Rescuing Piper (NCIS Series Book 5)

by Zoe Dawson

  “Track down possible leads.”

  “All right, and your wound?”

  Dex smiled and said, “I’m okay, Dad.”

  “If you say so.” He sniffed. “What can I do to help?”

  “I need a safe place to stay.”

  “Actually, I’ve got something for you,” his father said eagerly. “Your mother is house-sitting for a very good friend. Not something we make known to anyone but our close friends.” He rattled off an address. “I’ll get the key to you. Anything else?”

  “Yeah, I need cash and a ammo. Oh, and Dad, can you rent a car for me and leave it in the rental lot?”

  “Okay. I’ll make sure you get all this when you have the keys to the house. How is Senator Jones holding up?”

  “She is…” He paused.

  “I haven’t ever heard you speechless about a woman before. If I remember correctly, she’s about your age.”

  “Yeah, Dad, she’s amazing and she shoots like a SEAL.” Piper was just…Piper. Strong and brave. He knew that more than anyone.

  “Sounds like your mother,” his father said with a wry lilt to his voice.

  “She’s got a lot of Mom’s qualities.”

  “Well, she sounds like a keeper. Give me your number and I’ll call you when everything is ready.” There was a pause, then his father said, “It’s not going to be easy to hide a senator, especially when her face is all over the news. They’ve kept you out of it.”

  “I know it won’t be easy, but I’ll keep her under wraps.” He met Piper’s gaze for an instant and tried to reassure her with his eyes. There were delicate purple shadows beneath her sepia eyes and a vulnerability around her mouth he was certain she didn’t realize was there. He ended the call.

  “What now?”

  “We just have to lay low until he gets everything situated.”

  She took a tremulous breath and nodded. “What if he’s being watched?”

  Dex laughed. “My dad’s a Navy SEAL. The day he can’t outwit a tail is the day he’ll be in the ground.”

  “It must be great to have that kind of faith in someone.”

  “Don’t you have that kind of faith in me?”

  She stared at him for a moment and he held his breath. He wanted that, her unconditional trust.

  “You’re right. I do.”

  “It’s your turn. Call Edward, but don’t give him any details and make sure that you don’t cave,” he said firmly.

  “The day that I can’t outwit my brother will be the day I am in the ground. If that won’t work, I’ll bully him. My nickname isn’t Bulldozer for nothing.”

  He laughed again. “Hell, woman, you even have a nickname? Or, as we call it on the teams, a call sign. You are a SEAL in the making.”

  She dialed and when her brother answered, she said, “Edward.”

  “Oh, my God, Piper…” Dex could hear the relief and love in Edward’s voice over the speaker Piper had set when she’d put the call through. “I should never have let you talk me into you going over there, Bulldozer.”

  Her voice was strained when she answered. “I’m okay. I had help.”

  “Well, whoever it was has my undying gratitude. Where are you?”

  “I’m safe. How’s Tyler?”

  “He’s stable and in one piece. He’s looking at some major recovery time, and I don’t know if he’ll ever be physically able to continue military service. He’s pretty worried about that. I took precautions and got him somewhere safe with medical attention after I got this anonymous tip. I think I owe that to the lieutenant.”

  The knot of worry eased in his gut, but they weren’t out of the woods yet. It hurt Dex to think his big, strong teammate and friend was going to have to go through a lot of rehab, but he never doubted for a moment that Tyler would come out of this stronger. He would be back. He was a SEAL. Broken bones and internal injuries would heal.

  “Why did you do that, Edward?” she said.

  His voice hardened. “I heard from NCIS. They’re actually going to be here tomorrow. Two agents. Derrick Gunn and Austin Beck. They were looking for you in Afghanistan. They said that Tyler’s team was intentionally ambushed, and he was the target.”

  “What?” She threw him a shocked glance and rage exploded in Dex. He clenched his hands at his sides at this news. Someone was going to freaking pay for this. “Why?” she asked.

  “There’s only one thing I can think of that he’s doing that may cause someone to worry about anyone digging deeper.”

  “What? He’s never been happy with the result of the police report regarding the accident that killed Brad. He hired a PI to look into it.” They heard some papers shuffling. “Doug Utley.” He rattled off a number. “As of right now, Mr. Utley’s following some leads. It just worries me that as soon as Tyler starts digging, he gets ambushed. NCIS said that insurgent attack was faked, and they were there to finish Tyler off and take you out, too.”

  “Because of the accident?”

  “What else could it be?”

  She rubbed at her forehead, her voice angry. “I don’t know, but we have to figure it out. Until we do, I’m not safe.”

  “Who are you with? That Navy SEAL, Tyler’s friend and leader?”

  “Yes, his name is Dex.”

  “Thank you, Dex. I’m sure you’re listening. I owe you, man, for saving my sister. Now it’s best for you to come home. I took leave and I’m at the mansion. We’ll get you protection.”

  Dex grabbed the phone. “That would be a bonehead move.”

  “You do realize, Lieutenant, I’m a trained government bodyguard. I can take care of my sister.”

  “I don’t give a damn. Piper is safer with me. It’s too risky because of the DS connection,” Dex said flatly.

  She took the phone back with a glare. “Edward, Dex is right. I’d be safer off the grid. I can’t really trust anyone right now.”

  “Not even me.” He sounded hurt, but Dex didn’t care. This was about a lot more than trust between brother and sister. He couldn’t protect her like Dex could.

  Dex said, “No,” and she shushed him.

  “Yes, of course, I trust you, but they’ll be watching everyone I’m close to. Here’s my number.”

  “Got it. And maybe you’re right, but sis, I was out of my mind with worry when you disappeared five days ago, so forgive me for being overprotective.” He sounded frustrated and Dex didn’t doubt he loved Piper, but she was sticking close to him.

  “I forgive you,” she said, her voice softening.

  “Keep me in the loop and updated. I’d like to know my baby sister is alive and well. Let me know if I can help.”

  “I will. Bye, Edward. I love you.” She ended the call.

  “So this is about that car accident.” There had to be something there. Something someone was trying to cover up or… He didn’t want to mention to Piper at this time that her husband could have been involved in something shady, too. This was Washington, DC, and there was plenty of money and power to be had here. Maybe Brad Jones had wanted more and it had gotten him killed. “What do you remember about it?”

  “Not much. I’ve tried to block it out, Dex,” she said as he pulled her out of the small room and back outside. He clasped her hand and crossed the street. “I’ve had dreams about it.” She blushed and he knew she was remembering the first time they made love right after he’d woken her up when she was having a nightmare. She had been reliving the accident. “But I can’t be sure what I’m dreaming is real or an illusion.”

  His cell phone rang, and he fished it out of his back jeans pocket. His father said, “Son, I’ve got everything delivered to the safe house. It’s in the mailbox. It’s gated, but you shouldn’t have any problems. The key code to the gate is in there, too.”

  “Thanks, Dad. Stay alert and keep me posted.” Dex ended the call. “Let’s get to the safe house, get something to eat and some rest. We’ll need to break all this down, get in touch with your brother’s PI and put the pieces t
ogether.”

  She nodded.

  Whoever was after Piper was going to rue the day they attacked her. He was beyond livid that someone had gotten their secret op info, kidnapped Marines, killed and wounded his men, not to mention maybe ruining Tyler’s promising SEAL career. Those people were going to pay, and he wouldn’t rest until he unearthed each and every one of them and neutralized this threat to Piper, regardless of the means. Even if it was the deadly force of one pissed-off SEAL.

  Stephen J. Montgomery’s Office, The Montgomery Group

  New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

  Stephen Montgomery sat looking out the penthouse office straight down New Jersey Avenue to the site of the Capitol Building, nestled among the height of the summer greenery. He’d just gotten off the phone with Edward Prescott.

  He’d filled him in that Piper was alive and right here in DC.

  Stephen had been one of Edward’s father’s closest friends, his confidant and golf partner. He’d had his fingers in the political pie for some time with the innovations and government contracts he’d procured through his “contacts.” He’d watched Edward, Piper and Tyler grow from small children to adolescents with their braces, get involved in soccer games and Scouts, and through their teen years and college years. He attended Brad and Piper’s wedding, had been there when Edward’s wife had died of cancer and when Tyler had chucked the whole political thing and gone into the Navy. He’d been there when both of their parents died.

  There had been plenty of times when Piper’s father, Randolph, had given him inside information, stating that Business is business. Sometimes it was ugly, sometimes it was messy and sometimes it was downright…deadly. He’d used whatever means he had at his disposal to leverage the Montgomery Group into the billion-dollar company it now was. He intended to keep it right where it was.

  His phone buzzed and he answered, “Yes.”

  “There’s a Senator Robert Mullins here to see you, Mr. Montgomery. Should I show him in?”

  “Yes, Ms. Collins,” he said, totally curious as to why he was being graced with the presence of the top candidate for the next presidency of the United States. “I’ll see him.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said.

  Not more than thirty seconds later, his assistant ushered the powerful Mullins through the sleek, glass-block door.

  “Will there be anything else, sir?” She stood there waiting for his orders, her dark hair in a neat black bob. Even now, at the end of the day, her suit looked as impeccable as it had at six this morning.

  “No, thank you. Ms. Collins. You are free to go.” He smiled at her and she nodded.

  She closed the double doors on the way out as Robert Mullins took Stephen’s hand in a strong clasp for a brief shake.

  “Senator, have a seat.” Mullins, tall and imposing, had the looks and the athletic body of a man half his age. His hair was just the right amount of salt and pepper to instill wisdom and youth, as if he walked that fine line, keeping the balance like a pro. The American public loved him.

  The man unbuttoned his lightweight suit jacket and settled in one of the leather chairs in front of the big, imposing mahogany desk.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I think it might be what I can do for you.” Stephen felt a little tingle of wariness at the base of his neck. This would be a formidable opponent, but a powerful ally. He knew it instinctively, one predator to another, and could feel the power of his personality in his gaze, even while he could read nothing of his thoughts.

  “Oh. What is that?”

  “I have feelers everywhere, Stephen. I know you were involved in Brad Jones’s death.”

  “I don’t know where you’re getting your—”

  “Does it matter?” Stephen’s lips pinched together over what he was going to say. “I thought not. I don’t really care why you had him killed, but it served my purposes well. Brad was getting tiresome. I am impressed. You know that family. You’re their mentor. Hell, man, you attended their wedding. I have to admire someone who will go to any lengths for power.”

  Stephen’s smile was thin. “What do you want?”

  Mullins smiled his J.R. Ewing smile. “I have a cash flow need. I want the Oval Office and you want that bill dead. The whole fiasco with Outcast has really blown up in your face.”

  Shock coursed through Stephen. He thought he was being so damned discreet. But it seemed that Mullins wasn’t being modest. He really did have what it took to be president, and Stephen liked to back winners.

  “That could be really embarrassing and will likely destroy you and your company if it got out to the press that you hired them to murder a Navy SEAL and a US senator.”

  Apparently, a little blackmail wasn’t off the playing table. “I’m listening.”

  “I’m former CIA. I have the contacts to make this go away, if you make my cash flow problem go away.”

  Stephen stood and the senator rose with him. He reached out his hand. “Done.”

  Robert Mullins smiled. “Consider this handled.”

  He turned and walked out of the office and Stephen looked back out the window. This bill was damaging in several ways. No one in the business world wanted to lose corporate freedom. The cost of reorganizing his company into a more socially sound company was a big cost factor. He tried to talk sense into both Brad and Piper on each occasion. But Brad wouldn’t listen, and Piper had dedicated herself to carrying out her late husband’s wishes.

  He had done his best to talk Piper out of taking her late husband’s seat for grief purposes, tried to steer her away from the corporate law change, and he’d hated like hell to order her elimination. But Tyler was smart and when he started looking into the car accident, he couldn’t let either of them live. Tyler was supposed to die a hero on the battlefield and Piper had been slated for an overdose. The poor dear couldn’t ever get over her husband’s and unborn daughter’s deaths, but when she impetuously ran off to Afghanistan when Tyler was wounded, he saw a chance to take them both out without anything blowing back at him.

  He wasn’t going to let anyone tell him what he could and couldn’t do. He was the ruler of his empire, had slaved for years to make it a powerhouse in the tech world. He didn’t want anyone to diminish his control.

  Washington was a cutthroat place to do business and politics were part of a means to an end.

  Business was—after all—business. Sometimes it was ugly, sometimes it was messy and sometimes it was downright deadly.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Montgomery Group, New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

  Robert Mullins settled into the Lincoln Town Car. His assistant sat back in the shadows. “Did he go for it?”

  “Hook, line and sinker.”

  “As you predicted, the tail lost Kaczewski and Jones downtown.”

  “I am surrounded by incompetence.” He ran his hand through his hair. Everything did not go to plan for the first time in his life. He had a backup, but Hatch bungled it, got himself killed. Who the hell was this Navy SEAL? A frigging fly in the ointment, but no one was going to stand between him and his Oval Office chair. No one.

  Brad Jones had been a more devious and skilled player than Robert had expected. Encouraging and pretending to support Jones’s corporate bill to incite Stephen Montgomery was a calculated risk, but it got Jones out of the picture and Montgomery in his pocket. He didn’t really give a damn about the bill, but Montgomery did. Mullins knew Montgomery was a proud man who wouldn’t like anyone taking away his power. That would make him do something drastic and then Mullins would get his big payday by blackmailing Montgomery to give him consistent and large donations to his campaign fund—all above board.

  A lot of Mullins’s constituents wanted that bill dead now. He wanted to keep his backers happy, so he’d put his might behind defeating it. Now that he had Montgomery on the line, it was time to put this bill to bed.

  He hadn’t anticipated his widow would take up Brad’s seat and try to
pass it herself. Still, Robert needed to find that evidence Brad had on him, but after eighteen months of searching, he had come up short. Maybe with some prodding, Piper would lead him to it? Hmm. That was a thought. “Give me your cell.” The man handed it over and Robert pressed in a number, then he tapped in the code when prompted.

  Five minutes later, as the Town Car turned onto Constitution Avenue, the cell rang. “Nyx.” A name that was whispered in underworld circles.

  “What do you have for me?” The soft voice rasped in Robert’s ear.

  “You will be sent four pictures in the next fifteen minutes. For the first two pictures, Dexter Kaczewski and Piper Jones, I want them found, terrorized, but don’t kill them until I give you the word.”

  “Deep-sixing on your command.”

  “I want all this done quietly. It would be even better if their bodies were never found. For the third picture, Jones’s brother, Tyler Prescott. Make it look like a medication overdose. His whereabouts will be at the bottom of his picture, but take care of the two in DC first.”

  “And the fourth picture?”

  “A PI. DC is full of violence. Poor Mr. Utley. Just another unsolved street crime.”

  “It will be done,” came the chilling response.

  Suburbs of Washington, DC

  The air-conditioning kicked on and the blinds in the window of the dim room fluttered, the sound intruding on Piper’s dream. She came awake and popped up in bed. A bed? For a moment, she was disoriented. Where was she?

  It wasn’t the DC hospital. Her hand went to her abdomen and she gasped on a soft breath. Her heart pounded in her ears and her breathing was labored. She felt as if she’d been running. She closed her eyes, then opened them and blinked. An unfamiliar but well-appointed room. Cathedral ceiling with an inordinately beautiful disk in the center, a decorative accent. The bed was comfortable, the headboard a cream, tufted leather. Antique end tables held Tiffany lamps.

  The safe house. The one Dex had gotten access to from his father. Her head whipped around, but the place beside her was empty.