No One to Trust (Hidden Identity Book #1): A Novel (22 page)

David flinched at the sound of gunfire coming through his earpiece and froze with his hand on the handle that would open the door to Raimondi’s home. A woman screamed in his ear. One that sounded a lot like Summer. He looked at Chase. “You hear that?”

“Yeah.” He frowned. “Where’s it coming from?”

“Cover the door.” David removed the key and trod on silent feet to the window at the end of the hallway.

“Adam,” he hissed. David’s blood scooted a bit faster in his veins. He had been listening to Summer tell Adam her story. He knew the others on the team had heard it too, but not one of them would let on. What was Adam thinking, getting her to talk about something so personal when he knew they were all online? Then he realized Summer knew they were all listening when she told her story. She didn’t care who knew about her past. She’d risen above it and now helped others. Maybe she thought by telling the story, it would paint Adam a better picture of why she’d chosen to show up at the courthouse on Tuesday.

At the window, David peered down. “Looks like trouble on the street. We’re so high up, it’s hard to tell. Adam. You there?” Adam’s continued silence sent cold chills up David’s spine. “Adam? Answer me.”

Blue came over the line. “They’ve got Summer. Heading for the door. Want me to stop them?”

Words he never wanted to hear. Dread centered itself in his gut, cold and hard. “No, let them come up. Make sure whoever has Summer has no reason to believe we know anything is wrong, then get help for Adam. We’ll take care of the guy who has Summer.”

“I’m at the desk. I watched the whole thing go down. Help for Adam’s on the way.” A pause. “And here they come. We’re ducking behind the desk and gonna let them go up. I’ve got the elevators online right now.”

David’s heart slowed a little as scenarios flashed through his mind. Should he tell Blue to trap them on the elevator? No, getting to her would take too long and with such tight quarters, if a weapon went off . . . no, not the elevator.

In the hall? Should they wait on them? But again, if shots were fired, no telling how much help Raimondi had behind his closed door. He rushed back down to Chase. “You heard?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, they don’t know about us yet. Let’s keep it that way. We need to get things under control before they get up here and I’m guessing we don’t have long.”

“Not long enough,” Chase said. “Cops’ll be on the way too.”

David hesitated, everything in him wanting to be waiting when the elevator opened. But he’d have a better chance of containing the situation inside the penthouse. As long as the rest of the plan went the way it was supposed to.

Please, God.

He slid the key into the lock once more and twisted. This time, he pressed on the handle and the door opened without a sound. Chase entered first, weapon ready, grip held close to his chest, prepared for any threat that should surface. David followed and scoped the place with quick, short glances, his pose similar to Chase’s.

David let the door click shut behind him. The foyer was empty.
It led to a den area straight ahead. A formal dining area to the left and a hall that led to the bedrooms branched off to the right.

Papa Bear’s voice came again. “Little Lou is rappeling down the side of the building. He’ll be coming through the bedroom balcony door. If it’s locked, it may take him a few seconds.”

“It’ll be locked,” David murmured, remembering the man’s obsession with security. Even on the twenty-sixth floor, Raimondi still locked everything that could be opened. The place looked empty, but with almost five thousand square feet, it wouldn’t be hard to overlook someone.

He scooted farther into the room, keeping to the left. He knew the cameras had been disabled, but he still wanted to be careful. Where was Rosalinda? His gut clenched. Where was Georgina? And Marlee?

The apartment seemed eerily empty.

Communicating with hand gestures, David motioned for them to spread out. He nodded for Chase to follow him. Chase jerked his chin that he understood and they crept toward Raimondi’s office.

Down the hall, around the corner, arms extended, guns ready.

Little Lou said, “On the balcony to the right. Should have entry within twenty seconds.”

“Copy,” David whispered.

They came to the door.

“Kitchen’s clear,” David said.

Papa Bear nodded. “Bedrooms are clear.”

One by one the rooms were cleared. David frowned. Was anyone here? Blue’s voice came through. “They’re getting off the elevator.”

Into his mic, David said, “Doc B, meet me at the front door.” To Chase he said, “Wait here and keep an eye on that door right there.”

“That’s his office?”

“Yeah. Contain him if he comes out. I’m going to get Summer.”

Chase nodded.

Blood rushing, nerves humming, David made his way back to the
front door. Doc B positioned himself on one side. David took the other. “Let them come in. Just like Afghanistan. Before he rings the bell.”

Doc gave him a grim smile and a sharp nod.

David waited, glad they’d left the guards in the stairwells. He watched through the peephole. Saw a shadow, then Summer’s scared and defiant face. No weapon he could see on the man who held her, but knew it was there. Possibly in her back. No, wait. He held it low. If he pulled the trigger, she’d get shot in the leg, not the back. He liked those odds a lot better. “I’ll have to immobilize his arm.”

“I got him covered on this end.”

Please, Lord.
David moved to the side. Grasped the door.

And pulled it in.

Doc rounded the doorjamb and placed his gun against the surprised captor’s face. “Make a sound and you’re dead.”

Before Doc even started his sentence, David grabbed Summer’s arm and yanked. It seemed to take forever. In reality, everything took place in less than a second. In one smooth move, Doc removed the man’s weapon and forced him on his knees, hands in the air.

Summer’s surprised shock faded to relief as David motioned for her to stand to the side. The shakes set in and she pressed a hand to her mouth. David duct taped the man’s hands behind his back. “We’ll be with you in a moment. Don’t go anywhere.” He looked at Summer. “You all right?” She nodded, her face pasty and slightly green. “Are you going to be sick?”

“Maybe.” She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. The green faded, but the white remained. “He shot Adam. It went through his vest,” she whispered.

“Unfortunately the vest doesn’t stop all the bullets,” David said. “He’s getting help.” He glanced toward Raimondi’s office. “We’re not done. Can you hold it together?”

She squared her shoulders and nodded. “I’ll have to, won’t I?”

David pulled an extra gun from its resting place against the
small of his back and pressed it into her hands. “Shoot him if you have to. Help is only a holler away, okay?” He spoke into his mic. “Papa Bear. Need you up here.” Within minutes, Papa Bear was in the room. He glanced at his former unit team member. “Papa Bear’s going to stay with you, okay?”

“Okay.”

Once he was sure Summer was all right and under Papa Bear’s watchful eye, he motioned toward the office. Chase waited. “All’s been quiet.”

The door was closed. David positioned himself on the opposite side, then reached out and wrapped one hand around the knob.

Twisted.

And pushed.

Chase swung around the jamb, arms extended, weapon pointed. Shots blasted at him from a man behind the desk. Doc B grunted and went to his knees. Chase and David fired back. A scream echoed from the shooter and David dropped to the floor and rolled inside. Chase mimicked his movements on the opposite side. David came up shooting. Three shots from him. Three from Chase. The man dropped.

David raced to him and kicked his weapon. “Little Lou, need you to get in here and get Doc. He’s hurt.” David looked down at the dead man. “It’s not Raimondi. I don’t recognize this guy.” He turned to Doc. “The bullet went through your vest.” He grabbed the small bag on Doc’s belt and pulled out medical supplies. “Watch my back, Doc.”

Doc coughed. “These guys play dirty.”

“They knew we’d have vests on, they were prepared,” David murmured as he ripped the vest from Doc and tossed it aside. He pressed the gauze against the bleeding, then taped on a few more layers. It wasn’t gushing. That was a good sign.

Little Lou came to the doorway and hefted Doc B to his shoulders. David said, “Get him out of here. He needs medical attention.”

Doc protested. “It’s just a little scratch. We can finish this.”

“Not today, Doc. Thanks for the help.” Their eyes met and David hoped he communicated his gratitude, but he wouldn’t let Doc continue when he didn’t know how bad the man was hurt.

Little Lou said, “I’ll be back.”

David nodded. “Take Ron with you if you need him.” He looked up to see Papa Bear and Summer watching from their position next to the man who’d kidnapped Summer. They’d moved him to a more hidden location behind the wall off the foyer. A nice place to protect themselves should they need to. “Summer, go with them.”

“No.” Her low, quiet word hung in the air for a brief second. David knew she wasn’t going anywhere, and he didn’t have time to convince her. He looked at Little Lou. “Go.”

And then they were gone.

David turned to stare at the empty room. Empty except for the dead body on the floor. And the row of snakes in their aquariums lining the far wall. All of the bullets had missed the glass cages.

“Clear in here, what about there?” Chase asked. He moved toward the black door and on the count of a silent three, pulled it open.

Together, they rounded the doorjamb. And found stairs that led down. Chase hit the light and went first while David watched behind. Within seconds Chase was back up. “No one’s down there, but this guy is one sick dude.”

“What is it?”

“Snakes. Lots and lots of slimy creatures.”

David grimaced. “Yeah, they’re his pets.”

“Nasty.”

They shut the door and scanned the office once again. “My gut is shouting at me,” David said. “Stand ready.”

“There’s no one here.”

David looked around the room. “He was warned we were coming.”

“Definitely,” Chase said. “Our shooter was waiting for us to
come through the door. He didn’t come running when the shots went off outside the office. We’ve got the guards but no family. Guards who were watching the stairwell. His wife, daughter, servants aren’t here. No one’s here. And yet, someone went to the trouble of getting Summer and bringing her up here. So I’ll admit that’s a good indication that he’s still here.”

Adrenaline surged. “He may have been warned, but it wasn’t soon enough. He didn’t have enough time to do anything, but—”

“—hide,” Chase finished for him.

“He’s definitely still here.” David turned in a full circle.

“I’m pretty sure I said that first. But where?”

“I don’t know. Here. The shooter was here. What was he guarding?” David nodded. “He’s here. Somewhere close.” David looked at the black door behind Raimondi’s desk. “Okay, he wouldn’t be down there, not with his family.”

Chase shook his head.

Papa Bear reported in. “All still clear out here. Little Lou got down the elevator with Doc. Ron’s helping them sneak out of the building, then he’ll be back if they don’t run into any trouble.”

“Thought he was entertaining the gas guys,” David said.

“Police made ’em leave when they couldn’t find any gas issues.”

“Right. Keep me updated.”

“Will do.”

David looked back at Chase. “Raimondi’s got to have some sort of emergency plan,” David said. “A place he could go if he felt threatened or . . . whatever.” He nodded and looked around with new eyes. “It’d be just like him.”

“Where?”

David did another three-sixty. “I don’t know. We’re on the twenty-sixth floor.” He studied the desk. Looked at the floor. “Tap the floor, the walls. Move the furniture.”

Papa Bear reported in. “All still clear.”

Adam was in the back of David’s mind. Near the window, he
looked out and down. “Put us back online, Blue. I need eyes.” David jiggled the mouse on Raimondi’s desk. The monitor flashed blank for a few seconds then six black-and-white pictures popped up. All pictures from different cameras.

The front door of the building, the street view with law enforcement pulling up, the elevators. He clicked and he gaped at the next screen that showed up. Georgina sat on a bed with her hands clasped in her lap. Her mother sat next to her, looking older and more frail since the last time he’d seen her.

Chase said, “I think I have something.”

“What?” His mind still on the images on the screen, he barely registered Chase’s comment.

“Scrapes on the floor. Slight and not really noticeable if I wasn’t looking for something.”

David waved him over. “Look at this.”

Chase joined him and leaned over to examine the monitor. “Whoa.” He backed up and tripped over one of Raimondi’s smaller aquariums. It tilted, tipped, and crashed to its side.

Footsteps.

David stood and pointed his weapon at the door.

Summer, followed by Papa Bear, stopped in the doorway. David lowered his weapon.

“What’s going on?” Summer asked. “What happened?”

David glared at Papa Bear, who shrugged. “She bolted.”

She held her weapon at her side.

“Chase tripped,” David said. “Where’s the guy who snatched Summer?”

“I knocked him out,” Papa Bear grunted. He rubbed his knuckles against his lips and blew on them. “Got tired of his trashy mouth.”

David said, “We’ve got to move faster.” Into his mic, he said, “Stall the cops. I don’t want them up here yet.” Raimondi was his to deal with. “Did Ron go with Doc and Little Lou?”

“Copy that,” Blue said. “And no. Ron’s down here stalling. He’s
singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and acting crazy. Cops have to deal with him before they can come your way. And when they do, they’ll be taking the stairs, it seems like the elevators aren’t working for some reason.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Don’t let them hurt Ron, please.”

“I’ll intervene if it comes to that. Looks like Ron’s pretty capable of taking care of himself.”