Page 14

Fourteen

The ATV came to a stop. She could feel it, despite her blindfold.

A hand dragged Cadee off the four-wheeler and pushed her into a building.

This place smelled like dogs.

The door clanged, and there was yet another click of yet another padlock.

Someone said, “Okay, take off the masks.”

Cadee worked off the mask, spotted Nick sprawled beside her.

They were in a dog kennel. Two German shepherds were in the kennel right next to them, running back and forth along the chain-link between them, sniffing hard, growling. The same dogs who had hunted her and Vince in the backcountry?

Hanging in the big building outside the two huge kennels were bite sleeves, even a bite suit. Tug ropes.

Guard dogs.

“Seven semiautomatics.” Nick whispered the words, pointing at the wall next to the bite suit. Two of the slots were empty though.

“Don’t talk to me. You’re the reason we’re in this situation.” She looked up. Chicken wire above them blocked their escape.

“No climbing out.” Nick backed up against the chain-link opposite the dogs.

“Shut up,” she whispered back.

“Hey, Clint, get in here,” the middle-aged guy yelled. How could he even wear that American flag shirt when he was holding her prisoner?

A blond, twenty-something militia guy came in. “Hey, Dad.” He stopped in his tracks. “What are we doing with people in that kennel? I don’t need all four shepherds in one kennel.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just get those dogs under control.”

“Eh, they’re just sniffing around. They’re fine right now.” He nodded over at Cadee. “Don’t put your fingers through the fence. That one looks like she’ll bite.”

He and his dad laughed as they walked into an office off to the side of the room. The younger man—Clint—pulled the office door shut, but not hard enough. The latch didn’t click, and the door swung back open a bit.

“Dad, seriously, what are we going to do when the other two shepherds finish their tour around the compound? We can’t have all four in the same kennel. They’ll tear each other up.”

“Don’t worry.” A file cabinet opened and shut. At least, it sounded like a file cabinet. “I’ll help you put up the separator in a bit.”

“Okay, fine.”

From the next room, an office chair gave a groan. From her vantage point, Cadee spotted Clint swinging his feet onto the corner of the desk. “Aren’t those the two people we were trying to get away from the new compound? What happened?”

The dad laughed. “Viper was told that woman was talking to an FBI guy and that we need to find out what she thinks she knows about us. Viper is coming, so we need answers before he gets here.”

Nick touched Cadee’s shoulder, cut his voice to a whisper. “Let’s get out of here.”

She gave him a glare.

“That skinny guy in there with the long face and fake fur collar on his jacket—he’s trying to build some tourist recreation that we don’t want around here. Boss is eager to meet him,” the dad urged.

Well, Nick was creepy, but he was right. They needed to get out of here. Before the boss showed up. She started walking around the tiny enclosure. Nick walked the opposite way around.

The dad snorted. “Feed Gunner and Cobra. Get them ready for their tour. Is Nathan ready to walk it with you?”

“Of course he is.” He swung his legs off the desk and walked out of the office. He pulled out steaks and fish from the mini fridge on the counter, then began to cut the steaks into bites.

“Dad, none of this fish came from that die-off river, right?”

“Of course not. Can’t believe Landon dumped that much chemical into the one river. We’re going to get attention.”

“I know, right? Viper isn’t happy at all, but Landon always says ‘Waste is waste.’” Clint tore up the fish, put some into each bowl. The dogs were running back and forth, whining, drooling, eager for the food. “Dogs sure love themselves some fish.”

His dad laughed. “Boy, do they.”

“I don’t see any way out,” Nick said quietly, behind Cadee.

Clint reached up into the upper cabinet, pulled out two chewy treats. He walked over to the dogs, lifted the cover over the wide, tall feeding slot in the door. He tossed one of the treats in with a chuckle. “That’ll keep you calm until I’m done with your dinner.” Then he walked over to Cadee and Nick’s enclosure. “Sit down.”

Cadee backed away from the chain-link, looking for security cameras. She’d give a sign, hope Vince somehow hacked into it. How would he even know to hack into it? Well, it was worth a try. And a prayer.

Nope. No security cams for militia with guard dogs, apparently.

The two dogs pounced into a wrestling match over one of the chewies. “Stop it,” Clint shouted at them. He returned to the counter to finish preparing their meals.

What else could she do?

The dad’s phone went off in the office. “Michael here…Hey, Viper. So you’re headed our way?” He stood and slammed the door to the office shut.

Clint scratched his nose, tilted his head at the rack of guns beside the office. “See? Viper is on his way in. Talk to him if you’ve got questions.” He snickered and followed his dad into the office, leaving the food on the counter. Another door slam.

“If they hadn’t taken my gun, we’d be out of here. We need to talk over this situation, Cadee,” Nick said.

She spun around. “We’ve talked enough already. Remember when I had to basically jump out of your car? You’re done.”

He pushed Cadee back, and she fell to the ground, snapped up to her feet again, her back against the wall. “If we don’t work together to get out of here, neither of us will escape.”

Something bumped up against the outside of the wall. She jumped away. Stood stock still in the middle of the enclosure.

Footsteps. Outside. And the murmured sounds of talking.

She started breathing hard. Was this the boss Clint had talked about? Militia coming in after them? She didn’t want to meet a guy named Viper!

“We need to get out of here. Now,” he said, clearly hearing them too.

Agreed.

She had watched the guy feed the dogs a treat in the next kennel, and Cadee and Nick’s door had a feeding slot too. Wide and deep enough for her arm. She pushed it open and snaked her hand up to the lock. Just a slide lock the dogs had no chance of using—but this kennel wasn’t built to contain a person. She slid it open, and the door swung wide with a bang.

Nick pushed past her, and she let him. No way would she follow him. She was getting out of here.

She took off for the door just as the dad smashed out of the office. He grabbed a gun off the wall and shouted, “You aren’t going anywhere .”

They crept up, whispering instructions, to the concrete building where Cadee’s tracker ring had led them. Vince pointed at the two doors on the building, and Rio stood on guard outside the front door while Jared stood at the other.

Logan had stationed himself just outside the compound, sneaking in behind Vince. Hopefully, they could grab Cadee and run.

He didn’t need the SJs, but Logan, Jade, and Skye had insisted on coming after Cadee with them, leaving the rest fighting the fire that had exploded just outside of Wasilla.

What on earth? A hollow whir zoomed above him. He glanced up. Oh. Jade had apparently brought her drone. Eye in the sky.

Rio stood beside the door, hand in the air, silently counting down from three. Jared twisted himself in front of the door, shouted, “Law enforcement!” Battered in the door with the flat of his foot.

Vince charged in, Rio and Jared right behind him.

A militia guy held Cadee at gunpoint.

And Nick was just behind Cadee.

They both held their hands in the air, and the militia guy pivoted the gun between the two of them.

Vince moved to knock Cadee against the floor and throw himself over her, but Rio aimed his gun at the guy.

Vince stopped, basically in the center of the room, looked around. A kennel held two dogs, barking, snarling, bashing themselves against the chain-link walls of the kennel, saliva dripping from their jaws.

“Vince!” Cadee shouted. Ignoring the man’s gun, she barreled toward him.

Vince threw himself at the old man, tackled him, knocking the gun away.

The man rounded, kicked Vince in the shoulder, and he stumbled back.

“Stay down!” Rio shouted.

Nick had grabbed Cadee by the hair and pulled her to himself. He dragged her to the dog equipment shelves on the opposite wall and pulled a gun out of a box on the shelf—the gun with the handle customized with NA in pearl. Nick’s personal revolver.

The older militia guy roared. “Clint, release the dogs.”

The younger guy ran past him toward the kennel, but Jared slid in front of the enclosure, aimed his gun at Clint. The dogs rammed against the chain-link, rattled at it, bit at it, trying to get at him. “Stay where you are,” Jared ordered.

“Calm down!” Nick shouted. Vince’s gaze snapped back to Cadee. She was twisting herself hard in the crush of Nick’s arms, kicking at him. Rio’s gun remained steady on the militiaman.

The older man lunged for his gun, still in the dirt.

Rio squeezed off a shot.

“Dad!” Clint raced to the older guy, falling to the floor beside his father. “No, no, no!”

Jared aimed at Clint now. But he didn’t shoot.

Wiping tears, Clint glared around at them. “You killed him.”

Vince sidled up behind Clint and grabbed his arms before he could rise. He pulled the guy up and padlocked him in the other kennel. The kid sank to the ground, hid his face in his knees.

Vince turned to Nick.

Nick looked between Rio and Jared. “You guys aren’t going to shoot me. You’ll hit your precious Cadee. Let us through. Then I’ll let her go. All good.”

His gaze landed on Vince.

Vince shook his head. “You were my trainer. You taught me to never trust the hostage taker.”

Nick laughed. “Wow. You didn’t lose your DEA training.”

Vince nearly stormed him. Nearly launched himself at him. But a look from Rio—and frankly, his own training—stopped him.

He leaned casually back against the chain-link enclosure. “Nick, we’re friends. Best if you tell me what was going on. Before backup gets here.”

“Ah. De-escalation,” Nick said.

“I don’t get it. We worked well together, had each other’s backs. I thought we were friends.”

Nick raised a shoulder.

“But now you’re holding my girlfriend hostage.” He shook his head. Cadee’s eyes flashed.

Yep. Girlfriend.

He winked at her.

In his peripheral vision, Rio and Jared inched closer and closer to Nick.

“Nick, how’s Beth? I haven’t seen your wife in a long time.”

Nick shook his head. “Living big, of course. Why I love her.”

Vince smiled. “I bet so. Not a lady to say no to.” Which was likely at least part of the reason Nick was in this situation.

Nick chuckled. “Yep. I bought her the cheapest house in the best neighborhood. Fixed it up. I won’t let her lose it.”

“You didn’t buy that house for Beth. You bought it for the two of you.”

Nick nodded, pulled Cadee’s ponytail tight.

She winced. “What does Beth do, Nick?” Smart question, to get the man’s mind off Cadee and onto his own life. Smart to use her name. A lot.

“She started a thrift shop. People love to come to it in our upmarket neighborhood—expensive clothes at a discount.” He looked over at Rio and Jared, noticed they’d been sneaking up to him. He jammed his gun into Cadee’s ribs. “Won’t let her lose that either.”

Vince pretended he didn’t see the gun digging into Cadee’s ribs. De-escalation. “Man, I don’t blame you.” He grinned. “Beth’s chicken-mushroom lasagna is to die for. I loved eating at your place those days.”

The sparest smile twitched Nick’s lips. “Beth made it whenever she knew you were coming.”

Yeah, then Nick had faked evidence against him. Some friend. He bit back that accusation, however.

Rio was nearly within arm’s length.

“And her cheesy garlic bread with it was perfect.”

“Of course. Why would I ever eat at a restaurant when I have Beth to cook for me?”

Vince gave him a gentle smile. “Beth…”

He let the silence sit heavy on Nick. Let him think of that beautiful, dark-haired woman he lived his life around.

Not Rio’s and Jared’s guns sneaking closer.

Not the gun he was holding.

Not Cadee.

The silence grew until he could see Nick could hardly breathe. His eyes were wide, the white showing all around the brown of his eyes. Now. “You’re going to lose Beth tonight. Lose everything. You know this isn’t going to end well.”

The man’s gun wavered.

Cadee must have felt it, because just like that, she twisted out of his grasp, dropped to the ground.

Nick roared, grabbed at Cadee.

“No!” Vince shouted, his hands up. “It’s me you want. For whatever reason. It’s me.”

Nick shifted, aimed his gun straight at him.

He nodded. “That’s right.”

Cadee scrambled away, then stood and sprinted to Logan, who’d appeared at the front door.

Vince boldly took another step closer to Nick’s gun. They’d trained this together. Nick had trained him. “Why have you put this all on me? You know I didn’t sign property documents. You know I haven’t skimmed from the scholarship fund.”

“Easy. The DEA looked at you before. They’ll look at you again.”

“I was innocent before. I’ll be innocent again. Because I was. And am. You’re going down, partner.”

Nick’s eyes narrowed.

“Hey,” Vince said quickly, a suspicion dawning. “I was just thinking, I never did meet your friend Landon. The confidential informant you used in Cali. What’s he doing up here in Alaska?” If Nick confirmed the connection, it was one more piece of the puzzle.

“Landon was an intel for me. He moved here to get away from the law. Found this militia group.” He shook his head. “What a stupid choice.”

“Yeah. They’re pretty crazy people, aren’t they?”

“Pretty smart. Funded. Connected like you wouldn’t believe.”

Logan had disappeared with Cadee and now peeked in the side door, pointed his thumb toward the end of the long driveway.

So the DEA was just up the road. And with Cadee out of trouble, this was ending. But not without explanations. “What are they up to here, Nick?”

His sudden laugh echoed through the building. “They’re good with chemicals.”

Vince’s head jutted forward in surprise. “Really?” He took a step closer. A second step. So did Rio from the left. Jared from the right.

The crazy laugh stopped. “You’ll see.”

Nick’s eyes flicked over to Rio, and Jared took advantage of that to also step closer. This conflict was mushrooming.

Vince looked at Rio and Jared and hoped his best friend—his former best friend—wouldn’t die. Even if he had set Vince up.

Just like he hoped Cadee wouldn’t die. Prayed she wouldn’t. He so wanted to try again at a future with her.

His breath caught in his throat.

They would fight for that future together, and that future was all about God.

Because everyone deserved a second chance.

“Come on, Nick. You wanted in on this awesome chemical project. You heard about it from Landon and manipulated the situation. Didn’t you? For Beth. You and Beth both live big.”

Vince caught the gazes of Rio and Jared, and they stepped forward. Again.

Nick’s mouth twitched. His eyes never left Vince’s. They were so red-hot it was obvious he wanted to turn him into a pile of ash. Then he swung his arm and aimed at Jared, but Rio kicked Nick’s arm from behind as he pulled the trigger. Jared jumped and grabbed his shoulder.

The gun hit the floor and spun away.

“Just a graze,” Jared called. “Just a graze!”

Vince launched at Nick, tackled him to the ground.

Nick tried to throw him off, but not this time. Vince put a knee into Nick’s back. “Stay. Down!”

Nick writhed, trying to escape, but Vince grabbed his arm, forced it back into an arm bar. Nick had taught him that too.

Nick cursed.

And Rio was right there, forcing Nick’s arms behind his back. He handcuffed him.

Vince rolled off him.

“I’m one hundred percent sure the rest of the militia team fled the compound when they heard the guns in here,” Jared mumbled.

“Hundred percent,” Rio said. “Calling Davis.” He headed to the dog kennel with handcuffs, where Clint had just crumpled in the corner and not moved since the death of his dad.

Jared rubbed his shoulder, pulled out his phone. “Calling AST.”

“And an ambulance,” Rio said, pointing at the spot on Jared’s shirt where the blood from the bullet graze still glistened.

Jared rolled his eyes, nodded.

Vince squatted, breathing, panting.

Cadee.

He stood up, jogged outside. There she was…at the truck talking to Logan.

Logan winked at him, moved to the van where Jade was steering her drone back to them.

He ran over to Cadee, scooped her up into a kiss. “I love you.”

Cadee took a deep breath with a grin. “That thing we were going to talk about—never mind. I love you too.”

And she kissed him. Or he kissed her. Whatever.

Sirens sounded in the distance.