Secret Agent Seduction (A Completed Novella)

CHAPTER 8

It had been hours since Jude called that Odie person. They were now bound with the CEOs. Jude had been quietly observing their captors the entire time. She wondered what he was thinking. There were two men in the basement. The others had gone to find a place to sleep. They were on a rotating schedule now. The gathering had been a celebration of success. Despite the loss of one of their own, they'd kidnapped the first of many top executives who were responsible for the state of the economy.

Josh Payne was their leader. He was the man Jude had been sent to find in connection with Chad Nichols. Now he'd found Payne and his organization, but Jude and Evie were trapped in their clutches. Josh Payne was a scary man. Tall and big with eerily pale blue eyes. He'd already demanded money from the authorities. But Evie had heard them say that they didn't intend to let anyone go. None of the hostages would be spared. All of the executives had to die as an example. And when they were dead, the group would endeavor to kidnap more. They planned to travel across the country, with the ultimate goal of causing change to benefit the working class for once, rather than the rich. It was ludicrous.

"Evie."

She turned to Jude at his whisper.

"Be ready."

"For what?"

He looked toward the window. She did, too, but saw nothing but daylight and trees.

The two guards were absorbed in a card game, one with his back to them, the other his profile.

Jude leaned over and untied her hands. His hands were free!

"How did you...?"

He untied his feet and stood. No one else who was bound said a word. Evie held her breath while she untied her own feet. The sight of Jude striding toward the two guards was awe-inspiring.

The guard sitting with his profile to them saw him first, but it was too late. Jude snapped his neck and then had his gun in hand and shot his partner before the man could put his cards down. She hurried to the first executive and untied his hands, then the next.

"Everyone behind me. You and you—" Jude pointed to two men "—take these." He tossed a pistol and a rifle that the guards had had to the two men. "The gunfire will bring them to us. Evie, go behind that bar!"

She ran there, crouching enough to see around the corner. One of the executives followed her, pitifully frightened.

"Do you actually run a corporation?" she asked.

The upper door opened and a stream of terrorists filed down the stairs. Jude fired along with the two others.

It was hopeless. Jude's meager team of gunmen was outnumbered.

An explosion deafened her a moment. Men scattered. A hole appeared in the wall where she and Jude had peered into the basement hours before. Men who were clad in black and heavily armed filed in, shooting along with Jude. The rest of the executives had found cover as soon as the explosion had hit.

When none of the leftists remained standing, Jude and the men in black ran upstairs. Evie ran after them. When she emerged into the main room of the house, she saw that Jude and his new friends had three men on the floor. One of them was Payne. A flurry of FBI agents arrived and took over the scene.

Jude came to stand beside her, his friends following to form a half circle around her.

"Evie, this is Odie and her husband, Jag Benney," Jude said, then turned to the other two men. "Rem D'Evereau and rescue expert Travis Todd."

Evie passed her gaze from one hulking man to the next. "He didn't tell me you were coming."

"We're in constant communication," the woman named Odie said. And then to Jude she asked, "How much have you told her about us?"