“Careful what you wish for, Drake. You might just get it.” I try to let my confidence show through to my eyes. “I’m not afraid of you, Drake. You should be afraid of Tony. He won’t stop until I’m safe.”
She listens to me, as if she’s politely entertaining a child. Then she speaks. “He’ll negotiate, Vaden, your life for his. Everything is going exactly the way we planned. Taking your father was simply a distraction, to separate you and your baby daddy. Word travels fast in Winston.” She’s been pacing back and forth, but with that bit of information, she stops about two feet in front of me. “When he’s here, I’ll finally get to kill both lovebirds at once.”
She’s laughing as she exits the barn, almost as if she’s some super genius, who is finally getting everything she’s always worked for.
Too bad for her, I really do know a super genius. I easily reach up under my long sleeved cotton shirt, reach into my bra, and pull out the real ear piece Constance gave me. The other one was just a decoy to make anyone looking think they’d found something, so they wouldn’t search me very thoroughly.
I fit it into my ear, and ask, “Did you hear that?”
Connie’s sweet voice fills my ear, and feeds my hopes. “Every word, baby cakes. I’m calling our men now.”
“If this doesn’t work, Tony’s going to kill me,” I admit.
“If it doesn’t work, you won’t have to worry about that,” Connie counters. “Now be quiet, the phone is ringing.”
“Tell them I said hi,” I quip.
Tony
Before we get to Killian’s car, Jamie’s phone rings. “It’s my wife,” he says, obviously embarrassed after all the ribbing he gave me earlier. “Connie, Lani’s...” He begins, but stops abruptly.
There’s a pause, as I open the back passenger door. Jamie climbs in beside me, and before he closes his door, he yells, “What!” That does nothing to assuage my fears. I slam the door closed, and look over at him. I feel like the entire world is crumbling around me. He holds the phone out in front of him, so that it’s angled almost in between the four men in the car, then says, “You’re on speaker.”
“Look around you,” his wife says, loud enough for us all to hear. She instantly has everyone’s attention. “At the men with you.”
Jamie, who had been looking out the window, turns immediately toward me. “Can you see us?” he asks, with pride and a little fear.
“These are the only four men you can trust. Drake knows that Lani’s pregnant, which means there’s a mole on the force.”
“How do you know that Drake knows…” I begin, but we’re all talking over each other.
“Barrett’s the mole,” Riley states emphatically, and looks at me.
“Don’t tell me Lani faked her own abduction,” Killian groans.
“Connie, you’re amazing,” Jamie exclaims. Everyone stares at Jamie. “What?”
“Focus,” Constance snaps. “There’s a mole in the police force. Lani’s wearing an ear piece with a GPS chip. I know where she is.” That’s met with silence.
“We need guns,” Riley says, and glances at Killian.
“I can’t get my hands on anything here in Winston, but I’m sure Captain Vaden has some stashed somewhere,” he replies, and turns toward me. “She’ll be okay.”
“Connie said to only trust each other,” Jamie counters.
“You can trust her dad, Jamie,” Constance groans. “God, you’re so frustrating sometimes.”
Riley speaks. “I have three guns.”
“I have two, and four at home.” Jamie adds.
I almost don’t want to say it out loud, but I do. “I have one.” I pull the gun that Lani gave me out of my pocket.
“Ah, it’s so cute. Your girlfriend give you that?” Riley chuckles, but Killian sends a withering glance his way, and he stops. “Sorry.”
“I have three,” Killian concludes.
“Let’s go then!” I exclaim. Killian starts the car.
“No!” Everyone again looks at Jamie’s phone. The words “Boo Boo” are displayed on the screen in hot pink letters, with a very flattering picture of Constance in a low cut dress and a million dollar smile. “Captain Vaden says to meet at the station. You can’t make it seem like you know where she is. This might cause Drake to look closer at Lani. Maybe she’ll find the ear piece, or move her.”
My first instinct is to argue. My first thought is to go after Lani. My second thought is that I’m going to wring her neck for putting herself and our baby in this situation. But they’re right. We need to make it look like we don’t know, for now, until we figure out who the mole is. There’s only one choice. “I’m in.”
“Me too,” Riley says, with a nod to me.
“Agreed,” Killian states, and puts the car in gear.
“We have the smartest women in the world,” Jamie states, and turns toward me.
He might be right. And at this moment, it pisses me off.
“The plan is for Tony to lose his mind, get angry, and storm out. Riley follows. They can’t keep you, Tony. You’re a free man. Dr. Foster will pick the two of you up at the convenience store down the street, far enough away so that prying eyes might not see, and bring you to his house.”
I nod, even though she can’t see me. At least, I don’t think she can see me. “Okay.”
“Agent Burke, you’re on your own making up a reason to leave.”
“Fine,” he comments.
“Jamie, Captain Vaden is going to send you out on a bogus call, to get you away from the investigation. You’re too close, emotionally.”
“No, I’ll be fine. I can handle…”
“Go with the plan,” Constance interrupts.
“Yes, dear,” he responds without delay.
“Everyone know their role? Hopefully you’ll all meet at Dr. Foster’s in a couple of hours.” We all look at each other. I don’t know of any four men, outside my SEAL team, that I’d rather have on my side.
“Yes,” we all say.
“Good luck, Angels.”
“Thanks, Charlie,” Jamie says with a grin. When I glare at him, he grumbles, “Sorry.”
“Sorry,” Constance adds, then closes the line.
Lani
“The guys are on their way to the police station. Our plan is working. Just hold on until then.” It should be a bit unnerving to communicate this way, but I guess ear buds and cell phones have already prepared me. “And, I think I may know who the mole is.”
“Good. Why does everything in this county smell like either cow shit, or horse shit?” I grumble.
Connie answers my rhetorical question, with a reminder. “You live in the country, Lani. What do you expect?”
Simultaneously, another voice calls out from the shadows. “Who are you talking to, Vaden?” Then she appears. It’s Hughes. She looks a little more normal in jeans and a sweat jacket, her hair is down, and it’s a dirty blonde color. I might not have known who she was, since she’s not wearing the guard uniform, if I hadn’t heard her speak.
“Myself. I mean, did you have to throw me in a stable? Were there no dark basements available?” She crosses her arms in front of her chest, and leans her shoulder against a stall near me. She’s examining my face, wondering if I’m telling the truth. She’ll never know.
“Is someone there?” Connie asks. I don’t know why. She knows if someone is here, I can’t answer her.
“You weren’t this mouthy in jail.”
I smirk, and say. “Well, this is the real Detective Vaden, not the prisoner Vaden.”
“You still look like a prisoner to me,” she states, with a smirk of her own.
“Oh, no,” Connie remarks in my ear.
“Yea, that’s hilarious. Real funny,” I groan, as Hughes starts to chuckle.
“Listen, Vaden, I hope you don’t take any of this personally. I kinda like you. You really were the perfect inmate.” She actually smiles when she says it.
“How does it feel, Hughes, to know that yo
u created your own downfall? I mean, if you’d never put me in that cell with Tony, you’d still have a life. You’d be employed, you’d be…”
“I’m sorry your sister was died. The women usually didn’t get hurt.”
“Except they were raped,” I correct her, with a harsh look.
She cocks one eyebrow, and shrugs. “Were you raped, Vaden?” That silences me. “Not everyone that went to the prison were raped. Some of them actually wanted to go. You wanted to go, after the first night. Didn’t ya?”
I stare at her for several minutes. She looks so self-satisfied. I actually move to lunge at her, before I’m reminded that I’m chained to the wall behind me.
“Sometimes things just happen for a reason, Vaden. I’m gonna feel real bad when you’re dead, but not bad enough to stop Drake. You understand, right?”
“No, I don’t understand, Hughes. You don’t have to…” I hear a door close, so there’s really no sense in continuing.
“That was brutal,” Connie comments.
“Yea,” I acknowledge, with a loud sigh. That was truly brutal, especially since I was on the wrong end of it.
“On a happier note, the guys have arrived at the police station. I’ll be back with you shortly,” she informs me.
“Thanks,” I grumble. I forgot to ask Hughes to take me to the bathroom. Damn.
Chapter Twenty-One
Tony
“Just act like you’re pissed,” Killian reminds me, as we pull into the parking lot at the jail. It’s becoming almost familiar lately.
“I don’t think he has to act,” Riley points out.
Yea, I’m pissed. Anger is simmering in my veins, about to boil over. “Lani didn’t really set herself up to get kidnapped, did she?”
“You’re talking about the woman who broke herself in to jail,” Jamie reminds me.
“The woman who tore down a corrupt prison system, practically with her bare hands,” Killian continues.
“The woman who stood outside a cage with a gun she took from a dead man to protect you,” Riley finishes.
I grimace at their collective lecture. Just because they’re right doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“Listen, Lani is probably the least conventional female you’re going to meet. She’s going to fight for what she believes in. She’s going to protect the ones she loves. She’s not going to back down from fear, or from a fight. You should think about that, as you’re walking into that station. Be angry at the right people.” The last person I want relationship advice from is Killian, but I can’t deny that every word he said is true. I knew what I was getting into with Lani, from the moment she told me she was a cop, while we were cuddled up in my cell, in solitary confinement, in a men’s prison. I frown as I nod at him. “When you walk through those doors, do not let on that you’re angry at Lani for any reason, because a mole is going to be watching, and they might be able to sense that, and wonder why.”
I sigh my acknowledgement. “You’re right.”
“The mole has got to be Barrett,” Riley says again, in a tone as deep and dark as his skin. Did Killian tell Riley that Lani had an affair with her lieutenant? It shouldn’t bother me, because Lani’s been truthful about her past. But for some reason it does.
“Barrett’s an asshole, but he’s generally a good guy,” Jamie counters.
“We need to get out of this car, before someone sees us sitting here and starts wondering why we’re not in there trying to save Lani.” Killian, ever the strategist, says as he opens the driver’s side door. We all follow him out. I glace from one to the other. Yes, these are the men I’m glad are on my side. These are the ones I want saving Lani.
Constance approaches as we enter the bullpen. She grabs Jamie and hugs him, then she turns to me and hugs me. It’s more than a little off-putting, because my physical interaction with people in the last decade has been limited to killing people, handshakes, and Lani.
Then she whispers against my shoulder, which is as far as she can reach, “She’s okay.” She steps away, and looks me straight in the eyes, trying to convey her assurance that way, in case I didn’t hear her.
“Where is Lani?” I ask. Of course, that should be my first thought, the first question out of my mouth, because people are watching.
“We don’t know yet. We’re doing everything we can, Tony,” Constance lies, pretty convincingly.
“You four,” Barrett’s booming voice echoes through the precinct. Then he points at us, and I feel like he’s pointing at me specifically, then waves his hand toward his office.
“Here we go,” Killian mutters, under his breath. He leads us, almost subconsciously, toward Barrett. I notice, out of the corner of my eye, Constance approach Chief Vaden. He glances at me, gives me a slight nod, then turns to speak to Jamie’s wife.
Riley’s look, as he pauses to let me enter the office before him, tells me everything I need to know. Do it now. Get pissed. Walk out. I’ll follow you, wherever you go.
“Why wasn’t an officer watching Lani?” I demand, as soon as Barrett closes the door.
“Why weren’t you?” Barrett counters, as soon as he’s seated behind his desk.
“Fuck you!” I yell, and move toward him. Yea, this is not fake. I’ve wanted to punch him in his pretty face since I first saw him. Riley grabs my arm, just as I’ve got it cocked and ready to fly. He’s strong, I’ll give him that, but not nearly as strong as I am. At the last second I change my aim, and hit his desk instead. I think I might have left a dent. “Don’t fuck with me right now, or I swear to God…”
“What are you going to do, you big ogre? Hit me?” Barrett challenges, with his intelligent blue eyes nearly in slits, and his mouth in a snarl. I almost think he wants to fight me, maybe to work out some of his rage at the entire situation. Maybe after we rescue Lani I’ll let him know I’m ready whenever he is.
My nostrils flare as I stare deep into his eyes. He’s jealous, but he’s also worried. He genuinely cares for Lani. She didn’t tell me about their courtship, who approached whom. She only told me they were sleeping together. But this man, the look on his face, tells me that whoever initiated their affair, he’s wanted her for a very long time. And he doesn’t want to let her go.
“We all have to work together to rescue Lani. We did it for Chief Vaden, and we can do it for her.” Barrett calms his voice, even though I can see in his expression that he wants to be as angry as I am.
“I don’t have to work with you. You know why someone wasn’t with Lani? Because you have a mole on your force.” I hope my eyes convey my emotions as well as his did. “And I’m not sure it isn’t you.”
“Listen, Roman, I’m not working with Drake. I’m not a damn mole. I want Lani back just as…”
“No, you fucking don’t. Lani’s not your girlfriend. She’s mine! You have a wife and kids. Worry about your own damn family. I’ll worry about mine.” I don’t raise my voice, but it’s still full of rage.
I hear Jamie’s voice as I turn to open the door. “What is happening right now? Were you and Lani…”
I’m already storming through the bullpen, with Riley following behind me.
“Roman, get back here!” Barrett bellows, but I’m already at the exit. I don’t look for Chief Vaden or Constance. I’m sure they already know what’s happening.
We walk approximately two blocks south in silence. I don’t think we’re being followed, and I’m not sure if I’m being paranoid or not. I see Liberty Foster’s crossover vehicle sitting in the parking lot of a gas station, and I continue toward it. As we approach I hear the doors unlock.
“Hello, Roman.” It’s the nicest tone Doctor Foster has taken with me since I’ve met him. “Please tell me you know what’s going on with Lani. Liberty is worried sick. She’s already lost one daughter, and it would kill her to lose another.” He politely extends his hand to Riley, who takes it and shakes it. “I’m Lani’s step-father, Paul Foster.”
“Agent Riley,” he replies. “Is your t
own always this exciting?”
“Winston has its moments,” he says with a deep, thoughtful sigh.
“Has Chief Vaden contacted you? Do you know the plan?” I ask, to change the subject. The last few months have not been easy for the man, I realize. And what father would want their daughter to bring home a prisoner and profess their love for them? I’m sure I would not be happy if Lauren did it.
“Lani’s friend Connie called me. Apparently she knows where Lani is. All you’ll need to do is go in, guns blazing, and rescue her, right?” He throws a sardonic look my way.
“That’s the plan, yes,” I reply.
We arrive at a beautiful stone and glass modern home, and it looks like all of the lights are on inside. Doctor Foster parks the car in a three car garage, and leads us into the house. It’s as stunning on the inside as it is on the outside.
Lani
“I’d really, really like to take a piss right about now,” I call out, not sure whether anyone is listening or not, besides Connie. “Someone come and take me to the bathrooooom!”
“Shut up, Vaden, we hear you!” Hughes calls out, as she again comes out of the shadows. “It’s just fun watching you suffer.” She walks toward me, carrying a bucket.
“I’m not going to piss in a fucking bucket,” I yell back. “And you haven’t fed me, or given me water. This is cruel.”
“What’s cruel is you coming into my place of employment, and ruining everything I’d worked for.” Hughes drops the bucket, and kicks it toward me. “Have a nice piss,” she says, as she exits again.
“They’re listening,” I whisper. “Please send Tony to me soon. I don’t know how much longer I can wait.”
Prisoner and Together: All of You series complete set Page 34
