“These two had a sister and another brother,” Marina said quickly. “According to this online gossip blog, the sister was killed by their father as punishment for having an affair with an American soldier. The brother was killed trying to defend his sister from their father. That’s horrible!”
“Shit.” Bones remembered now. “The soldier was sent home. He was Army. I remember that much. A captain I think.” Bones tried to recall the particulars. “My team was out on maneuvers trying to move a local tribe of Bedouins out of the line of fire of some rebel activity in the region when this all happened. I can remember hearing about it and thinking that it was ridiculous.”
“From a Western perspective, it is.” Marina was reading the words on the screen as though she were absorbing the details of some bizarre incident in a soap opera. “So this poor girl was probably so stifled by her father and her older brothers that she was absolutely flattered by the attentions of some soldier assigned to her brother’s diplomatic escort.” Marina stood up and began pacing. “He fed her some lines, maybe he copped a feel. Maybe they actually did it. Who knows? She never confirmed it, but he was quick to tell everyone who would listen that he had screwed some Arabian princess.”
Bones pursed his lips. He knew how this story went. “Her father was highly insulted by his daughter’s behavior.”
“So he kills her and then murders the only person in her family who tried to protect her?” Marina gazed up at him. The expression on her face was pure horror. “It certainly gives these princes motivation to hurt American women.”
“I don’t think they necessarily needed motivation for that.” Bones struggled to explain. “You’re looking at this from the wrong angle. Don’t paint these men as seeking revenge for their sister and brother.”
“How can you say that?” Marina shot back. “They’re loving brothers who just wanted their siblings’ murders to be avenged!”
“No.” Bones gave an emphatic shake of the head. “They’re narcissistic assholes who felt like some Army guy insulted them. This is about how their sister’s fall from grace affected them. They would absolutely feel that her punishment was just. Not only that, but they were probably highly affronted that their youngest brother dared to intervene. You cannot wrap your mind around how different it is for women over there, Marina. I promise. Feel sorry for the princess, but do not make her big brothers the heroes in this story.”
“Okay.” She still looked more than a little peeved. Her dark eyes were flashing. “Let’s say I buy your version of events. If some lowly Army captain was responsible, then why not just kill him and be done?”
“Because he was just a pawn.” Bones realized where this was going. “Damn. Damn. Damn.”
“What?” Marina’s tone was getting more than a little ominous.
“Trapp was caught up in that mess.”
“Why?”
“Whiteside was supposed to be in charge of that detachment. He reported back to Trapp.” Bones knew this was not good. “That means Trapp was ultimately responsible for the captain’s punishment.”
“How was he punished?” Marina wanted to know.
Bones knew she wasn’t going to like this. “He had violated a policy, but it wasn’t punishable by death as her family requested.”
Marina hissed something in Spanish. It didn’t sound complimentary. “And there was no way the State Department was going to hand over an American soldier for punishment that was probably going to result in loss of life.”
“So they slapped him with a fine, a sanction, and a dishonorable discharge,” Bones finished.
MARINA COULD NOT believe she was hearing this. “That’s it?”
“Think about what you’re saying,” Bones murmured.
“No!” She pointed at him. “Think about what you’re saying! The actions of this man resulted in a woman’s death! Two people were murdered by their own family because of what he did. He should have known! He should never have been so careless with his actions. It’s awful!”
“Marina, I know.” Bones wished she could understand that he chafed at these restrictions too. “You don’t understand what it’s like when you’re over there. We are Americans. We grow up in a culture that has very different values from those of the people we are supposed to be helping or fighting or protecting, or whatever! The military does the best that they can to teach every soldier a list of dos and don’ts for being over there. But that does not change the fundamentals of a soldier’s personality. If he was a player over here, he’s probably going to be a player over there.”
“So men are sleazebags the world over.” Marina thought bitterly of everything that had happened. “And now you’ve managed to discover why your poor commanding officer’s actions got his sister taken.”
“Don’t forget that Rachel was taken by men who are taking other women without any motive other than financial gain. Do not make this about Rachel!” Bones was furious. She could tell. His tone was dark and deep, and something in his face suggested to her that he was nearing the edge of his temper. “You were taken. You friends were taken, Marina. Remember? Did you have a relative responsible for the death of this princess?”
“No.” She spat the word like bitter poison. “Apparently we were all collateral damage.”
“If you believe that then you are naive as hell, and I can’t help you.” The derision in his tone burned her pride.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Marina finally gave in and shouted. She got right up close and poked him in the chest. “These men are taking women in some bizarre attempt to make everyone in America pay for the sins of one man.”
“No.” Bones grabbed her shoulders and held her firmly in hand. “These men used an already accepted, lucrative, and established business venture to punish a man they feel insulted them. Trapp is the afterthought. Rachel is the afterthought. Every other one of those women taken was the original and driving purpose. It’s financial. It’s business. The rest is just a convenient antidote for their privileged boredom.”
Chapter Sixteen
Marina was still reeling over Bones’s frank summation of the situation. A father had murdered his own daughter just because she’d been stupid enough to fall for the same line that dozens of American woman had probably fallen for over the years. Then, to make matters even worse, her younger brother had tried to defend her and his father had cut him down too. The kid had only been eighteen!
The apartment’s big sliding door beckoned. “I need some air,” she muttered.
She had only just gotten to the door when Bones grabbed her from behind. He held her motionless against his chest. It was odd, but even being as angry as she was with him for his callous behavior about this whole thing did not make her stop trusting him not to hurt her.
His lips brushed her earlobe. “You can’t just walk out that door and wander around down here, Marina. It isn’t safe.”
“I don’t care.” Considering the mood she was in, anyone who attempted to waylay her was going to get a nasty surprise.
“Well I do.” He spun her around in his arms and gazed down into her face.
She looked up at him and tried to understand. He had been so supportive of her. Granted, she hadn’t known him but few days. It was a scant handful of hours by any decent standards, but surely she would have sensed it if he had some sadistic streak she didn’t know about. So what would make him be almost supportive of these two princes and their sexist cultural leanings?
“Marina,” Bones whispered. “Take a step back for just a moment. All right? I’m not condoning or excusing what happened over there. I cannot even tell you how many times I’ve wanted to intervene on some woman’s behalf while I was over there. Sometimes the treatment they receive is deplorable, and they’ve done nothing. Nothing!” He let go of her and rubbed both hands over the stubble on his head. “I would like to think that’s what we’re over there fighting for, but the truth is that we’re fighting for control of resources and nothing else. That is reality
.”
He looked so very upset about the whole thing. Was this the content of his nightmares? She’d made a lot of assumptions about his PTSD because he was a soldier. Her triggers and inciting incidents were all obvious and neatly labeled, thanks to a combination of therapy and the very firm physical facts of what had happened to her. Bones was different. He had lived in a triggering environment for years.
BONES WISHED HE could adequately explain to Marina what he was talking about. Unfortunately it was difficult to understand when you hadn’t experienced it. The culture shock of being in a Middle Eastern country had been almost more than Bones could handle. Trapp had been a huge help to him. Bones owed the guy big time, which made it unfair to stand here and criticize his decision about Whiteside and the Army captain. Trapp was the one paying the price. There was no doubt about that.
Marina looked like a cat on a hot tin roof. She was shifting from foot to foot every second and looking very uncomfortable. Outside the light was just beginning to kiss the horizon. Bones could tell that much from his narrow basement windows. While she watched with a wary expression in her eye, he reached around her and opened the door.
“Let’s both go get some air to clear our heads,” he suggested.
He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry when Marina bolted out the door as though she’d just been let out of prison. He hadn’t thought his home bothered her too much, even though it was subterranean. That suggested that it was being there with Bones that was bothering her now. It hurt, but maybe it was for the best. He was no good for her anyway.
At least she didn’t sprint away from him and simply disappear as she had the night they’d broken into the harbormaster’s office. This time she put her hands on top of her head and took deep breaths in and out. She was obviously trying to get control of her emotions. He could relate. Sometimes panic put so much adrenaline in the system it was hell trying to stand still.
“Let’s walk this way.” He kept some distance between them as he headed toward a tiny downtown park.
The little corner of green space was a popular hangout during the day for people on their lunch breaks or smoke breaks. This early in the morning it was deserted except for a few joggers. He kept his pace slow and easy as they approached. The sky was graying. The first few pale streaks of pink and orange on the horizon cast the few clouds overhead in brilliant colors. It was going to be a beautiful day.
“It’s so strange how life just goes on, you know?” Marina whispered the words as though she didn’t want to disturb the morning.
He considered her statement. “I know exactly what you mean.” He probably shouldn’t be telling her any more of his business, or that of his men, but she was in this up to her neck anyway. “Whiteside was always good at looking out for number one, if you know what I mean.”
“So he used his position to get close to these princes and managed to get himself some benefits into the bargain?” Marina guessed. Her face was inscrutable. In the early morning light he was absolutely stunned by her beauty.
BONES WAS STARING at her, and Marina wasn’t entirely certain why, or whether or not she was comfortable with the attention. What if he found her somehow lacking? She’d pretty much made an ass out of herself about this whole murdered princess thing. And now Bones was actually trying to explain himself even further. She felt bad somehow, as if she’d judged him without meaning to.
“You don’t have to explain yourself,” Marina told him quickly. “I know that I don’t really understand what it’s like over there. I get that. I just…” She struggled to find the words. “After being held for all those months and knowing what it’s like to be treated like property, I think I see all of it in a new light now.”
“Sure.” He stopped walking and threw his head back to stare up at the sky. “You have a new perspective. You might even say that’s what happened to Whiteside over there as well.”
Marina drew back in shock. “What?”
“He realized that he enjoyed a society where men got to rule with an iron fist and the culture supported gender-biased bullshit behavior.”
“That’s a big mouthful of words.” Marina struggled to understand what he meant. “So you’re saying that Whiteside liked helping the princes be assholes?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Bones’s bitter chuckle spoke far more than his words. “The princes started using Whiteside and his men as a personal hit squad.”
“Shit.” Marina couldn’t wrap her mind around that notion. It was awful! “Did anyone notice what was going on?”
“Not at first.” Bones sighed. The sky was now completely pink with a bit of purple bruising around the western horizon. The colors threw his profile into stark relief. He was truly a magnificent man. “Let’s just say that Trapp was busy, the rest of us were trying to clean the sand out of our ears and eyes and avoid getting shot into the bargain, and the guys Whiteside was commanding were about as willing to be mercenaries as he was.”
“So US soldiers got paid to take care of random people that pissed off those princes.”
“Yes.”
“And what about the captain?” Marina asked, already afraid she knew the answer.
“Whiteside promised to deliver the captain to the princes for execution. Until he started messing with the princess, our infamous Army captain was happily taking bribes and bumping off Bedouins or other people that bothered them or hurt their business.”
Marina felt a shot of horror fly through her system. “Were they selling women at that time?”
“Yes. It was actually the first form of punishment they thought of for the princess.” Bones looked away from the sky. “That always made me sick, to know they’d have treated their own sister that way.”
“Because killing her was so much better?” Marina said sarcastically. Then she sighed. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. What happened when Trapp found out?”
“He removed the captain from duty and dispensed punishment.” Bones ground his teeth together. Marina could actually hear the sound of them. “Whiteside was reprimanded, but not removed from duty.”
“You didn’t agree with that,” Marina guessed. She wondered how much that disagreement had cost Bones.
BONES GAZED AT this incredible woman. “Hell no, I didn’t agree!” He knew he sounded just a bit unhinged, but this had always stuck in his gut as being wrong. “The bastard should have been removed from duty. Instead he’s stuck around, utilized his contacts here in the States, and helped the princes to get a foothold in this country. If these containers truly belong to Jabar and Hasim, then all of this could have been prevented by denying them someone familiar with the American justice system and how to work around it.”
He stared at the sky. How could the world appear so perfect and so innocent, and yet be so very dangerous for those who were blameless? He exhaled long and slow. “You said at one time that you thought there were other survivors. How do you know?”
“I suppose what I meant is that it’s logical to believe that to be true.” Marina seemed to be deep in thought. “I keep feeling like a total shit for not going back.”
“What?” Bones couldn’t nix that idea fast enough. “I wouldn’t want you to go back into that hellhole.”
“But if there are other women held there, why wouldn’t I go and help them?” The smooth column of Marina’s throat moved as she swallowed. “They need help and I can provide it. What kind of person am I if I won’t do that for them?”
Bones tried to set aside his personal stake in the matter. She had a point. “So you’re saying that you can find your way back?”
“Sure. I’d have to start at the hospital where I first managed to find help, but I know I could backtrack.”
“That’s a huge risk to take,” Bones reminded her. “You might push yourself so far that your PTSD will be almost crippling.”
“But if I don’t do something, all of those people might die. There could already be dozens that have died since I left that pla
ce. I’ve been too scared and too cowardly to go back.” The way she stared at him made him feel like a million bucks. “I’ve got you now, and I know you’ll keep me safe, Bones.”
“And if I couldn’t?” He felt a corresponding wrench in his midsection. “What if I fail you the same way I failed all of those people overseas?”
“Bones, you could never fail me.” She turned and stood on tiptoe. Reaching up, she touched his cheek with her fingertips. Her hands were so damn soft!
“Then I guess that’s our next step,” Bones said raggedly. “But only if you’re sure.”
She took his hand and kissed his knuckles. “I’m sure. It’s the right thing to do, and I’ve needed to go through with it for a long time.”
Chapter Seventeen
Marina had felt completely certain of herself when she had made the decision to go back to the scene of the crime and attempt to rescue any of the other women who had—for whatever reason—wound up in the discard pile. As she and Bones parked at the hospital where she had been treated after escaping captivity, she began to wonder whether she was making the right decision or not.
“It’s going to be okay,” Bones murmured.
How did he know she was freaking out? She sighed and threw her head back to look up at the sky. It was so weird to see such a blue, blue sky filled with sunlight but feel so incredibly cold inside. She was practically shivering. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the sensation of the sunlight on her skin. She couldn’t feel its warmth. She could sense the heat coming off Bones’s skin, though. The man was like a furnace.
She took a deep breath and made an attempt to mentally prepare herself. “I know it’s going to be okay.”
“Which way?” He cocked his head to one side, and she had a feeling he was totally aware that she was bullshitting him. Well, at least he was nice enough not to mention it.
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