Against the Tide (25 page)

“He comes back, we'll be ready.” He leaned over and softly kissed her, reached down and cranked the engine. “In the meantime, let's go home. We both need to get some sleep.”

As he put the truck in gear, she rested her head on his shoulder. Olivia trusted him. Funny thing was, even after all that had happened, Rafe still trusted her.

 

 

Trent Doyle surveyed the small group gathered in the den. Cain lounged negligently next to the bar, taking up more than his share of space, sipping Jack Daniel's. He was a convert to Islam, but he was hardly a true believer. Trent had tried to keep him on a short leash, but so far that hadn't worked.

Lee Heng and Mikal Nadir were far more dependable. They were committed to their cause. They would do whatever it took for the mission to succeed.

“Anything new to report?” Trent asked, allowing his gaze to wander over the men.

“We've located our targets,” Heng said. “We've planted explosives in a fish-packing plant down at the harbor, and also at a local beer joint, a place they call the Catch, that'll be full of people that time of night. The detonations should be enough to create the diversion we need.”

“Excellent. Cain?”

“The last of the terminal explosives are in place.”

“They're secure? No one's going to stumble over them?”

“Not a chance.”

“Very good. All right, let's go over the plan. The
San Pascual
arrives around three a.m. day after tomorrow. The loading arms will be put in place and they'll start pumping crude oil into the tanker. Within twenty-four hours, the ship should be fully loaded, carrying a million barrels and ready to depart.”

“Too bad it'll never leave the dock,” Heng said with a smile.

“No, it won't. Well before the ship's departure, our man onboard will have the detonators in place belowdecks. He'll leave the ship and make contact with Cain at the designated location at exactly twelve forty-five. Are you clear on this, Darius?”

“I'll be where I'm supposed to be,” Cain said darkly.

“You'll pick the man up—Yousef is his name—and the two of you will drive out of the terminal to the rendezvous point.”

Trent turned to the others. “By that time, Heng and Nadir will be in position outside the terminal, close enough to disarm the security system. No alarms will go off, the gates will open, but—”

“But the cameras stay on,” Heng finished with barely concealed excitement. “So the world can watch exactly what happens.”

“At that point,” Trent continued, “Cain and Yousef should be clear. Accessing the Internet through the terminal cell tower, Mikal will detonate all of the explosives. The storage tanks, a portion of the pipeline, and the
San Pascual
will all be destroyed.”

“You better not screw this up, Cain,” Heng warned.

Cain flipped him a bird while Trent ignored them both. “The terminal will be in chaos, but by then the four of you will be on your way to meet up with the escape vessel, which will be waiting offshore. Are we clear?”

“Yes,” Nadir said. Heng just nodded.

“You have not explained the escape plan,” Nadir said. “I am ready to die in the name of Allah, but not unless it is his will.”

“Arrangements have been finalized. As I said, a boat will be waiting just offshore. It will pick you all up and transport you to Tatitlek. That's a small airport on a landmass about thirty nautical miles south of the terminal. There you'll catch a seaplane for your journey inland. You'll cross overland into Canada and disappear.”

“What about you?” Heng asked. “How will you get out?”

Trent flicked a glance at Anna, who sat quietly in one of the overstuffed chairs. She'd been with him through all the preparations. He was grateful to have her there.

“Anna and I will be flying out earlier in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we'll have to miss all the fireworks.”

“You can always watch the video replays on TV,” Lee said with a grin.

“What about our money?” Cain asked.

“Your money will be transferred into the bank account numbers you've provided, available to you on completion of the mission.” He glanced around the wood-paneled den. “Are there any more questions?”

They'd been over the plan half a dozen times, in far greater detail. All but the escape route, which Trent had arranged after he'd arrived and familiarized himself with the area and surrounding terrain. He had men who would handle the job.

“No questions,” Lee said. “I'm ready.”

“As am I,” Nadir agreed.

“'Bout time we got this fucking show on the road,” Cain growled.

They all came to their feet.

The meeting was over. It was a waiting game now. If the operation went off as planned, the terminal would be destroyed. The oil spill created would be devastating.

Trent looked over at Tatiana and both of them smiled.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Billowy clouds, white as the snow that clung to the distant mountains, hovered above the rising peaks. Overhead, the sky was a brilliant azure blue. Only a slight chop tapped against the hull of
Sea Scorpion
as it skimmed over the crystal clear water.

Standing at the rail, Liv tugged down the brim of her hot-pink ball cap against the breeze.
LIFE HAPPENS
was printed on the front. But even in her lightweight jacket, she wasn't really cold. A warm sun offset the morning chill while the day was picture-perfect. She was grateful to be out here, away from her troubles, at least for a while.

On the deck at the stern of the boat, Jaimie and Zach worked together to keep the passengers' hooks baited and handle any trouble they had with the lines. Four men and two women smiled and laughed, enjoying their morning at sea while Rafe expertly guided the boat to the best fishing spots in the Sound.

Liv loved watching him work, the skillful way he handled the craft, the way he spoke to the passengers, patiently answering their endless stream of questions, never growing tired of the time he spent on the water.

Once he walked out of the cabin, came over and spoke to her. The fish were biting. Lots of laughter out on the deck.
Scorpion
was bobbing gently, the engine turned off, giving Rafe a breather.

He smiled as he tipped his head toward Zach and Jaimie, who were laughing together as they changed the rigging on one of the fishermen's poles. “I guess they've settled their differences.”

“Looks like. I saw them that day at the funeral. I could tell Jaimie resented Zach for taking Scotty's place. I knew how she felt about Scott. Everyone knew it. It's good she's getting interested in someone else.”

“Zach understands her. I think Jaimie's coming to trust him.” Olivia felt Rafe's dark eyes on her. “Trust is a hard thing for her. She's a little like you that way.”

“Trusting someone isn't easy.”

“No, it isn't. In Jaimie's case, I think the problem is learning to trust herself.”

Olivia looked up at him. “I trust you, Rafe. I've never trusted anyone as much as I do you.”

He reached out and cupped her cheek. “I won't let you down, Olivia.”

Her heart pinched. “I know.”

Rafe walked back into the wheelhouse and Olivia continued to enjoy herself. Zach spotted a pod of whales and everyone crowded around to watch them until they disappeared.

For a while, Liv continued to distract herself from the problems waiting back in Valdez, but as the morning wore on, she found herself thinking of the man in the rusted-out Chevy, the light-skinned black man who would have raped her without a qualm.

He'd said he wasn't there to kill her. But that didn't make sense. Her enemies needed to silence her. They had tried two times before.

Her mind kept replaying the scene, going back over his words, remembering things she'd been too rattled, too frightened, to recall before.

W
hy would I want to kill you?
he had said.

How had he known who she was? How had he known she was in Valdez?

But Nick Brodie had found her. Which meant she wasn't nearly as far off the grid as she had believed.

Get in the backseat and take off your clothes . . .”
The words made her stomach roll.

She remembered something else . . . a shadowy impression that was probably nothing, but kept nagging her as if it were important.

She wandered into the cabin.

“Hey,” Rafe said when he saw her, flashing one of his sexy smiles. Her pulse kicked up. One look from those hot brown eyes, one little smile, and she was gone.

“Hey, yourself,” she said.

“You doing okay, darlin'?”

She ignored the little tug on her heart at the endearment. “I'm glad you made me come with you today.” He'd said he wanted her safe and clearly he meant it. “I forgot how good it feels to be out on the water.”

“Yeah, it does. Kind of God's remedy for whatever ails you.”

She nodded. “It's given me time to do some thinking about what happened yesterday, sort out the whys and the hows.”

“And?”

“The man who attacked me . . . I know it's going to sound crazy, but there's something that keeps niggling at the back of my mind.”

“You never can tell what's going to be important and what isn't. Could be any little thing. That's something I learned from Nick when he was working homicide.”

“Remember the third guy in the motel room?”

“The one you might or might not have seen?”

“That's the one.”

He frowned. “You aren't thinking this could be the guy?”

“He's big, he's dark. Same thick-shouldered build.”

Rafe seemed to mull that over. “Okay, let's assume you actually did see a third guy in the room that day. You said he disappeared into the bathroom, like he didn't want you to see him.”

“That's right.”

“The guy who showed up on the video camera down at the harbor . . . big guy, kind of hulking. Wearing a hoodie. You told me the guy yesterday had on a sweatshirt with a hood, right?”

“Yes, but it wasn't pulled up. I remember he said something about leaving in just a few days. That's what Wong and Nevin said, too. They'd only be staying till the end of the week.”

“Interesting coincidence, I'd say.”

“Yes, plus he seemed surprised I would think he was there to kill me. Which is weird because why else would he be in Valdez?”

“You told me he didn't fit the image of the professional hit man your enemies in Washington would have hired.”

“That's what crossed my mind at the time.”

“Put all that together and maybe the attack on you had nothing to do with Julia Stanfield and your ex-husband's murder. Maybe it has something to do with Scott Ferris's murder.”

“Oh my God. If he's the guy who killed Scott and he saw me that day at the motel, he could have been afraid I might try to find out who he is. Maybe he tracked me down just like Nick did and found out I was wanted by the police. That knowledge would give him a great deal of power. It could have made him feel safe enough to come after me, try to blackmail me into giving him sex.”

Her eyes widened as another thought occurred. “Something else I just recalled. He said that for weeks he'd been living up here like a monk. That was the reason he wanted sex.”

“So he's been here a while, working or just living up here, but he's getting ready to leave.”

“Just like Wong and Nevin.”

Rafe started nodding. “I've been following a hunch all along. Right now, my instincts are screaming. Something's going on with those guys in that motel room, and whatever it is, it's looking bigger all the time.”

She bit her lip. “If it weren't for me, you could go to the police.”

“With what? Aside from the attack on you yesterday—which would bring you under police scrutiny—we still don't have a damned thing. I got a text message from Nick this morning. He got the photos Zach e-mailed and he's running them through facial recognition. If he finds something, we'll reassess the situation, decide on our next move.”

“God, I hope he does.”

“So do I.” Rafe's jaw hardened. “We need to figure this out, and soon.”

The rest of the morning was tense for both of them. Olivia had no idea if her attacker was connected to Julia Stanfield, or Scott Ferris, or if the attack had been motivated by something else entirely.

Like a juggling act, they needed to keep all the balls in the air at one time.

Leaving Rafe to do his job, Liv went back out on deck, hoping the crisp, clean air would clear her head as she waited for the trip to end so they could get back to Valdez.

They'd just arrived back in port. The town was beginning to entertain a steady flow of tourists. The ferry dropped passengers, cars, and RVs off at the ferry terminal and the visitors milled around town, hitting souvenir shops or eating at local restaurants.

Jaimie and Zach busied themselves with the clean-up work on
Scorpion
, getting the passengers' catch off-loaded, hosing off the decks, and putting equipment away. Olivia felt Rafe's big hand close over hers as he led her down the dock toward town.

“Where are you going?”

“We're going to follow the route Wong and Nevin took up the hill, see where they went.”

Olivia stopped and turned to look at him. “I'd love to go with you, but I can't. I need to go to the Pelican, make sure things are going smoothly, check on my employees, do some scheduling.”

“That guy's still out there, Liv. What if he comes into the café?”

She thought it over, didn't see it as a viable threat. “You really think he'd be that bold? I promise I'll stay inside. I won't go anywhere until you get back.”

Rafe shook his head. “I don't like it.”

Liv reached up and touched his cheek. “You asked me to stay and fight for the life I've made here. Well, the café is part of that life.”

Rafe let out a slow breath, realizing she was right. “Okay. But you've got to stay in the restaurant until I get back. You can't go anywhere else.”

“I won't. I promise.”

“This shouldn't take long. I'll follow the GPS track up the hill and come back. We'll make plans, figure some of this out. Then I'll call Nick, maybe ask Dylan to intercede with Peter Keller, the attorney I told you about.”

A tremor went through her. She was taking a risk, a huge leap of faith. Once they started, there would be no turning back.

Rafe walked her to the door of the café, did a visual sweep of the area outside, bent his head and very thoroughly kissed her. “Stay away from the windows,” he said gruffly. “I'll see you when I get back.”

Liv went inside and closed the door, resisted the urge to walk over to the window and watch him drive away. Instead she headed for the kitchen. She needed to check in with Nell, make sure her manager had things under control.

As Olivia approached, the worry in Nell's face was clear. She spotted the bruise on Liv's cheek and her eyes widened. “Oh, my Lord—what happened to your face? Are you okay?”

“I ran into some trouble on my run yesterday, but I'm fine now.”

Nell planted her hands on her hips. “Okay, missy. What's going on?”

Liv almost smiled. Nell Olsen was the only employee in Alaska with the nerve to address her boss as
missy.

“We aren't too busy. Why don't we go upstairs?” That morning, Rafe had stopped by her apartment on the way to the boat so she could dress for a day on the water and pack a few things to take over to his house, since she would be staying there until they could straighten things out—as if that could actually happen.

She and Nell climbed the stairs. Olivia unlocked the door and turned off the alarm, then reset it when the two of them got inside. The gesture didn't go unnoticed.

“What happened to your face?” Nell asked. “Honey, you've got a bruise the size of a dinner plate on your cheek. Rafe called and said a man attacked you. He said you were okay, but you don't look okay.” Nell's gaze ran over her. “Tell me what happened.”

“A man followed me when I went running. He pulled a gun and demanded I get into his car. He hit me but I got away before anything else bad happened. I was running back down the hill when Khan showed up with Rafe.” She smiled. “Khan saved me. He's the best dog in the world.”

“Yes, he is. What do you mean before anything else bad happened?”

“The guy . . . he wanted me to . . . he was going to rape me, Nell.”

“Oh, good Lord! Did you recognize him? What did the police say? Are they looking for him? Have they caught him?”

“I didn't call the police. The thing is, Nell, I was in some trouble before I moved up here. It was a few years back, but I just . . . I didn't want to stir it up all over again.”

“You were in trouble? I can't imagine you doing anything bad—it just isn't in you.”

Emotion moved through Olivia's chest. “If you want the truth, I didn't do anything, but the police believed I did. Now I have a new life, and I just want all of that left in the past.”

She didn't tell Nell she was still a wanted person. She would deal with that when the time came.

“Well, that doesn't seem right. If the police made a mistake, you should—”

“Nell, I'm asking you as a friend. Can you leave it alone?”

Nell straightened. “Well, of course I can. If that's what you want, I won't say another word about it.”