“Sounds like a watered down explanation. I can’t see you hiding out, so you must have come here to see the computer screens.”
His lips curved.
“You want me to stay in here while you hunt for the watcher?”
“Please. That way I won’t worry about your safety while I’m outside.”
“Will I be able to see everything?”
“I’m not sure. Depends on where I catch this clown.” He lifted her chin with the edge of his hand. “Promise you’ll stay inside this room.”
“What if you need help?”
He smiled. The woman had guts, he’d give her that. She was afraid, yet willing to toss safety aside to help him. “I won’t.” Besides, if she had to come to his rescue, the situation was dire and in all likelihood, neither of them would survive.
Brent tapped the number on the card he’d laid on the desk top. “If I don’t come back within an hour, call Zane. He’ll know what to do.”
“Shouldn’t I call the police?”
“After you call Zane.” He grabbed a piece of paper from the desk drawer and wrote down the safe room codes in bold, black strokes. “These are the codes for the safe room. Don’t use them unless Zane tells you it’s safe to come out. Not for the cops or anyone else claiming to be from Fortress. Only me or Zane.”
She frowned. “I better not have to use this, Brent Maddox. I want more kisses from you.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Do you now? Good to know.” He dropped a quick kiss on her mouth and stepped around her. At the door he glanced back, reluctant to leave her.
“Go. I’ll be here when you return.”
With a nod, he left and secured the door. Brent tapped the screen on his watch. The screen changed. He’d already had the techs check his perimeter sensors which hadn’t gone off during Carstairs’ run at the house two nights ago. The minor malfunction had been fixed which meant the watcher either hadn’t crossed the perimeter yet or he’d eluded the sensors. Knowing his system, he voted for the former.
Brent checked his weapon, grabbed his night vision glasses from his Go bag, and slipped out the back door. A few steps onto the patio, he glanced at the security camera hidden in the eaves and gave Rowan a salute.
That done, he turned his mind to the hunt, pushing everything else aside for the moment. Weapon in hand, he hugged the shadows as he worked his way into the woods surrounding his home on three sides. If he had to guess, he’d say the watcher was hold up on the right side of his driveway. There was a particularly thick stand of trees two hundred feet from the house he’d been meaning to thin. Definitely a new priority if that was where his unwanted visitor was hiding.
He moved silently through the shadow-drenched forest. The cool breeze nipped at his skin. Though he hadn’t seen a tail as he drove home earlier, that didn’t mean there wasn’t one. If the watcher was connected to Rowan’s situation, Brent wanted to have a chat with this one before turning him over to the cops.
He circled the rocks and skirted the creek. When he shifted closer to where he suspected the watcher might be, Brent slipped on his NVGs. Immediately, the world lit up.
Quartering the area, Brent spotted the watcher right where he figured. Careful to place his feet where he wouldn’t alert the other man to his approach, he came up behind the crouched figure. A man from the build, one with a phone in his hand.
Brent frowned as he eased off the glasses and laid them aside to retrieve later. If one of his operatives had been messing with his phone on a mission, Brent would have fired him on the spot. In a rush, he took the guy down from behind. Shadow Man twisted loose like a slippery eel and spun to face Brent.
Brent shifted position as the man side-stepped, hoping to gain an advantage. Shadow Man moved into a bright patch of moonlight. Didn’t recognize him. The guy stopped circling and ran at him like a linebacker. At the last second, Brent made a minute adjustment and Shadow Man missed him. He pivoted and charged again.
Brent blocked a right cross, countered with his own which connected. The other man swore and redoubled his efforts to throw punches. A kick to the ribs had the man roaring in pain and fury. Shadow Man tried his own spinning kick. Brent blocked the kick, grabbed his leg, twisted, and took him down to the ground. Two short punches to the gut and ribs, a fist to the jaw, and in less than a minute, Brent flipped him to his belly and zip tied his hands. A quick search revealed a .40 caliber Glock and a Smith and Wesson knife. Sweet, well-balanced knife. Brent had one of his own that he favored.
He yanked Shadow Man to his feet. “Let’s go.”
The man struggled and earned himself a clout to the side of his head.
“Knock it off,” Brent snapped. “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot you on sight.”
“Where are you taking me?” the man growled. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Trespassing is something.”
A low laugh. “That all you’ve got? I’ll be out on bail in a matter of hours.”
“Who said anything about calling the cops?”
Shadow Man froze in place.
Brent shoved him into motion again. “Now you’re worried?” Idiot. He should have been worried the minute he stepped foot on Brent’s land. His eyes narrowed. Unless this clown was after Rowan. “Why are you watching my house?”
“I don’t have to say nothing. I want a lawyer.”
“Tell it to the nearest cop.” He didn’t bother asking any more questions. No point. Brent would learn more information by running his prints and picture through the Fortress system.
In the kitchen, he shoved Shadow Man into a chair and secured his arms and legs. He
