Ronald shook his head. “I don’t know.”
The man sighed, then brandished the stun gun. “This particular stun gun will put between one hundred thousand and five hundred thousand volts into your body. You just got a taste of what one hundred thousand volts feels like.” He smiled. “Unpleasant, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know where she is,” Ronald cried. “I swear!”
“Let’s see what five hundred thousand volts feels like.” The man adjusted a knob on the gun.
Terror swept through Ronald when the man jammed the probes against his side. He cried out as five hundred thousand volts of electricity discharged into his body.
“Tell us and we won’t have to hurt you any more,” the man said.
“I…don’t…know…”
Another loud crack sounded when the probes touched his skin. Writhing in agonizing pain, he knew he couldn’t take much more.
“Tell us where she is and we’ll let you go.”
Sweating and panting like an animal, Ronald sobbed. “All right. Please! No more.”
“Talk,” the thug said.
Ronald Waite started to talk.
EVEN THOUGH THEY’D DONNED heavy weather gear, Jake was frozen to his bones when they arrived at the other cabin. At forty miles per hour, the wind-chill had hovered at a numbing thirty below zero. The trip across the lake had taken almost fifteen minutes.
He hadn’t wanted to leave Leigh behind. He knew how much could happen in fifteen minutes. But he also knew she was safer there than she would be here. He fully expected Rasmussen to show. When he did, the situation would undoubtedly turn ugly. He didn’t want Leigh anywhere near it.
He and Rick stashed the snowmobiles in the shed behind the cabin. Even though it would be dark by the time Rasmussen showed up, Rick spent ten minutes covering the tracks. Jake went inside and built a fire in the hearth. He’d just finished when the door swung open and Rick walked inside.
“Why can’t these situations ever happen when it’s seventy degrees and sunny?” he grumbled.
Jake laughed. “Makes our job way too easy.”
“Speaking of job…” Rick worked off his parka and gloves. “You need to call Cutter and give him a heads-up.”
Jake knew he was right. Cutter needed to know about this. The man was going to be royally ticked off.
Not wanting to get chewed out in front of his fellow agent, Jake picked up his cell phone and took it to the bedroom. He removed his gloves and parka, then sat down on the bed and dialed the number.
Cutter answered on the first ring. “I was wondering when the hell you were going to check in.”
“I’m checking in.”
“I ought to fire you for insubordination, Vanderpol.”
“Maybe you ought to wait until I hand you Rasmussen.”
A beat of tense silence. “What?”
“I set up a sting—”
Cutter cursed harshly. “You set up a sting without my authorization!”
“I set up a sting because evidently you couldn’t pull it off,” Jake said evenly.
“If I were there I’d deck you.”
“Don’t worry, Cutter. You’ll get your chance. I’ll have him in custody by nineteen hundred.”
“Jake, damn it, if anyone gets hurt.”
“No one’s going to get hurt.”
“I want Rasmussen alive.”
“I don’t plan to kill him, but if it comes down to me or him, I’ll take him out.”
Another curse burned through the line. “Where are you and I’ll send backup.”
Jake was tempted to tell him. He and Rick needed all the help they could get. But Sean Cutter was a by-the-book superior. Jake wouldn’t put it past him to call off the entire operation. With Leigh’s life hanging in the balance, he couldn’t risk that.
“I’ll let you know when we have him in custody.”
“Jake, damn it, you don’t have the authority—”
Jake hit the end button and rose.
“…if anyone gets hurt…”
Cutter’s words rang uncomfortably in his ears. It was Jake’s biggest concern. Worry gnawed at him. He wanted to call Leigh to check on her. He desperately wanted to hear her voice. He missed her. Only half an hour had passed and already he was desperate to see her again.
The next thought that struck him threatened to buckle his legs, and he sat down hard on the bed. Was it possible he’d never stopped loving her?
The thought terrified him because no matter how carefully he’d laid out this plan there was always the chance something could go wrong. But the thought of loving her again—of her returning that love thrilled him in equal measure.
Jake had taken lovers in the six years since he’d been with her. He’d enjoyed being with them, even cared for them. But none of the women he’d known had even come close to touching him the way Leigh did.
He found Rick sitting at the kitchen table, sipping instant coffee. The other man grinned when Jake approached. “Cutter rake you over the coals?”
Jake made a sound of disgust, then went to the sink and snagged a cup even though he despised instant. “Let’s go over the plan again,” he said.