Chapter 14
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
The main building was nothing like what Natalie had expected.
From the outside, it looked like an upscale beach resort—weathered cedar siding, large windows, a wrap-around porch with rocking chairs.
Even the lobby looked homey with a tall fireplace and leather couches.
But as she was led down a corridor, everything changed, and the illusion shattered.
This was a command center.
One room she passed held banks of computer monitors along one wall, displaying what looked like satellite imagery and tactical maps.
A large conference table dominated the center of another room, covered with folders and laptops. Whiteboards filled with notes and diagrams hung on every available wall space.
And the people. At least a dozen men and women moved through the space. They stood differently than civilians—straighter, more alert, their eyes constantly scanning. Several of them looked up as she walked past, their gazes assessing her.
Her eyes stopped on one man. Why did he look familiar, like someone she’d seen before? Did he just have one of those faces?
She frowned. She wasn’t sure.
Natalie pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, suddenly aware of how she must look—soaking wet, disheveled, mascara probably running down her face. She felt every one of their eyes on her, weighing and measuring.
The place was surprisingly large. Hallways branched in multiple directions, stairs led to a second floor, and what looked like a fully equipped kitchen was visible through an open doorway.
How many people worked here? What exactly did they do?
A man stepped out of one of the hallways, and Natalie knew immediately he was in charge. Although in his mid-thirties, he had that same commanding presence as her father—a hard jaw, steely eyes, and confidence that came from years of making decisions.
“Ms. Ravenscroft.” His voice was surprisingly gentle. “I’m Colton Locke, one of the founders here at Blackout. I know you’ve had a difficult evening. Why don’t we get you some coffee to warm you up, and then we can talk.”
“Thank you,” Natalie managed, her voice still hoarse.
Colton gestured toward a hallway. “Conference room’s this way. We can—”
“Could I use the restroom first? I need to clean up a little. And could I get some dry clothes?” The words came out more desperate than she’d intended.
She needed a moment alone, needed to collect herself before facing whatever interrogation was coming.
“Of course.” Colton’s expression softened slightly. “Bathroom is the second door on the left. I’ll have someone bring a sweatshirt to the conference room. Would that work for now?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Natalie followed his directions, acutely aware of Hudson’s presence behind her. To her surprise, he remained silent.
It was better that way.
When she reached the bathroom, she slipped inside quickly and locked the door, finally alone for the first time since the marina.
Natalie caught her reflection in the mirror and flinched. The fluorescent lights above her were harsh and unforgiving.
Her hair hung in wet tangles around her face. Her makeup had indeed run, leaving dark smudges under her eyes. The blue dress she’d worn to dinner was ruined—torn at the shoulder, stained with saltwater and dirt and things she didn’t want to identify.
She looked like a disaster.
She looked like a victim.
She looked terrified.
Natalie turned on the faucet and cupped water in her hands, rinsing her mouth to get rid of the lingering taste of bile. The cold water felt good against her face, grounding her in physical sensation when her mind wanted to spin out into panic.
She needed to think. To assess her situation.
She was in some kind of private para-military facility, surrounded by people she didn’t know, miles from home, with no car and no phone.
Hudson had brought her here and claimed it was for her safety. But how did she know that was true?
He’d been lying to her for three months. Why should she believe him now?
Then there was her father. The man she’d loved and trusted her entire life.
Could he be involved in something shady?
But her father had also warned her about Hudson when he’d said men weren’t always who they claimed to be.
Could she trust either of them?
She wasn’t sure. But her life was on the line right now, so she needed to figure this out.
Natalie’s eyes fell on the window above the toilet. It was small, but she was small too. She could probably fit through it.
She could climb out, run, find help.
There had to be a way to get around the razor-wire fence surrounding the place, right?
There was probably a town nearby, people who could—
The thought froze in her mind as a memory surfaced, sharp and clear.
When she’d gone to the gym yesterday morning, she’d noticed a man there. She probably would have overlooked him, except he had a tattoo that looked like a rosary.
He was the man she’d just seen in one of the rooms she’d passed. Standing near the computer monitors, talking to another operative. He’d been watching her at the gym, hadn’t he?
Then she remembered the man she’d seen on the boardwalk when she’d stepped out to take her father’s call.
She’d dismissed the feeling that he was watching her, had figured it was paranoia.
It hadn’t been.
Which meant either Hudson’s people had been following her all along or—
No. She couldn’t complete that thought. Couldn’t face what it might mean.
A knock on the door made her jump.
“Natalie?” Hudson sounded patient but firm. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Natalie looked at the window again.
She could run.
Right now.
Climb through that window and disappear into the night.
But where would she go? Those men from the marina were still out there, still hunting her. And she had no idea who she could trust—not Hudson, maybe not her father, not these people in this compound.
She was trapped. Not by locks or bars, but by circumstances she couldn’t begin to understand.
However, if she wanted to escape, this might be her only chance.
Hudson stood in the hallway and checked his watch again.
Natalie had been in the bathroom for almost ten minutes.
Too long. Way too long.
His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong.
“Natalie?” Hudson called through the door, careful to keep his tone patient. “Whenever you’re ready.”
No response.
His blood went cold. He moved to the door and pressed his ear against it.
Silence.
No running water, no movement, nothing.
“Natalie?” He knocked, harder this time. “Natalie, answer me.”
Still nothing.
Hudson didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the handle and threw his shoulder against the door, the flimsy interior lock giving way with a crack.
The bathroom was empty—or seemed to be.
Until he saw her.
Natalie was halfway through the window above the toilet, her legs still inside, struggling to pull herself through the narrow opening.
“Natalie, no!” Hudson lunged forward, catching her around the waist.
She fought him, twisting in his grip. “Let me go! Let me—”
“Stop!” He dragged her back through the window, both of them tumbling to the floor in a tangle of limbs.
Hudson managed to keep her from hitting her head. But they ended up pressed together against the tile, his arms still wrapped around her waist and her back against his chest.
Natalie turned in his arms, and suddenly they were face-to-face, inches apart.
Her brown eyes were wide, filled with fear and anger and something else he couldn’t quite name. Her wet hair fell around her face, and he felt her heart hammering against his chest.
The tension between them was electric, crackling in the small space like a live wire.
“Please,” Hudson said quietly, not releasing her. “Just hear us out. That’s all I’m asking.”
“I recognized one of your men.” Her voice was shaking. “He was at the gym yesterday.”
Hudson’s stomach dropped. Another agent named Dez Rodriguez had been running surveillance, standard protocol for any operation.
But from Natalie’s perspective—
“I can explain,” he said.
“Can you?” She pushed against his chest, but he didn’t let go. “What if you and your friends are the bad guys, Hudson? What if everything you’ve told me is a lie and my father is the one trying to protect me?”