Strictly Confidential

by Terri Reed

  “Mia, my family. Me. I have a job to do and I won’t rest until it’s done.”

  “A job? What could be more important than raising your daughter? How can you deny her existence? How can you deny your family the opportunity to have your child in their lives?” She stood up. “Your responsibility is to your child. Not to some job.”

  “You don’t understand. I can’t be a father to Mia until justice is served.” He rose, a towering figure full of suppressed rage. “I swore I’d take down the man who supplied the drugs to Paola. The man behind La Mano Oscura.”

  “Escalante,” she stated softly. His passionate pursuit of the drug lord now made sense. But his reasons were woefully misguided.

  “Yes, Escalante.” He spat out the name. “His operation in Amsterdam provided the drugs that Paola overdosed on. I will not rest until I have justice for her death.”

  “But it’s not your place to take vengeance.”

  “If I don’t, who will? Who will see that justice is done for all the innocent victims who have succumbed to the drugs Escalante pushes?”

  She could hardly believe he was saying these things. She raised her eyebrows. “First of all, these victims, as you call them, are far from innocent. Each person is given a choice. Your wife chose to abuse her body with drugs. No one forced her. That she would choose such a life over your love is unfathomable to me, but it was her choice. Second, only God can give out true justice.”

  “I hardly need a lecture from you on God. I can never be as strong in my faith as you. I grew up believing that God was true and just. But I’ve seen too much pain, too much darkness, to find the faith to think that God will deal with men like Escalante. God is beyond me and has been for a long time.”

  Saddened by his words, Colleen searched for a way to make him understand God’s unfailing love. She realized with sickening clarity that she’d taken her faith for granted. That she hadn’t spent enough time delving into God’s word to effectively champion Him to Alessandro when it counted the most.

  Oh, Father in Heaven, give me the words to reach him.

  “Alessandro, God isn’t beyond you. He loves you. He loves Mia. He wants what’s best for you both.”

  She reached out to touch his arm, his muscles rigid under her palm. “But Alessandro, He won’t move in your life until you seek Him. He gives us a choice. You have to choose Him, not revenge.”

  Alessandro ran a finger gently down her cheek and pressed lightly on her lips. “You have such a good heart.”

  Her breath hitched. She wanted to move into his embrace, to hug him to her and hold on tight until all the demons from his past were wiped away. She ached to heal his battered soul and his wounded heart. To show him that if given the chance, she would choose him.

  But he dropped his hand and went back inside, leaving her alone with the shock of knowing that she would choose him over the fear of loss.

  No one could predict the future. God’s word stated that each day had enough worries of its own, therefore we shouldn’t worry about tomorrow. Worry and fear wouldn’t add time to our lives. Each day was a gift to be lived to its fullest potential.

  Colleen stayed on the terrace in prayerful contemplation for several minutes. Finally, deciding she needed to connect with Alessandro, not for the sake of her story, but for the sake of her heart, she went inside.

  In the dining room, the dinner dishes had been cleared away and replaced with two large, dark duffel bags unzipped to expose the contents. Her stomach lurched. Inside were weapons and ropes and the other paraphernalia that went along with a tactical situation.

  Tomas and Alessandro had changed into all-black clothing, looking like twin versions of some character from a James Bond flick. She froze, assessing the situation. “You’re going back there now?”

  “Sì.” Alessandro barely spared her a glance as he zipped the bags shut. “We must. Dahlia was spotted at her apartment, so we can assume that she hasn’t discovered her missing security access card. But she will.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Colleen stated.

  Alessandro exchanged a meaningful glance with Tomas before coming to her and taking her hands. “Cara mia, you must understand. This is too dangerous. You will only get in the way and be a distraction that could result in injury.”

  Bristling, Colleen yanked her hands from his. “Understand? Get in the way? You think that little of me?”

  Alessandro sighed. “No, bella. You twist my words.”

  “I don’t think so. You see me as some helpless female who needs big bad you to keep her safe. Well, let me tell you something. I’m capable of taking care of myself. I’ve gone into situations that would make most men wimp out. I’ve faced danger and not blinked an eye. I won’t get in your way. I’ll let you be the hero—I just want the scoop.”

  She’d like to think she wanted to go with him for her story, her career. This would be a plum opportunity. But deep down she wanted to go because she wanted to stay close to him, to make sure he stayed safe.

  He closed his eyes briefly as if pained. When he opened his eyes, a lethal calmness in his dark gaze sent a shiver over her skin. She saw not the warm and caring man whom she’d come to know, but the Interpol agent ready to do battle. “No. I will not allow it.”

  “I don’t like to be told what to do,” she huffed.

  He lifted his shoulder in a careless shrug. “Too bad.”

  Colleen’s jaw dropped. How dare he dismiss her so easily? She glanced at Tomas. He gave her an apologetic look but there was no compromise in his eyes.

  Fisting her hands, she watched as each man slung a bag over a shoulder and headed for the door. Colleen grabbed her purse, intending to follow them out. They might not want her with them, but they couldn’t keep her from following them.

  At the door, Alessandro motioned for Tomas to precede him and then Alessandro dropped his bag and put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks.

  “You must stay here,” he said.

  “No,” she said with a great big dose of defiance.

  He stared into her eyes and she lifted her chin in challenge. His expression softened slightly and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “So much spirit and passion. You are a wonder, Colleen Montgomery.”

  Blinking at his unexpected words, Colleen opened her mouth to say something. But the words left her head as he pulled her to him and she melted beneath the onslaught of his mouth covering hers. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hung on for dear life.

  She didn’t like the nagging feeling that this could be the last time he ever held her. Suddenly the thought of never seeing him again struck panic in her soul.

  The fear of loving and losing strangled her, causing tears to burn the back of her eyes. She tried to hold on to God’s word. But how could she control the worry, the fear gripping her?

  Slowly, he extracted himself from her. She swayed on her feet, her head dizzy from his kiss and the fear clogging her throat.

  He picked up his bag, stepped into the hall and gently shut the door in her face.

  “Hey!” She yanked on the handle but it wouldn’t budge. Realization exploded in shades of red and yellow. He’d locked her in! Anger brought welcome relief from the torment of fear. She banged on the door with her fist. “Let me out!”

  To dope her with a mind-bending kiss and then leave her in a gilded cage like some fragile bird was beyond mean.

  “Of all the nerve,” she muttered to herself as she stalked to the phone in the living room.

  She picked up the receiver, intending to call one of her brothers. There was no dial tone. The phone was plugged into the wall jack but he’d somehow cut the service. The wretch.

  He thought he was so smart. She’d show him. She dug around inside her bag and came up empty. He’d taken her cell phone with him. Frustration beat a steady rhythm behind her eyes.

  “The sneak!” she yelled and grabbed the square accent pillow from the couch and threw it across the room, then flu
ng herself down to slump on the couch. Great. She’d lost the chance to get the scoop on the story of Escalante’s takedown.

  Now what? She had to sit here and wait, praying that Alessandro and Tomas didn’t get themselves killed.

  A shudder of horror assaulted her as the gravity of the situation made itself clear. They were walking into the lion’s den without backup. Alessandro wouldn’t pray for his own well-being. It was up to her to plead for his safety. She slipped from the couch to her knees and began to pray.

  And though losing the opportunity to further her career with a scoop was a blow, losing Alessandro would do her in.

  ELEVEN

  Entering the museum undetected a second time proved trickier than the first. Outside, guards stood watch at the entrances and Alessandro assumed the guard inside, along with others, would be more alert now.

  Luckily, the wiring to the museum was located on the dark side of the building. They were able to approach undetected. Tomas attached a small computerized device to the wires that ran feed to the security cameras.

  He recorded five minute’s worth of the quiet museum then switched the security cameras to a looping feed of the recorded time.

  Using the access card lifted from Dahlia, Alessandro and Tomas entered the building and quickly made their way to Dahlia’s office, where Alessandro picked the lock. They slipped inside and, opening the panel in the wall, descended the stairs to the basement.

  Once there, Alessandro silently showed Tomas the paintings he’d discovered earlier. Finally they entered the tunnel. A faint light led the way through the carved-out hole. As they neared the opening, they saw men of varying ages and ethnic backgrounds packing up the crates and loading them onto small handcarts.

  The handcarts were then being wheeled out of the widened cavern through the tunnel opposite to where Alessandro and Tomas hid in the shadows.

  Realizing the men would soon be gone and the opportunity to get Escalante could be lost, Alessandro and Tomas knew they had to move. Alessandro grabbed the cell phone at his waist. No bars appeared on the side of the phone’s small screen. They had no way of signaling for backup.

  Logic said they should retreat, but the need for justice stayed Alessandro’s feet.

  He thought about Colleen, safely locked in his suite at the Broadmoor. Having her near would distract him and one of them would end up hurt. Or worse, dead. This way, whatever did happen, he was assured she’d be safe.

  After the last man had disappeared, the two brothers dashed across the cavern and entered the dark tunnel made of earth and wooden beams. They stayed discreetly back so as not to alert the men ahead of them.

  Pressing themselves to the mud wall, they saw the tunnel end at another cavern where a man stood in the center, barking out orders.

  Though the man was definitely not the suave Latino who’d once ruled La Mano Oscura, he was of Hispanic descent, with a wide nose and prominent cheek bones. His raspy voice spoke of damage to the vocal chords. From cancer or possibly a fiery plane crash? Alessandro’s gut screamed that this man was Escalante.

  Alessandro alerted Tomas to his suspicion with a gesture. Tomas gave a sharp affirmative nod. Tension coiled in Alessandro’s veins as he waited for the prime moment to strike, when the odds were in their favor.

  This was the part of his job that he found invigorating and addictive. Adrenaline revved through him.

  Time ticked by. Alessandro saw his moment as the last two of Escalante’s henchmen took a cart down yet another dark tunnel. Alessandro motioned to Tomas with practiced hand signals.

  Ducking behind the last few remaining carts, Alessandro moved forward. Positioning himself with a clear view of the tunnels, he rose, weapon drawn, and zeroed in on his mark. He was finally getting the man responsible for his wife’s death. Justice would prevail. “Raise your hands so I can see them!”

  Escalante turned, his dark eyes assessing Alessandro first with surprise then a sinister glee. Hatred twisted in Alessandro’s gut, clouding his judgment. He cocked the hammer back.

  “Well, well. What have we here?” Escalante’s gravelly voice seeped into the dirt walls.

  “I said, raise your hands!” Alessandro repeated, only too glad to have the man disobey the order and give a reason to shoot.

  Escalante slowly complied. “See, I’m no threat to you.”

  Alessandro moved in closer, aware of Tomas opening a crate. Alessandro’s heart pounded as victory loomed close at hand. He pulled out a set of handcuffs. He’d take great pleasure in securing his quarry.

  A shouted warning from Tomas sent Alessandro into a crouched defensive stance as men rushed into the cavern. Escalante darted behind a crate. Shots rang out from different directions. Some from Tomas, most from the men rushing in.

  Alessandro went after Escalante but found himself outnumbered and outgunned. He froze. Defeat burned a hole through his soul, searing his senses with torturous rage.

  Escalante took a gun from the hands of one of his henchmen and aimed at Alessandro’s heart. “Now we’ll see who’s in control here.” He turned and headed down the tunnel. Over his shoulder he called, “Bring them.”

  Alessandro’s gut clenched. They had Tomas.

  Guilt and fury coiled around Alessandro’s lungs. Not only had he failed his wife but now his brother, as well.

  Rough hands grabbed, twisted and dragged Alessandro forward through the dark, dank tunnel. He fought for release, landing a few satisfying hits on his captors.

  They emerged in yet another cavern, lit with bare bulbs strung along the ceiling. A table and chairs showed that this was obviously the meeting room for Escalante’s operation.

  Two men dragged Tomas into view. His head lolled at an angle; blood and dirt marred his features. A dark stain spread across his chest and blood dripped from his fingertips.

  “Tomas! Tomas!” Alessandro called, hoping, praying his brother was still alive and knowing that even if he were, if he didn’t receive help soon he would more than likely die. Oh, Lord, please don’t let Tomas die!

  Alessandro thrashed against the hands holding him. Several punches slammed into his gut and jaw. Lights exploded behind his eyes. His knees buckled. He was pushed into a chair, his hands yanked painfully behind his back. Duct tape was stretched tautly around his wrists and ankles, binding him. He fought against the restraints.

  “What do we do with him, El Jefe?” asked one of the men holding Tomas upright.

  Escalante shrugged, then pinned his wild gaze on Alessandro. “Your friend is badly hurt, no?” He walked over to Tomas and placed the barrel of the gun in his hand against Tomas’s head. “Should we put him out of his misery?”

  Alessandro’s heart pounded wildly in his chest and his breath seized in his lungs. Nothing he said would stop Escalante if he wanted to pull the trigger. Alessandro remained silent.

  Escalante studied him for a long moment. “Who do you work for?”

  Alessandro shook his head. Escalante cocked the gun. Alessandro shivered with rage. “Interpol.”

  Escalante eased the hammer back into place. “Interesting. Possibly useful.”

  Alessandro sought for ways to distract Escalante from Tomas. “How did you survive the plane crash, Escalante?”

  The man froze. A fierce light gleamed from his insidious eyes. “What did you call me?”

  A small sense of victory bolstered Alessandro’s spirit. “Baltasar Escalante. That’s who you are. I can smell your stench like a gutter rat.”

  Bellowing in rage like an animal, Escalante rushed at Alessandro. He swung the gun in a wide arc. The butt of the gun smashed into Alessandro’s face. Pain erupted in his right cheek and eye.

  Escalante’s chest heaved with his exertion. Alessandro stayed focused on the madman, realizing the possibility that he and Tomas would get out of the old mining tunnels alive was nonexistent. He hadn’t been able to do God’s work. He wouldn’t be bringing Escalante to justice.

  Despair tore through him. He’d never again
see Mia’s sweet smile or Colleen’s blue eyes. All because of Escalante.

  Hatred overshadowed the despair and obscured his senses. “You didn’t answer me. How did you survive?”

  Escalante took a deep breath, obviously gathering his control. His mouth formed a sinister grin. “I’m like a cat. Nine lives.”

  “Why did you come back to Colorado Springs? You could have gone anywhere and no one would have known.”

  Steely determination chiseled his face into hard lines. “I want my son.”

  Alessandro had been right to worry for Manuel’s safety. “You want to ruin your son’s life, too?”

  Escalante narrowed his gaze. “He’s my son. He belongs with me.”

  Surprised that such an evil man would express such sentiment, Alessandro said, “You don’t deserve him.”

  “He’s mine!”

  His tone conveyed volumes. “As an object of possession, not a child for you to love.”

  Escalante’s mouth twisted. “We’ll build a life together far from here. Father and son.”

  Alessandro gave a dry laugh. “You’ll never be free. No matter where you go, they’ll find you.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.” Escalante rubbed his chin with his free hand. “What did Dahlia tell me?”

  He seemed lost in thought for a second then his eyes lit up. “Ah, yes. You have a child.”

  Fear the size of a boulder lodged in Alessandro’s throat. He’d been so careful to keep Mia’s existence silent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I think you do.” Escalante moved closer, his breath sour. “I think we can make a trade.”

  Wary, yet looking for an opportunity to escape, Alessandro asked, “What kind of trade?”

  “I let you go, you lead Interpol, the FBI and whoever else away from me, while I retrieve my son. In exchange, I’ll promise not to kill your child.”

  Alessandro’s heart clutched with terror and rage. He kept his response in check. “There is no child,” he stated, his voice flat.

  “Yes, there is,” a female voice countered.

  Dahlia Sainsbury walked in through the tunnel, her vivid red pantsuit and tall heels looking woefully out of place in the earthen room. Her dark hair was pulled back in its customary roll and her heavily made-up eyes stared at Alessandro coldly. “You stole from me.”