by Jordan Dane
“Yeah, it does.” Seth looked at the map over Payton’s shoulder. “So maybe this location in South America would fall under that category. I don’t see a city of any size nearby, plus it’s all by itself in the middle of nowhere.” Harper pointed to a red pin.
“So maybe the Bering Sea and the Amazon jungle might be the two locations Alexa discounted, thinking they might be some kind of error.” Jess chimed in. “Not a bad theory, Payton. It definitely makes sense.”
“But should we assume that?” Payton questioned.
“What’re you saying?” she asked.
“If Alexa has fifteen locations covered, then that leaves us with two. Now I’m not proposing we hire a guide into the Amazon jungle, but what if this location on the Bering Sea was just a little off?” He pointed to a spot on the map, a place near Russia.
“The closest landmass to that coordinate is St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. And look how close St. Lawrence is to Russia. No more than forty or fifty miles, tops,” he said, his enthusiasm mounting. “And don’t you think it’s too much coincidence that the son of a bitch we’re chasing is Russian?”
“He’s got a point, Jessie. A damned good one,” Seth agreed. “I mean, what have we got to lose?”
For a moment, Payton stopped and stared at Seth, then quickly shifted his gaze to the map on the wall. She was sure Harper’s question was the reason. In fact Payton had a lot to lose. If his energies were focused on some wild goose chase, his niece’s trail would grow ice cold and they might never find her.
Was pursuing his theory worth the risk of losing Nikki for good?
“Well, I’ve never been good at sitting on the sidelines,” Payton muttered under his breath, as if he were alone and trying to convince himself. “I’ve gotta be doing something or I’ll go crazy.”
Silence filled the room. Seth avoided her eyes, but she could tell he felt the awkwardness.
“Well, I’m sure you’re not suggesting we row a boat to the middle of the Bering Sea and have a look around,” she said, picking up the slack in the conversation, “but I bet your friend Joe Tanu can help, him being a retired Alaskan state trooper and all. We could check out the island real quick.”
“We?” Payton questioned, looking over his shoulder at her. “Oh, no. This could be a rough trip, with no frills. I was planning on leaving right away, be there by nightfall, island time. Hell, Jess, there’s not much to St. Lawrence except for the small Native villages of Gambell and Savoonga. A sparse population. Once I hit the island, I’d be roughing it and camping out, keeping a low profile until I rule out the location. But if I get a hit, those Globe Harvest bastards won’t get another chance to vacate like they did here. Even if Nikki isn’t on the island, I’m gonna see to it that someone from Globe Harvest pays for what happened to her.”
Thinking about what he said, she swallowed hard.
“I hear ya.” She raised her chin in challenge and crossed her arms. “But are you saying you don’t think I can rough it, Archer?”
“Oh, hell, Jessie…” Payton cocked his head in exasperation. “Please don’t make me answer that.”
He looked to Harper for support, but found none.
“Don’t look at me. I’m out of this.” Seth held up his hands and ditched male bonding in favor of more coffee.
For nearly an hour Jess gave it her best shot, trying to convince Payton to bring her along on his trip into the wilds of Alaska. She presented her case in a clear and logical manner, while he countered with his version of reality—male rationale run amok. Eventually the gloves were off and cool heads warped into mouths on autopilot.
“Look, more than likely St. Lawrence Island will be nothing more than a Hail Mary pass in the final seconds of the game,” he said as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, leaning against a door frame in the study.
“Why do men always resort to sports analogies?” When she caught his glare, she said, “Did I say that aloud?”
“Jessie, come on. The world is a big place—”
“Wait, let me write that down,” she interrupted.
“—and Nikki could be anywhere,” he continued. “This is gonna be a long shot. We’ve got less than nothing to go on.”
“Then why are you shutting me out? Hell I’m good at…nothing,” she countered. “You said it yourself—it’s unlikely Globe Harvest would pick such an isolated place. If you think this is gonna be a walk in the damned park, you should have no objections to me coming along. I can handle myself.”
Payton dropped his head and took a deep breath. She had him on the ropes.
“You know if we don’t go together, I’ll just find a way to follow you there. And that’s not an idle threat,” she said. “I doubt the state of Alaska would be ready for Jess Beckett gone wild.”
“I’m not either.” Payton rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m just…worried for you, Jessie.” He’d softened his voice, and another wave of memories from last night took hold of her heart. “You’ve been through so much already. You almost died in that explosion. I’d never forgive myself if…”
In a nearby chair, Harper had found a ringside seat to their verbal skirmish. All he needed was a bucket of popcorn. Jess caught Seth’s eye and nudged her head, asking him for privacy. If Harper hadn’t gotten the message before, when the arguing had started, she wanted it spelled out now. She needed alone time with Payton. The kid took her hint and left without a word, ousted from his own study.
Jess walked up to Payton and placed a hand on his chest.
“And how do you think I’d feel if you went alone and something happened? I’d want to be there to watch your back and I’d trust you to do the same for me,” she said. When he wouldn’t look her in the eye, she stroked his cheek with a finger until he did. “You and me, we aren’t sidelines people, Payton. We get into the game one way or another. It’s part of who we are. Now, I made a promise to Nikki, to get her out of this, and I’d like to keep it.”
She rose on tiptoes and kissed his cheek, loving the way her lips felt on his warm cheek. The arousing smell of his skin left her feeling light-headed. All she wanted was to hold him—to feel her arms around him. But before that could happen, she needed him to concede her point.
And she’d saved her best argument for last.
“Besides, I know what Petrovin looks like. If it comes to it, I’ll be able to spot him from a distance. His ugly mug is hard to forget.” She tightened her jaw, with memories of the Russian careening through her head.
When Payton gazed down at her this time, she knew by the look in his eye that their bickering was over. She had pleaded her case and won, if the word “win” described it. Urban girl Jess Beckett was heading for the Alaskan wilderness—remote and sparse, where grizzly bears and alpha males roamed free. Once her feet hit the tundra, she’d be nothing more than part of the food chain.
St. Lawrence Island was dead ahead. And she’d be in the thick of it before nightfall.
CHAPTER 27
Chicago O’Hare
Private hangar
Overcast skies from the early morning had burned off, leaving the promise of a beautiful day. Rays of sunlight breached the clouds and speared light through billows of white. And rain had settled into puddles on the side of the road, sparkling like gems under shimmering light, a vestige of last night’s storm.
In theory, the change in weather should have lightened her mood, but her more philosophical nature made that impossible. She liked to think that a renewing rain could cleanse the world, but even in her imaginings, mankind would find a way to screw up the idyllic notion. As long as humanity preyed on itself, the world would only reflect the worst of mankind’s cruel intentions. And Alexa felt helpless to alter the breadth of society’s sins…except one covert operation at a time.
Doing something about Globe Harvest felt right, even if she’d be taking the law into her own hands. She knew what lay ahead. An operation of this magnitude always put her on edge. She liked to think of it as mental pre
paration, but in all likelihood her restlessness had been forged by the reality that this day could be her last.
She drove up to the nondescript metal and glass structure, the one without a name and only the designation 4569 on its front door. She knew from experience the number was a blind that led nowhere. Garrett Wheeler and his people knew how to be discreet. On the tarmac to the side of the building was the man’s private jet, glistening in the sun. And despite her wish to take her encounter with him in stride, she couldn’t help but notice her heart beating faster as her eyes searched for him.
“Whose bright idea was it to get personal?” she muttered under her breath, gripping the steering wheel tighter than usual. “Oh, yeah. Me. I was the genius.”
Once that ship had sailed, she figured shutting down the damned harbor made no sense, but she wasn’t sure which was worse—the first time or every time since. She’d never been a woman to curb her appetites, and neither was Garrett. That made for a dangerous combination.
She parked the car in a spot near the front door marked for visitors. When she stepped out of the vehicle, the sound of planes taking off from O’Hare filled the air and mixed with the hum of traffic coming off the interstates. As if on cue, a man emerged from the building and approached her. Alexa recognized his face and knew the drill. She handed over her car keys and rental agreement, knowing he’d return the vehicle to the rental agency for her.
“I’ll take care of everything. Have a safe trip.” The man acted as if she were going on vacation.
“Let’s hope,” she replied.
Although she tried to be subtle about it, Alexa watched for Garrett as she readied for her eminent departure. She got help with her baggage from a crewman in uniform who loaded her bags onto the jet. But when she was done, still no Garrett. By the time she looked at her watch a second time, she heard a lusty male voice behind her.
“Glad you got my message and could join me.”
She turned to see Garrett coming out of the building with his usual swagger and a coffee cup in hand. Dressed in a sharp navy suit, crisp white shirt, and a bloodred tie, he looked like he’d stepped off a magazine cover with his swarthy good looks, resembling a highly successful financier. No one would guess the man had powerful yet deadly connections all over the globe. He dressed in sharp contrast to her more casual attire of jeans and a brown leather jacket.
“And may I ask what changed your mind?” she asked. “I thought I’d still have to convince you of the merits of this case. Imagine my surprise when I find you’d set the wheels in motion for this trip before I barely had my morning coffee. Fortunately for you, I like surprises, especially when I get my way.”
Set against tanned skin and dark hair, his steel gray eyes took her in without restraint as he slowly sipped coffee. He gazed at her from top to bottom, as if he was starving and she was a leg of lamb. He didn’t miss a curve, and looked at some parts twice. But when he finally grinned, his slick smile disarmed her, as it always did.
“I aim to please.” He winked, and moved toward his jet. “I brought more appropriate clothing for you. Everything’s on board. We can both change en route.”
He dangled a well-played carrot before her, not saying where they were headed. The man loved his games.
“At the risk of overindulging you,” he added, “I’ll give you first picks of your accessories.”
Alexa knew he meant she’d get first crack at the weapons locker he carried with him on assignment. The man really knew how to treat a woman.
“We’ve got plenty of locations to choose, all coordinates needing immediate attention,” she pointed out as she climbed into the jet. “Tight timing, but I’m sure you’ve got a logistics plan.”
Once they were inside and had their privacy, the ground crew secured the outer door and Garrett replied, “Yes, I have. You’ll be in charge of the primary entry team. I’ve got the snipers and Stanton has support and perimeter. I’ll go over the details for the other locations to get your input once we’re airborne. We’ll launch our assault soon after we land. Does that work for you?”
She smiled and buckled into her seat as the jet began to move. “Yeah, that works.”
Knowing Garrett, he’d picked a top-notch team to accompany him into the field. The man had a taste for the best, and no one was more thorough when it came to planning an operation.
“And we may have a line on Petrovin, although there’s been no confirmation as yet.” His face suddenly became more solemn. “I thought you’d want to know.”
Garrett had tossed out that little morsel as if it meant nothing, but she could tell that wasn’t the case. She suddenly understood why he’d gotten involved in her personal investigation. What moved the man to act sometimes baffled her, but his motives usually warranted closer examination.
“My, you have been busy. Impressive. By the way, where are we heading?”
Although he hadn’t committed to a specific location in his briefing with her, she had a strong suspicion that if Garrett had a lead on Petrovin, that’s where he’d want to be. Alexa had to admit. She wanted another crack at the Russian too.
“By your own admission, you’re a woman of mystery who likes surprises,” he said, arousing her interest when his lethal smile returned. “I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you.”
Two hours later
In the dim light of the security control room, Stas Petrovin had read the encrypted message downloaded from the local server and crumbled the paper in his hand. He glared at one of his men, staring straight through him, then shifted his attention to the bank of security monitors linked to state-of-the-art digital cameras positioned at all points of the compound.
Had he made a mistake in coming here?
“Issue a facility alert to all the men. Be on the lookout for any suspicious activity. No one comes or goes without me knowing about it.” Slowly, he shifted his gaze again, looking the man directly in the eye. “And I want a systemwide alert. We’re shutting down this location temporarily. The shipment we just sent out will be our final one until I make the call otherwise.”
“Yes, sir. I’m on it.” The uniformed man left the control room, leaving Stas alone with his thoughts and the handful of guards manning the security station. The room had grown nearly silent, the tension mounting. In the murky light, he felt the men’s eyes on him as he contemplated his next move.
After days of planning and the constant maneuvering to make sure he hadn’t been followed from Chicago, he had been ready to land and get his life back, carrying on where he’d left off. But now all that looked up in the air.
The online alert had been precautionary. His superior was a careful man, to be sure. And for the most part, he appreciated Anton Bukolov’s conservative nature. Globe Harvest had survived and thrived because of his wariness and shrewd manner.
No, he would not question what had transpired to make Bukolov anxious. Nor would he second-guess him. Who could blame the old man? He had anticipated fallout after the explosion of the Chicago facility, but this alert had come on the heels of a few tiring days with him on the run. He only wanted things to get back to normal, whatever that meant.
Somewhere within the organization, pressure had been applied, and like a lizard with its tail caught, sometimes it was better to sever an appendage to save the whole. Perhaps that was what Bukolov had intended, and he would give the old man the respect he deserved.
Petrovin got on the phone and called an extension in logistics. When the call was answered, he recognized the voice of the man on the line.
“A mere precaution, but make sure my helicopter is fueled and hidden away from the compound. You know the location. Do it now, Mitchell.” Without waiting for the man’s reply, he ended the call, accustomed to giving orders.
Similar to what had happened in Chicago, he would ensure he had a way out and be prepared for any eventuality, a prudent move on his part. But the success of his mission would be paramount. He would protect Bukolov and the organization at all co
st. If he had to evacuate this time, he’d be traveling light.
No hostages. And no witnesses.
The face of the blond girl wavered in his mind. Although she showed backbone and had stood out from the rest, she would be a casualty, pure and simple. One way or another, he’d be dealing with her. After a quick look at his watch, he knew the girl’s time was nearly upon him and he must prepare her soon. Dismissing her from his mind, Petrovin headed for the door with one thought lingering.
All men stared death in the face. Ironically, it was a part of life. And when his time came, he didn’t want to die a feeble old man. No, that would be unacceptable. He wanted his passing to be memorable, perhaps in the line of duty. Being second in command and strangely indifferent to his own mortality, he had chosen to live his life on a razor’s edge and hoped he’d have similar control in the manner of his death. At least, he hoped it would be so.
Rank had its privileges…and its cost. And he embraced both.
During the flight, Alexa had changed into a battle dress uniform in camo and set aside other gear and the weapons she would bring. She sat across from Garrett, who was reading the Wall Street Journal as if he were on a business trip, dressed in full tactical uniform. She marveled at how the man looked as good in his BDUs as in his pricy suits, but that might only be her taste. She loved complicated men.
Alexa shook her head and fought a smile, then glanced out the window.
By checking the position of the sun, she figured they were heading west, but that was all she had. Soon he’d brief her about where they were going; until then Garrett Wheeler would revel in his surprise, as he always did.