by Lara Lacombe
“I’ll ask her about it.”
Valdez didn’t respond right away, which triggered alarm bells in Thomas’s head. “Actually, I’m going to send someone to the hospital to talk to Emily. You’re too close to the situation.”
Thomas tightened his grip on the phone. “You think I can’t get my niece to answer questions about her experience?”
“I’m sure you can,” Valdez said, his voice taking on a soothing tone that only grated on Thomas’s already frayed nerves. “I just want someone there who has a little more experience talking to kids.”
“Fine,” he bit out, knowing the other man was right.
“I already briefed Natalie on the situation with Victor. She’s en route to the safe house with Dr. Fleming, where they’ll stay until we figure out Victor’s next move.”
Thomas felt he’d been punched in the gut. So Claire had left. That confirmed his worst suspicions. The only reason she would have gone without telling him was if she’d seen the kiss. He’d been a fool to think otherwise.
At least she was safe, he told himself. Natalie was a good agent, and she’d protect Claire until he could get to her. Assuming Claire ever wanted to see him again.
He shook his head, frustration building inside him, making his chest feel too small. The situation with Tanya could not have come at a worse time. He needed to go to Claire, to explain that she was the only one he cared about, the only one he had feelings for, but he didn’t have the luxury of time. With Victor still on the loose, he needed to make sure she and his family were safe. There would be time for conversation later, once the danger had passed.
Thomas wasn’t stupid enough to think Victor had just given up. He’d taken Emily to use as a bargaining chip, and the only reason he’d let her go was because it suited his purposes. But just what did he have planned? It was no secret Victor wanted Claire and Ivan’s decoded pages. But by letting Emily go, he’d lost the advantage. Unless...
Had Emily been a diversion? What if Victor had lured them to the Armory with the promise of delivering the little girl, knowing Thomas and the rest of the team would jump at the chance to get her back? He would know where they were, would know that the team would be tied up for hours making sure Emily was okay and interviewing the man he’d sent in his stead. Everyone would be gone, leaving the safe house empty and undefended. The perfect opportunity for Victor to break in and hide, lying in wait for them to return.
His stomach twisted, a rush of adrenaline leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He had to trust Natalie. As much as he wanted to run to Claire, to see for himself that she was safe, he couldn’t leave his family unprotected until he had more information.
Besides, what if that was just what Victor wanted? Maybe he was watching him even now. Victor had to know Thomas would head straight for the hospital with Emily. Maybe his plan was to follow him to the safe house. Running off half-cocked would only feed into his twisted plans, something Thomas refused to do.
Hopefully Emily could shed some light on the situation. He doubted Victor had been careless enough to reveal anything to the girl, but she was a smart cookie and she may have picked up something without even realizing it. He just hoped the agents Valdez sent would be able to question her without traumatizing her.
“How long until the agents get here?” he asked. As soon as he knew his family was protected, he could focus completely on Claire.
“They should be arriving in a few minutes,” Valdez replied.
Thomas spied two no-nonsense women striding toward him, their determined gait and polished appearance practically screaming federal agent.
“Let me guess,” he said, wanting to verify their identity before running off. “Two women? One brunette, one blonde?”
“Yes,” Valdez confirmed. “Tyler and Matthews. They’re very good.”
“Glad to hear it,” Thomas replied absently, his mind already jumping ahead to the next problem. If Natalie was taking Claire back to the safe house, she had the car. He eyed the women as they drew near, hoping they’d be willing to help out a fellow agent.
“Got to go. Keep me posted.” He hung up before Valdez could respond and walked forward to introduce himself, pasting on a smile he didn’t feel. As his grandmother used to tell him, “You catch more flies with honey.”
Time to turn on the charm.
* * *
Natalie pushed the button to shut the garage door, unlocking the car only after she saw that they were sealed in. She waited until Claire joined her by the driver’s side before walking to the house door.
“You know the drill by now,” she said with a small smile. “Let me go first.”
Claire nodded, hanging back until Natalie had checked the kitchen and small dining room. The other woman waved her in and headed down the left hall to clear the den. Her phone rang as she walked, and she pulled it from her belt, frowning at the display.
“It’s Thomas,” she said, concern lacing her voice. Claire gritted her teeth against the flip of her stomach at the mention of his name. He was a jerk, a cad and she’d do well to remember it.
“I hope nothing’s wrong with his niece,” Natalie said as she continued down the hall, her fingers working to answer the phone. “Natalie here—”
She broke off abruptly, and Claire heard a solid thud. Then Natalie screamed out, “Claire, run!”
Claire froze for a split second, uncertain. She couldn’t go back into the garage; the doors were down, locking her in. The front door was too far away. The bedroom, and its panic alcove, was her only option. In the split second it took her to make the decision, a loud bang sounded from the den.
Oh, God. Oh god oh god oh god. Blinking hard to clear the tears from her eyes, she sucked in a shallow breath and ran for the bedroom off the right hallway, trying desperately to keep her movements quiet. Had Victor sent someone else for her? Or had he somehow escaped the FBI and found her?
“Claire.” She jerked as Victor called to her, his voice floating from somewhere behind her. How was he here? Why wasn’t he in custody? “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” The monster was cheerful, his taunts delivered in the singsong rhythm of a child’s rhyme.
Claire hunched her shoulders, defending herself from the slap of his voice. It didn’t matter how he’d found her. All that mattered was that he was here, in the house, playing with her the way a cat toyed with an injured mouse. After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the bedroom door, forcing herself to slow down as she slipped through. Once inside, she dashed for the closet. The sound of footsteps in the hall made her heart stop, and she sucked in a breath when she heard Victor enter the second bedroom.
She pulled the closet door shut behind her and wrenched open the door to the secret alcove. She dove in and pulled the door shut as she heard Victor enter the bedroom. With shaking fingers, she flipped the lock and pressed herself to the back of the alcove.
“Claire,” he said, drawing her name out as he searched. “This is getting boring. Why don’t you come out so we can talk? I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”
Yeah, right. He opened the closet door, and she pressed her fist to her mouth, biting down hard. A thin strip of light outlined the door of the alcove when Victor turned on the light, and he chuckled, the low sound giving her chills.
“Clever girl,” he said, amusement lacing his tone. “But of course, that’s one of the reasons I like you so much. You’re not one of those whimpering, sniveling women. You have a brain, and you actually use it.” His voice came closer, and Claire curled up in the corner, trying to get as far away from him as possible. The door separated them—for now. What if he tried to kick it in? She had no idea how sturdy it was, or how long it would take for him to break through.
A thin scratching sound broke the silence, making her shudder. She had the sudden, vivid image of Victor running his knife along th
e wood of the door, and she shook her head, trying to dislodge the disturbing picture.
“We’re equals, you and I,” he said, tapping his fingers on the door. “I know you’re scared, but you don’t have to be. You’re too interesting to destroy.”
Claire felt wetness on her hands and realized she was crying. She hastily wiped her cheeks dry, trying to keep her breathing as shallow as possible. Why wouldn’t he just go away?
“I have to be honest with you though, my employer wants you gone. They think you can implicate them in this business. But...” Victor lowered his voice, his tone turning confessional. “I think they’re being short-sighted. A woman like you would be an amazing asset. Once their tempers cool, they’ll understand, and they’ll agree that I did the right thing by keeping you alive. You don’t have to worry, milaya—I’ll protect you from them.”
Claire flinched at the perversion of Ivan’s endearment, burying her head in her arms in a bid to block out Victor’s words. He chattered on, describing his plans for them—where they would go, the beautiful things he was going to give her. The pride in his voice made him sound like a new husband describing the perfect honeymoon trip to his bride.
Oh my God, he’s insane. She’d known he was dangerous, but the cold, calculated nature of his actions had made her assume he was rational. Hearing the elaborate, twisted fantasy he’d constructed turned her blood to ice. There was no telling what he’d do to her, all in the name of “love.”
After a few moments, he fell silent. Claire held her breath, straining to hear any sounds of movement. Was he still out there, or had he left? He wouldn’t go far, she knew, but just having more distance between them would make her feel so much better.
Her hopes crashed back to earth when he spoke again. “Claire,” he said, his voice taking on an edge. “You are making things more difficult than they have to be. Will you come out? I swear on my mother’s grave I won’t harm you.”
Claire shook her head. Even though he couldn’t see her response, the need to refuse him was so great she couldn’t stay still. Apparently her silence was answer enough, for he sighed loudly.
“Very well.” He sounded dejected. “I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but I see now that you require additional persuasion. So be it.”
He did move then, and Claire exhaled silently when she heard him step away from the door. “You will come to me, Claire,” he said, his voice cold. “Just remember I tried to make it easy for you. What happens next is your fault.”
She heard him shut the bedroom door and let her head fall back to rest against the wall. Then the shaking started. She shivered violently, unable to control her limbs as they vibrated with an intensity that was almost painful. She sucked in deep, heaving breaths, no longer worried about staying silent. Victor knew where she was, so what was the point?
After an eternity, she stopped quivering long enough to dry her face. It didn’t help. Tears continued to leak from her eyes, tracking down her cheeks to drip off her chin. She pressed her sleeves to her eyes but gave up after a moment. She had bigger things to worry about right now.
It was unlikely Natalie had managed to send a distress call. Victor had been all too willing to chat through the door, which meant he wasn’t worried about backup arriving. Still, she clung to the hope that Thomas had heard the shot and called for help. Even though it was unlikely, the thought that a SWAT team was about to storm the house made her feel less alone.
It’s up to me, she realized, sniffling. She had no idea if she’d get cell service in this alcove, but she had to try. She stretched out her legs and patted her pockets, searching for the familiar bulge of her phone. Her heart dropped as she realized her pockets were empty. Fighting to control her breathing, she checked again. Nothing.
With a sickening lurch, she imagined her phone tucked into the pouch on the side of her purse, the memory as clear as a photograph. She’d dropped the bag on the table upon entering the house, not thinking she should hang on to it. She was safe here, after all.
A quiet sob escaped as the true magnitude of her situation sank in. She was trapped in this alcove, with a psychopathic murderer lying in wait. She had no phone, no way of contacting the outside world. No means of protecting herself.
She was alone.
Chapter 13
Thomas tightened his grip on the phone, hardly daring to breathe. Something was terribly wrong.
Natalie had answered, but she’d been cut off in midsentence. Now she wasn’t responding to his calls. Neither was Claire.
Pressing hard on the accelerator, he wove through traffic as he made his way out of the city. Keeping one eye on his phone, he redialed Natalie’s number.
Maybe she just dropped the phone, his rational mind said, looking for an innocent excuse for her lack of contact. He’d done it any number of times. If it hit the ground at the right angle the battery popped out, and it took several minutes to put it back together and reboot the damn thing. That was the most logical explanation. She wasn’t picking up right now, but that didn’t necessarily mean Victor had found them.
His gut told his brain to shut the hell up.
He would give her one more try, and then he was calling in the rest of the team....
The phone buzzed in his hand, Natalie’s number popping up on the display. He nearly shouted with relief.
“Natalie? What happened? Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“Agent Kincannon, so good to hear your voice.”
Thomas felt his heart stall in his chest at the sound of Victor’s voice. His gut turned to water as realization sank in. He was calling from Natalie’s phone, which could only mean one thing.
“What have you done with her?”
“Nothing,” Victor said. “Yet.”
Thomas swallowed around the lump in his throat. The thought of Claire in the clutches of this madman tore him up inside. She had to be terrified, and given the fact that Victor had cut her earlier, he didn’t doubt the assassin would be quick to hurt her again.
“What do you want?” His body screamed at him to move, but he was coming up on a sea of brake lights and he couldn’t go any faster.
“I want you, Agent Kincannon,” Victor replied, his tone implying that this should be obvious. “I am not accustomed to people walking away from an encounter with me, and you will not be the first.”
This was about preserving his macabre record? Insane. This man had assaulted a woman, kidnapped a child and was even now holding Claire hostage, all because of some ego-driven quest? Thomas felt an oddly serene calm settle over him as a sense of resolve filled his chest, chasing away the anger and fear for Claire.
“I repeat, what do you want?”
“I want you to face me, man-to-man. For the last time.” The challenge was unmistakable, the other man’s conceit coming through loud and clear.
“Where and when?”
There was a pause, as if Victor had expected more resistance, or perhaps threats. Too bad. Thomas wasn’t about to waste words, or to give Victor even a hint of what was to come.
“The safe house,” the other man finally said. “Bring the papers. And I don’t need to tell you to come alone, do I? I’ve already killed your friend, the woman agent, but I still have Claire. She’s very lovely, you know.” His voice dropped to a confessional tone that made Thomas’s stomach twist. “All that smooth, pretty skin over soft curves. It would be a shame to hurt her.”
“I suggest you don’t,” Thomas replied evenly. “If she dies, you have no bargaining chip.”
Victor laughed, a low, soft chuckle that slithered across the connection. “Oh, Agent Kincannon, how naive you are. The human body can take so much punishment before giving out. And I know just what buttons to push. Trust me,” he finished, a smile evident in his tone. “I can make her scream.”
Thomas
gritted his teeth, determined not to rise to the bait. If Victor knew how much he really cared for Claire, the man wouldn’t hesitate to punish her to get to him. Bad enough she was being held hostage now, but for her to be tortured as part of some sick vendetta? He’d never forgive himself.
“I’m coming,” he said, ignoring the other man’s taunts. He hung up the phone before Victor could respond—a small, but satisfying, victory. With careful, controlled movements, he slipped the phone back into his jacket and ran a hand through his hair.
He toyed with the idea of calling Valdez but dismissed it. The other agent would want to set up a plan of attack, to deploy backup. An understandable response, but one that would only put Claire in more danger. Victor was rash, deadly and crazy, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d know right away if an operation was being set up outside the safe house, and Thomas wasn’t willing to risk Claire’s safety. No, he had to do this alone.
The thought of walking into this situation solo and blind should have worried him. It didn’t. Rather than feeling nervous, Thomas felt a sense of determined anticipation. This was going to end today. One way or another, Victor would no longer be a threat to the people he loved.
Even if it killed him.
* * *
He hadn’t come back.
She had no idea how long it had been, but after leaving the room, Victor hadn’t returned. Claire wasn’t naive enough to think he’d left completely, but as the minutes passed with no sign of him, she had begun to relax a bit.
She shifted now, attempting to find a better position. The alcove wasn’t very big, and it wasn’t designed for comfort. She’d been huddled for so long her muscles protested the movement with sharp twinges that shot down her legs as she uncurled. Wincing, she stretched what she could, rubbing her thighs to help ease the tension that had held her in its grip.
The panic that had overwhelmed her earlier was now a manageable thing, something she felt she could control, at least for a time. Like a lion on a leash, she knew it was only a matter of time before it broke free again, but she was determined to make the most of this interlude while she could.
