Kent cleared his throat. “Would that criminal activity include the heist of buffalo-head gold coins?”
Stone silence answered.
“What do you know about that robbery?” Romero spoke at last.
“In one of the caves, I came across such a coin, as well as a small furnace and bar molds. We were in an emergency situation at that moment, so I didn’t have time to check out the crates in the cavern, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they hold gold bars.”
“We will be there within three hours.” The ASAC spoke briskly. “Do whatever you can to stay safe until we arrive.”
“Roger that,” Kent said. “Since you were on Barrington’s trail, you must have been watching for our flight to land in San Francisco.”
“That is correct. We were going to arrest him as soon as he stepped off the plane.”
“So while you were keeping an eye on us,” Lauren inserted, “he hightailed it in a different direction.”
“Not necessarily. Had matters gone as planned by the saboteurs, eventually we would have found the wreckage, and it would not have been out of the ordinary for little or nothing to remain of the bodies after critters had done their scavenging.”
Lauren shuddered.
“We would have been forced to conclude Barrington died in the crash,” Romero went on, “along with the rest of you. That way, he could disappear, and no one would be looking for him. But since the plan with the parachute was disrupted, it is probable he’s with you among the survivors.”
“I know what my stepfather looks like,” Lauren snapped. “He’s not here!”
“You know only the face that he showed you. This man is a chameleon. He’s on the FBI and Interpol’s most wanted lists, but we have no picture of his true appearance because no one knows what he really looks like.”
Kent let out a whistle. “Let me ask you this. Is there a name on the passenger manifest filed with the ground crew that is different than the on-board list I named off?”
The ASAC let out a thoughtful hum. “Yes, there is.”
Lauren held her breath. Who would it be? Cliff? Dirk? Phil?
“Neil Gleason,” Romero pronounced. “We’ll run that name through the system, but I’m pretty sure we’ll find out he doesn’t exist.”
Lauren’s jaw dropped. That endearing old curmudgeon? She’d seen nothing of the Marlin she knew in the grandfatherly persona. Even her mother hadn’t recognized him. And yet, now that she’d been told who he was, it made sense why he wouldn’t allow her to examine him too closely after the crash.
While Kent ended the radio communication with ASAC Romero, Lauren’s mind traveled a mile a minute, peeling back the disguise.
The slight slur in his speech wasn’t because of dentures, but from false teeth that created an altered facial profile. Glasses masked his eyes. But those eyes were brown, and Marlin’s had been blue. Gleason was not wearing contacts to change the eye color—she knew because she’d shined her penlight into them—but the Marlin persona might have worn them. Such a clever and detailed disguise, even to the age spots on his hands. Not difficult to fake with a little pigment injected under the skin. Dying and cutting his hair differently was also a simple no-brainer.
Neil’s height was different than Marlin’s, but extra padding in the shoes could alter that; Marlin was lean as a whip, but again, padding for Neil was a simple solution. When she’d landed on top of him during the air crisis, she’d noticed the softness of his middle, but it hadn’t occurred to her it was fake. The scruffy beard he’d been growing since the crash had only added to the camouflage.
Nausea cramped Lauren’s insides. How was she ever going to break this news to her mother? Hadn’t Mom been through enough with Lauren’s father? Now, mom’s new chance at love was proving as hollow as the first—maybe more so. At least her first husband hadn’t been a crook, just a boy who refused to grow up.
For the first time, pity rather than resentment washed through Lauren for the man who had missed her childhood. His loss as much as hers. Whatever fears drove him to run from responsibility also cost him his dignity and self-respect. What was the chance he was happy wherever he was today? Not much. Cowardice was a cancer. It was past time for Lauren to let him go if ever she wanted to stop robbing herself of enjoying a true relationship by refusing to trust.
A tiny flower of hope unfurled in her heart. The excellent man by her side said he wanted to be with her! How could she reject such a precious blessing? Sure, she’d take things slowly—let them both prove their feelings were as real in the calm times as they were in the storm. Let herself grow into the idea of permanence. She was ready to stop holding this man at arm’s length. Ready to finally take that risk with her heart.
A small laugh left her throat. Kent shot her a questioning look.
“It’s nothing,” she said. “And it’s everything. I think I just saw myself clearly for the first time in a long time. It’s daunting and liberating all at once.”
He offered a lift of the eyebrows. “Sounds intriguing, but we’ll have to pursue this topic later. Look.” He waved toward the darkening sky. “Storm coming. A big one. Barometer’s dropping like crazy. We have to put this bird down and take cover in the cave.”
Lauren shook her head. “We have to go to Trouble Creek. Marlin... Neil...whoever...is a desperate man. We can’t trust him with my mom or the others.”
“Sure, but you’ll be in danger if we go back there. That’s not okay with me. Help is on the way. Let’s let the professionals handle this.”
“Law enforcement and emergency services are at least three hours out, and this storm is likely to delay them. We can’t wait! I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to my mother that I could have prevented.”
Lauren held her unwavering stare on Kent. His jaw muscles flexed, and he made busy work of holding the helicopter steady as they bounced with increasing frequency in the strengthening turbulence.
At last, he jerked a nod. “If it was my mom I’d feel the same way, but I don’t have to like it.”
* * *
Kent’s gut churned as he eased the helicopter toward the ground at the edge of Trouble Creek. The people in the mercantile would have heard their approach a long time ago, and yet no one had run outside to greet them. There should be jubilation by now. Were they being held hostage...or worse? A keening noise from Lauren telegraphed her distress.
The chopper landed with a minor bump. He shut down the rotors and disconnected the hotwires, killing the engine.
“I’m going in the front door,” he told Lauren. “You come in the back and lurk in the storage room until we figure out what’s going on.”
“I need to make sure Mom is safe.”
“Understood. But we have to do what we can to avoid making a bad situation worse. If it turns out that Neil is on the rampage, and he has a weapon of some sort, get out quick and go into hiding. He may not know you’re with me. He’ll probably think the man mountain got you. Stay safe until help arrives.”
Lauren’s jaw jutted, and those jade eyes went hard as stone. “Not happening. I’m going to be right there, giving you what backup I can. Even if it’s only to serve as a distraction. We’re in this together all the way.”
Kent fought the urge to bang his head on the dashboard. Talk about stubborn! But brave, too, and he had to give her credit for the ultimate loyalty when it came to loved ones. Would he ever be counted among those? They’d have to survive the next few hours in order to create that opportunity.
“All right then,” he said. “We’ll have to wing it. We don’t know what situation we’ll be walking into. Keep a cool head. No heroics.”
She offered a grim smile. “No more than yours.”
He’d have to be satisfied with that much assurance, which was basically none.
Kent removed his helmet, Lauren did the same, and they hopped ou
t of the chopper in tandem. Dust devils kissed his face from the slowing rotors and increasing wind. The sky had darkened to ominous pewter pocked with roiling dark clouds. The temperature wasn’t cold enough for snow, but almost. They were soon in for a bone-chilling rain.
He trotted around the helicopter and joined Lauren in the sheltering lee of the decrepit livery stable. Her shadowed gaze met his. He cupped her chin in one hand, allowing his thumb to trace the path of her elegantly arched cheek bone.
“Let’s survive this. Okay?”
Her hand covered his. “Okay.”
Tearing himself away from the warmth of her touch, he motioned for her to head for the back of the main buildings. He watched her take off with a lithe stride that belied the nerves that must be tearing her up inside. Sorely missing the weight of his Beretta, Kent made himself turn and head for the mercantile.
Along the route, he picked up a loose two-by-four with a couple of rusty nails sticking out. If Neil/Marlin got within clobbering distance, he wasn’t going to hesitate.
Softly climbing the wooden steps to the mercantile, he listened for any noise from inside. Only the whistle of the wind answered him. As he approached the door, a porch board squeaked beneath his feet. He winced, but the telltale sound was unavoidable. Most of the old boards squeaked.
Too bad they’d blocked up every window in the place. He couldn’t even take a preliminary peek at what lay within.
Where was Lauren? Had she reached the rear entrance of the mercantile?
No point in delaying the inevitable. Kent pressed his back against the wall to the side of the door, turned the doorknob with one hand and thrust it open. At first there was no sound to indicate there was a living being within. Then a soft, slimy chuckle raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
“Come on in, Kent. Just as well you found the helicopter. We’ll be leaving now.”
Squaring his shoulders and hefting the board, Kent stepped into the mercantile. His gaze scanned the dim interior in the light of a single kerosene lantern. He released a pent-up breath.
At least he wasn’t viewing bloody carnage. All the arbitrage executives were seated on the floor in front of the potbellied stove, gagged and bound together with leather straps. Kent’s gaze fixed on a sneering Neil/Marlin standing nearby. One of his hands squeezed the arm of a white-faced Nina, and the other hand pointed Kent’s Beretta at her head.
“How did you get my gun?”
“Rolly gave it to me after he captured you.”
“I assume you’re referring to the Neanderthal of the mountain. How did you connect with him without being seen?”
“We had a stash spot agreed upon where we could pass notes or items to one another. It’s not that hard to disappear for a few minutes. Now, what have you done with my cousin?”
“He was your cousin?”
“Was? Oh, dear! That’s too bad. I’m not terribly surprised you outsmarted him, though. He was never the sharpest tool in the shed, and his back-to-nature lifestyle was abhorrent, but he served his purposes. At least, he finished turning the coins into bars before he met his end at your hands.”
Kent clamped his lips together. Neil wasn’t going to hear it from him that it was Lauren who had bested dear old Rolly. Maybe Neil would assume the matter turned out the other way around, and she was no longer a factor.
“Nina, dear,” Neil said, “kindly tell your daughter to come out of the storage area.”
Kent’s heart fell. So much for the hope of keeping Lauren’s presence a secret.
“Do it!” Neil shook his wife, and she let out a sharp whimper.
“No need to get rough,” Lauren clipped out as she entered the front room.
Nina moaned. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I fell for the wrong man again.”
“He told you who he is under the disguise?”
Nina shook her head. “He didn’t have to tell me. That mannerism of scrubbing his chin with his hand like Marlin used to do. It took me a while, but this morning I suddenly saw. I planned to pretend like I was still in the dark and clobber him with the shovel when his back was turned, but I’m not good at deception. He took one look at my face and knew I knew. That’s when he pulled a gun.”
Neil/Marlin smirked. “Nina, honey, you always were too wholesome and transparent. That’s what made you the perfect cover wife—charming, attractive, age-appropriate, generous with my stolen money. You even made sure I showed up in church every Sunday.” He laughed. “With you on my arm, I looked squeaky clean.”
She glared up at her scoundrel of a husband. “Not to God, you didn’t. You should really worry about that.”
“Enough jabber!” Neil hauled his hostage with him back against the glass-fronted counter where a small pile of leather straps lay. His sharp gaze darted between Kent and Lauren. “You!” He nodded toward Kent. “Get rid of the board. And you.” He nodded toward Lauren. “Come stand by my fellow investment brokers.”
Kent tossed the board, and it landed with a sharp clatter. Lauren stepped over to the group of bound men where she’d been directed to go.
“I don’t understand something,” she said. “I get it that under your direction Rolly stuffed the pine boughs down our stovepipe and rigged up the other traps, but why did he burn down his own cabin?”
Kent hid a small grin at Lauren’s stalling tactic. Keep the bad guy distracted and talking, and maybe an opportunity to overpower him might present itself.
Neil’s mouth twisted like he’d sampled something sour. “That wasn’t his cabin. It was mine. You didn’t think I was going to stay in that disgusting cave, did you? The cabin was fitted out comfortably for when Mags and I arrived in camp to prepare my gold for transport. But then we all landed on his doorstep.
“Rolly resented the extra company. On the second night, that impatient fool put a magnifying glass in a box full of dry straw and set it on top of the cabin. That morning, I found a note in our stash spot warning me of what was going to happen to my cabin when the sun came out. As soon as our merry little group started climbing the cliffs to plant our glass shards, I hustled back toward town to stop it but I was too late. The idiot burned down the cabin to get back at me because I hadn’t yet fulfilled my promise to deliver you to him.” He leered at Lauren. A growl left Kent’s throat, and Neil stabbed the gun barrel in his direction. “Down, boy. No time for that.”
“Marlin, you are disgusting vermin.” Nina’s eyes spat fire.
He shoved her away from him. “You didn’t think so when you said ‘I do,’ darling.”
A pair of tears slid down Nina’s cheeks, and Lauren took her mother in her arms.
“How touching.” Neil’s lips twisted in an ugly sneer. “Now, dear stepdaughter, please rope my wife in with the cozy group by the fire.” He tossed the pile of leather straps onto the floor at her feet. “No more chitchat.”
White-faced, Lauren complied. Soon, Nina was seated and bound with the others.
“Go stand by the flyboy,” Neil ordered Lauren.
As she took her place by his side, Kent had all he could do not to grab her and hold her close. She was quivering from head to toe. White heat spread through his chest. If only he could bury his fist in this creep’s nose.
Holding his gun and his gaze steady on Kent and Lauren, Neil bent and tested the bindings. “Good enough.” He nodded.
“What now?” Kent glared at Neil.
The older man showed his teeth in a savage grin. “And now, we’re going to get out of Dodge.”
“We can’t. It’s too dangerous. There’s a bad storm bearing down on us.”
“We’ll take our chances. I have no doubt you’ve notified the feds of our location. Your actions force me to leave without my gold, and for that you will pay.” His gaze narrowed into venomous slits. “However, from my other enterprises, I have more than sufficient resources stashed awa
y to be comfortable for the next eternity. I’m not sticking around for the gunfight at the OK Corral.”
Kent’s skin tightened. Neil’s reference to the famous Old-West shoot-out exposed desperate resolve not to be captured by law enforcement. This guy would gun down anyone in his path and take crazy chances with his life in order to stay free. The only person he wouldn’t shoot was his pilot—at least until he was in the clear. Maybe Kent could work that slender thread of immunity in his favor.
He lifted his hands in a show of surrender. “We’d better get going then.”
“Not so fast.” Neil motioned for Lauren to precede him. “I think I’ll gain more cooperation if your girlfriend accompanies us.”
“Girlfriend?” Kent lifted his eyebrows. “What gave you that idea?”
Was his desperate disclaimer hurtful to Lauren? She kept her head down so he had no idea.
Neil rolled his eyes. “Oh, please, you two have been a couple of flints knocking sparks off each other ever since we were dumped here. Only a matter of time until a fire starts.”
Lauren’s head jerked up. “That’s nonsense!”
Kent frowned. Did he dare hope her vehement objection was as disingenuous as his? No time to worry about that. “Look. You don’t have to—”
“No argument. Get moving.” He herded them toward the door.
“Never forget, I love you, Lauren!” Nina called after them.
“I love you, too, Mom!” Lauren answered in choked tones.
Neil responded by shoving her into Kent and forcing them to head outside. The rising wind whipped strands of Lauren’s ponytail around her pale cheeks. She fixed a terrified gaze on Kent’s face. He offered the slightest shake of his head. Their make-or-break moment hadn’t come yet. At least the others would get to wait for rescue in shelter and safety.
As their captor followed them outside, he suddenly whirled and fired a shot into the building. Glass shattered. Lauren let out a cry and stampeded toward the mercantile. Kent grabbed for her but Neil caught her on the first step and shoved the barrel of his gun into her temple. She froze with a whimper, and Kent’s hands fisted. He held himself in check. Barely.
Rocky Mountain Secrets: Rocky Mountain Sabotage ; Rocky Mountain Pursuit Page 16
