True Sacrifice Read online

  He moved to sit beside me. “She’s been like a mom to me since my parents died. You’re lucky.”

  Curious, I asked, “What happened to your parents?”

  He glanced away and then back, his jaw set. “Truck hit their vehicle head on.”

  Shit. “So sorry, man.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. For what it’s worth, you came to the funeral. They both loved you.”

  Damn. I’d been so wrapped up in my own life, I hadn’t asked questions about Viper’s.

  “That must be shitty. To lose both at once.” Even if I can’t remember my Mom, I know she’s alive.

  My heart went out to him. I should have known such personal information. I shouldn’t have been hearing it for the first time. I felt like the worst friend. “Man. I don’t know what to say. I can’t begin to imagine what you’ve endured. What frustrates me even more is the fact I have no knowledge of any of it.”

  “Yeah, well. Sometimes I wish I had no memory of it.” He finished his own coffee and set it on the coffee table.

  Viper’s regular cell pealed out. The one not connected to the military. He shot me a quick look and answered it.

  “Hello? No. I said we’d let you know if we found anything. We’re waiting on intel. We are doing everything we can to find her.” My friend had tensed further at the person on the other end. “Look, I really gotta go. You need to let us do what we do best. We’ll call you as soon as we hear anything.”

  He hung up.

  I looked at him questioningly.

  Glancing at me, he offered, “Charlotte.”

  “She’s just worried.”

  “I know, but she better not keep calling me every few hours, I swear.” Standing, he asked, “You want a drink from the mini bar?”

  “Nah, man, I’m good. Why don’t you go get some sleep?”

  “Shouldn’t you be doing that too?”

  “Should, but can’t. I’ll camp here on the sofa for the night. I want to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.”

  He clapped me on the back. “Good to have you back, man. Even if you’re not totally back.”

  Raising my eyes to his height, I smiled. “It’s good to be here and even if I don’t know much, I do know you’ve always had my back.”

  “Amen, brother. That’ll never change.”

  Obviously deciding against alcohol, he turned and strode down the hallway and closed his bedroom door, leaving me alone to wonder just how the hell we were going to rescue Mac from the worst kind of criminals.

  Chapter Twelve

  Mac

  His hands on me were repulsive enough, but when they progressed to ripping my shirt open and raping my breasts, I’d had enough.

  Screaming out and thrashing my body from side to side, moving the chair slightly, I fought for whatever dignity remained. If he took from me what wasn’t on offer, I would make it hard for him.

  “Get off me, asshole!” I let loose with everything I had, spittle pooling at the corners of my mouth. I’d never been so angry or scared. I needed Harley to come barging through the door to save me, but as each second ticked by, the chances slimmed greatly.

  Did he even know I’d been taken from Ann Arbor? And what about the search? Had it begun? If so, it would be in the wrong area.

  I didn’t have time to ponder any more questions when a fist to my jaw snapped me back to Hades. My face jarred, darkness blocking my vision temporarily. When it returned, the manic face of my attacker hovered close. His black, deranged eyes bored into me with hatred like I’d never seen. A hand clamped around my neck, essentially narrowing my airways.

  “You bitch! You do as I say! There is no escape. Fight again and you die!”

  I didn’t doubt it. I danced with the devil. My life may not be worth as much as I thought. Using me to lure Harley may fail, but they’d have a plan B. Without me, they’d find another way.

  The thought made me pull my head in. Fighting might be good in theory, but in actuality it would only hasten my death. I’d need to play along and be a good little hostage for now.

  Staring into the depths of depravity, I attempted a nod. His grip on my throat loosened, changing my focus to my cheek. It smarted and throbbed, probably already swelling and bruising. The skin under my eye felt puffy.

  Harley, where are you? Please! You have to save me. Find a way. I need you. I saved you. Now it’s your turn to save me.

  I let the prayer hover in the thick air.

  My captor let me go and took a step back, never removing his gaze. I memorized every line and angle of his face should I need to describe him, in the event my rescuers came.

  Any light outside had long since faded, a dusky bulb casting a weak glow across the large, sparse room.

  I really needed to pee, so I tried my luck a second time.

  “Bathroom. I need to use the bathroom,” I pleaded, hoping against all odds he’d take pity on me so he didn’t have so smell my urine if he denied my request.

  Drawing his gun, which had been tucked into the waistband of his pants, he aimed it at my head.

  “Try anything stupid and I shoot. Understand?”

  I did. Grateful I’d be able to relieve myself, I replied, “Yes.” My voice sounded off with the swelling of my face. My teeth hurt too. Maybe he’d loosened some.

  Still with the gun trained at my temple, he began to attempt to loosen the ropes with one hand. When that didn’t work, he placed the gun on the floor beside the chair. I wondered if I’d be brave enough to take the opportunity when he loosened the bindings of grabbing the gun and shooting him. Would I get another opportunity? Should I be so stupid as to try after my last attempt? Playing the obedient hostage wouldn’t get me free.

  Aargh. I didn’t know what to do.

  Feeling the rope around my chest loosen and drop to the floor, instinct told me to remain seated and obey until told otherwise. If there wasn’t a gun involved, I’d attempt to escape. I couldn’t risk failing at my attempt or I had no doubt he’d shoot me.

  “Get up!” he barked.

  Rising, my legs groaned as my joints protested. My butt had gone numb and it took me a second to move forward. The gun retrained on my skull, so I grimaced through the pain and let him push me toward the door. A door leading to the outside world.

  Except when I stepped out, a long corridor steered us to a set of stairs. Spurred on by a metal barrel, I descended into a dusty foyer, passing my ticket to freedom. The large steel door was windowless.

  Turning the corner into a cramped smaller hall, Asshole shoved me through an open doorway which led to a smelly, dank bathroom that looked like it hadn’t been used in years.

  Still, I would have peed in a bucket if I had to.

  Inside the tiny space, I looked into a smeared mirror, swiping my hands across it to try and clear the grime. My face resembled an abused woman, and rightfully so. As suspected, bruising had begun. The right side of my face from my jaw to just below my eye had been affected. Redness with underlying purple proved a stark contrast to the opposite side. My eye had closed marginally. I looked hideous.

  Feeling the onslaught of tears, I tore myself away and went about my business, struggling with my scrub bottoms and underwear because of my shaking hands, before flushing and exiting to await my fate.

  On our way up the stairs, my handler’s cell rang. He waited until we were at the top before pulling it from his pocket and answering it. He spoke in his native tongue while still prodding me toward the chair.

  Ending the call, he threw me down and began restraining me again.

  Grinning like the maniac I knew him to be, he said, “It seems your boyfriend is on his way.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Harley

  I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, Viper shook me awake.

  “Get up. We’re on the move. Intel’s given us a location.”

  A switch flipped and I rose from the couch, transformed into soldier and savior in an instant.
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  We’d found her. Nothing else mattered.

  Racing into my room, I grabbed my weapon, vested up, and stalked into the hallway, adrenalin kicking me into overdrive. By the time I made it back into the living room, Viper had already left. Locking the suite door, I strode to the bank of elevators. Pressing the button for the basement, I let the car take me to my destiny. I searched for Viper’s vehicle and found it not too far away, already running. He hadn’t wasted any time. Christ, he must sleep lightly, ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

  Pulling the door shut, I climbed into the passenger seat and looked to my friend.

  He had his mask on, hard and focused. The heater blasted air into the interior, which helped ease the arctic chill.

  “Got your vest on?” he asked, easing out the building onto the street.

  “Yep.”

  “Armed?”

  “Of course.”

  “Let’s go get your girl.”

  With a squeal of tires, we were on our way. My jittery leg jiggled up and down, a million scenario’s playing out of how the night would go. I tried to stay positive, but I knew what we were up against and a positive outcome would be hard to achieve, but with my ace up my sleeve that I hadn’t mentioned to Viper, I prayed at least Mac would come out unscathed.

  We didn’t have to travel far. Knowing my girl had been so close failed to appease me. Instead, it amped me even more. I’d been dozing while she’d been held hostage in what I could only imagine were less than ideal conditions.

  Game on.

  Stopping outside a warehouse in the industrial area of town, we took pause and eased down the street a bit before parking and getting out.

  “How are we gonna do this? Are we just going to go in guns blazing?” My memory had stolen precise procedure and protocol of the job.

  “Hang five. I need to make sure our men are in position.”

  I wasn’t aware the cavalry had already arrived. The moment brought back a sense of déjà vu and the dream I’d had in the hospital of our rescue mission in Afghanistan. The one where Reno got killed. It seemed all too familiar. Viper and I going in alone with backup if needed.

  Unease snaked its way into my heart. “How many men we got?”

  “Three,” he replied, switching off his cell and pocketing it.

  “Only three?” I’d been expecting more, considering who we were up against. One more thought had me asking the question, “How will you make contact with the men on the outside with your cell off?”

  He drew the sleeve of his jacket up to reveal what appeared to be a wristwatch. Upon closer inspection I could tell it wasn’t. Two buttons sat on the face. One red, one green.

  “Red means wait. Green means go. One press of the green button and our guys will enter with force. It’s an alarm everyone is fitted out with. It’s specifically only used to alert soldiers outside to hold or move. No one except those requiring backup are authorized to press it.”

  Raising an eyebrow, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the technology. “So if one of our men accidentally pressed the green button before we were ready, our cover would be blown and the shit would hit the fan?”

  Viper laughed. I didn’t see the question as funny, but he obviously did. “Pretty much, but don’t worry, we have a code. Press it once and hold for three seconds, followed by four quick depressions.”

  Of course we had a code. I couldn’t imagine anything connected to the military as being so easy.

  “So when are we doing this?”

  “No time like the present. We’ll head around back. Word has it there’s a door, enabling us to be a little less conspicuous.”

  Nodding, we crept around the block to the rear of the building, stopping just shy of the corner that would direct us to our entry point. Unlike our last mission, I let Viper lead while I had his back, scoping the area for company, both our weapons raised. We used our night goggles rather than relying on exterior or interior lighting. It proved easier to spot targets, moving or still, and would give us the advantage against our enemy.

  Viper slowly peered around the corner, his head pivoting back in a microsecond. He held up two fingers, indicating two armed men guarding the door. Both our weapons had silencers, so it would be easy to take them out. Although with one of our snipers apparently positioned in a building across the street, it would be even easier for Viper to order the kill. I got the impression my friend didn’t like the easy way, so when he then held up four fingers and began counting down, I prepared myself.

  At one, a bead of sweat bubbled just above my right eye, and then we were moving. We both let fire, our targets slumping to the ground simultaneously.

  Backing against the wall, we waited for retaliation, and when none came, we inched forward.

  Creeping up to the door and stepping over the two corpses, Viper gave it a short pull and gave me the go ahead to follow when it opened. I didn’t bother taking stock of the dead men. They played a part in Mac’s abduction, so they didn’t deserve an ounce of my time.

  Obviously someone was expecting us. With two men standing watch at the door, I’d guarantee our intel had been compromised. With the change of game, there posed a new threat. We were stepping into a trap. Viper took pause, probably thinking the same as me. We were sitting ducks. Still, we needed to get inside and assess the situation. We couldn’t afford to order ‘go’ just yet, or it would put Mac in jeopardy. Not that she wasn’t already.

  Darkness cloaked us, so we moved stealthily, letting our goggles guide us. I made sure to close the door with as little noise as possible. My heart rate soared with each step I took, not knowing what we were walking into, but with my sole focus on getting to Mac.

  Fingers crossed we would still have a small element of surprise and our approach hadn’t been monitored.

  The air smelled musty, like the place had been closed up for months, perhaps years. My ears honed in for any sound, but the only noise came from the wind outside, forcing itself against the back door.

  A closed door to our left appeared in the narrow hallway. Viper stopped. We needed to assume any door we came across held Mac inside. With his fingers on the handle, I raised my gun over his right shoulder while searching the hall for any incoming threats.

  All clear.

  We did the four finger countdown again and Viper pushed open the door. My finger was on the trigger ready, but the room held nothing but a few boxes stacked in the corner.

  Moving forward, the bottom floor consisted of three more empty rooms, a bathroom, and foyer leading to the front door and a set of wooden stairs. So far the only threat had been the men guarding the door. I began to wonder just how prepared these guys were for our visit.

  Walking around the foyer and past the small bathroom, I froze. Something hit me full force, and yet it would probably evade anyone else. Mac’s perfume caught my senses. It lingered in one spot, and then disappeared as if never there. My eyes closed for the briefest moment before instinct had me on guard again. Viper stopped and turned to look at me. I motioned with my hand to proceed, so we eased to the bottom of the stairs.

  Mac had been here, and hopefully hadn’t been moved to another location. Smelling her perfume lifted my spirits and told me she remained alive. That is, if the scent in the air wasn’t the remains of her arrival.

  Through my goggles, a patch of heat flared at the top of the stairs. Viper saw it too and held his hand up to wait.

  If we took a shot, it could cause an adverse chain reaction.

  Our men were placed around the perimeter as backup only. Acting now would be suicide.

  Viper motioned back down the hallway. I followed, not knowing what went through his head.

  Opening the first door we’d checked, he motioned me inside.

  “We need to distract him. To get him down those stairs. Find something to toss that will make noise.”

  Searching for anything besides the cardboard boxes proved hard in the dark with only thermals as our guide. Stooping low, I let my
hands feel for anything metal such as a screw or shard of glass.

  “Find anything?” whispered Viper.

  “Nah.”

  “Keep looking.”

  Scouring through the boxes, Viper claimed, “This might do.”

  He held up a small bottle with no label. Perfect.

  Before leaving, I listened to the plan.

  “I’ll throw it up the stairs. You flank the other side out of sight. As soon as someone comes down looking for the source of the noise, we shoot, making sure it’s not Mac, of course.”

  “Right.” I couldn’t get anything else out, being so keyed up. I needed to draw on my subconscious and trust my soldier instincts would come into play. I didn’t want to have to turn myself over but if it came to that, I would.

  Giving me a thumbs up, we slipped out of the room and advanced to the staircase. I took my position on the opposite side and waited. Viper acted immediately, tossing the bottle high up the steps. A noise broke out above, a foreign tongue barking rapidly, followed by more than one set of footsteps.

  Do or die time.

  Watching the color appear through my goggles to signify heat, I aimed, ready to take the shot. A sense of all-knowing flowed into me, allowing me to focus only on the task at hand. Viper took the first shot, and I followed with the second as four men descended, random bullets flying left and right. The first guy hit the floor with the second one falling on top of him. The remaining two attempted to retreat back to the first floor but we were on the move, rising like ghosts, taking out both men consecutively, leaving slumped bodies in our wake.

  Upon stepping into the large, open expanse of the warehouse, my eyes immediately zeroed in on Mac, tied to a chair. A dim light shone against the far wall, only allowing enough light to make out her form and nothing else. A lone man stood behind her with a gun to her head, stopping me in my tracks.

  Viper screamed, “Arms in the air! Now!”

  I could hear Mac whimper, the sound lancing through my chest. Tearing my goggles off and dropping them, I needed to see her. Taking a step closer, I heard the click of the safety being released, forcing me to stop.