Razor's Edge (39 page)

“Don't you fucking touch her again,” he warned. “I'm coming.”

“Give the phone back.”

Tanner flung it back at the man with the rifle, unable to control his rage.

They were hurting her, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it—not from here. He had to get to her and get her out of there.

The man with the rifle showed no flicker of emotion. “Strip.”

“What?” asked Tanner.

“Your clothes. Take them off.” He tossed a set of what looked like hospital scrubs onto the ground at Tanner's feet. “Put these on.”

Apparently, they thought he might be bugged, too.

Fine. He'd do what it took to get to Roxanne, even if it meant going into combat naked.

He made quick work of the change of clothes. A second man stepped out of the van with a two-foot-long electronic device that looked similar to the ones used by airport security. “Hold your arms out and spread your legs while I scan you.”

Once again, Tanner did what he was told and held still for the scan. Of course, the rifle barrel pointed his way made him a hell of a lot more compliant than he felt.

“He's clean,” said the scanner.

The first man nodded to the case. “Bring the book. Nothing else. Get in.”

Tanner grabbed the case.

“No. Just the book.”

Tanner opened the case and removed the notebook.

The man with the scanner swiped it over the journal. When it didn't set off any alarms, Tanner let out a sigh of relief.

“Put this on your head.” They tossed him a black pillowcase.

He pulled the hood over his head, blinding himself, then tucked the journal in the back of his waistband so his hands were free if he needed them. These guys weren't fucking around, and they weren't taking any chances. In the end, it didn't matter if Tanner was outclassed. He was getting in that van one way or another.

 

 

Payton had a bad feeling about this whole situation. He stood in the back of the MCC, trying to look relaxed and hopeful even though his stomach churned with anxiety. Razor was out there alone, almost certainly in the hands of Norma Stynger. Payton had been willing to kill the woman because she had no conscience and would not be stopped. Apparently, even death couldn't stop her.

He began to pace, caught himself, and covered his action by pretending as though he'd meant to cross the cramped space. He hovered behind Reid, scanning the screen.

“He hasn't moved,” said Reid. “I tried to call his cell, but he's not answering.”

Payton slid a comm unit on. “Does anyone have eyes on Tanner?”

Clay's voice came through the headset. “We couldn't get that close without being seen.”

“Something isn't right.” Payton could feel it in his bones.

Reid pushed the chair back and stood. “I'm going out there.”

“No. You're not thinking clearly. Let the others handle this.”

Anguish burned in his blue eyes. “He's my brother. I can't lose him, too.”

Payton clapped a hand on Reid's shoulder. “You aren't going to lose him.” Into the microphone, he said, “Gage, move in. Clay, cover him. I want to know what the hell is going on.”

Reid collapsed back into his seat in frustration.

What he wouldn't have given for a satellite of his own right now. Sure, Bob could probably pull some strings and get one, but it would take hours to get the approval and re-task it. They didn't have that kind of time. And that was the kind of thing that made people ask questions—questions that had the potential to ruin a lot of lives.

“He's gone,” said Gage, his voice barely audible.

Reid went pale and began to tremble. “What do you mean
gone
?”

“His clothes are here. He's not.”

Payton pulled in a silent breath. He couldn't let Reid see how upset this news left him. “Gage, pull back. Reid, access Mira's tracking system, and see if he's still wearing his ID tags.”

“I already did. They haven't moved. He's gone.” Reid pounded his hand on the built-in desk. “Fuck.”

Payton pushed Reid aside and accessed the code to the tracking device he'd hidden in the case. It was stationary, too.

Reid was right. Tanner was gone, and they had no way to find him.

R
oxanne was bleeding. That was the first thing that registered with Tanner as they led him inside the defunct factory. They'd bound her to a chair. Her head hung limply to one side, revealing a trail of blood leaking from the corner of her swollen mouth. She had a dark bruise on her cheek, and a cut just below her swollen eye.

Fury swelled in his heart and pulsed out into his limbs. His hands curled into fists so tight his knuckles popped. Whoever had done that was going to pay.

An older man stood near her, his hips propped against a workbench. His thick arms were crossed over his chest, revealing a pistol on his belt. His salt-and-pepper hair was cut flat across the top, and he regarded Tanner with the same concern one would give a moth.

“I'm General Bower. You must be Tanner.”

The name rang a bell. He was the one who'd recruited Jake, fooling him into thinking he worked for some secret military unit.

No way was that man a general. He had the air of a man comfortable with power, but there was no honor in him, no humility. His cold eyes fixed on Tanner, and his head tilted to the side as if he were studying him. Maybe he was sizing Tanner up, or maybe he was looking for new recruits.

Tanner kept his voice light and conversational, despite his desire to do bodily harm to the man. “I don't recognize the uniform. What branch?”

Bower's face darkened with either anger or embarrassment—Tanner couldn't tell which, and he really didn't care. The fact was that the comment got to him, which showed a weakness—maybe one Tanner could exploit.

“Where's the diary?” asked Bower.

Tanner pulled it from his waistband and started walking forward. All he had to do was get his hands on that gun. There were three of Bower's men here—including the two men who'd walked him inside—but Tanner was well trained and highly motivated. If he got that gun, three-against-one were not bad odds.

“Stop right there,” ordered the man with an air of command.

Tanner kept walking, the journal stretched out in offering. “I thought you wanted it.”

Bower drew his weapon and pointed it at Roxanne. “I said stop.”

This time, Tanner did as he was told. He didn't doubt for a second that Bower would pull the trigger. Any man who would willingly kidnap and torture a woman wouldn't think twice about killing her. After all, she was a witness—one they'd probably already planned to eliminate.

At the sound of his voice, Roxanne's eyes opened and her head rolled around toward him. “Tanner?”

Hearing her speak sent a wave of relief shooting through him. He tried not to let it show, but his emotions were running hot, and his poker face was long gone. “I'm here. I'm going to get you out of here. Just hang on.”

Bower smiled like he'd just heard some kind of inside joke. That only served to confirm Tanner's suspicions.

“Open the book.”

Tanner did.

The man saw Jake's writing and nodded. “Toss it here.”

“Let her go first.”

“About that. There's been a change in plans. We're keeping her.”

Tanner had to choke back the enraged comment that came to mind. He had to keep his cool here. Some anger was good—it would make him strong, fast—but too much would cloud his focus. “That's not the deal we had.”

“I'm changing the deal. We need her for this one little thing. I'd tell you that I'd give her back to you when we were done with her, but I doubt you're going to want her. Or what's left of her.”

“Let her go,” Tanner said, his tone a bit more demanding than he'd intended. “I'll stay in her place.”

Roxanne's eyes opened and she stared at him, her chin trembling. Tears spilled down her cheeks, mixing with the blood. “No. You can't.”

He squared his shoulders, letting his love for her make him strong. “I can and I will.”

 

 

Roxanne felt like she was going to burst with relief and fear all at the same time. Tanner had offered to trade his life for hers—without hesitation or reservation. No bargaining or conditions. Not even her own parents had been willing to do the same. How could a man she'd known for such a short time care about her enough to risk his life to save her? Even as the question rattled through her mind, confusing her, she knew without a doubt that he'd do the same for anyone. He was as selfless as he was brave, and she was as humbled by his choice as she was horrified.

He stood there, tall and proud, his body shaking with rage. But when he looked at her, there was gentleness there, concern. He gave her hope that they'd make it out of here alive, whereas before, she'd had none.

In that moment, seeing him facing a demon for her, her heart broke open and wept, because she knew without a doubt that she loved him. She also knew that she would never get the chance to show him that love, because the probability of both of them making it out of this alive was low.

She couldn't let him do it. She couldn't let him sacrifice himself for her. If it hadn't been for her, he'd never have been in this situation. He'd be safe and sound, at home with his family, where he belonged. And his family couldn't stand to lose someone else again so soon. They'd already lost so much.

Roxanne caught Bower's eye. “If you send him away, I'll cooperate.”

“Roxanne, no!” shouted Tanner.

Bower's bushy brows went up. “Is that so? You know, that's tempting, but I think lover boy here will have something to say about your generous offer.”

“Go, Tanner. Before you can't.”

His blue eyes blazed with defiance, and he snarled at Bower. “I'm leaving here with her. There's a whole team of people backing me up. If you think they're going to sit by while you toy with us, you're fucked in the head.”

“Watch your tone with me, boy. Do you really think I didn't know about your little mercenary company? Do I look stupid to you? They'll never find us. I stripped you of everything that could lead them here. And even if by some miracle they do find this place, they won't get here in time, so just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.” He nodded to one of the men behind Tanner.

The man pulled a stun gun at the same time Tanner started moving. His body spun around as he confronted the threat, but it was too late. The gun went off. The leads stuck and current sizzled along the wires, letting out a crackling sound that made the hair on the back of her neck rise. Tanner toppled to the ground, groaning as his body seized up.

Roxanne tried to lunge from her seat before she realized she was held in place, unable to help him. “Stop it!” she shouted, knowing her screams would do no good.

The second man, the one without the stun gun, came up behind Tanner and landed a hard kick to the back of his head. Tanner stopped twitching and lay terribly still.

Roxanne bit back a sob of anguish. She frantically searched for a sign that he was okay but saw none. Tears blurred her vision, making it impossible for her to tell if he was still breathing.

Bower stalked forward, his face grim. “Did you kill him?”

One of the men leaned down and checked his pulse. “No, sir.”

“Good. We'll add him to the show for the investors. Leave him there and go upstairs. Staite should be ready by now, and we don't want to be anywhere near that man once he's triggered.”

She didn't know what he meant by that. None of this made any sense, but she couldn't think clearly enough to figure it out. The drugs they'd given her were playing havoc with her body, making her head spin. All she knew was that they were leaving, and she had to find a way to get to Tanner and get him out of here before she lost the man she loved.

 

 

Jake had no idea where he was, but he wasn't alone. The small room was dark except for the brilliant blue glare of a video screen. He couldn't remember how he got here, which was happening to him a lot recently. At least he recognized Bower's face, which was smug enough to tell Jake he was in trouble. He wished he could remember why.

The blank screen was too close. He blinked at the light, trying to force his eyes to adjust. His head felt like it weighed fifty pounds, and it ached as though someone had taken a hammer to it. “Where am I?”

Bower patted his cheek in mock affection. “Glad you're back among us, Staite. We missed you.”

Confusion swayed inside his head as he struggled to figure out what was going on.

Back among them? Had he been gone?

In the time it took for his heart to beat once, his escape came rushing back in fragments. Jordyn's help. His bat-out-of-hell drive that took him miles out of his way, just so he could be sure he wasn't followed. Rox's meeting him at that dingy little diner that had made her so happy when she was a kid.

“Where is she?” demanded Jake, fear settling in through his pores. He tried to stand, only to find he was cuffed to a chair, his hands bound behind him and his ankles locked in place. The chains jingled, mocking him as he struggled against them.

“Who?” asked Bower, grinning.

“You know who. Don't fucking play dumb with me.”

Bower's face tightened in fury. “Watch your mouth, boy. You're nothing more than a damn lab rat right now, so don't go getting all uppity with me. I have permission to put you down if things don't go well.”