“Now.” Randy gave her head another shake. “Get changed.” He released her head so abruptly that she was caught off guard.
“I’m not fucking undressing in front you fuckers,” Burke spat out and lifted her chin defiantly.
Lita cocked his gun, but otherwise didn’t move. Burke shifted her angry gaze to him. She didn’t bother to look at his gun. Lita smiled.
“You are right-handed, right?” Lita said so casually it was as if he were asking her what her favorite cocktail was when she went to the bar. Burke didn’t reply. “Randy, you may want to move,” Lita told his partner who still stood behind Burke. “And get the first-aid supplies because even though the bullet will be a through and through, we don’t need her bleeding on everything.”
Randy wasn’t sure if Lita was bluffing or not. Still, he moved out of the line of fire and leaned against the kitchen counter.
“You are not going to fucking shoot me,” Burke declared with confidence.
Lita moved fast. His relaxed posture didn’t change at all when Randy watched him raise his gun and fire. The gunshot was loud in the small common area of the house before the bullet tore through the couch mere inches from Burke’s right shoulder then embedded in the far wall. Burke’s body jerked in surprise and Randy was sure her ass must have left the couch when she reacted to Lita’s shot.
Lita had returned his weapon to rest on his thigh after he had fired. “The next one goes through your shoulder,” Lita informed her just as casually. Burke’s eyes were wide and it was more than clear she was rattled. “Any day now.”
Burke stood and didn’t hesitate to strip out of her wet clothes. She kept her eye on Lita’s gun, but Randy’s entire focus was on her. It was strange seeing another woman wear his mother’s clothing and Randy pushed away his memory of the last time he’d seen her wear them. Burke had just tied his mother’s boots when shots were fired on the house. The pattern of gunfire that thudded into the door and front windows indicated it came from more than just the two men they’d seen outside.
The faint sound of engines reached Randy’s ears once the gunfire stopped. He walked over to the window and wasn’t surprised to see several shots on the bulletproof glass. If his father had been less paranoid and not installed three inches of bulletproof glass, those shots would’ve easily shattered the window. The sound of the running engines grew louder with every step and when he looked outside he almost couldn’t believe his eyes.
Three snowmobiles were idling and spaced in a semi-circle around the front of the house. There was one man sitting on each, but the snowmobiles could easily seat three per vehicle.
“Fucking A,” Randy cursed.
He didn’t bother to look at Lita or Burke before he walked to the window at the back of the house that was located by the table. Two more snowmobiles sat outback. The only difference in what he saw was there were two men seated on each. The sound of automatic gunfire was a clear indication they had seen him looking out the window. One of the men called out to him when the gunfire stopped.
“Send Barbara out and we will let you live.”
Randy wasn’t the only one who laughed at that demand. Lita found it just as funny. Randy might not know as much as Lita about how cartels operated, but he knew enough about criminals in general to know the guy was beyond full of shit. The cartel wouldn’t let them live if for no other reason they were law enforcement and witnesses.
“I’m going to secure Barbara,” Lita informed Randy and didn’t wait for him to turn around before he roughly maneuvered CIA Agent Sarah Burke down the hall.
“Why bother?” Burke asked and actually smiled after Lita shoved her toward the bed. “They will get in, eventually, and I’ll be back in Juanita’s arms before your bodies even grow cold.”
Lita laughed in her face before he roughly rolled her onto her stomach. He yanked one of her arms toward the back of her head and the other behind her back in the traditional position to cuff a suspect. She didn’t try to fight him off when he moved her hand from the nape of her neck after cuffing that wrist until it rested between her shoulder blades. He cuffed her other wrist with his second set of cuffs and used the two remaining cuffs to secure her in the uncomfortable position.
Knight had cuffed Slade in the same way after the glitter shit storm his partner pranked on the office. There was no way in hell she was getting free and Lita made a mental note to thank Knight for this inventive way to secure someone.
Still, even having her cuffed in this position, Lita wasn’t about to leave her free to move around. He rolled her onto her back and ignored her yelp of pain before he started pulling the sheet beneath her off the bed. She made several more painful noises, but Lita ignored her. In fact, he secretly hoped she dislocated her shoulder even though he wasn’t sadistic. Once he had the sheet free, he tore it into several strips.
“Back on your stomach,” Lita ordered and wasn’t surprised she quickly complied. He looped one end of the sheet strips through where the cuffs were joined behind her back and knotted it several times.
“Bend your knees. Feet to your ass.”
Burke did as she was told even as she called him every name in the book. Lita continued to ignore her and looped a strip of sheet around each ankle. He was far from gentle when he knotted the sheets around her ankles. The two ends he gathered in one hand and the loose end from the cuffs in the other. It only took him a moment to tie them together. He effectively hogtied her and knew she wasn’t even capable of rolling over let alone getting free.
“I’ll be back after we take care of your friends, sweetheart,” Lita said lightheartedly.
“Like that will happen.” Burke laughed. “Nice knowing you, asshole. Not.”
Lita pushed her bound ankles toward her ass and was rewarded with a hissed pain-filled sound. He leaned down closer to her face and smiled.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that since I’ll have plenty of time to put a bullet in that pretty little skull of yours before they will even reach you.” Lita’s charming smile disappeared and he leveled a cold gaze on her. He stared into her baby blues until he finally saw her confidence shift to fear. Another smile stretched his lips before he spoke again. “Now, be a good girl, won’t you?”
Lita didn’t wait for her to reply before he left the bedroom. Randy wasn’t in the room when he returned to the common area of the house. However, Lita could clearly see the basement door was open. He assumed his partner was retrieving more weapons, so Lita returned to looking out of one of the front windows. Randy hadn’t returned after five minutes, so Lita went to the open basement door.
“Are you coming back up here anytime today,” he yelled down the stairs. “We need to get back up here and I’m gonna need you to help with that.”
Randy had been putting two military rucksacks together with all the supplies they would need. He knew from experience it would take three days to get close enough to the dam where they would be able to get cell service. It would likely take them twice as long to get there in the current deep snow and with more to come. Hell, dragging a sure to be resisting Burke and possibly fighting off cartel assholes who had fucking snowmobiles would definitely add a few days to that estimate.
He dropped his latest armload of supplies near the rucksacks when he heard Lita call down to him. His partner sounded sure they could call for backup, but unless the man had a satellite phone up his ass that wasn’t going to happen. Still, Randy was curious what Lita thought they could do to get backup out here. So, he left the rucksacks where they were and headed upstairs. Lita was leaning against the kitchen counter and looked way too relaxed.
“Okay. How the hell do you plan on reaching anyone to call for backup?” Randy raised a questioning brow and didn’t censor his doubtful tone that Lita could achieve such a thing.
“I need you to knock me out hard enough that I am unconscious for at least three minutes.”
“What?” Randy knew his tone was a combination of shock and confusion. “Why the hell wo
uld I do that?”
“I just need you to,” Lita replied with a smile.
Lita’s smile didn’t do anything to reassure Randy. If anything, it made him think the INET agent was crazy. He saw no way how knocking out his partner equated to calling for backup and he was sure his frown conveyed as much.
Still, he asked, “and that will get us backup how?”
Lita continued to smile, but was studying him so intently that Randy felt like a bug under a microscope. His smile suddenly disappeared and a sigh escaped his lips at the same time he dragged a hand over his handsome face.
“What I’m about to share is classified and can never be repeated.”
Randy had no idea how to react to Lita’s statement. He understood INET was like a CIA/DEA combination, but wasn’t sure how to react to Lita mentioning something classified. Information was considered classified for a reason. He learned as much when he was in the Corps. Still, they needed backup and if Lita trusted him enough to share classified information he wasn’t about to dissuade the man.
“Okay.”
Lita had thought long and hard about sharing the information about the trackers all INET agents had implanted. He trusted Randy enough and they really had no other choice than Randy knocking his ass out so HQ would know something was wrong. There was just no other way to get backup. So, he took a deep breath and stared into Randy’s hazel eyes.
“All INET agents are equipped with trackers.” Lita watched Randy’s gaze shift to his INET badge before his eyes returned to his face. Randy’s frown told Lita the man realized the tracker couldn’t be in his badge if he needed to be knocked out.
“Wait.” Randy raised a hand. “Are you telling me you have a bio tracker implanted?”
Lita grinned, shrugged, and ignored Randy’s incredulous expression. “We are given the option for situations like this and others.”
Randy was practically stunned speechless. He knew pets were microchipped, but even those didn’t have GPS capabilities or the ability to let their owners know the medical status of them. Randy mentally shivered at the thought of a government agency having and actually utilizing that type of technology. Rationally, he could understand the security blanket such a tracker would provide to an agent, but the thought of anyone knowing where he was at any given time made him more than uncomfortable even if it would benefit them in their current situation.
“I am not knocking you out,” Randy finally found his voice.
“We need backup if we plan to make it out of here alive,” Lita pointed out. “Because even if we could outlast them here for God only knows how long, Juanita will just send more men. Plus, those windows will only take so many shots before they eventually shatter. Once that happens, we will be screwed regardless of the firepower your father hoarded in the basement.” Lita was sure Randy would see reason. “Just hit me hard enough to knock me out.”
Lita grinned and Randy watched his partner close the few feet between them. He couldn’t have stopped his sudden inhale of breath when Lita’s hands rested on his hips even had he wanted to. There was just something about this man that made Randy’s mind blank out everything except desire. It had nothing to do with Lita’s sexy Thor-like looks, either. Randy wasn’t aware he’d raised his hands to rest palm down on Lita’s chest until he felt the vibration caused by the man speaking.
“I trust you not to kill me.”
Randy didn’t get a chance to reply before Lita’s mouth was demanding entrance between his lips. Without thought, Randy opened and closed the remaining inches between their bodies. A moan escaped him when he felt his erection pressed against Lita’s hard cock. Randy had no idea how long Lita devoured his mouth and they rubbed together, but the sound of automatic fire against the house again snapped him out of the lust Lita’s touch seem to ignite in him every time.
“Knock me out,” Lita whispered against Randy’s lips, but didn’t release his partner from his embrace.
“No.” Lita frowned, but Randy continued, “There are escape routes we can take. They,” Randy waved toward the front windows, but Lita didn’t look. “Won’t even know we’re gone before we get cell service.”
Randy’s expression was sure of his statement, but Lita heard the uncertainty in the man’s tone even through the gunfire that hadn’t let up.
“Get Burke,” Randy ordered. “I’ve got almost everything we need packed. I’ll meet you in the cellar and we will go.”
Lita stared into Randy’s captivating hazel eyes for several moments. He should have been surprised to find out about escape tunnels, but strangely enough, he wasn’t. Randy’s father had been paranoid as hell when it came to his end of the world beliefs. Any man who installed bulletproof glass and stockpiled so many weapons was sure to have a bolt hole in order to escape if he needed to run from anyone trying to take what was his.
“Okay,” Lita agreed and gave Randy another quick kiss before he let the man go.
The sound of random bursts of automatic fire was muted in the basement. Randy ignored it while he finished packing the rucksacks. However, the sound of glass finally shattering had Randy standing and running up the stairs. He only made it halfway before Burke practically took a nosedive down into him. He caught her by the shoulders with his hands and used his body to steady her against the wall.
Lita was returning fire and by the time Randy pulled back and pushed Burke down the steps, Lita had slammed the basement door behind him. There wasn’t enough space on the stairs for two large men to easily move around each other.
“The bar,” Randy called out and was relieved to see Lita throw the thick piece of wood down to ensure the assholes wouldn’t be getting through the door swiftly.
“This isn’t going to keep them out for long,” Lita informed and started down the stairs.
“Get the bags.” Randy moved to squeeze by Lita. “Everything is packed. The three-tiered shelf in the corner will swing out.”
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Lita reached out and grabbed Randy’s bicep when the man was finally able to get passed him.
“To make sure they can’t follow easily.”
“I’ve already done that.”
“You’ve just secured the door. I need to delay them from getting down here.” Randy tugged on his arm and was glad Lita released him.
Lita had no idea what the hell Randy was talking about, but still let him go. He didn’t follow Burke down the stairs, though. There wasn’t shit she could do with her hands still secured in such an uncomfortable position. So, Lita opted to watch Randy and provide cover for his partner in case the cartel assholes managed to get through the door before Randy finished doing whatever the hell he was doing.
Randy stopped on the fourth step down from the barred basement door. He turned on the step to face the basement and reached his hand out in front of him. No light was needed for him to find the lip of the heavy piece of thick wood paneling that would slide free over his head. This was just one more of his father’s drills he could have done blindfolded. A hard yank toward him had the fake wood floor sliding over his head. He locked the wood into place and remembered how seamlessly it would make the door to the basement look like nothing more than a closet to anyone who investigated.
However, the cartel seeing Lita disappear through the door wouldn’t fool the assholes into believing they had only found a closet. So, Randy wasted no time starting down the stairs. Lita was still standing where he left the man. Randy waved his hand toward the basement to indicate his partner should get moving.
“Pretty fucking cool,” Lita said over his shoulder before he walked toward the military rucksacks Randy had packed.
Randy ignored Lita’s comment. “Put this on.” He tossed insulated overalls to Lita.
“What about me?” Burke had the audacity to ask after Randy moved the shelving unit to reveal a tunnel.
Randy ignored her and turned back to pick up his bag. Lita had just settled the last suspender strap over his shoulder. He waited
until Lita put his jacket back on before handing him the second rucksack.
“What about you, sweetheart?” Lita chuckled and took Burke by the bicep after he shouldered the rucksack. He didn’t wait for her to reply before he shoved her toward the open shelving unit.
Automatic gunfire was getting louder as the cartel assholes shot holes in the fake floor at the top of the stairs. At the rate they were firing on the fake floor, regardless of the thickness, they would be through it soon.
“Time to go.” Randy headed toward his partner and the nightmare he was charged with protecting. “A hurricane lantern is on a shelf about five feet in,” Randy informed Lita.
He only waited long enough to see Lita spark the lantern to light by pressing the button to strike the flint before he turned and shot out the bare bulb which was the only source of light in the basement. The cellar was suddenly plunged into pitch darkness and Randy knew the lack of light would at least slow down the fuckers who pursued them. He had no doubt the assholes would figure out where they escaped to since the shelving unit hadn’t been moved to reveal the tunnel in so long.
Every time when he was a child and they visited his father’s houses, his father made a point of moving the items which obscured each of the tunnels. The one time he’d asked, his father explained moving the stuff prevented the locations from being easily detectable because it lessened the chance of anyone noticing the difference on the floor where something was moved.
Randy hadn’t been back since before his father’s death and even if he had been, he wouldn’t have maintained his father’s habit. Now, he almost wished he had. Once the cartel goons lit up the basement they would easily be able to see the tracks moving the shelving unit left on the floor.
Still, Randy could only hope the slight lead they had and the multi-lock system his father had devised on the tunnel side of the shelves would be enough to slow down the fuckers. They needed every second they could garner to put more distance between them and Juanita’s men.
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