Authors: Beverly Barton
"Do you expect me to leave you, to let them—"
He silenced her with a kiss. Quick, tender and totally effective. When he lifted his head, she simply stared at him.
Quiet. Pensive. She realized it would be no use to argue the point with him. Jake had made up his mind to sacrifice himself to save Gideon—and to save her. What he didn't know was that she wasn't the type to accept his noble sacrifice, at least not for her. Either Jake and she came out of this together or not at all. He wasn't the only one willing to put his life on the line for the people he loved.
"Jake... no matter what happens, I want you to know something."
He stared at her quizzically.
"I'm glad we've had this time together, despite the circumstances."
"Yeah, me, too."
Mariah slipped away from him and walked over to the window, raised the blinds and stared up at the dark night sky.
If only there weren't any bars on the windows. If only Agnes and Oliver hadn't shown up when they did. If only—
Jake came up behind her, slid his arms around her and pulled her back against him. He nuzzled the side of her neck and whispered her name. "Mariah. My wonderful Mariah."
***
Less than an hour later, Burgess unlocked the door and he and Lester stormed into the room. Burgess handcuffed Jake and herded him out of the bedroom. A leering Lester grabbed Mariah's arm and dragged her toward the door.
"I'm in charge of you now." Lester's broad grin revealed his crooked, yellow teeth.
Mariah swallowed hard. A tight knot of apprehension formed in the pit of her stomach. She hated having him touch her. He took such perverse pleasure in their reversed circumstances.
When the four of them reached the living room, Agnes was nowhere to be seen. Oliver issued the orders. "Cuff her, too. We want her treated as a prisoner for the time being. Put them in your vehicle and follow closely behind us. We're moving them to another position tonight. Somewhere we know they'll be secure. We're too close to getting what we want to take any chances."
Mariah stole a quick glance in Jake's direction and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was— that it wouldn't have mattered if she'd sent the SOS earlier. By the time the Feds could have gotten here, they'd have been long gone.
Neither Mariah nor Jake put up a fuss when Burgess and Lester escorted them to the Saturn SUV. Now was not the time to try for an escape. But Mariah would be waiting and watching for an opportunity, one less risky than the
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present situation.
Burgess opened the side door and shoved Jake inside, then he opened the passenger door, reached inside the glove compartment of the SUV and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. After tossing them to Lester, he said, "Cuff her, then toss her in the back with Ingram. You'll have to keep an eye on them while I drive. We don't want any screwups."
Lester eagerly manacled her wrists, then jerked her back so that he could easily whisper in her ear. "Just think of the fun we'll have later. You with your hands bound behind your back and my hands all over you."
Mariah glared at him. He laughed, then kissed her neck. She quivered with revulsion. When he yanked her around to face him, he grabbed her face with one hand. She knew he intended to kiss her on the mouth. Acting on pure instinct, she spit in his face. He stopped dead still, shock and anger etching his features.
He reached up and wiped the spittle from his face with his palm, then wiped his hand on his jeans. "A regular little spitfire, aren't you? That don't bother me none. All the more fun for me to tame you."
"Stop fooling around and get her in the back seat," Burgess ordered. "Dr. Payne is motioning for us to head out."
Les shoved Mariah into the back with Jake, then fastened her seat belt. And for good measure, he squeezed her left breast. Jake growled. Mariah turned to Jake and gave him a warning glare, sending him a silent message. Please, Jake, don't do anything stupid. Jake quieted and within minutes Burgess started the Saturn and headed out, Agnes and Oliver directly behind them.
In the darkness, Mariah couldn't see anything more than the outline of Jake's face and body, but she could feel him next to her. Feel his heat. Sense his concern. And somehow knowing he was there beside her made the uncertainty more bearable. Neither of them knew what lay ahead. But unless she could come up with an alternate plan, things didn't look good.
***
They traveled for hours, well into the night. Jake tried to take note of any road signs or markers on their route and he knew Mariah was doing the same. Undoubtedly their captors weren't concerned that Mariah and he might figure out where they were being taken. They had traveled a series of back roads where the traffic was minimal. Guessing at time, Jake figured they had headed up another mountain close to thirty minutes ago. Or was it the same mountain, just on the other side?
Jake prided himself on always being in control of his emotions. Never the type to open a vein and emotionally bleed all over the place. But seeing Agnes and Oliver again had stirred up a hornet's nest of deeply buried anger and hatred.
On some level—the primitive level—he wanted to rip out their hearts for what they'd done to his family. But the logical, sensible part of him knew that the best way to exact revenge on the ones who had taken away his family and stolen his father's life-long work was to bring down the Coalition.
When Burgess pulled the Saturn to a stop, Jake glanced outside, but saw nothing but a row of fencing and a large metal gate. The car following them pulled up alongside the SUV and within seconds a gate swung open and the car drove up a winding drive. The SUV followed. Ahead lay a small, isolated cabin. Not new. Not large.
When Agnes and Oliver exited their vehicle, she motioned for Burgess to roll down his window, which he did.
"We'll stay here overnight, then head out first thing in the morning. I'm lining up a better place to put Jake for safekeeping," Agnes said. "Bring them inside for now."
Jake rubbed his shoulder against Marian's. He wanted to find a way to reassure her, to remind her that things weren't hopeless. Even if he wasn't so sure himself, he didn't want her to give up hope. Odd how, despite her being such a strong, independent woman, he felt he should be her protector. She might consider herself to be his bodyguard, but in the deepest part of his masculine psyche, he felt that their roles were reversed. Or at least they should be.
Once inside the cold, dank old cabin. Burgess used his flashlight to locate the kerosene lamps that were apparently the only source of light for the place. After the lamps were lit, Agnes ordered Jake and Mariah separated. While he remained in the living room area, Lester took Mariah into what Jake assumed was the kitchen.
Agnes shouted out orders. "Burgess, build a fire in the fireplace and warm this place up. It's freezing in here. And, Oliver, go check on Dr. Brooks. Tell Lester to keep his hands off her."
Jake didn't wait for things to settle down before he repeated his former offer to Agnes. "Let's end this thing here and now. Take me to see Gideon, then set him free and I'll—"
"You are in no position to make a deal," Agnes snapped her reply. "Sit down and shut up."
"My offer won't stand indefinitely," Jake continued, disregarding her warning. "I'll be totally useless to you. Is that what you want? If Gideon is more important to you than I am, then just kill me now and get it over with. Otherwise, I am in a very good position to make a deal."
"Shut the hell up!"
Apparently Agnes didn't deal well with the cold, the dark and Jake's insolence. Keep pushing her, he told himself.
Force her to make a decision. Even knowing he couldn't trust her, he was willing to make a deal—he was willing to bargain with the devil if it might give Gideon and Mariah a fighting chance. The only advantage he had was using him
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self as a bargaining tool. Agreeing to cooperate fully with the Coalition was his only hope of getting Gideon and Mariah out of this damn mess alive. The odds weren't in their favor, but they were the best odds he was going to get.
"What's wrong, Agnes? Are you afraid I'll double-cross you?" Jake goaded her.
She marched over to him, slapped him soundly across the face and replied, "Do you take me for a fool? Of course, you'll double-cross me. As long as we have Gideon, you'll cooperate. If I set him free, you'd stop cooperating."
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"Stop playing games with me, Jake. I'm not releasing Gideon. He's valuable to us in many ways, not only for himself, but as a means of keeping you in line."
Jake grinned. "Then you won't kill Gideon, will you? If you kill him, you lose not only his usefulness to you, but you lose any power you might have over me."
Agnes uttered a feral growl as she realized she and Jake were at a stalemate. No winner. No loser.
"Gag him," Agnes said. "I'm tried of listening to his prattle."
Burgess obeyed instantly, then shoved Jake onto the sofa and gave him an if-you-move-you'll-be-sorry glare.
Leaning back into the dilapidated sofa cushions, Jake smiled to himself, then crossed his legs. He might not have won this round, but he was still in the fight.
Agnes turned and headed for the kitchen. As the door swung open, Jake wondered what was happening to Mariah.
He had to believe that she could take care of herself since at the present moment there wasn't much he could do to help her.
***
Lester shoved Mariah into one of the rickety kitchen chairs, then pulled out a chair and draped his legs over the seat as he eased down backward and placed his arms over the back of the chair. Oliver Grimble stood just inside the doorway, apparently keeping an eye on them and waiting for further instructions.
Lester rubbed his hands together. "Why the hell did we come here? This place is a dump. And it's freezing ass cold in here."
"We'll just be here until morning," Oliver replied. "And if I were you, I wouldn't complain in front of my wife. She isn't sympathetic to men who bellyache."
"A broad with balls of steel, huh?" Lester raked his gaze over Marian. "I like tough women. You must, too, huh?"
Oliver simply glared menacingly at Lester.
Mariah wondered what was happening in the living room. Was Jake all right? Before she had a chance to really worry, Agnes entered the kitchen. Oliver stood at attention.
"Lester?" Agnes's voice had a sharp edge to it.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"I want you to take our Dr. Brooks for a little ride."
Oliver snapped his head around and stared questioningly at his wife.
"I have no idea whether she's who she represents herself to be or not. And frankly, I don't care. What is obvious is that for whatever reason, she chose Jake Ingram over her loyalty to the Coalition. We don't tolerate that sort of disloyalty. Not for any reason."
"I take it that you don't want Dr. Brooks to come back with me," Lester said.
"That's correct."
"Well, well, looks like old Lester's been given a dirty job, but I promise I'll give you something to smile about before you die." He looked right at Mariah.
"Take her now," Agnes said. "And by all means, do whatever you'd like to her before you dispose of her. Just make sure you dump the body where it won't be found. At least not for a long time. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." Lester yanked Mariah up out of the chair. "It's party time, Doc."
No. It was decision time, Mariah told herself. If she screamed for help, who would hear her? Jake. And if he tried to help her, he might get hurt. So she was on her own. Better to wait until she was alone with Lester before she made her move. He would try to rape her first, before he killed her. All she had to do was wait for the right moment—then make her move.
"You seem awfully calm for a woman facing death." Agnes studied Mariah closely. "Lester, you'd better watch her.
Something tells me that Dr. Brooks has some misguided idea that she can persuade you not to kill her."
"Then she'd be wrong, Dr. Payne. I know how to follow orders."
"You'd better," Agnes told him. "Because if anything goes wrong, you'll pay for your mistake with your life."
Lester gave Mariah a shove toward the door leading into the living room.
"No, wait," Agnes called to him. "Take her out the back door. I'd rather Jake not know anything about this for now.
I prefer to tell him in the morning that the good doctor escaped during the night, that she left him behind without another thought."
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Damn the woman! Jake won't believe her, Mariah told herself. He'll know that I'd never willingly desert him. Please, God, please, don't let him lose faith in me.
Within minutes Lester had her out the back door and strapped into the front seat of the Saturn. She wondered if Jake could hear the vehicle's motor roaring to life. What explanation would Agnes and Oliver give him? They'd probably tell him they'd sent Lester off for supplies or some such nonsense.
Lester turned on the radio as he zipped the SUV down the mountainside. A country station blasted out a classic she-done-him-wrong song. Mariah held her breath as he took several dangerous turns at top speed.
"You're in an awful big hurry to kill me, aren't you?" she asked.
"I'm in a hurry all right," he replied. "But not to kill you. Not for a while. But I am in a hurry to screw you, Doc. And I plan to keep you alive long enough to tire myself out."
Mariah cringed at the thought. She was at a disadvantage with the handcuffs on, but all she needed was one opportunity—one chance to overpower Lester.
After they'd traveled halfway down the mountain, Lester pulled off on a side road. He drove along until the road forked. She saw the gated gravel road before he did, but the minute he caught a glimpse of it, he got out, then took a pair of wire cutters from the back and locked her inside the SUV. Within minutes he'd cut the chain and latch and swung open the gate, then he got back in the SUV and headed down the private drive. When they came to the end of the driveway, a large building loomed in the darkness. Mariah could make out the silhouette of a massive log cabin.