The Maze (ATCOM)

by Jennifer Lowery

  Noah lifted his head as she lowered hers and their eyes met.

  “Your room number?” he repeated.

  “Yeah, Carlos had his entire guest suites numbered. He didn’t want a mistake in sleeping arrangements.”

  Noah raised a brow.

  “No musical beds.”

  “Ah.”

  “Come on, try it,” she urged.

  Noah bent over and was about to try the code when Carlos’s voice filled the room.

  “You must eat now. I won’t give you another chance. Noah, you are wasting your time. You will never find the code to unlock the necklace.”

  The warning was followed by a series of shocks that snapped Attie’s head back. Noah cursed and wrapped his hands around the necklace so that he absorbed most of the shock. A muscle clenched in his jaw.

  Reaching up, she curled both hands around his forearms, trying to loosen his grip, but he wasn’t to be deterred. The misery ended before she could do anything more.

  Gasping, she squeezed his arms and said, “Don’t do that again.”

  “Do what?”

  “Protect me.”

  Using the necklace, he pulled her in closer and dipped his head. “I like protecting you.”

  Caught off guard by the admission, Attie opened her mouth to speak, then snapped it shut. He liked protecting her? What did that mean? And since when did she need protecting? He’d never felt a need before. Before South America, that is.

  Dropping her hands, she said, “Well, don’t. And don’t say ‘yes, ma’am’ or I’ll kick you in your bad knee.”

  “Ouch.”

  She rolled her eyes. “God, Kincaid, you’re hopeless. Just try the code, okay?”

  “And risk another shock? Eat something first to make Santiago happy, then we’ll try again when he’s not looking.”

  “He’s always watching.”

  “Then we’ll do it when he can’t see.”

  Realizing he was right, Attie nodded and stepped away. She was still irritated that he had pulled a stunt like that, but at the same time she was grateful he’d been there to absorb most of the shock. She honestly didn’t think she could handle much more of Carlos’s games today.

  It was bad enough having the chain hang heavily on her neck, a constant reminder of the control he had over her. What a mess. She wanted to show Noah that she was still able to handle herself, but at the same time she wanted to take shelter in his arms. God, she could really use Brendan’s brotherly advice right now.

  The thought of her brother hidden somewhere inside this house of horrors made her heart ache. She had to believe Carlos wouldn’t harm him, since he was using Brendan as a trap for her. Brendan wasn’t his sole purpose—she was—so he’d have no real reason to hurt him except for sport. Brendan was strong. He could withstand whatever Carlos dished out. If anything, he would antagonize Carlos and bring on his wrath just because that was how Brendan operated. He had a way of getting under people’s skin and staying there.

  She hoped this time Brendan kept his mouth shut and didn’t antagonize the monster. For his sake and theirs.

  Noah helped himself to another sandwich. He had become part of this and she was glad ATCOM hadn’t sent in another agent, as much as it bothered her to admit. She needed the best against a man like Carlos. Part of her regretted telling him about the piranha, but the other part was relieved someone else knew her secret.

  Attie walked over to the edge of the pool, forcing her wobbly legs to carry her to the edge, even as she broke out in a cold sweat. She remembered each nibble of those sharp teeth on her flesh and the fear of not knowing if they could tear clean through or if they would feed until they reached bone. The uncertainty terrified her. Who knew how far Carlos would go to punish her?

  Look how far he’d gone already.

  The water in the pool was calm except for the fish circling near the bottom. She doubted they had been fed recently. If given the opportunity, they would tear a man apart for their next meal. Attie shuddered at the thought and wrapped her arms around her waist, then caught the vulnerable action and dropped her arms to her sides. There was only one way to get over this fear.

  After taking a deep breath, she lowered herself to her knees on the edge of the pool and slowly reached toward the water. She had to know if the fish would feed without the scent of blood.

  Her hand shook as she skimmed the surface. Taking a deep breath, she dipped her hand under the water. White-hot heat suddenly rippled through her body and with a scream she toppled head first into the pool.

  * * * *

  Noah heard Attie’s scream, saw her fall into the piranha-infested water.

  “Attie!” He dropped his sandwich and ran toward the pool. He didn’t know if the piranha would feed on a human or not, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Without hesitation he dove into the water after her.

  Within seconds he was surrounded by fish trying to bite through his clothes, their sharp teeth nipping at his flesh. The water churned around them, making it difficult to see. It was pure luck that he touched Attie’s arm and was able to latch on. The fish were trying to feed on her too and she was thrashing around trying to fend them off.

  Noah got a good hold on her, locked his arm around her waist and kicked his way to the surface, while trying to escape sharp teeth. They broke free, gasping for air and with a shove Noah sent her swimming toward the edge. Attie reached it the same time he did and slipped, trying to get out. Noah pulled himself out and reached down to grab her arms. He lifted her out of the water and pulled her away from the pool, not stopping until they were a good ten feet away.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, running his hands up and down her arms in search of injuries. He cupped her cheeks and tilted her head up so he could look at her. God knew how long it would take to break open her flesh. She had only been in the water a few seconds before he reached her but still…

  “I—I’m okay,” Attie stammered, which wasn’t like her, and she was staring at his chin. He knew then that she wasn’t okay and was trying to hide it. She failed miserably when a shudder quaked through her. He pulled her into his arms and held her. This time she didn’t resist.

  “What the hell were you doing sticking your hand in the water?” Noah asked roughly a moment later. He was angry and relieved at the same time. Angry that she’d tempted fate and relieved that she hadn’t been eaten alive.

  “I had to know,” Attie whispered against his chest. “I…just…”

  “Never mind,” Noah said, holding her tighter. “It doesn’t matter.” He understood. Understood her need to feel some semblance of control in this out of control situation. He just wished she’d done it without scaring him.

  “Well, well, wasn’t that interesting?” Santiago’s voice echoed through the room. “And we didn’t even get to the best part yet. Tell me, Atalanta, did you overcome your fear of my pets?”

  Attie stiffened and lifted her head off Noah’s shoulder, but she didn’t step out of his embrace. He could still feel her trembling.

  “I hate your pets, Carlos,” she said. “You can’t scare me with them.”

  “I don’t believe you and I’d like to prove you wrong. Are you ready to perform the next test?”

  This time they both stiffened. Noah wasn’t sure he was ready.

  “I’d rather not,” Attie muttered.

  “Would you prefer a nice soft bed and a shower, perhaps?” Carlos asked.

  “Yeah, sounds good.”

  “Both could be yours.”

  He could hear the excitement in Santiago’s voice and knew they weren’t going to like what was coming.

  “If…” Attie urged.

  “If you make it through.”

  “And if we don’t?”

  “Is your confidence slipping, mi amor?”

  “Not a chance. I’ll run your course. Whatever it takes to reach my brother.”

  “Oh, I assure you, your brother is fine. A little riled at being held captive, but unharmed.”
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  “Let’s keep it that way. What are you waiting for, Carlos? Let’s do this. Tell me what you want me to do.” She stepped out of Noah’s arms to make her point.

  “Very well, then. At the bottom of the pool is a key. It fits into the lock binding your brother’s chains. Get the key and increase the chance of rescuing your brother.”

  Noah cursed beneath his breath. He hadn’t seen any key when he rescued Attie. The water had been churned up by the fish. And he hadn’t known to look for one. Damn, one of them was going in that pool after it.

  “I’ll go,” Noah said before Attie had time to argue. He turned to her and said, “I’m the stronger swimmer and I have thicker skin. I’ll go.”

  Attie shook her head and Santiago was silent.

  Noah sprinted toward the pool. He dove in before Attie could stop him.

  Chapter 15

  Attie ran to the edge of the pool, furious with Noah for doing this to her. She was the one who was supposed to go after the key. Carlos would want it no other way. If Carlos was angry over this he would take it out on Brendan.

  But Noah was right. He was a stronger swimmer. A Navy SEAL, for God’s sake.

  She peered into the murky water, churned up by the fish, and saw Noah’s dark shape on the bottom of the pool. She also spotted a tint of red in the water. Noah was bleeding. Damn him, what was taking so long? He could hold his breath for an unnatural length of time, but this was getting to be a bit much.

  Her fingers curled into her palms, her nails biting into her skin. She couldn’t see how badly the piranha were hurting Noah. He had been down there long enough for them to do damage and all it took was one break in the skin. They would attack that one place until the food source was gone.

  “There better be a key down there, Carlos,” she shouted at the camera. She didn’t try to hide the panic in her voice.

  If he didn’t surface in one minute, she was going in after him, despite her fear of being eaten alive by a dozen hungry fish.

  “Rest assured, there is a key. Will it be worth Noah’s life? He’s been down there much too long, don’t you think?”

  “You don’t know Noah,” she muttered, returning her gaze to the water, which was too tumultuous to see through. She could barely make out Noah’s dark form as he crawled along the bottom in search of the key.

  Come on, Noah, don’t do this to me. She moved down the edge of the pool with him, wishing he would come up for air. He had been down there over two minutes now and though she saw only a speck of blood in the water, she knew he was being attacked. Piranhas were merciless.

  Finally, when she was about ready to jump in after him, he surfaced. His dark head popped up out of the water and he held in his hand a gold key. Attie breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to his side to help him out. He dropped down on the floor beside her, breathing heavily, and handed her the key. Attie took it out of his hand and tucked it into her pocket before falling to her knees beside him.

  The first thing she saw was the blood running down his arm.

  “You’re bleeding.” She grabbed his arm and pushed up his sleeve. There was a small wound just beneath the sleeve where the fish had managed to bite through his flesh. Not deep enough for stitches, but ragged from being nibbled at. Attie clamped a hand over it and glanced up to see another on the side of his neck. That one was only a small cut. He’d managed to ward them off from attacking that one.

  “Nothing serious,” Noah said.

  Nothing was ever serious to him. He could be half-dead and still say it was only a scratch.

  “Serious enough. Now hold still,” she ordered when he attempted to move away.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She sent him a warning glance and wrapped her fingers tighter around his bicep. Well, her fingers didn’t exactly wrap around it, more like laid across it. But she wasn’t going to think about that or the way his shirt molded to his chest.

  “Nice job, Noah,” Carlos said. “Are you ready for what’s next?”

  Attie sighed. When would this end? She’d had enough excitement for one day.

  “What do you want us to do?”

  “Stand up.”

  They did. By now Noah’s breathing was back to normal. He always had bounced back easily.

  “Take three steps forward.”

  In unison they did.

  “Here we go,” Carlos said.

  The floor opened up and they were free-falling for the second time that day.

  * * * *

  Attie landed with a thud on a floor that gave when she hit. It knocked the breath out of her and she lay there, momentarily stunned. Sprawled on her back, she heard a groan beneath her. Dazed, she looked up to see nothing but a very high ceiling and four walls. The room was narrow, more like a vertical hallway which made her head spin. They were lucky to have survived the fall.

  “Mind getting off me?”

  Attie tensed. She hadn’t landed on the floor at all. She’d landed on top of Noah. Wincing, she rolled off him and onto her knees. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving.

  “Kincaid?” she said, grabbing his arm. When he didn’t answer, she leaned closer. “Answer me.”

  Eyes still closed, he muttered, “Can you call me something besides by my last name?”

  She gaped at him. “What?”

  He still didn’t move. “My name, Attie. You always call me by my last name.”

  Dumbfounded, she said, “You’re kidding right? We just fell one hundred feet and you’re worried about what name I use? How hard did you hit your head?”

  Noah groaned. “The floor gives.”

  “What?”

  “How hard did you hit your head?” he mused. “You sound like a parrot again.”

  “What do you mean the floor gives?”

  “Bounce on it. It gives.”

  Frowning, Attie bounced on her knees. Sure enough, it moved with her. “I’ll be,” she murmured. “He didn’t want us to break every bone in our bodies.”

  “Nope, just let us believe we were going to.”

  “Sick bastard.”

  “Indeed. Are you hurt?”

  Attie raised a brow. “No, I had you to break my fall.”

  “Glad to be of service.” He grimaced as he sat up, holding his ribs.

  “One of the advantages of being lighter.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  They glanced around, taking stock of where they were. The room was small and made of rock, not a surprise since they were inside a mountain.

  “If there’s a camera in here it’s well hidden,” Noah said. “Should we try the necklace?”

  Attie shook her head. “No sense in trying the code. Carlos is watching somewhere.”

  “I still want to try.”

  With a shrug, Attie lifted her chin so he could try the code she gave him. She felt his fingers slide under the chain, warm against her skin, and tried to remain unruffled by the gentle touch. Her traitorous body defied her when a delectable shudder passed through her as his fingers moved against her skin while he pressed the proper buttons.

  “Cold?” Noah asked, amused.

  He knew damn well she wasn’t cold. The small room was like a steam bath.

  “Can it,” she muttered.

  He chuckled and her insides turned to mush. If a chuckle could be sexy, then he had her vote.

  “The code didn’t work. Do you have another?”

  Where was the shock? Either Carlos wasn’t watching or he was gloating because he knew they wouldn’t get the necklace off. Personally, she was glad they had a minute to catch their breath. She was tired of this game already.

  They’d survived the anaconda, a pool full of piranha, almost being drowned in the first tunnel, and a one-hundred-foot free-fall. She had the key that would help her free Brendan, though part of her dreaded what the key belonged to. Carlos’s idea of bonds would be different than anyone else’s and that worried her. Good thing Brendan was strong and could endure anything Carlos threw at him beca
use she had no doubt he would be tested. Carlos liked to play with his toys.

  “Try it again.”

  He did. Again, no luck.

  “Any other numbers significant to Santiago?”

  Attie lowered her head and searched her mind for another. She didn’t like being forced to go back in time and recall her experiences with Carlos, but she didn’t have any other choice. It seemed to be a common theme here, so she may as well accept it. Carlos was taking her back into the past to make sure she knew exactly why she was being punished.

  “I don’t know. He had three dogs, two pools, a zillion low life drug runners, anacondas, piranhas, two floors to his estate…this is a waste of time.”

  “How about a birthday or anniversary?”

  “I doubt he would use his birthday, even though he threw a big party when he turned forty. I think that would be too easy.”

  “Then I’ll try yours. February tenth, right?”

  With a reluctant sigh she nodded and lifted her head so he could try it. She didn’t want to feel his fingers against her skin again, but she did want the necklace off. It was worth a try. His fingers brushed her skin and she gritted her teeth. No man’s touch had ever affected her this way. Why his? And when had she lost the ability to ignore it? Her eyes caught something moving above their heads. She couldn’t quite make it out, but it swayed back and forth as it slowly lowered toward them.

  “What is that?” she said.

  Noah glanced up, paused and said, “The necklace is going to have to wait. Get up.”

  Frowning, Attie rose to her feet with him. “What is it?”

  “Start looking for a way out.”

  Still frowning, she watched him start searching the tiny space for a door. She noticed a slight hitch in his movements and the way he favored his left leg.

  “You injured your bad knee in the fall, didn’t you?”

  “Landed wrong. Search that wall for a door.”

  His tone indicated the subject was closed. Attie let it go, though she would keep an eye on his leg. The last thing they could afford was for his knee to slow them down.

  She started feeling the wall. “You know we aren’t going to find one.”

  Looking up, she saw the reason Noah was anxious to find a way out. The object coming down toward them was a large, round steel ball with dozens of spikes protruding from all sides. Like the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball with spikes, swinging like the pendulum in Edgar Allen Poe’s famous story.