“Seems Detective Howard was correct,” he said.
“About?” was her only response.
“Tristan Grant, or should I say Farraday, was not as he appeared. His background check was impeccable, which leads me to believe he is connected with the government. So, how did the two of you meet?”
Victory sat quietly, not responding to Braxton’s question. For the first time he looked up and made eye contact with her. Something was different about her, he thought. Victory seemed to have a sense of calm or self-assuredness. He could easily change that.
“No matter. He’s not here now. I admit the two of you put a slight crimp in my plans, but nothing that can’t be fixed. You will continue with your research. I am obtaining new specimens as we speak.”
Flames nearly shot out the top of her head and her stomach clenched at the thought of another person being burdened with his serum. “Like I told you back on the island, this serum is nowhere near ready to be used on a human.”
“Yes, yes, but you have to admit, it does make you produce results.”
“They know you have kidnapped me. Someone will find me eventually,” she said.
“No they won’t. No one will even look for you. Detective Howard is currently involved in staging your death. Tragic really, you were in a plane crash early this morning, on your return to Seattle. Unfortunately it was over the Pacific Ocean, and your body was not recovered. Such a loss, you had so much to contribute to the world of science.” Braxton said with a sadistic sneer.
She sat glaring at the man. He truly was a madman. “What makes you think I won’t try to escape or contact my family at the first opportunity?”
His sadistic smile spread. “Because, whoever you call will be dead within twenty-four hours. If you escape, I will kill both of your sisters. Now, enough with this game, you will be leaving here in seven hours and taken to your new lab and home.” He pushed the button on his desk and Dave reappeared. “Take Ms. Winters back to her room. She needs a good night’s sleep before her journey. I won’t be requiring your services any further tonight Dave.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Braxton. Let’s go Victory,” Dave commanded.
Victory remained in her chair. She was looking forward to ruining Braxton’s plans once again.
“Victory,” Dave repeated.
She rose from the chair and started for the door.
“You will have your specimens in two days,” Braxton said from his desk. “I will personally be checking on your progress in one week.”
Victory did not turn to acknowledge Braxton’s comment, she continued toward the door, Dave on her heels. For the first time she noticed a small glass plate on the wall to the left of the door. The plate had two buttons, one up and one down. Three feet to the left of the plate she saw a split in the wall.
As she walked down the massive marble hall towards the elevator she heard the minutest of sounds behind her. It sounded like a door creaking. “Tristan?”
“We’re here Victory, in the stairwell,” he answered.
Victory filled him in on the conversation between herself and Braxton. “They put me in the same room I was in when I was first brought to this place. It’s on the basement level, no windows obviously, room zero sixteen.”
“Did it look like Braxton would be in his office for awhile?”
“I don’t think so, he looked tired, and he cut the meeting short. He told Dave that he wouldn’t be needed anymore tonight. If I were to venture a guess, I would say he will be heading off to bed shortly,” she answered. “There is a door in the wall right next to his office door, my thought is that it’s a private elevator, maybe to his personal suite.”
The door to the elevator opened and Dave escorted Victory back to her room. “Someone will be back in seven hours to retrieve you. I would advise you to get some sleep. Tomorrow will prove to be a very long and trying day.” Without waiting for her reply, Dave closed the door and she heard the click of the electronic lock snap back into place.
“What do you think?” Logan whispered to Tristan.
Tristan focused on Braxton’s office and took a deep breath in through his nose. “He’s doing a lot of moving around in there. Victory said that there was a door that looks like an elevator right next to his office door, probably his personal suite.” He took another breath. “His scent is getting stronger, wait, the scent is dissipating. I think Victory was right, that is an elevator. Give him a good thirty minutes, then move up to the door.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Noah was in the main monitor room. So far no one from the security team had shown up, but he knew it was only a matter of time. “Tristan, what’s your status?”
“I’m on the basement level. Noah is up on the top floor giving Braxton some time to hopefully fall asleep. He should be contacting you in fifteen minutes to deactivate the door.”
“What about you? Have you located Victory’s room?” Noah asked.
“Zero sixteen, but don’t take it down yet. I’m waiting for the guard to doze off, or get up for a bathroom break,” Tristan said.
“It better be damn soon. I’m overstaying my welcome here.” As if on cue, the door to the security room began to open. “Shit, I’ll get back to you, I’ve got company.” Noah silently shut the door to the broom closet, hoping the guy wasn’t a janitor coming into clean.
The man entering the room carried a walkie talkie and after scanning the bank of monitors dominating the area, he spoke into the device. “Base, this is Jim. I’ve completed my sweep, everything is quiet. Can I take my dinner break now?”
A metallic voice came through the walkie talkie. “Yeah, okay. One hour Jim, no more. I want you back in that monitor room in sixty minutes, not ninety, got it?”
“I got it. What’s the rush? Nothing is happening,” Jim responded.
“That’s right and I want to keep it that way. Dave Anderson and Mr. Braxton are on the island for the night. I don’t want them to catch us with our pants down. Your sixty minutes starts now, over.” The walkie talkie went dead.
“Well shit.” Jim stuffed the walkie talkie back in his shirt pocket and left the room. In his haste he failed to turn off the lights. Noah waited patiently in the closet. Five minutes later the door opened and Jim switched the lights off. “Damn it,” he grumbled. “Now I will only have forty five minutes by the time I make it down to the damn mess hall,” he mumbled to himself.
“Tristan, Logan, come it,” Noah said into his mouth piece.
“Status Noah,” responded Tristan.
“Almost ran into our friendly security guard. Seems his boss is a bit edgy with Braxton on the island. We only have fifty minutes to reach the boat launch. After that they will have eyes on the monitors.”
“Go ahead and pop the lock on Braxton’s office,” Logan said. He saw the lock plate turn from red to green. “I’m going in.”
“Is there any way to slow the guard down?” Tristan asked.
Noah thought for a moment as he surveyed his choices. “I could try and shut down the elevators, make it look like a malfunction. But that will probably only buy us about fifteen to twenty minutes.”
“Do it,” Tristan said.
Tristan noticed his guard pull out his walkie talkie. “Hey Don,” said Jim on the other end. “Want to meet me in the mess hall?”
“Sure,” responded Don. “Nothing is going on here. Give me five minutes.”
“Make it snappy. I have orders to be back in the monitor room in fifty minutes, seems the big boss is on the island.”
“Roger, I’ll see you in ten,” he got up from his chair and headed for the elevators.
“Noah, hold off on tampering with the elevators. My guy is on his way up to have dinner with Jim. Give me five minutes then release Victory’s door,” Tristan whispered.
“Shit Tristan, you sure like to cut things close. I literally have my hand on the button to cut the power. Her lock will be down in five,” Noah repeated.
“Victory, I’ll be at your doo
r in five minutes.”
“Yes, I heard.” She responded, with a smile in her voice. “This room might be nicely decorated, but that can’t disguise the fact that it’s still a cell. I never want to see the inside of this room again.”
“Damn woman, your hearing is unreal,” Tristan opened the door from the stairwell and headed for Victory’s door.
Five minutes on the dot, room zero sixteen’s lock plate turned from red to green. Tristan grabbed the knob and opened the door. He stood in the doorway, the lights from the hall flooding the pitch-black room.
From out of the darkness Victory jumped into Tristan’s arms. Utter surprise and joy filled him as he lifted her off her feet and kissed her with a desperate need. Something told him that he would never get enough of Victory.
“I knew you would find me,” Victory said breathlessly.
“Never any doubt,” Tristan responded as he gently placed her back on her feet.
“Don’t mean to interrupt,” came Noah’s voice through Tristan’s earpiece. “But we only have forty minutes to get clear of here.”
“We’re on our way out,” Tristan said. “How’s it going Logan?”
“Braxton is tucked away, with sweet dreams I’m sure. It’s been slower going than I would have thought. All of his files are encrypted, which isn’t shocking, but damn they are all large files. It’s taking more time.” Logan said.
“How long until you’re finished?” asked Tristan.
“I need at least another twenty minutes,” he said.
“Twenty minutes, no more. At twenty minutes and one second your ass had better be heading out the door, read me?”
“Loud and clear,” said Logan.
“You’re going to be cutting it very close,” said Noah.
“That’s how I like it,” Logan responded.
“I’ll stay back and cover Logan’s six,” said Noah. “You have a clear shot to the boat launch Tristan. I’ll keep you updated if anything changes. There’s one blind spot, its right after you hit the tree line. There isn’t a single camera until you reach the other side of the trees, so I’ll have no surveillance.”
“Got it. Thanks Noah. I’ll expect you two in thirty minutes.” He looked at Victory, and said “Time to go.”
“I’m right behind you,” she said.
They were at the exterior door in under five minutes. Tristan put his arm out, blocking Victory from moving forward. “Hold on.” He whispered. “Noah?”
“You’re still good to go,” said Noah.
Tristan turned the handle, and glanced around the courtyard. The area was dimly lit save the glow from the overhead lights at each of the doorways. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out two pairs of night goggles. He turned and handed one to Victory, the other pair he strapped around his forehead. Without a single word Victory followed his lead. “Ready?”
“As ever,” Victory said nodding her head.
“Okay, when we move, we move quickly. You stay right on my heels.” Tristan took one more look out the door. “Let’s do this.”
He stepped out the door and moved to the edge of the courtyard. Tristan and Victory skimmed the sides of the buildings, moving silently around the courtyard. When they reached the last building he stopped her with his outstretched arm.
“You’re clear.” He heard Noah’s voice come through his earpiece.
He looked back at Victory, she nodded that she had heard Noah. Tristan acknowledged with single nod, and soundlessly the duo shot off across the open green belt. Tristan was thankful for the darkness enveloping them, he tugged his night goggles over his eyes, Victory followed his lead.
Minutes later they were at the edge of the forest. Tristan continued running, slowing his pace slightly to allow for the uneven ground. He stopped when he could see the boat launch. “You wait right here. I need to make sure we’re still clear.”
Victory nodded her head in understanding. Tristan turned and started for the launch. Looking down at his watch he noticed that twenty minutes had already passed. That meant Noah and Logan were making their way out of the building and he and Victory were on their own.
Victory heard the softest sound behind her, the sound of a footfalls stepping on the pine needles that covered the ground. She began to turn, expecting to see Noah and Logan, at the same heartbeat she caught the sound of a gun loading. She continued to turn towards the sound, but as she did so she changed her direction and threw herself between the sound and Tristan’s back.
At the last instant Ken Howard realized what Victory was trying to do. He attempted to divert his aim to his right, but the bullet still caught Victory. She let out the tiniest of cries as she crumpled to the ground.
Tristan turned as he caught Ken’s scent. His body refusing to respond as he saw what Victory was trying to do. Instantaneously his mind screamed, “Victory, no!” as he saw her fall to the ground.
“Goddamn it,” Ken said as he stepped out from behind one of the evergreens. “You two are really starting to piss me off.” Without another word he raised his gun once more and pointed it at Tristan’s head.
Ken dropped to his knees, shock on his face. He looked down and saw a red spot growing on his chest, just before he collapsed.
Logan came running through the trees, followed by Noah. Tristan ran back to where Victory lay. “God Tristan, I’m sorry. I took the shot as soon as I could.”
“I know,” Tristan responded. “Go get the boat ready to go.” Without another word the two men took off.
Tristan was on his knees beside Victory. He saw the blood pooling next to her left shoulder. He felt a sudden wave of nausea overcome him. Gently he rolled Victory over on her back. She lay there, her face was pale in the moonlight. “Victory,” he said in the smallest of voices. “Victory, you need to wake up, please.”
A painful sensation blanketed her body, making Victory want to drift off into unconsciousness. Somewhere far off, she heard Tristan beckoning to her. Ever so slowly her lids fluttered open. Tristan’s broad body filled her view. He was pressing something into her shoulder, and it was all she could do to keep from crying out. She looked into his deep violet eyes and for the very first time, saw fear. She smiled up at him.
“I’ll be okay,” she moaned.
“Looks like the bullet went straight through your upper arm, I can’t tell for sure if it hit the bone,” Tristan said. “What in the hell made you do that? Don’t you ever do that again, do you understand?” Tristan was beside himself at the thought of her jumping in front of a bullet for him.
“I can’t promise that,” she said with a weak smile.
He could have easily reached out telepathically to Wyatt, and let him know about Victory’s injury. But the last thing he wanted right now was to have Wyatt inside of his head. It was in that same instant that he realized he loved Victory with his whole heart and soul, but he wasn’t ready to share that revelation with his brother.
Tristan buried his face in Victory’s hair and inhaled the unique scent that was only Victory. He knew deep in his very soul that he would never get enough of her scent, as it permeated every last cell of his being.
“God Victory, I thought I lost you.” He whispered into her hair. “I don’t know what I would have done without you. I love you.”
She pulled weakly away from him, unshed tears sparkling on her lids. “You, love me?” she questioned softly.
“With everything that I am. I want, no, I need you in my life. Please say that you feel the same. Say that you will marry me?” he asked, looking at her with all the love he felt shining in his eyes.
“I do. I will.” She smiled back at him. Pain flooding her body she grimaced at her feeble attempt to touch his perfect face with her good arm.
Logan ran up from the boat launch. “Can we move her?” He asked, unsure of Victory’s injuries.
“Yes, it’s an arm wound. Nothing life threatening, but she will need medical attention as soon as possible,” Tristan said.
“Good, we need
to get out of here, we’re out of time. I have some morphine and bandages in my pack.” Logan moved in to help Tristan pick Victory up.
“I’ve got her,” Tristan said. “Make sure you keep that path clear. Ken?” he asked as an afterthought.
“He’s gone,” Logan responded.
“That’s good, because I would have killed him, only it would have been extremely painful and very slowly,” Tristan said, as he gingerly lifted Victory into the safety and warmth of his arms.
TWENTY-EIGHT
“It’s so great to have you back home safe and sound sis.” Payton said. She was stretched out on one of the rattan overstuffed chairs with her feet propped up on a huge circular ottoman she was sharing with Victory.
The sky was a deep ocean blue, not a cloud to be seen. Victory looked around the patio, noticing that all the chairs were currently occupied with Dobermans. Of course her ever faithful Dax was right next to her sharing the loveseat. He barely left her side since the moment she returned home. She could feel the uneasiness ripple through him. She was sure her injured arm didn’t help matters. The bullet had grazed her humerus, causing a bone fracture. She was in a hanging cast with her arm bent at a ninety degree angle; the cast started right above her elbow and ended at her hand.
“It’s wonderful to be home,” she responded. “I still can’t believe all that has happened over the last two months. Sometimes it doesn’t feel real, like I was watching it happen to someone else.”
“It most certainly was real. Look at the cast on your arm. And believe me, Willow and I worried about you every minute of every day. I am unbelievably grateful that you came back to us in one piece,” Payton said.
A car door slammed in the front yard and all the Dobermans leapt from their chairs to go investigate. All but Dax who wasn’t taking his glare off Victory. “It must be Tristan,” she said with her eyes still closed soaking in the warm rays of the afternoon sun. She knew had it been anyone else the dogs would not have only gone to greet them, but would have alerted the entire neighborhood.
Suddenly there was a commotion behind her as all the dogs playfully leapt and nipped at each other. “Okay guys,” Tristan’s husky voice scolded lightheartedly. “Yes, I’m glad to see all of you too, settle down now before someone bumps into Victory.” Almost instantly the group dispersed, each dog going back to their assigned chairs.
Chasing Victory (The Winters Sisters) Page 23
