Chapter 35

35

Jimbo approached, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light, no hint of the pleasant, slightly dim desk clerk left.

Kate struggled, but Hawk gripped her upper arms, his fingers digging into her flesh through the layers of clothing.

"Grab her sidearm," Hawk ordered, his voice cold and commanding.

Jimbo obeyed instantly, moving in with a smirk. He unzipped her parka, his fingers brushing against her chest as he grabbed her M18 out of its holster.

"Nice," he said, his voice dripping with appreciative sarcasm. He stuffed the gun inside his own jacket, patting it with a self-satisfied grin.

"Don't forget the knives." Hawk hauled her back against him. "You still carry a couple for extra insurance, right, Kitty Cat?"

She clenched her teeth, wanting more than anything to punch him in the face.

"Yup," he gloated, as Jimbo dug the two weapons out of her boots.

Hawk released her, pushing her away from him with a rough shove. She stumbled forward, catching herself against the ice-covered wall before she fell.

She whirled on the two men, her eyes blazing with fury. "Where's Fenn?"

Jimbo opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated, glancing at Hawk with a questioning look.

Hawk merely shrugged, his expression casual and unconcerned.

"He's catching some extra Zs," Jimbo answered finally.

Kate's hands clenched into fists at her sides. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off Jimbo's face, to snap his neck like a twig.

But she knew she wouldn't make it two steps before Hawk stopped her. He was too fast, too strong, and too skilled, and with her gun in Jimbo's possession, she was at a serious disadvantage.

She forced herself to take a deep breath, to think past the fury coursing through her veins. She needed to stay calm, to keep her wits about her if she was going to get out of this alive.

And she needed to find Fenn, before it was too late.

The abandoned station was cold and damp, the air heavy with the smell of mildew and decay. The only light came from their flashlights.

She shivered, but not from the cold.

Fenn was likely alive, but for how long? And what about her? She was at the mercy of two dangerous men, with no way to defend herself.

Nothing Hawk did now would surprise her, but she knew he wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to separate her from Fenn and drag her out to the abandoned base only to shoot her now. And if Fenn really was alive–– please, Jesus, let him be alive– –Hawk had a good reason for keeping him that way.

"Cooperate and you'll be heading home. Unharmed," Hawk said, his voice smooth and confident, as if he could read her mind.

Right. Like that was going to happen.

"Seriously, Kitty Cat. Think about it." He fixed her with one of those deep, penetrating looks that used to make her weak in the knees, that used to make her wish he'd gaze at her forever.

Now, the expression only made her want to claw his face off.

Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. She forced herself to slow her breathing, to focus on the task at hand. She needed to find out what Hawk wanted, needed to figure out a way to get to Fenn, and get them both out of this mess.

Hawk directed Jimbo to go start the generator, ordering him to get some heat and lights going. Then he turned to Kate, his eyes cruel and indifferent.

"Down the stairs," he said, his voice brooking no argument. "Now."

She hesitated, her eyes darting around the room, looking for any way out. Unless she was willing to risk a bullet, there was none. With a sinking feeling in her gut, she obeyed, making her way down the twisted, flattened stairs to what used to be the first floor of the building.

Now, it was little more than a crushed ice-basement, the ceiling sloping from fifteen feet high at the front end to less than four at the back, where the ice wall behind it had crushed it.

She shivered, her breath misting in front of her face. The cold was seeping into her bones, making her teeth chatter and her fingers go numb.

The makeshift holding cell was in the far corner, across from the crushed quarter of the structure. As when she and Fenn had found the place, there was a steel cot piled high with sub-zero sleeping bags, and an old file cabinet used as a nightstand.

The generator thrummed to life from up above, the sound echoing off the concrete walls. Almost instantly, hot air began to blow out of foil-wrapped tubes that snaked through the doorway, bringing with it the faint smell of diesel fuel.

The massive, makeshift system would bring the interior temperature up above freezing, if only just. For now, it was still cold enough that her uncovered face felt like it was freezing, but at least it was better than nothing.

She huddled deeper into her parka, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of Fenn. But there was none. Just the empty cot and the file cabinet, the only signs of life in the abandoned building.

Hawk watched her, his eyes glinting in the dim light. "Make yourself comfortable," he said, his voice mocking. "You're going to be here a while."

Kate glared at him, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "What do you want, Hawk?" she asked, her voice tight with anger and fear. "Why are you doing this?"

The man she had once loved smiled, his expression cold and cruel. "You'll find out soon enough, Kitty Cat. Just sit tight and be a good girl, and maybe you'll live to see another day."

He grabbed her wrist, his grip like a vise as he secured her to the frame of the bed with handcuffs. She glared at him, her eyes blazing with fury, but he merely smiled, a parody of an apology on his lips.

The legs of the bed were twisted and bent, their feet encased in ice. Even if she could get out of the cuffs, the only way out was up the smashed stairs…and straight into Jimbo's line of sight.

Still, she had to try. She tugged on the cuffs. The bed frame was sturdy, the handcuffs secure. There was nothing she could use as a weapon, nothing she could use to escape.

Not that she'd found. Yet. The sooner Hawk left, the sooner she could get about planning her exit.

Hawk watched her go through her silent sit rep. "Need anything?" he asked, his voice a mockery of a kindly host.

Kate didn't deign to answer. Her first concern was Fenn. "If you've hurt Fenn, I swear…"

Hawk held up his hands, a smirk on his face. "Relax, babe," he said. "Your boy's fine. I want him alive and able to convey to Jason Reilly and the rest of your team that I have you hostage."

Relief washed over her, making her knees tremble. That made a horrible kind of sense. Fenn would be okay.

And he'd be on his way. Soon. Hawk had made a serious error in judgment.

Fenn would come for her.

She scowled at Hawk. "There was no evidence you needed, was there?"

"That's a negative. You're the prize, Kitty Cat. Thanks for making it so easy."

His words burned, but Kate refused to let them get to her. Capturing her would be the last easy thing the man ever did.

A storm was coming. This time, it was all her.