Chosen (27 page)

Will tried to push water on her, but he knew the alcohol hadn’t helped. The medic found a vein and inserted the needle. He showed Will a saline IV bag before he started an IV. “I’d give pain medication, but her blood pressure is low and she doesn’t seem to need it at the moment.”

The rest of the ride was silent. Will worried about what would happen when they landed. At some point he had to relinquish control of her and it agonized him to even consider it. But he had to pretend she meant nothing to him otherwise they would both be at risk. He just had to figure out how to convince them to keep him around.

They landed sooner than he would have liked. Several men ran up and opened the door. The medic helped them move the stretcher out. Will followed behind with his gun, stepping onto a concrete airstrip. It was a small airport, a private one from the looks of it, just one runway and a metal hangar at the opposite end. Several men dressed in civilian clothes stood by two dark sedans and a van. The sun rose low over the horizon and Will suddenly felt exhausted from lack of sleep and worry. But he knew this ordeal was just beginning. The van waited a short distance away, its back doors open and waiting. They slid the stretcher inside. Will began to climb in behind her but one of the men stopped him. Will held his gun up and turned around to face them. “Which one of you is Kramer?”

“He’s back at the compound.”

Will tried to contain his temper. “I seriously don’t get you people. Are you fucking deaf? I told you I stay with her until I personally hand her to Kramer. So either I get in this van or she leaves with me.”

They relented and he climbed into the back. He tried to look impartial, but his heart pounded against his chest wall. He was close to losing contact with her. He told himself this was all part of the plan yet it didn’t make him feel better. The only thing saving his ass right now was years of training in the art of remaining calm.

The van took off, flanked front and back by the cars. He was surprised they let him keep his gun, especially since he used it as a threat, but they presumed he was on their side and protected what they so vehemently wanted.

A two-lane asphalt road stretched before them with no signs of any other traffic. They soon arrived at a compound of buildings behind a large chain link fence and guard station. They stopped at the station and the wooden gate lifted open for them to pass through. The motorcade drove down a long road that circled the perimeter of the compound with a row of buildings at the end opposite the guard station.

The van stopped in the front of a smaller building, the first structure in the row. The back doors opened and two men reached in to pull her out, Will right behind with his gun. “Just so it’s clear, and since everyone conveniently keeps forgetting, where she goes, I go. We stay together until I personally hand her over to Kramer.”

“Mr. Davenport?”

Will turned to see a tall, dark haired man in a suit approaching.

“And you would be?” Will asked, eyebrows raised.

“Scott Kramer.” He held out his hand and Will’s chest tightened as took his hand and shook it.

“We appreciate your diligence, but we’ll take over from here.”

Will watched them carry her into the building. Just like that, she was gone. He felt like someone had sucked the air out of him, but his face remained stoic.

“If you’ll come with us, we can get you debriefed. First, it looks like you could use a hot shower.” Kramer held his arm out prompting Will to walk with him. “Hope you don’t mind a little walk. I’m in need of some fresh air.”

Will followed. “What is this place?”

“This is one of our retreats. Our members rarely stay here, but it’s here if needed, particularly in emergent situations such as this.”

“You have a medical facility?” Emma’s care was foremost in his mind.

“Yes, and a surprisingly good one considering the size of our compound. I hear you provided excellent care for our guest and it’s most appreciated. She is extremely valuable to us.”

“Really? Could have fooled me. You sent one man to get her and someone else sent scores. Not very good odds for something so valuable.”

Kramer lifted an eyebrow. “Ah, but you are here, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, at what cost to Emma? If she’s so valuable, why risk her safety?”

Kramer laughed. “All very good questions, and I assure you they will be answered, but not now. However, I will tell you it was a test, which you passed.”

“A test?” Will’s voice rose to match his escalating anger.

Kramer stopped in front of what looked like a small office building. “All of your questions will be answered, Mr. Davenport.” He opened a glass door and held it open. “But first, you appear in need of a shower, fresh clothes, and a good meal.”

Will stared at Kramer with a narrow gaze. If it weren’t for Emma, he’d leave and never look back. Instead, he entered through the door. Kramer followed and then walked beside him. “We have small apartments on the premises. I’ll take you to one to decompress or do whatever you see fit.” They stopped in front of an elevator. Kramer pushed the up button and the doors immediately opened. The elevator was encased in mahogany. No expenses spared here.

“Who exactly owns this place?” Will asked as they entered.

“Impatient.” Kramer laughed again. “I like that about you. You’re told to wait, but don’t follow the rules. Some see it as a detriment. I see that you know what you want and you don’t let anything get in your way.” Kramer turned to face him and his gaze bore into Will’s eyes. “Would you say that is a fair assessment of your character, Mr. Davenport?”

Will cocked his head and lifted an eyebrow. “If a man knows what he wants, why would he let someone stop him?”

The elevator chimed and the doors opened. “Exactly.” Kramer led the way out and down the dimly lit hall. The floor was carpeted in a rich, ornately patterned carpet. Mahogany panels lined the walls. Art lights hung over oil paintings lining the walls, the only source of light in the hall other than a window at the end. Will suspected the paintings weren’t the starving-artist sofa-size paintings he saw advertized on TV.

Kramer stopped in front of a wood-paneled door. “Yes, it is an admirable trait. But a wise man knows what’s truly out of his grasp and lets it go.”

The hair on the back of Will’s neck stood on end.

Kramer’s smile disappeared. “Some see it as a negative trait. I prefer to see it as the characteristic of a man who thinks outside the box. But it’s a risk nonetheless.” He opened the door and Will entered into an apartment nicer than any place he had ever stayed. “You have full access to everything here. But I ask you stay in the apartment until someone comes for you. Security measures and all.”

“Of course.” Will didn’t hide his sarcasm.

“I will send for you in two hours, unless you need longer.”

“Two hours should be long enough. I can usually do my makeup in less than ten minutes, fifteen if it’s a formal affair.”

Kramer smiled. “I had heard about your wit. I find it refreshing. The kitchen is fully stocked, but there is also a kitchen that provides room service if you need it. Just press zero.”

“A real five star hotel you have here.”

“Our members are used to such amenities. There’s clothing in the bedroom for your disposal and toiletries in the bathroom. I’ll leave you for now and see you in a few hours.” He left Will alone in the empty apartment.

Will’s thoughts immediately shifted to Emma. He realized he hadn’t prepared her enough. He hadn’t warned her that she probably wouldn’t see him for a while. How would she react when she found out why he really helped her? Would she hate him?

He turned his attention to the apartment. Streamlined contemporary furniture decorated the living room. A large flat screen television hung on the wall. The living area was open to a kitchen filled with dark wood cabinets, granite counter tops, and stainless steel appliances. Will suspected the appliances were for show. Any one rich enough to stay here was unlikely to use them. A bowl of fruit sat on the counter and he grabbed an apple and took a bite, surprised at his sudden hunger.

Will moved to the double window. The Black Hills loomed in the distance, confirming they were in South Dakota. Was it her true ending place or a handoff location? He never cared to ask before.

He walked down a hallway past a guest room and into the master bedroom. The bed reminded him of his exhaustion and he promised himself a nap after his shower. The bathroom was marble encased, of course. He turned on the shower to warm up the water, switching on the full body sprayers. So this was how the rich lived.

Will hardly recognized himself behind three days’ beard growth. He looked like he’d been to hell and back, and he supposed he had. When he finished shaving and showering, he crawled in the bed naked under a down quilt, making sure he set the alarm. He drifted off to sleep, in spite of his worry about Emma. His worry and his guilt.

The shrill of an alarm woke Will from a deep sleep. He put on a pair of khaki pants and a long-sleeve shirt he found in the fully stocked closet. His escort arrived a few minutes later, taking him to the building’s top level and exiting the elevator into a long hallway similar to the one on his floor. Will hid his disgust at the opulence displayed. Rich people always annoyed him with their greed and need to outdo one another. His escort took him into a large conference room with wall-to-wall windows overlooking the Black Hills. The view was impressive, but Will was more interested in the three suits sitting at the massive table before him.

“Mr. Davenport. Please join us.” Kramer stood up and gestured to a seat across from the three men. “But first, are you hungry? Help yourself to some brunch.” A small buffet was set up along the wall.

“No, thanks, I’ll just have some coffee.” Will poured himself a cup and sat down. “I have to say, gentlemen, this isn’t how I’m used to doing things. Something tells me this isn’t ordinary business.”

“Very perceptive, Mr. Davenport. But we knew you were bright when we hired you.” Kramer sat in the middle. He was flanked on his right by a middle-aged man, dark haired with touches of gray and crow’s feet around his eyes. He leaned an elbow on the table and eyed Will with wariness. On Kramer’s left sat a younger man with blond hair and a tan that didn’t look like it came from working outside in the sun. He reminded Will of a model and his apparent disinterest made him wonder why he was there at all.

Kramer fingered the edges of a file in front of him as he spoke. “Tell us about your encounter with the people who attacked you.”

“Which time?”

Kramer’s eyebrows raised and he rested his elbows on the table. “You encountered them more than once?”

“Counting the night I obtained your guest?” Will used Kramer’s word for Emma. “I believe there were four encounters.”

All three men appeared surprised. Will noticed the younger one suddenly showed an interest in the conversation.

Will pushed his chair back from the table and crossed his legs. “I find it interesting that you haven’t asked about the boy.”

“The boy isn’t our concern.” Kramer said, but the younger man’s chin lifted and his eyes narrowed, suggesting he had a different opinion.

Will stared directly at Mr. GQ and raised an eyebrow. “He was killed by the men following us.”

The young man’s eyes widened.

Kramer shrugged. “He’s no concern to us.”

“But this doesn’t fit.” The man to his right interjected. “This isn’t part of the plan.”

Kramer shifted his attention to the middle-aged man. “John, we’ll discuss this in a moment.”

“Plan? What plan?” Will asked.

Kramer turned back to Will, leaning back in his chair. “All in good time, Mr. Davenport. Your questions will be answered. You say the boy was killed. How did this happen?”

“Before I start story time, how about you tell me why you neglected to mention that I’d be dealing with truckloads of gunmen?”

Sighing, Kramer folded his hands together. “Honestly, Mr. Davenport, we never expected you to encounter them at all. Apparently they are more persistent than we expected, although I agree with John. For them to kill the boy is inconsistent with their primary objective.”

“You mean you think they would have kidnapped him?”

“No, more like retained him.”

“Like you have retained your guest?”

He shrugged. “In a matter of speaking. How do you know he was killed?”

“His mother and I were out of the truck when we were ambushed. We took cover in the trees along the road and the truck exploded.”

“So you didn’t see him actually die?”

Will paused and sipped his coffee as he watched the younger man. He tried to look unaffected by the conversation, but his face had lost some of its color. Will set the cup down on the table. “No, but I didn’t see him get out either.”

“This makes no sense,” John said, turning to Kramer. “They would never kill him. Davenport lies.”

Will shrugged and pretended to be bored with the conversation. “Ask his mother if you like. We saw the truck explode and then we were chased into the forest where they tried to kill us.”

“You mean kill
you
?” John asked.

“No, the next time we encountered them one of them made it very clear that Emma was wanted dead. He said there was a bounty on her head. Her very dead head.”

“That makes more sense, I can see why they would want her dead. But I don’t believe the boy’s dead. They wanted him alive for years.” John calmed down as he reasoned with himself. The younger man’s color had returned to his face. Will was no closer to comprehending any of it. He understood why someone would want Jake, but why Emma?

“They almost succeeded in killing her,” Kramer stated. Will knew it was a question.

“The odds were stacked against us. Eight to one, the one being me.”

“But you escaped unscathed,” the young man said with a derisive tone. He narrowed his gaze at Will, making no attempt to hide his scorn.

Will turned his full attention to the man, their eyes locking. Will’s cold, hard stare finally made the man look away. “As I said before, a little advance notice of our party guests would have been nice. I could have planned more accordingly. As it was, I did what I could with what I had.”