Landry’s question about whether she’d thought about having babies popped into her head. The memory startled her all over again. Why would he ask that?
You were the one, Nessa.
She banished the thoughts. She couldn’t think about that right now. It was too overwhelming. Too unexpected. All this time she’d thought she knew how it was. He hadn’t cared. He’d walked away. Could she have been this wrong?
Stop it. Focus
. Olivia surveyed what she could see of the park. Their survival depended upon her keeping herself together right now. She couldn’t let anything else interfere.
At this hour the park was deserted. Echols didn’t get out of the car. He was waiting for someone.
Anticipation pumped harder through her veins.
Olivia couldn’t wait to identify whoever had betrayed both her and Landry. He would pay. She told herself that over and over. The anger helped her stay focused.
Most likely someone from the very agency to which she’d entrusted her life, for whom she’d carried out dozens of missions. How could none of that matter?
No make-believe this go-round.
Landry had parked their borrowed car in the trees near the entrance of the park. They were well hidden yet their target, in the parking area near the water below their position, was in plain sight. Moving closer would not be necessary until whoever Echols waited for arrived.
Her mind tried to drift back to her and Landry’s earlier conversation. She brutally lugged it back to the business at hand. Not right now. Again she reminded herself that the next hour or so was far too important to their survival for her to let anything distract her.
But the silence was driving her out of her mind.
“You never did tell me who lent you the house.” She’d been curious about that. He hadn’t mentioned it again. That seemed like a safe enough topic.
His eyes met hers briefly, but neither of them wanted to risk missing anything going on below. “The house belongs to Andrew. He bought it as a birthday present for his wife.”
She should have suspected as much.
“The Land Rover was his, as well?”
“No. That was mine.”
Was
being the operative word. The SUV was likely in about a hundred pieces now at some chop shop, since they’d had to abandon it on the less desirable side of town.
“You might be able to buy it back when it hits the black market.” A smile spread across her lips at his testy glare.
Then there was the problem that the car they were in was stolen. She hoped the owner slept in. Having the vehicle reported stolen this morning could cramp their plans.
More of that awkward silence.
She shifted in her seat, unable to just sit there. Between the anticipation of what would happen next with Echols and being shut up in this small car so long with Landry, she couldn’t sit still.
She needed air. “I’m getting out.”
Her cell phone vibrated. A new kind of tension coiled inside her. “It’s my phone.” She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and tugged it out. The flashing icon on the display indicated it was a forwarded call.
A call for Sheara.
“It’s Hamilton.” She didn’t need to wonder. No one else could possibly have that number.
Landry looked from her to the car parked down by the water and back. “Be very careful what you say.”
She nodded then opened the phone. “I’ve been waiting for your call.”
“Good God Almighty,” Hamilton gasped. “I’ve been trying for twenty-four hours to reach you.”
She wanted to believe him. He sounded sincere. “You had the number,” she countered.
“No,” he argued, “I didn’t. I sank your file three years ago, remember? That included all the information I had on your code name. I had a hell of a time tracking down this number in some of my old personal files.”
“Do you have useful information for me?”
“Vanessa, there are a lot of things I can’t explain right now, but I need you to trust me.”
She considered her response carefully. “That’s asking a lot.”
“No matter what happens,” he reiterated, “remember that you can trust me. And for God’s sake, whatever you do, keep your head down.”
Landry tapped his watch. She couldn’t stay on any longer.
“Sorry, Hamilton, but I have to go now. I have my own plans.” She closed the phone, severing the connection.
“We have company.”
Landry was right. Another vehicle had entered the park. A limousine. That most likely meant a high-level official. She did not want it to be Hamilton. And she really didn’t want it to be Woods.
Her heart bumped into double time.
“We need to move closer.” She was already opening her door when she made the suggestion.
Landry put a hand on her arm. “No sudden moves. Lay low and listen. This is reconnaissance only. We’re not prepared to make an aggressive move. Understood?”
“Understood.”
Emerging from the vehicle with an efficiency of movement and little or no sound, she and Landry stole through the thicket of trees surrounding the park until they reached a position within hearing range of their targets.
Echols had exited his Mercedes and now waited for his contact to do the same.
The driver of the limo didn’t get out. The rear door on the side facing away from their position opened.
Olivia held her breath.
Didn’t want to miss a word.
Maybe if her instincts had been as sharp as they once were…if she hadn’t let herself go soft for the past three years…then just maybe she would have heard the enemy’s approach from the rear.
But she didn’t.
Landry, however, did. But his attempt to protect her from the threat cost him any advantage he would have had.
“Drop your weapons.”
Her hands held out in the open, she turned slowly to face the man who’d issued the order.
“I said, drop your weapons,” he repeated.
She recognized him immediately as one of the four who’d shown up at the hotel the night before. Definitely not one of the ones she’d shot.
That was probably a good thing, otherwise she might be even sorrier than she already was. He’d brought along two of his friends. She supposed the party would begin now.
The guy with his muzzle boring into Landry’s skull barked, “You heard him. Drop your weapon.”
No agent ever wanted to give up his gun, but there were times when the choice was not your own.
Olivia knew Landry wouldn’t go first. Men and their damn pride. He would die before he’d throw down his weapon.
She, on the other hand, had a plan B.
She reached for her Beretta
“Left hand,” her captor cautioned. “Slow and easy.”
“Whatever.” She slowly reached, with her left hand, beneath her shirt and pulled the weapon from her waistband. She crouched with the same caution and placed it on the ground then kicked it a few feet away. She knew the drill. No need to make this part difficult.
Landry sent a sidelong glance in her direction, which garnered him a kick in the gut.
He doubled over and the jerk who had a bead on him snagged his Glock, checked it out before tossing it onto the ground next to Olivia’s weapon.
“Check for backup pieces,” the third man, the one who appeared to be in charge, ordered as he moved closer.
This one looked ready to snap Olivia’s neck just for the fun of it. Maybe one of the guys she’d shot was his brother or something. Whatever the case, he looked pissed.
Landry’s new friend was busily patting him down already, moving quickly and efficiently. No man wanted to linger when feeling up another dude so intimately.
On the other hand, her guy took his time.
She let him, didn’t resist. Maybe if he got a little too distracted he wouldn’t notice the knife tucked into her shoe.
The .32 Jeffrey had lost landed on the ground next to the Beretta and the Glock. She flashed Landry an annoyed look, and he shrugged. Evidently Jeffrey had dropped it in the SUV she’d rented and Landry had found it.
Her new friend had crouched in front of her. She spread her legs wider to facilitate his efforts. The wicked gleam in his eyes told her the tactic she’d decided to use was having its effect.
The man in charge reached into his interior jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Parker.”
About that same time her overinterested captor had discovered the phone in her back pocket. He leaned close to her and tugged it out, then dropped it into the pocket of his jacket.
You could always tell the difference between undercover operatives and those who were paid to capture and transport targets.
The latter always overdressed for the occasion. Suits and ties and shiny leather shoes. Please, this was awfully dirty work for such businesslike attire.
“He wants to see them first.”
This announcement came from the man who’d just tucked his phone back into his pocket.
She and Landry exchanged a knowing look.
Time for that debrief they’d fully expected.
The man moving his hands down her thighs abruptly stopped and stood, the triumphant glitter in his eyes letting her know how much he’d enjoyed his little game. She’d enjoyed it, too. He would soon know just how much.
“Turn around and start walking,” the boss ordered. “I think you know where to go. No sudden moves.”
She took her time, let the various possibilities for making an unexpected move play out in her head. Since the odds were looking like about five or more to two, they weren’t that good. But she’d take her chances.
No way was she going to die without trying.
W
ith her new friend one step behind her, Olivia moved down the hillside toward the Mercedes and the limo.
Landry’s shadow ushered him down the hill, while the one who’d given the orders moved ahead to meet the real men in charge and to receive additional instructions, most likely.
Olivia forced her muscles to relax, allowed herself to bump into her guard once or twice as if she were unsteady. He grabbed her by the arm with his right hand and yanked her closer, purposely jabbing the muzzle of his weapon deeper into her side. She didn’t resist. In fact, she kept the arm he’d manacled tucked close to her body, ensuring that his brutal fingers brushed the side of her breast.
She knew he liked it and she would use that to her advantage. A woman could always count on that one basic weakness in a man. Let him believe he was in control and you could lead him anywhere. The feel of the overlooked knife in her shoe provided undeniable evidence of her deduction.
As they neared the lower parking area near the manmade lake, the men who waited next to the limo turned to watch their arrival.
Olivia had known this moment was coming. She’d thought she was prepared for the reality.
But she wasn’t.
When Deputy Director David Hamilton’s gaze settled upon hers the rush of fury that lashed through her was like nothing she’d ever experienced.
It was him.
She’d refused to believe it…but it was true.
The loss of her life and career three years ago hadn’t been about Landry or anything he had or hadn’t done. It had been about the bastard standing before her at this moment. Hamilton and his cohort, Echols. The idea that the president had likely been in on it, as well, made her sick to her stomach.
“You set me up.”
Outwardly unfazed by her accusation, Hamilton merely shook his head. “I tried to protect you, Vanessa. I gave you a way out and you refused to stay dead.”
“You”
The rest of her words died in her throat when her keeper’s fingers dived into her hair and snapped her head back. “That’s enough,” he growled.
Hamilton shifted his attention to Landry. “As for you, Landry, you and your former superior should have stayed out of our business. I’d intended to take care of the three of you together, but, unfortunately, he wouldn’t wait. I’m certain his body will never be found.”
Olivia watched Landry from the edge of her vision; turning her head was impossible. He and Andrew Page had been close. Though he kept his emotions masked behind that cool, calm exterior, she knew he was ready to take Hamilton apart.
Talk about a sucky ending.
“I guarantee yours will be found,” Landry returned, the threat delivered so softly but with such lethal precision that even Hamilton flinched.
“Enough chitchat.” Hamilton turned his attention to the lead gorilla. “Kill them.”
“Wait!” Echols barged into Hamilton’s personal space. “You’re not going to kill them here, are you?”
Hamilton narrowed his gaze at the younger man. “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? You ordered me to eliminate anyone who had knowledge of the Al Hadi mission. Isn’t that right?”
Olivia tensed. Hamilton’s urging her to trust him…no matter what happened, nudged at her instincts.
Echols rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth as if somehow the move would prompt the proper response. “Well, yes, but not here.” He scanned the deserted park, with its encroaching forest and expansive lake. “Anyone could be hiding in those trees. We don’t need any witnesses that can connect the two of us to this.” He glanced in Olivia’s direction but quickly looked away. “Where’s your discretion, man? The president can’t afford this kind of scandal. The coming alliance is far too important. We can’t allow any risks. The elimination of two…” His voice faltered as he glanced at Olivia and Landry. “Some sacrifice is necessary, as you well know.”
Hamilton nodded. “Of course. However, I would have felt more confident had I received these orders directly from the president.”
Echols’s expression grew more flustered. “You know how busy he is, Hamilton. He has no time for these trivial matters. That’s why he has you and me. He doesn’t need to be involved.”
Olivia didn’t know about Landry but she was damn tired of being considered a mere sacrifice.
All she needed was one split second. A single opportunity facilitated by distraction.
If fate wasn’t going to hand her one, she’d just have to make her own.
Her guard still had his fingers coiled tightly in her hair. Still had her pulled firmly against his body, the muzzle of his weapon jammed into her rib cage.
Might as well make the best of it.
She eased slightly to the left, aligned her butt better with his aroused lower anatomy. Either the guy got off on causing pain or her plan had worked to this point. Careful not to make any sudden moves, she pressed her bottom more firmly into him. His fingers tightened in her hair but he made no move to push her away. If anything, he grew harder.
“If the president wants these two dead,” Hamilton was saying, “let’s get it done. I have other business to attend to this morning.”
Olivia heard parts of the conversation but mostly she was focused on how she could make this guy’s horniness work for her.
If she moved abruptly he’d surely shoot.
The gun was poking her rib cage on the left. Twisting right would work but she might not be able to move quickly enough. Did she have another alternative?
Landry beat her to the punch.
He and the guy holding him at gunpoint were suddenly on the ground.
Olivia’s keeper shifted slightly to see what was going on with his pal. The pressure from his weapon eased a fraction.
Olivia twisted to the right. Hurled herself around behind him, ignoring his grip in her hair. She reached between his legs and grabbed his scrotum with her left hand and the knife with her right.
His weapon discharged.
The bullet whizzed right past her forehead, which was sort of wrenched down to his side.
He howled as she squeezed harder.
His weapon discharged again and hit the ground.
Another shot echoed from somewhere but she couldn’t see the source.
She shoved her keeper forward, sending him off balance and to the ground. She scrambled for his weapon but didn’t make it.
The third man, the one who’d appeared to be in charge, was suddenly on top of her. He held her against the ground with one hand and aimed the weapon at her head with the other.
Fuck him. She wasn’t dying without taking him with her. Careful not to take her eyes off his, she moved her right hand into the best position she could for driving the knife into whatever part of him she could reach.
A heavy foot came down on her hand, pinning her weapon to the ground.
“Let her up,” Hamilton ordered.
Olivia’s gaze jerked up to his.
“Yes, sir,” the gorilla relented.
The pressure on her throat ceased. The guy on top of her got up and backed away.
“Leave the knife on the ground, Vanessa, and get on your feet.”
Her fingers unclenched, allowing the knife to drop to the ground. He kicked it aside then offered his hand.
She knocked it away and got up under her own steam.
Apparently several things had happened while she was rolling around on the ground.
Landry was on his feet, looking no worse for wear. His former keeper had a busted lip and a swelling eye. The man she’d given a good squeeze was over in the treeline puking his guts out.
It was the newcomer to the party that confused her. At first she didn’t recognize him. Then he spoke. She could have identified that British accent anywhere. Andrew Page. He was far more handsome than his picture.
But wasn’t he supposed to be dead?
“Excellent job, Hamilton,” Page commented with a smile, the weapon he brandished aimed directly at the head of Paul Echols who was, by the way, currently on his knees pleading for his life. What the hell was going on?
Landry looked from Page to Hamilton and back. “Does anyone care to let us in on the joke?”
Landry’s own accent reared its charming head when in the company of a fellow Brit, it seemed. Olivia felt a little quiver ripple through her muscles.
Echols’s pleas grew louder.
She still didn’t get this.
Hamilton frowned. “Would someone please gag that fool until he’s taken away?”
The only one of the three guys who hadn’t been injured jumped to obey. He yanked off his tie and silenced Echols. Olivia decided that there was something to be said for dressing up for the occasion.
When Echols had been restricted to a muffled moaning, Hamilton went on, “I apologize for the inconvenience this operation has caused the two of you. Andrew assures me that neither of you was in actual danger.”
Olivia clamped her fingers into balls at her sides and hoped like hell she’d be able to resist slugging one or both men. Not in danger? She thought about the raid at the hotel and what had just happened…they could have been killed!
“Which is more than I can say,” he went on, “for the men I had assigned to track your movements and bring you in.” He cut a look at Olivia when he said this.
Okay, so she’d shot a couple of guys. She thought they were trying to kill them. Anyone here would have done the same thing.
“So sue me,” she tossed at Hamilton. “You should have let us in on whatever the hell was going on. By the way, what the hell is going on?”
“According to Andrew, this operation had to appear real,” Hamilton explained. “I wasn’t even informed until twenty-four hours ago. Apparently the powers that be at Interpol as well as my own agency were convinced that if Echols was to be cornered, everyone involved had to believe this was the real thing.”
Olivia glared at the blithering idiot on the ground who’d begun to cry since he could no longer plead for mercy.
“Why don’t we start at the beginning,” Landry suggested as he dusted off his clothes.
“Good idea,” Olivia chimed in.
The guy who’d been puking had regained his composure and returned to the group. He shot Olivia a nasty look, to which she responded with a wink. This did not appear to make him happy. He and his cohort, the one with the busted lip and rapidly swelling eye, loaded Echols into the limo and climbed in to keep him company.
Page came over to pat his colleague on the back and offer platitudes while Hamilton appeared to gather his thoughts. Or maybe he was trying to figure out a graceful way to say what had to be said.
“Our friend Echols,” Hamilton said, resuming his explanation, “took it upon himself three years ago to clear a way for the former White House administration to do business with Al Hadi. Echols made this his personal mission. He wanted to ensure his advancement. But Al Hadi backed out on the bargain. He refused to submit to the numerous compromises in Echols’s proposed deal. Echols was infuriated and embarrassed. He decided the only way to save face was to doctor information he provided to the president, causing the former president to agree to an off-the-record elimination of brewing trouble.”
“My final mission.” Olivia filled in the blank.
Hamilton nodded. “Yes. Echols knew that all hell would break out in political and media circles, so he hatched a plan beforehand on how to deal with that. He would wait until it was too late to call you back in to tell me that the president had changed his mind. When you, of course, carried out your mission, he threatened to blame the Agency. To blame you.”
Landry came over to stand beside her. “So you gave her a way out.”
“I couldn’t let her take the fall for someone else’s mistake.”
Hamilton looked tired and old. Olivia realized then what a toll the past three years had taken on him, as well.
“Foolishly I shared my plan with Echols. There was no reason for me to believe that he wasn’t on our side. I was under the impression that the president was the one who’d caused this travesty. That mistake came back to haunt me recently when the talk of an alliance, with Echols at the helm, got under way.”
Olivia understood. “Echols didn’t want to take any chances on one of us coming forward with the truth about what happened.”
“Precisely,” Page confirmed. “I wanted to tell you the truth,” he said to Landry. “But I couldn’t risk that the truth would soften your reactions. We needed Echols to believe this was real in order to prompt his confession, otherwise we would have been back at square one. I had to leave you, as well as Hamilton and Woods, guessing.”
An epiphany struck. “That clears me.” The concept astounded her, shook her.
Hamilton smiled, one of those fatherly gestures. “That’s correct. I’m prepared to fully reinstate you, Vanessa, if you’re interested in working for the Agency again. Director Woods will be one hundred percent behind me.”
Page raised his eyebrows and sent Hamilton a knowing look. “I would say that full back pay is in order.”
“Absolutely,” Hamilton agreed.
Olivia couldn’t think. She felt overwhelmed.
The adrenaline had deserted her and she suddenly felt every minute of the insanity she’d been through in the past four days.
“Take some time,” Hamilton said to her when she failed to give him a ready answer to his offer. “Think about my offer, Vanessa. The Agency could use a woman with your skills.”
A number of realizations settled over her just then. Her life was in L.A. now. No question. As nice as it was to know the offer stood, she wasn’t interested. “No, thanks, Hamilton. I’m going back to L.A.” Saying it out loud felt damn good. “Vanessa Clark is dead. She should stay that way.”
He acknowledged her decision with a nod. “Very well, then. I’ll see that you get home.”
Home. Yep. She was ready to go home.
She told herself not to make the first move, but somehow, after all she’d been through, she couldn’t help herself. Her chest felt tight with the need to know what happened next…for them.
Turning her attention to Landry, she asked the question that burned all the way to the very depths of her soul. “Where do you go from here?”
He took a big breath, let it out. “That depends.”