Page 61 of The Captive
Hank wheezed out a breath.“And Lana?”
“She’s going to be killed, too.”
This time, the silence that descended on the room was thick with tension.
“Okay.”Hank’s Adam’s apple bobbed fervently as he swallowed.“Okay.What do we do?”
Jim spoke up.“We come up with a new plan.One that doesn’t include arranging a funeral for Lana, or damn it, you.Sound good?”
Hank nodded in resignation.
CHAPTER 16
When the van came to a stop three hours later, the slam of the brakes nearly sent Lana flying off the bench.She steadied herself and shot a rueful look at Deacon.“This is it.”
He met her gaze.“Yes it is.”
Car doors slammed, followed by the sound of footsteps.A tremor of fear dashed up her spine.Lana lowered her hands to her belly, covering the small bump protectively.Deacon didn’t miss the gesture.
“I won’t let them hurt you,” he said quietly.
She sighed.“I don’t think there’s anything you can do to stop it.Not this time.”
Pure helplessness exploded in his eyes.When he looked at her like that, she almost believed he might love her.That the heartless words he’d hurled her way last night had been nothing but a last-ditch attempt to avoid his true feelings.But she knew better.Deacon wasn’t one to mince words.They’d spent two months together, long enough for her toget to know him, to grasp that he said what he meant, even if it wasn’t something the other person wanted to hear.
He didn’t love her.But at least she got comfort from the knowledge that he would do everything in his power to protect her and their baby.
“When this thing goes down, I want you to stick close to me,” Deacon said.“Don’t move an inch unless I tell you, okay?”
Swallowing, she nodded.“Okay.”
Footsteps approached the doors, which were thrown open.Lana blinked from the sudden flood of light.Kilo’s large body loomed in front of them.His nose was caked with dried blood, and the expression on his face revealed the anger he still felt over Deacon besting him.
“Get out,” he ordered.
Lana exchanged a look with Deacon.He gave a small nod.
She climbed out of the van and immediately examined her surroundings.They were in an abandoned industrial area, judging from the crumbling brick buildings and random pieces of machinery scattered on the gravel.A long line of storage units stretched out to her right, but many of the doors gaped open, revealing dark empty spaces.There was some metal scaffolding to the left, broken and rusty, and then a whole lot of nothing.Just a paved lot that ended after a hundred yards or so, and a field with yellowing grass and a sagging chain-link fence.
Lana turned as Deacon hopped out of the van, his bound hands clasped to his stomach.Like her, he did a thorough sweep of the area.His lips thinned, as if he weren’t happy with what he saw.
Le Clair stalked up, cell phone in hand.“Any minute now,” he said with a smile.He glanced at his men.“Make sure we’re secure.”
The men headed off, weapons drawn, in the direction of the deserted buildings.One by one, voices crackled from Le Clair’s radio to declare, “Clear.”Lana recognized each voice, noticing that Echo had yet to report in.She’d seen him creep around to one of the farther storage units.
Le Clair frowned, clicked on the radio.“Echo, check in,” he barked.
A moment of static, then, “Clear.”
Le Clair’s features relaxed.He ordered Echo and Tango to station themselves by the buildings, then barked for Kilo and Oscar to return to the vehicles.
Tension gathered in Lana’s body.Le Clair’s hawklike gaze scanned the area, focusing more than once on the pebble-littered road they’d driven in on.He was on guard.Impatient.
Her father would be coming from that direction.And if Deacon’s warning to the FBI had gone unheeded, there was a great chance her dad wouldn’t be leaving here alive.
Seconds ticked by painfully slowly.Le Clair glanced at his watch.Kilo and Oscar were ready with the rifles.
A minute passed.Two.Three.Lana’s ears perked as the distant hum of a car engine broke through the cold afternoon air.She craned her neck, peered at the gravel road, gasping when the front bumper of a beige Mercedes came into view.She didn’t recognize the car, but it was a model her father enjoyed.
