Black Ops Chronicles: Dead Run (29 page)

Levi gave the boy’s shoulder a quick pat. “Thanks, champ. Two houses down, same side,” he called to the team.

Leaving Wagner to deal with the irate mother, he started off at a run. He hadn’t gone more than two strides before a distant gunshot stopped him cold. “God, no! We’re too late!”

***

Standing in the dim light of the foyer in house number 13418, Tess thought she heard the faint rotor noise of a helicopter. Probably a news crew covering a story in a neighboring suburb, she decided, or cops on a drug raid, perhaps. Not that it mattered. Whoever they were, they were too far away to be any help.

She touched the gun at the base of her neck. She’d leave it hidden until after Max had been released. Then...well, then, she’d use it if she had to.

“I’m in the living room, Tess,” Tony called out. “What are you waiting for? Come and join me.”

She saw part of the living room off to one side and a bit of a kitchen off to the other. Forcing herself to ignore the frantic beating of her heart and the trembling in her knees, she set her teeth, lifted her chin, and crossed the foyer.

Pleasant and cozy—as if in defiance of Tony’s intentions—the living room contained an overstuffed sofa and rocking chair, a vase of dried flowers on an ebony coffee table, and a small matching end table bearing a heavy, old-fashioned Tiffany lamp. A television sat on a stand in one corner. In the wall across from her was a gray-stone fireplace. An antique clock, two wrought-iron candlesticks, and a pistol rested on the simple wooden mantle.

Despising the weakness that had a sickening trail of sweat oozing down her back, Tess clutched the strap on her backpack for support. The old clock on the mantle announced each passing second with a quiet, pitiless tick as it counted down the minutes.

Tony sat on the sofa, his eyes as cold and hard as glacier ice. He got up and came toward her, a cruel, smug smile on his movie-star-handsome face. Tess stood motionless. Waiting.

He reached out and caressed her cheek with unexpected tenderness. Another game, she decided. She slapped his hand and backed away from him.

“I’m here, Tony, now call whomever you need to, and tell them to let Max go.”

“First things, first.” He grabbed her arm and jerked her to him. “Where’s the gun?”

She cringed as his free hand slipped under her shirt to search around her waistband. “What gun?”

“I find it hard to believe you didn’t bring a gun.”

He pulled the backpack off her shoulder and tossed it on the floor. Turning her around, he frisked her, his hand running up her sides and under her arms then up the inside and outside of her legs. But he didn’t delve into her hair.

She turned to watch as he picked up the backpack and pawed through it. He grunted over the sock of coins but left them where they were. Then he tossed the bag back on the floor.

“You really came unarmed?”

“You tell me. You frisked me. Now let Max go.”

“In a minute. There’s something I want from you first.” Quick as a snake, he yanked her against him. “Kiss me,” he ordered as his mouth descended.

“Go to hell,” she hissed. She leaned her head away from his lips. “I came here so you’d free Max.”

Tony slipped a hand around her neck. Her heart sank as she felt his fingers brush the gun. Shit. How could she have known he’d want to kiss her? Defenseless and terrified, she closed her eyes.

“What the hell is this?” he demanded, ripping the tape, and pistol, off her neck. With a snarl, he backhanded her across the face. The force of the slap knocked her back two steps. “You stupid bitch. Do you think I’m a fool?”

Rage diluted her fear. “You bastard! I bet it makes you feel like a real hero to assault a woman. An
unarmed woman
, no less.” She cupped a hand on her throbbing cheek. “So, fine. You win. Now, let Max go, damn you.”

“Yes, about Max.” Tony peeled the tape off her gun and placed it on the mantle. He picked up his pistol and aimed it at her. “I’m afraid I never really had him at all, Tess. He was long gone before I got myself untied that night in Baja.”

“You’re saying this was all a bluff?” Turning sick with shame as she realized what she’d done, she tried to deny it. “Not possible.”

“Sure it is. Worked better than I expected, too. I got the idea from Nick when we wanted to kidnap some kids down in Baja.”

Tess remembered. She and Max had overheard them planning it and gone to the village to warn Pablo’s family. Listening to Tony now, she felt a familiar pain squeeze her heart and realized she’d been hoping for one last glimpse of Max, regardless of the circumstances in which she saw him.

“Somehow, the brats managed to slip by us,” Tony continued. “So Nick thought we could just say we had them.” He shrugged. “But I knew it’d never work. Not in a village that small. It sure did the job this time, though.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Sure you do. You’re just mad you fell for the lie, so now you don’t want to accept the truth. Not my problem. It only makes you more of a fool.”

“Kiss my ass.” If Max was really safe, she supposed she’d accomplished her mission. Better to think of it that way, she decided, than to focus on how stupid she’d been.

“I’m surprised Komakov didn’t try to stop you.” Tony moved toward her, grinning when she stepped back. “I guess he doesn’t care as much about you as I thought.”

“Oh, Levi cares. He didn’t follow because I left before he got home.” Her embarrassment at being duped was nothing compared to her remorse over Levi. He’d be so hurt by this. More pain he didn’t deserve. The guilt and temper cocktail made her want to frighten Tony. And watch him squirm. “I hope you realize you’ll never be safe from him,” she taunted. “He’ll hunt you. He’ll find you. And he’ll kill you.” Her voice echoed with conviction. “You’ve never been a match for him. He’s the best there is.”

“The best,
my ass
.” Tony’s grin transformed into an angry scowl. “I’m not afraid of him.” He shrugged again, but this time it looked
forced
. “If he comes for me, I’ll just take him out, too.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh really? I’d love to see how that works out for you.”

“Komakov couldn’t track you.” His eyes darting around the room as if he expected Levi to pop out of the woodwork, he shifted the gun from one hand to the other then back again. “He’d have been here by now if he could. And if you left while he was gone, he won’t even know I’m involved.”

“Of course he does. I wrote him a note and told him I was coming to meet you. And I told him why. So he’ll come after you. I promise.”

“A note? Well, well, not as dumb as you look, are you?”

“Smart enough to make sure you won’t get away with this.”

“I’m not worried.”

But she could hear the lie in his voice. “Then kill me and get it over with.”

He tossed the pistol on the couch and grabbed her arm again. “First, we have to finish what we started before I found your gun.” His chuckle was tinged with a hint of madness, his intent clear in his eyes.

Her blood turned to ice. “No! Why are you doing this?”

“Why not? If Nick hadn’t gotten in the way, you’d have been mine a long time ago. But I’m man enough to have kept you in line.” His gaze traveled up and down her body then came back to meet hers. “And after all the trouble you’ve caused me, I figure you owe me.”

His tight and painful grip on her arm gave her no choice but to stay where he wanted her. With his free hand, he fondled her breast. When she slapped his hand away, he snorted. “This’ll be more fun if you cooperate, but if I have to rape you, I will. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it regardless, so easy or hard, it’s up to you.” Moving his hand to her throat, he seized the back of her neck again and yanked her head toward him. His grin widened as she struggled to break free. “The hard way then. Fine with me, but I am going to have you.” Then he crushed her mouth with his in a violent kiss.

“The
hell
you are.” She forced the words out past his lips. One hand shoved at his face, while the other pushed against his ribs. But his vice-like grip on her neck and arm made escape impossible. His tongue tried to pry her mouth open. She clamped her teeth together and tried to turn her lips away from his.

Tony raised his head. “Hellfire, you’re stubborn.” His voice was low and husky. His erection pushed against her leg, turning her stomach. He pressed his mouth to her ear. “I’m going to show you what having a real man’s like. I’m going to take my time. Show you good.”

She tried to arch away from him and couldn’t. For an instant, a hideous, overwhelming terror paralyzed her, blanking her mind. Then her temper broke through the fear. Pure rage, raw and primordial, roared through her blood. She seized it, embraced it, and fought back with everything she had.

Using a scream of fury as a battle cry, she kicked out. Her sneaker connected with his shin. He grunted and jerked his leg aside. Forcing her back against the wall, he pinned her with his body, his mouth on hers again.

She tore her lips away. Maneuvering her head, she grabbed hold of his cheek with her teeth and bit. Hard. He yelped. Blood from the wound poured into her mouth. She spat it out, spraying him in the face. She’d had no formal self-defense training, but a woman knows where a man’s vulnerable. Reaching down with her free hand, she grabbed him between his legs and squeezed as hard as she could.

He gasped, cursed, and fought to break her hold with one hand, while still hanging onto her arm with the other.

“You don’t feel like a real man to me,” she hissed.

Tony let go of her arm and seized a fistful of her hair.

She gritted her teeth and held on. “Hard works for me, too, asshole.”

He released her hair, grabbed her arm, and broke her hold. Then he backhanded her again, knocking her to the floor beside her backpack. As he reached for the gun on the couch, she snaked her hand into her bag, snatched the sock of coins, and came up swinging.

The first blow crashed down on his shoulder. He grunted and staggered backward, dropping the gun. The thirst for revenge made her fearless. As he backed away, she followed, bringing the sock down on any body part within reach. Caught up, she didn’t feel the weight of the sock or the pain of her bruises, only the pleasure of finally getting some payback.

One good blow to his face broke his nose. Another, and his right arm snapped with a satisfying crack. He clutched it and wheeled away. She chased him across the room with the sock until he was backed up against the fireplace. Groaning and cursing, he pulled her pistol from the mantle with his left hand. She swung the coins and connected with the gun as he fired. The bullet smashed into the television.

Run. Outside. Now
. There were people out there, and Tony wouldn’t shoot her in front of witnesses. Would he? No. She’d be safe. If she could get there.

She dropped the coins and ran. A bullet slammed into the doorjamb as she darted out of the room.
Good. The bastard can’t shoot for shit left-handed
. But he could still get lucky.

She fled through the front door and into the street, with terror spurring her on. Bullets zinged past her while Tony screamed out curses behind her. Glancing over her shoulder as she ran, she saw him on the front porch, taking careful aim.

With her eyes on Tony, she missed a step, tripped, and went down on the asphalt. The gun barked again. A bullet zipped past her head. It ricocheted off the curb, pelting her with concrete fragments. Her race finished, she braced herself, rolled over, and faced him. His next shot would end it.

“Stay down,” someone shouted.

Gunfire exploded around her. Tony stumbled and jerked under an avalanche of lead. Tess tore her gaze away from him and looked around. Four men in black uniforms stormed toward her, spraying bullets—just like in her dream. Where the hell had they come from? Stunned and confused, she closed her eyes, resting her head on the ground.

Suddenly, strong arms hauled her to her feet, and she was squashed against a hard, male body.

CHAPTER 22

Levi crushed Tess against him. “Are you hurt?”

“L—Levi?” she sputtered. Pulling away, she gaped at him as if he had two heads. “How did you get here?”

His temper strained at its leash and he gave her a quick shake. “Damn it, Tess. Did. Tony. Hurt. You?”

She shook her head. “Not really.”

He ran his gaze over her. Her jeans were torn, her knee, mouth, and the heels of her hands bleeding. “Your version of ‘not really’ appears to be a mite different than mine.”

She looked down at herself. “Okay, my jeans are toast,” she admitted. “And I’m banged up a little from falling. But other than that, and a few bruises from Tony, I’m okay.”

“Uh-huh.” He handed her his handkerchief. “Why’s your mouth’s bleeding then?”

“Not my blood,” she said, wiping it off her face. “I bit him.”

“You
bit
him?”

Her chin shot up. “The bastard had it coming, and I refuse to apologize for it. Or for beating him up.”

Wondering if shock had made her delirious, he walked over to Tony’s body then stared at it, stunned. “
You
did this?”

“Well, everything except the bullets.”

“Wait a minute,” he growled. “How the bloody hell did he
get
my pocket gun?” He pointed at the pistol in Tony’s hand. “That
is
mine, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I, ah. I, um...” She winced, cleared her throat. “I took it with me for protection, but he sort of, um, took it away from me.”

He opened his mouth, shook his head, and closed it again. If he started in on her now, he might say something he’d regret. Better to wait until he’d calmed down a bit.

Wagner leaned over the body. “Well, Mr. Komakov, I guess I don’t need to cover your ass, after all.” With a tissue, he took the gun from Tony’s hand and dropped it into a small, brown paper bag. “Is she okay?” he asked as Tess moved away.

“She says she’s fine,” Levi answered, watching her hobble back into the house. “Apparently, Tony got the worst of it.” He glanced around at his team members. “Thanks, guys,” he said with feeling. “If you ever need a favor...”

As the team dispersed, Tess came out with her backpack. Levi marched over to her. “Let’s get you home.”

“Levi, I’m so sorry about this. Tony lied to me. He never even had Max.”

“I know.
I
checked.”

He noticed she was still limping.
Good, let her limp
. She’d bloody well earned it. No, damn it, he couldn’t. With an oath, he scooped her up in his arms. Trying to ignore how good it felt to hold her, he carried her down the street and onto the helicopter then dumped her in a seat.

“Max’s working at the CIA training facility in Virginia now.” He saw her eyes fill and added, “Honest, luv, he’s fine. I had someone call The Farm to make sure. They got back to me while I was twiddling my thumbs at the airport in Salt Lake.” At the relief on her face, he sighed. How could he scold her for trying to save someone she loved, when he’d have done the same? “Max is at work, luv. Safe at
The
Farm.”

“Thank God.” She started vibrating like a small earthquake. “What the hell is this?”

“It’s the after-action shakes.” Sitting down beside her, he wrapped her in his arms and held her while her body jerked. “Happens to most everybody after their first time in combat. When the adrenalin fades, you shake. Bloody hell, Tess,” he murmured. “I thought for sure we’d lost you.”

“Not a chance. I knew you’d find me. Tony’s no match for you.” Shudders racked her small frame, making her voice tremble. “Thanks for coming after me.”

A strained chuckle escaped him. “It’s getting to be a full time job.” When she stopped shaking, he nudged her head down on his shoulder. “Though, you hardly needed me. You did quite a number on him all by yourself. What did you hit him with?”

“This.” She pulled away, dug in her backpack, and produced a sock filled with something heavy. “Mexican coins. They’ve come in very handy.”

He groaned.
Coins
? Christ. Did she have any idea how lucky she was? “Handy or not, this wouldn’t have been my first choice of weapon against a gun.”

When she stuck her tongue out at him, his heart melted. He pulled her close again and nuzzled her hair, letting her scent fill him. “I’m so pissed at you.”

She rested her head back on his shoulder. “Yes, I can tell. I’m sorry about running off without talking to you.”

“You bloody well should be.” He ran his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. Making sure.

“Checking for bullet holes?” she asked.

“Yeah. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“I’ll have bruises on my face where he slugged me.”

“Christ, luv!” A red haze blurred his vision. “If he wasn’t dead, I’d make him pay for that.”

Resisting the urge to go kick Tony’s dead body, he contented himself with brushing his fingertips lightly over her face.

“I’ve also got a fat lip where he tried to kiss me,” she continued. “My arm’s bruised, and my knee hurts like hell. But I’m alive, and I didn’t get raped.” Fishing a bottle of aspirin out of her backpack, she dry-swallowed two pills and made Levi’s mouth pucker in disgust. “The only real damage is to my jeans and my pride.” Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands. “God, I can’t believe I was such a fool.”

“Believe it,” he told her. “And taking my pocket gun with you wasn’t the smartest thing you’ve ever done, either. Tony was physically stronger than
you
. And while you’d be hesitant to kill, he wouldn’t. So it’s not surprising he sort of took it away from you.”

She raised her head and glared at him. “I won, damn it.”

“Aye, luv, that you did,” he conceded. He played his trump card. “But poor Jonas almost had to mortgage the estate, buying information, trying to find you.”

“Oh, no.” Groaning, she looked away. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry.”

He put a finger on her chin and turned her head back around, kissing first one bruised cheek then the other. “You’re family, Tess. Jonas and I would’ve sold our souls to get you back safe. Maybe you could think about that the next time you don’t want to ask for help.” Pulling out his cell phone, he called Jonas. “I’ve got her.”

“Oh, thank God!” Jonas exclaimed. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. In fact, she’d almost taken Tony out herself by the time I got here.”

“She what?”

“She beat the shit out of him.” He winked at her, relieved when she giggled. “Bloody nice job of it, too.”

“I’ll be damned.” Jonas let out a long breath. “I’ll never be able to repay you for this, Levi.”

“She’s family to me, too, my friend. You don’t owe me a thing.”

As he disconnected, the other team members loaded a body bag on the helicopter. Looking at it, Levi knew he should regret Tony’s death, but he felt only a dark satisfaction. He shrugged it off as Wagner came aboard and shook hands with Tess.

“Ms. Horton. Guess I should introduce myself. I’m Special Agent Wagner. FBI.” He hesitated, glanced at Levi. “We’re, ah, going to need a statement.”

She sighed. “When?”

Wagner looked at Levi again before answering. “At your convenience. I’m sure Mr. Komakov is anxious to get you home. The statement can even be done in Salt Lake City, if you’d prefer.”

“She would,” Levi assured him.

“Fine. I’ll make the arrangements.” He counted passengers, took his seat, and called to the pilot. “Everyone’s loaded, so let’s get the hell out of here.”

***

4:19 p.m., entering Utah airspace
:

On board Levi’s private jet, Tess fidgeted in her seat. She had an icepack on her knee, a glass of wine in her hand, and shame churning in the pit of her stomach.
Might as well get this over
with
. She turned to Levi in the seat beside her. “Go ahead. I know you’re dying to give me a lecture.”

He brushed his fingers down her arm. “I just wish you’d trusted me. That you had let me help you.”

She swallowed and forced herself to meet his eyes. “I know I screwed up. Big time. I put myself in danger and caused you and Jonas so much trouble.” With a grimace, she ran a hand over her sore cheek. “But I didn’t know how to check if Max was safe, even if Tony had given me enough time. I did know you wouldn’t have let me go, whether he was safe or not. I may’ve been an idiot to do what I did, but I was afraid for Max, and also for you.”

“For me?”

“I didn’t want Tony to kill you, too.” His arrogant half-laugh sparked her temper. “Don’t look at me like that, damn it. I know you could’ve taken him in a fair fight. But you know as well as I, he wouldn’t have played fair. He’d have shot you in the back. And I didn’t want to be responsible for your death.” Closing her eyes a moment, she sighed. “But that still doesn’t excuse what I did. You’d think I’d learn, wouldn’t you? I should’ve come to you when Nick murdered that family. But I didn’t because I was afraid Jonas wouldn’t protect me. I mean, since Nick’s his only heir and all. And I didn’t want to put you in an awkward position.” As he opened his mouth, she shook her head, set her wine aside, and rubbed her damp palms on her jeans. “Yes, I do know how stupid that sounds.”

“Good, then I won’t have to mention it.”

“Thanks,” she said, biting back a chuckle at his dry tone. “Hell, if I’d just listened to you about Nick in the first place, none of this would’ve happened.”

He cleared his throat. “That’s not all your fault, luv. Some of it—hell, most—of it’s mine. I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you. If I’d approached it differently, you wouldn’t have gotten defensive.”

“You were worried about me. And you were right about Nick. I was just too dumb to see it.” She took his hand, gave it a squeeze. “There’s nothing I can say, except I’m so terribly sorry. Not only for the trouble I’ve caused, but also for the lack of trust I’ve shown you. I promise I’ll try to do better.”

Levi groaned. “Damn it, luv. How the hell am I supposed to bawl you out when you say something like that?”

“I imagine if you just wait awhile, I’ll do something else you can lecture me for.”

“No doubt.” He chuckled, slipped his hand out of hers, and put his arm around her. “You look exhausted. Why don’t you rest awhile?”

“Yeah. I feel like I need to sleep for a month.” She nestled her head on his shoulder. “There is something you could help me with though.”

“What?”

“I have to go see Nick and tell him I’ll be there to testify if he decides to go to trial. Hopefully, once he hears Tony’s dead, he’ll just plead guilty. I’d really like for all this to be over.”

“Let his lawyer tell him. You don’t need to do it personally.”

“Yes, I do. He betrayed my trust more than anyone else ever has. Even my mother never tried to kill me. So I need to look him in the eyes and tell him he didn’t win.” She took a deep breath. “That means I have to face him.”

Reaching over, she took his free hand in hers and linked their fingers. “But I’m afraid.”

“Nick can’t hurt you. The guards won’t allow him to touch you.”

Embarrassed, she shifted in her seat. “Not physically. But the spiteful things he used to say to me
always wreaked
havoc with my confidence. I knew in my heart they weren’t true, but my head felt differently. And by the time I realized I didn’t love him and needed to break it off, I didn’t even know myself.” She studied the patterns in the carpet. “I tell myself it doesn’t matter what he thinks. And it really doesn’t. Not anymore.” Raising her head, she met his eyes. “But I’m afraid seeing him, and hearing him say all those things to me again, could destroy what self-confidence I’ve managed to regain. I don’t want that to happen.”

“Then don’t go see him.”

“If I don’t, he wins.” She took another deep breath, wondering if he could see in her eyes how hard this was for her to ask. If I’m ever going to be able to give and accept trust, I’ve got to start somewhere. “But I need you to come with me and hold my hand.”

“I’d be happy to.”

***

Monday, May 6, 2:12 p.m., Utah State Prison, Draper,
Utah
:

Tess dreaded the next few minutes. She had to face Nick. She knew that. But, oh God, she didn’t want to.

Sitting on the visitor’s side of the glass security shield, she shifted on her chair, twisting her hands in her lap.

Ironic, how growing up—and facing the monsters
not
under the bed—turned out to be so much harder than you thought it would be when you were young and eager to try it. In the past year, she’d discovered that courage required constant care and feeding. At least hers did.

When they brought Nick in, she almost didn’t recognize him. His face looked haggard. Dark shadows danced under his bloodshot eyes, and he blinked repeatedly as if bothered by the light. Dressed in a prison uniform, his hands cuffed in front of him, with leg chains around his ankles, he looked far less intimidating than he did in one of his thousand-dollar suits.