Family Ties

by Tricia Andersen

  “We arrive in Bangkok in the wee hours of the night. We need energy. So try to eat please. And hurry. We have clearance to take off in a couple of hours.”

  The meal was a silent affair. The food prepared for them barely moved at first. But by the time they finished there wasn’t a scrap left. They jumped in their vehicle and raced to the waiting plane moments before take off.

  Each of them wandered apart to free themselves of their weaponry and electronics until they were just in the simple, black garb they wore for the mission. Sloan slumped into the leather seat then motioned Abbey to him. She hurried across the plush carpet until she was sitting on his lap and buried deep in his arms.

  “We’ll find Ame, luv. I promise you.” Sloan breathed into her hair. “I will move heaven and earth until I find her. And I will make the bastards who took her suffer.”

  Abbey fought back the sting of tears. “I know. And I’ll be right beside you all the way.”

  “I know you will.” Sloan pressed a long, tender kiss against her forehead.

  They sat in silence holding each other for nearly a half hour. Abbey tried to relax, just to enjoy holding her husband in her arms. His warmth was comforting and she knew his words rang true. Whether it was money, influence or his sheer will, his past was evidence that nothing stopped him or stood in his way. It still didn’t take away the burning, nagging feeling deep in Abbey’s soul.

  Sloan nudged her away from him. “You should try to sleep a little.” He pulled her to her feet then stood and strode to the sleeping quarters, leaving her with the others. The soft sounds of Italian opera followed him when he returned. A small smile spread across Abbey’s lips. It had been a long time since Sloan had shown his dominant, protective side. She kind of missed it.

  He pointed to the back of the plane. “The bed is turned down. Go.”

  “I’m not sleepy,” Abbey objected.

  “Neither am I. But who knows what will happen in the next few days. We may not get a chance again for a day or two. You need rest to fight. Go.”

  “Are you joining me?”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Yes,” the voices around them answered in chorus.

  Sloan chuckled. “In a little bit.”

  Abbey stood, unable to help herself but to strut past him. She knew she caught his attention. She could feel his eyes glued to her curves as she passed. He acknowledged her with a devilish grin. She knew Ame missing was killing him. But every moment chasing Oliver and his goons brought out the cold, calculating, dominating man with a soft spot for her. He was the man she first fell in love with.

  Abbey closed the door behind her and crawled into the bed, tossing the covers over her. She tossed and turned in the dark, and then smiled as the door opened and closed quickly, briefly flooding the room with light. The mattress shifted beneath her. She felt a strong, solid body press against her and a pair of strong arms holding her. Being in her husband’s embrace made her fell warm, safe, protected. Her eyes grew heavy. His soft snore was the last thing she heard before she drifted to sleep.

  »»•««

  She was startled awake by Bartholomew, his tablet in hand. Sloan moaned, half awake at the intrusion. “We’re approaching Thailand.”

  Sloan’s brogue was rough as he spoke. “Did you find anything?”

  “I found out that our multiple video feeds have been hacked. They all show that the Gaunlet sits there untouched. But if you look closely, things, such as insects, are on there then disappear.”

  Sloan sat up, snaking an arm around Abbey’s waist. “We could be walking into a trap.”

  “Or the kids are there.”

  Sloan was quiet for a moment. “We have no choice but to investigate. Tell the fellas to suit up.”

  “Will do.” Bartholomew closed the fragile door behind him, leaving them in the dark. Abbey planted her hands on the mattress to scoot off. Instead she found herself surrounded by the warmth of male flesh. Blindly, she wrapped her arms around Sloan and held him close.

  “What Oliver says to you,” he began, his voice a rumble.

  “I know. It scares me. Lord knows what he’s capable of.”

  “I won’t let him touch you. We’re getting Ame and her friend and I’m taking my girls home.”

  She ran her hand idly through his thick hair. “I know you will.”

  “And I’ll kill him if he gets in my way.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  They sat in the dark, their limbs intertwined. Abbey held her breath so she could hear him breathe. Soon they would have to take their seats for descent. Until then she was going to share her strength with the man she loved, the man she worshipped. They were going to need every bit of it. They had a clock to beat, a battle to win. Their daughter’s life depended on it.

  »»•««

  The air was stagnant in the long, abandoned building. Ame pushed herself to a sitting position then wiped the sweat from her forehead. She glanced around. There were darkened windows above her. There were wooden crates piled on top of each other. Car parts were littered all over the cement floor. And in front of her was the pit covered by wooden planks. She studied the steel bars around her. Will I ever get out of this cage?

  “Ame.”

  She spun around to find Dakota Sitting in the corner of his cage. He groaned. “It’s so hot.”

  “I know. It’s horrible.”

  He watched her intently for a moment then scurried across his cage to her. “Are you all right? You took quite a long nap.”

  “I’m fine. I’m just hot and very thirsty. Where’s Chad and his big, bad gun?”

  He reached through the bars and took her hand. “Oliver’s been back for awhile. So have your parents reached Thailand?”

  Ame glanced around the old garage. “I don’t know. Oliver hasn’t said anything.”

  Letting go of her hand, he gently caressed her face. “You look exhausted.”

  “It was hard waking up in the heat. And this,” Ame motioned around her.

  “I know. I want to get you out of here.”

  “Only if you’re coming with me.”

  He smiled gently at her. The sounds of footsteps coming from the overhead door distracted them from each other. Oliver and his men strode across the wood boards to them. The click of their large steps across the cement floor twisted Ame’s heart in fear.

  “Look who’s up from their nap!” Oliver announced as he rubbed his hands together. “And just in time to get a bite to eat. I had another chat with your mom and pops. They’re almost to Thailand.” He snapped his fingers. “Sam, escort our young’uns to the restroom. I’ve boarded up the window. There’s no way they’ll escape now. Chad, get them something to eat. And let’s hurry. The O’Riley’s are about to land.”

  Ame squealed as the biggest of the two men ripped open Dakota’s cage and tore him out. He dragged the kicking and screaming teenager into the bathroom, slamming the door behind them. The wait was terrifying. With the mood Sam was in, would Dakota come out alive? Nearly ten minutes later they both emerged with a scowl on their faces. Sam shoved the boy back into the little prison, locking the door. He stalked to Ame.

  “I promise to go quietly,” she offered. “Just don’t come in with me.”

  “Wasn’t planning on it kid,” Sam barked. He pointed at Dakota. “That one tried to escape once. He ain’t getting out of my sight.”

  He unlocked her cage and even offered a big, meaty palm to help her out. Ame noticed Dakota bristle protectively out of the corner of her eyes. She stumbled behind as Sam led her to the restroom and nudged her inside. Oliver was right. There was no way to escape. A sliver of daylight peeked around the plank nailed over the window. She quickly used the facilities, washed her hands, and scurried out into Sam’s grasp.

  Another cellophane wrapped sandwich and a bottle of water waited for her when she was escorted to her tiny prison. She sunk to the floor and dove into the meager meal. She glanced up to see Dakota halfwa
y through his food, a grimace on his face. He caught her watching him and shrugged. “I hate salami. It’s on here,” he admitted. A giggle escaped her throat as she twisted the cap of the water bottle. She emptied it in one drink. It may have not been the smartest idea, being locked in a cage. By the dryness of her chapped lips she had a feeling it wasn’t going to matter.

  Oliver and Sam paced around their cages as they ate. It gave Ame the shivers. Having the men study them as they were made Ame feel like an animal on display at the zoo. I’ll never look at tigers the same way again. She slipped a piece of cheese into her mouth and forced herself to chew it.

  Ame and Dakota were nearly finished with their food when the other thug came crashing through the door at the top of the stairway. “Boss!”

  “What is it, Chad? I’m right here.”

  “I got so busy making the kids food I lost track of the surveillance.”

  “When are the O’Riley’s landing?”

  “That’s the thing, boss. They’ve landed in Bangkok. My source at the airport told me they’re on their way there. And he said he heard one of them say ‘gauntlet’. They’ll be there in five minutes.”

  “You moron!” Oliver screamed. “It’ll take fifteen minutes to get to the apartment to do the transmission! Do you realize what will happen if we don’t complete this mission? We won’t have to worry about our fake deaths. The Butcher will make them real deaths with real dead bodies.” He pulled the gun from the holster at his waist and pointed it at Chad. Ame was certain she heard Chad gasp when she did. At the sight of the gun, Dakota scrambled across his cage and did his best to put himself between her and the weapon.

  Oliver cocked his head toward the two of them. “You’d better thank your lucky stars and those kids that I don’t shoot you right here. When the time comes to move them to Belfast, I’m not carrying either of them. So as long as they’re alive, you are too. Both of you remember that. Now, go get my laptop. I’ll have to talk to Mommy and Daddy here. And duct tape those kids’ mouths shut and bind their hands. I can’t have them interrupting me.”

  Dakota’s cell door was ripped open and Sam’s large paw reached out to grab the teen. The two struggled against each other as Sam hauled Dakota out of the cell, cursing and swearing the entire way. Chad still looked shaken as he hurried out the garage door. A minute later he returned with a laptop tucked under his arm. The boards bowed under his weight as he crossed over the pit. He offered it sheepishly to Oliver. The other man tore it out of his grip and stormed through the door next to the cages. Ame could hear grumbling from the other side of the plate glass window behind the cages. She turned away as she heard a pained gasp from Dakota. The boy was wrapped in Sam’s arms with his wrists bound in rope and a piece of silver duct tape over his lips. He was dragged back to his cage and nudged inside. Sam then opened her door. Reaching inside, he grabbed hold of her wrist and dragged her out.

  Oliver snickered at her as he stepped outside the office to see on the progress. “No worries, pet. They’ll follow. There is no doubt your daddy knows where we’re going.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Ame whined. “My parents can pay the ransom. Why are you dragging them all over the world?”

  “It’s a cat and mouse game, Princess. And you and your little boyfriend are the cheese. My client wants very much to meet your father. He’s a fan of Sloan O’Riley, really.”

  “My dad knows him?”

  Oliver’s laughter bounced off the cement walls. “He does. He’s known your daddy for a very, very long time. Tape her mouth. It’s nearly showtime.”

  Chad suddenly appeared at Sam’s side with the rope and duct tape. Ame knew there was no reason to fight it. Sam pulled her hair to the side to expose her face to Chad. The other man tore a piece of tape free from the roll. She glanced anxiously to Dakota. For just a second she wanted to hug him, just for one moment let everything be all right.

  Dakota struggled against his restraints furiously. He rubbed his wrists against the metal hoping to loosen them. He kicked at the lock on the door. The look of hatred in his eyes was evident. Sam’s voice caught her attention.

  “That kid is a pain in the ass. Why couldn’t we have kidnapped the other girl? You know, her friend from school? Ava, I think.”

  Chad shrugged. “The girl wasn’t a sure thing to bait Amelia out of the house. The kid was. Puppy love. Stupid puppy love.”

  “We could have snatched one of the other O’Riley brats.”

  “Have you seen how heavily guarded those kids are? They have one of the most dangerous mercenary armies today constantly around them. And they call the leaders of that faction ‘Dad’ and ‘Mom’.”

  Ame slumped against Chad with a sigh. She just wanted to go home, for everything to go back to normal before these men showed up in her life and destroyed the illusion that her life was normal. She heard Oliver talk in the other room. Then she heard another voice respond to him. The thick brogue made her heart slam in her chest. She sprung a step forward, fighting the arms that held her.

  “Dad! Mom!” she screamed.

  “Shut her up!” Oliver ordered.

  An arm snaked from behind Ame. A thick terry towel suddenly covered her face. She screamed against it but she couldn’t even hear herself. The fabric stole her air from her lungs. Her eyes grew heavy. Everything was black before she hit the floor.

  Chapter Seven

  It felt like desecration. Sloan growled as he cocked his rifle and slowly approached the old building. The ultimate transgression was taking his angel, the first of many precious gifts from his beautiful Abigail. Together the two females had been salvation from the hell he was doomed to forever.

  To add insult to injury, the men who stole Ame brought her here. The Gauntlet. A place where he trained, sweated, bled. It was one of the many places he called home. Oliver and his men had broken in and set up the next piece in this horrific game they were playing.

  And once I corner them, I’m going to spill their blood all over the floor.

  He glanced over at Abbey as she climbed the rickety rusted ladder mounted to the outside of the building. His lass was being so strong. He admired her for it. Her baby had been taken from her and instead of cowering at home she insisted on going to war beside her husband. It didn’t stop her from whimpering as she slept on the plane. The sound broke Sloan’s heart. He had never heard a more horrible sound in his life.

  “There aren’t any vehicles, Sloan,” Robert warned.

  “They might be behind the building. Is everyone in position?”

  Voices popped through the earpiece. Abbey’s came through as more of a grunt. Gordon’s was the last one to speak. “Attack.”

  Each of them sprang through the available doors with their weapons drawn. The curse words sprung out of Sloan’s mouth before he could stop them. Instinctively he looked for his wife, finding her dangling from a platform near the rafters, a shattered look on her face. His heart twisted and plummeted in his chest.

  Empty. They’re not here either.

  Carefully, they began to inspect the area. Bartholomew sprung up the metal staircase into the old supervisor’s office that doubled for their kitchen. Robert dashed into the restroom while Logan checked the rooms along side it that housed their bedrooms. Sloan watched Abbey swing her way from the platform to the ladder mounted inside the building and climb down.

  “What about the testing rooms? They could be in there,” Logan questioned.

  “An ambush,” Gordon warned through the earpiece.

  Sloan crossed the large room to the twin cages in the middle. Inside one was another photo. Sloan crouched down to pick it up as Abbey reached his side. “Doubtful. There’s another photo. Of course we’ll check them, but it seems it’s another decoy.”

  “Of course it is, Daddy.” Oliver’s voiced echoed off the walls of the cavernous room.

  “Oliver, I have had enough of this bullshit. Where is my daughter?” Sloan demanded.

  The room grew deathly still
as a soft voice called out “Dad! Mom!” through the speaker. Sloan’s heart thundered in his chest as he watched Abbey’s eyes grow wide. She covered her gaping mouth with her hands.

  “Shut her up,” Oliver ordered. There was silence for a moment. “Well, as you can tell, your precious princess is alive. For now. But the clock is ticking.”

  “We’ll find you,” Sloan warned. “And when I do, you’ll regret touching her or Dakota.”

  “Oh, I’m scared. Can you tell? How are you holding up, Tiger? Miss your baby?”

  Abbey wordlessly shook her head. Finally she spoke. “Go to hell.”

  “Only if you join me. See you soon, beautiful.”

  A high pitch screech signaled the end of the transmission. Sloan sighed. “She’s alive.”

  “And Dakota?” Abbey asked weakly.

  “We have to assume he is too.” Sloan stood as studied the photo. He hissed a string of curse words.

  Abbey looked at the picture he held. “You’re so young. Where was that taken?”

  The word choked Sloan. He struggled to spit it out. “Prague.”

  “Prague?” Gordon asked incredulously.

  Sloan whipped his cell from his pocket and snapped a photo of it. A few keystrokes sent it to Gordon.

  “This wasn’t where we lived. Are you sure?” Gordon continued.

  “I’m certain. It wasn’t our apartment. It was Maria’s place. I had been…working when this photo was taken.”

  Robert strode to him and Abbey. “Oliver wouldn’t have known who you were then. He would have been a kid. Who took this picture?”

  “The Butcher,” Abbey answered, her voice just a soft breath.

  “One thing is clear,” Gordon added. “The Butcher isn’t after the two of you. He only wants Sloan. If he wanted you both he would have snapped a picture of you both when you were on that mission six years ago.”

  “He couldn’t have been with the British,” Sloan added. “There was a hefty price on my head at the time. If he was able to snap this clear of a shot, he was close enough to kill me.”

  “I’ll call Liam and get more background on the Butcher. He can go to his sources and get it. Talk to you soon.” A click ended Gordon’s call.