Lethal Lies

by Lara Lacombe

  “Got something on your mind?” Alex said. He glanced at Jillian. She was standing very still, her eyes wide and unblinking. She hadn’t made a sound since they’d been taken from the van, and he hoped that she wasn’t going into shock. He needed her to be ready to run.

  As if she felt him looking at her, Jillian turned and met his gaze. He offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, gritting his teeth as a tear slid down her cheek.

  “Are you expecting me to explain this to you?” Dan asked. He moved closer, his expression almost comical.

  “You’re the one who brought me here,” Alex replied. Just a little closer... He just needed Dan to get in range. A few more feet and he’d be able to kick him in the face. He might even be able to kick him hard enough to knock him out, if his shoulders could stand the stress. It was going to hurt like hell to throw his legs out, but it was the best chance they had.

  And he’d only get one shot at it.

  “Do I look like a Bond villain to you?” Dan scoffed. “You really think I’m going to sit here and tell you everything before you die?”

  “Sounds fair to me,” he said. His gaze snapped back to Jillian when she stirred, her hands slowly dipping into her front coat pocket. What was she doing? She wore an expression of fierce concentration, her eyes flicking to Dan and back to him, her meaning clear.

  Distract him!

  “You did go to all this trouble,” Alex continued, nodding as best he could at their surroundings. “I figured you’d want to gloat a little. You know, brag about how you got the drop on me. Like how did you make your connections with the gang? It took me years to work my way in. How’d you do it so quickly?”

  “Flatter me all you want. I’m not going to spare your life.”

  “Then telling me shouldn’t be a problem.” He wiggled his fingers, trying to stave off the numbness creeping down his arms. “If I’m going to die soon, why do you care if I know your secret?”

  Dan eyed him appraisingly and then shrugged. “Fine. We do have a little time before the others arrive. I might as well tell you now.” An evil smile spread across his face. “Besides, once we get started, the only thing you’ll be able to hear is the sound of your own screams.”

  * * *

  Jillian’s heart stuttered at Dan’s announcement. She’d known Dan planned to kill them, but the thought of torture made her knees tremble alarmingly. Don’t fall down... Right now, Alex was doing a decent job of holding Dan’s attention, but if she collapsed, it would wreck her plan.

  She fumbled through her front coat pocket, trying not to make any sudden moves that would remind Dan of her presence. Her fingers connected with the cool plastic of Jim’s recorder, but she pushed it to the side, digging deeper. She didn’t remember taking it out of her pocket, so it should still be there...

  Yes! Right there! Buried at the bottom of the pocket was the syringe she’d filled in the motel bathroom, the one she’d thought to use on Alex. She brushed against the cylinder, trying to get a grip on the smooth barrel so she could pull it out. She bit her lip as she worked, determined not to make a sound.

  Finally, after what seemed like ages, she caught the top of the plunger with her fingernail. In one smooth motion, she pulled up, withdrawing the syringe and repositioning her hands for a better grip.

  Alex gave no indication he’d seen the syringe, but he continued to antagonize Dan. He was careful though, poking at Dan just enough to hold the other man’s attention, but not so much that Dan might snap and start shooting at them. It was a fine line he walked and, once again, Jillian marveled at his ability to manipulate the situation, even when he was tied up and incapable of fighting.

  Slowly, so slowly, Jillian moved back and to the side, positioning herself behind Dan. She would only get one chance at this, and she had to do it right. If she missed, or if Dan caught her, he would shoot her and then Alex. Not exactly the outcome she was hoping for.

  Jillian put the needle in her mouth, biting down on the plastic cap. A quick jerk forward and the needle was unsheathed, ready to administer the drug. She didn’t remember what, exactly, was in the syringe, but it should knock Dan out. She just hoped it wouldn’t kill him. Dan needed to spend the rest of his life rotting in prison for the things he’d done. She didn’t want to deny Alex the justice he so richly deserved.

  Dan leaned forward, waving his arm as he made a particularly forceful argument. Seeing her chance, Jillian darted close and aimed for the side of Dan’s upper thigh. The needle passed easily through his clothes, sinking into his flesh with a satisfying resistance that was at once familiar and gratifying. She pushed down on the plunger, injecting the solution as quickly as she could. Then she stepped back, leaving the syringe still in place.

  Alex kept his gaze on Dan’s face, but she saw the corners of his mouth twitch and knew he’d seen everything. She fought the urge to whoop in triumph and grinned back at him instead. She’d done it.

  “What’s so funny?” Dan asked. Jillian stepped to the side a split second before he turned to search for her, putting a bit of distance between them. He narrowed his eyes and pointed the gun in her direction. “What are you doing back there?”

  Jillian swallowed hard, trying to look innocent and scared. The scared part was easy, but innocent? She’d never been a very good liar. “I’m n-not doing anything,” she stammered. She held up her hands, still bound by the plastic cuffs, as proof. Dan relaxed a bit at the sight, but kept the gun trained on her.

  “Move over there.” He indicated a spot closer to Alex, but still far enough away that she couldn’t touch him. “I want you both in my sight.”

  She glanced at Alex while she moved, wincing in sympathy. His hands had turned the dark reddish-purple of a ripe plum, and she could only imagine how painful the stretched position was for his injured shoulder. But he showed no signs of distress, and if she didn’t know better, she’d say he looked bored.

  “Getting a little paranoid, don’t you think?” Alex asked. “What exactly do you think either one of us can do to you, tied up like we are?”

  Dan shook his head, as though he was trying to clear his ears. “I don’t trust you,” he said slowly, the words slurring together. His arm slowly drooped, the gun lowering to point harmlessly at the floor. Then his head tilted down, making him look like he was taking a nap.

  Jillian took a step forward, intent on taking the gun away from Dan. She stopped when Alex uttered a sharply whispered, “Not yet!” Sure enough, Dan’s head snapped back up to loll on his neck and he blinked at them, clearly trying to process what was happening to him.

  “What—what did you do to me?”

  Jillian could barely understand his mumbling, but his meaning was clear enough. He yanked his arm up, the gun waving wildly in her general direction. She stepped back, but it was no use—there was no place for her to hide, and Dan had no control over the gun. His shot could go anywhere. She stood stock-still, heart pounding hard, hoping Dan didn’t use the last of his muscle control to pull the trigger.

  “She didn’t do anything to you,” Alex said, his voice soothing and soporific. “Nothing’s wrong. Just calm down.”

  Dan shook his head again, but the drug was too powerful and he was starting to lose the battle for consciousness. He made a few more incoherent sounds before surrendering, his body going lax in the chair. Jillian let her breath out in a sigh and glanced at Alex.

  At his nod, she moved toward Dan, approaching him from the side. If he wasn’t fully under yet, she had a better chance of not getting shot if she wasn’t directly in front of him.

  She reached for the gun, surprised to find it was warm. She had expected cold metal, but the plastic grip had absorbed the heat from Dan’s hand. Sliding it free from Dan’s grasp, she placed the gun on the floor, several feet away from his chair. Then she walked back to Alex and used her shoulders to prop him up
a few inches so he could unhook his hands.

  He brought his arms down slowly, grimacing while he moved. The fabric of his shirt smoothed out as he stretched his arms back into position, revealing a reddish-brown stain on his shoulder.

  “You’re bleeding,” Jillian said, stepping forward and raising her bound hands. She couldn’t do much with her hands tied together, but she wanted to look at the wound to get a sense of how badly he’d reinjured his shoulder.

  Alex waved her off. “No time. I’m fine.” He turned, presenting her with his back. “There’s a small knife in my pocket. Can you reach it?”

  “Shouldn’t we be going?” Now that Alex was free, there was no reason for them to stick around. Especially not with gang reinforcements due to arrive any minute.

  “I’m going to need my hands first.” She pulled the pocketknife free and unfolded the small, lethal-looking blade, then set to work sawing at Alex’s bindings. Her nerves made her movements frantic and hurried, and more than once, she came dangerously close to cutting the pale, smooth skin of his inner wrists. Wouldn’t that just be the perfect end to this day?

  “It’s okay,” he said, his deep voice rumbling through her and leaving a sense of calm peace in its wake. “You’re doing great. I’m going to cut you free next, and then we’ll get out of here.”

  She nodded, keeping her attention on the task at hand. “When do you think Dan’s bodyguard will be back?”

  “Long after we’re gone,” Alex replied. She didn’t know if he was lying to make her feel better, or if he knew something she didn’t. Either way, Jillian chose to believe him, using his confidence to battle back the fear trying to claim her.

  The plastic gave way with a satisfying snap and Jillian didn’t try to contain her cry of relief.

  Alex dropped his hands, shaking them out as he sought to regain the feeling in his fingers. The color of his skin was fading, but his fingers would likely be stiff and sore for several days. Not to mention his wrists—hopefully, the position hadn’t done any lasting damage to the joints.

  He gestured for the knife and Jillian passed it to him. She held up her arms, careful to keep her wrists pulled as far apart as the cuffs allowed while he worked to free her. Despite his recent ordeal, Alex’s movements were more controlled than hers had been and he cut through the cuffs much faster.

  Jillian started moving toward the door before the plastic cuffs had even hit the floor. It took her a few steps to realize Alex wasn’t with her, and she turned to find him holding the gun, his expression thoughtful.

  “Alex?” She felt a sudden frisson of unease at the way he looked at the gun, then at Dan, then back to the gun in his hands. It didn’t take a mind reader to know what Alex was considering.

  She stepped closer, careful not to make any sudden movements. While she knew without a doubt that Alex would never hurt her, she didn’t want to startle him into shooting Dan accidentally.

  “I should do it,” he said softly. “It would be so much easier. And it’s what he deserves.”

  “Yes,” she said carefully. “It would be easier.”

  “I just want it to end. How many times has he gotten away with it? How many people died because of him?”

  “Too many.”

  Alex stared at Dan for a long moment and then turned his gaze to Jillian. Anger, confusion and hurt danced across his features, and her heart broke for him and the pain he was in. “So why can’t I pull the trigger?”

  “Because you’re not that kind of man,” she said, infusing all the love she felt for him into those words. “You are not a murderer, Alex. And despite the justice of it, this would be a murder.”

  He laughed; a sharp bark of sound that was devoid of humor. “I may not have pulled the trigger, but I am responsible for deaths,” he said, echoing Dan’s earlier statement. Alex nodded at the unconscious man in acknowledgment. “He did get that part right.”

  “I’m sure you only did what you had to in order to survive.” She had to make him understand, make him realize that she didn’t judge him for the things he’d had to do to stay alive while working undercover. She couldn’t begin to imagine the difficulties he’d faced living a double life, knowing that one wrong step would be his last.

  Alex shook his head. “Don’t you see? That makes me just as much of an animal as the guys I tried to put away.”

  Jillian was silent for a moment, considering his words. “I don’t know what you did, but I know who you are now. The choices you’ve made since I’ve met you have showed me that you are a good man, no matter what your past holds. You can’t spend your life looking back, Alex. You need to forgive yourself and move on.”

  He blinked at her and then nodded slowly. “Maybe you’re right,” he muttered. He glanced down at the gun in his hand, looking mildly surprised to find that he still held it. He started to put it on the floor but halted midway and tucked it into the waistband of his pants instead.

  Jillian’s stomach twisted as she processed the implications of his action. Did he think they would encounter the gang on their way out? Would one small gun be enough to protect them? And could he even fire it, with his fingers still stiff and swollen?

  “Let’s go,” he said, cutting through her increasingly frantic thoughts.

  He held his hand out to her and she took it, grateful for the contact.

  “I’ve kept us here long enough.”

  Jillian reached up and touched his cheek, gently stroking her fingers across the rough stubble. “Are you all right?” she said softly.

  He smiled at her, then leaned down and pressed a quick yet sweet kiss to her lips. “I’m always fine when I’m with you.”

  She squeezed his hand and they moved together to the door. After a quick glance showed the hall was empty, they headed for the front door. “We need to find a phone,” Alex said, speaking softly even though they were alone in the house. “I want to call the Bureau and leave an anonymous tip about Dan.”

  “Do you think they’ll get here in time to find him?” She had no idea how long he’d be out, but hopefully the effects of the drug would last long enough for the FBI to apprehend him.

  Alex approached the front door and gestured for Jillian to get behind him. He opened the door a crack, then stepped back as it was pushed in from the outside. Several men dressed in black tactical gear entered, their weapons drawn and pointed at Alex. He raised his hands in surrender and Jillian quickly followed suit.

  “FBI,” the lead man barked. “Get on the floor now!”

  Relief was an overwhelming sensation that flooded her system and made her knees weak. Jillian hit the floor and dropped forward to lie on her belly, offering no resistance as one of the other men patted her down. They did the same to Alex, who caught her eye before they put cuffs on him.

  “How’s that for timing?” he said wryly.

  Chapter 15

  She was going mad.

  It had been three days since the FBI had stormed the town house, arresting Dan and hauling her and Alex in for questioning. They had separated her from Alex, taking her to a stuffy, windowless room in the bowels of the J. Edgar Hoover building. There, she’d been subjected to a marathon interrogation session, culminating with her questioner frowning down at her and proclaiming that if she had been anything less than truthful, the entire force of the U.S. justice system would be brought to bear on her fragile little head. She had narrowly resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, instead opting for the more diplomatic route. She assured him that she’d told him the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, which had earned her a snort. She had meant it, though. Mostly.

  She hadn’t told him about the fact that she and Alex had slept together, and she certainly hadn’t told him that she’d grown to care for him, very deeply. In fact, if she were really being honest with herself, she loved him. While she
recognized his impromptu declaration of love had been made in a moment of crisis, she still held the words close to her heart, feeling a warm tingling in her chest when she remembered his deep voice saying them to her. It was a far cry from candles and roses, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Eventually she’d been released with a sternly worded warning that she was not to leave the city without telling them first. As if. She’d returned to work the next day, part of her grateful for the distraction, the other part anxious to take off and comb the city for any sign of Alex. It was the same desperation she’d felt when Jason had disappeared the last time, but now, it was tinged with a frantic sense of panic. Jason had left because he’d wanted to. Alex had been taken from her.

  It didn’t help that she had no way of getting in touch with him. His real address, phone number, email—she didn’t know any of them. How could she love a man and not have any idea how to find him? It was a strange world indeed when she knew the important things about Alex’s character and personality, but didn’t know something as basic as his contact information.

  She’d tried calling the FBI, but quickly realized that was an exercise in futility. To say they had been less than forthcoming would be a massive understatement—the people who worked there could make a brick wall look like Swiss cheese. She’d finally given up that approach, not wanting to give them any more ammunition against Alex. She wasn’t well versed in FBI rules and regulations, but she was pretty sure that kidnapping someone and then sleeping with them was a big no-no. He’d probably been questioned extensively on the nature of their relationship, and if she kept calling to inquire after him, it would only make them more suspicious.

  She’d tried to see Jim, heading back to the hospital in the hope that he could give her a means of reaching out to Alex. But by the time she’d gotten there, he’d been released to complete his recovery at home. Since his personal information was protected, she had no way of knowing how to find him. Not unless she wanted to break protocol and access his records, which would cause her to lose her job, a decidedly unattractive option.