With Agnes in a hurry to cut her losses, she doubted the men were there for a lengthy conversation. Putting her experience to good use, Carley took stock of her surroundings, spotted the places where she could take cover, if necessary.
The foyer opened up to a furnished living room with a corduroy sofa serving as a separator between the rooms. The voices behind the door rose in anger and Carley dropped to a squat, ready to shimmy around the corner.
Then Agnes gave a shrill command for silence and the men obeyed, which made Carley wonder what it was about the woman that bought such allegiance. Yeah she was pretty but these men were willing to risk their lives for her. So she had to have something they were afraid of. Power, perhaps?
It had to be more than just the money. In her line of work Carley come across a variety of criminals. Few were willing to die for money, no matter what the movies showed.
“Fuck you, Rena!”
The shout brought Carley back to a standing position. Finally she had Agnes’ real name, not that it meant anything to her. At least she’d be able to give Hunt her name once he found the woman’s dead body. Carley didn’t doubt she’d be leaving before she saw the last drop of blood drain out of Rena.
Chapter Fifteen
Hunt slowed the car to a crawl. “You’re going to need to jump out and head around back of the house. I want to make sure those other women are safe.”
“And Carley?”
“She’ll be wherever Rena is.”
Dave cleared his throat. “She could be in trouble.”
Shaking his head, Hunt refused to consider that option. “No. She got the women out. She’s fine.”
“Okay. Fine. Then I share your optimism.” He grabbed a hold of the door handle and scooted to the edge of the seat.
The two-way squawked and the Deputy Director’s voice drew less than a cursory glance from Hunt as he depressed the brake, bringing the car to a stop long enough to give his partner time to open the door, drop and roll. Dave kicked the door shut and Hunt stepped on the accelerator, shooting a quick glance at the rearview mirror.
Dave had already gotten to his feet and was running across the grass toward the three-story house set back behind a thick white fence.
To the untrained eye the house looked like it belonged inside the suburbs with a family, a dog and a minivan. The grass was neatly mowed, the bushes trimmed and there were flower gardens at the base of every tree. Apparently Rena liked to keep up appearances. Either that or the house wasn’t hers. Hunt bet it was the latter.
“Agent Chandler, come in.” Baulding continued to demand a response, which Hunt ignored. He’d accept the consequences later.
A quick flash of lights behind him signaled the approach of his team. He lowered the window and stuck his hand out, giving silent instructions. Another glance in the mirror showed one black car rolling to a stop while the other continued behind him.
They rode in silent mode, making as little noise as possible. The quiet was almost deafening except for the loud thrumming of his heart. Tense beyond measure, Hunt ground his teeth together. Every nerve in his body was on high alert as he drew closer to the house.
His cell phone rang but one glance at the caller ID warned him not to answer it. Baulding always was a persistent son of a bitch.
His peripheral vision caught sight of several women crawling along the grass near the fence with Dave urging them onward. Even though his head knew better, his heart wished like hell one of those women was Carley.
He didn’t know how many men were on the inside, armed men whose sole purpose was to protect Rena Baulding. Fuck. He didn’t have time to wait for more men and if he radioed now Baulding would crawl all over his ass and waste more minutes than he had.
The road curved ahead, giving Hunt the perfect opportunity to round the corner and come to a stop. Killing the engine, he popped the trunk and got out of the car. It took him less than one minute to put on the proper gear and add two more guns to his standard weapon and ankle piece. After hiding one in the back waistband of his pants and the other in the front pocket, he pressed the trunk until it clicked into place.
His gaze sweeping to the left then the right, he took off at a jog back around the bend in the road, running on pure instinct and wide-open adrenaline. The black sedan carrying two members of his team and Dave approached and he met them at end of the driveway, keeping behind the trees.
“So what’s the plan?” Agent Lawton, a petite blonde with a wicked sense of humor and deadly accuracy with a firearm, dropped into position beside him.
“You sure this is the place?” Agent Riley, chewing the ever-present wad of cherry bubblegum he favored, leaned forward, dark shades obscuring his eyes.
“Didn’t you see all those women running like roaches from the Orkin man?” Dave muttered the words but they were clear enough for the agent to hear.
“I’m just following protocol,” Riley responded, his chest flexing.
“Your protocol tell you to hide your eyes so you can’t see shit you need to see?” Sarcasm dripped from Dave’s voice, causing the tall agent to take a step toward him.
“Guys, keep them in your pants. We don’t have time for a measuring match,” Lawton griped, shouldering Riley out of the way.
A muscle jumped in Hunt’s cheek and he swung his gaze toward Dave. “All the women are safe?”
“Yeah. The other suits radioed ahead for the rescue squad. Most of them need medical attention.”
“And the one who called?”
Dave shook his head. “Haven’t heard anything except Baulding saying he was less than a mile away and to stand down until he arrived.”
“Fuck him.” Hunt dropped to a squat and aimed the binoculars at the windows. The blinds were drawn, offering little information. “Riley, Lawton, I need the two of you to get into the garage. It looks like there’s a back door. Are you covered?”
Riley tapped his Kevlar vest. “Wear a vest, save a life.”
“Hey, Hunt.” Dave kept his voice low.
“Yeah?”
“A couple of those women said Carley refused to leave with them. Said she had the guard’s gun. Seems she took him down like he was an eighty-year-old with bursitis.” Dave dropped to one knee beside him while the two agents climbed out of the car.
“Doesn’t surprise me. She kicked my ass the night we met.” Don’t feel anything, Chandler. Keep control of your emotions. It might be the only thing that saves Carley’s life.
“That’s a story you’ll have to share once all of this is over. By the way, I’m going in with you,” Dave announced in a no-nonsense tone of voice.
Hunt gave an abrupt nod. There was no sense arguing with the man. Besides that, in the short six months he’d known him Dave Polponia had proven to be a damn good cop and one hell of a shot.
“I don’t know how things are laid out in there but whatever happens you get Carley out. Understand?”
“Yeah, got it.”
“I mean it, Dave. She comes first.” He stared hard at his partner, trying to tell him more than his words could.
“I already figured that out.”
Footsteps sounded on the tile by the front door and Carley flattened herself against the wall, holding her breath. She turned her head ever so slightly to see who was leaving. A tall redheaded man stormed past the foyer, snorting like an angry bull. He disappeared into another room, slamming the door behind himself.
That increased the odds in her favor. She still couldn’t make a move until the other two guys left but she was prepared to wait it out…as long as it took. Revenge didn’t have a time limit.
“And the girl? When can you take her?”
Rena sounded furious and Carley edged forward to listen in.
“You’ve already made the purchase, Senator. Dani Rivers is your responsibility and I’m not a babysitter. She needs to be picked up today or I will resell her.”
Carley’s head swam. Dani hadn’t been taken yet. So she must be close. Could she
be in the house? She looked over her shoulder, considered her options. If she didn’t confront this woman, the second Rena discovered the basement was empty she’d run. And Carley couldn’t let her get away.
Her heart threatening to break her breastbone, she pressed her back against the wall closest to the door of what must be Rena’s office. The deep voices responding to Rena’s questions were so low Carley couldn’t make out what they were saying.
Heavy footsteps fell against wood floors and Carley took a diving leap over the back of the sofa, hit the cushions and rolled to the floor just as the office door opened.
She stayed in place long enough to hear Rena’s voice chewing off someone else’s ear. She couldn’t tell if the woman was on the phone or still talking to one of her guys…until Rena ended the conversation with an abrupt “goodbye”. Finally the bitch was alone.
Carley squeezed the gun, her index finger on the trigger. She pushed herself up off the floor but kept to a squat. Keeping one eye on the now open door, she duck-walked closer.
One peek inside the office assured Carley Rena was definitely alone. That propelled her to her feet. Sliding along the wall, she edged closer to the open doorway, using the element of surprise to catch her off-guard.
“Hello.” Carley aimed her weapon at the center of Rena’s chest and a feeling of serenity swept over her. She thought of nothing other than the brunette with the wine-colored lips she faced…the woman who’d been behind the decision to sell her sister like she was no more than a piece of jewelry.
Not even the slightest trace of hesitation colored her thinking. She’d never taken a human life before but if there had to be a first time she was glad it was now, with this woman.
Rena looked up from her position behind a circular black desk. Instead of fear her eyes filled with admiration. “Well, well, well, Ms. Morgan. I shouldn’t be surprised. You are, after all, your father’s daughter. His abilities were legendary. It’s apparent he taught you well.”
She sat back in her chair, her gaze barely acknowledging the gun pointed straight at her. “So is this the part where you shoot me?”
“The thought has crossed my mind, yes.”
“And I guess I’m supposed to cower in fear.”
Carley shrugged. “I don’t give a shit if you die while singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Just as long as you die.”
“You really don’t know who I am, do you? One would think your boyfriend would have already filled you in. Or perhaps you two had much more important things to discuss, like when was the next time he could slip by to fuck a thief.”
“No, I don’t know you but your identity isn’t going to change the outcome of this conversation.” Carley’s hand was so steady holding the gun she wondered if she should be frightened. No one should be this calm and controlled seconds away from putting a bullet through someone’s heart.
Full lips parted in a broad smile. “Maybe not, but you’ll go down in infamy for killing the wife of the deputy director of the FBI.” Her smile grew wider. “Well that got a reaction.” She stood, sashayed around the desk. “I’m Rena Baulding.”
Carley warred between disbelief and a sick sense of the truth. How could a woman whose husband was in such a position of power like that have carried out such a devious plan without notice? “And I don’t care. Where’s my sister?”
Rena folded her arms, her expression one of boredom. “Weren’t you listening when I told you I sold her?”
“Yes, and I was also listening just now when you told her buyer,” Carley ground her teeth on the word, “he needed to come get her. So I’ll ask you again, where is my sister?”
Rena chuckled, sounding far more casual and relaxed than a woman in her position should. Then again, Carley hadn’t had much interaction with fucked-up murderers. So maybe the woman was acting right on target.
“Is this the part where you threaten to shoot me if I don’t reveal all? Or maybe you’re imagining yourself putting a fist in my face.” Rena’s gaze slid up and down Carley’s body as though considering the top price Carley would bring at auction. “In a hand-to-hand situation you would, no doubt, come out the winner. But I don’t fight physical battles. I choose to use my brain instead and that’s why, in this instance, I know you won’t kill me. You might be a thief but you’re not a killer.”
Heat built up in the center of Carley’s chest and her finger twitched on the trigger. She desperately wanted to pull it, to watch the shock spread across Rena’s face as the bullet tore its way through flesh and muscle. So what was stopping her?
She could find Dani on her own, would probably have to considering Rena wasn’t going to give her any information without serious torture. That thought held possibilities, although Carley had never intentionally inflicted pain on anyone unless she was cornered. For Rena though, she could make an exception.
“I don’t believe I said I was going to kill you…at least not just yet.” Two could play the woman’s smug little game.
“I see. You’re holding the gun so you think that puts you in control.” Rena tipped her head to one side, studied Carley for a second longer then began to stroll around her desk. “But if you really understood what power was all about you’d know that it takes much more than weaponry to be the victor in any game.”
Her temper already on shaky ground, Carley took a threatening step forward, not surprised to find Rena was right about one thing—she did want to put her fist in the woman’s face.
In that moment she realized as much as she wanted the Deputy Director’s wife to die, she couldn’t be the one to take her life. For all the wrong decisions she’d made in her life, she wouldn’t make this one. And killing Rena would be wrong. Wounding her, on the other hand, was an appropriate compromise.
Carley lowered the barrel of the gun and squeezed the trigger. The bullet sped through the air, embedding quickly and viciously in Rena’s leg. As the woman cried out and fell to her knees, Carely approached her slowly. “I might not be a cold-blooded killer, Mrs. Baulding, but there is one thing you did forget about me.”
Rena’s hand tried to stem the tide of blood flowing from her calf. “You crazy bitch!”
Ignoring the invectives coming from Rena’s mouth like rapid gunfire, Carley continued talking. “You see, even thieves have codes they follow, at least the good ones do. My life is governed by rules of conduct someone like you, a person without a conscience, couldn’t begin to understand. But it’s those very rules that just saved your life.”
Carley leaned over her to study the bullet’s damage. “I know that must really hurt and eventually, I’m sure, the FBI will come swooping in here and you’ll be transported to some comfortable hospital where you’ll be given plenty of pain medication. Until then, though, I thought it might be fitting for you to get a taste of what you put some of those women through, what you’ve put my sister through.”
Rena leaned her head back to see Carley’s face and her eyes widened. “Wh-what are you talking about?”
“Those rules I was telling you about, well, one of them is to never let an enemy win or even think he’s won. The way I see it, when you’re in so much pain your body is begging to be put out of its misery, you’re not going to be thinking about your life’s successes, are you?”
Carley’s hand fisted in Rena’s hair and she forcibly pulled the slight woman to her feet. The smaller woman danced on one foot, trying to keep the pressure off her injured leg. “Now get against that wall.”
Rena’s breath hissed through her teeth as she stumbled forward. Her leg gave way and she fell, her hands flattening against the carpet. “You think this is over? You think I’m going to beg you for my life?”
No, the woman wouldn’t beg. Rena would think it beneath her and that by refusing to plead for mercy she would die a noble death if that were to be the ultimate conclusion of this confrontation.
“I think you’re a spineless bitch who sells your own gender like chattel. I think you deserve a bullet between your ey
es and that I’d like to be the one to put it there. And,” Carley drew back her foot and delivered a swift kick to the center of the woman’s stomach. As Rena coughed and wheezed Carley added, “I think the only kind of guarantee you’re going to get is the death penalty at your murder trial…if you’re not shanked long before then.”
“I’ll never tell you where your sister is. So enjoy your bittersweet victory, Carley.” The harshness of her voice and the brutal look in Rena’s eyes as she rolled to her back caused Carley’s finger to tighten on the trigger. Just one wrong move. That’s all Carley wanted from her. Could Rena see the desire in her eyes? The desperate burning need to end hers life with one single gunshot?
“Put the gun down, Carley.”
The shock of Hunt’s voice over her left shoulder pulled her attention away from the trigger. For a moment relief edged away the tension in her shoulders but it returned with a vengeance as she looked past where Hunt stood. “Dani’s still alive.”
“And we’ll find her, but not this way.”
Carley ignored the promise. “There was another guy here. He went into another room.”
“Yeah, I know. We got him and the house is clear. Now I need you to put the gun down.”
“The house can’t be clear. Dani has to be here.” The note of panic in Carley’s voice brought a pain-filled chuckle from Rena.
“You must really think I’m stupid if you think I’d keep a sold commodity in the same house with me.”
Carley kicked her again, this time much harder than the first time. “Where is she? Tell me where she is!”
“Carley, stop.” Hunt had moved closer. “You need to put the gun down and back off.”
“Or what? You’ll shoot me?” She leveled the muzzle of the gun between Rena’s eyes. “This bitch knows where Dani is, Hunt.” Her knees shook, forcing her to steady the gun with both hands.
What had happened to all the oxygen in the room? She couldn’t breathe and tears stung the backs of her eyes. Why couldn’t Hunt just walk away, give her the time she needed?
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