McGyver

by Candace Blevins

  Aaron had not notified the FBI of their plans, and McGyver approved. He didn’t trust them with his Blueberry’s life.

  He could only hear the team in his earpiece. Ranger could also hear Aaron and Chance, and if the team leader felt information should be relayed to the team in the field, he’d do it.

  Kendra levitated to an upper deck and would go in from the upstairs, and McGyver was entering from the back door. Kendra had drawn them a detailed map of the house, and McGyver would head straight to Iris and make sure she was safe.

  When everyone was in place, Ranger gave the go signal, and McGyver ran for the back door. Kendra was in the kidnapper’s heads and would keep them from firing, so they were ramming their way in rather than entering with stealth.

  McGyver punched a man in the face on his way to the steel door. His Georgia concealed carry license let him carry legally in Pennsylvania, but since he was a contractor and not an employee of Drake, Aaron had asked him not to fire a weapon unless he had no choice. He was fine with that — punching the bastard felt good, and the asshole was out cold.

  He stood in front of the steel door, protecting Iris in case someone decided to try to use her as a hostage, and breathed in relief when Kendra stepped into the room with a key. He took it from her and talked through the door. “Iris, it’s me. You’re safe.” Ranger and Aaron Drake were the only people listening in on his mic. He’d insisted, and they’d agreed to it.

  He didn’t know how soundproof the room was, so he said it again as he opened the door, and then wrapped his arms around her when she jumped into his arms.

  She was cold, and his wolf pumped even warmer blood through his body to help warm their Blueberry.

  “I was so scared,” she told him. “There was no way to escape, and they didn’t really hurt me, but they threatened to, and…” a sob escaped her chest, and he held her a little tighter.

  “I was terrified, Blueberry, but you’re safe now. Ranger’s upstairs with a team taking care of your kidnappers…”

  “Company,” Kendra warned.

  McGyver put his mouth to her ear. “Your dad’s watching the live feed, and someone with a GoPro’s coming down the steps. Whether you want to stay in my arms or pretend I’m a stranger is totally your call. I’m good with whatever you need to do.”

  “Not letting go of you.”

  His heart settled in his chest. “Okay. Just promise we’ll handle whatever happens together. You disappear on me and I’ll find you. Okay?”

  Her arms tightened around him. “Yeah. Okay. Daddy’s probably worried sick, I need to let him see me, but I don’t want you to go anywhere. Walk us around the corner.”

  He stepped into view, and his brave, strong Iris looked at the man with the cam mounted on his forehead, sat up a little straighter, and spoke as if she hadn’t just been put through a grueling ordeal. “I’m okay. They scared me, and I was tied in a horribly uncomfortable hogtie for a while, but they didn’t hurt me.” She leaned into McGyver again. “Any chance I can use an actual restroom?”

  McGyver looked to Kendra, who told him, “Top of the steps and to the right. They have everyone neutralized, but I’ll stand guard outside.”

  The second they were in the room, she turned the water in the sink on and stepped close to him to whisper, “Kendra found me, didn’t she? Whatever she did with my blood let her find me, right?”

  He should’ve known she’d figure it out. Kendra didn’t work for Drake, so there was obviously a reason for her to be here. His Blueberry might struggle with math, but she was damned smart with everything else.

  “It did, and I’m not sorry for arranging it. Without her help, we’d have had to wait until the exchange tomorrow. These are the same people who kidnapped your mother, and no way in hell was I going to sit around and wait. I paid her five grand to do the oath and bind you enough to find you, and I’m guessing her fees and expenses are going to run at least fifteen grand for tonight, and it’s worth every damned penny.”

  “Daddy will reimburse you.”

  “He will not. I made the arrangements, and I’ll pay the damned fee.”

  “Turn around. I need to use the toilet, but I don’t want you to leave.”

  Iris’s mind was spinning, and her emotions along with her thoughts. She needed to deal with practical matters first, though. Her emotions would have to wait. She didn’t want to pee with Danny in the room, but she didn’t want to be alone, either. She finished her business and stood.

  “First, I need real clothes. They cut mine off me and eventually put me in a dress so I wasn’t naked when they put me on the plane.” She looked at the floor. “I don’t have any underwear on and I still feel naked.”

  “You’ll need to be in the dress when the cops arrive. Ranger says they’re about three minutes out.” He spoke a little louder. “We need to arrange for clothes for Iris. Top to bottom — shoes, underwear, the whole bit. I’m assuming her father has people he can call?”

  He seemed to listen a second, and then asked her, “Do you need an ambulance?”

  “No. I’m fine. I drank their water but I didn’t eat their food.” Her eyes focused on his shirt, and for the first time, she realized he was wearing the same thing her security team usually wore. She felt her brows draw together. “Why are you in a Drake Security shirt?”

  He turned the water off, but she didn’t argue. She’d just turned it on to ask about Kendra, and to cover the sound of her peeing.

  “I’m officially a consultant on your case. I had to wear one to come with the team, but I’d have worn a purple polka-dotted dress if it’s what I had to do to come along.” He stroked her face, and she turned to look in the mirror. Her makeup was practically gone and her hair was a nightmare, but it couldn’t be helped.

  “You’re beautiful. We drove by some fast food places on the way in.” He listed a few, and she told him what she wanted.

  “I have an earpiece in. Right now, only Ranger and Aaron Drake can hear us through the mic. I’m about to change the settings, which means the team and your father will hear everything we say.”

  She nodded, and he reached into his pocket before asking, “Did you get that, Ranger?”

  “Do you have a phone? I need to call Daddy.”

  Without any hesitation, Danny unlocked his phone and handed it right over. Iris accepted it but then shook her head and spoke low. “Turn your mic off again.”

  He reached into his pocket and gave her a nod.

  “Is this your main phone? I can’t call him on this. I’ll get one from someone else.”

  “It’s fine. Call him while you have some privacy — you may not have it again for a while. The FBI just pulled in.”

  She offered it back to him, and he stroked her cheek. “I can handle your father. He can have my phone number. Please just call him.”

  She had the feeling that refusing at this point would make Danny feel like she didn’t believe in him, so she called her father.

  He answered with caution in his voice, but she said, “It’s me, Daddy. I borrowed a phone to call you. You must’ve been so scared.”

  “I can’t imagine how scared you were. I have an attorney on the way, one in Philadelphia I trust. He should be able to keep your time with the police and FBI as short as possible.”

  “Thank you. Can you make sure the attorney makes it clear that no one can take pictures of me other than what’s needed for law enforcement? And that those pictures should be kept private? I don’t want…” she sighed. “If they get out, it needs to be my call, not someone else’s. Everything has been out of my control all day, and…”

  “We’ll make it happen, Iris. Take a minute for yourself while you’re in private, but find your spine before you step outside that room.”

  She nodded. He was right. Hair and makeup aside, she was Iris Wendel and no one could take that from her.

  “Thanks, Daddy. You’re right, of course. Did they recover my phone? If not, can you get another delivered to me?”

/>   “They recovered it, but the FBI has it. I’ll have another delivered to you tonight. Do you want the same phone, or something newer?”

  “The latest version of the same phone. I think it just came out. If you can have them copy the old to the new, please? You know the password, and it backs up every night.”

  “Can I reach you on this phone, in the meantime?”

  “Yes, Daddy, and that’s a whole different conversation, but let’s save it for tomorrow. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Did you cancel the credit cards? They took my wallet.”

  “Your purse was recovered along with your phone, but who knows when we’ll get it back. I’ll arrange for new cards to be overnighted. As soon as you get your new phone, I’ll text you an image of a card you can use until your new ones arrive.”

  “Thanks. Can you order food for the Drake people and the cops? Danny asked someone to run get some fast food for me because I’m starving, but I’d like to feed everyone.”

  “Danny?” His voice was sharp. She hadn’t intended to bring this to a head just yet, but she wasn’t going to back down now that it was.

  “Yes, Daddy. I told you, it’s a conversation we need to have tomorrow. He consulted with Drake today so he could be in on the rescue, and it’s his hacking and research that found me. He isn’t the same kid anymore. Please tell me you’ll meet him and get to know him before you say or do anything. Please, Daddy.”

  “He’s the young man who got to you first? I thought you were in his arms because you were relieved to be rescued.” He sighed. “They called him Mac today. Was Aaron Drake complicit in hiding this from me?”

  “I have no idea what Aaron Drake did or didn’t know. My guess is that his primary goal today was to find me and rescue me, and Danny’s a helluva computer geek, so Aaron probably accepted his help. They call him McGyver now, and not Danny, and some people use Mac instead of McGyver. I can’t get used to the new name.”

  “I’ll have my assistant find a local eatery capable of catering a meal for fifty within the hour. The attorney just arrived on scene, and the FBI agents wish to clear the house, so you should probably exit the bathroom.” His voice was clipped and he wasn’t happy, but he’d hold off on having the rest of that conversation until they were alone.

  “Okay, Daddy. Thank you. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  He disconnected halfway through the last word, but at least he’d responded.

  Iris looked at Danny. “Well, that’s done. No going back. Thanks for letting me use your phone. I hadn’t meant to drop your name, but I’m a little glad I did.” If she lost her trust fund, she lost it. Other people survived without them, and she would too.

  Somehow.

  Chapter 23

  McGyver had been a little worried about having to deal with unknown cops, but the FBI showed up soon after the police, and they seemed to have a working relationship with the Drake team.

  Also, Iris’s attorney let them all know they had her for forty minutes and they’d better make the most of that time, because he was taking her to a local hotel for the night. He informed them she’d be available for an hour the next day starting at noon, and then would be flying home to Birmingham, and no one argued with him.

  Danny didn’t expect he’d see her for a few days, but she insisted he was coming with her to the hotel, and no one argued with her, either. He rode with her and the attorney, and four members of the Drake team followed. Aaron called him en route.

  “We’ve turned the earpiece off. If something happens and you need to activate it, tap your tragus three times. Leave the transmitter on — we’ll activate it if something’s happening outside the room you need to be aware of.”

  “I’ll leave it on until we go to bed, but then I’m turning it off.” No way was he going to take a chance someone might hear him in bed with his Blueberry. He doubted there’d be any sex, but he wasn’t going to go searching for the transmitter if she initiated it at three in the morning.

  “Okay. Fair enough. Make sure your phone stays charged.”

  Ranger had handed him a charging cable before they left the house. The Drake team was prepared for anything. “Copy that. Thanks again for letting me help today.”

  “Kendra’s flying back tonight, and Iris’s father’s on his way up in his plane. I believe he’ll be joining the two of you for breakfast. The team will ride back with him tomorrow, including you. He’ll make a stop in Chattanooga to drop people off. If you want someone to pack a suitcase for you, they can get it to me and I’ll get it on the plane, assuming you’re going to Birmingham.”

  “I’ll let you know in the morning. Thanks again.”

  “Thanks for having the foresight to work things out with Kendra. Iris is safe tonight because of you.”

  He disconnected, and the attorney said, “Mister Franklin, we’ve enlisted a buyer to purchase cosmetics and a few outfits for Miss Wendel. If you’ll tell the buyer what you need, she can purchase clothing for you as well.”

  McGyver looked to Iris for help. He’d never had someone else shop for him. How on earth would he even begin to tell someone what to buy off the shelf when he couldn’t see the shelf?

  “Can you get her on the phone?” Iris asked.

  The attorney told his car who to call, and within seconds, a woman answered.

  “This is Iris Wendel. Besides the items my father requested for me, we’ll need a men’s t-shirt. Any short-sleeved shirt mentioning Harley Davidson without being crude will be good. Barring that, a short-sleeved charcoal or navy shirt will do — I prefer heathered, but he won’t care if it’s heathered or solid. Also, a pack of boxer briefs.” She proceeded to list the exact style of jeans he preferred, and also tossed in the fact he’d need socks. She looked to him and asked about the sizes, and he gave them.

  When the conversation was over, he called Brain. He’d texted the control room earlier to let them know Iris was safe, but Brain still answered with a note of concern in his voice.

  “Can I ask Harmony to get some things from my house and get them to Aaron Drake?”

  “Sure. She’s right here.”

  Harmony answered with, “What do you need?”

  “Two pairs of jeans and a few tees that reflect me without being crude or showing my affiliation with the club. I’m liable to be in the spotlight. Also, my charcoal suit, with the lighter charcoal dress shirt and… crap. I don’t know which tie. Pick something. Also, the dress shoes to go with it. I may need to dress up more than once, so toss in another shirt and tie and black dress pants — may as well make them work with the dress shoes so you only have to pack one pair. I’ll need my shaver, too. You’ll find a toiletries travel kit under my sink, with sample sizes of everything I use, and a travel toothbrush. I’m in my black riding boots. Do I need something else with the jeans?”

  “I’ll put some running shoes in, and socks. Ask Iris if you’ll need anything else.”

  He met Iris’s gaze. “Anything else I should tell her to pack?”

  “I’m still kind of floored that you own a suit and have enough ties to pick from. I love you, Danny. I’ve accepted you as you are, and in a perfect world, my dad will too… but thank you for stepping outside your comfort zone and dressing up. What you’ve told her will be fine. I’ll never ask you to be someone you aren’t.”

  “I heard her,” Harmony said over the phone. “She’s a keeper. Brain’s going to put one of his shirts in. A name brand he says will impress. He’s also going to go with me to help me choose. I’m glad she’s safe. Let us know if you need anything else.”

  “Can you ask Randall to make notifications for me? I’m not sure I’ll have time.”

  “Consider it done,” Brain said from beside Harmony.

  He needed to notify the local Pack alpha he was coming to town. Since Randall was alpha over the state of Alabama, it shouldn’t be a problem, but it was still important to go throu
gh the motions.

  He disconnected and looked up to see the front of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

  The attorney told Iris, “The explosion and your kidnapping are all over the news. Your rescue hasn’t been reported yet. Once arrest reports are made public and your mother’s kidnapping is referenced, it changes the story into something bigger. Your father will speak with you tomorrow morning to develop a strategy. You’ll have your meeting with the FBI first, and then we can arrange an interview with a trusted on-air personality. I believe your father plans to have breakfast with the two of you at ten tomorrow morning. Since Mr. Franklin is staying in the suite, I’m told you won’t need a member of your security inside. They’ll stand guard in the hallway. The gentleman in the royal blue tie by the door is with me. He has your room key. He’ll walk you up and then return to wait for the buyer.”

  “Thank you for your help with the FBI, and for seeing us to the room and arranging for a buyer. You’ve been most helpful,” Iris told the attorney.

  “I’m happy you’re safe and unharmed, Miss Wendel. I’ll take my leave and see you tomorrow morning. I’ll bring someone from our firm who’s more accustomed to handling media, but your father wishes me to come as well, so I can be present for your interview with the FBI.”

  The couple was sandwiched between Drake people while walking through the hotel. Overkill, but Iris didn’t seem afraid so Danny didn’t say anything. The man in the blue tie opened the door and handed Iris the key.

  “Your room. Ma’am.”

  Ranger followed them in, and Iris suddenly looked exhausted, and her scent confirmed it. She’d been holding it together, but this was the end of a horrible day and she’d reached the end of the line.

  “I’d like a shower,” she told Ranger. “Tell Danny whatever I need to know.”

  She walked away, and McGyver told Ranger, “I’m guessing we’re looking at showers and then sleep. Someone should arrive with a phone soon, and she’ll want it when it arrives. Someone else is supposed to bring clothes, but unless they get here within the next half-hour, let’s hold off on giving those to us until the morning. Her dad’s supposed to be here in six and a half hours for breakfast.”