No Reason to Run (17 page)

Chapter 27

The argument lasted
longer than necessary. Eventually they’d agreed on Striker and Vik protecting
Chloe at the house in case Brian used her for leverage. Olivia glared at Shane
in the driver’s seat. He’d insisted on accompanying her to the meet with Brian.
Her ex-husband planned to arrive at the Dulles airport on an incoming 1:30 p.m.
flight. Brian’s message had been concise. Olivia needed to hand him the signed
agreement and he’d catch a return flight home.

Shane made it clear
he’d stay by her side to avoid any opportunity for Brian to put his hands on
her again. Olivia checked out the darkening bruises. Not as bad as she expected
but they couldn’t be missed. “Brian’s made arrangements for airport security to
set up a separate room for me to meet with him.” He’d added the text after she
and Shane started the drive toward the airport.

Shane’s frown
darkened. Since he was already pissed about the set-up, Olivia knew he wasn’t
pleased with the new development. “The plan was for you
not
to be alone
with him.”

Olivia glanced at
the increasing traffic. Not rush hour but the pace backed-up enough thanks to
construction off to the side of the road. Men in hard hats and orange vests
directed the heavy machinery digging up the ground. A lane expansion project
according to the signage. She turned to face Shane. “I won’t be alone. They’ll
be airport personnel and Brian’s security detail.”

His lip curled.
While she only viewed his face in profile, Shane’s expression said it all.
“Who’s there on your behalf?”

Olivia tapped her
finger on the manila envelope in her lap containing the non-disclosure. Whoever
Shane had review it, cleared Olivia to sign in very short order. She wasn’t
familiar with much of the legal language but it looked pretty straight forward.
She wouldn’t discuss anything she’d witnessed in Brian’s home yada yada. Olivia
blew out a weary breath stirring the hair at her temples. She tired of this
whole song and dance. Her purpose in getting a divorce was to minimize Brian’s
involvement in her life but his indiscretion pulled her further into the
political nonsense she wanted to avoid.

“Help me get through
this, Shane. I’m nervous.” Olivia had no concrete reason for why her stomach
wouldn’t settle and why her mind kept filling with potential disasters during
this meet. Shane immediately stretched his arm across the console and reached
for her hand.

Olivia gripped his
fingers and entwined their fingers. Signs and arrows for the airport exit
flashed. Butterflies danced in her middle. She needed a distraction. “Do you
have a lot of nightmares?”

The hand in hers
froze. His fingers compressed on hers briefly and he tugged on his arm. Olivia
refused to release him. After a minor tug of war, his hand went slack. She stared,
waiting for his answer. When his lips compressed, she assumed he wouldn’t
answer but then he spoke.

“Yes.”

Simple. Basic and no
more than what she’d asked. “Do you want to talk about them?”

A half-laugh
accompanied a derisive. “No.”

After the last few
days, Olivia discovered she owned more courage than she believed possible. Her
fear wasn’t any less but she wouldn’t let Shane block her out. Not if he wanted
them to see where their feelings could go. With those thoughts at the
forefront, she plunged forward. “Are they about your time in the military and
the scars on your leg?”

With one strong
pull, he yanked his hand from her hold. “Drop it, Olivia.”

She’d never heard
him speak with her in that cold, hard voice. Not when she held a gun on him,
not when she’d refuse to tell him why she ran. Swallowing the lump in her
throat, Olivia considered what to say next. “Everyone has a weakness, Shane. It
doesn’t make them any less a person.”

He took the exit
sharply and Olivia’s body bumped the door. “Shane!”

A muscle ticked in
his jaw. Ignoring her glare, he grit out, “Let it go,
now
, princess.”

Olivia flinched with
the added sneer he placed on the endearing name he used for her. His tone
belittled her and brought back the negative feelings she associated with Brian.
Falling back in her seat, she let silence fill the interior of the car.

***

Shane hated the way
he spoke to Olivia but her questions dug too close to painful emotional wounds
not yet healed over. The nightmares centered on the mission resulting in the death
of two men who’d been friends as well as team members. Shane served as best man
in both their weddings and visited their wives after they received the somber
news about their husbands.

The loss hit him
hard at times just like the unexpected memories. Details about the ambush,
taking enemy fire, watching Carlos fall first and then Tyrone were vivid in his
mind. None of it necessary, if the asshole in charge hadn’t suffered a swollen
head. Shane didn’t recall the bullets hitting him but he remembered Vik yelling
in his ear. Shane remembered the cracked, bruised knuckles and broken wrist
from dragging his best friend Tyrone while Striker carried Carlos over his
shoulders to the chopper waiting to evac them.

He signaled to turn
into the airport parking. If Shane never talked to another sole about that
disastrous mission, he’d live perfectly happy. Parking the car, he placed an
arm across Olivia’s chest when she tried to open her door. “Remember what we
discussed.”

Her abrupt nod and
lack of eye contact gave him a moment of concern but they didn’t have much
time. Shane needed to get her to the correct location in order for her and
Senator O’Donnell to put this matter to bed.

According to the
instructions, O’Donnell’s connections cleared Olivia past initial screening.
After showing ID, two armed guards escorted them down a narrow hallway. The
sound of engines taking off and landing rumbled through the corridor. Shane
watched the smooth departure of a familiar silver and blue plane, personnel
adjusting and prepping for the next in a series of well choreographed steps.

The passageway
narrowed to a closed door at the end of the hall. Their steps halted. “Ms.
Anderson will go in while you wait, sir.”

Shane eyed the two
men. The starched polyester uniforms and soft middles didn’t worry him. Shane
dismissed the both as no competition in an actual fight. His gaze zeroed in on
Olivia who watched him with a disconnected expression. “Olivia, are you alright
with this?”

Her shoulders
shrugged and she smoothed her hand over the strap of her purse. “I’m fine. You
don’t have to worry about me.”

The hollow notes had
him stiffening and taking a step in her direction. The guard on the right
placed a firm hold on his shoulder. One look from Shane and the hand jerked
back.

“Olivia? You got
fifteen then I’m coming in.”

She kept her back to
him and turned the knob, entering the room without a backward look in his
direction. It closed quietly behind her and stirred the embers on his anger at
himself.

Shane cursed. He’d
fucked up. Nothing to do about it until she came out. He glared at the two men,
as he propped a shoulder against the wall and crossed his ankles. They could
attempt to move him if they wanted.

***

Olivia blinked away
the burning sensation in her eyes and focused on the room the guards led her.
Dismay at Shane’s actions gave way to shock at the presence of the two men
facing her. An eerie grin stretched across the first man’s face. “You’ve been a
lot of trouble, lady.”

Olivia’s heart
jumped. She steadied the envelope she’d prepared to hand over to Brian. Brian,
who wasn’t even present. “Haynes and Baldwin, we officially meet.” Her voice
radiated a calm she didn’t feel. These two dressed in jeans and hoodies were
the men Sheriff Hill and Shane searched for.

Olivia eased her hand
behind her, fingers feeling for the door knob. The one on the right grabbed her
arm and yanked her forward. “You don’t want to do that, Mrs. O’Donnell.”

Her bruised arm
already tender hurt more from his fingers digging in. “Anderson,” she corrected
when his blue eyes glared down at her.

The other man walked
in her direction. Olivia tried to glimpse the object in his hand. “Where’s
Brian? His flight’s due soon.” Oh, God, what was going on?

“The Senator doesn’t
have time to deal with you.” The final note in his voice warned her. She parted
her lips to scream for Shane when the one with the scar on his eyebrow pressed
a white cloth to her face. Olivia lashed out but the effects of whatever
chemical he used began to work immediately. Everything started to get hazy.

Rough hands lifted
her. “Hurry up, Rob, before the guy with her looks in here.”

Olivia attempted to
protest but her arm flopped and fell to her side. Their conversation confirmed
her kidnappers as Robert Haynes and Edward Baldwin though they’d never answered
her.

“Shut up and hold
the door, Ed.”

Rob carried her
through a side door. She felt them hustle her down a hall. Her eyes closed but
her awareness remained vivid. Whatever they’d given her numbed portions of her
body. Olivia twitched a finger but nothing happened. Trying to move any part of
her body resulted in the same frustrating result. She couldn’t scream, couldn’t
fight. The sensation terrified her.

Behind her lids,
light dimmed and brightened. Another thud and then a beeping sound confused her.
Where were they taking her? Was she no longer at the airport and when would
Shane notice her disappearance?

“Let’s get her out
of here before we attract attention.”

Her body was lowered
and her back landed on a soft cushion. Her legs were shifted and her head
wobbled on her shoulder. Her mind frantically tried to grasp her thoughts. She
gave thanks that she’d left Chloe with Striker and Vik.

“Remember what he
said.”

They weren’t making
any attempts to hide their conversation and that frightened Olivia further.

“He wants her hidden
where no one will ever find her body.”

Olivia’s throat
clenched and a lone tear ran across her cheek. She tracked the sensation of the
wet streak until it hit her neck. Shane, she silently screamed but her heart
knew he wouldn’t answer.

The chair she sat in
jerked and the squeak of wheels met her ears. The sensation of being upright in
a chair with no control of her limbs scared her further. She should have
listened to Shane. None of this made sense but he’d warned her how far Brian
had gone. Olivia let her temper get the best of her when she should have
insisted Shane accompany her into the room. Now she might pay for that mistake
with her life.

“Work your way down
A and head toward C,” she heard. “We’ll walk right out and no one will notice.”

Time to think about
how to get out of this situation. Olivia put every effort into moving some part
of her body. She wiggled her foot and felt the pressure of her shoes pinch her
toes. Her foot slid an inch to the side.

“How long will she be
out?”

Olivia paused and
listened intently.

“How would I know?”
She thought Robert Haynes spoke. “I got it off the internet. This stuff didn’t
come with instructions.”

Olivia focused on
her foot again. Move, move, she ordered. Her foot responded with another sliver
of movement. Her efforts doubled but this time she got no where. She’d wait a
little bit and try again. Whatever drug they used would wear off and she needed
to prepare for how to get out of the situation.

***

Shane had enough. He
pushed off the wall and stormed toward the door. He didn’t care what her ex
wanted. Fifteen minutes lasted fourteen too long for Olivia to remain behind
closed doors with him. The guard slid in front of the entrance, blocking
Shane’s way.

“I’m sorry, sir. You
can’t go in there.”

“You’re not stopping
me.” Shane adjusted his stance and stared into the nervous brown eyes of the
guard.

The men glanced back
and forth with one another. One went so far as to drop his hand to the gun
holstered on his hip. His badge read T. Palmer. Shane frowned and shoved him in
the chest.

“Hey.”

His partner was too
late to interfere. Shane opened the door and searched the room in one easy
sweep. Its glaring emptiness made his heart drop. The two guards came in behind
him, confusion darkened their gaze. “Where is she?”

“That’s my
question,” Shane growled, frustration and suspicion competing in his belly. The
table and chairs appeared unused. A window with blinds parted revealed an empty
connecting room.

The one with the
twitchy gun hand rubbed his face. “Sir, no one had access to this room.”

“Are you shitting
me?” Shane cursed and reached for his cell. This guy couldn’t be serious. “This
empty room says different.” Striker answered on the first ring. “Striker, I
need you to track Olivia’s phone. Her ex decided not to play nice.”

“On it. I’m in the
system anyway.”

Every second Shane
waited was a second Olivia lost. He ignored the guards calling for support on
their walkie-talkies. They couldn’t help him. At this point, only the men he
counted as friends could help.

“Got it, her
signal’s moving at a fast clip.” Keys clicked in the background. “Why the hell
is she heading toward the airport exit?”

“Fuck!” Shane yelled
when he spotted the second entrance to the room. He launched himself through
that door, his boots making tracks down the hall. The guards yelled out behind
him but Shane couldn’t afford to stop. Olivia needed him.

“Shane take a breath
and tell me what you need?”

Striker’s calm voice
cooled Shane’s temper but worry for Olivia increased his pace. The hall ended
with an industrial door. His fist slammed it open, Shane ignored when the alarm
sounded. The opened door dumped toward a ramp. His gaze darted around at the
parked cars. “Don’t lose her signal Striker. Her husband’s done a snatch and run.”
The Senator went too far this time.