“Yes, after you wrap up Casanova. I do not want her distracted.” Ethan grabbed Dylan’s wrist in a vice-like grip. “I’m trusting you to keep her safe for the remainder of this assignment.”
Dylan read Ethan’s desperation and nodded. “I’ll make sure she comes out of this alive; you have my word.”
Ethan searched Dylan’s eyes before releasing his grip. “Thank you.”
Dylan nodded. “Are you walking away from her for good, or until you capture the Ansons?”
“One thing I know for sure is that Jerry is my soul mate. I’ll be back for her, if she’ll have me.” Ethan sat back, resigned to his immediate fate while refusing to give up on a future with Jerry. “You have to help convince her that I lied, that I was simply playing a role. I may also need your help in the future, when I try to get her back.”
“The only reason I’m doing this is because I know Jerry; if she has one inkling that you’re in danger, she’ll be on the next plane to find you. I’ll make sure she believes that you lied, but as for the future, I’m not making any promises. If, when you do return, I think that she’s better off without you, I won’t help you get near her.”
“If I think she’s better off without me, I won’t come back.” Ethan said quietly. “Get your camera; I’ll start working on the waitress.”
Chapter Nineteen
Jerry glanced around unobtrusively as Elliott led her to the private elevator that would whisk them both to their exclusive box seats. She hadn’t spoken with Dylan or Ethan all morning, which was more than a little unusual. Nate had assured her that the ball game was covered, but he couldn’t say exactly who would be watching over her.
Jonathan saw Jerry glance around from the corner of his eye. He was not as sure today that she would not betray him; a long night of devising strategies and making plans for their final adventure together had left him surprisingly alert to every nuance of her body language, expressions and breathing patterns. He felt an underlying tension from her which belied her relaxed demeanor. Totally confident that he was reading her correctly, he became even more certain that she more like Beth than he initially thought; she would betray him at the first opportunity.
Smiling down at her as they rode the elevator up, he mentally covered the exit strategy he’d devised, one that would take her away from under the noses of whoever was stalking them.
Jerry had felt a change in Jonathan/Elliott from the moment he ushered her into his car. A subtle difference in the way he carried himself, more confident, if that was possible, and more stealthy. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing straight up, but she could determine no obvious reason for her discomfort. It was too soon in the timeline for Jonathan to make his move; also they were attending a very public game, not on a trek through the woods.
The well-appointed box contained everything they could want while observing a baseball game. An elegant table, laden with food, stood adjacent to a well-stocked bar. Plush seats to accommodate twenty lined the front glass enclosure. Four other small groups milled around the room, each acknowledged the new arrivals with polite nods when the elevator door slid open.
“Friends of yours?” Jerry asked in a quiet aside.
“No. Friends of friends. I thought you’d be more comfortable here than in the bleachers with the masses.” He neglected to mention that he wouldn’t be caught dead in the folding seats reserved for common ticketholders.
“Thank you, this is wonderful.” Jerry smiled warmly at Jonathan and placed her hand on his arm.
“Would you like a drink?” He offered and guided her to the seating area. “How about champagne?”
“That sounds lovely,” Jerry perched on the edge of the seat.
“I’ll be back shortly.” Jonathan kissed her hand before releasing it.
Jerry took the opportunity to study the room while Jonathan was gone. The only exits were the elevator and a door marked ‘Stairs’ at the end of a long hallway, just beyond the restrooms.
By the time Jonathan came back with their drinks, people were taking seats and preparing for the first pitch.
Jerry arranged the delicate pin she wore clipped to her Hermes scarf so that the camera angle would take in the field. If Ethan and Dylan weren’t here, she could at least let them see some of the game.
Jonathan watched her fidget with her scarf and became more convinced that she was nervous about her betrayal.
The drug hit Jerry within the first few sips of champagne. The room began to spin and the only stable force she could find was Jonathan’s embrace.
Jonathan held her close and murmured platitudes as he braced her body against his and helped her from the room, all the while smiling apologetically at the nearby fans who noticed. As soon as they reached the hallway, Jonathan swept Jerry into his arms and carried her toward the exit.
Jerry’s head lolled against the soft fabric of Jonathan’s shoulder. It felt as if she were flying, suspended in forward movement along a long, empty hallway. Her body felt lifeless, she was completely unable to move even her finger. The camera pin was pressed against his chest, offering a view of brown fibers to the watching agents.
“We’ve got a malfunction.” Rodney, pulling double duty as a monitor as he sat in the agency car parked outside of the ballpark, called Dylan as soon as the image from Jerry’s pin camera became fuzzy.
“What do you mean a malfunction?” Dylan, weary from the morning’s extracurricular activities with Ethan and heartsick about his role in the whole thing, didn’t bother to hide his aggravation.
“I don’t know. It looked like Jerry started for the hallway off of the main room when the screen started wobbling. As soon as she reached the edge of the room, the screen turned brown and fibrous.”
“What do you hear?” Dylan became instantly alert.
“Nothing, not even background noise.”
“Is the camera moving at all?”
“Now it is; looks like it’s bobbing up and down, but we’ve still got nothing but a brown image.”
“Hold on.” Switching to a different phone, he called Moretti, one of the agents charged with following Jerry and Jonathan this morning. “Do you have eyes on the target?” He demanded without preamble.
“Negative. They went inside a private box. We’re outside the elevator door.”
“Dammit. What was the unsub wearing?”
“Brown jacket, khaki slacks and an open-collar shirt.”
“Dammit all to hell. Get someone to the stairway leading from the box and send someone in to question the witnesses. You stay by the elevator in case they come out that way. They’re on the move.” Dylan clicked off and went back to Rodney.
“What do you see now?”
“Still brown, still jarring up and down movement. What do you think is happening?”
“He’s onto us.” Dylan’s voice was grim. “He’s carrying her out; the brown you see is his jacket. Dammit.” Dylan began to pace. “Do you still have eyes on his car?”
“Yes, no activity since they disappeared inside the park.”
“Good, that’s good.” Dylan ran his hand through his hair in agitation. “But if he’s onto us, he may have a different way out. That’s what I would do, a Plan B,” he murmured. “You let me know the second that camera view changes, or if you see him heading for the car. I’m calling for back-up.”
“Will do.” Rodney’s eyes remained glued to the screen.
“Nate,” Dylan barely gave him time to answer. “The unsub’s taken Jerry, we need back-up at every exit of AT&T Park. Immediately.”
“Hold on.” Nate quickly gave orders to the young agent assisting him with the red tape involved with the assignment. “They’re on the way. What in hell is happening?” He demanded.
“He’s onto us and I think he has an alternate escape vehicle. What do you want to bet that it’s not one we’ve got tracking on? Tell the back-up to look for the unsub driving any kind of car. They may or may not see Jerry in the car.”
Nat
e relayed the message before insisting on more detail. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
“He took her to a private box at the stadium. Shortly after, Jerry’s camera pin began to wobble, then the image became fuzzy brown. The brown screen was moving up and down, similar to what would occur if the unsub was carrying her. Oh, he’s wearing a brown jacket.”
“Jones, activate the GPS on Jerry Forbes’ phone.” Nate barked to his assistant. “What’s happening this instant?” He demanded of Dylan.
“Hold on, I’ll patch us in with Rodney.” Ten seconds later, Dylan had them on a three-way. “Rodney, what’s the status?”
“No activity at the car; the camera’s still projecting brown fuzz.” He began, then became excited. “Wait, the image is changing, I see his face. It’s like he’s looming over her. I see the inside of a car trunk. He’s searching Jerry for something, I see him moving above her. He’s jostling her…wait…I see what looks like the inside of a parking garage. There’s a noise, like ripping duct tape. Crap, he’s sealing the trunk.”
“What color is the car, can you tell?” Dylan asked, his tension level escalating.
“Dark green or dark gray, hard to tell from this angle.”
“Can you get the make?”
“No, but the trunk is small, couldn’t be bigger than a midsize car.”
Nate relayed the information to his assistant.
“What else, Rodney, what’s he doing now?” Dylan tried to keep his cool, but a feeling of helplessness slowly began to descend over him.
“He just slammed the trunk closed. It’s black now.” Rodney sat back, feeling defeated.
“We know he’s got another car. Dylan, check the tracking information on the Mas and the Prius, see if they’re on the move. Rodney, get to the nearest exit of the parking garage; watch for him to leave.” Nate turned to his assistant. “What’s the word on Jerry’s GPS?”
“It’s active, but it’s stable. The best I can give you is the address for the parking garage adjacent to AT&T Park.”
“Stay on it, let me know the moment the location changes. Redirect all available back-up to the parking garage exits.” Nate turned his attention to Dylan. “What’s the word?”
“No movement on any of his known vehicles. Bastard got smart and turned the tables on us.”
“Where’s Ethan? I want you both on the streets, just in case this turns into a manhunt.”
“Ethan’s gone. He left this morning. Said he knew we had it under control and he had to get back.” Dylan lied.
Stunned, Nate was silent for several heartbeats. “I didn’t see that coming. Does Jerry know?”
“Not yet. I’ll break it to her when this is done.” The tension in Dylan’s voice translated perfectly through the phone.
“Better you than me,” Nate muttered, then changed directions. “Head to the roof, I’ll bring the chopper in ten.”
“On my way.”
The rental car waiting on the third level of the parking deck was completely different from Jonathan’s usual style. Compact and nondescript, the dark green Toyota fit in seamlessly with every other car on the freeway. Jonathan laughed delightedly as he left the crowded parking lot of AT&T Park and merged into the throng of vehicles on the Bayshore Freeway heading away from the bay. His laughter grew when he spotted the unmarked cars with blue lights blazing through the windshields rush past him on the opposite side of the road.
“Too little, too late,” he sang and straightened the blond wig he’d had the foresight to bring. “She’s mine now, all mine.” Rather than cheer him, the thoughts of Jerry’s betrayal saddened him. He had so hoped that she was different from the others, so wanted her to be worthy of his love. “They’re all the same,” hitting the steering wheel, his facial expression changed instantly from gleeful exuberance at outsmarting the cops to a menacing, maniacal scowl worthy of a madman.
At the first opportunity, he exited the freeway onto a thoroughfare that would lead him to the 101 and his desired destination, Carmel. The cliffs in the area were some of the most beautiful along the California coast, he’d always planned to visit, just not this soon.
“No green or gray midsize cars have exited the parking garage since we arrived.” The report was the same from every officer and agent assigned to the structure.
“How the hell did he get out so fast?” Dylan asked Nate from the backseat of the chopper.
“Damned if I know. Let’s fly along the expressway, he’s likely heading for his comfort zone, the mountains.” Nate’s terse orders to the pilot told Dylan how concerned he was for Jerry’s safety. If the unsub was going towards the cliffs, they both knew his agenda.
“Jerry can take care of herself, boss.” Dylan reminded both of them.
“Sure she can, if she’s not out cold or restrained.” Nate voiced what they both feared. “Go lower,” he barked at the pilot, “I want to see inside every car on that highway.”
Jerry awoke to a screaming headache and cramps in her legs. She knew right away that she was in the trunk of a car. In addition to the humps on both sides of the enclosure, the searing heat inside the space and the drone of the motor gave it away.
How long had she been out? Moving her arm to reach into her pocket for the phone was excruciating and proved fruitless. Her phone was gone.
Feeling for the lever that would open the trunk from the inside, she found duct tape covering the switch, a simple but effective way of disabling the escape route. He’d also covered the inside of the taillights with duct tape, keeping her from punching through for light and air. She couldn’t reach the edge of the strips, he’d anticipated her efforts and blocked every move.
“Round one, psycho.” Jerry murmured as she felt every inch of space she could reach inside the trunk, searching for anything she could use to break through the tape. Nothing. The trunk was clean.
The car was moving at a steady clip, the wheels kept time with the drumming in her head. Rearranging her body to find as comfortable a position as possible, she was suddenly grateful for the hours spent folding her body in abnormal ways during yoga. The relaxation techniques she’d learned helped clear her mind in preparation for the battle to come.
As much as she’d like to believe that Ethan and Dylan were hot on her trail, she knew in her gut that she was on her own. If she was coming out of this one alive, she would do it alone.
The thought didn’t frighten her, but she knew that Ethan would be frantic. For love of him as much as herself, she knew she had to escape whatever Jonathan had in store for her.
How the hell had he discovered they were onto him? She wondered. Had she said or done something to make him suspicious? She’d felt that things were off this morning, but not enough to get her spidey senses tingling. If he’d veered this much from his M.O., then his next move was not at all predictable.
“I’d lay dollars to donuts that we’re heading for the cliffs, but which ones?” Jerry spoke aloud, as much to hear her own voice in the dark space as to express her thought. “It doesn’t matter which ones,” she reasoned. “I’ll need to outwit him and overpower him in order to get away.”
It was then that she remembered the camera pin. Twisting her arm upward, she felt that it was still in place. More than visual, the camera also had audio capabilities. Whoever was watching may not be able to see inside the darkened space, but they may be able to hear her, as long as they were in range.
“Hello,” she placed her lips near the pin, not willing to let Jonathan hear her speak. “This is Jerry. I’m okay; I’m in a trunk. No phone.” She racked her brain for something she could tell them that would help, but she had nothing. Without concern for the ribbing she would take from Dylan and whomever else happened to be listening, she sent Ethan a message. “Tell Ethan that I’m fine and not to worry. Tell him that I love him and that I’ll see him soon.” It was the only comfort she could give, but thoughts of him strengthened her resolve to walk away from this nightmare.
“It’s Jerry, sh
e’s awake and talking.” Rodney’s phone was patched into Dylan’s and Nate’s headsets.
“What did she say.” They asked in unison.
“She said she’s okay, that she’s in a trunk and that she doesn’t have a phone.” Rodney blushed, then continued. “She also sent a message for Ethan, but it’s personal. Is he around?” Rodney had seen the way those two looked at each other and suspected that the romance was not a fake.
“No, but I’ll see that he gets it.” Dylan lied again. “What was it?”
“She said for him not to worry, that she’ll see him soon. And that she loves him.” Rodney’s blush deepened. It felt awkward to be privy to such personal information.
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