Driven By Love (The Heirs 0f Orion Series Book 1)

by D. Anne Paris

  Anne strained to laugh as she tried not to think about his erection that was pressed against her lower back. “Didn’t that movie come out last year?”

  “You can laugh my dear, but when I met you and began to watch you, I noticed that you were special. When I started doing some research, I found out about the top secret Orion project the government performed during World War II which gave enhanced abilities to the test subjects. Those seven test subjects disappeared, but I am convinced you are one of their descendants.”

  Anne’s heart began to race. Orion project? Was he making this up just to get her to admit she had gifts? If this project really existed, that would mean the Tensels and Dean and Jeri were also descendants. Anne wondered about this as Marshall kept up his monologue.

  “That is why, my dear, you are going to give me children. Many, many children and they will all be as gifted as you.” he emphasized his point by pressing his stiff shaft against her.

  Anne didn't move. “And what good would that do?”

  “Oh, my dear, you truly do not see? We would have power. No one would ever try to cross us.”

  “Are you serious? There is no guarantee that your children will listen to you and follow your lead.”

  Marshall moved a strand of hair away from her face and gently caressed her cheek. “They will listen. They will be trained to be obedient from birth just like you will be trained to obey me.”

  If she wasn’t already shaking, that statement would have given a shiver through her whole body. “I never will obey you, Marshall.”

  His hand gently rubbed her cheek and then chin. “Oh, my dear, you will learn.”

  The roar of thunder startled her and she tried to calm her startled heart. There had to be a way out, but how? In her current condition, she could barely stand let alone try to defend herself against him. Mentally, she reached out again for Hawk and found cold emptiness. Where did Marshall take her? Did he fly her out of the States? Where was she that there were no cars around? With the storm outside, she couldn’t even see outside of the window.

  “Go to hell, Marshall!” she spat as she tried to roll out from his skin crawling embrace.

  His fingers bit into her skin and she tried to stop herself from crying out. “The sooner you accept your new life, the easier it will be for you and your family.” His kiss on her cheek made her cringe away from him. “I’ll be back later so we can get re-acquainted.” His arms released their hold on her as the bed sprung up from the release of his weight on it.

  The squeak of the door let her finally release the breath she held. There had to be a way out of here or at least a way to get a message out to Dean. Her bruised body screamed as she rolled out of the bed. The breathing technique she learned in meditation class eased her nausea. As she sat on the floor rug, she leaned against the bed and looked around the room again. As weak as she was she was determined not to go down without a fight.

  The question was how long would her body fight until she blacked out?

  Dean? Hawk? Why can't I feel any machines?

  A pit formed in her stomach as she laid down on the floor.

  Chapter 26

  Dean pulled up into a marina on the mainland that over looked the island. They both grabbed their bags from Hawk and ran through the downpour of rain to enter the marina.

  “Keith! Dean! How are you?” a voice rang out from the back the moment they walked in. A young man in his 20s smiled and ran up to both of them.

  “Tiny!” they both yelled at him as they gave each other bear hugs and slaps on the back. At 5’8”, Jason “Tiny” Tucker was the shortest member of their team but had the strength of the whole team combined. He was always the one who carried the biggest guns, crawled into the tightest spaces, and fired the largest rounds without getting caught or noticed. Despite his nickname ladies lined up outside his door to get a chance to view and caress that well-built body.

  “How’s civilian life?” Keith asked when he released him.

  “It takes getting used to, but I sure enjoy my mom’s apple crumble,” he said as he smacked his lips.

  “Well, don’t eat too much of it, otherwise the ladies will stop calling,” Dean said with a smile.

  “Speaking of ladies, Keith says that yours is in trouble on the island.”

  Solemnly, Dean nodded. “Some bastard abducted her and we need to help her.”

  “We hope that you can help us,” Keith chimed in.

  “Anything for you guys.” He motioned for them to head to the back room. “You’ll need some scuba gear to get to the Island which I got right here.” He slapped a contraption that looked like a monstrous yellow egg with a huge fan on the end. “I have three undersea scooters. They’re not what we are used to but they’ll get us to the island. I wasn’t expecting to use them again so soon so they won’t have enough charge to get us back. The rest of the gear is good. I have the guns and ammo sealed up already.”

  “Thanks for helping us, Tiny,” Dean told him as he surveyed the gear.

  Tiny smiled. “Don’t mention it. When one of us needs help, the others help out, am I right?”

  The scuba gear was hung up on hooks and stored on some shelves on the wall. Dean walked over to the first tank and examined it.

  “Tiny, what about this tank? The gauge isn’t full. It’s not leaking, is it?” Dean asked as his hands instinctively ran over the tanks searching for damage.

  “No, it’s good. I just didn’t plan on renting to anyone during one of the worst storms of the season. I only had time to fill it to 2000 psi instead of the full 3000 psi,” Tiny explained. “I checked the weather report and they said there should be a break in this storm soon. If we want to get on the beach without being seen we’ll need to get there before the storm slows down.”

  Keith knew the clock was running out and they needed a plan fast. His inner sergeant leapt out without conscious thought as he assumed command. “All right, listen up--this isn’t the Marines anymore. We don’t have our full team, we don’t have backup of any kind, we have virtually no intel on what kind of resistance we can expect, and our equipment is shit--no offense, Tiny.”

  “None taken.”

  “With just the three of us, we don’t even have a complete fire team. We have the element of surprise and our experience as a team. We have to make that work for us,” Keith continued.

  “Do we have any kind of exit strategy? I mean, how do we get her out of there, assuming we find her?” Tiny asked, directing his question to Keith.

  “We don’t need one. We get her out of wherever they are holding her and kill anyone that’s laid a finger on her. If we have to, we’ll hide on the island for a few days until the Feds show up,” Dean responded, cutting off Keith. Tiny moved his head back and his eyes widened with surprise. Keith glared at him momentarily but quickly softened his expression.

  “Dean, I get how much this means to you, which is precisely why you need to let me make the calls. Emotions can get you killed. You need to stow yours for the mission,” Keith said, hoping to calm Dean’s nerves.

  He placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back, even if it costs me my other foot,” Keith joked to lighten the mood.

  The joke backfired. Dean suddenly felt a pang of guilt, recalling how Keith had lost his foot protecting him. He had been so concerned about Anne that he didn’t consider one of his friends might get hurt. When they fought alongside each other in the past, they had been soldiers. They were on a mission and each was performing their duty. Now, it was different. They were there as his friends, his brothers. If they got hurt, he wasn’t sure it was a debt he could repay.

  “Dean, does your girl know how to shoot? I know it’s not ideal, but if we can get her a gun when we find her, would it do us any good?” Keith asked as he continued to draft out the plan.

  “I honestly don’t know. I think her dad took her hunting growing up. I am pretty sure she’s handled a rifle
once or twice, but that doesn’t mean she can run and gun,” Dean said as he tried to make an educated guess.

  “All right then, Dean, your job will be to find Anne and spring her loose. Tiny, you need to get to a high point and cover the field. You will be our eyes and our only cover. We’ll use Dean’s idea for evac as Plan A. Tiny, you and I will draw fire while Anne and Dean head into the woods. Once they lose sight of her, their defense should start falling apart. They’ll have the authorities to worry about long before they can catch up to Dean.”

  “What about casualties?” Dean asked.

  “If Anne isn’t mobile or one of us gets hurt, then we steal the nearest civilian boat and evac to the main land. We can’t let any of us end up in their hands, so if we go the boat route, we need to stick together. Hopefully, it won’t go that way. It’s a big enough island where we can all disappear pretty quick as long as we’re all mobile. The biggest risk will be civilians getting in the way. We have to be extra careful where our rounds go. I don’t want to read about some kid getting wasted on the news tomorrow,” Keith cautioned.

  “It’s too bad Anthony wasn’t here. There is a small airport on the island. I don’t suppose either of you have taken up flying?” Tiny offered.

  “Anne might be able to fly one but I’m not sure.” Dean responded.

  “They don’t know we don’t have a pilot. You and Tiny can head there and make it look like that’s our plan. If you can keep them pinned down, maybe we can get the police in by plane,” Dean suggested.

  “We’ll keep that in our bag of tricks. It just depends where they have her and how fucked this all gets. Tiny, what do we have for weapons anyway? All I have on me is my .45.” Keith glanced at Tiny.

  “I have an AR-15 for you. It’s 5.56, just like Dean’s. We only got 300 rounds for them total though. I have some 9mm and a Glock 19 if either of you need it.” Keith and Dean nodded and looked at the bags at Tiny’s feet.

  “What about you?” Keith asked.

  “Me? Well, I got a tiny little rifle as usual.” Tiny beamed with pride as he pulled the cover off of a monstrous .50 caliber Barrett M82A1 rifle.

  Both Keith and Dean dropped their jaws in disbelief. “How the hell did you get that?” Keith asked, unable to hide his surprise.

  “I won it in a bet. I don’t like to use my powers like that, but when someone is willing to bet a $12,000 rifle that you can’t lift a car an inch, it’s kind of hard to say no. It’s semi-auto, so it’s actually fully legal to own one if you can afford it,” Tiny said with a big smile.

  “Okay, enough show and tell. We need to hit the water and get there now. Tiny, stow your baby and gear and let’s go,” Keith barked.

  *

  Opening the door to the bedroom, Marshall Foss saw Anne still lying on the bed, eyes closed, her whole body shaking.

  He couldn’t understand it. Will gave her another dose of the antidote and yet she seemed to be getting worse. He wouldn’t lose her, not after everything he did to take her. There was no other way--he had to take her off the island for proper medical attention. The problem was she could retaliate if there were any cars anywhere. He would have to sedate her, as it was the only way he could assure his safety. Still, would it harm her even more?

  Just then his radio chirped. “Go ahead,” he responded.

  “Sir, we have a car matching the description you gave us. It just pulled into the parking lot. Two men got out and headed to the scuba shop. They had some bags and equipment.”

  “Damn. How the hell did they know?” Foss yelled aloud. “Take care of the car. Get rid of it by any means necessary!” he commanded.

  “Yes, sir. We'll get on it right away.”

  With Anne's health failing and the enemy closing in, he'd have to move quickly. He had planned on flying out, but the storm made air travel too dangerous. His stomach became nauseated at the thought of going back on the boat. Drowning was the one thing he feared above all else.

  He could hear the rapid beating of his heart, and he quickly dug his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out the bottle of pills. He pulled out two pills and grabbed the untouched glass of water on the dresser to chase the pills down. He was happy to be leaving this island and the anxiety that gnawed at him every single minute knowing that he was surrounded by water.

  He spun around and glanced at Anne again. Even with the shaking and her pale face, she looked like an angel to him with her halo of dark silky hair. Oh, how he wanted her to look at him with those warm eyes fierce with passion. Why didn’t she see that he could give her the world? She may have money and fame, but he had even more money and connections and relationships that could bring them the world.

  He knew there were others with powers like her, but none so beautiful, none so close, and few with a power quite as useful as hers. She was the first of her kind he had come face-to-face with. He wanted her more than any other. Only her own sister would have rivaled her power, but hers was far too dangerous to control.

  Everything he dreamed of was so close to fulfillment. He knew he needed to leave now or everything might fall apart. He grabbed his radio, “David, get the boat ready. We need to leave right away!”

  *

  As the rescue team dragged themselves onto the shore, the rain tapered off, but the waves continued to pound the rocks. The dive took them a bit longer than they expected because of the rough current, but they managed to get ashore unnoticed. They found a spot near the water to hide the scooters and ready their weapons and gear. They left the extra Glock 19 and a box of ammo with the sea scooters. It would be a last fall back if they needed it.

  The smell of rain normally calmed Dean, but today it made him feel tense. He should have watched Anne more closely and now she was in Marshall’s hands. He felt her presence, but it was weaker than it should have been at this distance. He tried to force out his doubts and focus on the mission at hand. Anne was counting on him, and so were his brothers in arms, who were risking everything to help him without an ounce of hesitation.

  Already the sun was slowly dipping towards the horizon, darkening the cloudy sky further. They had to get there before the shore was cloaked in darkness.

  Keith strapped in a knife to his boot. "Can you tell where she is?"

  "Yeah, but I don't know if she's okay with that lunatic." He pushed away the fear that clawed at his throat. “She’s south of here. Do you see those rows of houses just up on the hill? It is the one on the end that's surrounded by trees.” Dean replied.

  “Dean and I will head out first. I’ll radio back with any intel I get. Once Dean spots Anne, he’ll engage and try to thin down any guards near her. Then I’ll lay down cover fire. That’s when I need you to get to the top of one of those houses and cover us,” Keith said, motioning for Tiny to wait behind cover.

  “Just draw fire for a little while. I’ll get her out quick. Those bastards won’t know what hit them,” Dean swore.

  He was going to get her out safe. No matter what.

  *

  Anne tried to suppress the nausea that kept creeping up. Her blurred vision showed Marshall pacing around her bed.

  She tried to sit up, but the nausea punched her in the stomach. "What do you want?" she moaned.

  “Your undying love for me.” The assertive tone in his voice made her shiver. He sat on the edge of the bed as his cold hand brushed away a strand of her hair.

  She jerked her face away from him. "Never."

  “That will change, my dear.”

  “We’re ready, Mr. Foss.” a deep voice called from the doorway.

  “Excellent. Take Miss Stevens.”

  The man walked over, leaned down, and scooped her up from the bed like she weighed nothing.

  Anne mustered all her strength and tried to claw at his face but was tossed over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

  As they shuffled down the stairs, Anne tried to grab a hold of anything she could use as a weapon. They zoomed so fast, throu
gh the house that she had no time to grasp anything.

  The biting wind hit her when they stepped outside, and she knew there wasn’t much time left to escape. Waves…she heard waves in the background. She inhaled the cold air and started to reach out again for any kind of engine close by.

  There--she felt a small tingle, then it started to get stronger as they walked. A boat! Anne reached out and grabbed the energy that emitted from it and started to absorb it. It filled every pore of her body and began to energize her and subdue her shaking. With the renewed energy, she had a chance to escape. Now she just needed the element of surprise.

  The sound was getting louder. She had to make an escape fast. The frigid air she inhaled calmed and energized her. Her mind was racing as she scrambled for a plan. She quickly dismissed several ideas, then decided on an old stand-by. All the years of being a Hollywood star were now going to save her life.

  In an instant, her body went limp and began to slide off the guard’s shoulder.

  “I think she passed out, Mr. Foss,” the guard told him as he tried to adjust her body before it hit the stone path. Anne fought the urge to resist the fall. She felt her arm crack against the stone as it fell completely limp. She didn’t wince in the slightest, despite the painful shock against her skin.

  The guard awkwardly held her head up with his one arm and steadied himself with the other as he crouched down. He shifted his balance nervously as Marshall shot him a shocked look.

  “What?” The fear in his voice was undeniable as he raced to her, scooping his hand under her head while pushing the guard away. He pressed his frigid fingers against her neck, desperately looking for a pulse.

  “She’s still alive. Quickly, get to the boat, we’re running out of time!”

  The guard moved back toward her to pick her up again and load her up onto the boat. Anne knew it was time to make her move. She clenched her fists as she readied herself to deliver the unexpected blow to the guard’s groin. She prayed she’d be fast enough to make it to water before either of them could catch her. The raging water would be extremely dangerous and she wondered how long she could swim against such current in her weakened state. It didn't matter- she was going to be free of Marshall Foss or die trying.