Jacqueline’s Quest

by TL Reeve

  "And, it's such a nice ass it is too." The teasing tone of her voice pulled him from his thoughts.

  Murray grinned. The knot forming in his chest loosed. “You’re is fucking amazing too.” He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her rear.

  Jaqueline jumped and playfully swatted at him then grew somber. “I understand how you feel. I think, like me, you’re worried our siblings will be angry at us for taking so long to get them out or that we’ve forgotten them and gone about our lives.” She sighed. “What I wouldn’t give for my parents help.”

  They were on the same wavelength.

  When he joined R.O.O.T. it'd been for the sole purpose of finding his sister. Now, he was hours from doing just that and he hesitated. He questioned everything. He knew above everything Hannah wasn't the little girl who thought Murray hung the moon and stars for her. She wasn't the girl who pitched a fit when they couldn't afford some toy or movie she wanted to see. She was a grown woman. What if they couldn't get back to being siblings above everything else? What if being kidnapped was too big of a bridge for either of them to get across? Could he live in a world for the rest of his life, without his sister? He wanted to say yes, he could because Hannah would be out and safe, yet the selfish part of him said no. She was his sister and he wanted to keep her safe and protected for the rest of her life, more than likely suffocating whatever remaining life she had out of her.

  “I gotta be honest, I wasn’t sure this day would ever come.”

  “I know. I feel the same with my brother, and he’s been gone less time than Hannah. Ten years is a long time to continue looking. Hannah will appreciate it and know you never gave up.”

  Jaqueline’s statement was full of hope and promises. He appreciated it. Unfortunately, Murray lived in the real world and being with R.O.O.T meant he saw shit normal people never even knew happened in the world around them. So, it was easier said than done. “She’ll know it the moment she sees your beautiful blue eyes, her big badass brother rescued her.”

  A knock came at their bedroom door. “Noah has arrived. We’re meeting in the library in five.”

  “We’ll be right there.” Murray glanced down at Jaqueline. “Thanks. For the pep talk. I’m usually the one to do them.”

  “My pleasure.” She squeezed his hand. “Sometimes, we need the reassurance, instead of giving it.”

  He stepped closer to her and ran the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. “When this goes down, we need to be on point, and act our asses off.”

  “Mhmmm,” Jaqueline moaned.

  Murray bent his head and nipped at the delicate lobe of her right ear before whispering, “When this is all over, mi cielito, it'll be my turn to be the dominate you. I'm going to own that pretty little pussy of yours. You'll be begging me to fuck you while you scream my name. Even though we have business to attend to, the thought of you kneeling in front of me has me tied in knots."

  Jaqueline shivered. “Dios mio, Murray. You do this to me every time.”

  He grinned. “I thought we should have the truth on the table.”

  “Well, sometimes holding back the truth for about an hour is a good thing.” She laughed, burying her face in his chest. “You are a filthy man.”

  “I’ll take it as a compliment.” He stepped back and held his hand out. “Let’s get to the library so we can get this shit going.”

  Jaqueline took his hand as they strode from the room. It wasn't the perfect scenario to be walking into a mission, but it had to work. After his little conversation with Jaqueline, he could say he felt marginally better. The fear creeping in around the edges faded as did the anxious thread running through him. He could think a little clearer too. Having Jaqueline there, someone who was going through the same thing as him helped too. Best of all, though he'd always known with R.O.O.T. he was never alone, with Jaqueline, he could feel it. She had his back and he had hers too.

  “We’re meeting in the Library,” AJ said as she popped out of her room. “Noah’s waiting.”

  He spotted Noah the minute he stepped into the room. He wore the standard R.O.O.T apparel, which included green camo tactical pants, olive green shirt and black laced up boots. If they were on a night mission, his face would be completely blacked out by paint, so when he took up his position, no one would be able to see him. During the day his paint matched the terrain of the area.

  For this mission, once Murray changed, he'd be wearing the low slung leather pants and no shirt. The last time he put them on, he swore his dick would bust through the front. However, Jaqueline appreciated them. She gave him sideways glances the whole time they'd been watching the scene unfold with Master Arrington. When he glanced down to see what had snared her attention, he noticed the base of his dick peeked out over the leather straps holding them together. It was good to know she appreciated his body as much as he loved hers. But, the pants did have its drawbacks. There was no place for him to hide any weapons. Perhaps, while he'd been lost in his thoughts and worries about the situation they were going into, it had occurred to him several times, he'd be unarmed. If shit went sideways fast, he'd be a sitting duck. Yes, he trusted his team. No matter what happened, they'd have his back. Nevertheless, it'd been another point of vulnerability for him.

  Thankfully, Jaqueline would be wearing was black, skintight sheath dress, which showed off her amazing tits. It was a mix of a Domme and goth girl and clung to her like a second skin.

  Luca had brought a buyer to the house and taken not only Jaqueline's measurements but also AJ's. When she tried it on, he’d lost his mind. It was also then they learned the dresses weren't normal. They had a layer of lightweight Kevlar sewn into the dress, making it bulletproof where it covered her. The woman also handed her two sheaths. They'd wrap around her thighs to conceal several small weapons.

  It made him hard just think about it.

  Thomas closed the door behind him as they stepped further into space. The first thing he noticed above everything, was the fact Luca wasn't with them. After their little session in the playroom, he saw the man in a different light. He understood Luca's reaction to what he'd seen, and he also didn't want to discredit AJ's fears either. He couldn't imagine the abuse she suffered through her life, and seeing Luca fly into a blind rage, must have been frightening. Shit, he'd feel the same way she did, if it was him.

  “Hey, glad you’re here now,” Noah said in greeting.

  “Mateo stay back in Virginia?” AJ stood next to Thomas. The awkwardness Murray had seen between AJ and Thomas abated since the other morning. They were a bit more in sync with each other. The underline tension would be there until they could have an open and frank conversation between all three of them. He had faith in them. They’d figure it out.

  “He’s keeping an eye on Bex,” Noah replied. “With this case, we have to keep her protected right now.”

  “What happened?” Thomas stepped forward. Anger vibrated off of him.

  “I’d thought we’d have more time,” Murray said. “Shit.” It wasn’t that he’d forgotten about the girl, he hadn’t. They’d been caught up in their mission, checking in with Asher consisted of updating him on how things were there, not hey by the way... Even though he should have said something. If Mateo was watching the girl, and God forbid anything happened to Noah’s husband, they’d all be up shit creek without a paddle.

  “Bex is in a considerable amount of danger,” Noah said. “Which is why I’m here a little early. We had a situation the other day. Mateo had a man arrested for snooping around the school. Turns out, he’s part of the Los Trios Cartel out of Los Trios, Mexico.”

  We’re fucked. It couldn't be a coincidence Luca brought them the information about the new cartel sniffing around Raul's daughter. If he had to guess, they were testing to see how close they could get to the girl before one of Raul's men either beat the shit out of them or worse, killed them in cold blood. The fact the man had been close enough Mateo could call the police and have him arrested didn't say much for Raul's me
n. The whole situation didn't sit well with Murray. They were missing pieces of the puzzle.

  “I’ve never dealt with them,” Jaqueline replied. “We did receive information about them working with FLDS in Mexico as well.”

  Murray glanced at AJ, her eyes flicked from Noah to Thomas to him then to Jaqueline. Her little mind was churning, he could see it. She was taking the blame onto herself when it was all of their faults. When Thomas took her hand, she settled down. Yeah, she might not acknowledge it yet, but she was his.

  Stop thinking about stupid shit and focus. Bex’s life is on the line.

  “They’re new from the information we’re gathering.” Noah handed each of them a small file. “Look, R.O.O.T isn’t in the business of keeping track of cartels. However, since this shit with the Aguila Cartel got dumped on our doorstep, we’re sinking deeper into the world day by day.”

  “Tex brought me up to speed about your cases before Murray arrived,” Jaqueline said. “Sounds like you were on the shit end of an introduction to the cartel business.”

  Noah snorted. “You can say that. R.O.O.T polices black-ops organizations for the US Government and, not to pat myself or Murray on the back, we’re good at it. Just so happens we have insider connections and can take on different kinds of jobs as needed, like this case. However, in this situation, the breadcrumbs of our original case led us in this direction.”

  “What is the status of Bex?” AJ asked.

  “A bit banged up. Asher is working on a fix for her as we speak. Mateo is the default leader.”

  She laughed. “I’m sure he’s excited.”

  Noah rolled his eyes. “The man is going to drive me crazy before all of this is over. He’s determined to protect her.”

  “What kind of run-in did she have to cause the guy to be arrested?”

  From what he learned the other night from Luca and what he gleaned off the current conversation, Bex wasn't a kid who'd been treated very well. To know her father didn't have any compunctions when it came to disfiguring his daughter, well, it appeared AJ and Mateo were the biggest ones willing to protect her. It also meant making sure whatever happened at the club, they caught Raul and ended his reign of terror. It also meant they wouldn't be done with any of it until Los Trios was taken care of as well.

  “They tried to kidnap her as she exited the high school. Had Mateo and another quick-thinking teacher not approached Bex, who knows what would have happened,” Noah answered.

  “Which means Los Trios has been following her as well.” Jaqueline frowned.

  “Fuck,” Thomas snarled. “I’d thought we’d have more time.”

  Noah glanced at him. “You want to fill me in?”

  Thomas laid out everything in the same succinct way Luca had told them. From the fact Los Trios used the tunnels, to how they connected to the El Dorado FLDS compound in Texas. “AJ and I have been coming up with different solutions to keep Bex safe while we try to shut down Raul’s little club here.”

  Surprise, surprise. Murray knew Thomas and AJ were spending tons of time together, but he thought it was due to them finally finding their mojo. They, however, were working on plans to keep Bex alive and safe without telling anyone about it. The only downside to them being so secretive; R.O.O.T. didn’t operate like that. Each team member had a task and they each worked individual assessments that would later be combined to coordinate a plan of attack. It also covered their asses in case shady shit went down, like the attempted kidnapping of Bex.

  "And you didn't warn us?" Noah snapped. "My—Mateo could have been hurt. Several students could have been put in harm's way as well if it hadn't been for their quick thinking. You should have called it in."

  AJ stepped forward. "It's my fault. I take responsibility. I knew the right thing to do was tell you, but I also didn't want to raise suspicion. How would it have looked to have people hanging around Bex? Do you think those guys don't know? Everyone does. It's how cartels and gangs work."

  Noah blew out a breath. “You can’t hide shit like this from us.”

  "And you would have jumped the gun and ruined our mission here," Thomas said. "The minute you would have set up an op around Bex, word would've gotten back to Raul and he'd have left here, canceling the auction. We both know it."

  “Fuck!” Noah scrubbed his forehead. “I hate being put in these positions.”

  “So, you’ve told him then?” Luca entered the room. “Sorry, I had a phone call to deal with.”

  “Yeah,” Thomas replied. “We had to. Looks like Los Trios is moving up the timeline.”

  “Hmm, same thing I’ve heard as well,” Luca said wiggling his phone back and forth. “It appears we’re running out of options.”

  “Anything else I should know?” Noah muttered.

  “Well, it seems obvious, doesn’t it?” Luca hedged. “We can start putting the pieces together.” When no one said anything, he blew out a breath. “The Nieto Cartel is being torn apart from the inside.”

  Noah stared at Luca for a moment then cursed under his breath. “We’re on the same page. There’s no way Los Trios should have gotten as close to Bex as they had. Her bodyguards are paid to protect her.”

  “Unless they were paid to look the other way,” Luca said. “Like I told the others, my sources are saying Raul isn’t long for this world. According to the rumblings, other cartel leaders are tired of the attention Raul is pointing in their direction along with his own.”

  “This is why we have to be in constant communication.” Noah grabbed his phone. “I have to tell Asher.”

  “Might as well send him all of the intel.” Luca handed Noah a thumb drive. “Everything I explained to them along with the photographs are on this drive. Use it wisely.”

  Noah grunted. “Thanks.”

  “But, it’s not the only thing I have.” Luca glanced at Thomas then Murray. “Remember the man from the club—Sergio Alcaraz?”

  Thomas frowned. “How could I forget?”

  “Yes, well,” Luca stated, “he is part of the Pueblo Cartel, a multi-billion dollar organization who is responsible for some of the most lucrative drug trafficking for North America. According to him and as we suspected, Pueblo has found out about Bex as well and is willing to use her as leverage against Raul. They’ve teamed up with Los Trios for the time being to accomplish their goal.”

  "Son of a bitch," Murray snarled. "How the fuck?" They couldn't run both ops at the same time. Hannah, Christian, and Scotty were counting on them. "We have to finish this first. We can't show our hand." If they moved an inch, it might allow Pueblo or Los Trios to kill Raul. The possibilities of what could happen to Bex also didn't bode well for her if any of the cartels found out about her father's death. Talk about a rock and a hard space.

  Noah grunted. “I agree. As much as it sucks and believe me, it’s eating me up, we can’t tip off Raul. He’s our target for this mission. Once we’re done here, we can figure out the situation with Bex. Until then, I’ll get with Asher and see if we can figure out a temporary solution.”

  AJ sagged and sighed before giving a small smile. “Thank you.”

  "Don't thank me yet. We still have to get through this assignment first." Noah unfurled a map and a blueprint of the building where Scotty was being held. On the exterior view, black circles had been made around the entry and exit points. X's were made on the boarded-up windows. From the third floor on, all of the windows were bulletproof, protecting everyone inside and just because the place appeared pristine, didn't mean shit in the long run. The place was wired for security. One false move and all of Raul's goons would be alerted to an intruder.

  “According to our inside sources, there is an in-house alarm system. It doesn’t alert the police, but it will send all of Raul’s men running to whatever section of the building that’s been triggered. The only way to kill the power to the system is to enter the basement and shut it down from the inside. Killing the power to the building will do nothing. The alarm runs on generator power as well." Noa
h pointed to the small basement alcove where the alarm was located. "To get to it, you have to avoid three sets of armed guards."

  “Sounds fun,” Luca said. “But something tells me we’re not going to touch it.”

  “You’d be correct,” Noah said. “We’ll do everything like we would at home. We go straight on. Luca, you’ll be inside with one of your women along with Thomas and AJ and Jaqueline and Murray.”

  The doors to the library opened and a man stepped inside. "Sorry, I'm late." He stepped forward with three envelopes. "It took a little longer than we anticipated." The guy stood a little over six feet and had a medium build. His brown eyes matched the color of his hair and his skin was a warm shade of copper.

  “Everyone, this is Miguel,” Noah said. “One of our inside people.”

  “I’ll be damned,” AJ muttered. “It’s good to finally meet you in person.”

  Miguel glanced at AJ. “Likewise. You must be one of Tex’s people.”

  She nodded. “I am.” She held out her hand. “I’m AJ.”

  He shook her hand. “You’re the hacker Tex talks about along with your partner, Scotty.”

  “Yeah. How...how is he?”

  The emotions in her voice tugged at Murray. The only upside to all of it was the fact they were almost done. Soon the ordeal would be behind them and then... What? What happened? Nothing went back to the way it was, obviously, but what did happen?

  "He's good. A bit banged up but healing. Santiago has been keeping tabs on Scotty and since I was bringing the invitations to you, Santiago also sent this along with me." He pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it before pressing a couple of buttons on the screen. "Don't ask how he was able to do this, but he did." Miguel turned the phone, so they could see it.

  AJ gasped.

  Jaqueline sucked in a breath.

  Murray choked.

  There on the screen were Christian, Scotty, and Hannah. They were in a swimming pool and they were all smiling. Murray stared at his sister’s face. She looked like their mother when she was young. Her sweet, soft smile reminded him of a time when he’d been a little boy and she’d picked him up from pre-school. Her brown wavy hair was pinned back in such of way, it gave his sister another layer of maturity. This woman wasn’t a wide-eyed little girl anymore. “Hannah.” Murray stepped forward taking the phone from Miguel and stared at it.