Mercenaries

by Anne Kane

  Kaeden and Dee picked their way through the seething mass of bodies, ducking arms and legs. Thank God most of the crowd was unarmed or it would have been a bloodbath. Dee spied Jackson’s head above the crowd, and she and Kaeden slowly worked their way in his direction.

  By the time they managed to get to him, the rest of the team was there too, along with Wren. “Thank God you’re okay!” Dee threw her arms around her sister, hugging her close. She had lost weight, but she was alive and here and they were going to be okay. That’s all that really mattered.

  “Hate to break up the family reunion and all, but we need to get out of here.” Jackson produced a collar and reached toward Wren.

  “Fuck you!” Wren broke away from Dee and used her forearm to block Jackson’s reach. Then, she twirled to deliver a swift kick to his groin. “I am not wearing a slave collar ever again.”

  “No! He’s one of the good guys.” Dee winced. Apparently no one had explained what was going on to her feisty little sister.

  Jackson slid out of reach, a wry smile on his face. “Suddenly I see the family resemblance. Someone want to explain to the little spitfire here what’s going on?”

  Dee slid between Jackson and her sister. “It’s okay, Wren. In order to get across the border, we put these collars on and pretend to be meek little wimps. After we get back to home base, you can feel free to take a round out of any of the guys that don’t treat you with respect, but for now you need to play along. They really are good guys. They came here for me, to help me find you.”

  Wren looked doubtful, but she took the collar and examined it carefully before snapping it around her neck. “Well, thanks for coming to get me, then.” She gave Jackson a sheepish look. “And sorry about trying to castrate you.”

  “No problem.” Jackson grinned, waggling his eyebrows at her. “I can use a new sparring partner. These guys are getting sloppy.”

  “I’ll show you sloppy.” Snake gave him a quick poke in the ribs.

  Kaeden cleared his throat. “Maybe we could continue this after we’re safely out of here? Jackson? Can you see an alternate exit? The one we came in might be a tad congested.”

  Jackson got that faraway look for a moment, and then nodded to the left. “There’s a service corridor in that direction. It should bring us out at the trade entrance which is off to the side of where we entered.”

  “Lead the way.” Kaeden pulled Dee in close to his side and pressed a small knife into her palm. “Just in case we get separated. You left your gun back there, and I don’t think a garrote wire is going to be a big help in here.”

  “No, probably not.” She tucked the knife up into the edge of her sleeve. Amazing how the little things let you know how much a guy cared. She resisted the urge to turn around and kiss him, giving his hand a quick squeeze instead. They were far from out of the woods yet.

  “Wren, get in the middle and let’s get moving. This is getting ugly a whole lot faster than I anticipated.” Kaeden took the tail position, keeping Dee directly in front of him. Wren was in front of her and the rest of the team spread out loosely around them, with Jackson leading the way.

  It was slow work pushing against the increasingly violent crowd but eventually they were in sight of the service doors. Jackson turned to check on the team, and a shadowy figure vaulted over the crowd and landed at his side.

  It took Dee less than a second to recognize her. The Asian girl who’d been trying to escape. She flashed Dee a brilliant white smile. “You all look like you know where you’re going, so I thought I’d tag along.”

  Jackson raised his eyebrows, his hand going to the hidden weapon strapped to his thigh, but Kaeden shook his head. “It’s okay. Let her come. We can cut her loose when we get outside.”

  “Thanks. Name’s Saralyn.” She sidled up beside Wren. “So how’s the little bird doing? You know these guys or are you just tagging along like me?”

  Wren rolled her eyes and gestured at Dee. “That’s my sister back there, and I get the feeling these are her playmates. No wonder she didn’t want to introduce me to any of her friends.”

  Jackson used his pistol to blow the lock open and they all tumbled into the narrow service corridor. “Count six doors on your left, and the seventh should lead to the parking lot and our ride.” He started down the long corridor at a quick jog, the rest of the team strung out behind him.

  As they passed the second door, it swung open and a startled security guard stumbled into Trace.

  Dee’s breath caught in her throat. The big tracker dropped the unlucky guard with a swift chop to the side of the neck, hard enough to render him unconscious without doing any permanent damage. Dee and Kaeden stepped over the still body and kept going.

  They made it to the seventh door without any further incident, and Jackson waited until they were all crowded close together before opening the door. Not unexpectedly, the parking lot was sheer pandemonium.

  He turned, a huge grin on his face. “Only thirty yards to the Hummer, and I get to kick some ass on the way! Could life get any better?”

  “Down, boy!” Kaeden looked stern, but the corner of his mouth twitched. “Do you have any idea how upset I’m going to get if my woman gets hurt? We need to get out of here in one piece!”

  Dee knew she shouldn’t be so happy to hear him call her “his woman,” but she was.

  Wren looked over and winked at her. “I don’t think that man plans to let you run off to save me again.”

  “What are you talking about?” Dee avoided looking directly at Kaeden.

  “I can do the math, and I bet the only reason you left a sweetie like Kaeden here was because you thought you needed to protect me.” She rolled her eyes. “As if I haven’t seen guys a whole lot worse.”

  “Sweetie!” Shotgun snorted with laughter. “And here we thought you were a tough sergeant. Sweetie!”

  “I hate to break up the party.” Jackson’s dry voice was pitched low enough not to carry beyond the group. “But if we don’t make a break for it soon the rest of the party is going to catch up with us and we’ll never get out of here.”

  “Okay then.” Kaeden became serious. “Jackson, you and Shotgun take point. The two girls stay in the middle. Pete and Snake take the sides, and Trace and I will bring up the rear. Any questions?”

  “You want me in the middle with the other two?”

  Kaeden sighed, addressing the petite Asian girl. “Don’t you have somewhere else to go?”

  Dee chuckled. “You unlocked her cage, and I think she’s taken a liking to Shotgun. No accounting for taste.”

  “I certainly haven’t taken a liking to any of you. I just know enough to throw my lot in with the strongest group.”

  “Ahh. I’m crushed.” Shotgun turned the corners of his mouth down in a mock pout. “I really liked her.”

  “People? We need to move. Now!” Jackson eyed up a fight breaking out on the far side of the lot.

  “Right. Let’s go. Saralyn, you’re in the middle with Wren and Dee.”

  “Thank you.” She moved into place, and the group moved warily out of the safety of the doorway. Shotgun and Jackson strode forward, weapons in plain view.

  “Are they always this protective?” Wren tucked an arm around her sister, ducking to avoid a beer can flying through the air.

  “Yeah.” Dee smiled softly. “They like to think we need them to look after us.” Actually, after spending the last two years on her own looking after Wren, it was nice to have someone, or several someones, care about what happened to her.

  “Close it up and move!” The tension in Kaeden’s voice had instant results.

  The team moved in on all sides, forming a tight ring around them as a clump of security guards appeared to the left. Damn. Those guys had really big guns!

  Chapter Four

  “You there! With the females! Stop right now!” The burly security guard didn’t need a bullhorn to make himself heard.

  “You suppose they mean us?” Dee felt a surge of a
drenaline rushing through her. The rescue had gone almost too smoothly.

  Jackson made a point of looking around as they continued to hustle toward the Hummer. “I don’t see any other females, so yeah. He’s probably talking to us.”

  “I said stop!” A loud bang heralded the warning shot that went whistling over their heads.

  “Now that wasn’t nice.” Trace turned to aim at the leader with his snub-nosed pistol.

  “Easy.” Kaeden held up a warning hand. “We don’t want to start a shooting war. Slow up a bit but keep heading toward the vehicle. Once they’re close enough we can take them out without gunfire.”

  “Good plan.” Jackson nodded, his hand dropping away from his weapon.

  “But not nearly as much fun!” Shotgun shifted slightly to the left, blocking the guards’ view of the women. “I bet I could knock his weapon out of his hand without even grazing him.”

  “And then the other four will start shooting. You know how bad those wanna-be-cops aim. They might hit one of you pretty boys and then what will you do?” Kaeden raised his eyebrows. “You can barely manage to get a date as it is.”

  Trace grinned, winking at Dee. “At least our dates don’t flee four provinces over to get away from us.”

  Dee stuck her tongue out at the big tracker. “You have to have a date before you manage to scare her off.”

  “I bet your little sis here would go out with me. She said I was cute.”

  Dee laughed. “Good taste doesn’t run in the family.”

  “I said you looked cute landing on your ass back there when the lock snapped.” Wren joined in the banter as the group got closer to the Hummer and their freedom.

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m even cuter when I get spiffed up for a date.” He ran his fingers through his hair and grinned. “So, dinner on Friday night? I know a great little place with live music.”

  Wren looked at Dee, wrinkling her nose. “Is he always this perky?”

  Dee rolled her eyes, trying not to look worried as the security detail closed the distance between them. “He is kind of hard to take sometimes. You ought to see him first thing in the morning. Disgusting.”

  “A morning person, huh?”

  “Yeah. And he power walks then, too.”

  “Really.” Wren looked thoughtful. “We used to have a puppy that liked to walk in the morning. Remember, the little mutt with the floppy ears?”

  Kaeden grinned, moving to the left to position himself between Dee and the security detail. “That’s Trace all right. A hound dog if I ever saw one.”

  “They’re trying to herd us.” Jackson’s voice was low enough not to carry. “Second group of bad guys at three o’clock.”

  “If we take out these guys, the new group will pull weapons.” Kaeden’s eyes narrowed. “We need to let them hit us at the same time.”

  “That’s going to make it two to one.” Snake spoke up. “Almost a fair fight.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Wren looked from one to the other.

  “Nope.” Kaeden shrugged, a lazy smile on his handsome face. “Three to one would make it even odds.”

  “Seriously.” Dee nodded. “They may not look like much, but they’re good.”

  “We don’t look like much?” Kaeden wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. Burying his face in her hair, he nuzzled her ear. “You looked happy enough to see me at the auction.”

  Despite the tension, Dee felt a familiar stirring deep in her belly. She strove to keep her voice light. “I didn’t say Wren was the only one in the family with no taste, did I? Besides, I was just looking forward to a full meal. Those government types don’t feed a girl enough to keep a bird alive.”

  “Little liar.” He nibbled her earlobe. “Wait until I get you alone again. I’m going to make you beg, and you’re going to enjoy every minute of it.”

  He let go of her and turned on his heel to face the approaching guards. “Everyone ready? Snake, Trace and Jackson? You take the group sneaking up behind us. Pete, Shotgun and I will deal with these yahoos.”

  “What about us?” Dee looked from one to the other. “We can fight too.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet, darling, but I want to impress you with my manly attributes. Save your strength for later.” Kaeden dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You can watch, and maybe clap, if you feel the urge. Oooh and aaahh a bit. I like it when you do that.”

  “Glad to see you’re taking this seriously.” She’d forgotten how annoying he could be sometimes. She had a strong urge to slap that grin off his face. “Those guys do have guns, you know.”

  “And so do we.” Kaeden patted the bulge at his waist, his face suddenly serious. “But that much noise is going to draw a lot of unwanted attention. Better we try it this way first.”

  He nodded toward the Hummer, one row over. “If things go south don’t be afraid to use your weapon and get the three of you out of here. Fast. You’ve driven the Hummer before. Don’t worry, we’ll meet up with you back at home base.”

  Dee stared at him, taking in the sombre love shining from his eyes. He believed he was such a bad guy, beyond redemption after everything that had happened in the provincial wars. But she knew better. He had more caring, more commitment to what he felt was right, than any other man she’d ever met. He took responsibility for his team and believed that they could make a difference in the hellish mess their world had become.

  She’d left him once, but she wasn’t sure she’d have the strength to do it again. He truly cared about her, enough to do whatever it took to make her happy. He’d never even met Wren, but he made Dee’s priorities his priorities so Wren became his problem too. They’d come for her sister, because he knew how much Wren meant to her. And for that, as much as she hated to admit it, hated the vulnerability that it brought with it, she was very much afraid she’d fallen in love with him.

  A loud smacking sound behind her made them both jump and turn. The fight had begun, and Trace ducked as a uniformed guard swung a nightstick at his head.

  “Be safe!” Kaeden gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and shoved her in the direction of the Hummer before turning to face the oncoming guards.

  Dee watched as he waded into the group of guards, Pete and Shotgun on his heels. The three fought like one well-oiled machine, their backs to each other as they punched and kicked, using their forearms to block the guards’ blows. They darted in under the guards’ defences to deliver stinging attacks before retreating to the safety of their fellow mercenaries.

  Sweat glistened on Kaeden’s muscular forearms as he settled in to a smooth rhythm. Block. Kick. Punch. Repeat. Superior training soon began to show, and the guards began to make mistakes.

  Mistakes were fatal in this kind of confrontation. The first to fall was their leader. Misjudging the distance between himself and Shotgun, he left his side vulnerable to a powerful chop to the neck that sent him crashing to the ground.

  The sight of their leader lying motionless on the pavement demoralized the remainder of the group and they broke off the attack, fleeing toward the shelter of the buildings, but not before two more of their comrades were disabled. Dee felt a swell of pride as she watched the three mercenaries jog over to join their companions and rout the remainder of the guards.

  The girls had managed to work their way over to the Hummer, but stood beside it where they had a good view of the fight. Wren gasped in alarm as Jackson took a hit to the side of the head. “Who are these guys, Dee? You never mentioned a band of mercenaries when you were living with me, but I get the feeling you know them real well.”

  Dee sighed, wincing as Kaeden’s fist connected with a jawbone. “They’re my family, as much as you are. I left them behind when I came to take care of you. I thought they weren’t good enough for my baby sister, but they never stopped looking out for me.” She slipped her arm around her little sister’s waist. “Hindsight’s twenty/twenty, but I think I should have just brought you to them instead of trying to take car
e of you myself. I’m not quite as tough as I thought I was.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that.” Saralyn spoke up for the first time. “It took a lot of guts to come in here and rescue your sister. I don’t know anyone who would be willing to put themselves in danger just for me.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” Dee nodded at the men. “I saw the way Trace was watching you when we were working our way out of the building.”

  Wren nodded, giggling. “I think they call that lust at first sight. If you play your cards right, you could have that man wrapped around your little finger by the end of the day.”

  “Here they come.” Dee had to restrain herself from running to make sure Kaeden was all right. “Let’s get ready to roll.” She yanked the door open and hauled herself up into the Hummer.

  * * *

  “You know I should spank your luscious ass for what you put me through the last couple of years.” Kaeden ran his hand down the curve of Dee’s butt, sending a curl of pure heat winging its way through her entire body.

  “I know. I’m sorry.” Dee placed her hands on Kaeden’s chest, looking up at him with a contrite expression. “I should have told you about Wren right at the start.”

  Kaeden’s eyebrows rose. “An apology? I think that’s a first. Does this mean you’re not going to take your sister and bolt as soon as my back is turned?” He picked her up and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently.

  “No. I may be a slow learner, but I think it’s pretty clear we’re both safer with you and the team. Besides…” She pulled his head down to fasten her lips on his, letting her blossoming love show in the heat of her kiss. “I’ve been thinking it’s about time someone did some decorating in here.”

  “You mean you want to hang pictures?” He lay down beside her, running his hands over her breasts.

  She flipped him over on his back, throwing her leg over to straddle his hips. “More than that. I’m thinking fresh paint, maybe some nice trim. What do you think about installing some blinds to filter out the heat from the afternoon sun?”