Chapter Three
Mackenzie
Crouching outside the office, I listened for any movements inside then moved closer to the door. It was now or never. I looked out into the night and wondered how close Jason was to me. Had he been able to follow my movements? Would he be there if I needed him? But it was too late to worry about any of that now. I had to make my move. Once I did, I wouldn’t be able to contact any of them for fear that someone inside the building might hear me. I only hoped that Janelle was the sole person inside.
I put my hand on the doorknob and tested it. It was unlocked. The office wouldn’t have been left unlocked by personnel, which told me that if the kidnappers weren’t in there now, they had been recently. I took a deep breath and released it slowly and silently. I turned the knob of the door and slipped inside. Closing the door quietly behind me, I leaned against it…and waited. I breathed in deeply and listened. I didn’t see anyone, but it was a fairly large office, and there were a few different rooms to investigate. I put on my night vision glasses and moved forward slowly.
As I moved away from the entrance and passed a desk, I nearly tripped on something on the floor. I looked down to see a body at my feet. It was Brett.
Oh god, Brett, what did you get yourself into?
It was obvious he was dead, but I checked for a pulse anyway. He was cold, and rigor mortis had started to set in. The kidnappers had been telling the truth when they had told Jason that Brett was dead. What a waste. I still believed he was a part of the kidnapping plan, so why did they kill him? I’d like to think he had a change of heart and wanted to back out.
I was startled when I saw someone emerge from the shadows holding what appeared to be a video camera, the red light indicating it was recording.
What the hell?
I took off my glasses just before the lights came on. A pudgy, older woman stood in front of me with the camera. I immediately recognized her from the night I had cased Jason’s house. She was one of the two people Brett had escorted from the house, the wife of the butler. I wondered if that was the night they’d hatched their plan, all three of them. But how did Brett get connected with them? Why had he turned on his friend?
As I sized her up, I knew I could take her down physically if I had to. It was obvious she’d never seen any real action in her life. There was no doubt she outweighed me, but I was stronger, quicker, and more skilled.
“I don’t know who the hell you are, but I assume you’re connected to that idiot, Jason,” she said harshly. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll both go down for this. I have everything I need—all the proof to turn you into the authorities.”
I had no idea what this crazy woman was talking about. I stood up slowly as she turned off the camera.
“What are you doing? What’s going on?”
“You fools. I’ve got you both. There are other recordings—most of them my husband Edward taped—that show you and Jason together. The police will believe this was a crime of passion. That maybe Jason found out that you and Brett were having an affair behind his back.”
I was completely baffled except for one thing—the woman was clearly batshit crazy. Of all the scenarios I had played out in my head, this was not one of them, and I have to admit I was taken aback.
“Oh, yes, it’s over for you, for the both of you.”
The woman started cackling like a madman, adding another layer of concern. I needed to stay calm. As with everything else, it was the only way to get on top of the situation. I also needed to distract the woman so I could get the upper hand and find out where Janelle was.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “You used to work for Jason.”
“We slaved away for him and his family for so many years. We were sick and tired of it. Jason ruined my husband, and because of that, he turned to gambling. We lost our entire savings. This is just a way of getting back what’s rightfully ours and paying back Jason for his kindness,” she spit out sarcastically.
“Jason is a kind man,” I told her. “You two were his servants—you were supposed to wait on him hand and foot. That’s exactly what he paid you to do. What is wrong with you? If you didn’t like it, you should have just found a different job.”
“Don’t you dare talk that way to me, you little tramp. I don’t belong in the world of servants, and I plan to get out and at the same time ruin Jason.”
I looked down at Brett. “How does he fit into all this?”
“Oh, that’s the best part. Betrayal at its finest. Isn’t it grand? Turns out that Brett here blew all the money in his trust fund. When he escorted us out of the house that night, we asked if he’d like to make some easy cash. He folded like a deck of cards. He was so easy to turn and even easier to manipulate. But then he got a guilty conscience at the final hour, and I had to put him down like the dog he is.”
The woman was so unstable and delusional that it made her very dangerous. Her lost embezzled fortune had caused a bitterness so deep that she saw her employer as the enemy and the cause of all her problems. Instead of blaming it all on her husband’s weakness, she blamed Jason. It was pathetic—and potentially deadly.
“Is Janelle dead?”
“No, but she will be. There can’t be any loose ends this time. I need a clean break from all this. The two of you will go to jail, and I’ll be pitied by the entire country. Everyone will love me and want to build me back up after hearing about all my sufferings. I’ll be the hero of the day.”
“Where’s Janelle?”
“In the other room. I’ll get rid of her right after I get rid of you. She’s the least of my worries right now.”
“What makes you think you can get away with this? Do you think I’m going to stand by silently while I’m arrested? No, I’m going to tell the police all about you and let them fit the puzzle pieces together. Jason is a respected member of the community. You’ll never get away with this.”
“Oh darling, maybe you misunderstood. Jason is the one going to jail. You will be killed.” The woman raised a gun and pointed it at my chest.
Oh shit, this is getting dicier than I’d expected.
I still had my earpiece on and hoped my teammates were listening. But it might not matter. She could shoot me at any time, so I was on my own. I needed to figure out a different approach. If I went down, Janelle would be next, and I couldn’t let that happen. The girl was the most innocent person in this entire scenario and didn’t deserve any of this. My whole purpose was to save her, and that’s what I planned to do.
“Look, you don’t have to do this.”
“Oh yes, I do.”
“I have plenty of money. I can pay you to let me go.”
I could see the wheels spinning in her head and hoped I could bullshit long enough to think of a way out of the mess I was in.
“No. I already have millions coming my way. I’m not letting any of you get away with this. You’re all going to pay for my suffering. Believe me, when I’m done with the lot of you, you will be begging to die.”
The woman was completely out of her mind. I’d have to outwit her if I was going to get Janelle and myself out of there alive.