Talon (Uncompromising #1)

by Sybil Bartel

  André grinned. “I just wanted to shake the hand of the woman who tamed this asshole.”

  “Patrol,” I snapped, but I was smiling.

  “Why do you call him Patrol?”

  André didn’t wait for me to answer. “He can’t remember anyone’s name. He got dropped on his head too many times as a baby.”

  Siren looked at me.

  “Don’t listen to him, he’s full of shit.”

  Neil emerged from the cockpit. “Land in thirty.”

  André turned all business and reached for his laptop. “Let’s go over logistics.”

  I set Siren back in her seat with a kiss to her temple. “You got her picture?”

  She pulled the photo of her daughter out of her jeans pocket. Staring at it, she went dead still and her features shut down. When I’d first met her, I never would’ve guessed the secret she was hiding. Her emotionless response to everything hadn’t been her personality, it was her coping mechanism. I was praying we weren’t wrong about her daughter’s location. “Thanks darlin’.” I glanced at the photo and tried not to stare. Even in the black-and-white shot, I could tell this little girl had her momma’s giant blue eyes. “Give me a few minutes?”

  Siren nodded, handed over the picture, then sat back in her seat.

  For the next twenty minutes, André, Neil and I strategized. The property was at the end of a cul-de-sac, which was both good and bad. There was an open, partially wooded area behind it. It was a lot of land to cover if you were chasing someone but gunfire wouldn’t be heard by a hundred neighbors.

  We finally settled on a plan. Neil was point, André was going to cover the back and I would go after the kid. André rummaged through one the duffels and pulled out vests. He handed me one and offered the other to Neil.

  Neil muttered in Danish and ignored André.

  André looked at me. “What’d he say?”

  “Paraphrasin’ here, but he said you’re a pussy and I’m worse.” I stood and ducked my head to pull the vest over.

  “We’ll see who’s a pussy when the first shitty diaper needs changing.” André grinned and we fist bumped.

  Unable to stand to my full height in the cabin of the plane, I strapped on the vest and Siren came up next to me.

  “You’re putting on protective gear,” she said nervously.

  I still had the bruises on my chest from the last time I was shot at to remind me of the alternative. “Beats a bullet hole any day of the week, darlin’.”

  Her fingers feathered along my bicep right below the graze wound. “This will leave a scar.”

  “Not the first and not the last. It’s all good.” I picked up a gun and checked the clip. Fully loaded.

  She sucked in a nervous breath. “I’m worried.”

  I holstered the gun and turned to her. “Nothin’s gonna happen. We’re gonna be in and out.”

  “What if Stone has her guarded?”

  “We’ll handle it.”

  She stared at the wound on my arm. “You already got shot.”

  I smiled to reassure her. “That ain’t being shot. That’s a scratch.” I grasped her chin and got serious. “We know what we’re doin’. The only variable I can’t control is Maddie’s location. If she’s not there, I’ll keep lookin’ till I find her. I promise.” I hoped like hell André’s instincts were right about this.

  Her face drawn, she barely nodded.

  “All I want you to do is keep a seat warm on this plane for me. Can you do that?” I couldn’t begin to imagine what she was going through right now. A lesser person would break.

  She nodded again.

  “I need to hear that sexy voice, Siren.”

  “Yes,” she said wearily.

  “Good girl.” I kissed her forehead. “Now take a seat and buckle up, we’re about to land.” I waited till she sat then I turned toward the cockpit.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Just to check in with Roark.” I threw her a smile. “Back in a sec.” I headed to the cabin, angled into the copilot’s seat and put on headphones. “How’s it goin’?”

  “We’re going to have weather coming home.” He checked our approach. “How old’s the kid?”

  “Just shy of two years.”

  “You’ll need a bottle for her when we take off and land to equalize her ears.”

  Shit. I hadn’t thought of that. “What do we got onboard?”

  “Not much. Soda, water. You didn’t give me a whole lot of notice. We were lucky we got a plane big enough.”

  I rubbed a hand over my face. “Thanks for that.”

  He tipped his chin in response then announced our approach to the airport. When he was done, he glanced at me. “You’re worried,” he stated.

  I looked out at the dark horizon line. “I don’t know shit about kids.”

  “This an extraction or an adoption?”

  Christ. “Extraction,” I muttered.

  “The mother will handle the kid.”

  “And I’ll handle the mother.” I chuckled but I was nervous as hell. “Speakin’ of which, I’m goin’ to check on her. Unless you want me to land this bad boy?”

  He didn’t even smile. “You’re not rated for this plane.”

  “I had a hard-ass for a teacher. How hard can it be?” I was only half teasing. Roark had taught me to fly and he was thorough as fuck.

  “It’s not, but it’d be an expensive mistake if you screwed up.”

  “What’s a few million?” I joked, knowing the only thing Roark was more serious about than flying was money. He’d been saving for years to expand his charter business.

  “Nine million,” he corrected.

  I climbed out of the seat. “Then don’t fuck up the landing.”

  I went back to Siren but I had to angle around Missy to get in my seat. The dog was lying protectively across Siren’s feet.

  I ruffled Missy’s ears. “She likes you. She doesn’t like many people besides Roark.” Proving my point, Missy nudged my hand away and put her head on Siren’s lap.

  “She’s a good girl,” Siren said absently, petting her.

  Not liking the distance in Siren’s voice, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to my chest. “C’mere, darlin’. Everythin’s gonna be okay.”

  She inhaled and let it out slowly. “I like the way you smell.”

  I touched my lips to her forehead. “Ditto.”

  “I feel like I don’t know anything about you.”

  I tried not to bristle. She knew more about me than most people. “What do you want to know?”

  “Do you have siblings?”

  “No.”

  “Is your father alive?”

  “He died before I was outta diapers.”

  “Did you always want to join the military?”

  “Yep.” It was my ticket out.

  “Where did you learn to surf?”

  “California.”

  She looked up at me at that answer. “I thought you were from Texas.”

  “Texas by way of Louisiana, with a small stint in Tennessee. My mama followed the jobs. She was always tryin’ to make a better life for us.”

  “She must have been a special lady. I’m sorry I never got to meet her.” She absently traced the lines in my vest.

  “She was. And she would’ve loved you.” I threaded my hand through Siren’s fingers. “You remind me of her.”

  “I do?” Surprise tainted her voice.

  “Yep. Sweet and innocent but strong as hell.”

  She stilled then drew in a deep a breath. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

  “You’re welcome.” I squeezed her hand, wishing we were alone so I could kiss the fuck out of her.

  “So, California?”

  “I had an uncle growing up who we visited in the summers. He taught me.”

  “Do you still talk to him?”

  “He died chasing the big one.”

  Her face scrunched up in confusion.

  “Surfer�
�s creed, you’re always searching for the perfect wave. He found his in a storm in New Zealand.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t think he was.” My uncle was hardcore. “He lived to surf. I’m sure he was shreddin’ it.” I smiled.

  “Did you ever think about having kids?”

  And there it was. The reason for the twenty questions. Inhaling, I let it out slow as the memory of my last night with Leigh came flooding back. “Straight up?”

  She nodded.

  “I thought me and Leigh would have kids. Except the night we talked about it, I didn’t know she was already sick. The next day she left me. It was the last time I ever saw her.”

  Siren put her hand on my face and her big blue eyes filled with empathy. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thank you.” I stroked her soft hair. “But in answer to your question? Yes, I always knew I wanted kids.” My mama always told me there was no greater joy than being a parent.

  She settled into me but her slight body under my arm still felt tense.

  “Everythin’s gonna be fine, darlin’, I promise.”

  She abruptly sat up and looked me square in the eyes. “I don’t have the luxury of dating or casual encounters or nights on the town or anything else that’s carefree and easy. This is going to change everything.”

  “I know.” I vowed then and there to give her every damn one of those things.

  Her brows drew tight with apprehension and her voice rose to high pitch. “I’m about to live with you.”

  It was inappropriate as hell, my timing was ass but I fought a smile. She was cute as fuck all riled up. “Yep.”

  “Me and my daughter.”

  “The two of you.” I nodded.

  “My daughter,” she breathed, looking at me with half panic, half elation.

  I smiled wide. “Maddie.”

  She threw her arms around my neck, buried her face against my chest and the plane landed. I held her tight while Roark taxied but then I had to pry her off and set her back in her seat. Her hands tightly clasped against her chest, worrying her bottom lip, she looked nervous as fuck.

  I grasped her face. “Remember what you’re gonna do for me?”

  She released her lip and gave me a shaky nod. “Stay on the plane.”

  “And keep Roark in line,” I teased, trying to cut through some of the tension radiating off her. “Find somethin’ Maddie likes to drink for takeoff and landin’.”

  “Okay.” She exhaled.

  “Trust me, Siren. It’s gonna be fine.” I kissed her forehead and stood. “If she’s there, we’ll bring her home.” The plane came to a stop.

  “Showtime.” André stood and geared up.

  Neil shouldered an assault rifle like he was carrying a backpack. No protective gear, he looked like a fucking vigilante lumberjack. André on the other hand, was dressed in all black with enough ammo to take out a small army.

  Neil unlatched the plane’s door, pushed out the stairs and ducked his head as he stepped out. André handed me an AR-15 then followed Neil.

  I glanced back at Siren. “Sit tight, darlin’.” I winked and walked off the plane.

  A GUY MET US AT the bottom of the stairs in front of an idling SUV. André handed him a wad of cash and told him he could pick the SUV back up in an hour. Three minutes later, we were speeding down the highway with Neil behind the wheel.

  “How far?” I asked.

  André messed with his phone. “Six minutes.”

  Neil glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “You should not have promised her we would bring the child back.”

  “We’ll find her.”

  “She could be dead.”

  Anxiety hit my chest like an IED blast wave. “She’s not dead,” I ground out.

  “Next exit, then go left,” André interrupted.

  I leaned back in the seat and took a deep breath. “We all know what we’re doin’?”

  “Yeah.” André looked at his phone then pointed for Neil. “See that turnoff? Veer to the right then take your next two lefts.” He looked back at me. “Recon first. I’m not pulling up on the house blind.”

  “Fine.” It was the smart thing to do but I knew if it were just me and Neil, we’d pull straight up.

  A few blocks later, André pointed again. “Hit the lights and park there, in front of their neighbor’s house.”

  Neil pulled up by a house that had a few cars in the driveway and parked on the street.

  André looked at his watch. “Give me four minutes.” He was out of the SUV before either of us could say shit.

  Neil broke the silence first. “Stone will have her protected.”

  The way he said it made me think he knew something. “What do you know about him?” I checked my weapons.

  “My crew redid the foundation on his compound a few years back. Off the books. No permits.”

  I stilled and stared at Neil in disbelief. “And you’re just now thinkin’ to tell me this? Why the fuck didn’t he recognize you two nights ago?”

  “Wasn’t relevant and we never met. Business was done over the phone with his VP and he handled the payments.”

  It was totally fucking relevant. “You know the layout of that place. We could’ve gone after him.”

  “For what?”

  Was he shitting me? “For Blaze, for Layna, for Maddie—fuck, pick a reason, there’s a hundred of ’em.” I would have personally enjoyed beating the fuck out of Stone for answers.

  “Not my fight.”

  Jesus fuck. “Then why the hell are you here?”

  “A child was stolen.”

  I’d never understood Neil’s code of ethics. He seemed to pick whatever suited him that day, shit, that hour. The only thing he was consistent on was kids and women. It was how I’d met him in the first place. Fucker had walked through an enemy compound, calm as fuck, bullets flying everywhere, holding two injured Afghani kids. He’d waltzed up to me like it was a walk in the park, dumped the kids at my feet and said two words: “Save them.” Then he’d disappeared.

  A week later I was hiding in a murder hole trying not to get my head blown off when he’d appeared over me like an executioner. That day he’d said four words. “Did you save them?”

  I had. And it’d sealed my fate with him. I spent the rest of that tour as his personal medic while he systematically plucked injured kids from God knows where and delivered them to me like I was the fucking Savior himself. We’d moved around so much, I didn’t even know how he kept track of my location but he did. When my tour was up, I’d only lost one of the kids he’d brought me. We’d been friends ever since.

  André opened the door and slid back into the front passenger seat. “There are two motorcycles out front, a pickup and a small compact with a baby seat. No lights are on but a TV is on in the front of the house on the first floor. Thermal imager showed two people downstairs, three upstairs. Stone definitely has her under watch.”

  My heart leapt when he’d mentioned the baby seat and I had to fight not to tune out everything André said after that.

  “Remember our positions.” André handed us each an earpiece. “Neil, you’re point. Doc, left of front door.” André glanced at his watch. “Give me thirty seconds to get around back.”

  I fitted the ear mic in. “Copy.” I nodded, itching to kick the fucking door down and get to Siren’s kid.

  “Neil?” André glanced at Neil but he was already getting out of the SUV.

  Completely ignoring André, Neil walked toward the house and right up the middle of the driveway to the bikes. Raising his huge booted foot, he kicked over one of the Harleys.

  The crash echoed through the silent night like a fucking RPG explosion.

  “Fucking hell.” André broke out into a sprint toward the back of the house.

  Neil swung the M-16 off his shoulder and held it pointed at the front door.

  I ran toward my position.

  It took seven seconds.

  The door burst open and tw
o men ran out.

  Neil fired a warning shot.

  “Carajo,” André’s cuss came through the ear mic. “Entering back.”

  The two men, one with a shotgun, one with a revolver, instantly froze.

  “Drop them,” Neil warned.

  “Fuck you!” the shotgun guy yelled.

  Neil fired at his feet, missing him by an inch.

  The guy with the revolver took aim and I moved.

  Two paces and my muzzle was on his temple. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

  The other guy swung around and the unmistakable sound of a shotgun shell being chambered echoed through the night. Then the asshole made a crucial mistake. He took his eyes off Neil. I glanced up just as the stock of Neil’s rifle slammed into the back of the guy’s head.

  I turned back to Mr. Revolver as the guy holding the shotgun hit the pavement. “Wanna join him?”

  He lowered his aim.

  “Nice and slow, drop the gun.”

  The gun clattered to the ground.

  “One down,” André whispered through the mic.

  That left the kid and probably the woman. “Where’s the kid?” I pressed the muzzle harder into the guy’s head and he pissed himself.

  “I d-d-d-don’t kn-kn-know.”

  “Wrong answer.” I nodded at Neil.

  I heard the muffled thump of wood hitting flesh and bone as I sprinted into the house and took the stairs two at a time. Leading with my rifle, I cleared the top of the staircase as a disheveled woman stumbled into the hall with André on her heels, his rifle pushing into her back.

  André inclined his head at a closed door. “She’s in there alone. Door on the right.”

  My pulse rocketed to a new level and I sucked in a breath. Swinging my weapon to my back, I reached for the knob and opened the door.

  None of my training prepared me for what I saw.

  Curled in a fetal position on the floor in the corner was a baby girl. Naked except for a diaper, she was caged in a dog crate.

  A motherfucking dog crate.

  Rage spread through my veins and turned to a boil so volatile, I thought my jaw would crush my back teeth.

  Quietly crying, her hair a matted mess, she cowered in the back by a dirty blanket. The stench of human waste filled the room.

  I dropped to my knees and forced my voice to a gentle cadence. “Hey, baby girl.” With rage-shaking hands, I lifted the lock and opened the door. “I’m not gonna hurt you, sweet girl.”