I didn’t say anything and he nodded to the two men that had just held me up. I was yanked to my feet, but only seconds later was on my back hanging over the tub. I felt my feet being lifted and then some kind of board was shoved under my body, tilting me back toward the tub of water.
“What are you-”
A sopping wet towel was placed over my face, suffocating me and causing me to choke on the water. Then water was being poured over my face. It was too late to take a breath. I was choking and gasping for air, but none would come. I thrashed and writhed, but they were holding me down too tight. I could feel the water filling me. I would die if they didn’t stop soon.
Suddenly, the board was thrust upright and the rag was removed from my face. I gulped in large breaths of air, shaking hard from what had just happened.
“I’ll ask again. Where is the journal?”
It wasn’t going to stop. He wanted the journal and he would do this until he got what he wanted, but I couldn’t give in. If I did, that meant that he won. Millions of people would die, and I wouldn’t have that on my conscience, even though I knew I would never be walking out of here again.
When I didn’t answer, the board tipped back and the air was stripped of my lungs as the towel was thrown over my face again. Over and over, they poured water over my face, trying to get me to talk. Every time, I came just a little bit closer to wanting to give in, but I never did. My body ached and my lungs burned, but I held strong.
On the last time, they didn’t even bother with the rag. They tossed me right in the tub of water and held me under until black spots appeared in my vision and I passed out.
When I woke up, I was back in my cell, soaking wet on the floor. The bed and blankets had been removed. They didn’t get what they wanted out of me, but they were making sure that I paid for not giving up any information. My body was like an icicle and the shivers wracking my body weren’t going away anytime soon.
I wrapped my arms around my knees and pulled them to my chest. I would strip my clothes off, but the idea of those men coming in here when I was naked was too chilling to think about. My whole body was shaking uncontrollably, but if I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine Parker’s arms wrapped around me. It was strange, I barely knew him, but in the darkness of this cell, just the thought of him brought me comfort and strength.
Parker was unlike any man I had ever met, and as I thought about what we almost had, it made me sad that I had waited so long in life to try and have any meaningful relationships. I had sacrificed happiness for my career, and where had that gotten me? If I ever got out of here, I would go find Parker, and I would take the chance with him that we could have something really special. There would be nothing else more important, nothing I would let stand in my way. I had given my life for my country, trying to serve the citizens of the United States and keep them safe. But that just landed me in this cold cell.
I thought about what Parker told me about his family ranch in Montana and smiled. We could have that someday. We could go back there and be happy, just living in the vast countryside and enjoying our freedom. I didn’t care what Parker’s record was, and I’d do anything to make sure that we could have a good life. I wouldn’t let his past hold him back anymore. We’d go to Montana and have the life that we deserved.
I held onto those thoughts as the cold of the cell seeped into my bones. It was a nice dream, and if I ever got out of here, I would make sure that it became a reality.
Chapter Fifteen
Parker
The cell was damp and cold. I had been down here for what felt like a week. I had no sense of time or space. In reality, it had been maybe a day. I rubbed a hand across my face and sighed. Everything hurt on me, and it wasn’t like anyone was taking me to the nurse’s quarters. I was in here to be left to die, that much I was sure of. The senators didn’t want their secrets getting out, and they would go to any lengths to ensure it stayed that way.
The funny thing about sitting in the darkness was that I could almost fool myself into thinking that I was anywhere else. I didn’t even have to close my eyes. There was nothing to see, no windows to let in light. It was just like closing my eyes at night. I would imagine sitting on a beach with Blake, seeing her in a skimpy bikini as she ran into the water. Maybe I’d chase her and tackle her into the waves.
Then I would think about taking her home to meet my family. I could picture their faces now, the surprise that I had found someone. I should have called them before I went to see Keira. At least then they would have some idea of what was going on. Now, my baby sister would worry about me, and then everyone else would also when she didn’t have any reports on how I was doing. What would happen from here? Would they tell my family I was dead?
I dropped my head back against the cell wall and sighed. There was so much that I wanted out of life, so much that I hadn’t thought was even possible until I met Blake. I had only known her a short time, but deep down, I knew she was the one I wanted to stand by my side for the rest of my life. Her family probably thought I was joking when I said I was going to marry her. It had definitely freaked Blake out, but if we had more time, she would have seen what I felt. Things would have been so much different.
None of that mattered now. Blake would be in Colorado by now, or at least on her way. Three days, that’s how long we were supposed to wait for each other. Would she move on or would she stay at Knight’s place? I wondered if when she got out of the mess she was in, would she find someone new? There wasn’t a doubt in my mind if she would get out of the mess she was in. Sebastian would help her get out. He had connections. I wasn’t even sure if my message even got through to him. Maybe nobody even knew I was here. It wasn’t as if I was allowed to contact anyone.
A screen suddenly flicked on in the upper corner of the cell. I didn’t even know there was a TV in here. I pushed myself off the ground and took my first look around the cell now that there was a faint light in the room. There was nothing in here, as I thought. The TV seemed to be there only to taunt me. But then an image filled the screen. It was a room with a tub of some kind. A few men entered the picture, one I recognized as Agent Dennick. And Blake was there.
My heart sped up as I saw the men lead her over to the tub. I watched with rapt attention, trying to pick up any details of where they were or who the other men were, but it was just a room, similar to what I was in, but the men I had never seen before.
“Where’s the journal?” Dennick asked.
Blake just glared at Dennick, but then was shoved onto her back as a board was slid under her.
“Oh shit,” I murmured, covering my mouth with my hand. They weren’t going to….
A wet towel was tossed over her face as she fought them, yelling at them for only a second before water was poured over her face. I ran at the TV, to do what, I had no idea. I was crawling out of my skin, wanting to get to her, needing to get her out of this. But there was nothing I could do. The water stopped and the towel was moved. I sighed in relief when I saw her choking and still alive.
“I’ll ask again. Where is the journal?” Dennick asked.
She didn’t say anything and it started all over again. I clenched my jaw as my stomach bottomed out. Anxiety shot through me at having to watch this. I ran to the door and started shouting and banging on the door, but no one answered. They wanted someone to talk, and I would. I couldn’t tell them the truth, but I would tell them something, anything to get them to stop. I could hear her attempting to scream and fight her way out the men’s grasp, and then she was choking again.
I ran back to the TV to watch as she gasped for air. “Say something, Blake!” I shouted at the TV. “Just fucking tell them something!”
God, I couldn’t keep watching this. I couldn’t keep seeing the woman I loved being tortured like this. And then it hit me that I loved her. I mean, you would think that me wanting to marry her would be enough of a declaration of love, but it was more that I knew I wanted to be with her. But to actually ackno
wledge these feelings as something other than affection…Holy shit. And in that moment, I knew I would do anything to get them to stop her torture. I would say anything, give my own life if it meant they left her alone.
I yelled and banged some more on the door, shouting for someone to make it stop, but it never did. I watched over and over as they repeated the process. Each time, she came back up a little weaker. And when Dennick didn’t get anywhere with her, I watched in horror as he threw her in the tub and held her head under water. Panic shot through me when she stopped struggling. She was dying and there was nothing I could do about it. If I had just left with her, we would be on the run, but we would be together. I let her down. I should have left behind my stupid crusade for the truth and run with her.
My eyes dropped from the screen and my whole body seemed to deflate as I watched them pull her limp body from the tub. I shook my head, not believing what I was seeing. She couldn’t be gone. I couldn’t lose her so quickly after finding her. She gasped for air and started choking, but she didn’t appear to be conscious. My chest filled with air that I hadn’t realized I had been holding. She was alive.
Now the problem was figuring out how to keep her safe. I couldn’t allow anything like that to ever happen to her again. And the senators would keep going. They would push until they had what they wanted. I ran back to the door and pounded for five long minutes before I finally heard the slide of the lock. I stepped back just as Agent Dennick walked inside. I stared at him in shock. He was here, which meant that Blake was also. This couldn’t be just an ordinary prison then. Maybe a holding center of some kind. Security would be lower because they wouldn’t have as many prisoners. If I was right, then I had a chance to escape, but I wouldn’t be leaving without Blake.
“Did you need something?” Dennick asked.
I swallowed hard, trying to think fast. “Leave her alone,” I went with, trying to keep myself from betraying anything I had just learned.
“Give me what I want and this never has to happen again.”
“What do you want?”
“The journal.”
I shook my head slowly. “I lost that journal when your men shot an RPG at us. I already told you that.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that it’s just buried under the rubble?” he asked.
“Believe what you want. Or you could go dig for it, but I would recommend getting a hard hat and some waders. There are deep pockets of water in those tunnels.”
His face mottled in rage. “Fine, you want to play that way? You have four hours to tell me what I want to know, and then I’ll be taking her back to that room.” He turned to leave, but then stopped. “And this time, I won’t let you watch what we do to her.”
Four hours. I had four hours to figure out a plan. Four hours to save her life.
Chapter Sixteen
Knight
“Knight!” Becky shouted after me. I didn’t have time to waste talking with other people. After getting back to the main building, Hunter wrapped up my ankle as best he could and I was back on my way. I had to find Kate, and that fucker down in the basement was the fastest way to get information. I just had to be smarter this time. Last time, I had been running high on adrenaline and emotions. I had almost killed him, knowing that he still had plenty of information to give us.
“Not now, Becky.”
“You have to see this. It’s about Kate.”
I stopped in my tracks and turned back to look at Becky. “Will it tell me where she is?”
“I don’t know, but she left a message for you.”
That was all I needed to hear. If she left a message for me, I had to see it. I followed her back to the IT room, practically shoving her along when she walked too slow for me. She pulled up the video from last night in her office, when she was taken.
“Becky, I’ve already seen this.”
“I know, but I didn’t see this,” she said, zooming in on Kate’s right hand, “until I had been over the video a few times. I had been looking for signs of who these guys were or something, but Kate was sending you a message in sign language.”
“What did she say?”
“She says something about your search for the truth. She repeated it once before they left the office.”
I huffed in frustration. That didn’t tell me anything. “That means nothing.”
“She was trying to tell you that it’s someone related to whatever you’re searching for.”
“And it doesn’t tell me jack shit.”
“Knight, she did the best she could. She has no idea what we’ve been doing. That was probably the only message she could get out.”
“Play it again,” I snapped. Becky started it again, but she wasn’t showing all of it. “I want all the video feed, Becky.”
She looked at me with wide eyes, but then went back and played it from the beginning. The last time I had watched it, I only watched from a very clinical point of view. I couldn’t allow myself to think too much about what was happening because if I did, I was afraid I would break down. Now, I needed to see it, see the fear in her eyes as she was taken.
The video rolled, but I was surprised that I didn’t see all this the first time around. Kate wasn’t afraid, not like I had expected. There was a determined stance to her body, even as she told the other woman to hide in the closet, as she bartered for this woman’s life over her own. She wasn’t afraid because she knew I would come for her. And I had failed.
I watched in pained silence as she fought, struggled for the gun and shot the man coming at her. There was no regret on her face or sadness for what she had done. I had turned her into a version of me. She used to be so much different, but her life with me had shaped her into a person that could take a life so easily. I had done that to her. How could I ever forgive myself for turning her into the exact opposite of what she swore to be?
“Turn it off,” I croaked out. I couldn’t watch any more of it. I couldn’t watch my wife struggling to survive and I couldn’t watch her turning into something I had created. I had taken that purity inside her and warped her into a version of myself. I would never forgive myself for taking something that never should have belonged to me.
I had to find her. I had to get her back and give her the life that she should have had. One that didn’t include me. My phone rang, dragging me out of those depressing thoughts.
“Yeah?”
“It’s Caldwell. I got away, but I don’t know how much time I have.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m on my way to you.”
“No,” I said quickly. “I’m going to send you directions to someplace else. The FBI has already been here. We don’t need to draw any more attention.”
“Fine.”
I sent him the information on how to get onto Cazzo’s property and almost headed back downstairs to the basement. I needed information out of Cortez, but Caldwell might be able to give me information to use against him. I was torn between needing to find Kate right the fuck now and needing more information that could possibly help me in the future. I didn’t know how long it would take me to extract the information from Cortez, but Caldwell would be here soon, and as soon as I had whatever information he had, I could make a stronger move against Cortez.
Decision made, I headed over to Cazzo’s house, pulling in just as Caldwell was pulling in from the back side. He must have been closer than I thought. I jerked my head for him to follow me inside. No one was going to trust him based on the fact that he was a fed.
When I opened the door, everyone turned and stopped to stare at me, or more importantly, the man standing behind me, still in his suit with his FBI badge gleaming from his waist.
“Guys, this is my contact in the FBI, Agent Jim Caldwell. Jim, this is Cazzo and this is his house. That’s Cap, my boss, and then Sinner, Burg, Pappy, Irish, and Alec.”
Jim chuckled from beside me. “I don’t suppose that you have normal names that are easy to remember.”
Cap stepped forward and held out his hand. “Sebastian Reed, owner of Reed Security. Knight says that you’re a man he can trust.”
“I sure hope that’s true, otherwise, I was just led into a den of wolves.”
“Cazzo, let’s show him what we have so far.”
Cazzo nodded and we all followed him back to his study where Becky took a seat at the computer next to Rob.
“Becky, this is Jim Caldwell. He’s my contact at the FBI.”
Becky nodded, as did Rob, but then Rob started showing her something on the computer.
“So, what am I doing here, Knight? I had kind of hoped that the last time we spoke would actually be the last time.”
“We’ve run into some trouble with the bureau and I’m hoping you can help us.”
“He’s run into trouble,” Cap said, jerking his thumb at me. “He dragged us all along for the ride.”
“Long story short, there’s a senator that’s working with a lab that’s creating a virus. It’s extremely deadly and it looks like he’s planning on using it as a terrorist weapon.”
“Wait, I thought you said you had a bureau problem.”
“This senator is working with the bureau. We had an Agent Collins come to us. She was on the same track as us, and together we figured out what was going on, but she was fired when her boss found out what she was looking into. She was arrested last night for stealing information from the bureau.”
“Oh shit,” Caldwell said, running his hand through his hair. “Agent Collins, does she by any chance work for Agent Dennick?”
“Yeah, that would be the asshole that showed up here last night.”
Caldwell started pacing, worry marring his features as he talked to himself. “This can’t be possible. I thought…Shit, this is bad.”
“What’s bad?” I asked, grabbing onto his jacket and pulling him to a stop. “What the hell is going on?”
GoodKnight: A Reed Security Romance Page 8