Shadowed (32 page)

The lamps cast an eerie glow in the house as her feet pounded a track on the hard
wood floor, thinking. Finally she grabbed paper and scribbled two letters. At a quarter
past eleven she changed, dressing in a lightweight jacket, yoga pants, and tennis
shoes. She had a plan, and no one could stop her. But she'd have to speed. She took
the letters, folded them, and palmed her keys. Praying for whatever came next, she
took one last look at her house, unsure
where she would wake up the next morning.
She knew the risk. To get her friend back, she would hand herself over.

Nick would kill her.

She slipped out the back door and across to Nina's, keeping to the shadows to avoid
any detection from the agents who watched the house. She prayed they were otherwise
occupied.

A dim light glowed in Nina's kitchen as Kaylan silently approached the back door.
A figure leaned over the stove. Kaylan paused, her heart jumping in her throat before
she recognized Nina's robe and unusually flat gray hair. She rapped on the glass.

Nina whirled, her hand going to her throat. Rushing to the door, she flung it open.
“Kaylan Richards, what on earth?”

Kaylan nearly bowled her over as she slid inside and closed the door, hushing Nina's
protests. “Please, I need you to be quiet.”

Nina's brown eyes grew wary. “What is going on, young lady?”

She nearly rolled her eyes at the motherly tone. Time was precious, and she had to
make two stops before arriving at her destination.

“Nina, I need your car keys and no questions.”

The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “Why?”

“Please, no questions. Megan's in trouble. It's bad, Nina. I have to go get her.”

“Well, just go tell the FBI. Their car is right outside, isn't it? I see everything
that happens on this block, you know.”

“I can't tell the FBI. No cops, no SEALs, or Megan gets hurt. Please. Your keys.”
Kaylan held out her hand, trying not to panic.

Nina's gaze darted from Kaylan's face to the dark window where the FBI silently watched
from somewhere down the street. “No.” She covered her mouth. “You both could get
hurt. I can't let you do that.” She moved toward the front door, but Kaylan darted
in front of her.

“Nina, I promise you can tell the FBI. Just let me borrow your car and give me a
thirty-minute head start. I need them to come.
They just can't get there at the same
time. I'm begging.” Megan's face flashed before her eyes.

Nina shook her head, and Kaylan held her breath. A tear tracked down her cheek. “Oh,
honey.” She pulled Kaylan to her chest in a hug, then reached for her keys and shoved
Kaylan toward the garage. “Go. You have twenty minutes before I run hollering out
of this house. You got it?”

It would have to do. With a quick thank-you Kaylan slipped into the garage, opened
the door, and started the engine. Keeping her head down, she pulled out and pointed
the car away from where she knew agents waited. Everything moved in slow motion,
as if she were driving through jello. She hit the highway and sped to Nick and Micah's,
now racing the clock and outrunning the FBI.

The key scratched in the lock as Kaylan opened the door to Nick and Micah's and hurried
inside. The lingering scent of Nick's cologne and the faint scent of sweaty clothes
almost made her change her plan. Almost.

Keeping the lights off, she felt her way to Nick's bedroom and placed a note on his
pillow. Moonlight from the window glinted off the glass shielding a picture of the
two of them, Nick kissing her cheek, his arms wrapped around her shoulders. They
were happy. Together. A tear drifted down her cheek, and she bit back a sob.

She couldn't let Megan go through this alone. Her fingers found the ring decorating
her left hand, and she slowly slipped it from her finger to place it on the letter.
No matter what happened, she didn't want these men to have the pleasure of confiscating
it. She prayed she would get it back from Nick. Placing one foot in front of the
other, she ran from the house and back to Nina's car.

Eleven thirty-eight. One more stop. She was almost out of time.

Minutes later she pulled up in front of the Carpenters' house.
Everything looked
quiet, but she knew Kim could be up feeding Nadia.

She tiptoed up to the house and placed the letter against the door. A light flipped
on and she stumbled, turning to jog down the three steps. A creak behind her made
her freeze.

“Kaylan? What are you doing here so late?”

Logan. The last person she needed to see. She slowly turned to face him as he bent
in his wheelchair to pick up the letter.

“What's this?”

“Just a note. Read it when I leave.”

His alert eyes scanned her, and he held her gaze as he opened it. “Logan, please.
Wait to read it.”

She guessed he didn't make it past the first line. “Kaylan, why didn't you call?”

This couldn't happen. He couldn't stop her. She turned and sprinted to the car, calling
over her shoulder, “I've got to do this. I included the location in Nick's letter.
I've got to go.”

“Kaylan!”

She slammed her car door and peeled out of his driveway. Clearly she would make a
terrible SEAL. No points for stealth or subtlety. She couldn't even lie well. Pointing
her car toward the beach, she prayed she reached Megan in time, before Logan alerted
other SEALs in the area. Before it again became too late to save her friend. An image
of Sarah Beth's chalky face, blood coloring her lips, popped into her mind. She
slammed her eyes shut for a moment, jerking the car to avoid a collision. Not again.
Not this time.

Eleven fifty-nine p.m.

Kaylan spun into the parking lot and climbed from the car, her shaking hands hidden
in the black night. She hit the beach running, her feet sinking deeper and deeper
as she beat a path toward the unknown.

Chapter 39

N
ICK THREW THE
door open with a bang and dropped his bag on the floor, glad to be
home even if it was 1:00 a.m. California time, and his body clock was all jacked
up. Micah entered right behind him and headed straight for the refrigerator. They
hadn't slept much since taking Janus Wednesday night. They were anxious to get home,
waiting for approval while they wrapped up mission specifics. Something lurked in
Janus's eyes as they flew her back to the States. He wondered what she had up her
sleeve and dreaded finding out. Nick doubted he would truly be able to rest until
he held Kaylan in his arms and knew she was safe.

Nick trudged to his room and flipped the light on. Something shiny glinted on his
pillow. His heart stopped.

Slowly Nick walked to his bed. He picked up Kaylan's engagement ring and noticed
the letter beneath it. He tore into the envelope.

Nick
,

Please know that if I had any other option I would have taken it. The men have Megan.
They said no police and no SEALs
,
and I can't lose another friend. I'm to meet them
at Imperial Beach Pier at
midnight Friday. I left a letter with Logan. I also asked
Nina to give me thirty minutes before she called the FBI. Know that I love you. Know
that I want a lifetime with you. And know that I couldn't live with myself or with
you if I didn't do what I see you do every day—fight for someone else. I pray that
you will be able to place this ring on my finger again
,
but I would rather you have
it than the men I go to meet. I don't know what will happen. I can only pray you
get home in time. Find me
,
Nick. Please.

Love
,

Kaylan

She left an hour ago. They could find her. The trail would still be fresh.

He sprinted to the kitchen, tossing the letter to Micah. “Janus got to the girls.
I don't know how, but she did.”

Micah scanned the letter quickly, then reached for his cell and dialed Logan. Nick
heard a heated exchange and rapid-fire instructions as he ran to his room and reached
under his bed for the box containing his pistol.

Micah appeared in his doorway. “Logan already called the FBI. They found Nina's car
and Kaylan's phone in the sand before the trail ends near Imperial Beach Pier. I
told Logan to call the rest of the team and tell them to meet us at the base.”

Nick listened while loading his gun.

Micah continued. “We can't do this. Legally we can't chase down these terrorists
on American soil. We can't shoot them or harm them, and if we do, it better be in
self-defense. This is FBI territory. But if they hurt my sister or Megan . . . ”
Micah shook his head. “I won't care about the consequences at that point. I'll kill
them.”

Nick met Micah's eyes. Even in Haiti he'd never seen Micah so wound tight or angry.

“Me first.” He shoved past his best friend, grabbed his keys, and moved to the door.

Micah followed, still filling Nick in on his phone conversation. “Logan says the
Feds are looking for abandoned houses or boat docks in the area that might be used
as a holding cell. We need to get back to the base and Janus before her flight leaves.
If she knows something or even the girls' exact location, we will be able to find
them faster.”

Micah stopped at the door to Nick's Jeep. “You know this could end our career if
it goes south, right?”

Nick didn't look at Micah. “Let's make sure it doesn't go south.”

“Good, then. As long as we're clear.”

They climbed into the Jeep, and the engine roared to life. Nick peeled out of the
driveway.

Normally the wind cooled Nick's mood. It made him think of days on the ocean, surfing,
sailing, throwing the baseball and Frisbee with his dad. But today it pushed him
along.
Hurry. Hurry.

He swerved into a parking spot and jumped from the Jeep, his feet landing on gritty
cement. Micah appeared at his side, his face etched with controlled rage. Janus had
done the unthinkable from captivity. She'd taken one of their own.

Seconds later Colt, Titus, and Jay climbed from their cars on either side, and together
they entered the base, a solid wall of enraged SEALs.

Chapter 40

K
AYLAN'S HEAD THROBBED
, the cadence of her heart mixing with the rush of waves not
far away. She groaned and grasped her head. The room felt is if it were rocking.
She stilled, ignoring the pounding. She could almost feel the waves lapping beneath
her.

A sharp pain shot through her, causing her stomach to churn. She sat up and emptied
her stomach on rough wood planks, dizziness assailing her with the quick movement.

“Drugged,” she heard someone croak to her right.

She lay back down and turned her head slowly. Megan. She could barely make out her
form in the darkness. Her heart settled. They were together.

“Are you okay?”

“I've been kidnapped, drugged, and locked in a boat shed. No, I'm not okay.”

At least she hadn't lost her attitude. As if in déjà vu, Kaylan took stock of her
prison. Water lapped beneath the floor, indicating they were at a marina on the
ocean. A speedboat sat six feet to her right. Doors resembling those found on a barn
barred their exit and any escape to the sea. But at least they weren't tied up. If
only they were both in a condition to swim, but without
an understanding of what
lay below the boat where water sloshed, venturing out into the ocean seemed unwise.

“What's going on? Who put us in here?” Kaylan fought to sit upright.

Megan seemed to have a clearer head as she pushed herself up on her elbow. “Don't
know. Haven't seen him since he threw you in here a while ago. I've been waiting
for you to wake up.”

“The last thing I remember is climbing out of my car and heading for Imperial Beach
Pier. Then this sweet smell.”

“What are we going to do when they come back?”

A sinking feeling filled Kaylan's stomach, and she shook her head, trying to dispel
the fog. “I left a message with Logan for the FBI to start looking for us at Imperial
Beach Pier. The rest of the SEAL team is supposed to arrive home tonight. Let's figure
out a plan and pray the Feds or the SEAL guys get here in time.”

“Pray for both of us. If we get out of this, I just might start talking to this God
of yours.”

Kaylan stood and offered her hand to Megan. “Let's look around, see what we can find
that could act as a weapon.” They split up and began to survey their prison, groping
in the darkness as Kaylan silently prayed for a miracle.

They found tools on the boat—a wrench and a screwdriver. But Kaylan didn't care about
the size of the weapon as much as the strength of her swing. “Did you get a look
at the guy who took you?” she asked Megan.