Out of the Shadows (Falcon) (3 page)

Her assailant hadn’t tied her up too tightly
, and luckily her hands were in her lap.

Tugging against her restraints, Kate
swallowed a lump of fear. Eventually she’d get around to mentally scolding herself for allowing someone to infiltrate her home. Being at the mercy of someone else was never a good position. And it could be especially bad for a CIA agent who knew enough secrets to jeopardize the security of the country.

H
er last assignment had been a nightmare, and Kate wondered if the guy next to her had anything to do with it, but quickly cast the thought aside. The operation had gone sour quicker than a politician could change his mind, and that not only angered her, but her superiors weren’t too pleased either. Two agents had been killed in Iraq, and two were captured.

She had been the lead agent on the assignment. She’d done the job to the best of her ability
but they’d walked right into an ambush. Upon her return, Kate received some disturbing Intel she’d not felt safe enough to repeat. Mostly because she didn’t know whom to trust.

Since returning
, there’d been rumors the agency was considering assigning her to a desk job until they evaluated her competency. So far they had taken a wait and see attitude. In the meantime she’d been working her sources to find out what had happened in Iraq.

Five years of hard work down the tubes in less than twenty minutes in the middle of hell. Kate blinked back angry te
ars. Thank God the helicopter had arrived in time to extract her and two other agents. Sadly, there was nothing they could do for the remaining four.

Still
, the whole mission ran through her mind every night, and with the information she’d gathered, Kate suspected a setup. But by whom...and why?

The driver turned off the freeway and took 820 north
, leaving the bright lights of the mid-cities behind. “If I’m going to be back in soon, at least tell me where you’re taking me.”

“I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

She had to reason with the guy before it was too late. “Listen,” she pleaded, trying to negotiate her way out of this mess. “You seem like a fairly levelheaded guy. And you know your stuff. You’re no amateur.”

His gaze pinned her
, and a crooked smile tilted the left side of his mouth. “I’ve been flattered before, Stone.”

“You really need to reevaluate what you’re doing. If this is as harmless as you’ve obviously convinced yourself, why not talk it out? We’re both smart people. Whatever trouble you’re in, we can figure a way out together.”  

“Nice try. But no.”

Anger cooked the blood in her veins. “Don’t be stupid. Kidnapping is federal. They’ll put you so far behind bars you’ll never see the sun.”

“God,” he said sharply, smacking his palm against the steering w
heel. “I knew I forgot something.” He gave her a hard, annoyed glare. “The damn duct tape.”

Kate squared her shoulders. “Go to hell.”

“That’s affirmative.”

***

Brody didn’t want to be in this situation. In fact for the last two w
eeks, he’d considered every alternative other than
abducting a federal agent. Perhaps his actions were inexcusable, and after this gig played out, when all the dust settled, his career would pretty much be over. Frank Hamilton, of Falcon Securities, would tear him a new asshole before tossing him out the door.

Neither his record as a damn good agent nor his experience, which had saved the day on countless missions would
matter.

Hamilton did things by the book. His book. And Brody’s plan didn’t have a chapter.

If everything went according to plan, A.J. and Stone would be home tomorrow, safe and sound. Brody would face the fall out alone. But it would be worth it. A.J. would be out of that drug dealer’s hands, and the CIA agent only a little put out for her trouble.

A string of lights dotted
the opposite side of the highway, and the full moon shone brightly. The tires hugged the road as Brody looked down at his watch. Right on time.

By all accounts, e
verything went like clockwork, except for Stone being a crazy CIA agent who wanted to kill his sorry ass.

He turned off 820 to I
-35 and headed northeast. Two miles down the road he exited right and drove five miles before turning left onto a dirt road. He went another fifty meters and then stopped behind the other Falcon agency vehicle.

Steely eyed,
Jake Taylor, another Falcon agent, got out and walked toward them. Brody didn’t want Kate to hear too much, so he exited the SUV and met his coconspirator in the middle of the road.

“You got her?” Jake asked, trying to see through the tinted windows. “She give you any trouble?”

“Hell yes, she did. She fights like a goddamned alligator,” Brody said, rolling his shoulder. “And meaner than a snake.”

“Told ya.”

Brody stepped closer and leaned his head back. “Is my eye black? Did she give me a black eye?”

Jake laughed. Of all the Falcon
agents, Jake was the most easygoing and yet the most deadly. “She did.”

“Son of a bitch!”

“Let’s get going.”

Jake’s chuckle chimed in with the hum of insects, and a howling coyote in the distance. “The plane’s revved and ready to go.”

“I’ll get her and meet you there.”

“Make it fast. If you want us to stay off the radar and away from air patrols, we have to get moving.”

“I’ll catch up with you.”

J
ake sprinted toward the twin-engine plane as Brody opened the passenger side of the car.

An owl hoot
ed somberly through the mesquite trees, catching his attention. Looking around, Brody saw nothing out of the norm as the smell of dirt and exhaust filled his nose. “Okay, we’re almost done.”

He released her from the seat
and cut the bonds on her legs, but he left her hands bound. Clasping her arm, he started toward the waiting plane. She limped a little but otherwise stayed with him.

When they got to the wire fence, Brody picked her up and placed her on the other side. He then stepped between the wires and they walked to the plane.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked for the millionth time. “At least tell me that.”

“Just a little trip over the
Mexican border.”

“Why?”

Jake stuck his head out the tiny cockpit window. “Get a move on.”

Brody stepped up the pace
, and when they reached the plane, he lifted her inside. He shoved her feet aside, and hopped on board. Sliding the door shut, he put his hands under her arms and lifted her into the seat. She moaned.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You hurt your shoulder?”

“No,
you
hurt my shoulder.”

That made him pause. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t hurt her. That he’d
return her safely back home as if nothing had happened. “It wasn’t intentional,” he grumbled. “You could’ve made this a whole lot easier.”

“Oh really?
I’m expected to make it easy for you to come into my home and kidnap me?”

“This isn’t really a kidnapping. I’m bringing you right back. All you’ll lose is a night’s sleep.”

“Really?” She tossed him a sour look of disgust.

The plane taxied down the remote, concrete runway and Brody let out a pent up breath when the
small Cessna lifted into the air and wheels came up. He fastened her seatbelt, then climbed into the seat next to Jake and stared into the blackened sky. “I hope we make it in time. That crazy gang is capable of anything.”

“Let’s just hope Frank doesn’t shoot us when this is over.”

“I know. But I’ll cover for you, Jake. I’ll tell him I held a gun to your head.”

“Oh yeah, like he’d believe
shit like that.”

“Maybe if all goes well, he’ll be so glad to see A.J. he’ll forget how it all came about.”

Jake shot him a disbelieving grin. “You’re shitting me, right? We got an ass kicking coming no matter what happens.”

“I know,” Brody replied. He stared out at the window an
d thought of his friend A.J. Was he still be alive? Were they torturing him? Not knowing frightened the living hell out of Brody and made day-to-day existence impossible.

Then o
f course, there was Kate Stone. Taking her hostage and bartering with her life to save A.J. was going to cost him big time. However, he had no intentions of letting Chavez near her. She was just the carrot to entice an asshole.

Hopefully, Frank would look at it the same way.

“Anyone mind telling me where we’re going?” Stone asked from the backseat “I have a right to know.”

“Taking you to meet up with an old friend. You two can celebrate and catch up on old times.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You will.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Kate clamped her hands between her knees to keep from shaking. Her stomach knotted and her muscles twitched. She nibbled her bottom lip as she tried to figure out why she’d been kidnapped. Where were they taking her? What were their intentions? All things considered, her situation didn’t look good.

She fought the urge to open the cabin door and
jump. For all she knew they’d use her and then have no reason to keep her alive. Plus, she’d seen their faces. She could identity her abductors. That wasn’t a good indication a hostage would be released in the end.

The direction of the plane told her they were headed
south toward Mexico. When they crossed the border, things might get more complicated, especially since she no longer had contacts in that region of the world.

Again
she’d give anything for her cell phone or some way to reach the agency to let them know she’d been abducted. Perhaps they’d help get her out of this mess. She was, however, reluctant to call in the big dogs since coming back from Iraq.

The horror of her last mission
didn’t come close to her present position. Yet, she hadn’t asked for this. Whoever this guy was, he definitely had a plan, and expected her to play a big part in it. She only hoped he’d thought this through carefully and told the truth when he said no one would get hurt.

Despite the pain in her feet and the discomfort of having her hands
tied, Kate rolled her shoulders then winced and tried to relax. While she had a period of forced inactivity, perhaps she could regain her composure.

Completely in the dark about the mission, Kate hoped for the best and
waited for the unexpected. God willing, they’d all walk away from this in one piece.

Over the roar of the Cessna, Kate
heard bits and pieces of the men’s conversation. Their body language indicated the pilot wasn't as keen on the idea of the abduction as her captor.

The
plane’s stale air and the scent of sweat mixed with a hint of the pilot’s cologne. The cramped quarters gave her little room to move. This aircraft was designed to carry two people.

The window on
the door gave her a view of dark skies, but little else. Behind her in the dim interior light, Kate made out parachutes, boots, a fire extinguisher, and assorted grappling lines.

For a small aircraft, the Cessna flew through the darkened sky
as smoothly as a boat in calm waters.

She kicked the back of her kidnapper’s seat
. He turned to look at her.

“What?”

“You have any water?” she asked. “I’m thirsty.”

“We’ll g
et some as soon as we land. Won’t be long. Maybe we can grab a margarita while we’re there.” 

“Don’t be a pisser, Brody. Give her
a drink,” the pilot said.

Brody
unscrewed the cap and passed the lukewarm water to her. She emptied the bottle in three large gulps. Looking around, she saw another full bottle rolling on the floorboard. She took it and stashed the water in the pocket next to her seat.

So, the guy’s name was Brody.

“She wouldn’t need water if she hadn’t decided to run a track race before I caught her.” Brody said.

She adjusted her feet.
“I always wake up thirsty. Don’t you?”

His hands flew up. “Okay, you
got water. Anything else?”

She wasn’t sure
to whom he posed the question, but she grabbed the opportunity. “Hell, yes. My feet are killing me, and I think you broke one of my ribs with that full frontal tackle you threw at me.”

The pilot spoke up,
“You said-”

“I know what I said. And I didn’t go in there with the intention to hurt her, but she’s not what I expected. She fights like a guy.”

Leaning forward, Kate replied, “How would you like me to fight? Like a girl?”