Remy had Beth’s hand in hers, holding her wrist with two fingers while she stared at her watch.
“Go to her, if you want.”
Sam shook his head. John’s suggestion was fine, but there were other things to do. “I should be looking for Tommy.”
John’s voice was low. Slow. He was in serious pain. “We also need a search party to see if they can find Shadrach. I’d hate for him to be hurt, and no one knows.”
Sam nodded. He opened his mouth to talk, but got drowned out by a helicopter’s approach. Where it was going to land was anyone’s guess. Following after it were two other choppers.
“Looks like Ben came through.” John’s eyes were on the aircraft. His face was a little gray, like he was only still standing by sheer force of will.
There were five men in total. Big, rough-looking men who didn’t seem to be typical specimens of medical personnel, but would fit in perfectly in a bar fight. The sixth man climbed out last, carrying a doctor’s bag with a stethoscope around his neck. Guess we know which one is the doctor.
A dog barked.
Two of the men drew weapons.
Dauntless trotted across the grass and dirt followed by Shadrach, who moved slower. John waved them off and strode over as the men teased each other mercilessly about being scared. Sam went with him to meet up with Shadrach. They shook hands, none speaking words. Only the long glance of those relieved to be alive.
Shadrach glanced back from looking at Remy. “I’d like to check on my sister.”
“She’s with Bolton.” John waved his good arm toward the men and then turned to Matthias. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Matthias nodded. “I’ll drive him and the others to the Meeting House if you get that shoulder looked at.”
John pushed out a breath. One of the men stepped over to him. “Join me in my office, sheriff.” He had a small medical kit.
Sam wasn’t excited to watch John get stitched up, so he moved to Beth who now stood alone again.
Matthias called out. “All aboard.”
Remy ran over, her hair flying behind her. “I’m Bolton’s doctor!” She accepted Shadrach’s outstretched hand, and he hauled her into the back where she sat beside the doctor and immediately started talking.
“Are you okay?”
Sam spun around to face his wife. “Sure. I’m alive. You’re alive. The baby is fine, right?”
Beth placed both hands on her stomach. “I need an ultrasound to be sure, but I think so. Just bumps and scrapes.”
He gave her a short nod. “Good.”
One of the helicopters started up. He put his arms around Beth’s face to shield her from the wind as it lifted off and made its way toward Main Street where it set down again on the roof of the Meeting House.
“I hope Bolton is okay.” Her gaze flitted from town, to him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I should get to looking for Tommy.” He explained what John had told him. “I don’t want anyone to find him before I do.”
“So you’re just going to leave me here? Again?”
He touched her elbow. “Beth—”
She pulled her arm from his grip. “No, Sam. If you’re going to leave me again and go off to do your job then you should just say it plainly. I’m no help to you. I’m little better than dead weight as far as you’re concerned.”
“You…the baby…” What did she expect him to say? She wasn’t on his team. At least not when he was going after a highly-trained, rogue SEAL. Did she want to tag along?
“Just go, okay?” She looked aside, but he couldn’t work out what she was feeling. She’d gone blank, the way she did with people she wouldn’t let close to her. “You don’t need me. I get it.”
“It’s not like I’m not coming back.”
“And then how long will it be before you leave next time?” Her eyes were dry. He could only see frustration, not any kind of pain at pushing him away. “When you find something more interesting, or more worthy of your skills, than being here with me.” She placed her hands on her stomach again. “With us.”
“That’s not what this is. You know I have to go find Tommy.”
“Yeah, I do. And then after him there’ll be someone else. Some other war to fight.”
He stared at her. “You’re the one who decided our lives would be like this. If that was the only way I could have you, I wasn’t going to turn it down. Now you’re telling me that was all a waste. I have to give up who I am if I want to stay with you, because you won’t accept anything less. Is that it?”
She gritted her teeth. Backed up a step then pulled off her ring and held it out to him.
“That’s not what this is.”
“You’re leaving again,” she said. “This is what we do.”
He pulled off his ring and they exchanged. “I’m asking you to let me finish this, and you’re pushing me away.”
“Don’t make this about me. Not when you’re the one who shut me in that basement.”
“You were protected.”
“Yeah, but not by you.” She slipped his ring on her thumb.
Sam took hold of her elbow to draw her closer, but she flung her arm aside. “Don’t.” Beth strode away, her back completely straight, to where one of the men stitched John’s shoulder. Andra drew Beth into her side, shooting daggers at him with her gaze.
That wasn’t how this should have gone. Didn’t she know he wasn’t the man who could give her what she needed? Beth should have someone worthy of her, and that wasn’t him. Sam was going to be the father he should be, but she’d have to accept the fact he was still just Pop’s grandson. He’d been gone when she was in danger. He’d been bested by Tommy. Bested by the syndicate. Bested by Shadrach.
Sam started walking to town so he could begin at the spot where Tommy was last seen.
Why would she want him to stick around anyway? He was the kind of man who came close to success but somehow still managed to fail every single time. He’d left her in that basement, and she’d been buried alive. It made him sick just thinking about losing her and the baby.
She had to know he’d be no good as a real husband, much less a father. He couldn’t even keep her safe when it was part of his mission.
Sam reached Main Street just as Shadrach came out of the Meeting House, frowning. “What’s up?”
He scanned the street. “Have you seen Remy?”
Chapter 26
He shoved her into the bakery’s kitchen. Remy stumbled and caught the counter with her elbow before she went down. She cried out. She was supposed to be with Bolton, helping him get situated and ready for transport. This was a delicate situation, and this guy had dragged her out, tied her up and hauled her across the street. No one even noticed. It was like she was invisible. Though she was pretty sure Tommy was not.
“Where is it?”
Remy didn’t even want to look at him. There was something psychotic in his eyes, and she just couldn’t face that head on. She waved her bound hands toward the end cupboard of Frannie’s kitchen at Sweet Treats.
Tommy flung the cupboard door open. The suitcase was exactly where she’d left it before the bomb had gone off—behind the sugar. She hadn’t wanted to be walking around with the compound, and neither had she wanted to turn it in to the sheriff’s office until she knew for sure it would be—
Tommy drew it out.
Safe.
“You know you killed Hal.”
Tommy shrugged. “If you’re looking for contrition you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“So you don’t even care that detonating the bomb took out the ranch house and buried everyone under it? Beth was in there. Hal died.” Her breath came in heaving sobs. She was going to lose it any minute now. But she was sick to death of this guy. Why couldn’t he leave them alone?
“You have the compound. So leave.” She waved toward the door. “You have what you wanted.”
Tommy grabbed her forearm. “Not quite. We still need a ride out of here.”
“You aren’t taking me with you.”
She tried to drag her feet, but he wouldn’t stop. When they exited the front of the bakery, no one was on the street. Still, Tommy wrapped his arm in hers, so it looked like they were huddled close to comfort each other as they walked.
A door opened—the Meeting House. Sam and Shadrach walked out, looking around. She sucked in a breath to scream. Tommy clapped his hand over her mouth, pushed her around the corner of the building, and held her against the wall. He stared around the corner so no one could see them.
He had his gun out, the barrel longer than it should have been. A silencer? “You make a sound, and I kill them both.”
Remy shut her mouth.
He pushed her around back of the south side of Main Street. Rear entrances to the stores, the Meeting House. She tried to walk as slowly as possible, but he hauled her to the fire exit stairs. The metal staircase zig-zagged up the back of the Meeting House to the roof.
At the top of the stairs a man stood by his helicopter, puffing on a cigarette.
“Hey, man.”
The guy turned. Lifted his chin. In the two seconds before he realized Tommy had her tied up, Tommy had fired twice into the helicopter pilot’s chest. He dropped to the concrete.
Remy started to scream.
He slapped her across the face. The sound expelled with her breath. “Pick up one arm.”
She did it. Tommy grabbed the other, and they hauled the dead man across the roof. Tommy rolled him over the edge. He grabbed the back of her neck, and before she could squeeze her eyes shut, the man hit the ground.
“That’s why you stay quiet.”
She nodded. A tiny whimper escaped her lips. Tommy chuckled. “You’re kind of cute, in a nerdy way.”
A shudder swept through her.
“Now get in the chopper.”
**
Through a haze of pain, Bolton understood they had carried him upstairs. The whomp of the helicopter’s rotors grew louder, and then he saw them. Bolton gritted his teeth as they slid him inside.
“Bolton.” Remy came to sit beside him. Something was wrong with her face.
Nadia Marie was on his other side, biting her lip. He grabbed her hand. “Did John authorize your leaving Sanctuary?”
She shook her head. “This is an emergency. You know that.”
Remy piped up. “John is being stitched up. That horrible SEAL who betrayed Sam and killed his team stabbed John in the chest.” There was an edge to her voice. Either she was more worried about him than ever, or something more was wrong.
Bolton tried to sit up. Remy and Nadia both pushed back against his shoulders. “Don’t get up.” Remy started to turn him. “I’ll give you another shot.”
He heard a plastic latch click and a packet being ripped open. There was a burn in his low back, and within seconds, numbness spread through the area. “Thanks, Rem.”
She smiled, but there was none of her usual pragmatic manner in it. She was really worried.
“Help me up.”
Neither said anything. They shared a look, but helped him to sit. If he kept straight and moved slow he should be okay. He wasn’t sure he’d exactly be able to walk if it came down to it, but it was possible. Anything was possible. He of all people knew that. When God had turned his life down a sharp detour, he’d learned what miracles were. And even through all he’d lost, Bolton could see the good.
Until they found out who he really was. Then his miracle would be finished.
He glanced at the pilot, his beanie pulled low and earphones pushed off the ear closest to them so he could hear.
The medical kit Remy was using. A silver suitcase.
His head whipped around to her.
Nadia said, “What?”
Bolton ignored her. Until Remy lifted her eyes and gave him a tiny nod. Bolton said, “Nothing. Just a twinge in my back.”
Remy patted his shoulder. “That’s to be expected. As soon as we get to a medical facility I’ll contact my colleague, and we’ll find out about that experimental treatment I was researching.” Her voice quavered.
Bolton glanced at the pilot once more. When he looked back at Remy, she nodded.
If that was Tommy, there wasn’t much Bolton could do considering the man was trained. Bolton had as much if not more skill in hand-to-hand when he wasn’t suffering from a detrimental spinal injury that was going to leave him irreparably paralyzed if he so much as twitched at this point.
If that experimental procedure even remotely worked he was going to high-tail it back to Sanctuary as soon as he could to repay Andy the favor. Although he wasn’t going to use a chair. And Andy was going to see this coming.
Nadia Marie glanced between them. “Experimental procedure?”
Remy explained the idea, while Bolton lay helpless. There was nothing in his general vicinity.
The helicopter dipped on a wind current.
Nadia Marie’s eyes caught his. “Seriously?”
Bolton shrugged with his face—which is what he had to do, since he couldn’t move his torso. “The alternative is living paralyzed.”
“It’s hardly a death sentence.”
He looked away. She was right, but it wasn’t like he had to accept it. This was his life they were talking about. As much as he might want her to be a part of it—and she seemed to think that was an option—at some point he was going to have to tell her the truth.
The helicopter began to descend.
Bolton reached under the collar of his T-shirt and pulled out the delicate gold chain. He twisted it so the clasp was at the front and looked at Nadia. “Take this off me.”
He’d had it constructed years ago, for someone very close to him. It was a distinctly feminine piece of jewelry and that fact did not escape Nadia.
Bolton didn’t explain.
When she had a right to know, he would tell her.
The helicopter bumped the ground once and then settled. Bolton handed the chain to Remy. “Put this in your pocket. Don’t lose it.”
The pilot got up and turned to them. “Okay, folks. End of the line.”
Nadia looked out the window. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
Bolton pulled her down as Tommy brought up the gun. She screamed. Remy whimpered, and Bolton held up one hand. “No one has to die.”
Tommy grabbed the suitcase and pointed the gun at Remy. This was what he’d figured would happen. Bolton did his best to look helpless—and like Nadia was attached to him. He didn’t want her being taken as collateral damage. He’d need her to help him to a phone.
Tommy pointed the gun at the door. “Outside.”
Remy glanced at Bolton long enough for him to nod. She pulled on the door handle, and Tommy followed her out.
Bolton couldn’t see them from that angle, and he couldn’t twist to get a view without doing damage. Nadia’s eyes were on the door. After a few seconds, tension bled from her face. “He looked back. I thought he was going to kill us.”
“He didn’t.”
“I don’t know why. We’ve seen his face.”
Bolton didn’t know if he could answer that question. “He has what he wanted. What he came to Sanctuary for.”
Had it been him, Bolton would have killed them for sure.
“I suppose.” She bit her lip. “I guess God knew we didn’t need this day to get any worse.”
He smiled. “You’ll have to help me. We need to find a phone, and who knows how many miles it is to the nearest one.”
Nadia blinked. “Oh…okay.”
She helped him to the edge of the chopper in time to see a highway thirty feet from them. A van had pulled over. Remy got in, followed by Tommy. The SEAL looked back and waved.
“Help me get out.” He didn’t like this. Sure, they had no phones and he was injured, and they had no way of knowing where he was taking Remy. That Tommy knew of, at least.
Still…
“Hurry.”
He crawled to the edge,
and she helped hold up his weight as they made their way across grass. Ten steps. Twelve.
“Faster.”
The helicopter exploded behind them.
**
Sam climbed from the chopper, turned, and held his hand out for his wife. Beth climbed down and passed by his hand without even looking at him. Guess that answers that question.
The wind whipped at her hair as she walked away, every bit the president’s daughter. He’d seen her on news programs over the years, head high and back straight as she faced people. Always standing alone because he’d been OUTCONUS on some training exercise or a mission. It was her default mode to keep the world at bay, and now she was using it with him.
That stung.
Shadrach pushed Sam aside, jumped out, and strode after her, followed by a trotting Dauntless. The dog—despite his slight limp—had been in “work mode” since they’d left Sanctuary, flown across country in a small aircraft, and then in another chopper for the ride to Ben’s office. His gait was eager, the dog very much a soldier more than ready to return to active duty even after he’d been told he couldn’t.
It seemed like forever ago since he’d first been here, thinking Ben’s office looked like a fly-by-night operation set up fast just because Sam had been coming. In reality it was a little over two weeks. So much had changed since then, but he couldn’t dwell on it. Not when Tommy was still lose, Remy was in danger, and the compound was missing. The mission wasn’t over yet—far from it.
Ben shook his hand. “John is okay?”
Trust him to get right to the point. But if Ben was worried about his brother, he didn’t need to be. They were all family men, but this time John’s family had him with his wife and son and the townspeople they saw as extended family. “He’s only staying behind to do right by Sanctuary, not because he couldn’t come. He wanted to.”
Ben gave a short nod then turned to the door. Good enough. The roof of the building gave Sam a good view of the city, but for some reason he missed being able to see mountains.
Sam followed him down two flights of stairs to the same fifteenth floor conference room where the brothers’ video call had been. “Any word on Daire?”
Sanctuary Breached WITSEC Town Series Book 3 Page 29
