The Relentless Hero

by Angel Vane

Julian rushed in front of her. “You don’t have to do this.”

  The gunmen raised their rifles, pointing them at Julian as he approached Tubeec, stopping within mere feet of the rebel leader.

  “One more step and she will watch you die. Is that what you want?” Tubeec asked.

  Julian stood still, his eyes focused on Tubeec. He was calm, unfazed by the danger that surrounded them.

  “Go and wait by the TIGR,” Tubeec commanded.

  Julian didn’t budge.

  Tubeec shrugged, then turned.

  “No!!!” Mena held up her hands, then turned to Julian. “Please, do what they are telling you to do.”

  “Don’t do this,” Julian said, reaching for her arm. “These men are dangerous and if you go with them, I might not be able to track you. I might not be able to find you again. There’s got to be another way.”

  “There is no other way. No one else will be coming to save us anytime soon. You can’t fight three gunmen by yourself,” Mena said.

  Julian reached for the Beretta tucked in the back of his pants, a dangerous glint in his eye. “Watch me.”

  “I won’t watch you die,” Mena said, gripping his wrist tightly.

  “Mena, please—”

  “Since we met I’ve been nothing but trouble for you. You’ve risked your life too many times to save mine and I can’t let you do it again,” Mena said, then paused, fighting back tears as her hand trembled in his. “Remember when I stood on the deck of your boat in the middle of the Caribbean screaming at the top of my lungs how much I love you?”

  “I can’t lose you, not like this,” Julian said. “Do not give up! Do you hear me? I can get us out of this, I promise!”

  Mena shook her head, “That’s how I want you to remember me. To remember us. Just remember that one perfect night on your boat in the middle of Crescent Moon Bay. Just me and you, perfect with our perfect love.”

  “Mena, I can’t do what you’re asking me,” Julian said, his voice fraught with emotion, his eyes pleading.

  “You need to let me do this for you this time. Nobody is after you, but for some reason I keep getting into these awful situations. It stops now. Knowing you are safe is all that matters. Please tell my mom and dad, my brothers, Omar and Regina, all of them, that I love them so much,” Mena said. A tear rolled slowly down her face.

  Yanking her arm from his grasp, Mena pushed past him and walked over to the men huddled with guns pointing at them.

  “I will go with you of my own free will, but you need to let Julian go. Let him live … please,” Mena said. “Tie him up or something so he won’t come after us, but don’t kill him. That’s all I ask. Please.”

  “I knew a woman once who loved fiercely, dangerously, recklessly … like you,” Tubeec said. He walked toward her and caressed her face. “She didn’t hesitate to risk her own life to save those she loved. It is an admirable trait.”

  Heart pounding, Mena focused on the gunmen in her periphery, their rifles trained on Julian. Even if he was quick enough to get a couple of shots off, he wouldn’t be able to kill them all. He would die in a blaze of bullets in the middle of the desert for her. She would not let that happen.

  “Do we have a deal?” Mena asked, infusing confidence in her voice. She knew Tubeec wanted her alive. If she could save Julian now, there could be a chance that maybe she could be with him again.

  Tubeec smiled at her, then looped his arm in hers, walking her away from the vehicle. “Handcuff the man to the TIGR, but do not harm him.”

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Shifting against the sand, Julian rolled over, beneath the cover of the Jeep. Pain detonated throughout his body, but he needed to get out of the harsh rays of the sun if he had any chance to survive. For minutes that felt like hours, his body had been a human pinata, absorbing the blows of Tubeec’s thugs, pummeling him to the ground. When he’d been unable to fight back any longer, they’d handcuffed him to the axel of the Jeep.

  Julian thought they were going to turn the ignition on the bullet-ridden vehicle and drag him a few miles across the red desert land. Lucky for him, the bastards had been summoned by Tubeec to return to El Wak.

  Inhaling, Julian felt a sharp pain slice through his lungs. He could have a broken rib, maybe two. Something he could deal with … after he’d hunted Tubeec down and killed him for taking Mena hostage.

  The ground rumbled under his body as a vehicle approached. Julian cowered under the Jeep, peering out into the distance. He couldn’t be sure if that was help arriving, a good Samaritan, or someone sent by Tubeec or al-Harakat to kill him. One thing he knew for sure, they were military-grade vehicles.

  A man squatted low, his eyes resting on Julian.

  “Thought you were dead,” Reggie said.

  “Don’t look so disappointed,” Julian responded, from the shadows of the TIGR. “Can you get these off me?”

  “What happened out here?” Reggie asked, working a small knife blade back and forth against the cuffs until Julian heard the familiar click.

  Yanking his hands down, Julian massaged his swollen wrists, then inched his body from under the Jeep.

  Reggie reached a hand down to help him up.

  “Al-Harakat had Mena and they were taking her to Tubeec to exchange for the bounty money, but Enzo, Taye, and I got to her first,” Julian explained. “Taye took Enzo to the hospital. He was shot up pretty bad and I stayed behind with Mena … until Tubeec arrived.”

  “He took Mena?” Reggie asked.

  “She agreed to go with him if he spared my life,” Julian said, frowning. “For some reason the son of a bitch did, but his guys gave me a good beating before they took off. They’re headed to El Wak.”

  “My team was en route to the airstrip in El Wak, but our planes were downed by anti-aircraft missiles shot from Somalia. My bet is Tubeec called in some favors to buy more time. We have an outpost near here and we were able to scramble and get a ground team together to continue our search for him,” Reggie explained.

  “Any idea why he wants Mena? Why is she so valuable to him?” Julian asked, taking a sip from the canteen one of the ASF agents gave him.

  “Ask Sunny,” Reggie said, his shoulders slumping. “She was paid to kidnap Mena. I thought I knew her so well, better than anyone, but this blindsided me. We have evidence that a hundred thousand dollars was wired into her account from a Swiss account linked to Tubeec Hirad.”

  “The money wasn’t sent to Sunny, it was sent to Hakeem,” Julian said, then relayed his conversation with Hakeem to Reggie and the secret that Sunny had shared with him a day ago about her sibling.

  “Hakeem is her brother,” Reggie repeated. “Why am I not surprised she shared her secret with you and not me.”

  “Whatever you’re thinking Sunny and I had in the past, you’re wrong,” Julian said.

  “I’m wrong that you and Sunny were in a relationship, then she dumped you for your best friend and you never got over her, going as far as to blow up her relationship with Broman so she wouldn’t be happy with him? Is that wrong?” Reggie asked.

  “It wasn’t … like that,” Julian said, stumbling over his words. Sunny had told Reggie more than he’d expected.

  Did Sunny really think he’d sabotaged her relationship with Broman because he couldn’t take losing her? He’d kept his feelings a secret for almost their entire relationship because he wanted Broman to be happy. He would have sacrificed anything for Broman, but the problem was Broman felt the same way about him. Julian had begged Broman not to end the relationship with Sunny, reassuring him that he wouldn’t stand in the way of their love. In the end, Broman had chosen him over Sunny and walked away, refusing to love the same woman that Julian had.

  But Julian knew now that what he’d felt for Sunny wasn’t love. He’d been infatuated and then he’d had his ego bruised. No woman had ever walked away from him for another man. He was the one who did the walking. Yet, Sunny had fallen for Broman and despite finding out later that they were best fr
iends, she had begged Julian to keep their former relationship a secret. A relationship that meant nothing.

  Back then it had stung.

  Now, he knew she was right. A one-sided infatuation didn’t equal love. Mena Nix had shown him what it was like to love someone, truly and unconditionally, and to be loved the same way. The type of love that endured beyond the pain of disappointment and heartache. The type of love that drove him to search all of Kenya until he found Mena again.

  “Since you got to Nairobi, she’s been putting more distance between us. You’ve become her priority and I’m on the back burner. Doesn’t seem like you’re just friends to me,” Reggie said.

  An agent interrupted, “Chief Agent Kamau, we received intel from Timothy Irungu. An unauthorized Gulfstream landed at the family’s private airfield near the construction of the greenhouses early this morning. The Irungu security team isn’t responding to any communications and he fears they are all dead. Satellite images have captured three unidentified vehicles, all heading in that direction.”

  “How far away are we from that airstrip?”

  “About an hour,” the agent replied.

  “One of those vehicles has got to be Tubeec with Mena,” Julian insisted.

  “Is the Gulfstream still there?” Reggie asked.

  “Yes, we’ve confirmed it’s still in the hangar at the airstrip,” the agent replied.

  Reggie nodded, “Coordinate a three-point entry to the Irungu property near the airstrip. Four-man teams in two of the Jeeps. I will lead the way, using the most direct route in the third Jeep … with Julian.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  The hollow click of a pistol resonated near the side of Mena’s face and she grew still. A chill slithered down her spine as she turned her head toward the sound.

  To her left, Hakeem rested the barrel of a gun next to the ear of Tubeec’s henchman, who kept a tight hold on her arm. His gun, connected to a strap wrapped around his chest, was near his side, out of reach.

  Another quick glance to her right and she saw another man, pale with ice blue eyes. In front of her, Tubeec Hirad walked briskly down the middle of the runway toward the opening of the corrugated airplane hangar. The nose of a sleek private jet was barely discernable inside the cavernous space.

  “Assad, move away from Mena now,” Hakeem barked the order.

  Assad released his grip on her arm, pushing her down to the ground. Mena landed with a hard thud on the concrete, crying out from the pain detonating in her hip.

  Tubeec stopped at the sound of Hakeem’s voice, turned, and watched the ambush unfold. A sly smile crossed his face as he walked toward Hakeem.

  “The prodigal protégé has returned,” Tubeec said, his arms opened wide as if to hug Hakeem.

  A gun blast ricocheted through the air. Assad’s body slumped to the ground. Mena held back a scream as she watched blood spewing from the man’s neck, his eyes vacant and blank as his body lay lifeless on the ground.

  “Hakeem, did you really need to kill a man that was like a brother to you?” Tubeec asked, his arms falling to his side. “Come with me, let’s talk.”

  “I have nothing left to say to you,” Hakeem said. Dropping the gun on the ground, he approached Tubeec and extended his arms. The two men embraced, holding each other for a long moment.

  The pale man with ice blue eyes approached her slowly, squatting down next to her. “Hey, Mena. I’m Glaze. I work with Julian. I’m going to get you out of here. Don’t worry.”

  Mena nodded, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Hakeem and Tubeec. They were engaged in a congenial conversation, their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders as they stood mere feet away.

  “What’s going on?” Mena asked.

  “Don’t worry about Hakeem. He’s not going to hurt you,” Glaze said, helping her to her feet. “Stay behind me. I need to provide backup for Hakeem. As soon as he’s done, we’ll get you out of here.”

  Stepping behind the man, Mena took in her surroundings. The land was void and empty. Nothing but rows of partially constructed greenhouses in the distance. She couldn’t see how Hakeem and Glaze planned to escape with her.

  “My friend, the exchange is complete. The money has already been delivered to your account. Our arrangement is settled,” Tubeec said, walking Hakeem back toward Glaze and Mena. “But I do need you to let me have Ms. Mena Nix. She is critical to a service that I’m providing to a client.”

  “Can’t do that, Tubeec,” Hakeem said, an eerie smile on his face. “You won’t be harming anyone else ever again.”

  “What can you do?” Tubeec asked, a challenge in his tone. “It is only by the mercy I am extending to you right now that you haven’t been shot dead by my snipers hiding in the hangar. You couldn’t possibly believe that I am alone out here.”

  Mena watched as Cangrejos emerged from the hangar, heavily armed. She remembered him clearly from her captivity with Wangari and Isaac. The man hadn’t hesitated to put a bullet in Isaac’s head. Would he do the same to Hakeem? Glancing around, Mena looked for a place to provide cover, but the only option was to run into the hangar where she suspected more danger awaited.

  Glaze tensed at the sight of Cangrejos, his gun moving between Tubeec and his henchman, ready to shoot either of them if necessary. Hakeem was oblivious to the new threat emerging behind him and Tubeec.

  Hakeem laughed. “You once told me that you weren’t afraid to die. Well, neither am I.”

  “But you have so much to live for. A thriving business that has proven to be immensely lucrative. A beautiful sister who risked her own life to save yours. Why should you throw that all away?” Tubeec asked.

  Hakeem flinched at the mention of his sister, his eyes growing dark and cold.

  Tubeec continued, “Let’s remain cordial to each other. Give me Mena and go on your way. No hard feelings.”

  “You should have told your men to kill me,” Hakeem said. With one swift move, his hand released a knife from his waistband and moved in an arc, plunging into Tubeec’s chest.

  Tubeec’s eyes bulged in his face, his hand flying to his chest as he gripped the hilt of the knife. Blood seeped from the wound in a thin line, staining his shirt as he stumbled backward, crashing to the ground. A smile creased his lips.

  “Too bad you won’t get to see your wife and kids in hell!” Hakeem said, then stomped on Tubeec’s chest with his foot. Blood darkened the front of Tubeec’s shirt as he grunted in pain, his facial muscles taut in a gruesome grimace.

  Glaze screamed, “Get down!”

  Mena dropped to the concrete as a blaze of bullets erupted from the hangar. Hakeem scrambled toward them, ducking low to avoid being shot.

  Returning fire, Glaze squatted to the ground next to Mena, pressing his body against the warm cement as he tried to take out the hidden gunmen.

  “Damn it!” Glaze screamed as his gun stopped responding. His finger flexed against the trigger, but nothing happened. “Out of bullets.”

  Covering her head with her arms, Mena remained still on the ground, afraid to move. After several seconds, the popping sounds ceased.

  Mena peeked above her arm and watched as Hakeem crawled to a large military vehicle hidden between two of the partially completed greenhouses. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed two men emerging from the hangar, carrying rifles pointed at her and Glaze.

  The men stomped across the wide concrete, pointing guns at Glaze’s head.

  “Go. We have no use for you,” a man said with a heavy French accent to Glaze. The man then turned to Mena. “You, get up.”

  Glaze glanced at her, his eyes full of regret as he stood and walked backward toward the greenhouses where Hakeem awaited in the military vehicle. Would they try to help her? Or were they abandoning her to save themselves? She couldn’t blame them.

  Mena stared down at Tubeec Hirad. A fitting end for the man who’d terrorized her and Wangari and killed Isaac and Grace. She hoped he rotted in hell.

  Mena rais
ed her hands in surrender as the men surrounded her, pushing her forward into the hangar. Her footsteps echoed as she entered the towering structure. Across from the private jet, guns, and ammunition littered tables lined against the hangar wall. Her eyes adjusted to the dimness inside the covered area.

  A man stood near the plane.

  One, unfortunately, very familiar to her.

  Her heart pounded in her chest as dread seeped through her veins. Watching the man approach, Mena couldn’t breathe. She’d thought she was in danger before, but Tubeec was a minor nuisance compared to what this man from her past represented.

  “Adam Russell,” Mena whispered, confusion wracking her brain.

  “Tie her up and get her on the plane,” Adam commanded.

  “No, wait! Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?” Mena screamed, trying to resist the men. Her efforts were wasted as they secured her arms and legs with zip ties and lifted her off the ground.

  “I don’t want anything from you. But Priscilla Dumay does.”

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  “No movement in the hangar. Gulfstream still inside, engines off. No sign of anyone inside or outside,” the report from the ASF Agent in the team on the south side of the property crackled in Julian’s ear. Julian and Reggie remained still, eyes focused on the open door to the hangar, waiting for further updates. Two agents were snaking their way toward the back of the Irungu’s private hangar next to the greenhouse construction project.

  Julian and Reggie had driven to the site from the west, parking the jeep behind the furthest greenhouse from the hangar, next to a series of irrigation ditches dug to provide much-needed water to the area. Satisfied that they were obscured from view, they’d been waiting for the other three ASF teams to arrive. Two showed up shortly after they had. One team was positioned along the south of the property behind the hangar while the other had headed around to the east side. The third team had yet to arrive.

  “Found the Irungu security team. Three men dead, dumped on the southeast side halfway between the hangar and the security lookout tower. They were shot multiple times in the back with a high-powered assault rifle,” another agent reported.