Taking a Risk, Part One

by Anna Blakely

  It was Jake’s turn to shake his head. “So, you’re telling me your guy on the inside is close enough to get those pictures and know about this supposed meeting, but he doesn’t know when and where the meeting is being held?” Jake didn’t hide the fact he thought Ryker’s contact was full of shit.

  “Javier Cetro’s a paranoid bastard, but he’s not an idiot. He knows if he’s caught and charged with killing those Americans and holding your girl hostage, he’ll be screwed six ways to Sunday. He’s not going to divulge any information that could put him at risk of being captured unless and until it’s necessary. Especially after what your team pulled.”

  Jake rested his elbows on the table and fisted his hands together. Glancing over the information spread out before him once more, he asked, “Do you at least know what this supposed meeting is for, or who it’s with?”

  Ryker pulled out a small, manila envelope from his inside jacket pocket and slid it across the table’s smooth surface. Ready to be done with this shit, Jake quickly opened the flap and dumped the contents out. Pictures of four men landed in a haphazard pile.

  He separated them, laying them out alongside each other. He looked at each one closely, but didn’t recognize any of the men. Glancing back up at Ryker, Jake’s question was clear without him having to ask.

  “Each of these men,” Ryker began, “is very powerful in their own right. This one”—he pointed to the picture on Jake’s far left—“is a Venezuelan diplomat. Him?” He pointed to the next guy, “a cousin to the British royal family. This man is the German Chancellor’s nephew, and that last guy is the son of a multi-million dollar cosmetics conglomerate.”

  Jake looked back down at the pictures. “Why would these guys be meeting with Cetro? He their supplier or something?”

  “In a manner of speaking." Ryker’s lips thinned, and Jake couldn’t help but take note of the disgust he saw in the other man’s eyes. “According to my source, these men hire Cetro on a regular basis for the sole purpose of abducting, holding, and transporting women who suit their clientele’s...unique tastes.”

  Ryker tilted his head toward the pictures. “These bastards set up the auction. Each one is held in a different location to avoid detection. Clients come from all over the globe under the guise of a political-based meeting or, even worse, fundraising efforts to help those less fortunate.” The agent’s mouth twisted, nearly spitting out the ridiculous words.

  “The women who are being held are auctioned off to the highest bidder. The winner pays, takes possession of his prize, and goes on his merry way. These assholes split the money, and Cetro gets a nice cut for his trouble.”

  “Jesus.”

  Stomach turning, he leaned back in his chair again. He ran both hands through his hair before grabbing fistfuls of it, holding on so tightly, he was surprised he didn’t pull every damn strand out of his skull.

  “Liv mentioned an auction,” he said quietly. She’d most likely already told Ryker about it, but Jake offered the information anyway. “Said they had her shower and dress so she’d be presentable. I”—Jake took a breath, his eyes never leaving the pictures of those four men—“I understood what it all meant, but Christ...” he trailed off.

  Seeing these men’s faces somehow made it all the more real. Just the thought of these bastards selling Olivia to some sick fuck made Jake want to find each one, rip their dicks off, and shove them down their throats. In that moment, he realized Ryker’s angle.

  Dropping his hands, Jake’s eyes shot to the man sitting across from him. “You want me to go after them.”

  Ryker shrugged. “I thought you’d like to be the one to take them down, considering.”

  Fuck, yeah, he did. No question there, but they’d just gotten back. He promised Liv he’d be with her to help get her life going again.

  Jake thought for a moment. He supposed he could still help her get settled and then go find these bastards. Once that was taken care of, he’d come back home and focus solely on her. They could—

  Ah, shit.

  “Wait. Did you say this meeting is tomorrow morning?” Jake’s heart thumped hard in his chest, praying he’d heard the man wrong.

  Ryker nodded. “Cetro and these men always wait until the last minute to choose the location. Again, to avoid being caught. It’s why we have to hold off before we can grab them. We need to catch them in the act.”

  Jake ran a hand down his face. “Hell, Jason. Olivia just got back. She needs me here, to help her cope with all the shit she went through. And you want me to pack up and head back out tonight?” Jake shook his head. “No. No way. I can’t I leave her. Not now.”

  “Okay.”

  Suspicious as hell, Jake stared back at him. “Okay? That’s it?”

  The other man shrugged that damn shoulder again. “You said it yourself. You don’t work for me. If you don’t want to go, I can’t make you.”

  Steepling his fingers, Ryker then leaned his elbows onto the table. Speaking too fucking casually, he added, “After what they did to your girl, I just assumed you’d want to be there. To look them in the eye when they realize their privileged, sick-as-fuck lives are over. I mean, if it were my woman they’d taken and tried to sell as a fucking sex-slave, I sure as hell wouldn’t trust someone else to do the job. But hey”—he relaxed back into his chair—“that’s just me. If you’re comfortable with someone else taking care of your—”

  Jake shot out of his chair and slapped his hands down onto the table, locking his arms at the elbows. He let his anger towards the agent fly.

  “Fuck you! You really think that reverse psychology bullshit is going to work on me? Jesus, man. How long have we known each other?”

  “Long enough for me to know I’m right. That woman means a hell of a lot more to you than just a friend, or you wouldn’t have risked everything the way you did to extract revenge on those assholes. Well, guess what, McQueen?” The agent leaned forward again. “I’ve just handed you your golden fucking opportunity.”

  He waved his hand out over the mess of papers and pictures. “I’m giving you and your team full access to the men who caused your girl so much pain and grief. This time, with full, government backing.”

  When Jake didn’t respond, the Homeland agent stood, pointing at the pictures. “These bastards are the sole reason Olivia was taken, Jake. They’re responsible for her being beaten and nearly sold. Had that happened, she would’ve been assaulted, over and over again. Then, when her buyer finally got tired of her, he’d have either traded her off for someone else, or put a bullet in her brain.”

  Jake swallowed back vomit, his body battling against the images Ryker’s words created in his mind while the other man kept on.

  “What do you think they’ll do when they find out she’s still alive? Sick fucks like these will probably see her as a hot commodity. After all, she’s the one that got away.”

  The agent paused, the edge in his voice softening slightly. “Look, Jake. I know you don’t want to leave her, but these men have long fucking arms that reach clear across the globe. Now, if they were smart, they wouldn’t even think about coming after your girl again. Especially not on U.S. soil. The question is, are you really willing to risk Olivia’s life on the intelligence of a bunch of lowlife scumbags?” Ryker stopped there because he knew his words had begun to resonate.

  Jake looked back down at the scattered photos. He started to reach for one when he realized his entire body was shaking from the murderous rage he felt toward Cetro and these four men.

  Fury vibrated through him as he thought of the pain and suffering Olivia had been forced to endure, and from the irrational hatred he currently felt for the man now standing across from him. Because, Ryker was right. About goddamn all of it.

  These guys could come after Liv again, either to sell her for even more money than before, or to make her pay. If their disgusting operation gets shut down—which it will—those left standing will ultimately blame Olivia for their demise.

  Fuck. F
uck. Fuck.

  Jake closed his eyes, sighing with resolve. He hated this. Fucking hated it. But Ryker—the bastard—was right. No way in hell would Jake trust anyone else to do what needed to be done to protect his woman.

  Which meant he was leaving tonight. Leaving her. Yeah, it was to ensure her safety, but it still fucking sucked.

  Jake opened his eyes and straightened his shoulders.

  “When do we leave?”

  “The plane is fueled up and ready to go. Your team has already been debriefed. They’re waiting for you at our private airstrip. I’m sending two of my best agents with you, since you’re down two.”

  “We’re leaving now? What about Liv—” Jake turned around, only to find the room where Olivia had been questioned dark and empty.

  Sonofabitch. He’d been so focused—first, on reading the intel in the file, then with his conversation with Ryker—that he hadn’t noticed she’d been moved. His head swung back around.

  “Where is she?” Jake demanded.

  Ryker slowly walked around the table toward Jake. In his calm, government agent stature, he said, “She’s being transported to an isolated location.”

  Panic quickly made its way through Jake’s veins. Christ, with all the intense emotions hitting him lately, it was a wonder he could still stand upright.

  “Isolated location? What the hell are you talking about?”

  Ryker put his hands palms-up and spoke calmly. “She’s perfectly safe, Jake. She’s with Mansfield and Brunor. They’re taking her to get cleaned up and prepped for her public statement.”

  Jake’s team had worked the two agents on a couple of previous ops. They were solid, but still—

  “A press conference? Seriously?” Jake took a large step forward, getting right into the other man’s face. “She’s only been back a few hours, and you expect her to go on goddamn television and spill her guts about what happened? Jesus Christ, Jason...are you really that fucking heartless, or just plain stupid?”

  To Ryker’s credit, he didn’t so much as break a sweat.

  “Look, Jake. This is big. For weeks, she’s been thought dead by the entire world. Her death, along with the others’, made national headlines. Every nationally syndicated news station played their stories practically on loop. Her face has been seen by millions. It’s the face of a dead woman. Did you really think she could just fall right back into her old life and pick up where she left off?”

  “Of course not,” Jake scoffed. “I just didn’t expect you to splash her face all over the fucking news two seconds after we came back.” He turned away to keep himself from punching Ryker’s smug face. “Fuck!” He fisted the back of his neck, staring at the empty room once more.

  The other man continued talking to Jake’s back. “First of all, it’s not a press conference. Her statement will be recorded. Second, by doing it this way, we get to control how she’s brought back. We control the place and what’s said. Do you honestly think some random person recognizing her on the street and causing a scene would be better for her?”

  Jake remained quiet, too pissed to respond. Using his silence against him, Ryker kept going.

  “For Christ’s sake, McQueen...think like fucking SOF for a second, and not some lovesick boyfriend. By doing things this way, we can guide her on what to say and what not to say. She can keep trying until she feels comfortable. There will be no reporters present. Our people will record her statement, then instantaneously send it out to all the major networks. No one will be able to take credit for breaking the big story, and she won’t be bombarded with a million questions like she would be at a normal press conference. Olivia will be brought back to life on her terms.”

  Shit. Fuck. Shit. Ryker might have a point, but that didn’t mean Jake had to like it. Still facing away from the man, Jake ordered him, “Take me to her.”

  After a brief pause, Ryker said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

  Jake swung back around. “The hell you can’t.”

  “She’s already on route to our secondary location. They left about two minutes after you sat down to read over that file.”

  Sonofabitch. “Why the second location?”

  “We wanted to be certain she was safe.”

  “Safe?” Jake laughed humorlessly, his words dripping with sarcasm. “This is Homeland fucking Security, Ryker. Pretty sure she would have been safe here.”

  “The minute her recording goes on air, reporters will be scrambling to find her. Given what we do, it won’t be a stretch to connect her with us, and when that happens, this place will be swarming with cameras and news vans.”

  “Here? Why here?”

  “You know how these people work, Jake. They’re tenacious bastards. You think they don’t know about this place? They’ll camp out, wait for her to wear down and exit the building. This way, they can wait here all damn night while we get her set up somewhere else. Someplace secure. Not to mention the possibility of them catching a glimpse of you leaving here, and connecting those dots as well.”

  “You can still take me to see her. I need to explain to her why I’m leaving. I need to least say goodbye, for fuck’s sake.”

  “I already told you. The plane is waiting. So is your team. Time is of the essence here, Jake. That meeting is tomorrow morning, and if you aren’t on that plane and in place tonight, you’ll miss your opportunity to meet with my contact and catch these sons of bitches.”

  Jake was a statue. A very pissed off statue. Sensing his impending explosion, Ryker tried to appease him.

  “Olivia will be in good hands. I’ll explain to her that you had no choice but to leave for another mission, and you’ll be back in a few days.” He paused for just a moment. “I assure you, she’ll be taken care of, Jake.”

  Ryker’s tone mimicked that of a man speaking to a small child, and it grated on Jake’s last fucking nerve. His head was spinning, and he felt sick to his soul.

  He wanted to get the bastards, no fucking question. And no, it shouldn’t take more than a few days to complete the job, but still.

  He wanted to see Olivia. Needed to touch her and hold her while he explained what was happening.

  Jake hadn’t been able to talk to her since they’d been separated upon their arrival here this morning. Now, he was being forced to leave her without so much as a—

  Jake glared at the agent as understanding hit. “You fucking played me.”

  “What the hell are you talking about, McQueen?”

  Jake’s finger flew toward Ryker. “You knew I wouldn’t be able to resist seeing what was in that file. You purposely sat it down by the chair facing away from the glass, and you knew I’d be too focused on the intel to notice Olivia leaving the room.”

  He recalled seeing the man on his phone earlier. “You sent that text, notifying the agent with her to take her away because you never wanted me to have the chance to say goodbye.” He was in the guy’s face in less than a second. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

  Not bothering to deny it, Ryker answered, “I knew if you got the chance to talk with her, she’d most likely break down at the thought of you leaving her again so soon. If that happened, you would’ve said ‘fuck it’, and let someone else go after Cetro and the others. I need you for this, Jake. You’re the best we’ve got, and yeah...no one else would be as motivated to finding and stopping these bastards as you are.”

  “Goddamnit!” Jake yelled as he turned away.

  “There’s more at stake than just Olivia’s safety, Jake. Think of the next woman they hurt. And make no mistake, they will hurt another woman. Soon. She’ll be someone’s daughter or sister.” Ryker waited a beat, and with an insinuating tone, added, “Someone’s lover. So, no, I wasn’t taking the chance you’d decide to stay. I need you on this one, Jake. We have to keep these guys from hurting anyone else.”

  Well, at least he didn’t lie.

  Even so, for a second there, Jake seriously considered hitting the asshole. God, he wanted to. In the en
d, he didn’t...mainly because Ryker was right. Again.

  No one else wanted to stop Cetro and the others as badly as he did. There was an innate need to do this, to keep them from hurting someone else the way they’d tried to hurt Liv. Didn’t mean Jake would let it completely slide, though.

  Moving quickly, Jake turned and filled his hands with the front of Ryker’s pristine jacket lapels. The expensive material bunched together as Jake brought his nose to Ryker’s.

  “I’ll go, but if you ever, ever play me like this again, you can find some other team to do your dirty work. And so help me, Jason, if I get back, and one hair...one single, solitary hair is harmed on Liv’s head, I’m holding you personally responsible. Are we clear?”

  Surprisingly, Ryker actually allowed some fear into his eyes. “Crystal.”

  Jake shoved him away roughly. “I want her watched at all times.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “She’ll hate it, but like you said, it’ll only be for a couple of days.”

  Ryker gathered the information on the table and placed it neatly back into the folder. Handing it to Jake, along with a set of car keys he dug from his pants pocket, he said, “Everything else you need is already on the plane. Weapons, clothes, ID’s, burners and sat phone. I’ll be in touch after you land. Good luck.”

  Jake took the folder and headed for the door. He was pulling it open when Ryker spoke quietly behind him.

  “You never did answer my question.”

  Still looking at the door—and more than ready to be on the other side of it—Jake impatiently asked, “Which question would that be?”

  “What exactly is Olivia Bradshaw to you?”

  This time, Jake did turn around. Looking right into the agent’s eyes, he told him the God’s honest truth. “She’s everything.”

  With that admission, Jake walked out, feeling as though an elephant was sitting on his chest. He left the building through a private rear exit and made his way to one of Homeland’s many nondescript SUV’s.

  Tires spun as he pulled out of the guarded, fenced-in parking lot and drove to the plane waiting to take him away from the one person who mattered most in his world.