Ransom Read online

  She glanced over her shoulder, past the two thugs, hoping to see the cavalry, in the form of Blake and his team, coming to her rescue. The last thing she’d heard Blake say was that they weren’t far behind. But would they make it in time before Santini escaped? And what about her? Would Santini really take her with him? Or would he kill her inside the airplane hangar?

  Dread churned in her tummy. With each step, uncertainty of what was to come ratcheted her unease to a near blinding terror. One thug hustled to open the large metal door. The grating sound amplified her fear. She cringed.

  Santini pulled her inside the large hangar. Several more men waited inside with a uniformed pilot holding a clipboard in his hand. Large skylights let in the moon’s glow to bathe a sleek dual-engine private jet. The plane’s door was open with stairs spilling out.

  A stranglehold of alarm urged Liz to do what she could to keep from boarding that plane. Because once she did, she had a feeling her usefulness would evaporate and Santini would dispose of her. She needed to put up a struggle, to buy Blake time to arrive.

  A shadow passed overhead, distracting Santini. He glanced up, affording her the moment she’d been praying for. She dug in her heels and with a quick twist broke free of Santini’s grip.

  “Hey!” he shouted. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  She ran for the big hangar door, hoping to escape, hoping not everyone on the ground crew was a thug of Santini’s. She prayed that one of them would run interference.

  “Get her!” Santini bellowed, dispelling her hope that the men weren’t all criminals.

  She let loose a loud scream. Maybe she could at least draw attention from the tower. Surely, they’d send airport security if they heard a scream and saw a woman running for her life.

  The sound of pounding feet on the hangar’s concrete floor spurred her to sprint faster. She passed through the open hangar door. A large hand clamped on her arm and yanked sideways. Panicked, she lashed out, her fists glancing off wide shoulders.

  “Liz!” Blake’s voice registered in her frantic mind.

  She stilled. Sure she was imagining him, she blinked several times. “Blake?”

  He wrapped one arm about her waist and spun her around so that she was behind him. In his other arm he carried a large rifle with a scope aimed at the men who’d chased after her. Sami, Drew and Nathanial joined them. The men halted. A little red dot appeared on each man’s chest. The odds that the men and woman trained in firearms wouldn’t hit their target was low. Enough so that Santini’s men dropped their weapons and lifted their hands. Smart on their part.

  From inside the hangar the sound of the skylights shattering filled the air. Blake stalked forward. Liz grabbed a handful of his jacket and moved in tandem with him. They entered the hangar. A dozen officers dressed in black tactical gear bearing large weapons had rappelled through the opening. They landed on the ground surrounding Santini and his men.

  “Put down your weapons,” Blake demanded.

  Santini dropped his gun and sneered at Blake. “You. I should have killed you when I killed that other agent. I saw you on the pier. I knew you’d be trouble. Ever since then you’ve been a thorn in my side.”

  Liz could see the tension in Blake’s shoulders, could feel his rage. She held her breath. Why would Santini bait Blake?

  “A mistake you’ll have to live with.” Blake reached behind him to gently remove her hand from his coat, forcing her to let him go. Then in two long strides he was standing nose to nose with Santini. “You’re done.”

  A sly smile spread Santini’s lips. “We’ll see.”

  Blake placed a hand on Santini’s shoulder and forced him to his knees. “Hands behind your back.”

  Santini complied, but the almost bored expression on his face made Liz’s blood boil. The man was so smug. So sure that he was above the law. But he wasn’t.

  Blake had succeeded in bringing Santini to justice.

  Pride and awe filled her. Blake was a man of his word. A man worthy of her trust and her love.

  She caught her breath. She did love him, but she had no idea what to do about it. If she confessed to him how she felt, what good would that do? She needed to hold on tight to her emotions. Keep them within her heart because there wasn’t room in his life for her and she couldn’t give up her identity for love.

  Blake reached into Santini’s coat pockets until he found the necklace. “You won’t need this where you’re going.”

  Blake gestured for the officers to take Santini into custody. Then he returned to her. After slipping the uncut-diamond strand into his pocket, he smoothed back a lock of her hair. The rough pads of his fingers were gentle against her skin. The words I love you hovered on her tongue.

  But she couldn’t bring herself to utter them. She wasn’t that brave.

  “I’ll take you to your sister,” Blake said.

  Blinking back the burn of tears, she nodded. “Where is she?”

  “At the hospital.”

  Her stomach dropped. “She’s hurt?”

  One corner of his mouth lifted. “No. Minor scrapes and bruises. But she sure put up one whopper of a fit.”

  Liz smiled, glad to know her sister’s spirit hadn’t been broken. “She’s a bit of a drama queen.”

  Blake chuckled. “So Drew tells me. He and Sami are with her.”

  Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, he grasped her hand and tucked it within the crook of his arm. “Come on.”

  She glanced back at Santini being led to a waiting vehicle. “Don’t you want to take him in?”

  He kept his gaze on her. “Nathanial and the others can handle the transport.”

  Sighing, she leaned into him. Her chest crowded with love for this very special agent. “I’m glad this ordeal is over.”

  He helped her into a black SUV. They were the first of the vehicles to leave the airport. The rest stayed behind to process the scene and handle those arrested. He cranked the heater, and Liz tilted her head back onto the headrest. The beams of the SUV’s front lights cut through the darkness. A truck sat parked on the side of the road.

  “That’s strange,” Blake remarked as they passed the truck. “There was no truck there on our way in.”

  She looked through the back window in time to see two dark figures jump into the truck, then the vehicle lights came on. Alarmed, she sat up. “Uh, Blake?”

  The truck whipped a U-turn and raced toward them.

  “I see them.” Blake pressed the gas pedal. They shot forward, the rear tires fishtailing in the snow. The pickup truck sped closer. The truck crossed into the oncoming traffic lane and tried to pull even with their SUV. The back passenger window behind Blake exploded in a shower of glass.

  “Get down!” Blake shouted. He swerved to block the truck, throwing Liz sideways. She grasped the door handle and scrunched down as best she could given the seat belt had locked in place and was cutting into her.

  The truck hit the SUV’s back bumper. The vehicle’s rear tires slid sideways, but Blake managed to keep from losing control. Liz closed her eyes and sent up a fervent plea to God for protection.

  She’d thought the nightmare was over, but no. “It’s Ken, isn’t it?” It had to be Ken and his cohort. Who else could it be? But how had they have found them?

  “Hang on.” Sharp determination laced his words.

  He hit the brakes hard and swerved, forcing the truck to shoot past them to keep from a full collision. Then Blake stepped on the gas and yanked the steering wheel to the right, taking them off the main road and into the woods. They careened around a tree. Bumped over snow-covered shrubs and debris.

  Behind them the truck followed, but it had lost ground.

  Up ahead a narrow gully flashed in the headlights. Liz braced herself for the crash. At the last moment, Blake took a
hard left, barely missing the gully. Liz slammed her head against the side window, and pain exploded in her eye. The SUV hit the road again and ate up the gravel, snow-packed road at its top speed.

  Liz swiveled to see the truck slam on its brakes, barely stopping in time to avoid crashing into the ditch. She let out a relieved breath and turned to face forward. She put a hand to her eyebrow and felt dampness. She dug a tissue out of her pocket and held it to the stinging cut to mop up the blood.

  Blake called Nathanial and told him about the truck. After he hung up, he glanced her way. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Just rattled.”

  He frowned. “You’re hurt.”

  The concern in his tone brought tears to her eyes and heightened the pain. “I hit my head.”

  “You’re bleeding.”

  She blinked up at him. “Yes, Captain Obvious.”

  He snorted out a chuckle. “Sorry.”

  Glad to know he had some semblance of a sense of humor hidden inside him, she tried to relax, but her tension didn’t ease until Blake pulled to the curb by Niagara’s general hospital twenty minutes later. He jumped out of the SUV and came around to her door. He helped her out, then tucked her at his side. They walked into the emergency waiting area.

  “I need help here,” he said, taking out his badge and showing it to the nurses and orderlies. “Now.”

  A nurse hurried to their side, her gaze flitting over the bloodied tissue Liz was pressing against her eyebrow. “Follow me.” The nurse guided them toward a curtained room. “A doctor will be with you shortly.”

  “I can’t believe this,” Blake muttered. “I promised I’d keep you safe.”

  His distress tugged at her, making her heart hurt for him. He took on too much blame for things that he had no control over. “It’s okay. You got me here safely. You rescued my sister. You’re my hero.”

  He paled and stared at her as if she’d said something horrible. “I need to find Drew. I’ll have a patrol officer guard the ER.” He brusquely pushed aside the curtain and had to sidestep around the doctor on his way out.

  Liz stared after him, hurt and confused. What had she said to send him running away?

  * * *

  You’re my hero.

  Blake ran a hand through his hair as he leaned against the wall outside of the hospital’s emergency room entrance.

  No. He wasn’t anyone’s hero.

  From the beginning he’d been using Liz and her sister’s kidnapping to bring down Santini.

  The fact he was fast falling in love with Liz was a colossal mistake. She’d been hurt on his watch, and that was an even bigger blunder. One he wouldn’t ever forgive himself for. He’d lost Liam because he’d been late providing backup and now he’d let harm befall Liz.

  His hands fisted. He’d been so focused on Santini, he’d overlooked the other man who wanted the necklace. Ken. He’d had the IBETs technician run a background check on the man. Kenneth Onega—his real name—was a US citizen hailing from Miami, Florida.

  The local law enforcement there had a thick file on him. According to the Miami-Dade County police chief, Ken was a small-time fish looking to swim with the sharks. They’d had intel that he had been trying to muscle in on Santini’s operation but with no success.

  Blake ground his jaw together, making his head ache. Ken had made a mistake by coming after Liz. Though why he was targeting her didn’t make sense...unless he thought she had the necklace. She didn’t. Blake did. It was still nestled in his pocket.

  Pushing away from the wall, Blake’s gaze roamed over the parking lot and faltered on a familiar pickup truck.

  A cold knot formed in his chest.

  Ken was here at the hospital. And Blake had left Liz alone.

  * * *

  “In a few days, you’ll be good as new,” the emergency room doctor said with confidence ringing in his tone.

  Liz was thankful she’d only suffered a cut that hadn’t needed stitches, just a butterfly bandage. Her head still throbbed, but the doctor had given her some pain reliever. She hoped it would kick in soon. “Thank you, Doctor.”

  “You were asking about your sister,” the doctor said. “She’s in a private room on the third floor. Room 302.”

  “She was admitted?”

  “We gave her a sedative to calm her,” he said with a rueful twist of his lips. “She was quite upset.”

  Liz could imagine. Her sister was overly dramatic in the best of circumstances. No doubt Jillian had the hospital staff terrorized with her demands and hysterics.

  “I appreciate your help, Doctor.” Liz slid off the exam table.

  “Of course. The discharge nurse will have you sign some paperwork before you can go see your sister.”

  As she waited for the nurse, she called Blake but it went straight to voice mail. “It’s me, Liz.” She cringed. As if he wouldn’t recognize her voice? “I’m done here with the doctor. After I sign my discharge papers I’m heading up to the third floor. Jillian’s in room three-o-two.” She clicked off just as the same nurse who’d admitted her walked over with her discharge papers.

  She signed the required documents, then went to the emergency waiting area but didn’t see Blake. He’d said Drew and Sami were with her sister, so it stood to reason Blake had gone upstairs. Instead of the elevator she took the stairs to the third floor and passed the nurses’ station without stopping to check in.

  A uniformed guard sat outside her sister’s room. He nodded to her. “Miss Cantrell, you may go in.”

  “How...?”

  “The Kellys showed me a picture of you,” the officer said with a smile. “They went in search of food. They’ll be back shortly.”

  Grateful to Sami and Drew, Liz thanked the officer, then took a fortifying breath before pushing the door open. She braced herself for whatever mood she’d find her sister in. Would she be hysterical? Or weepy? Or giddy with relief?

  Jillian lay asleep in the bed. Okay, exhausted. That stood to reason. Liz’s own fatigue made itself known. Her limbs felt heavy and she couldn’t stifle a sudden yawn as she moved to her sister’s bedside.

  Jillian’s blond hair fanned over the pillow. A bruise darkened the pale skin near her temple. She looked so young and vulnerable lying there with the blankets pulled up to her chin.

  “Ah, Jillian,” Liz whispered with an ache in her throat. She sat in the chair beside the bed and bowed her head. She praised God they’d both made it through the past week in one piece. She prayed for wisdom and guidance. But mostly she prayed for strength to let go of her love for Blake.

  A noise brought Liz’s gaze to the door. Maybe Sami and Drew were relieving the officer. She rose and walked to the door just as two men stepped inside the room. She collided with a skinny man, who grabbed her with bony fingers wrapped around her arms, forcing her to stop. She’d never seen him in her life. He had thin features that bordered on gaunt. He was dressed in a dark hoodie that covered his head and hung on his lean frame.

  She glanced to the side to find Ken standing there with a smirk on his face. Her breath caught and held. What was he doing here? How had he found them? “How did you get in here?”

  “Let’s just say the guard is taking a siesta in the supply closet,” Ken answered.

  She swallowed back a lump of fear. Both men carried guns.

  “Where’s the necklace?” Ken’s harsh tone echoed in through the stillness of the hospital room.

  What? Why did he think she had it? “The police have it.” She kept her voice low, praying the men wouldn’t awaken her sister. She’d had enough trauma to last a lifetime.

  Ken glanced at his skinny cohort who shook his head. Ken’s lip thinned. “The Niagara police don’t have it. My guess is your boyfriend does. Where is he?”

  “Boyfriend?” Liz frowne
d at the man. Obviously he meant Blake. And how did he know that the local police didn’t have the necklace? “Agent Fallon will be here any second.” At least she prayed so.

  Ken grabbed Liz and hauled up her against him. She let out a small yelp. He smelled of cigars and alcohol. Her stomach turned with distaste. He pressed the gun into her side.

  “Make one wrong move, and you’re dead.” His gaze flicked over Jillian. “And then she’ll be next.”

  ELEVEN

  Liz swallowed back the terror bubbling up inside of her. She couldn’t let them hurt Jillian. Not after all she’d suffered to rescue her and bring her to safety. “No, please.”

  “Then you better cooperate with us,” Ken hissed. “Otherwise, you’re both dead.”

  The world dimmed into one horrific thought—what if she never saw Blake again. Her breathing turned shallow. Fearing Ken would make good his threat to kill them both, she nodded, willing to do whatever necessary to survive.

  “Good.” Ken jerked his chin toward the door. “Come on, let’s go find your boyfriend.”

  She went with them down the corridor. As they passed the nurses’ station, Liz met the gaze of the woman behind the desk. Liz tried to convey her panic and mouthed, help. The women’s eyes widened and she nodded.

  Then Ken shoved Liz inside the elevator. She pressed herself into the corner and fought the smothering sensation threatening to bring her to her knees. Now was not the time to give in to her claustrophobia. After having braved the tunnels, she could manage the hospital’s elevator. She had to. Ken dug his fingers into her arm. Gritting her teeth against the panic rising up, she silently prayed. After having survived Santini, would her life now end with Ken? How was that even possible?

  They rode down to the main floor. When the doors opened, they were met by Blake, Sami and Drew. Their guns were drawn and aimed at them.

  Ken’s buddy flattened himself to the side of the elevator car while Ken hid behind Liz. His gun was still jammed into her ribs. “Out of the way or I’ll kill her.”