Storm Warning (Security Specialists International Book 4) (34 page)

“DJ’s mom was kidnapped off the street in Elk City by some militia types.” DJ stiffened against him; her whimpered cry, muffled against his back. He patted the hand on his abs. “They shot Scotty.”

Fear-based adrenaline raced through Tweeter’s bloodstream, wiping out any remaining fog in his head. “How badly was he hurt? Did they hurt Nancy?”

“Scotty’s fine. He took a bullet to the upper left chest. It missed everything crucial.” Price snorted. “The old salt wanted to go after Nancy himself. Ren said the doctor had to sedate Scotty. Nancy wasn’t hurt from what the witnesses told the sheriff’s deputy.”

Tweeter let out a relieved breath when he heard Scotty would be okay. But his concern for DJ’s mom twisted him up inside. Nancy might not have been hurt, but she had to be terrified.

“Price, how could this have happened? When did it happen?” DJ’s voice was emotionally charged.

Tweeter turned and pulled her against his side. The look on her face—one of bewilderment and fear—made him want to howl and then rend and tear the fuckers who put the look on her face.

“As to how? No one figured anyone would try to take Nancy in broad daylight with an armed man at her side. As to when. Less than ninety minutes ago. Ren didn’t contact us until they were sure Nancy had actually been taken out of state. The FBI has already been alerted as has Homeland Security since this is being classified as a home-grown terrorist act because of the militia involvement. Your mom’s necklace tracker is working. Keely is following it in real time. The kidnappers are still in the air.”

Price took a breath. “Ren will give you a full sit rep as soon as you call him back. I’ve changed course. We’ll fly into the closest air strip to Red Bone that can handle this jet. Our ETA is two hours. We’re closer than the assclowns flying from Idaho. If everything goes smoothly, we could even beat them to West Virginia.”

“That’s good. Thanks, Price,” DJ murmured. She was so pale, Tweeter was afraid she might fade away.

He reached for her, pulling her across his lap, and then cuddled her chilled body against him.

“She’ll be so scared.” DJ shivered. Tweeter pulled the bedclothes up even further until she was cocooned by his body and the blankets. “So worried about Scotty.”

“They won’t have her long. I promise.” Tweeter rubbed his cheek over her hair as she cried almost soundlessly against his chest. He felt so helpless when she cried. “Price … DJ and I’ll get dressed. We’ll call Ren back. Then I’ll spell you in the cockpit so you can eat and catch a battle nap.”

“Roger that. I could use a cup of coffee ASAP, if you get a chance in the next few minutes or so.”

“You got it, buddy.” Tweeter hit the intercom off and rocked DJ. “We’ll get her back.”

“I know, but…”

She looked up. Her wet eyes held a feral look. His warrior-woman was coming alive right before his eyes. Nothing kept her down for long.

“This is gonna end this time.” Her words were a vow. “Momma deserves her new life. I’m making a life with you. So my effin’ father and his fricking pals need to be history.”

“I agree.” He cradled her jaw and wiped away the few tears left on her cheeks with the edge of the sheet. “But we need to let the law handle their punishment.”

“I know.” The initial panic and fear in her eyes was gone and replaced with icy rage. “But if my fucking father has hurt her, I’ll handle him.”

“And I’ll help you.” Or, he’d just handle it. He wouldn’t allow DJ to kill her father. She might not want to acknowledge it, but the act would destroy something inside her.

Tweeter placed a tender kiss on her lips, then touched his forehead to hers. “Promise me. Whatever our operational plan ends up being, you’ll be careful. I don’t want Sean Varney getting his hands on you.”

“Ace, I can only promise to be as careful as I can.” DJ traced her fingers lightly over his black eye and bruised jaw as if reminding him unexpected shit happened. “If Sean gets in my way, I will take the fucker down with my teeth and nails if I have to.”

Yeah, she could do it. But he had a really bad feeling about this clusterfuck and planned never to let DJ out of his sight. Nancy’s kidnapping was all about luring DJ to within Sean Varney’s reach—and the fucking plan was working.

Mid-Day, February 26, Appalachian Regional Airport, Williamson, West Virginia

Emotions under a tentative lock-down and her mind focused on the job ahead, DJ sat next to Ace as he landed the SSI jet at a regional airport built on reclaimed strip mining land, eight nautical miles east of Williamson, West Virginia. This airport was much closer to Red Bone than the Mingo County Airport and would cut their driving time in half.

The weather service chatter droned in her ears as she worried her lower lip. Conditions were deteriorating. Currently, there were streaks of snow on the asphalt strip. The snow would remain until the wind blew it away or it melted. There was no snow removal, no maintenance of any kind, at this unattended airport.

While the runway was manageable for now, even more snow was in the forecast with strong winds and accumulations of more than three inches.

Worried about what the conditions might be like later, DJ asked, “How does this jet handle a short runway in bad weather?” Then she gasped out, “Hell, is that a bear?” She pointed to the right of the plane as Ace taxied to the tie-down area.

“Yep. Big fucker, too.” Ace adjusted to avoid a collision with the running bear. His hands were steady on the yoke and he didn’t even blink at the wildlife that could’ve damaged the expensive plane. “Never know what you’re going to see in small rural airports. As for the jet, let me and Price worry about it. We’ve flown in and out of a private strip in Elk City in some fairly dicey snow conditions. We know what this baby can handle.”

Ace pulled into a space next to another plane, a Cessna, in the process of being covered by a tarp and tied down.

“Ah, Loren and Paul beat us here. Good. They’re supposed to bring us winter clothing and gear.” He turned toward her. “Risto took Callie back to Michigan with him. She sent some clothes for you.”

“When did you talk to Risto and the others?” DJ took off the headset she’d used to monitor the weather conditions. She’d be glad to get some winter-weight clothes that fit better than Ace’s jeans and long-sleeve t-shirt. She was already feeling drafts where his clothes were too big.

“When I relieved Price in the cockpit while you were cleaning up.” A warm glow in his eyes told her he was recalling why she had to clean up.

Their lovemaking seemed as if it had happened days ago instead of hours. The news about her mother’s kidnapping and Scotty’s injury had dampened the satisfaction in a mission accomplished and the happiness of having Ace safe and sound in her arms. Adding to her emotional roller coaster were the obstacles tossed into the path of getting to her mother quickly. The lousy weather across the southern U.S. had forced them to stop for fuel en route to West Virginia in Mobile instead of Atlanta. While there, they’d had to wait to hand O’Riley over to someone from the DIA, flying in from their originally planned stop in Dallas. So, instead of beating the kidnappers’ to West Virginia, they were now about three hours behind.

Her tissue-thin control over her emotions shredded as a feeling of pure dread feathered over her skin like a thousand spiders. Was her mother in pain? Was she scared? Was she even alive? Unlike the implanted trackers which operated using the body’s natural electricity, her mother’s tracker was in a necklace; she could be dead and the tracker would still send signals.

There’s no reason to kill her.

There’d also been no reason to beat DJ and her mother all those years, but her father had done it anyway.

Worrying was useless and a waste of energy. DJ forced the damaging thoughts out of her head and stood. “I’ll wake up Price.” The other man had opted to take a battle nap after the refueling stop in Mobile. “And open the cabin door so Loren and Paul can deliver our gear.”

Being former SEALs, Paul and Loren had probably brought enough weaponry and communication equipment to mount an invasion of a small country. She’d also spotted a large HumVee parked in the tie-down area. It looked to be a military vehicle, and she had to wonder what favors Ren, or Colonel Walsh, had to pull in to get it delivered to this small, out-of-the-way Appalachian airport.

“I’ll just finish my post-flight checklist.” Ace looked at the airport layout. “With no mechanical or fuel services readily available, I’m not taking chances with our best way to get out of here quickly.”

“Good thing we topped the tanks in Mobile,” DJ said.

“Yeah, we’d play hell getting quality jet fuel out here in this weather.” Ace grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. “We have more than enough fuel to get us the hell out of West Virginia and to Lexington. We can spend the night at a Lexington airport hotel and take care of—”

“My momma if she’s been hurt. I’m praying hard he hasn’t hurt her.”

But when had prayer ever helped? Her father was bone-deep mean. He liked preying on the weak. Though, the fact her mother had survived all those years and gotten DJ away from him proved who the really strong person was in the Poe family.

Bending over, DJ rested her forehead against Ace’s and breathed him in, let his mere presence strengthen her. She didn’t have to fight the upcoming battle with her father and the Varneys alone. Yeah, she could’ve done it, but it was nice to have backup. It wasn’t a sign of weakness to lean on a partner, especially when that partner was the man who loved you as no one else ever had.

“I love you,” she whispered. “You complete me.”

“And I love you, but you know that.” He leaned back. His gaze traveled over her face and settled on her mouth. “Dahlia Jane, you’re going to bite a hole clean through that lower lip if you don’t stop fretting.”

He pulled her closer to him and placed a light kiss on the lip she’d been worrying ever since Price had told them about the kidnapping. So much for thinking she had her emotions under control.

“Nancy’s a strong woman. She’ll know we’re coming for her. She’ll do whatever she did to survive the bastard for all those years to keep herself as safe as possible.”

DJ cradled Ace’s lean jaw. “I’m glad you’re here to cover my ass in case I fuck up. This is too personal, and I can’t seem to keep my fears from rising to the surface.”

“You won’t fuck up. I have complete faith in your ability to act and react under stress. You rescued me after all.” He patted her bottom. “But, yeah, I’ve got your ass covered. The rest of the team will cover both of ours.”

“I know,” DJ said. “I needed to let you know I was feeling kind of shaky.” Especially coming so close on top of Ace’s rescue from O’Riley’s clutches.

“My mom always said ‘a burden shared lightens the load.’ Of course, she usually pointed that out when one of us kids wasn’t carrying our weight in chores.” He winked.

DJ chuckled despite her roiling emotions. “Still applies, though.”

Ace gently kissed her one last time and then turned back to the controls. “As soon as I finish this checklist and we tie down and cover the jet, we’ll go get your mom and kick your father and his assclown friends’ asses.”

“Damn right we will.” DJ left the cockpit.

****

Outside Red Bone, West Virginia

The smoke coming from the chimney of her childhood home was the only sign of occupancy. Not even the motion detectors on the exterior security lights seemed to be working. The power had to be out, and her father was too damn cheap to run the generator he had in a shed near the back of the house.

However, the chills chasing down her spine and settling in her belly warned her something was … off … about the whole scene. The tracker in her mother’s necklace indicated she was inside. Yet, the cabin not only looked, but also felt empty.

DJ edged closer to Ace, appreciating his warmth and the solidity of his body. His keen gaze examined the house as if he could see through the walls. If he spotted anything out of the ordinary, he wasn’t talking.

To be truthful, she didn’t want to hear what he thought about the cabin. Just as she’d been with Dev and Andy, she was embarrassed that he saw where she’d come from. While Ace liked and respected her mother, her mother was an angel who’d risen above the life Al Poe had put her through.

But DJ was another story—she had more than her mother’s blood running in her veins.

The reality of DJ’s origins sat in front of her and was further underlined by the actions of her father and his lowlife friends. This place—Al Poe—would always be part of who she was.

Thanks to her mother, DJ had gotten away before her father’s abusiveness had tainted the good her mother and teachers like Mrs. Binkley had instilled within her.

Still, deep inside her lurked the shadows of her beginnings in Red Bone—dwelled the remnants of the angry, scared girl who’d never understood why her father hadn’t loved and protected her.

Now, as those dark childhood memories and insecurities surfaced, she had Ace’s love to dispel the shadows and warm her soul. She rested her head on Ace’s shoulder, watched the house, and impatiently waited for their next move.

“Coming in.” Loren’s voice came over the headsets they all wore.

Loren and Paul moved like dark wraiths through the knee-deep snow, keeping to the trees so anyone who might be watching from the cabin couldn’t easily see them.

Price had remained with the Hummer hidden in a copse of trees near the entrance to the road leading to the cabin. If anyone approached, he’d let them know.

The dark-haired Walsh twins hunkered down next to their younger brother.

“Sit rep,”Ace said.

There was no doubt who was in charge of this rescue operation. Her man had taken the reins of leadership from the time they’d met up with Loren and Paul on the tarmac. After the time she’d spent with the Walsh family, she’d had some concerns his older brothers wouldn’t cede to Ace’s leadership, but they had with only a couple of raised eyebrows between them.

“No one moving around inside that we could see,” said Loren. She knew it was Loren, because his eyes were green. Paul’s were blue. Other than that distinguishing feature, the twins were the same height and approximately the same weight. “The fire’s banked in the main room’s fireplace. No vehicles parked out back or in the barn.”

“Did you see any signs around the house of coming and going since this last snowfall?” Ace asked.

“None,” Paul replied this time. “What tracks there are have been filled with fresh snow. Same as we saw on our approach to the cabin.”

“That means no one has been in or out since shortly after they landed in West Virginia with Nancy.” Ace turned to her. “You think your father would leave your mom locked up all by herself for that long?”

“He’s done it before.” DJ’s stomach churned at the thought of her mother trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey, cold and alone in the dark. “The last time I was here, he had her stashed in the unheated attic bedroom.” She stood and dusted the snow off her pants and coat. “Or, it could be her necklace is here and she’s not.”

Ace uncoiled from his kneeling position, then took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He didn’t let go. Somehow he sensed she needed his touch. “Let’s make sure she isn’t here.”

“If she’s not?” Paul asked as he and Loren followed them across the large open area to the front porch.

DJ answered, speaking into the headset, her voice carrying only as far as her microphone, “Then we travel a couple of hollers back toward Red Bone and pay a not-so-neighborly visit to the Varneys. There, we might need all that firepower you brought. Varney always has his militia home boys in residence.”

“Man, I’d love to kick some militia butt.” Loren sounded elated. “Haven’t had a good fight since we kicked South American drug-lord-minion butt in Osprey’s Point.”

“Hoo-rah.” Paul high-fived him.

DJ shook her head at the twins’ glee over a potential firefight. Personally, she’d rather sneak in and get her momma out before any shooting occurred.

So far, they hadn’t seen or heard from the FBI or Homeland. Obviously, her mother wasn’t the Federal agencies’ priority or they would’ve come here first. Most likely, the Feds, were using her mother’s abduction as an excuse to get into the Varneys’ compound and find evidence to make a case for terrorism.

DJ suspected the two agencies were setting up in front of Varneys’ place and playing whose political penis was bigger than whose. As far as she was concerned, the Feds could stay out of her way until after she had her mother back.

Upon reaching the porch, she stooped down, lifted a board, and retrieved the front door key. When she went to put the key into the door, she noticed—“It isn’t locked.” She glanced at the men surrounding her.

“Isn’t that normal?”Ace asked. “Rural folks often don’t lock their doors.”

“Not in my memory. My father always had cash or drugs or moonshine stored under the cabin. He wouldn’t leave it open for any yahoo to come in and rob him.”

Loren and Paul had gone instantly alert, raising their guns ready to respond to whatever they might find inside. She pulled her Beretta.

Gun in one hand, Ace nudged her gently to the side. “Let’s not be in front of the door when it’s opened,” he muttered.

Loren stood to one side of the door as Paul turned the handle and shoved the door open from his position on the other side. The door slammed into the wall behind it; the sound of the wood hitting wood was like a crack of thunder.

Nothing happened. No booby-trap explosion. No shots. No yelling. The only sound was of the wind whistling through the pines and the crackle and pop of the dying fire in the cabin’s fireplace.

Loren addressed DJ over his shoulder. “Is your father or his buddies smart enough to use a delayed, motion-activated booby trap?”

“Don’t know. Probably not.” She inhaled deeply and smelled wood smoke and—death. “There’s something dead in there. Ace—” She couldn’t keep the tremor of fear, the panicky gasps, out of her voice.

“Let Loren and Paul go first.” Ace pulled her into his side with his free arm and covered his brothers’ backs.

Before Ace had finished speaking, Loren went in high and Paul low.

Loren’s terse “fuck” had DJ breaking free of Ace’s hold and rushing into the cabin.