Beautiful Storm (37 page)

C
LENCHING MY HANDS
around the steering wheel, I carefully observe the building and its surroundings. It’s been years since I’ve been here, and nothing seems to have altered. The long, abandoned aircraft hangar’s set back on a small, old airfield. The bomb dump across the access road houses some of the training facilities. Ten-foot high chain link fences still surround the area, but everything looks uncared for. It’s the perfect place to hide an active group of deniable assets.

The sky turns dusky as the sun lowers. I close my eyes and rest my head back against the seat, drawing in deep, calming breaths. To pull this off my emotions need to be under control. Any sign of weakness and it’ll be game over. The only problem is my fucking weakness is here somewhere and she’ll be used to taunt me. It can be the only reason they’ve taken her, but I’m still trying to figure out why.

My heart pounds as I step out of the car and shrug on my jacket. With measured steps, I make my way over to the main gate. Praying the access code hasn’t changed, I punch in eight numbers seared into my brain like a branding iron. I let out a low breath when the familiar clunk of the release mechanism penetrates my eardrums above the blood surging in them.

Ensuring with every strung muscle my steps are unrushed, I push through the gates and pace along the weed-ridden tarmac towards the hangar. The need to run fights with the knowledge that every move I make will give away my state of mind. The place looks dead, but the movement of a surveillance camera in my peripheral lets me know I’m not alone. My body vibrates with constant anger each step I take closer to the hangar, but I manage to maintain an air of detachment.

I scan the area and spot the telltale glint of a scope trained in my direction; light refracts from the last few rays of sun. Roughly four hundred metres to my left there’s sniper and spotter team number one. Where’s the other team? Since they always have four guards on the gate, there’ll be another set around here somewhere. My gaze comes to rest on the barrel of a L115A3 sniper rifle poking out from the undergrowth 150 metres to my right. Team two spotted. The uncertainty in my system releases. Stupid bastards. Who in the hell trained them? Snipers should be undetectable at that range.

I reach the hangar doors and take a deep, calming breath. Showtime. After taking one last sweep over the area to make sure I haven’t missed something, I raise my face to the camera covering the small entrance door, widen my arms, and shout, “I’m here, so let me the fuck in.” I have the access code, can enter by myself, but I want to confirm I’m being watched. Plus I’m unarmed, for now.

The lock clicks and the door pulls ajar enough for me to recognise a familiar face. Jase, one of Bear’s men and someone I’ve worked with, stands in the half shadow. As I push through the door, he steps back, and gives me a look I can’t quite place. It’s somewhere between an apology and apprehension. I make no acknowledgement as I’m fucking clueless to what’s going on.

But I do have questions. Do I trust Bear? Has he lost control of his men? Jase’s Glock pushes into my temple. I figure I have my answer.

“What the fuck am I doing here?” Resentment radiates from within me. In one swift movement, I backhand the gun away from my face.

Jase glares at me but doesn’t make a move to replace the offending item. “Archie’s in the slaughterhouse.” His tone’s flat as he pats me down. I hold my arms out wide and raise my eyebrows at him. Does he think I have no common sense? He steps back, nodding to whoever is watching the surveillance confirming that I’m clean.

“Who the fuck is Archie? And you think I’m stupid enough to go in there unarmed? Not a chance in hell. Get the bastard out here.”

The slaughterhouse is used for replicating live-fire hostage rescue. There’re too many unknowns in there, but if forced, I’ll have no choice. I’m desperate to know Lizzie’s location, but if I mention her once, they are going to realise her worth. I have to wait until they bring her to me. Every millisecond I wait is pure torture. The few I’ve been in here are already too long. I can’t even scan the area for her for fear of giving my true feelings away. Blood screams through my veins in protest.

I keep my hard stare on Jase and he eyeballs me in return. “Archie runs the Dogs now.”

What the hell? Last I heard Johnson was still running the squad. Another thing my best fucking friend failed to mention. My doubts about Bear build further, and the feeling I’ve been hung out to dry creeps into my chest.

“He wanted me here so badly, he can at least have the decency to meet me on the doorstep.”

Jase mumbles some shit into the two-way but never takes his eyes off me. Smart guy because I’d have him unarmed if he gave me an opening.

“You’re not going to invite me in?” Sarcasm drips from my words.

“I think it’s best you wait in the holding area. Archie has a
visitor
in the arena who he may not want you to see.”

The way he says
visitor
makes my skin crawl. Lizzie. I bite my tongue and map the layout in my head, hoping nothing’s changed. I’m stuck in the holding area; the only walk-in entrance to the building that hasn’t been blocked in. Exits are a different matter.

Jase leans against the wall as we wait for Archie to appear. A few minutes later, an older bloke with blond hair, a touch smaller than me, enters the room.

“Ah, Noah. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His tone’s light and friendly, the kind you’d expect at a posh fucking dinner party, as he holds out his hand.

I glare at the proffered appendage, but don’t make any move to shake it. “I can’t say the same.” Derision shouts loud and clear. I’m poking the beast, but I need to get him to react to me. Show me what sets him off.

His brown eyes flare. As I take in his appearance, there’s something familiar about him, but as much as I rack my brain, I can’t place him.

“Ah, but you came nonetheless. Do we have something precious to you?”

Game on. I put a mental barrier around every feeling I have for my family. “No.”

He runs a hand through his short hair in what I can only assume is frustration.

“Then why would you come?” He cocks his head and watches me for any trace of concern.

“Any chance we could have this conversation sitting down?” Needing to get inside, I ignore his question. I need to know what I’m up against, now.

“Certainly. Forgive my rudeness, please follow me.”

Cocksucker
.

I follow him into the arena, Jase so close up my arse he may as well be in it. Something hard presses into my lumbar. I flinch as he tugs my belt. Cold metal slides downwards and touches my bare skin. What in the hell is going on? I continue to follow Archie as Jase backs away from me. I resist the urge to pat my back and confirm what I already know. He gave me a gun.

I scan the area for cameras, but locate none. No surprise there. Filming never takes place inside the hangar.

“Please have a seat.” Archie gestures towards a couple of worn chairs in the canteen.

“Where is everyone?” The area’s deserted. Not a usual occurrence when I was here. My senses flick to hyperaware and adrenaline leaks into my body, but still, I sit down as instructed.

“Other than Jason, Alexander, and me? Daniel’s in the ops room, Barry is in the gym, and Dean’s on the range. Why? Were you expecting an audience?”

Daniel? Bear’s Danny, the Danny who put a three-man team on my boy? And I thought Baz and Deano were lost on a mission a while ago. I don’t believe for one second there are only the six of them here. For starters, he forgot the two sniper teams outside, but he seems to think these particular men would shake me. Well, he’s right, but it’ll be a cold day in hell before I show him.

“No.” I shrug. “I’m just wondering what’s so important you couldn’t just phone, like a normal fucking person.”

“All in good time,” is his only reply. He picks up a remote control from the table and presses a button. At the far end of the area, a huge screen lights up.

I’m glad I’m sitting down, otherwise, I’d have hit the ground. Lizzie, my angel, is bound and blindfolded, magnified tenfold on the screen. Her cheeks tear-stained, her lips tremble and her chest heaves as she sucks in tormented air. Any anger I’ve ever felt in my life doesn’t even come close to the pure hatred that burns through my body. The fear I might not be able to hide my feelings makes my body work overtime to hold in every ounce of love I have for her.

“So, what did you want with my fuck buddy?” I don’t know how I get the words out in such a casual manner.

“Come now, dear boy. We both know this little lady is more to you than just sex.” His shrewd eyes never leave my face.

Keeping my expression neutral, I reply. “You couldn’t be more wrong. She’s just good at it.” I smile at him. “If you know what I mean.” I relax back in the chair but turn my head so I can’t see my girl’s terrified face.

“So, you wouldn’t mind if the lads have at her then?” He motions his head towards Jase, who’s leaving the arena.

This fucker is going to die. The drip of adrenaline turns into a full-on riptide. The need to flex my muscles becomes almost overpowering. The energy it takes to keep my breaths steady and maintain perfect indifference is immense. I want to rip off every one of his limbs.

I rub my chin. “Nah, go ahead. But don’t think I’m having her back after she’s been used up.”

He watches me intently and I start reciting the menu from the Chinese takeaway in my head. I won’t let him get the better of me.

Mushroom egg foo young. King prawn satay.

“What about your son?”

Chicken in black bean sauce. Kung poa beef. Singapore chow mein.

I risk a glance at the screen but it’s empty; Lizzie is no longer there. Terror shudders through me. “That’s a big assumption. How the fuck do you know he’s mine? So I shagged her years ago. She was fucking some other guy at the time, too. The kid could be anyone’s.”

Agitated, I stand, but try and keep my body language neutral.

Then I hear it, the gentle sobs of a female. The one thing that can shake me to the core and anger me beyond livid—Lizzie’s distress. I struggle with the nuclear bomb about to go off in my mind, wrestle with it to keep it under control.

“Well, son. I thought by taking something important to you”—Lizzie comes into view as she struggles against Jase’s grip, tears marring her perfect face—“I could get you to do a job for me.”

I laugh, hard. “I know the sort of job; it’ll probably wind up with me dead. She may be an A-class fuck, but that’s not worth getting killed over.” I cringe at the words and hope Lizzie can’t hear them, but I need to keep up the pretence.

As she nears us, the faith and love in her eyes nearly floors me. The pure relief in her whole body is evident. Jase releases her and she races over, wrapping herself tight around me. My arms, on autopilot, wrap around her, but I can’t respond like that. If I do, they’ll know for sure she’s my world. I force myself to unclasp her arms and push her away. Inside I’m screaming, on the outside I’m heartless.

“Noah? What’s going on?” Her eyebrows knit and confusion consumes her features.

I can’t answer. Briefly, I take in every mark on her face. The bruise purpling under her eye, her swollen lids, even the crack in her bottom lip from tugging on it with her teeth. I hate seeing the injuries, but I’m unable to meet the storm of her beautiful eyes. I’d never be able to tear myself away and show indifference.

“Ah, so I see the love is one-sided.” Archie’s smug words grate on my ears and I’d give anything at this minute to rip his face off.

“Tell him you love me.” Her whispered, trusting, words rip a hole the size of the fucking earth through my chest as I glare at Archie.

“No.” I spin around and grab her. She glances at my hand wound tight around her wrist. Panic floods every one of her features. “What makes you think you’re so special?” I let out a wry laugh and my heart shreds into confetti when her face crumples. “You’re just like the rest, love. A quick fuck.” I force a look of distaste onto my face. “Well, you were a bit better than the rest. That’s why I kept you around.”

Every lie coming out of my mouth kills a little more of her light. Tears cascade down her face, and I want to take the gun at my back and blow my own fucking brains out. I want to scoop her in my arms, ask for her forgiveness. Beg for her forgiveness. But I can’t. And it’s killing me.

They’re watching every move I make, and the only way she is getting out of here alive is if they think she means nothing to me. Even then, the chances are remote. But if there’s one thing I can do well it’s lie. Her storm-ridden eyes search mine, delving deep into my soul. I throw her wrist back, unable to cope with the fact I’m hurting her.

“Did you honestly believe you kept me entertained enough to not fuck around? Thought that hot pussy of yours was powerful enough to make me love you?” I let out another harsh laugh. “When I’ve been out for a drink with the lads, did you really not think the night ended without some other girl’s mouth wrapped around my dick, or my cock deep in some slut’s arse? Are you really that naive?” I just need to get her free. Then I’ll do whatever Archie asks. Because I’ll have no reason to live.