Jacob

by Kris Michaels

With a shrug, Joseph poured a small amount of water into a cup and shook out a couple tablets from a vial. Walking across the opening, he handed both to Jacob. “Take those and don’t give me any shit, or I’ll beat you and shove them up your ass.”

  Jacob glared at his brother but did what he was told. Joseph nodded and sat down next to the fire. “I was watching the mouth of the cave before I made contact. Trailed you two before you came to the opening. Wanted to make sure we were clear so I stood over-watch.” He looked back at his brother and motioned his hand in a circle as he spoke, “Nobody for miles by the way.”

  Jacob tried to roll his head and move his shoulders. The pain stopped him immediately. With a low groan, he moved slower but kept trying to loosen his tight muscles. He tried to focus on the pile of rocks blocking the opening to the cave. “How did you get to us past the rubble?”

  “I’ve used this cave before. Has four entrances. Three now. Took me awhile to work around to one and then find you. Figured you ladies were toast. Halfway impressed you survived.”

  Jacob flicked a middle finger towards Jared. “What is the exit strategy?”

  Joseph’s laugh this time wasn’t comforting. “There isn’t one. Your boys are in bad shape. Jared can’t travel. I have enough supplies buried around this God forsaken land for us to live for a while without exposing ourselves—if the search isn’t too intensive. We get your men and come back here. Lay low. You heal. They heal. When we’re ready, we walk out and make it to the border.”

  “How far away is the camp?”

  “Couple clicks to the west. Sun will be up soon. We’ll head out as soon as the sun sets tonight. Give your pansy ass time to recover.”

  Jared moaned and moved. Both men watched him struggle towards consciousness.

  “Seen momma lately?” Joseph’s question came from so far out of left field Jacob had to laugh.

  “Nope. She’s royally pissed at me. Staying here is probably the safest move for me right now.”

  Joseph’s eyes tracked to Jacob although his head didn’t move. “Why? What did you do?”

  Jacob reached for his pack and pulled a piece of jerky out. He held up one finger. “Got married.” He lifted another finger. “Didn’t do it in a church.” He held up a third finger. “Or wait for Mom to get to D.C. before I married her.”

  The slow roll of laughter built until Jacob had to cover his ears.

  “Damn, boy, you are toast. Three strikes. You know what, little man? You’re gonna be fucking grounded for life.” Joseph pulled a piece of meat from the pouch and folded it repeatedly to break it into a smaller piece. “This woman you married? Karla?”

  Jacob blinked trying to follow Joseph’s train of thought. “Karla? Hell, no. She was an occasional hook-up.”

  “Huh.”

  Jacob’s hackles rose at his brother’s dismissive grunt.

  “What the fuck does ‘huh’ mean?”

  Joseph shrugged casually. “Saw Karla in Paris about three weeks ago. She was finishing up a modeling assignment, heading to Madrid for a shoot and a runway gig, and then heading to Georgetown to see you.”

  Jacob dropped his head into his hands. The headache that had started to lessen roared back with a vengeance. “Karla’s going to Georgetown?” She has a key. Karla knows the alarm code and has access through security. His thought trailed off in a small groan. “Tori’s in Georgetown. I’m so fucked.”

  Joseph’s soft whistle echoed eerily through the cave. His deep voice was reflective and smooth. “Guess you’ll find out how healthy your marriage is.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Gabriel paced behind his massive oak desk. Even though he was doing the caged walk, Tori felt like the zoo exhibit. Gabriel’s keen glance gave her and Jewel the once over. Again. She knew what he saw. Neither of them had anything left to give. Tori forced her eyes to remain open. The quiet warmth of the office exaggerated the exhaustion that wrapped its encompassing tentacles around her. She and Jewel both had worked like maniacs tracing every possible lead. They had logged insane hours trying to track down information and find the men who remained in country. Tori called in every favor she was owed from the intelligence community, worked microscopic breadcrumbs of information, in hopes of a trail leading to Jacob and the others. The men had just disappeared. Vanished.

  Fatigue pounded at her. When the workday at Guardian was finished, she and Jewel had spent all their down time away from Guardian at the hospital with the twins and Jason. At least that vigil was over. Her dad had checked in when the twins received their discharge paperwork. Frank had flown back to South Dakota with Drake and Dixon in Gabriel’s private jet two hours ago. Amanda King had left a week ago for Mississippi with Jason. They’d decided to drive home. A plane was too much confinement. Under the circumstances, Jason’s aversion to enclosed spaces was entirely understandable.

  Now that the wounded were gone, Tori planned to spend every second searching for her men. Everyone at Guardian firmly believed if there were no bodies then the men were alive. ISIS made a point to post all executions online. Of the handful of macabre films posted since their disappearance, none of Guardian’s men had been identified. But where were they? Satellite, unmanned aerial photos, video, and human intelligence inputs had revealed nothing. The pounding of her headache hadn’t abated in days. She slowly circled her temples with her fingertips. She had to be overlooking something.

  “Tori, have you run the intel in the area today?” Her head popped up at the question. Well yeah. I run it twice a day, every day, when the satellites pass over the coordinates.

  “Ahh yeah, the skirmish two days ago at Camp Four confirmed a lot of damage. No indication of what transpired other than two buildings and several vehicles blown up. There is no traffic or movement. We believe the camp has been abandoned. There were no DoD satellites close enough to retrieve heat signatures during the fight. We didn’t have any intel, unmanned aerial vehicle photos or otherwise, that would indicate prisoners at that location.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “Plus the camp is on the other side of the province under the control of religious leaders and warlords, not ISIS. No indication it was our guys.”

  “Alright. Go home, both of you. Fifty-three days without a break. I don’t want to see either of you until Monday morning.” He held up a hand stopping both of the women’s objections.

  “Jewel, your section is covered. Give them a break and yourself a rest. Tori, we have analysts who will work the intel. You can go over the information on Monday morning to ensure they didn’t miss anything. We’ll call you both if there is news.”

  The phone on the right side of his desk rang. “My private line. Ladies, that was an order, not a request. Shut the door on your way out.” The phone rang again. Gabriel pointed towards the door. “Go. Now.”

  Tori rubbed the back of her neck and threw a glance toward Jewel as she shut the door behind them. “Dinner?”

  Jewel blew out a long breath and finally shook her head. “No. If you don’t mind, I think I’m just going to go home and fall asleep until Monday morning. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. We have to recharge.”

  Tori sighed as she dropped into the driver’s side of Jacob’s Hummer. It was going to be quiet without her dad and Amanda. Maybe that’s what she needed, a few days just to be. She’d been so busy taking care of everyone else she felt exhausted, drained to the point of feeling helpless; but not hopeless. Amanda’s quiet confidence and Drake and Dixon’s unwavering belief Jacob and the rest of the men were alive kept her hopeful.

  The rush hour traffic turned the short drive into an hour and a half commute from hell. Pulling up in front of the house, she glanced at the green Jaguar and wondered why the neighbors were parking in front of the house but shrugged it off. It wasn’t like she needed to park there. Her security detail pulled beside the Hummer and waited until she got to the top of the stairs. She opened the door and waved at them as she closed herself in for the night.

  Tossing her key
s into the crystal bowl on the granite-topped table in the hall, she turned to the keypad to disarm it. The green blinking light indicated someone had already disabled the alarm. An intruder was in the house. Heart pounding, Tori reached into her purse for the Sig Saur she had liberated from the kitchen. Thumbing the safety to the fire position, she assumed a defensive stance listening carefully. The house was silent. Tori reached up and keyed her emergency code into the keypad. Her security team would respond quickly. They weren’t far away.

  A loud thump from down the hall drew her attention. Carefully, Tori made her way down the hall, clearing the rooms as she passed them. She heard the drawers in the master bedroom slam shut. Moving up to the door, she froze as the security team made a stealthy entry into the foyer. She signaled she’d heard an intruder. One of her security detail, Keith Andrews, joined her while Earl Potter cleared the rest of the house. Keith flattened against the wall. The sound of a heavy object crashing to the floor was their go. He pulled away from the wall and kicked the door in. Tori went low and Keith went high each finding their target with their weapons as they challenged the trespasser.

  A petite redhead squealed in terror when she saw the guns pointed at her. “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!”

  Tori’s eyes never moved from her target. Women were just as deadly as men. “Hands on your head. Down on your knees.” When the woman hesitated, Tori yelled, “Now!”

  The redhead complied, her chin quivering, and tears pouring over her cheeks. “I have a key! Jacob gave me the key and the combination to the alarm system! I even called his security service….what is it called…Guardian…to make sure I was on the list! I am!”

  Tori stood still, holding the gun on the woman. “Jacob King gave you the key to this house?”

  The red head nodded quickly. She pointed to the key attached to an enormous ornate fob lying by a Coach purse on the bed.

  Earl entered the room. “The rest of the house is secure, ma’am.”

  The redhead pointed widely. “He can tell you! He’s seen me with Jacob! Please tell them that it’s okay I’m here!”

  Tori lowered her weapon and looked expectantly at the man. His face went beet red and his gaze landed any place but on Tori.

  Tori’s mind worked furiously to try to make sense of the woman in her bedroom. “Do you know her?”

  The guard nodded. “Ah…yes, ma’am…she used to come here.”

  “See! I just flew in from Madrid to surprise Jacob. Please don’t shoot me!” The redhead’s shock dissolved into tears and then sobs. Understanding her simpering reply took effort.

  Tori looked over her shoulder at the woman in complete disgust and spat. “Oh for God’s sake! Stop your sniveling. Nobody is going to shoot you.”

  Turning back to the guard, she raised an eyebrow. “When was the last time you remember this woman being in this house?”

  “Ahh…maybe six months ago? I can check the security log for the exact date.”

  Tori smiled tightly at him. “You do that, Earl. You do that.” Turning back to the woman, she flipped the safety on her gun and crossed her arms in front of her, laying her gun casually over her upper arm. She tapped it against her arm absently as she asked. “What’s your name?”

  The woman drew a shaky breath, hiccupping and suppressing a sob. “Karla. Karla Miller.”

  “Well, Karla Miller, I have some information for you. Jacob is married now.”

  Tori watched the news settle into the not too crowded brain of the redhead kneeling on the floor. She watched nervousness turn to confusion. The confusion morphed into anger and the redhead glared at the clothes that spilled from Tori’s drawer. “That son of a bitch! He married someone after giving me a key to his house?” Karla’s head shook back and forth as she stared at the floor trying to gather her thoughts. “That son of a bitch. He tapped the next piece of ass he found and then married her?”

  She looked beseechingly up at Tori, her eyes pleading. “Who in their right mind does that? Who marries that quickly? What kind of woman is she?”

  A look of misery suddenly fell over the redhead’s face as tears once again threatened. “Oh, oh…I need to talk to Jacob. Won’t you please just call him?”

  Tori carefully handed her weapon to Earl, who breathed a great sigh of relief when she surrendered it. Tori snorted. “What’s the matter, Earl? Worried I’d shoot first and ask questions later?” Tori closed her eyes and put her hands on her hips trying to collect herself before she spoke. “You realize, of course, what you want really doesn’t matter. The fact is you are here without his wife’s permission. Please gather your belongings and leave. You won’t be coming back. Surrender the key too.”

  Karla’s shoulders pulled back and she stood up, her eyes suddenly narrowing suspiciously. She looked at Earl and Keith, who regarded Tori with looks that bordered on fear. “Who are you?”

  Tori gave her a tight smile. “I’m the person asking you to leave. If you refuse, I’ll have Earl physically escort you from the premises.”

  Karla’s face went scarlet red and clashed violently with the burnt orange color of her hair. “It’s you isn’t it. You married Jacob!”

  Tori cocked her head. “I married Jacob, and you didn’t. Earl please escort Ms.?” Tori looked at the redhead again. Her headache raging she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Not coming up with the name she looked at the woman. “I’m sorry. What was your name again?”

  “Miller! Karla Miller and you better remember it. I’m the one who is going to ruin you. My father is a senator! This is far from over!” The tiny redhead snarled the warning to Tori.

  The farce of a warning struck a chord buried deep within. A smile pulled at her lips, and then a chuckle hinted at becoming a laugh. Tori put her hand over her mouth as she broke out in laughter bordering on hysterical. The woman and the two men looked at her like she had lost her mind. Maybe she had.

  “Oh God, thanks. I needed that.” Lifting both hands up in an act of surrender, she laughed again. “Sweetheart, if you think you or your daddy scares me, you had better regroup.” Tori’s eyes immediately flashed as her laughter turned into a vicious snarl. “I was held and tortured for almost four months in a third world warlord’s prison. I’ve endured hatred and pain you could never conceive.” Turning deadly serious, she pointed at the stunned woman. “Get your shit and get out of my house. If you come near me, my home, or my husband again I’ll show you what a true threat is and how to carry it out.”

  The woman didn’t move. “Now!” Tori’s shouted command seemed to propel the frozen woman’ into action. Tori stood to the side and watched the woman throw her expensive clothing into the bags at the foot of the bed. Earl escorted her out of the bedroom towards the front door.

  “Just a minute. I want my key.” Tori held out a hand with every expectation that the woman would capitulate. And capitulate she did—with a vengeance. The thrown key struck Tori’s chest violently and then bounced on the hardwood flooring. Gritting her teeth, Tori growled. “Get her out of here now, Earl.”

  The men hustled the fuming redhead out of the house. Tori’s hand went to her chest. The key or fob had cut her right breast and blood soaked through her white shirt. “Oh, damn it! I liked this shirt.”

  Walking into the living room, she bypassed the couch and stopped at the bar to pour a small shot of whiskey. She turned when the door opened again. Keith and Earl stood at the doorway waiting her dismissal or instructions.

  Taking a sip of the whiskey, she pointed to the alarm panel. “Get that code changed immediately. I want a copy of the entry authority listing for this residence. There are obviously changes that need to be made.”

  “Yes ma’am. Ah…Mrs. King? Ma’am, you’re bleeding.” Keith pulled out his cell phone and started dialing.

  “Put your phone away. It is a scratch. I’ll get cleaned up soon.” Tori took a sip of the whiskey waiting for him to do as she asked.

  Keith shook his head. His eyes held hers. “You might need st
itches. When was your last tetanus shot?”

  Tori snorted and took another small sip. Her nerves were shot and the whiskey gave her something to think about as it burned down her throat. The run in with Jacob’s ex was beyond disconcerting on so many levels. Shrugging she dismissed his comments, “I have no idea. I’m assuming when I came back from Afghanistan last year.”

  Keith pushed the issue. “But you don’t know, not for sure, do you?” He ran his hand through his short brown hair in frustration. “Look if I don’t take you in for a quick checkup and do a report on what happened here, I’ll be fired. If you won’t go because it is the right thing to do…and believe me it is the right thing to do, then at least have pity on me. I have a family and bills to pay.”

  Tori sighed deeply and shifted her weight while she considered his plea. Finally, closing her eyes and bowing her head she chuckled. Her head popped up and she pointed to Keith with her whiskey glass. “Okay, but this is the one and only time a guilt trip like that is going to work.”

  She put the whiskey down and walked past them to the hall where she left her purse. “I want my gun back and we’re taking the Hummer. Your car doesn’t have enough leg room in the backseat.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Tori sat in the examination room wishing she hadn’t caved. The cut was deep but so minor especially considering the past year’s medical trauma. Her mind spun in a loop replaying the events of the evening. Jacob’s ex? So not what she expected. Not. At. All. But then again she hadn’t really expected an ex. Why hadn’t she? He would have exes, wouldn’t he? God knew he was a phenomenal lover. One didn’t get that way without experience. Right? Men just didn’t automatically know how to make a woman melt. Did they? She chuckled and scrubbed her face with the palms of both hands. No…of course not…exes should be expected. Then why hadn’t she? God, to be taken by surprise like that. The feelings bordered on violation. That woman was in their bedroom. Her bedroom. And Jacob made love to her there. In the same bed, he had taken his ex-girlfriend.