You_Only_Love_Twice_ARE

by Lexi Blake

  “No,” he said without lifting his head. “The will is still there. It’s the body that’s weak. I’m out of practice being beaten half to death.”

  “I suspect our leader will get you right back into practice. You were always his favorite, you know. He’s risked a lot to get you back.”

  Awesome. The one place he was teacher’s pet. “Where is he going to take me?”

  “He has a home in Riyadh. I suspect we’ll go there in order to keep up appearances.” He slipped a blood pressure cuff around Jesse’s limp arm and went through the motions. “His business partners will be a tad upset if they discover what he’s done, so he’ll try to keep it under wraps. He’ll go through with his speech and behave as though nothing has happened. Once we’re certain the heat has died down, as you Americans say, then we will move you to our training compound.”

  “So he’s training terrorists now?” The cuff slipped off his arm.

  The doctor made a note on the chart. “Soldiers. They are soldiers in our war, and yes, we are building our army. You’ll be our little mascot, I think. You Westerners love mascots.”

  He would be the Caliph’s grand experiment. He would be tortured and brainwashed until one day he forgot who he was and where he came from and became nothing but a weapon for them to use. “I think I’ll have to get away before that happens.”

  The doctor picked up a bottle. “I doubt that. This is going to hurt quite a bit.”

  Pure hellfire rained on his back and Jesse let out a shout. Alcohol. The bastard poured alcohol on his open wounds. The pain nearly made him faint. He saw the edges of his peripheral vision begin to fade.

  That was it. Play possum. Look weak.

  He let his whole body go limp and knew the next few moments would be some of the worst of his life, but he would get through them. When the second assault came, he somehow managed to stay still.

  He heard the door open, heard that horrible voice again. “He is well?”

  The doctor sighed. “He passed out. I suppose the pain was too much.”

  It was hell to keep his eyes closed. It went against every instinct he possessed. He needed to see, needed to fight. But he remained still.

  Patience. Breathe in. Breathe out. Wait for the moment.

  He heard Big Tag’s voice and then Simon’s.

  Have faith. Wait for your team. We won’t let you down.

  But mostly he heard her voice.

  I love you.

  He beat the panic back by concentrating on those voices. Slowly, the fire across his skin settled to a low but manageable ache.

  “Your brother can’t be happy with you,” the doctor said. “I’m going to need to stitch a couple of these.”

  “Do what you need to do. I want him healthy.” Jesse felt the man move, place his hand on Jesse’s ankle. It made his skin crawl. “When I break him, he will be my masterpiece, my proof that righteous will bends all to the truth.”

  Now he was going to vomit. Asshole. His greatest enemy was right there. He could kill the Caliph, but would probably die in the process. At one point in time, he would have done it. It would have been worth it. He would have traded his life for even one shot at revenge, but that time had passed. He would trade all the revenge in the world for one shot at a life with Phoebe.

  “As for my brother, I believe his usefulness is coming to an end. He’s too close to the truth, and he would undo everything I’ve done. I caught him in my office. I think he suspects I’m working with the senator.”

  That was interesting. He needed to hold on to that little tidbit.

  “You should dose him before you continue,” al Fareed said. “I wouldn’t want him to damage himself. That’s my job.”

  The doctor sighed. “Fine, but I have my own experiments. I want a couple of my own subjects. Are you sure you can’t capture his friends? I saw the red-haired woman. I would love to spend some time taking the arrogance out of her.”

  Erin. He was a bastard because he was relieved they weren’t talking about Phoebe, but he would be damned if he would let them take Erin either. He couldn’t watch another team member die.

  He heard the door open. “They’re gone. Their plane took off a few hours ago. The Agency themselves verified it. He’s alone. I have no doubt that Smith fellow will look, but this time I’ll be ready for him. I’ll send him back to the States in pieces. Perhaps I’ll send parts of him to newspapers. That would create some chaos. I think I’ll start with the New York Times.” He laughed, a truly nasty sound. “It’s going to be a new world. With Ibrahim gone, I won’t need to hide any longer. Get him ready to go. I want to leave as soon as possible.”

  The door closed and once again he did not hear a lock.

  They were getting complacent.

  “So your friends have all abandoned you. Poor boy. And you don’t need painkillers. He’s being too indulgent with you.”

  Pain flared as the doctor started to sew the places where the whip had opened his flesh. This time Jesse welcomed it. He even gave the fucker a good groan.

  He opened his eyes. The scissors were there, waiting to be used. They weren’t terrifically sharp, but they would do.

  He heard the sound of something rattling floors below.

  The doctor stopped and turned to the door.

  Jesse moved, forcing his body to work. He ignored the pain, ignored the fear. He focused. The scissors were in his hand and in one smooth move, he planted them in the doctor’s neck. He never gave the man a chance to scream. With aching arms, he held the doctor tight until the scissors had done their job and he went limp.

  Think. Think. Adrenaline rushed through him, making it easier to focus. The doctor had a gun. Jesse pulled it from the holster on his waist. He couldn’t make too much noise, but he would use it if he had to.

  The hypodermic needle was much quieter, though it could only be used once.

  He glanced out the window. Too far up. He couldn’t jump and there wasn’t enough roof to land on. But he could see the ocean. If he was on the ocean, he couldn’t be far from others. Al Fareed had said he was going to the conference. That meant they were still in Dubai, and it was a well-populated city. He had a shot.

  First, he had to get out. He had to find a way to communicate with his team.

  There was another bang and the floor seemed to shake. Jesse flattened against the wall, holding back a groan as his back hit. The door flew open and the guard strode in. His eyes immediately went to the doctor’s body, and that gave Jesse the shot he needed. Two steps and he plunged the needle into the man’s neck. The guard turned, but his movements were already slowing. He hit his knees and then his body fell beside the doctor’s.

  And Jesse had another gun. It looked like he would be making some noise on his way out, but he wasn’t the only one.

  He opened the door as quietly as he could. Gunfire. No way to mistake the sound. It peppered the air around him in short volleys and then he could hear someone shouting.

  Chaos. It was a soldier’s enemy but an operative’s friend.

  He took a deep breath and stepped out. He looked back at the stairs. They were his best bet. He flicked the safety off both guns and made his way.

  Pain flared as he felt a bullet hit his left shoulder. He went down on one knee, pivoted, and took his own shot. The second guard. He was approaching, but stopped suddenly and looked down at the hole forming in his chest. He shouted out, but Jesse was already on the move again.

  He stopped at the top of the stairs and surveyed the battle that was going on below. The front doors had been blasted through and hung limply on their sides. Two men lay on the marble below, though they twitched and moved. Smoke was beginning to dissipate, but it looked like someone had chucked a grenade or two through the door.

  Or C-4. Erin. She liked to play with explosives and she wouldn’t hesitate to try to rescue him.

  “Are you coming or not?”

  Jesse looked down and Simon strode through the wrecked door, his gaze on the stairs. Th
ough he was wearing all black, including a black cap covering his hair, Jesse would know Si anywhere. Theo was behind him, watching Si’s back. The sweetest sense of relief pierced him. Months he’d lain in a cell, every day a pure torture, losing piece after piece of himself and he hadn’t even dreamed of rescue.

  He hadn’t doubted it for a moment this time.

  He wouldn’t dream about it again. The Caliph had utterly lost his power over Jesse Murdoch.

  Jesse took the steps two at a time. “Where’s Phoebe?”

  “She’s with Ten. They came in the back,” Simon explained. “Erin is causing as much chaos as she can, and Hutch took over the security system. He’s relaying everything he can to us.”

  Jesse heard the sound of a window breaking and then the house shook again. Yes, Erin was likely enjoying her work.

  Simon stopped, obviously listening to something Jesse couldn’t hear. “We’ve got incoming.”

  Three men rounded the corner of the big house.

  Jesse dropped to one knee and took aim, popping off three quick shots. Theo took out the one on the left.

  “I have no idea how you’re standing much less firing a weapon.” Simon reached out a hand, helping him up before touching his ear. “We have the package. Fall back.” Simon nodded toward the open doors. “I think it’s safe to go out the front. Erin’s watching and we took out the guards at the gates. Do you know where he is?”

  He didn’t need Si to say anything more. “No. He left me about ten minutes ago. He was heading to the conference.”

  Simon frowned. “Then he likely took the helicopter. Damn it.”

  “Don’t. It’s fine. We know who he is and I know who he’s working with. We’ll have to be happy with that.” Jesse followed them outside.

  “I won’t be happy until he’s dead, Jesse. What the hell did he do to your back?” Simon kept moving.

  Theo took Jesse’s six. “Whipped him good, and not the way big brother does it. Damn.”

  “It’s fine. We need to get out of here.” He needed to get Phoebe out of here. “Where is the extraction point?”

  Simon touched his earpiece again as he looked back before moving on. He frowned fiercely. “What do you mean? How the hell did that happen?”

  They turned the corner and Jesse realized how wrong he’d been. The Caliph had plenty of power over him.

  The Caliph stood next to his helicopter, the blades just beginning to rotate. Jesse nearly stopped breathing when he realized that Phoebe was beside him, a gun pointed at her head.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Phoebe fell in beside her brother as the first explosion occurred. She tried not to think about the two bodies she and Ten had taken out in the guard station. It had been necessary. They’d been ready to shoot, but still, it had been a long time since she’d been forced to kill a man.

  “We’re going around back to make sure the dock is secure,” Ten said into his comm.

  “I should be with them,” she whispered as they moved around the massive main house. She watched their back, making sure no one came around.

  “You’re clear as far as I can see. Erin, good work on that door. You’ve got two coming in at three o’clock.” Hutch’s voice was a low buzz in her ear. He’d been left in the guardhouse monitoring the security systems. The compound had a complex set of cameras that seemed to cover every inch of the grounds.

  Someone was a paranoid freak, and that totally worked in their favor.

  She heard a volley of gunfire and then Erin spoke. “Got ’em. Do you have eyes on Murdoch? I don’t want to blow him up. Tag would send me to the doghouse. Seriously he bought one and he’s threatening to use it. I think that violates labor laws, right?”

  “I got him. You’re clear to blow up anything but the center of the main house. He’s on the move and he’s being feisty,” Hutch said.

  “Is he okay?” She couldn’t help but ask.

  “He’s already taken out two. Simon, if you go through the hole Erin blew, you’ll see him going across the top of the stairs.”

  “On it.” Simon came through loud and clear.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. They weren’t out of the woods yet, but she felt better knowing Simon was about to have Jesse’s back.

  They rounded the corner. The dock was up ahead.

  Ten touched his earpiece. “Kash, you can bring the boat in. We’re a go.”

  The boat Kash had bought was a small speedboat that would take them to a large yacht anchored in the gulf and waiting to haul it as fast as they could to Loa Mali and safety.

  To her left, Phoebe watched as a door opened and five men started out. They surrounded a sixth.

  She realized what would happen in a moment. The helipad was between them and the dock. If they saw the boat coming, they could easily shoot it out of the water. If they took off, it would be simple to gain the high ground and potentially take them all out.

  But more than anything, if they turned soon, they would have her and Ten outnumbered. Even if they survived, that was al Fareed they were protecting and he was about to get away. Jesse wouldn’t be safe until the Caliph was dead. He would be out there lurking in the shadows and manipulating their lives.

  It was time to gamble. They obviously knew she was with Jesse. Al Fareed’s intelligence was too good to not know that she was spending her time in the same room with Jesse. She would make an awfully good hostage in exchange for Jesse’s good behavior. She had to think they wouldn’t kill her.

  She touched her earpiece. “Ten, find a sniper position. We have to take him out. Forgive me.”

  She took off, screaming. “Jesse! Jesse!”

  “Phoebe? What the hell?” Ten’s voice became a low growl in her ear. “I’m going to tell Murdoch to beat your ass for this. Don’t you fucking die. Not until I get the chance to murder you myself.”

  She dropped her gun when they turned and gave her best impression of shrinking away in fear.

  “Don’t shoot her. Bring her to me and then go and find the prisoner. I’m not leaving without him.” He spoke in Arabic to one of the men around him and he turned and ran to the chopper.

  One of the guards grabbed her and dragged her back to al Fareed, who immediately brought her close, putting a gun to her head and using her to shield his own body. “You’re my dog’s little bitch, aren’t you?”

  “I just came for Jesse. Please tell me where he is.” She wasn’t going to argue with the man. Certainly not when he pressed that gun so close to her temple. It hurt where he held her, too. So tight, as though he wouldn’t ever let go.

  “How many did you bring with you?”

  “It’s just me and a couple of his friends,” she replied, her voice shaking. How long would Ten need?

  “A couple of friends destroyed my house?”

  There was a volley of gunfire as his guards rounded the corner to get back to the front of the house. She prayed Hutch, the all-seeing, had warned Simon and Jesse.

  “When they bring him to me after killing your friends, I think I’ll kill you in front of him. Or perhaps I’ll take you with me and you can serve as another method of control. That would be an interesting experiment.” He was dressed for the conference and his keffiyeh covered her shoulder. He spoke into her left ear and hadn’t seemed to notice that her right ear had a comm buried in it. She could still hear the team speaking.

  “We have the package. Fall back,” Simon’s voice said in her ear.

  They had Jesse. Jesse was safe. Now all she needed was for Ten to take his shot. He could give her cover after al Fareed was dead. He would have the high ground. She would run.

  She was going to run all the way to Jesse and they would get away and they would be safe.

  She believed. She would will it to happen. No more hiding.

  “Get him to the damn boat.” Ten’s accent always thickened when he was pissed, and it was like molasses now. “I’ve got to deal with another issue. Al Fareed has Phoebe. She got it in her head she could stop him from
leaving and then I would shoot the fucker. Keep Jesse away from the west side of the compound. I don’t need Romeo and Juliet playing out in front of me.”

  She hoped Ten was getting into position.

  And then she saw him. Simon rounded the corner and then seemed to hear Ten and paused, his hand coming up and making a fist. It was a clear signal to stop.

  Jesse still came around the corner and she watched in utter horror as he caught sight of her. He was shirtless and she could see blood on his chest and arms. He moved without his usual grace.

  What had he been through?

  “Yes. Now you’ll come in handy.” Al Fareed pressed the gun to her temple. He walked across the grass, putting distance between them and the helicopter.

  Phoebe struggled to stay upright. The ground around her was soft and her feet seemed to sink in.

  “I’m almost in place. Almost there. I’ll take al Fareed first, but we still have to deal with the guard,” Ten’s voice purred in her ear. She’d watched her brother work before and invariably he calmed as he got close to doing the actual job. He would slow down and even his voice would slip into his deep, Southern accent when he focused. “Drop when I tell you and don’t give him a chance. I’ll take him before he knows what’s happening.”

  She had to buy him some time because now they were in a standoff. The guard next to her had his weapon up, pointing at the same side of the house the other guards had disappeared behind.

  Jesse walked out, dropping his gun to the ground and holding his hands up.

  “That was inevitable,” Ten said and she could almost see him shaking his head. “Darlin’, I’ve got a shot lined up, but unfortunately your head is in the way. When I tell you to, you need to move about two centimeters to your left.”

  This was going to get so icky. And then there was the problem of the gun to her head. It was pressing her to the right. And the problem of Jesse, who moved toward them with the singular purpose of a man who was going to save his woman no matter what the cost.

  God, she loved him. She had a gun to her head and all hell was breaking loose around her and she thanked the universe for Jesse. And Jamie. And Ten. For the love she’d been given.