"You're running away again," he said.
"Yes, I am. Maybe I'll run far enough this time."
CHAPTER 24
Trey was out on the deck when Jo and Stone came home. They had their son Liam, who bounded onto his lap. Trey gave the boy a hug, thankful for the human contact.
"Let's go, Liam. Help me with lunch." Jo herded her son away from the two men.
Stone sat in the chair next to Trey. "You look like you've lost your best friend."
Trey rubbed his face. "That bad?"
"Yep. You and Mallory have a fight?"
"I'm a jerk."
"You expect me not to agree with that?" Stone said.
Trey punched his friend's shoulder. "You're not helping."
"Does she know how you feel?"
"How do I feel? I'm not sure I know."
"You are a jerk. And an idiot." Stone shook his head.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Well, duh. I know how you feel. And if I didn't, Jo noticed."
Trey shifted in his chair to look at his friend. "What do you mean?"
"You're in love with Mallory. Are you really that dense?"
"Why don't I know about this," Trey said. Inside he knew the truth.
Stone smacked the back of Trey's head. "Because you get so focused on things you can't see them. I see how you look at her. It's the same way I look at Jo. Same goofy grin."
"I don't have a goofy grin."
"Yeah, ya do. Trust me. You look like a puppy waiting for a bone."
Trey's spine stiffened. He was no puppy. "Do not."
"Now you're just being belligerent. Face it, Trey. You're in love. And if you don't know it, I bet she doesn't either. Or if she does, she wonders what's wrong with you."
"She said she couldn't live a life with me. Where does that leave me?"
Stone groaned. "She can't possibly live her life with you if you don't tell her you love her. Knowing you, you made it sound like a good business decision."
Trey shook his head. "Not Mal. It's uncanny sometimes how much she thinks like a guy."
"You are an idiot. She does that on the job. In real life, she needs to hear you say those words. Now go find her."
Trey wasn't convinced. "I'm not so sure she wants to listen to me now. Plus we have this break-in tonight and the case is moving fast."
"Excuses. Tell her."
Stone rose, shaking his head.
"What?"
"You are so far gone, it's painful to watch."
Cal woke up midway through the next day.
He went right to the firehouse, feeling guilty for the work he wasn't doing for the fair. There were so many tasks to complete to get ready for the night.
He wondered where Mallory was and if she was okay. Jesse had given them a speech about her having a higher purpose and that she had to go save the world.
Cal wasn't sure about that. Mallory was a little spit of a thing. Sure she'd defused that bomb, but what higher purpose could she have?
He was so preoccupied thinking about Mallory, he never looked at his answering machine.
Mallory woke after only an hour and found she was refreshed. Though she didn't face the doorway, she had the sense someone watched her.
She assumed it was Trey and didn't hurry to look that way. When she did, she was surprised to find Liam staring at her.
"Hi," he said.
She sat up. "Hello." What does one say to a five year old? "Don't you have camp today?"
"Nah, I only go three days a week."
"Is it fun?"
She shifted the covers off her, thankful she hadn't stripped down to nap.
"We get to swim in a lake and paddle canoes."
Would her kid be in camp? He'd love that she was a firefighter and that there was a fair with rides.
She shook off her trip down a lane she wouldn't ever take in real life.
His eyes stared through her. They had Stone's intensity on Jo's soft face.
"Are you married to Uncle Trey?"
"No, we're partners."
"Mommy and Daddy were partners before they married."
"Yes, I heard."
"So are you going to marry Uncle Trey?"
Mallory cleared her throat. His probing questions went to the heart of her already roiled emotions. "No, I'm not going to marry your uncle."
"Why not?"
She laughed. "That's pretty complicated and I'm not sure it's any of your business."
Liam shrugged as if he'd heard that before. "Nothing's my business."
Without looking, he charged off and ran into Trey, who picked him up with the ease of a favorite uncle. "What're you doing, squirt?"
"Nothing."
Trey glanced over Liam at Mallory. She shrugged.
"I think your Mom wants you, Liam," Trey said.
"That's what everyone says when they want me to leave," Liam said as Trey put him down. "I'll go. Then you can talk grown-up stuff."
Trey laughed. "Smart kid."
Mallory stood with the intention of pushing past Trey, but he blocked the doorway and studied her.
"He makes you nervous," Trey observed.
"Kids make me nervous. They haven't developed the polite sense of when not to ask a question."
"But they tell you how they feel. Their honesty is refreshing."
"Yes, I guess it would be."
"Why don't you like kids, Mal?" He leaned against the doorjamb as if he would wait forever for an answer.
Her pulse raced. "I think we have more important stuff to deal with. Like our plans for this evening."
Trey's stare bore through her, but she wasn't budging. Somewhere in her sleep, she'd decided not to tell Trey about the baby. He wouldn't stay with her either way. And he'd never leave this life behind.
"Jo and Stone are waiting for us," she said.
He sighed. "Lead on."
The foundation's offices lay in darkness on Main Street in Biggin Hill. With no bars or strip joints, no one came to the small town in Centre County after ten at night.
Clad in black, Mallory and Trey slinked down the alley behind. They had all agreed a big white truck parked in the alley would be conspicuous, so Stone had dropped them off. His job was to circle around the neighborhood, his eyes open for cops.
"I left the window unlocked in the ladies room as a last resort. Didn't see any alarm on it."
"Good thinking. At least you can get through it and let me in."
The plan worked. Stone didn't radio there was a cop approaching them, and no alarm bells rang when she opened the door for Trey.
Her heart slowed a bit. "The office first."
Trey nodded. She knew he had the same plan in mind. The synchronicity of five years ago had somehow returned.
The door to Paul Stanley's office wasn't locked. "This seems too easy."
Mallory scanned the area. "Yes, let's look for anything locked."
They searched for half an hour before finding a safe in the floor. Trey cracked his knuckles and went to work. Mallory knew there wasn't a lock in the world he couldn't get past.
After a few minutes work, the safe door swung open.
"We've got ten minutes," Mallory said.
They'd wanted to chance just an hour in the place and Stone would be circling back to pick them up. They'd booted up the computer and were copying files from the hard drive. The line on the screen indicated the operation would finish in less than five minutes.
Her radio crackled. "Stone?"
"Smokey driving down the alley."
"Thanks."
They extinguished their penlights even though Mallory didn't think anyone would see the light from the outside. The cop car slowed behind the building and then moved away.
Mallory let out a breath. Trey turned on his light and perused what looked like a ledger. "This is just like the one I stole from his office."
"I bet it's important. Why would he lock it up?"
"Once again, initials and dates
. No locations." Trey shook his head. "He finds this gone and he'll know we've been here."
"And the price on our heads will double."
The lights came on. Mallory blinked and stayed behind the desk.
"The price already has," Paul Stanley said.
Mallory was bound and stuffed into the backseat of a large 1980s sedan. She was surprised it still ran. Kono drove and she had no idea where Trey was.
At least Stone would know to do something. He was nearby.
Just in case, she needed to find her own way of escape. Her heart raced. In all her years as an agent she'd never been in quite the same situation.
The car made several turns while Mallory slid back and forth on the vinyl bench seat. "Where are we going?"
Kono remained stone-faced. The car moved too fast for her to get her bearings or sit up.
At last, it stopped.
He opened the back door and yanked her out onto her feet. "Go." He pointed to a warehouse.
She dragged her feet and searched the darkness for some way out. The warehouse had a high fence surrounding it. She could climb it, but not with her hands out of commission.
As usual, the thugs underestimated her. Kono hadn't used much duct tape around her wrists. In the heat, she was sweating and the glue was coming undone. If she squirmed for a while, the restraint would come off.
She shook her head. Shoddy workmanship.
Kono pushed her though a doorway and into a large room with a map on the wall.
Paul Stanley sat at a desk. Trey sprawled unmoving on the floor.
As he'd taught her, she swallowed her concern for him and memorized the room. He'd always told her not to let emotion get in the way.
She laughed inside that he'd taught her so well and now his emotions had gotten in her way.
Stanley proffered a seat. She shook her head. Kono pushed her down into it, then went to stand next to his boss. They'd dismissed her as if she were no threat.
Keep thinking that, big guy.
Stanley sat in front of the map. She glanced at it, then down at Trey. He winked at her. His face was swollen.
Her expression gave away nothing as she worked on freeing her wrists.
They came loose, but she kept her hands in the same spot.
Stanley grinned at her. "I think this map was what you were looking for."
Her gaze went to the chart on the wall. She recognized the outline of New Jersey. The map had dots on it with dates and times next to them. One looked too close to Coleville for her comfort...with today's date and a time marked for this evening.
A sense of urgency overtook her. If she'd had a gun, she'd have gotten out of Dodge. She didn't, so she steeled herself to look for an opportunity to escape.
"You've got quite a network there. Seems small potatoes for you terrorist types."
"Lots of children will have more impact than another nine-eleven. The country has let itself be lulled into a false sense of security. Now is the time to strike."
"Why not all at the same time."
Stanley nodded at her. "Good idea. I'll do that later tomorrow. It'll be chaos, especially since fire companies sponsor most of the carnivals. Just like yours."
His finger tapped the date right by Coleville.
Oh, crap. She had to warn them. Or get to the bomb. Her mind raced with the possibilities.
"In case you plan on trying to escape," he gestured to the window, "besides the fence outside, I have dogs. I understand you don't like dogs?"
Swallowing her fear, she didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer.
"Your friend should be waking up soon," Stanley said. "Had an unfortunate accident."
She looked at Trey, then back at Stanley.
"Don't worry. I don't hit women."
The door opened. In walked Stanley's assistant.
He smiled. "Vanessa, however, has no such scruples."
Kono walked back to Mallory. She hadn't dropped the tape, but one tug and it would be gone. He yanked her to her feet, dragging her across the large room and into a smaller one.
Vanessa followed. Kono left, closing the door.
Mallory took a belligerent stance across the room. She was ready. She'd have surprise on her side.
Vanessa approached her, the veneer of civility dropping, her hands fisted. She wore yoga pants and a T-shirt.
The woman came to fight. She'd get one.
Mafia princess stopped mere inches from Mallory, probably thinking she didn't have to worry.
Mallory swung with a left and then a roundhouse, followed by a spinning hook kick.
Vanessa slumped to the floor.
"That was too easy." Mallory pulled Vanessa's wrists behind her back, twisted the duct tape around them and hoped it would at least slow her down.
No one had locked the door and no one stood guard outside of it. The large room was in semidarkness. She couldn't hear anyone. Her eyes adjusted to the light and then she moved along the wall.
A groan made her stop. "Trey?"
"You were expecting the ice cream man?"
The humor calmed her. "A Nutty Buddy would go good right now."
She found him in the same spot on the floor and untied his hands. "Can you walk?"
"Don't have much choice."
"Where'd they go?"
"I heard a car pull away. Stanley's leaving the country. What happened to Vanessa?"
"I dazzled her so much she passed out."
"She could come to." He stood. "I heard dogs earlier."
"Then we'll have to get past them. Too bad we couldn't just shoot them."
His raised brows told her she'd gone too far.
As soon as they stepped outside, the dogs appeared—two Rottweilers. The huge beasts snarled at them.
Mallory's mouth went dry. "What do we do?"
"Kick them."
She stared at Trey. "I can't kick a dog."
"You were ready to shoot them."
"That's more impersonal. A kick has to make contact. Close contact."
A growl came from deep within both dogs' throats. Low and warning.
"Ready?" he asked. "Now!"
She ran toward one dog and kicked at its ribcage. Stunned, the dog backed away with a whimper. Trey dispatched the other dog and grabbed her hand. They ran toward the fence.
"I hope it's not electrified," she said between breaths.
It wasn't. They scaled it with ease.
Mallory surveyed the area. "Now we just have to figure out where we are."
"Start walking," Trey said.
They heard cars on a road, so they headed in that direction. Before they crossed the parking lot, a familiar car drove up.
Stone opened the door. "Hop in."
Mallory took the front seat. "Paul Stanley got away."
"There are cops on the way and an APB out on him at all the airports."
"Thanks," she said as her heart began to slow. I really am getting too old for this business.
CHAPTER 25
Cal finally looked at his answering machine.
One message.
He pushed the play button.
"Mr. Stedman, this is Kelly Lange from the Adoption Registry. We believe we've found a match."
Cal sat down on the bed, his legs no longer able to hold him. He recovered enough to write down the number.
His heart beat double time. He may have found his daughter. He may be able to meet her. "If she's in the registry, then she wants me to contact her."
Exhaustion washed over him again, and he tried to rub it away with a hand down his face. What will I say to her? He blinked at the piece of paper and then dialed the number. He put down the receiver.
"Damn. It's Saturday."
Stone dropped them off at his house to get Mallory's truck.
She had to get to Coleville. No time to change clothes or check her voicemail. The rides started early on Saturdays.
She drove like the wind and pulled into the parking lot at full speed.
He looked even more tired than the last time she saw him. She didn't have time to be concerned. "Mal, we're about to open."
"There's a bomb on one of the kiddy rides. It'll go off as soon as some kids are in it."
He stared at her. She had no patience. "Cal, move."
She found another firefighter. "Mark, call the bomb squad."
He was more receptive to her orders. Trey had headed out to the rides and was moving people away. Mallory met him by the dinosaur ride.
"You ready?"
She nodded, took a deep breath. Centered herself and found her intuition. Some stragglers stood around. Firefighters shooed them away. Then Cal's voice came over the loudspeaker telling people to leave.
A siren wailed in the distance.
With the tools provided by Stone, Mallory walked the fairgrounds, one ride to the next.
Nothing.
Could I be wrong? Have I lost my touch?
Way off in one corner of the lot sat an airplane ride. The planes went up and down as they traveled in a circle.
"That must be it."
She slid underneath. "You know what a screwdriver looks like?"
"Phillips head?"
Their joke done, Mallory could concentrate. The bomb sat right under the plane. Anyone could have seen it by looking under. "This is too easy."
"Take it. Maybe they didn't have a lot of time."
"Maybe."
"Timer?" Trey asked.
She clipped wires with care. "Nope. Ingenious." She detached the detonator. "Marble in the can. Plane goes up, marble moves. Boom."
Trey lay next to her. "You think there's more?"
"More bombs?"
"Another detonator."
"Possibly. This seems simple. There's a certain elegance to it though."
"Only you could appreciate that."
She smiled. He was right.
Sweat dripped off her, none into her eyes. Her heart pounded in her head as she searched for another way the bomb could be detonated.
When she thought she had all the wires cut, she tugged at the bomb.
"Stop!" Trey said. "I see wires connecting it to the ride."
Blonde Demolition Page 17