He wasn’t sure what had just happened. First he’d been happy to see Emily, then he’d been mad, and now he’d been kicked out. Maybe he should put the alcohol to very good use on his own.
CHAPTER 21
Zeke had gone to see Stacy again. She always lit up when she saw him. He liked that she seemed to care so much for him, but he knew she was going to be leaving soon. He just didn’t know if Richard was going to kill her or not. He was going to try to stop it, but he didn’t know if he could.
“Hi,” she said when he entered her cell.
“Hi. So how’s it going today?” he asked her. “The same as it always is,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“I brought the book. Do you want me to read it to you?” “Yeah,” she said with a smile, and leaned against the bars. He started reading and let the story engulf him, forgetting all the problems he was having.
***
Stacy was waiting for Zeke to come back. He had gone to get them both some food. She was looking forward to having real food. She knew she’d had food the day before, but having scraps of food just didn’t seem to be enough. She needed meat.
When he walked back in, he had a tray with two plates and the book they were reading. She was really enjoying the story. Stacy always liked to read, but it was something she hadn’t had a chance to do, being stuck in a cell and all.
“I have chicken,” he said with a smile. She couldn’t help but smile back. He was a very nice man. She’d never been kidnapped before, but she didn’t think it was supposed to be like this. She wasn’t complaining in any way, but she was surprised to have been treated as well as she had been by him.
“Thank you,” she said, and took the plate. He pulled out two waters from his jacket pocket and handed her one before he sat down in his chair and put the tray on the floor.
“How’s everything going?” She wasn’t trying to make conversation; she really wanted to know what was going on.
“There was another raid,” he answered.
“Emily?” she asked. “I think so. She’s coming after you and is taking down everything standing in her way,” he replied.
“What will you do if she comes here?” she asked.
“Give you to her. I want to let you go, but in order to do that, I have to take down Richard.” She nodded and started eating. “I can keep Emily from killing you and I can talk to her. Maybe she can help you kill Richard.”
He nodded and ate his food. She could tell he didn’t like the idea, but she didn’t want him killed. She knew that was why she hadn’t been released. It would do her no good if he was dead. “So, are you going to read some more?”
“Yes, I want to see what happens to Alex,” he said with a smile. Stacy was glad she could put that smile there, just by making a simple suggestion.
Zeke was reading to Stacy when a thought occurred to him. What if Richard was right to try to get a shifter on their side? His plan wouldn’t work, but if he had Stacy’s trust, he might just succeed. He might be able to convince Stacy, but with the way she’d been treated by Richard, he wasn’t sure if she’d be willing to stay with him.
“Stacy, you know that when you do get out of here, you can always come to me if you need help, right?” he asked her.
“Yeah, but I’m going to have to have a way to contact you,” she said. “Before you go back to Emily, I’ll give you my cell number. You can call me if you need anything.” He thought it could actually work. He might have to tweak some of his mission types, at least the ones she was on, but he might be able to get her on his side.
“I have a good memory, so whenever you’re ready, just let me know,” she said with a smile. “I will.” He definitely liked her. He just hoped that, when this was all over, he’d hear from her again.
“Sam, I’m going back to Shenandoah Valley tonight,” Richard told him.
“Yes sir,” he said and left. Richard had a gut feeling they were going to hit there next. He wasn’t completely sure, but he was hoping his gut was right. That was their main compound and had the most security. They could probably take the whole group down from that one compound. He was going to have to call in extra help to make sure that didn’t happen. He picked up the phone and dialed.
“Hello?” Zeke said when he answered.
“I’m coming back,” Richard said. “Why?”
“Because I think they’re going to be there next.”
“What makes you think that?” “My gut,” he said simply.
“Okay, I’ll see you in a few hours then,” he said and hung up. It seemed like Zeke didn’t approve of his thoughts, but he was almost certain he was right. He could tell they were hitting ones that would be a possible place for the girl to be, but he couldn’t figure out why they were also hitting places where there was no chance for her to be. Some of them were just warehouses. Either way, he was going to get them. He knew he would. ***
Emily was in her room looking at maps when there was a knock on her door. She walked over to it, expecting to see Paul, but was surprised to see her Aunt Martha. “You got here fast,” she said with a smile.
“Well, my girl was in trouble. Why wouldn’t I rush to get here?” she asked and walked into the room.
“Are you hungry? I can order something,” she said, and sat down in one of the chairs. “Nah, I’m good. Fill me in so I can get on board,” her aunt said, sitting in a chair across from Emily.
“Okay, so don’t be mad.” “I don’t like the sound of that,” Martha said suspiciously.
“I didn’t call you because I thought I could take care of it myself.”
“Em, just tell me,” she said. “I’m sorry. I know I went to a former Hunter and not you, but I wanted to rescue her myself. It’s my job to take care of her,” she rambled on. Emily knew Aunt Martha would be pissed and possibly kick her ass.
“Emily Marie Kincade,” Aunt Martha growled out.
“They took Stacy,” she said really fast, hoping it would lessen the blow. She watched as Aunt Martha took a deep breath. “You waited this long to tell me that my niece was kidnapped? I would have been here a lot sooner helping.”
“I had it under control,” Emily said. “Well, apparently not, since you still called me for help.” “I called you because I was getting discouraged. We have a plan. A plan that you liked.”
“Yes, but I still would have been here, fighting, trying to get her back,” she growled. “Well, you’re here now,” Emily mumbled.
“So, where are we going next?” Martha asked. Emily sighed. “I don’t know. We don’t have that many more compounds left to hit,” she said, and pointed at the map for Aunt Martha to look at.
She studied it for a minute then said, “She’s here.” Emily looked at where she was pointing and saw the compound in the Shenandoah Valley. “Why do you say that?”
“It’s secluded, a large compound, and surrounded by woods. That would be the best place to keep her. It’s off the beaten path, hidden from view.”
“Okay, let me let Jason and Paul know.”
CHAPTER 22
Bill was working in the bar when his cell rang. It was Emily’s ringtone, so he knew he had to take it. “Did you find her?” he asked.
“No, but we need more people. We think we might know where she is,” Emily said.
“How many?” he asked.
“We have Aunt Martha here, so that’ll help, but maybe fifteen more?” “Okay, I’ll ask Basil if I can use some of his guys, and maybe I can scrounge some up from somewhere. I’ll try to have them there by tomorrow,” he said.
He really hoped they found Stacy in the next compound. The longer it took them to find her, the less likely it was they ever would.
“Thanks,” she said. “How are you holding up?” he asked. “I’m good. Just wanting to bring her home.”
“How’s it going with Paul? Is he giving you too many problems?”
“No, he’s just being a man,” she mumbled.
“Huh?” “He came to see me drunk la
st night,” she said with a sigh.
“Why?”
“Because he’s an idiot.” “Okay. Well, I’ll let you handle that. Let me know if you need anything else,” he said. “I will, thanks,” she said and hung up. Bill knew there was something going on with her and Paul, but he was just going to leave it alone. There was more to it than the occasional screw. But he didn’t want to end up on Emily’s shit list, so he was just letting it go.
“Hey, Bill, I need some help!” Mike yelled from the bar. Bill looked around and saw it was packed. Great, back to work. He’d have to call Basil later.
*** “Paul, this is my Aunt Martha,” Emily said as she walked into Jason’s room, which had turned into their own personal war room.
“Nice to meet you,” Paul said with a smile. “You’re the man,” she said to him. Emily couldn’t hide the embarrassment. How could she say that?
“I’m the man, I think,” he said.
“Aunt Martha!” she heard Jason yell. “Jason, it’s good to see you again,” she said, hugging him. Emily couldn’t believe they were still friends, even after Aunt Martha had found out they had slept together. “So do you and Emily still hate each other?”
“She hates me. I don’t have a problem with her, though,” he said with his charming smile. Emily hated that smile. It made it seem like he was a perfect angel, and he really wasn’t.
“She’ll get over it. Just give her time,” Aunt Martha said with a wink.
“I know.” “Okay, so we’re going to Virginia. We’re leaving first thing in the morning and I want to hit it at night,” she said.
There was a reason she was so good at her job.
“Okay, sounds good,” Paul said. Of course Paul would agree with that. Why wouldn’t he? He would get his chance to get revenge on Zeke.
“Em, what’s wrong?” Aunt Martha asked. “I’m fine,” she grumbled. “Go, get some food,” Aunt Martha said. Emily thought about it and realized she was hungry. That explained why she was so cranky.
“Okay,” she grumbled, then left, heading down to the bar.
*** Paul watched as Emily left. It was good to know Emily got cranky when she was hungry. That was something he’d have to keep in mind.
“So, Paul, you used to be a Hunter. Tell me about this compound,” Martha said. “It’s deep in the woods so it’s hard to get to. It’s one of the largest. It’s Zeke’s preferred one. It’s heavily guarded, so be aware of that.”
“What else?” she asked. “Honestly, I don’t know if she’s going to be there. I’ve told Emily this before, but Zeke doesn’t touch kids. He doesn’t kill or capture them. It has to be one of his soldiers who has her.”
“So you don’t think she’s there?” she asked.
“It’s a possibility, but I really don’t think so.”
“Do you think we might find some info there?” she asked. “If Emily can find the guy who took her, maybe. I just don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. I want to find Stacy, but…”
“I understand,” Martha said.
“So, what do you think?” Jason asked her. “I think Paul has a point, but I’m all for taking down this compound. We might find something, so we proceed as planned and reevaluate later,” she said with a nod.
“Sounds good,” Paul said with a smile. “So, there are a few things you should know about Emily,” she said bluntly.
“Okay,” Paul said suspiciously.
“She takes after me. She’s very hard, but she’s mush deep down inside.” “Why are you telling me this?” he asked her. He was grateful for any advice, but if this woman was just like Emily, she should be very happy with Emily being single.
“Because I love my niece and I want her to be happy. I saw the way she looked at you and she wants you. She’s been alone for a long time, and she seems to have screwed things up with her best friend,” Martha said, looking at Jason.
“Thank you,” Paul said. “Don’t thank me yet. Wait until you get in a fight with her. She fights dirty and will do anything to get her way.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said with a smile. “She can also be a huge bitch on the outside, but she’s kind on the inside. She’ll protect the ones she loves with her life. You can see how she is with Stacy missing.”
“Okay. Anything else?” he asked. “Keep her fed. As you saw today, she gets bitchy when she’s hungry. That will be your friend. Maggie takes care of her when she’s home, but for your sanity, carry some type of food with you.”
“Thanks,” Paul said with a genuine smile.
“Just take care of her. I never wanted her to be like me,” Martha said seriously.
“I will.”
*** “I can’t believe Alex did that,” the girl said with a laugh.
“I can’t either,” Zeke said, also laughing. Richard couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He knew Zeke cared for her, but he never thought he’d be laughing with her. He never thought she’d talk to him either.
“I need to get going,” Zeke said, still laughing. “Why?” she asked with a little pout. Why the hell was she pouting? She seemed to have Zeke wrapped around her finger.
“Because it’s late and I’m tired. We’ll pick back up where we left off tomorrow,” Zeke said, smiling. The man really seemed to like the girl. Richard had been hoping it was more fascination, but now he knew better.
“Fine, but I want to try to finish it. There isn’t too much left and I want to know what happens,” she said with a smile.
“Deal,” Zeke said and left. Richard was pissed. He wanted to break the girl and now she was attached to Zeke. That was going to create a problem. He knew he was going to have to do something about it.
***
Emily was sitting in the bar eating a burger. She hated that she was sitting there alone, but Martha was right: she needed food.
Aunt Martha knew her too well. Maybe she could think more clearly about the whole thing with Paul. Burgers were always good for reflection. It was something about the fat and it being really bad for you. It always helped make her feel just a little better.
“Can I join you?” she heard Paul ask from behind her. She nodded. She didn’t really want to talk to him, but she didn’t want to have a big argument in the bar because she said no.
“Is that good?” She nodded again.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked him. “Same as her and a beer,” he answered. “Coming right up,” he said and walked away. “Are you feeling better?” Paul asked. She nodded again. “Are you going to talk to me?”
She nodded. “Are you sure? Because all your answers seem to consist of movement from your head. That’s not talking.”
“What do you want me to say?” she asked. “I just wanted to hear your voice.” She couldn’t believe he’d said that. She wasn’t some sappy girl who would squeal and jump up and down over that. “Okay.”
“Do you want to know what your aunt thinks of our plan?” he asked her. “Okay,” she grumbled. She did want to know, but she wanted to hear it from Aunt Martha, not Paul. There was something about hearing it from her that made it sound so much better.
“We’re attacking the next compound as planned, then reevaluating,” he said. That was it? That was the plan he wanted to tell her? She didn’t like the sound of it, but Aunt Martha had been a soldier for years, so she knew what she was doing. But she could have figured that much out on her own.
He had come all the way to the bar to tell her that? He must really like her. And they were reevaluating? Did that mean they thought she was imagining things? Were they taking Paul’s word over hers?
That couldn’t be happening. There was no way they’d take the word of a Hunter over her. Was there?
CHAPTER 23
Paul saw the anger in Emily’s eyes, as well as a small amount of hurt. He hated seeing it there. A plate and bottle were set down in front of him, and he looked to see his food sitting there. It looked good, but the look on Emily’s face caused him to lose his appetite.
“I know you think we’re trying to ignore what you smelled and are taking over, but that isn’t the case. I’m hoping we will find her at the next compound, but we just need a backup plan. You are a soldier. You know how important they are,” he said to her.
“I know,” she whispered. “I’m here for you, you know that right? We will find her,” he said and pulled her close. He was surprised when he felt her shaking and a wet spot forming on his shirt. He didn’t let her go, though. He wanted to be there to comfort her in any way he could.
“I’m sorry,” she said and sat up, wiping her eyes. Paul looked at her face closely and saw the puffy eyes, red cheeks, and red nose, and couldn’t help but think she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He couldn’t help himself when he pulled her close to him and kissed her.
“Don’t,” she said, and pulled back.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I’m a mess,” she said, and wiped her face again.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, and gave her a quick kiss before saying, “Okay, let’s eat.”
*** Bill was sitting in his house watching TV. It was something he didn’t get to do very often, he didn’t have the time.
He was in his recliner flipping through channels. Nothing seemed to be catching his attention. Maybe that was the other reason he never watched TV.
The phone rang. He had been hoping for a night of freedom. They weren’t hitting the next compound until early morning, so there wasn’t anything for them to call him about.
“Hello?”
“Why didn’t you call me?” Martha asked him. “I was here if she needed me. I figured if she wanted you involved, she’d call you.” So much for a relaxing night.
“You still should have called me. It’s Stacy missing, not just some shifter. I could have come a lot sooner and helped.”
“I know, but she didn’t want to call me when it happened. The only reason I found out was because Paul made her. I have a feeling that if he had known you existed, he would have made her call you too,” he said with a sigh.
Emily's Captive (A Lilly Town Shifter Novel Book 2) Page 10
