Читать книгу Smokescreen - Jodie Bailey - Страница 10

ONE

“Drive faster.” Captain Ethan Kincaid slammed his palm on the dash of the crew-cab truck his partner piloted. At the rate they were going it would take two days to get to the Syracuse terminal. A glance at the clock said they had less than two minutes.

Craig Mitchum cast him a hard look, though his blue eyes flashed with amusement slightly out of place considering the situation. “Can’t do it, bro. I scream up to an airport running a hundred and twenty, and security’s going to be all over us. You want to get tied up in some back office answering questions?”

Ethan huffed but didn’t relax in the seat. Every second counted. That call from Sean had rattled him clear to his core. “Someone hacked my email. They know everything. Get Ashley off that plane before they find her.”

Ashley Colson was in danger she couldn’t imagine and would never see coming. Even more so than on the day she’d nearly died in his arms. Ethan swallowed hard against the rising tide of nausea the image of her broken and bloody body brought forth. That would not happen again. Even if he needed to die to stop it.

Ethan had warned Sean involving her was a bad idea. He should have pulled the plug on the whole thing from the start, but he’d been willing to take any risk to catch the guys who’d killed his first partner. And now Ashley might pay a steep price for it.

Please, God. Get us there before it’s too late.

“I’ll swing by the drop-off and let you out so you can sweep the concourse. I’ll head for the parking deck.” Mitchum tapped the photo of Ashley that was jammed into the instrument panel. “This late at night, there shouldn’t be a lot of people milling around. We’ll find her.”

Ethan grunted, convinced he could run up the long drive faster than Mitchum was navigating. In the dark of a cool spring night, the lights of the Syracuse airport bounced off the clouds, the glow painting the surrounding area in an eerie overwash. It chilled Ethan to the core, too much like the opening shot of a horror movie where the hero’s worst nightmares came true.

“Kincaid. You’re a ball of nerves, worse than a private in his first firefight. You’re too experienced to act like this. Do you need to...?” Mitchum exhaled loudly and eased up on the gas as they approached the low, glass-enclosed pedestrian bridges between the parking lot and the terminal.

“Do I need to what?” Ethan whipped his head toward his new partner. Assigned to work with him just under a year ago, the younger man often spoke his mind without a lot of thought to the consequences of his words. It was something Ethan admired, that ability to call it as he saw it, but Ethan was not about to let the man question his ability to do the job. Not on this case.

Mitchum cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably, readjusting his grip on the steering wheel. “Recuse yourself.” The words hung on the air, too cold for the heat leaking from the vents to thaw.

Not on his life. There was no one else Ethan trusted to walk with Sean through this mission and no one else he trusted to protect Ashley.

Not that he was known for doing a stellar job. It was his fault a domestic-violence call when they were stationed as military police together had gone south and left her fighting for her life.

He shoved the memory to the side and glanced at the clock on the dash as Mitchum slowed the truck in the drop-off lane. Ashley’s flight had touched down nearly ten minutes earlier. Their window slipped lower.

Sean’s intel said the mission had been compromised. Their enemies had found Ashley and would be waiting. For all Ethan knew, she was already dead in some out-of-the-way corner of the airport. The thought nearly crushed his lungs. Please, God. Don’t let me be too late. Again.

* * *

Ashley Colson’s smartphone chimed as she fired it up and hitched her carry-on higher onto her shoulder. In all of her thirty years she’d never been so happy to exit an aircraft. When her feet hit the carpet of the terminal, she relaxed muscles that had been tense since the plane left Chicago. Between the couple arguing in front of her the entire flight and the turbulence battering the passengers from takeoff to touchdown, she felt as though all of the oxygen had been sucked out of that jet.

She entered the exit portal at the end of the concourse, waited for the second door to open and stepped into the main terminal. Now she was free, and she couldn’t get home fast enough.

The cell phone vibrated repeatedly in her hand, so she stepped out of the trickle of traffic. No way had she missed so many calls in a couple of hours. As word of her knack for sniffing out vulnerabilities in computer networks spread, Colson Solutions grew busier, but demand hadn’t been that high.

Hopefully, it wasn’t her biggest client. Sam Mina had called her in Chicago and asked her to come to Albany to integrate new machines into their existing network. She’d put him off until Monday. Hopefully he hadn’t violated their contract and hired someone else. Losing Mina would be a blow her company might not recover from.

Seven texts and four voice mails. Skipping the texts, Ashley pressed the unfamiliar number in her voice-mail queue.

“Ash, it’s me.” Sean’s voice was low and hurried, setting her apprehension level even higher than the couple arguing on the plane. Something was wrong. “Call this number. Now.” There was a hiss and a click as the call dropped. Three more similar messages amped the adrenaline in her system. Then, “I need you to go to my post-office box. Get the package from my mailbox. Work our program. And watch your back. I’m sorry, Ash. I’ll explain as soon as—” A muffled shout. “I’ve sent—” The call cut out.

Nausea hit her hard, almost doubling her over. Sean. Her ex-fiancé and lifelong best friend.

Something was very wrong. In all of his deployments, he’d said there was no need for a cell phone in a war zone. One of his greatest fears was that something would happen to him, leaving his contact information vulnerable for anyone to see.

Knees weakening, she punched the screen to see her texts. Seven from Sean, all telling her to call until the last one. I’m sorry.

What had he done?

A force from behind propelled her forward, sent her phone flying and caused her bag to slide to her elbow with a jolt. She nearly pitched onto her face but strong hands wrapped around her upper arms. “Are you all right, miss?”

Watch your back. Sean’s warning rained in her head as she spun and came face-to-face with a tall, dark man in a sleek, gray business suit.

Concern wrinkled the corners of his dark eyes. “You seem ill. Are you okay, Ms. Colson?”

How did he know her name? Ashley scanned his face, muscles tightening in her neck as she found nothing familiar. Her past bred caution and this guy unfurled every red flag possible. Her mouth opened then closed tight, refusing to ask the question.

A cold smile crinkled the edges of his lips. “Ah, see? I am more than just a helpful fellow in an airport.” He leaned closer, voice lowering. “And here is something else I know about you. Your worst nightmare is any gun, but particularly one aimed in your direction.” Slipping his fingers to her wrist, he pulled her hand to his rib cage, letting her fingers brush holstered cold steel, his eyes glittering above that frozen smile.

The weapon burned her fingertips, shooting fire into her soul. She wanted to scream, to run, to do anything, but her muscles froze, the memory from years ago and a deafening roar drowning out the rest of the world.

The man smiled wider, taking dark pleasure in her panic. “Your fear is my best friend.” Slipping her bag from her elbow, he shrugged it onto his shoulder and wrapped an arm tightly around her waist, pressing the gun to her side, the metal digging into her rib cage. The way he held his free hand, on the strap of her bag, he could reach the trigger with very little motion. “Now, we will walk out of here together, quietly.”

Some accent tinged the edges of the polished words, but Ashley couldn’t quite place it through the roar in her ears.

“And when we get where we are going, you will tell me all about your friend Sean Turner and his mission overseas. If you feel you do not need to talk, well...” He chuckled. “That is when the fun will begin.”

A sob glued itself to the scream stuck in her throat. She was in trouble. Sean was in trouble. And this man had everything to do with it.

Ashley’s feet dragged as the man urged her forward. The world was under water, images hazy around the edges, sounds muffled as her pulse rang in her ears. How could no one see what was happening? The late-traveling crowd trickled thin, security guards easing their scrutiny as more planes arrived than departed. No one even glanced their way.

Fear, a familiar nemesis, imprisoned her in an unbreakable paralysis. She was going to be kidnapped in plain sight. Tortured if this man got her out of sight.

There was nothing she could do, not with the weight of a gun pressing tight against her side. The man didn’t even have to lay a finger on it as long as she knew it was there. A whimper broke through the solid wall in her throat.

“I can put a bullet in you right on top of that scar that is already there and be out of here before your body reaches the ground. It might be I have to go to my hotel and wash the blood out of my suit. It would not be the first time.” He pulled her closer. “I would not get my pay, but I would make it out of here a free man, which is the most important thing.”

“Who are you?” Ashley hated how thin her voice sounded, how she wanted to scream, but, always, that cold lump dug into her side. He could pull the trigger faster than she could ever hope to run.

“Does it matter?”

The exit doors loomed in front of her and, on the other side of the main drive, the parking garage. Despair ate at her. This was her one last chance to scream.

As she pulled in a deep breath, the man stiffened, muscles coiled. “I will kill you and anyone who tries to help you.”

Ashley deflated as they stepped through the exterior doors and the cool humidity of a New York spring night enveloped them, the soft air mocking her plight. She couldn’t win at the moment, but she would not give up. In the parking deck, she could hide behind a car, buy a few seconds and flag down a passing driver...though it was almost certain this man would kill anyone who stopped.

As they stepped into the dim light of the quiet parking deck, a red pickup screeched to a halt at the sidewalk in front of them and a man jumped out, blocking their path. “Thanks for dropping me off,” he called to someone inside. “Let me get my stuff out of the back and I’ll catch you on the return trip.”

Her captor huffed and shifted his step to ease her toward the bed of the pickup, the shorter way around.

But as they stepped sideways, the man spun and threw a sudden punch, knocking her abductor’s grip from her. Before Ashley could even gasp, the newcomer had shoved her through the open back door of the truck and onto the floor then dived in behind her. “Stay down!” His shout was nearly drowned out by the thwack of bullets hitting metal as the vehicle squealed tires and roared forward.

Ashley’s entire body screamed from the tension and rough treatment. Glass shattered and small pieces showered them. Fighting the weight that pinned her to the wide floorboard, she found her voice and screamed.

“Make her stop. I can’t think,” the driver called.

“Drive. And have a little sympathy.” The new threat slowly hefted himself off of her and onto the seat. “I think you got us out of there. Nice driving.” He looked at Ashley. “You’re safe...for now. But don’t get off the floor.”

Rolling to her side, Ashley prepared to scream again, but a hand lay gently across her mouth. “You’re okay. Look at me.” The voice was low and...familiar?

A whole new kind of adrenaline rocketed through her as her green eyes met brown ones she’d never forgotten. She sucked in a gasp, choking on the leftover scream in her throat, and buried her face in her hands, certain now this was all a bad dream. Ethan?

Sean’s last words swirled. “I’ve sent—”

Ethan Kincaid. Sean had sent Ethan Kincaid. The man who, five years ago, had nearly cost her her life.

* * *

Fear, resentment, confusion... Ashley’s expression shifted so quickly Ethan could hardly track it all. When she hid her face, it was all he could do not to pull her close and tell her he’d protect her.

Not that she’d believe him, and he didn’t have time to convince her now.

Peeking over the backseat of the truck, he scanned the road behind them. “We’re not being followed. Yet. But with shots fired at an airport, it won’t be long.”

“And with our rear end shot up, we’re a little obvious. Smart guy to use a silencer, but I doubt this whole little adventure went unnoticed.”

Ethan noted Mitchum’s jaw was set so tight it had to hurt. He looked grim, angry. Likely because it was his truck sporting a new series of ventilation holes.

Ethan caught his eye in the rearview mirror. “Told you to let me drive.”

“Shut up, Kincaid. Where do we go from here?”

Ethan watched Ashley, mind racing for a plan. She still hadn’t moved, the only indication she was alive being the rapid rise and fall of her shoulders as she came dangerously close to hyperventilating. His practiced eyes scanned for wounds but didn’t see anything to concern him. Not like the last time.

He laid a hand on her shoulder, fingers brushing the soft blond hair that slipped forward with every breath she took. There was no way five years had passed since he’d last seen her. She hadn’t changed a bit. She was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Over time he’d managed to convince himself he’d done the right thing by leaving her to Sean, but now, in her presence, his decision reeked of stupidity and selfishness.

She worked her jaw from side to side then looked up, meeting his eyes with those improbable green ones. Even strangers had stopped her to comment. She swallowed hard. “What is going on here?” The words barely made it out through her tight jaw.

“Are you okay?”

Her nostrils flared, but she only nodded.

There was no telling what she really wanted to say to him. Right now, they were probably all blessed by her speechlessness.

Ethan tore his gaze from hers and pulled his hand to his side, the warmth of her lingering on his palm. He never should have touched her. She was Sean’s. Always would be. Their engagement might have been short-lived, but whenever Sean talked about her, the strength of his feelings bled into the words.

“Kincaid? Direction here?” Mitchum needed an answer.

There was work to do and God bless his partner for pulling him back to it. Ashley might be...well, Ashley, but she was also an assignment, and she should be treated as such. Shoving the past into a box and mentally securing the lock, he leaned forward. “Call local law enforcement and tell them to step back, but don’t give them a clue why. Take me to my truck, then ditch yours and get another vehicle, one our kidnapper won’t recognize.”

Mitchum’s eyes met his in the mirror. “You think it’s wise to split up?”

“I think getting Ashley to safety is priority number one. Getting the evidence is number two.”

“Let me handle picking up the—”

“No. We get her safe. We link up. We move forward.” One thing at a time. As long as they were in this vehicle, it wouldn’t be long before the network after Ashley found them again or local law enforcement tied them up in more red tape than they had time for. While separating from his partner was normally foolhardy, there wasn’t time for them to do everything and get Ashley to the safe house fast enough.

Mitchum exhaled so hard the picture of Ashley on the dash fluttered. His eye twitched. “I don’t think—”

“I’m ordering you.”

Ethan’s voice was so firm, Ashley flinched.

She cleared her throat. “Start explaining. Now.” She moved to ease up to the seat, but a sharp shake of Ethan’s head sank her to the floor again. “Is Sean okay?”

There it was. The question he’d been dreading. The question with no good answer.

“We don’t know.” Mitchum’s voice cut in from the front.

Ethan wanted to punch his partner’s seat. The last thing Ashley needed right now was more uncertainty and fear. When they’d linked up for this mission, Sean had updated Ethan on Ashley’s recovery, so he already knew her fear was a ticking time bomb. The post-traumatic stress following her shooting had derailed her military career and shattered her future.

Ashley’s eyes slipped closed as she momentarily withdrew, sitting back against the door. Rather than fall apart the way Ethan had feared, Ashley’s posture stiffened, almost stone-like in its lack of emotion. “Why did he send you, of all people?”

More than the words, the tone tore at him with serrated edges. It was a moment before he could answer. He shot Mitchum a warning glance in the rearview, then looked at her. He’d expected a panic attack, a loss of control, but she’d become a statue, an impassive observer.

The question was tougher to answer than she realized. Ethan’s plan included a lot of things from shoot-outs to fistfights, but how to explain his sudden reappearance wasn’t one he’d dwelled on.

“Sean’s in trouble.” Resignation gave Ashley’s words a dull edge.

Ethan’s hand twitched, the drive to comfort her overwhelming. Ashley and Sean had grown up together, even joined the army together after their parents were killed in a car accident on frozen New York roads. While Sean went infantry, Ashley joined the military police—where Ethan had fallen for her the very first time he’d seen her.

From the moment the army stationed the three of them together at Fort Carson, Colorado, they were a team, inseparable even after Ethan and Ashley moved on to Fort Drum in her home state. The hard truth was, though Ethan had fallen hard, Sean had always been the one Ashley gravitated to, the one closest to her heart.

Now her heart was in danger.

“Why would you say that?” Ethan asked, trying to gauge exactly what she knew, to stall as he worked out a plan to proceed.

Ashley didn’t answer. Instead, she dug her fingers into the back of her neck, elbows locking as she pulled tight.

Ethan recognized the move. He’d seen it in the past. She was fighting a swell of panic that threatened to drown her. More than anything, he wanted to reach down and touch her, but he’d given up any right five years ago.

He turned his focus to the road behind them, wind from the broken window fluttering against his face, to let her fight her battle in peace.

It took a minute before she spoke. “He left me several messages. The last one...” The words strangled out. She pulled in a deep breath and held it before continuing. “The man at the airport let me know this was all about Sean. Now you and your buddy kidnap me and—”

“We did not kidnap you.” Mitchum’s voice was laced with insult.

“Really?” Ashley addressed the question to Ethan. “Then take me to my car and let me go home.”

“Can’t.” In fact, it would be the worst thing they could do, driving a bullet-riddled vehicle straight onto airport property. Their whole operation would be upended faster than any of them could even state their names. The answers were so close, Ethan could see them on the horizon, and there was no way he was going to risk a run-in with local law enforcement that could jeopardize everything.

The panic must have passed, because Ashley dropped her hands and shifted her posture. “Then you’re taking me against my will. Tell me this... It’s been five years since I last saw you, since I last heard even one word from you. What makes you think I want anything to do with you? What makes you worthy of my trust?”

Mitchum snickered as he pulled into the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant, easing into the space next to Ethan’s black, four-wheel-drive pickup.

Ethan winced. He’d deserved the question. It forced him to pull out the one fact he knew would make her believe he could be trusted, even though it was the last thing he wanted to talk about. “Yes, Sean sent me. He also told me if it ever came to this I should tell you something no one but the two of you would know, something he promised you he’d never tell me.”

“Go on.”

Ethan really didn’t want to, but he had bigger fish frying than any past issues with her. “Mitchum, check your truck and pull security.”

“We’re wide open here. You sure you want to risk sitting still long enough for—”

“Just do it. Two minutes.”

Mitchum’s displeasure escaped in shades of blue as he climbed out and slammed the truck door so hard the entire vehicle rocked.

Ethan fired a silent reprimand through the window before he turned his attention to Ashley. Better to say it and get it over with than to drag it out. “Sean was about to deploy for the first time. He came to Fort Drum to see us and took you to that little steak house near post for dinner.”

“Stop.”

“He asked you to marry him. You said no. You got up and left him on one knee while the entire restaurant watched.”

There it was. The guilt grew stronger every time he felt just a little bit relieved she’d turned Sean down the first time.

“You didn’t tell him yes until later.”

“I said stop.” Ashley pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, burying her face. “He was never supposed to tell anybody. It was...”

When she didn’t finish, Ethan finished it for her. “Humiliating for both of you. I know.” As hard as any of the rest of it had been, now came the hardest part, the part she’d likely hate both him and Sean for until the day she died. “He knew telling me would prove he trusted me, and you should, too. You have to. That man didn’t just want to take you.” She had to understand the seriousness of her situation. “He’s part of a group that wants to use you as a pawn against Sean, to see if they can get him to talk and compromise an entire military operation.”

Ashley shook her head from side to side. “No.”

“Sean sent me because he knew you were in danger and I was the only one who could get to you in time.” He fought to keep his face impassive, to not let her see he was telling her half of the story. “He’s gotten into some hot water over in Afghanistan, and the bad guys are looking for any way to get to him. Including you. He doesn’t have any family, and you’re the closest thing he’s got. It didn’t take them long to track you down.” Not to mention, Sean and Ethan had inadvertently pointed them right to her. It was a bad idea from the start. Right now, he just needed her to trust him enough to get them both to safety. And if he told her everything up front, there was no telling what Ashley would do. She for sure wouldn’t trust him to get her out of this situation, and she’d probably never turn over the evidence she didn’t even know she held.