaned into him. She didn’t weigh much and she was shivering violently.
She was in even greater danger now from loss of blood and the chill from wet clothes. Which in turn would make her even more vulnerable to infection from the dog bite and the scratches on her feet. He’d seen people succumb in frighteningly short times to jungle diseases.
That Travis Franks had entrusted her well-being to Luc had him hurrying his steps.
He headed south. “I have a small motorbike hidden off the road, not too far from here.”
“Won’t it make us too visible?”
“Perhaps. But it will be faster. And if we stay in the jungle, you will die.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Mexican Jungle
October 6, 9:30 A.M.
Harry hated jungles. He smacked a mosquito but got only a moment’s respite before two more flew in to bite his flesh.
They had been hiking for four hours, stopping frequently since they had no water, no food.
To her credit, Gena hadn’t complained. Of course, to look at her, you’d think she was walking on air, thanks to her rediscovered love.
Harry had kept an ear pressed to their door and heard every word of their heart-to-heart last night. To listen to them compare notes and piece together the fact they’d both been manipulated was almost comical. And still they didn’t have it right. Didn’t have a clue why Harry had been determined to come between them. Jesus H. Christ! Did he need to hire a skywriter to spell it out?
Gena getting facts wrong was understandable. Harry had planned it that way. The drugs he’d given her had helped, but she’d also been a willing participant, drinking herself into oblivion.
Rocco, however, had no such excuse; he should know damn well why Harry hated him. More likely, Rocco wasn’t telling Gena the whole story on purpose after hearing her reaction to the fictitious Brandy. Why bring up yet another woman and risk Gena’s wrath?
“We should be getting close,” Harry called out. “Unless I’ve totally screwed up my landmarks.”
“So far you’ve nailed them, Clay,” Rocco said. “Next time I decide to tour the jungle, I want you on my team.”
Harry smiled. Let’s see if you still feel that way when we find the highway.
Harry had lied about his cell phone not working. Once the storm system moved out of the area, the satellite chip in his phone had picked up a weak signal. It had been just enough for a text to Edguardo.
Fortunately, Edguardo was still in Acapulco. It had taken a few hours, but finally Edguardo had located the El Brisa ruins on a map. He had texted directions to the closest road, which had still been a long hike because of the terrain.
Harry could tell he’d impressed Rocco after he pretended to recognize the area in daylight.
Harry had been surprised to learn they were only sixty miles from Acapulco. And the last time Harry took a leak and checked for text messages, Edguardo had confirmed his ETA. He should already be in the area.
Harry signaled to Rocco, then pointed to the unpaved road at the bottom of a steep hill. “There it is. With luck, we’ll meet up with someone before nightfall.”
“Preferably not drug runners,” Rocco said. “Just kidding, sweetheart,” he added for Gena’s benefit.
“Maybe we’ll meet only nice drug runners,” she replied.
“Watch your step going down here,” Harry warned as he started along the path.
“See the way Clay anchors his feet? Do like that,” Rocco said. “And watch your center of balance.”
At the bottom of the trail, Harry scrambled onto the road but saw no sign of Edguardo.
Gena came up behind him and paused to catch her breath. “It s
till seems pretty rural.”
“This is an old logging road,” Harry said. “Which in this area is the equivalent of the Autobahn. Once you leave the big cities, you don’t see much concrete or asphalt.”
Rocco held up a hand. “You hear that? Headed our way.”
Harry turned just as a vehicle came into view. Or rather, the vehicle’s dust plume. “Looks like a van. And it’s hauling ass.”
Stepping out, Harry waved his arms. The vehicle slowed, then rolled to a stop.
“Let’s hope they speak English,” Harry said.
“Probably not, but I’m fluent in Spanish,” Gena said.
The two men in the front seat looked at them expectantly.
“Explain that we’ve been lost since our plane went down,” Rocco said to her. “Ask if they can give us a lift to the closest town. Or anywhere we can find a telephone.”
“Por favor.” Gena began translating.
After a minute she turned back to Rocco and Harry. “They said we can try their cell phone, but they don’t think we’ll get a signal here. The driver said he can give us a ride to a mining office about ten kilometers away.”
The man in the passenger seat handed Gena an ancient-looking cell phone as he climbed out.
She passed the phone to Rocco. “He said they have bottled water in the back.”
“I’ll help him.” Harry followed the man to the back of the van.
Edguardo sat cross-legged on a blanket next to a cooler. He held out guns for Harry and the other man. Harry nodded in approval and then stuck his head around the van.
“Hey, Gena, come grab a couple of these.”
When she came around the back of the vehicle, Harry grabbed her by the arm and pointed his gun at her. Before she could react, he pulled her back toward Rocco. The other man flanked Harry.
“What the hell?” Rocco dropped the phone. “What are you doing, Clay?”
The driver pulled a handgun as well.
“Three against two,” Harry said.And they don’t know about Edguardo. “So listen up. I’m not out to hurt either one of you.”
“Fine,” Rocco said. “Let her go and deal with me.”