FlakJacket (20 page)

They pulled into the rustic cabin without incident. Jordan could find no sign of the surveillance team around them; that was good. His own men were staying in the other cabin on the property, and he set up a perimeter detail and began the round robin that would protect Madison. Tim had demanded to be on the detail much to Jordan’s dismay. The man needed to rest, but he would have none of that.

The police had notified him that the case of his assailant was done, so he felt better. Things could be falling into place. He carried their things in as Madison went exploring through the place like a small child. It was small, but it had everything they needed, and her eyes lit up with the thought of decorating it. “This is lovely, Jordan.” There was a huge fireplace that took up one wall, and large, cushioned seats and couches before it. Colorful rugs covered the floors, and a modern, out of place kitchen made meals a breeze. The hallway boasted three bedrooms and two baths, one off the master suite, and one shared between the other bedrooms. There was a reading room with a billiard table that she planned to try as soon as she could. She wasn’t very good at pool; she bet that Jordan would be a whiz at it.

The wrap around porch overlooked forests and a small pond that was covered in ice. She wondered if Jordan could ice skate. She could, and she determined she would be out on it without his knowledge at some point. He tried to stay his hand, but his protectiveness just wouldn’t be corralled. Her safety meant everything to him, and the death of his first child made that an understandable thing. Someday, she would push him too far—she knew that. She had seen him angry, but never furious, and Tim had told her that she didn’t ever want to see him that way. She would pay a price.

Within two days, the place had been transformed into a Christmas wonderland with lights and wrapped packages. Madison had found the perfect tree for Jordan to cut and drag into the cabin. Now it had twinkling lights and ornaments on it and wide ribbon wrapped around it; it was a sight to behold. Jordan couldn’t remember a prettier tree. He took pictures of the place on his phone; he had no idea why he did that, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

He had taken her shopping in the next town, making sure that Tim was with her at all times when he wasn’t. He had some shopping to do of his own. She came home loaded with gifts. She must have bought out the whole store; Jordan laughed at her expression when he played hardball with her about her spending, but he couldn’t keep a straight face. She pummeled him for his trick. She was making him permanently happy—an unknown feeling for him. He had always been serious and reserved.

Madison was a child again, dancing around the cabin, feeding him cookies that she had baked, smearing him with chocolate, and showing him outfits for their son and decorations for the nursery she would plan when they got home.

While he was gone from his home, he had ordered that construction begin on the nursery that Madison knew nothing about; the architect was refinishing the interior of the house, and advanced surveillance equipment was being installed. The nursery was off the bedroom where he had first taken her. It would be his son’s room.

Christmas eve found them sharing a meal with wine for him and water for her and opening presents. Madison planned an open house for Christmas day with presents for all Jordan’s men and a buffet style meal, too, for the FBI protective detail. The only men who were staying were those with no families, but that decimated the staff that Jordan had to protect his wife.

Madison lay curled in his lap, her new, soft robe wrapping her in comfort as she sat before the burning fire. Jordan held her, and as he did, he noticed the knife wound on his arm. There was no trace of that wound—not even a scar; how in the hell could that happen? It defied medical practice. The marks on his chest and side were also almost gone. He touched her face with some reverence; he was a believer. What other powers lay within her?

He found his hands slipping beneath her robe to her naked form, his fingers rubbing soft circles on her stomach. The baby bump had become much more than a bump as her due date came closer. He leaned in to kiss the place where his son lay. “I’m going to miss this, but I guess I get a boy to replace it, right?”

On his right hand was the gift she had given him, a signet ring with his initial and her initials on the inside. He had given her carte blanche on furniture for the baby’s room and had shown her the architect’s designs for the house. It was a blank canvas for her to paint. “I love the nursery. You know that, don’t you, Jordan? It’s going to be a very special place for a very special child.”

He kissed her temple. “Let’s hope so.”

“I can tell you this, Jordan. He will be born. I have seen him, and he looks just like you, only a miniature version. I have seen him with you.” Jordan looked surprised.

“So there is a future for us, then.” She nodded. “I’ve seen us together, so whatever this threat is, it will not prevail. I want you to remember that, no matter what happens.”

“You did say that things could change though. I don’t want to get overconfident; I just want to eliminate the threat to you and to him.”

“I know.”

“I need to formalize our union, Madison. There are issues of inheritance for me.”

“No. No wedding, no fuss.”

Jordan was surprised. “You don’t want to marry me.”

“I am committed to you; you claimed my body, and there will be no one else for me, ever. I don’t need a piece of paper to say that.”

“What if I do?” She pulled out of his arms and looked down at him. He was clearly taken with the idea of her becoming his wife.

She put her head back down on his chest. “For you, I will do it. But for now, it will be between us—no announcements until this threat is gone.”

He nodded. They drove to a Justice of the Peace’s house the next day and recited their vows. She wore her thin, gold wedding band on a chain around her neck. He used his signet ring as his, moving it to his left hand. Nothing outwardly had changed, but everything inwardly had, and he knew it.

In the first days of the New Year, Jordan left the cabin to drive to a nearby town. He had a client who needed his personal attention on several business acquisitions as to their Internet and building security. He felt comfortable leaving her, as the staff was once again at full strength. The new work on his home would be done for March, right before the baby was due. He planned to leave in the morning and be back early that evening.

Madison sat reading on the couch; she was surprised to hear a knock at her door. When she opened it, the head of Jordan’s protective detail stood there.

“Jonathan?”

“Sorry, to bother you, Ms. Kelly, but Jordan’s been hurt. You’re to come with me.”

The color ebbed from her cheeks. “Get Tim for me, please. I want him to come, too.”

“He’s not available right now, Miss. He’s already gone to Jordan. You need to come quickly.”

She reached out her hand to bring him into the cabin, and he jerked back, fear now in his eyes. Those eyes seemed to cut a path right through him, and a calm came over her. “You’re lying. What do you want with me?”

He pulled his gun from his side holster and said, “Get in there.” He moved forward, pushing her back through the doorway, closing the door behind him. “You are going to come with me. Look, I don’t want to hurt you. We’re leaving in one half hour so that I can meet my contact.” She continued to look through him, but she didn’t move. “I’ll shoot you in the stomach if you give me any grief and that will be the end of the coming child, won’t it.” His voice had turned hard.

She still hadn’t moved, and his anxiety level went up. “Why are you doing this? Help me to understand.”

“Just do as you’re told.” He shoved her then and locked the door behind himself. You’ll need a coat.”

“Who’s paying you to do this?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She turned to walk towards the closet, and her hand found her iPhone in her pocket; she hit the Call button to Jordan opening the line.

He was sitting in a meeting when the vibrations began; noting her name, he picked up. “Madison.” There was no answer on the other end. The line was open as if she wanted that.
Shit.
Was she in trouble? He decided to message her.

Madison tried to stifle the sound of the message coming in. Her assailant was busy vetting the room.

Jordan waited for what seemed like hours for her response. Nothing. Then he messaged her again.

He grabbed another phone and direct dialed the head of his security protection. Tim answered the phone. “Where’s Jonathan?”

“I don’t know. He was going to go to the house to check on Madison. I wanted to go with him, but he said he didn’t need me.”

“That’s odd. There’s something going on. Madison just dialed me here, but she doesn’t answer, and the line is open. I messaged her with no response; she didn’t pick it up either. Circle the house. Under no circumstances can she be allowed to leave the property, even if it means you have to take a chance with her being hit. I’ll let you know if that changes.”

“Yes, sir.”

“My ETA is about an half an hour. Get as close to the house as you can. I think Jonathan has been taken, but how in the hell could anyone get inside without our knowing?”

“I’ll review the inside monitoring system.” Only Tim and he knew of the additional monitoring inside; Madison had refused to have it, but Jordan wanted it until the threat to her safety was gone.  There were some intimate scenes between them recorded for history there that he had already deleted. There was a silence as Tim saw Jonathan in the room with a gun on Madison. “I’ve got it, Sir. Jonathan is the perpetrator. He’s making her get a coat, and I’m sure he’s planning on moving her.”

Betrayal. Jordan’s mind spun as to what to do. “Make sure that no other men on the detail are involved.

“Yes, sir.”

“Hold your positions until you hear from me.”

Jordan raced to his car, two phones at his fingertips as he messaged in the hopes she would see it.

Madison managed a glance at her phone and knew she had text messages waiting. Jordan heard her garbled voice through the open line, “Jonathan, I need to get my boots and warmer clothing if you are going to take me. Can you give me some time to get ready?”

“You’ve got ten minutes; then we’re going, or your baby is going to be dead.”

Christ.
Jordan hoped that Jonathan had no plans to kill the baby. That’s what this was all about—the baby.

He notified the FBI on the outside perimeters to look for a boat or get away vehicle and informed them that Madison had been compromised by one of his own staff.

Within ten minutes, he received a call from the FBI. They had found a suspicious vehicle waiting on a back road, a van with three men in it. Jordan advised them to monitor it and to surround it.

He was back on the phone to Madison with his text:

She pretended to look for her boots in the closet, hitting the message button and reading what he had written quickly. She was forced to turn it off as she heard Jonathan move behind her, and the line went dead between them. She was on her own.

“Track the phone. I need to know where she is.” The FBI officials moved to do what Jordan had asked.

“It’s time to go.” She nodded and pulled out her boots taking a scarf as well. Then she put on her new, long winter coat and a hat. She managed to transfer her iPhone into her coat pocket. It was like having Jordan near.

“We walk out together.” She nodded. “Any noise, and you’ll be a dead woman. I mean it—don’t tempt me.”

M
adison felt the baby kick. Jordan was on his way, and her men were all about her. All she had to do was hold it together. She looked placidly at Jonathan, a calmness coming over her. “Whatever you say.”

“Tell them you’re going for a walk with me.” He handed her his phone, and she relayed the message to the guest cabin.

She opened the door and called out to the man watching the house, “I’m going for a walk. Jonathan is with me.” He nodded.

Jonathan relaxed. She could cooperate, and he almost fell sorry for her—her fate didn’t sound all that good from what he had heard discussed among the men who wanted her. He couldn’t meet her eyes, and he didn’t want to touch her, either—she was entirely too calm. He swallowed hard, and his hands began to sweat, but he only had to be with her for an hour or less. He was man enough for that. He put the gun in his pocket and he walked behind her, as he whispered, “I will shoot you; you know that. Thomas is waiting for you.” The name alone made her footsteps halt and her skin crawl and her blood boil. She would not be a victim.

Her whispering, calm voice came back to him: “Your death will be horrible, Jonathan. I will see to it that you pray to die. I can do it; you know that.” He stumbled a little. Her voice seemed to echo around him seeping into his very bones.

Tim was on the line to Jordan. “She came out, Sir. He’s behind her with a weapon, although I can’t see it.”

“Tell the men to stand back and to act as if nothing is wrong. That’s an order. Follow them, Tim. Make sure you have them in your sights at all times; he’ll be taking her to meet the others, and we have the van in sight.

Tim passed the word along, and one of the outside perimeter men even raised a hand to wave to her. Jonathan could feel himself relax. No one would suspect anything, and by the time they became concerned, she would be gone, and he’d be a rich man.

They walked into the wooded area as she often did on warmer days. After five minutes, her eyes swept the trees, and they began to blow in a soft wind. She raised one hand to the skies as she adjusted her hat, and snowflakes began to fall as well, seemingly out of nowhere. The weather forecast had predicted none of this. He glanced back to see their footsteps in the thin layer of snow. God. Tracks. He hadn’t expected that, but there was no help for it.