Deadly Ties

by Vicki Hinze

  “You’re a doctor. Take care of her, and hurry up. Man, it stinks to high heaven in there.” Pulling a sour face, he slammed the door shut.

  Lisa swiped at the mud clinging to her heels and stared at Selene. “Where is Juan?”

  “Watching the window the whole time. How did you get past him?”

  Lisa frowned. “I didn’t see him going or coming.”

  “He was there,” Selene said.

  “I saw him too.” Gwen looked to the window, then back at Lisa. “Maybe he knew what you were doing and didn’t want to stop you.”

  “That’s not likely, Gwen.”

  “Well, then you explain it, Amanda.”

  She swished water in her mouth, then spit it into the sink. “I can’t.” Amanda splashed her face, then turned the spigot off.

  Gwen dried her hands on a scrap of paper towel. “Well, he sure let Lisa go and come back, so something’s not right with him.”

  Selene passed a paper towel to Amanda. “Lisa, did you have any luck?”

  She nodded. “Mark is on his way.”

  “Thank God.” Gwen smiled.

  “Yes.” Lisa didn’t smile back; she prayed for forgiveness. Because it was all she could do not to ask God to strike Dutch Hauk, NINA, Frank, Edmunds, Powell, and the whole bunch of them dead.

  But especially Dutch.

  In her heart, she knew he’d put her mother in the hospital in a coma. Just as she knew the only way either of them would ever have peace would be if he were dead.

  20

  T he air crackled with tension.

  Walking through the door, Mark felt it. The entire Crossroads Crisis Center staff was moving in high gear.

  Mel sat at her desk, working the phones. Spotting Mark, she held up a finger and interrupted a caller, “Please hold.” Twice she pushed buttons and repeated herself, and then she spoke to him. “They’re waiting for you in the conference room.”

  “Update?” Here’s where Mel excelled.

  “Nick and Sam are working the condos. If you want a location on Nick, call Sam. Church ladies are covering the pier, diner, restaurants, and shops. Ben, Kelly, and Nora are with Annie. Clyde’s on his way to stay with Nora, then Ben and Kelly are coming back here. Prayer warriors are in the chapel. Joe and Detective Meyers are in the conference room with Dr. Talbot and Mrs. Crane, debating on calling in the FBI. Everyone knows Lisa’s called in, but I only explained her circumstances to Joe. I wasn’t sure who all you’d want to know.”

  Smart young woman and very efficient. “Thanks, Mel. Good call.” Mark walked through the waiting room. His nerves sizzled like he was wearing them on the outside of his skin. At the conference room, he tapped on the door.

  “Come in, Mark.”

  Peggy. Mel had already let her know he’d arrived.

  “Is Lisa okay?” Harvey paced alongside the conference table.

  “Holding together. They haven’t hurt her.” Mark moved to a seat at the closest end of the long wooden table. “So where are we?”

  “We’ve just called in the FBI,” Joe said. “Four states are involved, and Sam got word they’re actively working an operation that could be connected.”

  “My ex-wife used to work for the FBI.” Harvey stopped pacing. “I’m not sure this is up her alley—she follows money on white-collar crimes—but I could call her. Maybe she knows someone who can move things a little faster.”

  Peggy twisted her chunky beads. “I thought Roxanne was a forensic accountant.”

  “She is, but she’s also an FBI agent. Or she was.” Harvey shrugged. “I’m not sure now.”

  “Well, find out,” Peggy said. “We need to use every asset to help Lisa.”

  Mark knew that look. The resident Cupid was at it again. Harvey Talbot hadn’t wanted the divorce, and Peggy no doubt saw this as an opportunity where Roxanne might be able to help Lisa and give Harvey and her a reason to remember why they once loved each other enough to marry.

  “She might not take the call, but I’ll make it.” Harvey left the room.

  Peggy sat back, satisfied.

  “How long will it take the Louisiana locals to intercept the truck?” Mark asked Joe.

  Jeff Meyers answered. “They’re not going to intercept it just yet. They said they’d handle it from here.”

  Mark glanced at Joe and saw his fears confirmed. Must be a mission conflict. Evidently, a serious one. “So when does ‘not just yet’ run out the clock?” He understood protocol. He understood jeopardizing operations. But he also understood that Lisa needed help now.

  Again Jeff answered. “They didn’t say.”

  “Let’s go, Joe.” Mark stood and moved toward the door.

  “On your heels, bro.” Joe fell in right behind Mark.

  “Mark, wait!” Jeff called out.

  “Can’t.” He let his gaze bounce from Jeff to Peggy. “We’ll call in. Keep tabs on Annie for me, and get someone from my security staff at Three Gables over there to stay with Nora and Clyde.”

  Peggy nodded. “Be cautious, Mark. NINA plays for keeps.”

  “That’s exactly why Lisa can’t wait.” Fear knotted in his chest. Three hours. It would take him three hours just to get where she’d been, and who knew where this Frank would have taken her by then? “Get Ben’s plane fueled up. Tell the airport I need it right away.”

  “You’ve got it. Should we handle the flight plan?”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Joe assured Peggy.

  “You fly too?” Peggy asked.

  “We all think steel.”

  Peggy frowned. “Excuse me?”

  “We do what needs doing.” Mark rushed out of the center.

  And they all prayed that what needed doing, they would do in time.

  Karl Masson ended the call with Frank and checked his locator screen. Dutch was near Biloxi, Mississippi. Karl had made good time and tracked less than two miles behind him on I-10. More than half tempted to hit the button to blow up Dutch’s car, Karl resisted. He couldn’t kill Hauk yet. If things went south, he might be needed to take the fall for the entire operation.

  A black Toyota Tundra sped by. Driver had to be going ninety. Fool. Speeding this close to a military installation on high alert? Hadn’t he heard about monitors being positioned ten miles out in every direction?

  Apparently not.

  His cell rang. Karl answered it. “Hello.”

  A male mumbled something inaudible. Karl couldn’t get a fix on the speaker. “Sorry, I can’t hear you.”

  “Shifter.”

  Someone in the loop. He knew the mission name. “Yes?”

  “Caged.”

  Gregory Chessman. Not many prisoners had cell phones or unfettered access to them, but then not many prisoners were NINA managers. “Identify yourself.”

  “Lone Wolf.”

  “I understand we’ve got infected cargo?”

  Raven was nothing if not fast, reporting Amanda being sick to everyone in the need-to-know loop. “Yes.”

  “What’s the nature of the infection?”

  “We suspect it’s viral, but that can’t be confirmed without labs.”

  “No. No labs.”

  “If the rest of the shipment is infected, the boss will not be pleased,” Karl said.

  “Neither will those above her, so do what you can to get them well. What does the doc say?”

  Lisa Harper. “Nothing without labs. She can’t be sure. We’ve got a testing facility in—”

  “No, no unauthorized stops. The schedule’s too tight.”

  It was, considering the Jackson stop to pick up Amanda. “So why are you calling?” Had to be a reason other than to try to order Karl around when he had no right to do so anymore.

  “Message from Raven. Have the cargo proceed as scheduled. When it’s fifty miles from Houston, I’ll issue further instructions. If conditions change or further infestation occurs, call and she’ll reconsider.”

  The stop wouldn’t be unauthorized, but Karl would leave that
to Raven and Chessman to duke out. The last thing Karl needed was to get caught up in a power struggle between the two of them. But why hadn’t Raven called Karl directly? Odd. “The client wants to buy your old house. Fair-market value plus fifteen percent. Formal offer.”

  “I’ll inform the new owner and see if she’s interested.”

  “I’ll tell the client.” Karl checked his fuel gauge. Half a tank. “Is there an update on the patient’s condition?” Chessman would intuit he was asking about Annie.

  “An hour ago, there’d been no change. At the moment, we’re experiencing a site employee lapse.”

  Rose Paxton had been their site employee reporting to Chessman. “Anything I need to know about?”

  “Our insider discovered I wasn’t the coroner, then recognized my voice and quit.” Chessman let out a little laugh.

  Laughter? Odd. “Do I need to clean up there?”

  “No. She was last seen heading north for parts unknown. She didn’t even go back to her house first.”

  Smart woman. One who obviously knew it was wise to fear Gregory Chessman.

  Disappear, Rose. Unless she did, and did so quickly, someone from NINA would take her out.

  Chessman might let her go, but Raven would not.

  The boss didn’t tolerate loose ends.

  “It’s after four.” Gwen turned the flashlight beam from her watch to the wall of the truck near Lisa. “Why hasn’t he gotten here?”

  Lisa wished she knew. Mark would have had to arrange transport with Ben—there’s no way he would have driven when he could fly—but he should have intercepted them by now.

  Selene shifted her weight, bumping Lisa’s knee. “Maybe he can’t find us.”

  She could be right. Sweating, Lisa wished the smells of sweat and the mustiness of being closed in would pass. She’d love just a few breaths of fresh air only slightly more than she’d love a bath. “He’ll find us.”

  Lisa wouldn’t share this, but with NINA’s involvement, Mark and his old team could have plans that extended beyond rescuing them.

  “I’ve been thinking about that scratching we heard at the last stop.” Selene swiped at her brow. “Maybe it was Frank changing the license plate.”

  Gwen flicked the flashlight to shine in Selene’s eyes. “Don’t say that.”

  “She could be right.” Lisa thought back to the sound. It had come from the right place. “What else would he have been doing?”

  “Well, if that’s the case,” Amanda said, “Mark could have driven right past us a dozen times.”

  He could have. Without the tag, there was nothing to distinguish this truck from any other white box truck on the road, and there had to be hundreds of them. “Good point.” Lisa extended a hand to Gwen. “Let me borrow your flashlight.”

  “What for?”

  “I have an idea.” Lisa hadn’t known this tactic when she’d been abducted the first time, but years of self-defense training had given her dozens of tips she could now put to use.

  Gwen passed the light. Its beam flashed across the ceiling of the truck. “There’s nothing in here.”

  “Use whatever tactics or weapons are at your disposal. The unexpected can be the one thing that saves your life.”

  Mark’s words to her class. A memory from the first advanced-defense lesson she’d taken from him flitted through her mind. She’d done the unexpected and such pride had shone in his eyes. Seeing him proud of her. She floated for a week.

  The reminder infused her with strength, and she doubled her efforts, sweeping the inside of the truck anyway. No tire iron, no nothing. Sighing, she dropped her shoulder as the beam swept over Selene’s legs and feet and then snagged on her high-heel burgundy shoes. Twisting, Lisa checked the interior rear-panel taillights. “Selene, give me your heel.”

  “What for?”

  “If Frank changed the tag and Mark is looking for us, we need to signal him. I need your shoe to do it.”

  “Oh, I saw this on Staying Alive.” Amanda’s voice elevated a notch, grew animated. “Let me help.” She scooted toward Lisa.

  “Saw what?” Gwen rolled on her hip, letting Amanda scoot by her.

  Selene gave Lisa her shoe.

  “Oh no. Don’t, Lisa. Frank will notice and he’ll—”

  Lisa swung the shoe like a hammer. The plastic taillight shattered.

  “Worry later, Gwen. Hold the light for me now.”

  “He’s going to blow our brains out. I just know it.” Gwen took the flashlight and aimed it at the taillight. “I hope my mother never sees my body. She’ll be devastated.”

  “Stop it, Gwen.” Selene raised her voice. “No dead talk.” Lisa tapped at the jagged plastic edges with Selene’s heel until she knocked out enough of the light to fit her hand through the hole.

  “Make it bigger,” Amanda said. “If Frank hits a bump, you’ll sever an artery.” She wiggled out of her slip, then shoved it at Lisa. “First, wrap your arm with this for added protection.”

  “You’ve done this before.” Lisa stated a fact, didn’t ask a question.

  “No, but I have seen it done.”

  Where? Not on television. Amanda was trained. Lisa would bank on it. Selene and Gwen went through periods of being scared stiff. Amanda was afraid, but she kept her fears to herself. That took the kind of discipline that came with training. Was she a plant the men had put with them to spy? Anger rushed through Lisa. “Do you work for the kidnappers?” Would she betray them like the boy had betrayed Lisa?

  “No. I swear it.”

  No rapid-eye moment, no avoidance of her eyes. Lisa believed her.

  Selene jerked the slip from Amanda’s hand and passed it to Lisa. “There’s no time for this now. Get on with what you’re doing.”

  Lisa took the slip. The silky fabric was still warm from Amanda’s body. “Somebody will see it.” She kicked herself yet again for not asking Jed for his phone. “If not Mark, then someone else. They’ll call 911 and somebody will stop this truck.”

  Lisa resisted the urge to let the slip fly like a flag and took the prudent step instead. She wrapped her arm, then shoved it through the hole where the taillight had been.

  “What if Frank sees it?”

  “He can’t see around corners, Gwen.” From the tremor in Selene’s voice, Lisa suspected that reminder reassured Selene too. “Shall I knock out the other one?”

  “Later, if we have to. We have better odds of Frank’s not noticing one broken light. If he does, maybe he’ll think a rock hit it or something.” Lisa pulled her arm inside and rolled onto her stomach, then peeked out through the hole. The fresh air stung her nose. Bliss. Cars lined up behind them in both lanes.

  She scrambled to sit up. “There are a ton of cars out there! Someone will see.” She shoved her arm back through the hole, waved, and stretched her fingers to snag someone’s attention. Hopefully someone would add the digits and pick up her signaling 911 with her fingers.

  Please, God. Please.

  “I’m glad you know these self-defense things, Lisa.”

  “Me too.” A little tingle spread through her chest. As if Gwen’s words held a profound message.

  She glanced over, but Gwen didn’t say any more, and yet her words stuck with Lisa. Stretching, she got more of her arm outside the truck. With every bounce, the jagged plastic edges stabbed at her slip-wrapped arm. She tried not to wince.

  Is this why You had me learn all those self-defense tactics, God? So I’d know what to do now to help us all survive?

  Silence.

  Maybe that was the reason. So she could do what fumes-of-faith Christians do and help the other women.

  “Lisa, get your arm in!” Gwen shrieked. “Quick.”

  Lisa pulled in her arm.

  Seconds later, she felt the gravity shift, hurtling her toward the front. The truck stopped suddenly.

  21

  O utside, gunfire erupted.

  “Get down flat.” Amanda shoved at Gwen.

  The flashlight b
eam swung wildly inside the truck. Tumbling with the others, Lisa stretched prone on her stomach. Popping noises, muffled but ominous, echoed inside. A pinging noise—a bullet—bounced off the right side panel. Then a flurry of racket signaling a scuffle filled the silence.

  Please, let it be Mark. Please.

  Shouting. Barked orders. Frantic activity and more yelling … but no sirens. No helicopter blades thumping in the air. Then only silence.

  And more silence.

  “Who is it?” Selene’s voice shook. “Do you think it’s Mark?”

  The lock rattled.

  Lisa sucked in a sharp breath. Her heart thudded against the wall of her chest. “We’ll soon know.”

  The door swung open.

  He towered in the opening, scowling.

  “Mark.” Lisa scrambled out of the truck, fighting the skirt of her long dress. Thank You, God. “Mark!”

  He snatched her up and held her to him, burying his nose at her neck. “Thank God.”

  Lisa kissed him soundly, trembling, feeling his huge body shake against her, his rough hands pressing hard against her back.

  Joe helped the others out of the truck. “You ladies all okay?”

  “Okay is seriously relative. We’re alive.” Gwen clicked off her flashlight. “We were worried you wouldn’t find us.”

  Joe set Gwen onto the ground and reached for Selene. “We’ve been behind you for an hour, but we weren’t sure we had the right vehicle.”

  Mark pulled back, checked Lisa’s arm, and saw the red scratches. “The second I saw that hand signal, I knew it was you.”

  She smiled. “I’m so glad you’re here.” A lump formed in her throat and her eyes misted. “I knew you’d find me.”

  “Or die trying.” He kissed her again.

  “You look familiar,” Joe said to Selene. “Do we know—Oh, wait. You’re the singer?”

  “I was.” She shrugged. “I don’t sing anymore, which is why I think I was in that truck.”

  “I’d like to hear more about that.” A woman walked up to them. About thirty-five, she stood a little taller than Gwen. Lean and fit, she had short, spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes. “But first, Lisa, where are the rest of the women?”