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

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Lionheart Court, 7:00 a.m.

Jamie scanned the area around the house as the sun peeked above the trees.

It was almost time.

She, Poe and Abi hovered in a group of trees at the edge of the wooded area. Beyond their position was the landscaped yard that surrounded the home of Dr. Case.

Half an hour ago they had received word that they should move into place. The three of them had come down the hillside, which surprised Jamie. She’d expected to go in a vehicle, but Abi assured there would be a vehicle waiting for them when the time came. He had better be right.

“You’re going in through the front,” Abi said to Jamie. “Poe and I will approach from the rear.”

Sounded easy enough. Not. “Do I have a cover?” Going in via the front door surprised her. Security was inside and around the house. Not just one or two either. They had already established that there were a lot of security personnel. Whoever answered the door was not going to let her in without one hell of a good explanation.

Abi smiled. “You talked to him at the hospital, did you not?”

The memory of the woman who’d started to cry in the waiting room pinged her, followed immediately by the flash of recall with Jamie and the doctor chatting in the room belonging to the woman’s husband. Jamie had walked right into that one.

“I guess I did,” she admitted.

Abi glanced at his watch.

When had he started wearing a watch? Apparently, he’d added it for the final step. She didn’t recall him wearing one to the party. Change always set her on edge.

“You should go now.” Abi turned to Jamie. “A car is coming up the driveway now. You’re trading places with the driver.”

Jamie spotted the headlights at the farthest end of the drive just before the two round orbs went out. “See you inside,” she said to Poe before disappearing into the trees.

Sprinting through the trees wasn’t so easy, but she managed. There was just enough daylight to prevent any head-on collisions with the flora or face-plants after tripping over roots. The car stopped as the driver somehow realized she was near. Probably a tracking device in the clothes she was wearing. Abi wasn’t one to take chances. A good thing, she supposed.

The driver’s-side door opened and the man behind the wheel emerged. He walked right past Jamie and into the woods without a glance or a word. Weird.

She watched until he’d disappeared and then she climbed into the car. Maybe she was accustomed to working with team members she knew and liked. This was strange territory.

After putting the car into Drive once more, she rolled slowly toward the house. When she reached the fountain that sat in the middle of the parking area, she slowed to a stop. By the time she put the car into Park and shut off the engine, a member of the security team was at her door.

She opened the door and started to get out, but he held up a hand. The weapon still sheathed on his hip warned that he was dead serious about her staying in the vehicle. “Let’s see some ID.”

“My name is... Jamie Mason . I’m here to speak with Dr. Case about his patient, my uncle, and what happened at the hospital last night.”

He passed along a summary of what she’d said to whoever was on the other end of his hidden communication device. A few seconds later he evidently received a response because he stepped aside and said, “You’re cleared to come inside.”

Jamie wondered again how Abi had set her up for this. How could he have known that she would approach the woman in the waiting room? Calculated guess? The idea also made her wonder if the whole thing had been a setup. Clearly, the incident with the patient had been... But the wife in the waiting room? Had the fake nurse sent her to the waiting room rather than allow her to stay in the room? Made sense if the supposedly accidental meeting between her and Jamie was the plan.

She followed the guard to the front door. He led her into the entry hall and then disappeared back through the door they’d entered.

Eight, no ten suitcases of varying sizes were lined up in the entry hall ready to be loaded into a vehicle. The family was ready to head off to some ski slope loaded with fresh white snow or some city glittering with ritzy shops. Maybe she should take a vacation. Her parents were in Europe. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually taken a vacation. Or a holiday for that matter.

She traveled extensively with her work but that wasn’t the same.

At all.

Work usually involved being stuck in some location where the target could be monitored 24/7. Once she’d spent days in a jail cell with a target for a cellmate. It was almost Christmas, and she had no idea if she would even be spending it with family, maybe her grandparents, or completely alone.

If you can’t save your brother...what difference does the holiday make?

She blinked away the thought and focused on what she had to do. Dr. Case was the key to rescuing Luke. She had to keep that in mind above all else.

Movement at the far end of the larger hall snagged her attention. She focused on the man striding her way. Dr. Case. At least she hoped it was the real Dr. Case. What if it was his twin brother?

She steeled herself against the worries and readied to spin a tale that would keep her in the house until Abi and Poe showed up. At least she assumed that was the point.

“Ms. Mason.” Case studied her a moment, a frown working its way across his forehead. “I checked on your uncle a little while ago and he was doing fine.”

“He is,” Jamie agreed. “One of the nurses said you and your family were leaving for an extended vacation and I really felt it was important that I speak with you before you go.”

“I wouldn’t call this an extended vacation,” he offered. “We’ll be gone the rest of this week and through the weekend, but I’ll be back at the hospital on Monday.” He studied her another moment. “What is it you need to speak with me about?”

Damn it, Abi. Come on.

“The nurse,” she said. “The one who triggered the false alarm. Johnson, I believe her name was.”

He nodded. “The hospital is working with the police in conducting an investigation. To my knowledge she hasn’t been found as of yet.”

“I think I saw her back at the hospital this morning and I didn’t know who to tell.” This obviously was a lie, but she was winging it. If she had to buy much more time, she wasn’t sure how that was going to go down. The doctor was clearly already suspicious, and she was basically holding her breath.

He reached into his pocket and withdrew his cell phone. “Did you inform security?” He tapped the screen and pressed the phone to his ear.

“I told the nurse on duty at the desk—the one near my uncle’s room.”

For a few seconds, Case was preoccupied discussing her assertion with whomever he had called. Then he thanked the person and ended the call.

“Security is keeping an eye on everyone who enters the building. There has been no sign of her coming through any of the entrances.”

Jamie made a face. Damn. Of course they were monitoring the comings and goings after the incident. “Well then, maybe she never left.”

This appeared to give him pause. He withdrew his phone and made a second call. He passed along this suggestion, then hung up.

“Thank you,” she said before he could start asking her questions. “I was just really worried about my uncle’s safety, and I wasn’t sure anyone would actually listen to me. You seemed so kind and so concerned. I felt the need to come straight to you. I’m so sorry for the intrusion.”

“Daddy! Daddy!”

Lillian rushed into the room. Her pink sweatshirt sported a popular cartoon character. The pockets of her jeans were trimmed in pink and then there were the furry pink boots. The kid liked pink for sure. She glanced at Jamie, then smiled.

If the kid recognized her...

“This must be your daughter,” Jamie said before the child could say a word.

Case smiled. “This is Lillian. She’s very excited about the trip.”

Jamie smiled. “Well, anyway, thank you, Dr. Case, for hearing me out and making sure my concerns are taken seriously.”

This was it. She was out of time and options.

“Have a nice holiday, Ms. Mason.”

“I thought your name was Jasmine.”

Jamie’s pulse reacted to the girl’s statement, but she kept her smile in place. “That’s right. Jasmine Mason. Most people call me Jamie.”

The child frowned as if she wasn’t sure that was correct.

“Have a lovely vacation,” Jamie offered before turning to the door.

“How do you know Ms. Mason?”

Jamie cringed at the question he’d asked his daughter. The doctor realized something was off.

“We talked about the books,” Jamie said, turning back to them and using a last-ditch effort to control the narrative.

Come on, Abi. Damn it.

“I told her about the ducks,” Lillian said, her cheeks turning pink again. “I think she liked the idea.”

“I absolutely did,” Jamie said.

The front door suddenly burst open, and Jamie almost sighed with relief.

But the man who barreled over the threshold wielding a weapon was not Abi or Poe. Not unless they had found ski masks to don after parting ways with her.

“On the floor,” he shouted.

Lillian threw herself against her father.

“What’s going on?” Case demanded. “Rodgers!”

“Rodgers is not coming,” the man in the mask said. “And neither is anyone else on your security team. Now get on the floor. Face down!”

He pointed the weapon at Lillian. “Now!”

Case lowered to his knees, taking his daughter with him. “Let’s do as he says, Lilly.”

Jamie was sinking to her knees when the guy pointed a look in her direction. “You,” he ordered, “take the kid and wait outside.”

“What?” Jamie pretended not to understand. Where the hell were Poe and Abi?

“Do it!” The masked man nudged the kid with his foot.

Lillian cried out. Her father tried to pull her into the protection of his body.

“It’s okay, Lillian,” Jamie said as she moved in the girl’s direction. Jamie kept her attention fixed on the guy with the gun. “We’ll just step outside for a minute.”

More bodies flooded the entry hall. Two, no, three more wearing the same masks. All armed. What the hell was going on?

“Take the kid outside,” the first man repeated.

“Come on, Lillian.” Jamie offered her hand.

Dr. Case stared up at her, his grip firm around his daughter’s arm. “What’re you doing?”

Jamie looked directly into his eyes and tried her best to show him with her own that he could trust her. “Whatever it takes to stay alive.” Lillian took Jamie’s hand. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” Jamie promised. She shifted her attention to the man with the gun. “We’re going outside like you said.”

He jerked his head toward the door. “Now!”

Jamie held on tight to the girl’s hand. She hovered close to Jamie, her slim body shaking with fear. Outside, two more cars had arrived. They sat askew as if they’d skidded to stops and were left where they landed.

Since the guy in the mask hadn’t given any specific instructions about what they were to do once they were outside, Jamie hurried around the far left corner of the house and disappeared into the landscape, using mature shrubs and miniature trees as cover.

The girl was sobbing now. “Where are we going?”

Jamie drew her down into a squat behind a clump of large shrubs. “Be as quiet as you can,” she whispered. “We don’t want them finding us out here.”

“What about Mommy and Daddy?”

Jamie hadn’t seen Mrs. Case. “Was your mommy upstairs?”

Lillian nodded. “She told Daddy she had one more bag to pack.”

“Okay. Let’s stay calm and see what we can find out.” Which really meant stay put until Jamie could figure out what the hell was going on.

So far she’d heard no gunshots—always a good thing. But where the hell were Abi and Poe and whatever backup Abi had put in place or ordered or whatever? Everything had fallen apart and she had no clear idea of what to do from here...except protect the child.

Jamie gauged the distance to the car she’d arrived in. It was still parked near the fountain. If she could reach that car, she could take the child out of here, tuck her away in the Excalibur house and then come back to see what she could do with the unexpected takeover in the doctor’s house.

None of what was happening made sense.

She leaned closer to Lillian and explained, “I need to get you someplace safe.”

“We can’t leave Mommy and Daddy,” she whimpered.

“Listen to me, Lillian,” Jamie whispered with all the urgency she could muster. “I can’t help your mom and dad while I’m taking care of you. I need to settle you someplace safe so I can help them. That’s what they would want. Trust me.”

“I can’t leave them,” the girl insisted.

Shouts echoed from the front of the house. The door was open again. Someone was coming out or going in. Judging by the furiously raised voice, the coming or going—whichever it was—was not voluntary. Jamie listened intently to make out the words. Someone was not happy with how something had been done.

“Find her!”

She heard those words clearly.

“Now!”

They were looking for Lillian. A new wave of tension poured through Jamie. She considered the distance from their hiding places to the woods. It wasn’t the direction she’d wanted to go, but she was out of options and quickly running out of time.

Jamie pressed a finger to the little girl’s lips. Hoped she understood that it was imperative that she didn’t make a sound.

If they could make the tree line, Jamie would find the way to the house. She would call Victoria, then Ian Michaels. Poe had said he was close by. He could help.

Jamie clasped Lillian’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. She leaned closer once more and whispered, “We’re going to try and make it up the hill through the woods. Just be careful where you step and stay close to me and try not to make a sound.”

Lillian nodded her understanding.

Holding tight to her hand, Jamie headed for the tree line. She wanted to go faster, but she wasn’t sure how Lillian would do, so she set her pace to match the girl’s.

The beam of a flashlight suddenly obstructed their view.

“Hold on there,” a voice commanded.

Not Poe. Not Abi.

Damn it.

Jamie froze. Lillian did the same, gluing herself to Jamie’s side.

“You were supposed to wait by the cars.”

“No one told me where to wait.”

“Well, I’m telling you now. Let’s go?”

The beam of the flashlight shifted and in the moments it took her vision to adjust, she spotted the weapon in his hand.

“Fine,” Jamie said, feigning frustration. She wasn’t really sure what her part was supposed to be in this. Did they think she was someone else? Maybe the nanny who was on vacation. Who knew if their intel was up to par. Either way, it was best to play along until she had a better grip on what was going down.

The man with the gun ushered them back to where the two poorly parked cars waited. Another of the team opened the back passenger door.

“Get in,” their guide ordered.

Jamie ushered Lillian into the car and slid in next to her.

“What about Mommy and Daddy?” Lillian cried softly.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Jamie lied. What else could she do? No doubt these thugs were here for Dr. Case. He was far more valuable than anything else they might find in that house.

Jamie just couldn’t say what the intent was.

For now, the only choice was to ride this out and see where they landed.

8:15 a.m.

T HE DRIVER HAD stopped at the end of the long driveway leading away from the Case home and forced Jamie to put a sack over her head as well as one over Lillian’s. Then they’d driven away. Upon arrival at their destination, an older house and certainly nothing in any of the subdivisions near the Case home, they’d been allowed to remove the sacks. A quick glimpse at the digital screen on the car’s dash showed they had driven nearly twenty minutes and approximately twelve miles. The new location had to be something off a different road. Jamie had tried to keep up with the turns. There had been about four. A couple of lefts and a right, possibly a second right or at the very least a slight fork to the right.

The driver had then sequestered Jamie and Lillian to a bedroom inside the new location. Evidently the house was unoccupied since there was no bed, just an old futon. The place appeared to have been empty for a while considering the dust and cobwebs. Not to mention it smelled musty.

“I’m scared.” Lillian hugged herself. “I need to go home.”

Jamie pulled her into her arms and held her close. “I will get you home, Lillian. Don’t worry about that.”

Jamie had seen only one guy. But he had a weapon. Still, he couldn’t be everywhere all the time. All Jamie needed was an opportunity to make a move. She was banking on the idea that Abi would have planted a tracking device on her somewhere. He was too careful—too determined to cover all the bases—not to do so. At least she could hope.

One way or another, Jamie intended to get this child out of danger.

The sound of the guy’s voice drew her to the wall between the bedroom and whatever lay beyond it. She cupped a hand, pressed it to her ear and then to the wall.

“We’re here. Yes.”

He was checking in. If Jamie was lucky, he would give away something about the plan. There had to be a plan.

Another issue she tried not to dwell on was what this situation would do to their timeline. Luke’s face flashed in her mind. How long would it be before whoever had taken Luke would lose patience? Or maybe decide to cut his losses? Her gut clenched at the idea.

Not going there. Not yet .

“We’ll be ready,” their captor said. “Yes. Half an hour. Good.”

Something was happening in half an hour.

Were they moving to a different location?

Jamie couldn’t wait around to see what that would entail. Not to mention there was a strong possibility help would be coming to assist with the move. She needed to get the kid out of harm’s way before any sort of backup arrived. She could not just wait around, assuming Abi would have her location and he or Poe would come to their rescue.

Her odds were far better right now, in this one-on-one situation.

She glanced at the girl. Keeping Lillian safe complicated everything. But if Luke were here, he would tell her to protect the kid at all costs.

Jamie drew in a deep breath and walked to the door and banged on it. “I need the bathroom.”

A cliché request, but if it worked, she could live with it.

After the sound of something metal being handled—a lock maybe—the door opened. The man still wore his mask. That was a good thing. It meant he didn’t want them to be able to identify him. To some degree, this suggested there was a perception that the hostages would at some point be released. Otherwise, what would revealing his face matter?

“Down the hall.” He jerked his head left.

Jamie reached for the girl’s hand.

“No. She stays here.”

Jamie shook her head. “She’s scared. She needs to stay with me. We’re only going into the bathroom.”

“If you give me any trouble,” he warned, “I will kill you both.”

“Don’t worry. We’re not going to give you any trouble.”

Lillian clung to Jamie as they made their way to the end of the hall. Jamie took in all the details she could of their location as they made the short journey. Typical ranch house with a narrow hall. The doors along the hall opened into the three bedrooms—all basically empty like the one they’d been locked in. The final door, at the end of the hall, was a bathroom that sported generic beige tile along with harvest gold fixtures.

“Don’t close the door all the way,” he ordered.

“Got it.”

In the bathroom, she left the door ajar. “Why don’t you go first?” Jamie suggested.

While Lillian did her business, Jamie studied the small room. There was a window, but it looked painted shut. Getting out the window wouldn’t likely be easy. She checked behind the shower curtain and under the sink, careful not to alert their keeper.

When Lillian was done, Jamie relieved herself, using that time to continue her study of the small room.

Once they had washed their hands and exited the room, she asked, “Any bottled water around here?”

“You couldn’t get a drink from the sink?” He gestured to the bathroom.

Jamie shrugged. “No cup or glass.”

He swore and stamped back down the hall. Jamie took Lillian’s hand and followed him. The hall opened into a small living room that fronted a kitchen-dining combination. The rest of the house was unfurnished other than a couple of plastic chairs. Definitely vacant. Probably a rental.

In the kitchen there was a six-pack of bottled water on the counter. No dust, which told her it had been provided for this operation.

“You can each have one but don’t ask for anything else.”

Jamie passed a bottle of water to Lillian and then took one for herself. “Thank you.”

“When are my mom and mad coming?” Lillian asked.

The man looked at her for a long moment. He grabbed a bottle of water for himself, twisted off the top and took a long swig. Then he said, “Don’t worry, kid. As soon as we get what we need, you’ll be back with your family and on the way to your fancy vacation.”

Wouldn’t it be great if it were that simple? The trouble was that Jamie couldn’t assume he was telling the truth.

“Let’s go,” he said with a gesture toward the end of the house where the bedrooms were.

Holding Lillian’s hand, Jamie led her back to the bedroom. She’d been right. A padlock had been added to the door. Once they were inside, he locked it.

Jamie slowly walked the perimeter of the room. This bedroom was on the back side of the house. She peeled back the dusty paper that had been taped to the window. She squinted to see beyond the dirty glass. The overgrown grass in the small backyard led right up to the woods. Definitely an advantage.

Next, she checked the lock on the window. It moved. She set it to the unlock position. The window was an old one—wood, not vinyl or aluminum. The screening was long gone. The issue with wood windows was if they had been painted without being moved up and down afterward, then often, they were glued shut. Not so terrible if one had a utility knife with which to cut them loose.

She turned to Lillian and leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Talk to me about the vacation. Try to sound natural.”

Lillian nodded and started talking. “We’re going to New York.”

“Wow, that sounds exciting.” Jamie braced herself, her hands on the wood sash. She pushed. The sash didn’t budge.

She took a breath and tried again. Pushing upward with all her strength. The sash moved the tiniest bit, giving her hope.

“I hope it snows,” Lillian was saying. “We almost never get snow here.”

“That would be nice,” Jamie said. She readied herself and tried again. This time the sash moved about three inches.

While Lillian went on about all the sites in New York she wanted to see, Jamie braced her hands on the bottom of the sash this time and shoved upward.

The window went up another four or five inches.

Jamie glanced toward the door and nodded to Lillian to keep going. Then she shoved one last time with all her might.

The sash went up as far as it would go. Jamie shook her arms to release the throbbing tension.

Now all they had to do was climb out.

Jamie went first. She surveyed the backyard but saw nothing of concern. She motioned for Lillian to climb out.

“I’m sure your mom will take you shopping.” Jamie talked while she helped her make the drop onto the other side.

“I hope so,” Lillian said, her eyes wide with worry.

Jamie glanced left. Not that way because they would have to pass the kitchen window and the back door.

She pointed right and to the woods. Then she leaned close. “Keep as quiet as possible, but move as fast as you can.”

Lillian nodded.

Jamie took her hand and started moving away from the house that was to have been their prison...or maybe their grave.