Part 16 (2/2)
”Maverick,” she said after touching the disk on the lapel of her blouse, ”we're on our way.”
”Roger,” he responded.
Maverick was already aware of Victoria's presence. He'd checked in to see that Blue was up and about right in the middle of her pleas for Victoria to listen to reason. The fact that he'd heard no sounds inside the chapel only added to Blue's heightening anxiety. Behind her, Simon via his secure phone alerted the team consisting of other Specialists as well as other Colby agents to the plan. Maverick had given Casey the heads up. He didn't like the idea any better than Blue did, but like her, he was out of suggestions and they were all out of options.
Lucas's condition could very well be critical now...if he was even still alive.
Few remaining streaks of sunlight filtered through the thick forest canopy by the time they reached the clearing where the old dilapidated structure stood. Blue wasted no time, she walked straight to the double doors.
”I'm going in now.” She glanced at Maverick. ”That old woman in there just better hope-”
Maverick angled his head toward the door. ”I haven't heard a peep. You sure she was still in there when I took over?”
”Positive. And the doors haven't opened since I closed them and left Noah and the old woman in there?”
”Nope.” Maverick shrugged. ”We'll keep an eye on things out here while you check it out.”
As Blue tugged on the old reluctant doors, she heard Maverick introducing himself to Victoria and Simon. Blue hadn't even thought of that. Giving herself grace, she did have other, more pressing matters on her mind.
An unexpected burst of air swept over her, filling her nostrils with the smell of the dank darkness of the crumbling interior. A s.h.i.+ver chased up her spine.
Even with the doors open, the ancient tomb-like place was dark. She moved cautiously toward the rear corner where she'd left Noah. She squinted, watching intently for any kind of movement.
”h.e.l.lo,” she finally said, annoyed that the old woman hadn't shown herself or spoken. ”I'm back.”
Silence.
Then she heard it.
The unmistakable sound of deep, rhythmic breathing.
Noah.
She rushed to his side and knelt next to him. She touched him and his flesh was warm. Her heart leapt with gladness. Gently, she shook him. ”Noah, try to open your eyes.” She shook him again. The pattern of his breathing changed, indicating that he recognized her presence or at the very least was aware that someone was speaking to him, touching him.
He turned his face toward her and pushed up into a sitting position. ”Where are we?”
Blue's relief was so profound she could scarcely speak. ”The old chapel. Are you okay? Any pain?”
Pause. ”No...I feel fine. Rested.”
The old woman had stuck by her promise. Blue turned, attempting to see her in the other dark corner. ”Where's she hiding?”
”Who?” Noah tried to get to his feet and staggered a bit.
Blue immediately reached for him. ”The old voodoo woman. I left her in here with you. She said she knew what to do.”
”I don't know anything about any old woman, I've been asleep the whole time...apparently.”
”Just stand still for a moment.”
Leaving Noah standing there, Blue searched the entire structure by touch. There were no side rooms or closets, just one large room. Any furnis.h.i.+ngs had long since been removed.
She found nothing.
”Everything all right in there?” Maverick called from the door.
Shaking her head, Blue said, ”We're coming out.” She looped Noah's arm around hers and moved toward the door with him.
”Maybe the old woman was a ghost,” Noah suggested, a smile in his voice.
Well, Blue didn't believe in ghosts. The old woman had been real. She was certain of it. But, if the idea made Noah smile, she was all for it. She refused to consider the gust of air that had greeted her the moment she opened the doors.
”Maybe so,” she allowed. And maybe she was. What did Blue know about ghosts or angels? Really, who was to say that the old woman hadn't been a guardian angel? Blue might not actually believe in the supernatural, but she could keep an open mind.
NOAH WAS SURPRISED to find his home undamaged. Blue and Maverick explained about the smoke bombs and the still mystifying motive behind them.
With every waking moment Noah felt his strength returning. In fact, he felt more rested than he had in a very long time. He tried to remember the pain, had a vague impression of the first blinding stabs in his brain, but for the most part he couldn't recall anything after he and Blue had escaped the smoke-filled house.
Voodoo, indeed, he mused, thankful to be alive.
Three of Blue's cohorts, including Maverick, and two more of the Colby Agency's investigators had rendezvoused at the house. Headed by John Logan, the group was planning their strategy for covering Victoria as she followed Leberman's latest invitation.
”We have five more minutes,” Victoria reminded curtly.
Though she was clearly upset, ravaged by anguish if he had his guess, Victoria Colby was a strong woman, one who stood her ground as well as any man he'd ever met.
”Let's do it,” Logan announced. ”Ferrelli, you're our scout. You go now.” Chester had given explicit instructions about several routes to the abandoned fis.h.i.+ng shack. ”We'll be three minutes behind you.”
Ferrelli gave Logan a two-fingered salute and headed out.
”Maverick, you and Simon take the left side of the road, keep about thirty meters between your positions and Mrs. Colby.”
Simon Ruhl, a former FBI agent Noah learned, nodded. ”I'll take point,” he offered.
”After you,” Maverick agreed. He and Simon left the house through the kitchen. They would enter the woods on the south side of the house and move to the road.
”Max,” Logan said to the other man Victoria's agency had sent as support, ”you and I will take the left side.”
Max, Pierce Maxwell, former DEA and well-qualified for just this sort of mission, inclined his head in acknowledgment of the order. ”I'll be right behind you.”
Logan glanced at Blue. ”You and Drake stay in the house. I don't want him out in the open. We don't need two princ.i.p.als to watch.”
”Wait.” Noah could help. He had an advantage that none of them had. ”Let me go. I can be right beside Mrs. Colby and no one would know.”
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