KatsMeow
Jul 20 2006, 03:23 AM
Four chapters, because, like I said, I update like a fiend! There's some violence in the fourth, so if you don't want to read, don't. It's not graphic, but still.
Chapter 1
Jack arrived home in a daze, grateful that he’d even made it home at all. His eyes were dragging and his whole body felt leaden. Staggering against the doorframe, he fumbled with his key-ring, fighting to get the key into the lock. His whole body felt hot and itchy, and some part of him could acknowledge that he was not fine. Finally, the door gave and he stumbled inside, shutting the door and sliding helplessly to the floor. Resting his pounding head against the hardwood floor, Jack took a few deep breaths. “What the hell is wrong with me?” he muttered, curling into himself.
A pair of unknown shoes in front of him had him looking up at the intruder inside his apartment. Possessed of blond hair and cold black eyes, Jack could honestly say he’d never seen him before in his life. The man smirked, a heartless gesture that sent another round of chills through Jack’s wrecked body. “About time you got home. We’ve been waiting all day. We do have a schedule to keep, you know,” he said, his voice tinged with an Irish accent.
Jack just barely had time to realize what was going on, before an ironclad fist smashed into his jaw and he slumped to the floor, out cold.
When Sue arrived at her boyfriend’s apartment, her eyebrows furrowed to see the door slightly ajar. She knew Jack had been feeling slightly . . . off . . . lately, but he was meticulous about keeping her, and himself, safe. There were too many crackpots on the streets who would love to hurt either one of them as revenge against Jack. Silently wishing she hadn’t left Levi with Lucy, she pushed the door open further. “Jack?” she called, some part of her hoping to see him coming from the kitchen or down the hall.
When he didn’t appear, Sue set her things on the floor by the door and searched every room. Her words were frantic a she continued to call his name, even after it became apparent that he wasn’t there. Coming back into the entry hall, she fidgeted uncertainly. She could call Bobby, but she’d feel really stupid if Jack came back, having only slipped outside for a short jog. Torn between panic and concern, her eyes drifted toward the floor. What she saw sent her flying completely into panic. There was blood on the floor, splatters of it permanently staining the dark wood at her feet.
Fumbling for her Blackberry frantically, she did the only thing she could think to do.
She called Bobby.
Bobby arrived at his best mate’s townhouse within minutes, and found Sue sitting numbly just inside the door. “Sue, what’s wrong? Where’s Jack?”
Mutely she shook her head, pointing at the droplets of blood staining the hardwood. Bobby’s eyes widened and he whipped out his cell phone, dialing quickly. “Myles, it’s Bobby. Call D, Tara and the DCPD, and get to Jack’s apartment ASAP. He’s not here and there’s blood on the floor.”
Myles gave an affirmative and Bobby clicked off the phone. Turning to Sue, he shook her lightly to regain her attention. “Sue, what are you doing here?”
“I was bringing him homemade chicken noodle soup. He said he’d leave the front door open. I don’t think he meant literally. Bobby, I didn’t tell him.”
Bobby could see that she was getting hysterical and he took her shoulders gently. “Didn’t tell him what, sheila?”
“That I love him. We don’t say it at work . . . someone might overhear. But I could have signed it. I should have signed it. What if I never get another chance to tell him? What if he doesn’t come back? What if I . . . ?”
“Sue!” Bobby interrupted her sharply, shaking her once roughly. “We’ll get him back, luv, I promise. Why would you tell him you love him?”
“Jack and I have been dating since I nearly went to New York,” she confessed in a whisper. “I haven’t told Lucy, and he didn’t tell you. We didn’t want anyone to know until we had to tell them. The powers that be might have . . . ”
“It’s okay, Sue; I understand,” Bobby murmured, tucking her into his arms.
They sat there, Bobby’s t-shirt absorbing her tears, until long after the team and the DCPD forensics team had arrived. By the end of the week, every lead had hit a dead end.
Chapter 2
The Tatum Twins, Scott and Scarlett, were perusing a Saudi marketplace. British citizens, they were also MI-6 agents. Undercover as freelance photojournalists, they currently chasing their “story”. A slaving ring had been tracked to this tiny town and they needed to figure out how the “merchandise” was being shipped into town. Scarlett had had a brilliant idea that morning and currently they were looking for carpet shops. Finding a booth, the two siblings ducked under the curtain shading the door. “Shalom,” the man greeted in Arabic.
Scott’s grasp of the Arabic language was nil, but Scarlett was fluent in it. “Good evening,” she returned, careful to keep her eyes averted and her colorful shawl draped over her head. Even though she was a foreigner and exempt from their culture laws, Scarlett knew better than to flaunt that fact. “Do you have any new carpets for sale?”
The man gestured, getting a smile and a “thank you” from the pretty redhead. Scott stayed out of the way, watching his sister move through the rugs lying scattered on the floor. Intrigued by one rather thick rug, Scarlett brushed her fingers over the soft fabric, freezing as it emitted a low moan. Glancing at Scott, she could tell by his incredulous look that she hadn’t been the only one to hear the sound. Glancing at the shopkeeper, who obviously hadn’t heard the groan, Scarlett began to unroll the rug. The merchant caught sight of her and burst from his seat. “No!” he shouted in Arabic, putting himself between her and the rug. “This one is not for sale, miss. It already has a buyer.”
“Oh. I apologize, sir. I didn’t know. The colors are so pretty, I just wanted to see the pattern.” Leading the shopkeeper to another rug, she let her brother continue investigating the rug. “What about this one? How much is it?”
As soon as the man was distracted by Scarlett’s haggling over price, Scott moved surreptitiously to the end of the original carpet. Crouching so as to be out of sight as much as possible, he slid his hand into the rather large opening at the end. His smile was grim, but triumphant, as his fingers brushed through hair. Short by the feel of it, the odds of the person inside being a man were very high. Trying to do what little he could to reassure the person trapped inside, he rubbed his thumb gently over skin and then withdrew his hand.
Glancing at his sister, he smiled to see her doing her best to prolong the bartering process in order to give him as much time as he needed. “Scarlet, it’s getting late,” he insisted in English, gripping her elbow gently. “Pay the nice man and let’s go.”
Scarlett nodded, her attention focused on the message her brother was tapping out on her skin in Morse Code. “Man, 10 to 1.”
Nodding more firmly, Scarlett purchased the rug and they headed out to their Jeep. Speaking in Latin, so no one would be able to understand them, Scarlett muttered, “At least we know how they’re smuggling them into town, and out to the camp.”
Unwrapping the sari from around her, she heaved herself into the front seat and took a deep breath. Scott nodded in agreement, climbing into the driver’s seat and starting the Jeep. “Damnably ingenious little buggers, aren’t they?”
“They took a page from Cleopatra is all,” Scarlett explained dismissively. “I thought they might have. I had, however, hoped I was wrong.”
“Huh?” Scott asked, glancing at her quickly as he maneuvered through the bazaar.
“Before she was queen, Cleopatra had herself rolled into a rug and smuggled in to see Julius Caesar. He helped her defeat her brother and sister, and she became the last and greatest Egyptian queen in history.”
“Still, it’s a bloody brilliant way to smuggle their captives in.”
“While that may be true, I’m sure the person confined inside that rug doesn’t agree.”
Scott cringed, nodding in agreement. “We coming back?”
“Tonight,” Scarlett agreed. “I want to see who picks up that rug.”
Scott nodded, the ride lapsing into silence.
Chapter 3
When Jack Hudson finally came around, the first thing he registered was that it was pitch black with his eyes open. The second was that he felt like he was in a tube too small for his muscular frame. His arms were crossed and bound over his chest, while his ankles and knees were tied together tightly. An oxygen tube up his nose supplied life-giving air, but a strip of cloth cutting into the corners of his mouth proved an effective gag.
A sudden attack of claustrophobia had him gasping for air that wasn’t available, making him lightheaded and slightly nauseous. He forced himself to close his eyes and breathe deeply through his nose, relishing the clean, sweet oxygen being fed into his frantic lungs.
Taking another deep breath, Jack pushed his attention onto his own body, making an inventory of himself. His skin was hot and he felt as though he was boiling in his own skin. His jaw ached, both from the punch that had knocked him out, and the gag, but he could live with it. His eyebrows furrowed slightly at the taste of blood on his tongue. Probing the inside of his mouth, he found the source as a small cut just inside his lip. And even though he knew his feet were shifting slightly, his whole body was numb below his knees.
Suddenly, Sue’s face flashed before his eyes. She was supposed to be coming over to see him. She was probably frantic with worry, and he sent out a fervent wish that Bobby would look after her until Jack could get back to her. Jack drew strength from the memory of her, before he tucked her face away in his heart, to retrieve when he needed a “pick-me-up” and returned his attention to the present. Realizing that he had no idea where he was or what was going on, Jack put his brain to the task of going through the last things he remembered and trying to pick up clues to his whereabouts.
Next thing Jack knew, he was being woken by the sound of a young woman speaking Arabic with a prominent British accent. Reminded sharply of Jessica, he shoved the thought away and instead focused harder on the voice. The voice that replied was male, Middle Eastern from the sound of the accent. That was hardly encouraging.
A light brush against his prison brought up a myriad of pains Jack hadn’t previously been aware of and he moaned wretchedly. The contact froze and suddenly he was rolling, forcing Jack to fight with his stomach to keep his breakfast. The man’s voice was sharp and the rolling stopped. Jack took several deep breaths to steady himself, unsure of how much time had passed, before he jerked slightly as a gentle touch brushed over his hair. Unable to look up and find the source, Jack allowed himself to take comfort in the light brush of skin over skin. It was a man’s hand, tender & cultured, and at the same time, callused & strong.
Then, just as suddenly as it was there, it was gone and Jack was alone again. Closing his eyes, he let himself pass out and drift away. Much later, he vaguely realized that he was moving, hands at his shoulders and his feet, carting his prison away. Unable to bring himself out of the fog his cognitive functions had become, he also couldn’t bring himself to care too much and slipped back into the blessed oblivion of unconsciousness.
About an hour later, he was jarred rudely awake as his body was slammed into a concrete floor, protected only marginally by whatever he was in. He groaned harshly, before he felt himself start to roll and he flopped free. “Cut him free and get him out of my sight. Find my pet. See if she can’t clean him up,” came the brusque order, followed by the sound of quick footsteps.
Jack’s eyes slit open slightly and he found himself staring through his eyelashes up at the man he’d seen in his apartment. Another man made his appearance, a finely-honed knife glittering his hands. The knife sliced easily through the bonds around his arms and legs, sending blood rushing through the areas. The pins-and-needles that invaded his body as feeling returned was incredibly painful, indicating he’d been subjected to reduced blood flow for some time. He nearly sobbed as two men grabbed his arms and dragged him into a room, dropping him onto the floor. The room was barren and cold, and Jack felt his body shivering, the shuddering weakening him further.
The door opened and a young girl was thrown into the room, stumbling slightly. The door slammed shut with a bang that reverberated through Jack’s pounding head and he clenched his eyes tightly shut with a soft whimper. Hands smoothed tenderly over his arms, before rubbing briskly and diminishing most of the prickling sensation.
An affectionate voice spoke quietly, the sound melodious and gentle. “Sleep while you can. It’s only going to get worse.”
Chapter 4
Once her charge sank into a restless sleep, Sasha Tatum got to work. Settling onto her haunches, she set to bandaging the raw marks where the ropes had cut cruelly into flesh. Manacles about her own wrists jangled musically as she worked, though their presence was so familiar she hardly noticed.
The door opened and the man from earlier appeared. His name was Lachlan Bright. Of everyone who could have purchased her, Lachlan was probably the best of the group. He was fond of her, and more often than not treated her kindly. “Is he sleeping?” he inquired, his voice almost considerate as he spoke to her. She nodded mutely, continuing to work. “What do you need?”
“Water, rags. A blanket or two, if it’s not too much trouble. He’s burning with fever. His buyer will not be pleased if he dies before he ever gets a chance to use him.”
“What Dessa wants him for, I’ll never understand. He could have purchased a thousand beautiful women for the same amount of money he paid to have me get this one for him.”
Sasha shrugged lightly, knowing better than to speak more than she had to. He was kind to her, but he still owned her and was capable of being cruel even to her. Fingers tangled almost tenderly in her hair, before the touch was gone and the door shut behind her captor once again. She sighed deeply and shifted, the tattered skirt to her equally tattered dress fluttered around her knees as she sat cross-legged beside him. Reaching up, she brushed a wayward strand of red hair behind her ear. “What could anyone possibly want with you?” she whispered, reaching out to brush soothing fingers over his too warm skin.
Sasha shrieked as his hand closed hard around her wrist, holding her away from him. “Who are you?” he demanded hoarsely, using his other elbow to lever himself into a half-sitting position.
“My name is Sasha. I’m here to help you. Please let me go, you’re hurting me,” she whimpered, her eyes very wide and very blue with her terror. Mahogany eyes searched her face, before he released her, struggling to sit up entirely. Her hands were gentle on his shoulders as she tried to ease him down again. “You need to lie down. You’re very ill.”
He watched her, shaking her off, careful not to hurt her. “I’m not going to just lie here and wait for Dessa to kill me.”
“You know Dessa?” Sasha asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Arif Dessa. The Prince of Terror. I’ve thrown more than one monkey wrench into his plans. He wants revenge . . . that’s what all of this is about.”
Sasha nibbled at her lower lip, glancing at the cell door. “If you try to escape and they catch you, death will be mercy for what they’ll do to you.”
“I have to take that chance,” he insisted, using the wall to haul himself to his feet. He staggered slightly, bracing himself with one hand.
“You can’t even walk!” Sasha pointed out, pushing herself to her own feet. “At least rest and regain your strength.”
“I can’t!” he refused, crouching beside the door in anticipation of it opening up.
Sasha shook her head. “You don’t even know where you are. You don’t know where the exits to this camp are or where the Jeeps are stashed. We’re ten miles from the nearest town! There’s nowhere you can run that they won’t find you. Dessa paid nearly three million in British sterling for you! They won’t risk losing you. Please . . . you have to trust me.”
Before he could say anything, the lock clicked and the door started to open. Sasha watched in horror as the man sprang, sending Lachlan to the floor out cold. “Come with me,” he offered, eyes dark as they locked on her.
She shook her head furiously. She’d tried to escape before and paid the terrible penalty. . . there was no way in hell she was going to try it again. Lachlan was kind to her, but even he would be hard-pressed not to beat her stupid if she tried to run away again. The dark-haired man took a deep breath and then disappeared. Sasha sunk to the floor numbly, staring at a spot on the wall and waited for her owner to awaken.
In the end, he made it farther than she had thought he would. Lachlan had awoken furious, and ordered him found. A heavy-handed slap and a giant bruise across her cheek had been the whole of Sasha’s punishment for letting the man run off. Currently, she was locked in the room she was forced to share with Lachlan, waiting for Lachlan’s men to find the escapee and bring him back.
When the door at last opened, Sasha shot to her feet and whirled to face the visitor. Lachlan was standing there, his jaw taut. “Did you find him?” Sasha asked quietly, privately hoping they hadn’t but knowing that it wasn’t likely that he’d managed to get too far, what with how weak the captive had been.
“Yeah, we found him. Come on.”
Sasha nodded, following after silently, her chains jingling as they walked. “What are you going to do to him?”
“What do you think?” Lachlan snarled, his hand coming up to cuff her sharply.
Sasha cowered backward against the wall, bringing him up short. Lachlan sighed, “I’m sorry, poppet. I’m afraid I’m not at my best today. Come along.”
The dark haired man, who Sasha had learned was named Jack, was already strapped face-first to the crossbars when Lachlan led the way into the courtyard. Heavily muscled arms pulled hard at the rough hemp rope securing his wrists over his head. Sasha stayed back, her eyes horrified and knowing, as Lachlan climbed the stairs to the dais. Touching the still tender lump on the back of his head, Lachlan glared at the other man. “I owe you for this.”
“Consider it repayment for my jaw,” Jack snarled, his eyes blazing with fury.
“You’re angry. That’s good, it’ll keep you alive longer. You hate me. That’s even better, because it’ll make this so much more fun.”
Nodding at someone out of Jack’s sight, Lachlan disappeared from view. Muscles tensed and furious, Jack’s eyes shifted back and forth as he tried to hear what was going on. A low whistle filled the air just when Jack thought he’d been left alone. The first strike of the lash hit like fire and Jack arched into the wood holding him bound, his head falling back as he screamed.
After what felt like an eternity later, Jack lay prone on the floor of his original cell. One ankle was secured with a heavy shackle to the wall. Sasha knelt beside him, employing a bowl of cool water and a soft rag in cleaning the blood from his back. Striped from nape to waist, Jack could hardly move without sending pain ricocheting through every nerve ending. “I told you, you shouldn’t have run,” Sasha whispered regretfully, cringing along with him as she carefully laid a cool cloth over the worst of it. Jack stayed silent, his head pillowed on folded arms and his eyes tightly closed. “I’m sorry this happened to you. But you got lucky,” she continued.
“How the hell does this qualify as I got lucky?” he growled, groaning as she laid another cloth over a mark that wrapped around his side to his belly.
“You drew Hawes. The kid doesn’t know his own strength, that’s true, but he can’t handle a lash. Brooks is the worst. He doesn’t have Hawes’ arm, but his skill with the lash is renown. If you’d drawn him, your skin would literally be peeling from your back in bloody strips. These should heal just fine, and won’t hardly scar at all.”
Jack nodded silently, letting his eyes slip closed. “I’m sorry. I know they made you watch. I heard you.”
“Lachlan always makes me watch. It’s to break my spirit more than anything.”
“Has he broken you yet?”
“Not yet, but he’s getting close.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Nearly five years,” she murmured, reaching for a cup filled with cool, clean water at his head. “Here, take sips. It’ll help with that fever of yours.”
Jack struggled against his own body to push himself up, finally admitting defeat when she lifted his shoulders effortlessly. “I’m cold,” he whispered, once he’d drunk his fill.
“How? You’re burning up,” she muttered, her fingers light over his hair. “You think you can bear the blanket?”
“I’ll try,” was all he said, gasping sharply as the rough homespun draped over his lacerated back.
Sasha winced in sympathy as Jack’s eyes clenched closed. “I can’t. Take it off,” he sobbed, tears glistening in his eyelashes.
Sasha whisked it up and away. “Let me try something, okay?”
“Okay,” he whispered, closing his eyes.
Her hands were firm but gentle as they rubbed over his bared flesh, careful to avoid the rents in his skin. “Better?” she whispered, the melodic quality of her voice pulling him into sleep.
“Thank you,” he agreed, letting the strength in her hands pull him toward blessed darkness.
“You’re welcome. Sweet dreams,” was the last thing he heard before he passed out.
KatsMeow
Jul 24 2006, 06:47 PM
I know I said four chapters, but I didn't get back until this morning after all, and I didn't have hardly any time to write either. I was spending time with my boyfriend instead. I'm sorry. Here's what I have though!
Chapter 5
Scott Tatum was sitting impatiently in their Jeep, waiting for a signal from Scarlett so he could come get her. She was watching the carpet shop, hidden amongst the shadows so well he doubted he’d be able to find her. “Must be why she’s so good at her job,” he muttered, just as she came tearing around the corner and leaped into the passenger seat. “What the hell!? I was supposed to . . . ”
“Shut up! The van is coming this way. They’re right behind me.”
Scott nodded, whipping the car into a sharp U-turn, ready and waiting as the dark colored van Scarlett had seen take the rug flew around the corner only minutes after her. Waiting a reasonably prudent second or two, they started after the van. “Who did you see?” Scott demanded, keeping his eyes on the road as his sister shed her sari and traditional Arabian garb.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Scarlett said, shoving the garments into a bag at her feet and tossing them into the backseat.
“Try me,” Scott ordered, swinging around a corner after the van.
“Lachlan Bright.”
“Wait, Lachlan Bright? As in the IRA’s infamous Lachlan Bright?”
“That would be the one.”
“Do you even realize what the government would do to us if we busted him?”
“They’d probably forgive us for chasing a ghost, at the very least,” Scarlett muttered bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest and sitting back in her seat.
Scott’s good mood crashed as he distinctly recalled their baobei, their little sweetheart, Sasha. Younger than the twins by nearly five years, she was nevertheless exceptionally intelligent. As well as almost being the first of the three siblings to marry.
To an American FBI agent of all the idiotic things. If she’d wanted to marry a spy, she should have stuck to MI6. Heaven only knew that there were hundreds of MI6 operatives that were as yet unmarried.
“Hey,” Scott scolded fondly, taking one hand from the steering wheel and reaching out to squeeze her shoulder, “Sasha’s not a ghost, okay? She’s alive and we’re going to find her.”
“God, I hope so, Scott. Even Leland has given up.”
“He hasn’t given up, he’s just been a bit more reluctant to get his hopes up lately. That’s all it is. I have no doubt that when we find her, Leland is going to be the first one to congratulate us. As well as a be the first one to get his hands on her.”
“He’s got a girlfriend.”
“Had a girlfriend,” Scott corrected severely, “And that was nearly three years ago. And yes, Scar, I know all about Lucy, his co-worker. Don’t look at me like that.”
“He’s our sister’s fiancé!” she shouted, shushing herself at her brother’s stern look.
“I realize that you’re incensed about this, but could you avoid giving away our location for ten minutes? Sasha has been gone for five years. His one and only relationship in all that time ended badly, because he couldn’t stop thinking about Sasha. Grow up, Scar, we’re not the only ones that miss her.”
“It feels like it sometimes. Even Mum and Dad have abandoned all hope of ever seeing her again.”
Scott sighed deeply, unable to say anything that would negate that without having it be a lie. Daniel and Mariah Tatum had indeed given up on their youngest child, burying her memory as though they’d buried her body. “We’re going to find her, Scarlett. I promise.”
“I hope so Scott. I can’t take much more disappointment.”
Scott nodded, reaching over to grip her knee and squeeze tenderly.
Following the van at a careful distance, they intentionally dropped behind at the sight of an encampment ahead. Stopping at a ridge overlooking the sprawling camp, Scarlett got out and got closer, binoculars in hand. When Scott dropped down beside her, he couldn’t reconcile the words out of her mouth with the sister he knew. If Scarlett’s governess and nanny could have heard the rather colorful string of profanity coming from Scarlett’s lips, she would have died of a heart attack . . . except for the fact that she’d been dead and gone for nearly eleven years. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he hissed, taking the binoculars she shoved at him.
“Shut up!” she hissed, grabbing out her camera and her long-range lens. “If you want to know, look through the binoculars and find out.”
An eyebrow cocked at her as she began to take pictures of the camp. Seeing that she wasn’t going to elaborate on her statement, Scott brought the binoculars to his eyes and scanned the camp laid out before him. Then his eyes lit on what Scarlett had seen. “Oh my God! Sasha!”
Chapter 6
Back in DC, Myles Leland the Third was sitting at his desk at the bullpen in the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building where he worked. Sue Thomas, Jack’s partner, was struggling to contain her tears as she transcribed some security tapes from the surveillance cameras at Jack’s townhouse. Bobby was watching her carefully, obviously worried about her. Leaning over, he knocked on the Aussie’s desk to get his attention.
When Bobby’s eyes landed on his partner, Myles forced a sad smile to his lips. “How is she?”
“Not so good. It’s like Jack’s completely disappeared off the face of the planet. It’s driving me nuts.”
“We’ll find him,” Myles said, hoping that he sounded more convincing than he felt.
“Who are you trying to convince, Leland?” Bobby asked, his voice hard and dead, and completely unlike the usually good-humored Aussie.
Just then Myles’ computer dinged, indicating that someone wanted to have an Instant Messaging conversation with him. Glancing at the ID, he ignored it and refused the conversation. Only minutes later, his private line on his office phone rang. Myles rolled his eyes and waited for it to go to the answering machine. When it came on, Myles jumped slightly at the harshly British tones that came snapping through. “Damn it, Leland, answer your damn phone! This is not a social call!”
Rolling his eyes, Myles slapped the speaker phone. “I’m not in the mood for you today, Scar. What do you want?”
“I want you to get on your webcam so I can show you. Because you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Myles rolled his eyes, “Not in the mood for another possible sighting today, Scarlett. We had our team leader snatched from his own home this week.”
“I know. I’ve seen him. Are you curious yet?”
“Tara!” Myles barked, “Put my screen up on the big screen.”
“Thank you,” Scarlett growled, before there was only the dial tone.
While Bobby waved to get Sue’s attention and fill her in, Myles started up his webcam and accepted the invitation when it came again. Scarlett appeared on the big screen for the whole bullpen to see. Clad in a pair of camouflage pants and a black skin-tight t-shirt, she was a sight to see. “Hello Leland,” she greeted, her ivy green eyes hard and cold.
“All right, Tatum, I’m here. What did you have to show me.”
Grabbing something out of view, Scarlett held up a picture. Myles’ eyes went wide and he stood, trying to get closer as though it would help him see better. “Oh my God. Sasha.”
Scott and I have been tracking a slave camp in Saudi Arabia. We found out how they were smuggling their slaves in and out of the camp last night, and we followed to the camp. She’s there, inside the camp.”
“How do we get her out?”
“We have bigger problems than Sasha, Leland.”
“She’s your sister, Tatum, and my fiancé. Tell me how getting her out is not the number one priority here.”
“Do you know this man?” Scarlett asked, holding up a picture.
Bobby’s breath sucked in deeply. “Arif Dessa.”
“He arrived at the camp late last night, and took possession of Sasha and this man,” Scarlett said, holding up another picture and bringing a collective gasp from the bullpen, “who our computers have identified as FBI Special Agent Jackson Samuel Hudson. I take it I have your attention.”
Myles couldn’t believe how wrecked Jack looked in the picture. The skin of his face was black and blue, and what wasn’t discolored with bruises was flushed by a high fever. A pair of heavy manacles hung from his wrists. His shoulders were hunched and he appeared to be coughing harshly. “So what do we do now?”
“Scott is on Dessa’s trail. He’ll call me back when we find out where Dessa took Sasha and Hudson. In the meantime, I need as many people as you can spare to get them back.”
As Myles got on the phone with the Director, Bobby glanced at Sue, who had tears coming down her cheeks. “Do you know why Jack got kidnapped?” Bobby asked, resolving to pester Myles about his fiancé later.
“Word on the street is that Dessa paid three million in British sterling to have this man, Lachlan Bright,” up came another picture of a man with blond hair and dark eyes, “kidnap Hudson and bring him here. It’s an elaborate ploy to put Hudson in Dessa’s reach. Dessa intends to torture him, and then kill him. Apparently, he didn’t appreciate the wrenches Hudson threw into all of his well-laid plans.”
“Lachlan Bright of the IRA?” inquired D, curious about what someone like Bright could possibly want with slavery.
“That would be the one,” Scarlett agreed grimly. “MI6 has declared this a sensitive case. We have 48 hours before they pull it and the case gets transferred elsewhere. They think we’re too close to this one, because of Sasha.”
Myles slammed the phone down and whirled on the camera. “We’re on our way. There’s a CIA plane waiting to take us Riyadh.”
“We’ll see you soon then. Tatum out,” she said, nodding once in acknowledgement before the screen went dark and they all read the message there, “Conversation terminated.”
“Who’s all going?”
“All of us, even Sue and a unit of SOG. The Director wants Dessa and Bright in custody, as well as Jack returned, alive if at all possible. As soon as possible.”
“Saddle up ladies and gentlemen!” D ordered, waving toward the door. “We have a plane to catch.”
Chapter 7
When Jack woke, he was surprised to find the blanket folded carefully over his body. Pulling it off gingerly, he pushed himself to a sitting position. “Sasha?” he called quietly, jerking slightly as her hand, cool and calming, came to rest on his shoulder. Forcing his eyes to find her, he was disgruntled to discover that he couldn’t see her. “You startled me.”
“I’m sorry. They have all the lights off,” she said, reaching up to brush the backs of her fingers over his forehead. “You’re still too warm. Lie down, all right?”
Jack shook his head. “I have to stay awake.”
“I’ll make sure you stay awake, Jack. Just lie down, all right?”
Jack took a deep breath, trying to force his brain to focus. “What’s going on?”
“Dessa arrived an hour ago,” Sasha whispered, her hands on his shoulders guiding him back onto his belly. “He was in here about an hour ago, just to make sure Lachlan got the right man.”
Jack nodded, unable to keep his eyes open. “I’m sorry you got caught up in this.”
“I was caught up in this about five years before I ever knew your name, Jack. Don’t worry about me . . . I’m tough.”
Jack smiled as he remembered telling Sue the same thing not long after they met. Sasha settled down on the ground beside him, her fingers tender as they smoothed over his lacerated back, looking for puss pockets. Jack flinched as her chains brushed a particularly tender spot. “Sorry,” she whispered, her hands brushing over his head in apology, “just making sure none of the wounds are getting infected. Tell me about yourself. It’ll take your attention off my hands.”
Jack nodded, starting to talk. “My name’s Jack Hudson. I work for the American FBI. My girlfriend is a woman named Sue Thomas. She’s my work partner. I’m totally crazy about her.”
“You sound it,” Sasha teased, finishing the examination. Putting her hands behind her, she propped herself into a lazy position. “Have you told her you love her yet?”
“A thousand times. I didn’t get to tell her the day I got kidnapped though, and I think I’ll always feel guilty about that. She was supposed to come over after work that day. I’d gotten sent home early, because I wasn’t feeling well. She was going to bring some chicken noodle soup that she makes. It’s my favorite. She’s probably torn between terrified and worried sick.”
Sasha sighed sadly. “You’ll see her soon. God wouldn’t let such undying love die such a death. You’ll be with her again soon, I know it.”
“How have you stayed sane for so long? I’ve only been here about a week, and you’ve been her for so long.”
“I hold onto the memory of the one I love. I have a fiancé . . . well, I had one. For all I know, he’s moved on by now. I have been missing for five years.”
Jack nodded, reaching out slowly to squeeze her knee. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Sasha said with a smile. “It’s not your fault. I love him desperately, and I hope God decides to give me back to him.”
“You miss him?”
“More than anything . . . even my parents and my sister and my home.”
“Where are you from?”
“Great Britain, London. I attended Oxford for four years, and then went to Harvard for my Master’s degree. That’s where I met my fiancé.”
“A co-worker of mine went to Harvard.”
“Smart man,” she laughed, careful to keep the sound low.
Just then the door opened, and Arif Dessa and Lachlan Bright appeared in the doorway. “Hudson, so good to see you awake. I can enjoy this better if you’re awake.”
Jack glared at the terrorist, forcing himself to stand up. Sasha looked concerned and reached to steady him, only to be brushed back. “Dessa, I’m going to watch you fry for this.”
Dessa smirked, gesturing around the tiny, barren cell. “I don’t see your little friends now, Hudson. You’re all alone, and no one is coming to rescue you. By the time they’ve figured out where you’ve gone, you’ll be dead and I will have had my revenge.”
Lachlan gestured at two men behind him, who came in and grabbed Jack. The special agent struggled against their grips, fighting them as they forced heavy manacles around his wrists. The shackle around his ankle came free and one man hit him hard in the center of the back, sending Jack to his knees with an agonized cry. “I am going to enjoy breaking you, Agent Hudson. And when you are begging for death, I will take great pleasure in your continued agony as I take everything you have ever loved and twist it, so that it can only hurt you now.”
Sasha’s eyes swung to Lachlan, when one of the men took her upper arm in a strong grip. “Lachlan?” she inquired, frightened as the man started to pull her after the men leading Hudson away.
“You are no longer mine, Sasha. Dessa is your master now,” Lachlan said, his eyes sad as he watched her be led away.
“No!” she screamed, digging in her heels and pulling at the grip on her arm.
A heavy slap across her cheek sent her flying to the ground with a whimper. Suddenly, Jack was there, his hands closing tenderly around her upper arm. “We’re in this together, all right?” he asked, his eyes serious and fond as he watched her. “We can beat them at their own game, Sasha, as long as we stay strong.”
She nodded, biting her lower lip. Jack glared at Dessa, before he loosened his grip on her forearm and they followed the five men away.
KatsMeow
Jul 31 2006, 08:44 PM
Everything to the end!
Chapter 8
Myles sat apart from his teammates, sipping on a mug of coffee and flipping through a photo album filled with pictures of his fiancée, Sasha Tatum. Sue glanced at Bobby, her eyes sad and concerned. “Who’s Sasha?”
“I don’t know, luv. I’ve never heard of her before.”
Tara sighed, sniffling back tears. “What else don’t we know about him, Bobby? Have you ever wondered about how little we know each other?”
“I don’t know, luv,” he murmured, reaching out to pull her into his arms. “What about you, Sue? How are you holding up?”
Sue shrugged helplessly, trying to be brave. “I’m worried sick about Jack. But I know I have to stay strong or we’ll never get him back. He’d want me to stay strong, for both of our sakes.”
“That’s a good girl,” Bobby murmured, smiling at her sadly. “Jack’ll kill me if I don’t take good care of you.”
Sue squared her shoulders and stood. “I’m going to go talk to Myles.”
Everyone nodded, watching as she moved through the aisle. “May I sit here?”
“Of course. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind the company,” he confessed, inviting her to sit down by gesturing toward the seat beside him.
She smiled and sat down, glancing over at the photo album open before him. The picture displayed was of a beautiful woman, a bright smile curving her lips and her ivy eyes sparkling with laughter. Auburn hair fell in curling waves to her waist, one hand lifted to brush a long shank back over her shoulder. Reaching out, she tapped a finger reverently on the picture. “Is that Sasha?”
“Yes,” he agreed, his finger moving in a phantom caress over her face, the pad never quite touching the photo. “Sasha Maria Tatum. I was going to marry her.”
“Tell me about her?”
“When I met her,” Myles said, acquiescing to her request with a nod, “my first thought was that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. The second . . . was how very young she was for being as wise as she was. I’m a little more than 10 years older than Sasha.”
“Wow,” Sue whispered, her eyes wide, before she blushed bright red, “although I probably can’t talk, can I?”
Myles smiled, chuckling lightly. “I don’t think I told you how happy I was for you both.”
“Thank you, Myles.”
Myles nodded, flipping the page, with the defeated air of someone who knew what they were going to see. Sue’s eyes widened at the picture there. Sasha stood in Myles’ arms, her eyes turned away from the camera, a smile on her lips as she replied to someone out of the camera’s sights. Myles, however, was watching the camera, a wide, contented smile on his lips. His arms were folded high around her shoulders, her hands hooked around his wrists. On her wedding finger was a bright blue opal that danced with an inner fire in the light. “Opals were her birthstone, and she would not wear a diamond to save her soul,” Myles explained at her questioning look. “She loved opals . . . any color or shape was just fine by her.”
“You look so happy with her, Myles.”
“She brought out the best in me,” Myles agreed with a smile. “You would have liked her I think.”
“What happened to her?”
“We had a penthouse together. I left her alone so she could get dressed for the wedding. She never came. Some people thought she left me at the altar, but no one saw the house. It was a disaster. Nothing was taken, except her . . . there was sign of a struggle.”
“I wish I could have known her.”
“You will know her, Sue. Now that Scarlett’s found her, failing her is no longer an option.”
Glancing at her sidelong, he smirked sadly, “We’ll get them back Thomas, both of them.”
Sue smiled. “Thank you, Myles. I needed to hear that.”
“Me too,” Myles professed.
Leaning her head on his shoulder, she was slightly surprised when his arm came around her shoulders and his lips pressed a brotherly kiss to her temple. Taking comfort where they could find it, they sat there that way for a long time. All the while, there was a constant prayer in their hearts for the safe return of their loved ones.
Chapter 9
Jack grunted sharply, as he slammed full force into the floor. The sharp sound sparked a coughing fit and he curled into a fetal position as he fought to regain control of his own body. Another body hit the floor beside him and he forced himself to focus. “Sasha,” he whispered, pushing the word out amidst his hacking.
“I’m here,” came her voice, calm and reassuring. One of her hands cupped the curve of his head as the other moved him into a sitting position. “Deep breaths, Jack,” she ordered sternly, “In . . . out . . . in . . . out.”
Jack struggled to breathe, closing his eyes and letting her voice guide him. Finally, his coughing subsided and she guided him to lean back against the wall. He winced sharply, arching slightly as the concrete aggravated his injuries, before settling back. “Jack?”
“I’m okay,” he promised, forcing his voice steady for her sake. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m not the one they’re planning on killing, Agent Hudson.”
Jack’s eyes were smiling as he glanced at her. “At the moment, I’m of the opinion that worse things could happen to me.”
“Don’t say that,” Sasha scolded, scowling. “What about your Sue?”
“You heard Dessa. No one’s coming for me. I’m going to die here, Sasha.”
“Have you no faith in your friends?”
“I don’t know how it is that I can have any belief in being rescued. They don’t know where I am. They don’t even know I was abducted.”
“Sure they do. They’re the FBI, the greatest law enforcement agency in the world. They’ll find you, Jack, you just need to hang on for a little while longer.”
Jack could see the fright in her eyes and so he nodded, more for her sake than anything. “All right.” Narrowing his eyes at her, he looked her over carefully. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Maybe a few more bruises than I had an hour ago, but it’s not going to kill me.”
“Good to hear,” he chuckled, fighting off the cough he felt coming purely by strength of will. “The only thing I can think to do at the moment is to get some sleep, okay? We’ll worry about death and Dessa in the morning, all right?”
Sasha nodded, moving to lay down on the floor. Jack shook his head slightly. “Come here, Sasha.”
Sasha looked confused, before settling down beside him. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“No, I’m all right. We’re going to freeze in here. Might as well do what we can to ward off the cold.”
Sasha nodded, huddling against him carefully. “Good night, Jack.”
“Good night, Sasha. Go to sleep, petite soeur.”
She smiled and closed her eyes. Jack sat up all that night, keeping watch as she slumbered against him. She was a spirited little thing, he’d give her that. Bright had spent five years trying to break her will, but he hadn’t been able to succeed. Closing his eyes, Jack thought about Sue. Her picture was still nestled in the only safe place for it, his heart. He knew that she would be his strength to endure what must be endured.
Dessa meant to kill him. There would be little Jack could do to prevent it, considering the wrecked state of his body. If he was being incredibly honest with himself, he knew he wouldn’t even last through a day of Dessa’s unique form of torture. And once he was gone, Sasha would be left to face Dessa alone. That thought made his blood run cold. Tilting his head back, Jack looked out through the window in the roof and stared at the stars. And as a fiery trail flew through the sky, attached to it was a prayer that he would be with the love of his life very soon.
Chapter 10
Scott Tatum took a lazy drag on a cigarette as he kept an eye on the encampment where Dessa had taken Hudson and Scott’s little sister, Sasha. Scarlett would be meeting their “guests” at the airport, and it was his job to watch the tiny town for any sign of people leaving. So far, it was as still as a tomb, with the only movement being the changing of the guards every hour or so. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he fished it out, keeping his eyes on the tower. “Tatum.”
“Scott, it’s Scar. Our guests have arrived. What’s the state of the camp?” his sister inquired, waving at Myles as he jogged down the stairs to the tarmac.
“Not so much as a mouse is moving. I think everyone’s bedded down for the night.”
“All right. Come on back to base. We’ll figure out a plan, and we’ll do what we can.”
Scott grunted an affirmation, before clicking his phone shut and moved back toward his Jeep. Climbing back into the driver’s seat, Scott looked at the encampment one more time, before he turned the engine over. “We’ll be back for you, baby sister, and at last you will be free.”
Spinning the car around, Scott headed back toward Riyadh.
Scarlett leaned back against a second Jeep, watching her sister’s fiancé move confidently through the crowd toward her. “Leland,” she greeted, holding out a hand for a hand shake.
Myles clasped the hand firmly, his eyes grave as he spoke, “Tatum. Where’s Scott?”
“He’s on his way back. I’ve had him watching Dessa’s camp to make sure that no one got in or out without us knowing about it. He’s taken pictures of the area, and he’ll know the best ways to sneak in and out.”
“What about Sasha?”
“Bright sold her to Dessa,” was all Scarlett said, as she climbed into the driver’s seat. “I’m not quite sure what Dessa wants with her, though. Come on. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us.”
Myles nodded, helping first Sue and then Tara into the Jeep, as Bobby tossed the bags into the back. Once the two agents were situated, Scarlett gunned the engine and they were off. “What about Jack? Is he okay?”
“He’s been hacking quite a bit, according to Scott. He might have inflammation of the lungs. I’m not sure. I’ll be better able to understand what’s wrong with him when I get close enough to diagnose him.”
“Diagnose? You can do that?” Tara asked, glancing at Sue who shook her head with a shrug.
“I was a doctor,” Scarlett said, her eyes fixed on the road. “Hold on.”
Soon enough, they were back at Scott and Scarlett’s little hideaway, with Scott’s car only seconds behind them. Scarlett waited until her brother had parked, before speaking, “Did you get everything?”
“I have pictures, yes. Hello Leland.”
“Hello Scott. You’ve seen her?”
“She’s fine. She’s tough and she’s strong. They haven’t broken her quite yet.”
“Thank God,” Myles whispered, sinking into a chair. “Tell us what you know.”
Scott grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.” Laying out the pictures, he began to point out everything he knew about the area. “Best chance we have is to go in during the changing of the guard. That’s their most vulnerable time . . . it’s literally chaos.”
“Sounds like a sound plan. Where are they holding Jack and Myles’ Sasha?” Bobby inquired, leaning over the pictures.
“Right now? Sasha and Hudson are here,” Scott said, pointing to a place on one of the pictures. “Tomorrow morning, however, Dessa’s men will move Hudson to this room over here.”
“Why will they move him?”
“Revenge,” was all Scarlett said, glancing quickly at Sue as she suddenly swayed, her face going pale. “What are you even doing here? There’s no time for squeamishness. So buck up or you’ll stay behind.”
“She’s an invaluable part of this. The first person Jack’s going to need to see is going to be Sue. Trust me. We can’t leave her behind.”
Sue smiled gratefully at Myles as she read his words. “Thank you, Myles.”
Myles smiled at her, understanding flashing between these two whose loved ones were imprisoned in the camp. “When do we leave?”
“0800 hours. Tomorrow morning.”
Everyone nodded, the DC team glancing at each other nervously. “All right, everyone, head to your beds. There’s nothing to be done until tomorrow morning, all right? Try to get what rest you can. Jack and Ms Tatum are counting on it tomorrow,” D ordered, his tone brooking no argument from his team.
Chapter 11
The next morning, Jack was jerked awake as two men grabbed his arms and dragged him away. “No!” Sasha shouted, fighting as a man yanked her toward him.
Jack struggled against his captors, helpless to help as Sasha strained against the men holding her. By the look in the guard’s eyes, his attentions were less than virtuous. Seconds before Jack was dragged out of sight, Sasha’s knee came up and caught the man between the legs. Her captor released her, doubling over with a low groan. Jack smirked in satisfaction, watching as Sasha gave the same treatment to the other man as well. “Stupid fools,” one of the men holding him muttered, releasing him completely into the custody of his companion. Grabbing the two guards by the scruffs of their necks, the man dragged them out of the cell and slammed the door. “Do not touch her. You heard Dessa. She is to remain untouched.”
Caught between worry and triumph, Jack nevertheless felt defeat draw on him heavily as he was led away. Dessa was waiting beside a table laden with various instruments as Jack was pushed inside. Heaved bodily onto a examination table, his wrists were restrained away from his body and his legs were secured to the table. “Ah, Agent Hudson. I hope you are well rested. I would be grievously disappointed to have you expire on me too soon.”
Jack glared and said nothing, closing his eyes and focusing on the picture in his heart. From somewhere far away, he was aware of his shirt being cut away and his chest laid bare. “You have a heart condition, do you not, Agent Hudson?”
Jack didn’t answer, his eyes remaining stubbornly closed. Dessa’s voice was low and satisfied as he muttered, “We shall see how much your heart can take before it at last gives out, yes?”
A cool jelly was slapped roughly onto his chest, before something metal came to rest on it. Jack screamed, the electricity flying through him. He could feel his heart stutter in his chest, but still the agony raged on. Jack screamed and screamed and screamed, his voice growing hoarse and rough from the sound of his own pain. When the metal was removed, Jack’s eyes were wide and filled with horror as his body fought for air, betrayed by the coughing that jarred his lungs brutally. “That was just a taste, Agent Hudson. I wonder how much more you can take, hm?”
Jack braced himself, but couldn’t prevent the sharp cry that wrenched from him when the rod touched to the conductor slathered to his chest. It felt as though this particular torture went on forever. His body shook on the table, and he fought mindlessly against the restraints, blood leaking from where the metal cuffs cut deeply into his flesh. All the while, he cried out, a tortured keening sound that should have filled even the most evil of men with guilt and sorrow. And yet, Dessa remained immune and the torture continued.
Finally, the rod was pulled away and Jack crashed back onto the table, struggling to breath through the coughing fit that gripped his lungs and robbed him of life. He rolled onto his side as far as he could, vomiting over the edge of the table as his body rebelled. The rod prodded one of the bleeding wounds in Jack’s back and Jack’s body bent forward like a bow, his shout filled with darkness and suffering. “Oh, I like that sound,” Dessa said, sounding like a child in a candy store, as he poked Jack in the back again.
Jack slumped onto his side, his eyes fluttering as he struggled against unconsciousness. “Come now, Agent Hudson, no sleeping yet. The fun has only just begun.” Turning away, Dessa issued orders to his men.
Jack was turned onto his belly, the weakness brought on by the electricity robbing him of even a token protest. His head turned awkwardly, Jack’s eyes drifted closed as he tried to take himself deep into blessed oblivion. His eyes snapped open wide as the lash laid sharp fire across his shoulders. Grunting, there was little else he could do as the lash fell over and over again. And when he thought it was over, someone splashed salt water over the open wounds, wrenching an anguished cry from him.
Then, in what seemed like a slow motion dream, the door flew open and an unknown savior opened fire on Dessa and his goons. A bullet caught Dessa high in the chest and he slammed back into the wall, his eyes wide with surprise. Satisfaction blossomed deep in Jack’s heart, but before he could find his benefactor, his eyes slipped closed and at last he slipped away. Bobby, seeing that the coast was clear, moved carefully into the room, his gun at the ready. “Arif Dessa, you are under arrest for the kidnapping and torture of FBI Special Agent Jackson Hudson. You have the right to remain silent . . . ”
Though every word tasted like ash in his mouth, Bobby forced himself to bypass the body on the table and place Dessa under arrest. Once the handcuffs were tight around the terrorist’s wrists, Bobby turned his attention to his best mate. Jack lay limp and unconscious on the table. “Jack?” Bobby asked, starting to untie the agent’s ankles and moving up to his wrists.
Bobby winced at the mangled mess that was Jack’s back, before he fished his lock-pick from his pocket and removed the manacles. Gently, he rubbed the blood-crusted marks, trying to restore blood to the too-pale appendage. “Come on, Jackie boy. Wake up, mate. How am I supposed to harass you about Sue if you don’t wake up?” he asked, his voice low but teasing as he spoke. Jack groaned, his eyes fluttering weakly. “That’s right, mate. Open your eyes,” Bobby instructed gently, dropping into a crouch beside the table next to Jack’s head.
Jack’s eyes opened slowly, the mahogany depths filled with such terror that Bobby felt guilt and pain stab deep in his own heart. “Bobby?” he breathed, the single word aggravating the fragile state of his lungs and sending him into another round of hacking on life-giving air.
“Yeah, Jack, it’s me. We’re gonna get you out of here. I’ve got you.”
“Sasha?” he begged.
“She’s safe. Myles and her sister were going after her. Can you walk, Jack? Sue’s worried sick about you.”
“Sue?”
“Yeah, buddy, Sue. She’s waiting for you.”
Jack nodded once, visibly steeling himself before he exerted all of his spare strength into pushing himself up. Dropping down hard, he shook his head slowly. “I can’t, Bobby.”
“All right, mate. I’ve got you, okay? I can’t promise it’ll be very dignified, but it’ll work for the time being.”
Jack dropped his temple against the table, before Bobby grabbed him under the arms and pulled him over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. Too exhausted even to protest, Jack let his eyes slip closed and he passed into blessed darkness.
The first thing Sue saw of her boyfriend, was his body hanging limply over Bobby’s shoulder. “Oh my God! Jack!”
“He’s alive, Sue,” was all Bobby could get out before Sue’s hands were moving like liquid over the bruised and ravaged planes of Jack’s face. “Sue, we have to get him to the rendezvous. You can look him over in the Jeep, all right?”
She nodded, one hand remaining tangled in his hair as the threesome jogged toward where D waited with their vehicle. Myles, Scarlett and Scott would retrieve Sasha and -with any luck- they’d all be on a CIA plane headed back to the States, with Bright and Dessa in FBI custody.
Chapter 12
Myles Leland didn’t think he’d ever been more frightened in his life, not even after he was shot all those years ago. Scarlett glanced at him, her eyes dark and curious. “Are you okay? Can you handle this?”
“I’m okay,” he insisted, before his eyes softened and he whispered, “I need to hold her, Scar.”
Scarlett nodded, “Let’s go get her then, huh?”
Myles nodded, his grip tightening on his gun. Outside the door holding her, Scott was crouched and fiddling with a lock-pick. A man lay at his feet, deeply unconscious, the reason for it evidenced by the blood leaking from his head. “Are you ready, ladies and gents?” he asked, just as a heavy-sounding click signaled that the tumbler had fallen over.
Myles nodded, his eyes dark as he moved to pull open the door. The door swung wide and he stepped inside. Movement out of the corner of his eye brought him around, seconds before a heavy chain came flying at his face. Acting on instinct, he grabbed it and hauled the person to him. A terrified scream and his grip loosened. Auburn hair brushed his nose and he inhaled deeply. Even under the smell of sweat and grime, it was there . . . the scent of innocence and apple blossoms. The body in his arms slowed her struggles and a familiar voice whimpered, “Myles?”
“Sasha,” he breathed, letting her spin around in his embrace and throw her arms around him.
“I didn’t think you’d ever rescue me,” she sobbed, burying her face in the front of his FBI jacket.
Handing his gun to Scarlett, Myles drew his fiancée closer. “I would never abandon you, Sasha,” he swore, his lips buried in the lank strands of her hair. “You are the dawn, the dusk and the twilight, my love. I swore it.”
Sasha’s tears blinded her as she held to her lover as tightly as she could. “I thought you’d forgotten me. I thought I’d never see you again.”
“Hush now, my little princess. You’re safe now,” Myles promised. Scooping her up into his arms bride-style, he held her to him as he carried her from the room. “All right, mia bella, let’s go home.”
Sasha’s head came to rest on his collarbone . . . her eyes slipped closed and she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. Myles looked over at Scarlett over the top of her head, and the two shared a secret smile. “Let’s go home,” Scarlett agreed, leading the way from her sister’s cell with Scott bringing up the rear.
In the Jeep, Jack was struggling weakly against Sue’s grip on his wrists. “No, Sue, where’s Sasha? Bobby promised she was safe! You can’t leave her there!”
“We didn’t leave her there, baby,” Sue promised. “Did Sasha tell you about her fiancé?” Jack nodded slowly, his eyes torn between heart-wrenchingly terrified and dazedly confused. Sue smiled, running her fingers back through his hair. “Myles is her fiancé, my darling. Myles went to fill the role of her white knight and rescue her. Sasha is safe. You’ll see her soon, I promise.”
Jack took a deep breath, trying to focus on what his girlfriend was telling him. Sue’s fingers were tender as they coaxed him back into that drowsy world just on the verge of sleep. “You’re safe now, Jack. Sasha is safe now. We’re going to take you both home.”
Jack nodded, letting her touch pull him inescapably into sleep. Sue looked up at Bobby, her eyes filling with tears now that she no longer had to be strong for the man she loved. “He’s burning up, Bobby, and he’s so scared. I’ve never seen him like this.”
“He’s going to be okay Sue. You’re right, he’s safe now. He’ll be back to his old self before you know it.”
Sue nodded, taking a deep breath and forcing herself to be content by the touch of his skin under her fingertips. Having remained silent during the entire conversation, D waited until Sue glanced down at Jack, before exchanging a worried look with Bobby. “He’s completely wrecked, Bobby,” D said, getting a grim nod from the other man.
“All we can do is hope that Scarlett can help him pull through this.”
D nodded again, before he returned his eyes to the road. The journey was a silent one the rest of the way back to the hideout. Between the two of them, Bobby and D managed to carry Jack into the building and lay him on the bed. Sue fussed over his coverings for a long moment, before at last there was nothing else to do but wait for the other half of their rescue mission to return.
Chapter 13
When the other Jeep finally pulled into the driveway, Bobby’s eyes immediately caught on the sight of the woman in Myles’ arms. His hold on her was firm but gentle, his body providing her the reassurance she needed that she was safe. Bobby pushed open the door, letting Myles carry her into the room, with Scarlett and Scott on his heels. Scarlett pulled off her gloves and glared at the Aussie, demanding, “Where is he?”
Bobby gestured at the bed. Jack lay on his side, heaving in great gasps of air, as he slept. Scarlett smiled at Sue, “Move for a second, dove. I just need to check him over for a second.”
Sue nodded, watching as D and Bobby left the safehouse again. “Where are they going?”
“MI6 has Lachlan Bright and Arif Dessa in custody, dove. They’re just going to make sure everything’s taken care of. They’ll be back before you know it. Come, help me wake him.”
Sue nodded, moving to kneel on the floor by Jack’s head. “Baby?” she inquired, her fingers tender through his hair. “Baby, can you hear me?”
Jack moaned, his eyes fluttering, “Sue.”
“Yeah, Jack, it’s me . . . it’s Sue. Open your eyes for me Jack.”
Forcing himself to do as she asked, Jack’s dark brown eyes locked onto her hazel eyes. “Hi,” he whispered, allowing himself one long blink, before he set his eyes open.
“Hi,” she returned, leaning over to capture his mouth in an alluring kiss. “Jack, this is Scarlett Tatum. She’s going to help you okay?”
Jack nodded once, “Nice to meet you.”
“Listen to you,” Scarlett teased, winking at him familiarly, “acting as though we’re at a formal party. Quite the gentleman you are, love. I need you to tell me what they did to you, Agent Hudson.”
“Electricity . . . through my chest. And a lash. Other than that, I’m peachy keen,” he rasped, pushing the corners of his lips into a smile for Sue’s sake.
“You have a heart condition, do you not?” she asked, unconsciously mimicking Dessa’s earlier question.
“I do,” he replied, tightening his grip on his girlfriend. “Why?”
“Just making sure I have all the facts,” Scarlett reassured him, grabbing her bag and beginning a preliminary exam. “Heartbeat’s a little fast, but its strong. I’m going to give you oxygen, just to make sure you’re getting enough, okay?”
Jack nodded, eyes flicking up to Sue’s. “How are you holding up?” he whispered, eyes drifting closed.
“I’ve been so worried about you. But I’m better now . . . you’re here and you’re safe.”
A small smile curved the corners of his lips, hidden seconds later as Scarlet secured an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. Rolling him carefully onto his stomach, Scarlett set to prodding his injuries. When Jack flinched, Scarlett moved her hands away. “Sorry,” she murmured, before standing. “There’s salt water in the marks, Agent Hudson . . . ”
“Jack,” the agent in question interrupted tiredly, before he chuckled lightly, “My name is Jack.”
“All right, Jack. I’m going to go set up a shower for you. We need to get the salt out of those wounds. Sue, you’re going to need to help him.”
Sue nodded her agreement, pressing her fingers over his mouth as he moved to protest. “Not a word out of you, Jack. I’m helping you and that’s final.”
Jack smiled at her. “And you say I’m stubborn,” he teased with a tired wink.
“I’m not stubborn, Jack, just determined,” she sassed back, her eyes sparkling at his attempt at humor.
“Be determined all you like, as long as you don’t cop a feel,” he ordered, his obvious fatigue robbing the statement of its rigidity.
“I’ll do my best,” she assured him, leaning to kiss him, her hands caressing the bruised planes of his face. “Jack?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I love you so much,” she sobbed, burying her face in his throat, careful not to hurt him.
“I love you too,” he murmured, rolling cautiously onto his side and pulling her into his arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. As soon as I’m better, were going to do something about the rule at work, okay?”
“You promise?” she asked, hiccupping because of her tears.
“I promise,” he swore, as he buried his face in her hair.
Only minutes later, Jack and Sue were standing together in the shower, clad only in their undergarments. The mask was still over his nose and mouth, and his back was to the water. Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes as the water sluiced over his lacerated back. Sue’s hands moved lightly over the injuries, helping the water with its cleansing work. “You okay, honey?” she asked, pressing her lips into his hair.
Jack nodded, flinching once as water splashed harshly onto a particularly sensitive area. “I’m fine.”
Sue smiled slightly, shaking her head. “Liar. Don’t be such a martyr, Jack. Tell me if you want a break, and we’ll stop for a minute or two.”
Shaking his head, desolate eyes met Sue’s. “No . . . I just want it to stop.”
Somehow, Sue understood what he was trying to say and nodded. Bending, she kissed him lightly before pulling his head into the crook between her neck and shoulder. Returning to the task, Sue hummed an absent melody as her hands washed out the marks left by the lash. Jack felt his body go light and sleepy at the same time Sue murmured into his hair, “Rest, love, I’ve got you.”
Chapter 14
Meanwhile, Sasha was huddled in the corner of her room, shaking her head frantically in response to Myles’ voice encouraging her to come out. She was caught in a waking nightmare and the sight of her obvious terror pulled at Myles’ heartstrings like no other. Taking a deep breath and promising he’d make restitution for it later, Myles lunged forward and grabbed her shoulders. Sasha screamed and struggled to pull out of the grip. Myles closed his eyes and shook her hard. Sasha’s eyes squeezed closed and then opened wide, suddenly clear and lucid. “M . . . Myles?” she stammered, noticing the distinct relief in her lover’s eyes as he nodded.
“Yes, princess, it’s me,” he assured her, forcing himself to release her.
Sasha looked around the room for a quick second and then locked eyes with him again. “I’m free?”
Myles nearly choked on a sob as he whispered, “Yes, mia bella, you’re free.”
Lunging out of the corner, Sasha threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shirt. Myles caught her tightly to him, rocking her slowly as he settled back onto the floor. His hands played tenderly over her shoulders and he held her close to his heart. “Sasha . . . if you ever want to talk about it . . . ”
“No,” she insisted, shaking her head firmly against the fabric of his shirt. “It’s over now. I’m safe and I’m with you. I never want to think about Lachlan Bright ever again.”
Myles sighed, but nodded, content just to hold her in his arms. They were still sitting on the floor when Bobby and D came back. “Ladies and gents, we have good news.”
“Really? I could use some right about now. Lay it on me,” Scarlett encouraged, wiping her hands on a towel.
Bobby’s sharp eyes noticed the blood on the towel, eyes flicking around the room in search of Jack. “Where is he?”
“He’s in the bathroom with Sue. They’re taking a shower, kind of.”
“They’re kind of taking a shower?” D asked, the two agents glancing at each other in question.
“There’s salt in the lash marks. Sue’s helping the water clean them out. I think Agent Hudson is actually asleep standing up, to be honest.”
“Where’s that blood from?”
“My sister,” Scarlett said, nodding her head toward the couple on the floor. “Agent Hudson is not the only one who has been grievously abused by his captors.”
Bobby nodded, unable to take his eyes from the tender care Myles was showing the woman in his arms. It was obvious he loved her dearly. “How is she?”
“She’s terrified. She’s having nightmares . . . both while she’s sleeping and while she’s awake. I think the only thing keeping her from going completely off the handle is Agent Leland.”
“But she’ll be okay, right?”
The set of Scarlett’s mouth was grim as she replied, “One can only hope.”
Myles looked up at his compatriots, rocking the body in his arms unconsciously, as he spoke, “You said you had good news.”
“Right,” Bobby agreed, looking around for a place to sit.
Folding his lanky body into a chair two times too small, Bobby rested his elbows on his knees and began. “Dessa is still in our custody, as are his thugs. Bright was a bit more difficult to apprehend, but as of now, he’s enjoying the hospitality of a pair of MI6 operatives. They want to get the little IRA bugger to London as quickly as possible to begin a trial. Apparently, our young Master Bright has a lot to answer for; terrorism, kidnapping, slavery, murder, torture, etc.”
“Serves him right,” Myles muttered, tightening his hold on Sasha. “What about Dessa? He is still alive, right?”
“The bullet was removed and MI6 did a good job of patching him up. He’ll live to face trial. Which is just as well . . . I want to watch him fry for what he did to Jack.”
“You’re not the only one,” D remarked, glancing at the doorway as Jack and Sue made their appearances. “Long time, no see. How are you feeling, Jack?”
“I don’t know,” he replied honestly, letting Sue lower him to the bed and tilt him onto his side. “Sore, I guess. Tired. I think I’ll be okay.”
Bobby smiled, “Of course you’ll be okay, Sparky, you’re the hero of the hour.”
“Hero, Crash? I think this heat has cooked your brain,” Jack chuckled, getting a fond scowl from his best friend, “What on earth have I done that can be counted as heroic?”
“Why, Sparky, didn’t you know? You were instrumental in the capture of one Arif Dessa.”
Rolling her eyes, Sue waved Jack to silence. “Not a word from you, Agent Hudson. You need rest, more than you need to be sparring with Agent Koala Boy. Bobby, either shut your mouth or go be jovial elsewhere.”
“Yes sir, lady ma’am sir,” Bobby teased, snapping off a sharp, if jaunty, salute.
Jack chuckled, nestling into his pillows. “It feels good to laugh.”
“You’ll be laughing a lot more, Jack, as soon as we get you home. You’ll see. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Jack nodded, closing his eyes and letting unconsciousness wash over him.
Chapter 15
Jack was too weak to be moved the next morning, and it was decided that the operatives MI6 had sent to assist the Tatum twins would take their terrorists back to stand trial, while the rest would stay. By midmorning Jack had fallen into a shallow coma, and by late afternoon his fever had soared to a boiling point. Between the two of them, Sue and Scarlett kept careful watch, replacing the cloths they draped over his body with fresh ones and letting him know someone was there with him.
Sasha felt helpless and useless, safe within the confines of Myles’ arms. “I’m sorry, Myles. I know he’s your friend.”
“Jack’s going to be all right, Sasha. He’s tough and he’s got someone to live for. He’ll pull through this. I know he will.”
Sasha nodded, but deep in her heart she wasn’t so sure.
A week passed, and with every day that fled away Jack’s body began to fail him more and more. Finally Scarlett shoved her hands back through her hair and muttered, “I don’t understand.”
Sue reached out to touch her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch that.”
“I said, I don’t understand. He should be doing better. His heartbeat is strong, if still a little fast. He’s getting enough oxygen, in spite of that cough of his. The marks on his back are healing. There were no major, life-threatening injuries. Yes, his fever is still too high, but it’s manageable. And still, we’re losing him.”
From the back of the room, came a quiet voice. “His ransom hasn’t been paid.”
Scarlett whirled. “Sasha, he’s free. There’s no need to pay a ransom for him.”
“And yet, he wavers on the brink of life and death. He should mend, but he doesn’t. We can heal the body, but we neglect the soul.”
“This is hardly the time for one of your philosophical conversations, Sasha,” Scott scolded, surprised when Sue waved him off.
Sue’s hazel eyes were warm and compassionate as they locked onto the ivy depths of Sasha’s own. “Tell me.”
“There is a ransom that must be paid.”
“How can I pay it?”
“Ransom’s are paid with more than just money and blood, Miss Thomas. They are also paid with love.” Stepping forward, Sasha took Sue’s hands lightly in her own. “He talked about you; how much he loved you, his plans for a life with you, how much strength you lent him when you thought you had none. You were his reason to push forward.” Her eyes came to rest on Jack’s wasted frame, his chest heaving for even the tiniest gasp of air and his body shivering because of a high fever. “But then Dessa came . . . and he was sure he was going to die. Some part of him still believes it, believes that he wouldn’t make it out of there alive. You must go to hell for him, and drag him back. The ransom is one that only you can pay, and you must pay it alone.”
Sue took a deep breath, “Are you sure I can do this?”
“Do you love him?”
Sue’s eyes were glistening with tears as she replied, “Yes.”
“Then you are the only one who can save him.”
Turning to face her boyfriend, Sue let her eyes wander his body. They’d stripped him of his clothes and he lay covered only in cool, wet cloths. “I want to be alone with him,” she said, knowing without having to look that she would be obeyed.
She stared at him for a long time, before glancing over her shoulder to check that they were alone. Turning back to him, she whispered -more to herself, than to him- “The things I do for you, Hudson.”
Steeling her nerves, she undressed down to her undergarments and climbed into the bed with him. Her hand came up to caress his cheek, before gripping his chin lightly. Shaking him roughly, she spoke, “Jack, wake up.”
Her voice was low and borderline harsh, but some part of her knew that he wouldn’t respond to gentle love and tender touch then. Jack moaned, tossing his head slightly to dislodge her hand. “Oh no you don’t, Hudson,” she muttered, tightening her grip and shaking him harder, “Wake up.”
Jack tossed slightly, before relinquishing himself to her determination. Blinking awake, dark mahogany eyes met Sue’s for the first time in a week. “Sue?” he questioned, his voice low and hoarse with disuse. “What’s going on?”
“You’re dying on me, Hudson, and I won’t allow it.”
Jack shook his head. “I’m not dying . . . I’m just tired.”
“You are dying, Jack. You’re fading to somewhere I can’t go with you.”
He went to protest again, but stopped. Deep within her eyes, there was fear and heartbreak. His eyes blinked once, long and slow, before he spoke again. “What can I do?”
“You can stay with me, Jack.” Taking a deep breath, she caressed her hand over the planes of his chest. “Jack, I love you. Love me and stay with me.”
Jack looked around, eyes tired and bleak, “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“For the moment. But I need you to be with me for far longer than that.” Moving her body so she was straddling him, she leaned down to rest her chin on the hands she’d crossed over his chest. Jack’s eyes were filled with love and desire as they met hers. “Jack?” she asked, her voice softer and filled with deep emotion.
“Sue?” he replied, getting a small smile from her.
“Will you marry me?”
Chapter 16
Months later, Jack stood in front of the pastor of Sue’s church. It was his wedding day and he had never been more nervous in his life. Bobby stood to his right, just in case he suddenly passed out from lack of oxygen. The organ started up and Jack’s breath caught in his throat.
The bridesmaids were beautiful. Tara, Sasha and Lucy were all decked out in beautiful gowns made of the palest blue fabric. Each gown was decidedly different, the make best suited to the person who wore it. Bobby couldn’t resist a quiet whistle as D escorted Tara to the front. Tara blushed brightly, ducking her head to hide her flaming cheeks.
Unable to resist, Jack turned to watch his best friend for a second. “Is there something I should know here?” he asked Bobby in a low whisper.
“Not yet,” Bobby replied, before a slow grin curved his lips, “but I’m hoping.”
Jack grinned, nodding once, before returning his attention to the bridesmaids. Sasha was on Myles’ arm, the picture of health and beauty. They had been married almost seconds after they’d made it safely back to America. The team and Sasha’s siblings were the only ones in attendance, a drastic contrast to the lavish and guest-filled wedding they had planned for themselves five years before.
Lucy was alone as the maid-of-honor, seeing as Bobby was with Jack. She was practically glowing for her best friend, pleased that all of the hard work she’d put into matchmaking them had finally paid off. Of the entire team, she and Bobby could claim the most credit for pairing off the “FBI’s favorite couple”. They had done the most work and suffered the most heartache for it. She could hardly contain her excitement.
Lucy had just taken her place when the organ began to play, “Here Comes the Bride.” And there she was. Clad in a custom-made mother-of-pearl gown, Susan Anne Thomas was the most beautiful woman in the world. Jack couldn’t take his eyes off her for even a second. Her hair hung in curls over her shoulders and down her back. The gown hugged her to her hips, before flaring out to her feet. The three foot train made of lash and appliqués followed her gracefully, the weight keeping her shoulders back and her head held high.
Jack fell in love with her all over again in that instant.
It seemed like an eternity before Matthew Thomas, Sue’s father, placed her hand in his and returned to his wife’s side. Jack squeezed her hand and spoke quietly, “Hi.”
Sue blushed, nibbling on her lower lip for a second, before she replied, “Hi.”
The minister cleared his throat and Jack turned his attention to the man. Sue’s eyes followed his and they both blushed as the pastor teased, “If you’ll take your eyes off each other for two seconds, we can get this done.”
Chuckling, the two nodded, their hands never loosening on each other for a second. Looking up over their heads, the minister called out, “Who gives this woman to this man?”
Her father, Bobby, D and Myles all called out simultaneously, “We do!”
The minister looked surprised by all of the voices and Jack just shook his head, trying to hold in his laughter. “Sorry about that, Reverend, they consider her family.”
“Ah,” the man said, looking somewhat mollified, before he gathered his dignity around him again and took a deep breath. “We are here to celebrate the joining of two hearts and two souls into one life and one love. If there are any here who would object to this partnership, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”
Silence echoed through the church, this union one long awaited by many of the guests. The minister grinned and nodded once, turning to Sue. “Sue, if you would repeat after me.”
Sue nodded, looking up at Jack as her fiancé mouthed along with the minister. “I, Susan Anne Thomas, take thee, Jackson Samuel Hudson, to be my lawfully wedded husband . . . ” And even though she knew she was still speaking her vows, all she could remember for the rest of them was the look in Jack’s eyes as she spoke.
Jack went next, “I, Jackson Samuel Hudson, take thee, Susan Anne Thomas, to be my lawfully wedded wife . . . ”
After what felt like an instant and a lifetime, Jack slipped the ring onto her finger, “With this ring, I thee wed.”
Sue blushed and giggled, as he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a tender kiss to the skin. Taking her own ring, Sue slipped the ring onto the hand she knew would protect, shelter and love her all her life. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“And now, by the power vested in me by God and the District of Columbia, I now pronounce you . . . husband and wife.” Smiling at Jack, he teased gently, “You may kiss your bride.”
Jack needed no further coaching, dipping her back and kissing her. And all the while, the crowd was filled with cheers, love and laughter.
Great start. I'm looking forward to reading more of the story to see what happens.
Great start!
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at their wedding! Great job. Congrats on making the deadline.