Castle Investigations Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

"He'll know it's a trap. You'll never get him to meet you alone."

  "Sure I will. Men do stupid things for the women they love. Not that I'd know anything about that. Women are good for two things in my book. A good lay and money."

  "Money?"

  "I could get quite a nice price for you. As a matter of fact, maybe I'll sell you instead of killing you. As much pleasure as your death would give me, I think making a few thousand dollars off you would be much more satisfying."

  Isabel shivered at the thought of being sold into sex slavery. Over her dead body.

  Bruno turned to glance out the window, the tight side of his face to her. Something was familiar about him. The way he moved, his voice. She'd never heard him talk so much, and there was something that was gnawing at her mind. But she couldn't place him.

  He turned abruptly, catching her staring.

  "It's terrible to look at, isn't it?"

  Isabel shrugged. There was no good answer to his question.

  "It's just one more reason to hate you and your stupid brother."

  Confusion clouded Isabel's mind. What did his scarred face have to do with her and her brother?

  Bruno came closer, his hands touching her ankles. She tried to jerk them away, but he grabbed on, squeezing so hard that she knew he'd leave bruises. Slowly, he moved his hands up to her thighs.

  Isabel would not be a victim. She would not go back to that place from so many years ago. She refused to allow another man to try and harm her. She waited until his face was close to hers, and then, with as much power as she could muster, she kicked out, catching Bruno between the legs.

  "Damn you! You little whore!" he screamed, cupping his bruised jewels with his hands.

  Bruno bent at the waist, trying to regain his composure, while Isabel tried desperately to free herself from the ties that held her to the bed. She hated feeling helpless. Hated this feeling of vulnerability.

  "You're just like your mother, you stupid bitch!"

  Isabel gasped, the pieces of the puzzle starting to fall into place.

  A slow smile spread over Bruno's face. "You didn't know? I thought for sure you'd have figured it out by now."

  Isabel shook her head violently. It couldn't be. No. It just couldn't—

  "I think we should finish what we started all those years ago."

  "No!" she screamed, forgetting to play the role of unaffected prisoner. It was too much. Too horrible to consider.

  "Do you know that your mother begged for her life in the end?" he asked. He dropped his hands from his damaged manhood and stalked towards her. "In the end, they all beg. Offering anything and everything for just one more breath. Pathetic, really."

  "You son of a bitch! I'll kill you! I swear it!" Isabel screamed. She pulled with all her might as the posters on the bed creaked in protest. Rage had given her a strength she didn't know she possessed.

  Bruno threw his head back in laughter, as he pulled a syringe from his pocket. "Silly girl. You can't see that this is it for you. There will be no revenge. No happy ending. You'll live out your very short life as the sex slave to some Middle Eastern diplomat. He'll use you and abuse you, until one day, he'll kill you." His face was close to hers as he whispered the terrifying words into her ears. "But not until I've had my fill. Your brother did this"—he pointed to his face—"and now you'll pay both for that and for killing my brother."

  Isabel jerked her head forward, her forehead hitting the bridge of his nose. Blood flowed freely, but it was as if Bruno didn't even feel it. He grinned, blood pouring into his mouth.

  "I like a woman with a little fight in her."

  The same words he'd said to her fifteen years earlier.

  She felt the prick of the needle in her neck. Her vision swam, Bruno's face blurring into two—then three—of him.

  "Sleep well. I'll be back."

  Isabel tried to fight the effects of the drug. Willed herself to stay awake. But the pull of it was too strong. When her head became too heavy, and her eyelids felt as if someone had attached weights to them, she gave in and let the blackness claim her.

  * * * *

  At six o'clock, Ethan's phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number. He strapped the Kevlar vest to his chest and answered it.

  "Brooks."

  "Come alone. If I see any of the other team members, I'll put a bullet in her brain. Is that clear?"

  "Yes."

  "You have thirty minutes to bring those files to me. The roof of The Lotus Hotel."

  The line went dead.

  Ethan looked up to find Sully watching him.

  "Was that Bruno?" he asked.

  Ethan nodded. "Yeah, we're supposed to meet him on the roof of The Lotus."

  The team was busy checking their guns, ammo, and vests. They wouldn't get there in time for the exchange, but at least they'd know where to search when Ethan didn't return. Telling them now wasn't an option. He wouldn't risk Isabel's life.

  Zach had brilliantly copied the encryption codes on the fake drive. Bruno would never know that it wasn't the real one. Well, not until he actually tried to access the files. But Zach was certain that he'd simply open the file and go through the first couple of levels to ensure that he'd been given the correct file. Bruno would be in for a surprise, though, when he finally went to open it. It was video after video of animals humping. Dogs, donkeys, giraffes, rhinos, turtles…Zach had found videos of almost every animal imaginable doing the dirty.

  Zach had laid the fake thumb drive on the table next to his computer. Ethan needed to get that in order to exchange it for Isabel. He wasn't stupid. He knew this was a trap. But having the fake files would at least buy him some time to bargain and get Isabel out safely.

  Ethan walked over to the table, slipping the thumb drive into his hand and up his sleeve.

  "I need to get something from the car. I'll be back in a minute," he said to the guys.

  Each gave a slight nod of acknowledgement, but no one seemed suspicious of his motives. Ethan walked quickly to the door, picking up his guns and ammo as he went.

  He closed the door behind him and jogged towards the elevator. He prayed silently that Isabel was still alive.

  "Hold on, Izz. I'm coming."

  Chapter 26

  Isabel's eyes opened, and she blinked slowly as things came into focus. Bruno stood across the room, his back turned to her. Nausea coiled in her stomach, and she fought the urge to vomit. What was he drugging her with?

  It wasn't super powerful, because she could tell that only a couple of hours had passed. Night had fallen, but it looked as if the rays of the sun were still slightly peeking over the mountain. Nighttime would give the team better cover. She prayed that they were on their way. She hated being helpless like this. Isabel wanted to kill Bruno with her bare hands. He'd almost raped her. He'd killed their mother.

  How had she not known it was him? She could see it now in his marred features. His likeness to the man all those years ago was there, hidden in his scars. The room had been too dark that day for Sully to have seen his face clearly. But she'd seen Bruno several times while he'd been sleeping with their mother. And she'd seen him up close and personal before he'd shoved her face into the mattress and tried to rape her.

  Bruno turned as if he could hear her thoughts—could hear her thinking about him. A slow, malicious smile curved his mouth.

  "You're awake," he said.

  Isabel's arms had been untied from the bed, but were now fastened together in front of her. She glanced down and saw that she'd been changed into a slinky silver dress that barely covered her. Just like the ones worn by the women who’d been loaded into the van and sold two nights ago.

  "How did I get into this?"

  Bruno's grin grew.

  "I changed you, of course. It was quite the pleasure."

  Isabel's blood boiled. He'd taken off her clothes. Looked at her. Touched her. She shivered, repulsed at the thought of his hands being on her. She hated him.

  Fear replaced the
anger as she briefly wondered if he'd raped her while she’d been unconscious. She didn't feel sore or bruised, though.

  As if reading her thoughts again, Bruno said, "I wanted you awake for that. I like my women fighting." He reached out and caressed her leg. "I will admit to taking advantage of your docile state, though. You've got the best tits of any woman I've ever met."

  Isabel kicked at him, but he moved out of the way. Laughing, he said, "There's something about having just a handful that's so delicious."

  Bruno lunged for her, grabbing her breasts in his hands and squeezing to the point of excruciating pain. Isabel couldn't help the cry that was torn from her throat.

  She writhed and squirmed, trying to get him off her. She was still groggy from the drugs. It pleased her to see that Bruno's nose was still red from where she'd head-butted him earlier. She wanted to do more than bash his nose in, though. She wanted to claw his eyes out.

  Bruno's hands moved from her breasts to her hips, pulling her closer to him as he ground against her. Isabel tried to knee him in his crotch, but he anticipated the move and pinned her legs down.

  Suddenly, his weight was gone, and he flipped her over, shoving her face into the comforter of the bed and pulling her hips up. She screamed, replaying that day in her mind again. She wouldn't go there. She couldn't.

  "Yes. This is what I remembered. You've grown into a woman, now. No longer all angles and lines, but sweet, sensual curves." Bruno caressed her backside as she heard the slide of his belt from his pants.

  Whimpering, she tried to move. Tried to get away, but his grip on her hips was too firm. Her panties were torn away as Bruno's hand came down against her skin with a hard slap. She screamed, tears streaming down her face. Then the snap of the belt against her skin was like hot fire.

  Her tears turned to sobs. This couldn't be happening. She knew that this time, Sully wouldn't be able to save her. Ethan wouldn't come for her. They didn't even know where she was.

  Panic clawed at her throat. She tried to go away to some place in her mind. Tried to think about Ethan. About how much she loved him. She'd never get to tell him now. Isabel knew that after Bruno raped her—after he got what he wanted—he'd kill her.

  She was choking on her tears now, the belt coming down in lash after lash on her backside. A knock sounded at the door. Hope was a terrible thing. Could she hope that someone had come? That someone would keep her from enduring this terrible experience?

  "Go away!" Bruno shouted.

  "Sir, there's an emergency," the voice outside the door said.

  "I'll deal with it later."

  "I’m sorry, sir. It can't wait. It's Mr. Winters, sir. He insists."

  With a growl, Bruno pushed Isabel over. Sobs wracked Isabel's body, and she shook from the fear and the adrenaline.

  "This isn't over," he said cruelly, and pushed a needle into her arm.

  Isabel pulled her knees up to her chest, the tears coming silently now. She didn't know how she'd been saved from this fate once again. She knew that next time, she wouldn't be so lucky.

  She didn't try to fight the effects of the drug. What was the purpose? Hopelessness had replaced her will to fight. Where were Sully and Ethan? Why hadn't they found her yet?

  Her vision faded. The last thought she had was of Ethan.

  Would she ever be able to tell him that she loved him?

  * * * *

  Ethan stood on the roof of the neighboring hotel. There were four guards on the roof of The Lotus Hotel, and earlier, he'd seen four guards covering the entrances. That made at least eight of Bruno's goons that he'd need to take out to reach Isabel. He was sure there would be more in the hallways as well.

  There was a perfect line of sight from where he stood, on the adjoining hotel's roof, to the roofline of The Lotus. He wished he could stay there, put his scope on Bruno, focus on the spot right between his eyes, and take his shot. But he had to get to Isabel.

  Ethan ran down the back stairs of the neighboring hotel. He had fifteen minutes to make quick work of the guards patrolling the path to the roof. Ethan was best with his sniper rifle, but the steady hand, patience, and precision it took to take someone out from afar all translated to the tools he needed to take down multiple targets in close quarters as well. No hesitation. That was the key.

  He pushed the service entrance door open and entered the alley between the two hotels. His phone rang.

  Sully.

  "I’m sorry," he answered.

  "What the hell, Brooks? Where did you go?"

  "When Bruno called, he told me I had thirty minutes to get to the roof of The Lotus Hotel, and to come alone. I needed a few of those minutes to scope the place out. I can't risk her."

  Sully sighed into the phone.

  "You know you would have done the same thing," Ethan said, keeping his voice quiet so as not to alert the nearby guards of his presence.

  "I know," Sully replied. "I figured it was something like that. You have the drive?"

  "Yeah."

  "Ok, we're on our way. We'll be there to back you up."

  "I'll clear the way for you," Ethan said.

  "No, don't go—" Sully started.

  "Not a chance in hell I’m not going up there, Sully. If I don't get there on time, he'll hurt her—or worse."

  Silence met his reply for a moment. Then Sully said, "Do whatever it takes to get my sister out of there."

  "Even if it costs me my life," Ethan promised.

  "Let's hope it doesn’t come to that."

  Ethan ended the call and tucked his phone into one of the pockets of his cargo pants. He palmed his gun, quietly heading for the service entrance of The Lotus Hotel. If he was lucky, he'd make it to the roof in time to save the love of his life.

  Chapter 27

  Cold wind whipped at her hair. Car horns sounded, and sirens wailed in the distance. Isabel opened her eyes. She was lying on her side, her hands still tied in front of her. She shivered. Wherever she was, the temperature was much cooler than in the hotel room.

  Looking around, she took in the starlit night, the nearby buildings, and the rough concrete underneath her. She was on the roof of a hotel. Glancing around again, she saw that Bruno was standing nearby with his arms crossed, as if he were waiting for something or someone. He had a laptop set up on the ground next to him. Why were they on the roof of a hotel?

  Isabel pushed herself up to a sitting position, trying in vain to cover herself with the short silver dress. She hated what the dress symbolized, and hated even more that Bruno had put it on her while she’d been unconscious. However, it wouldn't help her to sit and think about what he'd done to her while she’d been passed out and naked before him. She couldn't do anything to change that, but she could figure out a way to get herself and Ethan out of this mess.

  Bruno glanced over at her. "You're awake. Good. This will be more fun with you aware of what's going on."

  Isabel stiffened. Was he going to rape her on the roof of this building?

  "Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to take care of our unfinished business. Such a shame. But The General wants you gone. All of you."

  The General. Her team had known that he was involved somehow, but Bruno’s words confirmed their suspicions. The General was behind all of this.

  "Why are we up here?"

  "Waiting for your knight in shining armor, of course," Bruno spat sarcastically.

  "Ethan? He's not going to come up here alone."

  "He will if he wants you to live."

  "You're not going to let me live—or him. You'll kill us both."

  "Smart girl. But he's stupid in love. He'll come," he said, his mouth tilting up in a sardonic smile.

  "You bastard! Leave him alone. You have me."

  Bruno stalked towards her. Grabbing her hair, he jerked her head back. She was close to the edge of the building, and with a slight push, she'd fall to her death. She quickly glanced down at the pool below her, its majestic lotus flower sculpture stunning even from t
his height. Her breaths came hard and fast as she jerked her attention back to Bruno's hate-filled gaze.

  "I'm not completely unreasonable. I'll even let him decide how you die. If he cooperates, I'll make your death quick and painless. If he doesn't, I'll kill you slowly."

  He spoke of her death as if he were talking about the weather. Easy. Calm. In the voice of a psychopath. But what did she expect from this man? He had tried to rape a twelve-year-old girl. He'd killed her mother. Sold women as sex slaves. Ran drugs and guns, selling them to the highest bidder—enemies of their country. He lacked compassion. Sympathy.

  A soul.

  The lights of the city flashed and glittered in her peripheral vision. They were beautiful from that height. Isabel wished she were there with Ethan, looking out over the city, wrapped in each other's arms.

  Shots sounded close by.

  Did that mean that the team had come to rescue her?

  Bruno's head jerked up as he stared at the door. A tinny voice sounded from the radio on his hip.

  "He's here!" Then the static of the radio filled the air. "I'm hit! I'm hit! He's coming—"

  Bruno picked up the radio and spoke into it. "What do you mean, you're hit?"

  There was no reply.

  "Zuckers. Are you there? Zuckers!"

  Static was the only reply.

  "Shit!" he yelled. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he yanked Isabel in front of him. The cold barrel of a gun met her temple as they waited.

  Ethan had come for her. The thought both exhilarated and terrified her.

  * * * *

  Two shots. Two men lay dead on the floor, each with a single entry wound on his forehead, their eyes seeing no more.

  Ethan stepped over them as he quickly and quietly crept up the service steps of The Lotus Hotel. He'd taken out four of the guards so far. They'd underestimated him—after all, he was just one guy up against several of them. It had cost them their lives.

  Ethan rounded the next flight of steps, carefully inching his way to the exit door on the twelfth floor. The silencer on his gun had kept the other guards from knowing that he was coming for them. He silently thanked Sully for his forethought.