Pawn

by Carla Cassidy

"Something like that," Lynn replied. It was a simple question that required far too complicated an answer. She quickly made the introductions between Nick and the other two.

  Stella nodded with approval. "I just wanted to tell you it was nice knowing you. And it was real nice, what you did for Tiny."

  Tiny nodded in agreement. "Thanks again, Lynn." With their final goodbye said, the two turned and started up the sidewalk in the direction of the church.

  "What did you do for Tiny?" Nick asked curiously as he opened the back door of his car to stow the suitcases.

  "Built a simple Web page for his church."

  "Nicky!"

  They both turned to see Jimmy and a freckle-faced, red-haired man coming up the sidewalk toward them. She flicked a quick look at Nick and saw the stress that immediately tightened his features.

  "Jimmy…Kip…what's going on? What are the two of you doing here?" Although Nick's voice sounded perfectly calm, Lynn sensed his tension and knew this could be nothing but trouble.

  "We got a problem, man." It was the redhead who spoke, the man Nick had called Kip.

  "What kind of a problem?" Nick slammed the back door of his car.

  "Our man wants to talk with you." Jimmy said.

  "I was just on my way to take Lynn to the airport. Why don't I do that and meet you two back at my house in Raymore. We can go from there to meet the man."

  "'Fraid that's not going to work. The man wants to talk to both of you." Kip's grin wasn't a pleasant gesture, but rather made him look slightly demented.

  "Nick? What's going on? Who are these men and why would anyone want to talk to me?" Lynn asked, although she knew this had something to do with whatever other assignment Nick had been working.

  "Is this really necessary?" Nick asked. "I mean, why get her involved at all." He pulled his car keys from his pocket. "I'll leave her at the airport and we can deal with things after that."

  "I said that wouldn't work," Kip replied. With a smooth move he pulled a gun and punched it against Lynn's ribs. "You both need to come with us."

  Nick's face paled as Jimmy pointed his gun at him. "Whoa, Jimmy, take it easy. You want to tell me what's going on here?"

  Lynn had thought she might be able to somehow get the gun away from Kip, but there was no way she'd even try as long as Jimmy had his gun on Nick.

  Even if she managed to get Kip's gun, there was something in Jimmy's eyes, a cold harshness that let her know he wouldn't hesitate to shoot Nick.

  "I don't know what's going on, Nicky. I just have my orders. Now, don't make this difficult. I like you and I sure wouldn't want to do anything drastic," Jimmy said.

  Drastic? As far as Lynn was concerned, pointing a Glock at a man was pretty drastic.

  "Come on, we're parked across the street. And for God's sake don't do anything stupid," Jimmy said.

  As they crossed the street to where a dark blue sedan was parked, Lynn wildly looked around. There were few people on the streets. Down the sidewalk she saw Tiny and Stella, both turned in her direction, but she couldn't tell if they saw what was happening or not.

  "Let her go," Nick said, his voice deep with urgency as they reached the car. "I swear she doesn't know anything. If the man is worried about pillow talk, there was none. I'll come with you, but just let her go."

  If the guns hadn't already told her, the intensity of Nick's plea let Lynn know they were in deep trouble. "What's going on, Nick?"

  She didn't really expect an answer, but thought it wise if she continued to play stupid. Hell, it wasn't much of a stretch. She really didn't know what was happening and wished he'd been more forthcoming about the assignment he'd been working.

  "Would one of you please tell me what's going on? I've got a plane to catch," she exclaimed.

  "Shut up." Kip once again shoved the barrel of his gun into her ribs with a force that caused a yelp of pain to escape her.

  "Hey, take it easy," Nick said, a glittering anger filling his eyes.

  "I didn't hurt her none and we can't let her go, Nick. We've got our orders." He pushed her against the truck of the car. "Spread 'em, honey. I've got to make sure you aren't packing."

  As he frisked her, Jimmy did the same to Nick at the front of the car. Although Lynn had no weapon, Jimmy found Nick's gun and relieved him of it.

  Lynn knew that if they got into the car the odds of them getting out of this alive diminished greatly. But, before she could figure out a plan Kip used a length of rope to tie her hands behind her back, then shoved her unceremoniously into the backseat.

  WITHIN FIVE MINUTES of riding in the car Nick's hands were numb from the ties that bound them together behind his back. But his mind was certainly not numb. It raced with suppositions, trying to figure out exactly how much trouble they were in.

  He hoped like hell this was about the fact that they thought he'd been sleeping with Lynn. He hoped the concern was that he might have told her about what was going on in Raymore.

  Certainly he didn't have to worry about her acting ignorant about what was going on. He hadn't told her anything other than that he'd married to provide himself a deep cover.

  Had his cover been blown? A trickle of cold sweat worked down his brow. If that was the case, he was dead. And worse, Lynn would be dead, as well.

  There was no forgiveness for betrayal in this world.

  I'm sorry, Lynn. I'm sorry I got you into this mess. He wanted to say the words out loud, let her know that he'd gladly give his own life if it meant saving hers. But, instead of speaking aloud, he half turned in his seat and looked at her, hoping his expression conveyed all that he felt.

  Her face was pale, her features pinched with obvious fear. She was a smart woman, she had to know that the situation wasn't good. Besides the fear, her eyes held questions, questions he couldn't answer now.

  He looked at Jimmy. "Let her go, man," he said in a low voice. "I swear, she doesn't know anything."

  Jimmy frowned. "I can't, Nick. If I go against orders then I'll be dead meat. I'm sure it will all be fine. Just relax."

  Yeah right, Nick thought wryly. We've got a gun trained on you and the woman you care about and we're driving you to an unknown location, but just relax.

  He didn't try to change Jimmy's mind as the ride continued. He knew any attempt would be futile. All he could hope for was that when he met "the man" he'd be able to at least gain Lynn's release.

  He stared out the window as they left the outskirts of Miami behind. But his mind was far away from the flashing scenery outside the window.

  Did they know? Had they somehow learned he was an FBI agent? If his cover had been blown then there was no doubt in his mind that he was being driven to his death. But, somehow, someway before he died, he had to get Lynn out of this mess.

  Chapter 16

  With each minute of the drive, Lynn felt despair sinking deeper and deeper into her heart. Where were they being taken? What was Nick involved in?

  She wished she had more information, some knowledge she could draw from to help her through this. There was nothing worse than being in danger and not knowing why.

  Her shoulders joints burned from the uncomfortable position of having her hands bound behind her. But, her skin crawled each time the man named Kip looked at her.

  There was an evil in his blue eyes, an evil made more pronounced by his innocent, freckle-faced features. He had the soulless gaze of a snake and each time he looked at her he smiled, an inward smile of such pleasure it made her shudder with revulsion.

  She had no idea where they were. Once they had left the Miami area and had gotten on a two-lane highway, she'd lost her sense of direction. The only thing that worried her more than her own fear was the intense worry she felt emanating from Nick.

  "Could somebody please tell me what's going on?" she said. She shifted positions to try to ease the strain of her shoulders.

  "Jimmy, is this about Nick being married?" she asked. "Did his wife send you? Because if that's the case you can tell her she can h
ave him. I'm through with him. He's been lying to me from the very beginning. You can tell her that she doesn't ever have to worry about me again."

  "You talk too much," Kip said.

  She flushed. "I'll shut up as soon as somebody tells me what's going on," she replied.

  Without warning he backhanded her, the contact hard enough to spring tears to her eyes. "You'll shut up now," he said.

  "What the hell are you doing?" Nick raged from the front seat. "There's no reason to hurt her. Dammit, Kip." There was a fierce intensity to Nick's tone and Lynn knew if Nick got the opportunity he'd kill Kip for what he'd just done.

  "She was bugging me." Kip shrugged, his eyes gleaming with glee. "It was just a little slap."

  A slap hard enough to scramble her brains, she thought. She licked her lips and tasted the tang of blood. She narrowed her eyes and stared at him. She wouldn't wait for Nick to act against him, if she got the chance she would kill him herself.

  The ride seemed to be torturously long. Lynn's hands had grown numb and the burn in her shoulders had become almost unbearable.

  Finally, they entered the city limits of a small town called Raymore. They drove down what appeared to be the main drag and as they did Lynn stared out the window.

  A dismal place, she thought. Boarded-up storefronts were interspersed amid tattoo parlors and liquor stores, auto parts sales and a seedy-looking bar.

  They passed through town and turned left on another two-lane road. They drove past a residential neighborhood of small homes needing paint and sporting ill-kept yards. After that was a trailer park, the trailers all looking as though they belonged in a junkyard.

  The whole drive Lynn worked at the rope that tied her wrists together, trying to break it, somehow escape it, but her efforts were fruitless.

  She sat up straighter as they turned once again, this time on a gravel road that led to a warehouse-type building. It appeared deserted. No cars were parked out front and no lights shown from any of the darkened windows that lined the very top of the structure.

  What was this place? This couldn't be good. There was only one reason why men with guns would take people out to the middle of nowhere, to a warehouse where nobody would be able to hear the sound of shots.

  She worked at the ropes around her wrists more frantically, afraid that this would be the place of her death, of Nick's death.

  The sun was just beginning to ease down in the western sky as Jimmy parked the car in front of the door of the building.

  "Okay, boys and girls, this is where we get out," Jimmy said.

  Lynn kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to give Kip another reason to slap her. She had a feeling he was the kind of man who enjoyed slapping women around and was just waiting for another opportunity.

  He used more force than necessary to yank her out of the backseat of the car again and a hint of rage overrode Lynn's fear. She welcomed the rage, knowing that she couldn't function well while afraid, but could get focused and cunning when angry.

  As the four of them walked toward the door of the building, Lynn cursed the fact that Jimmy had his gun pressed firmly into Nick's back.

  She had no doubt that with a well-aimed kick she could incapacitate Kip. She could kick his brains into next week and he'd never be a threat to anyone again, but she couldn't do anything while Jimmy was able to put a bullet into Nick's back.

  Saving herself at the sacrifice of Nick simply wasn't an option in her world.

  She'd expected a dusty, rat-infested place, but was shocked when they were led into a large room that looked like a high school science lab. The stainless steel counters, the glass beakers and other equipment made her thoughts flash back to when she'd seen Lab 33, when authorities had raided it with help from Athena women. Chills radiated out from the very center of her soul, forcing an outbreak of goose bumps on her arms.

  There was evil here. She smelled it in the air just as she'd smelled it when she'd first walked into Lab 33. It was the nebulous scent of greed and desire, of crimes and immorality.

  What had these men been doing in here? What terrible things had happened inside these walls? She caught a whiff of a chemical scent that she couldn't quite identify.

  "What happens now?" Nick asked. It was the first time he'd said anything since Kip had slapped her.

  "You wait." Jimmy motioned them both to the ground next to an exposed pipe that ran the length of the floor. "Unfortunately, we're going to have to secure you until the boss gets here."

  "This isn't necessary." Nick frowned as Jimmy tied his bound hands to the pipe.

  "Yes it is," Kip said as he tied Lynn's wrists to the pipe. When he was finished he stood and pulled a roll of wide silver tape from his pocket.

  The sight of the tape shot a new form of terror through Lynn. She didn't want the tape slapped over her mouth. If she was going to die here, she at least wanted the opportunity to tell Nick goodbye.

  She was almost relieved when Kip bent down and wrapped the tape around her ankles. When he was finished he threw the roll of tape to Jimmy, who then bound Nick's ankles together.

  When both of them were secure, Kip and Jimmy stepped back from them. "You shouldn't have to wait too long," Jimmy said. "I'm afraid Kip and I have to leave you now. We've got a couple of other things to take care of."

  She waited until the sound of their footsteps faded away, then she heard the clang of the door closing. It was only then she turned and looked at Nick. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

  His lips were little more than a grim slash in his face.

  "I don't know. It's possible my cover's been blown. All I know is we've got to get out of here now."

  His face turned red with strain as he leaned forward in an attempt to wrestle his hands free. He threw his head back and squeezed his eyes closed, the muscles in his neck cording as a growl of frustration escaped him.

  Lynn tried to twist and turn her hands, then concentrated on trying to break the duct tape with the strength of her legs. She strained so hard a headache crashed through her temples.

  "Damn!" She finally expelled a breath, her efforts to break the silver tape to no avail. "We're not going anywhere too quickly," she said, stating the obvious.

  Nick leaned his head back against the wall and released a sigh of frustration. He raised his head and looked at her once again, his eyes glittering darkly. "Maybe if we both pull up with our hands we can somehow dislodge or break the pipe."

  She nodded, willing to try anything. "Okay, on the count of three. One…Two…Three! She strained upward with her hands, feeling the bite of the rope digging into her flesh.

  Nick did the same, his face growing redder with his effort. The pipe didn't budge. Lynn relaxed, panting from her efforts. "I hope you have a plan B," she said.

  "That was plan B," he replied dryly.

  Once again her head pounded with nauseating intensity. "What is this place?" she asked. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, willing her headache away.

  "A meth lab."

  She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. "That's what you've been working on? Some sort of a drug deal?"

  "It's bigger than a simple drug deal and the last thing I wanted was for you to become involved in this in any way." She felt the anguish that shone from his eyes deep in her heart.

  "I know that, but now I am involved, and I'd like to know all about it. Lord knows we need to do something to pass the time. You might as well fill me in."

  He sighed wearily. "About a year and a half ago we got a call that there was a drug operation taking place in Raymore. The call came from a local woman who had an in with the men involved." They kept their voices to just above a whisper.

  "I'm surprised the FBI got involved in a simple drug deal."

  "Believe me, there's nothing simple about this deal. Half the people of the town are working the drugs and the other half know it's going on but look the other way."

  "So, if I could scream loud enough for someb
ody to hear me, they probably wouldn't come to our rescue."

  "That's right," he agreed. "Even the cops turn a blind eye to what goes on here. That's why we got involved, not only because of the drugs but also because of the corruption."

  "So, this woman called."

  "She agreed to work with us and insinuated herself as deep into the mix as she could. Jimmy is her cousin."

  "Nice family tree," Lynn said wryly.

  He paused a moment and she could see that he was still working to try to free his hands. He worked for several moments, then slumped in defeat. "Anyway, the woman hit a wall when it came to finding out who was behind the whole thing. We decided it was time for one of us to move in."

  "You. It was time for you to move in."

  He nodded. "We started setting the scene about two months prior to me moving here. We had the woman, Colette, start talking about a guy she'd met in Miami and had fallen head over heels for, a guy named Nick Barnes."

  "And I'm sure she told everybody you were the son of a mobster." Lynn knew the pain Nick had suffered at being the son of Joey Barnes. It was ironic that Joey Barnes's name had probably assured Nick a place in this drug operation.

  "She did. They also knew about me working for Jonas White. I'd let them know that I was a partner in Jonas's criminal activity. But, we weren't sure if the locals would believe everything if I just breezed into town and played her boyfriend."

  "So you arranged a wedding."

  His gaze held hers. "Yeah, we arranged to get married in the local church by a local minister so nobody would question my commitment to Colette and my new hometown."

  "And it worked." So he had been telling her the truth about the marriage.

  He frowned worriedly. "I thought it had worked, but I guess we'll find out for sure in the near future." His eyes darkened and in the depths she saw raw emotion.

  "Don't," she protested, a wealth of pain rising up in her chest. "Don't Nick."

  "Don't what?"

  "I don't want to hear any last-minute confessions. I don't want to rehash the past or mourn any future."

  Once again he leaned his head back against the wall behind them. "This may be the only chance we get to talk about such things."