Out of the Shadows (Falcon) (9 page)

By
the ruddy light coming in from the tall narrow window far beyond her reach, Kate checked herself only to find bruising, small cuts, and scrapes. Dirt covered her from head to toe. Speaking of which, someone had put a pair of black, man size flip-flops on her feet.

The b
lood didn’t come from any particular place, so Kate surmised Oscar hadn’t sliced her up with a knife. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the near future.

She leaned her head against the hard wall and wondered how she’d ev
er get out alive. Oscar certainly intended to kill her. No doubt he’d take his time with the task. None of this bode well for her. Somehow she had to escape.

“You okay over there?” a male voice called out.

In the dark shadow of her cell, Kate couldn’t see beyond the bars. “Who’s there?”

“Aaron James Roddi
o.”

“A.J.?”

A startled silence drifted through the stale air. “You know me?”

Kate scooted closer. “I don’t kno
w you, but I’ve met your friend Brody.”

“Brody?” A.J. asked. “Here?”

“He was. I think he might be dead now.”

A.J. came into view when he lunged for the bars and clutched them
in a deadly grasp. “Brody, dead?”

Kate shook her head
at the irony. Brody kidnapped her to find A.J., and here she was the one looking at him. Now they were both being held hostage by a man who liked to kill just because he could. “Last I saw, he was sprawled on the floor in a neighboring village.”

“What happened?”

Only eight feet of packed dirt separated them, but it may as well have been a mile. While she had no idea how she looked, A.J.’s condition alarmed her and for good reason. The dirt and grime, along with the bruises, told her his visit to La Hacienda hadn’t been pleasant.

Dark circles beneath his eyes and a broken nose spoke of Oscar’s
brutality. No wonder Brody wanted him free.

“My name is Kate Stone. I’m a CIA agent. Brody kidnapped me and brought me here to trade for you. I don’t think he intended it to work out this way. I guess we’re all losers in this game.”

“I would say all that surprised me, but we
are
talking about Brody Hawke. He can come up with the damndest ideas.” A.J. rubbed the back of his neck. “Surprisingly, he usually comes out the winner.”

“Yeah, well this time his idea
didn’t work.”

A.J. pressed his lips
together tightly then said, “I can’t imagine him putting your life in danger. That’s not like him.”

“Let’s just say things
didn’t happen the way he hoped they would.”

Kate rested her forehead against the iron bar
s and enjoyed the coolness the basement offered. Not as comfortable as the air conditioning upstairs, but bearable. At least she wasn’t sweating like a weight-lifter.

“What happened?”

“Like I said, Brody kidnapped me. Then a guy named Jake flew us here and dropped us off. While I wasn’t privy to the plan, I think Brody had made contact with someone who set him up.”

“So Jake flew you here?”

“Yes.”

A low whistle plowed through the air. “I’m surprised Frank approved that.”

“I don’t think Frank knows.”

A.J. shook his head. “That’s never good.”

“Jake said the same thing
. I guess you know Brody better than I do. So you know how hard-headed he can be.”

“
God, yes, I do. That boy is going to get himself killed one of these days.” He paused, his face solemn. “If they haven’t already taken him out.”

The door above them banged open
, flooding the cellar with light. Two of Oscar’s men tromped down the stairs. Both were dressed in mis-matched military uniforms. Kate wanted to laugh aloud at the absurdity.

One
carried two tin plates of food. Behind him the other balanced a couple of containers of water and a lantern.

When the two guards
entered the basement, the second man set the water down, pulled out a gun and unclipped a set of keys from his belt loop. “Get back,” he commanded, waving the gun.

Kate moved a
foot away, and kept her hands in full view. Without taking his eyes off her, the guard put the pan on the floor by the door. He turned, took the water and put it in her cell next to the food. The sound of a metal lock echoed through the basement.

They
approach A.J.’s cell next. “You know the drill. Get back against the wall.” Oscar’s man with the gun pulled back the hammer. A.J. obeyed cautiously. The anxious guard quickly put the food and water down and then swiftly locked the cell.

Obviously
these men had been jumped before, and while they had to obey Oscar, this clearly wasn’t their favorite assignment. When the man who’d carried the food walked to her cell, Kate hadn’t moved. “Chavez has a special treat for you, senorita.”

“I can’t wait.”

The men laughed as they stomped up the wooden stairs.

A.J. moved closer to his food. “Eat up. You’ll need your strength.”

“What is it?”

“Rice and beans. And
it looks like our lucky day. They’re serving tortillas. I don’t get these very often.”

“I think my jaw is broken,” Kate said, rubbing her chin. “There isn’t a place on my body that doesn’t hurt.”

“Drink the water. It’ll help.”

Thirst rose
inside her like a demon. She cupped her palms in the water and took a long drink. The water wasn’t cold or clear, but she didn’t care.

With her thirst quenched, Kate lay on her back and covered her eyes with her fo
rearm, trying to mentally fight her way out of misery.

It didn’t take a geni
us to know they had no chance of surviving. Nothing good could come from whatever Oscar had up his sleeve. Murder probably.

“Eat up,” A.J. said. “You leave any food and the rats will start coming back around. I’ve been licking the plate so they
’d know this infested cesspool wasn’t a good food source.”

“I don’t think I can hold anything down. Besides, why bother?”

A.J.’s voice sounded louder. “Don’t say that. Never give up. Especially, don’t give up on Brody.”

“What if he’s dead?”

“What if he isn’t?”

“Oscar left him there for the villagers too kill.”

“It’s been my experience that a lot of people have made the mistake of thinking Brody an easy kill, only to be disappointed in the end. Nothing could be further from the truth. If he’s anywhere around, he’ll find us.”

“You
’re looking for hope where there is none.”

“
I’m not going to stop believing until something or someone proves me wrong.”

Kate propped herself up on her elbows and stared across at the prisoner. The man could barely move, yet his spirits were high. She felt bad for being so negative. He’d certainly suffered a lot more than she had and still
he remained positive.

Suddenly Kate wanted out more than anything in the world. She refused to wait for Oscar to kill her. He might do it, but she’d go down fighting.

She took the food and forced it down her throat. She ate everything and as A.J. suggested, licked the tin plate clean before throwing it to the center of the room.

After drinking some water, A.J. leaned against the bars.

“Can you walk?” Kate asked.

“I can, but don’t ask me to run
.”

“Will they feed us again?”

“They’re like clockwork. Usually the last meal is right before nightfall. No one comes down here late because of the critters.”

“Did you see what I saw when they brought the food?”

“Those two idiots aren’t afraid of you.” A.J. grinned. “While with me, they damn well know better.”

“Right,” Kate said. “
And we need to take advantage of that.”

“You
may be CIA, but you’re not in shape to take on two guys.”

“Now who doubts?”

He let out a tired breath. “These men can do a job on a woman before they kill her.”

Worry laced every word.

“I know,” she said.

“We only have until the evening to come up with a
plan.”

Kate stood and began walking around
her cell. “I can’t get ready laying in the dirt.”

“If you get a chance to get out of here, don’t worry about me.”

“Ha,” Kate said, knuckles braced against her hips. “You go where I go.”

“Now you’re talking like that damn Brody.”

“I’m here because of you. And I’m not leaving you behind. If I do, what will Brody’s death mean?”

“Nothing,
” A.J. whispered.

Kate had
left two men behind on her last mission. She’d never do that again. She’d get A.J. out of here or die trying. Because to leave someone behind was worse than any death.

Kate’s muscles protested with each step
, but it didn’t matter. She had no intention of waiting around to see what Oscar had planned for her.

She l
ooked over and saw A.J. limp toward the bars in an effort to stay upright. Once he got his feet beneath him, he too started hobbling around his cell.

“You never told me why Brody kidnapped you. What do you have to do with all this mess?”

“Brody had it all wrong.”

“How so?”

“He thought Oscar Chavez and I were once lovers. I think Brody had it in his head Oscar still loved me and would jump at the chance to have me back.”

“That’s not the way it was, huh?”

“No, not even close.”

“So Brody got
the wrong information and acted on it.”

“Several years ago I infiltrated this camp. Chavez and I grew cl
ose, but only so I could get the necessary information to put him away for life. I stayed here almost a year. Oscar trusted me completely in the end. When I’d gathered the Intel I needed, I left while Oscar was away on business.”

“Just like that?”

“Yes, except while in London, Oscar learned I worked for the CIA and that he was my assignment.”

“Had you gotten away?”

“I didn’t think I’d survive.” Kate looked at her dirty hands and remembered that black night when she’d made it to the extraction area. Oscar’s men were right behind her with orders to kill. “Then a Chinook helicopter hovered over-head and snatched me up. I managed to get inside despite a hail of bullets.”

“How long ago?”

“Two years.”

“Brody dragged you right back to hell.”

“Oh, Oscar has a new vendetta.”

“What?”

“I’m the agent who gave your team the details you needed to make the raid against Oscar two weeks ago. I had off shore account numbers, ship manifests, and contact numbers. And a complete layout of the compound. The Intel wasn’t used earlier because of rumors Oscar was amassing enough guns to stage a war.”

“Damn.”

Heavy footsteps trotted down the basement stairs. A man came into view. Kate had seen him earlier. He was the one who rode shotgun when Chavez brought her to La Hacienda. She didn’t know his name, but he hadn’t been at La Hacienda during her previous stay.

The tall
, handsome Latino stopped between the two of them. He pressed a thin cigar between his lips. He took a drag, blew out the blue smoke, and then flipped the ashes on the ground.

Kate glanced at A.J.
, who shook his head.

“You two are in one fucked-
up mess,” he said with a slight Spanish accent. He looked at Kate. “Chavez plans to kill you before the night ends.”

“Okay,” A.J. said. “He sent you down here to tell us that?”

The stranger let out a cruel, sadistic chuckle. “No, I’m here to see two fucking jokers.” He laughed again and turned to Kate. “That stupid Falcon agent walked right into a trap.” He tugged on the lapels of his white jacket.

“So
,
you
set him up?” A.J. asked.

“I
made sure he heard exactly what I wanted him to hear. Only someone as good as him could manage to break into her house and pull off a kidnapping.” The stranger kissed his fingertips loudly then tossed his hand joyfully into the air. “He did it perfectly.”

“It didn’t take
long to figure out Brody had been betrayed,” Kate said. “And we’re not dead until we stop breathing. We might end up watching the closing act.”

He turned to go. “I’m going to enjoy the show.”

“Good,” A.J. said. “We hate a disappointed audience.”

Angel Diaz opened the basement door and stepped into the white, pristine kitchen. T
wo men waited for his instructions. “Do it.”

As they disappeared
, Oscar Chavez came into the kitchen, his eyes trained on the closed basement door. “What were you doing in here?”

Diaz’s heart sped up.
“Nothing,” he said. “Just getting a drink of water.”

Chavez pointed a commanding finger at him. “I don’t want anyone down there except the men I chose to take them food.” Chavez turned to walk out. He stopped and motioned Diaz to lead the way.

Diaz smiled gracefully and hooked his arm in the crook of Chavez’s elbow. If not for his money, Diaz would put a bullet between Chavez’s eyes and walk away. “Come, my friend. All this crazy business is making you weary.”

Chavez’s gaze intensified and his frown deepened.
Diaz couldn’t afford to give his boss any reason to suspect he had a plan of his own.

“Hey. Let’s have a drink and take a dip in the pool.” Diaz stepped back and wiggled his hips. “Shake off that mood, man. It drags you down.”

Chavez stood rooted to the fucking floor. “No.”

“Ah, come on. Just be
cause that girl shows up does not mean you have to get all grumpy on me, does it?”

“She’s not some girl. She’s a CIA agent. She was here for a year. I trusted her with my life.”

Diaz didn’t want Chavez to think of betrayal. Not now. He had to get Chavez out of the kitchen before Oscar grew too curious. “I know that. I know how she tricked you and hurt you. But you know I am your true and loyal friend.”

The richest man in Mexico looked tired, older. Diaz
had thought bringing the bitch, Kate Stone, back to La Hacienda so Chavez could choke the life out of her would cheer him up. Help him put the past to rest, at last.

Instead, if Diaz didn’t know better he would think his old killing buddy had grown soft, melancholy.

“I find it hard to trust anyone.”

“
Except the boy you grew up with, right hermano?” Diaz never let the smile slip from his face. “I knew your parents and your brothers. I am part of your family.”

Chavez studied the toes of his shoes and let out a deep sigh. “Maybe a swim will do me good.”

Diaz patted him on the shoulder.
Good boy.
“Of course it will. Let’s get some of the men and play water polo. You like that, don’t you?”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

“Good, I’ll change and meet you outside.”

Chavez finally headed toward the master bedroom and Diaz let out a pent up breath.

He’d come close to getting caught in the dungeon. If that had happened, Chavez would have killed him. And for what? To taunt a prisoner who had only hours to live? He couldn’t afford to make foolish mistakes like that again.

With a last look at the closed basement door, Diaz turned and headed for his room to change into his swimsuit. It had taken months to gain Oscar Chavez’s trust. It was vital he stay vigilant. Too much depended on his surveillance
and his information gathering.

Hopefully
tonight the girl would die, but they had other plans for the one named A.J.

CHAPTER NINE