by Susan Stoker
The fresh air was heavenly, even if it was hot, typical for central Texas this time of year. There was only a half moon, so it wasn’t enough to fully illuminate the area, but Emily could see the outlines of several other containers. There were no sounds, other than the crickets and cicadas that were normally active this time of night.
Sitting back, Emily turned to Annie. “I guess we’ll just have to sit tight and wait.”
“I can fit.”
Emily ran her hand over her daughter’s head affectionately. “I know you want to, but we don’t have a choice.”
“Mommy,” Annie said seriously. “I can fit. I know I can. If Truck could wiggle through his hole back when they were in trouble, I can get out of this one.”
At that moment, they heard a noise above their heads. Footsteps.
Emily grabbed Annie and gathered her to her chest and flattened herself against the back wall of the room. They both held their breath as the footsteps walked to one end of the container, then back to the other. They sounded muffled, as if there was another box on top of the one they were in.
Just the thought of what Jacks or one of his friends could do to Annie, if they decided they wanted to mess with them, made her decision easy. If anyone came into this metal prison, she and her daughter were sitting ducks. Being outside wasn’t exactly safe, but it might be the better option. It would give Annie a chance to get away. “Okay, baby. We’ll see if you can fit.”
* * *
The seven Delta Force men gathered a bit away from the city Jacks and his infantry friends had built. It mimicked the one the Army had erected on Fort Hood that they’d spent quite a bit of time training in, and which had started the asinine one-sided feud in the first place.
There were thirty or so of the large metal containers strategically placed around the property, and no one had any doubts that the setup included booby traps as well. Now that he could see it in person, Fletch agreed with Beth’s earlier assessment. He had no idea how Jacks had found the money and resources to set it up. At the moment, it wasn’t important though. All he wanted to do was find Emily and Annie and make sure Jacks would never mess with them again. He shouldn’t have gotten to them this time, but he had, and tonight it ended.
Ghost’s voice was toneless and low, making sure it didn’t carry over the quiet night. “Everyone has their targets…remember, Jacks is probably armed, so I’m assuming he’ll be up high. This op is a silent one, the goal is to take out the enemy one man at a time…up close and personal. Take ’em out, leave ’em where they are. We’ll mop up after we have Em and Annie safe and away from here. Any questions?”
“How long is the colonel giving us?” Blade asked Ghost.
“Twenty minutes. That’s all the time he could buy us with the general. He’s had enough of this soldier jealousy bullshit and is giving us time to go in and get this done without having to involve anyone else. I can’t believe he’s even giving us that, but he knows we’re good at what we do and he’d rather keep this as quiet as possible. As it is right now, the waiting troops think this is merely another training mission. If we can’t get it done in twenty, the general will inform the platoon sergeants what’s really going on and go from there.”
“Soldier jealousy bullshit?” Fletch bit out, pissed off.
Ghost held up his hand. “Now’s not the time. We need to end this. You have your shit together?”
“Yes.” It was obvious Fletch did not have his shit together, but every man knew he’d do what needed to be done.
“These assholes aren’t going to play fair, so move slowly but with purpose, and make sure you don’t find yourself locked inside one of those goddamn boxes. Got it?” Ghost asked, looking at each member of his team. They’d discussed how that was probably the other soldiers’ plans…isolate and lock them up, keep them contained.
When everyone nodded, Ghost gave the signal to move out, keeping his hand on Fletch’s arm as everyone faded off into the countryside.
“Seriously, Fletch, you need to lock it down. Emily and Annie need you,” Ghost lectured.
“Do you remember how you felt when you realized Rayne was inside that building in Egypt?” Fletch asked in a steady voice.
“Yes.”
“Then you know a little about how I’m feeling right now. I’m pissed off that we aren’t allowed to kill these fuckers. You were able to get closure by knowing you shot that asswipe who wanted to rape Rayne. I don’t know if Em and Annie are even in here. I don’t know what they’ve done to them. I don’t even know if they’re together. So if I’m a bit out of sorts, you’ll have to fucking forgive me.”
“I do know how you feel, but you know as well as I do we can’t go rogue on this. Jacks is going to federal prison after this is over.”
The argument seemed to do nothing to calm Fletch down. “He crashed into her car. He drugged them. He’s playing a fucking game with us…he deserves to die!”
“Your entire goal is to find and retrieve Emily and Annie. That’s it. Period. You know we’ve got your back. These assholes aren’t going to get away with this. We might not be able to kill them…but that’s the only thing we promised the colonel.”
At that, Fletch turned his eyes on his friend. “As much as I want them to hurt, don’t lose your career over this, Ghost.”
Ghost put his hand on Fletch’s back. “No one fucks with Delta. As much as Rayne is Delta, so are Emily and Annie now. When we find them, you keep Jacks’s attention on you however you have to. Mess with his head, taunt him, whatever it takes. We’ll have your back and he won’t hurt either of them. Trust me?”
“With their lives,” Fletch said immediately.
“Good. Tonight a message will be sent…loud and clear…with no blowback,” Ghost reassured his teammate.
The two men stared at each other, completely on the same page.
“The back-up plan is in play, just in case,” Ghost informed Fletch.
“No blowback?”
“Absolutely none,” Ghost confirmed. “If things go south and that fucker gets in a position where we can’t get to him, he’ll be taken care of.”
Fletch felt his shoulders relax a bit. He still wasn’t happy, but the reassurance from Ghost made him feel a little better about the entire fucked-up situation. He wasn’t sure what his team leader had in mind, but he trusted Ghost with his life.
With Emily and Annie’s lives.
It was enough.
“Come on, it’s time to end this shit. Let’s go get your daughter and her mom,” Ghost grunted.
The words struck Fletch hard. His daughter.
Yes, Annie was his. As was Emily.
All of his focus turned to the mission at hand. Nothing would touch his family as long as he was alive to prevent it.
Chapter 19
“When you get outside, you need to pretend to be one of your Army men,” Emily lectured Annie. “Move slowly and carefully. Look around you and don’t make any sudden movements. Don’t forget, the enemy soldiers could be above you.”
“Got it.” Annie was serious as she nodded at her mom.
“Fletch is out there somewhere, I know he is. Your goal is to find Fletch, or one of his teammates. Understand? If you see one of the bad guys—the ones who took us from our car were wearing camouflage clothes—you need to hide until they’re gone.”
“How will I know the difference?”
It was a smart question. One, unfortunately, Emily didn’t really have an answer for. She tapped Annie’s head. “You’re going to have to use your noggin.” As far as answers went, it sucked, but Emily continued, “Fletch and his friends like to wear all black. Head to toe. You’ve seen Fletch’s clothes, right?”
Annie nodded.
“Okay then, if you see someone out there, wait and watch them. Don’t run up to them without making sure it’s a friend. Not even if you think it’s Truck or any of the others. Some of the bad guys could be wearing black, but I’m hoping they’re all in camo clothes. Count to
ten inside your head and see what they do. If they look as though they’re coming toward you, rather than looking outward, they’re probably safe.”
“I understand, Mommy.”
“I said probably,” Emily warned, not liking anything about this situation, and unconsciously drawing it out. “The bottom line is, if you aren’t one hundred percent sure if the person you see is Fletch or one of the other good guys, do not reveal yourself. Stay hidden. It’s important, baby.”
Annie nodded again.
“I’m proud of you, Annie. You are an excellent soldier. You’ve been practicing for this for a long time, yeah?” Emily tried to bolster Annie’s confidence. She was feeling anything but good about sending her six-year-old out into the unknown, but the alternatives were almost more frightening. Almost. She remembered the looks Jacks had given the little girl. The man was sick, and the last thing she wanted was him getting his hands on her daughter.
Emily kissed Annie on the forehead and pulled her into a tight embrace, not wanting to let her go.
Finally, Emily pulled back and looked into her daughter’s eyes. “I love you, baby girl. Be safe. Be smart.”
“I will. I love you too. I’ll find Fletch and bring him to rescue you.”
Emily smiled at her daughter through her tears, suddenly having second thoughts. They hadn’t been bothered so far, maybe they both should stay put.
But Annie was already lying on her belly and had her head out the small hole they’d made.
They’d waited until the footsteps above their head were at the other end of the box, trying to time Annie’s escape perfectly. Her daughter wiggled and squirmed her way through the small hole until her hips popped through. It was a tight squeeze, but Annie was right, she had been able to fit. The little girl pulled her legs up under her and suddenly she was gone.
Emily leaned down and peered out the hole, but couldn’t see Annie at all. It was as if she’d simply vanished into thin air.
One side of Emily was pleased, but the other couldn’t help but freak out.
What had she done? She’d sent her six-year-old out into the dark in the middle of what was essentially a turf war between two gangs.
Emily fell back on her butt and scooted backward until her back hit the opposite wall of the container. She hugged her knees to her chest, resting her head on them, and prayed that Fletch or one of the other good guys would find Annie soon. She shivered to think about what would happen if Jacks or one of his idiot friends got their hands on her daughter.
What was done was done, but Emily couldn’t help the tears that coursed down her cheeks.
“Find her, Fletch. Please.” The words were whispered into the stale air, but Emily hoped someone upstairs was listening.
* * *
Fletch glanced at his watch. Seven minutes had gone by since the team had silently stalked off into the night. Thirteen minutes remaining before the colonel and the general brought in reinforcements. Twenty minutes was enough time for the Deltas to take care of business, but they would’ve been happier with at least forty-five. As soon as Jacks figured out he’d lost…again, there was no telling what he’d do.
Fletch had foregone night-vision goggles, knowing all it would take was one small flashlight beam to screw up his vision for too many precious seconds. There was enough light from the partial moon to allow him to see where he was going. Fletch had only run into one of Jacks friends, and the man had been rendered unconscious without even knowing Fletch was behind him. They really were a bunch of amateurs compared to the Deltas. It should’ve made Fletch happy that the takedown of the man in his sector had been so easy, but he was in the mood for a fight, one that obviously wasn’t going to happen because of their inexperience.
Making his way silently toward the center of the city—where Beth had suggested, and the team agreed, Emily and Annie were most likely stashed—Fletch paused at the end of one of the Conexes. He went to his belly and didn’t move a muscle, trying to make out what he’d just heard.
Shuffling noises were coming from around the corner of the box he was lying next to. Someone was trying to be quiet, but they were doing a piss-poor job of it. It was as if the soldier had never had any training in evasive maneuvers before. Pathetic.
Using the tactics he’d learned from spending two weeks in sniper school, Fletch moved slowly—so slowly, if someone wasn’t looking right at him, they’d still never see him. Crawling on the ground, he inched his way just far enough past the end of the container to check out what the noises were.
It took Fletch a moment for his brain to process what he was seeing.
He’d been expecting to see one of Jacks’s soldiers. But it wasn’t. It was Annie. She had flattened herself against the side of the container and was slithering alongside it as if she was trying to meld herself to the metal.
Something in Fletch’s belly lurched at seeing the little girl seemingly safe and sound. He didn’t immediately do anything to catch her eye though. Peering past her, and all around him, Fletch didn’t see anyone else. While part of him was relieved, the other part didn’t like that Emily wasn’t with her daughter. Why would they have been separated? Had something happened to Emily? Was Jacks using Annie as bait for some reason?
Knowing he’d never get the answers he needed without talking to the little girl, he calculated his odds and decided that getting Annie in his arms and away from her too-vulnerable position was the best move at this point. She was trying very hard to be sneaky, but unfortunately, her blonde hair, her clothes scraping against the metal container, and her upright stance were beacons pointing right to her. She might as well have been running screaming through the makeshift village.
Not knowing how the little girl would react to seeing him pop up in the middle of the darkness, and not wanting his position to be given away, Fletch moved quickly. As soon as Annie was looking the other way, he sprang upward and took a few huge, silent running steps toward her. Gathering her up in his arms, he put one hand over her mouth to keep her surprised shriek muffled, and quickly eased back around the opposite side of the container.
Moving rapidly, wanting to reassure Annie as soon as possible that it was him, he went back the way he came, where he knew with more certainty they were clear of bad guys.
Glancing around and seeing nothing, Fletch knelt with Annie still in his arms, her back to his chest. She was struggling as hard as a six-year-old could. He put his mouth next to her ear and whispered, “It’s me, sprite. Fletch.”
She stilled as if he’d unplugged her. To make sure she’d understood, he reassured her again. “I’ve got you, Annie. You’re safe.”
Seeing she’d heard him, and understood, Fletch turned her and barely held himself upright as she threw herself into his arms. Obviously understanding the need to be quiet, she told him in a soft voice, “I knew I’d find you.”
“That you did. You did good.” Fletch pried her off him and held her by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. He wanted to spend more time reassuring her, and praising her for being as quiet as she could, but he needed to know about Emily. “Where’s your mom?”
“I don’t know.” Annie’s answer was short and to the point. “We woke up in a box. The corner was rustling, and we pried the metal up but it was only big enough for me to get out.”
“Rusting?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“What direction?” Fletch knew his questions were too brusque, but he couldn’t help it. The thought of Emily being desperate enough to send Annie out into the darkness without her was enough to know how precarious the situation was.
Annie pointed back the way she’d come. It looked as if Beth had been right. Fletch had almost made it to the center of the city when he’d come across Annie. He glanced at his watch. He only had ten more minutes to end this his way. He didn’t want to leave the little girl, but for the moment she was safe. Emily wasn’t.
“You did an excellent job in finding me, Annie, but I need to go and get you
r mom.”
She nodded solemnly. Annie was a unique little girl. She should be freaking out, crying, something, but instead she simply looked him in the eye and waited for whatever direction he was going to give her.
“You know I love you, don’t you?” Fletch asked the little girl.
She nodded again.
“You should know, I’m going to ask your mom to marry me as soon as the time is right.”
“Really?” Annie breathed, her eyes going wide. “Has it been ten dates?”
Fletch didn’t know what the number of dates he and Emily had been on had to do with anything, but answered affirmatively anyway.
“Will that make you my daddy for real?” Annie whispered, tilting her head inquisitively.
Fletch had never thought he was an emotional person, but hearing the awe and hope in Annie’s voice almost did him in. “If it’s okay with you, and your mom, yes. I want to adopt you and become your daddy legally.”
Showing how smart she was, Annie asked, practically hopping up and down in her excitement, “So I’ll be Fletch then too?”
He understood what she meant. “Yes, sprite. You’ll be Annie Fletcher.”
“Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!”
“But for now, you need to keep this between us…okay? Can you keep it a secret? I want it to be a surprise for your mom.”
“Yeah, I’m a good secret-keeper.”
She wasn’t, but at the moment, it didn’t matter. Fletch took a deep breath. Okay, he had shit to do. He spoke into the mic at his throat, giving his coordinates to the colonel, who was listening in and ready to send in men to assist if needed.
“Here’s the plan, little soldier,” he told Annie in a serious voice as soon as he was assured a Ranger was on his way to their position. It was as if his words tripped a switch inside the young girl. She stopped smiling and nodded at him seriously. Once again, Fletch thought that she acted way older than her six years.