by Abbi Hemp
“Believe me, we’ve tried. These guys are slick.” He looked at Tyler. “You’re not involved in any of this, right? The time to tell me is now.”
“No,” Tyler said firmly.
“Fine,” Mr. Sorenson replied. “I have to fill out all the paperwork to get this started, but if you two stop in tomorrow afternoon, we’ll have the equipment ready for you. All you need to do at that point is get Roger to slip up and say something incriminating.”
“Oh, that’s it?” Tyler scoffed.
He stood while shaking his head.
“Come on, Mercy. Let’s get out of here.”
“You two be safe,” Mr. Sorenson said.
We walked out of the office and back downstairs.
“Those guys are fucking nuts,” Tyler said once we’d made it outside. “We’re not going through with this.”
“We have to do it,” I said.
“We don’t have to do anything.”
He placed his hands on my cheeks, staring into my eyes.
“I care about you so damn much.”
“And I love you.”
Once the word had slipped out of my mouth, there was no taking it back. He kissed me, his lips saying the words, letting me know how much he loved me.
We rushed back to his apartment and the better bed.
THIRTY
Mercy
We reached his apartment. Once through the door, we were all over each other again. Things looked as if they might get better. At the very least, we were together.
And if everything worked out, I might go back to being a journalist while his name would be cleared once and for all. I smiled as we made our way to his bedroom.
Clothes came off as if we were in a race. I touched my lips against the skin on his chest, moving lower. He bent and lifted my naked body into the air.
My eyes opened wide as I let out a cry of startled surprise. He grinned, kissing my lips as he walked to his bed, prey in his arms. In that moment, I craved his cock being inside me.
He laid me down on the comforter, still kissing me. On my back and lying lengthwise on the bed, he stood and kissed my neck. I moaned, loving his lips against my skin.
The kisses continued lower. He suckled one nipple then the other, all the while his hands roaming over the rest of my body, making me feel like the most important person in the world.
When his mouth reached my stomach, I sat up on my elbows and scooted back. He crawled onto the mattress between my legs, kneeling and looking down at me. His cock swayed back and forth.
He leaned down and pressed his body against mine while kissing my lips once again. His strong, powerful tongue slid against mine, making my whole body tingle. I pushed his shoulders down.
A wicked grin slipped onto his face as he held himself up with his arms and stared into my eyes. Ever so sensually, he kissed my skin, moving lower down my body as I pushed, speeding him along.
Nestled between my spread legs, he stared into my eyes as his tongue barely touched my pussy lips. I sighed, all my worries – like missing work on a Monday – washed away.
I ran my fingers through his hair, loving the soft, fullness of it. He licked me more insistently, his broad, flat tongue running from bottom to top then back again.
Blood rushed between my legs as my clitoris came out to play. He nibbled and teased at the tiny nub, sending waves of pleasure through my body.
He thrust a finger inside my wet, tight pussy and wiggled it like a worm, almost pushing me over the edge. I groaned, arching my back and lifting my hips into the air.
“You taste so good,” he whispered, breathing heavily.
My own breaths came fast and furious as my heart pounded. The rest of the world faded away as he slid another finger to join the first. Together, they danced.
“Oh, Tyler,” I begged.
“Yes, baby. Come for me.”
The sound of his voice took me to that special place. My mind exploded as my body convulsed, ecstasy running through my entire body. I looked down and saw him staring up at me.
“Fuck me like it might be our last time,” I said.
A look came over his face, one I would never forget the rest of my days. It combined lust, love, hunger, and trust, a powerful combination of emotions and virtues.
He entered me quickly, his condom-covered cock sliding in easily. All the feelings of pleasure built up once again as he pushed in and out, faster and harder with each stroke.
I ran my hands over his strong arms as they held him up. The look of determination on his face made me so fucking hot. For a moment, I saw myself spending the rest of my life with the man.
Our bodies moved together as one. He lifted my legs into the air, pounding with more ferocity, fucking my pussy like it might be our last time and he wanted to make it count.
My second orgasm hit unexpectedly, especially so soon. I felt his throbbing cock deep inside me as I came, my pussy clenching around him. He did not stop fucking me.
“Yes, baby,” I cried, delirious with joy.
He contorted his face and squinted his eyes.
“Fuck!” he cried out as he came.
I had never seen him lose his composure before. The physical side of our relationship had somehow merged with the emotional, making the sex between us that much better.
His stroked slowed down, finally stopped. He pulled out of me. I kissed him before he moved to the bed beside me. Both of us stared up at the ceiling, enjoying the afterglow.
“Now that was an afternoon delight,” I said.
He laughed, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
“Right? Wow. That was crazy intense.”
“It keeps getting better,” I said, my hand on his thigh.
“You can say that again. I almost passed out.”
I smiled, glowing inside and out.
“I’m not ready to go back to work tomorrow.”
“Thanks for calling off today and going with me.”
“I want to help with this. I mean, if I can get the story I started on a year ago…”
My voice trailed off as I got lost in my thoughts.
“I want to make sure you’re safe.”
He rolled over on his side and stared into my eyes.
“You mean a lot to me, Mercy. More than any woman before.”
“Hopefully there wasn’t too many,” I teased.
“None in your league at all. Trust me.”
I kissed him on the lips, never able to get enough of the sweetness. As we enjoyed the afterglow, I let my mind wander willingly until all hell broke loose.
Someone pounded on the door of his apartment.
“Stay here,” he said, getting out of bed.
Still naked, he grabbed a robe, threw it on, and walked out of his bedroom.
“Hands up!” someone shouted.
I crawled out of bed, gathering my panties and bra. Before I had them all the way on, the bedroom door burst open and two men in black suits with guns drawn rushed in.
“Freeze!” one shouted.
I screamed, dropping my bra.
“Let her get dressed,” Mr. Sorenson said, walking in. “She’s not coming with us.”
“What the hell is going on?” I asked, my arms crossed over my bare chest.
“Roger testified against Tyler. We’re bringing him in.”
“That’s bullshit. We had a deal.”
“That was before we knew your boyfriend was still involved.”
“But he’s not!”
“Do you know that for a fact?”
He stared into my eyes a moment before his gaze dropped to my chest.
“Get out of here!” I yelled, furious.
“I’ll be out here to talk to you,” he said with a grin.
After he left, I rushed to get dressed. Would Tyler still be out there in the living room?
What the hell was going on? Why did my life always have to fall apart once it was going well?
I received no answers i
n the living room from Mr. Sorenson. He would give me no other information other than I was not to have contact with Tyler or Roger.
He ignored my complaints and left. They had already taken Tyler away. I had no idea if he was okay or if they had hurt him. My eyes teared up as his apartment door closed.
THIRTY-ONE
Tyler
Mr. Sorenson stared at me from the other side of a wooden table. A mirror took up one wall of the otherwise barren room. I hadn’t said a word since they brought me in.
“We can do this the hard way or the easy way,” he said. “Okay. We’ll bring the woman in too.”
“No,” I said, my hands cuffed to a metal ring in center of the table.
“Ah, so you can talk.”
“Look, I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but I’m not involved with Roger, Jeffries or any of them.”
“Jeffries?”
Fuck.
“Would that be Captain Jeffries, your CO at FOB Rushmore?”
“You guys said you know everything, right? Have you seen me involved in any way since a year ago?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean anything. You could be really good at what you do?”
I laughed at the insanity.
“Don’t I get a lawyer? Let me talk to an attorney. I have the money to hire one.”
“You’re a national security threat, and you don’t get access to a lawyer.”
“That’s bullshit.” I moved my hands, the chains clanging against the wood. “I’m a U.S. citizen, and I have rights.”
“Not until you help us, you don’t. Patriot Act, my friend.”
“Fuck this. That should have expired years ago. Let me go.”
“Or what? You’re not in a position to be making any demands.”
I bit my tongue to help control my emotional response. The more I acted out, the more they could learn about me. If they wanted a game, I would play it.
The military had taught me how to get through torture well because they knew it would likely be used against soldiers who found themselves captured during the new, 21st century wars.
“Have you settled down?” he asked in a cocky tone.
I felt like reaching across the table and slapping the smirk off his face.
“Here’s the deal. We need someone unknown and not in the military to take the fall. If you’re willing to give us the journalist, we’ll let you go free and clear.”
“Give up the journalist? What the hell are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. As a soldier, you follow orders and get things done no matter what it takes.”
“She’s not involved,” I said.
“You must not know her family very well, do you?”
“Her father is a traveling salesman, and her mother is dead. I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
“You are a dumb grunt, aren’t you? No wonder the Marines or Air Force didn’t want you.”
“Hey, I chose the Army on purpose.”
“You’re even more of an idiot than I thought.”
I lunged toward him then pulled myself back, causing him to flinch.
“You better fucking watch it,” he yelled.
“I’m not saying anything else until I get an attorney.”
He shook his head.
“If that’s the way you want to play it.”
After standing, he left the room. I stared over at the mirror, making sure they knew I was mad as hell.
* * *
When someone came back into the room, I looked at the nameless man with rage in my eyes. He undid the handcuffs. I slid the chair back and stood abruptly, causing him to take a step back and put his hand on the handle of the gun in a holster on his side.
“I’m not doing anything,” I said, raising my hands. “Where are you taking me now?”
“We’re setting you free?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
The man shook his head nervously.
“I’ll be talking to my attorney about this.”
“You can do whatever you want,” Mr. Sorenson’s voice said through a speaker.
I glanced up at it then over to the mirror.
“You’re fucking with the wrong man.”
“Yeah? The government does that all the time. Get used to it. We’ll have our eyes on you.”
I bet you will, I thought, glaring at my reflection.
“Let’s go,” the man in the room said. “I’ll escort you out.”
I stepped toward the door.
“Oh, Tyler, one more thing.”
“What?”
“Stay away from Mercy. If you go near here, we’ll bring you in and throw the book at both of you. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I muttered.
“Good. It’s just until this is all resolved. Thanks for understanding. Have a nice day.”
I walked out of the room and down a nondescript hallway devoid of life or anything truly American. They treat me like this? After I served my country in Afghanistan?
Memories of everything that had gone on in connection with the smuggling filtered through my mind, images and sounds rushing past my consciousness at a high rate of speed as I walked.
One step in front of another took me to the elevator. After a ride down to the lobby, I went outside, stopping to look up and soak in the fresh air. Determination took hold of me. No matter what happened, I had to contact Mercy. She was all that mattered in my life.
If one person could help me see her without getting caught, it would be Harris. They were likely listening to my phone, but I didn’t want to destroy it. Instead, I bought a roll of aluminum foil from a corner store and wrapped the phone in it, cutting off the signal.
Mercy might call me and not be able to get through, but the feds could not track my movements as I went to hunt down Harris, the man who had made my time served in Afghanistan easier to deal with on a daily basis because of his humor and friendship.
I hated to drag him into the mess, but I had to have someone trustworthy watching my six. Harris fit the bill to a T. I respected no other men more than him. As I headed toward his apartment, taking back alleys, I thought more about my next move. What to do, what to do…
THIRTY-TWO
Tyler
Harris sat next to me at the bar of a dark and seedy dive in the Bronx. He stared into his beer, not saying a word as he digested everything I’d told him.
“None of it makes sense,” he said.
“You’re telling me. The only thing I’m worried about is getting to Mercy.”
“I knew you two would get together,” he said, a familiar smile sliding over his face.
“She’s my life now, bro. Help me get to her.”
“It will not be easy.”
“No, and that’s why I called in the best.”
“I have an idea, but you will not like it.”
“What is it?”
“Remember what we did in that hotel in Kabul?”
“Oh no,” I said, shaking my head. “Not that.”
“It’s easy and safe. No one will get hurt. Or they shouldn’t. We pull the fire alarm, everyone comes out of the building, and I bring her to you.”
“You might scare her. And they’re probably watching her.”
“That’s why we get everyone out of that building.”
“She’ll be pissed.”
“It’s the only way, bro. And it’s safe. I’m done with killing people.”
“All right. Let’s do it. Tonight.”
“I’ve got your back. You know that.”
I lifted my beer mug into the air. He raised his too. We clinked them together then drank.
With a little luck, we might get me to Mercy to warn her.
* * *
Traffic passed by, clueless, as I waited on the opposite side of the street from Mercy’s building, far enough away the spooks watching wouldn’t be able to see me.
Come on, Harris. You g
ot this.
I shifted from one leg to the other, ready to jump into action when people exited the building. Two blocks away, we had found a place to talk.
All of a sudden, I heard the fire alarm. Dozens of people stormed out of the front door a few minutes later. This is it, I thought as I slipped back into the alley.
When I reached the predetermined spot to talk inside an abandoned building we’d broken into, I stopped and leaned against one wall in a dark corner.
I hated waiting, but it was necessary. My only thoughts were of making sure Mercy would be safe. Whatever I had to do for the feds did not matter in the least.
She was my priority plain and simple. Our relationship had burnt bright quickly. I did not want it to extinguish so soon. Not someone like her. I heard noises outside.
Braced for anything, I relaxed as Mercy walked in the lobby with walls covered in graffiti. She rushed over when she saw me. I stepped forward, my arms stretched out.
She ran into them. I hugged her tight, so damn tight.
“Are you okay?” I asked, pulling back, my palms on her cheeks.
“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “A little surprised, but okay.”
“I can’t believe they dragged you into this mess.”
“Mercy, I’m involved because I’m part of your life now, and I wouldn’t change that for anything.”
I kissed her.
“Hurry, you two,” Harris said from the doorway as he peered at the street outside. “I have to get her back before the spooks get spooked.”
“I’ve been researching more,” she said.
“No, you shouldn’t be…”
“Anyway,” she interrupted. “I kept following the money, and it’s scaring me.”
“What do you mean?”
I moved my hands to her waist.
“This smuggling operation made billions. It goes all the way to the top.”
“What do you mean all the way to the top? The President?”
“Okay, maybe not that far, but at least a general or too. Quite a few people got rich off Afghanistan.”
“Be careful.”
