Protector in Disguise, page 19
Jason met her gaze. “I could have. But your husband’s cycle of violence ends here.”
As they made their way back to the deck, the yacht was eerily quiet. Sam remained on the bridge, on the radio with the Coast Guard. Meaghan led Montana and her son to a seat close to where Porras’s men were tied up.
Jason searched for Porras but couldn’t see him. Meaghan pointed off the starboard side at the tender with a small outboard motor, almost to the horizon. “He abandoned ship leaving his family and team behind. So much for loyalty,” she said loud enough for everyone to hear how their wonderful leader didn’t care enough to save them.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jason stared at the boat carrying the man who wanted his family dead now getting away. “Tell Sam to go after him.”
But before they could get into a chase, the piercing beam of a spotlight from a helicopter sliced through the darkness, followed by the deep growl of an approaching Coast Guard vessel. Jason wasn’t going anywhere until he passed through a whole mountain of bureaucratic BS.
“US Coast Guard. Lay down your weapons and raise your hands!” came an authoritative voice through a megaphone.
Meaghan exchanged a glance with Jason. They knew they were on the side of the law, but the scene—the two of them, heavily armed, with a whole boatload of people tied up—could easily be misinterpreted.
Jason placed his weapon on the deck, raising his hands in surrender. Meaghan followed suit, placing her rifle next to Jason’s. The Coast Guard personnel swarmed the yacht, several headed to the men tied up and several others to Jason and Meaghan. No one resisted arrest. Jason tried to explain how they came to be on the boat, but they ignored him and focused on securing the area. They were not interested in explanations. A few moments later, Sam came down from the bridge with an officer, his hands behind his back in handcuffs.
Jason stared at the aftermath of his failure to confront this problem years ago. He should have done something besides hiding out and not protecting all the people who mattered in his life. Matt had almost lost his life and Jason had no idea how much psychological damage this would do to him. Fiona was bleeding so profusely that she might not make it to the hospital in time. Meaghan and Sam both were in handcuffs. And Meaghan had undisclosed injuries she wouldn’t complain about because she was that type of person. It was all on him. One hundred percent.
“These guys kidnapped my son,” Jason explained to a Coast Guard officer, a stern-faced man with a silver streak in his hair.
“Where is your son?”
“He’s with the state police in Bourne,” Sam replied.
“He is?” Jason said. He thought they’d transport him somewhere else.
“It was the safest location for him while we came back out to get you.”
“You can call them, Officer,” Meaghan added, although she received a pretty angry expression in reply.
“And you only contacted us after you took control of the boat?”
Jason was the one who put them in this, so he answered for the team. “We have a lawyer, Barbara Singer.” Jason had found Barbara’s expertise in criminal law helpful in the early years of the business. She told them what lines they could cross and what lines they absolutely couldn’t go near. She would not be happy about this situation. Not at all.
Montana shouted over everyone else, “They kidnapped us. This is all a setup. They killed those men.” She pointed to the area where there were several dead men on the deck.
The officer raised an eyebrow, then turned to Jason. “Your lawyer better be damn good.” He turned to Montana. “You’re all coming with us for questioning.”
As the Coast Guard crew began the process of transferring everyone from the yacht to the lower deck of the Coast Guard cutter, Meaghan whispered to Jason, “We have the kidnap demand letter. It’ll work out.”
Jason nodded, watching the members of the cartel as well as Montana and her son being led away. “As long as Fiona and Matt are safe,” he murmured, the roar of the helicopter blades echoing overhead.
As the Coast Guard vessel motored away from the yacht, now commandeered by Coast Guard personnel, Jason, Meaghan and Sam sat next to each other on a long bench, under armed guard. Montana stared out the window while Porras’s son wore a stony look of contempt. It wasn’t an emotion that would simmer away quickly, but Jason had to believe that he’d soften over time. Not that he was worried about their feelings when Fiona’s life could be draining away.
“That was a tough call back there,” Meaghan said, nodding towards the kid who almost shot them. Jason had had a shot but Meaghan handled him without having to kill him, even after she’d been beat up by the other men.
“It was an easy call,” Jason admitted. “I never want to hurt anyone. Even these assholes. But if they’re going for me or someone I love, I’ll do what I need to keep everyone safe. Your method was risky, because he could have taken you or me out. Total badass move. I owe you.”
She smiled. “I could use a raise.”
Sam leaned his head back to rest on the wall. “Combat pay.”
Jason nodded. “Fair enough.”
But Jason wasn’t so quick to claim victory as they were ferried back to the mainland. Porras may have lost his protection, but both Matt and Fiona remained at risk as long as Porras himself was free in the world. His family couldn’t survive living under the constant shadow of revenge.
* * *
Jason sat with his hands cuffed at a steel table in a gray conference room overlooking the ocean. Last night had seemed like a never-ending nightmare and yet here he was, caught in a state of limbo with Commander Grogan, a man who wanted hard answers from Jason, but refused to offer any news about Fiona or Matt. Jason remained as silent and calm as possible as the officer grilled him over and over about why he’d trespassed on Porras’s yacht. After two hours, Jason’s patience wore thin at the Coast Guard officer’s continued interrogation.
“My son was being held captive and the ransom note said I had to go out there alone to get him back. So I did.” He spoke in a monotone voice as he had repeated this same line about fifty times.
“Alone? Some of your staff at your little security service also headed out there.”
“I followed the demand on the note,” he replied, not giving Grogan the answer he wanted. “They chose to follow me.”
“They went out on their own without orders from you?”
“I did not give an order to follow me.” Steve made that call with Fiona’s urging.
Meaghan and Sam had been sent to other rooms. Jason warned them on the boat ride back to shore to remain silent no matter what they were accused of. They had enough experience to handle themselves like the professionals they were. Steve would most likely be back at headquarters with Calvin, Noah was still in the hospital and Kennedy had disappeared back into the cubicle where she lived in the Pentagon. The more he thought about it, the more they looked guilty of something. Hopefully, the blown-up house couldn’t be pinned on them. They had quite a few murder charges looking straight at them. Sure, it was self-defense, although self-defense while trespassing was a difficult mountain to climb.
His thoughts remained consumed by concerns about the safety and whereabouts of his family. He had to know if Matt was safe, whether Fiona’s gunshot wound had been treated in time and if Porras posed any lingering threat to their lives. The unknown gnawed at him. Yet, Commander Grogan wasn’t sharing anything. The officer annoyed him. For the moment, Jason was in the dark.
The officer leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Jason, and said, “Mr. Stirling, you and your team took matters into your own hands, and there are definite consequences for your actions.”
Jason clenched his jaw and refused to respond. The door to the interrogation room swung open. Barbara, sporting her usual navy suit and annoyed expression, entered the room, plopped a briefcase onto the table and stared down Grogan. “I’m Barbara Singer, Jason’s attorney. And you are?”
“Commander Grogan, CGIS.”
“CGI what?” she asked, with not even the smallest look of confusion.
“Coast Guard Investigative Service.”
“Right.” She took a seat next to Jason and said, “How are they treating you?”
“I’m good, but I don’t know what’s happening with Fiona and Matt.”
She turned to Grogan. “Can we have a minute alone?”
He nodded and left the room.
As soon as the door closed, Jason spoke. “Matt is supposed to be with the state police. And I have no idea what happened to Fiona. I last saw her on a boat with Steve, bleeding profusely.”
“I understand. Steve contacted me. He’s with Matt at Falmouth Hospital waiting for Fiona to come out of the operating room.”
“How is she?”
“So far, stable.”
“Does she have security?”
“Steve’s there, and local police have been notified that Porras is still at large.”
It wasn’t a perfect scenario, but Matt was safe with Steve and Fiona was stable, so far. But he had to get out of this interrogation room. He had to get to Fiona’s side.
About fifteen minutes into their conversation, Commander Grogan returned. He immediately started in on his questioning again.
Barbara turned her shotgun gaze toward the officer. “My client is a concerned father who acted out of desperation to save his son from a dangerous criminal. We intend to cooperate fully, but we also expect his rights to be protected.”
The officer hesitated, his composure slipping. “I understand, Ms. Singer, but you have to realize the seriousness of the situation here. Mr. Stirling and his team took the law into their own hands. Two of the guns found on board the ship were licensed to his business. Can you explain that?”
Barbara frowned. “Can you explain why the father of a kidnapping victim is being subjected to a harsh interrogation while the actual villain in all of this is running through the streets of Massachusetts without nearly half as much animosity thrown in his direction?”
Grogan glanced between Jason and Barbara, realizing that the power dynamic had shifted away from him. Barbara goaded him on for a few minutes, then commented on how the press were going to react when they learned that he’d kept a man from seeing his injured son and dying wife while the El Chapo of Colombia was on the loose. Jason knew she was bluffing, because of all the things he’d demanded of her when he’d sent her a retainer was the utmost privacy in all their dealings. His business did very well without any involvement from the press. Commander Grogan, however, did not know she was bluffing.
Barbara pressed on, her voice resolute. “Our priority should be to focus on capturing Andres Porras. My client may have obtained valuable information that can lead to the arrest of Porras and dismantle his criminal network. Jason is more than willing to cooperate fully if he is accorded some decency in this matter.”
“Let me speak to my commanding officer,” Grogan said before rushing from the room. He’d underestimated her, and it was becoming increasingly evident that he didn’t fully grasp the intricacies of the situation.
“That went well. Thanks.” Jason appreciated her on his side and hoped she didn’t have to help him out of too many more jams, especially ones that involved Homeland Security.
“Give it five minutes. He’ll send an underling to release you so he can save face.”
Five minutes later, an ensign appeared, who apologized that Commander Grogan had been called to another matter. She handed Barbara and Jason a business card.
They left the harshly lit interrogation room, the weight of the world slightly lifted from their shoulders. Meaghan and Sam were waiting for them. The air outside seemed fresher, the corridors less confining, but Jason couldn’t shake the nagging worry that gnawed at him like a persistent itch. Was his family safe?
Barbara must have sensed his unease because she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I’ll drive you all to the hospital. If Fiona’s half as stubborn as you are, she’ll be fine,” she said, her voice steady and calming.
Meaghan laughed. “They’re pretty equally matched in that department.”
As they stepped outside into the bright, sun-soaked day, Jason couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of determination. The hunt for Porras had begun in earnest, but his heart was torn between locating him and rushing to Fiona’s side.
Chapter 22
Fiona’s eyes fluttered open, and the sterile white of the hospital room flooded her vision. Her head throbbed, and the pain in her leg was a constant reminder of the gunshot wound she’d sustained while trying to save Jason. She groaned, memories of the terrifying events flooding back.
“Mom?”
Fiona turned her head to see Matt sitting in a chair by her bedside. He looked different now, dressed in gray Massachusetts State Police sweatpants and sweatshirt. Her heart filled with relief at the sight of him, but her thoughts were consumed by the well-being of Jason, Meaghan and Sam.
“Are you okay?” Her voice was raspy as she reached out to touch her son’s face.
“I’m okay, Mom,” he said, taking her hand as he had when he was much smaller. “Steve took me to the police, and they were pretty cool.” He turned his head toward the door and there was Steve, leaning against the doorframe, holding a large coffee cup. He looked as weary as she felt.
“Steve,” she said, her voice low. “What’s going on? Where’s Jason? Meaghan? Sam?”
Steve walked into the room and set the coffee cup on the bedside table. “There’s a lot to tell you,” he began, taking a seat next to her. “On a good note, Jason, Sam and Meaghan are all alive.”
Fiona exhaled as though she’d been holding her breath for a year. “I’m so relieved.”
“Don’t party too soon. They were caught up in a Coast Guard mission to intercept the yacht. They arrested everyone on board. Everyone, except for Andres Porras. He escaped before anyone could stop him.”
“How could he escape in the middle of the ocean?”
“A dinghy. An expensive one with an onboard motor and enough gas to get him anywhere on Cape Cod, Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard. He’s on the loose. There’s reason to believe he’s coming after you and Matt.”
Fiona’s heart sank at the mention of Porras. He’d done so much damage to her family. And he was still out there looking for them.
“Where’s Jason now?” Fiona pressed, her fear escalating.
Steve hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Jason, Meaghan and Sam are all in custody. They were swept up in the investigation of Porras and his operation. It didn’t help that our guns were scattered across the ship.”
Fiona’s mind reeled with the news. Her husband, her friend and Sam, all in custody?
“Don’t worry. Barbara is taking care of everything,” he added.
“Barbara?”
Steve cleared his throat and nodded, understanding her confusion. “Barbara Singer is an attorney Jason hired years ago for this exact situation,” he explained. “Not this exact situation, but something close. She’s the best of the best. Intimidating as hell. I sort of feel bad for the Coast Guard officers put in charge of speaking to her.”
As Fiona held Matt’s hand, she couldn’t help but wonder where Porras was headed. It didn’t take a whole lot of brain cells to realize he was coming after Matt and her.
A nurse came inside and told Steve that visiting hours were ending. Fiona demanded that Matt get to stay, and the nurse caved for him, only him.
Steve smiled in that way that told her he had everything on his end under control or as in control as he could get it. “I’m going to find doughnuts. I’ll bring you back some.” He waved and disappeared down the hall.
Fiona had only just met Steve, but in that short time, she understood why Jason had decided to go into business with him. Cool under pressure and he seemed to have an understanding of all the chess pieces in this game. She was grateful for his help.
“Are you really okay?” Fiona asked Matt when they were alone.
He nodded. “I was worried about you and Dad, but otherwise, I’m okay.”
She loved that Matt was holding himself together, but he’d need to break down all his feelings eventually as she had after too many situations where blood stained her memories. Her first priority after everything calmed down was to find a decent therapist for him. Perhaps she could enlist her own therapist to give her a good recommendation. She’d need her own double sessions for the next few weeks to get over the immense rage bubbling up inside her.
The hospital room door swung open, and Jason rushed inside. He looked like an impossibly beautiful mess of a man. Rugged, with a steely determination etched into his features, his dark hair hanging disheveled onto his shoulders. Bruises and scrapes marred his gorgeous face.
His clothes were torn and stained with blood, evidence of the gunshot wound to his shoulder that he had miraculously survived. She’d so wanted to believe the bullet hadn’t hit anything vital, but she had no idea. That lack of knowledge shook her to her core.
Despite the physical toll, an unwavering determination had him rushing to her side.
“Fi.” His voice filled with emotion as he closed the distance between them. He enveloped her in his arms, and she clung to him as if her life depended on it.
She pulled back at the slight wince from him as she touched the wound on his shoulder. “Have you seen someone?”
“I couldn’t do anything until I saw you and Matt.” His embrace tightened, and he kissed the top of her head, his lips warm against her hair.
She looked up toward him and he kissed her lips. A kiss that reaffirmed their love and their unbreakable bond, a kiss that promised they would stay with each other and never let each other go.
