Of All the Luck! (6 page)

Her decision made, Victoria picked up the telephone and was ready to push the button for the operator when there was a tap on the door.  She immediately realized it wasn’t Griffin’s knock, and she hurried to pick up her gun.  Once she had it securely in her hand, she made sure she was out of range just in case someone shot through the door.  Victoria’s thoughts were standard as she cautiously went to stand closer to the door.  There was no way possible for her to look out the peep hole; she was too short and it was too high.  The knock came again, louder this time, and much more insistent…

The knock on the door of the hotel room was louder and more insistent and Victoria knew it was not Griffin on the other side.  She only had a towel wrapped around her body for clothing, and she did not dare go closer to the door on the chance someone would fire through the door.  Victoria heard someone on the other side of the door trying to pick the lock.  Once that was successful, he pushed hard, but she had engaged the dead bolt.  She heard muffled cursing.  “Victoria Conway, you need to open this door immediately so we can talk.  I’m with Xavier, and trying to save your life, and Griffin’s life, too.  Please open up.  I feel like a sitting duck standing out here.”

“What is your name?” she asked, knowing it wouldn’t make any difference.  She didn’t recognize the voice.

“Jacobson,” he replied curtly.  “Open up, Victoria.”

She wished Griffin were here to make a decision.  What if she opened the door and there were several others out there?  What if this Jacobson was part of the ones trying to find her and Griffin?

“Victoria, I swear to God I’m not here to hurt you.  I’m one of the good guys, just like you and Griffin.  We are wasting precious time with this.”

“Stand away from the door,” she ordered sharply.

“Okay.  I’m away from the door.”

Victoria took a deep breath, and then slid the dead bolt, and opened the door with the chain lock still on.  She could only see one man, and he was young.  She reminded herself that a young person could kill as well as an older one.  “Come inside, and don’t make any sudden moves or I will shoot to kill.”

“Understood,” Jacobson nodded.  He slipped inside the room as soon as she released the chain lock, and once inside he hurriedly shut the door, and locked all three locks.  “Damn, you and that husband of yours are in one hell of a mess!”

“Who are you, Jacobson?” she asked.  He promptly provided identification, and since she knew what to look for, she soon knew he was legit.  It didn’t mean, however, that he wasn’t ‘bad’ or ‘on the take’.  “What do you want with Griffin and I?” she asked warily.

“You are sure gorgeous… for an older woman, that is.”  His blue eyes were taking in as much of her body as possible, and she noticed the towel had slipped down and most of her breasts were on display.

“You stand right there and do not move.”  Victoria got the robe from the bathroom and put it on over the towel.  She dropped the towel after she loosely tied the ties on the robe.  She felt much less vulnerable now.  “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t shoot you dead right here and right now.”

“Because I’m here to help you, Victoria.”  The look in his eyes was sincere.  “About ten years ago you had dealings with a General Weatherby.  Does the name ring any bells?”

“Yes.  I shut down his human trafficking business, and he went to prison.”

“He got out on a mercy release.  He’s dying of lung cancer, and he wants to see you dead before he dies.”  Jacobson did not mince words.  “It took Xavier a while to figure out what was happening, and he found a mole in his office.  The secretary had been working for him for seven years; he trusted her.  Turns out she is Weatherby’s granddaughter.  She kept tabs on Griffin all these years, and when Griff found you, she brought in her grandfather.  The man is insane.  He has oodles of money, and he doesn’t care what it costs to find you.  He’s put out the word that anyone who brings you to him will receive a million dollars in an account in the Cayman’s.  I’m here to bring you and Griff to safety while we track down the General and put out the word he is spending the rest of his life in solitary confinement, locked behind bars.”

“How did you find us?”

“It sure wasn’t easy.  One woman smacked me with her purse and accused me of abusing you!  I took what they said, and got lucky at predicting what Griff would do.  I had trouble getting your room number, too.  I bribed one of the cleaning ladies, and she told me.  You need to get dressed so that we can get the heck out of here.  If I tracked you, someone with a million reasons to do so, can find you, too.  Where is Griffin?”

“I don’t know.”

“Great.  We’ll give him ten minutes, and then we leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Jacobson.  You are a stranger and how do I know you aren’t working for Weatherby?”

“I’m with the agency. Xavier said to tell you to ‘put your dislike of him on hold and grow up.  He wants to protect Griffin… and you, too, since Griffin is stupid enough to love you!’  Don’t shoot me; I’m just the messenger.”

“I don’t like Xavier any more than he likes me.”  Victoria was furious.  “I’d like to peel the skin from his body and kill him inch by inch.”

“I believe he shares your sentiments.  His was boiling oil, however.”

“He has no imagination.”

“Get dressed, Victoria.  We can’t wait on Griff.”

“I’m not leaving here without Griffin, and he might not want to go anywhere with you.”

“I don’t know what else to say to you to prove I’m on the up and up,” Jacobson said, his blue eyes full of exasperation.  “Would you like to call Xavier?”  Victoria just stared at him.  “I guess that was a foolish idea…?”

“We are waiting on Griffin.  Sit down on the bed and don’t get up or move suddenly.  I will shoot if you do.”  Victoria thought that Jacobson was on the level; her instincts told her he was just the type to work for Xavier… But, she wasn’t going anywhere with him unless Griffin agreed.  She continued to watch him as the minutes ticked by.  Finally there was a knock at the door… Griffin’s special knock.  He also called out in the way she knew he was alone and it was safe.

Griffin entered the room and stopped in his tracks when he saw Jacobson standing there.  “Who are you?” he demanded, noting that his wife was holding a gun on the young man.

He claims Xavier sent him to get us to a safe house while they find General Weatherby and put him in solitary confinement for the rest of his life.”

“Weatherby is behind all of this?”

“He is dying of lung cancer, and his final wish is to see me suffer and dead.”

“Why should we trust you?” Griffin asked the young man sitting quietly on the bed.

“Call Xavier if you don’t believe me.”

“Get him on the phone.”  Jacobson did as he asked, and then handed Griff the cell phone.

“What are you up to, Xavier?” Griffin asked without any preliminaries.

“I take it Jacobson is with you?” The man’s voice came over the phone.  “Smart kid, blue eyes, brown hair that needs cut.  Wearing a jacket with jeans and athletic shoes.  He’s there to get you and Victoria to a safe house.  I learned that General Weatherby is out of jail and after Victoria.  It was just your bad luck to be in the wrong place at the right time, Griff.  They want her, and I’m not going to let them have her.  Trust Jacobson.  He’s smart in a tight situation, and believe me, Weatherby has so many hit men and women looking for Victoria that you don’t stand a chance if you don’t accept my help.  I swear that I didn’t bug you.  It was Angela… All these years I trusted that young woman, and she was just biding her time until you met up with Victoria again.  I’m trying to use her as bait to call off the old man, but I’m not sure it will work.”

“Okay, Xavier.  I’ll put my trust in you, but if anything at all happens to my wife, there will be no place on earth you can hide from me.”

“I hear you, man.  I owe you this one.  Let me do what I do best.”  He hung up on Griffin and Griffin gave Jacobson his phone back.

“Get dressed, Victoria.  We’re going with Jacobson.”

She nodded and rushed to do as she was told.  It felt good to know that another person was on their side.  Once she was dressed, they made sure the room was ‘clean’, and then they were on their way.  They left the jeep behind and went with Jacobson in his van.  It looked like it was on the verge of total collapse from the body, but he told them it was practically brand new; Xavier’s idea to throw off anyone who was good at spotting undercover vehicles.

Jacobson headed north and he drove steadily, not stopping for coffee, gas, or anything else.  “I have an extra gas tank on this baby.  We won’t be leaving any clues that can be picked up by asking around.  If you need to pee, there is a toilet in the back.  Not much privacy, but it’s better than wet britches, Victoria.  I won’t peek,” he promised with a cheeky grin.

Victoria decided she could hold out as long as the men, which was hilarious when she thought about it.  Griffin was like a camel, and he could go all day without relieving his bladder.  He used to complain about needing to stop so often for her to go to the bathroom.  This trip was no exception.  She ended up making her way to the back of the van to use the makeshift toilet, and decided it was indeed better than having wet pants.

“Feel better?” Griffin asked with a knowing grin.

“Yes,” she admitted, embarrassed.  “How much further are we going, Jacobson?”

“Several more hours, Victoria.  Why don’t you get some sleep?  I know you have to be tired out.  You too, Griff…”

“I think one of us will stay awake, kid.  I’m still not completely sold on this idea.”

“Suit yourself.  I have nothing at all to hide.  What kind of music do you like?  I think I have some oldies that might suit you.”

“Smart mouth,” Griffin said.

“I don’t like to be called ‘kid’.  I’m a lot older than I look.”

“I doubt that.  You look about twenty-two.”

“I’m thirty-one,” he stated.  “Do you think Xavier would entrust the two of you to a green kid fresh from Quantico?”  He laughed.  “My baby face is why Xavier likes me.  No one thinks me as capable as I am.  I blend in and look like someone’s kid or little brother.”

“You had me fooled,” Griffin admitted.  “How much farther are we going?”

“Vermont.  We have a nice cabin there.  It’s pretty secluded.  You’ll have your privacy, but I’ll be there in case I’m needed.  Xavier issued me a new phone, and we checked it ourselves for bugs.  Angela had no knowledge of this van, so it’s clean, too.  She managed to have bugs planted in both your phones, your car, and your bag, Victoria.  Griffin kept throwing them away, and I think by the time you got to the last motel, you found all of them.”

“How on earth did they manage that?” she wanted to know.

“Angela wanted to be prepared when her grandfather was released.  With the bugs she was certain she could find you at any time.  She didn’t count on Griffin showing up, but she’d bugged his phone just in case you called him for help.”

“What about the mission that went wrong?  Did she have anything to do with that?”

“No.  It was Xavier’s fault.  He was given false information.  He called off the locals, but not until you were shot.  How is your wound?”

“Healing.  I’m fine.  Victoria is a good nurse.”

They drove for several more long hours and all of their stomachs were growling from lack of food.  Jacobson refused to stop anywhere, even at a rest stop where there were vending machines.  “I’ll have to install a fridge in this thing and keep it stocked for emergencies like this one.  I hope one of you can cook when we get there.  I can’t even make coffee in a coffee maker.”

They finally arrived.  Jacobson killed his lights about two miles before he turned off a major highway, and then he took a gravel road to another gravel road, which led to a cabin hidden from view by a heavy span of trees.  “I’d rather you didn’t use any flashlights if you can see well enough with the moonlight.”

“Lead the way; we’ll follow,” Griffin stated, not about to let the kid know that both he and Victoria had excellent night vision.  He made a play of helping her and stumbling a bit himself to make it look real.  He also had his hand on his gun, and he knew that his little wife had her gun in her hand as well.  They would not be taken off guard.

Victoria was relieved when they went inside and checked out the place that no one was waiting inside to attack them.  There was a nice lounge area with a fireplace.  It appeared cozy.  There was a small galley type kitchen, and a nice bar with stools where they could eat.  The bedrooms were on either side of the cabin.  Jacobson said he would take the smaller one; she and Griff were placed in the other one.  Both bedrooms had their own bathroom, so the cabin was very comfortable.  The only thing that was different about this space was the windows.  They were small, and at the top of the walls. No light could shine through and no one could see inside. The doors were heavily locked, and for all intents and purposes, once the car was parked inside the garage, the house would look uninhabited.  Victoria felt herself relax a bit.

“What do we have in the way of food?” she asked, heading for the kitchen.  She looked in the fridge and saw that it was well stocked.  She was elated.  The pantry cupboard was well stocked, too, and she quickly grabbed a can of chicken, another box containing broth and some packaged noodles.  She found some frozen veggies in the small freezer above the refrigerator.  There were some fresh dinner rolls, too.  They would eat in style while they were here.