A Silverhill Christmas (13 page)

He turned with an inward groan, digging deep for that professionalism he'd just promised himself. He gripped the handle of the coffeepot and poured himself a cup, the robust smell of the fresh brew like a slap in the face. “Coffee?”

“Sure.” She ripped open a granola bar and broke off a piece. “Can we review the game plan once more?”

“We meet Ted at the marina and he'll take us by boat to the bay around the tip from Alexi's place. We take
the Zodiac into the water and motor around the point. Then row to the shore beneath the compound. And then here's where it gets tricky.” He slurped a sip of coffee letting it pool on his tongue before swallowing it. “We climb up the side of that cliff and haul ourselves onto the property.”

“And if anyone's patrolling the lawn, we shoot him with the dart guns.”

“Right. Save the real bullets for when your life is in danger.”

“Or for when
your
life is in danger.” She arched a brow at him before spearing a slice of papaya.

“Yeah, that, too.” He'd feel a lot better if Tori manned the boat and Ted came with him on the mission, but she refused to be left behind. “Then we climb up to the balcony of that playroom, break in and slip into Max's room.”

“Are you sure you can get Max down that cliff on your back?” She dropped the fork and crumbled the granola bar between her fingers.

“I've rescued full-grown men this way before. I can handle a four-year-old boy.”

Tori's gaze wandered across the breadth of his shoulders and skimmed down the length of his arms as if asses sing his strength to carry out the deed. Seemed as if she'd switched gears into work mode, but her gaze still felt like a caress to him.

Shaking his head, Rio took another gulp of coffee, which scalded his throat, punishing him for the way his body reacted to her every glance.

He cleared his throat and said more gruffly than he intended, “Ted's waiting.”

 

B
Y THE TIME THEY REACHED
the marina, Tori's disgust with all men had her finger itching to pull the trigger on her dart gun and take out the whole lot of them.

How dare Rio make love to her like he did last night and then treat her like a fellow agent tonight? She sucked in her breath. Idiot.

That's what you are.

Rio's kisses mucked up her mind, scrambled her senses—not the prime condition for a daring rescue. At least he had his focus in the right place

They pulled up to the slip where a powerful boat bobbed in the water. The man on deck waved and hopped onto the boat ramp.

Rio formally introduced her to Ted, who had been present at the raid the night before. He looked her up and down with raised brows. “Are you sure you don't want to trade places? I'll anchor the boat. All you have to do is float.”

Tori dug her hands into her hips. “Max is my son. He'd be terrified if two strangers attempted to abduct him in the middle of the night. His screams would bring a cadre of security down on your heads in a matter of seconds.”

“We could always sedate him.”

Tori shot a look at Ted filled with venom, and he backed up, glancing at Rio. “Just a thought.”

“It's a dumb thought.” She brushed past him and jumped onto the deck of the boat. The men murmured be hind her and then joined her on deck.

Ted yanked the throttle on the boat, and the big motor churned the water in the slip. Rio pulled a black stocking cap out of his pocket and thrust it into her hands. “Put this on.”

Tori pulled the cap over her head and stuffed her hair inside while Rio rummaged through his pack. He held up a small silver disc and unscrewed the lid.

“Let me smear some of this on your face. More than anything, a white face shines in the dark.”

Tori closed her eyes, and the rough pads of Rio's fingers, smudged with a greasy substance, swept across her nose and cheeks. He crossed a T on her face, rubbing the black grease into her chin and forehead. He touched his finger to her nose. “You'll be fine.”

She patted the weapon in her pocket. “I know.”

When they got to the bay around the corner from the one beneath Alexi's estate, Ted cut the engine of the boat. Clouds obscured the moon, and the white caps peaked across the dark ocean. They hauled the Zodiac over the side of the powerboat and Rio and Ted exchanged last minute assurances and instructions.

Tori clambered off the boat and dropped into the Zodiac on silent feet. Rio followed, and the inflatable dipped under his weight. He gunned the outboard motor and maneuvered around the rocky point. Once on the other side, he cut the engine, and Tori picked up her oar to paddle toward the rocky coast. No boats patrolled the coast, and Alexi's lookouts would have a hard time spotting the Zodiac on this moonless night.

They hit the shore and dragged the boat onto the sliver of beach littered with pebbles from the cliffs that shot up at a sheer angle. Licking her lips, Tori rubbed her palms on her jeans.

“You ready?” Rio tossed her a pair of gloves.

She nodded and yanked on the gloves, wiggling her fingers into the ends. She grabbed Rio's arm as he slung his pack onto his back. “I-if anything happens to me tonight, don't stop. Get Max out and take him to Silverhill. My brother's there and the McClintocks will keep Max safe.”

Rio compressed his lips, his jaw tightening. “Nothing's
going to happen to you or Max tonight. I'll make sure of it. You go first.”

She stowed her weapons in her small pack and inserted the toe of her rock shoe into the first foothold. Did Rio think he was in some kind of competition with his brothers? She wasn't above using that knowledge to get him to be her bodyguard and see her safely to Silverhill. Sure, she wanted his protection, but she wanted a whole lot more from him. He just didn't seem willing to deliver.

Her foot slipped and she gasped, dangling from the scrubby bush she clutched in her hands.

Gloved fingers wrapped around her ankle and placed her boot on a secure ledge. “You're almost there. When you get to the top, grab on to the branches of the bushes where they're overhanging and pull.”

A trickle of sweat skidded down her back as she eyed the jagged precipice above her. Her shoulders and calves burned, but she pushed herself forward. A clump of bushes loomed almost over her head and she reached up and planted her hands in their interior branches. A few sharp twigs stabbed her through her long-sleeved black T-shirt, but she ignored the pain and hoisted herself up.

“Do you have a grip on the branches?”

“Yes,” Tori hissed through clenched teeth.

She felt Rio's hand wedge against her bottom, shoving her up toward the ledge. With her lungs bursting, she dug her knee into the dirt at the top and flung herself into the bushes.

She immediately spun around, reaching for Rio. He grabbed on to the same bush, and Tori bunched her hands into his T-shirt to yank him over.

They panted beside each other for several seconds,
and then Rio coiled his body into a crouching position. “Get your dart gun ready. We're going to run across the lawn toward the patio. Stay close behind me to condense our movement.”

Tori pulled the dart gun from her bag and gripped it in her hand. She squatted in a ready position, like she was in the blocks for a fifty-yard dash. Her leg pressed against Rio's taut thigh muscles. The man reverberated power and purpose. She just hoped a little reverberated her way so her knees wouldn't crumple when she started to run.

Rio eased up and pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Don't stop for any reason. We're leaving here with your son.”

Closing her eyes, Tori pressed her palm against her galloping heart. “I'm ready.”

Rio lunged forward out of the bushes, and adrenaline zinged through Tori's veins as she followed in his wake. The wet grass squished beneath the soft rubber soles of her rock boots and the sound rang in her ears like a fire alarm. Ten more yards to the darkened patio before they started the next perilous phase up to the balcony.

Panting more from fear than exertion, Tori clamped her teeth to bite down on the sound of her gasping. The form in front of her stopped. Rio had reached the patio.

Tori kept her gaze pinned to his dark shadow as she sprinted the last few steps. Then a voice growled to her left, “Take one more step and I'll blow your head off.”

A sob ripped from Tori's throat, but before she could even swing her dart gun in the direction of the voice, she heard the smack of a hand against skin, a grunt and a thud. She tripped, and her knee hit the edge of the tiled patio.

Rio hitched his hands beneath her arms, lifting her back onto her feet. He whispered, “Help me drag him to the bushes.”

She spun around, her gaze picking out a body crumpled in a heap. Rio grabbed the man's arms, and Tori picked up his feet. They stuffed him under the thick foliage that ringed the patio. Rio reached over and yanked the dart from the side of the man's neck.

She opened her mouth, but Rio put a finger to his lips. He dug into his pack and pulled out a rope attached to a heavy rubber anchor. Looking both ways, he stepped back into the yard and swung the rope over his head. He found his target with a soft thud and yanked on the now-taut rope.

He may have objected when she called him
cowboy,
but he had just about the best lassoing form Tori had ever seen.

He motioned her toward the rope, and she crept forward, flexing her fingers still encased in the thin rock-
climbing gloves. She grabbed the rope with both hands and tugged. Rio hoisted her from below, and she shimmied up the rope, hand over hand.

She hoisted herself over the balcony's edge and dropped to the tile below, her knee throbbing with each movement. She crouched in the corner, waiting for Rio, her eyes glued to the sliding glass door to the playroom.
So close.

Rio materialized next to her, and his stealthy appearance startled her. The man moved like a jungle cat.

He swiftly coiled the rope and withdrew the next handy spy tool from his backpack. That pack resembled a magician's bag of tricks…Tori was waiting for the rabbit.

The glass-cutting tool in Rio's hand glinted in the darkness and Tori gasped. She sprang forward and grabbed Rio's forearm. “What if this door is wired for an alarm?”

“It's not.” He scraped out a square with the blade. “I checked it out during the party.”

Rio reached through the hole he punched out in the glass and flicked the lock. Then he etched out a similar one at the bottom of the door and released another lock.

Tori held her breath as the door whispered open. She jerked her thumb toward the connecting door to Max's bedroom. Rio slid through the door first, his weapon ready.

With her mouth dry, Tori edged into Max's room half expecting him to be gone from his bed. Warm relief washed through her body when she saw his tousled hair on the pillow. After the rigid tenseness of her muscles the past hour, she felt as if she'd melt, so she grabbed the doorjamb for support.

Rio shot her a quick glance beneath furrowed brows. “What's wrong?”

She shook her head and inched into the room. Her gaze darted toward the closed bedroom door as she tiptoed toward Max's bed. Even though the CIA had Ivan safely locked up, Tori knew another willing minion stood sentry in the hallway. One peep from Max and the guard would be through the door like a shot.

Tori crouched by the bed and squeezed Max's shoulder. “Sweetie, Mommy's here.”

Max snuffled and rolled to his side.

Tori swept the hair from his eyes and kissed his sleep-warmed cheek. “Max. Wake up.”

He stirred and blinked his eyes, which widened in horror. Tori's stomach flip-flopped. If she had to clap her hand over Max's mouth to keep him quiet, a little piece of her heart would dry up and blow away.

As Max's mouth yawned open, Rio rustled behind her and snatched off her cap. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders, and Max's gaping mouth snapped shut. With his eyes still taking up half his face, Max whispered, “Mommy?”

“Shh.” She put her finger to her lips and smiled. “We're playing a game. You're going to come out and play with me tonight.”

Max scrambled to a sitting position and pointed a finger at Rio. “Who's he?”

“He's my friend. He's going to play, too. Are you ready?” She frowned when she saw Max's lightweight pajamas. “We have to get him some warmer clothes.”

“No time. I have a jacket for him and there are blankets on the boat.”

Tori scooped up Max in her arms and froze. Two voices murmured outside the door. Rio gave her a shove
toward the playroom and gestured toward Max's bed. He then took the pillows and stuffed them beneath the covers. From the door, it would look like the sleeping form of a child.

Clutching Max to her chest, Tori rushed into the playroom. Rio joined her at the sliding door. He hooked the anchor along the edge of the balcony and threw the rope over the side. “Can he slide down?”

“If you're at the bottom to catch him.”

“I want you out of here first.”

She clutched Rio's arm. Even if she didn't escape, she wanted Max out. “You need to be at the bottom in case he falls.”

He sucked in the side of his cheek. “You'd better be right behind us.”

Rio disappeared over the side of the balcony, and Max shrieked, “Where'd he go?”

“Shush. This is a quiet game. He climbed down a rope. Do you want to try? It's just like the pirate ship at the park.”

Max nodded, his eyes shining. Thank God she had an adventurous boy.

Tori peered over the side at Rio waiting below, his arms outstretched. She lifted Max over the side and folded her hands over his on the rope. “Hang on and shimmy down. My friend will be at the bottom and he'll catch you if you fall.”

Max snorted. “I'm not going to fall.”

Tori scooted him down the rope and, with her heart racing, watched the top of his head as he descended. Rio caught him off the dangling end and gave Tori a thumbs-up sign.

She hoisted herself over the side and slid down without gaining a firm grip. As her right hand flew off the
rope, she tightened her grasp with her left, hanging to the side like a trapeze artist. Max yelped below her.

She found the rope with her right hand again and continued her descent. Rio's hands curled around her waist when she hit the bottom. “I thought I was going to have to catch
you
there for a minute.”

She giggled. Her body was so wound up, if they didn't get off of this compound soon she could probably twirl off on her own without the helicopter.

Rio dug into his magic pack once again and pulled out the harness. Tori dreaded this the most. She helped Rio secure the harness around his shoulders and buckled the straps in the back.

He knelt down next to Max. “Hi, Max. I'm Rio. I'm going to carry you across the lawn and then you're going to climb onto my back. Does that sound like fun?”

Max's lower lip jutted forward. “I'm not a baby. I don't need to be carried.”

Rio patted him on the back. “I know that, dude, but it's part of the game.”

Max narrowed his eyes, but Rio didn't give him any time to think about it. He hoisted him in his arms, crushing him against his body. Then he hunched forward and took off toward the cliff.

Tori followed closely, her gun clutched in her hand. If anyone tried to take Max from Rio now, she'd have no problem shooting to kill.

They reached the cliff, and Rio set Max on the ground. “Now here's the really cool part. You're going to be strapped on to my back as we climb down this cliff. I know you're a big boy and you can handle that.”

Max licked his lips, his gaze darting over the edge of the cliff and back to Rio.

The rope they'd tagged up the side of the hill would
make climbing down a lot easier than the journey up, but Tori's heart galloped in her chest anyway. She lifted Max and fed his legs through the straps in the harness. When she snapped the last buckle, floodlights from the house began sweeping the lawn.

Fear spiraled down her spine. “Rio, the lights.”

“I guess we wore out our welcome. Get moving, princess.”

She grabbed the rope and shimmied over the side on her belly. Rio immediately followed, Max strapped to his back. Over the roar of the ocean below her, Tori heard shouts. Had they discovered Max was missing already? She'd been hoping for a head start.

Tori rappelled smoothly down the side of the cliff as she kept her eye on Max. Although the harness held him securely, he had his arms wound around Rio's neck.

Tori sobbed with relief as her feet hit the rocks of the beach. The Zodiac waited like a refuge. Rio landed beside her, and, with shaking hands, Tori unhitched the harness.

A grin spread across Max's pale face. “That was fun. Can we do it again?”

“Maybe another time.” Rio gave Max a high five. “Now it's time for the boat, and I know you can handle that.”

Max clambered into the Zodiac and Rio whipped a jacket out of his backpack. “Put this on.”

Tori helped Max into the big windbreaker and fastened a life vest around him. Then she and Rio shoved the Zodiac into the water. A small wave bumped the side and sprayed Tori's face. She licked the salt water from her lips and grabbed an oar.

They rowed into the bay toward the point. Tori panted as she struggled against the choppy water. Then she
gulped as she noticed lights bouncing along the edge of the cliff where they'd gone over.

She nudged Rio's arm where his muscles bunched with the effort of paddling and pointed. “They found our exit.”

He shrugged and wiped the sweat from his brow. “They can follow, but they have no boat waiting for them and half of them don't look capable of rappelling down the side of a craggy cliff. You did great, by the way. I'm impressed.”

Despite herself, Tori felt a warm glow suffuse her face. “When you grow up in the Rocky Mountains, a few volcanic cliffs aren't going to faze…”

She cut off her words, wishing she'd bitten her tongue. Every time she mentioned Silverhill, Rio's face grew tight. She studied his features, but he just smiled.

“Your son must've inherited that from you because he didn't make a peep on the way down.”

Tori jumped as the sound of a gunshot echoed across the bay. She hissed, “They're shooting at us.”

Rio glanced at Max shivering in the corner of the boat. “I think they're just shooting. I doubt they can see the Zodiac. Hey, dude, why don't you scrunch down in the corner a little more? You'll be warmer.”

Max wiggled into the corner, and Tori reached over and folded the collar of the jacket to secure it around Max's neck. “You're doing great, Max.”

As the Zodiac reached the point of the jetty that divided the two bays, Rio flicked on his flashlight twice in quick succession. He waited several seconds and repeated the code. The engine of the powerboat roared to life and the headlight beamed across the water.

“Ted is closer than I expected.” Rio gunned the motor
of the Zodiac and maneuvered toward the powerboat bearing down on them.

A flutter of fear wafted through Tori's chest. What if Ted wasn't on the powerboat? What if Alexi's men had already discovered him?

The powerboat slowed as it edged near the Zodiac, the engine a low rumble. As the boat turned, its wake lifted the Zodiac, and Rio cut the engine.

Ted rushed to the side, and Tori felt dizzy with relief. Then she saw his face.

“They're on their way. Did you get caught up there?”

Rio hauled a protesting Max over his shoulder and fed him up to Ted. “Yeah, they either discovered Max was gone or they found the guy in the bushes. They must've radioed ahead to the boat.”

He swept up Tori in his arms and swung her over the side of the powerboat. “You and Max stay down. We've got ourselves a boat race.”

Max whined. “Mommy.”

“It's okay, sweetie. It's just a game.” She dragged a blanket from a locker at the end of the boat and wrapped Max in its musty folds. She hunched in the corner, her body shielding Max from the cool ocean breeze…and anything else that came their way.

Ted revved the engine of the boat and shot out into the open ocean. A few minutes later the whine of another engine echoed across the water.

A sharp crack pierced through the roar of the dueling engines. Rio stretched out on the deck and cocked his weapon over the side. He fired back as Ted put the boat into overdrive.

Tori squeezed Max with one arm as she pulled her weapon out with her other hand. They'd have to get through her to take Max.

The thwacking sound of a helicopter passed above, but Ted waved him off. He yelled to Rio, “I don't want the chopper to get hit. We'll need to deal with these guys before Derrick can position the bird.”

Rio scrambled to the other side of the boat. “Light 'em up.”

Ted swung the big search light on the boat toward the oncoming sound of the engine. The strong beam picked out Alexi's powerboat slicing through the water. Rio discarded his handgun for a semiautomatic rifle. He jumped up on the deck and sprayed the side of the other boat while a hail of bullets shot back at them.

Tori screamed, “Rio, get down!”

A small explosion boomed in the water, and curses and screams filled the air. Rio collapsed to the deck. “I hit their gas tank. Fire it up, Ted, and signal Derrick.”

The boat lurched forward, and they left the acrid smell of smoke behind. By the time Alexi got another boat after them, they'd be in the helicopter. Tori slumped, her breath harsh in her throat.

She smoothed Max's hair back from his clammy fore head as he whimpered. She cooed, “It's okay. We're going for a ride in a helicopter next.”

She shifted her gaze to Rio, still lying on the deck. He must have been exhausted. “Are you okay, Rio?”

He didn't respond. Tori's breath hitched in her throat as she shifted Max from her lap. “Rio?”

Scrambling to her hands and knees, Tori crawled to Rio's still form. His spiky, dark lashes lay on his cheeks, his breath ragged and short. “Oh, my God, Ted. I think Rio's been hit.”

“Hang on.” Ted aimed the spotlight into the night sky to signal the chopper and then cut the engine and began to fumble with the anchor.