Colby Core Read online

  “I have the pertinent data for the next four transfers,” Tessa told him. “All involve a dozen or more girls. He has a meeting today with a new buyer. I can give you the details of the meeting. In addition, I’m willing to provide you with the account number for one of his primary overseas accounts. This offer has two conditions.”

  She had his attention now. Phipps’s expression shifted to one of keen interest. “What conditions?”

  “First, I want out completely,” she said. “I have no interest in belonging to you or to Renwick.”

  Phipps looked her up and down. “Too bad for me.”

  A burst of fury roared in Riley’s gut. He had no right to feel anything even remotely related to jealously but he couldn’t suppress the reaction.

  “Second,” Tessa went on, “I want half the money from the account to start a new life.”

  Phipps laughed long and loud. “You can’t be serious.”

  Riley hooked his thumb in his front jeans pocket.

  Phipps noticed. “How much money are we talking about?”

  “There’s four million in the account,” Tessa told him. His eyes widened. “You get two and I get two.” Before Phipps could argue, she added, “There’ll be a lot more than two million in it for you when you take over his territory. All you have to do is terminate him and its all yours for the taking.”

  The man’s gaze narrowed with skepticism. “I’m having a little trouble wrapping my head around your proposal. How would you have access to his money accounts?”

  “The Master’s getting older. He’s not as sharp as he used to be,” she said bluntly. “He’s come to trust me far more than he should have.”

  “Obviously,” Phipps quipped.

  “Whether you wrap your head around the concept or not,” she pressed, “this is what I have to offer. If you’re not interested I’m sure one of his European competitors will be.”

  Again, she had the man’s attention.

  Riley decided that Tessa’s brother wasn’t the only one who had adjudication skills. She would make a damned good lawyer. But then, she’d said she wanted to be a teacher. The part that made him feel good was the idea that she would get to make the choice.

  “I’ll need to present this to Renwick.” Phipps adjusted his coat. “How much time do I have?”

  Tessa looked him square in the eye and said, “Five minutes.” Indignation captured his expression. “Starting four minutes ago,” she added.

  Riley was duly impressed.

  Phipps, not so much so. He reached into his coat pocket. Riley’s hand moved under his coat.

  Phipps showed his cell phone. “Chill. I have to make a call.”

  He stepped a few feet away and made the call. Tessa exchanged a look with Riley that revealed the sheer terror throttling through her.

  He gave her a nod. She’d done a stellar job. Truth was, he doubted he could have done any better himself. Her negotiation instincts were right on the money and she’d stood her ground as good as any man.

  Phipps returned to their huddle. “Renwick says it’s a go. First we’ll divert the account balance and then we’ll set up for crashing the meeting. When we’re done,” he added with a sly grin, “you’ll never have to worry about your Master again.”

  “You’ll wait until he’s away from the compound?” That was the first time since the meeting had started that Riley heard fear in Tessa’s voice.

  Phipps gave her an incredulous look. “Do you have to ask? No way are we giving him the home-field advantage. We want him out of his comfort zone.”

  Tessa passed him the slip of paper upon which she’d written the account number. “The second number is the account I’d like you to transfer my half into. You have two hours to accomplish that part of the deal. If I don’t see the transfer, I’ll tell the Master everything. And then your enemies won’t have to worry about you ever again.”

  “And you think the man would believe you?” Phipps laughed. “I don’t think so. Don’t try threatening me, honey.”

  Riley pulled out his own cell phone and hit the necessary buttons to play back the conversation. He’d recorded every word. Phipps’s face paled.

  “Make the transfers within two hours,” Tessa reiterated. “When they’re done, I’ll send you the details of the meeting and the scheduled transfers. That will be the end of our business dealings.”

  He smirked. “If you don’t watch your back, it’ll be the end of you.”

  Phipps walked away, giving his back as if he had no fear of Riley taking a shot at him. As if there was no chance any of the Master’s soldiers were close by.

  Riley’s instincts were ranting at him again.

  This was wrong.

  Chapter Thirteen

  8:00 a.m.—26 hours remaining

  Tessa’s hands shook as she reached into the glove box for the cell phone the Master had given her. Their mission was complete with more than twenty-four hours to go. Would he trust Riley now? Remove the explosive device? Would Riley be able to help her and the children escape?

  Tessa couldn’t activate the evacuation plan…not with that thing around Riley’s neck.

  There was nothing else to do…except call him. Attempt to report in that Phipps had taken the bait. What did this prove? The Master knew Renwick was his enemy.

  This was utterly insane. What had been the point? Was the Master planning an ambush for Renwick and his people? Had he been spurred to play out this possibly lethal ruse based on what she had told Riley to say to him? Would she be responsible for dozens of deaths?

  Agony swelled inside her. They were all bad men. Monsters. She shouldn’t feel any regret. Yet, she felt regret and confusion.

  These people had been her family…no, they had stolen her from her family.

  Tessa closed her eyes and forced the confusing thoughts away.

  This wasn’t her fault. The Master could have been planning a coup like this for some time and the opportunity had only now arisen. She was merely a pawn.

  Like always.

  “Used,” she muttered. Used for bad things.

  “You okay?”

  She’d told Riley to head back to the compound. But she didn’t want to arrive without calling first. The Master would know she was coming because of the tracking devices burrowed in her skin. But he didn’t like to be surprised. He liked being prepared.

  Tessa had the oddest feeling that he expected she and Riley to fail or at least to be down to the last minute accomplishing the task he’d required they complete. Had he hoped they would be terminated in their attempts to carry out this operation?

  Or maybe he’d hoped his enemy wasn’t quite so determined to get him. Had he expected Riley’s assertion to be proven wrong?

  Tessa didn’t believe that. The Master had made far too many enemies. Enemies who had attempted to bring him down before.

  That was the thing about being at the top of the heap. Someone always wanted to take your place.

  She couldn’t begin to analyze the Master. He was unpredictable…and totally, criminally insane.

  That realization settled heavily upon her. A sane person didn’t hurt people the way he did. She swallowed back the misery that hardened in her throat. She had to stop him.

  Another ring echoed in her ears, drawing her back to the here and now. Why wasn’t anyone answering?

  “Brooks.”

  It was about time. Tessa sat up straighter. “Brooks, this is Tessa. I need to speak to him.”

  “He’s unavailable at the moment.”

  What? Another thread of confusion wound around her thoughts. “He’s expecting my call. I have an update on the operation.” Brooks had been there yesterday morning. He understood the magnitude of what she was doing.

  “Does this mean that you and Smith have accomplished your mission?”

  “Of course.” That was a stupid question. Why would she call otherwise? “I’d like to speak to him, please.”

  “He asked me to relay the message that h
e will be expecting you tomorrow morning at eight.”

  “But—” She glanced at the steel band clamped around Riley’s neck. “What about—?”

  “That leaves sufficient time to take care of Mr. Smith’s situation if that’s your concern.”

  “No.” Tessa’s head shook of its own volition. “I need to speak with him, Brooks. We need to come back today. Now.” She needed this man out of her way! Was this a power play on his part or had the Master actually told him to make her wait?

  “That’s out of the question,” Brooks warned, his tone threatening. “Do not come here before eight tomorrow morning. Find some place to lie low until then. That’s a direct order, Tessa. This would not be the time to start down the path of disobedience.”

  Before she could argue he severed the connection.

  Tessa couldn’t believe what Brooks had said to her. Why would the Master refuse to take her call? Something wasn’t right.

  A lot of things weren’t right, she realized. The tiny fragments that didn’t fit had been piling up…she should have stopped denying it and recognized the warning signs already.

  “What happened?” Riley glanced from the road to her and back.

  “He won’t permit us to return before eight tomorrow morning.” But she hadn’t actually spoken to the Master. “Do you think Brooks and Howard or some of the others have staged some sort of takeover?” If the Master had left the compound on business maybe…no, that didn’t make sense. His deputies accompanied him when he was away.

  “I think,” Riley offered, “that we need to find out.”

  “But we can’t go there,” she cautioned. She had never disobeyed a direct order. Too often she’d seen the consequences suffered by those who dared. “He’ll know we’re coming.” Damned tracking devices!

  Riley pulled over to the side of the road. “I’ll check in with Stark. Try to get some sort of status on the compound.”

  Tessa sat in a state of shock as Riley used his cell phone to contact his colleague. Those images of Sophie she’d held at bay for the past twenty-four hours came flooding in now. What if the Master took Sophie away? What if Tessa could never find her? The Master may have decided to punish Tessa. Killing her wouldn’t be nearly so painful as taking Sophie…he would know that.

  Devastation encircled her heart and tightened, tighter and tighter until it seemed to stop beating. She couldn’t breathe…couldn’t think of anything but Sophie…her little girl.

  Her little girl.

  Not his.

  Hers.

  Riley closed his cell phone. She’d hardly been aware of his conversation.

  “Stark says things are quiet at the compound. There have been no departures and no arrivals. None last night or this morning. The Master hasn’t left the property since we made our exit twenty-two hours ago.”

  Some sense of relief lightened the pressure on Tessa’s heart, allowing an erratic and desperate rhythm. “Why would he refuse to allow us to return?”

  Glass shattered. Sprayed over Tessa’s head.

  “Get down!” Riley shouted.

  The truck lunged forward.

  Tessa cowered in the floorboard, her hands covering her head.

  The truck swerved dangerously and rocketed forward faster and faster.

  She prayed the old truck could take the abuse.

  The rearview mirror burst, the windshield cracked.

  Riley wrestled with the steering wheel as he weaved wildly to prevent being an easy target.

  She had to help. “Give me the gun.”

  Riley ignored her.

  “Give me the gun!”

  The passenger-side mirror flew to pieces.

  Riley dared to take a hand off the wheel and pass her the weapon. Their gazes locked for one second.

  This was bad.

  Tessa held the gun in both hands. She cleared her mind of thoughts of Sophie and pushed upward until her knees rested on the seat.

  She fired at the SUV charging up behind them. The windshield of the SUV shattered. Riley swerved to the left. Tessa tumbled on top of him. A bullet whizzed past her shoulder. The air burst from her lungs. Too close.

  She regained her balance, took another shot at the SUV roaring up behind them.

  This time she aimed for a tire.

  The SUV swerved.

  She fired two shots into the front grill area. Then another at the windshield.

  The SUV grew smaller and smaller as Riley pushed the truck forward.

  Tessa took a breath.

  “Hang on,” Riley warned.

  She clutched at the seat as he made a hard right. Then another abrupt left. Her body pressed against his shoulder.

  Tessa crumpled into the seat. Her entire body shook.

  “Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”

  “The soldiers practice twice a week.” She licked her lips and drew in a big, shaky breath. “The Master thought I needed to be skilled with a handgun.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  She shook her head. “I was lucky. The SUV was big and it was close.”

  “Some of the Master’s people?” Riley asked.

  Tessa pictured the SUV, straining to call to mind the details. “I can’t be sure, but I don’t think so. It was the same make and model but the window tinting was different.” The Master had limousine-type tint put on all his vehicles. This SUV’s wasn’t as dark. But then she’d been operating on autopilot—otherwise she would have been terrified out of her mind.

  “Renwick’s people, maybe,” Riley suggested.

  “Maybe.” She turned to the man behind the wheel. “Where’d you learn to drive like that?” He’d saved their lives.

  “I wasn’t always a good boy as a teenager.” He shot her a smile. “Kansas City’s finest still remember my name and the souped-up cars I drove.”

  Tessa relaxed marginally, allowed the phone call, the car chase, all of it to sink into her brain a little more deeply. Something was about to happen. She could feel it. The Master had a plan that didn’t include her for some reason.

  Had he discovered that she’d been planning an escape? There had been no evidence. She’d written nothing down. She’d said nothing to no one.

  The key.

  Except the hidden key. Had he discovered the key and realized it was part of a scheme?

  Tessa turned to Riley. “We need to make a stop at a pharmacy.”

  He surveyed her head to toe between glances back at the road. “Are you hurt?”

  The worry in his voice lightened the heaviness she felt just a tiny bit. “No, but there are things I need.”

  Perplexed, he asked, “Anything I need to know about?”

  “Not yet.”

  She wasn’t waiting for the Master to act. And she sure wasn’t waiting until tomorrow.

  Tessa had her own plan.

  All she had to do was get Riley to go along with it.

  9:02 a.m.—24 hours, 58 minutes remaining

  TESSA HELD TIGHTLY TO THE bag of items she’d purchased at the drugstore. Riley had waited in the truck as she demanded. And, in part, due to the fact that he needed to watch for the cops. He didn’t want to have to explain how their vehicle had accumulated so many bullet holes, much less why he was driving without a windshield or rearview mirror.

  She’d asked him to return to the same motel they’d stayed in the night before. Prompts for an explanation had fallen on deaf ears.

  Whatever she was planning, she had no intention of telling him just yet.

  Once they were in the room with the door closed, she asked, “What did Stark say about the ambush?”

  Riley tossed the keys and the now empty handgun onto the table. “That you were right. Nothing has moved at the compound.”

  Tessa extended the bag to Riley. “There’s something I need you to do.”

  With mounting misgivings, he accepted the bag. “What’s that?”

  “Take them out.”

  He searched those pleading blue eyes. “Tha
t’s not a good idea.”

  “It’s the only way,” she insisted.

  “If we damage one and it stops working,” Riley reminded her, “he’s going to know what we’re up to.”

  She grabbed the hem of her blouse and pulled it over her head and off. “Then you need to be careful.”

  His fingers clenched on the bag. “This is crazy.”

  She shook her head. “Desperate, not crazy.”

  “We can wait him out,” Riley argued. He didn’t want to hurt her like this. And this was going to hurt like hell.

  “Take them out,” she demanded. “I need to get back onto the compound. Today, not tomorrow. Something’s going down. I can feel it.”

  He couldn’t argue her reasoning. The so-called master was up to something. “What’s to keep Brooks or the others from finishing the job Renwick’s people started?” Assuming it was Renwick’s people who’d attacked them.

  “We’ll wait until they leave for the meeting. Who ever’s left to guard the compound, I can handle. They’ll be afraid to cross me.”

  “You’re assuming the Master will go through with this mock meeting.”

  She nodded. “There has to be a reason he wanted Renwick to believe there was a meeting. My guess is he’s setting the guy up to take him out.”

  Logical, Riley couldn’t deny. Again, logic hadn’t played a large role in any of this. “I don’t think you fully comprehend what you’re asking me to do.”

  “You’re wasting time,” she snapped. “Do it!”

  He moved to the end of the bed where she sat. “This is crazy.”

  She said nothing.

  Inside the bag he found hand sanitizer, gauze, tape, a medium-size protective pad, tweezers and a straight razor. And hairpins.

  He shook his head, but opted not to waste any more time arguing with her. First, he cleansed his hands with the sanitizer, then he spread the pad on the bed and laid out the rest of the items atop it.

  “Where do you want me to start?” Ross’s tech had located one in her right shoulder, one in her right thigh, and another on her hip. How the hell was he supposed to do this?