Coyote's Revenge

by Vannetta Chapman

“Don’t even think about it.” Aiden slid his hand to her back and nudged her toward the open van door.

  “I could follow in my car.”

  “For six hours? On mountain roads? Are you forgetting that you’re afraid to drive on those steep roads?”

  “Exactly. It would be good practice for me.”

  “Forget about it. You’re a flatlander, and I’m driving. Now climb in.” He squeezed her hand, waited until she’d buckled up, then shut the door and walked around the van.

  A small group had assembled to see the golf team off. Colorful banners proclaimed, “Edgewood Huskies Putt Perfect” and “Bring Home the Gold.” The principal, a few parents, and several of the players’ girlfriends waved as they pulled out of the drive.

  “With any luck, we’ll make Banff by six tonight,” Aiden said.

  “Just in time for a swim,” Jason bellowed.

  “Forget the swim. I’m hungry already,” Santiago grumbled.

  “Santiago, you just ate,” Madison looked at him in disbelief.

  “I think I’m growing again. Anyone have a sandwich?”

  Madison shook her head, opened her book, and cornered herself into her seat.

  “You going to read the whole way?” Aiden asked.

  “Did you have something else in mind?”

  “You could sing with the choir.”

  We Will Rock You had been exchanged for the theme song for Oscar-Meyer wieners. All it had taken was the mention of food.

  “I think I’ll pass. You mind if we listen to the music on my cell phone?”

  “I’ll do you one better.” Aiden turned on the satellite radio and cranked it up to seven. Soon the sounds of George Straight overpowered the great Oscar-Meyer wiener.

  “You’re my hero.”

  “And I’ll let you prove that to me in six hours and thirty minutes.”

  Ω

  The next afternoon, Madison sank into the bubble bath and thought about staying there. Then she remembered Aiden’s note, and she poked one painted toenail out of the bubbles. She was suddenly glad she’d splurged on a pedicure. You definitely didn’t want to meet Prince Charming for a late-night rendezvous with chipped toenails.

  Looking at the clock above the marble tub, she saw she had plenty of time to enjoy both the bath and the exquisite champagne he’d sent to her suite.

  “I could enjoy being spoiled,” she murmured, sinking down into the cloud of bubbles.

  Twenty more minutes, then she’d towel off and dress for the evening. After spending all day on the golf course, she deserved the extra rest. Plus, it wasn’t every day you took a luxurious bath in a marble tub.

  Dinner at six, an eight o’clock meeting with the team, then Aiden had asked her to meet him in the hotel’s lobby at nine. She hadn’t had this much fun in high school or college. She sank into the bubbles trying to imagine what Aiden had been like in high school.

  It wasn’t until the water grew cold enough to cause her to shiver that she realized her twenty minutes were up. Dragging herself out of the tub, she wrapped herself in the giant red towel and padded across the room.

  Ω

  The nine o’clock date had lasted until eleven. They’d talked about their families, their dreams, even their most embarrassing moments. Hers had been when she’d fallen down the stairs in high school. His had been when he’d fallen asleep in English class and the teacher had scared the living daylights out of him by blowing a whistle in his ear.

  He’d waited until they were back in her suite to get down on his knee and hand her the velvet box. Though she’d been expecting it, hoping, she still couldn’t stop the tears.

  “Will you marry me Madison Hart?”

  She didn’t say anything clever, but when she threw herself into his arms that seemed to be all the answer that Aiden needed. They’d laughed and cried and kissed and then Aiden had insisted she get some sleep.

  When she walked him to the door, he’d turned and asked if he could pick her up at five in the morning.

  “Five?”

  “There’s something I want to show you.”

  Ω

  Aiden knocked on her door at five sharp, carrying a covered basket.

  “A picnic? At this hour?”

  “I can take it back.”

  “What’s in there?” She poked around even though he tried to hold it out of her reach.

  “Hang on, Snoopy. I wanted to take you to a special spot.”

  He led her out onto the golf course where they could see moonlight bouncing off the greens, elk grazing beneath the stars, and the best part was they had it all to themselves.

  Aiden unpacked a blanket, a thermos of coffee, and a plate of still warm scones.

  They’d polished off the sweets and were pouring a second mug of coffee when his cell rang.

  “I better get that.” He kissed her quickly, then reached for his phone, stood up, and walked a few feet away.

  “Lewis.” His voice was crisp, solid, sure. Exactly like the man she had come to love.

  She smiled in the darkness and stretched. Madison looked around as she pulled the blanket snugly around her shoulders. Dating a millionaire sure had its perks. Correction—marrying a millionaire.

  She held her hand up in the semi-darkness, saw the sparkle from the diamond, and sighed in contentment. Could life be any more like a fairytale?

  She looked around her. She wouldn’t mind moving into this place, especially if Aiden was included in the package. She turned to look at her fiancé, and that was when she noticed his posture had gone rigid.

  “How many casualties? Repeat that number.” His voice was cold and clipped, all business now that he was fully awake. “Where is he now?”

  He moved closer to her and began collecting their picnic things. “That’s an unacceptable solution.”

  He reached for her phone and pulled up a twenty-four-hour cable news site.

  “I understand, but—-yes sir. Copy that.”

  Madison barely noticed him disconnect the call. It took all her concentration to comprehend the images of carnage and destruction displaying across the screen of her phone.

  “TO RECAP, WE’RE ON the scene here in Bath County, Virginia where the dam has apparently exploded. Authorities have not yet confirmed reports this was a terrorist attack, but we have been told by several inside sources that the President will speak shortly.”

  Aiden reached for Madison’s hand.

  “What we do know is that most of the towns of Covington and Clifton Forge have been wiped out and at least thirty thousand people drowned as they slept. There was simply no time to evacuate. The water from this dam continues to move downstream, following the path of the Jackson River. Towns along this route, which are to the south and east, are currently being evacuated by the National Guard. Bringing you that report is...”

  Aiden finished packing up their supplies, pulled his service revolver from the bottom of the picnic basket, and holstered it, all the time keeping an eye on the phone and Madison.

  She still hadn’t said a word, simply sat staring at the emergency news program in disbelief, holding the cell phone in her hand as if she could somehow turn back time, reclaim the lives that had been lost.

  Aiden pulled the phone from her hand, clicked off the site, and waited for her to raise her eyes to his. When she finally did he sat back down beside her on the blanket.

  “Madison, I need you to listen to me.”

  “Are they all dead?”

  “Many are.”

  “But they were just sleeping. Like we were. How—”

  “Sweetheart. I can’t explain it to you now. But we need to collect the boys, and we need to stay together.”

  “I don’t understand. The dam.” She looked out across the golf green, as if she were still seeing the destruction in Virginia. “The dam is in Virginia. What does it have to do with the boys?”

  “Look at me, Maddie. I need you to look at me.” He took her hand in his. “The dam that exploded was in Vi
rginia, but we’re in danger here. I can’t explain it all now. We need to bring the boys together. We’re supposed to wait here, and someone will come to escort us to a safe place.”

  “Is there a dam here?”

  “No. It’s not about a dam. Maddie, you’re going to have to trust me. Can you do that?”

  He held her face in his hands. Pressed her forehead to his, the way she did when she needed to touch him. It always seemed to Aiden it was a physical way for their souls to touch. He prayed this time it would be enough to reach through to her. He knew from Martin’s call that he didn’t have much time. He needed her to trust him. Coyote was close. They were going to have to move quickly.

  Ω

  Madison sensed Aiden’s desperation and something more. This wasn’t Aiden the millionaire or even Aiden the golf instructor. She’d learned to trust both of those sides of the man.

  Then she realized who it was holding her. This was the man she’d met in the airport. The man who had carried her through the terminal. The mysterious man Aiden Lewis hadn’t been able to let her see. Suddenly, she knew the man holding her face in his hands was the man who disappeared for weeks without calling.

  But he wouldn’t disappear this time. He was here to keep her safe. Protect her and the boys.

  She knew without a doubt she had to put their lives in his hands.

  Somehow this morning was about that part of his life he hadn’t been able to talk to her about yet. And the tragedy still playing out in Virginia. And her. And the boys back in the hotel.

  Inexplicably, all the pieces of Aiden’s life had come crashing together at five o’clock on a golf green in Banff, Canada.

  Madison didn’t yet know the details. She couldn’t see the way the pieces fit together. But what she had, what she knew, caused her heart to thunder with more fear than she’d ever thought possible–-more fear than she’d even known as she’d watched her mother die in their little house in Dallas, Texas. What she finally had was all the pieces of the man she loved in one place. All the bits of Aiden Lewis finally gathered together into a whole.

  She would trust him. He was broken in pieces before her. He was the one who was strong, but he needed her. He needed her to believe in him.

  “Can you trust me, Maddie?”

  “Yes. Of course, I can. I will.” She wiped at the tears she didn’t realize were falling. Silently willed them to stop. “What do you need me to do?”

  “That’s my girl.”

  Aiden rubbed the remaining wetness away with his thumbs, took the time to kiss her once more, gently and quickly, then he stood and hurried them back toward her suite.

  “Should I pack?”

  “Yes. I’ll bring the boys here. We’ll have their things sent to Edgewood later. Don’t open the door to anyone but me.”

  They were nearly to her room, his hand on the doorknob, when Madison’s cell buzzed.

  AIDEN OPENED THE DOOR to her room as she stared down at her phone.

  “It’s a text message,” she said.

  “Who is it from?”

  “I don’t know.”

  She looked up at him, eyes wide and afraid, and he cursed himself for involving her in this.

  “Let me see it.” Aiden took the phone from her, a glittery pink thing, as she looked over his shoulder.

  Ice. Unit compromised. Servensky is mole and coming for you now. Move. Bring Maddie & boys bck. Meet u n Glcr s lot. Dn.

  Aiden thumbed backed through the message. Read it again.

  “Aiden, who sent that? What does it mean?”

  “Dean sent it. The one person inside the agency I can trust.”

  “Agency? What agency?”

  “I can’t explain right now, Maddie. We have to go.”

  “But why did he send it to my phone?”

  “Because mine has been compromised.” He clicked off the message and handed the phone back to her. “Okay. Forget packing. We have to leave here now. You’re coming with me to get the boys.”

  He was reaching for her purse when there was a knock on the door, followed by a maid’s voice.

  “Room service.”

  Aiden pulled the Glock from his holster, put his fingers to his lips when Madison’s eyes went wide.

  Neither of them had ordered breakfast.

  Moving to the door, he looked through the peephole. A girl of about seventeen stood in the hall with a tray of food.

  He couldn’t see anyone else, which meant nothing.

  He had to open the door sometime if they were going to access the boys’ rooms. Maybe if he played along...

  He walked back across the room to Madison, whispered into her ear. “I want you to open the door wide enough so you can see if anyone else is in the hall. Have the girl set the food just inside the room. Clear?”

  She nodded and looked at the gun in his hand, her eyes as big as silver dollars.

  “You can do this.” He rubbed a thumb down her cheek.

  “Room service.” The knock came again, louder this time.

  Madison nodded...attempted a smile. She pushed her phone into her jeans pocket while Aiden moved behind the door, gun positioned. When he signaled he was ready, Madison opened the door.

  Ω

  “You ordered room service?” The girl asked, tray raised high, a smile upon her lips.

  She didn’t look dangerous to Madison, but at five in the morning in the Banff Springs, Canada resort, what did dangerous look like? A seventeen-year-old in a maid’s uniform? Maybe.

  “Yes, I guess we did.”

  Madison opened the door wide, exactly as Aiden had instructed her. Glanced down the hall to her left, nearly collapsing with relief when she saw no one there. For the entire length of the hall there were only closed doors with newspapers set neatly on the floor in front of them.

  When the maid cleared her voice, Madison realized she still hadn’t looked down the hall the other way, and that Aiden was still standing behind the door with a gun drawn and ready.

  “Where would you like me to set this, Miss?”

  “Right inside the door is fine.”

  “Here? I can take it to the table, or by the windows perhaps. The sunrise from this room is quite nice.”

  “No. Thank you. Here is fine.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The maid placed the tray table down just inside the door. As she went about positioning the tray on top of it, Madison took a quick look down the hall in the other direction, somehow resisting the urge to sing and dance when she saw it too was empty of bad guys with Uzis.

  “Thank you.” She signed the receipt quickly, tipping way too much, and nearly pushed the maid out of the suite in her rush to free Aiden from behind the door.

  Aiden holstered the Glock.

  “Good girl,” he whispered in her ear. “Hall was clear?”

  She nodded.

  “Make sure you have your passport. I’ll check the suite and make sure there’s nothing we need to take. Do not touch the food.”

  As if she would think of eating at a time like this.

  AIDEN SWEPT THE ROOM one last time, then hurried to Madison’s side. He touched her back to steady her, steady himself. He’d been on many missions, but never with the woman he planned to make his wife and twelve teens.

  He whispered in her ear, “Stay close.”

  She slipped her hand into his.

  He squeezed it quickly, then released it to draw his gun. With his other hand he opened the door, still holding his gun ready. The hall appeared empty, but he knew that meant nothing. An empty corridor did little to calm his nerves.

  There was a mole in his agency.

  He didn’t need lab work to tell him the food the maid had brought was drugged.

  He had to escort Madison and the boys back to the States.

  He slid down the hall, back against the wall, pulling Madison in his wake.

  Three doors down he came to Justin’s room. He’d had enough foresight to have his card keyed to all of the boys�
� rooms. He tapped lightly then let himself in.

  A video game flashed silently on the screen, but no one manned the controls. Four boys in different stages of undress were passed out around the room. The bed and tabletops were littered with pizza boxes and soda cans.

  Aiden moved to the windows, checked the balcony and curtains, then moved on to the bathroom. He returned to the main room and holstered his weapon.

  “It’s clear. Help me wake them up.”

  Madison started shaking the two younger boys, who had actually managed to crash on the bed even though they hadn’t made it under the covers.

  Aiden pulled Justin and Kevin to the side of the room, whispered something to them. Within two minutes they were dressed and helping Madison with Matt and Melvin. Four minutes after entering the room, they were ready to leave.

  Aiden paused at the door and turned to look at them all. Madison knew he wanted to draw his weapon, but resisted so he wouldn’t scare the younger boys.

  “Chase’s room next,” Aiden said. “We all leave together, and we all stay together. If anyone comes down the hall, don’t look at them and don’t talk to them. Understood?”

  The boys nodded. Matt and Melvin still not quite awake, Justin and Kevin understanding the gravity of the situation even if they didn’t understand the details.

  Silently they walked four more doors down.

  Aiden again tapped on the door and entered his key, and they all piled through the door.

  Only this time the room was empty.

  Everyone began talking at once.

  “Their stuff is here,” Justin said.

  Kevin picked up a Huskies jacket. “This has to be the right room.”

  “Maybe they were kidnapped,” Matt suggested.

  “Where are they, Coach?” Melvin looked scared and moved a little closer to Madison.

  “We should call the police,” Matt said.

  “If they’re not kidnapped, they are so busted,” Melvin added.

  Aiden squeezed Madison’s arm and nodded toward the patio where the curtains blew in the predawn breeze. Someone had left the sliding glass doors open.

  Aiden walked to the curtains and drew back the fabric.

  He slid the patio door open enough to slip through it, then looked back across the room to see if the boys were watching. Melvin and Matt were preoccupied discussing the future grounding of their teammates. Justin had his eyes on Aiden, and quickly caught Kevin’s attention when he saw Aiden pull his weapon.