“Yes. The airport it is.” Tom maneuvered the vehicle around a horse trailer and followed the quiet road several miles until stopping next to a large metal-walled hangar.
Josie peered out the window. The area around the building remained quiet and empty in the gathering dusk. Clouds rolled across the sky, the wind scattering loose leaves over the deserted tarmac. She shivered at how alone she felt.
Tom jumped out of the SUV and opened her door, releasing the cuffs and dragging her from the car. His frown marred his handsome face as he glared at her bloody wrists. “Josie,” he breathed. “What did you do?”
She tried to tug her hands out of his grasp. “I’d do anything to get away from you, jackass.”
He smiled. “I’ve always liked your spunk.”
Two black Escalades approached, halting on either side of Tom’s car. Men dressed in black combat gear clomped flak boots onto the cement as they jumped out, machine guns in hand.
Tom glanced at a muscular bald man. “Secure the perimeter of the hangar.”
“Yes, sir.” The man began barking orders and pointing out positions to the soldiers. They didn’t look real. Not one of them even seemed to notice Josie. She counted eight armed soldiers as well as two men dressed in polo shirts and khakis. Must be the pilots.
Turning, Tom dragged her through a small doorway into a wide hangar with two sleek jets parked in the middle. Madison clipped her high heels across the spotless cement behind them. The sharp sound echoed through the vast space. The pilots silently strode toward the two planes, opening hatches and getting to work.
Josie stumbled to keep pace with Tom, her mind whirling. How did she miss the emptiness in him? Even while he threatened her, he only seemed half there. Like he’d enjoy attacking her but could take or leave the possibility. “You know, most people who torture other people need to do it. Like a compulsion.”
Tom yanked her into a spacious office, shoving her into a plush leather chair. “Oh?” He reached behind his waist and brought out a large, square handgun to place on the desk.
“Yeah.” Josie settled into the seat. Could she get into his head? “I think so. But you, well, you don’t seem to really care.” She lowered her voice. “What did they do to you?”
His smile chilled the air. “They created me.” Both broad hands grasped her armrests, and he leaned down, his face inches from hers. “And you’re wrong. The only time I feel alive is when I have someone screaming.” Heat flared through his eyes. He inhaled, a dark flush crossing his smooth face. “You smell like softness and purity. Like clouds.” His gaze dropped from her eyes to her breasts. “Something tells me you’ll be a screamer.”
There was the fear. Yet she lifted her chin, waiting until his gaze once again met hers. “If Shane doesn’t kill you, I will.” She leaned in closer to his face, satisfaction welling when his eyes widened just a fraction in surprise. “I promise you’ll die,” she whispered.
His teeth flashed in a parody of a smile as he pushed away from her chair. “I adore your confidence.” Grabbing his gun, he checked the clip.
Her confidence? Yeah, it was fake. The entire situation sucked. “I stopped being afraid of bullies a long time ago.” In kindergarten when she’d smashed Jason Jones in the face with her backpack. Somehow she doubted she could take care of Tom the same way. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t try, however.
Madison clipped into the room with a diet soda in her hand. “Has the commander checked in yet?”
“No.” Tom rolled his shoulders. “I should be there with him.”
Josie fought the urge to rub her oozing wrists. “So, Dr. Madison. How did Jory die?”
Madison smiled, closing her eyes to inhale. “My Jory.” Her blue eyes flashed open and warmed. “What a smart boy and an even smarter man.” She giggled. “He was so small, and then poof, one day he turned into a giant. With huge feet.”
“How did he die?” Josie eyed the large phone at the edge of the desk.
“He died because he turned against us.” Madison formed her lips in a perfect pout. “He turned against the commander.” Her head shook. “Terrible decision.”
Fire ripped through Josie. “Do you call him the commander when you fuck him?” It was a shot in the dark, but instinct took over.
Madison’s tongue darted out to lick her glossy lips. “Well, dear, the commander fucks me.” She raised an eyebrow. “Surely you understand the difference.” Another giggle escaped, and this one ripped through Josie’s nerves like a cheese grater. “And no, his name is Franklin.”
Tom started, his gaze slashing to Madison.
Josie let a slow smile slide across her face. “Didn’t know that now, did you?”
“No.” Tom tilted his head to the side. “I didn’t know that.”
Madison shrugged. “We’ve been close through the years.”
Josie snorted. “I knew his name. Shane told it to me.” She crossed her legs, slamming her innocent foster kid mask on her face. “Franklin.”
Tom growled. “Shane doesn’t know his name. None of us know his name.”
Ah, the jerk didn’t like that, did he? Josie opened her eyes wider. “Sure Shane did. He told me a long time ago.” She lowered her voice. “Maybe Franklin liked the Gray brothers better than you, Tom. I mean, they were his favorites now, weren’t they?” Another pure guess, but what the hell.
Tom pushed away from the desk.
Dr. Madison’s pale hand on his arm stopped his forward motion. She turned her focus on Josie. “She’s quite the little manipulator, isn’t she?”
Josie refused to flinch under the hard gaze. “Just like your daughter, am I?”
Madison smiled. “Yes. Although Audrey has a genius IQ.” Shiny dark hair flew as Madison shook her head. “Unlike you.”
“She was smart enough to get Nathan to fall in love with her—and not with you.” Josie let a calculating softness filter into her voice.
Madison giggled again. “Your attempts at digging into my head… I love them. Oh, I wish I could’ve seen you work on Shane—I’ll bet you had my boy so tangled up he couldn’t find his way free.”
Yet he had now, hadn’t he? Besides, she’d never tried to manipulate Shane. She loved him, and she’d given her trust along with love. Josie glanced at the full wall of windows behind her. The sparkling jets waited, silent and watchful in the large space. “I figured you’d have more soldiers here.”
“The soldiers are all waiting for your husband,” Madison said just as her phone buzzed. She pressed it to her ear, gliding from the office and out of earshot.
Tom followed the doctor with heat in his gaze. “The commander will bring Shane and whoever’s with him to the plane, and then we’ll get the hell away from this Podunk town.” He focused back on Josie. “Not that I didn’t enjoy playing the out-of-luck workingman.” A Cheshire cat’s smile had nothing on Tom’s smirk.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a jackass.” The gun waited, heavy and sure, on the large desk. Maybe she should tackle Tom, just lower her head and aim for his gut.
He shook his head, grabbed the gun, and tucked it into his lower back. “Not going to happen, Josie.”
That’s what he thought. She flexed her fingers. Her wrists nearly bellowed in pain. “So how does this work? I mean, don’t you have to file flight plans and everything?” Not that he didn’t have government backing anyway.
“No.” Tom glanced at his watch. “This is a small airport. We can turn the lights on ourselves, and so long as we appear to be flying by visual, we just take off. Perfectly legal and acceptable.” His gaze focused on her, gaze skimming her legs. “Maybe we should come up with something interesting to pass the time.”
What an ass. “You’re an idiot.”
His face darkened with a purpose that chilled her completely through.
Madison clicked her high heels into the room, a frown marring her flawless skin. “We have a problem.”
Tom straightened up. “What’s the problem?”
/> Madison glanced at Josie. “Shane hasn’t shown up. Not even a hint of him.” She bit her lip. “Maybe we overestimated his feelings for her.”
Josie allowed a small smile to lift the corners of her lips. Adrenaline ripped through her blood. “Maybe you underestimated Shane.” Oh, yeah. Hope filled her. Her husband was coming.
Chapter 31
Shane shot an elbow into Nathan’s gut, halting their progress. “Go back to the fucking truck and wait for me.”
Nathan dipped a shoulder and rammed solid muscle into Shane’s arm. “No.” With smooth movements, Nathan yanked open the door to the police station. He’d discarded the bulletproof vest, but in his dark shirt and cargo pants, he still looked more like a soldier than a lawyer. “Detective Malloy has already met me, and there’s no reason to do this by yourself. Alone.”
A flashback to the military barracks smacked Shane between the eyes. “Never alone.”
“Never alone.” Nathan repeated the mantra they’d coined as scared kids.
Shane followed his brother into the station, their boots clomping in unison on the sparkling wood floors. They should’ve changed into more casual clothing, but there hadn’t been time. “Asking the cop for help might seriously backfire.”
“Yep.” Nathan plastered on a charming smile for a young blonde behind the bulletproof glass. “Hi, darlin’. We’re here to see Detective Malloy.”
The woman flushed, her pretty eyes sparkling as she grabbed a phone. Even through the glass, the sound of her breath speeding up forced Shane to bite back a smile.
Seconds later Malloy shoved open the door. He appraised Nathan and then Shane with shrewd, albeit tired eyes. His heartbeat remained steady and calm. “What the hell’s going on, gentlemen?”
Shane pivoted, half shielding his brother. “We need to talk. Alone.”
Malloy tilted his head. “Are either you or your… lawyer… armed?”
“No.” A knife in his boot didn’t count. Both Shane and Nathan had left all guns in the truck.
Malloy nodded, stepping back and holding the door open. He led them to the conference room where Shane had first been interviewed. Sitting down, the detective eyed Nathan. “If you’re an attorney, I’m a fucking ballet dancer.”
Shane leaned over the table, both hands flat. “He’s my brother. My wife has been taken by a military group you’ve never heard of, and if we don’t save her, she’s dead.”
Malloy lifted an eyebrow. “Is that so? She’s probably safe without you.”
“No. They’ll kill her.”
“Then why the hell are you here and not going after her?” Malloy’s expression gave nothing away.
Shane shoved panic down. “We need you to pull up the new traffic cams all over town so we can see where she is.”
Malloy frowned. “Excuse me?”
“We identified her location a short time ago. It’s a trap, of course. We need to see where they’ve taken her after allowing us to trace a cell phone call.” Shane tried to keep from grabbing the detective around the neck and shaking him. Time was running out for Josie. Who knew what the commander would do to her? Shane yanked his cell phone from his pocket and played the recorded conversation with the commander.
Malloy paled. “I watched her go with Marsh. Didn’t even think to stop her.”
“Then this is your fault, too.” Shane had no problem using guilt with Malloy. It beat shooting the cop.
The detective hitched out a breath. “Why the hell should I trust you? You’ve done nothing but lie to me since day one.”
“Instincts.” Nathan spoke low, calm. A hint of desperation broke through his charm. “You’ve got them. I can tell. While you might not like what’s going on here, you believe us. Now please help us.”
Shane stood to his full height. If Malloy refused, he’d go for the traffic cams himself.
* * *
Shane twisted the earpiece into his ear, his heartbeat slowing while his mind focused. He lay prone on the pebbled asphalt, his dark clothes blending with the night. Pain echoed through his gut from his surgery. The scent of sage mixed with the wild huckleberries skirting the forest and filled the air. “Do you think Malloy will be safe with Nate?”
“Sure. Stop worrying about Malloy. Cops get kidnapped at gunpoint all the time.”
“Funny.” Matt was such an asshole.
“I know.” Lying next to him, Matt lifted night-scope goggles to his eyes, focusing across the tarmac. The wind lifted his hair. “Besides, I checked out the cop. Combat experience. He might come in handy.”
Malloy had surprised the hell out of Shane, leading him right to the cams.
Using the traffic cam recordings, Malloy had zeroed in on Josie’s last known location, winding the recording back until two SUVs were seen leaving the area. Heading right for the airport. Once found, Shane had pressed his gun against Malloy’s side until they all quietly and serenely walked outside to the truck. Malloy had even chatted with two uniforms on the way. If Shane didn’t know better, he’d think the cop had wanted to come on the mission.
At least now, no other cops would show up—well, until all hell broke loose.
Nate and Malloy crab-crawled into place next to them.
Shane eyed Malloy. “I hope this doesn’t end your career.”
The cop shrugged. “I’m a cop trained to save the victim—Josie needs saving. If it ends my career, I don’t want it anymore.” He grinned. “Plus, I don’t mind having you owe me one.”
Nate clapped the cop on the back. “Ready?”
Malloy nodded. “On your mark.”
“Now.” Nate rolled out of sight and headed around the building, the cop quickly following.
Matt adjusted his goggles with one finger and pressed an earpiece into his ear. “Nathan, set the devices.”
Shane flashed back to another mission at a small airport, somewhere in the Middle East. Grisly images whipped through his brain. He shook his head to clear it; now wasn’t the time.
“Are you all right?” Matt whispered. “You haven’t started bleeding again, have you?”
“No. I’m fine.” Those bastards had his wife. No way was he sitting this out. Shane grabbed a thermal-sensing scope out of his bag, focusing on the metal building. “Two guards just inside the door, two working inside the planes, and three people in a room off to the side.” His wife. Probably with Tom and Dr. Madison. A chill slashed into his gut, and he tamped down any emotion. Cold focus would win the day, and he was one cold bastard.
“They’re waiting for us across town.” Satisfaction coated Matt’s voice.
“You’ve been better than the commander for years.” Shane shook his head. If not, they’d never have escaped.
“I know.” Matt rolled to his feet. “Though he’ll figure out our plan soon. We need to get the hell out of here.”
Shane jumped up. “Let’s do this, then.”
“Shane, Dr. Madison is mine.” A cautionary tone Shane had never heard before ran through Matt’s deep voice. “You save your wife.”
Shane bit back a sharp response. His brother was the ultimate protector, had been since Shane’s birth. Matt had taught them all, and he’d trained them until they hated him. But he’d been the first through any door and had stood in front of Shane and a bullet more than once. Shane sighed. “You couldn’t kill a woman, Matt.” Though he wondered. Had Matt been closer to the lunatic doctor than Shane had known?
“She’s not a woman. She’s a monster.” Matt cocked his Beretta and tapped his earpiece. “At your mark, Nate.”
The wind picked up and scattered leaves across Shane’s boot. He readied his stance, his Glock cocked and ready.
“Fire in the hole,” Nathan said through the earpieces.
Two seconds later, the roar of an explosion split the silence into fragments. Fire rolled toward the sky, lifting the metal hangar door. Heat flashed through the air, and they ran toward the blaze.
The sound of fire cutting through oxygen flashed Shane to
another time. His hearing fogged. His gut swirled. No. Coldness. He needed to focus. An ember singed his neck. Pain ripped through his skin. He sucked it in, allowing the vibrations to center him. Nothing like pain to sharpen the present reality.
A soldier ran around the building, firing a Colt M16 fully automatic. Shane dropped from a run into a slide that would’ve made Ty Cobb proud, catching the soldier at the ankles. The man pitched forward. Shane aimed for the jugular and pulled his trigger, rolling to the side and leaping to his feet. The soldier was dead before he slammed to the ground.
Shane leapt through the gaping hole on Matt’s heels. Scorched metal scented the air while smoke billowed a haze across his vision. The whirring of jet engines wound through the crackle. The Learjet glided through the open hangar door. He caught a glimpse of dark hair in a side window. Dr. Madison turned her face, a smile lifting her lips. Red nails flashed as she waved. The smacking sound of her pursing her lips and sending him a kiss filled his ears even through the metal and glass.
Anger ripped through him. He ran toward the jet. Was Josie on it? Pausing, trusting his brothers to protect his back, he closed his eyes and listened. Hearts beat all around him, rapidly pumping blood and adrenaline. A soft pitter-patter caught his attention… the heartbeat well known. Josie.
Thank God for super hearing.
He pivoted, running around to the other side of the rumbling Falcon jet. Josie struggled with Tom, who clouted her on the head and threw her in the open hatch.
Shane bunched to leap forward. A soldier rammed a gun barrel into his neck. “Don’t move.”
The gun ripped away from Shane along with the soldier’s body as Matt took him down. The crunch of bones against concrete overwhelmed the sound of fire. Then fire roared louder.
He had to get to Josie. Was she hurt? The Falcon edged toward the opening. Shane jumped forward, loping into a run. Heat whipped around him. Tom smiled, pulling up the stairs. The engine revved louder.
Two soldiers immediately ran around the plane toward him.