DeliciousDanger (38 page)

Kelly noticed Mike holding two small devices one of which he
gave to Rick, and raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

“Thermal imaging units,” he explained. “They’ll tell us
where any live bodies are.”

Then he outfitted each of them with tiny ear buds and lip
mics.

“They’re all set to the same channel. Don’t talk unless you
have to.”

Finally they were ready to launch. Once in the water they
floated out away from the beach, then picked up the paddles they would use.
Even though it would take them longer, they didn’t want to run the risk the
noise of a motor would make. Xena rode in the center of the inflated craft as
if she’d been doing it all her life.

No one said a word as they worked the paddles in a smooth
rhythm. When they reached the other side of the atoll they moved away from the
shore and headed toward the island where Jordan was staying. Lucky for them
there was a heavy cloud cover, shielding them from any moonlight that would
expose them to unwanted eyes.

Kelly had no idea how long they paddled. She was only
thankful that all the work with her dogs had given her a toned body with
well-conditioned muscles. Finally Rick laid his paddle across his knees, pulled
Andy’s satellite photo out of his pocket and studied the shoreline of the
looming island. Silently he pointed to the place they’d marked, then picked up
his paddle again as they headed for the lagoon.

The narrow entrance to it was nearly overgrown with
mangroves, the thick tree roots protruding aboveground, but the men skillfully
guided the boat until they reached the wide pool of water. Mike, at the front
of the boat, leaped out to tug it out of the water. In seconds Rick and Kelly
were both over the side, helping to beach the rubber craft. Once it was on
somewhat solid ground, Kelly signaled to Xena, who stepped out onto land with
unbelievably quiet steps.

“She looks like she’s holding her breath,” Rick whispered to
Kelly.

“I taught her to tiptoe,” she grinned. “Never thought it
would come in so handy.”

Mike reached into the boat and pulled out three pairs of
night vision goggles—NVGs—handing them around. Then he took a small flat
instrument from one of his pockets and pressed a button on the side.

“This will alert us to the location of any alarm sensors as
we get closer to the house,” he whispered to Kelly. “Make sure Xena doesn’t
step on any of them.”

“We’ll be fine,” she assured him. “Xena will probably sense
them before you do.”

Then, slowly and in near silence, they made their way
through the jungle-like growth. Vines tried to wrap themselves around them,
small animals skittered over their feet and night birds split the air with
their song.

Kelly tapped Rick on the shoulder to get his attention. “What
kind of animals am I trying not to notice?” she whispered.

“Don’t know but all the natural sounds are good cover for
any noise we might make.”

He stopped where he was and reached for Kelly, lifting his
NVG and hers. “This has no place in this mission but I have to say it. Before
we go any further, whatever happens, I want you to know I love you with all my
heart. You
are
my heart.” His face was in shadow but she could see the
taut planes and sharp cheekbones. “I’ve lived my life… Well, anyway, one minute
you weren’t there and I had no anchor. The next minute you were. I just wanted
to tell you that.”

Kelly felt a sharp pain stab through her and she reached her
arms up to pull his head down. “I love you too. With everything I am. We’re
going to come out of this together and have a wonderful life.”

She stood on tiptoe and opened her mouth on his, tasting
him, relishing the flavor of him, for a brief moment blocking out everything
but this man here and now. Then she released him and pulled her goggles back in
place.

“Now let’s go kick some ass.”

In another few steps the house came into view, as beautiful
and graceful as it had looked in the picture. They stopped, Xena heeling at
Kelly’s signal. Rick and Mike each slid back their NVGs, pulled out their thermal
imagining devices and began scanning the house and the area around it.

“I see seven people.”Rick’s voice was barely audible through
the ear buds. “One at the rear of the house and six in what must be the living
room off the terrace. Jordan’s got to be one of the bodies in the heat
signature, because the person in the back is too short.”

“Who the hell do you think is with him?” Mike whispered
back.

“Beats me. What do you want to do?”

“Let’s wait a bit and see what happens.”

They didn’t have long to wait. The figure in the rear of the
house moved, heading off to what must be his or her bedroom. Then they heard
loud voices and four figures emerged from the house. Two very tall men in
casual clothes, one heavily muscled, the other lean and wiry, came first. The
muscular one was speaking in a loud, angry voice. The other two were dressed in
some kind of security uniform and urging the loud man forward with guns.

“Son of a bitch,” Mike whispered, his voice shocked.

“No kidding.” Rick squinted to get a better look. “So that’s
who wants to kill me. And now I know why.”

The piece of information that had been buzzing around in his
head suddenly floated to the surface. He touched his partner’s shoulder to make
sure he had his attention. “Mike? I know everything now. I remembered what’s
been bothering me. It’s an email I saw on Jordan’s computer.”

Mike turned his head to look at Rick. “What kind of email?
Who from?”

“When I was in his office at BIAP right after we unloaded
the shipment, there was an email open on his screen. I just glanced at it and
Jordan closed the screen before I had more than a few seconds to look at it.
And when I was lying on the tarmac, half my blood leaking out, someone was
whispering something in my ear about it. But the shooting must have shut down
my brain and all this time I’ve been trying to remember what it said.
‘Everything’s set on my end. Shipment ready to go. Make sure your people are
ready to make it disappear. Matt.’”

“I guess that answers the question once and for all about
Greg Jordan’s involvement. But I can’t understand Matt. He’s got more money
than he’ll ever need. Why take a chance on something like this?”

“I don’t know,” Rick answered. “Maybe we should go and ask
him.”

“What is it?” Kelly asked in a whisper. “What’s going on?”

“The man in front is Greg Jordan,” Mike told her.“But the
other man…”

It was that man who stunned them both.

“Matt Caldwell.”Rick’s voice was so low the others had to
press their ear buds to hear him but his shock was evident. “What the hell is
he doing here?”

“Actually,” Mike said, “don’t think I’m crazy but we may
also be looking at Matthias Grant.”

“After this I wouldn’t think anything was crazy.”

“This certainly doesn’t look too good for your friend Greg,”
Kelly whispered into her mic.

“I can’t believe this,” Greg was shouting, waving his hands.
“I put my ass on the line for you and this is what I get?”

“You’re a loose end I can’t afford to leave dangling.”
Matt’s voice sounded almost apologetic. “If you’d been able to get rid of
Latrobe, things might be different. I’m sorry about this, Greg.”

“Sorry? Sorry that you have to kill me? What kind of sorry
is that?”

“Rick Latrobe will never stop poking into this. If you’re
not around, there’s no one left to answer his questions.”

Rick started to move forward slightly but Xena lay down on
his feet and pressed her body against his.

“Kelly, tell her to get up,” Rick hissed.

“She senses danger for you. Don’t forget there are three
more men in the house. Let’s just stay where we are and see what happens next.”

“Why didn’t you just shoot me in the house?”they heard Greg
ask sarcastically. “Why this big charade?”

They could see Caldwell’s face twist in a sardonic smile.
“Blood is so messy to clean up.”

“So where are you taking me?” Greg shifted slightly on the
balls of his feet, as if preparing to take on his attackers.

“For a short ride in the helicopter. Come on.”

“We have to move,” Mike said. “We can’t let them take him
away from here.”

“Watch for the others in the house.”

But as Rick moved forward Xena rose, shoved hard against him
and flattened him to the ground.

“Hey!” He struggled to keep his voice low. “Kelly, I told
you to get her off me.”

“Remember the dream?” she reminded him. “The first bullet
could be for you.”

Chapter Fifteen

As they stood motionless, trying to decide what their next
move should be, a small animal ran across their feet, rustling the leaves of
the huge plants surrounding them.

Caldwell’s head turned. “What’s that? Is someone there?”

“I only wish,” Jordan said. “Maybe someone who could get me
out of this mess.”

Caldwell motioned to one of the guards. “Take a look. See
what’s there. I can’t believe anyone could breach the security here but I’m not
taking any chances. If you see someone, just shoot him.”

The guard strode across the small stretch of lawn, his gun
hand raised. “Who’s there? Come out and show yourself.”

Xena moved enough to let him inch himself to one side, Kelly
and Mike shifting to the other, all of them trying to blend into the foliage.
They waited silently as the guard pushed the wide leaves aside. The moment he
stepped into an area between them all, Rick raised his hand and brought the
butt of the gun down on the man’s head. The guard grunted and folded to the
ground.

“Well, that tears it,” Mike said. “Kelly, stand point with
your rifle.”

He pulled a roll of heavy duct tape from one of his many
pockets and in seconds he and Rick had the man securely bound with tape across
his mouth.

“What did you find?”Caldwell shouted. “Answer me, damn it.
Is anyone there?”

Rick stepped forward, his gun pointed at the three men.
“Fancy meeting you here, Matt. Or should I say Matthias.”

A strange expression, part respect and part regret, flitted
across Caldwell’s face. “So you figured it out. Why am I not surprised? What
did you do with my guard?”

“He’s taking a little nap right now.”

Rick shifted his stance, making sure everyone could see the
gun in his hand. “Who’d have believed it. Matthias Grant. The invisible man.
Alias Matt Caldwell. I’d guess Camellia Cay is a good place to wash your money
through while you’re providing a safe haven for the high-priced crooks of the
world. And the ideal place for you to send Greg here to hide out until the heat
was off.”

Greg Jordan started toward him but the guard next to him
grabbed his arm and shoved the gun into his ribs, forcing him to kneel on the
terrace. Greg looked at Rick helplessly. “Man, am I glad to see you. Get me out
of here, will you? This crazy asshole wants to kill me.”

“I think he plans to get rid of you and drop your body into
the Caribbean from that chopper,” Rick told him. “Right, Matt? After the way
you made a fool out of me I might even help him.”

“Give it up, Rick,” Matt said. “You’re outnumbered. Even you
aren’t crazy enough to try this alone.”

“Who said I’m alone?”

Mike and Kelly stepped into the clearing, Mike with his gun
raised, Kelly holding her rifle. Beside them Xena stood at alert.

The guard looked from Greg and Matt to the group that had
just emerged, uncertainty flashing across his face.

“Well, well.”Caldwell’s mouth twisted in a humorless grin.
“Just keep your gun on Jordan,” he told the guard. “I’ll take care of the
others.”

“You and what army? In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re the
one who’s a little outnumbered.” Rick said. He looked at Matt Caldwell, a man
who had not only been a client but a friend and a bitter taste rose in his
mouth. “You’re the last person I expected to find involved in this mess. When
is enough money enough? And how the hell do you expect to get away with it?”

“I thought you’d be dead by now, Rick,” the man told him. “I
had it all set up for you to take the blame and we’d all have been home free.
Too bad you don’t kill off that easily. And too bad Greg here couldn’t get the
job done.”

“You know I have to take you back.”

“I don’t think so.” His smile was anything but pleasant.
“Right now my wife and children are mourning my death in an automobile
accident, distraught because the car exploded and my body was burned so badly
they’ll have to have a closed casket funeral.”

“So you’ve added one more death to your list of bodies?”

“Regrettable but necessary. I asked one of the men at the
office to drive my car home, then followed him and shot out the tires and the
gas tank. I assure you I’ve made arrangements for his family to be well
compensated. Just as mine will be.”

“It’s not about money for everyone, Matt,” Mike said from
his position close to Greg. “Not everyone has that same driving greed. And poor
Charlie. You’ve certainly left him holding a big bag.”

Matt lifted one shoulder. “He’ll come out all right. Nothing
points to him and the shipment was heavily insured. You ruined a good thing,
Rick. I’m walking away from the perfect life it took me a long time to build.”

“I’m not the one who did this. You are.”

“Time to stop talking.”Caldwell raised his voice. “You’d
better come out of the house now. I need you out here.”

Two more men emerged from the house, guns in hand.

“Shoot them,” Caldwell commanded, nodding toward Rick and
the others.

Both men raised their guns but that was as far as they got.
The streak of black and white was almost a blur as Xena launched herself at the
two new guards, taking them both down. Their guns discharged harmlessly and
Mike raced forward, picking the guns up and keeping them pointed at the downed
bodies before anyone else could move.