Kitabı oxu: «Into Dust»

CHAPTER TWO

THE BLONDE HAD the look of a rich girl from her long coifed hair to her stylish short skirt and crisp white top to the pale blue sweater lazily draped over one arm. Hypnotized by the sexy swish of her skirt, Jack couldn’t miss the glint of silver jewelry at her slim wrist or the name-brand bag she carried.

Jack grabbed the gun he kept in his glove box and climbed out of his truck. The blonde took a quick call on her cell phone as she walked. She quickened her steps, pocketing her phone. Was she meeting someone and running late. A date?

As she turned down another narrow street, he saw Ed on the opposite side of the street on his phone again. Telling someone...what?

He felt his anxiety rise as Ed ended his call and put away his phone as he crossed the street. Jack took off after the two. He tucked the gun into the waist of his jeans. He had no idea what was going on, but all his instincts told him the blonde, whoever she was, was in danger.

As he reached the corner, he saw that Ed was now only yards behind the woman, his limp even more pronounced. The narrow alley-like street was empty of people and businesses. The neighborhood rejuvenation hadn’t reached this street yet. There was dirt and debris along the front of the vacant buildings. So where was the woman going?

Jack could hear the blonde’s heels making a tap, tap, tap sound as she hurried along. Ed’s work boots made no sound as he gained on the woman.

As Ed increased his steps, he pulled out what looked like a white cloth from a plastic bag in his pocket. Discarding the bag, he suddenly rushed down the deserted street toward the woman.

Jack raced after him. Ed had reached the woman, looping one big strong arm around her from behind and lifting her off her feet. Her blue sweater fell to the ground along with her purse as she struggled.

Ed was fighting to get the cloth over her mouth and nose. The blonde was frantically moving her head back and forth and kicking her legs and arms wildly. Some of her kicks were connecting. Ed let out several cries of pain as well as a litany of curses as she managed to knock the cloth from his hand.

After setting her feet on the ground, Ed grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back. Cocking his other fist, he reared back as if to slug her.

Running up, Jack pulled the gun, and hit the man with the stock of his handgun.

Ed released his hold on the woman’s hair, stumbled and fell to his knees as she staggered back from him, clearly shaken. Her gaze met his as Jack heard a vehicle roaring toward them from another street. Unless he missed his guess, it was cohorts of Ed’s.

As a van came careening around the corner, Jack cried “Come on!” to the blonde. She stood a few feet away looking too stunned and confused to move. He quickly stepped to her, grabbed her hand and, giving her only enough time to pick up her purse from the ground, pulled her down the narrow alley.

Behind them, the van came to a screeching stop. Jack looked back to see two men in the front of the vehicle. One jumped out to help Ed, who was holding the blonde’s sweater to his bleeding head.

Jack tugged on her arm and she began to run with him again. They rounded a corner, then another one. He thought he heard the sound of the van’s engine a block over and wanted to keep running, but he could tell she wasn’t up to it. He dragged her into an inset open doorway to let her catch her breath.

They were both breathing hard. He could see that she was still scared, but the shock seemed to be wearing off. She eyed him as if having second thoughts about letting a complete stranger lead her down this dark alley.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “I’m trying to protect you from those men who tried to abduct you.”

She nodded, but didn’t look entirely convinced. “Who are you?”

“Jack. My name is Jack Durand. I saw that man following you,” he said. “I didn’t think, I just ran up behind him and hit him.” It was close enough to the truth. “Who are you?”

“Cassidy Hamilton.” No Texas accent. Nor did the name ring any bells. So what had they wanted with this young woman?

“Any idea who those guys were or why they were after you?”

She looked away, swallowed, then shook her head. “Do you think they’re gone?”

“I don’t think so.” After he’d seen that wad of money his father had given Ed, he didn’t think the men would be giving up. “I suspect they are now looking for both of us.” When he’d looked back earlier, he’d thought Ed or one of the other men had seen him. He’d spent enough time at his father’s warehouse that most of the dock workers knew who he was.

But why would his father want this woman abducted? It made no sense, and yet it was the only logical conclusion he could draw given what he’d witnessed at the cemetery.

“Let’s wait a little bit. Do you live around here?”

“I was staying with a friend.”

“I don’t think you should go back there. That man has been following you for several blocks.”

She nodded and hugged herself, looking scared. He figured a lot of what had almost happened hadn’t yet registered. Either that or what had almost happened didn’t come as a complete surprise to her. Which made him even more curious why his father would want to abduct this woman.

* * *

ED URDAHL COULDN’T believe his luck. He’d picked a street that he knew wouldn’t have anyone on it this time of the day. On top of that, the girl had been in her own little world. She hadn’t been paying any attention to him as he’d moved up directly behind her.

The plan had been simple. Grab her, toss her into the van that would come speeding up at the perfect time and make a clean, quick getaway so no one would be the wiser.

It should have gone down without any trouble.

He’d been so intent on the woman in front of him, though, that he hadn’t heard the man come up behind him until it was too late. Even if someone had intervened, Ed had been pretty sure he could handle it. He’d been a wrestler and boxer growing up. Few men were stupid enough to take him on.

The last thing he’d expected was to be smacked in the back of the head by some do-gooder. What had he been hit with anyway? Something hard and cold. A gun? The blow had knocked him senseless and the next thing he’d known he was on the sidewalk bleeding. As he’d heard the van engine roaring in his direction, he’d fought to keep from blacking out as whoever had blindsided him had gotten away with the blonde.

“What happened?” his brother, Alec, demanded now. He leaned against the van wall in the back, his head hurting like hell. “I thought you had it all worked out.”

“How the hell do I know?” He was still bleeding like a stuck pig. “Just get out of here. Drive!” he yelled at the driver, Nick, a dock worker he’d used before for less than legal jobs. “Circle the block until I can think of what to do.”

Ed caught a whiff of the blonde’s perfume and realized he was holding her sweater to his bleeding skull. He took another sniff of it. Nice. He tried to remember exactly what had transpired. It had all happened so fast. “Did you see who hit me?” he asked.

“I saw a man and a woman going down the alley,” Alec said. “I thought you said she’d be alone?”

That’s what he had thought. It had all been set up in a way that should have come off like clockwork. So where had whoever hit him come from? “So neither of you got a look at the guy?”

Nick cleared his throat. “I thought at first that he was working with you.”

“Why would you think that?” Ed demanded, his head hurting too much to put up with such stupid remarks. “The son of a bitch coldcocked me with something.”

“A gun. It was a gun,” Alec said. “I saw the light catch on the metal when he tucked it back into his pants.”

“He was carrying a gun?” Ed sat up, his gaze going to Nick. “Is that why you thought he was part of the plan?”

“No, I didn’t see the gun,” Nick said. “I just assumed he was in on it because of who he was.”

Ed pressed the sweet-smelling sweater to his head and tried not to erupt. “Are you going to make me guess? Or are you frigging going to tell me who was he?”

“Jack Durand.”

“What?” Ed couldn’t believe his ears. What were the chances that Tom Durand’s son would show up on this particular street? Unless his father had sent him? That made no sense. Why pay me if he sent his son?

“You’re sure it was Jack?”

“Swear on my mother’s grave,” Nick said as he drove in wider circles. “I saw him clear as a bell. He turned in the alley to look back. It was Jack, all right.”

“Go back to that alley,” Ed ordered. Was this Tom’s backup plan in case Ed failed? Or was this all part of Tom’s real plan? Either way, it appeared Jack Durand had the girl.

* * *

CASSIDY LOOKED AS if she might make a run for it at any moment. That would be a huge mistake on her part. But Jack could tell that she was now pretty sure she shouldn’t be trusting him. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep her here. She reached for her phone, but he laid a hand on her arm.

“That’s the van coming back,” he said quietly. At the sound of the engine growing nearer, he signaled her not to make a sound as he pulled her deeper into the darkness of the doorway recess. The van drove slowly up the alley. He’d feared they would come back. That’s why he’d been hesitant to move from their hiding place.

Jack held his breath as he watched the blonde, afraid she might do something crazy like decide to take her chances and run. He wouldn’t have blamed her. For all she knew, he could have been in on the abduction and was holding her here until the men in the van came back for her.

The driver of the van braked next to the open doorway. The engine sat idling. Jack waited for the sound of a door opening. He’d put the gun into the back waistband of his jeans before he’d grabbed the blonde, thinking the gun might frighten her. As much as he wanted to pull it now, he talked himself out of it.

At least for the moment. He didn’t want to get involved in any gunplay—especially with the young woman here. He’d started carrying the gun when he’d worked for his father and had to take the day’s proceeds to a bank drop late at night. It was a habit he’d gotten used to even after he’d quit. Probably because of the type of people who worked with his father.

After what seemed like an interminable length of time, the van driver pulled away.

Jack let out the breath he’d been holding. “Come on, I’ll see that you get someplace safe where you can call the police,” he said and held out his hand.

She hesitated before she took it. They moved through the dark shadows of the alley to the next street. The sky above them had turned a deep silver in the evening light. It was still hot, little air in the tight narrow street.

He realized that wherever Cassidy Hamilton had been headed, she hadn’t planned to return until much later—thus the sweater. He wanted to question her, but now wasn’t the time.

At the edge of the buildings, Jack peered down the street. He didn’t see the van or Ed’s green car. But he also didn’t think they had gone far. Wouldn’t they expect her to call the police? The area would soon be crawling with cop cars. So what would Ed do?

A few blocks from the deserted area where they’d met, they reached a more commercial section. The street was growing busier as people got off work. Restaurants began opening for the evening meal as boutiques and shops closed. Jack spotted a small bar with just enough patrons that he thought they could blend in.

“Let’s go in here,” he said. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink. You should be able to make a call from here. Once I know you’re safe...”

They took a table at the back away from the television over the bar. He removed his Stetson and put it on the seat next to him. When Cassidy wasn’t looking, he removed the .45 from the waistband of his jeans and slid it under the hat.

“What do you want to drink?” he asked as the waitress approached.

“White wine,” she said and plucked nervously at the torn corner of her blouse. Other than the torn blouse, she looked fine physically. But emotionally, he wasn’t sure how much of a toll this would take on her over the long haul. That was if Ed didn’t find her.

“I’ll have whiskey,” he said, waving the waitress off. He had no idea what he was going to do now. He told himself he just needed a jolt of alcohol. He’d been playing this by ear since seeing his father and Ed at the cemetery.

Now he debated what he was going to do with this woman given the little he knew. The last thing he wanted, though, was to get involved with the police. He was sure Ed and his men had seen him, probably recognized him. Once his father found out that it had been his son who’d saved the blonde...

The waitress put two drinks in front of them and left. He watched the blonde take a sip. She’d said her name was Cassidy Hamilton. She’d also said she didn’t know why anyone would want to abduct her off the street, but he suspected that wasn’t true.

“So is your old man rich or something?” he asked and took a gulp of the whiskey.

She took a sip of her wine as if stalling, her gaze lowered. He got his first really good look at her. She was a knockout. When she lifted her eyes finally, he thought he might drown in all that blue.

“I only ask because I’m trying to understand why those men were after you.” She could be a famous model or even an actress. He didn’t follow pop culture, hardly ever watched television and hadn’t been to the movies in ages. All he knew was, at the very least, she’d grown up with money. “If you’re famous or something, I apologize for not knowing.”

* * *

CASSIDY’S HAND SHOOK as she put down her drink. She could feel the buzz of the alcohol mixing with the adrenaline still flowing through her bloodstream.

Someone had tried to abduct her! She’d grown up knowing something like this occasionally happened to the children of wealthy people in the public eye. But she’d never really been concerned because she’d grown up in Montana on a large ranch. After she’d left home, she hadn’t made a habit of telling her friends who her father was—and not because she feared being abducted.

For years, she’d tried to distance herself from the notoriety that had always surrounded her family. She’d wanted her own life, which wasn’t easy when you were an identical twin. She’d never felt like anything was truly uniquely hers. Add to that her infamous family and Cassidy just wanted to be free of what she considered a stigma.

But someone had found her. Not just found her, but had tried to kidnap her. She shuddered at the thought of what those men had planned to do with her.

“Look, I understand if you don’t want to tell me,” the Texas cowboy said. “It’s none of my business. I’ll just finish my drink and get on my way.”

Cassidy looked at the man across the table from her and felt a rush entirely different from the alcohol or the adrenaline. This man had saved her. Gratitude alone would have made her feel close to him. But there was something about him... She’d grown up around good-looking cowboys. But this one was exceptional. His dark hair was long and thick. His blue eyes laced with thick dark lashes. Maybe it was the alcohol amplifying her vision, but Jack Durand was drop-dead gorgeous and she hadn’t even noticed until this moment. Wouldn’t her friends get a laugh out of that, she thought, forgetting for the moment what had brought them together. She finished her drink, her hand a little steadier.

“Whatever you decide to do, I would suggest you call the police,” he was saying. “You aren’t safe.”

His words brought back the horrible minutes when the large man grabbed her and tried to put that stinking wet cloth in her face. Glancing toward the window to the street, she shivered. “You think they’re still looking for me?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Her gaze swung back to him. The bar was cool and dark and she felt safe sitting here with this cowboy. While a stranger, he’d risked his life to save her. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along. I haven’t even thanked you.”

“No need to thank me. After what you’ve been through... Whatever the reason, though, I don’t think they’re going to give up.”

“Thank you and please don’t leave yet.” She was just so relieved he was here with her. What if he hadn’t come along when he had? She looked around for the waitress. She was still trembling inside, but the alcohol was helping. She really could use another drink.

He signaled for the waitress and she was grateful when he ordered another round.

“It is strange, though, that someone would be that brazen as to try to grab you in broad daylight,” he said.

Cassidy looked away for a moment. “I can’t imagine why anyone would try to...” As she turned back and met his gaze, she saw his expression turn skeptical and knew that if she wasn’t honest with him, he was going to let her deal with this on her own. Not that she could blame him.

“It probably has more to do with my father,” she added quickly.

“Your father? Who’s your father?”

“Republican presidential candidate Buckmaster Hamilton.”

He blinked. Clearly, he hadn’t connected the last name. Hamilton was pretty common so she wasn’t surprised he hadn’t made the leap. He pursed his lips, letting out a low whistle before he picked up his drink and drained it.

“That definitely puts things in perspective,” he said after a moment.

This was why she didn’t tell people about her father.

“I would think you’d have secret service watching you,” he said.

She shook her head. “They only provide agents for the underage children of candidates after the primaries.”

He looked surprised. “Well, I’m sure once you call the police—” The waitress returned with their drinks and took away the empty glasses.

She fiddled with her torn blouse. “I can’t go to the police.”

Jack seemed both surprised and maybe relieved to hear that. She didn’t blame him for not wanting to get involved. After all, he’d hit that man who was trying to abduct her. He was a hero. But that came with police reports to fill out, followed by an investigation. Once the media got involved... She quaked at the thought.

“Why don’t you want to go to the police?”

She took a sip of her wine before she said, “Do you have any idea what it’s like being the daughter of first a senator and now a presidential candidate who, according to the polls, is headed for the White House?”

“Not a clue.”

“I’ve been in the spotlight for one reason or another from as far back as I can remember.” She could feel the alcohol coursing through her blood and felt stronger. She took another sip of her wine and continued. “The rule at our house was always ‘don’t cause trouble because a scandal will hurt your father’s career.’ Since I left home to go away to school, I’ve tried hard to live my own life. But even when I thought people didn’t know who I was, I was still in my father’s shadow. Buckmaster Hamilton casts a very large shadow.”

“This friend you were staying with...”