The Mercenary (10 page)

He said nothing else, just concentrated on driving, and his calmness slowly seeped into her. He had taken his hand back but she reached over to put her own hand on his thigh.

He pulled into the underground garage and parked the car near the elevator.

“We’re here.”

“I can see that,” she said.

“I was speaking to Laz.”

“Oh.”

He didn’t turn the car off or make any move to get out. She sat quietly next to him.

“Okay, let’s go.”

He shut off the engine and undid his seatbelt. She did the same.

“I will come around and get your door.”

He did and when she got out she realized that he was in full-on bodyguard mode. He kept scanning the interior of the garage and moved her quickly toward the elevator. But when she reached for the call button he knocked her hand down.

“We’re taking the stairs.”

“Why?”

“It’s easier to set a trap for someone on an elevator,” Kirk said.

He entered the stairwell before and scanned the area with his gun drawn. “We’re in the stairwell and heading up.”

“Laz again?”

“Yes. Just keep quiet and follow me.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, saluting smartly.

He stopped on the landing and turned to face her, crowding her back against the wall and using his body to protect her on all sides. “This isn’t a joke.”

“I know that,” she said, hearing her own voice crack. “Believe me, I am well aware of the fact that I could die. That this trip out of the safe house could be my last.”

Kirk rubbed his hand over the side of her face and leaned in as close as he could. “This isn’t going to be your last trip, baby.”

He turned his head and his lips brushed hers briefly before he started up the stairs again. She followed him. For the first time she thought that Kirk might be attracted to her as well.

Kirk wasn’t a talker and he kept his feelings bottled up, but when he did communicate with her—well, then she felt like she’d found something very special. Something that almost made this entire situation worth it.

Because she’d searched for the kind of man that Kirk was for her entire adult life. He might not realize it, but his quiet brand of heroism was exactly what made him a man she didn’t want to let slip away.

And she knew he’d say it was the situation, and that this wasn’t the real world, but that didn’t matter to her. She’d found a man who could keep her safe, and that was really all that mattered to her.

The meeting with Phillip went well. He had already been working on setting a trap for Ray and apologized again for not alerting her to his suspicions about Ray before she became his fiancée. Olivia doubted she would have believed Phillip or anyone else if they’d said that Ray wasn’t the man she thought he was. She’d been a different woman then.

Charity and Phillip did most of the talking. Kirk stayed by the door, and Laz was in the security room watching all the monitors. They left the building thirty minutes later after a plan had been worked out. It had been decided that Olivia would stay hidden and Charity would approach Ray.

She’d tell him she’d been hired by Olivia’s parents and try to find information to incriminate him. That was fine with Olivia.

She wanted to get back to the safe house, where she knew nothing could happen to her. It wasn’t that she didn’t think that Kirk would protect her out here—she knew he could—it was simply that she wanted them both to be safe.

A
UGUST
3, O
NYX
D
IAMOND
M
INES
, C
ULLINAN

T
he team arrived that afternoon and Kirk spent his time locked away with Jack Savage and the other members of the team. Laz was the only familiar face, but even he seemed a bit scary when seen with the entire team—Jacob “Van” Donovan, the team’s computer expert, “Wenz” Wenzel, the team’s medic, and Hammond “Hamm” McIntyre.

“How are you holding up?” Anna asked.

They were sitting in the kitchen nook drinking a cup of tea. It was exactly what she’d needed and she was grateful to Anna for suggesting it.

“I’m doing okay,” she said. She was, most of the time. She had no idea how she’d handle sleeping tonight, but that was later. She’d realized the only thing she could do was handle one thing at a time. Live in the moment.

“How were Mann and Laz?” Anna asked. “They are a little rough around the edges.”

“They were fine. I feel so safe with Kirk.”

“Kirk, is it?”

Olivia shrugged, then realized she’d picked up his habits. But she didn’t want to discuss how she felt about him. She had no idea where the intense feelings she had for him came from—she only knew they were there.

“Did you say someone had talked to my parents?” Olivia asked.

“Yes, I did. Charity Keone, a woman who works with me, is going to work with them. I have her conducting an investigation with Ray to find out what he knows.”

Olivia nodded. “This is all so…strange.”

Anna reached across the table, putting her hand on Olivia’s. “It will be fine. I think you have an appointment this evening with the Cullinan police, right?”

“Yes,” Olivia said. Kirk had told her about it right before the Savage Seven had arrived. She looked at the doorway, wishing he’d appear. She knew that Anna was highly skilled, but it was Kirk who made her feel safe.

“Do you think they need us?” Olivia asked.

“No. But if you’d feel better hearing their discussions, we can go in there,” Anna said.

“Will we be disturbing them?”

“No. Let’s go.”

She followed Anna down the hall to the living room command center. The men were talking quietly but stopped when they entered.

“Sorry to intrude, but we wanted to know what was going on,” Anna said.

“Just going over the details for tonight. Mann suggested we put listening devices in Lambert’s office so we can monitor his activities. See if we can catch him doing or saying something illegal,” Savage said.

“Is that okay for us to do?” Olivia asked.

“Once we know what he’s doing, we’ll alert the authorities and bring them with us to make an arrest,” Kirk said.

Olivia nodded. She trusted Kirk. “What can I do to help?”

“We have a copy of the plans for the Onyx Mines office building…can you show us which office is Lambert’s?” Savage asked.

She went over to the table where the plans were laid out. The men all moved out of her way. She looked at the schematic but couldn’t identify Lambert’s office on the plans.

“You have an old copy. They just did a big renovation.”

“Great. This is the most up-to-date one I found on file,” Laz said.

“Do you know where his office is?” Savage asked.

“Yes. It’s on the top floor.”

“That’s all we need. You can go with us,” Savage said.

“She’ll stay in the command vehicle and I’ll protect her,” Kirk said.

“Agreed.”

Burati and Barack entered the Onyx Mine offices just before midnight. They’d already spent two hours installing digital cameras in all of the mine shafts on the property. Burati had orders about the kind of information that Phillip wanted them to gather. He left his cousin going through the files while he placed the bugs in the phone and under the desk.

“Are you sure about this?” Barack asked.

“Sure about what? This is our job. Don’t ask questions, just work.”

“I don’t understand how you can still work for the man who killed Thomas.”

Burati ignored his cousin and just kept working. He had never been one of those men to explain himself to others. He made his decisions and he lived by them. That was all there was to it.

He placed the last bug and climbed up on the credenza in the corner of the office to place a digital camera lens that was smaller than a straight pin. He wedged the camera under the ceiling tile. The camera connected wirelessly to a receiver unit that he was going to set up down the hallway in a maintenance closet.

“I’ll be back,” he said to Barack.

He got the recorder set up in the closet and tested it, watching as Barack went in and out of the office checking files and making copies.

Satisfied with the work he’d done, he went back down the hall and joined his cousin.

Barack was silent as they continued to work. “I do this for Thomas. I do this so that the man who killed him will spend a long time in jail.”

Barack nodded and they both worked in silence, finishing their tasks as quickly as possible. Burati called Phillip before they left the compound.

“Did you get everything set up like I asked?” Phillip asked.

“Indeed I did.”

“Good. Now we will be able to track his every move. Olivia’s parents have hired an investigator to help find her. The company is Liberty Investigations.”

“Mr. Ray had me look into a friend of Olivia’s who works for them—Anna Sterling.”

“Well, Charity Keone-Williams will be the woman who is conducting the investigation.”

“Should I be helpful?” Burati asked. He wanted to do whatever he could to help end this mess.

“Only if Lambert isn’t around. I don’t want to risk anything happening to the Pontufs.”

Olivia didn’t know what to do about Kirk. She knew he was a dangerous man—she had seen that with her own eyes—but she realized that didn’t matter. It scared her each time he revealed something new about himself, because he was everything she should have been afraid of, yet he didn’t scare her.

They were both dressed in black from head to toe and were outfitted with earpiece wireless communicators in their ears. They were with the Savage Seven team and a Cullinan police detective named Sandoval who was conducting the murder investigation.

“This is where I saw him shoot the other man. It was in the distance, but I could clearly see Ray’s gun and the other man fall.”

“Good. I’ll send my men out to scout the location in the morning,” Sandoval said.

Twenty minutes later they were seated in a Range Rover in the downtown area of Cullinan watching the Savage Seven team via a video monitor that was mounted on Savage’s glasses.

Olivia was sitting as quietly as she could, knowing that they didn’t need any extra chatter on the line, but she was nervous and wanted to talk.

Since it was nighttime and dark the images were grainy infrared ones. Anna, Savage, Hamm, and Wenz were all spread out around the main offices of the Onyx Diamond Group as well. Laz and Jacob were both hanging back.

Jacob was the command central for this midnight operation and Laz was the transportation guy. It was a bit breezy and Olivia worried that she should have stayed at the safe house.

“You okay?” Kirk asked.

“Yes, fine. A little nervous.”

“Don’t worry, Olivia,” Anna said via the earpiece. “Mann won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I know,” Olivia said. She watched Kirk as they sat in the dark and waited. He was steady, rock steady, with his weapon in position. He was silent when he moved and she realized he was the best at what he did.

She’d be silly to worry when he was by her side, because he’d die to protect her. She leaned over, wanting to kiss him, but stopped.

Her reactions to him were getting out of control. She was falling for this guy. He was supersexy, so that didn’t really surprise her, but it did worry her. She’d never felt a sexual attraction anything near this intense.

“One in place,” Wenz said.

“Two in place,” Hamm said.

“Three in place,” Anna said.

“Four in place,” Savage said.

“Five and Six in place.”

“We are entering the building,” Savage said.

“It’s weird to hear everyone but not see them,” Olivia said. She didn’t think she’d ever adjust to doing stuff like this, but it was kind of fun. And it was giving her some ideas for the next Krissie Carmichael book. She was definitely going to use the codes and words she’d learned from the Savage Seven.

“You get used to it,” Kirk said.

“Follow me,” Savage said, leading the team into the building. “We’re going silent now.”

She watched as they worked their way through the deserted office building toward the executive level by way of the fire escapes.

She was the only member of the team without a weapon tonight. But she hadn’t wanted one. She didn’t know how to handle a weapon and knew that she’d be more of a liability to herself if she had one.

“You are going the wrong way,” she said. “Savage?”

“Affirmative.”

“Sorry for talking, but I didn’t want us to waste any time.”

“It’s okay. Which way?”

“Left.”

The team entered the office and startled two men already there. Olivia gasped as she recognized Burati and Barack.

“Those are the men who tried to kidnap me.”

“What is he doing there?” Olivia asked.

“Savage will find out.”

Kirk had a sick feeling in his gut as he watched the team escape down the fire exit. He’d seen the fight on screen of the team and Burati and Barack. Savage was bringing both men back for questioning.

He wanted to hurt Burati and the other guard for laying their hands on Olivia at the airport.

“Where are the men in the car?” Savage asked.

Kirk checked the other monitor, keeping an eye on the guards at the mine.

“Sitting in the car. Did the guard alert them?”

“I have no idea,” Savage said. “He didn’t say anything, but they may have a silent signal.”

“Is Burati still unconscious?” Kirk asked.

“Affirmative. Did Hamm get the other guard?”

“Yes. They went out the back, but you can’t leave the fire escape until the men in the BMW are gone,” Kirk said. “I can send Laz in with the retrieval vehicle to distract them.”

Everyone stood still while they waited for Savage’s decision. He was the leader of the team and they all followed him. It had been odd having Savage back on the team. He’d been working in the office in London since his wedding to Anna, and having him back had made Kirk realize how much he’d missed having his friend in the field.

“No. I’ll provide the distraction. Laz, have the transport ready to roll as soon as the team gets to you,” Savage said.

“Where will you be?” Anna asked.

“Doing my job, babe,” Savage replied.

“Jack Savage…you better make it back home to me,” she said.

“I will. I’ve got too much to live for,” he said.

Kirk realized he felt the same way about Olivia. Maybe not as intense as what Savage felt for Anna, but he knew he didn’t want to lose the woman he’d found. Didn’t want to take any stupid risks so he wouldn’t make it back to her. “Wenz, you go with Savage,” Kirk said.

“Wait a minute—I’m in charge,” Savage said.

“You need backup. Unless you want me to go high and just take both men out?”

“No,” Olivia said.

He glanced over at her. She was shaking and pale but very determined. “Let’s get everyone out of here.”

“I agree,” Anna said.

“The men are moving toward the entrance. I’ll give you a signal when you are good to go,” Jacob said.

They waited tensely for less than sixty seconds and then Van said to move.

The three of them in the emergency staircase moved quickly out of the door. Van was slowed a little by carrying the weight of Burati, but he kept moving. He couldn’t watch their back, which made him nervous, but less than a minute later, Hamm joined them with the other guard over his shoulder.

“Savage is to the left,” Hamm said.

They moved in an open formation toward the vehicles where Laz and Van waited. Kirk wished he was there in the thick of the action. But Olivia only felt safe with him and protecting her came first.

“I’m glad they are out of the building.”

Kirk didn’t tell her that they weren’t in the clear yet, that a sniper’s bullet could easily kill one of them from this distance. He kept his eyes peeled and was hypervigilant. This job was personal to him. For the first time the mission wasn’t just about a paycheck but about a person.

And he’d promised Olivia he’d keep her alive, so he wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.

Hamm’s silhouette was clearly visible against the night sky and Kirk prayed that the men who’d entered the building stayed there. He didn’t want a firefight tonight. He wanted an easy end to this FUBAR mess that the night had become.

Wenz went next and then only Savage remained.

“I’ve got your back,” Kirk said.

“You’re one of the few guys I trust there,” Savage said.

“Don’t I know it? Go on. I’m getting itchy.”

“Me, too. Something feels wrong about this entire thing.”

“You two can discuss it later,” Van said in their earpieces. “Move ass.”

Savage went up the incline in a smooth and easy run. The rest of the team was already moving forward toward the two vehicles they’d brought with them.

The large army-style vehicles were hidden in the brush far from the road.

“Haul ass,” Van said. “They know we are still on the property and are heading toward your location.”

Everyone started to move. “I’ve got it,” Wenz said, stopping to cover them as they all retreated.

“I’ll be back as soon as I dump this guy,” Van said.

“No, you won’t. Keep moving,” Wenz said. “We need to get out of here.”

Kirk didn’t agree. He wanted to lay some ground fire and let Lambert know he wasn’t messing with an amateur. Make damned sure that Lambert realized he was going to have go through hell to get to Olivia and capture her again.

And Kirk realized that he wasn’t taking any more chances with her safety. From now on Savage and the rest of the Savage Seven were going to have to realize that he was protecting Olivia first and foremost.