Hard Target: Elite Ops - Book One (14 page)

“No one’s there, Max. It’s just you and me.”

“I don’t know anything about the cartels. I swear it.” Max still wouldn’t look him in the eye.

Leland studied the man, certain he’d just heard another bald-faced lie, but whether or not Max’s involvement with the cartels was related to the kidnapping or something else entirely, he had no idea.

If you ran a legitimate business in Mexico as large as Mercado’s, there was no doubt you’d have to deal with the cartels from time to time. Shipping routes, protection money—there would absolutely be some overlap.

Leland desperately wanted to hear something that indicated Max was responsible for Zach’s disappearance and the shots fired into his hotel room. So far, he hadn’t.

After Hosea’s warning, Leland was fairly convinced the ambush was because of his own job with the DEA. Believing he might also be responsible for Zach’s kidnapping hurt. It felt too much like Ellis Colton’s family, someone getting hurt because he’d failed.

Leland still wasn’t sure if a cartel had anything to do with last night’s events, but all of it together made him extremely uncomfortable. He did not believe in coincidences, and this was just too much.

It seemed more likely that Max would have had something to do with the shots fired into the hotel room, but there was no way to connect the dots there either.

Max interrupted his thoughts. “Will Anna take the money to Mexico?”

“Yes. She doesn’t really have a choice, does she?”

A look of profound relief washed over Max. “Where is the cash coming from?”

Leland stared at him. “Where do you think?”

“My accounts.” Max nodded. “Good. That is the right thing.”

Leland had expected him to object, but the man surprised him. “Who’s going with her? She cannot go by herself.”

Leland didn’t answer.

Max scrutinized him a moment before understanding dawned in his eyes. He nodded again. “Yes, you should do it. She’ll be safe with you.”

“You think so?” asked Leland. This was important. If Max hadn’t ordered the shooting last night, he would still think Leland was a safe person to take care of Anna.

“I don’t like you,” continued Max. “But I’m not a fool. Baxtla is in the middle of nowhere. That makes it an extremely dangerous place in Mexico. If she is going to get Zach out, Anna needs someone who can protect her and the ransom money.”

Leland contemplated Max’s face but didn’t speak.

“You will go with her, yes? I’d send Emilio, but she would never trust him after yesterday.”

Of course, she wouldn’t
. “I’ll go with her.” There was no reason to tell Max he’d already made the decision.

“You take care of her,” Max said. “She won’t allow me to any longer.”

The spurt of sympathy Leland felt for the man was surprising. Max was an ass, but his son was ill and missing. As bizarre as it was for him to be asking Leland to go with Anna, the situation didn’t feel as odd as it should have.

A father would do anything to protect his child.

Leland’s question was,
Just how far would Max go?
Would he stage his own son’s kidnapping? There had to be a special place in hell for a man who would do that.

Chapter Fifteen

A
NNA WOKE UP
at 9:45, surprised that she’d slept so long. The bed was empty, but that did not surprise her. She sat on the edge of the mattress for a moment, wishing desperately that the past twenty-four hours had been a bad dream. Yesterday morning her biggest worry had been how to convince Max that sleeping together was a mistake.

Today’s priority? Getting the money for Zach’s kidnappers and figuring out how to get to the Veracruz district of Mexico.

Where was Leland? He hadn’t left a note, not that she’d expect one. They weren’t lovers. They were . . .

Who knew?

It didn’t matter what they were or for what reason he was helping her find Zach. For now, all she needed to know was that Leland was on her side.

She stood and walked into the bathroom. Today they were going to get the $750,000 from the bank and fly to Mexico. Surreal as that sounded, this was her life.

She stared in the mirror, hardly seeing her reflection. Her thoughts were laser-focused on Zach. Where was he? Was he sick? Was he scared?

Her eyes filled. Those kinds of questions would overwhelm her if she let them. She had to focus on doing the next thing, getting herself together for the day—a shower, clothes.

She turned on the water and took off the yoga pants she’d slept in as the shower temperature warmed up. She’d wash her hair, get dressed, and change the bandage on her arm. She wasn’t sure what came after that.

Eating breakfast? Coffee? One thing at a time.

She pulled on a colorful gauzy skirt and tank top, the last clean clothes in her bag. The bright colors didn’t cheer her as she’d hoped. Still, if she didn’t look too far down the road, she wouldn’t freak out. Like climbing a tall tree, one shouldn’t peer down from the dizzying height. As long as she didn’t venture too far ahead in her thought process, she could do this.

Twenty minutes later she was pouring a cup of coffee in Nick Donovan’s kitchen and hunting something to eat. He walked in wearing gym shorts, a t-shirt with a sweat stain down the front, and a towel around his neck.

A tall, trim woman with auburn hair was with him. Wearing black workout gear, she carried herself like a runway model. Her tank top was damp as well.

“Good morning,” Nick said. “Anna, meet Marissa Hudson. This is my boss.”

“Hello. It’s good to meet you.” Anna felt herself switching to autopilot.

The woman reached out to take her hand in a firm smooth grip. “You, too. Call me Risa.”

“Want some coffee?” Anna held up her mug.

Nick shook his head.

“No thanks, I’ll start with water.” Risa’s voice had a Texas flair with a Kathleen Turner hoarseness that men usually found sexy. Her green eyes missed nothing as they looked Anna up and down, but her gaze wasn’t unfriendly. Together she and Nick looked like something out of a fitness magazine.

“I’ll take some water, too.” Nick headed for the refrigerator.

With his jet-black hair and chiseled features, the man could be Max’s brother. Anna hadn’t noticed so much last night, but she found the similarities disconcerting today. Long-limbed and cut under his tight t-shirt, from what Anna could see, the most obvious thing that set Nick apart from her husband were his electric blue eyes.

“Did y’all go for a run?” she asked.

“No. We’ve got a speed bag and a heavy bag down in the hangar.”

She nodded, not knowing exactly what either were but assuming they had something to do with boxing. She retreated to a safe topic. “Where’s Leland?”

“He had to run an errand,” said Nick. “He asked me to tell you that he’ll be here before noon and we’ll go to the bank, then to get the money.”

She nodded.

“He suggested you might want to call and give them a heads up that you want that much cash.”

“Where do you bank?” asked Risa.

“Texas Mutual.”

Risa smiled. “There’s a branch near here. We’ve used it before for clients. I know one of the managers. Can I call for you?”

“Um . . . sure.” Anna didn’t want to think about Risa’s knowing someone who would give them three-quarters of a million dollars in cash and not ask questions.

“Do you know where Leland went?” Anna asked.

“I think I need to let him tell you.”

She tamped down the spurt of frustration that blossomed when Nick said that. She hated that she was in a situation where she needed to be
handled,
so she turned to the woman. “Marissa. Risa, thank you for letting us crash here.”

Marissa nodded. “Any friend of Gavin’s is welcome.”

Anna didn’t point out that Gavin didn’t know her from Adam’s housecat. Again, she owed Leland. Marissa left her in the kitchen with Nick, and Anna was again struck by how much the man looked like Max.

“Risa and I have some work to do to get ready for the trip. There’s a television in the den and a few DVDs, but I’m not sure there’s anything there you’d like. I’m mostly an action-adventure or documentary guy.”

Anna smiled. “I’ll be fine. Are you both going to Mexico with us?”

He nodded. “Risa and I are flying you and Leland down.”

Someone else to help. Relief washed over her in waves. Leland had done that, and she hadn’t even asked. “Thank you. Thank Risa as well . . . I don’t know what else to say.”

“This is what we do, Anna. So, no worries. I’ve got to go now and sort some things out.”

“Of course. I’ve got a phone call to make. Can I sit on the deck while I do that?”

“Certainly.”

Anna pulled out her cell, chagrined to see the number of missed calls, all from the same number.

She almost wished Nick had said
no
, she couldn’t use her phone. Her sister was going to have a seizure when Anna told her what had happened. She grabbed her coffee and wandered out to the deck, puzzling over how to explain this without freaking Liz out completely.

Her sister picked up on the second ring. “Where have you been? I tried calling all last night after I got your message, and this morning, too.” Liz’s voice was filled with concern.

“I’m sorry. Things have gotten crazy.”

“Have you heard from Max? He called here yesterday afternoon trying to find you. He sounded so angry. I was worried when I couldn’t reach you.”

In as unemotional terms as possible Anna described what had happened since they’d spoken yesterday morning when Anna was trying to get out of Cancun.

“Zach’s gone?” Liz was furious and horrified at the same time. Anna wanted to tell her it was going to work out, that they were going to get him back. But the words seemed too trite for what was happening.

“How can I help? Do you want me to come? You need your family.”

Anna smiled into the phone. Liz was the oldest and had always been “the fixer” in Anna’s family. “No. Don’t come, not yet. I have someone helping me.”

“Who?” A perfectly valid question, but in this moment, it felt so negative.

Explaining would be dicey.
I met a man yesterday who’s traveling to Mexico with me to pay the ransom.

Okay, that sounded insane. Liz would think she was crazy and wouldn’t shy away from saying so. The thought of an argument was more than Anna could stand, but lying wasn’t an option.

“A man. He’s law enforcement and has . . .” she wasn’t sure what to call Nick and Marissa, “. . . connections. They’re helping me.”

“Who is he? I thought you said you couldn’t go to the police. Oh, honey, are you sure you aren’t going from the frying pan into the fire?”

She could be. Those were all legitimate questions but ones Anna couldn’t explore here and now. “It’s going to be okay. He’s not police, so it’s alright. This is the only option I have to get Zach back, so I’m taking it. I can’t do this alone.”

Her sister was warming up to argue, and Anna knew she couldn’t handle that in her current state of mind. “I have to go. I’ll keep you posted.”

Her sister was sputtering over the line, but then she surprised her. “I don’t like this, but I love you, Anna. And I trust you most of the time, except when you’re holding a box of Lady Clairol hair color in your hand.”

Anna laughed. She had helped dye Liz’s hair once when they were in high school. It hadn’t quite turned out the shade of red they were hoping for. “You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”

“You keep yourself alive through this, and I’ll stop, I promise.” Liz’s words sounded thick. Anna knew her sister well enough to recognize the tears in her voice.

“It’ll be okay, Liz. You’re going to have plenty of time to keep giving me hell about it.”

“You make sure of that, you hear?”

“It’s a deal.”

T
HIRTY MINUTES LATER
Leland stopped inside the house to watch Anna on the deck. He’d already touched base with Nick and Marissa. Everyone was on track to leave as soon as they returned from the bank and changed into appropriate clothing for their trek into Mexico.

Anna’s eyes were closed as she leaned her head back in the sun. She looked more at ease than she had since they’d met. He hated to disturb her. This was likely the last moment she’d have to relax before they got Zach back.

He was thinking positive. They were going to find her boy.

“Good morning,” he said, sliding open the patio door.

Her eyes popped open, and long blonde hair swept forward across her face when she jumped to her feet. He was sorry to see her moment of repose end.

“Hello. Where’ve you been?” she asked, pushing her hair back.

“I went to see Max.”

“That’s not what I expected to hear.”

“I needed to see his face when I talked to him.”

“What did he say?” asked Anna.

“He claims not to know anything about Zach, and . . . he asked me to go with you to Mexico.” Leland hadn’t been sure he was going to tell her that part, but he needed to know what it meant.

She looked puzzled. “Max asked you?”

“Is that surprising?”

“Yes, the Max I know would never have asked you for something like that. Particularly after the confrontation you two had. I—” she stopped.

“What?”

“I don’t know whether it proves Max had nothing to do with this or proves he did. Asking for help is so out of character for him. The loss of face, he has a real thing about that.”

“I wondered the same thing. But could concern for his son make him act in an unusual way?” Leland asked. She was looking overwhelmed. He wished they didn’t have to talk about this now, wished she could get a break from it all.

“I don’t know what to think. Does it matter? Either way I’m going to Mexico.” Her voice sounded defeated and her posture was slumped. Her bangs were in her eyes again, but she made no move to push them out of the way this time.

“True. Either way you’re going. But, Anna,” he reached out even as he knew he shouldn’t and brushed the hair from her face himself. “You’re not going alone. Understand?”

She nodded but didn’t look convinced.

“Risa talked to her people at the bank. Are you ready to go pick up the cash?”