A gunshot pierced the silence.
Ben!
She froze in place, fear coursing through her veins like ice chunks caught in the current of a river in the dead of winter. Her brain seized, not allowing her to consider the ramifications. Two of the men had guns. One did not. The odds were not in Ben's favor.
Her lungs burned, and she released the breath she had sucked in and held. Now, her lungs were working double time, taking in air faster than she could expel. Her heartbeat was too fast, like a drummer banging out his big solo. She needed to get a grip before she had a full-blown panic attack and passed out. No good could come from that. She closed her eyes, inhaled, and slowly counted to four before releasing her breath.
As she breathed in again, a second shot sounded. Clasping her hands over her mouth, she strangled a scream. Visions of Ben flooded her mind. Standing before her after his run without a shirt on. Yeah, he was sexy with a capital "S". But he was so much more than that. The look in his eyes as he brought her to an orgasm the day before. The way he had shown up at her office after she had stood him up. His surprisingly playful, albeit it sarcastic as hell, personality that poked at her. Most of all, the way he stood up to Kevin. In the short amount of time they had been together, Mia had found someone she wanted desperately to have a real relationship with. She wanted to discover everything about his likes and dislikes. Wanted to see if they were truly as compatible as they seemed to be.
For once, she wanted to see where things could go.
Was it too late now?
The sound of another gunshot shook Mia. Now was not the time to blubber about what might have been with Ben. If her worst fears were true, then she was on her own. The priority was to get the hell out of there, and figure out how to get in touch with Lance, Mason, and Mozart. Men with guns were hunting her, intent on killing her. No way was she going to make it easy for them.
And she needed her new SEAL friends to help exact revenge if Ben was gone…
Elevators were out. She couldn't trust anyone in the building. Walking out the front door was not an option. She spun around in search of a place to hide, or another exit. The door across the hall had a stairwell sign on it. She pushed open the door and listened for any sounds.
Nothing.
Carefully placing her feet on the treads so as not to make too much noise in the stairwell, she started down the steps without a clue as to what she would do once she reached the bottom. No reason to worry about it right now, she would figure it out if she made it all the way down without running into anyone.
On the third floor landing, the door flew open. A man barreled into her, nearly knocking her down. Hands grasped her upper arms. She twisted to break free, but the man was too strong, and his grip too tight.
"Mia!"
She peered into the man's face. It took a moment for her brain to believe what she was seeing.
"Ben?" She threw her arms around his neck. "I thought you were dead."
He pulled her tight against his body, and kissed the side of her head. "We'll discuss your lack of confidence in my abilities later. Right now, we need to get to the basement."
As they reached the first floor, a door from a few floors above them opened. Feet pounded on the concrete steps as they descended. Ben grabbed Mia's hand and they took the final flight of stairs two at a time. Yanking the basement door open, they rushed through and closed it quietly behind them.
Ben glanced down each end of the hallway. "This way," he said, and headed to his left.
"Where are we going?" Mia asked. She had long legs, but was struggling to keep up in the high heels.
"Subway."
Mia shook her head. "The Metro doesn't stop here, Ben."
"Not the Metro. There's a subway that runs between all the Capitol buildings."
Mia had heard something about the Capitol subway once, but had thought it was a load of bullshit. Secret tunnels and private subways sounded like something made up to enhance a political thriller.
They rounded a corner and came upon a set of tracks. A short distance away was a small subway car. Ben and Mia ran for it, and managed to get aboard just as it was beginning to pull away.
Mia breathed out a sigh of relief, and slumped against the side of the car. She closed her eyes. Maybe she would discover that she had dreamed everything that had happened over the past couple of days once she opened her eyes again.
Mia heard the click of a lock disengaging. Ben was standing in front of the door, and had slid it open a couple of inches.
"What are you doing?" The words rushed out of Mia's mouth.
Ben's face softened, and his gaze was apologetic. "There isn't technically a stop where we need to get off."
Mia stared at him for a moment, her mind processing what he could possibly mean. "So, how are we getting off?"
Ben gave a half-hearted attempt at a smile. He needn't have bothered, it did nothing to put her at ease. "We have to jump."
Her heart lurched and took off like a dog chasing a rabbit. "Jump?"
"Yeah."
Mia looked out the window. The subway didn't feel as if it was moving very fast—not like the Metro—but she wasn't sure she could actually make it without breaking a bone or two on impact.
"Fabulous," she said, slipping her shoes off her feet. "I don't think I can do that."
"Of course, you can. Tuck and roll when you hit the ground. And try not to tense up."
Try not to tense up? Is he serious?
Mia took a deep breath, and quelled the need to punch Ben in the face. "When do we go?"
Ben pulled the door open. "Now." He gave her a shove, and she leapt from the rail car.
Tucking her head to her chest, she pulled her legs in before she hit the ground. Her shoulder struck the gravel first, and a sharp pain shot down her arm. Ben was beside her pulling her to her feet before she could check to see if there were pains anywhere else on her body. Jumping onto the platform, Ben pulled Mia up. Her shoulder protested with another jolt of pain. She cursed under her breath, but hurried down the platform behind him.
Stopping in front of a large black metal door, Ben pushed against it. The door didn't budge. He tried again, putting all his weight behind it. Still nothing.
"Stand to the side," he told Mia, and took a few steps back. Running at the door as fast as he could, he hit the release bar. A loud creak echoed through the cavern. A sliver of sunlight came through the opening.
One more body slam against the door, and it gave way and opened enough for them to slip through.
Mia darted from the tunnel, the bright light blinding her. She blinked a few times. They were in a park of some sort, but she didn't recognize where. She slid her feet back into her shoes as Ben took her hand and rushed them down the sidewalk, looking over his shoulder as they went. On the other side of the park, they crossed Maine Avenue SW, and made their way down to the DC Wharf.
Mia hoped to hell Ben had a plan, because as far as she could she, if the bad guys found them, there was nowhere to go but into the Potomac River.
And Mia was not the best swimmer.
Getting out of the Senate building may have only given them a few extra minutes to live.
Grasping Mia by the elbow, Ben ran across Maine. Once on the dock, he scanned the boats looking for Mozart. Third boat on the right, a man stood, and waved his hand over his head.
"Let's go," Ben said to Mia, practically pulling her along. The guards would be discovered soon, and the hunt for Ben and Mia would be underway. They needed to get off the dock and far away from the center of DC.
Mozart was at the controls. Ben jumped aboard, and turned to assist Mia onto the boat. "We're clear," he called over his shoulder to Mozart. Pulling a life jacket from the storage bin, he handed it to Mia. "Put this on, and then lay down on the bench." If law enforcement was watching the marina, they would be looking for a man and a woman.
Thirty minutes later they pulled up to a lone dock along the border of Virginia and Maryland. Ben tied
up the boat, and the three set off through the woods on foot. Tex had sent Mozart GPS coordinates to a safe house in Maryland, and within fifteen minutes, the three of them stepped onto the porch of a small cabin. A rutted dirt drive winded through the trees and disappeared. The only sounds were their shoes on the deck and their breathing. No traffic…and most importantly, no sirens.
Mozart found a loose piece of decking, and stuck his hand into the hole. Presenting a key, he unlocked the front door, walked inside and flipped on a couple of light switches. The living room was comfortable with a couch and recliner in front of a large stone fireplace. To the left was a small kitchen and a long farm table. To the right were three closed doors. Ben and Mozart moved towards them, guns drawn. Carefully, they opened the doors, revealing two bedrooms and a bathroom.
"Lance and Tink should be here within the hour with all your things from the hotel room, along with some supplies," Mozart said, checking his gun, and setting it on the kitchen counter.
Lance and Tink arrived within forty minutes. Mia helped Lance put away the groceries, while Ben took their bags into the bedroom. Should he let Mia have a room to herself? His brain was too fragged to think about it at that moment—he'd figure out sleeping arrangements later. For now, he was more interested in debriefing the guys, and planning their next move.
Tink handed Ben his Sig. It felt good in his hand. Comfortable. Handing the Browning to Tink, he said, "It's hot. Took it from a guard, and then dumped a round in each of them."
"Either one still breathing?" Tink asked, taking the piece apart, no doubt so he could dump it in various places along the Potomac.
Ben shook his head.
Mozart lifted the box of all the Hutton Foundation documents onto the table while Ben placed a call to Tex. Engaging the speaker, he placed the phone in the center of the table as everyone took their sets. Ben and Mia explained what had happened during their meeting with the senator, and the narrow escape from his henchmen.
"Hutton seemed particularly concerned with whether or not anyone else knew about what had been discovered," Ben said.
Mia nodded. "And if we had any idea what CALICO was."
"Funny you should mention that," Tex said. "CALICO is not the name of a charity—it's a place. Cali, Colombia."
Tink whistled through his teeth. "So the charity is in Colombia?"
"I'm not convinced it's a charity, at all," Tex clarified.
"You think it's a sort of dummy charity—in the same manner as a dummy corporation?" Mia asked.
"I do," Tex answered. "And here's why. Mia, the bank account you found was an offshore account, but not from a Swiss bank. The account is held at El Banco de Calico."
Lance rested his arms on the table, and leaned in closer to the phone. "That name sounds familiar."
"Well, it has some very distinguished clients with questionable business ethics. More than one drug cartel has an account there, and it's rumored Al Qaeda may utilize the bank's services, as well. I was able to hack into the account."
Ben stood and paced. This fucking situation was getting weirder by the minute. "Do we know where the seed money is coming from to fund the account?"
"The cash donations," said Tink.
Mia poked the tabletop with her finger. "But if the account is in Colombia, how is the cash getting into the account?"
Good question.
"According to the bank records, the deposits are made at the bank," Tex said. "But, that does not rule out the possibility the money was sent directly to the bank. They would still show it as a deposit made at the bank since, presumably, there would be nothing indicating who sent it."
Tink snorted. "No one would be dumb enough to send that amount of cash through the mail."
Mia shrugged. "They are if it's the only option and they want to remain anonymous."
"I found something else odd," Tex said.
Ben glanced at Mia and raised an eyebrow. There seemed to be an unlimited amount of questions and oddities associated with CALICO, but no answers of any substance.
"Typically about two-to-three days after the donations are received, there are donations in the exact amount—"
Tink rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, we knew that. Mia already found that gem."
"Wait for it, Tinkerbell," Tex admonished. "The withdrawals are cash withdrawals, at the bank."
"So, no way to directly link the deposits or the withdrawals to any one personally," Lance stated, and sat back in his chair, exhaling loudly.
"Not unless someone was there to see who made the deposit or withdrawal," Tink added. Everyone stared at him, waiting for an explanation. "If we knew when these events were going to happen, and had someone at the bank, we could tail whoever it is and find out who they are—"
"And who they work for," Mozart chimed in.
"And who is funding CALICO's bank account," said Ben.
Mia nodded and Ben cringed at the gleam in her eye. This was tapping into her geeky accountant brain, and providing some type of thrill trying to solve the mystery.
"Hey Tex, is there any other activity on the account? Purchases?" Mia asked.
"Nope, there's never any money in the account for long. It comes in, and a couple of days later, it goes out."
Mozart turned in his chair and looked at Mia. "Why is that significant?"
"A charity is going to purchase items for whatever their cause supports. If they are building a school, there would be expenditures for building supplies, desks and chairs, but they aren't doing any of that."
"Out of this account, anyway," Lance inserted. "They could be taking the money and depositing it into a larger account. Maybe the donations for CALICO are used to fund a different charitable organization."
"Then why not just have the donations go straight to that account?" Ben asked.
Lance shrugged. "Maybe CALICO is acting as a middle man account, or something. They collect the donations, and then pass everything off to the other charity."
"It would be a hell of a lot easier to do a bank-to-bank electronic transfer. Why risk walking the streets of Colombia with that amount of cash?"
"Well, we are one step closer to figuring out what is going on, but it still leaves some glaring questions," Tex said. "If CALICO isn't a charity—who the hell are they? And what are they using the laundered money for?"
Lance took a deep breath, stood, and fished his cell phone out of his pocket. "I better let the boss know what's going on, and get admin to work on travel accommodations."
"So, we're going to Columbia?" Mia asked. "I'm going to need more clothes…and my passport." She was muttering under her breath, no doubt making a mental checklist of items she wouldn't need—as far as Ben was concerned.
Ben stood in front of her. She lifted her head, her eyebrows crinkling together over the bridge of her nose. "What?"
"You're not going to Columbia," he said matter-of-factly. It was best to just shut this shit down. There was no way Ben would take Mia to the danger. It would be like taking a chicken into a fox den.
Mia bristled, shifted in her chair, and squared her shoulders. "If you think you're leaving me here, you're out of your mind."
Ben crossed his arms over his chest. It was kind of sexy, the way she was getting all tough and demanding. Too bad it wasn't going to get her anywhere—certainly not to Colombia. "It's too dangerous."
"In case you missed it, I'm not going alone. I'll be with a group of Navy SEALs. Besides, you're going to need someone who understands ledgers, spreadsheets, and all things financial."
"She has a point," Tink butted in.
Ben glared at him, and turned back to Mia. "No."
Lance rejoined the group, tossing his cell phone onto the table, and slapping a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Humps, we need her. If we come across information, we won't have time to delve into it to find out what's pertinent and what's not. She has the expertise to get answers quickly."
Fuck it all!
Ben glared at Lance, but knew he was righ
t. Mia was the best person to deal with the financial information, and tell them what it all meant. But that didn't help dissolve the large boulder currently residing in his gut at the thought of her being within a thousand miles—let alone in the same vicinity—of the people who didn't seem to mind killing to keep their business a secret.
"Fine," he said, which produced a wide smile across Mia's face. "But you do as you're told. If we say to stay put—you stay, listen, and do. Got it?"
Mia rolled her eyes. "Lighten up, Ben." When she lifted her gaze to his, her smile fell. He was not fucking around with this. She either acknowledged the rules, or she stayed put—regardless of what Lance dictated. "I'll follow directions," she said rather meekly. "I promise."
He hated being such a dick, but he needed her to take this seriously. It was still a mystery as to who they were dealing with. But the one thing he did know for sure—no matter who they were—they were unlike anyone Mia had ever encountered.
Lance, Tink, and Mozart went back into town. Mia had provided a long list of items she needed, along with instructions on how to get her passport from a lockbox in her bedroom closet. The entire discussion had put Ben on edge, which everyone seemed to take as him being angry. Not true…he was trying his damnedest to come to terms with how he felt about Mia, and not wanting her to put herself in danger.
He knew he had to get his head straight. Mia's safety was a top priority for him, but she couldn't be his only priority. The pseudo-mission to uncover CALICO's potential illegal activities and eliminate the threat against Mia required him to be on top of his shit.
The water ran in the shower. Mia had basically ignored him as soon as the guys left, muttering that she was going to get ready for bed. She closed the bedroom door before Ben could say anything to her. Gathering the dishes from the table, he swept the food remnants into the trash, and stacked the dishes next to the sink. Rinsing everything, he loaded the dishwasher, and added detergent. Once Mia was done with her shower, he would turn the dishwasher on so she wasn't scalded. Best to avoid upsetting her anymore than she already was.
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Mia (Kindle Worlds) Page 11
