The Navy's Ghost (Bad Boys of Beta Squad) (26 page)

“
What’s going on with what?” Waters raised an eyebrow.

“
With MaryAnn. What did you find out?”

Jim grimaced and stre
tched each leg, one at a time. “Do you think anyone’s ever really meant to be together in this life, Hunter?”

“What?”
Todd threw Jim a frown.

“
We’re SEALs. We get into bad shit every day, shit we might not come home from.” Jim’s voice dropped to raspy growl. “Is it stupid to sentence someone else, a loved one, to such worry and abandonment?”

“
Are we talkin’ about MaryAnn or Chris?”

“I’m talking about anyone married to a SEAL. I’m talking about what’s most important. I
think you had some remarks on it last night.”

Todd snorted. “
Yeah. So what’s really important to you?”

“
I’m still working on it. Being honest with myself and everyone else, I guess.” Retro turned his solemn gaze on Todd. “What’s most important to you, Magic?”

“Brothers to have my back and someone waitin’ on me to come home.” Todd laid it o
ut as simply as possible. “The squad and Chris are what’s most important to me, and what keeps me goin’ when the shit gets deep.”

“
Shit’s deep right now.”

“Yeah,
it is.”

Magic’s thoughts returned to Chris and how beautiful she’d been the last time he’d made love to her. He’d made her come multiple times, but even so, they’d both felt the lack of Retro’s presence. She hadn’
t blamed Todd, but he knew she missed Jim as much as he did
.

“You gonna come back around after
we get Chris home?” Todd shouldered Retro. “We miss seein’ you and she asks after you each time we’re done with an op. You’re killin’ her, man. She still loves you, you know.”

“I know. I remember our talk from last night.”

“Yeah, well, I wanted to be sure given how shit-faced you were.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“So are you gonna come by?”

“Fuck, Magic.
Let it go, will you?” Retro’s expression darkened into a frown. “She’s your wife, not a local whore or Navy bunny. I might love her, but I still gotta get my head around being in the middle of your marriage.”

“
No, I won’t let it go, and I know who she is. I want her happy. Besides, she asked for this before we married.” Magic matched Jim’s pose with his arms over his chest. “She’s already lost so much when she had to leave the Teams, and I lost my best buddy. I figured you’d come around a few weeks after the wedding, but nothing. What the fuck? You too scared to hold up your friendship even if we don’t share?”

“
I’m working shit out, trying to be honest with everyone.” Retro sounded resigned as he focused on his boots. “I heard what you said last night and I’m thinking about it.”

“Bullshit. It sounds like you’ve given up.
What’s it gonna take to convince you to take what you want?”

“
Definitely not you ragging on my ass about it.” Some of the fire came back into Jim’s face. “Let’s just focus on getting the women home and we’ll see what Chris has to say about it.”

Magic wanted to slam his fist into his friend’s
stoic face, but a vibration separate from the rumbling plane buzzed his thigh. He dug his phone out to give him some time to cool down before he beat the shit out of Jim for his stubbornness.

Text message. Three-six-zero
area code. Who the hell got this number?

He opened the message and blinked. Then he read it again and elation wormed its way up from his gut.

“God damn, Ghost. I love you.”

“What?”
Jim and the others shot him looks of surprise.

“That woman is nothin
’ short of amazin’.” Magic punched Retro in the arm with excitement. “She sent us a message. I know where we’re goin’.” He unbuckled his harness. “I gotta go brief the commander.”

“Where are we going, Hunter?”
Bronco asked.

“Lilliwaup Dam.”

Chapter Eighteen

Chris and Lindsey shared a look as they heard the voices coming from beyond the door
around midday. Lindsey raised her eyebrows in question of what they said while Chris’s stomach plummeted to her feet. They spoke in Farsi, but she heard them loud and clear.

“These vessels are not redeemable.”

“It’s true they are inferior, but perhaps they can be used for something more than just torture of the male infidels.”

A disgusted snort came from behind the door. “You should not wish to sully yourself with such trash. They cannot even compare to the lowest of our women.”

Chris braced herself and hoped they’d pass by. But she suspected the corridor ended just beyond their cell and she couldn’t think of any other reason for the men to come down here.

“
What are they saying?” Lindsey asked.

“They’re decid
ing whether or not to rape us.”

Lindsey’s lips tightened, but she raised her chin
. She’d been a cop so she could handle the news. MaryAnn on the other hand…

“Shit.” Lindsey straightened
. “Do you think your text message got through to the squad?”

“I hope so, but I don’t know if we can wait that long.”

“What will we do if they come in?”

Chris grimaced as a key rattled in the door. “It looks like we’re about to find out.”

The door swung a few inches then paused as an argument broke out on the other side.

“What now?”

“We’re still unredeemable, but one of them is really horny.” Chris got up and moved closer to Lindsey. “Here’s what we’ll do. If they come in and there aren’t more than two of them, I say we try to disarm them and assure them we aren’t worth the effort. If there are more than two, we’ll play it by ear. Do you think you can help me?”

Lindsey swallowed hard. “It’s been a long time since I was a cop, Chris.”

“But you still remember how to disarm a perp, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then. Be ready.”

They held their breath, waiting for the door to
open more. Chris’s stomach clenched and her heart pounded as she prepared to take down whoever came in. She inhaled slowly, calming the trepidation raging within. She had to protect the other women and she was a SEAL, no matter how long she’d been away from the Teams. She owed it to Beta Squad, to Magic, Retro, Bam-Bam and Bronco, to bring their wives back in one piece. Even if she died.

Chris had no intention of losing this game.

Nodding to Lindsey, she rose and crept behind the door, biding her time. She’d either use the door to incapacitate the men coming in or as a shield from which to grab one. Her heartbeat thundered as adrenaline surged, but she slowed her breathing and focused on her target.

Seconds st
retched and Chris’s attention sharpened. The conversation shifted toward entry and Chris waited for just the right moment. She shot a glance at Lindsey and raised an eyebrow. The former detective gave her a thumbs-up and turned her gaze back to the door.

The hollow clatter of a rifle hitting the floor told Chris they’d set their weapons down, at least the large ones.
So it’s gonna be hand-to-hand. Got it.
She waited long enough for the first man to step into the room then pushed him toward Lindsey as she slammed the door into the body of his friend. Neither man expected the moves and the first stumbled to the floor, crying out in outrage.

Lindsey
leapt at him as Chris reached around the door for the second man, grabbing for his collar. He tried to get his arm up in time, but she jerked him off balance toward her and swung in behind him. He roared something incoherent as she hooked his legs with one of hers and shoved him to the floor while MaryAnn squealed from the corner, jerking her feet out of the way.

The stench of un
washed male and rancid cooking oil filled Chris’s nose as she snaked an arm around the man’s throat and squeezed. He gurgled and pushed at the floor, but she’d trapped his hands under him with no leverage. He bucked under her, but she grasped his chin and jerked his head to the side, ending his struggles.

She turned her gaze toward the scuffles coming from the opposite side of their cell and
watched Lindsey use the butt of a long knife to incapacitate her assailant. A red mark darkened her cheek from a blow to her face and her breathing came in great gasps, but her expression remained determined. She met Chris’s gaze.

“Now what?”

Chris’s heartbeat pounded in her ears from the adrenaline rush and her body warmed from the action, but she turned her gaze to the door. She listened hard as she tried to slow her breathing.

“Time to go.”

“Go? Go where?” MaryAnn’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. “We can’t go anywhere. They’ll catch us.”

“Only if you
waste more time arguing with me. Get on your feet. It’s now or never, and I don’t want to be here when they find these guys. Do you?”

Lindsey
scrambled up and tucked the big knife in the back of her waistband. “What do you want to do with them?”

Chris bit her lip. How much time did they have? “
Leave them here. Just take the knives. We’ll throw the guns down a dark corridor so they don’t find them.”

“You’re not going to take one?”

Chris shook her head. “Too loud. I’m trying to get us out of here without them noticing. Gunfire isn’t exactly subtle.”

“What if we run into others on the way out?” Lindsey dragged the unconscious man into the corner then helped Chris move the dead man out of the doorway.

“That’s what the knives are for.” Chris looked for MaryAnn. “Let’s go, MaryAnn. You can call me a bitch later when you’re alive in your husband’s arms. Now get up.”

The whiney woman pouted and thrust out her chin, but she got to her feet. Chris divested the dead man of his knife before she poked her head out the door and listened. Nothing moved or echoed in the concrete corridor. She glanced over her shoulder at the others.

“I’m going to check the exit. Wait here a moment.”

Cool calm enveloped her mind
and shoved out the physical cold as Chris crept along the damp floor to the intersection of their corridors. Dank concrete filled her nose, but her heartbeat had settled and she listened to the rumbling of the water through the underpinnings of the dam. A bare electric bulb provided a weak pool of light at the intersection, but her own corridor sat in darkness.

Pausing at the corner, Chris took a deep breath and listened hard. She heard nothing at first and dared a peek around the pitted wall. More bare bulbs glowed along the cracked and mossy
hallway. Water stains mapped out dendritic patterns across the ceiling, sliding down the walls and running in thin streams in the corners of the floor.

Chris almost waved the women forward when a soft sound hit her ears
and she fisted her hand in a gesture of wait. The adrenaline surged again and she crouched, turning her face to allow only one eye around the corner. The corridor stretched into dark infinity, but two men appeared at the farthest light pool, their voices hushed.

Fuck!
Chris darted a look down the other direction. The corridor dead-ended in no more than twenty feet.

Think, Brickman. What
can you do?

Chris glanced back at the cell door.
Lindsey’s face appeared and she gestured her question. Chris shook her head, motioned for her to wait and shut the door. When Lindsey frowned, Chris held up two fingers and hooked a thumb back up the corridor. She touched her chest and drew her finger across her throat. Lindsey’s jaw tightened and she dipped her head before pulling the door closed.

God, I hope they stay hidden and quiet.

Chris peeked around the corner again. The men had moved up two light pools and were talking animatedly about something to do with soccer. Chris rose to the balls of her feet, waiting for the men to hit the next light spot. Her heart thundered with excitement, but she channeled the roiling energy into speed.

As the tangos stepped into the light, gesturing and arguing, Chris darted into the dark portion of the unused corridor, her feet leaving no sound louder than their words. She flattened herself against the back wall, hoping the darkness would disguise her pale peach camisole and light gray yoga pants.

The men continued their path uninterrupted and Chris slowly withdrew the knife from her waistband as they neared the T in the corridor. She steadied her breathing and waited in silence as they paused at the junction and stared at the door to the cell. Neither seemed very interested in checking the prisoners as they continued their discussion.

Chris pushed off the wall and crept toward them. Their conversation covered
the extra noise from her bare feet against the wet, cold stone. She’d reached the edge of the week pool of light when one of them noticed the discarded rifles leaning on the wall beside the door. As they started toward the cell, Chris took three steps and grabbed the first man, wrapping a hand over his mouth. Before he could make a sound, she dragged the blade across his throat and pushed him to the side, leaping over his crumpled body.

The second man shifted to see what had happened and Chris slammed the knife into his gut, blade pointed up. The man gaped at her as he slid to the floor and she jerked the blade free before slitting his throat for finality. Chris finally
inhaled as she wiped the blade on his dirty jacket and straightened.

She pulled the automatic weapons off the bodies and looped them over her shoulder before approaching the door.
I guess I’m gonna need them now.
Her body protested the hard action after all the time she’d spent still, but her mind shoved the discomfort aside and focused on the task ahead.

“
Lindsey, it’s me. They’re down.”

The door slowly opened and the
former cop scanned Chris’s person before looking beyond her to the bodies in the hallway.

“Are they dead?”

“Yes. Grab one of these weapons and search the guys inside for keys. Where’s MaryAnn?”

Lindsey
grimaced as she took a rifle. “I got her up on her feet, but she’s fussing about leaving.”

Shit
. “See if you can find those keys. I don’t want the bastard you hit waking up and coming after us. I’ll get MaryAnn.”

“Right.”

Chris followed Lindsey through the door, looking for Greg’s useless wife.

“MaryAnn, are y
ou ready to go?”

“No. No, we’ll just get caught and killed.”
She rubbed her wrists chafed from the broken zipties.

“I won’t let that happen,
but we can’t stay here.” Chris didn’t gentle her voice. She was done coddling the woman. “Get outside and keep an eye on the corridor.”

“What are you going to do? I don’t want to go out there alone.”

“I’ll be right behind you. Let’s go.” Chris dragged MaryAnn toward the door, the woman’s remaining heel clacking against the concrete. “Lose the shoe.”

“What?”

“Take off the shoe.”

“But—”

“It’s loud and you can’t run in only one shoe anyway. Take it off.” MaryAnn opened her mouth to protest and Chris snarled at her. “Stop arguing with me and take off the fucking shoe.”

“You’re such a bitch, Chris.” MaryAnn sullenly threw off her shoe.

“You can thank me later. Let’s go.” Chris glanced at Lindsey. “Any keys?”

“Yeah, got ’em.”

“Good. Pull the door shut and lock it. We don’t have much time before someone notices these guys are missing.”

They shuffled out into the hallway and MaryAnn gasped as she froze, staring at the
bodies on the floor.

“Oh
, my God. Oh, my God. They’re dead.”

“Yes. Now get moving. They won’t grab your ankles.” Chris urged her ahead until they reached the edge of light at the T. “Wait.” She slipped around the Greg’s wife and paused at the corner before glancing around the wall.

The corridor remained empty and silent.

“Okay. Let’s go.
Lindsey, you ready?”

“Yep. Lead the way.”

“I don’t want to—”

“Shut up, MaryAnn.”
Lindsey sounded exasperated. “Just follow Chris and let’s get out of here.”

Chris
bit her lip to smother her smile while part of her laughed on the inside.
Nice to know I’m not the only one tired of her.
She motioned for them to follow her and crept off down the corridor, keeping her body turned just enough to keep an eye on both directions. The other two women followed her in relative silence.

Wet cold chilled Chris’s feet, but her adrenaline and
motion kept her warm as they scuttled through the weak pools of light. She recalled the way out needed two more left turns, but she hadn’t seen any other branches to their corridor yet. The footsteps of the others sounded like a crowd of drunk frat boys followed her, but at least they kept their silence.