Deadly Echoes (25 page)

“I should look at your dressing while we have some time. I didn't respond to her accusation. All I said to her was that you still
loved her.” Erica rose from her seat and straddled Donovan, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently on the lips as she began to unbutton his shirt. “You sit still, I'll do the work.”

Donovan felt the
da Vinci
rock to a stop inside the hangar. He listened as the line crew put chocks under the wheels and then unhooked the tug.

Erica opened his shirt and carefully eased the fabric over his shoulder.

“How are you going to see my arm?” Donovan said as the hangar doors slammed shut, leaving it almost completely dark inside the
da Vinci.

“I'll check it afterward.”

“We're not doing this right now.”

“We've got some time to kill. Sit back and relax.” Erica pulled her sweater over her head, her hair tumbling down onto her shoulders. She reached around to unfasten her bra, but Donovan put his hands over hers to stop her.

“What's wrong?” Erica leaned closer and brushed his lips with hers.

“You like to initiate sex when you can control what happens, like it's your prize and no one else's.”

Erica exhaled, pushed away from him, found her sweater, and stood in the aisle, getting dressed.

Donovan buttoned his shirt and stood. “You don't get told no very often, do you?”

“I get it, the proximity to your wife and all,” Erica said as she put her hair back into a ponytail. “Either that or you're the most arrogant man I've ever met.”

“I'll take that as a no.” Donovan went forward to the cockpit and scanned the hangar, carefully looking at each of the other planes for any sign of activity. After several minutes, he decided they were alone. He threw the handle on the air-stair. It unfolded and slowly extended to the ground. Wordlessly, Erica set their luggage near the door. Donovan grabbed their overnighters and
carried them down to the hangar floor. The Gulfstream was parked in the corner. The door Buck told him to use was directly behind the tail.

Erica was standing in the doorway, and as Donovan slid past, he said, “I'm going to take the luggage out to the rental car. I'll be back in a minute for the rest of our things, then we'll close up the plane.” Without waiting for a reply, he walked the short distance to the door that led outside. He stood there for a moment, squinting against the sudden brightness. He unlocked the Explorer, tossed their bags into the backseat, and then closed the door. A reflection in the window glass told him there was a woman standing behind him. Before Donovan could turn around, he took a powerful blow to his right kidney that dropped him to one knee. A kick in the back drove him into the cold metal of the Explorer and toppled him over onto his side. He looked up into a gun barrel that was pointed at his forehead. Beyond the muzzle was an attractive woman in blue jeans, boots, and a photographer's vest. She had long, reddish hair, and when she removed her sunglasses, he found dark lethal eyes and a superior grin. Even with the wig, he knew it was Nikolett Kovarik.

“Hello, Robert. Garrick sends his regards.”

Donovan could taste blood in his mouth and he spat on the pavement as his greeting.

“I read about your adventures in British Columbia and Washington. You came close to being caught, didn't you? That would have been embarrassing. Who are you traveling with?”

“No one,” Donovan said.

“Don't lie to me, Robert. You just put two bags in the backseat. One has a pink ribbon on the handle.”

“How did you find me?” Donovan tried to stall. He knew the longer he was gone, the more impatient Erica would become until she burst out of the door. The moment Nikolett turned away, Donovan would make his play.

“You do know it's relatively easy to track an airplane's movements if you know the registration number. I saw that the plane
stopped in Seattle, which is in the general vicinity of where you've been. I've been here for a while, watched your security guy move cars around, and when you didn't get off the plane with your wife, I knew where you'd be eventually. Now get up.” Nikolett gestured with the barrel of her gun. “Garrick doesn't want me to kill you, but I have significant latitude in how much pain I can inflict.”

Donovan had no doubt that she was dangerous with or without her pistol. He rose to his feet and fought off the unsteady feeling in his legs from the attack. She stepped aside to allow Donovan a clear path to the door into the hangar.

“I'm right behind you. Do anything stupid, I'll put a bullet in your good leg.”

As Donovan hobbled to the door, the entire right side of his torso felt battered. He pulled it open, hoping Erica would see Nikolett and react, instead of blindly arriving at her own murder. The darkness made vision impossible for a few seconds. As his eyes adjusted, he heard Erica moving to his right, and his expectations plummeted.

“Where have you been?” Erica called out. “I was about to come and find you.”

Without hesitation Donovan planted his left foot to make his move, but with martial arts precision, Nikolett delivered a vicious blow to his ribs that rendered him speechless. As hard as he tried, he couldn't find any air in his lungs as he crumpled to the hangar floor.

“Donovan!” Erica called out as she ran closer.

When Erica was ten paces away, she spotted Nikolett. Donovan could do nothing but watch as she abruptly stopped, unsure what to do.

“Don't move,” Nikolett aggressively closed the distance, leading with the barrel of her pistol and freezing Erica until the muzzle was three feet away from Erica's forehead. Nikolett studied Erica's face until the recognition registered, and then in a blur of motion, she threw a single jab to Erica's throat. The blow stunned Erica, dropping her to both knees, a look of painful resignation on her
face. Nikolett threw two more punches and crumpled Erica onto her back.

Erica raised herself up on one elbow, leaned over, and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the hangar floor. Donovan winced as she gagged and choked in the process, her groans of agony echoing through the rafters.

“That will pass, as will the inability to talk. Focus on breathing,” Nikolett said. She turned to Donovan. “I'm suddenly starting to understand a great many things. Erica somehow survived the business at the clinic, found you, and is the new object of your affection. You and your wife are separated. It's why she and your daughter were living in Paris. Have you told Erica who you are?”

“She doesn't need to know,” Donovan said.

“Oh, but I think she does.” Nikolett turned to Erica. “I'd like to introduce you to the world famous billionaire, Robert Huntington, the man who killed Meredith Barnes.”

Donovan's eyes found Erica's, her face clouded with confusion as she processed what she'd heard.

Erica spoke first, her voice raspy and forced. “Is it true?”

“Yes.”

“Does your wife know?”

“It's why she left me.”

“I won't,” Erica replied, her eyes wide and unblinking.

Donovan was caught off guard by the intensity of Erica's words. Was she acting? Was it for Nikolett's benefit or an admission about how she really felt?

“Oh, you're leaving him.” Nikolett pulled a snap-tie from one of the many pockets in her vest, pointed the gun at Erica's face, and ordered her to roll over and put her hands behind her back. Erica complied, and the tie was looped around her wrists and pulled snug. “The fact that you're alive is an oversight on my part. I assumed that the young blond your Viktor was with at the time he died was you. I was wrong. Obviously, you'd already been replaced. It was not a big loss. When I seduced the doctor, I found him to be a piggish, selfish lover.”

“You bitch,” Erica gurgled.

“The people who tried to kill us in California,” Donovan asked. “Was that you?”

“No. You've obviously made many enemies in the last few days,” Nikolett replied. “Your turn, roll over.”

On his stomach, with Nikolett's knee planted in the small of his back, Donovan made eye contact with Erica and found nothing but resignation mixed with fear.

“Up!” Nikolett ordered and forced Donovan to his knees, then finally to his feet by pulling on the snap-tie fastened securely around his wrists. With the gun pressed into his back, she marched him up the stairs of the
da Vinci
and prodded him to the rear of the plane where she sat him down at one of the science stations. Using two more snap-ties she secured him to the chair.

“Someone will come along eventually.” Nikolett stepped away from him. “Until then, imagine what we're doing to Erica.”

The moment Nikolett left, Donovan struggled against his restraints until his wrists were raw. His phone began ringing, but there was no way to answer. As hard as he'd tried, he couldn't get free. His only hope was someone would finally come into the hangar.

He was still trying to process what Erica had said to him. Either she'd thrown up a smokescreen to get Nikolett to forget about Lauren, or she'd meant the words she'd said. She was convincing enough that he didn't know what she'd intended. The more urgent problem was that Erica was there while Buck had given them the hotel and room number where Lauren was staying. He had no doubt that Nikolett was adept at extracting information. At the thought of either Lauren or Erica being hurt, the blind anger at his helplessness gave way to another massive effort to pull free, ending in pain and the warm trickle of blood oozing down his hands.

Donovan thought he heard the sound of a door being opened in the hangar. He controlled his breathing and listened.

“Donovan!” a voice called out.

Michael's voice, Donovan felt an immense relief wash over him
as he yelled as loud as he could. “In here! Michael, I'm in the airplane!” His shouts were rewarded by the unmistakable sound of footsteps hurrying up the air-stair. Michael and someone else he'd never seen rushed to the back of the plane. Michael opened a compartment, pulled out a small tool kit, then knelt to get at Donovan's wrists. The other man opened his windbreaker, drew his weapon, and moved to the door of the
da Vinci.

“Who's your friend?”

“Jason. Buck hired him. He's ex-Special Forces.”

“How long since we landed?” Donovan asked.

“Almost two hours. What in the hell happened?” Michael asked as he snipped the restraints from Donovan's wrists.

“Nikolett, the woman who tried to kill Lauren in Paris, she was here. She kidnapped Erica.” Donovan pulled out his cell phone, ignored his bloody fingers, and dialed Lauren's cell.

“Where are you?” Lauren said as she answered. “Michael's looking for you.”

“He just found me. Nikolett was here. She took Erica. Find Buck and tell him you're in danger.”

“I'm with Buck now. Hang on. I'm handing him the phone.”

“Donovan, where are you? Are Michael and Jason with you?”

“They're here, so was Nikolett. She took Erica, so she probably knows where you are.”

“We're on the move now!” Buck shot back. “We'll call you later with a rendezvous point. Tell Jason backup is en route, but for the time being get the hell out of there.”

“What did they say?” Michael asked.

“Jason!” Donovan called out. “I just spoke with Buck. He says backup is on the way, but that we're supposed to get out of here!”

“Roger, sir. That means we need to move. Now! How bad are your injuries? Can you walk?”

“I'm fine.” Donovan winced as he stood and hobbled toward the door.

Jason motioned him to wait. “Stay here until I reach the door and check the parking lot. Buck tells me you might be armed.”

On the floor next to one of the VIP seats, was Donovan's briefcase, as well as Erica's shoulder bag. Donovan crouched and retrieved the pistol. “I am now.”

“If we're threatened, we shoot until the threat no longer exists.”

“You have a gun?” Michael looked at Donovan as if seeing him for the first time. “Since when do you carry a gun? We're Eco-Watch, we save stuff, we don't shoot people.”

“We do both now.” Donovan watched as Jason opened the door and surveyed the parking lot. Judging it safe, he motioned for the two of them to leave the safety of the Gulfstream. Donovan let Michael go first. He grabbed Erica's bag and his briefcase and followed. Michael quickly shut and locked the
da Vinci's
door. Then the two of them hurried toward Jason.

“I'll get in the SUV and pull around to create a barricade,” Jason said. “Once I'm in position, you both get in on this side. I want the two of you in the seats behind me. Strap in, and stay low, because we're leaving here like we're on fire.”

“Where's Dr. McKenna?” Donovan asked as another SUV swung in behind them.

“She's in transit to the same location.” Jason half turned as he spoke. “They're five minutes ahead of us. The SUV behind us is our backup. They'll escort us all the way to the safe house.”

“I feel like I just sat down in the middle of a movie and I have no clue what's going on,” Michael said. “Tell me exactly why you were in Seattle. How did you get there? How did you get hurt and who in the hell is Erica and why was she kidnapped?”

“It's complicated,” Donovan said to buy himself some time to think. He knew Michael wasn't going to rest until he had answers, and the moment they were at the safe house, Buck and Lauren would be asking the exact same questions. He needed a story that would stand up to everyone's scrutiny.

“I'm up for complicated,” Michael said. “I'm a pretty bright guy—try me.”

“Erica reached out to us through headquarters while we were in Orange County. Turns out she has information about who is behind everything that's been happening. Lauren ran some things past her contacts in the CIA, Erica seemed legitimate, and the evidence we needed was in Seattle.”