by KaLyn Cooper
“Is Rafe your boyfriend?” Mary asked innocently.
Melina sighed. “No. He’s someone I used to work with.”
Mary’s eyes widened. “But Valez—”
“It’s complicated,” Melina admitted to herself as much as to Mary. How much to tell her? Melina searched her soul and decided the other woman deserved to know the truth. Mary was suffering because of Melina’s mistakes. “Valez hasn’t been in our social circle very long, but he’s been around enough to see me use Rafe to make another man jealous.”
Mary’s jaw dropped. “Does Rafe know you were using him? Will he still come for us, or at least send someone to save us?” Panic was creeping into the younger woman’s voice.
Melina needed to reassure her. “Definitely. I’m sure Rafe immediately notified the authorities.” She smiled and cracked her lip open again. “He’s really a good guy. He has a white knight attitude. Although he knew our relationship was nothing more than friends with benefits, he had no idea about Jacin.”
This seemed to mollify Mary. “Jacin is the man you wanted to make jealous?”
“Yes.” A picture of Jacin, laying ever so still in that hospital bed day after day while she sat vigil, filled Melina’s thoughts. She couldn’t leave his side until she knew he was alive. The thought he would leave this world without ever knowing the truth… she loved him…kept her planted next to him until he finally woke. Once he opened his eyes, she knew they still had time. In a catch-22, the minute he was cognizant once again, she had to leave him and return to the working world of an undercover CIA agent. She hated that their last words were in anger, but at the time, it seemed the best way to slice their remaining ties. She was strong, and her heart would eventually heal, even though the scar would be deep and wide.
“Did it work?” Mary’s question brought Melina out of the bleak reality of her future.
“What?” Melina had lost her place in the conversation.
“Did Jacin get jealous of you and Rafe?”
“Oh, yes.” Melina licked the blood that escaped her split lip. “All too well. That’s how we ended up in Texas.” Mary didn’t need to know that Jacin had come to Melina’s and they had had the biggest knockdown drag out fight of her life, emotionally raking her over the heated coals of their relationship. The makeup sex had been off the charts. To say it was the best she’d ever had in her life would be an understatement. He’d made her come three times before he finally slid into her and she came again. He’d been gone by daybreak. When he hadn’t reported in at the designated time later that week, nor had he appeared at the backup location, Melina knew something had gone wrong.
Unfortunately, she was right. He’d been followed to her house, then captured and tortured for nearly a week before she could get to him. To save him. With both their covers blown, he and Melina had left Colombia on the next U.S. diplomatic flight.
Needing to change the subject Melina asked, “Do you have a boyfriend?”
There was a short, but telling, pause before she answered. “No.”
“Is there a chance someone would have reported you missing?” Melina’s question made Mary’s eyes meet hers.
“I don’t think so, but maybe.” She went on to explain, “My friend, Rayne, knew I had a doctor’s appointment today, I mean yesterday, and she’s probably blowing up my cell phone waiting to hear what I found out.”
“Good, then there’s a chance she’s reported you missing.” Melina hoped that would get the local police involved in their disappearance.
“I don’t think she’d go that far, not yet.” Mary shook her head. “She’d probably go to my apartment and try to hunt me down sometime today. Maybe, since she won’t be able to find me, she might go to the police. She’d probably talk to Ghost about it first. He’s her…boyfriend. But I think it’s more than that since they’re living together.”
“Ghost?”
“That’s his handle.” Mary hesitated before she added, “His real name is Keane Bryson. He’s in the Army. But he and his team are on a mission, and I have no idea when they’ll get back.” Her whole face lit up as though she just remembered something. “If Truck were in town, he’d have the whole team looking for me.”
“Is Truck a special friend?” Melina encouraged.
“Yes. No.” Mary’s confused facial expression wanted to make Melina laugh. She’d been there and completely understood.
“I’m not even sure were friends,” Mary continued. “We’ve never…dated. We see each other quite often at parties and when all our mutual friends go out. And when everybody else is all paired up, he and I migrate to each other.” She smiled then. “He wanted to go to the doctor’s appointment with me yesterday. If he’d been there, Scarface and TT never would’ve gotten their hands on us. He and his friends have special training, if you get my drift.”
Melina grinned. “Everyone I work with has special training. So does my brother. He’s stationed here at Fort Hood, but currently on assignment overseas. I was hoping he’d get back before I had to leave.” Melina wasn’t sure why she’d told all that to the virtual stranger, but somehow, it felt right to share with Mary. “When we got kidnapped, I was shopping for him. I want to have his refrigerator and pantry filled with fresh food. I’d planned to cook up several meals for him and freeze them.”
“That’s very sweet of you. I was trying to pick up a few things while I waited for my medicine.” Mary gasped as though she suddenly remembered something. “My medicine. I’m supposed to take it every day.”
Oh shit! “Are you diabetic?” Then Melina considered, “Or are you concerned about birth control pills?”
Mary laughed. “I’d have to be having sex to need birth control pills and that hasn’t happened in a very long time because I’ve been sick for years. I had…and…well…may have it again…oh, hell. It’s cancer. I’ve been in remission, but I might not be that lucky anymore. They wanted me to take these meds every eight hours then run more tests next week.” She barked out a laugh. “If I make it to next week.”
The woman’s body seemed to collapse in on itself as Mary looked away. “If Scarface and TT kill me, it might be a good thing. I’m so tired of fighting this bitch, and she just keeps coming back for more.” She brought her gaze back to Melina. “I’m just not sure I have any more to give.”
“Yes, you do,” Melina insisted. “And we’re going to get out of this, alive and kicking.”
“Even if by some miracle these assholes don’t kill me, the cancer probably will.” Mary’s gaze wandered everywhere around their concrete cage except toward Melina. “You saw what happened in the grocery store. I wasn’t sure I had enough money to pay for my new meds. I have no fucking idea how I’m ever going to pay for more cancer treatments. I can barely afford the co-pays on the drugs.”
“Face one problem at a time.” That’s what Melina had been trained to do. “It feels like they used duct tape to secure our wrists.” She rolled to her toes and began to hop around. “I’m going to try to get close enough to your back so I can untie your hands then you can untie mine.
It took a few minutes before Melina could reach Mary’s hands. She’d observed the end of the tape during her maneuvers and immediately started ripping it off once she was in position.
The door opened and Scarface and TT entered.
“Stop.” Jacin called from the back seat of the rental SUV a mile from the hospital. “Can you pull into the PX? I want my own clothes.”
Rafe wheeled into the parking lot of the military-run department store. “Harper, you’re the only one with a valid military ID.”
She smiled at Rafe. “Come on, you two. I’m sure I can talk our way past anyone who dares to stop us.”
She was right. Fifteen minutes later, Jacin had a bag full of clothes, a small suitcase, a pair of military boots, and a pair of running shoes. He changed in the back seat while Rafe drove the few short miles to a two-story, yellow brick building that looked like all the others on the base. Before he jumped o
ut of the vehicle, Jacin popped four Motrin into his mouth and swallowed them dry. He stuffed the bottle into a side pocket of the green cargo pants Harper had paid for since he had no money until Langley could issue him new identification. With great confidence that she could make that happen soon, Harper had bought him a new wallet, too.
“I’ll be right there.” Harper pointed toward the ladies’ room.
Rafe stopped a few feet down an adjacent hall. “I want you to know, I never would’ve touched Melina if I’d known she was married. I had no idea she was your wife.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Jacin was in shock. Melina was married? To who? He wasn’t sure who he’d kill first, her or her husband. Then it hit him. Rafe thought he and Melina were married. “I’m not married. And if she is, that’s news to me.” More lies. Anymore, when it came to Melina, he wasn’t sure what was real and what was her planned deception.
As they entered what could only be described as a war room, heads turned as he and Rafe strode toward a tall Latino.
“Alex, this is Jacin Torres.” Rafe slid him a glance. “Up until thirty seconds ago, I would’ve told you this is Melina’s husband. I’ve just been informed they’re not married.”
“Not yet, but I’m working on it.” Jacin’s comments seem to ease the tension of both men beside him. “I need to be in on her rescue.” To emphasize his point, he took half a step closer to Alex. “She’s the most important thing in my world.”
The corners of Alex’s lips quirked up. “I understand better than you will ever know.” He held out his hand. “Welcome to the team.”
Jacin let out a long breath as he shook Alex’s hand. “I’ve seen the video. What’s been done to find her?”
“Don’t you mean find them?” A huge man joined their threesome. “Ford Laughlin. Call me Truck. I’m the Delta rep on this team. The other woman in that video is Mary Weston, and she’s very important to me.”
As they shook hands, Jacin said, “We need to go get our women. The sooner the better.” To clarify his position in the special operations community he added, “I’m glad a brother will have my back. I don’t wear a trident anymore, but I can assure you my skills have sharpened over the past several years in Columbia.”
“Good to know,” Alex stated. “I understand you and a few cartel lieutenants had a disagreement about a week and a half ago. Bruises look like their healing. How do you feel? Don’t you fucking dare lie to me.”
“It’s been a full two weeks, and I’m good to go.” Half of what Jacin said was true and he’d do whatever needed done to get Melina back in his arms.
“I need you to have a clear head.” Alex went on to clarify, “I let you on this team because I didn’t need another unknown element, especially a rogue former SEALwith an agenda. This is my team. You’ll do exactly as I say, when I say, or you’ll find yourself in the brig if I don’t get pissed off and shoot your sorry ass first. Is that perfectly clear?”
“Crystal.” Although it had been years since Jacin had been ordered around like that, he immediately trusted Alex and his team could rescue Melina, and the other woman.
“Seats,” Alex bellowed to the room.
Everyone migrated toward a large boardroom table, so Jacin followed suit and snagged the chair next to Rafe. An Army colonel stopped to talk to Alex for a moment. When they both looked his way, Jacin wanted to shift in his seat but held still. Such a high ranking officer would surely have the ability to throw him off Alex’s team.
He certainly didn’t look his best, and probably didn’t instill confidence, but he hoped his shock didn’t show on his slightly swollen face when the colonel walked directly to him and thrust out his hand. “Welcome to the team, Mr. Torres.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Let’s get this meeting started,” the colonel called as he moved toward the head of the table. Screens came to life behind him and seemed to fill the wall.
When the black oblong shape edged with gold braid and a gold spear tip in the middle surrounded by the words United States Special Operations Command came up, Jacin knew Melina’s kidnapping was being taken extremely seriously.
Deputy Director Gillpatrick’s face appeared in a box on the upper left. “Jacin, believe it or not, I’m glad to see you here. I would expect no less from one of my best agents.”
Jacin was glad for that approval as well as the vote of confidence in front of this team of some of the most deadly men in the world. “Thank you, sir.” As the words left his mouth again, Jacin wondered if that was the only sentence he was capable of speaking in this room.
The USSOCOM symbol disappeared, and General Lyon took its place. “What do we know?”
“Tex, why don’t you brief the general and everyone else in this room.”
At the colonel’s command, all eyes turned toward a man sitting in the corner surrounded by four computer screens. When he turned in his chair to face the table and screens, his leg prosthesis was evident. “Melina Costaneda’s brother is Army Captain Austin Costaneda, commanding officer of another Delta team who is currently in the air returning from a successful mission in Suriname.”
The general broke in, “This just gets a bigger and bigger.”
Rafe interjected, “I don’t think Pablo Valez has a clue concerning the personal lives of the women he’s kidnapped. I seriously doubt he knows Melina was undercover CIA, say nothing about her direct connection to Delta. Hell, I’ve known the woman for years and never knew she had a brother, say nothing about one in SpecOps.” He looked at Jacin.
“I’ve known about Austin since we went through training together,” Jacin confessed. “She rarely spoke of him to others, but they’re close. I can’t imagine how Valez found out about her brother.”
“I have to agree with Rafe and Jacin.” Deputy Director Gillpatrick leaned toward his camera. “Our Intel indicates her kidnapping was a means for him to get to Rafe.”
“Very well. Carry on, Tex.” The general leaned back in his chair.
“Melina has been staying at her brother’s apartment.” A street map of Killeen appeared on the screen. “Unfortunately, Killeen isn’t big enough for street cameras, but her brother’s car was found at a grocery store a mile from his apartment and 1.2 miles from Mary’s apartment. Here’s the video of the abduction.”
Tex commentated, “You can see Mary having a discussion with one of the baggers who we’ve questioned. It seems she had forgotten some food on the belt and Melina paid for it and sent the young man out to deliver it. Here’s where Melina comes out and starts talking with Mary. Look down at the far end the lot, and you’ll see a brown van that stopped in front of them. Two men grabbed both women. Once the vehicle leaves the lot, we lose it. There’s an APB out on the van, but I’ve already run the plates, which were stolen off a Honda on the other side of town. The van was stolen three days ago from a sales lot.”
“So what does this tell us?” The general looked agitated.
“The kidnappers are pros who most likely hit town four days ago,” Tex explained.
Rafe’s cell phone buzzed. He looked at the screen and stood up. “I apologize for interrupting, but Valez is calling me. He’s coming in on video.”
“Bring it here,” Tex ordered. Rafe handed him the phone. “You stand right here. I don’t want him to see anything in the background.” He handed Rafe the tiniest microphone Jacin had ever seen. “This shouldn’t pick up any background noise but you want to keep the murmur down.” Two new pictures appeared on the conference room screen.
Tex pointed his finger at Rafe. “Vel—”
“I told you mother fucker to be in Texas by—”
“I am in Texas, and I’m the one calling the shots.” Rafe glared into the camera.
Both Deputy Director Gillpatrick and General Lyon grinned.
Valez started to protest, but Rafe talked over the man. “Before I make another move, I want to see proof of life. I want to be able to talk to Melina. I need to see her.”
> Jacin was impressed at how outwardly in control Rafe seemed as he talked to the kidnapper. His own emotions were all over the board, and he could not have handled the situation anywhere near as well as Rafe.
He looked across the table where Harper was making notes. After scribbling on the second page, she held it up and pointed to several others before it was turned toward him. A psych profile. Jacin was again surprised at Harper’s ability to take command of the situation and keep her head in the game. In so many ways she was very much like Melina. Had the roles been reversed, he could see his former handler, and lover, doing the exact same thing.
Valez was frustrated. While still on video chat, he walked through what was obviously an empty house. Since Jacin knew everything was being recorded, he tried to pay attention to the background, looking for clues as to where the women were being kept.
When the camera finally turned toward Melina, Jacin almost lost it. Her beautiful face was turning purple and dark blue from the bruises, her lip was split and blood streaked down her chin. One eye was almost swollen shut, but no one could miss the hatred still there.
Rafe growled and sucked in air through clenched teeth before he swallowed hard. “Hang in there, sweetheart. I’m doing everything I can to get you free.”
“No!” Melina shook her head violently side to side. “Don’t believe him. He’s going to kill you.”
The camera swung back toward Valez, his face filling the screen completely. “Bitch is fucking right. I’m going to kill you.”
“Not if I get to you first,” Rafe threatened.
When the camera swung back toward Melina, the motion almost made Jacin sick to his stomach. He was able to catch a glimpse of the other woman who was duct taped to a chair. In his peripheral vision, he watched Truck stiffen.
Melina straightened her back as though in defiance and looked straight at the phone. Valez’s voice came through loud and clear. “If you want your whore to live, then you’ll do exactly as I tell you.”