by KaLyn Cooper
She called on Elianna. “We sit quietly and don’t say a word.”
“Yes. Exactly.” Ms. Rogers looked around for someone else to call on. “Violet.”
“Can we use the bathroom rather than a bucket like we have at school?”
Ms. Rogers started to answer then looked at Mr. Jaja, who simply dipped his chin. “As long as all of us are good, we can continue to use the bathroom.” Another glance toward their primary captor confirmed her words.
Sighs echoed in the two-story room.
“What are some of the other things we do in active shooter situation?” Ms. Rogers repeated the question then called on Aria.
“We’re supposed to turn off the ringers on our cell phones, but we don’t have them.” She glared at their captors.
“You are correct on both counts. Who else can give me some of the rules?” Their teacher then called on Gia.
“We’re supposed to stay in our hiding place until law enforcement gives us the all clear.” Gia gave everyone a small smile.
“You are absolutely right. So, we might be here a while until we get the all clear, and Mr. Jaja lets us go home.” When Mrs. Rogers looked at the leader, Callie could tell her smile was forced.
“Now, do you remember when Luna’s mom came in and talked to us on career day?” At all the head nods, she continued, “What are we supposed to do in the case of a kidnapping?”
“We’re not supposed to argue or make them mad,” Aria said.
All heads turned toward the corner where Callie’s stepmother was wedged between the two walls, watching intently. “Callie’s mom is doing everything you’re not supposed to do,” Aria pointed out unnecessarily.
“She’s not my mother,” Callie snapped. “She’s just a bimbo my dad married because he missed my mom so much.” All the women and girls, except for Step Monster, had been part of the support system for both Callie and her mom as she lost her two-year battle to cancer. She knew these women had her back.
Angelique Sedgwick glared daggers at her stepdaughter. Callie doubted she’d get in trouble for telling the truth. But if looks could kill, she’d certainly be dead.
“Perhaps Mrs. Sedgwick now understands what she should do, and what she should not do.” At her teacher suggestion, everyone looked at the woman trussed up in the corner.
Angelique Sedgwick nodded.
Everyone’s head turned then to Mr. Jaja. “If she keeps her mouth shut, we won’t have to gag her.” His eyes ran up and down her barely-there nighty. The man’s grin made Callie’s empty stomach curdle. “Yes, untie her, too. She can sit with the other women now.”
Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Garcia went over and released her stepmother from her bonds.
The woman who had married her father leaped out of the corner, fingers curled like claws, as she sprinted toward Mr. Jaja. “How dare you treat me like this? Do you know who my husband is? I need a cell phone. I’m entitled to a call.”
Mr. Jaja burst out laughing. “Listen you little bitch, you’re not under arrest in the United States. You’ve. Been. Kidnapped. There is no one here who is going to give you a fucking cell phone to call anyone.”
He snapped his fingers and the two guards grabbed her.
Mr. Jaja walked slowly to her, but kept far enough away so she couldn’t kick him as she wiggled, trying to get free. He stepped around his guard and grabbed her bleach-blond hair and pulled back, so she was facing the ceiling. “I don’t like a smart mouth on a woman. Her mouth should be used for sucking dick.”
Both guards chuckled and nodded in agreement.
Mr. Jaja stared at her huge fake boobs. “Maybe I’ll keep you gagged and fuck you hard just to show you what it’s like to be with a real man before I let you go.”
“Don’t you dare touch me you vile—”
Mr. Jaja backhanded her and she slumped unconscious. She was tied up, gagged, and back in the corner within a minute.
Callie leaned forward and buried her head in her hands. Idiot! She’s going to get someone killed.
Chapter Four
As soon as the customized Homeland Security jet reached cruising altitude, Dex unbuckled and stood at the head of the aisle. He took in the face of each of his new team members and realized that he didn’t know any of them.
Well, that was a lie. The one member of his team that he knew very well, intimately, was the last person in the world he wanted on that plane. Rayne Yoshida. He found his gaze lingering on her, assessing her, but not as a team leader. As a man.
She was still so pretty. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. He wondered how long it had grown. Twelve years ago, it had tickled his thighs and draped over his hips when she had taken him into her mouth. The soft strands had brushed his shoulders as she had ridden him, taking them both to a height he’d never experienced before…or since.
Her triangular face had always fascinated him. A high, still-smooth forehead was a hint to her intelligence. Perfectly arched eyebrows help define her large cat eyes that swept up at the corners, indicative of the Japanese heritage on her mother’s side. Although her eyes were primarily brown, gold and green flecks dominated their color when she was aroused.
All he saw in them now was contempt, or maybe that was simply determination.
Her chiseled cheekbones were defined by a square jaw that came to a pointed chin. For Dex, though, it was those beautiful plump lips that had touched his body everywhere that made his cock stand up and pay attention. They were so soft, giving, not demanding. So much like Rayne herself, in the bedroom. On the job, the woman was a ballbuster.
Tearing his gaze from her once again, he surveyed his new team.
He would start with the two Navy SEALs provided by the State Department. He signaled for them to join him at the table he’d sequestered upfront.
“Ethan Steadman.” The first man held out his hand. “Call me Blade.”
“You good with one?” Dex had often given his men their handle after some incident on a mission.
“Yeah.” The single word and a grin were his answer.
“Liam Bridger. Shep to most.” His handshake was firm but not bone-crushing.
“Okay, I have to ask, why Shep?” Dex was always curious how everyone got their nicknames.
Liam gave him a small grin. “A herd of sheep in the mountains of Afghanistan became the best cover we could find. Some of our city boys didn’t have a clue. Shepherd stuck for a while, then everybody just shortened it to Shep.”
“That a Wyoming accent I detect?” Dex had gotten good about identifying accents.
“That’s one of the places we lived. Montana, Idaho, Colorado, we moved around a lot.” Liam had lost his smile.
“Long way from deep blue water,” Dex stated.
The smile was back. “Yep.”
“Gentlemen, call me Dex, my name. My handle, my trident, and uniforms all got packed away when I retired a year ago.” Both men gave him a chin lift. He tapped the personnel folders in front of him. “Tell me what’s not in here and why you’re on this team.”
“I got tired of the bullshit. One of my teammates got out a few months before I was eligible and went to work for a Beltway bandit with State Department contracts.” Blade told a story that Dex had heard a dozen times from the men at Guardian Security. “The money was three times what I was earning as an E-5. I’m not stupid.” He tapped the file with his index finger. “I was a damn good SEAL. I’ve been on lots of raid and rescues, including a few in West Africa.”
“Good.” At least the State Department vetted that one. His gaze went to Shep.
“Same story, except I was a West Coast SEAL. Most of my rescues were in Southeast Asia, hot, steamy, fucking jungles.” He tilted his head toward Blade. “We work for the same contractor.”
Dex took a deep breath. “Look, men, we all come from the same training and experience so I’m going to depend very heavily on you two. I’ll be using standard SEAL hand signals and will be approaching this sit
uation the same way I would any other kidnapping or hostage mission if this were a SEAL team.”
Both men nodded once. After discussing their weapons, Dex started to feel much better about this op.
“Thank you, men. You may want to review the hostage pictures and the video so we can identify each one.” Dex stood, signaling they were excused. Just as he was about to invite the two women from the FBI, his phone rang.
He swiped to accept the call and sat back down. “Hello, Alex. Thank you again for understanding that I’ll be unavailable until this mission is completed.” He grinned. “And thanks for all the special toys.”
“You’re welcome.” The smile in Alex’s voice came through the line. “I just wanted you to know that we’ve been contacted by the president of the girls’ school board and hired to assist…if needed.”
Dex was about to thank his boss and tell him additional assistance wasn’t needed, but he quickly reconsidered and concluded that additional backup might prove necessary given there were fourteen hostages. “Thank you. Let’s hope we don’t need any more firepower.”
“I explained to them that because the kidnappers were not Americans, this became an international situation, but assured them that one of our men was leading the team under the Department of Homeland Security.” Alex went on to say, “I’m going to pull together the same team we used in Venezuela since you’re accustomed to working with them. We’re going to stage on St. Thomas. I’ve secured a house there for us to use and a couple vehicles, including a boat if needed.”
“I’ll be sure to stay in touch.” Dex briefly wondered what the Department of Homeland Security would think about him bringing on an outside team, then he swept the worry away. He really didn’t care. It was nice to be able to do what was necessary for the mission.
“I’ll let you know when we’ve established our base on St. Thomas. Stay safe, Dex.” Alex hung up.
Yes. Dex was feeling better about this mission every minute. He stood and signaled to the two women who sat together about halfway back.
“Senior Special Agent Vanessa Overholt,” the one with curly hair that was more silver than black said as she firmly shook his hand.
“Special Agent Tonya Fields.” Dex wondered how old she was because in his opinion she didn’t look a day over twenty-two and he knew that you had to be twenty-six to get into the FBI. He hoped this wasn’t her first op.
As he sat down, Vanessa immediately informed him, “We are both specialists in kidnapping, and this isn’t our first dance. Our instructions are to set up on St. Thomas and care for the women and girls as soon as you bring them to us.” Vanessa folded her hands and rested her forearms on the table. “I’m not sure what to call you other than sir.”
Dex was glad he had a moment to speak. “My name is Dex and please don’t call me sir. No one on this team has a rank, but we all have a job to do.” He smiled then. “And I’m glad you spelled everything you intend to do out to me. You said you’ve done this before. Have you handled this many hostages at one time?”
“No, and that’s what I was going to speak to you about next.” Vanessa certainly was direct, and given their short time frame, Dex appreciated it. “Do you have a problem with me calling in additional hostage specialists? I can have them on the next flight. The agency is sending a team of physicians and nurses within twelve hours to establish a clinic. Each of the hostages is going to need a complete physical and a psychological exam. Our protocol requires that we do that before allowing them to return home.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Dex admitted. “Make your calls. I want to see that these hostages get the best care possible. Keep in mind that they’re being held by an Islamic extremist who has absolutely no respect for women, especially Christians, and since we have no idea what is being said to them and in front of them, religious issues may need to be addressed.”
Standing, Dex added, “Let me know what else you need. At this point, I don’t believe we’re going to be denied anything.”
“I could use a raise,” Vanessa quipped. Her smile transformed her no-nonsense demeanor into one of a caring woman. “If you’re serious, I’ll make a list.”
“We can ask. All they can do is say no.” He smiled then, remembering Alex’s words. “I have access to some outside funding for this mission that we may be able to tap.”
Her eyebrows lifted as did the corners of her mouth. “In that case, give me fifteen minutes and you’ll have a list.”
Dex nodded then grinned. “Don’t bother putting a raise on that list. I can’t make that happen. Anything else, though, we’ll see.”
Vanessa practically marched down the aisle, but Tonya lingered. “This is my twelfth kidnapping. I know I look young, but I’m thirty-two, and I have a PhD in child psychology focusing on teens. I use my youthful appearance to my advantage. Young girls relate to me.” She glanced down toward her feet before raising her eyes to meet his. “I know exactly what these girls are going through. I was raised Muslim and promised from birth. My parents escaped from Iran when I was a child, but that didn’t stop my husband from claiming me when I was twelve. When he discovered I had become a Christian and attended Catholic school most of my life, he rejected me and returned me to my parents…eventually.”
Dex couldn’t miss the resolve that had taken over her entire body as she stood straighter and squared her shoulders. “I understand men like Aahil Mohammed Jaja and know how quickly they can damage a child’s self-worth. That’s why am on this team.”
Pride, revulsion, and a dozen other emotions ran through Dex at the same time. He held out his hand and she took it, but they didn’t shake. He simply held it. “I’m glad you’re here. I believe you are uniquely qualified to handle this situation.” He released her hand.
“Just get them to us as quickly as possible.” Tonya turned and walked to her seat where she and Vanessa immediately jumped into conversation.
After checking the time, Dex strode to the quad seating near the back of the plane where the four men from the Department of Justice sat playing cards, as though this were a ride to their favorite vacation spot.
When he was six feet away, he heard one of them say, “Our turn.”
They immediately turned the cards upside down onto the table.
Dex slid into the single seat across from them and swung the comfortable captain’s chair to face all four. He took a brief moment to study the faces of the former Green Berets. He’d memorized their files.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to speak to you as a group rather than individually.” Dex received a nod from each man. “I was a Navy SEAL, so we have similar training. Two years ago, before I retired, I was the commanding officer of a SEAL Team, which is about twice the size of your Army company. Bottom line, we all worked for USSOCOM. But none of us wear a uniform anymore, so I expect you to call me Dex. I don’t want anybody to call me sir.”
He got silent nods once again.
Grinning, he added, “And I expect you to play nice with the two SEALS upfront. As of this moment, we’re all on the same team with one goal in mind, rescue fourteen hostages.”
Again, a single chin dip from each man.
“William Edge.” Dex was pretty sure he looked at the correct man.
“That’s me.” Raking his fingers through his long blond hair, he looked a lot like Chris Hemsworth in Thor. “Call me Will.”
“You got it, Will.” Dex slid his gaze to the man beside him. “Stephen Clayborn?”
“Steve,” he said with a nod. His neatly trimmed dark brown hair and beard were such a contrast to Will.
“I understand the two of you are specially trained medics.” At their nod, he continued, “In the video it didn’t look like anyone was hurt, but as we all know that can change in a heartbeat. I want you two in the second wave through the door.” One corner of Dex’s mouth kicked up. “Devin Martindale. Robert Taylor.” He looked at the men on the other side of the table. “You’re with me on the breach.”
The two men high-fived each other with big smiles.
“Kickin’ ass,” Robert exclaimed.
“We don’t need their fucking names,” Devon added.
“Any asshole who kidnaps little girls deserves to die,” Will chimed in.
“I’d love to be the one to put a bullet through Jaja’s forehead,” Steve proclaimed.
Devon looked at his teammate smugly. “We get first dibs at him since we’re the first bullet catchers.”
Dex enjoyed their playful banter. “How long have you guys worked together?”
Robert dramatically looked at his watch. “Long time. Almost seven hours.”
“Department of Justice didn’t send me an existing team?” Dex didn’t know if he was more surprised or pissed.
“No.” The men had spoken in unison. They already functioned as a cohesive team.
“We’re used to operating this way,” Robert explained. “DOJ picks who they think is necessary for that mission, announces who’s in charge, and throws us on a plane. We usually get briefed in the air.”
“Yeah, the meeting this morning was awesome. We never get that level of big picture.” Will smiled. He pointed to the stack of briefing files. “Those are really detailed compared to what we’re normally given.”
Dex looked at the pile with concern.
“Don’t worry, Dex, we’ve got them memorized,” Robert assured him.
“Good.” He glanced toward the front and whistled. “Blade. Shep.” He signaled for the SEALs to come to the back. Turning his attention back to the Green Berets, he announced, “Time to play nice.”
As soon as the other two men got within earshot, he announced to his breaching team, “These two are going to teach you the hand signals I’ll be using. Poker is the new game. Deal them in. By the time we land in St. Thomas, I’m looking for you to be a solid team at my back.”
Dex walked away, leaving the younger men to fight it out or become friends. He bet on the latter outcome.
He was going to slide into the seat beside Rayne and talk to her, but his phone rang. When he checked the caller ID, he didn’t recognize the number.
