POTTER (The Trident Series Book 2)

by Jaime Lewis

  Now he sat here drinking a beer with his team. It was nice to be able to kick back and enjoy moments with the guys. He loved the camaraderie amongst the team and the close-knit community they all shared.

  Stitch was getting ready to respond to the commander when Juliette interrupted them as she ran into the bar going straight to Derek. When she reached the table, it became clear that something was wrong. She had tears running down her face, and Derek took her into his arms. Potter suddenly got a funny sensation in his gut that whatever was going on had to do with Tenley.

  “Derek! Oh god, Derek.” She cried out as she grabbed onto Derek’s shirt and buried her head in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. “I didn’t know who to call.”

  Derek grabbed hold of her shoulders. “Juliette…calm down. What’s wrong, baby?” He started looking her over as if she were injured. Juliette was a very level-headed person, and it took a lot for something to get her as worked up as she was right now.

  She looked up at Derek and then looked over at Potter, tears still streaming down her face, and he knew in that instant her words were going to tilt everything.

  “It’s Tenley. She’s missing.”

  Potter thought the world had stopped moving as he stood there, staring at Juliette.

  “What do you mean she’s missing? Did someone contact you?” Derek asked, wiping some tears from her face trying to calm her down.

  “I got a call from Nick, one of the directors in Ecuador. He said she never returned to camp after her shift, and when they sent someone out to the tent she was working at there had been signs of a struggle. She’s gone. My baby’s gone. Who would’ve taken her?” She cried in Derek’s arms.

  Potter could think of several people down in South America who would snatch up a beautiful American woman in a heartbeat. South America was a haven for human trafficking and prostitution. Someone with the looks of Tenley could bring in a lot of money.

  “Let me call some of my contacts and see if they have any other information. Okay?” Derek told Juliette as he consoled her.

  Derek pulled his phone from his pocket and was immediately barking at someone on the phone. Potter took that moment to look around at each team member. As he looked at each one in the eye, he saw the worry and deep concern each of them silently expressed. They all knew in these types of situations the chances of finding the person were slim. Suddenly he felt like he was going to be sick. He needed some fresh air.

  He glanced over at Ace. “I’m going outside for a minute.” Ace just nodded his head, and Potter knew that Ace understood all too well how upsetting this was for him. After all, Ace went through a similar situation last year when terrorists kidnapped Alex.

  Stepping out onto the restaurant’s back patio, he let the cold February air seep into his skin. He walked over the side of the deck that overlooked the water and hung his head. He couldn’t fathom the fact that Tenley had been taken.

  He gripped the deck railing tight as his body started to shake with rage. He wanted to jump on a plane that instant and head to Ecuador to start looking for her. If she was even still there. My god, he couldn’t imagine what she was going through.

  He felt a hand grip his shoulder catching him off guard. He turned going on the defensive. Christ, this situation had left him unfocused. When he turned, Ace was standing there ready to counter his attack.

  Potter turned back toward the water and grabbed onto the railing again. He imagined the railing was the neck of the person who kidnapped Tenley as he squeezed harder, and he thought he had put enough pressure to break the person’s neck.

  “We’ll find her.” Ace said, standing beside him.

  “I can’t lose her man. She can’t be taken from me this way.” Potter said to Ace, shaking his head as he loosened his hold on the railing.

  “It sucks, and I feel your pain, man. I’m going to give your words back to you.” Potter hadn’t a clue to what in the hell Ace was talking about. “Remember back in Afghanistan when Alex was kidnapped, and I said the same thing to you?” Potter remembered and nodded. “What did you tell me?”

  Potter recalled that horrible incident last year when Alex had been taken right from under their noses by a terrorist they were hunting. Ace had been a bear to deal with then. He never thought he’d see Alex again. But because of Alex’s courage, she killed the men holding her captive before they could kill her.

  Potter glanced over at Ace, remembering his words. “I told you that everything would work out. But this is different, Ace. A whole different situation.”

  “How so?” Ace asked.

  “For one, Alex, at least, had the training to defend herself. Tenley only knows some basic self-defense moves. And two, we’ve conducted rescue missions before down there. These guys who run the cartels and trafficking down in South America are ruthless. You know for a fact as much as I do that the area she’s in is a known hot spot for that shit. Especially a beautiful American woman. You’ve seen the women we’ve rescued before from those countries. I just can’t imagine Tenley going through something that terrifying like those innocent women went through.”

  “We don’t know anything yet, Potter. Let’s not jump to any conclusions until we hear something.” Ace looked over his shoulder and saw the commander waving them in. “Come on, let’s see what Derek says, okay?”

  Potter released the railing and nodded his head. There was nothing he could at that moment but obey.

  Fuck! Now all he could think about was if he would’ve just stayed that morning and listened to what else she wanted to tell him. Would it have made a difference right now? He wasn’t sure because she’d still be in Ecuador, and he’d still be here. But just maybe if they would’ve worked their differences out, she would at least have something to fight for; someone to fight to come back home to. He now feared her last thoughts would be the hateful things he said to her. He would regret them for the rest of his life if they didn’t find her alive.

  As he made his way back inside, he decided that with or without the government’s help, he would head to Ecuador to help bring her home.

  ◆◆◆

  Tenley awoke as a gentle hand caressed her forehead. When she opened her eyes, a strange man was standing over her where she lay. She recalled the two men attacking her at the tent, but this guy looked nothing like them. Not sure what to think, she tried to sit up quickly, but her head exploded in pain at the sudden movement, forcing her back down onto the pillow.

  “Hold still, Ma Chere. I’ll get you some pain medicine and some ice.” The man said to her in a soothing voice before he quickly left the room. He had a very thick accent, but his English was impeccable.

  Tenley tried to look around, but she couldn’t see much. One because she was lying down and two, she couldn’t seem to get her eyes to focus. She felt a little dizzy, so she closed her eyes again, hoping to rid the sensation. Awful realizations started to creep into her mind making her realize she had been kidnapped. Fear hit her insides, and she tried to sit up again, but her head still wouldn’t allow it. She’d heard stories of how women in this part of the world just disappeared and were never heard from again. Would she be part of that statistic now? Were they planning on using her for prostitution, slavery, ransom? Her body started to shake in fear, and her eyes began to tear up. She was scared and wanted to go home. She had even made a deal with herself that if she made it back safely, she would confess everything to her family and friends. That included Potter too, even if he hated her; she was going to make him listen.

  She heard the door open, and she kept her eyes closed. A chair scraped against the tile floor, and she took a peek watching as the same man pulled a chair over next to her before sitting down.

  He touched her arm, and she was shocked by his gentleness. As she open doth her eyes, he smiled at her, and she studied him for a moment. The man was older but attractive for his age. Weren’t kidnappers supposed to be ugly and smelly? Like the two men who attacked her. If she had to guess, this guy was around th
e same age as Derek, maybe even a few years older, putting him in his late fifties, early sixties. He was wearing a black golf shirt and tan khaki pants that were neatly pressed. Judging from the muscles in his arms, he kept himself fit. His black hair was peppered with grey throughout, and when he smiled, his eyes crinkled at the corners. His smile was warm and genuine, but there was something familiar that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  What the hell was she thinking? Was she seriously judging the attractiveness of her kidnapper? For heaven’s sake, how hard had that blow to her head been? She reached up and touched the goose-egged size lump on the side of her head and winced.

  He smiled again and reached his hand out as he spoke softly to her. “Hi, Tenley. My name is Miguel.”

  Tenley’s eyes widened at the mention of her name. Then she looked down at the man’s hand, wondering if she should shake it or not. After a few seconds of staring at it, she decided it was probably in her best interest not to insult the man. He looked like he held some sort of authority, and she didn’t want to piss her host off, so she reached out and took his hand.

  His touch was gentle as his molten brown eyes held her gaze. “You’re probably wondering where you are and why.” She nodded, even though the simple movement sent streaks of pain through her head. She didn’t want to speak if she didn’t have to. But then she supposed it would be rude not to say anything.

  Managing to find her voice, though it was a bit shaky, she asked, “Where am I?”

  “You are at my private estate. A couple of my employees rescued you from the men who attacked you.”

  She looked up at him surprisingly and then scrunched her eyebrows together. “I don’t remember seeing anybody else.” She started to tear up as she wondered what those men had done to her.

  Miguel took her hand and squeezed. “My men got to you before anything more happened to you.”

  “Who were they, and what happened to them?”

  “I’m not sure. They could’ve been part of the militia fighting the government for control of the area your camp is in. Or, they could’ve just been looking to steal what they could find to make quick money. Unfortunately, that included you as well. I can promise you that neither one of them will bother anyone again.

  Tenley swallowed hard at the thought of being taken and sold. She had so many more questions she wanted to ask Miguel. Who was he? Why were his men in the area? Why did they bring her here? How long had she been unconscious? Jesus, the list could go on.

  She tried to sit up again, this time she fought through the pain and dizziness until she managed. Miguel helped her, placing his hand against her back and lifting.

  “You took a pretty hard kick to your head. As soon as I heard what happened, I called my private physician. Without taking any scans, he said you most likely have a concussion. He gave you a shot of Toradol to help with the pain. To be on the safe side, I did wake you every hour; however, I doubt you remember as you immediately fell back asleep.” He told her as he handed her a bottle of water and a couple of pain relievers. He was right; she didn’t remember anything.

  Miguel had to be someone important, not to mention wealthy to have a private doctor on speed dial. The least she could do was say thank you, considering what could’ve happened to her. But she was still a bit cautious and wondered what his actual intentions with her were.

  She took a sip of water and swallowed the pills, then picked at the label on the water bottle. It was a nervous habit. “I guess I should thank you. You know, for saving my life.”

  He smiled softly at her. “You’re welcome. You’re a stunning woman, Tenley. You shouldn’t have been working alone. Not in this part of the world. There are a lot of people who would pay a large sum of money for your beauty.” She noticed his smile turned into a slight scowl as if something like that happening upset him.

  Miguel reminded her of Potter and his team when they had grilled her on what to do and not to do while she was here. They even made her promise them that she would never place herself in a situation that left her alone. She almost snorted a laugh. They would be disappointed if they knew the predicament she was in now. She couldn’t worry about that now. What was important was that she was alive, though a tad bit banged up. Tenley looked back at Miguel, who watched her with a careful eye. She had a feeling this guy didn’t miss much.

  “Can I ask you a question, Miguel? And please don’t think I’m ungrateful when I ask.”

  “You may. I expected you to have questions.”

  “Why exactly am I here? How do you know my name? And why didn’t your men just take me back to my camp if they knew where I was staying?”

  She took a big breath, and Miguel chuckled. “I believe that was three questions. But let’s start with the first one, shall we?”

  “I have a few questions I’d like to ask about an old friend of yours.” She gave him a puzzled look. Who on earth could she know that this guy wanted information on? Then he said a name that sent her almost into shock. “His name is Chaz Westlock.”

  Her shoulders slumped, and she dropped her head into her hands. Even thousands of miles away, the man still wreaked havoc on her life.

  “Jesus, please tell me that asshole hasn’t put me in the middle of one of his goddamn messes. I swear whatever Chaz has done to you, I am no way involved. I’ve washed my hands of him.”

  Miguel laughed again, and she looked at him. If he was laughing, maybe she wasn’t in as much trouble as she thought she was. But what would Miguel want with Chaz?

  “I take it Mr. Westlock is definitely an old friend of yours?” Miguel asked, emphasizing the word old. He opened another bottle of water and handed it to her.

  She thanked him, then debated on how to answer his question. She didn’t know the connection between this guy and Chaz. What if they were friends, and Miguel told Chaz what she said? He’d punish her for sure if that were the case. She nibbled on her bottom lip, another nervous habit of hers.

  “You seem nervous, and that is not my intention. I’m not here to harm you, Tenley. Nothing you say to me will leave this room. Mr. Westlock has taken an interest in a business of mine, and the suddenness of it doesn’t sit right with me. I believe he may be working with an enemy of mine to undermine me.”

  She snorted a laugh and looked at him. “Did it ever occur to you to just pick up the phone and call me? I mean, you had to have known how to reach me since you found me here.”

  He chuckled. “My apologies. This didn’t exactly turn out the way I had planned; however, I will not apologize for my men being there to come to your aid. I just wished they could have gotten to you sooner before those fuckers laid a hand on you. My estate was the only safe place to bring you. I had planned on making contact with you before you left the country. I promise you will be returned to your camp safe and sound.”

  She saw how his expression changed to a look of regret, and she wondered why that was. From her interaction with him so far, he didn’t come across as a man who regretted much.

  He relaxed back in the chair, casually, crossing one leg over his other, then looked at her intently. “I’m a businessman, Tenley. Some of my business dealings are not conventional.”

  She swallowed hard before she nodded her head. Miguel was involved in illegal activities. She thought back to earlier last year when her and Chaz’s relationship had started to head south. It was shortly after she had attended that function in Richmond with him that she suspected he was involved in something not on the up and up, but she wasn’t a hundred percent sure. Since she was sitting here, and Miguel wanted information on Chaz, she was pretty confident her assumption had been correct. Oh god, was he going to kill her now that she knew about him? She lowered her eyes and started nibbling her lip again.

  “Tenley,” He leaned forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, and he smiled at her. The more she looked him over, the more she thought he didn’t have the face of someone who killed people.

  That’s beca
use for someone with as much power as him, he probably has people do the killing for him, dumb ass!

  “Are you going to kill me? Because, if you are, can I at least call my mom to tell her I love her before you do?”

  Miguel couldn’t hold back his laughter. His laugh echoed through the room, and he shook his head. “No, sweetheart. I’m not going to kill you. After we talk a little, I planned on letting you get cleaned up. My housekeeper found you some clothes, and she left them in the bathroom. Then, if you’re up to it, I’ll have her whip up some breakfast since it is morning. If you would like, you can rest a little while longer. I’ll make sure that nobody disturbs you. The doctor will be back this afternoon to have another look at you, and if he gives you the all-clear, then I’ll have Javier drive you back to your camp. We’re only about an hour from it.”

  She slumped back on the couch. “Can I still call my mom? Or at least a way to contact my colleagues at the camp? I’m sure they’re freaking out by now.”

  She watched as Miguel seemed to ponder the question before she saw that familiar look of regret cross his face. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be asking you for things. I should be thankful I’m alive.”

  “It’s not that Tenley. If I knew it was safe, I’d let you call whomever you’d like. But with my background and dealings, I never know who could be listening.”

  She understood. Then she looked into his eyes. Potter always told her that she could read a person just by their eyes. Miguel’s eyes indicated trust. Plus, he hadn’t done or said anything that could make her believe otherwise, so what did she have to lose? She sat up straighter, tucked a stray tendril of hair behind her ear, and smiled softly.

  “Okay. What exactly can I help you out with concerning my ex-boyfriend?” She asked, and he smiled.