A scream tore from her throat when he came down on top of her

      “Calm down. Damn it, it’s me. Jake.”

      Leigh stopped struggling. A shudder moved through her when she realized who it was. At precisely the same time it struck her that every hard angle of his muscular body fit against hers with the utter perfection of a well-worn kid glove. Her body recognized his on some primal, instinctive level and responded. Breathing hard, trembling violently beneath him, she blinked the hair from her eyes, trying to make out his features in the semidarkness.

      The sight of him hit her with the power of a hollow point bullet. Her heart dipped and then spun into a wild freefall. She stared at him, unable to move, a hundred emotions descending in a rush….

      “Get off of me!” she cried.

      Operation: Midnight Escape

      Linda Castillo

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Linda Castillo knew at a very young age that she wanted to be a writer—and penned her first novel at the age of thirteen. She is the winner of numerous writing awards, including the Holt Medallion, the Golden Heart, the Daphne du Maurier and received a nomination for the prestigious RITA^® Award.

      Linda loves writing edgy romantic suspense novels that push the envelope and take her readers on a roller-coaster ride of breathtaking romance and thrilling suspense. She resides in Texas with her husband, four lovable dogs and an Appaloosa named George. For a complete list of her books, check out her Web site at www.lindacastillo.com. Contact her at [email protected] Or write her at P.O. Box 577, Bushland, Texas 79012.

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      Jake Vanderpol—Six years ago this MIDNIGHT operative sold his soul to bring down his nemesis—and it cost him the only woman he’d ever loved. Will he make the same mistake twice?

      Leigh Michaels—She’s running for her life from a killer who is obsessed with her. Can she trust Jake Vanderpol to keep her safe?

      Ian Rasmussen—Escaped from prison, he doesn’t care about running away. All he cares about is revenge against the woman who testified against him. The woman he’d once loved.

      Sean Cutter—Burned out from twelve years of deep undercover work for the CIA, he is facing his first professional crisis as lead agent for the MIDNIGHT team. He must decide if Jake Vanderpol is a rogue agent or a godsend.

      Mike Madrid—A master computer hacker with a shady past. He was the only agent who knew where Jake and Leigh had fled. Did he give up their location to Rasmussen?

      Rick Monteith—Ex-cop turned rookie agent. He will do anything to prove himself. When the test comes, will he be ready?

      Derrick LeValley—This deputy U.S. Marshal accepted a cool one million dollars and became a fugitive from the law to help Ian Rasmussen escape from a federal prison. Will he live long enough to spend the money?

      Ronald Waite—The star reporter for a tabloid who agreed to help the MIDNIGHT agency with a sting. Will he reveal his anonymous source under torture?

      Contents

      Prologue

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Chapter Seventeen

      Chapter Eighteen

      Chapter Nineteen

      Chapter Twenty

      Chapter Twenty-One

      Prologue

      Facing the bitter November wind, convicted international arms dealer Ian Rasmussen gazed at the bleak Missouri countryside. He breathed in deeply, savoring the sweet tang of freedom after six brutal years without it.

      The semi’s diesel engine idled on the other side of the rest area, rumbling like thunder. According to the driver’s logbook the truck’s shipment of Italian furniture would be delivered to a furniture warehouse in Denver that very night. What the logbook didn’t reveal was that a hidden room had been built in the front section of the rig’s trailer—a ten-by-four-foot room complete with heat, a fully stocked wet bar, television set, satellite phone and a leather recliner.

      Even on the run from every law-enforcement organization in the Midwest, Ian Rasmussen liked to travel in style.

      Shivering with cold, the driver stood outside his door, smoking a cigarette. The passenger door swung open and Derrick LeValley, former deputy marshal, stepped out into the gray light of dusk. For a cool million dollars, Rasmussen had bought him off. The price had been steep, but worth every penny.

      “I’m sorry, Mr. Rasmussen, but we have to go. The feds are expanding their search as we speak. It’s best if we keep moving until the situation cools down.”

      Rasmussen turned to LeValley, who, just five hours ago, had walked into the Terre Haute Federal Prison with fake transport papers and had exited with him. LeValley had then taken him to this big rig and they’d been driving west ever since.

      “I want to see the list,” Rasmussen said.

      LeValley reached into the pocket of his coat and withdrew the computer printout. “You don’t know what it took to get my hands on this information. It cost a man his life. You owe me another fifty thousand.”

      “You’ll get your money,” Rasmussen snapped, then turned his attention to the list. “How many names?”

      “Two hundred plus.”

      “Excellent.” Holding on to the printout that listed the new identities and addresses of over two hundred witnesses from the Witness Security Program database, Rasmussen felt a heady rush of power. There were a lot of people who would pay top dollar for this information. But he was only interested in one name. He flipped to the second page, his eyes scanning, seeking…

      Leigh Michaels.

      Her name was highlighted in yellow. Beneath it, her address had been underlined in blue ink—345 West Fourth Street, Apt. 310, Denver, Colorado.

      Kelsey James was now Leigh Michaels.

      She could change her name, but she couldn’t hide…

      He ran his thumb over the name, and the old emotions began to churn inside him. Love that had putrefied into something darker than hatred. She had been a nobody when he’d met her. A waitress earning next to nothing. He’d taken her in. Given her everything a woman could ever want. He’d trusted her, loved her. He’d offered her his heart; she’d taken his soul. She’d thanked him with treachery, betrayed him in every way a woman could betray a man.

      Now, if it was the last thing he ever did, he was going to make her pay.

      For a dangerous moment he considered calling her. He wanted to hear her beautiful voice tremble