Collateral Damage (35 page)

“Doesn’t matter what we think, we don’t have a confession, and we can’t prove anything against Menendez.”

“You want her to talk? I say we isolate her from the sap who’s bought into her act. Then we get our hands on her children and we keep them from her until she spills. It might take a week or so, but she’ll cave.”

Fuck
. Jack rested his forehead against the rough shingles took several deep breaths and made his way back to Lauren. Surely he wasn’t a deluded sap?

Lauren woke to the sound of the TV and the pungent smell of pickles. She sat upright with a start, shocked that she’d given in to any sort of weakness when her children were in danger. She saw someone had bought them food, but the thought of putting anything on her churning stomach made her feel ill. Rising, she moved away from the food and headed toward the bathroom, thinking Jack must be in there washing his hands to eat.

The bathroom was empty.

The bedroom was empty.

The balcony door was open but the balcony was empty with no steps leading downward.

Her heart hammered and sank.

Surely he wouldn’t have just left without her?

When are you going to wise up about men, Lauren?
You suck when it comes to character
.

No! She almost covered her ears to shut out her thoughts.

Maybe he was in the hallway talking to the guards. She moved across the room, had her hand on the door knob then froze. If Jack had left, then she’d be the one to sound the alarm and he might get shot running way.

Gritting her teeth against the frustration and hurt, she paced across the room twice. Was Jack going to go after Matt and Mitch without her? Not that she wouldn’t want him not to go if she wasn’t with him, but dear lord, he could at least take her to Peru, let her be close so she could see her sons sooner.

If Jack could escape what was stopping her from doing so? What would be the worst that could happen? They’d catch her? They weren’t likely to shoot her, because they really thought she knew more than she was telling. Going about the room, she gathered her purse and few things she might need. The heavy cord tie-backs to the curtains might work for something. And she pocketed the mini-air freshener. They’d confiscated her mace along with her cell phone.

Outside, she determined the only way to escape was to go up first. She thanked God it was too dark to see the ground as she climbed onto the rail and searched for a hand hold. She hated heights and had to keep reminding herself that this was the only way to reach her sons. Unfortunately, that first step proved to be harder than she thought it would be; she wasn’t tall enough to gain a good grip onto the roof. Heart pounding, she wavered for a dizzying moment. Then, through the shadows, she made out the drain spout in the corner of the deck and moved her position to reach it. She wrapped a curtain tie back around the spout above the bracket anchoring the metal to the brick, stretching on her tip-toes to reach it, but soon had a decent knot and an intermediate step to the roof. It wasn’t a set up she’d trust with her whole weight for a long time, but it would do.

Seconds later she had her hips at the roof line and enough leverage to shimmy up until her toes locked against the overlapped shingles nailed around the roof’s edge.

She’d done it! Breathing heavy, she contemplated her next move, which could only be to the right or to the left. The roof was warm. The air was cool. The night was quiet. She—

A hard body slid into place next to her and a heavy hand on her back pressed her stomach against the roof.

“Don’t move.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Jack!” Lauren whispered, recognizing his scent and touch. Turning her head to see him was more than she could manage at the moment, though. “Thank God. You didn’t leave me after all. I was so—”

“Your brother, Lauren. Tell me about your brother.”

She exhaled as if punched. “Jason? He went MIA a year ago in Afghanistan.”

“Don’t forget to whisper. Why would Rash and the NCS bozo be talking about him?”

“They know something about Jason?” Hope filled Lauren and she reared up in shock and would have tumbled from the roof if Jack hadn’t anchored her by rolling his body half over hers. “Oh, God. Can we get on the ground first? I really hate heights.”

“Yet you’re on the roof.”

“Only because it’s too dark to see the ground.”

His chest heaved. Had he laughed at her?

“It’s not funny. Please. Hurry. I’ve waited so long. What did they say?”

“Only that he was MIA and wondered if he was involved with your husband’s activities.”

“No. Jason and Bill didn’t even speak to each other.” Lauren’s spark of hope fizzled.

“Rash and the SOO bastard are to the right. We’ll go left. Stay with me.”

Jack led Lauren to where the roof of the garage and its attic slanted upward, making it easier to drop to the ground. She no sooner gained her footing then Jack swung her around into the shadows and pressed a hand over her mouth as he slid his body flush to hers against the trunk of a nearby tree. She understood why when the sound of steps through leaves reached her ears.

The patrolling guard didn’t waver, but kept coming, directly at them. The sound of a zipper, a man urinating followed. Then came the gasping cry of, “What the hell—?”

The guard didn’t get the chance to say more, Jack pivoted into a crouch and swung low. The man doubled over and Lauren air-freshened his eyes with the spray from her pocket before Jack chopped the back of the man’s neck and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Lauren handed Jack two of the curtain cords from her purse. Jack cuffed and gagged the man then propped him against the tree.

For some reason after it was all over, Lauren felt as if she’d drunk wine. Her head spun and the oddest thoughts kept creeping up.

“You wouldn’t have been able to do that to a woman guard,” Lauren said after they gone a good distance from the house and were hidden by the heavy cover of thick trees.

“Why is that?”

“A woman would have held it until she was blue in the face before she’d pee in the woods. So all the easy-pee envy is misplaced. Men are more vulnerable.”

“Can’t argue with you. Dicks are usually at the root of a man’s downfall.”

“A woman’s too,” Lauren said. Jack didn’t laugh and she bit her lip, trying to stem the rising need to giggle. Her head spun more, her thoughts kept jumping crazily and her hands shook

Jack’s butt looked good. He had a great one. Well, he had a great everything too, but his butt was something. Did he know? She opened her mouth to tell him then remembered she was mad at him. He had a stubborn butt too. She decided to keep her mouth shut and doggedly followed him until they reached a barbed-wire fence about five-feet high. Her body tingled but also seemed numb. She felt so weird.

“Don’t touch the fence until I disable it,” Jack said.

She frowned at the barbed wire. “Do I look like I want to become a pin cushion?” She wavered on her feet. More than her head was spinning now.

“It’s electric,” Jack said.

“Funny. The door to door salesman said the same thing. Only his angle was you didn’t have to worry about batteries. Just plug and go.”

“Vacuum cleaners?” Jack asked.

“Vibrators,” she said. “Guess he figured he’d corner the
Desperate Housewives
market. Police nabbed him before he reached the end of the block.”

Jack laughed.

“I don’t feel so good.” Lauren’s knees gave out and she pitched forward, right toward the fence.

He leaped between her and disaster and plowed her backward. She landed on the ground, minus her breath with Jack on top.

“Jesus, are you hurt?” he asked.

She gasped for air, unable to speak just yet.

He rolled off her like lightning and began running his hands all over her.

“Are you bleeding? Did you hit your head? Damn it, Lauren, talk to me. Tell me what’s happened? I’ll never forgive my—”

Lauren shoved her fingers into his mouth. She meant to just press them to his lips, but misjudged.

Jack shut up.

She laughed, still lying on the ground, flat on her back as if she wasn’t in the middle of the worst crisis a parent could imagine. Had she lost her mind? “I don’t know what’s wrong. Ever since we fought that guard, my head keeps spinning. My body is numb and I’m shaking. I can’t think. And my thoughts are—”

Jack sucked on her fingers as he pulled them out of his mouth, sending a white hot pulse of pleasure though her. She may have felt it, but she definitely wasn’t dead. Not by a long shot. He leaned over her and planted his mouth on hers. He kissed her hard. Mouth to mouth, chest to chest, tongue to tongue.

Before she could assimilate that, he jerked away from her and went digging into his pockets. He came up with a peppermint and a mangled piece of gum.

“Sorry. I couldn’t stop myself. Next time you want to discuss dicks and vibrators, don’t do it after an adrenaline rush, okay. Eat the mint and chew on the gum until we can get you some food. The adrenaline bottomed out your blood sugar. You haven’t eaten since yesterday and you’ve put nothing but coffee in your system all day.”

Jack’s kiss had left her heart pounding, her lungs breathless, and her mind doing summersaults. Somehow she couldn’t blame all of it on adrenaline. The funny thing about it, she was still angry and pissed over this morning, but none of that seemed to be important at the moment. He was with her and they were escaping and they were going to save her sons. That’s all that mattered.

Jack had the taxi drop him and Lauren off a block before Beck’s house. He didn’t think anyone other than Beck would be here waiting for him, but he wasn’t taking any chances. The escape from the NCS hideaway had been just too damn easy. He got the fact that the place had been a last minute thing. He got the fact that he and Lauren weren’t hardened criminals, but still. It shouldn’t have been that easy.

After he had disabled the electric fence, they followed the tree line to the neighbor’s house and had them call a taxi, saying their car broke down on the street. Within fifteen minutes they’d hit a fast food restaurant for food, which was consumed in minutes, and were on their way to Beck’s house.

Jack’s inner gut was sending him warning signs again. What was he missing with the NCS set up? He finally had to put the puzzle aside, knowing that whatever was off just might come around and bite him in the ass much like what was off at Gardner’s nearly put a bullet through his head. He had other things to worry about now.

Like could he still count on Beck?

Jack took Lauren the back way, through the wooded lots to approach Beck’s house from the rear. He cleared the trees enough to see the silhouette of Beck’s back porch and noted that all of the lights in the house were off. There didn’t seem to be a creature stirring anywhere—

“About time you showed up, DT.”

Jack whipped around and grinned to see Beck, gun in hand and ready for battle, a streak of war paint on his cheeks and his long black hair loose. Jack smacked Beck’s shoulder. “You aren’t human, you SOB. Smoke makes more noise that you do.”

“It’s been a long afternoon.” Beck bear hugged Jack’s neck, nearly choking him, making Jack feel really good. Beck was back. Jack could sense it.

“Sorry for the delay.” Jack registered the fact that Beck had immediately prepared for an emergency and had been waiting outside for Jack to show since Jack’s message earlier. “I hadn’t realized it would take as long as it did to escape the NCS’s clutches. The interrogation went on and on.”

“Escape the Company? Is she?”

“An operative? No. Lauren Collins. Meet Beck Walker, a direct descendent of Ghost Walker, a Native American legendary tracker who moved like a phantom in the night.”

Lauren shook Beck’s hand. “Descendent or reincarnation?”

“Both.” Beck smiled.

“How long have you been behind us?” Jack asked.

“Since you came onto the property. Had to make sure the lady was friendly. It’s not like you to bring company.”

“Long story you won’t believe.”

“Can’t be too long. You’ve only been out of Reed three days. I stopped—” Beck motioned for silence and to get down. He pivoted as he crouched, his Beretta in hand.

Jack pulled Lauren down beside him, as he pressed a finger to her lips.

“Someone’s coming. Stay here.” Beck moved away without a sound. A few minutes later, Jack heard Commander Weston’s voice.

“Damn it, Beck. This isn’t necessary.”

Weston soon appeared, moving their way in the dark, his hands held up. It took Jack a second to realize Beck was moving Weston this way at gunpoint.

“What the hell are you doing, Beck?” Jack demanded.

“Watching your back.” Beck shoved Commander Weston forward, the moment became surreal. Beck had Weston at gunpoint?
Jesus
. Jack had never heard Beck this angry, nor had Weston ever looked so grim.

Weston seemed to have aged a decade in the past few hours, his face appeared drawn and haggard.

“Whatever is going on, the gun isn’t necessary. Can it now,” Jack said.

“You don’t know all of the facts. And I bet he’s here to turn you in,” Beck said. Still he eased his Beretta back, and moved to Jack’s side to face Weston.

Weston lowered his hands. “Rashid called General Dekker. I figured you’d come here.”

“So you’ve led them a merry trail right to him?” Beck interjected.

“Actually, Holly Gear is in my car leading them a merry trail to nowhere. No one followed me here. I made sure of it.”

“I believe him.” Jack shifted his gaze from Weston to Beck. The tension between them was so thick that Jack doubted even a machete could hack through it. What was up? “We’ll talk about the NCS and why I’m here in a minute. First things first.” Jack met Weston’s gaze. “I couldn’t believe the CNN report. Glad your ass is intact, Commander.”

“Damn. Was my name mentioned?”

“No. I recognized you though. Was it the psycho after Mari?”

“Yes.”

“What’s this?” Beck asked.

Weston didn’t say anything and Jack filled the void. “The commander spent the afternoon trapped in Neil’s house with a couple of bombs. Mari was attacked the other day at a convenience store. Hit the wrong person with the door because she was crying too hard to see and he came after her. She locked herself in the bathroom and called 911. The man left, but threatened to kill her. She spent the night in the hospital. The man’s name is Frank Dugar. Mental case with ties to the Viper Militia in Washington state.”