I Beleive Now (10 page)

Of course the main reason Atushi was a part of the plan was to get Madden out alive. What better way than to allow Lucca to simply offer Madden up as a sacrifice. Even Atushi was a little amazed at the fact Max seemed to know that was possible. All Atushi had to do was plant a little seed and watch it grow. If it all came down to the end—if they could not find out the location where Madden was being held ahead of time—Atushi was to take Madden as his "gift" and get the hell out of dodge or at least out of the line of fire. Atushi was a little let down Lucca did not allow for him to see Madden today. He wasn't surprised it wasn't going to be that easy, just disappointed.

Atushi watched Lucca and laughed as he basically peeled out of the parking lot. Max had been brilliant to pick this motel. Lucca could barely pay attention to the plans being set up, hardly took the time to think about them. He hadn't questioned Kyo at all, never even attempted to verify who he was—or in this case, who he wasn't.

And it all worked to their advantage, just as Max had predicted. How the big man intended on staying in front of not only Jackson and Lucca but ahead of the real Kyo, he wasn't sure, but this wasn't Atushi's plan. It was Max's, and Max hadn't risen to the position he was in by not figuring out every detail. Even such small ones, such as making sure Lucca wasn't able to concentrate enough to remember half the questions he really needed to ask. Plus there was no way Lucca was going to stick around to do a little spy work either. So laughable. Most likely he would head for the nearest shower and it was clear the driver was in complete agreement.

But actually, now that he thought about it, so was he. He shivered and hailed a taxi. The sooner he showered as well, the better.

* * * *

It really wasn't the next day like Jackson had joked about, but it probably could have been. From the beginning Max knew this had to be the direction things had to go. Lucca and Jackson were trying to save their lives and they needed to. If Max thought at all that he wasn't able to handle the fallout from this, or if he thought it would be more difficult or dangerous for Asher this way, he'd have herded these two down a different path. But it didn't hurt at all that Lucca and Jackson thought they called the shots. He was pleased with the results.

Max smiled in the dark as he waited for Lucca to show up at the warehouse. He knew Lucca wanted to check out everything for himself after the fake meeting Max had with Kyo earlier. He had to be very concerned about a double-cross or deception, so he could only trust his own eyes. Thankfully that was something Max never had to be concerned with. His faith in his men ran extremely high. Although there were times he checked things out himself, it was never due to distrust, or doubt in his people's ability or about their loyalty to him, but purely for his own need to think things through and that was something his people knew.

Tonight he waited in the shadows in his warehouse, along with key personnel. This time he simply wanted to see exactly what Lucca chose to see, chose to look at. He also wanted to see his reaction to make sure nothing was off. He knew Lucca would examine the truck. He'd also check in the room where the children were, listen at the door, look in the window where Max's hired actors were already in character and would continue to do so until told they were able to stop. Max's intent was to make sure Lucca left tonight convinced Max was truly on the level and really did plan to come through. Max needed to solidify in Lucca's mind that he wanted Madden back above all else, allowing Lucca to think he had all the power, held all the cards. In doing that, Max knew Lucca would partially drop his guard. He knew Lucca's overconfidence was going to start to show. Not that it was necessary for any of Max's plans, because he'd never lower his guard, especially in the face of this arrogant man. Even so, the plan was perfect and Max did not have to rely on such things, but it never hurt and always was so satisfying in the end when others finally realized Max had never been on their side at all.

And by doing that, there was a slight possibility Lucca might slip up and reveal where Asher was being held. It wasn't a strong possibility, but even Max wasn't about to reject a gift in this orchestrated dance.

There was an announcement in Max's and Cadum's ear pieces; Lucca had arrived outside. Max looked over at Cadum, who was intently watching the back entrance where they both knew Lucca had to come in. Suddenly the shadows on the floor shifted and moved. The movement was only a slight one but both Cadum and Max saw it. Max was certain the other people he had planted around the perimeter also saw it.

Let the show begin.

There was very little movement after the initial entry until Lucca actually came into view. Max was slightly impressed Lucca was this stealthy. Of course, Lucca had to see there were guards in place. Max was not concerned the people who held the guard positions tonight were in any true danger since Lucca could not let Max ever know he had been there. The ones he trusted with the post knew they needed to actually not do their complete job. They needed to make sure noises they heard were checked out, but if they "fell asleep" or happened to be listening to earphones, it was fine. The failure of Max's guard was something Lucca could easily believe since it was something of which his own people were guilty. Not to mention the fact Lucca most likely thought he was too crafty and cunning to be spotted by the likes of Max's people.

The information an intruder was in the building was also wired to Max's guards, and Max watched as they improvised just a bit and decided to walk off to one end of the room for a smoke. It was only a detail and Max did like initiative but didn't like they went off script, especially when it wasn't necessary. Cadum glanced at Max and quickly muttered into his mike to not take it too far off plan. Max was pleased to see the cringe. As much as he trusted in his people, they also needed to trust in him as well. He held his binoculars up to his eyes and turned his attention back to Lucca.

When Lucca finally showed himself again, he was creeping slowly toward the room where he'd been told the children were being kept. He snuck up to the door, constantly on the watch for Max's guards. Max had to think he was laughing to himself, actually believing he was getting away with this, that he was actually undetected. Max looked forward to the moment in time when Lucca realized nothing he did now or in the future was ever going to go unobserved. Of course, that future was not going to be long.

Lucca stood up to look into the window of the door. What he saw had to calm his nerves. He'd see a number of child size mounds presumably sleeping on a number of cots. He had to enter the room, since simply seeing mounds lying on cots would never be enough. Max watched as Lucca reached for the handle on the door. Of course it was locked, but the lock was simple so Lucca had little to no trouble picking it. As Lucca quickly ducked inside, Cadum whispered over the mike to Johnny—the man hidden inside the room—that Lucca was on his way in.

Max continued to watch but knew now he needed to count on Johnny to relay the action from this point. Soon he heard him whisper Lucca was indeed checking under the blankets. He was smiling, now he was counting. Yes, he was satisfied and was on his way back out. Cadum whispered "good job" just as Lucca slipped back out of the room. Max was also satisfied in what it was Lucca saw. There were sixteen children in all and if he had checked out all of them, he'd have found eight boys and eight girls, every one of them beautiful. Lucca was going to think they were handpicked by Max himself from children's homes all over the Chicago area because, of course, that was what Max had told him. Max's money had bought them out with the promise of a permanent home outside the city. Yes, he had to bring chaperones, adults who reported back, but money talked and Lucca knew Max had taken care of that little issue as well. Now they simply waited for the way to clear. They were waiting to be taken to their new homes. Lucca indeed was smiling right now.

Lucca next visited the truck. He walked slowly and silently around it. It was exactly what Max would do—commit to memory the dents, the scratches, every identifiable abnormality. Once that was done, Lucca was done. He had to be satisfied. The only thing remaining for him now was to escape undetected. Once again, Max allowed for it. He was a little concerned over the fact Lucca didn't seem to be as quiet going out as he had been coming in. Max assumed it was simply due to Lucca once again being bigheaded and full of himself. He was most likely thinking he was charmed, and that Max was too incompetent anyway.

Foolish man.

Max closed his eyes for just a moment, vowing to himself he would never, ever, allow himself that luxury, that false security. He'd never think all was going his way only because of who he was. It was the reason he thought out every contingency, every path his plan could take. He'd never be that arrogant.

Even if he was Max Tyler and actually could be.

He reopened his eyes and watched as all returned to normal in the warehouse. Because he was now uncertain of what Lucca had planned to do immediately after leaving, he waited. He believed Lucca was simply going to go away. But there was a possibility he could think it went far too easily and that, for a few minutes, Lucca might watch the activity taking place after his supposed departure. It was what Max would do. He'd wait and watch, and if he saw any activity, he would then know he had been fooled. But only a few minutes went by and his people reported Lucca left and never looked back.

Foolish, foolish man.

Max was not surprised Lucca continued to let his stupidity and overconfidence lead him and he knew the conversation Lucca had had with Kyo had everything to do with it.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Jackson Wyatt was thrilled. The ordeal had been long and there were times when he had felt rather hopeless. But when it was all said and done, it was going to be worth all the headaches and sacrifices. This coveted route, set between Chicago and Japan, was going to be open for business very soon.

And it would be his.

All his.

Yes, certainly Max Tyler was a force to be reckoned with and Jackson had to think along the lines that things might be going too smoothly, but he also knew Tyler was a man in love and love was an emotion strong enough that it could bring even him down.

Though Jackson knew he should be more cautious, he also knew that, with Asher Madden in their hands, they had complete control over the powerful man. As far as Kyo was concerned, he was to come and collect Madden tonight at a location yet to be announced. He knew Kyo had been told there'd be someone Tyler was going to send for the exchange as well—there might be a slight problem in taking his prize—but as long as Kyo was aware and was not concerned, then there was no reason why Jackson should be. In the end things weren't going that way anyway. He planned on changing it up.

Kyo might not be someone Jackson should trust so completely either, but he was so excited about Max Tyler going down it was hard to actually see anything beyond what he was experiencing right now. Tyler had disgraced him. Yes, he had also redeemed him, put him more on the map then even the best PR group in Chicago—or even the country—could do. But he had still embarrassed him and put his future, his very life, at risk. And if Jackson hadn't moved fast and gotten his hands on Tyler's Madden, Tyler would not have done what he had; he'd have left him to wallow in a destroyed existence. There was no way Jackson could forgive that or allow it to go unpunished. After all, he knew Tyler would do the same thing in his shoes.

He laughed. Yes, it was too bad Tyler wasn't going to live to experience the humiliation of knowing he had been totally out-witted by a man he thought was beneath his concern.

Oh, Jackson knew it. He knew Tyler thought he was an idiot, hardly worth his attention. He'd be dead, rather than just disgraced, if Tyler had thought he was a threat, but the very fact he was alive was proof Max thought little of his ability to be a contender. It was an insult to the highest degree. And now he planned to make sure the man would regret his arrogance. He wasn't going to regret it for long, but in those moments before death he'd definitely know he had fucked up where Jackson was concerned.

However, there was still one thing Jackson wanted to do to Tyler. One more knife twisting thing. Even he was surprised at the evilness of his own laugh as he picked up the phone.

* * * *

Max was finding it hard not to just take them all out. Period. He should have done that in the first place. If he had killed that bastard Jackson in the beginning, he'd not be facing this now. He knew it right down to his bones, but now he had to wait. He was still attempting to find out Asher's location, but it was starting to look more and more like that wasn't going to happen, at least until the end. It wasn't that he misjudged this Red Dragon gang. It wasn't as if they were smarter than Max in any way. They just kept moving Asher, and Max was not receiving sufficient information fast enough. He was catching up. There was no doubt. It just looked like it wasn't going to be in time. So he needed to be patient until that knowledge finally surfaced. And if it didn't, there was always plan B. The problem with plan B was it put Asher more at risk. Although at least Max knew that with the way he'd set it up, they'd keep Asher alive. So if he had to wait, he had to—but doing so was hard.

He smiled.

This was not him. Truly, totally, completely not him. He was used to just simply making a decision and waving a hand in the general direction of any of his people and they would go to work. They'd do his bidding with confidence and preciseness, and sometimes with that cold-blooded ruthlessness he had joked about with Asher. Now, he could not do such things. Now, Asher's wellbeing was hanging in the balance. He was going to now base all decisions on that fact. In the past, with his casual sex partners, he regarded such feelings as a nuisance, especially since there had been people who tried to exploit those relationships.