Capturing Charlie [Braden Security 5] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Dale Cadeau

  Grant rose off the bed and went to her side, wrapping his arms around her and making her stop pacing. “I could never put you in danger that way. You mean too much to me. No, I think the best way for us is to do nothing until the guys comes. And they will. I’m sure of that.”

  Charlie cuddled closer to Grant and laid her head on his chest. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

  “Don’t you know that if anything happened to you that I couldn’t live with myself?” Grant laid his chin on the top of her head as he spoke.

  “You really mean that?

  “Yes, I do. I’ve come to care for you very much over the months we’ve been working together. But let’s forget all about our situation for a while and have the wonderful breakfast that our hosts have supplied us with. What do you think it will be, another breakfast sandwich from McDonald’s? Grant kissed the top of Charlie’s head and moved back from her.

  Charlie released him and followed him over to the table. “I know when we get out of here, I don’t want to see a McDonald’s for the rest of my life.” Picking up the sandwich, she glanced at Grant as he did the same.

  Both walked over to the bed and sat down and unwrapped their feast. Silence remained between them and they satisfied their hunger, but it was just masking both of their worries as they smiled at each other as they ate.

  Chapter Ten

  “Okay, Grandma, spill,” Clay told her, taking a seat and pouring coffee for all of them.

  “What do you know that we don’t?”

  The wise old lady took her time and poured milk into her coffee. “Really, Clay, how could I know more than you? I have been on a plane traveling here.”

  Clay grinned at the old woman. God, she reminded him of Angel. Both held so much knowledge behind those eyes of theirs, and they both had the second sight. He knew from working with Angel that there was no use rushing her. She would tell them in her own good time and not before.

  “Well, all we have been able to learn is that Grant and Charlie were grabbed a couple of nights ago after having dinner in James’s Italian restaurant. We have had one call from them. We know at least that they think they have taken Chase instead of Grant. We have one clue that Grant gave us over the phone, and that is they’re not being held in the city. Grant talked about the trees and a cabin.”

  “Yes, I think they are in a cabin. Their accommodations aren’t the best, but I don’t see any danger around them,” Grandma said as she took a sip of her coffee.

  “How can you say that?” Chase interrupted. “They were kidnapped and are being held for ransom. No disrespect, but I think you’re way off base on this.”

  “I know you are all worried. And to you, I might be sprouting nonsense, but I know that this is happening to them. It will turn out to be the best for the both of them in the long run.”

  “Okay, we’ll take your word for it, that they are not in danger,” Clay told her, giving Chase a glare. “But we still have to find them and bring them home.”

  “I wouldn’t do that too soon. They need this time together.” Grandma put her coffee cup down and looked at Gabe.

  “I’m ready to go to the hospital and see Angel and Cyn now.” Grandma got up and gathered her purse from the floor beside her.

  “That’s all you’re going to say?” Clay stood up also.

  “For now. I just wanted to set your minds at rest,” Grandma said, coming to Clay’s side and patting his arm.

  Clay turned to Gabe with a stunned expression on his face. “Take Grandma to Angel and come back here. While you’re gone, I’m going to call Brad and see if he know anything more.”

  “Say hi to Brad for me, but don’t upset him. Really, everything is okay,” Grandma said as she walked out of the room with Gabe and Tony following her.

  “Well, that really put my mind at rest. What about you?” Chase asked from his seat at the table.

  Clay shook his head as he reseated himself at the table. “It shouldn’t, but in some strange way, it does. You weren’t out on the missions with Angel like we were. Sometimes we thought he was feeding us a load of bull. But you know, we learned over time that he knew what he was talking about.”

  I’m glad for you, but I am still worried. I just can’t take her word that Charlie is fine. I owe it to her to find and bring her home. They were after me, after all, not her. She shouldn’t have to deal with this because of something I might have done.”

  “I know that you feel guilty about Grant and Charlie being grabbed, but don’t be. That could be you in Grant’s place. Grant is equipped to deal with something like this. We will find them. I’m hoping when they call back that we can gather even more clues.”

  “Yeah, I know you’re right.” Chase grabbed the map they had been looking at before they were interrupted.

  “They could be anywhere.”

  “Maybe Gabe can find something on the cameras from the restaurant when he gets back.”

  “I think that’s a longshot. The way they took Grant down, with little or no fuss and so secretly, it has to be a professional job.”

  “I agree, Chase, but we can always hope,” Clay said, grabbing another map from the table and looking it over.

  * * * *

  Grant was going stir-crazy. He wanted to get up and pace the room. He hated having his hands tied like this. Charlie had dropped off after breakfast and he was quietly trying to not go mad and wake her up. If she could escape from this place even for a few moments, Grant wanted her to have that time. Taking one more look at her sleeping, with her hands folded under her head, Grant got up and moved to the one chair in the room near the table.

  If he stayed on the bed beside her, smelling her sweet scent that was all Charlie, he might not be able to stop himself from taking her and ravishing her like he had been dreaming about for months. No, he had to think of other things.

  It was a trial, not to touch her, being confined with each other in one room was driving him mad. He knew that this was not the time or place to let his lust show, but what his head thought and what his body wanted were two different things. He knew that if he started something, no matter how many men busted into the room, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

  Sitting in the hard chair, Grant rearranged his cock so that the zipper wasn’t biting into him. Willing the thing to go down, he brought his mind away from Charlie and tried to think of the two men that had grabbed them.

  Both were big, burly men, neither seemed to have any accents. They seemed to be comfortable handling their weapons. Were they ex-military? Maybe, but he didn’t think that Carlos would have any military on his payroll. He knew some people would do anything for money, but all the military men that he knew would have nothing to do with drugs. Carlos’s stock and trade. What about General Brown? Now he would have the contacts.

  But it didn’t make sense that the general would want Carlos out of prison. Did they miss something? Were Brown and Carlos connected? Grant sat forward and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

  Charlie came awake and just watched Grant sitting on the chair. He looked like he could start pulling his hair out as she watched him run his hands through it. She hated being the one holding him back. She knew that he would probably have made an effort to get out of here if she wasn’t with him.

  Sitting up in bed, Charlie put her feet on the floor and walked up to his chair. His head was still down and she couldn’t resist reaching out, bringing his head to her chest, running her hands through his hair to try and soothe him.

  Grant was startled for a moment when she first touched him. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t heard her move. Reaching with both arms, he surrounded her waist and hugged her to him. Charlie made silly soothing noises and returned his hug.

  “Don’t worry, Grant. Didn’t you tell me that James and your gang were the best? I believe they will find us. Don’t let them get to you. We’ll be fine, all we have to do is wait here and get used to eating McDonald’s for every meal.”

  G
rant laughed at her trying to calm him, He should be doing that for her, not the other way around. Standing up with his arms still around her, he looked down at the trusting eyes staring back at him.

  “You’re right. James and the gang will have us out of here shortly. We won’t have time to get used to the McDonald’s food.” Grant was touched by Charlie’s full trust in him and his unit. He knew what he had told her, and he did believe it himself, but James and the unit were only men. There wasn’t any clue that something was going to happen, and it would take time for them to figure this mess all out. He just hoped they were on the top of their game and nothing else popped up to distract them. Especially James, who was already worried about Avery and their upcoming bundle of joy.

  Pulling his arms from around Charlie’s waist, he took her hand and led her back to the bed. Making her sit, he sat beside her and put an arm around her and hugged her tightly back to his side. “You shouldn’t be the one reassuring me. I should be the one making you feel better.”

  Charlie turned her head and kissed his jaw. “Your being here with me is reassurance enough. I don’t know what I would have done if I was alone. Probably starve, as I really don’t like McDonald’s.”

  Grant felt tingles down to his cock with Charlie’s one soft kiss. The damn thing wanted to make a reappearance, making itself known by pushing against his zipper again. Shifting a little to get more comfortable, he took one of his hands and softly brushed her cheek with it. “I’m glad you feel that way. And I agree, if I have to be kidnapped, I couldn’t have a better companion.”

  Charlie pulled her cheek away from Grant’s hand. “That’s nice of you to say, but I know I’m holding you back.”

  “Charlie, Charlie don’t think that way…”

  Grant’s words were cut off when the door opened and both men came in. This time both were carrying guns and had them pointed at the two of them.

  Grant leaped off the bed, grabbed Charlie by her arm, and placed her behind him. Shit, he was slipping, he didn’t hear them unlock the door.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” the first guy said, pointing the gun at Grant.

  “You sit back down,” he said directly at Charlie, who was peeking over Grant’s shoulder.

  “She’s not moving until I know what you want.”

  “Aren’t we getting brave? You sit down, I’m not going to tell you again.” He looked directly at Charlie, taking his gun and motioning it at the bed.

  “You, Romeo.” He point the gun back directly at Grant’s chest. “Come to the table, it’s time to talk to your brother again.”

  Grant turned around to Charlie and helped her sit on the bed before making his way to the chair besides the table.

  Sitting down, he looked up at the man. “Okay, what do you want me to say? I think we said it all the first time.”

  “Smart mouth!” Grant didn’t have time to defend himself. He had been so focused on the man talking to him, when the second man took the butt of his gun and slammed it in the back of his head.

  Grant toppled to the floor, with Charlie screaming and pleading with the first guy to let her go to Grant. He was holding her back from reaching him. Grant was grabbed roughly by the arm and jerked back in the seat by the second man. Grant looked at Charlie, who had tears in her eyes, as she struggled with the first guy to let her go.

  Touching the back of his head, trying not to wince at the pain, Grant told Charlie, “I’m okay. Sit down, Charlie. Let’s get this over with.”

  “Are you sure?” Charlie asked him, concern showing in her voice, but she stopped struggling in the man’s grasp.

  “Sure, I’ve had worse. Charlie, just sit down.” Grant tried to make light of his injury.

  Grant could tell she didn’t want to listen, but she pulled herself from the guy’s grasp and sat on the bed.

  The first guy, after making sure Charlie was sitting on the bed and not going to move, turned back to Grant. “Here’s how we’re going to do this. Tell your brother you are okay and ask him if he has gotten the money together yet. Make sure that he knows we want it in small, unmarked bills. Also make it known that we do mean business. No funny stuff.” The guy plugged a landline in and put the phone on the table.

  “One wrong word and I will put a bullet in her,” the second guy said as he moved in front of Charlie, pointing his gun directly at her head. “I won’t kill her, but it will make your time with us be less pleasant.”

  Grant’s head throbbed as he listened to the man. Not wanting the man to have any reason to hurt Charlie, he straightened up in the chair, picked up the phone, and dialed James’s penthouse

  The phone was answered after two rings.

  “Braden Security—James here.” Clay’s voice came on the line.

  “James, this is Chase with your daily update. Do you have the money yet? They want it in small, unmarked bills.”

  “We’re working on it, but it takes time to gather that much together. I thought we had a week to get the money together?”

  “They want to know…” Grant was cut off from talking to Clay when the phone was yanked from his grasp.

  “You have four days left. This is so you know we mean business.” The guy nodded to the other man and he shot a bullet in the floor down by the side of the bed at Charlie’s feet. Charlie screamed and the guy hung up the phone.

  Chapter Eleven

  Clay put the phone down and turn a concerned look around at Chase, Gabe, and Tony.

  “Was that a gun I heard?” Chase anxiously asked, getting to his feet.

  “Yes, that was a shot. If I’m not mistaken, that was Charlie’s scream in the background,” Clay said as he stood there, wiping a hand over his face. “Shit, I guess they want us to know that they mean business.”

  “Don’t you think it’s time to bring James in on this?” Chase asked, starting to pace the kitchen. “He’ll know what to do.”

  “No, Chase. James is the best, but there is nothing he could do that we’re not doing already. Besides, he won’t be able to fully concentrate with Avery having their baby. We have to deal with this on our own and only bring James in if things turn critical.”

  “You’re right, Clay. James deserves this time,” Chase said as he resumed his seat at the table.

  “What’s next?”

  “Well let’s go over the camera feeds that Gabe has on the computer. It might be able to tell us something. Also to take note of—the guy who grabbed the phone from Grant didn’t use a distorter. We heard his voice. He sounds all American to me.”

  “How does that help? We still don’t know who they are.”

  “Well at least we know that they are homegrown and not from Columbia or some other country. It might give us a break if anything shows up on the camera feeds.”

  “Let me cue it up,” Gabe said as he typed on the computer sitting on the table, pushing the computer to the center of the table so all could see. The view of the street around the restaurant came into view on the screen.

  They watched as Grant and Charlie came into view from inside the restaurant. They seemed very chummy and Grant had a wide smile on his face.

  “Grant seems to be pretty happy,” Chase said to them as they watched the couple stroll slowly down the street. Nothing showed up on the feed as they watched the couple turn the corner into the alley.

  “Is that it?” Clay asked as nothing showed on the screen for a while.

  “Yes, that’s all the cameras picked up. From this view,” Gabe told him.

  “Don’t we have something else, another view?”

  “Well I found the camera feed from the back of the restaurant and this is what I caught,” Gabe said as he brought another screen view up.

  They all watched as a white van raced down the back street.

  “That’s got to be them. This was taken only a few minutes after they disappeared down the alleyway. Nothing else is seen for a least a half hour after,” Gage told them.

  “Is there any way we can clean this up and
get a closer look at the van?” Clay sat back as he asked Gabe.

  “That the next step, I’m going to try and see if I can get a better look.”

  Tony, who had been sitting quietly at the table not paying any attention to them but seemingly engrossed watching the computer he was working on, spoke up.

  “I’ve been trying to follow the van and break into the highway feeds to see if I can pick it up on its route. I can tell you, with all this computer work, I wish they would have taken anyone but Grant. He could have made this computer sing and probably would have found out everything by now.”

  “Yes, I know Grant is the best, but we just have to work with what we have for now. Have you been able to pick up anything?”

  “All I know is that there are a hell of a lot of white vans in Detroit. Until Gabe can find something to pick it out from the rest, it’s a crap shoot.”

  “I could probably call some of my best computer people down at the investment firm to come help,” Chase offered.

  “Can’t do that, Chase, the less people know about the kidnapping the better. You’re supposed to be the one taken, remember. We can’t take a chance. Word could get around and back to the men who have them. If they know it’s Grant and not you that they’re holding, we don’t know what they’ll do. They might just shoot them as useless baggage. No, I won’t put them in that situation.”

  “God, I forgot it’s supposed to be me that was kidnapped. You’re right, we have to keep it on the down low.” Chase sounded and looked depressed.

  Clay tried to reassure Chase when he picked up on his mood. “It’s not your fault that this happened. It’s better that it’s Grant that was snatched and not you. I know you did the training with Sam, but you don’t need your first assignment to be a trial by fire. Grant has been in sticky situations most of his life, working with us. He will stay cool and look after Charlie and himself.”

  “I just hate this whole thing. I can’t even go down and see James and Angel at the hospital. Mom and Dad are probably already down there,” Chase said with frustration.