No One to Trust (Hidden Identity Book #1): A Novel (24 page)

Adam clutched his bloody shoulder and rolled off the gurney, ignoring the protesting EMT. He stumbled toward the front door of the building. Authorities blocked him, of course, as he knew they would, but he could see Blue inside with Trent. Blue pointed to something on the monitor and the officer standing next to him nodded.

The entire block was one big command post. NYPD, SWAT, and every other available branch of law enforcement had turned out once they learned the address and who was involved. The report of shots fired and Raimondi’s address brought out the big guns. Raimondi was on a lot of wanted lists.

“Sir?” An officer stopped him. “You need to get back in the ambulance.”

“No, I don’t.” He probably did. His shoulder felt like someone held a blowtorch to it. He’d passed out at the initial jolt of pain. When he’d come to, Summer was gone and he was surrounded by witnesses and paramedics. “I’m a Deputy US Marshal.” With his good arm, he fished his badge out of his back pocket and flashed it. “I’m going in there.”

“Sorry, Deputy Marshal, I can’t let you do that.”

“You don’t have a choice. I’m responsible for a man’s life. I’m
going to do my job or die trying. Now get out of my way. Please.” He shoved past the officer and breathed a sigh of relief when the man didn’t stop him. Once inside the lobby, he told Blue. “Get me up there.”

“You don’t look so good, man.” Blue clicked a few keys on the computer, then leaned in to whisper, “Cops are taking the stairs. You can use elevator one.”

Adam swallowed hard against the nausea threatening to overtake him. The pain was incredible. He’d never been shot, and if he lived through this one, he didn’t plan on it happening again.

He stepped into the elevator and leaned his head against the mirrored side. The coolness helped. He was so thirsty. He felt like he could guzzle a gallon of water.

Darkness threatened again and he slid to the floor, the weakness almost impossible to fight.

As he rode, he prayed. “I messed up, God, please let me fix this. I’ve got to fix it.”

Heart pounding at Summer’s deliberate provoking of Raimondi, David moved to the side. He positioned himself so that Raimondi could still see him. And David had a clear view of Agostino, whose weapon never wavered from Olivia’s head. Georgina had come from a room behind Raimondi. She’d spotted David immediately and her eyes widened.

He gave a silent groan. “Georgina, get back in the room and stay with your mother.” He didn’t need her getting shot.

She ignored him. “What are you doing, Papi? Put the gun down. I told you I didn’t want him hurt. And who are these people?” She gestured toward Olivia and the girls. “And who was yelling at you?” Her eyes slammed back into his. “David? What’s going on?”

He pulled his gaze from her and looked to his left. Right now, he couldn’t answer the many questions spinning in her eyes.

Summer clutched her stomach.

David said, “Step where he can see you, Papa Bear.”

For the life of him—and everyone around him—David couldn’t think of a plan that wouldn’t result in at least one person dead. It was a roll of the dice for him. A gamble. He could play it one way and Olivia would die, another way and Marlee might get the bullet. He couldn’t take the risk.

They all now stood in Raimondi’s office.

Raimondi glared at Summer while Agostino moved Olivia to the side. Georgina stepped to the side and her head swiveled from one person to the next. Laura and Sandy tried to stay as close to their mother as possible, however when Laura saw Summer, she gasped and ran to throw her arms around her waist. Summer took one step back but didn’t let go of her weapon.

Raimondi gestured with his gun. “All of you. Place your weapons on my desk where I can see them.”

“Do it,” David said. “He’s not bluffing. He’ll kill her.”

David gave a mental calculation. Blue and Little Lou could hear what was going on in the office now. He knew help was on the way. “The cops are all over this place, Alessandro.”

Raimondi smiled and it was the cruel one David remembered seeing upon occasion. “I don’t intend to shoot you. I have a much better plan for you.”

Agostino hung back, his weapon still trained on Olivia. Papa Bear glowered. Summer clasped her arms around Laura after she placed her gun on the desk.

Once everyone laid their weapons on the desk, Raimondi motioned to the black door behind the desk. “Open the door and go in. All of you. Down the steps.”

Georgina gasped, “No!”

Raimondi looked at the girl for a moment. “Shut up or go back to the room. This doesn’t concern you.”

“Doesn’t concern me? You’re trying to kill the man I love and you say it doesn’t concern me?”

Summer gaped, but kept quiet.

“I don’t have time for this,” Raimondi screamed. He pulled in a measured breath and looked at Agostino for a brief moment. “Shut her up.” Back to his hostages, he said, “Go. Through the door.”

Chase raised a brow and looked at David.

“Now!” Raimondi’s patience had obviously worn thin. His
breathing came in pants and perspiration dotted his forehead. “Now, I said!”

David moved toward the door and opened it. Georgina hovered near Agostino, who still held his gun on Olivia. He looked back at Raimondi, at the weapon held so tight against Marlee’s head. It wouldn’t take much for him to pull the trigger. Just a slight twitch and Marlee would be no more.

A part of him whispered, “Do it. You can beat him. You can stop all of this, end it now.” His hands twitched, his leg muscles bunched. Chase laid a hand on his shoulder and David gritted his teeth. He couldn’t risk it. As long as they were alive, there was hope. If he made a wrong move and someone got killed, he wouldn’t be able to live with it.

Chase motioned for Summer to bring Laura. “I’ll go first. Stay behind me.” To David he said, “You got the rear?”

“I got it.”

“Papi, you can’t do this!”

“Shut up or I’ll kill you when I’m done.”

Georgina flinched as though he’d struck her. But it wasn’t Georgina that concerned David. His heart clenched at the look in Summer’s eyes. Fear mingled with hope that they would get out of this after all, that once they were away from Raimondi and his guns, they would find a way out. Only she didn’t know what was down there.

But the snakes were in cages. As long as they stayed in the cages, all would be well. Right? And he had his ankle gun. It would do no good to reach for it now, but it was five chances of escape once they were down the steps. Raimondi knew the cops were on the way. He’d leave soon enough, and David and the others would find a way out.

He hoped.

With a prayer on his lips, he watched Chase disappear. Summer caught his eye as she passed him and he gave her a reassuring nod. She swallowed hard and descended, followed by Sandy and
Olivia. Agostino transferred his weapon to David. Raimondi shoved Marlee through the open door, and she would have fallen down the steps had David not reached out and grabbed her. An act that Raimondi had been counting on. The man moved back, his gun never wavering. “Goodbye once and for all, David Hackett. I am thrilled beyond belief that I get to choose the way you die.”

David gave him a grim smile. “It’s not over yet.”

Raimondi laughed. “Oh, it’s over.” He looked at Marlee. “And thank you for all your help, my dear. So sorry things didn’t turn out like you’d planned.”

A tremor ran through the young woman’s body, and David kept his grip on her upper arms to keep her from launching herself at the man. “Pig,” she spat.

“Easy, Marlee.”

Raimondi gave them an amused smile. “She wanted to get rid of you, you know. She was quite accommodating in letting us know where you were at all times.” He nodded. “Very sneaky, that one.”

Something he’d ask Marlee about should they get out alive.

Raimondi aimed the weapon at Marlee. “Now, I’m in a bit of a hurry. If you’re not behind that door within two seconds, I will shoot her.”

Georgina screamed at her father as David pulled Marlee with him over the threshold and shut the door. A gunshot sounded and Georgina’s screams came to an abrupt end.

Adam stepped off the elevator, his weapon ready, his heart pounding. His vision blurred and pain nearly swallowed him, but he had to do all he could to help. He had to get in that apartment before the cops made it up here. He couldn’t let David and Summer and the others die. “How much time do I have before the cops get up here?”

Blue said, “About two minutes. I’ve got the stairwell cameras
on to keep an eye on them and most are having to stop and rest along the way. A couple are getting close.”

The empty hallway yawned before him. He moved to the door and twisted the knob. Shocked that it wasn’t locked, he stood to the side and pushed the door open.

Gunshots greeted him with a fast
pop, pop, pop
. Adam dropped to his knees and took another quick peek around the doorjamb. Got a glimpse of the shooter.

He jerked back, ignoring the pain, his weakness, everything. He narrowed his focus to one thing. Get to Summer and David. Adam spun into the open doorway and popped off three shots, then ducked back. A scream sent satisfaction through him. At least one bullet had found its mark.

Adam scooted army style around the edge of the door once again to survey the damage. His ears rang but no more shots came his way. He’d have to go slow, use caution. He had no idea who was in the next room, who had heard the shooting and might be waiting for him to show himself. “Little Lou,” he whispered. “You there?”

“Yeah, but I’m a little tied up at the moment. Got caught by surprise, but don’t worry about me. As soon as this joker makes a mistake, I’ll be in to help.”

“Blue? You there?”

“Affirmative, but I’ve got to flush out some of Raimondi’s leftover goons to get to you.”

Looked like he was on his own.

As gunshots echoed through his home, Raimondi glanced at Agostino. “The cops are here. Make sure the office door is locked.”

Agostino paced to the door and did as bid. “It’s locked.”

Raimondi sat at the computer and turned on the camera for the snake room. He would miss his friends. He would miss watching them do their worst. “Get your aunt and let’s go.”

“You shot Georgina, Uncle. How can you shoot your own child?”

Raimondi ignored his nephew’s whining. And his daughter’s whimpering. “She’ll live.”

Agostino’s stare made him a tad uncomfortable. Maybe he had gone a little too far in shooting her, but at least she wasn’t yelling at him anymore and trying to get to the door. At least Rosalinda had known her place and stayed back in the room like he told her to.

“Be ready to go as soon as I say when.”

“Go where?”

“I’ll show you in a minute.” Raimondi pressed the button to release his friends. “Now, we just have to wait. The floor will get colder and colder and my friends will start looking for heat. If everyone stays quiet and doesn’t panic, no one will get bit. If they panic,” he shrugged and lifted his hands, “well, things will get interesting.”

“Those kids don’t deserve to die like that, Uncle.”

“Those kids? Bah.” He waved a hand. “Their mama should have picked a different lawyer. No more questions. Go get ready. Now.”

Agostino turned and entered the passageway while Raimondi settled back in his chair to watch the monitor. He clasped his hands across his chest and smiled at the men’s efforts to keep the snakes at bay. Useless.

Three shots sounded and his office door slammed open.

Raimondi jumped to his feet and grabbed the nearest weapon. Only he was too late. A bloody man had his weapon trained on Raimondi. “Where are David and Summer?”

Summer blinked and let her eyes adjust to the dim light, then jerked as three gunshots came from the office they’d just vacated.

David and Chase exchanged a look. “Wonder who got shot?”

Summer pounded on the door. “Let us out!” The girls joined her. Marlee added her screeching and pounding.

After a minute passed with no answer, Summer dropped her hands and crossed her arms. She looked at her prison. They were in a room about the size of her bedroom. Maybe fifteen feet by eighteen feet. Concrete walls and a tile ceiling. They’d only walked down about four steps from the door, so they weren’t on a lower floor. It was warm in the room. Almost too warm. She pulled off her blazer and dropped it on the floor.

Laura huddled against her and she could make out Sandy and Olivia. She moved closer to the woman. “I’m so sorry about this.”

“I thought it was Silas,” she whispered. “I thought somehow he’d hired someone to kill us. To get revenge.”

“No. This has to do with David.”

Confusion flickered. “I thought his name was Kyle.”

“It’s a long story.” She looked around and prayed she’d have the chance to tell it.

David came to her and drew her close. He looked at Olivia and her two girls. “We’re going to get out of here, okay?”

“Why are we even here?” Laura asked. “Why did he come after us?”

David sighed. “Because he knew that if he hurt you, he would hurt Summer and me. And that was very important to him.”

“He’s evil.”

“Exactly.”

“Just like my father.”

Sandy looked up. “Can we sing that song about hope? ’Cuz I’m hoping real bad that we get out of here.”

Summer swallowed hard and David nodded. “That’s a good idea. Why don’t you guys do that while I work on finding a way out?”

Sandy started and Summer caught David’s eye. He nodded toward the children. She caught his message. Keep them calm.

Papa Bear had been examining the room. “David? You know what’s back here?”

“I do. But they’re all behind glass, right?”

“Yeah. For the next few seconds. The glass is lifting.”

David spun to see. As he turned, the lights brightened.

He squinted as his eyes adjusted but had no trouble making out the scene before him.

David estimated there had to be over a hundred of the writhing creatures. And if the ones in Raimondi’s office were any indication, they were all venomous. He might be able to identify a few of them but decided to keep his distance and assume they were all deadly.

Chase shuddered beside him. “This place is locked down tight. Our only hope might be the small air vent in the ceiling.” He gave a grim glance to the slithering snakes.

Sandy whimpered and began to cry. “I don’t like snakes. I don’t want them to bite me.”

“Hey,” Papa Bear had backed slowly away from the waking
mass. “They’re not going to bite you. We’re going to figure a way out of here, okay?”

David noticed that the temperature was dropping. He saw the snakes start to move almost as one.

Straight toward them.

The temperature continued to drop.

Was that on purpose? Part of an evil man’s twisted thinking? Lower the temperature in the room so the snakes would seek out warmth? Like human body warmth?

“Mama?” Laura’s low voice caught David’s attention. She turned her head one way, then the other. “I hear something in the ceiling.

Summer looked up and moved closer to him. He pulled her toward the stairs they’d just come down. She shivered and he rubbed her arms. “Hang tight.” David heard it now too. The snakes were not just in front of them, but above them. The drop ceiling looked innocent enough, but apparently Raimondi kept some of his pets between the insulation and the ceiling. He looked at Chase. “Guess that air vent is out.”

“Looks like. If we start pulling that ceiling down, it’s going to scare them. Make them mad.” A muscle jumped in the man’s jaw and he backed toward the stairs. “Snakes don’t attack unless provoked or frightened. If we don’t panic, the snakes will have no reason to strike.”

Marlee whimpered and sat on the bottom step. “Just let them bite me. I’m so tired of everything.” She began to sob and Summer went to her to wrap her arms around her sister. But Marlee pushed her away. “I don’t deserve your comfort,” she whispered. “I did this. I led them to you. I let them beat me up and put me in the hospital so you would take me with you, and I could let them know where we were. I kept my phone with me and on so they could track you. Even at the warehouse when we showered and changed clothes, I managed to keep the phone on.” Tears tracked her cheeks and dripped off her chin. “I’m no better than that man
who put us in here. I’m evil.” She dropped her chin to her chest and continued to weep.

“Oh, Marlee.” Summer closed her eyes, and David knew she was hurting at yet another betrayal. The snakes wiggled toward them. David shivered. It was now cold in the room. He knelt and felt the floor. Warm. Hence the snakes were traveling toward them. He’d bet the floor where they’d been sleeping was now cold.

Laura ran up the steps and started banging on the door. “Let us out! Please let us out!”

Summer jumped up and wrapped her arms around the girl. Sandy practically climbed up her mother, who dropped her purse to clasp her child to her.

David looked around. Grabbed a broom from its resting place against the wall. He snapped it in half over his knee. He shoved one of the pieces at Chase. “Take it. We may have to see if we can beat them back until rescue comes.”

“And while you’re doing that, I’ll see if I can find a way up into the ceiling,” Papa Bear muttered.

“There are snakes up there too.”

“Well, I’ll just have to move them out of the way.”

“Too bad we can’t make a fire,” David murmured.

Papa Bear walked to the steps where Summer still held Laura.

Olivia walked Sandy up to Summer, then turned and grabbed her purse. She opened it and rummaged. David absently wondered what she was looking for while he jabbed at a snake that was getting a little too close for his comfort.

“Here,” Olivia said. “Use this.”

He glanced at her and saw what she held.

A lighter.

David spun. “Summer, give me your blazer.”

She frowned but picked it up and tossed it to him. Her eyes widened. “Look out!”

He turned to see one of the reptiles nudging up against his shoe.
His heart beat a little faster. He wasn’t afraid of snakes, but he didn’t want to do anything to cause one to strike either. With the end of the broom handle, he gently lifted the snake off his shoe and gave him a toss back into the too-close pile.

David wrapped Summer’s blazer around the end of the stick.

“You still got your ankle gun?” Chase asked.

“Yeah.”

“Let me have it. This lock looks like a cheap one. One or two bullets ought to do it.”

In the back corner, Chase had located a cabinet with a combination lock. David handed him the gun, then flicked the lighter against Summer’s blazer. It caught, then snuffed out.

He tried again. And again. And yet again. Finally it caught and held. Started to burn, but was slow.

Still, he shoved the small flame at the snakes and they backed off. He turned in a circle, waving the makeshift torch.

Chase warned everyone to hold their ears. Then a gunshot echoed throughout the room followed by a clunk as the lock hit the floor.