by Sharon Dunn
“How are you going to get into the fund-raiser?”
“I have some connections. Big event like that is most likely catered. The Bureau will no doubt plant some people in there too. You’re not alone in this, Isabel.”
The words were like a soothing balm to her.
Jason gave her shoulder a supportive squeeze. “Well, come on. I’ll take you to the houses you need to open up and then you have a ball gown to buy, Cinderella.”
TEN
Jason felt itchy and uncomfortable in the waiter’s uniform his friend had loaned him. Starched white shirt, tails and cummerbund were not his style. He was a jeans and flannel or wool shirt kind of guy. He tugged on his collar as he scanned the room and kept his eye on the door, looking for Isabel.
“Thank you.” A tall woman in a sparkling gown grabbed a glass off his tray. Her dress was the same color as the champagne he served.
He spotted one other Bureau guy as he wove through the room. One of the older agents, a short man with a widow’s peak, stood talking to a man in a cowboy hat.
Isabel had ten more minutes before she had to make the drop. She ought to have shown up by now. His heart squeezed a little tighter.
Jason had stayed with Isabel through the day and into evening.
After they’d found her a dress and picked up the bookmark from Michael, he’d dropped her off at her place to get ready with the understanding that she would text him when she left. He’d had to get to the party to be in place when she arrived. Her text had come through ten minutes ago. How long did it take to get across town? Had it been a mistake to leave her even for that short time? What if the fund-raiser party was just a ruse and they intended to grab her the first chance they got?
He checked his watch one more time. He needed to get into place in the library without being noticed. He had to assume the smuggler mastermind had planted people besides the pickup guy among the partygoers. Even if the smuggler had figured out who Jason was, the waiter’s uniform would make him invisible.
Isabel appeared suddenly at the door, dressed in royal blue.
Jason breathed a sigh of relief.
Her cheeks were flushed with color. Her skin had something on it that sparkled when she stepped into the light and down the stairs. She looked stunning.
She spotted him but made only momentary eye contact. She wove through the crowd, stopping to shake hands and talk to people. A lot of these people were probably clients.
She whisked past him.
He spoke under his breath. “Everything go okay?”
“Yes, but I think I was followed. I had to take the long way.”
Might have been the thieves they’d encountered at the Wilsons’. The higher-ups would have known she was headed to the fund-raiser.
The music stopped, and a woman picked up a microphone to make announcements about the money raised and silent-auction items still left to be bid on. While the attention of the crowd was on the woman, Jason set his tray down and headed toward the library. Isabel had explained the layout of the house to him earlier in the evening.
Knowing that a nervous glance might give him away, he kept his gaze on the stairs in front of him but listened to make sure he wasn’t followed. The library was on the second story at the opposite end of the house, far away from any partygoers. Even someone who was lost or looking for a bathroom wouldn’t be on that side of the house.
In order to make the drop, Isabel would be less than a minute or two behind him. They were cutting this pretty close. His heart kicked into high gear and adrenaline surged through his system.
The library was dark. He slipped behind a desk and waited for the sound of Isabel’s footsteps. In this light, it would be nearly impossible to identify the pickup man. Jason would have to follow him back into the throng of partygoers and look for an opportunity to snap a photo. If that opportunity didn’t arise, he’d have to get a good look at the guy and trust his memory.
All Isabel had to do was slip the bookmark into place and hurry back to the crowd. She’d be safe among the partygoers.
He heard the light tapping of footsteps on the wood floor outside. Isabel’s dress made swishing sounds as she entered the room. She did a half turn in the middle of the floor, probably wondering where he was hiding.
His heart lurched. He wanted to say something to let her know he had her back. But it was too risky. She approached the bookshelf and clicked the light on her phone, bending close to the volumes. She held a gold clutch purse that contained the bookmark.
A shadow entered the room from a side door. The man was so silent and quick, Jason heard only two footsteps before the dark figure grabbed Isabel and spun her around, whispering something sinister-sounding in her ear.
Jason jumped to his feet and hurried toward Isabel. The shadow swung around so Isabel was between him and Jason.
“I’ve got a gun on her. You come any closer, she takes a bullet.”
He couldn’t see a gun, and though he was less than four feet away, he couldn’t make out the features on Isabel’s face.
“It’s...true... Jason.” Her voice, drenched in fear, faltered.
“Back away...now,” said the man covered in shadows. He was dressed in black, which made him even harder to see.
Heart raging against his rib cage, sweat trickling down his neck, Jason took a step back even as he tried to come up with a way to overtake the man holding Isabel.
Isabel’s frantic breathing seemed augmented in the darkness and silence of the library. Dragging Isabel with him, the man slipped toward a dark corner of the room.
There was a brief burst of light as a door opened and the man pulled Isabel through. The door shut and he heard a clicking sound. Footsteps retreating downstairs. Jason raced toward it. Locked. This was an exit the Bureau hadn’t accounted for.
He ran to the window that was on the same side of the room as the door. Down below, he saw Isabel being dragged toward a black truck that was parked off away from the other vehicles. From that side of the property, there was only one road out.
He hurried down the stairs toward his own car, praying that he would be able to get to Isabel in time. He sprinted through the back part of the main floor. The noise of the partygoers dimmed as he went through a part of the house where there weren’t many people, only some of the hired help. There was no time to alert the agent on the premises. Isabel’s life depended on his getting out to that road as fast as he could.
As he ran toward his car, the momentary image of Isabel’s terrified expression when the light had come through the open door bombarded his thoughts.
Jumping into his loaner car, he shifted into gear. He could see the black truck winding its way up the road. He pressed the gas. His car swerved, but he straightened it out. Conditions were far from ideal.
Shadow man’s truck disappeared around a corner. Jason prayed he would be able to get to Isabel before it was too late.
* * *
Isabel gripped the steering wheel as she struggled to take in air, to remain calm. She’d seen Jason’s car behind them for just a moment on the straight part of the road. She slowed as they rounded the curve, hoping Jason would be able to keep up.
“Drive faster,” said the man with the gun.
She glanced over at him.
He grinned, showing all his teeth. “Thought I’d never see you again, Isabel.”
Nick Solomon. The last person on earth she wanted to see. “I heard you got out of prison.” He must be connected with the smuggling ring. How else would he have known she was in the library?
“You’ve been following my exploits, have you?”
She had paid attention to his release date because she wanted to avoid him. “I thought I heard you went down to California.”
“I did for a while, Blondie.” He scooted closer, still holding the gun on her. “Let’s just say
a much more lucrative opportunity came up here in Silver Strike.”
Nick instructed her to take several more turns. She wasn’t familiar with this road. She checked the rearview mirror.
“I think we lost your little partner there. I don’t know why you’re with him, anyway. If you wanted to get back into the life, if the word on the street is true, you should have called me.”
She pressed her teeth together. As much as she wanted to tell Nick she had changed and the last thing she wanted was a life of crime, she swallowed her words. The smuggling ring believed she wanted in on their action, and she had to continue that ruse. “I’m happy with my current partner.”
“What’s his name, anyway?”
So they hadn’t been able to identify Jason. That was why they’d communicated with her.
“Decided to go all quiet on me, huh?” He sat back in the seat, staring at her in a way that put her even more on edge. They drove for at least twenty minutes. He waved the gun in the air. “Turn that way and park when you see the little cabins.”
She turned onto a long unplowed driveway where there were several cabins and a larger lodge. This was probably a church camp that was only used in the summer.
“Stop before the truck gets stuck.”
She pressed the brakes. Nick held out his hands for the keys. They were miles from anything or anyone. They had encountered no other traffic on the road or passed any houses.
She slammed the keys into his clammy palm.
Her clutch rested on the seat. Nick shoved it into her stomach. “I assume the item of interest is in there. Give it to me.”
Her hands were shaking as she undid the clasp. “This is what you were supposed to get back for your boss, right? What good am I to you? Why complicate things?”
Again, the toothy smile. “I have plans for you, my dear.”
His words were like mercury in her veins, spreading a deadly poison through her.
She pulled the bookmark from the purse, unfolded the protective case it was in and showed him.
“Very nice.”
What had she ever seen in this man? She was sixteen when she met him. Her mother had had a string of boyfriends. She’d never known her father. Nick had paid attention to her at first, told her she was pretty, bought her gifts, given her the affection she’d craved.
He pointed the gun at her. “Get out of the truck and go over to the stone building.”
She opened the truck door. Wind blew the snow around. Cold settled on her bare skin. Her ball gown had gotten ripped in the struggle. Her exposed arms were goose pimpled from the cold.
Nick trudged behind her, still holding the gun on her. “I have to say. You look so beautiful tonight. When I saw you, it made me think of old times. We could have been something for each other.”
Isabel paused midstride briefly but didn’t respond. Fear made it almost impossible for her to speak anyway. What was he planning?
The door to the large stone lodge had a lock and chain on it that had been cut.
“Go inside,” Nick urged.
She pushed open the door. The main meeting area had a few benches and a large fireplace.
Without a coat, Isabel was shivering.
“Do you like it here? It’s my home away from home. Why don’t you build us a nice romantic fire?”
She pressed her lips together, fighting back the words she wanted to say. How he had ruined her life. How she wanted nothing to do with him or the people he associated with.
He pulled out a phone and stepped over to a corner of the room, still watching her and holding the gun.
Wood and kindling were stacked by the fire.
Nick blocked the door, so there was no way for her to escape. Besides, he had the truck keys. She wouldn’t get far in the cold, not dressed the way she was.
She struck a match to the kindling she had stacked in the grate and tossed in more paper. Flames blackened and ate the paper and tiny pieces of wood.
Though Nick was speaking in a low tone, she gathered enough of the conversation to discern that he was talking to someone about the bookmark. At one point, he patted his chest where he’d placed it.
The fire increased in intensity, and she threw on a small log. She held her hands out to the warmth and then rubbed her arms.
Nick finished his phone call and strode toward her. The look in his eyes turned her stomach.
She rubbed her palms over her arms. “I’m really cold. Can I see if I can find a sweater or something around here?”
“I could keep you warm.” Again, that sick smile.
Repulsed, she took a step back. “I think I’ll try to find a coat or blanket. Maybe some kid left something behind.” She turned, looking for a door that might lead to storage or a closet.
She stepped across the room, swung a door open and found board games and outdoor equipment. A sweatshirt heaped in a box on the floor. She grabbed it, assessed it to be a few sizes too big and put it on. It hung down past her waist.
When she turned around, Nick was watching her. He’d put the gun away in his coat. “You sure looked beautiful tonight. You even look cute with that sweatshirt on. What do you say—join me? This isn’t small-time. We could make a fortune.”
She was struck by how pathetic and desperate he sounded. So that was why he’d dragged her here. He thought he could talk her into being with him.
She shook her head. “I just want to go home, please.”
“Come on, Isabel. Don’t you want to be rich? This isn’t petty stuff for me. I’m connected all the way to the top.”
Her senses went on high alert. Was he telling the truth? Did Nick know who was behind the smuggling, or was he just bragging to try to win her back?
He blocked the door so she couldn’t step back out into the main room. She had to play this thing to the end. “I’m happy with the arrangement I have.”
Rage flared in his eyes and he reached out and grabbed her. “You were meant to be with me.” His hands closed around her wrists.
“Nick, please, you’re hurting me.” She struggled to get away.
He pressed toward her trying to kiss her. She kicked him hard in the shins so he doubled over and got out of her way. She ran toward the door.
Nick was just recovering when she swung the door open and ran outside. She raced toward one of the far cabins hidden in the trees. The snow was of a soft enough texture that she hadn’t left clear footprints. She was glad she’d chosen to wear boots with her dress. At least her feet were warm. He’d find her sooner or later, though. Though she’d gained access to the cabin, she needed to come up with an escape plan.
What could she do? Run to the truck and lock all the doors until he agreed to take her home? No, he would never do that. She could file kidnapping charges against him.
She took out her cell phone. She could tell Jason where she was.
She heard Nick moving through the camp, opening and shutting the cabin doors. No time to make the call.
She slipped out the back door of the cabin and hid behind a tree. His footsteps reached her ears.
“Come on out, Isabel.” He sounded almost whiny. “It can be like old times. You and me.”
She took in a breath, willing her heart to slow down. The only way off this mountain without blowing her cover was to play along. She’d make Nick think she was interested in getting back with him. Acid rose up from her stomach at the thought of having to pretend to like him.
She stepped out, prepared to call to Nick, when a hand went over her mouth.
ELEVEN
For the second time since they’d met, Jason had to subdue Isabel into silence by putting a hand over her mouth. This time, she must have sensed it was him because she stopped struggling right away.
“I’ve got the car down the road,” Jason whispered.
Nick cried o
ut. “Isabel. Blondie.” He shone the flashlight in her direction. Both of them got caught in the light just as they turned to run.
Isabel scrambled down the snowy hill, slowed by her dress. When she looked over her shoulder, the flashlight was moving away from them. Nick was probably going to get his truck so he could chase them.
Jason jumped into the car and revved the engine. She swung the passenger-side door open and scooted in beside him, snapping her seat belt on.
“How did you find me?”
“I saw the smoke from the chimney.” He pressed the accelerator and burst forward on the snow-covered road. “When I lost you, I called our friends at the Bureau. Couple agents are out looking for you.” Affection and relief collided inside him. “I’m glad I’m the one who found you.”
“Me too.” Nuances of affection permeated her words. Isabel brushed a stray strand of hair off her face. When he thought he’d lost her at the party, he’d felt a chasm inside him he didn’t understand.
“Nice outfit.” Even after all she’d been through, she looked beautiful.
She stared down at the sweatshirt. “It’s what all the divas are wearing these days.”
He caught the levity in her voice, grateful that she could have a sense of humor even while they were still in danger. The guy who had taken her was bound to come after them.
“What’s that guy’s game, anyway? Why didn’t he just take the bookmark?”
“Let’s just say he’s someone I would rather not associate with.”
“But he knows you?”
“He’s the reason I have a record.” Her voice dropped half an octave and she turned slightly away from him.
Jason knew from what the Bureau had told him that Isabel’s old boyfriend was named Nick Solomon. “The past is in the past.” He hoped his words communicated that he still believed in her.
Headlights loomed behind them.
Jason stared in the rearview mirror. “Didn’t take him long to catch up.”
Nick closed the distance between the two vehicles.
