Xander King BoxSet

by Bradley Wright

  Xander’s hand.

  When Xander was thrown from the Jet Ski, he never let go of the harpoon gun. The harpoon had lodged in the side of the boat, and Xander had been pulling himself in against the violent rush of the water by the rope that attached the tip of the harpoon to the gun. He had used almost all of his remaining strength to pull himself through the impossible push of the ocean.

  Almost all.

  Xander held himself on the side of the boat by the rail he had vise-gripped with his right hand. The other hand he used to yank so hard on Khatib’s arm that it actually spun Khatib around and gunshots clapped the air, momentarily drowning the sound of the hum of the boat’s engine.

  “No!” Kyle shouted from the opposite side of the boat. Seeing the flashes from the gun’s barrel hollowed out a hole in his heart. “Sam!”

  Sam looked down and noticed that the bullets danced all around her, but they didn’t hit her. Water began to fill the holes that the bullets had left in the boat’s floor. She looked up and saw Khatib had recovered and had his machine gun aimed over the rail.

  Aimed at Xander.

  There wasn’t time to reach Khatib, so she rolled forward and slammed the throttle down, causing the boat to lurch forward, sending Khatib to his back at the front of the boat, and causing Xander to lose his grip on the boat’s rail and fall into the water. The same fate as Khatib’s gun. Sam motioned for Kyle to fall back and pick up Xander. He did. Sam had Sanharib Khatib alone on a boat, unarmed.

  She couldn’t help the smile that grew across her face.

  36

  Without a Trace

  The boat sat still in the mostly calm ocean water. Sam did not. As Khatib rose to his feet, Sam rushed toward him. Her eyes were wild with anger, her fists clinched at her sides. Blood continued to run from Khatib’s nose from Sam’s earlier smashing elbow. It flooded from his beard and pooled below on his white robe-like attire. He moved forward to go on the offensive but not before Sam slammed him with a straight right hand, which blasted his already crushed nose. He grunted in pain and bent over at the knees, grasping at his busted face. Sam grabbed the black towel wrapped around his head and drove her knee into his forehead. With a loud smack, it sent Khatib flying onto his back to the boat’s floor once again, but the towel stayed in Sam’s hands.

  As Khatib lay there groaning in pain, Sam wrapped his towel around her neck like a scarf and dropped on top of him in the mount position. His coal-black eyes stared up at her, masking the fear that trembled in his mind behind them. Sam smacked him in the face with an open hand.

  “Did you kill Xander’s mother and father?” she screamed and dropped another punishing elbow. She could feel his right cheekbone cave beneath it. Khatib was unconscious. “Did you? Answer me!” She forced her elbow down on him violently again, this time into his forehead. This one woke him back up, though he was battered and dazed.

  She went to elbow him one last time, and somehow Khatib managed to move his arm, using it to catch her left wrist.

  “Is that what this is about?” Khatib asked. His speech slurred through his broken face. “This is about Mommy and Daddy?”

  Khatib began to laugh uncontrollably, maniacally. Sam couldn’t stand that sound. She pounded him with another hammer of an elbow, but it didn’t stop the laughing. He had yet to answer her question, but she couldn’t stand the sound of him laughing. Each and every one of those laughs put her right back in the basement of the compound, as he had laughed the same way while letting one of his men rape her and while urinating on her, degrading her to as low as a woman can go. Sam wanted to know the answer for Xander, but she couldn’t stand the laughing.

  She had to stop the laughing!

  Sam wrapped her hands around Khatib’s throat. She began to squeeze so hard that she felt his Adam’s apple pop. Somehow, even though the laughing had stopped, he maintained a smile on his face. She squeezed even harder and leaned hard down on him. The light from the moon left a glint in his charcoal eyes, and as life began to leave his body, so too did the smile leave his face. Sam squeezed so hard her hands began to cramp, but she clamped even harder in spite of it. She knew she would regret not getting the answer Xander was so desperately seeking, but she couldn’t stop squeezing. She could still hear Khatib’s haunting laugh, so she squeezed; she could still feel that terrorist inside of her, so she squeezed; she could still smell his nasty urine in her hair, so she squeezed. Khatib’s eyes began to bulge beyond their lids. Behind her she heard the motor of a Jet Ski as Kyle and Xander approached. In front of her, she saw the moment life exited the body of Sanharib Khatib.

  Water had begun to overcome the back of the boat, partially submerging it in the ocean. Kyle pulled up with Xander at his back and throttled down. Sam walked to the back of the boat, the light from Kyle’s Jet Ski showing the wildness in her eyes. There was no need for words; they knew that she had finished him, and as she stood there she wore his turban as a trophy.

  “Are you all right, Xander?” Sam asked, her chest heaving from exertion, the madness in her eyes finally subsiding.

  “Are you?”

  Sam didn’t answer.

  “What did you do? Did you get him?” Kyle broke the silence, excited to know the answer for certain.

  Sam didn’t answer at first; then the madness returned in the form of a smile. “Yes, yes I did. I taught that fucker to piss on me.”

  Xander smiled back at her as Kyle laughed hysterically and held up his arms in triumph. His laugh echoed over the water.

  The celebration didn’t last long.

  Suddenly, through the middle of Kyle's sky-reaching arms, to Xander’s horror, a massive explosion lit up the night and a cloud of orange-yellow fire billowed up into the darkness from the shore. The sound was like a crack of thunder, and all three of them jumped out of their skin and instinctively covered their heads.

  “Please tell me that’s not our way out!” Kyle shouted. Sam perked up from the sinking boat, eagerly awaiting Xander’s answer.

  “We have to hurry! Trade me spots, Kyle. We have to find the beach where we left on the speedboat earlier!” Xander answered.

  Kyle didn’t say anything; he just let Xander climb in front of him, and Sam hopped on the back. Xander sped off and just moments later banked the Jet Ski left and ran it up onto the beach.

  “We’ve got to go, Xander. It’s 5:31,” Sam said before they could even dismount the Jet Ski.

  Xander turned to her, then looked back to the blaze that just so happened to be in the exact direction of the hangar.

  “I’m afraid it might not matter.”

  Kyle grabbed Xander’s hand, pulling him up from the Jet Ski, and Sam led them back through the tree line that separated the beach from the landing strip. Their hearts were in their throats as the closer they got, the worse it looked. They made it through the trees and out into the grass, then onto the pavement. Sam took a direct line to the side of the hangar that was hot with flames. They peered around the corner, and inside a plane was engulfed in a raging fire.

  “No! Shit! Now what the hell are we gonna do?” Kyle shouted. He looked back at Xander, panic burning in his eyes.

  “That’s not my jet.”

  The moment those words left his lips he heard the unmistakable sound of his G6 engine begin to wind up off to their right. They all looked over and Bob was flashing the plane’s lights on and off. A beacon for them to come aboard. Excitement bolted through Xander’s body, and when he looked over at Sam and Kyle, they were already jumping up and down, hugging each other. They started toward the plane, and Xander looked back at the burning jet inside the hangar. This time, however, he noticed there were three bodies lying on the ground next to it. He looked back to his jet and Bob had lowered the stairs. Bob walked down to greet them, machine gun in hand and a smile on his face.

  “Good to see you, sir,” Bob said, grinning.

  “Damn good to see you, Bob. Have some trouble, did you?” Xander asked, nodding back toward the hangar.
r />   “Nothing I couldn’t handle, sir.”

  “Good man!” Xander patted Bob on the shoulder.

  “We must leave immediately. We’ll have to stop for fuel somewhere on the way back to Kentucky. As you can see, the refueling tanks here are useless.” Bob pointed to what was left of the burning fuel pumps. “It really needs to be Paris,” he insisted.

  “Paris?” Xander asked, his mind flashing to Natalie.

  “An old war buddy mans the flight tower there. It’s the only way we will be able to land without anyone truly knowing we left from here, our only real shot of leaving without a trace. He will cover for me,” Bob explained.

  “Hmm, Paris?” Kyle smiled at Xander.

  Xander smiled back.

  “Paris it is.”

  37

  It Never Takes Me Long to Find Trouble

  Bob chimed in over the jet’s intercom system to let Sam, Kyle, and Xander know they were about twenty minutes from landing. His voice woke all three of the exhausted passengers. Xander took a deep breath and rubbed his face to clear the cobwebs. He felt a shooting pain in his shoulder as he stretched. Sam had become quite masterful at in-flight triage. He would undoubtedly have some pretty sick scars to commemorate this little outing. They had all taken turns showering and washing the smoke and death from their skin. Sam excused herself to the bathroom upon waking. Xander didn’t like the look on her face. He didn’t like anything about what they had just been through. Though Sanharib Khatib was dead, the mission was a failure. Xander looked over to the empty seat where Sean should have been.

  “It’s not your fault, Xander,” Kyle said. “He wanted to—”

  “Thanks. I know.” Xander interrupted solemnly. And in his heart he did know, but that didn’t make it any easier. Xander lifted the shade covering the window and stared out at the approaching city. He thought he could see the iconic Eiffel Tower far in the distance. His heart was heavy; however, he still allowed a sliver of it to let in the excitement of seeing Natalie. He unlocked his phone and scrolled to her name. He started to text her but thought a surprise might be more fun. He closed his phone and looked to Sam’s empty seat. He wanted to talk to her about what happened. He wanted to apologize, but he knew she wouldn’t have it. He knew she wouldn’t want it. But he couldn’t just act as if nothing had happened.

  Xander excused himself and went to the bathroom door. He could see steam coming through the crack, and he pushed the door open slightly.

  “Sam?”

  The water shut off.

  “Sam? Everything all right in there?”

  “Yes, I’m fine, Xander. I just had to rinse off one last time.”

  It had been the fifth time she had showered since they left Lebanon. Xander knew she was trying to wash the disgusting filth off her, but even the hottest of water couldn’t clean it away.

  “Can I come in for a second?”

  “Certainly.”

  Xander pushed the door open, and a waft of steam gave way to Sam standing at the opening of the shower, wrapped in a towel.

  “Sam—”

  Sam stopped him. “You know it isn’t necessary. I knew the risks. I’ve been a woman behind enemy lines before.”

  “Sam, you don’t have to be the rock all the time. I know it hurts, I can’t even imagine—”

  Xander had to stop midsentence to step forward and catch her before she hit the ground. Everything had finally caught up with her. Xander took her in his arms and took a seat on top of the toilet. He laid her head on his shoulder and cradled her, brushing the still wet hair that clung to her face back behind her ear. She let her body fall against him. He squeezed her in his arms and gave her a kiss on her forehead, then looked into her big brown eyes.

  “I love you, Sam. No one will ever do this to you again. I swear on my life, it won’t happen.”

  Sam sat looking at him for a moment. Her bottom lip began to quiver, and tears pooled at the bottom of her eyelids.

  “I love you, Xander. I would do it a thousand times over for you. You are the only family I have, and you have been better to me than anyone ever has in my life. Your enemies are mine, as mine have been yours in the past.”

  “I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for you.”

  “Nor would I without you.”

  Not another word was spoken. Xander sat holding Sam as both of them let the many memories they had shared over the years—good and bad—play in their minds. Indescribable horrors and triumphs that had not only brought them together as partners but also united them in life. Wars that had formed a bond that would never ever be broken.

  * * *

  Natalie heard a knock at her hotel room door. She backed away from the window, returned her cup of coffee to its saucer, then headed for the door. She checked the peephole and sure enough it was Jean. He was even more handsome than she remembered. She looked down and noticed she was still in her robe. Time flies, she thought, especially when you are a silly woman daydreaming about a man who’s thousands of miles away.

  With an embarrassed smile on her face, Natalie cracked the door but didn’t remove the chain.

  “Jean! I am so sorry. Can you give me just one more minute?” She flashed a section of the robe to him. “You know us girls, never on time.” She shut the door without his response, and then opened it again. “Hi, by the way. I’m so sorry. It’s so good to see you!”

  Jean just smiled.

  “It is no problem, it is lovely to see you as well.”

  If it were possible, his French accent made him even sexier to her.

  “Okay, I’ll be out in just a second, I promise.”

  Jean managed to get a bouquet of flowers through the door before she could shut it. Natalie’s eyes lit up at the sweet and thoughtful gesture. She looked into his deep brown eyes and felt a small, unexpected flutter in her stomach.

  “Oh my, they’re beautiful. Thank you so much.”

  “You are welcome, how about I wait for you in the café across the street? That way you can take your time?”

  “Do you mind? I swear I’ll only be a minute.”

  “Of course. They have a wonderful specialty cappuccino there. I will order us one.” He smiled as he tucked his midneck-length, jet-black hair behind his ear. His white teeth sparkled against his olive skin.

  Natalie smiled and shut the door. Once it was closed, she fell back against the door with a sigh. Then, with a playful smile, she ran to the closet for the perfect outfit.

  * * *

  “I don’t feel much like sightseeing today,” Sam told Xander and Kyle as they enjoyed a coffee at a small café across the street from their hotel. “Besides, I’ve been here more times than I care to count. Other than New York, this is the most overrated city in the world. The food is shit, the people are rude, and the wine is far better in California.”

  “Well, I agree about the wine, for sure, but where is your sense of romance, Sammy?” Xander asked.

  “Not in the mood for romance today.” Sam glanced at Kyle, and he quickly looked down at his coffee. He couldn’t bear to see the pain from last night in her eyes.

  “I totally understand. They said our suite will be ready in an hour.”

  “Well then, let’s talk about a few things so that I can have something to work on this evening while the two of you are off sniffing after some cats in heat.”

  “Business? Already?” Kyle winced.

  “Go ahead, Sam,” Xander said. He knew she was looking for something to occupy her mind.

  “All right, first, Darryl says he may have a lead on that anonymous text message you received before you were attacked at the house in Lexington. He says he knows where the burner phone was purchased.”

  “I may just have an idea of who sent that message as well.” A vision of Sarah Gilbright flashed in Xander’s mind. “But, yes, I don’t care what time it is when you find out more on that, call me and let me know what it is. That is priority one.”

  “Of course. Also, one of my sources m
essaged me and said he had something urgent about Khatib. Obviously it isn’t all that urgent now, but he says he has details about what he was in trouble for in the States around the time of your parents’ death. So I will obviously follow up, just so you have all the facts. Dirty as they may be. Lastly, and I know we have spoken about this before, but he keeps reaching out to me. Now he is insisting that he meet with you.”

  “Who?” Xander guffawed. “The big wig Director Manning?” The look on Xander’s face was one of amusement.

  “You know he wants us to work with the government and you know he’ll use whatever info Gilbright has been gathering on us to do so.”

  “No, Sam, I have no interest in what he has to say.”

  “We cannot avoid him forever. He’s the head of the CIA, for God’s sake.”

  Xander paused. “Hell with him. I’ll pay Sarah Gilbright a little visit when we get back.”

  Kyle couldn’t help but smile. He had been going on and on about the gorgeous woman at the King’s Ransom bourbon launch party in San Diego since they ran into her. He thought her all the more sexy when Sam told him she was a special agent for the CIA.

  “Thank you,” Sam replied, then turned to Kyle. “So, what are your plans today?”

  “Well, that depends. Xander, are you going to try to see Natalie—”

  Kyle’s eyes shot over Xander’s shoulder toward the entrance of the café.

  “Well, speak of the devil and she shall appear.”

  Kyle nudged Xander and pointed to the other side of the café.

  Natalie Rockwell.

  “Go say hello!” Kyle nudged him again.

  Xander slid back his chair, and just as soon as he got up, he sat right back down. Disappointed. It wasn’t the fact that she’d met a man there. It wasn’t the fact that she threw her arms around him. No . . . it was the look in her eyes when she did so. It reminded him of the way she had looked at him just one long week ago. At least it appeared that way from across the room.