MacBeth reached up and unfastened Luke’s belt, fumbling for a second with the metal buckle. “Watch the hands, big guy. Tessa will get jealous.”
“It would be the best piece you ever had.” MacBeth gave a raw laugh and wrapped the makeshift tourniquet around his middle thigh, just above the wound.
Luke shot him a worried look, knowing that for all the tough talk and macho jokes, his man was hurting. “Did it hit an artery or vein?”
“I don’t think so.” MacBeth hissed in pain as he tightened the leather. “Right, I’m good to go.”
Luke dove down as a series of gunshots peppered the area around them. “Too bad we’re trapped here. I don’t think we’d be able to make it across that clearing and onto the trail before they shot us both in our tracks.”
The cold sweat on MacBeth’s face gleamed as he lifted his head to study the woods behind them. A movement caught his eye.
“Ah, shit. Here comes the cavalry,” MacBeth said.
Luke whipped around and saw Tessa’s familiar ski jacket at the edge of a the tree line—just for a moment. Then she melted back into the darkness when shots rang out from the house once again.
“Did she see us?” Luke asked.
“Yeah.”
“Jesus, I hope she doesn’t do anything crazy.”
The clearing was quiet for a long stretch. MacBeth worked his way to a standing position, breathing through his teeth against the pain. “If you cover me, I can make it to the edge of the forest. Then I’ll drop to the ground and lay down a suppressing fire so you can pull back.”
Luke glanced at the tourniquet. “Can you make it that far?”
“Adrenaline is a beautiful thing, my friend.”
At that moment they heard the anemic sound of a horn from one of the two snowmobiles Ricky had left parked in the yard. They looked at each other, trying to figure out what was up.
Or better yet, what the hell Tessa was up to.
Luke grinned when he heard a booming voice—or her best efforts at one—echo across the compound.
“Roderick Hedges, this is the FBI. We have your cabin surrounded. Throw down your weapons, and you will not be hurt.”
Luke heard scuffling noises, then realized Otis was retreating from the second floor.
“I repeat, this is the FBI. Throw down your weapons, lie on the floor, and wait for us to come to you. We have orders to use lethal force to subdue you.”
After scanning the house to be sure there were no guns pointed at them, Luke scooped MacBeth up over his shoulder and headed down the trail as fast as he could under their combined weights.
Chapter 51
Near Lake Tahoe, California
Thursday night, March 18
Tessa waited until at least a minute had passed from the time she’d seen Luke and MacBeth disappear into the dark cover of the trees. They should be a good distance up the trail by now.
Or at least they would be, if one of them wasn’t shot.
She bit her lip, wondering if it had been Luke. Then she decided that it didn’t matter, because either way they weren’t leaving any member of the team behind. She’d bought them some time with her bluff, but Ricky Hedges was a gambler.
And gamblers always knew when it was time to call an opponent’s bluff.
Tessa pushed away from the snowmobiles she’d hidden behind. She’d managed to disable one of them by ripping at every exposed wire she could find, but had been unsuccessful in her attempt to start the other one. So much for riding to the rescue.
She looked up and saw the shadow of a man’s form silhouetted in the window and decided that she’d done all she could. She reached for the wires on the remaining snowmobile, but saw that it was a different model and had a plastic box covering the electronics panel. She didn’t have time to figure it out, so she took off running on a course that she hoped would intersect with the trail she’d used earlier.
After realizing how dark and unfamiliar this part of the property was, Tessa abandoned the idea and backtracked until she joined the path Luke and MacBeth had taken.
She knew she was on the right trail because she was able to follow spatters of blood that looked black in the night.
At least it stopped snowing, right? There’s a silver lining for you.
She looked up and saw the shapes of Luke and MacBeth ahead of her in the dim light. She realized that Luke was the one carrying his employee at the same moment that she heard the distant sound of a snowmobile starting.
“Coming up behind you,” she panted.
Luke kept moving, aware that they were about to be hunted down from the back of a snowmobile. “Only a few more minutes,” he panted.
“There’s one snowmobile—I disabled the other.” She ran behind him, astonished that she could barely keep up with him despite the burden he was carrying. “Is MacBeth all right?”
“Fuckin’A,” both men responded at once.
Tessa shook her head, wondering if it was some kind of SWAT thing.
Suddenly Luke stumbled, and Tessa held her breath for a moment before he managed to right himself.
“Hold up,” MacBeth panted. “My tourniquet is too loose.”
“Keep going,” Tessa said. “I recognize the clearing just past those rocks. We’re almost there.”
“Unfortunately, so is Ricky. The snowmobile is right behind,” MacBeth said. “I can see the light. We have to make a stand.”
Luke knew his man was right. He made it up the path just past where it narrowed between a series of boulders, then studied the clearing dotted with trees beyond. “We’ve got about a minute to come up with an ambush plan.”
Tessa watched as Luke carefully set MacBeth down behind one of the boulders. “Is that rope clipped onto his backpack?”
“Yeah.”
“What if we strung it across the path right here at the rocks? We could pull Ricky and Otis—”
“Right on their asses,” Luke finished. “Except that they’d see the rope and try to avoid it. Then we’re toast, unless we just shoot them.”
“What if I stood up at the edge of the clearing?” Tessa asked. “They’d see me when they crested the hill and would be distracted. They’d never notice the rope you two have strung across their path.”
“No way,” growled Luke. “If we need a decoy, I’ll do it.”
She held up her cast. “There’s no way I can hold the rope taut enough, even if I wrapped it around the tree. Besides, they won’t get close enough to hit me, and we don’t have time to argue.”
Before Luke could respond, Tessa took off running up the path. She made it to the halfway point, then slowed down, taking the time to carefully scan the path ahead of her. She didn’t want to run into any obstacles ifsomeone was shooting at her.
A quick glance over her shoulder told her that Luke had helped MacBeth to his feet and taken up a position next to him, sheltered in the darkness of the boulders that loomed at the edge of the trail. She could barely see the faint outlines of the rope they’d tied around a tree on one side of the path. On the other, they both braced themselves for impact.
At that moment, she heard a shout, then the sound of the snowmobile gunning its engine. She’d been spotted.
As she started to run across the rest of the clearing, there was no need for her to feign being afraid. Ricky was driving the vehicle, and Otis was half-standing behind him, taking aim at Tessa with a shiny handgun.
Luke heard the sound of the snowmobile racing toward them and met MacBeth’s gaze. The other man nodded grimly, to say that he was ready, and tightened the grip of his gloved hands on the rope strung across the path.
When the sound of several shots rang out, Luke jerked as if he’d been hit himself. His head whipped to the left to try to follow Tessa’s progress. She was making no attempt to find cover for herself, and he gritted his teeth against the effort it took not to shout after her.
Another volley of gunshots, then a whoop of triumph from Otis as Tessa went down hard. Luke pulle
d his eyes away from her. He could hear the snowmobile enter the tiny canyon of rocks. It was time.
He and MacBeth threw their considerable combined weight backward until they were held up only by the pull the tree exerted on the rope. The snowmobile’s front end went flying by them, and then Ricky and his henchman were the ones doing the flying.
Luke gave a roar of effort, conscious of the fact that MacBeth would be the weak link because of his injury. The rope was nearly torn from his gloved hands as the men on the snowmobile ran into it and were jerked to a stop.
Otis fired several wild shots with the gun he was holding before he became completely airborne. Luke and MacBeth were both jerked forward but managed to hold on.
The snowmobile plunged forward, then crashed into a tree. Ricky and Otis ended up in a moaning heap on the ground about ten feet away. Luke grabbed the rope from MacBeth’s slack grip and drew his weapon as he got to his feet.
“Don’t fucking move, boys,” Luke said.
MacBeth pushed himself upright and drew his own weapon. “I’ve got them, Luke. Go check on Tessa.”
“If they give you any shit, I want you to plug them. It’ll save us the cost of a trial,” Luke said coldly.
Ricky moaned on the ground but stopped thrashing around. He knew he was done.
Luke holstered his weapon and ran across the clearing even though his legs were burning with fatigue. His entire being was focused on the motionless figure of Tessa in the snow ahead of him.
“Tessa? Please, baby.” He threw himself down next to her.
“Did it work?” she asked, rolling over to her side.
Luke stared at her, mouth gaping open. She grinned and threw her arms around him. Hard.
“Jesus. I thought you’d been shot.”
“No, I slipped in the mud. Tennis shoes aren’t made for snowy, icy conditions.”
“Oh, thank God.” Luke’s arms closed around her, and he pulled her against him as he sprawled in the snow on his back.
They lay there for a moment, slowing their breathing and basking in the fact that everyone was alive. A flash of red streaked into the sky above the treetops and pulled their attention away from each other. “What is that?” Tessa asked.
“Stoner. He’s signaling to the backup team with a flare that we’re ready to go home.”
“Home,” Tessa mused, as they both got to their feet. She was soaking wet, had snow crusted on her feet and lower legs, and her broken wrist was throbbing like nobody’s business. “It doesn’t snow there, right?”
“No, baby, it doesn’t.”
“Let’s go home, love.”
Epilogue
Los Angeles, California
Saturday, March 20
“I like this cast much better,” Tessa said to Luke, as they made their way up the broad steps of her father’s home.
Luke eyed the glaring purple of Tessa’s new forearm cast with some suspicion. He’d secretly labeled it Moby Grape. “I guess the important thing is that no permanent damage was done when you bashed Bobby in the face.”
“Nope,” she said gleefully. “The other cast did its job, and gave its life for my wrist. I’ll think of it often and fondly.”
“You seem pretty cheerful,” Luke said.
“Why wouldn’t I be? The case is closed, and the bad guys are all in jail waiting for charges to be filed and plea bargains to be made. MacBeth will be out of the hospital tomorrow and can recover at home.”
“In short, you did it.”
“We did it. All of us. But yes, I’m very happy.” In a rare display of spontaneous affection, Tessa stood on tiptoe and landed a smacking kiss on Luke’s smiling mouth.
Of course that was the exact moment that Paul Jacobi chose to open the door. She pulled away from Luke, aware that she was blushing, and greeted him.
“I’m sorry you guys had to jump ship and come back home,” Tessa said. She stood there awkwardly as she was carefully examined by her father. The knowledge that she looked a lot better than the last time he’d seen her didn’t help much.
Finally, Tessa moved forward and gave him a quick hug. “I’m glad you came back to see us.”
Paul Jacobi’s blue eyes closed with something that looked very much like relief, then he returned his daughter’s light embrace. “Come inside. Everyone is already on the back patio.”
Tessa moved ahead, and Paul took the opportunity to corner Luke. “Thank you for taking care of her.”
“She took care of herself, so I guess you should take some of the credit. I just followed in her wake trying to keep up.”
“Hmmph. I have a feeling you’re going to be running after my girl for some time to come.”
There was a question there, probably regarding his intentions. But Luke ignored it. “As long as I catch her once in a while, I’ll be fine with that.”
They made their way onto the backyard patio just as Tessa was being greeted by her brother, stepmother, and Kelly.
“Excellent cast,” Kevin said as he hugged his older sister.
“Thanks, it’s the latest color. I was just glad that there was no further damage to my wrist, so I was feeling like celebrating when I picked the new cast.”
“Kelly was just telling us that she’s going to be staying in Los Angeles to make statements to the police and stuff, then wait for the trials to start,” Kevin said. He spoke casually, with the complete disregard a teenager would have for a difficult subject.
Kelly smiled at him, obviously smitten and grateful that he was treating her so normally.
“My mom is going to work part-time helping Luke’s assistant keep the books,” Kelly said shyly. “And my dad is going to look for work selling agricultural equipment up in the north county. If we can manage, we’ll try to move here so I have a better chance of getting a recording contract.”
“That’s great news, kiddo.” Luke tugged on Kelly’s ponytail like an older brother and smiled when she jerked away to smooth her platinum hair.
“How are things with the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office?” Paul asked as they all took a seat.
“They’re, um, cordial.” Tessa tried to keep the smugness from her voice. “We’re working together to file the appropriate charges. No one is going to walk on this case. Best of all, the AUSA is going to seek the death penalty against Ricky and Otis. It means Kelly will have to testify, but it also means that Ed’s killers won’t go free.”
Luke took her hand, knowing how much it cost Tessa to speak in an even tone about her best friend’s death a week ago.
But it didn’t feel like a week ago to her. So much had happened in such a short space of time, it seemed like she’d skipped over the initial phases of grieving and settled straight into acceptance. With the odd, lingering moments of anger when she thought of the men who had killed him.
She squeezed Luke’s hand in return as tears welled in her eyes. “It’s okay. I’m going to miss Ed, very much. But I really believe that he’s happy now. He’s spent the last eight years grieving for his dead wife, and he never got over losing her.”
Tessa stopped speaking as she realized her words could seem like a criticism of her father. At one time, she might have kept quiet, but now she tried to set aside the last of her resentment toward her father. “Not everyone is as strong as you are,” she said, looking at Paul. “Or as lucky, to find happiness twice in a lifetime.”
Paul looked at Lana and smiled. “I’ve been very lucky to have all of you.”
Lana stood up and hesitated for a moment. “I’m sure you’re very busy today, Tessa. But I’ve prepared lunch if you’d like to stay…?”
“We’d love to,” Tessa assured her stepmother. “Thank you.”
As Lana left the patio, Kevin turned to Tessa. “I heard there were mobsters involved. What’s going to happen to them?”
“I don’t really know,” she said with a sigh. “Most of the higher-level Ianellis are making themselves scarce in Mexico right now. It’s up to the FBI and their organiz
ed crime task force to follow up.”
“You’re taking their escape pretty well,” Paul said. “I’m sure it helps to know that their financial advisor is singing falsetto, and most of their bank accounts have been frozen.”
“Yes. And I got what I wanted out of the deal,” Tessa replied, watching Kevin and Kelly as they headed across the lawn to play badminton. “I made a promise to Kelly, and I feel like I’ve kept it. And we got all of the men who were directly and indirectly responsible for hurting her. The bastards are going to fry, and even if they get out of prison, their lives will never be cushy and privileged again.”
“Almost every state in the union takes a very dim view of rapists. Once they get out of prison in a decade or so, Jerry and Sledge will have to register with local authorities as medium-risk sex offenders,” Luke said.
“I thought you wouldn’t be able to prosecute for sexual assault,” Lana said as she came back out from the kitchen.
“We don’t have to. Both men have agreed to plead guilty to statutory rape and sexual contact with a minor. That means they’ll have to live as registered sex offenders for the rest of their lives,” Luke explained.
Tessa smiled grimly. “It’s some comfort. I hope it helps Kelly to know that those two will never hurt another teenage girl again. I’m also going to help her file civil suits against Sledge and Jerry. That should give her a nest egg while she kicks off her career. If that’s what she still wants.”
“I hear you were very determined in the case,” Lana said. “Wouldn’t take no for an answer and didn’t let anything get between you and these men. It reminds me of Paul.”
Just a few weeks ago, Tessa would have bristled at being compared to her father. Now she just smiled. “I guess I am a lot like my dad.”
Luke smiled into the iced tea Lana handed him. Yes, there was still a great deal to be worked out between Tessa and her father. But he knew that Tessa hadn’t called Paul “Dad” in a long time. That had to count for something.
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