Deadly Ties (35 page)

27

R
oxy, wake up. Wake up.”

Mark bent over her, heaped on the grassy ground. Sam and Joe flanked him. Nick and Tim were assisting the FBI, ushering men into buses under Mexican authority and the women into separate ones. The men would be arrested and tried here. The women’s statements would be taken, and then they’d be released into U.S. custody and returned to the States. All of the women had been accounted for—except one.

Lisa
.

“Roxy,” Mark tried again. “Wake up. Where’s Lisa?”

She opened her eyes, and they gained focus. Rubbing at her temple, she grunted, as if in pain.

“Are you hurt?”

“Only my pride.” She pulled herself to a sitting position, and he helped her to her feet. Scanning, she took in what was going on around her. “Everyone tagged and—”

“Lisa’s missing.” Mark was losing patience. “You were right by her. Where is she?”

“I—I don’t know. She took down—Phen. He was trying to take her, but she had him. He called in backup. I was moving in to help her and—”

“We’ve got Phen,” Mark said. “Where’s Lisa?”

“She was on the stage with the others. One of Phen’s goons cracked me in the head with something. They were facedown on the stage. Lisa knocked out one of guards and … Oh no!” Roxy pulled at the front of Mark’s shirt. “It was Masson. Karl Masson got her.”

Mark’s stomach plummeted. “You’re sure it was him?”

“Positive.” Roxy clenched her hands into fists. “Where would he take her?”

“Señor Taylor! Señor Taylor!” Juan ran up to Mark, winded, sweating profusely. “Masson took your Lisa.” Juan grabbed a staggered breath and then another. “He stole the boat and went to a seaplane. I saw him take off.”

Mark fixed on Sam, then Joe.

“Could be anywhere.” Joe sounded as grim as Mark felt.

Sam tugged his cap low, shielding his eyes. “I’ll see if we can pick up a flight plan or something on them.”

“You won’t.” Mark knew Masson. There would be no flight plan. There would be no trace of Lisa or him. “NINA will kill him and Lisa … ” Mark’s voice cracked and he shut down.

“Think steel, bro.” Joe clapped his shoulder. “Lisa found a way to contact you before, and she will again. You know she will.”

“Her black belt isn’t a match for a seasoned assassin.” Dark thoughts and fear swelled in Mark, threatened to take him down.

“She knows that too.” Joe snagged Selene’s arm. “You stay with me.”

“Gladly.” She frowned. “Lisa will do something, Mark. She always comes up with something.”

“You’re right. She will.” He nodded. “She will.”

“Be right back.” Roxy nodded toward her team. “I’m going to get a quick briefing and disseminate the word on Lisa. We’ll have everyone looking for her. In the meantime, Mark, you guys need to get back to Crossroads and Annie. After we upset this deal for NINA, you know they’ll want payback. She’ll be the target.”

“Annie.” Mark stiffened. “I need a plane.”

Joe kept hold on Selene. “We’ve got Ben’s jet. Let’s go.”

“Roxy, if you need anything from us—”

“I know where to find you. Go.” She motioned. “Do you need backup in Seagrove Village?”

“I’ll check with Jeff Meyers and let you know.” Mark looked at Selene. “Where’s Gwen? When we find Lisa, she’ll want to see you and Gwen for herself to know you’re okay.”

Joe nodded at Sam. “Second bus. Pull her off. Gwen and Selene will be with us. We’ll have Jeff video in their statements and report their cars stolen, though I expect they’ve either been chopped up, shipped out of the country, or are resting at the bottom of some lake—maybe dumped in the Gulf as a fishing reef.”

“You’re probably right on the cars. There’s no way NINA would leave them behind.” Roxy addressed Juan. “One of my men will take you to your family. We’ll get the rest of what we need after you’ve seen them. I know you’re worried.”

“Sí, muy worried.”

Mark shook Juan’s hand. “Thank you.”

“Thank you, Señor Taylor. I will pray for your Lisa and for her mother.”

“I appreciate that.”

Roxy touched Mark’s sleeve. “Lisa is resourceful. She took the lead and we all made it. Only she would have thought of prayer in that circumstance, but it worked better than anything else could have. She’ll take care of herself too. I won’t say don’t worry. Only a fool wouldn’t. But remember who she is and what she’s been through. She’ll find a way.”

“I hope you’re right.” Mark took off after Joe, following him, Selene, Gwen, and Sam to the plane.

Lisa awakened to the faint sound of lapping water.

She started, remembered, and forced herself to be still and not open her eyes. The smells were different. Nothing like they had been in Mexico. She took stock, slotted her perceptions.
Wet and humid, not as warm. Tangy. Pungent rotting vegetation, brackish water, and … and … Dutch’s foul cologne
.

Her heart skipped a beat and then sped, banging against her ribs. Wherever she was, Dutch was here.
Dutch
.

That ignited a battle inside her. Part of her wanted to beat him to a pulp for what he’d done to her mother and her, and part of her wanted to hurt him even more.
God, he deserves the worst. Help me control my emotions and keep my head. I need to think smart to come out of this alive. Think steel. Yes. Yes
.

Forcing herself to focus, she blocked emotion and absorbed physical details. The floor beneath her felt hard, slatted wood. It pressed against her hip, her side, and her face. Gritty, and dust tickled her nose, musty and dank. She was indoors but somewhere that hadn’t been occupied in a long while. The urge to look burned strong, making her fingertips tingle, but she squelched it and listened. Night sounds. Frogs and crickets. Some nightlife she couldn’t identify. A light and humid breeze rustled through the leaves in the distance outside, and lapping water.

She opened one eye, dared to peek, and saw Dutch and another man seated on straight-back chairs staring right at her.

“You can stop pretending you’re still out, Lisa.” The man’s voice sliced through the silence. “I know you’re awake.”

She opened her eyes and recognized the man from a photo of the artist’s sketch Kelly Walker had shown everyone at the center.
Karl Masson. The man determined to kill Kelly. The NINA operative
.

“Ah, I see my reputation precedes me.” Masson smiled. “You know who I am.”

She didn’t dare answer.

“It’s all right, Lisa. Your reaction was clear. You know me, though I suspect you didn’t know I was involved in your abduction, and you clearly didn’t expect to see me here.” He chuckled. “Frankly, I didn’t expect to be here, so we’re both a little surprised.”

“Where is here?” Lisa asked. Dutch was tied up, as was she, and Masson knew how to tie to restrain; there’d be no quick fix at getting the ropes loose. It was dark outside and the little room—a fishing camp—was built on stilts above the water. The back door was open. Light from within fanned out. Dead stumps protruded from the water. “I’ve never been to this place.”

“No, it’s new,” Masson said. “But it’s important to you.”

“Why?”

“It’s where you’re going to die.” Masson stood and looked down at Dutch, sprawled on his chair. The hems of Masson’s jeans were wet, and his sneakers squished, leaving little puddles of water on the dusty wooden floor. “Blame your stepfather. This is yet another of his many sins against you. He’s accumulated a considerable list, I have to say.” Masson pivoted to look at Dutch. “Lisa might forgive you. I don’t. You lied to me. Big mistake.” Masson headed for the door.

“Wait.” Lisa raised her voice. “You can’t just leave us here.”

Masson spared her a glance back over his shoulder. “I can do anything I like. I could when you were seven and I can now. I’m not the one tied up.”

She stilled, studied his face. Saw it at the window in that motel room, telling her it was time for her to be a shrub—which she now knew was Mr. Phen’s pet name for the girls and women he controlled. Saw him crash through the door, shoot her father, snatch her. Saw him look back at her from the driver’s seat in the van and peer through the glass door of the dress shop where she’d found refuge.

He was the Spider who had originally abducted her.

“You do remember me.” Masson took another step and then glowered at Lisa. “I could shoot you. This place is closed down for winter; no one is around to notice. But you’ve both caused me a lot of trouble, so I’ve decided to savor your exits. I am leaving you here. You’ll die slowly. You’re surrounded by water, Lisa, and if you should manage to untie yourself, you still can’t get away. Just wanted to make that clear.”

He hitched his pants. “With no food or water, I give you about a week. Plenty of time, Lisa, for you to rail at Dutch for all his crimes.” Respect sparked in Masson’s eyes. “I’ve seen you fight. You can definitely take him. I wouldn’t mind seeing it, but I have places to go and things to do.”

Dutch glared at Lisa, loaded with hatred. “This is all your fault.”

Without a word, she twisted and kicked his chair leg. It cracked. The chair collapsed and Dutch hit the floor hard.

Masson laughed. “I do hate to miss this entertainment.”

Lisa ignored him. “I’ve had all I’m taking from you, Dutch. I used to be afraid of you, but I’ve gotten your worst and it wasn’t so bad. I don’t fear you anymore.”

But he did fear her. She saw it in his eyes.

And maybe that’s what God had intended. That Dutch feel what he’d inflicted.

“Impressive, Lisa. He deserves far worse. Who knows? Maybe you’ll give it to him before you both die, eh?” Masson hiked a shoulder. “For the record, I would have let you live, but wrecking my mission on that stage was a mistake too big to forget. Still, spare me a kind thought. I did restart your mother’s heart to give her a chance to live.” He opened the door and stepped outside. “Have a nice death.”

He left the door open, which proved one disturbing fact.

Karl Masson felt confident that even untied, neither Lisa nor Dutch would leave alive.