Arms of Serenity (Rock Services)

by Lynn, Donina

  If she got a chance she would run. Becca knew an attempt was basically futile and probably suicidal, but she had to at least try and wouldn’t give up without some type of fight. She tried to get her hands free from whatever they had used to restrain them, and when that didn’t work, she tried standing up. The effort caused her muscles to groan in protest. She ached from sitting for so long in the same position and from kicking at anything her feet could connect with while Tommy drove her here.

  Becca was physically and mentally exhausted. She had screamed into the gag until her throat was raw and cried until her blindfold was wet against her face. Fear was a great motivator, though. All of the possibilities of what they could be planning on doing to her kept her alert and refusing to give in to the exhaustion. She cocked her head, straining to listen, again. Anything might help. If she could hear a voice or noise, then maybe she could figure out where she was or what was going to happen next.

  Nothing.

  The silence that surrounded her was deafening, and she fought back a new set of tears. None of this would be happening if she had just gone up to the apartment to get Nick before opening the shop. But she had wanted to let him sleep, and Tommy hadn’t shown himself around her or the bakery since that day. How could she have possibly known that the minute she turned the key, Tommy would come out of nowhere and push his way inside? She should have listened to Nick’s warning and been more careful. His instincts had been right all along.

  What would Nick do when he realized she was missing? Would he call the police? Was he out driving around looking for her? Whatever all of this was leading to, it couldn’t be good, and her one regret was never telling Nick how she felt about him.

  Over the last few days, Nick had tried over and over again to show her how much he loved her and reassure her that somehow they would make it work. But no matter what he did or said, Becca just couldn’t allow herself to give in to the unknown. That single possibility of him leaving was enough for her to start pulling away and revert back to the frightened girl who refused to take a chance on love.

  How could she have been so foolish? She had wasted so much time worrying about what was going to happen and fearing her happiness being taken away, when she should have been thankful for what she had been given. Nick was everything she didn’t even know she had been hoping for and so much more. In her eyes, he was perfect, and she had been stupid enough to overlook the amazing gift he had been offering—his love.

  Becca wouldn’t make that mistake again. She knew now that she wanted to make it work, wanted the dream of waking up next to him each morning, and wanted that fairy-tale ending. She loved him more than she could have imagined possible. And she silently promised herself that if she made it out of this she wouldn’t hesitate to tell him just that.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Nick pulled the Jeep over and checked the time. He had made it well under the three hour deadline. Around the corner, the members of Rock would be waiting and ready. The question was—was he ready?

  After Todd had gathered everyone, they conference-called and strategized while Nick broke every speed limit getting there. They had formed a tentative plan and agreed on a rendezvous point a few blocks to the north of where Morris had Becca.

  Even Klingerman was on board to help. He would provide intel and resources, but wouldn’t offer any additional manpower. Depending on how this played out, he couldn’t risk involving anyone within the CIA. Nick couldn’t blame him for wanting to keep his distance.

  By this time, Todd should have enough information to have finalized the plan for the mission. Nick ran his hand down his face. The word mission caused a knot to form in his chest. His last one had ended in the loss of someone he cared about and a member of his team.

  Now, he was faced with rescuing the only woman he had ever loved. Self-doubt filled him. What if he couldn’t save her? What if something he did or said cost her her life? Nick knew Morris wasn’t going to let her go when he walked in there. There was no way this wasn’t going to end in bloodshed.

  Nick grabbed his cell phone and opened the picture Morris had sent with Becca’s phone. She was sitting on a chair with her hands and legs tied, and they had her blindfolded and gagged. The bastard had even put a caption with the picture that read, “Miss you. Wish you were here.”

  Becca still had on her apron she wore in the kitchen, and Nick could see the stains where she absently wiped her hands when she was baking. He had joked with her that he was going to get her one of those aprons that looked like the body of a large chested woman wearing a bikini. That comment had earned him some flour in the face and a quick chase around the kitchen ending with him catching her for a heated kiss.

  Running the pad of his thumb over the display of the phone, he could almost feel her soft full lips and smooth skin. He desperately wanted to reach through to stroke her jaw and cradle her cheek while whispering that she wasn’t alone. His chest ached at the thought of how frightened she must be, and he wished he could somehow reassure her that he was near.

  Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Nick put his cell in his pocket and banged on the steering wheel in frustration.

  “Fuck.” He banged the wheel again and again. “What the fuck did I do? How could I let this happen?” He ran his hand through his hair. He needed to pull it together and fast.

  Stepping out of the Jeep, he reached in and grabbed his gear. He turned in the direction of where she was being held and whispered, “I’m coming, Angel.”

  Nick scanned the area and made his way around the corner. He knocked on the van, jumping in when Todd opened the door. The inside was a typical CIA surveillance van. Shane was at the console, Evan and Todd seated on a bench. Nick nodded at everyone.

  “Klingerman came through.”

  Shane turned from watching the camera feeds. “He wants to get Morris as much as we do. We’re going to rescue her, Boomer.”

  Shane had been Nick’s Communications Sergeant on his Special Forces team. The man was an expert when it came to any type of technology and an even better soldier. Nick knew he would do whatever it took to get Becca out of there.

  “Thanks, man.”

  Nick turned to Todd and Evan. Evan was an ex-Navy Seal and the first to join Rock. He might be new to the team, but Nick trusted him. In his opinion, if any of the members were willing to risk their lives to save Becca, he would trust every one of them whether he knew them or not.

  “In case I don’t get a chance to say it, thank you to you two also.”

  Todd spread out the drawing of the warehouse. “Man, you can thank us later when we have your woman back. Right now, let’s focus on getting her.”

  Nick nodded and leaned forward to listen to Todd go over the plan. “Sara and Sean are positioned on a rooftop here to take out the two guards at the loading dock. Colin and Davis are here for the ones at the front. Four total, heavily armed.”

  Nick looked at the drawings. “Are there any other points of entry?”

  Todd shook his head. “Other than the windows, no.”

  “What about inside? How many and what’s stored in there?”

  “We’ve counted four. No one has come in and out for the last hour. All we know for sure is that there are rows of heavy equipment down the east side. The building was used as a textile factory. There are rooms in the back area, but we don’t know what could still be in there. We already ruled out explosives.”

  Nick nodded. Any type of blast could cause the whole place to blow depending on the type and amount of chemicals that might be lying around in there. “Agreed. What’s the sequence?”

  “Five minutes after you go in, Colin and Davis will get up close and personal with the two guards in the front. They will be able to overtake them undetected here and here.”

  Nick watched Todd point to covered areas along the sides of the building. In the daylight, it would be tricky to go unnoticed but not impossible. If Todd thought they could take out the two front guards without being
detected, then Nick believed him.

  “When they confirm their targets are down, Sara and Sean will take out the guards in the back. That’s when all hell will break. Colin and Davis will come through the front as Evan and I are coming in through the back. You have five minutes to scrap the mission until we come knocking.”

  “I’m going to have to go in clean. No weapons, wires, devices, anything. Cyber, you have eyes on me?”

  Shane turned around again. “Yeah, I have camera feeds that give me a line of sight up to here.” He pointed to an area on the map within the building and then drew a circle toward the front entrance. “You need to stay within this boundary or I lose you. Toward the walls and back are blind. To be sure, stay as close to the front as you can and about fifty feet to either side.”

  “Have you gotten a visual on Becca?” Nick hoped Shane had seen where they were keeping her and that he could confirm she was still alive. He didn’t think Becca would be harmed until he was inside. If Nick had read Morris correctly, the sadistic prick wanted him to watch as they tortured and killed her. But Morris was dangerous, and that meant be prepared for anything.

  “Sorry, Boomer. Wherever they have her, I haven’t been able to see her.”

  That’s not what Nick wanted to hear. He nodded as Shane went back to the console and then checked his watch. They had fifteen minutes. He caught Todd’s attention and tilted his head in the direction of the door. He gave another thank you to Evan and Shane then hopped out of the van.

  Todd closed the door and turned to look at Nick. “Are you ready for this?”

  “Yeah.”

  Nick nodded as he inwardly shook his head. Who was he kidding? Even he didn’t believe himself.

  “Bullshit. I know you, man, and right now your head isn’t anywhere near where it needs to be. You need to shake whatever is going in there and focus on the objective.”

  “I did this. It’s my fault she’s in there.”

  “Dammit, Nick. You feel guilty? You think you’re to blame for that bastard having her? Then fine, it’s your fault. So what if it is? None of that means shit right now. You know what does? What the fuck you are going to do about it? Are you going to go in there and make this right? Or are you going to just stand there with your head up your ass feeling sorry for yourself?”

  Nick let Todd’s words sink in. He was right. Nothing up until that moment mattered. He was going to save her, and then he was going to do what he had to ensure that she would never be in danger again.

  With his determination and focus back, Nick slapped Todd on his shoulder. “Let’s roll.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Nick walked a few blocks around and approached the front guards from the opposite direction of the van. When they drew their guns, he put his hands in the air. “Easy, guys, I have an invitation.”

  The smaller of the two spoke into his radio and nodded when the approval came over to let Nick in. With weapons aimed at his back, Nick slowly edged his way through the door when it opened. Two more of Morris’s men were directly in front of him with their sights on his head and chest.

  Nick stopped and remained still. He kept his hands up and watched the men’s faces waiting for their next move. They stood motionless and returned the stare. Nick recognized their stance and the look in their eyes. He gave a silent curse knowing they were military.

  “Nicholas. It’s wonderful that you could make it.” Nick heard the familiar voice as his footsteps on concrete floor drew closer. “Gene and Daryl, please make our guest welcome.” The taller of the two lowered his gun and stepped toward him. He patted Nick down and then stood giving a nod.

  “Wonderful. I see you can follow direction well, Nicholas.”

  Nick put his hands down and stepped forward as the two facing him changed their position to flank his back. When the men moved, Morris appeared.

  Being Special Forces, expect the unexpected was a motto that could cover your ass in most situations and keep it in one piece when you were deep in a crap storm. But, with all of his training and experience even Nick wasn’t prepared for the surprise of seeing Morris for the first time.

  The confidence in his words and demanding tone he had given, defied the picture of the man that was in front of him. He looked frail, and if Nick would have to venture a guess, somewhere in his early seventies. He towered over Morris easily by a foot, and when he looked down at him Nick could see the age spots that littered his balding head. The tailored suit he was wearing accentuated his small thin frame, and when Nick looked harder he could almost detect slight tremors that rippled along the fabric that ended in shaking hands.

  Morris reminded him of someone’s aging grandfather. Too bad he didn’t care. The bastard had kidnapped Becca, and for that Nick was going to make sure that he would never threaten or harm her or anyone else again. It took all of Nick’s restraint not to lunge and lift him off his feet to snap every bone in his body like a twig.

  Soon, a few more minutes.

  Nick did a quick scan of the building counting the men and weapons that were visible. The original count had been wrong. Not including Morris, there were six inside that he could see, and all were armed with automatic rifles and side-arms. If he had to guess, the rest of them were military also. The situation had gone from bad to worse, and he gave another silent curse.

  “Where is she, Morris?”

  “Yes, of course. You will see that I was true to my word, and she is unharmed.” Morris turned and nodded toward the rear of the building. Two men walked toward the back and opened a door that most likely was the office at one time. Another man emerged from the room pulling Becca with him.

  She was still gagged and blindfolded. Her hands were bound, but they had untied her legs letting her walk on her own. Nick could see her legs trembling, and he held his breath silently willing her not to stumble or fall as she clumsily tried to keep up with the man’s stride.

  He brought Becca to a stop about twenty feet in front of Nick. His heart dropped into his stomach at the sight of her looking so fragile and helpless. She looked defeated with her head down and shoulders slouched. Every muscle twitched, and he had to mentally order his feet not to move and go to her to wrap her in his arms.

  “It seems you forgot your manners again. You should be greeting your Rebecca, and then it would be polite if you show your gratitude for my keeping her safe in your absence.” Nick’s body went rigid as the words came out of Morris. He was going to enjoy ripping that condescending tongue out of his mouth and shoving it up his ass.

  “Angel? It’s Nick.” Nick called out to her waiting to see how she reacted to his voice. He didn’t know what she had been told or if anything had been done to her. Her head shot up, and he could hear muffled words coming from her.

  “Everything is going to be ok. Trust me, you’re going to be ok.”

  Nick’s heart, still in his stomach, broke into pieces as she nodded, a stray tear escaping from behind the blindfold and trailing down her cheek.

  ****

  The door opening suddenly ripped Becca out of her thoughts. She felt herself being pulled up as a hand, attached to a rough voice, clasped around her arm.

  “Let’s go.”

  On trembling legs, Becca struggled to remain on her feet as he pulled her along. She silently prayed she wouldn’t collapse, although the thought did cross her mind that it would serve them right if they had to pick her off the ground a couple of times. It might even help stall them from getting to their destination. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the end, that whatever they had planned to do with her was about to happen.

  All too soon the man halted her movements. Becca kept her head down trying to listen and get a sense of direction. If she was going to try to escape, this might be her only chance.

  The man who had untied her legs was talking to someone. Actually, by the tone of his voice and word choice, it was more like he was talking at someone. He was patronizing, egotistical and, in Becca’s opinion, obviously
overcompensating for some inadequacy with a full-blown superiority complex. All of which only reinforced her previous assumption that he was deranged. The voice that responded, however, was deep and familiar and brought Becca’s mental rambling to an immediate stop.

  It was Nick, and he was there! She snapped her head up, nearly jumping up and down. She didn’t know if they had taken him, or if he had come for her. All that was important was that he was there, and there was hope.

  “I love you!” She yelled into the gag repeating the same three words over and over again praying he would understand what she was saying.

  The tears welled up and escaped when she knew he didn’t. All she could do was nod her head letting him know she trusted him.

  Nick was telling someone named Morris to let her go when she heard two loud popping sounds coming from outside. People started to yell, and crashing sounds were coming from every direction. Guns were shooting, and she struggled against the guy who still grasped her arms. She heard bones crack and crunch behind her, and she felt her captor collapse to the ground. Nick was suddenly yelling in her ear to get down, and she immediately dropped to her knees, fell to her side, and rolled onto her stomach. She didn’t know what was happening, but it sounded like she was in the middle of a warzone.

  Becca flattened herself against the floor as much as she could and kept her head down as bullets flew around her. She could hear shouts above the gunfire, and terror crept up her spine when none of them sounded like Nick. Where was he? She didn’t know if he was still next to her or if he was even still alive. Becca silently pleaded for him not to be hurt or worse.

  Everything abruptly went silent as if a giant mute button had been pushed. Becca could suddenly hear her ragged breathing, and a tug at her arm caused her body to jump. She felt herself being helped off the ground, and she muttered into her gag.