Davey, who has been hanging around us for the last little while, was starting to think like us. He’d opened his window for me to climb through. I knew the only reason he hadn’t tried to defend his sister himself was because we’d taken his piece that first night we met, which now seemed like so long ago.
If I’d been thinking, I would’ve armed him, but that was a mistake I wouldn’t be making again. Not that I was ever letting her out of my sight after this.
I climbed quietly through the window and found him by the door about to open it. I made the slightest of sounds behind him so he’d know I was there, and had my finger up to my lips as soon as he turned around. I hoped he could see me in the moonlight that streamed through the window.
The slump of his shoulders in relief told me all I needed to know as I made my way towards him. I could see the fear in his eyes, hear the shallowness of breath, but there was no time to reassure him. Now that I was here, the bitter taste of fear gave away to anger. Someone’s asshole son was gonna lose his life tonight.
I ushered him away from the door silently, and waited until he was out of the way before cracking it open the barest fraction, being sure not to let it squeak. I cautiously looked down the darkened hallway, nothing. Taking my time, I took another quick glance in the opposite direction, clear.
I turned back to him with a swift motion to stay put and away from the window before leaving the room. There was no sound coming from anywhere. Whoever was here was good, good enough that he knew how to control his breathing. I was trained to pick that shit up down to the lowest decibel.
Keeping close to the wall, I made my way down the hallway to her door, which had been left open. From my vantage point around the doorjamb I could see into the room and what I saw had me biting into my lip to hold back the scream of rage.
She was on the bed; someone was leaning over her with his hands around her neck as her feet struggled. She was putting up a fight, but she was no match for the hulking figure that had her in his grips. One sweep of the room confirmed that there was no one else there.
I kept the rage barely in check as I moved swiftly forward and grabbed him around the throat from behind, pulling him back and away from her. I didn’t stop until I slammed him into the wall. “Who sent you motherfucker?” I eased up on his windpipe enough to let him answer.
“Fuck you.”
“Wrong answer.” Without giving it a second thought, I twisted hard once, and heard the satisfying crunch of a neck breaking. He was done before he hit the floor where I dropped him.
I turned and grabbed her up from the bed before the scream could leave her lungs and pulled her head into my chest. She knew my scent and I felt her relax just a little at the knowledge that I was there. “You’re safe.” I kissed her hair before placing her behind me and slipped quietly from her room with her hand held firmly in mine.
I hadn’t had a chance to search the place, so I had no way of knowing if there was more than one asshole here. I was going to take her to her brother’s room and leave her there while I looked, but I saw movement coming towards us in the dark.
I knew it wasn’t one of my brothers because they had more sense than to be that fucking careless. I lifted my gun and fired off two shots to the head. I wasn’t worried about missing, and was sure of my aim when I saw and heard the body drop.
Her hand shook slightly in mine and she made the slightest of sounds in her throat, but those were the only indications that she was distressed in anyway. Good girl! I sometimes forget how tough my baby is. Later I’ll shower her with praise and tell her how proud I am of her bravery, but right now I needed to stay in kill mode.
I kept my ears pricked and my senses open to my surroundings as we crept down the hallway. I didn’t sense any more movement or feel the presence of anyone else in the house other than her little brother, but I wasn’t in the mood to take any chances, so I shielded her body with mine as we crept along the wall stealthily.
The whistle came not long after, announcing the arrival of my brothers and I answered before going to Davey’s room. Lo was the first one through the window, followed by the others. “Who’s home with the women?” As much as I appreciated them coming, I couldn’t forget we were on high fucking alert back at the compound.
“Ours are fine-we made sure of that. How’s yours doing?”
“She’ll be fine but she’s not staying here after tonight.” I kissed her forehead and put her away from me. “Go with my brothers baby, I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” She clung to me, making my heart jump in my chest. I hated the fear in her eyes, hated that this shit had touched her. Too fucking close. “I have to make a run, you’re okay baby look at me.” I clasped her face between my hands and looked into her eyes, something else I was teaching her to do is read me. After her slight nod, I turned to my brother. “Ty I need a hand.”
“What do you need brother?” I motioned him towards the hallway, and the others followed after admonishing the kids to stay put. “There’s another one in her room.” I told them after they saw the body on the floor.
Both men had been dressed in all black with facemasks on. We could pretty much guess who was behind this shit and I for one was tired of the fuckery, no fucking more. My only concern now was, had they been sent to capture or kill to get back at me? “What are we doing bro?”
“We’re taking them to the beach, let the fuckers who sent them find them. I’m sure they have some kind of tracking device on them, and since these fucks want to remain hidden they’re not gonna want anything that can lead back to them out in the open.”
I went through their pockets first to see if they were dumb enough to carry ID on an OP and was disgusted to see that they had. What kind of amateur bullshit was this? So far our opponents had proven themselves to be smart, but this was a huge mistake. Maybe they were getting nervous because we were getting too close, who knows. “Not military.” Punk ass. I passed the IDs off to Lo.
I went back to her pulling her into my arms. “Go with the guys, I’ll be home soon. Go straight to my place, the door’s open.” After kissing her on the forehead I left her with the only men I’d ever trust her with and went to dispose of the bodies. I wasn’t even thinking of them or the fact that I’d taken their lives. The fuck were they doing in her house?
This changes everything. When shit started going south I’d let Lo make the plays. I was happy to stick to the status quo, to let things run the way they always have. But there was no way after tonight that I was letting anyone else call the shots, not where my woman is concerned. As soon as I stash her at my place I’m going on the hunt, this shit ends now.
***
The good thing about deserted streets is that no one was around to see us lugging their bodies down to the water. I kept my senses open just in case these two had backup. If we were dealing with the people we suspected, then they ought to know that I was going to retaliate. I didn’t kid myself that these fucks didn’t know everything there was to know about us, down to the last detail. It’s what I would’ve done in an operation like this.
But something else was very troubling. How did they know she was in that house tonight? She hadn’t been home in a while, so either they’d been watching, or someone tipped them off. The thought made my blood run cold.
I was sure it didn’t come from the compound. We had enough safeguards in place to ensure that nothing got in or out of there without our say-so. Candy wasn’t coming and going from the office anymore, plus we had her covered for her own safety just in case they thought to go after her. So who or how?
It didn’t matter this was on me. I should’ve followed my mind. I knew better, she was already a target, not only because her face had been in that book, but also because she’s mine. I fucked up royally but that shit’s never gonna happen again.
I wouldn’t even let myself think of what ifs as I moved through the night. It was enough that they’d got too fucking close.
Now that it
was over and I could breathe again, my mind went to the next step, finding the motherfucker who’d sent them and ending him. This shit might turn into a national crisis but I no longer cared. I’d given my sweat and blood for these assholes, no way was I letting them get away with this shit. She’s just a girl for fuck sake.
Ty and I made short work of staking the bodies out for their buddies to find. I had no doubt that whoever had sent them would be in touch, since we seemed to be playing a game of cat and mouse with these fucks.
It was the ass end of midnight, so there was no danger of innocents wandering around down here, no worries. I took one last look at them before turning away.
There were no words passed between Ty and I as we walked away, but you could all but taste the anger in the air. We’ve never been in combat where the enemy was targeting us directly. The fact that this shit seemed to be geared more against our women than us, meant the stakes was higher.
We’re warriors, we know how to protect ourselves, and each other, our women should be shielded from this shit. The fact that they were going after them put a different spin on things. They didn’t have any dealings with the old man, except for Susie and Nessa, so why go after the others?
Because it wasn’t about that. The shit circled back to us. The idea that it was because of what we’d done under the old man’s command made sense. Still, why our women? Why not come at us?
If the fucks were coming at mine they were shit outta luck, they’d chosen the wrong one this go round. My give a fuck meter stays on empty. Unlike my brothers who may still retain a modicum of patience and loyalty, I have none. Not when it comes to her. They’d have been better off coming at me head on. Now they’d fucked themselves because their days were numbered, ex presidents or not.
We hurried back to the compound where we found the others waiting for us. The women were rallying around my girl and her little brother, while my brothers stood watch. With just a nod I let them know that shit had been taken care of before reaching for her.
Everyone was gathered in my house because I’d told her to be there when I got back. I was happy to see that she’d followed orders and not let her sisters talk her into doing different. She was scared and shaken and I knew she needed me, but there was a lot to be done before I could give her what she wanted.
Somebody had put on a big pot of coffee and my sisters were bustling around my kitchen putting shit together. That’s the women’s answer for everything; it’s their coping mechanism, food. Even though it was the middle of the night no one was going back to sleep any time soon.
I looked around at all of them, at my brothers and the way they were trying to soothe their women’s fears, thinking of how drastically our lives had changed in such a short space of time. Especially us men, we were damn near domesticated.
It helped to calm me down some as I looked at Ty rubbing Vicki’s tummy as he whispered in her ear, or the way Lo and Con were comforting their women. Zak had the baby on his hip and was soothing Nessa with his other hand as she looked ready to go to battle.
Lo motioned to me with his head and he and the others moved out of the kitchen headed for the backyard. I walked over to her chair. Someone had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders to help with the shakes. Taking her little face in my hands I studied her eyes; shock, but nothing we can’t handle.
I whispered words of comfort in her ear until I was sure she was going to be okay. “I’m right outside if you need me Gem. All you have to do if you get scared is call out and I’ll be right here.” I kissed her lips once before getting to my feet.
I hated leaving her again knowing that she was still scared and needed my reassurance, but it was imperative that we got in front of this shit before it went any farther. The fuckers had upped the ante this time. They’d thrown down the gauntlet. With one last pass of my palm against her soft cheek I left the house to go meet with my brothers in the yard out of range of the women.
***
“Quinn, what did you find?” I had no doubt that my brother had already used the IDs that we’d lifted off the humps to get started, and I wasn’t disappointed.
“Either they’re getting nervous or they’ve run out of enlisted assholes to forfeit. These two are ex cons with no military record that I could find. The one in the hallway went up for five to ten for armed robbery; he’s only been out three months. The other one did twenty for second-degree murder. Both from out of town.”
I took it all in while I seethed. “You know-I’ve held my cool for the last few months while these fucks ran rough shod over my family, but this is it. They want a war, well they’ve got one.” Didn’t we have this conversation just this morning? I felt like I was repeating myself, but this time no one was talking me down, I’d made up my mind.
“Cord…”
“Fuck that Lo, no more waiting around, these fuckers aren’t waiting. He had his fucking hands around her throat.” The memory of it made me seethe. That was not supposed to fucking happen, not on my watch. I should’ve peeled the skin from his fucking body and staked him out in the sun.
“He put hands on what’s mine and some son of a bitch is right this minute sitting around somewhere waiting for the phone call telling him that she’s done. That’s the fucker I want, I want that motherfucker’s blood in my teeth. Enough of this back and forth bullshit with their fucking lackeys that’s it.”
My voice rose with each syllable but I didn’t give a fuck. If I could, I would walk into the desert and end this fuck with my bare hands, then head to Washington and finish off the deceitful fucks who hid behind their diplomacy there.
“Aw damn, that boy done popped his leash.” I ignored Tyler’s ass. I’m pretty sure they all felt the same, but because we’d been trained to obey orders we were trying to do things the way the old man would’ve wanted, especially with the people who were involved. But I’m thinking they gave up their rights to any consideration from us when they started this. Fuck them.
No one said anything for the longest but I knew it wouldn’t end there. I knew Logan well enough to know how his head works. What he should know and understand, was that the second they went after her, the game would change.
“You think we don’t all want the same thing? You think I haven’t thought of heading down to that base and blowing the fuck away? But we still don’t know everything. Until we have all the info we hold the line. We’ve already started. Just yesterday we were making strides. Let’s get what we need before we go in blind or we’re all fucked.”
I heard every word coming out of his mouth, but I was done. It’s all I could do since we got back from Law’s a few weeks ago not to go Rambo on their asses. Seeing her in that fucking flesh book had upped the stakes big time, but this, this shit said they didn’t give a fuck and for some fucked up reason they thought we did. And so far we’ve been letting them get away with it.
Either they had no idea what we really were, which because of the secrecy surrounding our missions could be true. Or they thought they had the clout to back their plays. Either way they were about to see what I’m really made of.
“I’m beginning to think Lyon has the right idea.” He didn’t want to wait around with his thumb up his ass either. It hadn’t been confirmed but we all pretty much knew he’d offed the Porters’ son for fucking with his woman. I for one wouldn’t be too broken up if he offed the rest of the family since they all seemed to be twisted fucks.
“Don’t let’s all go crazy now.” I didn’t think that I could possibly find humor in anything in this situation, but Lo’s reaction to Lyon is downright hilarious. Our fearless leader for all his bravado is a by the book tyrant. Someone like Lyon who sincerely doesn’t give a fuck and seems more like a throwback to the Wild West than a Hell’s Angel, was a bit much for him to handle. Though it was obvious he had lots of respect for the other man.
“You said they were from out of town, where exactly?” I needed that string to tug on to see if maybe I could learn exactly who gave the order fo
r this particular job. Either they knew she was mine and was coming at me, or they knew she was the old man’s kid. It was obvious from the way the asshole had been throttling her that they had been there to kill, so it wasn’t a snatch and run for their other sick fucking purposes.
“Virginia.” Quinn dropped the word into the silence.
“Langley?” My gut gave a lurch at the unconfirmed thought. Because of who we were and the shit we’d seen and done while in service to our country, I knew the fucking spooks were dirtier than half the leaders of most third world countries, and those fucks are entrenched in filth.
Behind, beneath and beyond every drug trafficking, human trafficking ring, and some of your more high collar crimes, the fucking spooks could be found lurking. “We don’t know that for sure and we haven’t had time to check it out as yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised.” Con sounded way too cool so I knew he was about to pop his leash any minute now too.
“If the fucking spooks are part of this, which I’m pretty sure we all knew was coming, then we’d better up our fucking game.” I think subconsciously we all knew that an operation this big, with all these pockets, had to have something like the agency behind it. Especially since it would appear that some very high-ranking military personnel were involved.
It was the only thing that made sense. The shit had been going on for years and no one had ever heard so much as a whisper about it. The more we uncovered the more shit we stepped in. But Lo was right, there were still a lot of unanswered questions, and we all know those can lead to a shitload of problems.
So far the enemy seemed to have all the answers, while we were walking blind. I don’t like those odds. “Why the fuck are they scraping the bottom of the barrel? Don’t they have enough enlisted men to do their dirty work without hiring ex-cons?”
Cord SEAL Team Seven (Book 5) Page 14