Gia nodded her head. “I’d be happy to help, Dukes; that man has a few screws loose and he needs to be put in his place.”
“You go sit in the truck with Breech where it’s warm ‘til the boys get those crates loaded. Thank you, Gia.”
“You’re welcome, Dukes.” Turning to leave, she walked to the truck where they had taken Breech.
Dukes said, “Such a lot of courage in a little package.” His voice grew indistinguishable as he walked over and picked up a crate, helping the boys load up.
Twenty
My head was throbbing, and my side felt like a hot poker was stabbing me. I didn’t really care about the discomfort; it was my fault for being cocky enough to think those two guys were no match for me. Because of my stupidity, they had Jiji and I got shot.
Gia’s face appeared above me in the swaying truck. She laid a cold hand against my forehead. “I know you will get her back, Breech.”
Turning my head, I looked at her. “They never should have gotten close enough to take her from me. I was arrogant to think I could handle the situation, and look where it got me. But now my brothers are here, and we will come up with a plan to free her. I heard what you told Dukes and Sonny. That information will be really helpful.”
Reaching up, I cupped her cheek. “Gia, did he touch you, hurt you?”
Her eyes filled up, but she shook off my hand and dashed away the tears before they could fall. “No, Breech, he never got the chance. Drake was in to him so deep that Lane wanted him to turn me over as payment. I got away before he could.”
Boomer’s deep voice filled the cab. “You were smart and courageous, Gia.”
Excitedly, she turned in the seat. “Breech, I know how you can sneak in and get Jiji out. I’m so stupid for not thinking of it before I got out, because there is a network of tunnels above the barn that connects one building to another. It isn’t used at all, but I did to stay out of sight. I remember when the air conditioning went out and they hired an army of guys to come and fix it. One of the crew was a guy I knew from school. We would have lunch together and he told me about the crawlspaces, and we almost got lost a few times. Oh, damn, wait a second.”
She twisted around in her seat and dug around ‘til she came up with her pack. Unzipping it, she started pulling things out. Boomer watched from the driver’s seat until she came up with a small notepad. Flipping rapidly through, she stopped at a sheet of paper, folded up and stuck in the pad.
“Whoop! I kept it.” Unfolding the paper, she waved it over her head. “It’s a drawing the guy made of the main house. He was small enough to get into the crawlspace to fix the ducts, but the house was so big he made himself a map so he wouldn’t get lost.”
Boomer leaned over to look then asked, “Why do you have it?”
She flipped it over and, scrawled on the back was the guy’s name and phone number. “He shoved it at me the day the job ended. He said that maybe we could go for coffee sometime. The guys were laughing at him, but he did it anyway.” She turned the paper and written in the corner was I heard her screaming. Call me if you need help.
Sitting up, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and hit speed-dial. “Jamie, it’s Breech. Listen, man, I need you to get me and the guys to Florida tonight.”
Jamie replied, “How many, and do you need any supplies?”
“Six guys, and we will be locked and loaded.”
Gia spoke up loudly, “And one woman!”
Jamie’s chuckle sounded from the phone. “Is that your girl, Breech?”
“No, that’s not Jiji, and she’s not going on this mission, Jamie.”
“Yes I am going, Breech, I know that property better than anyone—and you need my help. I promise to stay out of the way, but I’m going and that’s final.”
Jamie laughed outright this time. “She’s got you by the balls, doesn’t she, Breech?”
“Shut up, Jamie!”
Laughing, he said, “Wheels up in two hours,” and hung up.
Swiping my phone closed, I gave Gia a hard look. “This isn’t going to be a walk in the park, Gia. People are going to get hurt.”
“Listen, Breech, I’m not a shrinking violet. I don’t expect this to be a fun trip. But I can help; I know that place better than they do. I want to go; besides, Jiji might need another woman.”
“Gia, I’m against this; not because you’re a woman or because I don’t think you can handle it, but because I’m going into a situation blind and I don’t like putting my brothers in harm’s way—nevertheless someone I’ve just met. But I’m going to take your word that you will follow our commands to the letter.”
“Breech, I promise to stay out of the way and do everything you say. I have no desire to go back, but I can’t not go if I can help.”
“Okay, babe, just do what we say and everything will work out.” Swiping my phone again, this time it’s Dukes who picked up.
“Yo, Breech, you’re supposed to be resting.”
“Dukes, I talked to Jamie, he’s got us wheels up in two hours.”
“You’re not going, Breech,” Dukes said.
“Fuck that noise! You’d have to kill me to keep me here, Dukes, she’s my woman, and I’m going.”
“Damn it, Breech, don’t you think we can handle this?”
“Dukes, I have no doubt you could, but this is my fuckin’ fight, and I’m not gonna sit on the sidelines while I’m still breathing. I know my limitations and I’m letting you take point, but I need to be there.”
“You damn well better mean what the fuck you just said, because I am taking you at your word, Breech. I’ll tell the boys to be ready.” The call went dead.
Resting my head against the seatback, I closed my eyes.
Twenty-One
Half an hour later, I felt the truck slow and finally stop. Pushing up off the seat, I reached for the door handle and slowly climbed down from the cab.
Boomer appeared at my side. “How you doing, man? You were damn lucky; at that range he should have killed you. The shot to your side actually didn’t hit you; that silver dollar you carry in your pocket saved your life. Damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. Most of the blood came from a bloody flesh wound from your face and the side of your head. Whoever shot you was a lousy shot and was only carrying a 380. You’ve lost a lot of blood, but I can rig up a bag and transfuse you on the plane. I’ll add some B12 and iron to help give you a boost. But, buddy, when you crash it’s going to be a big one.”
“Thanks, Boomer, I appreciate it, man. Do me a favor and tell Dukes I’m going to live, get him to back off a little.”
Boomer chuckled. “I got this, Breech.”
Twenty minutes later, Dukes, Sonny, Opry, Danko, Murph, Gia, and I were back in the truck heading to the airstrip. All of us were dressed in fatigues, even Gia, although hers were a mashup of things from all of us. We were armed to the teeth, and ready for whatever we had to do to get Jiji back. Conversation was at a minimum, everyone focused on what we needed to do.
The truck turned into the gates of the airfield, and traveled down to one of the hangars, lit up against the night. The doors were open and inside was a gleaming Lockheed L100-Hercules freighter. Jamie was talking to a guy by the open loading ramp. Seeing us, he came over to the truck as we stopped near the back of the hangar.
All the doors opened as we exited the truck, and I walked up to Jamie, hand extended. “I really appreciate your getting us in the air so quick, Jamie.”
He shook my hand, but his attention was on Gia, who had walked up behind me. “I owe you, Breech, and even if I didn’t, you never ask for anything, so when you do I know you really need it. Hello, little lady, you wouldn’t be the one who I heard on the phone a while ago putting this big lug in his place, would you?” She laughed, her face turning a rosy hue. He reached over and caught her hand, bringing it to h
is lips and kissing the back.
Sonny shouldered Jamie aside, turning Gia onto the ramp and steering her inside the plane. “Okay, lover boy, let’s get this bird in the air, you don’t have time to play prince charming.”
Gia pulled her arm away from Sonny’s grasp. “Hey, He-Man, I’m totally capable of taking care of myself.” Looking over Sonny’s shoulder, she waved to Jamie. “Someday my prince will come—and this behemoth isn’t him.” With a huff she turned around and flounced into the hold to find a seat.
Jamie, Opry, and Danko were laughing at Gia’s comment until Sonny glared at them. “Shut up, you fuckers,” Sonny put his hands on his hips, looked up, and we could hear him counting to ten before he, too, walked up the ramp into the hold.
Clasping Jamie on the shoulder, I gave him a man-hug and fist bump before walking up the ramp. Once we were all seated, Jamie came through on his way to the cockpit. “Everyone strap in, we’ll be airborne shortly.”
Sonny leaned over and checked Gia’s seatbelt; she slapped his hand away and said in exasperation, “I know how to buckle a seatbelt, Sonny, cut the crap, would you?” She reached into her bag and passed out papers. “I made copies of the map of the main house. There are two ways to get into the house from the back. There is a cellar that runs the entire width of the house. I think he will keep her in his playroom because it’s soundproofed and the staff won’t know she’s there. The only two people that I know have a key are Brom and Lane, and no one would dare go in the room anyway, even if they had keys.”
I pulled out my phone and pulled up a picture of Lane that I had taken in the barn that day with Jiji. Passing the phone to Dukes, I said, “This is Lane, he’s the target; we need to get him neutralized and get his keys.” Dukes gave me back the phone and I sent the picture in a group text.
Gia spoke up, “Drake has a small house behind the barn. It can’t be seen from the main house, and Lane goes down there usually at night to get an update from Drake on the horses. That’s the best time for you to ambush Lane: while he’s away from Brom. He never locks the doors because there isn’t anyone around, it’s really isolated. There is a back way onto the farm and that’s the way you should approach. It’s an old logging road and they use it to bring in hay from the surrounding fields for the horses.”
Dukes patted Gia on the leg. “Your intel is invaluable. We couldn’t have gotten this kind of solid information without you, Gia, I’m impressed.”
Gia blushed under Dukes’s praise. “I spent a lot of time wandering around that place, trying to make myself invisible. I’m happy to share what I know if it means Jiji will come home safely.” The plane had taxied down the runway while we were talking. We could feel the momentum as the plane gathered speed, hurtling forward then into the air.
Once the plane leveled off, I asked, “Does anyone have any questions about the plan?” Everyone shook their head no. “Okay, we have about 2 hours of flight time; Danko is going to hook up the IV Boomer sent to transfuse me, and I’m going to get some shuteye. You all should do the same.”
Shrugging out of my jacket, I rolled up my sleeve and let Danko hook up the IV to the site Boomer had put in before we left. He started the drip and I leaned back, closing my eyes to rest ‘til touchdown. I heard the guys around me getting comfortable while we flew through the night. “Hang on, Jiji, I’m coming for you, babe.”
Twenty-Two
When I saw Dave shoot Breech, I lost my shit. I jumped on Manny’s back, scratching and clawing at his neck. I never saw his fist coming at me ‘til it landed. Pain exploded in my skull and I felt myself falling. Lying on the ground, my vision was cloudy, but I could see Breech lying motionless a few feet from me. I wanted to scream out to him, but the blackness hovering on the edges of my consciousness was pulling me further and further into the darkness until finally it claimed me, and I sank into nothingness.
Coming awake slowly, I was disoriented and nauseous. The truck had stopped moving, which helped my stomach, but my head was killing me. Reaching up, I could feel that the side of my face was swollen and my eye wouldn’t open all the way.
It came back to me in a rush; Breech shot and lying on the ground, Manny punching me. Breech, that pain in the ass, had wiggled his way into my heart—and he could be dead, lying on the side of the road.
The tears started to fall, and I wanted to wail out my grief. I vowed that if I had the chance, I would kill Dave. He wouldn’t get away with tearing my soul in half.
During the time we spent together at the farm, I knew I’d been falling. He made me feel things I’d never felt before. Either you believed that there was a yin to your yang, or you didn’t. I wanted to explore the connection we had, and ride it as long as the spark was there. I couldn’t say forever, because I’m not really sure that humans were meant to be monogamous.
But in this time, at this moment, he was “the one” and I cried for his loss.
The truck came to a stop—I hadn’t been paying attention to the surroundings, but I recognized the barn as we pulled up to it.
Brom and Lane were standing outside the open doors. Brom had this look on his face and I felt like I was seeing a different person; he looked me up and down like a piece of meat. Walking over to me, he smiled this triumphant smile. “Nice to see you again, my dear.” When he was near enough, the smile fell, and a furious expression replaced it.
He grabbed my chin, holding it between his fingers and turning my head left and right. “Who did this?” he demanded, gesturing to my face with the other hand. “Who damaged my possession?”
Jerking my chin out of his hand, I replied, “I am no one’s property. Keep your goddamn hands to yourself, you jackass.”
Turning to me, he dismissed my words with a wave of his hand. “I will deal with your disobedience later, my dear. You will soon learn your place. Lane, take her to the house and have the housekeeper get her medical attention now. I will ask again, gentlemen, why is this woman hurt?”
Manny spoke up as Lane took my arm to lead me away. “After Dave shot Breech, she attacked me and I was just defending myself.”
Brom’s head swung to Dave. “Is he dead?”
“I got him twice at close range, so I would think he’s dead, but I didn’t stop to check. When the rig went over, the guns spilled out on the highway, and I wasn’t sticking around for some yahoo to stop and investigate. We got the girl in the truck and took off,” Dave replied.
Brom looked really pissed now. He shouted, “You hit the girl and you lost the shipment? Both of you are done here. Get your stuff and see Lane for your pay, then remove yourself from my property.”
Lane had gripped my arm and was trying to pull me towards the house. I dug in my heels and refused to move. When he turned around to face me, I pivoted and ducked under his arm, using his momentum to force him forward so he fell onto his knees.
Brom and the other two guys had their backs to me; Dave was arguing about it not being his fault. I took the opportunity and ran for the open doors—I remembered from the last time I was here that there were a couple of buildings behind the barn, which would be a good place to hide while I figured out what to do next.
Lane was shouting from behind me; putting on a burst of speed, I made it out the doors and ducked into the shadows. Running as hard as I could away from the lights and into the darkness, I could hear my heartbeat in my ears as I ran. The adrenaline gave me speed; my fear made me faster than I’d ever been. Up ahead of me, I could see some lights—behind me, crashing around as Brom’s men gave chase.
I darted into the cover of some bushes planted along the side of a path cut into the grass from multiple trips of some kind of vehicle. I didn’t dare turn around to see how close they were, but one second I was running, and the next I was on my back on the ground, the wind knocked out of me. I curled into a ball, trying to get air into my lungs. I felt a hand in my hair,
dragging me to my feet, and I screamed from the pain.
“Shut up, bitch, no one can hear you scream, and it will only get worse for you if you don’t cooperate.” Putting his nose close to my face, I recognized Drake, the farm manager. He whispered, “I can’t help you, but I advise you not to fight him. He gets his jollies from punishing those that fight him. Be passive.”
His hand in my hair had loosened and I realized he had done it for show as Brom and Lane drove up in a golf cart. Manny and Dave were standing a few feet away, breathing heavily from chasing me. Both were bent at the waist, dragging air into their lungs with some effort.
Brom approached me, his eyes unusually bright. Taking my hand, he said, “You’ve led us on a merry chase, my dear, but as you can see, it did you no good. It did, however, make your punishment more severe.” The look on his face as he said the word punishment was a combination of lust and excitement. He disgusted me, but remembering what Drake had said, I held my tongue and didn’t respond. The smile left Brom’s face, and his grip got tighter. “Cat got your tongue, my dear?”
When I didn’t respond again, he gripped my chin, forcing me to look into his face. “You will soon learn to respect me, or you will regret not learning your lessons. I prefer you didn’t learn too quickly, as it’s more fun teaching you how to behave properly. But no matter; we can discuss this later, in private.”
He dropped my chin and motioned to Lane. “Take her to the house and get her looked at. Make sure she’s comfortable in the playroom. I will deal with her later.” Dismissing me, he turned back to the men.
Lane pulled me along, pushing me into the seat on the golf cart. “Slide over, and don’t try anything stupid.” He never released his hold on me, so I did what he said and slid over so he could get behind the wheel. As we drove away, I heard Brom telling Drake that he would be getting a bonus in his pay for helping with recapturing me.
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