Out of Hiding

by Rachel Dylan

  “Mexico is a huge country! How can you expect to find her without more? And what if it’s too late?” Ms. Milton’s voice shook. “What if they ship my baby off to another country? I know what this is all about, Ms. Lane. I’m not naive. Her life is literally on the line here.”

  “I understand the gravity of the situation. Please believe me. I’ve got a few ideas of where to start searching. Now call the police and tell them what you told me. And if you think of anything else or need me at all, just call me.” Her heart broke for Ms. Milton. While she was telling her to stay calm, Sadie knew that if she was in Ms. Milton’s position she’d be a complete wreck.

  She hung up the phone and Kip stared at her, frowning. “What?” she asked.

  “They moved quickly, not wasting any time in crossing the border. Now that they’re in Mexico it will be quite a challenge. I was hoping that we could’ve intercepted them before they crossed.”

  “I wonder how Megan got to a phone?”

  “Sounds like she’s a smart teenager. It’s good she has that going for her. But I hope she doesn’t get too bold. That’s the easiest way to get herself killed. You know they wouldn’t think twice about that.”

  A cold shiver shot down her arm because she knew what he was saying was right. “We can’t worry about how she got the phone right now. I need to get to Mexico, ASAP.” She stood up.

  “Wait, wait.” Kip walked over quickly and gently grasped her by her shoulders looking her straight in the eyes. “You can’t just run down to Mexico. We need a better understanding of the situation. The best way to get that is through Igor. We have to stick to the plan.”

  “Time is running out. You know that they won’t keep those girls as a group in Mexico that long. We may not have time to get more intel,” she implored.

  His strong hand was still resting on her shoulder, and when he dropped it away, she missed the steadying touch.

  He let out a deep breath. “I hear you. Let’s compromise. Give me a little time to work on Igor and to contact my other sources. That’s all I ask.”

  She thought about all he said, knowing that wandering aimlessly around Mexico wasn’t going to work. They were racing the clock. With each second that passed, the risk of never finding Megan again increased. She had some ideas about where they could be in Mexico—at least cities for starters. But that wasn’t enough to go on, she did need more information.

  “Fine, we’ll do it your way, but ‘a little time’ is just that, okay? You have until tomorrow morning, and then I’m going it alone. They can’t be too far into Mexico. They wouldn’t have wanted to put the group of them on a plane. So they were most likely traveling in vans. They’re probably not too far over the border.”

  “That makes sense. But Megan’s call changes things. I want to go ahead and contact Igor. You with me?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. She needed his help. “I need you to use some of your FBI resources.”

  “I’m on it. Believe me this isn’t my first assignment.” He playfully tapped her arm.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. Kip was a charming guy. She wondered why he was still single. She would’ve expected a good man like him to have been taken a long time ago. Besides being incredibly handsome, he was obviously smart and had a great job. Most women didn’t share her disdain for FBI agents even if they might be concerned about the dangerous nature of the job.

  “We’ll get through this,” he said. “I’m going to do the call on Speaker. But don’t pipe up unless I signal you. I want to see how he’s going to try to play it.”

  Her heartbeat sped up, and her stomach clenched. She wasn’t looking forward to hearing Igor’s ominous voice again. But she realized they needed to make this call. She’d do anything and everything in her power to try to find Megan.

  “Hello,” Igor said, his voice deep.

  “This is your friend. We met last night at Sala. I promised you some information.”

  “Ah. Very good.” He paused. “Should we discuss this on the phone or in person?”

  “I think the phone should suffice for now. You’ve got company. They’re following you.”

  “And what are they looking for?”

  “Anything they can use against you.”

  Sadie realized she was holding her breath as she listened to the conversation play out. She needed to breathe.

  “I need more specifics. Your vague comments are beginning to test my nerves.”

  “They’re interested in your new business venture.”

  “What do you know about that?” Igor demanded with a raised voice.

  “I know enough to tell you unequivocally that you should be worried about it. I also wanted to offer my services if I could be of any assistance in your operation on this matter.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. I hear you may need help in Mexico.”

  Igor cursed loudly, and Sadie drew in a breath. She hoped and prayed that Kip wasn’t pushing him too hard. They couldn’t afford to have this backfire on them. She had to trust Kip right now, though. Dear Lord, please guide him to saying the right thing to be able to save the innocent lives involved.

  The silence was deafening. It felt like an eternity had passed.

  “I could use your help. But only on a trial basis.”

  “Good,” Kip said keeping his voice devoid of emotion.

  “On one condition. I want Ms. Lane to be involved.”

  “I can arrange that.”

  “Let’s discuss further details in person. Not at Sala though. In the other restaurant at the Rhubarb. I have a private room I can reserve there. Be there at seven tonight. Sharp. And make sure Ms. Lane is with you.”

  Sadie heard the dial tone. She thanked God that the call was over. She looked down and saw her fists were clenched. She could only keep praying.

  * * *

  Kip tried to play it cool, but on the inside his heart raced. The call with Igor had gone as well as it possibly could given the circumstances, but dangerous times were still ahead. He hated that he had to bring Sadie deeper into all of this, but he feared if he cut her off she’d be much more at risk on her own. Sadie would not give up the search for Megan regardless of what Kip advised her to do. Keeping her close was his best option. In the process though, he had to guard her from Igor and his hired guns.

  He looked over at Sadie. The color had drained from her beautiful face. He couldn’t help but think there was something more that he was missing. Had she dealt with men like Igor before? Did she know what they were really capable of? He feared that the answer was yes. Would she open up to him one day? He hoped so. But that was something he had no business in wanting. He was good. Just him and Colby. He’d given up on human relationships three years ago.

  “How do you think it went?” he asked.

  “Better than I expected. I didn’t think you’d bring up the Mexico angle so quickly.”

  “Hey, I told you that I just needed a little time.”

  She smiled, and his heart melted just a little. His heart felt like an iceberg though. There was a lot more to chip away before he could open up. He needed to snap out of it and focus on the mission.

  “So I guess we’re meeting with him this evening.”

  “Yes, and hopefully we’ll get the information we need to start tracking down Megan in Mexico.”

  “And how do you expect to get Igor to tell you anything?”

  “We give him something he wants—he’ll give us something in return.”

  “But you already gave him the surveillance report.”

  “That was just to whet his appetite. He’ll have a lot more questions. Believe me. Men like Igor get paranoid. We’re going to capitalize on his paranoia. Nothing like adding a little fuel to a sibling rivalry fire.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’
re going to throw his brother Artur into the mix.”

  He nodded. “Exactly. We’ll plant the seed in his head that Artur is in cahoots with the FBI.”

  “Anything that will help us get to Megan. What will I need to do?”

  “Igor has taken a liking to you. That’s why he wants you there. But you need to be tough. You can’t let him see any weakness, or he will jump on it. Can you do that?”

  She took a deep breath. “Yes. Yes, I can. I know I’ve been a little off my game. But don’t worry about me. I can totally handle this.” She held her head up high.

  “That’s more like it. I wondered when the woman who pulled the gun on me was going to be back.” He chuckled. “We should go by your place so you can pack. I have a feeling we might be hitting the road right after our meeting. So bring whatever you think you’ll need for the trip. But don’t pack too heavily. Then we can swing by my place, and I can take Colby to my buddy’s house.”

  She nodded. “Seems like you have it all figured out.”

  “At least we have a plan of action.”

  “You seem like the type of guy to like plans. Probably from your military background. I like plans, too.”

  “Let’s get going. It’s going to be a long day.”

  * * *

  By the time the two of them had done everything they needed to do to get ready for a possible trip to Mexico, it was nearing time for them to meet with Igor. Sadie had a sick feeling deep in her gut. You can do this, she kept telling herself. She was a strong, independent private investigator. She wasn’t going to let this man who had taken so much from her hurt more people now. She had to do everything she could to stop him. Taking a quick moment for herself, she prayed. Not only for herself, but for Kip. And of course she prayed for Megan and the other girls. She knew she should also pray for Igor, but she couldn’t bring herself to at the moment. She prayed for strength that one day she could.

  “What’s on your mind?” Kip asked her as they drove to the Rhubarb Hotel.

  “Honestly? I was praying.”

  “You do that a lot?”

  “Yes. What about you?”

  “It’s not something I like talking about.” He hesitated for a moment. “I used to. I just didn’t feel like He was listening. It’s a long story.”

  “You’ll have to tell me sometime.”

  “For now, let’s focus on this meeting. Let me take the lead.”

  He was a take charge kind of guy. Normally that would annoy her, but with Igor she appreciated a bit of the buffer. Could she face that man alone again? She didn’t know.

  She looked at Kip as he scowled. His eyes were locked on the rearview mirror.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Someone’s been following us.”

  “One of Igor’s guys?”

  “I don’t know. But I don’t like it. Hold on tight.”

  He sped up, and she braced against the seat. After she steadied herself, she turned around and saw the truck behind them was gaining. “He’s getting closer. Why would Igor send someone after us now? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “No clue.” Kip made a sudden left turn throwing her off balance, and her right shoulder hit the door hard.

  “Are you okay?” he asked with his eyes still on the road.

  “Yes.” Her arm was throbbing and her pulse racing. The truck was gaining on them. With a thud she was thrown forward in the seat. Thankfully the seat belt prevented her from hitting her head on the dash. She sat in shock, not fully registering that the truck had just rammed them.

  “Kip, you’ve got to step on it. He’s going to hit us again.” Panic started to take over.

  “I’m trying. He’s got a bigger and faster truck.”

  Before she could speak, her body jerked forward as the truck made impact a second time. Hard. Her teeth clanked together, and she bit down on her tongue. She tasted blood.

  “Is he trying to scare us or kill us?” she asked with a strained voice. She was trying to stay calm, but she feared the next hit from the truck was going to be even more substantial.

  “I don’t know what his endgame is. Hold tight again.”

  Kip floored it and took a sharp turn, barely missing the cars that were speeding by. The truck had to wait to make the turn because of oncoming traffic.

  She realized she was holding her breath, and then forced herself to breathe. “Where are we going?”

  “We’re still going to the meeting with Igor. Just taking a different route.”

  He handled the car like a professional race car driver. With each move that he made, she felt more confident in his skills.

  By the time they reached the hotel, she felt sure that they’d lost the tail.

  “That was a bit much,” she said, taking a deep breath. “If Igor wanted to send a message, he could’ve done it in person.”

  “Which makes me think it was someone else.”

  “Any theories?”

  “Perhaps someone else in Igor’s network doesn’t trust us. Or wanted us to miss the meeting.”

  “That’s possible. We were focusing on Artur earlier, but I’m sure a lot of Igor’s men don’t appreciate us butting our heads in. Especially if we provide intel that they couldn’t bring to Igor themselves.”

  “We’re here now. That’s what matters. However, we’re going to have to be more careful when we leave.”

  The hair on her arms stood up. She felt like someone was watching her as she entered the main lobby entrance of the hotel. She surveyed the faces around her and didn’t see anything suspicious. Forget Igor’s paranoia, her own was setting in at an alarming rate. Her shoulder started to ache from the impact. She hoped the night wasn’t going to get worse.

  “Remember the plan,” he said under his breath. He gently took her arm and guided her through the lobby and down a long corridor which led to the hotel’s other restaurant.

  They walked up to the host stand, and her pulse pounded rapidly.

  “We’re here to see Mr. Vladimir.”

  “Ah, you must be Mr. Moore. Mr. Vladimir asks that you meet him up in the penthouse instead of down here. He was delayed working on some other matters.”

  “Thank you,” Kip said.

  They walked out of the restaurant and toward the elevators.

  “How do you feel about this?” she asked.

  “Not good. Don’t give up your weapon. I don’t care if they tell you to. Stand your ground. He likes you. But I can’t help but feel like this may be a trap.”

  “Wait. Let’s think about this for a minute.” She grabbed his arm. “I’ll go in. You stay behind.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

  “You said it yourself. He likes me.” She paused realizing her hand was still on his biceps. She let go. “That way if something goes wrong you’ll be able to help. If we both go in, it’s too risky. And we have a better chance of success if I go. Alone.”

  He shifted his weight from side to side and rubbed his chin. She could tell she had him.

  “You know I’m right.” She stood with her hand on her hip. Her confidence grew by the second. This was the right call. She was sure of it.

  “How long do you need in there?”

  “If I’m not out in half an hour, come and get me.”

  “No. That’s too long.”

  “No. I think I can do it under that, but I don’t want to be worried about time. Thirty minutes. That’s the deal.”

  “And don’t give up your gun.”

  “I get it. Like you, this isn’t my first day on the job.”

  She was going to face down her nemesis—get the information they needed—and save those girls.

  “Be careful.” He gave her hand a squeeze.

  “
Thanks.” She smiled at him grateful for the warm look in his crystal blue eyes. She was ready. An amazing sense of calm washed over her, and the only explanation was that it was from God. She pushed the up button on the elevator watching it light up.

  When the elevator arrived, she pushed the floor for the penthouse. She’d never been in a penthouse before. Not even close. The only thing she had in her mind was what she saw in the movies. As she rode up the fifteen floors, she said another prayer. When the sound indicated she was at her destination, she settled her shoulders and took a final deep breath.

  She stepped off the elevator into an ornate hallway decorated in rich hues where an ominous looking man stood on a fancy rug in front of a large double door. He was well over six feet tall with a bald tattooed head and piercing green eyes.

  She walked over to him with her shoulders back and full of confidence—at least on the outside. “I’m here to see Mr. Vladimir.” She figured she needed to be as formal as possible.

  “Are you Ms. Lane?” he asked with an arched eyebrow, his huge arms crossed against his chest. He towered over her and probably weighed two and a half times what she did.

  “Yes.” She refused to let him think she was intimidated by his size.

  “Are you alone?”

  “I am.”

  “Turn around. Hands on the wall.” His voice was deep and authoritative.

  She wasn’t going to flinch. He would get fired if he didn’t frisk every person that came into Igor’s penthouse. As he ran her hands roughly over her, she once again reminded herself why she was there. She couldn’t let Megan down.

  “I’ve got a gun,” she said calmly.

  “Hand it over.”

  “Not gonna happen.”

  “Yes, it is. I’ll ask Mr. Vladimir if you can have it back when you leave. But no way are you going in there armed. Even if he did invite you.”

  She relented. Kip wouldn’t be happy, but she didn’t have much of a choice. The thug was right. These guys had a way they operated. They didn’t deviate from security protocol. And letting an armed woman into Igor’s penthouse just wasn’t going to happen. She pulled out her gun and gave it to the brooding muscle man.