Page 38 of Dusty
She had until dinner was over to figure out how to keep herself alive and Dusty safe—and somehow get word to the real federal agents, the ones in Austin who worked with Antonio, who weren’t in Cooper’s pocket. A nearly impossible task.
But as she’d learned in Shiloh Springs, sometimes impossible was just a starting point.
By the timethey made it back to Shiloh Springs, Dusty’s emotions were all over the place. He’d argued with Rafe and the rest that he needed to be taken to the nearest airport, so he could catch the next flight to Chicago. Dane argued they’d be wasting precious time trying to get a commercial flight; he and his wife, Destiny, were working on securing a private plane. But this waiting, wondering about what Madison was doing to Sharon, made him feel like he was going to explode. Worry about Sharon filled him almost to the breaking point. By now, she was in Madison’s hands or would be as soon as the private jet Lennox had taken her on landed in Chicago. And once Madison got his hands on Sharon, it would be almost impossible to get her back. Madison had tons of security in and around his estate, and if they were willing to work for Madison, they fell into the morally gray area.
Rafe, Antonio, and Dane had spent the drive back to Shiloh Springs on their phones, making arrangements to head to Chicago, and coordinating with Carpenter Security, one ofthe premier security companies in the country, to mount some kind of rescue effort to save Sharon. Carpenter would know trustworthy men in law enforcement in Chicago, as well as have his own employees on the ground, ready to help out as soon as they arrived.
He’d only been half-listening to them, his thoughts filled with what Sharon might be enduring at that very moment. From everything he’d read, everything he’d heard Sharon say about Madison, the man was a monster. While the rest of the world saw the polished, suave businessman, the entrepreneur who hosted benefits and raised money for charities, Dusty now saw beneath the façade. The thought she was in the hands of the man who’d set her up for the murder of Vincent Frame, the man who dealt with laundering money for the mob. It ate at him, making him feel helpless. He prayed they’d get there in time to save her.
As they pulled up to the sheriff’s office in Shiloh Springs, Dusty spotted Douglas Boudreau standing in front of the station, and knew he was waiting for them. Douglas motioned for them to come inside, and as soon as they had, he told them he’d spoken with a couple of contacts and found them a plane. As luck would have it, Samuel Carpenter’s jet was in Dallas, and he was having it flown to Austin. It would be there in about thirty minutes. They’d refuel and could be in the air in about an hour, which was about the amount of time it would take them to drive straight through to the small airport outside Austin. Right after he got a look at Dusty’s leg and bandaged it up. With everything happening, Dusty had been ignoring the throbbing in his thigh, but Douglas already had out the first aid kit and was pulling out bandages. Luckily, it turned out to be a deep graze, and the bullet wasn’t in his leg. Which was good news, because he wasn’t about to head over to the hospital. Not with Sharon in Chicago.
For the first time, Dusty felt hope stirring in his chest, hope he’d be in time to rescue Sharon. The flight to Chicago wouldgive them time to finish planning a rescue. Storming Madison’s estate would be dangerous, but if he went alone, it might give the rest of them a chance to get past the guards, while Dusty distracted Madison and any guards inside. It was a long shot, but he was willing to do anything to save Sharon. Because he knew, even though none of them spoke it aloud, that Madison couldn’t afford to let Sharon live to testify against him.
Within minutes, they headed toward Austin, to meet up with the Carpenter’s private jet. Douglas said Samuel’s brother, Dean Westin, was personally piloting the plane, and that he’d be happy to help with any rescue attempts. Dusty knew from past conversations and dealings with Carpenter Security, Dean Westin had abilities and skills that might come in handy when it came to dealing with the guards.
Now he just had to get to Chicago, to save the woman he loved.
Dusty’s knuckles turnedwhite as he gripped the armrest during takeoff. The sleek private jet climbed into the darkening sky, but his thoughts remained firmly on Sharon. Every minute that passed was another minute she was in Madison’s clutches. Another minute she was in danger.
“We’ll get her back,” Rafe said, settling into the seat across from him. The confidence in his voice did little to ease the knot in Dusty’s stomach.
“Madison’s not expecting us,” Antonio added, spreading a blueprint across the table between them. “That gives us an advantage.”
Dusty leaned forward, forcing himself to focus on the estate layout that Antonio had somehow acquired. The mansion itself was in one of the more prestigious areas of Chicago, with acres ofmeticulously landscaped grounds, surrounded by an eight-foot stone wall with security cameras mounted every thirty feet. Two main gates, one for deliveries, one for the family, both guarded around the clock.
“Security detail runs in three shifts,” Dean called from the cockpit. “Eight guards per shift, with overlapping schedules during transition times.” Dane walked over, pointing to various locations on the blueprint. “Motion sensors throughout the grounds, infrared cameras at all entry points.”
“How do you know all this?” Dusty asked.
Dane’s mouth curved in a humorous smile. “Let’s just say I love my wife. She sent me all the information she could gather in such a short time. Being married to an ex-hacker has its privileges.”
Dusty whistled low. “Sounds like a fortress.”
“It’s designed to be,” Dane confirmed. “But every fortress has a weakness.” He tapped the blueprint. “We just have to find it.”
Dusty studied the plans closer, desperation clawing at him. There had to be a way in, a way to reach Sharon before Madison could silence her permanently. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not when he’d finally admitted to himself how much she meant to him.
“What about this?” he asked, pointing to what appeared to be a service entrance at the rear of the property. “Deliveries come through here?”
“Food deliveries, yes,” Dean nodded. “But they’re checked thoroughly.”
“We don’t all need to go in the same way,” Dusty said, the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind. “What if I create a distraction at the main gate while you three—” he gestured to Rafe, Antonio, and Dane, “—approach from different points? Dean could coordinate from a distance.”
Antonio frowned. “That puts you directly in Madison’s line of fire.”
“Good,” Dusty said, his voice hard. “I want him focused on me.”
“That’s suicide,” Rafe argued. “Lennox knows your face. He’s sure to be inside the mansion if he’s Madison’s lap dog. The minute you show up, you’re busted. The moment Madison’s security team spots you, and Lennox ID’s you—”
“I’m counting on it,” Dusty interrupted. “If Madison thinks I’m acting alone, reckless with emotion, he won’t be looking for a coordinated attack.”
“And you’d be what—bait?” Dane asked incredulously.
Dusty met his gaze steadily. “I’ll be whatever I need to be to save Sharon.”
The cabin fell silent. Dusty could read the concern on their faces, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered except getting to Sharon in time. The memory of her smile, her quiet strength even in the face of everything she’d been through—it fueled a determination in him that bordered on recklessness.
“There might be another way,” Dean said from the cockpit. “I still have contacts within Chicago PD. If we can get them to run interference—”
