Secret Sabotage, page 11
The other guard returned with two blankets. The man rose from his squat and took the items, draping one over each of them. Then he met Ian’s gaze. “Hang tight.” He turned and walked away, leaving the two soldiers standing guard behind.
For a long moment, Ian and Simone sat in silence, letting the sounds of the night settle around them. The scent of pine mingled with the moss growing on the trunk of the tree and the dirt beneath them, clogging Ian’s senses. He was glad he’d grabbed a parka on the way out of the house because the air was growing colder. “Simone, you doing okay?”
Beside him, Simone shifted against the rough bark of the tree, her eyes meeting his in the moonlight. “We’re not dead. I’d say we’re okay.”
They weren’t dead. Yet. He sent up a praise to God above.
Apparently growing bored of sentry duty, the two guards moved to sit at the picnic table. One of them lit a cigarette, the smell drifting toward Ian and Simone on the evening breeze.
Thankful the two men had given them some privacy, Ian lowered his voice to ask, “What do you think he meant by ‘hang tight’?”
“I don’t know,” Simone answered in a soft whisper. “It was odd.”
“What is my father mixed up in?” Patrick had done some erratic and eccentric things over the years, the most recent the treasure hunt that had caused so many problems for the town of Bristle Township, but his father was an honorable man. He would never involve himself in criminal activities. And there was no doubt in Ian’s mind that these men were criminals. He wouldn’t believe his father was knowingly in league with whatever was going on here.
“Obviously,” Simone said, her voice soft, “this Dresden Group you stumbled onto when you were working was the catalyst for all of this.”
“Right, but I still don’t know what I’d discovered. And since they wiped it from our servers, no one else will, either.”
“Your father knows.”
Anxiety tightened the muscles in Ian’s neck and shoulders. “If they have Nurse Janice in their pocket, she could do something to keep him from saying anything. Do you think she’d hurt him?” He closed his eyes against the thought of harm coming to his father. The ache to do something, to fix the situation, made his blood hot. He hated this helplessness stealing over him.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Simone’s voice held a note of uncertainty. “I would think if they wanted him dead, it would’ve happened already. Plus, Mike is there.”
His heart contracted. “That doesn’t make me feel any better. Dad’s still vulnerable to them. And Mike didn’t answer your calls. What if they took him out?”
“I’ll admit that worries me,” she said. “But I met Nurse Janice. I have to believe she’s only reporting back to them.”
“But you don’t know that. She’s the one who called me. Insisted I come, alone, to see my father.” Anger laced each word and tasted bitter on his tongue. “She drew me out of the house so they could kidnap me.”
“Because her son is in jeopardy.”
“Exactly. And so is my father.” Frustration made his head pound. “This is so maddening.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it at this moment except pray.”
He appreciated her calm presence even if he couldn’t achieve the same state. “Good idea.” Turning his troubles over to God had always brought him peace in the past. “Lord, we ask for your help in this situation. You are a God of miracles, and we need a miracle. Provide us with an escape. Please protect my family. Protect us. Amen.”
“Amen.” After a moment of silence, she said, “There’s something about that last guy.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Ian said. “But I can’t quite put my finger on what.”
“His accent is different. South Boston,” she said. “All the others I’ve heard talk have thick brogues.”
“You’re right. If I didn’t know better, I’d think we were in Ireland.” And that was very odd. Until tonight, he had yet to meet anyone from his home country in Bristle Township. What did it mean that so many armed Irishmen were gathered in the forest?
“I counted fifteen men so far,” Simone said. “They’re heavily armed—AK-47s and high-end handguns. But not all the men are equal. I think this is some sort of training camp.”
A sick feeling tumbled through Ian’s stomach. “Maybe the rumors are true.”
“Rumors?”
He didn’t even want to voice the whispered suspicions he’d heard over the past year. “There are some who say the Troubles in Ireland are going to start again.”
“The ‘Troubles’?” She stared at him, her gaze wide in the moonlight. “As in IRA?”
“It’s just rumors.” He prayed they weren’t true. Too many had suffered because of the unrest in Ireland over the years. He couldn’t imagine how many more would suffer if the unrest in his home country grew to the point of all-out war again. “But there’s no way I believe my father could be involved in any of it.”
“He had written down the coordinates of this militia camp.”
There was no denying that fact. Ian’s heart rate sped up. “But if the Troubles start up again, it would be bad for our company. We do a lot of importing and exporting out of Ireland and the UK.”
“Maybe that’s the reason behind what’s happening,” she stated. “The Dresden Group must be using your company to smuggle arms and men in and out of Ireland.”
Ian groaned. Unfettered anger charged through him at the thought of his company being involved in illegal activities. Why would his father put his life’s work at risk? “That could be what I discovered.”
“You probably uncovered some discrepancy that led you to want to verify your findings.”
“But why didn’t I go straight to the authorities?” Even as the words left his mouth, the truth slammed into him. He would have wanted proof before sounding an alarm. Why? Because he hadn’t wanted to appear foolish if he’d been wrong.
“Only you know the answer to that question.”
What had his brother said to him? Don’t let your ego get the better of you. He groaned. “My ego.”
She flashed him a grin. “You don’t say. Hmm.”
He deserved her ribbing. “No need to rub it in.”
She sobered. “But it does us no good to know what they are doing here unless we can escape.”
“I’ve never felt so powerless in my life.” Ian pulled at the restraints, chafing his skin against the ropes.
“We’re not helpless. We have God on our side,” Simone insisted.
“True.” Ian settled back, forcing himself to find the same calmness Simone exuded. “Now who’s looking at the glass half full?”
“Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”
That elicited a soft laugh.
“Besides,” she continued, “it’s not over until it’s over.”
“Funny.” He tilted his head back and stared at the night sky. Hopefully, it being over wouldn’t equal their deaths.
* * *
Simone didn’t think the situation was funny at all, but the last thing she needed was Ian giving up hope. So far, her defenseless-female act hadn’t garnered the deferential treatment she’d hoped for. But she would keep it up as long as she could. She was certain the boss man wouldn’t hesitate to do away with her if she gave him a reason.
“On a clear night, when the moon is full, you realize how big the universe is, so vast with so much we still haven’t learned.” Ian’s words held a note of awe that she hadn’t heard from him before. “And the stars, the glorious stars, twinkling like diamonds on black velvet.”
She slanted him a glance at the poetic verse coming from his mouth. Who talked like that? Apparently wealthy men who were used to seeing loose diamonds on fabric. They came from such different worlds.
Speaking low enough that the guards wouldn’t hear, she said, “The only loose diamonds I’ve ever seen were during a bust after a jewelry heist when I was on patrol with the Detroit PD.”
“You deserve diamonds,” he murmured.
What? She tucked in her chin and stared at his profile. The glow from the nearly full moon created shadows along the angular planes of his face. There was no denying that he was handsome. The stitches over his eyebrow only intensified his attractiveness in a way she didn’t understand. But it was more than good looks that she found appealing about Ian.
“There’s the Little Dipper. Do you see it?”
She looked at the sky but, to her, there was no rhyme or reason to the smattering of twinkling lights. She made a noncommittal noise in her throat.
Ian turned his gaze on her. “You don’t like stars?”
She shrugged. “I’ve nothing against stars. I’m just not used to...” She sought the right word. Appreciating them wasn’t right. Noticing was closer.
“Marveling at them?” he offered.
“Yes. Marveling.” How did he do that? He seemed to understand her in unnerving and exhilarating ways.
Simone didn’t want to be emotionally drawn in by this man. But she was. He wasn’t what she’d expected when she’d taken this assignment. She’d expected to find the CEO of Delaney Holdings to be arrogant, to hide behind his wealth and to cower in the face of danger. Instead, Ian was confident but not self-important. He was also generous and brave. And it left her unsettled and more committed than ever to protect him. Something so far she had been failing at.
But first she had to create an opportunity for their escape.
She eyed the two guards at the picnic table. Both were now hunched forward, their heads on their arms. What would it take to convince them to untie her?
“What are you thinking?”
Ian’s softly asked question snapped her attention to him. “We need these ropes undone.”
“What do you suggest?”
“We get them to untie us.” Easier said than done. But she still had to try.
“How?”
Good question. “Hopefully play on their sympathies.”
Ian snorted. “Do you think they have any?”
“I’m praying so. Only one way to find out.” Taking a breath, she slowly let it out to calm her racing heart.
“Hey!”
Neither of the men stirred.
Frustration had her gritting her teeth. She didn’t want to alert the whole camp, even though there didn’t appear to be anyone else wandering around. There had to be a way to get those two men’s attention.
“Dude!” she said with a little more force.
The younger of the two guards popped up, his head swiveling.
“Hey!” she said again, softer.
The man spun around on the bench, a deep scowl on his face. He pushed himself to his feet and stomped over to them. “What?”
Exaggerating a demure countenance, she said in her best coaxing tone, “Please, I need to use the facilities.”
He stared at her for a minute with clear indecision then shook his head. “I don’t have permission to release you. You’ll have to talk to Marcus or Joe.”
“Then go get one of them,” Ian said. “My girlfriend is suffering.”
Simone arranged her face in what she hoped was a pained expression. Would the guy find some sympathy?
* * *
“I’m not disturbing them.” The unease in his voice was clear. He walked away and resumed his seat at the table.
“Well, we know more than we did before,” she said softly to Ian. “There’s a Marcus and a Joe. And this kid is scared of them. Do either of those names ring a bell?”
Ian shook his head. “Common enough names.”
Unfortunately, that was true. “I suggest we get some rest. We need to be ready in the morning when they come for us.”
“In case I don’t have a chance to tell you...” Ian’s voice wrapped around her. “You are one brave and special woman. And I appreciate all you’ve done for me. I’m sorry I got you into this mess.”
Surprise washed over her. He thought he was responsible. She knew just where the blame lay. On her shoulders. “This is on me. But I promise you, Ian, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you live.”
“I know you will,” he said. “I have faith in you.”
His words were meant to soothe but served to remind her that she had no control over this situation. Neither of them did. She leaned her head against his shoulder. “You humble me.”
For a long time, they remained silent. The night sounds lulled her senses. The cold seeped beneath the blanket, making her shiver.
“Tell me about Beth.”
She gasped in a shocked breath, coming fully awake. She hadn’t meant to utter Beth’s name and had hoped that Ian had forgotten. But in that moment before they’d been captured, there in the meadow when she’d thought for sure they were going to be mowed down by gunfire, she had revealed something she hadn’t told anyone but her parents. Unburdening herself to Ian would be irresponsible, not to mention gut-wrenching.
What would he think of her if he knew she’d been the cause of someone’s death? Someone she had sworn to protect?
Just as she had sworn to protect him.
TEN
“Look, we’re going to get out of this,” Simone said, hoping to put off Ian’s question about Beth. “We don’t really need to delve into my past.”
“But I want to know.” His voice took on a commanding quality that no doubt served him well in the boardroom.
She could feel Ian’s gaze on her profile. She kept her eyes on the sky, though she didn’t really see the stars through the burning tears pricking her eyelids.
“I want to know you, Simone. This person was very important to you. You said you failed her. How?”
If her hands hadn’t been tied behind her back, she would have buried her face in them. Instead, she blinked back the tears, deciding her emotions were raw because of the situation. Not because it had been so long since anybody had taken a deeper interest in her beyond the superficial. She wasn’t sure she trusted that Ian’s curiosity wasn’t some morbid need to know her dirty secrets. She shook her head. “I’m sorry I said anything. I shouldn’t have.”
“You thought we were going to die in that meadow. So did I,” he confessed. “But we didn’t.”
“Thankfully.”
“This Beth is important. Important enough for you to mention her when you thought it was the end.”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because if we are going to eventually die here, I want it to be with us knowing each other. You can ask me anything. I’m an open book to you, Simone.”
She closed her eyes against the need to talk welling up inside her. She’d held in her angst and sorrow for so long. Even James didn’t know the extent of her grief. He knew about the incident, of course, and he’d absolved her of any wrongdoing. So had the police department. But she hadn’t absolved herself. She’d been responsible. Full stop.
“Beth was a childhood friend. Her family lived next door to mine. But when we got to high school, her father lost his job and they had to move. We didn’t see each other for a long time.” She bit the inside of her lip. “I should’ve stayed in touch with her. It never dawned on me that her life had become so hard.”
“You were a teenager,” Ian said. “Teenagers have a tough time thinking beyond themselves. That’s what makes them so difficult.”
She slanted him a glance. “How do you know this? You don’t have any teenagers in your life, do you?”
“I once was a teenager,” he said softly.
She made a face at him. “You know what I mean.”
“I, actually, work closely with a teen shelter in Boston.”
She stared at him. “Aren’t you full of surprises. What do you do for this teen shelter?”
“The Delaney Foundation gives money,” Ian said.
That did not surprise her. Ian Delaney didn’t come across as the stingy type. “Doing good with your resources. I like that.”
“But I also mentor several teenagers.”
Unexpected and interesting. “Mentor? How so?”
“Many of the teens that come into the shelter are from broken homes,” he said quietly. “I know what it is to lose a parent. Even though my mother died of disease, our family was forever impacted by the loss. Sometimes these teens just need somebody to guide them through their grief and anger. Help them discover their potential. We started a learning center where the teens can finish their GEDs and do college prep work.”
Impressed and awed, she realized this man had more layers to him than she’d imagined. And her feelings for him deepened the more she learned. “I don’t think it’s a stretch to guess you’ve probably sponsored some college students.” That seemed like something he would do.
“Yes, I have.” He dipped his chin and eyed her. “I’m not going to let you distract me from my query, though. You lost track of Beth during your teen years. Then what happened?”
Her stomach twisted. She was hoping that deflecting the conversation would keep her from having to spill her guts. She could refuse. Was tempted to. But, for some reason she didn’t understand, telling him suddenly seemed like the right choice. She might regret doing so, but now that she’d made the decision, she would follow through.
“I was a year into my job on patrol when I spotted Beth in the park. She’d gone down the dark road of drugs and all that entails.”
“That’s rough. I’m sorry.”
She could still remember the shock of seeing her once vibrant friend looking gaunt, strung out. “Beth gave me a tip about a man she’d gotten involved with. He was abusive and a meth dealer. She also gave us the location of his lab.”
“It was brave of her to tell you.”
“Yes.” Heaviness weighed down her shoulders. “I told her I could keep her safe. But my superiors wanted me in on the bust. I had to leave her in a motel, certain there was no way anybody would know where to find her.”
