Devil's Gold (30 page)

Fucking amateurs.

He pushed open the door and entered the log cabin. A light shone brightly from an opening in the floor. Nick pulled his gun from its halter and approached the hole cautiously, calling Jason's name. All he heard in return was the echo of his own voice.

The dank smell of the upper room tickled his nose, and he muffled a sneeze. He tested the metal stairs for soundness, then climbed down into the lighted room below.

“Well, I'll be damned.” Nick spun in a circle, absorbing the laboratory. He moved along the counters, opening and shutting drawers and cabinets. The place was spotless. He couldn't find any evidence of the CPV-19 production. Nothing.

Climbing back up the stairs, Nick made his way outside and down the path to the incinerator. He glanced toward the river, noting a trail of broken grass. Something metal flickered in the sunlight. Walking over, he bent and picked up a cell phone. With a flip of his wrist it opened and displayed a number.

“Fuck.”

It was the same number he'd been calling all morning. Jason's number.

He opened his own phone and dialed. Shaking his head, he flung Jason's phone into the air. This assignment couldn't get any more screwed.

“Yes?” Cole answered.

Nick took a quick breath. “There's been a complication.”

“Like what?”

“There's no one here at the lab. I found dried blood and signs of a body being dragged to the river. The lab assistant's cell phone has been discarded on that same path. The lab is spotless. Shit. There's no sign of life whatsoever or of CPV-19.” He waited and prayed none of this would be blamed on him.

“That is a bit of a complication. Do you think Fiske is still alive?”

“His car isn't here, and Jason's is. So, yeah, I think Fiske is among the walking.”

There was silence. “The lab assistant isn't smart enough to double cross us. Let's assume that the good doctor turned the tables on his demise and is on the run. I'll track him from here. I want you to destroy everything there.”

Nick frowned. “Why? No one knows this place exists.”

“And I want to keep it that way. Make sure there's absolutely no evidence of that underground laboratory left behind.”

Nick blew out a mouthful of air. “That's no easy feat.”

“That's why we pay you the big bucks.”

Fucking jerk. He flipped the phone shut and went to scrutinize the laboratory. How the hell was he going to destroy it? He sniffed and smelled the smoke from forest fires too far away to do any damage. A thought crossed his mind and his lips curled upward. He'd been trained to use his surroundings as a weapon, and that's exactly what he intended on doing now.

Beauty.

It abounded in the endless flowing waters of Yellowstone River. Sun glittered in fairy wings of diamonds upon its surface, causing an unexpected pang of longing within Cassidy. She craved a lazy day by the river and the security of her mother's voice.

Jake stepped into her line of vision, another beautiful sight. He spoke rapidly into his cell phone. His eyes roamed everywhere, searching for danger. They rested a beat too long on her, and her pulse did an invisible Irish jig.

Cassidy wanted to snap her blinders back in place. She desired to return to a life that revolved solely around work and held her heart and emotions at arm's length.

But that choice was no longer hers. Instead, a kaleidoscope of longing for a life she'd never attain threatened her normal stoic resolve.

Jake approached, studying his compass and consulting the sunlight and lay of the land. “We have about a one-mile hike to reach the edge of NWP's holdings.”

“I think I can handle that.”

“We'll be there before the sun sets.”

Cassidy picked up a canvas backpack that rested at her feet. “What's Steve doing?” Disappointment and an edge of uncertainty still rankled her after watching Steve fly off into the distance. His affiliation with Black Stripe grated and irritated what she'd considered the most solid relationship she'd ever been a part of.

“I've sent him to confiscate the transport plane and brief the rest of the pod.”

She studied his face. Her trust still less than comfortable. “You're pretty confident he won't be arrested.”

“Sunshine, he'll never be seen.” Jake headed toward the riverbank. “Time to find a piece of the puzzle.”

Cassidy followed his path. She had to admit she liked him, definitely too much for her own comfort. Somewhere in the past two days he'd found a way past her carefully placed emotional barriers and snuck in, rooting himself firmly beneath her skin. Beneath his brash and cocky persona, Jake was smart, funny, and intuitive … a dangerous composition of qualities that enticed Cassidy.

But he'd deceived her. “Thank God I didn't sleep with him.”

Jake turned around, slowing his pace and walking backwards. “Excuse me?”

Cassidy blushed and shook her head. “Talking to myself again, Captain.”

He narrowed his eyes at her use of his military rank title, then spun on his heels and resumed their previous pace. Cassidy grinned. She'd irritate him. Good. They moved quietly, settling into a comfortable silence. The sun filtered through the trees on their right, burning the top of her head.

Jake paused, checked the compass, and dropped his backpack on the ground. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. His T-shirt was soaked in sweat, the heat of the afternoon making conditions uncomfortable. Cassidy averted her eyes and attempted to ignore how his muscles rippled beneath the clinging cotton. “We're almost there. Just around that bend is the edge of the homestead.”

“This could be a wild goose chase.” She sighed and tried to balance her emotions. “I mean, what do we honestly expect to find?” Cassidy wanted answers, but it felt as if they were simply chasing a whisper of hope.

Jake squeezed her shoulder and offered her a lopsided grin. “A miracle?”

She rolled her eyes, stretched, and inhaled. The scent of cool water drifted off the river. “Let's make our way around that bend, then.” Ahead of them was a small bank of thick grass that swept around a cut in the river.

They moved forward and rounded the bend; before them lay a large clearing with an old farmhouse to the left and a number of dilapidated outbuildings toward the edge of the woods. Cassidy squinted and touched Jake's shoulder. She pointed toward the side of one of the outbuildings. A shadow moved.

Nick Fowler crouched behind the cabin and watched Jake Anderson jog around the bend. A thin line of sweat dripped down his cheek, and he wiped it on the edge of his shirt. The afternoon had been long and arduous, and the appearance of Anderson and Blondie complicated an already unbalanced agenda. First Fiske's vanishing act and now this surprise visit. The day continued to spiral down into another level of hell.

He flipped open his phone and called Cole. “They're here.”

“Who?”

“Anderson and that girl.”

Silence. Nick tapped his foot and twisted a small wire between his forefinger and thumb. He could hear a scratching noise through the line and figured Cole was scribbling as he threaded this recent intrusion through his mind. “They can be eliminated.”

He lifted his hands toward the sky, then clasped them together. “You sure?”

“Yes. The media's been alerted and her reputation sullied. At this stage of the game, anything she might submit to OPEC would be disregarded as petty.”

Nick cursed himself for possibly ruining his chances at playing but decided he'd rather be upfront than face the repercussions later. “I haven't found that geological survey you wanted.”

“Don't snuff before you have it; is that clear?” A deep rumble of laughter filtered through Nick's phone. “Once that's done, shut the bitch up and get back here.”

Nick's lip curled up. “Thank you.” He raised his fist holding the phone to the sky, punching the air in excitement. Placing the phone back to his ear, he verified the facts. “I'll have this area cleared within the next fifteen minutes, including Anderson and the doctor.”

“The geological takes precedence. Don't focus on the kill. We haven't been able to pinpoint the whereabouts of Fiske. When we do, you'll need to be dispatched to whatever location he's at. If Anderson and the girl don't give up the survey, leave them. They'll be taken care of later.”

“Roger that.”
My ass
. He hummed to himself, excited about the prospect of dirtying his hands.

He jogged around the outside of the log cabin, verifying all his charges were in place. The ground had been soaked with gasoline, so when the lab imploded the entire estate would quickly be consumed in flames. With it being dry, the fire would spread in rapid waves beyond this area and consume the woods. By the time the firefighters made their way to this quadrant, the laboratory would be completely demolished and hidden beneath the burnt remnants of its surroundings.

Nick peered around the bend in the river. Anderson and the woman were in a heated discussion. He smiled, his heartbeat increasing at the thought of pulling on her hair and staring into her eyes. He'd waste only a bullet on the man. But Blondie … she was special.

The ground vibrated.

A muffled explosion echoed from the section of the property they'd been monitoring. Jake grabbed her hand and raced across the field. An old log cabin shook on its foundations then collapsed, bursting into a huge ball of fire.

“What the hell?” Jake and Cassidy ran toward the house in the distance, the fire blazing a fast wave across the dried grass. He stopped as a figure stepped from the tree line, pointing a gun in their direction. The gunshot was swallowed by the sound of the raging fire, but there was no mistaking the thud in the ground next to their feet.

Cassidy tugged on Jake's arm and pointed toward the river. He shook his head. The water was running much too quickly for them to cross. She continued to tug on his arm. He ducked beneath the gunfire and followed her down the embankment.

“Help with this kayak!” Her voice was thin against the raging fire, and he had to strain to hear her. Flames burned across the yard, consuming the house with another explosion. “That fire is moving too fast for us to outrun. It'll burn straight across that road. We'll be trapped unless we make our way downriver.”

Another bullet whizzed past their heads. “This guy is relentless.” Jake helped Cassidy drag the kayak to the river edge.

“I'm jinxed. The world is out to get me.” Cassidy huffed and pushed against the back of the small boat. “What have I ever done to deserve being shot at? This is becoming a daily habit of mine.”

He grinned. “Call me an optimist, but I'm thinking we stumbled on something pretty damn important. This is no natural fire.” Jake tossed her a paddle and pushed them off the shore. The man behind them pursued, grabbing another one of the kayaks. “And I'm also thinking this guy is more than just an angry homeowner. Looks an awful lot like Cole's right-hand man to me.” He dipped his paddle in the water.