by Amy McKinley
The house was eerily quiet. Deceptively so. Kara was in a late-night meeting with Hugo. The unpredictability of the situation didn’t sit right with me, and being so close by, I had to work to stay focused. But the little girl was the priority. I could return to kill Hugo another day.
Hardwood flooring stretched down the hallway. We stepped with care while keeping a brisk pace. The door was in sight. We were to enter the fourth on the left. I’d taken the lead. My hand curled around the handle, and with a click, we were in. A soft glow emitted from a corner lamp, providing enough light to see there was no one inside. With the drapes drawn, we stood a chance of not being detected from outside—thank you, Kara.
We passed through the living room, rounded the plush crème couch, and headed down the side hallway where the bedrooms were. The third on the right was Lily’s, across from the nanny’s. Kara’s was at the end. Jack opened the nanny’s door, Hawk remained in the hall, and I pushed open the one to Lily’s room.
A nightlight glowed in the corner. After a quick scan for hidden threats or toys in my path, I went to the twin bed, which had a small bump in the middle. A princess canopy of pink encased the mattress, and gauzy fabric draped the sides but was held back with ties.
Chills broke out all over as I looked down at the little angel sleeping. Dark hair spilled across her pillow. Long eyelashes kissed her plump cheeks, and her perfect bow-shaped mouth was parted in sleep. She was a doll-sized version of her mother. I wished there could have been another way for us to meet for the first time.
I pulled Kara’s necklace from my pocket, opened the locket, and dangled it in front of her face in preparation. This part was going to suck. Covering her mouth with my large hand, I whispered by her ear in Spanish, “Lily, I need you to wake up.”
Her eyelids fluttered, and she stirred beneath my hand. I could sense the scream building as her body tensed, and her eyes widened to saucer size. “Don’t make a noise. Your mom sent me.”
I shifted the locket, drawing her gaze from my frightening army paint to the delicate jewelry.
I had to grit the next part through my teeth, but she wouldn’t know who I was. “Remember, she tried to send you to your dad?”
Her gaze locked back on mine—the same eyes. She gave a tiny nod, and the panic ebbed from her features, curiosity stealing its place.
“I’m going to take my hand away. Will you stay quiet?”
Again, she nodded.
“If we make any noise, your grandfather will stop us, and that’ll make your mom very upset.”
Through the eyes of a child, I lost my heart. She gazed back at me with the wisdom of one much older. I thought she would’ve been sheltered, but she must have seen things that alerted her to danger.
Slowly, I removed my hand and gave her the most reassuring look I was capable of. “There are two other men with me. Don’t be afraid, Princess. Your mom knows they’re helping too. Think of us as knights saving you from the castle dragon.”
A small smile curved her cherubic face, and she reached for me with tiny arms. God, what I wouldn’t do for this child or her mother. This changes everything. After making sure Lily was safe, I would return for Kara.
I lifted her small weight into my arms then crept to the doorway to find Hawk and Jack waiting for me. They smiled at Lily as she clung to my neck. It was chilly outside, and she wore a sleeveless nightgown. I set her on her feet and pulled out the pint-sized sweater and a small blanket I’d stashed in my pack. I was glad I had. There wasn’t much I could do about her lack of socks and shoes. Hawk had the rest of her things from the store in the car and would help her when he could.
I raised my eyebrows to Jack, not wanting to mention the nanny in case that upset Lily. He shook his head no. She was supposed to be there. That she wasn’t could pose a problem. I shut Lily’s door behind me with a quiet click, and we maneuvered through the hallway and into the main living space.
Hawk took point, and Jack covered my back. I whispered to Lily, “Stay very quiet and hide under the blanket, all right?”
She nodded, and I tucked the blanket over her head, doing my best to make her look like a bulky front pack rather than a small child clinging to my chest. I pulled out my gun since she couldn’t see it, but I knew she would feel it. With my hand holding my weapon, I used the same arm to press lightly against her head to keep her body secure. My other arm was beneath her and held her weight as we entered the hallway.
Voices carried, but they were far enough away that we had time, I hoped. Hawk sprinted down the hall, and Jack and I followed. Hawk had the window up and the area scanned in record time. We slipped through the first-story opening and lowered the window back down. Low flowering bushes surrounded the house, and we spaced out into a line and lay flat just as the perimeter guard came into view.
Lily cuddled against my chest and the building. I lay on my side but angled over her, creating a human shield should shots fire. Seconds passed before Jack nudged my leg, and I rolled to my feet. Lily clung to me like a tiny monkey, making no noise and not moving. Her quick acceptance of the situation and her body language made me wonder what exactly she had lived through to understand the importance of staying silent.
We sprinted at top speed through the grass. A silenced pop sounded behind me as Hawk and Jack switched positions in our lineup. I knew what that meant. Someone had spotted us, and one of my teammates had taken care of it—there was no time to look. Our strides lengthened, and we closed in on the foliage where we’d cut the fence. Jack darted through the bushes, and I heard the links whine back as he pulled them open.
Hawk flanked my left, but movement from my right side sent a jolt of adrenaline through me, and my hand left Lily’s head to aim at the guard who had spotted us. As he raised his arm and opened his mouth to alert the others via a mic, I fired. He dropped as Hawk and I cleared the bushes then the fence.
16
Keegan
We kept our pace up, never slowing. With two down, the rest of the guards would soon be alerted to the intrusion. Jack had arranged for a vehicle, but it wouldn’t appear until we cleared another few blocks. Lily’s spare clothes were in there. Hawk would take her back. I trusted the guys with my life—and with my daughter’s.
“Over there!” Shouts ripped through the air.
Bullets whizzed by us. What the hell? They knew we had Lily and risked her safety by shooting. Jack and Hawk fired a few rounds behind us, but we had to keep moving. If we stopped, there would be more men, and our chances of getting Lily to safety would diminish.
Jack veered right around a corner. I followed with Hawk behind me. Heat from a bullet blasted my calf. Godammit. I didn’t think it hit me, but it was hard to tell. Didn’t matter. I increased my speed. If we could get to the car before more joined them, we would be golden.
Air sawed in and out of my lungs as I pushed to move faster. Lily stayed silent, her little fingers and knees digging into me. It was a relief rather than a hindrance. A few more feet.
The neighborhood was dark, foreboding. Eyes would peer through cracks in the drapes, but no one interfered. A deep-seated hatred for the government would tie their tongues. Not many knew we were there, but those who did were loyal to Kara and all she did for them.
I knew better than to let the relief of seeing our way out inhibit the urgency with which we fled. At any moment, all hell could have broken loose. Sweat dripped down my back, and I prayed for Lily’s safety to a God I hadn’t spoken to for many dark years.
The Jeep was without a cover, the bars wrapped in foam. Jack jumped into the driver’s seat. Hawk took the passenger’s, and I launched myself into the back with Lily. As the motor roared to life and we jerked forward, I uncovered her head. Jack didn’t waste a second. We sped forward as the men who pursued us rounded the corner.
It was one of the only times I had to reassure her. When the blanket cleared her head, she lifted her red-tinged face to me, strands of dark hair sticking to it. I brushed the hair away. Agai
n in Spanish, even though Kara said she spoke English fluently, I told her what to expect. I offered her the comfort of the language spoken most in her home to ease some of her fears.
“My name is Keegan, and I’ve known your mom since she was a teenager. Don’t be afraid, okay?” I slipped the locket over her head so she could have a piece of her mom with her for comfort.
“Where is my mommy?”
“She stayed behind so your grandfather didn’t suspect anything.” She had to have known he wasn’t a good man.
“I want her.” She blinked at me without even a hint of tears. Again, the eyes—they were slaying me.
If only I could’ve gotten Kara out at the same time to ease this transition for Lily. “I’m staying behind for her, Lily. I’ll get her out safe and to you soon. You’re going to go to America with my friend Hawk.” I pointed to him.
“Where Papa is?”
“Yes. Hawk will take care of you until your mom is there too.”
She nodded then rested her head on my chest, and I fought an onslaught of emotions. It wasn’t far from the boat. We had it well hidden, as there was no way we could have entered the country legally.
A half an hour later and with luck on our side, we were almost upon the little alcove where I would part ways with both Lily and Hawk. Jack would remain to help with Kara’s extraction and the drones—we still had to retrieve those.
Several minutes later, the Jeep jerked to a stop, dirt and sand rising like a cloud around us. Hawk jumped out while Jack remained at the wheel, his gun out and ready. I sat up and handed Lily to Hawk then got out too. Her gaze clung to me for an overlong moment before she looked to Hawk. When he got her to Aruba, a helicopter would take them to an airstrip that housed the jet we’d flown in on. Hawk would take her to the girls, who would spoil her rotten, and alert Samir. There was no way I was okay with her leaving, though. I’d made that clear to the guys. But everything would get straightened out when Kara and I returned home.
My fingers brushed her cheek in a soft caress. “Listen to Hawk. He’ll get you away from here and to your dad. I’m going to bring your mom very soon.”
I handed her over, and she nodded as she clung to Hawk. “Hurry.”
“I’ll do my best, Princess.”
17
Kara
Bright light filled Ahmed’s office as I stood across from him, working hard to keep my features blank. It was late, and we were supposed to have a meeting with Hugo. It was the perfect time to put my plan into motion for Lily and to help with locating the drones.
In appearances, we didn’t look like father and daughter. For that, I was glad. His face was round where mine was oval. We both had high cheekbones, but that was our only remote similarity.
I glanced at my watch, under the guise of the meeting rather than my anxiety over the plot I’d concocted to free my daughter from my father. Keegan should have been on the premises, and every muscle in my body strained as I hoped he would get Lily out safely.
“He’s late.” A few minutes past eleven, an uneasy feeling gripped me. “What’s going on?”
Ahmed’s dark gaze didn’t stray from my face. “The meeting was rescheduled.” A cruel smirk lifted his thin lips.
“Then why am I here?” What does he have up his sleeve?
“We need to talk about your behavior. About all this sudden interest in my business dealings. Then there’s Lily.” His fist slammed down on the mahogany desk, and he stood. “Whatever you’ve planned with my granddaughter, it will not be tolerated.”
I tensed further. “I have nothing planned. Only to solidify myself in the reasons and rewards behind the missions you send me on. It’s my right.”
He rose then rounded the corner of his large desk, each step measured, his fury a coil waiting to spring. Yet, there would be little I could do against him. Lily’s life depended on it.
“Seven minutes and twenty seconds.”
“What does that even mean?” My blood chilled. I knew. It was how long Keegan and I had spoken in the alleyway.
“Jamal’s men reported the unaccounted time and your disappearance from their sight.”
“You’re having me followed?” I feigned outrage as if it was the first time I’d realized he was watching me. “What did you seriously learn from my shopping habit?” I wanted to roll my eyes, but my tone was enough to incite his anger. “What does that say about trust, about bringing me into the fold?”
The crack of his hand on my cheek was expected, and I heard it before I felt it. I had to make it appear as if I wanted to be more a part of things, regardless of how adamant I’d been in the past to be excluded. I had to try to show support for his work. It was the only plan I had, even though it was failing dismally.
“If I must make an example of you to the public and to those in my employ, daughter, I will.”
His putrid breath fanned my face. I held my ground, refusing to cower despite the throbbing along my cheekbone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Was it while I was in my rooms? If so, how dare they spy on me in my private wing. That’s my space.”
“Every inch of this house is mine. Do not forget your place.” His nostrils flared. “Don’t think I don’t notice the change in your behavior. If you attempt to cross me, others will pay for your disobedience.”
That was exactly why I was getting Lily away from him. “Then what was it? When I was in the clothing store changing in the dressing room? I bought several articles of clothing. Did they report that to you? Do I not have a right to buy clothes for Lily and myself? And as to this being only your house, Lily and I are happy to leave.”
Frantic pounding sounded on the closed office door, and I cursed the guards who most likely stood outside. This is happening too soon! Please let Keegan and Lily have gotten away.
Ahmed moved away to answer the door, his gaze burning into me until the last moment. He turned the knob, and Andrea spilled inside, wringing her hands as she looked between Ahmed and me.
“I apologize for interrupting, but I can’t find Lily.”
“What?” I had to appear frantic, unknowing. “She was sleeping in her room when I left.”
“I know.” Andrea shifted from foot to foot, her voice high and tight. “I went to check on her before I turned in to give her a kiss on the head.” Fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “She wasn’t there, just a pillow beneath the blanket and her doll’s hair peeking from the sheets to look like her.”
Pounding feet echoed through the hallway before a guard filled the doorway. I fought the urge to look at my watch. Has enough time lapsed? Are they out of range?
“Two guards were killed. We are searching for the intruders but have not found a breach inside.”
“Alert the police,” Ahmed snapped. “My granddaughter is missing. I want all the exits covered. Airport and ports.”
The guard nodded before sprinting away, speaking into his communication device. I took a step to follow, but Ahmed’s iron grip latched onto my arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“To find my daughter.” I jerked free, my lips pulled back in what I hoped appeared to be feral fear spiked with cold, hard determination. “I thought you had top-notch security guarding your home. You failed. And because of that, my daughter—your granddaughter—is missing.”
He would believe that I was frantic about finding my daughter or go to hell thinking about. I skirted around Andrea, whom I hadn’t informed about Keegan’s doings in case she slipped up and let Ahmed know something was amiss. If she’d been in her room as I’d thought she would, she too would have been taken to safety. At least she didn’t know anything, accidentally damning us all.
“I’ll be making a phone call,” Ahmed said, effectively slowing my steps. “Hugo, Max’s uncle, will know what to do to handle Max. If I find out you involved him in taking my granddaughter from me, you will wish you’d never been born, Kara,” Ahmed growled after my retreating form.
I shook off his t
hreat and resumed my pace down the hallway, but before I rounded the corner to go to my wing, I met his gaze over my shoulder. “Max is dead.”
Ahmed’s twisted laugh promised retribution and told me that he didn’t believe what I’d said.
18
Keegan
In the early-morning hours, Jack and I hid in the shadows and watched the inn where we were staying. Hired thugs and guards, who had to have been sent by Ahmed, crawled the streets nearby. By some miracle, they hadn’t found us. Still, it wasn’t what I expected, and a sense of impending doom hovered over me.
Before extracting Lily, we’d packed up our gear and stowed it in a new room fifteen blocks away, and farther inland. Paid handsomely, the couple who owned the inn would remain quiet for that fact alone, as the country was in political upheaval and the people were starving. The couple had friends, Janie and José, whom they promised would not report us, whose son had been killed in senseless violence in the street brought about by the government. There could be no telling anyone we were there.
An hour passed, and we remained immobile, blending into the night. We had to be sure no one had seen us. Short of waking the people who lived nearby, we’d planned for every scenario. If guards arrived to question them, we would intervene and get them to safety. For the time being, we held our position.
Before the first rays of dawn, we set out on foot to our new home away from home for the next two days. We couldn’t risk staying much longer. My key objective was to get Kara out. Our mission was to recover the drones. That meant Hugo had to be found and apprehended.
Two police officers appeared out of nowhere. Jack and I had been spotted. Shouts echoed off the buildings, and we dodged into an alley. Thankfully, we didn’t have Lily with us. She and Hawk were on their way out of that godforsaken place. Better we draw their notice than have them converge on us.
