by Maya Banks
“Which airport?” Donovan asked gently.
“He gave me the address. Didn’t give me a name for it.”
Donovan typed it into his GPS as she recited the information, and he nodded. “Yep, just where I thought. He opted for a private airfield, the one I said couldn’t support a jet. So he’s planning to fly out in a Cessna.”
“Let’s roll,” Sam said. “We can leave Maren in a vehicle a few miles away so the rest of us can move into position. When it’s time—and don’t come in a minute before you have to, Maren—drive to the airport but don’t get in a hurry.”
“I’ll drive Maren,” Steele said quietly. “I’ll hop in with one of you when we get to where we split up.”
Steele gathered her into his arms again, holding her without words as the others began climbing into the vehicles. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then motioned her toward the passenger seat of the SUV before walking around to slide into the driver’s seat.
CHAPTER 38
THEY pulled to a halt several miles from the airport and the teams piled out, emptying the vehicle Maren would take and gathering to go over their plan of action.
Steele hung back with Maren, quiet and intense, his gaze focused on her. They were quiet, no words passing between them as he gently threaded the tiny transmitter into her hair, weaving it in with the braid. When he was finished, he turned her in his arms and hung them loosely around her hips.
He pressed his forehead to hers and for a long moment closed his eyes, inhaling as they shared the tender moment.
“I love you,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “Every instinct tells me not to do this. Not to let you walk into this situation even as I understand the impossible choice you face.”
“I love you too,” she whispered.
She leaned back so she could better see into his eyes and rested her palms against his hard chest. “Steele, if things go wrong, I mean, if the worst happens and he gets away—”
He shushed her with a finger, his eyes tormented over what she’d said.
“No, let me finish,” she said huskily. “If the worst happens, please know that I love you and that I’ll never give up hope of you coming for me. I’ll protect our child with my life and I’ll never give up hope of us being together and raising our baby together.”
He rubbed his hand over her face, sliding it underneath her chin to cup it as he stared down at her.
“Now you listen to me. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you don’t spend more than the time necessary with him for him to make that call to set your parents free. We’re doing everything we can to protect you and your parents and I need you to believe that and trust in that. But beyond that—and this is important, Maren. I need you to listen to me on this. If something goes wrong, if for whatever reason he gets away with you, you do whatever is necessary to survive. Do you understand?”
She sucked in her breath at the quick surge of tears that stung her eyes.
“I’ll never stop looking for you, Maren. If that bastard gets away with you, despite our best efforts, I will never give up, and I need you to do whatever it takes to survive. I’ll never think badly of you for doing what you have to in order to protect yourself and our child. Don’t anger him. Don’t antagonize him. Cooperate fully and wait for me, because I’m coming. I’ll never rest until you’re back with me where you belong.”
She leaned her forehead against his neck so his chin rested atop her head and she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tight as she choked back the emotion welling in her throat.
They both knew what he meant. That if it came down to it, he wanted her to give Caldwell what he wanted if it meant her surviving and not being harmed. There had been torture in his eyes as he’d told her emphatically to do whatever it took to survive. But there was also determination, and she knew that he’d meant every word. He’d never rest until he found her. If it took the rest of his life, he’d come for her. And he was asking her not to give up.
“It’s time,” Sam said gruffly from a few feet away. “The others are in position. There’s a plane on the runway with a pilot inside. We have snipers surrounding the area and we’re ready to go in at a moment’s notice. Maren, sweetheart, I need you to stall. When you get there, I need you to distract Caldwell. Nathan’s going to take out the pilot and fly the plane. But you need to give him time to get in and do his job without Caldwell noticing. So whatever you have to do, do it. Nathan will go through all the motions, but as soon as Caldwell places that call, he’s going to land the plane. If we’re lucky, he’ll make the call before you get into the air. But if not, just know you won’t be alone. Nathan will be inside.”
“Won’t he notice a difference in the pilot?” Maren asked skeptically.
“Well, that’s where you come in. We need his focus to be on you. The pilot has a hair color similar to Nathan’s. If Nathan can get in, put on the headphones and sunglasses, the cockpit only has a narrow opening, so unless Caldwell makes it a point to check the pilot out, we think it’ll work. If he’s more concerned with you and getting you on board, he’s likely not going to pay much attention to the pilot anyway.”
Maren took a deep breath and then turned into Steele’s arms, hugging him tightly as she tried to gather her composure for what was to come.
“I can do this,” she whispered.
Steele’s grip tightened around her and he pressed a kiss to her hair, just above her ear. “Bet your ass you can. You’re tough, Maren. And we have your back. Now let’s go kick some ass and get your parents back.”
Steele rode with Sam and Hancock after they instructed Maren to take it slow and easy. She still had time and they all wanted to be in position before she arrived on the scene. Steele’s nerves were raw and exposed. He’d never felt so goddamn vulnerable in his life. Maren had taken a huge part of him with her, and it ate at him that he had no way of knowing if this was going to go according to plan.
He couldn’t accept that he could lose her. Or that she would be at Caldwell’s mercy when he knew damn well what Caldwell intended. He wanted what was Steele’s. Was claiming what was Steele’s as his own. No way in hell Steele was taking that kind of threat from anyone.
Sam pulled off into a wooded area and they got out, running through the woods until they reached the edge of the clearing where the airport was nestled.
It was indeed small. One, maybe two planes could be hangared here. Small planes.
And as Sam had said, there was a smaller Cessna out on the runway, engine running, and several feet away, a black SUV with tinted windows was parked.
“Anyone have a view into the vehicle?” Steele asked into the radio.
“I have a view through the front windshield,” Skylar reported. “One male in the driver’s seat. No passenger in front.”
“Got one in the back,” P.J. piped in. “Likely Caldwell. I’ve scanned the perimeter and can’t find another damn thing. Either he’s really good or he’s really stupid.”
Steele stared at the Cessna in plain view. It didn’t add up. Caldwell might have lost his shit but he couldn’t be that stupid. Something was wrong here and his gut was screaming at him.
“I’m coming in.”
Maren’s soft voice came over the wire. There was a tremble evident. He wished to hell they’d been able to give her an earpiece so she could hear them like they could hear her. So they could give her instruction. Backup. Even just let her know she wasn’t alone.
The next minutes were the longest of Steele’s life, and then suddenly the SUV Maren was driving appeared. She drove up to the other vehicle but didn’t get out. Smart girl. Buy them some time. Don’t put yourself at risk before you know the situation.
The door to the black SUV opened and a man stepped out. He walked to Maren’s door and opened it, offering his hand in a gallant gesture that made Steele bare his teeth.
And then voices came over the wire. Caldwell greeted Maren like a long-separated lover. He leaned in
to kiss her, and Maren didn’t flinch away. But Steele did. He hated the man touching her. His mouth where Steele’s had been just minutes earlier.
And then Maren wobbled and reached out to brace herself against the hood of the SUV. For a moment Steele’s heart lurched, but then he remembered that she was only doing as they’d told her.
Caldwell bent over with her, his hand rubbing up and down her back. He murmured soothing words that grated on Steele’s every nerve. Steele forced his attention away from Maren and Caldwell long enough to see Nathan come in on the other side of the Cessna. He was accompanied by Edge and a moment later, Edge sprinted double time across the runway, the pilot over one shoulder. He disappeared, the entire exchange taking only a couple of minutes.
He rapidly tuned back in to what was going on with Maren and Caldwell.
“Make the call,” Maren said in a shaky voice. “You promised. I came. Now make the call. I want to talk to them when you do. I want to make sure they’re safe.”
Steele stared at Caldwell, his unease growing by the minute. His brow furrowed in concentration because something was bugging him. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Caldwell glanced repeatedly in the direction of the closed hangar but never once did he look at the waiting plane.
“Here’s the deal,” Caldwell said in a calm voice. “I’ll call and your mother will be set free. Once we’re in the air and have reached our destination, I’ll place another call and your father will go free.”
“That wasn’t the deal!”
“I’m holding the cards, Maren. I’m willing to make a goodwill gesture to show you that you can trust me. I’ll make the call now. Your mother will be set free with an escort. She’ll be instructed not to talk to anyone or your father will be killed. The rest is up to you.”
He reached for Maren’s arm as he pulled out his phone. And still he hadn’t glanced in the direction of the plane. He was turned toward the hangar.
“The plane is a diversion,” Steele said into his mic. “He’s covering himself in case this was a setup.”
Even as he spoke, the roof of the hangar began retracting, sliding away to make a huge opening.
“Fuck, he’s got a chopper in there,” Cole said. “And no clear shot. I’m not high enough. We can’t take him out now anyway if he’s making a second phone call.”
“I’m working on a signal lock,” Donovan said. “If I can trace the call, we won’t need that second phone call. Come on, come on,” he muttered. “Talk to me, baby. Give me what I need.”
It was obvious Donovan was sweet-talking his electronics, and not very successfully. The frustration was evident in his voice.
Caldwell handed the phone to Maren and then started guiding her toward the hangar. The helicopter’s engine roared to life and the rotors began spinning.
“Jesus Christ, if there’s anything loose, debris inside the damn hangar, tools, anything, she could be decapitated with the force of the winds from the blades,” Joe said. “Caldwell is a stupid fuck!”
“I’ve got it!” Donovan shouted. “I’ve got a lock. I’m calling it in now.”
“Fuck this. I’m going in,” Steele said. No way in hell he was going to sit there while Caldwell took Maren away from him.
“There’s still one guy in the SUV,” Garrett warned. “Anyone have a bead on him?”
“I got him,” Skylar said.
A moment later the glass shattered on the windshield but Steele was already running as fast as he could toward the hangar, determined to make it before it lifted off. To his surprise, Hancock was close on his heels.
A bullet hit the ground at Steele’s feet, flinging up pieces of concrete.
“Sniper, get down!” Joe roared. “Came in nine o’clock. Someone get on it fast.”
Gunfire erupted as the rest of KGI provided cover for Steele and Hancock as they bolted toward the hangar. They burst through the same door Caldwell had led Maren through just as the helicopter lifted off the ground and rose upward through the gaping opening in the roof.
“Do not shoot,” Steele bellowed. “Maren’s in that helicopter. Do not try to disable it!”
He lunged for the landing rail, barely managing to curl his fingers around it as it lifted higher. Hancock launched himself on the other side and the chopper rose above the roof, the two men hanging precariously from the rails.
As soon as the chopper cleared the roof, it zoomed forward and the ground spun dizzyingly below. Steele swung his legs up and then pulled himself the rest of the way so he was standing on the rail. As soon as his head cleared the opening, he saw Caldwell pointing a gun directly at him.
Before he could take evasive action, Maren launched herself at Caldwell, grabbing his wrist in an effort to prevent him from shooting Steele.
“No!” Steele roared. Goddamn it, he didn’t want her to get herself shot.
Maren grappled with Caldwell and they spun around, each fighting for control. A shot sounded and he and Hancock both ducked. The helicopter dipped precariously, and it was then Steele saw that the bullet had shattered the control panel and the pilot was slumped forward.
Fuck!
Steele propelled himself up and inside the helicopter just as Caldwell shook Maren loose from his wrist.
“Give it up, Caldwell. Your pilot is dead. You aren’t going anywhere and if you want to live, put the goddamn gun down so we can land this bitch.”
He shouted the words so Caldwell would hear, but Caldwell was obviously beyond reason. He swung his arm wildly in Maren’s direction.
“If I can’t have her, neither will you. We’ll all die,” Caldwell screamed.
Steele threw himself at Caldwell, desperate to make the shot go wild, but he was too late. A shot rang out just as Steele collided with Caldwell. But fear for Maren took priority. He shook Caldwell loose and looked frantically in Maren’s direction only to see her standing, pale as a ghost, hand covering her mouth as she looked down in horror.
Hancock was slumped on the floor, blood spreading rapidly over his chest. Holy fuck. Hancock had thrown himself between Maren and Caldwell and had taken the bullet meant for her.
Pain exploded in Steele’s head and he reeled sideways. Caldwell was enraged and he stood silhouetted against the open doors of the helicopter, gun pointed down at Steele, who lay crumpled on the floor.
“I win,” Caldwell said.
In a blur of motion, Maren flew at Caldwell, shoving him out the opening and into empty space. Steele watched in horror as she collided with him and then went tumbling out with him when his hand flailed and grabbed her arm.
“No!” Steele roared.
He lunged for the side, rage and grief knifing through his heart. He thrust his head over the side to see Caldwell plunging to the earth below. But no Maren. He shook his head as tears burned, blurring his vision. Then he heard her.
“Steele!”
It was a high-pitched scream that shook him from his numb shock. He glanced straight down and saw her dangling from the rail, her hands curled tight around it. Her legs dangled and whirled as the helicopter spun and dipped erratically.
He had no time to process his overwhelming relief that she hadn’t plummeted to her death. She was barely hanging on and if he didn’t get to her within seconds, she would fall.
“Hold on!” he shouted. “Hold on, damn it. Don’t you dare let go, Maren. Do you hear me? Don’t you let go!”
He inched his way over the edge, hooking his foot underneath the seat for leverage so he wouldn’t fall. He strained down, his hand extending as far as he could go.
Damn it. He needed a few more inches, but if he loosened his foothold, he’d go with her and they’d both die.
“Maren, listen to me. On the count of three, let go with your right hand and reach for mine. Be quick and don’t let go with your other hand. Can you do that? You have to reach me. Give me your hand. I swear I won’t let you go.”
She nodded, though terror blazed in her eyes. I love you, she
mouthed.
Oh fuck no. There would be no farewells. No I love yous before dying. He wasn’t going to let her die.
He strained down as far as he could, splaying his hand and stretching every muscle in his body. “One, two, three!”
She lurched upward, her hand glancing off his. Her fingers failed to wrap around his but he caught her wrist, gripping it so hard it was a wonder he hadn’t broken it. But there was no way in hell he was letting her go.
“Now give me your other hand, Maren. Reach up and give it to me. I have to be able to pull you up. If I can get you high enough that you can put your feet on the bottom rail, you can stand up and crawl inside.”
She nodded and then let go of the rail. The helicopter took a crazy swing, spinning rapidly like a drunken merry- go-round. She flailed and swung out and then slammed against the railing with her body.
He knew he had to be crushing the bones in her wrist, but his grip was the only thing between her life and death.
After their hands bounced off several times, he finally managed to grasp her fingers and then he worked his hand down so he now had both wrists in his grasp.
He pulled upward, using every ounce of his strength to pull her as high as he could so she could gain a foothold on the railing. His foot started to slide from where he had it tucked underneath the seat.
Fuck!
He inched downward and knew that either he had to let her go or they were both going to fall to their deaths. He locked gazes with her, his expression fierce. No fucking way he was letting her die alone. If they fell, he’d hold her the entire way and she’d know that he loved her with his very last breath. They might even get lucky and if she landed on top of him, there might be a slim chance she wouldn’t be killed on impact.
Just as he was coming to terms with the fact they were both going to die, hands circled his ankles and began dragging him backward. Maren’s eyes widened, going from resignation and acceptance to hope.
Steele renewed his efforts, pulling Maren upward with all his strength. The situation was made worse by the fact that the helicopter was spinning out of control and Maren was flapping in the wind. It was taking every bit of his strength, grit and determination not to let her go. He was all the way inside the helicopter with just his arms extending downward gripping Maren’s wrists when Hancock leaned over him, lying on Steele’s back as he reached to grab Maren’s wrists just below where Steele held them.