Page 106 of Hidden Agendas (Tempting SEALs 4)

Kell stared back at him with a frown. “Meaning?”

“Well, son, no offense, but without your family’s backing, you’re not exactly in her social sphere,” he said kindly. But something in his gaze reflected back, hard, dangerous.

“Kell!” Ian’s voice snapped his head around. “Look at your feet.”

Kell glanced down and felt cold murderous rage shake his soul. Blood was inching past the bottom of the door.

Pushing away from Clay, he gripped the doorknob, tugged at it, then threw his shoulder into the door. It cracked open to reveal Kira reaching out, her eyes dazed as blood spilled from her chest.

“Ambulance,” he yelled out as Ian hurried to Kira’s side, trying to stop the blood from oozing from the wound. Kell jerked the radio from his inner pocket and rushed to Elaine’s fallen form.

“Elaine!” Jansen’s fear-filled voice echoed through the room.

“Macey. Ambulance. Reno, converge. Emily’s missing and Kira’s down.”

His gaze went around the small room desperately. There had to be a hidden entrance into it. So much for the fucking reports that there were no secret tunnels through this old house.

Jansen was barking orders to a servant as Ian worked to save Kira, and Markwell was shouting orders from the doorway to his security personnel.

“Markwell, where’s the hidden door?” Kell turned, fury burning in his chest as the other man stepped to the doorway. “Where’s the hidden fucking door?”

“In the back closet,” the other man snapped.

“Goddammit, why don’t you bastards tell me about your fucking bolt-holes,” he snarled, jerking the door open and rushing into the closet to check the wall.

There it was. The mahogany paneling was just a bit out of joint. As he pulled on it, the door slid into the wall, revealing a small tunnel.

“Where’s the exit?” he snapped, pulling the radio free once again to report the coordinates to Reno and the men outside.

“The drain about half a mile down the road. The tunnel opens inside the culvert and leads to the wash,” Markwell explained quickly. “But the gates leading to it were welded shut years ago.”

Kell radioed the information to Reno. “I’m heading through the drain now, meet me at the exit. Whoever took her has a hell of a head start on us.”

“Ian?” Kell glanced around the door as he quickly slid the ear clip over his ear and tucked the radio into his sleeve.

“She’s alive. I’ll keep her that way,” Ian snapped. “Find Emily.”

“You’ll need light.” Markwell pushed a flashlight into his hand. “Let’s go.”

Kell glanced at Markwell’s hand. “I don’t need you here.”

“Fuck you!” The other man’s lip lifted in a snarling sneer. “This is my home they decided to take her from and by God I’ll help take them down. Now you’re wasting time.”

They slid into the tunnel, the flashlight picking out the tracks in the soft sandy floor dirt as well as Emily’s thigh holster and pistol. There were two sets of footprints, both male, one boots, the other soft soled.

“Two assailants.” He lifted his wrist to snap into the radio. “Emily’s not walking.”

Kell could feel the fear in his gut now. She had to be unconscious, he assured himself. If they had killed her they would have left her body with Kira’s and Elaine’s; they wouldn’t bother to kidnap her.

“We’re heading for the drain,” Reno barked into the receiver. “How much head of a start?”

“More than ten minutes and we’re half a mile from the exit.”

“We’re pushing it,” Reno stated coldly. “We’ll meet you there.”

“Let’s go.” Kell glanced over his shoulder at the anger in Markwell’s expression. For all his social pomp and arrogance, the man was known for his quick thinking and honesty.

“Was anyone in the ladies’ room when you entered?” Markwell barked as they raced through the tunnel.

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