Dangerous Desires

by Dee Davis

  “How many guards in the towers?” Drake asked, studying the photograph, memorizing the layout.

  “No more than two,” Hannah said.

  “But they’re usually only in the towers during the day,” Madeline said. “Particularly when people are in the yard, since it backs right up to the wall.”

  “What about security cameras?” Nash asked, making notes on a white legal pad.

  “There aren’t any except at the front gate,” Hannah said, shaking her head. “Overall, external security is pretty rudimentary, principally because of the location and the wall. Basically the only way in or out is through the front gate.”

  “Or over the wall,” Drake mused with a frown.

  “Maybe from inside, but definitely not from the outside,” Hannah said, switching pictures again to show a section of the fence. The dropoff was immediate, the rocks making it almost impossible to maneuver. “It’s just too steep.”

  “She’s right.” Nash nodded. “The gate is our best opportunity for access.”

  “Okay, so what’s security like at the gate?” Annie asked.

  Hannah switched pictures again, this one depicting a gated opening in the wall. “The guardhouse has external cameras and it houses central security for the entire complex. Best I can tell, it’s manned twenty-four/seven. Easiest way in is for you to convince them to let you through.”

  “Somehow, I’m thinking they’re not going to be too keen on the idea of us just waltzing in.” Drake frowned.

  “They will if they think you’re there to repair a problem,” Hannah said, moving to another photo. “This is a picture of the local electrical company’s repair van. It’s in a lot about five blocks from here. Assuming I can access the electrical grid, it shouldn’t be too hard to interrupt service. Meanwhile, you guys can secure the van and use it to convince the guys at the gate to let you save the day, or night, as the case may be.”

  “She’s right,” Madeline agreed. “There’s less personnel at night, and security should be a little more lax when everyone inside is securely locked down.”

  “It just might work,” Drake speculated, considering their options. “But it’ll have to play out as realistically as possible. Which means we’ll need the proper gear to convince them we are who we say we are.”

  “I’m already on it,” Hannah said, “Avery gave me some names, people who’ve agreed to help us for the right price.”

  “Okay, so far so good,” Annie said, “but once we’re inside the gate, where do we go from there?”

  Hannah hit a key and the computer screen dissolved into a diagram of the prison’s buildings. “There’s an outbuilding just past the main gate that serves as the utility hub. That’s where they’ll expect you to go. Fortunately for us, that same building also provides access to what used to be the main structure’s septic system, a cesspit underneath the prison that connected to chutes inside that originally served as conduits for… well, you can guess.”

  “Tell me you’re not asking us to climb through shit,” Nash said, his distaste apparent.

  “I’m not.” Hannah shook her head. “The system was abandoned eighty years ago. But sometime in the sixties when the place was converted to a prison, they widened the chutes and turned them into maintenance crawl spaces. They provided an easy way to access wiring and so forth without having to disrupt security within the prison.”

  “Seems to me like it would have accomplished just the opposite, the crawl spaces providing the perfect exit for the discerning inmate.” Annie frowned.

  “Never would have worked,” Hannah said. “The cell blocks are separated from the rest of the building by security gates. And the only access to the crawl space from the interior of the building is through a small service closet near the southwest corner, here,” she said, switching to a diagram of the prison’s floor plan.

  “So even if a prisoner knew about the crawl space, he wouldn’t be able to access it without getting past the gate,” Annie said.

  “Exactly,” Hannah agreed. “And from what I can tell, prisoners aren’t allowed off the block all that often.”

  “Hardly ever,” Madeline concurred. “The doors to the exercise yard are at the end of each cell block. And meals, if you can call them that, are served in the inmate’s cell. The only time I was ever out of my cell block was when they took me to the infirmary—which has its own security.”

  “So which wing were you in?” Drake asked, nodding at the floor plan.

  “I was here,” Madeline said, pointing to the east cell block. “About halfway down. The prisoners on my side were mainly older men and a few women. People deemed less dangerous.”

  “And the west cell block?” Nash prompted.

  “That’s where they keep the stronger men. And the inmates who caused problems or were marked for execution. Not that they ever used those words, mind you. But we all knew it happened.” She shuddered, and Drake remembered she’d told him once that she’d heard them shooting at night. “Andrés’s regular cell was in the west block.”

  “Do you know which one?” Annie asked.

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” she said, her face tight as she worked to control her emotions. “The solitary cells are at the end of the west block, so to get there you have to walk along the corridor. And unfortunately, I made the trip a couple of times.”

  “And you saw Andrés while you were there?” Hannah asked.

  “No. He was in the infirmary then. But we talked about it later. And he told me where his cell was. My having been on the block made it easy to visualize what he was describing. And besides, the two wings are basically mirror images. His cell would have been right around here.” She pointed to a spot about two-thirds of the way along the west cell block. “Of course, there’s no guarantee he’s still there. People got shifted around all the time.”

  “I’m trying to get a firm location,” Hannah said. “But to do that I’ve got to end-run the prison IT system’s safeguards. It’s slow going, but I’ll get in, and when I do, I’ll have access to the current inmate roster.”

  “Okay,” Drake said, still sorting through all the details, “so let’s assume that we make it through the front gate and into the service passage. Then what?”

  “Like I said, you’ll come out here”—Hannah pointed to the floor plan again—“in a storage closet. The opening to the crawl space has been sealed off for years, but you shouldn’t have any problem getting through. The good news is that by coming in this way, we’re circumventing the first security gate.”

  “What’s the bad news?” Annie asked, her brow furrowing as she studied the drawing.

  “You still have to get past the second,” Madeline said. “Like Hannah said, it’s keyed electronically. Operated through some kind of central system.”

  “Which means in this day and age it’ll be computerized,” Hannah said. “So I should be able to open it remotely.”

  “After we deal with the guards.” Nash frowned. “Any idea how many?”

  “It varies,” Madeline said. “But never more than two on each side. And at night there should only be one.”

  “And if I can rig their security cameras,” Hannah continued, “the right hand will never know that the left has been immobilized.”

  “The whole thing is going to have to happen really fast,” Drake said, running through the entire scenario in his mind. “Before anyone has time to clue in to what’s what.”

  “I agree, timing is going to be important,” Annie nodded. “So, are the interior cell locks electronic as well?”

  “No,” Madeline said. “They’re all mechanically keyed locks. Or at least they were when I was there.”

  “But the good news,” Hannah said, “is that there’s just one master key. And although each of the guards carries his own, the keys are checked in before the men leave the premises and they’re kept at the guards’ station.”

  “Okay, so let’s say we’ve managed to make it to Tucker’s cell and free him.” Dra
ke walked over to the window, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the sill. “How do you propose we get out of there?”

  “Same way you got in,” Hannah said. “If we’ve done everything right, you should be able to get Tucker out of the building and into the van while I restore the power. Then you simply drive through the gate and we’re home free.”

  “In my experience,” Nash frowned, his tone dry, “operations never go quite that smoothly.”

  “He’s got a point.” Annie nodded. “But I should be able to handle the tower guards if necessary. Assuming you can do without me on the inside.”

  “I was already thinking that might be a good idea,” Nash said. “So Annie will handle external complications, and Hannah, you’ll coordinate and deal with the technical aspects of the mission. I’ll hold the fort at the utility hub, maintaining the façade of our repairman gig. And in the meantime Drake will break into the prison to find and liberate Tucker. ”

  “What about me?” Madeline asked. “What do I do?”

  “You stay here and help Hannah,” Drake said.

  She nodded, her expression inscrutable.

  “So when do we go?” Nash asked.

  “There’s no time like the present,” Hannah said. “And the faster we move, the less chance we’ll run into interference. So assuming we can get everything put together, I’m thinking we should be ready to go just after midnight.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Moonlight spilled across the front porch of the hacienda, the trees swaying in the silvery light. Hunter’s moon. Madeline wrapped her arms around her knees as she sat on the steps, looking out at the lights of Magdalena. So many things had happened in so little time. It was hard to deal with it all. Most especially the way she felt about Drake.

  It was confusing at best, depressing at worst. In some bizarre way, the whole thing reminded her of summer camp. Relationships intensified, normal social barriers gone, the magnification making everything seem exaggerated. More important somehow. But when it was over, and reality returned, the intensity faded, and the feelings passed. A moment’s enchantment—gone.

  She sighed, staring out at the moonlit night. Palm trees swayed in the gentle breeze, the sweet fragrance of mango and coconut filling the air. Stars dotted the velvet sky, their twinkling light dimming against the brightness of the moon. The soft sound of bleating drifted across the road from the field on the other side, a herd of goats settling in for the night.

  Behind her, the screen door squeaked as it opened, but she didn’t turn to see who it was. She already knew.

  “I wondered where you’d gotten to,” Drake said, dropping down beside her on the steps.

  “Where’s everyone else?” she asked.

  “Nash and Annie are trying to get a few hours’ sleep and Hannah is holed up in her bedroom with her computer.”

  Madeline nodded, standing up to lean against the railing, her eyes still on the moonlit sky.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Just thinking,” she said. “About everything that’s happened.”

  “Well, for the moment at least, things seem to be going our way. That’s something.”

  “Yeah, you guys have everything under control?” she asked.

  “We have a plan, if that’s what you mean.” He shrugged. “And for what it’s worth, while we’re gone, you’ll be safe here with Hannah. We’ve taken every precaution. There’s no way di Silva’s people are going to find you here. It’s the last place they’d expect you to come. And no one at the CIA knows about any of this. So you don’t have to worry.”

  “I’m not worried,” she said, swinging around to face him. “I just don’t want to stay here.” She stopped, the idea surprising, the truth hitting her full-on.

  “I thought we’d been through this already.” He frowned, coming to his feet. “You can’t afford to go off on your own right now.”

  “You’re not understanding me,” she said. “I don’t want to leave. More specifically, I don’t want to leave you. I want to come with you. To San Mateo. I want to help you free Andrés.”

  “That’s out of the question,” he responded, his tone brooking no argument. But she wasn’t in the habit of letting other people tell her what to do.

  “It most certainly is not,” she said, hands on her hips. “I’m the only one you’ve got who’s been inside. I know the guards’ routines as well as the prisoners’ schedules. I know the building. And I know the layout.”

  “Hannah’s got blueprints.”

  “Old ones. I had a closer look at them. They’re not accurate. Four years ago they did some remodeling. Things aren’t exactly the same. But I’ve been there. And I know the changes they made.”

  “So you can show me.”

  “Yes, but what if I don’t remember everything? You need me on site. Timing is crucial. Which means things will go better with an inside man—or woman.”

  “I can’t let you go. It’s too dangerous.”

  “But this is something I have to do. Can’t you understand that? Look, Drake, you need me. And I want to help. Please let me.” They stood for a moment, toe to toe, their gazes dueling.

  And then Drake shook his head with a soft laugh. “You’re a stubborn woman. You know that, don’t you?”

  “I can be a little single-minded,” she admitted. “But I’m right this time. You need me. And after everything you’ve done for me, it’s the least I can do.”

  “It won’t be easy.”

  “Neither was jumping over the waterfall. Or killing that man on the river. But I did it. And I can do this, too. Please, Drake,” she said, reaching out to touch his arm. “Let me go with you.”

  “You’re sure?”

  She nodded, lifting her gaze to his. “Look, I know I’ve said it before, but for what it’s worth, I’m really sorry about this morning. I could have handled it better. I guess I just panicked.”

  “In all honesty, if I’d been in your position, I can’t say that I wouldn’t have done the same,” he said, the ghost of a smile chasing across his face. “But you know at some point you have to stop running, Madeline. You have to stay and fight.”

  “Maybe that’s what I’m trying to do,” she whispered.

  He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and she trembled as his fingers brushed her skin. A truck rumbled down the gravel road in front of them, blaring its horn at a wayward goat, and she stepped back, the moment broken.

  She wanted there to be an underlying meaning to his words, for him to be talking about something beyond Ortiz and the CIA and plastic-coated playing cards. But she knew that there wasn’t. At least nothing that would change the situation at hand.

  “So where were you going to go?” he asked, the question cutting into her tumbling thoughts as they settled back onto the front porch steps. “When you left this morning, I mean.”

  “I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “Somewhere new, I guess. Someplace I could start over.”

  “But you’d still always be looking over your shoulder.”

  “Maybe. But it’s got to be better than all of this, right?”

  “I don’t know; this hasn’t been so bad,” he said.

  “So says the adrenaline junkie.”

  “There’s truth to that, certainly. I’m not exactly the poster boy for settling down. My job doesn’t lend itself to minivans and picket fences.”

  “But you wouldn’t really want it to, would you?” she asked, already certain of his answer.

  “No.” He shook his head, the moonlight highlighting his profile. “I guess I wouldn’t. I’ve never been a nine-to-five kind of guy.”

  “It obviously runs in the family.” The minute the words were out she regretted them, the specter of his brother rising up between them.

  But he smiled, the breeze dispelling any negative feelings. “My mom certainly had the wanderlust. Although I’d never thought about my craving for adventure coming from her. I guess maybe it did. Funny to think that as m
uch time as I’ve spent hating her, I actually turn out to be just like her.”

  “You’d never desert your family,” Madeline said.

  “No,” he agreed. “I wouldn’t.”

  “Do you ever wonder what might have happened if things had turned out differently? I mean, like, if your mother hadn’t run off?”

  “When I was a kid, all the time. But as I grew older I guess I accepted the situation for what it was. I realized that there was nothing I could do to change it. What about you? Would your life have been different if your mother had lived?”

  “It’s hard to say. She wasn’t a strong woman. But she did try to protect us from my dad.”

  “Did she ever try to leave? Get you away from him?”

  “Once,” she said. “She woke us up in the middle of the night, and we snuck out of the house. I thought we were going on an adventure. We made our way to town, and I think we were at the bus stop. I don’t know; it was a long time ago, and I was little. But I remember my father finding us. It was the first time I was really conscious of being afraid of him. He hit my mom, and I tried to hit him back, but she grabbed me and told me to take Jenny and run home. I can still see her face.” She paused, the memory heavy as it settled around her. “Anyway, I ran. And I guess in some ways I’ve been running ever since.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “Don’t be. It is what it is. And with Jenny gone, the worst of it’s over.”

  “But it still haunts you.”

  “Yeah, some nightmares are hard to get rid of.” She stopped, staring out into the night. “What about your mom? Is she still alive?”

  “I don’t know. I tried to find her once. When I was in college. But I kept hitting dead-ends, and Tucker told me that maybe there was a reason.”

  “Like you weren’t supposed to find her.”

  “Something like that.” He nodded. “Anyway, I never tried again.” Silence stretched for a moment, but it was comfortable, the palms gyrating in the breeze, casting eerie shadows against the house. “Tell me about my brother,” Drake said finally, his voice soft against the whisper of the wind.