Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Rafe’s eyes remained on the road ahead as they made the scenic drive back to his place. Traffic was light. The sun hung brightly in the cloudless sky. By all accounts, it was a beautiful day.
The perfect day for planning a hunt.
Being on the defensive wasn’t his style. He was more the proactive type. That’s why, once they got back to his secluded home in the country, Rafe intended to go straight to work.
Planning. Preparing. Gathering all the intel they could. And then, when they were ready, if it turned out that Kozlova really was their guy, he’d be the one running scared.
For Rafe, the name of the person who’d hurt his little girl didn’t matter. All he cared about was making sure whoever it was never got the chance to do it again.
“You need to get ahold of Roger.” His voice came out rough as he mentioned Lena’s former boss. “Confirm he was able to reach Damien with the warning.”
From the passenger seat, Lena sent him a sideways glance. “I already texted him as we were leaving. He hasn’t read it yet, but I’m sure he will soon. Figured I’d give him a little more time to see it, and then I’ll call.” After a momentary pause, she asked, “Think McQueen’s guy will come through?”
“West?” Rafe shrugged, his eyes sliding back to the empty stretch of road in front of him. “He’d better. It’s not like we can trust anyone within the agency to run point on tech.”
“Not if the intel is correct,” she agreed. “If our names really were leaked by someone on the inside—and given the circumstances, I’d say they were—there’s no way for us to know who’s dirty and who isn’t.”
I couldn’t agree more.
“Well, from what I know of Jake McQueen, the guy only hires the best.”
“Kind of like you, huh?”
“Exactly.” He dipped his chin. “Hopefully, he’ll be able to give Colt enough solid intel to lead us in the right direction. We find our shooters, we find whoever hired them.”
“And then we take them down for good.”
“Just like the old days.” A moment later, Rafe changed the subject. “I should probably apologize to you.”
Lena frowned. “For what?”
“My presumptuous decision to have you stay at the plantation with me while we figure all this out.”
“Don’t be sorry.” She shrugged. “It makes sense for us to stick together.”
“Strength in numbers?”
Her lips curved upward. “Something like that. I mean, on the one hand, if we’re both targets, putting us in the same place does give them the advantage of taking out two birds with one bullet.”
“But?”
“This way, we can watch each other’s backs, rather than being left to our own defenses. Not that you’d be on your own.” Her shoulders shook with a light huff. “I have no doubt that, if you hadn’t ordered them to hunker down, they’d be staying with you, instead.”
“What about you?” He adjusted his grip on the wheel, using the door she’d opened to dig a little deeper into Lena’s personal life.
“What about me?”
“You don’t have someone who’d be willing to do the same?”
Lena scoffed. “Other than you? No.”
“Still prefer a life of solitude, I see.”
“Says the man who lives in a historic mansion in the middle of a billion acres.”
It wasn’t anywhere near a billion, but her point stood firm, all the same.
Rafe smirked with a muttered, “Touché.”
Movement from the rearview mirror caught Rafe’s eye as a car came over the hill a half mile behind them. With his attention split between it and the highway before him, he almost missed his passenger’s next question.
“Why a plantation?”
The abrupt change of subject took Rafe somewhat off guard. “I’m sorry?”
“Your place.” Her hazel stare turned his way. “You have to admit, it’s pretty massive for a guy who lives all alone.”
He smiled, remembering the day he’d told Alice he’d purchased the property. She’d looked up at him as if he were crazy and uttered nearly word-for-word the very same thing.
“I love the privacy,” Rafe shared willingly. “I also love the history that comes with the home. I didn’t want a cookie-cutter stack of two-by-fours and cheap drywall.” He’d wanted something with character. “And the fact that it’s still standing after all this time shows it was built to last.”
“Kind of like you.”
He turned to Lena, who appeared surprised by her own comment. The slight clearing of her throat and fresh hue of pink in her cheeks sent a rush of warmth throughout his chest.
Their gazes held as the stirrings of desire made their presence known. Twenty-seven years had passed, yet time had failed to diminish his attraction to the seasoned spy. If anything, Rafe found Lena even more appealing than ever before.
“It truly is a stunning piece of property,” she broke the silence before looking away with a smile. “Definitely has plenty of space for team gatherings and such.”
“Maybe even a couple of grandkids,” Rafe quipped.
“Really?” Lena’s head swung back around in surprise. But then, “Papa Rafe.” An approving dip of her chin. “I have to admit it does have a nice ring to it.”
Rafe opened his mouth to let her know he agreed when he noticed the car behind them was growing closer with noticeable speed. A quick check in front of them confirmed they were still the only two cars on the two-lane highway.
Could just be someone in a hurry to get home.
Even so, his gut grew tight with heightened awareness as the woman beside him continued.
“Unless you prefer ‘Grandpa’,” she teased.
But at that moment, he was too busy assessing a possible threat to think about what his future grandchildren would call him.
“We have a tail.”
“What?” Lena looked through her window at the passenger side mirror. “How long have they been there?”
He studied the black sedan as closely as the rearview would allow. Black. Tinted windows. Four-doors, and no front plate that he could see.
“They popped over the hill a few minutes ago, but they just started picking up speed.”
“Maybe they’re planning to pass.”
“Maybe.”
He didn’t think so.
I think they’re planning an ambush on a stretch of secluded highway.
They both remained unnoticeably vigilant in their continued observation.
Lena blew out a breath with a shake of her head. “Looks like it’s only the driver. Definitely male, but he’s wearing a black shirt, black ballcap, and sunglasses.”
Definitely an ambush.
“You trust me, right?”
His deep rumble had her looking back at him.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
“Good.” He checked the mirror once more.
For the next several seconds, he watched and waited. His timing had to be precise for the plan forming in his head to work.
“Get ready.”
“For what?”
Rafe sent her a quick look. “Just remember I’m trained for this sort of thing.”
Lena glanced back at the car behind them before returning her focus to him. A look of understanding filled her entrancing gaze.
“I’m ready.” She nodded.
And so was he.
His grip on the leather-bound steering wheel tightened as he prepared for his next move.
“Hang on.”
Lena reached up and grabbed the overhead handle on her side as Rafe slammed on the brakes and jerked the wheel to his left. Tires squealed and rubber burned against the hot asphalt. A plume of white smoke appeared as his car pulled a complete, one-eighty turn.
Now facing their threat head-on, Rafe pressed his foot against both the brake and the clutch. He shoved the gearshift down, his tires screaming to life once more.
“You like games?” He watched the other car closely. “All right, then. Let’s bloody play.”
They took off down the highway like a bat out of hell, but Rafe purposely strayed out of his lane. Instead, he straddled the center line in a dangerously lethal game of Chicken.
Let’s see how far you’ll go.
He pushed the car’s accelerator down as far as it would go. The car that had been following them continued forward, showing no signs of stopping.
“Uh, Rafe?” Lena shifted her body against the fine leather seat.
“You trust me, remember?”
She kept her tight hold on the handle above. “Just wondering how far you plan to go.”
“As far as it takes.” Rafe pressed on. “You still good?”
Her sarcasm was thick as she responded with an insincere, “Right as rain.”
If the situation weren’t literally life and death, he would have smiled. The black car speedily closed in.
They were seconds away from a head-on collision when Lena reached over and put a hand to his thigh. Her nails dug into his leg as she visibly braced herself for a possible crash.
Rafe held himself steady, his eyes on the driver of the other car as adrenaline rushed through his veins. His spine stiffened, and his knuckles grew white from their tight grip. The air in his lungs ceased to exist.
When their front bumpers were meters from impact, he sent up a silent prayer that his instincts weren’t wrong.
“Rafe?” Lena squeezed her eyes shut to avoid seeing the worst.
The other car sped toward them, showing no signs of slowing down or moving out of his way. But just when Rafe was beginning to think he’d made a mistake that could cost them their lives—
A sharp, high-pitched howling came from the approaching vehicle as it jerked out of their path at the last possible second. Using his mirrors, Rafe watched as the black car’s passenger-side tires hit the graveled shoulder before the driver wrenched his way back onto the road.
Making the same move as before, Rafe spun them back around. The other car once again came into full view as he and Lena came to a sudden stop. They watched in silence as it returned to the pavement. Its front bumper made a sharp left, and the vehicle immediately started to drift.
All four tires skidded sideways along the highway, sending a large cloud of smoke into the air.
Despite the driver’s obvious efforts to the contrary, it kept sliding for several yards.
Its wheels eventually dropped off the pavement to the opposite shoulder, and that’s when the black sedan started to roll.
Over and over again, its metal frame viciously tore into the adjacent field. Dirt and pieces of debris flew out in every direction. Seconds later, the car came to a stop.
It landed upright. Steam escaped in a rising cloud from beneath its crushed hood. Rafe sped forward, pulling off onto the shoulder before putting his car into park.
“Holy crap.” Lena breathed heavily as they both unbuckled their seatbelts. Reaching back, she pulled free the holstered pistol she’d kept concealed.
Rafe retrieved his Glock, his eyes never leaving the wreckage. So far, there were no signs of life, but that wasn’t a guarantee that the driver was dead.
“You good?” He spared a few seconds to check on his temporary partner.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m fine. You?”
“I’ll be better once we figure out who he is.” Rafe motioned toward the unmoving driver. “Come on.” He pushed open his door. “Stay sharp, just in case.”
“I was about to tell you the same thing.” Lena exited the car on her side.
Gravel crunched beneath their boots as they approached the offending vehicle with their weapons drawn. Their footfalls grew softer when they breached the edge of the thick grass.
From their current vantage point, they could see the driver’s slumped form through his shattered window. Fresh blood smeared the deflated airbag that had deployed.
With one hand, Rafe silently motioned for Lena to go around to the passenger side. He watched the man behind the wheel with a highly trained eye. Ready to catch even the slightest of movements, they inched closer.
When he was close enough, Rafe reached a hand inside, pressing his fingers to the side of the guy’s neck. His pulse was slow and a bit thready, but there, nonetheless.
“He’s alive.” Rafe looked at Lena from over the dented hood. “Cover me.” He holstered his weapon and unbuckled the unconscious man’s seatbelt.
“What are you going to do?”
“Take him with us.” Metal screeched as he used one foot as leverage to force open the door.
The driver’s left arm fell limp, and he started to fall out but Rafe caught him just in time. Hooking his forearms beneath the guy’s pits, he began to pull. A few grunts and groans later, their would-be attacker was free.
“You got anything we can use to secure him?” Lena looked his way.
He nodded, hoisting the bleeding man over one shoulder, carrying him like a giant sack of potatoes. Lena stayed close, her fingers still curled around the butt of her gun as they walked.
When they reached Rafe’s car, they secured the man’s wrists and ankles with a set of military-grade cable ties. Once he was bound, they worked together to place his limp form into the otherwise empty trunk.
“What about the car?” Lena asked as they buckled themselves in, and Rafe fired up the engine.
He grabbed his phone and sent a secured text before putting the car in gear and taking off in the opposite direction of his house.
“It’s taken care of.”
“By whom?”
Rafe spared her a sideways glimpse as he drove down the road. “I’ve kept in contact with a former clean-up crew from back in the day. They’re officially retired now but still take the odd job on the side. They’re quick, thorough, and trustworthy.”
Lena blew out a calming breath as she settled into her seat. Thumbing toward the back, she asked, “So where are we taking him?”
“Someplace quiet where we can question him without being heard or seen.”
“And after that?”
Rafe shrugged. “Depends on his willingness to cooperate.”
He wouldn’t murder the man in cold blood, of course. No matter how tempting the thought may be. That was a line he had yet to cross in his fifty-plus years, and he had no plans of doing so anytime soon.
“I want first crack at him.”
Lena’s declaration gave him pause.
“He may have shot my daughter.”
“He may have murdered Sanchez and Calhoun.” She turned her unyielding stare his way.
“I get that you want to go at this jerk, and you’ll get your chance.
I promise. But I can’t—” Lena’s voice cracked with emotion before she cleared her throat and tried again.
“We finally have a chance to stop Kozlova once and for all, and I can’t risk losing him a second time. ”
After a brief but tense moment of silence, he decided to do things her way.
Even so, he felt compelled to remind her, “You do realize he’s of no use to us dead.”
Lena’s gaze slid back to his, her lips forming a slow, calculated smirk. And with a tone as lethal as the woman herself, she said, “Guess it’s a good thing I don’t plan on killing him, then.”