Striking Distance (32 page)

Javier looked to the north. “I can see the lake from here. Its southern end is about three hundred yards north of my position.”

He set the AR aside and studied the image McBride had sent. The lake was roughly kidney shaped with houses in various stages of construction scattered along the far bank. There was one road in and out. No trees, outcroppings, or shrubs to hide behind. No ravines in the artificially created landscape. Near the mouth of the development, large excavation equipment sat idle beside a trailer that was probably used as an office. To the north and east was open pastureland.

“Where was the van parked?”

“They said they spotted it between the two houses at the northernmost tip of the lake—the two that are more fully built.”

Javier assessed the situation. He could take the road, but Kimball would see him coming almost immediately. That might provoke him into killing Laura, if he hadn’t already. Or Javier could take a route that Kimball wouldn’t expect.

“SWAT is already on its way. I’ll be at your position in about ten minutes. SWAT should arrive in fifteen to twenty.”

“I’ll have her by then. I’m going to swim underwater across the lake and come up behind those two houses. There’s a concrete pipe that spills from the lake into a nearby irrigation ditch off the road to my left here. It was probably built to carry away overflow. I can enter the lake that way so that he won’t spot me climbing over that embankment.”

“Corbray, listen to me. You’re taking a big risk. It’s March, and this isn’t San Diego. The water in that lake won’t be much over forty degrees, if that, and it looks to me like you’ll have a least a half mile to cross.”

“Hey, this is my job, remember?”

It
was
risky. The water temperature would begin to affect him immediately. Swimming underwater meant going for several respiration cycles at a time without fresh oxygen. The combination wasn’t a good one. It wasn’t unheard of for a SEAL to suffer shallow water blackout and drown even under better circumstances.

But Javier had more experience than most SEALs, and he had powerful motivation. If he failed, the woman he loved would die.

“I’m telling you to wait, Corbray. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”

But Javier’s gut told him Laura didn’t have ten minutes.

He disconnected the call, stripped off his coat, clipped the AR to a harness on the Kevlar—and set off for the concrete pipe at a run.

* * *

EGO.

That was the key to buying herself time. Kimball was a true narcissist. Some part of him wanted her to appreciate how hard he’d worked to kill her. Some part of him wanted her to be impressed.

Laura fought to hold herself together, fought to see beyond the loathing in Kimball’s eyes, the joy he so obviously felt to know she’d suffered. “I’m supposed to believe you were behind my abduction just because you say so?”

He told her the story. How he’d bolted in the middle of the ambush that had pinned down his platoon in Fallujah, angry and humiliated by the sentence he’d received. How he’d gone into hiding, made his way to Pakistan. How he’d seen her one night as she entered her hotel. And how the idea had come to him.

“I realized I could get back at you. I was going to be a Green Beret, and you ruined that for me.”

“You ruined that for yourself. You broke U.S. law, shamed your uniform, stole from innocent people. I did my job. I expose the truth.”

He struck her again, the blow leaving her dizzy.

“You should have sided with us—with your own countrymen. Instead, you stood up for the enemy.
You
are the traitor.”

Don’t argue with him.

She didn’t want him angry. She wanted him to talk about himself.

She struggled to clear her head. “H-how did you know where I was going to be?”

“I followed you every day for weeks. I ate in the same dining room, stayed in the same hotel, drank at the same bar. You even said hello to me once when you bumped into me getting out of the elevator. But finding out your plans—that was the real trick.” He leaned down and grinned at her. “I did a favor for someone, who hacked your phone and turned it into a roving bug.”

Laura had heard about that kind of technology, knew federal law enforcement sometimes used it, transforming the mic in someone’s cell phone into a listening device that operated even when the phone was off. “You heard every word we said.”

He stood upright, still smiling. “I picked the time and place and made contact with some of Al-Nassar’s men. They took it from there.”

So Derek Tower had been right—in a manner of speaking. She had been betrayed to Al-Nassar by a fellow American who’d gotten her location straight from her. But it hadn’t been her fault. Not that there was any comfort in knowing that now.

“I thought you were dead. He’d claimed he’d killed you.” Kimball reached out and slid his fingers into Laura’s hair. “But I guess he wanted to keep you for himself.”

Laura shuddered. “It must have been a shock to find out I was alive.”

“You were alive, but you weren’t the same, were you, Laura?” He knelt down beside her, speaking in that same sad, sympathetic voice he’d used in her phone interviews with him. “I enjoyed hearing about all the things that had happened to you. Then you came back to the U.S. and started living a normal life again, while I was working my ass off doing black ops for hire.”

“You decided you had to kill me.”

“Exactly. Took me a while to get here. I had to sneak into the country, get a fake ID, pull some cash together. Sean remembered me, helped me out, gave me a place to stay, a place to work.”

“He helped you.”

Kimball laughed and got to his feet. “He barely knows his own name. I drove him from place to place, gave him money, sent him in to buy supplies for me. He thought we were making fireworks. We talked about old times, but he couldn’t remember much. I got him some replica firearms that fire pellets. We played with those indoors. Then his damned social worker came around, and I knew I had to get rid of him.”

Understanding hit Laura, making her sick. “You set him up. You sent him after Javier knowing Javier would kill him.”

“I painted the tip of my handgun orange, loaded it. I knew your SEAL boyfriend went for a run every morning. I watched, and when he set out, I went after Sean. We meant to catch him on his way back but he went a different route. I followed, dropped Sean off at the store. Sean thought we were still playing. ‘See him?’ I said. ‘He wants to play, too. Just walk up to him and shoot. Score one for the team.’”

Laura felt sick for both Edwards and Javier. “You
used
Javier to kill Sean.”

“Your boyfriend is good at killing. He got rid of a loose end for me. Oh, don’t look so horrified. That’s what a good Special Forces operative does. We work behind enemy lines, move in the shadows, turn one person against another, kill when we must. I would have made a great Green Beret.”

She glared up at him, her stomach churning, rage, disgust, and terror coiled so tightly inside her she couldn’t tell them apart. “A
real
Green Beret wouldn’t screw up making ANFO. Or murder an innocent teenager to hide his own tracks. Or use a wounded friend the way you used Edwards. You’re nothing but a loser, a psychopath who blames everyone around him for his own mistakes!”

This time when he struck her, she saw stars.

CHAPTER

30

JAVIER SURFACED, EXHALED,
inhaled, his lungs aching, his body chilled to the core. He had about sixty meters to go. He took another breath, then propelled himself beneath the surface once more, willing his body to relax, his mind focused on swimming swiftly and smoothly through the murky water. He couldn’t be sure how deep the lake would be on the other side. It wasn’t much deeper than five feet here. At some point it would be too shallow to conceal him. He would have to be ready to bring it from that point on.

He’d gone maybe thirty or forty seconds when his fingers and feet brushed the bottom. Carefully holding his position, he lifted his head above the water and took a breath, watching, listening. He heard a man’s voice coming from the house slightly to his left. The structure had plywood walls on the ground-floor level, but no windows and no doors, just openings that stared out at the lake. If he’d had some overhead support, he might have known where Kimball had her, what kind of weapons Kimball had, which direction Kimball was facing, but he didn’t. He’d have to take his chances and be prepared for anything.

Realizing there was no background noise to mask the sounds of his movements, he army-crawled quickly and quietly to the shore, dragging his body through cold mud, his bones aching, his muscles stiff and sluggish. The water had been colder than he’d expected it would be. But then water was
always
colder than he expected.

A woman’s voice.

“You set your bogus interview to coincide with the explosion.”

Laura.

She was still alive.

Thank God!

“I wanted to hear you die. I listened to you scream when the bomb went off, just as I listened to you scream when Al-Nassar’s men dragged you away.”

¡Me cago en su madre!
Motherfucker!

Javier locked down his anger, tried to channel it toward action. He unclipped and dewatered the AR-15, his gaze fixed on the house as he watched for movement, for shadows, for any sign of Kimball’s location. It sounded to him like they were just on the other side of this thin plywood wall—which meant they would hear him unless he was very careful.

“You managed to startle me, but that was all. You killed that poor kid for nothing. Know what that makes you? A murderer and a coward.” Laura was doing her best to act calm, but Javier could hear the fear in her voice.

There came the sharp sound of a hand hitting flesh.

Hang on,
bella
. You’re not alone.

Javier set the AR carefully aside, then soundlessly drew the Walther PPS from his holster and made certain it, too, was drained.

“You’d better watch it, bitch. I have your life in my hands!” Kimball was shouting now. “Why do you even give a shit about that kid?”

Javier took advantage of the increased noise level to click off the safety on the AR-15 and move, positioning himself against the wooden wall near what would have been a doorway. His response times were slower than they should be, and he knew he must be hypothermic. He’d have to plan for that.

“The whole country is going to care about him when the truth comes out. How do you sleep at night? Do you see the faces of the people you’ve murdered?” She was trying to keep him off guard, trying to keep him talking.

“You think you’re so brave, but I know you’re not. I’m going to prove it to you. See what I brought?” The bastard laughed. “I knew you’d appreciate it. You’re afraid now, aren’t you?”

“Y-yes, I’m afraid. I’m afraid you’ve made a very big mistake.”

“The only reason you’re still alive is that I can’t decide how I want to kill you. Once you’re actually dead, I won’t get the chance to do this again. I want to do it right, to enjoy it. I can either listen to you scream while you burn to death, or I can watch your face as I cut off your head. But I can’t do both.”

“How frustrating that must be for you.”

Javier closed his mind to what he was hearing and crept into position, peering around the corner, taking in the scene at a glance.

Kimball stood with his back toward Javier, a large serrated bread knife in his hand. Laura was bound by duct tape to a chair in front of him. A half dozen gas canisters were placed strategically around the room, two of them flanking Laura.

Did they contain fuel or ANFO? Were they rigged to blow?

Javier had no idea. He drew back, working the plan through in his mind, visualizing each step of it, taking his own sluggishness into account.

“I know you were terrified by the thought of Al-Nassar cutting your head off like this. But isn’t it better to die this way than to burn to death? What do you think?”

“I-I think . . . you should run . . . while you can.”

Listen to her,
pendejo
.

Javier made his decision, his muscles tensing.

It was time to bring the pain.

* * *

LAURA COULDN’T STOP
herself from shaking, fear stealing her breath, making her pulse race. She’d run out of time, and she knew it.

They weren’t going to find her. Javier probably knew she was missing by now. One way or another he would find her car—either by tracing her cell phone or by getting the address from Joaquin. He’d call Zach, Marc, Julian—but they would be too late. They would only learn what had happened to her after firefighters reported discovering a charred body in the ashes of this house and the ME identified her remains.

A wave of despair washed through her, the hope that had held her together unraveling thread by thread.

Kimball moved to stand behind her. He fisted his hands in her hair and forced her head back, pressing the rough edge of the blade against her trachea and carotid artery. “If I cut your throat here, you’ll suffocate, bleed out, die fast. But if I start here,” he said, tilting her head to the side, moving the blade to press against the muscles at the back of her neck, “you might last a little longer.”

Laura’s mind raced as Kimball tormented her with his words, thoughts chasing one another through her mind.

An image of her mother’s and grandmother’s faces. They would never recover from this. Losing her the first time had devastated them.

I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry.

She hoped her mother would keep up the fight to reclaim Klara.

Forgive me, Klara. I wish I’d at least gotten to see you, to hold you.

And Javier . . .

They hadn’t been together long enough, not nearly long enough, but she was grateful for every moment she’d had with him. He’d brought her back to herself, made her feel alive again. Because of him, she wouldn’t die the broken woman Al-Nassar had left behind. She would die as herself.

Somehow, that mattered so much in this moment.

I love you, Javi. Be happy. Be safe.

As hard as she fought to hide her fear, a tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

Kimball noticed, wiped it roughly away with his thumb. “You’re not so tough after all, are you?”

And then she saw him.

Javier!

Wet and covered with mud, he appeared out of nowhere, rifle aimed at Kimball. “Hey,
pendejo
, who’s afraid now?”

Kimball jumped, the knife blade falling to the floor. “What—”

Click.

The rifle didn’t fire.

“Carajo!”

Javier quickly sidestepped, cleared the misfire, and aimed again.

“Put the weapon down, or I’ll blow this place to pieces!”

Laura looked over her shoulder and saw Kimball backing slowly away, something clutched in his hand.

The detonator.

“I said put it down, or she’s dead!” Kimball’s voice was slick with fear.

Barely able to breathe, Laura looked up at Javier, whose gaze was fixed on Kimball, pure loathing on his face, his dark eyes cold.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Javier fired quick three shots, making Laura gasp.

“No, motherfucker,
you’re
dead.” Javier walked over to where Kimball lay still and bleeding on the floor, pried the detonator from his hand, and set it aside.

And then he was there, kneeling beside her and peeling off the duct tape that bound her to the chair.

Relief soared through her, leaving her light-headed. “I can’t believe you’re here. I can’t believe you found me. How—”

“Let’s get you out of here in case this place really is set to blow.” He tore off the tape that bound her ankles, scooped her into his arms, and carried her away from Kimball’s body and out what would have been the back door.

Laura wrapped her arms around him and tucked her face against his neck, some part of her still struggling to comprehend that it was over, that she was safe.

He carried her past one partially built house and another, finally stopping when they reached a concrete foundation a few houses down. He set her down and knelt beside her, his hands searching her body for injuries. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now.” In truth, she was still shaking like a leaf.

He caught her face between his cold palms and traced his thumb over her bruised cheek, his gaze going soft when it met hers. “God,
bella
, I was afraid I’d lost you.”

“I was afraid I’d lost me, too.” She reached up and ran her fingertips over his jaw.

In the next heartbeat, they were kissing, the rushing of her pulse all but drowning out the approaching sound of police sirens. Or was that helicopters?

Laura didn’t know, didn’t care. All that mattered to her in that moment was the man in her arms, the man who’d just saved her life, the man she loved.

They were still kissing when an unmarked SUV, a big SWAT van, and two Adams County sheriff’s vehicles pulled up beside them, sirens blaring.

Laura heard Zach’s voice.

He stood off to the side. “I want two ambulances—one for whatever is left of Kimball and one for those two.”

Javier ended the kiss. “Kimball is three houses down. Be careful. He had a detonator, and there are fuel cans all over the place.”

“I sure am glad to see you in one piece, Laura.” Zach got on his radio and called for an EOD unit. He took a good look at Javier. “You’re hypothermic.”

“That’s all you have to say, McBride? Not, ‘You did it, Corbray,’ or ‘Way to kick ass, Corbray,’ or ‘You were right, Corbray.’”

“I don’t need to feed your ego when you’re so good at doing it yourself.” Zach grinned and gestured toward his SUV with a jerk of his head. “Come on—both of you. Wait in my vehicle out of the wind. I’ll grab a space blanket out of the trunk.”

It suddenly occurred to Laura to wonder
why
Javier was wet.

She glanced to her left and felt a hitch behind her breastbone when she realized what he’d done. “You swam across the lake.”

The water must have been ice cold, deathly cold.

“It was the fastest way to reach you.”

He didn’t have to finish the thought. Laura understood.

If he hadn’t done it, she would be dead.

* * *

THE NEXT FEW
hours passed in a blur of medical checks and debriefing. The two of them were treated by paramedics on-site and released. Zach drove them back to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, where they each offered a written statement and then answered questions separately. The U.S. Marshal Service, the Adams County sheriffs, the Denver police, and the FBI—everyone seemed to have questions for them, especially for Laura.

It was dark by the time they found themselves in Zach’s SUV once again as he drove them back to Denver, filling them in on what had happened this afternoon when they’d been busy.

Laura’s car was totaled and now sitting in the marshals’ impound yard, where she could get whatever she needed from it in the next few days.

A deputy had already returned Carmichael’s vehicle to him at the newspaper.

A forensic team had been sent back to Sean Michael Edwards’s apartment to see whether they could gather any additional evidence that might help them understand what had transpired there.

Zach had paid a personal visit to the Al Zahrani home to bring the kid’s parents up to date. “I made sure to tell them that you were the one who first suspected their son had been framed.”

“Thank you, Zach.” It was clear from Laura’s face that this meant a lot to her. “Now they’ll finally be able to mourn him in peace.”

Javier leaned in and kissed her temple, careful to avoid her bruised and swollen cheek. “Your compassion is one of the most beautiful things about you,
bella
. Have I told you that?”

Her lips curved in a tired smile, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

Javier knew she must be exhausted, but she insisted they stop by the paper.

“They’re going to need to interview me. You can head back to the loft if you want. If you’re in the newsroom, they’ll ask you questions.”

“Don’t worry about me. I think I can handle a few reporters.” He’d almost lost her today. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight.

“Your name is in the police report. It’s going to wind up in the media again.”

Javier nodded. “I know.”

He’d already called the Boss to tell him what had happened. He’d expected the lieutenant to rip his head off and stuff shit down his neck.

Instead, O’Connell had congratulated him. “It’s not in human DNA to think of water as an avenue of attack. That’s why it always works so well for us. Way to go. I’ll pass the news along to the men. See you in a few days.”

A few days. A few precious days with Laura.

And then Javier would have some big decisions to make.

* * *

SEX WAS THE
furthest thing from Laura’s mind when they finally got back to the loft. All she wanted was a hot shower, something to eat that she didn’t have to cook, and the feel of Javier’s arms around her.

They ended up taking a shower together, Laura washing lake water and mud from Javier’s body, Javier washing the scent of horror from Laura’s. But as they smoothed soap over soft skin, Laura felt a need for Javier that was so much more than sexual. Touching turned to kissing until at last Javier backed her against the tile wall, wrapped one of her legs around his waist, and slid inside her.