Protecting Beca (Special Forces: Operation Alpha)

by Kate Kinsley

  He pulls the jet ski back up the ramp and into the garage, then jumps off. “What happened?”

  “Dalton needs you,” she insists.

  Jason motions ahead. “Go, I’m right behind you.”

  The three of us race up the spiral staircase and follow Ava to the engine room. Dalton is staring at the knobs and dials like a deer caught in headlights. “You alright, bro?” Dalton asks Jason, looking him over for a brief moment.

  “Great. What’s the problem here?”

  Dalton rubs the back of his neck. “When Cookie was in the water cutting the hijackers boat loose, he located a bomb on the bottom of our boat. Problem is, it’s rigged to the ship’s computer. I don’t know to what, exactly.”

  I turn to Dalton. “What did Cookie say?”

  As I utter my last word, a very wet Cookie appears in the doorway. “I said, we’re fucked.”

  “That,” Dalton concurs with a flourish of his hand.

  “I don’t see the problem,” Jason shrugs.

  “Well, they weren’t sure what had happened to you,” Ava adds looking at Jason. “And since you’re the tech-savvy guy—”

  “We were afraid to turn anything on. The engine, the lights, the guidance system.” Dalton starts pacing around the small space, running his hand through his hair.

  “Cap. Relax. I got this.”

  “Oh, did I forget to mention?” he mutters. “There’s a timer attached, and we have about twenty minutes before it detonates.”

  “Christ,” Dalton hisses.

  Now, I start to worry. “Where’s the detonator?” I squeak.

  “That’s just it. We don’t know. All we know is it’s linked to the boat’s electrical system somehow,” Cookie answers.

  Jason straightens out his shoulders. “Alright. We need to go up to the wheelhouse. If it’s electrical, I should be able to override the system.” The five of us race up the stairs to the control room. Jason sits in one of the leather captains’ chairs and looks over the large dashboard. “Who’s keeping an eye on the time,” he mutters as he searches for something.

  “I’ll go back down, seeing I’m the best swimmer here,” Cookie volunteers. “I’ll need someone standing along the edge of the boat to relay the time.”

  Dalton looks at me, then to Jason. “I’ll go. Ava, you stay here with Jase and Beca.” He pulls Ava in to his chest, his huge arms going all the way around her tiny body.

  “If we can’t get this thing diffused, someone will need to inform the passengers. I saw a small boat next to the jet skis that could carry eight or so people,” Jason says to Dalton. “We’ll get the girls on and worst case, the men can make a swim for it.”

  “I won’t leave you!” Ava insists, squeezing Dalton tight.

  “Baby, you know I’d die for you,” he confesses with a smile. “But I’m not going anywhere for a long time.”

  “I love you,” she breathes, her head laying on his chest.

  “I love you, more,” he whispers before lifting up her chin to kiss her.

  A warmth spreads across my body.

  Watching their exchange…their love is palpable.

  If we get out of this alive, I want to feel that kind of love with Jason.

  “Go help Cookie save us,” she tells him as he releases her. As they go back down the stairs, she turns to Jason. “Jase, do you need anything?”

  “Not sure,” he murmurs, still fixated on the panel. “I’d like to know how they gained access to the electronics.”

  “Have you seen the captain?” I ask, wondering why he’s not up here trying to help us.

  Jason’s head slowly swivels to glance over his shoulder at us. “That’s an interesting question,” he says, his brows furrowing.

  “Now that you mention it,” Ava adds. “I don’t remember seeing him when we were tied up downstairs. In fact, I don’t remember seeing him at all once we cast off.”

  “Sonofabitch,” Jason curses under his breath as he turns back to the controls. There’s a brief pause, then his head jerks back to Ava and I. His jaw is clenched and his brows are knitted. Scratching his upper lip, he asks, “Why don’t you and Ava see if you can go find the good captain.”

  His restrained tone makes me nervous.

  What is he thinking?

  “We’ll be right back,” Ava mutters, then drags me out of the room.

  “What was that all about?” I ask as we hustle toward the spiral staircase, not sure what’s going on.

  “If my hunch is right, I think the captain knew we were being hijacked long before the boat started chasing us.” I follow her down the steps, back to the interior bar where the passengers are still huddled together.

  Shea, Sierra, and Jillian are all huddled in a corner. Running over, I crouch on the floor next to them. “Are you guys all right?” I ask, concerned.

  “Yeah, just fucking peachy,” Shea snaps. “What the actual fuck!”

  “I’m still shaking,” Jillian adds, holding out her unsteady hand.

  “All of the bad guys are gone…but I need to tell you something.” All three of them look at me, their eyes round and wide. “Don’t freak out, but—”

  “Has anyone seen the captain?” Ava asks the cluster of passengers as she scans the room.

  A chorus of “no’s” echo through the cabin.

  “None of you have seen him?” I ask my friends, and all three shake their heads.

  “I never saw him,” Sierra mutters.

  Ava side steps back to where I’m squatting. “Where did he disappear to?” I wonder aloud, lifting my head to look around.

  “There aren’t too many hiding spots on this boat,” she hisses. “C’mon. We need to find him.”

  “I need you guys to stay here for a few minutes. Can you do that?” I ask.

  “Where are you going?” Jillian demands. “You can’t leave us here!”

  “I promise, I’ll be back. We need to find the captain.” Once I’m certain they’re alright, I stand and follow Ava.

  We begin to search the boat, starting with the top deck and working our way down.

  It isn’t until we’re all the way on the bottom of the boat that we find him – hiding in one of the staterooms. He’s sitting in the dark on one of the couches facing away from the door. The captain’s hat gives him away. “Captain?” Ava asks as we approach him, her voice as smooth as butter.

  She catches him off guard and he spins around in alarm. Once he sees us, his bulging eyes and raised brows morph into a forced smile. “Ladies, uh, I was—”

  “We need your help,” she continues, cutting him off. Giving me a wink, she says, “I was wondering if you could come with us.” I’m not sure what she’s up to, so I just keep my mouth shut and follow her lead.

  “Uh, help you with what?” he mutters as a bead of sweat rolls down his temple.

  “We want to go home, and you’re the captain.”

  The longer I watch him, the more I suspect something is wrong.

  Since we’ve found him, he hasn’t made eye contact with either one of us, and almost goes out of his way to look past us.

  “Yes, um…I…I’m waiting to make sure the men who boarded my boat are gone,” he answers, wiping the sweat from his brow with a trembling hand.

  He’s been fidgeting with his fingers since we discovered him, which adds to my suspicion.

  Something is definitely not right.

  “They’re long gone,” she insists, moving toward the door. “We’ve had enough fun for one day.”

  He doesn’t budge.

  Thank God for Jason and Dalton or we’d all be dead – this captain isn’t one to go down with his ship.

  “Alright,” she says with a shrug, then reaches behind her back and retrieves a gun. Raising it in front of her, she points it to his head. His eyes are frozen open as she waits for a reaction. When none is given, she continues, “You, are coming with us. I don’t have time for this bullshit, so get up and get moving.”

  “Where did you get t
he gun,” I whisper.

  “Dalton gave it to me earlier. He got it off one of the hostiles.” To prove she’s serious, she disengages the safety.

  Trembling, he stands and Ava waves him toward the door with the pistol.

  We move slowly toward the stairs, Ava and I a safe distance behind him in case he tries something stupid. “Where did you learn to shoot a gun?” I ask, impressed she knows how to use the thing. I wouldn’t have any idea.

  “Dalton takes me to the range. He feels I should know how to protect myself.” Her smile is full of pride in her man.

  As we start to ascend the staircase, his demeanor changes. “You know there’s nothing you can do,” he scoffs.

  “Nothing we can do about what?” Ava challenges.

  “I’m assuming you found the bomb?” His question is laced with contempt. We crest the top of the steps and turn toward the engine room.

  “How do you know about the bomb?” I blurt.

  “Because,” Jason interjects as we enter the room. “He was part of this ridiculous operation from the get-go.” Ava directs the captain to the seat next to Jason’s. “Didn’t count on a bunch of SEALs to be on board, did you?”

  “You. Ruined. Everything,” he sneers.

  “What exactly did I ruin?” Jason asks as he changes his focus to the panel and tinkers around with the controls.

  Shaking his head, he mocks, “You’re stuck here! The device is hooked to the ignition, so if the boat starts…boom!”

  Jason turns and glares at the man. “Tell me how to disarm the bomb.”

  The captain stares straight ahead.

  Jason stands and moves toward Ava. Taking the gun from her hand, he moves beside the captain and jams the nose of the gun against his temple. “Tell me,” he says through gritted teeth, “how to disarm the bomb.”

  “You think threatening to kill me will make me tell you?” he laughs. “We’ll all be dead in” —he stops to look at his watch— “less than seven minutes anyway.”

  “I swear, I’ll put a fucking bullet in your skull,” Jason snarls, his hand trembling in rage.

  “Jason, he’s not going to talk. Do you think you can disarm it from here?” Ava asks, moving closer to him.

  Running his free hand through his hair, he sighs. “I don’t know.” He hands the gun back to Ava. “Watch this prick while I work.”

  Sitting back down, Jason begins to type. “How is he going to do it?” I ask Ava, confused.

  “Jason is part of SEAL team Alpha,” she explains. “There are five other team members. Dalton is the Captain and a demolitions expert. Cookie is part of another SEAL team and is their best swimmer. Jason over there,” she says as she lifts her chin at him, “is the tech guy. He’s an expert in computers. If anyone can do it, he can.”

  “Thanks for accolades, but save them for when I diffuse this fucking thing,” he mutters as he types.

  “Six minutes,” Dalton calls out before popping his head into the room. His eyes go from the gun in Ava’s hand to the man it’s pointed at. “What’s going on?” he growls, his eyes focused on Ava’s target.

  “Everything’s under control,” Jason assures him. “It’s just this fool knows how to disarm the bomb, but is choosing to go down with his ship.”

  “Is that so?” Dalton asks, moving closer to the captain. “Are you sure I can’t persuade you?” Dalton is a big boy and would be intimidating to anyone. Including the captain. “Five minutes is a long time when you’re receiving the beating of your life,” he whispers, inches from the captain’s ear. He twitches but doesn’t say a word. “For fuck’s sake.”

  “Don’t think that prick’s gonna budge,” Jason mutters under his breath as he continues to type.

  “Ava, sweetheart. Hand me the gun,” Dalton insists. “I need you to go make sure the other passengers get on the rescue boat downstairs.”

  Ava sidesteps toward Dalton, all the while keeping a close eye on the captain. She places the pistol in Dalton’s large hand and kisses him. “Be careful,” she whispers.

  “Always.” Dalton places the gun in his back waistband.

  “Beca, why don’t you go with Ava,” Jason commands, still focused on his task.

  “No. I’m not leaving you.”

  He grunts but doesn’t say another word.

  Ava pauses for a beat, then hightails it downstairs.

  Dalton watches the captain as I move closer to Jason. Every few seconds he mutters some profanity under his breath but keeps typing. “It’s encrypted, and I’m having a hard time getting around it.”

  Doubt shoots through me like a piercing arrow destroying resistance.

  My heart’s racing.

  I’m not ready to die.

  Dalton glances over at me and frowns. My fear must be evident. His lips twist up into a sly smile, and he gives me a wink. “I order you to disarm this bomb – and you don’t want to disobey an order,” Dalton snaps, the tone of his voice sending chills throughout my body.

  “Yes, sir,” Jason booms back, his body becoming rigid. Jason’s reaction to Dalton is strange, and it takes me a second to realize what just happened.

  Dalton slides over to me and whispers, “It’s not your fault, but you’re a distraction. He needs to be completely focused on his task. I know he can do it. He just needs to remember he can, too.”

  The last thing I want to be is a distraction. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to—”

  “No,” he cuts me off as he shakes his head. “He’s got this.”

  “Got it!” Jason shouts just as Dalton finishes his sentence. “Now, to find the code they used to arm this thing.”

  His confidence in his task makes me smile. “See?” he whispers. “It’s all about focus.” I’m growing more optimistic that my body parts won’t be scattered across the Caribbean.

  Dalton still has his eyes on the captain, whose shit-eating grin turns into a frown, and shuffles back toward Jason. “Do you think you can make this quick? I’m kinda hungry.”

  “One more second,” he mutters as his fingers fly around the keyboard. “And, done.” He spins in his chair and his eyes meet mine. They’re full of pride, and it warms my heart.

  “I’ll go tell Cookie to remove the bomb from the bottom of the boat,” Dalton says before fist bumping Jason. “But, first…” Dalton searches the room and comes up with some rope. “Put your arms behind your back,” he tells the captain. When he doesn’t budge, Dalton grabs him by the back of the head and pushes him into the wall. With one hand on his skull, he uses the other to force the captain’s right arm behind his back. “Either give me your left arm, or I’ll snap your right so you’ll never be able to use it again.”

  The captain complies, and Dalton ties his wrists, then attaches the other end of the cord to a metal bar attached to the wall.

  Jason stands as Dalton leaves and strides the few steps it takes to get to me. Before I can speak, he pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around me.

  With the adrenaline wearing off, the realization that I was minutes from dying crashes down on me like a ton of bricks. My body begins to tremble uncontrollably, and I start to sob.

  “I was so scared,” I whimper as the tears fall freely.

  He holds me tighter. “I just found you and wasn’t about to lose you. There was never a chance of that bomb going off,” he reassures me. “Never.”

  My sobs turn into a full-on bawling session.

  “Shhhh,” he coos. “I’ve got you, and I’m never letting go.” His body sways back and forth in an effort to calm me and after a few minutes, I’m able to stop crying.

  “C’mon. Let’s go find Ava and Dalton.”

  I wipe the tears from my cheeks and walk a couple of steps, then stop. “What about him?” I ask motioning my head to the captain.

  “Dalton tied that knot – he’s not going anywhere,” Jason chuckles. He places his arm around me. “Trust me, he won’t be a problem anymore.”

  Jason and I walk out of the wheelhouse and
down the stairs to the main deck. A soaking wet Cookie is holding what looks like a thick, metal tube with wires coming out of it. Fiona and Ava are with Dalton.

  Noise emanates from the top deck. “Strange,” I mutter to Jason. “I swear I can hear voices above us.”

  Ava comes over. “I couldn’t get the passengers on the launch in time. They’re all still here.”

  “And, we found out some interesting information,” Dalton adds, shaking his head.

  “And that would be?” Jason asks,

  “Turns out, the ship wasn’t boarded by pirates…but terrorists.” Jason furrows his brows. “One of the passengers,” Dalton continues. “Works for the NSA. He’s an analyst with an extremely high-security clearance.”

  Jason runs his fingers through his hair as he rolls his eyes. “You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding me.”

  “Nope, can’t make this shit up,” Cookie adds. “Something about a secret project the government is working on.”

  I move closer to Jason. “But these guys were British?”

  “You’d be surprised the type of people that become terrorists,” Cookie responds.

  “Did anyone contact Commander Bradburn and let him know what’s going on?” Jason asks the two men.

  Dalton nods. “Service was in and out, but I managed to get a signal to contact him. Boat’s a crime scene and we’re stuck here until they send the cavalry.”

  “How long is that going to take?” I ask no one in particular.

  “They’re sending someone from Miami. Should be here in an hour or so,” Dalton answers.

  “C’mon. Let’s go up top and away from the dead bodies splattered around the deck,” Ava says to me and Fiona.

  “I need to go find my friends,” I insist. “They’re probably freaking out right now.” I glance at Jason, who nods his head.

  As we turn and ascend the stairs, the boys huddle together and appear engaged in conversation. I can only imagine what they may be plotting.

  Jase

  “Alright, spill it,” I say to Dalton and Cookie. “What the fuck was all that about?”

  Cookie whistles. “Some crazy shit.”

  “What are the odds that some analyst from the NSA would be on the same boat as us?” Dalton squeezes the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. “What are the fucking odds?”