Agent I1: Tristan [01] The D.I.R.E. Agency (17 page)

However, Tristan
was
wanted, more than life itself. She had to find him and make that abundantly clear.

A mile out of town, Rachel heard two loud pops. She jumped in her seat. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she saw the
D.I.R.E
. SUV swerve off the road. Her heart took off at a dead run, her stomach flooding with dread.

Don’t panic, Rachel. Maybe they just had a blowout
.

Doing a u-turn in the middle of the highway, she headed back in the direction she’d come. Tristan would ream her out for doing so, but her nurse’s training forced her to go back and check on them.

When she came parallel to the vehicle sitting grill down in a ditch, she saw the driver slumped forward in his seat. Fear gripped her chest. Her hands shook as she pulled up behind the vehicle and dialed Aidan’s number.

Climbing out of her truck, she ran to the driver’s door. Both agents had collapsed in their seats, bullet holes in their temples.

Oh God, help her
…

Aidan answered. “Rachel, did you find him?”

Her voice shook despite her attempt to remain calm. She had trouble holding the phone still.

“Aidan… they… they’ve been
shot
.”

“Calm down, Rach. Who’s been shot? Tristan?”

Dear God, no
.

“The agents that followed me. Someone shot them.”

“I’m already en route. Where are you?”

“About a mile-“

The phone was snatched from her hand. Whipping around, she caught a glimpse of Dar Naylor before a blindfold covered her eyes and the smell of chloroform filled her nose.

#####

Tristan laid down another losing hand on Ben’s table. The old card shark had slaughtered him in poker again. Just par for the course today.

“So, she kicked you out, huh?” Ben gathered the cards in the middle of the table and shuffled them.

Tristan didn’t want to talk about it. He just wanted to forget. Now he knew why Mitchell had told him not to care. The pain he felt at losing Rachel was worse than any injury he’d sustained in his entire, f’d up life.

The old man laid the deck of cards on the table for Tristan to cut. “Probably the first time you ever did what you were told in your life, right?”

He glared at Ben. “Would you stay where you weren’t wanted?”

Ben shook his head. “No, but you and I both know that’s not the truth, don’t we?”

His gaze shot to Ben’s wrinkled face. “If you’ve got something to say, old man, say it.”

Ben dealt the cards between them. “You come off as this big, bad top-secret mercenary with your fancy weapons and martial arts. But you let a sweet, innocent woman like Rachel Monroe tell you what to do.” Ben tsked. “If you’re going to get anywhere in life and marriage, you have to know when to let her make the decisions and when to tell her how it’s going to be.” Stopping his movements, he leaned across the table. “Today, son, was one of those ‘tell her how it’s going to be’ situations.”

Tristan sat up in his chair. He felt like Ben had smacked him on the forehead. The old man was right. Why had he allowed her to tell him what to do? Why had he allowed her, Mitchell and Aidan to dictate
his
life?

Rachel had been furious with him and Aidan for trying to control her life yet, he’d allowed her to do the same with their relationship.

Since when did he bow to anyone?

She had his heart and he wanted her to be happy. If his leaving made her happy, he wanted that for her.

I want to be wherever you are, Tristan
.

Her voice echoed in his head. Just this morning, Rachel had said those words right before they made love on the sofa. Why couldn’t he get it through his thick skull that she really did care about him?

Shutting his eyes, he shook his head. She didn’t want him out of her life permanently. She was just pissed and frankly, he didn’t blame her.

Hell, he didn’t know the first thing about relationships but he did know one thing: he couldn’t live without her.

Standing, he looked down at Ben. The old man gave him a big grin. In that moment, Tristan realized that Ben had acted more like a father to him this week than Mitchell ever had. He could talk to Ben about anything and he’d give Tristan a straight, honest answer.

Hell, he’d come running here first after Rachel had thrown him out. Ben felt comfortable, easy, despite his abrupt manner.

He was a good man.

Tristan held out his hand for a shake. “Thanks, Ben.”

He took Tristan’s hand in a firm grasp. “Don’t screw it up. You’ll spend the rest of your life in some dive, drowning your sorrows with Frederickson.”

Tristan laughed as he dug around in his backpack for his phone.

Shit, he’d given it to Rachel.

“Can I use your phone?”

Ben nodded as he pointed to his nightstand. “Speed dial number one. Just call me Cupid.”

Grinning, Tristan hit the button and waited. Her phone went to voicemail. She must be really upset to ignore Ben’s call. The thought sobered him.

Dialing Mitchell, he said, “Are you still at Rachel’s house?”

“Where the hell are you?”

A barbell dropped in Tristan’s stomach. Mitchell didn’t raise his voice -
ever
. He raised it now.

“What happened?”

“Aidan got a text from Rachel’s phone. Robert Naylor is holding her in an empty operating room at the hospital.”

Tristan’s heart stopped in his chest. “This had better be a freaking joke, Mitchell.”

“Smith and Underwood are dead.”

Tristan gave a loud, succinct curse. Ben whipped around to stare at him.

“I’ve only been gone an hour.”

Dammit, he should have stayed. Ben was right. If she died, it would be his fault.

“We’re setting up in an empty ICU unit on the fourth floor. Meet us there.”

Hanging up, Tristan grabbed his backpack and ran for Ben’s door. “They have Rachel, Ben. I have to go.”

Tristan ran across the walkway that divided the two facilities.
Damn
Aidan for shorting out his generator.

Running through the lobby, Tristan saw State Troopers posted at the front door, agents scattered throughout. He just didn’t know if they were
D.I.R.E
. or Naylor.

Rushing up the stairs, he took them two at a time. Bursting through the stair door, two
D.I.R.E
. officers pulled their guns. He held up his armband.

Nodding, they pointed down the hall.

Tristan slammed back the door against the hinges. Aidan and two agents stood against a white tile wall. Mitchell sat at a long rectangular table with… Kate Monroe?

Grabbing Aidan by the shirt, Tristan hauled him up and shoved him against the wall. “You sonovabitch, I told you I’d kill you.”

Mitchell and Kate both jumped to their feet.

“Tristan, stop,” Mitchell ordered.

“
Stop
!” Kate cried.

The two agents moved behind Tristan but didn’t touch him. At least someone in the room used their brains.

Aidan just stared at him, his voice low. “Kill
me
? I could’ve killed you just by allowing you to touch me, Jacobs.”

Letting him go, Tristan watched Monroe drop to the floor without retaliation. “You miserable bastard. You were supposed to watch her. She’s your sister, dammit.”

Standing, Aidan tossed Tristan’s phone on the table. “You left your phone at her house. We found it in her truck. She went to find
you
, Jacobs. I was the last person she wanted with her.”

Guilt paralyzed Tristan. She went to find
him
? She had left her house, knowing the danger?

God, no
.

“Tristan, sit down,” Mitchell boomed. “We need to have a plan.”

“Sit down, my ass. Give me a gun. I’m going in.”

“Mitchell,” Kate said, when she sat back down. “What’s happened to Rachel?  Why’d you have me flown in from Austin this morning?”

This morning
? Tristan glanced at Aidan. He shook his head.

“What do you mean this morning?” Tristan said. “This transpired less than an hour ago.”

Mitchell looked up at him, his gaze direct. “Actually, this has been transpiring for days.”

Tristan pulled back his head. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Mitchell pulled out a chair at the table and pointed at it. “Tristan sit. You too, Monroe.”

How could he sit when Rachel was in Naylor’s clutches?

Okay, Jacobs. Calm down. You’ll do Rachel no good going in there like a wild banshee
.
You know you need a plan
.

Aidan dropped down in a chair.

Tristan paced the room. “You have two minutes.”

Shaking his head, Mitchell took Kate’s hand in his. “Kate…”

Aidan’s eyes widened at the contact. He looked ready to blow a gasket. “Do you two know each other?”

Kate looked at her son, her gaze nonchalant. “I’ve known Mitchell since before Rachel was born. He and your father were good friends.”

What
? He and Aidan exchanged an incredulous stare. “Later.” Mitchell’s voice was laced with irritation. “Kate, Bobby is holding Rachel in an empty OR on the third floor.”

The color drained from Kate’s face as Mitchell squeezed her hand.

“
Bobby
?” Tristan and Aidan cried in unison.

Frowning up at them, Mitchell continued. “He wants Tristan, Kate, and Bobby knows the only way to get to him is through Rachel.”

Kate glanced at him, her eyes round with worry. “Why?”

“Rachel has… come to mean something to my son. Bobby capitalized on it.”

Aidan planted his hands on the table. “Who the hell is Bobby? Are you talking about Naylor?”

Mitchell nodded once.

What the hell?... “Are you saying you know him, too?” Tristan glanced between his father and Kate.

“Yes. I’ll explain it all later,” Mitchell said.

“I want to go in.” Kate green eyes were forest in color, her hands shaking.

Aidan jumped up, his chair falling back against the floor. “Are you freaking crazy?
Hell
no.”

“Sit down, Monroe.” Mitchell turned to Kate. “I can’t let you do that.”

Straightening, Kate sat up in her chair. “That’s my daughter in there. How can you expect me to sit here and do nothing when you and I both know I hold the best hope of getting through to him?”

Aidan stared a hole through his mother. “How do you know that, Mom? How?”

When Kate hesitated, Tristan knew.
Oh shit
…

“No.” Aidan shook his head with vigor as he stared down at his mother. “Do
not
tell me you and Naylor…”

Kate lifted her chin, reminding Tristan of Rachel. “Ok, I won’t tell you.”

Cursing to himself, Aidan paced like a caged animal. “You have got to be freaking kidding me? You slept with a world-renowned criminal, Mom?”

Kate gasped as she glared at her son. “No. He was a Navy SEAL at the time.”

“Naylor used to be a SEAL?” Tristan said, his mind whirling.

Mitchell nodded. “Robert Naylor and I were BUD/S teammates.”

Tristan leaned back his head against his shoulders and squeezed his eyes shut. This was not good. Naylor had a personal beef with Mitchell, and Tristan had thwarted more than his share of Naylor’s deals.

Rachel was in real trouble.

He ran his hands through his hair. “I need to teleport in there...” He glared at Aidan. “…but I can’t because some
dickweed
shorted out my high frequency generator.”

Mitchell said, “I’m not going to risk you going in there unless I have no other choice. Aidan, I wouldn’t risk Kate’s life if I had any doubts about Bobby Naylor. He has always loved your mother. He would never hurt her.”

Anger emanated from Aidan, leaving the air charged and sizzling. Today was not a good day to drop this on Aidan. Whatever power they’d given him appeared raw and unpredictable.

“Kate, we’ll give you a wire so we can hear everything that goes down. Naylor will expect it. If something goes wrong before the team is in place, Tristan, Aidan and I will storm the room.”

She nodded. “Anything to get Rachel out of there.”

A female agent pulled Kate behind a curtain to fix a wire into place. Mitchell gave earpieces to Tristan and Aidan.

Watching Aidan pace past a view box on the wall, an idea suddenly hit Tristan. “What if I used an x-ray machine to generate the high frequency I need to activate my system?”

Glancing up from loading his gun, Mitchell looked at Aidan before he nodded. “That could work.”

One of the agents brought a laptop computer to the table. A layout of the hospital appeared on the screen. “There are two radiology rooms. Both are on the first floor, near the emergency room.”

Tristan headed for the door. If the x-ray machine didn’t work, he had one other option.

“Monroe, come with me.”

“Me? Why?”

“You’re my backup plan.”

#####

“You’ll never win.”

Rachel sat bound hand and foot on a bare operating table. Robert Naylor stood a foot in front of her and just…
stared
at her. His gaze didn’t appear lecherous or threatening, but curious and full of wonder. His eyes took in every one of her features.

He reached out and touched the ends of her hair. She flinched.

“I’ve already won, Rachel. I have you.”

Frowning, she cursed the lingering effects of the chloroform.

If Tristan were here, he’d tell you to stay alert Monroe. Clear your head
.

“What will I get you, Naylor – other than arrested?”

Dar stood against the far wall and barked out a feigned laugh. “Wow, funny.”

Robert glanced back at his son before turning to her again. “You’ll get me Tristan Jacobs.”

Rachel swallowed hard. She’d hoped he’d give her a different answer. “He’ll never come here.”

Smiling, Naylor caught one of her tied hands in his and squeezed. She tried to snatch it away but he held on tight. “He’s already here, sweetheart.”

She shut her eyes in defeat.
Tristan, no
.
Please don’t come in here, guns blazing
.