Chapter 28
28
Elise
A s soon as Tori rolls into town with a fleet of Hummers, I find myself emboldened to push forward with my plan. I’m not entirely comfortable with it but I know I have to do it. I have to give it a try if it means keeping my men and my family safe. They’re doing so much for me; I must do this for them, whether they agree with my decision or not.
“Ready?” James asks as we all meet in the living room.
“Ready,” I say, giving him a weak smile.
Wearing jeans and a brown flannel shirt underneath an oversized dark grey coat, a furry cap on my head, and hiking boots to complete the look, I can easily pass as a Rustic townie.
Tori’s wearing one of my track suits in pale green, a blonde wig, and a camel-colored overcoat. From a few feet away she could easily be perceived as me.
“Nice threads,” she says with a grin as she mockingly models the tracksuit. “It fits you better, though.”
“You’re too sweet,” I reply with a giggle.
James, Oliver, and Roman are fully equipped, dressed in black sweaters, tactical black pants, military-grade boots, with Kevlar vests underneath. Each of them carries multiple weapons and plenty of ammo, their technical devices tucked into their pants and remotely connected to the central comms system that Lang has control of from the den. His eyes are glued to every computer screen while his fingers type updates into the system every other minute.
“Remember, once we’re out the gates, Oliver needs to confirm that we do, in fact, have a tail before you can leave,” James tells Tori. “It’s imperative that we make sure Igor took the bait.”
“I’m going to be very good bait,” Tori says, giving me a wink.
I like her. I can see why the guys trust her with their business operations back in Boulder.
“Alright, got it,” I say.
I kiss James first then Roman, such a simple act yet it carries endless depth and a million unspoken words. I can tell from the looks in their eyes that it feels like a possible goodbye, but there’s no time to dissect such doubts and suspicions. There’s too much at stake to linger over any of it, even for a second.
“Let’s roll out,” James tells Roman.
The two of them flank Tori as they walk out the front door. She pulls the hood over her head, making sure her blonde wig is still clearly visible, as the three of them rush over to the car. Oliver and I watch them from the living room window as they get into James’s SUV.
“They’re on the move,” Oliver says, finger pressed on the comms device in his ear.
I put mine in as well. I can hear the main channel as each of the agents comes through with updates of their own.
“Eagle is leaving the nest,” I head Lang say.
“Eagle, Hawk, and Osprey are on the move,” James confirms on the same channel as his SUV proceeds toward the gate. I hold my breath as the car vanishes into the mist.
Oliver pulls me close and kisses me softly on the lips. “It’s going to be okay, Elise. Trust us. We’ve got this.”
“I trust you,” I whisper.
“Eagle, Hawk, Osprey, you have a tail. I repeat, you have a tail,” an agent confirms on the main channel. “Black SUV. Tinted windows.”
“Make that three tails,” James replies. “We just got on the main road into town. Two more joined from the A56 side road.”
“Confirming, three tails,” Lang says. “Picked them up on a neighbor’s camera feed.”
“Lang tapped into every single CCTV system within a fifty-mile radius,” Oliver mutters. “The kid may be scrawny and annoyingly frantic at times, but he is good at what he does.”
“What now?” I ask as an agent comes into the living room.
“Your ride’s ready.”
“Agent Kirby here will take you to meet with Janice and the twins,” Oliver tells me. “He’s in touch with Janice’s detail. The meeting spot has been confirmed.”
“Once you’re all together, we’ll transport you to an assigned safehouse on the other side of the mountain,” Kirby says. “You’ll be safe there, Elise.”
“And you?” I ask Oliver.
“I need to go and make sure James and Roman are covered.” He wiggles his car keys at me then winks and bolts out the door.
I want to shout after him, to tell him to be careful, to tell him that I love him. They know I want them back alive and in one piece. But in the meantime, I have some shenanigans of my own to handle, so I give Kirby a flat smile. “Lead the way.”
To say that I’m nervous would be an understatement.
Kirby seems like a good guy. He’s big, likely a former pro football player, judging by the sheer size of him. I’m on the curvy side and I could still disappear behind him. I’m hoping his size means he’s a tad bit slower than me and I can easily slip away from him when the time is right.
“Where’s Kara? Any word on her?” I ask as we get in his truck, which is parked at the back gate of James’s property.
“She was seen in Rustic about a half hour ago,” he says, hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. I can see the tension in his set jaw. He’s been put in charge of my protection; no wonder he’s on edge.
A lookout crew has been stationed outside and is actively watching all roads leading toward Rustic and the neighboring towns. Lang’s eyes are constantly scanning the traffic cams as well. The crew guides us down the road with Kirby constantly glancing at the rearview mirror.
“What are the guys going to do about it?”
“We’ve got eyes on her,” Kirby replies. “Chip is going to intercept her once he’s got a clear line. First, we need to make sure Igor is busy staying on James’s tail, though. It’s a multiple prong approach, so let’s focus on what we have to do first.”
“Okay,” I nod slowly, my heart lodged in my throat. “Where are we meeting Janice and the twins?”
“The diner. It’s the lunch rush hour. It’s the perfect time for you to slip away.”
“How so?”
Kirby’s lips hint at a smile, his brown eyes constantly flicking back and forth between the road ahead and the rearview mirror. “We didn’t pick up a tail of our own, so that’s good.” He presses the comms button on his earpiece. “Warlock here. Taking Dove to the assigned location. No tail. I repeat, no tail. We’re in the clear for now.”
“Good,” James’s voice comes through my earpiece. “Glad to hear that. We’re dragging our three mooks along the belt road. So far, so good.”
“Bald Eagle here,” Oliver chimes in. “I’m following the pack, making sure we don’t lose them.”
“Keep us apprised,” Lang says. “I’m watching your GPS dots on the map moving in real time. The sheriff has been updated on the situation as well.”
Updates continue to pour through, so I know where the guys are at any given minute. The operation seems to be going smoothly, but Kirby has yet to answer my question.
“Kirby, how is the lunch rush going to help Janice and me slip away with the twins?”
“The diner will be crowded with locals. There could be a couple of Igor’s spies mixed in there, but it’ll be hard for them to keep an eye on who’s doing what. The bosses made sure to send several local businesses over with their crews to eat. More trucks are parked outside, which means more ruckus. It’ll be just enough chaos for us to move around the block undetected.”
It’s a daring plan, but I recognize its brilliance.
And it works.
The entire stretch of Roker Street in front of the diner and its neighboring shopfronts is riddled with cars and trucks from local small businesses. The diner itself is bustling, with crews of workers crammed around every table. If Igor has spies in there or in any of the cars parked outside, they can’t see us. There’s simply too much happening at once.
Kirby takes a sharp turn into the narrow alley to our right. It’s dimly lit and is situated behind the diner.
At the far end, I see Janice and the twins getting out of a dark brown sedan accompanied by two plainclothes agents. My heart skips a beat, relief washing over me to see that they’re safe.
“Thank God,” I mumble.
Kirby pulls over next to the brown sedan. “You gotta have a little more faith in us, Elise. We’re all seasoned officers.”
“It’s not that I don’t have faith in you,” I reply. “It’s that I know how the Konstantinovs work.”
“We made it this far, didn’t we?”
“Yes, we did,” I shoot back with a smile.
We get out of the truck and I rush over to the girls. I give Janice a quick peck on the cheek, then hug Tricia and Ainsley tightly. “I’m so glad to see you’re all okay,” I tell them.
“Why did we skip school today, Ellie?” Tricia asks me with a frown.
“We were gonna do artsy cookies,” Ainsley moans.
Janice chuckles. “The kindergarten teacher was bringing in a pastry chef today to show the kids how to decorate cookies and cupcakes. The girls were excited about it.”
“I’ll bet,” I tell her, then give the twins another smile. “Tell you what. We’re going to go on a little trip but when we get back, we’ll stop by the supermarket and get all the supplies we need so we can decorate cookies and cupcakes at home. How does that sound?”
Tricia looks suspicious. “You can do that?”
“Sure can,” I reply with newfound confidence.
“Where to now?” I ask Kirby.
“You all get in the truck. The boys will follow us in their car,” he says.
I help the girls and Janice get in the back, then hop in the passenger seat and strap in. Updates keep coming through the earpiece, and I listen to each voice with a rapidly beating pulse.
“They’re still on our tail,” James says.
“Roger that; I see them,” Oliver replies.
“We’ve got Dove and the chicks,” Kirby patches in. “Headed to the safe house now.”
My gaze wanders along the street as the diner and its lunch hour havoc shrink in the side view mirror. I have to admit, the farther we get, the safer I feel. Janice keeps the girls busy in the back, setting them up with cartoons to watch on her iPad.
“How are you holding up, honey?” she asks me.
“I’m good, Janice. Just looking forward to it all being over,” I reply.
I suddenly spot Kara while we’re stopped at a red light. She’s trying not to stand out, wearing the drabbest brown coat I’ve ever seen, but it’s definitely her. She’s standing near the window of a coffee shop about five blocks down from the diner, talking on the phone.
Shit. Kirby or one of the other agents will surely follow me back to her. This is my only shot but I need the right moment to take it.
The truck is moving again.
At the next stop light, I brace myself.
“Kirby, where’s James now? I haven’t heard anything in the last couple of minutes,” I say.
He frowns and taps on a tablet screen mounted on the dashboard. Behind us, the twins are busy giggling, watching their cartoons with Janice.
I catch a glimpse of the brown sedan in the rearview mirror.
There’s a service alley just a few yards back.
This is it.
“Still on the northeastern side of Rustic,” Kirby says. “Still moving.”
“Good,” I reply, then release my belt and bolt out of the car.
“Hey!” he shouts after me.
I’m running fast, my lungs burning with each inhalation of the cold mountain air. I hear the sound of car doors opening behind me, no doubt the agents in the brown sedan. One of them starts running after me.
“Elise!” I hear Janice shout.
“I’m so sorry,” I mutter to myself as I slip into the service alley.
It’s been a while since I’ve had to run this fast, but as I glance back, I realize I’ve put quite a distance between myself and two of the men who were assigned to protect me. They can’t get too far from Kirby and the girls, though. They can’t leave him on his own with such precious cargo.
I knew that. It’s why I was waiting for the right moment to put my plan into action.