Chapter 40
40
Sisco sat in the helicopter, fully suited, staring at the faces of the men with him. Cole was at the controls. Frazier sat next to him, with Cory on the other side. Cory's hand slid along the barrel of his sniper weapon as though in a caress. Landon was diagonal, busily in contact with Everett, who was in contact with the DEA liaison.
And Devil was right across with his eyes closed as though asleep. But Sisco knew better. He'd served on more missions than he could remember with Devil, and the routine was always the same. Devil would close his eyes, emulate sleeping with no cares in the world when his mind would be racing. He would be planning, plotting… thinking of where he would go next Christmas… thinking of past mistakes. Devil was always thinking. It was just that no one knew what about.
Sisco looked out the window and stared into the darkness. Lenore was somewhere down there. A sense of déjà vu slithered along his spine. He silently vowed this would be the last time Lenore was taken by the same fuckin' cartel. Or fuckin’ anyone. Tonight, it ended. And if he had to kill to make that happen, he was prepared.
Sadie radioed, “She is moving. Slowly. Probably on foot. Sending the satellite info to you. The terrain is rough, and several steep drops are nearby. Topography is on your screens.”
His heart beat faster as he wondered if Lenore had escaped again. Glancing down at the screen on his large watch face, he could tell she wasn't far from where she'd been for hours.
“I'm setting down southwest from the hill,” Cole said.
Sisco knew that was the best place for them to be able to get in unseen. As they descended, Devil opened his eyes and grinned. Another man might be insulted at the idea that Devil was smiling when they headed into uncertain territory. But Sisco knew his friend—Devil meticulously planned then threw caution to the wind, going balls to the wall to take down the enemy. And to Sisco and his fellow Keepers, the cartel members who'd taken Lenore were their enemy.
He glanced at Landon and wondered how the strait-laced former FBI agent would react if he knew Devil's intent. Grinning, Sisco figured if Devil and Landon would continue to serve as Keepers together, they'd figure it out. For him… he just wanted Lenore back in his arms. With a soft bump, Cole set the bird down.
Landon turned to the others. “DEA and FBI want them alive.”
Sisco started to open his mouth to say, “Fuck that,” but Landon wasn't finished.
“I told them it was entirely possible we'd be forced to act while rescuing Lenore. Deadly action.”
If the situation hadn't been so serious, Sisco would have busted out laughing at Landon's FBI matter-of-fact delivery of how they might get to blow away two cartel members. Maybe they wouldn't have the opportunity and would be forced to haul their worthless asses to meet with the FBI and DEA at the rendezvous point. The agents were there to take the credit, but LSIMT was in the trenches, doing the dirty work.
But it was nice to know Landon was fully on board with Sisco doing whatever the hell he needed to do to get Lenore out safely. Once and for fuckin' all. He vowed this would be the last time something like this happened. Most people went their whole lives without being kidnapped and held at gunpoint by drug transporters. For it to happen twice to Lenore? Sisco was fuckin' D.O.N.E.
They alighted from the bird with their night vision goggles in place. They fell into line, following the signal from Lenore's tracker. She was moving slowly, and he had no idea if she was alone and searching for a way to get to safety after escaping again or if she was with others.
Cole sent up the drone, which hovered high enough to mask any sound, but after a moment, Timothy's voice came over the earpiece radio. “Three. Her tracker indicates she's in the middle.”
Feeling the familiar weight of his weapons, the group climbed over rocks and moved out as they drew nearer, none of them making any sounds. It was one of the many things he liked best about how Lighthouse Security Investigations were set up from the start with Mace Hanover in Maine. The employees in the field were all former special forces. They all knew the most elite weapons, tactical maneuvers, and how to get shit done.
Rounding a large boulder, he could tell they were near, but the sight in front of him nearly caused him to stumble. Inwardly cursing at his almost mistake, he only took a second to process the view, then worked at shutting down the emotion threatening to choke him.
He spied the three figures—a male carrying a heavy backpack on his back and another heavy pack across his chest. The male in the back was also similarly weighted down. Both men were wearing night vision goggles. That didn't surprise Sisco, considering they had also been briefed by the local DEA, as the information he learned in Mexico that the cartel had money to spend on securing their transports when they wanted. Between the two men was Lenore, a heavy load on her back only, causing her to bend forward for balance as she made her way behind the first man, whose path was visible to him.
He lifted his hand and knew the others behind would stop. He held up three fingers, then flashed two fingers before his forefinger still in the air, indicating three people, two enemies, and one they wanted to protect… Lenore. Even though the drone had given them the information, there was nothing like seeing it for himself to verify.
He then signaled that the two had night vision goggles, necessary information for how they approached. He glanced to the side to see Cory climb a nearby outcropping of rock, enhancing his view. The Mk13, in the hands of a trained professional like Cory, would be more than adequate for whatever they might encounter.
He noted the tree line in the distance as they moved closer, still staying behind the boulders. While he wasn’t sure, it appeared the first man was Freddy. The trio was about twenty yards from the steep ravine, and every fiber of Sisco's being was taut. In the daytime, with adequate lighting, a hiker could easily stay away from the ledge. Sisco had no idea how adept Enzo and Freddy were with their night vision goggles, but Lenore had nothing to aid her sight other than to stay between the two men. Ready for the first shot that he knew would come from Cory, Sisco barely breathed.
The weapon fired, hitting the first man in the lower leg. He screamed, crying out in pain as he dropped. His cries gave evidence that Freddy was the first man in line, and he scrambled to escape the heavy packs, his hands reaching toward his leg as he thrashed on the ground.
Lenore's scream added to Freddy's cries as Enzo reacted instantly, pushing her forward. She fell to her hands and knees, then began scrambling away from Freddy's writhing body. Enzo dropped to a kneel, giving a smaller body shot range since he was vested with the thick backpacks filled with drug bricks covering his core.
Even weighted down, Enzo grabbed Lenore's foot as he pulled something from behind. Another shot rang out, this time aiming toward Enzo's back. The shot could not penetrate the pack completely, but Enzo was forced forward, losing grip on Lenore as she kicked out. Sisco raced toward the scene, his weapon in his hands, keeping his eyes on Enzo and Lenore, secure in the knowledge that Cory, Frazier, and Devil had his back as they darted from behind the boulders as well.
Lenore stumbled away from the scene, but since she was unable to see where she was going, she was perilously close to the cliff's edge. Sisco called out to her, but Enzo pulled out his gun from his prone position and fired it at Lenore. She pitched forward again, her body skidding along loose rock.
Enzo crouched low, his body almost completely hidden behind the stuffed drug packs on his body. He tackled Lenore, throwing his body at her.
With a roar, Sisco erased the distance with his gun aimed at Enzo's head, he said, “Give me one reason not to blow your fucking head off.”
“You might miss and hit your pretty girlfriend.”
“Not at this range, asshole.”
“I can blow her head off first.” Enzo's hand shook slightly with the exertion of the heavy weight he carried. Lenore whimpered at the threat.
Enzo's night vision goggles had slipped down his neck, and he stared at Sisco, still fifteen feet away. He laughed, then shook his head. “I'll be king in prison. I'll fuckin' rule, and there won't be a fuckin' thing anyone can do about it. I'll come out stronger than I went in and a helluva lot richer.”
“Not if I kill you first. I'm not law enforcement. I don't have to take you in.”
Sisco saw doubt move through Enzo's eyes, distracting him with concern as Cory set up another shot. The Keepers inched forward, their weapons also trained on Enzo, as Frazier stood over a crying Freddy.
“Lenore,” Sisco called out, his voice softer.
Enzo snorted, his hand still on the weapon pointed at Lenore's head. “Oh, true love?—”
His words were cut off as another shot fired, striking Enzo's extended arm holding his gun. He screamed in pain as blood poured from the stump where his lower arm used to be. Even with his injury, he whirled his body toward her, knocking them both over the edge.
Now, her scream pierced the night, and Sisco roared as he leaped to the edge, managing to grab the pack on her back with one hand before she fell farther. Looking down, he spied Enzo hanging on with a tenuous one-handed grip on Lenore's leg. Sisco leaned down, terrified that with Enzo’s weight pulling on Lenore, her arms would slip from the pack, and she’d fall with Enzo to the bottom.
With his other hand, he managed to grab again, finding the zip-tied front of her pack. Realizing it was secured around her chest, he thanked the gods of kidnapping that she'd been strapped in and the pack couldn’t slip off. As long as he held on, they could pull her to safety.
Enzo looked up, his face an eerie green in the light of the night vision goggles the Keepers wore. Enzo was out of reach, and at the moment, Sisco snarled, not giving a fuck about trying to save the man’s life.
Sisco felt a thump as Devil dropped beside him. He leaned down also to grab Lenore’s pack strap, steadying Sisco’s grip on her.
“Got you,” Frazier called out, his hands now holding Sisco's legs.
“Hold on, baby, I've got you!” Sisco called out, his chest heaving and his heart threatening to pound out of his chest.
Enzo sent a chilling look upward. “I ain't going! I ain't going… to prison if… I can't… defend myself…” He let loose of Lenore's leg and cried out as his body tumbled and bounced over the jagged rocks of the steep cliff.
Without Enzo’s weight added to Lenore’s, Sisco and Devil easily hauled her upward by the pack until he finally grabbed her arms. Her body slid over the edge and away from danger. Sisco pulled her onto his lap, his arms banded tightly around her. Her chest heaved, and tears ran down her cheeks.
“Let me get this, bro,” Devil said, slicing the straps from her shoulders, allowing the pack to fall away.
Without the pack pulling against her, she slumped closer into Sisco's chest, and he tucked her head underneath his chin. Sisco barely heard the sounds around him, allowing his mind and heart to accept that Lenore was in his arms again.
Devil leaned over the edge, but Frazier was already calling for Cory to get the bird as close to their location as possible, with the searchlight engaged. They soon heard the helicopter blades, and the wind whipped the air as the spotlight shone down. “Fuck,” Devil said.
Sisco looked over Lenore's head to catch his friend's gaze. Devil just shook his head, and Sisco knew Enzo would no longer be a threat to anyone.
“Baby, Jesus Christ, baby,” he murmured against her hair as he held her shaking body.
“Evie?” Lenore said, leaning back to expose the concern leaking from her wide eyes as her fingers clutched his jacket.
“She's fine. We got to her and had her checked out. Everything is fine, I promise.”
“Where is she?”
“Where do you think?” He managed a smile as Lenore's chest depressed in relief
“With the kittens,” she said, her lips curving despite their quivers.
With the lights from the helicopter now hovering, Cory climbed down into the ravine and verified that Enzo's neck was broken. Frazier was working on stabilizing Freddy, and Devil moved to assist so that he could be sent by MEDEVAC to a hospital.
Sisco tuned them out, even as another helicopter arrived with agents. The area was soon swarming, and he wanted to get Lenore away from the cacophony of the scene. He stood and lifted her into his arms.
“I can walk,” she protested.
“And I can carry you.” The truth was, he wasn't sure he could put her down. He certainly didn't want her out of his arms. His heart still hadn't calmed, and he wasn't sure when the beat might return to anything resembling normal.
He wanted to get her out of the area and back home. Looking around, he spied the DEA helicopters in place, along with a military MEDEVAC helicopter now on the ground. Frazier and Devil talked to Everett while Cory stood with another agent beside Landon. Both groups looked over at him and Lenore, then walked closer.
“Ms. Keller,” Everett greeted, his eyes warm. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, and just as Sisco was about to protest, she placed her fingers over his lips. “No, really… I'm okay. Once again, lucky that nothing else happened other than they just brought me here and were having me help transport the packs of drugs.” Her head dropped to Sisco's shoulder as though exhausted, but she continued. “There is a cave nearby with more crates of drugs. It's only about ten minutes from here.”
“We've got the location,” Landon said.
She reached for her pendant and offered a tired smile. “Good. Because my sense of direction is good when I can see things in the daytime. Right now, I have no idea where it is.”
“I'm taking her to the compound,” Sisco announced. “I want her out of this, and she needs to be checked out.”
“I'll come by tomorrow,” Everett said, holding first Sisco's gaze, then Lenore's.
She nodded. “I understand. I just want to get to Evie now.”
Everett nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. “Go. I'll see you tomorrow.” He shook hands with the others, then walked back toward the other agents.
The Keepers, with Lenore in tow, headed around the large boulders where Cole had landed. Once inside, he made sure she was buckled safely. She placed her hand over his as their gazes held.
“Are you having a sense of déjà vu?” she whispered, a rueful twist on her lips.
“Yeah, and I'm getting fuckin' tired of this,” he growled. “The next time you and I are in the air, I want you, me, and Evie to be flying to fuckin' Disneyland.”
A giggle slipped out, and she shook her head. “Thank you.”
His brow lifted.
“Thank you for saving my life again. Thank you for saving Evie. Thank you for caring enough to give me the tracker. Thank you for making me smile in the middle of another nightmare.”
“You don't gotta thank me, darlin',” he said, his hand tightened over hers. “But this is our last nightmare. As we speak, this pipeline is getting shut down. No one is coming after you anymore.”
She nodded, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Good. I'd like my life to be a little boring. Even if we do adopt a kitten.”
Sisco felt the heaviness in his chest ease, and his lips curved slightly. “We'll be lucky if we only have to adopt one of them.”
“We?” she whispered, leaning closer.
He ignored the smirks from the other Keepers and nodded. “Yeah… we . I figure Evie will want one kitten to have a playmate. So, at least two.” He watched the emotions flit through Lenore's beautiful eyes before her lips curved.