Locke frowned but didn’t voice his dislike of the idea.
Kayla said, “I’ll call Jan and say that I’m coming inside with information about where they are. To trade for the hostages’ freedom.”
Conner nodded. “It could work.”
The female agent said, “Or at least get me inside the door. If I distract Jan long enough, you guys can sneak in, too.”
Locke shifted his stance, the frown still on his brow. “It puts everyone at risk if we get in and Jan has a bomb in the area where the hostages are.”
“She said she’d start shooting,” Kayla said. “She didn’t say she’d blow them up. Maybe she only set the bombs outside like traps. To alert her when someone approached the house.”
Locke nodded. “It’s overkill if it is true. I’m not in the mood to clean up pieces of you guys if this goes wrong.”
The female agent took it in stride. “Good, because I’m not in the mood to be pieces.” She strode to the window, and Conner glanced at Kayla. She gave him a “What on earth?” look. Something was going on with Locke and the woman agent. Only Locke seemed to not be aware of it.
Locke motioned to the door. “Us guys will go walk the perimeter. See if there’s a way to get to the house while avoiding setting anything off. You ladies get ready.”
Kayla closed the small distance between them and Conner opened his arms. They shared a hug, and he kissed her cheek. “I’ll be back.”
Kayla nodded her head. “I’ll call Jan while you’re gone, tell her I found them.”
“Less information is more, remember? You only need to convince her it’s your information in exchange for the hostages and that you’ll only do that in person. She doesn’t have a different choice.”
Kayla blew out a breath and nodded. Conner leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on her lips, just because he wanted to. Then he let her go and walked out. He liked this plan, the one where Kayla stayed in the barn. Safe. And the rest of them went inside.
Locke and the other male agent worked on the bombs outside. When Jan had disarmed the door to let the agent posing as Kayla in, Conner watched her enter.
Conner and Locke stood back from the front and back doors respectively while the third agent stayed with Kayla. They wasted no time entering the house. The female agent would have only seconds between entry and Jan Barton realizing she wasn’t Kayla.
The light over the oven was on, as was the oven. Dinner had been forgotten and left to burn to a crisp. Conner crept past the long wood table and into the hall.
A man turned the corner, and Conner rushed him before he could pull the trigger, slamming him against the wall. The gun erupted. Conner’s breath hitched in his chest, and for a split second he wondered if he’d die or if Kayla’s God would see fit to spare his life for the thousandth time.
He punched the man’s face, wrestled with him and finally settled for slamming his head back against the wall. The man fell to the ground in a heap. One of Andis’s men.
Boots pounded the wood floor through the room on his right. Conner waited until the last second and then shoved the door as hard as he could. He heard the collision, then the cry of alarm as the man on the other side fell to the floor.
The searing heat of a recently fired gun touched the back of his skull. Conner whipped his head out of the way and the gun went off in his face with a crack and a flash of light. Blinded, he flung his fist out and connected with the hard wall of the man’s chest.
Two hands shoved Conner back. He stumbled but kept his footing. The man lifted his gun, but Conner brought his up at the same time. His service weapon, not the unregistered illegal weapon he’d carried for Andis. He aimed at the man’s chest and the guy did the same to Conner with his more powerful weapon. Both shots would be point-blank range. They would shoot each other, but maybe this guy didn’t want to die.
“Don’t do this,” he said in a breathy voice. “Walk away and I won’t kill you. You don’t have to die for Jan Barton.” Conner sneered. “Put the gun down and I won’t take you in.”
“I knew it. I knew you weren’t one of us. I could smell it on you, but Andis didn’t want to believe it. Too busy with the rest of the business to listen when I told him.”
“Making counterfeit bills.”
“Shoulda known a fed would think he don’t stink.” The man grinned. “Looks like your job ends here.”
“Yours does.”
Locke grabbed the man and slammed him against the wall. “You’re under arrest.”
“Jan Barton?”
“She’s down.” Locke glanced aside and yelled, “Clear!”
“All good in here, too,” the female agent yelled back.
Locke grinned. “Job well done.”
*
Kayla hugged and spoke with each of the residents. They were shaken up but unharmed. The kids needed time to process what they’d been through. Kayla needed to find a good psychologist she could bring over to work with them, to help them move on from it. There would be a lot of nightmares that night.
A young woman with blond streaks and darkness in her eyes came over, and Kayla said, “I’m so sorry,” for the millionth time.
The girl hugged her middle and didn’t make eye contact. “She was pretty crazy. I haven’t been scared like that in months.”
“But you’re safe now.”
The girl shrugged one slender shoulder. “Maybe.” Then she wandered off to a group of women, most of whom held babies on their hips. More kids clung to moms’ legs.
The lady who managed the house made her way over, a conciliatory smile on her face. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“But it was because of things I’ve done.”
“And because of things you’ve done, these women have a home. They have a family who loves and supports them. Some of them are alive because of what you do.” She set her hand on Kayla’s shoulder. “Don’t discount that. Good comes with bad—it always does. But we ride it out, and we weather the bad because that’s what makes the good all the sweeter.”
Kayla swiped a tear from her cheek. The house manager gave her a quick hug, and Kayla made her way across the grass to Conner. The guys had dismantled every bomb after they made a deal with Jan Barton that if she told them how, they would tell the judge and request a lighter sentence. She wasn’t going to get off, but there was some wiggle room with what judges could do. It was both appreciated and frustrating as all get out from Kayla’s lawyer perspective.
Work seemed like weeks ago. She didn’t even know what she’d have to do to catch up. Things at her office were a mess; her life was a mess. And then there was Conner. He was a mess, but they weren’t. And she was glad for that fact.
Thank You, Lord, for keeping everyone safe and for allowing them to arrest Jan and the men who were with her.
Kayla had been as scared as she was grateful for the female agent who’d gone inside in her place. Even Locke had been impressed by the way she’d taken down Jan Barton without allowing the woman to get a shot off.
She might be a rookie, but she was a great agent who clearly cared about people.
Conner wandered over. “Ready to get out of here?”
Kayla reached for the hand he was holding out to her and walked with him. “How is your leg?”
Conner grimaced. “I’m still moving. Tomorrow it’s probably going to hurt like nobody’s business. Not looking forward to that.”
“No.” Kayla’s headache hadn’t really let up. She was fighting the edge of a concussion still and thanked God it wasn’t worse when it so easily could have been. The two of them probably looked like they’d escaped a war zone. Showers. Clean clothes. Sleep. All beautiful blessings God might want to give her soon, or she was going to start turning ripe.
An unladylike snort left her before she could stop it.
Conner lifted his eyebrow. “Do I want to know what that was about?”
Kayla shook her head. They approached the SUV and Conner got the keys from his pocket. “Locke
will get a ride with the others later. But we should get out of the open.”
Kayla nodded. The danger wasn’t over. She needed to quit getting distracted by him and forgetting that. Jan had been taken care of, but what if Andis sent others?
He set off down the long drive and pulled onto the highway. A quarter mile down, headlights flooded the interior of the car from the oncoming lane. From the height of the headlights, it had to be a truck or an SUV. Conner put his hand up to shield his eyes from the brightness.
The SUV didn’t pass them, though. It cut left and screeched to a halt in front of them. Conner slammed on the brakes and nearly collided with the black SUV. Did it have government plates? It seemed like a vehicle Locke would drive. Something imposing.
But Locke would have mentioned if he had other men in the area. “What is this?”
*
Conner heard his own fear reflected in Kayla’s voice. He unsnapped the clip that secured his weapon, just in case. “I don’t know.”
He glanced over his shoulder and put the vehicle in Reverse.
A van pulled up behind them, boxing them in. The men who climbed out weren’t Secret Service. They drew weapons and approached the car on both sides. Conner’s door was opened. He lifted his hands on the off chance they were cops of some kind.
“Exit the car, sir.”
As he climbed out, he said, “Can I help you guys?”
“We ask the questions.” The comment came from behind him. Conner glanced over his shoulder to see a man pull Kayla’s arms behind her back. He heard the unmistakable sound of cuffs being placed on her.
“Hey. What—”
Her body was slammed against the car and her words cut off.
“Easy.” Conner moved, but a hand planted against his chest, and he couldn’t go any farther.
“Leave it alone,” the man closest to him suggested.
“As if.” He motioned to her. “Get the cuffs off her. Now.”
“Not happening.” The man beside Kayla pulled her by her elbow and set off back around the car to the SUV.
“Who are you guys?” Conner looked around. “FBI? DEA? Who? You’re not arresting her, at least not officially. Cuffs aren’t necessary. She’s not a flight risk, and she’s not someone you can manhandle.”
“That’s up to us,” said the man beside him.
“That’s President Harris’s daughter. Whoever you are, you better get ready for a backlash you can’t even dream of.” He tried to move, but the man still had him pinned. “Next month, when you’re claiming unemployment, don’t say I didn’t warn you what would happen if you messed with her.”
The man beside Conner smirked. “I’m so scared.”
“Conner!” Kayla called his name as they bundled her into the backseat. He couldn’t help her without getting past the guy in front of him.
Conner got in the man’s face. “Tell me what this is about!” He wanted to know where they were taking her, but that was a good starting point. If he didn’t get satisfactory answers, he was going to start fighting. They’d probably shoot him, since he figured if they did have badges, they were operating outside those parameters at this point.
When no one said anything, Conner yelled, “Where are you taking her?”
The man drew his phone out, casual-like, and stared at the screen. “Guess you’ll find out.”
The blow hit him from behind. Pain exploded through Conner’s skull and he fell to the ground.
Before he hit the grass, hands grabbed him and hauled him up.
“Let’s go.”
EIGHTEEN
The low hum of airplane engines rumbled against Kayla’s cheek. She shifted and wiry carpet abraded her skin. Kayla planted two hands on the carpet and pushed up as she opened her eyes. The plane wasn’t moving. What on earth was going on? Those men had shown up and arrested her. Then they’d thrown an unconscious Conner in the truck after her. That was when they’d stuck the needle in her arm.
“You’re awake. How unfortunate.”
She shifted and looked over to where Andis stood with another man. He said something, too low for her to hear, and then the man disappeared toward the front of the plane. A small plane, like a personal jet that seated maybe twenty, two plush armchairs on either side of the aisle.
It was still night outside, and they weren’t in the air. She’d been out for a while but not long enough morning had broken.
Much like last time she’d seen him, Andis wore slacks, shined shoes and a button-down shirt. It was like he didn’t know he lived in a small town and not a big-city high-rise. He was a slick, moneyed thug who had people to do his dirty work for him.
“What is this?” Her voice was hoarse. “Why am I here? Where’s Conner?” Kayla coughed. “I don’t know where your wife and daughter are.”
“Not to worry, because I do.” Andis waved behind him. The woman she’d met only a few times and her daughter sat huddled together. Tied up. Tape over their mouths. Sofija had a cut on her forehead that had bled down her face long enough that her hair looked sticky with it.
Kayla’s eyes locked with Sofija’s tear-filled ones that gave away nothing but an overwhelming fear. She thought they were going to die here, a fact that hit Kayla all at once. Where was Conner? She couldn’t look around, since Andis was making his way over. Was she going to die with them? Why were they on a plane? Was Andis taking them somewhere, so he could kill them there?
“Took some time getting what I needed from that laptop. Your friend Drew was immensely helpful.”
Kayla sucked in a breath and prayed they hadn’t killed Drew. “What do you want?”
Andis narrowed his eyes. “Nothing you need to worry about. In short order, all this will be complete.”
“You’d have let Jan kill everyone in that house just because you wanted your wife and daughter back? Those people haven’t done anything.”
“You think I have anything to do with that crazy woman?” Andis huffed. “What do I care what she does? Everyone’s trying to steal what is mine, and they think they can buy my favor with it? No more.” He clapped. “My property has been returned, and it’s time to move on. Greener pastures and all that.”
Kayla blinked. Was she supposed to know what he was talking about? “You didn’t send Jan to hurt them?”
“Too bad for her, and for Manny, I have resources and am more than capable of reobtaining my property when it decides to run away with my money. Jan was helpful enough, but she will not receive the remittance she believes she will.” He glanced at the woman and girl behind him. “And I am more than capable of rectifying situations. I’ll have a clean slate. A slate on which I will manufacture more money. This time with no partners and no clingers-on to cater to.”
“Because they all turned on you?” Even if she was going to die, she still wanted to know what had happened.
“Jan will get hers,” Andis said, without emotion. “Despite being in jail, Manny has already been taken care of.” He made a scoffing sound.
Manny was dead? Andis had hired fake federal agents, or real ones willing to break the law for money, to capture Conner and Kayla and bring them to him. Probably they’d been the ones to find his wife and daughter, as well. Now they were gone, maybe even the ones who were “taking care of” Manny. Then Jan.
So much death.
Grief welled up in her, but she shoved it back. This man would not see her break. Kayla didn’t care if he saw her mad, though, so she let those tears fall. He thought he was going to kill them? She wiped her cheeks and looked around. Where was Conner?
Kayla saw a jean-covered leg and his shoe sticking out between rows of seats. She ignored Andis and crawled over. Conner’s face was smashed against the carpet the same way hers had been.
“Conner,” she whispered, scared to wake him up if it would mean he was going to feel his injuries. But she needed his help. She needed him.
“So now what?”
Andis glanced toward the front of the plane. “I leave.
You stay.” He waved toward his wife and daughter. “They stay, I go on with my life and the four of you meet your destiny in a fiery crash. So sad. But not so tragic when the police investigators find evidence that you were producing counterfeit hundred-dollar bills and using them to fund your ‘altruistic’ activities. No one would ever suspect you were in fact part of a group undermining this country’s already disastrous economy.”
“You can’t blame this on us!”
“With the right information planted in the right places, I very much can, you see,” Andis sneered. “And I walk away clean, no longer suspected of anything. Answering to no one. It’s a win-win.”
“You’re the only one winning!” Locke knew the truth. The Secret Service would never let him get away with this.
Kayla searched through Conner’s pockets—the ones she could get to without Andis noticing her roll him over—for his phone. She needed to call Locke and get him here.
They needed help, before the plane took off and Andis disappeared. His plan was to kill the four of them—and probably the pilot, too, if they were crashing. How could the man walk away from this? He clearly had no conscience and wasn’t concerned about anything but what would put him ahead. Money. That was all this man cared about. Money he didn’t have to share, because he had all the pieces of the puzzle.
Andis walked away. Lena began to cry, and her mom pulled her to her side so they could huddle together. Kayla wanted to scream. She wanted to fight. She was not going to give up.
Thank You, Lord. Help me know how to fight him, how to survive this.
God had put her there for a reason, and maybe that reason was to help them all live. Kayla continued to pray, asking God for wisdom. To know the right time to move and what to do. Andis exited the plane, and the pilot moved to the door.
“What are you doing?” She jumped up. “You know this is a suicide mission! He wants us to die.”
The pilot shut the door, not even acknowledging her existence. How could he do that? Surely he didn’t expect to die, as well.
Kayla ran back to Conner and tried to gently shake him awake. The tears came in full force now as the plane rumbled down a runway and they lifted off the ground.
Security Detail Page 15
