Wheels of Justice Read online

  “I may not have a couple minutes,” she whispered. “I hear the men outside.”

  While his system triangulated her position, Zane swiveled to a second computer and hacked into a military satellite through a back door. “Don’t move. If you panic, you’ll alert them to your location.”

  Zane’s system pinged. He scanned the address, then texted the information to Remy. “I have your location, Claire. The good news is you’re only ten minutes from Fortress headquarters and two operatives are heading to your location.”

  “Tell them to hurry.”

  He focused the satellite on the warehouses off Murfreesboro Road, scowling. Lousy part of town. The infrared images popped onto his computer screen. Crap. Claire was correct. There were two people circling the building in which she was hiding. “Is there a fence around the building, sweetheart?”

  Silence, then, “How did you know?”

  “I pulled up the infrared images. Looks like the men are walking the perimeter.”

  “It’s pitch black in here. I’m afraid to move.”

  More keyboard work while he pulled up the schematics on the abandoned building and interfaced it with the infrared imaging. At least Remy and Lily didn’t have to worry about innocents in the line of fire except for Claire. No heat signatures were close to or inside the building except for the kidnappers and Adam’s sister.

  The kidnappers hadn’t moved in the last minute. Not good. “Claire, you have to move. You’re vulnerable. The two clowns chasing you are trying to find a way over the fence and into the building. We have to give the Fortress operatives a chance to reach you.”

  “It’s dark as pitch in here.”

  “I’ll help you, but you have to trust me.” He was unknown to her. How could she trust him to do right by her?

  “Tell me what to do.” Grim determination came through the cell connection.

  Relief swept through him. Some of the bravest soldiers he’d ever met wouldn’t operate blind with someone they didn’t trust. “Looks like you’re in the corner. Is your back against the exterior or interior wall?”

  “Interior.”

  “Good. Reach out with your left hand, feel the wall, and start walking. Try not to let your clothes brush. The interior wall is fifteen feet long. When we run out of wall, we’ll hang a left into the corridor which leads to the main warehouse.”

  “I’m not good with distances and directions, Zane. I need landmarks to navigate around town.”

  His lips curved. “Understood. I’ll give you a heads up when the corridor is approaching. Time to move, sweetheart.”

  “Here goes.” A soft gasp. “Ick! This wall is slimy.”

  “I’ll have some girly-scented hand sanitizer waiting for you.” A text message popped up on his screen from Lily. She and Remy were seven minutes out. “You’re doing great, Claire. Keep walking.”

  “Easier said than done. I feel like I’ll walk off a cliff any second.”

  Zane frowned. Her breathing sounded fast and shallow. She needed a distraction before she hyperventilated. “Claire, what brings you to Nashville besides your brother?”

  “The river flooded and washed away half the buildings in my town, including my apartment. Adam encouraged me to restart my business here.”

  “The corridor is two feet in front of you, sweetheart. When you reach the corner, place your hand straight in front of you and cross the open space to the opposite wall. It’s four feet, Claire. You can do this.”

  A few seconds of silence, then, “I’m at the corridor.”

  “Straight across to the opposite wall.”

  “I’m there. Now what?”

  “Follow the wall with your right hand now. An office or storage closet is twenty-five feet down the corridor. That’s where we’re headed. No windows for anyone to see you.”

  He kept tabs on the position of the two guys who had kidnapped her. His jaw tightened when he noticed them starting to move toward the building. “Sweetheart, you need to pick up the pace.”

  “They’re coming?”

  “They made it over the fence and are approaching the door. You can do this. Ten feet to go.”

  “What if the door is locked?”

  “You shove your phone into your pocket with the connection live so I can track your position no matter where they take you. The operatives I sent to you are four minutes out. The door should be on your right now.”

  A sigh of relief whispered over the phone. “It’s unlocked.”

  “Slip inside and close the door. Don’t lock it. Use the lit screen of your cell phone to see if there’s a desk or something left behind where you can hide or an interior closet.”

  “No desk, but there is a closet. The door’s open.”

  “Go in there. Don’t close the door all the way. Stand behind the door, pressed as tight as you can against the wall in the corner. Let your screen go dark. These guys will search for you, Claire. If they reach the office before the Fortress operatives arrive, don’t panic and don’t move a muscle. Lily and Remy Doucet are two minutes from you. I’m relaying your location in the building to them now.”

  “How will I know who they are?”

  “Lily looks like an elf. Remy’s over six feet and speaks with a Louisiana drawl.” On screen, he watched the two men breached the building. “All right, sweetheart. Here we go. The two men are inside the building. Sound carries at night, so I don’t want you to say anything else. I’ll keep you apprised of their location. No matter what happens, Claire, I will not abandon you. I’ll be right here with you.”

  Zane had never wanted out of this wheelchair any more than he did right that minute. He longed to take down these clowns for kidnapping and terrorizing Claire. Instead, he was relegated to the role of observer. Again.

  “They’re heading for the corridor,” he murmured. His muscles tightened. Would they find her? Her hiding place was precarious, at best. If Lily and Remy didn’t reach her in time, Zane was afraid the two men would hurt Claire before forcing her to go with them.

  Two more heat signatures raced toward the back entrance of the building. He keyed in the frequency of the Doucets’ comm gear. “Two perps inside the building, headed down the corridor where the principal is hiding.”

  “Copy that,” came the reply.

  “Claire, the men are in the corridor, moving slow. Remy and Lily are at the back entrance. Hold tight, sweetheart.”

  The silence stretched until Zane thought he would go insane, waiting for word that Claire Walker was safe or, worse, gunshots which might or might not be from his friends’ weapons.

  Muffled shouts, thumps, a loud crash, and angry cursing came over Claire’s cell phone. Zane’s fists clenched. Finally, he heard Lily’s voice. “Claire, I’m Lily. Zane sent us.”

  All the tension in Zane’s body melted away in an instant. Excellent. “It’s all right, Claire. That’s my friend. She and her husband will take care of you.”

  “Thank you, Zane.”

  “I’m glad I could help.” He ended the call and keyed in the comm system. “What do you need, Remy?”

  “A friendly cop would be ideal, though I’m not sure how pleased the boss will be with the publicity.”

  “No problem. I’ll contact Cal Taylor.” The Metro Nashville homicide detective had been a Navy SEAL before he’d joined the MNPD and sometimes ran short ops out of the country with Fortress to keep his skills sharp.

  “I’ll wait for him. Lily is bringing Claire to you.”

  His eyebrows rose. To him? Ah. The two perps were still conscious. Keeping her connection to Fortress quiet placed another layer of protection around her and Adam. “Copy that.” Zane checked for the medic on duty and was pleased to see Jake Davenport’s name on the roster. Though Claire didn’t mention being injured in the abduction attempt, he’d feel better if Davenport at least talked to her.

  After calling a grumpy Taylor and receiving his promise to meet Remy at the warehouse, Zane contacted the medic and asked him to be on st
andby. Fifteen minutes later, an elevator chime signaled the arrival of the car.

  He swiveled to face the doorway. Into the communication center walked a tiny, delicate woman with honey-colored hair and green eyes, wearing jeans, tennis shoes, and a dusty black sweatshirt over top of a turtleneck.

  She walked straight to him and, with a quick glance at his chair, focused on his face. “Zane?”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Claire.”

  She sat in a chair beside him, leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for saving my life.”

  “You did the work, sweetheart. I was just the voice over the phone.”

  Her gaze seemed to stare straight through him. “I will never forget what you did for me.”

  Zane’s cheeks burned. Uncomfortable, he cleared his throat and said, “Were you injured in the abduction?”

  She frowned, her gaze dropping to her side. “I’m not sure. Both of those creeps carried Ka-Bars. My side hurts, though.” As she finished the last of her statement, she started to sway in the seat.

  “Whoa.” He wrapped his hands around her upper arms to hold her steady. “Lily, get Davenport up here.” While his friend called the medic, Zane slid his arm around Claire’s back and eased her head against his shoulder.

  A minute later, Jake Davenport hurried through the communication center doorway with his mike bag on his shoulder. “What have we got?”

  “Kidnap victim. At least one injury to her side. This is Claire Walker, by the way. Adam’s sister.”

  “No kidding. Nice to meet you, Claire. I’m Jake, one of the Fortress medics. Which side hurts?”

  “Right. They had Ka-Bars and I think one of them cut me.”

  “Let’s take a look. You want to do this here or in the medical center?”

  She bit her bottom lip. “I’m not sure I can walk anywhere else for a while. I’m pretty shaky.”

  “Shock at the very least. If you don’t give me as much grief as the operatives while I treat you, I’ll give you a sucker.”

  “Hey!” Lily protested. “Why haven’t you given me one of those? I’ve been in your less-than-tender care more than once over the last two years.”

  “And you whine as much as the rest, sugar.” Davenport reached for the hem of Claire’s sweatshirt. “I’ll lift enough to check the injury.” After receiving a nod of permission, he raised the bottom of her shirt.

  Claire hissed as air hit her injury. Zane tightened his hold on her shoulders in an effort to offer the only comfort at his disposal, a lame attempt he had to admit. He wished he could take her place. He’d been in that position more than once in his work with his Team.

  Davenport scowled. “We need to do some repair work, Claire.”

  “Repair work?” she asked faintly.

  “You have a cut on your side and need stitches.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Zane cupped the back of Claire’s head as Davenport finished the last of the stitches in her side. “You okay?” he murmured.

  A nod. “I hope Remy and Lily pounded on those two thugs. Wouldn’t be fair for me to have all the bruises and cuts.”

  Lily grinned. “Don’t worry. We didn’t do those guys any favors by leaving my husband alone with them until the cops arrived. They’ll be hurting for a good while in ways that won’t show.”

  “Good.”

  Amusement sparked through Zane at her fierce tone. For such a little thing, she had the heart of a warrior. Some man would be very lucky indeed to have her in his life. And that thought doused all the humor in the situation. The lucky guy wouldn’t be him.

  “All finished with the stitches,” Jake said. “Any other injuries I need to treat?”

  “I’d love an ice pack for my face.”

  Zane stiffened. “They hit you?”

  “I wasn’t a cooperative kidnap victim.”

  “Good for you.” He glanced at Lily. “Any word from Remy?”

  “Taylor just arrived and said to keep his vic on ice.”

  A small moan from the woman in his arms. “Hope he doesn’t mean that literally. I’m already freezing.” A hard shiver wracked her body.

  “Almost finished,” Jake said as he reached into his bag for a bandage. He ripped open the package, applied the covering, and yanked off his gloves. The medic pulled a small bag of capsules from his bag. “Antibiotics. I’m betting your kidnapper didn’t bother disinfecting his knife before cutting you with it,” he said, lips curving upward.

  “Pain killer?” Zane prompted his friend.

  Jake raised a brow as his gaze shifted to Claire. “Need one?”

  “It doesn’t really hurt right now.”

  “Your side’s still numb from the local I gave you. Won’t stay that way.” A minute later, he handed her another bag, this one held a handful of pills. “Mild pain killer, non-habit forming. All the Fortress medics stock these.”

  “I don’t want to take pain pills away from an injured operative.”

  “Never fear, sugar. I have to practically hogtie Fortress men and women to make them take pain pills when they need them.”

  She held up a hand. “Never mind. You don’t have to explain. Adam has to be writhing in agony before he’ll swallow over-the-counter pain relievers. I can just imagine how much of a fuss he’d kick up at having to take something stronger.”

  “I’d like to check on your progress in a few days. Watch for signs of infection.” He inclined his head at Zane. “Z will know when I’m on duty. If I’ve been deployed, one of the other medics can check the stitches. They need to come out in seven to ten days.” The medic gathered the trash and disposed of it.

  “Thanks for stitching my side, Jake.”

  “Glad to be of service, little one.” He handed her a cold pack, then reached into a side pocket of his Go bag and pulled out two suckers. One he tossed to Lily, the other he handed to Claire. “You need fluids, Claire. Tell Zane what you want. He’ll take care of it.” Jake grabbed his cell phone when it signaled an incoming message, checked the screen, and sighed. “This seems to be the night for stitches. Gotta go.”

  “Thanks, Doc,” Zane said.

  His friend waved as he left.

  “He’s a doctor?” Claire asked, unwrapping her sucker.

  “A medic. Doc is his nickname.” He might not be a doctor, but he’d done his share of battlefield surgeries to keep teammates alive. Zane eased Claire from his shoulder and immediately missed her slight weight. Not many people voluntarily touched him these days, and yet within a minute, she’d bussed his cheek with a sweet kiss of gratitude. Better not get used to Claire’s touch. She wasn’t for him. “We have bottled water, soft drinks, and vats of coffee. What’s your pleasure?”

  “Water and a Coke, please. They both sound good right now.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He sent a pointed glance to Lily. He wanted someone he trusted to watch over Claire while he was gone. And how stupid was that? He’d just met the woman, and in his condition, he sure couldn’t stake a claim.

  Lily smiled and eased the sucker into her mouth, her eyes dancing with amusement.

  Zane’s cheeks burned. Great. Just great. His friend wouldn’t be able to resist needling him. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t insist on protection for Adam’s sister inside Fortress headquarters even at the expense of his own comfort. He narrowed his eyes at Lily. She winked, but finally gave him a short nod.

  Satisfied Lily would watch over her, Zane wheeled past her and rolled down the hall to the break room. Once he’d gotten the water and soft drink, he scanned the counter for the best snacks for Claire and settled on a banana and peanut butter crackers.

  He zoomed to the bunk room where four single beds were set up for those who needed to crash before heading home or out on a mission, and grabbed the jacket he’d left earlier in the evening. He retraced his path down the hall with his stash and stopped beside Claire. “Try the soft drink first. I also brought you a couple snacks. Adrenaline dump will make you shaky.”

  C
laire’s gaze dropped to the banana in his hand. Her face lit. “I love bananas. Thank you, Zane.” She took the fruit from him with a trembling hand.

  While she peeled the skin, Zane loosened the cap on the soft drink, then draped his jacket around her shoulders. His heart squeezed at the sight of his jacket nearly swallowing her whole. When she had consumed half the banana, he handed her the drink. “Once you finish the snacks, take the pain meds Jake gave you. You should stay ahead of the pain. Otherwise, you’ll have a harder time with pain management.” He ought to know. Those months in the hospital and rehab had been excruciating. Everything had hurt, except his legs.

  The elevator chime announced the arrival of the car. Lily swung around, Sig in her hand. Zane positioned himself in front of Claire and drew his own weapon from the holster at his back. It was probably Remy and Taylor, but he wasn’t taking chances.

  The Cajun strolled into view, the homicide detective in his wake. Taylor’s badge glittered in the corridor lights as he walked toward the comm center. He greeted Lily as she stepped aside to allow him into the room. His gaze dropped to the weapon in Zane’s hand and a slight smile of approval curved his lips. “Murphy.”

  “Taylor. Thanks for helping out.”

  “You can stop sending me business, buddy.”

  His lips curved. Zane holstered his weapon and returned to Claire’s side. “Claire, this is Detective Cal Taylor, MNPD. Cal, Claire Walker.”

  The detective drew up another chair, sat across from her, and grabbed a notebook and pen from his jacket pocket. “Tell me what happened, Ms. Walker.”

  As she recounted her story, Zane’s fists clenched. The two thugs could have killed her. From the descriptions Remy and Lily contributed to the story, they outweighed Claire by more than a hundred pounds each.

  “And they didn’t say what they wanted?” Taylor asked.

  “Thug Two mentioned something about leverage.” She swallowed hard. “He tried to keep the other guy from hurting me. I got the impression Thug One likes to hurt people and his partner is afraid of him.”

  “Did they hurt you?” the policeman asked softly.