Not Bad for an Amateur (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (12 page)

“It was two black SUV’s all decked with dark glass and then the men started pouring out of the vehicles. I saw them go to the red Mustang as soon as they got out. They had guns pointed at the car when anyone could see that it was empty.

“Then they went to each cabin and pulled people outside and made them show their identification while other men searched the cabins. It was wild the way they went systematically through the place.

“The people are leaving without even asking for a refund. Those guys are scary in their black combat gear with all the knives and guns. They are even wearing black face paint under their eyes, like they are expecting something big to happen.

“I slipped out the back as soon as I saw them pull up. They have Sam sitting in cuffs on the front porch with a guy yelling questions at him. I watched for a while, then, when they didn’t leave right away, I came here. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Joel and Lily came into the room. They had heard most of Danny’s report and Lily was livid.

The more the young man talked the madder she got. How dare Demetrious and Fensile Corporation harass people like this. If they were smart, they would be hiding any evidence and getting out of the country. The money must be too good to give up for them to go this far to stop now.

She ran into the study and booted up the computer. When she tried to access into her servers the link didn’t work. So she typed in an encrypted code and brought up the hidden cameras in her apartment. One was pointed at the main entrance door and the other was in her computer room. She watched as Dunlop began dismantling her equipment and she began to curse.

“You thieving little bastard. You think that you can just walk into my home, and steal my servers like that? Are you so stupid? Or just too arrogant to know that you will not get into my files without a nice invasive virus going through your own system when you try to hook my stuff up again?

I bet you are one of those creepy fat guys that live in your momma’s basement, and accidently hacked into some top secret government shit and they offered you a job, thinking that you are some computer genius. You are going to learn the hard way, you little wannabe fucker.”

She picked up the landline that was sitting on the desk and dialed he parent’s number. When Jackson answered she told him everything Danny had said, and then told him about Dunlop stealing her equipment.

“They must have traced my cell phone to the motel to find me. I can’t think of any other way they could have located my car than that. What on earth made them send two SUVs full of guys with guns after me?

“I am so mad and I’ll even admit to being a little frightened about this. If they come here to the ranch should I go with them or try to fight?”

She listened to Jackson and nodded her head, agreeing to his plans. When he said something about coming himself to take her to a safe place away from there, she balked.

“Jackson, I am not alone. I have two wonderful men here with me that I trust with my life. I cannot leave them behind for Demetrious and his buddies at Fensile to take them to be butchered at that facility.

“The other three guys are still in the infirmary recuperating after Joel and Jim got done with them. What about them? What tracking chips? You mean like they put in dogs?

“Wait, wait a minute. You are saying that the three operatives have tracking chips on them, and they might not know it? So they could be how Demetrious found me?

Jackson kept telling her to stay calm and he would take care of everything. The big problem with that was that he was a few hundred miles away. She had no idea how she was going to tell her men that they had to run and hide with her somewhere safe until Jackson could get here.

The phone was taken from her hand, and Joel smiled at her while putting the receiver to his ear.

“Sir, this is Joel Logan and Lily will be safe with us. Yes we knew about the chips. We had them removed and taken into the hills. We will keep her safe. Please assure your wife that she is fine and we will not allow anything to happen to her.

“The motel is owned by my family and those men have terrorized our clientele, and the men that work for us. It is my understanding that they have one of my men in cuffs, and are interrogating him without representation. We will be lodging a complaint with the department over this and seeking compensation.

Joel winked at Lily, trying to get that stunned look out of her eyes. He was happy to see Jim walk into the room take a look at Lily, then he picked her up and settled her on his lap while they listened to his conversation with her father.

“We will take her to a secure location, and one of us will be with her at all times. I agree with Lily, this has gone on long enough, and is getting more dangerous for her. She is the number one priority for us right now.”

After he dropped the receiver back into its cradle he took Lily from Jim’s lap and resettled into the chair that Jim left with her still in his arms.

“We are going to use our wolves to find a nice hideout for the three of us. Can you bring her out to play at will?”

Lily nodded her head, and before she could speak he told her the rest of Jackson’s plan.

“You and I are going to take the three men that your father swears are good operatives with us, and find your cave. Do you remember the place that you hid from Jim and his bunch in? If I can get the opening bigger, then I will join you inside. If not, then you will be safe where no one can find you, or get to you. Me, and the three of them, will play guard dogs until we know the coast is clear for you to come out.

They rode in the back of Jim’s SUV until they were as close to the little cave as Jim wanted his tire tracks to get to the place. Before they left the house, and before Lily had transformed into her furry hide, Jim took her aside to talk to her for a few minutes.

“I want you to know how much I love you. The time we have had together has been a gift, and I swear I will treasure every minute for the rest of my life. When this mess is over I want you to settle down at the ranch with me and Joel for good. You can marry him to make it all legal and stuff but we will know our hearts.”

The way she clung to his neck was unforgettable. Her kiss made him want to go with her and Joel, instead of going to the motel to confront the enemy and try to stall them until Jackson could get there.

She cried and threatened to smack him if he didn’t stay safe, and it made him smile. After a last lingering kiss, he turned away, and went to get the SUV ready to transport five fur-balls to the rocky area between the motel and the ranch.

Since the cave was a good mile off the road, Joel had a special pack strapped onto his back with a few provisions for two. The agents had similar packs on them. Each pack had a Colt 1911 with two full magazines, just in case they were needed.

Lily stood watching Jim drive away before she turned to join the others. She wanted to insist that he come with her and Joel, but knew her pleadings would only make him feel torn between his obligation to her, and the safety of the pack.

* * * *

When Jim drove into the parking lot at the motel, the scene before him pissed him off to no end.

The two SUV’s were still there and Sam was sitting on the ground still in cuffs. Two men in full gear were standing over him with assault rifles guarding him.

Jim slammed on his breaks, and barely got the ignition turned off before jumping from his vehicle, and heading to his man. From what he could see, Sam had a split lip and a shiny bruise forming on his cheekbone.

The two guards pushed Jim back when he kept walking after being told to halt. He finally stood and started yelling at the guards and demanding to see the coward that was in charge. He knew that his temper was going to explode and someone would be seriously hurt if the bastard didn’t make an appearance soon.

Two men came out of the office at the commotion that Jim was causing. One was a large man in the black uniform of his fellow soldiers and the other man was in a suit.

When Jim started walking towards them the big man stepped down from the steps and told him to stay where he was.

“Who in the fuck do you think you are talking to? I am Jim Logan. My family owns this place and most of the land around this fucking county. You have beaten up my employee and scared our guests off with the way you forced them to leave. I demand some answers and they better be good ones. The State Police are on their way and should be here within the hour.

The big man began walking toward him and Jim was ready for him. He wanted to get rid of some of his anger but knew that if he took one of them out they would shoot first and hide the evidence. Jackson had told Joel that. Joel made him promise to keep his temper under control.

“If you lay a hand on me I am going to hurt you, mister, so I suggest you stand down. You can tell me what this is all about or we can wait for the state boys to get here. Either way I will have my answers.

The man in the suit seemed to study him for a moment and told his man to wait.

“Mr. Logan, we are here looking for a fugitive, she is being charged with espionage and possibly murder. Her name is Lily Nelson. That is her car over there.” He pointed to the red Mustang and Jim turned his head a little to look like he was interested.

“While it is unusual for the department to take these steps to find one lone female it is necessary, the orders came from the director’s office late last night with this location. There are three operatives that were following her and they have disappeared also. They are believed to be dead.

“Now if you could just answer a few questions we might be able to find the woman and our agents and be on our way.”

Fuck this
. Jim knew that he had to keep from tearing this fool a new asshole but he was not going to stand there and allow the woman he loved to be fucked over by Demetrious. Director or not, the bastard was going down.

“Your director? You mean the traitor Demetrious?” By the way the man stood a bit straighter Jim knew that he had the full attention of the suit.

“Your director is in the pocket of a company called Fensile Corporation. They steal research information from other companies and butcher innocent people in the name of research. Lily Nelson found them out and reported it to the proper authorities. In this case her father. Maybe you know Jackson Nelson. By the look on your face I see that you do.

“As for your agents, they are alive and well recuperating from an accident that totaled out their truck. We had to pry the doors open to get them out of the thing when we found them. I am assuming they are your men because they are strangers to these parts and I never saw them before that day.

“I hear a chopper coming this way. No, make that two choppers. When my man told me what was going on here I called Jackson too. Perhaps you can tell him how his five-foot-nothing daughter killed three men that are still alive, and committed espionage that she reported to him and your boss too.

Jim thoroughly enjoyed the looks of dismay that came over both the big guy’s and suit guy’s faces. Everyone stopped what they were doing as two black choppers came into sight. Once the big machines sat down in the middle of the road, Jim started walking forward. He had yet to meet Jackson Nelson and was eager to see if this man was the bad ass that Lily portrayed him to be.

A tall, broad-shouldered, rough-looking man was the first to push out of the first helicopter that sat down. As he drew nearer, Jim could see that the man walked straight and had some kind of military background. His white hair and wrinkles gave away his years but the set of his jaw and the look in his eyes told Jim everything that Lily bragged about this man was true.
Jackson Nelson was a bad ass
.

They met halfway and Logan held out his hand to the older gentleman. Jackson sized him up and down before extending his own hand, introducing himself at the same time.

“Hello, Mr. Nelson, I am Jim Logan. Lily is safe and there is not a scratch on her, she is with my brother Joel and Dustin, Scott, and Lee in a secure location.”

Jackson nodded his head acknowledging the information, then turned around to his support soldiers and simply made a sweep of his arm. They fanned out and advanced towards the main office where the two hapless men and eight more soldiers stood waiting.

He addressed the guy in the suit as Tom. “You are hereby notified that this operation is over. If you have further instructions from the director then you need to talk to George about it. Director Sweet has been released from his post and I am the interim director until another man is appointed.

“Now Tom, do you want to tell me what in the hell you were thinking, tracking down my daughter, with special ops of all things?”

When the agent beside Tom opened his mouth, Jackson pointed his finger at him and told him to leave. “Get your ass in one of those transport vehicles, and do not let me see your face again. This whole operation has been a fuckup from beginning to end, and I tell you it ends here and now.

“Beating up civilians, and terrorizing innocent tourists might seem like fun and games to you and those morons outside, but let me tell you that this agency takes a dim view on shit like that.”

As the man quickly left the room, Jim interrupted Jackson before he could tear into Tom.