“No. We’re fine. Thanks for your help.” I smiled and glanced at Mia, who looked rather amused as the man crossed his arms in front of him.
“Are you visiting?” he asked, his eyes connecting with mine.
“No. I live here.”
“Do you now?” His grin deepened, and I hid my sigh while Mia held in a giggle. “And you’re single?”
“No. Not single at all.”
“Then where is he?”
“He had to work,” I responded, not liking where this conversation was going one bit. Men could be so creepy.
“If you were my girlfriend, I’d make you a priority. I would’ve been here to pick you up so some strange guy didn’t have to help you.”
First of all, I was no damsel in distress. I never asked for help. I would’ve managed to get the suitcase on the next round. Second of all, don’t ever pick on someone who I cared about. But today was a good day. I was about to see the man I love, who I missed very much, and I wasn’t going to let this man spoil my mood. I would remain calm, cool, and collected.
“Uh-oh,” Mia whispered.
“I thank you for your help and your unsolicited dating advice, but sometimes it’s best to keep those pretty lips of yours sealed.” I unlocked the suitcase’s handle and pulled it up. Kimberly was making her way over to us with a luggage cart, and I gave her a slight wave.
“Whoa. No need to get hostile. I’ve obviously hit a nerve.” He glanced at Mia and grinned. “How about you? You attached?”
“No, but I like to be the first thought not the afterthought. Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to be on our way.”
The man flipped his hands into the air and shook them. “Lesson learned, ladies. No good deed goes unpunished.”
Kimberly held in a chuckle as we regrouped and organized our luggage on the cart.
“What a creep,” Mia whispered.
“No kidding.”
I glanced over my shoulder and saw no sign of him. He’d probably grabbed his bag and hightailed it out of here.
“So what’s my big brother up to?” Mia asked, not one to let the grass grow under her feet.
She was steering the baggage cart out to the parking garage.
“He’d fire me if I told you,” Kimberly said, cringing at her own words.
“Should I be worried?” I asked, as Mia’s shoulders stiffened.
“No.” Kimberly said, but the inflection in her voice gave it away.
After paying for parking at the automated pay station, we walked the rest of the way to Kimberly’s SUV in silence. Luke was good at what he did. I shouldn’t be worrying, but I couldn’t help it. We’d been counting the days before we got to see each other. Mia and I had been gone for over four weeks. Stuffing the luggage into the back, we all remained quiet. Kimberly wanted to tell us something. I could feel it, but I knew she believed she would get fired if she said anything. Luke took pride in the trust and loyalty he had established with his employees. Everyone knew not to destroy the trust that had been built.
I slammed the trunk and pushed the cart to one of the return bins. If he was busy, I didn’t want to disturb him, but if he were actively working on something he wouldn’t have his phone on anyway. I slid my phone out of my pocket and went to text when I realized my phone was dead.
Shoot!
I climbed into the backseat and buckled as Kimberly turned on the engine.
“Luke wanted me to take you two out to an early breakfast.”
“Of course he did,” Mia sighed. “I’m just too exhausted.”
“My orders,” Kimberly said apologetically.
“I’m too pooped.” That wasn’t completely true. I’d fallen asleep on the plane and woke up so excited to see Luke that I still hadn’t calmed down. I needed to know what was going on.
“Sorry girls. Off to breakfast we go.”
Mia grumbled and pulled out her cell. “Darn. My cell’s dead.”
“Gonna let your brother have it?” I only half-joked.
“That had been my plan.”
“Mine too, but my phone must have died after my last text to him.” I rested my head against the headrest as we drove out of the parking garage and onto the main street.
“Can you give us a hint about what’s going on?” I asked.
“Not really.”
Ignoring her response, I pressed on. “Does it have to do directly with Luke?”
Kimberly let out a deep breath and let a few seconds pass. “No. I wouldn’t say directly.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, there. That’s all I needed to know.”
Kimberly’s eyes briefly connected with mine through the rearview mirror and my insides tensed. The look in her eyes held more than a trace of dread, which was what I saw in the airport.
“You’re keeping us distracted, aren’t you?” I asked. “Until he tells you otherwise.”
Kimberly didn’t respond. Instead, she turned off the main drag and into the parking lot of one of the well-known breakfast spots. This was going to be a painfully slow morning.
Luke
Taking steady footsteps down the corridor, the glow of a body finally came through my sights. I turned around and placed my index finger and thumb against my jaw, signaling to the team that Mitch had been spotted. Fisting his hand and holding it up, Alex signaled that he understood as he relayed the information to the rest of the team.
I didn’t spot any other heat sources in this section of the basement. Mitch might be alone. Everyone fanned out to search for other men, while I quickly made my way over to Mitch. The room started to clear out from the smoke, but even with my goggles tightly secured, my eyes stung. I flicked my flashlight on and examined Mitch’s slouched body. He’d been tied to a metal chair, and his head hung to the side, dried blood streaked from his nose and mouth, pooling on his shirt.
Bastards. Whoever did this had really roughed him up, and I still didn’t know why.
His hands and shoulders were securely fastened to the back of the chair, and his ankles were tied to the metal legs with rope. Even with the light shining on Mitch, his eyes remained closed. His breathing rattled at a steady pace, but I wasn’t sure what made his lungs sound so strained. We didn’t have time to waste. I snatched my knife from my belt and quickly cut through the ropes around his ankles.
“Sam and his men are here,” Alex said, as he walked over quickly to help keep Mitch upright.
“Like usual. Late to the party,” I muttered, as I cut through Mitch’s wrist restraints.
“An ambulance is on the way.”
I nodded and turned over Mitch’s wrist and checked his pulse.
“Seventy.” I signaled for Alex to help me keep Mitch upright just as my other men called an all clear for the area.
“Let’s get some lights on,” I called.
The lights blinked on almost immediately, and I took off my goggles, shoving them in my back pocket as my eyes adjusted. I heard footsteps above. Sam had finally made it. I glanced down the hall and saw a couple of devices that accounted for the shaking earlier. It made no sense. The bombs were deliberately placed far away from Mitch but for what reason?
I opened both of Mitch’s lids and shined the light into his eyes. His pupils constricted quickly and bilaterally. I removed the light and his pupils dilated back. I certainly wasn’t a doctor, but that small sign gave me hope.
Alex had been in contact with Sam so he’d know what to expect when he arrived, but I didn’t think anyone was ready to see a man as large as Mitch unconscious and subdued. What it had taken to get him to this state wasn’t something any of us wanted to think about. The muffled sound of sirens came into range as I kept my hand on Mitch’s shoulder.
“We’ll get you back into tip-top shape in no time. You deserve a long vacation on a beach somewhere after this, buddy.” I looked at Mitch’s still body. We’d gotten to him before it was too late, but I still had no idea why he was here or what condition he would be in when he awoke.
/> If he awoke.
I scanned the room as Sam and a few of his agents made their way toward us. The basement looked like any other basement in a business park. Pipes snaked along the walls and ceiling. A few scattered overhead lights dangled down the hall. Empty shelves sat along the concrete walls, but there was no sign that this space had been actively used for anything more than occasional storage.
“Whatever you do. Don’t move Mitch off that chair,” Sam barked. “In fact, tie him back up immediately.”
My blood turned icy the moment I heard Sam’s instructions. I glanced around the concrete floor, not seeing anything that would cause me worry, until my eyes stumbled on a small gauge wire leading away from Mitch’s chair. It would only take the slightest movement from his chair to set this bomb off. We’d walked right into a trap.
Shit.
“Get the bomb squad down here,” Sam said into his small lapel microphone.
My heart hammered in my chest as I looked over at Alex and the other members of my team.
“Get everyone out of here,” I instructed Alex.
He shook his head.
“Now, Alex. I’ve got Mitch. I’m ordering you to take our team out of here,” my voice was low and even, but I was sure my stare told him everything.
Alex gave a quick nod and carefully walked away, rounding up our men on the way out.
“Let’s hope Mitch stays asleep for a little longer,” Sam said, as he slipped a helmet on.
The helmet was one I recognized all too well. There were several components to a blast suit and wearing only the helmet did absolutely nothing, but I wasn’t going to tell Sam how to operate.
I let out a silent sigh. This wasn’t how I imagined today would go. Even though I’d been in tough situations before, I’d never felt like I had anything to lose.
This time was different. I had everything to lose.
I clenched my jaw as I forced myself to take deep, deliberate breaths. There was no way I would leave Mitch down here, not like this. If he awoke with a start, it would all be over. That wasn’t how I ran my operations. I looked over at Sam as the men and women, who were part of the bomb disposal unit, arrived. Each person was dressed head to toe in body armor to withstand the pressure and protect from shrapnel during an explosion. Each technician’s hands were left exposed for a simple reason.
Precision.
I looked over at Sam and shook my head.
“I hope you realize that helmet’s not going to do much to save you if this thing goes off,” I joked, as Sam slid the visor down.
“I’m well aware,” Sam replied dryly.
I got a few laughs from the bomb squad. In a situation like this, humor was one of the few outlets any of us had. As weak as it might be, I’d take it. The tension in the air was so thick I could taste it, and the taste made me ill.
A few of the technicians began discussing the best way to go about removing Mitch, while another tech was down on his stomach examining the device. The two options they came up with each had their risks.
First option: we could attempt to lift Mitch off the chair while ensuring the chair remained fastened to the concrete. Second option: we could attempt to dismantle the incendiary device before removing Mitch from the chair. As I mentioned, both had their risks. If we attempted to lift Mitch off the chair, there was a good chance that the chair would wiggle and set off the device. If we tried to dismantle the device with Mitch still on the chair, there was a high chance that the device would blow before it was rendered safe.
“I suggest that you come with me, Luke,” Sam said, through his helmet. He was backing out of the room.
I shook my head just as one of the technicians objected. “We can’t take that risk. We need Luke to stay here and keep his hand the way he’s had it on Mitch. Even the slightest twitch could set this off.”
“We’re going to go ahead with option two,” the technician told me.
I nodded. What more was there to say?
Disarming these devices was as much an art as it was a science. Our lives were in the hands of these men and women, and their lives were on the line to save Mitch.
One of the technicians brought over a jacket and worked it over my one arm, placing it over my chest and shoulder. I knew what their line of reasoning was. At least half of me wouldn’t blow up. The technician wrapped an armored blanket around my leg on the same side of my body. We both knew these things wouldn’t protect me if something was to go wrong, but it was the thought that counted. He secured the helmet over my head and stepped away. In the position I stood, I couldn’t tell what was going on behind me, which was where they were analyzing the design and attempting to dismantle the device.
I clenched my eyes shut as my mind wandered to Hannah. What would they tell her? How would she handle it? What about Mia? They were both alone in this world. I kept my eyes closed as Hannah pervaded every thought I had left. She was my every thing and more. She didn’t make my world complete; she built my world. She saved me from myself and showed me that there was always goodness in the world. But here as I stood next to one of my men whose life was on the line, I wasn’t so sure. This shook me to my core. My firm, my men, my family were untouchable. I’d built a fortress and someone penetrated it. Who was this someone and what did they want?
The room was tomblike as we all awaited our fate. The snip of a few wires was all that separated us from living or dying. The weight of the suit they’d draped over me was almost unbearable. The heat swam through my veins as I faced the unknown, and I prayed to a man who hadn’t heard from me in a very long time.
Hannah
Even though I hated to admit it, I was pleased to be getting some food that didn’t consist of stale pretzels and steamed airline food. The first class label didn’t help the airlines pass off what they were serving as food any easier. I took a bite of warm, syrupy pancake and looked out the window as Mia talked about our trip to Paris. Kimberly seemed generally interested in Mia’s description of our travels, but there was no doubt she was also distracted. It wasn’t until the third time Kimberly checked her phone that I couldn’t keep my suspicions in any longer.
“So what’s going on?” I asked, my gaze landing on the phone in her hand.
“Sorry. Bad habit. I’m just checking emails.”
“Any in particular catch your interest?” I asked.
I took a sip of orange juice and glanced at Mia who was also waiting for Kimberly’s answer. The server came by and refilled our water glasses, which bought Kimberly a few more seconds.
“Nope. Just the usual scheduling issues and client reports that I have to get to before I go on vacation.”
“Right.” Mia’s brow arched and she sighed, not buying the feeble excuse.
I knew Mia was as displeased with her brother’s choice to keep her in the dark as I was.
As the morning slowly chugged forward, apprehension continued to snarl every thought I had. A troubling suspicion that whatever was keeping Luke this morning had to do with me kept creeping up, and that thought was bone-chilling.
Thanks to the eyewitness accounts I was able to provide, the bureau had executed one of the largest human trafficking busts on record, but the cult’s web was too intricate and far-reaching for everyone to be within the grasp of the FBI. I knew they hadn’t captured everyone involved. There was no way every individual connected had been arrested.
For starters, my brother was never found. I wanted to believe that he wasn’t involved, but I might never know. And as briefly as I was reunited with my sister, she was whisked away again. The bureau put her deep into hiding, and I didn’t know when or if I’d ever see her again. The thought ripped me apart, but it was nothing compared with the pain I had about my mother. Shortly after the arrests began, she had a breakdown. She learned that her husband, one of the masterminds of the organization, had been killed. It didn’t seem to faze her that he was shot because he was holding me hostage with a gun barrel to my temple. The thought chilled me, an
d I knew I’d never understand my mother.
Never.
Ever.
I brushed away a tear and cursed my emotions.
“You okay?” Mia asked, reaching across the table as she gripped my hand.
Mia had gotten very used to my moments of fading as I tried to digest all the details from my past, but I thought I’d gotten better at hiding it and I very rarely shed a tear.
Jet lag.
“Yeah. Sorry. I might not be on the run anymore, but my mind hasn’t gotten the memo. I can’t wait for the day when I can put everything behind me. Tell me it gets better,” I attempted a laugh, but the sound that left my lips was a bitter yelp. I bit my lip and dropped my gaze to the half-empty plate.
Would that day ever come?
I looked at Kimberly and knew I had to ask the question that had been haunting me from the moment I’d gotten Luke’s text this morning. I knew something wasn’t right, but I hadn’t wanted to believe it.
“The job Luke’s working on this morning…does it have to do with me?” My heart pounded so ferociously, I wasn’t certain I’d even hear her answer. I couldn’t bear the thought that something might happen to Luke because of me.
She pressed her lips into a narrow line and gave Mia a sideways glance.
“I honestly don’t know. I don’t know much of anything about what happened early this morning. And I’m being completely truthful about that part.”
“What do you mean what happened?” Mia asked. “As in a situation?”
My mouth was too dry to even attempt a follow-up question. I knew I should’ve trusted my gut.
“Shit.” Kimberly scrunched the napkin in between her fingers. “I didn’t mean happened as in happened.”
I took a sip of water to wash away the cotton ball in the back of my throat and steadied my voice.
Yes, she did.
“Yes, you did. So what Luke is dealing with wasn’t on the schedule?” I asked. I already knew what came up was sudden, but I wanted to milk anything I could from Kimberly. Apparently slow, varied prompts were the best way to sneak information out of her.
Buried Sins Page 2
