Razing Kayne

FOURTY-FIVE



Mark appeared out of nowhere, right beside Kayne. “Nothing. The house is empty.” He scanned the area. “Someone’s been there recently, but there's no cars. Nothing. There's no basement, no attic. There's also no blood or signs of struggle.”

Goddamn it all to hell! Kayne kicked a rock in frustration. “So they took them somewhere else?”

Trace shook his head. “I don't know. I wish we knew what the f*ck they were driving so we could GPS it.”

Rafe shook his head. “Guess it's time to call the Alphabet-boys and have them take a look at their Super-Secret-Squirrel spy satellite images for the past couple hours. We might as well make them earn their keep. Maybe there was enough break in the cloud coverage to get us a plate and vehicle description this time.”

They obviously weren't driving the one they'd used to take Jess and Gracie from the park. A unit had found that abandoned on Main Street. Jesus God, Kayne had driven right past there. The f*cker had probably seen him and laughed.

Mark cocked his head as if listening to something. “We've got company.”

Kayne didn't see anything.

Rafe shouted, “Y'all can come out now. There's no one here but us rednecks.”

After a long moment, several black uniforms emerged from the woods. One very pissed off Special-Agent-In-Charge lead the way.

“Sir,” a freckle faced kid who didn't look old enough to be out of high school whispered something in the SAC’s ear.

Mark stepped up to Kayne “Volkov has been located. He was picked up trying to board a private plane on a private airstrip west of here. Alone. Apparently he's not talking either. He put up a fight and was shot. They're rushing him into surgery. ”

Son of a bitch.

Kayne walked a restless circle. “We need to look this place over again. There has to be a clue.” He didn't doubt Mark, but there had to be something.

The SAC stepped into his path. “If any of you try and step foot in that house, I'll have you arrested.”

“By who?” Came a voice from behind them.

“Hey, Chief, glad you could join us.” Rafe grinned unrepentantly.

The Chief folded his arms and glared at Rafe. “I'd have been here sooner, but it seems I misplaced my patrol vehicle.”

“Old age is a bitch, or so I hear, sir.”

“And you’re going to be mine, when this is over, Chatham.” The Chief gave Rafe a hard look. One that ensured serious retribution. “Come on, let’s go take a look before they mess up any evidence. They can't arrest my entire f*cking police force.” He paused and looked questioningly at Mark and Joe. “Which seems to be growing right under my nose.”

Mark just stared back, and Joe shrugged as if it were of little importance.

Chief Tyler turned his death glare on the SAC. “We'll let y'all know when we're done.”





FOURTY-SIX



Jess watched Ondrej kiss Gracie’s forehead. “Okay, kitten, it's time to go with Mama.”

The water had now reached chest level. Stretching the chain as far as it would reach, Jess found and carefully climbed up on the cage. With one side missing, it was far less sturdy than she would have liked, so she knelt for the time being. They had to figure a way out of here soon. They had to.

Jess fought back tears. She just wanted to go home; to see her other children. She wanted to feel Kayne's arms around her again. To feel his body weighing her down as he covered her, rocked into her, and made slow sweet love.

They'd created a life together, and she'd sacrificed so much to be with Gracie, but she didn't regret it. She could never regret her decision. She hoped Kayne understood. She hoped he knew how much she loved him; that she was doing everything she could to get his daughter back to him.

A loud clap of thunder preceded a sudden rush of water. Jess frantically stood up and fought to keep her balance. She looked desperately to Ondrej. They were out of time.

Jess gasped when Ondrej laid his manacled hand against the concrete wall and slammed the rock he'd been using on the wall into it. He howled in pain and did it again before dropping the rock. Gracie was wailing, and Jess felt like joining her. She didn't understand what Ondrej was doing. A moment later, he disappeared under the water.

It was a good minute before he came up gasping for air. “I can't find the f*cking rock. The water currents moved it.” He panted as he swam with one hand toward her.

“You're loose?” Jess reached out and caught his arm. “How?”

“I had to dislocate my thumb. Hurts like a son of a bitch; it's probably broken, but I was able to get my hand through the cuff. I'm going to have to try and do that to you too. I'm sorry, it's the only way.” Jess looked at the rising water, took a deep breath, and held out her hand. Unable to speak, she could only nod.

After the third try, Ondrej still hadn't succeeded in doing anything more than damaging his own injury further and knocking them off the cage twice. He didn't have the strength in his non-dominant hand or the leverage to do what needed to be done.

Jess hugged Gracie tight, kissed her forehead, and look Ondrej in the eye. “Take her. Please. Get her out of here, and get her to Kayne.”

Ondrej shook his head. “I'm not leaving you.”

“You have to. She won't be able to hold her breath, and you still have to get through the tunnel. It's almost filled. Please, I'm begging you. Don't let my daughter die.”

Ondrej studied her for a moment, then nodded. “I'm coming back for you. Do not give up.”

Jess nodded because there was nothing else to do. She knew Ondrej couldn't find help in time and get back to her.

“Tell him I love him,” Jess whispered, handing Gracie off to Ondrej. “Tell him I said With My Last Breath. He'll know what it means.”

Ondrej rested his forehead against hers for just a second. “You tell him yourself. I'm coming back for you.”

“Thank you,” Jess whispered, brushing her hand over the crown of Gracie's head. “Thank you for saving her.”

He nodded once, and then with Gracie wrapped in the arm of his injured hand, he began swimming against the current until he reached the tunnel. “Don’t you dare give up. I’m coming back.”

And then he was gone.

Nina shook her head. “You are a fool. You will die down here, and it will all have been for nothing.”

Nina was wrong. It had been for the most important thing in the world: the love of a mother for her child; the love of a good man. She was giving Kayne what she felt he valued most—his daughter.