Ransom (11 page)

At least that was what she hoped Santini would think if she came face-to-face with him.

She replayed Santini's instructions through her mind. He'd said to go to the entrance of the tunnels that ran beneath the falls. She reached the platform without trouble. The ice spray from the falls stung her skin and dampened her uncovered hair. Her coat thankfully had a water-resistant protective shell. Tourists crowded around the ice-crusted railing taking pictures of the frozen layer of water or taking selfies with the falls in the background. She glanced over the edge. The dizzying height had her stepping quickly back.

She spied the tunnel entrance. She shuddered and broke out in a cold sweat. Good thing she didn't have to go inside there. A long sign bearing the Canadian flag dripped with icicles. The stairs leading to the heavy metal door were roped off with caution tape. No doubt the steps where iced over as well and much too dangerous for anyone to negotiate.

She searched for the little dark-haired woman who'd pressed the first note into her hand at Fort George. They hadn't been able to find her after she'd hurried off. So Liz half expected her to show up again. No one matching what Liz remembered of the woman was anywhere nearby. Her attention went back to the door. It was ajar. She moved closer, unsure what to expect. Another note? Should she enter? The thought made her go numb.

Her sister could be on the other side of that door.

Or it could be a trap. Most likely was a trap.

She turned away from the entrance to survey the area once again. No one seemed to be paying her any heed. Yet, she had the distinct sensation of being watched. It was just Drew and Sami, she chided herself.

She refocused her attention on the tunnel. Her breath hitched. Did she dare check the tunnel in case her sister was inside? Santini had said to go to the entrance of the tunnels. Had he meant enter the tunnels? She clasped her hands together to still the tremor running rampant through her limbs.

Dear Lord, I need you now more than ever. Give me the strength, the courage.

She was so scared. But she had to be brave. For her sister. For herself. For Blake. She wanted him to be proud of her and to know that she wasn't a wimp who crumbled when things became hard. She could do this.

Before she could change her mind, she ducked beneath the caution tape, grasped the railing handle and carefully made her way up the steps to the door. Using both hands, she pulled the door open enough to slip inside. The tunnel wasn't nearly as small as she'd envisioned which provided a bubble of relief.

A dimly lit elevator waited. The doors opened, and a bare bulb provided a guiding light. She inwardly groaned. She hated elevators. The thought of being trapped inside the tiny space made her break out in hives.

But her sister's life was on the line. She would do anything to save Jillian, including braving her fear of enclosed spaces. Seeing no other option but to enter the car, she did and tried not to think about the four walls, the low ceiling and the isolation. The panic of being trapped lurked at the edges of her mind.

There was only a down button. She pushed it. The doors slid closed. Her lungs seized, and her body tensed as the elevator descended. She counted the seconds. One-one thousand. Two-one thousand. Three-one thousand. Four-one thousand. Five...

When the doors opened, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with musty air, and rushed out of the elevator. The bare bulb from inside the elevator car provided a small circle of light. The tunnel ceiling was so low she could reach up and touch the cold surface. This tunnel wasn't like the one above. Here she could feel the walls closing in, feel the way her skin crawled with the need to escape, but she remained rooted to the tunnel floor. The elevator doors closed behind her, leaving her in complete blackness. Cold fingers of panic clawed up her throat. She forced herself to breathe.

She stared into the darkness, fighting the burning need to turn around and retreat. Then a light flared farther down the long corridor. A beacon she prayed would take her to her sister. A terrorized storm of anxiety hit her full force and shifted into the shadows.

Had she been right that this was a trap? If she moved toward the light what would she find? Would she be walking toward her death?

Needing a moment to calm her racing heart, she leaned against the rough wall. The wet cold of the wall seeped through her coat. Taking deep breaths, she removed her mother's jewelry box, holding the necklace, from inside her jacket and opened the case to slip the necklace from the velvet bed.

For a moment she held the stones in a fierce grip. Even through her gloves they felt cold and alien. These jewels had caused so many traumas. She sent up a plea to God that she could rid herself of this burden and get her sister back safely. Her hands shook as she stuffed the stones back into the box and then the box back inside her jacket.

Bolstering her courage and forcing back the anxiety twisting through her, she stepped into the darkness and moved toward the light.

NINE

L
iz's video feed plunged into darkness, and Blake's heart took a plunge, too. Not even the light displays of the festival could be seen. She'd gone into the tunnel beneath the falls. Alone.

During normal operating hours the tunnel would be teeming with people. The tunnel had been built as a tourist attraction and was reachable by an elevator. At this hour it was now cordoned off because of the ice that had accumulated on the stairs. That the door had been pried open meant that Santini must now be inside. And so was Liz.

Blake couldn't sit by any longer. He had to go to her. He had to make sure she was safe, protected. Not because he didn't trust his team or the Niagara Regional Police officers, but...well, he couldn't articulate the exact reason at the moment, not with all of his instincts screaming go, go!

He jumped up, grabbed his jacket and took off out of the van as if his feet were on fire. He was vaguely aware that Nathanial was right on his heels.

“Liz is in the tunnel,” Blake shouted into his communication link, praying the others would hear. “Head to the tunnels.”

He and Nathanial pushed their way through the crowds to the tunnel entrance that would lead them behind the falls. Drew and Sami joined them.

Blake ripped aside the caution tape and stepped onto the first step. The bottoms of his snow boots skidded on the slick ice covering the stairs, but he managed to reach the landing in one piece.

“Careful,” he murmured to the others behind him.

A small button in the wall glowed a dull yellow. He pushed it, and the elevator doors slid open. He, Nathanial, Drew and Sami crowded into the car. He pressed the button that would take them to the tunnel level.

Before the elevator door opened, Nathanial unscrewed the car's lone light bulb. Darkness surrounded them, and Blake belatedly wished he'd thought to grab a set of night vision goggles from the van. He had a flashlight attached to his belt but decided to use the advantage of surprise the darkness offered.

He was alarmed Santini hadn't led Liz to one of the festival attractions and done the exchange in a public setting where there was more likelihood of potential hostages or collateral damage.

What purpose did Santini have for luring Liz into the bowels of the tunnel with only one way in or out? Unless he'd somehow gained admittance through the maintenance access points. Did he intend to kidnap Liz in addition to her sister? Or was his plan to grab the necklace and kill both women, leaving their corpses in the tunnels to be found when the ice thawed?

Blake's stomach plummeted at the dire scenario. He sent up a silent plea to God above that he wasn't too late, that he wouldn't fail Liz.

How could he live with himself if he did?

* * *

The cold of the dank underground tunnel beneath Niagara Falls seeping through Liz's jacket, sweater and long-sleeved T-shirt chilled her skin. She stifled the urge to jog to keep warm. She hated being in such a confined space. She had to force her mind not to consider the dim surroundings.

Instead, she moved with caution toward the glowing light she'd spotted after exiting the elevator. She half expected Santini, or some other thug, to jump out at her like in some creepy carnival fun house. Shadows created by the glow danced on the wall, providing an eerie display that had the fine hairs at the base of her neck rising.

There was nothing fun about this, in fact, she was scared silly. Every step was torture. Her chest hurt with the force of each heartbeat. But for Jillian's sake, Liz would face down her terror and continue to fight for her safety.

However, she'd give anything to have Blake at her side. Strange how quickly she'd learned to rely on him. To trust him. He could be closed off at times, yet she sensed a deep well of emotion lay within him that he refused to tap into. She was sure his ability to contain his feelings helped make him an excellent agent.

And she needed him to be a superagent now. She prayed he'd have her back.

She found the light source in an alcove beneath a frosted window, which during the summer would give a spectacular view of the churning falls. A small battery-operated dome light sat on the concrete floor, creating an illuminated circle.

The hairs on her arms rose in alarm. There was movement behind her. She whipped around to find three men and her sister emerging from the shadows.

One of the men held a gun aimed at her, but her attention was riveted to her sister. Thick black tape covered Jillian's mouth, and her hands were tied together in front of her. Her big blue eyes brimmed with tears of terror.

Relief at seeing Jillian alive was tempered by the fact that one of the thugs had his beefy hand clasped around Jillian's biceps. The dim lighting couldn't conceal the fear in Jillian's eyes nor her disheveled appearance. At least she had on the thick winter coat Liz had insisted she buy for her honeymoon to Niagara.

The shorter of the three men stepped forward. He was stocky, with light brown hair swept back from a round face. He had a pugilist's nose and heavy jowls. Muddied brown eyes studied her with a calculated gleam.

He sneered at her, lifting one corner of his thick lips. He wore a long wool coat that nearly touched the tips of his expensive-looking snow boots. His hands were buried in his coat pockets.

This could only be Santini, Liz thought. No one could ooze as much arrogance as a man who thought he was beyond the law. But she needed to make sure. “Santini?”

“Yes. And you're the sister?” Santini said. “Not much resemblance.”

He was right. Jillian was the exact opposite of Liz.

But none of that mattered.

Liz swallowed hard and lifted her chin and tried not to let him undermine her confidence even as she shied away from the consequences of not succeeding. Somehow, someway, Liz would honor her promise to their father and save Jillian.

Refusing to give Santini the satisfaction of rising to his baited statement, she ignored him and yanked the box from her coat pocket. “You wanted this.”

“That I do.” He held out his hand. “Give me the necklace.”

“Release my sister,” Liz said with as much bravado as she could muster.

She had no idea how she and Jillian were going to get out of this situation alive. Liz prayed that Blake and his team were closing in. They had to have seen her enter the tunnel through the button camera now facing Santini.

Santini stroked his chin with blunt fingers. His chuckle echoed off the walls. “You do realize I can't allow you to leave, don't you?”

She swallowed back panic. She didn't want to die, not yet, not before she'd had a chance to tell Blake she...she what? She shook her head, shoving aside thoughts of Blake, and fought her fear. She needed to strategize. The only exit she was aware of was behind her through the dark.

But first Santini had to release her sister. “You can have the necklace. Just let my sister go.”

Santini gestured to his henchmen. “Let the sisters reunite.”

The thug shoved Jillian at Liz. Jillian stumbled. Liz caught her before she could fall to her knees. Turning her away from Santini, Liz wrapped her arms around Jillian and whispered, “Get ready to run.”

Jillian whimpered and vigorously shook her head.

Liz stepped back to gauge Jillian's strange reaction. What was wrong with her?

Keeping her arm around her sister, Liz faced Santini and extended the box toward him. He snatched it from her hand and removed the necklace. He threw her mother's box to the side like a piece of trash.

She gritted her teeth and fought the urge to snag it from the ground. The important issue was for her and Jillian to escape. She knew the tracker on the necklace would lead Blake and his team to Santini when he left the tunnel.

Keeping his attention on examining the diamonds, Santini said to his thugs, “Kill them.”

Liz's heart pitched, and panicked adrenaline pumped in her veins. She had to act. Now.

Liz propelled Jillian toward the darkness just as Blake and Nathanial stepped out of the inky shadows to move in on Santini and his thugs. Drew and Sami also emerged from the black tunnel and stayed slightly behind Blake and Nathanial since the tunnel wasn't wide enough for them to stand shoulder to shoulder.

Overwhelming relief made Liz's knees weak. She'd prayed Blake would arrive in time. God had answered her prayer, showing her Blake was a man she could count on. Now they were saved. Blake would take down Santini.

And this nightmare would finally come to an end.

* * *

“Federal agents. Drop your weapons,” Blake ordered as he positioned himself in front of Liz, using himself as a shield to protect her and Jillian. Drew, Sami and Nathanial flanked Blake.

The show of force obviously intimidated the thugs with the guns. The two men slowly lowered their weapons to the ground.

The tightness in Blake's chest eased at the sight of Liz unharmed. He'd arrived in time, with seconds to spare. Undoubtedly Santini would have ordered his thugs to shoot the two women the moment he had what he wanted. The thought grabbed Blake by the throat. He needed to get the women out of there. They still weren't completely safe.

Liz struggled to untie the thin piece of rope keeping Jillian's hands together. Jillian whimpered again. “I know, honey,” Liz said. “Let me get you untied and you can take the tape off your mouth.”

“Show me your hand,” Nathanial shouted at Santini who still had one hand shoved into his coat pocket while his other hand held the necklace.

The man's mouth stretched into an evil smile. A shudder of distaste washed over Blake. This was the first face-to-face encounter with the criminal he'd been chasing to avenge his partner's death, and Blake couldn't wait to slap cuffs on the man. “You heard him. Take your hand out of your pocket.”

“With pleasure.” Santini withdrew his hand from his coat pocket holding a small device.

Blake's gut clenched. A detonator. Was it a dead man's switch? A suicide vest? He hadn't pegged Santini as the type who would rather die than go to jail.

“Did you think I'd come unprepared?” Santini taunted. “You federal boys keep underestimating me.”

Anger ticked through Blake, but he kept his focus on the detonator in Santini's hand. “We know exactly what you are. A criminal. A killer.”

Santini shrugged. “I do what I have to. Not my fault when one of you feds—” he squinted at Nathanial and Drew “—or Canucks, get in my way and end up on a slab in the morgue.”

“Lizzie, listen to me,” Jillian said once Liz had the tape off her mouth.

“Lizzie,”
Santini mimicked. “I'm so sick of hearing about Lizzie.
Lizzie will save me. Lizzie won't let you hurt me.
I've half a mind to blow you to bits just because. But I want to leave with my diamonds, and if you don't let me...
boom
.” His beady eyes twinkled with maniacal amusement.

“What are you talking about?” Nathanial asked, as he edged closer.

“Go on, Jillian, show them,” Santini said.

Fat tears rolled down Jillian's cheeks. She carefully unbuttoned her coat to reveal an improvised explosive belt wrapped around her waist.

Liz's gasp ricocheted off the walls.

Jillian sniffled.

Liz put her arm around her sister and cooed soft soothing words. “It'll be okay. You'll see.”

He couldn't fail Liz. Not when they were so close to gaining justice for his friend Liam and freeing Jillian. Not when his feelings about Liz were a hot, confused knot in his heart. His hand tightened on the grip of his gun, his finger hovering over the trigger.

“You'd blow yourself and your men up, too,” Drew pointed out. “You know that, right?”

Santini's expression showed nothing, no regret or sympathy for his two thugs who stared at their boss with horror.

Blake calculated the distance between Nathanial and Santini. How quickly could Nathanial dive for the detonator if Blake put a bullet in Santini?

Blake glanced at Nathanial. He shook his head, indicating he didn't see an option. They were too far away from Santini. Frustration fueled Blake's brain to work the angles and find a solution. He stepped closer to Liz.

The only bargaining chip they had was in Santini's hand. Blake lifted the barrel of his gun so it was no longer trained on Santini. “Just set the detonator on the ground and walk away,” Blake said. “You have what you wanted.”

He was confident that the Niagara Regional Police would apprehend Santini the second he stepped outside. And if he managed to slip past them, the tracker on the necklace would allow them to follow him and capture him.

Santini arched an eyebrow. His brown eyes blazed with mockery. “How about we all walk out of here nice and easy, then I'll relinquish the detonator.”

Really? Santini was crafty and wily. There was no way he couldn't suspect there were more officers on the other side of the tunnel door. He had something up his sleeve, but Blake's priority was to get everyone out of the tunnel alive. He'd have to trust the others to swoop in and disarm Santini before he had an opportunity to press the button and blow them all to smithereens.

“Okay, we all walk out of here,” Blake said. “Keep your hands in the air where we can see them.”

At the elevator, Nathanial screwed the bulb back in before they crammed inside. Blake put an arm around Liz, drawing her up against his chest. He ignored the curious glances from the others. He couldn't explain even if he wanted to. All he knew was he needed to feel her close. It was so weird to be in the tight confines of the elevator with the man he'd been hunting for months and knowing that with one wrong twitch, Santini could blow them all to bits.

When they reached the entry point, they filed out. Drew, Sami and the Cantrell sisters brought up the rear.

“I was afraid I'd die down there,” Jillian said with a visible shiver.

They weren't out of the woods yet. They still needed to get the detonator and disarm the explosive device strapped to Jillian's middle.