“How’s civilian life?” Keith asked when he released him.
“It takes getting used to, but I sure enjoy my mom’s apple crumble,” he said as he smacked his lips.
“Well, don’t eat too much of it, otherwise the ladies will stop calling,” Dean said with a smile.
“Speaking of ladies, Keith says that yours is in trouble on the island.”
Solemnly, Dean nodded. “Some bastard abducted her and we need to help her.”
“We hope that you can help us,” Keith chimed in.
“Anything for you guys.” With that, he motioned to the back room. “We need some scuba gear to get to the Island which I got right here.” He slapped a contraption that looked like a monstrous yellow egg with a huge fan on the end. “I have three undersea scooters. They’re not what we are used to but they’ll get us to the island. They won’t have enough charge to get us back. The rest of the gear is good. I have the guns and ammo sealed up already.”
“Thanks for helping us, Tiny,” Dean told him as he surveyed the gear.
Tiny smiled. “Don’t mention it. When one of us needs help, the others help out, am I right?”
The scuba gear was hung up on hooks and stored on some shelves on the wall. Dean walked over to the first tank and examined it.
“Tiny, what about this tank? The gauge isn’t full. It’s not leaking, is it?” Dean asked as his hands instinctively ran over the tanks searching for damage.
“No, it’s good. I just didn’t plan on renting to anyone during one of the worst storms of the season. I only had time to fill it to 2000 psi instead of the full 3000 psi,” Tiny explained. “I checked the weather report and they said there should be a break in this storm soon. If we want to get on the beach without being seen we’ll need to get there before the storm slows down.”
Keith knew the clock was running out and they needed a plan fast. His inner sergeant leapt out without conscious thought as he assumed command. “All right, listen up--this isn’t the Marines anymore. We don’t have our full team, we don’t have backup of any kind, we have virtually no intel on what kind of resistance we can expect, and our equipment is shit--no offense, Tiny.”
“None taken.”
“With just the three of us, we don’t even have a complete fire team. We have the element of surprise and our experience as a team. We have to make that work for us,” Keith continued.
“Do we have any kind of exit strategy? I mean, how to we get her out of there, assuming we find her?” Tiny asked, directing his question to Keith.
“We don’t need one. We get her out of wherever they are holding her and kill anyone that’s laid a finger on her. If we have to, we’ll hide on the island for a few days until the Feds show up,” Dean responded, cutting off Keith. Tiny moved his head back and his eyes widened with surprise. Keith glared at him momentarily but quickly softened his expression.
“Dean, I get how much this means to you, which is precisely why you need to let me make the calls. Emotions can get you killed. You need to stow yours for the mission,” Keith said, hoping to calm Dean’s nerves.
He placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back, even if it costs me my other foot,” Keith joked to lighten the mood.
The joke backfired. Dean suddenly felt a pang of guilt, recalling how Keith had lost his foot protecting him. He had been so concerned about Anne that he didn’t consider one of his friends might get hurt. When they fought alongside each other in the past, they had been soldiers. They were on a mission and each was performing their duty. Now, it was different. They were there as his friends, his brothers. If they got hurt, he wasn’t sure it was a debt he could repay.
“Dean, does your girl know how to shoot? I know it’s not ideal, but if we can get her a gun when we find her, would it do us any good?” Keith asked as he continued to draft out the plan.
“I honestly don’t know. I think her dad took her hunting growing up. I am pretty sure she’s handled a rifle once or twice, but that doesn’t mean she can run and gun,” Dean said as he tried to make an educated guess.
“All right then, Dean, your job will be to find Anne and spring her loose. Tiny, you need to get to a high point and cover the field. You will be our eyes and our only cover. We’ll use Dean’s idea for evac as Plan A. Tiny, you and I will draw fire while Anne and Dean head into the woods. Once they lose sight of her, their defense should start falling apart. They’ll have the authorities to worry about long before they can catch up to Dean.”
“What about casualties?” Dean asked.
“If Anne isn’t mobile or one of us gets hurt, then we steal the nearest civilian boat and evac to the main land. We can’t let any of us end up in their hands, so if we go the boat route, we need to stick together. Hopefully, it won’t go that way. It’s a big enough island where we can all disappear pretty quick as long as we’re all mobile. The biggest risk will be civilians getting in the way. We have to be extra careful where our rounds go. I don’t want to read about some kid getting wasted on the news tomorrow,” Keith cautioned.
“It’s too bad Anthony wasn’t here. There is a small airport on the island. I don’t suppose either of you have taken up flying?” Tiny offered.
“Anne might be able to fly one but I’m not sure.” Dean responded.
“They don’t know we don’t have a pilot. You and Tiny can head there and make it look like that’s our plan. If you can keep them pinned down, maybe we can get the police in by plane,” Dean suggested.
“We’ll keep that in our bag of tricks. It just depends where they have her and how fucked this all gets. Tiny, what do we have for weapons anyway? All I have on me is my .45.” Keith glanced at Tiny.
“I have an AR-15 for you. It’s 5.56, just like Dean’s. We only got 300 rounds for them total though. I have some 9mm and a Glock 19 if either of you need it.” Keith and Dean nodded and looked at the bags at Tiny’s feet.
“What about you?” Keith asked.
“Me? Well, I got a tiny little rifle as usual.” Tiny beamed with pride as he pulled the cover off of a monstrous .50 caliber Barrett M82A1 rifle.
Both Keith and Dean dropped their jaws in disbelief. “How the hell did you get that?” Keith asked, unable to hide his surprise.
“I won it in a bet. I don’t like to use my powers like that, but when someone is willing to bet a $12,000 rifle that you can’t lift a car an inch, it’s kind of hard to say no. It’s semi-auto, so it’s actually fully legal to own one if you can afford it,” Tiny said with a big smile.
“Okay, enough show and tell. We need to hit the water and get there now. Tiny, stow your baby and gear and let’s go,” Keith barked.
*
Opening the door to the bedroom, Marshall Foss saw Anne still lying on the bed, eyes closed, her whole body shaking.
He couldn’t understand it. Will gave her another dose of the antidote and yet she seemed to be getting worse. He wouldn’t lose her, not after everything he done to take her. There was no other way--he had to take her off the island for proper medical attention. The problem was she could retaliate if there were any cars anywhere. He would have to sedate her, as it was the only way he could assure his safety. Still, would it harm her even more?
Just then his radio chirped. “Go ahead,” he responded.
“Sir, we have a car matching the description you gave us. It just pulled into the parking lot. Two men got out and headed to the scuba shop. They had some bags and equipment.”
“Damn. How the hell did they know?” Foss yelled aloud. “Take care of the car. Get rid of it by any means necessary!” he commanded.
“Yes, sir. We'll get on it right away.”
With Anne's health failing and the enemy closing in, he'd have to move quickly. He had planned on flying out, but the storm made air travel too dangerous. His stomach became nauseated at the thought of going back on the boat. Drowning was the one thing he feared above all else.
He could hear the rapid beati
ng of his heart, and he quickly dug his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out the bottle of pills. He pulled out two pills and grabbed the untouched glass of water on the dresser to chase the pills down. He was happy to be leaving this island and the anxiety that gnawed at him every single minute knowing that he was surrounded by water.
He spun around and glanced at Anne again. Even with the shaking and her pale face, she looked like an angel to him with her halo of dark silky hair. Oh, how he wanted her to look at him with those warm eyes fierce with passion. Why didn’t she see that he could give her the world? She may have money and fame, but he had even more money and connections and relationships that could bring them the world.
He knew there were others with powers like her, but none so beautiful, none so close, and few with a power quite as useful as hers. She was the first of her kind he had come face-to-face with. He wanted her more than any other. Only her own sister would have rivaled her power, but hers was far too dangerous to control.
Everything he dreamed of was so close to fulfillment. He knew he needed to leave now or everything might fall apart. He grabbed his radio, “David, get the boat ready. We need to leave right away!”
*
As the rescue team dragged themselves onto the shore, the rain tapered off, but the waves continued to pound the rocks. The dive took them a bit longer than they expected because of the rough current, but they managed to get ashore unnoticed. They found a spot near the water to hide the scooters and ready their weapons and gear. They left the extra Glock 19 and a box of ammo with the sea scooters. It would be a last fall back if they needed it.
The smell of rain normally calmed Dean, but today it made him feel tense. He should have watched Anne more closely and now she was in Marshall’s hands. He felt her presence, but it was weaker than it should have been at this distance. He tried to force out his doubts and focus on the mission at hand. Anne was counting on him, and so were his brothers in arms, who were risking everything to help him without an ounce of hesitation.
Already the sun was slowly dipping towards the horizon, darkening the cloudy sky further. They had to get there before the shore was cloaked in darkness.
Keith strapped in a knife to his boot. "Can you tell where she is?"
"Yeah, but I don't know if she's okay with that lunatic." He pushed away the fear that clawed at his throat. “She’s south of here. Do you see those rows of house just up on the hill? It is the one on the end that's surrounded by trees.” Dean replied.
“Dean and I will head out first. I’ll radio back with any intel I get. Once Dean spots Anne, he’ll engage and try to thin down any guards near her. Then I’ll lay down cover fire. That’s when I need to you to get to the top of one of those houses and cover us,” Keith said, motioning for Tiny to wait behind cover.
“Just draw fire for a little while. I’ll get her out quick. Those bastards won’t know what hit them,” Dean swore.
He was going to get her out safe. No matter what.
*
Anne tried to suppress the nausea that kept creeping up. Her blurred vision showed Marshall pacing around her bed.
She tried to sit up, but the nausea punched her in the stomach. "What do you want?" she moaned.
“Your undying love for me.” The assertive tone in his voice made her shiver. He sat on the edge of the bed as his cold hand brushed away a strand of her hair.
She jerked her face away from him. "Never."
“That will change, my dear.”
“We’re ready, Mr. Foss.” a deep voice called from the doorway.
“Excellent. Take Miss Stevens.”
The man walked over, leaned down, and scooped her up from the bed like she weighed nothing.
Anne mustered all her strength and tried to claw at his face but was tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
As they shuffled down the stairs, Anne tried to grab a hold of anything she could use as a weapon. They zoomed so fast, through the house that she had no time to grasp anything.
The biting wind hit her when they stepped outside, and she knew there wasn’t much time left to escape. Waves…she heard waves in the background. She inhaled the cold air and started to reach out again for any kind of engine close by.
There--she felt a small tingle, then it started to get stronger as they walked. A boat! Anne reached out and grabbed the energy that emitted from it and started to absorb it. It filled every pore of her body and began to energize her and subdue her shaking. With the renewed energy, she had a chance to escape. Now, she just needed the element of surprise.
The sound was getting louder. She had to make an escape fast. The frigid air she inhaled calmed and energized her. Her mind was racing as she scrambled for a plan. She quickly dismissed several ideas, then decided on an old stand-by. All the years of being a Hollywood star were now going to save her life.
In an instant, her body went limp and began to slide off the guard’s shoulder.
“I think she passed out, Mr. Foss,” the guard told him as he tried to adjust her body before it hit the stone path. Anne fought the urge to resist the fall. She felt her arm crack against the stone as it fell completely limp. She didn’t wince in the slightest, despite the painful shock against her skin.
The guard awkwardly held her head up with his one arm and steadied himself with the other as he crouched down. He shifted his balance nervously as Marshall shot him a shocked look.
“What?” The fear in his voice was undeniable as he raced to her, scooping his hand under her head while pushing the guard away. He pressed his frigid fingers against her neck, desperately looking for a pulse.
“She’s still alive. Quickly, get to the boat, we’re running out of time!”
The guard moved back toward her to pick her up again and load her up onto the boat. Anne knew it was time to make her move. She clenched her fists as she readied herself to deliver the unexpected blow to the guard’s groin. She prayed she’d be fast enough to make it to water before either of them could catch her. The raging water would be extremely dangerous and she wondered how long she could swim against such current in her weakened state. It didn't matter- she was going to be free of Marshall Foss or die trying.
Chapter 27
Dean split from Keith as he went to search the area for guards. Dean got close to the house he knew Anne was in when he suddenly felt her on the move. He had snuck behind the house and was prepared to attack from behind. The whole house was abuzz with activity. He spun away from the window he peeked through just before a guard slammed it shut and locked it. Several people were heading out the front door and not being quiet about it.
He couldn’t risk the noise so he turned off his radio. As he got up to move, he was caught out in the open, unable to move without being seen. Two of the guards walked right past him and looked toward the front of the house at something. If they turned even ten degrees, they’d see him for sure. Dean was ten feet from any kind of cover, caught halfway to his next hiding spot. He dared not even raise his rifle for fear of being seen in the peripheral of the guards.
His heart raced as he stayed motionless, not daring to breathe. It was mere seconds before they turned and moved away. Those seconds seemed like an eternity. All the while he could feel Anne moving away from the house. He could feel her stronger than before.
Dean ran for cover as soon as it was clear. The daylight dwindled as night began to set in. There wasn’t much in the area to hide behind. The nearest neighboring house was at least 400 feet away. The growing darkness was his best cover. Two guards were at the front of the house. They both had weapons drawn and were scanning the area. Shit, did they see us? Dean thought to himself. Then one of the guards ran off, leaving one at the front door with his back to Dean.
Dean sprinted from where he was hiding towards the guards. Before Dean could even be sure of his next move, he had already covered the guard’s mouth and slid his knife across the guard’s throat. He dragged him behind the side of the house nearly soundl
essly. He held the guard until he was lifeless.
A moment later, his heart leapt. He caught sight of the main group of guards heading toward the boat. Several were boarding with one lagging behind carrying something over his shoulder. Anne! his mind screamed as he caught sight of her face dimly lit by the lights from the boat. She looked lifeless, but he could feel her even stronger now than before. He grabbed his AR-15 off his shoulder and bolted toward a group of boulders lining the edge of the beach. He wasn’t concerned with being seen and was reckless in his assault.
He slid into position like a baseball player sliding into home, feet first. The inertia from his sprint moved his upper body forward as he placed his rifle onto the rock and lined up his sites. The guard suddenly lost his balance and nearly dropped Anne. The large guard stepped back as another man moved in toward Anne. Dean made his target and honed in. The light from the boat was like a spotlight on his target.
*
The unmistakable thunder of a gunshot rang out from nearby. The guard fell lifeless to his knees as a bullet lodged into his head. His falling body came crashing down toward Anne.
Anne wiggled away from his grasp and stood before his body could crush her.
In an instant, Marshall grabbed her as a shield and scurried backwards towards the dock. Another one of his bodyguards from the boat came out and shot back.
“Whoever you are… you can’t win. I own the police and Feds! I have more power than you can ever dream of.”
“You pissed off Bulldog and the Marines. No power can help you now!” a male voice roared. Anne's heart leapt with hope. Dean! He found her!
“Let her go!” Dean threatened with a primal growl.
"Never!" Marshall sneered.
Cold metal pressed into the side of Anne's neck. A gun! A chill crawled up her spine as the gun's nuzzle poked deeper into her gullet.
Twist away. She had to twist away from him to give Dean a clean shot.
Marshall dragged her towards the boat as his bodyguards fired shots towards the ridge where Dean was. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a large boulder about a hundred feet away near the edge of the shore. If she escaped, she might get shot.
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