Jack pushed through where he could head north of the Arena. As far as Riley could see, the surveillance van was gone. More than likely forced to seek shelter when the storm reached its peak. Jack plugged his mic into the AC adapter and tried to reach out to Chandler. As soon as they hit the highway and were no more than eight miles from the Arena, they heard Chandler’s voice.
“Desert One.” He said. “That was one hell of a storm.”
“Affirmative. I’ve got two wounded.” Jack said.
“Copy. I’ll have the medical team on standby. Glad you made it through." He said.
“How about the rest of my team?” Jack asked.
“Everyone has checked in except for Blake Harris and his team,” Chandler said. “We’re launching more teams to search for them.”
“Copy,” Jack said. “If my people are rested send them out as well.”
“Who did Blake team up with?” Ryan asked.
“Eric and Sam,” Jack said looking over at both Ryan and Riley.
“Go figure,” Ryan said.
Riley didn’t say anything but instead turned her head to look out the window. The sun was trying to peek through a crack in the clouds lasting only a minute. From the south, a dark gray cotton ball moved its way to the front of the sun blanketing the first signs of light. A crack of lightning broke overhead. It sprayed across the sky flickering light.
“Storms not done.” She said.
Several fighters stood at the back entrance where sandbags lined a path to the door. Jack backed the Hummer in. The door opened before Riley had a chance to reach the handle. Someone helped her out. She looked back at Jack who stepped forward for a split second as the others piled out. Several nurses placed Conman into a wheelchair and Adam, Trenton, and Ryan stood together looking much like the rescue team they had become.
“Stop.” She said. “I’m okay to go.”
“No way,” Jack replied.
“Jack, it’s a few cuts,” Riley said raising her voice.
“Riley, you were clawed by a tiger," Jack shouted.
The room went quiet, and everyone paused glancing over at her. Riley lifted her hand up in surrender. The buzz of voices continued. She looked Jack in the eyes, and when he tried to look away, she knew he was keeping a secret. "What aren't you telling me?" She asked him.
He brought his fingers to his forehead and then knelt down in front of her so she could better see him. “I promised not to say.” He said.
Riley looked at him for a long moment knowing that precious time was ticking away. Her brother and the rest of the team were out in the city, possibly trapped or worse. She knew Jack and Eric were hiding something.
Everyone else was going about their business. Riley could tell Jack took comfort in the privacy of the moment. “I’d never hurt you or put you in harm’s way.” He said taking her hand in his. “We’ll be back, all of us and then if you still want to know, you can ask your brother.”
It wasn't the time. Jack had plainly made a promise to Eric, and she respected that. It didn't make her happy, but she accepted it.
“Be safe Jack.”
He bent down close to her, pressing his lips to her ear. “I love you, Riley Collins,” he said. Before she could answer him, he was behind the driver’s seat. The engine of the Hummer purred, and he was gone.
She and Conman watched Jack pull back out into the cold gray day leaving the two of them behind. Suddenly it was no big deal being wet and cold, shot and clawed. She’d rather be out there with them than in the giant safe compound.
CHAPTER-FORTY
Dragon took the bag from Summer and set it in the backseat. The Toyota Tundra was a sweet ride that would get them through the mucky up roads. He took great pride in knowing she had inherited so many of his traits on the inside and so much of her mother on the outside.
The rain stopped sometime in the night, and the wind was at a near standstill now. Yet, clouds hung in the sky casting a gray tint to the soaked ground. Summer hadn’t argued when he told her that he needed to get back to the city. Dragon had a feeling she was as restless as he was. Hiding wasn’t in their blood, but fighting was.
Dragon watched the house get further away from him knowing someday he would return. There was a sense of comfort he was leaving behind. Dragon did not want to go, but he had to finish what he'd started. The man who'd saved his life was no better than lice on a dead animal's carcass. Dragon didn't want to be looking over his shoulder every waking moment for the rest of his life. With Summer found, he had better stuff to think about.
The truck was stout enough to take some of the rougher roads. The V8 Hemi had no problem in the power category. It would take over two hours to reach the city. Summer wanted to go with him, and that didn’t disappoint him. No locked gates kept Summer in, as Dragon understood, so being with him was safer than not. Lisa was in the room alongside to Axels. She was almost asleep when she heard the tapping on the door. Sliding out from beneath the covers, Lisa tiptoed to the peephole. Axel stood expectantly on the other side.
“Axel.” She said opening the door. “Jaden?”
“She’s safe.” He said.
Lisa let out a deep sigh of relief inviting him in. “Where is she?”
“Someone was trying to force her into a car, but one of our guys saw it and stopped them. The kid took her home to his mother. I guess she is banged up, but they have her at the facility now."
“I should be there,” Lisa said starting towards her room to gather her bag.
“I’ll take you, Lisa. She’s in good hands.” He said. “Brad, Summer’s Uncle, is on his way. I'll drive you both over in the morning."
“Jaden is going to be happy to hear Summer survived,” Lisa said. “Thank you, Axel. Thank you so much for finding her, for finding both of them.”
“I didn't find her. The boy's mother brought her in. You can thank her tomorrow."
He turned toward the door, and Lisa followed. She had known Axel for years. Though separated by circumstances, they appeared able to pick up where they left off. It had been sixteen years since she saw him last, but he had made sure that she always knew where he was.
“Breakfast?” He asked her.
“Breakfast.” She answered wishing he would turn to her and initiate a stay but Axel had always been a gentleman. It wasn’t his style to use this as a chance to step into her life. They’d been through so much together.
She shut the door softly behind him and then for the first time in a longtime, she felt hope.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Dragon knew where to find Ray. He knew also knew he'd better have a plan before he did. With Summer at his side, his senses heightened. He felt the strange sensation that she could speak to him without even saying a word. Now they were moving fast in the supercharged Tundra heading north on the five. It was in the predawn hours of the morning, and the sun had not yet made its full ascent into the sky. Summer was asleep in the passenger seat her legs folded up under her. While Dragon drove, he was planning to destroy the man who'd saved his life. It was the only way to keep everyone safe. He moved the Tundra down the road loaded down with heavy artillery prepared to make a kill. He and Summer, moved together down the highway a piece of their lives glued together by hope.
As they approached Sacramento evidence of the storms' destruction came into view. Fragments of greenery coupled with shredded wood and handmade materials made up most of the ground. Water ran to the sides of the embankments pooling to the center of fields. Water had rushed over-the-top of the highway leaving a film of mud and debris. The fields, so starved for water years prior, looked like lakes.
Dragon’s leg wrapped tightly was healing fast. Stopping at a retail medical supply store had made for smart shopping. The soft neoprene leg glove was keeping the wound safe. Comfortable Dragon could do some driving, and the horses beneath the hood weren't arguing.
Ray’s Northern California house wasn’t one to forget. The man had a house in every state. However, the norther
n California home supposedly Ray’s favorite seemed often visited. Ray was not just greedy, money was his obsession. Each home included a slew of women and rods, toys and guns and money and drugs. Under him, a hierarchy of men wanting the possessions he had. All dumb enough not to realize the world was free for the taking.
Dragon couldn’t say much. Seduced by money and power, he’d fallen into the same trap. Misdirected after having to struggle for too long. It felt good to snip that connection and go after the man who wouldn't blink an eye while killing him. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time to know his debt paid.
“Where are we?” Summer asked sleepily.
“Sacramento.”
“Great! Back to where I started from.” She said sitting up. “What’s the plan?”
“The plan is you’re going to find somewhere cozy to hang until I take care of some business.”
“You’re going to need some help.” She said glancing down at his leg. “I’m not hanging!”
“If he sees you, captures you, it will be the end.” Dragon said.
He looked over at her. Her auburn hair was almost perfect even though she had slept pressed to the window for over three hours. Even now, her eyes still half open, expressed a striking beauty that had not yet matured. Her mother had had the same look. The thought of Ray putting his hands on her made Dragon cringe. Ray was dirt, and the last man Dragon would allow to touch his daughter.
"You listen to me Summer. Ray is pure evil. He doesn't care about anyone or anything. He cares about himself."
“I can help you.” She sat up and leaned against the window.
“I don’t want you to.” Dragon said. “I’ve probably got an army on my tail looking for you.”
“What if he kills you?”
Dragon glanced over at her while pressing on the throttle. The truck sucked down to the wet pavement slicing through the fallen rain. Dragon thought of the fighters who had boarded the ship. That is where the both of them belonged, in their army.
“I plan to kill him first.” He said.
“I’ll follow you.”
“No, you won’t. I’m dropping you off someplace safe. When I’m done, I'll be back for you."
“You promise.”
“I promise.”
The Arco Arena was no secret to Dragon, nor the men who controlled it. The black army had nothing on the fighters. Dragon declined the opportunity to join the team then, but he was ready now. He’d be fighting the battles now instead of hunting down criminals hunting him. However, life had turned into a gamble, and he’d known for a long time that Summer existed. Had he not been the one in charge of the Queen Mary, Summer would’ve fallen into the wrong hands. Dragon’s foot pressed the throttle pushing the truck and feeling determined that his plan would work. He would get a second chance to start over with his daughter.
The Arco looked desolate, unwelcoming. There were no signs inviting people in. Fighters didn’t work that way. The building, as well as the perimeter, looked like a broad span of emptiness. Like few others, he knew where their entry was to the hub. The Arena was now a well-armed fortress that others dare not to try to invade.
Everything was wet. Water splashed up slapping the fender wells. He stopped far enough from the building knowing security inside had already seen them. Somewhere was a sharpshooter. The camera's here worked 24/7.
There was nothing happy about her departure from him. The understanding was clear. A lost father-daughter bond had formed between them in a short time, and she was reluctant to leave him. Dragon saw clearly in her, the future. Unsure of what she saw in him, Summer sighed as she got out of the car pretending that she was mad. In the end, she turned to him and pointed. The promise. She was reminding him. He flashed his lights once to answer her and then saw a thin sliver of light shine through the opening. He had pointed her in the direction she needed to go. Summer would live on if Dragon didn’t make it back.
Dragon watched her raise her hands in the air. A female dressed in all black fatigues stepped outside. Soon, soldiers swarmed her. They would take her gun, her knife, and her phone. Dragon smiled knowing she’d be safe. The wheels spun out under the throttle as he pushed the truck into a 180-degree turn and headed back towards the highway.
Axel, Jaden’s mom, Lisa and Summer’s Uncle, Brad were in a GMC Terrain heading North on the five when the sun came up behind the clouds. They passed several stranded cars on the side of the road, none of which had passengers. The storm had wreaked its havoc on everything to the sides of the shoulders and outward. Chunks of lifted highway risked a smooth ride least a safe one.
Their silence was thick. Axel knew both Lisa and Brad had so much at stake, but the two girls owned different values to Axel as well. One of them was personal, and the other was life changing. Though he'd never met Jaden, he knew the girl was his. Lisa had never admitted it, and she had never spoken of it, but he knew. He'd loved Lisa more than none other. Summer, on the other hand, was far more important to the world but this was something not even she knew yet. Dragon’s role in all of this, Axel had no clue, but he would find out.
Lisa glanced over at him and smiled softly. He wanted to reach out and take her hand knowing it would be clammy from expectation. She wanted to be reunited with her daughter. Axel knew her intents. He was aware that she was about to join his group of elite fighters putting to rest those two years isolated on the ranch. It was a safer decision for both Lisa and Jaden, and she'd come to realize it. Lisa would have her role to play on the inside, and because she had found him, he didn't doubt her abilities at all.
Brad, on the other hand, was an asshole. When he arrived, he was smug and ungrateful. Axel had sat as far from him as he could to distance himself from the stench of cologne. Now Brad sat with his face pressed to the window and fingers pressed to his chin. He’d been eager from the start. Summer was spirited. She needed guidance in her upbringing. Brad failed both her and Karen time after time, keeping all of them under his control rather than exploring alternatives. Karen was a good woman, but she was weak. It had been easy for Summer to manipulate them. What they did not know, and would never understand, was Summer was of importance to the future. It was time for Axel to step in and take over.
They reached the Arco Arena around 4 PM just as the sky dimmed and began to lose what little light the sun was producing. The building and its underlying background looked gray, void of color. The Arena itself looked like a giant beast swallowing every victim who trespassed. They drove through water that reached well up to the floorboards to the back of the building. Axel told his driver to wait and then punched in a code into his cell phone. The large bay door lifted and Axel prompted the driver to pull forward.
When the GMC stopped, Axel slipped out of the car. He held all four passengers identifications. He gave them to the soldier at his side. A male officer walked around the car. With a handheld mirror, he searched the underside of the under carriage for explosives, A female officer directed a dog to search. It was protocol, Axel’s protocol.
“Good to see you, Axel. How’ve you been?” Tom asked.
“Busy,” Axel replied. “You Tom? I know your dedication.”
Tom grinned. “Yes, sir. It’s been a busy night.”
“This is Brad, Summer’s Uncle and Lisa Carson, Jaden’s mother,” Axel said trying to stomp out the smell of cologne from his mind.
Tom stepped forward and shook Brad’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Thank you so much, Tom,” Lisa replied shaking Tom’s hand.
“If you could take me to my niece right away, I would appreciate it.” A blanket of perspiration covered Brad’s forehead.
“That’s the problem, sir. Your niece slipped out of our hold only hours of being here. We also have a team unaccounted for. We had typhoon winds here last night. So you can imagine?”
“Does Summer know Jaden is here?” Lisa asked.
“I don’t think so, Ma’am’. We were still processing her.”
; Lisa turned to Axel. “She wouldn’t have left if she knew Jaden was here.”
“She’ll come back,” Axel said. “Which team is missing?”
“One of Colton’s team, Eric Collins, Samantha and Blake Harris.”
“She’ll come back! That’ it? How on God’s earth did you let a little girl slip out into the night?” Brad suddenly fired out. “Jesus Axel!”
Tom turned to Brad in complete control and said: “The same way you let her slip from your hold, Mr. Manning.”
“That’s total horseshit!” Brad yelled out. “I came all this way because I thought you had her.”
“It’s none of my business Sir, but if you haven’t noticed, Summer is no little girl,” Tom said calmly.
In the Shadow of the Tiger (The Fighter Series Book 2) Page 23
