Zach's face grew red with anger, and Ella held up her finger before he could say anything. Yeah, the comment pissed her off, too. Actually, it scared the hell out of her. She'd barely survived the beatings that Tobias and Bruno had lavished upon her during her time as their prisoner. But she would never have to endure that kind of treatment again. She'd make sure of it.
Ella glanced at the clock. It was one minute after six. She needed to keep him on the phone. Zach pulled out his own phone and held it up to her as if he’d read her mind. They'd need to keep him talking until they knew her mom was safe.
"I'm sorry, Tobias. I meant no disrespect. Yes, I have the files."
"Fantastic, Quita, dear. I knew you wouldn't let me down. Now, as I think I mentioned before, I'd like for us to meet at this address…"
"Just a minute—let me find something to write down the address with."
Ella took her time, mumbling about how there was never a pen and paper around when you needed it, and why didn't these cheap motels have basic necessities like pen and paper?
"Quita, I'm growing very impatient."
Ella glanced at the clock. 6:03. She shot Zach a questioning look, raising her eyebrows at him, but he just shook his head. No word yet. Damn!
"I've got it. Sorry. What was the address?"
Tobias sighed heavily into the phone and rattled off the address.
"Just a minute—let me look it up on my computer."
"Can't you do that after we're off the phone?"
“No. I, um, want to make sure I know where I’m going. If I get lost, I have no way of calling you back."
Tobias sighed heavily again. Ella grabbed the computer Zach had opened for her and put the address into the search engine. It was an abandoned hotel on the outskirts of Phoenix.
"Why so far outside the city, Tobias? I thought you were going to let me go when all this is over?"
"Of course I will, dear. I just don't want any witnesses around while we're meeting. In case you go blabbing to someone about what you brought to me."
"But I'd never do that."
"Of course not, darling. It's just an insurance policy," Tobias lied.
"I don't know, Tobias. I'm not comfortable with this location."
Ella glanced at the clock. 6:05. Where was the text?
As if she had conjured it up, Zach's phone lit up with a text message. He turned it so that she could see it. Package secured. Excellent.
Zach took Ella’s phone from her hands.
"Actually, Tobias, there's been a slight change of plans," Zach said.
"Who the hell is this?"
Gone were the formalities and niceties of his earlier comments. Tobias was almost always perfectly polite. It was creepy. She liked it better when he showed his true colors.
"This is Zach Harper."
"Quita, I told you that if you brought that security firm down…"
"She didn't. But I insisted on coming with her. Anyway, as I was saying, there's been a change of plans. If you want the files back, you'll have to meet us at the new designated place. If you don't want to meet us there, then we'll happily hold on to these files, and maybe even misplace them. You know, in the hands of law enforcement."
Silence filled the room, except for the sound of Tobias's heavy breathing. Then a curse rang out.
"Dammit! Where and when?" Tobias growled over the phone. Ella guessed that he'd just figured out that her mom had escaped.
"Old Brown Mine, just north of Phoenix. Nine o'clock."
Zach ended the call, and Ella blew out the breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.
"That's a little less than three hours. What do we do until then?"
"Right now? We get the hell out of here." Zach jumped off the bed and grabbed his duffel bags. "Nathaniel has the key, so he can get back here and retrieve the cases later tonight."
"Where will we stay tonight?"
"Not here. Get your stuff. I'll call Sully on our way out."
"Ok. Are we going to the mine?"
"No. They'll already be there, and I don't want it to look as if it's a setup. It is. And they know it is. But the less obvious, the better."
Ella shook her head at the games men played and grabbed her bags. They hadn't been there long enough to unpack, so it didn't take them long to get in the car and out on the road.
They drove in circles for what seemed like hours, but was really only a few minutes.
"Where are we going?"
"Just making sure we don't have a tail," Zach answered.
"Do we?" Ella squeaked, turning around in her seat to look behind her.
"I haven’t seen one."
Moments later, they pulled into an older neighborhood. The houses had clearly been built during another time, but had been kept up well. It was an established neighborhood where many original owners still lived, and where neighbors knew what was going on in each other's lives.
They drove up a driveway, and Zach got out of the car.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"You'll see."
Ella got out of the car and hurried to catch up with Zach as he walked up to the front door. The house was peach stucco, with orange clay roof tiles. It had been well kept, the rock yard neat and tidy, with spindly bushes.
Zach gave a series of knocks. Someone called out from behind the door, asking for a password.
"Irish Flor."
The door opened, and a man holding a big black gun stood back to let him in. Ella didn't recognize him, but she did recognize the logo on his shirt. It was the same one Nathaniel had been wearing earlier.
Nathaniel met them at the door, and Ella's excitement picked up.
"How is she?" she gushed.
"Go see for yourself. She's in the kitchen. She insisted on making us dinner," he said with a grin.
"Just like mama."
Ella ran into the kitchen to see her wisp of a mother standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot that smelled heavenly.
"Mama?"
Alannah Flores stopped her stirring. She didn't turn around.
"Fiorella?" she asked quietly.
"It's me, mama," Ella said, unable to stop the tears that were flowing down her cheeks.
Alannah turned around, her own tears mirroring those of her daughter. Ella rushed to her, and her mama caught her up in her arms. Sobs poured out of Ella as the pent-up emotions from weeks of stress—and from years of despair—came flowing out.
"Shh, baby. It's ok," Alannah said, stroking Ella's hair as she soaked her mother’s shirt with her tears.
"Mama, I was so scared."
"Me too, baby. Let's sit."
Alannah pulled her over to the tiny breakfast table, and Ella sat down, never letting go of her mother's hands.
"What in the world have you gotten yourself into?"
Ella didn't want to tell her mother about all that she'd seen and done, so she opted for a tame version. She told her mother about Tobias and Bruno and how they'd basically taken her prisoner. She told her how they wouldn't let Ella come visit her mother even when she was so sick. Ella told her about Zach and how he'd rescued her, several times. Then she told her about what they had to do that night in order to keep them all safe.
"This Zach? You love him?"
Ella was shocked that her mother had figured it out, but she shouldn't have been. Her mother was wise and observant.
"I do."
"And he loves you, too?"
Ella nodded.
"Good. So what can I do to help tonight?"
"Nothing, mama. I need you to be safe.”
"Nonsense. I'm old. I've lived my life. Put me to work."
"The best thing you can do is stay here and stay safe. We have big Army guys out there defending us. We'll be safe."
Alannah sighed heavily. "Fine, daughter of mine. But you need to eat first. And I want to meet this man who's captured your heart like Guillermo captured mine."
The thought of her father sent a fresh wave o
f tears to her eyes, but Ella blinked them back.
"Zach?" she called out.
Zach appeared as if he'd been waiting just outside the door.
"This is my mom, Alannah Flores. Mom, this is Zach Harper."
Zach gave Ella’s mom a big smile and reached out his hand to shake hers. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Flores."
Alannah ignored his hand and pulled him into a big hug. "Call me Alannah."
Ella saw her whisper something in his ear, and Zach said, "You're welcome. It was my pleasure."
Alannah told them to sit as she went back to the pot. She spent the time asking Zach questions about his family, his job, and finally how they'd met.
Zach looked to Ella for how to respond. Again, Ella didn't want her mom to know everything, but she wouldn't lie to her.
"That man I told you about, Bruno. Well, he beat me up. Zach found me and took me to the hospital. He stayed with me until they dismissed me, and then he took me back to the hotel where his team was staying and made sure I was well."
Alannah beamed. "I know I already said it, but thank you, Zach, for taking care of my baby."
"I think she's taken care of me as much as I have her."
"I sense you need each other. You fight for that, understand?"
"Yes ma'am," Zach said, a smile on his face.
"Good, now let's eat."
Alannah had made a pasta dish with stuff she'd found lying around the kitchen. Zach explained that this was a safe house, and so they kept it stocked with basic necessities. The three of them ate together, since Nathaniel insisted that his guys would eat in shifts.
Zach made them laugh, and Ella saw her future right in that room. Her mother and Zach, laughing and bantering. Contentment. Happiness. Two things she never thought she'd ever have again.
And it could all be taken away from her.
Zach could be hurt tonight. He could die. She could die. He might hate her after she revealed that she knew The General's identity. That she'd known him personally. That he'd not only been present in those dark rooms in Vegas, but that he'd also been an acquaintance of her father's.
A chill crept over her skin. She prayed that Zach and the Castle team would forgive her for keeping that information from them for months. Ella hadn't thought that she'd had a choice, though. It was still risky to reveal what she knew. The General was a powerful man. One of the most powerful in the country. He could make people disappear. He could make evidence turn up against those who were innocent.
He could make her life, Zach's life, and her mother's life a living hell.
"Ella? Are you ok?" Alannah asked. Zach looked at her with a question in his eyes.
Shaking off the morbid thoughts, she plastered on a smile.
She wanted to enjoy this night.
It just might be her last.
* * * *
All too quickly, the time came for Zach and Ella to leave the cozy safe house. Dinner with Ella's mother had been amazing. It was like when his mom had been alive. Carefree moments of laughter and joy. It made him miss his mom all the more.
When he and Ella were married—and he would marry her—they'd move Alannah out to D.C. Zach had money tucked away. Years in the Army, and then living at Castle Investigations headquarters, had left him with a lot of expendable income. Since Zach worked around the clock, his schedule didn't leave him much time to use that money.
He had enough to buy a home for Ella and him, and set her mom up as well.
But first they had to get through tonight.
Ella hugged her mother tightly, and Zach nearly lost it when he saw the tears streaming down her face. He would make sure they got out of this in one piece tonight. Ella stepped back, and he bent down to hug Alannah.
"You keep my girl safe tonight," she whispered in his ear.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Keep yourself safe, too. She needs you."
"As I need her."
Alannah nodded and squeezed him once more.
Zach put his hand on Ella's lower back as they walked to the car. When they got inside, Ella wiped her tears away and turned to him with determination on her face.
"I'm ready to take this bastard down," she said.
"Thatta girl."
Zach drove to the outskirts of town, just north of Phoenix. The weather was warm here, even though it was fall. The days still felt like the middle of summer, but the nights were cooler.
Old Brown Mine was just a few miles away, and they were still early. Zach stopped the car just up the road and turned off the lights. The ticking of the engine was the only sound for several minutes.
"You have the drive?"
Zach nodded and pulled it out of his pocket.
"Is it the real one?"
"No. I left that one in my bag in the back seat."
Ella looked nervous, and Zach wished he could tell her there was nothing to worry about. He trusted his team, but Tobias was a loose cannon. There was no telling what he had up his sleeve.
"While you were talking with your mom, I called Sully. He has a friend with a private jet and was able to get it for us. We'll fly back tonight."
"What about my mom?"
"Nathaniel and his team will keep her at the safe house for a few days until we're sure the threat is gone. Once we know that it is, she can return home, or she can even come out and visit you."
Ella nodded. "She'd like that. Although neither of us can really afford—"
"I will personally fly her out."
Ella dropped her gaze. When she looked back up at him, her eyes were all shimmery.
"Do you know I have cried more in the last few days than I have in the last few years?" She laughed, wiping at her face. "It's like the damn dam busted."
Zach took her hands in his and lightly kissed her lips. "Nothing wrong with crying."
Ella shook her head. "I hate crying. Anyway, thank you, Zach. I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me."
"I love you. I've loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you."
"Lying on the floor in my own urine? I must have looked like a real catch."
"You looked like a woman who embodied strength and courage. I'd never seen a woman more determined to live. In that moment, I'd never seen anything more beautiful."
"You're just trying to make me cry," Ella said, dabbing at her eyes.
Zach chuckled. "Not at all. It's the truth."
"I love you, too."
Zach leaned in and kissed her.
"Listen, if things get crazy out there—"
"They're not going to. Everything is going to go perfectly," Ella said with conviction.
Zach couldn't help it. He laughed. "If anyone could will something to be true, it would be you." He kissed her nose, then sat back up and took her hands in his.
"If things go badly tonight, I want you to promise me you'll run. Get in the car and go back to the safe house. Nathaniel will know what to do."
"I’m not leaving you," Ella said, determination lighting her eyes.
"Please, Ella. I'm begging you. I don't need to be distracted by trying to keep you out of harm's way. Promise me you'll do as I say." Ella shook her head. "Promise me. Please."
Her shiny eyes met his, and she nodded once. Relief flooded him, and he pulled her close, wishing that things were different, and that they weren't about to go face a madman.
"Ready?" he asked, pulling away and gazing into her eyes.
"As I'll ever be."
Zach exited the car and took them around to the back. He put vests on them both and then covered them with button-up shirts that Nathaniel had lent them. He loaded up on guns, placing several on his person and shoving ammo into the pockets of his cargo pants. He'd been smart enough to remember them before they’d left D.C.
Taking out a handgun, he handed it to Ella.
"Do you know how to use this?"
She shrugged. "Point and shoot."
Zach smiled. "Pretty much. Make sure the safety is off here. Then slide
this back here. Then, point and shoot. Just like you said."
Zach put the safety back on the gun and gave it to Ella. She stuck it into the waistband of her jeans, under her shirt.
The walk to the valley was short. Since Tobias was expecting them, there was no reason for them to park and walk for any distance. Zach could feel eyes on him, and he knew that it wasn't just his guys out there. Tobias had sent people ahead of time as well.
Thank God his guys knew how to stay undetected.
The valley was vast. Boulders and cacti dotted the landscape. The two of them made quick work of the fence, the lock on the gate having been broken previously by someone else. Probably some kids wanting to drink beer and smoke pot out there.
"Where do we stand?" Ella asked.
"See that rock?"
She nodded.
"We'll camp out there until he arrives. I'm sure some of his men are already in place out here. Marcus and Noah will be right behind us to our right, and Rico and Joseph will be to our left. We'll be covered."
They trudged along the flattest part of the valley to the rock Zach had indicated and waited.
Zach checked his watch. It was nine on the dot.
Minutes went by with no sign of Tobias. The valley was quiet except for the distant sound of coyotes calling to each other.
"Do you think he's coming?" Ella whispered.
"He's coming."
The sound of an engine came closer as a black sedan pulled up to the gate, the headlights shining right at them. Zach put his hand up to keep them from blinding him. The doors to the sedans opened and closed, and finally, the driver turned the lights of the car off.
There were five men walking towards them. Four were dressed in all black, with large guns strapped across their fronts, and one man was dressed in a very expensive suit.
They stopped about forty yards away, but it wasn't difficult to see them with the bright moon overhead.
"Good evening, Quita," the man in the suit said.
Tobias Winters had come.
Chapter 23
Ella was reminded of those scenes from movies about the Wild West, where two characters would walk out fifty paces with their hands hovering over the guns at their waists. This felt eerily similar. Except that Tobias Winters was dressed in a designer suit, and she and Zach were decked out in Kevlar.
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 96
