Living on the Edge (12 page)

M
adison dressed all in black, per Tanner's request. She felt like an extra in a James Bond movie and did her best to focus on that rather than on the nerves currently doing yoga in her midsection. Wanting to be part of the team was one thing, but actually breaking into her ex-husband's house was another. Wasn't her entire goal to get away from Christopher?

Yet she wanted to be a part of this—mostly to prove to herself that she couldn't be defined by her fear.

“A really dumb time to want to make an emotional statement,” she told herself as she quickly secured her hair in a braid.

She'd barely finished when Tanner knocked on her door.

“It's open,” she called as she grabbed black shoes and walked to the bed.

He stepped inside. “Ready?”

“Just about.” She slipped on one shoe and tied it, then reached for the other. “I'm feeling all stealthy and invisible.”

“Good. Here.” He tossed her a black baseball cap. “Your hair's like a beacon. This will cut down on the glow.”

She examined the front of the cap, half expecting to see some kind of spy logo. But it was plain.

“No, we don't have a mascot,” Tanner said dryly.

She grinned. “You should think about getting one. Maybe a black cat or a bat.”

“Why a bat?”

“It's dark and a creature of the night.”

“We're not vampires.”

“Good to know.”

He stared at her. “I thought you'd be nervous.”

“Oh, I am. I'm hiding it with humor. Pretty clever, huh?”

“Brilliant. Angel should be here any second. We'll go over the plan, then load up.”

“Do I get gear?”

“Some.”

“Can I have a ray gun?”

Tanner sighed heavily. “How much coffee did you have today?”

It was already well after midnight. Tanner had warned her that they would plan to be at Christopher's house around two in the morning. Although
she'd napped, she'd worried about not being alert enough.

“Five cups since eight tonight,” she said, feeling the caffeine coursing through her veins.

“Great. You're wired.”

“And ready for action.” She bounced from foot to foot, as if proving it.

“When the caffeine fades, that's going to be some crash.”

“I know, but I figure I'm safe through the break-in. The adrenaline will keep me going.”

“Uh-huh.”

He didn't look convinced, but he didn't complain so she figured she was fine.

“Come on,” he said. “Let's introduce you to Angel.”

“He's here?”

Just then the doorbell rang. Madison put the cap on her head and followed Tanner down the hall.

“How do you do that?” she asked. “How did you know he was right there?”

“Experience.”

She figured it had to be some kind of pager or something that told him when someone approached the building, but it was still impressive.

She hovered in the hall while Tanner let in his friend. The two men stood by the front door, talking. She watched them, noting they were both tall and lean with dark hair. When Angel glanced in her direction, she had to consciously keep from taking a step back. Instead of black or brown, his eyes were gray. A metallic, otherworldly color that made her muscles tense as fight or flight kicked in.

Technically he was better looking than Tanner, but those eyes really creeped her out. She noted a scar running down the side of his neck and wondered who had tried to kill him and what had happened when he'd failed. She doubted he was alive to tell the tale.

“Madison,” Tanner said, motioning her forward. “This is Angel.”

She steeled herself, plastered on a happy-to-meet-you smile and walked toward the men.

“Hi. I'm Madison.”

Angel looked her over with a thoroughness that made her feel naked, then offered his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

They shook, then she ducked behind Tanner. Not in an obvious way, she told herself. More in a being-a-toddler-and-shy-around-strangers way.

Angel grinned. “I make the lady nervous.”

“Not nervous,” she protested. “With everything that's happened in the past couple of weeks, I'm a little suspicious of strangers.”

“I trust Angel with my life,” Tanner told her. “You can, too.”

“Good to know.”

She was about to say something else when she realized that Angel was probably the other man Tanner had been talking about when he'd offered to have someone else move in. Good thing she'd refused, she thought, knowing the dark, dangerous, pale-eyed stranger as host would not have made for restful nights.

“Let's get loaded up,” Tanner said.

They walked into the control room, where both men put on utility belts with all kinds of gear. She recognized some things like knives and flashlights, but little else.

They'd been over the plan several times, so she felt comfortable with the theory of what they were going to do. It was the reality she was having some trouble with.

Tanner crossed to a cabinet in the corner and drew out a vest, then motioned her over.

“Are you expecting bullets to go flying?” she asked, suddenly nervous about the evening.

“No, but better to be prepared.”

He held the vest out and she slipped into it. He moved in front of her and fastened it up the front. The vest was surprisingly heavy and stiff.

“I wouldn't want to go jogging in this,” she said.

“We shouldn't have to.”

Bulletproof anything was her first inkling that maybe she'd gotten in over her head. The second was when Tanner offered her a gun.

“I can't—” she began as she tucked her hands behind her back.

“It's not a regular gun,” he said, interrupting her. “It shoots a powerful sedative that acts instantly. If anyone comes after you, aim for his gut and fire. Keep firing until he drops.”

“Okay.”

She held out her hand and he set the gun on her palm. It was heavy, too. He showed her the safety and the trigger, then he strapped a holster around her hips and tucked the gun into its holder. It occurred to her that if it would drop a man instantly, she could take out both
Angel and him in a matter of seconds. Apparently Tanner wasn't worried about that.

“Flashlight,” he said, handing one over.

That, at least, she could handle. It clipped into the other side of the holster.

The last thing he gave her was a cell phone, which they'd already discussed.

“It's preprogrammed,” he reminded her. “If something happens, get away from the action and hit Send. You'll be connected to a man named Jack. Tell him what happened. He'll be there in less than five minutes to get you.”

She didn't like that part of the plan.

“You're saying something could go wrong.”

He shrugged. “It's always a possibility. I would prefer you stay here. Want to change your mind about coming?”

She shook her head. “I need to do this.” She wasn't sure why, but the feeling was powerful enough to overcome her fear.

She tucked the cell phone into her jeans front pocket and prayed she wouldn't have to use it. Tanner picked up a backpack. Angel already had his. Then they walked out to the garage, where the van waited.

Madison climbed in back. The box she'd arrived in was gone. Instead there were low seats and windows that looked dark enough for her to figure that while she could see out, no one could see in. Tanner and Angel went up front, with Tanner driving.

“Alarm system?” Tanner asked as he started the engine.

“Jack's on it. The system is set to deactivate as soon as we let him know we're in place. Best point of entry
is the French doors off the dining room. Not much of a lock there.”

Madison crossed her arms over her chest and thought about the house's dining room. She remembered the doors but not the lock. Had Christopher changed much after she'd left? Their prenuptial agreement had cut him out of all the money she'd had before they were married, so he'd insisted on keeping the house they'd bought together shortly after their wedding. She'd agreed because the thought of staying in the house had made her skin crawl.

“You know there are security guards on duty,” she said. “At least, there used to be.”

“We have it covered.”

Thirty minutes later, they pulled up on a side street she recognized. Tanner turned off the engine while Angel spoke quietly into some kind of walkie-talkie. Less than ten seconds later, Tanner turned to her.

“We've got an all clear. Madison, you can stay here in the van.”

She had already reached for the rear door handle. “Not a chance.”

She heard him sigh.

The night was cloudy and silent. The infamous June gloom had appeared on schedule, bringing night and morning clouds from an encroaching marine layer. She shivered slightly in her thin long-sleeved T-shirt but didn't complain. She didn't want to give Tanner an excuse to order her to stay behind.

“Alarm down,” Angel murmured.

Tanner touched her arm. “No talking from now on,”
he said. “Hand signals only. Stay close to me. If anything starts to go wrong, get out of the house and back to the van. If Angel or I aren't with you in ten seconds, use the cell phone. Walk away from the van and head south.” He pointed to the left.

She nodded. “We've been over this a dozen times. I know where south is, I know how to count to ten, I know not to come back to check on you.” Although she wasn't sure she could just leave him lying there if something did go wrong.

Not surprisingly, he read her mind.

“You have to get out,” he told her. “If you don't, Hilliard gets his hands on you. None of us wants that.”

“Okay.” It would be hard to leave Tanner behind; it would be harder to be dead.

“Let's go,” he said and led the way.

They approached the house through the neighbor's yard, using a small gate she'd told Tanner about. Once in Christopher's backyard, they crouched in the bushes until the security guard walked by and turned the corner. Tanner motioned for them to go.

She'd never done anything like this before and it felt very strange and surreal to be running across the lawn of the house where she used to live. It was the middle of the night, and she was dressed in black and a bulletproof vest and armed with a gun designed to drop a man in less than two seconds. What on earth had gone wrong with her life?

Tanner crouched by the French doors. Angel moved in next to him. She had barely joined them when the doors swung open and they were inside.

She instantly saw the beauty of the plan as Angel locked the doors behind them. With the security system off, the patrolling guard would never know they were in the house. Pretty tricky, she thought with some humor before she glanced around at the room and received a jolt of déjà vu.

Everything was exactly the same. Madison stood and looked at the large inlaid wood table, the crystal vase set on the table runner. The placement, the fabric, the number of chairs at the table versus those around the edges of the room. Nothing had been moved since she'd left.

“His office,” Tanner murmured.

She nodded and led the way. As they crossed in front of the living room, she noticed it was just as she remembered it. Even the flowers on the foyer table—peach roses with white orchids—were as she'd always ordered them.

Talk about creepy, she thought as they entered the den. Angel and Tanner walked to the painting behind the desk and pressed a button on the bottom of the frame. Slowly the painting moved aside. She walked up to the safe and felt her stomach sink.

“It's not the same one.” Figures that was the one thing he
did
change.

Tanner looked at Angel. “We should have brought Bones.”

“She's the best,” Angel agreed. “Too late now.”

“You can't open it?” Madison asked, trying not to panic.

“We can pick a lock,” Tanner told her, “but breaking into a combination safe requires a special touch.”

Great. “So do we come back later with Bones?”

Tanner grinned. “Depends. Do you care if we're not subtle?”

“No, but…”

Before she could ask what subtle had to do with it, he pulled a long cylinder from his utility belt and pointed it at the lock. There was a squirt of liquid, a horrible acrid smell, then a tiny whiff of smoke. Seconds later, what had been a very strong lock was a mass of gooey metal.

“Don't touch it,” Tanner said. “It'll burn through bone.”

“No kidding.”