CHAPTER FOUR
Several hours had passed since the armed men had stormed the villa, with no sign of anybody else showing up. Whoever was in charge, he was taking his dear sweet time, and she was getting a little tired of sitting in the kitchen.
They’d been given a bathroom break about an hour ago, and allowed to eat, but that was the extent of their activities. The cellphone still pressed against her backside, its presence and weight an odd mixture of comfort and dread. She hoped the battery hadn’t run out yet. It still had a pretty good charge when she’d tucked it into her swimsuit, so she hoped there were still a few hours of life in it.
The rainforest surrounding the villa remained oddly quiet. Even the usual sounds of the creatures were missing, as if they acknowledged there were predators more deadly than themselves nearby, and kept their distance.
Most of the guards had wandered through the kitchen at various times, grabbing fresh fruit and bread off the counter. At least five guards stayed nearby, vigilant at all times, though where they expected the women to go, she hadn’t a clue. None of them were stupid enough to run out into the jungle surrounding the villa. They were miles away from the nearest town, the tiny beach village where they’d spent several hours over the past week. She’d bought little gifts for each of her teammates. Now she wondered if they’d ever get them.
Movement from the corner of her eye had her gaze swinging toward the open doorway, and the guard who spoke English strode through.
“Is dark soon. You will sleep with guards.”
“Like hell we will.” The words were out of Stephanie’s mouth before she could stop them.
The man’s face went blank for a moment, before he grinned. “My English not perfect. You will sleep with guards outside your doors. No escape, or you be shot.”
Stephanie swallowed down the knot in the back of her throat, wishing she could erase the image that had sprung into her head. If this guy was trying a little psychological torture, congratulations, it worked. Tabby and Marie sat on either side of her, both seeming blessedly numb to everything going on.
“Are you ever going to tell us what you want? You can’t keep us hostage forever. People will come looking.”
“Nobody will be looking, because nobody knows we are here. Tomorrow, you get answers. Until then, no talking.”
Boy, were they in for a big surprise, because the guard couldn’t be more wrong. Not only did somebody know about their situation, it just happened to be Samuel Carpenter, one of the finest security experts in the business. What he didn’t know, one of his elite team would. It was only a matter of time before the cavalry rode in, guns blazing. Oops, bad metaphor. Nobody will be shooting. Everybody is going home safe and sound, and these bozos will rot in some Central American prison with little privacy and big, ugly roommates.
“Can we go to our rooms now?” Because if they allowed her some privacy, she might be able to make another call to C.S.S. and find out what was being done to rescue them. Maybe give them some intel, since she’d gotten a pretty good idea of how many guards there were, inside and out, and their weapons. While she wasn’t an expert, she recognized a few of them from the company’s arsenal. After this, she was definitely boning up on her assault weapons.
The guard’s eyes narrowed. “You very anxious to go to room. Why?”
“Because I’m tired of sitting in the kitchen? Because maybe I’d like to change clothes, since I’ve been sitting in my bathing suit for hours, and it’s uncomfortable?”
“Or maybe you have communication device in room? Phone or radio?”
The knot in the pit of her stomach grew three sizes bigger at his guess, though her phone wasn’t in her room. “I don’t have anything in my room. Feel free to check, if you’d like. I came to Costa Rica to get away from everybody. Have some fun and work on my tan.”
His eyes narrowed as he studied her, an ugly scowl marring his face. “All Americans have devices. Laptops, tablets, cellphones.” He spat out a string of Spanish, and two of the guards rushed out of the room. She had a pretty good idea they were headed for their rooms to search for phones and computers. Saying a silent farewell to her tablet, which she’d brought along to read Sarah Sloane’s newest romantic suspense, she kept silent.
“I have a cellphone in my room, and a laptop,” Marie whispered, grabbing hold of Stephanie’s hand and squeezing so tight she winced. “Will they destroy them?”
“I don’t know, sweetie. Maybe.”
Tabby shook her head. “I’ve got so many electronics in my room, it’s like walking into Best Buy. They’re gonna have a field day up there.”
Within minutes the guards were back, loaded down with every electronic, laptop, tablet, and phone from each of their rooms. It looked like a geek’s wet dream, so many different toys to play with.
“Time for sleeping. Tomorrow will be big day, so rest while you can.” The English-speaking guard took a couple of steps closer to the corner where they huddled together. “Get lots of rest, because you will need it.”
What did he mean by that? Stephanie felt the death grip of both women, knew they were terrified by his words, but she’d worked for Carpenter long enough to know intimidation tactics when she heard them. They wouldn’t hurt anybody—not yet anyway. They were too important as negotiating tools. Besides, she had the feeling whoever he worked for wouldn’t be too happy if the hostages were damaged beyond their worth.
Tabby made an excellent choice as hostage. She came from a wealthy background, and had lived in privilege her whole life. Her father ran a major newspaper empire, and had more money than anybody Steph could think of, which made Tabby a perfect choice.
Marie she didn’t know a whole lot about. Steph hadn’t met the other woman before this trip. Knew she was a friend of Tabby’s, but that was pretty much the extent of her knowledge. Oh, yeah, and that she lived in California most of the year.
Personally, she couldn’t think of a single person who would want to harm her—well, except one, and he was out of the picture, sitting in maximum security in a Nevada prison. Part of the past life she didn’t think about anymore. Good riddance. She’d moved on, changed everything about herself, from the color of her hair to her name.
“Come on, girls. No sense sitting here. Might as well try to get some sleep.” Stephanie stood, tugging on the others’ hands. Somehow, she’d become the de facto leader, and knew they’d follow her lead.
They headed upstairs, with one guard in front and three trailing behind. She kept her body stiff, doing her damndest to make sure the phone didn’t shift or jiggle. The last thing she needed was for it to fall onto the floor. Having that phone was her lifeline to the outside.
She said goodnight to each girl, though it was barely six o’clock in the evening. The last to reach her room, she glanced back down the long expanse of hallway, noting each room had a guard stationed in front of the door, automatic weapon at the ready. Great, that ruled out any chance of escape. At least through the front.
Never give up. She could practically hear the words echoing in her head. Why did the voice sound so much like Etienne’s sexy Cajun drawl?
Closing the door, she drew in a shaky breath, leaning against the wood. Once she caught her breath, she sprinted for the bathroom, closing and locking the door from the inside. Reaching behind, she pulled the phone free, and saw the little red light. Eight percent battery left, and the damned guards had grabbed all the charging cords when they’d searched the room earlier. Whatever she was going to do, it had to be fast.
She knew what she should do. Call Carpenter Security, and give them an update on the situation, find out what steps they were taking, so she could help, be their man on the inside. That’s what she should do.
Except she didn’t. This might be her last night on earth. When the boss got here, he might order them all executed—or worse. No, if this was going to be her last shot, her last chance, she was going to do the one thing she’d wanted to do all day.
Talk to Etienne.