Predator Page 24

  And then he saw them.

  Wade Parker and Miranda Steele crossing the street. Looking perfectly gleeful, they hurried to the black Lexus parked at the curb and climbed inside. Their team was with them.

  And so was the girl.

  How could that be?

  Something had gone wrong. Utterly and completely wrong.

  Rage welled up inside him. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel. Again. And again. “No. No. No!”

  What had Doroshenko done? How could he have let this happen?

  He would pay dearly for letting them get away. Doroshenko would not be allowed to live.

  But where was he? Had the police taken him into custody?

  Santana watched the Lexus pull into traffic, turn at the corner, and drive away through the buildings, out of his grasp.

  His whole body shook with fury. This did not happen to him. He did not fail. He was Donovan Santana. His mind raced with images of revenge.

  But it was no good.

  Someone was honking behind him. The light had turned green twice. He drove through it and around the block. Then he pulled over to gather his wits.

  It was no use. They were gone.

  Perhaps Beasley was right. He should let go of this obsession of his and focus on the primary objective. He had too much work to do. He had plans to execute.

  One of the most important being moving stock to the wharf for transport to the target location. If that task wasn’t completed tonight, he would fall behind schedule. That would not do at all.

  And then an idea came to him.

  He had something left in his arsenal, didn’t he? Why not use it to kill two birds with one stone? It was a wild idea. It might not work at all. But it was certainly worth a try. He had bribed enough men on the police force to get away with it.

  Those cells in the basement of the medical center would still have their use. He would still have his revenge. And he would show no mercy.

  What was it Bach used to tell him? If you don’t get what you want the first time, the next time simply try harder.

  Contingencies. He could be flexible, couldn’t he?

  He had to chuckle. It was a risky gambit, but only the bold get everything they want.

  Checking in his mirror that no police vehicles were nearby, he pulled out of his spot and headed back to the medical center.

  There was much work to do. Preparation. Packing. A long checklist of tasks.

  And the most important was to ensure tonight his men would have plenty of ammunition.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  On the way back to the hotel, Parker insisted everyone should eat, but Mackenzie said she wasn’t hungry and wanted to take a nap.

  When they reached the lobby, Holloway and Becker trotted off to the restaurant, and the three of them went upstairs to the suite.

  Parker ordered room service, despite the teenager’s protests and when it came, she ate more of the burger and fries he’d gotten her than Miranda thought she would.

  She and Parker had seafood platters, and now that her daughter was safe, her own appetite was voracious. She devoured everything on the plate and some of Parker’s as well.

  When they finished the meal, Miranda sat on the fancy couch with Mackenzie chatting as if they were long lost friends.

  Mackenzie tucked a strand of her long dark hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry about the restaurant. I couldn’t go there. That’s where he took me for lunch when I got here.”

  “Santana took you there?”

  She nodded.

  “He must have known we were here.” A creepy thought.

  Mackenzie reached for her hand, filling Miranda’s heart with a tenderness that chased all the demons away. “This experience was awful. But the best thing about it was we got to talk.”

  “I’d agree with that assessment.”

  “You were right, Mother. I’m sorry I avoided you for so long.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t come out and ask you what was bothering you.”

  “I wouldn’t have told you. But I promise I’ll never keep secrets from you again. We can go running in the park again when we get home. And I’ll tell you everything I’m thinking. And everything that’s going on at school. We can go visit Ella together if she’s still in the hospital.”

  “Or at her house if she’s not.”

  “Yes I’d like that.”

  She smiled. “I can’t wait to tell all my friends what a heroic mother I have. They won’t believe what happened.”

  Miranda wasn’t sure she should spread that story around. Santana was still out there, after all.

  Before she could give her daughter a warning, Parker came out of the bedroom, his tie loosened. He’d slipped in there to give them some privacy while he made a call.

  “Agent Sloan and the Boston team are conducting a deep investigation into Sector Services, as well as Santana’s real estate holdings in the city and other vehicles he may own.”

  “Sounds like a lot of work.”

  “Yes.”

  Miranda could tell he didn’t want to say more in front of Mackenzie.

  “I think it’s time we all had a nap,” he said.

  “Good idea.” Miranda suddenly felt as if she could curl up on the floor. And she could see lines of weariness on Parker’s face. Mackenzie’s eyelids were drooping.

  They were all exhausted.

  “Will you be comfortable out here?” Parker asked Mackenzie.

  “Yes, Mr. Parker. I’m fine.” She patted the extra pillow and blanket they’d ordered along with room service and let out a yawn.

  Getting up, Miranda touched her daughter’s shoulder. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?” She was worried about her mental state more than the bedding.

  Mackenzie stretched out on the soft cushions and arranged the blanket over her. “Yes, Mother. With the two best detectives in the world right in the next room, how could I be any safer?”

  “Okay. Sleep tight.” She kissed her cheek and followed Parker into the bedroom.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Miranda found Parker staring at the spot where he’d punched the wall last night.

  The hole had been repaired while they were out, and the wall looked like new. She could smell the fresh paint. But she didn’t like what might be going on inside Parker’s head.

  “I paid double the price of the repair,” he murmured half to himself. “It doesn’t seem like nearly enough.”

  “Aren’t you the generous one.” Or the guilty one. She forced herself not to wince. This trip was going to be an expensive one.

  Parker turned and drank her in with his gaze for a long moment. Then he moved to her and took her in his arms.

  He kissed her hard, with such feeling, it made her heart race and break at the same time.

  His lips moved to her hair. “I thought I had lost you, Miranda,” he murmured in a low intense tone. “I couldn’t live with that.”

  Her hands dug into his hair. She felt just as grateful he was alive. “I can’t live with the thought of losing you either.”

  That had always been their problem, hadn’t it?

  He broke away and held her out to face her. “We need to discuss which team members we’ll bring with us after we take Mackenzie back to Atlanta.”

  She blinked at him. “What?”

  “You’ll want their help, won’t you?”

  He was confusing her. “I thought we were going to let Sloan handle the follow up.”

  “There’s a lot of work to do.”

  “And Sloan has people to do it. He also has arrest power, which we don’t.”

  Parker’s face took on a strange look. Now she got it.

  He’d like to be the one to put Santana behind bars. Or maybe he would find a way to kill the bastard and get away with it.

  “I’m too tired to think about it right now.” She kissed his cheek, kicked off her pumps, and began pulling off her business suit.

  He started to unbutton his shi
rt. “Sloan didn’t tell the concierge or the police it was Santana we were after.”

  She moved to the closet to hang up her suit and blouse. “You don’t think they would have cooperated if you had?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  She held up a hanger, recalling the conversation she’d had with Santana. “He as much as told me he bribed city officials.”

  Parker was quiet as he hung up his clothes.

  She went to the dresser to find a T-shirt. “What?”

  He turned down the bed. “Something is going on at the FBI. Sloan told Wesson about it, and she told me last night at the brownstone.”

  “What sort of things?”

  “Budget cuts, demotions. Loss of personnel.”

  That was disturbing. “We should still let Sloan go after Santana.” She climbed into bed beside him, relishing his warmth.

  “It seems you and Mackenzie are getting on better.”

  He was changing the subject, but she was happy to tell him about it.

  “Yeah, we had a pretty good heart to heart while we were locked in that room.”

  “Did you ask her whether she knew about her father?”

  “Yes. And she did. Rachel told her, of all people.”

  “Hmm.” Parker didn’t sound like he approved of that girl any more than she did.

  She rolled over to face him. “It got her to thinking, and she decided she was like him, just like I thought. You were right Parker. I should have listened to you and talked to her earlier.”

  He brushed back her hair. “Well, it’s all out on the table now. I think things will be better from now on between you.”

  “I hope so.”

  She laid down again and stared up at the ceiling. “I just remembered something.”

  “What?”

  “We got out of that room when Sasha came to feed us lunch.”

  “So I surmised from the mess on the floor. I wish I could have seen that fight.”

  She laughed. “Mackenzie seemed to be impressed with it. But anyway, when Sasha put down the tray, there were two bottles of water on it. They had been opened.”

  “Oh?”

  “Like maybe somebody had slipped something into them.”

  Parker was silent for a long moment, his thoughts going in the same direction as hers.

  “The entire stock of that mind control substance was confiscated after we destroyed the lab in Sweetwater Park,” he said darkly.

  “But someone escaped. The scientist?”

  “Right now, that seems likely.”

  She raised up on one elbow. “What is that man up to?”

  Parker’s face was grim. “Something destructive and very evil no doubt. That’s why we need to stop him.”

  She opened her mouth to reply but he put a finger to her lips. “Let’s discuss if after we get some sleep. We’ll be better able to think then.”

  All she wanted to think about now was going home with Parker, her team, and her daughter. After their nap, she’d come up with something to convince Parker they should leave well enough alone.

  But for now, she simply snuggled into his strong chest and closed her eyes.

  She was asleep in half a minute.

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Miranda was floating.

  She lifted her head and saw she was lying in a rowboat. Parker sat on the other side of it, a long oar in his hands. He was using it to guide the boat across a still blue stream.

  Strange. He was dressed in a suit from the eighteen hundreds. But he looked more handsome than ever in it.

  His gray eyes twinkled as he smiled tenderly at her, making her heart tingle.

  A warm breeze caressed her hair while birds sang in the lush trees along the bank.

  She dipped her hand in the stream, letting the water flow over it, drawing her deeper into this wonderful feeling of complete happiness.

  Then one of the birds began to make a strange sound. A low cawing. It turned to a cackle. Then a dark laugh. An evil laugh.

  Tannenburg.

  A bird nearby started to warble, as if crying out a warning.

  No!

  Coming out of the dream, Miranda opened her eyes and realized a phone was ringing somewhere.

  Parker’s.

  It wasn’t a squawk. It was an ordinary ring. He’d changed his ringtone to something professional.

  The ringing stopped, and she heard Parker’s voice as he answered. She picked up her own phone and looked at the time. Nine pm.

  Long nap.

  Feeling disoriented, she put her head back down and rubbed her face with her hands.

  “We’ll see you in a few minutes then.” Parker said and hung up.

  Now she sat up. “Was that Sloan?”

  He turned to her, concern on his face. “It was Colby Chatham. She and Oliver are in town.”

  “They’re here in Boston?”

  “They’re in the lobby. They’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  “A few minutes? What are we going to tell them?”

  Miranda jumped out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans while Parker dressed in his designer jeans and a button down shirt. They finished just as there was a knock on the door.

  Parker went into the living room to get it, and Mackenzie sat up on the couch rubbing her eyes. “What’s going on?”

  “Your parents are here.” Miranda told her.

  Parker opened the door. “Hello Colby, Oliver.”

  “Hello Wade,” Oliver replied, sounding grave.

  Colby stepped into the living room and spotted Mackenzie getting up from the sofa. “Oh! There she is.”

  With Oliver right behind her, she rushed over to her adopted daughter and threw her arms around her. “My baby, my darling. I’m so relieved to see you’re safe. What happened? Where did you go? Were you with that boy?”

  Oliver took a turn hugging the girl. “We’re so relieved to see you, child. Where have you been?”

  Mackenzie gazed toward Miranda for help.

  Miranda folded her arms. “It’s a long story.”

  Colby straightened, recovering her manners. “I’m so sorry to barge in on you and Wade like this, Miranda, but we’ve been sick with worry. We haven’t heard from you since yesterday morning. Finally, I couldn’t stand it another minute, so I found a flight online and told Oliver we had to come to Boston right away.”

  “We’re glad you’re here,” Parker said, playing the gracious host. “And glad you can see for yourselves she’s safe and sound.”

  As of this afternoon.

  Colby turned to Miranda, questions in her eyes. “What happened? Did you find that boy?”

  As if she knew her mother wouldn’t stop until she knew the truth, Mackenzie let out a sigh. “There wasn’t a boy, Mama. Not really. It was a man who’d hacked his social media account.”

  Colby looked as if she might faint. “What?”

  “He kidnapped me.”

  “He what?” Colby reached for the arm of a chair.

  “Mother saved me. And so did Mr. Parker. I know what I did was stupid,” she added. “If you ground me for the rest of my life, I’ll understand.”

  “Oh, my baby. What you’ve been through.” Colby put her arms around Mackenzie again and gave Oliver a serious look.

  He nodded. “Mackenzie, do you have your backpack?”

  “Yes. It’s right there.” She pointed to the gold-star sack on the floor beside the side table.

  “Why don’t you take it into the bedroom and change for travel.” He turned to Miranda. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “No, of course not.” Were they going to take her right away?

  It would solve the problem of getting her back to Atlanta, but Miranda had been looking forward to sharing the flight home with her daughter.

  With a suspicious glance, Mackenzie picked up her backpack and went into the bedroom.

  When the door was shut, Oliver turned to face Parker. “I’m so sorry to tell you both this, but this ordeal has
been very difficult for us.”

  “It’s been difficult for us, too,” Miranda said.

  “I’m sure it has. But dealing with kidnappers and the like is your business, isn’t it?” There was a stiffness in the man’s tone.

  “What are you saying, Oliver?” Parker said.

  The lawyer looked down at his dress shoes.

  Colby went to the mantel to lean on it as if she needed strength. “Just tell them, Oliver.”

  “Tell us what?” Anxiety ripped through Miranda’s heart.

  Oliver clasped his hands in front of him like a priest. “We’re going to put Mackenzie in a private school in England.”

  Miranda collapsed into a nearby chair. “You’re what?”

  “It’s a very good school. We’ve been researching educational institutions in the country for some time.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? Isn’t it obvious, Miranda? To keep her safe.”

  Parker was struggling to hide his anger. “Oliver, don’t you think that’s a rash move?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Miranda raked a hand through her hair. “You think putting her in a boarding school will keep her safe?”

  “Not a boarding school. A private school. We’re moving there, too.”

  Now she was even more shocked. “What about your firm?” He was the chief partner at Chatham, Grayson, and McFee.

  “I can manage the firm from there. Wilhelmina Todd moved to a firm in London some time ago. I’m opening a small office near London and I hope to win her back.”

  Wilhelmina Todd was in London? Miranda felt dizzy. She couldn’t believe what the Chathams were saying.

  “Oliver,” Parker said sternly. “Don’t you think you should take some time to reconsider after what your daughter has been through?”

  “That’s exactly why I should not reconsider.” He turned to Miranda. “I’m sorry, Miranda. I’ve tried to be open minded about this, but ever since you’ve come into Mackenzie’s life, we’ve had trouble. You’ve turned our normal talented daughter into a near basket case. It’s time something was done.”

  Miranda didn’t know what to say to the stinging accusation. Except that he was right.

  The door to the bedroom opened and Mackenzie stepped out. With her long dark hair falling around her shoulders, she had on fashion jeans, a pale blue T-shirt, and her puffer coat with the faux fur trim at the collar. She carried her backpack in her hand.