Harlequin Intrigue March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2

by Nichole Severn

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  No wonder she had never done great as a spy. Sure, Summer had gone through a few months of training before the DTRA had put her into an active intelligence-gathering role, but when it came to Mike, he had unmatched skills in actually listening to her and picking her reality apart. Whenever she was around him, it was as if he stripped her naked and exposed her in a way that only he could see.

  That inability to conceal anything from him for very long, and the desire to not want to hide any of her truths, had to mean something about them was unique, unprecedented and whispering of soul mates. Didn’t it?

  She chuffed at the thought. No, that’s not what was going on here. This was all because she had been forced to bring him into her little world and reveal more than she had anticipated. Though she hadn’t meant to give him breadcrumbs that led him to the truth, that was exactly what she had done. There was nothing ethereal or otherworldly about their bond, no. It had all been set up by her subconscious mind. She had wanted him to know the truth, to pull it from her. And more, to care.

  Was her taking him down this path her subconscious way of making sure that if he was going to be in their lives, he would be willing to work for it?

  Gah... She had to stop picking this thing between them apart. They just needed to work together, find Joe, and then they could figure things out between them.

  Pulling over at a gas station, Summer watched as Mike got out to begin filling up her car. “I’m gonna go make a phone call. I’ll be right back,” she said.

  Mike answered with a tight nod. He definitely hated Ben, and she didn’t blame him, but this phone call had been his idea and he could hardly be annoyed that she was doing as he had asked.

  The justification for her actions did little to stop the pull at her gut that told her to hide what she was doing to protect his feelings. And yet, at the same time, she didn’t want to hide, she wanted him to know and to be a part of everything.

  This was all so confusing. It had to be the stress that was messing her up like this. Just the stress.

  She walked to the side of the building, far enough from the gas station’s car wash that she didn’t pick up too much background noise, and far enough from the entrance that anyone coming and going from the little convenience store couldn’t eavesdrop.

  As she was about to speed-dial Ben, she stopped and hit the number just two down from it on her Contacts list. Kevin answered on the first ring. “Hey, how’s it going?”

  “Hi, Kev. It’s going. Any word on Joe?” She silently begged for a miracle.

  “Were your ears burning?” he asked, a smattering of excitement in his voice.

  “What is that supposed to mean? Did you get him back?”

  Kevin sighed. “You and I both have chatted about this and you know that it is the US government’s policy not to negotiate with terrorists. In this case, that terrorist is your son’s kidnapper. However, I have finally gotten the approvals required from top brass to assist in your son’s safe and rapid return.”

  Ah, the power that came with knowing the right people to call.

  She rose on her tiptoes and put her free hand up against the beige stucco wall of the store. “Thank you... Kevin...thank you.” Relief flooded through her, though she hadn’t even heard Kevin’s idea. No matter what he said, it had to be better than going to Ben and possibly tipping their hand to whomever else Ben was working with. As much as she had gone to bat for the man with Mike, she still didn’t truly trust Ben. Not in her world of spies and counterspies.

  “Don’t thank me just yet, Summer,” Kevin said, his voice suddenly taking on a serious edge. “First, we don’t know if this is going to work, but it is what my team believes is the best option in this situation.”

  “And what is that? What are you guys thinking?” She looked down at the dirt on the toes of her black boots.

  “We have taken the code that you supplied us with from ConFlux and have altered it enough that it looks legitimate even to a proficient coder. Then we added in a few little lines here and there, which should help us pin down the IP address of whomever is trying to use it. Basically, once they run the program, we can swoop down and take these guys into custody.”

  “How long will it take you to get the code ready?” The kidnappers had only given her another twenty-four hours. The people at the DTRA would have to work fast.

  “Well, this is the part you are really going to like. We are already done. We’ve been working on it ever since you told me about their demands.”

  “Kevin, you are amazing. No matter what the rest of the guys say.”

  “What? What are they saying?” Kevin said, laughter marking his words. “I will send you the code now through our encrypted server. Let me know when you put it into the kidnapper’s hands.”

  “Will do,” she said, smiling.

  “And, Summer, give Joe a big hug from me.” Kevin hung up.

  She may possibly have the best boss ever. It took a special person to put his neck on the line to do what was right and go the extra mile to support his teams. And yet there was the little voice in the back of her head that screamed it was Kevin and her work as an agent within the DTRA that had really gotten her into this predicament.

  Mike was just clicking the gas cap into place on her car when she made her way back out to the bay. “I have good news,” she said, smiling over at him as she lifted her phone for him to see.

  “Ben choked?” he joked.

  “Better. I just got off the phone with my boss.” She glanced around, looking for anyone or anything that was out of place. She motioned toward her car in the hope that if there was anyone following them or listening, she could thwart their attempts. “They have agreed to supply the fake code we need for the ransom. You are a smart guy with the idea for the code. Thanks to you and Kevin, we’re going to get Joe back.”

  Mike flashed a smile but it was suddenly overtaken by a sour look.

  Even to her own ears, the plan sounded simple...too simple. What was she missing?

  “You know, kidnappers often kill—”

  She cut him off with a raise of her hand. “I don’t need to hear that. We don’t even need to think about that happening to Joe. These people know the only chance they have to get the information they want is to give him to us. There would be no advantage in killing our son.”

  Mike nodded, but the look on his face didn’t recede. “I just think we need to be prepared.”

  “There is being prepared and there is putting crap out into the universe that doesn’t need to be put out into the universe.” She was aware she sounded paranoid, but more times than she could count, when people put energy behind something, it tended to happen.

  Losing Joe wasn’t something she wanted to even imagine. Right now, they were just watching him...they would give him back. All she and Mike had to do was give them the information they wanted in exchange.

  He put his hands up in surrender. “I hear what you are saying and I get it, but know that no matter what happens, I will be here for you.”

  She couldn’t help but notice that for a split second Mike made it sound like Joe wasn’t just as important to him as he was to her. Opening her mouth to argue, he stopped her with a glance.

  “I know what you’re going to say and you don’t need to say it. If something happens to Joe, you know it will hurt me just as much as it may hurt you.” His eyes shone. “I never thought I could instantly love anything or anyone like I love him. I know I’ve missed so much. And I wish I could have been there for all the milestones that I have already missed with him...” He hesitated, like he was attempting to collect himself, and it pulled at her heartstrings.

  It was reassuring that he was just as invested. Though she hadn’t been sure things would go this way when she had gone to see Mike, she was glad that he had so quickly embraced fatherhood. He had exceeded her expe
ctations in his ability to be open and kind, generous of spirit and soul.

  Since he’d left her at the altar, all she had done was focus on all the mistakes he had made in their relationship. She’d focused on the times he’d forgotten to text her back and had said the wrong things at dinner parties. She had spent all of her energy trying to stoke the fire that would burn away the love she had for him, and yet there standing with him, she was reminded that all it took was one spark to start a wildfire of passion. And damn, did this man know how to set her entire being ablaze.

  “Nothing is going to happen to Joe,” she said, choking on all the emotions that filled her.

  “You know it,” he said, wrapping his arm over her shoulders and walking her to the passenger side of the car. “Why don’t you let me drive? Then you can work on getting the handoff scheduled.”

  She clicked on her seat belt as she waited for Mike to walk around and get into the driver seat. It was like the old days. They had slipped back into their habits so rapidly, and as much as she wanted to be annoyed—she had changed so much since they had been apart—she found solace in the familiar.

  They had gotten answers. They were going to get Joe back, and yet she wasn’t excited. If anything, she was terrified. What if something went wrong? What if Kevin didn’t get her the information like he promised? What if the kidnappers didn’t show?

  She hated to get her hopes up.

  She stared down at her phone, wondering what she should do next. Kevin was working on sending her the information she needed. There was only one thing she needed to do to get the ball rolling. She opened up her message app and tapped out a note to the number the kidnappers had used to contact them.

  I have the code. Meet us at the Roadhouse. Half hour.

  She waited for a reply as Mike fired up the engine and drove out of the bay and toward the road. He turned in the direction of her apartment, and she wanted to tell him not to, to go anywhere that would potentially lead them toward Joe, and yet she remained quiet. Just because they were driving, moving, it didn’t mean they were moving in the correct direction.

  Her phone’s screen turned off.

  What was taking them so long to get back to her?

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her phone beeped with a message.

  They would meet them there in an hour, Joe in hand.

  All they had to do was not screw this up. Get the code to the people, get Joe, and get out.

  Doable. Very doable.

  She raised her phone so that Mike could see the message. “The Roadhouse is only twenty minutes from here.” She pointed for him to take the next left, leading them in the direction of the restaurant.

  Mike smiled as he glanced over at the phone screen. “Good job.”

  She’d half expected him to say “here’s hoping,” but was glad when he didn’t and instead let the air go still between them.

  They rode in silence, the road noise filling the car. Her mind wandered to the restaurant, the layout. If they sat near the door, they would be in full view of everyone in the place. With witnesses came some level of additional safety. They could get Joe, get out.

  Her phone pinged with a message from Kevin. The file was now in her hands and, with it, some of her fear lifted, just barely. So many things could go wrong, but she had to focus on getting everything just right.

  The restaurant’s parking lot was mostly full, but they found a spot not too far from the door. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched people walking in and out of the place, some getting in their cars while others chatted with friends before saying goodbye. Life was happening all around them.

  No one knew about the terror and fear she had been feeling, only Mike. Was he feeling the same pressure, the clenching feeling, like everything in her future—and in Joe’s—depended on this single meeting?

  There was so much at stake, one wrong word or careless action could lead to her son’s death, not to mention her own. Her life was of no consequence—she had chosen to put herself at risk thanks to her job—but Joe was innocent in all of this.

  “Kevin sent the code,” she said, forcing herself to focus on her phone in preparation for what she hoped would happen.

  “If something goes wrong, and things come to guns, I want you to promise me that you will do everything you can to just get the hell out of there. I will take care of Joe—”

  “I promise to get out of there, but only after I get Joe. I’m not letting him out of my sight ever again.”

  Mike smiled. “College is going to be really uncomfortable for him then.”

  She let out a laugh, the sound too sharp for the moment. “Think of all the things that I could save him from by always being there,” she said, forcing a smile.

  “He would be a chaste forty-year-old with a mommy complex for sure.”

  She laughed. “Oh, when you put it like that...”

  Mike stepped out of the car, walked around and opened the door for her. He put out his hand. “Normal, happy couple. In and out. In ten minutes, Joe will be back in your arms and everything will be okay.”

  She smiled at the thought as she slipped her hand into Mike’s. His hand was strong, just like the man.

  This would all be okay.

  Making their way inside, they chose a seat near the door so they could have full view of everyone who came and went from the restaurant. The eatery was busy, and the sounds of people talking and the smells of food cooking comforted her with their reminders of normalcy.

  He took a seat next to her, sliding into the vinyl booth seat like they were out at just another dinner. Yes, she just had to fake it. Put a smile on her face and act like they weren’t giving false information to a terrorist group to get an infant back from kidnappers.

  Just another day. No big deal.

  How had her life gotten to this point? At what moment had things taken this dark turn? And how could she avoid ever finding herself back in a moment like this?

  She picked up a menu after a server brought them their drinks. She stared at the pictures of food and the letters that she knew spelled words, but she wasn’t reading. All she could think about was how her hands were trembling and how she had to force them to stay as still as possible so as to not raise any sort of suspicion.

  The front door of the restaurant opened and two men came in. In their arms was Joe’s gray car seat.

  What if they were playing a trick on her? What if Mike was right and they had hurt Joe?

  Until now, she had thought waiting for the men and counting down the seconds until they arrived was the worst part. But now she was sure it was this moment that was the most painful. Being close enough to her son to almost see his smiling face and yet far enough away that he could be gone in an instant made her feel as if she was staring into an abyss.

  The man closest to them looked over, spotted them and said something to the man carrying the baby. Their faces were tight and, as the second man looked over at them, a dark cloud rolled across his features. They walked like they were half dead with exhaustion.

  They trudged toward them and, as they moved, she could make out the unmistakable bulges of guns tucked into the waistbands of their pants near their appendixes. Her throat tightened. She and Mike weren’t the only ones ready and willing to fight.

  Mike reached down, under the edge of the table, and put his hand on her knee like some kind of steadying force to remind her that everything was okay. “We got this,” he said under his breath.

  She didn’t dare look away from the men approaching their table, but she answered Mike with a slight nod. One way or another, they were going to do this thing. Here was hoping that the three of them made it out of this alive and the two men who had dared to steal their baby would end up paying for their actions.

  “Evening,” the man carrying the car seat said, but there was only falseness in his
tone.

  He and his friend slipped into the booth as a hostess brought over an antiquated wooden high chair and helped them set the car seat up at the end of the table. Summer stared at the car seat as the hostess lifted it into view, but she could only see the gray polka-dotted coverlet she used when Joe was sleeping.

  “Thank you,” she said, dipping her head toward the hostess as she turned to leave.

  The woman smiled at her like she was just another customer on just another day.

  Summer wrapped her foot around the base of the high chair and pulled the wooden stand closer to her.

  “Hold up,” the man across the table said, grabbing the high chair and stopping Summer from moving it any closer to her.

  “Look, it’s not like I’m going to pick Joe up and just go running out of here. We have a deal, but before I agree to anything, I have to know that my baby is all right.” She scowled.

  The man raised his hands in surrender, letting her pull the high chair over to her. “Just know that if you screw with us, we will hunt you down. Next time, we will kill the kid and you.”

  She could feel the blood rush from her features as she thought about the ruse she and her DTRA team were playing on the men, but she forced herself to focus on Joe.

  She opened the coverlet. Joe was inside, his eyes closed and a pacifier in his mouth. The pacifier was the cheap plastic kind found at any big-box store, not the usual blue silicone ones that he preferred. Reaching in, she ran her thumb across Joe’s warm cheek. As she touched his soft skin, he let out a contented sigh and his lips pulled into a smile, the pacifier teetering on his lower lip.

  Joe was fine. The men had kept their promise and kept her and Mike’s baby safe.

  The heaviness that had filled Summer ever since Joe had disappeared started to lift. They were all going to be okay as long as they could make it out of this restaurant without a problem.

  “You’ve seen him,” the man said, pulling the high chair away from her and forcing her hand from her baby. “Now, you need to give us the code.”