Asher’s mind was reeling. “Who knows about this? Have you told his wife?”
“No one knows, including Jesse, and certainly not his wife. I don’t want to get her hopes up until I know we can deliver him home alive. This is a test now, and we’ll see who passes. We’re working on some other leads, but at this stage, Colonel Stevens is our key focus. I told you this only to give you confidence that we know what we’re doing and you can trust us to get to the bottom of this. We were recommended to you, but other than that, you had very little to base your decision on. I’m aware of that, and of the level of trust you’ve placed in us. You need to know we’re capable, so I’ll brief you as we go along.” James paused, and his next words were full of warning. “If you want to stay alive, and you want to protect Abi, do everything I tell you.”
“Understood,” Asher said, knowing James had thrown Abi in there for effect. Asher knew it was easier to make a reckless decision when it would only impact his own life.
“Asher, I need to go, but I want to also let you know I’m sending one of my guys in to work directly with Jesse. His name is Reed, and you’ll meet him soon. If you have questions, call me or speak to him. That’s it—don’t speak to anyone else about your security concerns. I’ll let you know when Jesse has been cleared. We’re working on it, I promise, and in the meantime I’ve placed more of my men on site. You’ll be seeing a few unfamiliar faces the next time your team walks through the door. I’ll talk to you soon,” James said, and the line went silent.
Asher placed the phone back on the receiver, trying to absorb everything he’d been told in the last few minutes.
Was the colonel still alive?
And if he was, was he being tortured?
There was a knock at his door before it opened. His security team entered and Asher scanned the faces of the men.
A few unfamiliar faces?
He barely recognized any of them.
Rachel
Rachel cradled the cup of tea in her hands and looked over the headquarters of IFRT. It was the first time she’d left the palace since they’d found Abi, and Rachel thought she’d be able to enjoy a minute alone. But that minute wasn’t giving her the sense of peace she’d expected. Her eyes scanned their dingy office and she felt like she was sitting in ruins. It wasn’t the physical appearance of the office—that hadn’t changed—but everything else had.
What would become of IFRT now that Abi couldn’t lead it?
Rachel scrolled through the organization’s emails. The team had been monitoring them, but anything that couldn’t be actioned had been filed in an electronic folder, and the folder was almost full: full of emails from civilians, authorities, dignitaries, and even a few celebrities wanting to partner with them. If any good had come from Abi’s kidnapping, it had been the raising of IFRT’s profile in the media.
King Asher’s girlfriend—the humanitarian—kidnapped.
But now some hard decisions had to be made.
The rest of the world hadn’t stopped just because theirs had. People were still being kidnapped, and if the latest reports were anything to go by, the kidnappings had increased.
Was that a coincidence?
Or was that retaliation?
The talk of a war was increasing too. However much Asher’s family had fallen out of favor with Santinians, they still weren’t happy their king had been assassinated, and ever since Asher’s speech on the balcony, whispers of a war had started.
Rachel knew that was an internal struggle for Asher. His father had worked so hard to keep the war from Santina, but if he didn’t retaliate, he’d be perceived as weak. He’d told the world those responsible would be punished, and now King Asher had to do exactly that.
Rachel sighed, taking a sip of her tea.
If she’d thought they had problems before, now they really did.
That thought disappeared the instant she heard the faint, familiar sound of a car engine. Her eyes darted to the security footage of the areas surrounding their building.
Her pulse quickened and her mouth went dry. A car had pulled up without its lights on at midnight and that told her only one thing—whoever was in that car didn’t want to be seen.
Three figures emerged from the vehicle and Rachel’s breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t expecting visitors and her security team wasn’t due to pick her up for another thirty minutes.
She darted toward the desk and grabbed her gun. She struggled to swallow. She couldn’t believe she’d been stupid enough to come here alone—or that her security team had dropped her off and left her. How good was this team, really?
Rachel knew the sound of a lock being picked, and she held her breath, counting the seconds. If these guys were professionals, it should only take them a few seconds.
It took them less than thirty, and the lock on the back door was a good one—it wasn’t some cheap thing they’d bought at the hardware store.
Rachel moved to the closest wall and pressed her back against it, her pistol in her hands. But her hands were beginning to tremble.
With a shaky breath, she aimed the pistol away from her feet. The last thing she needed was to accidentally shoot herself.
The door swung open at the same time a figure emerged from the corner of the room.
Her sharp intake of breath burned her lungs.
Fear was an ugly monster, and it was real. Whoever had said fear was just in the mind had never experienced it, not truly.
She aimed her weapon, but her finger never pulled the trigger.
Her breath was stolen from her as people—she couldn’t count how many—moved so fast she couldn’t keep track of them. One yelled, another hissed and grunted as they fought. A bullet fired and she shrank back, fighting to breathe.
She couldn’t look away as her protector from the shadows took down the intruders within seconds with a few swift moves. He moved like someone out of The Matrix.
Before she knew it, a hand wrapped around her mouth and she fought against it.
“It’s cold outside,” a voice whispered calmly.
Rachel felt the fight leave her as the words registered in her mind—it was the code she’d been given in the event she found herself in this situation and didn’t know who to trust. If she heard those words—it’s cold outside—she knew they were the new security team. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and drew her back to the corner. Moments later, gunshots rang and men started yelling and shouting before it all went quiet again.
“Copy,” the voice beside her whispered before releasing her.
She turned to face him, but she could barely make out his features before he was striding forward. She watched him walk toward the men who were now on their knees, their hands behind their heads, pistols pointed at them.
Within seconds, Rachel knew the Matrix man was the one in charge. The guy who had silenced her must have been second-in-charge, because he was giving orders now too.
“Tie them up and gag them. We’re taking them with us.”
American—Rachel knew from his accent. She hadn’t noticed it when he’d first spoken to her, when he’d whispered in her ear, but in her defense, panic had consumed her, and she’d barely been able to remember to breathe. Luckily, the human body was intelligent enough to do that without her having to instruct it to; but fear also had a way of knocking the breath right out of the lungs.
The team moved with a sense of ease and coordination that Rachel had never seen before.
Who are these guys?
When the men were bound and gagged and being dragged off, the first-in-command turned to Rachel.
She blinked when she saw him in the light. Now was not the time for such feelings, but they came anyway.
Holy hell.
He strode toward her and extended his hand. “Apologies for the lack of notice—we’re good at that,” he said, the corners of his pink lips turning up. His baby-face surprised her—it didn’t match his lethal performance.
“And you are?” R
achel asked, amazed she managed to push the words from her throat. Her voice had that husky, sexy thing going on, and none of it was intentional.
“Thomas Security,” he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She knew that, but she wanted his name.
“Reed,” he said with mischievous eyes. “I’m Reed.” A slight beard highlighted his angled jaw and her eyes traced it. He didn’t miss it.
She shook his hand, hoping her hand wasn’t sweaty, which she was almost certain it was.
“Rachel,” she said, even though he of course knew who she was. “When did you enter this building? You didn’t come in with the security team that dropped me off,” she said.
He raised an eyebrow, perhaps at her tone. “I came in a few hours ago. Did you really think security would scope the office and then let you stay here alone?”
She had thought that was irresponsible, but she’d needed a moment alone, so she hadn’t questioned it. She’d assumed they were outside, somewhere close.
Reed looked over his shoulder, nodded, and then turned back to her. She noted one ear was pierced with a small stud.
“Let’s get back to the palace. I’ll brief you on the way,” he said. His brown eyes changed with the tone of his voice—more gentle now.
“Let me just grab a few things,” she said quickly. She put her laptop in her handbag and grabbed the file on the desk, the file Abi had asked for.
“I’m ready,” she said, grabbing her keys.
They left via the front door, but Rachel couldn’t help looking over her shoulder one last time. She hadn’t seen the faces of the intruders, and now the security team was blocking her view.
Reed placed his hand on her lower back. “Keep moving,” he said.
Rachel suppressed a shiver. There was nothing sexual in his intent, but his touch and his deep voice whispering in her ear sent a strange energy through her. Rachel dismissed the thought—her mind was just reeling from the adrenaline.
As they stepped outside, she saw another security team waiting for her. Reed nodded and they moved in, escorting Rachel to the car.
Jesse’s security had been one thing. This was another level completely.
Reed slid in next to her. “Go,” he said to the driver.
“Who were they?” Rachel asked.
Reed shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. The team will talk to them and find out.”
Rachel smirked at his choice of word. “Talk, huh?”
She watched Reed closely and thought he was hiding a smile. “Don’t pretend you’re all innocent. I’ve read your report and you’re certainly no wallflower.”
Her jaw fell open, but the reprimand on her lips vanished when she saw the look in his eyes. Appreciation?
Reed didn’t like wallflowers, perhaps?
“Is that so? And what report is this?” Rachel asked.
“Security intelligence report. Everyone has one,” he said simply.
“In your world everyone has one,” she corrected.
“And yet our worlds collide,” he said, but his eyes were on the mirror.
“Problem?” she asked, her gaze following his.
“No, just checking,” he said.
Rachel shook her head, as if to clear her jumbled thoughts. She needed to get her mind back on track. “Did the men look familiar to you?”
“No,” he said, checking the mirrors again. “But we received a tipoff through some communication that IFRT’s headquarters might be targeted tonight. We didn’t have all the information we required, so we planted men—myself and a few others—in the building some hours ago. Your security team dropped you off and left so anyone watching would think you were alone.”
“I haven’t seen you around the palace,” Rachel said. She definitely hadn’t seen him before tonight—she would’ve remembered him.
“No, I flew in a few hours ago. James wanted an extra set of hands on site,” he said.
“And James put you in charge?” Rachel asked, then kicked herself. Obviously.
“I have the most experience,” he said casually.
Rachel looked over at him again in the dim light of the car. He couldn’t have been older than thirty.
“You don’t look old enough to have the most experience,” she said, earning her a slight smile.
“Age isn’t everything. I’ve made up for my age by taking higher risk jobs that allowed me to gain more experience. I was recruited to Thomas Security a few months ago,” he said.
“Recruited from where?” Rachel asked.
“From somewhere,” he said with a mischievous grin.
Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Meaning they head-hunted you, correct?”
Reed met her gaze. “Thomas Security doesn’t advertise positions. They network and recruit based on who they want. It’s the only way to get in,” he said.
“Sounds like the Illuminati,” she said.
Reed raised his eyebrows and gave her an amused smile, not denying it. “The best move your king has made is hiring Thomas Security. People in our world are starting to talk, and soon that news is going to find its way back to his enemies. They’ll be scared, and then they’ll start making mistakes. That’s when we’ll make our move.”
“How do you know they’ll make mistakes?”
“Because it’s hard to think straight when the boogeyman is behind you.”
Rachel wanted to make a smart remark, but her brain was taking a time-out. She couldn’t think properly when he looked at her like that—his arrogant smirk was hot as hell.
What is wrong with me?
She barely noticed when they pulled up at the palace, and then the realization jolted her.
How could she not realize she was at the palace? The palace! Rachel had never thought she’d step inside, let alone be living—albeit temporarily—inside it.
“What’s in that file?” Reed asked as she shifted her bag on her lap.
“What file?” she asked, momentarily confused.
“The file in your bag,” Reed said.
Rachel stopped—she’d forgotten about the file Abi had asked for.
“IFRT business,” she said with a shrug.
He raised one eyebrow. “IFRT business is Thomas Security business now.”
She raised an eyebrow in return. “You can speak to Abi about that.”
“I will,” he responded without pause.
Once they were safely inside the palace garage, the car doors unlocked and Reed said, “Please wait for a moment.”
He stepped out of the car and reappeared at her door, opening it for her.
“Madame,” he said, sounding like he was holding back a laugh. He walked beside her. “Abi’s in her living room,” Reed said.
Rachel tilted her head, wondering how he knew that. She supposed someone had let him know via his earpiece.
“Good to know,” she said, heading there.
She knocked on the door and security answered, letting them in. Abi was sitting on the couch looking bored as hell.
“Hey,” she said, lighting up when she saw Rachel. Her eyes immediately went to Reed and widened slightly.
“Reed, Abi. Abi, Reed,” Rachel said, her voice still shaky.
Reed extended his hand to Abi.
“Pleased to meet you,” Abi said.
“Likewise. I have a meeting, so I need to go. I’ll see you later. Take care, Rachel,” he said, his eyes lingering on her a moment before he turned and left.
Abi’s eyes returned to Rachel, her lips turned up, and then she looked to security. “Can you give us a few minutes?”
They nodded and left the room.
“Who is he?” Abi asked, her voice a whisper.
Rachel knew security wasn’t far away.
“One of Thomas Security’s new recruits,” Rachel said as casually as she could muster, but Abi clearly wasn’t fooled.
“Interesting,” Abi said with a smirk.
“You’re telling me,” Rachel said dryly. “This Thomas Security crew
redefine bad boys. I mean, seriously, why are they all so hot? James, Deacon, even the nerd guy is hot! And now this ninja walks in with a smile that’ll make your panties wet.”
Abi tilted her head back, laughing. “The hot nerd guy is Samuel, for your reference.”
Rachel shrugged, smiling. “Here’s the file. Reed asked about it. You should read it quickly before they steal it,” she said with a laugh, but she was deadly serious. “Where’s Asher?”
“Working. He’s been in his office all night,” Abi said, her voice sounding far away. She returned her attention to Rachel. “He’ll be fine,” she said, perhaps more to herself than anything.
“What did you want this file for?” Rachel asked. She’d asked Abi that earlier and Abi had told her she’d tell her tonight.
Abi’s eyes darted to the door security had left through.
Abi opened the file, flicking through the documents. “I keep having nightmares, Rachel. I’m talking in my sleep, saying, ‘Don’t touch me.’ I wake up and feel like I should remember something, but I can’t. And then I was sitting with Lenna this morning and I asked her to draw some memories of the times she wasn’t sad.” Abi looked at her. “She drew a man with a syringe in his hand.”
Rachel frowned. “What?”
“Exactly. And then I thought . . . maybe they had a doctor there sedating women. I was only unconscious once during my captivity—I think, at least—and I felt the blow to my head before I lost consciousness. I woke up on the cell floor, bound again and numb. I assumed I’d only been out a short while, but now I’m not so sure.”
“What does this file have to do with it?” Rachel asked.
“This case is one from before you joined IFRT. All of these captives reported memory loss, and all of them came from Adani.”
“What are you saying, Abi? You think you were drugged? You think you were raped?” Rachel asked in a rush, her voice barely audible.
Abi shook her head. “Drugged, possibly. They could’ve injected me while I was under. I might’ve had a prick mark on my skin, but with everything that was going on I didn’t notice. However, I don’t think I was raped; I wasn’t sore, and I haven’t bled or had any discomfort.”
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