Sam pulled off into a wooded area and they got out, running through the woods until they reached the edge of the clearing where the airport was nestled.
It was indeed small. One, maybe two planes could be hangared here. Small planes.
And as Sam had said, there was a smaller Cessna out on the runway, engine running, and several feet away, a black SUV with tinted windows was parked.
“Anyone have a view into the vehicle?” Steele asked into the radio.
“I have a view through the front windshield,” Skylar reported. “One male in the driver’s seat. No passenger in front.”
“Got one in the back,” P.J. piped in. “Likely Caldwell. I’ve scanned the perimeter and can’t find another damn thing. Either he’s really good or he’s really stupid.”
Steele stared at the Cessna in plain view. It didn’t add up. Caldwell might have lost his shit but he couldn’t be that stupid. Something was wrong here and his gut was screaming at him.
“I’m coming in.”
Maren’s soft voice came over the wire. There was a tremble evident. He wished to hell they’d been able to give her an earpiece so she could hear them like they could hear her. So they could give her instruction. Backup. Even just let her know she wasn’t alone.
The next minutes were the longest of Steele’s life, and then suddenly the SUV Maren was driving appeared. She drove up to the other vehicle but didn’t get out. Smart girl. Buy them some time. Don’t put yourself at risk before you know the situation.
The door to the black SUV opened and a man stepped out. He walked to Maren’s door and opened it, offering his hand in a gallant gesture that made Steele bare his teeth.
And then voices came over the wire. Caldwell greeted Maren like a long-separated lover. He leaned in to kiss her, and Maren didn’t flinch away. But Steele did. He hated the man touching her. His mouth where Steele’s had been just minutes earlier.
And then Maren wobbled and reached out to brace herself against the hood of the SUV. For a moment Steele’s heart lurched, but then he remembered that she was only doing as they’d told her.
Caldwell bent over with her, his hand rubbing up and down her back. He murmured soothing words that grated on Steele’s every nerve. Steele forced his attention away from Maren and Caldwell long enough to see Nathan come in on the other side of the Cessna. He was accompanied by Edge and a moment later, Edge sprinted double time across the runway, the pilot over one shoulder. He disappeared, the entire exchange taking only a couple of minutes.
He rapidly tuned back in to what was going on with Maren and Caldwell.
“Make the call,” Maren said in a shaky voice. “You promised. I came. Now make the call. I want to talk to them when you do. I want to make sure they’re safe.”
Steele stared at Caldwell, his unease growing by the minute. His brow furrowed in concentration because something was bugging him. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Caldwell glanced repeatedly in the direction of the closed hangar but never once did he look at the waiting plane.
“Here’s the deal,” Caldwell said in a calm voice. “I’ll call and your mother will be set free. Once we’re in the air and have reached our destination, I’ll place another call and your father will go free.”
“That wasn’t the deal!”
“I’m holding the cards, Maren. I’m willing to make a goodwill gesture to show you that you can trust me. I’ll make the call now. Your mother will be set free with an escort. She’ll be instructed not to talk to anyone or your father will be killed. The rest is up to you.”
He reached for Maren’s arm as he pulled out his phone. And still he hadn’t glanced in the direction of the plane. He was turned toward the hangar.
“The plane is a diversion,” Steele said into his mic. “He’s covering himself in case this was a setup.”
Even as he spoke, the roof of the hangar began retracting, sliding away to make a huge opening.
“Fuck, he’s got a chopper in there,” Cole said. “And no clear shot. I’m not high enough. We can’t take him out now anyway if he’s making a second phone call.”
“I’m working on a signal lock,” Donovan said. “If I can trace the call, we won’t need that second phone call. Come on, come on,” he muttered. “Talk to me, baby. Give me what I need.”
It was obvious Donovan was sweet-talking his electronics, and not very successfully. The frustration was evident in his voice.
Caldwell handed the phone to Maren and then started guiding her toward the hangar. The helicopter’s engine roared to life and the rotors began spinning.
“Jesus Christ, if there’s anything loose, debris inside the damn hangar, tools, anything, she could be decapitated with the force of the winds from the blades,” Joe said. “Caldwell is a stupid fuck!”
“I’ve got it!” Donovan shouted. “I’ve got a lock. I’m calling it in now.”
“Fuck this. I’m going in,” Steele said. No way in hell he was going to sit there while Caldwell took Maren away from him.
“There’s still one guy in the SUV,” Garrett warned. “Anyone have a bead on him?”
“I got him,” Skylar said.
A moment later the glass shattered on the windshield but Steele was already running as fast as he could toward the hangar, determined to make it before it lifted off. To his surprise, Hancock was close on his heels.
A bullet hit the ground at Steele’s feet, flinging up pieces of concrete.
“Sniper, get down!” Joe roared. “Came in nine o’clock. Someone get on it fast.”
Gunfire erupted as the rest of KGI provided cover for Steele and Hancock as they bolted toward the hangar. They burst through the same door Caldwell had led Maren through just as the helicopter lifted off the ground and rose upward through the gaping opening in the roof.
“Do not shoot,” Steele bellowed. “Maren’s in that helicopter. Do not try to disable it!”
He lunged for the landing rail, barely managing to curl his fingers around it as it lifted higher. Hancock launched himself on the other side and the chopper rose above the roof, the two men hanging precariously from the rails.
As soon as the chopper cleared the roof, it zoomed forward and the ground spun dizzyingly below. Steele swung his legs up and then pulled himself the rest of the way so he was standing on the rail. As soon as his head cleared the opening, he saw Caldwell pointing a gun directly at him.
Before he could take evasive action, Maren launched herself at Caldwell, grabbing his wrist in an effort to prevent him from shooting Steele.
“No!” Steele roared. Goddamn it, he didn’t want her to get herself shot.
Maren grappled with Caldwell and they spun around, each fighting for control. A shot sounded and he and Hancock both ducked. The helicopter dipped precariously, and it was then Steele saw that the bullet had shattered the control panel and the pilot was slumped forward.
Fuck!
Steele propelled himself up and inside the helicopter just as Caldwell shook Maren loose from his wrist.
“Give it up, Caldwell. Your pilot is dead. You aren’t going anywhere and if you want to live, put the goddamn gun down so we can land this bitch.”
He shouted the words so Caldwell would hear, but Caldwell was obviously beyond reason. He swung his arm wildly in Maren’s direction.
“If I can’t have her, neither will you. We’ll all die,” Caldwell screamed.
Steele threw himself at Caldwell, desperate to make the shot go wild, but he was too late. A shot rang out just as Steele collided with Caldwell. But fear for Maren took priority. He shook Caldwell loose and looked frantically in Maren’s direction only to see her standing, pale as a ghost, hand covering her mouth as she looked down in horror.