Ransom (10 page)

She knelt and prayed this would end today. That Blake and his team would successfully bring Santini and his thugs to justice while rescuing her sister. And then she wouldn't see Blake again. A curious emptiness filled her. It would be hard to say goodbye to the handsome agent. Only because they'd been in such close proximity these past few days. She'd get used to not having him around quick enough. Wouldn't she?

A light knock on the door brought her to her feet. She opened the door to find Blake on the other side. He'd shaved, his smooth jaw even more enticing than his stubbled one had been last night. She breathed in his woodsy aftershave, imprinting the scent on her brain. His dark hair was blow-dried into a tousled look that worked on him. He was dressed in a white snowsuit.

Her white knight off to rescue her sister.

“Good morning.” His deep voice wrapped around her like a comfortable blanket.

“Good morning.” She managed to keep her voice even and not betray the inner flutter of attraction that always hovered at the edges of her consciousness. “I see you're ready to go after Santini.”

“Yes. We're heading out,” he replied in a measured tone as if he were afraid she'd demand to accompany them.

She did want to go but understood that she'd be more of a hindrance than a help. She needed him focused on Jillian. She saw the validity in his view that she could be a potential distraction. “I pray you succeed.”

“We will.” His confidence was reassuring. “Officer Fordham of the Niagara Regional Police is here to keep you company.”

She appreciated his attempt to soften the fact that the officer was there to guard her. Or was it to keep her from leaving?

“Where's the necklace?” she asked.

“In a safe place.”

He didn't trust her with it? “You'll let me know the minute you have Jillian?”

“Of course.” He cupped her cheek, his hand warm against her skin. “Trust me, Liz. We'll bring your sister back safely.”

“From your lips to God's ears,” she murmured, relishing his touch. When his hand dropped away, she almost whimpered. How long had it been since she'd allowed anyone close enough to touch her so tenderly? Longer than she'd cared to admit. The craving for more of his touch, for more of the easy companionship they'd shared the night before, clawed through her, shredding the walls she'd built up to protect herself.

Not good. Not good at all. She couldn't let herself fall for this man even though she realized, with a sense of impending dread, that there was a part of her heart that beat a little too fast when he was near.

She needed some distance. She needed to return to her quiet uneventful life on her island home. Unfortunately, she had a feeling that leaving Blake behind would be harder than she'd expected. Or wanted.

* * *

Blake lay on a snow mound with a military-grade, heat-sensing, thermal-imaging camera pointed at the boxy house situated on an acre piece of land that was blanketed in ice-crusted snow. He saw no heat signatures. Nothing. The house appeared empty. Or Santini had installed some sort of thermal imagining block. “Are we sure they're still in there?”

Beside him, Nathanial snorted. “No. There's been no movement since I arrived at midnight. They could have braved the elements and vacated before I got here. Or the house is set up with technology to prevent detection.”

“I wouldn't put it past Santini to have his lair fitted with Mylar,” Blake said.

“Now, that'd be something, eh?” Nathanial shifted. “I say we breech.”

Blake slowly swung the camera over the area, picking up the heat signatures of the Niagara Regional Police officers dressed in tactical gear who were scattered in various hiding spots and waiting for the signal to go in. Drew and Sami also waited in the shadow of a tree grove.

He said a quick prayer for safety. There was risk involved. They all knew it, but hoped this would go off without anyone being injured. “Okay, give the signal.”

Blake rolled over onto his back to stuff the camera into his duffle and then checked his weapon.

Nathanial spoke into his communication link. “It's a go. Proceed with caution. We have one hostage to extract by any means.”

Blake flipped back to his stomach. A wide stretch of exposed territory lay between him and the house. He thought of Liz. She was counting on him to rescue her sister. He wanted to do just that for Liz. Somewhere along the way she'd become important to him. Nearly as important as taking down Santini. “Cover me.”

“You got it.” Nathanial sighted down the barrel of his AK-47.

In military crawl fashion, Blake worked his way down the mound. The icy crust broke, and he sank down into the soft snow beneath as he went, making the going difficult. When he was ten yards away, he rose and ran the short distance to the side of the house and pressed his back against the green siding. He waved a hand at Nathanial, indicating he'd made it unharmed.

Within seconds the NRP officers moved in, their weapons raised at the ready. Drew and Sami joined Blake. He raised a hand and gave the motion to initiate the siege. He sent up another silent prayer that no one would be harmed and they'd be successful. Months of work had gone into finding Santini. Not to mention Liz's distress. This plan had to succeed. He wanted this done and over so they could all go home.

Liz and her sister back to Hilton Head Island, Drew and Sami back to Vancouver, BC, while Blake would return to his studio apartment in Seattle. Though he hadn't intended to stay in the Pacific Northwest city after his first assignment with IBETs, he'd never found a reason to leave either.

And Nathanial...well, Blake wasn't sure where he went between assignments. He knew Nathanial had family on the Big Island Lake Cree reserve in Saskatchewan. But Blake wasn't sure where Nathanial called home.

It occurred to Blake he hadn't done a very good job of befriending his teammate. Even on their last assignment when they'd shared a small cabin on the Idaho Christmas-tree farm where they'd stopped a drug ring from using the farm's tree supply as a means of transporting the illegal substance across the border, their interactions had been about the job at hand, not about their personal lives.

Though now that he thought on it, Nathanial hadn't initiated any deeper conversations either. Guess they both had interpersonal issues.

They approached the front door. Blake nodded to the lead NRP officer who held a small battering ram. The officer lifted the ram and swung. The battering ram hit the door, and the world exploded in a cacophony of noise, flames, heat and smoke.

EIGHT

L
iz stared at the cards laid out on the dining table without really seeing the suits or numbers. She couldn't concentrate on the game of solitaire she'd started. Her thoughts were too preoccupied with worry for Jillian and Blake. Blake and his team had left to raid Santini's hideout hours ago and no word had come yet if they'd been successful in taking down Santini and rescuing Jillian.

Giving up on the card game, she rose and went to stand at the picture window overlooking the famed falls.

“It's beautiful, eh?” Teresa Fordham, the female Niagara Regional Police officer, joined her at the window. “I've lived here my whole life, and I never tire of looking at the falls no matter what time of year.”

“They're stunning,” Liz replied without much enthusiasm. A winter wonderland. Large ice formations created a spectacular visual feast, but at the moment she couldn't appreciate the view. She should have demanded that Blake let her accompany him and his team. Then she'd at least know what was going on. The not knowing was excruciating.

Teresa's phone rang. She turned away to answer. “Fordham.”

The officer let out a small gasp, drawing Liz's attention. The color had drained from the officer's face.

“Casualties?”

Liz sucked in a sharp breath.
Casualties?
Oh, no. Please, dear God, no.

“Yes, sir,” Teresa said. “I will, sir.”

When she hung up, Liz crossed the room to stand in front of the officer. Panic tightened Liz's chest and constricted her throat. She managed to ask, “What's happened?”

Teresa visibly reined in her emotions and said in a voice devoid of inflection, “There was an explosion.”

Clearly she'd been taught to compartmentalize her feelings. A skill Liz didn't possess. Shock took her out at the knees. She staggered and groped for something to hold on to in order to stay upright. Her hand clasped around the top of a dining room chair. She leaned heavily on the wooden prop. “Was my sister...?” Pain lanced through her. “Blake?”

Teresa stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder. “No one died. Four people were taken to the nearest hospital. I wasn't given names.”

“I have to go there,” Liz stated in a voice she barely recognized as her own. It was too high-pitched, constricted, panicked.

“I was instructed to keep you here,” Teresa said. “For your own safety.”

Liz shook her head. She couldn't stay here not knowing if it was her sister or Blake who had been hurt. “What is the name of the hospital?”

“They were taken to Greater Niagara General Hospital.”

Fighting tears, Liz asked, “Can you call to find out who was admitted?”

Teresa grimaced with regret. “Sorry. They won't tell me over the phone. Hospital policy.”

“Then you have to take me there,” Liz pleaded. “I have to know if—” Her voice caught on a sob.
Oh, dear Lord, not Jillian. Not Blake.

“I can't. I have my orders.”

A rush of irritation fueled by fear flamed through Liz. “I'm not a prisoner here. If you won't take me then I'll go on my own.” She headed to the entryway closet for her coat.

Teresa hurried to block the exit. “Please, Liz, I can't let you do that.”

Liz shrugged into her coat. “Move out of my way, Officer.”

“How are you going to get there?”

The question stopped her. She'd left her purse in her bedroom. She'd need money for a cab or at least the keys to her rental that was parked in the condominium's below-ground parking garage. The car had GPS. She swiveled and ran to her room, snagged her purse from the dresser and then hurried back toward the front door. Teresa remained in place, blocking the door. Frustration pounded at Liz's brain. Her hand flexed around the handle of her purse. “Please move.”

Teresa's expression hardened. “No. I was entrusted with your safety.”

Short of assaulting the woman, Liz had no options. They were eleven floors up in a high-rise. There was no other exit. She clutched her purse to her chest and clenched her jaw.

The jangle of keys in the lock of the door behind Teresa startled them both. Teresa's hand went to the butt of her gun. Liz's breath stalled.

The door opened, and Blake walked in.

An involuntary cry of relief broke from Liz. She dropped her purse and launched herself at him. He caught her and hugged her close, his arms so strong and secure around her. “You're okay.”

“Yes.”

Drew, Sami and Nathanial filed into the condo. They looked battle-worn, sporting cuts, bruises and grime.

Jillian wasn't with them.

Liz pushed away from Blake. “Where's my sister?” Horror nose-dived through her. “Oh, no. Please...is she...?”

Teresa had said no one had died. But could Jillian be one of the injured taken to the hospital?

Blake gripped her shoulders and forced her to meet his gaze. She focused on the cuts on his face and the soot smeared on his white snowsuit. Anywhere but his eyes. She didn't want to see her fear confirmed.

“She wasn't there.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. A mix of relief and alarm engulfed her. “What do you mean? I thought you said Santini was there, which meant Jillian was, too? I don't understand? What happened?”

“He had the place rigged to explode,” Blake said. “When we breeched the front door it blew up. I was far enough from the blast to react quickly and jumped away from the brunt of the force.” He grimaced. “But four Niagara Regional Police officers weren't so fortunate.”

“If I'm no longer needed,” Teresa interjected. “I'd like to go check on my fellow officers.”

Blake nodded at the policewoman, releasing her from her duty of protecting Liz.

“Where is my sister?” Liz repeated, her gaze raking over the four IBETs members.

“Santini must've used that house for years because it had an escape route dug beneath the house that let out a half mile away,” Nathanial supplied. “He must've figured we'd trace the call, and gave himself an out, taking your sister with him.”

“She's the only leverage he has,” Blake added. “He won't hurt her.”

“How can you be so sure?” Liz countered. She so wanted to believe him but the longer Santini held her sister captive, the harder it was for Liz to believe the madman would ever let Jillian go alive.

Blake stared at her, seemingly at a loss for words. He couldn't be sure. Not really. He could speculate, assume and even pray that Santini wouldn't harm Jillian, but no one could have predicted Santini would blow up his hideout. So it stood to reason no one could foresee what Santini would do now. Liz knew their only course of action was to follow through on Santini's demand that she bring the necklace to Queen Victoria Park at the appointed time.

Fine. Whatever it took. She was not going to fail Jillian.

“Looks like I'm going to the park tonight,” Liz said as she stripped off her coat. She laid it over a chair. “I suggest we come up with a strategy because time is ticking away.”

* * *

Blake muted his mic so that Liz couldn't hear him through the earpiece placed in her right ear. “I hate this whole scenario,” he said to Nathanial.

They waited in a van outside of Queen Victoria Park monitoring Liz's movements as she made her way through the throng of people who'd come out tonight to enjoy the annual Winter Festival of Lights despite the winter chill. She was wired with a mic, an ear link and a small button camera. The uncut diamond necklace was inside the box that was tucked inside her coat.

Now that the snowstorm had abated, the thick layer of white created a beautiful backdrop reflecting the multitude of displays ranging from 3-D illuminated Canadian wildlife, the world's largest illuminated Canadian/American flag and the iconic shimmering Zimmerman Fountain.

On the video feed from Liz's button camera he caught glimpses of food vendors and tents for kids' activities. The happy sound of the festivalgoers was muffled by the roar of the falls. Even though the top layers of the river were frozen, the water beneath still churned at a near deafening decibel.

“You need to chill,” Nathanial said. “She's doing great. Drew and Sami have eyes on her. Nothing's going to go wrong.”

“After what happened today? How can you say that?” They'd never even considered Santini would have an underground escape route, though they should have, considering Santini was as close to a rat as they'd ever pursued. Blake should have anticipated Santini having a getaway tunnel. Blake should have anticipated the explosion. And that he'd been caught unaware annoyed and frustrated him to no end. Guilt at the thought of the wounded men gnawed at his conscience. Their injuries were on his head. Anger simmered below the surface. Anger at himself, anger at Santini. Anger at God for allowing good men to be hurt by a criminal like Idris Santini.

Nathanial arched one black eyebrow. “Santini may be slippery and crafty, but he's just a man. Not some superpowered villain. We have officers in place all over the park. There's no way Santini will slip through our grasp again.”

Blake wasn't taking any chances. They'd placed a tracker on the necklace in case Santini managed to circumvent their surveillance before they could apprehend him. That way Blake and the team could concentrate on protecting Liz and reclaiming her sister. That was if Santini followed through and brought Jillian to the park for the exchange. Blake had his doubts Santini would show. Last time he'd sent Travis to do his dirty work. Would Santini send another of his henchmen? And what of this Ken fellow? Was he stalking Liz or still after the necklace?

Blake studied the monitors showing the camera feed from Liz's button camera as well as four other video feeds they'd positioned in optimal places throughout the park. He looked for a man in a fedora. But he knew that Ken probably would have ditched the hat, so Blake studied the faces of every man, hunting for Santini and Ken.

The sound of a phone ringing brought Blake's senses into pinpoint focus. He shifted into high alert. It was Liz's cell phone. They heard her answer but they couldn't hear the other end of the conversation.

“Where?” Liz's voice rose. “Okay. I'm heading there now.”

She hung up. “That was Santini.”

Blake flipped on the ear link. “What are your instructions?”

He—” her voice cut out. The roar of the falls overwhelmed the mic.

“Liz!” Adrenaline zipped through his veins. “Liz, can you hear me?”

Nothing.

The link wasn't picking up her voice and he had a sinking feeling she couldn't hear him over the rush of the water. Her button camera showed him she'd moved closer to the falls. He relayed that to Drew.

“Copy. We'll head that way.”

Blake swiftly rose and grabbed his coat.

“Where are you going?” Nathanial asked. “Santini will spot you and then this whole sting will be a bust.”

“I can't leave her out there without being able to communicate with her,” Blake said. He'd made a promise to protect her.

“She's not unguarded. You heard Drew. He and Sami are on her trail.”

“I need to be out there,” Blake insisted. If anything happened to her...he didn't think he could take any more guilt. A mocking voice inside his head scoffed because the real reason he dreaded anything happening to Liz was that he cared for her. There. He'd admitted it. He cared. He wasn't totally unfeeling. She was a smart, gutsy and beautiful woman who inspired admiration and respect. What wasn't there to care about, to like?

“Dude, you have issues with control.”

Blake glowered at his friend. “I don't need you to psychoanalyze me.”

Besides, needing to control what happened to Liz had more to do with Blake's growing feelings for her than his control-freak tendencies. Boy, would Nathanial love to analyze that.

Nathanial held up his hand in entreaty. “Hey, I'm just telling it like it is. You have to trust the rest of us to get the job done.”

Knowing his friend and colleague was right, Blake ran a hand through his hair and plopped back down in the chair, his gaze riveted to the video feeds. Liz had gone out of view of the other cameras. He had only her button camera to monitor her whereabouts. She was near the platform of the tunnel running beneath the falls. He frowned, not liking how close she stood to the railing that prevented visitors from plunging over the side into the churning water below.

“Drew?” Blake tried reaching the Canadian but his communication link wasn't responding either. “This is weird. I think their comms are being blocked.”

“I agree,” Nathanial said. He typed into the computer to his left. “I'm hacking into the city's camera network to see if I can get a clearer, wider view of the platform.

No go. All the angles were too far left or right. There didn't appear to be any cameras centered on the platform or the entrance to the tunnels. “I have a bad feeling about this.” Blake's hands grew damp with anxiety. “Knowing Santini I'm sure he's set up some sort of trap, and she's going to walk right into it like an insect drawn to a spider's web.”

* * *

Liz tapped her ear, barely holding off the panic rising up inside. “Blake? Blake, can you hear me?”

Between the laughter and voices of the many visitors to the park and the constant roar of the falls, she could hardly hear herself talk. She glanced around, searching for one of the officers or Drew and Sami. She knew they were near, keeping a close eye on her. The knowledge gave her a measure of comfort but didn't ease the tension in her shoulders.

She also knew Blake could see where she was via the small camera disguised as a button attached to her coat. Sami had done the honors of replacing her black coat button with the camera. No one would notice the difference in buttons unless they looked closely. Even then it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume she'd lost a button and replaced it with another that didn't match the others.