by Lauren Bach
When they were out in the bunkhouse, Zach completely emptied his duffle bag. Beneath the equipment Nevin had seen was a hidden cache of smaller arms, ammo. And some electronics. "Here, catch."
Adam examined the small flat disks in the plastic bag his brother had tossed. "Listening devices?"
"If we need them. The laptop I left inside also has a listening device. We can monitor it with this." Zach held up a second smaller laptop.
"Did all that come from Ethan's stash?"
"Nope."
"Is any of it legal?"
Zach tossed him a cell phone. "This is. The rest belongs to a friend. Which means I didn't steal it, if that's what you're asking. I am trying to be cognizant of your position. Besides, it did the trick. Convinced them I'm an arms smuggler. You saw Nevin drooling."
Adam crossed his arms. His brother had a point. "So what's with the black box you had inside?"
"It's a ruse. It will copy Willy's hard drive to my laptop."
A knock on the door sounded. Adam gave Zach a few seconds to stash his gear before opening the door. It was Tristin with Renata.
"Pa said to bring her back with you later."
No sooner had Tristin left than Adam spotted the small bruise on her cheek. He swore violently. "Who did that?"
"Burt. His father intervened before he could do anything." Renata hugged herself. "But if we had been alone..."
"I'll make damn sure he pays for this," Adam vowed.
Zach cleared his throat. "And when will you introduce me?"
"Renata, this is my brother. You need to remember him as my partner, Daniel Montague."
"My pleasure." Grasping her fingers, Zach kissed her hand. "And I'll protect you as my brother would."
His courtly action made her smile. She looked from Zach to Adam and back again. "It's difficult to tell you're related."
"That's exactly what we want," Adam said. "How's Lyle's condition?"
"There's no real improvement." She looked at him. "Restarting the IV has helped, but I'm struggling to keep him stable."
"By this time tomorrow, it should be over." He saw the relief on her face. "But I need to make a phone call."
Adam's phone call to Chris Tashley had been fruitful. Chris was working behind the scenes getting backup lined up, under the guise of busting a counterfeit ring. To avoid leaks, the arresting agents would have no idea they were going after the McEdwins. Ethan Falco would be arrested and charged later.
When they met with Willy again, Adam got another unexpected surprise. Willy disclosed his target to Zach as they ate.
Willy was targeting presidential candidate Richard Barrington. Or actually, Barrington's VP nominees. Barrington had plans to barnstorm the Midwest the following weekend appearing at rallies in the hometowns of the four potential vice presidential candidates. Barrington would end up in his own hometown of Tulsa, where he'd finally announce his choice.
Willy planned to set off bombs at all five stops.
"My reasons are personal," Willy said. "I've finally tracked down a very old enemy."
Adam knew immediately which potential VP he was after: Ethan Falco. The irony was sickening. Ethan had been after Willy. Willy was after Ethan. If they only knew...
Zach scratched his goatee. "Sounds like you could use those new detonators soon."
"Only if I can get them within forty-eight hours. If not, I'll stick with my original plan." Willy turned to Adam. "I'd like you, Nevin, and Burt to pick up the C-4 in the morning, and transfer it so the bombs can be finished. I'll stay here and work with Montague."
"Sounds perfect," Adam said. Perfectly insane.
"We're scheduled to be on a freighter heading to Honolulu in three days." Willy looked at Adam. "That means the woman's got to be dealt with."
"I'll handle it after I get back tomorrow."
Chapter Twenty
It was late when the three of them returned to the bunkhouse.
Zach excused himself. He had surreptitiously swapped the disk from the black box. "I want to see what it copied from Willy's hard drive."
"Whatever it is, send copies to Tashley," Adam said.
He tugged Renata into the bedroom. It was the first time they'd been alone all day. And if all went as planned, it would be their last night together.
The bruise on her cheek distressed him. Willy had blown off the incident, blaming Renata, and in his current position, Adam couldn't contradict him. But before this ended, Burt would pay.
Taking her in his arms, he simply held her. He'd never been one to contemplate the future. Now it loomed large with only two options: A life with her. Or a hell without her.
"It's ending, isn't it?" she whispered.
"You'll be safe. I have to leave again but my brother will be here. You have to do everything he says, Renata. He'll get you out and keep you safe until I return."
"Will you be in danger?"
"No more than we've both been in all along."
"How long do we have?"
"Till morning."
Moisture shimmered softly in her eyes. "Then let's not waste a moment."
Adam picked her up and laid her on the bed. He took his time undressing her, trailing his mouth over every inch of her skin. Tonight he'd take it slow, try to prolong each second; treat it like the precious gift it was. Tomorrow she'd be gone and who knew what lay beyond? Life had a way of being generous one moment and cruel the next.
He removed his clothes before moving over her, careful to keep his weight on his elbows. That first touch of bare flesh was startling. He caught her lips, swept his tongue deep. Her hands speared through his hair, drawing him closer as she opened her mouth.
She boldly took over the kiss, ravishing him. His desire swelled as she pressed a line of kisses along his jaw, down his neck, brushing his throat with her teeth before tenderly biting the soft flesh at the top of his shoulder. "I want you."
Her erotic bite, those three simple words, were Adam's undoing.
All thoughts of going slow fled as he pressed into her with one stroke, his way eased by wet, welcoming heat.
Maybe next time.
He got up once during the night to talk with Zach. The black box had copied some incriminating data from Willy's hard drive. Names of contacts, domestic and abroad.
And a whole file on Ethan Falco. It had taken Willy nearly ten years, but he had finally traced the originsof the money that funded the antigovernment group he'd belonged to years ago.
Ethan Falco had run the funds through overseas accounts in an elaborate maze of money transfers. He'd also skimmed hundreds of thousands in interest and kickbacks, diverting it to secret personal accounts.
Adam shook his head. In the end, Willy had flushed Ethan out by emptying Ethan's secret accounts via Burt and Tristin's hacking talents. Ethan couldn't report the money as stolen without showing his hand.
And Willy had been using Ethan's funds to finance his vengeance. Small wonder he hadn't blinked over paying a quarter million for the C-4.
Next, Adam called Chris Tashley. It was settled.
Adam gave Tashley the warehouse address where Zach had stored the C-4. Tashley promised that homing devices would be hidden in the shipment before morning. FBI and ATF agents would trail Adam, Nevin, and Burt from the warehouse to the final delivery spot, in hopes of getting all the C-4 at once.
As soon as Adam delivered the C-4, he'd call his brother, pretending to confirm all was fine. That was Zach's signal to get Renata away from the compound and hide in the woods until law enforcement and FBI agents arrived. Tashley would have a second team ready to overtake the compound and arrest Willy, Tristin, and Lyle. A chopper would be brought in to ferry Lyle to the closest trauma hospital. To circumvent the leaks, Tashley wasn't disclosing locations or names until the last moment.
"Any addenda to your will?" Zach joked.
"See that she's taken care of. No matter what."
"Do you love her?"
Adam grunted. "I've never loved anyone. Don'
t even know what it feels like."
"It's rather nasty. And arbitrary." Zach shook his head. "Close your eyes and imagine her dead. How do you feel?"
Adam didn't have to close his eyes. The thought sickened him.
He had endured more physical pain in his life than most. Yet nothing—not even being shot—equaled the burning grief of imagining Renata gone. He didn't like the implications.
He stood. "Make damn sure she's not harmed."
Adam, Nevin, and Burt left the compound before dawn, flying the short distance to the warehouse by helicopter. Adam learned that they'd fly back to a different location in Montana once they had the C-4.
Leaving the pilot behind with the chopper, they climbed in a car and drove to the warehouse address Zach had furnished. The abandoned building had plywood covering the windows with dozens of faded FOR SALE signs tacked up.
"Pull around to the rear," Adam said. "I have a key."
His thoughts flew back to Renata. Zach's litmus test—-close your eyes—had haunted Adam's sleep. He'd kissed her before leaving, but refused to say goodbye. "I'll see you later," he'd promised instead.
In retrospect, he realized what a fool he'd been. And hoped he hadn't missed the chance to tell her ... he loved her.
Renata spent the day with Lyle. His condition was unchanged from the night before which was heartening since she had expected worse. Perhaps he was responding to the antibiotics.
Her mind kept drifting to Adam. Where was he now? Were things going as planned? He didn't tell her specifics about what he'd be doing, but she knew that once Zach received a call from him, they'd leave.
She thought back to their night of lovemaking, tried not to overanalyze it. There'd be time for recriminations later. Time, too, for examining her feelings for Adam. They weren't simple. And they weren't all nice. But the not-so-nice ones were easier to contemplate than the ones that made her feel like she was losing control.
Yes, she cared for him, but they'd been thrown together under extreme circumstances. Were still battling those circumstances. Now was not the time to...
"How's he doing?"
Renata whirled around at the sound of Willy McEdwin's voice. "He's stable. I hope it means this combination of antibiotics is working. But he's still gravely ill, so—"
"So he could still die. I understand."
"His chances for recovery could drastically improve at a hospital."
Willy cut her off. "You remind me of a bulldog I once owned. Damn dog got kicked chasing the neighbor's mule. Almost killed him. Thought for sure he learned a lesson, yet whenever that mule was out, the dog would chase it and get kicked again. One day he didn't come home and I found him stomped to pieces in the neighbor's field. I hope you're smarter than that."
Renata lowered her head and began putting away the supplies she'd used earlier.
"You can leave that," Willy interrupted. "I'm gonna sit a while with the boy. Tristin will take you out to the bunkhouse with Montague. If I need you, someone will fetch you."
Tristin hovered at the door. As soon as they were gone, Willy moved closer to Lyle's bedside. For several minutes he just stood lost in memories.
His wife had nearly miscarried twice with Lyle and practically bled to death giving birth.
"No more babies," Willy had sworn. But she'd laughed, teasing about how she wanted a girl. The morning she died she'd told Willy she thought she was pregnant again. "And it feels like a girl."
It would be twenty years ago next week that she'd died and it still hurt.
But he'd finally found the man responsible for her death. Willy had dreamed of this for years . . . and nothing—not even his own flesh and blood—would stand in his way.
He stared at Lyle. Nevin, Tristin, and Burt were the spitting image of Willy. They remembered their mother dying, their father going to prison while their mother's murderer roamed free. Their grief and bitterness had bound them to Willy. Yeah, they had their moments, but their obedience was unquestionable.
Lyle had never really shared that bond. There'd been a time when Willy thought the boy had changed. He'd helped them on a couple jobs. Kept his mouth shut, too. But then he'd broken the pact. Let himself be taken alive.
Willy fingered the control on the IV, shutting off the flow. No one but the doctor would notice, and she wasn't coming back in.
Lyle's eyes fluttered open. He could hardly speak. "Pa."
"Easy now." Willy patiently held a glass while Lyle drank. Most of it dribbled down his chin.
"Sorry." Lyle coughed. "I fucked up again, didn't I?"
Willy nodded, grabbing the corner of the sheet to wipe Lyle's mouth.
"How long ... have ... have I got?"
"Doc says you could linger for days. Maybe weeks."
Lyle let out a cry. "Can't do anything right, can I?"
"You know we can't stay here after tonight."
"I'll only slow you down. Leave ... me."
For a long moment, Willy was quiet. Then he placed a hand on Lyle's shoulder and squeezed gently.
When his son's eyes fluttered open again, Willy laid a pistol within reach on the bed. "There's one bullet. Do what you gotta do."
Adam unlocked the door and entered the building. According to Zach, the C-4 was in a locker in a corner.
"This way," he said as soon as the door closed behind Nevin and Burt.
He'd barely taken three steps when bright lights flashed on, blinding them. Adam stiffened, tried to look away.
"Freeze! This is the FBI. You are under arrest," a voice boomed over a loudspeaker. "Put your weapons down, and keep your hands in the air."
"Run!" Nevin aimed for the lights. He'd barely gotten off a shot before falling to the ground, blood oozing from his head.
Burt stopped when Nevin fell. Adam acted swiftly, taking advantage of Burt's shock to yank the rifle from his hands and knock him to the ground with a fist. Burt sprawled unconscious on his stomach.
"That's for Renata."
"Lie down and place your hands behind your head," a voice shouted.
Not certain who the players were—and what had gone wrong—Adam tossed Burt's rifle aside and raised his hands as he dropped to his knees, prepared to identify himself as an FBI agent. What the hell had happened to the plan he'd discussed with Tashley?
Two men came out of the shadows. Both had handguns drawn. Adam recognized one of them. It was the same man he'd locked in the trunk ... Ethan's man.
Without a word, the man moved up behind Burt and fired two shots to the back of his head.
Adam braced expecting the same.
Tristin took Renata to the bunkhouse and released her to Zach's custody. "Keep her handcuffed."
"Have you heard from Adam?" she asked when they were alone.
Zach motioned her into the bedroom and pulled the laptop from his bag. "Not yet. But Nevin and Burt haven't called in either, so I'm not concerned. And our being left out here may work to our advantage when the call does come in. We can slip through a back window."
Renata hugged herself, feeling cold. "I'm worried."
Zach shrugged. "If you knew my brother better, you wouldn't be."
"How well do you know him? I got the impression you two weren't close."
"Have a seat," Zach pointed to a chair. "I was six years old when our parents split. Up till that point my brother was mother, father, savior. Most nights, I slept under his bed, hiding from the rampages. When I'd start crying he'd whisper stories. They were awful. The three bears ate Goldilocks, then went looking to barbeque the three little pigs."
"Did it distract you?"
"Yeah. When I was four and he had to go to school, he'd drag me along, make me hide behind the lunchroom dumpster. Threatened to kill me if I left. If we couldn't scrounge food there, he'd steal it." Zach leaned forward. "I may not know a lot of particulars about his adult life; we've been estranged. But I know he's a good man, Renata."
She dashed away a tear, confused by her emotional response. "I don't even k
now his real name."
"Now that I can help with. It's Jake. Jake Ryan—"
A pounding at the door, brought Zach to his feet. He shoved the computer under the mattress and drew a gun.
Tristin was at the door, breathing heavy. "We need the doc. Fast!"
Zach lowered his gun, motioning for Renata to precede him. But the moment she stepped out the door, a man grabbed her and pressed a gun to her throat.
"Throw down your weapon. Or watch her die."
Zach dropped his gun.
Another man stepped forward. He wore a suit and tie, and looked completely out of place. "I take it you're Jake's brother, Zachary. I know some people at Interpol who'd like to talk with you."
"You must be Ethan Falco," Zach said.
Tristin had retrieved Zach's gun and now pointed it at him. "I can't wait to show you how the McEdwins deal with traitors."
Ethan held up a hand. "Not yet. He has something of mine—Stan Beckwith's computer. Search this place."
Ethan's man kept a gun on Renata, while Tristin kept his weapon trained on Zach. They found the laptop hidden in the bedroom.
"That's not Beckwith's," Ethan's man said. "Wrong brand."
"Come on," Ethan said. "We'll continue this at the house."
When they reached the main house, Willy was waiting.
"We don't have a lot of time," Ethan said to Zach. "So I'll cut to the point: Where's Stan's laptop?"
"In a safe place. Where's my brother?"
A helicopter circled overhead. "That's probably him now." Ethan turned to Willy. "As soon as I get the computer, you can dispose of them. I'll throw the woman in for free."
Zach looked at Willy, all pretense dropped. "You're working together? I thought you wanted him dead?"
"I do." Willy scowled clearly unhappy. "But we've struck a deal. He did me a favor, tipping me off that your brother is an FBI agent. I'm ashamed to admit he fooled us. As soon as Nevin and Burt get in, we're taking off." Willy tipped his head toward Ethan. "He gets what he wants and the McEdwins live to fight another day. Too bad I can't say the same for you."
Footsteps sounded on the porch. Tristin checked the front door, opening it to admit two more of Ethan's men. They dragged Adam between them. He appeared unconscious, blood dripping down from his scalp.
