“Why didn’t he answer?”
“There are still a few dead zones around here where you can’t get service, or perhaps he’s running another errand, but I’m sure everything is all right. In the meantime, would you be a sweetheart and go start the laundry and walk the dog?”
“Sure Jessica,”
“Thank you.”
As Maggie walked towards the basement door, Amanda spoke softly to Jessica.
“Are you worried that something is wrong?”
“A little, it’s not like him to ignore a call.”
“Well, whatever the reason, I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“I hope you’re right.”
***
As he rounded a corner of the house, he found another dead man with a bullet hole directly between his eyes, as well as wounds in his legs, and the earlier arm wound. At the rear of the house, he came upon Carter’s Walther. The gun was empty and apparently had been dropped in haste.
That meant that Carter was down to the gun in his ankle holster, the small Ruger, which he guessed held seven, maybe eight rounds.
A volley of exchanged gunfire sounded from the rear of the house and he rushed towards it, even as he counted the shots. There were five loud blasts intermixed with six softer ones, and he knew that Carter was running low on ammo.
He came across the spent cartridges, but saw no combatants, then, another boom, this time from back by the rear of the stable. He traveled the rest of the way around the house, and as he peeked around the corner, he saw the last of the men, the quiet one, stalking around the corral, looking for Carter, but not finding him.
The door on a tool shed sat open with a hole in it. Apparently, the man had thought that Carter had been hidden within it.
The man lifted the long posts that penned the mares in, and they scampered off to escape into the fields. Then, the man bent low and began stalking towards the bale of hay, confident that Carter was concealed behind it. It was a reasonable assumption, because there appeared to be nowhere else to hide.
There was a hundred feet of open space between him and the man, but he steadied the Glock and took aim, however, before he could fire on his target, a form burst up from the water in the trough. It was Carter.
Surprised registered on the quiet man’s face as he spun around, and Carter placed his final bullet just under the man’s right eye.
He called out to Carter.
“He was the last one!”
Carter waved in acknowledgement and climbed from the trough, dripping wet.
“How long were you under?”
“Maybe three minutes,”
“Not bad,”
“Good enough,” Carter said, and then the two of them called in their location.
CHAPTER 5
As Carter talked with his boss, he spoke with Lawson, who was now holding both the drive and the remaining tracker in his hands.
“This tracker works with GPS technology, you would have had to go deep underground to lose them.”
“What is this all about, Lawson?”
“It’s need-to-know, but as you’ve probably surmised, there’s been a rift in the intelligence community.”
He looked over at the dead men being loaded into ambulances.
“I hope I landed on the right side of it.”
“You did, have no worries there, and by recovering this data, you’ve assured that it’s over.”
“Good, and after you drop me back at my car, I’ll go home.”
“You’ve spoken with Jessica?”
“Yes, and I told her that my involvement ended when I handed you the flash drive.”
“Which you’ve done, and don’t blame me for this; you’re the one who stumbled upon it. By the way, have you seen Jace?”
“Yeah, and I got him a good lawyer.”
“Thanks for that, the kid is a pain in the ass and a smart mouth, but I like him, and he saved my life in Texas a few weeks ago.”
“I heard about that from Blue Steele, she called to thank me for putting in a good word with you.”
“Did she fill you in about her exploits in Europe?”
“Not in any detail, but I got the impression that things got serious.”
“They did, but she handled it. That woman has moxie.”
“That she does,”
Carter walked over wearing jeans and a black & gold Missouri Tigers football jersey, clothes he had borrowed from the farmer, as his drenched suit was ruined. With him was his boss, a man named Alistair Matthews. Matthews wore a three-piece suit and had a priggish air about him. Over in the field, a helicopter landed with a British flag painted on its side.
“I’ll be taking that drive now Lawson, as you can see our transportation has arrived.”
While Lawson handed Matthews the drive along with the tracker, Carter reached out a hand and they shook.
“I think we made a good team, after our early troubles,”
He nodded in agreement, and offered advice.
“I don’t know what that drive contains, but a lot of people have died trying to get it. Don’t drop your guard.”
Carter answered with a smile.
“Never that,”
Minutes later, Carter was in the air, and he and Lawson were headed away from the farm.
***
Jessica met him at the door and eyed him for injuries.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m good, but it’s you I’m concerned about.”
“The babies are fine and so am I; however, there’s been a development with your mother.”
Maggie called down from the top of the stairs.
“Mom needs an operation.”
“I’m sorry, honey, are you okay?”
“Yeah, but I’d really like to go see her; will you take me?”
“Absolutely, but I need to shower and change clothes first.”
“Thanks.”
They went into the living room and sat on the sofa.
“How serious is my mother’s condition? Could she die?”
“I don’t know the details of her case of course, but I wouldn’t think so, still, it is a serious operation she’s facing.”
“Maggie looked scared.”
“Yes, she’s worried.”
“Amanda is here, isn’t she?”
“She’s in the kitchen cooking dinner, why?”
“The hospital could take hours, and I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“Amanda and I will be fine, and I’ll probably sleep while you’re gone.”
He touched her stomach.
“I think about them constantly now, and wonder what they’ll be like.”
She smiled.
“Me too,”
“Did you have your talk with Amanda?”
“I tried, but it seemed to upset her and so I didn’t press the issue. I think whatever is in her past has traumatized her.”
“Billy Gant was in her past, my father,”
“She’ll talk when she’s ready.”
“Yes, now I’d better go up and get ready to leave for the hospital.”
“Don’t rush to get back here; I think Maggie needs time with her mother.”
“Yes.”
“And what about you, are you worried for her too?”
He shrugged.
“She’s my mom.”
***
When he and Maggie entered the room, they found his mother sitting up in bed, watching TV.
Maggie ran to her and they hugged and kissed.
“How are you, baby?”
“I’m good, Mom, but I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be, the doctor told me that I would be released two days after the operation, the way he talks, he does this all the time.”
“I can’t wait until you’re home again,” Maggie said, but then she smiled at her brother. “I’m also enjoying spending time with you and Jessica. I wish I could split myself and live in two places.”
“You�
�ll both visit after the babies are born.”
“When’s her due date, it’s soon ain’t it?” his mother asked.
“It’s tomorrow.”
“You didn’t leave her alone to come here did you?”
“No, Amanda is with her.”
“Good, now Maggie, do me a favor. I’m gettin’ tired of this TV, go to the gift shop and get me a book, something good, like a mystery or a spy novel.”
Maggie had been perched on the side of the bed, but rose and headed for the door.
“Do you want some candy too, Mom?”
“That would be good, sweetie.”
As Maggie reached the door, he called her back over.
“Yes?”
He handed her money and she kissed him on the cheek.
“Thanks!”
After she left, he looked over at his mother.
“Is that true what you said, is the operation a simple one?”
“That’s what they say, but hell, you never know, that’s why I want to give you this.”
She opened the drawer on the bedside table and handed him a folded piece of paper. As he read it, he realized that it was a hand-written will.
“Two of the nurses witnessed it, that’s their signatures there on the bottom, a girl named Jayla and a girl named Karen.”
“You want us to take care of Maggie; does that mean you trust me?”
“If I didn’t, she wouldn’t be with you now.”
“Thank you,” he said, and it came out a bit hoarse.
“I know that Amanda brought you into this world and that Billy Gant was your daddy, but boy, you’re my son, and I’ll be damned if you ain’t turned out to be a good one.”
He said nothing for a time, but just sat looking at the floor while breathing deeply. When he made eye contact again, he found his mother smiling at him.
“You never thought I’d say that, did you?”
“No ma’am,”
“Well, it’s true, and I’ll tell you somethin’ else, you’re gonna be a good daddy to my grandbabies. But hey, what are their names going to be?”
“We’re naming the girl, Emma, and the boy will be—”
A nurse walked in. She was a diminutive young woman with caramel-colored skin who wore her long hair in cornrows that fell to her tiny waist, and her smiling face was beautiful.
“It’s time to take your meds, Betty, oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had a visitor.”
“That’s my son, Jayla, and he was just tellin’ me what him and his wife were namin’ my grandbabies. The girl’s name was Emma, and what’s the boy’s name?”
He told them and watched them smile.
“Those are cute names,” Jayla said, and then she gave his mother her medication.
After the nurse left, he asked his mother a question.
“Has it been a problem for you, not being able to drink?”
She scowled.
“I ain’t no drunk. I just like my Scotch.”
“And you haven’t had a drink since the accident?”
“In here?”
Maggie returned with a paperback and candy. When she tried to give him the change, he told her to keep it.
They talked for a while, but when it came time to leave, his mother told Maggie not to visit again until after the operation.
“Why not, Mom?”
“This ain’t a short trip from their house, and your brother and his wife are having those babies any day now. I’ll be alright here alone for a couple of days.”
“You’re sure?”
“I am, now come here and give me a kiss.”
Maggie did so, and afterwards, his mother gazed over at him.
“Take care of my Maggie, and those grandbabies too,”
“Yes ma’am,”
She smiled warmly.
“Now that’s a good boy,”
CHAPTER 6
At the British Consulate in Indianapolis, Reginald Carter and his boss Alistair Matthews relaxed over a drink.
Carter had shed the borrowed jeans and was wearing a tailored, gray herringbone suit with a light-blue shirt and red tie.
“That bloke, White was it? He’s a deadly chap, isn’t he?” Matthews said.
“That he is. What agency is he with?”
“I have no idea, about him or that fellow Lawson, super secret these Americans, you know that.”
“He’s not CIA, I know that much, and there’s no record of him in our files, I checked.”
Matthews stared at Carter for so long that it made him curious.
“What is it? Why are you staring?”
“Were you ever tempted to switch sides and join the conspirators? After all, some of those men were friends of yours.”
“Are you questioning my loyalty to the crown?”
“What about your loyalty to yourself?”
“I don’t understand?”
“You were offered a fortune, as well as the chance to wield power and not be a mere pawn.”
“I’m not a pawn. I’m living the life I choose to live, and their plan was insane. It was doomed from the start.”
“You’re the reason this plot was uncovered. When you were approached, you pretended to go along, but then betrayed.”
“It would only have been betrayal if I had actually turned.”
Matthews shook his head sadly,
“I misjudged you.”
“You misjudged me?”
“After Simmons got pneumonia and you replaced him, I should have postponed the operation. Instead, I suggested you be approached.”
Carter sat his drink down atop the coffee table in front of him.
“You’re one of them, but why tell me now?”
“You’ll soon learn the truth.”
Carter tried to get up, but found that he couldn’t, as all strength seemed to evaporate from him. The best he could manage was to lean over, and as he did so, he fell atop the coffee table, spilling his drink, before rolling off and onto the carpet, where he fought to stay awake.
Matthews walked over and stood above him, and Carter saw that he was holding the flash drive.
“If only you had joined us,”
Carter’s eyesight was dimming, but he squinted up at Matthews.
“You poisoned my drink?”
“No, a powerful sedative, I’ve never killed, Carter, I’m more of an idea man. I have the last of the trackers, so you’ll never find me, and s—”
But, Carter heard no more, as the sedative took full effect.
***
Jessica opened the front door when they returned home, and was surprised to see Maggie getting out of the driver’s seat.
“I didn’t know you could drive, Maggie.”
Maggie grinned.
“I have a provisional license, and next year I’ll have a real one.”
He placed an arm around her shoulders as they walked up the porch steps.
“She’s an excellent driver; you wouldn’t think she was a novice.”
They entered the house and the dog sniffed them for new scents while licking their hands.
Amanda came walking from the direction of the kitchen; she kissed her son and placed a hand on Maggie’s cheek.
“How’s your mom doing, honey?”
“She looked better, and I feel better now that I’ve seen her.”
“Well, you two freshen up and then we’ll have dinner, okay?”
“Jessica, is it all right if I take a plate to my room? I want to talk to my friend Katie on Skype.”
“Sure honey,”
A few minutes later, Maggie headed upstairs with a plate of food and the dog following close behind, hoping for scraps.
And while they normally ate at the kitchen table, lately, Jessica found the chairs in the dining room more comfortable and easier to get out of, and so she, her husband, and Amanda ate there.
Afterwards, all three drank sparkling grape juice as they talked casually, but then, Amanda turned the conversation seri
ous.
“Jessica asked me about my past today and I didn’t respond, but I’d like to now, now that you’re both here. It’s not a pleasant story, and I’d like to tell it just once.”
He stared at her.
“Does this concern my father, my brothers... myself?”
“Yes, I’m sure you’ve had many questions.”
“We do,” Jessica said, “but why don’t you tell us what you want to tell us, and then if we still have questions we’ll ask them.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good way to go about it. Now, I guess you can say it started with my parents. In the late-sixties they became part of a cult led by William Gant. Gant was a criminal and a con man, but he was charismatic. I was only five at the time we arrived at the commune, the town now known as Destina, and my parents raised me to think of Gant as if he were the Pope.”
Jessica held up a finger.
“I’m sorry to interrupt so soon, but if you were only five-years-old in the late-sixties, you must have been a child when you had the triplets.”
“I was. I was only fifteen when I had them.”
“Fifteen?”
“Yes, because Billy Gant raped me when I was fourteen.”
“Dear God,”
“I later learned that it was his father’s idea. William Gant had a deep hatred for Jake Caliber, and the two families had an animosity going back generations. When he learned that I was related to the Calibers, I think he saw me as a means to get even and used his son to carry out the revenge. Billy was older, maybe nineteen or twenty, and treated like a prince by everyone. When I told my mother how he had tied me to a bed and abused me, she... she... she smiled and told me that I should feel honored to have been chosen worthy of his, affection.”
“My father tied you to a bed?” he asked Amanda, but he was looking at Jessica.
“Yes, and threatened me with a knife. I really thought that he was going to kill me, but no, what he really wanted was to impregnate me, to impregnate a Caliber, which he did, eventually.”
“Eventually?”
“Yes, the rapes were a recurring... nightmare.”
Jessica reached over and held Amanda’s hand, Amanda smiled weakly at her, and continued.
“I blame Billy for the way Jeffrey has turned out. The things he subjected you boys to, it’s almost as if he were trying to breed serial killers, but he wasn’t of course, he was just a monster spawned by another monster, William Gant, and Billy really knew nothing else.”
The TAKEN! Series - Books 9-12 (Taken! Box Set Book 3) Page 26
