17. Chapter 17
Chapter seventeen
After a sleepless night, Isla went downstairs and put the coffee on. She put two dozen eggs and four pounds of bacon on the counter. She’d keep it simple today. It was Thanksgiving Day—she had a lot to do to put dinner on the table by three.
Mitch and Max walked into the kitchen. Isla poured two cups of coffee and handed the mugs to them.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Molly,” Max said easily.
“Thanks Max, the same to you.” Isla and Mitch shared a glance that meant so much more than it should.
Isla shook her head. “Mitch, is it okay if I still cook today? We might not be able to experience a normal Thanksgiving, but the food is here. I can set it up as a buffet and everyone can eat at their convenience.”
Mitch nodded. “Let’s just keep things as normal as we can. There are four of us heading to my family’s cabin at six this evening. We won’t be back till this is over. You’ll be safe here, Molly. They won’t get near the compound if we can stop them at the cabin.”
Sal called from downstairs. “Two SUVs at the gate. Our reinforcements are here.”
“Let them in,” said Mitch. “I’ll meet them outside.”
Mitch walked out onto the deck. Isla watched him pacing in front of the stairs.
Please God, keep them safe, she prayed.
Isla surveyed their surroundings from the window.
If so many lives weren’t at stake, the near-winter forest surrounding them would give her peace and tranquility.
The sun shone through the almost-bare branches, sending shadows across the ground.
But without foliage, she felt like a sitting duck, out in the open.
Would Mitch and his team be able to end this at the cabin?
Could it actually be over if they stopped this attack?
Hernandez could just send in another team to find her and take her out.
This game wouldn’t be over until Hernandez was either stripped of his power or dead. Or even worse—until she was dead.
Mitch directed eight agents onto the deck. “Molly, could you come out here, please? I’d like to introduce you to our reinforcements.”
Isla wiped her hands on a dishcloth and went out onto the deck. She walked up to Mitch’s side. She stood as close to him as possible without touching him. She could feel his heat. Smell the soap he used.
The plan he had mapped out was for him and three others to stake out the cabin. He’d be three miles away from her tonight and until this was all over. The thought of him not being within her reach was sending her into a panic.
“Molly, you probably won’t remember names, but here goes. This is Cal, Brent, Drew, Nate, Carli, Cameron, Leah, and Dalton. They’ll be on board for the next few days.”
Isla welcomed them with a small smile. “I wish we could all have met under better circumstances. I can’t thank you enough for being here. I’m sorry that this mess has taken you all away from your families on Thanksgiving. I can promise you a nice dinner, though.”
Mitch smiled down at her. “She’s been cooking for days. I hope everyone is hungry.”
“A client who cooks. How’d you guys get so lucky?” Dalton laughed. “Usually it’s Doritos and canned beans when we’re on a mission like this.”
“I love to cook, and they like to eat,” Isla laughed. “It’s a win-win. Besides, cooking is the only thing keeping me together.”
“It will be over soon,” said Carli, the red-haired woman. “We plan on this being over by tomorrow. It did get me out of going to my in-laws for dinner this afternoon. Thank you for that,” she laughed.
Isla nodded and excused herself to go back to the kitchen. How could they all be so calm? This was a life-or-death mission.
Isla peered into the oven. That twenty-pound bird was looking mighty small right now.
She opened the door to the extra refrigerator and pulled out the spiral ham that Jax had brought last week.
Along with all the sides, it ought to be enough to feed everyone.
She would add more potatoes to the pot and toast the bread that was in the fridge to make more stuffing, then she’d add her corn casserole to the mix.
She couldn’t believe she was worrying about food when so many lives were in the balance.
But if she didn’t, she’d be upstairs curled up in a ball under the covers.
At three o’clock sharp, nine people walked into the kitchen—the reinforcements and Mitch. “Wow, Molly!” said Mitch. “Loaves and fishes? Where’d you find all this food?”
“Oh, here and there,” Isla said, basking in his praise. She wished she could spend Thanksgiving with him under normal circumstances. She could imagine cooking with him, side by side, fighting each other for the last popover. “I hope it’s enough. I’d hate anyone to go away hungry.”
Mitch beamed. “There’s no way any one is going to walk away hungry.” She watched as he eyed the popovers.
“Well, enjoy. Dig in, everyone.” Isla stood back and watched as plates filled and everyone sat around the table to enjoy their meal.
“Aren’t you going to join us?” Mitch asked as he looked up from his plate.
“In a minute. I just want to catch my breath,” she said.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her hands trembling.
Mitch’s cell phone buzzed, so he stood up and walked to the front window.
“Larkin here. Okay, fine.” He listened for another few minutes.
“I expect to hear from you every half hour, keep me updated.” He turned and walked back to the table.
“Everything is quiet so far. If anything is going to happen, it’ll be tonight or tomorrow.
We’ve got eyes on the suspects. They’ve already checked out the other four addresses and came up empty, so they’re heading this way.
We’ve got two SUVs, with two men each, pulling into a motel in Charlottesville.
It looks like they’re in for the night, probably planning their strategy as we speak.
We’ll keep eyes on them and wait for them to make their move.
We wait and see if they get any visitors.
Eat up—we have plans to make. I want all our plans concrete before these guys find us. ”
Isla brought a plate of food to the table and joined them. She sat next to Mitch and felt his hand squeeze her knee under the table as if to say, Stop worrying.
The team went downstairs, and Isla went upstairs to take a long hot soak in the jetted tub in her bathroom.
Her stomach was doing flips and her head ached.
She pulled herself out of the tub and wrapped herself in the plush robe that hung behind the door.
There was a knock on her bedroom door as she was walking out of the bathroom.
“Molly, it’s me. Can I come in?” Mitch asked.
She walked over to the door and opened it. “Sure, come in. Is there anything I need to know?”
“No, you already know. I’m leaving Carli and Dalton in the house with you. We have two men up on the parapets keeping watch around the house and four men in the woods. I’ll be leaving shortly for the cabin. I just wanted you to know that you’re safe and I’ll be back here as soon as I’m able.”
She couldn’t help it, her eyes stung from the tears that were threatening to fall. Before she could stop them, they were streaming down her face.
Mitch pulled her into his arms. “Hey, this will be over soon, I promise. Now I want you to try and get some sleep. I’ll come back as soon as I can.
” He kissed the top of her head. He pulled himself away from her and turned toward the door.
“Soon,” he said and left her standing there, wishing that he could stay. Soon.