Targeted (Firebrand Book 1)

by Sandra Robbins

  “Good. Now what about tomorrow?”

  “Sophia is finishing up the arrangements today. It’s set to go off without a hitch.”

  “Good. Once we have the boy, the rest should be easy. Just remember. He’s not to be hurt until we have DeHan in our hands, too. Understood?”

  “Yes.”

  Once again Victor studied the barren landscape and the deserted shack. How long had that dilapidated cabin weathered the harsh climate conditions out here? He shook his head at the thought that someone had once thought he might be able to live in this forsaken place. “I thought I might have trouble finding this place, but I didn’t. Your directions were spot on.”

  “This is off the beaten path, but it’s private. We use this part of the desert a lot to bury things we don’t want found. There’s not much chance of our being seen out here.”

  Victor nodded but didn’t say anything. He’d heard some of the cartel lieutenants talk about the cartel’s secret burial plots that were hidden among the sand dunes and Joshua trees that dotted the area. He just had to make sure he didn’t end up here as well.

  El Jefe pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Victor. “But I know this is what you really came for. The down payment. You can count it later. Just don’t disappoint me in this mission, Victor. I want Firebrand brought down.”

  “I won’t.”

  El Jefe took a deep breath. “It’s going to be a pleasure to see Firebrand and its leaders destroyed. Now I think we should get out of here before somebody spots us.”

  He’d no sooner spoken the words than a pick-up truck with a roof-mounted American flag in the center of the vehicle rattled around the corner and pulled to a stop beside Victor’s rental car. A middle-aged man wearing jeans, a cotton shirt, and a cowboy hat climbed out of the truck. Dust caked the boots he wore.

  Out of the corner of his eye Victor saw El Jefe’s two bodyguards take a few steps and come to a stop behind their boss. They each hooked a thumb in their belts, a move that gave them quick access to the guns holstered underneath their jackets.

  The man grinned as he walked around the front of the truck toward them. “Hello, there. What you fellas doing out here today?”

  Victor glanced at El Jefe before he smiled and stuck out his hand at the approaching stranger. “We’re staying out at Ft. Erwin for a few days and thought we’d come out here to look at some of the deserted cabins we’ve seen scattered across the desert.”

  The man chuckled, pushed his hat back on his head, and shook Victor’s hand. “Yeah. They’re something else. Back in the early twentieth century some government hot shot decided it would be good to homestead this unoccupied land. Lots of these little cabins went up as folks moved out here. The only problem was nobody gave a thought to this being a desert and not fit for growing nothing. Now these old places ain’t nothing but an eyesore. We get lots of kids out here drinkin’ and doin’ drugs. When I saw the tire tracks where you’d turned off the main road, I thought I’d better check it out.”

  “Well, as you can see, we’re not doing either one of those things. But it was mighty brave of you to come down here alone. A lot of people would have been scared to do that. Do you live around here?”

  The man nodded. “I have a little farm outside of Barstow, and I work part time at the commissary at Ft. Erwin.”

  “Really? That must be interesting. You must meet a lot of soldiers and their families.”

  “I do. Units come here from all over to train in desert warfare. But you have your regular army community who’s stationed here for a few years.”

  “And sooner or later, I’ll bet you get to know them all.”

  The farmer laughed. “Yeah. I enjoy talking with folks. I may not remember all their names, but I never forget a face.” He glanced at his watch. “I’d better get out of here or I’m going to be late for work. Let me give you a word of advice. Be careful if you decide to do any hiking. We get lost hikers all the time, and this ain’t a good place to lose your way. Glad you folks are okay.”

  “No, we’re fine, but we appreciate your concern.”

  “Have a good day.” The farmer touched the brim of his hat and turned to walk back to his truck.

  Before the man had taken a step, Victor moved with the speed of a cheetah, wrapped his arms around the man’s throat, and began choking the life from him. His straw hat fell to the ground, and he struggled against the attack. But there was no way he could counter the attack of someone who’d been trained in the lethal tactics of an assassin. It took only a few minutes for the struggle to be over.

  Victor released the man, and his lifeless body slumped to the ground. He stared down at the dead man at his feet for a moment before he he glanced up at El Jefe who nodded in approval. “Good work, Victor. That didn’t take long.”

  Victor shrugged. “Years of experience. I was just following your orders. No witnesses, you said.”

  El Jefe turned and stared at the mountains behind them and motioned to his two bodyguards who stood behind him. “Get rid of this body.”

  The men nodded and stepped around their boss. They picked the body up and headed around the side of the shack. “Where are they going? Can’t we just bury him?” Victor asked.

  El Jefe shook his head. “No, we’re in the desert. When the rains come, there will be a small flood come down that mountain. Anything buried around here will be uncovered.” He pointed up the mountain. “They have to carry him up there and find a hole where the coyotes have dug out, stuff him in there, and pile rocks over the opening. That way no one will ever find him.”

  Victor nodded and stared at the truck for a moment. “I guess there’s not much we can do about that.”

  El Jefe shook his head. “If the body’s not found, the man’s disappearance will just be another mystery of the desert.”

  An hour later the men returned from their task. They gave a quick nod to signal that the job had been completed, and one of them opened the back door of the vehicle for El Jefe to climb inside. “Let me know what happens tomorrow.”

  “I will.”

  “And remember to use a throwaway phone when you call me. Don’t leave any kind of trail to me.”

  “I won’t.”

  Victor watched as the Jeep turned and drove down the path that led back to the main road before he climbed into his car. He glanced up at the mountain once more and shook his head. The man was really only trying to be a good Samaritan, and it had ended up getting him killed. Too bad he didn’t just go on by like most people would have. He would still be alive if he had.

  “Oh, well,” Victor said aloud as the car’s engine roared to life. He had other things to worry about today, and it all centered on Ash DeHan.

  Smiling, Victor turned the car around and headed back toward the main road. As he drove, he glanced in the rearview mirror and laughed out loud. The last thing he saw before he turned the corner was the flag atop the pickup truck waving in the breeze.

  Chapter 6

  When Ash entered the kitchen the next morning, Casey was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. She glanced up when he walked in and smiled. “Good morning, sleepyhead. I wondered if you were going to get up today.”

  Ash chuckled, walked over, and poured himself a cup of coffee before he sat down at the table across from her. They’d been friends ever since she’d been patched into Firebrand, but he still found it hard to believe that a petite woman like Casey with her sparkling blue eyes and warm laugh possessed the skills to hold her own with the toughest of adversaries. But he’d seen her in action, and he would trust her to watch his back on any mission.

  She wasn’t dressed in her usual fatigues this morning but wore a black pants suit with a white blouse that made her look as if she might be a young executive ready for the day in a downtown office.

  “I guess I did sleep in later than I meant,” he said. “Did you make it all right last night? The bedrooms at this house are a bit on the girly side, thanks to Lainey. N
ot what we’re used to.”

  She sniffed and lifted her chin. “In case you haven’t noticed, I am a girl, and I like girly things. I can’t help it if the guys I work with don’t appreciate the finer things in life.”

  He laughed. “You mean all the guys, or are you speaking of one in particular? Whose name happens to be Reese Alexander?”

  Casey’s fresh-scrubbed complexion turned a deep pink, and she set her cup back in the saucer. “I wasn’t speaking of any one in particular.”

  Ash bit down on his tongue and wished he could recall the words. Everybody in Firebrand, except Reese, seemed to know how Casey felt about their leader, but she guarded her actions closely. This was the first time Ash had made mention of it to her, and he now regretted it. He took a deep breath and searched his mind for something to say that would relieve the tension that had suddenly engulfed the room.

  He looked around. “Where’s Lainey?”

  Casey cleared her throat and sat up straighter in her chair. “Her lawyer called and wanted to come by for her to sign some papers. I went down to the gate and let him in a while ago, and they’ve been in the den ever since.”

  Ash’s eyebrows arched. “William’s here? I hope I get to see him before he leaves. He was my father’s attorney when I was growing up.”

  “Then this is your lucky day.” Lainey’s voice came from the doorway, and he caught sight of her as she walked into the kitchen. The anger and accusation he’d heard in voice yesterday had vanished this morning, and he cast a wary glance at her as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip and turned to face him. “William is in the den. We’ve finished with our business. When he called earlier, I told him you were home, and he said he needed to see you while he was here. He’s waiting for you.”

  Ash pushed to his feet. “Then I’ll go meet with him.” He headed toward the door but stopped before he exited the room and looked at Lainey. “What time’s the musical program?”

  “It’s at 11:00. Then the parents are invited to stay for lunch. I called the principal this morning and told him that Max wouldn’t be there until they did their last run-through of the performance, at about nine o’clock.”

  Ash nodded. “That’s good. Did you tell him why?”

  “No. I think he assumed Max was still not feeling well because he wasn’t at school yesterday. How do you want to handle getting us there?”

  “I’d like to run out to the training facility after I see William and see if Tex’s EOD squad found out anything, but I’ll be back in time to see the performance.” He glanced at Casey. “Could you and one of the guys take Max and Lainey to the school and stay with them until I get there?”

  She smiled and nodded. “Sure. I’ll ask Phillip to go.” She glanced at her watch and then swallowed her last bit of coffee. “We’d better get on the ball if we’re going to make it on time.”

  “It’s very important that you’re with them every minute, Casey. I’ll be there well before the concert starts.”

  “You got it,” she said as she walked past him and out of the room.

  Lainey waited until Casey had left before she turned to Ash. “Are you sure it’s a good idea for Max to go to this concert today?”

  “I thought about it a lot. But he needs this. And we need to support him. Don’t worry. We’ll make sure he’s safe.”

  His words didn’t erase the worried expression on her face. After a moment she sighed and walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee. “All right. I just hope you’re right.” He took a step to leave the kitchen, but her voice stopped him. “I didn’t know how to explain to William about why you’re here.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll take care of it,” Ash said.

  He stood there a moment, but when she didn’t say anything else he turned and strode toward the den. William Mason rose from the sofa and smiled as Ash walked into the room. He hadn’t changed much in the years Ash had been gone. Maybe a bit grayer around the temples, but he still had the lean, athletic look he’d maintained ever since Ash could remember.

  William smiled and stuck out his hand. “I don’t believe it. Ash DeHan back at home. Aren’t you the guy who asked me to tell Richard and Lainey you’d never come here again after you found out they had married? What made you change your mind?”

  Ash grasped his old friend’s hand and smiled. William still had the strong grip he’d always prided himself on. “You probably know that we’re building a new Firebrand Training Center here. I needed to check on some things, and I thought while I was in the area it was time I met Max. He’s quite a boy.”

  William nodded. “That he is. And it looks like he’s going to be a very rich man some day. Lainey has done a great job with the company since Richard died. She has a head for business, and she wants her son taken care of in the future.”

  William’s words rankled in Ash’s heart, and he bit back the first retort that came to mind. It wouldn’t be good to get into what he really thought with William today. He nodded and took a deep breath. “Lainey said you wanted to see me.”

  “I did. I have something for you.” He opened his briefcase and pulled out a sealed manila envelope. He stared at it for a moment before he looked back at Ash. “A few weeks before Richard died, he called and asked me to come over. He knew he didn’t have long left. His body was wracked with cancer, and he was in a lot of pain. I thought he might want me to make some changes to his will.”

  For a moment Ash thought his heart must have stopped. He heard William’s words, but he couldn’t respond. He swallowed and forced himself to speak. “And did he?”

  William shook his head. “No. He had left everything to Max, and Lainey was to be the executor of the estate. She has complete control until Max reaches twenty-one.”

  “Then what did he want?”

  William held up the envelope. “He wanted to give this to me. He said I was to keep it safe, and it wasn’t to be opened by anyone but you. He didn’t even want Lainey to know he had left it for you.”

  Ash stared at the envelope in William’s hand and frowned. “What is it?”

  “I have no idea,” William said. “I’ve done as Richard wished. I’ve kept it locked away in case you decided to come home one day.” He held it out to Ash. “All I know is that Richard felt it was important for you to have whatever is inside.”

  Ash took the envelope in his hand and studied the shaky writing on the front. For My Brother Ash.

  His eyes glazed over with tears. Richard had been thinking about him in the weeks before his death. Maybe he wanted to ask his brother’s forgiveness for betraying him and marrying the woman he’d loved. He dismissed the thought right away. Richard had loved Lainey from the first time Ash brought her home, and he’d waited for the time when Ash had left for training to make his move. He’d taken advantage of the situation and stabbed his brother in the back to win the girl they both loved. He could never forgive that.

  He exhaled and glanced back at William. “Thanks for keeping it for me all these years. I have no idea what he could have wanted to tell me.”

  William frowned, glanced at the envelope once more, then reached for his overcoat that lay on the sofa. “Well, I’ve done what Richard asked. If you need my help with anything, let me know.”

  Ash shook hands with William once more and stuck the envelope under his arm. “It was good seeing you again. Where’s your car?”

  “It’s parked in front of the house.”

  “I’ll watch out the window as you drive back to the gate, and I’ll open it from the control panel in here.”

  William shrugged into his overcoat and picked up his briefcase. “I’m glad you decided to come home, Ash. Don’t stay away so long in the future.”

  Ash smiled. “I’ll try to visit more often. I want to spend more time with Max.”

  “Richard would like that,” William said.

  Ash didn’t reply but gave a curt nod. He watched as he’d said and released the gate when William drove up to it, then closed i
t when he’d driven through. Ash waited until the car disappeared from sight before he turned around. Lainey stood at the den door.

  “What did William want?” she asked.

  Ash pressed his arm tighter against his body as if to hide the envelope he held and shrugged. “Nothing important. He was surprised I was home after so long.” Just then the grandfather clock in the hall chimed the half hour, and Ash gave a start. “I can’t believe it’s already eight thirty. I need to get out to the training center if I’m going to get back here in time to get to the school.”

  He pushed past her and hurried up the stairs to his bedroom. When he closed the door behind him, he looked at the envelope again. Did he really want to read what Richard had left for him? Anger rushed through him, and he gripped the edges of the envelope tighter. Right now he had other things to think about, with Max’s safety the most important thing. If Richard wanted to clear his conscience about how he’d betrayed his brother, it would have to wait.

  Ash walked to the desk where he’d spent hours studying as a boy and shoved the envelope inside the top drawer. He wasn’t ready to deal with whatever his brother had left for him. He’d take care of that later.

  <><><>

  Lainey frowned as Ash hurried from the room with a manila envelope tucked under his arm. It hadn’t been in the room earlier, and the only place Ash could have gotten it was from William. After a moment she shrugged. Whatever it was must not concern her or William would have told her. After all, he worked for her now that she was running DeHan Enterprises.

  She took a step to head back to the kitchen but stopped when her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and smiled at the name displayed on Caller ID.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “Good morning, lovely lady. How are you today? Ready for the big concert?”

  She sighed in contentment at the sound of Sam Black’s gentle voice. He’d been her college boyfriend, the only one she’d ever had until she’d met Ash. But in the last few years they had renewed their friendship, and he’d become a fixture in her life.