Chapter 22

Watery sunlight peeked through the boards over the barred window, marking the floor with bands of gold dancing with sparkling dust motes. Jenna always referred to the shimmering particles as fairies. They swirled around, tossed by the wind for a few seconds before a cloud hid them from sight. Where was she? Free and searching for him and Tauri or tied up somewhere to use as leverage. As there’d been no mention of her by any of the men, and Kane had understood every word they’d uttered, even though they’d changed from their initial Spanish tongue to Portuguese in an attempt to outwit him. If they had Jenna, one of them would have mentioned her as they had often mentioned Tauri. At only five, his son, although strong and very smart, would be terrified. He wished he could reach out to him and tell him all would be well. He drank water and got slowly to his feet, stretching a little and then relaxing at the sound of footsteps and grunts in what he imagined was a small passageway outside the metal door.

The door swung open and the rusty hinges complained with a high-pitched whine. Kane’s attention moved to them. A well-placed kick might break the bottom hinge and make it easier for him to escape. The door opened to reveal two men carrying a heavy metal table. Red-faced with effort, they fought to guide it through the door and once inside they pushed it into a corner. Amused, Kane bit back a smile as they bent over breathing heavily, with their rifles swung over their backs. They were prime for the taking and, muscles bunched in anticipation of lethal action, his hands closed around the chains. He froze at the sound of Tauri’s protests from the passageway. The next second, Mateo walked in dragging his son.

“Daddy.” Tauri wild-eyed and frantic turned and bit down hard on Mateo’s hand. The man released him in a string of curses and Tauri ran to Kane and wrapped around his legs. “Daddy, Daddy.” His face crumpled and tears flowed down his cheeks.

Kane had seconds to react, he assumed all the players were in the room with him. Taking in the position of the men and the actions required to take them down, he scanned the room. His main objective was to protect his son. Using the chains was his only option. His gaze rested for a split second on the heavy metal table against the wall and his plan slid into place. Holding up a hand to Mateo, Kane gripped Tauri close to him. “If you want my cooperation, give me some time with my son.”

“Ah, at last you are taking me seriously.” Mateo shook his injured hand. “Think long and hard about what might happen to the kid because he won’t be leaving my side until you’ve testified in our favor.”

Any moment, Kane could attack but he needed precious seconds to get Tauri to safety. He allowed his combat face to fall into place and raised his chin. “You think long and hard about touching my son, because if you do, you’d better kill me now because one thing is for darn sure, I’ll hunt you down and tear you apart. Nothing or no one will be able to stop me. I’ll never give up and you will die slowly and in agony.”

“This is trash-talking. You’re my prisoner and I’m no fool. I know you’re a law-abiding deputy and must play by the rules of the law or you’ll go to jail.” Mateo stared at him. “You do know what happens to cops in jail, right?”

After seeing the sudden shift from bravado to uncertainty, Kane needed to even out the odds. The cartel knew little about him and these people lived in a world of uncertainty and violence where threats had substance if used in the right way. Not wanting to alarm Tauri he slipped into Spanish and smiled at Mateo. “You see what I want you to see. You have no idea who I am or what I’m capable of doing. I ripped the head off the last man who touched my family and fed him to the pigs. I’d be a hero in jail, but they’ll never catch me. I’ll be too busy hunting down your family and killing each one of them.”

Bending, Kane pulled Tauri close and spoke to him in his native tongue. “I’ve got you. Everything will be okay, but I need to get free. When I say ‘go,’ hide under the table, against the wall. Curl up like a little mouse. Close your eyes and cover your ears until I come and get you. Be brave, my little eagle.”

“Okay.” Tauri nodded like an automaton and wiped his eyes on a shirt two sizes too big for him. His feet were bare and dirty.

Anger shivered through Kane. It was something that rarely happened to him. With one hand on Tauri’s shoulder, he straightened and relaxed, combat ready. He’d get Tauri out of this situation or die trying.