Revealed (The Found Book 1)

by Caitlyn O'Leary

  “How are you going to pinpoint his location once you get to the house?”

  “I’m not going to have to Kali, the lieutenant won’t be waiting around to be rescued, and he will probably take out some of those assholes by the time we arrive.”

  Truth. Kali relaxed. The man in front of her, who had turned from pseudo boyfriend to scary soldier told her Noah, her man with the broken ribs, will probably fight off his attackers. She was going to hang onto Kota’s belief like a lifeline.

  “What do we do now?”

  “We wait. It’s what we do almost all the time, it’s a waiting game. We’ll also check in with Sierra and see if she has any clue why Riley went missing. It makes no sense for him to have gone to ground. We always back one another up.”

  Kali tried to sit against the headboard to see if she could get in tune with Noah, but it was too uncomfortable, and she couldn’t reach him. It was like she was hitting a blank wall. She assumed it was because he was unconscious. Finally she stretched out on the bed and tried to get some rest.

  * * *

  “Thank God!”

  “What?” Kali tried to focus, it was tough. She looked around the strange room. For one brief moment seeing Kota scared. Then she remembered who he was and why they were there.

  “Riley finally called in.”

  Kali sat up and gasped. If she hurt this much, she couldn’t imagine what Noah was feeling. “Where was he? Why hadn’t he called?”

  “One of the thugs from Rixitron was headed out west to get the mother and baby. He hopped in the trunk of the guy’s car, and he almost immediately got into a wreck.”

  “Oh God, is Riley okay?”

  “Yeah, he is. It just wasn’t until they got the car towed to the impound lot he regained consciousness, and it took him awhile to get someone’s attention so he could get out. The damn thing was crumpled up solid. He was damn lucky to get out and still be able to stand.”

  “Where did this happen?”

  “Right outside of Denton,” Kota explained.

  “Why hadn’t he called?”

  “Poor bastard cracked his cell phone as he was getting into the trunk. It was useless. It was all kinds of Murphy’s Luck.”

  “So how soon before he’ll be back in Atlanta?”

  “He’s not going to Atlanta. He called in to arrange for a helicopter from North Texas to New Mexico. He doesn’t think he will beat the guy there, but he’s hoping he’ll have a better shot of getting people to cooperate with him than the bastard from Rixitron. You and Sarah are his aces. Well, you were, now just Sarah.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He plans to use Sarah with the baby’s mom, the same way we used you with Sarah.”

  “I hope with better results. Who is this mom and baby anyway?”

  “Riley and Noah found records of the baby’s father, Seth Natani, he’s found as well. He was raised by the People.”

  “The People?”

  “It’s what the Navajo call themselves. He was raised by the Natani’s on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico. He’s with the DEA and been on assignment for almost a year now. No one has seen or heard from him since then. He left his woman, Annie Newman with his parents, and she’s given birth to a daughter, who is five months old. According to Riley, the Rixitron people want the baby really bad.”

  “I don’t get it. Is it just because the baby is the daughter of a found man?”

  “It has to be. What Riley can’t understand, what none of us can understand…where the hell is the father?”

  Kota was right, Kali couldn’t imagine anything keeping Noah away from her and their child.

  Kota’s phone vibrated, and he looked down. “Okay, I’m on. You’ll need to stay up here. Remember, this place is a fortress. This is where all the movie stars come to get away but you need to stay in this room.” He picked up his vest and the lightweight gym bag he had filled with weapons.

  “Kali, you know how to use a gun, right?”

  “Cop’s daughter. Need I say more?” She held out her hand and he gave her an automatic pistol. She looked it over and made sure the safety was on.

  “When will you be back?” She realized it was a stupid question as soon as it left her mouth, but it didn’t stop her from wanting an answer.

  Kota turned from the door, walked over, and gave her a hug. “It’s going to be all right. We’ll be back soon.” Then he was gone. Kali went to the window and gazed at the beautiful black velvet night sky, and prayed Kota was right.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Noah heard voices down the hall. The carpet was soft under his cheek, and he could swear the duvet cover touching his forehead was silk. Who the hell kept a bloody prisoner on the floor in such a classy bedroom? He moved his legs and arms. No limbs broken. Definitely a plus…maybe a broken rib or two, but he was going to tell himself they were cracked. Therefore, he should be able to blow this little dollhouse easy enough. There was the fact his hands were tied behind his back. Every time he tried to pull the rope apart, it sent shards of pain up through his torso straight into his skull. Fuck.

  Noah.

  This time instead of pulling, he used his fingers to examine the knots, and found them slippery with his blood. He might be able to use it to his advantage. He worked at the knots for long minutes, finally loosening one, and untangling another. Maybe, just maybe it was enough. He yanked hard, a red hot poker of fire shot upwards through his ribs, then his brain and he passed out.

  Noah, wake up.

  He heard voices coming closer down the hall. He pulled at his bindings one more time and they ripped apart. He was up and beside the door in less than a second. The door opened, and he pulled the first man in by his head and twisted, hearing a satisfying pop before dropping him to the floor. The second man was bringing up his arm with a gun, when Noah kicked the man in his chest. He grabbed the discarded gun, and stood on the man’s neck until he passed out. Checking the hallway, he was satisfied when he didn’t see anyone else. He closed and leaned heavily on the door, hissing as he tried to take a breath around the fire in his chest.

  It had taken less than a minute, and thanks to the thick carpeting, it had been done very quietly, but Noah still wasn’t taking any chances. He realized the voice he had been hearing in his head was Kali, which meant she had to be near. Not only was he trying to save his own ass, but now he had to take under consideration she was being held in this same location.

  “Kali,” he whispered. “Where are you?”

  Talk in your head. I can hear you. I’m about three miles away. Kota should already be there with help.

  Tell him not to come. I can get out on my own.

  Too late, I’m sure he’s on the premises already. Do you even know how many people you’re up against?

  He was not going to have this argument. We’re in Cancun, right?

  Yes.

  Get in a cab, and get to the airport.

  I will do no such…

  The sound of gunshots rent the night. Noah heard feet pounding above his head.

  Kali, I hear gunshots. Things have gone wrong, Kota would have planned to come in silent. You’ve got to get out of there. Promise me you’ll get into a cab and go to the airport. I want you on US soil.

  I will, I promise. Stay safe.

  Hearing the truth and conviction in her words allowed him to focus on the sounds around him. He bent down and made sure the second man was still unconscious, then pulled the gun from the shoulder holster of the dead man.

  Opening the door a little, he saw no one in the hall. To the right were stairs and he headed in that direction. By the time he made it to the first landing it sounded like he was back in the jungle during a full firefight, and then suddenly silence.

  “If you tell me where he is, I will let you live,” Dakota said in Spanish. Noah huffed out a laugh and immediately regretted his sense of humor. He was pretty sure everything was under control, but he was cautious as he peeked around the balustrade. There wa
s Kota with a knife to the neck of a man who looked like he was going to piss himself.

  “Downstairs, he’s downstairs.” Kota dropped the thug onto the floor, and turned to another man. “Watch him.” He raced towards the stairs, and Noah leaned out to show himself.

  “What took you so long, I’ve been waiting for you to show up since the first bullet rang out,” Kota said as he grabbed Noah’s arm and wrapped it around his shoulder. “You look like shit man. What, you can’t take a beating like you used to?” Kota doubled timed him up the stairs, and Noah fought back groans, trying to connect with Kali again, now he knew the fighting had ended. He couldn’t reach her.

  “Did you get everybody in the compound?”

  “Nope, a helicopter got away.”

  “What about Kali, is she safe? You left her alone man.” If he could have taken a swing at Kota, he would have, but he didn’t have the strength. Shit, maybe the ribs were actually broken.

  “I left her in the honeymoon suite of Toledaga Resort. Nobody gets in or out of there without proper ID. You can be damn sure you’re not getting anywhere close to the honeymoon suite without your security codes and floor access cards. Your woman is safe.”

  “No she’s not.” The pain got much worse. “I heard the bullets flying, and I know it’s not what we ever plan during an escape.”

  “No, Lieutenant. It was the damn helicopter. When I saw them heading for it, I had to try to stop them.”

  “You did the right thing,” Noah assured his man. “But as soon as I heard gunshots, and I realized Kali was alone, I told her to head to the airport.”

  Kota’s face tightened. “Dammit.” They both started running faster towards the door, the other men following them. There was a driver waiting in the Range Rover. Kota all but threw Noah into the backseat.

  “Back to the hotel?”

  “To the airport,” both men yelled in unison.

  * * *

  Kali thought she was going to throw up. The cab driver drove like he was drunk, and the smells of the city weren’t helping. The windows were rolled down, the air was humid, and she smelled sewer mixed in with sidewalk carts of meat and cigarette smoke. But mostly it was knowing Noah and Kota were in the middle of a gunfight and she was running away. They could be dead for all she knew. She couldn’t get any sort of connection with Noah and it was killing her. Tears were dripping down her face, and the cabdriver kept looking at her in the rear view mirror instead of focusing on the road.

  She’d left the laptop and everything in the hotel room for Kota. She’d called Sierra, who said to stay on the line with her, but even that connection died. Kali hoped when they got to the airport she could pick up a signal again. But more than that, she prayed her connection with Noah would be reestablished.

  “Lady, we’re here.” Grabbing her meager little carry-on case, she paid the driver. Once inside she saw she had a text from Sierra—there was a ticket in her name to Atlanta. She tried calling Sierra, but all circuits were busy. Tired, she tried to smile at the reservation clerk but knew it was a failed attempt.

  “Passport.” Kali opened her purse, cognizant of the people behind her who were waiting.

  Kali!

  She dropped her purse and twirled around. He was here. Swiping her purse off the floor, she pushed past the people in line, and scanned the crowd for any sign of Noah or Kota. Then she darted towards the glass exit doors.

  No. Stay inside. Stay around people.

  Kali stopped so suddenly a man bumped into her. He apologized in Spanish, as she almost doubled over from the pain of contact.

  Where are you? Are you all right? He didn’t sound all right, he sounded like he was in agony.

  Noah’s hand brushed along the side of her ribcage, his other arm snaking around her holding her in place back to front. He nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear. “You’re in pain too baby and it’s killing me, what happened? How did you get injured?”

  It took everything she had to remain upright, knowing he was in no shape to hold her weight. For the second, or was it the third time that night she felt tears falling down her face.

  “Noah, I was afraid they were going to kill you.”

  He kissed the side of her jaw moving ever closer to her mouth. “I have a woman to come home to, I’m always going to make it back, Kali, always.”

  They both hissed in pain as she turned in his arms and carefully reached for his lips. Noah’s flavor burst across her senses, it was the taste of homecoming. Could she be anymore blessed? He took control, his tongue sweeping inwards, invading her soul.

  “Guys, we have minutes before we have to be on a plane to get the hell out of here.”

  It was like the voice came from a long ways a way. She thought she recognized it.

  “Guys.” Noah started to stroke her hair. Fingers snapped at her ear and she jerked back.

  “What the fuck?!” Noah glared at Kota.

  “We have to get the hell out of here. We still have people on the loose, remember?” Kali looked up at Noah and saw determination.

  “Kali, we need to leave. It’s still not safe, Abel Trent got away.”

  “Who?” she asked dazedly.

  “The fucker from Rixitron who set us up.”

  “Well he can’t get far, it’s an island, right?” Kali asked.

  “He was able to transport me without a passport to a foreign country. I’d say the guy has resources.”

  “Walk and talk people, walk and talk.” Kota herded them towards the ticket counter. The three of them put down their passports. Sierra had somehow worked magic and got them all in the same row, despite their last minute purchase. Kali could feel Noah’s pain with every step he took, despite the fact he tried to muscle through. When they got on the plane the stewardess knocked into him with the beverage cart, and Kali’s knees buckled, Kota caught her.

  “What the fuck?”

  “She can feel your pain, Noah. She’s bruised in the exact spot where you’re bruised, cracked or broken.” Kota insisted Noah take the seat by the window, then Kali sat in the middle and he took the aisle.

  Kali breathed through her nose, fighting down nausea. How the hell was Noah even upright? When she asked the question, Kota snorted with laughter.

  “I’ve seen the lieutenant continue fighting for three days with a concussion and a broken wrist.”

  Noah, picked up her hand, and started rubbing circles on her wrist with his thumb. “How can you even ask Baby, after everything you’ve been through? You survived the fires of hell, and came out the other side, this is nothing in comparison.” He brought her palm to his lips and breathed a kiss into it. “Go to sleep, if you can.”

  “If you will, I can Noah.” His injured ribs were on the other side, so he pulled her against his side, cuddling her close.

  “Sleep Kali, I’ll be here when you wake up.” She breathed in the scent of the man she loved, and tumbled into unconsciousness.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Her ribs aren’t cracked. Yours are. Now hold still why I tape you up.”

  “How do you know, you haven’t taken x-rays.” Noah liked Sarah before she had tried to tell him Kali was fine. Obviously Sarah was a quack.

  “She only has minor bruising. She doesn’t hurt at all, when you’re not moving and hurting. Watch. Kali, can you come here for a second?” Kali came over from where she was talking to Sierra. It was the first time she hadn’t hovered, and it was only because he practically shoved her away.

  “Is he okay?” she asked Sarah anxiously. “Are you okay Noah?” She touched the tape going around his chest. He reached up to hug her and winced. She gasped.

  “Stop it Noah. You’re the one who hurt her. Now lie back down.” Sarah couldn’t possibly be right, he looked between the two women. Kali so soft in his arms, and Sarah looking like a commander in the Navy. He reluctantly released Kali and slowly lowered himself to the hotel bed. It did feel good to be horizontal. The whole time he was moving he saw the tension formi
ng lines bracketing Kali’s mouth, and he glanced at Sarah who simply lifted an eyebrow.

  “Kali, come lie beside me.” All thoughts of pain fled as the woman he loved nestled beside him.

  “Now both of you get some sleep. Let the others on your team take care of things for a while.”

  Sarah turned off the light, leaving the room in shadows as she closed the adjoining room door behind her.

  “You really don’t hurt?”

  “Noah, don’t you remember how it was when I was being shocked?”

  God he was an idiot. He moved the arm of his good side, and pulled her closer, breathing in her clean scent. “Can you sleep Kali?”

  “Can now…” Her words already slurred.

  He kissed the top of her hair and toyed with the silky strands. He soon heard the even breathing of her sleep. Now she was sleeping, and the pain in his ribs abated, he had time to think clearly. He knew his team was focused on helping Riley, and his quest in New Mexico, which was great. But he wanted to think through what those fuckers were trying to ultimately accomplish.

  He knew Sierra ran an intensive background on Abel Trent and found anomalies in the guy’s financials. He had millions stashed in off-shore accounts. When he and Riley had been rifling through the offices at Rixitron, he realized how big an operation they were dealing with. Denton was one small branch, but Rixitron was a huge conglomerate, and Trent was one Senior VP who seemed to have a hell of a lot of leeway. Could he have that much autonomy without others at the company knowing? Sure Kali was asleep, Noah reached over to the nightstand and picked up his phone to do some research. He intended to know everything there was about Rixitron before the night was over.

  * * *

  “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

  The words were loud, the pain was bright. “What’s wrong, Noah?” Kali asked. The door to their room slammed opened.

  “Lieutenant!” Nate had his gun drawn. Sierra and Kota were behind him, both had guns in their hands as well. Kali gripped her side which was hurting. Noah was off the bed and striding past his team to the other room. Sarah walked where Kali was still struggling on the bed.