Chapter 31
THIRTY-ONE
Kaylie carefully approachedthe concrete barricade. Miranda had arranged for the vehicle, a nondescript sedan that would blend in anywhere. The only sound was the hum of her engine. The abandoned steel mill rose in front of her like a fortress, shadows clinging to its darkened corners.
Kaylie”s heart raced. The sound of blood pumping throbbed in her ears, like the bass dropping in a dance club. She could do this, and she ignored her body’s physical response, focusing all her energy on what she had to do.
The headlights cut through the darkness, revealing overgrown grass on the edges of the roads. An old forklift lay tilted in the ditch, as though someone left for lunch and simply never returned to work.
Kaylie swallowed her nerves, gripping the wheel tightly. Her fingers tapped a rhythm of anxiety as she waited. The high-tech contact lens felt awkward in her eye, but a glance in the mirror assured her that it was invisible.
She waited impatiently. They were counting on Citadel coming out to meet her, but where were they? After a moment, she climbed out of the car and stepped into the glow of the headlights.
“Where is she, Lowell?” she yelled into the night. The only sound that met her was the distant rumble and beeping of machinery from the factories across the shipping channel. “I’m here for my daughter, and I’m not leaving until I see her!”
It took a few moments, but men seemed to appear out of nowhere, the large guns they carried making her bravado curl back inside her chest.
”This is private property,” one of the guards declared, their voice cold and impersonal.
Kaylie trembled, every cell in her body wanting to tuck tail and run. But she was done running, wasn’t she? “I demand to see Shane Lowell,” she said, wishing her voice wasn’t so shaky, betraying the strength of her words.
One of the guards turned toward the other. “You hear that? She demands to see Mr. Lowell.”
Their laughter was dark and held a cruel mockery. She stood her ground, desperately wishing she had one of the fancy earpieces she’d seen the men using to talk to one another. She could use a bit of a pep talk right now.
Suddenly, the laughter stopped. One of the men grabbed her upper arm, jerking her painfully toward him and marching her past the barricade. The cold wind cut through the air, causing Kaylie to shiver, whether from the chill or the mounting fear, she couldn”t tell. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, seeking any sign of Anthony or the team, but the shoreline remained empty.
The men flanked her on either side, their footsteps crunching on the gravel road. The steel mill loomed ahead, a hulking silhouette against the gray sky. The sharp scent of rust hung in the air, a bitter reminder of the building”s industrial past.
As they approached, the men led her to a small, nondescript entrance next to a massive steel garage door. The guards maintained their oppressive grip, guiding Kaylie through the threshold. The cavernous space they entered was mostly empty, though pieces of equipment and discarded materials lay haphazardly around the dusty space.
“I sure hope you weren’t stupid enough to wear a wire, little rat,” one of the guards sneered.
“I hope she did. Lowell would probably let us have some fun before we dumped her body in the lake,” his companion replied, leering at her in the shadowy entry.
“Guess we’ll see,” the first said. They pulled some sort of wand from an old fire cabinet and waved it over her entire body. Kaylie’s breath caught as they moved it in front of her face, praying that Miranda had been right about the IRIS lens being undetectable if it wasn’t turned on.
But it worked, and they were soon putting the wand away. Then the man ran his hands over her arms, along her rib cage, and down her legs, a lecherous grin on his face as he frisked her. She bit back the feeling of disgust. It would be worth it to save Lia.
The men led her across the giant manufacturing space and through another set of doors. Shadowy, rusted steel supports gave way to stark walls and flickering lights. Citadel guards guided her through dimly lit corridors, their movements efficient and unyielding. She waited for an opportunity to turn on the IRIS lens, but the men watched her carefully. She had to bide her time.
Finally, she was ushered into a room where Shane Lowell waited. Stark white walls, pristine and unadorned, stretched around the space. Harsh fluorescent lighting illuminated every corner. A sleek, utilitarian desk dominated the room, equipped with state-of-the-art monitors and devices. His smirk widened as Kaylie entered, a twisted play of power on his face. ”Kaylie, darling. How lovely of you to join us,” he sneered.
He glanced at the guards. “Did you search her?”
The men nodded and were promptly dismissed.
She ignored his taunts, her focus laser-sharp on the figure in the corner. Lia, her small frame dwarfed by the large table she sat at. A random assortment of toys sat in front of her, seemingly untouched. Relief surged through Kaylie at the sight of her daughter, a fierce determination to protect her overriding any fear Lowell tried to instill. Fear was nothing in the face of true selfless love. She knew she’d give anything for her daughter—even her own life. When you loved something that much, fear seemed insignificant.
Kaylie rushed to Lia”s side. Lia”s wide eyes met hers, and a whispered ”Mommy” accompanied her daughter’s nearly pinching grasp as they reached for each other. She embraced her daughter tightly, murmuring soothing words. Nothing had ever felt as good as holding her daughter in that moment. It was as if all the disjointed, missing pieces of herself had suddenly locked into place.
Lowell watched with a predatory satisfaction. ”Enjoy your reunion, Miss Richards. It might be the last moment of peace you”ll have.” He came beside them and tugged on her hair, forcing Kaylie to look at him as the sting made tears spring to her eyes. “I imagine your friends are on their way as well, aren’t they?”
Kaylie had played a lot of roles in her life. The obedient foster child, the besotted girlfriend and docile wife. Now, she had to play the most important role she’d ever attempted.
Letting fear and betrayal paint her expression, she shook her head and filled her voice with anger. “No. They refused to help me.”
Shane narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you.” He released her hair, and she relaxed to the ground, still holding Lia tightly.
“It’s true,” she said, lying through her teeth. “They care more about your defense bill than my daughter. They didn’t care what happened to her.” Kaylie let the anguish of that thought play across her face. But Anthony and Black Tower had proven they weren’t heartless like Moreno or Lowell.
Shane Lowell seemed amused by the idea, but skeptical. “Didn’t they?”
Kaylie pulled Lia into her lap. “Anthony said—” She cut off her words, as though she couldn’t bear to think of his name. “He had to think of the greater good.”
Lowell released a chilling laugh. “Well, that certainly sounds like something those pious pricks would say. That’s too bad, though.” His voice took on a casual air. “It means I have no incentive for keeping you and your daughter around a moment longer than I have to.”
Kaylie felt her stomach clench in panic at Lowell”s implications. The seconds stretched into an eternity as she scrambled to find a way to delay him, to buy just another hour for the team to enact their rescue plan.
Kaylie”s mind raced. She needed to convince him, find a way to appeal to his sense of self-preservation. ”Wait!” she pleaded, desperation coloring her voice. ”You can”t just kill us. I-I know things about Black Tower. I’ll tell you everything. You just have to let us go.”
A calculating gleam entered Lowell”s eyes. He considered her words, weighing the risks. Time seemed to hang in the balance, each moment critical to the success of their plan. Kaylie held her breath, praying he would buy into her desperate plea, at least long enough for Anthony and the team to mount their operation.
“Interesting…” Lowell seemed to ponder the words. His eyes flashed to Lia. “Or I could just torture it out of you before I kill you. I do have some new recruits who need some interrogation practice.”
Kaylie’s blood turned to ice in her veins. The mere suggestion of torture sent shivers down her spine, and she clutched Lia protectively against her chest. The innocent trust in Lia”s eyes contrasted sharply with the cruel reality of their situation.
”Please,” Kaylie begged, her voice trembling. ”I”ll tell you everything. I”ll cooperate. Just spare my daughter. She”s just a child, she doesn”t know anything. You can”t hurt her.”
Lowell chuckled, a sinister sound that echoed in the mostly empty space around them. ”Ah, the lengths a mother will go to protect her child. How touching. But you see, my dear, I don”t trust you. You”re desperate, and desperate people say anything to save themselves.”
Kaylie”s heart pounded in her chest as she fought to keep her composure. She couldn”t let fear overtake her. ”I swear, I won”t say a word to anyone. I”ll disappear, and you”ll never hear from us again. Just let us go.”
Lowell”s gaze lingered on her, assessing the sincerity in her eyes. The stakes were high, and Kaylie clung to the hope that he would buy into her scheme. She knew he’d never let her go. Anthony had made that very clear. But maybe if he thought she was naive enough to believe he would let her go, it would give them enough time.
“Mr. Lowell, you have a call from Madame Sidarov.”
Lowell cut a sharp glance toward the interruption, a younger man with a trimmed beard and a meticulous demeanor standing at attention near the door. The man extended a sleek smartphone toward Shane Lowell, his eyes betraying no emotions.
Lowell glared at Kaylie. “We’re not done here.” He marched toward the door, grabbing the phone. He pointed at the man. “Watch them and make sure she doesn’t try anything.”
Then, he exited the room. “Dobryy vecher, Ksenia. I didn’t expect–” The door shut heavily behind him, and his words were cut off.
Kaylie jolted at the noise, realizing too late that she’d been staring at the door and craning her body to listen.
She glanced at the new guard, but he seemed more robot than human. There was no glimmer of understanding or empathy on his face. Still, he was an improvement over the chilling presence of Shane Lowell. She’d thought perhaps she had exaggerated the memory of the evil aura the man carried, but being back in his presence was just as bad as she remembered.
Kaylie ran a hand over Lia’s hairline. Holding her daughter again soothed the ragged edges of her nerves, despite the knowledge that the night was just beginning. Hiding her face in her daughter’s hair, she winked her right eye twice in rapid succession.