A Colby Christmas Rescue (Colby Agency: The Next Generation #1)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Nashville 4:00 p.m.

The private airfield near Nashville was off the beaten path, but then Jamie suspected that was why it had been chosen. Whether it was the fear that their calls were being monitored or could potentially be so, there had been radio silence during the four-plus-hour flight from LA to Nashville. She’d contacted their superior at IOA and notified him that she and Poe would be out of reach for a few days. Since they were due time off after an operation it was no problem.

Poe had helped Jamie keep herself together. Not an easy task when she was worried. Luke was not like her. He hadn’t embraced this undercover, secret agent life. He was a total pacifist—a man focused on learning how to help others with medicine. Although Victoria had insisted they both learn how to use a handgun, Jamie would bet Luke had not touched one since.

“That’s your grandmother?” Poe asked as he watched Victoria emerge from the limo that had arrived.

Jamie smiled. She tried to think how Victoria Colby-Camp appeared to others. A mature woman with silver threads in her dark hair. Tall, trim, well dressed. She looked a good twenty years younger than her age. From all appearances she might be your average attractive, wealthy middle-aged woman.

Except there was nothing average about Victoria.

“That’s her.” They had used a different airfield. Having two jets arrive from Chicago at the same place would have roused suspicions. Jamie rushed to her grandmother and hugged her as hard as she dared. Even so, she was impressed at the slim, toned body she felt beneath the layers of clothing. Victoria not only kept her mind sharp, but she also kept her body lean as well.

“Jamie.” Victoria drew back and looked her up and down. “We don’t have a lot of time, so we need to talk fast.”

Renewed worry twisted in Jamie’s belly. “What can you tell me?”

“Let’s talk inside.”

Jamie turned to her grandpa, who was watching them across the top of the vehicle. She smiled. “Hey, Grandpa.” She hitched her head toward the man waiting behind her. “This is Poe. We work together.”

Lucas Camp pointed a gaze at Poe that likely sent a shiver down his spine.

“Sir.” Poe gave him a nod.

“Poe,” Jamie said, drawing his attention in her direction, “this is my grandmother, Victoria.”

Her mission partner nodded. “A pleasure to meet you, ma’am. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He glanced toward Lucas. “Both of you.”

Victoria nodded before ducking back into the passenger compartment of the limo. Jamie climbed in behind her. Lucas settled on the seat next to Victoria, and Poe dropped next to Jamie opposite her grandparents.

“What in the world happened?” Worry about her little brother had torn Jamie apart during the flight here. She wasn’t sure how much more of the not knowing she could handle.

“I received a call this morning,” Victoria explained. “It was Luke. He said I would receive instructions via a courier and that I should do nothing until I received those instructions. The only thing he could tell me before hanging up was that it had to be you who carried out the instructions.”

Jamie and Poe exchanged a look.

“Then, we can safely assume,” Poe suggested, “that this someone is aware of your particular skill set.”

Jamie nodded. “Agreed.”

Lucas said, “We have some idea of what your work entails. What aspects of that work do you believe has put you in someone’s crosshairs?”

Jamie thought about the question for a moment. “As you know,” she explained, “our agency operates a very diverse team to resolve issues all over the world. Sometimes, like today, our assignments seem sedate.”

“Like picking up a Santa-for-hire,” Poe clarified, “before he was neutralized and delivering him to a safe location.”

Jamie went on. “We have no idea who this Santa was or why someone wanted to terminate him. Frankly, it seemed like the sort of assignment any cop in the LAPD could have handled. But there was a reason we were sent in to do it. We just may never know what that reason was.”

“I can shed a little light on that one,” Lucas said.

Poe frowned and shared another look with Jamie.

“You have no idea,” she said, laughing. “Grandpa isn’t who you think he is.” This was truer than she would ever be able to convince her friend or anyone else.

Poe gave a nod. “I see.”

“Your Santa arrived in LA from a visit to Santiago last Friday. His wife’s mother passed away unexpectedly.” Lucas shrugged. “We’ll stick with calling him Santa. You may not realize based on his condition today—he has felt a little under the weather the past couple of days—but he was booked solid with many appearances at some very large malls and department stores.”

Jamie got it now. “He would have come into contact with a lot of people over the next few days.”

Lucas nodded. “By tomorrow, the incubation period will be complete and Santa will be highly contagious with the virus he contracted at the funeral.”

“I take it he had no idea,” Jamie suggested. No wonder he’d been self-medicating with alcohol. He probably felt like hell and was attempting to cheer himself up.

“None. Eleven other targets were discovered and picked up in the past twenty-four hours. Your Santa was the last.”

“Wow.” Poe shook his head. “No wonder we had to take all those shots when we received our orders.”

“There’s no reason to believe you were exposed,” Lucas explained. “The date and time your Santa was exposed was known so he wouldn’t have been contagious yet, just feeling a little under the weather from all the changes happening in his body.”

Victoria shook her head. “I liked it better when we could see the attacks coming.” She took a deep breath. “At any rate, based on the instructions delivered by the courier Luke told us about, there is a certain surgeon in Nashville who has perfected a previously basically impossible-to-do brain surgery. The first successful procedure was completed just three months ago. There have been two more each week since and though this is an amazing step, this surgeon is the only one so far who has managed the feat. The hope is that he will be able to train others, but it’s not going to be easy, and worse, it’s going to take time. For those who have inoperable brain tumors, time is not on their side.”

“There is a great deal of fiery rhetoric in the medical field just now,” Lucas said, picking up from there, “as to whether this surgeon, Dr. Quinton Case, should be wasting his time trying to teach others to do the surgery or just doing the surgery. He can only do two or three per week because it is incredibly tedious and both physically and mentally exhausting.”

Victoria said, “How do you decide which patients will receive the surgery and which won’t during any given week? How many lives will be lost while time is taken away from surgery to attempt teaching others?”

“Wow, that’s a hard one.” Jamie searched her grandmother’s face. “But, as horrible as what you’re telling me is, what does this have to do with Luke?”

“We can only assume that our kidnapper has someone close to him who needs this surgery since all he wants is the surgeon.”

Jamie held up her hands. “Wait. This dude wants me to kidnap this surgeon and deliver him to his location of choice?”

“You have approximately seventy-two hours—or until five o’clock on Monday. At that time, if the surgeon has not been delivered to the drop-off location, Luke will die.”

Jamie’s heart sank. She turned to Poe. “Though I appreciate your desire to give me a hand with this, I think this is where your participation ends. I can’t ask you to do this.”

“No way.” He shook his head. “I’m not walking away.”

“I won’t argue with you, Kenny.” She wouldn’t waste time or energy doing that.

“Then don’t because I’m not leaving until you do.” He leaned deeper into the seat.

“You should consider what she’s trying to tell you,” Lucas argued. “There is nothing we can do. In fact, this...right here...is as far as our participation can go. The instructions were explicit. Once we have passed the information along, any involvement on our part or the part of our agency will prompt an immediate termination of the deal. No exceptions.”

Jamie turned to her grandfather. Then it was decided—she was on her own. “Under the circumstances, I would suggest you get on with this briefing and go.”

Victoria shook her head. “There are steps we can take to prevent you having to do this.”

Jamie understood. They could make a preemptive strike. Grab the surgeon and then do the negotiating. “But we both understand how risky that option is. The same with going to the FBI. Anything we do puts us in a situation where we can’t guarantee the outcome for Luke.”

Victoria shook her head again. “Even following their rules, there are no guarantees of the outcome, Jamie. As you’re well aware, things can go wrong either way. People can go back on their word.”

“Then there’s nothing to talk about.” Jamie looked to Lucas. “Let’s get this done and the two of you should be on your way. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to figure out they likely know about your arrival, and they’ll be watching for your departure.”

Lucas passed Jamie a brown envelope. “This tells you everything you need to know about your target. The drop-off location will be given to you nearer the grab time.”

Jamie accepted the package. “Thank you.”

Lucas shook his head and looked away.

“The limo will drop you at the first transition point where you’ll receive the next set of instructions,” Victoria said.

“As you said, they know we’re here and we have been instructed,” Lucas said, his voice tight, “to get back to Chicago.”

“I’ll take care of this.” Jamie looked from her grandfather to her grandmother. “Luke will be fine. I promise.” She hesitated a moment. “I’m assuming you haven’t told my parents.”

“We’ve been instructed not to tell anyone,” Victoria confirmed.

Jamie reached out and took her grandmother’s hand. “I will get this done.”

They hugged and then Jamie hugged her grandfather. There were so many things she would have liked to say, and she was confident her grandparents felt the same, but there was no time.

Luke needed them to remain calm and to move quickly.

All else would have to wait.

Excalibur Court, 6:30 p.m.

J AMIE HAD WAITED at the airfield until the Colby Agency jets had taken flight. Watching her grandparents leave knowing she had to stay and get this done had been extremely difficult. This was her little brother’s life, and her grandparents were the strongest, most capable people she knew. She suddenly felt utterly lost and desolate.

The driver had then brought them to a house in a very high-end neighborhood. The house was apparently unoccupied and sat in a cul-de-sac on a hillside overlooking the home of Dr. Quinton Case. Well, calling the place a home was a bit of an understatement. The Case’s estate was a massive property ensconced amid more than a hundred acres of treed serenity.

The house on Excalibur Court had been staged with everything they might need—at least on first look. The supersensitive telescope setup allowed them to see—to a degree—inside the home of Dr. Case. Everything from climbing equipment to serious weapons and one hell of a muscle car getaway vehicle had been provided.

There was food and drink, but Jamie wasn’t consuming anything in this house. She’d had the driver stop at a local market where she’d picked up food and water. She and Poe had searched the house for wires and cameras. They’d found numerous devices, though they couldn’t be sure they’d found them all.

Whoever had set up this op was good.

Strangely enough, a note for Jamie and Poe had been left on the kitchen island. The person who had composed the note claimed to have known she would bring Poe with her and the items he would need had been made available as well. This included clothes and weapons. To Jamie’s way of thinking, this was proof whoever was behind this knew both her and Poe.

Poe had spread the map and step-by-step instructions on the dining table. Whoever was funding this op had thought of everything—literally.

“On Sunday night, Case is having a holiday party at his home,” Poe said. “And that’s when you’re supposed to nab him.”

“The presumption,” Jamie said, “I assume is that this is a time when he will be most vulnerable. Preoccupied. Distracted.”

The man was surrounded by security at all times, particularly at his office and at the hospital. Understandable, she supposed. But it was sad that because of his success in creating a lifesaving procedure his life was now in danger.

“No question,” Poe agreed. “I’m thinking...” He leaned against the edge of the table. “I find it interesting that they assumed you would want me to come because there was nothing in the instructions about me and no one has showed up to put a bullet in my head or ask me to take a walk. Instead, they left clothes and weapons for me.”

“Seems like they know me—us—pretty well,” she agreed.

“Makes sense I guess since it doesn’t seem like a one-person operation if you ask me,” he pointed out.

“Since we haven’t been given more detail other than the strike is on Sunday night, I’d say it’s too soon to tell. But I tend to agree with you. I’m wondering if we’ll be given additional backup when the time comes.”

Jamie walked into the living room and up to the telescope. The wall of floor-to-ceiling glass doors opened fully to the balcony outside by sliding away like a movable wall. Not so great this time of year, but amazing for extending the entertaining space to the outdoors in the summer. She peered through the lens and directly into the entrance hall of the grand manor that was Dr. Case’s home. “The real question in my mind is getting him out of those woods.”

Poe joined her at the wall of windows that looked out over the dark landscape. “Getting him out of the house shouldn’t be so difficult. There are numerous egresses. It will only be a matter of evading staff and security. The cameras will be another issue altogether, but they may be providing information on the security system. One would hope.”

“It’s the woods,” she repeated as she surveyed the darkness between this house and the target. “He’s not going to come willingly, and we have to be extremely careful with him. Any injury could put him out of commission. That would defeat the whole purpose of nabbing him.”

“And therein,” Poe said, “lies the answer to why we are here.”

Jamie straightened away from the telescope, following his train of thought. “They need him for his ability to do this procedure.”

“Which means,” Poe picked up where she left off, “our employer either intends to start a school for surgeons who want to be like Case, or, as your grandmother suggested, he has a loved one with an inoperable brain tumor who doesn’t have the time left to wait his or her turn for the procedure.”

It wasn’t necessary to say the rest out loud just in case they were being monitored. Even now, Victoria and her people would likely be running down known patients in need of the potentially lifesaving surgery only Dr. Case could provide. Even if they narrowed the list down to the precise patient and therefore the perpetrator of this plan, would there be time to find Luke wherever they had hidden him?

The risk was entirely too great to take.

The sound of clapping had them both spinning to face the threat. “Bravo.”

Poe reached for his weapon.

Jamie was too busy picking her jaw up off the floor. Even if she hadn’t seen his face, she would have recognized that hint of a British accent anywhere. “Abi?”

Abidan “Abi” Amar stood near the French doors that led to the living room. He clapped one last time before dropping his hands to his sides. “Jamie.” One eyebrow reared up. “Kendrick Poe, I presume,” he said to Poe. “A man whose claim to fame is that he purports to be a distant relative of Edgar Allan Poe. How very interesting.”

“Actually—” Poe put his weapon away “—my claim to fame is the well-known exit of no less than a dozen Americans from al-Qaeda in Yemen. Everything else I’ve done in my short career is just icing on that very large cake.”

Abi gave a nod. “I may have heard something about that.”

“What’re you doing here, Abi?” Jamie crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him suspiciously.

To say his appearance was a surprise would be a vast understatement. Abi was not a terrorist, though many might say his reputation suggested otherwise. Be that as it may, her knowledge of him provided some room for error in that assessment.

Abi was a contractor who worked doing whatever he was paid to do—within some vague lines that only he could see. In other words, he wasn’t a real bad guy. Just one who did things that were not always legal for money.

He colored outside the lines and he loved every minute of it.

“It is my job to oversee your work,” he announced. He surveyed Poe up and down. “Although, I must say my job may have been easier without this complication.”

Poe’s face darkened. “Excuse me?”

Jamie held up a hand for Poe as she walked toward Abi. “So, you’re my backup in this?”

“That is correct.”

“Wait a minute, Jamie,” Poe argued.

Again, she gave Poe her hand. “First, Abi—” she looked directly at him “—I would not trust you to have my back under any circumstances. Ever. Second, if this...whoever-he-is...that took my brother has you, what does he need with me? I can’t fathom why he would complicate this situation with additional players. More room for leaks and other issues.”

The last was the real question. Abi’s skills were equal to Jamie’s, maybe greater since he was older and had more experience. He had been offered a position at IOA without even putting his name in the hat or competing in any way, but he’d turned it down. He much preferred being his own boss. He didn’t play well with others.

If the person who took Luke—who wanted or needed Dr. Case—had Abi on the payroll, they really didn’t need anyone else for a straightforward op like this. In fact, the scenario made no sense at all.

“You see,” Abi said, “trust is a very important part of this very delicate situation. I think my reputation for being available to the highest bidder preceded me and the trust level wasn’t where it needed to be.”

“Good point,” Jamie agreed. Abi was just as likely to abduct the doctor and sell his services to someone else as to go with the guy who hired him.

Abi went on, “This is also the reason, I suspect, that they took your brother. A little insurance to keep you focused.”

Abi was very handsome by any standards. Tall, muscular, black hair and eyes. Jamie stood no more than three feet from Abi and already the physical draw wanted to overpower her. No way. She had been down that road once. Besides, she could only have one focus right now: rescuing her brother.

The very last thing she intended to do was get involved in any way with this man. He was dangerous on far too many levels.

“What do you know that we don’t?” she demanded.

“Really? I’m not sure we have the time to cover everything.”

Poe shook his head. “This guy is a real comedian.”

Obviously, Poe had picked up on the sparks flying between him and Jamie. She’d have to work harder to smother that connection.

“I know that we only have one shot to achieve our goal because our target is leaving for a holiday on Monday.” He shook his head. “Can you imagine? He is the only surgeon who has the ability to do this surgery and he dares to take a vacation.” He laughed. “Doesn’t say a whole lot for his level of compassion.”

“You ever heard of burnout?” Poe tossed back at him.

Both men had a point. “All right,” Jamie said, redirecting the conversation. “So we have to get him during the party on Sunday night or risk him getting away before he can do what your employer needs him to do.”

“ Our employer,” Abi countered.

“What’s the plan to get into the house?” Poe asked.

“You don’t need that information yet,” Abi said. “You will learn each step as needed. That’s the most secure way to move forward.”

She and Poe exchanged a frustrated look.

“For now, there are other security issues that need to be addressed. I’ll need your cell phones and we’ll conduct a little pat down.”

“You can’t be serious.” Jamie shook her head. “No way.”

Abi turned his hands up. “It’s your choice but you know the consequences.”

“Fine.” She passed him her cell. There was no option for resisting. “Just do it.”

With visible reluctance, Poe held out his cell phone as well.

Abi took the phones to the coffee table, gave them a quick check and then added what was no doubt a tracking device or bug of some sort.

“You are to make no unauthorized calls until this is done.” He handed each one their phone back. “You are not to leave this house until the job is finished.”

“I take it you’re here to stay.” Not really a question in Jamie’s opinion. He was here for the duration, she suspected.

“I will be here until you complete this mission.”

“Look me in the eye,” Jamie demanded, “and tell me that you do not have orders to terminate anyone when this is over.” Not that she was afraid of him getting the upper hand on her. She wasn’t. She was every bit as good as he was one-on-one. But she was worried about what might happen to her brother even if she did get the doctor. And his family. Would Case’s family be harmed? As for Poe, like her, he could take care of himself.

“I have no termination orders,” Abi said. “Unless, you fail to follow through with your instructions and, I will be honest with you, I declined that part of the deal. If you opt out or fail, your brother’s execution will be carried out by someone else, but mark my word, it will be carried out.”

She supposed she couldn’t ask for more than full disclosure.

“There is just one issue,” Abi said.

Here it came. Damn it.

“Your friend here,” Abi said with a glance at Poe. “He was not part of the plan.”

Poe visibly braced.

“Which means,” Abi said, “that I have the less than pleasant duty of informing my employer of the modification.”

“Please,” Jamie said bluntly, “you have had ample time to do this already. Obviously, you had a clue it was happening because you provided clothes for him.”

“Actually, those are mine.”

Jamie held up both hands. Oh. She hadn’t thought of that. “Whatever. I want Poe here. He’s with me—to watch my back. Deal with it.”

She held her breath. Hoped to hell he would allow her this one concession.

For a long moment, Abi only stared at her. Finally, he looked away. “You’re lucky I’m feeling generous.” He shrugged. “Besides, we might need him for a distraction of some sort if we get into trouble.”

“I don’t plan to get into trouble,” Jamie argued. “That’s your MO, not mine.”

Abi laughed. “Well, let’s hope you can keep that record. This is not going to be as easy as it sounds.”

The fact that he had inside information compelled her to believe him. “Tell me about the hard parts.”

“Dr. Case has a body double.”

Dread dragged at her gut. “Are you serious?”

“I am indeed. The most difficult part will be making sure we take the right guy and that we keep his wife and daughter out of the line of fire.”

What kind of doctor hired a body double?

“You have some way of proving who the real Dr. Case is?” God, she hoped so. Because all she had was a photo of the man.

“I do and it’s foolproof. But that doesn’t mean he will make this easy.”

Jamie shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be easy. It just has to be doable.”

She would do whatever necessary to save her brother’s life—even give up her own.

“It is doable,” Abi said.

“No more issues with or questions about Poe,” she pressed.

Abi shook his head. “I will handle the situation.”

Poe scoffed. “Somehow I figured that was the answer all along, otherwise you might have to get your hands dirty.”

Abi chuckled. “You might be smarter than I anticipated.”

The standoff lasted about five seconds. Poe said, “You mentioned a pat down.” He gestured to Abi. “Why don’t we get that part over with? Jamie and I like to know who we’re working with—what he carries, what he’s hiding. Things like that. You want to go first?”

Jamie rolled her eyes. Let the games begin.