Adjusting his gaze to see the dock, Derrick flinched at the sight of Matias leading Kevin and Cynthia Payne with Edgar following. What were Kiki’s parents doing at this demonic, tropical getaway? He darted his eyes to Kiki. She pushed Eva behind her and lifted her head high.
“That’s my girl.” Derrick encouraged her, though she couldn’t hear.
“Brother, so glad you could join us,” the woman called, her cheery greeting ringing false.
Brother? This woman was Kiki’s aunt? Why in the world would her aunt be involved with abducting Kiki?
“Jackie, this is totally unnecessary.” Kevin motioned to Kiki and back toward the helicopter. “You know the feds are breathing down my neck. This little stunt of yours might have just nailed my coffin closed.”
A salty breeze blew in through the small opening, carrying the conversation over the water to Derrick. It did nothing to cool his sweaty skin. The look on Jackie’s face froze him to the core, though.
“Kevin, when you don’t return my calls, other measures must be taken.” Jackie paced in front of Kevin as he stopped on the porch.
Cynthia leaned against the glass railing of the deck, her nose crinkling as she scanned the huts lining the jungle’s edge. She held the same bored look she’d had when she and Kevin had video-conferenced with Samantha about getting custody of Eva. Did the woman not take anything seriously?
“In case you’ve forgotten, I have a lot on my plate, Jackie.” Kevin pushed his fingers through his hair.
“I’m well aware of the mess you’ve gotten yourself into, Brother.” Even at a distance, her voice dripped with venom. “You should’ve left the brat alone and not drawn attention to yourself.”
She paced up to Mattias and ran her hand down his chest before turning back to her brother and crossing her arms. Whatever she said didn’t carry to Derrick, but Kevin didn’t like it. His ears turned red and hands clenched into fists at his side.
“What does the company expect me to do, Jackie?” Kevin’s frustrated yell held a tinge of fear to it.
Was this company he spoke of the same organization that had botched Derrick’s last mission at this complex? The same group that had tried to steal June’s invention? Had the Paynes been involved all this time and Stryker Security Force hadn’t known? Marco’s presence made more sense now. Was he part of General Paxton’s covert team?
“The feds are crawling all over my place.” Kevin’s voice had turned whiny and pulled Derrick’s attention back to the conversation. “They’ve posted men at all my oil platforms and shut down all my operations. We won’t be able to hold new acquisitions at the platforms anymore. It’ll be years before I’m out from under this.”
“Then I guess the company no longer has a use for you.” In one smooth motion, Jackie pulled Mattias’s handgun from his holster and put two bullets into her brother.
Shrieking, Cynthia rushed up to Kevin’s body, unaware of the gun now turned on her. Marco stepped forward and motioned to the yacht. Derrick let a whoosh of air slowly from his mouth and took aim through the scope, putting Jackie’s heart in the crosshairs. He’d give Marco five seconds to deescalate the situation before Derrick opened fire. Why hadn’t he found a better location? He should’ve never stayed trapped on the boat.
Kiki positioned herself behind Marco with Eva pressed to her back. Derrick pushed the way Eva’d buried her face into Kiki’s shirt from his thoughts. He ignored Kiki’s wide eyes and gaped mouth. If he didn’t focus, he’d never get his loved ones to safety.
An explosion blasted in the village, jerking everyone’s attention toward the jungle. Derrick smiled in satisfaction and sent a quick thanks to heaven. His makeshift bomb couldn’t have gone off at a better time.
“Marco, take care of that infuriating man once and for all,” Jackie ordered Marco, pointing toward the huts. She motioned to Kiki, Eva, and a still-sobbing Cynthia. “Get them on the yacht. We’re leaving.”
Derrick snapped the rifle down and sagged in relief. Though he’d rather have Marco as backup for the next part of the rescue plan, Derrick could at least breathe now that Kiki and Eva were heading his way. He stared at Kiki as the group rushed down the dock, willing her to not lose hope. Praying he didn’t make another fatal mistake.
Twenty-Five
Kiki clung to Eva, cataloging everything as Edgar led them through the yacht. She had to find a way off the ship, had to remember every detail she could. Derrick wouldn’t be rescuing them, not with how far off the blast had been.
Biting the inside of her cheek to keep from bawling like her mother, she pushed the crushing terror and grief down. She couldn’t get Eva to safety if she fell apart now. Edgar led them down a hall past a room with two men wearing guns slung across their chest.
“¿Que pasa?” One guard asked Edgar, pointing toward shore. “What’s happening out there?”
“Her man is attempting a rescue mission.” Edgar leered at Kiki and winked. “Too bad we’ll be far out to sea before he can get through the men.”
The two guards laughed with Edgar as he grabbed Kiki’s elbow and pulled her down the hall. Her mother’s fingers twisted in the back of Kiki’s shirt. Her grip hadn’t eased since Kiki had yanked her mother off her father’s body. Kiki shuddered as the image of her father’s shocked face assaulted her.
Stop, Kiki. Focus.
Right. Two guards stood at the end of the hallway. Just like the bottom level. She had seen no other men, not that that meant they weren’t there. Still, if she could get them free and get to the speedboat parked in the garage on the back end, they’d escape.
Halfway down the hall, Edgar opened a door to a bedroom. “Your room. Better than the last one, eh?”
Kiki pushed her mom into the room, where she collapsed onto the floor in a wailing heap. Kiki stepped to follow, only to have Edgar pull her back to him. He rubbed his thumb up and down the inside of her arm. The touch raced along her skin like a hundred cockroaches.
“I’ll be seeing you later, mamacita.” His hot whisper against her neck had angry heat rising up her chest.
She yanked her arm away and stepped backward into the room. Narrowing her eyes at the satisfaction that lifted the side of his mouth in a smirk, the fury spread from her chest to her limbs. She held his repulsive stare with an icy one of her own.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Her voice held a steely calm she’d never heard before.
Hooking the door with her foot, she slammed it in his confused face. She peeled Eva off of her and set the trembling child on the bed, turning to the door just in case he came back in. She wanted to be ready to attack.
Could she get off the yacht before it got far from the shore and find Derrick?
The sound of a lock clicking on the door released all the tension from her body, and she collapsed to the bed. Eva crawled into Kiki’s lap, her small frame trembling in Kiki’s arms. The soft hum of the ship’s motor and the lurch as it left the dock settled in Kiki’s gut.
They wouldn’t be meeting up with Derrick … couldn’t be counting on him to come to the rescue. Eva’s escape landed solidly in Kiki’s ill-equipped hands. She closed her eyes and pulled Eva tighter.
“You have to toughen up.” Lena’s words in the training room rolled through Kiki’s head. “Can’t neutralize a larger enemy if you aren’t willing to use all your skills.”
The defenseless, pampered socialite from the fall didn’t exist anymore, not with all the drilling Kiki had gone through over the months. She may not be as prepared for danger as Lena and Derrick and the others, but she couldn’t be called softie either. Couldn’t she shoot the target with regular accuracy at the range? Hadn’t she taken down Derrick when he’d surprised her? What could she do when she planned her attack?
Kiki’s eyes snapped open and scanned the room. She had more than enough to work with. As plans and preparations raced through her brain like stocks on her computer screens, her muscles tightened with the need to act. Her lips lifted in a hard smile. Edgar c
ouldn’t visit fast enough.
Twenty-Six
“Zeke, we’re on the move.” Derrick’s whisper floated just above inaudible.
He couldn’t risk anyone hearing, but also needed to update the team and see if he’d have reinforcements. The engine’s whining acceleration and muffled water crashing against the hull built an anxious fluttering in his core. Had he made the right decision in not breaking Kiki and Eva out the night before? Now they all were trapped in this floating prison.
“We have your signal locked, but we won’t be able to get you help for at least an hour, man, maybe more.” Zeke’s frustration built the fluttering to full-on churning.
Derrick puffed his cheeks and blew out his disappointment. He’d just have to embrace the suck. It hadn’t been the first time and wouldn’t be the last.
“I have an exit plan.” Kind of.
“The brass wants you to stay on the yacht as long as possible so they can track where they take you.” Zeke’s voice vibrated with contained anger.
“Good thing I’m not enlisted anymore.” Derrick had loved the army, but this request settled like sawdust in his mouth. “I’m getting Eva and Kiki out of here. I won’t risk it.”
Banter sounded in the hall out the door, and Derrick slipped behind the door. He’d picked the supply room because of the toys used while at anchor. He wasn’t quite ready for the boat’s occupants to know he wasn’t back at the village yet.
“Thanks, D.” Zeke’s words twisted in Derrick’s heart. It was his fault Zeke’s daughter was here. “When you get free, head southwest. There’s a carrier about a hundred klicks from you. Can’t get any closer than that without causing problems with the locals. We’re also heading toward you on a yacht.”
“Roger,” Derrick muttered before ending the call.
The voices drew closer, excitement about being able to catch some soccer game since they were on the yacht bouncing between them. Maybe Derrick would catch a break, and the game would distract the crew. How long did he have before someone from the village reported back to Kiki’s aunt that Derrick wasn’t there? Would Marco be able to send the men on a wild goose chase and give Derrick time?
The men passed, and Derrick counted to a hundred. Should he hold and let them settle into the ride, or should he put his plan into action now? An unfamiliar edge of impatience prodded him to move. He’d gotten control of his jitters his first year in the special ops team. Having them return now left him unsettled.
Derrick almost missed the footsteps as they approached the door. When they stopped on the other side, Derrick stared at the handle, willing himself to focus and his heartrate to slow down. The handle turned and the clatter of a gun knocking against the door preceded a man entering the storage room. He quickly scanned the hall like he didn’t want anyone to see him entering and closed the door.
His eyes widened when they landed on Derrick. Derrick struck, thrusting his elbow into the man’s throat and gripping the AR-15 slung across his body so it didn’t clang. As the crew member gasped for breath, Derrick slid behind the man. He had to be silenced before Derrick’s entire mission blew apart before it even started. He wrapped his arm across his opponent’s neck and within seconds the man went limp.
After setting him on the ground, Derrick stepped to the door and listened. Satisfied no one had heard, he hid and secured the man so he couldn’t alert anyone. Looked like Derrick’s hiding place wasn’t such a great one.
He double checked his gear was still intact and slung the AR over his shoulder. He hadn’t taken much from the security room, not wanting to alert anyone to his presence. The familiar weight of the bigger gun against his chest calmed him.
He couldn’t hold off any longer. If he continued to wait, someone else might stumble upon him. As it was, his plan would take time to set in motion. With a quick prayer for protection, he eased the door open, scanned the hall, and darted toward the engine room.
Twenty-Seven
Kiki surveyed the room for anything she could use as a weapon. The sparse room held little hope of help. The stripped mattress pushed against the outer wall didn’t even have a pillow. At least it wasn’t filthy like the one in the cinderblock room. Kiki cringed. As far as she could tell.
“How could she do this?” Her mom let out a hysterical wail. “Turning on her own flesh and blood.”
Kiki clamped her lips shut and stepped into the bathroom. What did her mom expect? Working with an organization as sick as the one her family seemed steeped in could only lead to terrible places. Kiki swallowed down her own grief, refusing to let it distract her from escaping.
The bathroom held the same as the bedroom … nothing but a half-used roll of toilet paper and a sliver of soap. She yanked on the towel rack. The bar could prove useful, but it didn’t budge.
She sighed as she stepped back into the bedroom, her gaze landing on Eva on the bed. Her black curls tumbled wildly around her dark face streaked with tears. Her eyes widened at Kiki and bounced to Kiki’s mom, Eva’s grandma, like she would bite. Kiki didn’t blame Eva. The family had brought nothing but heartache to Eva’s door.
“Eva, honey, it’s going to be all right.” Kiki sat on the bed and pulled Eva onto her lap. “I’m going to get us out of here.”
“But, but that lady shot that man.” Eva buried her face in Kiki’s neck. “What if they shoot us too?”
Kiki closed her eyes, wishing she could take away the last days from Eva’s memory. Wishing she could’ve stopped her parents months before when they had claimed Eva as their own. Then Eva would have been safe.
Of course, if her parents hadn’t pushed Eva’s mom into a corner, she never would have left Texas. She and Zeke never would’ve married, and Eva wouldn’t have the amazing family of “uncles” that doted on her. Kiki never would’ve found out what a true family looked like. She wouldn’t let Eva lose that.
“I’m getting us out of here, Eva-mine.” Kiki pushed Eva’s shoulders back so she could look her in the eyes. “I promise, I’m getting you home.”
Eva’s nod was slow coming, but when it did, Kiki smiled.
“I’m going to need your help.” Kiki rubbed her thumb over Eva’s cheek. “We are going to have to be brave.”
“I can be brave.” Eva swiped the back of her hand under her nose.
“You’re the bravest person I know, Eva.”
Kiki flinched when her mother let out another wail. If she didn’t pull it together, Kiki wouldn’t be able to escape, at least not with her mom in tow. Could Kiki leave her behind? If it was between that and getting Eva free, Kiki wouldn’t have a choice.
“Mom.” Kiki set Eva on the mattress and stood.
“How could she? After all that we’ve done for her?” Her mom’s voice filled with hate. “She’d be nothing without everything Kevin did for her.”
Well, there went the idea that her mother wasn’t involved. Kiki’s stomach flipped on itself. How had she been such a naive fool? She was just as selfish as the rest of them, so focused on the material that she hadn’t cared where it came from. Kiki’s skin crawled, and she felt dirty, like she’d never be clean again.
“Mom.” She stepped closer, needing to come up with a plan to get Eva far away from their taint before it ruined her too.
Her mother buried her head into her hands. Kiki’s disgust with herself burned away as fiery anger filled her chest. Either her mom helped, or Kiki left her behind and let whatever consequence awaited happen. Kiki closed the distance between them and jabbed her mother’s shoulder.
“Mom, stop.” Kiki crossed her arms over her chest so she didn’t do something uncalled for, like slap her mother across the face.
Kiki smirked. That might hold merit. She let her arms drop. She’d been hanging around Lena too much.
Her mom glared up at Kiki. “This is all your fault.”
“No, mom.” Kiki took a step back to keep control of the emotions threatening to strike out. “I’m not letting you lay this on me.”
“If you would’ve just done what we said, the feds wouldn’t be breathing down our necks, and this never would’ve happened.” Her mother stood, the icy stare piercing Kiki’s heart and making her shudder.
Kiki gazed at her mom, her eyes stinging. When had decency abandoned her mother? She’d always been distant, preferring to let the nanny raise her children, but there had been times of devotion, hadn’t there? Fundraisers and concerts sprang to mind, all followed by the sense of calculation Kiki had gotten at those events. Like her family’s involvement was less about the charity and more about the connections gained.
“Your father is dead because of you,” her mother spat, pushing her normally perfect hair out of her face.
Kiki balled her hands and stepped toward her mother. The easily manipulated girl no longer existed. Either her mother would get on board, or Kiki would take her down too. She jabbed Cynthia in the chest.
“I am not taking the blame for your sins, Mother.” The name dripped with disgust from her mouth. “I’m getting us out of here, but I won’t hesitate to leave you behind.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“In a heartbeat.” Kiki stepped back. “Getting Eva safe is all that matters.”
“How do you expect to overtake a boat full of mercenaries?” Cynthia’s arms motioned wide.
“You forget where I’ve been living.”
Kiki took stock of Cynthia’s outfit. The three-inch spike heels, thick gold strands adorning her neck, and gaudy signature scarf might come in handy.
“Take off your shoes and necklaces.” Kiki motioned to the articles. “You won’t be able to escape with those shoes, and I could use them as weapons.”
Convincing Derrick Page 12