Crash and Burn (21 page)

As soon as Kevin was busy driving again, Beth resumed her fidgeting to uncover the sharp object. She hoped it was something more than a small rock. She had to get away from this madman. A few more inches and she’d have her prize. She slipped her big toe under the lip of the carpet now and bent her knee, pulling the carpet up with her foot. Shuffling her bottom to the side, she looked down.
Glass!
She thanked the fates when she spied the jagged piece of broken glass. No wonder it felt sharp. Now if she could only pick it up… The van drove over a bump and she lifted and fell back down. The glass slid across the floor to the other side, out of her reach.
Shit!

She threw her body across to the other side where it had fallen, hitting her head on the hard floor and bumping her shoulder on the side wall in the process. Her body would be so black and blue after this. Not that that mattered if she couldn’t get away. She’d be dead if she didn’t succeed.

Kevin turned his head at the ruckus she’d made and chuckled. “Sorry about the rough ride, my love. But I suppose you’re used to the rough treatment with Daniel. Now me? I try to be gentle. Maybe I can show you what I mean, so you can see that Danny boy comes second in that department as well.”

Her face flushed with heat and her stomach lurched in revulsion with the thought of his hands on her body. “I’ll never let you touch me.”

He chuckled. “Aw c’mon. Don’t be like that. I know you weren’t so shy with Danny.”

“Daniel is just protecting me. Nothing else.”

“Yeah right, and I’m the King of Bulgaria. Jesus, Beth, the man’s in love with you. Even
I
see that.”

Beth’s heart leaped. Was he right? She knew Daniel cared for her, but love?
No, Kevin’s just stirring up my emotions. Just playing another of his games.
“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s helping to keep me safe.”

“Not doing such a good job now, is he?”

“We were doing fine, but you don’t play fair. How
did
you find me anyway?”

“I never lost you, sweetie. I put a GPS transponder in the car before you dropped me off. I’ve been following you ever since. Great strip show, by the way. Did it make you as hot as it did me?”

Oh God!
He’d been with them all the time. Why did he let them go for so long?

“You’re sick!”

“Yeah…ain’t it fun?”

What was the point of arguing with him? With his bent logic, she had no chance of getting anywhere. She closed her eyes and hoped he’d ignore her for the time being. Her hands were now in front of her face and she could see the glass inches away. She slowly lifted her strapped wrists over the shard and manipulated her fingers until she had a grip. She hoped to God that Kevin didn’t turn around again anytime soon. She angling the jagged piece toward the duct tape and started slicing.

* * * *

Daniel angled the car into the driveway and jumped out. He raced up the steps and pressed down hard on the call bell. When no one answered, he picked up the heavy knocker and threw it against the plate, the rusty metal vibrating with the echoing noise. The sound of footsteps stopped him from doing it again and he tensed for what he had to say when the heavy oak door opened.

Disappointment filled him when the housekeeper peered through at him, the safety chain still attached.

“Yes?”

He smiled at her. “I need to see Mr. Addison straight away.”

“He’s not here. He’s still at his Canberra residence.”

“Are you expecting him this weekend?”

“I’m not sure. He’s usually here by now, but he must have been held up. Can I take a message?”

“No, but thanks anyway. I must have been mistaken. I thought we were meant to meet this morning. I’ll check my diary.”

She closed the door and Daniel walked back to his car. He looked up at the upstairs windows.
Was that moving curtain a person or just the wind?
Not much he could do about it. If Addison was at home, he was avoiding him. He pulled out his mobile and tried Addison’s number. Damn, he still had his phone turned off. Where was he hiding?

He drove off, heading toward Balmain. Maybe he could get some answers out of Kevin. He leaned forward, opened the glove box and pulled out the Glock he’d retrieved from his gear. He hadn’t told Beth about the gun. He hadn’t wanted to scare her. Hell, he never wanted to actually use it, but now he didn’t have a choice, not if he was going to get himself and Beth out of this alive. He concentrated on pushing his feelings for her aside so he could work through this like the professional he was, but it wasn’t happening. He was angry and scared for Beth, but he was mainly angry. People he thought he’d known as well as himself were now strangers to him. Was his whole life a lie? And Beth? Her father had been involved in an operation that had gotten him and her mother killed. She must have somehow stumbled onto some information that threatened to expose Addison. He now had no doubt that Addison was behind all of this, and he was going to make damn sure the bastard paid for what he’d done. The problem was, where did he start?

Driving into Balmain’s narrow streets on a Saturday was a difficult prospect. In a suburb where there was a pub on every corner, parking spaces were at a premium, and Kevin’s house was no exception. Opting to take his chances in the rear lane, he pulled up in front of the back entrance. He had walked halfway to the back door when his phone rang.

* * * *

Yes!
Her hands were free. The glass had worked its magic and now the duct tape was split up the middle, effectively freeing her. She didn’t dare remove the tape for fear of making a sound that would attract Kevin’s attention. If she was careful and she kept her hands together, he wouldn’t notice right away. She might get lucky and have an opportunity to escape. She was feeling a little more optimistic now. She
would
get away. She had to.

“You doing all right back there, Beth?”

She jumped and clasped her hands together to hide the cut in the tape.

“Why do you care?”

“Aw, Beth, don’t be like that. You know I actually quite like you. It’s a shame you’re going to die with Daniel. We could have been friends.”

“In your dreams.”

“No, in
your
dreams, Beth. We could have been so good together. Maybe I’ll show you just how much before I deal with Daniel. He can watch. That would be amusing, don’t you think?”

Bile rose to the back of her throat and she gulped. “It’ll never happen. Daniel will stop you.”

“Oh, I see how it is. You trust him too much. He’s not the hero you think he is and very soon I’ll be able to prove that to you. You’ll be begging me to take you with me after you see what a loser Daniel is. But enough talk. I retrieved your mobile from the car after I escorted you to the van. I presume his number is the only one in the memory. I’m calling him now. He’ll be with you soon, sweetie.”

* * * *

Daniel pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. “Wyatt.”

“Danny boy…how are ya?”

“What the fuck have you done with Beth?”

“Ah…so you worked it out, then. How’d you know it was me?”

“Cut the crap, Kevin. I was the one who dubbed you
The Irishman
. Now where is she?”

“Not in the mood for a friendly chat, I see. Oh well, I can understand that. She
is
a beautiful woman. Very beautiful.”

“If you’ve touched her, I swear I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

“So dramatic, Danny. Don’t worry. She’s safe and untouched—for now.”

Daniel took a deep breath. He had to keep it together until he had a location. “Where are you? I presume you want me to come to you?”

“You’re so perceptive, Daniel. I’ve always admired that about you, but I’m getting tired of this conversation. If you want to see her again, come alone. If you contact anyone, I’ll know, and you can count on that.”

“Okay, you got it. I’ll come alone. Where?”

“Remember Will’s cabin?”

“Where you murdered Will?”

“Danny, I’m shocked! You know I was with Beth when that happened. I can’t take credit for that one, but I confess it was convenient. It managed to divert suspicion from me.”

“What does this all have to do with you anyway, Kevin?”

“Ah, but that would be telling. I’ll save that long story for when you get here. You have thirty minutes or I may have to start the party without you.”

“What party?” Daniel’s heart slammed in his chest when heard laughter over the line.

“You’ll find out.”

The phone line cut out.

Fuck!
He checked his watch. It was only eight o’clock in the morning. Another sleepless night had him swaying on his feet, but the adrenaline rush after that conversation with Kevin had certainly woken him up. That and the fact that he was angrier than he’d ever been. He’d better get moving. He didn’t have much time. He slammed the car door shut then slipped the car into reverse before flooring the accelerator, speeding backward down the lane and onto the main street. He had twenty-eight minutes to get somewhere that would normally take forty or fifty. With any luck, the traffic cops would be on their morning tea break.

* * * *

Kevin drove the van along a dirt road before finally jerking to a stop. He wrenched the door open before reaching in and grabbing Beth around the waist. She struggled to keep her hands together while he dragged her out of the van and stood her up next to him before kicking the door closed. He spun her around and pushed her toward a cabin about twenty feet away.

“Where are we?” asked Beth as she scanned her surroundings for a potential escape route.

Kevin shoved her harder, hurrying her on. “This matters because…?”

“I was just curious. Ouch!”

“Sorry, but I’ve decided I don’t feel like talking to you right now, so shut up and you’ll stay in one piece until Daniel gets here.”

Fine with me.
That would make it easier to hide the fact that her hands were free.

She stared at the cabin. A remnant of some previous hippie owner, it had once been multicolored. Now the many colors had faded and what were left were peeling off the weathered boards. She slowed down when she neared the door and Kevin moved in front, kicking it open with one hand anchored to her shoulder, digging in his fingers until it hurt. He pushed her in front of him again and into the corridor. “Get into that bedroom and I’ll deal with you later.”

She saw an open door and took a chance that it was the room he was talking about. It was. She moved in toward the old cast-iron bed and the door shut behind her. The lock turned and she was alone. She unclasped her hands and shook them, stretching out the stiffness. She focused on the old window and made a beeline for it. The wood was rotten and there were no locks that she could see. She undid the latch and tried to open it. Nothing. Applying a bit more pressure, she tried again. Still nothing.
Shit.
There was something poking out near the top of the sash. What was it? Damn, it was nailed shut. The nail protruded about an inch, and judging by the softness of the wood, she might be able to work it out of its hole. Her hand was poised over it when she heard the lock in the door turn.

She made it to the bed and sat down just in time.

The door opened and Kevin walked in with a steaming cup of coffee. “I thought you’d like some coffee since you missed breakfast.”

“You’re so generous. Just put it down on the dressing table over there and I’ll drink it later.”

“Tsk, tsk, always suspicious. You think I’d bother trying to poison you? What would be the point? I want Daniel to see what I have planned for you, so I need you alive for that.”

“Alive maybe, but not necessarily conscious. Thanks, but I’ll pass for now.”

“Suit yourself. Your loss.” He turned to leave then turned back. “Oh, and you won’t have to wait long. Daniel will be here very soon. Aren’t you pleased? I can hear your heart pounding from here.” He laughed as he shut the door and locked her in.

She went straight for the window again and started working on the nail. She couldn’t allow his words to rattle her. She was stressed enough as it was. She had to get away from there before Daniel arrived with help. It sounded simple, but whether or not she could pull it off was still to be seen.

* * * *

Daniel left his car on a neighboring property and advanced toward the cabin. The thick bushland was a useful cover as he spied the rundown buildings a short way ahead. He stopped behind the wide trunk of an old gum and crouched, opening his backpack and withdrawing his gun and a knife in a holster. He slipped a magazine into the pistol and checked the safety. He placed the gun in the back of his jeans, then lifted the cuff of his pant leg and strapped the knife to his ankle. He wished it was dark, but he had to work with what he had. He stood, then moved forward from tree to tree to stay out of sight.

When he reached the cabin, he ducked and headed to the side wall to check out the windows. He remembered from his time here two days ago that there was a bedroom on this side. Crouching, he crawled along the uneven ground, watching for obstacles and, at the same time, listening for evidence of Beth’s presence. As he approached the bedroom, he heard a rattling sound coming from the window. Was Beth trying to escape?
God that woman has courage.
It was one of the reasons he’d fallen in love with her. He couldn’t deny it any longer, and rather than distract him, it gave him more focus. He would get her and they would be together—if she’d have him. But that would have to wait. The rattling had stopped and he now heard voices. Kevin had come into the room and he was laughing. He took a chance and peered through the bottom corner of the window.

Kevin had grabbed Beth’s hands and held them behind her back. She struggled against him as he pulled out his belt from his jeans and tied her up. She flinched as he tightened the belt. He threw her on to the bed before his hand went to her shirt and ripped it apart, exposing her bra.

Son of a bitch!