by Rebecca Deel
He yanked Shadow Man to his feet. “Let’s go.”
The man struggled and earned himself a clout to the side of his head.
“Knock it off,” Brent snapped. “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot you on sight.”
“Where are you taking me?” the man growled. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Trespassing is something.”
A low laugh. “That all you’ve got? I’ll be out on bail in a matter of hours.”
“Who said anything about calling the cops?”
Shadow Man froze in place.
Brent shoved him into motion again. “Now you’re worried?” Idiot. He should have been worried the minute he stepped foot on Brent’s land. His eyes narrowed. Unless this clown was after Rowan. “Why are you watching my house?”
“I don’t have to say nothing. I want a lawyer.”
“Tell it to the nearest cop.” He didn’t bother asking any more questions. No point. Brent would learn more information by running his prints and picture through the Fortress system.
In the kitchen, he shoved Shadow Man into a chair and secured his arms and legs. He glared at Brent when he snapped a picture of him and sent it to the Fortress comm center with instructions to run the photo through the facial recognition system. Despite the prisoner’s protests, Brent scanned his fingerprints and sent those to Fortress as well.
A soft squeak in the hall told Brent Rowan had left the bunker and was approaching the kitchen. He didn’t want her too close to Shadow Man. In fact, it would be better all around if this clown didn’t see her face.
“Don’t come any closer, baby,” he said softly.
Shadow Man’s eyes shifted to the hall, excitement in their depths as he strained against the zip ties, trying to break free to get to Rowan.
That was not something Brent wanted to see. He’d been hoping this guy was after him. Seeing his reaction, Brent was forced to consider the unwelcome thought that Rowan was the target.
How did this clown find her? Had Brent missed a tail? His gut burned at the thought that he might have put Rowan in danger instead of protecting her as he’d promised.
He backed up so he could see Rowan without facing away from Shadow Man.
“Should I call Zane?” Rowan whispered.
He gave a slight nod. Brent wanted this guy away from Rowan. If Shadow Man knew where they were, chances were good someone else did as well. Brent needed to take Rowan to one of the Fortress safe houses.
Rowan retraced her steps to his bedroom and shut the door behind her.
Brent returned his attention to the unwanted visitor. “You’re not here for me, are you?”
A sly smile appeared on the man’s face. “What makes you say that?”
“You aren’t as afraid of me as you should be.” If Shadow Man had known anything about him, he wouldn’t have such a cavalier attitude.
Shadow Man’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not afraid of nobody.”
“Then you’re a fool.” And a scapegoat. “How did Invisible Man know she was here?”
A flicker of fear crept into his gaze.
Brent sighed. Confirmation this clown came after Rowan, not Brent. “How much did he offer to pay you?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything.”
A shrug. “You’ll wish you had. By the time I finish digging into your life, you won’t have any secrets.”
Shadow Man scoffed. “You’re just her boyfriend. You should walk away while you still have the chance. Nobody escapes us.”
Brent didn’t bother correcting the assumption Rowan belonged to him. In fact, he liked the idea. The more he thought about it, the more enamored he became. Would she be interested in more than an occasional date? Man, he hoped so. She fascinated him on every level.
His phone vibrated, signaling an incoming message. Brent glanced at the screen. Zane sent a message for Brent to call. He tapped in his friend’s number. “Talk to me,” he said when Z picked up.
“Can you talk freely?”
“No.”
“Is Rowan okay?”
Brent stilled. “Why?”
“She sounded shaken.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Somehow. The last thing he wanted was for Rowan to be afraid. Whatever he had to do to reassure her that she was safe with him would be his first priority once Shadow Man was secured. “What do you have?”
“Comm center got a hit on your man’s prints. He’s a low-level thug named Tom Silverman. Been arrested several times for disorderly conduct and inciting a riot. Silverman is also a member of a militia.”
“Which one?”
“Volunteer.”
His grip tightened around the phone. Volunteer militia. Not a coincidence that this group’s name popped up in connection to Rowan twice. Why did the militia want Rowan and was this a dead-or-alive scenario, like the message Salazar claimed to receive?
“Jon Smith and Eli Wolfe are en route,” Zane continued. “Thirty minutes and Silverman will be off your hands. What do you want done with him? Call the cops or stash him in one of the black holes?”
If he allowed the cops to take Silverman, he’d be out of jail in a matter of hours. No doubt in Brent’s mind, Silverman would disappear once he made bail. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t care about a bottom-rung thug. But this guy had seen Brent’s face. Not sure what they might be facing, he couldn’t afford to take the chance Brent would be identified. Rowan and Alexa’s lives might depend on his anonymity.
Gaze locked on Silverman, he murmured, “Black hole.”
“Copy that.” Satisfaction rang in Zane’s voice. “Does Silverman need medical attention?”
He scanned the thug, noting the black eye forming and his busted lip. Brent had likely knocked a tooth or two loose, but those should stabilize in a few days. The ribs, though, might need some attention. Even tied to Brent’s chair, Silverman was favoring one side and breathing shallow. “Yes.”
“We’ll be ready. How long do we hold him?”
“Undetermined at this point.”
“Orders for Jon?”
Jon Smith was one of the best trained interrogators in the business. If Tom Silverman knew anything worth knowing, Jon would find out without much difficulty. “Information, as much as possible.”
“I’ll pass on the message.” Zane ended the call.
When Rowan tiptoed into the hallway, Brent held up his hand to stop her from stepping into Silverman’s line of sight. The thug might already know what she looked like, but if not, there was no point in letting him see her face.
“Hey,” Silverman snapped. “When are the cops getting here?”
“Told you. No cops.”
A frown. “You can’t keep me here.”
“I have two friends coming for you.”
“What will they do with me?”
He smiled. “Make you disappear.”
Silverman’s swarthy complexion slowly lost all its color. “Hey, I didn’t do nothing to you or your girlfriend. You can’t just kill me.”
Rowan gasped softly.
“Want to bet?” Brent asked. “No one knows you’re here except Invisible Man. You’re one of many people at Keith Phillips’ disposal. He won’t think anything of your disappearance.”
Sweat beaded on the thug’s forehead. “What do you want?”
“Information. Start talking.”
“I don’t know nothing, man. I just followed orders.”
“Whose orders?”
“I don’t know.”
Brent’s eyebrows rose. He waited in silence.
Silverman perspired more, his gaze darting around the room, hunting for an escape. He wouldn’t find one. “I’m telling the truth,” he said. “I don’t know where the orders came from. They just appeared on my phone. I didn’t recognize the number.”
Not buying the explanation. “What were your instructions?”
“Grab the woman.”
“And do what with her?”
“I don’t know. I wa
s to text that number when I had her and would be told where to take her.”
“You weren’t told to kill her?”
“No way!” Silverman’s voice rose. “I wouldn’t kill her or anybody else.”
“Why do they want her?”
“They didn’t tell me, man. You got to believe me.”
Rowan inched closer. “Ask about Alexa,” she whispered.
“Come on, man,” Silverman whined. “You don’t want to do this.”
“On the contrary, Tom,” Brent said conversationally. “I want to do more than this. You and your friends terrorized my girlfriend. I don’t take that lightly.”
“It was a job. I don’t think anyone planned to hurt her. They want to ask her some questions.”
“One of your buddies killed her sister and brother-in-law, and took her niece. You know anything about that?”
“I’m done talking.”
“The little girl is only six, Silverman. She was drugged and taken from her home.”
The man swallowed hard.
“If you tell me where the girl is, I might call off my friends.” Brent caught the growing fear in the thug’s face. He knew something about Alexa, but he was more afraid of the man who sent him than he was of Brent. Guess he’d let Jon talk to him. If Silverman was protecting the identity of the people who were after Rowan, Jon would find out who they were. If this guy knew. Silverman was a throwaway. Chances were good that he wouldn’t be trusted with information of importance.
If Jon could confirm what Brent suspected, Brent would take that compound apart and return Alexa to Rowan. No child deserved to live in fear. Alexa had been traumatized enough.
Minutes later, Brent’s phone vibrated with another incoming message, this one from Eli Wolfe announcing their arrival at the back door. Brent crossed the room and let them inside.
Without saying a word, Jon shrugged off his pack and pulled out a hypodermic needle.
“Hey!” Silverman protested, panic in his voice. “You promised to call off the dogs if I talked.”
“That was your second mistake, Tom.” Brent folded his arms across his chest. “I never made you that promise. Your first mistake was coming after my woman. My priority is her. You don’t matter to me.” He flicked a glance at Jon who immediately plunged the needle into Silverman’s neck. Seconds later, the thug who’d meant to kidnap Rowan was unconscious.
“How much did you give him?” Brent asked.
“He’ll be out for a couple hours or so. Hard to guess at the dosage.” His gaze zeroed in on the hallway. “Get your woman out of here, Brent. This clown’s friends are closing in.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Rowan, get your gear.” Brent pulled out his knife and sliced the ties holding Silverman to the chair. Catching the man as he slumped forward, Brent helped Jon haul the thug upright. “You’ve got three minutes, baby.”
“She okay?” Eli asked as he followed his partner and Brent to the waiting SUV, a small black scanner in his hand to check for a tracker on Brent’s SUV. “This has to be the most frightening thing she’s ever been through.”
“Rowan is a strong woman, but she’s putting on a good performance. I don’t have time to talk to her about it just yet.” Proud of her strength, he was also grateful for her control. He and the others would have dealt with a major meltdown, but it would have taken time they couldn’t spare.
Eli circled Brent’s vehicle. He stopped at the back on the passenger side, dropped to the ground and scooted under the vehicle. A small pen light clicked on. A moment later Eli scooted out from under the SUV and held out his hand to show Brent a small black object. “Tracker.”
Brent blew out a breath, disgusted with himself. He should have checked before leaving Rowan’s place. His misstep had led these clowns right to her. “That’s on me. I was distracted and didn’t check.”
His fellow SEAL grinned at him as Brent helped Jon dump Silverman into the back of their vehicle. After the thug was secure once more, Jon closed the hatchback.
“Can’t believe the invincible Brent Maddox has a weakness.” Eli shook his head, eyes twinkling. “Guess you’re as fallible as Jon and I are when it comes to our women.”
Brent rubbed the back of his neck. “I haven’t even taken her on a date,” he muttered. Should have asked her out sooner. “Can’t call her mine.” Yet. He’d like to change that, but the lady had to be willing.
Jon’s eyebrow rose. “If you say so.”
His heartbeat sped up. Had the SEAL sniper noticed something Brent missed? Man, he hoped Jon’s powers of observation were still spot on. He turned in time to see Rowan racing from the house, bag in hand.
“I’m ready.” She was breathing hard.
Eli took her bag. “I’ll take this. Brent, grab your gear.”
His lips curved. Listen to Wolfe giving orders. He trotted the few feet to his back door.
“I’m Eli.” Wolfe inclined his head to his partner. “That’s Jon.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Rowan. Thanks for helping.”
“Sure thing, sugar. Can’t let anyone get the drop on our boss.”
“Still, I appreciate everything you’re doing. It keeps me safe, too.”
Brent grabbed his Go bag at the back door, turned off most of the lights, locked up again, including setting the security system. He dumped his bag beside Rowan’s on the back seat of his vehicle. “Jon, get information from Silverman as fast as you can.” He summarized the events of the last couple days, including Alexa’s disappearance. “If Silverman knows where the girl is, I want to know yesterday.”
Jon’s face hardened into grim lines at the mention of the missing girl, reminding Brent that the SEAL-trained sniper had a soft spot for women and children in danger. “He will talk to me,” Jon said. “I guarantee it. Whether he knows anything worth hearing is another story.”
“We need to go,” Eli murmured. “I can hear Silverman’s buddies approaching. The last thing we want is a firefight with Rowan in the mix.”
“Where are you taking her?” Jon asked.
“Safe house in Brentwood.”
“We’ll follow you and run interference.”
Brent opened the passenger door for Rowan and helped her inside. He hated that she was trembling. Wanted so much to hold her until the shakes stopped, but didn’t have time at the moment. As soon as she was safe, he promised himself he’d hold her as long as it took her to feel secure. First, though, he had to leave before Silverman’s reinforcements arrived. Eli was right. He didn’t want Rowan caught in the crossfire if he could avoid it.
These guys were desperate to capture Rowan. The question was why? Must be the flash drive. Nothing else made sense. So Keith Phillips didn’t want the file out there. What was so important these guys were willing to kill to keep the file under wraps?
Instead of racing headlong into the path of the thugs, Brent turned toward the back of the property where there was a narrow path through the trees. He’d worked on cutting access to a back road when he first purchased the property. Brent loved the fact his house wasn’t visible from the road or by the neighbors. He hadn’t, however, wanted to be blocked in just in case something like this ever happened. His lip curled. Guess being paranoid was a good thing.
A call came through his Bluetooth. He glanced at the screen in his dashboard. “Go, Jon.”
“Tangos on our tail. Two vehicles.”
“Copy that. Stay on the line to coordinate.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Rowan?” Eli asked.
“Yes?”
Brent frowned. Her voice was shaky. He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. He’d love to hold her hand, but Brent needed both hands on the wheel. He’d purposely made the path curvy. Jon wouldn’t have a problem navigating the winding, rugged road. All of his operatives had special training in defensive driving with an emphasis on combat situations.
“We have your back, sugar. We’ll keep you safe and find your niece. You can trus
t Brent even if you don’t trust us.”
Brent felt Rowan’s gaze on him.
“I know,” she said to Eli. “Thanks for the reassurance, though.”
“Step on it, Brent,” Jon cut in. “Closing in fast.”
Brent pressed the accelerator, pushing as fast as he dared without endangering Rowan. He glanced at the woman by his side, glad to see her seatbelt fastened. Only one mile to the road, a very curvy mile that felt like multiple miles. “You okay, baby?”
“Not really.”
“I’m sorry, Rowan.”
“For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I should’ve checked for a tracker. My carelessness landed us in this position.”
“These guys are determined. If not the tracker, something else would have happened. They’ll keep coming until we stop them. I don’t understand why they’re so determined. Is the flash drive that important?”
“Seems so.”
“It’s a list of names,” she protested. “Nothing worth killing for.”
“If Phillips is behind the murders, the attacks on you, and Alexa’s disappearance, that list is something he doesn’t want in public view.”
“But what’s so important about a list of names? Being in a militia isn’t illegal. What is he afraid of?”
“We’ll know more when Adam deciphers the next code and we see the second part of the list.”
The headlights of Eli’s SUV sped toward them. “Eli?”
“How far is the road?” The operative’s voice was tense.
“Two hundred yards. At the tree line, take a sharp right.”
“Copy.”
A loud pop came through the speaker system.
Rowan gasped. “What’s that?”
“Gunfire. Hang on.”
Rowan grasped the overhead bar with one hand and grabbed the side of the seat with the other.
Brent’s SUV reached the tree line. He guided the vehicle into a controlled slide onto the roadway. “Eli, there’s a fork in the road in a quarter mile. Take the left. We’ll take the right.”
