Tropical Safeguard (Men Of The Secret Service) (19 page)

“I can’t believe we’re in already. It
just seemed too easy. There has to be something missing, somethin’ Wilco
forgot.”

“As long as we don’t get caught and as
long as we get the money, it’s all the same to me.”

“That kid’s pretty small. I thought
eleven-year-olds were bigger.”

“Means he’s easier to push around. This
is going to be damn easy.”

“Let’s go back.”

“Give me a minute. I want a quick smoke.”

Waiting for the bigger of the two men to
finish his cigarette took eternity. When they finally hopped back into the golf
cart and sped away, Cole sprinted down the slope to Katrina.

“Did you hear?” he asked.

“Every word. What should we do?”

Cole already had a game plan. “I have to
get back to the mansion and get my gun. I also have to find out how many there
are and what happened to the entourage and staff. It sounds as if they’ve
incapacitated Agent Kensing, and that could mean the worst. They’re after
money.”

“Why were they talking about Jimmy that
way?”

“I have a feeling we’re on the outskirts
of a hostage situation. Luckily, we have an advantage.”

“What’s that?”

“They don’t even know we exist.”

                                   
<><><>

The
two men parked the golf cart and came in through the side door. They wandered
into the living room as if they owned the place. Looking around, they noticed
their colleague had handcuffed the two women and five men. All were huddled on
the couches and chairs visibly shaking with fear. The women and boys sobbed
discretely, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to themselves.

“Well?” asked Red, a tall auburn-haired
skinny man as he finished tying rope around Zachary’s hands. “Did you see
anyone else?”

“No one on the beach, no one on the
grounds. There’s only one Secret Service agent here. When we asked him before,
he told us he was alone and I don’t think he was lying,” said Gatten, the husky
man with a dark goatee who’d driven the golf cart. “Where is he anyway?”

“Locked in the wine cellar.” Red stood
upright, staring at the other two men curiously. “But Wilco was told there was
two of ‘em.”

Gatten hunched his shoulders and put his
arms out. “Listen, the old agent said something went down yesterday and the
other agent took off for the US. Why would he lie?”

“Beats me,” said Juvie, Gatten’s
passenger in the golf cart. He was considerably shorter and younger than the
rest and had his eyebrow and nose pierced. “Anyways, no agent out there. This
is gonna be easier than I thought.”

“Since when did you ever have a
‘thought’, Juvie?” The husky Gatten grinned widely. He gawked around the room,
making eye contact with the hostages, sizing them up. “Aren’t we a fun bunch!”
he smirked. “Just do as we say and no one gets hurt. It’s very simple.”

“Where’s the boy?” Juvie asked.

“Holden’s just gettin’ things ready.
They’re about to leave.”

“Things are falling into place. I can
almost taste the money now. Won’t be long.” Juvie said slyly, his eyes locking
with Secretary Mitchell.

“Don’t you dare hurt my son,” James
Mitchell demanded, tears trickling down his face. “Please, take me instead.
Please!”

“You know what we want and you know how
to get your son back. It’s all up to you.”

                                   
<><><>

Hunkering
down and using the landscaping as cover, Cole and Katrina made their way
undetected toward the back of the mansion.

“We have to get onto your balcony,” Cole
instructed. “Your French door is open, right?”

Katrina looked at him apologetically.
“Cole, no, it isn’t. I closed and locked it after last night so I could feel
safe.”

“Damn.” Cole thought for a minute. “We
have to get in somehow so I can get my gun and phone. I have to see if I can
handle this situation on my own or call for backup. I also need to assess Agent
Kensing’s condition if I can.”

“What about your window?”

“It’s worth a try.”

Skirting the mansion’s wall, Cole stopped
under Katrina’s balcony and turned toward her, gripping her shoulders firmly.
“You have to stay here, but out of sight. I should only be a minute, but if you
hear gunshots or I don’t come back, I want you to sprint toward George’s
cottage over there and call this number.”

                                   
<><><>

As
Cole said the numbers, Katrina tried her best to memorize them, but in the
frenzy of the moment, it was difficult. She shook her head and closed her eyes,
willing the numbers into her brain. This was a nightmare all over again. Now
Cole was putting himself in harms way, and everyone in the mansion was in
danger, or worse, dead already. Jacque, Damien, George, the dignitaries, the
boys. Katrina felt nauseous as her body swayed in numb disbelief.

Cole shook her shoulders slightly, his
blue eyes piercing her with earnest intensity. “You can do this, Katrina. You
have to. I know what you’re capable of and you know it too.”

Katrina nodded as his words brought her
around. Cole put a finger under her chin and kissed her tenderly. She feared
this might be the last time this happened. Trembling, her hands gripping his
forearms. “Please be careful, Cole. I can’t lose you now, I just…” her mouth
fell open and words were impossible. She couldn’t fathom saying goodbye.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Cole
turned and fluidly climbed the vined wall up to her balcony and scaled the rail
as Katrina crouched behind the hedge. She watched breathlessly as Cole
stretched over and stood on Jacques balcony before gripping the ledge beneath
his own window. His room was without a balcony, so he was forced to hoist his
muscular body up and open the window all in one difficult motion. It was as if
he’d done it a thousand times before, the window opening silently and Cole
transferring his body weight up onto the ledge before disappearing into the
opening.

Katrina instantly felt alone. The breeze
from the ocean and the sunny day contrasted the goings-on in the mansion. The
appearance of paradise was a betrayal.

                                   
<><><>

Cole
pulled his body in through the window and silently landed on the floor. The
door to his room was ajar, an obvious sign it had been checked by the intruders.
Looking around, the bed was still made and there were no trace of Cole
anywhere…the way he always kept things on assignment. It didn’t look as if
they’d checked the drawers where his neatly folded clothes were or the closet
where his shirts hung far to the side, out of sight. Cole moved to the door in
a flash, carefully looking out into the hallway. He could hear muffled voices
in the distance. He buttoned his shirt as he listened but couldn’t hear
anything of value. He’d have to get closer. He crossed the room and slowly
opened a drawer and changed into boxers and pants. He quickly crossed the room
and lifted the corner of his mattress, grabbing his Glock and holding it
tightly. He slipped on his earpiece and tried calling Agent Kensing, but it
automatically went to the answering system.

Cole crept over to the door again and
listened, ensuring no one was coming. He slipped through the opening and, with
his back against the wall and his gun up and ready, slunk down the hallway
toward the kitchen. He passed the open doors of the other staff members, their
rooms empty. Looking quickly around the corner like he’d been trained, Cole
spotted the back of a man dressed in black beyond the harvest table holding up
a machine gun defensively. He was pacing and watching straight ahead. Cole
tried to look past him toward the living room, but a pillar and his angle made
his viewpoint impossible. He would have to reposition himself to get a better
look.

Moving past the bathroom that he and
Agent Kensing share, Cole flattened himself against the wall as the man in
black turned and walked toward the kitchen. He knew he could take him out right
then and there, but he didn’t have enough information to do so. It was too risky
for the hostages, wherever they were. From this angle, Cole could hear sobbing
from the living room and knew instantly that they were being held there. He
heard Secretary Mitchell ask about Jimmy and a man bark for him to ‘shut up
already’. Looking past the pillar, Cole’s view was still limited. He would have
to exit the building and try another approach.

                                   
<><><>

Katrina
sighed in relief as Cole’s body came out of his window and scaled both
balconies in the same way he’d entered. He dropped the distance and landed just
in front of her on the lawn fully dressed.

“What’s happening?” she demanded.

“Men with machine guns. The hostages are
in the living room. No sign of Agent Kensing.”

“What can we do?” Katrina cringed. “We
have to contact the police, Cole.”

“No police. I have to contact my team.”
Cole looked around the grounds and then hunkered down beside her, out of sight.
He touched his earphone and said the number he’d recited to her earlier and
waited.

“Agent Hannlon here.”

“Kirk, it’s Cole. We have a situation.”

“What’s your status?”

“Hostage taking. The dignitaries are
being held and Secretary Mitchell’s eleven-year-old son has been separated.”

“Damn. Are you hurt, Cole?”

“No, they don’t know I’m here. But Agent
Kensing is compromised.”

“How many men?”

“I still have to do a headcount. It’s
difficult since I have to stay out of sight. I need backup.”

“We’re on it. I’ll round up the team.”
Agent Hannlon paused. “Cole?”

“Yes?”

“Are there any casualties? Any serious
injuries?”

“Not that I can see so far. Like I said,
I have to get more info. I’m alone though, and I’m outnumbered and I have one
staff member with me.”

“That changes things a little.”

“Significantly. Her protection is my
priority.”

“What about the boy, can you get to him?”

“I don’t even know where they have him
yet.”

“Is Agent Kensing down then?”

“They mentioned that he was ‘taken care
of’ when I overheard two of them speaking.”

“So there are at least two.”

“I’ve counted four so far, but there are
more.”

“We’re on it. I’ll keep you posted. And
you gather as much info as you can and let us know.”

“Will do.” Cole looked at Katrina who was
hanging off his every word.

“And be safe.”

“Thanks.”

Cole clicked the phone and scanned the
grounds again.

“We have to get a better view of the
hostages and the captors. I have to take a head count and determine the
hostages condition so I can report it.”

“What can I do?”

“Stay close to me, be my shadow. I’m busy
looking around to make sure no one sees us. You have to make sure to keep up
with me, okay?”

“Yes.” Katrina pulled herself together.
This was happening whether she wanted it to or not and Cole was relying on her.
He grabbed her hand and they ran along the side of the building, through the
hedges and kept close to the mansion. As they came around the far south corner,
Cole saw movement and ducked. Katrina automatically did the same. They saw
Jimmy being led out the front door toward the SUV by two men clothed entirely
in black toting guns. It wasn’t Damien driving this time, but a burly man in a
black hooded shirt that partially covered his face. He jumped into the drivers
seat as a younger, thin man in a black baseball hat pulled low led the boy
toward the vehicle and shoved him into the backseat. Cole saw that Jimmy’s
hands were tied with rope. The young man shut the doors and drove away. Cole
memorized the license plate as it did.