The Pregnancy Plot (Brothers In Arms: Retribution Book 2) (16 page)

Chapter Nineteen

Jase shoved his fingers down his throat once more and vomited the last of the poison from his system. If that ceiling hadn’t been leaking above him, waking him up with cold water on his face, he’d be out cold. Then he would’ve regurgitated in his sleep and choked on his own vomit. That’s how it worked.

Kip, or whoever the hell he was, would be free and clear to remove Nina from the island, to kidnap her. He was convinced that’s what Tempest wanted. Otherwise, Kip would’ve poisoned Nina’s sandwich, too.

What did they want with her? What did they want with her baby?

Someone flushed a urinal. “You okay in there?”

“Yeah, just puking my guts out. I’ll live.”

“Hope it wasn’t those sandwiches.”

No, just
his
sandwiches.

He waited for the other man to leave the bathroom, and then he staggered to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He grabbed a wad of toilet paper and blew his nose.

He pushed out of the stall and hunched over the sink. He cranked on the cold water and splashed his face, filling his mouth and then rinsing and spitting over and over.

Gripping the edge of the porcelain, he leaned into the wavy mirror. The distorted image that peered back at him matched the way he felt.

He headed back into the gym and grabbed two bottles of water. He downed the first one and twisted off the cap to the second. Almost all of the evacuees were sleeping while the storm raged outside.

Kip couldn’t have left the island with Nina, even though it had been hours since Jase passed out. A boat would’ve never lasted out on that sound.

He sidled up next to a window, boarded over with plywood, and put his eye to the crack between the pieces of wood. The wind had died down a little and the blackness had faded to graphite gray.

A few more hours and dawn would break over the island. The storm would be on its way out. Would the Harbor Patrol allow boats to leave for the mainland?

Would Kip be foolish enough to launch a boat from the wharf, where anyone could see him? Where he could see him?

If Kip thought his poisoned sandwiches had been successful, he wouldn’t be looking for Jase, but how would you get an unwilling pregnant woman onto a boat in the light of day?

Even if Kip knocked out Nina, drugged her, he’d have to carry her onto the boat. Too many people in this town knew Nina for Kip to get away with that.

He could take her from her own boat dock at Moonstones. Maybe he’d taken her back to Moonstones and they were there now waiting for the storm to pass. If Kip thought he’d killed his adversary, he wouldn’t be worried about him showing up. He wouldn’t be concerned about the Kleinschmidts stopping him, and there was no one else.

Jase felt a flare of hope. That made sense. Kip would take her to Moonstones, where he had a boat waiting for them—maybe even the Kleinschmidts’ boat, which he’d stolen earlier.

His gaze traveled around the gym. He had to get out of here. He had to rescue Nina and Will.

Keeping close to the walls of the gym, he crossed to the other side where double doors led to a causeway connecting the gym to the rest of the school. The organizers of the evacuation had wanted everyone to stay out of the school, but nobody saw him as he slipped out one of the doors.

Rivers of water rushed down the causeway and swirled around the drains and vents that couldn’t accommodate the deluge. Jase waded through the flood and turned the corner toward the parking lot. No cars had floated away, but nothing was drivable, either, as the water had reached as high as the wheel wells of the cars.

Had Kip and Nina walked out of here? They must have, unless Kip had stored a rowboat nearby.

He half walked, half slipped and slid down the hill to the main street, where windows had been boarded up and sandbags bunched up against the doors. The ankle-deep water slowed his progress, and when he got to the path that led to the other side of the dunes, he found a river of mud and sand.

He slogged through it all, one step at a time, convinced he’d find Nina at Moonstones.

The wind stopped howling for ten seconds and a streak of light pierced the horizon. Instead of filling him with encouragement, the abatement of the storm filled him with a terrible urgency. As soon as the storm broke and the dawn awakened, Kip would whisk Nina off the island.

If that happened, he would never find her. He’d never hold her again. He’d never have a chance to make love to her. He’d never look into her baby’s face.

He pushed on, battling the water and the wind and his own guilt for allowing her to be snatched away from him.

When Moonstones appeared, not much worse for wear than before the storm, he almost dropped to his knees. Instead, he hunched forward, the sand dunes concealing him from prying eyes at the windows of the B and B.

He approached Moonstones from the deck side, where the bedraggled yellow crime scene tape flapped in the wind. Tempest had planned this abduction months ago. Kip Chandler had been targeted and murdered, his identity stolen, and then the fake Kip had insinuated himself into Lou Moore’s life with booze and weed. It must’ve been laughably easy. Kip had probably convinced Lou to visit Nina for one more try at Moonstones, told her stories about his attorney brother and how he’d get the place back for her.

Tempest had found Nina’s weak spot and had gone in for the kill. Literally. What had poor Lou discovered about Kip at the end? What had Chris discovered? If Chris had gotten wind that Kip knew anything about Simon, he would’ve done anything to get to the truth—even put himself in mortal danger.

From the deck, Jase peered out at the sound. His stomach dipped when he didn’t see any boats at Nina’s or the Kleinschmidts’ docks. Nina’s boat was still sitting on the trailer by the shed in the back.

Holding his gun in front of him, he slipped around to the front and peeked in the windows. Everything was as they’d left it yesterday.

He circled the entire house but found no evidence that anyone was there now or had been there since they’d evacuated.

He dug Nina’s spare key from the dirt in the flowerpot on the porch and opened the door, his weapon still ready.

He didn’t need it. The B and B was empty. Kip hadn’t taken Nina here. He didn’t plan to haul her away on a boat.

Sinking to the arm of the love seat, Jase massaged his temples. Could it really be as simple as waiting and watching at the wharf?

It might not be that simple. Kip could be in disguise. He could conceal Nina in a trunk. His gut rolled again, but it had nothing to do with the poison that had already left his system.

What resources did Kip have on the island? He knew nobody. The police considered him a person of interest. He’d been posing as a drunk his entire time on the island, hanging out with Lou, telling her tall tales about helicopters.

His pulse leaped. Kip hadn’t told Lou about the helicopter. She’d overheard him on the phone asking about a helipad on the island. Maybe Lou’s habit of eavesdropping got her killed.

He rushed to the window and looked at the sky over the sound. He’d seen an orange rescue helicopter over the bay before. There had to be a helipad on the island.

And Kip had been inquiring about one because he planned to leave the island by helicopter—with Nina.

He holstered his gun and waded into the yard. The force of the water had knocked down the fence he’d been working on for Nina. That could be fixed, but once Nina boarded that helicopter and left Break Island, she’d be in Tempest’s clutches—and that couldn’t be fixed.

Jase didn’t have time to slog through two feet of water all the way back to town. He made his way to the shed on the other side of the B and B, where Nina kept a rowboat. That was the only way anyone was going to be maneuvering the streets for the next few days.

The water made it impossible for him to open the door of the shed, so he grabbed the ax he’d been using the day before and hacked through the wooden door. The water rushed into the shed and he followed it.

The boat was hanging from two hooks and he lifted it down and plopped it on top of the water. He unhooked two oars from the inside of the boat and floated out of the shed.

Rowing back to town went a lot faster than wading, but the light of another gloomy day had started to seep through the clouds. The streets were still deserted, although he spotted a rescue vehicle, its orange light revolving on its roof.

He rowed toward the vehicle. County workers were in the back of the truck, tossing sandbags over the side.

Jase yelled to them, “Hey, do you know where there’s a helipad on the island?”

They shrugged and shook their heads, but one guy pointed across the street. “Jeff probably knows.”

Digging his oars into the water, Jase maneuvered toward Jeff, who was knocking on the door of a business.

“Are you Jeff?”

The man turned around. “What are you doing out here?”

“I’m trying to find someone. The guys back there said you might know where a helipad is on the island.”

“Sure I do, but I hope you’re not thinking of taking a helicopter off the island. Even though the tail end of this storm is riding through, the air is still unstable.”

“No, no, I’m not, but that’s where my friend is.”

“The only helipad I know about is on top of one of the old warehouse buildings at the end of the pier at the town wharf. It’s past Ned’s Bait Shop. You can’t miss it. The other warehouses have peaked roofs and this one’s is flat and higher than the rest.”

“Thanks.” Jase had never rowed as a sport, but if he had, this stint would win him a gold medal.

By the time he hit the pier, he didn’t need the boat anymore. The water here had already receded, although it had left many of the boats in the slips at odd angles or lodged on top of the gangplanks beside the slips.

He stashed the boat by the bait shop and rounded the corner of a tall abandoned building behind it. When he looked toward the end of the pier and the warehouses huddled there, his heart stammered in his chest.

A yellow Bell helicopter was stationed on top of the last warehouse, its blades already spinning.

Of course, Kip would want an early start before boat and foot traffic swarmed the wharf.

Jase dropped his backpack and sloughed off his jacket. Clutching his Glock pistol, he ran toward the warehouses. She hadn’t left yet. She hadn’t left yet.

People emerged onto the roof and Jase dived against the side of the first warehouse. He had to maintain the element of surprise.

He darted to the next warehouse, looking skyward. He caught a glimpse of three people on the roof—Nina was one of them. So, Kip had help.

He launched himself at the fourth and final warehouse. When he reached the door, he found it locked with a brand-new padlock. With the butt of his gun, he broke off the lock and burst into the warehouse.

Kip hadn’t left any backup personnel, but what he saw on the floor of the warehouse made his jaw drop—a bed, food, all the comforts of home. At least Kip hadn’t hung Nina from the ceiling by her wrists, but the fact that he’d taken such good care of her scared the hell out of him.

The thwacking of the blades on the roof grew louder. He knew that sound—liftoff.

A set of stairs led to the roof, and Jase took them two at a time. He thrust the heels of his hands against the board covering the opening to the roof and scrambled through it, landing on his hands and knees in a puddle of water.

Nina was already in the chopper, and her eyes widened as she spotted him. Kip had one foot on the step and one on the roof.

Jase shot him.

Kip spun around and his dirty-blond hair fell over his eyes, making him look like the old Kip. He clawed at his waistband, most likely reaching for his weapon.

But the chopper pilot must’ve had his own orders because he lifted off the roof of the warehouse.

Jase heard Nina’s scream merge with the whine of the helicopter as it took off, Kip dangling from the doorway.

She couldn’t go any farther or higher or she’d be lost to him forever. He waved his hands over his head and yelled, “Jump! Jump over the water!”

Would she do it? Could he even ask her to? She could lose her baby, but if she went with Tempest, she would lose him anyway.

Jase waved his arms again and pointed down. Would she understand? Did she know what she had to do?

The helicopter lurched over the water, weighed down by Kip hanging on to the stands. It hadn’t gained much height yet.

She had to do it. Now.

As the chopper cleared the boats, Nina stepped over Kip, hugged herself and dropped into thin air.

Epilogue

Her eyes flew open and she convulsively clutched at the white sheets. A large, warm hand covered one of hers and she looked into the dark chocolate eyes of her baby’s new father.

Jase brought her hand to his lips and pressed them against her palm. “Did you have another nightmare?”

“It wasn’t so bad this time. I was falling out of a plane, but I landed on a puffy white cloud.”

“That’s a lot better than landing in a freezing-cold, choppy bay.”

“Not something I want to repeat anytime soon.”

“Not many people could’ve done it.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “You were incredibly brave.”

“I’m not so sure about that, given the alternative. The prospect of becoming a breeder for Tempest was not something I was relishing.” She shivered despite the warmth of the room and Jase’s touch. “How did they think they could get away with that?”

“They almost did.” He chafed her hand between his. “Tempest’s leader calls himself Caliban, and he’s certifiable. We have a dire situation on our hands.”

“Do you know... Did they ever find Kip’s body?”

“Yes. Technically, he drowned.”

“Who was he?”

He lifted a shoulder. “A Tempest agent we haven’t identified yet.”

“He killed Lou and Chris.” Her bottom lip quivered. “They must’ve found out something about him that night they were all together.”

“Kip’s not the kind of guy to leave loose ends.”

She smoothed the sheet over her belly and pressed her hand against her burgeoning bump. Holding her breath, she waited to feel some movement, some sign that Will was okay, not that she’d been feeling him move before her jump into the bay.

Jase traced her hand. “He’s going to be okay.”

“I’m scared.”

“I know. Me, too.”

“Are we ready to see what’s what?” Dr. Day bustled into the room followed by a nurse with a cart.

“I don’t feel any movement.”

“You’re not quite five months, so that’s not so unusual. Everything looks good from the outside. Now let’s see about the inside.” Dr. Day folded the sheet down and lifted Nina’s top to expose her abdomen.

She snapped on a pair of gloves, flicked on the ultrasound and held up a tube of jelly. “This is going to be a little cold and I know you’re trying to stay warm, so I apologize in advance.”

As the doctor spread the jelly over her bump, Jase squeezed her hand.

Dr. Day applied the paddle and circled her belly. “Ah, there he is.”

Nina’s head had rolled to the side and she was staring at the image so hard her eyes burned. “Is he okay? Can you tell? Is he moving?”

“Looks fine to me.” She winked at Jase. “Do you want to hear the heartbeat, Dad?”

“He’s not...” Nina’s eyes flew to Jase’s face, but he just grinned.

“Of course I want to hear his heartbeat.”

The
thump, thump
echoed in Nina’s own heart and her eyes brimmed with tears. “He’s okay.”

“I told you he would be.” Jase leaned over and kissed her mouth. “A little jump from a chopper isn’t enough to deter him. Maybe he’ll be a navy SEAL or something.”

“Stop.” She poked his thigh as a tear trailed from her eye into her ear. “I’m hoping he’ll be an accountant.”

Dr. Day clicked a button. “I just took his picture.” She plucked a few tissues from the box on the tray and wiped the jelly from Nina’s abdomen.

“I’ll have the nurse bring by the picture.” Dr. Day stopped at the door. “I understand you’ll be leaving the base here at Kitsap. Just let me know where you wind up so I can send your file on to your next ob-gyn.”

Jase cleared his throat. “Doc, that information is classified. We’ll be taking Nina’s file with us when we leave in a few days.”

“Understood, Lieutenant Bennett.”

“Haven’t heard that in a while.”

“Former Lieutenant Bennett.” She waved and shut the door behind her.

“You’re not even going to tell me where I’m headed, are you?”

He pushed back from his chair and sat on the edge of her bed. “As long as Tempest is out there, you and Will are in danger. Prospero will protect you until it’s safe.”

“When will that be, Jase? You don’t even know who Caliban is. You don’t even know his endgame.”

“We’ll find him, Nina. We’ll figure it out.”

“You?” She pleated the folds of the sheet. “You, personally?”

“Just like surveillance, hunting down Caliban is not my job, either. I thought I told you what my job was.”

“Personal security?”

“Otherwise known as babysitting.”

“And who are you babysitting this time? Some Saudi princess? A sexy German spy?”

He slipped his hands beneath her top and caressed her belly. “Naw, just a crazy pregnant lady.”

She grabbed his wrist. “You’ll be with me in the secret location?”

“I’m going to be right with you all the way, Nina. I’ll even be there in the delivery room and beyond, if you’ll have me.”

“Oh, I’ll have you, Jason Bennett, but we’re a package deal.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

* * * * *

Look for more of Carol Ericson’s

BROTHERS IN ARMS: RETRIBUTION
miniseries later in 2015,
wherever Harlequin Intrigue books
and ebooks are sold!

Read on for a sneak peek of

LONE RIDER

The next installment in
THE MONTANA HAMILTONS
series

from
New York Times
bestselling author

B.J. Daniels.

When danger claims her, rescue comes from the one man she least expects...