Chapter 6

It took twenty-four hours to get Landry stabilized enough to move. Hunter and Tristan took shifts with only Hunter's team and Tristan's personal friends as guards. Either Tristan or Hunter was awake at all times. Tristan had spent some of his "off" time with his friend, David, who was going to make a full recovery.

Landry had started to talk in his sleep about five hours ago. After a full day on antibiotics, IV fluids, and several wound cleansings later, he'd batted his eyes open, asked for Lydia, and fell back asleep. His fever broke at the same time that Ryker's plane landed in nearby Monaco.

"We can move him now," a similarly exhausted looking Dr. Fissore said after looking at the latest blood panels. "How are we going to get him out of here?"

"We got that covered. Hope you're not claustrophobic, Doc," Hunter told him.

They wrapped Landry up in a dark sheet, swaddling him like a baby before covering his head with the sheet. Hunter and his team then carefully laid Landry in an industrial rug, like the kind you walk on when you enter the lobby, and covered him with the ends. The same was done to the doctor, Tristan, and finally Hunter.

Then, a mix of Hunter and Tristan's team dressed as rug cleaners, loaded them on carts, pushed them to the back entrance, and hefted them into a box van that belonged to the rug cleaner used by the hospital. Inside the van, the two men who had lifted the rugs into the back of the van and the driver were part of Hunter's team. They were unwrapped, and Landry was moved back onto a hospital gurney where Dr. Fissore reattached his IV and monitored him on the drive to Monaco.

"Did anyone try to follow us?" Tristan asked as they neared the private airfield of the rich and famous. No one would expect a soldier to fly private.

"No, sir. Captain Bonetti monitored us from homebase and said we were in the clear. What do we do about security?" the soldier asked as they approached the gated entrance.

Hunter looked out and saw Ryker Faulkner, in full billionaire mode, striding toward the gate as if he owned the airfield. "I don't think we'll need to worry about it." Ryker handed the man a wad of cash and the gate opened. They were never stopped as they drove onto the private airfield.

Ryker pointed to the closest hangar and the soldier drove the van into it. The hangar doors closed as soon as Ryker had joined them. Only then did Hunter open the back of the van.

"Thanks for the plane," Hunter said as he climbed out. "This is bigger than your other plane. Is it new?"

"Borrowed from a friend. I brought everything you asked for. How's Landry?"

"His fever broke this morning. Doctor Fissore thinks he'll pull through," Hunter said, nodding to the doctor who was issuing orders on how to move Landry to the soldiers. "I didn't know you were going to be joining us," Hunter said to Ryker.

"I thought you could use the cover and I know who to bribe so it was as if you were never here. Plus, I wasn't going to let my wife come alone when danger is clearly following you. I also brought company." Ryker nodded to the plane.

The steps were lowered and Lydia raced down them with Edie a step behind her. Tristan instantly ran to his wife and wrapped her up in a tight hug. Hunter looked to the plane, hoping to see Maggie for some reason, but instead saw a couple of his brothers.

"I understand Rowan—he's a doctor—but Kane?" Hunter asked as his brothers walked down the stairs, followed by Dr. Gavin Faulkner and Ryker's wife, Kenzie, who was a nurse practitioner and former ER nurse.

"How do you think you got access to the rugs and that truck? That was all Kane. Your brother has more questionable contacts than I do. When sneaking out of a country, those are the contacts you need," Ryker said. "Also, why didn't you tell me Kane owned KAT Insurance?"

"You just learned that now? I thought you'd have hostage and kidnapping insurance," Hunter said as he watched Lydia running to the van.

"I thought KAT stood for Kidnap Abduction and Transactions, which is all over the website."

"Or Kane Allen Townsend."

Ryker rolled his eyes. "What is it with your family and their initials? Anyway, turns out I do have insurance through Kane's company. I thought he might be valuable in this situation."

Hunter's attention was taken away from Ryker as Lydia stopped when they lowered Landry's stretcher out of the van. "Landry, I'm here, baby. I'm here. I love you so much." Lydia kissed his face and held his hand. "I've missed you so much. Wake up so I can kill you again for lying to me." Lydia then gasped, tears flowing from her eyes. "He just squeezed my hand! Landry! Do you hear me?"

Dr. Fissore, Gavin, and Rowan all rushed forward as Kenzie was pulling out her stethoscope. They surrounded Landry. For the first time since Hunter had met Dr. Fissore, the man smiled.

Kane approached Hunter then, frowning. "They know Landry's been moved. They're trying to find him."

"Who?" Hunter asked as Tristan stepped away from Edie to join them.

"I don't know. Some . . . men in Millevia. Feelers have gone out to the underworld for information on American soldiers leaving the country. Money is being offered so there's not much time until we are found out."

"Can't we monitor their communication or something?" Hunter asked.

Kane shook his head. "This is old school, bro. All word of mouth. Nothing in writing, nothing on the Internet. It's being done through a known intermediary. I can stay and have a word with him if you want. I've worked with him before and I can usually pay him off."

"How confident are you that you can get information from him and not have it turn around and bite us in the ass?" Hunter asked.

Kane didn't react. He simply looked at Hunter impassively. "This is my job and I'm good at it. I'll get you the information you need, but it'll cost me."

"I'll cover the cost. I know the US government won't. Their stance is technically to not negotiate," Ryker said in the same serious tone as Kane. "Will five million be enough?"

"They usually ask for ten million, but I've never had to pay more than a million. Most of the time, I end up down to six hundred thousand, but that takes a lot of time." Kane answered. Hunter realized his little brother did a lot more than Hunter realized. "It'll take time. I have to work my contacts."

"Do it," Hunter said as he watched Lydia clinging to her husband.

With a nod, Kane walked back into the plane. A moment later, he came down with a backpack and left.

"That's what Kane does?" Rowan, the youngest brother of the Townsend family, asked. "I thought he just worked in an office selling insurance."

"Isn't this patient a little big for you?" Hunter asked. Rowan was a pediatric surgeon and Landry was no child.

"Parts are parts, you know. Plus, it's easier to see the organs when they're so big," Rowan joked. "But seriously, I'm here in case we have to do emergency surgery. You said only people we could trust. We couldn't take any risks with any other surgeons."

"Thanks, Row. Now, let's get out of here. The sooner we're on American soil, the better I'll feel."

Dr. Fissore filled the new medical team and Lydia in before leaving. He recounted the events since Landry first arrived at the hospital and then they worked to keep Landry comfortable before the plane took off. Landry had a whole section of the plane as they moved him to a couch where they were able to strap him in.

"You know what to do?" Hunter asked the doctor.

"Yes. I must admit I'm not looking forward to this bit, but when it's over, I'll report to the hospital that I was attacked in the room and knocked unconscious. When I woke up, Landry was gone."

Hunter nodded. "You're a good man. We couldn't have done this without you, Doc." Then Hunter punched him several times. He felt horrible about it, but it had to be done.

Hunter reached out and helped the doctor up where Hunter's team was ready to smuggle him back into the hospital. "Sorry about that."

"It needed to be done. Take care of him. And if you have a chance, let me know how he's doing."

Hunter was the last to board the plane. Only after everyone had boarded and the door was shut did the pilots get clearance to leave and the hangar doors opened.

"I'm guessing you didn't eat much," Edie said, her hand never leaving Tristan's.

"Not really," Tristan told her.

"I can fix that," Ryker said, standing up and headed to the kitchen on the plane.

"You look pale. Are you okay?" Tristan asked his wife.

She didn't look okay. She looked sick to her stomach and worried.

"Yes, we've just been a mess since we found out about Landry. I was worried to death about you, Maggie about Hunter, and then poor Lydia . . ."

"Wait," Hunter said, interrupting her. "Maggie was worried about me?"

"You are so smart, yet so freaking dumb," Rowan muttered.

Hunter turned to ask Edie about Maggie, but Edie suddenly jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Tristan frowned and hurried after her. A moment later, that was a shout from the bathroom. "You're pregnant?!"

Hunter and everyone else looked back to where Tristan emerged, looking elated. "I'm going to be a father."

Hugs were given and as the others celebrated, Hunter heard his name being called.

"Hunter," the soft voice said, drawing his attention to Lydia, who took the seat across from him. "I heard what you did for Landry." Lydia bit her lip as she reached out and took his hand in hers. "I don't know how I can ever thank you enough. The only thing I can do is this." Lydia stood up and smacked the back of Hunter's head hard. "Open your eyes, for crying out loud." Then she hugged him tightly as she cried. "Then maybe you can find someone to love as much as I love Landry."