Unmasking Kelsey (17 page)

Mallory was a little pale now, and his eyes were dark and hard. “That bastard’s got her in the same building as the missile, with the
specialist
tinkering with the damn thing constantly.”

“You’re sure the warhead’s intact?” Derek asked.

“Positive. Or, at least, that it’s radioactive. That’s enough for me.”

“Me too,” Derek agreed dryly.

Kelsey thought carefully, gathering the questions they needed answers to. “Does Thorn stay at Meditron at night?”

“Always. He hasn’t left the place in more than two weeks.”

“The guards at the front gate are his?”

“Yes. They allow nobody in without a pass except me, and when I go in they always alert Thorn. Each of the four military buildings has individual security with soldiers posted inside monitoring the cameras outside each building. The doors to
those buildings can only be opened from inside; there are no windows.”

“Ventilation?” Derek asked.

“The system is completely enclosed; there’s no way of getting in through an airshaft.” Mallory had realized what they were trying to find out and briskly supplied the information. “The buildings were built years ago; they have concrete walls reinforced with steel. There’s a skylight in Building Three—where Thorn’s got the missile—but the roof’s covered with pressure plates that set off alarms if they’re touched.”

Kelsey looked at his partner. “So. We go through the front gate, or we don’t go in.”

“Are
you
crazy?” Mallory demanded. “When I go in he holds a gun to Jo’s head and waits for me to breathe too hard. And his specialist buddy is standing by the missile with a finger poised to launch the damn thing. If you came anywhere near—”

“If two federal agents came anywhere near him,” Kelsey agreed, “he’d likely go completely
off his rocker. But he’s a military man no matter what else. Career army?”

“So he said.”

“The army,” Derek noted idly, “is very big on inspections. Unscheduled inspections.”

Mallory’s eyes narrowed. “You think he’ll fall for that?”

“Why not?” Kelsey shrugged. “If you are sitting blamelessly at your desk, or else loudly threatening Thorn that you’re going to call the brass, he’ll think you haven’t acted as yet. And if Derek and I show up for one of those spot inspections …”

“He wouldn’t show you the missile,” Mallory objected.

Kelsey frowned. They needed advice from someone who understood the military mind. “Derek, are you ex-service?”

“Not military service,” Derek responded cryptically.

“Mallory?”

“No.”

Kelsey cursed softly. “Neither am I. We need someone who is. We have to have a good idea of
just how Thorn’ll react to an inspection. Whether he’d push the panic button, or just shift the missile around or hide it. He has to have a contingency plan for inspections; he wouldn’t be caught off guard by something that likely.”

“The last inspection at Meditron,” Mallory noted thoughtfully, “was about six months ago.”

“So he’d be ready for another possible inspection, wouldn’t he?” Kelsey shook his head. “If we only knew—”

“Then ask an expert,” a new voice suggested cheerfully.

Kelsey turned quickly, finding Raven smiling at him. Behind her in the doorway of the living room were Josh, Zach, and Teddy.

“We knocked,” Josh offered. “You were apparently too absorbed to hear.”

Completing introductions, Kelsey was wryly amused to note that Blaine Mallory, though clearly not overly impressed by federal agents, was certainly very impressed by Josh Long. He also gave Zach a distinctly wary look, and regarded the two women with baffled interest.

“How’d you find the house?” Kelsey asked Raven.

“Derek.”

Kelsey frowned a little, but understood when Raven stepped closer and touched his arm lightly.

“You okay, pal?”

After a moment, Kelsey smiled. “So he called you about me?”

“He was worried.”

“Well, I can’t really blame him for that.”

Raven smiled, but her eyes were sober. “So answer my question. Are you all right?”

“Getting there.”

Raven knew when not to push. “Glad to hear it, pal. Now, why don’t you introduce us to this lady of yours. She is here, isn’t she?”

Raven’s questions fell into a silence in the room, and Kelsey felt a sudden crawling chill. He looked at Derek, thoughts tumbling through his mind like leaves in the wind.

Derek, his face unusually still, glanced at his watch and then looked back at Kelsey. “Too long,” he murmured.

They found the note on the refrigerator, and Kelsey swore in a soft, bitter monotone while he read it. He felt cold and afraid, and his mind was numb. And, somewhere deep inside him, the solid walls shaken again and again since he had first met her shuddered a final time and collapsed.

He loved her. Dear God, how he loved her!

The others were quick and efficient in discovering that Elizabeth had taken her horse rather than her car, and it was Raven who remained close to Kelsey while precious moments were spent in making certain of her disappearance.

“If she took the horse,” Blaine Mallory said finally when they were grouped in the living room again, “she’s already there.”

Raven was watching Kelsey’s white face, and her voice was calm and matter-of-fact. “Then we assume she is. Kelsey, did she know what you were planning to do?”

“Yes.” He was staring at the note in his hands. “She knew Derek and I would try to bluff our way in.”

“Then she’ll be ready for that,” Raven said approvingly.

“And we came prepared.” Josh’s voice was also calm; he had considerable experience in dealing with men on the brink of deadly emotional explosions after more than fifteen years of knowing Zach. “General Ramsey was delighted to provide us with military uniforms and identification, two
complete sets. One is for you, Kelsey, and the other for Zach, since he’s ex-military and knows quite a bit about explosive devices.” He looked at Derek with a lifted brow. “Do you object?”

“No. I don’t know much about bombs.”

Zach, having just returned from their car, handed Kelsey a garment bag and said, “The car’s outfitted with military decals and otherwise looks the part. I say we don’t waste any time.”

Kelsey looked at him for a moment rather blindly, then said, “Yes,” and went away with him to change into the uniforms.

Josh looked at Mallory. “You know where Jo Conner is being held, and where the missile is?”

“Yes.”

“Teddy—”

“Right. Mr. Mallory, if you’ll help me, I think we can draw a diagram for Zach and Kelsey.” She asked the man to come over to the couch, and they both bent over the paper Teddy was rapidly sketching on.

Derek joined Raven and Josh, and looked at
Kelsey’s former partner questioningly. “What do you think?”

Raven was chewing on a knuckle. “I think we’d better get those ladies out of there fast.”

“Can Kelsey handle it?” Josh asked her quietly.

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” She sighed worriedly. “I just don’t know. If he hasn’t been too shaken up by all this, he’ll automatically fall into the part. But if he’s started doubting himself, or if he’s too worried about Elizabeth …”

“Her timing,” Josh noted dispassionately, “is rotten.”

Derek smiled a little. “Not necessarily. It’ll be a dandy diversion. And, between us, we may be able to overload Thorn until he isn’t thinking clearly. He certainly won’t have a lot of time to move his missile
and
Jo out of sight.”

Raven looked at him. “Can
she
handle it? You’ve met her; we haven’t.”

“She can handle it,” Derek replied calmly.

That obviously settled the question for Raven. “Good. She’s probably demanding to see her
sister. I would be. And Thorn will very likely take her to where Jo is.”

“He hardly seems the type to balk at two hostages,” Josh agreed. “Not with a missile pointed at a nice little town.”

Raven nodded. “And I imagine Elizabeth will keep him occupied until Kelsey and Zach can arrive. So far so good.”

“Unless,” Derek said, “Thorn folds under the pressure and does something stupid.”

Wincing, Raven said, “You could have gone all day without saying that, friend.”

Josh glanced at his watch. “The evacuation ought to be under way by now.”

Derek blinked, and his handsome face looked impressed. “Evacuation? Of Pinnacle? How the hell did you manage that?”

Smiling a little, Josh said, “Once General Ramsey was convinced that this whole thing couldn’t be swept under the rug, he got busy. Military personnel from Charleston are moving everyone quietly out of the town.”

“And if someone alerts Thorn?”

“They can’t. Power and phone lines to the town have been cut, there are military roadblocks, and jammers make it certain that no one could radio Meditron if they wanted to. The military might emerge from this with a black eye, but nobody will be able to say they didn’t move the citizens out of danger before sending in their—er, representatives—to tackle Thorn.”

“Neat,” Derek said in approval. He looked at Josh with amused, considering eyes. “Must be nice to have clout.”

“It has its drawbacks,” Josh retorted.

“For instance?”

Raven cleared her throat. “Well, General Ramsey wasn’t at all willing to have to admit that civilians went in to clean up a military mess, so he, uh, reactivated Josh and Zach.”

“Come again?”

“When Zach was discharged, he was a master sergeant,” Raven explained. “He’s now officially a major in the reserves. Josh, who was a major in the reserves, is now officially a colonel.”

“Should I salute?” Derek asked Josh gravely.

Josh scowled at him. “Not on your life. And don’t try it with Zach either; he considers it to be a personal affront that he was booted into officer country—even in the reserves—without so much as a by-your-leave. I think he’s going to have words with General Ramsey when this is all over.”

Derek looked at Raven. “They don’t favor the structured military life?”

“They don’t favor
any
structured life unless it’s their structure.”

“Ah.” Derek nodded with perfect understanding.

Josh gave his wife a severe look. “I just don’t like taking orders, that’s all.”

“Of course not, darling.”

Jo Conner was tall with short pale hair, a face as lovely as her older sister’s, and bright blue eyes. Bright blue eyes which were presently snapping with rage.

“Thorn, you’re out of your tiny mind! If you think Blaine will sit still with Beth held here—”

“He sat still while you were held.” Major Thorn was a man of medium height and a slight build somewhat disguised by his erect military carriage. He was about forty with brown hair going gray and gray eyes that were flat and hard.

After the first relieved embrace of her sister, Elizabeth had stood silent in the small room that had been Jo’s jail for the past two weeks and just listened. She felt incredibly alert and energized and, curiously, not frightened. Kelsey would come, and she meant to make certain that her presence here would help rather than hinder his efforts to stop this madness.

“You threatened Blaine,” she said now, gazing at the man who was holding a town unknowingly hostage; he had wasted no time in explaining his little toy to her. “But you can’t keep him under your thumb forever. You’ll push him too far.”

Thorn looked at her, smiling. His cold eyes were considering. “You’re Mallory’s woman, aren’t you?”

“No.”

Jo gave her sister a swift look, brief confusion replaced suddenly with curiosity.

Thorn was nodding. “Oh, yes, you are. I’ve heard the talk. He’ll sit still while you’re being held. I’ll put a gun to your head and watch him sweat.” One hand dropped to caress the army Colt he wore in a webbed holster.

Elizabeth felt a chill. “You can’t hope to get away with this,” she said evenly.

Thorn found that highly amusing. “My dear, I
have
gotten away with it. All I need are a few more days to finalize arrangements, and I’ll be sunning myself on some lovely tropical beach.”

The guard outside Jo’s room knocked briefly and stuck his head inside. “Call from the gate, sir. Could be trouble.”

“Excuse me, ladies,” the major said politely, and left the room briskly.

“Beth, what—”

“Shhh!” Elizabeth glanced around quickly. “Did Thorn bother with bugs in this room?”

Jo blinked. “I know every inch of this place,” she said with some feeling. “Four walls, a locked door,
no windows, an army cot, and a stack of very old magazines. There’s a bathroom through there—” she pointed toward a closed door “—without even a mirror. Believe me, this place is
empty
.”

It hardly seemed reasonable to Elizabeth that Thorn
would
have bugged the room: what could he hope to gain by doing so? But she kept her voice low on the off chance. “Listen carefully, Jo. Two federal agents are going to try and bluff their way into the compound; we have to be ready.”

After a moment, Jo backed up and sat on her cot, staring blankly at her sister. “You’re serious?”

A little dryly, Elizabeth said, “Thorn has a nuclear missile pointed at Pinnacle—what do you think?”

“Okay, okay.” Jo shrugged, the expression on her face revealing her sense of helplessness. “This whole situation’s felt unreal to me since they tossed me in here and started serving me lousy meals on a tin tray three times a day. What’s Blaine doing?”

“Helping the agents. I hope.”

“You don’t know?”

“I left before he got to the house. They were waiting for him there.”

Jo gave her a look. “Want to tell me why you’re not Blaine’s woman anymore?”

“I never was,” Elizabeth said mildly. “It isn’t my fault that people assumed.”

Slowly, Jo started to smile. “The federal agent! In two weeks? You fell in love with a federal agent in two weeks?”

Elizabeth had a sudden impulse to burst out laughing. It all sounded so insane! “No, not in two weeks. Since Friday.”