by K. J. Dahlen
“Good, because so do I. In fact, I was hoping you did.”
Stone felt himself harden and turned to wrap his arms around her. Tipping her onto her back his lips crashed down on hers. His hands grasped her bare shoulders and moved down her sides. He discovered she was naked and his heart beat a little faster.
She pulled his shirt from the waistband of his pants and Stone pulled it away from his shoulders. Within a minute, his clothes in a heap on the floor. His lips caressed the skin on her neck, as his hands were busy caressing the rest of her body. Her hands fit in the palm of his hands perfectly. His teeth scraped lightly on the hard skin of her nipples and he heard her gasp.
Groaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Please I need you inside me right now,” she whispered. “Please…”
Stone pushed his hard cock against her belly and groaned. “I need to be inside you.” He shifted his body and his cock kissed her nether lips. Her juices coated his flesh and he couldn’t wait any longer. He surged into her warm wet core and they both groaned together.
He backed out and surged forward again, this time going deeper and harder. McKenna raised her hips and met him more than half way. With each stroke, Stone felt her body tighten a little bit. His own body was getting ready to explode as he stroked her. Leaning back a bit, his lips found her nipples and he closed in on them. As he sucked them into his mouth, he heard her hiss with pleasure. Stone bit down on her skin as he pushed himself deep inside her.
McKenna’s legs tightened around his waist and he felt her core heat up to the overload setting. “Oh god, I’m going to come.”
Stone pounded her harder in anticipation. When he felt her clamp down on him his brain shorted out. He felt the familiar zing of his own climax and he pushed one last time, deep inside her. Hot ropey bursts of cum shot deep inside her bathing her core with its stickiness. Stone gritted his teeth as his body let go. For a moment, he felt lightheaded with his release.
McKenna sighed. She still held onto him for dear life.
Stone slipped out of her warmth and took her into his arms. He listened to her even breathing and realized she was already asleep. He closed his eyes and felt sleep sneaking up on him. The moment sleep claimed him everything felt right in his world. He knew the feeling wouldn’t last but he hoped it would. Then his arms tightened around her and Stone realized she was what made everything right and he knew he would fight the devil himself to keep her safe and right where she was.
In the predawn hours, Stone woke up and wondered what woke him. Then he heard the noise again. A cellphone chirping. Rolling away from McKenna, he reached for her cell. He didn’t want anything to wake her yet. She needed the sleep badly. Pulling his pants on, he stepped outside the room and glanced at the caller id. The caller was blocked and Stone frowned as he hit the accept button. A woman’s hesitant voice came across the phone line.
“Is McKenna there? she asked.
“Who are you?” Stone demanded.
“My name is Trixie and you don’t know me but I was asked to call this number and give you a message from an old friend. He said his name was Hades and he wants you to know he’s watching McKenna.”
Stone felt his heart grow cold. Goose bumps trailed down his arms and chest.
“He also said to tell you he wants McKenna.” Her voice got thin at the end of her message.
Stone could hear the terror in her voice and he had to wonder if Hades was forcing her to pass the message along to him. “Is he there with you?” he asked quietly.
“No but he wrote down what I was supposed to say and he told me he would know if I said it or not. He also said he would kill me slowly if I fucked this up.” She caught her breath and whispered, “He’s got my baby girl. I work at Drugen’s bar and just before closing, he came in and sat down. Mister, don’t judge me but I thought he was cute and when I sat down to talk to him he began talking to me. Before I knew it, he grabbed me and hustled me out of the bar. He came home with me and that’s when he told me about this message. He took my five year old kid and is holding her hostage to make me do this. He said if I wanted her back in one piece, I would follow his instructions. If I failed, he would cut her up and leave her in dumpsters all over the city.” She sobbed into the phone. “Please mister, I didn’t have a choice. He’s got my daughter.”
“I know Trixie. I won’t let anything happen to your daughter.” Stone closed his eyes and fell against the wall as hopelessness flooded his being. “Did he say anything about how we could contact him?”
“He said he would call with instructions in twelve hours,” Trixie whispered. Her voice sounded weak and Stone could hear her sobbing in the background. “Will he hurt my baby girl? Will I ever see her again, or is she already dead?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just don’t know.”
“Oh, my god…” She cried out.
Stone heard her crying in the background for a moment. “Just sit tight and don’t tell him you spoke to a man. If he comes to you.”
She cried a little more, then whispered, “Okay…” Then the call went dead.
He shoved the phone into his back pocket and went back into the room he shared with McKenna. Thankfully, she was still sleeping. He quickly grabbed the rest of his clothes and went back to the main room again.
Even at this early hour, there were men sitting around the tables. Sam was there as well as Doc and Viper. He joined them and as Sam poured him a cup of coffee, Stone told them about the call he just got. “Hades has taken a hostage.”
“What the fuck?” Sam growled. “How do you know that?”
“A woman by the name of Trixie just called McKenna’s cell with a message from Hades.”
“Fuck!” Doc swore. “What did he want?”
“He wants McKenna.”
“You aren’t seriously considering it are you?” Sam growled.
“Fucking hell Gunny, what do you think?” Stone snarled.
Chapter Six
“So what is the plan, Colonel?” Viper asked.
“We have eleven hours to find the fucker and kill him,” Stone announced. He looked at his men. “I’m going to need Dewey and the boys on this one. Hades knows us but he doesn’t know them. He’ll never reason we called in the troops.”
“Better call in Recon too,” Doc reminded him. “He can work with Deke’s man Zipper and the Intel output will double. Besides, he knows Hades too and might think of something we forgot.”
“Get them up here as quickly as you can. We’re running out of time and his hostage is only five years old.”
“What?” Doc scowled.
“Hades brought Trixie home from that bar, then took her kid so she would call McKenna with the message.” Stone growled. He glanced over at Sam. “Can you get someone over there to stay with her? I don’t want her left alone.”
Sam nodded. “I can get one of guys over there right away.”
“Also, get a track set up for an incoming phone call to this phone,” he ordered as he extended McKenna’s cell. “If Hades does call her, I want his location. We have to be ready for anything at a moment’s notice.”
While Doc made the call to Texas, Stone went to the timeline Calico had set up the day before. He searched each and every item the police had gathered as evidence.
Stone prayed he would find the key to find Hades, without giving up McKenna.
Mountain joined them and when he got caught up on what was happening he placed his own call. He called his buddy, Mike.
“Yo, Mountain, what’s shakin?”
“Mike, I gotta a favor to ask.”
“You name it.”
“I need you to fire up your engines and get some men to New York ASAP. We got a five year old hostage and a woman in trouble. This one is bad Mikey, real bad.”
“If they can be here in thirty, I’ll get them to you in three hours.”
Mountain closed his eyes. “Thanks man, I owe you big time.”
“Hey man, I got your back,”
Mike assured him then hung up.
Zipper walked over and handed Stone McKenna’s cell. “Tracking on,” he said then turned away.
Mountain now looked over at Stone. “If your guys can get to the Sabine Pass Freight Flight counter at the airport in thirty minutes I got them a ride. They can be here in three hours.”
“Great, the sooner we get everyone on board with this the better.” Stone stared down at McKenna’s cell phone. “I’ll get my phone, give Dewey a call and let him know.”
While Stone made his call, Reaper and Calico were at the timeline looking things over. Calico was looking for that one piece of evidence everyone tended to overlook. He knew most criminal were caught because of a stupid mistake on their part.
He searched the photo of Jon Ronin and he could feel the man’s arrogance. In the tilt of his head and the cocky smug grin on his face. The eyes themselves seemed to be daring whoever was looking at the picture to come at him. Yeah, there was arrogance present but there was also an emptiness behind his eyes that spoke volumes. This man didn’t only face death, he was death itself, just waiting for his next victim.
Calico was looking for a way to cheat this death. He knew as well as anyone there was always a way if you were smart enough to find it. In this instance, he needed to be smarter than death. He walked over to Zipper. “Have you found anything recent on our mark? The only thing the military has on him is at least a decade old.”
“Yeah, I know but the day Jon Ronin disappeared in Kabul was the day Jon Ronin ceased to exist altogether. Who he became I have no idea but I’m narrowing it down. Using the police reports I’m finding an interesting pattern to follow.”
Stone joined them. “You’ll have help in a couple of hours. My man Recon has skills. He also knows Hades and can help you fill in the blanks.”
Deke and Cassie came in the backdoor and Deke joined them. “What’s going on?”
Stone told him about the phone call from Trixie and the fact that Hades was now holding a five year old hostage.
Cassie growled and stomped off to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, she returned. “The guys are on it.”
Stone paused and was almost afraid to ask, “What guys are on what?”
Cassie turned to him with flinty eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest. “My guys are searching this city for your man Hades. When they find him, they’ll call in his location. When they find Jerah Dawn they will bring her back home to her mother.”
“What makes you think your guys can find Hades?” Stone asked gritting his teeth. This could just backfire and have Hades going deep underground. “Your guys should stay out of things they don’t understand.” He growled.
Cassie took a step toward him and poked him in the chest. “Don’t you tell me shit like that. You don’t know these men and what they can do. If anyone can find this asshole, my men can. They have forgotten more about this kind of operation than you or your men will ever know. They know every street and abandoned building in this city. They can blanket this city in no time and no one even knows they’re there. Between your men and mine, I’ll take mine any damn day of the week.”
Stone couldn’t think of anything to come back at her with, so he kept his mouth shut. He was a guest here. He didn’t want to start anything to get him and the boys kicked out before they found Hades.
Cassie gave him a slight sneer and went back to the kitchen.
Deke turned to stare at Stone with his eyebrow quirked.
Stone had to ask, “Can they really find the girl?”
Deke nodded. “They can. They can also help find your man Hades. Like she said, all someone has to do is ask for their help.”
“Who are these guys anyway?”
“People society and the government threw away.” Sam looked angry. “Soldiers, sailors and infantrymen. They have more brains together than today’s army ever had and experience to go with it. Cuz they got old, the government thought they were used up. These men are not used up, they’re just getting their second wind. Cassie has given them that, a second chance and they won’t let her down, which means they won’t let you down either. These men would kill for her. They are the men who helped her set up Redemption House. They would all die for her if the need ever arose.”
Stone turned his head and stared at the young woman standing in the kitchen. She was a beautiful woman and he couldn’t help wonder what she’d done to garner such devotion from a group of men who would be willing to put their lives on the line for her. He turned back to Sam. “What’s her story Gunny?”
Sam shook his head. “That you’re gonna have to ask her or Deke about. It ain’t my story to tell.” He paused then added, “But if you do ask, be polite about it. Show her respect and she’ll do you the same but if she tells you not to touch her, don’t fuckin touch her. She will take you down before you can take a breath.”
Stone’s eyebrow shot up in disbelief. “I have several inches and almost a hundred pounds on her and you’re telling me she can take me down? What the fuck Gunny?”
Sam chuckled. “Don’t let her size fool you Colonel, she’s taken down larger than you already. Earned the name Spitfire.” He stopped smiling and stared at his former commander. “Are we going to be safe here? I’m talking about the women and kids. If your man Hades comes here hunting McKenna, will he take down anyone else to get to her?”
“Anything with Hades is possible. When he worked for me over the sand box, he went after his target alone but it’s been ten years and more than one sunset since I’ve seen the man. I’d like to say no, but I can’t in all honesty. If her men can find the girl and get her back to her mother then Hades loses his hostage. Will he take another one? I believe he would and he won’t care who she is or who he has to kill to get her.”
“That’s not what I was hoping to hear Colonel.” Sam shook his head.
“I won’t lie to you Gunny. I ain’t made that way. You asked, so I told you the truth. Do I want it to be different? Hell, yeah I do. I wish Hades had an ounce of honor left in his body but I don’t think he does. When I knew him, he took the fuckin orders every man jack of us has to take but he held back just enough of his dark side to do it. That dark side has been out for a while now and it’s ruling him. Think of your worst fuckin nightmare and that’s Hades.”
Sam was about to reply when the door opened and Detective Matthias Jones and Jonah Trent walked in. They paused and searched for McKenna. When they didn’t find her, they joined Stone and Sam.
“Why did you come back here?” Stone asked.
Matthias frowned. “I have news that McKenna needs to know.”
“And what would that be?” Sam asked.
“The killer found another of the five women that were with her that night in Boston. He murdered her just like his other victims. Except for one little difference.”
“And what would that be?” Stone wanted to know.
“He stabbed her and left the feather like always but this time he left a note written in the victims’ blood. It was a note to McKenna herself.”
“What the bloody hell?” Stone growled. “What the hell did the note say?”
“It said and I quote, ‘McKenna, I will find you again and when I do this won’t hold a candle to what I do to you. You are next.’”
“I have to ask, was this kill the same or worse than the one before?” Stone asked.
Matthias shook his head. “This one was the worst I’ve ever seen.”
“How did he sign it?” Stone asked.
Matthias frowned. “What do you mean, how did he sign it?”
“What name did he used to sign the note?” Stone explained carefully.
Matthias frowned and reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out his phone. Hitting some buttons, he brought up the note in his pictures folder. Flipping it over, he flashed the photo to Stone.
Stone’s throat tightened as he read the missive from Hades. When his eyes dropped down to the signature he saw for himself the name Jon Ronin used to
sign his little love note. There as big as day was the name Hades Ghost.
“What does it mean, that he’s using his full military handle?” Sam asked.
“I’m not sure but I don’t think its good news,” Stone concluded. “Right after he got the handle, he insisted we shorten it to Hades. He liked being the ruler of the underworld but he didn’t much care for the idea of being anybody’s ghost.”
“So what does it mean that he signed the note Hades’ Ghost?” Sam asked.
“Fuck, Gunny, I don’t know.” Stone ran his fingers through his hair. “I just don’t know.”
A door opened down the hall and everyone turned to view McKenna walk toward them.
When she got to where Stone was standing, he could see she was trembling. He handed her phone to her. “Sorry, it rang earlier and I kept it.”
She looked nervous as she took the phone back.
Leaning toward Stone McKenna whispered, “What’s going on? Why is everyone staring at me?” Turning her head, she saw Matthias and Jonah standing there. Her hands were trembling.
Stone wrapped his arms around her. “Hades struck again.”
McKenna closed her eyes and melted into his embrace. “Who?”
She heard someone clearing his throat behind her. She peeked out of the safety of Stone’s embrace and she found Mathias.
“It was Bethany.”
She cringed and shivered when he spoke her name. McKenna wrapped her arms around Stone’s waist. For a moment, she couldn’t even think. Her heart was breaking. Tears rolled down her face and soaked into the material of his shirt. She began to rock back and forth, so very near the edge of losing her mind. “He’s going to find me. He’s going to find me and kill me,” she whispered as she wept.
Stone’s arms became steel bands as he held her close. “No he won’t. Baby, he’ll never get close to hurting you. He’ll have to go through me first.”
McKenna leaned back and looked into his eyes. “You can’t stop him. You told me yourself he’s like a ghost. Nobody sees him until it’s too late.”