RunningWildAmazon

by Reece, Christy

  Showing that the girl had more than a little gumption, she tried to sit up and made it almost halfway before she collapsed back onto the bed.

  With a combination grunt and huffing noise, Sybil lifted Anna into her strong arms and carried her out of the room. The instant they disappeared, another nurse entered. This one was much smaller and more feminine. Secretly, she was his favorite of all his nurses, simply because she was pretty and rarely said a word. She did her job with a competent pleasantness that he found most appealing.

  Though her nose wrinkled at what was probably a terrible stench, she set to work. After disposing of the offensive bucket, she put fresh linens on the bed and sprayed air freshener throughout the room. She then opened the windows and allowed the early morning breeze to blow away any remaining sickroom odors.

  Half an hour later, a fresh-looking Anna returned. Though still carried in Sybil’s arms, she wore a wide-awake and wary expression. She was now coherent enough for him to proceed with the next phase of his plan. She would soon learn her fate.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  LCR Headquarters

  Alexandria, Virginia

  Noah stood at the front of the conference room filled with Elite operatives. Everyone’s expression was a reflection of his own concern. They knew three things: Thorne had signaled he was in trouble. His last known location was Reagan National Airport. And Anna was missing.

  “Do we have any idea who took Anna?”

  The question came from Ingram. Even though she and Anna were best friends, Noah had no worries that the operative couldn’t do the job. Riley Ingram was one of the best he knew for being able to put her personal feelings aside to achieve her mission. Her friendship with Anna might spur her initiative, but it would never hinder her performance.

  Sharing the background of any of his operatives with others, even with the people he trusted most in the world, wasn’t something Noah took lightly. His commitment to each of his people was as strong as any oath ever taken. However, when it came to saving their lives, discretion had to take a backseat.

  “Here are the basics. Thorne has an enemy named Simon Cook. The man murdered Thorne’s wife years ago. Since then, Cook has made it his personal mission to destroy any romantic relationship Thorne has ever had. He’s attacked two women, both of whom were involved with Thorne.”

  “Attacked them how?” Fox asked.

  The instant he’d received Thorne’s alert, he’d contacted Sabrina Fox, knowing she would want to be involved in the rescue. Noah detected no hint of anger or betrayal in her voice. She and Thorne had been partners for several years, but they led separate lives and respected each other’s privacy.

  “The first woman was knocked unconscious and sexually assaulted. The second was knocked out, not sexually assaulted, but was mutilated with a message across her chest. ‘Simon says hi.’”

  “Shit,” Kelly said softly.

  “Thorne has been looking for Cook for over a decade. He believes he’s in Colombia, as that was Cook’s mother’s homeland.”

  “What’s Simon Cook’s background?” Mallory asked. “And what’s his beef with Thorne?”

  “From all accounts, Simon Cook is, or was, a brilliant doctor. A genius who got his medical degree at the ripe age of twenty. His beef with Thorne is harder to determine. Cook and Thorne were best friends up until the day Cook raped and murdered Thorne’s wife.”

  “How’d Thorne know him?”

  “They were in school together. College and medical school.”

  “So Cook has made it his life’s goal to destroy Thorne’s life.” Sinclair summed up the situation in his succinct way.

  “That’s the gist of it, yes.”

  “What do we know so far?” Ingram asked. “Were there no witnesses to Anna’s abduction?”

  “None that we’ve been able to find. What we do know is that Thorne was met in the baggage claim area of Reagan National by two men.”

  Noah clicked a button on the remote in front of him. Video appeared on the screen showing a grim-looking Thorne talking briefly with two men. One of the men said something. Thorne gave an abrupt nod, and they walked out together. Another film clip showed Thorne getting into the backseat of a Hummer.

  The feed froze on the screen, and Noah turned back to the group. “That’s all we’ve got.”

  “Why abduct Anna?” Ingram asked. “He attacked the other two women but didn’t kidnap them. Why’d he change his MO?”

  “That, among many other things, is something we don’t know.” Pressing his hands down on the table, Noah leaned forward and took in everyone’s gazes. “All we know is that both Anna and Thorne are in trouble, and we damn well better figure something out quick before it’s too late for both of them.”

  ***

  Hours passed before Aidan regained use of his mind and his limbs. A few minutes after he’d imbibed the drug, they’d stopped at a small airstrip. With the help of his two captors, Aidan had stumbled onto a plane and collapsed onto a seat. One of the men had been concerned enough about his safety to buckle his seat belt, and then they’d left him alone for the duration of the long flight.

  Existing in an altered state of awareness, he had been alert enough to comprehend what was going on around him. However, the drug he’d been forced to ingest had inhibited his ability to respond.

  He didn’t know if the drug was designed to incapacitate more than it had, or if by spitting some of the liquid out, he’d prevented the full effects. Whatever the reason, he was now alert and strong enough to take on these assholes. The instant they landed, he would be ready. One advantage to the drug was the lack of pain in his damaged ribs.

  Since letting his captors know that he had recovered was not in his best interest, Aidan continued to keep his body sprawled out on the seat, his head lolling to one side. He kept his eyes half open to alert him if anyone approached, and he listened. And he learned one important thing—these men didn’t know dick about what was happening. They were being paid to do a job and take him to a location. Meaning they followed the money and had little loyalty to their employer.

  The men spoke Spanish with a Colombian dialect. It gave Aidan no sense of satisfaction to know that he’d at least been right that Simon was in Colombia.

  The talking stopped as the plane began to descend and the men settled back, readying themselves for landing.

  Aidan forced himself not to think about what Anna was going through. Simon wouldn’t kill her yet. The monster would want him to watch, unable to save her.

  He told himself that just because Mellie and Kristen had been raped, that didn’t mean Simon had done the same to Anna. Nor did it mean Anna would be mutilated as Amy and Kristen had been. He told himself that Simon would refrain from hurting her until Aidan arrived. Problem was, he didn’t know if he told himself these things because he believed them, or if they were lies to make himself feel better.

  Knowing it was useless to torture himself, he returned his mind to the horror-movie vignette Simon had created and its message. Why would Simon include his own tombstone?

  Aidan remembered a late-night conversation with Simon close to the end of their med school days. Sleep-deprived and running on fumes, they had turned their discussion to death and dying. Simon had given a surprisingly vulnerable statement about his fear of death and how he would hang on with all his might when his time came. Had he changed so much that death no longer scared him? Something wasn’t adding up. Aidan’s mind scrambled for an answer. What was he missing?

  The plane made a smooth touchdown and taxied down the runway. Aidan drew in an even breath, preparing himself for what lay ahead. He would play his role of incapacitated captive until the last minute. The more impaired he appeared, the better his chances of taking them by surprise.

  “I’m glad my part of the job is over,” one of the men muttered.

  “I still don’t think we were paid enough,” another man griped.

  So someone would be meeting the plane, and these me
n would be gone. As much as he’d like to kick their asses, he wouldn’t waste his energy on them.

  One of the men lifted the handle and opened the door to the outside. The other two men helped Aidan to his feet. Still acting drugged, he slumped forward and shuffle-walked down the steps. Aidan felt mild amusement as one of the men cursed at him for being so weak and helpless. These guys didn’t know it, but they were going to get off easy.

  When they reached the tarmac, Aidan lifted his head, looked around. Another Hummer sped toward them and jerked to a stop a few feet from where they waited. Two men stepped out.

  Aidan let his head drop slightly, as if it weighed too much. That gave him the opportunity to inventory the weapons the new men were carrying. Basic, nothing elaborate. Each had a Glock sidearm and a KA-BAR knife strapped at the thigh. They likely had a secondary weapon at one ankle. The clothing was camo, the stance military. These guys were trained killers. Probably mercenaries.

  Satisfied that he knew what he was up against, Aidan gave a convincing drug-induced sway. The men ignored him as if he didn’t exist. And they talked.

  “Where are you taking him?”

  “That’s not your concern. Dr. Cook has paid you for your services. Your job is over.”

  The man who had complained about his payment earlier—Aidan decided he was the dumbest of the three—sneered, “What if we want to renegotiate our contract?”

  Aidan knew what was going to happen the instant the idiot asked the question. Even though the deed was done in less than two seconds, Aidan noted each movement as if it were in slow motion. He saw a slight shift to the mercenary’s body, heard the glide of the Glock as the man lifted it from his holster, and the almost imperceptible click of his finger as it pressed the trigger. A grunt and then the thud of the body.

  “Anyone else want to renegotiate their contract?”

  The other two men backed away, making hurried assurances that they were quite happy with what they’d been paid. Seconds later, they could be heard running back up the steps to the plane.

  A giant paw grabbed Aidan’s arm. “Let’s go.”

  Aidan stumbled forward. The fact that they’d left the body lying on the tarmac was telling. They weren’t bothering to hide their activities. Which made him more certain than ever that this was the endgame for Simon. Whatever he had planned, he wasn’t planning on surviving, which made Aidan’s job a little more complicated.

  ***

  Bogota, Colombia

  Though weak as a newborn kitten, Anna couldn’t help but feel grateful that the nausea was gone. Whatever had been in the syringe she’d been stabbed with was pure evil. As was the man who had created it. Simon had bragged about his concoction as if it were some kind of miracle drug. Though she had yet to meet him, she had already decided he was the personification of the evil, mad scientist.

  A nurse with an expression fierce enough to intimidate a four-star general had bathed her. The woman’s demeanor had been cold and heartless, but Anna hadn’t cared. Getting the stench of illness off her body had been of utmost importance.

  After her bath, she’d been allowed to rinse her mouth with a minty mouthwash. Then she’d been dressed in a long, flowing white nightgown. Even as ill as she still felt, Anna recognized the artistry and talent that had gone into creating the garment. Why would Simon go to such extravagant expense? Her wild imagination came up with several answers, and they all creeped her out.

  She was now seated in an overstuffed armchair with her legs propped on a matching ottoman. It was obvious no one saw her as a threat. With good reason. The effort to lift her legs onto the ottoman had used up all her strength. Fighting her way out of this place would have to wait until she could at least stand on her own.

  At that thought, a hard lump settled in her throat, and her heart gave a frantic jump. She already knew why she had been brought here. She would be used as a pawn against Aidan. The other two women Simon had attacked and brutalized had been left at the location of their assaults. But this time, instead of attacking her as a taunt to Aidan, she had been abducted. Simon had changed his game.

  Anna knew exactly what the man she loved would do. He would come after her. Simon would be waiting for him. What the fiend had planned once Aidan arrived was anyone’s guess.

  She had to be ready. She had to be strong enough to help him.

  A door opened, and the man she’d first seen in the elevator in Phoenix walked into the room. In his hands was a tray holding a steaming bowl and two bottles of water.

  “Hello, my dear. You must be famished.”

  Was she hungry? Surprisingly, yes. Other than the debilitating weakness left by the poison, she felt fine. And she was ravenous. Problem was, eating anything this guy put in front of her wasn’t going to happen. He’d been the one to shoot her up with poison.

  He placed the tray on her lap. If she’d had an ounce of strength in her body, she would have lifted the tray and slammed the thing into his face. Since she doubted she’d even be able to lift the spoon sitting beside the bowl of broth, she did the only thing she could and gave him the coldest, meanest stare she could conjure.

  “Ah, my dear. I thought perhaps you wouldn’t trust me after what happened at our first meeting. Therefore, if you don’t mind eating after I do, let me show you that the broth is completely harmless.”

  He picked up the spoon, dipped it into the broth, and carried it to his mouth. He swallowed, then said, “A little saltier than I prefer, but still tasty for all that.”

  Anna knew that if she wanted to get strong enough to assist Aidan in escaping, she was going to have to eat.

  “Take three more bites.”

  He smiled his appreciation of her tactics and obliged. He left the spoon in the bowl and said, “It’s cooling rapidly. Best eat it while it’s still warm.”

  She wasn’t finished yet. “Take a drink from both bottles of water.”

  “They’ve not been opened, my dear.”

  “Do it anyway.”

  “Very well.” He unscrewed one bottle, took a swallow, and did the same with the other one.

  Satisfied that they didn’t plan to drug or poison her again, at least not yet, Anna attacked the food with genteel greed. Her hollow stomach gave a grateful grumble as it welcomed the nourishment. When the bowl was empty, she drank an entire bottle of water, then started on the second one, drinking it a little slower.

  The man sat at her side, watching her eat but not speaking. When she looked up at him, questions in her eyes, he shook his head. “I’m sorry, my dear. I have nothing to tell you. Dr. Cook is your host. He’ll be the one to talk with you about your stay here.”

  “You act as if I’m here of my own accord. You kidnapped me and poisoned me.”

  “If I’d thought you would come willingly, I would have been a little less aggressive.”

  She ignored the obvious lie and said, “When will I meet Simon?”

  “When he deems it the appropriate time.” He stood and lifted the tray. “Best thing for you to do is rest and recuperate. I’ll be back in a few hours with another meal.” He grinned as he added, “Baked chicken and rice is on the menu. I’ll look forward to taste-testing for you.”

  “Simon’s plans for me are obviously not good. Why bother to feed me, make me feel better?”

  The kind smile was still in place, making his next words seem all the more ominous. “Dr. Cook wants you well enough to appreciate the full experience.”

  The instant he was out the door, Anna shifted in her chair, thinking to get up and explore the room. The effort to move even a little changed her plans. If she tried to get up, she would fall. And if she fell, she doubted she’d have the energy to even crawl to the bed. The only thing she could do now was comply with what the man had told her to do. She would rest, recuperate, and when Aidan arrived, she would fight alongside him to win.

  Leaning back in the chair, Anna closed her eyes, and as tears rolled down her cheeks, she began to pray.

  She an
d Aidan would win…they had to. There was no other choice.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Aidan and his new captors flew to their destination on a helicopter. He had considered throwing one of the men out of the chopper and forcing the other one to fly to their destination. The thought had been brief. He’d seen these types before. They’d crash the helicopter into the mountain, killing them all, before they’d fail at a mission.

  When they’d gotten onto the chopper, the zip-tie around his wrists had been traded for handcuffs that secured him to the armrest. His ankles were chained to a steel rod beneath his seat. Figuring they’d been told to drug him if he appeared to be alert, Aidan made sure they believed he was still high as a kite. He’d need all his faculties once they arrived.

  Since he wasn’t expected to do anything other than look drugged, Aidan leaned his forehead against the window. Once they were in the air, he couldn’t hear anything over the whirl of the rotor blades, so he concentrated on the mountains below them. The terrain was mountainous, but nothing he and Anna hadn’t faced before. Hard to believe that was only a few weeks ago.

  Even though regretting what had happened was pointless, Aidan couldn’t prevent damning himself for his failure. Simon had to have spies in Cali. And Aidan had stupidly thought he had hidden his feelings for her so well. It would have taken little effort for Anna’s identity to be discovered.

  The protection Aidan had provided her had been inadequate. The one man assigned to watch her was dead. Instead of worrying that he would infringe upon her freedom, he should have hired a half-dozen people to ensure her safety.

  The chopper made a sudden sharp left, and Aidan spotted the fortress that he had been trying to find for almost a decade. He felt no vindication that the large structure was almost invisible, blending into the jungle as if it were as much a part of the wildness as the giant trees that shielded it. The anger that had been simmering, waiting to erupt, reached its zenith. The two men in front had ignored him the entire flight. They still didn’t see him as a threat. He would play that advantage out until the very last moment.