Payback Time, Baby

by Sabel Simmons

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “If all goes well, I should be back by Monday.” He smiled at her and pulled her onto his lap. “Will you miss me?”

  He drew her head down and kissed her passionately. He has been so busy and so tired there has not been time for much else. She returned his kiss, twirling her tongue around his and his shaft rose against her hip. He groaned.

  “When this is over, we should go away for a few days.”

  He stroked her belly and she sighed. Since the twins returned they reached an unspoken truce and he has been relaxed and considerate. They have not been intimate, but she knew he was tired and his mind was elsewhere. But he pulled her in his arms and held her close every night.

  She sighed. “I do not look forward telling the twins! Thank you, Daddy! Leaving me to deal with their grumpiness even longer now … and alone!”

  “I’ll make up for it. I promise.” He drew her close and kissed her again.

  The following week was torture. She missed him, even more than she did all those years ago. The twins missed him just as much, to the extent they fought with each other over the littlest things. Savannah was ready to pull her hair out and as a last resort phoned her mother.

  She was too eager for the twins to come for a visit on Long Island and Tristan agreed that it would do them well to get away from the house and enjoy the fanfare now in full swing there. He made arrangements from his side to ensure they got there safely, but Savannah insisted to go with and return later the day.

  “Why don’t you also stay there? I would feel much better if you are there too.”

  Her worry about his safety returned, but he assured her there was nothing to worry about.

  “I am writing a new song and need some peace and quiet to finish it.” Deadly silence met her announcement and she asked hesitantly, “Tristan?”

  “A song?” His voice indicated his upset clearly over the line. “I thought you were done with singing?”

  She laughed. “I am, honey, and that have not changed, but I have always written my own songs and I enjoy it. I have agreed with James to continue writing for Purple Pearl.”

  “And when did this discussion take place? Was he there?”

  “In the same way we are communicating now. By phone!” She sighed and asked softly. “Will you ever be able to believe in me again, Tristan? Trust me?”

  He was quiet for so long she wondered if he was going to answer, and when he did, she wished he rather did not.

  “As long as my first reaction to hearing something like this is fury, I guess not. God knows I yearn for a normal life with you and the twins! If only … it is too soon, Savannah, maybe one day …”

  She was so upset after his phone call she could not sleep and for once did not return his text message wishing her good night and switched off her cell phone as well.

  Early the next morning they left in a white BMW driven by two of Tristan’s security team. They drove around for a while and then swopped vehicles twice before they took the course to Long Island. They arrived assured they were not followed and she relaxed for the first time, knowing her children were safe.

  She only remembered to switch her phone on when she was dropped back at the house and winced when she noticed all the messages from Tristan. He was clearly livid and she called him with a knot in her stomach.

  “Where the hell have you been, Savannah? Are you alright? The twins? How can you be so irresponsible to switch your phone off! Do you know how worried I’ve been?”

  He shouted at her, not even greeting her when he picked up the call.

  “I’m sorry … I forgot to switch the phone back on.”

  “Why was the bloody phone off in the first place? God damn it, Savannah, you know how worried I have been about this project! How could you do this to me?”

  “Will you just stop yelling at me? I am sorry, okay! Everything is fine!” she yelled back at him and he sighed in relief.

  “Don’t you ever do that to me again! Do you hear me? I have been worried sick!”

  “I am sorry, Tristan! The kids are fine and safe with my parents. I’ve just arrived home and am very tired. I just want to take a bath and then get into bed.”

  He cursed, knowing why she was upset, but he refused to acknowledge it. That was no reason to be irresponsible and make him worry so much.

  “We are nearly finished here and should be home by Monday afternoon. What are your plans for the next three days?”

  “I told you, I want to finish the song.”

  She kept her answers short and he eventually cut the call, more upset than he cared to admit.

  Savannah blinked back her tears when she read his text message that night.

  Don’t be mad because I worry about you. I miss you, honey, more than I care to admit. Sleep well, I’ll be home soon.

  By Saturday afternoon Savannah gave up on the song. She missed the twins, she missed Tristan and she was lonely. She couldn’t seem to concentrate and decided to relax by the pool.

  She nearly fell asleep on the lounger next to the pool, when the sound of a helicopter woke her. She looked up to see a black helicopter hover right above her. She heard shouts from the front gate and shot up when three black clad bodies hurled from the helicopter on ropes to surround her before she could manage to run to the house. She screamed when one of the masked men grabbed her arms and pulled them up against her back.

  She screamed again when the security guards came running around the corner of the house only to take cover when the two masked men next to her fired at them. She gasped and panted in fear, her eyes glued to the automatic guns ripping holes into the side of the house and screamed when one of the guards flew backwards to fall on the grass, unmoving.

  “Get her inside! Go!”

  The man pulled her arms higher and forced her over the patio to fling her on the couch in the family room. She cried out in pain from the wrenching of her arms in their sockets.

  “Where are the kids, Miss Seagers?”

  “How … how do you know who I am?”

  His teeth flashed white in the blackness of the mask and she shivered when the other two men walked in and locked the doors behind them.

  “We know everything there is to know about Wade. Now where are the kids?”

  “Safe … where you won’t find them!”

  He walked towards her and grabbed her by the hair. He pulled her face up to his, and she cried in pain. It felt as if he ripped her scalp clear off her head.

  “Don’t be sassy, bitch! Where are they?”

  “They … are not here!” He shoved her back on the couch and cursed.

  “How the hell did this happen? You told me they were here!”

  He turned on the shorter man viciously. He just shrugged and grinned.

  “What does it matter? We have her.”

  Three pairs of eyes looked at her and she pulled her legs up against her body and wrapped her arms around her knees. She only wore a black bikini and felt naked when their eyes moved over her. Fear gripped her heart and she shrunk back against the couch. The tall man, who seemed to be the leader glared at them.

  “Forget it. There is no time for that! Concentrate on why we are here. Where are the rest of the guards?”

  “There are four in total, one I shot, so there are three more, but they would not dare try and enter. I warned them she will be shot if they do.”

  He nodded and turned his head back to her.

  “If you do as you are told, you won’t be hurt. Where is your cell phone?”

  “On … the kitchen counter.”

  He nodded to one of his cohorts and she watched him walk away and returned with her cell phone. He handed it to the leader and he nodded to the stairs.

  “Go and find her something to wear.”

  Number two, as she called him in her mind, gawked at her and shook his head.

  “No, leave her like that … actually take the bikini top off and send him a photo of her with me fon
dling her … that should make him realize we are serious.”

  Savannah’s fear increased exponentially.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Her phone rang around sunset, the usual time Tristan phoned every day and she struggled against the ropes they had tied around her hands and legs. At least they brought her jeans and a t-shirt to wear and she felt slightly less vulnerable. The leader glanced at the name flashing on the screen.

  “It’s him.”

  He pressed the speaker phone and waited. She pressed her lips together when his voice reached her.

  “Hi Honey? Savannah?”

  The shorter man, number two laughed in the phone. “Do you hear that honey? C’mon, answer your lover boy!”

  Silence met his taunt and Savannah bit her lip not to cry out his name. Her arms and legs hurt from the position they tied her in. She felt the burning of the tears at the back of her eyes.

  “Who are you?”

  The question sounded like death itself and all three men seemed taken aback at the viciousness even over the phone.

  “Who we are do not matter, Wade. What does matter is that you drop that master code implant you are busy with.”

  More silence and the three men glanced at each other.

  “Did you hear what I said?”

  “I’m not deaf. Why would I be doing that?”

  “We have your family, Wade. Cute little bunch they are. Twins are a little scared …”

  “They lie! The twins are not here, Tristan … aahhh!”

  She screamed when number two slapped her hard across the face and she tasted blood in her mouth.

  “Bitch … keep your trap shut! Well, we don’t need them … we have this juicy morsel of yours Wade… and she has the most tasty tits!”

  Savannah cried, her mouth swollen from the slap and she felt a tear on her bottom lip where the blood dripped from. He walked back to her and reached out to her breast and she scuttled back trying to avoid his groping hand, but to no avail and a scream tore from her lips when he grabbed her left breast and twisted it viciously.

  “You should not have done that, red cap. Now I will have to kill you.”

  They looked at each other in panic, as number two wore a red cap and they realized there were cameras all over the house and he was clearly watching them. The leader slapped number two and growled at him.

  “I told you to stop your shit! Wade, you know what we want. If we do not have confirmation that you have cancelled that implant by noon tomorrow, she won’t be waiting for you when you return.”

  He ended the call and Savannah trembled at what the threat meant to her. She whispered softly in a mantra, “Tristan, stay away, please stay away! The twins need you.”

  “One mistake I never make is to under estimate the enemy. You would have known that if you bothered to get to know me at all.”

  “Tristan! Oh God no! They have guns!”

  She screamed and thought she was dreaming when all off a sudden he stood behind the three masked men, his voice brittle as ice.

  They swung around and grabbed for the guns, at the same time the balcony doors were shattered and armed men stormed through the doors. Everything happened so fast and yet to Savannah watching, in slow motion.

  Tristan took three steps and swung a vicious fist at the closest man, punching him so hard in the jaw she could hear the bone shatter. He was out cold before he hit the floor. She screamed when someone touched her shoulder, but calmed down when she recognized one of the guards. He quickly untied her and she stood up on trembling legs, forcing her cramped muscles to obey.

  Walt had the leader on his knees with a gun aimed at his head, and she shivered at the look in Tristan’s eyes when he turned on red cap; there was murder in his eyes. She took a step in his direction, but the guard held her back. He reached out and took the knitted mask off number two’s head.

  “You won’t touch me! You are bound by your … aahhh!”

  He ended in a groan when Tristan’s fist smashed his nose and blood exploded in his face. He doubled over in pain and another fist against his chin shot him backwards. He fell flat on his back, unmoving and disorientated … his nose and jaw broken.

  Savannah cried and ran to Tristan. He folded her in his arms and held her so tight she could not breathe. Sobs shook her body and he buried his face in her neck. He lifted his head and his eyes burnt into hers.

  “Are you okay, honey? Oh, God, look at your face!” His eyes turned murderous again, but she nodded.

  “I’m fine! I was so scared for you! They could have shot you!”

  “You were scared for me? What about yourself, woman?”

  She sniffled, “Are you fighting with me, Tristan? How did you get here so fast?”

  “No … never! We have surveillance on the house. The minute their chopper hovered over the house, we knew something was up and I was already on my way here.”

  He kissed her softly, furious about her torn lip. Then he bent down and softly kissed the nipple, red cap abused, unconcerned for the people watching around them. Savannah’s heart missed a beat at the tender gesture. He pushed her towards a chair.

  “Don’t move. I have to talk to them.”

  “Be careful.”

  He turned away and she froze. Number two sat up and pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed it a Tristan. She shot up from the chair and jumped up to push him out of the way.

  “Tristan!”

  Her scream and the shot echoed through the house simultaneously and Tristan caught her in his arms. His agonizing shout reverberated in the night when she slumped in his arms. Her warm blood scorched his arm clamped around her body. Another shot followed as Walt shot Number two before he could squeeze the trigger again.

  Tristan fell down on his knees and clasped her in his arms, desperately seeking a pulse in her neck and shouted out orders.

  “Get those bastards out of here! Walt, where is that damn chopper? She is losing too much blood.”

  He feverishly tried to stem the blood flowing from the wound in her shoulder, with his shirt he pulled off. He could not take his eyes off her pasty white, pale face. The dried blood that dripped from her torn lip appeared even more vivid in color.

  “Walt! Get that damn chopper here!”

  Tristan stood at the window and gazed to the clear, blue sky outside. The constant beep-beep of the heart monitor behind him sounded loud in the quietness of the room. He rubbed his eyes, still struggling to bury the fury inside him. He knew there was a leak, he just took too long to pinpoint the culprit and when he did, he nearly committed murder.

  If only he followed up on the lead Walt sent through late that evening, instead of waiting until morning. If he had, he would have been in time to prevent those bastards to get anywhere near Savannah. She would not be lying in a hospital bed, unconscious and weak from loss of blood. Fortunately there was no permanent damage to the shoulder. The bullet went straight through without touching bone, but damaged an artery. By the time they got to the hospital she’d already lost so much blood, she was as white as a sheet.

  She has been unconscious for more than a week already and that in itself was cause for concern for the specialist. Something else was wrong. The bullet wound and blood loss on its own was no cause for the extended unconsciousness, but until she woke up, there was nothing more to do. All the tests they performed so far turned up positive; normal blood pressure, heart rate and brain activity. They just had no answers to give him.

  He worried about the twins. They became withdrawn and cried for their mother every night. He didn’t want them to see her like this and only told them she was sick. Savannah’s mother came with and stayed with them whilst he spent most of his time with her in the hospital room.

  He still couldn’t believe that the Secretary of States’ Safety Project leader was the mole. He has been in their employ for over twenty years and has never been under any suspicion. Just proved how greed could corrupt even the most reputable man. The millions they offered him, w
ere just too much of a temptation and he folded. Now, his family faced a bleak future with his corruption a constant reminder to live with.

  The Security Protocols were implanted successfully and the test run they did offered amazing results. They received a note of thanks, personally written from the White House, to add to their repertoire.

  The increase to the tempo of the beeps behind him ripped him from his pondering and he swung around. His heart stopped and noticing her emerald green eyes open and staring at him was the most beautiful vision he has ever seen. He rushed to her side and took her hand in his.

  “Honey? How do you feel?” Her eyelids fluttered and her hand tightened around his.

  “Water?”

  He turned away to pour her some, but her hand still clutched his and tugged him back to her side. She seemed disorientated and confused.

  “Honey, let go for a moment, I’ll get you some.”

  Her fingers loosened around his and he poured her a glass of water. He tenderly lifted her upright with an arm around her back and held the water against her lips. She drank thirstily, and then leaned back against the pillows.

  “What … happened? Why do I feel so weak?”

  He frowned and looked at her searchingly.

  “What is the last thing you can remember?”

  “I … uhm … was on my way to see you at your office. I parked in the underground parking area and …”

  “Underground parking …where … the office on Park Avenue?”

  She frowned at him. “Of course, my love … or do you have another office I don’t know about?”

  He tried to hide his concern. She seemed to have lost quite a few years of her memories! The office on Park Avenue was the small office they started the business at.

  She looked at him. “Did I make it to your office?

  He shook his head and she smiled blindingly at him. “So I never got to tell you the news?”

  “What … news?” His throat clogged up and he swallowed hard.

  She looked around and realized where she was and her smile froze, her hand moved to her belly and her eyes filled with tears lifted to his.

  “Tristan, what happened? Why am I in the hospital?” She asked in a small, scared voice.