Dangerous Secrets (55 page)

One of them had to get away if the other was to
be protected. These men were killers. She didn′t need a course in
anti-terrorism to tell her that. As soon as they found out neither of them had
what they wanted, at least one of them would be expendable. Morgan
couldn′t take the chance that it might be Jack.

The helicopter continued to rise. They must be
twelve feet off the ground. She had to do it now. The rise was swift. Another
eight feet and she′d be trapped.

Whipping her head around, she turned to Jack.
‶
I
love you,′′ she shouted over the rotor noise. In movements as fast
as lightning, she grabbed the door lock with her shackled hands, pulled it open
and flipped herself, head first, through the opening.

With hands sure from years of practice she
grabbed the skid support. Grit and dirt from the ground replaced the chalk for
a surer grip. Without thinking, she swung her weight from one skid to the
other, getting away from the open door and a possible bullet. She hung there a
second before letting go and dropping to the ground. Her training, which would
have her pounding her feet onto the hard-packed surface, deserted her as the
survival instinct in her made her bend her knees and quickly fall into a roll,
removing the vibrating impact that would go up her shin muscles through her
knees and into her hips.

Around her, debris circled in the maelstrom
created by the beating rotor blades. Small stones, twigs and grass hit her from
all sides. She was directly under the bird, out of eyesight, but in the open.
She needed a hiding place where the helicopter couldn′t land. The SUV was
too far away. If she went for it, she′d be an easy target for the guns
she was quite familiar with. And the men in the other three trucks could trump
her if they suddenly appeared. The huge bird circled, obviously searching for
her. Morgan ducked behind a bush. It began to descend.

A shot rang out. Morgan jumped. Her head
snapped around.

The sound didn′t come from above, but
from in front of her. Again she heard it along with the accompanying thunk of
it hitting something. It had to be someone from the three trucks that had
pursued them. The helicopter rose higher and took off amid an array of gunfire.
Why were they shooting at the helicopter, she wondered? Weren′t they in
this together? Working for the same side? Morgan didn′t wait to find out.
The SUV was her only chance. Jack had left the keys in the ignition. She
thanked him for his thinking.

Darting out from her hiding place, she raced
for it. She didn′t know how far the other guys were and she didn′t
want to meet them face to face. Jumping over twigs, bushes and rocks, Morgan
catapulted herself into the driver′s seat she. She turned the key, and
took off in the direction where the menacing helicopter had sat. Acceleration
slammed the passenger door closed. Morgan checked the rearview mirror and the
sky. She had enemies in both places. She was pretty sure the mangled trucks
were useless, so her immediate danger would be the sky above her. She cursed
the vehicle for its lack of a sunroof. She could see nothing.

They could probably see her. She drove blindly.
Jack might have known how to get to Clarksburg over the hills, but he
hadn′t shared the knowledge with her.

Morgan strained to see anything. She heard
nothing. Where were they? Where were they taking Jack? Would they hurt him? She
refused to think they might kill in. A knot rose in her stomach as hard and
immovable as the stretch of mountains in front of her.

***

Morgan willed herself to slow the vehicle down.
Her heart pumped fast and her foot seemed to ride the accelerator at the same
breakneck pace. Jerking her foot away, the SUV lurched in an attempt to rapidly
reduce its RPMs. Something hard flew out from under the seat and hit her foot.
She didn′t have time to look down. Maybe it was Jack′s gun. She
hadn′t seen the green giant search him, but while she got in the
helicopter, she couldn′t see what was happening to Jack. She′d been
searched. So if Jack had taken his gun out of the holster and left it, that was
what hit her foot. Morgan felt a little more comfortable knowing she had something
to protect herself with if one of the enemies came back.

She stopped the SUV under two large trees.
Their branches entwined over her head, forming a canopy and a hiding place for
her. Looking down, she found what had hit her foot. It was small and black, but
it wasn′t a gun.

It was a phone.

Morgan grabbed it. It wasn′t Jack′s
secure phone. Thank God he′d had the presence to mind to get another one,
one that wasn′t secure. It could be traced, but only if they, whoever
they were, knew she had it. Morgan needed help and this was her lifeline. She
didn′t need to ask Jack if this constituted an emergency. It did.

She squeezed the instrument to her breast,
closing her eyes and praying silently. What was the name of the guy Jack
trusted, she wondered, trying to remember what he′d said his name was.
Nothing came to mind. She had to call someone. Quickly she dialed the only
person she knew who could help her.

Jacob Winston.

Chapter 15

Clarence Christopher swept the door to
Jacob′s office open and walked inside. He was followed by Hart Lewiston.

‶
Is that her?″ Hart asked.

Jacob nodded. He′d had his secretary call
Christopher the moment he discovered Morgan was on the phone.

‶
Where are you, Morgan?″
Jacob spoke into the air.

‶
I don′t know. I′m
in the hills. Jack left the main road shortly after we got on the highway from
Clay to Clarksburg.″ Her voice came over the speaker phone as clear as if
she were in the next room.

‶
Clarksburg?″ Hart said.
‶
What′s
she doing there?″

‶
Who′s that?″ Morgan
asked.

‶
Morgan, this is. . .″ he
hesitated. Jacob saw him swallow.
‶
Hart Lewiston,″ he
finished. Jacob wondered if he found it difficult to say he was her father.
Accordingly, there was silence on the other end of the phone. Obviously, father
and daughter weren′t on comfortable terms with each other. Suddenly Jacob
thought of his daughter, Krysta, and felt a pang of understanding wash through
him.

‶
I jumped out of the helicopter
but they took Jack.″

‶
Are you all right?″ Hart
asked.

‶
I′m fine, but I′m
afraid of what they might do to Jack. I need to know where they took
him.″

‶
You said they have a military
helicopter,″ Jacob replied.

‶
He could be anywhere. Can you
tell me anything more about the helicopter?′′

‶
Only that it was painted like
the camouflage clothing and it′s different than the one Jack stole and
flew away in Indiana.″

‶
What!″ Hart exploded.

Morgan ignored him and went on.
‶
I
don′t think they took him too far away. They were sitting silently in a
ravine, as if they knew we were coming. It looks like someone had a plan. Are there
any old cabins, abandoned mines, ski trails, anywhere you could set a
helicopter down without it being noticed?″

Jacob consulted the computer on his desk. The
screen was recessed into the desk so no huge contraption with its myriad of
wires marred the aesthetics of the surface. He had a command center at his
fingertips. He looked up at Clarence, then pressed a button on the phone that
put Morgan on hold.
‶
Jenny, get Morris Lovel in here, now,″ he
ordered his secretary and went back to Morgan.
‶
We′re getting help″
he told her.

Jacob didn′t often speak to his secretary
like that. He knew Jenny didn′t take his commands personally. She′d
been with him for years and they understood each other.

‶
Hurry,″ Morgan replied.
Jacob could hear the anxiety in her voice.

While they waited the intermittent seconds for
Lovel to arrive, they heard strange metallic sounds over the phone line.

‶
What is that noise?″ Hart
asked.

‶
I′m taking off the
handcuffs.″ They heard several more taps of metal.
‶
They′re
off.

‶
Remind me to ask you where you
learned to do that,″ Hart said.

Meanwhile Jacob sat down and opened the
topography program Lovel would need. The short man with a crew cut and bow tie
came in. His shirt was starched stiff, white and tucked in the waist of his
pressed jeans.

‶
Lovel, find me a place between
Clay and Clarksburg, West Virginia, in the mountains where you′d have
shelter and be able to set a bird on the ground without notice.″

The thirty-something wizard slid into
Jacob′s chair. His fingers hesitated slightly over the keys until he got
a feel for them, then they moved like lightning. He found several locations.

‶
Morgan, we′ve got five
places. He could be at any of them or four hundred miles away in Kentucky,
Tennessee, or the parking lot outside my door.″

‶
I know it′s a long shot,
but I feel they didn′t do that. They′re still looking for me. They
won′t go that far away. The helicopter was just sitting here waiting for
us, as if it knew Jack would take this route. It had to have a base. I assume
they would return to it.″

‶
Maybe you can help us with a
better location of where you are,″ Jacob said.

‶
Can you find me?″ she
asked.

‶
How?″

‶
This phone. It′s got a
GPS. I see a map program on the menu.″

Lovel opened several screens while Jacob
talked. He watched the topography change and quadrants zoom in for greater
detail. Lovel was already opening another program on Jacob′s computer.

‶
What′s the number?″

Morgan read it to him.

‶
Morgan, what are you planning
to do?″ Hart Lewiston spoke with tension in his voice.

‶
I′m going to find
him.″

‶
You can′t,″ Hart
shouted.
‶
This
is not your job. You′re not equipped to do this. You could be
killed.″

She didn′t speak for a second.
‶
I
believe my past experience makes me qualified,″ Morgan shot back.

‶
I have to agree with
Hart,″ Jacob said.
‶
We can get you out of there and find Jack.″

‶
There isn′t time,″
she shouted. Jacob remembered the determined child in the films he′d
seen. No matter how many times she fell or made a mistake in her routine,
she′d get up and do it again and again. She was exactly the kind of
person Jacob would have wanted on his team.

‶
Jacob.″ Her voice
contained a little less fire, but the determination was evident.
‶
Jack
put his life on the line to save mine. I′m not leaving here without
trying to find him. Both you and Hart should understand that. I′m his
only chance.″

Her comments seemed to hit Hart as solidly as a
missile. Color drained from his face, leaving it sallow and pale before it
filled with color. Clarence put his hand on Lewiston′s shoulder and the
presidential candidate looked at him.
‶
I′m afraid for
her,″ he whispered.

‶
I understand,″ Clarence
replied.
‶
We′ll
get her out,″ he assured him.

Jacob looked at Lovel.
‶
Too dense,″
he said.
‶
We
need more to find her.″

‶
What was that?″ Morgan
asked.

‶
Give us some details, Morgan.
Is there a lot going on where you are? Mountain climbers, hikers,
campers?″

‶
We left the highway about ten
miles in.″ Lovel moved the mouse to a point on the screen.
‶
We
drove for about half an hour before the first group of trucks showed up.″

‶
First,″ Hart repeated.
Lovel triangulated.

‶
How fast were you going?″

‶
About thirty miles an hour. We
had to keep going around trees and bushes.″

Lovel made an adjustment.
‶
I
found her,″ he whispered, glancing at the assembly of men behind him.

‶
What happened then?″
Jacob tried to keep control. He could only imagine how he′d feel if
Krysta were alone with people trying to kill her. There was no way of getting
Hart out of the office. Jacob knew they wouldn′t be able to drag him out
either, even though the man was torturing himself with every word he heard.

‶
Then the trucks started to
chase us.″ She related the details of the accident and the helicopter and
how she′d jumped to the ground.
‶
That′s all except for the
gunfire.″

‶
Explain that,″ Jacob
said, cutting Hart off, who was sitting forward in his chair.

‶
It came from the ground and was
directed at the helicopter. I don′t know who it could have been and I
didn′t stick around to find out. Was Jack working with someone
else?″

Jacob looked at Clarence who shrugged.

‶
We don′t know, Morgan,
but it′s possible. I′ll give Forrest Washington a call.″

‶
That′s his name,″
she said.
‶
I
tried to remember what Jack had said, but the only name I could remember was
yours.″

‶
I′ve got
something,″ Lovel whispered.

‶
It′s all right.
We′re on it,″ Jacob tried to reassure her.
‶
We′ve got
something.″

‶
What?″ Morgan asked.

‶
I′m going to put Morris
Lovel on. He can explain it.″

‶
I can see you,
ma′am,″ he began.

‶
You can?″

‶
As long as you keep the cell
phone on, I′ll be able to track your position.″ He paused.
‶
As
for a place you can put a helicopter, there′s an old mine about ten miles
north of you. The mine is closed, dangerous and posted with signs and a fence
to keep out curiosity seekers. It would be ideal as a hideout.″

‶
Do you have coordinates?″
Morgan asked.

Lovel supplied them.

‶
All right, I′m on my
way.″ The sound of the engine starting zoomed into the room.
‶
I
have to end this call. If you can find me, so can the bad guys.″

‶
Wait,″ Lovel stopped her.
‶
If
you turn off the phone, how can you navigate?″

‶
Jack was clever enough to
include a compass in the vehicle. Its battery operated, but no GPS.″

‶
Keep us informed,″ Jacob
said.

‶
Will do.″ She
didn′t immediately sever the call and Jacob left the line open.

‶
Hart,″ she said. He
looked up.
‶
We′ll
talk later. I promise.″

‶
I′ll be waiting,″
Hart said, but the connection had already been cut.

***

Jack opened his eyes. Absolute darkness. He
could see nothing but inky blackness. His head hurt from the fists that had
pounded against it in an attempt to get him to talk. He felt the dried blood
caked on his face. The darkness was disorienting and cold. Jack′s hands
and ankles were shackled. From the feel of shards in his back, he was lying on
hard ground. The residue of coal hung in the stale air. This had to be a mine,
defunct, dangerous and out of the way. Despite his discomfort he wondered about
Morgan. Had she reached safety? Maybe she would return to the camp and get
Burton and Tilden to help her. Or she could call the CIA and let Washington
know. He refused to think of her with a broken leg or arm lying somewhere hurt.
Or the men who shot at them finding her.

He needed to get out of here. The next time his
captors weren′t going to be as physical. They tried to beat information
out of him, for the sheer pleasure of the fight. That hadn′t worked. When
they were sure he knew nothing, that Morgan was the one with the answers,
they′d thrown him into the mine shaft, assuming the fall would kill him.
If it didn′t, he′d die there from his injuries or from rats and
small animals eating away at his flesh.

Jack sat up, holding his head. He thought of
Morgan again and her migraine medication. His head needed more than her gentle
pills could help. Blind stabs of light ricocheted in his brain and behind his
eyelids. He waited a moment for the pain to subside. The fall hadn′t
killed him, though the way he felt he almost wished it had. Every bone in his
body protested. His muscles screamed and his head felt as if it was being
detached from his body.

A moment later he tried to think of something
other than the pain. He had to get the cuffs off. He could work without his
hands, but with his ankles tied together there was no way he could avoid the
death in store for him. And that he wanted to do more than nurse his headache.
He needed something round, like a screwdriver or a handcuff key. He
wasn′t likely to find either in this dark mine. And at this point he
didn′t know which way was either up or out. But going somewhere other
than where he was expected to be was desirable. Jack felt around him. He was
sure there were no tools left from the times when the mine was a working enterprise.
He found only dust, dirt and rock. Then Jack thought of nails. There would
still be nails. If he could find one small enough, it would work. He felt for
the wall. The metal bracelets clinked on his arms. Knowing he couldn′t
stand in complete darkness without falling, he held onto the rough and
crumbling wall as he got to his feet.

Working his way along the wall, he found one of
the support beams. Nails were used to hold them together, to mount brackets to
hang lamps. Jack felt along the wood. A splinter nicked his finger and he
snatched it away. Then, going back, he carefully edged his way along until he
found the place where the lamp would have hung. The bracket was still there. He
let out a sigh of relief.

Working with both hands, he slowly loosened the
fixture. The nails were most probably rusted. He hoped so. That meant layers of
metal would be gone or easily removed, making it fit into the hole, and Jack
would be able to get the shackles from his arms and legs. He gritted his teeth
as he worked. For a closed mine, the fixture had been securely attached, and it
took all his strength to get it to loosen. With a little more work the bottom
support pulled free. Jack was careful to keep the nails from falling to the
floor. He found three and carefully slipped two of them into the front pocket
of his jeans. The nails in the top of the fixture he left for some future
handcuffed prisoner.