Chapter Eighteen

Mikayla locked the bathroom door, sat on the toilet seat, and let her head rest in her hands. She needed a minute to breathe. She’d survived this far, but the thought of spending the night in the little cabin with Donny terrified her. He was planning something, and she figured he intended to hurt her. His motivation certainly went beyond removing her as a witness. He’d targeted her because of her relationship with Linc.

She stood and went to the sink and ran the icy water over her hands. Her reflection in the mirror showed fear and exhaustion evident in her drawn appearance. She dried her hands, then pulled the zipper on her coat to her chin as she gave careful scrutiny to the small, cramped bathroom. The only window was tiny, too small for escape. Even if she could squeeze through, the sky was darkening and the temperature falling, so fleeing on foot would likely mean frostbite and hypothermia.

If somehow she could wait out Donny, stay alert until he fell asleep, maybe she could steal the car keys. The likelihood that she’d be able to get the keys from him was remote, but it was the only plan she could think of.

Rubbing at the pressure marks on her wrists, she stepped out into the main room of the small cabin. She’d convinced Donny to take off the cuffs so she could use the toilet. Maybe he’d forget about them. He’d gone outside and Mikayla cast an assessing gaze around the cabin. Neat and tidy, the place was furnished in bear décor. Carved bears climbed a lampstand, embroidered cubs smiled from throw pillows, and even the area rug had a big bear surrounded by paw prints woven into the fabric. Why didn’t the owners have a telephone? They probably wanted their little cabin to be a refuge, but damn, she’d give anything for a phone. She pulled open a drawer on an end table and found a box of dominos and a couple decks of playing cards with bears (no surprise there) on the backs.

She wondered who owned the place. After driving into the mountains for what seemed like hours, Donny had finally slowed when icy rain started pelting the windshield. They’d continued to climb in altitude and the precipitation had turned to snow. They’d come to a mountain community and he’d pulled out his phone. Mikayla thought he was checking for cell coverage. Then he’d begun driving up and down dirt roads, slowing to study structures before finally stopping at this one.

There were only a couple of cabins nearby, no lights shone from the windows, and porches and driveways were covered in undisturbed snow. He’d picked the lock and made himself at home, and even turned on the water to the house so she could use the bathroom. The bear-loving owners, whoever they were, had no idea a killer was hiding out in their little slice of mountain heaven.

Donny pushed open the door, arms laden with several logs. Mikayla went to shut the door behind him, glancing with worry at the driving snow. The wind had risen, blowing the snow nearly sideways. The likelihood of rescue was becoming more and more doubtful. Her head spun, and she realized she hadn’t eaten all day. Her constant state of anxiety probably didn’t help either. She shook off the dizziness. She had to keep her wits about her and watch for any opportunity to escape.

Donny dumped the logs onto the stone hearth and straightened. “Oh yeah. Can’t forget the plan.” He reached into his coat pocket and retrieved her phone. He tapped the screen and frowned as he waited for it to power on. “What’s your passcode?”

She hesitated and his gaze snapped up to hers. “Don’t fuck with me, Mikayla. Tell me your code.”

She told him and he thumbed in the numbers. After tapping on the screen, he barked out a laugh. “That’s beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Linc Jameson is the only person on your location app.” He walked over to her and shoved the screen in her face. “You want to tell me again that he’s not your boyfriend?”

She didn’t say anything. She could see the spark of rage in his eyes. His hand whipped up and seized her by the back of the neck. “Don’t ever lie to me again.” He shook her. “You hear me?”

Mikayla gripped his wrist. “I hear you.”

He released her, his mood shifting, and in a split second he was grinning again, making her think of a gargoyle’s grotesquely contorted face. “God, this is working out even better than I imagined. The fucking white knight will charge up here, half-cocked as usual, ready to rescue the damsel.” He wagged his brows at Mikayla. “But we’ll be ready for him, sweet thing. You and me, we’re a team now.”

Donny stacked large logs onto the fireplace grate and opened the box of extra-long matches sitting on the mantel. He struck one and held it to a log where it fizzled before going out. He tried it two more times before throwing the lighted match into the fireplace where it flared and died. “Damned logs won’t light.”

He caught her watching him. “You do it. Get the logs to light or we’re going to freeze. I’ve got stuff to do outside.”

He pushed through the front door, leaving her staring after him. She did a quick scan of the cabin to see if there was anything she could use as a weapon. The only things were heavy wrought-iron fireplace tools. Something to keep in mind, but they wouldn’t be much use against a gun.

She glanced in the kitchen and noticed a back door. Maybe she shouldn’t dismiss a simple escape. Sure, it was snowing and running into the woods was risky, but there had been other cabins farther away. Down the road there’d been one with lighted windows. Or she could find another deserted cabin and take shelter there until morning. She had to do something before he handcuffed her again.

With her ears attuned to any sound of Donny returning, she crossed to the kitchen and pulled back a bear-print curtain to look out the window. She stumbled backwards, nearly knocking over a chair when she spied Donny standing on the other side of the glass. His back was to her, and he seemed to be staring into the woods behind the house. Her stomach sank at the big rifle, what she thought must be some sort of assault weapon, gripped in his hand.

With a hand over her rapidly beating heart, she leaned against the refrigerator. Maybe if she was more useful to her captor with her hands free, he’d leave off the cuffs. She opened cupboard doors and took a quick survey of the contents. The shelves contained several varieties of canned soup, chili, sliced peaches, blue boxes of mac and cheese, and mixes of various sorts. She’d figure out something to make for dinner. Powdered milk and a quart of vegetable oil made baking something a possibility. She opened the refrigerator. There were supplies that wouldn’t go bad, like butter and condiments, but that was about it.

Feeling the cold seep in from under the doorsill, she rummaged around the kitchen, looking for something she could use as tinder for a fire. Spying paper bags wedged between a cabinet and the fridge, she grabbed those and returned to the fireplace. A metal box held kindling, so she used a poker to shift the logs so she could lay kindling on the grate. She wadded the paper bags and stuffed them beneath the grate, arranged the logs over the kindling, and struck another match. Within seconds, orange flames curled around the logs and a warm glow pushed back the chill.

Rising, she peeked out the front window. Donny was bent over the open trunk of the car, pulling out a bag loaded with something bulky. He brought it to the porch, where he set it down, and returned to the car. He wore the big rifle strapped across his back. And that was in addition to the pistol at his hip.

Donny’s plan had been to lure Linc to a remote location to kill him. Using her as bait was the icing on the cake. But, as far as she could tell, he didn’t have the supplies to remain here for any length of time so he must believe this would end quickly.

She sat on the hearth, her back to the warming fire, and tried to keep her rising panic at bay.

***

Conversation in the conference room rose and fell around him. Planning was crucial to success. Patient, meticulous planning, but Linc battled to clamp a lid on his festering impatience. He could be halfway up those mountains by now, that much closer to ending Donny Bertola.

Mikayla was Linc’s, and the bastard had kidnapped her. Smart, capable, strong Mikayla who somehow had broken through his defenses and settled in his heart. Even though she’d hated going into WITSEC, she’d trusted him that it would work out in the end. And he’d let her down.

Linc knew if he lost her, he’d lose himself too. She believed in him, and made him see the man he wanted to be. He wanted to pursue a life with her. She was the only woman who’d ever made him think in terms of commitment and forever. And that fucker Bertola was using her to lure him in.

The discussion between Seth and Sanford grew heated, or as heated as anything ever got with Seth. Seth never raised his voice. He always kept his temper lashed down. The temper was there, but Seth’s control was legendary.

“No, we don’t wait for morning. I don’t give a damn if there is a storm. That’s to our advantage because Bertola will think that we’ll wait for the storm to clear, wait until it’s light. We’re going in tonight.”

Sanford ran his hands over his mostly nonexistent hair and shook his head. “Fine, but I want it on record that I advised waiting until morning. You’re taking lead on this, Jameson, and it’ll be your ass if you all get shot to hell.”

“That works for me. I want a small team that I know. That means me, Linc, Ellie, and Nikolaev.”

“Be sure about this, Jameson. You’re going into terrain you’re unfamiliar with, a mother of a storm is about to dump a few feet of snow, and you’re up against someone who trained as a marshal and knows your moves.”

“I’m sure.”

Ellie stood and pointed to the screen of the laptop she’d been working on. “According to the GPS on Linc’s app, Mikayla’s phone is at a cabin near a small town in the mountains called Pine Cove.”

Seth turned to her. “Good. I want you to find a satellite image of the cabin and what’s around it. Let me know when you’ve got it.”

Within a half hour, which Linc knew was damn good time no matter if it felt like an eternity, they were on the road in a big SUV. Seated in the passenger side, Ellie navigated using GPS, guiding them into the mountains. Linc was in back with Bella, who sat with a kind of contained quiet that didn’t give away what she was thinking.

Before setting out, he’d checked the locator app one last time. Mikayla hadn’t moved, or at least her phone was still in the same location. Powering off his phone felt like cutting his tie to her, but he didn’t want Donny using the app in reverse to track Linc.

According to the satellite image, a heavily wooded area edged along the back of the property, and there was an outbuilding in the back separate from the cabin that could provide some cover.

Linc touched the window and found it icy. They were climbing in elevation, and a driving snow was pelting the windshield, the wipers swiping back and forth.

Ellie checked the GPS. “Five miles until our turnoff.”

Next to him, Bella checked her Remington 700 with its scope, then pulled on black gloves. Her competent, practiced movements told him this wasn’t her first rodeo.

“The access road is coming up on the right, Seth,” Ellie directed.

Seth nodded. “Nikolaev, go over the plan one more time to make sure we have all the details.”

“Yes, sir. We will take US Forest Service access road fourteen N ten for approximately two miles. We’ll stop in a wooded area behind the cabin, which should allow us to approach undetected. Chief Deputy Jameson will reconnoiter the outbuilding as a potential site from which to set up surveillance as well as maintain cover during a firefight. Ellie will find a suitable place in the perimeter of the woods from which she can provide cover fire.

“I will take a position at the front of the building with the understanding that if the opportunity to take out Bertola presents itself, Chief Deputy Seth Jameson needs to approve the kill shot. Linc will use the cover of darkness to approach the cabin to determine where Ms. O’Kane is being held. Ms. O’Kane’s situation will determine how we proceed.”

“Precise,” Seth commented as he steered the Suburban onto the access road.

Linc caught the expression on Bella’s face. Interesting. Her recitation had been disciplined and dispassionate, but the look she shot his brother was anything but.

They turned off the highway and bumped along a road until Ellie directed Seth to pull over. The snow had let up, and the wind with it. Linc saw the outside temperature on the dash read 27°.

They exited the vehicle and took a moment to tighten the straps on their Kevlar vests and grab their weapons. The others went through their radio check. Linc was going in dark. He tugged his beanie over his ears and pulled on gloves designed to provide both warmth and dexterity. Seth and Ellie were armed with AR15s in addition to their handguns. Linc had his Glock at his hip and another in a holster strapped to his thigh. He added one extra clip of ammo and figured he was set. Each team member had tactical flashlights with filters to diffuse the light and make them less likely to be detected.

They set out through the woods toward the cabin.

With the clouds blocking any celestial light, the dark was near absolute. They moved through the woods using the flashlights sparingly. Linc spotted the cabin in a clearing ahead. The two windows to the back were dark. A faint glow came from the front, which wasn’t visible. Following the plan, Seth and Linc moved to the left toward the outbuilding, Bella stayed within the trees to circle the cabin and get into position in the front.

Ellie slogged through the brush. Linc knew she would look for a tree that could offer some protection as well as a vantage point from which to cover the far side of the cabin. Feeling a cold touch on his cheek, he looked up to see the ghostly white of snowflakes gently wafting from the low clouds.

Linc followed Seth to the side of the shed not visible from the cabin. It had only one point of access, a rolling garage-type door. A recently cut lock lay in pieces on the ground. Seth crouched at a corner that offered him a view of the back door, Linc directly behind him. He pulled out his earpiece and held it away from his ear. Linc tilted his head to listen.

Bella spoke in a quiet voice. “Male subject approximately six feet tall has exited cabin through front door. Picking up something, looks like metal boxes, and is taking them inside.”

Seth spoke into the mic. “Can you see anything through the front windows?”

“Curtains on the windows limit visibility, but I detect movement of two individuals inside. Flickering light suggests a fire, and smoke from the chimney indicates the fire is contained to the fireplace. The only other source of light appears to be a lamp on a table. When the door opened, I had verification of a woman inside.”

“Description?”

“Taller than average, slender, long, dark-colored hair.”

Mikayla. Linc had to take a steadying breath. She was alive.

Until that moment, the possibility that Donny had killed her but kept her phone to lure Linc to his location had been a constant, unspoken worry.

“Okay, we’re good to go.” Seth turned to look at Linc. “You ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Be careful.” At Seth’s go-ahead gesture, Linc sprinted across the open space. Once at the cabin and with his back to the wall near the kitchen door, he glanced at Seth and caught the shake of his head. No one visible. Linc eased forward and took a quick peek inside. Kitchen empty, but evidence of a meal. Pot on the stove, empty cans, two bowls next to the sink.

Linc could hear the sound of a door shutting. Moments later what sounded like furniture being dragged across the floor came from the other side of the wall.

***

Mikayla frowned at the whiff of an oily smell as Donny lugged a couple of gallon containers into the cabin. “What’s that?”

“Found some kerosene in the shed. Might be fun to rig up a little explosion for your boyfriend when he arrives.”

After his earlier outburst, she didn’t bother to correct his assumption that she and Linc had something going. Maybe they did. She was more worried about what Donny intended to do with the kerosene.

She crossed her arms in front of her for warmth. The fire had died and with no more wood to feed it, would soon go out. She’d offered to get logs from wherever he’d gotten them, but he’d told her to shut up. She hadn’t pressed her luck. She’d heated soup and baked a small tray of cornbread made from a mix she’d found in the cupboard. So far, he hadn’t put the cuffs back on.

“And he’ll arrive, all right.” Donny picked up his monologue without missing a beat. “Fuckin’ Linc Jameson thinks he’s a hero. Not this time. This time he’ll try his white knight routine and I’ll laugh my ass off. Laugh all the way to Mexico and you two will be dead as the idiots the Jamesons are named after. Then everyone will see him for the shithead he is.”

“Come here.” He motioned her to the kitchen, pointing to a freestanding cabinet. “Push that in front of the door to block it.” Seeing no alternative, she did as he’d directed. When she returned to the living room, Donny had moved a small table next to the hearth and pushed a sofa so it faced the door and the window that looked out the front of the cabin. Through the window, something was barely visible in the faint light coming from the cabin. Mikayla moved closer and peered through the glass into the darkness outside. It took a moment before she realized she was seeing gently falling snowflakes.

“Son of a bitch, it’s cold in here. Why’d you let the fire go out?”

“We need more wood. I can get some if you want.”

His bark of laughter startled her. “You’re like him, you know? Always underestimating me. You should have seen his face when I shot him. So goddamned ironic. Always acted so superior, so ethical, like his shit didn’t stink. But I rushed it and the frigging bastard didn’t die.”

Mikayla let him spew his hate without commenting. She sat in a chair with overstuffed cushions, hands jammed deep in her coat pockets for warmth, wondering if Donny was right and Linc would come before the night was through.

“I know exactly what he’ll do. By now he knows where you are, and that’s only because I want him to so he’ll come charging up here to rescue you. I know how the Marshals Service works. They’ll want to wait for morning, especially since there’s a storm. But Linc won’t wait. He’s so fucking predictable. He’ll think he can overpower me or outsmart me. He’ll come because he wants to be a hero, but I’ll nail him, and this time I’ll make sure the shot goes through his heart. Knowing the Jamesons, he’ll have his brother and sister with him. They think they’re goddamn Marshals Service royalty. Won’t matter, though. They can die with him. I’ll be ready and I’ll destroy the fucking bastards.”

He blew on his hands for warmth. “I’ll get the wood.” He paused, hands still at his lips. “What’s that?”

“What?”

“That noise.”

“I didn’t—”

“Shut up. I need to hear.” He stood motionless, head cocked as he listened.

Mikayla heard it this time. A faint scraping sound coming from outside. Her heart thumped heavily. If it was Linc, Donny was ready for him and he was walking into a trap. But he had to know that.

“Sounds like it’s on the porch.” He rushed to where she sat and grabbed her arm to yank her to her feet. He slapped the cuffs on one wrist, forced her to the floor, then looped the other cuff through the leg of the sturdy coffee table before fastening the second cuff. Without the key, the only way to get free of the table was to break it into pieces.

With his rifle still hanging behind his back from a strap across his shoulder, Donny drew his pistol and waved it in front of her face. “Now shut up. Not a word or I’ll blow a hole in your brains and be done with it.”

He crossed the room to stand beside the window. After a quick glance through the glass, he went to the door, eased it open, and slipped into the night.

Mikayla stared out the window. If Linc was out there, she needed to warn him. It didn’t matter if Donny followed through with his threat. He was going to kill her anyway, but if she could save Linc, the risk was worth it.

The crosspiece connecting the legs of the coffee table kept her from lifting the leg and sliding the cuffs free, but she thought it was the weakest piece of the table. She maneuvered to set her feet on the opposite leg, grasped the crosspiece, and pulled with all her might. It gave a fraction of an inch, but before she could try again, something solid banged against the outside wall of the cabin, followed by the sounds of scuffling feet.

The door flew open to bang against the wall. Linc stumbled through, Donny following close behind, hand cinched around Linc’s elbow and his gun snugged firmly behind Linc’s ear.