by Sheila Kell
“And Em?” She’d been through enough.
“I doubt they’ll keep her in the dark on this one.”
Shit. She didn’t need to see their daughter in this situation. She definitely didn’t need to lose Amber like this. He’d make sure she wouldn’t lose her.
Jake stopped. Power snaked through his veins from his head to his toes, giving him a feeling of control once again, the knowledge that he no longer feared losing this battle. He turned toward the pool with no particular plan in mind. All he knew was that he would be there to help Les save Amber’s life at all costs.
Even though he knew what to expect, turning the corner of the house, he saw something that would be ingrained in his memory for years to come.
Amber, holding her stuffed frog, crying and calling out to Les, who stood a few feet away, and attempted to pull free.
What would happen if she got loose? Would the woman blow them up without knowing he watched?
“Jake, give us a minute. Stay put.” The voice in his ear angered him. Stay put? His daughter was being held by a madwoman intent on killing her, and they wanted him to stay put?
“Once Trent is in place, then you can talk to her.” He sighed. He’d missed what place Trent needed to be in, but he understood that he didn’t have to remain hidden for long. He would save his daughter. The HIS family would help him save his daughter.
Trent stepped into full view and called to Amber, “Hey, munchkin, be still and hold the nice lady’s hand for me. Afterward, we’ll have some cookies and ice cream. Can you do that for your mommy and me?”
The little girl stilled, her crying stopped, but tears still streamed down her face. She sniffed. “Pwomise?”
Trent leaned down, set his weapon on the ground and then took two steps forward. In his ear, Jake heard a man talking to Trent about the best spot to be close to Amber and the bomber to help calm his daughter and hopefully save her. “I promise. And you can have the big bowl if you want.”
The woman held up the hand not holding Amber’s, displaying a device Jake assumed was the dead man’s switch Danny had warned him about. “Stop where you are or I’ll let go of this button.”
Trent stopped and raised his arms in surrender. “I’m just trying to help calm the child for you. To make it easier while you wait for Jake. If you let me closer,” he said and then gestured with his head to where Les stood, “by him, I can help you keep her calm.”
Maybe the woman noticed how compliant the child had become—Jake didn’t know the reason—but she allowed Trent to join Les. Walking slowly with his hands in front of his shoulders, he stopped with his back to the pool. “Since I’m just arriving, why don’t you tell me what’s going on? And, would you say it where it won’t undo what I just did.” Amber might try to run to him, and they couldn’t have that. Not right now.
The woman looked down at the child and then up at him. She narrowed her eyes. “I’m Zainah Jalal.”
Jake thought the name sounded familiar, but couldn’t be sure. He hadn’t met everyone at the compound.
“Abdullah Alim Shah lied to us. He was really this Jake Cavanaugh. This FBI agent who had Mohammed bin Shakaran arrested, and we couldn’t complete our mission. America deserves to be cleansed.”
Fuck. Someone in the FBI had given him away. Bryant? Probably. That bastard. He’d have to have a chat with Arthur about this as soon as he saved Amber’s life.
Trent looked down at Amber’s wide eyes and trembling body. “It’s okay, munchkin.” He turned his gaze back to the bitch and didn’t seem to care if his hatred bled through his stare. “That’s enough. You’re scaring her.”
Jake noticed the little girl squirming. He knew that movement. Shit. Not now.
“Gotta potty.”
“I need you to hold it until your daddy gets here. Can you do that? It won’t be long.”
He hoped she could do that. She was only three fucking years old. Did they have that much control? Please don’t let her make a fuss.
Amber nodded. “I twy.”
“I can get a shot of her hand, but I can’t guarantee the bomb won’t go off so we’re better off waiting to see if our bomb expert can give us any insight.” Trent heard one of the team sharpshooters, Neftali, state in his earpiece.
“Rob should be here in three minutes,” Danny responded.
That meant the group from the game was close. Shit. He wanted his brothers to help, needed them, but damn, he wished they didn’t have Em with them. He had to try before she arrived. If he failed, she couldn’t witness it. No! He would not fail.
Jake leaned his forehead against the cool barrel of his weapon in his hand and said a silent prayer. He had to find a way out of this. These men were the best there was and with them, this had to be possible. He lifted his head and looked at Danny.
Danny frowned but nodded.
Stepping from his hiding place, his pulse racing, Jake moved forward and spoke aloud, “I’m Jake Cavanaugh.”
Twenty-Five
EMILY SPRINTED INTO the backyard behind her brothers with her heart pounding against her ribcage, threatening to escape her chest. Her daughter was in danger once again. The men had been vague, but she knew it was bad, or they wouldn’t have been so tight-lipped about the situation. The worst-case scenarios ran through her mind. The danger to her from Em’s job had been resolved so it couldn’t be that. She’d overheard part of a conversation, and she’d discerned Jake wanted them to keep her away. Like that’d happen if her daughter was in trouble. She’d walk if she had to get there.
Since they’d run the way they had around the house, her first thought was that her daughter might’ve drowned in the pool. AJ’s arms reached out to stop her forward momentum, almost knocking her on her ass she stopped so fast. Her gaze snapped to his face. How dare he stop her when she needed to get to Amber? Her pulse jumped up a notch at the angry look on his face. She followed his gaze and reached up and covered her mouth with shaky hands. Oh God. Fear sliced through her, leaving behind a stomach ready to heave, limbs that weighed a ton and a pounding of her heart that surely could break through her chest.
A woman with a bomb vest held her daughter’s hand with Trent and Les about six feet from her, and Jake stood about forty feet from it all. None could save her daughter.
Swallowing past the large lump in her dry throat, she managed to speak, “Who is that?”
Her brother closed his eyes for a second and sighed before he refocused his gaze on the scene before them. “She’s someone from Jake’s past. From when he was undercover.” He reached down, grasped her hand, gave it a gentle squeeze and released it.
“Is that a bomb?” She prayed for a different answer than what her eyes told her.
“I’m afraid it is.”
Her knees buckled, and AJ wrapped his arm around her, catching her before she dropped to the ground. Her baby. No. No. No. “You have to do something, AJ,” she begged in a weak voice.
“Em, we’re working on this. We’ll figure it out. Trust us.”
Starlights swam before her eyes. The desire to slip into oblivion, to pretend this was a bad dream was overpowering. But she knew it wasn’t a dream. It was fucking real, and that bitch had her daughter. Something snapped in her and anger rolled back and forth through her veins heating her blood, bringing it to a near boil.
“No, let Jake keep trying to talk her down.”
She knew AJ spoke to the team, but it almost sounded like he was directing her. She wished she knew all that was being said between the men. Or maybe she didn’t. There were things that might break her new resolve to believe this would end happily. Her brothers would save her daughter. Her little Amber.
“What’s the plan?” she asked.
Putting his finger to his lips to silence her made her want to slap his face. He’d just spoken. Her brothers always had special rules that applied to only
them. Then she understood why he’d done it.
“Zainah, you don’t have to do this. You can take me instead,” Jake said.
Emily gasped, and that newly found resolve took a hit. The thud of her heart sounded loudly in her ears. She didn’t want to lose either of them. She needed both Jake and Amber in her life. It wouldn’t be complete without them.
“Leave the little girl to her mother. That woman has nothing to do with this.”
“But she does,” the woman hissed. “She must mean something to you to have a daughter. She should suffer also.”
“She was nothing more than a one-night stand. She means nothing to me.”
Even though Emily knew it wasn’t true, it ripped at her heart to hear the words she’d feared all of those years. And it’d been her fault she’d been the one-night stand. The one with consequences.
AJ leaned to her ear. “You know he doesn’t mean it.”
She sniffed. Christ, had she started crying? “I know.”
“I want her here as well. I want you to see the pain on her face too,” the crazy woman told Jake.
The arm that had stopped her from rushing forward before was back.
“Let me go.” She pushed against AJ’s blockage.
“No.” AJ shook his head.
“She’s not here,” Jake said.
High-pitched laughter pierced the humid afternoon air. “I know better than that. In fact, I believe I spy a blonde head among all of the dark heads watching us.”
Jake jerked his head around, and when he saw Emily, an acute pain swamped his eyes. He closed them for a moment and then turned back to the bomber. “No. This is between you and me. Now, trade me and my daughter.”
“Mommy,” Amber cried out and reached toward her with her free hand. “Mommy.”
That was enough. She was going to get her daughter.
“Try to calm down, Em.”
“Calm down! Calm down! My daughter is holding hands with a terrorist with a bomb strapped to her, and you tell me to calm down. Fuck you, AJ. I’m going to get her.” She shoved past her brother and ran out only to be halted by Jake.
“Stop or she’ll blow it up. I know she’s not faking.”
“Munchkin, munchkin, I need you to look at me.” Trent tried to gain Amber’s attention, keeping her from attempting to rush to Emily. “I need you to stay with us for just a bit longer before we go to your mommy and daddy, okay?”
Her daughter stared at her uncle with fearful, confused eyes. She tried to jerk her hand free from the bomber, but the woman held on tightly.
Emily’s heart broke. “Amber, just stay with the lady for a minute while Daddy and I talk. We’ll be there shortly to get you. Talk to your Uncle Trent and Uncle Les, okay?”
Amber turned to her mother, tears leaving streaks down her red, puffy face. “Okay. Hurry, I gotta potty.”
“We will.” Her gaze not leaving her daughter, she spoke to Jake, “Why don’t they just shoot her and get this over with?”
“They can’t. She could still blow up.”
“Oh God. Now that she’s got both of us here, she’s going to—” She couldn’t finish the thought as a sob fought its way to the surface. “Tell me you’ve thought of something, Jake. Tell me you’ve thought of something to save our daughter.”
When he didn’t answer, she looked up at him and noticed his gaze flicked to Les and Trent. Maybe they did have a plan after all. Her heart lifted. Yes. She knew she could count on them to save her baby. Then she saw him visibly swallow hard, and a sense of fear made the hairs on her arms prickle.
By the pool, Trent and Les no longer watched the bomber. Hell, every other eye was on her. They seemed to be in a non-verbal conference where their expressions held a great deal of resolve. They looked from Amber to the bomber, and then Emily understood. Her hand flew to her mouth. Oh God! “No. There has to be another way,” she whispered in a wavering voice.
Jake reached out and squeezed her hand. “There’s not. Rob says it all looks legit.”
“No, Jake. Find another way. This can’t be the only way. Shoot her.”
“Em. Do you see her other hand? Can you guess what happens if her hand comes off that switch while our daughter is there? No. We can’t shoot her unless Amber is free of her.”
She wavered on her feet. Options. There had to be options they weren’t considering. Think.
“Zainah, I’m asking you again. Please take me instead of the child.”
Emily couldn’t believe how her world was crashing down around her. With a sinking stomach, she looked at Trent and Les again. It was her daughter, but she couldn’t allow someone else to possibly sacrifice his life for Amber’s. She knew Jake was right; they were pretty much out of options and time had run out. The woman had them both, which was what she wanted. But, what if they didn’t survive? They had to keep thinking. Only time had run out.
Jake pulled an earpiece from his ear and handed it to her. “Les wants to speak with you.”
She sobbed and her hands shook uncontrollably. She couldn’t grab a hold of what he was attempting to discreetly hand her.
“Here. I’ll hold it near your ear.”
Emily sniffed and shook her head. She didn’t want him to take it away before she heard everything. Reaching out, she managed to calm her hands enough to grasp it and then place it in her ear. In a very low voice, she heard Les speak, almost as if mumbling to himself. And, he was since he was so close to the woman. Only the bomber’s focus was on Jake. “It’s the only way. You know that, Em. This is what we do. We all know the risks. Any of us would take them, especially for our family, and she is our niece. Blood or not.”
Jake touched her arm. “Em, you have to hold it together. You’re scaring Amber, and she’s trying to come to you.”
She took a deep breath and held it at his words, hoping to stifle her sobbing. She couldn’t help it. She loved Les. Like he said, he was family. Wiping the tears under her eyes, she continued to moderate her breathing. Looking at her daughter, she brought a smile to her face. “I’m okay. Just one more minute, and I’ll be over to get you.”
“Mommy, I caired. Want you and Daddy.”
Of course she was scared. She was three years old and a strange woman wouldn’t release her. “Just one minute, Amber.”
Jesse gave some direction to the men in the earpiece, and it made it so final that it was difficult for Emily to fight the clawing dread of what was to come. They talked of potential death as if it was normal operating procedure. The task delivered calmly. She was freaking out inside, and they acted as if it were another day at the office. Even Les appeared fine with his decision to possibly die in a few moments. If he couldn’t grab her hand fast enough….
Everyone seemed to understand what was happening except the bomber. She remained focused on Jake and her need to make him pay. She spewed consistent nonsense at him. The hatred in the woman’s eyes made Emily want to rush forward and scratch them out with her bare hands.
The earpiece needed to be returned to Jake so he could be prepared with proper timing. She couldn’t release it before she whispered, “I love you, Les. God bless you.”
He gave her a barely noticeable nod, and then murmured, “Gulf Bravo.” The phonetic for good-bye. She bit her lip to control it. If he died, she’d hold on to this guilt forever, knowing she’d allowed this man to sacrifice himself for the life of her daughter. She prayed the bomb was a dud, and they would all be safe.
All she knew was that she would know right away if this worked and her daughter survived. Goose bumps coursed over her skin at the thought of the word if. It was one hell of a risk, but she understood it was the best chance they had. If they didn’t at least attempt something, the psycho woman could blow Amber up without thought. They’d lose her for sure.
The earpiece exchanged, Emily waited on pins and needles for ev
erything to happen. Trent and Les took simultaneous deep breaths, and she knew it was time.
The next few moments, second, minutes, hours, she didn’t know, but they seemed to move in slow motion, constricting her heart and making it difficult to breathe. Before Jake threw himself over her, she caught Les reach for the surprised woman’s hand, and Trent yank Amber from her and spin, wrapping one arm around her little body and one around her head. Then she saw nothing but the green grass where Jake had pushed her down.
An explosion. A splash. And then a moment of quiet. But only a moment. Men were yelling, and Jake was off her and gone. She jumped to her feet, frantic to check for her daughter, a bit fearful of what she’d find but determined to search. To find her.
Through the ringing in her ears, Amber’s sputtering, squalling voice came through loud and clear. Rushing to the pool, she was halted midway by Jake, who placed a soaked Amber in her arms. He hugged them tight, and then kissed them both on the cheek. “Get her to the house.” He jogged away.
Finally, she held her daughter, whole but scared and crying for her mother. The child wrapped her arms around her, choking her a bit, but she wouldn’t complain. It meant Amber was alive.
Emily glanced across the pool, bile formed in the back of her throat when Jesse covered Les’s face with a shirt, and she quickly pivoted so her daughter’s face was averted. A tear slid down her cheek. She’d always grieve for him. Of the men on the team, he was one of the closest to the family. He’d be missed for a long time to come. Missed as a family member. She’d known the level of love these men had for her and the family, but this went beyond anything she’d ever expected.
Red in the pool caught her eyes. A great deal of it. She ran her free hand over her daughter, double-checking for any injuries. Nothing.
Trent. No. No. No.
Some of the men gathered in a circle around what she could only assume was Trent lying on the ground. With them kneeling down, she couldn’t get a peek at his condition, and she couldn’t bring Amber over to ask. In fact, it was almost as if they were blocking her view on purpose.