by Wade, Maddie
A man in his early sixties sat in the brown leather armchair in the corner with a shotgun across his lap. He wasn’t overly tall, about five-ten, Nate would guess, and had a shock of white hair down to his shoulders. He had a neatly trimmed goatee, that was dyed bright purple, and dressed head-to-foot in biker leathers.
Nate had seen some sights, but this was definitely a first.
Skye had come to a stop right beside him. The man looked up at Nate, intently.
“Uncle Reg, this is Nate.”
“I know who he is, girlie,” he said affectionately. “Your Aunt Tilly’s been on me for weeks about him.” Nate stepped forward and offered his hand.
“Pleased to meet you,” Nate said, and Reg took his hand in a surprisingly firm grip.
“You too, son. Heard a lot about you from the wife. She goes on a bit, but I just ignore her most of the time.” He said this as if telling a secret man-to-man. Nate just nodded and tried to hide a smile.
He was shocked out of his smile when Reg turned abruptly over one shoulder and shouted, “Woman, I told you don’t nag me! I’ll tell em when the time’s right.”
Skye was looking completely accepting of his actions, Dane and Lauren looked bemused.
“Uncle Reg has kindly decided to stay and look after me and help with rescuing Noah,” Skye said, sounding exhausted. Nate tried not to show his amusement on his face for fear of offending the man.
He looked at Reg, trying to take the measure of him.
“Fine. Reg, I have to ask. Do you know how to use that gun? Because I won’t have anyone who is a liability around Skye or this operation. They mean too much to me for that. So, although I respect you coming and appreciate it, you have to know that’s where I stand.”
Reg looked him over then and stood up causing Nate to take a step back. He looked Nate directly in the eye, and after a minute, seemed to come to a decision.
“Son, I was shooting guns before you were a twinkle in your daddy’s eye. But I gotta say, I respect what you’re saying and I’m only here to help protect my little girl, here,” he said, indicating Skye.
“I don’t take orders very well but if it keeps her and that darling boy safe, I will try my damndest.”
Hands on his hips, Nate assessed the room, catching Dane’s eye. Dane nodded.
“Fine, Reg. You stay. Skye, sweetie, why don’t you go and get some blankets for Reg. He can take first watch. You need to get some rest and so do I.” He turned to Reg, “That cool with you?”
“Sure, son.” Reg puffed out his chest and settled back in the chair for his first watch. Nate turned to Skye as she bustled back in with blankets for Reg.
“Go on, mi cielo. Get yourself to bed. I’ll see Dane and Lauren out and be in soon.” Skye nodded. She looked dead on her feet.
“Okay.” They had never slept in the same bed before but there was no way he was leaving her alone tonight.
Nate followed a chuckling Dane and Lauren to the door.
“I can’t wait to see Zack’s face when you tell him this and he meets Reg.” Fuck. He hadn’t thought of that. Zack was going to blow a gasket, Oh well, he’d deal with that tomorrow. He said goodnight to Dane and Lauren, thanked them, and shut the door.
~~~
Skye lay in bed, curled up on her side. She’d pulled on one of her favourite nighties. A pale pink silky slip with cream lace edging the hem. It wasn’t that she was trying to impress Nate, although that would be a bonus. It was just that that was all she had. It was what she always wore. She liked to wear sexy, feminine nighties to sleep in.
She crawled into bed, every bone in her body exhausted, and yet, she didn’t think she could sleep. How could she with her baby out there on his own, and who knew where?
As she lay there, all she could think about was Noah. Was he okay? Was he frightened? Did he wonder why she hadn’t come for him? She found herself praying to God, for the hundredth time, that he would be safe and unharmed. Reg showing up had been a shock but, at the same time, a welcome distraction from her bleak thoughts.
Even as she huddled under the quilt, not able to get warm. She felt so cold. She snuggled under the quilt more, pulling it up to her ears.
She startled as the bedroom door opened with the light from the hallway, she saw Nate come in and close the door. She stayed silent–she honestly didn’t have the energy to speak. Skye heard the rustling of clothing as Nate moved around. Then she felt the covers pull back as Nate, for the first time, slipped into bed behind her.
Nate put his palm to her belly, pulled her back to his naked chest, and tucked his legs up behind her knees. Her heart gave a hiccup and her breath hitched at the contact. She instantly felt warm and safe. He tucked his other arm under her neck, using his arm as a pillow, and snuggled her into his warmth.
“How are you doing, mi cielo?”
She didn’t say anything, she didn’t trust her voice not to break. She just snuggled deeper into him. He didn’t ask again but she felt his lips touch just behind her ear as he whispered, “I’m going to get him back, mi amor . I swear it. I will get our boy back.”
Skye believed him, but that didn’t stop the all-encompassing fear that clutched at her heart like a vice.
They hadn’t talked about where their relationship was going, but somehow him calling her his love and calling Noah his boy, she knew that this was no fling for either of them. Family. They had somehow become a family. Noah’s disappearance just moved things along the natural path quicker. On that thought, she kissed the arm that cradled her head and clutched tight to the one at her waist then she fell into a fitful sleep.
Chapter Six
At Fortis Security the lights were blazing and the place was a hive of activity. Zin and Drew had just arrived back and passed off the card to Lucy so that she could run the number.
Zack switched off the signal jammer that currently shrouded the entire building. It worked similarly to a Faraday cage, but the technology was highly advanced and allowed Zack to turn the shield off and on, thus allowing him to advance or intercept signals at will. It had been developed by his tech guy, Will Granger.
Zack called everyone together. He wanted them there to see if anyone was able to pick something up from the voice or the background noise.
Dane had taken Lauren home, along with Lizzie and Colin. Daniel insisted that he was staying, despite technically still being on leave.
Zack called the number and then put the phone on speaker. It rang twice and was picked up. The whole room became wired as a robotic voice came on the line.
Hannibal, the boy is safe and will remain that way. All measures are being taken to ensure his safety. Murdock out.
The line disconnected abruptly.
“Fucking goddamn bastard!” Zack exclaimed, causing everyone to look at him sharply.
“It’s a burner phone, so no trace. I can try tracing the towers, but if this person is any good, the phone will have been dumped,” said Lucy, still looking at Zack with question.
“Thanks Lucy, and don’t bother. This guy doesn’t make mistakes.”
“You know who has him?” Zin asked quietly. Zack nodded.
“I believe so and I think he wanted me to know. It’s a man from my past named, Kanan Harrison. We were friends a long time ago. He works for SIS. He called me earlier tonight and asked me to look out for his sister because he had some bad shit going down–shit he didn’t want to do and he didn’t want blow back on her.” Zack paced, his agitation evident in every move.
“If Kanan has Noah, he’s safe. He might have done some fucked up things but he would never hurt a child, of that I have no doubt. Zin, first thing, I want you to go pick up the sister. I don’t want her knowing. She has no idea Kanan exists, and it will be kept that way.” He gave a firm look to each person in the room. “This is personal and I am trusting every person in here to keep this secret and that is not something I do with ease so please, do not make me regret it.” He received firm nods from all those in the room.
“Zin–I will give you the address, can you go over tomorrow and offer her the job? Tell her we found her C.V on LinkedIn or something, whatever. Just let me know.
“Everyone, go home get a couple of hour’s shut-eye. We’ll meet back hear at 8am.”
~~~
Zin was leaning against his custom Harley Davidson Sportster 48 with his arms crossed across his massive chest, contemplating everything. He agreed with Zack about keeping the sister close and this was as good a way as any. He would reserve judgement on her guilt, or lack of, until he met her. Zin sensed Zack knew this and was okay with him making up his own mind.
He and Zack had a unique understanding and trust that went far beyond friendship. It was forged from a shared experience of the worst kind. The horrors they had seen and experienced cemented a bond that, although came from the worst, had in fact, been a blessing. Not that either of them would have wanted it that way. He would never regret his decision to go back into that hellhole in the desert and help the men who had saved his sister.
He thought of Celeste Bourdain, again and wondered if she was home. Maybe he should do a little surveillance to see if he could figure anything out before morning.
Years in deep cover made it so that he could read tiny nuisances in people; it had kept him alive countless times. He would bide his time and make his own mind up about Celeste Bourdain. Her name sounded French and Zin wondered if it was. Not that it mattered–she was just another job. The main focus was getting the boy back. Zin had a lot of respect and regard for Nate and could see this boy and his mum meant a lot to him. He would do everything he could to help.
Swinging his powerful jean clad leg over the magnificent bike, he zipped up his leather jacket and pulled on his helmet. Time to see if he could get a few hours kip before he went to meet Miss Bourdain. Maybe he’d drive home that way and just check things out.
~~~
Zack closed the door to his office and walked round the desk to his computer. He received an email from Ava Drake’s boss, Duncan Caldwell at the NSA, saying they were happy to loan Agent Drake to them on secondment for the next few months.
Zack had spoken to Ava’s father, General Drake, and managed to get him to pull some strings. He was sure that if he’d known what Zack had done to his baby girl, the General would have shot him instead of helping him. In the interest of global security, though, Zack had thought it prudent not to share that he and Ava had done the hot and heavy.
He was relieved she would be arriving on Tuesday to help unravel this code. From what they determined so far, it seemed to be written in some sort of extinct, ancient language. He felt a sense of urgency tugging at him about this entire case. He’d only ever felt it once before, and the results were devastating.
Shaking off thoughts of the past, Zack thought about how Ava would respond to his not-so-subtle manipulation. She was very feisty and had one hell of a temper. Perversely it was this, as much as her undeniable beauty, which had drawn him to her. He knew she would be spitting nails over the fact that he ignored her many attempts to contact him after his return to the UK. It would be interesting to see if she would let him explain or if she’d just shoot him.
Zack’s trousers suddenly felt tight at the thought of her fiery temper. She had been wild in bed and wanted to try things that made him harden just thinking about them now. Maybe he could persuade her to have a little fun while she was here? He liked that idea a lot.
First things first, they had to get Noah back. He tried calling Kanan’s number again, but it was dead. No matter. If he had to use Celeste as leverage, he would. If there was one line that should never be crossed, it was involving children. K crossed that line and would deal with the full wrath of the Fortis team and its allies.
Chapter Seven
Nate woke to the scent of peaches. He opened his eyes and found himself wrapped around Skye. His face was pressed into her hair and his body was cocooned around her protectively. He wanted this for so long, he took a minute to just enjoy the feel of her, soft in his arms. The smell of her skin invaded his senses and he wanted to turn her over and worship every inch of her, as she deserved. But he knew now wasn’t the time; they needed to find Noah.
Thinking of Noah, scared and alone, made him want to rip out the heart of the person that had him. The boy had come to mean so much to Nate that he already thought of Noah as his. He knew people would laugh at that but if he was honest with himself, it had started the minute he walked into the hospital room months ago.
He’d been struck then by the strongest feeling that they were his–his to protect, his to love. He already failed the protect part, but he would rectify that and spend every day for the rest of his life making up for it.
He was taking things slow with Skye and Noah so far, however, Noah being taken put things in perspective. He was taking what was his and to hell with everyone else. He would prove to Skye that he was the one and convince her, if need be, he was not going away.
Nate felt Skye stir in his arms. She pushed back into his front, making his morning erection strain painfully. Instantly, she stilled in his arms. He watched as she turned slowly and looked at him with her big ,brown eyes. She looked so beautiful. He saw the exact second reality hit her and the desolation swept in.
Her eyes teared up as she suddenly wrapped her arms around his middle and pulled herself flush with him. She buried her head in his neck, as if to take strength. Her silent sobs nearly broke his heart.
“Hey, mi amor, it’s okay. I’ve got you.” He held her while she wept, using the time to think of ways he would make the bastard that made her cry pay.
Skye lifted her head after a few minutes and sniffed back the last of the tears.
“I’m okay now. I just forgot for a second.” Her breath hitched a little.
“I know, mi cielo. How about I make some coffee and call Zack for an update while you get showered? Then we can go to Fortis.”
“Okay, that sounds good, Thank you,” she said, hesitantly.
Nate started to get up, but was stopped by a hand hooked on his abdomen. He was trying really hard not to make her aware of his erection, but she wasn’t making it easy.
“What is it?” he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed and turned to face her.
Skye looked uncertain and shy and seemed to concentrate on his tattoos. Nate lifted her chin with his finger so that she looked at him.
“Come on, tell me. Whatever it is, I will gladly fix it if I can.”
“Will you kiss me good morning?” She blushed the deepest red.
Nate caressed her cheek, threading his fingers into her hair and cupping the back of her neck. He could see her eyes had gone molten with desire.
“That, mi cielo, is something I can fix, and will do with pleasure.”
He lowered his head and caught her mouth in a gentle, but thorough, kiss. She immediately leaned into him, pushing forward onto her knees. Nate felt the timid brush of her tongue against his and he took over the kiss.
Nate gently tilted her head back so he could control the kiss and taste her. Her small hands on his chest felt so good. He needed to stop this before things got completely out of hand. He wanted nothing more than to push her back onto the bed and make her his in every way. But now was not the time, and he knew she wouldn’t want it like this, either.
Pulling away, he looked into her
eyes. Eyes clouded with passion.
“Good morning, mi amor .”
They rested their heads together for a second before Nate pulled her up from the bed.
“Come on, mi cielo. Time to face the day.” He held her for a minute before gently letting go and got dressed.
~~~
Skye watched Nate go and wondered what he thought of what just transpired. She hadn’t meant for it to happen, but when she woke up, she hadn’t remembered the horror of the previous night for a second. She had stretched and felt him behind her, and only when she saw his cautious expression had it hit her. Her baby was missing.
She’d felt so safe as he held her and let her cry. When he pulled away, she hadn’t wanted to let go. She felt shy asking for a kiss, but as they had spent the night together, she felt it was natural. And what a kiss it was. Nate had the body of a God, and could kiss like the devil. She’d known before he was the one for her and now she was certain. The way he was with her, his love for Noah, and she knew the sex would be off the charts hot.
Feeling energised and determined to get her son back, she headed for the shower.
~~~
Entering the living room, Nate could smell coffee and bacon coming from the kitchen. He looked up as he went through the kitchen door to see Reg at the hob, cooking bacon and eggs.
“Morning Reg,” he greeted. Reg looked back at him while flipping the bacon.
“Morning, son. Thought I’d make some breakfast for us all. We can’t go hunting on an empty stomach.”
“Thanks Reg. That’s much appreciated.”
“Known that girl all her life, and she is the closest thing I have to a child of my own. Ain’t nothing I wouldn’t do for her or her boy. She means everything to me.”
“They are everything to me,” Nate said, solemnly, hoping that he conveyed everything in that one sentence.
“I know they are, son,” Reg said softly. They were both quiet while Nate made moved to the nearly empty coffee pot to make some fresh java for him and Skye. He was startled when Reg boomed, “Don’t tell me how to cook bacon, woman. I’ve been cooking it for years and don’t need your input now.” Nate looked around for a second before remembering the events of yesterday and Reg’s habit of communing with his dead wife. He smiled slightly at the absurdity of the situation. Reg carried on his mini tirade with his dead wife for a few minutes before Skye came in.