Stepbrother Soldier's Baby: The Hero (The Complete Series) (9 page)

The answer came to me too late.

An arm grabbed me from behind, choking me. I jumped and kicked, but Jackson held me in a chokehold. I clawed at his arm, dragging my nails across his skin.

“Easy now,” Jackson said. “The less you fight, the quicker this will be over.”

His arms were strong and seemingly unbreakable. He squeezed my throat tighter. It seemed hopeless.

Then a door opened. Jackson suddenly dropped me. Two men stood before us.

“What is this?” Jackson demanded.

I fell to the floor, gasping for air. Both men had deeply tanned skin and beards. They wore dirty shirts wit
h
keffiyehs around their necks and combat boots. They stood before us with their hands crossed in front of their chests, their bodies tense. I recognized the look; they carried themselves the same way Nate did. These men were soldiers.

The men didn’t respond to Jackson’s demand that they identify themselves. They appeared totally emotionless as if they weren’t surprised to find a man strangling a girl in this hotel room.

One of the men pulled a handgun out from beneath his shirt. Jackson took a step towards him. The man pointed it straight at Jackson’s head.

“Don’t,” he advised.

There was something in voice that led me to believe he was not bluffing. It made no difference at all to him whether Jackson was taken alive or dead. But what about me?

“Are you alright?” the second man asked.

I touched my throat; it felt raw. I nodded my head and tried to swallow but it was difficult. Sensing my distress, the man helped me to my feet and brought me a glass of water. I drank it down gratefully.

“What now?” Jackson demanded.

The man who’d brought me water pushed Jackson against the wall and handcuffed him.

“He got out of his handcuffs before,” I said. “I don’t know how. I guess he knows how to pick them.”

The men exchanged a look then laughed. I wasn’t sure why they found this funny. One of the men examined Jackson’s hand closely. His thumb was twisted and swollen and his wrist was red and scraped.

“He didn’t pick the lock,” the man said. “He broke his thumb and pulled the cuffs free.”

He slapped the back of Jackson’s head. Jackson shot him a dirty look, but there was a smug smile hiding beneath it. He was proud of how clever he’d been. The man put the cuffs on his wrists tightly.

“He won’t break free again?” I asked.

“No. There’ll be no sliding out of these cuffs unless he cuts off his hand.”

Jackson smiled as if that was a distinct possibility.

“So who are you guys?” I asked.

Something in Jackson’s expression darkened. He started to pull against the handcuffs.

“I’m not going down for him,” he muttered. “Do you hear me?”

“Calm down,” one of the men ordered.

There was an edge to his voice that dared Jackson to defy him, an edge Jackson ignored.

“I won’t go down for him!” he screamed.

The man hit him on the back of the head with his gun. Jackson fell to his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and winced like a child. I almost felt sorry for him- almost.

“Are you going to stow that shit?” the man asked. Jackson nodded. “Good. If you want to stay conscious you’re going to shut the fuck up.”

He pushed Jackson towards the door. I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I follow them? It was probably best I wait for Nate to return.

“C’mon, sweetheart,” one of the men said. “You’re coming with us.”

“Does Nate know?”

“Of course he knows!” Jackson said. “This was all his plan. He wants you to take the fall for it.”

I had no idea what he was babbling on about. The man sighed impatiently.

“We have an arrangement,” he said.

“Nate didn’t say anything to me about going with you. He didn’t even mention you were coming.”

“Things are moving quickly. We’ve had to accelerate our plans.”

“What plans?”

“It’s best you don’t know.”

“I’m getting sick of being kept out of the loop.”

“I understand, but-”

“Is this the part where you tell me it’s for my own good? ‘The less you know the better.’?”

“Sounds like you know the drill,” he said with a smile. “Let’s move out.”

I wanted to argue, but there didn’t seem to be a point. I followed behind the men. Their top priority seemed to be Jackson. They kept one hand on him at all times. They barely paid any attention to me. I could have slipped away, but there was nowhere for me to go. I suspected they understood this.

I half expected Jackson to make a scene as we passed through the hotel lobby, but he behaved himself. The carefully concealed gun pointed at his back may have had something to do with it.

I’ve never fired a gun, but I suddenly wished I had one. It would have made me feel better even if I was surrounded by people who had combat experience and weapons training. I’d be outmatched for sure, but at least I wouldn’t be completely vulnerable.

“Maybe I should wait for Nate here in the lobby,” I said.

The men stopped.

“Go on,” one said to the other.

The second man led Jackson out of the hotel to a waiting car. The first man pulled me aside so we could speak in confidence.

“I know this scary. It’s not what you signed up for,” he said.

“I didn’t sign up for anything. I just want to go home with Nate.”

“If everything goes to plan, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing. You just have to endure a little more. This is almost over.”

There was something about the man’s eyes I trusted. They were soft despite his hard appearance. Maybe I was just desperate to trust someone. I needed to believe that there was at least one person involved in this mess that wasn’t out to get me.

I followed him out of the hotel. It was sweltering hot outside. Sweat ran down my neck and chest.

“Are you okay?” the man asked.

I nodded half-heartedly.

“You’re pregnant,” he said. It wasn’t a question. “This heat must be hard on you.”

I wondered how he knew I was pregnant. It was then I realized I was showing more than I knew. My small, round baby bump looked out of place with my skinny legs and arms. I shrugged.

“Mia’s pregnant too,” I blurted out. “The baby is Jackson’s.”

“I’m sure Nate will be happy to get away from the both of them and return home.”

“You’d think that…”

The man opened the car door and helped me inside. I was relieved to see Jackson was sitting in the front passenger’s seat. I didn’t want to sit beside him.

“So once again Nate gets away with it. I’m taking the fall, as always.”

I wished Jackson would shut up.  I was sick of hearing his rambling. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. The man sitting beside me stared out his window as he spoke.

“You know Jackson, surveillance drones are amazing. You’d be amazed at what they can see on the ground. They’re up there- invisible to us, but they see everything we do. And they record it. I’d wager there was at least one drone following the fire fight that you and your buddies covered up. I could very easily get ahold of that video. Will it show what you claim? Are you the hero, and Nate the villain?”

Jackson didn’t respond. He looked out the window anxiously.

“Videos like that make their way into the public all the time. What will happen when everyone on the internet watches a video of soldiers killing a car full of innocent civilians? What will that do to you when your name is leaked in association with it?”

“You’re bluffing,” Jackson blurted out. “Drones don’t monitor
everything
. Why would they have been there that day?”

“We were monitoring the area for several high value targets. You know that. Why else would you have been there sweeping the area?”

“If you’re innocent, then you shouldn’t have a problem with the video being released,” I added.

“Shut the fuck up,” he snapped at me. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“She understands better than you do,” the man to my right said.

Jackson turned away; his eyes were glued on the sky. His paranoia didn’t see totally unjustified. Were we being watched? I assumed these men worked for our government, possibly the CIA. For once, I understood what Nate meant when he said the less I knew the better.

“So get to the point,” Jackson said. “Why are you blackmailing me? What do you want in exchange?”

“We want to know about your employers,” the man behind the wheel said. “And we want to know everything. Give us what we want and we’ll let you and Mia ride off into the sunset. You can start a new life together; raise your baby and be a happy little family.”

“And if I don’t give you what you want?”

“You will be dragged in front of a congressional subcommittee and a war tribunal. You will be held accountable for your crimes- not just in a private, closed hearing, but before the public. Mia’s name will also be dragged into this. We know she was privy to the details of several of your operations.”

“Bullshit. She doesn’t know anything.”

Mia knew where the airfield was and when we were leaving. She knew a lot, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to become any more involved than I already was.

“Do you want your baby to wind up in foster care? We can arrange that. We can arrange a lot of things that would be extremely unpleasant for you, Mia and your baby.”

I didn’t like the way they were threatening the baby. He or she was an innocent in all this, but it got the point across: play ball, or else.

7

We rode through the desert in silence. I watched the sand dunes rise and fall like waves outside my window. It made me seasick. I looked down at my feet and took a deep breath.

“Are you okay?” the man beside me asked.

“Just a little carsick.”

“We’re almost there.”

As if on command, the car turned between two large sand dunes. I could barely make out a road in front of us. The car bounced wildly as we drove through the desert. We turned, nearly tipping over as the tires slid in the loose sand.

The driver laughed. At least one of us was having a good time.

“Hold on,” the man beside me said.

We drove on for a couple miles before coming to a small base. It was covered in camouflage and a barbed wire fence. Several soldiers patrolled the perimeter with assault rifles. At the sight of our vehicle, a soldier held up his hand. We pulled to a stop before him. Two other soldiers pointed their weapons at us.

Jackson started to panic. He tried and failed to open his door. It was apparently locked from the outside like a cop car. I glanced at my door. I assumed mine was locked in a similar fashion. Being trapped inside made me claustrophobic. These men insisted I wasn’t a prisoner, but I didn’t feel as if I was free to go.

The guard waved us through. The soldiers lowered their weapons. We drove inside and around the main building to a smaller area in the back.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“It’s a black ops site,” Jackson answered. “The kind of place where they torture people, then they disappear forever.”

“You have nothing to worry about,” the driver said to me.

After listening to the way they threatened to ruin Mia’s life, I wasn’t so sure. If Nate had something they wanted, I had no doubt they’d use me as leverage too. To these men, everyone was fair game.

8

I watched as they led Jackson away. He looked back at me over his shoulder and smirked as he disappeared into a dark room on the edge of the base. I was struck with the strange feeling that I’d never see him again.

Jackson had tried to kill me- twice- and yet I still felt like I was losing a part of myself. We’d grown up together; he was Nate’s best friend. And now he was gone.

I was in the hands of strangers with an unknown agenda. They were powerful men with unlimited resources and impunity from the law. With Jackson I knew what to expect; the danger these men presented was a mystery. Better the devil you know, I thought as Jackson disappeared from my life.

The men led me into small cafeteria with tables, vending machines and a TV.

“It’s not much,” the man said, “but make yourself comfortable. Can I get you a drink or something to eat?”

“No. Well, actually, maybe a water?”

“Of course. Have a seat.”

I didn’t much feel like sitting after the uncomfortable ride through the desert, but I did as the man said. He returned a moment later with a bottle of water. I drank it down quickly.

“Easy. You’re going to make yourself sick.”

“When will Nate get here?” I asked.

“As soon as we can locate him.”

“He was going to find a doctor.”

“Why?”

“Mia was experiencing stomach pains. Nate wanted to get her checked out by a doctor to make sure she wasn’t going into labor.”

I left out the part about it all being bullshit. Mia was clearly faking, but that didn’t matter to this man. Besides, I didn’t feel like rehashing it; I would only get angry all over again.

“I hope she’s okay.”

I nodded and smiled politely. I knew there was nothing wrong with her.

“You two don’t get along very well, do you?” the man asked.

I laughed. “I guess you could say that.”

“She’s married to your stepbrother.”

I didn’t respond.

“And you’re sleeping with him?”

There was no trace of judgment in the man’s voice; still I didn’t like the direction this conversation was going.

“That must be very difficult for your family,” he said.

I remained quiet.

“Or do they not know?”

An unspoken threat hung in the air.

“We’ll tell them when we get home,” I replied nonchalantly.

If he saw this as a way of blackmailing me, he’d better think twice. I wasn’t going to give him any ammunition to use against me.

“That’s good,” he replied. “I’m sure your mother would not want to find out about her first grandchild from anyone else.”

“She’s a very understanding woman.”

Not exactly true. She was a great mom, but she would probably be shocked to learn of my relationship with Nate. It was going to be an interesting conversation.

“You’re very lucky.”

“Yes, I am.”

He stared at me for a moment as if trying to make sense of a shifting shape.

“What has Nate told you about his work?”

“Only that he works in security, and that the less I know the better.”

“He’s right. He was smart to keep you in the dark.”

“And if he hadn’t kept me in the dark?”

The man smiled in a way that gave me the chills. “Things would be very different for you. Jackson’s about to learn that lesson the hard way.”

I looked back to the door we’d entered, expecting to see Jackson walk in. I realized that I may never see him again.

“Will you kill him?”

“No. We need to find out what he knows.”

“And then?”

“Then he will be put to use.”

I didn’t know what that meant and I knew better than to ask.

“And Nate?”

“Nate has been cooperative so far. If he continues to work with us, then we won’t have a problem with letting him go home. Though, to be honest, he will be working with us for a while.”

Nate had warned me that his may be the case. But it was worth it, if he was able to quit for good.

“Speak of the devil…” the man said.

I followed his gaze. Nate was being escorted around the building by one of the men who’d taken me from the hotel. I tried to catch Nate’s eye, but he didn’t see me. I rose to go to him.

The man grabbed my elbow. I didn’t like the way his grip tightened on my arm as I tried to pull away. When he saw the look on my face he released me.

“Nate’s being questioned,” he said. “You can talk to him later.”

I turned back to the window. He was gone, having disappeared into one of the small buildings in the back.

“You should get some rest,” he said. “A woman in your condition shouldn’t be put through this stress.”

“What about Mia? Where is she?”

“I’m sure she’s being debriefed as we speak.”

“Debriefed? Or interrogated?”

“There’s not much difference in my world.” He smiled and said: “Shall we?”

What choice did I have? I followed him to a small room at the back of the base. The room was sparse. It had a small, single-sized bed and a desk, nothing more.

“It’s not much,” he said. “But at least it’s a soft bed.”

I sat down heavily and looked over the room. There were no windows. It looked more like a cell.

“I’ll leave you to get some sleep,” he said.

I watched as the door clicked shut behind him. I waited a few minutes then went to the door. To my surprise, it opened. I’d expected it to be locked. Even though these men insisted I wasn’t being held prisoner, it was clear they weren’t going to let me leave until they were satisfied that I’d told them all I knew.

I peeked out into the hallway; it was empty. I could leave, but then what? There were armed soldiers and barbed wire fences surrounding the base. Even if I made it past them, there was still the desert to contend with.

I shut the door and laid down. There was nowhere for me to run to. Besides, these men might follow through with their agreement and send me home. I was so used to being betrayed and lied to it was hard to imagine anyone upholding their end of the bargain. I had to stay optimistic, if not for me then for my baby.

I rested my hand on my stomach and stretched my fingers wide over my growing belly. I drifted off to sleep wondering if I was having a girl or boy. In a few short months, I would be a mother. But first, I had to get out of here.