"Lawe will be waiting on us in your office," Rachel told him as she glanced back to the E-pad. He has the files ready in the reader we use for the committees, loaded and unencrypted. Does he need anything else?"
Jonas shook his head. "Have him meet us in the parking garage. We'll take the limo to the Justice Department. How much longer do we have?"
"One hour before the hearing."
There was still had time.
Nodding, he shut the E-pad down, stored it back in Rachel's case, then stared into D.C.'s cloud-riddled skyline. The weather was calling for a blizzard. He hoped they made it home this evening before it hit. He had planned for champagne in front of the fire, the skylight over the fireplace opened and the blizzard blowing around them as he made love to his mate.
It wasn't a plan that he wanted to cancel.
"Snipers report all-clear," Jackal called back from the cockpit. "All areas secured for landing."
"Take her down," Jonas ordered, his gaze moving over the area as he assessed it for possible threats.
The heli-jet set down within the landing pad on the roof. Jonas quickly released Rachel's flight straps before releasing the catch on his own. Jackal threw open the door and Jonas jumped out, the
n turned, gripped his mate's waist and set her gently on the floor of the roof, all the while shielding her body with his own.
"Stay here," he ordered as he turned back to Jackal. "We should be ready to fly before dark. I want to get back before the snow hits."
It was definitely going to snow. Jonas could feel the threat of weather in the air, almost taste the ice crystals on his tongue. There was an overwhelming urge to turn around and fly back to Sanctuary.
"I'll be here," Jackal assured him as he reached in and handed Jonas the heavy briefcase Rachel had brought with them.
Turning to the building's entrance, Jonas checked to make certain the Enforcers were in place before they headed across the roof. They moved quickly toward the pair as Jonas indicated he was ready to leave the safety of the shield offered by the heli-jet.
Surrounded by the three Enforcers, they made their way quickly across the roof and into the elevator.
"Enforcer Justice is waiting in the garage," the Breed at his side informed Jonas. "He asked that you be apprised that the limo is waiting outside the elevator and ready to roll."
Jonas gave a quick nod as he laid his hand against Rachel's lower back and handed her the briefcase, in preparation of escorting her quickly into the limo.
The doors slid open on the basement level. An Enforcer stepped out, opened the back door and Jonas helped Rachel into the limo before stepping in himself.
The door closed behind them, the locks snapping into place.
Jonas jerked alert at the sound, his hand going quickly to the door handle to attempt to jerk it open. With his strength and the rage pounding through him, it would have been no large feat to trip the mechanism in the door.
"Do you want me to kill your mate?" The voice through the intercom system was well-known and filled with amused satisfaction. "Alert the Breeds outside that there's a problem, and I promise you she'll die."
Jonas's gaze sliced to Rachel. She was silent, staring back at him with wide, shocked eyes as her hand slid slowly inside the opened compartment of the briefcase.
She was sitting with her back to the driver's area, the case on her lap, and he knew what she was doing. She was pressing the wipe key to the E-pads and erasing all the information they contained.
As her hand slid back from the case, the partition slid down, revealing Phillip Brandenmore's bodyguard, Josef Svenson. The weasel-faced, dark-haired Svenson watched them through beady eyes, a smile curling his thin lips.
"Ms. Broen, please move to Mr. Wyatt's side, if you don't mind."
Rachel allowed the briefcase to slide silently to the floor of the limo as she moved to sit beside Jonas, facing the bodyguard silently.
"So tell me." He leveled a lethal, black laser handgun at Rachel's head. "Where's the brat? I thought Mommy never left home without her."
CHAPTER 23
Rage was a burning brand thundering through Jonas's veins, ripping through his brain as Jonas stared at the weapon trained on Rachel.
Brandenmore. How had the bastard managed to get through security? What the hell had happened to Lawe? Jonas knew his Enforcers; they would have never allowed anything like this to happen. The very fact that Brandenmore's bodyguards had the limo meant Lawe was most likely dead.