Targeted: Newlywed Navy Seals Risk It All! (Truth and Lies Series Book 1)

by Pinki Parks

  “I’m doing my best. I don’t see how you can do any better. I can barely keep the wheels on the road and each sharp turn gets us closer to a fiery crash. I would suggest bailing, but at this speed, our bodies would be literally at the mercy of the asphalt. I’m not sure we’re going to have any better choices. I wish that I had better news, but I don’t. I’m open to suggestions.” Victor needed somebody to offer an alternative.

  “I agree with your earlier assessment. The only thing that comes to mind is to slam the guardrail and slow down our momentum long enough for us to get out of this deathtrap.” Theoretically, Bentley’s idea was sound, but still held a fair amount of risk.

  We had no idea who had rigged the car, but that question would have to remain unanswered until we were in a better position to make inquiries. It was a rental and it could’ve been an accident, but I wasn’t ready to rule out foul play. How did they find us?

  The seat belts would do nothing to protect us when we went careening over the side with our lives flashing before our eyes. I had a feeling something wasn’t right, but I resisted the urge to say something. I was never going to make that mistake again. Ignoring my instincts had resulted in the worst-case scenario.

  “I don’t see how we have any other choice. Make sure when you hit the guardrail that you only do it for a second. Short and very quick strikes will hopefully slow us down long enough to get out of this.” I was improving on Bentley’s suggestion and giving us the slimmest chance of survival.

  Metal was grinding against metal. All we could do was hold our breath and hope that divine intervention was an option. Praying wasn’t going to hurt either. I held onto the cross around my neck. It was digging into the palm of my hand with how hard I was holding onto it. I was deferring my safety to the hand of a higher power.

  “It’s not working. We slow down for a moment, but the downward spiral continues making the vehicle pick up speed. I should have known that nothing good was going to come from attending the wedding. I hate to admit it, but I was hoping for some lonely bridesmaid to be crying on my shoulder.” It was despicable, but it wasn’t uncommon for hookups to happen during the big day.

  “The one thing we can’t do is panic. We’re going to have to try something a little drastic. Slam into the guardrail head first and pray that we don’t go through to the other side. We keep going like this and the end is going to come sooner than later.” I was playing armchair quarterback.

  I couldn’t possibly know what was going through Victor’s head at that time.

  “The one thing I can’t understand is the reason why this is happening. Killing me for what Commander Riker gave me is counterproductive. It made sense when they tried to kidnap me to torture the information out of me. It almost makes me think there are two factions working at cross purposes.” Bentley finally admitted that this probably had something to do with her conversation with Commander Riker during the wedding.

  “I really don’t have time to think about this. You do make a convincing argument. I can see them killing us as collateral damage, but the same thing can’t be said for you. Those who have been contracted to take you…want you alive. This feels different like we are fighting two different battles at the same time.” I was beginning to see that we were merely pawns in a deadly game of life and death chess.

  I was watching Victor and how his fingers were twisting the steering wheel from side to side to try his best to keep the car from flipping with our momentum. Bentley and I held on for dear life. The metal screeched as it scraped the railing more and more, leaving a trail of sparks flying violently behind us.

  The impact had the guardrail bending out over the expanse. Somehow the guardrail had sustained the blow without breaking.

  “It looks like we’re going to be walking the rest of the way. I’m not sure how far civilization is from here. We need to find another vehicle to take us to the private airfield.” We very carefully got out of the car and my curiosity got the best of me.

  I slid under the car and saw where the sabotage had taken place. The brake line had been sliced. It was just a matter time before the right amount of pressure was going to break it in two. There was no way to plan for the exact time it would turn the vehicle into a fiery death trap on wheels.

  “I had a moment of clarity. Your theory that there are two different enemies working against us is the only thing that makes a lick of sense. I’m not sure which one I should be more worried about. The one trying to kill me or the one trying to capture me to get the information out of me by any means necessary. We have one lead and we might be already too late to take advantage of this window of opportunity.” Bentley was making a case for expedience, but there was no telling when another vehicle was going to go by on this desolate road in the mountains.

  It’s not like we could call the airfield and get them to delay the departure. I had a harebrained idea and the possibility of it working was slim to none. I made a phone call to the private charter company and made a threatening gesture about a bomb being on board. They would have no choice but investigate the claim. The plane would be grounded until the bomb-sniffing dogs could go over it with a fine-tooth comb.

  “That was a genius idea. They are eventually going to get the all-clear sign, but I just got word of inclement weather on my phone. The plane isn’t going anywhere for at least 24 hours. We still might have a chance to catch whoever is doing this to us.” Bentley looked like she was happy to have me running the lead on this one.

  My phone call and the incoming bad weather were going to play a major role in keeping our enemy where we could still get to him. Staling the enemy could do so much. If they had a plan B, we would be screwed. There was a pair of headlights and the size of the vehicle indicated a trucker was coming around the bend.

  I stood in the middle of the road and flagged him down not moving or showing any signs that I was going to get out of his way. He stamped down onto the brake sounding the alarm and coming to a stop no more than a couple of feet from where I was standing. He was leaning over the steering wheel relieved that he didn’t make me into a hood ornament for his truck. I could only hope this meant that our luck was turning a corner.

  Chapter 15

  Bentley

  The truck driver was very friendly, but he wasn’t very happy with how Pride had made him see his past, present, and future all at the same time. His name was George by the name tag on his work shirt. He was taking a load of metal parts across the island and came across the disturbing sight of Pride standing in the road radically waving his hands back and forth.

  “I can get you to where you want to go, but it won’t be for a few hours. I have some stops to make along the way. You’ll have a chance to find other modes of transportation once we get into town. I’m sure that somebody will be willing to rent you a vehicle for the day.” George was enjoying a moment from his mundane drive to look at me out of the corner of his eye.

  “My friends and I are fortunate that you came along when you did. I apologize for how we got your attention. I probably could have done the same thing by showing you a bit of skin. It would’ve been far more preferable than the way that he dared you to drive over him.” Pride was showing me how he could be a danger to himself and others.

  “I almost lost my shit. It was a good thing those caffeine pills were working. I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened.” It didn’t even seem to occur to Pride that he was endangering his life for the sake of his foolish ego. Male stubbornness wasn’t a victimless crime.

  “This is a matter of life and death. I can’t begin to tell you what we have already gone through to get here. It would turn the rest of your hair white. I’m not exaggerating. We really do have to catch a flight.” I could tell from his reaction that he wasn’t impressed.

  “I sympathize with you, but my family is depending on me. This job has a strict adherence to the guidelines. I don’t see why there would be a problem to be a little late with the cargo,
but I don’t want to be walking the unemployment line for some silly mistake.” We were already asking him for too much and made him a tiny bit late for his delivery because of Pride’s actions.

  The town limits revealed a quaint atmosphere with the residents getting an early start to their day. George stopped at one of the businesses and we decided time was of the essence.

  Pride and Victor used their gift of gab. They spoke to a man with a pickup truck and he agreed to take us back to his place and even offered us a home-cooked meal. We had to stay in the back with the rest of his cargo which turned out to be cages of chickens.

  They did look delicious. I was famished and probably could’ve plucked one of those chickens with my bare teeth. I could only imagine what was going to be on the menu.

  “You three look like what my dog dragged in last night. That’s not a compliment. I’m sure Maria has a few things that might fit you. We don’t have much, but we’re glad to share what we do have with those less fortunate. We raise and cook our own food in a self-sustainable home with fresh water from a well and a few solar panels on the roof. We basically live off the land.” I was impressed by Regis. He didn’t seem to be technologically advanced but looks could be deceiving.

  He had the back window open with his dog Brutus panting out the window. His fur was jet black and I could tell that he was friendly. The storm had permanently grounded any plane from leaving the island for 12 hours. The rain was more like a drizzle. It was the winds that were making it hard for any aircraft to take off.

  “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live like you do. We could limit our carbon footprint and not have to depend on big business for electricity. This is something that I have been giving a lot of thought. I consider the benefits and they far outweigh any of the cons I can think of.” It was a dream in the back of my mind to live like bohemians without a care in the world.

  There was a black tarp in back in case the weather turned ugly in a hurry. The potholes had us laughing like idiots. We were going to have some bruises in the morning, but it was worth it to feel like kids again. It even managed to soften Pride’s edge. This was a chance to be a little bit frivolous and not worry about the slobbering dogs of hell on our tail.

  “We didn’t pull the trigger until after I lost my job. It was the best thing that could have happened to us. Going off the grid and living in my parent’s place after they passed away reminds me of what I had when I was younger. We have a little one on the way. We weren’t sure about having children. The state of the world is a question mark. We decided the next generation needs to be ready to take action. We can give our child the tools to rely on nobody.” Regis was African-American with round brown eyes and a kind smile to light up a room.

  The off the shoulder coveralls were a nice touch. He had found out the hard way his parents were right to keep him sheltered from the world. Most people were living in a doggy dog world wearing milk bone underwear. He had gotten out of the rat race for a simpler way of living. It touched me deeply to see his conviction when it came to living a more sustainable lifestyle.

  “You might not think it’s a big deal, but I can assure you most people are one step away from drowning in debt. They live beyond their means trying to keep afloat while the creditors are knocking on their door.” I had worked so much that I didn’t get a chance to enjoy Guam’s hospitality.

  The many acres they owned were on the outskirts of the town we had just come from. The private airfield was 10 miles from our current location. The plane was scheduled to take off at 9:00 AM tomorrow morning. A moment to breathe was necessary to compose myself and be ready for just about anything.

  “My wife was a little skeptical. It took about two months for her to finally realize that the stress from our jobs was killing us slowly. We have a close-knit number of friends, but mostly we have each other. We don’t own a television. We do have a multitude of books that claim our imagination during the evening. My father was always stressing the benefits of the written word.” The technology was taking over with the convenience of books on the Internet. It was one of the areas I wholeheartedly approved of.

  “You haven’t once asked us about our circumstances.” Pride gave me a look to indicate that it was better that we didn’t elaborate on what had brought us out to the edge of the island.

  “I figure it’s none of my business unless you want to talk about it. Maybe after a hot shower and a good night’s sleep you might be more inclined to share your story. We do secretly enjoy how other people live. Everybody has a story to tell.” It was refreshing to meet a down to earth young man with his whole life ahead of him.

  Trappings of society had gotten a hold of him until his employment was no longer a viable option. Living off the land sounded boring to me at first, but he didn’t make it sound like it was. In fact, his enthusiasm was nagging at my consciousness to do the same thing. I was still very much going to be a part of the military for the rest of my life, but that wasn’t going to last forever.

  Victor and Pride were sharing looks. They never contributed to the conversation whispering in a lower register. They were probably trying to come up with a plan of attack for tomorrow morning. There was no doubt in my mind that there would be some kind of security in place and possibly a chain link fence to get past.

  “I’m guessing from the cargo that you sell to the local businesses in the area.” We turned into a long driveway surrounded by trees.

  “I do, but only to make money for necessary repairs around the property. Hard work and being creative only takes us so far.”

  This old plantation completely white with accents of color was revealed. The roof was covered with the four solar panels and collected rain water into barrels. It was their only source of electricity, but they didn’t need much when it came to material ownership.

  Regis was apparently good with his hands and knew how to keep up with the demand of the property. I heard the sound of water in the distance. They were fortunate to have a home that was in the center of paradise. I could only hope they would never take for granted what they had.

  “That’s my wife outside in the backyard hanging clothes. She has taught herself to sew and I didn’t ask her to. We both enjoy cooking in the kitchen. It’s one of our favorite pastimes with an old-fashioned wood stove. The hot water is courtesy of a natural spring on the property heated by the solar panels.” I was impressed by their ingenuity and how they learned to do all of those things others would have paid big money to have people come and do for them.

  “I feel like I should be whittling something. The two of you should take a shower and conserve water. I’ll wait for my turn until after you finish, but don’t take too long. I’m feeling a little ripe.” Victor sat down on the porch on a bench swing with his feet up on the deck.

  “I’ll let Maria know that we have guests. She will be quite pleased to have somebody to talk to.” I knew the peace and quiet wasn’t going to last long, but I was going to make the best of it.

  I chased the dream of breaking glass ceilings for women everywhere.

  We spent the rest of the day helping out by rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty. We were their guests, but we couldn’t allow them to do all the heavy lifting. It was a different pace of living. Hard work was its own reward. Victor and Pride took turns chopping wood. They were giving Regis a break and time to spend it on the porch with his lovely wife Maria.

  “I thought you two might enjoy being pampered for a change. Don’t even think about lifting a finger. This is your time to catch up. Chores and the upkeep of this place have been getting in the way of romance. I’ve taken the liberty of getting dinner started with a roast of pork I found in the fridge. You have an assortment of spices I utilized in the meal.” I handed them both some lemonade.

  “Regis, I don’t know where you found these three, but can we keep them?” Maria smiled sweetly and put her hand on my shoulder realizing this was the first time she had the chance to
sit down.

  I stood on the porch with two more glasses watching Pride working without a shirt. He made me stand there for a good 5 minutes admiring another reason why I fell for him.

  “The shower is upstairs third door on your left. You’ll find fresh towels in the linen closet. I’m going to start lunch. I believe I might break out the barbecue in the backyard. 20 minutes is the allotted time for a shower around here.”

  “To save water, you guys should go at the same time. Save some hot water for me.” Victor lead on that he wanted to finish up his chore but it was really a chance for Pride and me to be alone since our wedding.

  I took a moment to survey the photos of his family on the wall going upstairs. It depicted his childhood and how he had grown from a boy into a man. I looked behind to find Pride licking his lips. He followed me to the bathroom and closed the door behind us.

  I stood in the bathroom with the delicate touch of Pride relieving me of my clothing one item at a time. This place showed me another path I could’ve taken that was less traveled.

  Pride’s fingers grazed my spine and I sighed deeply with my eyes closed to the decadent pleasure. The light touch of his lips to the back of my neck made my knees buckle. There was an antique claw tub with an energy saving shower head above it. I was looking to find something a little more and found it in the matrimonial wedding ring around my finger. It didn’t feel like it was cutting off my circulation.

  “I have to pinch myself every time I look at you. It confuses me why you settled for me. My life has always been the job of saving people until you came along. I hope my impromptu vows at the wedding showed you how much I love you. Although our jobs demand it, I want complete honesty is in this relationship.” I could see what he was hinting at and I didn’t want to keep the secret from him not when he was putting everything on the line to protect me.