Chasing Shadows (25 page)

Neil tried to get up, but the other man held the gun on him at point blank range.  KC had to fight the urge to reach for her Glock or to spit in the goon's face as he fondled her.  No.  She had to find out who they were and what they wanted.  And she couldn't risk Neil.

"Leave her alone, you creep!" Neil shouted.  KC was touched by his show of courage.

"Who are you?" she asked again, this time in a whisper.

"Call me Redman, sweetie.  You and I are going to have a long time to get acquainted later."  He gestured at the second man.  "C'mon Freddie, time's a wasting."

The second man hauled Neil to his feet, twisted his arm behind his back and marched him out the door.

Redman yanked on KC's hair, pulling her head back until she met his gaze.  

"Thanks for calling Junior out of his house so we didn't have to deal with all that security," he told her.  "But I owe you big time for that kick to the balls."  

He planted his lips on hers, thrusting his tongue past her teeth, making her gag.  "Just remember," he said when he pulled away, his face mere inches from hers, "we need
him
alive.  You're only alive as long as you make it worth my while to keep you that way.  Understand?"

Her scalp was screaming with pain as he twisted her hair.  KC didn't have to fake the tears streaming from her eyes.  

"Yes," she whispered.

"Yes what?" he yelled, yanking on her hair once more.

"Yes, sir."

"That's more like it.  You be a good girl, and we'll have some fun later."

KC allowed him to goose-step her out to their Blazer.  It was Neil they wanted, not her and Chase.  She still had to think of a way to free Neil and herself without blowing her cover or sabotaging the meet.  At least Redman hadn't frisked her.  And the cavalry was coming.

CHAPTER 37

Deacon kept staring at Chase as they drove.  

"Everything in place for the meet?" Chase asked, trying to break the tension.

"Wasn't it your job to see that it was?" Deacon retorted.

"Yeah, sorry, won't happen again.  Cavanaugh meeting us there or what?"

"Not Cavanaugh.  Me and Redman are going in with you.  The rest will be nearby, just in case."

"In case what?  Bruno's not going to screw us.  He has more to lose than you do.  Besides the deal was me and one other person."

"We'll need Redman to keep watch on the kid."

Kid?  Did Deacon have Jay?   

"What kid?" he strained to keep his voice normal.

"I was worried that Gianotti might be double crossing us, setting us up.  I sent Redman to collect his kid, figured the old man won't try anything with him there."

Deacon meant Neil, not Jay. Chase found himself able to breathe again. If KC was who she said she was, she'd protect Neil.  Which might blow the entire operation.  But if KC wasn't FBI, then—he pounded a fist against his knee, it was all too confusing, he had no idea who was whom anymore.  All he knew for certain was that he could trust no one except himself.

"Something wrong?" Deacon asked, his gaze narrowed in suspicion.

"Nah, just thinking about my brother, is all.  Kid's a nut job, wants to quit school, run away with his sleazy girlfriend.  And let me tell you, she's a real piece of work—one cold-hearted bitch." 

Chase felt Deacon's attention drift away, bored by his problems.  Fine with him, it hurt too much to talk about Jay, was too painful to even think about KC and what she'd done to him.

His hand drummed against his thigh as he fought to control his fury.  Trust no one, assume nothing—when was he going to learn?

Deacon pulled the truck into the elementary school parking lot and raised a pair of binoculars, scouring the back of the high school that was clearly visible past the playing fields.  

"Your brother, he's going to be all right?  I mean, he has his girl to take care of him, right?"

Chase startled.  He should be used to it by now, Deacon was always asking about family.  "Yeah, he'll be fine."

"You never told me about your sister.  I like the bird on her headstone."

"Hawk.  It's a red-tailed hawk."  Chase remembered the fresh footprints at Diana's grave.  It was hard to think of Diana and be angry at KC at the same time.  

"How old were you when she died?"

"Five."  Chase knew Deacon wouldn't stop until he had the entire story.  

Damn it, he didn't need this right now, had enough on his mind.  Talking about dead people made him wonder if Jay was going to be the next Westin buried in the family plot.  Which would leave Chase absolutely alone.

"She was only two months old.  Was it SIDS or something?"

"No.  She came too early—the doctors were surprised she made it past the first day.  She was a fighter, though."  Chase shut his eyes for a moment.  God, he was tired.  Hadn't been this tired since Afghanistan.  

"Ahh.  That's why the hawk instead of a dove or angel."  Deacon reached across Chase to replace the binoculars in the glove compartment.  "My sister was four when she died.  The baby of the family.  There were six of us, I was the oldest.  The man of the house, supposed to watch over everyone.  Me and my homes, we did that, no one messed with our families."

Chase opened his eyes, turned to the older man in surprise.  Deacon never talked about his personal life.  Never.  "What happened?"

"Tanesha was born with a heart condition—left side of her heart was too small.  She almost died a bunch of times, the doctors had her under the knife and in the hospital more than she was home."  

Deacon's gaze drifted to the playground equipment beside them.  "My baby girl.  I was fourteen when she was born.  My mom was never there for her, so I made it my job to watch over her.  But she just kept getting sicker and sicker.  Turns out, she got some bad blood, had Hep C on top of her heart problems, it was just too much.  The doctors said they could maybe save her with a liver transplant, but the goons at Medi-Cal, they said no, it cost too much and she'd never make it anyway, not with her bum heart."

Frustration and anger filled Deacon's voice.  To know there was a chance to save your sister and be told you weren't allowed to try it—that would have driven Chase over the edge if anyone did that to his family.  Now he understood all those visits to pediatric hospitals, prowling among the graves of dead children.    

"I'm sorry," he said, meaning it.

"She was a beautiful baby.  An angel."  Deacon took a deep breath, turned the engine back on.  "Sometimes, you just gotta take the time to remember why you do what you do, you know?"  

They pulled away from the school and he turned to Chase.  "You carrying?"

The abrupt change of topic startled Chase.  "Yeah, my Heckler Koch.  Why?  Who you thinking I'm going to need to use it on?" 

Deacon shrugged.  "Just keep your eyes open.   I'm depending on you to make this deal happen.  There's others who will be watching as well."

"Others?  Who?"  

During his time with The Crusade, Lucky had mentioned rumors of powers behind Deacon's public leadership.  Men with money and political clout.  

If they were here, in Coalton, maybe they could have everything wrapped up today—not just the weapons off the street, but The Crusade demolished, their plans aborted.  And Jay back home, safe and sound.  "What others?"

Deacon gave him an indulgent smile as if Chase were a child asking for an extra helping of Christmas turkey.  "After the deal is over, if everything goes as planned, you may get a chance to meet them."

Yesterday, before he met KC, Chase would have sworn that nothing could possibly go wrong with the setup, not after six months of planning and establishing his cover.  Now, one day of KC running around loose, and for the first time he felt afraid, as if events were conspiring against him, hurtling out of his control.

For an instant he felt KC's touch on his arm as she explained to him about karma and its consequences.  He could almost smell her scent fill the truck cab, and his stomach tightened in anticipation of seeing her again, of her body gliding over his, teasing, exciting, leading him to the heights of passion.

He rolled the window down, cleared his head with a deep breath of fresh air.  Next time he saw KC, he might be forced to kill her.  Or at least hurt her.  Whatever it took to find out where Jay was and ensure his safety.

Bad karma, he thought, an image of KC's playful chameleon blazing through his mind.

CHAPTER 38

Redman backed the Blazer into Chase's driveway and came around to the rear doors.  He yanked Neil out first.  Freddie and a man who came from the house escorted the teenager inside.  Then he grabbed KC's arm and twisted it behind her as he marched her through the carport and inside the house to where the others waited.

"Where's Deacon?" he asked the third man.

"Went to pick up Westin.  Who's the girl?"

In answer, Redman wrenched her arm up, pulling KC to her tiptoes as she tried to keep from dislocating her shoulder.  Pain lasered down her arm.  It took everything she had to keep from breaking free, grabbing her gun, and shooting the bastard.  

Not yet.  Only if it became absolutely necessary.  Glenn or Carson would be here soon, just had to keep these guys playing a little while longer.

"Man asked you a question," Redman yelled in her ear as he yanked her arm again.  "Answer him, little girl.  Tell him how you slept with your boyfriend's big brother—I heard you were really something."

Neil came to her rescue.  "Stop it!  You're hurting her."  He flailed uselessly at the two men holding him.  "Tell them KC, tell them you never slept with Chase."

Neil's captors shoved him down onto the sofa, one of them holding a gun on him.  Redman loosened his hold on KC enough so that she could spin free of his grip.  She stood and glared at the men, hands on her hips.  

"Keep your filthy hands off me!"  

The men exchanged glances and laughed.  KC thought furiously.  It was obvious Chase had told Redman that he'd slept with her—Lord only knew why—but now it was up to her to protect his cover story.   

"Looks like we've got a live one here, boys."  Redman said, taking a step toward her.

"Hey," Freddie called out from his position at Neil's side, pointing to KC's tattoo, "show us your picture, there, little girl."

"Yeah, make her do a belly dance for us," the third man joined in.

KC had to get her jacket off before they found the Glock.  She narrowed her eyes at Redman who feinted to one side as if he were playing tag with her.  

"Boo!" he shouted.

KC held her ground and with the finesse of a stripper, slowly slid her jacket off, taking care to fold it so that the Glock remained concealed.  She pivoted and draped it over one of the dining room chairs, then moved around the large table, keeping it between her and Redman.

"C'mon girlie, we just want to look, that's all."

"Yeah, we're not going to hurt you any."

Stall, she had to keep stalling.  What was keeping Glenn so long?  Even though she'd been forced to leave her phone at the house, he should have figured out where they were by now. 

She completed her circuit of the table, ending up across from Neil's spot on the sofa.  The two men on either side of him were focused on her.  The one with the gun, Freddie, held it limply in his hand, ignoring Neil entirely.

KC stared at Neil, trying to telegraph her intentions, to tell him to stay put, do nothing, that she had everything under control.  Redman crossed over from the dining room and lunged for her.  KC saw his movement, could have easily blocked it if she had wanted to, but before she could do anything, Neil reached for Freddie's gun.

The nine millimeter went off, the bullet plowing into the Barcalounger.  KC rushed to haul Freddie off Neil before anyone got hurt.  

She shot an elbow into his gut as he raised the gun and aimed at Neil.  Freddie stumbled back from KC's blow.  His partner tackled Neil, wrestled him face down onto the sofa.

She was about to send a snap kick into Freddie's crotch when Redman stepped into the fray.  He grabbed a handful of KC's hair and hauled her back, wrenching her head so that all she could see was the ceiling and his leering face.  And the Smith and Wesson semi-automatic he lowered to rest against her cheekbone.

"How many guys does it take to babysit two kids?" he asked his comrades.  They both looked up sheepishly and stood at attention.  "You," he yanked at KC's hair to punctuate his message, "baby girl, are beginning to get on my nerves.  You're a trouble maker, ain't you?"

KC squirmed in his grasp, desperate to take the pressure off her scalp.  Maybe she shouldn't wait for backup, she thought as she saw the gleam in Redman's eyes.  This creep was getting entirely too much enjoyment from causing her pain.  She'd love to return the favor.

He hauled her back to the dining room and forced her to lean over the table, his elbow in the middle of her back, leveraging her head back.  He pressed his hips against hers.  His arousal told her exactly how much he enjoyed her struggles.

KC let her body slump in surrender, her right hand dropping below the table.  She was getting ready to draw her Glock from her boot when the kitchen door slammed open.

"Let her go!" Chase shouted, his gun raised at Redman.

Thank God.  The Marines had landed.  

Chase's eyes were bright with fury and his face flushed.  She looked at him, hoped he didn't take things too far.  All he had to do was calm these idiots down, maybe take Redman to the meet with him while she handled the rest.

He didn't look in the mood to calm anyone down.  She swallowed hard as she saw his finger tighten against the trigger guard.  Redman must have seen it as well, because he released KC and stepped back.

"Sorry man, thought you were done with her."  

KC sidled out from between the table and Redman so that she stood beside him, near to his gun hand.  She cut her eyes across the room; the other men were staring at Chase, waiting to see what he did next.  Neil was slumped on the couch, all fight drained from him.