“Someone’s been trying to hack my system, and since you’re the only one I’m doing business with at the minute…”
“What? You think it was me?”
Tuck didn’t have a static system as such, not anymore. Sikorski didn’t know that. He also didn’t know that despite Tuck’s various redundancies, none of his digital proximity shields had fired. No one had been trying to enter his system. Plenty of fools had tried in the past, but no one had ever succeeded.
After learning how Kadie and Howie had found him though, he’d have to be more careful about cleaning up after himself. What was left on the machine in the basements back home couldn’t have been more than an echo, shades of light and dark, fragments caught in the filter on their way to the trash like algae imprinting on glass.
“What is it you want to know, Sikorski, do us both a favor and stop dicking me around.”
Kadie wouldn’t leave his mind. Witnessing the fight between Raven and Caine should have scared her, instead it reinforced her certainty that she wanted to be a part of his Kindred life. Tuck couldn’t figure out how he felt about that. Would it be nice to have her around all the time? To have her there to lie with every night? Sure, it would. But was it worth the risk?
Leaving her was supposed to insulate her. Keeping her safe away from harm felt like the right thing. As much as he loved Zara, seeing her in danger didn’t do the same thing to him as seeing Kadie in it. But he had wondered in the past, how Raven did it, how he watched the woman he loved putting herself in perilous situations without wanting to step in and barricade her from harm.
“Whatever you think you know, you don’t,” Sikorski said over the line, and he had every right to sound confident because Tuck was making a false accusation. What Sikorski couldn’t know was that the claim was meant to achieve something other than conflict in their association.
“Then one of your people is working alone,” Swift said. “I bet a bunch of guys know I was there. They know your guy Warta didn’t come home, your driver too, did they have friends in your place? ‘Cause if one of your men is coming for me—”
“My people don’t work on initiative,” Sikorski said, blustering into offense. “No one would act without my permission.”
Turning up the heat, Tuck gave Sikorski a second to stew then added some menace to his voice. “I don’t trust you, mafia, this deal is starting to stink… There must be someone on your payroll smart enough to think they might be capable of this.”
Tuck knew for a fact that there was. It wasn’t easy and had taken him most of the rest of the day, but he’d found a digital signature they were sure was Howie’s. Kadie was worried for the kid’s health. He was supposed to meet her in the bar on the night Tuck had first run into her and hadn’t made the meet. If he’d been discovered sneaking out, it was possible he’d been executed for his insubordination.
Zara had been amazing with Kadie. She’d talked about other possibilities with her, helping to lessen Kadie’s concern. Saying that he might just have missed his chance, been too scared to take the risk, or been cut off before he had the chance to walk out, were all plausible alternatives to the boy getting a bullet to the brain.
Sikorski didn’t have many lines into the house, he had his private cell phone, and there was a hard line into the mansion, which was rarely used, making Tuck believe few people knew about it or had access to it. But Howie did, he had to if Sikorski wanted him to commit criminal acts for him.
Busting Howie out was what Kadie wanted to do, and Tuck would follow through as he promised. But they would have to quiz the boy on what he’d done for Sikorski. As scared as he might have been by the threat aimed at him, it would tell the Kindred a lot about Howie’s integrity to learn what he had been willing to do to stay alive.
Tuck was capable of just about anything when he had access to a computer and an internet connection. But there were some things he just wouldn’t do and would elect to eat a bullet before betraying kin and country.
“No one as smart as you in this regard,” Sikorski sneered, it was amazing just how quickly the bullshit fell away. Now that Sikorski knew Tuck had no interest in joining his ranks, all the simpering and pandering was gone.
“But there is someone,” Tuck said, because he knew there was and took the chance to act like he’d heard a concession in Sikorski’s words. “Some punk who thinks he can get into my shit? I want to meet him.” Sikorski said nothing. “Whoever your whizz is, I want to see him at our meeting.”
“Why would you be—”
“Professional curiosity,” Tuck said, and it worked perfectly because he’d said it before so Sikorski already thought of him as the curious type. “I want to look him in the face and laugh at how pathetic he is.”
“If I do that, I expect you to bring the girl to the meet,” Sikorski said. “The one you took from me, I want her there.”
Fighting with Kadie about her presence at the meet was a battle he expected, Sikorski’s request was not. “Why?” Tuck asked. “Why do you want her there?”
“I want her to see what men like us do to those who betray them,” Sikorski said. “I want her to see the horror you are complicit in.”
Because he wanted to put a wedge between the couple or just because he enjoyed seeing women shocked? Sikorski couldn’t know that Kadie and Tuck were connected beyond meeting in the bar. This was another of Sikorski’s games, his famed power plays, he wanted Kadie there because it would piss Tuck off and give Sikorski an audience for whatever he planned to do with Zara.
“I don’t—”
“It’s not too much to ask. More witnesses means more protection for me.”
Ah, so the Russian thought Tuck would spare his life if the woman he was sleeping with was there to watch them interact. Sikorski shouldn’t be so sure of that. Though Tuck would likely not be the one holding the gun.
“Ok, you bring the money and your weekend gamer, and I’ll bring Saffy.”
This would be a test. If he could handle Kadie standing there during this confrontation then maybe he could see her integrating into his Kindred life. If not, their relationship would slide back into jeopardy because he’d never be able to make her see that leaving her with Dempsey was his way of protecting her not segregating her, and it didn’t mean he loved her less, it proved he loved her more.
“When?”
“Two days,” Tuck said. “I’ll forward you the coordinates. You come with your buddy and only him.”
That would never happen. Sikorski didn’t go anywhere without at least a couple of human shields. Tuck couldn’t argue. He would show up with the women, they would be the only visible people at the meeting, but they wouldn’t be alone.
“You bring Saffy and Bandini, and I want her alive.”
“No problem.”
Tuck hung up the phone and pulled out the battery. They’d yet to decide if he’d stroll up with Zara at his side or if they were going to make a show of restraining her like she was there against her will. Two days would give them time to make plans and set up. Kadie wasn’t wild about the delay. She was worried about her friend. But they’d only get one shot at this and they had to do it right.
The others commented on how quickly two days went by. For Kadie, the minutes dragged, but she didn’t complain, at least not in public. On the rare occasions Tuck took her out for food or they got a minute alone, she expressed her concern for Howie because she didn’t want him to think she’d abandoned him and they had no idea what he was going through.
Tuck kept his cool, they all did, so Kadie did her best to make out that she was handling everything without concern. Sometimes she got close to freaking out. Having Tuck nearby always helped to soothe her.
There were times when she looked at him that she wanted to smack him in the head. They’d come so close to being apart forever. He’d given up on them, chosen the Kindred and left her in the dust. It didn’t matter how many times he told her that he did it to protect her, she still got irritated by his ar
rogance. But it was nothing knew, so it was on her. When they’d met he’d had all the confidence in the world and that hadn’t changed in the duration of their relationship.
Getting through the next few hours was going to hinge on them being able to trust each other. Kadie hadn’t been initiated into the Kindred, though they treated her like an honorary member. Since telling Tuck that she wasn’t going anywhere, they hadn’t talked about their long-term plans. Knowing that he had to keep his head in the mission, she elected not to push the issue. Maybe when all of this was done and they had a better idea of how working together would play out, they could make a decision about their future.
As it stood for her, she couldn’t see her future without him in it. But if today went wrong, if one of them was hurt, or they lost Howie, she wasn’t sure what impact that would have on her or on the Kindred. More was at stake today than their lives.
Tuck was driving and she sat in the back with Zara. Every detail had been accounted for from what would be said, or not in her case, where they would stand, even their positions sitting in the truck had been thought about and orchestrated. The group thought not only of safety, but of perception and psychology as well.
“They’ve been doing this a long time,” Zara said, making Kadie wonder if her worry showed on her face. “You have nothing to worry about.”
Involving others in her dilemma did alleviate some of the burden on her. But it was amazing how it altered her feelings about the situation. When she’d left home to seek out Tuck she’d been willing to do anything to find him and felt little concern for her safety because she only had to worry about risking herself. When Howie got involved that changed and the guilt compelled her to be more careful because she wasn’t only risking her own life anymore, she was risking his as well.
Not long before Tuck showed up in her life again, she’d come to the conclusion that she couldn’t choreograph a situation where she and Howie would be guaranteed a clean escape. It was impossible to ensure he’d be a hundred percent safe if they made an attempt to flee and that made her hesitant to try it.
Somehow—maybe because like Zara said, they’d been doing this a long time—Brodie and Tuck managed to forget that the players were real live people who had families and loved ones. Switching off their feelings for the women involved probably helped them to make sound decisions. Kadie would need more practice.
Watching Tuck drive today reminded her of the limo trip. Not because this was stressful or they were in any danger, but because she remembered the feeling of dread that night. During the course of the accident, she hadn’t known that it wasn’t an accident at all, and for those terrifying seconds before the car stopped she had to come to terms with the fact that Tuck might lose his life saving hers.
She felt the same way today. Dusk was the chosen time for the meet, just when they were starting to lose the light of the day. Choosing this time made her uneasy, but Tuck explained that every choice they made was considered before being finalized. Apparently, dusk was the time to meet when exchanging goods for people. Zara might be in on the plan, but Kadie was concerned for the woman seated beside her. If Sikorski got his hands on her, got her back to his mansion, he wouldn’t show mercy. It didn’t matter that Brodie and Tuck would rip the place apart to get her back, Zara may have to endure horrors before they got there.
Rounding the ridge that shielded the open ground they were meeting on, the first thing she saw was a long, black limo. Sikorski went everywhere in those luxury cars. Learning that they weren’t suited for off-roading, and were easy targets, hadn’t put him off using them. It was probably bullheadedness that made him continue to drive in such impractical vehicles.
“They’re already here,” Kadie said, though she hadn’t meant to say it aloud.
“So are we,” Zara muttered. A new determination settled over her expression, her gaze fixed on the view out the windshield between the two front headrests. “Are you with me, beau?”
“I’m with you, baby.” Raven’s low voice came through the earpiece Kadie had been given to wear.
Raven had left the motel before the rest of them. Kadie hadn’t been expressly told where he was going, but she didn’t need it spelled out. Raven was the assassin, the sniper of the group. With their limited numbers, they had to utilize everyone’s skills. Raven wasn’t expected at the meet, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be there.
His position would be lofty, she was sure of that, and it was probable that he’d have his weapon trained on the scene. Kadie wasn’t sure how she felt about that, about being at the end of a scope, in someone’s crosshairs. Swift trusted Raven. Swallow loved him. Dove was still learning the ropes and standing in target range would take some time to get accustomed to. As would listening to a disembodied voice in her ear, especially one that wasn’t talking to her.
It was unsettling how his husky tone sounded so intimate, as it should because he was responding to Zara. Yet the words slid through the canal of Kadie’s ear in a series of sensual vibrations direct to her mind, which couldn’t match the voice to any source of arousal. Tuck’s voice could turn her on, Raven’s just made her shiver.
Sikorski didn’t get out of the car. In fact, they saw no one and when Tuck pulled up near the front of the limo, blocking it in, they all stayed in the truck.
“We wait?” Zara seemed to be asking either Tuck or Brodie.
“Let him sweat a minute,” Tuck said.
“Something doesn’t feel right about this,” Zara said. “I don’t think I like it.”
Swift twisted around to scrutinize his colleague. Raven’s voice came to her ear. “Want me to pull out?” he asked.
Zara smiled. “There’s something you’ve never said to me before,” she said, and Tuck almost laughed. “No, I just don’t think we should give him time for his monologue. He thinks he’s smarter. He thinks he’s better. He wants to rule the world. We get it, we’ve heard it before. Can we just get the boy, the information, and split?”
“Whatever you want, Swallow,” Raven said, and Tuck nodded.
“Want to get this over with?” Tuck asked.
Zara thought for a second, catching her tongue between her teeth. They weren’t too far from Sikorski’s place, he could have reinforcements on the boundary somewhere, ready to storm in. Except if everything went as Sikorski thought it was supposed to, he should be taking Zara back to his place, and shouldn’t need an army.
Discovering that Zara was uneasy made Kadie edgy. Raven and Swift had been doing this a long time, sure, but Zara wasn’t far off being a veteran herself. If she’d been part of the group before Kadie and Tuck split up, that meant she’d been doing this for around a year. Swallow’s instincts were more honed than she probably realized.
“Yeah,” Zara said, and bent to retrieve a glass soda bottle from the backpack at her feet.
“What’s that for?” Kadie asked when Zara twisted off the cap and gulped down some of the liquid.
“Want some?” Zara asked, offering the bottle, but Kadie shook her head.
“No thanks.”
There had been plenty of time to eat and drink before they left and while they were in the car. The bottle could be used as a weapon, but it would be a pathetic one and wouldn’t last long. The most she’d get out of it was a single hit, maybe Zara assumed that was better than nothing. But for a group who didn’t leave any detail to chance, this was one Kadie couldn’t figure out.
“It’s game time,” Zara said, and Tuck shook his head as he turned to get out of the car first.
Again, this had been planned. Zara wasn’t going to be trussed up in the trunk, for one thing, they’d loaded a large box into the back before leaving, so there wouldn’t be much room, and it might be dangerous to put Zara in there if the item in the box was heavy. Kadie didn’t know what it was, only that it was important that they took it with them.
The deal she’d heard Tuck and Sikorski make included the Game Time device that Tuck had told her was dangerous. Thinki
ng about carrying such a thing to a man as dangerous as Sikorski made her mad and scared at the same time. Under any other circumstances, she’d never let Tuck risk bringing something like that here. But Howie’s life was at stake. If that meant giving Sikorski what he wanted in order to get the kid back, then they’d have to deal with the fall out after Howie was safe.
Tuck came to the back of the car and opened it to reach in and haul Zara out. Keeping her locked in his grip, his scowl reminded her of the man she’d seen in the bar, that dangerous man only out for himself.
“Get out,” he said to her, not loud enough for anyone except Zara to hear, but he was abrupt just in case.
Kadie shuffled along the backseat and climbed out, staying beside Zara as Tuck pulled her out into the open space. Beyond the limo was a drop, they were on one of the mountain ledges, if they kept on going up then they’d come to Sikorski’s place, but that would mean going back out onto the road they’d used to come here. There was only one road in, one road out. Tuck’s parking was no mistake. There wasn’t much room behind the limo, so backing up without going over the edge would be difficult. Tuck was blocking the front of the car. If they needed to make a quick getaway, he could back up a few feet, swing a wide turn, and get back onto the road faster than the limo could and they’d be first, because the limo couldn’t move until they did.
The ridge that rose beside the road was at least thirty feet high and was covered with trees and grass. Part of her wanted to turn around to see if she could decipher where Raven was, but she guessed he knew how to camouflage, and if she looked then Sikorski might too. So she kept her back to the ridge, and watched the limo, waiting for Sikorski to emerge.
Time ticked. Kadie felt every second. The limo didn’t move and her pulse began to panic. Could this be a decoy? Were Sikorski and his people waiting somewhere else? But no, there was nowhere to hide on this large curved ledge, there were some trees on the other side of the road, but they thinned to nothing by the time the road opened onto the plane.
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