by Jamie Begley
The cloudless sky seemed to go on forever. Three-year-old Evangeline stared out the tiny window wishing she was back in their grandmother’s house; her little hand shook in her sister’s. The lingering smell of the Christmas dinner they’d had the day before still clung to the air when they left for the airport.
Instead of cereal, she had begged her grandmother for a sandwich with turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce. She had never had the jelly before, and she hadn’t wanted to eat it at first, but it was now the most wonderful thing in the world to her. It tasted just like Christmas.
If her sister hadn’t managed to talk their parents into them going alone to visit their grandmother, so they would be able to experience a real Christmas with snow and presents, she wouldn’t have ever known that dark cherry jelly tasted so good. She wanted to live with her grandmother forever so she could eat it every day.
The visit had been so short that the brightly decorated tree was still standing when they left that morning. Her sister had to tug her away from the tree as their grandmother waited impatiently by the door.
“We have to go.”
Staring up at the blinking star on top of the tree, Evangeline had wanted to fall to the floor and beg her to let them stay longer. Catching the worried glance her sister gave their grandmother, she had allowed herself to be led away.
“It’s going to be okay. Don’t be afraid.”
Pressing her trembling lips together, Evangeline turned away from the small window to look at Trudy. Her sister never lied to her, so if she said it was going to be okay, it would be. Then, why was she so scared?
Her stomach lurched as the plane she was in jerked suddenly. Gripping her sister’s hand tighter, she bit her lip to keep from yelling out.
“It’s going to be okay.”
Squeezing her eyes tightly closed at the repeated reassurance, she tried hard not to cry. “I’m scared. I don’t want to play our game anymore.”
She felt her sister shift as close to her as the armrest would allow.
“You have to, Evangeline. Snow White didn’t want to run away. She was scared at first, too, but she had a happy ending, didn’t she?”
“I guess so,” Evangeline reluctantly mumbled, trying not to cry. “I want to stay with you.”
“You can’t. If I go with you, the mean king and queen will find you.”
The only good part about the game that Trudy had talked her into playing was that she wouldn’t have to see their parents again. They scared her. They scared everyone. Even Manny, who was older and stronger than her.
“Don’t cry.”
She opened her eyes at her sister’s voice. Trudy looked like she also wanted to cry.
“I won’t.”
“You promised me to be brave.”
Nodding her head at her sister’s reminder, she forced herself to let go of her sister’s hand. “I’ll be brave.” Out of all the promises that Trudy had begged her to swear to during their trip, this one scared her the most. She didn’t want to break her promises. Trudy had told her what could happen if she did.
“I know you will be. I will, too.”
Her big sister being just as scared helped calm her rolling stomach. Evangeline didn’t want her sister to be afraid. It made her sad, and she didn’t want Trudy to start crying again like she had last night. She heard the sounds of her crying in the small bed that they shared together after her grandmother tucked them in and turned the light out.
A movement from the front of the plane had her grabbing her sister’s hand again. Terror filled her when the man rose from his seat and moved toward them.
Placing a hand on the back of Trudy’s seat, he leaned over them and adjusted their seatbelts. “You girls ready?”
Evangeline could barely hear him over the sound of the engine, so she looked at her sister, then mimicked Trudy’s nod.
“When I yell, now, I want you to hold your breath and close your eyes tightly.” His eyes pinned her in place, his direct gaze making it difficult to swallow down the panic that had her wanting to cry again. “You’re going to hear a lot of scary sounds, but you won’t be under water long before someone will help you. I’m not going to let either of you get hurt.”
Evangeline found the tight knot of fear easing at the man’s assurance.
“I’m not afraid.” Her voice came out so squeaky that Evangeline had to clear her throat. “I’m not afraid.”
The pilot’s expression softened. “Trudy said you wouldn’t be.”
Evangeline’s eyes watered when he pressed the palm of his hand down on Trudy’s head to lower it to her knees. Seeing that he was about to do the same to her, she forestalled him by doing it herself. She was shaking so badly that she was glad he tightened her seatbelt, afraid she would have slipped out of her seat if he hadn’t.
Hearing the sound of him returning to the front of the plane, she couldn’t help reaching out for Trudy’s hand again.
“Evangeline?”
It took her a second to answer, not sure she wouldn’t break into frightened tears. She wanted to be brave for Trudy and show her that she could keep her promises, because she needed her sister to keep hers.
“Yes?” she finally managed to croak out.
“Promise that you won’t hate me when you miss me?”
“Okay.” She sniffled. “I won’t.”
“Clearwater! Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! I’ve lost power! I’m going to crash!”
Her mind filled with terror, she gripped Trudy’s hand tighter, all the promises she made forgotten when panic and fear of the plane crashing became real and not just something that her sister said would happen in the game she had been talked into playing. Deep down in her mind, she thought it was just an imaginary game that would end when they were back home on the island with their parents.
Evangeline cried harder when she heard the shout from the front of the plane. How was she supposed to hold her breath the way Trudy had taught her when her nose was stuffed up from crying?
“Now! Now!”
Terror had her wanting to raise her head to scream at her sister to make it stop. Turning her head to the side, she opened her eyes to see Trudy’s eyes opened and staring back at her with her head on her lap. The emotion she saw there gave her the courage to stop crying. It was her fault that Trudy had to come up with the game that she didn’t want to play either.
Instead of screaming like she wanted to, she started singing the first song Trudy had taught her. “Yes, Jesus loves me, for the Bible told me so.”
Trudy started singing the next part with tears sliding down to her lap. “Jesus loves me, this I know.”
Before Evangeline could take her turn to sing, the life she knew ended with the sound of the plane crashing, into the ocean that she had learned to swim in before she could walk.
As the water rushed her, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the ocean swallow her into a sightless void.
Feeling Trudy’s hand let go of hers, she wildly flayed out, searching. Terrified, she opened her mouth to scream for Trudy, but instead of water rushing into her mouth, she breathed in air as a mask was abruptly pushed against her face.
The more she breathed in, the sleepier she became. Drowsily, she squeezed her eyes shut tighter, afraid of what she would see if she opened them.
Falling limp, she felt her body gliding effortlessly through the water, clutched in someone’s strong arms. Instinctively she wanted to struggle away, but then she remembered her promise to Trudy. She had to be brave until Trudy could make her own escape from the king and queen. Her sister had told her that the man who would get her off the plane would protect her and make sure no rotten apples would ever get near her.
“Promise me that you’ll do everything he tells you to.”
Evangeline solemnly nodded, feeling how important the promise was to Trudy.
“No matter how unhappy, or how much you miss me.”
Evangeline reached out and wiped away the tears sliding down h
er sister’s cheeks. “I promise, sissy.”
The memory broke when the mask was taken off. She was lying on a small boat with a stranger next to her who was wrapping a blanket around her.
Evangeline recognized the man from the picture Trudy showed her before she had torn it up. He was the one Trudy had said would protect her until she would be able to do so herself. In his picture, he looked a little mean, but close up, he seemed kind of nice. He looked at her the way Manny did.
“You okay, kid?”
Shakily nodding her head, she started to rise up to see if Trudy was on the small boat, even though her sister had told her she wouldn’t be. She was glad he held her back down as the bottom of the speeding boat hit the water. It was going so fast that she was afraid she would go flying off.
“I’m Hammer.” The man didn’t give her a friendly smile like most adults usually did when they looked at her.
Swallowing hard, she stared up at the darkening sky. “I’m Ginny.”
The game had begun, whether she wanted it to or not.
Chapter One
Evangeline reached into the popcorn bowl, watching a cartoon on the television in front of the small bed she was sitting on. Chewing on the mouthful of buttery goodness, she felt guilty enjoying it without her sister to share it with. Thinking about her sister made it hard to swallow and not start crying again.
Curling into a ball, she pulled the bowl of popcorn into the curve of her waist, closing her eyes after losing interest in the cartoon that Hammer had turned on for her to watch before he went into the bathroom.
She was bored with watching cartoons; that was all she had done since Hammer carried her into the small house. He wouldn’t even let her go outside to play, despite how many times she asked. Tugging the Teddy bear that Hammer had given her closer, she rubbed her cheek against the soft fur, pretending it was Trudy.
She didn’t even raise her head when she heard a soft knock on the door, having become used to Hammer’s friends coming to talk to him or to use the shower.
None of his friends talked to her, making her miss Trudy even more. Her sister would have been able to talk Hammer into letting them go outside to play and get his friends to play with them. Trudy was good at games, much better than she was. She always messed up and got in trouble when she played the games the wrong way.
“We need to talk.”
Evangeline trembled at the voice of the man who had come to the door. He had been in the boat when Hammer had finally let her sit up.
Evangeline didn’t want to tell Hammer that the stranger gave her an icky feeling. What if she told Hammer she didn’t like his friend? Would Hammer get mad at her? She really didn’t want to get him mad at her. Since she had been staying with him, he had let her eat anything she wanted and watch as many cartoons as she wanted. She had asked him if he had a little girl, and he had told her he didn’t. She bet he would make a good daddy. She wished he was her daddy. She didn’t like hers, and she really, really didn’t like her mother. She didn’t miss them at all like she missed her sister and grandmother.
Her stomach flipped. What did the man she didn’t like want to talk about that he didn’t want her to hear? Was he going to talk about Trudy and didn’t want her to know? He was using the same tone of voice her mother and father used when they didn’t want her and Trudy listening in to what they were saying.
Evangeline made sure she didn’t move as footsteps approached the bed.
“She’s asleep. We can go outside.” Hammer’s low voice trailed away as he moved away from the bed.
After she heard the door open and close behind them, she stayed still until she was sure that neither man was coming back. Carefully opening her eyes, she made sure she was alone in the room before sliding out of bed.
Hammer hadn’t let her go outside to play, but he had let her play wherever she wanted inside. Hurrying up the narrow flight of steps in the small cabin, she crawled along the loft to a tiny window. Sitting under the window, she slowly pushed the window open a crack before wrapping her arms around her knees to listen.
“What in the fuck in going on, Commander? There was supposed to be a female officer sent to relieve me two weeks ago. I was only supposed to be here one day, two at the max.”
Evangeline tightened her arms around her knees at the bad word Hammer used. It was one of the words that Trudy told her was very bad when Manny once used it in front of them.
“There’s been a change in plans.”
“What change? And why wasn’t I notified before now?”
“I decided that it was better to wait. I didn’t want any inquiries about why we needed a female officer until the child’s death was accepted. It would have been too suspicious for a female officer suddenly being ordered to go off the grid.”
“That wouldn’t have been a problem if you had chosen a female member for the team, which I and the others have been saying we need.”
“Are you questioning my decisions concerning the team?”
“No, I’m not questioning your decisions; I just don’t like them.”
Evangeline jumped at Hammer’s raised voice.
“Don’t make me write you up for insubordination. You wouldn’t like it if I did. There are worse jobs to do other than playing babysitter.”
She shivered at the threat that even she could understand. Hammer must have heard it too because he acted more courteous, like Trudy did when she got in trouble with their parents.
“Yes, sir.”
Evangeline thought that Hammer was finished talking to the mean commander and was about to sneak back downstairs. Getting on her knees, she started to crawl away, then froze in place when Hammer started talking again.
“Did everything go as expected?”
“Yes, as far as everyone is concerned, Evangeline is dead, as well as the pilot. Trudy was the only one successfully recovered from the plane crash.”
“Then my replacement’s on her way?”
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean not exactly?”
“There has been a change in plans, as I said, one that ultimately rests in your hands.”
“My hands?”
“I have a situation that I need your help with, Hammer.”
“My help?”
Evangeline crawled back to the window.
Hammer’s commander sounded like Trudy did when she wanted her to do something she didn’t want to do.
“I’ve found myself in a delicate situation that I need your cooperation with.”
“Peyton.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll get no help with me to cover that shit maneuver you made me a part of. I invited you to stay at my home while your wife and kids went to visit her dying father and you were supposed to be looking for a new home closer to base. Instead, you were using your free time to make a young, impressionable girl fall in love with you. Not only did you take advantage of Peyton, but her family trusted you. They thought you were a good guy because you were my friend. Hell, I didn’t want to believe it myself. How could you have been so fucking stupid?”
Evangeline didn’t understand most of what Hammer was saying but could hear the anger in his voice.
“When I came back from overseas and found out that her aunt had thrown her out because she was pregnant and refused tell them who the father was, you fucking lied to my fucking face that it wasn’t you.
“I told you then I was going to find her. You might be good at intel, but Jonas is better. You should have okayed him for the team. Jonas doesn’t investigate his commanding officers. It might have taken us more time than I wanted it to because you made damn sure that secret was hidden, but she was still close enough for you to use whenever you managed to sneak away.
“Peyton might be over eighteen now, but you can still be brought up on ethical violations. I have enough proof to make sure you won’t get away with it. I promised you a chance to resign before I reported you, because I didn’t want you replaced on the
mission to get Evangeline out. The teams worked too hard preparing for it and, as much as I hate you, I wasn’t going to have that little girl’s safety jeopardized. If you think you can change my mind now that it’s over, you can fuck off. I intend on calling the director when I go back inside—”
“I don’t think that would be in your best interest.”
Evangeline scooted closer to the wall under the window, becoming afraid and not knowing why.
“Move, Cooper, or I’ll move you myself.”
She started shivering at how angry Hammer sounded.
“Watch how you talk to me. I sent the team back to headquarters; it’s just the two of us now. I might have trained you, but I can take you out anytime I want to, and no one would question me about why I did it.”
“Try it.”
She wanted to stop listening but was too afraid to move away.
“Hammer, hear me out before you make a mistake you’re going to regret.”
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life but turning you in for getting an underaged girl pregnant won’t be one of them.”
“Not even to save that little girl you’ve been protecting for the last two weeks? Not even to protect Peyton and Rae?”
Rocking back and forth on her bottom as she wound her arms around her knees again, Evangeline knew they were talking about her. She became even more frightened when Hammer didn’t answer the mean man’s question.
“No? Then you’re signing the death warrant of that child and every man on the team, including us.”
“You’re full of shit. You’re just trying to save your own ass.”
“Am I? You’re one of four men on earth who knows who we’re protecting Evangeline from. Do you really think President Patterson will lift a hand to save any of our lives if he has any doubts that he could be connected to her disappearance? Even all the agencies at his disposal wouldn’t be able to keep Patterson alive. Not only would he throw us under the bus, he would be behind the steering wheel. He did what he could do to save her life, but taking a bullet? He’d hand over each name before that would happen, and you know I’m telling the fucking truth where that’s concerned. Even taking him out of the equation, do you think any of us would stand a chance drawing another breath if they find out we have her or where she is?”