"Fine, Lucas. But remember, she's your responsibility. Isabel is trained for this. Scarlett is a liability." Sully's word was final, so no one else spoke up.
"I'll keep her close," Lucas murmured.
"Do that. Let's move out."
* * * *
Scarlett looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a simple little black dress in a jersey knit fabric that Isabel explained would be easy to move around in if they needed to run. Scarlett didn't want to ponder that thought too much. The dress was short, hitting at about mid-thigh, with a small slit up the left leg. It had a high neckline that would have made it seem modest, if not for the criss-crossing that left her back completely bare. She paired the dress with a three-inch, black patent leather stiletto heel. Not so tall that she couldn’t walk in them, but tall enough that they made her legs look longer and her calves sculpted. She shoved a little tissue in the toes to keep the shoes from falling off, since Isabel wore a size or two larger than Scarlett.
Isabel was also wearing a black dress, in the same knit material that hugged her curves. It had cap sleeves and a flouncy skirt, and once again looked conservative from the front with its high neckline—until she turned around. Her entire back was bare to the waist, with a small bow gracing the top. Isabel was taller than Scarlett, so the hem barely covered her, leaving very little to the imagination. Silver stilettos decorated her feet, but were quite a bit taller than Scarlett's. Isabel must have had more experience walking in heels than Scarlett did. No way would she wear those out in public. She'd fall flat on her face before the night was over.
They didn't have much time for hair and makeup, so Scarlett just used a little mousse in her hair to give her curls more definition. Leaving it down felt like the easiest thing since D.C. could be quite windy this time of year. If she put it up, she'd just end up with flyaways. She added a little bit of makeup, creating a smoky eye but leaving her lips mostly nude, with just a hint of gloss and shimmer. She stepped away and glanced at herself. Not bad for a hurried makeover.
Isabel's hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail that fell down her back. Her complexion was peaches and cream except for the smattering of freckles across her nose. She was gorgeous, and as good as Scarlett felt in the dress and makeup, she didn't feel like she even came close to achieving the same elegant look that Isabel had going for her.
Isabel caught Scarlett's eye and smiled. "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"All right, then, let's go knock the socks off the guys," she said with a smirk. Scarlett giggled, glad for the reprieve. Isabel might look like a model, but she acted like the girl next door.
They walked out to the parking garage, where the guys were already ready and waiting. Lucas's car sat waiting, as well as another van similar to the one they'd ridden in yesterday. Gabriel, Ethan, and Zach were dressed in all black, with bulletproof vests and weapons covering their torsos. Both Sully and Lucas were dressed in black suits that looked custom-made. Lucas's fit him like a glove. He had on a light blue shirt underneath, slightly unbuttoned at the collar. He looked mouthwatering.
Scarlett took in a deep breath before walking over. Lucas's eyes roamed over her body, starting at her feet and traveling all the way up to her eyes. She turned around, showing him the back, and asked, "Do I look ok?"
She felt nervous. Almost like this was a date, which was ridiculous. This was a covert operation, and she was preening like a schoolgirl. Suddenly, she felt embarrassed by her question—and by her complete ineptness in this kind of situation. Her cheeks grew warm, and she looked down at her shoes, trying to ease her humiliation.
Lucas tipped her chin up, grinning at her while taking her hands, pulling her into his arms. He leaned down, his lips grazing her ear. "You look good enough to eat." She trembled at his touch and the feel of his warm breath against her cheek. Her embarrassment faded away, replaced by another feeling altogether. A warm, tingly feeling that settled low in her belly.
Sully cleared his throat. "You ready?" His eyebrow quirked up, and his gaze was knowing.
Lucas pulled her toward his car. She sat in back with Isabel, while the guys took the front seats. The other guys climbed into the van, and they took off towards the wharf. Scarlett fidgeted, her legs bouncing up and down. She was nervous. Could she pull this off?
She'd do anything for Emery. She just prayed they'd find her tonight.
Chapter 18
Lucas pulled the Jag into a parking garage about a block down the street. Parking was always a problem in D.C. He was lucky to find something this close. The van whizzed by, and Lucas knew they'd use the special pass they had from law enforcement to park somewhere closer.
Zach had found a building close by for Ethan. Lucas felt some relief that they'd be covered tonight. They were the perfect team. Always had each other's backs—and they worked together like a well-oiled machine.
Lucas stepped out of the car, taking Scarlett's hand as she tried unsuccessfully to gracefully exit the car without flashing too much leg. He watched as the dress slid up dangerously high. She caught his gaze, and he waggled his eyebrows. A small smile lifted one side of her mouth before she tugged the skirt down as best she could.
Tucking her hand into the crook of his arm, she walked with him towards the Yacht Club. The price per plate was five hundred dollars. He wasn't sure what they were raising money for, but National Yacht Club was one of the most exclusive in the city. He was surprised that the gala was open to the community, but he assumed that at five hundred bucks a plate, anyone that would be coming could afford to be there, and would be the type of person the yacht club was looking for.
As they approached the doors, they saw that two men stood guard, each with a clipboard in hand. Lucas noticed the guns strapped to their sides as well. Hard to shoot someone when your hands were clasping a clipboard. Lucas snorted, and Sully caught his eye, raising an eyebrow. He shook his head. He'd tell him later.
Sully and Isabel made a striking pair. Too bad they were brother and sister. And he caught a glimpse of himself and Scarlett in the glass. His olive complexion and dark hair were a stark contrast to her pale skin and red hair. But they also looked good together. Scarlett was tiny, barely reaching his shoulder. He tucked her in closer under his arm as Sully gave the clipboard guys their names. They were in.
The clubhouse was grand, its vaulted ceilings with wooden beams pitched high above the large, open room. The floors were a dark ebony wood and shone like they'd been polished for hours. Two circular staircases bookended the room on each side with carved mahogany railings and spindles.
A hostess showed them to their table. White linen tablecloths were decorated with china, rimmed with silver, and crystal wine glasses. A small vase with white roses sat in the middle, and each table setting had a small, circular votive candle. The effect was ethereal, casting a warm glow around the room. Lucas wished he were on an actual date with Scarlett rather than on a mission to find her kidnapped sister.
A waiter came over then, and took their orders. Since they were at a yacht club at the wharf, Lucas figured seafood was in order, so he ordered the lobster. Scarlett seemed a little overwhelmed, no doubt counting the cost of such fine cuisine. It was a shame they weren't going to be able to actually eat the food. Once their orders were taken, Sully caught Lucas's attention. He jerked his head towards one of the staircases at the other end of the clubhouse, and the two men excused themselves from the table.
He squeezed Scarlett's hand and whispered in her ear, "I'll be back. If we aren't back in fifteen minutes, leave."
She nodded, and Lucas gave Isabel a nod. He'd already instructed her that she was to get Scarlett out of there at the first sign of trouble.
Lucas and Sully walked towards the bathrooms, glancing around before they darted down the steps to the basement level. Pulling their guns from behind their backs, they crept quietly down the steps. The stairwell was dark, and a door stood at the bottom.
Lucas eased open the door i
nto an old game room. A pool table stood in the middle of the room, and club chairs lined the walls. To the left was a windowed room, where card tables sat in a semi-circle. A door that led out to street level was in front of them, as well as two men holding automatic weapons.
Sully and Lucas kept their guns up, when two more men came up behind them, also with guns aimed at them.
"You certainly didn't waste any time getting down here. How can we help you, gentlemen?" one of the men behind them said.
"Just checking out the décor. Thought we might join this fine establishment," Sully said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
One of the guys pushed them forward, closing the door behind them.
"Of course. Well as you can see, this level is closed tonight. Now, if you'd kindly drop your weapons." Zach had been able to pull up pictures of some of the men working for Luftar, so that the team would be able to identify them if seen. The man speaking was Valmir, Luftar's right-hand man. His voice was thickly accented, but his words were polished and precise.
Lucas snorted. "Yeah, that's not going to happen."
Valmir sighed. "I was afraid you might say that." The door behind them slammed open. Scarlett and Isabel stood there, both looking a bit worse for wear. Scarlett's hair was disheveled, her cheeks pink with color. Isabel looked completely put together except for a red mark on her cheekbone. The bastards must have hit her.
He saw Sully's hands tighten around the gun. Lucas gave him a brief shake of the head. They needed to keep their cool.
"It was so nice of you to bring Luftar's latest purchase to us. Saves us so much time and effort." Valmir's gaze traveled up Scarlett's body, a look of appreciation in his eyes. Lucas was going to kill him.
"Now, I would suggest you drop your weapons, or we might have to give you some incentive to do so." Valmir's cultured way of speaking was in stark contrast to the menace in his voice. He inclined his head toward the guy holding Scarlett, and the man brought her over to him. He leaned in, close to her face. "What's your name?"
Scarlett lifted her chin defiantly. Before Lucas could get out a word of warning, Valmir had slapped her, making her head arch back. A quiet gasp left her lips. When she straightened again, her face already held a livid bruise on her cheek—and her lip was split and bleeding. Scarlett's hand came up to cup her face, and Lucas saw red.
He moved closer to her, but was brought up short when Valmir lifted a gun and pointed it at Scarlett's head. "Don't come any closer, or I'll blow her brains out," he said. "Luftar can find another whore. They're a dime a dozen."
Lucas stopped midstride.
"Now, drop your weapons."
Sully and Lucas dropped their guns to the floor. Lucas prayed that they wouldn't search them for the other weapons on their person. No such luck.
As soon as their guns hit the floor, the other men were on them, discarding the guns and knives they had hidden on their bodies.
"I see you came anticipating a fight. Too bad it was cut so short. I would have liked to see you in action. However, this is less messy, don't you think?" Valmir glanced towards the two men at the door and nodded. They opened the door that led to a flight of concrete steps that Lucas knew went up to the street level.
The men holding Scarlett and Isabel pushed them forward, with Scarlett going first and Isabel close behind. Scarlett looked over her shoulder at Lucas, and Lucas would never forget the look on her face. He'd let her down. Just as he'd let Laura down.
Anger burned, hot and heavy, in his chest. He wasn't about to let them take her. Sully shook his head slightly. Lucas had to get hold of his emotions so that he could get to Scarlett. His only comfort was in knowing that Gabriel, Zach, and Ethan were already outside. He knew that Ethan had a direct line of sight to the basement door.
Valmir was waxing poetic about life and death and who the hell knew what else. Lucas was planning his attack. There were four of them, including Valmir. Not terrible odds. Would have been much better if they were still armed.
Lucas watched as Sully silently communicated his next move. With a jerk of his head, Sully suddenly turned, head-butting the guard to his right. The man was caught off guard, and Sully pushed him in front of him, using him as a shield as shots rang out in the basement. The guard Sully held jerked as a spray of bullets hit his body. Sully pulled the trigger on the gun the man was holding, gunning down his partner.
Lightning fast, Lucas grabbed the guy next to him, bringing his head down to meet his knee. The man reared back, and Lucas landed two punishing blows to his ribs. The man bent at the waist, and Lucas kicked him in the chest, sending him flying through the glass windows.
Lucas bent down, picking his guns up from the ground. Valmir was crawling on his hands and knees towards the basement door. Sully was making quick work of the one remaining guard, so Lucas took off after Valmir.
Lucas pulled Valmir up by the neck, shoving his fist into his face. He heard the crack of bone, and blood spurted from his nose. Valmir's hands went up to grasp the offended appendage, and Lucas took advantage of the action, landing blow after blow to his midsection. Valmir regained his composure, landing a hit to Lucas's shoulder. Pain radiated from his injured shoulder, and he felt the warm trickle of blood start down his arm. Valmir pulled a knife from his belt, slashing wildly at Lucas.
Lucas jumped back, trying to dodge the knife, but wasn't quick enough as the blade sliced through the skin on his chest. The cut stung, but the pain was bearable. He pushed the pain out of his mind as he moved quickly to Valmir's side. As Valmir tried to strike again, Lucas caught his wrist, turning it sharply until he heard the bone snap. The knife dropped, and Valmir fell to his knees. Lucas kicked him, sending him sprawling on the floor. Lucas settled himself on top of his opponent, raining down punches onto Valmir's face. Thoughts of Scarlett's disappointed face, and Laura's trembling sobs after her father had raped her, went through his head as he punished Valmir for his role in hurting Scarlett.
A hand on his shoulder made him pause, Sully's voice finally penetrating through the bloodlust rushing through Lucas's veins. "Let's go. Shots fired outside."
A cold chill crept down Lucas's spine as he jumped up, pausing to take the automatic weapons off the dead men in the room. A piercing scream hit him in the gut as he raced up the concrete steps to the pier. Scarlett's scream.
* * * *
Scarlett was terrified that Lucas was going to be killed. She knew he was capable, knew he and Sully were trained for these situations. But they were outnumbered, and now they were unarmed. She cursed her stupidity. Why had she insisted on coming tonight? Maybe if she and Isabel hadn't come, Lucas could have fought his way out with his weapons. Now he was certainly going to die. And it was her fault.
Scarlett was tired of this situation being out of her control. Life continued to deliver blow after blow, and Scarlett was no longer going to be taken along for the ride. They were at the side of the building in a small parking lot for VIP members. Beyond them was the pier, littered with people, and she wondered how these men were going to take her to the dock without anyone noticing.
The man holding her pushed a gun into her ribs, tucking her up close to his body. I guess that was how he planned to get her on a boat in the middle of a crowd. He was so close, she could smell the sour onion odor of his breath as he breathed down her neck. She looked to her right and saw that Isabel was being held in the same manner. Isabel caught her eye and gave a slight shake of her head. She looked up quickly to the building where Ethan was camped out. Scarlett realized Isabel was trying to remind her that they had help.
Scarlett knew that she and Isabel were in the way if Ethan wanted to get a clear shot. She had to think of something. Do something.
Just then, two men stepped around the building, dressed in black from head to toe. She could make out Gabriel's dark hair, pulled into a low ponytail. She breathed a small sigh of relief until the guy holding her noticed him and fired a shot. Gabriel hit the pavement, with Zach following right behind.
They couldn't shoot back. Isabel and Scarlett were in the way, and there was no way the guys would take the chance of hitting them. The men holding them began to back away when Zach and Gabriel stood, guns in hand as they crept towards them. There was no cover. No place for them to hide, and she knew they didn't have a clear shot.
Scarlett screamed right as two shots were fired. Zach and Gabriel went down.
"No!" Why had they done that? She didn't understand. Her anger boiled over, and she lashed out in desperation.
She ripped herself away from the man, her nails raking down his face. He yelled, grabbing at his face, and then pulled his hand back, punching her in the jaw. She stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.
Two soft thuds followed by the report of a gunshot met her ears, and she was suddenly covered in a sticky red substance. Her mind was slow to register what had happened after the blow to her face. She looked down at her hands and saw that she was covered in blood and some other kind of tissue. Getting to her hands and knees, she pushed herself up to her feet, just then noticing the man that had held her. He had a small hole in his forehead, and the back of his head was missing.
Scarlett gagged as she backed away, trying uselessly to wipe the blood and brain matter off her hands. She bumped into a hard chest, and hands grabbed her around the shoulders. She turned to lash out at the person and stopped when she saw it was Lucas.
"Lucas!" she cried, placing her hands on the sides of his face. Her hands left bloody marks on him, and she cringed, recoiling back. Tremors shook her body as she took in all the blood.
"Get it off. Get it off me." Her cries became desperate as she struggled to get the blood off her hands.
"It's ok. I've got you," Lucas said. He slipped his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. Taking off his shirt, he stripped down to his undershirt. He used his dress shirt, which probably cost more than she made in a week, to wipe her hands and face free from the blood. It wasn't much help, but the gesture seemed to calm her down some.
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 16
