Friction

by Dwayne Gill

  Tom had his head bowed and didn’t react to the visitor, while Zeke’s eyes darted curiously up at her. She saw the tablet on a table in front of Tom playing a clip from a home movie she’d watched so many times before. Jordyn smiled at the guard and inched forward, and when she was a few feet away, Tom lifted his head.

  It was hard for Jordyn to describe her father’s expression; it seemed to be a combination of competing emotional states. She initially thought she detected anger, but there was a familiar recognition that quickly replaced it. He wasn’t smiling or frowning; only his eyes emitted any detectable emotion, and they stared intensely at her. She wondered if he was trying to figure out who she was, for he hadn’t seen her in over four years.

  Jordyn didn’t see him the day he tried to kill her for the second time. She was comatose in her hospital bed, but afterward, she’d known it was him. She still wondered about that night, for he’d suspiciously left a hemp necklace behind she’d made him when she was eight. If he had no real knowledge of her being his daughter, why did he leave such a token when his intention was to kill her?

  Tom had failed, and as fate would have it, Taryn’s dad was the one who intervened. He paid for his charity with his own life. Jordyn sometimes forgot how much Tom had impacted Taryn, and she was struck with guilt. Taryn had never seen the man who took her father’s life.

  Jordyn didn’t know what to say; she hadn’t thought this trip through. She stood silent, looking at Tom’s familiar face and hands, fighting back the urge to cry. She realized how foolish she’d been to believe she had moved on from this trauma; the intense feelings had only been suppressed, waiting to spring up when it would hurt the most.

  Jordyn wasn’t ready for this, she realized, and might never be. As she turned to leave, though, she heard her father’s soft voice call to her. “Jordyn.”

  The sound of her name coming from his mouth stopped her in her tracks. Tears filled her eyes. Zeke was sitting on the edge of his seat now, ready to bolt out, which gave Jordyn a measure of comfort.

  Jordyn kept quiet. Tom continued to stare at her, and he looked consumed by emotion. “Baby girl,” he said. “I missed you.”

  Jordyn lost it; tears streamed down her face, and she sobbed uncontrollably. She wanted so badly to believe this man was her father, returning from whatever dark abyss had imprisoned him for so long.

  There was only one problem: her father had never called her baby girl before. While he had many pet names for Jordyn, this wasn’t one of them. “If it’s really you, you’ll know what to call me,” said Jordyn. “You never call me that.”

  In fact, even if Tom had studied the home videos she’d provided, the endearing nickname wasn’t to be found there. She’d intentionally edited out every instance of it at Natalie’s request, and now she was glad she had.

  Tom’s face morphed; in an instant, a sinister grin replaced the emotional facade, followed by a malicious laugh. “I remember you, though, Jordyn. That part wasn’t a lie. I remember putting a bullet through your head, then trying to kill you at the hospital. And if you would have taken another step just now, I would have ended your life for good this time.” Tom shot forward in his chair with tremendous force, and Jordyn flinched, but the restraints caught him long before he could make contact.

  All nostalgia melted away, replaced by horror, and Jordyn sobbed louder. Tom laughed harder as Jordyn cried, but out of nowhere, Zeke’s fist struck Tom in the jaw, a powerful blow that caused her father’s head to jerk violently to the side and fall limp to his chest. Jordyn watched Zeke stand over Tom and curse, then he spat at him. He turned to Jordyn.

  “He’s not worth your time,” said Zeke. “You’re a wonderful person, and this scum doesn’t deserve to call you his daughter.”

  Jordyn was still crying, but the sudden tender display from Zeke made her smile a little.

  “I’m not trying to intervene in your personal business,” said Zeke, “but if he ever does that again, I’ll kill him.”

  As Jordyn expected, most of the house had made their way down to the library, waiting for her to emerge from the panic room. Calvin and Taryn stood in front, and Jordyn ran until she was in Calvin’s arms. She cried as hard as she could, trying desperately to release the thunderous pain that engulfed her. Calvin held her and whispered, “I’m right here.”

  Hart was the only clueless person in the room. She heard Lynks pull him off to the side, presumably to inform him of what was happening. Jordyn didn’t care; she wanted to be held, and she knew Calvin would do so as long as she needed. Taryn had her hand on Jordyn’s back, and the three of them stayed huddled for ten minutes, riding out the storm.

  “I’m ready to let him go,” said Jordyn. “I want him out of this house.”

  “When Cane gets back, he’ll get rid of him,” said Calvin.

  “I want him to hurt,” said Jordyn. “Because that’s not my dad.”

  The Battle Of Baku

  October 2, 2028

  10:00 a.m. (GMT + 4)

  Caspian Sea outside Of Baku, Azerbaijan

  Daniel looked over the railing of the boat, now able to see the Caspian Sea in the daylight. The sun had risen over two hours ago, moments before they boarded. It had been an uneventful trip back so far; the coast of Turkmenistan had been void of any patrol. While initially this was great news, it had been too easy. Daniel couldn’t help feeling like something was wrong.

  William walked over and sat beside him on the deck. The soldier still looked fatigued from their trek through the woods, but he smiled as he lowered himself down. “The Russians aren’t giving up this easy,” he said.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” said Daniel. “This whole escape has gone too smoothly.”

  “We’re still a long way from home,” said William.

  The two were silent a moment. Daniel had just met the man, but he had a lot of questions. “You’ve received messages from this Marcene lady too?”

  William smiled. “You could say that.”

  “She sent Cane to break me out of jail,” said Daniel. “Then she told us to come get you.” Daniel noticed William’s relaxed intake of the information, almost like it came as no surprise. “You know something more, don’t you?”

  “I know quite a bit,” said William. “It’s quite an interesting story, too. I plan on sharing it all with you and Cane.”

  Daniel showed William the marking on his right forearm. “Me and Cane have matching marks. I’m guessing you have the same one too, underneath that scar of yours.”

  William nodded. “I do.”

  “Did you burn yourself?” asked Daniel.

  “No, I didn’t,” said William. “An overambitious man did, when I was just a kid.”

  Daniel could sense the gravity of the memory and let it go for now. “How long have you been in contact with Marcene?”

  “I’m not sure we have time to get into this,” said William.

  Daniel leaned forward. “We have a few minutes,” he said, pointing to the open water surrounding them.

  William grinned again. “Marcene has been watching us our entire lives,” he said. “She’s made things happen behind the scenes you’re probably not aware of.”

  “I know more than you think,” said Daniel. “I know she orchestrated me meeting a girl named Taryn.”

  “You’re right,” said William. “She did.”

  Daniel perked up even more. How much did he know? “You knew about that?”

  William smiled and looked down. “I’m telling you, buddy, there’s a lot you don’t know. I wish we had more time, but trust me, I’ll fill in all the gaps for you.” Daniel grunted in frustration, and William laughed. “I get it, man. You’ve probably got a lot of questions. I’ll tell you what. Ask me one.”

  Daniel thought of his second meeting with Rick and how he almost died. Marcene had to have known what he was walking into that night, and at the time, Daniel hadn’t known the marked lieutenants existed. Why didn’t she warn him? Did William know abou
t this?

  “I raided a facility where the marked men were, right before I met Taryn,” said Daniel. “I almost died. Did Marcene know what I was walking into? Because I sure didn’t.”

  William fidgeted slightly and turned more toward Daniel. “She knew. What do you remember from that night?”

  “I remember getting my ass handed to me,” said Daniel. “That’s about it. I woke up and called for help.”

  “I was there,” said William. “At Marcene’s request. I killed a lot of men, from a distance. I hit the lieutenant, too, but he got away. After I cleared them out, I moved you to a safe spot and watched over you until you woke up.”

  Daniel couldn’t believe it. After all the time wondering who’d saved him, it now made sense. “Why didn’t you introduce yourself?”

  “Marcene always had a bigger plan,” said William. Daniel grumbled. “Look, I know how it appears. Trust me, she’s been just as vague with me over the years, but she’s had a purpose for everything she’s done.”

  “I went to jail, you were a POW,” said Daniel. “Why’d she wait for the worst moment to try to unite us?”

  William grinned again. “It might seem that way. But she never thought you’d get caught and serve time. Why’d you give yourself up?”

  Daniel recalled the night of his massacre at Taryn’s house, when he’d slaughtered more than a dozen criminals, sparing only Taryn’s mom. His darkness had taken over, and only afterward had he realized not everyone there had deserved a death sentence. It was his guilt and lack of being able to control his inner beast that finally made him want to surrender, but also something else.

  “I was tired,” said Daniel. “I’d been chasing the marked men forever, and when I finally got close enough, I wasn’t good enough to finish it. Rick handled me easily that night. I couldn’t bear to start the search over, knowing I’d likely fail again.”

  Daniel couldn’t believe it. Once again he was pouring his heart out, this time to someone he just met. What’s happening to me?

  William put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “It’s times like these when I wish Marcene had been more revealing.”

  Confused, Daniel looked up. “What do you mean?”

  “By now, you must know you were genetically designed, right?” asked William.

  Daniel nodded. “So is Cane.”

  “You have a unique skill set,” said William. “So does Cane, and so do I. You only failed because you tried something outside of your boundaries.”

  “I don’t get it,” said Daniel.

  “I know you don’t,” said William. “That’s the point. You have no training in firearms or hand-to-hand, do you?”

  “Not at all,” said Daniel.

  “Well, that lieutenant does,” said William, referring to Rick. “In certain settings, you’d tear him apart. But on his turf, playing by his rules, you couldn’t touch him.”

  Daniel vaguely recalled trying to grab Rick, but the man was too fast. In fact, he’d toyed with Daniel.

  “If I put you two against each other in an elevator, who would win?” asked William.

  Daniel smiled. “I’d rip him to pieces.”

  “Exactly,” said William. “If we’re to beat them, we have to stick to our strengths. Vinson and the others want to use our weaknesses against us.”

  “If I run into Rick again, it should be in an elevator?” asked Daniel.

  “You shouldn’t run into him at all,” said William. “That’s the point.”

  Screw that, thought Daniel. He had unfinished business with Rick, and he would rather die than back away.

  “Why do you think Marcene chose now for us to unite?” asked William. He must have seen Daniel stewing and changed the subject.

  “That’s what I asked you earlier,” said Daniel.

  “They captured me in May,” said William. “I didn’t get to Turkmenistan until mid-June.”

  Daniel could already see it in his mind. “Marcene started making moves when she found out where you were.”

  William nodded. “The day the Russians captured me, I knew the only way I’d ever get out was if you and Cane made it happen.”

  “So Marcene reached out to Cane,” said Daniel. “What about this Natalie woman? Why’d she involve her?”

  William’s eyes got big. “You know about her?”

  “Natalie’s at our safe house,” said Daniel.

  “Oh, boy,” said William.

  “What? Who is she?” asked Daniel.

  “Natalie is Marcene’s daughter,” said William.

  “Seven hells,” said Daniel.

  “Game of Thrones?” asked William. “That’s an Arya Stark line.”

  “I’m a big fan,” said Daniel, smiling. “Your beloved Marcene had two marked men lured to a hotel to kill Natalie. Cane saved her.”

  William shook his head. “That sounds like Marcene. She has some curious methods.”

  Daniel was dying to ask why she hadn’t intervened when Rick raided his boss’s mansion and killed the only person he loved, but he couldn’t do it. He was afraid of the answer.

  “When I tell you all the facts,” said William, “there’ll be times when you admire Marcene and others when you’ll wonder what she was thinking. She’d probably tell you herself there are things she wished she could take back and mistakes she’s made. She’s not perfect or all-knowing.”

  “Was Layla one of those mistakes?” asked Daniel. He couldn’t stop it from exiting his mouth, but now he was certain that Marcene likely knew the danger in which he was putting everyone at the Marcini mansion.

  William frowned and started to speak but was interrupted by the sound of gunfire in the distance. Daniel looked ahead to see flashes on the coast, which they were fast approaching.

  “Get ready, gentlemen!” said William.

  Daniel grabbed a pistol and his prosthetic leg, stood up, and met the others in the front of the boat.

  “We’re adjusting course. We’ll be landing over there,” said Wayne, pointing to a spot farther northwest, clear of flashing gunfire.

  “Is it the Russians?” asked Daniel, realizing how foolish the question sounded.

  “I’m sure it is,” said Orlando. “They won’t face much resistance on the coast, but there’ll be friendly reinforcements coming from farther inland.”

  “How long will it take the friendlies to get here?” asked William.

  “Fifteen minutes, given the emergency,” said Orlando.

  “Bring us in,” said William. “We’re not waiting that long.”

  Daniel smiled. William was definitely one of the boys.

  *

  Mikhail Malakhov waited in the shadows, letting his forces at port thin out the opposition. He and his group of twelve elite soldiers were coming up the opposite coast, from the north, where there was no resistance. In the harbor, one of his men had spotted the boat most likely to be carrying the three men, and now he waited for the right time to ambush them once they landed. His goal had been to force their landing farther north and away from the port, and that was exactly what was happening.

  Four of his men escorted Levi, who didn’t seem happy to be there. The savage had been looking for an opening to scratch or bite his guards, and the farther they made him walk, the angrier he’d become.

  Malakhov watched as the enemy boat approached, careful to stay out of sight. If he could get Levi close enough to them, the giant would do the rest, and he had the perfect trap. The four escorts who would unleash Levi would surely die, but it was a worthy sacrifice.

  *

  “We’ll press from the north,” said William. “We’ll never outgun them, so we want to get in close so Daniel can engage them.”

  This had been the second time William mentioned him strategically, making Daniel feel as if there was something to what William had mentioned earlier. Maybe he did have a particular set of skills that suited him, and this was it. Mayhem.

  “You’re really bringing that leg?” asked William.
/>   “I don’t think he’s surrendering that,” said Dirk. “It works.”

  William shrugged. “Whatever suits you.”

  For the first time in a long time, Daniel felt important, like he was a key piece of a bigger strategy, and it was satisfying. Cane had treated him well and had tried to teach him to be stealthy, but that would never be his strength. William recognized his gifts for what they were, and instead of changing them, he was harnessing them.

  The boat was ashore, and their group filed off two at a time, staying alert. Daniel brought up the rear, and as he stepped off the bow, his feet plunged into ankle-deep water and mud.

  It was a short coast here; up ahead, a hill disguised any would-be attackers. To their right was a large structure that looked abandoned, and to their left, in the distance, the port battle raged on.

  The boat floated away into the Caspian Sea, and they were suddenly alone. There was no turning back now. Daniel scanned the horizon and prepared himself, and he found his darkness tucked away, waiting to be unchained. It wasn’t like he could summon it at will, but he’d found he could tap into small parts of it when he focused. Was he learning to control it, or was it manipulating him?

  Wayne and Orlando motioned for them to follow; they knew the terrain best. As Wayne took the first step forward, gunfire erupted from over the hill in front of them, striking the unsuspecting soldier in the right arm and leg.

  “Down!” shouted William.

  Everyone hit the dirt, but they had a serious problem, for they were out in the open and exposed. Wayne was face-first on the ground, alive, but not moving much. Faced with unfortunate odds, they’d have to act fast before their attackers advanced over the hill, where they’d have a supreme advantage.

  “Fire!” said William.

  Dirk, Orlando, and William fired their E-SCARs toward the hill, while Daniel shot two rounds from his pistol. He didn’t want to waste ammunition with such a small chance of success, so he shot sparingly.

  One of their attackers ventured too far past the top of the hill and was struck by a lucky bullet, followed by another more precise shot, which neutralized him.