His to Take (36 page)

Her heart broke for the young woman who’d been so trapped and abused. Bailey couldn’t
imagine just how hopeless she must feel. “What’s your name?”

“Destiny.” Her voice cracked.

“How old are you?”

“Just turned sixteen. Look, I’m going to get you out in the hall. At the end, there’s
a table with flashlights. Take one and go to the stairs. All the men are holed up,
trying to decide what to do about the feds coming. If you stick to the shadows, you
should be able to make it out that door. Once you’re through, you’ll find a tunnel.
Run straight ahead. Don’t veer off. And keep running. That leads to an open field
just off the compound. Joe brought you in that way. The nearest town is a few miles
south, but the feds will probably spot you before then.”

“Come with me,” Bailey said, grabbing her hands. “Get your son. We’ll do this together.”

“Can’t.” Destiny held back her tears. “The women are gathering to make survival packs
in case we have to abandon the compound and hike into Canada. If I don’t turn up real
soon, they’ll come looking for me, then no one will get away. I’m supposed to be rounding
up the little kids now. The bigger kids are helping me.”

Bailey wanted to ask a hundred questions. Were all the women here against their will?
How many people lived in this compound? She stifled her curiosity. None of that information
was relevant now.

“I will do everything I can to get out of here and see your mother, I promise. And
if I can do anything at all to free you, I will.”

Tears splashed down the girl’s young cheeks. “I’d appreciate it. Billy, my boy, he
deserves more than this life. He’s barely a year old, but I’m already worried about
him. And if Joe knew I was here, he’d kill me.”

“Then let’s go.”

Bailey couldn’t find her shoes. They’d sure help with survival in the wild, but she’d
ten times rather take her chances out there than in here.

The girl nodded, then opened the door, peeking out and looking both ways. She opened
the door wide and motioned Bailey toward another door, at the end of a long, narrow
hall.

“That way,” Destiny whispered. “Out the door and keep going.”

“Thank you.” Bailey squeezed her shoulder. “I’m going to make sure you get your life
back, too.”

“God bless you.” The girl picked up her long skirt and dashed away in the opposite
direction.

Down that part of the hall, Bailey could hear men shouting about the fucking feds.
A loud crash sounded, followed by the sound of fists connecting, then some grunts.
A door creaked open and footsteps darted down the hall. Someone shouted again, this
time an ugly curse. Had she already been spotted? Had someone discovered her missing?

Bailey didn’t hang around to find out. With her heart thumping, she turned toward
the door and hugged the shadowy wall, darting down the industrial tiled floor. With
every step, she could only pray that she’d make it to the door before anyone caught
her. If not . . . well, she knew the consequences.

*   *   *

IT felt like thirty years had passed since Joaquin had awakened next to Bailey, rather
than just over thirty hours. The nightmare seemed never ending.

He paced the county sheriff’s office in Leon, about ten miles up the road from the
LOSS compound, then turned to Sean. “I don’t like the strategy of executing a search
warrant when we never saw McKeevy drive in. Securing it probably alerted LOSS that
we’re onto them. What if they end her quickly for it?”

Sean tossed his hands up at the question. “I wish I knew what the hell was going on.
He should have arrived hours ago. We found that SUV stolen just outside of Davenport
abandoned about two miles from here. The local sheriff has a K-9 unit. They’re picking
up Bailey’s scent all over the vehicle. She made it that far. Where else would he
have taken her? Somehow, he got her into that compound without traveling that road.
We’ve got agents and deputies combing the area now. We’ll figure out how and rescue
her. You have to believe that or you’re going to lose your mind.”

“Do I need to remind you what this monster is capable of?” Wondering what she might
be enduring even now kept slaying him over and over. Even if he got her back alive,
would she ever be whole again, inside and out? The worrying and not knowing were killing
him.

Hunter approached from behind and slapped him on the back. “Breathe, buddy. Worrying
isn’t going to help her.”

His head knew that he couldn’t help Bailey if he didn’t stop freaking out. But he
hadn’t let himself really care about anything or anyone since his father. He’d forgotten
how much loss could hurt. Hurt, hell. He was hemorrhaging. The fear was eviscerating
his fucking soul.

Joaquin tried to take a deep breath. “Is there anything new?”

“No. We should hear something in the next hour. The special agent in charge is going
to let us ride down with the folks serving the warrant. We have to stay a quarter
of a mile away from the compound while they go in, but we’ll be close in case Bailey
needs you after they extract her. I know you wanted to go in. I did, too. But we’re
lucky we got this concession. They won’t budge another inch.”

Joaquin knew it was more than he should have expected and probably a hell of a protocol
breach since neither of them were federal agents anymore, but yeah, he’d wanted to
be part of the crew who rescued Bailey . . . if she was still alive.

“When are we leaving?”

“In five.” Sean tossed him a protein bar, then followed that with a bottle of water.
“You haven’t eaten anything all day, so until you do, you’re not going.”

He really didn’t think he could, but if it meant the difference between going and
staying, he’d choke it down. “Fine.”

Sean’s phone beeped. He lifted it and shook his head. “Callie . . .” He tapped out
a reply and read it aloud. “‘News soon. Patience, lovely. Or you’ll learn it from
Thorpe while I’m gone.’”

As he hit send, he grinned and walked off. Sean’s life was looking up in every way.
Joaquin didn’t know if he even gave a shit that he had one after today.

Forcing himself to swallow the bar and water, he made sure his gun carried the fresh
clip Hunter had given him and tucked it away. The troops started gathering near the
door. The FBI had overrun this little sheriff’s office. That was about the only thing
that gave Joaquin hope. They damn sure wanted whatever was on that flash disk. He
hoped to fuck if they recovered it today, they would destroy it.

Sean motioned to him, and he joined the group as they filed out the door. A cluster
of black SUVs waited in front. Joaquin didn’t know where they’d come from and he didn’t
care. Hunter kissed his wife, and they shared a quiet moment. He assured her he’d
be back and smoothed an affectionate hand over her belly. Joaquin wondered what would
happen if his sister’s husband didn’t make it home. She would be devastated, kind
of like Joaquin himself felt right now. She’d turn in to herself in grief and maybe
never come out. Joaquin wouldn’t blame her. Yet she smiled and kissed her husband
as she took the terrible risk. He didn’t understand.

The short ride south covered some remote prairie land. Joaquin tried to divorce his
mind from the wretched fear eating him alive.

After what seemed like an interminable trip, the agent driving exited the main road
and turned onto a bumpy dirt one. “Here’s where I leave you. We’ll be back to get
you as soon as possible. Don’t walk to the compound. Don’t interfere.” He looked at
Sean. “We’re only allowing this as a favor to you, so don’t make us regret it.”

“Understood. Thanks,” Sean answered, climbing out of the front seat of the vehicle.

Hunter followed, opening the right rear door. His father scooted over and eased out
next as Joaquin opened the back door on the left and stepped out into the stiff breeze.
As evening approached, the four of them turned and began trekking into a wide open,
grassy field. He had a feeling it was going to be a long, miserable night. Putting
one foot in front of the other was a challenge. Even breathing felt like a chore.
He had to keep going for Bailey.

Sean waved off the fed, who drove away in a cloud of dust.

“What
are
we allowed to do?” Joaquin asked. The restrictions chafed.

“We scout around a bit,” Sean offered. “Stone just texted me information about some
abandoned limestone quarry not far from here. I’m going to bet LOSS has made use of
those tunnels and dug a way out, aboveground. Paranoid paramilitary loons usually
have an escape route.”

“Absolutely,” Hunter agreed. “If they have any idea you’re coming, they’ll use it,
too. Do the feds know about the tunnels?”

“I’m sure they do. Now, whether they’ve put two and two together and decided that
LOSS is making use of them . . .” Sean shrugged.

“If we find that opening and surround it, we’ll be prepared in the event the separatists
send their soldiers out to wage war on the FBI.”

“I hope that’s exactly what they do. Stone also did a little research today and told
me that over the past year they’ve purchased enough explosives to rig this entire
compound to blow into a million pieces. Let’s hope they don’t take the nuclear option.”

Joaquin’s blood froze over as they began walking in the direction of the coordinates
Stone had sent Sean earlier. The walk dragged on as the sun inched down. The feds
should have arrived by now. He listened for sounds of gunshots, but heard only eerie
silence. Somehow, that grated on him even more. Were they too late? Had LOSS already
abandoned the compound in the dead of night? Had McKeevy secreted Bailey somewhere
else entirely so he could take her apart at his leisure?

A million scenarios all zipped through this head, each uglier than the last. He swallowed
down the panic threatening to rise again. How the fuck had he let his guard down and
fallen so deeply in love with this woman in just a handful of days? A damn stupid
move—especially since he’d thought he knew better.

As the sun began to dip lower, Sean and Caleb both extracted flashlights from packs
they must have grabbed at the sheriff’s station. They paired up, Hunter veering off
with his dad over a rise. Joaquin followed Sean as they scouted the area around Stone’s
coordinates.

Grass and shrubs coming back to life from the winter dotted the gentle hillside. Behind
a cluster of foliage, they found the SUV that McKeevy had most recently stolen and
abandoned. Every door was wide open, as was the hatch in back. The FBI had been through
it with everything but a microscope and planned to tow it off shortly, so Joaquin
knew he wouldn’t find Bailey or any sign of her here. But knowing she’d come this
far in the vehicle helped him feel closer to finding her. Of course, the K-9 unit
couldn’t tell him whether she had still been alive when she’d left her scent in this
car. But he refused to think that she hadn’t.

Static filtered in over the radio the agents had lent Sean, then muffled voices. Sean
lifted it from his belt and held it ear-level between them. As they listened, the
agents approached the compound, discussing the electronic gates designed to deliver
a stunning jolt to trespassers. The perimeter of the compound was surrounded by fences
less expensive and off-putting—simple chain link with barbed wire—but attack dogs
roamed the premises and had already sniffed out the feds, barking relentlessly.

Joaquin closed his eyes. The FBI’s strategy of playing official and making nice didn’t
feel right. The feds would have to force their way into this compound—and that would
be more difficult now that they’d lost the element of surprise.
Son of a bitch.

“We’ve got to find a way in there,” Joaquin insisted. “Now. They’re going to fail.”

“They can deal with fences and dogs. This is nothing unexpected. Be patient.”

“Would you be patient if Callie was trapped in there?” Joaquin demanded.

“I’d be whatever I needed to be in order to get her out.” Sean sent him a dark frown.
“Get your shit together.”

As the other man stalked off with the flashlight, Joaquin followed, cursing. Sean
was right.

Sean ascended the top of a gentle rise, then frowned. He shined the flashlight directly
down, kneeling to shove aside long strands of grass swaying with the wind. “I found
some sort of metal flap. It’s been painted a dark green to match the grass.” He shoved
his palms under the lip and tried to lift it. “I need your help.”

If this door was a way into the quarry, they might be able to get into the compound.
This might be Joaquin’s way to rescue Bailey.

He knelt beside Sean. Together they tugged and pulled. The sucker was heavy and stuck
good.

“Damn it. Why won’t it open?”

“There may be a latch on the inside,” Joaquin mused. “We need a damn crowbar. I had
one in my SUV. If I had thought for a second we’d need it, I would have—”

A deafening roar exploded a moment later. The ground beneath their feet rolled. A
fireball lit up the sky. It had come from the direction of the compound.

Bailey.

Joaquin staggered back, staring at the twisting wall of flame in the distance. With
his heart thundering, he charged toward it, icy disbelief washing through him. “No!”

Sean chased him down and grabbed him around the neck, holding him back. “Where do
you think you’re going, man? That fire is probably a thousand degrees. You have to
stay back.”

A blaze like that would instantly kill anyone near it. Those on the perimeter of the
blast might be lucky to only lose a limb or two, but the falling shrapnel could slice
skin open wide, or be sucked into lungs. Or the blaze might just cook them alive.
Any of those could kill a person more slowly.

And every bit of intel they had put Bailey inside that compound. Or she had been until
it blew into little pieces.

Ash and debris rained down nearby—part of a chair, a children’s toy, the handle of
a rake. Sean put his hands over his head for cover and ducked. Something heavy landed
in the shadows about a hundred feet away with a resounding, metallic
clunk
. Joaquin stood in mute horror, gaping at the flames licking high into the darkening
sky and struggling to breathe.