Thank you for the reviews and for waiting patiently to see the fate of our Queen. Without further ado...
Chapter 10
Joseph pushed the pedal all the way to the floor. He had the last known coordinates and even though the signal had grown weak…and he refused to accept the worst-case scenario for why that might be, he was going to get there, find her, and bring her the hell home.
Charlotte sat in the seat next to him. She'd refused to stay at the palace despite a command from her Queen. She had decided to ride with him since she said she didn't want to argue with Shades the entire drive over.
Thankfully Amelia HAD listened to her security and stayed within the palace walls. Several trusted members of security along with some of the royal guard were surrounding her in a show of force.
"How much longer?" Joseph asked for the fifth time since they left the palace.
Charlotte looked down at the laptop screen showing the faint red dot and silently willed her to hang on. "About fifteen minutes."
He nodded.
"What's the game plan, Joe?"
"I'm going to get my wife."
Charlotte stifled a sigh. While she loved the fierceness with which Joseph protected those he loved, when it came to his wife, he had blinders on. "I'm on board with that, just wondering if you and Shades talked about strategy or are we just going to storm the house, castle, whatever it is with guns blazing?"
Joseph made no attempt to hide his sigh. He touched the earpiece to initiate two way communications. "Shades?"
"Yes?"
"Do you have thoughts on a plan?"
"I had Michael pull up images of the place on Google maps. If we stop about 100 yards away, we can circle around through the trees and quietly enter through the doors, equal number of men at each one."
"And if they're locked?"
"We coordinate the timing, kick them all in at once and then search until we find her."
Joseph cringed. It was probably their best bet but depending on where they were holding Clarisse, they could do serious harm before they found her. "How about I use my lock picking skills to open one door. I file in either by myself or with one other man until we locate her or clear the house and then the troops pour in and take them by surprise."
There was a long pause. "You can pick locks?"
Joseph chuckled. "I grew up poor and had a tendency to stay out later than I was supposed to. Momma always locked the door at curfew figuring she'd find me out on the porch in the morning and admitting I'd learned my lesson."
"I'm guessing that plan didn't work out for her?"
"No," he laughed. "Though she spent more money than she should have on changing the locks trying to teach me that lesson. I became very proficient and, because I'm always prepared, my set is always in my pocket."
"Alright, your plan sounds better. I'll let everyone know."
Twenty minutes later, Joseph took a calming breath as he stood in front of a side door to an eerie looking house. Though to call it a house would not do it justice. It wasn't quite as grand as the palace but would or could qualify as a manor house or mansion. He knelt down and focused on the small hole in the door in front of him. Everyone else was hidden in the tree line waiting for him to make good on his promise to pick the lock.
He closed his eyes and thought of his mother and the way she'd pretend to be cross with him when she'd find him tucked away in his bed in the morning after a late night out. Then he thought of Clarisse but decided to lock her away safely for a few minutes. If he let his emotions get the better of him, he'd never manage the finesse required to move the necessary pieces and gain entrance.
After a long, slow breath out he opened his eyes and went to work. Surprisingly, it wasn't all that hard. Perhaps there was usually security around so no need for sophisticated locking mechanisms? It made him think he should check the status of the locks at all the doors to the palace as well. He turned and gave the signal. Cameron, one of the newer guards who'd proven his worth multiple times already, emerged from the tree line and came to stand behind Joseph.
Quietly, he slipped inside and shut the door with Cameron close behind. He gestured to make sure the door remained unlocked. Most of the lights were on, but the atmosphere was eerily quiet. A few military hand signals later, Cameron headed upstairs, and Joseph began to search the main floor.
Room by room was cleared before Joseph quietly signaled the rest of the team to join them in the room that appeared to be where Clarisse had been held. A moment later they were huddled together, whispering just in case there might be listening devices or, worse yet, another bomb.
"They had to have known we were coming," Cameron whispered.
Joseph nodded. "Yes. I found a cup of tea that was still warm. They can't have been gone long."
A moment later, Lionel joined the group. Shades cut him a look. "Where have you been?"
"Sorry, sir. I wanted to check the garage to see if vehicles were there or not."
Shades rubbed his forehead. "Fair enough. So what did you find?"
"I can't be certain how many vehicles were there before, but I didn't notice any disturbance around the area and the engines were all cold from the several cars that are there."
That was good enough for Joseph. Lionel may be a pain, but his attention to detail was among the best on the security staff. If they left quickly, there would have been significant signs of disturbance as they hurried to escape. Which meant…
"They're still here." Joseph offered in a quiet voice.
Shades nodded. "But where?"
Joseph took a deep breath in and then exhaled slowly. He started scanning the room from top to bottom. If he concentrated, he could still smell her lingering perfume. Inch by painstaking inch, he surveyed every board, picture, and floor board. Finally, his eyes caught a glint of metal in the light. He moved over to the other side of the room and knelt down. A moment later, he blinked back the moisture gathering in his eyes as he realized it was Clarisse's bracelet he'd given her just before they left for the ballet.
It could be any number of reasons that her bracelet was there, but he needed to believe it was left there as a way for him to find her. He slipped it into his pocket and began to feel his way up the wall, searching for any lever or other mechanism that would open a secret tunnel. A moment later, he felt the latch under his finger. He gave the signal, and the teams took up positions on the entry side of the soon to be door. A few more hand signals later and everyone understood they would enter quietly, guns drawn until they could determine what was on the other side.
A small click and it was game on. Joseph's adrenaline spiked as he waited for the men to file in. Before he could even get through the door, gunfire erupted. His heart leapt into his throat. Normally, he would want to be in the fray, taking down the bad guys. But this time, he only had one objective. He took cover behind a column, most likely used for structural support. His gaze scanned the room, looking for any sign of Clarisse.
Finally, he spotted a man with his back turned to him who bent over and picked up something…someone…Clarisse!
Joseph's heart stopped beating has he realized the man was taking her away. He couldn't let that happen. Holding his gun close to his chest, he peered carefully around the column to plot his path to his wife. He touched the piece in his ear. "Lay down cover fire for me. I need a distraction. On my mark."
He didn't hear a response, but he knew they'd heard. They couldn't take their hands off their guns to active the speaking portion of the communication device. That was okay. They were well trained and he was the boss for decades. They would follow his lead. Including Shades.
"Mark!"
At his signal, the sound of rapid gun fire filled the area. He kept to the wall to avoid any stray bullets and moved from cover to cover until he was able to exit the same way he'd seen the man taking Clarisse. A moment later, he heard her voice, faint and distressed. "Joseph…"
At her saying his name, the man turned around. Joseph lifted his gun, finger ready to pull the trigger. "Jacob!"