On the Line

by Capri Montgomery

  A few hours later he thought he just might collapse too. He was hearing voices and he figured that was the result of extreme dehydration until the fog in his head cleared and he heard those voices once again. He didn’t think. He just pulled Ariana down and she gave a startled yelp. He placed his hand over her mouth to quiet her although she had already been quiet after she let out the yelp. Perhaps he should have given her warning, but there was no time for that.

  The voices stopped and that told him whoever was coming toward them knew they were out there. The voices had definitely been moving in his direction, only whoever it was had been on the other side of that mountain of sand. He didn’t have anywhere to hide. If they had weapons they would probably kill him and reclaim her as their hostage. He wasn’t sure where he was. He just knew he had headed west when they got out but for all he knew he could have been heading toward more enemies.

  He heard the shuffling of sand. “I’m going to have to take care of this.”

  She shook her head no as he removed his hand from over her mouth. “You can’t. You don’t have a weapon. They’ll kill you.”

  “They’ll kill me even if they find me lying here.”

  “No,” she tugged on his arm and yanked him down. He fell on top of her as he tried to steady himself. God, if he weren’t having the most salacious thoughts about the hot body beneath him right now. He wanted her. He was in the desert with the enemy approaching and he was thinking about having sex with her.

  He mentally slapped himself and tried to move, but she wouldn’t let him go. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held him there. She always did have strong thighs…thighs he liked being between. He tried to pull away from her but the action caused her to lift up, bucking against his already hardened erection. This was not helping.

  “Ariana,” he growled.

  “Stay low they won’t know we’re here,” she whispered.

  “They already know,” he assured her.

  “Are we interrupting something?” Micah asked as he approached. “It’s okay you all. It’s just Preston and…Ariana I presume. Either that or Preston has found a woman in the desert he decided to get acquainted with,” he laughed.

  Ariana released him and he glared at her, angry that she had put them in danger.

  “How did you get here so quick?”

  “Well hello to you too,” Micah said as the others came toward them and Preston completely distanced himself from Ariana.

  “Micah,” he glared at him.

  “Her friend, Zahara, came to us. That and Natalia had a feeling our client might be a little shady.”

  He nodded as he walked toward them. “Do you have water? We need water.”

  “Ariana!” Zahara broke away from Alex and ran to Ariana. She wrapped her arms around her briefly. “I have water.” She shucked her pack and dug in for a bottle of water. Preston watched as Ariana greedily drank and then he turned his attention to Jet who was handing him a bottle of water. He wouldn’t say that he drank with any more grace than Ariana.

  “Natalia was right,” he finally said when he stopped guzzling water long enough to talk. “Victoria set me up. And her sister isn’t a package worth returning. She’s in the man’s harem. They all set me up.”

  “They went after your ex?”

  “No. Apparently the guy has been fixated on her since she was sixteen. I’m not sure he even knows we were married before. We didn’t exactly do a wedding announcement in the paper, so who knows…we have to get out of here. We need to call and have a plane sent, and beyond that I don’t know how far back they are. I don’t even have a weapon…” His voice trailed off as Alex handed him a gun.

  Alex walked past him toward Ariana and Zahara and he followed behind him.

  “I remembered what you said…I saw that man take you and I remembered that you told me Preston was the man you would trust if ever anything happened to you. I went to find him.”

  She smiled. “He was already here…but I am so thankful to you, Zahara. Thank you.”

  Zahara wrapped her arms around her again.

  “We have to get moving, ladies,” Jet called from behind them. Alex wrapped his hand around Zahara’s arm and pulled her up.

  “When I say stay by my side that’s what I mean,” he looked at her in a way that told Preston these two had history of their own.

  “Alex, this is Ariana,” she said as if that should excuse her running away from the position he told her to stay at.

  “Nice meeting you,” Ariana pulled herself up, still unsteady and weak from exhaustion.

  “You too,” he said but he hadn’t let go of Zahara’s arm. “Come on. We have to keep moving.”

  “We’ll stop as soon as we can and let you two rest,” Micah said.

  “Don’t stop on my account,” Preston mumbled. He would rather get out of Egypt and back to the safety of the United States not just for himself, but for Ariana too. “Does anybody have a way of contacting Julian? Or are we all without communication here?”

  Jet pulled out a SAT phone. “I’ll let Natalia know to get transport fired up. Julian said if we needed him he would still help us. Of course he, just like all of us, thought Micah would be flying in for this one. I didn’t have a chance to contact him, but Natalia did before we left. We just couldn’t wait on an answer. The commercial flight was boarding and taking off too soon for that.” He looked to Preston. “I’m sure she received confirmation from him by now. Should we go with your original idea for pickup or do we need a new spot?”

  “A new one,” he said. “I didn’t tell anybody about my trying to get to the first pickup, but I can’t chance it. Julian and I had a night escape about five years ago. Tell him to go there, and he’ll know what that means.”

  Jet nodded. “Let’s keep moving,” he said. He could make a call and walk at the same time. He had to because there was no way in the world they could just stand still in broad daylight without a place to take cover should the enemy come up behind them. This rescue mission had gone horribly wrong, but something about having his friends by his side now made Preston feel a hundred times better.

  He left Ariana to her friend, a friend Alex had clearly taken it upon himself to guard with his life. He would have to ask for details later because he was sure there was something between the two of them and he knew Alex, there was no way he moved that swiftly when it came to a woman. If he had just met her when she showed up at the Squadron headquarters then Preston doubted that Alex would have been serving as bodyguard so soon. Still, knowing Alex was guarding the women gave Preston a little leeway to do what he did best, shoot and command. Ariana would be okay beside Alex and Zahara; Preston was sure of that. Right now he needed to put his focus back on getting them out of there alive.

  Chapter Eleven

  Natalia pleaded her case to Lieutenant General David Paxton because the only hope her guys had was if she could get that plane in the air so it could be there to pick them up. She had been waiting for the call. She had even slept in the office waiting all day and all night for the call to come in. She didn’t want to see any of them get hurt or killed, but especially not Micah. That call was to let her know they would need the plane waiting and that Julian was the man who had to come get them. He knew where to go, Preston had said.

  “My answer is still no,” Paxton snapped. “This is my call and I don’t care what his previous commander allowed he’s on my time now.”

  “He is out of there in a week. It wouldn’t kill you to let him do this.”

  “No it wouldn’t, but I still won’t do it. If he even tries to leave I’ll get him dishonorably discharged. He knows I can do it too.”

  He hung up on her. She slammed the phone down. Julian had told her he had received a firm negative answer to his request for time off to leave and handle this business, but he had told her maybe the softness of her voice might soften the Lieutenant General’s heart. Clearly that hadn’t worked out so well. She really needed to get that plane in the air today,
not tomorrow, not next week, but today.

  She sat down at Jet’s desk, where she had been when she made the phone call that connected her with Paxton. “What do I do now?” She asked of no one in particular other than maybe herself. The guys were counting on her. She couldn’t let them down.

  Natalia tapped the tip of her pencil on the ebony desk with the silver hardware. She kept thinking of what to do and how to get it done. Julian had said he could try to sneak out, but that he was being watched like a hawk. He wasn’t even sure he was able to go to the bathroom without somebody following him inside. She also knew he had worked too hard for his career to lose it just a week shy of official retirement. She knew he was angry that he wasn’t able to help. He loved these guys because they were all more like family than just friends, but his hands were tied, almost literally.

  She sighed as she looked at the photos on Jet’s desk. Still tapping her pencil on his desk she worked her bottom lip between her teeth. “There has to be something,” she mumbled. She sat back in the chair and looked to the silver framed photo sitting on Jet’s desk. Akira and Jet looked so happy in that picture and it made her remember the wedding.

  “Mr. Bowman,” she smiled. “Last hope,” she tossed the pencil on the desk, grabbed her handbag and keys and left the office. She made sure she had the presence of mind to turn off the lights and make sure everything was locked up. She left her blanket sprawled out on Jet’s couch because she had been asleep in there when she received the call. Now that she was wide awake and in a hurry she didn’t have time to tidy things up. It was just a blanket and she could sort out the disheveled appearance of the couch after she took care of business. Her first priority was reaching Aaron Bowman and getting his help.

  She drove swiftly, watching out for all the speed trap areas that she knew about because she didn’t have time to deal with a cop and a ticket today. The roads were fairly empty with the route she took so she wasn’t putting anybody, other than herself, in danger and since she had no trouble handling a fast moving car she figured she would be fine.

  Natalia pulled up at the estate and kept hitting the call button on the box for the gate until somebody answered. “We’re eating right now you’ll have to come back later,” Akira giggled.

  “Kira it’s me, Natalia. It’s an emergency.”

  “Oh my God. Is it Jet?”

  “Kira!”

  She heard the buzzer before the gate opened. Once it was open enough to clear the iron gates Natalia hit the gas pedal like she was on the raceway and headed straight for the front door. She had barley gotten out the car when Akira and Aaron were rapidly approaching her. Akira seemed to be running more than walking.

  “Please tell me he’s okay?” She begged with tears in her voice.

  “I need help. The guys need to get out of Egypt. The LG won’t let Julian go and I don’t know what else to do. Julian has to be able to go get them. They’re counting on me to get them transport out and they can’t stay there,” she pleaded with Aaron.

  “Daddy,” Akira looked to him, pleading for his help.

  “I have friends in high places. I’ll call in some favors. Julian was the man behind the helm when Jet rescued me and I know the man is worth his weight in gold. He will get there, and he won’t have a problem doing it—at least not on our end,” Aaron assured her. “Let me make a few phone calls.”

  Natalia nodded.

  “Come on in, honey.” Sakura wrapped her arms around both women and guided them toward the front door.

  Natalia felt as if she had run a marathon her heart was racing so fast. She had been becoming increasingly worried as she drove toward the estate. The thoughts of what could happen, what would happen, if she couldn’t get help rapidly went through her mind. Her stomach was still churning from fear. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I feel sick.”

  Sakura ushered her to a hall guest bathroom where Natalia proceeded to throw up until her stomach was content enough to settle down. When she came out of the bathroom Akira and Sakura were both waiting for her.

  “I’ll get you some water, Natalia.” Akira gave her a warm smile.

  “Does he know you are pregnant?” Sakura looked at her knowingly.

  “Not yet,” Natalia said. “I didn’t even know myself. I had a light period the last couple months and I just had no idea. I started having a little nausea here and there. I didn’t think anything of it, but for some reason, when I went to the store to pick up something to keep at the office with me while I waited on the call I just bought a test and it was…well…positive. I haven’t seen a doctor yet. It could be a false positive.”

  “It is not,” Sakura smiled. “I am sure of that look,” she patted her on her cheek. “You must take care of yourself for the sake of your baby.”

  Natalia nodded. “When they get back, when Micah is holding me in his arms then I’ll tell him that the test was positive and maybe we can go see a doctor together and make sure I’m healthy enough for this baby.”

  “You glow,” Sakura said. “You are healthy enough. Come, we will eat while we wait for Aaron to work what Kira calls his magic.” She smiled as she gently led her to the kitchen. “You must not stress though. Stress will be bad for you and the baby. Kira will stay with you to make sure you are not too stressed out. Won’t you, Kira?”

  “Of course. Natalia is like a new best friend to me. I’ll be right by your side, Natalia.”

  “You can help each other because Kira is stressed right now too. I can see her stress in her eyes. She is worried about Jet. Together the two of you can help each other remain calm,” Sakura assured them. When she left the kitchen for a few minutes Akira turned to Natalia and smiled at her.

  “Congratulations, Natalia.”

  “Thanks.”

  “When you go to help get your man I am going with you.” She said so seriously that Natalia had to think about just what she had said when she frantically asked Aaron for his help.

  Akira smiled. “You are much like me. We would do anything for our men. Mother thinks I should help you remain calm, and I am one thousand percent sure that you have every intention of boarding that plane.”

  Natalia smiled. “You are one thousand percent correct. I want to be the first face Micah sees when he boards his chariot home. I need to see him, you know…I worry for him with every mission but right now it’s just so unstable over there that I worry for him more.”

  Akira nodded. “I know what you mean. So, together, we’ll go get our men and bring them home.”

  “Deal,” Natalia shook Akira’s extended hand as they swore to their mission of returning their friends and family members to safety.

  The air was stifling and the threat behind them was still very much real, but that didn’t stop Preston from brooding over his ex-wife. He was a mess. He mentally chastised himself. He was a mess because of his inability to deal with his tumultuous feelings for her. He could handle war, rescue missions that could be the end game to his life, but he had a hard time figuring out what had happened, and where they could possibly go with each other. Every time he tried to sort things out and to see a future for them he kept coming back to the idea that maybe she just didn’t love him enough. Maybe she wouldn’t want him back in her life. The thoughts going through his mind were distracting him and distraction could get him and his team killed. He couldn’t afford that outcome.

  “Preston?”

  Preston looked over the petite bronzed woman in front of him. “Don’t,” he said. “Just stay out of it.” He turned so that all she had was a side view of him. He would have shown her his back, but even in his angered state he couldn’t be that rude to her.

  “No,” she said and he could tell she was as defiant and strong as Ariana.

  “Maybe you should focus on yourself instead of other people,” he snapped before turning toward her. He was ready to walk away, but she stood in his path. He could go around her. He was going to when she dangled a golden necklace in his face.

  “She�
��s kept it for years. She asked me to hold it in between performances because while she thought it would stay tucked in her hip scarf it wasn’t working. I brought it with me because I know how precious it is to her. I think you should be the person to give it back to her. You have a second chance, Mr. Strauss. You both lost something special eighteen years ago and I know she regrets the loss. I know if she could go back in time she would want things to be different. Well neither of you can get those eighteen years back, but you have a second chance—what you do with it is up to you. My advice; don’t let your stubborn pride cost you the love of your life.” She slapped the necklace in his hand and walked away from him.

  He wanted to be angry. He wanted to hate her and her words, but she was right. He had never stopped loving Ariana. He ached for her now just as much as he ached for her the day he met her. He loved her. He would always love her. He looked at her, standing off by herself, but not so far away that she put herself in danger. He watched the way the subtle wind moved her hair around her face. From the side view he had of her he could tell she was deep in thought. It was time, he told himself; it was time to reclaim his woman.