The Boys Club (7 page)

Guilt consumed Logan while he watched
Sara struggle with Jack. Her eyes begged him to help her, but he remained still
while the needle slipped into her neck and she faded away. He fought his
instinct to help her and reminded himself that it had to be done to save her
life.

As soon as both women were asleep, he jumped out of the car
and Carlos got in. Jack and Tuck dragged Sara and Mary out of the car and into
the cars that contained the teams assigned to them. Logan shut the doors to the
car, and Carlos climbed into the driver’s seat. Logan raced back to the car
that had Sara in the back and hopped in the front seat next to Lester. Right on
schedule, all three cars took off in their assigned directions.

Logan buckled his seatbelt and turned around to look at Sara
seated between Jack and Charlie. With her head leaning on Jack’s shoulder, a
peaceful sleep claimed her face. The easy part of the job was done. Now they
had to convince her that her father had taken a hit out on her and she needed
to cooperate with the FBI. Her whole world was about to be turned upside-down.

“Did you have to stick her in the neck?” Logan asked Jack.

“She was struggling and I couldn’t get to her arm. The
needle would’ve snapped in two had I tried.”

Logan frowned and kept his eyes on her, hoping Jack didn’t
hurt her too much.

“You okay?” Jack asked.

Logan nodded and shifted in his seat until he faced the
front again. According to Allie’s instructions, they would give her another
sedative as soon as she started waking from the first one, in order to keep her
out for almost a full day. If they could keep her asleep until after the
scheduled time of her wedding, she would have one less reason to fight to get
away. The wedding was scheduled for 1 p.m. tomorrow, which meant keeping her
asleep for just under 19 hours.

Everything had gone perfectly so far, but when she woke up
tomorrow afternoon, anything could happen.

He wished there was a way to have taken Sara without the
trauma of being kidnapped. During all the time they planned, he hadn’t thought
about how a kidnapping could affect both of the girls, but walking up to Sara
and telling her that her father was trying to kill her would never have worked.
Her security wouldn’t have given him the chance. He kept telling himself he was
saving her life, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there had been another way.

The panic in her eyes during her struggle with Jack did that
to him. Made him question everything they did and everything they were about to
do. They had never kidnapped anyone before, let alone two people. The complexities
of the job were difficult enough without having to see Sara’s amber eyes in the
back of his mind.

From the moment he saw her waiting on the sidewalk, he knew
she wasn’t caught up in her father’s business. She had no idea what he did or
how he got his money. She didn’t have it in her to set up Logan and his team,
nor did she have anything to do with Karen’s death. Yet he still had to treat
her as if she did until he confirmed otherwise.

“I talked to Schaffer before we left,” Charlie said,
interrupting Logan’s thoughts. “The safe houses are both well-stocked with food
and everything else. We could live there for a few weeks if we need to.”

“Thanks, Charlie,” Logan said without looking at him. He
didn’t want to see Sara’s sleeping face again. He shifted his attention to the
passing scenery.

An hour later, Lester pulled the car into the safe house
driveway. Though they had safe houses all over the country, they were all in
different settings. Some were apartments in the middle of a busy city block,
while others had more rural locations. The safe house they picked out for Sara
fell into the latter category. Sitting on five acres, it allowed plenty of
privacy. With four bedrooms on the main level, a fully furnished basement, and
a large, second-story loft, the house satisfied every need for their job.

Sara would stay in a secret room at the back of the house.
After Schaffer acquired the home, he blocked off part of the master bedroom
along with an entrance hidden in the back corner of the walk-in closet. Most of
their safe homes had similar rooms or hiding places for emergencies. Sara’s
room allotted her a separate bathroom and plenty of space, but before she could
sleep there, they had to proof the room.

Logan instructed Jack and Charlie to put Sara in a smaller
bedroom until they could finish preparing her room. He had Charlie stay with
her while he, Jack, and Lester went to work. They first removed all furniture
except the bed, relocating the furniture to another room. They then went to
work on the bathroom, removing the shower curtain and rod, the towel racks, all
items from the drawers, and the lid of the toilet tank.

After they cleared the bathroom, they took the mattress and
box springs off the frame and hauled the frame into the other room. Logan did
one last check throughout the room to make sure they had everything. There was
only one window in the bedroom, which Lester boarded up. Jack installed a new
lock on the door, one that could be locked or unlocked from either side using a
key.

Looking at the bare room, Logan felt disgust. They were
treating her like a prisoner, but they had little choice until she accepted the
circumstances of her kidnapping. As he gave Jack the okay to bring Sara in, he
hoped she would soon understand that the situation necessitated their actions.

“Schaffer said to turn on the news.”

Logan lifted his head off the back of the couch at Charlie’s
voice behind him. He had almost fallen asleep, having sat in the same position
for several hours. Lester had taken his shift to watch over Sara in her room,
while Logan and Jack passed time in the living room.

Charlie set a plate of sandwiches for dinner on the coffee
table. Logan picked up the remote next to him and turned on the television. He flipped
the channels until he came across a news broadcast.

The words “Breaking News” filled the bottom of the screen
and Logan’s heart seized. He’d assumed that once Langston and Mathers knew of
Sara’s disappearance, they would work quickly to find her, but seeing a press
conference already made him worry about their chances of success.

On either side of a man in front of the podium stood Hugh
Langston and Stephen Mathers. Logan caught his breath and pushed his anger
aside. He’d only seen Langston a handful of times since Karen’s death. A tall,
gangly man with wire-rimmed glasses, at first glance Langston didn’t appear
capable of causing anyone’s nightmares. Logan knew much better, as he once
underestimated Langston’s reach. Never again.

The bottom of the screen identified the man in the middle as
FBI agent John Shelby, who spoke to the cameras. Logan turned up the volume
with the remote and leaned back against the couch.

“…kidnapper or kidnappers have not yet been identified. We
are interested in speaking to the driver that picked up both Sara and Mary this
evening so we could get more information on where he dropped them off.”

“Could they be any more obvious?” Jack asked. “They want to
find you because they think you took them.”

“Good thing they have no witnesses to do a sketch,” Charlie
said. “Langston would recognize you in a heartbeat.”

Logan knew that even if Langston knew it was him who took
his daughter, the only way he would find Logan is if there was an informant on
the inside. Though the FBI was already investigating, Schaffer had far more
prominent contacts there than Langston could ever imagine. The agent with
Langston and Mathers probably had no idea that a couple of his higher-ups were
helping to cover Logan’s tracks.

A reporter shouted off an indecipherable question. “We have
not yet received a ransom demand,” Agent Shelby said. “Sara’s fiancé would like
to say a few words to the kidnappers.”

Mathers stepped up to the microphones. He looked far worse
off than Logan had anticipated. Reddened, tired eyes combined with constricted
facial muscles gave the impression of a man who experienced loss. Logan
recognized himself in the face that filled the screen. For the first time he
wondered if Mathers knew about the hit on Sara.

“I would like to speak to the man or men who have Sara and
Mary. Sara is my fiancée and we are to be married tomorrow. She’s 26-years old
and is very smart with a bright future. She has asthma and…” He looked down at
the podium. “We just want her home safe, so she can be with those who love her.
Sara is…” he broke off as tears streamed down his cheeks. “She’s… I can’t…” he
shook his head and walked away from the podium, wiping his eyes. A nearby woman
helped him away from the prying lens of the camera.

“As you can imagine,” Agent Shelby said, “this is a very
trying time for both Sara and Mary’s families. We ask for any witnesses to
please come forward and help find them. Thank you.”

Reporters shouted out unanswered questions and Logan muted
the television.

“What do you think?” Charlie asked.

“Mathers is sincere,” Jack said. “You can’t fake that.”

“You
can
fake it,”
Logan said. “I just didn’t expect him to be so good at it, if that’s what he’s
doing.”

“Why didn’t Langston speak?” Charlie asked. “And where is
Mary’s family?”

“They know Sara’s the real target, so they had her family
front and center,” Logan said. He snatched a sandwich off the tray on the
coffee table. “Langston didn’t speak because he can’t fake emotion, not like
Mathers.” He took a bite of his sandwich, happy to find it was turkey instead
of ham, Charlie’s favorite.

“Nah, man,” Jack said. “Mathers convinced me. He doesn’t
know anything.”

Charlie picked up the tray. “I think I’ll get a couple
sandwiches to Lester and see how he’s doing.”

Logan lifted his eyes to Charlie and watched him walk out of
the room.

“What’s going on with you lately?” Jack asked, sitting in
the recliner next to the couch.

Logan took another bite of his sandwich instead of
answering.

“You’ve been on edge, not acting like yourself. It’s like
this job is too much for you, not that anyone would blame you for—”

“I was sleeping with Allie.” Logan hadn’t intended to blurt
out the confession, but out of everyone, he trusted Jack the most.

“Doctor Connors?” Jack laughed, a reaction Logan hadn’t
expected. “No way.”

A corner of Logan’s mouth turned up. “Yes, way.”

“You lucky son of a—”

“Not that lucky,” Logan said. “I mean, yeah, it was fun, but
I never had any feelings toward her and she did for me and it all became a
mess. Then Schaffer found out—”

“Schaffer? Oh, man. That must have been hell.”

“More for her than me, I suppose. He told her I was using
her.”

“Were you?”

“Yeah, I was,” Logan said. “I told myself I wasn’t and I
told her I wasn’t, but the more I think about it, I definitely used her. I sure
didn’t mean to.”

“Well, if you meant to, it would tarnish your armor a bit.”
Jack shook his head. “Doctor Connors. Man, if the other guys knew that—”

“They don’t know and they won’t know. Ever.”

Jack studied him for a moment. “Karen was a good woman. We
all loved her. All of us lost something that day, and not just Karen. We lost
you, too.”

Logan blinked several times to stop the tears that welled in
his eyes.

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but there are other
women out there. Karen wouldn’t be mad at you for sleeping with Doctor Connors
or even if you found someone else to spend your life with. But she’d be pissed
as hell that you’re living like a zombie. It’s been two years, Logan, and
you’re acting like it happened yesterday.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s been ten years.”

“Time does heal, man, but only if you let it. This job is
opening up a lot of wounds. You have Langston’s daughter in the next room and
it’s a very bad reminder of the past.”

“I’m going to take some time off when we’re done here.”

“That’s the smartest thing you’ve done in a long time.
Besides baggin’ Doctor Connors, that is.” Jack let out a roar, and Logan
couldn’t help but laugh a bit himself.

“You know it’s not just Karen,” Logan said after the
laughter died down. “Something about this job is…” he hesitated.

“What is it?”

Logan shook his head. “Never mind. I’m not thinking quite
straight.” He had almost told Jack about the suspected leak. He knew Jack was
safe, but he didn’t feel comfortable telling anyone. If only he and Schaffer
knew, he could keep it contained.

Charlie came back in the room. “I’m going to relieve Les for
a bit so he can get some rest. It’s about time for his sleep shift.”

“How is she?” Logan asked.

“Still snoozing,” Charlie said. He set the tray with two
remaining sandwiches on the coffee table. “How are the sandwiches?”

“Fine, but I want to know where our steak is,” Jack said.

“I’m saving all the good stuff for Sara,” Charlie said.

“I need some fresh air.” Logan stood up and yawned. “I’m
going to take a walk around the back, make sure everything’s okay.

“Don’t forget your gun,” Jack said.

“I’ll get it now. If Schaffer calls back, let him know that
I need to talk to him.” Logan made his way back to the bedroom where he stashed
his go-bag. He retrieved his gun, then secured it in the harness he pulled on
over his shoulders.

When he stepped back through the door, he turned to the
right and looked at the door to the master bedroom. He walked through the room
and opened the door in the closet, where Lester greeted him.

“How’s she doing?” Logan asked.

“She’s good. Not a peep outta her.”

Logan crept to the bed and stood over her sleeping figure.
She seemed so peaceful, and he had to focus to see the rise and fall of her
torso with each breath underneath the blanket. Lost in merciful dreams, she had
no idea she was missing or that her father was trying to kill her. Logan wished
he could keep her in that state forever, but eventually she would have to wake
up and face the truth. No matter when it happened—tonight, tomorrow, in a
year—it wouldn’t be pleasant for her.

He moved back toward the door to leave, but paused next to
Lester. If they had a potential leak, Logan couldn’t leave Sara alone with
anyone for long. He needed to limit access to her, just as he told Schaffer he
would. There had been something on Langston’s face during the press conference,
something in his eyes. A nonchalance that almost translated into disconnecting
himself from the situation. He didn’t care that Sara was missing or if she ever
returned. Why would he? He had already planned on having her killed. He was
probably hoping some kidnappers had saved him the trouble and wouldn’t demand a
hefty ransom that he’d have to pay for show.

Logan’s other thought troubled him much more. Langston might
have been disinterested because he already knew Sara’s location. He had a mole
inside The Boys Club, someone who would reveal her location once they had a
chance, giving him access to both Sara and Logan.

No matter what the case, Logan had to be the primary face
Sara saw. The one she spoke with and confided in, once she believed them about
the hit.

“Les,” Logan said, “do me a favor. When Charlie relieves you
for your sleep shift, bring a mattress from one of the other rooms and put it
on the floor right here, next to the door.”

“You sleeping in here?”

Logan twisted his head and glanced at the sleeping girl he
had sworn to protect. “Yes, I am.”