Dangerous Desires Read online

  “Couldn’t let those bastards win, could I?”

  He turned to his brother, the two of them standing for a moment in silence, and then they embraced, Madeline’s tears coming in earnest now. She’d imagined the moment many times over the last few days, but nothing she’d pictured could possibly have equaled the sheer joy she felt seeing the two of them together.

  Drake was the first to pull away, his smile worth every single moment of doubt and worry. No matter what it cost her, she’d done the right thing.

  “Guys,” Hannah’s voice broke into her thoughts, “I hate to break up the reunion, but there’s a guard on the block.”

  “Hannah says someone’s coming,” Drake relayed to his brother.

  “It’s just rounds,” Tucker said, sloughing off the ragged prisoner for the steely calm of a warrior. “Tell her to relock the door. The two of you get over there against the wall.”

  Drake relayed the message and grabbed Madeline’s hand, pulling her with him to the right side of the door. Pressing their backs against the cinder blocks, they were swallowed by the shadows, as the peephole slid open, the sharp beam of a flashlight cutting through the shadows.

  The light caught Tucker, who made a play of blinking sleepily as he held a hand up to shade his eyes.

  Madeline’s heart pounded as she pressed closer to the wall, the silence heavy as they waited. Then, after what seemed an eternity, metal scraped against masonry as the guard closed the opening, and the three of them dared to breathe again. The man’s footsteps echoed as he made his way back down the corridor, the distant clanking of the gate verifying that he’d left the cell block.

  “That was close,” Drake said, releasing Madeline’s hand as he stepped back out into the room. “Hannah, I’m assuming you can still let us out of here?”

  “I can,” she said, static rippling across her voice, “but when I do, the guy in the guards’ station may be able to see it.”

  “How long do you think he’ll stay in there?” Drake asked, turning to his brother.

  “Probably the rest of the night,” Tucker said. “I’m surprised you didn’t run into him when you got here.”

  “We did,” Madeline said, shuddering at the memory. “Two of them. But they had other things on their minds.”

  “We’re going to have to risk opening the door,” Drake said. “But we need a plan of action first, in case Hannah’s right and they figure out we’re here.”

  “I’m thinking there’s a pretty good chance they already have,” Hannah interjected. “The security tape just switched back to real time, which means they found the loop.”

  “Damn.” Drake moved to the doorway, gun drawn, listening for footsteps. Fortunately there were none.

  “Look,” Hannah said, a touch of agitation in her voice. “I’m opening the door now, while I still can. I don’t want to risk your being trapped in there.”

  “Roger that.” Drake nodded, his mind clearly already searching for alternatives. “Any way we can still make it back to the crawl space?”

  “Not without sounding the alarm. At least for now you’ve got the advantage. They don’t know where you are. Or even if you’re still there.”

  “Is there any other way out of this section?” Drake asked, as the door clicked open. “Without accessing the gate, I mean?”

  “The exercise yard,” Tucker said, moving to stand on the other side of the door. “From there we can access the other cell block. But I’m not sure exactly what that buys us.”

  “Time,” Drake said, reaching into his bag to pull out another gun. “Figured this might come in handy.” He tossed the weapon to his brother and Tucker checked the magazine and then released the safety. “How far to the door?”

  “It’s at the end of the corridor,” Madeline answered. “There’s a little hallway to the right and then the door leading outside.”

  “It’s about ten feet from here,” Tucker added.

  “They’ve got people on the move,” Hannah broke in. “So far no alarms, but I’d say it’s time for you to get the hell out of there.”

  “Copy that,” Drake said, nodding at his brother, who despite his frail appearance was moving with the fluidity of an athlete. Tucker slipped through the door, leading with his gun, Drake following right behind. Madeline waited for Drake’s signal and then joined them in the darkened corridor.

  At the far end, they could hear the gate opening and suddenly the corridor was flooded with light.

  “Go,” Drake said, shoving Madeline forward.

  Buoyed by adrenaline, she sprinted for the passage leading to the exercise yard, Drake and Tucker on her heels. Rounding the corner, she heard bullets fly, and then the deafening sound of the alarm. Drake stopped to return fire as she pulled open the door and stepped into the yard, only to retreat into the hallway as the guard in the tower peppered the ground with machine-gun fire.

  “We’re trapped,” she said. “The guy in the tower has a machine gun.”

  Drake nodded to Tucker, who took his place at the corner as Drake stepped back into the shelter of the hall. “Hannah, can you hear me?”

  Static filled Madeline’s ear and her heart stuttered to a stop, then Hannah’s voice broke through. “Yeah, for the time being. Someone’s trying to jam me. But I managed to patch Nash and Annie through.”

  “Great time for the cavalry,” Drake said. “They’ve got us pinned in. Guns in the corridor and the tower in the yard.”

  “I can take out the tower,” Annie said. “But you’re going to have to buy me a little time to get in place.”

  “Will do. But make it as fast as you can. We’re going to run out of ammo. And they’ll be bringing reinforcements.”

  “Roger that,” she said. “I’m on my way.”

  “Nash? You there?” Drake asked.

  “I’m here, but only with a little fortitude and a lot of luck,” he said, his voice fading in and out. “I managed to get out of the cellar before they arrived, so they have no idea I’m out here. But I’m totally cut off from the gate, and there’s no way I can access the van.”

  “Got it,” Drake replied. “Just keep your head down and stay out of sight. We’ll figure out our next move once Annie gets the guy in the tower.”

  “Plan B,” Madeline said, her gaze moving to meet Drake’s.

  “Plan B,” Nash echoed. “I’ll see you on the flip side.”

  Drake moved back to the corner, joining Tucker to return fire and hold the guards back.

  Madeline scrounged through her brain, trying to think of another way out. The yard was totally enclosed, the building on three sides, the wall on the fourth. She closed her eyes, forcing her mind to visualize the layout. She could see the cracked cement, the plaster peeling from the walls. The scent of mangoes mixed with the pervasive smell of unwashed bodies, the sound of birds filling the air as they flitted from their nests in the eaves over the fence to the trees beyond. She’d loved watching the birds.

  She stopped, eyes widening as the memory clarified.

  “I think I know how to get us out of here,” she said. “Hannah, check the blueprint. On the west side of the yard. Northwest corner. I think there’s access to the roof. A ladder built into the wall. I’ve seen birds roosting there.”

  “I’ve got it,” Hannah said. “And you’re right. It leads to the roof.”

  “And the building is higher than the wall, right?” Madeline queried, her mind still trotting out images.

  “Yes, by like six feet.”

  “So, theoretically at least, we should be able to get over the wall. Assuming Annie manages to take out the tower,” she added.

  “It’s done,” Annie’s voice interjected. “But they’ll send reinforcements, so you’d better move now.”

  Madeline pushed the door open, stepping out into the yard, Drake and Tucker right behind her. This time the yard was quiet, but lights across the way in the east cell block meant that they didn’t have a lot of time.

  “It’s over here,�
�� Madeline said, already heading to the west juncture between the prison and the wall. The ladder was just as she remembered. Built like a fire escape, it dangled above the ground a good eight feet and was separated from the yard by a chain-link fence.

  During the day, between the armed guards and the tower, the ladder wasn’t much of a temptation, but now, with the way cleared, it offered salvation. Or at least a Plan B.

  “You two go first,” Drake said. “I’ll stay here and keep you covered.”

  Madeline shook her head, her mouth already opening to reject the idea, but Tucker grabbed her elbow, propelling her forward instead.

  “He knows what he’s doing,” he said. “You’ve got to trust him.”

  “I do. It’s just that if anything happens to him—” she broke off.

  Tucker’s eyes narrowed as her words sank home, and then surprisingly he smiled. “I see.”

  “You don’t see anything,” she snapped, shaking her head, angry at herself for revealing too much.

  “He’s going to be fine, chica. This is his kind of party. Besides, he’s got something to fight for, no?” The hint of Spanish in his voice was meant to soothe. And she nodded, knowing that this wasn’t the time to debate her feelings for Drake.

  “Give me a boost,” she said, turning her back to the yard.

  He offered his cupped hands, and in seconds she was up and over the fence. He followed just as the doors on the east side of the yard burst open, staccato gunfire erupting from the steps.

  Tucker spun around, firing over the fence, giving Drake cover. “Get going, Madeline,” he called over his shoulder. “We’ll be right behind you.”

  Scrambling up on a garbage can for added height, she tensed her muscles, channeling her inner gymnast, and jumped for the bottom rung of the ladder, her hands closing on the painted metal, the ladder groaning as it slid downward. As soon as it was within range, she started to climb, risking a second halfway up to ascertain that Drake and Tucker were behind her.

  Both men had made it over the fence, but only Tucker had reached the ladder. Drake was still at the fence, holding off the guards spilling into the yard. Scurrying upward again, she reached the top and swung herself over the ledge. Pushing to her feet, she moved to the yard side of the roof, dropping to her knees, pulling the gun from the small of her back, and firing down into the yard.

  “Come on, Drake,” she yelled into her mic. “Move it. Now. It’s my turn to provide cover.”

  Still firing, she heard Tucker moving across the roof, his gunfire joining hers as Drake worked his way up the ladder.

  “I’m here,” he said. And with a last shot, she and Tucker retreated across the roof to the ladder and Drake. They moved to the far northwest corner, where the building was closest to the wall.

  Beneath them, the barbed wire glistened lethally in the light from the tower. And below that Madeline could just make out the rocky drop off the edge of the mountain.

  “Not exactly jumpable,” Tucker observed, keeping his gun trained on the edge of the roof closest to the ladder. “What do you propose?”

  “Wings would be nice,” Drake observed dryly, “but since we’re not birds, I’m thinking we need a rope. ”

  “My sentiments exactly,” Nash said, appearing from around the far side of a chimney stack. “Preferably one with a grappling hook.” He held out said item, a knowing grin on his face. “Never leave home without it.”

  “Impeccable timing, as always,” Drake said, turning to scope out the area beyond the fence. “How did you get up here?”

  “Hannah found another ladder. I figured you might need some help.”

  “Anyone on your tail?”

  “No. I’m in the clear.”

  “Well, then we’ll concentrate on the yard,” Drake said, taking the poly-coated rope and hook from Nash. “Any chance that magic bag of yours runs to grenades?”

  “I might have a couple I can spare.” He reached into his bag again, already moving in Tucker’s direction. “Let’s see if we can take these fuckers’ minds off the ladder.”

  Madeline fought a wave of annoyance, thinking that the two of them were just like little boys playing a game of war. But then again maybe that’s exactly what they were up to, and she could hardly fault their ability to keep cool in the face of what seemed like extraordinary odds. Straining into the dark, she searched for a suitable tree.

  “How about over there?” she suggested finally, pointing to a large black oak just visible in the distance over the top of the wall.

  “Perfect.” Drake nodded, already swirling the rope above his head. The hook flew across the wall and unerringly twined itself around the tree, the rope pulling tight. Then, using the chimney stack, he secured the rope from their side, the result a taut stretch of cord angling downward over the wall from the roof to the tree.

  Beside them, below the roof, the exercise yard erupted with the sound of an explosion and flames shooting up into the sky.

  “Hell of a grenade,” Drake observed.

  “Had a little help from a propane tank,” Nash said, as he and Tucker returned to their side of the roof. “Should keep them busy for a while. You got our ride ready?”

  “Taxi’s waiting.” Drake motioned to the rope. “Actually it’s more of an improvised zip line.”

  “So where’s the zip?” Tucker asked.

  “That’s where the improvisation comes in.” Drake produced two large D-rings and a couple of short segments of rope. “We can use these to rig up a pulley of sorts. But I can only manage two. Which means we’re going to have to travel in pairs.”

  “Always more fun with friends,” Nash said, taking one of the rope segments and a D-ring from Drake. “I’ll take Tucker. You can take Madeline.”

  Drake nodded as he worked to fashion the rope into a handle attached to the D-ring.

  “You really think this is going to work?” Madeline asked, as he clipped the ring into place on the rope.

  “It’s our best chance,” he said. “But we’ve got to go now. I can hear our friends on the ladder.”

  A shot rang out and there was a yelp of pain followed by something crashing into the garbage can at the bottom of the ladder.

  “Annie.” Nash nodded, peering over the edge at a fallen guard. “At least we’ve got cover. You ready, Tucker?”

  “Yeah, just a minute,” he said, stopping beside Madeline, his voice full of concern. “You going to be all right?”

  “She’s going to be fine,” Drake answered for her, his eyes meeting hers as he held out the improvised harness, his lips turning up in a grin. “Compared to the waterfall, this’ll be a piece of cake.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Drake was right. Except for the bullets, flying through the trees beat the hell out of jumping over the waterfall. They slowed as they neared the oak, and Drake used his feet against the trunk to stop their forward motion.

  “I’m going to hand you my knife,” he said. “I want you to cut the rope and then just let go,” he said. “Nash will catch you.”

  “What about you?” she asked. “How will you get down?”

  “I can jump. It’s not that far. And we need to be certain the rope is severed so that no one can use it to follow us. You’ve got the better angle.”

  “Okay,” she said, reaching up for the switchblade. “Nash, you ready?”

  Below, Nash gave her a thumbs-up.

  “You’re sure you’ll be okay?” she asked Drake, her gaze connecting with his.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m coming right after you.”

  She nodded and with a deep breath, cut through the rope. Talk about leaps of faith. She’d taken more in the last few days than she had in her entire life. And surprisingly, each one actually seemed a little easier.

  In less than a second, she landed in Nash’s arms, and then slid to her feet, stumbling a little as she struggled to regain her balance.

  “Careful,” Tucker said, sliding a hand under her elbow. “It’s a little disorienting.�
�

  “It was amazing,” she said, stepping away from the severed rope. “Although I’d like to try it again without people shooting at me. Are we safe now?”

  “For the moment,” Nash said. “But they won’t have given up. Which means the sooner we get out of here the better.”

  Above them, Drake untied the remaining rope from the tree, then dropped to the ground. “Nash is right. We need to get a move on. Our little maneuver bought us some time, but the advantage won’t last.” He reached to his ear to activate his com link. “Hannah, can you hear me?”

  “I’m here.” Her voice crackled with static. “You guys okay?”

  “Everyone’s fine,” Nash said. “We had quite a ride. But for the moment at least it’s quiet here. I figure our best option is to make our way to Magdalena and try to secure transport there.”

  “Not a good idea,” Hannah replied. “There are people from the prison all over town. Gotta figure they’re searching for you.”

  “All right, then we’re going to need a new rendezvous point,” Drake said. “Preferably with alternative transportation.”

  “Already on it,” Hannah interjected. “I’ve been in contact with Avery and he’s arranged for a helicopter. I’m en route to pick it up now. There’s a cleared field about half a mile due west from the prison. I’ve sent a map to your PDA. I’ll meet you there.”

  “Roger that.” Drake reached into his bag for his BlackBerry. “I’m assuming if we move fast, we won’t run into too much resistance.”

  “I’ll keep a good thought,” Hannah said.

  “What about Annie?” Nash asked. “She okay?”

  “Last I heard she was outside the back prison wall, providing covering fire for you guys.”

  “Did a damn good job, too,” Drake acknowledged. “We couldn’t have made it without her. Does she know about the rendezvous?”

  “Not yet. I haven’t been able to raise her. Figure she’s gone dark until she’s farther away from the prison.”