by Pat White
Walking thirty or so meters, he glanced up at the houses, perched on the bluff. That’s when he spotted it—a red pickup in a grassy lot. He climbed up the wooden steps to get a better look.
Then it struck him. That nagging sensation that woke him in the early hours—Paul Reynolds, good friend, who couldn’t afford a family vacation in Hawaii, but was buying property on the coast?
Reynolds had given Bobby a pint last night. Could he have laced it with something that dulled Bobby’s reactions, making it easier to lose control of his vehicle?
“I’ve got something,” Jeremy said into the communications device.
No response. Blast, he must be out of range. He reached the top of the bluff and approached the truck. He peered inside, hoping to find something identifying the owner.
He heard the crunch of shoes on gravel, then a sharp pain cracked against his skull. He fell to the ground, started to get up and wavered. Something pounded against his back. He slammed against the hard earth and passed out.
Chapter Fourteen
The chill woke him. His body shivered to regulate his temperature. Rhythmic dripping echoed in his ears. He opened his eyes but only saw black.
Then he heard the sound of a sniffling child.
A soft glow suddenly lit the area and a child stared back at him—Lucas Weddle.
Good God, he was dead and had joined Lucas in heaven. Wait a second, it was awfully cold and wet up here.
“Hey, you’re finally awake,” the boy said.
“Lucas?”
“I tried to save you.” He glanced at his shoes. “Sorry, I kinda messed it up.”
Jeremy blinked and sat up, hugging his midsection to warm himself. “Save me?”
“Sure. I saw you get dumped in this hole so I came down to save you, only the line came loose so we’re stuck down here.”
“Why didn’t you call the police?”
“Because they’ll arrest me for running away.”
“You weren’t kidnapped?”
“Nnnnooo,” he said. “I’m on a mission to prove I can take care of myself in the wilderness. And I did pretty good, too, until I tried saving you.”
The boy was alive and unhurt. Relief washed over Jeremy.
“Why didn’t you inform your parents about your mission?”
“Dad would only tell me I’m too young, or too inexperienced, or not smart enough or whatever. We went camping last month and he couldn’t even build a fire.”
“Your parents have been desperately worried about you.”
“They shouldn’t be. I left them a note. Unless…”
“What?”
“Unless Natalia stole it. She’s always getting into my stuff. But it doesn’t matter. I sent them an e-mail a few days ago, from a new account I set up on my BlackBerry.”
An e-mail from an unknown sender. It probably went right into the spam folder.
“Lucas, where have you been this past week?”
“Camping.”
“Alone?”
“Uh-huh. But yesterday I spotted my picture on a lamppost and I knew I was in trouble. I don’t want to go to jail.”
“They won’t send you to jail for staying away from home. But your parents are worried sick.”
“Mom, maybe. Dad doesn’t care.”
Jeremy hugged his chest tighter. His fingers were growing numb with the chill. “I’m sure your father cares. He loves you.”
“Love is for girls.” Lucas waved him off.
Jeremy realized Lucas was trying to prove something to his father, earn his respect, maybe even earn his love.
Jeremy knew that feeling, wanting it so badly you’d do practically anything.
Like pursue a career in law.
Or run away from home.
All for a father’s love.
Suddenly Jeremy hoped for another chance with Andrew.
And Mercedes.
She’d loved him last night, and not just with her body. He could feel something growing between them, a connection he’d never felt with another woman—a connection that eased the ache in his chest.
“We need to get out of here.” Jeremy stood up. His legs were stiff. “How long have I been out?”
“I don’t know. A while. It’s dark outside.”
He assumed the money drop had been made, Reynolds got away free and clear and Jeremy sat in this mud hole, unable to expose him.
He tried to climb up the side of the hole, got about three feet, then lost his footing and fell to the muddy earth.
“Don’t worry. Metro 22 will find us,” Lucas said. “He’s with British Intelligence. We’ve been e-mailing since yesterday.”
Great, they were stuck in this hole and the only one who knew their location was a phantom e-mailer who probably lived in Tokyo.
“Lucas,” Jeremy started, then decided not to scare the boy. He studied their prison. It had to be ten feet deep.
“I know what you’re thinking,” the boy said.
Jeremy glanced at him.
“You think I don’t know what I’m talking about because I’m just a kid.”
“No, I was considering a backup plan in case Metro 22 gets delayed,” Jeremy said. “When did you e-mail him?”
“A few hours ago. But I didn’t have our exact location so it might take him a while to find us.”
Like forever.
“I’m hungry.” Lucas opened a backpack. “Want a protein bar?”
“Where did you get that?” Jeremy said. “The Coast Guard found your school pack floating in the ocean.”
“That’s for kids. Did you see that red dinosaur on it? I bought this when I was on the field trip.”
Lucas handed him a protein bar and Jeremy took a bite.
He’d need his strength to get out of this one.
A few minutes passed. “How about we surprise Metro 22 and figure a way out of here? How did you end up down here again?”
“I climbed down, checked your pulse, then my line mysteriously came undone. Here.” He picked it up and handed it to Jeremy.
“Up for a little climbing?”
“Sure.” The boy’s eyes lit up.
Jeremy tied the line around Lucas’s waist, knelt down and said, “Come on, up on my shoulders.”
With careful balance, Jeremy steadied Lucas, then stood, slowly.
“Hey, I’m almost to the top!” Lucas cried.
“Keep steady.”
“A little more, just a little more.”
“I’m going to give you a push,” Jeremy said. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
“On three.” Jeremy gripped the boy’s trainers and counted. “One, two, three!”
Jeremy pushed and Lucas climbed out. “You did it! Awesome!” Lucas said, looking down at Jeremy. “Stay there.”
Right, and where would he go? A second later the boy’s line dropped into the hole.
“I attached it to a tree,” Lucas said.
Jeremy pulled himself up and out. They followed a trail through the woods, Jeremy leaning on the boy for support. His head ached from being knocked out earlier.
“How did you happen to see the man drop me into the hole?” he asked.
“Actually, I’ve been watching him. He’s a friend of my dad’s and I don’t trust him.”
“Paul Reynolds?”
“That’s him. And his son is a complete, uh…” He glanced at Jeremy.
“He’s a wanker.” Jeremy smiled.
“Nice word,” Lucas said in awe.
“How far do you think we are from town?”
“Not that far. Why, are you hungry?” He hesitated to open his backpack.
“Let’s get you safe first. I can wait.”
“Okay.”
“Hey, look!” Lucas pointed.
A flashlight winked at them through the woods.
He put his arm around the boy. “Keep quiet. It might be Reynolds.”
“Einstein 10, you out there?” a voice called.
“It�
�s Metro 22.” Lucas grinned at Jeremy.
“I’m here, Metro 22!” Lucas called back.
“Keep talkin’, mate, so I can find ya.”
That voice, that accent, it sounded like…
“Over here, we’re over here!” Lucas called out.
The boy rushed down the path and into the arms of Metro 22—Andrew.
“It’s okay. I found ya.” He glanced up at Jeremy. “You look like hell.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ve got ’em,” Andrew said into a radio. “About twenty meters off the Timbercreek parking lot, trail A. I’m bringing them back to the lot.”
He looked older, like a man, not the angry boy who’d been cornered in the jail cell.
“You need a hand?” Andrew offered.
It was the first pleasant thing he’d said to Jeremy. “I can manage.”
They hiked through the woods, Andrew walking alongside Lucas Weddle.
“Why’d you run away, Einstein?” Andrew asked Lucas.
“I wanted to show everyone I’m a man.”
“And you are, for sure. Thanks for saving that bloke back there.” He jerked his thumb toward Jeremy. “He’s my dad.”
Jeremy’s heart skipped.
They approached the clearing and the team rushed to greet them, asking questions and filling Jeremy in on what had happened.
The team figured out what Jeremy had—that Paul Reynolds was their key suspect. They found him and turned him over to the police. He never had Lucas, but had banked on the boy being dead and the body not being found until he’d made off with the ransom. Both of them. He’d taken the wine shop ransom and had set up the pancake house ransom as a decoy, to keep Blackwell’s agents busy so he could set up a ransom drop with the Weddles directly.
When the team found Paul Reynolds he was heading to the airport planning to travel using a stolen identity. In financial ruin, he was leaving it all behind, even his wife and son.
Everyone threw in a comment here and there— Eddie, Max, Spinelli, Bobby and even Cassie.
But not Mercedes, she kept quiet, relief spreading across her face. And sadness?
Someone put a wool blanket around Jeremy’s shoulders. Andrew.
“Thank you,” Jeremy said, looking into his son’s blue eyes. His expression had changed since the first time they’d met. What was once hatred had softened to concern.
Max knelt beside Lucas. “Little Lucas, aren’t you the smart one? You saved my agent for me.”
“I’m not all that little,” he said.
“No, you’re really not.”
A car raced into the parking lot, followed by two patrol cars. The Weddles jumped out of their sedan and ran to Lucas.
“Oh, my God,” Mrs. Weddle said over and over again.
“Lucas David Weddle, I can’t believe you put us through this,” his father scolded.
The boy hugged his mom, tears streaming down his face. “Don’t cry, Mom. I’m okay.”
Jeremy touched Mr. Weddle’s shoulder. “He did it for you. He was trying to prove he was worthy of your attention.”
Doug Weddle’s gaze drifted from Jeremy to his son.
“Hell,” he whispered, then hugged both his wife and child.
Jeremy smiled to himself. A family. They were okay. An ache filled his chest.
The Weddles went to their car and a police officer approached. “We’ll need a statement,” he said to Jeremy.
“Ah, let the poor man rest.” Andrew got between them. “He’s been through hell.”
The cop nodded at Jeremy. “Tomorrow morning?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s get back, then.” Max motioned for Bobby to drive.
They piled into the minivan and headed to the hotel, Max explaining how they came to the same conclusion that Jeremy had and found Paul Reynolds trying to make off with the ransom. Apparently Paul Reynolds felt he deserved Weddle’s money because he’d followed the man’s investment advice.
“Hospital or hotel?” Max said to Jeremy.
“My hotel room. I could use about twenty hours of sleep.”
They pulled into the parking lot. Andrew reached for Jeremy’s arm to steady him.
“I’m not completely incapable,” Jeremy joked, but truthfully he enjoyed the attention.
Mercedes got out and kept her distance, walking ahead of the group. She disappeared into the hotel.
Something was off. He’d talk to her tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.
“Good night, mate,” Max said, an arm around Cassie.
“It’s too early,” Bobby said. “Who’s up for a pint?”
“Count me in,” Spinelli said.
Eddie glanced at Andrew, as if he didn’t want to leave him behind.
“Go on,” Andrew said. “I’ll look after the old man.”
The three men left and Andrew helped Jeremy to his room.
“Nancy says hi,” Andrew said.
Jeremy stopped and searched into his son’s eyes. “I never would have left you.”
The boy shot him a half-smile. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow, after you’re feeling better.”
Andrew opened the hotel room door and led Jeremy to a chair with a view of the ocean. “I’ll get you some dry clothes.”
“Andrew?”
“Sir?”
“Good job, tonight.”
“Thanks.”
“So, you want to join the Met?”
“Unless I get a better offer.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Running never solved anything. I should know,” Max said.
Mercedes shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m not running, sir. Blackwell isn’t a good fit for me.”
“Is this about Jeremy?”
Jeremy. Right, the man she’d mistakenly given her heart to and lost her self-respect in the process.
“Was he that hard to work with?” Templeton quizzed.
“He was fine.”
And he was. Fine, loving, compassionate.
“I think I’m better suited to the federal agencies.”
Her heart broke with the lie. She’d wanted to work for a private firm, for a group like Blackwell that acted like a family as much as an investigative team.
“Thank you for the opportunity,” she said.
They shook hands.
“I’m sorry you’re leaving. I thought you had real promise.”
“Thanks.”
She went to her desk and slipped a few personal things into her briefcase. Getting here before the rest of them had been her plan. She knew Templeton had told everyone to sleep in before the wrap up briefing. She hoped to be gone before the rest of the team got here.
Before Jeremy showed up.
She didn’t know if she could stand it, looking into those blue eyes, now devoid of any professional respect. It was to be expected. They could never look at each other the same way after having such amazing sex.
But it wasn’t just amazing sex. Not for her.
“You’re leaving?” Jeremy said.
She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to greet him. He looked rested but worn down. She wanted to hold him. She shut her briefcase. “You should be taking it easy.”
“I asked you a question.”
“I’m going to enjoy the rest of my leave from the FBI and go to Europe or something.”
In truth, she was lost. She wasn’t sure how she’d ended up here again, ruining her chances with Blackwell.
That’s a lie. She knew exactly how she’d ended up here. She’d fallen for her partner.
“It’s been great working with you.” She shook his hand, grabbed her briefcase and headed out the front door.
For a minute she thought she’d make it out in one piece, that he wouldn’t follow her and add to her growing embarrassment.
He caught up to her on the sidewalk. “I want you to tell me what this is really about.”
“Look, you’ve got a lot on your plate right now and I don’t wa
nt to add to it.”
“So you’re leaving out of concern for me?” His amazing eyes narrowed in disbelief.
“Basically,” she said.
“You promised honesty. I want it now.”
“I need to go.”
“You need to talk to me. Is it Andrew? Is that what’s scaring you away?”
“No, Jeremy, not at all. He’s a good kid.”
“Then what?”
“Let’s not do this.”
“Why not? I may never see you again.”
“Jeremy, I’m sorry, okay? The other night was a mistake.”
“I scared you off, didn’t I?”
She touched his cheek. “No, it’s just, well, you can’t help but feel differently about me and I understand.”
“You’re not making sense.”
“You said you wouldn’t lose respect for me but I see it in your eyes. You don’t look at me the same way. You barely look at me at all. When you reassigned me to partner with Bobby, I got the message.” She paused. “And to be honest, I can’t keep working around you, seeing that look in your eyes. I’ve got to go.”
She kissed him on the cheek. Work or love. She could never have both.
“Mercedes?” he said.
She took a step back.
“Yes?”
“I requested that you be assigned to Bobby because I wasn’t sure he had completely recovered from the car accident. I paired him with a strong, sharp agent for everyone’s benefit. To help the team.”
Could it be?
“And that look in my eyes, you may think it’s disappointment, but in reality, it’s fear. I’m terrified because I’m feeling things for you—and I’ve known you only a short time—which is so unlike me. I’ve only felt this once before and it was a bloody mess and now I’ve got a teenager to contend with who won’t listen to a thing I say and…I’m rambling.”
She smiled. “It’s okay, I like the sound of your voice.”
“Do you like it enough to stay?”
“Jeremy.” Her gaze drifted to the sidewalk.
With his forefinger and thumb, he tipped her chin and looked into her eyes. “You can have it all—work and romance. Look at Max and Cassie. Besides, you make me smile. No one else can do that.”
And she knew at that moment that she couldn’t leave, couldn’t walk away from this man just because they worked together.