Before Blair could try, Matheson rushed her, spun her around toward the living room, and shoved her with a fist to the middle of her back. “Move.
Blair shouted a warning to Dana before crashing into an end table. Matheson clubbed Dana in the temple. As she fell, the front door burst open. Stark raced inside, shouting into her transmitter, her gun sweeping the room.
Matheson opened fire.
* * * * *
As the red-alert signal came over her receiver, Patrice Hara jumped up from the small dining room table, knocking her coffee cup to the floor. “Greg!
Wozinski crashed through the double doors from the kitchen. “I heard it!
“ Someone advise Commander Roberts! Patrice raced for the door.
Seconds later, she and Wozinski sprinted down the snow-covered path toward Blairs cabin. Vaughn ran up the trail toward them from the far side of Blairs cabin. Patrice shouted into her radio. “Stark? Julio? Status?
“ Jesus, Wozinski panted when his receiver remained silent. “Where are they?
Patrice caught movement out of the corner of her eye and pivoted, her gun extended. Cameron Roberts ran toward them over the hard-packed snow in her shirtsleeves, her weapon out, her face a study of eerie calm.
“ Report? Cam barked, never slowing her pace.
“ Dont know. Patrice stepped aside as the commander barreled past, then rushed to catch up. “I got an interrupted transmission from oh Jesus.
Everyone except Cam skidded to a halt. Blair stood framed in the doorway of the cabin. A man in winter BDUs stood behind her, watching them approach. He held an automatic pistol to Blairs temple.
“ Hara, Wozinski, stay back, Cam shouted, halting at the foot of the path that led to Blairs cabin. Then she leveled her weapon on the man in the doorway. Matheson. At last. “Let her go.
Matheson smiled. “I dont think so.
Cams head felt like it might explode. She was going to kill him for touching Blair. Not now. Later. She would kill him later. She forced back the terror at the sight of the gun against Blairs head. Not like JanetBlair, not Janet. Blair. He would not take Blair. Cam eased slowly forward in the unblemished snow, one step at a time, her weapon steady in a two-handed grip. “What do you want?
“ Thats far enough. Matheson pushed the gun barrel into Blairs temple, and Blair winced, coming up on her toes to relieve the pressure.
Cam was close enough to see the expression in Blairs eyes. Fear, yes, but above all, fury. Good, Blair would need that anger to keep her head clear. Cam halted. Dead man. Youre a dead man.
“ What do you want? Cam repeated calmly. If hed wanted Blair dead, he would have shot her and been long gone.
“ Tell the president to expect a call.
“ I can help you get what you want. Cam took another cautious step forward. Twenty yards. She was good at twenty yards, but not good enough. Always trade for something. She would have to break a few rules, but this was Blair. “Lets work together here.
“ Why should I do that? I hold all the power. He looped an arm around Blairs neck and jerked her against his chest, shielding his body further. “I have her.
“ You know how it works, Cam said, playing to his ego. “Show of good faith. You give me something, I make a call to the right person.
“ And what would you want?
“ I need to come inside. Then Ill make some calls.
“ No, Blair cried, her voice muffled from the pressure of Mathesons arm on her throat.
Matheson laughed. “Weve got enough people inside already.
“ Then Ill trade places with her. Ill be a lot more useful to you than her. I know who holds the power in Washington. Do you really think its her father? Cam laughed and took another step. Almost close enough. If she could just draw his fire. She was counting on her team to have gotten someone into position with a sniper rifle. “Me for her.
Blair struggled in Mathesons grip and cried out when he fisted his hand in her hair, yanking her head back. His expression hardened. “Maybe everyone will feel more inclined to be helpful if I put a bullet in her.
“ All right, all right, Cam shouted. “If you hurt her, youll have nothing to bargain with.
“ Ive got a lot to bargain with. One of your agents is bleeding out on the floor just inside, Matheson said conversationally. “And Ive got another one whos going to have quite a headache if she ever comes to. He smiled. “Ive got plenty of currency.
“ You know what Im talking about, Cam said, standing rigid, her gun still trained on him. She didnt raise her voice, but it carried through the clear cold air like steel slicing flesh. “Hurt her, and God Almighty could be in that room and it wont save you.
“ What makes you think God isnt in this room? Matheson dragged Blair backward into the cabin. At the last instant, he turned his gun on Cam.
Blairs scream was lost in the sound of gunfire.
Chapter Twenty-three
F or the span of a heartbeat, Cam stood her ground with bullets singing around her head, praying for a one split-second glimpse of Mathesons unprotected body. But the bastard was smart, and he held Blair so close that only an inch or two of head and torso was visible. She was a good shot, but not good enough to risk Blairs life. Cam held for another heartbeat, petitioning the universe to bend to the force of her will, but it would not yield. She dove to the ground chest first, barely registering the pain lasering through her bruised ribs. When silence fell, she rolled to her knees, breathing hard, and trained her weapon on the closed cabin door. She wanted to storm the cabin, she wanted to be in that room with her hands around Mathesons neck. She wanted to shout that if he hurt her, if he so much as touched her again, she would tear his still-beating heart from his chest with her bare hands.
“ Commander, Hara called from somewhere behind Cam. “Commander, take cover, for Gods sake.
Cam stood up, her gaze riveted to the cabin, and slowly backed away. Take cover. What kind of cover did Blair have inside that cabin with a maniac? When Cam reached the trail in front of the cabin and saw no activity from inside, she holstered her weapon and sought out her people, who had taken positions in the trees around the clearing. Hara and Wozinski had been joined by the other members of Blairs security detail along with Steph and the rest of Tanners team. All told, a dozen formidable professionals. Someone, probably Hara, had deployed them to cover the cabin should Matheson try to escape, with or without the hostages.
Cam needed to formulate a counterattack. Matheson was going to move fast, and he had the advantage as long as Blair was alive. That he intended to kill her was a given. At some point, Blair would no longer have value as bargaining currency, and then Matheson would execute her. Cam had only one optionkill him before he ever had that chance.
“ Steph, Cam said, “put your best sniper on that door. Put another on the rear. I want only you, me, and Hara to have a channel to them. I give the go.
“ Yes, maam.
“ Make sure we have a tight perimeter on the cabin. Then evacuate the other cabins, get everyone into the lodge, and post someone on all the entrances. No one leaves without my say-so.
“ On it. Steph spoke into a throat mic as she ran toward the closest cabin.
“ Hara.
“ Commander?
“ I need aerial surveillance. Have Wozinski contact the presidents advance team in town and tell them were canceling the press conference because we need extra time to secure the road up here. Do not apprise them of the situation here. Then put Greg and one of Stephs long-range shooters into the air in our bird.
“ Yes, maam. Hara started away.
“ Hara, Cam said.
Hara looked back. “Maam?
“ If I go down, you have the command. Cam stared at the cabin. “Hes going to try to move her. Soon. Hes going to come out and shes his ticket to freedom. Do not let him put her in a vehicle. Give the sniper the green light to fire at will.
“ Understood. Haras voice was raspy with tension.
Hara disappeare
d and Cam signaled for one of Stephs men to take up the position that Hara had vacated. Then she went in search of Mac Phillips. She found him hunkered down behind a boulder, an assault rifle trained on the cabin. “Starks down.
“ Could you tell
“ Status unknown. Cam fisted her hands. “Dana Barnetts in there too. Thats all we know.
“ Jesus.
“ Do you have people on the back?
“ Two teams.
“ Good. Who was on the back door?
“ Julio. Mac shook his head without taking his eyes off the cabin. “Theres a body on the porch. Must be him. No way Matheson could have gotten past him unless he took him out.
“ I agree. Cams head was buzzing, her instincts were at war. Her heart and a good part of her mind screamed for her to get Blair out now, get Blair away from him, get Blair to safety. But her training demanded she be calm and dispassionateassess the situation, plan for contingencies, and ultimately, execute a counterattack. The Secret Service did not re act, it acted. She could not allow Matheson to dictate the plays. She knew that. But she wanted to be inside that cabin with Blair more than she had ever wanted anything in her life, and she didnt care if she died trying. Not the way she needed to be thinking. She closed her eyes and directed every bit of willpower she possessed into resurrecting her professional shields. She would do this by the book, until she had no other choice.
“ You think hes alone? Mac asked.
“ Looks that way. So far. Cams nerves settled as she focused on the problem. “No covering fire when any of us took position, and these kind of guys dont pass up a ready target. Besides, I think the only way he could have gotten this close without being detected was to come alone or with one or two others.
“ Bold plan but makes sense.
“ The lone gunman, Cam said bitterly. “The hardest to defend against. Christ, he could have skied to within a hundred yards of here from almost anywhere on the mountain and we wouldnt have known.
“ What does he want?
“ What do any of these fanatics want? Someone to listen to them. The semblance of power. She raked a hand through her hair. She was afraid it was more than mere political fanaticism this time. She feared his true target was Blair and always had been. Her shirt, wet from her dive into the snow, had frozen and chafed her skin. She shivered. “Hell tell us soon enough. In the meantime, I need you back inside the lodge.
Set up a command post and monitor any and all transmissions in or out of this area.
“ With respect, Commander, I think Ill be of more use out here. Maybe you should take the inside
“ No, Cam snapped. “Hes got partners somewhere. He wouldnt walk into this if he didnt have someone on the outside waiting to help him disappear. The more we know, the more we limit his options. I dont want him to think hes in charge.
“ Right. Okay. Mac looked uncomfortable. “Are you going to call for backup?
Cam shook her head. “We have all the people we need right here, and I know just how good they are. We bring in hostage rescue or a spec ops team and well have chaos. Im not putting him under that kind of pressure. Not with our people inside that cabin with him. Not with his gun on Blair.
When Mac looked like he would say more, Cam cut him off. She knew shed probably lose her creds over the decision. That didnt matter. Nothing mattered except getting Blair and the others out. “Whats Valerie and Renées ETA?
“ They should be landing right about now.
“ Good. Go ahead and brief them, then I want to see them both. Cam scanned the area, checking to be sure she had people in appropriate vantage points. “Double-check that everyone has radios and put them on delta frequency. Then get back to the lodge, Mac. She tore her eyes from the cabin and met his. “Thats where I need you. I need to know what hes doing. Im blind out here.
“ Yes maam. Mac crouched, ready to move away, but still he hesitated. “Ill send a vest and a dry shirt down for you.
“ Im okay.
“ You might be out here for a while.
Wordlessly, Cam nodded. She would be here until Blair was safe. Time was immaterial.
* * * * *
Emory had heard gunfire before. The first shot had brought her upright in bed as she struggled to make sense of the sound. She knew what it was but her conscious mind refused to embrace the idea. The second and third reports had followed closely on the first, and instinctively shed rolled out of bed onto the floor, no longer able to deny the reality. The eerie silence that followed was more unnerving than the gunfire. Staying low, out of sight of the bedroom window, she quickly grabbed her clothes and jumped into the bathroom. Hastily, hands shaking, she pulled on jeans, a sweater, and boots. When she dared to peek out the window she saw armed figures moving at the edge of the woods, but she couldnt make out who they were. Heart hammering, she dashed into the main room and snatched her jacket and cell phone. She wished she had a gun. After the first attack on her life, shed gotten a license and learned to shoot but she refused to carry a weapon. Despite the threats made against her, she did not want to answer violence and hatred with more violence. She wondered now if she had been wrong.
She knew she was safer inside the cabin than outside, and she knew that someone would come. Crouched on the floor behind the sofa, she hoped it would provide enough cover from an errant bullet. Waiting was the hardest thing shed ever done.
When a sharp knock on the door was followed almost immediately by a voice calling, “Emory, its Steph. Let me in, Emory jumped to her feet.
“ What happened? Emory asked anxiously as she held the door open just wide enough for Steph to slip inside.
“ Theres been an incident at Blairs. I need to get you and the others up to the lodge.
Emory grabbed Stephs arm. “What do you mean by incident? Is she hurt?
A muscle in Stephs jaw bunched. “Its a hostage situation, Emory. I dont have much time. Lets go.
“ Oh my God. Dana. Dana was supposed to meet with Blair. Is she there?
“ Were not sure whos in there.
Stunned, Emory glanced in the direction of the bedroom. Was it possible that less than an hour ago she and Dana had lain together in that bed, making love, talking about the next time? What if there was no next time? What if Dana never came back? Emory couldnt take it in.
Blood rushed from her head and her vision flickered. The room turned gray at the edges and she swayed. “This cant be. She was just here. We made lo
Steph grabbed Emorys arm to steady her. “Jesus, Emory. I didnt know about you two. Im sorry.
“ Itswerenew. Angry at herself for almost falling apart, Emory shook her head. She clenched her hands until her fingers ached. Better. “What can you tell me?
“ Until we get a head count up at the lodge, we wont know for sure whos with Blair. The perp said someone was unconscious. It might be Dana.
“ Whats going to happen? Emory asked urgently as Steph opened the door and guided her outside with an arm around her and her gun at the ready. Now that they were outside, Emory could see agents shielded by boulders and trees ringing Blairs cabin.
“ Were going to get this guy, Steph said resolutely. “Trust us.
Emory wasnt used to relying on others to take care of what was important to her. And Dana was very important to her. “I know how to shoot. I practice at the range regularly. I can help.
“ Youve never shot a person. Steph led Emory quickly up the path toward the lodge. “Its a lot different than a paper target.
“ Hes hurt my friends. I wont hesitate.
Steph indicated the back door of the lodge. “Youre the only doctor we have. We might need you. See if you can put together an aid station.
Emory watched Steph hurry away. It wasnt enough. Caring for the wounded, no matter how necessary, was not going to assuage the terrible anger that roiled in her chest. But doing what she could do might keep her from imagining Dana hurt. Dana had to be all right. They had just begunonly hours before she had held her, loved her. Emory r
efused to believe she would never have another chance.
* * * * *
Matheson shoved Blair toward the sofa. “Sit down. Blair hesitated. She wouldnt have very many opportunities to get herself out of this, and she didnt have much time. Stark lay slumped on the floor just inside the door. Blair couldnt tell how many times shed been hit, but a dark pool of blood spread out beneath her body from an obvious bullet wound in her left thigh. She appeared to be unconscious, but Blair wasnt certain. Dana lay face down where shed fallen after Matheson had clubbed her. Either one of them could be mortally injured, and she wasnt going to stand by and watch them die.
As if reading her thoughts, Matheson said, “If you make a move anywhere except where I tell you to move, Ill shoot one of them.
“ She needs attention, Blair said, pointing to Stark. “At least let me see if I can slow down the bleeding.
Matheson didnt answer as he collected Starks gun, tucked it into the waistband at the small of his back, and sidled next to the front window. With his eyes and his gun still on Blair, he felt for the cord and yanked the drapes closed. Then he stepped over Stark and nudged Danas shoulder with his boot. When she didnt respond, he shoved and she rolled onto her back with a groan. Matheson flicked a glance at Blair. “Whos this?
Blair said nothing, and Matheson kicked Dana in the ribs. Blair shot forward as Dana moaned. “Leave her alone.
“ Id stop right there, Matheson said coldly. He pointed the gun at Danas head. “One more step, and I wont care who she is.
“ Shes a friend of mine.
“ Shes not carrying, so shes not an agent. Matheson motioned Blair back to the couch. “Sit down .
Dana opened her eyes, blinked, and lifted her head enough to look around the room. Her expression darkened when she saw Stark. “Christ. She pushed herself to her knees, coughed a few times, and finally focused on Matheson. “I dont think weve met.
He laughed. “Welcome to the party. Who the hell are you?
“ The names Barnett. She glanced at Blair. “I guess hes not a friend of yours.
“ Not exactly.
Radclyffe - Honor 07 - Word Of Honor Page 21