Hidden Agemda (Kate Diamond Adventure) (20 page)

But Kate didn’t have to plunge to a fiery death. She had one last ace in the hole that Darkstone didn’t know about. They’d taken away her wrist communicator, climbing gloves and cell phone, but left on her vest. And that vest wasn’t just any vest. As usual, Gideon had equipped it with a special gadget. Kate reached for the string at the top of the vest, said a silent prayer and tugged.

The glider wings shot out from the side of the vest slowing her freefall. She was still close enough to Darkstone to see his face fill with rage. He reached out toward her, as if she would save him. But she didn’t. Instead, she watched as he fell further away.

Kate searched the walls of the volcano shaft frantically for a cave, ledge or even a jagged piece of rock sticking out where she could land. Spotting a shallow ledge, she used the strings on the vest to guide herself over to it. She managed to land without a hitch, thankful she’d paid attention when Gideon had demonstrated how to use the vest earlier that year.
 

Hot, acrid air burned her lungs as she looked down into the shaft. Darkstone was just a mere speck now but she could still hear him. Then, just as he disappeared from view, the crow screeched an eerie sound that echoed off the walls and rattled her bones. Seconds later, she heard flapping and cawing from above as dozens of crows dived into the shaft, following Darkstone.

“Kate, are you okay?”
 

Kate looked up. Her mother was standing about twenty feet up at the mouth of the cave on the opposite side of the shaft, looking down at her.
 

“Fine.” Kate waved. “I just have to figure out a way to climb up.”

“If you can work your way around to this side, we’ll lower down the chains,” Sal said.

“But what if Darkstone’s henchmen come? It might be better if you guys act like you are still chained up.”

“And leave you hanging down there?” Carlotta made a face. “No way.”

Kate looked down at her feet. She still wore the rock climbing shoes Gideon had sent. They had metal picks embedded inside that jutted out of the front of the shoe by pressing a button hidden on the side. Studded cleats shot out of the bottom at the press of another button.

Looking up at the rock wall, Kate could see it was loaded with fissures and small ledges. She could fashion spikes from the carbon fiber rods in the hang glider wings on the vest and work her way up just like any other rock climbing expedition. She’d rock climbed hundreds of times. This should be a piece of cake.
 

“I think it will be easier for me—” Kate was cut short by a strange noise.

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

“Do you hear that?” she asked. She didn’t need their answer. She could tell Carlotta and Sal heard it by the way they cocked their heads toward the top of the cone.

The sound, which seemed familiar, was getting louder. It was coming from outside the cone of the volcano. Kate’s heart stalled as she recognized what it was—Darkstone’s helicopter.

Kate wasn’t sure what might happen if Darkstone’s crew found her in this position, but she was pretty sure it wouldn’t be anything good. She was too exposed and too vulnerable to any kind of attack. Sheldon was still pretty pissed off about his finger and she could picture the look of glee on his face as he shot her and sent her flailing into the abyss that she’d just dispatched Darkstone into.

She had no doubt that Sheldon would finish her off … but only if he could
see
her. She motioned for her mother and Sal to get back as she looked around frantically for a crevice that she could squirm into.
 

Spotting one on the right, she quickly maneuvered her way over. Sucking in her breath, she squeezed into the small space, praying that nothing stuck out enough for them to notice.
 

The helicopter sounds grew louder. Kate felt her heart thudding to the rhythm of the blades as she held her breath and waited.

“Kate! Carlie!” Though distorted by the echo in the volcano shaft, the voice had a familiar ring to it.

She took a risk, peeking out from her hiding place and looking up into the opening at the top of the shaft where the helicopter hovered. The side door was open and a man leaned out dangerously.
 

Kate’s heart surged as she looked up at the familiar form.

“Dad?”

***

Vic lowered himself on a rescue cable to collect Kate while Carlotta and Sal took the less scenic route of simply leaving through the cave exit. There was no risk of them running into any of Darkstone’s minions since, according to Vic, they had all been captured.

“But how did you know we were inside the volcano?” Kate asked as she and Vic unhooked themselves inside the helicopter.

“Once we captured Darkstone’s minions, it was pretty easy to get them to talk.”

The familiar voice came from the pilot and Kate whipped her head in that direction, her stomach doing a strange series of flip-flops when her eyes confirmed her suspicion. The pilot was Ace Mason.

“What are
you
doing here?” Kate’s narrow-eyed gaze ping-ponged from her father to Ace. Last she knew, the two men barely got along in the same room, never mind coordinating a rescue mission inside a helicopter.

“I figured out you’d given me the slip back at the hotel, then found out you’d come to this island. So I hired a boat and came over,” Ace said.

“He got here right about the time Gertie, Frankie, and I were forming a rescue party to get you, your mother and Sal,” Vic added.

“So you knew about Blue Crow Island?” Kate asked.

“Not exactly.” Ace grimaced. “Gideon told me.”

“Gideon
told
you?”
The traitor.

Ace sighed. “When I realized you’d given us the slip, I panicked. I knew Darkstone was behind all this …”
 

“What?” Anger bubbled up in Kate’s chest.
 

He knew all along and didn’t tell her?

“Kate, I’m sorry I should have told you from the beginning, but that information was restricted to FBI personnel involved in the case only.” Ace glanced back at her sheepishly. “In my defense, I did try to get you to back off several times …”

Kate’s mouth flew open but she was too furious to string words together in a coherent sentence. Ace Mason hadn’t changed a bit. He was still the “do it by the book no matter what” FBI guy that cared more about FBI rules than anything.

“Anyway,” Ace continued, “when I realized you’d slipped away and could be walking into one of Darkstone’s traps, I called Gideon. He’d just witnessed your abduction, so he felt it was best to fill us in so we could come and rescue you.”

Rescue her?

Kate’s hands balled into fists and she marched over to Ace who looked at her fearfully as he tried to land the plane.
 

“Hey, wait a minute.” Kate jabbed her index finger in his direction. “I didn’t need
rescuing
. I could have climbed out of that volcano just fine on my own.
And
, to top it off, I had to do
your
job and get rid of the bad guy!”

“Now, now,” Vic soothed as he pulled Kate over to him and kissed the top of her head. “Everything worked out for the best, Kitten. We wouldn’t have been able to capture Darkstone’s people if we didn’t have the added help of the FBI.”

Kate doubted that. She felt certain they could have pulled it off without Ace Mason or any other FBI help, but the helicopter jolted to a landing and they were rushed by Carlotta and the others before she got a chance to say so.

The next thing Kate knew, she was in the middle of a round of hugging with everyone gushing about how great it was they were all alive. Eventually she found herself facing Ace Mason, who grabbed her in a hug before she had a chance to protest.

It must have been the excitement. When Ace’s arms went around her, Kate felt a rush of emotion. She felt safe. Secure. She started to melt into his embrace, her heartbeat kicking into high gear and her insides starting to get all tingly. She was still clutching the Millennia Ruby and she felt his hand snake around her waist toward it.

Kate jerked back, flattening her left palm on Ace’s chest and pushing him away while she clutched the ruby tighter with her right hand.
 

“Oh no … you’re not getting the ruby,” she said.

Ace spread his hands at his sides. “I wasn’t trying to get the ruby, Kate.”

Kate glanced sideways at him. He almost sounded like he meant it.

“Hey, we better get going,” Vic yelled. “The volcano could blow at any moment.”

Kate’s stomach twisted as she looked at the gray smoke billowing from the top of the volcano.
 

“I’ll take the bad guys back in the helicopter.” Ace pointed to the left then turned to Vic. “You guys take the boats.”

“Okay,” Vic said, then did something that made Kate’s jaw drop. He clapped Ace on the back and said, “Good job, son.”

Son?

Kate stared at them as they shook hands, looking at each other with something Kate thought she’d never see them look at each other with—mutual respect. Carlotta was standing behind Vic. Kate caught her eye and made a face while she tilted her head toward the two men. Carlotta shrugged. Apparently, Vic and Ace had formed some sort of bond during the rescue. Kate just hoped that didn’t mean they’d be inviting him over for holiday dinners.

As the two continued with their bonding ritual, Kate’s gaze drifted to the left where Ace had pointed. Four men were chained up with what looked like the very chains that had held her, Carlotta and Sal. One of them was Sheldon. Their eyes locked and he shoved his pinkie-less hand up in a gesture that was reminiscent of giving one the bird. Except in his case, it was four fingers and no pinkie.
 

“How do you know Darkstone is dead?” Ace pulled her attention away from Sheldon.

“I pushed him into the shaft of the volcano,” Kate said. “I watched him fall.”

“You’re sure he’s dead?” Ace glanced uncertainly at the volcano.

“Of course, no one could survive a fall like that, could they?”

“Well, you did.”
 

Kate frowned. “Yeah, but I had special equipment. I
saw
him fall all the way down. And my mother and Sal did, too.”

“Okay,” Ace said. “You’re right. He must be dead in there.”

A man approached them. “Ace, we better get going.”
 

“Kate, this is my new partner, Mick.” Kate’s eyes widened. So
this
was who had replaced her. She murmured a greeting and the two of them shook hands, then Ace tossed a set of keys to Mick. “Jim and I will take the captives in the helicopter and you take the boat back.”

Mick nodded and headed off.

Ace turned back to Kate. She saw emotion flood his eyes and he reached out almost as if to touch her, then let his hand fall back to his side. “You’ll have to come in to headquarters and give a statement.”

“Of course,” Kate said feeling a little disappointed that he hadn’t touched her. She didn’t want him to though, did she?

“Okay, I guess I’ll see you there, then.” Ace turned and walked away.

Kate stared after him feeling … well, she didn’t know exactly
what
she was feeling.
 

“Katie. Come on! We gotta get out of here!” Vic’s voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned and hurried after her father, the sound of the helicopter taking off drumming in her ears.

As they walked back to the beach, Carlotta recounted the details of their capture and how Kate pushed Darkstone into the volcano. Vic filled them in on how he, Gertie and Frankie had teamed up with the FBI. Everyone, except the two FBI guys, got a good laugh out of that—no one ever thought any of the
Golden Capers
gang would be working
with
the FBI.

They used the inflatable to ferry themselves to their respective boats. The FBI were nice enough to hang around while Sal spliced together the electrical wires that had been cut during the abduction, even though Kate did catch them glancing uneasily at the volcano, which was starting to emit louder and more frequent rumblings.

Once power was restored to the
High Jinx
, the two boats took off, leaving the grumbling, bubbling volcano in their wake.

“Is the satellite connection restored?” Kate slid into the dinette and placed the Millennia Ruby on the table.
 

“It is,” Carlotta said as she picked the ruby up and held it to the shattered window. The sunlight filtered into the crystal lighting it with a deep red glow. “Now
this
is more like it.”

Kate couldn’t wait to call into the museum and let them know she had the ruby.
Should she call Max’s private line or the lab?
 

On the one hand, she
was
kind of mad at Gideon for telling Ace about the island but she had to admit the presence of the four extra FBI guys
had
tipped the scales in their favor. Plus, Gideon’s glider vest and switchblade thumb had saved the day.

She brought up Skype and pressed the button to call the lab.

“Kate. Are you all right?” Gideon’s worried voice blared out of the computer.

“Is that Kate?” Kate practically melted as she heard Max’s voice. “Kate—I’ve been so worried about you.”

She stared at the screen, which showed an empty lab. Where was everyone? Or Max in particular … she could see Gideon any time. As if on cue, Gideon’s face filled the screen. His hair was a disheveled mess and his forehead creased with worry.

“I’m fine,” Kate said. “Are you okay? You look like crap.”

“I’ve been worried about
you
!” Gideon said.

“Well, no need to worry. The bad guys have been taken care of … and I have something to bring back.” Kate proudly held the Millennia Ruby in front of her so they could see it back at the lab.

“You got the ruby?” Gideon asked.

“Yes,” Kate said. “Why don’t you move out of the way and let Max see it?”
Or let me see Max.

Kate held her breath as Gideon’s face zoomed away and was replaced by a large blue mass. Squinting at the screen, Kate realized it was the crotch of someone’s pants. Max’s pants … he was standing in front of the computer!