Part 19 (1/2)
”I have a meeting to attend. Apparently, Mr. MacKenzie didn't get your point-make sure he does.”
The guard grinned at Logan, practically salivating. Logan circled the room, bracing himself to take some hard knocks but positioning himself so he'd take them in the direction of the computer.
”Be quick about it. Then get back out on the floor.” Valente muttered the warning as he opened the door, wiping a little blood from his lip.
When the door closed behind Valente, Logan sharpened up-no need to let himself get beaten to a pulp now that he was alone with Valente's goon. He smiled sharply as the guard's Neanderthal brain slowly figured out that Logan wasn't drunk at all.
Logan stretched his arms out, bracing himself, ready to get a little revenge for the kick in the ribs. Clued in, but still stupid, the guard charged, and Logan used his own weight against him, swinging him by the arm into the wall behind him. Several framed pictures and doc.u.ments fell to the floor. Logan tsk-tsked.
”Boss ain't gonna like that, big guy.”
The guy spun on him, and before it was over, Logan had taken a few of the hard shots he'd antic.i.p.ated, but he'd won out. The guard lay moaning on the cabin floor, and Logan stood over him, a foot planted securely over his throat. Logan smiled down, applying a little pressure.
”Where are the women that you sc.u.m are holding?”
No answer. He pressed down a little, watching the guard's eyes pop a little.
”Where?”
The guard shook his head, no help at all. Logan swore, pulling him up by the coat and hitting him once more, hard, and knocked him cold. He dragged the guard's dead weight over to the corner and tied him securely to a table. All of the furniture was bolted to stay put, so his friend might wake up, but he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Logan fished the computer card out, and pulled out the small transmitter, hoping it worked and they could hear him. He made sure the computer was on, and then inserted the card. Grabbing the phone, he dialed the same number he'd used earlier, feeling triumphant. Ian picked up the phone on the first ring.
”It's done. You can download. Tell me where Sarah is-I couldn't find out if there was anyone else here. Then you can send in the troops.”
He heard Ian's voice, scratchy but clear in his small earpiece. ”We lost Sarah's signal, Logan. They must have found the transmitter. Find her.”
His hands turned to ice as Ian's precise demand hit him over the phone like a hard slap.
”Logan?”
He didn't respond, his mind racing to think of where she could be, what could have happened to her while he'd been waiting around all day. He should have tried to find her first.
”Logan!”
”What?”
”We have her last known position in the room at the end of the hall, stern side. Check there first.” Then Ian's voice softened a bit, and Logan could tell Sarah's boss was feeling exactly the same fear in the pit of his stomach that he was. ”Let us know the moment you have her.”
”I will.”
He'd barely hung up before he was out the door.
SARAH SAT CALMLY on the bed, waiting for her ”date.” They'd moved her to a more luxuriously appointed room, though the bed was obviously the centerpiece. Some s.e.x toys and lotions were set conveniently on the bed stand, and she'd counted at least three cameras. She felt dirty just sitting there, but planned on being the last woman they tried to victimize. on the bed, waiting for her ”date.” They'd moved her to a more luxuriously appointed room, though the bed was obviously the centerpiece. Some s.e.x toys and lotions were set conveniently on the bed stand, and she'd counted at least three cameras. She felt dirty just sitting there, but planned on being the last woman they tried to victimize.
She'd showered and put on the next-to-nothing piece of silk that Valente had left for her-no underwear except for a matching thong. At least the clothes allowed her flexible movement. Certainly, that was for her date's convenience, but she planned on using it to her advantage.
She'd ignored the heels and remained barefoot. She preferred both feet on the floor when she was kicking someone's a.s.s. One of the lethal heels they'd provided was hidden under the pillow-a weapon, just in case. If Logan didn't find a way in, if things went wrong, she'd do what was necessary to protect herself.
But if everything was going according to plan, all h.e.l.l should break loose soon enough and she'd be out of there.
The day had seemed to last years. She didn't know what time it was, but the sky outside the portal was black. The boat should have been heading slowly back to sh.o.r.e. But for now it was still, but for the gentle rocking of the waves.
The door handle slid down and she held her breath.
Showtime.
Valente walked through the door with a shorter, fatter, darker man. Sarah wasn't sure what his ethnicity was, but he had cruel eyes. He looked at her and then his eyes flitted to the table, a greasy smile emerging when he saw the things laid out there. He looked at her again, and she wanted to hide. He nodded at Valente, who smiled and shook his hand warmly before looking at Sarah.
”Our guest finds you acceptable.” He pinned Sarah with his gaze. ”I know you won't disappoint him. He doesn't speak English, but I'm sure he can make known what he wants from you. Do this well, and maybe you'll have satisfied your debt by morning. If not...” He shrugged, and turned to the man, saying something in his language, complete gibberish to Sarah.
Valente closed the door with one more meaningful look in her direction. She barely noticed as she was formulating a plan to deal with this disgusting situation. She didn't want to touch this toad of a man, but she had to take charge to keep the upper hand. No one knew where she was, and until the boat was raided, she was on her own.
She smiled, in what she hoped was a s.e.xy, come-hither way, and lay back on the bed. The toad was practically drooling. It made it hard to not be overcome with disgust; however, as she thought about what she was really going to do, she got a little more in the mood. With all of the cameras on them she had to make this look good, or Valente would have his goons inside within seconds. One fat man she could take; several of Valente's guards, well, that would be more of a challenge.
Her visitor mumbled something as he strolled slowly to the bed, his eyes glued to her as she leaned back, letting one leg hang over the side of the bed while the other perched in a s.e.xy bend on the blankets. Sarah grinned, using her s.e.xiest voice.
”Bring it on over here, big guy. I am so gonna rock your world.”
He spewed a m.u.f.fled little laugh and reached out to touch her thigh appreciatively. She had to bite the inside of her cheek not to kick him in the head out of reflex.
She let him touch, to a point, and then wound her leg around the back of his hip, a move he must have liked very much. She tried to keep as much distance as she could, considering there was only a little bit of silk between them. If she was going to get him where she wanted him, she couldn't be prissy about it.
Then he did exactly what she needed him to do. As he reached down to grab a b.o.o.b, she caught his forearm midgrope and pulled hard, levering up with all of her strength to roll him quickly over and then rolling over on top of him herself. The little fat man was surprised, but then smiled widely, and those pudgy little hands started to travel.
She tolerated what she had to, leaning down over him, pretending to whisper something in his ear, and forced herself to kiss him-mouth closed-and she hoped to G.o.d the cameras couldn't see that she was actually cutting off his blood supply with a sharp pressure from her fist on his carotid artery. He was limp in a second, completely unconscious.
Relief made her sag, too, and she laughed, a.s.suming someone was listening in.
”Well, apparently that was too much for you, hot stuff. Not much for endurance, are you? I'll let you rest a moment, and just see what toys we have on the table over here.”
She lifted off the bed carefully, extinguis.h.i.+ng the light, hoping that either no one was watching or they didn't find anything about what had happened suspicious.
She stepped back reflexively as the door handle clunked down and one of Valente's guards stepped in.
No such luck.
14.
LOGAN RUSHED down the hall, checking what rooms he could get into, knocking on the doors of others, hoping to h.e.l.l he would find Sarah behind one of them. She hadn't been in the room where E.J. and Ian had last heard from her. He tried to remain calm, but the truth was she could be anywhere. She could be hurt. Or worse. down the hall, checking what rooms he could get into, knocking on the doors of others, hoping to h.e.l.l he would find Sarah behind one of them. She hadn't been in the room where E.J. and Ian had last heard from her. He tried to remain calm, but the truth was she could be anywhere. She could be hurt. Or worse.
He heard a commotion at the end of the hall and slid to the side, sinking into a tiny alcove as he saw two big guys run down the pa.s.sageway. With guns.
That couldn't be good.