Operation: Midnight Escape

by Linda Castillo

  Jake cursed.

  Rick sighed. “Maybe Cutter was right about you. Maybe when it comes to her you think with a different part of your anatomy than your brain.”

  “What part of his anatomy would that be?”

  Both men swung around. Jake groaned when he spotted Leigh standing in the hall. The look on her face told him she’d heard every word of the exchange.

  “Leigh…”

  “I want to know what’s going on.” She’d dressed in jeans, a turtleneck and a blue flannel shirt. Her face was pale and she was eyeing both of them with unconcealed hostility.

  “We’re here to help you get Rasmussen.” Monteith looked at Jake and shook his head. “He’s not cooperating.”

  She crossed to Jake. “You can’t do this on your own. Let them help you.”

  The front door stood open. Beyond Jake heard a car door slam, and he cursed.

  Leigh looked at Rick. “Who’s out there?”

  “Mike Madrid,” Jake spat.

  Her eyes widened. “The man who—”

  “He didn’t,” Rick cut in. “I’ll stake my life on that. He’s here to help. Like me. Jake ticked him off.”

  “He’s got a real knack for that,” Leigh said dryly.

  Rick grinned at Jake. “She knows you pretty well, eh?”

  Jake scrubbed a hand over his face. The truth of the matter was he trusted Rick Monteith with his life. If Rick said Madrid was on the level, Jake had no choice but to believe him.

  Shoving his pride aside, he brushed past Rick and headed out the door. Madrid was kneeling at a trailer hitch upon which two snowmobiles were parked. He didn’t look up when Jake approached.

  “I trust Rick’s judgment,” Jake said. “If he says you’re on the level, I believe him.”

  Madrid frowned. “You suck at apologies.”

  “Yeah, that’s what everyone tells me.”

  He finished with the hitch, then rose to his full height. Jake took that moment to extend his hand. “Let’s nab us a bad guy,” he said, and the two men shook hands.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “So the story ran in this morning’s edition?” Rick Monteith asked.

  “And the online edition,” Jake said.

  “That Rasmussen could read from anywhere,” Mike Madrid put in.

  Leigh stood at the counter in the small kitchen and poured four cups of coffee. It didn’t surprise her that her hands were shaking; her nerves were as tight as piano wires. As soon as they got the go-ahead from Ronald Waite telling them the call had been traced by Rasmussen, it was showtime.

  She carried the tray to the table and sat down next to Jake. His gaze met hers. “You okay?” he asked.

  No, she thought. She wasn’t okay. Not by a long shot. She hated this plan. She hated putting Jake and the other two men in danger. She didn’t want anyone getting hurt. But she knew if she wanted her life back—if she wanted Jake to have his life back—she was going to have to face this nightmare once and for all. “I’m okay,” she said.

  He squeezed her hand, then his gaze swept to each of the other two men. “This is how it’s going to go down.” He spread a small, computer-generated map on the table. “Leigh stays here with Madrid. Rick, as soon as we get the call from Ronald, we take the snowmobiles to the other cabin. It’s exactly twelve miles from here.” He set his finger on the map. “Across this frozen lake. There’s a shed at the rear of the property. We stash the snowmobiles there and wait for Rasmussen to show.”

  “Rules of engagement?” Rick asked.

  “Same as law enforcement. We use whatever force is necessary for us to safely bring him in, including deadly force.”

  Deadly force. God…

  The phone on the counter beeped, and Jake got up and hit the speaker key. “Vanderpol.”

  “Rasmussen bit,” came Ronald’s voice on the other end. “We gave him the location of the cabin. Trace tells us he’s in Toronto.”

  “No doubt he’s got a private jet at his disposal. So we have to figure he can be in the area in just over an hour. We need to move.” Jake released the call then turned to face them. “Time to rock and roll.”

  The next minutes passed in a blur. The men gathered weapons, and put on their coats and cold-weather gear. As Jake prepared to leave, it was as if she no longer existed. He was so focused on what he was about to he didn’t even spare her a glance. It all boiled down to the job for him. Just like before; once he’d had Rasmussen in his sights, he hadn’t so much as spared her a single thought.

  Leigh knew it was petty of her to feel that way. Jake and the other two men were facing a dangerous enemy. They needed to be wholly focused on the coming hours. Maybe the reason she felt so bereft was because they had used her six years ago….

  Struggling against the thoughts, she followed the men as far as the porch and watched Jake and Rick Monteith don their helmets. Rick had already started his engine. Jake looked her way, then tossed the helmet into the snow and jogged toward the porch, his eyes dark and intent on her. She had a moment to brace. Then his arms wrapped around her. His mouth found hers. The kiss stirred her despite the circumstances.

  “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered.

  “I’m afraid for you.”

  He cupped her face in his large, strong hands. “We’re going to be fine.”

  Her legs went weak when he kissed her again. Then he ran to the snowmobile. Leigh watched them disappear down the lane, praying he was right.

  RONALD WAITE LIVED in an upscale suburb between Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan. He had a story buzzing around in his head and had decided to take the afternoon off and write it on his laptop computer at home. He let himself in through the front door of his two-story home and hung his coat in the closet. He was midway through the living room when he noticed that something didn’t feel right about the house.

  Uneasy, he listened, his mind scrolling through a quick security checklist. He glanced into the kitchen and saw the miniblinds at the back door stir. Then, feeling a chill in the air, he knew someone had broken into his house.

  He backed toward the door, his hand going into his coat pocket for his cell phone. He turned and darted toward the door only to have his way blocked by two men who’d descended the stairs leading to the bedrooms. They were wearing black coats, ski masks, black leather gloves. Killers, he thought, and tried to lunge past them to get to the door. But the man nearest him slid a neat, chrome pistol from beneath his coat.

  “Don’t even think about it,” the man said.

  Ronald raised his hands, his eyes darting from man to man. “What do you want?”

  “Information.” The second man slid a shotgun from beneath his coat.

  “Wh-what information?” Ronald asked.

  “We want to know where Leigh Michaels is,” the first man said.

  He’d been in some tight situations in the years he’d worked at the Investigator. He’d certainly made some enemies. But he’d never felt as if his life were in danger. Looking at Rasmussen’s men, he had a terrible feeling he wasn’t going to survive this.

  “I…I don’t know where she is,” he lied.

  The men exchanged glances. The first man shook his head. “Look,” he began, “we can do this easy or we can do it hard. Either way, you will tell us where she is.”

  Ronald’s heart was beating so fast he thought he was going to have a heart attack.

  “Turn around and give me your wrists,” ordered one of the men, removing a pair of handcuffs from his coat pocket.

  Ronald spun and threw himself into a run. He hit the dining room at full speed. His hand was in his pocket, seeking his cell phone. If he could just dial 911…

  He heard a loud crack. Something stung him in the leg. Pain zinged through his body, and he fell facedown in the kitchen.

  When he looked up, one of the men was standing over him, holding a stun gun in his hand. The man knelt, and Ronald felt himself being rolled onto his stomach. His hands were jerked roughly behind his back. The c
uffs snapped into place.

  Then the man rolled him onto his back. “You have ten seconds to tell us where she is.”

  Ronald knew if he told them where she was, Leigh Michaels was as good as dead. He didn’t know what to do. Save himself and let Ian Rasmussen murder a young woman in cold blood? Or forfeit his own life so that she could live?

  Perhaps he could lie to them, give them a false location, buy some time. Ideas spun through his mind. Surely he could think of something.

  One of the men knelt next to Ronald. His eyes sought Ronald’s. “Where is she?” he asked.

  Ronald shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  The man sighed, then brandished the stun gun. “This particular stun gun will put between one hundred thousand and five hundred thousand volts into your body. You just got a taste of what one hundred thousand volts feels like.” He smiled. “Unpleasant, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t know where she is,” Ronald cried. “I swear!”

  “Let’s see what five hundred thousand volts feels like.” The man adjusted a knob on the gun.

  Terror swept through Ronald when the man jammed the probes against his side. He cried out as five hundred thousand volts of electricity discharged into his body.

  “Tell us and we won’t have to hurt you any more,” the man said.

  “I…don’t…know…”

  Another loud crack sounded when the probes touched his skin. Writhing in agonizing pain, he knew he couldn’t take much more.

  “Tell us where she is and we’ll let you go.”

  Sweating and panting like an animal, Ronald sobbed. “All right. Please! No more.”

  “Talk,” the thug said.

  Ronald Waite started to talk.

  EVEN THOUGH THEY’D DONNED heavy weather gear, Jake was frozen to his bones when they arrived at the other cabin. At forty miles per hour, the wind-chill had hovered at a numbing thirty below zero. The trip across the lake had taken almost fifteen minutes.

  He hadn’t wanted to leave Leigh behind. He knew how much could happen in fifteen minutes. But he also knew she was safer there than she would be here. He fully expected Rasmussen to show. When he did, the situation would undoubtedly turn ugly. He didn’t want Leigh anywhere near it.

  He and Rick stashed the snowmobiles in the shed behind the cabin. Even though it would be dark by the time Rasmussen showed up, Rick spent ten minutes covering the tracks. Jake went inside and built a fire in the hearth. He’d just finished when the door swung open and Rick walked inside.

  “Why can’t these situations ever happen when it’s seventy degrees and sunny?” he grumbled.

  Jake laughed. “Makes our job way too easy.”

  “Speaking of job…” Rick worked off his parka and gloves. “You need to call Cutter and give him a heads-up.”

  Jake knew he was right. Cutter needed to know about this. The man was going to be royally ticked off.

  Not wanting to get chewed out in front of his fellow agent, Jake picked up his cell phone and took it to the bedroom. He removed his gloves and parka, then sat down on the bed and dialed the number.

  Cutter answered on the first ring. “I was wondering when the hell you were going to check in.”

  “I’m checking in.”

  “I ought to fire you for insubordination, Vanderpol.”

  “Maybe you ought to wait until I hand you Rasmussen.”

  A beat of tense silence. “What?”

  “I set up a sting—”

  Cutter cursed harshly. “You set up a sting without my authorization!”

  “I set up a sting because evidently you couldn’t pull it off,” Jake said evenly.

  “If I were there I’d deck you.”

  “Don’t worry, Cutter. You’ll get your chance. I’ll have him in custody by nineteen hundred.”

  “Jake, damn it, if anyone gets hurt.”

  “No one’s going to get hurt.”

  “I want Rasmussen alive.”

  “I don’t plan to kill him, but if it comes down to me or him, I’ll take him out.”

  Another curse burned through the line. “Where are you and I’ll send backup.”

  Jake was tempted to tell him. He and Rick needed all the help they could get. But Sean Cutter was a by-the-book superior. Jake wouldn’t put it past him to call off the entire operation. With Leigh’s life hanging in the balance, he couldn’t risk that.

  “I’ll let you know when we have him in custody.”

  “Jake, damn it, you don’t have the authority—”

  Jake hit the end button and rose.

  “…if anyone gets hurt…”

  Cutter’s words rang uncomfortably in his ears. It was Jake’s biggest concern. Worry gnawed at him. He wanted to call Leigh to check on her. He desperately wanted to hear her voice. He missed her. Only half an hour had passed and already he was desperate to see her again.

  The next thought that struck him threatened to buckle his legs, and he sat down hard on the bed. Was it possible he’d never stopped loving her?

  The thought terrified him because no matter how carefully he’d laid out this plan there was always the chance something could go wrong. But the thought of loving her again—of her returning that love thrilled him in equal measure.

  Jake had taken lovers in the six years since he’d been with her. He’d enjoyed being with them, even cared for them. But none of the women he’d known had even come close to touching him the way Leigh did.

  He found Rick sitting at the kitchen table, sipping instant coffee. The other man grinned when Jake approached. “Cutter rake you over the coals?”

  Jake made a sound of disgust, then went to the sink and snagged a cup even though he despised instant. “Let’s go over the plan again,” he said.

  “We’ve already been over it three ti—”

  “We go over it again!” Jake snapped.

  Rick sighed. “Whatever you say, partner.”

  Jake carried his coffee to the table and sat down. His hand shook when he raised the cup to his lips.

  “You got it bad for her, huh, Jake?”

  Jake stared into his coffee. “If anything happens to her, I swear I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

  Rick looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. “I’ll be damned, Iron Jake, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”

  Jake muttered a curse.

  “Nothing’s going to happen to her. This is a clean plan. He thinks she’s here. He’ll come. He gets us instead.” Grinning, Rick patted the weapon strapped to his side. “He’ll have some firepower, but so do we. Everyone goes home except Rasmussen.”

  Jake only hoped there wasn’t some loose end they hadn’t thought of.

  LEIGH STOOD AT THE WINDOW watching dusk descend. An hour had passed since Jake and Rick had left, but it felt like a lifetime. She tried not to worry, but the thought of Jake facing off with Rasmussen made her realize just how much she’d come to care for him.

  As hard as she’d tried not to, she’d fallen for Jake all over again. Fallen for him even harder than she had six years ago. Was he going to walk away and leave her life in tatters again? Was the job always going to come first? Once he got Rasmussen, would he still need her?

  She knew in her heart that Jake was a good man. She knew he had the most honorable of intentions. But he was a warrior. Even though he was currently at odds with the MIDNIGHT Agency, Leigh knew Sean Cutter wouldn’t let him go. Jake was too good at what he did. She knew Jake would go back if asked. The question foremost in her mind was, where did that leave her?

  She jumped when she heard movement behind her.

  Mike Madrid smiled and shoved a mug of something hot and steaming at her. “It’s getting colder. I thought you might like some hot chocolate,” he said.

  Leigh reached for the mug. “Thank you.”

  He looked uncomfortable for a moment, cleared his throat. “I just want you to know I didn’t give up your location. Rasmussen is a techno freak. Likes to surround h
imself with a lot of high-tech equipment.”

  She’d already figured that out. “Jake would never have left if he believed you had given us up.”

  Madrid nodded. For the first time, Leigh noticed the rifle at his side. She caught a glimpse of a shoulder holster beneath his parka. “I scoped out the cabin and the property. The best place for me is on the roof.”

  “It’s ten degrees out there,” Leigh said.

  “I’m dressed for it. That’s where I’ll have the best view. I can see anything coming from all directions. I can use the chimney for cover.” He knocked on the Kevlar vest at his chest. “I’m pretty well protected.”

  “Is there anything I should be doing?” she asked.

  “Just stay aware. Be cautious. Don’t let anyone in.” He slid a tiny pistol from his jeans and passed it to her. “I don’t expect any problems, but if something does arise, I want you to shoot first and ask questions later.”

  Her heart was beating hard and fast when she looked down at the piece of deadly steel in her hands.

  “Keep it near you at all times. This should be over in the next couple of hours, but he could keep us waiting.”

  He started to turn away, but Leigh reached out and touched his shoulder. He turned dark, surprised eyes on her. “Thank you,” she said.

  “Thank me when this is over,” he said, and walked out the door.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Leigh paced the cabin like a trapped animal. She hadn’t heard from Mike Madrid since he’d gone up to the roof twenty minutes ago. She wanted to call Jake, but didn’t want to distract him during a potentially crucial moment. If anything happened, she assured herself, he would call her. She hadn’t let her cell phone out of her sight since he’d left.

  She put another log on the fire even though it was already blazing. In the kitchen she made tea, but she didn’t want it. She couldn’t sit still, couldn’t stop pacing. She couldn’t stop thinking about Jake and all the things that could go wrong.

  “Please be careful,” she whispered as she walked to the window and spread the curtains.

  At some point the wind had picked up. Leigh could hear it howling around the cabin. Usually she didn’t mind being alone, but tonight she felt as if she were the only human being in the world. A world that was suddenly hostile and dangerous. It was going to be a very long night.