by Elle James
Moby growled, and lurched to his feet but fell back in the dirt.
“Randy, please. Let me go. Moby needs me.”
“Yeah, and I need you more.” Before Emma knew what he would do next, Randy slammed the flashlight against her temple.
A shaft of pain ripped through her head, and she fell to the ground, fighting to remain conscious. The fog crept in around her, blocking out all light and sound.
While she’d been out, Randy had zip-tied her wrists and ankles, plastered tape over her mouth and shoved her into the trunk of the car he’d parked on the side of the road.
She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious or where he’d taken her. The scent of tire rubber, oil and gasoline were constant and uninformative.
Emma felt around the interior of the trunk for something to cut the zip ties. Her hands closed around a tire iron, one end rounded for loosening bolts, the other end flat. She worked it around and braced it between her knees where the flat end pointed toward her chin. Her head pounding, she scraped the zip tie binding her wrists over the flat end of the tire iron, the hard plastic digging into her flesh as she pulled it as tight as she could.
The vehicle slowed, bumping over rough ground before coming to a stop. A door opened and slammed shut.
Not enough time. The zip tie still held her wrists. She gripped the tire iron between her hands and half rolled over it, facedown in the trunk.
A key scraped in the lock and the trunk opened, letting in a hazy glow. Probably from Randy’s flashlight.
Emma lay still, pretending she was out cold.
When Randy leaned toward the trunk and poked her with the flashlight, she rolled onto her back and swung both arms with all her might, catching the corner of Randy’s cheek with the knobby end of the tool and swinging through, knocking the flashlight from his hand.
He grabbed his face, cursing.
The flashlight rolled beneath the car, leaving the trunk in darkness.
Emma shoved her hands out of the opening, leveraged herself with her elbows over the rim and rolled out onto the ground.
Randy reached for her, and she kicked with both feet, landing a good blow in his chest, knocking him backward onto his butt.
With her hands and feet still tied, she tucked her arms close to her chest and rolled as fast and far away as she could, hoping she’d find vegetation to hide in until she could break the zip ties and run.
The more she rolled, the more she realized she was on some kind of weathered asphalt parking lot, complete with cracks and lumps of broken pavement.
Behind her, Randy grunted and cursed, the glow of the flashlight on the move against the ground, rolling out of the man’s reach.
Emma prayed he wouldn’t snag the light before she found a place to hide, the asphalt seeming to go on forever. Her arms, legs and face took a beating against the pavement until she finally rolled up against what she thought might be a curb.
Hope flooded her and she inched up the curb, elbows first, then her torso. Before she could swing her hips and legs over, the flashlight caught her in its beam.
Randy laughed. “Go ahead. Roll on over that concrete barrier. I’d like to see you swim without your arms and legs.”
Her legs in motion, ready to flip over the curb, Emma looked where the light shone, glistening off water fifteen feet below.
The curb was the edge of a pier. Her legs flailed in the air, teetered toward the ocean and hovered, suspended in time and space for a slow-motion moment.
Not ready to die, she willed her legs back to the parking lot pavement, all hope for escape crushed out of her.
“Thought you might reconsider.” Randy stood over her, the flashlight pointing downward, blinding her. Then he reared back and kicked her in the face.
Pain ripped through her cheekbone, and warm sticky liquid dribbled down her chin. Her head spun, and she gave in to the black abyss reaching out to suck her in.
“That was payback.” Randy jammed the flashlight on the open wound and leaned close enough she could see his sneering face. “If I didn’t need you, I’d shoot you. Hit me again, and I will.”
Chapter 14
By the time they reached shore, Creed’s stomach was knotted, and he needed to hit something or someone. No sooner had Dave pulled up to the dock, he was off the boat and running toward his SUV.
Tazer called out behind him. “Don’t leave without us, Creed. You hear me?”
They’d have to hurry. He wasn’t waiting for anyone.
Nova caught him first. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. Somewhere, anywhere.” Creed climbed into the rental and jammed the key into the ignition. “I can’t stand around and do nothing.”
“You can’t go off half-cocked.” Tazer ran around the vehicle and threw herself into the passenger seat. “We don’t know where he took her.”
Creed shifted into Drive. “I’ll kill the bastard.”
“Stand in line, buddy. Stand in line.” Nova dove into the backseat and clicked his belt in place, slamming the door shut as Creed spun out of the marina parking lot.
As the vehicle emerged onto the road leading down to the marina, two large, dark SUVs pulled in front of him, blocking his forward movement.
“We’ve got trouble,” Creed said.
“Let’s give it back to them.” Tazer yanked her HK40 from her shoulder holster and pointed it out the window. “Can you back this thing up?”
Creed whipped the shift into Reverse and hit the gas, slamming into a third vehicle that appeared out of nowhere, trapping them.
He pulled his gun from his shoulder holster, shoved his door wide and dove out, rolling into the tall grasses on the side of road.
Gunfire erupted.
Nova and Tazer knew the drill and had made the same maneuver to escape the trapped vehicle. He prayed they hadn’t been hit.
He low-crawled, scooting backward, deeper into the brush until he could determine just how many men Macias had deployed in the three vehicles. Lights glowed from the front two SUVs. Creed counted four men climbing out of each, all carrying AK-47 assault rifles. Eight. Four more men emerged from the rear vehicle. Three carried assault rifles. The fourth was unarmed.
Where were Tazer and Nova? He hadn’t heard or seen signs of them since they’d abandoned the SUV. Two men disappeared into the darkness. Four shots were fired, and silence.
Then Nova was dragged into the headlights of the rear vehicle and dropped to the ground in front of Macias. The man pulled a pistol and held it to Nova’s head. “Thomas, the diamonds or your friend’s life.”
Creed touched the bag tucked safely in his pocket. “Where’s Emma?”
“The woman?” Macias nodded, and another two men dragged Tazer into view. “She’s here. You want them to stay alive, I suggest you hand over the diamonds.”
Creed’s gut clenched. They didn’t know. They hadn’t been the ones keeping watch over Emma’s house. They didn’t know where she was. Hell. Who had her?
“Don’t do it, CT,” Nova said, his voice tight, filled with pain. “Don’t give him those diamonds. We can handle this.”
“Walk away with the diamonds, and you sentence your friends to death.” One of the thugs pointed his AK-47 at Tazer’s pretty blond head.
“Get out of here, Creed. Take the diamonds. The lives of too many people, important people, are at stake. Don’t worry about us. These guys can’t shoot straight anyway.” Tazer dropped to her side, rolled backward and kicked the backs of the knees of the man who’d been holding the gun to her head. “Run!”
All Macias’s men swarmed in like ants. They grabbed Tazer and Casanova, pushed their faces into the dirt and pressed rifles to the backs of their heads.
“The diamonds, or they die. You have thirty seconds to choos
e,” Macias said.
Creed had no choice. He quietly removed his boot and sock, opened the velvet bag and poured half the diamonds into his empty sock. He slipped his bare foot back into the boot and tucked the diamond-filled sock into his boot, down below his arch. Carefully retying the velvet bag, he called out, “Let them go, and I’ll let you have me and the diamonds.”
“Not until you show your face and the diamonds,” Macias said.
Nova pushed up to a kneeling position. “Don’t do it, Creed.”
“The others need you more.” Tazer rose up on her arms.
Nova tipped his head to the side, to avoid the muzzle of the AK-47. “You know once he has the diamonds, he’ll kill all of us anyway.”
A big, burly thug hit Nova in his side with the butt of his weapon, and he doubled over.
Macias’s eyes narrowed. “Your time is running out.”
Creed stood. “I only have half of the diamonds on me. The rest are at a safe location. You can have the ones I have on me if you let these two go. I’ll take you to the rest.”
“No.”
“Take it or leave it. You won’t get the rest of the diamonds if you don’t go for it now. And if you get stubborn, I’ll scatter what I have all over.” He held the bag of diamonds upside down, the drawstring closure a shake away from releasing a fortune into the rocks and dirt of the seaside landscape. “You have thirty seconds to choose.”
Macias’s lips pulled back into a menacing snarl. “Shoot him.”
“Think about it. If I fall, the bag opens and the diamonds spill. It’ll take you too long to find them, plus the other half I have at an undetermined, by you, location. I suspect you need all of the diamonds and less than all of them just won’t do. So go ahead, shoot me. You won’t get what I have here or what I have hidden.”
Macias hesitated a moment longer, then jerked his head. “Tie them to a tree in the brush.”
“No.” Creed stepped forward. “Let them go free, or the deal is off.” Two men stepped between Creed and Macias, AK-47s aimed at Creed’s chest.
“And have them circle back and overtake us? I don’t think so.” Macias crossed his arms. “Show me you’re not lying. Show me the diamonds.”
Creed turned the bag right side up, untied it and poured diamonds into his palm. “A fortune in diamonds.”
“I want the rest.”
“And you will get them. When my friends are safe and no longer being threatened.
“I could kill you now, throw your body in the sea and no one would know.”
“And you wouldn’t know where to find the other diamonds.” Creed stared hard at the terrorist. “I suspect you need all the jewels, not just half of them.”
“Your friends stay here, tied up, or they come with us, tied up. My final offer.” The man’s eyes narrowed.
“We’re going with you,” Tazer answered for Creed.
Creed faced Macias, refusing to look at Casanova and Tazer. “Leave them. It’s just as well. This is turning out to be another Rain Mountain.” Rain Mountain had been an operation he and Tazer had worked together in which they’d run out of all options and had to involve the local authorities to tip the balance of power.
Tazer gave an imperceptible nod.
Unaware of the significance of Rain Mountain, Nova tried one last time. “Don’t leave us.”
“I never figured you’d turn your back on your friends.” Tazer shook her head, playing the part. “Creed, think about it.”
“I have.”
Macias jerked his head toward two of his men. “Tie them up, and you two stay and make sure they don’t go anywhere. If Mr. Thomas double-crosses us, I’ll give you the order to kill them.” He nodded to Creed. “I’ll take those diamonds now, and you can get in.”
Creed handed the bag half-full of diamonds to Macias and started around him for the SUV. If he could get Macias and the rest of his men away from Tazer and Nova, the two guards left behind would prove little challenge to the trained SOS agents.
Macias stepped back. “Check him.”
Holding perfectly still, Creed lifted his arms and let the men pat him down, praying they wouldn’t find the rest of the diamonds in his sock.
They pounced on the concealed pistol beneath his jacket and the headset plugged in his ear. A cursory pat down of his legs and inside the top of his boots came up empty. They didn’t find another weapon, and they didn’t find the diamonds that had slid down to his heel. Creed hoped he wouldn’t have to run anytime soon. If he had to make a quick escape, he’d find it difficult running with diamonds under his heels.
“Get in.” Thug One held open the back door of the SUV.
Creed slid across to the middle. Two of Macias’s men climbed in, one on each side of him, each holding a pistol to his head.
“You should be careful where you aim. You don’t want those to go off by accident.” He glanced at the man in the front passenger seat. “Your boss wouldn’t get his pretty jewels.”
“They are highly trained at their weapons. If they shoot you, it won’t be by accident.” Macias spoke without turning around.
The driver got in behind the wheel and pulled out on the road. Another vehicle followed.
Creed glanced back. Their SUV was still parked in the middle of the road, and the two men who’d stayed behind to tie up Tazer and Nova wouldn’t know what hit them. Tazer had never met a rope or zip tie she couldn’t work her thin wrists out of.
Creed had left the keys of the SUV in the ignition. It wouldn’t be long before they took care of Macias’s men, met up with the police chief and gathered forces, and then they would follow the GPS tracking device in the diamond bag.
Leaving Tazer and Nova behind didn’t bother him. He knew they could take care of themselves. What drove him crazy was not knowing who had kidnapped Emma and why.
They’d traveled in silence for five minutes when Macias’s cell phone beeped. He hit the talk button, speaking low and urgently to the person on the other end of the call. “One moment.”
Macias turned to face Creed, glaring as he handed the phone across the seat.
Creed frowned. “What is this?”
Phillip Macias held up a pistol, aimed at Creed’s face. “Answer it.”
A bad feeling rippled across his senses, settling like a bad meal in his gut. “Thomas here.”
“Creed?” Emma’s voice came over the line.
Creed frowned. “Emma?”
She laughed shakily. “Funny thing happened while I was out walking Moby.” Her voice hitched. “I’ve been kidnapped. It’s Randy Walters. My poor excuse for an ex-fiancé come back from the dead. He seems to think I’m some kind of bargaining chip. Ha! The joke’s on him.”
He could tell by her tone and the false bravado that she was scared, and it made his chest hurt. “I’m coming, Emma.”
She went on as if he hadn’t said anything. “I told him I meant nothing to you. If he wants to hold me for ransom, he’s out of luck. I’m not important to anyone. The laugh’s on him.”
“It’s not up for discussion,” Creed insisted.
“I told you, Randy.” Her voice faded as the phone was taken away from her. “He doesn’t care. Guess you’re out of luck.”
“Shut up, Emma.” A smacking sound echoed through the phone, and Emma grunted.
Randy’s voice came over the receiver. “You want to see her alive, get here with Macias and those diamonds, or I’ll deliver her to you in pieces.”
A stab to the heart couldn’t have been more painful. Creed pressed a hand to his chest. “I’ll bring the diamonds.”
The man’s voice came back on the line. “If you don’t bring all the diamonds with Macias to our rendezvous location in the next thirty minutes, Emma dies.”
“Don’t do it, Creed!”
Emma shouted in the background. Then she cried out, and there was silence.
“Emma!” Creed yelled.
Macias snatched the phone from his hand. “The woman back there wasn’t Emma.” His eyes flashed, his cheeks red. “You lied to me.”
“What does it matter? You’re getting what you wanted. The diamonds to trade for the uranium.”
“Yeah. With the added bonus that you and the girl will die.”
Not if Creed could keep that from happening. With part of his backup flying into Portland and then having to drive through the hellish fog, and the other half-tied to a tree, being guarded by dangerous men with weapons, Creed’s chances of getting Emma out alive looked dismal.
But he refused to give up. As long as he had air to breathe, he had to keep trying. Moby needed Emma. Hell, he needed Emma. The damned stubborn, lovable woman had gotten completely under his skin, and he didn’t want her to be anywhere else.
He sent a silent prayer to the heavens for guidance, and for time and patience to make the right decisions.
“Where are the rest of the diamonds?” Macias demanded. “Time is running out, along with my sense of humor.”
Creed doubted Macias ever had a sense of humor, and he bit down hard on his tongue to keep from saying it out loud. Instead, he said, “They’re in a little cottage on Sand Dollar Lane.” He had to buy enough time for Tazer and Nova to free themselves and gather the cavalry. Hopefully Royce and Sean were on the ground and headed their way and wouldn’t run off the road in this infernal fog spawned by the Devil.
Thirty minutes had to be enough time to stall the big showdown and for his troops to gather. With Macias’s army of mercenaries and whatever Randy had waiting with him and Emma, Creed would need all the help he could get to extract Emma alive.
At Emma’s house with Macias and two of his armed guards, Creed broke the back window on the kitchen door and unlocked it, stepping over the broken glass. He walked through the house, picturing every kiss he and Emma had shared.
Bringing Macias and his men in her inner sanctum felt like a violation of her space, and he regretted it. But if he could somehow distract Macias and his men long enough for him to pull the diamonds out of his boot, and maybe retrieve Emma’s gun from her nightstand, he’d have a party favor to take to the big event.
