Dangerously Involved

by Sidney Bristol

  “Fuck,” Nolan muttered, glad his line was muted.

  They’d done a few jobs running parallel in Asia to the family owned company. They were into private security, more focused on securing locations rather than people. That was where Nolan’s knowledge of the company ended.

  “Are the cops there?” Grant asked.

  “Someone is on scene reporting back, but I’m not clear who.” Zain muttered something. “Just get there.”

  Nolan tapped his ear piece. “Hey, Zain?”

  “What?”

  “Is there any chance we could tap into the drone that kid had? If it’s online, could we track it? Might save us from running around hoping to find him.”

  A beat of silence. “That’s a good idea. I’ll call Melody directly to get more info on it.”

  “Happy to help.” Nolan muted his comm.

  Vaughn whistled. “I think you just out-thought Zain.”

  “Whatever gets the job done.”

  “What the hell do you think is going on?” Vaughn shifted in his seat. “This seems out of left field.”

  Nolan was inclined to agree. They were looking for threats to exploit the family’s connections, what they knew, their access. Which was why he wanted to know if the drone would take them to where they really wanted to be.

  For all they knew Douglas was at some party and his drone was being flown by someone else, leaving the party boy unaware what he was involved with.

  “Got it,” Zain said far too loudly. “Re-routing you now. The drone isn’t far from the homicide location. You’re only five minutes out. The drone is stationary.”

  Fuck.

  That wasn’t good.

  Then again, whoever had piloted the thing could have dumped it and run. There was no guarantee Douglas was with it. Either way, they needed to have the drone so it wouldn’t link back to the Krieger family.

  The sound of keys clacking heralded Zain’s input. “It looks like the drone is sitting in some kind of low ground area. There’s a park or a waterway near it.”

  “I think we should head for the street running perpendicular to the drone, park there and proceed on foot,” Grant said.

  The SUV ahead of them turned and Nolan followed, deviating from the course the GPS had set up for them.

  They were less than thirty yards from the signal.

  Nolan killed the engine and got out. They circled up around Grant, no one speaking.

  “We have no idea what we’re heading into. Stay sharp, keep it tight and let’s bring our asset home, okay?” Grant glanced around.

  Nolan jerked his head in a nod and pulled the baton from under his jacket.

  Man, he really wanted a gun right about now.

  Their five-man team proceeded down the street to a walk way between buildings. It wasn’t even a proper street. The walkway then descended to a street below them that disappeared into a tunnel. Despite it being the middle of the day, there was no one around. Not even a nosey neighbor peering outside.

  A muffled whimper and a dull thud sent invisible fingers up Nolan’s spine. He peered down the street, but saw nothing.

  The tunnel then?

  “Target is close. Going silent,” Grant said.

  “Understood,” Zain replied.

  Grant went down the stairs first, Nolan and Vaughn falling in behind him with Brenden and Riley bringing up the rear.

  Nolan didn’t like the location. If they had to run there was nowhere to go, no cover, just open ground, a road bordered by a wall on one side and water on the other, or the stairs.

  A grunt echoed out of the tunnel.

  The drone wasn’t abandoned.

  Their team reached the sidewalk. Grant communicated with gestures and Nolan moved into position at the entrance to the tunnel. He went to a knee and peered around.

  He smelled the blood first.

  The shadows were thick, disguising the hulking forms of a van and another SUV. The SUV’s interior light cast a dim sphere of illumination on two men holding a third down. A fourth went to a knee, plunging a knife into the prone man’s chest then again and again.

  Three hostiles armed with knives against five with stun guns and batons. Great.

  Movement inside the van caught Nolan’s eye.

  Someone was still alive.

  “Go.” Grant’s voice was more like the ghost of a whisper, but they all heard it.

  Nolan darted forward on silent feet, Vaughn keeping stride with him. They outdistanced the other three.

  One of the men holding the dying man down yelled something.

  Nolan hurled his baton, striking the kneeling man in the back of the head. Vaughn rushed forward and swung with his baton, catching the closest man on his exposed stomach.

  Nolan focused on the stabber, the one with the obvious weapon. He grabbed the man’s arm and flung him off the victim, the knife skidding away. Nolan snatched his baton. Before he could make another move on the stunned man, Riley was there treating the guy like some kind of livestock to be tied up in a timed competition.

  Brenden had the third man on the ground, face down and Grant crouched over the victim.

  There were two other bodies sprawled on the pavement. They weren’t moving.

  Nolan circled around to the back of the van and pulled out his flashlight clicking it on.

  The light reflected back to him in a pair of familiar hazel eyes.

  Douglas Krieger lay tied and gagged in the floorboard of the van, his drone halfway back into its crate.

  Nolan reached up and tapped his comm. “We have the asset, scene is not secure.”

  “Can you clean it up? Can it be contained?” Zain asked.

  “Negative. Three bodies, three attackers.”

  “Get out of there. Half go to the airport. Half go escort the other two assets from the hotel. Hear that, Melody?”

  “Copy that,” she said.

  Nolan climbed into the van and knelt over Douglas. “What the fuck did you do?”

  The kid shook his head and whimpered into the gag.

  Nolan collapsed the baton and holstered it then drew his knife. He cut the restraints away but left the saliva soaked gag for Douglas to tend to.

  “Check those other two. Are they dead?” Grant asked.

  “They’re all gone.”

  Douglas ripped the gag from his face. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Save it, kid. I don’t care.” Nolan leaned out of the van. “Can someone give me a hand with the drone?”

  “Let’s get it and go,” Grant said.

  “I’ll get the SUV.” Riley turned and jogged away.

  “They told me it was a demo. I was just going to show them what it could do.” Douglas crouched on the floor of the van, hands in his hair.

  Grant stepped around the back of the van. “Mr. Krieger, that doesn’t matter right now. We have to get you and this thing out of here. Now shut up. Don’t say another word.”

  The name of the game now was to minimize any and all negative attention aimed at the company. Whatever had happened here was for the Krieger family to discuss with their lawyers. The evidence might be clear as day to Nolan and his team, but so long as Douglas didn’t admit to anything in front of them their job remained the same.

  This was the one thing that sucked about being part of Lepta Team over some of the other teams. On the surface their job was clear cut; they offered a quiet way to protect people and property from kidnapping and extortion. In reality it was much more complicated.

  Nolan hated these gray areas.

  Their job was to protect Douglas, but the kid had clearly gotten involved with something. That didn’t change the mission. They’d bring Douglas and the drone back then whatever evidence led the authorities to Douglas surfaced was a lawyers problem.

  Riley pulled their SUV up alongside the van.

  Nolan and Grant got the drone inside along with Douglas, then they were off. With any luck they’d clear the area and be on the plane within the hour.


  “Let’s split,” Vaughn said.

  Nolan backed away from the scene.

  The three restrained men weren’t saying a word.

  The dead men’s blood was everywhere.

  The whole thing was a mess.

  And they still didn’t know what happened. It was probably better that way.

  4.

  Saturday. Tech Conference, Kyoto, Japan.

  Yvonne sat on the floor, her back braced against the bed, and stared at her toes. They still had a tiny bit of polish on them from that spa day Tabby had taken her on the week after Vegas. That was the last time Yvonne had done anything for herself.

  Her life was work. It was the business. She couldn’t be pregnant. She couldn’t have a baby.

  The tests were wrong. They had to be.

  Why should she trust a drug store test? This was the kind of thing that needed a professional.

  But that meant doctors, and she’d gone to the same family practice her whole life. Even her doctor in LA was cousins with her doctor in DC. If her physician knew she was pregnant, there would be no keeping that from her family.

  A sharp knock at her door broke the circle of thought.

  She briefly considered ignoring it, but Douglas was out there. Probably doing something stupid.

  Yvonne pushed to her feet, straightened her blouse then opened the door.

  Melody stood on the other side, her professional mask in place, but there was a grim set to her mouth.

  “W-what is it?” Yvonne asked.

  “I need for you to pack what you need and be ready to leave in five minutes for the airport.”

  “What? Why?”

  Theodore stepped in behind Melody, his face twisted into a mask of rage. “Do what she says, Vee.”

  “Okay.” Yvonne wanted to know more, but that look said not to ask. Not right now.

  Yvonne grabbed her smallest suitcase and quickly packed the things she cared about. Toiletries, her book, a shawl Tabby had given her and two changes of clothes. That done she ensured her work things were still ready to go.

  She paused in the bathroom staring at the box she’d shoved the pregnancy test into. There was no way she could leave that here for anyone to find, but she didn’t want it with her either.

  This situation was just like Douglas’ latest episode. It was something to be controlled. For now.

  She stashed them in a box then wrapped that in a plastic bag and shoved it to the bottom of her purse. She’d handle this when she got home to LA.

  Theodore was still packing when Yvonne hauled her things out to the front where Melody waited with Douglas’ duffle bag and three laptop bags Yvonne assumed were her team’s equipment.

  “What do we know about Doug?” Yvonne asked.

  “It’s best if we discuss this on the plane.” Melody’s voice was measured, calm, controlled. It was different from when she didn’t have to think about her words.

  “That bad?” Yvonne sighed.

  “It’s contained. For now.” Melody tilted her head and stared off into nothing for a moment. “They’re downstairs. Nolan and Vaughn are on their way up.”

  Yvonne nodded. She’d thought the protection was silly and over the top. They’d handled negative attention before, but nothing like this. It was crazy.

  Her stomach knotted up, and she didn’t know if it was because of her condition or the drama unfolding around her.

  Theodore joined them, his phone pressed to his ear as he spat orders.

  A rhythmic knock sounded at the suite entrance.

  “That’s our people.” Melody crossed to the door and peered through the peephole before turning toward them. “Ready?”

  Yvonne nodded.

  “My brother had better have something to say about all this.” Theodore bent and took Yvonne’s computer bag leaving her with her purse and rolling carry on.

  Nolan was first through the door. There was no blood on him and he appeared unhurt though his tie was loose and missing a button on his shirt.

  He glanced at her, their gazes snagging for a brief moment. She really shouldn’t feel better knowing he was okay.

  Figure Douglas out first, then everything else.

  Vaughn grabbed the bags at Melody’s feet.

  “Sir, ma’am, come with us, please?” Nolan gestured at the door. “I’d like you to stay behind me. Melody and Vaughn will bring up the rear.”

  His tone had changed. Yes, he’d become a laser focused person the moment she’d told him something was wrong this morning, but now he was even more controlled. No, poised.

  Were they in danger in the hotel? On the way to the plane?

  Yvonne’s hand slid from her purse strap to her stomach as they walked down the hall past the elevators to a service shaft.

  “What can you tell us?” Theodore asked.

  “Not our place to say,” Nolan responded.

  Yvonne smothered the urge to chuckle. It had to be the nerves making her want to laugh at a time like this. Theodore always got his way.

  Nolan turned to face them. “We’re going straight ahead, take a left then out into a loading area, understand?”

  Yvonne nodded. She assumed her brother did the same.

  “Here, let me have this.” Nolan bent and took her rolling bag from her.

  “I can handle—”

  His dark green gaze made the words die on her lips. “I need you to move fast.”

  “Okay,” she muttered.

  “Stay close to me.” Nolan placed his hand on her back, just how he had earlier.

  The elevator dinged, and they were moving with haste. Nolan carried her bag in front of them, kind of like a shield.

  Down the hall.

  Left at the first opportunity.

  He pushed the doors open for her.

  A dark SUV waited in the loading area. Brenden stood at the front of the vehicle, doors open, watching the street.

  “In,” Nolan snapped.

  “Bags in the back,” Melody called out.

  They piled into the waiting SUV, bags flying over Yvonne’s head as the vehicle took off.

  She sat sandwiched in between Theodore and Melody as Nolan wound through the city, navigating the streets as though he did this all the time. And he probably did.

  Their lives were so totally different.

  Her mind blanked out, refusing to follow that train of thought further.

  Yes, there were important things to consider, but later. Once they were safe and this business with Douglas was sorted.

  By the time they reached the private airport Yvonne was glad she hadn’t tried to eat. The motion sickness alone would have done her in. She was reduced to doing what Melody told her.

  Slide out of the SUV.

  Sit on this golf cart.

  Hold on here.

  Stand.

  Go up the stairs.

  The whole thing was a blur, but before she knew it she was seated in a plush, leather seat in a private room inside a jet.

  A private jet she’d never been in before.

  Did she want to know what strings had gotten pulled for this?

  Probably not.

  “Where’s my damn brother?” Theodore dropped their laptop bags into the seat across the table from her.

  “They’re bringing him to the plane now,” Melody said.

  “I want to see him—privately—as soon as he gets here, understood?”

  Yvonne slid further down in her seat.

  She watched Theodore scowl then heard a door click shut.

  They were alone.

  “This is just like Doug. Damn it.” Theodore whirled and paced the small, airplane conference room.

  “We don’t know the facts yet.” Yvonne placed her purse on the table.

  “But we know him.” He whirled to face her. “Tell me you actually believe our brother didn’t bring this on himself.”

  Yvonne winced and glanced away. She couldn’t do that. Douglas’ history was full of instances just like this.


  SATURDAY. PRIVATE AIRPORT, Kyoto, Japan.

  Fucking hell.

  Lee’s plans were dissolving, and he had no clue why.

  He eased the bike to a stop outside the fenced off area of the private airport just outside Kyoto. He’d been hard pressed to follow the SUV without getting too close. With any luck the bodyguards hadn’t spotted him.

  The family was supposed to remain at the conference for the duration of the event. Only once that was over were they to leave, at which point Lee’s people were supposed to grab them.

  “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Lee balled his hands into fists.

  His plans were blown until he knew where the Kriegers were going.

  The way his luck was going, they were en route back to the states, and that would really suck. Lee operated mostly on foreign soil. He stayed out of the US, but this job was too big. He couldn’t fail.

  He tipped his head back and sucked in a deep breath.

  He could be flexible. He knew their habits, their routines. He’d been studying them in preparation for this job. His team could still pull this off.

  He watched a second golf cart wheel two men, Douglas Krieger and a crate to the stairs leading to the jet. The crate was loaded while the men hustled the youngest Krieger inside the plane.

  Lee pulled out his phone and hit dial. It was time to adjust their course and figure out what the hell went wrong.

  YVONNE’S EYES BEGAN to droop. It would be so easy to close them and fall asleep. Being sick sure had taken a lot out of her. She couldn’t remember the last time she was under the weather. Probably meant she was due for something awful.

  The conference room door snapped open.

  “Doug.” Theodore pushed to his feet.

  She turned her chair to catch sight of her younger brother.

  Douglas’ suit was rumpled. One pant leg was torn and several shirt buttons were missing. His tie was barely hanging on. His jacket was gone. He had a cut lip, a black eye and a gash near his temple that had bled a bit.

  “Are you okay? What happened?” Yvonne shoved to her feet.

  Grant pushed past Douglas carrying the drone case and placed it in a bin that would secure it from sliding around on the floor.