“I had no idea.” Don couldn’t believe Daniel had been working for him all these years and never once did he ever see any sign of his prior struggles. Guess I never cared to look. Because all the signs were probably staring me right in the face.
“I know what your lifestyle is, I mean was. A different woman on your arm every week. Can’t say I wasn’t jealous at times. But then something changed in you. Ever since your time in Savannah, you’ve been different. After the phone call to Kevin, I knew it. Bailey was your one and only. But you were too stupid to see it for yourself.”
Under different circumstance, any one of his staff who spoke to him in such a manner would’ve found themselves without a job. But all this had done was given him even more respect for Daniel than he had already. Besides being so damn good at his job, he’d just been honest about how painful it’d been losing the only woman he’d ever loved. “My situation with Bailey is very different.”
“Only because you still have a chance to make things right with her. If you don’t, you’re on the fast track to becoming me. After she died, I gave up on everything, on myself, on the world. A few years after that I was a homeless alcoholic, determined to die. The day you saw me split up a fight between vagrants and offered me a job, you pulled me from a hole I didn’t think I’d ever get out of. Not sure what you saw in me that was worth hiring, but you saved my life, Don, and every day I’m alive I’m going to repay that favor.”
Don hadn’t forgotten that day. When Daniel said he was breaking up a fight, it was more like letting them both know the first one to start again was dead. The only thing he knew about Daniel at that time was that he wasn’t one to back down and that’s what he’d needed for his construction sites. He’s always been there when I’ve needed him.
Don said, “You’ve never let me down. You owe me nothing.”
“No, I owe you a push in the right direction and a swift kick in the ass,” Daniel said. “I’m telling you, Don, if you let go of Bailey now, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life. Don’t lie to yourself about how much better off she is without you. I saw your anger when you knew Kevin was with her. I’ve never seen you so mad in all the years I’ve worked for you. She’s a young woman; she doesn’t have to live her life alone and neither do you. Call Kevin right now, find out where she is, and that’s where we’ll go.”
Don knew he couldn’t mount an argument against Daniel because he was entirely right. So he took out his cell, called Kevin, and put it on speaker phone.
“Don, I was just about to call you,” Kevin said.
God, don’t let there be anything wrong with Bailey. “Is everything okay with Bailey?”
“Yeah. She’s doing better than me.”
“What do you mean?”
“That woman can’t sit still for five minutes. One minute we’re in Savannah and the next she has me in Providence, then Chicago, and now here. Each day a different state. I should’ve guessed she’d be someone who did comic improv.”
“Not in the mood for guessing games, Kevin.”
“You know I’m not going to tell you where she is. Just like I’m not saying where you are. You know damn well why too,” Kevin added.
He was glad she’d decided to go back to stand-up comedy. “What the hell, Kevin! She’s in there alone? Why aren’t you inside with her?” Don shot off.
“Because I’m standing outside holding the pink leash of her new dog, which by the way has pink bows on her ears. She’s wearing a breast cancer awareness T-shirt too.”
“Bailey?”
“No, the dog. This is not helping my image any,” Kevin joked.
Don wasn’t able to picture Kevin supervising a little froo froo dog. Yet from the desperate sound of his voice, that’s exactly what he was doing. If the situation hadn’t been so dire, he might have even cracked a joke. There’ll be time for laughter later. When I know she is safe. “Let something happen to her and you won’t have an image to worry about,” Don warned.
“Funny, Bailey said the same thing about the dog. You two really are meant for each other. But I can’t wait to see you walking this thing. It’s one of those small things with a lot of fur. This thing looked like it had been living in a Dumpster for months when she rescued it. And God, did it smell. Bailey contacted Friends of Homeless Animals in Rhode Island to adopt it. I’m currently dog sitting and even holding her purse. Can’t wait ’til you get back and this is all yours.” Kevin laughed.
Before he could respond, Don heard the click of the phone indicating another person was joining the call. “Hey, Don. Kevin and I were just discussing The Mountain.”
“Tell me you didn’t pull him away from his honeymoon, Kevin,” Don snapped.
“No one pulls me to or from anything,” Mark said.
Knowing Hannah, she heard your cell phone ringing non-stop and told you to stop slacking off when the world needed saving. Gotta adore that woman.
“Well, I actually wasn’t calling about work,” Don said. “I need to know exactly where Bailey is, Kevin.”
“This is more important than you meeting up with Bailey,” Mark said. “We have the file.”
“That was faster than I would’ve thought,” Daniel said, looking into the rearview mirror. Daniel sped up and wove through the traffic around them.
Don had no idea what Daniel was talking about, but he shot him a look to watch the road. He knew Daniel was upset about his first love, but that didn’t mean ending it all by reckless driving.
“The file contains a list of names and General Floyd’s personal account of what’s going on. He admits to having prior knowledge of an imminent attack on the dam in North Carolina, although he swears he didn’t anticipate the Marine murders. I’m not sure I’m buying that just yet.”
Don heard Mark’s voice crack for the first time in many years. He knew the brotherhood of service was one that hurt most when broken. Especially by a general who had people working for him all the time.
“He says we can find his excuse for allowing this at a particular set of coordinates,” Mark continued.
“What do they lead to?” Don assumed it was mostly another site just waiting for the terrorists. He didn’t trust anything the general had to say.
“Not sure yet, but I’m going to investigate that personally,” Kevin said.
“Where are you going? I thought you were protecting Bailey,” he said.
“You need to look at the big picture,” Kevin said. “I’m not leaving her this very second. I’ll make sure she is someplace safe first.”
“And where is that exactly? From what I’ve seen, these guys can go and do as they please, and I don’t want some trigger-happy rookie looking out for her. Got it?” Nothing in Don’s voice left any room for misunderstanding.
“Don’t worry, Don. We’re watching your ass, and you’re still in one piece. So let us do our job, and you do yours,” Kevin shot back at Don. “All I can offer is to hide her away where no one, not even you, can find her.”
“That’s enough you two. Focus. I need you to listen closely, Don. You need to go back to The Mountain. The general was very suspicious about Master Sergeant Margaret Graham. He had a good reason, too, because the real Master Sergeant Margaret Graham was one of the Marines guarding the lab in North Carolina. She’s dead, and we need to find out who this imposter is,” Mark said. “You’re the only one who can go in without jeopardizing the mission.”
“I hate to interrupt, but we’re being tailed,” Daniel said. “I had to risk losing Johnson back there to buy us time.”
Johnson was following us? Daniel never told me. Don put the phone down, leaving it on speakerphone, but didn’t disconnect the call. He looked over his shoulder, and a black Hummer weaved through the traffic just as urgently as they had. They’d outpaced the traffic behind them by three hundred yards, and there was no one on the highway ahead of them. Something punched a hole in the rear windshield and exited the car through the front window. A web of cracks extended fr
om the small hole, but it held together.
“Keep your head down!” Daniel ordered.
“What about you?” Don asked, bending down with his hands protecting his neck.
“It’s not what’s behind us that I’m concerned about,” Daniel said. “They cleared the highway for a reason, dammit. Guardrails on both sides . . . no access roads in sight. They wanted to corner us, alright.”
“We just notified Johnson. He’s aware of the situation, and ETA is two minutes out,” Mark said. “Chopper in the air, ETA six minutes.”
That seems pretty far away at the moment. This is not good. Don peeked over the dashboard. An SUV with its headlights off barreled the wrong way down the highway, mirroring every attempt Daniel made to maneuver out of the way. Don heard gunshots behind them, and despite it all, Daniel was smiling as though he’d been looking forward to this day. Do you miss your combat days that much, Daniel?
“Johnson, you son of a bitch!” Daniel laughed. “I thought you were going to miss the party.”
“You’re one crazy bastard. Keep your eyes on the road ahead of us, or we won’t need to worry about what’s coming up from behind,” Don shouted, seeing Daniel looking in the rearview mirror as the truck swerved to the right. Hitting a guardrail at their speed wasn’t going to end well.
“Let me worry about it. You just hold on and do exactly as I say, and I’ll get your ass out of this alive. You hear me?” Daniel never even turned to look at him.
That’s what I pay him for. Never thought I’d see the day he’d have to earn that money. More shots were being exchanged. Damn it. Why am I the one without a gun? They’re after my ass. If I make it out of this, Mark’s hooking me up. I might not be a marksman, but at least I can shoot, instead of just getting ass shot at.
“Don, I’ve never had any kids, but I would’ve been proud to call you a son.” What the hell?
He sat up again to look at Daniel, trying to read the situation.
Daniel continued, but talked faster as though he might not be able to get the words out. “You better remember everything I said earlier about Bailey. Don’t waste your life chasing status and wind up dying alone,” Daniel said just as they were hit from behind. He cut the wheel hard to the right.
The impact hit hard and crushed the left side of their truck before causing it to lose control in a spin. Don held on tight and prepared for the impact as they slammed right into the guardrail. The airbags went off, and for a moment Don had no idea what was going on. All he could hear was screeching tires. As the airbag deflated, he looked up just in time to see the SUV that hit them turning around and leaving. It was smoking like a bastard. They won’t make it far.
The Hummer blew past the truck and the SUV. Don watched a mud-covered Jeep with no doors slam on its brakes and turn to face oncoming traffic. I don’t know where you think you’re going, but far away from here is a good idea. Something shot out from the rear of the Jeep, heading for the smoking SUV that was still trying to get away.
Instantly on impact, the interior lit up and exploded outward, showering the highway with bits of metal, glass, and everything that was inside.
Who the hell did that? Don knew they could be next and their truck wasn’t going anywhere. He turned to Daniel who was unconscious. He had blood coming from his head and also from his chest. Daniel. Damn it to hell.
If those bastards in the Jeep come over, they were defenseless. All he could do now was get what information he could to Mark and Kevin who, hopefully, were still listening on the line.
Don saw his phone by Daniel’s feet. He tried desperately to reach it, but Daniel’s side of the truck was crumpled against the guardrail.
He shouted out just in case they could hear. “Mark, Daniel’s in bad shape. There’s a Jeep not far, and we’re sitting ducks here.” Shit. Damn it, this is it. “Mark. We aren’t getting out of this one, buddy. Take care of Bailey, you hear me?”
All Don could do was hope they had. It was like watching his time with Bailey flash in front of him. Why didn’t I tell her I loved her when I had the chance? There was so much I wanted to say, and she asked me to say it, but I was so damn stupid. And now it’s too late. Daniel was right.
Don tried to keep his head down, hoping the other vehicle would drive off thinking they were both dead, but instead he heard a knock on his window. He didn’t move anything but his eyes to see if he could spot Daniel’s weapon. It was nowhere in sight. He closed his eyes again. Sorry, Bailey. I did everything I could.
“You all right?”
Don let out a long exhale. Johnson. Thank God. He sat up, sore as hell, but he didn’t feel any major injuries. “Yeah, but Daniel needs to get to the hospital. Hurry the hell up, Johnson, he’s hurt bad.”
“There’s a chopper only a few minutes away. Can you stand?” Johnson asked.
Don unbuckled and reached over to Daniel, checking for a pulse. No. No, this couldn’t be happening. Daniel. You didn’t have to do this. Despite the immediate heaviness in his heart, it lifted. He knew in his heart the older man was finally with the one he wanted to be with most.
Don got out of the truck and looked toward where the first SUV was engulfed in flames.
“How?” Don asked.
“I have a grenade launcher,” Johnson said, pointing back to his Jeep. A man on a motorcycle pulled around the Jeep and approached them. “Take the rest of the team and follow the Hummer. I want to know everyone they see, and where they go,” Johnson ordered.
“Roger that,” he answered before speeding off.
Don watched the man on the motorcycle and two other men in cars navigate around the wreckage.
“You’re not getting anything out of them,” Don said, gesturing to the blown-out SUV.
Johnson sighed. “Yeah, I’m not sure how I’m going to explain this one to Mark. I just really like heavy artillery. C’mon, we need to get you to the safe house ASAP.”
“Safe house?” Don asked. “I can’t leave Daniel.”
“Daniel would want you to be safe. We knew how hard he’d work to keep you safe. I’ll send someone for him,” Johnson said.
As he took a few steps he felt dizzy. Reaching up, Don felt the lump on the right side of his head. It hurt like hell. “I’ll need a doctor eventually,” Don said, following Johnson to the Jeep.
“I’ve already arranged the team medic to meet us at the safe house,” Johnson said.
“You’re awfully prepared for someone who didn’t know this was coming,” Don said, wondering if there was a chance he’d been the bait and no one cared to inform him of that.
Johnson got into the Jeep and took the grenade launcher off the passenger seat so Don could get in. Don buckled up, none too eager to be in another car so soon.
“My job is to do whatever the hell Mark needs me to do before he has to tell me to do it. I’m a glorified personal assistant with a grenade launcher,” Johnson joked.
“With what Mark’s working on, I’m sure there are places your talents would be better spent.”
“It’s not my job to determine what’s important. Mark said to protect you at all costs, and to expect an attempt on your life at all times. So I did. Further orders are to get you to the safe house should anything happen, and I will.” Johnson put the Jeep in gear as the helicopter arrived.
“It’s impossible for you to be awake and ready at all times,” Don said.
“Mark wanted you safe, so I used every resource available. I pulled Daniel into the protection detail for you. I was coordinating with him at all times. He called me while you visited your penthouse, telling me where you’d both be and when, to the minute. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to stop the Hummer from finishing the job.”
“I need to call Kevin,” Don said.
“If it’s about Bailey’s location, I can’t let you do that,” Johnson said.
“I don’t care what Mark said, I want to talk to her now,” Don demanded.
“She is safe, which she won’t be if you reac
h out right now. Give it twenty-four hours. That’s all we need.”
“Why? What’s happening?”
“When we get to the safe house, you’ll be brought up to speed. But if you reach out now, Daniel might not be the only casualty.”
Don didn’t like having no say in what was happening. But he trusted Mark, and Johnson had just saved his life. As had Daniel. Shit, not sure if I’ll ever get the sight of his lifeless body out of my mind.
Chapter Sixteen
Don sat at the table in the cabin. It had been a long ride, and Johnson kept him awake the whole way just in case he had a concussion. The entire ride Don couldn’t get Daniel’s last words out of his head. He knew he was about to do something that would cost him his life, yet he still wanted to make sure Don fixed things with Bailey before all else. Now he was stuck sitting in the cabin with no way to contact her. His secured phone was in the truck right along with Daniel’s. Calling her on his private cell was out of the question.
Outside of the cabin he heard Johnson commanding the rest of the team to check the perimeter. I’d like to say this is overkill, but they did just try to murder me. Johnson closed the door behind him.
“You want a beer?” Johnson asked, opening the fridge and closing it just as quickly.
“We’re still on the clock, Johnson,” Don said.
“Yeah, I realize that, but there’s no we on this. You don’t have a clock, Don.”
“Johnson, you make it sound as though I have choices.”
“You have them, just not the ones you want.”
“Give me your phone,” Don demanded.
Johnson shot him a look. “Don’t report to you, Don.”
“Same here. I understand what’s at stake. Hell, Daniel just died protecting me. But if you want my cooperation, give me the phone.”
Johnson stood staring sharply at him. Don could see Johnson wasn’t intimidated by anyone. Eventually, he pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it to him.
“Make it quick. I’m expecting a call from Collins.”
“Which one?” Don was about to call Kevin to find out about Bailey. Maybe he was jumping the gun.
Southern Delight (Southern Desires Series Book 3) Page 18
