“Why are you laughing? She is beautiful.” Mullah says, his tone is confused. Fucking hell.
“Listen, douche bag, I never said she wasn’t beautiful. Firstly, she is a motherfucking bitch and a liar; secondly, what the fuck did I ever do to you? Huh? Why have you been hunting me? And thirdly, Why? Why did you betray us Caleb?” He looks at his feet. The fucking coward. I can’t call him Doc anymore. That was a nickname given to someone we believed had our backs, someone who was our friend.
“What do you mean she is a liar? You lied about her, and she lost her job?” I can’t help the giggle that comes out, these two should take this shit out on the road; they’d make millions.
“Why are you laughing, you lied about me.” Selena screams at me. Wow she’s fucking deranged.
“I didn’t lie you fucking bitch. I heard you on the phone to your friend saying you sucked Nathan’s dick. You got fired because you’re a crazy person.” I say to her and watch her face go bright red. Mullah looks pissed, good. The stupid bitch.
“Is this true?” He asks in such a menacing tone that Selena flinches.
“Yes, it is true. I’m sorry I lied, I didn’t want you to hate me.” Ugh please, damn that girl is pathetic.
He stares at her for a few seconds. I should have seen it coming but I didn’t, I watch in shock as he brings his arm back and back hands her viciously across her face. She cries out in pain. He grabs her hair and pulls her roughly to him.
“You’re disgusting, I didn’t have sex with you, no matter how hard you tried. You make me feel sick. Your desperation is off putting.” I see the colour drain from her face as she realizes she’s been used, but I don’t give a fuck.
“Please Mullah, I’m sorry I lied.” Selena says panicking
“SILENCE.” Mullah shouts, causing her to shut up. He pulls out a gun and with absolutely no hesitation, he shoots her. I watch as Selena falls to the ground causing my heart to ache as I remember him doing the same thing to Smithy.
“I’ll leave you to talk to your friend; I know you have a lot to talk about.” With that the fucking bastard leaves me in the room with Caleb and Selena.
Selena moves, and groans in pain I look and see that she has been shot in her stomach. Caleb doesn’t even care he’s staring at me. “Shut the fuck up or I’ll shoot you myself,” Caleb says causing Selena to whimper but she does shut up. “I never intended for you to be hurt Soph. What happened in Afghanistan, I didn’t know that was going to happen?” I don’t care what he’s saying it means fuck all to me now. I don’t answer him.
“Look, I was born into this life; it’s what I was meant to do. My parents sent me to America when I was 10. They wanted me to have a proper life, well that is what they said. I found out after, that it was so I could join the military and infiltrate it.” I’m so fucking disgusted right now.
“You’re despicable, how fucking dare you. What gives you the right to come to this country and sell it out? Huh? What gives you the right to betray the country that educated you? That gave you the food to survive? You think you were being noble going back to your roots?”
He looks shocked, did he think I would accept his half assed explanation and act as though he didn’t stab me in my back and deliberately put my life and the life of my unborn child in danger?
“Soph, please don’t be like that. What would you have done if they were your biological parents? Would you have turned your back on them?” I laugh.
“Fuck, of course I would. You were here for 9-11, you saw what that did to everyone, and you saw the devastation that it brought, not only here but across the world. How can you stand there and act like you betraying the country that you have lived in for almost 18 years means nothing? That you don’t care?”
“You fucking bitch. You think you’re better than me, you wouldn’t know what it’s like not growing up with your parents. I have made them proud. I don’t regret what I have done. It gave me my family.” I laugh at his pure naivety.
“Your parents don’t give a fuck about you. I know because the thought of sending my baby away fucking hurts, I could never send my baby away to fucking betray any country. As for not growing up with my biological parents, I know damn fucking well what you’re talking about, I’m adopted. I love my adopted family; they mean the absolute world to me. This proves you’re a cold heartless bastard. And yes I am better than you, I would never do what you have done, I would never betray my country and I would never betray my teammates.”
“I don’t know what you expect from me Sophia. My parents sent me here to do a job. I lived in Helena, Montana, I was happy, then when I was fifteen, I found out the truth, I found out I was destined for great things. I could help out the country I was born to, by destroying the country that kept me away from Afghanistan.” Damn this fucker is mental.
“You’re deluded. You’re completely fucked in the head. Get this in to your head. Nobody in Afghanistan wanted you, that was a lie. How the fuck did you manage to get into the military?” I’m so pissed. How can someone betray our country?
“My adopted father was friends with the recruiter.” Ah of course that fucking explains it. Bastard.
The door opens and Mullah walks in, looking fucking happy about something.
“She is telling you the truth, she is adopted, and your parents did not care about you. They sent you to America, because they did not want you any longer. We agreed to it as long as you infiltrated the military, which you did, but you should know, your parents are going to die, just as you are.”
The fucker looks confused; he doesn’t understand why he’s dying. I don’t either but with him being so tight with the fucking Taliban I thought he understood their customs and culture, he has obviously pissed them off.
“What have I done? Why are you going to kill me? My parents?” He sounds like a moron right now.
“You’re all dying because we do not trust any of you. You have all played your parts and you have played them extremely well, but how do I know you won’t sell us out next? As for your parents, well they are liabilities. They should have been killed long ago, but we held off since some thought you wouldn’t do it if they were dead.” Damn that was cold.
“You fucking prick, I gave up everything for this. You complete fucking prick. I hate you.” Mullah pulls out his gun and fires. I see Caleb’s eyes widen and he falls to the ground, a bullet hole between his eyes. It was a great shot, but fuck, why do they all have to have their fucking eyes open?
“Now that is sorted, let’s get down to business. Ms Dallas, I’ve been watching you for some time, you’re a fighter. I came here to kill you, then I watched you. You’re a truly amazing soldier. Then you got pregnant. I couldn’t bring you with me as my soldier, so now you die.” I swear to fuck, he’s insane. Did he really think I would let him bring me with him to be his fucking soldier? Damn he’s crazy.
“That was never going to happen, I would never be your solider. You’re out of your god damn fucking mind.” He walks over to me and slaps me across my face. My lip splits and I can taste the blood, I spit it out and it lands on his boot, I smirk at him. He pulls his arm back and punches me in the face. With that he leaves the room.
It’s been at least an hour maybe more since Mullah left, I’ve been trying to get out of the bindings around my wrists, and they are fucking sore. I hear moaning and look to the floor, Selena is moving around. Hopefully she can help.
“Selena, can you hear me?” She moans.
“Yes.” It’s a weak response but hey, she’s alive.
“You need to come over here and untie me, if you don’t we’re going to die in here.” She moans again. But she starts pulling herself along the floor towards me. “You’re nearly there, come on Selena, you’ve got this.”
She finally makes it to me and sits up as best she can, I feel her at the bindings. “I can’t my hands are full of blood; they keep slipping of the bindings. How do I get you out?” Damn it.
“Your teeth, you have to use your t
eeth to get me out.” So she does. It takes at least 15 minutes but she manages to get my hands untied. I reach down and untie my feet. I run and pick up the crow bar and tire iron. I walk back to Selena, and she looks bad.
“Selena, I can’t see, where are you shot?” She moves and I see that if she doesn’t get medical attention soon she’s going to bleed out. I look around the room seeing if I can find anything to try stop the bleeding. I see Caleb, and beg for forgiveness. I walk over to him I take his t-shirt off him, ball it up and place it on the wound.
“Selena, you need to stay alert, press this to your wound. As soon as he comes in I’m going to hit him with this. Then we’re going to leave. Do you understand?” She nods but doesn’t say anything.
“Selena who else is here?” She’s quiet “Selena?”
“No one. Only me and Caleb knew where he was.” Good. I walk back to the chair waiting for him to come back.
Another hour passes before he comes in again. I have the tire iron in my hand. My arms are still behind my back; I didn’t want him to know anything was different. He walks into the room, he does a quick scan, his eyes narrowing in on the shirtless Caleb laying on the floor. His eyes then fly towards Selena; they narrow dangerously at the sight of the shirt. He walks closer to me; I’m waiting for the right moment. I only have one chance. I need to do this right if I’m to survive.
I don’t give him a chance to say anything as he is only a few steps away from me. I stand and swing hitting him in his face, it knocks him to the floor and I bring it down once more. I don’t think he’s getting back up, at least not at the moment. I rush to Selena, I bend down and grab her arm and throw it around my shoulder, pulling her up off the ground. “Selena, keep the shirt pressed against your stomach.” She nods and we start walking out of the room. It takes us a long time, with me being 6 months pregnant and her putting all her weight on me.
We make it outside, and around the corner, when suddenly I feel pain in my stomach; it’s so intense I can’t stay standing. I fall to my knees bringing Selena down with me. She cries out, but the pain I’m feeling is so intense I pass out.
Chapter Thirty-One
Nathan
He has her in Harlem, damn it, the fucking tip from my old FBI partner Simon was right, Dwayne and Oscar told us it was unconfirmed back at the warehouse. We were distracted when it came in because we were looking into everyone’s background’s. If only we had checked it out. She wouldn’t be there now. I can’t help but imagine the worst.
We had been gone with the Commander for 4 hours we don’t know how long after Hailey left he took her. We saw that she was investigating him, it was on the laptop left on the floor during what we think was the struggle.
We’re all in the car, but it’s lunch time traffic in New York. I’m going fucking crazy, I look and see Scott sitting stoic, his features just filled with pain. I’d hate to see what I look like. A hand lands on my shoulder and I turn and see Connor, he looks fucking wrecked.
“She’s fucking amazing bro; you have a good one. She’s going to be okay. She didn’t let this bastard beat her before and she has so much more to fight for this time. So buck up and breathe, we will get there and you can be her knight in shining armour, chicks dig that shit.” Scott laughs at Connor’s statement.
“He’s right, my sister is the strongest, most determined person ever, and she loves romance novels, she would love you to be her knight in shining armour.” We all chuckle.
The traffic starts flowing and we’re in Harlem in no time. Just as we come to a halt at the curb, the door flies open and the sight of Sophia covered in blood floors me completely. She makes it around the corner and I’m out of the car chasing her. I hear the team say they’re going inside, and Asher says he’s going with them. Just as Me, Connor and Scott round the corner I see her fall to her knees crying in pain, then nothing, she’s deadly still. I run and drop down beside her. I don’t know how long I sit here just holding onto her.
“Move Nathan, let them get to her.” I hear Connor talking to me, but what he’s saying isn’t registering with me. I’m pulled up and I see Scott holding me.
“Fucking get with it; she’s going to need you. The paramedics are bringing her to Metro. Let’s go.” I see them putting her on the board and rushing her to the ambulance. Scott drags me to the car.
We rush to Metro, and make it just behind the Ambulance. Scott called his dad and Luke on the way and they both are going to meet us here.
“What the fuck happened?” Scott asks Ryder and I’m thankful he asked as I can’t speak my heart is in my throat. I’m in some sort of a trance.
“We found Caleb shot dead, he took one between the eyes. Selena was outside with Sophia, she took one to the stomach and was bleeding profusely. Mullah Al Mohammed was lying on the floor, his head bleeding, but still alive, although barely. We spoke briefly with Selena, she says Sophia hit him with a tire iron twice and they fled.” Damn my girl is fucking fearless, she is amazing. I need to know what is going on. Steven and Luke enter into the waiting room and they get filled in. Steven walks over to the nurse’s desk trying to get information; he has come straight from work and flashes his badge, which seems to get him some answers. The nurse picks up the phone and talks to whoever is on the other end and then hangs up, she says something to Steven and he walks over to us.
“The nurse has rung the doctor, she’s out of surgery, and they are making sure she is okay. The doctor will be down to explain in a few minutes. I’m finally able to breathe, she’s out of surgery that is good, I excuse myself and make a phone call. I call someone I know she’s dying to see.
“Hello?” Comes the confused voice.
“Hey, it’s Nathan. Soph is in the hospital, she’s out of surgery and we’re waiting on the doctor to come and give us news, as soon as he does I’ll ring you and let you know.”
“Thank you Nathan, I hope to talk to you soon.” I hang up and walk back over to the group.
“What’s the best memory you have of her?” Skye asks Scott in such a sad voice. She’s scared; she gets on so well with Soph.
He laughs “she was about 9, we were at the beach, and she hadn’t ever seen the beach before. Anyway she was building sandcastles the whole day. She told us she wanted to make a big one, so mom and dad helped, it was massive. Anyway they made this moat around the castle, and it went the whole way around it. The thing was they made the moat really big as well, so Luke ran away and came back with a crab and placed it in the moat. Only me and mom saw him do it, so he put this crab at the back of the castle in the moat. So anyway they were finishing up the castle when she walks up around the castle and spots the crab.” He starts laughing now.
“What did she do? Did she scream?” Connor asks.
“Nope, she looks down at it and asks “Daddy, did you see the crab? Can I bring him home?” dad looks down and laughs, he tells her that the crab has to stay with his family. She starts looking for his family and doesn’t find it. She starts crying, so mom asks why is she crying and she said because the crab doesn’t have a family. That’s when Luke says he got it from the sea.” He’s laughing so hard now he can’t continue with the story. It takes him a few minutes then he continues.
“She picks up the crab and walks over behind Luke who is sitting down. Luke hasn’t seen her come up behind him, and she places the crab on his head. Well, Luke goes crazy trying to get it off him, and throws the crab on the floor, and the crab scuttles away.” We’re all laughing now, it’s lightened some of the tension.
“Oh that’s not even the best part. Soph sees the crab fleeing, she goes up to Luke and starts screaming at him, telling him, how much of a horrible brother he was and she hates him. Luke stood up and told her to shut up. What does my sweet little sister do? Yep, she rears her fist back and punches him and broke his nose.” We are all gasping for air because we’re laughing so hard.
“Damn, has she always been a sassy little thing?” Sam asks.
“Oh yeah, ever sin
ce the day I met her, she was hiding behind mom’s legs, she was always sassy, she knew what she wanted.” I’m glad she had such an amazing family.
We’re quiet for a few moments, I’m thinking about Soph and how we will bring our baby to the beach, when I see a doctor coming over to us.
“Sophia Dallas?” we all stand.
“I’m Dr, Simmons. Sophia was brought in complaining of severe abdominal pain, there was also a slight bleed. We instantly checked on both her and the baby and we found out that Sophia has a slight placental abruption. This is where the placenta has started to come away from the womb. In Sophia’s case it isn’t as severe as others but it still needs to be monitored. She has already stopped bleeding but we are going to keep her overnight at the very least to observe and make sure it stays that way. She has a broken nose that we have had to set. You will be able to see her shortly. Any questions?”
“Yes, is the baby okay?” I ask and he nods
“Yes the baby is fine. As long as Sophia isn’t bleeding or in pain and takes it easy, the baby should be fine.” I nod and he walks away.
“Told you man, that lady is invincible, she is amazing. Her and your baby are okay.” Connor says with a slap to the back and a laugh. I’m finally able to breathe freely, I was fucking scared. They are my fucking world.
I step out and make a call.
“Hello, how is she?” I can hear the fear in their voice.
“She’s okay, they both are, and Sophia had a slight placental abruption. They are keeping her overnight at the very least, they want to make sure she will be fine to go home.”
“Thank you for calling me. I’m in a taxi on the way to the airport, I’ll be in New York in 11 hours.” I’m glad.
“Do you want me to collect you?”
“No but you can send someone? You stay with Soph, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow Nathan My flight lands at 12:30, okay?” I’m nodding.
“Yeah Winter, I’ll have someone collect you and I’ll see you tonight. Or tomorrow.”
Deadly Hunt (Deadly #1) Page 25