by Maddie Wade
With that, he turned and walked away. Jack went straight to the monitor and accessed every camera he could until he found Bás walking out the front door. Jack had no doubt he hadn’t entered that way.
“Alex, get in here,” Jack bellowed and his second came rushing in. “We have a big fucking problem.”
Alex was calm, hands on his hips as he waited for instruction.
“Get the entire fucking team in here now.”
Something in his tone seemed to emanate the seriousness of the situation because Alex moved to do as asked without question.
Jack looked back to the monitor, wondering at the man he’d just encountered. It was hard to figure out whose side he was on, likely his own.
For the first time since Gunner had turned on them, Jack wondered if he could take a deep breath without the weight of guilt almost crushing him. He also decided a K9 unit was long overdue at Eidolon.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Callie glared daggers at her former agent as she sat in a cold empty room in what looked like the office of a warehouse. The smell of decay and mould permeated the air, and she shivered as she heard a mouse scurry—at least she hoped it was a mouse—across the floor. Sophia was leaning against a worn wooden desk, her appearance as impeccable as if she’d just walked off the catwalk herself.
The woman was striking and had a curvaceous figure she envied, but as Callie kept her eyes on her, she realised Sophia’s beauty was only skin deep and didn’t reach the vital heart of the woman. She hurt that a woman she’d trusted had betrayed her in such a way.
“Why are you doing this?” Callie watched as Sophia’s expression clouded for a second before a wall came down and her face tightened in hatred.
Callie flinched as she stepped forward quickly and hated that she’d shown any emotion, but it wasn’t far from her mind that this woman had most likely killed Tina.
“You have no idea what it’s like to want something and never get it.” Sophia paced slowly, the gun ever-present in her hand, forcing Callie to keep her eyes on her.
“I do know.” Callie hated that her voice shook with fear and cleared her throat to try and eliminate her fright.
Sophia swung her gaze to her, and the hatred was so intense it was impossible to comprehend she’d never seen it before. “What do you know? Do you know what it is to always be second best? Do you know what it is to care for someone who thinks you’re not good enough, not pretty enough, not thin enough?”
Callie’s mind whirled at Sophia’s words. Had she been hiding her hatred the entire time she’d worked for her? “I know what it’s like to want to be normal and not be.”
“You have no idea what normal is. You have beauty. You have money, fame, and you’re seen,” Sophia finished on an angry rant.
“I may have those things, but I’ve never treated people with anything but kindness, and if I did hurt or wrong you in some way, then I wish you’d said something. I thought we were friends. I looked up to you. Sophia, you’re the woman who’d carved her own path, made a name for herself in a tough industry all while caring for the models she represented.” Callie meant every word but she didn’t think she’d got through to Sophia.
“I worked hard, I worked twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and still, it wasn’t enough.”
Callie shook her head, not quite understanding. “Not enough for who?”
Sophia cast her a hate-filled look before she walked towards the desk again and picked up a phone. Callie assumed she was checking for messages.
“See, you don’t even know he exists, you’re too self-involved even to notice the way he looks at you with longing. A look I’d kill to receive, and yet it goes unnoticed by the great Calista Lundholm.”
Callie’s fear receded as anger took over. She knew she wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t self-involved, and she did care about people. “Listen, I have no idea who you’re talking about, nor do I care at this point. I just want to know why you killed Tina.”
The fabric of Sophia’s jacket brushed against Callie as she walked around the back of the chair, her hand trailing over her shoulders in a way that was more threatening than the gun she held.
“Your little maid found me in your apartment and threatened to go to the police. I couldn’t allow that to happen, so she had to die.”
“I don’t understand, Tina knew self-defence, you would never have been able to over-power her?”
“A gun in the face is a powerful incentive to do as you’re told.”
“Why were you inside my apartment?”
Sophia laughed without humour. “I needed to make sure you were suitably frightened, or I wouldn’t get paid.”
“Paid?”
“Ah, yes, my little Callie.” Sophia stroked a finger over her cheek, causing Callie to pull away and Sophia laughed. “It turns out I’m not the only one who wants you dead. I was approached to frighten you and deliver you to my employer. They offered me more money than I could ever need, so it was as if all my dreams had come true.”
Callie had no idea who the other person was, but her gut told her it had something to do with Reid. At the thought of him, she closed her eyes, not wanting Sophia to have that.
Her Reid, the man she loved with all her heart. He would come for her; she knew it like she knew her own name. He would come, and that terrified her almost as much as dying at this woman’s hands because she knew he’d risk himself to save her.
Yet, what else could she do except pray he was safe and that whoever was behind this wasn’t as good as Reid and his friends at what they did? She needed to get more information or at least something to share with Reid. “How did you know where I was?” It had been bothering her since Sophia had found her.
“Let’s just say an intermediary also has a task here, and he knows your boyfriend very well.”
Callie gave that some thought and wondered if it was what Reid had referred too when he’d said they had other things happening. She’d tuck that knowledge away for now and pray she got the chance to tell him.
“What will you do with me now?” Callie wanted to distract herself and asking questions had proved prudent, especially as Sophia seemed so keen to share.
“I’ll collect my money and hand you and your boyfriend over to the man who wants you both dead.” Sophia rechecked her phone and Callie saw a slight frown marring her features. Perhaps things weren’t going as planned, that could be good for her.
“Reid won’t fall for your tricks.”
Sophia walked a few feet away before her lips twisted in a cruel smile. “Oh, he will. He will come, and he will die.”
“No!” Callie yelled and began to buck and fight to get free, hating that good men could die because of her.
Her eyes watered from the sting of her teeth cutting into her lip as Sophia backhanded her hard across the face, but she stayed silent, only stilling her struggle.
“He will die, you will die. I will get paid, and Claude will love me.”
Callie kept quiet, knowing whatever else she said was futile. She had no control over what happened next, but she knew she needed to stay conscious. A few more blows like that and she wouldn’t.
She only hoped that Reid, Liam, and the others were as good as she thought they were, and they found her and kept themselves safe in the process.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Reid felt a hand land on his shoulder and turned to see Liam standing behind him. His friend gave him an encouraging chin lift meant to make him feel better. In reality, the only thing that would do that was to have Callie safe and sound and in his arms.
“We’ll get her back.”
Reid dipped his chin, not trusting himself to speak, distraught didn’t even begin to cover his emotions right now. They were veering wildly from terror to absolute fury, and he didn’t know how to calm them or control them. This was his speciality, hostage rescue was his area of expertise, but all he could see was red.
The men had all filed into the war room wher
e Jack stood with a look on his face Reid was sure was similar to his own, although his was more anger than terror.
Jack turned to Lopez and nodded before he swung his gaze back to them. The large 3D screen in the centre of the room rose, and every man in the room pinned their interest on it.
“About fifteen minutes ago this man, known only as Bás, entered Eidolon undetected and made his way to this room.” Jack paused, and Reid drew in a breath of surprise as did the others. “He then proceeded to inform me that he knows where Callie is, which we already know thanks to the chip in her shoelace which Lopez is monitoring. He’ll let us know if anything changes.”
Reid sprang forward. “Where is she?” The demand was met with a hard stare from Jack, who remained where he was, his arms crossed over his chest before he dismissed him.
He nodded to Decker and Mitch who had returned the previous night after the leads in London went cold. “Let’s get two of you over there immediately to monitor the situation.”
The two men spoke with Lopez and Reid fought the urge to demand he go himself, knowing his knowledge was more useful in planning the op.
“If you can’t keep a cool head, I’ll bench you. Make no mistake who is in charge here. I want Callie safe too, and I know you care for her but losing your shit won’t help her or us.” Jack favoured him with a stern glare. “Am I clear?”
Reid ground his teeth to almost dust before he nodded. “Crystal.”
Jack cast his gaze around the men before he continued. “Bás will also deliver Milla’s location so we can extract her shortly. We can’t do the extraction on Callie until then, or it may trigger Gunner to engage, and we don’t want that.”
He looked around, catching the eye of every man in the room, his meaning clear; he wanted Gunner alive. “Bás will then tell us where Milla is. Once she’s safe, he’ll deliver Gunner to us.”
Alex stepped forward and angled his head as he looked at the picture of the man on the screen. “Motherfucker!”
Jack swung his gaze to his second and tilted his head in question.
“That’s the man who tortured Evelyn.”
Reid stepped closer, followed by Liam, Blake, and Waggs.
“Fucking hell,” Blake growled.
Reid agreed with the sentiment because Alex was right. That was the man who had worked with Osiris aka Arthur Roach, the man who had lied to Evelyn for years before his final betrayal.
Jack was silent for a moment, and Reid closed his eyes and took a breath to centre himself. He needed to keep his head; this just got a whole lot more complicated. “What did he want in return?”
Jack twisted to look at Reid as he spoke. “A favour.”
“What kind of favour?”
Jack shrugged. “He wouldn’t say, just that I’d owe him a favour in the future.”
Alex slammed his fist down on the console. Everyone turned to him, staring in shock at the usually calm man. “We can’t trust this man. He tortured Evelyn.”
Jack sighed and faced his friend as Reid waited for the explosion that didn’t come. “I know we can’t trust him, but we can’t let the chance to save Callie and Milla, and to secure Gunner pass.” Jack approached Alex, who looked as pained as Reid felt. “Alex, you know we have no choice. If there were another way, I’d take it in a heartbeat, but we have no other leads.”
Alex’s jaw tightened as the other men kept their council on the situation. He himself was torn. If it were anyone other than Callie, he’d agree it wasn’t worth the price Jack and the rest of them might have to pay, but the second she was taken, he’d had the shocking realisation he loved her and would do whatever it took to save her.
Alex swung his gaze to him, and Reid saw the pain and the anger and the inner war he was waging. “Do you love her?”
Reid didn’t want to do this here, but he knew what Alex was asking—did she matter to him. “Yes, I do.”
Alex nodded once. “Then I guess we have no choice but let me say this once. If that fucker comes anywhere near me, he’s a dead man.”
“Do we have a plan for Gunner when we get him back?” Blake asked having his own grudge against the man. Their former friend had allowed Blake’s woman, Pax to be beaten.
“I do have an idea actually, but I need to give it more thought.” Jack looked pensive, and in this mood, Reid knew he wouldn’t be forced to share, and they’d have to wait until he was ready to do so.
“We don’t have the men to make two extractions safely, especially as the sister isn’t an easy in and out.” Waggs was leaning against the desk, his arms braced on it.
“I’m going where Callie is,” Reid stated his intentions and God help anyone who tried to stop him.
Jack assessed him for a second and then lifted his chin in assent. “I’m going to call in favour with Zack and see if he can help with the extractions. Alex, can you make the call?”
With that, Alex took his phone out and walked a few feet away.
He came back a few minutes later and nodded. “Zack is sending, Zin, Nate, K, Dane, and Jace over now.”
Reid let out a sigh of relief. Knowing they had essentially a second squad coming to help allowed him to breathe easier.
“Good, Fortis can extract Milla with Waggs, and the rest of us can go after Callie. We can’t assume this man Bás isn’t playing us, and it could be a trap.”
Waggs nodded. Reid knew his medical training might be imperative for someone with Milla’s complicated medical issues.
“It would be good to have a medic in case Callie needs it, but you’re right. Milla will definitely need medical attention,” Blake added not looking at Reid.
Reid felt bile fill his throat at the thought of Callie hurt or needing medical help. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his mouth, trying to keep his lunch in his belly.
“Agreed, but we have what we have, and you all have more than basic skills.”
Just then, the alarms at the front sounded, and Jack turned to the screen. Reid wasn’t sure whether to be happy or sad when he saw his best friend’s face smiling up at the camera. He settled on happy because there was nobody else he’d want at his back than Clay, and he had the medical expertise he prayed to God they wouldn’t need.
Reid walked toward the front door, wanting to be the one to give Clay the news his sister had been taken on his watch.
Reid disengaged the locks, his mind working over how this Bás had gotten in before he pulled the door open.
Clay greeted him with a grin that froze on his face before it fell. “Oh fuck, what did you do?”
Reid stepped back and allowed his best friend inside, not wanting to say the words he knew would crush him. He shook his head, trying to find them. “They took her, Clay. Right from me, they took her.”
He watched his friends face harden and then Reid found himself pressed against the wall, his friend’s enraged face in his. “How the fuck could you?”
“Hey, cool it, yank,” Liam called as he moved down the hallway towards them.
Clay looked at him before he shoved off Reid, who hadn’t lifted a finger to defend himself. He wanted the pain he thought Clay might mesh out, hoping it would ease the emotional torture he felt inside his chest.
“Bitch had a gun aimed a toddler. Reid had no choice, neither did Callie, but we know where she is, and we’re planning a rescue now. You want in, you need to play nice.”
Clay lifted his bag, and without another glance in his direction, followed Liam back toward the war room.
Reid moved to stand on the opposite side of the room as Liam made the introductions. Jack shook hands with Clay and told him he was welcome to join them as long as he could follow orders and wouldn’t be a problem.
“Not a problem for me.” Clay looked at Reid with a strained, angry expression. Reid understood but it still stung. “I’m good.”
“Great.” Jack quickly brought Clay up to speed on everything that they knew about Callie and Sophia so far. “Now, unfortunately, we have some bu
siness that is completely classified, so I’m going to have to ask you to step out. Blake can show you where to stow your stuff and change.”
Clay picked up his bag and with one more glance at Reid, followed Blake from the room.
“Right, I have an idea about how to deal with Gunner,” Jack said. “I want us to make it look like we killed Milla.”
Reid looked up and around to gauge the other’s reaction, and they seemed as confused as he was, except perhaps Liam.
“We make it looked like we killed her, then once we have Gunner here, we’ll tell him she’s safe and will remain that way and send him back. He can tell whoever the fuck he works for that he wants us all dead because of what we did, and it should keep his cover. He can get us more information, and we can shut this down for good.”
“Do you think he’ll go for it?” Lopez asked.
“Yes, because his sister was the reason he turned and if he doesn’t, I’ll make sure he never sees her again. Plus, he owes us.”
“We can’t trust him,” Liam stated as he clenched his fists at his side.
“No, we can’t, but we’ll at least have the upper hand this time.”
Liam shrugged. “Fine, let’s do it.”
“Can Fortis stage that?” Alex asked.
“Yeah, they can do it.” Jack nodded just as the phone on the desk rang.
Every pair of eyes moved to look at it as if it might rise up and bite them before Jack answered. It was go time.
Chapter Twenty-Four
As time wore on, Callie noticed Sophia become more anxious, her control and temper slipping. She wasn’t sure if this was good for her or not, but it did give Reid more time to find her.
It had to have been hours since she’d been taken, and she wondered if the tracker was working as she looked at her shoe. Will had assured her that it worked and had even shown her on the computer. It had been a fail-safe that had given her confidence about leaving with Sophia but even if she hadn’t had it, she still would have gone. The look of abject fear on the young mother’s face as Sophia threatened her son would stay with her forever.