“Becky,” Cap barked. “Does Ramos have someplace local he stays?”
“He has a place in Texas.”
“She’s not going,” I said forcefully.
“I could pretend that some of Xavier’s men took me when Xavier was killed. I knew too much, which I do. I know all their meetup locations and the warehouses they use.”
“Except they would have killed you.”
“I could say that I escaped and have been on the run ever since. I could tell him I just need someplace to stay for a few days until I get my next plan in place.”
“He wouldn’t leave you alone in his house. Not unless he really thought you weren’t a threat. It would have to look realistic, like you were seriously injured.”
“So, if he leaves me alone in his house, what would I be looking for?”
“Nothing.” I walked around to Raegan, pulling her out of her chair. “You’re not going. Do you get that? You could get killed.”
“Yeah, like I wasn’t in that position before,” she said sarcastically. “I can do this and then maybe we’ll make some progress on finding Chance. Don’t you want that?”
“Not if it means you get killed,” I said angrily, shaking her slightly. It was like she didn’t get it at all, that I couldn’t lose her too.
“I won’t get killed. You can give me a gun-”
“There’s no fucking way you’re getting a gun.”
“And one of those knife thingys that gets strapped to your thigh. I could pull that off, no problem.”
“This is fucking stupid,” I yelled at Cap. “Just take Ramos and interrogate him. We’ve done it before.”
“We can’t take a federal agent. And if he’s undercover and really isn’t dirty, then we’ll blow his cover and put him in danger.”
“And we wouldn’t be doing that by sending her in? Don’t you think that Curtis is going to be watching her closely? If he and Corgin were meeting up with Xavier, his men will know who she is. If anyone doesn’t completely trust Curtis taking over and they see Raegan, they’ll be suspicious and want both of them dead just to be on the safe side.”
“Then I’ll just have to get the information fast and get out of there. You can give me a spy cam and some crafty microphone that’s disguised as a button on my pants. Then you’ll always know what’s going on.”
“Including when you take a piss,” Storm laughed.
“Okay, so maybe don’t put it on my pants, but you get the idea. You were in the military. I’m sure you know how to stay hidden and keep an eye on me.”
I grabbed Raegan’s hand and dragged her out the door and down to a private room where I could talk to her away from everyone else. After slamming the door, I firmly moved her into the corner and then paced in front of her while I tried to get my emotions under control. I was so fucking pissed and she was acting like she was heading to a fucking spa day.
“You would think after all that time you spent with Xavier that you would have learned your fucking lesson,” I snapped. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and she tilted her head in that pissed off way that warned me I was on dangerous ground. I didn’t give a fuck. If she wasn’t going to look out for herself then I would.
“What lesson was I supposed to learn exactly?”
“Why would you offer to put your life on the line like that? Do you really not understand how dangerous this is? This isn’t like when we were running through the parking lot or the woods. And that was fucking dangerous enough. I won’t be there to protect you. If this guy realizes who you are, he’ll put a fucking bullet in your head before I can get to you.”
“If he’s not dirty, he’s not going to shoot me.”
I scoffed, shaking my head in disbelief. “Do you really think that? He’s undercover. He’s not going to blow a seven year operation to save a woman that’s trying to steal information from him. He’s going to get rid of you and think about it later. And if he is dirty, he’ll either shoot you right away or he’ll torture you until he gets everything he needs from you.”
“This isn’t the same as Xavier.”
“How the hell can you say that?”
“Because it would be for you!” she shouted. I took a step back, stunned by what she was saying. I shook my head, but she continued. “I stayed with Xavier because I was too stupid to leave when I should have. Or maybe I was just a coward. Maybe I didn’t want to admit that I had been wrong. I have no fucking clue why I stayed with him as long as I did. But I knew after he started to change that I was going to die if I stayed with him. And guess what? I still stayed.”
“So, what? Is this about redeeming yourself?”
“No…”
She shook her head and for the first time since she had been with me, she looked vulnerable. That shell that she had built around herself was starting to crack and that sarcastic demeanor was slipping away. I wasn’t foolish enough to think that I would see this side of her very often. It was like admitting defeat for her.
“Raegan,” I said softly, brushing my hand across her cheek. Her eyes lifted to meet mine.
“I saw what it did to you when we thought Gabe was gone. These men are your family and I know what it’s like to lose family. I walked away from my family and over the years, I always wondered how my parents were. I wondered if they were hurting because I wasn’t there. I wondered if they even thought of me anymore. I can’t stand the thought of you not finding Chance, of always wondering if he’s alive or dead.”
“We can find another way.”
“No,” she shook her head. “This is our chance. We may not get another opportunity like this ever again. Are you telling me you’re really okay with not doing this? With possibly abandoning Chance because you’re afraid I’ll get hurt?”
“I can tell you that I’m really not okay with the woman I love putting herself in danger. What the hell am I supposed to do if something happens to you? Do you know how much that would kill me? To know that I would never see you walk through my door again or drink coffee with you in the morning? I would never kiss you again or hear your sarcastic comments. I would never get the life with you that I want, that I’ve known since the moment I met you that I wanted. All of that would be gone and it would be my fault because I allowed you to do this.”
“You’re not allowing me to do this,” she said with a sad smile. “I have to do this for me just as much as for you. I would never be able to live with myself if I let this opportunity go. I would feel like a coward for staying behind when I could have done something. I was already a coward for too many years. I won’t be one again.”
I swore, taking a step back from her. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to convince her that this wasn’t the way. But one more look at her and I knew that I could argue all I wanted and she wouldn’t listen to me. She was determined to do this.
She stepped into my space, pushing her body hesitantly against mine. Her arms wrapped around me, enveloping me in her comfort and warmth. I squeezed her body to mine, trying to come to terms with the fact that she was doing this just as much for me as she was for herself.
I cupped her face in my hands, bringing my lips softly to hers. “You are the bravest woman I know, and as much as I really don’t like you doing this, I also know that I can’t stop you.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea,” she snorted. “I’m terrified. I’m not the badass that Maggie is, but I can do this. I know I can.”
“Just promise me that if you change your mind you’ll tell me immediately. No one expects you to do this.”
“I promise, but I won’t.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Chance
My head drooped again and I jerked it up, trying to stay awake. I had been waiting close to a week for an opportunity to get out of here. I watched how often guards walked by and kept track of which ones were vigilant. There were a few guards that didn’t even glance my way. They must have thought that there was no way I could get out. As of yet, I hadn’t found a way,
but it was good to know that when I did find a way, I would just have to wait for the right moment to leave.
I had been doing everything I could to keep moving in my small space. I did push ups with my knees on the ground and sit-ups as long as I could. As for my legs, that was harder to do with the cramped space, but if I sat against the wall, I could do leg lifts. It wasn’t the workout I was used to, but it would keep me in shape until I could escape. The major problem I had was the lack of food and water. It was sapping my energy and if this kept up, I wondered how long I would be able to keep up with my workout routine.
It started raining hard around midday and the ground quickly turned to mud all around me. I had never been so filthy in all my life. Even during my military days, I had never been in conditions like this. I remembered getting Morgan out of that well and how she had been after just two days. I was lucky in comparison. I had food and water at least.
I had dug a latrine in the corner, but it would only last so long before I would run out of space and need to dig another. The smell was terrible, not just from the latrine, but from me. I would never take a shower for granted again after this.
My eyes snapped open when I heard the rustling of leaves. There was a guard walking toward me, but no one ever came this early in the morning for me. He was carrying a bottle of water and my slop dish. He was one of the guards that never paid attention to me, and by the look of things, he didn’t pay attention to much in general. I moved as close to the bars as I could. If I had a chance to take this guy out, I was going to take it. He had to have something on him I could use to get out of this cell.
As predicted, he didn’t pay any attention to me as he leaned in to set my bowl down. My hand shot out between the bars and latched onto his shirt. I yanked as hard as I could, slamming his head into the bars. When he didn’t collapse right away, I shoved him back and yanked again. This time he fell to the ground and his eyes stayed closed.
I pulled on his shirt until I could drag him close enough to look through his pockets. He had a knife in his pocket, small, but still useful in a dire situation. He also had a handgun on him. Checking it over, it wasn’t the best handgun and it didn’t have many bullets, but I could work with it. There were no keys for the cell, which I kind of expected. There was nothing else of use and he was too fat for me to fit into his clothes. His feet were also too small, so I’d be running naked through the trees. It would most likely be painful, but at least I would have a chance at getting out of here.
I looked around outside one last time. As far as I could tell, it was all clear. Moving as far back in the cell as possible, I took aim and fired at the lock. It didn’t break on the first shot, so I fired again. The damn thing was rusted so badly that it hadn’t moved, even though the lock was broken. I kicked with all my strength at the bars. It took several tries, but the door finally opened slightly and I was free. The dead weight of the man made it hard to push the door open all the way and I had to squeeze through, barely getting out without scraping my dick on the metal.
With no one in sight, I took off as fast as I could, darting into the trees and hoping I was running in the right direction. After a few minutes, I heard men screaming. I wasn’t going to have much time. I could climb a tree and wait it out, but if they found me, I would have nowhere to run. I pushed myself harder, ignoring the bite of sticks burrowing into my feet. I had slashes across my entire body from leaves and branches thrashing across my skin.
I was fatigued much sooner than I should have been, but the lack of food and water had drained my body. I didn’t know how long I had run when I finally had to stop. I was leaning against a tree trying to catch my breath when I heard the shouts again. I didn’t have time to stop and rest. I had to keep pushing. I shoved myself away from the tree and ran harder until I could see a break in the trees up ahead.
Bursting through the tree line, I could see water ahead. I stopped just before I would have gone over the edge of a very high cliff. I ran along the cliff’s edge, searching for someway down, but there was nothing. I spun around as the men burst through the tree line, guns drawn and ready to fire. I still had my gun, but I only had two bullets left and that wouldn’t help when I was up against twenty-some men.
“Put your weapons down!” one man shouted. “There’s nowhere to go. You’re on an island.”
I glanced over the edge of the cliff again. I had to make a choice. Did I stay here and pray that someone would come rescue me or did I jump and hope for the best? The fall would most likely kill me. There were large rocks along the shoreline that I would probably land on. Still, a quick death would be better than staying here and rotting in that shitty cell. With no intentions of being taken back and held until I died, I turned completely toward the water and said a quick prayer for Morgan and the rest of my friends and family.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a familiar voice said.
Looking back, my eyes narrowed in on The Broker. He had a huge grin on his face that I would love to have the pleasure of removing.
“There’s nobody around to help you this time,” he chuckled.
“You’re pretty confident in yourself. I would love to fight you one-on-one, without all your lap dogs fighting your battles for you.”
He waved me off, obviously not caring that I would kill him in two seconds if he came near me. He slowly started coming toward me, but stopped far enough away that I wouldn’t be able to reach him before I was shot.
“You fight for honor, family, and friends. And what has that gotten you? You’re on an island that you can never escape and no one knows where you are, and they never will. I would guess that after a few hours of you going missing, that little tech genius of yours realized that you would never be found. I’m guessing they’re already bandaging their wounds and moving on.”
“That’s not how we operate,” I growled.
He nodded as he chuckled. “You’re right. They’ll no doubt waste every resource they have in the hopes of finding you and your little stripper friend. See, you should have learned by now that you fight for yourself and no one else. You’re fighting lazy by relying on others and you need to be smarter than that. I pay others to do my fighting for me and look at where I am. Not a scratch on me. No one can touch me because I don’t get my hands dirty and I make sure I pay people so well that they never turn on me.”
Doubt started to creep into my mind about whether or not my team was coming for me. I knew deep down that they wouldn’t give up easily and that’s why I needed to stick to my original plan and jump off the cliff before they could take me back to hell.
“I see what you’re thinking, but I still wouldn’t do that. I have something that you want, something that you are desperate to get your hands on. In fact, it’s right here on this very island. Jump and you’ll never know what it is.”
I shouldn’t care. For all I knew, he was bluffing. I glanced back at him, trying to see past his calculating gaze, but the man hid every emotion when he needed to. His grin turned sadistic when I didn’t make a move to jump.
“Just as I thought. You like playing the hero too much to walk away. Like I said, you should be fighting for yourself.”
“Why do you care if I jump and kill myself?”
“I don’t, but someone else does. He’s not ready to kill you, but he doesn’t know what to do with you either. And it’s no fun to just tell you what’s been going on from the start. This is much better. Allowing you to escape, giving you hope that you’ll make it back to your little family. Then I snatch the rug out from under you when you realize that you’re on an island and you’ll never get off here alive.”
“How do you know that I still won’t jump?”
“Because I have something you want, something you’ve been searching for.”
My whole body tensed when I understood his implication. Was it possible Payton was on this island with me? If she was, I couldn’t just kill myself. What if Reed Security found my location? They wouldn’t know she was
here. Morgan would never get her little girl back.
“You can’t do it, can you? Knowing she’s here, you won’t do anything to put her in danger or leave her here when you still have hope that you can escape one day. You just have to ask yourself, are you willing to stay, knowing you’ll be tortured painfully and you’ll die here, but Payton will still be alive. Or do you want to take the easy way out and end it all now?”
I looked around at all the men. There was no way I would escape from them now, but there was a chance I could in the future. I didn’t know how or when it would even happen, but he was right, I did have hope that Reed Security would find me one day, and since it wasn’t just me, I had to stay and pray that one day I would get Payton off this island.
I dropped my gun and knife to the ground and took a few steps forward. Surrendering felt wrong, but taking the easy way out was worse. The men rushed me, shoving me to the ground harshly and yanking my arms behind my back. The Broker knelt in front of me, smirking at my naked, helpless body. He had me cornered, exactly as he wanted.
“I would get a good night’s sleep if I were you. The fun begins tomorrow.”
Then everything went black.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Raegan
We had to wait two more weeks until Ramos, or DEA agent Ben Curtis, was at his home in Texas. Becky had been able to track him down within a day, but he was out of the country. When he booked a ticket home, she alerted us immediately and we were on our way to Texas. We couldn’t take the chance that we would miss him if we drove, so we booked flights and hoped that no one was keeping tabs on me. If someone was, there was a chance that our plan would be blown.
Jackson, Gabe, and Knight accompanied me down to Texas. Knight was mainly there to fill in for Chance’s absence, but if I could get Ramos out of his house, Knight could get in and hack into his computer. I stopped by a thrift store while I was down there and picked up some clothes that would make me look like I had been living on the streets for a while. I made sure to not eat anything the night before so that I was hungry to make it more believable. I also had to take a little dive in a dumpster to get a nice garbage smell to me, all for authenticity of course. After Jackson threatened to kill anyone that laid a hand on me, we decided that I would have to go in unbruised. I would have to find another way to get him to trust me enough to leave me alone.
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