Intense - Aspen Drake & Emily Cain

by Special Forces - Operation Alpha

  I was disappointed even though I’d been anticipating that response. “Isn’t that lonely?”

  “Sometimes,” he said. “But that doesn’t change anything.”

  I wanted to know why, but I didn’t ask. He would never tell me.

  Parker waited for me to ask something else, and when I didn’t, he spoke. “So, can I come in?” He asked the question even though he knew the answer.

  I thought this conversation would give me the desire to stay away from him, but it didn’t make any difference. I still wanted him as much as before, and I wished I didn’t. Why did I only want the ones I couldn’t have? “No.”

  Parker masked his disappointment as he nodded once. “Good night, Sierra.”

  I opened the door and got out. “Good night, Parker.”

  Chapter 4

  Later that week, I got home to a dark house. I’d expected Dad to be there, but the lights were off, and he never left the lights off. After the long day I had, I just wanted to play a video game then take a nap.

  I was about to toss my bag on the table when I realized something was wrong. The house was different. The table wasn’t in its usual place. It was pushed slightly to the left like someone had bumped into it. The vase on the table in the hallway was on the ground, cracked and shattered into pieces.

  Something was definitely wrong.

  My training kicked in, and I was on alert. Instead of running away, I opened a nearby cabinet and retrieved a loaded pistol. I cocked it then held it straight ahead of me, pointed and at the ready. My father was home when I left for school, so he could be in danger. I wasn’t going to leave and call the cops if he was passed out on the floor, bleeding to death.

  I crept farther into the house and tried to stay quiet. If someone was there, they’d probably already heard me come in. Still, I was careful to avoid the weak places in the floorboards so they wouldn’t creak.

  I stopped when I heard a slight click, like something opened or closed. Holding my breath, I stood in place and listened for another noise. When nothing happened, I kept going. My finger hovered over the trigger, and I was ready to blow someone’s head off if I had to. I’d never killed anyone before, but I certainly had the ability.

  I stepped into the living room and quickly scanned the entire area. No one was lurking about. I approached the couch then pointed my gun over it, prepared for someone to be crouching behind it.

  Instead, I saw a large pool of blood soaked into the white rug.

  My heartbeat pounded in my ears.

  My knees grew weak.

  I couldn’t breathe.

  “Dad?”

  The sound of a car peeling out blasted in my ears. It was coming from the street. No one took off like that unless they were in a hurry. I sprinted out the front door and ran to my car at the curb. Down the road was a black Mustang, and it was hauling ass like someone was chasing it.

  My dad was in that car. I knew it.

  I didn’t get a look at the license plate, but that didn’t matter because I didn’t have time to call the police anyway. Besides, whoever took him wasn’t a typical criminal. They had to be trained operatives, probably military, judging by my father’s occupation. If I didn’t go after him, my father would probably never see the light of day again…assuming he was still alive.

  I jumped into my Honda and hit the gas. Even though I was a good driver, I was terrified to try to catch up. I’d never been in a high-speed chase.

  I guess there was a first time for everything.

  I ran a stop sign and didn’t hit the brake as I turned the corner. The Mustang was in sight, but it was far ahead. With traffic and stop lights, it would be difficult to catch him.

  But that didn’t stop me from trying.

  I drove like a madwoman until we were out of the suburbs and in the city. He knew I was on his tail because he took unexpected turns and ran every red light he approached. Fully prepared to be killed in an accident, I kept following them, exposing myself when I flew through the intersection. It was risky, and a truck almost hit me, but I couldn’t give in to the fear. I was my father’s only hope. He wouldn’t give up on me, and I certainly wouldn’t give up on him.

  We hit another intersection and the light was red. An ambulance crossed the way, forcing the Mustang to stop. All the windows were tinted black so I couldn’t see a single thing inside. I had to cut off a car to get closer, and when I was near enough, I rolled down the window and took a shot.

  It hit the driver window, but it didn’t go break through. My bullet hardly made a dent.

  Shit.

  The Mustang maneuvered around the ambulance and took off again.

  Dammit.

  I pursued him down the busy road, and it was a miracle the cops weren’t on us. The Mustang skidded to the right, going directly against traffic.

  Bastard.

  I took the right side and followed him with the flow of traffic.

  The cars coming his way pulled off the road when they saw him coming. They honked their horns, and a few crashed into each other, but he didn’t slow down.

  “Is he suicidal?” I gripped the steering wheel until my fingers turned white. With my focus on the Mustang, I accidentally bumped into a car I was passing and forced him off the road.

  I felt terrible but I couldn’t do anything but wave. I didn’t have time to trade insurance details, so I hoped he had good insurance.

  When he reached the next block, he turned left.

  I came to a red light, and a semi was taking its sweet-ass time moving through the intersection. I slammed my hand against the wheel. “Motherfucker.” I hit my horn, even though it wouldn’t make a difference.

  By the time the truck was out of the way, I sped into the intersection, making everyone stop because of my crazy driving while I searched for the Mustang.

  I didn’t see it.

  Feeling the weight of panic setting in, I kept driving with my eyes scanning every side street and every building. I didn’t see the car anywhere.

  “Shit.”

  Where would he go? I had to think fast, and I had to think smart. If I were trying to shake someone following me, where would I go? I noticed a parking garage on the right and considered the possibility. It was five stories high and probably went two floors underground.

  I could drive straight and keep looking, or I could take a chance and listen to my gut.

  I stared at the entrance and debated with myself for a quick moment. I was still driving forward, and the seconds were ticking by. The weight of the decision crushed me. My father’s life was on the line, so I couldn’t make the wrong decision.

  It wasn’t an option.

  I turned the wheel and made a hard right.

  The parking garage was empty because there was construction on the ground floor. Guys in orange hard hats glared at me as I raced by, quickly moving out of the way so they wouldn’t get stuck under my tires.

  I kept driving and moved farther up the structure, reaching the next floor. There still weren’t any cars. Every parking space was empty.

  “Come on…”

  I couldn’t be wrong about this. I just couldn’t.

  I drove all the way to the top, and when I rounded the corner, all hope left me. The Mustang didn’t go this way, and now it was too late for me to track him down.

  I made the wrong decision.

  When I turned the next corner, I hit the brakes to turn around.

  And that’s when I saw the Mustang. It was stopped in the center of the garage, a black van beside it. Guys dressed in black stood together, heavy guns by their sides.

  Holy fuck.

  Dad was lying on the ground, tied up and unconscious.

  This was clearly some kind of hand-off.

  There were five guys surrounding him, and only one of me.

  I stared at them and gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles were white, trying to figure out my options.

  The men all stared at me, their guns by their sides. They did
n’t aim them, but they didn’t need to. The threat was enough.

  I remained in the car and stared them down.

  I eyed the gun on my passenger seat then discreetly shoved it into the back of my jeans. I turned off the car and opened the door. Standing up and looking as confident as possible, I remained behind the car door.

  The entire garage was silent. A pin drop could be heard if someone dropped one.

  From where I was standing, I could probably shoot at least two of the guys, but what would that accomplish? It was five against one. I was a great shooter, but not that great. I shut the door then walked toward them. My heart was racing and adrenaline flowed through my insides. On the outside, I looked fearless, my back straight and my shoulders relaxed.

  But I was fucking terrified.

  But I truly believed fear could beat fear. I was more afraid of losing my father than of dying. And that was how I managed the longest walk of my life.

  Still as statues, they watched me come closer. Their guns still weren’t aimed at me but I felt their hollow eyes glued to me.

  One raised his hand. “Close enough. Speak.”

  The guy closest to me held a pistol, but it was in his left hand. He didn’t seem threatened by me, judging by his relaxed stance. He probably thought I was a stupid girl who got lucky when trying to follow him.

  Boy, was he wrong.

  “Release my father.” My voice didn’t even quiver.

  The one who originally spoke watched me without reaction, probably thinking I was crazy for coming after them and making demands.

  I was.

  I didn’t look at my father because I couldn’t bear to see the blood on his face. I wasn’t even sure if he was alive, but I had to believe he was.

  “No.” His grip was still on his gun. “If you leave now, we’ll let you go.”

  “You’ll let me go?” I asked with a slight laugh. “Or you’ll shoot me in the back?”

  He kept a stoic expression.

  I eyed the guy beside me. “How about we make a deal?”

  “A deal?” the man asked incredulously, showing emotion for the first time, thinking I was crazy for trying to negotiate.

  “Yeah. Why don’t—” I made my move and grabbed the guy beside me, getting him in a chokehold and pointing the gun at his temple.

  They all pointed their weapons at me.

  “Shoot me and he dies.” I tightened my hold on his neck so he could barely breathe.

  Their guns were pointed right at my head.

  “Let my father go, and I’ll release him.”

  No one moved.

  The guy to the right of me lunged forward. He didn’t shoot me, but he grabbed me by the arm.

  Anticipating his strike, I twisted out of his hold then slammed my foot into his knee, making it crack as it bent backward. Then I thrust my palm right into his nose, making that crack too.

  He was on the ground in seconds.

  The man I was holding turned on me, reaching out to punch me in the head.

  I blocked his strike then shoved the butt of the gun against the back of his head. He fell on the ground with a thump.

  I trained my gun on the remaining three, knowing I was seriously screwed. Three against one weren’t good odds. We were at a standoff, and it didn’t weigh in my favor.

  Another black car rounded the corner, all the windows tinted. I watched it in my peripheral vision, and my hope evaporated. I wouldn’t get out of this alive. I would end up in the harbor or at the bottom of an oil drum, cut into several pieces.

  This was it.

  Surprisingly, the guys didn’t shoot me. They watched the car that had just arrived, and when the passenger door opened, a man stepped out. I couldn’t see him well because I was trying to watch two groups at once. My hand didn’t shake as it held the gun, which was proof of my resolve that these were my last moments. I managed to remain cool even though I knew it was all over.

  The man stopped and turned his gaze on me.

  I didn’t look his way because I couldn’t take the risk.

  “Drop your weapon.” The voice was familiar, too familiar. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and sweat started to form on my brow. I was scared before, but now I was truly terrified.

  My focus shifted to the last man I expected to see, and my stomach fell all the way to my feet. My hands started to shake and the remaining strength I had disappeared. I was looking at a man I feared for so many reasons, but never once did I fear for my life—until now.

  Parker.

  He wore dark jeans and a black t-shirt. A gun was on his hip, but he didn’t wear a bulletproof vest like the others. The silent way he commanded everyone told me he was in charge.

  “Drop your weapon,” he repeated. He didn’t draw his gun because he clearly wasn’t afraid of me. “I won’t ask you again.”

  I slowly lowered it, my mouth dry. I had so many questions, but none of them left my lips. I’d been resisting Parker because I was afraid he would break my heart. Never did I imagine he was such a monster, a criminal—a murderer.

  My instinct was dead-on.

  “Now drop it,” he commanded.

  I was outnumbered and outsmarted. I didn’t have a choice but to surrender. I dropped the gun on the ground but didn’t raise my hands in the air. Proud, I stood straight with my shoulders back. If I was going to die, I’d go out with dignity.

  “You shouldn’t be here.” He didn’t stare at me the way he did the other night. There was no affection or desire in his eyes. There was nothing at all.

  “Neither should you.”

  “Kick the gun to me.”

  I kicked it hard, making it fly past him.

  He didn’t retrieve it, and his eyes didn’t leave my face.

  “Go ahead. Shoot me.”

  He didn’t reach for his gun.

  “You’re despicable,” I said. “I knew I was right about you.”

  Parker didn’t react. “I’m not going to shoot you.”

  “You should,” I said. “Because if you let me go, I’ll never stop hunting you. I’ll never stop until I get my father back.”

  He stepped into the circle, standing next to my father’s unconscious body. “You risked your life for him?” A tone of incredulity was in his voice. “This man?”

  “My father,” I said savagely. “Yes, of course.”

  Disbelief was still in his eyes.

  “He’s a good man. He protects people. The world is safer because of him—because he kills bad guys like you.”

  “You think I’m the bad guy?” His voice was void of emotion once again.

  I glanced at all the armed men around us.

  “I hate to break it to you, but I think you’ve got that mixed up,” he said quietly. “I’m the good guy here, and he’s the bad one.”

  “No. I recognize evil when I see it.”

  He shook his head slightly. “Your father is responsible for a lot of deaths—American deaths. He’s a terrorist.”

  “You aren’t going to brainwash me. Just kill me and be done with it.”

  His eyes filled with pain like they had the other night when I asked about his family. “I’m not going to kill you. You’re free to leave.”

  I eyed my father on the ground. “I’m not leaving without him.”

  “That’s not an option. Now go.”

  Like he’d given a command, one man opened the sliding door of the van and two others gathered up my father into their arms. He was blindfolded and restrained, his body hanging lifelessly as they lifted him.

  If they shut that door and drove off, that would be the end. My dad would be gone forever, and I would never see him again.

  Parker turned away like the conversation was over.

  “Wait.” I stepped forward, and all the guns in the vicinity were pointed at me.

  Parker raised his hand then lowered it, telling his men to drop their weapons as he turned to me.

  “Please let him go.” I didn’t know what else to
do besides beg. “He’s a good man. Please don’t do this.”

  Parker stared at me without any sympathy.

  “He has money.” My emotions were betraying me, and I was losing the strength to pretend I wasn’t afraid. “If you give me an hour, I can get it for you.”

  Parker didn’t blink as he watched me. “I don’t want money.”

  “It’s a lot of money.” That would have to entice him. “At least half a million.”

  He repeated the same sentence. “I don’t want money.”

  “Then what do you want?” There had to be something I could trade for my father’s life.

  His eyes were glued to my face. The intense look reminded me of the night we met. Even when my gaze was turned away, I could feel his stare burn into me. I couldn’t believe this was the same man I’d grown weak for. Was he the same person? Could that be possible? “Nothing you can give me.”

  The guys carried my father to the van.

  I wanted to scream. “Wait, hold on.”

  Parker sighed in irritation. “Sierra, you don’t belong here. Just leave.”

  “No, listen to me.”

  Parker walked to me purposefully, like he was going to grab me by the neck and choke me. He tugged me by the elbow and started to drag me back to my car.

  I twisted out of his grasp then shoved him away.

  Parker hardly moved, and he didn’t seem surprised by my movements. It was like he anticipated them but didn’t care enough to stop them.

  “Let me take his place.”

  His gaze lightened slightly, and when he stared at me, it was with a different look. My words meant something to him even if he was trying to hide it.

  “Take me instead. Let him go.” Tears formed in my eyes as I pleaded for my father’s life.

  “He’s a dangerous man. I can’t let him go.”

  “No, he’s not.” I clutched my hands to my chest in desperation. “Please take me instead. Please.”

  Parker shook his head in pity. “You don’t understand what you’re offering.”

  “I do.” I was scared to do it, and a part of me didn’t want to, but I couldn’t let the alternative happen. My dad had done so much for me, and when Mom passed away, he did everything he could to keep things the same for us. He was a great man and didn’t deserve this. If he was free, he could continue to protect so many people. He had to live. “I do understand. Take me instead.”