Capturing Sosimo

by Sara Blackard

  The accusation stung. “Of course I did.” She bit out, crossing her arms as the freezing reality of her own falsehood bloomed in her chest. “Kind of.”

  Sosimo snorted, shaking his head before he turned to her father. “Sir, her project is an armored suit that not only absorbs the impact somehow but also monitors the wearer’s biometrics and can defibrillate the wearer’s heart if needed. A shot hit me in the back as we fled her house. Felt like I was hit by a rainbow just starting basic. Didn’t even leave a bruise.”

  Her father’s eyes pivoted to her. Nuts. Another truth she’d omitted. She ducked her head and took a bite of bread even though it tasted like sawdust.

  “June, you didn’t tell me they shot at you.”

  “Gracious Lord above.” Mom fanned herself with her towel.

  June swallowed, hoping the bite didn’t stick in her throat, and steeled her shoulders. “It wasn’t necessary for you to know. We took care of the situation. There wasn’t any reason to worry you.”

  “June.” Her mother tsked.

  “Not any reason to—”

  “Did you not hear what he said?” she interrupted her father, pointing at Sosimo.

  He and Cooper flinched and busied themselves with their refreshments. She doubted anyone had ever dared cut off the general. She wasn’t one of his soldiers, though he treated her like one.

  “My invention will save countless lives, Dad. Not just save them but make it so they can continue to fight those attacking.” She paced the length of the kitchen. “People aren’t after me for my good looks or my money or even my connection to you. They somehow found out about my invention and want to turn the tables in their direction.”

  “It’s why we’ve refrained from contacting Adam and the SEP, sir. We think there might be a connection to the terrorists at the program.” Sosimo took the last bite of his bread and smiled at June’s mom. “That was delicious, Mrs. Paxton. Thank you.”

  June rolled her eyes as her mother beamed broadly. “Why, thank you, young man.”

  “We’ll sort this out now that you’re here. As soon as Adam arrives, we can get people on this.” Dad crossed his arms like he’d solved everything.

  “I sure hope we can, sir. We’ve had our best man on this, and he hasn’t been able to find a thing.” Sosimo’s voice echoed her doubt.

  “Rafe Malone?” Dad’s eyebrows winged up when Sosimo nodded, only to return to his normal scowl. “Hmm. We’ll figure this out.” His normal commander confidence was firmly in place. “Claire, hun, why don’t you show these boys to the spare rooms.”

  “Follow me, gentlemen. Danny, darling, don’t exasperate our daughter while I’m gone.” Mom motioned, and the guys fell in line like dutiful soldiers, leaving June to fend for herself.

  With the sound of their retreating steps growing smaller, Dad cleared his throat. “It seems you haven’t been forthright, June. And from the expression on that young man’s face, it hasn’t been with just me.”

  She broke her piece of bread into pieces on her plate. How could she respond when he spoke the absolute truth? Her life had become so full of half-truths and secrets.

  “I told you when you came up with this whole Reagan idea that I didn’t want you losing yourself in the process of distancing from me.” Her father’s scolding continued to chip at her bruised heart. “The June I know and love would never keep information from those she loves or put others in danger over her own pride. I’ll go debrief with your security team.” He headed out of the kitchen, speaking over his shoulder as he went. “I’m not sure if I could trust what you say right now.”

  June slumped on the stool. Had she really let the betrayal of one man cause the distrust of all? She thought back to her tight-lipped policy and rigid contracts her few employees had to sign. She’d even invented an elaborate manufacturing warehouse so they could create her inventions with the least amount of humans possible. All so she could keep her ideas safe, supposedly out of the hands of the enemy. Had she gone too far?

  She glanced up at the ceiling where the heavy footsteps of men sounded. Hopefully her lies hadn’t pushed the only man who had ever understood her away. She shuddered and stabbed the crumbs on her plate at the possibility of never seeing Sosimo again.

  Fourteen

  Sosimo leaned against the mantel as Reagan’s—scratch that, June Paxton’s—friend and contact at the SEP, Adam Johnson, came through the front door. Decorated colonel and long-time friend of the general’s, Sosimo remembered a few missions under the man’s command. The last mission he’d ever had in the Army was under Colonel Johnson’s direction. Though the last mission had gone horribly wrong, the other missions had been solid, some of the best-planned ones they’d had. As much as he hated to admit it, it’d be good to have more resources to sort this trouble out.

  He tried not to let his eyes follow Reagan … June as she hugged Colonel Johnson and motioned for him to take a seat. Sosimo failed, miserably. All color had left her face, making freckles pop out along her nose that weren’t normally so apparent. She’d hardly talked the hour they waited, only interjecting information during the debrief when necessary. All the fire had burned out of her.

  He vacillated between wanting to wrap her in his arms and promising they’d figure this all out, to wishing he could leave that second and never see her again. How could she have kept something as big as her identity from him?

  When he’d called Rafe to tell him to focus all his energy on the terrorists since they had solved the mystery of Reagan’s identity, all the guys had erupted into disbelieving chaos. He really hated speaker phone mode. Wished he could’ve just told Rafe, hung up, then not heard the shock and, worse, the apologies. He’d have to remind Rafe that he didn’t have to blab everything everyone told him. Some things could be left unsaid.

  Reagan followed Colonel Johnson to the couch. Her gaze briefly bounced to Sosimo’s, only to have her duck away like a scared mouse. His heart ripped even more in his chest. Reagan wasn’t a mouse. She was vibrance and compassion, brightness shining in the dark. Sure, she might be awkward and not know exactly what to say in every situation, but that was what pulled him to her, a combination unlike any he’d ever seen before.

  He shook the thought away. What did it matter anyway? She’d lied to him. He didn’t care what kind of animal she now resembled.

  Now who was lying?

  General Paxton settled into his armchair with a serious expression on his face. “It’s good to see you, Adam. It’s been way too long.”

  “You too, Dan. How is it we’re less than two hours away, yet we hardly ever have time to go golfing?” The colonel relaxed into the corner of the couch, crossing his leg over his opposite knee.

  “How’s your granddaughter doing?”

  “Lily’s not doing well at all, actually.” Colonel Johnson swallowed.

  “What’s wrong with Lily?” Reagan placed a hand on his arm, her head tilting to one side.

  “She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a year ago.”

  “But she’s still in high school.” Reagan put her hand over her mouth.

  “We’ve helped her parents however we can, but the diagnosis isn’t looking good.” Colonel Johnson picked at the seam of the couch arm as silence settled over the room.

  “Adam, please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help.” Reagan twisted her hands in her lap. That compassion Sosimo loved so much emerged. He glanced out the front window to keep from moving to the couch to comfort her.

  Johnson nodded, a look flitting across his face that Sosimo couldn’t place, and cleared his throat. “So, June, did you get all the kinks out of the suit?”

  “Yeah, it seems to run exactly like I designed.” Her voice had lost all of its emotion again.

  “I can tell you, the board members of the SEP have really been eager to see this suit of yours in action.” Johnson’s enthusiasm rang false in Sosimo’s ears.

  The hair on the back of his neck rose. He shifted, narrowing his
eyes at Johnson. Something had changed since the last time he’d been under his command. A bead of sweat ran down the normally confident man’s face. Sosimo shook down the unease.

  “Can I see it?” The man’s eager tone brought it back up.

  Johnson took the suit from Reagan’s hand and twisted it in all directions. “I finally get to see it.” He smiled at her, before turning his attention back to the suit. “I’m glad you made it here safe. After the incident at your house, I was worried you wouldn’t make it here.”

  “My house?” Reagan’s voice was strained.

  Nerves raced like spiders across Sosimo’s skin, and he glanced at Cooper standing in the entry. His eyebrows scrunched low over his eyes. He felt it too. Sosimo uncrossed his arms and straightened.

  “Yeah. Such a shame to have your house ruined like that.” Johnson spoke absentmindedly as he turned the suit over and over in his hands.

  “But, I—” Reagan looked toward her father, who had sat forward in his chair, his nostrils flared.

  “I never told you about her house.” General Paxton’s voice steeled as he scooted toward the edge of his seat.

  Colonel Johnson’s muscles tightened. “Now, this is a conundrum.”

  A chill raced down Sosimo’s back and arms, turning his fingers cold. He took a step forward to grab Reagan. In a move that belied his age, Colonel Johnson grabbed her by the hair and pulled a pistol from his holster, letting the armored suit fall. She snatched the suit into her hands and bunched it in her grasp before it hit the ground. A screech of pain came from her that stood all of Sosimo’s hair on end. Johnson pulled her up against him and placed the gun to her temple as Sosimo and Cooper trained their guns on him.

  Her wide eyes met Sosimo’s and held. That she sought him out and not her father settled the ringing and chaos scrambling his brain and focused him. He nodded at her, hoping the calm she’d given him somehow reflected back to her. Her gaze never left his as she twisted her hands in the Supersuit.

  “What in the world—” Mrs. Paxton’s exclamation ended with a shocked gasp as she stepped in from the kitchen.

  “Hold it right there, Claire.” Johnson tightened his grip on Reagan.

  “Honey, go back into the kitchen.” General Paxton stepped in front of his wife, blocking Johnson’s view of her.

  “No, Claire, I’d appreciate it if you’d stay in here. Take your husband’s seat.” The menacing tone ruined Colonel Johnson’s polite words.

  “Why?” Reagan shifted, but he yanked her back. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Family, June, pure and simple.” Johnson’s eyes darted between Sosimo, Cooper, and the general. “I was told to help get your invention for some very powerful people. In exchange, they’ve promised to pay for alternative treatments for Lily. I didn’t have a choice.”

  “I would’ve helped with Lily, would’ve paid for whatever she needed. You know that.” The pain in Reagan’s voice tore at Sosimo’s heart. Everything she did was to help others and here one of her family’s oldest friends hadn’t even asked.

  “It’s not just about Lily.” Another bead of sweat traced down Johnson’s face as he adjusted his grip on the gun. “They’ll kill Nancy if I don’t. I can’t lose my wife and my granddaughter.”

  “Do they have Nancy?” General Paxton asked, ignoring the choked sob that came from his wife seated behind him.

  “No, but they don’t need to have her in their custody.” Johnson swallowed. “They’re too powerful, Dan. Influence so much. I’ve seen how they force elected politicians to vote a certain way on bills or military personnel to make a command to their benefit. Their insidious reach is too long to fight.”

  “Commands in the military? How?” General Paxton’s voice held indignation.

  Johnson rolled his eyes. “There are several ways they’ve infected our military, but how about I give you a specific one?” He’d gained confidence, if the condescending tone showed anything. “What happens when a Special Ops team doesn’t have all the equipment available to assess a situation, First Sergeant Rivas?”

  Sosimo’s stomach dropped to his toes. “The mission goes south.”

  “It’s interesting how one call can make equipment disappear that would’ve not only saved the lives of comrades and innocent hostages but kept a supply of trafficked sex slaves hidden safely on the other side of the wall.” Johnson’s eyes hardened. “That’s just one example in the South American jungle. There are thousands. There’s no going against these people.”

  Sosimo’s heart pounded loud in his ears as images of that last mission flashed through his mind. Hadn’t Sosimo and his team questioned where the Superman device had gone? He blinked away his clouded vision, connecting with Reagan’s gaze. The pain and anger he felt was mirrored in her eyes.

  She jerked her head a fraction and mouthed “Ready?” No, not at all. Especially for some half-cocked plan that would get her shot. He answered with a quick shake of his head. She rolled her eyes and the corners of her lips lifted in a slight knowing smile.

  “Enough.” General Paxton’s voice came out sharp. “What do you want?”

  “The suit,” Johnson answered. “And, unfortunately, I’ll need June.”

  “How could you?” Mrs. Paxton’s voice shook.

  Sosimo didn’t dare take his eyes off of Reagan. She started mouthing a countdown, and he steeled himself. He’d never had anxiety threaten to choke him. Then again, he’d never had the woman he loved trapped in the hands of a desperate man. He pushed the stifling fear down and focused all his energy on getting Reagan safe.

  Three, two, one. She jerked her head back, cracking her skull against Johnson’s nose, and twisted. As she fell, she reached for the gun. Sosimo roared as he jumped across the space. He tackled Johnson as a shot blasted in his ear. Reagan screamed, but Johnson’s punch to Sosimo’s ear had him fighting to suppress the enraged man. Cooper swung, his gun smashing against the colonel’s face and knocking him out cold.

  Silence settled on the room like a wet blanket. Sosimo turned to Reagan who knelt on the floor, her fingers tangled in the suit and pressed against her gut. No, she couldn’t be shot. He scrambled, not able to get to her fast enough for his liking, and knelt in front of her. With shaking hands, he reached toward her, not wanting to see how bad the wound was. She opened her fingers, spreading the fabric wide, and dropped a bullet on the floor. His breath whooshed out in a sharp exhale.

  He pushed the hair from her face. “You okay?” The words barely passed his lips.

  She nodded, but before he could pull her to him, her mother dissolved into sobs and rushed to Reagan. It was better that way. He still wasn’t sure what to do about him and Reagan. When all the trauma of today finished, the massive wall of mistrust would still be there. He stood, willing his shaking knees to straighten and not buckle.

  He looked at Adam Johnson, who lay out cold on the floor, the man’s words tumbling through Sosimo’s brain. Hadn’t they always felt that there was more to that mission? Deception had ripped Ethan Stryker from their lives. Had forever changed Jake when the bullet tore through his femoral artery and shattered his femur. Veiled truths had caused so much havoc in his life.

  Could he have a relationship with someone who built their career on a lie? He shook his head. That was something he wasn’t sure he could do.

  Fifteen

  June lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The day played in her head on constant repeat, tormenting her with pain and indecision. The MPs had come and taken Adam away. The torment and tears that had streamed down his face as he’d apologized gripped her heart tightly.

  In the morning, she’d set up a fund for whatever Lily needed for treatment. She rubbed her eyes that were dry and scratchy. She’d have to contact her banker, make sure only Lily could use the account. She groaned. Now she had to be paranoid about her accounts as well? When would it end?

  She yanked the blankets off and got out of bed. She needed a cup of tea. Maybe her mom had a secret stash of V
alium or something hidden behind the spices. June grabbed the sweater her mother had lent her and shook her head. She’d never take them even if she found some.

  On silent feet, she descended the stairs. She paused as she entered the kitchen and her gaze caught a figure on the porch. Her throat closed while she scanned the kitchen for a weapon. The figure shifted, and the moonlight highlighted Sosimo’s profile. Her knees gave out as the tension rushed from her, causing her to lean against the doorjamb for support.

  Then just as quickly, her heart picked back up and her palms slicked with sweat. He’d avoided her the rest of the day. Granted, there had been a lot to take care of with Adam being arrested and their statements being taken. She’d just wanted to step into his arms and feel the strength of them around her. Keeping her gaze trained on him during the afternoon’s fiasco had been the only thing holding her together. She’d seen the love she felt shining from his eyes toward her. She knew it. Now, it was like she had the plague.

  She pushed the doubt aside and crossed the kitchen to the sliding door. He stiffened when she stepped outside but didn’t turn to her. She swallowed, her throat suddenly a desert.

  “Sosimo?” Her words were barely audible to her ears.

  A slight breeze rustled the bare branches, the only sound as she waited for his answer. Time stretched as she leaned toward him, willing him to speak.

  “June.” He spoke her name in a short tone of indifference.

  Icy fingers of dread slid down her spine. She wrapped her mother’s sweater tighter around her, fully aware that the only arms holding her were her own. She took a tentative step forward.

  She cleared her throat. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

  “Cooper will stay on with you,” he spoke at the same time.

  “Wait, what?” She stumbled toward him.

  “You no longer need two of us, especially if you stay here until you deliver the suit.” His tone came out efficient, matter-of-fact, and drove a spike through her heart.