Im almost positive its an equipment malfunction and not an actual leak, he said, more to himself than her. But its something I feel the need to micromanage.
Understandable. But, Daniel, theres a man here who really needs to talk to you.
Youll have to reschedule his appointment. Is it that guy about the intern program?
No, hes coming later. This man doesnt have an appointment. But
They why are we even talking about him? Tell him to make an appointment.
He tried, but apparently the online form tripped him up, and Daniel, he seems so desperate. I feel you should listen to him.
Desperate about what? You can turn around.
She did. He was in the process of tucking a crisp white shirt into his suit pants. Without being asked, she searched in the bottom of the armoire for an appropriate pair of shoes. It was one of the things she was good atanticipating his needs. She enjoyed her job, but it was demanding, and she was always glad that, at the end of the workday, she could clock out and his wife, Jamie, could take over. Not that he ordered Jamie around the way he did Elena.
His brother is in prison for killing his wife, and
This is about Project Justice? Did you tell him to go online
He said hes done that. But he had trouble with the form, and theres a deadline involved
Death row? Daniel knotted his tie without even using a mirror.
No. Life in prison. But
An impending execution is the only excuse for anybody not going through the proper channels. Elena, you know the rules. Frankly, Im surprised that youre bothering me with this.
She felt properly chastised. But if Daniel could just talk to him for five minutes... Okay, she was pulling out the big guns. Id consider it a personal favor. She didnt ask him for much. He worked her hard, but he also paid her well and demonstrated his concern for her well-being every day.
That made Daniel stop. Elena. I cant today. This isnt an ordinary crisis. If we cant get the new power plant on line, on schedule, it will cost us millions of dollars. And if this is more than a gauge malfunctionwell, it could be a lot worse.
Logan Energys foray into alternative energies was a gamble, but Daniel thought it unwise to keep all his eggs in the fossil fuel basket. He wanted to do his part to reduce carbon emissions, too. Naturally he was more anxious than usual.
Tell this man that if he cant manage the form on his ownthough frankly a trained monkey could do ithe can ask for assistance. If someone really needs Project Justices help, theyll persevere. With that, Daniel strode toward the stairs, leaving her in his wake. Call Randall and have him get the Town Car ready.
Clearly this conversation was over.
She hated the thought of going back to Travis Riggs and telling him that a meeting with Daniel was impossible. It made her boss sound so unfeeling, when really he wasnt. He just had so many demands on his time that he couldnt accommodate everyone; he had to set priorities.
Well, Elena wasnt going to give Travis the bad news over the intercom. That was just too cold. She understood what it was like to be desperate. At a tender age, shed experienced the real risk of her father going to prison simply for speaking his mind. How much worse must it have been for Eric Riggss little girl to lose her father to incarceration?
Brandon, one of Daniels security guys, had come back from lunch, and now she could take her lunch hour. She threw a blazer on over her dress and exited the house through the massive front door. She made her way down the driveway, belatedly recalling that cobblestones and high heels didnt mix very well. She ended up taking off her shoes and walking in her bare feet. As she approached, she saw he was still standing there. How long would he have waited?
* * *
TRAVIS WAS GETTING himself worked up. Who did this guy think he was, making him stand at the gates like this, not even letting him onto the property? Travis wasnt some criminal planning to steal the silverware.
Daniel was probably inside his climate-controlled mansion finishing off his filet mignon and caviar lunch, planning whether to spend his afternoon playing polo or tennis. Travis had heard that he actually owned his own string of polo ponies, like freaking Prince Charles or something.
Who cared about some poor schmuck standing out in the street? Let him wait. How long did it take to ask someone whether he could see a guy for five minutes? If Daniel was going to turn down Traviss request, why couldnt he just do it already? Then Travis could move on to his next strategy.
He wasnt sure what that strategy would be, but he wasnt giving up. Maybe he would go to the media, point out how cold and heartless the supposedly philanthropic Daniel Logan really was.
He saw a flash of blue coming toward him and refocused his eyes. It was a woman in a blue dress and a blue jacket. Carrying her shoes. A tall, shapely woman with long, golden-brown hair and the bearing of a queen. Could it be? Could this be the owner of that incredible, exotic voice from the intercom?
The closer she got, the more sure he became. Her looks were as exotic as her voice. Was she Brazilian, maybe?
She raised her hand in a little wave, but he was too transfixed to wave back.
Mr. Riggs?
Still here. He was amazed his voice sounded so normal. Youre letting me in?
No. Im letting myself out. She unlocked the gate with some kind of magnetic card plus a numeric code she quickly typed in on a keypad. The gates began to open, swinging almost silently inward. As soon as the gap between the gates was wide enough, she slid through. The moment she was through, the gates halted and then reversed direction.
Whats going on? he asked. Her behavior seemed strange, to say the least.
I wanted to talk to you face-to-face. Im Elena Marquez, Daniels personal assistant.
You could have let me in, instead of walking all the way down here. What is it, a quarter mile?
She ignored the question. The staff isnt allowed to let anyone onto the property who doesnt have security clearance.
That told him all he needed to know. Son of a bitch. Hes not going to listen.
Please, try to understand. Hes got a lot on his plate right now.
Oh, and I dont? My whole familys been torn apart.
Im sorry.
Some lowlife is out there walking free while my brother rots in prison. His little girl is so traumatized she wont talk about what happened, and shes about to be adopted by a couple of loons who actually like it that she hardly talks. I think the only reason they want her is because shes going to inherit a bunch of money from her great-grandmother.
Im sorry.
Yeah? Well, sorry doesnt cut it. Ill stand out here all day and all night. Ill chain myself to these damn ridiculous gates. He gestured toward the wrought-iron monstrosities. What kind of egomaniac has front gates with their six-foot initials worked into the design?
Daniel didnt do thathis father did. Look, Mr. Riggs, I wouldnt recommend that you take up some kind of vigil here. It wont work. Daniel takes a dim view of people who use extreme tactics to try to pressure him into doing something. The result will be the opposite of what you want. Hell have you arrested for trespassing.
Travis was so frustrated that he could have easily put his fist through the stone column he stood next to. But all that would accomplish was a broken hand, which would mean he couldnt work. He settled for giving one of the shrubs a vicious kick. It broke off at the ground, leaving a raw stub.
Elenas eyes widened. Excuse me, but theres no reason to destroy private property.
Will you have me arrested for that, too? Why dont you go back to your insulated little world with your manicured shrubs and your Rolls-Royces? He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. He wasnt exactly in a financial position that he could afford to throw money around, but there was the matter of the bush hed just killed.
He held it out to her. This ought to cover the dead shrub.
I dont want your money.
Take it. I dont want it on my conscience. After hed left prison, hed sworn he would never break the law again.
Not unless he had no other choice.
Hell, he shouldnt be taking this out on Daniels underling. It probably wasnt her fault. Unless...unless shed never actually talked to him in the first place. With that thought, his frustration rose again. What did it take to get his message across? All he wanted was an audience. A few minutes. He didnt think he was asking too much, yet this woman did.
He had to get out of there, before he said or did something hed regret.
Travis had parked his truck on the street. Although it was in top running condition, it was old, and there was so much paint spattered on it that the original color was impossible to tell. Hed parked off to the side because he hadnt wanted the high-and-mighty Daniel Logan to see it, to realize Travis was a working-class guy. How stupid, to be ashamed of his truck.
You havent heard the end of this, he said as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. Maybe the Chronicle or one of the TV stations will be interested in how Daniel Logan acts when hes not in the public eye.
Oh, no, Mr. Riggs, please, please dont do that. She hobbled after him, still in her stocking feet. The concrete was strewn with sharp gravel, and it must have hurt, but she didnt seem to notice. You really dont want to get on Daniels bad side. Dont get me wrong, hes a good mancompassionate, reallyand he helps a lot of people. But if you cross him, he can be a dangerous enemy. Bad publicity only harms Project Justices reputation, and then everyone has to waste resources doing damage control. It wont help anyone, least of all you.
Did they teach you that speech at spin school?
I... Excuse me?
I was just thinking you sounded a lot like a PR spokesperson just now, spouting some carefully worded sound bite intended to appeal to my emotions. Well, lady, Im not getting help anyway. What have I got to lose?
Just dont do anything rash, she begged as they reached his truck. Think about it overnight. You do have other options.
Oh, really? What might those be?
Well, the online form
I tried that, remember?
You didnt try hard enough, apparently. People fill that form out every day. Somehow, they manage to do it.
Oh, that was it. Hed reached his tolerance for this bullshit.
So, Daniel wont respond to pressure tactics, huh? Well, Id like to see him ignore this. He opened his trucks rigid cargo cover and, in one swift motion, he scooped the woman up and thrust her into the trucks bed. He got the fleeting impression of her soft, womanly body against his, a photo-flash image of the look of surprise and hurt on her face.
And fear.
Duck, he said. Then he slammed the cargo cover down and locked it.
CHAPTER TWO
IT TOOK ELENAS brain a few long, terrifying seconds to realize what had just happened. Shed been abducted. Kidnapped. That seemingly nice man, who moments earlier she had sympathized with, had just thrown her into the back of his truck like so much dirty laundry.
Her heart hammered in her ears and her breath came in quick, short gaps. Okay, okay. She had to calm down and think clearly. She had to take stock of her situation and then formulate a plan.
First off, was she injured? She knew from her freshman biology class at Saint Thomas University that adrenaline could mask pain, and judging from how fast her heart was beating, her body had been flooded with the stuff. But she didnt think she was seriously injured. In fact, though Travis had practically thrown her into his truck, she distinctly remembered her head cushioned against his muscular forearm even as the rest of her landed with a thunk on the carpeted truck bed.
Her hip hurt. She felt around with her hand and realized shed landed on a tool of some kinda wrench, she decided, as she explored the cold steel item with her fingers. She shoved it out of the way.
Her prison was utterly dark. Although the vehicle was a pickup truck, it had a cargo cover. One made of granite, apparently, because it wouldnt budge no matter how she kicked and shoved.
The truck was moving fastat least it seemed that way. Travis took a corner on two wheels, and a slew of tools slid against Elena. She shoved them aside, irritated. Hey, watch the driving, she yelled.
Doing the best I can, he yelled back, his voice muffled but understandable.
Dios mío, he could hear her! She kicked against the cargo cover. Let me out! You let me out of here right now!
Simmer down back there.
Hijo de puta! she yelled, because she couldnt think of anything else. Daniel is going to kick your ass.
He muttered something that sounded like, I dont doubt it.
So the cargo cover didnt come off. Maybe she could get the tailgate open? Didnt modern vehicles have latches that could be worked from the inside? Granted, this truck was probably ten years old, but that counted as modern in her book. Her uncle Cesar still drove a 1976 Monte Carlo.
She felt around for a latch and found something near her elbow that was lumpy and bumpy, but no matter which way she pressed and squeezed, she couldnt make any parts move.
She had to face it: she wasnt escaping from the truck. She needed a new plan.
Travis was taking her someplace. Where? Before hiring her as his assistant, Daniel had required Elena to take a personal self-defense course for just this reason. He was a powerful man, and some people hated him and might try to get to him through her. Plus, she was an attractive woman, hed said in a matter-of-fact, nonflirtatious way, and she needed to be able to fend off unwanted advances.
Shed been the worst student in the class. Her attempts to defend herself against her well-padded attackers had been pathetic. But she remembered her instructor stressing one thing: never let an assailant get you into his vehicle. If he did, your chances of survival diminished considerably.
That depressing thought wasnt helpful. What if Travis was driving her to some isolated woods, where he intended to rape her, murder her and bury her in a shallow grave?
Her one chance was to fight backbefore he tied her up with duct tape and put a plastic bag over her head and skinned her alive Oh, Dios, she had to stop watching those true-crime shows. She absolutely refused to believe Travis was the skinning-alive type of guy. He was a man who loved his brother, and hed done something out of desperation. Shed seen that in his eyes. She hadnt seen the dead eyes of a psychopathic serial killer, right?