“Asal,” she whispered, loud enough to get the attention of the woman and children.
They eyed her, but the woman went back to watching the child sleep soundly. Jealousy and anger rocketed through Sugar.
Three kids in an armored room—why were they there? What did GSI do with kids? Her heart banged. How soulless did a woman have to be to babysit kidnapped children?
Sugar’s protective nature urged her to gather up all the children, hug them, and promise everything would be okay. But first, she had to scoop Asal into her arms. Somehow, someway, she would make the world okay for Asal.
There were no guards inside the room, only outside the door. The woman was quickly becoming her number-one enemy. Sugar marched forward, on a mission to extract what was hers. “Who are you?”
“Who are you?” The woman countered, barely lifting her gaze from the sleeping kiddo.
Sugar swore to God that she saw the woman’s arms tighten around Asal. If children hadn’t been present, there might’ve been bloodshed.
“Not playing a game where the kids are involved.” Sugar stared at the woman. Fury approached a dangerous level, and she quickly tamped it down. “What kind of—” Pausing, she took in the items scattered around the woman. Water bottle. Ice pack. Thermometer. “What’s going on here?”
“Back off, lady.” The woman jutted her chin up, shifting Asal closer.
Sugar stared at Asal as she approached. Her dark curls were matted on her forehead. Her color had paled from what she remembered. Her lips were chapped. She didn’t look right.
Taking her attitude down several notches, Sugar swallowed against the growing lump in her throat. “Something’s wrong with her?”
“Get your pancakes and get out.” She nodded toward a side table littered with McDonald’s bags and fast-food breakfast items. “I don’t care how tough and bossy you guys think you are. This is the one area that is ours. Now, take your nosiness and back off.”
Say again? The woman’s petite size didn’t match the boldness of her order. The auburn hair and freckles screamed cute and sweet, despite the haggard lines and darkening circles under her eyes. Sugar tried to remember the last time someone had stood up to her and told her to back off. Never.
Sugar shifted in her high-heeled boots. “You think I’m one of them?”
“Yeah. No way you’re a doctor or a nurse or a freakin’ med student, so get your pancakes and go away.”
“I’m not GSI. What’s wrong with her?”
Nothing. Complete silence.
“Damn it.” Sugar sucked down a breath, trying to keep her cool. Panic made her lungs tight. A thousand concerns rushed through her head. Rather than snatching Asal and running to nowhere, she swallowed a thick dose of snark and took another step forward. “I’m Sugar.”
“Of course you are.”
“I don’t work with those guys. But I do have a vested interest in Asal. So, if you wouldn’t mind telling me what the fuck is going on, I’ll try to help.” A staggered breath pursed through her lips. So much for keeping my pissed-off on the down low. “For all I know, you’re some evil-hearted GSI babysitter, watching kidnapped kids for cold cash. Pardon me if I have a couple of questions about my girl.”
“Your girl?”
“Tell me what’s wrong with her.”
The woman studied her. Sugar guessed her makeup had been smeared during her Brock debacle. Her hair was disheveled and tied into a makeshift bun. Nothing about her appearance was doing her any favors. Sugar tried again. “Please, let me know what’s wrong.”
The distressed pitch of her words floated into the air. Desperate and exhausted.
The woman hugged Asal tightly for a long second. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She needs a doctor. Has a fever. Went to sleep two days ago, and it’s been impossible to keep her awake.”
Tears stung in Sugar’s eyes and behind her nose. “She’s not from here. No vaccines. Never seen a real doctor.”
“Oh.”
Sugar nodded, didn’t say anything, because her throat burned.
“How do you know that?”
“She’s from Afghanistan. We… these men I work with occasionally, saved her. Only to lose her again.”
“You do work for these men. Liar. Everyone here’s a liar.”
“Wrong.” Sugar tried to watch Asal’s breathing, which seemed slower than it should have been. “You’re not babysitting kidnapped kids by choice?”
“No, I’m not.” Her lips pressed into a tight line.
“You’re their mom?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “And I’ve never felt more useless.”
Took the words right out of my mouth. “Same. Especially if Asal’s sick.”
The woman eyed Sugar. Hesitantly, she shook her head as if changing her mind. “I’m Sarah.”
She looked like a housewife. Safe and unassuming. As much as Sugar wanted to hate her for holding Asal, she was thankful Asal had someone to comfort her. “Sorry about… my initial assumptions.”
“I assumed that you were the female version of the men watching us.” Sarah looked Sugar over. “Guess I didn’t notice if you had a gun or not. They all do.”
“And then some. The kids?”
Sarah laughed quietly. “My kids haven’t really been scared, but I’ve told them they didn’t need to be. That we were on vacation. A crappy one.” A sad smile made an appearance, then drifted away. “They’ve been out of school. A new friend, TV, fast food for every meal, so they’re buying it. But they’re worried about her. Until Asal got sick, they were playing, teaching her English.”
Sugar loved that Asal was with kids her age and that she was learning and thriving. It never occurred to her that the little girl would be susceptible to a whole new world of dangers once she was removed from her husband in Afghanistan.
“What’ve they given you to help? Medicine? Is a doc coming?”
Sarah shook her head. “First-aid kit had fever reducer, but it didn’t work. The guy in charge called her a complication, and it scares me. I’m certain he hasn’t called for a doctor.”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Damn Buck Baer to hell.
“We need a damn superhero brigade,” Sugar mumbled more to herself than to Sarah. Damn, why hasn’t Jared shown up yet?
“Superhero brigade.” Sarah muffled a quiet chuckle. “My husband does stuff like that. I think.”
“Stuff like what?”
“I don’t really know. Not supposed to anyway. I keep hoping that when he comes home, he’ll know something’s wrong and come find us. He’s out of the country for work.”
“Where’d he go? How long?” Sugar’s fingertips tingled like she was on the verge of something important.
“I’m… not comfortable getting into it. We live quietly enough. Off the grid. All to protect our family. It didn’t work, but when he comes home, he’ll find us. He’ll know how. Nothing can stop him.” She smoothed the sweat-soaked hair at Asal’s temple. “My superhero.” Her whispered words sounded more like a prayer.
Chills ran down Sugar’s spine. How many superhero brigades were there? She armed most of them, so she already knew the answer. Not many.
What was the likelihood that she was housed with the kidnapped family of an operative who wasn’t related to Titan? It was a statistical improbability. “Sarah, what’s your last name?”
“What’s it matter? I could be a Rockefeller or a Kennedy, but it wouldn’t get me out of this hellhole right now.”
“What’s your last name?” Sugar came back too quickly. She didn’t mean to, but it happened. In the back of her mind, she knew what Sarah would say.
Sarah sighed, resigned. “Gamble.”
“Fuck me.” Sugar rubbed her temples. This is bad. “So Brock Gamble—”
“Is my husband!” Sarah’s eyebrows arched in surprise, her mouth hanging open. “How do you know him?”
And it was suddenly clear. The Titan deceit. The needle in her thigh. Sugar was a payoff in excha
nge for his family. But Buck Baer was a piece of shit. He couldn’t be trusted, and it seemed that Brock had done just that. Sugar shook her head, letting her chin fall into her palms.
Sarah’s surprise wore away, and she urged Sugar, “You know my husband?”
A thousand things could’ve bubbled off her tongue, but instead she mumbled and nodded.
“Do you work with him? Maybe if Brock’s company knows you’re missing, they’ll come and get you, finding us.” Sarah’s face brightened. Hope filled her eyes. Her head bobbed. “Yes. Brock might be out of town, but if they know you’re gone, they’ll rescue you!”
Sugar sucked on her bottom lip, thinking about what was happening in the outside world. Maybe Brock was still there. Maybe they could talk to him, explain how Asal was, and use his newfound allegiance to get her a doctor or something stronger than first-aid kit pills. Titan would still come for them, but at least Asal would be stronger.
“Sarah, Brock might… be here.”
Her excitement washed away as quickly as it would have if Sugar had struck her. “He’s been captured?”
She was treading a thin line, and she didn’t want Sarah to hate her. She needed a partner in this situation, someone to bounce ideas off while they waited for Titan. “That’s not exactly how I’d put it.” Her needle-mark bruise throbbed as she remembered the struggle with Brock. “When were you taken?”
“About a week and a half ago.”
“We were in Afghanistan. All of us. I was with Brock.”
Sarah’s bottom lip dropped, and her head tilted. “You were? Um, okay.”
“He works for the Titan Group. They came to rescue me, but we also saved Asal.” Sugar cleared her throat, not knowing how the next part would go. “I’ve known Brock for a while. I’m a gunsmith, and the guys make use of my range. Anyway, I’m getting off track.”
Asal stirred in Sarah’s lap, and she dabbed a wet washcloth on the girl’s forehead.
“Can I sit with you guys?”
Sarah shrugged, and Sugar climbed onto the table and sat next to them.
“GSI, the men who have us captured, were after me. Titan Group saved me. Brock works for Titan.” Sugar pivoted toward Sarah. “GSI and Titan have a longstanding feud, and Buck Baer, the man that owns GSI, wanted me. I think he may’ve had your family abducted in order to have Brock… help him.”
“Help him?”
“Yes. You were bait. I was a job. He had to finish the job to get his life back.”
Sarah’s eyebrows furrowed. Her cheeks flamed an irritated red. “Excuse me?”
“Brock knocked me out and gave me to Buck.” There. I said it. The fallout could go either way.
Sarah recoiled, sliding inches away from Sugar. “He hit you?”
“No, not really. He sedated me with an injection.”
Sarah stared in silence, as if Sugar’s words weren’t jibing.
Why am I trying to explain? “Okay, different way to say this—I may’ve been a trade that didn’t work out exactly as Brock had planned.”
“I don’t believe you,” Sarah whispered. “He wouldn’t have done that, and he couldn’t be here and not”—her voice cracked—“come find me.”
“Not sure it’s like that.” And now why the hell am I reassuring Brock’s wife? The fucker can rot in hell with Kip for all I care.
Her temples pounded. That wasn’t true. Brock and Kip were two different species. She’d known Brock, though she hadn’t a clue he was married with kids. If his wife was in trouble, he would rain Titan’s resources from the heavens to save her. He was that kind of man.
But if he couldn’t use Titan? If he couldn’t ask Jared? Nothing would stop him. He would sell his soul to Lucifer to save his family. Brock was that kind of man. That was the only way she could rationalize his betraying her.
“What’s it like then, Sugar?” Sarah raised her voice in disbelief, then looked at Asal and breathed in deeply. Quieter, she said, “Why would my husband abandon me? He wouldn’t. He loves us. We’re his world.”
“I think that’s the reason. He can’t leave here without you. He can’t go back to Titan. Not with what he’s done.”
“And what has he done?” she hissed.
“I’m his boss’s girl. More or less.” Though after the spark plug incident, the chance of being Jared’s girl was much, much less. “He took what Jared Westin has and brought it to his enemy. Brock can’t go home. Can’t go to Jared. He thought he was making the good move, saving his wife and all, but all he did was sign his death warrant. He can’t leave here. He has to do whatever Buck asks of him, and when he gets the green light to leave, he’ll swoop in, grab the family, and relocate to somewhere farther off the grid.”
Sarah’s eyes were round. “But…”
“That’s if all works according to plan. Too bad nothing looks good for me and Asal. I’d kill for that kid.” She sighed and reached out to touch her shoe. “To bring this convo full circle, Brock might be here. Asal needs a doctor. He might be able to reason with Buck and get her some medical treatment.” She squeezed Asal’s toe lightly and slid off the table. “Enough with chit-chat. I’m going to find someone—”
The door opened across the room. A large man in tactical pants with guns on his hips walked in. His jaw was set, and his eyes were cold. “Let’s go, ladies. Grab the kids.”
“We want to see Brock.” Sugar put her hands on her hips.
“Let’s go.”
“Then I want to know when the doctor’s coming.”
“No idea. Not my problem. Move your asses.”
Sarah’s two girls had scampered to her side, and none of them moved.
Sugar walked toward him in full bitch mode. “Look, asshole. Take it down a notch. You’re scaring the crap out of these kids.”
“Yeah, and you’re the picture of grade school fun. We’re relocating. Grab what you need and move.”
Doubtful hope jumped in her chest. “To the doctor’s?”
“Sugar, I’ve been warned about you.” The man stepped to the side, gesturing toward the door. “Shut up and do as you’re told.”
She marched to him and squared off. “Tone it down. Scare these kids again, and—”
The room went dark. The television died. Both the children cried out for their mom, and the armed man cursed. A surge of adrenaline ran through her. Titan.
“Damn it. Hold on.” The man walked out.
In the darkness, Sugar turned toward Sarah. “They’re here.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“This has been happening all week. We’re in a shitty mountainside basement. Every so often, they use too much power, and the breakers flip.” Sarah’s voice bled through the dark room.
“No. Not this time. I know it in my gut.” Sugar could feel his presence. The air tingled against skin. A raw and unfiltered aura blanketed her in Titan confidence. Jared was nearby, and her body knew it on a primal level.
A flashlight bobbled into the room, preceding the same armed man. His face didn’t show, but the light moved in an imperative come-here motion. “Time to go. Move.” His voice was clipped with unstated urgency.
Absolutely. Titan had arrived.
Before, their escort had acted impatient. This time, he was driven. The bunker’s fuse box wasn’t the problem. No, this electrical failure was tactical. Sugar shivered, amped up and excited for rescue. For the opportunity to get Asal to a doctor on the quick. For Jared.
The man approached her, bouncing the light in the space between her and Sarah. “I’ll take the kid if you can’t carry her.”
“No. I’ve got her.” She reached toward Sarah, who gently relinquished Asal, whose listless body felt hot, and her face was clammy against Sugar’s bicep. Asal sleepily nuzzled into the repositioned hold, and despite the sick factor, holding her felt right. Whispered promises and prayers flitted silently from her lips as she pressed a kiss to Asal’s temple.
The darkness was silent, except for the exasperated breaths from their c
aptor. Sarah gathered her children in the dim light of the flashlight, taking each by a hand. The flickers of their faces in the flashlight bordered on terrified. Poor kids. Vacation’s over. Time to get them the hell out of captivity.
“Follow my lead, Sarah,” Sugar whispered. “And stick with me, no matter what.”
The armed man turned on his boot, blowing in frustration. “What now?”
“Nothing. Sorry.” Sugar needed a reason to slow their venue change. She bit her lip. “I forgot Asal’s medicine.”
“Hurry the hell up,” he grunted.
Right. Hurrying at a turtle’s pace, Sugar shuffled to the table. “Trying.” She faked searching while still holding Asal close. “Sarah, I need help. Can’t see anything.”
The man beamed his flashlight on the table. Sarah joined her, catching Sugar’s eye. A knowing look passed between the two women. Brock hadn’t married someone stupid, thank God.
“Girls.” Taking her time, Sarah looked each child in the eye. “Stay close while I help collect supplies.”
“Come on, ladies. No time for this.” He marched over, the flashlight scoring across the table. “Get what you need, or leave it. You’ve got three seconds.”
Stakes raised, Sarah scrambled and grabbed a handful of cloths, a water bottle, and pill packets from the first-aid kit. “Got it.”
“Good.” He started toward the door again, swirling the light like a traffic cop. “Move your asses, ladies.”
“Girls, hold hands,” Sarah whispered and took the youngest’s free hand.
They began their trek across the black room. Slow, heavy steps fell one after the other. Sugar held Asal against her chest and, without the constant beam of the light, let her eyes adjust to the room. Somewhat. It was still pitch black, but she could make out forms. Sarah both held Asal’s supplies and guided her children.
Supply-holding arm in the air, Sarah tipped and leaned to an angle. She lost her balance, scattering supplies, and unsettling her children. “Ow!”
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