by Linzi Baxter
I sent the team a quick note saying I was taking Jessica out of town for the weekend. Then I asked Brent, our pilot, to get the jet ready to head out west.
Once everything was set up for the day, I climbed back in bed.
Jessica woke to the movement. She stretched, causing the sheets to pull down and expose her chest. I pulled her into my body. “I was making plans for the weekend.”
She laid her head on my chest, and I reached up to stroke her hair. “What kind of plans did you make?”
“We’re heading to my mom’s today. The plane leaves at ten.” Before I had time to react, Jessica jumped out of bed.
She started to pace the length of the room. It was incredibly distracting since she was completely naked. “We’re what? You can’t spring that on me like we are going out for dinner!”
“Why not? I want to get out of town, and I want you to meet my mom.” The swaying of Jessica’s breasts as she walked back and forth, naked, was making it hard for me to listen to what she was saying. By her fifth lap of the bedroom, she noticed she was naked and grabbed the sheet from the bed.
“I can’t meet your mom. I haven’t prepared.”
I jumped out of bed and wrapped my arms around her. I kissed along the side of her neck, working my way up to her ear. “What do you have to prepare for?”
“Men!” Jessica threw her arms up in exasperation, and it caused the sheet to fall. I used it to my advantage. I bent down and took one nipple into my mouth. She jumped back. “No, I have to go research, pack, maybe leave the country. I’m not prepared.”
“Just let me take care of you. My mom will love you, so stop stressing. I wasn’t prepared for your dad, but I met him.”
Jessica was grabbing clothes out of the top drawer of the dresser. She turned and pointed at me. “No, you met my dad because he came to interrogate Sam. And we weren’t dating at the time. I would have given you more than a four-hour notice before meeting my dad. I would have given you at least a week. I need to go shower and then grab my laptop.”
“I can come join you in the shower.” I walked toward the master bathroom, but she slammed the door, and I heard the lock click. “Come on, Jessica. It won’t be that bad, and I’m sure we both can use a little stress relief.”
****Jessica****
I couldn’t believe I was on the corporate jet heading to Colorado. I’d never been so nervous to meet someone in my entire life. Doug’s parents had both passed away before we dated. Meeting Brock’s mom was everything.
In the research I did today, I found a case study where sixty percent of women felt that friction with their husband’s mother had caused their relationship long-term stress. I needed extra stress in my life like I needed a hole in my head. I wanted to find the magic talking points to get her to like me.
Once the airline pilot turned off the Fasten Seatbelt sign, Brock removed my laptop from my lap and pulled me onto his.
“Stop worrying. She will love you.” His fingers trailing up and down my spine took some of the worries away.
I went to reach for my laptop, but Brock wrapped his arms around me, making it difficult to move. “Brock, I found a study that said sixty percent of women experienced friction in their relationships with their mothers-in-law, and only fifteen percent of the men believed that their mother had caused it. I need to make sure she likes me.”
Isabella, the flight attendant, walked over with a glass of Moscato for me and a cherry Coke with whiskey for Brock. “Are you guys hungry?” she asked. Her wavy red hair was cut to shoulder length. She had on a navy blue suit with a white blouse. She was exotic looking. I liked that she was always professional and never hit on any of the men.
“No, I’m fine, thanks.” There was no way I could keep any food in my stomach with the stress of meeting Suzy for the first time.
She reached down and patted me on the forearm. “Don’t worry. Suzy will love you. I’ve never met a person she didn’t like.” With that, she turned around and headed back to the kitchen.
Great. I’d probably be the first person Brock’s mom didn’t like.
“Jessica, if you don’t snap out of this, I will take you over my knee and make your ass red. My mother will love you as much as I do.”
At his words, I turned my head to look into his eyes. “You can’t redden my ass before I meet your mother,” I whispered back.
He leaned in and claimed my lips. I was lost in the sensation of his hand running up and down my body. When he pulled away, I was panting and ready for more. “Do you think I would take you to see my mom if I didn’t think she would love you?”
I spent the next two hours sitting on Brock’s lap while he told me stories about times in the bakery with his mom.
Brock’s family home wasn’t far from the airport. When we landed, a black Navigator was waiting for us on the runway, and we headed toward his mom’s house. The fields had a light dusting of fresh snow. The air held a cold, crisp bite. It had been a few years since I had seen snow. After living in Florida for so long, I forgot how cold it could get in other parts of the country.
“It’s beautiful here.”
Brock reached over and grabbed my hand. “I like coming here to visit. I think all my years overseas in the desert made my blood thin, because I could never live here. If we turned right back there, it would take us into town. I’ll take you for a tour of town tomorrow.”
All the nervousness came back in full force when we parked in front of Brock’s childhood home. It was a cute white farmhouse with a porch that wrapped around the front. An older woman was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch. When she saw the car stop, she stood.
Brock’s mom had to be only five feet tall and fit the description of a pastry baker perfectly. I wanted to pick her up and eat her.
She had already walked over to the truck by the time we exited. She wrapped her arms around Brock’s waist and rested her head on his chest. “You need to come visit more often.” She patted his chest a couple times before turning her sights on me. “You come over here and give me a hug.”
I walked over to her, and she engulfed me in a hug. She smelled like chocolate chip cookies. She pulled back from the hug but kept a hand on each of my arms.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. McKenzie.”
“Oh, no you don’t. It’s Mom. She’s pretty, Brock. You did well. Don’t let her get away.”
I was left speechless by her statement. Suzy turned around and headed toward the house. My mouth was still hanging open from shock.
“I told you she would like you. Now, let’s get some hot chocolate and cookies.” Brock grabbed my hand, and we headed up to the house.
The inside of Suzy’s home was cozy and warm. Wood was burning in the white stone fireplace. Pictures of Brock and his sister at all ages were displayed all over the walls. But there were no recent photos of either of them. I wondered what Brock’s sister looked like. The sound of pans clinking together drew my attention to the back of the house.
Brock led me to the kitchen. Suzy was taking a fresh batch of cookies from the stove. She laid the sheet pan on the stovetop and turned toward the fridge. “Ms. McKenzie, do you need help with anything?”
“No, dear. Have a seat, and I told you to call me Mom.” I went to sit on the open chair, and Brock pulled me into his lap. His gesture made my skin ignite. I blushed at the display of public affection in front of his mom.
“How is work going? Have you found that awful man yet?”
Before Brock had time to answer, I spoke up. “They found him a few months ago.”
Suzy leveled a look at Brock. “Really? So, Brock, this spur-of-the-moment trip has nothing to do with Jessica’s safety?”
I turned my head to see Brock’s face. “What is she talking about?”
He wrapped his arms around me before I had time to stand up. “I was going to tell you tonight. One of my friends in the CIA saw chatter about a new bounty on your head.”
This could be a low-level guy. �
�How much?”
“I like her. She gets right to the point. I would appreciate knowing the same thing.” Suzy had set a plate of warm cookies in front of us along with a couple glasses of milk.
Brock grabbed a cookie, enjoying the delicious morsel and ignoring our question.
“How much, Brock?” I demanded.
He leaned his head back and mumbled through his cookie, “One million dollars.”
A million dollars? This person wasn’t playing around. My presence was putting Brock’s mother in danger. “We have to go. I can’t have your mom in the crosshairs with me.”
“I have a gun, security cameras, and alarms set up around here. Don’t worry about me.”
“Mom has a top-of-the-line security system. She also knows how to shoot a gun.” Brock shrugged. “We’re fine. I changed the flight information en route. I made it look like we continued on to California.”
“You didn’t think it would be a good idea to tell me what was going on?” I pointed at Brock. “This should have been talked about before we left. Is the team working on this? Why aren’t we helping?”
I tried to stand up again, but Brock held me tight. Suzy exited out the rear door of the kitchen.
“Jessica, I would have told you on the way here, but you were so worried about meeting my mom that I didn’t want to add to your stress. I had planned to tell you tonight. The team is working on it right—”
We heard multiple gunshots coming from outside.
16
Jessica
All of my worst nightmares flashed through my mind. I had brought danger to Brock’s family. I went running toward the door, but Brock stopped me. The desire to make certain his mom was safe was overwhelming.
“Jessica, stop panicking.”
“Stop panicking? Your mom is outside, and shots are being fired!”
“I know.”
I pushed Brock aside and strode toward the door. Before I could open it, Brock grabbed my arm and spun me around.
“Jessica, it’s fine. Those shots are my mom’s. She is probably practicing, hoping that the bad guys will show up so she can shoot them.”
Suzy looked like the gentlest lady. I had to see with my own eyes that she was okay. I ducked out of Brock’s arms and headed for the back door. It creaked under the pressure of my hand as I opened it.
Suzy was standing on the patio, looking over the lawn toward the barn, holding a shotgun. A man, probably a hired hand, had set up a line of targets along the fence and was walking back to where she was standing. Suzy aimed the shotgun and took out each target with precision.
“Mom taught Phoebe and me how to shoot.” Brock was standing behind me, grinning.
Knowing Suzy was okay, I headed back to the house to enjoy another delicious cookie. Brock followed.
“Tell me what is going on.”
“Ice texted me this morning about the chatter. I didn’t know how bad matters were, so I called Mom to see if we could come visit. We’re staying for the night and heading back tomorrow.”
“That wasn’t your decision to make on your own. I’m glad we came to see your mom, but coming here also put her in danger. What happens if these men come after me here? I understand your mom is prepared for World War III. That doesn’t mean I want your family to get hurt because of me.”
“Maybe it’s time we talk about what happened.” Brock reached over, grabbed my hand, and pulled me up. “Let’s head out to the lake.”
Brock didn’t give me time to disagree or put up a fight. He took charge, and we left for the lake.
The lake was only a ten-minute walk from Brock’s mom’s house. It was stunning. On the opposite side of the lake, mountains reached into the sky. The temperature was perfect for a late fall afternoon. While I was gazing at the beautiful landscape, Brock laid down a blanket.
When he had everything set, he pulled me into his arms. The warmth of Brock’s chest made all the torments dull for a moment. I shifted so my head was lying on Brock’s chest. This was a conversation I couldn’t have while eye to eye with Brock. “I don’t know why we need to talk about this. You read my case file. I don’t like talking about it, and I really don’t think you need to hear it.”
I heard Brock sigh. “This conversation has been on the back burner for too long. There could be things you remember now that you didn’t when you gave your report.”
I closed my eyes and drifted back to ten years ago. “It was summer, and I had gone back to Shialia to visit Dad. Patty was working on an invention, so she decided not to go back with me. There are these beautiful gardens on the palace property. I would go out to the gardens and sit for hours reading books. Somehow, the terrorist group had gotten to one of the workers inside the palace. That employee had brought me a cup of hot chocolate. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. The staff always brought food out to the gardens for me because I would spend hours out there.”
“I know back then you said you couldn’t remember anything about that employee, but do you remember anything now?”
“It’s going to take everything in me to get this story out. Can we save all the questions for the end? It might possibly trigger things.” I felt Brock nod behind me, so I continued. “After I’d taken some drinks of the hot chocolate, I wasn’t feeling well. I lay down on the grass to rest. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a cement cell.
“The cell was completely bare. I could hear guards speaking in a language I didn’t recognize. That’s when I knew I was no longer at Shialia. The first day I was there, they left me alone, besides bringing me some stale bread to eat. What I heard from Dad later was that, on the first day, they asked for the ransom. When he refused to pay, the torture started. Someone would come and drag me from my cell…”
It was getting hard to talk about my experiences. I hadn’t even got to the torture yet, and tears were already running down my face. Talking about it brought back the copper smell of blood from the previous people they tortured, and the body odor of the leader who hadn’t showered in days.
“Jessica, it’s fine. Take your time,” Brock whispered.
For the next hour, I explained to Brock how the men tortured me. They would take turns whipping my body until I would pass out. Then I would be dragged back to my cell and given a couple days to heal before the whole process would happen over and over again.
They kept trying to ask me questions, and when I didn’t know the answers, they would continue to beat me. I was in so much pain at the time that, later, I couldn’t remember what questions they asked.
We spotted a black SUV heading down the gravel road near Brock’s house.
“Brock, who could that be?”
Brock rose to his feet. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good. I need you stay here. I’ll go check it out.” Brock grabbed the glock out of his waistband.
The need to protect Brock’s mom overwhelmed me. “I am not staying here by myself, waiting to find out if something happens.”
“I don’t have time to argue about this, Jessica. Stay.” Brock took off at a dead run toward the house.
Brock
I needed to get back to the house and assist Mom. I had the feeling she would try to protect herself and the farmhands. Hopefully, the noise of the cars coming down the road gave her fair warning. Praying that Jessica listened to what I said, I took off at a dead run toward the house.
Once I got close, I hunched down and shuffled around the side of the house. When I reached the kitchen, I peered through the windows. Mom was sitting on a chair at the dining room table. A short, chubby guy with long, greasy hair had a gun pointed at her. He didn’t look like any of the photos I had pulled on Jessica’s previous case. This man looked like a hired thug. From the fire in Mom’s eyes, she was livid.
I could hear the man talking inside. He had a South American accent and was demanding to know where Jessica and I were. Mom kept playing dumb as if she hadn’t seen us. When the man pulled back and hit her, I couldn’t wait any longer. I
broke through the door. Another man reacted and trained his gun at me while the first man reached down and pulled Mom in front of him like a shield.
“Give us the girl, and nobody will get hurt,” the man with his gun trained on me said. He had long, straggly brown hair and a scar down the right side of his face.
There was no way I was going to tell them Jessica was near. I noticed a flash to the side of the window. Jessica had not listened and had followed me back to the house. I needed to get this under control before they saw her.
I shifted my gun from the man who had his trained on me to the man holding Mom. But I couldn’t get a good shot. He was cowering behind her. “Why don’t you face me like a man instead of being a coward, hiding behind an elderly woman?”
The evil glare Mom gave me would have sent some men running for cover.
He was about to respond when a squeak came from the living room. The men looked at each other questioningly, and I knew immediately that it had to be Jessica. Before they could move toward the door, Jessica walked through it with Mom’s shotgun in her hand.
The man holding Mom backed into a corner so she was still in front of him. “I told you to stay at the lake!”
“I read a report on the Bureau of Justice’s website a couple weeks ago that said seven percent of all home burglaries experience some form of violence. I couldn’t sit back and let something happen to your mom.” Jessica shifted her gun to point at the man closest to her. “Looks like the statistics were right in this case.”
I really didn’t need her to point out the obvious. We had to figure out a way to get out of this mess. Jessica had her gun trained on the man not holding Mom. Maybe if I could get the guy talking, he would make a move, and I could get a shot.
“You’re not going to make it out of this alive,” I told him. “We outnumbered you, and I called the police. They will be here soon.”
The man holding Mom pointed his gun at Jessica. “If she comes with us, nobody will get hurt. We’re here for the bounty on her head. That’s all.”