Page 19 of Trapped (Snowbound with a Stranger #2)

A Plan Forms

Eli

It had been a mistake putting me in a cell with Baron. The dark, dank place might have been disgusting, but leaving us there unsupervised was a rookie error. Hawkins should have known better, but hey, I wasn’t going to be the one to tell him.

It hadn’t taken Baron and me long to catch the other up on the main events that had happened in our lives since the last time we saw one another. Baron had stayed in the profession after I’d been pushed out, but for all his experience and intelligence, he hadn’t seen the ambush coming that saw him languishing in the grim cell.

“I should have known.”

Shaking his head, he practically snarled.

“Hawkins was always a slippery bastard. I should have guessed he’d try something like this, and now, thanks to my fucking phone, we’re both stuck here.”

Regret was etched into his distinguished features as his head fell forward.

“Come on,”

I chided lightly.

“That kind of attitude won’t help. Weren’t you the one who taught me that?”

“Yeah.”

He threw me a wry smirk as his chin rose.

“I guess so.”

“So, tell me what happened after I took the rap again?”

I sighed, recalling that ignominious day. I’d been sacrificed so those who’d really fucked up that night could go free, but while I’d guessed at who the culprits had been, I’d never known for sure. There was never any proof.

“Was Hawkins smug when I left?”

“He kept his cards close to his chest for a long time.”

Baron’s jaw clenched.

“He made it damn near impossible to pin anything on him, but I bided my time, and after fifteen months or so, I finally saw a chink in his armor and a chance to bring him down.”

“So, you did?”

A rush of triumphant adrenaline flooded my system, forcing me to straighten. Even though I was down on my luck and thoughts of what Hawkins might be doing to Erin still plagued me, I’d waited too long for that moment not to revel in every juicy second of it.

Hawkins had got what he deserved, and no one deserved it more.

“I tried.”

There was little glee in Baron’s voice.

“I collated all the evidence and was able to prove that he paid the guns-for-hire who sabotaged your final mission. When I took it to the top brass, there was no choice for them but to back me. The testimony I’d gathered was irrefutable.”

“And that’s bad how?”

Shifting on to my aching knees, I wondered why Baron wasn’t happier telling that part of the story. Sure, we’d ended up in a shithole, but surely, putting Hawkins in his place had been sublime?

“It isn’t bad.”

His expression relaxed a fraction.

“But it just wasn’t enough. The worm had an ally on an even higher pay grade than mine, and even though Hawkins lost the chance for promotion, he never lost his role, pension, or any of the other benefits. It just wasn’t right.”

“Typical.”

I spat the word into the darkness.

“Lucky brats like him are always the same.”

Pausing, an image of James popped into my head. That cocksure idiot had certainly got more than he bargained for when he’d planned a hike in the wilderness.

“But you confronted him, regardless. You shone a light on the cretin that he is.”

Despite my situation, there was a glum satisfaction to that ending. Hawkins merited being shafted out of public service, but at least Baron had managed to disgrace him.

“Yeah.”

Baron’s tone was wry.

“Hence the huge fucking chip on his shoulder about me. I bet he’s been looking for an opportunity to bring me down ever since…”

Beleaguered silence filled the suffocating cell for long moments as we both chewed on the outcome. Baron had filled in the gaps and confirmed my suspicions. Hawkins had facilitated my fast-pass out of active service and ended my career, but confirmation only brought more nihilism.

“So, that’s what brings us here.”

In the end, I broke the strained hush by joining the dots. The quiet only reinforced the hundred shards of unease knotting in my gut, each blade cutting deeper as the relentless questions flowed.

Where the hell were they holding us and how long would Erin be able to fend off a leech like Hawkins before serious harm befell her?

I knew the maggot well enough to know the things he liked to do for fun. Even when I’d been obliged to report to him, the man was damn near impossible to respect, though I’d had to fake professionalism to survive as long as I had.

“The only question now is what are we gonna do about it?”

I fired the query at Baron as though it was an accusation.

“I’m not spending the rest of my life rotting in this place, and Erin’s out there, Baron. She needs me.”

“You really like this woman, don’t you?”

Fixing me with a stare, his expression was solemn.

“Yes.”

It was oddly cathartic to admit so out loud.

“I like her, but regardless of my feelings, she doesn’t deserve Hawkins’ bullshit.”

Baron nodded.

“We can start by getting the hell out of here, then.”

That was his best answer yet.

“Good call.”

I smiled.

“Suggestions, sir?”

It had been a long time since I’d shown deference to anyone, but there were few people in the universe I respected more than Baron. That was why he’d been the one I’d reached out to when we’d been in trouble in the woods. We might not have stayed in touch, but deep down, I still trusted him. I knew he’d have my back.

“Can you take a look at the knot holding this rope?”

He yanked at his right wrist.

“I can’t see shit from here, but it might be possible to untie it.”

“I’ll try.”

The light in the cell was intentionally awful, but determination simmered in my blood as, ignoring the complaints of my screaming muscles, I lowered to examine the binds.

“The knot seems pretty basic. I’m guessing the person who locked you in here wasn’t counting on you having a cellmate.”

Baron’s face lit up.

“Are you saying you can undo it?”

“With the use of my hands? No problem,”

I answered.

“But like this…”

I gestured to my cuffed wrists.

“But you do have your hands,”

Baron countered.

“You just won’t be able to see what you’re doing while you use them.”

His eyebrow arched, as though he dared me to defy him.

“It’s not so easy to untie someone if you can’t see the rope, boss.”

My tone was unnecessarily sarcastic, but Baron matched my grin without protest.

“Not easy, no, but you were the best damn operative I ever had, Commander. You eat ‘easy’ for breakfast. If you can get this hand free, I reckon I can release the other one myself.”

My head rose at his praise. It had been a long time since I’d been showered in it, but I sensed myself bloom and was already turning on my knees and aligning myself with his bound hands as best I could.

“I’ll give it a go.”

“Good man.”

The old enthusiasm I remembered was back in Baron’s voice, oozing from him as he encouraged me.

“Find the knot with your fingers and do what you can to loosen it. We might as well put all this endless time to good use.”

Kneeling there in the gloom and tackling the knot wasn’t exactly the most comfortable task I’d ever been commissioned to endure, but he was right; I was capable. I’d dealt with a hell of a lot worse when I’d been out in the field. I guessed I was just out of practice. Either way, as I balanced on my screaming knees and tugged at the wound rope, I pushed my concerns for Erin to one side and focused on what I could do.

I could loosen the knot and I could get Baron free.

After what seemed like an intolerable amount of time, I finally felt the loop of rope loosen, and one end fell free.

“I think I’m getting somewhere.”

Twisting over my shoulder, I assessed the state of the knot, buoyed to see the progress I’d made. There was still one small knot to conquer, but things were promising.

“I knew you could do it, Rosen.”

His tone was nostalgic.

“I wasn’t blowing smoke up your ass. You really were the best.”

“I bet you say that to all the boys.”

Chuckling, I envisioned the obstacle in my mind’s eye as my fingers went back to work. Mentally, I visualized them resolving the knot with ease, my hopes rising as I felt the rope shift between my fingertips.

“I think I have it.”

“Let’s see.”

Shuffling around on my knees, I turned in time to see Baron tugging at his right hand. I watched in slow motion as the rope that had confined his wrist unraveled, cheering when he was finally able to yank his hand free.

“Great work!”

Elation echoed in his voice as he reached across his body and started work on the opposite wrist.

“Give me a minute, and hopefully, I’ll be able to start work on getting out of here.”

“I’m not sure it’s going to be so easy for me.”

Easing myself to my feet, I tried to stretch out my shoulders.

“Unless you have a key to these cuffs in your pocket?”

“’Fraid not.”

His voice was muffled as he twisted his body to focus on the task at hand.

“But we’ll figure it out. One of the goons in this place will have one. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the next one who walks through the door will be one of them.”

“Maybe.”

I liked his more optimistic tone, but I still wasn’t sure how being cuffed was going to help me wrestle the key from whatever moron currently had one.

“But I’m not going to be much use in a fight.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Satisfaction radiated from him as he pulled the rope free and rose from his chair. Spinning to face me, he looked every inch the capable guy I recalled.

“I’ve got two hands, and I’m not so old yet that I can’t fend off a couple of Hawkins’ minions.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

A quick scan of his body confirmed his confidence was well-founded. Baron seemed like he still spent hours in the gym every week.

“I’d just like to lend a hand.”

“You will.”

He sniggered.

“If you want to save this Erin, then you’re going to have to work for it.”

Smiling, I lifted my face to the ceiling. Not for the first time, Baron was right. I’d helped to free him, and in return, he’d cover my back until I could defend myself. It was almost like old times.

“I’m not afraid of hard work.”

Resolve settled over me as I met his eyes.

“I remember.”

He paced toward the door and assessed the cell’s security.

“It was one of the things I most admired about you, Rosen.”

“One of the things?”

I probed sardonically.

“What kind of locks does this place have?”

“Standard shit.”

He blew out a breath.

“We’re going to need one of the fuckers to open the door for us.”

I’d guessed as much.

“I could lull them by playing dead on the chair when they arrive while you take them by surprise from behind the door.”

“Good thinking.”

I swore I saw the old twinkle gleaming in his gaze as he rose to his full height.

“They’ll never know what hit them.”

“They could be armed,” I warned.

“But not smart,”

he reminded me.

“I’ll disable one and have his weapon before the other one has time to call for his mummy.”

These paid gun-for-hire types were all brawn and no brains.

“We’ve got this.”

The assurance in Baron’s tone washed over me.

“We’ll be out of here soon enough.”

With my old boss on his feet, a length of rope in his hand and his old confidence returned, one thing was obvious. Hawkins had underestimated us, and together, we were easily a match for him. We knew it, and I suspected deep down, Hawkins did too. He was just too arrogant to be so self-aware.

The only thing left to settle was how long we had to wait for company and how precisely we enacted our supremacy.

I prayed Erin could hold on until then.