Chapter 10
Raider hurried down the hallway until he found an empty office. He went in, closed the door, and pulled the burner cell phone from his boot. He dialed a number and waited.
“Yo,” the voice came down the line.
“Lane, it’s Raider.”
“Raider, I don’t have a lot of time, what’s up?”
“I’ll be quick. Piper is doing an undercover thing and I got dragged into it?—”
“Aw hell, you okay?”
The urge to say hell no welled up in him. He wasn’t okay but now wasn’t the time to get into all the touchy-feely shit romping through him. “It’s fine. Listen, there’s a group of weapons dealers operating in the US. Apparently, they’re huge and moving some serious equipment. Including stolen military stuff. You hear anything about this? Have any ideas about it?”
Lane whistled. “I’ve heard rumors. No one says too much, and when they crack open their yaps about it, they only whisper it when no one is around. Whoever is behind it has serious high up government pull. Think top-level decision-makers. This is not the stuff you want to get involved in. Retired means not getting involved.”
Raider grinned. “And what are you doin’ right now? I saw how you shot out of the room when that woman was on the screen. You lit up like a Christmas tree. Dude, retired means choosing when to get involved.”
“Christmas tree?” Lane snorted. “Asshole.”
Raider’s grin broadened. “So, do you know anything helpful?”
“Yeah, stay out of the way and don’t get shot.”
“Right. I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks.” Raider chuckled. “Seriously though, you know anything?”
“Nothing concrete other than their complete lack of fear or hesitation over taking out anyone who creates problems for them. Just be careful. It’s a big network. My best advice; trust no one”
“Thanks, Lane. I hope Christmas comes early for you.” Lane hung up swearing.
Raider smiled. Calling the guys always helped him. Even if they had no new information, just touching base made him feel like he was in control, whether that was the truth or not.
He looked around the sparsely furnished office. There was nothing in it. Just an old desk and a chair. He sat and took stock of his attitude. He was a mess, no question. Seeing Piper had thrust him back a few steps, but holding her and kissing her had rocked his world. The path ahead would be long and dark if he let himself go down that particular rabbit hole again. He’d be better served to cut off one of his own limbs than to try to chase that dream again. God knew he’d tried to move on. There’d been other women. But none had measured up to Piper. He’d never seen a future with anyone else. Only Piper. And look where that landed him: right in the middle of a goddamn shit show.
Swearing, he leaped up from the desk. Focus on getting the job done and then getting the hell away from Piper was the name of the game. He wouldn’t let her go in alone because chances were excellent that Denlo would kill her but the second this was over, he would get his answer and then he’d get as far from Piper as he could. Answers would give him closure, and the ability to get on with his life.
Twenty minutes later he joined Piper, Wells, and Baker in the van. Piper was driving with Raider in the passenger seat. He looked at his watch. Two a.m. The job wouldn’t happen tonight which was a good thing because the delay gave Chambers a chance to properly set up for the coming op. He seemed to have no issue with resources now that Fielding was on site.
“So, are you two okay with everything?” Piper asked.
“Okay?” Baker asked. “No, not even close but what choice do we have?”
Raider grimaced. This was less than ideal circumstances, to say the least. “Look at it this way, you weren’t comfortable with the job in the first place. Now you have the support and protection of the ATF. Denlo isn’t going to be able to kill you. You just have to go through the motions on this job and then you’ll be good to go.”
Wells grunted. “Good to go until the ATF shows up and arrests us out of the blue. I don’t trust you guys. You’ll screw us eventually.”
Piper glanced in the rearview mirror. “I won’t let that happen. I promise I’ll do my best to protect you and get you out once this is over.”
God, he wished she’d stop over-promising. At delivery time, it could get hairy.
She continued, “Then my best advice is run far and run fast. The ATF won’t bother to follow you right off. You can get away and just disappear.”
Raider glanced over his shoulder at Baker and Wells who were exchanging looks. “She’s telling you the truth. Denlo was always going to kill us once the job was done. He doesn’t have a choice. We can all identify him and this job isn’t what he’s saying it is, so we’re loose ends. The people in charge aren’t going to want us around.” Raider wondered if whoever was in charge would want Denlo around. Would be easy to kill him too. Then the trail stops cold if anyone looked into the bank robbery.
“So, what’s the plan?” Baker asked, sounding resigned.
Raider shrugged. “We’re gonna go back to the house we broke into. It’s been a few hours since we left Denlo. I’m guessing we should make it back there before him but not by much.”
Wells huffed, “Why would he go back there?”
“Because it’s the last place we were all together and his ass is on the line. Remember that he has to go through with this job. He needs to know if we really all ran off or did something else happened. Chances are good he will be totally freaking out by the time we meet up. He needs us way more than we need him, but he doesn’t want us to realize that.”
The smell of the burgers they’d stopped to pick up at the all-night drive-through had Raider’s stomach growling. They’d bought one for Denlo not that anyone had seen him eat anything, but they thought it would help sell their story. Piper turned onto the street they’d been on earlier but no sign of Denlo. He was probably working his way through the woods. Piper turned up the drive and came to a stop outside the front door. The guys all got out and she lined the van up with the garage door. Raider sent Wells around to open it for her, while he and Baker set up the food on the dining room table.
Raider was jonesing to search the house, but there was a niggling worry that if he looked too professional Denlo would get suspicious. Instead, he got the food sorted and they all started eating.
Maybe twenty minutes into their mostly silent meal, a sharp knock sounded on the sliding glass doors to the backyard. Startled, Wells swore and then blanched.
Denlo was on the patio, gun drawn and looking wild as he shifted from one foot to the other like he needed to piss like a racehorse.
Raider felt rather than saw that Baker and Wells had tensed up.
“Okay,” he said in a quiet voice. “You can do this. Our lives depend on it.” He sauntered over and slid the door open. Denlo came flying into the room.
“What the fuck did you think you were doing?” he bellowed, waving the gun at Piper. “You bitch! You left me there!”
Raider had gone back over to the kitchen and now stood behind the counter next to Piper. “Calm the fuck down,” he ordered. “Yelling will attract attention. We don’t want that.”
Denlo swung the nine-millimeter in his direction. “Shut up, asshole! No one is talking to you.” He swung the barrel back toward Piper. “What the fuck?” Denlo demanded.
She frowned. “We saw you.”
“You saw me? What the fuck does that mean? You saw me?” Denlo was waving the gun all around. Spittle collected in the corners of his mouth. His eyes were darting all around, lighting on nothing in particular.
Piper kept her voice calm and even. “In the convenience store. We saw you talking to the cashier guy and then the cop came up to you. We all thought you were getting busted. I mean it was crazy as hell to go in there with all those cops around. Then when we started to roll and you came outside, the cop came out with you. We figured we were all dead in the water then. If he got all of us, then the job was not gonna happen. It seemed like taking off was the smartest course of action.”
Denlo came across the room and put the gun up to Piper’s temple. “I want the truth, bitch or I put a bullet in your brain.”
Raider wanted to knock the gun from Denlo’s hand and throttle the man, but he’d always trusted Piper’s instincts and when she flashed out her hand on the counter, he took it as a sign that she had this. He adjusted his position next to her, to where he’d have a good angle at striking the man’s temple to knock him off balance. He’d give her the space she needed but would stand ready, just in case.
Piper’s throat worked, like she was swallowing hard, but she managed to keep her voice neutral. “I am telling you, we thought you were getting busted. All of us getting busted wouldn’t have helped our cause.”
“I don’t believe you,” Denlo snarled.
“It’s— It’s the truth,” Baker said with a slight tremor in his voice. “We—we could see through the window into the convenience store and those cops were all over you. We thought for sure you were getting busted. We figured we would come back here and wait for you. If you didn’t show, then we’d all go our separate ways.”
Piper’s hand shook slightly but she kept her voice sounding smooth, even a little bored. “We did think?—”
Denlo took a step back and waved the gun at the whole group. “You fuckers. If I find out you’re lying to me, I’ll kill every one of you. And it won’t be quick or painless.”
Piper nodded. She glanced at Wells and Baker. They nodded too.
“We’re telling the truth,” Wells said as he ran a hand over his head. “Honest to God, it looked like you were getting busted. We have a van full of equipment to rob something big, including explosives. We did not want to get caught with that kind of contraband, but we came back to meet you. We’re still up for the job.”
Denlo’s narrowed his eyes, the squint making him look deadly. “From now on, you all are going to do every fucking thing I say when I say it, understand?” He pointed the gun at Piper. “You understand,” he said to her and then turned to Raider. “Do you understand? Because if any one of you screws up in any way, she dies. Are we clear?”
Although his stomach was pitching toward his boots, Raider nodded. Only years of training for these kinds of lethal scenarios kept him from reaching across the counter and snapping the asshole’s neck. He’d play along. For now. There might come a point where playing along wasn’t going to work any longer. The ATF would just have to live with those consequences because if this guy kept threatening Piper this way, Raider wasn’t sure he could contain himself.
Denlo gave one final glare to the entire group and then grabbed the bag of food off the counter. Glancing inside he swore. “Go get some sleep. We can’t do the job tonight. Don’t even think about going anywhere.” He put the food bag back on the counter. “Give me the van keys.”
Piper handed over the van keys. Raider wasn’t pleased but he wasn’t as bothered since the ATF now knew where they were and if they needed help they should be able to get it. Plus there was always his burner cell phone. He’d tucked it back in his boot and breathed a bit easier knowing they had that out.
Still, being trapped here wasn’t ideal.
“Now, get some sleep. We’re doing this tomorrow night no matter what.” Denlo put the gun in his waistband, grabbed the bag again, and stalked out of the room.
Wells and Baker looked at Raider, who cocked his head toward the hall Denlo had just rushed down. “Do what the man says. Get some sleep. Tomorrow night will come quickly and we’re all gonna need to be on our game.”
Baker nodded. Wells just shook his head. The two disappeared down the hall.
Piper turned to him. “Where are you going to sleep?”
“With you.” The words were out before he even thought about them, but he knew it was true. There was no way in hell he was leaving Piper alone with Denlo being so on edge. One wrong move and that asshole would go ballistic.
Piper stared at him for a beat but then nodded. She went across the room and down the hall as well. The primary bedroom she’d used before was already occupied. So were the other two rooms with double beds. He followed her into the last room with a set of bunk beds with Star Wars comforters.
Piper slipped into the bathroom and Raider waited by the bunks. He’d let her take the inside. Easier to protect that way. He needed to be able to get up in a hell of a hurry and just the idea of being trapped on the inside gave him hives.
This whole situation had him on high alert. He hated not knowing what the hell was going on. Every instinct he possessed told him Fielding wasn’t telling the whole truth. Chambers was just sucking up, as near as Raider could figure it. He overheard one of the young guys on the ATF team say that lately, Chambers was a real bear. Ever since his divorce was finalized. Maybe the guy was bucking for a promotion to help pay alimony? Would make sense. He shouldn’t complain too much. Chambers had come through in the end and gotten people mobilized here on the Big Island. He owed the guy for that, and he’d obviously kept a close eye on Piper which was good. Since she didn’t have Raider to do it, someone needed to.
Piper emerged from the bathroom and crossed the hall to the room, coming to a stop in the middle of the room. “So I guess we’re sharing. Do you want top or bottom?”
So many things flooded his mind. All kinds of memories of various positions they’d tried. It damn near killed him not to grab her and kiss the daylights out of her. Instead, he cocked an eyebrow and said, “I seem to remember you like it on top.”
Piper’s cheeks flushed pink and she shook her head. “Seriously, Raider?”
He shot her a grin. “Doesn’t matter what you like tonight. You’re on the inside and I’ll take the outside of the bottom bunk.
Piper put her hands on her hips. “Just wait a second. Are you telling me you think I can’t take care of myself?”
“There is no way in hell you believe that I believe that.” Raider advanced on her until he was close enough to catch a whiff of her scent. The citrusy floral combination that was distinctly hers. It had always played havoc with his senses and tonight was no exception. “I would never question your ability. But in this situation, we’re better off… I’m telling you that I have your back. There are too many uncontrollable variables here, and you need help.”
She narrowed her eyes at him but took a step back. “Fine,” she said and then turned and crawled onto the bunk. Raider waited until she was settled and threw the Star Wars comforter from the top bunk over her. Then, without removing his boots, he crawled in beside her. She was on her left side turned away from him. He’d sprawled out on his right side, so they were back to back. He’d feel a lot better if he had a gun but there was no way to risk it. If any situation arose, he’d just have to deal.
Having his back to Piper was the best option. If he turned and she curled up to him, he wasn’t sure if he could stop himself from starting something. He was getting a hard-on as it was. He let out a sigh. It was going to be a long night.