by Adriana Noir
“Oh good. She’s finished.”
Her head snapped up at the sound of Marx’s voice. Her heart turned to a block of ice in her chest. Unable to help it, her eyes darted back to Josh’s pleading with him not to rip away the only thing she had left. He didn’t look at her. He wouldn’t even glance her way. Trembling, she let her attention drift back to his front pocket, knowing the key still sat hidden inside.
It took everything she had not to scramble away or beg when Marx crossed the room, approaching her in quick, even strides. He moved with surprising agility and speed for a man of his size. Steely gaze darting between them, Josh quickly backed out of his way.
“I’m going to miss our playtime, Taylor. Especially since my pet is no longer with us. Shame given how much I’m sure the two of you wanted to see each other again, but it’s almost time to take you to your new home.” the commander informed her, his tone almost sing-song in its amusement. “But before you go, I’m going to let the boys say their goodbyes.”
~*~*~*~
His chances of finding her again were growing smaller by the day, but he refused to give up. He refused to believe their story was over before it ever had the chance to begin. There were too many chapters left unwritten. The pain hadn’t lessened any. It was still a raw, festering wound that kept him up at night. He tried to keep himself distracted during the few hours when he was home by clearing out the guestroom and preparing the nursery. Most of his time was spent with the likes of Vincent and Jackson, scouring every inch of Arizona in search of Marx or his men. He outlined and plotted, focusing on what he would do when he finally had revenge.
That much was inevitable. Marx knew the war was coming. That was why the coward had chosen to hide.
Blowing out a deep breath, Sebastian straightened the cemetery wreath and stood to leave when a man’s voice stopped him in his tracks. Turning, he paused to peer over his shoulder. Gavin Bradshaw stood a few feet away, that odd combination of sorrow and fear he’d witnessed at the funeral still ravaging the man’s face.
Sebastian snarled beneath his breath. The guy truly did have some nerve. He was fortunate, very fortunate, that he had bigger scores to settle. At least for now.
“If I were you, I would get the hell away from me,” Sebastian warned, his voice coming in a menacing growl.
“Excuse me?”
His hand shifted to the gun holstered against his thigh. “I won’t repeat myself again.”
“Easy,” the man coaxed, raising his hands. “It’s been a rough few weeks for all of us.”
His eyes widened as he stared back at Gavin in utter disbelief. “Us? I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but there is no us. I just put my fiancée in the ground. You were a mere breath away from causing that yourself when you sabotaged her car. Consider yourself fortunate this is her resting place. It’s the only thing keeping me from shooting you on sight.”
“I just…”
“You have five seconds. Start walking or I will blow a goddamn tunnel through your face.”
“Taylor was my daughter, Sebastian.”
He tried to hold himself together, but the last few weeks had been too much. Unable to help it, a crazed laugh escaped him as Sebastian dropped his chin to his chest. His shoulders quaking, he shook his head. “Why does that not surprise me?” All traces of humor evaporated from his face as he lifted his piercing stare, trapping the other man. “What is it with you people, anyway? It’s not enough to abandon her or repeatedly stick a knife in her back? You had to try and kill her too?”
“I didn’t know that was her car. If I had, I swear to Christ, I never would have touched the damn thing. I didn’t know you were together.”
His smile was cold and terse. “If you had been any sort of a father to her at all, you would have. I’m finished having this conversation.”
“Wait. I need to explain.”
“No, you don’t. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. Just looking at you is making me sick.”
“I’ve spent the last decade of my life protecting Patrick James and assuring Blue didn’t fall into the wrong hands. You know how vital that program is. You’ve seen the damage, the madness and the greed it’s caused. When my contractors told me someone was trying to locate him, I didn’t ask for reasons. I didn’t ask for names. My only objective was to prevent that from happening. I had to eliminate the threat.”
“Your daughter wasn’t a part of that equation!”
Gavin winced, flinching from the ferocity in his yell. “She wasn’t in it at all, he agreed. They wanted your death to look like an accident. I had plates, vehicle makes, and a list of places you liked to frequent. I had a job to do and I never once imagined any of it would tie back to my daughter. I didn’t even know about your relationship until a few weeks later.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face, his eyes still wide and bewildered. He was too damn exhausted to care about the man’s explanations or excuses. “Is this confession supposed to make me feel better somehow? Am I supposed to be grateful that you were only trying to kill me?”
“Elaine…her mother…”
“I know who she is,” Sebastian snapped, his patience gone.
“She told me Taylor was expecting and how happy the two of you seemed. She also told me you were the one who was searching for Patrick and why it was so vital that you find him. I’ve been friends with him my entire life. Yes, I walked out on my family, but I had my reasons. I’ve always tried to protect them, Sebastian. I severed all forms of communication with them years ago, praying that would keep them from getting pulled into this. I knew where this mess was heading way back when the entire concept of Blue was nothing more than a dream your boss had conjured. I was a shitty husband and a shitty father. I can admit that. I chose safeguarding my friend and my country over my family, but I did my best to keep my loved ones out of this. I tried my damnedest, but I still failed miserably.”
Something in the man’s voice forced Sebastian to lower his gaze as well as his gun. Maybe it was shame. He knew the feeling of failure all too well. “What do you want from me?” he asked quietly. “Is it money, an apology, what?”
“No. God no. These blackouts and bombings, the communities of people going missing…this is Blue at work, isn’t it?”
“Not so much Blue as it is Marx. He’s utilizing the program and blackmailing his men. I’m sure my life has served as a prime example of what will happen if they turn on him.”
“Is my daughter really dead? Is that really her in the ground? I need to know.”
The man’s voice thickened and broke. Sebastian closed himself off from the pain. His jaw tensed as he deliberated his next words carefully. “I have no way of knowing for certain. The remains were already cremated and the heat process destroys all viable DNA.”
“But?” her father asked, a tinge of hope affecting his voice.
“My heart tells me a different story. There is a chance Taylor is still alive. I believe Marx has her hidden somewhere. I’ve been searching. Unfortunately, I don’t have any leverage to use against him, and if I kill him, I lose the only thing I have leading me to her location.”
Gavin nodded. His Adam’s apple bobbed with his swallow. “I understand you were planning a trip to Hawaii.”
“It’s been postponed.”
“I’ll save you the trouble,” Gavin said, stepping forward to press a small scrap of paper into Sebastian’s hand. “These are the codes and specs you’ll need. If you can find a way to access the system, you’ll be able to shut most of Blue down. There’s your leverage. I’ll find Patrick. He’s the only one who can destroy the rest. If you cooperate, the government will give you all the help you need. You have my word. I want justice, Agent Baas. Find my daughter and make that sick fuck that has her pay.”
~*~*~*~
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but when Taylor woke up, the agony branching through her body had lessened. A faint smile curved her lips as she saw Sebastian’s fac
e looming above her in the shadows. There was such love and relief in his pale green eyes, and he reached for her, brushing the sweaty clumps of hair away from her face.
“Sebby,” she whispered, trying to muster the strength to lift her arm. She needed to touch him, to feel his skin beneath her fingertips once again. She ached to run her fingers through his curls or trace the deep, chasm-like dimples framing his face.
He was beautiful. So beautiful, and he was hers.
“Such a brave girl,” he murmured. “You’re doing so good, baby. So good. I’m proud of you. You keep holding on for me, okay?”
She closed her eyes. God how she had missed the soft, silken rasp of his voice. “I’m trying.”
“Taylor…”
She frowned, her brow furrowing with confusion and pain. His voice sounded different somehow. More distant and far away.
“Taylor, listen to me.”
She fought to open her eyes, but the lids felt so heavy, like they’d been coated in lead. Someone grabbed her fingers. They peeled them back and pressed something cool and hard firmly against the palm of her hand.
“You got to suck it up. Pull yourself together right now, kid. This is the only shot you got. Do you hear me?”
She nodded mutely. Everything hurt. She wanted desperately to fall asleep. Several rough pats to her cheeks jarred her awake.
“You can’t do that. Wake your ass up and gather your strength. The gate’s unlocked, kid, but the rest is gonna be on you. Run. You run as fast and as hard as you can. Head left and don’t look back.”
~*~*~*~
Sebastian stared at the man seated across from him. The tension and loathing brewing between them was palpable, a living malevolent force all of its own. Even the waitress seemed reluctant to draw near. She lingered behind the counter, watching the scene unfold with weary eyes. Outside, Jack Gill and a van full of other federal law enforcement officers waited, though no doubt Marx had standby of his own.
This was it. The final culmination of their talks. The man had one last chance to save his skin and come clean. His eyes narrowed as he studied the commander. Small beads of sweat glistened along his forehead, shimmering beneath the restaurant lights. The man was nervous. As he should be. The time for peaceable understanding was done. He had his crew in place, and thanks to his acquisition of Blue, one-by-one, Marx’s men were starting to fall.
Just this morning, he’d taken great delight in watching Bradley’s head explode in a fireworks show of fine, red mist. He was the tenth one this week and the numbers were just going to keep coming. Every time they poked their head above the surface, he would be waiting. Things were coming together and SKALS ranks were rapidly thinning. The government was geared and ready. It was all systems go.
The only thing missing from that equation was Taylor.
Marx twisted the coffee mug between his hands and lifted his imposing gaze. “I understand your frustrations, Agent Baas. However, I’m sure you can understand my trepidation as well. Especially when I find myself staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. This war…this feud between us needs to end. I want you to come back, Sebastian.”
“I didn’t call you here to negotiate. Perhaps you misunderstood my terms. Your men took something of mine, and I want it back.”
“Why does it always come back to this? It was a horrible tragedy, Sebastian, but nothing is going to change the cold, hard fact that she’s gone.”
Sebastian forced a slight smile. “With all due respect, I don’t believe a damn thing that comes out of your mouth. You’ve already proven you are a traitorous, lying son-of-a-bitch.”
“I don’t know what else to tell you. She’s gone. You need to stop wasting time. This killing spree you’ve been on is starting to annoy me, but I am willing to look past that given your current state of mind. I am willing to let bygones be bygones here, but this is the last chance you have. Either join forces with me or perish. Those are the only options you have left. You know what I have and you know where this is going.”
His quiet laugh was dry and devoid of humor as he shook his head. Leaning over, he braced his hands against the table and stared Marx in the eye until the commander shifted in his seat. “Let me tell you something. I don’t care what you have or what you destroy. Taylor is the only thing that matters to me. I don’t want to bring this organization to its knees, Marx, but I will. That is up to you to decide. I am not going to stop. I am not going to back down. I will keep coming at you, your men, and anyone else that gets in my way until I have her back.” His eyes watered, burning with a combination of grief and rage as he leveled a finger at the startled man. “Every ounce of that hatred and bloodlust that you instilled in me…that’s all coming for you. All of it. Mark my words. You underestimated the wrong man.”
“I don’t take well to threats, Sebastian. You should know that. I’ll tell you what--”
Sebastian cut him off with a sharp slice of his hand. His hard stare narrowed as he leaned even farther across the stained Formica tabletop. “I am done bartering. There is no Blue, Marx. Not anymore. Your computer systems and access codes are all shutting down as we speak. Next, I will gather every single agency and resource I can find and use them all to blow SKALS headquarters clear off the map. If I still don’t have her by the end of that, I will assume she is dead…and then…if I were you, I would hit my knees and pray because there is not a single crack or crevice on the face of this earth where you will be able to hide. You have two hours.”
Marx frowned. Though he tried to mask it, Sebastian could see the faint lines of worry crawling across the director’s craggy face. A small trickle of sweat rolled down his temple, tracing his rich chocolaty skin. Exhaling slowly, he lifted his gaze. The menace in his eyes had dimmed. They were now turbulent and troubled.
“If what you say is true, and I did have your lover somewhere….”
“Two hours. Those are my terms, asshole. Consider yourself warned.”
CHAPTER 17 ~
The heavens and earth boomed, shaking the building around her. Taylor’s eyes flew open, her pulse already pounding in the base of her throat. Low, screeching sirens echoed throughout the building, the same kind that always seemed to go off in the movies whenever there was impending doom or some kind of nuclear breach. Over them, she could hear men shouting, their voices full of panic and fear. The loud, resounding roar she heard in the distance grew louder, stronger, until its heavy vibrations rattled clear through her core. Something exploded nearby. The detonation thundered throughout the building, rocking everything so hard her teeth slammed together.
Another swoop. Another explosion.
The grim reality of what was happening settled over her, blanketing her with a sickening dread. They were under attack. Someone had launched a full-blown airstrike and, if she didn’t find a way out there, she was going to die.
She screamed as another blast hit, this one landing far too close to home. The concrete itself seemed to ripple and expand beneath her, rolling beneath a wave of instability. Forget fear. Her chest felt like it was going to explode from the percussion. She rested her head against her arm for a second, trying to catch her breath. It wasn’t fair. She’d survived so much. Shootings, break-ins, neurotoxins, car accidents…the wrath of Marx himself. She’d fought so hard to hold on and sustain the child she carried. She wasn’t going to go out now. Not like this.
Her thoughts faltered when she realized she could move without any resistance. She was almost afraid to let herself feel the small twinge of hope rushing through her, but she tried again. This time, the chains wrapped around her slid free.
Beneath the sirens and alarms, she laughed, almost weeping with relief. The dream she had the night before filtered back to her, but she didn’t have time to ponder on it or dwell. The deep, rumbling roar was closing in on her again. Closing her eyes, she tried to muster the last remaining bit of her strength. It had been so long since she’d had anything but a few pieces of crusty bread to eat. Water was a rare and p
recious commodity, not to mention sleep, and she could feel the fevered beads of perspiration rolling down her skin. Her body was giving up. She knew that, but this was her one and only chance to make it out of here alive.
She wasn’t sure how far she would get, but she had to take that chance. There was nothing left to lose.
Rolling over, she tried to push herself up on her hands and knees. Her legs trembled and her arms shook beneath the strain. Another explosion rocked the building, this one hitting its mark and sending her sprawling on her face. Her breath came in shallow pants. One. Two. Three, before she managed to try to push herself up again. Pausing, Taylor hung her head. It was going to take everything she had, but the willpower to survive was a powerful thing.
Her heart sank when she heard the door hinges screech and the barrier fly open with enough force to bounce off the wall. Quickly, she wound the short length of chain around her wrist.
“What the fuck?”
She waited until the thudding footfalls landed right beside her. She screamed, the sound animalistic and feral, even to her own ears, as she sprung to her feet and smashed the palm of her hand upward with all her might. Unyielding steel links and the hard bone of her hand cracked against the underside of the man’s nose in an upward slant. A sickening crack filled the room, followed by the man’s scream as his hands flew to his face.
She didn’t wait to see what happened. The door was still open and she charged toward it in a mad dash for freedom. A dark, blurry form descended on her from the right. Arching her arms up again, Taylor swung wildly. One blow caught him upside the head. Another smashed into the bridge of his nose, sending him staggering. The minute he lowered his head, trying to shake the pain, she lashed out and brought her foot up hard into his groin.
Her heart thundered in her chest as she decided which way to run. A thick haze of smoke hung in the building, hindering her vision. She choked on it, running toward the glowing orange haze on the other side.
